Egg Drop Soup

Egg Drop Soup
from: http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2008/05/egg-drop-soup.html

4 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp. corn starch
3-4 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
2 eggs, beaten

I would also throw in a handful of corn niblets, even better if you have some left over from last night!

Set aside 1/2 cup broth, bring the rest of it to a boil. Whisk together reserved broth and corn starch, then whisk that into the boiling broth. Add food coloring. Drizzle the beaten eggs over the soup, stir gently to break it up, and serve. Garnish with green onion or chives, if desired. Easy and delicious!

Fried Rice

from my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook
Makes 6 side-dish servings

2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1/2 c. thinly bias-sliced celery (1 stalk)
1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups cooked white rice
1 med. carrot, shredded
1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 c. sliced green onions (2)

In a small bowl combine eggs and the 1 tsp. soy sauce
Pour the sesame oil into a large skillet. Preheat over med. heat. Add the egg mixture and garlic; stir gently to scramble. When set, remove egg mixture from skillet and cut up any large pieces. Remove skillet from heat.
Pour the cooking oil into the skillet. Return to med high heat. Stir-fry celery in hot oil for 1 minute. Add mushrooms, stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes more or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Add cooked rice, carrot, and peas. Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Cook and stir for 4 to 6 minutes or until heated through. Add cooked egg mixture and green onion; cook and stir for about 1 minute more or until heated through.

Shrimp Fried Rice – prepare as before except add 12 oz. peels and deveined fully cooked shrimp when adding the rice. Makes 4 main-dish servings.

Guacamole and Chips

Guacamole & Chips

This recipe is from an online friend.

avocados
juice of one lime
3/4 tsp of salt
at least one clove of garlic minced (go by your own tastes)
1/4 to 1/2 a cup or so of chopped onion
cilantro to taste
one tomato chopped

I just cut or mush the avocado up (leaving chunky) and then add all ingredients and mix up. Its very forgiving, you can change amts according to how you like and of course add some spice with jalapeno’s or something.
Cut up corn or flour tortillas and spray a little pam spray on them, sprinkle with salt and bake in the oven around 375 or 400. Maybe 10 min or so, you need to watch as they can burn fast.

Yummy Taco Dip

1 can bean dip
4 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1/2 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp taco seasoning
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/4 c. (1 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 med. tomato (diced)
2 green onions (thinly sliced)
1/4 c. sliced olives
1 Tbsp cilantro or parsley (finely chopped)
Add’l sour cream
Tortilla chips

Spread bean dip over bottom of small baking dish. Combine cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning and garlic.

Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over bean dip. Grate cheddar cheese over top. Bake 15-20 min at 350* or until cheese is melted.

Top with green onions, olives, cilantro or parsley, and tomato.

Lemon-Basil Cucumber Salad

I found this recipe in one of Chris’s farming magazines and it sounds so yummy!

Lemon-Basil Cucumber Salad
2 1-pound cucmbers
1 medium red onion, halfed and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 lemon, peeled and thinly sliced
1/3 cup lightly packed basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt or salt
Ground black pepper

Remove strips of peel lengthwise from cucumbers or peel cucumbers.  Thinly slice (4-1/2 cups when sliced).

In a large bowl combine cucumbers, onion, lemon, and basil leaves, set aside.  In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt until well combined.  Pour over cucumber mixture and toss to coat.  Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.  Serve immediately or cover and let stand up to 2 hours (add basil just before serving).  Makes 6 servings.

Green Bean Casserole

I found this on the Food Network, compliments of Paula Deen.  My only cooking responsibility this year is the Green Bean Casserole so I thought I should make it the best Green Been Casserole ever.  If it turns out that this recipe isn’t it, I’ll always wish it was, lol.

Green Bean Casserole

1/3 stick butter
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups sliced green beans
3 cups chicken broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings
Pinch House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 cup grated Cheddar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Honey Butter (from Alton Brown)

I am making scones today and thought I’d actually look up a recipe for honey butter. Sounds tough right, honey and butter? I found this recipe from Food Network, specifically from Alton Brown, for Honey Butter. I made it and sampled it and it is divine! Here you go!

Honey Butter
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats
Episode: The Case for Butter
1 pound butter
1/4 cups honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Hardware:
Dough scraper
Standing mixer
Parchment paper or plastic wrap

Cut the butter into chunks using the dough scraper.

Place butter into the mixer’s work bowl and beat at low speed, using the whisk attachment to loosen the butter. Increase the speed to medium and add the honey, cinnamon, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove butter from bowl and spoon onto parchment paper or plastic wrap. Roll into a log and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Parmesan Orzo

from Taste of Home’s Simple & Delicious

Prep/Total Time:  15 minutes

1-1/3 c. uncooked orzo pasta
2/3 c. chopped green onions
4 T spreadable chive and onion cream cheese
1/4 c. milk
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
4 T diced pimientos

Cook pasta according to package directions, adding onions during last 2 minutes of cooking time.  Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, milk, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until smooth; stir in pimientos.  Drain pasta; add to cream cheese mixture and toss to coat.

Yield:  4 servings

I’ve doubled this recipe from the one that came in the magazine.  It is by definition “Simple & Delicious”!  Silly me though, I forgot the pimientos.  Oh well, next time, and there will be a next time for sure!

Fried Summer Squash

Fried Summer Squash

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 7 medium summer squash, thinly sliced
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• oil

PREPARATION:

Combine eggs, milk, and salt. Dip squash in the egg batter, then roll in flour until well coated. Fry in deep hot fat, about 360°, until golden brown.