Taco Soup

I know, I know...we already have a taco soup recipe. The one that was originally posted on the blog was good, but I think this new one might be better. Tough to tell though, without a side-by-side taste test.

The recipe below is nice and easy, and Dave and I make it all the time. We always halve it, and still have lots of leftovers for a few bonus meals. Hope you give it a try!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground beef

1 medium sweet onion, diced

5 stalks celery, chopped

1 15oz can of tomato sauce

1 28oz can diced tomatoes, with juice

2 15oz cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 15oz cans corn, with juice

2 packs taco seasoning (2 oz) - Most recently, I used one pack of taco and one pack of chili seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

cheese, sour cream, and chips for serving

Directions:

1. Brown the beef, adding the diced onion near the end. Drain the grease.

2. In a large pot, combine cooked beef/onion with remaining ingredients. Let the mixture come to a boil and simmer on low for 1 hr, or longer. I know it's done when the celery is cooked to the texture I like, and flavors have come together.

3. I often add water if it cooks down too much, but it is tasty when really thick as well. Also, sometimes I feel like it needs a bit more chili powder- just add the seasoning to taste.

4. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

I think I'll use our new Le Crueset that Mom and Dad S. gave us for Christmas next time we make it!

(mmm....cheesy)

Recipe from Elle's Studio

Mom's Manicotti

A classic Sills dish! I would call it a Christmas Eve tradition- having manicotti alongside ham. Melissa helped prepare Mom's recipe, and it turned out great!

For the pasta...

Ingredients:

1c flour

1c water

3 eggs

2 tbs margarine, melted

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients and mix by hand until smooth.

2. In a crepe pan or small nonstick frying pan over medium heat, ladle in 1/4c of the batter. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

3. Cook until the top looks dry (approx. 30 seconds), then flip and cook an additional 10 seconds.

For the filling and assembly...

Ingredients:

3lb ricotta

1lb grated mozzarella

2 eggs

1tbs (or more to taste) dried parsley

pinch sugar

2 jars tomato sauce, or the equivalent amount in homemade sauce

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients.

2. Working 1 at a time, place about 1 tbs ricotta mixture into center of each shell.

3. Roll pasta over filling and fold short ends under. Place in a rimmed baking pan that has been prepared with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Keep the shells tightly packed so that they do not open up during baking.

4. Cover completely with tomato sauce, and top with shredded mozzarella.

5. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 min.

6. Let sit for a bit before serving.


Ricotta mixture.

Ricotta in shell

Melissa preparing manicotti

Sitting in pan (sorry I don't have any pictures beyond this step!)

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Melissa made this tasty dip for Christmas Eve. Mom's lack of food processor resulted in a more rustic dip, which Melissa and Matt preferred. A perfect party appetizer!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 (9-ounce) package artichoke hearts, defrosted, rinsed and dried (Melissa used canned)
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, excess liquid squeezed out.
• 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) Neufchatel cheese (reduced-fat cream cheese)
• 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) shredded part-skim mozzerella cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• Parmesan cheese (for sprinkling on top)
• Pita wedges or crudites, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until onions are light golden but not browned. Remove from heat and cool.

In the bowl of a food processor combine artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, Neufchatel, mozzarella and salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Add cooled onion-garlic mixture to the food processor and pulse a few times to combine.

Transfer mixture into an 8-inch glass square baking dish or 9-inch glass pie plate which has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and broil briefly to brown the top. Serve with pita wedges or crudites.

Makes 12 servings

Recipe from Ellie Kreiger

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

If you read my last post, you will already know about my baking get-together the other night. Here you will learn how to make the delicious Chocolate Crinkle Cookies from the recipe that Leah brought. I believe she said that she got the recipe from her fiance Adam's mother.

Ingredients:
1c cocoa powder
2c sugar
1/2c vegetable oil
4 eggs
2tsp vanilla
2c flour
2tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
1/2 c confectioners sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a mixer, combine the cocoa, sugar, and oil. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add to above mixture. (At this point the dough was kind of a weird texture, but don't worry- everything was better once it chilled).
4. Refrigerate 2-4 hours.
5. Roll the dough into 1" balls, then roll into powdered sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Not sure what the official recipe yield was, but we got 2 1/2 cookie sheets full.


