Meatier Meatloaf

 This a an amazing meatloaf recipe from America's Test Kitchen's magazine Cook's Illustrated #118. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to cook in the oven. Mine was actually done in 60 minutes so I would start checking it about then.

--- --- ---Meatloaf---
2 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 Onion, finely chopped
6 Ounce White Mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
3 Tablespoon and 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Large Eggs
2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Unflavored Gelatin
1/2 Slice Hearty White Sandwich Bread, torn into 1 inch pieces
1/3 Cup Minced Fresh Parsley
2 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
3/4 Teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 Pound Ground Pork
1 Pound 85% Lean Ground Beef (recommended ground chuck)
--- --- ---Glaze---
1/2 Cup Ketchup
1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
3 Tablespoon Packed Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Coriander


1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350. Line a large rimmed cookie sheet with
foil. Use foil to create a 9x5 inch rectangle. Place the foil rectangle on a cooling rack and center it
on your lined cookie sheet. Poke holes in the foil rectangle about 1/2 inch apart. Spray foil with
Pam.
2. Melt butter in 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stir constantly,
until browned, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add 3 T broth and garlic, cook, scraping the
bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits, until thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer mushroom
mixture to a large bowl to cool.
3. Whisk eggs, remaining 1/2 cup broth, and soy sauce together in bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over egg
mixture and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes.
4. Pulse bread in food processor until finely ground, 5-10 pulses. Ad gelatin mixture, mushroom mixture, parsley, mustard, pepper, and thyme to bread crumbs and pulse until mushroom are finely
ground, about 10 pulses. Transfer to your large bowl. Add pork and beef and mix with hands until
thoroughly combine.
5. Transfer meat to foil rectangle and shape into 9x5 inch loaf. Bake until it registers 155 degrees,
75-90 minutes. Remove from oven and turn on broiler.
For the Glaze:
1.While the meat loaf bakes, mix the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Cook stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy and 5 minutes.
2. Spread 1/2 the glaze evenly over cooked meatloaf. Broil for 2 minutes until bubbly. Repeat with
other 1/2. Remove meatloaf from oven and let cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Vegetables

We all need to increase our vegetables....Always. And I need to find new ways to prepare them. Anyone have great veggie side dishes to enjoy these spring and summer vegetables.

Here is a super easy and great way to enjoy cauliflower. I must add that I generally don't enjoy cauliflower.

Roasted Cauliflower
Origin : Cooks Illustrated
Notes : From Jan/Feb 2007. Comes with a soy ginger sauce with scallion or a curry yogurt sauce with cilantro.


1 Medium Cauliflower Head, about 2 pounds
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Instructions :
Adjust oven rack to the lowest position and heat oven to 472 degrees. Line the cookie sheet with
foil.
Trim the outer leaves of the cauliflowe and cut stem flush with bottom. Cut head into 8 equal
wedges so that the core and the florets stay intact. Lay the wedges cut side down on baking sheet.
Drizzle with 2 T oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; gently run to evenly distribute oil and
seasonings. Gently flip the cauliflower and season other side with remaining 2 T oil, salt and
pepper.
Cover baking sheet tightly with foil and cook for 10 minutes. Remove foil and continue to roast until bottoms of cauliflower pieces are golden, 8-12 minutes. Remove sheet from oven, and using
spatula, carefully flip wedges. Return sheet to oven and continue to roast until cauliflower is golden all over, 8-12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. and serve immediately.

Denise's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 c brown sugar

2 c butter

2 c sugar

4 eggs

2 tbsp vanilla

cream together (in kitchen aid) until blended.

5 c oatmeal (blended to powder)

4 c sifted flour

2 tbsp baking powder

2 tbsp baking soda

1 tbsp salt

in separate bowl mix together the 5 ingredients above. then gradually add dry mixture into mixer while it's going.

once nicely combined, mix in 1 1/2 c coconut.

you might want to do the following on the counter because it might be too much for a bowl!!

add 2 cups chocolate chips

add 2 cups chopped walnuts

use close to 1/4 c. per giant cookie. form into balls.

bake for 12 minutes at 350.

Mixed up Spaghetti

found this on dealectible mommies....
New theme!! Pasta dinners.........whatcha got??



