Easy Peasy Hamentashen

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This hamentashen recipe is so easy.  I’ve got a family recipe that calls for the dough to be refrigerated overnight, and whenever I look at that recipe I just want to make these cookies right now!  So this easy recipe is perfect and tasty too!

This recipe is from allrecipes.com.
Ingredients:

  • 1 (18.25 oz.) package moist yellow cake mix
  • 1 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 TBSP water
  • 1 c. fruit preserves, any flavor

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets or use parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and flour. Stir in the eggs and water to form a stiff dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch round circles and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Place a teaspoon of filling into the center of each cookie and pinch the sides to form three corners. Moisten with water if necessary.
  3. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Easy Peasy Hamentashen:
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Curried Beef

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This crock pot dinner is really tasty, and the leftovers were delicious too.  The recipe comes from the March 2009 issue of Cooking Light. I thought the original recipe called for way too much salt, so I didn’t add the salt, other than to season the beef prior to searing it, and boy am I glad that I omitted the rest of the salt, because the dish was plenty salty.  My advice is to use the salt sparingly, because you can always add more after the dish is finished crocking.

The recipe calls for beef short ribs, but I used just a boneless chuck roast, and it worked just fine.  If your meat cut doesn’t have a bone, then I’d reduce the cooking time.

Ingredients:

  • 2  tsp. canola oil
  • 2  lbs. short ribs or boneless chuck roast, trimmed
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/3  c. minced shallots
  • 3  TBSP minced garlic
  • 3  TBSP minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 1/4  c.  water
  • 2  TBSP red curry paste
  • 1 can of light coconut milk
  • 1  TBSP sugar
  • 1  TBSP fish sauce
  • 1  TBSP grated lime rind
  • 1  TBSP  fresh lime juice
  • Hot rice

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ribs with salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add half of ribs to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place ribs in an electric slow cooker. Repeat procedure with remaining ribs.
  2. Add shallots, garlic, and ginger to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water and curry paste; cook 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk, sugar, and fish sauce. Add coconut milk mixture to cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours.  If using boneless chuck roast cover and cook on LOW 4-5 hours.
  3. Remove ribs from cooker; keep warm. Pour cooking liquid into a zip-top plastic bag and place bag inside a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Pour cooking liquid; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a small bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Stir in lime rind and juice, taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Shred rib meat with 2 forks; discard bones. Serve sauce over ribs and rice.

Curried Beef:

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Crock Pot Turkey Chili

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This chili is so delicious.  It can be made completely on the stove or once assembled it can be simmered away in the crock pot.  I used my crock pot, and this chili is awesome.  It is thick and hearty and delicious.  I used ground turkey, but you could certainly use ground chicken or beef.

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 TBSP   vegetable oil
  • 4  garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1  lb.  ground turkey
  • 2  TBSP chili powder (I used 1 TBSP chili powder and 1 TBSP ancho chili powder
  • 2  tsp. ground cumin
  • 3  TBSP  tomato paste
  • 3  (14-oz.) cans of chili ready tomatoes diced tomatoes
  • 1  (16-oz.) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 c. water
  • Top with shredded cheese

Directions:

  1. Sauté chopped onion in hot oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender; add garlic, and sauté 1 minute.
  2. Add turkey, stirring often, 8 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Stir in chili powder and cumin, and then add the tomato paste, and cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans and water, stir to combine.
  3. Stove top recipe: Bring mixture to a boil and cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Top with shredded cheese.
  4. Crock pot recipe: add everything to your crock pot.  Cook on high for 2 hours (more time won’t hurt it) or on low for 4 hours (more time won’t hurt it). Top with shredded cheese.

Crock Pot Turkey Chili:

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Fried Rice

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Here’s a great recipe for leftover chicken or turkey or use a rotisserie chicken. The leftovers are great too!

The recipe is adapted from the November 2009 issue of Southern Living.

