Monday, November 15, 2010

December's Meeting of the Pioneers


Hi all,
The December meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 8th at 6:30 p.m. at Sybil's home.

The theme is Appetizers and Desserts. Please bring one of each and come join the fun.

Please email your recipe to DeeAnn so she can get it posted. Be sure to sight where your recipe came from. We need to give credit where credit is due.

See you in December!

November's Recipes

Mary brought Creamy Red Potatoes (adapted from the Fix It & Forget It cookbook)

2 lbs small red potatoes, quartered
8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
10-3/4 oz can cream of potato soup
1 envelope dry Ranch dressing mix

Place potatoes in slow cooker.

Beat together cream cheese, soup, Ranch mix. Stir into potatoes.

Cover. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until potatoes are tender.

Mary then added 1 cup sour cream, six slices pre-cooked bacon (chopped) and some grated cheese.

They were YUMMY!

Sprice brought Crockpot Chicken Salsa
3 chicken breast halves
3/4 cup salsa (give or take the amount)
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Place chicken breasts in crockpot. Pour salsa over the chicken. Use enough to lightly cover each chicken breast. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

In the crockpot, use two forks and shred chicken. Add cans of black beans and corn (as much as desired) and continue to cook.

Thirty minutes before serving add in the sour cream.

Serve as a taco filling with chips/tortillas/tostadas. Top with salsa, cabbage, cheese, etc.

Sybil brought Cheesy Potato-and-Ham Casserole from 101 More Things to Do With a Slow Cooker cookbook

Bottom layer:
1 pkg (32 oz) frozen has brown potatoes (cubed or shredded)
1 Tbs dried chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1 carton (8 oz) sour cream
1 can (10.75 oz) cream of chicken soup
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 cups chopped cooked ham

Topping:
1/4 cup butter or margarine (melted)
1 pkg (6 oz) herb-seasoning stuffing mix

Combine bottom layer ingredients in a greased 4.5 to 6 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle stuffing mix over the top, then drizzle on butter. Cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours or on high heat 2.5 to 4 hours.

Irene brought Simple Bread Pudding from Fix It & Forget It cookbook

6 to 8 slices bread, cubed
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Sauce:
1/2 of an 11.5 oz can concentrated white grape juice
1 Tbs cornstarch

Place bread in slow cooker.

Whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in a bowl. Pour over bread.

Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2.5 hours or until mixture is set.

Combine concentrated juice and cornstarch in a saucepan. Heat until boiling, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Serve drizzled over bread pudding.

Memory brought Corn Chowder and Banana Coconut Bread

DeeAnn
brought Crockpot Lasagna from Jessica Seinfeld.
The recipe was wrong so I am not going to even add it. But, it is great to know that you can assemble lasagna in a crockpot with uncooked noodles and they will cook beautifully. Give it a try.

Monday, October 18, 2010

November 2010 Meeting


Hello,
Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 10th at 6:30 p.m. at DeeAnn's home.

The theme is Crockpot Creations.

We will be choosing the themes for next year's meetings so be sure to come with ideas on what you want to experiment with in 2011.

Hope to see you all there!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Pumpkin, Pumpkin Night

Memory brought Pumpkin Pappardelle from Healthystylemag.com
1 Tbsp chopped shallots
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup diced calabaza or butternut squash
1 cup vegetable stock
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch sea salt
Pinch freshly ground blackpepper
6 oz. fresh pappardelle or fettuccine
4 tsp chopped macadamia nuts
2 Tbsp pomegranate concentrate

In a large sauté pan, sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until shallots are translucent. Add diced calabaza or butternut squash and sauté until tender.

Deglaze pan with vegetable stock. Add canned pumpkin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and cook until heated through.

Boil pasta and stir into pumpkin mixture.

Evenly divide the pumpkin and pasta mixture in four bowls. Top each serving with 1 tsp macadamia nuts and 1/2 Tbsp pomegranate concentrate.

Cook's Note
Roasted and pureed fresh pumpkin, butternut squash, or sweet potatoes may be substituted for the canned pumpkin.

Sybil brought Pumpkin Orzo from Paula Deen
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup orzo

In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken broth, pumpkin, butter, honey, balsamic vinegar, ginger, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-heat, then add the orzo. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring frequently, until the orzo is tender, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

AND Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes from Paula Deen
Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

AND Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread from Better Homes and Gardens
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Makes 1-1/2 cups (24, 1-tablespoon servings).

Mary brought Pumpkin and Black Bean soup from Rachael Ray
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cups canned or packaged vegetable stock, found on soup aisle
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
2 cans (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (found often on the baking aisle)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 palm full
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/2 palm full
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, eyeball it in the palm of your hand
Coarse salt
20 blades fresh chives, chopped or snipped, for garnish

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onion. Saute onions 5minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, black beans and pumpkin puree. Stir to combine ingredients and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cream, curry, cumin, cayenne and salt, to taste. Simmer 5 minutes, adjust seasonings and serve garnished with chopped chives.

DeeAnn brough Penne-Wise Pumpkin Pasta from Rachael Ray
Salt
1 pound whole wheat penne rigate
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3 shallots, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 cups chicken broth
One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 pinches ground cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
Pepper
7 leaves fresh sage, thinly sliced
Grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, to pass around the table

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

While the pasta is working, in a medium skillet, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, pumpkin and cream. Add the hot sauce, cinnamon and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sage.

