Sweet, Savory, Strawberry Salad

Lg. bag of mixed salad
12-15 lg. strawberries sliced
2 lg. cucumbers sliced
3/4 c danish feta cheese or blue cheese crumbled
1/2 c browned bacon bits/cooled
1 bunch of chives diced or green onions

Top with any sweet dressing such as honey mustard, lemon poppy seed, or sweet onion

Pumpkin/Pork Chili with Pumpkin Sour Cream

Pumpkin/Pork Chili with Pumpkin Sour Cream

When my monthy subscription of Food Network Magazine arrives, everyone knows Mom's going to be busy reading and dreaming for awhile. My kids joke and say when friends ask them what their mom does, they reply "she likes looking at food." Thanks guys!

When I read the ingredients for this chili in last months publication, I knew it was going to be a family favorite! I was totally wowed by it, adding my own touches here and there. The original calls for poblano and chipotle peppers which are not available where I live, so I made some adaptions. I also added the ingredients sugar, cumin, and cinnamon and used spinach from my garden instead of kale. For those without access to canned pumpkin, I imagine butternut squash might work, but probably not have the wonderful flavor pumpkin does.

(adapted from Mory Thomas, Food Network Magazine)

2 pounds lean pork cut into med. chunks
1 can lager/non alcoholic if you like
Salt to taste ( I used citrus salt)
1 very large red bell pepper cut into large chunks
3 teaspoons dried oregano
1 15oz can of pure pumpkin (1 ¾ cup)
½ cup sour cream
1 can diced mexican tomatoes
1 green bell pepper cut into large chunks
2 medium white onions cut into chunks
1/8 cup chili powder
4 tsp. diced garlic
1 bunch of fresh spinach cut into pieces
3 TBS sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. Cumin

1. Combine the pork, three cups of water, salt and lager in a large pot. Bring to a simmer, then skim off any foam. Add the peppers and oregano then cover and cook about 30min.
2. Mix 3TBS pumpkin into 1/2cup sour cream, then salt to taste. Chill it in the fridge.
3. Add the onions, tomatoes, garlic, chili powder and other spices to the pork mixture, then stir in the remainder of the pumpkin.
4. Cook for an additonal 20min adding the spinach in the last five minutes.
5. Serve with crackers and top with the pumpkin sour cream. Wow! It's nice.

African Chicken Stew

African Chicken Stew
Our ultimate family favorite, served over rice.

2 TBS olive oil
5 chicken breasts browned and cut into pieces
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 large onion diced
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander/cilantro
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp. salt
1 cup water
¾ cup peanut butter
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans drained
fresh cilantro and green onions diced for garnish

Brown chicken pieces in oil, then set it aside. Saute garlic and onion until tender adding water, beans, can of tomatoes and spices. Once the mixture is boiling, whisk in the peanut butter then add chicken pieces. Cook until the desired thickness is reached. Traditionally the sauce will be thick and creamy and wonderful over white rice. Garnish with cilantro, green onion, peppers or sour cream.

I will post a photo soon!

Fudgy Cinnamon Cashew Pie

This is a real crowd pleaser!

Crust:
2C flour
1tsp salt
2/3C butter or shortening
5-7TBS cold water

In a bowl, add salt to the flour, then cut the butter into the flour with a hand held pastry cutter. The mixture should look crumbly. Add the cold water one TBS at a time using a strong spoon to work it in. Use just enough water to make the dough stick together without it becoming sticky. It should be mold able enough to make into a ball. Dust a flat surface with flour, placing the ball of dough on it. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a large circle about 1/4in thick. (I like to spray my rolling pin with nonstick spray and then dust it with flour, to avoid sticking.)This recipe is large enough to use in a spring form pan, which allows the crust to be taller than a normal pie and laps over the edge of the pan, kind of a deep dish pie. Spray the spring form with nonstick spray, then line it with the crust allowing it to overlap the edges. It will have a very rustic look.

A premade crust or puff pastry from the store is fine, if you are short on time.

Filling:
3/4C corn syrup
1/2C sugar
3TBS butter/softened
4 eggs
1tsp vanilla
1tsp caramel flavor
2tsp cinnamon
1C chocolate chips/or chopped chocolate bars
1 1/2C cashews

In a bowl cream butter and sugar. Then whisk in corn syrup, eggs and flavorings until smooth. Add cinnamon, chocolate chips and cashews. Pour the mixture into a unbaked pie shell. Cook at 325F for about 1hr or until pie is set and the crust is golden brown. To avoid over browning, lightly cover the pie with foil for the first 30min of cooking. When handling the foil, avoid knocking off any of the crust that folds over the pan.

Let cool for 2+ hours on a wire baking rack. Carefully remove the outer ring of the pan in a downward motion, to assure that the overlapping crust does not break off.

Guest Serving Ideas: Leave the pie on the metal bottom of the spring form pan and then place on a cake or pie platter. A pedestaled one is nice. Carefully wrap a 1 to 1 1/2 inch ribbon around the pie, covering up the metal bottom and gently tie it into a bow. If there is room on the platter add a few cinnamon sticks for presentation, or add some chocolates and cashews to the center of the pie.

Dijon Dill Flatbread

Dijon Dill Flatbread

This is quick and perfect with any pasta dish or soup!

3C+or- flour
1C water (warm)
2TBS yeast
1TBS sugar
1tsp salt
minced garlic
fresh dill(torn)
2TBS dijon mustard
1/4c butter melted
1/4c olive oil

Dip:

Ranch dressing, bottled honey mustard dressing or pizza sauce is nice

Dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water. Add olive oil, then one cup at a time stir in the flour. After the second cup, add the minced garlic, salt and fresh dill. Mix in the last cup of flour. If the mixture is too sticky to handle use additional flour. The result should be an elastic, moldable dough. Place on a pizza stone, rolling it out to the edges. Use your fingers to punch deep impressions into the dough. Use a kitchen pastry brush and brush the butter over the dough. Spread 2 TBS of mustard over the entire area, add any additional desired garlic, salt or dill. (We are garlic fans and use about 1TBS or more, likewise alot of dill.)

Bake until golden brown and crispy at 425F.

Cinnamon Apple Scones

2C flour
2tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt
1/4C sugar
1tsp cinnamon
1/3C butter or magarine
1/2C buttermilk
2sm. apples, quartered and sliced thinly

Cinnamon Glaze

1/2c icing Sugar
1/2tsp vanilla
1/2tsp cinnamon
1tsp water (or until desired consistency)

Mix dry ingredents, then cut butter into the mixture until it is crumbly. Add buttermilk into the mixture using a heavy spoon. Stir the ingredients until well blended. Fold in the thinly slices apples. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Press it out with your hands to about 1/2in thick, then fold it over halfway, pressing it down again until 1/2in thick, and refolding it over again. 4 times of this process works well and gives the scone a layered texture. After the forth time, use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough out to about 3/4in thick. Cut into cirlces with a biscuit cutter, place on a sprayed cooking sheet. Bake at 425F until golden brown.

Sift icing sugar if needed along with the other dry ingredients. Stir in vanilla and water until there are no lumps and a smooth glaze is formed. Pour over the scones.