Apple Spice Scones

I needed something sweet, but not too sweet.

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon allspice, cloves or mace
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 each egg, beaten slightly
3/4 cup milk
1 cup apple, diced small

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Mix dry ingredients together in a medium size bowl.

3. Mix melted butter into dry ingredients and add diced apples.

4. Stir milk and egg together and add to the rest, mixing thoroughly. Dough will be soft.

5. Turn dough out onto floured surface, add as much flour as it takes to knead the dough and form a 10 to 12 inch round.

6. Cut into pie shaped pieces with a floured knife and place 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet that has NOT been oiled.

7. Cook for 20 minutes at 450. Serve warm or cold.

MMMM-mmmm good

Chicken Chili

1 large pasilla* chili, roasted, peeled and diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1/4 teaspoon salt
15 ounces diced tomato, canned
8 ounces tomato sauce, canned
1/2 teaspoon basil leaf, dried
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 pound chicken thigh, boneless
1/4 teaspoon parsley, dried
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon rosemary, crushed
4 cups water

1. saute onions and pasilla in butter until onions are starting to brown

2. add cumin, pepper, basil, salt, black pepper and saute another 5 minutes

3. add tomatoes and tomato sauce, simmer until reduced by half - about an hour

4. while simmering the sauce, cook the chicken in the water with the rest of the herbs and spices

5. remove chicken from water and cut into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes

6. add to reduced sauce along with 3/4 cup of the chicken stock [save the rest of the stock for cooking rice in, it's yum!]

7. cook for another 30 minutes, then serve with warm tortillas or flatbread.

*if the pasilla is too hot for you, substitute 2 roasted Anaheims.

Fast Focaccia

1 1/2 cups flour
1 package fast-rising yeast
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup very hot water

Mix dry ingredients together, make a well in the center. Pour in the olive oil and water, mix together to form a soft dough.
Turn out on a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, or until smooth.

Divide into 2 parts, form into balls and cover. Let rise for 15 minutes, punch down and form into flat oblong shapes. Allow to rise 15 minutes, sprinkle olive oil and other toppings of your choice just before putting into the oven.

Bake at 400 degrees until bread starts to brown around the edges, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Ratatouille Marcia

I love ratatouille and I love Mexican food as well.

This recipe is a blend of those loves.

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 poblano pepper, cut into rings [any pepper you prefer can be substituted]
2 canned jalapenos, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil

Brown onion in olive oil adding pepper in when the onion gets translucent. Add garlic when the onion and peppers are close to done.

After they have finished cooking add 2 15oz. cans diced tomatoes, or 4 medium fresh tomatoes.
Add 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, lower heat and allow to cook down while you chop the rest of the vegetables.

2 small zucchini
2 medium to small yellow squash
1 large eggplant

Chop and add to tomato mixture, cooking down for 30 to 45 minutes.

Serve hot or cold.

A little snack

I wanted a little snack today, and options are few.

So I threw together a spicy version of Chex Mix. Of course, I only had one kind of Chex, some Cheerios, hot sauce, chipotle jelly and seasoned salt.

It's quite yummy, believe it or not!

As near as I can remember:

2 tbsp hot sauce [your choice, I used the Louisiana brand]
3 tbsp chipotle jelly [any kind you have on hand will do really, preferrably a clear jelly, like apple or grape]
1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1 cup Chex
2 cups Cheerios
[you can also add pretzel sticks, nuts, whatever, instead of a cup of the Cheerios]
heat the first 3 ingredients together in a large pan, just until bubbles appear in the sauce. Mix in cereals, pretzels and nuts, toss to coat evenly.
Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Remove from oven, pour into a bowl that isn't going to melt.
Run and hide in your room, cos Lily likes this stuff and she WILL steal it from you.

Cheesey bread

Most pizza places offer this take on breadsticks.

1 recipe pizza dough
2 tablespoons garlic butter or olive oil
1 cup shredded cheese - mixing cheddar and mozzarella is good

Make the dough, allow to rise the first time then roll out to fit a 16" oiled pizza pan. Precut in half then crosswise 8 to 12 cuts, depending on how thick/wide you want your cheesey bread.

Bake for 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven, remove from oven and spread the garlic butter on top and cover with shredded cheese.
Return to oven for about 10 minutes more, the cheese will begin to brown.

It's yummy, and easy,

Chipotle dip

is most awesome

2 chipotle chilis
1/2 cup sour cream
2 oz cream cheese

combine in blender or food processor

Serve with chips of your choice.

Tequila-soaked pepper rings with candied lime rind

I got this idea in a dream - it was so good, I could taste it!

2 or 3 mild to medium large red peppers, sliced into thin rings (anaheims are good)
1 - 2 cups tequila

Blanch the pepper rings in boiling water until they soften slightly - a minute or two should be more than enough. (You can save the water for making flavored rice at a later time.)
Drop the pepper rings into a large (1 quart) mason jar, cover with tequila and put the top on. You don't need to seal it, just put into the fridge.

For the candied lime rind:

3 large limes
Juice from the limes
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Carefully cut the rind off the limes using a vegetable peeler. Try to remove just the green part, the white is very bitter. Stretch out the peelings and slice thinly the full length, setting aside.

In a medium saucepan combine the juice, sugar and water, bring to a boil only after the sugar has fully dissolved. Boil until just before it threads from a spoon, remove from the heat and add in the rind.
Stir carefully, so as to not break the rinds. Remove the rinds from the syrup and lay out on a piece of parchment paper to crystallize.

Add both the candied rinds and remaining syrup to the mason jar containing the pepper rings and tequila. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Apple Pizza

Seriously, this is good stuff.

Crust for 1 crust pie
1 large granny smith apple, peeled cored and diced
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Lay the crust out on a pizza pan. Put the dices apple, sugar and cinnamon into a food processor and process until it looks like applesauce. Spread over the pie crust.
Over the top put the following mixture:

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar [brown is fine]
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix in food processor until crumbly, sprinkle over the top of the applesaucey stuff.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Drizzle icing over the top while still hot.

Icing:
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/16 teaspoon [about 4 drops] vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Mix with 1 tablespoon of milk to start, add more as needed for a not-too-thin frosting that will drizzle off the end of a spoon.

Lils loves it and gave it a Yum! factor of 67. [She's not real big on sweets and would have preferred tobasco to the frosting]

Date filled Oatmeal Cookies

This is an old family recipe, much loved by all and oft requested by anyone who has tasted them.

1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup shortening, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup hot water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups regular oatmeal

Mix in bowl in order given, Drop by teaspoon onto lightly greased cookie sheet and press down with a wet glass. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned. Put cookies together with this filling:

1/2 lb dates, cut fine
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla

Cook in a small saucepan until thick and spreadable.

Yum! factor - 90