Caramel Sweet Potatoes

6 med-large yams or sweet potatoes

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 cup sugar

1 cup half and half

Directions:

The entire recipe can be made the day before. Bake sweet potatoes at 400 F for 50-80 minutes (depending on size) in middle or top of oven. Turn over half way through. Scoop out flesh into large mixing bowl (nip off ends, slit down center and squeeze off skin). Using an electric mixer, whip potatoes until smooth with ½ stick softened butter, ½ cup brown sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Refrigerate, covered.

Melt ½ stick butter in a small skillet over med-high heat. Add ½ cup slivered almonds and roast to a tawny brown, stirring constantly. Store in an airtight container.

In a skillet over med-low heat, melt ½ stick butter. Slowly dissolve 1 cup sugar in the butter and add 1 cup half-and-half. Stir almost constantly until the sauce is a light golden and coats the back of a wooden spoon. (It will take 30-45 min, but it’s worth it!) Refrigerate the finished sauce, covered.

Thanksgiving Day: Remove potatoes and sauce from fridge about 90 minutes before serving. Create a deep well in the center of the casserole (for the sauce). Heat potatoes and sauce separately in microwave until hot (or potatoes in 300 over and caramel on stove top), then pour hot caramel into the well in whipped potatoes. Sprinkle potatoes with almonds.

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

2 t. chicken soup base

3 c. chicken soup stock

2 c. chopped carrots

2 cups chopped celery

3/4 c. chopped onion

2 cans (about 10 ounces) cream of chicken soup

1/4 c. evaporated milk or 1/2 c. whole milk

Roux (see recipe below)

2 c. cooked diced chicken

2 1/2-3 c. cooked noodles

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat chicken soup base and stock together. Add carrots, celery, and onions, and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add cream of chicken soup and milk. Thicken with roux as desired, and then add cooked chicken and noodles. Add salt and pepper, and taste to correct seasonings. Makes about 2 1/2 quarts, or 10 one-cup servings.

Roux

The Lion House uses roux to thicken soups. The amount used depends upon individual taste.

Mix 2 c. flour and 1 c. butter or margarine together until well blended. Store in refrigerator. When ready to use, add to hot liquid a little at a time. Stir constantly until the preferred consistency is reached.

Chicken Salad

 4 c. cut up chicken

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1/2 c. celery, chopped

1 c. mayonnaise

1 c. whipping cream, whipped

1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules or 1 cube

salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together and spoon onto rolls or small cream puffs. Serves 12.

Apple Goodie

Peel and slice 3 heaping cups of tart apples.

Toss with:

1/2 cup sugar

2 heaping T. flour

Cinnamon to taste

Place in bottom of greased 9x13 pan.

Sprinkle with nuts. (optional)

Mix together:

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup oatmeal

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Mix in:

1/2 cup melted butter

Spread over apples.  Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown-- about 30 minutes.  

Variations:  Can use blackberries, pears (with a dash of lemon juice) or combinations of apples and berries.

Cranberry Freeze

 

Ingredients:

1 can each, frozen and reconstituted:

pineapple juice

cranberry juice

orange juice

1 cup sugar

Mix together and freeze in ice cube trays or 8x8 pans. Break up and serve in glasses with ginger ale. Makes (3) 8x8 pans.  Serves 30.

Breadsticks

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Serves: 1 9x13 pan

Ingredients

1 T. yeast

2 T. sugar

1 1/2 c. warm water

1 t. salt

3 1/2 c. flour

Mix first three ingredients together and let the yeast go to work.  Add in salt and flour and let raise, covered, in a warm place. 

Roll dough out.  Cut into 1" strips. 

Melt 4 T. butter in a 9x13 pan.

Dip dough strips in butter and twist.

