Green Chile Cheese Rice

1 c. rice (I always buy Jasmine)
2 c. water
1 tbl. margarine
4 oz. can mild roasted green chile
3-4 scallions, chopped
1 tbl. cilantro, chopped
4 oz. sour cream
1 c. shredded colby/jack cheese
salt, pepper, cooking spray
1 tbl. butter
parmesan cheese

Cook rice in water w/margarine. I use the microwave: 5 mins high, 13 mins 50% power. Mix cooked rice with chile, cheese, scallions, cilantro, and sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour into sprayed casserole, top with bits of butter and sprinkle with parmesan. Cook uncovered at 450 for 20 mins.

Pot Roast

4-5 chuck roast or bottom blade chuck (buy Choice grade)
1 large onion - chopped
3-4 carrots - chopped
3-4 celery stalks - chopped
3 leeks - well rinsed and sliced
4 large garlic cloves - smashed
1 c. red wine (I used Zin)
1 c. beef stock (reduced sodium)
28 oz. can whole, peeled plum tomatoes (Cento)
1 tbl. better than boullion chicken base
salt, pepper, flour, olive oil

You have to use a BIG Dutch oven to cook this in. Season meat (at room temp) on all sides with salt and pepper, then roll in flour. Heat 2-3 tbl. olive oil on high, then sear meat a few minutes on all sides. Remove meat. Add another tbl. oil, add all veggies except garlic, and cook down 10 mins over med-high heat. Add garlic, cook a few more mins. And wine, cook 5 mins. Add broth, tomatoes, and meat, bring to simmer, and then move to a 325 degree oven. Cook (covered) at 325 for 1 hr, then cook at 275 for 2-3 hrs until meat shreds with a fork. When done, puree half of the liquids in blender to make a soup-like base, then add back to pot.

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
optional: 1 tsp. almond extract OR 1 tbl. lemon zest
3 3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. heavy cream

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and extracts, scraping down bowl after each egg. I use my stand mixer on low. Mix flour and powder together; add this to butter mix alternately with the cream, beginning and ending with the flour. I separate the dough into 5-6 discs, wrap in wax paper, and chill at least a few hours before rolling out. You can reroll the scraps. I roll mine a little thick, they do better in the cutters that way.

Cheesey Chicken Soup

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2 qts. water
1 tbl. better than bullion chicken base
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 lb. velveeta - cubed
1/2 stick butter
2 c. egg noodles
black pepper

They have a reduced sodium, organic version of the chicken base at the Costco here. Otherwise, look for it on the soup aisle at the grocery store. Boil the chicken in water with bullion base until done. Remove chicken, cool, and cube. Strain water threw seive, reserving 1 qt. Return water to pot and boil. Add remaining ingredients plus cubed chicken and cook until thick. This makes a big batch. When I've cut recipe in half, it's still fed us for two meals easily.

"French" Chicken and Dumplings

Soup:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed small
3-4 tbl. butter
3 large carrots - peeled and coined
1 med yellow onion - diced
big handful hericot verts - cut in 2" pieces
1 bunch scallions - chopped
2 tbl. olive oil
3 tsp. bullion base
1 tbl. Herbes de Provence
1 tbl. black pepper
salt to taste
1 carton chicken broth
1/2 carton water
1/2 c. half & half

Dumplings:
1 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
2 tbl. canola oil

In a large pot, cook carrots, onions, and the whiter half of the scallions in the butter for ~10 mins over med heat. Remove veggies from pot, add olive oil, increase heat to med-high, and add chicken and seasonings. Cook until chicken golden brown and almost cooked thru. Add back in the cooked veggies along with hericot verts, broth, and water. Bring to a low boil. Mix dry dumpling ingreds together, then mix in the wet as well. Drop in dumpling mixture by tsp into boiling soup. Add green half of scallions, reduce to simmer, and cook covered for 15-20 mins. Remove from heat and finish with half and half.

Pork Ribs

Dry Rub
3 tbl. brown sugar
2 tbl. seasoned salt
1 tbl. smoked paprika
1 tbl. garlic powder
1 tbl. onion powder
1 tbl. black pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. cayenne or chipotle pepper

2 racks of pork spare or baby back ribs
Your favorite BBQ sauce
charcoal and wood chips

Coat ribs on both sides with dry rub and really work it into the meat. Put the ribs on a large baking sheet, cover them with foil, and let them sit in the fridge overnight. To cook, place in single layer on foil-lined baking sheets in 275 degree oven for about 3 hours, with ribs loosely covered with foil, rotating racks every hour or so. Meat should be pulling back from bone, but not yet falling off. Brush with BBQ sauce on both sides, and finish on grill. We have a smoker, so Jamie makes a smallish fire with charcoal, adds some wood smoking chips, and cooks the ribs (uncovered) in the smoke box for at least 30 mins. Rotate the ribs every 15 mins so they all get a turn close to the heat. You want some of the fat to render off, but be careful not to dry out the meat too much!

Pumpkin Cake

For Cake:
15 oz. can pumpkin
1 yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 c. canola oil
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves

For Nuts:
1/2 c. chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Optional glaze:
Mix 1 cup powdered sugar with a TINY bit of milk or water until you get a white glaze.

This is my FAVORITE fall cake. I'm not a pumpkin pie fan, but this is really good. Mix all of the top cake ingredients in a big bowl. Combine the nut mixture in a separate bowl. Fill a greased bunt pan half way with the cake mixture. Bang down pan a few times to remove air bubbles. Add in nut mixture, then top with remaining cake mixture. Bang it again. Bake at 350 for about 45 mins, but keep an eye on it! I always underbake bundt cakes a little because they'll continue to cook after you pull them from the oven. If you glaze it, glazing a hot cake with help the glaze "soak in", or wait until completely cooled to keep the glaze on top.

Butternut Squash Sauce

1 medium squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed
4 large garlic cloves - quartered
1/2 sprig rosemary - leaves pulled and finely chopped
2 tbl. olive oil
1 medium onion - diced
salt and pepper
1 can chicken stock
1 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 c. half and half
2-3 tbl. butter

Heat oven to 400. Toss squash and garlic with 1 tbl. olive oil, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste. Roast squash in shallow baking dish for about 30 mins, or until tender and slightly carmelized. Meanwhile, saute onions in heavy sauce pot with 1 tbl. oil over low heat for about 20 mins. Puree squash mixture with 2/3 of the onion in a food processer. Add 1/4 -1/2 c of chicken stock and puree again. Add squash mixture to the remaining onion in the sauce pot. Add another 1/4 - 1/2 c of stock (depending on how thick you want the sauce), simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and add nutmeg, half and half, and butter. This sauce is good over filled pasta. My favorite is cheese-filled tortellini.

Mushroom Sauce

6 oz. white or cremini mushrooms - sliced
6 oz. shitake mushrooms - sliced
2 tbl. butter
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 shallot - finely diced
2 tbl. flour
1 1/2 c. chicken stock
1 tbl. balsamic vinegar
3 tbl. half and half
2 tbl. Italian parsley - chopped
salt and pepper

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute until golden brown. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic and shallots, cook another 2 minutes over med-low heat (don't burn the garlic!). Add the flour and cook another 2 minutes (it'll be pretty dry). Whisk in the stock, vinegar, and half and half. Simmer 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and add parsley. Serve over egg noodles. Good with sliced boneless/skinless chicken breasts or mini meatballs.

Peaches

5-6 ripe peaches - pitted, peeled, and sliced
2 tbl. butter
2 tbl. honey
2 tbl. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbl. Brandy
1 tsp. vanilla

The riper the peaches, the sweeter they'll be and easier they'll be to peel. But don't wait until they're mush. Melt butter over low heat in heavy saucepan. Add honey and sugar, cook until sugar is dissolved. Add peaches and cinnamon, cook fora few minutes until peaches just start to break apart. Add Brandy and vanilla. And cook another minute or two to evaporate off the alcohol. Spoon over sliced pound cake and vanilla ice cream.

Hot Sausage Manicotti

1 pkg manicotti tubes - cooked in salted water and drained
cooking spray
6 hot Italian sausages - browned (cooked thru). Slice 3, and dice 3.

8 oz part-skim ricotta
6 oz sour cream
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
1 c. shredded mozzarella
2 tbl. pesto
2 large cloves garlic - minced

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 onion - diced

I use my dutch oven to cook the sausage b/c it's heavy and has a lid. Otherwise, you can grill them. Cook the sausage, then remove to cool. Drain off most of the fat, then add the onion. Cook until soft, then add jar of sauce. Slice up three of the sausages and add to the sauce. Simmer covered for at least 30 mins. Mix the ricotta ingredients together (ricotta thru garlic) and then add the 3 diced sausages. The cheese will dampen the spice, so it you want it hot, add some crushed red pepper flakes. Stuff the manicotti tubes with the cheese mixture (I use a long-handled teaspoon) and line up in a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Poor sauce over manicotti and bake uncovered at 350 for 30-45 minutes.