Appetizers

Apple and Brie Crostini

cathysmahaLeave a comment

The Brie at Costco is always wonderful this recipe from their Magazine was a winner. What’s not to like with almond butter, brie, apple, honey, spiced pecans–wow! I used the spiced pecans that I make every Christmas. This would be a wonderful appetizer for Valentine’s Day or a gathering of friends and family.

Apple and Brie Crostini

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 baguette, thinly sliced on the bias (Fork-Lore: I used Croccantini Original Sea Salt Artisan Crackers)
  • ½ cup Kirkland Signature Almond Butter
  • 3 oz. brie cheese
  • 1 large Honeycrisp apple
  • Fresh cracked pepper
  • ½ cup candied pecans, chopped (for garnish)
  • ¼ cup honey
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Heat oven to 375 F. Arrange baguette slices on a rimmed 9 x 13-inch baking sheet. Thinly spread almond butter on one side of each baguette slice, about 2 tsp.
  2. Slice the brie and the Honeycrisp apple thinly so one flavor doesn’t overpower the other, about ¼-inch-thick slices. Place brie on top of almond butter spread. Set apple aside.
  3. Bake 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
  4. Top crostini with apple and pepper. Sprinkle pecans on top for garnish and drizzle with honey. Serve immediately. Makes 4 to 6 servings, about 12 crostini.

Recipe from Costco Magazine

Mexican Dishes · Soups and Stews

Green Chicken Enchilada Soup

cathysmaha1 Comment

What a quick, easy and delicious soup! Temperatures were bitterly cold in Colorado when I made this soup. It came together in 30 minutes or less and was delicious! What an easy dinner for a busy family night. I’m thinking this soup would freeze well, if there are any leftovers!

Green Chicken Enchilada Soup

INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1lb chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces (I used rotisserie chicken)
  • 1 large shallot or small onion, chopped 
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 1/4 cup gluten free flour blend (could use AP flour if not GF)
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup milk, any kind
  • 15oz can gluten free green enchilada sauce (I like Hatch brand)
  • 4oz can chopped green chiles
  • 2, 15oz cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed (I used 1 can white beans, 1 can black beans)
  • 2 teaspoons cumin (I use 1 tsp.)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
  • 8oz freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese, plus more for topping
  • Toppings: tortilla strips, shredded Monterey jack cheese, fresh cilantro, green onions, lime wedges, sour cream, green Tabasco sauce
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped chicken breasts and shallot/onion, season with salt and pepper, then saute until chicken is opaque, 4-5 minutes – chicken does not need to be entirely cooked through. Add garlic then saute until extremely fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
  2. Sprinkle in flour then stir to combine and cook while stirring for 1 minute. Slowly stream in chicken broth while stirring until a smooth sauce has formed then pour in remaining chicken broth and milk. Add green enchilada sauce, canned chiles, beans, cumin, and dried oregano then turn heat up to bring soup to a bubble, stirring occasionally. Turn heat down to medium-low then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally.
  3. Turn heat off then remove pot from hot burner, add half the cheese, and then stir until completely smooth. Add remaining cheese then stir until completely smooth. Let soup sit and thicken for 15 – 20 minutes then scoop into bowls and serve with toppings.

Recipe from IowaGirlEats

Czech Heritage and Dishes · Soups and Stews

Kapustnica: Slovak Christmas Sauerkraut Mushroom Soup

cathysmaha2 Comments

My Father’s ancestral roots are Czech and Slovak. I’ve always been interested in the ethnic foods of these regions and love trying the foods that they may have eaten. Kapustnica mean Sauerkraut Soup and is often served on Christmas Eve as well as throughout the winter months. Imagine the ingredients of these foods were preserved for use during the winter months. The soup is smoky and a bit sour due to the sauerkraut. The broth is delicious. Serve the soup with a nice crusty bread to complete the meal.

While this is a traditional Christmas soup, I prefer this soup in the cold, dark days of January.