Sprinkle one or more of the following on top and bake at 400 degrees until golden brown.

garlic salt

parmesan cheese

sesame seed

parsley

Oriental Chicken Salad

Ingredients

Salad:

 3 c. romaine lettuce - chopped

1 c. red cabbage - sliced thinly

1 c. napa cabbage - chopped

1/2 c. carrot - julienned or shredded

1 green onion - chopped

1 Tbsp. sliced almonds

1/3 chow mein noodles

Dressing:

3 Tbsp. honey

1 1/2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1/4 c. mayonnaise

1 tsp. dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. sesame oil

Chicken:

1 egg mixed with 1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. corn flake crumbs

salt and pepper

Dip chicken in milk/egg mixture.  Dip/cover with flour/corn flake mixture. Deep fry each side of chicken until golden brown.  While chicken is cooking, mix salad ingredients together. Set aside. Mix dressing ingredients together. When chicken is done, slice and serve in salad-- top with dressing. Or use pre-made chicken breasts.  Also tastes good with broiled or grilled chicken breasts. 

Mom's Swiss Enchiladas

 

2 c. chopped cooked chicken or turkey

1/2 can (4 oz. size) chopped green chiles

1 can (7 oz. size) green chile salsa

1/2 tsp. salt

2 c. whipping cream or evaporated milk

12 corn tortillas

1 1/2 c. shredded cheese

Combine chicken, chiles, and salsa for filling.  Mix salt and cream for sauce.  Fry each tortilla in hot oil and dip in cream.  Fill with chicken mixture.  Roll and place in ungreased pan.  Pour remaining cream over them and top with cheese.  Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.

Oatmeal Bread

This lightly sweetened and hearty bread tastes great straight from the oven with butter and cinnamon-sugar. It also makes a great sandwich with smoked turkey and cheese.

Makes three 1 1/2-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.

1 3/4 cups lukewarm water

1 cup milk

1/2 cup pure maple syrup (I use 1/2 cup honey with about 1 tsp. mapleine)

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (2 packets)

3/4 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup neutral-tasting oil, plus more for greasing the pan

1/2 cup oat bran

1/3 cup wheat bran

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

4 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast and salt with the water, milk, maple syrup, and oil in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.

2. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with dough hook.) If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

3. Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 8 days.

5. On baking day, lightly grease a 9x4x3-inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface if the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1 1/2-pound (cantaloupe-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.

6. Elongate the ball into an oval and place it into the prepared pan. Allow to rest and rise for 1 hour and 20 minutes (or just 40 minutes if you're using fresh, unrefrigerated dough.)

7. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.

8. Place the loaf on a rack near the center of the oven. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until deeply browned and firm.

9. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.

No Bake Cookies Without Peanut Butter

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1/2 cup milk

• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder

• 3 cups quick cooking oats

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Mix together sugar, butter or margarine, and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute, stirring constantly.

2. Remove from heat and mix in cocoa, quick oatmeal and vanilla. Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper.

Tips: Whenever you heat sugar, you are using the science of candy making, which allows for the heating of sugar to very particular temperatures, and since many stoves very in temperature, relying on 1 minute of boiling may not work for everyone so try this: Remember the stages of sugar making Thread: 230-235 (This will make a syrup) Soft Ball: 335-240 (This is the stage we will concentrate on for making these cookies) firm ball: 245-250 hard ball 250-265 Soft crack- 270-290 hard crack- 300-310 For this particular recipe, after 1 minute of boiling, get a cup of cold water and drop a small spoon full of the syrup into the batter. If it forms a small, soft ball in the water, take it off the heat. If it creates a stringy thread, it's not done yet.

Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken

Description:

I adapted this yummy recipe (everyone's favorite in our family-- even the kids!) to make it super fast in the crockpot. If I can get it in the crockpot in the afternoon, I can have dinner done in about 10 minutes-- it is great for easing the stress of the pre-dinner hour! 

