I created this blog for a class assignment. This first post is for my assignment, so those of you reading won't understand why I have written the memories or have the random pictures. There are some awesome recipes, though! After this post, this blog will become more normal (relatively speaking). Enjoy!
Appetizers
Restaurant Style Salsa (from The Pioneer Woman)
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes with juice
2 cans (10 oz) Rotel
¼ c chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin
¼ t sugar
¼ t salt
¼ t ground cumin
½ c cilantro
½ whole lime juice
(Use 12-cup food processor, or process it in batches)
Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the consistency you like. Test seasonings with a chip and adjust as needed.
Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve with chips or nachos!
My friend Chelsy invited my husband and me over for a Mexican dinner night. We love Mexican. Chelsy grew up in Mexico and Texas, and I grew up in Texas, so we have converted our husbands to an extreme love of Mexican food. She served us this salsa, and Ben and I immediately fell in love with it. Now, whenever we want fresh salsa, this is most definitely the recipe we use! Because of Ben and my love for salsa, and this particular recipe, I have included it in my family history recipes. It is definitely a keeper.
Beverages
Eggnog
12 eggs separated
1 1/4 c sugar
4 c milk
1 c cream
2 TBS vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnoman
1/4 tsp nutmeg
In med bowl beat egg yolks until smooth. In med saucepan mix yolks and 3/4 c sugar and 3/4 c milk, stir well then heat on med heat until thickens (5-10 min) dont overcook or cook on to high of heat or you will cook the eggs, it's kind of tricky. Stir constantly. In large bowl beat egg whites until frothy add 1/2 cup sugar beat until soft peaks. Take cooled custard and fold into eggwhites. In med bowl beat the cream and 3/4 c milk, add vanilla or rum flavoring to egg mixture, add remaining milk and nut meg and cinn.
This is a special recipe that we only make on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve and sometimes on Thanksgiving. Having our homemade eggnog was always a treat for us. And I can't wait to go home and have it again this year!
Casseroles
Spaghetti Casserole
1 lb sausage
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can tomato soup
1 cup grated cheese
1 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 lb spaghetti
1. Boil water for spaghetti. When boiling, add spaghetti.
2. In a 4 qt. saucepan, brown sausage. Add the canned items and seasonings and allow to heat through.
3. Combine all ingredients and add the cheese last. Technically, you bake it in a 9x13 dish with the cheese on top, but we just stir in the cheese and serve it without baking.
Spaghetti Casserole is a family favorite. The original recipe came from my grandma, and when my parents got married my dad told my mom that she had to learn to cook this. She does it a little different from my grandma. For example, she doesn't put in olives (which I left out of the recipe because I think it's better without olives), and she doesn't bake it in the oven like a real casserole for time's sake. Everyone loves this dish in my family (it is requested very often), and I think I have converted my in-laws to it too! I made it for one of our family dinners last month.
Breakfast Casserole
1 ½ c grated cheese
7 slices bread, cubed
1 ½ lb meat, cooked (normally sausage, ham, or bacon)
4 eggs
¼ t dry mustard
2 ¼ c milk
1 t salt
1. Layer in order the first three ingredients.
2. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over layers
3. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Bake at 350 for one hour or until the egg comes out clean.
This recipe also came from my grandma and has been passed down through my mom. Breakfast Casserole was always a treat growing up. We requested it whenever we could take advantage of it, mostly when it was someone's birthday. It is AWESOME!
Beef
Tex-Mex Lasagna (Taste of Home)
1 lb lean ground beef
1 green pepper
1 medium yellow onion
1 can refried black beans
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup frozen corn, thawed
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce, divided
2 ½ c salsa
12 no-cook lasagna noodles
1 ½ c shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican cheese blend
1 ½ c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c fat-free sour cream
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1. Dice green pepper and onion.
2. In large skillet, cook beef, green pepper, and onion over medium heat until the beef is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in the beans, corn, japaleno, taco seasoning, and ¾ c tomato sauce.
3. Combine salsa and remaining tomato sauce. Spread ¼ c into a 9x13 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with four noodles, half of the meat sauce, 1 c salsa mixture, ½ c Monterey Jack, and ½ c cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Top with the remaining noodles, salsa mixture and cheeses.
