Best Stuffing Ever

You guys. This stuffing is the BEST stuffing ever!!! My SIL made it last year and this year it was my turn. And seriously, everyone was raving (both last year and this year). It's take stuffing to a whole new level. 

Best Stuffing Ever

from Linda (my SIL's friend???)

Fresh bread crumbs from one big loaf of French bread (you want this to be high-quality artisan French bread), chopped in 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 sticks of butter (3/4 cup), divided

6 celery stalks, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves

1 box of mushrooms (fresh, not canned) cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup chopped Italian parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

3/4 teaspoon celery seed

3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

3/4 garlic powder

12-16 oz package of mild or hot Italian sausage (ground)

2 cups Romano cheese, shredded

1/2 can chicken broth (about 7-8 oz)

3 eggs

Sautee 1 stick butter, celery, onion, and garlic. Pour over bread crumbs in a bowl. Sautee 1/2 stick of butter in mushrooms. Add seasonings, parsley, and basil. Then add cheese and mix. Mix eggs and chicken broth in separate bowl and add to mushroom mixture. Pour over bread crumbs and mix. Sautee sausage to release oil, strain, and mix in with bread crumbs. Lightly spray a large casserole dish and pour stuffing in. Cover tightly with foil and store in fridge over night. Bake, covered, at 350 for one hour. Remove foil for last 15 minutes if you'd like a little crunch.

Health-ier Higher Protein Guacamole

This stuff is addicting- so good and so much better for you than regular guacamole.  The other bonus!? It lasts waaaay longer than the regular stuff, as in it doesn't get brown for several days!  

High Protein Guacamole

Salty Lashes

3 ripe avocados

1 1/2 cups plain greek yogurt (I use TJ's)

2 large limes, juiced

1/2 Purple onion, diced fine

1 large handful cilantro, chopped

Garlic salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Salsa Verde

This stuff is seriously so amazing. And SO easy to make.  Just throw all of the ingredients in a blender.  Done.  It makes a TON.  Plus, it makes great gifts- I made some and put them in jars to give away with a bag of chips!

Salsa Verde

1 bunch cilantro

8 tomatillos, cut into quarters

2 green heirloom tomatoes (just to keep the color)

6-8 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno

3 limes, juiced

1 medium white onion

Salt

Cut up everything and throw into blender raw. Blend until you get your desired consistency and then add salt- about 1 1/2 Tbs, or to taste.

The Best Hummus

I've never made my own hummus before because you can pretty much get it at any store, but I went for it.  The good?  It was amazing!!!! The bad? I will never buy store-bought again and I'm forced to make my own now.  You have to go the extra step and peel the chickpeas to make this as smooth as butter- I promise it only takes a few minutes.  And, I got Tessa involved and she loved to help!  This recipe is from the Ottolenghi cookbook, which is kind of a huge deal around these parts... it is bonafide stuff.  You have to let it rest for a while, to let the flavors come together, before it reaches optimal deliciousness.

courtesy

The Best Hummus

From Smitten Kitchen

Makes 1 3/4 cups hummus

1 3/4 cups drained chickpeas (from a 15-ounce can)
1/2 cup tahini paste
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
2 small cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 teaspoon table salt, or more to taste
Approximately 1/4 cup water 

Olive oil, paprika, pita wedges (brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with a combination of sesame seeds and sea salt), and/or carrot sticks [optional] to serve.

For canned chickpeas: Peel your chickpeas. I find this is easiest when you take a chickpea between your thumb and next two fingers, arranging the pointy end in towards your palm, and “pop!” the naked chickpea out. Discard the skin. 

In a food processor (I used my blendtec), blend the chickpeas until powdery clumps form, a full minute, scraping down the sides. Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt and blend until pureed. With the machine running, drizzle in water or reserved chickpea cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get very smooth, light and creamy mixture. I find I need about 4 tablespoons for this volume, but you may need slightly more or less.

Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or lemon if needed. I do recommend that you hold off on adding more garlic just yet, however. I find that it “blooms” as it settles in the fridge overnight, becoming much more garlicky after a rest, so that even if it doesn’t seem like enough at first, it likely will be in the long run.

Transfer the hummus to a bowl and rest it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, longer if you can. To serve, drizzle it with a little olive oil, and sprinkle it with paprika. Serve it with pita wedges or carrot sticks.

Perfect White Bread

courtesy

This bread is absolutely amazing.  Perfect taste and texture.  I also made some into cinnamon bread and it was so delicious.  AND, its soooo easy to make.  You must try it.

Perfect White Bread

From Jenny's Gatherings

2/3 c. sugar
2 c. very warm water
5 tsp. active dry yeast
5 c. bread flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oil

In a stand mixer bowl, add sugar and water. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let rest until it gets foamy, about 3-5 minutes. Add both kinds of flour, then salt and oil. Turn on mixer and knead for 6 minutes. Turn dough into a well greased bowl. Spray the top of the dough with cooking spray and proof until double in size, about 30-45 minutes.

Punch down risen dough and divide into 2 pieces. Flatten each piece into a rectangle about 12 x 8 inches. Fold the sides in about 4 inches or so.  Roll up keeping the top nice and rounded and place in a greased loaf pan with the dough seam side down. Let rise until the dough is 1 inch above the rim of the loaf pan.

