Crockpot Stew

Another one of my favorite recipes!  Perfect for a cold winter day.  I love sitting down to a delicious meal without a mess in my kitchen.  Being able to prepare this and clean up the mess in the morning makes me happy!

Crockpot Stew
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2 lbs. stew meat, cubed
3 carrots, cubed
3-4 potatoes, cubed
3 stalks celery, diced
1 small sweet potato, cubed
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf

Put all ingredients into crockpot. Rinse soup cans with small amount of water and pour into pot. Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours.

(note: All of the quantities are estimates.  If my potatoes are big, I use less.  I never have EXACTLY 2 pounds of stew meat.  I just grab a few handfuls of baby carrots and cut them up until it looks like I have enough.  You get the idea!)

Date Nut Pudding

I got this recipe from a friend in Colorado.  She served it at a party, and then made me guess what was in it.  Had I known there were dates in it, I probably wouldn't have even tried it.  I didn't think I liked dates--and I still don't think I like dates, except for in this dessert!  It is rich and gooey and caramelly (is that even a word??).  You will LOVE it!

Date Nut Pudding
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1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup nuts (I used walnuts)
1 cup chopped dates
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix well (makes a stiff batter).

1/2 cup water
3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar

Stir together in a saucepan over medium/medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil.

Pour caramel sauce into a 9x13 pan.  Drop batter by spoonfuls into sauce.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. 

Orange Glazed Poppy Seed Bread

I found this recipe on my friend Calli's blog here.  It is quick and simple and oh so good (please don't look at the sugar content!).  It will make 2 large loaves or 6 small loaves.  Perfect for giving to a friend at Christmas time. 

Orange Glazed Poppy Seed Bread
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3 cups flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 Tbsp. salt
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/8 cup canola oil
3 tsp. poppy seeds (original recipe called for 2 tsp.-- I thought it could have used more so I upped it to 3)
1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 Tbsp. almond extract
1/2 Tbsp. imitation butter flavor

For the glaze:
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. imitation butter flavor

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two 9x5 in. bread pans (or 6 mini loaf pans).

Mix together dry ingredients.  Add eggs, oil, milk, poppy seeds, vanilla, almond extract and imitation butter flavor.  Mix together and beat for 2 minutes.  Pour batter into prepared bread pans and bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (about 40 minutes for mini loaf pans).

While bread is baking, make the glaze.  Whisk together all ingredients and set aside.  When bread comes out of the oven and is still hot, pour glaze evenly over bread (I brush it around with a pastry brush).  Allow bread to completely cool before removing them from the pans. 

Easy Eclairs

I got this recipe ten years ago from ksl.com.  I haven't made them for about five years, and I had forgotten how EASY they are.  I am so glad I dug out this recipe and made them.  Even though they are easy (and you seriously won't believe how easy they are), they are sooooooooooo good.  Just as good as any eclair you can buy from a bakery, in my opinion. 

Easy Eclairs

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Pastry:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup water

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup flour

4 eggs

In a saucepan, bring butter, water, and salt to a boil.  Remove from heat and add flour.  With a wooden spoon (I used a silicon spoon), stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball and leaves the side of the pan.  Cool slightly.  Add eggs one at a time to flour mixture, beating well after each one.  Beat mixture until smooth. 

Using a pastry bag without a tip or using a tablespoon, make mounds about 4 inches long by 1 1/2 inches wide on a lightly greased baking sheet (I just used a spoon to make 8 mounds on my cookie sheet lined with a silpat baking mat).  Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.  Make a slit in the side of each shell and bake for 5 minutes more (I skipped this step).  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Yield 10 eclairs (as I said, I made 8).

Filling:

2 packages (3.4 oz) French vanilla instant pudding mix

3 cups milk

1 cup vanilla flavored yogurt (opt.)

(I have never added the yogurt.  I also like to fold in some Cool Whip after the pudding has set, about half a carton)

Combine ingredients and mix well.  Chill until set.  Using the handle end of a wooden spoon, poke into the end of each eclair shell.  Gently wiggle the spoon to loosen the insides of each shell.  Fill a pastry tube (with a large round or star tip) with the pudding filling.  Insert the tip into the hole in the end of the eclair and fill with pudding until shell feels heavy and is full.  Another way to fill the eclair shells is to cut the top 1/3 of the shell off and fill with the pudding and then place the top back on (I've done both ways, and the latter method is easier and faster).

Chocolate Glaze:

3 oz. semisweet chocolate

3 Tbsp. butter

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

4 1/2 Tbsp. milk

Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Stir in sugar and milk until smooth.  Frost tops of eclairs.  You can also use chocolate icing if desired. 

Pecan Pie

This recipe comes from my husband's family.  It is his favorite dessert of all time, and it is by far the best pecan pie I have ever had.  Seriously.  And it is soooooo easy to make!

Pecan Pie
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1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup pecans

Heat oven to 375.  Mix together sugars and flour.  Beat in eggs, milk, vanilla, and butter.  Fold in nuts.  Pour into a pastry lined pan.  Bake 40-50 minutes.

note: I have found that after 30-40 minutes, my crust is getting well done while the pie still needs to bake a little longer.  Cover the pie crust edges with tin foil to prevent them from burning. I have found the easiest way to do this is to cut a square of foil big enough to cover the pie and then cut out a circle in the middle of it for the filling to be uncovered. 

Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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2 c. sugar
1 c. oil
2 c. canned pumpkin
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, pumpkin and eggs together. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Spread on greased jellyroll pan. Bake at 350º for 25 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla


Beat cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix well. Spread on cooled cake.

Pasta with Salmon and Veggies

I had a very difficult time figuring out what to call this dish. Salmon Pasta, Creamy Pasta with Salmon, The Best Pasta Ever...nothing seemed quite right. And frankly, Pasta with Salmon and Veggies doesn't really sound right either, but it will just have to do.

The thing I love about this dish is that you can make it according to your liking. Don't like salmon? Use chicken or shrimp instead. Or don't use any meat at all. Don't like the veggies I used? Then use whatever veggie you like. I can't think of anything that wouldn't be good (well, maybe celery). Spinach, broccoli, fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower, arugala, toasted pine nuts, walnuts...seriously, the list is endless. Here's how I made it and you can adjust it however you want!

Pasta with Salmon and Veggies
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1 lb. pasta (I used bow-tie)
2 Tbsp. (or so) olive oil--who measures this anyway?!
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chopped vegetables (yellow squash, zucchini, red bell peppers, mushrooms)
1/2+ pint heavy cream (I didn't use the whole pint but I used more than half)
salt to taste (1/2-1 tsp.)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
cedar-plank grilled salmon

Prepare pasta according to package directions, al dente.
 
Pour olive oil into pan over medium-high heat and add garlic.  Stir just a minute or so until fragrant.  Add veggies.  Saute for a few minutes or more until they are as soft as you like them.  Add cream and salt.  Simmer about 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened.  Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted.  Add pasta to the sauce and mix well.   Put in serving dish and add salmon to the top (I didn't stir in the salmon because it would break apart too easily.  You could stir in the chicken or shrimp though).  If you don't want to cedar-plank your salmon, you can bake it in the oven drizzed with olive oil, salt and pepper at 375 until it is done. 

...or use chicken from a rotisserie chicken....

...you could also add some pesto for extra flavor if you happen to have some in your fridge...