German Chocolate Cookies - Handle the Heat

German Chocolate Cookies

For the cookies:

1 1/4 cups (5.6 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
3/4 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the topping:

1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 heaping cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

Directions

For the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until combined. On low speed gradually add the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

Using a medium spring-loaded cookie scoop, drop the dough by 1 1/2 tablespoon rounds onto the prepared baking sheets

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies are set. Let cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before removing the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

For the topping:

In a small saucepan set over medium heat combine the milk, sugar, egg yolk, and butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, coconut, and pecans. Let cool until thick enough to spread on top of the cooled cookies.

Drizzle the melted chocolate all over the cookies. Let everything set for at least 15 minutes before serving. Cookies are best served the day they’re made.

http://www.handletheheat.com/german-chocolate-cookies/

Tomato Basil Soup

Tomato Basil Soup

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 - 14 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes

1 - 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes

2 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)

1 tsp of sea salt

1 tsp of sugar

1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup of heavy cream

3 tablespoons of fresh basil, julienned

parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, saute garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute - being careful not to burn the garlic.  Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chicken stock, salt, pepper and sugar.  Cook the soup on medium at a simmer for 10 minutes.  

To finish, reduce the heat to low and stir in heavy cream and basil.  Serve topped with parmesan cheese 

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas - Kevin and Amanda

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

1 (16 oz) jar Salsa Verde
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
3 cups (12 oz) cooked, chopped chicken
8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon a thin layer of salsa verde into the bottom of the dish.
Combine chicken, 1 cup salsa verde, and 1 cup cheese in a bowl. Spoon about ⅓ cup mixture down the middle of a tortilla. Fold sides over and place seam side down in prepared baking dish. It’s okay if they overlap a bit.
Top with remaining salsa and 1 cup shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes until bubbly. Serve and enjoy!

Makes: 8 enchiladas.

Canning 101

Mom's Salsa

10 quarts tomatoes

6-9 bell peppers of different colors

6 caribe hot yellow peppers

4 jalapeño peppers

1/2 a bunch of celery

4 medium onions 

3 bulbs garlic

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup vinegar

2 tablespoons pepper

1/2 cup salt

4 teaspoons cumin

4 teaspoons paprika

Chop up all peppers, garlic, and celery. You can do this the night before and put it in a ziplock bad the night before with all of the spices. 

Rinse tomatoes and scald them by boiling them in hot water until the skins crack. Then dump them in cold water to peel the skins off. Then pulse them in the food processor until they are desired chunkiness. Drain the juice into a separate pan and measure the tomatoes. Do this until you have 10 quarts of tomatoes. 

Add tomatoes to peppers and spices and simmer for 1-2 hours until salsa is desired thickness. 

Put in sanitized bottles with sanitized rings. Can for 20 minutes if doing pints, 40 for quarts. 

To prep the lids: Boil water, then remove from heat and add lids. Let the lids sit for two minutes in the water before putting them on the jars. 

Tomato Juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vinegar

tomato juice

Add salt and vinegar to every jar, then use the juice from the salsa to fill quart jars almost to the ring part of the jar. Don't overfill. Can for 40 minutes. 

Stewed Tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vinegar

tomatoes (1/2 bucket gets about 6 quarts)

Rinse tomatoes and scald them by boiling them in hot water until the skins crack. Then dump them in cold water to peel the skins off. Quarter tomatoes and cook them down in a large pot until they are desired chunkiness. Add salt and vinegar to every jar and fill with tomatoes. Can for 40 minutes. 

Apple/Pear Sauce

Cook fruit in big pot until they are very soft, almost falling apart. Then put them through the juicer. If the sauce that comes out is thick enough, continue until fruit is all juiced. Add sugar if desired and bottle. Can for 20 minutes for pints. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan Pot Pie - Picky Palate

24 oz. Prego sauce

1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie)

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 box refrigerated pie crust, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Put one of the pie crusts into the bottom of a pie tin. Pour sauce into a large bowl. Season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, stirring to combine. Add chicken and gently stir to incorporate into sauce. Put in the bottom pie crust. Top with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.

3. Unroll pie crust and lay over chicken and cheese. 

4. Brush a light coat of olive oil over crust. Stab a few holes in the top. Top evenly with Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Crockpot Refried Beans - Chef In Training

• 3 cups dry pinto beans, rinse to clean beans
• water
• 5 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 Tablespoon garlic salt
• ½ medium sweet onion, don't chop. Just peel off outside skin layer (discard that outer layer) and use the whole half as is
• ½ cup butter

1. Put dry pinto beans into slow cooker.
2. Fill crock-pot nearly to the top with water, about ¾ of the way full.
3. Crush chicken bouillon cubes over the top of water, sprinkling evenly. Next, sprinkle garlic salt evenly over top. Drop the half medium sweet onion into slow cooker.
4. Cook on low until beans are soft, about 8-10 hours. (stir occasionally during cooking process. You may have to add more water as beans absorb water, so check on them periodically.)
5. Strain beans or pour off juice, saving the juice in a separate bowl.
6. Add ½ cup of butter and a small amount of juice that beans cooked in.
7. Use a hand blender to mash beans. Add juice and blend to obtain desired consistency. You want to leave beans a little runny as they will set up quite fast.

Chili Colorado Burritos - Food Pusher

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds stew meat or other beef cubed (top sirloin is great)
• 1 large can mild (red) enchilada sauce* (at least 19 oz.)
• 2 beef bouillon cubes 
• 5-7 burrito size flour tortillas
• 1 cup or so of shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:
Put beef, whole bouillon cubes (do NOT add water), and enchilada sauce*** into a crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours**, or until meat is very tender. (Can also cook on high for maybe 3-4 hours.)  

When beef is done (very tender and flakes off when stirred), taste and add more salt, if desired. Roll into a burrito (hopefully you know how to roll these). Pour some of the remaining enchilada sauce from the crock pot over the burrito to cover it. Sprinkle with some cheddar cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly, about 2-4 minutes.