Mixed Up Spaghetti





Ingredients:

- 1 lb. of thin spaghetti
- 6-8 oz. of Smoked Gouda Cheese – Shredded
- 1/2 bunch of Italian Parsley
- 4 cups of Grape Tomatoes – Roasted
- 6 cups of Chicken Broth
- Olive Oil

Directions:

Drizzle grape tomatoes with olive oil and bake at 400 deg. for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Heat chicken broth in a saucepan on low heat until bowling. Break spaghetti noodles in half and place in a large skillet. Slowly add hot chicken broth. Continue to pour a little at a time as the noodles soak up the liquid. Continue until noodles are soft (this could take up to 25 minutes).

Once spaghetti is soft, add shredded cheese and grape tomatoes. Stir together on low heat until cheese melts. Top with italian parsley and enjoy!

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Thank you to Nikki for my fun Ice Cream Sandwich Pan. I made these last night for the missionaries. They were so quick and easy. I used a brownie mix for the cake. It was nice because it cooked 10 minutes. Easy. They were a hit. Who doesn't love cute brownies and ice cream.

Scotcheroos

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup Karo Syrup
• 6 cups rice Krispies
• 1 bag chocolate chips
• ½ bag butterscotch chips

1. Cook sugar and Karo syrup.

2. Stir in peanut butter.

3. Add rice krispies.

4. Pour into a 9x13 pan. Press into pan.

5. Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together.

6. Pour over rice krispies.

7. Refrigerate until hard.

Need Help for My Chocolate Peanut Butter Layered Cupcakes

So thanks to Janny I have a new cookbook...It is the Pillsbury Bake Off Prize Winning Recipes. I am having fun so once again THANK YOU AUNTIE JANNY!

So I made the Chocolate Peanut Butter Layered Cupcakes (I again forgot a picture!!! Angry!). They were a good start but I need some help perfecting this one. The peanut butter layer was very good but the chocolate layer wasn't right. First, it had little chocolate flavor, and second, it was too soft. So I need you to brainstorm and help. I need your amazing chocolate cupcake recipes, or brownie like cakes. If I cannot find one, I would rather use a brownie mix instead of the cake they used.

Prep TIme :35 minutes
Start to Finish 1 H 35 m
Servings:24 cupcakes

Chocolate Layer
1 recipe for chocolate cupcakes (or 1 brownie mix)
1/2 cup peanut butter chips (put into the mix)

Peanut Butter Layer
1 egg
8 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350.
In one bowl, make the chocolate layer (This is where you come in and help me find an amazingly rich chocolate cupcake recipe). In a second bowl mix together all the ingredients for the Peanut Butter Layer.
Grease the pan (or the cupcake liners if you are using them). Layer from bottom to top, 1 T chocolate mix, 1 T peanut butter mix, 1 T chocolate mix, 1 T peanut butter mix. If you'd like, sprinkle the top with a few more chips.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in the pans, remove from pan and finish cooling.

PLEASE HELP ME PERFECT THIS BEAUTIFUL WORK

Lettuce Wraps

Copycat Recipe: PF Chang’s Lettuce Wrap Recipe
yum!

from http://www.wasabimon.com/


Recipe for dipping and pouring sauce
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup hot water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup or canned tomato sauce
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Recipe for stir-fry sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar (not packed tightly)
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Recipe for stir-fried chicken
1 teaspoon hot water
1 tablespoon nice dijon mustard (use the good stuff, it will make a difference)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into half-inch cubes”
1 – 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained and minced
1/2 cup minced mushrooms (minced to the same size as the water chestnuts)
1/2 yellow onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 large leaves of iceberg lettuce

Method for Pouring Sauce Recipe
1.In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in 1/2 cup hot water. Blend in soy sauce or tamari, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and dark sesame oil. Mix well and set aside in the refrigerator until the rest of the dish is ready.

Method for Stir-Fry Sauce Recipe
1.In a small bowl, combine soy sauce or tamari, brown sugar, and rice vinegar. Mix well and set aside.

Method for Stir-Fried Chicken Recipe
1.In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon hot water, dijon mustard and minced garlic and set this aside.
2.In a wok or large frying pan over high heat, combine olive oil and sesame oil. Heat until it shimmers, about one minute. Add chicken chunks and stir fry until entirely cooked through, about five minutes. Remove from the chicken pan and allow to cool, but reserve the oil in the wok or pan, keeping it hot over a low flame.
3.Take the pan or wok that you cooked the chicken in (with the still warming oil) and turn it up to medium-high heat. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, wait one minute, and then add the garlic, onions, water chestnuts, mushrooms, cooked chicken, and the stir-fry sauce. Cook everything, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms have cooked through and are tender, about four minutes. Remove from pan and place in a serving dish.
4.Add mustard/garlic mixture that you set aside to the pouring sauce, 1/2 a teaspoon at time to taste.
5.Serve the entire lettuce wrap recipe in a nice, big serving tray, complete with stir-fry and iceberg lettuce leaves, and pouring sauce in small bowls. Wrap the stir-fry in lettuce leaves, then top with pouring sauce

