White Chicken Chili

       From the kitchen of

         Laurie Van Cleve

Ingredients:

48 Oz. Great Northern Beans, not drained (I used 3 15 oz. cans)

16 Oz. jar medium salsa or picante sauce

8 Oz. shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese

1 tsp. ground cumin

2-3 8 Oz. V-8 Juice (I used 2 12 oz.)

4 Quarters Chicken Breast, cooked and cut up (I used shredded chicken from Safeway, about 1.5 pounds)

Directions:

Stir first 5 ingredients together in a crock pot.

Add chicken and mix in.

Simmer in crock pot on high for 2 hours or low for 4 or more hours (I did the low temp.)

Makes about 12 servings.

       Fresh Apple Pie

      From the kitchen of Diana Orso

        (Pie crust shared previously)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Dash Salt

6 cups thinly slice pared tart apples (about 5)

2 tablespoons cold butter

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Peel, par and slice apples into a bowl.  Stir together sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.  Pour over Apples and mix lightly, pour apple mixture into pastry lined pie pan.  Dot with butter.  

Cover with top crust, seal, flute, and cut slits into crust.  Using a pie edger or aluminum foil, cover edges with 2–3 inch strips of foil to prevent over browning.  Remove foil for last 15 minutes of baking.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through slits.

Optional, brush top crust with milk and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.

Note:  When I baked pie in New England, I would use a mixture of Cortland and McIntosh apples, but now that I’m in Arizona I have had good luck with a mixture of Granny Smith and Honey Crisp.

     Swedish Meatballs

    From the kitchen of Bev Guss

Ingredients:

2 slices day-old white bread, crumbled

½ cup heavy cream 

1 teaspoon butter

1 small onion, minced

⅔ pound ground beef

⅓ pound finely ground pork

1 large egg

1 tablespoon brown sugar (Optional)

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

⅛ teaspoon ground ginger (Optional)

1 tablespoon butter

¼ cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or as needed

2 cups beef broth, or as needed

½ (8 ounce) container sour cream

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place breadcrumbs into a small bowl; mix in cream. Allow to stand until crumbs absorb cream, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion until light brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer onion to a mixing bowl.

Mix ground beef, ground pork, egg, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger with onion in the mixing bowl. Lightly mix in breadcrumbs and cream.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Pinch off about 1 ½ tablespoons meat mixture per meatball, form into balls. Place meatballs into the skillet and cook, turning often, until browned, about 5 minutes. Insides of meatballs will still be pink.

Place browned meatballs into a baking dish, pour in chicken broth, and cover with foil.

Bake in the preheated oven until meatballs are tender, about 40 minutes. Remove meatballs to a serving dish.

Pour pan drippings into a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk flour into drippings until smooth.

Gradually whisk in enough beef broth to total about 2 ½ cups liquid. Bring gravy to a simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Just before serving, whisk in sour cream. Season with salt and black pepper. Serve gravy with meatballs.

  Pumpkin Spice Hot Honey Bites

   From the kitchen of Barb Shea

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

6 oz Brie, cut into 24 (1/2") cubes

2 tbsp heavy cream

1 tbsp store-bought or homemade hot honey, plus more for drizzling

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tbsp finely chopped roasted salted pecans

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Cooking spray

Directions:

Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°. Lightly grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray.

Cut puff pastry into 24 rectangles (in a 6 x 4 grid). Press rectangles into bottom and up sides of prepared cups.

In a medium bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat pumpkin puree, cream, hot honey, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

Divide pumpkin filling among pastry cups (about 2 tsp. each). Top each with 1 cube of Brie.

Bake bites until edges are deeply golden brown and Brie is starting to look glossy, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.

Transfer bites to a platter. Top with pecans (if using) and thyme. Drizzle with hot honey.

Makes 24 servings.

