Yorkshire Pudding

For years it was a tradition to have these for Sunday dinner with roast, mashed potatoes, and the works. Yorkshire Pudding and roast go together like bees and honey. 

Yorkshire Pudding 

 1 cup flour 

1/2 tsp salt 

1 cup milk 

2 eggs 

oil or lard 

 Place scant Tbsp of oil (or a pad of lard) in each muffin cup. Heat in oven until temp reaches 425. Combine remaining ingredients and wisk until fluffy. Add batter to hot oil in muffin tins and replace in oven. Cook for 25 minutes or until golden brown. (They should get all puffy, but if they turn out to be disks... they still taste good!)

Italian Chicken

This is a great crock pot recipe. It was passed on to us from my sister-in-laws aunt. It's great for Sundays... Put it in the pot before you go to church and dinner's ready when you get home! 

Italian Chicken 

 4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless 

1 pkg dry Italian salad dressing mix 

1/2 cube butter 

1 can cream of mushroom soup 

milk 

1 pkg cream cheese 

 Melt butter in crock pot, mix in seasoning. Add chicken and coat well. Cook 6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high. 1 hour before serving, mix soup, milk to dilute, and cream cheese in sauce pan and pour over chicken. Serve over rice, pasta, or baked potato.

Easy Breadsticks

These are the easiest breadsticks EVER!! You don't have to scald milk, or let it rise multiple times. There are a few different varieties of breadsticks that you can get..... when I need the bread fast I use method #1, when I feel like being fancy or have guests coming I'll use method #2.

Breadsticks

1 Tbsp yeast
1 1/2 c warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
3 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cube butter (method #2)

Combine yeast, sugar and water. Set aside to puff up. Add flour and salt to yeast mixture. Mix well. Knead 2-3 minutes, set aside 2-3 minutes. (or if you have a Kitchen Aid you can mix it in there for 4-5 minutes.)

Method #1-
Divide bread into 12-18 pieces, roll into a bread stick shape, place on greased cookie sheet. Let sit 5 minutes. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.

Method #2-
While yeast is puffing preheat oven to 375. Place cube of butter in 9x13 pan and place in oven to melt. Continue with the bread, but keep an eye on the butter, once it's melted take it out of the oven. After your dough has rested 2-3 minutes roll dough into a rectangle between 6-8 inches in height, and then as long as it takes to make the dough about 1/4 inch thick. Cut dough into 1 inch strips (I use a pizza cutter). Now, take the pan that has the butter in it and put a hot pad or towel under one of the sides, so that the butter creates a little pool in the other side. Take one of the strips of dough and dip it in the butter. Fold it in half and then twist a few times. Place it in the other side of the 9x13 pan. Repeat until all the dough has been buttered & twisted. Let this rise 15-20 minutes. Add topping* of choice and Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes.

*toppings can be parmesean cheese, garlic salt, poppy seeds, sesame seeds or go for sweet and have it with cinnamon and sugar.

Note: This also makes a quick and easy pizza dough.

Green Chili Chicken Soup

I got this recipe from a roommate in college. She taught me a lot about cooking, and I have many favorite recipe's that she passed on. 

Green Chili Chicken Soup 

 2-3 Tbsp vegetable oil 

1 small onion chopped 

1/2 tsp cumin 

1/2 tsp pepper 

pinch oregano 

2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed 

1 can diced green chilis 

5 cups chicken broth 

2 cloves garlic minced 

1 lb chicken cooked and shredded 

 Heat oil in 2 quart sauce pan and add onion and garlic. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Uncover and raise heat to medium. Stir in cumin and pepper. Let cook 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally. Add oregano, chili's, chicken, potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 25 minutes. Serve hot with Monterey Jack cheese as a garnish. Note: We love this with fresh homemade breadsticks!

Asian Flank Steak

We had this for dinner last night... oh so yummy.

Asian Flank Steak

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 1/4 lb flank steak

Wisk first 5 ingredients together and place in a 9x13 pan. Add steak and turn to coat. Marinate 1 hour at room temp, or in the fridge overnight.
Turn BBQ to medium-high heat. Grill steak about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steak to platter and let stand 10 minutes. Thinly slice across grain.

Note: Sometimes in a pinch I'll use garlic instead of the ginger, I know it's not the same, but it still tastes good. Last night we had this with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts.

Ribs

We got this recipe from my Aunt Mimi a few years back, and it has been a favorite ever since. It makes a lot of ribs, so we invite friends over, but we can't invite too many friends over 'cause husband likes leftovers!!

Ribs

1 cup vinegar
2 cup ketchup
2 tsp paprika
4 tsp celery salt
2 tsp dry mustard powder
3 tsp chili powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
ribs

Place ribs in a large roasting pan. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over ribs. Bake at 325 for 2 1/2 hours.

Side dish suggestions: We like this with rice (that way you can pour the nummy sauce overtop), corn (or green beans), and a salad.

Pico de Gallo Salsa

Pico de Gallo Salsa

5 large tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 jalapeno
1 bunch cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced

Dice tomatoes and onion, place in a bowl. Grate the jalapeno with the small side of a box grater. Discard the skin. Add the grated jalapeno to the tomato mixture. Mince and add the cilantro. Add the lime juice, salt, and garlic. Gently stir.

Great with chips, grilled chicken, tac0s, burritos, etc...

Caramel Brownies

These are the BEST brownies EVER!! I got this recipe from a lady at church years ago. It makes a LOT of brownies.... a big jelly roll pan overflowing (sometimes I'll use two 9x13 pans.

Caramel Brownies

1 pkg Brownie mix
1 pkg chocolate cake mix
2/3 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup butter
75 individually wrapped caramels
large Symphony bar chopped

Unwrap caramels, place in pot. Add 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Melt, set aside.
Make brownie mix, set aside.
Melt 3/4 cup butter, combine with cake mix and remaining evaporated milk. Mix brownie batter and cake batter together. Take 1/2 mixture and spread on bottom of a greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Take out of oven, sprinkle with chocolate chunks and drizzle with caramel. Place 1 Tbsp drops of remaining mix on top of caramel. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. Cool and Enjoy!