Halloween Biscochitos

Cookie Dough:

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Vegetable Shortening

2 eggs (room temperature)

½ tablespoon vanilla

½ tablespoon anise seed

4 cups of flour

3 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup orange juice (no pulp)

Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Combine 2 ingredients in a shallow bowl, set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together sugar and vegetable shortening until mixture is crumbly.  Next add eggs, one at a time and beat well. Add vanilla and anise seed and beat at medium speed until it very fluffy.  While mixture combines, in a medium sized bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix well, and begin to add about a cup at a time to the fluffed sugar mixture.  Last step add orange juice and combine all ingredients well.  On a floured surface, add dough, separate, and form into 2 flat disks.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, when you are ready to roll out the dough.  Remove one disk and begin to roll out until you form a round, ½ inch thick circle.  Use desired cookie cutter and dip one side of the cookie into the topping mixture, lay sugared side up on a cookie tray.  Bake cookies for 10-15 minutes, until they are golden brown. Repeat with 2 disk of cookie dough.  Enjoy!

Ham and Cheese Stromboli

Filling:

½ lb. thinly sliced ham

¼ lb. shredded mozzarella

½ lb. thinly sliced provolone

Basic Dough:

1 cup warm water

1 envelope active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons Olive Oil

3 cups All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, sugar, and 1 tablespoon oil and stir to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue adding the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough after each addition, until all the flour is incorporated but the dough is still slightly sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky, 3 to 5 minutes.

Oil a large mixing bowl with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean dish towel, set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours

Preheat Oven to 375:

Punch down the dough, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a large rectangle, about 10 by 14 inches. Spread ½ ham across the dough leaving a 1-inch border, next top with mozzarella, then ham and finally provolone cheese.  Using a pastry brush, paint the border of 1 long edge with egg wash. Starting at the opposite long end without egg wash, roll up the dough into a cylinder, pinching the edges to seal. Brush the top of stromboli with egg wash. Bake until golden brown on top and bottom of Stromboli, about 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

Arroz Dulce (Sweet Rice)

4 cups Cooked White Rice

2-12 oz cans of Evaporated Milk

1 ½ cups Whole Milk

1 ½ cups Sugar

2 cups Raisins

6 Eggs, separated

1 ½ tsp Vanilla

½ tsp Cinnamon

½ tsp Nutmeg

In a medium sized sauce pan add evaporated milk, whole milk, sugar and egg yolks bring to a boil and lower to medium low heat, stirring frequently.  This should take about 10 minutes, add raisins and vanilla, stir and remove from heat.  In the meantime, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, set aside.

In a large bowl, add rice and pour milk mixture with raisins over.  Add cinnamon, nutmeg and stir well.  Next, gently fold in egg white and top with more cinnamon and nutmeg.  Chill overnight, if it becomes too thick, it is ok to add more milk.

Fried Rice

4 green onions, finely chopped

3 large eggs

4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed

4 cups cold cooked rice

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

Salt and Pepper as needed

Wash and finely chop the green onion. Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and pepper.

Heat a wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled but not overcooked. Remove the eggs and clean out the pan.

Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes, add in the soy sauce. When the rice is heated through, add the scrambled egg back into the pan. Stir in green onion and mix thoroughly, serve hot

Chile Relleno Casserole

8 whole green chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese,  shredded

1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

2 eggs, beaten

1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milkSalt and Pepper 

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
Lay half of the chilies evenly in bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the Jack and Cheddar cheeses, and cover with remaining chilies. In a bowl, mix together salt, pepper, eggs, milk, and flour, then pour over the top of the chilies.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit 5 minutes, top with sour cream and cilantro.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
4 cups of chicken stock
2 cups of water
4 medium sized red potatoes, diced with skin on
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup of butter
2 cups of milk
3 cups of frozen broccoli, thawed
Cheddar Cheese
Salt
Pepper

Heat a large pot with olive oil, saute onions and garlic, then season with salt and pepper. Add 4 cup of chicken stock, 2 cups water and bring to a rapid boil, then add potatoes.

