Category Archives: Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Turkey Pepper Chili

This chili is a great alternative to beef chili and one with some added ingredients that are considered to be a healthy alternative.

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 pound white meat ground turkey
1/2 onion chopped
2 stalks of celery chopped
1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
1 Anaheim chile seeded and chopped
2 cups chicken stock (or more if needed)
1 can 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
1 can 15 oz. white beans or black beans (drained)
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. each of salt, cumin, and dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
4 cups of chopped Kale
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in large pot, add onion, celery and all peppers and saute till onion is translucent. Add turkey and season with salt and pepper and cook through. If needed add a little of the chicken stock during this process if the turkey starts sticking to the pan. Add remaining ingredients, including Kale. Bring to a boil and then lower the temperature to a simmer. Simmer till the vegetables are cooked through. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
Serve with corn bread.

Herb and Garlic Paste

We roast a lot of different large cuts of beef at our house and this preparation method with paste is tried and true.This recipe will be good for a six to ten pound beef roast like a Rib Roast or New York Strip.

What you’ll need:
Balsamic Vinegar to lightly coat the beef.
3 cloves of garlic minced or pressed
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried.
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried.
3 Tablespoons salt
1-2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper.
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Method:
Remove meat from refrigerator 1-2 hours before roasting.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Rub the whole portion of beef with the Balsamic vinegar.
Place the meat on rack in shallow roasting pan fatty side up.
Make a paste from the next six ingredients.
Coat the top, sides and ends of the roast with the paste.
Roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and then turn the heat down to 350 degrees and roast until internal temperature reaches 125-130 degrees for medium rare.

Spicy Chicken Roll-ups

These roll-ups would be a good dish for game day or an appetizer for any party. Choose the level of spice in your wing sauce to adjust the heat. I saw this recipe in my grocery store flyer.

Ingredients:

  • 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 packet (1 ounce) ranch dressing seasoning mix
  • 1/2 cup wing sauce like Frank’s Wing Sauce
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded roasted chicken
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican mix cheese
  • 1 cup chopped green onions
  • 6 – 10 inch flour tortillas
  • Ranch dressing for dipping

Method:

  1. In large bowl mix together the cream cheese and ranch dressing until well-combined.
  2. Mix in the wing sauce.
  3. Use a rubber spatula to stir in the chicken, cheese and green onions.
  4. Spread mixture evenly across each tortilla.
  5. Roll and refrigerate for 3 hours.
  6. Slice and serve with a bowl of ranch dressing for dipping.
  7. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Yield: Up to 60 roll-ups

Divide recipe in half for a smaller group.
Confession: When I made this recipe I forgot to add the cheese. Oops! We had very hot wing sauce on hand and the roll-ups were very spicy. I’d recommend medium or mild to please a larger crowd.

 

Iced Ricotta Cookies

These cookies are soft and cake like. You could choose different colored sprinkles for any holiday you might be celebrating. They would make a real nice Christmas cookie with red and green sprinkles. They are good without frosting, too.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. butter
2 c. sugar
15 oz. or 1lb. Ricotta Cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Zest of one orange
4 1/2 c. flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter.
Add sugar and continue creaming.
Add eggs and Ricotta and vanilla and orange zest; beat well.
Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda, salt.
Add to batter and mix well.
Drop the dough by tablespoon on ungreased baking sheet. (use a cookie dough scoop for easy scooping and dropping of dough) (dough will be very sticky)
Bake in a 350 degree oven about 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Cool.
Yields 6 dozen cookies.

FROSTING:
2 c. confectionery sugar
1/4 c. butter
3 tbsp. fresh orange juice (use the orange that was zested)
Candy Sprinkles
Combine the first three ingredients and mix well.
Frost top of cookies then dust with sprinkles.
This amount of frosting was enough for about 4 dozen cookies.
Double the frosting recipe if you plan to frost all the cookies.

Tomato Rice Soup

My husband has been making this soup longer than I’ve known him. That’s a lot of years! It’s our go to soup for a comforting meal for travelers.

Tomato Rice Soup

1 medium onion chopped
5 cloves garlic minced
olive oil
1- 28 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1- 6 oz. can of tomato paste
4-5 small bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
small pinch of saffron
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed in mortar with pestle
1/2 cup uncooked rice
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in heavy bottomed pot or cast iron Dutch oven and add chopped onion. Cook until almost translucent and add garlic. Cook the onion and garlic for a minute or two longer and then add the diced tomatoes. Cook till bubbly. Add broth and tomato paste. Add all the bay leaves and spices. When the soup comes to a boil add the rice and return to boil. Lower heat and allow to simmer partially covered until rice is cooked. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Serve with a good loaf of bread.

Spicy Dark Chocolate Cookies

These cookies with surprising ingredients are very tasty and have a nice after kick of spice to them. Enjoy them with a cold glass of milk or a cup of coffee. My sister Lana made them in the past and shared them and the recipe with me.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
6 oz. of semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Melt the butter and chocolate together either on the stove top in a heatproof bowl over simmering water (whisking until glossy and smooth) or in the microwave in 25-second increments (whisking after each 25 seconds). Cool the chocolate mixture to room temperature.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat together the brown and white sugar, eggs and vanilla extract on low speed until mixed well. Pour in the cooled chocolate mixture and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chili powder, baking soda, salt and cayenne.

Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated well.
Fold in the chopped walnuts.

Scoop 12 equal rounds of the cookie dough for each cookie sheet making 24 cookies in total (approx.1-1/2 tablespoons each)
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 12 minutes.
Cookies should still be a little puffy and soft.
Immediately slide the full sheet of parchment paper with the cookies onto a cooling rack.
Cool and enjoy with a cold glass of milk.
Note: If you enjoy sweeter cookies you can increase the brown sugar to a cup.

