Chili Pie with Cornmeal Crust

Rich, hearty chili in a cornbread bowl -- a doubly delicious dish.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Filling
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cayenne pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups canned pink or red kidney beans, rinsed and well drained
Pastry
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup ice water

1. For the filling: Brown the meat with the garlic and bell pepper in the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking up the meat with your spoon as you stir.

2. Add the tomatoes and seasonings and cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture has thickened slightly.

3. Reduce the heat to low, add the drained beans, and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently. Spoon the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart casserole or baking dish and let it cool while you prepare the crust.

4. For the pastry: Heat the oven to 400. Sift together the flour, cornmeal, and salt into a medium bowl.

5. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like, well, coarse meal. Add the water and toss the dough lightly with a fork until it begins to come together.

6. Lightly gather it together some more, then press it into a disk. On a floured surface, roll it out until it's about 1/4 inch thick and slightly larger than your casserole.

7. Place the rolled-out dough on top of the casserole, as you would for a pie. Trim the edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, turn them under, and flute.

8. Cut large slits into the crust to let the steam escape. If you're up to it, you can decorate the crust with any dough scraps.

9. Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is well browned.

Serves 4.

Curried Pumpkin-Apple Soup

Serve this scrumptious dish as a first course on Thanksgiving Day or as dinner's main event on a chilly evening. The curry gives it a subtly exotic flavor, while the apple and honey add a touch of sweetness.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 large apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 teaspoons mild curry powder
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups solidly packed pumpkin mash or canned pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 whole bay leaf
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 to 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
Sour cream and chives, for garnish (optional)

1. Melt the butter in a medium-size soup pot. Stir in the onion, celery, and apple. Partially cover the pot and sauté the ingredients over medium-high heat until the onion is clear, about 8 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and sauté the mixture for another minute. Stir in 1 cup of chicken broth and cook it for 1 minute more.

2. Pour the contents of the pan into a blender or food processor, add the pumpkin, and puree the soup until it's smooth.

3. Pour it all back into the pot, then stir in the remaining chicken broth, the salt, and the bay leaf. Set the soup over medium-high heat and bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

4. After 5 minutes, stir in the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of honey. Taste the soup, adding more salt or honey if necessary to get the desired balance of sweet and savory. Simmer it for 2 minutes more, remove the soup from the heat, and serve it hot.

For a pretty -- and tasty -- touch, garnish each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chopped chives. Makes 6 servings.

Easy Sweet and Sour Meatballs

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Store bought or homemade small meatballs (enough to fill a Crock-Pot)
Oil for browning meatballs
1 lb. grape jelly
1 jar chili sauce

1. Brown the meatballs in skillet with a little oil.
2. Mix jelly and chili sauce in a medium-sized saucepan until it boils.
3. Add the meatballs to the Crock-Pot and pour sauce over top. Cook on low for 2 to 6 hours.

Apricot Lemon Chicken

With a hint of both sweet and sour, this zesty, slow-cooker dish is a favorite with kids, especially when served with fluffy white rice and peas.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds of boneless breast of chicken
1 lemon, quartered
1 teaspoon Kosher salt (or a 1/2 teaspoon of regular salt)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon thyme (or 3-4 four sprigs fresh thyme, if available)

1. Pull chicken breasts apart and place them in the bottom of a 4 1/2 quart (or similar) slow cooker. Squeeze the quartered lemons over the chicken meat, and drop the squeezed lemon quarters in the pot. Pour orange juice over the chicken.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed. Cook on high for 4 hours.
3. Serves 6.

Saucy Apricot-Glazed Chicken

This is a slow-cooker rendition of the ever-popular chicken glazed with a mixture of apricot preserves, Russian dressing and dry onion soup mix that's usually baked in the oven. Serve over wild rice or white rice; or try basmati or jasmine rice, cooked on top of the stove.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 cup good-quality chunky apricot preserves
3/4 cup bottled Russian dressing
1 1.15-oz. envelope dry onion soup mix
12 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, trimmed of fat (about 3 1/2 to 4 lbs.)

