Commit now...

To keeping the camera in the kitchen this holiday season.

AHP

English Muffin Breakfast Pizzas

This looks really yummy.  I'm going to cheat and just give you the link.  http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/09/english-muffin-breakfast-pizzas.html

A Plea and A Challenge

Okay, this pregnancy, for some reason, I have developed an intense adverse reaction to anything chicken.  So, please, please please- can we post some non chicken recipes? 

The challenge is that for every non-chicken recipe you post, you get a point.  The person with the most points wins.  Something cool.  I'll send you a brownie mix or something.  You have until September 30th at midnight. 

If you actually bring me something non-chicken, I'll give you 50 points automatically.  Just saying.  You'd totally win that box of brownies...

BYU Mint Brownies

When I worked in the CES office during college, there were a few weeks in the year that were absolute nightmares.  The opening week of EFY registration, Education Week and the worst, Women's Conference.  While Women's Conference is probably a very uplifting time for most women, my office dealt with the special needs women.  Like the woman who was disappointed in President Hinckley's talk and demanded her money back because she didn't feel the spirit.  Oi.  Anyway, mint brownies are the holy grail during this week.  Its nearly impossible to buy them because any place that sells them is out within the first 30 seconds of opening their doors.  One day, I had an assignment from my supervisor: the on-site registration desk in the WILK had an entire pan of mint brownies hidden away, cleverly disguised in a nametag holder box.  My mission was to get a dozen brownies from the WILK to the Harmon building.  Now, this isn't the longest distance wise trek across campus.  The WILK is in the middle of campus, and the Harmon building in on the north side of campus.  There's no fast way there.  If I was on the south side trying to get to the north side, I could hop in a car, but from the WILK, the nearest parking lot is almost as far as the Harmon building.  So I had to walk.  I managed to time it so that the bulk of my walking was while most of the women were in classes.  I miscalculated one thing: the women who were skipping classes, waiting in line at the Marriot Center to make sure they got prime tickets for President Hinckley's devotional.  As I approached the Marriot Center, I clutched the plate of brownies to my chest (don't worry, they were covered in many layers of plastic wrap).  I had women grabbing at the plate, pulling on my back pack, even offering large amounts of money (I think I got offtered $20 at one point) trying to take these brownies from me.  I had some women yelling obscenities at me because I was just a student and could have mint brownies anytime, but this was their only chance each year to get some. My supervisor saw me being accosted, pushed his way through the large group of women and helped me escape from a very dangerous situation.  The brownies were smushed, I had some bruises on my legs, but we made it.  Recently, BYU published the mint brownie recipe in the alumni magazine.  While many will think this was a very magnanimous action, I'd like to point out that they didn't publish their chocolate frosting recipe, which I think is really what makes the brownies good.

BYU MINT BROWNIES

1 c. margarine
1/2 c. cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts

12 oz. chocolate icing (Use your own icing recipe or purchase some chocolate frosting. You can also search the Internet for chocolate icing recipes.)

MINT ICING
5 Tbsp. margarine
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

1. Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.
2. Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.
3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.

Really good brownies.

2/3 C Cocoa
2/3 C Shortening, Melted (NOT NOT NOT butter flavored)
4 Eggs
2 C Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/2 C flour
1 teaspoon baking POWDER
1 teaspoon Salt
1 to 1 1/2 C minature marshmallows
1 C Chopped nuts (optional)
Mix Cocoa and melted shortening in bowl.  In separate bowl beat eggs, sugar and vanilla.  Add to cocoa mix.  Add dry ingredients EXCLUDING marshmallows to cocoa mixture.  Mix well.  Stir in marshmallows.  Pour into 9x13 pan and bake @ 350 for 25-35 minutes.  Your fork or toothpick won't come out super clean because of the marshmallows.

Chicken and black beans

I was partially inspired for this by one of the posts here, and by some recipes on all recipes. It is a combination of several recipes, but it was a hit.

2-3 chicken breasts
1 jar salsa (we used homemade)

Dump in a crockpot together. You can put it on high if you want it done faster, or low if you want it done slower. I did it on low, and the chicken took 3-4 hours. When the chicken is done, shred it and stir.

Either in the crockpot or on the stovetop (depending on how soon you are serving it), mix in:

2 cans black beans, rinsed
1 can corn
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp garlic salt, or garlic and salt
chili powder to taste

Heat together. Then, just before serving, add half a brick of cream cheese. Stir to combine.

We served this on chips with lettuce, tomatos, olives, and other normal taco topping. I used the leftovers on tortillas with spinach.

Egg rolls

The other day, as I was reheating Sam's Club egg rolls, Tom said that it was too bad they couldn't be homemade. I said I could make them, but didn't, because this was easier. That led to a conversation where Tom first learned that, yes, egg rolls can be made at home.

Which means, next time it was his night to pick dinner, homemade egg rolls were it. I didn't actually use much of a recipe. I just started dumping things together, and it turned out pretty good.

Ingredients:

egg rolls wrappers
1 lb ground hamburger (that's what I used this time. I may try ground sausage next time for more flavor)
1/2 head of cabbage
5-6 carrots
cumin, garlic salt, and one of those packet seasonings for sweet and sour sauce (you know, the place in the grocery store that has a shelf full of packets, which are a big pain for employees to dela with? Yeah, they had a sweet and sour sauce one)

Fry hamburger. Drain. Shred cabbage and carrots and add to meat. Add seasonings. Sometime, I may actually narrow down the best seasoning combination, but I didn't measure this time. But, you all can taste it out and figure out what you like.

Place in egg roll wrappers and seal with a beaten egg. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place egg rolls on it. Spray egg rolls with cooking spray. This makes it lightly oiled so that they are still crispy even though you aren't frying them. You could fry them, but we are trying to be healthier here.

Bake at 375 for 10 mins. Flip and bake 12-15 mins more. Let sit for about 10 mins, long enough for them to crisp up a little, but not long enough to get cold. Serve with sweet and sour sauce or whatever else you want to dip them in.

A note- make sure your filling isn't very wet. Moisture will cause steam as it cooks, and that will cause them to split open. Another note- the egg adheres to the wrapper, not to egg, so you only want to wet one side of your seam.

I made 20, and we ate about 10 at dinner. The rest were placed in a plastic bag and put in the fridge. The mysteriously disappeared quite quickly over the next day.