Kapustnica: Slovak Christmas Sauerkraut Mushroom Soup

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 to 1.5 lbs. Sauerkraut (Frank’s refrigerated is recommended)
  • 1 tsp. caraway seed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2-3 links of smoked sausage
  • 3 quarts water
  • 1 oz. dried mushrooms (porcini recommended)
  • pasta (I cooked 1 cup of dried Kluski noodles)
  • Roux:
    • 3 tablespoons oil
    • 1 small chopped onion
    • 1 clove minced garlic
    • 3 tablespoons flour
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 1/2 tsp. pepper
    • Paprika to taste
    • 1 cup water
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Add three quarts of water to a large pot. Add sauerkraut, caraway seed, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
  2. Soak mushrooms in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain and discard liquid. Add to soup.
  3. Using a fork, poke many holes in the smoked sausages. Add to soup.
  4. Simmer soup for 1-2 hours.
  5. Prepare the roux: Add oil to pan. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute. Add flour and stir until mixture is light brown. Add salt, pepper, paprika and ____. Stir to combine. Add 1 cup water. Whisk and cook until mixture thickens. Add to soup. Continue simmering soup.
  6. Remove smoke sausage from soup and slice into pieces. Add back to soup.
  7. Remove bay leaf.
  8. Cook pasta separately. When cooked, add to soup.

Recipe from YouTube

or

https://tasteisyours.com/slovak-sauerkraut-soup-kapustnica/

Kapustnica ( Slovakian Christmas Stew )

https://cookpad.com/uk/recipes/274784-kapustnica-slovakian-sauerkraut-sausage-soup

Breads

Healthy Banana Bread with Honey

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Banana Bread is always a winner and I have tried many. My go-to Banana Bread is moist and delicious; my Christmas verision with maraschino cherries and chocolate chips is a family favorite, and I enjoyed this version made with honey. Honey is a precious commodity in my home, so I will routinely opt for my other two recipes, but know this version is also delicious.

Healthy Banana Bread with Honey

INGREDIENTS:
  • ⅓ cup (75 grams) melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil or high quality vegetable oil*
  • ½ cup honey (168 grams) or maple syrup (155 grams)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup (225 grams) mashed ripe bananas (about 2 ½ medium or 2 large bananas)
  • ¼ cup (56 grams) milk of choice or water
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda (NOT baking powder; they aren’t the same!)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
  • 1 ¾ cups (220 grams) white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour**
  • Totally optional: ½ cup mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit, fresh banana slices…
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the oil and honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then whisk in the mashed bananas and milk. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 10 seconds in the microwave.)
  3. Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, and whisk to blend. Lastly, switch to a big spoon and stir in the flour, just until combined. Some lumps are ok! If you’re adding any additional mix-ins, gently fold them in now.
  4. Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. If you’d like a pretty swirled effect, run the tip of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern.
  5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (typically, if I haven’t added any mix-ins, my bread is done at 55 minutes; if I have added mix-ins, it needs closer to 60 minutes). Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for at least 10 minutes. You may need to run a butter knife around the edges to loosen the bread from the pan. Carefully transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool before slicing.

Recipe from CookieandKate

Fish

Honey Mustard Salmon Bake

cathysmahaLeave a comment

The Honey Mustand Salmon is so delicious and will remain a favorite recipe with or without the vegetables. I had several vegetables on hand, including leftover roasted brussel sprouts, that I used in this recipe. I like roasted radishes, but if that is not your thing, you could easily replace with sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, etc. A one pan meal is always a great way to prepare a meal. Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Salmon Bake

INGREDIENTS:
  • Salmon:
    • 1 tsp. mustard
    • 2 heaped tsp. Wholegrain mustard
    • 1 1/2 tsbp. honey
    • 3 minced garlic cloves
    • 1/2 tsp paprika
    • 1/4 tsp chili flakes
    • 1 pound salmon
  • Vegetables:
    • 1 pound new potatoes, halved or cubed potates
    • 1 red onion, sliced thin
    • bunch of radishes, halved
    • 2 tbsp. olive oil
    • a big pinch of: salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, ground coriander and ground cumin
    • 8 oz. brussel sprouts, halved or sliced thinly
    • 3 spring onions, halved and cut into pieces
    • Lemon & dill to serve
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Mix together mustards, honey, garlic, paprika and chili flakes. Brush over flesh side of salmon and set aside.
  3. Combine potatoes, radishes and red onion. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, ground coriander and ground cumin. Stir to coat
  4. Add potatoes, radishes and red onion to baking sheet and baked for 25 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, combine brussel sprouts, spring onion and squeeze over juice of one lemon. Add sprout misture to potato mixture and stir. 
  6. Make a well in the center of the baking sheet and lay the salmon down with a slice of lemon.
  7. Bake for another 12-15 minutes depending on how you like your salmon. Serve with fresh dill.

Recipe from Mediterranean.diet.plan

Meats

Oven-Baked Pork Chops

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Oven-baked pork chops are so quick and easy…why haven’t I tried this before? I love the thick cut (or Iowa chops) at Costco and frequently cook them in the crock pot. On this particular day, I thawed the pork chops and forgot to put them in the crockpot in the morning. What to do…well, this recipe was perfect. The pork chops came out so juicy and tender. I served the chop with yummy roasted vegetables for the win!