1. In a medium bowl, mix together apricot preserves, dressing and dry onion soup mix until well blended. Arrange three of the chicken breast halves in the bottom of a 3 1/2-quart electric slow cooker. Spoon a fourth of the apricot mixture on top. Add three or more layers of chicken with the apricot mixture in between and on top. 2. Cover and cook on the High heat setting for 1 hour. Reduce the heat setting to Low and continue cooking, covered, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the chicken is tender and white throughout; do not overcook or the chicken will toughen. Serve the sauce over the chicken. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Winter Squash Soup

Creamless, but creamy, this soup will keep your family warm on snowy days.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
4 pounds acorn or butternut squash
4 tart apples
2 tbsp. butter
2 onions, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Pepper
4 ounces plain yogurt

1. Cut the squash in half. Peel, seed, and cut the meat into 1-inch chunks. Peel, core and chunk the apples. In a soup pot, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook until the onions are soft. Add the squash, apples, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the squash is tender.
2. Take the pot off the heat and let the mixture cool slightly. Ladle into food processor or blender (in batches) and process until the soup is smooth. Return to the pot, reheat and serve topped with plain yogurt.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Turkey Chili

This healthier version of chili is sure to make everyone's tummy happy.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1-1/4 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp. oil
Two 14 oz. cans kidney beans
One 28 oz. can stewed tomatoes
1 cup red wine
3 cups cooked turkey, cubed
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

1. In a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, saute green pepper, onion and garlic in oil 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Add beans, tomatoes, wine, turkey, chili powder, cilantro, red pepper and salt.
2. Increase heat and bring mixture to boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes. To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with raw onion or fresh cilantro, if desired.
Makes 6 servings.

Heavenly Ham Casserole

6 med potatoes, sliced thin
1 med. onion chopped
1 lb. ham, cubed
1 cup cheese, shredded (cheddar)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Paprika

Put 1/2 potatoes, then 1/2 onion, then 1/2 ham and cheese, repeat with rest of potatoes/onions/ham/cheese.
Spread soup over top so air doesn't get to potatoes if possible. Sprinkle with paprika.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours.


I got this from www.familyfun.go.com

Pancakes (Putting the "cake" back into panCAKES!)

These are the yummiest pancakes hands down. I hope you'll give these a try!

1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1-2 T. lemon juice from concentrate
1-2 tsp. Madagascar vanilla
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder

Whisk wet ingredients in medium size bowl. Add remaining dry ingredients, making sure baking powder is on top. Gently stir until mixed. Leave for 2-3 minutes while heating griddle--mixture should be spongy. Spread (it won't pour) onto griddle. Makes about 12 medium size pancakes.

Healthy Honey Banana Muffins

These muffins are the perfect part of a healthy breakfast or snack.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. round nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
6 T. honey
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)

Ina large bowl combine the first 5 ingredients. Combine the eggs, banana, applesauce and honey; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the raisins.

Coat muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray;fill two-thirds full with batter. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

substitutions for a missing ingredient

have you ever started or wanted to make something, went down the list of ingredients and found you were missing something in your cupboard?
here are a few substitutions for you.

* 1 teaspoon baking powder = 1/4 tsp. baking soda and 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

* 1 Cup buttermilk = 1 cup regular 2% or 1% milk into which 1 Tbls. white vinegar or lemon juice has been stirred OR 1 Cup plain yogurt

* 1 Cup sour cream = 1/3 Cup butter and 2/3 Cup buttermilk

* 1 tsp. Allspice = 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

* 1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar = 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1/4 Cup molasses

* 1 Tbls dry active yeast = 1 package ( 1/4 oz.) dry active yeast

* 1/2 tsp. baking soda = 2 teaspoons baking powder

* 1 Cup honey = 3/4 cup maple syrup plus 1/2 cup granulated white sugar

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

These yummy cookies are super fast to make and a perfect treat for the season! Plus they'll make your house smell absolutely delicious!

You will need:
1 C. shortening
1 C. butter or margarine
2 C. sugar
15 oz pumpkin
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
4 C flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda3
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice {or} 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp allspice
12 oz chocolate chips

Cream together shortening, butter and sugar. Next add pumpkin, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Lastly, add dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Mix well. Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350.

