Vietnamese Pho Soup-Jonathan Jensen

• 6 ounces dried rice-stick noodles (rice vermicelli)
• 1/4 pound snow peas, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch strips (1 cup)
• 1 cup sliced shallots (3 large)
• 3 (1/8-inch-thick) slices fresh ginger, smashed
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh serrano chile, including seeds, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 1/2 cups beef broth (28 fluid ounces)
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced rare roast beef (from deli counter), torn into pieces
• 6 ounces fresh bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn if large
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
• 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Accompaniment: lime wedges

Cook noodles in a 4-quart pot of boiling water (not salted) 4 minutes, then add snow peas and boil 1 minute. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking. Drain well. Divide noodles and snow peas among 4 large soup bowls.
Cook shallots, ginger, and Serrano chile in oil in same pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until shallots are browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add broth and water and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.
While broth is simmering, divide roast beef, bean sprouts, and herbs among soup bowls with noodles.
Discard ginger from broth and stir in fish sauce, lime juice, and salt to taste. Ladle broth into bowls and serve immediately.

Holly here: This whole meal is cooked and ready in 15 minutes.

• I do the broth by cooking the shallots and ginger together, then add the beef broth, fish sauce and lime all at once for ease.
• While the broth is cooking, I chop up the rest of the veggies/herbs.
• My boys opt out of the Serrano chile….make it hot to your taste however you want.
• I like to pour the hot broth over the noodles as suggested, with the sliced roast beef in the bowl…cooks the roast beef a little more.

Egg Nog Hot Cereal-Helen Horton

During the holidays, I love to have some egg nog on hand.  The nog I buy at the store is way to rich to drink straight up so I always mix it with some skim milk, almost one to one.  It has plenty of flavor and it is much more drinkable. 

One of my favorite ways to enjoy undiluted nog is drizzled on hot cereal.  I love Cream of Wheat and Oatmeal cooked from the regular oats but even quick will due (the kind that comes in little single serve packets is good only in a pinch).  Audrey introduced me to a multi-grain hot cereal that has become my favorite.  It is 10 Grain Hot Cereal made by Red Mill.  It is delicious.  Yesterday we had a hearty bowl of 10 Grain with a little dark brown sugar and some nog drizzled over all.  It is simple, easy to make and tastes like a holiday breakfast feast. 

And speaking of adding nog, one of my favorite beverages is Postum and during the holiday season, I love to add a little nog to it for rich hot goodness along with some homemade Christmas Butter Cookies.  Unfortunately, Postum has been discontinued.  I am still stewing about the fact that when Kraft Foods discontinued it in October 2007, they didn’t even care enough about their loyal customers to warn them.  As Postum has a very long shelf life, I would have bought a couple of cases and stowed them in a vault somewhere to use for the next 2 decades.  Anyway, I miss Postum, with a slosh of egg nog, the most during the holidays.  Does anyone have a recommendation on a Postum substitute?

Note: Did you know that Postum was created by the Post Cereal Co as an alternative ‘no caffeine’ alternative to coffee, hence the name.

Gomokuzushi (Sushi on the fly)-Helen Horton

Here is a very easy way to have sushi for dinner any night of the week.  You can make it as fast as cooking rice and then a little stirring time.  We had this yesterday for lunch and it is kind of fun to roll it at the table.  Plus because you roll and eat, the nori stays a little crispy for an added texture. 

3 ½ cups Calrose rice

Enough water to cover 1 inch above the rice

3 inch square piece of Konbu

5 T. rice vinegar

5 T. sugar

2 t. salt

Wash the rice until the water is clear.  Add water and konbu and cook in rice cooker till done.  Let steam in pot for 10 minutes or so without taking the lid off.  Put rice in large bowl and mix in vinegar, sugar and salt.  Taking care not to smash the kernels of rice, stir and cool as quickly as you can while mixing all together.  It helps to have someone else fan it while you mix to speed the cooling process. 

10 med to large cooked shrimp, sliced in small chunks

1 avocado, peeled and cut into chunks

½ small cucumber, peeled and cut into small chunks

Nori

Soy Sauce

Wasabi

Then add your favorite mix-ins such as those above, shrimp, avocado and cucumber.  You can get these cut up while the rice is cooking.  Serve gomokuzushi in a bowl.   Also serve some nori cut in half or fourths plus soy sauce and wasabi.  At the table, each person can take a spoonful or two of the zushi, wrap it in the nori and dip in wasabi soy sauce.  It is an easy way to fix casual but gourmet sushi without all the fuss.

Pico de Gallo Taco Salad-Helen Horton

I love fresh Pico de Gallo and enjoy it on lots of foods-most any kind of mexican dish, scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, beans (open a can of pinto, kidney, or black beans, rinse, heat, then top with a generous helping of Pico de Gallo).  One of my favorite ways to serve Pico de Gallo is on Taco Salad.  Serve the ingredients buffet style so guests can build their own salad with tortilla chips, taco seasoned ground meat (I like ground turkey), chopped lettuce, grated cheese and Pico de Gallo.  This strategy combines the splashy flavors of fresh taco salad in a one stop bowl so it has a complex but balanced flavor rather than serving diced tomatoes plain.  Please put a liberal serving of Pico de Gallo all over as the crown and let the morsels drip down into the salad.  I like to serve this salad with a bit of Ranch Dressing squirted over in zig zags but purists tell me it’s just got to be sour cream.  Maybe have both available.

3 parts finely diced tomatoes without juice

1 part finely diced green peppers

1 part finely diced red onions

Some minced jalapeno or other pepper with heat (use the amount you like, mild, medium, hot)

A bit of chopped cilantro, to taste

1-2 freshly squeezed limes

Combine together and serve.  My Pico de Gallo never comes out exactly the same because I really just start chopping and see where it takes me, tasting as I go (so fun) and it is figure friendly.  I have used red bell peppers which makes it a little sweeter.

We had Taco Salad on Sunday for dinner with Jowy and made it Pico de Gallo style.

Roquamole (Rock-a-mo-le)-Helen Horton

It rocks!!!  Here is a new version of guacamole for bleu cheese lovers.  And since bleu is an acquired taste, this may be a good choice for someone who loves guacamole to ease into bleu.  But for those of us who love bleu and avocados, this is a marriage made in heaven.   Combining the avocado and the bleu, it becomes a thick and chunky but creamy chip dunking delight.

2 ripe avocados, chunked

1 cup crumbled bleu cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

2 T. finely sliced green onions or red onion

1/4 cup pickled green jalapenos, diced

Dash Paprika

Bag of sturdy tortilla chips

Put the avocado in a bowl perferably with a flat bottom so it is easy to mix and mash.  Use a fork or even easier, grab a potato masher and gently mash just long enough to break down leaving lots of chunks.  Add the next 4 ingredients and stir to combine but still leave chunks of cheese and avocado.  Sprinkle with a dash of paprika and serve with good thick tortilla chips.  The light and thin ones won’t hold up to this chunky dip. 

We served this a couple of days ago when Jowy came over for dinner after church.  It was our appetizer to nibble on and/or devour while we threw dinner together. Got this recipe from Nigella Lawson.

Conference Popcorn-David Jensen

By Hilary M. Hendricks

This popcorn treat takes two hours to set. You can prepare it

before a session of conference, and then enjoy it with your family

1 3-ounce (85-g) bag plain microwave

popcorn, popped (about 4 cups of

popped popcorn)

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. Pour the popped popcorn into a mixing bowl.

Throw away any unpopped kernels.

2. With an adult’s help, melt the butter or margarine in a saucepan, then stir in the

corn syrup and brown sugar. Continue to stir, and when the mixture boils rapidly,

pour it over the popcorn.

3. Use a wooden spoon to stir the popcorn until it is coated with the butter mixture.

Sprinkle on the nuts, if desired.

4. Spread the popcorn onto a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Let it sit at

room temperature for two hours, then break the popcorn into clusters.

***I popped our own popcorn.  Half a cup of popcorn made a full bowl.  The boys opted out of the nuts.  From the October 2010 Friend

Tex Mex Chicken-Debbie Horton

2 lbs frozen chicken breasts
2 14-oz cans chicken broth
1 lime cut into wedges
1 handful chopped fresh cilantro (omit if you and cilantro don’t jive)
1 T chopped garlic
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp seasoned salt

Place chicken and broth in bottom of crock pot.  Squeeze lime juice over chicken.  Put two wedges in with chicken.  Add remaining ingredients and stir.  Cook 8 hours on low.

When I was visiting Scott and Debbie, she used this chicken in her Chicken Enchiladas.  It is delicious.  You can use this in place of plain chicken in your enchilada recipe or try it in burritos, quesadillas, or tacos.  Yummy.

Witches’ Brew-David Jensen

5 gallons of water

8 c. sugar

1 bottle Hires root beer extract

10 lbs. dry ice

Mix sugar and extract with water.  Add dry ice.  We have this at our annual Halloween party at our house.

Lemon Bars by Teresa Horton

Crust:

3 cups AP Flour

3/4 cup powdered Sugar

1 1/2 cups Margarine

—Mix well then pat into a 10×15 inch sheet-cake pan.

—Bake at 350*F for 12 minutes.

Filling:

Whisk together:

5 Eggs

3 cups granulated Sugar

9 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

2 Teaspoons grated Lemon Zest

6 Tablespoons AP Flour

1 1/2 Teaspoons baking powder

—Pour on top of baked crust and return to oven (I pour it while pan is still in the oven)

    and bake 20 minutes longer or until topping is set. 

—Remove from oven, dust with powdered sugar.  When cool, dust with powdered sugar again.

—Cool and cut into squares.

Sunday Prime Rib Roast-Helen Horton

1 3-rib standing rib roast (7-8 lbs)

1 T. kosher salt

1 ½ t. pepper

Two hours before roasting, remove the meat from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. 

Place the oven rack on the second lowest position.  Preheat the over to 500 degrees.

Place the roast in a large pan bone side down and spread the top thickly with salt and pepper.  Roast the meat for 45 minutes.  Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and roast for 30 minutes.  Finally, increase the temperature to 450 degrees and roast for another 15 to 30 minutes until the internal temperature of the meat is 125 degrees. (Be sure the thermometer is in the center of the roast.) The total cooking time will be between 1 ½ – 1 ¾ hours. 

Remove the roast from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board.  Cover tightly with foil and allow the meat to rest for 20 minutes.  Carve and serve with horseradish sauce. 

Horseradish Sauce

½ – ¾ cup of sour cream mixed with several T. of prepared horseradish (to taste depending how potent you like it). 

I have never made a prime rib roast so for Christmas this year I decided to give it a try.  This recipe is from the Food Network’s Ina Garten.  The process of changing the temp on the oven creates a seared outside and a very tender inside without browning in a pan before cooking.  It was really good.  Audrey and Brig joined me for our first Christmas in Victor, Idaho.

Thanksgiving Turkey w/ Lemony Thyme Butter-Norma Horton

Lemony Thyme Butter

Zest of Large Lemon

4 Garlic Cloves

1 c butter, room temp

2 T Dijon mustard

Juice of 1 large lemon

1 bunch scallions, finely chopped

2 T chopped fresh thyme

2 T paprika

2 t salt

1 t freshly ground pepper

Turkey

1 14-16 lb turkey, rinsed and patted dry inside and out

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 lemons cut in 1/8” slices

4 fresh flat leaf parsley sprigs

2 fresh rosemary sprigs

2 T olive oil

2 c turkey or chicken stock

Lemony Thyme Butter

Blend lemon zest and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.  Add remaining ingredients and process.  The butter can be made 2 days in advance.  Bring to room temp before using.

Roast Turkey

Preheat oven to 325.  Generously season the main turkey cavity with salt and pepper and coat with 2 T butter.  Starting at the neck end, slide your hand between skin and meat of the breast, thighs, and upper drumsticks to loosen skin.  Spread the butter between the meat and the skin and arrange a few lemon slices under the skin.  Fill the cavity with any remaining lemon slices, and herbs.  Tie legs together loosely to hold shape.  Tuck the wing tips under. 

Place the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan.  Rub the outside with oil, then salt and pepper.  Pour stock into the pan.  Roast until temp is at 165-170 degrees, about 3 hours.  Let rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Mom says she reduced the amount of butter and the turkey still came out delicious and moist and filled the whole house with a wonderful aroma.

Lion House Rolls – Audrey Bastian

2 T yeast

2 cups warm water

1/3 sugar

1/3 c shortening, marg, or butter, melted

2 t salt

2/3 c nonfat dry mild

1 egg

5-6 cups flour

In a large bowl, mix yeast and water and let stand 5 minutes.  Add sugar, shortening, salt, dry milk, egg, and 2 cups flour.  Beat together until smooth.  Gradually add remaining flour until soft dough is formed. 

Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.  Place in a greased bowl; cover let rise until dough doubles in bulk.  Punch down; divide in half.

Roll out one half of the dough into rectangle; cut into rectangles that are twice as long as they are wide.  Pick up a piece and slightly stretch as you flip the dough around in a spiral.  Place on a greased baking sheet with the seam down.  Repeat. 

Brush tops with a little melted butter or marg.  Let rise until double in size.  Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.  Makes 3 dozen. 

Didn’t have access to Shirley’s delicious rolls this year for Thanksgiving so Audrey made them.  They were heavenly and we ate them hot out of the oven.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie-Helen Horton

1 env unflavored gelatin

½ c sugar

½ t salt

½ t cinnamon

½ t allspice

¼ t gr ginger

¼ t nutmeg

 

¾ c milk

2 slightly beaten egg yolks

1 c canned pumpkin

2 egg whites

¼ c sugar

½ c whipped cream, whipped

1 9-inch graham cracker crust

Combine first 7 ingredients in a sauce pan.  Stir in milk, egg yolks and pumpkin.  Cook and stir until it boils.  Remove from heat and chill until partially set.  Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually add sugar.  Beat until stiff peaks form.  Fold into pumpkin mixture with whipped cream.  Pile into crust and chill until firm.  

The year we lived in Enid, Oklahoma the Dennis Peterson family joined us for Thanksgiving dinner.  Dennis’ wife (can’t remmeber her name) made this for dinner and I loved it.  I wasn’t a real pumpkin pie fan at the time but this was delicious.  I asked for the recipe and she told me it was in the red and white checkered Better Homes and Garden Cookbook.  I already had this cook book and in fact grew up with it but never knew this gem was in my own backyard.  I felt a little like Ali Hafed.  Enjoy!

Maple Butter-Helen Horton

6 T. butter, softened

3 T. maple syrup

Mix together until blended.  Serve on hot homemade bread, biscuits, rolls, etc. 

Yesterday morning I unpacked my wheat grinder and wanted to make some homemade honey wheat bread.  My bosch was already unpacked so I ground some wheat and put on a batch while I was watching conference.  I was planning to make honey butter because I was having some friends over later in the day and thought that would be a nice touch.  When I was looking for the recipe I ran into this recipe that I had saved but never made.  I decided to try it and just love the touch of maple.  Reminds my of the many trips to Vermont which is maple syrup country.  It is so easy, enjoy.

German Pancakes-Helen Horton

I served this for breakfast when Dad and Mom came up last weekend to Victor.  It sure was fun having them visit.  Mom took a copy of the recipe and thought it would be nice to share on the blog.

2-3 T butter or marg

6 eggs

1 c milk

1 c flour

Pinch salt

Pre heat oven at 425.  Put butter in 9X13 while preheating to melt.  Add remaining ingredients to a blender and whirl until well mixed.  (Or you can beat it by hand or with a hand mixer.)  Take pan out of oven and make sure butter covers the bottom and sides of pan.  Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25 minutes.  Will puff up and then sink.  Cut into large squares and serve with butter, syrup and jam as desired. 

I got this recipe from Kathy Charles, a lady in my ward in Plattsburgh, NY .  It is great because you don’t have to tend pancakes since you put this in the oven.  While it is baking you can cut up some fruit or do bacon, etc. and set the table.  Nice for company.   PS  The original recipe called for 6 T of butter but it is not necessary.

Matt and Mandy’s Famous Salad-Holly Jensen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

4 Slices of Bacon
1 Pkg. [6 oz.] Baby Spinach Leaves
1 Can [11 oz.] Mandarin Oranges
1/4 C. Sliced Almonds

Dressing:

1/4 C. Sugar
1/3 C. Vinegar
1/4 t. Salt
2 T. Canola Oil

1.  Wash your hands.
2.  Get out a big bowl to make your salad in.
3.  Have an adult help you cook the bacon in a large frying pan.  When it’s done put it on a paper towel or napkin to cool.

4.  Put the spinach in the bowl.  Drain the mandarin oranges, and put them on top of the spinach.  Crumble the bacon, and sprinkle it and the almonds on top.

5.  Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Pour the dressing over the salad and mix lightly.

Source:  The Friend, September 2009, Kitchen Krafts, p. 47

Jonathan and David’s Silly Tacos-Jonathan and David Jensen

Ingredients:

Tortillas [or Tortilla Chips or Crispy Taco Shells] — We prefer the crispy taco shells!
Taco Meat
Goldfish Crackers
Lettuce
Cheese
Chopped Tomatoes
Sour Cream
Mild Salsa

Instructions:

Grab a crispy taco shell and spoon taco meat in the bottom.  Then, make a layer of GoldFish crackers on top of the meat.  Add the thick layer of lettuce, then some cheese, sour cream & tomato.  Dip in your own personal stache of salsa.  Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Strawberry Danish-Sharon Larson

Crust

2 C flour

1 C margarine

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 C chopped walnuts, optional

Filling

2 envelopes Dream Whip

1 C powdered sugar

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 t vanilla Sauce

1 pkg. Danish Dessert (Strawberry Junket)

1 pkg. frozen strawberries (other frozen fruit, if desired)

 Mix together flour, margarine, brown sugar like pie dough with fork. Add nuts. Spread in 9x11x2 cake pan and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Cool and recrumble. Put half in the bottom of the pan.

Prepare Dream Whip; cream together powdered sugar, cream cheese and vanilla. Add to Dream Whip. Pour in on top of crumbs in pan. Sprinkle remainder of crumbs on top.

Prepare junket sauce using liquid from frozen fruit. Cool. (Frozen fruit may be added to the sauce also when cooled). Cut dessert in squares and pour sauce on top of each piece. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Sharon’s notes: I usually get two packages of frozen fruit because I think it tastes better with more fruit. Or I get fresh strawberries (in season) and add them to the cooled sauce. Also, I usually use a 9×13 pan because that is what I have.

Lindsay – This recipe comes from Eileen Ungermann, an old roommate of Sharon’s. It has long been a favorite of Steve’s and he requests it for his birthday desserts. When Chris and I were younger, we picked different desserts for our birthdays, but the older we got the more frequently we requested “Danish Dessert.” During my freshman year of college, some of my friends from home called my mom to get the recipe from her. Then they surprised me with a fantastic birthday celebration, including a night on the town dressed up in crazy clothes and Strawberry Danish to cap it off.

No-Bake Cookies-Sharon Larson

2 cups sugar

½ cup milk

½ cup margarine

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cocoa

Bring to rolling boil. Remove from heat.

Add:

3 cups oatmeal

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup peanut butter

1 cup coconut, optional

Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper to cool. (Although it’s ridiculously delicious to eat while still warm, straight from the pan!)

I have made this cookie recipe too many times to count—there’s something so appealing about a “no bake” cookie!

Of course, I have to admit that even with the ease of it, I have sometimes messed it up. Once I made some cookies to take to work as a Christmas treat, but for some reason they were a little too dry. None of my coworkers would touch them because they looked too “interesting.” But they still tasted great, so I was glad that I got them all to myself anyway!

Peanaut Butter, Bacon and Tomato Sandwiches-Lindsay Call

Bread

Bacon slices (can be real or turkey bacon)

Tomato slices

Peanut butter

Cook bacon slices. Cut tomato into slices. Toast bread. Put peanut butter on each slice of bread. Add tomato and bacon slices, and make into sandwich. Enjoy! Lindsay’s notes: We usually preferred whole wheat bread and Jif crunchy peanut butter. Some people know this sandwich as a BLT, but let me tell you, the peanut butter makes all the difference! S

haron still can’t stomach it, but the rest of the Larson clan loves to load on the peanut butter. (Obviously, this one also comes from the Larson side of the family). When I was in college, I never felt like I could afford the bacon, so I tried out a modified peanut butter and tomato sandwich. Turns out, it’s also pretty delightful (although I’m still a sucker for bacon!).

Gingersnaps-Sharon Larson

Cream until fluffy:

¾ cup vegetable oil

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup molasses

1 egg

 Sift together:

2 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

Stir flour mixture into molasses mixture.

Form into small balls.  Roll in granulated sugar:  place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet.  Bake in 375° oven for 12 minutes.  Makes about 5 dozen.

I make these every year at Christmas.  Even though they are called Gingersnaps, I think that they taste better cooked to the point that they are done but still a soft cookie instead of a hard cookie.  I take them out of the oven when the very center of the cookie still looks a little raw and let them sit on the cookie sheet for another minute while the center finishes firming up.  Then I slide them off the pan and onto a cookie rack to finish cooling.  The sugar coating gives the outside of the cookie a little crispness but the inside stays soft and moist.  The original recipe called for ¾ cup of shortening instead of the vegetable oil.  Measuring and mixing with oil is so much easier than using shortening so I substitute the oil every year.  The smell of these cookies baking gives your house a great Christmassy smell during the holidays.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole-Sharon Larson

2 lbs. fresh broccoli spears, steamed to tender crisp

1 ½ lbs. cooked chicken, cut into large chunks

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2/3 cup of mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Arrange broccoli in a 9×13 pan.  Cover with chicken.  Mix soup, lemon juice, and mayonnaise.  Pour soup mixture over chicken.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until hot.  Spoon casserole over hot rice

This recipe is another of Steve’s favorites.  Eileen Ungermann, an old roommate, shared this recipe with me.

Enchiladas-Sharon Larson

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. hamburger
1 large onion, chopped
1 4 oz. can of chopped olives
flour tortillas
1 1/2 pounds grated cheese

Brown hamburger and onion.  Drain grease.

2 cans mild enchilada sauce (medium size)
3 cans water (use the can that the enchilada sauce was in to measure the water)
1/3 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
1-2 t. cumin
1 t. oregano
2-3 T. chili powder

In a separate pan, melt butter.  Remove pan from heat. Add flour, stir.  Slowly add enchilada sauce, stirring with a wire wisk to avoid lumps.  Slowly add water and spices.  Mix well.  Heat to a boil. Continue cooking until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat.

Add 1-2 cups of enchilada sauce to the meat to moisten.  Add drained chopped olives to the meat. Stir.

Spoon 2-3 T enchilada filling into a tortilla.  Roll tortilla.  Transfer the filled enchiladas to 9 x 13 pan.  Continue until pan is full.  Pour enchilada sauce over filled tortillas.  Top with grated cheese.  Bake in oven (350 degrees) for 25-30 minutes or until heated.  Serve with sour cream and salsa.

This is another Larson family FAVORITE (all caps)!  Whenever Chris or I would come home from college and my mom would ask what we wanted to eat while we were home, mom’s enchiladas was always tops on the list!

 I also took this recipe to D.C. and even made it a few times (miracle of all miracles).  It was great to freeze in individual Tupperware containers to reheat later since it makes too much to eat at once.

 This is a recipe I got from Eileen Ungermann, an old roommate.

Cinnamon Nuts-Sharon Larson

In a saucepan, combine:

2 cups of sugar

2/3 cups of evaporate milk

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Boil, stirring occasionally to soft-ball stage. Remove from heat. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir. Add 8 cups of walnuts. Stir quickly to cover walnuts with candy mixture. Spread out on waxed paper in small clumps. Let cool. Store in a covered container.

This is a recipe that Steve’s sister Linda makes every Christmas. I make them every Christmas and give them to friends and neighbors. I love this recipe because I can make a large batch of nuts in just a few minutes.

Chicken and Rice Casserole-Sharon Larson

Chicken, cut into pieces
1/3 cup butter or margarine
2 cups rice
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans cream of celery soup
2/3 cup milk
1 package fresh sliced mushrooms, optional

Rinse chicken.  Pat dry with a paper towel or just allow water to drain off chicken.

 Melt butter in pan. Add rice.  Sauté rice until rice is browned.  Add cans of soup and milk to rice.  Heat until mixture begins to boil.  Add package of sliced mushrooms. Stir. 

 Place chicken in 9 x 13 inch pan.  Pour hot rice mixture over the chicken.  Tightly cover with aluminum foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 2 hours or until chicken is cooked and rice is done.

Cooks’ Notes
Sharon:  I don’t put in the butter.  I just spray the pan with “Pam” and then brown the rice.  I usually use chicken thighs (skin removed) for the chicken, but you may use any chicken pieces with or without bones.

 Lindsay: It’s definitely better with the mushrooms!

 Sharon:  I got this recipe from Eileen Ungermann, a roommate of mine from college.

 Lindsay: Although I don’t know the origins of this recipe, it has been a fixture in the Larson home as long as I can remember.  This was one of the few recipes that I added to my collection when I moved to Washington, D.C. because it was not too difficult for my feeble cooking skills.  I once made this for a big dinner party, in which I was trying to woo Neal with my cooking skills.  Of course, all of Neal’s roommates showed up, except him.  Oh well, I got him in the end!

Whole Wheat House-Jonathan and David

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whole-wheat House Ingredients:

2 Pieces of Toast Mini-wheat cereal

Peanut butter [or almond butter]

Cheerios

Directions:

Use one piece of toast for the house, cutting out the windows and door. To raise the roof, cut the second piece into a triangle and shingle it with the mini-wheat cereal held in place with peanut butter. A small rectangle of toast, cut to fit against the roofline, makes an ideal chimney, especially with a puff of Cheerios smoke. For siding, spead the whole house with peanut butter, scratching in some shingles with a toothpick or fork. Makes 1.

Friday Night Dinner 2009 Reunion

Lots of people asked for the recipes for Friday Night’s Dinner.  Here is the menu:

Sliced Roast Turkey

Fiesta Bean Salad

Bleu Cheese Spring Salad

Melon Dressed with Lime

Asian Slaw

Almond Tofu Fruit Salad

Shirley’s Rolls (from the bakery)

Aunt Lenore’s Summer Cooler

Assorted Dessert Bars

Thanks to the committee members for all their help putting everything together and making their dessert bars.  Debbie made Brownies topped with Cookie Dough, Marisha made Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, Brig made Original Chocolate Brownies, Emily made Chocolate Cookies Bars, and Helen made Beno’s Hello Dolly’s.  Thanks to Chris for joining our team last night.

All of the salad recipes, Aunt Lenore’s drink, and Beno’s dessert bars are on Hortonvore.

Bleu Cheese Spring Salad-Helen Horton

1 5 oz bag of spring mix salad (add some chopped red leaf lettuce for more bulk)

2 oz crumbled bleu or gorgonzola cheese

1/3 c broken sugared pecans

1/3 c dried cranberries

4 thick slices bacon, cooked and chopped

Bleu Cheese dressing

Put the salad mix on platter.  Sprinkle over pecans, cranberries, cheese and bacon.  I like to put the cheese on the very top for color contrast.  Serve with dressing.  My favorite is Litehouse Original Bleu Cheese dressing but any kind you like works great.  This is a very classy salad for a company dinner and works great if you build it on individual salad plates. 

To make your own sugared pecans, put nuts and sugar in a pan using 2 parts nuts to 1 part sugar.  Stir constantly until the sugar melts (do not leave unattended).  Then quickly spread on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper to cool.  Once they cool break apart. 

This was served at the 2009 reunion.

Asian Slaw-Helen Horton

Ingredients:

½ large head of Napa cabbage, shredded

¼ large head of hard cabbage, shredded

2 stalks celery, finely sliced on diagonal

1 small carrot, grated or cut in fine sticks

½ bunch green onions sliced, tops only

½ c sugar snap peas, sliced on diagonal

½ c slivered almonds

1/3 c sesame seeds, unsalted

1 pkg ramen noodles, broken in small chunks

Salt to taste

Dressing:

¼ c half and half

¼ c mayo

¼ c rice vinegar

2 T sesame oil

2 T honey

¼ to ½ t Chinese chili paste

Combine dressing ingredients in the bottom of a large bowl.  Add all other ingredients except salt.  Mix well and salt to taste.  Serve immediately. 

You can prepare all the ingredients earlier and then add the dressing just before you serve.  You can also add a cup or two of cut up rotisserie chicken and make this into a summer main dish salad. 

 This was served at the 2009 reunion.

Oven Fried Chicken-Norma Horton

6-8 chicken pieces, breasts, thighs, or legs

3 c cornflakes, crushed to about 1 cup

Lawry’s seasoned salt

garlic powder

paprika

Line a baking sheet with foil.  Sprinkle on a light layer of cornflake crumbs then arrange chicken pieces so they don’t touch.  Sprinkle the rest of the crumbs on the chicken evenly coating.  Season with Lawry’s, garlic powder and paprika.  Bake at 350 for 35-50 minutes depending on how large the pieces are.  When done, juices should run clear. 

This is one of Dad’s/Grandpa’s favorite chicken dishes.