The Chop Shop

Sam's Sugar Cookies and Icing

2010-12-16T20:25:00.004-05:00

The Cookies:

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Cover, and chill dough overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

The Icing:

Ingredients

1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
assorted food coloring

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup, vanilla, and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy.

If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.

Hot Bacon Potato Salad

2010-07-01T14:25:00.004-04:00

5 unpeeled medium potatoes (about 1.5 pounds)
8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
3 green onions, sliced
1-2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. mustard
1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1. Heat 1 inch salted water to boiling. Add potatoes. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer about 25 minutes or until almost tender; drain. Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch slices (I let them cool a bit first)

2. Preheat grill. Mix potatoes, bacon, onions and celery in a large bowl. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over potato mixture and toss thoroughly.

3. Place mixture in 8x8x2 foil pan. Cover with foil and grill on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring once.**

**Or, if you don't want to throw this on the grill, you can place mixture into a 2 qt. casserole and bake in 350 degree oven.

Drip Pan Cleaner (Electric Ranges)

2010-02-28T22:44:00.002-05:00

This works great!

Add 1/4 cup of baking soda to boiling water and boil your drip pans for about 15 minutes. What doesn't boil off is pretty easy to scrub off with a no-scratch pad. Of course, if your drip pans are ultra-disgusting, this isn't going to work. However, if you do this periodically, it will keep your new(er) drip pans looking great.

Aunt Margaret's Rolickys

2010-02-23T17:55:00.004-05:00

To make the dough, combine the following:

2 8 ounce blocks cream cheese, softened
2 sticks of butter
4 cups flour

To make the walnut filling combine:

1 pound ground walnuts
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, then roll out in powdered sugar. Spread with nut mixture. Roll up, place on a cookie sheet and then bend into a crescent shape.

Bake for 20 minutes. Sift more powdered sugar on top.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Easy Brownies

2010-02-23T17:47:00.003-05:00

These probably aren't the best brownies I've ever eaten, but they are easy to make with ingredients I'm sure to have on hand at all times. They are VERY sweet and fudgy. Briana loves them, which is odd because Bree hates anything "homemade". Yes, my kid actually likes processed/convenience foods.

You can cut this recipe in half (reduce to two eggs) and bake it in an 8 inch square pan.

Ingredients

1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 13x9 inch pan.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Add butter mixture to the flour/cocoa mixutre. Mix until well-combined; don't overmix or this will result in a more cake-like brownie.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Black Bean Soup

2010-02-23T16:14:00.003-05:00

I fashioned this after Dave Lieberman's recipe. It makes just the right amount for Sam and I.

Ingredients
5 slices bacon, finely chopped
about 1 cup chopped onion
about 1/2 red bell pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 cup DRY black beans, soaked overnight, cooked and then drained
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Optional:
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheddar, for garnish

Directions

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. At this point, I like to hit it with my immersion blender, because I prefer a creamy texture with this soup.

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait

2010-02-15T14:39:00.003-05:00

This isn't really a recipe, but I wanted to add it, because if you like McDonald's parfaits, you can save a ton of money by making your own at home. My daughter loves these for breakfast. I usually make 2-3 up at a time so she can grab something to eat in the mornings.

My mom saved a bunch of the McDonald parfait cups, so I reuse them when making my parfaits.

Aldi sells a low fat vanilla yogurt that I really like. A 2 lb. container is only $1.59.

You'll also need strawberries and blueberries. Buy them fresh when they're in season, but frozen works just as well. I buy my strawberries at Aldi. As for blueberries, I LOVE the frozen Dole wild blueberries. I can get a 3 lb. bag of them at Sprawlmart for a little over ten bucks. A bag of this size usually lasts quite a while and they hold up really well in the freezer.

So, like I said, this isn't really a recipe. It goes: a couple spoonfuls of yogurt, a tad of frozen fruit (if you're making parfaits well ahead of the time you plan on serving them, the fruit can still be frozen when you toss it in), a couple spoonfuls of yogurt, more fruit, and then top it off with some more yogurt. Try to leave a bit of room on top, of course.