Oven-Baked Pork Chops

INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Use paper towels to pat the pork chops dry.
  2. Prepare the pork chop marinade here. Marinate the pork chops for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours (but not longer). Alternatively, you can season with pork chop seasoning (link in ingredient section above), or simply season generously with salt and pepper and skip the marinade, but the marinade makes them so juicy! (Fork-Lore Note: I seasoned the pork chops and immediately cooked them and they were juicy and delicious).
  3. Remove the chops from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking.
  4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). At the same time, preheat a cast iron skillet (or a cast iron grill pan) on the stovetop over medium-high heat, about 2-3 minutes.
  5. Once the oven is just a few minutes away from being preheated, add the butter and heat until melted, tilting the pan to coat. Add the pork chops in a single layer. Sear for 2-3 minutes, without moving, until browned on the bottom. Flip and sear for 1-2 minutes on the other side.
  6. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven. Bake pork chops until their internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), or 140 degrees F (60 degrees C) for juicier pork chops. (The internal temperature will rise another 5 degrees while resting later.) Use a probe thermometer for best results, but here is a guideline for pork chop baking times:* 1″ thick boneless pork chops: 6-8 minutes* 1/2″ thick boneless pork chops: 3-4 minutes* 1″ thick bone-in pork chops: 8-10 minutes* 1/2″ thick bone-in pork chops: 5-6 minutes
  7. Remove the pork chops from the oven and transfer to a plate. (Do not leave them in the pan or they will be overcooked.) Tent the top with foil and let the chops rest for 3-5 minutes.

Recipe adapted from WholesomeYum

Cookies and Bars

5-Ingredient Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

cathysmahaLeave a comment

These delicious cheesecake thumbprint cookies are so delicious. Daughter, Megan, found this recipe and used apricot vs. the suggested raspberry jam. Any jam would work and for the chocolate lover, a few of those as well. One last bit of sugar before the New Year diets begin!

5-Ingredient Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 8 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cup + 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1/4 cup preserves (raspberry, strawberry, apricot or bits of chocolate)
DIRECTIONS:
  1. In the body of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
  2. Add the sugar and beat well.
  3. Add in flour, a small bit at a time, beating in on low speed, just until incorporated.
  4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes and up to two hours.
  5. 30 minutes prior to baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).
  6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  7. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out 1 tablespoon sized balls of dough, roll them into rounds, and place on the cookie sheet. Lightly press your thumb in the center of each round. Fill each indentation with 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
  8. Place pan in the oven to bake for 11 to 12 minutes or until just golden at the edges. They will still be very soft when you remove them from the oven–that’s a good thing!
  9. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 full minutes, then very carefully transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe from bakerbynature

Cookies and Bars · Holidays

Easy Sugar Cookies & Sugar Cookie Frosting

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Everyone loves a frosted sugar cookie for the holidays. Daughter, Megan, made several batches for her daughter’s December birthday party and to give to neighbors. They rolled out and cut beautifully. They are perfect for Santa’s visit on Christmas Eve. Yummo!

Easy Sugar Cookies & Sugar Cookie Frosting

INGREDIENTS:
  • Sugar Cookies
    • 1 cup unsalted butter softened (226g)
    • 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
    • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (see note)
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (Plain flour) (315g)
    • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¾ teaspoon table salt
  • Sugar Cookie Frosting
    • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted (375g) (weigh before sifting)
    • 3-4 Tablespoons milk (I use whole milk, but any kind will work)
    • 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup (see note)
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Gel food coloring optional
    • Additional candies and sprinkles for decorating optional
DIRECTIONS:

