Six Mile Granola

Six Mile Granola

*adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

½ cup brown sugar (or substitute with maple syrup – extra delish!)

½ cup honey or brown rice syrup

1 ½ tsp. coarse salt

½ tsp.  cinnamon

1 cup water

4 ½ cups rolled oats (not quick oats)

½ cup wheat germ

½ cup bran

1 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup raw almonds (you can substitute any raw nuts)

½ cup either flax seed meal or chia seeds

1 cup dried cherries, golden raisins, crystallized ginger, etc. if desired.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250.

Melt butter in saucepan and stir in sugar until melted.

Stir in honey, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and water until combined.

Stir in oats, wheat germ, bran, cashews, almonds and unsweetened coconut.

Spread mixture on two rimmed baking sheets.

Bake for about 1½ hours, until golden brown, stirring every 15 minutes.

Let cool on sheets then add dried fruit if desired.

Honey-Orange Pork Tenderloin

Courtesy of: Our Best Bites, Recipe lightly adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:

1/3 cup orange marmalade
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 1-pound(ish) pork tenderloin
Kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the marmalade, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and honey. Reserve 2 tablespoons and set the sauce aside.

Heat the oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the tenderloin and cook for 1-2 minutes or until a golden brown crust starts to form. Flip the tenderloin over and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the entire tenderloin is golden brown. Remove from heat. Pour about 1/2 of the sauce over the pork. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and flip the tenderloin over. Add the remaining sauce (not the reserved 2 tablespoons) and place the pan back into the oven. Cook for another 10 minutes or until a thermometer reads 155 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Drizzle with reserved sauce and cut into 1/2″ slices. Serve immediately with a salad or vegetables. 1 1-pound tenderloin serves 4.

Serve with an Asian Wonton Salad.

French Dip Sandwiches

Courtesy of: Our Best Bites

1 2.5-3 lb. beef roast (you can use a frozen roast if you want)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
2 1-ounce packages dry onion soup mix
2 c. water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 large buns (or more…6 would be VERY generous servings!)
Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.

When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. You’re not cooking the meat, you’re just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices. Oh, and it smells so good–just like Grandma’s house on a Sunday afternoon.

Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onions soup mix. Pour water and beef broth over roast.

Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. It’s hard to screw this part up; basically, the longer it cooks, the more tender it will be. But you know it’s done when you pop a fork in it and the meat just falls apart. When meat is ready, shred with a fork.

Place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty. And don’t even think about walking away–things can go from lightly-toasted to on fire within a matter of seconds when you’re using your broiler.

Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy!

FREEZER DIRECTIONS:

Prepare roast through the searing step; after meat has cooled, place in a plastic freezer-safe container (think Gladware), cover with onion soup mix and boullion, and freeze. When ready to cook, pop it straight into the crockpot (frozen), add 2 cups of water, and set to high until warm or, even better, simmering. Turn to low; cook for a total of 8-10 hours.

Swiss Cheese Chicken

Courtesy of: Aunt Norma

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Italian bread crumbs

sliced swiss cheese

1 cup mayonaise

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1 can cream of chicken soup

Mix mayo, lemon juice and soup and set aside. Spray 9x13 pan and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Lay chicken on top of bread crumbs and put 1 slice of cheese on top of each piece of chicken. Pour soup mixture over the top of chicken and sprinkle with more bread crumbs. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Take off foil and bake another 20 minutes.

White Chili

Courtesy of: PW

Ingredients

1 whole Fryer Chicken, Cut Up (or 3 Cups Cooked Chicken)
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 whole Cans Green Chilies, Chopped
1 pound Dried Great Northern Beans, Rinsed
8 cups Chicken Broth
1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
1-½ Tablespoon Ground Cumin
½ teaspoons Paprika
½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
Salt To Taste
White Pepper, To Taste
1 cup Whole Milk
2 Tablespoons Masa (corn Flour) OR Cornmeal
Grated Monterey Jack, To Taste
Sour Cream For Garnish
Cilantro For Garnish
Guacamole (optional)
Pico De Gallo (optional)
Corn Tortillas (warmed)
Preparation Instructions

Cover chicken and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until done. Remove meat from bones. Set aside.

In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, saute onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Add chopped green chilies, then rinsed beans. Pour chicken broth into the pan. Add sliced jalapenos. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Place lid on pot and reduce heat to low.

Cook for 2 hours or until beans are done. Halfway through the cooking process, add 3 cups of cooked chicken.

When beans are tender, mix milk with masa (or cornmeal) and pour into the chili. Cook for an additional ten minutes to thicken. Check seasoning and adjust, adding cayenne pepper and paprika if desired.

Add some Monterey Jack cheese to the pot and stir to melt.

Serve chili in a bowl. Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, extra cheese—even pico de gallo and guacamole, if you have some on hand. Roll up warm corn tortillas and serve on the side of the bowl.