The other delectable cookie in the photo above is a Double Coconut Macaroon. The recipe is found here.

Chocolate Crinkle recipe from Leah's future mother in-law.

Double Coconut Macaroons

This is an exciting day! I just received my new computer in the mail- whoohoo!! I am so excited to do my first blog post on it.

This past weekend Dave and I had our friends over for games, crafting, and baking. We try to get together with them about once a month. The gals and I baked while the boys had their video game time. It was great! We each brought a recipe to make and share, and I had found a new (to me) recipe for coconut macaroons. They came out amazing, and I'm excited to share it!

Ingredients:
2 7oz packages sweetened flaked coconut, divided
2/3c (packed) powdered sugar (I did not pack the sugar, and they were still sweet enough in my opinion)
1/4c sweetened cream of coconut
1oz cream cheese, room temperature
3 tbs all purpose flour
1 large egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
12 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (we used semisweet chocolate chips)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Butter and flour the foil, then shake off excess.
2. In food processor, blend 1 package of the coconut with powdered sugar until finely ground and mixture feels moist.
3. In mixer (or food processor if yours is large enough- mine was not), combine coconut/sugar mixture with cream of coconut, cream cheese, flour, egg white, vanilla, and salt. This final mixture will be soft and loose.
4. Place remaining bag of flaked coconut in a bowl or pie plate. Drop heaping tablespoonful of mixture into the coconut and roll to coat completely. Using palms of hands, gently roll into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on prepared baking sheet. (Makes about 15 large cookies)
5. Bake the macaroons until golden brown and just firm to touch, about 35 min (mine took 30). Cool cookies completely on rack.
6. Melt chocolate, and dip bottom 1/2 inch of each cookie into the chocolate, then place on waxed paper. Repeat, and refrigerate until chocolate sets, about 30 min.


The other cookie on the plate above is the recipe Leah brought for Chocolate Crinkle cookies- also amazing! The recipe is here.

Macaroon recipe from the Bon Appetit Cookbook.

Apple Chutney

Here's a recipe for a great appetizer that Melissa and I made for Jen and Dave when they were at our house for New Year's Eve last year. It was originally inspired by an appetizer we had at a restaurant called The Lost Dog Cafe in Binghamton, NY. We like to serve this apple chutney with baked brie and toasted French bread.

Ingredients:

• 3 tart apples - peeled, cored, and finely chopped

• 1/4 yellow onion, quartered

• 5/8 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, peeled

• 3 tablespoons and 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon and 1-3/4 teaspoons white sugar

• 1 tablespoon and 1-3/4 teaspoons brown sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, mix the apples, onion, ginger, vinegar, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, white pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg.


2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover.


3. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender.


4. Mix in some water if necessary to keep the ingredients moist.


5. Remove the onion and ginger, and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com. The ingredient amounts shown here are drastically reduced to make a more manageable amount of chutney.

Pasta with Pumpkin Cream Sauce

Last week Dave and I made a pretty tasty dinner. I had been looking for a savory recipe using pumpkin, and this one was perfect!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup pumpkin purée
• 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Fresh sage, chopped
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

Heat the cream over low-medium heat until simmering, not yet boiling. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and continue stirring until thickened slightly. We tossed the sauce with farfalle and steamed broccoli, although the original recipe (see below) called for roasted butternut squash, which would also be delicious!

Next time we make this, I think we will add a bit more pumpkin and some more spices.


Recipe and photo from Sugar Crafter

Baked Spinach Crepes

I've noticed that so far, most of the recipes we have posted are not healthy...and this one is no exception! I know- it says "spinach"- but with the cream and cheese I'm sure it isn't something to eat often. It is a little time consuming, but completely worth it- it is delicious!