Meantime, in a small pan, melt butter and add flour. Cook for 2 minutes and add milk. Continue to stir until mixture thickens. Add broccoli to potatoes and stock then gradually stir in milk. Bring soup to a boil, season with salt and pepper. When potatoes are fork tender serve up individual bowls of soup with shredded cheddar cheese

Red Chile Cheese Enchiladas

**Basic Red Chile Sauce (see recipe below)

1 pound shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup chopped onion

Shortening

12 Corn Tortillas*

Heat 1/2 inch of shortening in a heavy pan at medium-high heat, quickly dip each tortilla into the shortening to soften. Drain on absorbent towels.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread a thin layer of Red Chile on the bottom of casserole dish.  Top with 6  corn tortillas, top tortillas using ¼ cup of onions, ladle another layer of red chile over tortillas and onions, top with cheese.  Repeat one more layer.

Bake in 350°F oven for 25-30 minutes.

**Basic Red Chile

2 tablespoons shortening

2 tablespoons flour

¼ cup Red Chile Powder (New Mexico Chile preferred)

2 cups cold water

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Heat shortening in a medium saucepan, over medium heat, stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.  Add chile powder and cook for an additional minute. Gradually add the water and stir, making sure that no lumps form.  Add seasonings to sauce and simmer at low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Spinach, Grape Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta

1 lb Angel Hair Pasta

1 pint Grape Tomatoes

1 pint fresh baby Mozzarella cut into quarters

1 Bag Fresh Baby Spinach

2 Large Cloves of Garlic, chopped

¾ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

1 tsp sugar

Cook Angel Hair pasta, according to directions. When pasta is ready, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

Cut grape tomatoes into quarters, leave a few of them whole. Heat, ½ cup of Olive Oil, add tomatoes and season with 1 Tablespoon of salt and 1 tsp of sugar, cook for about 7 minutes this will start to create your sauce. Add garlic, spinach, pasta water and Angel Hair, toss well. The heat of the pasta and pasta water will wilt the spinach. Drizzle remaining ¼ of Olive oil over pasta and top with fresh Mozzarella.

Angel Hair Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

1 lb Angel Hair Pasta

16 Roma Tomatoes

¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped

Salt and Pepper

Bring 2 large pots of water to a boil. In the first pot of boiling water, cook Angel Hair pasta according to directions. In the meantime, remove the stem area of the tomatoes, on the bottom of tomato, score the tomatoes with X using a paring knife. Liberally salt the boiling water and add the tomatoes to the pot. Have a large boil of ice water nearby and as you see the skin from the tomato is ready to come off, add the tomatoes to the ice water. Remove skins from tomatoes and add the pulp to a clean bowl. Using a potato masher, smash the tomato pulp really well. Heat a saute pan with Olive Oil, then add your fresh tomatoes, season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, add garlic and pasta. Toss well, top with parmesan cheese and shredded basil.

Danielle’s Moose Munch

5 cups Cheerios

5 cups Corn Chex or Rice Chex

5 cups Twisted Pretzels

5 cups of Peanut M&M's

1 Full Pack Vanilla or Chocolate Almond Bark (preferably Vanilla)

In Big bowl mix all ingredients except Almond Bark. Next in a microwave safe bowl add all the cubes of Almond Bark and microwave until cubes are completely melted. Pour all the melted Almond Bark onto the dry mix and coat well. Lay wax paper onto your table and spread the mixture evenly over the wax paper. This is a decent sized batch of Moose Munch so make sure you have 2 or 3 rows of wax paper lined up together. Wait approximately 15 minutes until almond bark has set, break up and eat.

Fettuccini Alfredo

Ingredients:

1 Box Fettuccini (Barilla is my fav)

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups grated Parmesan

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (1 lemon)

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Drain.

Stir 2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a heavy large skillet to blend. Add the butter and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, and Parmesan to the cream sauce in the skillet. Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.

