BBQ Southwestern Chicken, Stuffed Bell Peppers, Cream of Celery Soup, Maple Almond Macaroons, Brenda's Yummy Ranch Dressing

Emery, Carter and Mawna K!

BBQ Southwestern Chicken

1 c. ketchup
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
3 T. brown sugar
2 T. vinegar, apple or white
1 T. instant minced onion (dried)
2 t. McCormick Culinary Barbecue Spice (18oz for $11.77 Amazon/Walmart)
(This is a 1988, discontinued spice, reintroduced one year ago!)

Simmer for 10 minutes on stove top then pour over 2 1/2 lbs bone in chicken parts and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Bake less time for boneless, skinless thighs or for cut up boneless skinless breast meat. Serve over rice. 4-6 servings.


Stuffed Bell Peppers (or Casserole)
1 cup rice (white or brown) cooked according to directions and set aside

Sauce:
1 onion diced
1 T. oil
2 c. Bertoli Rustic Cut Marinara (or other including Costco's)
1 c. beef broth
1 T. balsamic vinegar (or more)
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

Peppers:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 (10oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 c. chopped fresh Italian parsley (1 1/2 TBS dried)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
1/8 t. ground cayenne pepper
4-6 large red, yellow, orange bell peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook onion and oil over medium heat until they soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in marinara sauce, broth, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir 1 minute. Pour sauce (reserving 1 cup for top of peppers) into a 9x13" baking dish and set aside. Brown beef, then add tomatoes, parsley, garlic, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir in cooked rice and mix well. Stuff bell pepper halves with beef mixture and place in baking dish. Top each half with 1 TBS of reserved sauce. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20-25 minutes until the peppers are tender. Let rest 5 minutes and serve. I don't use Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, but you may add 1 cup to the meat mixture and/or sprinkle some on top of the peppers before baking.

***For easier eating (children) or quicker cooking, you may dice the peppers and mix them with the sauce and meat mixture before cooking! Yum!

Mother's Day 2020

BEST Cream of Celery Soup

1/4 c. butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 c.)
2 c, very finely chopped good quality flavorful celery 

(about 5 large ribs, organic recommended for optimal flavor).
1 large clove garlic ,minced
1/3 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 c. good quality chicken broth
1 1/2 c. whole milk (or use 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup cream for even tastier results)
1 t. salt
1/2 t. sugar
1/8 t. freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot over medium-high heat and cook the onions, celery and garlic until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the flour and cook for another minute. Add the chicken broth and milk/cream and stir until the mixture is smooth. Increase the heat and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.
If used as a base for other recipes, this soup will keep in the fridge for at least 3-4 days. Makes 4 servings.

One batch of this soup is roughly the quantity of 2 cans prepared canned condensed cream of celery soup. Enjoy as a stand-alone soup or use in any recipe calling for prepared canned condensed cream of celery soup. Basic, but delicious!

Maple, Almond Macaroons
3 c. dried, unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 1/2 c. fine almond flour
1 c. maple syrup
1/3 c. coconut butter or slightly less oil
1 T. vanilla extract
1/2 t. salt

Combine all in a bowl. Use a small scoop, large spoon, or hands to spoon rounds of dough onto hydrator screens and dry for 12-24 hours at 115 degrees until the outside is crisp. You may also dry them in the oven on the lowest temp for a few hours. ***You can make coconut butter by blending unsweet coconut really well. Lemon zest and a little lemon juice can also be added to make lemon/coconut macaroons... May also dip in chocolate after drying :)


Brenda's Yummy Ranch Dressing
1 c. mayo
1/2 c. sour cream
1 t. parsley
1 t. dried chives
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper

Mix then add milk, 2 T. at a time, stirring after each addition until of desired consistency.

by Karen & Brenda, Barbara's daughters

Zucchini Enchiladas, Blackberry Mousse

recipe and image from here

August is the time to use blackberries and zucchini from our garden.

I like how both of these turned out! Ian isn't a big zucchini fan,

so I did a couple in corn tortillsas.

I also added olives to the top of the enchiladas.

