Something Old: Hearty Lentil Soup

Now that the turkey dust has settled, it's time for something quite different but just as savory. This is a recipe my mom made every winter, and one Chase and I have adopted into our rep.

My favorite memory of this recipe was when Chase and I drove into Duncan to visit his Mema and Pa, and we made this soup for them. They loved it, and I'm pretty sure it was all gone by the next day.

Oh, and there's a crock pot version for slow cooker fans!

Happy cooking!

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Hearty Lentil Soup September 26, 2010

Ingredients

6 slices bacon

1 pound (1 package) little smokies

1 cup dried lentils

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes

¼ cup diced onions

1 cup chopped carrots

¼ cup chopped celery (optional)

1 bay leaf

⅛ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp pepper

Directions (Stove top)

1. Wash lentils, removing any that are shriveled

2. Put lentils in a pot with 3 cups of water. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, pepper and bay leaf. Bring the whole thing to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer covered for an hour. Stir every 15 minutes or so, adding more water as needed to keep the lentils covered.

4. Meanwhile, cook the bacon and cut into small pieces. Cut the smokies into thirds or quarters.

5. After an hour, check to see that the lentils and carrots are cooked through. If so, add the smokies, bacon and tomatoes.

6. Cook for another 15-30 minutes, until the smokies are warmed through.

7. Serve.

Directions (Crock pot)

1. Wash lentils, removing any that are shriveled.

2. Put lentils, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, pepper and bay leaf into the crock pot with 2 cups of water. Cook on high for an hour.

3. Reduce to low and cook for 5-7 hours.

4. About 30 minutes before serving, add tomatoes, smokies and cooked bacon. Continue to cook on low.

5. Serve.

All the ingredients you'll need (unless you like celery).

The first time Chase and I made this together was on a Sunday dinner Skype date.

Veggies and spices, ready to boil.

Last bit of simmering then ready to bowl.

Happy cooking!

Happy Eating!

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Something Old: Pumpkin Muffins

Just in case you're not going to get enough pumpkin in the next week, or in case you're searching for a last minute recipe to take to the family gathering, here's a great recipe for you.

This recipe works as a dessert recipe too! Spread cream cheese frosting on the tops and dust with cinnamon sugar, and you're good to go.

Happy holiday cooking!

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Pumpkin Muffins November 6, 2009

It’s time for fall things! Sweaters, essays, soup and sniffles. But most importantly, it’s time for pumpkin baked goods!

The other day I started craving anything pumpkin, so I went searching for a recipe for pumpkin muffins. I found a few and decided to combine a few to make just I wanted.

After tweaking (brown sugar was a must!) and playing around, this is what I made:

Ingredients

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups canned pumpkin, unflavored

⅔ cup veggie oil

2 tsp McCormick pumpkin-pie spice

1 ¼ cup white sugar

1 ¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp salt

Topping:

3 tsp cinnamon

3 tsp sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put paper liners in muffin tin.

2. Mix flour and baking powder in a small bowl.

3. In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.

4. Once that is mixed, carefully add flour mixture until combined.

5. In a separate bowl, combine the topping ingredients.

6. Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full, then sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar topping.

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

8. Sprinkle the remaining topping over the muffins. Let cool and enjoy!

Something Extra: Corn Casserole

For any of you who've been to City Barbecue, had their corn pudding, and loved it, this is your recipe.

It's not actually the restaurants recipe, but a recipe my dad made for us whenever my mom let him get away with it (there's a lot of butter in it). Then when I got up here and tried City BBQ's corn pudding, and realized they were close to the same delicious thing.

For those of you who've never experienced corn pudding or corn casserole, it's definitely something worth trying. It's easy to make and amazingly delicious. And don't worry. It's not like corn-flavored Jello pudding. It's similar to the texture of bread pudding, an appropriate texture for a starch dish.

ps- This recipe came from my mom's wedding shower potluck share-your-recipes lunch. I love that idea!

Happy Friday cooking!

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Corn Casserole

Ingredients

½ stick butter

1 can cream-style corn

1 can whole kernel corn (undrained)

2 eggs, beaten

1 carton (8 oz) sour cream

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt butter and pour into the bottom of a 9x13 pan (or throw the butter into the pan and the pan into the oven while you mix the other

3. Finally, fold in the raisins using a spatula.

4. Chill for one hour in the refrigerator.

5. Meanwhile, move one oven rack to the very bottom rung of your oven, and cover it with aluminum foil. Move the other shelf to the middle of the oven.

6. Remove from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

7. Drop the mixture by the tablespoon (I used a measuring spoon) onto a greased or parchment papered cookie sheet.

8. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove to a paper towel or wire rack.

All the ingredients mixed together (in poor lighting).

Batter in the pan. You can see the butter bubbling up around the sides.

Cooked until golden.

Happy cooking!

Something Sweet: Jumbo Cookies

We made it to Dessert Thursday!

I had a little trouble with baking this week. As my Facebook people know, I burnt my first batch of cookies ever. Frustrated but not thwarted, for I still had over half the dough left, I called my mom and together we worked out a solution.

