Dahl Soup!

1-2 tablespoons sea salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
1-2 tablespoon curry blend
2 seeded chilis
1 bulb smashed and chopped garlic
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
8 cups veggie broth
2 cups yellow split peas
1 large can garbanzo beans
1 bag frozen peas and carrots
1 large yam/sweet potato cubed
1 large diced onion
1-2 cups chopped cauliflower
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 can coconut milk (optional)
black pepper to taste

Add salt throughout each step.

1. Rinse split peas well and soak overnight
2. Bring veggie stock to a boil, cook split peas until soft (1-2 hours)
3. Add sweet potato, onion, chilis, curry, masala, and garlic. Cook on low to medium heat - stir frequently (10 minutes)
4. Add veggies, cilantro, and olive oil. For a richer stew, add coconut milk. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Serve over basmati rice.

Rustic Italian Soup

This delicious, low-fat veggie soup is a bit intense to make, but it is worth it!

1 16 oz package frozen mixed bell pepper strips
1 14.5 oz can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 14 - 14.5 oz can fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 15.5 oz can no-salt added navy beans, rinsed and drained (salted beans work fine too)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon slat

In a food processor or blender, process the bell peppers, undrained tomatoes, broth, beans, basil, parsley, vinegar, oregano, garlic, and red pepper flakes until slightly chunky or smooth. Pour into a large saucepan, Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or until the flavors are blended. Remove from the heat. Stir in the oil and salt. Ladle into soup bowls.

We will miss you, old cooking friend

Obituary of the
Pillsbury Doughboy


Please join me in remembering a great icon. Veteran Pillsbury spokesperson, The Pillsbury Doughboy, died yesterday of a severe yeast infection and complications from repeated pokes to the belly. He was 71. Doughboy was buried in a slightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out, including Mrs. Butterworth, the California Raisins, Hungry Jack, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, Captain Crunch and many others. The graveside was piled high with flours as long-time friend, Aunt Jemima, delivered the eulogy, describing Doughboy as a man who "never knew how much he was kneaded."

Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with many turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, even as a crusty old man, he was still considered a roll model for millions.Toward the end it was thought he'd raise once again, but he was no tart. Doughboy is survived by his second wife, Play Dough. They have two children and one in the oven. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

Uncle Trent Potatoes

4 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 an onion, thinly sliced

1/4 to 1/3 cube of butter, melted

1/2 packet of onion soup mix

Place a layer of tin foil on a cookie sheet. Place the potatoes in a thin layer on the cookie sheet. Spread onions, butter, and soup mix on top. Gently mix together with a spatula until all potatoes are coated with butter and soup mix.

Seal tin foil around potatoes. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Hearty Lentil Soup

Delicious and easy! Who knew parsnips were edible.

2 medium onions -- chopped
2 stalks celery -- chopped
4 whole carrots -- chopped
2 whole parsnips -- peel and chop
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 1/2 cups lentils -- rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon dried thyme
8 teaspoons vegetable bouillon cube
8 cups water


Combine all ingredients in the insert of the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on high until the lentils are soft and the vegetables are tender, about 5 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Add additional heated vegetable broth if the soup is too thick.

Chicken and Pasta Salad

Salad:

1 small package of fresh spinach
1 – 8 oz package of bowtie pasta – cooked, drained and cooled
2-4 Tbsp. sesame seeds
½ cup sliced almonds
3 chicken breasts – seasoned with lemon pepper seasoning, grilled and cut into bit sizes.
1 cup bean sprouts

Mix all ingredients and toss with the dressing just before serving it.

Dressing:

½ cup oil
½ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sesame seeds
3 TBSP. soy sauce
2 TBSP. rice vinegar
½ tsp sesame seed oil
1 tsp grated fresh garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 tsp grated ginger (more or less depending on your taste)

Stir ingredients well to dissolve sugar, store in fridge. Let dressing warm to room temp before tossing into salad.

Amazing Jicama-Salsa

This is a delicious and novel take on salsa. I love it. I strongly recommend doubling the recipie. I have eaten an entire batch on my own.

1/2 cup shredded jicama
1/2 cup chopped mango
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix ingredients in glass bowl with wooden spoon, adding oil last. Make sure oil coats everything. Let stand 2 hours in refrigerator before serving.

TVP Slow Cooker Chili

Easier Slow Cooker chili that is a great way to use TVP crumbles. Nope, it won't be like real ground beef. But, it is still tasty.


•4 cups veggie broth or filtered water
•1 1/2 cups dried TVP
•1 cup corn
•1 1/2 cups cooked beans (I used black beans, but pintos, kidney)
•2 cups diced heirloom tomatoes, diced (or 2 – 14 oz can diced tomatoes)
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1/2 onion, minced
•2 Tb. tomato paste
•1 Tb good chili powder
•1 tsp. chipotle powder
•1 tsp. oregano
•1 Tb liquid smoke (I didn't use this one)
•1 tsp garlic Tabasco (I used normal Tabasco)
•chopped cilantro for garnish

Mix all the ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on low 6 – 9 hours. Serve topped with chopped cilantro.

Veggie Lasagna

Delicious, light flavor that highlights the taste of the vegetables. It is also light on the onion flavor. Your favorite vegetables can be added or substituted. Enjoy!


Ingredients

20 lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups fresh spinach
3 cups ricotta cheese
2/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cups tomato pasta sauce
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook mushrooms, onions, and garlic in olive oil until onions are tender. I prefer to use one or two red peppers instead of mushrooms. Drain excess liquid and cool.

Boil spinach for 5 minutes. I like to add a few grated carrots as well. Drain, then squeeze out excess liquid. Chop spinach.

Combine ricotta cheese, Romano cheese, spinach, salt, oregano, basil, pepper, and egg in a bowl. Add cooled mushroom mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Lay 5 lasagna noodles in bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread one third of the cheese/spinach mixture over noodles. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese on top. Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce over cheese. Repeat layering 2 times.
Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

Family reunion Campfire Eclairs

The wind was blowing to hard to have an open fire, so we made Adam's Campfire Eclairs on the back porch of the house over the grill. It was a lot of fun and worked great.

This was a new part of the process. We put Vanilla Pudding in a zip lock

bag and squirted it into the Eclair shells. It worked out very well.

Fun for all, and very good eating.

Citrus BBQ Tofu

This one takes an adventurous spirit, but the marinade is absolutely delicious.

1 14-ounce package of extra-firm tofu, cut into 8 or 9 slices
juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 1/2 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
dash of black pepper
Whisk all the ingredients but the tofu in a bowl to make the marinade.

Put the tofu slices in a flat dish and pour over the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Turn the grill on medium heat and brush lightly with some olive oil. Grill the tofu slices, brushing with extra marinade while cooking, about 5 minutes for each side. Tastes fantastic with grilled sweet potatoes.

Adam's Campfire Eclairs

I tried Adam's campfire Eclairs. I like em'.

I got some 4 foot dowels at Home Depot.

I wrapped the Cresent Roll around the stick and roasted it.

They come 'off the stick' much better if you spray a little

Pam on the stick before you roast it.

I filled it with whipped cream first, but found that the warm

cresent roll melted the cream before I was ready to eat it.



On eclairs I made after this one I put the chocolate frosting
on the outside first, and then filled it with cream.
That seemed to work much better.




Good eatin' Good fun

Campfire Eclairs

This is a great idea that takes a bit of experimentation. I think it a fun, adult version of smores.

Start with a campfire fork. Wrap refrigerated croissant dough around the end of the fork. Slowly roast the croissant over the fire until golden brown. Slide the croissant off of the fork and let it cool. The croissant should be a tube shape. Insert the nozzel of a whipped cream can into the croissant and fill with cream. Cover with chocolate frosting.

Ranch Chicken Tinfoil Dinner

This is a great variation on the tinfoil dinner. For those tired of hamburger and veggies, I give this recipe a strong endorsement.

Dip one boneless, skinless chicken breast in melted butter then in one packet Ranch dressing mixed with 3/4 cup corn flake crumbs and 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, place on foil. Add sliced strips of butternut squash, red bell peppers, and a pat of butter. Wrap. Sprinkle with grated cheese just before serving. (Note: One packet dressing mixed as above will coat 4-6 chicken breasts.)


It also tastes great with thinly sliced sweet potatoes with a bit of honey and course ground black pepper.

Spicy Bean Soup

Delicious, easy, and spicy! I like to drain the beans and eat with rice.

Ingredients
1 pound dry black beans, soaked overnight
4 teaspoons diced jalapeno peppers
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Directions
1.Drain black beans, and rinse.
2.Combine beans, jalapenos, and chicken broth in a slow cooker. Season with garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, pepper, and hot pepper sauce.
3.Cook on High for 4 hours. Reduce heat to Low, and continue cooking for 2 hours, or until you are ready to eat.

Seven-layer Bean Dip

This recipie was a huge Cinco de Maio hit! Gone in 20 minutes flat!

1 can (16 oz)refried beans
1/2 package taco seasoning mix
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
1 cup Thick 'n Chunky salsa
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups shredded Cheddar or Mexican cheese blend (8 oz)
1 can (2.25 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained (1/2 cup) - Jalepeno olives rock!
1 medium tomato, diced (3/4 cup)



1. In medium bowl, mix refried beans and taco seasoning mix. Spread mixture in a glass pie dish.
2. In another medium bowl, mix cream cheese and chiles. Carefully spread over bean mixture.
3. Top with salsa, lettuce, cheese, olives and tomato. Refrigerate until serving time. Best if left over night. Serve with tortilla chips.

Grandma Maime's Angel Food Cake

Mostly I just want to brag. After dozens of lopsided, failed attempts, I finally pulled off a successful angel food cake! (Yes, that is my cake in the picture. Beautiful, isn't it?)

Dan's grandma is famous for her angel food cakes, and this is her recipe. I hope she doesn't mind me sharing! And be warned--this is a picky recipe, and cutting corners or making things up really doesn't work.

1 cup cake flour

1 scant cup sugar (I use baker's sugar)

12 room temperature egg whites

1 tsp. cream of tarter

3/4 cup sugar (again, baker's sugar)

2 tsp. vanilla

Sift cake flour and 1 cup sugar together 3 times.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until "foamy". I've decided that means somewhere around the "soft peak" stage, although I'm still not sure. Tips: Use the freshest egg whites you can. Use a glass or metal bowl. Wipe down the beaters and bowl very well--any yolk in the egg whites or grease on the beaters or bowl will keep them from beating up as well.

Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar.

Carefully fold in vanilla. Then carefully fold in the flour mixture.

Pour batter into Angel Food Cake pan.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, then 320 for 20 minutes. Do Not open the oven while cooking.

Remove from oven and hang upside down in pan until cool. Then remove from pan, and enjoy!

Super Easy Smoothies

These smoothies are easy, creamy, fast, and a great way to get fruit and dairy into breakfast! I love them because they don't take any "weird" ingredients--nothing that doesn't keep for basically forever or we don't already have around. A well-liked and requested recipe, even from people who make "real" smoothies with all sorts of complicated recipes.

• 1 container low fat yogurt--any flavor (I use blueberry, strawberry, or peach. doesn't matter, they're all tasty)
• about 1/3 c. applesauce (I just dump some in until it looks good)
• a handful of mixed frozen berries (Trader Joe's and Costco both sell great, well-priced mixed berries, but I'm sure other places do too)

Blend until there aren't any whole berries left! Yum!

Applesauce Pancakes

These tasty little pancakes are healthy and quick. The better the applesauce, the better the pancake! They are a little denser than Bisquick, but is still like them, especially with applesauce to top them!

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups water
1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients, then add remaining ingredients and beat together.

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups milk
1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 package (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, about 2 cups

Directions

1. In 4-quart saucepan, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and salt; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.


2. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups water; add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes.
   
3. In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth.


4. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Garnish soup with remaining cheese to serve.
   
   Will make about 5 servings.

MOA Cafe Turkey Harvest Croissant

This is the real recipe, from the real Museum of Art Cafe at BYU. I know the ingredients sound a little weird, but trust me--it's INCREDIBLE. Make it just like the recipe says, and you won't be disappointed. It is the perfect combination of salty, sweet, crunchy, and soft. Just do it.

Cream Cheese Spread:

8 0z. cream cheese

1 round tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 c. pineapple juice

1/3 c. sugar

Combine in food processor or beat with beaters until smooth.

For each sandwich you make, you will need:

Cream Cheese Spread

Croissant

3 slices turkey, the thin-cut deli stuff

1 slice provolone

3 slices of apple

1 leaf of green leaf lettuce

Cut croissant in half, and put Cream Cheese spread on both sides

Layer green leaf lettuce, turkey (rolled), cheese, and apples on sandwich.

Cluff's Chicken Pitas

I based these off of my favorite item at my favorite restaurant: Cluff's Carhop Cafe in Fillmore, UT. Obviously, we don't get to go there very often, so I had to invent my own. Not as good as the original, but tasty.

Diced chicken, cooked with a generous amount of Season All.

Diced cucumbers and tomatoes.

Lettuce.

Ranch dressing. Like any other food, the better the ranch dressing, the better it all tastes--so use the best ranch dressing you can find.

Serve all those parts on flatbread or in a pita pocket.

