Potato and Ham Soup

INGREDIENTS:

6 tablespoons butter
3 leeks, white only, thinly sliced
6 to 8 ounces diced country ham, or smoked ham
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced peeled baking potatoes
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons fresh or freeze-dried chopped chives, optional
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups half-and-half or whole milk (any milk)
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
salt, to taste

PREPARATION:

Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add sliced leeks and country ham. Sauté, stirring frequently, until leeks are tender. Add flour and stir until well blended. Add the chicken broth and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Add potatoes; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add parsley, chives, if using, and pepper, to taste. Add half-and-half or milk and cheese; stir until cheese is melted. Taste and add salt if necessary. Serves 6.

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp sugar

Mix ingredients together and heat
Thicken with corn starch (1 tbsp corn starch in 2 tbsp water)

POLLY'S STUFFED MUSHROOMS

3 lbs. mushrooms (soak in salt water)
1 1/2 cups sharp cheese (1/2 for to sprinkle on top)
3/4 cup mayo
1 bunch green onions (or can use 1 medium yellow onion)
1 lb. bacon or Canadian bacon
Seasoning salt

• Remove stems from mushrooms.
• Dry mushrooms on paper towel.
• Brown bacon, drain on paper towel.
• Add mayo to bacon.
• Add other ingredients to mayo/bacon, mix well.
• Spoon filling into mushrooms and place on baking sheet.
• Cook for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

By request, here are the measurements for Mom's WON TON and EGGROLL recipes.  

WON TONS
4 cups chopped cabbage (roughly 1/2 head)
2 cups chopped celery  (4-5 stalks)
2 cups green onions
1 can (12 oz.) corned beef
1 can (2-4 oz.) small shrimp
mix with soy sauce


EGGROLLS
Spicy breakfast sausage (one tube), browned, almost crispy
1 Tbsp fresh ginger root, grated
1 1/2 cups grated carrot
1 cup yellow or green onion
1/2 to 1 tsp lemon pepper OR 1/2 tsp lemon rind + pepper

   Can add:  bean sprouts OR cabbage OR celery


SAUCE
1 cup ketchup
Worcestershire sauce 
(should be a blend, not too strong)


NOTE:  
1.  Drain sausage on paper towels before adding other ingredients to the pan and saute together.  

2.  Best skins to use are lumpia skins but eggroll skins will work too.  

3.  If won tons and eggrolls are frozen beforehand, skins may crack.

I made these for FHE last night and they are delicious!  Really, really love them.  And since we have an orange tree, I'll be making them every year.  Could definitely be one of my Christmas plate cookies in 2014!  YUM!

Reminded me of my Mom's favorite orange stick candy.

Photos and recipe by Sweet Treats and More.

Chocolate-Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

Photos and recipe by Sweet Treats and More. 
Slightly Adapted from Dulce Dough
yields: 2 1/2 dozen

A couple of people asked for this recipe last week so I thought I would post here.  This recipe was making its way around the blogosphere a few years ago.  That was when I first tried them.  It seemed that at every dinner event and gathering I attended someone was raving about them.  

I looked for the recipe again when we invited some friends over for dinner a week ago.  They are following a special meal plan and our invitation was used as their "free" day.  Come to find out this recipe combines all of their favorite sweet ingredients into one recipe.  It was a home run!  We sent them away with a plate and then received a call asking for the recipe.  

On the downside, this recipe is calorie-laden people.  After FHE dessert the next night we still had a good portion left over and I didn't want it lying around.  I sent it to school with David with strict instructions that he was to share them ALL with his friends and not eat them on his own.  (I know, I know, I'll duck from your daggers and start watching for the death threats in the mail.)  When I picked him up from school that day the first thing he passed on was a request for the recipe.  Apparently, the parent cafeteria monitors appreciated his treat too.

So, here goes!  Proceed with caution...

Tried this recipe at a neighbor's house and had to make it myself.  I love this!!  We had it as a side dish for dinner tonight.  Couldn't get enough of it.  Strong lime flavor.  


Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn


2 cups black beans, cooked, rinsed 
1 ear corn, boiled, kernels removed from the cob   (I cheated on this one.  I used 1 cup frozen white corn defrosted by running warm water over it.)  
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium poblano pepper, diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (leaves and stems)
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 Tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 Tablespoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon salt


Optional:  I added 2 diced tomatoes because anything tastes better with tomatoes to me!


Directions
Combine the beans, corn, onion, peppers and cilantro in a large bowl.  Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the bean mixture.  Mix well.  Chill the salad for 2 hours before serving.  

I made this recipe for a Ward winter social last week and everybody loved it. shared by Becky

Pink Chicken Artichoke Pasta Sauce

2 lg. boneless, skinless Chicken breasts
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1 can quartered artichokes
1 TBSP Olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Put the two chicken breasts in a gallon ziploc bag and pound with meat tenderizer until 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. Cut up into small pieces. Put oil in fry pan and get it hot. Add chicken, and mushrooms. Add artichokes towards the end and lightly toss so they don't break up too much. Add a little salt and pepper. You can always season it more when it is done. Set aside after chicken is cooked through.

1/2 cube real salted butter
1/4 c. flour
1 pt. heavy cream
2 - 3 c. 2% milk
1 1/2 c. fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp chicken bullion granuels

Melt butter in sauce pan. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Turn heat down to med/low heat. Add cream. You don't want this to boil after you add cream. You just get it hot enough to thicken and simmer good. If it boils too much it will separate. Add cheese and chicken bullion granuels. Add enough milk to desired consistency.

1 lg. red bell pepper
2 lg. roma tomatos
2 tsp. fresh basil
1 TBSP fresh parsley
1 tsp. fresh rosemary
2 tsp. fresh oregano
1/4 c. milk

Roast the red pepper on a pan on broil in your oven until it blisters and starts to turn barely black. Let it cool a minute and place in a ziploc bag while you get other stuff ready to go into blender. Remove pepper and Peel and seed it along with the tomatos. Blend with the herbs (you can use dried herbs if you don't have fresh - you will want to use a little less if you use dried) until well blended. Add to creamy sauce.

When the pink sauce has thickend to desired consistency add to chicken, mushroom and artichoke mixture. This is sauce is better the longer it cooks. You may have to add milk as it thickens.

Sesame Noodles

Shared by Cindy

Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings
Recipe from: www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com

4 T soy sauce
3 T brown sugar
2 T sesame oil
1/2 T peanut butter
1 t hot chili oil
1 T olive oil
1 T white sugar
1 small can mushrooms, chopped
3-4 green onions, chopped
1/2 T sesame seeds
1 16 oz package Capellini Noodles (or angel hair or thin spaghetti noodles)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While your noodles simmer away, add all ingredients but the mushrooms, green onions and sesame seeds, into a large mixing bowl. Stir them all up nicely so they are incorporated well.
3. When the noodles are done cooking, pour them into a strainer to drain all of the hot water. Immediately add the noodles to the sauce. Add the mushrooms and sesame seeds and stir it all up. Sprinkle with the green onions and you are ready to serve, folks. Ready to serve, and eat, and serve, and eat...and just ready to enjoy the summer time!