MISC – Page 58 – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

TROPICAL YUM!

I found this awesome new jello salad recipe over at Mennonite Girls Can Cook called Special Salad. This will quickly become a new family favorite! We have even given it a new name and a few changes.

TROPICAL YUM!

1 box orange jello (next time we’re going to try wild strawberry)

1 box lemon jello (we used pineapple)

3 bananas, sliced (next time we’re going to use 2 and add a kiwi)

1 small can mandarin orange segments, well drained, reserving juice (we used a large can)

1 14 oz can crushed pineapple, *well drained but reserving the juice and adding enough of the mandarin orange juice to make 1 cup
1/2 bag mini marshmallows

1/2 pint whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 egg, well beaten

1 cup pineapple juice*
3/4 cup FINELY grated cheddar cheese (next time I’m going to try toasted coconut)

Mix the two boxes of jello powder together in a large glass mixing bowl and stir in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Mix well until jello has dissolved.
Add 2 cups of cold water.
Place mixture in the refrigerator until partially set.
Mix together the orange segments, pineapple and banana slices.
Fold into the partially set jello.
Top the jello-fruit mixture with 1/2 bag mini white marshmallows and then put jello back in fridge.
Whip together the whipping cream, 1 tablespoon sugar and vanilla until thick, cover and place in fridge.
Stir 1/2 cup sugar, *1 cup pineapple juice, egg and four together in a microwavable bowl and heat for 1 minute at a time, stirring between until mixture is thick (2-3 minutes) or you can also cook this on the stove top, stirring constantly.
Cool this mixture completely and then fold in the whipped cream mixture. Spread over the marshmallow mixture.
Layer the 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese on the top.
Return to the refrigerator and chill thoroughly.

UPSIDE DOWN APPLE PIE Yield: 8 servings.
original recipe from Taste of Home

CRUST:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons shortening (Crisco stick)
2 tablespoons cold butter
5 to 7 tablespoons orange juice

FILLING:
6 tablespoons butter, melted, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1 cup Imperial Sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (sifted)
1/2 teaspoon rum extract (optional)
1/2 teaspoon maple extract (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (I like honey crisp or Granny Smith) (about 1/8-inch thick)

GLAZE:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons orange juice

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening and butter until crumbly.

Gradually add orange juice, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball.

Divide dough into two balls. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Line a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate with heavy-duty foil, leaving 1-1/2 in. beyond edge; coat the foil with cooking spray.

Combine 4 tablespoons butter, brown sugar and nuts; spoon into prepared pie plate.

In a large bowl, combine the apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and remaining butter; toss gently.

On waxed paper, roll out one ball of pastry to fit pie plate.

Place pastry over nut mixture, pressing firmly against mixture and sides of plate; trim to 1 in. beyond plate edge.

Fill with apple mixture.

Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim to 1/4 in. beyond plate edge.

Fold bottom pastry over top pastry; seal and flute edges. Cut four 1-in. slits in top pastry.

Bake at 375° for 50-55 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown (cover edges with foil during the last 20 minutes to prevent over browning).

Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Invert onto a serving platter; carefully remove foil. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over pie.

PAN FRIED RED SNAPPER with WHITE WINE LEMON BUTTER SAUCE

When I was in college there was a local grill that did the most amazing fish I’d ever had. I hate to admit that was before Cajun or Blackened became popular. I spent many years trying to duplicate their red snapper after they closed their doors.

PAN FRIED RED SNAPPER with WHITE WINE LEMON BUTTER
1 pound Red snapper, cut to portion size
1/4 cup red onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large very ripe lemon, juiced
zest from the lemon
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Rinse and dry the fish fillets with paper towels.
In a mortar & pestle grind all seasonings together until they are a fine powder and well blended.
In a large skillet melt the butter.
Saute’ the onions, garlic and lemon zest until fragrant.
Arrange onions and garlic towards edge of pan.
Arrange fish in center of skillet.
Sprinkle with the seasonings.
Cook for 4-5 minutes.
Turn fish, sprinkle with the remaining seasonings and cook another 4-5 minutes.
Add lemon juice and cook another 1-2 minutes.