  Mediterranean Shrimp

  From the kitchen of Linda Reidinger

Ingredients:

1-pound large shrimp 40 to 50 per pound peeled, deveined shrimp, tails on or off (fresh or frozen and thawed)

¾ teaspoon kosher salt divided

½ teaspoon ground black pepper divided

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small red onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced (about 2 teaspoons)

1 14.5-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes in their juices

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon honey  

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts drained and quartered

½ cup pitted Kalamata olives

¾ cup crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from about ½ medium lemon

For serving: rice, whole wheat couscous, crusty bread, pasta

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pat the shrimp dry, place in a mixing bowl, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Toss to coat, then set aside.

In a large, ovenproof skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add onion and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat as needed so that the onion softens but does not brown. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the tomatoes, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let gently simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the red wine vinegar and honey. Remove from the heat.

Scatter the artichokes and olives over the top, then arrange the shrimp on top in a single layer. Sprinkle with the feta.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tomatoes are bubbling, cheese has browned slightly, and the shrimp are cooked through. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top and sprinkle with parsley. Enjoy hot.

TO STORE: Place leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

  Perfect Pastry Pie Crust

    From the kitchen of Diana Orso

Ingredients:

Shortening

Boiling Water

Milk or Half & Half

Salt

Flour

Wax Paper

Directions:

Take 3/4 cup shortening in a room temperature or slightly warmed bowl and add 1/4 cup boiling water.  Using two forks, or a pastry blender that has been warmed with a bit of the extra boiling water, whip the water into the shortening.  Add one tablespoon of cold milk, or half and half, continue whipping until blended, the cold milk will firm up the shortening a bit.  Add a pinch of salt and 2 cups of flour, blend in just enough to form a ball of dough. 

Break the dough ball in two and roll each portion out between wax paper.  Place the wax paper with pie crust inside it, in the fridge for a minimum of 10 minutes.  When ready to use, remove from fridge and peel off one side of the wax paper, place pie crust into pan or on top of pie filling, then peel off other piece of wax paper.  Bake at the temperature your pie recipe calls for. 

If filling with a custard (like pumpkin), pre-bake the bottom crust at 425 for 10-12 minutes.  If you don’t have a pie crust shield, you can use strips of aluminum foil on outside ridge of pie crust to prevent over browning and remove foil about 10 minutes before the pie is done baking.  

Note:  Crisco has changed their shortening formula, I was told by a cooking expert at Sweet Basil that the Walmart Great Value shortening is closest to the original Crisco. 

  Fast Easy Delicious Short Ribs

      From the kitchen of Bev Guss

Ingredients:

5 lbs short ribs

1/2 cup flour, salt and peppered

2 cups sliced onions

3/4 cup ketchup

2 T. vinegar

2 T. Worcestershire

4 T. soy sauce

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

Directions:

Roll ribs in seasoned flour.

Arrange in casserole.

Cover with onions.

Mix together ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, soy sauce, sugar, water.

Pour mixture over ribs.

Bake covered 300F for 3 hours.

**Remove cover last 1/2 hour to crisp.**

Avocado Toast with Feta Cherry Tomatoes Cranberries and Walnuts

From the kitchen of Barb Shea

Ingredients:

4 slices rustic sourdough or whole-grain bread

2 ripe avocados, mashed

½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

2 tbsp dried cranberries

2 tbsp chopped walnuts

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

Toast bread slices until golden and crisp. In a bowl, mash avocados with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Spread avocado mixture over toast, top with cherry tomatoes, feta, cranberries, and walnuts. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately for a sweet and savory twist on classic avocado toast.

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

From the kitchen of Barb Shea

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. dried oregano

3 Tbsp. butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

3 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:

In a skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add chicken and season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook until browned on both sides and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165°, 8 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and set aside.

In the same skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes are beginning to burst then add spinach and cook until spinach is beginning to wilt. 

Stir in heavy cream and parmesan and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Return chicken to skillet and cook until heated through, 5 to 7 minutes. 

Serve with lemon wedges.

    Sweet Onion Dip

   Submitted by Diana Orso

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup Apple Cider

2 cups water

1 large Sweet Onion, chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3/4 teaspoon dried dill

Directions:

Mix sugar, apple cider vinegar and water in a medium sized bowl until sugar dissolves. 

Add onion into sugar mixture and marinate overnight. 

Drain onions well and mix in mayonnaise and dill. 

Serve on Ritz crackers.