Turkey leftovers ideas

Have a bunch of turkey you couldn't get family and friends to take? Well here is some things to do with the left overs. Take some turkey and you can make Deep-dish Turkey Pot Pie or make a Turkey Soup. Or you can make a Shepard's Pie with the leftover veggies, turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy. Try the BBQ Chicken Mac but with the turkey instead. Don't be afraid to experiment with leftovers. If you find a way of making a left over meal out of the turkey let us know.

I will start posting turkey leftovers tonight. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Brown Bag Turkey

No, this turkey recipe won't burn your house down because you're using a brown paper bag...but it will taste great!

First, take everything out of the inside of the turkey. There will be a giblet bag and some other stuff. You don't want to leave that in there. Next, add vegetables to the inside of the turkey. This is easy because the veggies are just for flavor...you're going to throw them away later. You don't even have to peel anything. Take an onion and cut it into quarters. Roughly chop a nice long carrot. Do the same to a couple of stalks of celery. Add several cloves of garlic that you mash between a broad kitchen knife and the counter. Throw it all inside the turkey.

Then rub the turkey all over with olive oil. . . not butter because butter usually has salt in it and that will dry out the turkey. VERY IMPORTANT!! Salt is the enemy of a moist turkey! Make sure the whole bird is covered!

Put the turkey in a roasting pan and cover it with a large brown paper bag.

Staple shut. If you have a huge turkey, use two bags, sliding one end of the turkey into one bag and the other end of the turkey into the second bag. It won't stick to the bird because of the olive oil. Sprinkle the bag all over with water. (This vents the bag while cooking) Place into pre-heated 375 F oven, ON THE MIDDLE RACK.

The bag won't burn because paper burns at 451 and we're at 375 degrees. The advantage of the brown paper bag over the Reynolds's cooking bag is that the paper breathes so the turkey roasts. In the Reynolds bag the turkey steams, giving it a different taste. Also the brown paper bag retains the same advantage of the plastic cooking bag...no splatters all over the oven.

MAKE SURE NOT TO TOUCH THE BAG TO ANY OVEN WALLS. IT CAN TOUCH THE RACK, BUT NOTHING ELSE, OR YOUR HOUSE WILL FILL WITH SMOKE. ( a friend did that last year on accident)

Roast for 13-15 minutes per pound. When you think it's ready, shove a meat thermometer through the bag and into the turkey and give it a minute to register. Make sure it doesn't touch the bone. The thermometer should register between 163-170 degrees.Remove from oven, cut away the bag and remove from basting pan.

Don’t throw out the drippings! To make the gravy, strain the pan juices into a really big pot. Any juices that accumulate on the turkey platter get poured into the pot.

Add six oz. of boiling chicken broth and 1/8 cup of corn starch to the gravy to thicken it up. Cook at low heat and stir and cook and stir. If it seems like it isn't going to be thick enough, add a little more corn starch.

Thanksgiving Cornucopia

Ingredients:
Bugles
Trix Cereal
Vanilla Icing

Instructions:
1. Take a bugle
2. Dip the open end in the icing
3. Dip the icing into the cereal
4. Eat and enjoy

Ham Rolls

These are simple and quick.

What you need:
2 pkgs Pepperidge farm party rolls (if you cant find them use any other kinda large party rolls)
1 8 oz package of sliced ham
6 oz mozzerella cheese
1 1/2 TBS prepared mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS poppy seeds
1 TBS onion flakes
1 stick of margarine

Do this:
Slice rolls in half. Layer ham and cheese between top and bottom layer of rolls. Combine remaining ingredients and heat until margarine has melted and ingredients have blended together. Cover tops of rolls with mixture. Leave uncovered until mixture sets for 10 minutes. Cover with foil and bake 15-20 minutes at 350.

Meatloaf

1 1/2 lbs ground meat
1 cup milk
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard - Ben did not put this in, we don't have any
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup ketchup or BBQ sauce - Ben used BBQ sauce

Combine all ingredients except ketchup/BBQ sauce. Place in pan and spread ketchup/BBQ sauce over. Bake uncovered for 1 to 1 1/4 hours at 350 degrees.

***We used Stubbs BBQ sauce and it was SO good.