Sugar Cookies

  1. Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl and use an electric hand mixer) and beat until creamy and well-combined.
  2. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until completely combined.
  3. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet until dough is smooth and completely combined.
  5. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and transfer approximately half of the dough onto the wrap (dough will be quite sticky at this point, that’s OK!).
  6. Cover dough with clear wrap or wax paper and mold into a flat disk. Wrap tightly. Repeat with remaining cookie dough in another piece of clear wrap. Transfer dough to refrigerator and chill for at least 2-3 hours and up to 5 days.
  7. Once dough has finished chilling, preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (alternatively bake cookies directly on an ungreased baking sheet). Set aside.
  8. Generously dust a clean surface with flour and place one chilled cookie dough disk onto the surface. Lightly flour the dough and roll out to ⅛” (for thinner, crispier cookies) or ¼” (for thicker, softer cookies). Add additional flour as needed both on top of and beneath the dough so that it doesn’t stick. Note: if dough is cracking as you roll it, let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to soften before attempting again.
  9. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and use a spatula to transfer shapes to prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 1″ apart. If you are not intending to decorate your cookies with icing, you can decorate them with sanding sugar at this point before you bake them. 
  10. Bake on 350F (175C) for 8-10 minutes (this is for cookies that are approximately 3″ [7.6cm]; note that smaller cookies will need less time and larger cookies will need more), or until edges just begin to turn lightly golden brown.
  11. Allow cookies to cool completely on cookie sheet before decorating.
  12. Easy Sugar Cookie Icing; Combine powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl and stir until combined. If frosting is too thick, add more milk, about a teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is thick but pipeable. If you accidentally add too much milk, add powdered sugar until desired texture is reached.  
    • If coloring the frosting, divide into bowls and color as desired at this point.
    • Transfer frosting to a piping bag with a piping tip (I used Wilton 5), or place in a Ziploc bag and snip a small piece of the corner off (not as neat, but this will still work, just take care that the frosting isn’t so thick that it breaks open the seam of the bag when you are squeezing).  
    • Pipe frosting on cookies and decorate with decorative candies, if desired.
    • Allow frosting to harden before enjoying, stacking, or storing (this took several hours for me and may vary for you depending on the consistency of your frosting).

Recipe from SugarSpunRun

Appetizers

Cranberry Salsa

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Cranberry Salsa is the perfect appetizer for the holidays. I am not a fan of too much spice but i jalapeno is just right for this dish. I served the Cranberry Salsa over softened cream cheese with crackers, tortilla chips, and cubes of sourdough bread. In addition I had very thinly sliced piecs of serrano ham. A piece of the bread with cream cheese, salsa and a bite of serrano ham…to die for!

After Thanksgiving, I made a turkey sandwich topped with the salsa and it was sooo good. Definitely worth making this holiday season!

Cranberry Salsa

INGREDIENTS:
  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar, (add more to taste)
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped coarsely (leave the seeds in if you like it spicy)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 4 green onions
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 (8 ounce) blocks of cream cheese
  • Crackers or tortilla chips
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor (EXCEPT CREAM CHEESE) and pulse until desired consistency. I like mine fairly fine. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours (preferably overnight) to allow the salsa to macerate. Serve over cream cheese and with crackers.
  2. This makes enough to cover two blocks of cream cheese. Some people prefer to spread the cream cheese on a serving dish with the salsa on top. I prefer to just pour it on top of a block of cream cheese.
  3. Depending on how tart your cranberries are you may want to add more sugar. This last batch I added a total of 1 cup of sugar.
  4. NOTE: Wheat thins or triscuits are great for serving with this because they are sturdy and won’t break. I love it with Ritz crackers but they are too soft and will break with dipping. If you want to use them just make sure you have a spreader with the salsa. As with all salsa, the quantities are approximate and you can adjust to your own preferences. I have kept this in the fridge for up to 10 days and it was still good! I’m not a food safety expert but it does last for a while.

Recipe from Thegirlwhoateeverything.com

Cakes · Holidays

Chocolate Rum Cake

cathysmaha1 Comment

This Bacardi Chocolate Rum Cake recipe card has been in my collection since the mid-70s when I lived in St. Joseph, Missouri. This recipe along with the traditional Rum Cake are so delicious. Last Christmas, Megan made the cake for family gatherings, carrying on the tradition. Her cake was as delicious as it looks.

Chocolate Rum Cake

INGREDIENTS:
  • 18 1/2 oz. chocolate cake mix
  • 1 pkg. (4 serving sice) Jell-O Chocolate Instant Pudding and Pie Filling
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum (80 proof)
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional)

Filling:

  • 1 1/2 cups cold milk
  • 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum (80 proof)
  • 1 pkg. (4 serving size) Jell-O Chocolate Instant Pudding and Pie Filling
  • 1 envelope Dream Whip Whipped Topping Mix
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Grease and flour two 9″ layer cake pans.
  2. Combine all cake ingredients together in a small bowl. Blend well, then beat at medium mixer speed for 2 minutes. Turn into prepared pans.
  3. Bake 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Do not underbake. Cool in pans for 10 minutes.
  4. Remove from pans, finish cooling on racks.
  5. Split layers in half horizontally. Stack.
  6. For filling: Combine milk, rum, pudding mix and topping mix in deep narrow-botton bowl. Blend well at high speed for 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Makes 4 cups.
  7. Spread 1 cup filling between each layer and over top of cake.
  8. Keep cake chilled. Serve cold.

Recipe from Bacardi Rum about 1977