Zucchini Enchiladas
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil 

1 large onion, chopped 

kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. chili powder
3 c. shredded chicken
1 1/3 c. red enchilada sauce, divided 4 large zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack
1 c. shredded Cheddar
Sour cream, for drizzling
Fresh cilantro, for garnish
add lime juice

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and season with salt. Cook until soft, 5 minutes, then add garlic, cumin and chili powder and stir until combined. Add shredded chicken and 1 cup enchilada sauce and stir until saucy.

On a cutting board, use a Y-shaped vegetable peeler to make thin slices of zucchini. Lay out three, slightly overlapping, and place a spoonful of chicken mixture on top. Roll up and transfer to a baking dish. Repeat with remaining zucchini and chicken mixture.

Spoon remaining 1/3 cup enchilada sauce over zucchini enchiladas and sprinkle with both cheeses.
Bake until melty, 20 minutes.

Garnish with sour cream and cilantro and serve.

Notes: my small zucchini (4 in.) worked better than the seedy large (8 in.), though it was hard to roll up the enchiladas. After filling a 7x10 in pan, I put my remaining chicken mix in a pie pan, topped will all the remaining zucchini, then more chicken, then sauce then cheese.

We had this mousse at book group. Yum!

Dan Johnson made it, and his wife DeDe brought it to share.
I had a hard time straining the berry mix through my fine sieve.
I ended up using a colander, and living with a few seeds.

Blackberry Mousse
1 t. unflavored gelatin
3 T. cold water
1 c. blackberries
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg white
3/4 c. heavy cream

In small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1 T. of the water; let wait until softened (5 min). In blender, puree the blackberries with 2 T. water. Strain the blackberry puree into saucepan (about 3/4 cup). Add suga & boil then simmer mixture over medium heat, stir occasionally for about 5 min to reduce. Stir in softened gelatin. Let mixture cool. Beat egg whites and fold into cooled pureed mixture. On a other bowl beat heavy cream until softly whipped. Fold cream into berry mix and refrigerate until chilled. Enjoy with lemon cookies, fresh fruit, or whatever sounds good, or eat it as is.

Dutch Oven Chili and Cornbread

recipe and image from here

We made this while camping at Mt. Rainier National Park this summer.

I put cooked the chili ingredients together at home,

so we just need to add it to a hot dutch oven and top with the cornbread.

It was pretty tasty!

Dutch Oven Chili and Cornbread

3 lbs. of ground beef (I used less)
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 t. of dried oregano
1 (28-oz.) can of diced tomatoes
1 (6-oz.) tomato paste
1 (16-oz.) can of kidney beans or black beans
5 T. of chili powder
2 T. of ground chipotle powder
1 T. of ground cumin
1 can of water
2 (8.5-oz.) boxes of Jiffy cornbread (or any other corn bread mix you like)
(eggs and milk for the Jiffy cornbread mix)
Salt and black pepper

Make a layer of hot coals on the ground.
Place the dutch oven over the coals and allow the dutch oven to get hot.
Cook the ground beef until it starts to brown, breaking up the meat with a spatula.
Add the onions, garlic, and bell pepper and continue to cook until the vegetables are softened
Add the chili powder, chipotle powder, cumin, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste.
Add the can of water and beans and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Make the cornbread mix in a bowl and pour over the top of the chili.
Place the lid on top of the dutch oven and place about 20 hot coals over the top of the lid.
Cook for about 10 minutes and check to see if the cornbread is done cooking by lifting the lid and poking a skewer through the cornbread. If it comes out clean the chili is done.

Baked Fall Vegetable Medley

 Cheryl and Dee were able to have fun together in New Hampshire recently. Cheryl took us to lunch at a vegan bistro near her work at the state capitol in Concord. We split the dishes listed in tan, beginning with the soup and salad. They were wonderful. I tried to recreate the Baked Fall Vegetable Medley and have a couple notes on that below.

Baked Fall Vegetable Medley

I decided to roast all the veggies listed in the fall medley instead of steaming. While they were cooking, I made a creamy sauce with almond/coconut milk, then added a small piece of leftover pork loin as we aren't vegan. I also cooked quinoa in chicken broth. The quinoa went on the bottom, with the sauce over it; the roasted veggies went on top. Since all the parts were cooked, I put it in the fridge for dinner the following day, as we were coming home about dinner time. We just microwaved our portions individually. I thought it was good, and Scott had seconds, and we have leftovers for another meal.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! 

