Cornbread Dressing (Thanksgiving Style)

I think my mom inherited my Gran's innate aptitude for Thanksgiving goodness. This is their recipe, and the ultimate comfort food. A southern delicacy.

















Ingredients
1 pan of cornbread 
1/3 stack of saltines, crushed
4 eggs 
3 stalks of celery, sliced thin
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
2 T. butter
1 bag of herb seasoned stuffing mix (if it's cubed, put it in the blender)
1 (or 2) boxes of chicken stock

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Saute the celery and onions in 2 T of butter and a splash of chicken stock until the onions are translucent.
Mix 2/3 of the pan of cornbread, crumbled, and the remaining ingredients except for the broth, in a large mixing bowl. 
Slowly add broth and continue to stir until "a thick batter is made." 
The best way I know how to describe this is that it should "slap back" from your spatula... 
The batter should be moist, but the stock should not puddle at the bottom of the bowl.
It's almost gelatinous in nature. (Start with one box of stock, and slowly add from there until it's the right consistency.)

Bake in a greased pan at 350 degrees until it's golden brown. 
This takes approximately 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of your pans.
I usually divide my batter into multiple small pans instead of one large pan because we all like the edges. 

Serve with your favorite gravy. I make gravy using a roux and chicken stock, but any gravy will do. 

Waffle Cones

(very similar to the waffle cones at Jeni's Ice Cream)

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup half & half (or heavy cream...I use half & half)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Turn on the waffle cone iron.

2. Combine the egg whites and half & half in a medium bowl with a whisk. Add the sugar, salt and both extracts, and whisk for about a minute to combine well. Whisk in the melted butter. Add the flour, whisking only until the lumps have disappeared and the batter is smooth.

3. Make the cones according to the directions for your waffle cone iron. To shape the cones, you fold a small flap over the bottom of the plastic cone mold, and then tuck one side in, and roll to complete the cone shape. When you get really good, there should be no hole in the bottom of the cone! These are extremely hot and will potentially burn your fingers - you have to work fast!

4. The cones are best the same day they are made, but they will keep for a week in a sealed container.

Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

2 pounds ground turkey breast (Not regular ground turkey. There’s a difference. )

1 cup crushed Ritz crackers

2/3 cup onion, minced (Or…you can substitute an translated amount of dehydrated onion flakes.)

1/2 cup fresh parsley minced (Or dehydrated parsley flakes.)

2 large eggs

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

 

To make the meatballs:

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, onion, parsley, eggs, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, basil, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 

Using a strong spatula or your hands (I like to wear latex gloves), mix well. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls (you should have around 48 total).

To bake the meatballs:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. Coat a wire rack with nonstick spray and set on prepared baking sheet.

Arrange meatballs on rack, brush with oil, and bake until browned with crispy edges, about 15 to 20 minutes (an internal thermometer should read 155 degrees for 15 seconds).

To fry the meatballs:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs in batches until browned on all sides and the meatballs are cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch (an internal thermometer should read 155 degrees for 15 seconds). Add more oil between batches if the skillet looks dry.

To freeze the meatballs:

Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, not touching. Freeze until solid, about 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer-safe container and store up to 1 month.

Delicious when served with roasted spaghetti squash, roasted portobello mushrooms, your favorite marinara sauce, and parmesan cheese.

 

Taco Soup (In the Crockpot!)

Ingredients

·       1 pound hamburger meat or ground turkey

·       1-2 Tablespoons taco seasoning, more or less to taste

·       1 medium sweet onion, chopped finely

·       1 orange bell pepper, chopped

·       1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

·       15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

·       15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

·       15 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed Z

·       15 ounce can corn (or one bag of frozen)

·       15 ounce can tomato sauce

·       10 ounce can Rotel

·       15 ounce can diced tomatoes

·       1/4 cup salsa, fresh is best

 

Instructions

1.  Brown hamburger in a large pan over medium-heat. Add taco seasoning. (Sometimes I skip this entire step by buying a pound of ground beef from Bravo Mexican Grill.)

2.  Add in the onions, bell peppers and sauté for a few minutes.

3.  Add all ingredients to the crockpot* and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.

4.  Top with sour cream and cheese. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese quesadillas. Enjoy!

* I place all of my tomato products (Rotel, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce) in the blender before adding to the crockpot because my people don't like to "see" tomatoes.

Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1-1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt

1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips

1 medium red pepper, julienned

1 medium orange pepper, julienned

1 medium yellow pepper, julienned

1 sweet onion, sliced

6 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed

Optional: Shredded cheddar cheese, cojita cheese, salsa, guacamole and sour cream

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine 1 tablespoon oil, lemon juice and seasonings; add the chicken. Turn to coat; cover. Refrigerate for 1-4 hours.

2. In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, sautee peppers and onions in remaining oil until crisp-tender. Remove and keep warm.

3. Drain chicken, discarding marinade. In the same skillet, cook chicken over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 5-6 minutes. Return pepper mixture to pan; heat through.

4. Spoon filling down the center of tortillas; fold in half. If desired, serve with toppings.

Pro tips: I didn't have to do any of that marinading stuff, so I just threw everything the skillet and it worked out just fine. :)

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies #2

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ⅔ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (sometimes I use some white chocolate chips, too.)
• ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

• Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

• Step 2

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and pecans. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

• Step 3

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients

·     9 medium ripe tomatoes, quartered

·     ½ large sweet onion

·     3-4 stalks of celery

·     12-15 baby carrots

·     1 ½ tsp. minced garlic (or 3 fresh cloves)

·     1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

·     2 Tablespoons olive oil

·     salt and pepper to taste 

·     3/4 cup vegetable (or chicken) stock

·     1 Tablespoon lemon juice

·     10-12 fresh basil leaves

·     ½ t. salt

·     1/8 c. brown sugar

Instructions

ROAST THE TOMATOES (45 MINUTES):

1.   Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.   Spread tomatoes, garlic, and dried thyme on a large sheet pan.

3.   Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands or a large spatula to toss everything together on the sheet pan – you want to make sure the tomatoes evenly coated with oil and seasonings.

4.   Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

5.   Roast tomatoes at 425 degrees F for 40 minutes until tomatoes have shriveled. Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes.

SAUTEE REMAINING VEGETABLES (15 MINUTES):

1. Chop onion, celery and carrots, and sautee in a little olive oil until onions are translucent.

BLEND THE SOUP (5 MINUTES):

1.   Transfer all vegetables to a blender.

2.   Add vegetable stock, lemon juice, brown sugar, garlic, and ½ tsp. of salt to the blender (because we’re working with so few ingredients, seasoning is key here – be sure to taste and add salt as you go!)

3.   Blend soup until smooth. We recommend blending for at least a full minute for best results!

4.   Add basil leaves to the blender and pulse.

5.   Pour soup into bowls and serve immediately. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a toasted baguette slice if you like.