Full-o-Beans Chili

A stick-to-the-ribs-not-the-waistline chili.  Great served with all the usual toppings: chopped red or green onions, chopped cilantro, and shredded cheddar cheese.  Serves 6+.

Full-o-Beans Chili

adapted from Bon Appetit

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 large onion

8 garlic cloves, chopped

2-14 1/2 ounce cans Mexican style stewed tomatoes

1-15 ounce can black beans, well drained

1-15 ounce can kidney beans, well drained

1-15 ounce can garbanzo beans (chick-peas), well drained

1 can white and/or pinto beans

1 corn on the cob cut off (I use frozen corn)

 3 Tbs. chili powder

1 Tbs. ground cumin

Cayenne pepper

1 tsp. or more red wine vinegar

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onions, then add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add next 8 ingredients and bring to simmer.  Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors are blended, about 30 minutes.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Add vinegar to taste.

Minestrone (Vegetarian Style)

I make soup all winter long, and this is going to be a long winter in Maryland.  This is a great vegetarian soup, and filling enough that it won't leave you feeling like you missed out on your meat!  I also love that it's made in the crockpot and it makes enough for a large family and then some.

Minestrone (Vegetarian Style)
from my friend, Lily Pearson

Put things into the crockpot in this order:
3 cups water or vegetable/beef broth
1 medium to large onion, chopped
3-4 large carrots sliced
3-4 celery stalks sliced
2-14 1/2 ounce cans chopped tomatoes
1-10 or 16 oz package frozen mixed vegetables
1-1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1 clove minced garlic
1 Tbs. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 can of garbanzo beans
1 can kidney beans
2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1 zucchini, sliced

Place all ingredients in crockpot, except for the zucchini.  Stir it all up and then add the zucchini to the very top, or add it for the last hour of cooking.  It needs to cook on low 10-16 hours or high 6-7 hours depending on how soft you want your vegetables.

Whole Wheat Bread

After trying several whole wheat bread recipes, this is the one I like best.  It's incredibly soft and makes 4 loaves, so that will usually last our family for about 10 days (if I can keep everyone's hands off of it when it comes right out of the oven, otherwise one loaf is gone in about an hour).  I love it because it's 100% whole wheat healthy!

Whole Wheat Bread
from my sister-in-law, Cathy Ostergar

4 cups lukewarm water
1 tablet crushed or 1/4 tsp. ascorbic acid (or Vitamin C powder)
2 Tbs. yeast
1/2 cup gluten flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
5 cups whole wheat flour

Mix above together and let rise 10 minutes.

Then add:
1/3 cup of oil
1/3 cup of honey
1 Tbs salt
3-4 cups whole wheat flour

Knead in mixer for 10 minutes or by hand 15 minutes.
Let dough rest 10 minutes.
Divide and shape into loaf pans, then let raise 'til beautiful.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Fiesta Chicken Salad

Fiesta Chicken Salad

3 cups red leaf lettuce
3 cups napa cabbage
1 cup cooked, diced chicken
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1/3 cup tortilla chips, crushed
1/4 cup corn (fresh)
pumpin seeds, toasted (or pepitas)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Cojita cheese, crumbled

Mix together and add dressing (below).

Cilantro Lime Dressing:
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 Tbs minced garlic
1/2 cup oil

Blend.

Vanilla Cupcakes with American Buttercream Frosting

A couple of months ago, my husband came up with this idea that sharing the gospel is a "piece of cake".  At the time we were both serving as ward missionaries, so the idea evolved to become a plan to make cupcakes for all the adult members of our ward and give them out with only a promise by the recipient that before the cupcake was eaten, the gospel would be shared in some sort of "easy" way.  Knowing that I am a cupcake connoisseur (or you could call me a cupcake snob, or just plain obsessed with cupcakes), I got the assignment to bake these 150+ cupcakes.  Really, I was actually excited for an excuse to try different cupcake recipes and frostings.  If I could come up with something even remotely resembling a Sprinkles cupcake, then I would be thrilled!  Fortunately, it didn't take long for me to find these recipes.  The cake is somewhat dense and the frosting is perfect (that is, of course, if you must do buttercream and not cream cheese frosting, which I will always prefer).  Oh my, I just wish I had another excuse to bake these again!

Vanilla Cupcakes
adapted from Pioneer Woman


1 cup Vegetable Shortening

1-3/4 cup Sugar

2-1/2 cups Cake Flour

1-1/4 teaspoon Salt

2 whole Large Eggs

1 cup Buttermilk

2-1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1-1/2 teaspoon Vinegar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with cupcake liner papers.

Cream shortening and sugar until fluffy. Set aside.

Sift together flour and salt. Set aside.

Mix eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda, and vinegar in a separate bowl.

Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the shortening mixture, mixing after each addition. Mix until totally combined.

Pour batter into cupcake liners. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until just done.  Remove from oven, then remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely. *I made the mistake of overcooking them almost every time because I waited until they looked brown and done before removing them from the oven.  They will still be almost white and look under-done in the middle of the cupcake.  They will finish cooking on the counter.  Trust me! 

American Buttercream Frosting

adapted from GloriousTreats.com

1 cup (2 sticks) butter (salted, or unsalted)
1/4 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (best quality available)
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream, half and half or milk
1/2 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa (if you want chocolate instead of vanilla)

* In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter (on medium speed) until completely smooth (30 seconds to a minute). (If you are adding cream cheese, add it now, then beat until smooth)
* Add salt (if needed).
* One cup at time, add 2 cups of powdered sugar, beating after each addition.
* Add vanilla, or other flavorings and beat to combine.
* Add about 1 tablespoon of cream, and continue beating.
* Add the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar, one at a time.
* Add an additional 1-2 tablespoons cream until desired consistency is reached.  If you want to pipe the frosting on cupcakes, the frosting should be nice and thick.  Continue to beat another minute or so.  The frosting should now be smooth and fluffy.

Troubleshooting-
* If your frosting is not smooth, it is likely because the butter was not fully smooth before adding the other ingredients.
* If your frosting will not hold up when piped on cupcakes, your frosting has too much liquid or is too warm.  Put entire bowl of frosting in the fridge for 15-20 minutes and it will stiffen up.  If it is still too thin, then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar, beat well.

Easy Artisan Bread

I love this bread, and it's about the easiest thing in the world to make!  Perfect for Sunday afternoon when you have a little time.  I forgot to take a picture of the finished product, but you get the idea!

Easy Artisan Bread
from the book "Artisan Bread in Five minutes a Day" by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois

Makes 4 one pound loaves, unused dough can stay in the fridge in a lidded container for up to 14 days.

3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 Tbs granulated yeast (any kind)
1 1/2 Tbs Morton's kosher salt
6 1/2 cups (2 pounds) unbleached all-purpose flour

Mixing the dough:
In a 5 quart bowl, dump in the water and add the yeast and salt.  Because we are mixing in the flour so quickly it doesn't matter that the salt and yeast are thrown in together.

Dump in the flour.  Stir until all of the flour is incorporated into the dough, it will be a wet rough dough.

Put the lid on the container, but do not snap it shut.  You want the gases from the yeast to escape.

Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about 2 hours to rise.  When you first mix the dough it will not occupy much of the container.  But, after the initial 2 hour rise it will have doubled in size  Do  not punch down the dough!  Just let it settle.

The dough can be used right after the initial 2 hour rise, but it is much easier to handle when it is chilled.  It is intended for refrigeration and use over the next two weeks, ready for you anytime.  ( iIt gets a little iffy around day 13-14, so use before then).

About 1 1/2 hours before dinner:
Pull the dough out of the refrigerator.  Dust the surface of the dough with a little flour, just enough to prevent it from sticking to your hands when you reach in to pull a piece out. You should notice that the dough has a lot of stretch once it has rested.

Cut off a 1-pound piece of dough using a serrated knife and form it into a ball.  (Don't handle the dough too much, just shape it into a ball and smooth the front of the dough by pulling dough to the back).  Place the ball on a silpat (or some parchment paper) and let it rise for about 40 minutes.  No big deal if it sits for 60 or 90 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Place a metal cookie sheet/roasting tray on the bottom rack (never use a glass vessel for this or it will shatter), which will be used to produce steam.  Let it preheat for 20 minutes.

Cut the loaf with 1/4 inch slashes using a serrated knife in a tic-tac-toe pattern.  (If your slashes are too shallow you will end up with an oddly shaped loaf and also prevent it from splitting on the bottom).

Before you place your bread in the oven, dump a cup of hot water into the cookie sheet/roasting pan you placed on the bottom rack (be forewarned, sometimes this causes the pan to warp).  Then place your bread in the oven (on it's cookie sheet or silpat) on an upper or middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a deep brown color.

Allow the loaf to cool for a bit before serving.

Dutch Hot Cocoa

I am not sure why but blogger is not letting me upload a picture! Sorry for that! But we all know what hot cocoa looks like! This hot chocolate is a recipe of my mother-in-laws. It has been served at two of my children's blessings. THAT'S how good it is! It might as well be considered a dessert.

DUTCH HOT COCOA
1 gallon whole milk
3 c. half and half or cream
1 c sugar
5 squares semi sweet baking chocolate (I bet you could use semi choc chips!)
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 c brown sugar
1 t vanilla
1/2 c Nestle hot chocolate mix (or whatever you have on hand)
Garnishes: Whip cream, cinnamon, shaved chocolate

Directions:
Combine first five ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat making sure chocolate is melted. Discard cinnamon stick.. Add brown sugar, hot chocolate mix and vanilla. Heat through. Top each cup with whip cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon and chocolate shavings.