And on the top, goes some granola...if granola is your thing. Add whatever type you like. My daughter likes "Just Bunches" cereal on top. They're sweetened little granola clusters (that I have a habit of snacking on).

Finally, I simply cover my parfait cups with a bit of plastic wrap and then place them in the fridge.

Vanilla Extract

2010-02-15T14:00:00.002-05:00

750 ml bottle of vodka (that's a fifth :D)
one package of organic vanilla beans (Tahitian or Bourbon varieties; buy the "shorts")

Wash your beans and then split them down the middle, leaving the tops and the bottoms closed.

Toss beans into the vodka bottle.

Stick the bottle in a paper bag and store it in a dark place.

Shake the bottle every few days.

The vanilla extract will be ready to use in eight weeks, at the earliest. The longer it sets, the better the flavor.

It's a beautiful thing.

Shower Spray

2010-02-15T13:40:00.002-05:00

1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
six drops Dawn
2 tsp. Jet Dry
24 oz. distilled water

Combine in a reusable spray bottle. Spray all over tub/shower after showering.

When I found this recipe, it was recommended to make this in small batches, because the peroxide turns to water after time. Who knows. I always thought peroxide turned to water after being exposed to light, which would mean it turns to water right after putting it into the spray bottle. ::sigh:: For now, I'm happy with my spray.

I've never bothered using the Jet Dry. It's supposed to help keep everything slick and shiny. Well, I have an ancient cast iron tub that is in desperate need of reglazing, so using Jet Dry isn't going to help...I don't think. Maybe I'll give it a whirl someday just to see if there are any added benefits. For now, I'm more concerned about mold and mildew, which this spray does help to curtail. Plus, I'm weird and like the scent of rubbing alcohol.

Glass Cleaner

2010-02-15T13:38:00.002-05:00

1 cup rubbing alcohol
1 cup distilled water
1 tablespoon white vinegar

You can probably double this, as I would imagine you would be able to fit a double batch into a 32 oz. spray bottle.

Chili

2010-02-15T12:23:00.003-05:00

I really don't have a set recipe for my chili. However, it always begins with:

1 lb. ground beef, browned and seasoned with garlic powder, salt and pepper

In a slow cooker, I add a 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes. You could also use fresh Roma tomatoes, too. Just pop your Romas into boiling water for a minute, remove and then place them into ice water. The skins will slip right off.

About this time, I always add a can of refried beans. I like how it thickens the chili. Fresh refried beans would be great, too.

Now comes the time to add whatever I feel like. I always add onion, garlic and bell pepper. I also keep a container of chipotles in adobo in the freezer. I always add one or two of these (well chopped, of course). I love the smoky flavor. You can add a fresh jalapeno, if you wish. Sometimes I'll even add a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles.

As for seasonings, I add chili powder, cumin as well as additional salt and pepper to taste.

I cook this all on high (it probably takes about 4 hours), while giving it a stir every once in a while.

Shortly before serving, I thrown in a can of chili beans as well and a (drained) can of whole kernel corn and let 'em heat up a bit.

I always serve my chili with tortilla chips, shredded cheddar and sour cream. That's how the kids like it.

I sometimes serve it with a delicious cornbread. Well, I guess it's more of a spoonbread. Or is it spoon-bread? Or spoon bread? I'll add the spoon-pudding-bread recipe another time. I don't know where I put my recipe.

No-Bake Cookies

2010-02-15T12:13:00.002-05:00

This is my mom's no-bake recipe that she's used all of my life.

2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
4 TBSP cocoa powder

Set aside in a bowl:
-3 cups oatmeal
-1/2 cup peanut butter (I prefer crunchy)

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, butter, milk and cocoa in a saucepan.
Cook until mixture reaches a boil, stirring frequently. Let the mixture boil hard for one minute (don't stir during this time)
Remove from heat and add oatmeal, peanut butter and vanilla.
Once the mixture is well-blended, drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper.