Ingredients:

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. vinegar

1/2 t. chicken bouillion

3 1/2 T. catsup

1 T. soy sauce

3 lbs. frozen chicken breasts

Directions:

Mix first 5 ingredients in crock pot. Add frozen chicken breasts and cook for 6-7 hrs. on low. Thicken sauce in a saucepan with water and cornstarch just before serving. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Number Of Servings:4-6

Preparation Time:10 minutes

Creamy Cheesy Chicken Tortellini Soup

4 T. margarine

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 onion, diced

3 ribs celery, thinly sliced

6 c. water

1/2 c. flour

2 c. whipping cream

4 c. milk

1 c. Cheez Whiz

4 c. diced chicken

2 chicken bouillion cubes

12 oz. frozen cheese tortellini

Melt the margarine in a large pot, add onion, carrots, and celery and sautee until tender. Add 4 c. water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook about 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Then reduce heat, and add remaining 2 cups of water mixed with 1/2 cup flour, milk, whipping cream, Cheez Whiz, chicken, and 2 chicken bouillion cubes. Simmer on low until heated. Good second day.

Giant Cinnamon and Orange Rolls

 

3 T yeast

5 c. warm water

3/4 c. sugar

2 T salt

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. oil

1 c. powdered milk

5 lbs. flour (about)

margarine, cinnamon, brown sugar

greased jelly roll pan

flour for rolling

Combine in mixer: yeast, water, sugar, and salt. Beat in eggs, and blend in milk. Add oil and flour. If using a mixer, add flour until it cleans the sides of the bowl. You may mix in flour by hand. Dough should be sticky. Turn into oiled bowl and let rise until double, approx. 45 minutes. Punch down. Take out half of the dough and roll into a 18" x 36" rectangle. Spread with softened 1/4 c. margarine. Sprinkle with cinnamon and with one cup brown sugar. Roll up. Seal edges and cut into 12 sections using a piece of string. (Tip: cut narrow end pieces longer, then smash down on pan to make them roughly the same size as the rolls from the thicker center pieces.) Place on greased large jelly roll pan (place largest rolls on edges, smallest toward center.) Let rise till double - about 30 minutes. Bake for 21 minutes at 350. Remove from oven. Let set for 5 minutes. Invert on cooling racks. Frost when cool with cream cheese frosting. 

Make orange rolls with other half of dough by spreading with margarine, then orange filling. Top with Orange Icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting: 1 lb. powdered sugar, 1 cube butter, 1 8 oz. cream cheese, lemon extract. Beat until smooth, adding milk if necessary to thin.

Orange Roll Filling: 1 c. sugar, 2 T orange juice, 1 T grated orange rind, 1 t. orange extract and if desired 1 drop orange food coloring.

Orange Icing: 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar, 2 T grated orange rind, 1/4 c. orange juice, 1/2 t. orange extract.

Cafe Rio Shredded Chicken Salad

Shredded Chicken:

5 lbs or 7-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 cans diced green chilies

1 tsp salt, pepper, garlic salt, cayenne pepper

Dash of tabasco

Dressing:

1/2 jar herdez salsa verde (I use mild salsa verde)

1/2 cup Mayo

1/2 pkg dry buttermilk ranch dressing

1/2 Tbsp canned jalapenos

1/8 bunch cilantro

1/2 can evaporated milk

1 clove minced garlic

1 Lime juiced

Cook shredded chicken ingredients 4 hrs in crock pot. Shred and add lime juice. This makes a lot and is good left over. Blend dressing ingredients in a blender. Serve shredded chicken with black beans, corn, shredded cheese, lettuce, and rice in tortillas or as a salad.

Baked Oatmeal

I have been playing with different baked oatmeal recipes to find our favorite one-- I think this is definitely it. I have left the apples and blueberries out in the past, but now that we have fresh blueberries, I put them in, and it was amazing! 

4 1/2 c. oatmeal

1 c. brown sugar

3 t. baking powder

2 t. salt

3 t. cinnamon

1/3 c. milled flax seed

3 eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. melted butter

3 tsp. vanilla

1 c. chopped apples

1/2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

Mix all together and spread in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 40-45 min. We cut in squares and serve in bowls with milk. Serves 8.