Black bean and sausage soup

This originally comes from a Weight Watchers cookbook, but I got it via a friend.

1 16 oz turkey kielbasa, sliced
1 green, yellow or red pepper, diced
1 can fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1 can black beans, juice included
1 cup salsa (depending on how spicy you want the soup you choose mild, medium, etc)
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute` kielbasa for a couple minutes in large pan.
Add pepper and cook another couple minutes.
Add chicken broth, beans and salsa. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to simmer for 5minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and optional cilantro.

This is super easy, yummy and a good "light" recipe for a cold day.

Dill Weed Dip

1 c mayo
1 c sour cream
1 1/2 Tbs dill weed
1 1/2 Tbs parsley flakes
2 Tbs minced onion
1 1/2 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt

Mix and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled with potato chips or veggies.

SUPER CHEESEY SAUSAGE QUICHE

3/4 pound Italian sausage

1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced or diced

1/3 cup green pepper, chopped

1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 tablespoon flour

1 9-inch pie crust

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup evaporated milk

1 tbs parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon seasoned or plain salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Brown sausage. Drain, reserving 2 tbs fat. Sauté onion and pepper in 2 tbs fat reserved from the sausage. Combine cheese and flour, toss. Stir in sausage, pepper, and onion (I freeze my sausage cooked so my sausage was cool when I stirred them together). Spread evenly in pie crust. Thoroughly combine remaining ingredients and pour into pie shell over sausage mixture.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for 40 minutes, until brown and set.

I double it and put it in a 9" deep dish and cooked it for about 60-65 min.

Mock Pecan Pie

Idaho's Pinto Bean Pie

· 1 heaping cup mashed pinto beans (Note: 1 1/2 cups cooked beans equals about 1 cup, mashed)

· 1/2 cup sugar

· 1 cup brown sugar

· 1/2 cup butter

· 2 eggs, beaten

· 1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

Blend sugars, eggs, and butter until creamy. Add the mashed beans and blend thoroughly.

Pour into a 9-inch unbaked pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until a knife inserted into the pie comes out clean.

Charity’s Pie Crust

6 cps flour

3 cps shortening

3 t. salt

Mix together with fingers until mixture resembles corn meal.

Then add:

1 1/2 cps water

Fold together to from soft ball of dough. This recipe will make six, two crust pies.

Baking Instructions:

Dot the top of pie with milk and sugar before baking. Always bake pies on bottom rack in over. Bake pies at 375 for 1 hr. Frozen pies need an extra 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Roll

One of my fall favorites. If you’re too scared to make a roll cake, I’m here to tell you to be afraid no longer. Super easy and frosting, as always, hides almost all baking sins.

Gather all the ingredients and lets get to work. First thing first, six eggs into the mixer. Whip it.

Whip it good.

Whip it real good.

It takes about five minutes on high with the kitchen aid. That monstrous drop you see at hanging on to dear life; it never fell. That’s how you know the egg whipping is done.

Next add the sugar. I sprinkle it in while it whips after the 5 min. mark. Then slop in the pumpkin and keep on keeping on.

Throw in the spices and the flour. When well blended (the time it takes to line a bakers half-sheet with foil, two layers) pour into the lined, cooking sprayed pan. (Extra precautions to make sure the foil removes easily.) Smooth out the hills and valleys and push it into a preheated, 375 degree oven for 15-20 mins. or until the toothpick test is clean.

While baking, lay out a large kitchen towel and top with two sheets of waxed paper sprinkled heavily with powdered sugar. Make it look like a winter wonderland.

After baking, flip the entire pan over onto the sugared waxed paper. Carefully peel off the foil, making sure that the cake doesn’t follow. No reason to have a candle tart when you’ve got the real thing.

Instead of a winter wonderland, go for a blizzard.

Let’s roll. Be brave; start at the beginning with a little curl and work your way to the end. The towel will come in contact with the sugar, but there’s no need to worry unless it happens to be the one you mopped up the kids’ muddy footprints with.

There! Doesn’t that look nice? Now into the fridge to set.

After a sufficient amount of time, gingerly unroll, be sure to remove the paper and towel, smear with cream cheese frosting and roll it up again. Slather on the rest and voila! Pumpkin roll.