BAKED PINEAPPLE CUSTARD ala summer berries

BAKED PINEAPPLE BLACKBERRY CUSTARD

I originally got the pineapple portion of this recipe from my cousin Jenn, and it quickly became our family favorite. During the summer I add fresh berries to “spice” it up a bit in flavor and color. This recipe is really good warm, but also just as good cold. It also works as a wonderful custard to fill cakes too.

2 large cans crushed pineapple (drain & save juice)
2 cups pineapple juice
2 eggs beaten
4 tablespoons cornstarch

1 package blackberries, rinsed and chopped
1 cup sugar
mini marshmallows (OPTIONAL)

Preheat oven to 350°.
Place pineapple in the bottom of a greased 13 x 9 pan.
Sprinkle blackberries over pineapple.
In a sauce pan whisk together the pineapple juice, eggs, sugar and cornstarch.
Cook until thick.
Pour over the pineapple and bake 20 minutes.
Top with marshmallows and return to oven until golden.

HOME MADE APPLE SAUCE

HOME MADE APPLE SAUCE
5 large Apples (I like Pink Lady or Braeburns)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 can peach nectar (Papaya or pineapple are good too)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

In a large sauce pan pour nectar over raisins and let sit while you prepare apples.
Wash, core, peel and chop apples.
Add water to sauce pan and stir in sugar until dissolved.
Add cinnamon and mix well.
Add apples and cook over medium heat until until apples are tender and mush easily.
Mush to desired consistency.
Remove from heat.
Cool and chill.
Can be kept in refrigerator for a week though it never lasts that long around here. When my apples are at the height of the season and falling off the tree I make this in huge batches and put it up in canning jars for the following year.

LAYERED TORTILLA PIE

I also found that they now make refried BLACK beans – gotta tell you I’m loving these!
LAYERED TORTILLA PIE
1 cup salsa
1 pound ground beef
homemade taco seasoning
1 can refried BLACK beans
1 can traditional refried beans
8 inch flour tortillas
2 cups Mexican shredded cheese
sour cream
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

Brown the hamburger and drain off the grease.
Add 1/2 cup water and taco seasoning to the hamburger.
Cook until liquid is absorbed.
Preheat oven to 400°.
In a medium bowl mash together the refried beans, 1/2 the salsa and 1/2 the garlic.
In another medium bowl mash together the refried BLACK beans, 1/2 the salsa and 1/2 the garlic.
Spray a shallow pie pan with PURE.
Spread a small amount of sour cream on a tortilla and lay in the bottom of the pie pan.
Spread with one of the bean mixtures.
Add another tortilla and spread with some meat mixture. Top with a thin layer of cheese.
Repeat layers until you have about 7 or 8 layers.
Top with remaining cheese.
Cover lightly with foil.
Bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly.
Cut into wedges and serve with salsa and sour cream.

STACKED GREEN CHILE & GRILLED CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

I made this for daring cooks and then made it again and altered it for my family. It turned out really good when paired with my homemade refried beans.

STACKED GREEN CHILE & GRILLED CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

1½ pounds Fresh Anaheim chiles roasted, peeled, seeds removed & chopped coarsely.
7-8 ounces Tomatillos (about 4-5 medium) peeled and stems removed
4 cups homemade Chicken broth
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, minced
½ teaspoon sea salt to taste
¼ tsp Black Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons Cornstarch (dissolve in 2 tablespoons water, for thickening)
Hot sauce, your favorite, optional
3 Boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 10-12 inch flour tortillas
8 ounces grated Cheddar/Monterey Jack
Cilantro for garnish, chopped and sprinkled optional

Roasting the Fresh Chiles

Coat each chile with a little vegetable oil. If you are doing only a couple chiles, using the gas stove works. For larger batches (as in this recipe), grilling or broiling is faster.
Lay the oiled chiles on the grill or baking sheet (line pan with foil for simpler clean-up). Place the grill or broil close to the element, turning the chiles so they char evenly. They should be black and blistered.
As they are completely charred (they will probably not all be done at once), remove them to a bowl and cover with plastic, or close up in a paper bag. Let them rest until they are cool.
Pull on the stem and the seed core MAY pop out (it rarely does for me). Open the chile and remove the seeds. Turn the chile skin side up and with a paring knife, scrape away the skin. Sometimes it just pulls right off, sometimes you really have to scrape it.
DO NOT RINSE!

