Melissa

On Sunday we had some friends over for Thai food, and I made the best curry I've ever done - I researched a new way to cook it, and it turned out AMAZING. For those of you who haven't tried making Thai curry before, it is not hard at all - I can get you the curry and fish sauce, and you can get the rest from the grocery store! It is seriously SO GOOD.

Thai Coconut Curry (Panang)

3 Tbsp. panang curry paste

2 cans coconut milk (NOT low-fat)

2 lemongrass leaves (if you can find them - I have to go to a Mexican market)

1-2 chicken breasts or pork chops thinly sliced into bite-sized squares

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 Tbps. brown sugar

5-6 bay leaves

1/2 C. peas

Prepare all ingredients beforehand: slice meat, wash lemongrass and remove outer layers, then cut off top and bottom. Twist and bend them so the oils will come out when cooking. Open cans of coconut milk, stir them. (I've had it where they separated before into liquids and solids; I just stirred them together & they were fine.)

Fry curry paste in a few Tbsp. of olive oil in a large saucepan, add 1/4 can coconut milk at a time, incorporating each before adding next. Add lemongrass, chicken & bay leaves - cook until chicken is done. Add fish sauce (not as gross as it sounds; it's basically a salty, savoury liquid), brown sugar, & rest of coconut milk. Add peas and simmer until everything is warm and fragrant. Best served with Jasmine rice (it does make a difference - Jasmine rice is very oriental tasting.)

I'm also planning to make a few Holiday treats since Levi's family will all be here. Here are some of the things I'm going to be trying:

Cranberry-Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip

INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces fresh cranberries
4-5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 cup sugar (more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 (8 ounces each) packages cream cheese, light or regular, softened
Crackers, for serving

DIRECTIONS:
Pulse the cranberries in a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped (alternately, you can do this task by hand). Add the green onions, cilantro, jalapeno, sugar, cumin, lemon juice and salt and pulse until the ingredients are well combined and finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a covered bowl or tupperware and refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to overnight) so the flavors have time to develop and the cranberries lose a bit of their tartness.

When ready to serve, spread the cream cheese in an even layer on a serving plate or 9-inch pie dish. Top with the cranberry-jalapeno mixture, spreading evenly over the top of the cream cheese.

Refrigerate for up to an hour before serving. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Ultimate 7-Layer Dip

INGREDIENTS:
Tomato Layer:
4 large tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped fine
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 green onions, finely minced
2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 2 limes)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Guacamole Layer:
2 green onions, sliced thin, green and white parts separated
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 2 limes)
3 avocados, pitted, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Salt to taste

Black Bean Layer:
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained but not rinsed
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Sour Cream Layer:
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Cheese Layer:
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Tortilla chips, for serving

DIRECTIONS:
For the tomato layer, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, minced green onions, and lime juice. Stir in salt and let stand until tomatoes begin to soften, about 30 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer or colander and discard the liquid. Set aside.

For the guacamole, in a small bowl, combine the white parts of the green onions, jalapeno, garlic and lime juice. Let sit for 30 minutes. Add two-thirds of the avocado to the bowl with the jalapeno mixture and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Gently fold remaining avocado into mashed avocado mixture. Gently stir in the green parts of the green onions and the cilantro. Season with salt. Set aside.

Pulse black beans, garlic, remaining lime juice, chili powder, and remaining salt in a food processor until mixture resembles a chunky paste. Transfer to a glass 8X8 or 9X9-inch dish or similar sized bowl, spreading into an even layer. Quickly rinse and wipe out the food processor and pulse the sour cream, 1 cup pepper jack cheese cheese and 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese until smooth. Dollop the sour cream mixture on top of the black bean layer, smoothing to the edges in an even layer.

Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese. Spread guacamole over cheese and top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with additional sliced green onions, if desired, and serve with tortilla chips. The dip can be tightly covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

Angela

I was sick last week, so we had:
chinese takeout
subway
potato chips and candy canes
boiled potatoes and sour cream
chinese takeout again

We killed a pig this weekend, so this week we are having,
browned pork chops cooked in rice mixed with cream of mushroom soup
sausage gravy over biscuits
pork fajitas
fried pork steaks and some veggies or salad
pork sausage (not links) mixed with cooked rice, spicy tomatoes, peppers, and topped with tender cabbage with melted cheese on top.

Melissa

Okay, now I have try the pork and potato dinner - Patrea's posted it twice; its gotta be good! I decided to add the recipe for the tacos I made (from my previous menu) because they turned out SO good. I was sick of ground beef, and I wanted some chicken. I was thinking Cafe Rio style, and I just wanted it tender and juicy on the inside, and blackened and tasty on the outside. So here's what I did:

Preheat oven to 350. Slice 2-4 chicken breasts in half the hot dog way. Spread a large piece of tinfoil in a baking pan (big enough to fold over and completely encase the chicken. Sprinkle salt down on the tinfoil, line the chicken in the pan (1 layer if you can manage it). Sprinkle salt on the tops of the chicken, fold tinfoil over. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Use broth in rice or sauce if you are going to make it. Cut cooked chicken into bite sized strips. In a gallon plastic bag combine 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil, 3-4 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce, 2-3 tsp. garlic salt, 1-2 tsp. onion powder and a few dashes of lime juice. (I just eyeballed it, just add those ingredients to your taste.) Add cooked chicken to coat. Heat a large skillet on the stove on high (get it really hot.) Dump chicken into skillet, let sear a few seconds on each side. Remove, and serve on soft, warm tortillas with shredded lettuce, grated cheese, sour cream, and salsa.

