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Minestrone Soup

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Minestrone Soup

Course: Soup
Servings: 8
Author: Emilie Barnes, Soups and Muffins

Ingredients

Saute the onion and celery in oil, adding the garlic near the end.

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

In a stockpot, add the following to the sauteed vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce hear, and simmer 15 minutes.

  • 2 14.5 oz cans tomatoes (or 4 cups), (or tomato sauce, or tomato juice)
  • 2-3 small carrots, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp sweet basil
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp rosemary

Add the following and simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.

  • 1/2 cup minced parsley or 2 tbsp dried parsley flakes
  • 1 cup cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cup frozen cut green bean, or 1 can
  • 15.5 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 15.5 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 oz can mushrooms stems and pieces, drained

Season with the following:

  • 2 tbsp Sue's Kitchen Magic Seasoning, to taste
  • (substitute Seasoned Salt, veggie broth powder, etc.)
  • additional salt and and pepper to taste

Beef Bone Broth

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Beef Bone Broth

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs mixture of beef bones, marrow, shanks, and knuckle bones, as well as oxtails
  • 1 cup red vermouth, port, marsala, or Madeira. Or substitute 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 onions, quartered, with skins on
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 3 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 10 peppercorns
  • Filtered water (just enough to cover all the ingredients)

Instructions

  • Place the marrow and knuckle bones into an 8-quart slow cooker. Add enough water to cover the ingredients. Add the wine or vinegar.
  • Place the beef shanks and oxtails on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven until the bones have browned, appromixately one hour.
  • Add the bones and the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker and fill with more water to cover all the ingredients. Set on high for one hour, then turn it down to the "keep warm" setting.
  • After 12 hours, turn off the slow cooker. Allow broth to cool slightly and then strain ingredients with a slotted spoon. Line a colander with cheesecloth or a flour sack towel and place it over a deep pot.
  • Transfer this pot to the refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and discard.
  • Transfer the broth to containers with covers that can then be refrigerated or frozen. The bone broth will stay fresh for 3-4 days when refrigerated. If frozen, it will stay fresh for 6 months.

Chicken Continental

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Chicken Continental

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked, cut-up chicken tenders
  • 4 oz sliced mushrooms, drained (small can)
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 13 3/4 oz can chicken broth
  • 1 can regular or French-cut green beans
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
  • 1 1/2 cups dry Minute Rice

Instructions

  • Saute cooked chicken, mushrooms, and garlic in oil for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add remaining ingredients except rice and bring to a full boil.
  • Stir in rice. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes until rice is cooked.

Spicy Sausage and Carmelized Onion Breakfast

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Spicy Sausage and Carmelized Onion Breakfast

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp garlic, minced
  • 1 lb hot Italian sausage
  • 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce
  • 10 large eggs
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese
  • 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Saute the onions in the butter until they are carmelized. Add garlic and saute until aromatic.
  • Brown the sausage in a separate pan. Drain if excessive grease. If not, add mushrooms, tomato paste, and hot sauce.
  • Mix onion mixture into sausage mixture.
  • Separately, whisk eggs and add in cheese.
  • Put meat in the bottom of glass pie plate or glass baking dish.
  • Pour egg mixture over the meat, poking holes in the meat to allow some mixing.
  • Bake for 40 minutes or until set.
  • Add sour cream and green onions as garnish, if desired.

Bill Koff’s Chili Recipe

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Bill Koff’s Chili Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs pork sausage, regular
  • 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
  • 3 jars Tabasco 7-Spice Chili Starter, regular
  • 4 cans Rotel original diced tomatoes and green chilis, (drain 2)
  • 1/2 cup diced jalapenos, including juice
  • 2 large onions, diced (no more than 3 cups)
  • 4 large green bell peppers, chopped 1/2" square chunks (about 4 cups
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 3 tbsp chili powder
  • garlic (3 cloves minced, or 1 1/2 tsp minced, or 1/2 tsp garlic powder, or 1 tsp granulated garlic

Instructions

  • Lightly saute the onions and green peppers in a large pan until just barely soft. Add to unheated crockpot.
  • Add meats to pan and cook until browned.
  • Add cumin, chili powder, and garlic to the meat. Stir in well and simmer about 10 minutes.
  • Add the meat to the crockpot and stir to combine.
  • Turn the crockpot on low.
  • Add the Tabasco Chili Starter and stir to combine.
  • Add the Rotel tomatoes and stir to combine.
  • Add jalapenos and stir to combine. (Wait an hour before adding more to taste.)
  • Cook on low overnight, about 8-10 hours.
  • Can be refrigerated if not served immediately.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

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Ham and Cheese Sliders

Equipment

  • 9×13 casserole dish

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg Hawaiian Rolls (may not need all for pan)
  • 1 large pkg deli ham
  • 1 pkg swiss or provolone cheese slices

Topping:

  • 6-8 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 3/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 heaping tbsp brown mustard
  • 1 1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp everything seasoning, optional.

Instructions

Rolls and filling:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Butter a 9×13 casserole dish.
  • Cut the rolls in half with a bread knife. Reserve top half.
  • Place the bottom half of the rolls in the dish. Put one layer of ham, one layer of cheese, another layer of ham, and a last layer of cheese.
  • Add the top half of the rolls on top of the ham and cheese layers.

Topping:

  • Melt the butter in a glass bowl.
  • Add the onion powder, garlic powder, worcestershire sauce, and mustard into the butter and stir well.
  • Add the everything seasoning to the mix if using.
  • Pour the butter mixture over the top of the rolls. Use a brush to spread around evenly.
  • Cover pan with foil. Bake 15 minutes covered, then remove foil for an additional 15 minutes or until sliders are golden brown.