Bake in a 350 F oven for 30 minutes. Turn loaf out of the pan and let cool on a baking rack. Brush tops with butter while the bread is hot, if desired. Bag after the bread is cool to keep the bread moist. Freezes well.

*Cinnamon Bread Option:

When you roll it out as stated above, spray with water bottle and then generously sprinkle a mixture of 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 Tbs. of cinnamon to within 1/2 inch of edges.  Roll bread into a loaf, pinching the end and sides together to seal the cinnamon in.  You must remove this bread from the pans 5 minutes after cooking and cool completely before slicing.

Skillet Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

This is an easy last minute meal if you are feeling like comfort food or an easy "gourmet" side

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

• 3 1/2 cups water, plus extra if needed
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 12 ounces (about 3 cups) elbow macaroni
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
• 6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small chunks
• Ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring 3 1/2 cups water, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, the macaroni, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a simmer in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring often, until the macaroni is tender and the liquid has thickened, 9 to 12 minutes.
2. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk, the cornstarch, mustard and hot sauce together in a small bowl, then stir into the skillet. Continue to simmer slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
3. Off the heat, stir in the cheddar and Monterey Jack, one handful at a time, adding water as needed to adjust the consistency of the sauce (I didn’t need any additional water when I made it). Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

NOTES

Ham and Pea Variation: Follow the recipe, adding 4 ounces deli-style baked ham, diced medium, and 1/2 cup frozen peas to the skillet with the cornstarch mixture in step 2.

My favorite Veggies

So, I know this may be lame, but I thought I'd post my favorite way of preparing veggies.  We eat a TON of veggies and I've found this to be the easiest and yummiest way to get them to the table...and have your kids enjoy them.

My Favorite Veggies
From Rachel

Vegetables (I like a carrot, cauliflower and broccoli combo)
Olive Oil
Salt (try the Pink Himalayan salt at Costco- its much more nutritious than table salt)
Cajun Seasoning

You'll need a steamer of some sort on hand (I have a metal basket that fits on top of my regular stovetop skillet- got it at Williams-Sonoma for about $8).  Put water in the bottom of the skillet, but careful not to do too little or the veggies burn, or too much, or the veggies boil- you don't want the water to overflow onto your steamer basket.  Chop veggies to similar sizes to allow for even cooking. Place them in the basket and steam with lid covering until desired tenderness (I like mine with a little crunch).  Empty the water from your skillet and return skillet to hot stovetop.  Pour olive oil to coat bottom and heat slightly. Return veggies to skillet and season with salt and cajun seasoning.  Stir to coat and remove from heat- you don't want to cook your veggies any longer.  Enjoy.  I love serving these veggies tossed with these Simple Sesame Noodles.

Southwest Rice and Bean Salad

This was so delicious. The family was a little skeptical when I first put it on the table, but after one bite, we could not get enough. Oh, and don't even get me started about how delicious it was the next day....mmm. You could serve this as a side (although it was our main dish) or as a great dish at a shower or party. OR...its amazing stuffed in a burrito or quesadilla. Love it.

Picture courtesy My Kitchen Cafe

Southwest Rice and Bean Salad
From My Kitchen Cafe

5 cups cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
2 teaspoons salt
1 (16-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16-oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 (12-oz.) can corn, drained
4 green onions, chopped

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
4 pickled jalepeno pepper rounds (found in the Mexican section)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin

Combine all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in blender until peppers are finely minced. Toss with salad. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Oriental Green Beans

I almost always cook my green beans this way (if I have a few extra minutes)--so delicious!

Oriental Green Beans

Adrienne Stowell, a friend from my ward

1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed (I buy a big bag at Costco, pre-trimmed)

3 Tbs. soy sauce

1 Tbs. oriental sesame oil (if you don't have this, sub olive oil, but it's better with sesame)

1 tsp. sugar

6 garlic cloves, minced (I also buy a big jar of minced garlic at Costco, refrigerated)

Steam green beans for 3-4 minutes. Combine soy sauce, oil, and sugar in small bowl. Spray wok or 10" skillet with cooking spray, or small amount of oil. Add garlic, cook for one minute. Add green beans, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture, continue to stir and cook a few more minutes until beans are brown and yummy (but not soggy).

Yummiest Jam EVER

I have discovered the best way to make jam! It only takes 3 ingredients: Ball Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin (bought mine at WalMart), Splenda, and fruit.

The thing that makes this different is that it only takes 1 1/2 cups of Splenda for the whole batch!! The jam takes on the natural fruit flavor and it is so good! Go ahead, try it, you won't be disappointed!

Hasselback Potatoes

This was a fun new way to make potatoes. They were really good hot or cold!

5-6 medium baking potatoes
4 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic pressed or finely minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425. Put the potato on a cutting board, flat side down. Start from one end of the potato, cut almost all the way through, making thin slices.

Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkle the garlic in between the slits. Scatter some butter on top of each potato (it doesn't have to be exact - I just pinched off pieces of butter and put them on top of the potato and in random slices). Then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some salt and freshly ground black pepper over the potoates.

Bake the potatoes for about one hour or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft.