Lindsey's Yummies

Salisbury Steak and Cheese Toast

2010-01-26T17:58:00.000-08:00

I though I would blog about what I made for dinner tonight... before it's even cleaned up! Yes, my kitchen is still a mess from making-and-eating dinner and I'm definitely in avoidance mode. YET, it was so delish that I wanted to make sure I got it on my blog to share with y'all as soon as I could! So consider this a sacrifice... time I could be spending cleaning is spent sharing with you. Ha ha!

So, are you looking for a relatively quick dinner that you can make with ingredients you probably have on hand? This recipe fits the bill, and is soooo good to boot. I did have to buy ground beef because I was out of my frozen supply, and I also bought the cheese toast ingredients (which are totally optional, but worth the slight cost). But other than that, with a few substitutions from the original recipe, I had everything on hand to make it.

I know, I know... you're thinking "TV Dinner" when I tell you about Salisbury Steak. Would I ever put a bland recipe on my blog, though? This elevates TV Dinner to "I would serve this to guests." Yes, it's a glorified hamburger, but I bet this is something you've never tried with your ground beef!

FRENCH ONION SALISBURY STEAK

makes 4 steaks

1 lb ground beef

salt and pepper

2 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 c. thinly sliced onion

1 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp minced garlic (I used dried, 1 Tbsp)

1 Tbsp tomato paste (I used 1/2 cup ketchup)

2 c. beef broth (I used 2 c. water and 3 beef bouillon cubes)

1/4 c. red wine (yes, I use it. You don't have to)

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried thyme

Combine meat, salt, and pepper. Form four 1" thick patties. Dredge patties in flour. Heat oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add patties and saute 3 minutes on each side or until browner. Remove from pan.

Add onion and sugar to pan; saute 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and potato paste; saute 1 minute or until paste begins to brown. Sprinkle with 1 tsp flour, cook 1 minute. Add broth and wine, then add salt and thyme.

Return meat to pan; bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Serve steaks on Cheese Toasts with onion sauce ladled over.

CHEESE TOASTS:

4 slices French or Sourdough Bread (sliced diagonally 1" thick)

2 Tbsp soft butter

1 tsp dry garlic

1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese

2 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bread on a baking sheet. Combine butter and garlic and spread on one side of the bread. Combine cheeses and sprinkle evenly over the butter. Bake until bread is crisp and cheese is bubbly, 10-15 minutes.

Hello, Great Abyss!

2010-01-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

Now that I've picked up my food blog again, I wonder... does anyone out there even read it? Am I doing this for me alone? I hope there's someone out there who is reading, and maybe even *trying* my recipes. Believe me, I wouldn't post them unless they were worth sharing. So, if you're out there, please comment or leave me some suggestions for what you'd like to see in future posts. Want more desserts? Let me know. Want more weeknight meals? You have to comment!

Speaking of weeknight meals, here's what I made for the fam on Tuesday. I thought it was phenomenal. My two older boys, however, were in no mood to try something new ("I don't like PIG, mom!"). And Mark, well, he got home an hour after he told me he'd be home (apparently couldn't resist a stop at the auto parts store) so it wasn't as fab as it was fresh and hot. *sigh* At least I enjoyed it.

Before I give the recipe, I'll be honest... I'd never cooked a pork roast before. It was just not something I grew up with. But I've found some phenomenal pork recipes, and given that you can buy pork roasts on the cheap at Costco (or anywhere else, pretty much) and that my family is sick of chicken, this was a nice alternative. Ooo, and I like my veggies extra carmelized, so I let them roast a little longer.

Pork Roast with Veggies and Jus

serves a medium-sized family

for the roast:

1 2-lb(ish) pork tenderloin roast

salt, pepper

oil

for the veggies:

1-2 lbs. carrots, sliced on the bias 1/2" thick

3 lbs red potatoes, sliced into 1" wedges (note: I used "fingerling" potatoes from Costco)

3 Tbsp butter, melted

salt, pepper

Fresh Sage (worth the two bucks at the store)

for the Jus:

oil

1/4 c. minced onion

2 c chicken broth

2 sprigs fresh thyme or sage

2 bay leaves

salt & pepper to taste

How to:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Heat oil in a 12" skillet. Cut off visible fat and "silver skin" from pork roast. With a paper towel, pat off the moisture from the roast (very important). Season generously with salt and pepper. Place in skillet and let each side brown (8-10 minutes).