 

Applesauce Spice Muffins

These muffins are not overly sweet. I sprinkled some sugar crystals on the top of these for the photograph but left the rest plain.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups applesauce (I used unsweetened)
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cream butter and sugar.
  3. Add eggs one at a time incorporating well and mix in vanilla.
  4. Stir in the applesauce.
  5. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices.
  6. Stir into creamed mixture.
  7. Fold walnuts in.
  8. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups 3/4 full.
  9. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Yield: About 30 small muffins.

Bruschetta Skillet Chicken

This is a simple stove top meal with good flavor. It would be good served with pasta on the side.

Ingredients:

  • 1-1/2 cups of grape tomatoes halved. (You can substitute a 15oz. can of chopped tomatoes, drained)
  • 3/4 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 1 pound of Chicken Tenders
  • 1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
  • 1 cup small garlic or Italian flavored croutons, crushed slightly

Method:

  1. Stir together tomatoes, cheese and basil in medium bowl and set aside.
  2. Combine tomato sauce and garlic in large skillet: add chicken.
  3. Bring sauce to a boil over medium-high heat.
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low.
  5. Add the mixed tomatoes, cheese and basil evenly on top of the chicken.
  6. Cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
  7. Top with croutons and more cheese if  desired.
  8. Serve hot with pasta or another side dish.

Serves 4

You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of the tenders but you will need to pound them to a 1/2 inch thickness.

One Pan Chicken Enchilada Meal

Good Saturday to all of you. Today in my kitchen I wanted to share one of my favorite ways to make a meal. One pot meals are quick and economical and can be real tasty. The clean-up is simple, too. This week in preparation for my post today I made two one pot meals. One was a lasagna pot meal that I saw on My Mother’s Apron Strings blog. With that idea tucked in my head I came up with this one pan chicken enchilada meal. Another great thing about this recipe using these ingredients is that it is Gluten Free!

Ellen’s Chicken Enchiladas One Pot Meal

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves
  • 1 – 7 oz. can of diced green chilies drained
  • 1- 4 oz. can of diced jalapenos drained (optional)
  • 10 oz. package of Queso Fresco grated (Mexican cheese)
  • 1 – 28oz. can of green enchilada sauce (mild)
  • 1 – 15 ounce can of pinto beans drained.
  • 10 count package of white or yellow corn tortillas sliced.
  • 1 cup Mexican blend grated cheese

Method:

  1. Use a stove top 4 quart or larger dutch oven to heat the oil.
  2. Add the chicken, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, green chilies and jalapenos (if using).
  3. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink.
  4. Remove the chicken mixture to a plate.
  5. Now it’s time to layer the ingredients.
  6. Add to the same dutch oven 1/3 of the enchilada sauce.
  7. Place one third of the cut up corn tortillas evenly on top.
  8. Put 1/2 the chicken mixture on top of tortillas.
  9. Place 1/2 the queso cheese on top.
  10. Add all the beans on top of the queso.
  11. Add another layer of the tortillas.
  12. Add the second 1/2 of the queso cheese on top.
  13. Add the next 1/3 of the sauce.
  14. Add the second half of the chicken.
  15. Place the last portion of tortillas on top of the chicken.
  16. Pour the last 1/3 of the enchilada sauce on top.
  17. Sprinkle the top with the Mexican blend grated cheese.
  18. Cover and cook on medium low for up to 30 minutes. After about 15 minutes use a turner to gently slide down all around the edges to lift up the bottom portion so the bottom doesn’t burn or stick.
  19. After the 20-30 minutes of cooking take lid off and let it cook off some liquid for 5 minutes longer.

You just want the ingredients to be heated through and for the cheese to melt nicely.
Serve with a salad or veggies.
This can serve 4 to 6 people.

I didn’t get photos of all the layers but these are the first layer and the middle layer and the last topping of the Mexican blend of cheese. The last photo shows the spatula going down the edges of the pan all around to lift the bottom layer gently.

My family really enjoyed this dish with the jalapenos but it did add some good kick to it so if your family is sensitive to spicy meals just delete the jalapenos. They also enjoyed tortilla chips on the side.

Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is light and fluffy. I decreased the sugar from the original recipe by half a cup and still think it is sweet enough. You can use cubed fresh pears in this recipe instead of blueberries. You can also use pecans instead of walnuts in the topping. This would be nice for brunch along side a savory dish.

Ingredients:

Topping:

  • 1-1/2 cups walnuts or pecans
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut in smaller pieces

Cake:

  • 2-3/4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup milk, whole or 2%
  • 1-1/2 cups blueberries

For Topping:

  1. Blend first four ingredients in food processor until nuts are coarsely chopped.
  2. Add butter; using pulse to blend until coarse crumbs form.

For Cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prepare 13x9x2 baking pan by greasing and dusting with flour, shaking off excess.
  3. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and soda in medium bowl.
  4. Using electric mixer beat butter in large bowl till fluffy.
  5. Gradually add both sugars and beat until blended.
  6. Beat in eggs, one at a time incorporating after each egg.
  7. Add lemon zest and vanilla.
  8. Blend sour cream and milk in small bowl.
  9. Beat in this mixture alternating with dry ingredients in 3 additions each.
  10. Spread half of the cake batter into prepared pan.
  11. Sprinkle half the topping over the batter.
  12. Cover this mixture with the blueberries evenly.
  13. Spread remaining batter over this layer.
  14. Sprinkle with the other half of the topping.
  15. Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
  16. Cool and serve.
  17. Yield: 12 servings