Creamy Lemon Dip

This is my new favorite fruit dip !!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of fresh lemon (or Ethiopian lime) juice

1/4 cup of honey

1 cup of plain yogurt

Lemon Zest for Garnish

Combine the lemon juice and honey in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.  After it has cooled, whisk in the yogurt.  Garnish with lemon zest.  Serve with your favorite fruit.

Recipe Credit:  www.100daysofrealfood.com

Chicken Pot Pie

This is the first time I've ever made a chicken pot pie - mainly because I've never eaten a Chicken Pot Pie that I really loved.  I decided to give this one a try though & it was a winner.  My husband took one bite and said, "This is REALLY good," so I'll definitely be making this again.  It is pretty time consuming, so you either need to prepare parts of it in advance or make a double batch all at one time so it's worth your time.

Start by boiling one chicken & then cut it up into bite size pieces.  Save the broth.

Ingredients:

3 large celery stalks - I used about 8 small stalks

3 medium carrots

1 large onion

1/2 cup of broccoli

4 Tablespoons of butter

2 Cups of cooked chicken - cut into bite size pieces

1/4 cup of flour

2 Cups of chicken broth (the broth you saved when you boiled the chicken)

2 bouillon cubes

1 Cup of cream

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon of salt

black pepper to taste

1/2 recipe of Pioneer Woman's Pie Crust

Begin by finely dicing the celery, carrots, onion and broccoli.   Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, celery and broccoli.  Saute until the vegetables start to turn translucent, this will take a couple of minutes.  Add the chicken and stir to combine.  Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and chicken and stir to combine.  Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring gently.  Pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly.  Add the bouillon cubes.  Pour in the cream and stir.  Allow the mixture to cook over low heat, thickening gradually, about 4 minutes.  Season with the thyme, salt and pepper.  Remove from the heat. 

 Pour the chicken and vegetable mixture into a deep pie pan or a small casserole dish.

Roll out the crust so that it's one inch larger than the pan.  Place the crust on top of the chicken mixture and cut small slits in the top.  Press the crust gently into the sides of the dish to seal.  

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.  I put foil under the pie while it was cooking because mine started to boil over a bit.  

Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Credit:  The Pioneer Woman Cooks - pg 126

Pioneer Woman's Pie Crust

I am intrigued by this pie crust - mainly because you can make it ahead of time and freeze it so that it's ready to go when you want to make a pie.  I've only used it once - for chicken pot pie (and it was delicious), but I plan on trying it with a pie soon.  

Ingredients:

3 Cups of flour

1 teaspoon of salt

1 1/2 Cups of margarine

1 egg

5 Tablespoons of cold water

1 Tablespoon of White Vinegar

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.  Add in the margarine.  Use a fork to work the margarine into the flour until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles.  This step should take 3-4 minutes.  Lightly beat the egg with a fork & then add it to the mixture.  Next add in the cold water and the vinegar.  Stir the mixture together until it's just combined, then remove half of the dough from the bowl.  If you want to use it immediately, roll it out and place it in your pie pan. Repeat this step for the top layer of your pie.  If you want it for a later date, place it in a large plastic bag & slightly flatten it with a rolling pin.  This makes it easier to roll it out after it's frozen.  Place it in the freezer and repeat with the other half of the dough.

Recipe Credit - The Pioneer Woman

Valentines Day Week

It's always fun to make Heart Shaped food for Valentines Day Week.  This week we've had:

 Heart Shaped Pizzas for our Monday night Movie Night

 

 Heart Shaped Pie Crust.  I just made a two layered crust & cut heart shapes in the top crust and laid them on the pie in a circle with one big heart in the middle.

Mummy Dogs

These make a fun Halloween Treat, but my kids love them so much that

we make them all year round.

Ingredients:

16 hot dogs

1/2 batch of this basic dough

1 egg

Mustard, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375. Unwrap the hot dogs and have them ready on a plate.  Roll out the dough very thin, then use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut skinny strips of dough.

Holding the hot dog in one hand, use your other hand to begin wrapping it in one of the strips of dough.  Leave a little bit of open space around the "face" of the mummy.  Tuck the end piece underneath the mummy dog.  Repeat with all the hot dogs & lay them on a greased baking sheet.

Make a glaze by cracking an egg into a small bowl.  Whisk in 1 Tablespoon of water.  Lightly brush the glaze all over the top of each mummy dog. Bake them for 18-20 minutes, until the dough is nice and golden brown. 

Before serving, dot the mummy dogs with little mustard "eyes."  If you are making this for Halloween, serve them on a black platter or iron griddle.

Recipe Credit:  The Pioneer Woman Cooks - A Year of Holiday's

Basic Dough

This dough is amazing !  You can use it for all sorts of things . . . cinnamon rolls, mummy dogs, hot cross buns, etc.

Ingredients:

4 Cups of Milk

1 Cup of oil

1 Cup of Sugar

9 Cups of Flour

4 1/2 teaspoons of yeast

1 teaspoon of baking powder (High Altitude - 1/2 scant teaspoon of baking powder)

1 scant teaspoon of baking soda (High Altitude - 1/2 scant teaspoon  of baking soda)

1 tablespoon salt

Combine the milk and oil in a large pot.  Add the sugar and stir it around.  Heat it almost to a boil and then turn off the heat.  Let the mixture cool until it's warm.  Add 8 Cups of flour along with the yeast.  Stir it around until it is combined.  It will be sticky.  Cover the mixture with the lid of the pot or a dish towel and let it sit for an hour or so (I usually set it inside my oven - with the oven turned off - just to help it rise).  After it has risen, sprinkle in the remaining cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir gently to combine or use your hands to knead it until it is combined.  Now you can roll the dough out on a floured surface and use it for whatever you are using the dough for today.  I find that if I roll the dough out on a piece of foil or parchment paper it makes my clean up a LOT easier.

Recipe Credit:  The Pioneer Woman Cooks - A Year of Holidays pg. 89

Broccoli-Cheese Soup

I have fallen in love with Mama's Cheddar Cheese.  It's hard to find, but when I find it I grab it up.  It's sooooo good.  It's really more velveeta like, but it is oh so good!

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup of butter

1 large onion, diced

1/3 Cups of flour

5 Cups of Milk

1 Cup of Cream

Salt and Pepper

1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

4 Cups of broccoli, cut into florets

1/2 Cup of chicken broth

3 Cups of Mama's Cheddar Cheese

Small round (kib) bread loaves for bowls (if you want to serve it in a bread bowl)

In a large pot, melt the butter and sautee the onions for 3-4 minutes.  Sprinkle the flour on top and whisk it around until it is combined.  Add the milk and cream and whisk it constantly until it is combined.  Sprinkle in the salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Add the broccoli florets.  Stir the soup well and then cover the pot, reduce the heat and simmer the soup until it is thickened and the broccoli is tender, 20-25 minutes.  Stir in the chicken broth & then throw in the cheese.  Stir it until the cheese is melted.  Add salt to taste.

Garnish with Avacado, Tomato, Cheese, Chips, etc.

If you want  to make a bread bowl, cut a circle at an angle out of the top of the round bread.  Remove the lid.  Press the remaining bread down on the bottom and around the sides & then it will be ready to fill with your favorite soup.

Recipe Credit:  Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks - A Year of Holiday's