Toss veggies with butter, salt, and pepper. Place in the bottom of a roasting pan.

Place browned pork roast on the V-rack of a roasting pan.

Place roasting pan, uncovered, in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes. When roast is done, place on a plate, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes or so. Slice when ready to eat.

Heat oven now to 500 degrees. Stir veggies in the bottom of the pan, add 1 Tbsp fresh chopped sage, and return to oven. Bake, stirring occasionally, until veggies are to your desired doneness.

For the Jus: While veggies are cooking again, use the same 12" skillet that you browned the roast in initially and heat 1 Tbsp oil. Cook onion until softened, scraping pork pieces from the surface of the pan. Add broth, bay leaves, and thyme and cook in pan until reduced by half. Remove the bay leaves and thyme, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve over the pork.

Ever Tried Bok Choy?

2010-01-12T19:56:00.000-08:00

Continuing with my theme of blogging about what I cooked for dinner, here's the skinny on Monday night's menu:

At-home stir fry for most of us means pulling some chicken breasts out of the freezer, tossing them with store-bought soy sauce, and adding a "stir fry veggie mix" also found in the freezer section. We all know that this is a pretty lackluster dish (probably why I don't make it very often!), one that we stay-at-homes prefer to eat at a restaurant rather that at our kitchen table. Enter, once again, the people at America's Test Kitchen/Cook's Illustrated.

After the 2007 season was over there was a special: buy the recipe book with all of 2007's recipes and get the DVDs of all the shows free (for those of you who don't know, ATK is a show on PBS, usually on Saturdays). This was also the summer we moved to Idaho, and for a month I was sequestered in a teeny condo with my then two boys until our house was finished. I found myself having no TV, either, so the cooking DVDs were all I had. This recipe looked so yummy on the show that once I got my own kitchen back it was one of the first that I tried. Can you say YUM!

If you're an occasional Chinese food cook, you should have Oyster Sauce in your fridge (mine was unopened in the pantry, but hey, I had a bottle!). If not, it's an easy find by the soy sauce in most grocery stores. I bought Bok Choy at Wal-Mart, so that tells you it also isn't hard to find. It looks like a bigger, greener version of Napa Cabbage. It's also a yummy, mild vegetable that even my kiddos ate. And one recommendation before you cook... double the sauce. Everyone likes a little more sauce. Serve with rice or with a noodle cake (I'll give you the noodle cake recipe if you ask!).

Stir-Fried Chicken with Bok Choy

serves 4

for the stir-fry sauce

1/4 c. chicken broth

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp dry sherry or white wine

1 Tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

chicken and vegetables

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, patted dry with paper towel and cut into 1" squares

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp white wine or sherry

2 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger or 1 tsp dried

1 med garlic clove, minced

8 tsp peanut oil or vegetable oil

1 sm head bok choy, stalks sliced on the bias to 1/4-inch slices, greens cut into 1/2-inch strips

1 sm red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips

Whisk together sauce ingredients; set aside.

Toss the chicken with the soy sauce and sherry (or white wine); set aside. In large bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, cornstarch, and flour; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the ginger, garlic, and 1 tsp peanut oil; set aside.

Stir the marinated chicken into the sesame oil-cornstarch mixture until uniformly combines. Heat 2 tsp peanut oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking. Cook, without stirring, until lightly browned. Turn chicken pieces and lightly brown on the other side. Transfer chicken to a clean bowl and cover to keep warm.

Add remaining 1 Tbsp peanut oil to the now empty skillet and return to high heat. Cook bok choy stalks and bell pepper until lightly browned. Push the vegetables to the side and add the garlic-ginger mixture until the center. Mash mixture with a spook , cook 20 seconds, and stir into the vegetables. Add bok choy greens and cook until beginning to wilt, about 30 seconds.

