Summer Seafood Salsa

-HEB Cooking Connection

1/3-1/2 jar Dean Fearing's Sunkissed Apricot Sauce
1 container mild pico de gallo
1 can Miller's Select Jumbo Lump or Lump Crab Meat (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Serve with tortilla chips.

Thai Curried Chicken

I believe this was originally a crock-pot recipe I got from a Better Homes & Gardens magazine. I changed things up a bit and was pretty pleased with the results.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-3), cubed
1 red bell pepper, large dice
1 yellow bell pepper, large dice
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 to 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can unsweetened coconut milk (can use 1/2 can to cut back on calories)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup shredded coconut
chopped cashews (optional)
chile sauce (optional for more heat)
cooked jasmin rice

Start jasmin rice. In a frypan, season chicken with salt and pepper, cook through and remove from pan. Saute bell peppers, onion, jalapeno and garlic until bell peppers are crisp tender - remove from pan. Dissolve cornstarch in chicken broth and add coconut milk, curry powder and cinnamon. Heat coconut milk mixture in pan until slightly thickened. Add cooked chicken and vegetables and warm through. Stir in shredded coconut and serve over hot rice. Garnish with cashews if desired.

Soft Wheat Bread

This recipe is the best you'll ever find for a soft and delicious wheat bread! I will be forever indebted to Anna for sharing this recipe with me.

*5/17/14: I reduced the amount of gluten, and modified the original instructions to reflect how I make the bread.

-Anna Hampton

2 cups hot water

½ cup brown sugar or honey

1 Tbsp. instant yeast

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour (plus more if needed)
2 Tbps. + 2 tsp. wheat gluten

⅓ cup powdered milk

⅓ cup shortening

1 ½ tsp. salt

Place sugar (or honey), yeast, and hot water in the bowl of an electric mixer or Bosch.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Add more white flour as needed, until dough pulls off bottom of bowl.

Mix/knead the bread dough until smooth and elastic (*6-8 min. in Bosch mixer- speed 2).

*Note: I let my Bosch knead without the center portion of the lid on so the dough doesn’t get too warm. I read in a bread book that you shouldn’t let the dough get above 90° while mixing, otherwise it can develop off-flavors.

Place dough in greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch down and let rest for about 5 minutes. Separate dough in half, and shape into loaves. Place in 2 greased 10” loaf pans. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 hour.

Bake at 350° for about 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature is 200°.

Swedish Meatballs

My boys especially love this one. If you keep ground beef in the freezer, this is a great pantry-friendly meal.

-Mom Pulsipher

Meatballs

1 lb. ground round

2/3 c. evaporated milk (1/2 c.)
2/3 c. finely chopped onion
1/4 c. fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. allspice (1/4 tsp.)
dash pepper

2 tsp. butter (for browning)

Sauce

1 c. boiling water
2 beef bouillon cubes (or 2 tsp. granules)
1/2 cup cold water
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup evaporated milk
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

egg noodles

butter

poppy seeds (or parsley)

Combine 2/3 cup evaporated milk, onion, crumbs, salt, allspice and pepper. Add meat; mix well, chill. Shape meat mixture into 1-inch balls. In large skillet, brown meatballs in butter.

Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water; pour over meatballs and bring to boil over medium heat. Cover; simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend together cold water and flour. Remove meatballs from skillet; skim fat from pan juices and save juices. Stir 1 cup milk and flour/water mixture into pan juices in skillet; cook, uncovered, over low heat, stirring until sauce thickens.

Return meatballs to skillet. stir in lemon juice. Serve with cooked egg noodles, tossed with poppy seeds (or parsley) and butter. Yields 42 1-inch meatballs.

French Bread

-Anna Hampton

1-1/4 c. warm water
1 T. yeast
1 T. sugar
1/2 T. salt
3 c. flour
dried rosemary

Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl of an electric mixer and let sit for 5 minutes. Add salt and 2 cups of the flour. Beat on low until combined. Gradually add the remaining cup of flour (or less) and knead in the mixer until the dough clings to the hook.

Knead dough on countertop for 1-2 minutes and use a rolling pin to roll dough into an 18x8-inch rectangle (or two smaller ones). Sprinkle the dough with rosemary and roll up like a French loaf. Place loaf on a baking sheet and pat the entire loaf with cold water. Use a sharp knife to make diagonal slits along the loaf.

Allow the loaf to rise for 30 minutes (even better if you have a full hour) at room temperature. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Down to Earth Granola

-Better Homes and Gardens, April 2002

Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 40 minutes

4 cups old-fashioned oats
1-1/2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups raisins or dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 300. In a bowl mix the oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. In a saucepan warm the oil and honey. Whisk or stir in vanilla. Carefully pour liquid over oat mixture. Stir gently with a wooden spoon; finish mixing by hand.

Spread granola in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake 40 minutes, stirring carefully every 10 minutes. Transfer granola-filled pan to a rack; cool completely. Stir in raisins or dried cranberries. Seal granola in an airtight container or self-sealing plastic bags. Store at room temperature for 1 week or in freezer for 3 months. Makes 9 cups (24 servings).

Cheesecake/ Caramel Cheesecake Bars

-Food and Family, Fall 2005

1-1/2 cups crushed Nilla Wafers (about 50 wafers)
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 pkg (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1/4 cup caramel topping

Preheat oven to 325. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, leaving 3 inches of foil extending over short sides of pan. Create handles by crunching up extended foil; grease foil lining. Mix wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup of the pecans and butter. Press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. refrigerate until needed.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream, flour and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Lift out of pan onto cutting board, using foil handles. Drizzle with topping and remaining 1/2 cup pecans. Cut into 32 bars. Store leftover bars in refrigerator.

Makes 32 servings, 1 bar each.