Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto

Okay, I made this quite some time ago but I just never got around to posting the recipe. It takes a lot of TLC but it is 110% worth it!!!

Total time: 1 hour

Serves 10 as a side or 5 as a main dish

Ingredients:

4 Tbs butter

2 Tbs olive oil

1/2 whole large yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups arborio rice, uncooked

8 whole sundried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained and minced

1 cup dry white wine (optional)

7 cups low sodium chicken broth

salt as needed

freshly ground black pepper

1 cup parmesan, freshly grated

1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

fresh basil (optional)

Directions:

Heat broth (note: it's important the broth be low sodium) in a saucepan or in a microwave safe pitcher. Set aside. Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add dry rice. Stir to coat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring gently. Pour in wine. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add in minced sundried tomatoes and stir. Then begin adding the broth, one cup at a time, stirring gently while the rice absorbs the liquid each time. Repeat this until the rice is done - it usually takes between 6 and 8 cups of broth. The rice should have a slight bite to it, but not be crunchy at all. Remove from heat, then stir in parmesan cheese and heavy cream. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve as a main dish with a salad, or as a side dish with staek, chicken, or fish.

Recipe via Pioneer Woman

Chicken Tortilla Stacks

Ok, so this recipe doesn't have a lot of measurements, so just eyeball and do most of it to taste. But it is so dang good! Kraig was just dying with happiness when he was eating it. So give it a try.

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts

3 c cheese

1 red pepper (chopped)

Green onions (chopped)

Cilantro (chopped to taste)

Refried beans

Sour cream

1 pkg. taco seasoning

Flour tortillas

Directions:

Boil chicken, shred and mix with red pepper, cilantro, and onions. Mix beans, sour cream, and taco seasoning, and spread on a tortilla. Layer chicken mixture, then cheese and top with another tortilla and put beans on that one. Layer everything again and again until you run out of everything. Top with a dry tortilla and bake @ 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes. Use a pizza cutter to slice and serve hot. Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes 24 muffins

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c flour

1 1/2 c sugar

3/4 c cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 c sour cream

1 c milk

1/2 c vege or canola oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

In a small bowl, remove two tablespoons of flour from the 2 1/4 cup and mix with the chocolate chips. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a different bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips mixture. Fill lined or greased cupcake pan 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 325 degrees F for 18 to 24 minutes. Muffins are done when toothpick comes out clean. Cook on wire rack, dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Talapia w/Buttery Crumb Topping

Sorry, my camera is out of batteries so I don't have any pictures to show you. But this was delicious and so simple! Give it a try!

Ingredients:

4-6 talapia fillets (1.5 lbs)

salt and pepper

1 cup bread crumbs

3 Tbsp. melted butter

1/2 tsp basil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a large shallow baking dish. Arrange fish fillets in pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine the butter with bread crumbs and basil and sprinkle over fillets. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Broil 2-3 minutes to brown the topping.

Crockpot Creme Brulee!!!

The Ingredients:

--2 cups heavy cream
--5 egg yolks
--1/2 cup sugar (baker's or fine sugar is better so the granules disappear)
--1 T good vanilla
--1/4 cup raw sugar (for topping, add later)




The Directions:


Find a heat-resistant dish that fits inside of your stoneware insert. Fit it in, and using a cup or pitcher, pour water around the edges so there is water 1/2 - 3/4 of the way up the sides of the dish. Push it down with your hand if it starts to float up. Take the dish back out. If you have separate dessert ramekins, do the same thing after nestling them all inside.


--whip the 5 egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl
--slowly add the cream and baking sugar while mixing
--add the vanilla

pour mixture into the dish and carefully lower into the stoneware without sloshing water into the dish.


Cover and cook on high for 2-4 hours. If you are using little ramekins, check after an hour; I'm not sure how long they will take. Custard should be set with the center still a bit jiggly. Touch lightly with your finger to check. Unlike an oven, it will be difficult to overcook this. Try not to worry.

I cooked the one above for 4.25 hours on high.


VERY carefully (use oven gloves!) remove dish and let cool completely on counter, then chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.


Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of raw sugar evenly over the top of the custard. Move your oven rack to the top rung and broil for 3-10 minutes, checking often. The sugar will boil and brown.


Cool again in the fridge for a few hours.


Amazing.

Utterly amazing.

Photo and recipe via crockpot365.blogspot.com

Mini Brer Rabbit Cookies

Here is your introduction to the most scrumptious cookies ever!!! This is my Grandma Ricks' recipe and I think I've finally perfected it. Enjoy!

Mini Brer Rabbit Cookies

Makes a whole lot! I halved the recipe and it still made 4-5 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup molasses

3 eggs

3 cups sugar

6 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp cloves

1 1/2 tsp ginger

6 tsp baking soda (yes, 6 tsp, not a typo!)

1 Tbs cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Beat together shortening, molasses, eggs, and sugar. Add remaining dry ingredients, and mix well. Chill dough in fridge for 30 to 60 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Form into 1/2 inch balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 6-8 minutes.

Zuppa Toscana and Lion House Rolls!

Yesterday I made zuppa toscana and some Lion House rolls for dinner. So yummy! Seriously! I could eat this stuff all day! For the soup recipe, you can go here, where I posted it before.

I found the recipe for the Lion House rolls on this website. Here it is:

Lion House Rolls

Ingredients:
2 c warm water
2/3 c nonfat dry milk (instand or non-instant)
2 Tbs yeast
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp salt
1/3 c butter or shortening
1 egg
5 - 5 1/2 all purpose or bread flour

Directions:
Combine water and milk powder; stir until milk dissolves. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg and 2 cups flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups flour; mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then on medium speed for 2 minutes. (Dough will be getting stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand.) Add about ½ c. flour and mix again, by hand or mixer. Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff. (A soft dough will produce a lighter roll. Add only enough flour to make a manageable dough.) Place dough in a greased bowl; turn to coat. Cover and let rise until double in size. Turn dough over on floured surface so that it is floured on both sides. Gently flatten to 1 inch thick, then roll into a 18x8 inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. Cut dough in half the long way, to make two 4 inch strips. Cut dough every two inches to make 18 rectangles of dough, about 2 inches x 4 inches each. (Sometimes when I roll out the dough it turns out larger than 18x8, in which case I just add another column when cutting the rolls; the point is, you should cut the dough into rectangles roughly 2x4 inches.) Starting with the short (2 inch) end, roll the dough up and place on greased baking pans with the short end down. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Bake at 375° for 15 to 18 minutes or until browned. Brush with melted butter while hot. Makes 1 to 1 ½ dozen rolls. (Dough may be used for breadsticks as well – 375° for ~10 minutes.)

Enjoy!