Green Chile Sauce

Put a medium saucepan of water on to boil and remove the papery outer skin from the tomatillos. Boil the tomatillos until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. You can also grill the tomatillos until soft.
Drain and puree in a blender or food processor.
Return the tomatillos to the saucepan along with the chicken broth, chopped green chiles, minced onion, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the cornstarch/water mixture and stir well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and reduced to 4-5 cups, another 10-15 minutes.
Adjust seasonings and add hot sauce if you want a little more heat.

Assembly

Heat a gas grill to medium high or build a medium-hot charcoal Coat the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Grill the chicken until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes a side for boneless chicken breasts. I did them on the stove in a cast iron pan and they were awesome.
Cool and then slice into thin strips or shred.
In a small skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Dip the edge of a tortilla into the oil to check – it should sizzle immediately.
Using tongs, put a tortilla into the pan and cook until soft and lightly brown on each side, about 15-20 seconds per side (at the most).
Drain on paper towels.
Add oil as needed and continue until all 12 tortillas are done.
In a baking dish large enough to hold four separate stacks of tortillas, ladle a thin layer of sauce.
Lay four tortillas in the dish and ladle another ½ cup (4 ounces/112 grams) of sauce over the tortillas.
Divide half the chicken among the first layer of tortillas, top with another ½ cup of sauce and 1/3 of the grated cheese.
Stack another four tortillas, top with the rest of the chicken, more sauce and another third of the cheese.
Finish with the third tortilla, topped with the remaining sauce and cheese.
Bake until the sauce has thickened and the cheese melted, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
To serve, transfer each stack to a plate. Spoon any leftover sauce over the stacks and sprinkle with cilantro, if you wish. The stacks may also be cooked in individual gratin dishes.

BLACK BEAN CHICKEN BURRITOS

BLACK BEAN CHICKEN BURRITOS
corn tortillas
black beans, drained well
KNORR creamy rice mix
4 ounce green chiles, drained well
2 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
15 ounce can HATCH green enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cojack cheese
sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a large baking dish.
Prepare KNORR rice mix as directed.
In a large bowl combine chicken pieces, black beans, green chiles, rice and 1/3 of the cheese.
Spread sour cream on each tortilla.
Add a scoop of the chicken mixture.
Layer in baking dish seam side down.
When baking dish is full, evenly pour the enchilada sauce over the enchilads.
Sprinkle cheese evenly over all enchiladas.
Bake 30 minutes.
Enjoy.

Baked Tacos

Baked Tacos
2 lbs ground beef
1 small onion diced
1 small can diced green chilies
1 recipe for Homemade taco seasoning (below)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
2 cups shredded Colby-jack cheese
18-20 hard taco shells

Condiments
Lettuce (shredded)
Tomato (diced)
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour Cream

Preheat the oven to 400 ˚.
In a large skillet brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat.
Drain off any excess fat.
Return meat to the pan. Add chilies, refried beans, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning.
Mix well and cook for a several minutes until consistency thickens.
Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, standing up.
Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell.
Place into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Taco Seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper

MANDARIN CHICKEN and NOODLES

2 pounds chicken tenders
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
Juice of 2 lemons
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 pound linguini

Cook linguini al dente.
In a small saucepan combine the soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, sugar and garlic.
Whisk the cornstarch into the water until smooth.
Add the cornstarch mixture to the soy sauce mixture and blend well.
Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thick.
While the sauce is cooking, salt and pepper the chicken tenders and broil 2-3 minutes each side.
Shred chicken, slice green onions and add to the linguini.
Pour sauce over top and toss well.

PARSLY HERB NOODLES / LINGUINI & CLAMS

PARSLEY HERB NOODLES OR LINGUINI & CLAMS
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound linguini, cooked and drained well
4-6 cloves minced garlic
(2) 7 1/2 ounce cans minced clams, drained well, but retaining juice*
8 ounce bottle clam juice, added to the above juice to make 2 cups
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste