biscuits

Biscuits

Makes 10-12

Ingredients

2 cups flour, plus more for kneading

1 Tbl baking powder

1 tsp sugar, plus more to taste

½ tsp salt

8 Tbs butter, cold (1 stick)

¾ cup half-and-half or buttermilk

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and grease a baking sheet or cast-iron skillet.  Mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

Cut the stick of butter to pieces and work it into the flour mixture with your hands or pastry blender until it resembles pea-size crumbs. (I use a cheese grater to cut the butter into small pieces)  Add the half-and-half or buttermilk, mixing until the dough is a bit loose and sticky.

Pour the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a minute.  Dough should be smooth and no longer wet.  You can sprinkle more flour on the surface if you find it’s sticking.  Make the dough into a ball and hit it with a rolling pin, (I just punch it) turning it and folding it in half every few whacks.  Do this for a couple of minutes.

Roll out the dough until it’s ¼ of an inch thick and then fold it in half.  Using a round biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits from the folded dough.  Place on a greased baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet close together, about 1/8 of an inch apart (so they rise up not out), and bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

If you don’t want to roll and cut them out, after kneading and beating the dough drop the dough onto the baking sheet with a spoon.  They’re not as symmetrical biscuits are also known as cat-head biscuits), but they’re no less delicious.   

Derby Pie (as in Kentucky Derby)

Start with unbaked pie crust.

Mix all of these ingredients together in a bowl:  

1 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup flour

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup pecan pieces

Pour into pie crust.  Bake at 350.  if you want a slightly gooey cookie like center bake for 25-30 minutes.  Toothpick will come out a little gooey but top should be golden brown.  Most people like gooey version better.

Or you can have a firm center by baking it 30-35 min.

by Sarah Phillips

Drunken Noodles

Drunken Noodles        Fox Magazine 8/15/2016  Jet Tila

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. mushroom soy sauce

2 Tbsp. sweet soy sauce

1 Tbsp. oyster sauce

1.5 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 Tbsp. sriracha sauce

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. garlic, minced

6-8 Thai basil leaves

3 Tbsp. canola or peanut oil

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 serrano chiles, sliced thin

2 eggs

1/3 lbs. beef, pork, or chicken, thin sliced against the grain

1/2 medium white onion, sliced

3-4 cups fresh rice noodles, separated

1/4 cup Chinese rice wine

1 cup Thai basil leaves, loosely packed

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved

Instructions:

Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat oil to medium high in a medium sauté pan and sauté garlic until light brown.

Add eggs in and lightly scramble until barely set.

Add meat and onions folding constantly until the meat is half cooked, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add fresh rice noodles and sauce. Toss to combine for about 3 to 5 minutes. Make sure the noodles are cooked until the edges are slightly crisp.

Deglaze pan with rice wine, and then add basil and tomatoes. Serve hot and enjoy!

Old Time Beef Stew (Shtoup)

Old Time Beef Stew               Jaci Kern

2lb beef chuck cut into 1” cubes

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 clove Garlic

1 medium Onion, sliced

1 or 2 Bay Leaves

1 Tbls Salt

½ tsp. Paprika

¼ tsp Pepper

dash Allspice or Cloves

6 carrots, sliced

4 potatoes, quartered

1 lb small white onions

4 stalks celery, sliced

Gravy

In the dutch oven, thoroughly brown meat in 2 Tbl hot shortening, turning often.  Add 4c. hot water and 8 ingredients.  Cover; simmer 1 ½ hours stirring occasionally to keep from sticking. Remove bay leaves.  Add vegetables; cover and cook 30-45 minutes until vegetables are tender.  Add gravy and serve.

Gravy – Combine 1/3 c. water with 3 Tbl cornstarch.  Stir into hot stew.  Cook and stir until bubbly and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.  Serves six.

I add more spices and worcestershire than called for and a bit more cornstarch.

Luau Chicken

(Recipe from Stephanie Allred)

2-3 boneless chicken breasts (cube if you want)
1/2 onion (chop into 1/2 inch pieces)
1/2 green pepper (chop into 1/2 pieces)
1/2 carton sliced mushrooms (optional)

Sauce:
1 lg can chunk pineapple (drain)
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. corn starch
1 t. salt
1 c. vinegar
2 T. soy sauce

Add veggies, chicken and then sauce (I don't pre-mix, I just dump it all in).  Cook all day on low or on high for three to four hours.  Serve with rice.

*Because this calls for 1/2 an onion and 1/2 of a pepper, I just dump the other half into a freezer bag and double the rest of the recipe into that bag for a freezer meal to have later.

French Dip and French Bread

French Dip

1 rump or round roast

4 cans Campbell’s beef consume (or beef broth)

3 packages Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

4 cans water

French Bread

Swiss Cheese

1. Add all ingredients in a crock pot.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Shred beef after finished cooking and serve on toasted French rolls with Swiss cheese.  Use marinated juice as dipping sauce.

Megan Murdoch

French Bread

½ c. warm water

2 T. yeast

1 tsp sugar

2 cups hot water

3 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp salt (heaping)

1/3 c. shortening

6 c. flour

1. Dissolve warm water and yeast with sugar. In another bowl combine hot water, sugar, salt, shortening and let sit.
2. Cool mixtures and then mix.  Add 3 cups flour.  Beat til smooth  Andd another 3 cups.  Leave spoon in dough and allow to rest/rise for 10 minutes.  Mix 1 minute.  Repeat 5 times. 
3. Put olive oil on hands and divide into 2 loaves.  Shape.  Let rise 30 minutes and bake at 400 for 35 minutes.

Megan Murdoch

Saucy Spiced Shells

Saucy Spiced Shells

12 Jumbo shell macaroni

12 oz. ground meat

1 medium onion, chopped  ½ cup

½ cup chopped green pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 beaten egg

¼ cup dry bread crumbs

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 15 oz fresh marinara sauce

parmesean cheese

1. Cook pasta according to directions (23 – 25 minutes).  Drain pasta; rinse with cold water.  Drain again.
2. In a large skillet cook ground meat, onion, green pepper, and garlic tilll meat is brown.  Drain fat.
3. In a medium mixing bowl combine egg, bread crumbs, cinnamon, allspice, and pepper.  Add the meat mixture and ¼ cup of the sauce; mix well.  Spoon about 2 Tbsp of the meat mixture into each macaroni shell.  Arrange the filled shells in a 2 quart square baking dish.  Pour the remaining sauce over the iflled shells.  Cover the dish with foil.
4. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or till heated through.  For each serving, arrange 3 of the shells on individual plates. Spoon some of the sauce over the shells.  If desired, sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.  Makes 4 main dish servings.

Better Homes and Gardens PASTA cooking for today

Chicken/Ham Polynesian

2 large chicken breasts, cut in chunks

2 Tbsp cooking oil

1 medium onion sliced

1 green pepper cut into 1 inch squares

1 (13 oz.) can pineapple chunks (save ½ c. juices)

1 cup chicken broth (2 cubes plus 1 c. water)

¼ cup vinegar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp. Soy sauce

½ cup mandarin oranges

1. Cut chicken into chunks or slices, brown in oil and remove.  Add green peppers and onion to pan and sauté until partially cooked, about 5 minutes and remove. 
2. Heat ½ c. liquid from pineapple in skillet with boulion, brown sugar, and vinegar.  Mix cornstarch and soy sauce; stir in.  Heat stirring constantly until sauce thickens and turns clear.
3. Add fruit vegetables, and meat. Serve over hot rice.

My Roommate Lindsay Payne

Mexi-Rice

1 lb Hamburger

4 cups cooked rice

1 can Mexican stewed tomatoes

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1pkg taco seasoning

1 can whole kernel corn (drained)

Tortilla or corn chips

Shredded cheese

1. Brown Hamburger and drain grease.  Add taco seasoning, tomato sauce, Mexican tomatoes, and corn to hamburger.  Mix well.
2. Add cooked rice to meat mixture.  Mix well.  Put in 9 x 13 pan.  Top with chips and cheese
3. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese melts (30 minutes)

My roommate Alina Anderson (from her roomie Felicia Hall)

Teriyaki Chicken Salad

2-3 chicken breasts

Teriyaki marinade

1 pkg cole slaw

1 pkg chicken flavored Ramen

1 pkg sliced almonds (1 oz.)

½ cup veg oil or water (I use a mix)

2 Tbsp vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

1. Marinade chicken breasts in Teriyaki sauce fore 30 minutes.  Then bake, fry, grill, or broil the chicken.  Shred or chop.
2. Toss cole slaw, uncooked Ramen noodles crunched, and almonds in salad bowl.  Add Chicken
3. mix oil, water, vinegar, sugar and the flavor pkg from the Ramen.  Pour over salad and then chill.

My roommate Kari Jones