Raspberry Trifle

This was so berry, berry good.  (Someone has been watching too much Strawberry Shortcake.)
I made this on the 4th of July, right after picking fresh raspberries at West Union Gardens.  Mmmmm.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup raspberry jam
4 cups raspberries
2 cups heavy cream (or more)
2 Tbl sugar
1 1/2 pounds favorite pound cake (2 loaf pans is plenty)
      ***I used the sour cream pound cake recipe from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

In a small saucepan bring 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water and lemon juice to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Let cool.

In another small bowl, combine jam with 3 cups of the berries, mashing slightly.

In another bowl whip the cream and the 2 Tbl sugar to stiff peaks.

Slice cake into 3/4" slices, brushing both sides with lemon syrup.

Fit 1/3 of the slices in the bottom of a trifle dish, trimming edges if needed.  Gently spread 1/3 of raspberry mixture, and then 1/3 of whipped cream.  Repeat twice, and then add whole raspberries to the top.

Refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Cinnabon Coffee Cake

This recipe is great for when you want cinnamon rolls but don't have the time. Or for when you have way too many cubes of  butter in your fridge.  Either way, it is super good.

This recipe was floating around facebook for a while, but I'm not sure of the origins beyond that.

3 c flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 c sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 c milk

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

4 Tbsp butter, melted

2 stick (1 cup) butter, softened

1 c brown sugar

2 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp cinnamon

2/3 c nuts

2 c powdered sugar

5 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

1. With an electric mixer or stand-up mixer, mix 3 cups of flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in 4 T melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix the 2 sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, 2 T flour, cinnamon, and nuts until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoon and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center. Place powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Buffalo Sloppy Joes

And yet another Taste of Home recipe!  I realized of all the magazines that come through the house, this is one magazine I really use.  I've gifted it to several people and just cant't say enough about it.

My only changes to this recipe is to only add a little hot sauce (I used Frank's) so that it isn't too spicy for the kids, and then put the hot sauce on the table to add more as desired.  It is best on sturdy buns.  Regular hamburger buns get pretty soggy quickly.

Photo from Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 2 pounds extra-lean ground turkey

• 2 celery ribs, chopped

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 medium carrot, grated

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

• 1/4 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 8 hamburger buns, split

• 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled blue cheese, optional

  Directions

  1. Cook the first five ingredients in a Dutch oven over medium heat until turkey is no longer pink. Stir in the tomato sauce, chicken broth, hot sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and pepper; heat through.

  1. Serve on buns; sprinkle with cheese if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

2 pounds extra-lean ground turkey

 

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, grated

 

3 garlic cloves, minced

 

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

 

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

 

1/4 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce

 

2 tablespoons brown sugar

 

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

 

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

 

1/4 teaspoon pepper

8 hamburger buns, split

 

1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled blue cheese, optional

Roasted Sweet Potato and Prociutto Salad

This was another Taste of Home recipe I found and it was really tasty!  I changed it just barely (it called for radishes, which I used, but I didn't think they blended well at all.)


Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-in . pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, julienned
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
2 green onions, sliced, divided
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey



Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Place sweet potatoes in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoons slat and the pepper; toss to coat. Roast 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle prosciutto over sweet potatoes; roast 10-15 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and prosciutto is crisp. Transfer to a large bowl; cool slightly.

Add pecans, red pepper and half of the green onions. In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, honey and remaining oil and salt until blended. Drizzle over salad; toss to combine. Sprinkle with remaining green onion.

Chicken Saltimbocca

I pulled this recipe out of an old "Taste of Home" I had floating around.  3 out of 4 kids asked for seconds, so I take that as a win!  I did make a LOT of rice, so I ended up freezing a bunch for another meal.  The original recipe calls for fresh sage, which I skipped since I forgot at the store...  Plus I think this would have scared away kids.  Instead I just sprinkled some dried sage into the sauce, and it added a really nice flavor to the entire dish.

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups uncooked long grain rice
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
• 4 thin slices prosciutto or deli ham, halved
• 16 fresh sage leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, saute onions in butter until tender. Add rice and stir to coat. Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Fluff with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, cut a slit lengthwise through the thickest part of each chicken breast; fill with prosciutto and two sage leaves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in oil in batches for 1-2 minutes on each side; return all to the pan. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°. Remove and keep warm.
4. Add wine to the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until slightly reduced. Stir in the sour cream, sugar and minced sage; heat through (do not boil). Serve with chicken and rice. 

Slow Cooker Marinara

Have I really not posted new recipes since the summer?  This made me ponder if I had made anything new since the summer.  The answer was yes, but honestly, there have been quite a few "cereal for dinner!" nights in there, too.  I cracked open a few cookbooks this last week when I was *gasp* menu planning, and thought I'd share those recipes along with a few I've stashed away the last few months, as well.

This recipe for slow cooker marinara came from a new blog I've been following called Budget Bytes.  Here is the original post on her site.  This made enough for 3 meals.  We ate one right away, and I froze the other two.  I think the only thing I did differently was to make it smooth with my stick blender when it was done, to please my "no chunk" eaters.  The sauce is so very rich and "real" tasting, compared to many jars and cans, and it made the house smell remarkable all day long!

Ingredients

• 2 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes 
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste 
• 1 medium yellow onion 
• ½ Tbsp minced garlic 
• 2 whole bay leaves 
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• ½ Tbsp dried oregano 
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar 
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• to taste salt & pepper 

Instructions

1. Cut the onion into a small dice and mince the garlic. Place both in the slow cooker. Also add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, bay leaves, basil, oregano, and freshly cracked pepper. Stir well to combine. If your slow cooker tends to lose moisture and dry things out, add ½ to 1 cup of water as well.
2. Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.
3. Remove the lid on the slow cooker, stir the sauce, and remove the bay leaves. Season with salt to taste (I added about 1 tsp). Enjoy over your favorite pasta!

Stuffed Shells

This recipe is so easy, a 5 year old could do it!  Short of boiling the noodles, Beatrix prepared this entire dish.  It is a perfect dinner to get the kids not only involved, but taking ownership of the meal.  And they were pretty tasty, too!

1 package jumbo shells
1 jar spaghetti sauce - I used some previously frozen Slow Cooker Marinara
36 frozen meatballs, thawed
2 cups mozzarella cheese

Cook noodles according to package.  Drain and let cool.
Pour about 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9x13.
Put a meatball inside each shell, and then put in the casserole.
Cover with sauce, and then sprinkle with cheese.
Bake in a 350 oven, covered for 35 minutes, and then uncovered for about 5 more, until bubbly.

Amy's Homemade Hamburger Helper

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey (sometimes I use only 1/2 lb)
• 1/2 cup onions, diced
• 1 tablespoon butter, optional
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup cold water
• 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt or seasoning salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon parsley
• 3/4 garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 or more cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Brown ground meat in a skillet over medium heat until almost done.
2. Add in onions and cook until tender.
3. Drain meat & onions on paper towels and return to skillet.
4. Add remaining ingredients except for the cheese.
5. Stir to combine.
6. Bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat, cover and cook until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
8. * Do not over cook pasta. I usually taste check it at 9 minutes.
9. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Sauce may be thin.
10. Let pasta sit to thicken the sauce, meanwhile adjust seasonings if needed.
11. Serve and enjoy.

PW's Beef w/ Snow Peas

This one is an adaptation of the Pioneer Woman's Recipe.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pound Flank Steak or other Stead, Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain
• 1/2 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons Sherry Or Cooking Sherry
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
• 8 ounces, weight Fresh Snow Peas, Ends Trimmed
• Optional: Mushrooms, bell peppers or other veggies
• 5 whole Scallions, Cut Into Haf-inch Pieces On The Diagonal
• Salt As Needed (use Sparingly)
• 3 Tablespoons Peanut Or Olive Oil
• Jasmine Or Long Grain Rice, Cooked According To Package

Preparation Instructions

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Pour half the liquid over the sliced meat in a bowl and toss with hands. Reserve the other half of the liquid. Set aside.
Heat oil in a heavy skillet (iron is best) or wok over high heat. Add snow peas and stir for 45 seconds. Remove to a separate plate. Set aside.
Allow pan to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Add half the scallions. Spread out meat as you add it to pan, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.) Turn meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.
Repeat with other half of meat, allowing pan to get very hot again first. After turning it, add the first plateful of meat, the rest of the marinade, and the snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Add water to desired sauce thickness.  Check seasonings and add salt only if it needs it.
Serve immediately over rice.

Posted by Ree on October 25 2010