Ingredients:

  • 2 TBSP vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 c. diced onion
  • 1/2 c. diced red bell pepper
  • 1 c. cooked chicken, cut up
  • 1 1/2 c. frozen mixed vegetables, partially cooked
  • 3 c. cooked rice
  • 1/4 c. soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. Asian chili-garlic sauce

Directions:

  1. Heat 1 TBSP oil in large skillet over medium high heat; add eggs, and gently stir 1 minute or until softly scrambled.  Remove eggs from skillet and chop.
  2. Heat remaining 2 TBSP oil in skillet; add onion and bell pepper, and stir-fry 3 minutes.  Add cooked chicken and mixed vegetables; stir fry 2 minutes.  Add rice, soy sauce, and chili-garlic sauce; stir fry 5 minutes or until throughly heated.  Stir in eggs.

Fried Rice:

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Quick Reuben Sandwiches

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Here’s another really tasty recipe for quick Reuben sandwiches.  To me what makes this sandwich is the homemade thousand islandish dressing.  It’s easy, so don’t skip that step.

Thousand Island Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1 c. mayo
  • 1 c. ketchup
  • 1/2 c. sweet pickle relish (I only had hot dog relish which is a mix of mustard and relish)
  • 1 TBSP sugar

Sandwiches:

  • Rye bread
  • Butter
  • Leftover corned beef, sliced and heated
  • sour kraut
  • Swiss cheese
  • Thousand island dressing

Directions:

  1. Thousand Island Dressing: mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Sandwiches: take a slice of rye bread, add corned beef, sour kraut, swiss cheese, and some dressing.  Top with rye bread.  Butter the top of the bread and put the sandwich butter side down in a hot skillet.  Cook until bread is browned.  Add some butter to the now top of the sandwich and flip it over and cook until browned.

Quick Reuben Sandwiches:

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Quick Corned Beef Hash

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The country club in the town where I grew up served an awesome brunch.  Every time I went there I would get corned beef hash.  The corned beef hash was not that minced mush looking stuff you get at some restaurants or out of a can.  They used big roasted potatoes, fresh corned beef, and eggs over easy.  The first time I had it I was hooked!

A few nights ago we made a corned beef (you know, the kind that comes in the meat case with the seasoning packet).  Surprisingly both kiddos loved it!  We will certainly be making that again.  When I was thinking about how to use the leftovers, corned beef hash came to mind, so we had brunch for dinner.

One word: delicious!

Ingredients:

  • Tator tots, cooked according to package
  • Leftover corned beef, reheated
  • eggs, over easy

Directions:

  1. Cook tator tots, reheat corned beef, cook eggs over easy.
  2. On a plate put tator tots, top with corned beef, top with eggs over easy.

Quick Corned Beef Hash:

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Chili Gravy

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This chili gravy is delicious and works well as a sauce for tamales or enchiladas.  The secret to this gravy is making your own chili powder.
The recipe comes for Rob Walsh’s Tex-Mex Cookbook.

Homemade Chili Powder
Ingredients:

  • 5 whole ancho chile pods, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Directions:

  1. Spread the chile pods out flat.  Toast the chiles in a skillet over medium high heat until they become aromatic, then remove and cool.
  2. Cut the chiles into small strips with scissors.  In a spice or coffee grinder, grind the strips in several batches until powdered.  Combine the powdered chile, oregano, garlic powder, and cumin in a bowl.  Grind the coarse powder in batches for an additional 2 minutes or until finely ground.
  3. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Chili Gravy

  • 1/4 c. vegetable oil
  • 1/4 c. flour
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano
  • 2 TBSP chili powder
  • 2 c. chicken broth or water

Directions:

  1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, utnil it makes a light brown roux.  Add all the dry ingredients and continue to cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring and blending the ingredients.  Add the chicken broth, mixing and stirring until the sauce thickens.
  2. Turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes.  Add water to adjust the thickness.

Chili Gravy:

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Tamales

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We love tamales, and this recipe is by far my most favorite.  I love them more than any tamales I’ve had at any restaurant (except for maybe Berry Hill Bar and Grill).