Return chicken to the skillet. Whisk the sauce to recombine then add to the skillet and cook, until the sauce is thickened and is heated through. Serve.

Wednesday's Dinner: Beef Stroganoff

2010-01-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

Back with another blog entry, I thought maybe it would be easier if I just posted what I cooked for dinner last night! Granted, if you wanted the recipe for a different night this week you might have gotten a recipe for French toast, but I feel like last night's dinner was worth sharing.

I happened to have a freezer full of meat (thanks to me being a sucker to a traveling meat salesman about 3 months ago) and needed a use for some of it. I didn't want just steak, and I didn't want stir fry. Add that it is super cold outside and I found this recipe for beef stroganoff that hit the spot. You'll love it!

Beef Stroganoff

serves 4

1 1/2 lb sirloin tips, pounded and cut into 2"x 1/2" strips

salt and pepper

4 Tbsp vegetable oil

8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced thin

1 onion, chopped fine

2 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

1 1/2 c. beef broth

1/3 c white wine

6 oz egg noodles

2/3 c. sour cream

2 tsp lemon juice

1) Pat beef dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in large skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Cook the meat until well browned. Transfer meat to a medium bowl

2) Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp oil and cook mushrooms, onion, and 1/2 tsp salt until liquid from mushrooms has evaporated. Stir in the flour and cook 30 seconds. Gradually stir in broths and wine, and return the beef and it's juices to the skillet. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 30 minutes.

Publish Post

3) Stir noodles into the meat mixture, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes until the noodles are tender. Off the heat, stir in the sour cream and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Squaw Bread

2010-01-06T08:14:00.000-08:00

Omigosh... is Lindsey actually posting on her blog?!?!?

Yes, hopefully I am back from the blogging dead. Let's just say that the month between Thanksgiving and New Year's is a blurrrrr. I'm sure you'd all agree.

So, to start off a new year, let's give you a YUMMY recipe!

What is "squaw bread," you ask? If you are any of my siblings (with the exception of Hay, maybe?) you remember squaw bread as a special treat we had when we were young. It's a brown, slightly sweet bread that you eat plain or toasted with butter. I've never found a good recipe for it, and even googling squaw bread turned up mediocre results. Leave it to Cook's Illustrated, my favorite standby, to resurrect this recipe. They call it "Anadama Bread." I made it last night for dinner with some homemade corn chowder... can you say delish???!!!

Squaw Bread

makes one 9"-pan loaf

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cornmeal
3 1/4 cups bread flour , plus extra for work surface
2 teaspoons table salt
3/4 cup milk , warm (110 degrees)
1/3 cup water , warm (110 degrees)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
3 tablespoons molasses
1 package rapid-rise yeast (also called instant yeast)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bring 1/2 cup water to boil in small saucepan, slowly whisk in cornmeal. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 1 minute.
2. Adjust oven rack to low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Once oven temperature reaches 200 degrees, maintain heat 10 minutes, then turn off oven heat.
3. Mix cornmeal mixture, flour, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Mix milk, butter, molasses, and yeast in 1-quart Pyrex liquid measuring cup. Turn machine to low and slowly add liquid. When dough comes together, increase speed to medium (setting number 4 on a KitchenAid mixer) and mix until dough is smooth and satiny, stopping machine two or three times to scrape dough from hook if necessary, about 10 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface; knead to form smooth, round ball, about 15 seconds.
4. Place dough in very lightly oiled bowl, rubbing dough around bowl to lightly coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; place in warm oven until dough doubles in size, 40 to 50 minutes.
5. Form dough into loaf by gently pressing the dough into a rectangle, one inch thick and no wider than the length of the loaf pan. Next, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn dough seam side up and pinch it closed. Place dough in greased 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan and press gently so dough touches all four sides of pan.
6. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside in warm spot until dough almost doubles in size, 20 to 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees, placing empty loaf pan on bottom rack. Bring 2 cups water to boil.
7. Remove plastic wrap from loaf pan. Place pan in oven, immediately pouring heated water into empty loaf pan; close oven door. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted at angle from short end just above pan rim into center of loaf reads 195 degrees, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove bread from pan, transfer to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature. Slice and serve.

A New Pie You've Never Tasted!

2009-11-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

We all have our stand-by pies at Thanksgiving... pumpkin, apple, pecan. I never eat these "plain" pies any more, as I've discovered a trove of variations that taste so much better.

Then I found a totally UNIQUE pie that I loved!

It's called "Jefferson Davis Pie" (review your Civil War history to remember who Jefferson Davis was). It's a little-known southern delicacy, brought back in the limelight a few years ago by "Cook's Country" magazine, a sister to Cooks Illustrated, my favorite! This pie has a brown sugar custard on top and a gooey sweet fruit crust on the bottom. Even if you're not a fan of one of the ingredients (I'm not a raisin fan, for example) you'll still goo goo over this pie! I recently took it to a RS "Pie Night" where recipes were swapped and tasted and this one, well, took the "cake."

So, try a new pie this Thanksgiving! You'll be thanking me!

Jefferson Davis Pie

Serves 8

1/2	cup raisins (golden are best)
1/2	cup chopped dates
1/2	cup pecans , toasted and chopped
1	(9-inch) pie shell , pre-cooked
3	tablespoons all-purpose flour
1	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4	teaspoon ground allspice
1/2	teaspoon salt
1	cup packed light brown sugar
8	tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter , softened
5	large egg yolks
1 1/2	cups heavy cream

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Pulse raisins, dates, and pecans in food processor until finely ground. Transfer mixture to chilled pie shell and gently press into even layer.

2. Combine flour, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in small bowl. With electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat sugar and butter until just combined, about 1 minute. Mix in yolks, one at a time, until incorporated. Add flour mixture and cream and mix, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, until just combined.

3. Pour filling over fruit and nuts in prepared crust and bake until surface is deep brown and center jiggles slightly when pie is shaken, 55 to 65 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack, about 4 hours. Serve. (Pie can be refrigerated, covered in plastic wrap, for 2 days.)

Twas the Week Before Thanksgiving

2009-11-15T14:56:00.000-08:00

Hello foodies!

With Thanksgiving a little over a week away, I wanted to share some of my very favorite recipes this week that might be a bit of a twist on your regular Thanksgiving fare. I know we all have traditional food that we serve on Thanksgiving, but for the last few years I have made it a point to put at least one different item on the menu. Go ahead, be daring! I promise that all of the recipes that I share with you on this blog will be total hits!

The recipe I want to share with you first is actually a breakfast recipe. I know, not Thanksgiving dinner. But this afternoon as I looked at the 6 apples I bought to make an apple pie with, I determined that they were destined for another, equally yummy use. For those of you who have been to "The Original Pancake House," you'll agree that the German Apple Pancake is a definite worthy substitute for apple pie!

German Apple Pancake

a la Cooks Illustrated

1 c flour

1 Tbsp white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

2/3 c. half and half

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/4 lb apples (3-4)... I used Gala and Golden Delicious, but you can use Grannys or Braeburns

1/4 c packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp lemon juice

1) Preheat oven to 500.

2) Peel, core, quarter, and slice apples to 1/2" thick (I use an apple-peeler-corer-slicer, which if you don't have one you're missing out!).

3) In a 10" nonstick skillet, melt butter over med-high heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon and cook until the apples are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice.

4) While apples are cooking, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, eggs, half-and-half, and vanilla.

5) Once apples are done cooking, quickly pour the batter around the edge of the skillet then over the apples. Place the skillet in the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Bake about 18 minutes, or until pancake is puffy and golden brown. Loosen the edges of the pancake with a spatula and invert the pancake onto a large plate or serving platter.

Serve dusted with powdered sugar, or even better, drizzled with one of my syrup recipes.

OH Delmonico Potatoes!

2009-10-29T14:21:00.001-07:00

Mmmm... I start to drool whenever I think about Delmonico Potatoes.

We've all experienced what many call "Mormon Potatoes" or "Funeral Potatoes." Basically, some sort of cheesy, gooey, potato casserole served on Sundays with a roast.

Think of Delmonico Potatoes as those potatoes taken up a *whole lotta notches."

