Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

2 cups onion, chopped

4 tablespoons butter, divided

12-16 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced 

1 tablespoon tamari (can substitute soy sauce)

1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika

2 teaspoons dried dill weed

2 cups chicken stock or water, divided 

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons lemon juice (I like fresh lemon)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour cream

Freshly ground pepper to taste

In a Dutch oven or small soup pot sauté onion in 2 tablespoons of the butter until onions are clear. Next add mushrooms, tamari, paprika, dill weed and 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make a Bechamel. In small sauce pan melt 2 tablespoons butter. Whisk in 3 tablespoons flour and cook for several minutes. Next add milk. Cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes until mixture thickens. Stir into mushroom mixture and add remaining 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes.

Just before serving add lemon juice, sour cream, salt and pepper. (Note: Soup should only be gently heated once sour cream has been added, do not boil after this point).

Mexican Corn

Grill corn on the cob (or fry up in skillet) and slather the stuff right on the corn. 

Corn

Cojita cheese

Mayo

Lime

Chili pepper

Cilantro and/or green onions are both good options.

Serve cold.

Chocolate Fudge Buttercream Frosting

5 1/3 c. powdered sugar
2/3 c. cocoa powder
2/3 c. butter (10.5 Tbls.)
1/2 c. milk

Whip to appropriate texture.

Sugar Cookies

1.5 cups softened butter
3 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
5 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Monkey Squares from Janae

Monkey Squares

Ingredients

Banana Bread Bars:
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 ¾ cups (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Browned Butter Frosting:
• ½ cup butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• about 3 tablespoons milk or half and half

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour 10x15 jelly roll pan or line with parchment paper (for thicker bars use a 9x13 pan). Beat first four ingredients until creamy. Blend in bananas and vanilla for one minute. Add dry ingredients and blend for one minute. Stir in nuts and spread in pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool slighty until warm but not hot and frost with Browned Butter Frosting (recipe below).
2. For the Browned Butter Frosting: Heat butter in saucepan over medium heat past the melting point until it is boiling and a delicate brown. Remove from the heat and immediately add the remaining ingredients. This should be thicker than a glaze and thinner than frosting. Using a spatula smooth over the top of the Monkey Squares immediately. The frosting will be easier to spread once it's on the warm bread.

Banana Bread

1 c. sugar
1 stick room temp butter
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas
1 Tb. milk
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325 and grease loaf pan.

Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In small bowl, mash bananas with a fork.  Mix in milk and cinnamon.

In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined.  Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 60-70 minutes.  

Pineapple Chili

ingredients

• 1
  pound ground pork or beef
• 1
  16 ounce jar pineapple salsa
• 1
  15 ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1
  8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1
  tablespoon chili powder
• Pineapple slices (optional)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  directions

  1.In 3-quart saucepan brown pork; drain. Stir in salsa, beans, tomato sauce, and chili powder. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Serve with pineapple slices.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Test Kitchen Tip:

  • If you can't located pineapple salsa, use regular salsa and add 1/3 to 1/2 cup crushed pineapple.

South of the Border Pork Chops

4 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
one 28-32 oz can crushed tomatoes with juice
1 tsp. ancho chile powder
six 1-inch thick pork loin chops

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions, bell peppers, cumin, sugar, salt and pepper and saute until the onions start to turn translucent, about 10-12 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and stir to combine.  Transfer to crock pot and set on low.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle the chile powder evenly over the chops and add to the skillet.  Brown the chops on all sides and transfer to crock pot.  Submerge them as much as you can in the pepper/onion mixture.

Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until the pork is tender.

Serve the pork chops with the sauce.

Publican Waffles

http://chicago.grubstreet.com/2009/10/drown_your_olympic_sorrows_in.html

The Publican’s Waffes With Honey Butter  Recipe adapted from Becky Broeske
Makes 8 cups of batter (10 to 16 waffles)

4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups warm water
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus a pinch for the honey butter
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups whole milk, heated to 100°F
1/2 packet active dry yeast
3 sticks unsalted butter, 1 stick softened
1/4 cup honey
Pearl sugar (you can substitute chopped sugar cubes)
Powdered sugar, for dusting

1. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the warm water and salt. Add the flour and 2 tablespoons sugar in four additions, whisking a&er each addition until smooth. Whisk in 1 3/4 cups warm milk.
2. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup warm milk over the yeast and let sit for 10 minutes before adding to the batter. Melt 2 sticks butter, let cool to room temperature and whisk into the batter.
3. Pour the batter into a container at least twice its size. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. Make the honey butter: Blend the softened stick of butter with the honey and a pinch of salt.

5. Heat a waffle iron and add the batter. Sprinkle the batter with a small handful of pearl sugar and cook according to manufacturer’s directions. Sprinkle the waffle with a dusting of powdered sugar

Almond Crusted Tilapia

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs 1 teaspoon lemon pepper 1 teaspoon garlic pepper 1 cup ground almonds 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 8 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets

1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dusting 6 tablespoons butter salt to taste 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 8 sprigs parsley 8 lemon wedges

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Beat the eggs with the lemon pepper and garlic pepper until blended; set aside. Stir together ground almonds with 1 cup of Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish until combined; set aside. Dust the tilapia fillets with flour, and shake off excess. Dip the tilapia in egg, then press into the almond mixture.
2.	Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook tilapia in melted butter until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium, and season fillets with salt if desired. Sprinkle the tilapia with the remaining Parmesan cheese, cover, and continue cooking until the Parmesan cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.
3.	Transfer the tilapia to a serving dish, and garnish with parsley springs and lemon wedges to serve.