Barley Beef Skillet

Barley Beef Skillet Source: Emily Bites

Ingredients:
1 pound 95% lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion (optional:very optional in my house--as in I didn't add them)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) Beef Broth
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 small carrots, chopped
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 cup medium pearl barley
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. I put my carrots and zucchini in my food processor to finely chop them and I liked the results so I recommend doing that first. I did chop the tomatoes by hand.
2. Bring a large skillet to medium heat and cook ground beef and onion together, breaking up meat until it is browned. Drain if necessary. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the broth, tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the vegetables, barley and seasonings.
3. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45-50 minutes until barley is tender.

Steak Marinade

Thanks Allrecipes.com!
Ingredients

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons dried basil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic (optional)

Directions

1. Place the soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, basil, parsley, and pepper in a blender. Add hot pepper sauce and garlic, if desired. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds until thoroughly mixed.
2. Pour marinade over desired type of meat. Cover, and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Cook meat as desired.

Monkey Munch (aka Puppy Chow)

Thanks Food.com and I guess Jon & Kate Plus 8!

Monkey Munch

• 9 cups Chex cereal (any variety)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Put chex in a large bowl and put aside.

2. Place chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter into a quart-sized microwavable bowl.

3. Stir the ingredients together.

4. Microwave the mixture uncovered for a minute on "high." Stir the mix again and continue to zap in thirty second intervals until it mixes smoothly.

5. Add the vanilla and stir.

6. Put combination into a 2-gallon, Ziploc freezer bag.

7. Add powdered sugar, seal the bag and shake until distributed.

8. Spread Monkey Munch out on wax paper to cool and dry.

9. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for storage.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

I have adapted this recipe from Allrecipes.com


I have followed this recipe exactly as written and it is DELICOUS! But, sometimes I don't have baby spinach and I substitute a partial bag of frozen peas. I also


Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion,  diced (optional: I do not add this, but I usually add a small amount like 1 Tbsp. of dehydrated onions instead)
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 pound cooked, cubed chicken breast
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 (16 ounce) package mini potato gnocchi
• 1 (6 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional: but I add it...it makes it nice and thick!)
• 2 tablespoons cold water (optional)
• 2 cups half-and-half cream (or 1 C. milk and 1 C. Whipping Cream...depending on what I have)
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, garlic, and carrots in the hot oil until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in cubed chicken and chicken broth; bring to a simmer.
2. Stir gnocchi into the simmering soup and cook until they begin to float, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in spinach; cook until wilted, about 3 additional minutes.
3. Whisk cornstarch into cold water until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture and half-and-half into simmering soup. Cook until soup thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Whole Chicken in a Crockpot/Overnight Chicken Stock

Thanks 100 Days of Real Food!

Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne (red) pepper
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 large chicken

Directions

1. Combine the dried spices in a small bowl.
2. Loosely chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Remove any giblets from the chicken and then rub the spice mixture all over. You can even put some of the spices inside the cavity and under the skin covering the breasts.
4. Put prepared chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover it, and turn it on to high. There is no need to add any liquid.
5. Cook for 4 – 5 hours (for a 3 or 4 pound chicken) or until the chicken is falling off the bone. Don’t forget to make your homemade stock with the leftover bones!

Overnight Chicken Stock in the Crock Pot

Ingredients

• Leftover chicken bones or carcass roughly equivalent to one small or medium sized chicken
• 1 onion, peeled and loosely chopped
• 1 rib of celery, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped (no need to peel)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh parsley
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• Salt, to taste
  Note: If you are missing any of these ingredients I wouldn’t let that stop you from making it anyway.

Stock Directions

1. After removing all edible meat from the chicken put/leave the bones, skin, cooking juices, etc. in the crock pot. If you are using the chicken carcass from the “The Best Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot” recipe just leave every single thing that’s leftover (except the good meat of course) in the crock pot including the original onion and spices you used when making the chicken.
2. Add the onion, celery, carrot and spices on top of the bones and fill the crock pot almost to the top with tap water (leaving about 1/2” at the top).
3. Turn the slow cooker onto “low” after dinner and cook all night long or alternatively you could start it in the morning and cook on “low” for 8 – 10 hours during the day.
4. After the stock is done cooking turn off the heat and, using a soup ladle, pass the stock through a fine sieve to remove all herbs/bones/etc. Either refrigerate or freeze the stock for future use. I usually freeze some in both 1 and 2-cup portions, and I also sometimes freeze stock in ice cube trays just in case I just “need a little” for making sauce or rice.
5. This stock is great in soups like chicken noodle soup and also in rice like risotto. Enjoy!

Zucchini Tots

Thanks Emily Bites!

Ingredients:
1 cup shredded zucchini (I shredded mine on the large holed side of a box grater)
¼ medium onion, chopped
1 large egg
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
1 oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (I use the pregrated stuff from Costco. But, if you want to use canned grated Parmesan cheese you can use ¼ cup of that.)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400. Mist a 12 cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Wrap the shredded zucchini in a paper towel (I use a clean flour sack towel) and squeeze to extract any excess moisture from the zucchini.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients until combined. Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared mini muffin tin and press down on the filling in each cup with the back of the spoon to compact them together.
4. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the tops are beginning to turn golden.

White Velvet Sugar Cookies

These are super delicious as fruit pizzas! The "frosting" is sooo yummy!

Thanks Mel's Kitchen Cafe!

INGREDIENTS:
Cookies:
2 cups butter, softened
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ¾ cups flour
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
DIRECTIONS:

**Update from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (3/23/09) – "Ok, here’s the deal, I adapted the original recipe to include 1/4 cup more flour than the original recipe because my dough was so incredibly soft and sticky when I made it with just 4 1/2 cups. However, my Aunt Marilyn (a.k.a. cooking/baking mentor) made these with the 4 1/2 cups from the original recipe and she told me the dough turned out perfectly. She also lives in a humid climate and I live in a very dry climate so that could be a factor, as well as how the flour is measured. Basically, I’m letting you know this so you know there is a 1/4 cup leeway in the flour measurements. Use your best judgement based on how you measure flour and how your dough feels as you make it. Also, my Aunt added 1/4 teaspoon salt as a little pick-me-up to enhance the flavor."

For the cookies, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add sugar, egg yolks and vanilla; mix well. Gradually add flour. The dough will be VERY soft; don’t worry, it gets firmer after chilling. Cover and chill two hours or until firm. Roll out on floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into shapes; place on greased baking sheets (or use parchment paper). Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until set (but not browned). Cool 5 minutes. Place on wire racks to cool. Frost as desired.
For the frosting, in a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Set aside. In another medium bowl, beat whipped cream until stiff peaks form (it helps to use a chilled bowl and chilled beaters – and make sure the peaks are stiff not soft). Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture and mix carefully (so as not to deflate cream) but well. Frost to your heart’s delight! (Be careful if adding coloring – the liquid food coloring found in the baking aisle can quickly thin your icing so you may need to add a bit more powdered sugar to compensate. Use Wilton’s gel coloring for best results.)