Risotto and Crispy Risotto Cakes

So, to add to the side dishes. I love risotto. This is such a good recipe. It has so much flavor that I love it. Things to know, risotto does more than the traditional double of normal rice. It pretty much triples and makes a ton. The problem is, you cannot reheat risotto. Bummer. So, to fix that problem, you can make these amazing crispy risotto cakes. (I just made them and forgot pictures!!!) They are so good and make a fun appetizer or side dish a few days later.

Risotto

Americas Test Kitchen

· 3 ½ cups chicken broth

· 3 cups water

· 4 t unsalted butter

· 1 onion, minced

· 2 cups Arborio rice

· 1 cup dry white wine

· 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Bring the broth and water to a simmer in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat. Cover and keep the broth water over the lowest possible heat.

2. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and ½ t salt cook until lightly browned, about 9 minutes

3. Stir in the rice and cook until the edges begin to become translucent, about 3 minutes.

4. Add in the white wine stirring frequently until it is absorbed. Add 3 cups of the broth and simmer. Stir occasionally until it is absorbed, about 11 minutes

5. Continue in similar fashion adding ½ cup broth at a time, stir frequently until it is absorbed. The rice is done when it is cook through but somewhat firm in the center, about 11 more minutes. You may not use all the broth.

6. Stir in the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Crispy Risotto Cakes

Americas Test Kitchen

· Leftover risotto

· 2 T shredded mozerella, provolone or fontina cheese for every 1 cup of risotto

· 1 large egg for every 1 cup risotto

· Pinch cayenne pepper for every 1 cup risotto

· ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs for every 1 cup risotto

· Vegetable Oil

· Lemon Wedges

1. Use ½ cup risotto per cake.

2. Use a food processor to make fine bread crumbs.

3. Beat the egg and cayenne in a shallow dish.

4. Shape risotto into a round flat cake approximately 3 inches round.

5. Place 1 T cheese in the center and mold the risotto around the cheese so that none is exposed. Thinner cakes are better.

6. Heat ½ inch deep oil in a skillet until shimmering.

7. Coat the cakes in egg and then press in breadcrumbs

8. Fry the cakes until golden brown about 3 minutes per side.

9. Serve with lemon wedges.

Calling all Recipes

Our first official Recipe Roll Call.
Here's how it goes....
A topic is posted and then the goal is for everyone to contribute at least one of their favorite recipes that fits the topic. Thus, expanding our current selection.

First topic: Side Dishes...
These are the hardest for me. I get so caught up in my two or three go to's and I need some variety. So, please add your favorites!

Posting

We would love to have anybody contribute. If you would like, let Linnae know. I am the administrator and can change the access privileges. Also, when posting take note of the labels that are already created and add whichever ones fit your post. I have been trying to the following categories on posts
1-the course: main dish, side dish, breakfast, or bread.
2-the main ingredient: beef, chicken, pasta
2-the category: italian, mexican, chinese, ect.
3-some extra notes: healthy (speaks for itself), family (if it is a family recipe), crockpot, freezer friendly.
Put all and any that apply to the dish. I will keep monitoring labels so we make sure the blog is complete when we do searches. If anyone has any suggestions for improvements or additions, let me know.

Also, if you click to become a follower, it emails you of any comments that are added to posts. Nice feature.

Martha Stewart Banana Bread

I have to double this recipe every time I make it and it only lasts 2-3 days in my house. I make it in muffin tins instead of as a loaf of bread and mini muffin tins for the kids. Enjoy!

Martha Stewart’s Banana Bread

1/2 c butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1 c sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c very ripe bananas, mashed (~3 bananas)
1/2 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9x5x3 inch loaf pan; set aside. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat to incorporate. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts (if desired) and pour into pan. Bake until cake tester inserted into center of loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Check on it early to make sure it is not over cooked.

Lion House Dinner Rolls

My friend Susanne says rolls are just an excuse to eat butter...I agree. Here is one of my favorite ways to eat butter.