I came across this recipe in "Cook's Country," a cousin to my favorite "Cook's Illustrate

d" magazine. Delmonic Potato Casserole was served as the signature side dish in "Delmonico's Steakhouse" in New York, the longest continually running restaurant in the US (that's a picture of it above). Just reading the ingredients made me want to throw out my mom's Mormon Potatoes recipe (sorry, mom). I know you'll agree once you've tried them. Everyone I've cooked them for eats loves them to the point of scraping every last little bit out of the casserole dish. That is DEFINITELY a sign of a good recipe!

Oh, and don't be alarmed that the only cheese in these babies is Parmesan. The cream and other flavors more than make up for it. You don't even miss the cheddar.

Delmonico Potato Casserole

(serves 8-10, ha ha)

Cook's Country says: "We prefer the buttery flavor of Yukon Gold potatoes here, but all-purpose and red potatoes also work; do NOT use russets--their high starch content will make the casserole gluey. We had good results with Ore-Ida Country Style shredded has brown potatoes, available in the freezer section of most supermarkets.

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 onion, chopped fine

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 1/2 c heavy cream

1 1/2 c chicken broth

2 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

salt and pepper

1 tsp grated zest and 2 tsp juice from one lemon (can be optional)

5 c frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed and patted dry with paper towels

3/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 c finely chopped fresh chives (optional)

1) Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in Dutch oven (a heavy wide pot) over med-high heat. Cook onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 2 c cream, 1 c broth, Yukon Golds, nutmeg, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are translucent at edges and mixture is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Of heat, stir in lemon zest and juice.

2) Transfer potato mixture to a 13-by-9-inch backing dish and bake until bubbling around edges and surface is just golden, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook shredded potatoes until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add remaining cream, remaining broth, and 1/2 tsp pepper to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in 1/2 c cheese and 2 Tbsp chives.

3) Remove baking dish from oven and top with shredded potato mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and continue to bake until top is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cook 15 minutes. SPrinkle with remaining chives. Serve.

Dress Up Those Carrots!

2009-10-26T13:58:00.001-07:00

It's been a few days since I've posted. Sorry I was away... the family and I were in San Antonio, playing away! I need to make some contingency plans for this blog, though. My goal is one new recipe for my readers per day, and I forgot to bring some with me to keep my entries current. Not good! So, I'll start back with a really great, simple recipe. This one should make any carrot-hater a carrot convert.

I'm always looking for new ways to serve veggies because, frankly, I'm not a veggie fan. I grew up with all veggies over-cooked and swimming in cream sauce. A step up from that is my husband's way of doing veggies: steamed with butter and salt. But if you're looking for a little more, give this recipe a try (and if any of y'all have been to "Charleston's" restaurant in Nebraska or Arizona, these might taste a little familiar!).

Glazed Carrots

from Cooks Illustrated

1 lb carrots, peeled

1/2 c. chicken broth

3 Tbsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp butter, cut into 4 pieces

1/2 minced thyme

Slice the carrots on the bias into pieces that are 1/4" thick and 2" long. Combine carrots, broth, 1 Tbsp of honey, and salt in a 12" nonstick skillet. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are almost tender, about 5 minutes.

Uncover, return to a boil, and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced to about 2 Tbsp (about 2 minutes).

Stir in the butter, thyme, and remaining 2 Tbsp honey. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until t he carrots are completely tender and the glaze is lightly golden, about 3 minutes.

SYRUP? Oh Yes!!!

2009-10-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

My brush with fame... Obama, Bush, McCain, and I at the 2008 Freedom Festival 5K

We had company over for dinner two Sundays ago. They have five kids, 12 and under, and so we thought we'd do something fun. I will definitely be posting the recipes for what I made, but that will be for another post. The one recipe I WANTED to be sure you all had first off was for my syrup!

I'm pretty picky with syrup. The brand I grew up with, Golden Griddle, is the only kind I like out of the bottle (okay, I can tolerate Mrs. Butterworth's). Here's the problem: no one sells Golden Griddle in Texas! What?!?!?! Okay, so I lived without it when we lived in San Antonio for 5 years, but I thought that for sure I could find it in the DFW metroplex. Man, was I wrong.

