Kitchen Delights 2/21/19

I’m sure the folks that wanted snow must be happy now. Plenty to enjoy snowmobiling, skiing, skating, all those wonderful winter activities. My daughter is taking 80 children down to Buck Hill in Lakeville. They snowboard and ski, later she serves them hot chocolate and cookies. Sure hope Wednesday evening is not too cold. She works at Celebration Church, and this is her class Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. She does have good helpers; her main-stay helper is her husband, Mike.

My favorite lunch is soup. I don’t care what kind it is; I just love a hot cup of soup for my lunch.

Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 lb. frozen broccoli florets

5 c. low sodium chicken broth

1 med. onion, diced

2 carrots, finely diced

2 (10.5 oz.) cans cr. of celery soup

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper, opt.

1-1/2 lbs. Velveeta® cheese

2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

Saltine crackers

Place the frozen broccoli in the slow cooker, add the chicken broth, onion, carrots, soup, salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir it all together. Place the lid on the slow cooker; cook on high for 4 hours. The veggies will be cooked, the flavors will be marvelous.

Use an immersion blender (or potato masher) to puree the soup about three-quarters of the way. Add the cheeses. Then cover, set cooker on low, cook for 15 minutes. Serve with a little more grated sharp cheddar cheese on each bowlful. Saltine crackers served on the side.

You can make the same soup, just use cauliflower with Monterey Jack grated cheese.

Yield: 10-12 servings

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

28 oz. can diced tomatoes w/juice

10 oz. can diced tomatoes w/green chiles

3 c. chicken broth

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained

2 T. tomato paste

1 med. onion, diced

1 hot pepper, seeded & chopped, opt.

1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped

1 yellow pepper, seeded & chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Fixins: avocado, sour cream, grated cheese, tortilla chips

Place the chicken in a slow cooker. Sprinkle on the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add the cans of tomatoes, chicken broth, black beans, tomato paste, onion, chopped peppers and lime juice.

Place the lid on the cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 5 hours. Remove the chicken to a plate; Use two forks to shred it finely. Return to the pot of soup. Serve piping hot with tortillas, cut in strips, added to soup.

Yield: 10 servings

Pizza Casserole

2 (8 oz.) tubes refrig. crescent rolls

1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef (85%), browned in skillet

1 sm. can mushrooms, drained

1 sm. can sliced ripe olives, drained

12 oz. can tomato sauce

1 pkg. Sloppy Joe mix

1 tsp. oregano

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Small pkg. taco chips, crushed

Grease a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. Roll out one tube of crescent, size to fit the inside of pan. Seal edges together by pressing perforations.

Brown ground beef, add mushrooms, ripe olives, tomato sauce, Sloppy Joe mix and oregano; mix together. Spoon into crust.

Roll out second crescent, place over the top of the filling. Top with cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes; 5 minutes before, take out of oven, sprinkle with crushed taco chips.

Yield: 8 servings

Cream Puff Pie

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. flour

2 eggs

Bring water and butter to a boil; stir in salt and flour. Let stand for 5 minutes. Then add the eggs, adding one at a time, beat well until smooth. Spread in a greased 9 inch pie pan, push the batter up the sides of the pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

FILLING:

3/4 c. sugar

1/3 c. flour

1/8 tsp. salt

2 eggs

2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. frozen whipped topping, thawed

Chocolate syrup

In a microwave bowl, mix sugar, flour, salt, eggs and milk. Cook on high; check often. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Stir in vanilla. Place plastic wrap over the top. Cool completely. Fold in a cup of the whipped topping. Put in cooled pie crust. Top the pie with whipped topping and chocolate syrup.

Yield: 6 servings

Butterscotch Chewies

1 yellow cake mix (reg. size)

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 T. butter, melted

2 eggs

Water

1/2 c. chopped pecans

With the back of the spoon,mash all the lumps from the cake mix right in the bowl. Add brown sugar and butter. Whisk eggs in a measuring cup; add water to fill cup to 2/3 cup. Pour into rest of ingredients. Transfer to a greased 9x13 inch pan or a 10x15 inch pan for thinner bars. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Helpful Hints:

• When boiling eggs in water, add a dash of salt and a little vinegar before adding the eggs. This keeps them from cracking open.

• When cooking noodles, bring amount of water and a teaspoon of vegetable oil to a boil; add the noodles. Cover and let stand with the burner turned off. In twenty minutes you have perfect pasta.

• You don’t have cream soup for your casserole? Melt 3 T. butter, whisk in 3 T. flour, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 c. milk. Cook until thickened. For flavor, stir in chicken, onion or beef granules.

“God hears us when we call to Him. Not one voice is ignored; the sounds of praise, the pleas of pain, all are heard by the Lord.”