Toss the pasta with the sauce and pass the parmigiano-reggiano around the table

and Cinnamon-Pumpkin Custard from Better Homes and Gardens
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 2 slightly beaten eggs
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 12-ounce can (1 1/2 cups)evaporated milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar

In a medium bowl combine pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Stir in evaporated milk. Pour into a 9-inch quiche dish.

Bake in a 300° oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Before serving, let custard stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, for caramelized sugar, in a heavy 8-inch skillet heat the granulated sugar over medium-high heat until sugar begins to melt, shaking skillet occasionally to heat sugar evenly. Do not stir. Once sugar starts to melt, reduce heat to low; cook about 5 minutes more or until all of the sugar is melted and golden, stirring as needed with a wooden spoon. Quickly drizzle caramelized sugar over the custard. Serve immediately.

Sharon brought Pumpkin Scones from Starbucks
2 Cups all-purpose flour
7 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 Teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 Cup canned pumpkin
3 Tablespoons half and half
1 Large egg
6 Tablespoons cold butter

PLAIN GLAZE
1 Cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk

SPICED ICING
1 Cup plus 3 Tablspoons powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk
1/4 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 Pinch ground ginger
1 Pinch ground cloves

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Scones:
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half and egg.
Cut butter into cubes then add it to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry knife or a fork to combine butter with dry ingredients. Continue mixing until no chunks of butter are visible. You can also use a food processor: Pulse butter into dry ingredients until it is the texture of cornmeal or coarse sand.
Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then form the dough into a ball. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle that is about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide. Use a large knife or a pizza wheel to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough.
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes on a baking sheet that has been lightly oiled or lined with parchment paper. Scones should begin to turn light brown.

Plain Glaze:
Combine ingredients in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium speed mix until smooth.
Brush a coating of the glaze over the top of each cooled scone.
Allow plain glaze to set up.

Spiced Icing:
Combine ingredients in a cleam bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium speed. mix until smooth. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (at least 1 hour).

Makes 6 scones(or 12 mini's)
*Sharon had to add extra flour as the dough was too sticky!

Sprice brought Pumpkin Pasta
Laura brought Pumpkin Veggie Soup and Pumpkin Waffles

Monday, September 20, 2010

October's Meeting


The Recipe Pioneers will be making any new recipe made with pumpkin for the October meeting. Let's get creative and not just have desserts (although a few would be nice).

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 13th at 6:30 p.m. Memory Batton will be hosting the group in her home.

Hope to see you all there!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Soup and Sandwich Recipes

We had a blast this time! Memory kept us all laughing with her hilarious stories of newlywed bliss...teehee. The food was great too!

Sybil brought Benedictine Sandwiches from Paula Deen
1 medium cucumber
1 small onion, quartered
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash hot pepper sauce
1 drop green food coloring
Thinly sliced white bread
Mayonnaise
Parsley or watercress, for garnish

Peel cucumber and slice in half lengthwise; remove seeds with a small spoon. Place cucumber in a food processor and pulse about 5 times, until cucumber is minced. Place cucumber into a small glass mixing bowl.

Place onion in the food processor, pulsing until it is finely chopped. Add onion to cucumber. Add cream cheese and stir well with a spatula. Add salt, hot sauce, and food coloring.

With a round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut rounds out of bread slices. Spread a small amount of mayonnaise on bread rounds. Spread cheese mixture on half the rounds and top with another round. Garnish with a sprig of parsley or watercress.

AND Tortellini Soup from Rachel Ray

1 quart chicken stock
1 bag tortellini (16 ounces), dried or fresh, regular or whole grain
1 bunch spinach
Zest of 1 lemon
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Place a medium pot over medium-high heat and bring the stock to a boil. Drop the tortellini into the pot and cook, according to the package directions. In the last 30seconds of cooking, add the spinach and lemon zest into the pot. Season with salt and pepper and garnish each serving with some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Mary brought Quick Clam Chowder from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

4 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
3 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice
4 ounces bacon (4 slices), minced
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 pounds red potatoes (5 medium), scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
1 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried
1 cup heavy cream
2 TBS minced fresh parsley
Salt and Pepper

Drain the clams, reserving the juice. Add the bottled juice to the reserved clam juice to measure 5 cups (if short after adding the 3 bottles, add water to make up the difference).

Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook until the onion has softened and the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and coat the vegetables, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the 5 cups of clam broth. Stir in the potatoes, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in the clams, cream, parsley. Return to a simmer briefly, then remove the heat. Discard the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste.

DeeAnn brought Parmesan Potato Soup from Allrecipes.com
4 potatoes, cubed
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon sage
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
6 cups milk
12 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled

Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender.

In a soup kettle, saute onion in butter or margarine until tender.

Stir in flour and spices. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add potatoes, and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in milk and cheese. Heat through. Stir in bacon.

AND Hawaiian Sandwiches from Allrecipes.com
16 slices bacon
8 slices toasted white bread
1 (20 ounce) can sliced pineapple, drained
8 slices Cheddar cheese

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside.

Place 8 slices of toast on a baking sheet. Place a slice of pineapple, two slices of bacon and a slice of cheese on each. Broil until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

Friday, August 27, 2010

September Meeting of the Pioneers



Our September meeting will be: Soups AND Sandwiches. Please plan on bringing both to share.

We will meet on Wednesday, September 8th at 6:30 p.m. at Sybil's house.



BRING A FRIEND!