4. Cover and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until edges are bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with sour cream, avocado, and onions.
Last year for Christmas, my mom got me this Taste of Home Recipe book I saw while we were grocery shopping and told her it would be nice if I got this for Christmas :) As Ben and I were searching through it, we found this recipe (with some alterations that I have made) and knew we had to try it. It's a combination of my favorite (Mexican) and his favorite (pasta). And it worked! This stuff is so good, and I know it's going to end up like Spaghetti Casserole did in my family growing up. We've only made it a few times because it requires a lot and we don't have lots of money to spend on groceries. However, we absolutely love it and plan on making it a recipe that will continue to be passed down in our family!
Poultry
BBQ Chicken Mac n Cheese
1 lb of elbow macaroni noodles
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1 whole egg beaten
2 Tbsp (heaping!) dry mustard (you can add up to 3 Tbsp and it will still be delish!)
4 cups of milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
6 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2-3 cups precooked chicken (I usually just boil mine in some water and a couple bouillon cubes)
1 bottle of your favorite barbeque sauce!
1. Shred chicken with two forks until you have 2-3 cups of it. Pour your favorite bbq sauce over it until moist and as much sauce as you want. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, cook pasta according to directions (al dente). I usually take mine out about 2-3 minutes before the full time. You still want your pasta to be tough because we will be cooking it more in the oven! Drain, set aside.
3. Whisk egg in a bowl and set aside.
4. Melt butter in a dutch oven or pan over medium heat on stove. Whisk in flour and cook for 3 minute stirring constantly. Pour in milk and mustard and whisk until very thick and smooth (about 5 minutes). Reduce heat to low
5. Now take about 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly whisk it into the beaten egg. Whisk constantly so that the egg will not cook. Stir until it's smooth. Pour and stir this egg mixture into sauce until it's smooth.
6. Slowly add 5 cups of cheese stirring constantly. Then add salts and pepper. Taste sauce to make sure it is salty enough :) You can always add more salt!
7. Pour cooked, drained macaroni into the pot and stir. Make sure to cover all of the noodles. Now pour into a pyrex pan (or you can use the same dutch oven if you used that) and top with bbq chicken and the other cup of cheese.
8. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly and delicious
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This recipe came from Chelsy's food blog. Sometimes when Ben and I want something new, we search websites (and Chelsy's blog) to find a new idea. When we find something that is a winner, we keep it. Barbeque chicken sounds a little weird with macaroni and cheese, but it also sounded just so great to me. And, since it made it onto her blog, I knew it turned out good enough. Ben and I really enjoyed making this together. Plus, it's fun to say we made mac n cheese from scratch (which is definitely the way to go if you have time). This is another recipe that has been added to our family through Ben and myself (and Chelsy), and we hope to keep it going in the family.
Breads
Steve’s Zucchini Bread
3 eggs, well beaten
1 c canola oil
2 c sugar
4 c raw, grated, and peeled zucchini
4 t vanilla
3 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
5 t cinnamon
¼ t baking powder
½ c chopped nuts (optional)
Combine eggs, oil, zucchini, and vanilla. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and blend mixture. Grease and flour pans. Bake at 350 for about an hour. Test with toothpick.
The first time I tasted this bread, I was in heaven. It is so moist and delicious. I don't know if my father-in-law actually made the recipe or if he adapted it from his mom, but his name is on the recipe. And he always has something to say about how to make it the best. And he always makes it, not Ben's mom. It's a family favorite with the Luthi's, and I imagine it will stay in our family as well. Whenever Steve makes it, he makes TONS and gives a loaf to all of his kids. It's that good.
Kilee’s Breadsticks (adapted from SFL cooking labs)
1 ¼ c warm water
1 T yeast
2 T sugar
½ t salt
3-3 ½ c flour (I use half wheat and white)
2 T butter
Garlic salt and parmesan cheese, optional
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
3. Brown butter in oven on baking sheet.
4. Add sugar, salt, and 2 ½ c flour to yeast and water. Mix to form dough.
5. If more flour needed, add up to 1 c more. Mix (knead) about 3 minutes.
6. Let dough rest for ten minutes.
7. Divide dough into 12 balls. Roll balls in hand to make a breadstick. Roll breadsticks in the browned butter.
8. Sprinkle with garlic salt and cheese if desired.
9. Let rise 10 minutes.
10. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.