Homemade Pecan Pie

Pie Crust

This recipe calls for:

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

I Teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Sugar

6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

6 Tablespoons Shortening

8-10 Tablespoons Ice Water



Mix in a large bowl:

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

I Teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Sugar

Then mix in:

6 Tablespoons Butter

6 Tablespoons Shortening

8-10 Tablespoons Ice Water



Mix ingredients thoroughly and form into a disk. If all the ingredients won’t stick together you may need a little more of the ice water. Don’t use too much or your dough will be too sticky.

Wrap your pie crust in plastic wrap; then, place it in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or as long as it takes you to make the pie filling. 

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 bag finely shredded carrots
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix at low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly while mixing. Mix at high speed for 3 minutes, scraping bowl frequently.
Pour 2/3 of the batter into cupcake liners. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes in pans then move to wire rack to cool completely. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

16 oz Cream Cheese
½ cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
Bring cream cheese and butter to room temperature. When softened, cream the cream cheese and butter together and gradually add the 2 cups of powdered sugar. Chill until ready to frost cupcakes.

Beef Mushroom and onion Tart

1 lb. lean ground beef
1- 8 oz package sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ medium sized red onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 pkg refrigerated pizza dough
3 oz. blue cheese crumbles or shaved parmesan
¾ cup shredded mozzerella

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a large pan, cook ground beef, mushrooms, onions and garlic until beef is browned and vegetables are tender.  Drain any excess fat and season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.  Meanwhile, grease a large baking sheet with olive oil.  Pat down or roll the pizza onto the baking sheet until it is approximately a 15x2 sized rectangle.   Top dough with meat mixture, top with mozzarella cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  When ready take out of the oven and top with blue cheese crumbles or parmesan cheese.

Pulled Pork for BBQ Sandwiches

4 ½ to 5 lb. Boneless Pork Roast

1 onion sliced

4 cups of chicken broth

1 bottle bbq sauce of your choice

3 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp.  kosher salt

1 Tbsp.  black pepper

1 Tbsp. dry mustard

1 Tbsp.  garlic powder

1 Tbsp. onion powder

Heat crockpot to high and layer half of the sliced onion to the bottom.  Combine salt, pepper, dry mustard, garlic and onion powder.  Drizzle honey all over roast, sprinkle your combined seasonings over the roast and add to crockpot.  Wash hand thoroughly and add remainder of onion slices on top of roast, pour entire bottle of bbq sauce on top then add chicken broth and cover; cook 5-6 hours or until pork pulls apart easily.   When roast is ready, remove roast from crockpot and discard broth and onions.   Let the roast cool down and shred with 2 forks.   Discard of any of any fat, add more bbq sauce if desired.  Serve with warm sesame seed buns, red onions and sliced pickles.

Baked Potato Soup

List of Ingredients
5 large baking potatoes
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. flour
7 cups whole milk
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
3 chopped green onions
12 slices bacon -- cooked & crumbled
2 cups shredded cheddar
8 oz. sour cream

Recipe
Wash, prick and bake potatoes for 1 hour at 400, or until done. Let cool. Peel  potatoes and cut into bite size pieces and set aside. Discard skins.

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Add flour and cook until smooth, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 1 minute longer.

Gradually add milk and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and bubbly.  This takes awhile, you don’t want it to cook too fast or it will burn.  Make sure you constantly stir while scraping the bottom to avoid burning.  

Add potatoes, salt, pepper, 2 green onions, 1/2 c. bacon and 1 c. cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated through and stir in sour cream.

Add extra milk if desired to thin. Garnish each serving with remaining green onions, bacon, and cheese.

Melissa’s Cheddar Corn Chowder with green chile

12 strips bacon, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Large chopped yellow onions
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 cups chicken stock
3 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (1 pounds)
2 16 oz bags frozen corn
1 cup half-and-half
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2-3 cups green chile


In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper, cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add green chile and bacon, then corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Chicken Piccata

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied or pounded very thin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Flour

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup chicken stock or white wine
1/4 cup capers, rinsed

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Lightly dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add chicken and cook until brown, repeat with other side of chicken Remove and transfer to plate.