These can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer. Just make sure you don’t frost the outside until right before you serve. I think I might make a Yule log, using chocolate curls as bark, chocolate cake and butter pecan frosting for the filling.

Pumpkin Roll

6 eggs

2 c sugar

1 1/3 c canned pumpkin

2 t lemon juice

1 1/2 c flour

2 t baking soda

4 t cinnamon

2 t ground ginger

1 t nutmeg

1 t salt

1 c crushed walnuts (if desired)

Beat eggs on high for five minutes until frothy. Blend in sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. After combining flour, salt, soda, and spices, add to mixture until well incorporated.

Spread evenly onto a sprayed and foil lined half sheet. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake @ 375 for 15-20 mns. or until clean.

Remove from oven and turn out onto a towel topped with wax paper and powdered sugar. Roll from the shorter side of the cake. Cool.

Unroll and spread with cream cheese frosting. Roll again, place seam side down and continue frosting the outside. Cover and chill in fridge for 3 hrs. before serving. Freezes well for several months.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 c powdered sugar

8 T (or a stick) softened butter

12oz softened cream cheese

1 t vanilla

Whip until smooth. Refrigerate unused frosting.

Not Your Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookies

NYGOC

1 c margarine softened

1 c sugar

1 c brown sugar (packed)

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

3 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 c oats

2 bars of Hershey chocolate, chunked into bits

2 c white chocolate chips

1 c nuts (either pecans, walnuts, almonds)

1 c flaked coconut

Cream margarine and sugars, add egg and vanilla. Mix powder, soda, salt and flour together and add slowly. Toss in the oats. Remove from mixer and add chocolates, nuts, and coconut. The dough will be quite thick, hands work great.

In the palm of your hand, roll a doughnut hole sized ball and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 oven for approx. 14 mins. Remove and cool on a wire rack, store inside an airtight container.

Grandma Bean’s Ginger Snaps

If you love settling down on the couch with a bowl of vanilla icecream and a bag of Mother’s ginger snaps, this is the recipe for you. These break-your-teeth-off cookies have just the right bite and are perfect for fall!

Grandma Beans Ginger Snaps

3/4 c butter (marg. works too)

1 c granulated sugar

1 c brown sugar

1 c molasses

1 T baking powder

5 c flour

1 T ginger

1/8 t salt

1/2 c cold water

Cream butter and sugars. Stir in molasses to which soda has been added. Sift dry ingredients and combine with sugars alternating with water. Drop by tsp. on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 mins. Cookies will be soft and waxy when taken from the oven. Remove from sheet and let cool. Variation: Roll in sugar and flatten with a fork.

~Recipe from Melody Bingham

Single Pie Crust

1 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 c shortening

3~4 T COLD water

Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening. Sprinkle water over mixture, a tablespoon at a time until dough is just moist enough to hold together. Do not overmix. Flour surface. Roll out a base ball~soft ball size ball. Roll in all directions.Using a spatula, fold crust in half for easier placement. Lay folded crust in pie tin. Trim with a butter knife.

Bake according to pie recipe. For a baked pastry shell, shape edges, pierce copiously with a fork and bake at 450 for 8-10 min.

Peach Pie

4 to 5 slices fresh peaches

3/4 c. sugar

2 tbsp. melted butter

3 tbsp. flour

1/4 tbsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice or almond (optional)

Mix the ingredients and gently fold into peeled, sliced peaches.

Pour into 9 inch pie tin lined with pastry. Cover with top crust or lattice crust. Seal. Flute and prick with fork. Brush lightly with cold water or cream. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar on top of crust.
Place pies on a cookie sheet to catch any over flow. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.

Don't forget to make an extra pie for the freezer. Prepare as above but instead of baking wrap pie and freeze.

If you freeze the pie do it before baking it, don’t defrost it when the time comes. Bake it unwrapped at 425°F (220°C) for 15 to 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F (175°C) for the remainder of the cooking time. The total baking time will be about 20 minutes longer than for an unfrozen pie.

Pie Crust Cookies

Using left over pie crust roll out crust and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake at 450 for 10 min.

Snicker doodles

Snicker doodles are awesome because they are cheap, easy and make a million cookies. Kids can help out with these too. They are very forgiving. These are perfect for a primary activity.

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Mix:
1/2 c butter (softened)
1/2 c shortening
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs

Mix in separate bowl:
2 3/4 c flour

2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Combine mixtures.

