Cheeseburger Chowder

So sorry I couldn't make it tonight (Adrian had class), but this is what I would have brought if I could have. Oh, and even though this might sound wacky or gross it's actually quite a yummy soup.:)

Cheeseburger Chowder

1/2 pound ground beef

3/4 cup chopped onion

4 tablespoons butter, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup diced carrots

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

3 cups chicken broth

4 cups peeled and diced potatoes

1/4 cup flour

1, 12 ounce can of evaporated milk

2 cups cubed Velveeta

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup sour cream

½ cup chopped pickles (for topping)

½ cup chopped tomatoes (for topping)

In a pot brown the ground beef. Drain and set aside. In same pot saute onion in 1 tablespoon butter until tender. Add garlic, carrots, basil and parsley. Saute about 3 minutes. Add broth, browned beef and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile melt remaining butter in a small skillet. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add evaporated milk, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 6 to 8 minutes.

Gradually stir the cream sauce into the soup. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add Velveeta, salt, and pepper. Continue to stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream. Garnish each serving with chopped fresh tomatoes and pickles, this sounds weird but its actually really good. For fun you can serve with toasted hamburger bun halves.

Cinnamon Rolls

Reminiscent of a favorite stop at the mall...

Sweet Rolls
3 ½ -4 cups Flour
1 package active dry Yeast
1 cup Milk
¼ cup Sugar
¼ cup Margarine
½ teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs

In large mixer bowl combine 2 cups of flour and the yeast. In saucepan heat the milk, sugar, margarine, and salt just till the mixture is warm (115˚ to 120˚) and margarine is almost melted, stirring constantly. [If too hot cool down] Add to flour mixture in mixer bowl; add eggs.

Beat at low speed of electric mixer for ½ minute, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. Continue to knead and add enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that feels smooth and elastic. (8 to 10 minutes). Knead dough on hook for an additional 10 minutes. Shape into ball. Cover; set raise in a warm place till double (20-25 minutes).


Cinnamon Filling

1 cup Light Brown Sugar
5 Tablespoons Cinnamon

½ cup Margarine, melted

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll part of the Dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Brush dough with the melted margarine; sprinkle sugar mixture on margarine. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting from long side; seal seam. Slice into rolls. (I find it easier to use Dental Floss, but I don't really have a great knife.) Place rolls, cut side down, on greased baking pan or cookie sheet. Let rise until doubled, about 35 minutes.

Bake 350˚ for 15 to 18 minutes. Top with Frosting when cooled.

1x makes 12 BIG rolls (that's what I like), or 18-24 smaller rolls (if you're lucky).

****Whipped CREAM CHEESE FROSTING****

The crowning glory that truly sets this recipe apart from all others. (Sorry to take so long for you Christie, the wait is over. :) )

4 oz. Cream Cheese
½ cup Margarine
1 ¾ cups Powder Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Place cream cheese and margarine in a mixing bowl and let them sit for 30 minutes, (so they are not too cold). Mix for 6 minutes at low speed. [If you have a KitchenAid mixer use paddle beater and mix on #2 setting.]

Switch to the Whip beaters and whip the Cream Cheese mixture for another 10 minutes at medium speed [or #6 on the KitchenAid].

Add 1 cup of the powder sugar and whip for 1 minute. Then add the remaining ¾ cup of powder sugar and whip for another minute.

Add the Vanilla and whip for 1 more minute.

Once the Cinnamon Rolls have cooled...Top with Frosting. YUM!!!

Won Tons

WARNING:  THIS RECIPE TAKES APROX. 2 HOURS OF ACTIVE PREPARATION.

1 lb Ground Pork

1 head of Cabbage Chopped

1 can sliced water chestnuts chopped

1 egg 3 TBS soya sauce 

2 pkgs Wonton Wraps (little squares found usually in the produce fridges)

Brown pork in wok (large fry pan will do, really you just need the size of the pan more then the heating style of a wok).  Add 3/4 of the chopped cabbage and cook until soft.  Then add egg, water chestnuts and soya sauce with the rest of the cabbage and put into wraps.  

Deep fry (you don't have to have a deep frier either, I do it in a small fry pan in fill it up real full, keep your stove top on or below 5.) and serve with Sweet and Sour sauce and rice.  (We pick up S&S from the Hunan Manor for dirt cheap.)