To make Crepes...
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
1 c flour
1 tbs cooking oil
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Beat eggs, and combine with other ingredients
2. Heat a lightly greased 6 inch skillet, then remove from heat. Spoon in 2 tbs batter, lift and tilt skillet to spread batter. Return to heat, and brown on one side only.
3. Invert over paper towels, remove crepe.
4. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet occasionally
Makes 18 Crepes

for Baked Spinach Crepes...
Ingredients:
12 6 inch crepes (following recipe above)
2 beaten eggs
2 cups ricotta cheese (15 oz)
1 1/2 c shredded swiss cheese (6 oz)
1 10oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 1/2 c soft bread crumbs (from 3 slices bread)
1 c grated Parmesan cheese (separated into 1/2 c and 1/2 c)
1/4 tsp black pepper
Dash of garlic powder
1/2 c butter or margarine
1 c whipping cream

Directions:
1. Prepare crepes. In a bowl, combine eggs, ricotta, Swiss cheese, drained spinach, bread crumbs, 1/2 c Parmesan cheese, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well.
2. Spoon about 1/3 cup filling into center of each crepe; roll up.
3. Cut each rolled crepe crosswise into thirds. Place the pieces, cut side up, in a 2 quart baking dish (placing pieces close together will help them remain upright).
4. In a small saucepan melt butter; stir in cream and the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens slightly. Pour sauce over crepes.
5. Bake in a 400F oven for 18-20 min or until heated through.

Makes 36 appetizers, or 6 main-dish servings.

Rice Pudding

This is Mom's famous rice pudding! Thanks for the recipe!

Ingredients:
5 1/2 c whole milk
1/2 c rice (I use Carolina Rice)
2 eggs
1/2 c sugar (next time I will use less sugar)
2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, combine 5 cups of the milk (reserve the other 1/2c) and the rice, and cook over medium heat. Stir often, and cook until bubbly.
2. At this point, let it continue to boil over medium heat for 10 minutes, continuing the stirring.
3. After 10 min, add the remaining 1/2 cup milk, let it reboil, and stir constantly for 15 more minutes until it thickens.
4. Shut off the heat. Mix together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla, then beat into the milk/rice mixture.
5. Chill in the refrigerator

I love serving it with a dusting of cinnamon!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Mmm...these are so good. Tonight I have been going through recipes and posting some, and it is making me really want to make all of this good food again! I might need to make these cookies to bring to the first week of work next week.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 c flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp.
1 3/4 c sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder <---this makes them awesome. I might even add a tad more next time

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 with racks in the upper and lower thirds.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar,
baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Scrape down the side of the bowl, then add eggs and beat to combine.
4. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture and beat until combined.
5. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the cinnamon, and the chili powder. Using heaping tablespoons, form balls of dough and roll in cinnamon-sugar-chili mixture.
6. Place 3 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets.
7. Bake until cookies are set in center and begin to crack, about 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
8. Let cookies cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container, up to 1 week.

Makes 32 cookies.
Nutrition Info: 2 cookies- 266 cal, 12.5g fat, 7.6g sat. fat, 3.3g protein, 37.3g carb, 1.5g fiber.

Recipe from Everyday Food magazine

Update- I just posted a pic that I took of these cookies...

Applesauce

Dave and I got this recipe from his grandmom when we had a ridiculous amount of apples after we went apple picking last year. I'm looking forward to doing it again this Fall!

Ingredients:
12 tart cooking apples
5 tbs sugar
1/8 tsp salt.

Directions:
1. Peel, core, and quarter the apples
2. Place in a saucepan, and add enough water to cover the apples about halfway.
3. Over high heat, let the apples and water come to a boil, then reduce heat and cover
4. Cook until the apples are tender, then stir in sugar and salt.
5. Cook 5 minutes more- if there is still too much liquid, carefully drain.
6. Mash, and chill!

We like to keep ours a little chunky, and then add cinnamon. Its good warm or cold!

Sweet Potato Fries (baked!)

Yet another recipe with an unknown source....

Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into sticks (1/2" thick)
3 egg whites
seasoning (salt and pepper, old bay, etc)
a bit of oil (veggie oil or olive oil)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450, with racks in this highest positions. Place parchment paper onto 2 baking sheets.
2. Microwave potatoes 2 minutes, stir, then nuke 1-2 minutes more to jump-start the cooking process.
3. Let potatoes rest of 5 minutes
4. Whisk the egg whites until slightly foamy, and toss with the potatoes. This is what will give the fries a crunchy exterior.
5. Rub parchment with some oil, add fries, and sprinkle with your chosen seasoning. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip fries, and return to oven to bake until golden and crispy (about 10 minutes more).

This also works great with regular potatoes! :)

Panera (ish) Souffles

I recently found this recipe that I had printed out a year or 2 ago. I'm not sure of the source, and they don't taste exactly like the ones at Panera Bread, but it is a good substitute!

Ingredients:
Vegetables (anything- spinach, artichoke, onion, red pepper, mushroom, broccoli...)
6 Eggs
1/4 c half and half
1/2 c shredded cheese (I like a mix of cheddar and jack), plus 1/4 cup more to top souffles
1 tablespoon shredded parmesan
1/4 tsp salt
1 8-ounce tube of Pillsbury Crescent butter flake dough
a bit of floura bit of melted butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Finely chop vegetables, and cook until softened (either on stovetop or in microwave). Drain so that there is no excess moisture

3. Beat 5 of the eggs and mix in half and half, 1/2 c cheese, parmesan, and salt. Stir in the chopped veggies.
4. (this step seems weird, but is important) Microwave the egg mixture for 30 seconds on high, then stir and repeat around 5 more times. You want the texture to be like verrrry runny scrambled eggs. If this step is skipped they will not cook through in the oven.

5. Unroll and separate the crescent dough into 4 rectangles- do not tear the dough along the perforations that make triangles. Instead, pinch them along the diagonal so they do not tear along the perforations.

6. Apply some flour on the dough and roll so that each rectangle measures approx 6"x6."

7. Brush melted butter inside of four 4 inch ramekins. Line each with the dough, then spoon equal amounts of the egg mixture into each. Sprinkle one tablespoon of reserved cheese (that extra 1/4 cup) on top of the egg mixture in each ramekin, then gently fold the dough over the mixture.

8. Beat the last egg in a small bowl, then brush beaten egg over the top of the dough in each ramekin.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until dough is brown. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. May be served in the ramekin, or removed and served on a plate.

Below is a picture of the Panera souffle- Next time we make these I'll be sure to take a pic and add it.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

I needed something quick and easy to make to bring to my friend's tomorrow. We had some coconut on hand, so I looked for a cookie recipe using coconut. I'm so glad I found this one! It is delicious! The original recipe asked for regular coconut, and I had sweetened, so I adjusted the sugar. Plus, I don't like my cookies super sweet. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar (We used just over 1/2 cup)
  
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut (we used sweetened)
  

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and coconut extract; mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and coconut.
2. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Yield: Approx. 30 cookies

Recipe and photo from Allrecipes.com

Banana Beignets

So...to continue the train of thought from our last post, Dave and I were intending to do somewhat of a Japanese weekend of food. We successfully prepared the sushi, then made bubble tea the following day. Our last recipe was for Asian fried bananas. Well, the bananas didn't make it, so we were left with overripe produce. Luckily, this month's Food Network magazine had just the thing to help us out. We made them tonight, and they were awesome!

Mini Banana Beignets

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk (we used 1%)
1/2 cup mashed banana, about 1 overripe banana
1/4 teaspoon banana extract (optional) ----we omitted this, and the flavor was still super banana-y

Directions:

1. Heat about 2 inches vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F.

2. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl.

3. Whisk the egg, milk, mashed banana and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in another bowl. Add the banana extract, if desired. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a shallow bowl and set aside.

4. Whisk the banana mixture into the dry ingredients until just moistened. Working in batches, drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 15 seconds per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, then roll in the cinnamon sugar while still warm.

Sorry no pic yet-- it's too dark out. We'll see if we can take one tomorrow!

Update: Just added the 2 pics I took this morning. They were tasty as breakfast too!