Lion House Dinner Rolls

2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
2 tablespoons dry yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or shortening
5-5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour

Mix the water, sugar, butter, salt, dry milk, and 5 c. flour together until combined. Make sure to tap the flour down in the cup with a knife until it is settled into the cup (giving you a full 1 cup measurement). After this has been sufficiently mixed, add teh eggs and yeast. Mix together again until combined. Add the last 1/2-1 c. of flour to the dough (if needed and too sticky). Let this mix on high for 5 minutes until the dough becomes slightly stiff and stretchy. Let teh dough rise until doubled in size. Pull and roll the dough into balls and place thirty rolls on a cookie sheet (5 rolls by 6 rolls). Let them rise on a cookie sheet until the balls begin to touch. Bake at 350 degrees on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes. Butter tops after roll are out of the oven.

Pioneer Woman Pizza Dough

We have pizza night every Friday, so this is a staple in our house. It can be made many days in advance! From the Pioneer Woman Blog.

Pizza Dough (MAKES TWO CRUSTS):

• 1 teaspoon Active Dry Or Instant Yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
  
• 4 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ⅓ cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.
In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it. ***It’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better.

Drizzle olive oil on a large baking sheet and use fingers to coat thoroughly. Remove HALF the pizza dough from the bowl. Stretch pizza dough into a large rectangle, pressing with fingers to finish forming. Dough will be very thin.

Lightly drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and use fingers to spread.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Remove from pan and slice with a pizza cutter. Serve immediately!

Crockpot Tortilla Soup

This is the EASIEST dinner ever!

3-4 frozen chicken breast
1 cup salsa
1 can chicken broth
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 1/2 packet taco seasoning
1 can diced green chilies

Dump into the crockpot and cook.

Shred chicken and add back in about 30 minutes before serving.
Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, avocado.

*To make this burrito filling instead of soup add less broth.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

I love freezer friendly meals and this is one my entire family eats without fussing. I usually double it and use one for dinner and freeze the other for later.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 (16 oz) bag of frozen vegetables or 2 cups of veggies of your choice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup milk
1 double ready to bake pie crust
season to taste

Mix together soup and milk. Stir in veggies and chicken. Pour into pie crust and cover with top crust. Cut slips into top crust. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes.

Honey-Lime Enchiladas

Yummy in my tummy! We LOVE these enchiladas and have served them over and over to friends.

from The Sisters' Cafe

1.5 lbs cooked, shredded pork or chicken

Sauce:

1/3 c. honey

1/4 c. lime juice

1 T. chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce

equal parts mixed:

mozzarella cheese, shredded

cheddar cheese, shredded

flour tortillas

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray pans with non-stick spray. Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

*I add a can of diced green chiles and a can of black beans drained to mixture before putting into tortillas*

Monster Cookies

My kids LOVE these cookies (and so do I)

Monster Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
2 tsp. light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
2 cups oatmeal
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups m&ms (you can cut these both down to 1 1/2 if you want-there is always a lot of extras at the bottom of the bowl-we just eat them :)

Beat sugars, peanut butter, butter, corn syrup and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs and beat. Add remaining ingredients.
Drop onto cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 for 12-14 minutes

Quiche 2

I know we already have a quiche recipe, but this is another one we love so you can mix it up.

12 oz shredded hash browns (thawed)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded swiss
1 cup ham/ canadian bacon (chopped)
4 eggs
1 cup 1/2 and 1/2 (you can use fat free if you want)
1 tsp lawry's season salt

Pack browns in to pie plate and drizzle with butter. Bake @ 375 for 20-40 min (lightly brown)

Place meat and cheese over brown crust, beat egg and stir in half and half, pour over. Sprinkle with season salt.

Bake 30-40 min more (until egg is done)

Let stand 10-15 min. I like to serve this with green beans for dinner.....

Amanda's Chicken Enchiladas

We used to make these all the time when we were up at Ricks whenever I make them I think of amanda!

6-8 cooked chicken breasts
8-10 flour tortillas
3 cups grated cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
2 (5 oz) cans sliced olives
1 (5 oz) can diced chiles

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes
Tear tortillas in medium sized pieces to cover a 9x13 pan overlapping the pieces a little. Cover the tortillas with half of the pieces of cut up chicken. Mix soup, sour cream, olives, and chciles and thin mixture with a little milk. Spread half the mixture over the top of the chicken. Spread half cheese over the sauce. Repeat layers. You can substitue low fat cream and chicken and light sour cream with basically the same results.