Lisa's Yummy Pasta

I invented this pasta for my lunch breaks when I worked at Fazoli's. It has become one of Daniel's favorite dinners. I freely admit that it tasted better with Fazoli's breadsticks on the side, but is definitely still pretty good and a nice (although less healthy) variation on spaghetti.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. noodles, cooked (any kind you like, but probably not spaghetti or angel hair. I usually use something like bow tie or ziti).

1 jar Alfredo sauce

1 can tomato sauce (15 oz, not a tiny one.)

About 2 frozen chicken breasts, thawed, sliced into strips, and cooked.

Garlic salt or powder to taste

Italian seasoning to taste

Grated mozzarella cheese (How much you use depends on how cheesy you want it, but probably 2-3 cups)

Mix all ingredients together in a 9X13 pan (but only mix in half of the cheese). Sprinkle the other half of the cheese on top. Bake covered at 350 degrees until heated through and cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Coconut Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup light Karo syrup

1 cup cream or half and half

1 tsp. coconut extract

boil sugar and Karo syrup until sugar is disolved

remove from heat and add cream and extract

Top pancakes with syrup, banannas, macadamia nuts, whipping cream, and shreaded coconut.

Easy Cheese Soup

Dissolve 2 chicken bouillon cubes in 3 cups of water

Add 1 Cup (ish, it's a rough estimate)

Onion

Celery

Carrots

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Potatoes

Zucchini (optional)

Simmer 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft but not mushy

Add 2 cans 98% fat free cream of chicken soup (it's less salty than the original and tastes better)

1 pound of Velveeta cheese

Stir until Velveeta melts, then you’re done

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 (14.5 ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 pound chopped cooked chicken breast
1 1/2 cups no yolk egg noodles
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
fresh-ground pepper to taste

Directions
1.In a large pot, sautee chicken breast in olive oil on high heat until browned. Do not cook chicken through. Put chicken in a bowl. Cook onion and celery in pot with olive oil until just tender, 5 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and stir in chicken, noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes before serving. Add parsley just before serving.

Chili's Southwestern Egg Rolls

Again, I stole this one from Aubrie's blog. Maybe one day I'll learn to share original recipes. But probably not. They take some time to make, but are TOTALLY worth it. Delicious. I leave out the jalapenos because I'm a wimp. They make a perfect football watching or other party snack, but also a good dinner--they are very filling and super good!

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (1 - 1 1/2 lbs), cooked and diced or shredded

2 Tb. vegetable oil

1 medium red bell pepper, minced

1 small or medium onion, minced

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 c. frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1/4 c. diced, canned jalapeno peppers

2 Tb. minced fresh parsley (or use 2 teaspoons dried parsley)

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. chili powder (I use 1 tsp regular chili powder and 1 tsp chipotle chili powder)

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

dash smoked paprika

3 c. shredded Monterey Jack (or Colby jack) cheese

20 7-inch flour tortillas (Mission brand tortillas work best)

Directions:

1. Preheat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add the red pepper and onion to the pan and saute for a couple minutes until tender.

3. Add the chicken, corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, and spices to the pan. Cook for another 4 minutes. Stir well so that the spinach separates and is incorporated into the mixture.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.

5. Wrap the tortillas (10 at a time) in a moist cloth and microwave on high temperature for 1 minute or until hot.

6. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture into the center of a tortilla. Fold in the ends and then roll the tortilla over the mixture. Roll the tortilla very tight. Brush edge of tortilla with a beaten egg and press to seal. Repeat with the remaining ingredients until you have twenty eggrolls.

7. You can either deep fry the eggrolls or bake them. I prefer to bake them. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, spray baking sheet, and brush each eggroll with one beaten egg. Bake 10-15 minutes or until crispy. If desired, you can turn the eggrolls halfway through baking time and brush the other side with egg so both sides are extra crispy. To deep fry, preheat 4-6 cups of oil to 375 degrees. Deep fry the eggrolls in the hot oil for 12-15 minutes and remove to paper towels or a rack to drain for about 2 minutes.

Serve with Avocado Ranch dressing for dipping.

Note: I usually chop the onions, pepper, and chicken in a food processor to save time. I just use whatever cheese I happen to have at the time—colby jack is good, but anything works. You might want to cut back on the jalapenos as it can get pretty spicy. For the avocado ranch I just use a ranch dip mix and prepare according to directions and add one or two diced avocados (mash them a little bit when you mix it into the dip). You can halve the batch if you want as this makes a lot. Or you can freeze them (cooked or uncooked), that way you have more on hand without going through the trouble of making them again.