KFC Coleslaw

2010-02-14T19:53:00.003-05:00

You can find this recipe anywhere online. I've tried it and I love it. It truly does taste just like KFC's coleslaw.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 cups finely chopped cabbage (about 1 head)
1/4 cup shredded carrot (1 medium carrot)
2 tablespoons minced onion

Directions:

Be sure cabbage and carrots are chopped up into very fine pieces (about the size of rice). I do this with a food processor. I do the onion in the food processor, as well.
Combine the mayonnaise, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and beat until smooth.
Add the cabbage, carrots, and onion, and mix well.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. This definitely tastes better the longer it sets. Try making it a day ahead, if possible.

Serves 10 to 12.

Tzatziki Sauce

2010-02-14T18:30:00.002-05:00

This is from "Joy of Cooking". I love it. It is so creamy, yet light and refreshing. I love it with falafel.

1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP chopped dill
1 TBSP chopped mint (optional)
1TBSP red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. salt

Falafel

2010-02-14T18:21:00.007-05:00

These are amazing! Serve it with tahini. Serve it with tzatziki. Serve it in a pita. You can also garnish the falafel with onions, tomato or peppers. Or you can do all of the above! This is my favorite food ever!

I love it with this tzatziki recipe from "Joy of Cooking".

(adapted from a recipe in Joan Nathan's "Foods Of Israel Today")

Ingredients:

1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons flour
vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain.
2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the salt, hot pepper, garlic, coriander and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.
3. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Also, if you want to add parsley, now is the time. Adding it earlier can cause your falafel to turn green. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.
4. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts, or use a falafel scoop, available in Middle-Eastern markets.
5. Heat oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on baking rack. Keep warm in 200 degree oven.

Cinnamon Rolls

2010-02-14T18:03:00.004-05:00

Okay, these are very sweet. They are also sinfully delicious. However, the best part is they're super easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
4 1/2 cups AP flour

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In the bowl of a Kitchen Aid mixer, combine milk and yeast. Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes to proof.
Mix in the sugar, butter, salt, and eggs. Add flour and mix well.
With the kneading attachment, knead dough mixture about 10 minutes.
Put kneaded dough into a greased bowl. Let rise in warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
On a well-floured surface, roll dough into a 16x21 inch (I didn't roll a rectangle this large. But I did forget how big my rectangle was! I'll need to edit this when I make this recipe again!) rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Blueberry Muffins

2010-02-14T17:53:00.002-05:00

I believe this makes 12 muffins...or 8 larger muffins. These are delicious!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups AP flour
1 cup + 2 TBSP white sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups blueberries (if using frozen blueberries, toss berries in a small amount of the flour mixture)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tin or line with paper liners.
Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add oil, eggs and milk to flour mixture. Stir just to incorporate ingredients and then fold in blueberries. Do NOT overmix!
Fill muffin cups right to the top and sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar mixture (if desired).
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until done.

Steak & Guinness Pie

2010-02-14T17:28:00.004-05:00

This is Sam's favorite meal ever. I am not a fan of beef stew, but I find this absolutely delicious. I usually serve it with mashed potatoes and green peas. Any recipe I've seen for this calls for cheddar cheese. I omit the cheddar out of personal preference.

This is adapted from Jamie Oliver's recipe.

