Culinary Goods

First, this is not a new recipe. My dad taught me to make this, and it originally came from a family that is related to my sister’s in-laws. Stef, feel free to clarify in the comments. However, I served it at book club, and people asked if I was going to blog it, so I figured, why not. It’s new to everyone else. Lemon Sour Cream Pie 1 cup sugar 3 Tbs. cornstarch + 1 tsp. 1 cup milk Cook the above ingredients until thick, boil few minutes. In a separate bowl, combine 3 egg yolks and mix. Take the hot mixture and pour 1/3 of mixture into bowl. Stir, then pour egg and 1/3 hot mixture back into the pan and bubble on low for two minutes. Add 1/3 cup butter, 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1 Tbs. Lemon rind (I use 2 lemons worth). Cool. Add 1 cup sour cream. Put in baked pie shell and top with whipping cream. Makes 1 pie.

My fabulous friend Lisa made this amazing dish, so of course I grabbed the recipe from her. This is really, really good. It almost gets a 9. It’s probably an 8.8; it’s the best homemade mac and cheese I’ve ever had. She got the recipe originally from someone named Galo Ramirez in our stake, and I am not sure whether it is originally his, or it came from somewhere else. In other words, I’m doing the very best I can to document the original designer of this fantastic food. It’s a winner!! The only thing she said she did differently is that she used smoked gouda instead of smoked cheddar. I think I might do the same thing. Chipotle Mac and Cheese 1 lb pasta (cavatappi or curly) 2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 3/4 cup onion, 1/2 inch dice 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups heavy cream 3 cups half-and-half 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon white pepper (ground) 3/4 lb smoked cheddar cheese, grated 1/4 lb chedda

This recipe was really quite good. It gets an 8. I found it on cookingclassy.com, and I served it at book club. It was good with fruit and pretzels. I didn’t change anything, but I noted in bold what I will change next time. This was really like nutella mousse. Yum! Nutella Cheesecake Dip Yield: 6 Servings Ingredients 1 cup heavy cream 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese 3 Tbsp powdered sugar I think this is unnecessary 3/4 cup Nutella Directions In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. In a separate mixing bowl, whip cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, about 1 minute. Add nutella and blend until well combined. Add half of the whipped cream and gently fold mixture until nearly blended then add remaining whipped cream and gently fold mixture until well blended.Serve with strawberries or graham crackers. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container. Recipe Source: Cooking Classy http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/05/nutella-chee

So, I love peanut butter bars. I have a recipe of my own that I love, but these were just different enough that I would consider them two different things. My very excellent friend Misty brought them to a girls weekend, and I ate two of them, which is a lot for me. The cookie base is pretty much the same, but the toppings are super good. I love the layer of peanut butter on top, and the frosting is like a Texas sheet cake. Cookie base: 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup butter 3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter 3/4 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 3/4 tsp soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 1/2 cup flour 1 1 /2 c oats 12x15 cookie sheet at 325 for 27 minutes. After they are cooled, spread thin layer of creamy peanut butter on top. Then put the frosting on top. Frosting: melt 1 cube butter 1 lb. powdered sugar 6 T. milk 3 T cocoa Heat butter and milk, add cocoa, whisk, take off heat and add 1 lb. powdered sugar. She did add 1 tsp. vanilla as well.

These were really good. I got the recipe from melskitchencafe.com and they get an 8. They were a little too sweet even after I cut the sugar down, so I'll definitely cut it down even more next time. I cut the recipe in half and am really glad I did, because I wouldn't want 4 dozen huge Nutella cookies hanging around my house for too long. Swirled Peanut Butter and Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies YIELD:  MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN LARGE COOKIES Author's Note: I made really big cookies with this recipe (basically two regular size cookie dough balls pressed around the peanut butter/nutella swirl). If you'd like to exercise some self-control, you could definitely make smaller cookies, just adjust the size of the cookie dough and the scoop of peanut butter/nutella. I liked the little melty nibble of peanut butter/nutella right in the center of the cookie, however, if you'd like that goodness to be spread out more, simply smooth the dollop into an even layer

These were gross. First of all, the sweet potatoes are plenty sweet without adding 3 TBS of honey to them. Also, the onion I used was hot, which ruined the entire dish, especially since I put half of that onion in the salsa I spread over my tortilla. Granted, that isn't the recipe's fault, but I was not a fan, overall. I served these with queso fresco, salsa, and sour cream. These get a 5. I got the recipe from cookingclassy.com.  Honey-Lime Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Corn Tacos Ingredients 1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled if desired and diced into 1/2-inch cubes 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp ground coriander 1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 small yellow onion, diced (1 cup) 1 clove garlic, minced 1 (14.5) oz can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup frozen yellow corn, thawed and drained 3 Tbsp honey 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro Corn or flour tortillas Romain le