Sushi Rice and Spicy Mayo

Dave and I are having somewhat of a Japanese food weekend. We were hoping to have everything on the same day, but there is a lot of prep involved. So we'll start off with what we made last night for dinner, sushi.

My friend Andrea helped me maneuver the Asian market, and was able to tell me what the mysterious items were that had no English on the packaging. Thank goodness she was with me! I got the sashimi (raw fish), rice, cucumbers, and nori wrappers (seaweed) for the sushi. I also picked up sriracha (Thai hot sauce- mine has a rooster on the package) and mayonnaise for the spicy mayo. (Cuke and mayo came from the regular food store).

I cooked the sushi rice according to the package in the rice cooker: 1 1/c rice for 2 c water. I think next time I'll add a tad more water to make the rice more tender. While that was cooking, I prepared the vinegar mixture:
1/8 c rice wine vinegar
1/8 c sugar
1 tsp salt
Directions:
Heat ingredients in sauce pan over medium heat until sugar and salt are dissolved. Do not boil! Remove from heat.

Once the rice was done, I added the vinegar mixture, until very well combined. I let a fan blow on it to let it cool, but you could probably also put it in the fridge.
Sadly, I didn't take any pics of the rolling process, but it was actually pretty easy. I put the nori on the rolling mat, and added some water to soften it (not sure if that is how you are supposed to do it, but it worked). Next I added a thin layer of rice to the lower 2/3 of the seaweed, and then a row of cucumber strips and raw fish. I used my mat to roll it tightly, then added a bit more water to seal the edge. I cut each into 6 even sections.

The first one was really ugly (Dave ate that), but here is a pic of the 2nd two I made using tuna:

----Thanks to Matt and Melissa for the cool sushi plates!----

I was also excited to find cool plastic chopsticks in our utensil drawer. We served the sushi with soy sauce and spicy mayo:

1 tbs mayonnaise
1 tsp sriracha

Directions:
Mix until combined


Overall it was a bit of work, but really tasty!

Apple Crunch

Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp lemon juice
6 to 7 apples (peeled and sliced)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together a ingredients except for the apples. Place apples on bottom of 11 x 8 pan and sprinkle with mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.

Recipe courtesy of Theresa Palmieri. Thanks Grandma!

Creamy Peanut Dipping Sauce

, Dave and I have recently been making spring rolls for lunch. It's nice and easy, and delicious. We use the spring roll wrappers from the supermarket, and add strips of cucumber, carrot, avocado slices, and Dave adds shrimp to his. This sauce goes great with them!!

Ingredients:

1/2 c natural peanut butter (the one where the oil is separated in the jar til you stir it)
1/2 c warm water
1/4 c fresh lime juice (approx 2 limes)
1 tbs soy sauce
4 tsp sugar
1/4 c chopped roasted peanuts, if desired

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top of sauce just before serving. Makes 1 1/4 c.

(recipe from Everyday Food magazine)

Mac and Cheese

This is the famous mac and cheese (well, by that, I mean the one my friends always ask me to make). I have to be honest and admit that it came from the back of the Ronzoni box- but Dave and I have made some adjustments. Here goes!

Ingredients:
1 16oz package of elbows (or any other shape-we like shells and the sqiggly ones too)
1/2 c butter or margarine
1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp dry ground mustard
pinch of garlic powder
11/2 tsp salt or seasoned salt
5 c milk
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 c shredded jack cheese (or any other combination of cheeses, totaling 4 cups)
panko breadcrumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Cook pasta al dente, according to directions, while following these next steps:

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt margarine. Stir in flour, ground mustard, garlic powder, and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir until mixture thickens slightly and bubbles. (takes some time- don't be tempted to raise the heat!) Remove from stove, and add half of the cheese mixture. Stir until melted.

Combine the cheese sauce with the cooked pasta, and spoon into a creased 13"x9" baking dish. Top with remaining 2 cups of cheese. Bake 10 minutes, remove from oven, and coat with a layer of panko breadcrumbs. Bake 30 more minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. Makes 8-10 servings.