Turns out, these cookies have always been a little testy and prone to burning on the bottom. In part, it's because the cookies are big. But mostly, it's because you just need to foil the bottom rack of your oven first (explained below).

Chase says these may be his favorite cookies, at least I think that's what he said with his mouth full. In any case, it's worth a little foiling to make these tasty monsters.

Happy cooking!

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Jumbo Cookies

Ingredients

½ cup stick Crisco

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup evaporated milk

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup raisins

2 ¾ cup flour

Icing:

2 Tbsp butter

2 cups powdered sugar

¼ - ½ cup evaporated milk

Food coloring (optional)

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together Crisco and sugars. Beat in eggs.

2. Alternate mixing in milk and dry ingredients (half of each at a time). Then, mix in vanilla.

3. Finally, fold in the raisins using a spatula.

4. Chill for one hour in the refrigerator.

5. Meanwhile, move one oven rack to the very bottom rung of your oven, and cover it with aluminum foil. Move the other shelf to the middle of the oven.

6. Remove from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

7. Drop the mixture by the tablespoon (I used a measuring spoon) onto a greased or parchment papered cookie sheet.

8. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove to a paper towel or wire rack.

9. While the cookies are cooling, make the icing.

10. Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat until melted and golden.

11. Beat in powdered sugar and evaporated milk (start with ¼ cup and only add more if needed) until the mixture is smooth and the consistency of a thick glaze.

12. Mix in food coloring to get desired shade.

13. Dip the tops of the cookies into the icing. Replace on paper towel/wire rack until the icing is cooled.

14. Eat by the handful.

Shortening and sugars creamed together.

All together now and ready for chilling.

Foiled rack and baking cookies.

Naked cookies.

I accidentally made a rose-shaped cookie. Yum! Happy cooking!

Something Simple: Pig Blankets & Purse Pockets

Here for you are two recipes that have 3 ingredients apiece. So easy, it's kind of scary. These are recipes my mom probably pulled off biscuit cans over the years. When she made them, my sisters and I were always allowed to help.

I'll allow that the names are kind of silly. But Caitlin and I called them Purse Pockets when we were little, and the name stuck. And "Pig Blankets" was so chosen because I'm a bit too lazy to say (or type more than once) "Pigs in a Blanket." Too many syllables.

These recipes are great for a meal, or made in miniature for appetizers. They're always a hit here because of all the cheese. Plus, Purse Pockets make a great breakfast item too!

Happy Wednesday cooking!

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Pig Blankets & Purse Pockets

Pig Blankets

1 can Pillsbury crescent rolls

4 oz. block cheese (I like Colby Jack)

8 precooked hot dogs

Direction

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Slice the hot dogs lengthwise to make a slit that stops a half inch from either end, and doesn't cut all the way through the dog.

3. Slice the cheese into strips that will fit in the hot dog slit.

4. Place the cheese slices into the slit in the hot dogs.

5. Unroll your crescent rolls and stretch them slightly.

6. Place the stuffed hot dog on the wide end of the crescent roll, about an inch from the edge. Pull the edge up over the cheese, then roll the rest of the crescent over the hot dog. Repeat for all dogs.

7. Place the rolled dogs cheese-side up on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.

8. Serve and enjoy. They're great with mustard!

Purse Pockets

1 can Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits

1 cup shredded cheese

1/2 cup sliced deli meat (I usually go with ham)

Direction

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Separate the biscuits and stretch them until they are almost twice their original size and about a quarter inch thick.

3. Place about a tablespoon of cheese and a half tablespoon of deli meat in the center of the stretched biscuit.

4. Fold the biscuit in half so that the edges meet. Seal the biscuits closed with a fork.

5. Place on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with extra cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown.

6. Enjoy!

Stuffed hot dog ready for rolling.

The cheese is covered and now the roll can be rolled!

Waiting for the oven.

Cheesy, flakey Pig Blankets.

Purse Pocket assembly line.

Folded and sealed with a fork.

Ready for baking.

Happy cooking!

Something New: Baked Steak

Day Two of the Five Days of Food. Actually, now that I think of it, all this talk of food is the perfect preface for next week: Thanksgiving! I'm so excited to go home and get a full 5 days with my family. I haven't seen them in almost 6 months, and I'm so happy to break that streak.

Plus, I can't wait for turkey with cranberry sauce. Cranberry sauce is the best part of Thanksgiving (food), hands down.

But this isn't about cranberry sauce, this is about another fantastic dish. One with gravy and tender beef and minimal effort. The only downside is that your house will smell like deliciousness for five hours and you'll have to eat half a pound of goldfish crackers to stave off the drooling hunger until your steak is done.

Just saying. Happy cooking!

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Baked Steak

Ingredients

2 lbs round steak

1 can cream of chicken soup (10 oz)

1 can cream of mushroom soup (10 oz)

1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix

⅓ cup water

**You will also need aluminum foil**

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

2. Cut the steak into serving size pieces and place in a 9x13 pan.

3. Mix together other ingredients and pour over top of the steak to cover.

4. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for 5 hours.

5. Serve and enjoy.

Serving size steak.

Covering the steak with the gravy ingredients.

Don't forget this step!!

Not photogenic, but definitely tastygenic. Happy cooking!