Cheesy Mashed Potato Soup and French Bread

Cheesy Mashed Potato Soup

3 tsp. Chicken Bouillon
1 tsp. Salt
2 C. Water
3 Carrots
3 Stalks of Celery
3 Scallions

Bring water, salt and bouillon to a boil, add vegetables until soft.
Add:

2 C. Mashed Potatoes
1 - 2 C. Ham

Whisk 2 Tbs. of flour into 2 1/2 C. Milk and add to the soup when Potatoes are all incorporated.

Bring soup to a simmer then take off heat and add:

2 C. Grated Cheese

French Bread

1/2 C. Water
2 Tbs. Yeast
2 C. Hot Water
3 Tbs. Sugar
1 Tbs. Salt
1/3 C. Shortening
6 C. Flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large mixing bowl combine hot water, sugar, salt and shortening and allow to stand until lukewarm. Add yeast and 3 C. Flour. Beat until smooth and well blended. Add remaining flour to make a soft dough that can still be mixed with a spoon. Allow to rest 10 min. Stir batter down. Rest again. Repeat 5 times.

Form dough into balls for bread bowls or shape into 2 loafs. Let it rise for 30 min. Bake at 400 for 35 min. or until done.
Megan Murdoch

Wheat Berry Stir-Fry

This is a very healthy, and very delicious recipe:

WHEAT BERRY STIR-FRY
(double this recipe if you want to eat it all week)

4 C. Prepared Wheat Berries (chilled)(see below recipe for wheat berries)
2 T. Butter
2 t. Olive Oil
1/8 t. Pepper
1/8 t. Garlic salt
1/4 C. chopped onion
2 C. Chopped Mushrooms
3 Eggs
1 C. Broccoli cut
1 C. Sliced Carrots
1 C. Corn
1 C. Green Peas
1/2 C. Ham (I used chicken for a healthier protein, but you could also omit this for a veggie meal)
3 T. Soy Sauce

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high het.
2. Scramble eggs in small bowl, pour into hot oil, and sprinkle with pepper.
3. Cook eggs until they are firm enoug to flip- flip over and cook the other side.
4. Remove cooked eggs (large pancake shape about 1/4" thick) from pan and cut into 1/2" squares.
5. Saute mushrooms and onions with butter and garlic salt. Drain the liquid and set aside.
6. Heat vegetables in the preheated frying pan.
7. Add Chilled whea berries and mix ingredients together.
8. Combine the egg and mushroom/onion mix with the other ingredients in the pan.
9. Add your pre-cooked protein.
10. Drizle mixture evenly with soy sauce and stir in.
11. Season with salt, pepper and additional soy sauce if needed.

I got this recipe out of the book "Discover Wheat and Other Grains" by Cary Ruggles. The book has about fourteen other recipes, but tells you how to make the wheat berries in other ways, and how to also make creamy wheat berries, which have a cooked oatmeal consistency.

How to make "Wheat Berries":

4 C. White Hard Wheat
8 C. Water
1 t. Salt

Put all of these in a large pan (at least 5 qts).
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Once you have reached a boil, place lid on pot, and simmer for 1 hour and 5 min. (or until the berries have a soft chewy consistency similar to brown rice. Some may be slightly cracked and open.)

This amount made me about 14 C. of wheat berries!

ENJOY
-Lindsay Kirby (smilelifeaway.blogspot.com)

Corn Bread

The best homemade corn bread I have tasted. Got it form my sister-in-law while in Utah.

Corn Bread

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. cornmeal
1 c. milk
1 can cream corn
1/2 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350* Cream together butter & sugar in a plastic bowl. Add eggs, mix in. Add rest of ingredients & mix. Pour into a greased 9x13 glass baking pan & bake for 40-45 min, or until golden brown. Serve with honey & butter. (recipe by Jenny Bates)

-Rebecca Fluhman

Peanut Curry Chicken

4-5 small scallions
1 inch grated ginger, peeled
2 large garlic cloves mashed
1 small red chili pepper, seeded
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 rounded Tbs curry powder
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or tenders
1/3 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup Greek style yogurt, plain
1 Tbs oil

-Brown chicken in oil until golden brown.
-In food processor make a paste of scallions, ginger, garlic, chili pepper, cilantro and curry.
-Stir paste into chicken.
-Add chicken stock and peanut butter to the chicken mixture. Cook until peanut butter is incorporated.
-Add yogurt. Mix well and simmer.

Serve over rice. Serve with more Greek yogurt on side to help with the "heat."

Kelly P.

Easy Caramel Pecan Rolls

Easy Caramel Rolls

1 c. chopped pecans
20 frozen dinner roll dough balls*
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 3-oz. pkg. cook-n-serve butterscotch pudding mix (not instant)
4 T. butter, cut into 20 pieces

Butter a 9-x13-inch pan. Spread chopped pecans evenly in bottom of pan.

Place frozen dough balls in five rows of four. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pudding mix. Dot with butter pieces.

Let rise uncovered on counter overnight. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until tops are brown and center of rolls do not appear doughy. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto another baking sheet, scraping any caramel left in the pan.

*Sometimes I buy two packages of the HyVee brand rolls (12 per pkg.) and use all 24 dough balls, making six rows of four. Cut butter into 24 pieces instead. May need to add about 5 minutes to baking time.

Posted by Hilery- Cooking Club November 30th

Cream Cheese Dessert Crepes

Crepes: Mix together
1 1/3 cup milk
2 Tbl oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1/8th tsp salt
2 Tbl sugar

Crepes should be about 1/16th of an inch thick and do not overcook- they cook fast and should not be brown.

Filling: mix together
1- 8 oz pkg of softened cream cheese
1 small container of whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar

Once crepes have cooled, put a small amount of filling on crepe and roll crepe from one side.

Topping: chocolate sauce, raspberry or strawberry jam or raspberry or cherry pie filling.

Yum-O!

Posted by Hilery- cooking club November 30th.

Whole Grain Penne with Artichoke-Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb. whole grain pasta (don't try this with regular white or it won't taste right. The whole grain adds a nutty flavor)

2 14 oz. cans quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained (I prefer them packed in water not oil)

12 oz. jar red peppers, drained

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

4 tsp. lemon juice (or 1/2 a fresh lemon)

1 tsp. dried basil

1/8 tsp. salt

dash freshly ground black pepper

Parmesan Cheese (I use about 2 cups, but I like a lot of cheese)

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender combine artichokes, red pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, basil, salt, pepper, and 1/4 c parmesan. Drain pasta but do not rinse. Add sauce to the pasta and toss over low heat until heated through. Add lots of parmesan and serve immediately! Served about 6 for dinner. I usually add a side salad, green beans, or broccoli.

Chrissy Parkinson