The actual bread part of this recipe is the same recipe as what we use in the food labs in the 110 cooking class. But I have a spin on them that I like to think make them my own. Whenever I make them for dinners, people love them. In my husband's family, everyone associates these breadsticks with me. My mother-in-law makes awesome breadsticks that are a family legend. But one time, we invited Ben's parents over for dinner and I made these breadsticks. I didn't know that Ben's dad is super picky about his breadsticks because his wife's are so good. After he complimented me a lot on dinner (especially the breadsticks), and after they left, Ben told me that it was a really good compliment coming from his dad who doesn't offer compliments on food unless it really is super good. So, I make these all the time, and everyone who has had them loves them!
Banana Muffins
½ c butter
1 c sugar
2 eggs
3-4 bananas, mashed
2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1-1 ½ c chocolate chips! (it is an option, but you should add them)
Combine butter, sugar, eggs, and bananas. Mix well. Stir in flour and baking soda until just blended. Gently stir in chocolate chips.
Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
My mom loves to put chocolate chips in everything (reasonably, of course). But our most famous family recipes that have chocolate chips are her cookies, cinnamon rolls, and these banana muffins. They are SO GOOD! In our house, when my mom makes banana muffins, they have to have chocolate chips. If not, everyone complains because chocolate chips is where it's at. The first time I made these in college, my roommates just about died, and then it became a frequently requested item for me to make.
Desserts
Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 stick butter
½ c shortening
½ c granulated sugar
¾ c brown sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
2-2 ¼ c flour
1 t baking soda
½ t salt
2 cups chocolate chips (or your favorite candy bar, chopped J)
1. Cream butter and shortening together for about 2 minutes. Add the sugars and mix until well-creamed.
2. Mix in egg and vanilla.
3. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl and gradually add to creamed mixture.
4. Stir in chocolate chips or candy.
5. Bake at 375 for about 8 minutes, until edges are golden brown.
When I was growing up my mom literally made cookies at least twice a week because she loves them, and we loved them. We took extra cookies in our lunch to give to our friends, and whenever friends came over, she made cookies because "Julie Herlin's cookies are a legend." Everyone in our ward, and all of our friends families, knew that her cookies are a legend. I actually made them for our silent auction at the FACS conference last month, and everyone who tried them spread the word that they should buy them. And people keep asking me for the recipe. When I think of family recipes, this and spaghetti casserole are the first things that come to mind from my family. And I
know that this will continue to be passed down. Because I'm going to make cookies for my kids all the time!
There is a funny story that goes with these cookies: my brother Zach wanted to make them all my himself one time, so he out all the ingredients and made a tower with them on the counter. He was ready to go. Except he forgot that he had balanced the eggs at the top on the stick of butter and thought it would be funny to pull the sugar and shortening right out from the middle of the tower. Everything fell, and the eggs splattered all over the kitchen. We will never forget that moment :) It was priceless. And his cookies were delicious!
Grandma’s Marshmallow Brownies
2 T baking cocoa
1 stick butter
2 eggs
¾ c flour
1 pinch salt
1 t vanilla
1 bag big marshmallows
Melt butter and cocoa. Cream eggs, sugar, and salt. Add flour and butter mixtures alternately. Pour into greased and floured 8x8 pan. Bake 20-30 minutes at 350. Cut 15 marshmallows in half and put on while hot. Cover with icing when cool. Makes 16.
Icing: melt ½ c butter with 3 T cocoa. Add 3 c powdered sugar and 1 T milk
Let me just tell you that my grandma's marshmallow brownies are amazing (I love desserts, can you tell?). These were always a favorite growing up, and whenever we went to her house, she made them for us. It's a grandma treat. I have never seen anyone make anything like these except at her house. I asked her for the recipe a few months ago because I personally love them and want to be to able to make them when we move away and don't go to her house so often. I didn't have a picture of my grandma, so I posted a picture of me and my dad since it's his mom.