Ingredients:

1/4 lb. bacon
1 lb. stew meat
1 onion, medium dice
1-2 carrots, medium dice
1-2 stalks celery, sliced
8 ounces sliced mushrooms (I use baby bellas)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
1 TBSP fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried
1-2 bay leaves
1 bottle Guinness (extra stout variety)
1 cup beef stock
3 prunes (significantly cuts down on the bitterness from the Guinness)
1 sheet puff pastry
small handful of brown sugar, if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the bacon and set aside leaving the grease in the pan.
Add the beef (in batches) and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Brown on all sides (about 4 minutes) and set aside.
Add the onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add butter if pan starts drying out.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the guinness and deglaze the pan.
Add the stock, bacon, beef, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and prunes.
Bake in oven for 1-1 1/2 hours*, uncovered. Check meat every 3o minutes. Add more beer or stock if necessary to keep pan from drying up. You may taste-test now and decide if you'd like to add a tad of brown sugar for an additional touch of sweetness.
Remove from oven and place puff pastry sheet over the top of the beef mixture. (At this point, I usually transfer the mixture to a 2 qt. casserole dish) You can add slits to the pastry and/or an egg wash, if desired.
Bake in oven according to directions on puff pastry.

*Since the pie will need to be baked an additional 40+ minutes because of the puff pastry, I recommend baking for only about an hour.

Chicken Pot Pies

2010-02-14T17:08:00.003-05:00

I've only tried this recipe once and so I made need to tweak it when I make it again.

I also want to mention that I originally added diced potato to this but for some reason, I omitted it when I wrote the recipe down. The next time I make this, I will experiment with the amount of potato and then edit this blog entry accordingly.

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 celery seed
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
1 cup frozen green peas
1 sheet puff pastry

Directions:

Preheat oven according to directions on puff pastry packaging.
In a saucepan, saute chicken, carrots, celery and onions, along with seasonings, in a small amount of fat. Remove from pan and set aside.
In the saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk to combine, cooking for a minute or two.
Slowly stir in milk and chicken broth. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick.
Combine gravy mixture with the chicken/vegetable mixture. Add frozen green peas.
Divide chicken mixture between 3-4 ramekins, placed on a baking sheet.
Top each ramekin with a piece of puff pastry cut to fit. Add eggwash, if desired.
Bake according to directions on the puff pastry package.

Baked Beans

2010-02-14T16:54:00.004-05:00

These beans are delicious and a family-favorite.

Ingredients:

2 cups (dry) navy beans or Great Northern beans
1/2 lb. bacon (I like to use a whole package of Trader Joe's applewood smoked bacon)
1 onion, finely diced
6 TBSP molasses
4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. mustard
1 cup ketchup
2 TBSP vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar

Directions:

Soak beans overnight in cold water. Cook beans according to directions. (I prefer to use a pressure cooker for this). Drain and reserve liquid.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Arrange the beans in a bean pot or casserole (I use either my Crockpot insert or my cast iron dutch oven) by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of the dish and layering them with bacon and onion.
In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, mustard, vinegar and brown sugar. Bring mixture to a boil and then pour over the beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved liquid to cover the beans. Cover the dish.
Bake for 3-4 hours*, until beans are tender. Remove the lid about halfway though cooking. Add more liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from drying out.

*I like my beans to be a bit "juicy" when they come out of the oven, as they seem to absorb more liquid upon resting. It's especially important that they be "juicier" if you are planning on making your beans a day ahead of time (which I always do when serving them at a potluck).

Taco Seasoning

2010-02-14T16:49:00.003-05:00

This recipe is for BULK taco seasoning. I had an empty (24 ounce) Ortega taco seasoning container and thought I'd reuse it by filling it with my own taco seasoning blend.

1 1/4 cup chili powder
3 TBSP + 1 tsp. garlic powder
3 TBSP + 1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 TBSP + 2 tsp. onion powder
1 TBSP + 2 tsp. oregano
1 cup + 2 TBSP cumin
6 TBSP salt (I used regular iodized salt)
6 TBSP pepper
1/2 cup + 2 TBSP AP flour

Mix all ingredients until will combined. Note: I attempted to use both the blender and mini food processor for this task, but it didn't work too well. Next time I will just use the whisk on my Kitchen Aid and see how that works out.

To use this seasoning blend in recipes, add about 3 tablespoons of the seasoning mixture per every pound of ground beef. Add water (I eyeball it, but probably about 3/4 cup). Turn down heat and simmer for a few minutes, stirring frequently.