Butternut Squash Pasta Salad with Brussels Sprouts, Pecans, and Cranberries

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Butternut Squash Pasta Salad with Brussels Sprouts, Pecans, and Cranberries

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Roasted Brussels Sprouts:

  • 12 oz Brussels sprouts ends trimmed, yellow leaves removed, each sliced in half
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt, to tast

Roasted Butternut Squash:

  • 1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (1-inch)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Other Ingredients:

  • 8 oz pasta
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar or glaze
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

How to roast Brussels Sprouts

  • Preheat oven to 400 F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, combine halved Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt (to taste), and toss to combine. 
  • Add Brussels sprouts cut sides down onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and roast in the oven at 400 F for about 20-25 minutes. The cut sides should be nicely and partially charred but not blackened (see my photos).

How to roast Butternut Squash

  • Preheat oven to 400 F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, combine cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded),1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and toss to mix.
  • Place butternut squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until softened.
  • Note: You can roast both Brussels sprouts and butternut squash on 2 separate baking sheets or on one large baking sheet at the same time, on the same rack in the oven – that’s what I did.

Cook pasta:

  • While the veggies are roasted in the oven, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions, usually about 10 or 12 minutes. Drain.

How to toast pecans:

  • Toast the pecans for about 5 minutes (maybe a bit longer) in the preheated oven at 350 F until they get darker in color. 
  • Note: pecans burn really fast, so make sure to check the nuts after 5 minutes and frequently afterwords. 

Assembly:

  • In a large bowl, combine roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, cooked and drained pasta, pecans, and cranberries, and mix to combine. 

Salad dressing options

  • There are 4 salad dressing options that you can drizzle over this butternut squash salad:
  • Option 1. Combine 3 or 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl and whisk to emulsify.
  • Option 2. Drizzle the salad with balsamic glaze (store-purchased) or homemade. To make a balsamic glaze, combine 1 cup of balsamic vinegar + ¼ cup of honey or brown sugar and cook it down until reduced at least by half. Consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon but should not be overly thick.
  • Option 3. Use 2 or 3 tablespoons of maple syrup plus 2 or 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice (not the bottled kind) as a salad dressing.
  • Option 4. Your favorite store-bought Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing (not the creamy kind).
  • Option 5. Anything pomegranate based would be good – such as pomegranate molasses mixed with a small amount of olive oil. Or store-bought Pomegranate-based salad dressing (not the creamy kind).

Butterhorns

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Butterhorns

Prep Time3 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time3 hours 45 minutes
Course: Bread
Servings: 36 rolls

Ingredients

  • 1 cup scalded milk (180-185 degrees)
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (1 pkg)
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 4-4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 6 tbsp melted butter, for brushing

Instructions

  • Place butter, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Pour the scalded milk into the bowl. Mix until the butter and sugar are dissolved, and the mixture cools slightly to 120°F or less, 6 minutes.
  • Add beaten eggs to the warm mixture and mix. Add 4 cups flour and the instant yeast. Use the stand mixer (or by hand) and knead the dough until it is smooth and beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl, 6-8 minutes. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl and is tacky, you will need to add more flour, 1-2 tbsp at a time, until smooth.
  • Once the dough clears the side of the mixing bowl and just slightly sticks to the bottom of the mixing bowl, remove the dough and knead a few times by hand on a lightly floured surface. The dough should be slightly tacky but not stick to the board while you are continually kneading.
  • Put the dough in a large oiled bowl to rise. Place a damp towel (or plastic wrap) over the bowl to ensure the dough will not dry out. Put the bowl in a warm place to rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
  • Once risen, punch down the dough and cut it in thirds. Shape each third into a ball and punch out any air bubbles. Roll out each dough ball to a 15-inch circle (about ¼-inch thick) on a well-floured surface. Brush with melted butter, then cut into 12 triangles, as one would for a pizza. Start by cutting in quarters, then each quarter into three triangles. Take one triangle, stretch the end slightly, then roll up tightly. Pinch the ends to create a seal, then place the pinched end down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let the prepared butterhorns raise until they are about doubled in size (about 1 to 1 ½ hours).
  • Place into a preheated 350°F oven and bake for 8-15 minutes, switching racks and watching carefully to ensure the tops and bottoms do not overbake but turn lightly golden.
  • Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter. Let cool but serve warm.

Pecan Pie Bars

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Pecan Pie Bars

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dessert
Servings: 12

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 7 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch size pieces

For the filling:

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 tbsp melted unsalted butter
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • To prepare the crust, in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Mix to combine. Add the pieces of butter. Coat the pieces with flour and work the butter into the flour. Smash pieces of butter between your thumb and forefingers until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal and holds together when squeezed into a fist.
  • Spray a 9×13 or quarter sheet pan with nonstick baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Spread the crust mixture evenly in the prepared pan and press down, making a crust. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 15-20 minutes.
  • While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a bowl, whisk the eggs to break up. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, flour, melted butter, salt, and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Then fold in the chopped pecans.
  • When the crust is finished, remove it from the oven. Pour the prepared filling over the warm crust. Return to the oven and bake until the filling is set around the edges and jiggles slightly in the middle, 20-25 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and cool for 2 hours before slicing.

Notes:

  • When preparing the crust, make sure that the butter is cold. This will make it easier to work together with the flour mixture and ensure that the crust is flaky once baked.
  • The dough should be somewhat drier than a regular pie crust. When making a fist with a handful of the dough, it should stick together but then be crumbled apart easily.
  • Since these bars can be sticky, it’s best to line your baking dish with parchment. This will allow for easy removal once the bars are baked, as well as easy cleanup.
  • Once the bars have been baked, let them cool completely before slicing. If they are cut when still warm, the filling could spill out. Make sure to slice the edges where the parchment paper does not cover so the bars can be removed easily from the pan.