Patrea

Sorry I haven't posted my recipes in so long! Here's what's cooking at the Hansen's this week....

Turkey Sandwiches
Using all of our leftover turkey from thanksgiving and some yummy Hawaiian Rolls that I always have to have in the house. :)

Pork and Potato Dinner
Shaun always rates my dinners on a scale of 1-5 and this one got a four and a half! It's originally Angela's recipe.


2 pork chops
1 T flour
1 T vegetable oil
2 T and 1 1/2 tsp grated parmesan cheese - divided
1/8 tsp pepper
2 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp beef bouillon granules
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice


Coat Pork chops with flour. In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown chops in oil on both sides. Combine 1 T parmesan cheese and pepper. Sprinkle over chops. Arrange potato and onion slices over chops. Sprinkle with 1 T parmesan. Dissolve bouillon in boiling water. Stir in lemon juice. Pour over chops. sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese. Cover and simmer for 18-22 min or until meat juices run clear.



Mac and Cheese

Because we have to many boxes in food storage that are expired!!!


Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 lb extra lean ground beef
2 T dehydrated onion
1/4 teas pepper
1 teas salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Sauce
3/4 c packed brown suger
3 T flour
1 1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 c vinegar
3 T soy sauce


In a medium bowl, combine meatball ingredients. Shape into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place under the broiler in your oven for 5/7 minutes or until the meatballs begin to brown.

In a large saucepan, whist together the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Add the meatballs and reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes stirring often. Serve over hot rice.



Spicy Island Shrimp


1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 c butter
2 1/4 lbs uncooked large shimp, peeled and deveined
2 cans (3 oz each) tomato sauce
3 T chopped green onions
1 T minced fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Hot cooked rice

In a large skillet, saute the green pepper and onion in butter until tender. Reduce heat. Add shrimp. Cook for 5 min. Stir in the tomato sauce, green onions, parsley, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for 20 min un until slightly thickened. Serve with rice. Serves 6

Angela

My fingers are too cold to type well because I brought in a load of frozen wood and Brady took my gloves this morning because he couldn't find his.  I just tried to spell my name Anglea.

Anyway, this is what we had last week.  This is my poor mans menu, when we have no money and no hope of getting any for a long time.  But at least I have my wood stove!  Yay!   heehhee.

1.  Onion soup with homemade beef broth and homemade bread and butter
2.  Homemade tortillas with homemade refried beans and cheese inside
3.  Chicken and brocolli casserole over brown rice.  Step 1, kill a chicken.  Step 2, use cabbage instead of broccoli.  Step 3, use cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken because I found an old can lurking in the back of my pantry.
4.  Hamburgers.  Homemade pickled beets, homemade ground beef, and homemade brown bread.
5.  Chicken soup with leftover chicken, homemade chicken foot broth, whatever veggies I had in the fridge, and homemade noodles.  Homemade bread and butter.
6.  Hashbrowns made from boiled potatoes, eggs from my chickens.
7.  Pancakes made by soaking equal amounts ground flour and yogurt which I got for free for my pigs (it was one month past date) but was still good enough for me to eat.  (That's right, I got desperate enough that I started eating pigs food.  Next step, return home and hope they prepare a fatted calf.  Oh wait, I have to do that too.)
8.  Prepare fatted calf.  Slow cooked some beef bones.  Fished the meat out for some kind of dinner tonight and froze the broth.  I'll probably make meat pie with it because I have a few shriveled carrots and potatoes left.  I'll boil the veggies in the broth until tender, strain the veggies out and make gravy with the broth, and pour the veggies, gravy, and saved meat into a homemade wheat crust because I ran out of white flour.  Prepare fatted calf?  Check.

Melissa's desserts

Are you hungry yet?

Melissa

Back to regular meals for a few weeks, then more really good bad food for Christmas!

1. Pizza Rolls

2. Reubens:

We had corned beef and cabbage the other night, and with the leftover corned beef we'll be making Reuben Sandwiches.

Corned Beef

Sauerkraut

Thousand island dressing

melted mozzarella or provolone cheese

3. Enchiladas

4. Chicken Parmesan

5. Tacquitas

6. Hamburgers

7. Ziti Al Forno:

This is a quite complicated Italian dish that is grilled chicken, shrimp and prosciutto in a lobster cream sauce over penne noodles. Levi found a professional chef who we took to our favorite Italian restaurant, and was able to reverse engineer the recipe. My friend Jeff is really the only person who can cook it, but I'm going to give it a shot.