This recipe is adapted from the Helena Tamales recipe in the April 2005 issue of Southern Living.

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of dried corn husks
  • 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
  • jar of your favorite salsa
  • 2/3  c.  vegetable shortening
  • 1 1/2  c.  yellow cornmeal
  • 1  c.  warm chicken broth
  • 2  tsp.  salt
  • 1  tsp.  paprika

Directions:

  1. Soak corn husks in hot water to cover 1 hour or until softened. Drain husks, and pat dry.
  2. Chicken Filling: Heat a skillet over medium high heat.  Add shredded chicken and enough of your favorite salsa to coat the chicken.  Mixture should not be too wet.
  3. Cornmeal Dough: Beat shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Stir together cornmeal and warm chicken broth in a medium bowl until well blended. Gradually add cornmeal mixture to shortening, beating at medium speed just until blended after each addition. Add salt and paprika, beating just until blended. Cover dough with plastic wrap, and set aside until ready to use.
  4. Assembling Tamales: Spread 2 TBSP Cornmeal Dough into a 3- x 5-inch rectangle on one side of 1 husk, leaving a 2-inch border at bottom narrow edge and a 1/2-inch border at one long side.  Spoon 2 heaping TBSP Chicken Filling down center of cornmeal dough rectangle, creating a 1-inch-wide strip. Roll husk up, starting at the long side with 1/2-inch border, enclosing meat filling with the first turn. Fold bottom end with 2-inch border over. Repeat procedure using remaining Cornmeal Dough and Chicken Filling.
  5. Line the bottom of your steamer with corn husks.  Add tamales to steamer.  We stack the tamales up to 4 high.  Steam over high heat for 1 hours.
  6. Top with your favorite salsa or with Chili Gravy or Tomatillo-Serrano Salsa.

Tamales:
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Garlic Curry Aioli

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I found a bag of frozen sweet potato fries at the grocery store.  They looked interesting, so I thought I’d give them a try, and see if they’d pass the test.

I gave -s the job of finding a dip or something for the fries, because ketchup seemed well, wrong.

He found this dip at Kirsten’s Home Cooking: Garlic Curry Aioli.  It is to die for!!!  If you love the curry dip at Melting Pot as I do, you will LOVE this dip!!!

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup light mayo
  • 2 small (or 1 large) garlic clove, mashed to a paste with salt
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon
  • Dash of black pepper
  • 1 tsp. curry power, or more to taste
  • 1 dash cayenne pepper
  • Salt to taste

Directions:

  1. Mash garlic into a fine paste with the side of a knife on a cutting board, using salt as an abrasive.
  2. Mix all ingredients together, serve with fries.

Garlic Curry Aioli:

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Easy Chicken and Dumplings

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This is a tasty, hearty, and super easy version of the slow cooked classic: chicken and dumplings.  Be sure to use low sodium broth, and if you don’t I would suggest using half broth half water, otherwise it will be too salty (trust me–there is plenty of salt in the rotisserie chicken, cream of chicken soup, and dumplings).

This dish makes for a great weeknight meal, as it only took about 30 minutes to prepare, and that’s from start to finish!

Recipe is adapted from the January 2010 issue of Southern Living.

Ingredients:

  • 4 c. LOW SODIUM chicken broth
  • 3 c. shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken)
  • 1 10.75 oz. can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
  • 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
  • 1 10.2 oz. can refrigerated jumbo buttermilk biscuits
  • 1 c. carrots, diced
  • 1 c. celery, diced
  • pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.  Increase heat to medium-high and return to a low boil.
  2. Place biscuits on a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat each biscuit to 1/8 inch thickness; cut into 1/2 inch wide strips.
  3. Drop strips, 1 at a time, into boiling broth mixture.  Add carrots and celery. Cover and reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent dumplings from sticking.
  4. Season with pepper.

Easy Chicken and Dumplings:

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