I really like Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscano soup and this was pretty darn close. I gave it a 7 and Jared gave it a 7.5. I got the recipe off of damndelicious.net. I put my changes in bold like always. 3 bunches of kale- I remember Olive Garden's soup having this, so I added it. 4 slices bacon, diced I didn't add this 1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casing removed  1 tablespoon olive oil  2 cloves garlic, minced  1 onion, diced  4 cups chicken broth  3 russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced  3 cups baby spinach  1 1/2 cups heavy cream  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste INSTRUCTIONS Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.  Add Italian sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat and set aside.  Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or

  These were really good. I got the recipe from melskitchencafe.com. I liked the veggie tacos from last week better, but these were certainly worth making, and I will make them again. I give them an 8. These would be good with just shredded cabbage and then a mango salsa, because the slaw was the weakest aspect. So, I did make some changes, which I have noted in bold. Broiled Tilapia Tacos Yield: Serves 4 Ingredients 8 6-inch white or yellow corn tortillas we fried ours again, which makes them so good   Quick Slaw:  This slaw was good, but it wasn’t excellent. I am going to keep thinking about how to make this better. 2 cups finely chopped green cabbage or prepackaged angel hair coleslaw mix 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 3 small radishes, very thinly sliced 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice Pinch of salt, plus more to taste if needed Avocado Sauce: 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt Ok, so I did half sour cream and half Jalapeno Greek Yogur

These were better than I thought they would be. They get a 7. The recipe came from ourbestbites.com, and I did change it significantly. I will make these again. In addition to the changes below, I added the following spices to the bread crumb mixture:  I added smoked paprika, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and oregano. I just shook it in and mixed it in with the bread crumbs, and this is a must for flavor. We dipped them in ranch, but fry sauce would be awesome as well. Baked Zucchini Fries Posted By Kate @ Our Best Bites On 01.19.2011 @ 12:01 am Baked Zucchini Fries Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from Aggie’s Kitchen About 1 lb. zucchini I used 3 medium-ish ones 1/2 c. Italian-seasoned panko bread crumbs I used two types. I used plain panko, which I added spices to, and then whole wheat bread crumbs, and they were both great. I also used WAY more than 1/2 cup. Probably 1 1/2 cups at least. 1/4 c. grated Parm

So these are better than the picture suggests. For some reason, the color in the picture is way weird. Anyway, I kind of just used my stand-by chocolate chip cookie recipe and then added snickers. Hadley says these are now her 2nd favorite cookie, and day-of baking, they were awesome. The second day they were far less awesome than normal chocolate chip cookies, but the first day the texture was absolutely perfect. Now, one problem is that I was tripling it b/c I needed it for those monthly sack lunches I do, which means the KitchenAid was beyond full and it didn’t incorporate the Snickers evenly. So, some cookies got a lot, and others go barely any. That is a no-no. Also, I might leave the chunks bigger next time. I would give these an 8, and I will make them again. Here is the best I could remember from the recipe, and make sure to note that the flour and oatmeal are guesstimates, so make sure that the dough gets enough flour. Cookies 1 cup fat (2/3 butter, 1/3 canola oil) 3/4 bro

These were really good, probably because there is absolutely no nutritional value to them. The brie was $8 for a small wedge, so I bought gouda instead, which I love. I also didn't dip them in egg since I'm not a huge fan of eggy things. Jared and I gave these a 7.5. I got the recipe from my Fine Cooking magazine. Prosciutto, Apple, and Brie Monte Cristos 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard 2 Tbs. honey 8 3/4-inch-thick slices crusty artisan-style bread (if necessary, cut on an angle to make sandwich-size slices) 6 oz. Brie, thinly sliced 3 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto 1 small, crisp, sweet apple, such as Gala or Fuji, cored and thinly sliced 4 large eggs 1/2 tsp. ground allspice 1-1/2 oz. (3 Tbs.) unsalted butter Kosher salt Combine the mustard and honey in a small bowl. Set the bread slices on a work surface and spread one side of each with the mustard mixture, dividing it evenly. Top 4 of the bread slices with the Brie, prosciutto, apple slices, and then the remaini

So, I got this recipe from cookingclassy.com and these were way better than I expected. John and my neighbor gave them a 9, and I gave them an 8, so I guess the average is 8.5. I did make some changes, which I put in bold. I would serve these with cabbage next time, and I think frying to tortillas is a must. These are the best veggie tacos I have had, and I’ve tried a few. We also added avocado, which was a big hit. Roasted Veggie and Black Bean Tacos Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Yield: Makes enough for about 9 tacos Ingredients 3 medium tomatoes, cored and seeded, diced* (1 1/2 cups) I used less than this, but only b/c I was in a hurry 2 ears corn, kernals cut from cob (1 1/2 cups) I forgot this entirely because I was in a hurry, but it would make it even better 1 medium zucchini, diced (1 1/2 heaping cups) 1 medium yellow squash, diced (1 1/2 heaping cups) 3/4 small yellow onion, chopped (scant 1 cup) 1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup) 1 1/2 Tbsp ol

I got this recipe from annies-eats.com, and I have to say I liked it way more than I thought I would. First, I don’t eat a ton of meat, so vegetarian chili is hard. It’s good, but it’s never as good as the kind with meat. Now, I wouldn’t put this up against a really awesome chili with some sirloin in it, but it’s the best I’ve found. I’m calling it—it’s the best vegetarian chili I have had. I give it an 8.3. It definitely is good with the cheese and avocado, and I also added frozen corn to mine. You think I am kidding, but my cousin literally did not know this did not have meat in it until I told him. It absolutely tastes and feels like a hearty chili. I put my changes in bold. Vegetarian Chili Yield: about 8-10 servings Ingredients 8 oz. dried black beans I used more than this, I did about 1 1/2 cups dry beans 8 oz. dried cannellini beans I used pinto beans, and I used about 1 1/2 cups dry 3 tbsp. plus 1¼ tsp. kosher salt, divided 1 tsp. baking soda I left this out b/c I preppe

  This was surprisingly good. Everyone liked it, so it gets a 7.8. We also had some leftover rotisserie chicken that we added to the pasta right before we served it, which was yummy. I kind of just looked at a few similar recipes and then made up this version. Next time, I am using panko bread crumbs and buttering those for the top of this, and I am going to caramelize 2 onions in the skillet for about 20 minutes before I make the sauce. Boil water and add pasta, then after 3 minutes, add broccoli. 16 oz. pasta (we used shells) a big bag of frozen broccoli (it was probably about 6-8 cups worth) In a cast iron skillet, melt the butter, add the oil, add the flour and make a roux, add the milk and bring to a boil. Then stir in cheese and spices and dump over the pasta. 2 T. butter 1 T. canola oil generous 3 T. flour 3 cups milk 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese generous 1 T. dijon mustard generous 1 T. Worcestershire

So this was a decent dish. It  wasn't the best thing I've ever had, but it was just fine. It  had good flavor and is low carb. I would give it a 6.5. I got the recipe off of  cookingclassy .com.  Kale White Bean and Sausage Soup Prep Time:  10 minutes Cook Time:  30 minutes Yield:  6 servings Ingredients 1 Tbsp olive oil 12 oz beef Polska Kiebasa Sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices (I used Hillshire Farm and really liked it) 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots (about 3) 1 1/3 cups chopped yellow onion (1 medium) 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks) 4 cloves garlic, minced 3 (14.5 oz cans) low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup water 1 Tbsp dried parsley 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed 1/2 tsp dried oregano Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 6 oz kale, thick ribs removed, chopped (about 1 1/2 bunches. 5 oz if using pre-cut) 2 (14.5 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed Shredded parmesan cheese, for serving Directions Heat

I really liked this- Jared and I both gave it an 8.5. I actually made it twice this weekend, and this is fast becoming one of my favorite desserts. I got it off of cookingclassy.com. Also, I added 1 heaping tsp. of cinnamon to the sugar cinnamon mixture on top instead of just 1/2 tsp.  Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce Ingredients Cake 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp of each ground ginger, nutmeg & allspice I also added 1/4 tsp. cloves. Also, all the spices I added were a heaping 1/4 tsp.  3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold, diced into small pieces 1 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided I used 3/4 C. 1 1/2 lbs granny smith apples (about 5 medium) 3/4 cup milk 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon I added 1 heaping tsp.  Custard Sauce 1 1/2 cups whole milk 1 pinch salt 6 large egg yolks 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Directions For the cake: Preheat oven to 375 degree

Scout saw this picture and said "ew", which should have been my first clue that is looked disgusting. Anyways, despite their appearance, these were really good and actually tasted better the next day. Jared and I both gave this recipe a 7.5. I got the recipe off of cookingclassy.com. Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas Prep Time:  15 minutes Yield:  About 9 fajitas Ingredients 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast halves 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes with green chilies 1 red, orange and green bell pepper, julienned 1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 1/2 tsp chili powder 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp paprika 3/4 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp salt 3/4 tsp pepper 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice 1 Tbsp honey I didn't add this For serving: Flour tortillas, sour cream, cilantro, salsa, guacamole, monterrey jack or cheddar cheese Directions Pour half of the canned tomatoes into the bottom of a slow cooker and spread i