So, when I sent Mark to get syrup, I told him to make SURE it was Mrs. Butterworth's. Apparently he forgot (I should have known! Men are predictable!), but he got some no-name brand instead. So, I thought back on to my favorite restaurant syrup, at Magelby's in Provo, and improvised.

Ironically, I received an email from my sister Hayley with a recipe for syrup she claims is also very similar to Magelby's. Haven't made it yet, but it looks delish! So, if you've got some plain syrup that you need to spice up, try my recipe. If you have a little more time and a few more ingredients, then try Hayley's.

And if you want the REAL THING, go to Magelby's for their all-you-can eat french toast and syrup! It's a 4th of July tradition for the Tintle family, right after we burn a lot of calories running the Freedom Festival 5K! (hence the picture)

Lindsey's Syrup

1 bottle syrup, any brand (we recently used "Log Cabin"

1 cube of butter

1/2 jar caramel (optional... only if you have it)

Pour syrup into a pot over medium-high heat. Add the butter [and caramel] and stir until melted and bubbly. Pour hot over your pancakes, waffles, or french toast! I keep it in the frig just to be safe. Reheat in the microwave.

Hayley's Syrup

Hayley Says: "I got this syrup recipe a few weeks ago and have made it to go with waffles at least a dozen times since. It is SO yummy. Comparable to Magelby's Fresh syrup."

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 T. Karo syrup

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

Melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar, Karo syrup, and buttermilk, and boil. Once boiling and beginning to foam, add vanilla and baking soda. Serve over waffles, pancakes, or french toast! Yum!!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup by SUSIE!

2009-10-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

With as busy as I have been for the past several days, I'm surprised I'm still alive. For that matter, I'm surprised my kids are still alive on the kind of *garbage* food they've probably been eating. I hate it when life gets too busy to cook. I had plans to clean the house and make a nice dinner tonight, neither of which now (at 4pm) are likely to materialize. So, how grateful am I for my super sister-in-law Susie for sending me a recipe???!!! And one that we ALL need at this time of year, whether or not our families have the flu (believe me, I've already been through it twice in the last 6 weeks!).

Before I post Susie's recipe, though, I want to make sure y'all have a link to her blog (I didn't ask, Sus, I hope this is okay!). She is a fellow English major and stay-at-home mom, who has recently taken up her pen and started writing again. She'll be published in the Ensign soon and has already been published in the online version of the "Wasatch Woman" magazines. Her writing is flawless, funny, and unforgettable. Look her up!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

from Susie Angerbauer

Susie Says: "I never even considered making homemade chicken noodle soup until last year, when I tried this on a whim. Can I just say . . . YUM! All of the kids love it and ask for seconds. I don't think it would be the same without the homemade noodles, so I highly recommend making them - they're way easier than I ever thought they would be."

1 whole chicken or 4 to 5 bone-in chicken breasts

2 to 3 quarts water

1 large onion, quartered

3 celery stalks, quartered

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 to 3 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon thyme

2 carrots, thinly sliced

Frozen peas, chopped broccoli, frozen corn, sliced mushrooms (all optional)

Homemade noodles or 1 (8 oz) pkg noodles

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, put chicken, water, onion, celery, parsley, bouillon, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Remove chicken from broth. Strain broth and skim fat. Return broth to pot.

Remove chicken from bones and add to broth. Add carrots, celery, and other vegetables as desired. Bring to a boil again; reduce heat. Add packaged or homemade noodles. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender and noodles are cooked.

Noodles

1 cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl, making a well in the center. Mix together milk and egg in a small bowl. Pour into flour well. Stir until mixture forms a dough. Knead on a floured surface 8 to 10 times. Roll very thin. Let stand 20 minutes. (Can let dry 2 hours before cooking.) Cut into 1-inch strips, as wide as desired (pizza cutter works great). Drop into boiling broth.

C is for Cookie

2009-10-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I think I made about 300 chocolate chip cookies.

Not because I wanted to eat them, mind you. Quite the opposite (especially since I promised my personal trainer I would lose some weight this month!)... I want OTHER people to eat them. Mark and I are having a booth at our neighborhood fall festival and figured cookies are a great way to get people to stop by (why else would you stop by a dentist's booth?).

