Carrot Soup

This is one of our favorites! Sonia Glaser used to bring us carrot soup and quiche when one of us was sick. After trying to make it on our own and never getting it right, Mom asked her for the recipe and turns out the secret ingredient is a pound of bacon!
I've added my own tweakings here and there to add more flavor, and a bit of a zing. I recommend eating it with some hot out of the oven rolls on a cold day.

Ingredients:
2 lbs Carrots
1 cup Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
3-4 Large Potatoes (5 small potatoes)
1 lb Bacon
Chicken Stock OR Water with Bouillon Cubes
Sage
Cayenne Pepper

Instructions:
I prefer using the instant pot for this recipe, it's faster and easier. If you don't have one, just use your basic stock pot. It will take longer for the carrots and potatoes to soften.
You need an immersion blender for this recipe!

Instructions:
1. Cut Bacon into pieces and saute in the instant pot until browned. Pour off the grease as best you can.
2. Chop the carrots, potatoes, onion, and garlic, and add them to the pot with the bacon.
3. Fill with chicken stock or water with boullion just until all the potatoes and carrots are covered.
4. Pressure cook on high for 20 minutes. (Or boil in stock pot until potatoes and carrots are soft)
5. Using the immersion blender, puree the soup mix. Add sage and cayenne pepper to taste.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Tacos (Homemade Tortillas)

One of our all time favorites in the Ghormley home is this Cafe Rio rip off recipe of Sweet Pork tacos. Chris served his mission in France and the only thing he learned to cook while there was homemade tortillas. But I'm not complaining because they are my favorite thing ever and we will NEVER buy store bought tortillas again. (Except the ones at Costco that are raw, they are the only acceptable substitution but we don't have a Costco card).

Sweet Pork:

Ingredients:

Marinade-
3 lbs boneless pork shoulder (or other cuts of meat have worked, but shoulder is the best)
12 oz coke can
1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix in after shredded:
10 oz enchilada sauce (we always use red)
2 cloves minced garlic
4 oz diced green chilis (we have used rotel instead)
1/2 cup brown sugar (use more or less if your roast is bigger or smaller)

Directions:

1. Marinade pork for at least 2 hours, better if you do it over night, in the can of coke and brown sugar.

2. Put both the liquid and the meat in your crock pot/instant pot. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. (slower and lower is better!) We actually like to pressure cook it for 40 minutes at the end. We find it makes it more fall-aparty, like you want. (fall-aparty is not a word, but it describes my meaning well).

3. Remove the meat and shred it, discard the liquid!

4. Put the meat in the crockpot and add the enchilada sauce, garlic, green chilis, and brown sugar. Slow cook it for another 30-60 minutes.

Slap it onto one of these homemade tortillas and it will change your life!

Chris Ghormley's Most Amazing Homemade Tortillas

Equal Parts oil, water, and milk

One cup of each will make 30 to 40 tortillas

We use vegetable oil, because it's cheap. We've done it with Olive Oil in a pinch, and they taste amazing. We haven't tried it with coconut oil, but I'm sure it will work!

Mix together and add 5 parts what you used of flour (so 5 cups of flour for 30-40 tortillas)
Use the flour to get it to a consistency that will allow you to form golf ball sized balls and roll them out to make a flat tortilla. (You can make them whatever size you want, but the golf ball size will make your standard sized tortilla).

Use a basic frying pan (shallow like you'd use for omelettes or crepes) and sprinkle salt in the bottom. Fry it until it bubbles up on each size. No need to fry it in oil or anything, just a salted pan.

They keep for only a few days, but they rarely last a few days in our fridge. We use them for enchiladas, breakfast burritos, and they are also yummy to just eat plain!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

One of my favorites as a kid was Chicken Cordon Bleu, delivered in little frozen packages from the Schwan's man. Then in college, I was severely judged for eating them by a roommate that said it looked like I was eating a hamster.

Now we try to stay away from pre-packed frozen foods, so I've explored with some recipes and created my own Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

2 - Chicken Breasts
Egg wash (2 eggs)
1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
Sliced Ham
Cheese - generally calls for swiss, but you can use any kind. We tried it with camembert the other day, it was excellent)
4 tablespoons Melted Butter
Toothpicks

Directions:
Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise:


Pound them out to flatten them, so they will roll up easier.



Coat the chicken breast in the egg wash and then in the bread crumbs.

Lay the ham and cheese on the chicken, and then roll up the chicken.
Use a toothpick to keep the chicken rolled up.
Place on a baking sheet.

Bake at 420 degrees F for 25 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165 degrees.

When they are done baking, pour melted butter over the tops of the chicken.

You can experiment with different fillings. I've wanted to try it with spinach or broccoli, or even bacon instead of ham! I've seen people put avocado in the inside too, not sure how that would do baking.

I like to serve with roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts or asparagus. (I don't like asparagus, but Chris does, so I make it occasionally for him).

Enjoy!

Sponge Method Bread- based on Verna Earl’s recipe

¾ cup honey or sugar

4 cups warm water

2 tsp yeast

About 18 cups flour (I usually use whole wheat in the first step and white in the second or all white)

2 cups scalded milk (I use powdered milk or cream)

½ cup butter

3 tsp salt

Dissolve honey in warm water. Add yeast and flour to make sponge. Cover and let rise for about 1 ½ hour. Scald milk with the butter.  When cooled add to sponge with the salt and remaining flour. Knead until smooth.  Let rise about 2 hours. Punch down and shape into loaves.  Makes 5 loaves.  Let rise about an hour.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. Butter tops while hot.

Times and flour amounts are estimates!