Form 1 inch balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake 8-10 min.

Makes 50 cookies

Orange rolls

My neighbor made these special little treats for us today. Yummy!

Mix together:
1/3 C sugar
1 cube melted butter
1 Tbsp frozen orange juice


2 cans Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits
Bunt pan

*spray bunt pan
line pan with biscuits
pour mixture over top of biscuits
Bake 350 degrees 15-18 minutes -voila!

HomeMade Syrup

I am not a fan of store-bought syrup. I grew up on homemade and now anytime I HAVE to eat store-bought, I choke it down. (Not really, but it is just not my fav!) It is super simple and super good!



Start with sugar and water.



add flavoring....



And VOILA....It's done!


HomeMade Syrup

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 capful of Mapleine flavoring
1/2 capful vanilla extract

Cook over high heat until just boiling. Remove from heat and add maple and vanilla. Serve warm..... This can be stored in your cupboard for 5 days and in the fridge for about 1 month.

YUMMY!!!

Squash ME!!

A few weeks ago I went to a RS Enrichment and for the 'Dinner Group', the theme was SQUASH!  I really didn't have any of my own recipes so I fervently searched for some ideas.  What I ended up doing was combining a few that I found.....  It turned out pretty yummy!! The best thing was that I did it all in the microwave. I did do it in a 'tupper****' , BUT I am not someone who thinks only one type of cookware works.... Any microwave safe bowl should work.




Squash Medley

1 med sized yellow squash diced or sliced (Zucchini would be wonderful too!)
1-2 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 bag of frozen peppers & onions (SUPER CONVENIENT)
1 tsp. italian seasoning
salt to taste
3 TBSP Butter

Start the microwave in 3 minute increments.

After 9 minutes I added 1 ripe tomato cubed.

Then I put it back in for 1 minute. But it depends on how you like your squash cooked. You don't want the squash super-smooshy, but not super-crunchy either. ENJOY!!!

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

I have two recipes for this one. One is the original from Stove Top and the other is the perfected version...

I will give you both and you can make your own version.

Original:

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 pkg (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced

1 tsp dried basil leaves, crushed

1 c mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomatoes with their liquid in medium bowl. Add stuffing mix, 1/2 c hot water and the garlic; stir just until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside.

2. Place chicken in 13x9 dish sprinkle with the basil and cheese. Top with stuffing mixture.

3. Bake30 min or until chicken is cooked through.

My Version:

Same as above but double hot water (may substitute with broth), double stuffing (just one can of tomatoes still - "yuck...gross...ew!"), and last but not least double the cheese - of course. I also precook my chicken so it is done when the stuffing is crisp and golden.

Goof-Proof Chocolate Chip Cookies

If my life was somehow hanging in the balance and all I had to do to save myself or the ones that I love was to make chocolate chip cookies – we’d all be pushing up daisies. That is, until I found this recipe for the cookie-crippled like me. These actually turn out soft and not pools of goo resembling something of a cookie afterthought.

Cream the shortening and sugars then add the eggs and vanilla with a flip of a switch, then measure out the dry.

Fluff with a fork and slowly dump it in.

I said SLOWLY!!!

That’s better, keep it going a few seconds longer, just until…

it pulls clean from the sides. That way we don’t have to wash the bowl. Just kidding.

Add the chippage. Yeah, I just made up a new word.

This time I thought I’d try something different since the chips were gargantuan. I rolled some dough and stuck a bit of edible love in the center.

Line them up on an ungreased sheet so that these belly-bombs can practice their expanding powers; like what will happen to my thighs after eating them.

Look! They’re puffy and not piles of goopey-grossness that harden to the point of needing to be fully submerged in a tall, cool glass of milk just so you don't ruin all that dental work you spent the kids college fund on.

The moment of truth. Deflation within acceptable standards while cooling.

Success!!! Yummy goodness to be devoured by rabid wolves, bears, and webolos? If I can do it, so can your three year old.

Goof-Proof Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup shortening (butter flavor's best)

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 1/2 cups flour

1 bag (or half) of chocolate chips

Nuts if you want'em.

Cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix dry and slowly add. Stir until it pulls clean, scoop or form into balls. Bake at 375 for 8-10 min. Cool 1 min. on sheet before removing to rack. Store in airtight container.