When we make this for Mom and Dad Sills, they prefer no panko- it still tastes awesome! :)

Chicken Stir Fry

We've made this dish a few times, slightly changing it each time to suit our mood. It came out delicious each time! (sorry, no photo)

4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into thin strips
• 5 teaspoons white sugar, divided
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce, divided
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (we used broccoli and red peppers instead)
  
• 6 green onions, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
• rice, for serving
  

Directions

1. In a medium, non-reactive bowl, combine the chicken with 2 1/2 teaspoons of white sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar and 1/4 cup soy sauce. Mix this together and coat the chicken well. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
2. In another medium bowl, combine the chicken broth, water, sesame oil and ground black pepper with the remaining sugar, vinegar and soy sauce. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch with some of this mixture and slowly add to the bulk of the mixture, stirring well. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a wok or large saucepan over high heat until it starts to smoke. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes, or until browned. Transfer this and all juices to a warm plate.
4. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in the wok or pan over high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, mushrooms and green onions, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the reserved sauce mixture and then the chicken. Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 2 minutes.
5. Serve with rice

Recipe slightly adapted form AllRecipes

Pillow Cookies

Dave and I have actually never made this recipe before. It seems really easy (especially with the boxed brownie mix), and looks totally awesome. If anyone makes them, let me know how they turn out.

Brownie Pillow Cookies

1 package brownie mix

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 oz. bag miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Make brownies according to package and let cool. Cut about ten 1 inch squares. Enjoy the remaining brownies. (I used a pan about 8 X 8)

For the chocolate chip cookie dough, beat butter with a mixer until creamy.

Add brown sugar and beat until smooth.

Add eggs, yolk and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a medium bowl and stir together with a wire whisk.

Add flour to butter mixture and beat until combined. Stir in mini chips.

Let dough chill covered in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Use a measuring cup to scoop batter by the 1/2 cup. Since it’s chilled, you may need to pack it with a spoon. Then use the spoon to remove the dough from the cup and place it on parchment paper. Work quickly so the dough remains chilled or either prepare one cookie at a time so the rest of the dough remains cold.

After the dough is on the parchment paper, make an indention and place a 1 inch square brownie in the center. Press the brownie down gently and work the remaining dough around the brownie. You can use your hands to shape the dough into a ball.

During this step, I found it easier to use a piece of parchment paper as a work surface since the dough can get sticky and

then I used another piece of parchment paper for the baking sheet. If your dough gets too soft, you can chill the rolled dough balls for a few minutes right before baking.

Prepare six cookies at a time using a large baking sheet (15 X 20) and bake at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes. Return the remaining dough to the refrigerator until time to bake the second batch.

Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes about ten cookies using a little less than a 1/2 cup of dough for each cookie.

If your cookies start to get too brown before they are done baking, you can place a sheet of aluminum foil over top for the last few minutes.

Recipe and photos from Bakerella

Chicken Taco Soup

Woah! I totally forgot about this recipe until now (if you were curious, I'm going through all of my bookmarked recipes. When I'm done with those, I'll move onto typing favorite recipes from cookbooks/magazines/etc.) We only made this once, February 2009- I only remember since I was on an antibiotic at the time, and could not have alcohol- we were worried about the beer cooking off all the way. It ended up being fine. I forgot what kind of beer we used, though.

This is a nice and super easy slow cooker meal.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
  
• 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
• 3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
• sour cream (optional)
• crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions

1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.
2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

Recipe and photo from AllRecipes

Lime Rickey

Dave and I made this a few times- it was very refreshing! When we made it for Halloween, we added green food coloring (it looked sorta like Ecto Cooler).

Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus chilling time.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups gin
• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 quarts chilled soda water
• Thin slices of lime

Preparation

1. In a 1-quart pan, mix sugar with 1/2 cup water and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let cool or chill.

2. In a 3-quart pitcher, combine gin, lime juice, and the cooled syrup. Cover and freeze until ready to serve.

3. To serve, add soda water. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish with lime.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

182 (0.0% from fat)

Protein:

0.1g

Fat:

0.0g (sat 0.0)

Carbohydrate:

17g

Fiber:

0.0g

Sodium:

0.9mg

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Recipe and photo from MyRecipes.com

Cheese Souffle

This is the recipe for the souffle we made for breakfast this past Thanksgiving (remember when the power went out?!?!)

Ingredients

• Butter, room temperature, for greasing the souffle
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/3 cups milk, hot
• 4 large egg yolks (2 1/2 ounces by weight)
• 6 ounces sharp Cheddar
• 5 egg whites plus 1 tablespoon water (5 1/2 ounces by weight plus 1/2 ounce water)
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

Use room temperature butter to grease an 8-inch souffle mold. Add the grated Parmesan and roll around the mold to cover the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the freezer for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, heat the butter. Allow all of the water to cook out.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, dry mustard, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Whisk this mixture into the melted butter. Cook for 2 minutes.

Whisk in the hot milk and turn the heat to high. Once the mixture reaches a boil, remove from the heat.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks to a creamy consistency. Temper the yolks into the milk mixture, constantly whisking. Remove from the heat and add the cheese. Whisk until incorporated.

In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until glossy and firm. Add 1/4 of the mixture to the base. Continue to add the whites by thirds, folding very gently.

Pour the mixture into the souffle. Fill the souffle to 1/2-inch from the top. Place on an aluminum pie pan. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

Recipe and photo from Food Network

Coffee Cake

We made this recipe at the shore this week, and halved the recipe. Still came out great (cooking time ended up being closer to 35 minutes)

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 1-½ stick Butter, Softened
• 2 cups Scant Sugar
• 3 cups Flour, Sifted
• 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1-¼ cup Whole Milk
• 3 whole Egg Whites, Beaten Until Stiff
• _____
• FOR THE TOPPING:
• 1-½ stick Butter, Softened
• ¾ cups Flour
• 1-½ cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
• 1-½ cup Pecans, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat egg whites and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour mixture and milk alternately until combined. Don’t overbeat. Fold in beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula. Spread in a well-greased 9 x 13 (or LARGER!) baking pan. A cake pan with higher sides would be best. (might overflow if sides are short)

In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle all over the top.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until no longer jiggly. Serve warm—delicious!

Recipe and photos from Pioneer Woman

Ricotta Gnocchi

We made this about a week and a half ago, and served it with mom's meat sauce. Ours were not as uniform as in the pic, but they were tasty!

Gnocchi dough:

2 cups ricotta

2 eggs

1 cup shredded parmesan

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp white pepper (we used black pepper)

1/4 tsp nutmeg (we omitted this)

2 cups flour

Mix all ingredients except flour together. Than gradually add the flour. You may need less depending on how big your eggs are. You want a soft, not too sticky, dough.


The dough is easier to work with if its a little chilled, so take about a 1/3 of the dough out and place the rest in the fridge until needed.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a 1/2 inch thick rope. Then cut the rope into 1/2 long pieces. Then roll each piece on the back of a fork to give it the ridges. That is just to help it hold the sauce, so don't worry about perfection.

Then line them all up on a pan, keeping them separate. Then place a piece of wax paper over top and begin another layer of gnocchi. Repeat until all of the dough is used.

Add gnocchi to boiling water. Once they float, they are done! (Happens quickly.)
Toss with the sauce and serve immediately.

(recipe and photos from Make it and Love it)

Ritz Seafood Triple Coconut Cream Pie

Food Network says that Ritz Seafood has the best coconut cream pie, and we tried it while in New Jersey. It was pretty awesome. The recipe is for mini pies, but I think I would make it as one large pie like in this pic:


For the shells:

Yield: Makes Nine 3 1/2-in. fluted pie shells

Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 3 to 5 tbsp. ice water

Preparation

1. In a food processor, pulse together flour, coconut, butter, sugar, and salt to form coarse crumbs. Add ice water 1 tbsp. at a time, pulsing after each addition, just until dough holds together when you pinch it (it will still look like crumbs).