If you need non-vegan turkey help, here's a link.

Eggs Chili Relleno Casserole

We grew Anaheim and other peppers again this year. 

This is our favorite quick and easy way to use them.

Eggs Chili Relleno Casserole

1/2 lb. cheddar or jack or pepper jack cheese
1 can (7 oz.) green chilies (cleaned and sliced or diced rellenos...or we use fresh!)
1 can (4 oz. ) green chilies

12 eggs

1 pint sour cream

1 t. salt

Cut cheese and chilies in strips. Place in bottom of 9 x 13" pan, coated with cooking spray. Beat eggs with sour cream. Pour into pan. Refrigerate overnight (uh...we never have : ). Bake 45 min., or until toothpick comes out clean. Serves 8.

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott

Divinity, Green Bean Casserole

Barbara/Mom/Grandma made Thanksgiving dinner at Katmai Roost this year. It was wonderful to enjoy her cooking, and so fun to be together. At the gathering were two sets of grandparents (the 'real' ones, and the new ones!), Erik & Carissa + Ethan, Kyle, Brittany, Will, Sarah and Parker. A traditional American (?!) dish Mom made was Green Bean Casserole. Brittany especially enjoyed it, and asked for the recipe. Here it is!

Green Bean Casserole

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 c. milk
1/8 t. black pepper
2 (9 oz. each) pkgs. frozen cut green beans, thawed*
1-1/3 c. FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions

MIX soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2 -qt. baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French Fried Onions.
BAKE at 350°F for 30 min. or until hot.
STIR. Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 min. until onions are golden.

I have to admit that I'm not a fan of Green Bean Casserole, but I think divinity is divine! I asked Mom if she would demo one of my favorite treats so I could learn where I was going wrong. Two places: not having a Kitchen Aid mixer, and not cooling the candy along the way. She said she and her mom used to make this with a wooden spoon, trading off when their arms would tire. We tried it with the electric hand mixer at the cabin. It died a sweet death. Best to have a heavy duty mixer to try this. And to cool the mixture quickly by possibly wrapping a cold towel around the bowl when adding the syrup, or placing the mixing bowl in a sink of ice. The product is wonderful. And I owe Mom a new hand mixer.

Divinity
2-2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. water
1/4 t. salt
2 egg whites,
with 1/8 cream of tartar
1 t. vanilla
2/3 c. nuts, broken
or coconut

Stir sugar, corn syrup and water over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Cook, without stirring, to 260° on candy thermometer (or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water forms a hard ball). In mixing bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Continue beating while pouring hot syrup in a thin stream into egg whites. Add vanilla, beat until mixture holds its shape and becomes slightly dull. Fold in nuts. Drop mixture from tip of buttered spoon onto waxed paper. Do just 1 batch at a time.

(This is from the Barbara Doney cookbook above.)

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott

Golden Potato Casserole

Even though this is a very common recipe (also called Funeral Potatoes or Mormon Potatoes), it's a classic in our family. And it doesn't serve 12. Whenever I ask my guys what they'd like, this is what they request. We usually have it--with ham and Mom's rolls (though they are never as good as Mom's!)--on Christmas Eve and Easter. Here's how it became a favorite for us: When Scott and I were engaged and living in two different states, I asked Scott to send me his favorite recipes. I thought I could practice over the summer and be a prepared wife/cook after marriage. This was the first, and only, recipe he ever sent!

(The photo was taken at the Katmai Roost in August 2009. Notice Cheryl in the background dutifully setting the table/putting food on, while the guys are 'bellying up to the bar'!)

Golden Potato Casserole

6 medium potatoes, cooked with skins

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 c. sour cream

1/3 c. finely chopped green onions

1/4 c. butter

1-1/2 c. cheddar cheese

2 T. butter

Corn flake crumbs

Peel and grate potatoes into large bowl. Grate cheese, chop onions and add to the potatoes. Warm soup with 1/4 c. butter until butter melts. Remove and blend in sour cream. Pour over potato mixture and mix carefully. Put in 3-quart casserole dish. Dot with butter and sprinkle with corn flake crumbs. Bake at 325° for 30-45 minutes or until heated through. Serves 12.

(can substitute frozen hash browns for potatoes)

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott