Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Stew

Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Stew

3/4 pounds hot sausage
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cups chicken broth
4 garlic cloves, pressed
2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans
Fresh basil, if desired

1. Cut sausage into nuggets and brown over medium heat for 5-ish minutes.
2. Add carrots and onions and continue cooking 3-5 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink.
3. Stir tomatoes, broth and garlic into sausage mixture.  Drain and rinse beans; add to mixture.
4. Simmer stew, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until veggies are tender.
5. Top with basil, if desired, and serve hot.

Notes: This makes 4-6 servings and is delightful on a cold day!  Both Sean and I find it hearty enough to stand on its own as a meal.  For the hot sausage you can use Italian links or a tube of the hot breakfast sausage stuff (stuff is it's technical name).  Just make sure to remove any casings.

Recipe Origination: Pampered Chef "29 Minutes to Dinner" with some tweaks

Butter Cut Out Cookies

Butter Cut Out Cookies

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda

1. Cream together butter and sugar.
2. Add egg and blend.
3. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda.  Slowly add to butter mixture and blend.
4. Chill dough for an hour.  Roll out on a floured surface to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes.
5. Bake for 8-12 minutes at 350 degrees.  (Time really varies depending on thickness of dough and size of cut outs.)

Notes: The dough is really fragile, so roll using a lot of flour.  If it sits out for too long and becomes unmanageable, throw it back in the fridge for another 15 minutes.  These are great for decorating!

Recipe Origination: This is Grandma Wuolle's recipe.  She made them for us all the time!

Peanut Butter Pie

Peanut Butter Pie

Crust
1-1/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (about 20 cookies)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Several squares of a Hershey Bar

1. Combine the crust ingredients.  Press into a 9" pie plate.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Cool completely.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth.  Gently fold in whipped cream (you want to keep it airy).  Carefully spoon into crust.
3. Make thin slices of the Hershey bar (usually on the side of a cheese grater) to top the pie.
4. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

Notes: The pie tastes just as good with reduced fat cream cheese and half the sugar in the filling.  I strongly recommend not altering the heavy cream, though.  It really is best with that!  If you've never made your own cream before, it's pretty easy.  Here's a simple video: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/baking/whip-cream-00000000002253/.  You might even break a sweat!  Also, you can use chocolate graham cracker crumbs to make the crust.

Recipe Origination: Doris Doherty

Sweet Potato Muffins

Sweet Potato Muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes (about 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

Streusel
2 tbsp biscuit mix (like Bisquick, or 2 tbsp flour + 1/4 tsp baking powder)
2 tbsp oats
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
1/2 tbsp cold butter

1. In a large bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, potatoes, water, oil, and applesauce.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
3. Coat muffin tins with spray (or use paper liners).  Fill two thirds with mix.
4. For streusel, combine the baking mix, oats and sugars; cut in butter until crumbly.  Sprinkle over batter.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean.  Cool for 5-10 minutes and then remove from pans to wire racks.

Notes: These also make great mini-muffins.  Adjust baking time to 10-12 minutes.  The recipe makes about 15 normal muffins.

Recipe Origination: "Taste of Home" Fall 2010 with some tweaks

Chicken Posole Soup

Chicken Posole Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 can (29 oz) white hominy, drained
2 cups chicken broth (go for reduced or sodium free)
1 can (10 oz) green enchilada sauce or salsa verde, your level of heat
1 cup water
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano (or regular oregano if you don't care)
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced (old rotisserie chicken works great!)

Suggested toppings: thinly sliced cabbage, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, crumbled queso fresco (or shredded chihuahua), diced avocado

1. Cook garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
2. Immediately add broth, enchilada sauce, water, oregano and hominy; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add chicken and simmer until warmed.
4. Divide posole into 4 bowls and top away.

Notes: Half a diced white onion is a good variation.  Add it in with the garlic and olive oil.

Recipe Origination: Chipotle had a delicious posole soup a few years ago so I've been looking at recipes since.  This one is mainly a "Pampered Chef" version of it.  

Cheesy Butternut Squash Cavatappi Bake

Cheesy Butternut Squash Cavatappi Bake

1 butternut squash, cooked and mashed
8 oz cavatappi or elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions
1 tbsp butter
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup milk
6 oz shredded fontina cheese (or sharp cheddar, or a mix)
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 2 quart baking dish; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan heat butter over medium-high heat.  Add green onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over green onions; cook and stir for 1 minute.  Add milk and 1/2 tsp salt and pepper.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Remove heat; stir in squash.  Add pasta and gently fold to combine.
3. Transfer half the pasta mixture to the baking dish.  Sprinkle with half of cheese and bacon.  Add remaining pasta, followed by cheese and bacon.
4. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes.  Top with additional green onions.

Notes: This will make about 6 servings.  The original recipe calls for mushrooms, so if you're a fungi fanatic, add some cremini or button mushrooms.

Cooking a Squash: The easiest way is to cut it down the middle lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and place it cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet with a few tbsp of water.  Bake for about an hour at 350 degrees, or until a fork easier goes through the flesh.  Another option, which won't take as long but requires more work, is to cut the squash into cubes and microwave for 5-10 minutes in a dish covered in vented plastic wrap, and then mash when the squash is tender.

Recipe Origination: From "Better Homes and Gardens" with a few tweaks.

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

2 cups (16 oz can) cooked, packed pumpkin
2/3 cup water
3 cups sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2-1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2-1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together the sugar, butter and eggs in a mixing bowl.
3. Add pumpkin puree and water; mix well.
4. Sift together remaining dry ingredients and slowly add to pumpkin mixture.  Combine until ingredients are moistened.
5. Pour into two large bread pans.  Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Healthy Option:  Omit 1 cup of the sugar and substitute with 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce and 1/2 cup ground flaxseed.  Omit one cup of the flour and substitute with whole wheat flour.

Notes: This recipe works great in those mini loaf pans, with a baking time around 20 minutes.  You can also use cupcake tins, with a baking time around 16 minutes.  The mini muffins take around 12 minutes.  My oven seems to cook quickly, though, so always check.  Regardless of bread/muffin type, it is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and not goopy.

Recipe Origination: I have no idea.  I've been using this for at least a decade from memory.