2. Turn crumbs out onto counter, form into a ball, and divide into 9 equal parts, forming each into a small disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

3. Unwrap rounds and, working with one disk at a time, set on a lightly floured work surface. With short strokes from center outward, roll dough into a 5-in. circle (about 1/8 in. thick). Transfer dough to brioche mold, letting it fall into place (if you push or stretch the dough, it will shrink back when baked). Trim overhang flush with edge. Prick bottom lightly with a fork. Repeat with remaining rounds and molds. Chill unbaked pie shells for 1 hour before baking.

4. Put an oven rack on lowest rung and preheat oven to 400°. Lay a sheet of parchment paper in each pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Put shells on a cookie sheet and bake until medium golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove beans and parchment paper; return shells to oven. Bake until bottoms of crusts have golden brown patches, about 10 minutes. Let cool before filling.

For the filling:

Note: Pastry cream can be made ahead and kept, refrigerated, for two days; unbaked, formed pastry shells keep, frozen, a few weeks. The baked shells can be filled with the pastry cream several hours ahead, then topped with whipped cream and garnishes just before serving. "Chip"--or large-shred--coconut, which is sold at natural-foods stores and Whole Foods Markets, looks like little curls and makes the prettiest garnish, but regular shredded coconut works just fine. Toast coconut in a 350° oven until golden, 10 to 15 minutes.

Yield: Makes 9 mini pies

Ingredients

• For the coconut pastry cream
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups sweetened finely shredded coconut
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• For the pie
• 9 3 1/2 in. Coconut Pie Shells, baked and cooled
• 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• For the garnish
• 1 3-oz. chunk white chocolate, at room temperature
• 1 cup unsweetened "chip" (or large-shred) coconut (see Notes) or 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Preparation

1. Make the pastry cream: Put milk and coconut in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean and add both seeds and bean to saucepan. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and flour. While whisking, drizzle about 1/3 of the hot milk mixture into egg mixture, then slowly whisk egg-milk mixture back into saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking, until pastry cream thickens and begins to bubble, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in butter, and discard vanilla bean.

3. Spoon hot pastry cream into a bowl and set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water, stirring occasionally, until cooled to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface (to prevent a skin from forming) and chill until cold, at least 3 hours.

4. Fill the pies: Carefully remove baked shells from brioche molds. Spoon pastry cream into shells, filling each a little more than halfway. With an electric mixer, whip cream with sugar and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip (no. 6) with whipped cream and pipe a double layer of cream onto each pie, or simply spoon it on (use all the cream--the pies should look like beehive hairdos).

5. Garnish the pies: With a vegetable peeler, scrape wide curls or shavings from the chunk of white chocolate. Sprinkle curls or shavings over pies, dividing evenly, and top with toasted coconut. Serve immediately.

The site I got the recipe from also includes the nutrition information. But do you really want to see that??? If so, here it is (all others, stop reading!)

Calories:

746 (66% from fat)

Protein:

8.1g

Fat:

55g (sat 36)

Carbohydrate:

57g

Fiber:

2.7g

Sodium:

186mg

Cholesterol:

187mg

First Post

Hey everyone,

We thought it would be cool to have a blog devoted to sharing recipes with the family. Some are our favorites, and others we have not yet tried- but seem delicious. This is somewhat of an experiment, and as we figure it out the site will hopefully be easier to use. We plan on tagging posts with ingredients and meals (appetizer, breakfast, etc) to make it easier to search once we get a bunch on here.

If you would like to contribute, let us know and I can add your account to the list. (sorry to the Sills family that the blog is called "Rzasa"- hope you don't mind!!) Also, it would be fun if we could have a system of uploading photos to a recipe page once you make the dish, and of course you can always comment on a recipe to share your thoughts.

One last thing- since a lot of these recipes have been copyrighted by others, and since it is intended for the family only, we kept it private. That means you'll probably have to sign in to view the recipes. Hopefully this isn't too much of a pain. At this time, we only invited a handful of people, mainly because I (Jen) cannot remember everyone's email addresses. Let us know if anyone was forgotten.

Hope this whole thing works out!!

-Jen and Dave