I have a really good recipe for chocolate chip cookies, but I thought I'd try a new one. One of my all-time weaknesses is Otis Spunkmeyer frozen cookie dough. Let's just say I prefer the dough over the baked cookie! So I googled "Otis Spunkmeyer recipe" and saw some promising recipes. I printed one out, doubled it, and set out to baking them.

Luckily for me (and my waistline) the "knock-off" recipe dough wasn't even close to tasting like the real thing. Unfortunately, the baked cookies weren't any more impressive. They were bland, mostly flat, and looked like albino cookies (they didn't brown... probably because the recipe called for baking powder instead of baking soda. I should have known; baking soda helps food turn brown!). They were just okay, okay enough to give away a ton of them and not worry that I don't think they're the best.

I knew I needed more cookies, so this time I doubled the recipe right off the Nestle chocolate chip bag. The dough this time tasted better. The baked cookies... not so good. Let's just say that these cookies browned, but they were flatter than roadkill. *sigh* It teaches me to trust un-proven recipes (well, I guess if it's printed on the back of a back then someone has tested it, but apparently not in my oven) over my own tried-and-true.

So, instead of giving you one of the yucky cookie recipes, here is an EXCELLENT one for cookies that taste oh-so-good this time of year: molasses spice cookies a la Cook's Illustrated. ENJOY!

Molasses Spice Cookies

Makes about 22 cookies. Published January 1, 2002. From Cook's Illustrated.

Measure the molasses in a liquid measuring cup. If you find that the dough sticks to your palms as you shape the balls, moisten your hands occasionally in a bowl filled with cold water and shake off the excess. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time. If baked two sheets at a time, the cookies started on the bottom rack won’t develop the attractive cracks. The cookies should look slightly raw and underbaked when removed from the oven. If you plan to glaze the cookies (see recipe below), save the parchment paper used to bake them.

1/3	cup granulated sugar (about 2 1/2 ounces), plus 1/2 cup for dipping
2 1/4	cups unbleached all-purpose flour (11 1/4 ounces)
1	teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2	teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2	teaspoons ground ginger
1/2	teaspoon ground cloves
1/4	teaspoon ground allspice
1/4	teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4	teaspoon table salt
12	tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool
1/3	cup packed dark brown sugar (about 2 1/2 ounces)
1	large egg yolk
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2	cup molasses (about 6 ounces), light or dark

1) Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1/2 cup sugar for dipping in 8- or 9-inch cake pan.
2) Whisk flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in medium bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside.
3) In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter with brown and granulated sugars at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and add yolk and vanilla; increase speed to medium and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Reduce speed to medium-low and add molasses; beat until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping bottom and sides of bowl once with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to lowest setting; add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl down once. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no pockets of flour remain at bottom. Dough will be soft.
4) Using tablespoon measure, scoop heaping tablespoon of dough and roll between palms into 1 1/2-inch ball; drop ball into cake pan with sugar and repeat to form about 4 balls. Toss balls in sugar to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are browned, still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), about 11 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake.
5) Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes, then use wide metal spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack; cool cookies to room temperature and serve. (Can be stored at room temperature in airtight container or zipper-lock plastic bag up to 5 days.)

LENTIL SOUP OF THE GODS

2009-10-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

We had soup for dinner tonight.

No, it's not the recipe I'm posting, but it did bring up an interesting discussion of soup.

The soup I made today was your typical leftover-hambone-plus-white beans-and-veggies. If you are one of the few whose mother did not make this for you a few days after a big ham dinner, let me know and I'll send this yummy recipe to you. Eating this soup, however, brought up the other kind of soup that is synonymous with the name Lawrence Angerbauer (that's my father-in-law, in case you don't know): Lentil Soup.

