Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups of white or jasmine rice

1 (14 ounce) can of coconut milk

2 cups of water

2-3 tsp granulated sugar

1/4 cup chopped green onions

Black pepper to taste (opt)

Directions:

Combine rice, coconut milk, water, salt, vinegar and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn heat to low and cover for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Allow 5 minutes to stand.  Add chopped green onions bottoms, black pepper and additional salt.

Garnish with green tops of onions and serve immediately.

Sweet Chili Chicken with Pineapple Salsa

Chicken:

Juice from 1 large lime (2-3 Tbls)

1 1/2 Tbls Curry Powder

2 tsp veg or Olive Oil

1 lb chicken tenders (about 8)

Salt 

Black pepper

Lime wedges (opt)

Salsa:

1 1/2 Cups diced pineapple

1/4 Cup  or less of thinly sliced red onion

1 avocado, diced

1 Tbls fresh lime juice

3 Tbls cilantro, chopped

Pinch of salt

Sauce:

3 Tbls Sweet Chili Sauce

1 Tbls honey

1 1/2 tsp Soy Sauce

1 Tbls warm water

Chicken directions:

Place lime juice, curry powder and oil in a large zip top bag and shake lightly to combine.  Add chicken tenders and marinate at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.  Preheat grill to medium high heat and oil grill grates.  Remove chicken from marinade and sprinkle both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Grill chicken about 3 minutes on each side or until internal temp registers 165 degrees F.

Salsa direction:

Combine all salsa ingredients and gently toss to combine.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Sauce directions:

Combine sweet chili sauce, honey, soy sauce and warm water and whisk with a fork until smooth.

To Serve:

Plate grilled chicken tenders, top with salsa and drizzle with sauce.  Serve with lime wedges if desired. (Can serve with rice - See Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice Recipe)

Note: sweet chili sauce can be found in the Asian food section of a grocery store (Thai Kitchen is a popular brand found in most locations)

8 Can Taco Soup

1 (15 oz) can black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 (15 oz) can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)

1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes (drained) OR 1 can or rotel

1 (15.25 oz) can sweet corn (drained)

1 (12.5 oz) white chicken breast (drained)

1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10 oz) can green enchilada sauce

1 (14 oz) can chicken broth

1 packet taco seasoning

Mix all ingredients together in a large pot.  Heat until warm, stirring occasionally.  Season to taste with taco seasoning (I typically use about half of a packet).  Serve with tortilla chips 

Dry Beans

For Pints

2/3 cup raw beans

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

For Quarts

1 1/3 Cups raw beans

1 tsp salt (optional)

Put dry beans into bottles and add salt.  Fill with water to the neck add lids and rings.  Put in pressure cooker and bring up to 15 lbs and cook.

Pints cook for 60 minutes

Quarts cook for 1 hour 30 minutes

This is for dry beans (black, pinto, white).

You can soak your beans over night or (12-18) hours then fill you bottles with beans to the neck, add salt, water, lids and rings then pressure cook. - I have done both

A #10 can of dry beans will make approximately:

18-20 pints

8-9 Quarts

*This also depends on if you soak them or not.  If you do not soak them you will make more jars.

Meatball Sauce

1 C Grape Jelly

1 C Ketchup 

Mix together and put half into a crock pot.  Place meatballs in and then cover with the other half of the sauce.  If meatballs are precooked then warm up on low for 2-3 hours stirring occasionally.  If meatballs are uncooked cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.

Creme Brûlée

200 ml (about 7 oz) Whole Milk

250 ml (about 9 oz) Whipping Cream

1 Vanilla Bean

6 Egg Yolks

1/3 C (plus) Sugar

Orange Blossom Extract

Sugar in the Raw

1. Mix milk and cream together in a pan.  Cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape the center seeds out of the bean. Add to the milk mixture and add the bean skin too.  Cook on below medium until it boils.
2. In a separate bowl, mix egg yolks and sugar.  Then beat together until almost white.  
3. Discard the vanilla bean skin then pour milk mixture into the eggs and sugar mixture.  Stir eggs while pouring in and mix well.  
4. Add orange blossom to the mixture.  Smell to see if it is enough.  
5. Pour into brûlée dishes until the dish is almost full.  Put dishes on to a cookie sheet, pour water around the dishes about 1/2 way up the dish.

Cooking Options:

1) Original baking directions: Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour or until fairly firm.  It will firm up more in the fridge.  (Had to increase the time by 20 minutes then another 15 and increase the temp to 275) OR

2) Bake at 275 for 1 hour and 10 minutes.  (White ramekins bake 10 more minutes, red ramekins right amount of time, but cook in a glass dish instead of cookie sheet)

Personal Note: Using the red ramekins pour 1/2 cup of the mixture into each one.  Should fill the 6 ramekins. Put them in a glass 9 x 13 dish and fill with water till its 1/2 way up the dish.  Bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour 30 minutes.  (Last time internal temp was around 177-178 degrees.  That seemed to cook it to a good consistency.) 

Cool to room temp and then chill in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours up to 2 days.

When ready to serve, sprinkle 1 tsp of raw sugar evenly over each chilled custard. (You only want a thin layer of sugar.) Use a blowtorch and move the flame back and forth over the sugar topping until it reaches the desired caramel appearance.  

Serve immediately with raspberries or other fruit.

Makes 4-6

From Valerie Causse                        

Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients:
1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
3-4 tsp Melted Butter
1/2 tsp Vanilla
Pinch of Salt
Candy Paper
Dipping Chocolate

Directions to make Cups:

1. Using a mini muffin tin line with candy paper liners.
2. Place 1/2 tsp of melted tempered chocolate in the bottom.  
3. Use your finger to push the chocolate 1/2-3/4 of the way up the sides to make the cup.  (For thicker chocolate bottom and sides use 1 tsp of chocolate.)  
4. Let the chocolate cool. *to cool quickly place in freezer for 5-10 minutes.  
5. Cut the corner of the zip lock bag with peanut butter mixture and pipe into the chocolate cups.  
6. With a wet finger push down the peanut butter mixture to get a flatter surface.  You don’t want the mixture to go above the chocolate on the sides.  
7. Top with 1 tsp of melted tempered dipping chocolate and gently tap on the table to smooth out the chocolate.  Make sure it reaches all the way to the sides to completely encase the peanut butter mixture in chocolate.
8. Let cool then store in an air tight container in a cool place.

Directions for Peanut Butter Mixture:

1. Mix the peanut butter and powdered sugar together and then add 3 tsp of butter.  Mix well.  
2. You want the filling to be thick and smooth.  If it is not smooth add the last tsp of butter, vanilla and salt.  
3. Place peanut butter mixture into a gallon zip lock bag or pasty bag.

Yield: 50-60 cups

Uses 1-2 lbs of Chocolate per batch

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Ingredients:
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
Candy papers
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Dipping chocolate, melted

Directions:
Mix peanut butter, sugar, and butter until well blended. Melt chocolate. Place candy papers into small muffin tins. Fill papers 1/4 full with chocolate. Roll peanut butter mixture into a log. Cut into disks. Place one disk into each candy paper and cover with more chocolate. Place in a cool place to set. Store in an air tight container in a cool place.
Approx. 2 lbs. chocolate makes 48 cups.

*Crunchy peanut butter can be used instead of creamy peanut butter.

*Could be made in a pie tin to make it look like a giant Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Pour melted chocolate into bottom of pie pan. Let cool. Mold peanut butter mixture into a large patty, just smaller than the pie pan. Place on cooled chocolate top with melted chocolate. Let it set before cutting.

From Aunt Connie