Chicken and Vegetable Boil-Spanish Style (Cocido) - Scarlett

Ingredients:

2 cups of cooked rice (to be eaten with soup after soup is cooked)
6-8 pieces of chicken with bone (Thighs, legs, if using wings you can use more)
3 potatoes cut in 1/4's
1 cassava or yucca root peeled and cut in smaller pieces (optional but can add incredible flavor and thickness to soup)
1 large tomato cut in fourths
2 carrots cut to preferred size
1/2 head of cabbage cut in 1/2 (optional)
6-8 small ears of corn
1 medium size onion cut in 1/2
1 bunch of cilantro
2 garlic cloves peeled
3 envelopes of Chicken Bullion Goya (yellow envelopes)
salt to taste and a little pepper

A few drops hot sauce (to be added before eating-totally optional but it makes it taste so good!)
1 lime cut in fourths or more (to be added to soup before eating, this is a must to add a little kick, but it's totally optional too!)


Let's get cooking!:

Fill large stock pot with water leaving 1/4 of the pot empty. Add chicken pieces, union, garlic, Sazon Goya (chicken bullion) and tomato. Cook at medium heat for 40 minutes or until it comes to a slow boil. Add potatoes, carrots, cassava, corn and cabbage. Cover and cook for 40 minutes keeping an eye on the soup to not boil over, if it's too high bring down the heat. Then add salt and a little pepper to taste. Add the bunch of washed cilantro, whole is preferable. Cover and cook for 30-40 more minutes.

If soup is cooked at slow heat it'll taste better. Allow at least 2 hours for this soup to cook in low to medium heat. This is best because the flavors really mell together if you do. Pointer: Don't cook everything together from the beginning because every vegetable cooks different, some need more time in the pot, others need less time like the cilantro. If you add your cilantro too early it'll bitter up your soup. It's best when added the last 15-20 because it tastes fresh.

Serving the soup:
Pour 1/4 - 1/2 cup of rice in deep bowl, pour soup over top of rice. Squeeze lime and hot sauce to taste. Start with a few drops of hot sauce depending on how much you can tolerate. Then add desired veggies to your bowl or you can put the vegetables on a separate place and add them slowly to your bowl as you eat.

~~~~~~

My grandma made this soup for us on rainy days, or cold days or when it was really hot outside! Really, in Latin countries you pretty much eat soup everyday as a first course followed by a meat course. My family loves to eat this on cold days and Matt loves it with lots of lime and hot sauce. You'll discover what works best for you!

ENJOY!

Chicken Noodle Soup - Jenni

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced (I always try to include the leaves from the heart of the celery for more flavor)
kosher salt
2, 48 oz cans chicken broth
2 cups frozen veggie mixture (I always use the one w/ peas, carrots, green beans and corn)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken from Costco or the grocery store for this)
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
3 chicken bouillon cubes, crushed
2 cups dry noodles (I use home-style egg noodles, but rotini pasta works too)
2 1/2 tablespoons Ultra Gel (this is a sauce thickener, but if you can't find it a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with water works too)

Melt the butter in a pot. Saute onions, carrots, and celery in butter and sprinkle with kosher salt to season them. Cook until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent. Pour in the broth. Add frozen veggies, chicken, onion salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, and crushed chicken bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil and add noodles. Cook at medium temp for about 10 minutes and check broth to see if it is seasoned to your taste - adding more salt or pepper as needed. Whisk in the Ultra Gel or cornstarch mixture and let simmer for at least 10 more minutes.

Crock Pot Stew

Sorry I couldn't make it tonight. Greg had a meeting and I was too lazy to find a babysitter, but here's the recipe I was going to make (from my sister-in-law, Yumiko Luke):

1 can tomato soup
2 cans water
2-3 cubes beef base
1 tsp sugar
salt & pepper

cubed beef
carrots
onion
potatoes
green peas
(in your preferred proportions)

Put beef in middle of crock pot and vegetables around edges and on top. Add other ingredients. Cook 8 hours on low.

January Recipe Swap Tomorrow

It's time for recipe swap again, tomorrow at Scarlett's house at 7:00pm. The theme is "Winter Comforts". Hope to see everyone there tomorrow night!