My father-in-law, bless his heart, is 89 years old (yes, that makes him 55 years old when Mark was born! Crazy!). He's a widower and has lived alone for 18 years. He has simple tastes... cracked wheat mush, no sugar, whole milk for breakfast, a piece of homemade bread for lunch, and a helping out of his large pot of lentil soup for dinner. He's able to live off this "humble fare" as he calls it probably because he has no sense of taste anymore (honestly). His lentil soup has no taste, either. It is a mixture of mostly lentils, crunchy celery and onions, maybe a carrot for color, and little or no spices other than salt. Palatable, but not desirable.

Enter Cooks Illustrated.

This is where I get my best recipes. I can honestly say that, after years of using recipes from their cookbooks and magazines, I've only been disappointed once-- and it wasn't on their lentil soup (some sort of sauteed spinach recipe, I think). For my siblings who've eaten at Der Rheinlander in Portland, this soup is *gasp* even better. So now, thanks to Cooks Illustrated, whenever I think about Lentil Soup, I can quickly switch mindsets between blah and YUM!

LENTIL SOUP

3 slices bacon, cut into 1/4" pieces

1 large onion

2 med. carrots, peeled and chopped medium

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves (or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp dried)

1 c. lentils, rinsed and picked over

1 tsp. salt

pepper

1/2 c. dry white wine

4 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 c. water

1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1) Fry the bacon in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 3-4 minutes. Add onion and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme; cook until fragrant. Stir in the lentils, salt, and pepper to taste; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until vegetables are softened and the lentils have darkened, about 8-10 minutes,

2) Uncover, increase heat to high, add wine, and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken broth and water; bring to a boil, cover partially, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape, about 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

3) Puree 3 cups of the soup in a blender until smooth, then return to pot. Stir in the vinegar and heat the soup over medium-low heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Serve. Garnish with minced fresh parsley leaves.

VARIATION (haven't tried it yet, but it sounds good!)

Add 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp, ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper with the garlic; substitute lemon juice for balsamic vinegar.

Hello, and Homemade Snickers

2009-10-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

HELLO EVERYONE!

I've gotten a little bored with blogging about my family. Not that I will stop, I just wonder how many people really look at it (which is just my immediate family, based on the few comments I get) or really care to hear about the silly little mundane family things going on. So, I'm going to blog about something that everyone loves: FOOD!

A few years ago I put together a recipe book of Tintle Family Recipes. It had all the recipes and stories from when I was growing up (plus some from in-laws, yummy!). I had a friend ask me yesterday how long it took, and if you don't count the two times my computer crashed with near-finished copies of the recipe book, the real thing took 3-4 months. I've been thinking about doing an update to that book, but remembering how laborious it was to put it together had me searching for easier ways to put a database of "new family favorites" together. Hence, this blog.

My goal with this blog is to include yummy recipes, but here's the key: I want everyone to share their yummy recipes with me! So send me your recipe and a picture (if you can) and I would LOVE to post it! I will post as many as I get! I want this to be a HUGE database of YUMMIES for the entire internet to share!

So, to start off, a new favorite DESSERT recipe! This was served at a recent church event, and is terribly sinful!

HOMEMADE SNICKERS

recipe from Susan Thurman

2 c. milk chocolate chips (divided)

1/2 c. butterscotch chips (divided)

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter (divided)

1/4 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. evaporated milk

1 1/2 c. marshmallow creme

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. salted peanuts

1 pkg. (14 oz) caramels

1/4 c. whipping cream

first layer: Melt together 1 c. chocolate chips, 1/4 c. butterscotch chips, and 1/4 c. peanut butter in a pan over low heat. Spread into a lightly greased 9x13 pan and cool.

second layer: In a pan over med-high heat, melt butter, sugar, and evaporated milk together and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the marshmallow creme, 1/4 c. peanut butter, and vanilla. Mix and add peanuts and spread over cooled first layer. Cool completely.

third layer: Melt caramels and whipping cream together over low heat. Spread over second layer and cool completely.

fourth layer: Repeat first layer.

Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares and serving.

1/2	cup water
1/4	cup cornmeal
3 1/4	cups bread flour , plus extra for work surface
2	teaspoons table salt
3/4	cup milk , warm (110 degrees)
1/3	cup water , warm (110 degrees)
2	tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
3	tablespoons molasses
1	package rapid-rise yeast (also called instant yeast)