Yellow Cupcakes with Sticky Chocolate Frosting

Courtesy of: The Pioneer Woman

Cupcakes:

2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup (plus a tad more) whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
With an electric mixer, mix butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl and mix for a few more seconds.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add vanilla. Mix to combine.
Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk in three batches, mixing for a few seconds after each addition.
Scrape sides of bowl, then mix one final time.

Fill paper-lined muffin tins 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until poufy but not brown. Cool before icing.

Sticky Chocolate Icing

3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter

Mix ingredients together in a small/medium saucepan. Melt ingredients over medium low heat, stirring gently. Icing is ready when all ingredients are melted and combined.

Spoon warm icing over warm cupcakes, stirring icing to smooth after every third cupcake or so.

Allow iced cupcakes to sit at least ten minutes before serving.

WARNING: MUST BE SERVED WITH A GLASS OF COLD MILK!

Tomato Bruschetta

From Julie & Julia

Now that tomatoes really are in season, or will be any day now, this is the thing to make. As with any dish with just a few simple ingredients, the quality of the ingredients and technique are key.

First, find yourself some excellent bread--this is crucial--choose a rustic loaf with a stretchy, hole-y interior and a crisp crust. If it's a round loaf, cut it into slices about 3/4 inch thick, and then cut those slices in half on an angle.

For the movie, we fried the bread in olive oil, as is Nora's preference, but I usually grill or toast it in a hot oven (400°). Either way, try to get it crunchy on the outside while retaining some softness in the center.

Then rub it lightly or heavily, as you wish, with a whole garlic clove (the garlic will disintegrate into the bread since the coarse bread will act like a grater) and drizzle with the best extra-virgin olive oil (if you haven't fried it) and sprinkle with good sea salt like Maldon, or Kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper.

Cut the tomatoes into chunks, tear basil leaves into medium-small pieces (plenty!), and toss with more olive oil. Let marinate for a while, and season with salt and pepper. Only use salt about 1/2 hour before using, as it will make the tomatoes release their juices, which you want, but not too much! If the bread is really crunchy, let the tomatoes sit for a few minutes before serving to soften the bread.

Oatmeal Scotchies

Courtesy of: Debra, Zupas Blog

Makes 4 dozen

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups oats
1 3/4 cups butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 375F.

Cream shortening and butter with vanilla until smooth. Add sugar, a little at a time. Add eggs and beat well. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Mix well. Add flour a little at a time. Mix in oats and butterscotch chips. Drop by teaspoonful onto baking sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cilantro Lime Pork Chops

Courtesy of: Caroline from Zupas.com

6-8 pork chops
1 cup finely chopped cilantro [reserve a little for garnish]
1/4 cup peeled grated ginger�
2 TB soy sauce
2 TB fish sauce [found at your local asian market]
juice of one lime
2 TB brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp - 1 TB red pepper flakes [depending on the heat you desire]
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
coarse salt and pepper

Place all the ingredients in a ziploc bag and marinade chops in the refrigerator 2-3 hours. grill for about 10 minutes.

serve with rice.

Sugar Cookie Cake

Courtesy of: Natalie Riley

2 1/2 c. flour

2 1/2 t. baking powder

3/4 t. salt

2/3 c. butter

1 1/4 c. sugar (I have cut this way down from what it asks for, I don't like it as sweet. Add more if you like it sweeter)

2 t. vanilla

1 t. almond extract

2 eggs

1 1/4 c. milk

Combine flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds. Add sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute in between each. Add dry mixture and milk alternately, beating constantly until combined.

Bake at 375 degrees or until wooden toothpick comes out clean.

{Your baking times will be very different! For these little cakes that I made for Gabe's birthday, it only took probably 20 minutes because the pans are really small. They made 6 cakes (3 when 2 were stacked on top of each other). You can also make 2 9" rounds which should take 30-35 minutes or a 9X13 might take 30-35 minutes as well. Set a timer and play it by ear!}

Icing:
1/2 c. room temperature butter
2 dashes of milk
2 t. vanilla
2 capfuls almond extract

Mix that altogether and add in enough powdered sugar {1/2 to 1 c. at a time} to make the desired, spreadable consistency. Add some fun colors and enjoy!

Guacamole

Courtesy of: Natalie Riley

1 small / medium avocado

1 small clove garlic, pressed

garlic salt

spoonful of sour cream

spoonful of prepared salsa

Mash the avocado, leaving some chunks. Add everything else and mix together. Put the pit{s} in the guacamole to keep it from turning brown. Yum!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 can of green chili enchilada sauce
1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 package of taco seasoning
1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans
1 chicken breast, cut into squares

Cook chicken in large saucepan with salt and pepper. Open the cans and pour everything in. Simmer over medium heat until everything is heated through. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, fresh tomatoes, and tortilla chips.