#67 Split Pea Soup

8 cups water
1 pound dried split peas (about 2-1/4 cups)
Ham bone with some meat on it, or some smoked ham hocks
1 medium onion, chopped
1 t salt (be careful, some of the smoked meats have a lot of salt, so sometimes I wait til the end to add salt if needed)
1/4 t pepper
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium stalks celery, sliced

Heat water and peas to boiling in Dutch oven. Turn off heat and let stand 1 hour
Stir in ham, onion, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer about an hour.

Remove ham and cut up the meat. Stir in ham, carrots and celery into soup. Heat to boiloing and reduce heat. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 45 min.

This is another from the BC early 80's version.

#66 Coconut Custard

5 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1/2 cup half and half
1 t vanilla
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I like toasting the coconut, so I put it in a pie tin and let it toast as the oven is warming up. You want it to start to brown a bit. Stir it a bit as it is toasting.

Beat eggs well., then add sugar, milk, half and half, and the vanilla. Stir in coconut. Pour custard into a 2 quart glass casserole dish and bake for 35-45 minutes until center is set. (mine took 45 minutes and the center wobbled quite a bit, but firmed up as it cooled down) Serve warm.

#65 Date-Nut Muffins

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cut up pitted dates
1/3 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup oil
1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottoms only of a muffin tin. Beat egg; stir in milk, oil, dates and nuts. Stir in remaining ingredients all at once just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake until golden brown, about 290 minutes. Immediately remove from pan. One dozen muffins.

This also came from my favorite early 80's Betty Crocker cookbook!

#64 Cranberry Orange Scones

2 cups flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, chilled
3/4 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 T orange peel
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in butter. Mix in orange peel and cranberries. Combine buttermilk and egg and then mix into dry until dough sticks together. Drop onto parchment covered baking sheet. Bake 400 degrees. Cool slightly and drizzle with glaze.

Glaze

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 t orange peel
3 T orange juice

Mix together until smooth

#63 Sweet Potato Casserole

A sweet potato casserole recipe, made with mashed sweet potatoes and a crunchy pecan topping.

This recipe is like a dessert it is SO yummy.

I found it in the Southern Food Section of About.com

 

Ingredients:

•3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
•1 cup brown sugar
•2 eggs, lightly beaten
•1 teaspoon vanilla
•1/2 cup milk
•1/2 cup melted butter

•Topping:
•1/2 cup brown sugar
•1/3 cup flour
•1/3 cup melted butter
•1 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

Combine first 6 ingredients. Pour into a buttered 1 1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish. Mix remaining ingredients together and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and browned.

Serves 6 to 8.

#62 Buffalo Cookies

1 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 T Milk
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 cup oats
1 cup corn flakes, crushed to about 1/2 cup
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup flake coconut

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets.
Combine shortening, sugars, milk and vanilla. Beat at low speed until well blended. Add eggs; beat at med speed until well blended.Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add gradually to shortening mixture at low speed. Stir in oats, corn flakes, chocolate chips, nuts and coconut. Drop large tablespoons full onto cookie sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly browned around edges, but still slight soft in the center. Cool.

#61 Lentil Soup

3 slices of bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, sliced
1 large stalk celery, sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
4 cups of water
12 oz of dried lentils
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 T snipped parsley
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t thyme
1 bay leaf
1 can, (28oz) whole tomatoes
1 cup water

Fry bacon in a Dutch oven, add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook about 10 min. Stir in 4 cups of water, lentils, bouillon cube, a, parsley, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer about an hour. Add more water if needed. Stir in tomatoes with liquie and 1 cup water. Simmer 15 minutes.

This comes from an early 80's version of the Betty Crocker Cookbook.

#60 Soft Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pecan Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4oz)pkg instant vanilla pudding
2 eggs
1 T vanilla
2 cups semisweet chocolate hips
1 cup chopped pecans
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 t baking souda
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanill. Blend in the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to12 minutes. Edges should be golden brown.

Let sit 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

This was given to me by one of my students at the Panguitch quilt walk. I halved the original recipe, and it still made a big batch of cookies.

#59 Montana Monster Cookies

2/3 c. butter, softened or melted
1 1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
3/4 c. sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c. peanut butter, creamy or chunky
6 c. rolled oats, either all old-fashioned or half the quick-cooking kind
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. raisins or craisins
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips. I usually use several different types--milk, semi sweet, mini MandM's, etc.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugars, and eggs until creamy. Add peanut butter and baking soda and mix well. Add oats and stir well. if you just have a hand mixer, you may have to use your hands. Stir in chips and raisins.

Scoop and pack the dough into a 1/4 cup measure, and place on cookie sheet.You will only get six cookies to a sheet. Flatten with the palm of your hand that has been dampened with water so the dough doesn't stick to it. Bake at 350 about 15 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to move. Makes 2 dozen huge cookies. You can make them smaller, but then they wouldn't be "monster" cookies!

You will find one version or another of these cookies all over western Montana. They are packed with protein (okay, and fat too) and make a nice trail snack or on-the-go breakfast instead of a granola bar. They do not contain any flour, so people who are on gluten-free diets can eat them. If you don't like raisins, just substitute more chips. They are my husband's favorite. We take them with us when we travel, stacked in one of those round oatmeal boxes.

#58 Coconut Fudge Cake

I dug deep in my recipe file and came up with this easy but delicious from-scratch cake for my daughter-in-law's birthday. I clipped it out of the Trib many, many years ago. Everyone loved it!

Cake:
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
3/4 c. cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1 c. hot water
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. vegetable oil
3 c. flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp soda
1 c soured milk or buttermilk
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Filling:
1/4 c. sugar
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 c. flaked coconut
1 c. chocolate chips (I used the mini ones)
1 tsp vanilla
Beat cram cheese until fluffy. Add sugar, egg, and vanilla, and continue to beat until well blended. Stir in coconut and chips.

In large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla, and beat one minute at high speed. In another bowl, sift dry ingredients, then add alternately with combined hot water and sour milk. Stir in nuts, if desired.

Generously grease and flour 10" bundt pan or tube pan. Pour half the batter into prepared pan. Carefully spoon filling over batter, then top with remaining batter. Bake at 350 for 70 to 75 minutes or until a thin knife inserted comes out clean. Cool and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

#57 Carrot Cake

This is a half recipe of carrot cake. For two people, who needs a whole sheet? It fits in an 8x8 pan.

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 cup white or whole wheat flour (I recommend the whole wheat)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs well-beaten
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 cups grated carrots
1/6 cup oil (I just approximate this)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Frosting:
1/2 lb powdered sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
4 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Cake:
Add liquid ingredients. Add dry ingredients. Fold in raisins (and optional nuts). Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. (Don't overcook!)
Frost when cooled.

Frosting:
Mix softened butter. Add cream cheese and blend until soft and creamy (about 8-10 minutes). Add vanilla and powdered sugar until creamy.

***Honey makes the cake moist. Plus, I add extra carrots!

#56 Chicken Taco Casserole

Not sure how appetizing the photo looks but the family sure liked it.  I threw this recipe together for dinner tonight and since the family liked it I thought I better write down the recipe before I forget it.

1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 small can diced green chilies
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can whole kernal sweet corn, drained
2 - 3 cooked chicken breasts chopped finely
1 cup shredded Mexican Mix Cheese
2 Tbsp chili powder
4 drops Tabasco Habinero
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregeno leaves

Stir together ingredients and put into 13 x 9" casserole pan.  Bake at 400 degrees about 10 minutes until ingredients are bubbling.  (I actually forgot to mix in the cheese so I put it on top of the casserole before putting the cornbread on top)

Remove pan from oven and raise temperature to 450 degrees.  Mix cornbread (*recipe below) and dump onto casserole.  Spread evenly across casserole and bake approximately 15 minutes until cornbread is golden and cooked through.

Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving with sour cream.

*Cornbread
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk (or regular milk)
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with spoon until throughly mixed.

#55 Annabelle's Favorite Chicken Strips (or wings)

I forgot to take a photo, will do so the next time I make it.


3oz pineapple juice
2 T soy sauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup ketchup

Mix together and set aside.

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts; cut into strips

sprinkle with garlic salt and let sit for 15 or so minutes.

heat a small amount of oil in a pan. dip strips in milk, then dredge in whole wheat flour (seasoned with seasoning salt if desired) brown in hot oil.

Put browned strips in baking pan and pour sauce over it. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

MMMMMM