Category Archives: Recipes

Apr8

Heavenly Angel Food Cake / Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

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heavenlyangelfoodcakeHeavenly Angel Food Cake / Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a classic angel food cake that I made for Easter.  I made it in a 9″ x 13″ baking pan, but you may also bake it in an ungreased angel food cake pan or in 3 ungreased (9-inch) round pans.  The cake and frosting are delicous, but my husband and I thought the frosting was too sweet.  My daughter loved it.  I think, though, it would be good for a drizzle over a hot cake.

This makes quite a large cake.  Bigger than an angel food cake mix.  I beat my egg whites in my mixer and they came right to the top of my pan.  Then I transferred them to a bigger bowl to fold in the sugar mixture.

This was such a good angel food cake mix, I am anxious to try it some different ways.

  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 cups egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line bottom and sides of a 13″ x 9″ pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides of pan.  (Do not grease pan or foil.)  Sift together first 3 ingredients.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until stiff peaks form.  Gradually fold in sugar mixture, 1/3 cup at a time, folding just until blended after each addition.  Fold in vanilla and lemon juice.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  (Pan will be very full.  The batter will reach almost to the top of the pan.)

Bake at 375 degrees on an oven rack one-third up from bottom of oven 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.  Invert cake onto a lightly greased wire rack; let cool, with pan over cake, 1 hour or until completely cool.  Remove pan; peel foil off cake.  Transfer cake to a serving platter.  Spread Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting evenly over top of cake.  Garnish, if desired.

Times for angel food cake pan is also 30 to 35 minutes, and 9-inch round pans is 15 to a18 minutes.

Serves 15.

Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 1/2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 (16-oz) package powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add lemon juice, beating just until blended.  Gradually add powdered sugar, beating a low speed until blended; stir in lemon zest.

“Stay close to God and you will never be the same.”

Apr3

Chicken Tetrazzini

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chickentetrazzini2chickentetrazzinaChicken Tetrazzini

We were guests for dinner at my daughter’s home last week.  This is what she cooked and it was really delicious.  I had to put it on my blog so I can fix it sometime in the future.

  • 9 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups whole milk, room temperature
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, opt.
  • 12 ounces linguine
  • 3/4 cup frozen peas
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spread 1 tablespoon of butter over a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.  Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a deep large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until pale golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.  Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly.  Coarsely shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and into a large bowl.

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to the same pan.  Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms become pale golden, about 1-2 minutes.  Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.  Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes.  Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chicken.

Melt 3 more tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium-low heat.  Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes.  Whisk in the milk, cream, broth, nutmeg, remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper.  Increase the heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil.  Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes.  Drain.  Add the linguine, sauce, peas, and parsley to the chicken mixture.  Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.

Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish.  Stir the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend.  Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta.  Dot with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.  Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes.

Serves 8 to 12.

“We honor God’s name when we call Him our Father and live like His children.”

 

Apr1

Pull-Apart Biscuit Bread

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pullapartbiscuitbread

 

Pull-Apart Biscuit Bread

This is the bread I made for our Easter dinner.  It was really yummy!

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup minced green onion (I minced mine in the food processor)
  • 4 (7.5 oz.) cans refrigerated biscuits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter;  add green onions;  cook until tender, stirring occasionally.  Remove saucepan from heat.

Dip each biscuit into butter mixture; fold in half.  Arrange biscuits in rows, folded edge down, in one layer in 12″ x 8″ baking pan.  Bake 25 minutes or until browned.  Remove bread from pan.  Serve bread warm.  Let each person pull biscuit from loaf.

Makes 20 servings.

“We honor God’s name when we call Him our Father and live like His children.”

 

Mar25

Millionaire Pie

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pineapplepie

Millionaire Pie

This is a Furr’s Cafeteria special.  It tastes like a million bucks.  Mine turned out slightly tart, but most of my guests agreed it was good that way.  So if you would like it a little sweeter, add a little more sugar.  Like an extra tablespoon in the filling and an extra tablespoon in the whipped cream.  Also, next time I make it, I will put a little more whipped cream in the filling and not so much on top.  But however you make it, it is delicious!

Crust

  • 12 Pecan Sandies, broken into rough pieces
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Pie

  • 1 (20-oz.) can crushed pineapple packed in juice
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
  • Salt
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1 (3-oz.) box pineapple-flavored jello
  • 1 cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
  • 2 cups heavy cream, chilled

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Process cookies and pecans in food processor to fine crumbs.  Add butter and pulse until combined.  Use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crumbs into an even layer on the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.  Bake until lightly browned and set, about 15 minutes.  Let the crust cool to room tempeature on a wire rack.

Cook the pineapple, 1/4 cup sugar, and a pinch salt in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and the pineapple is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.  Scrape the mixture into the food processor and process until very smooth, about 1 minute, set aside.

Whisk the egg yolks, 1/4 cup more sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.  Combine the jello and 1/2 cup of the pineapple juice concentrate in a medium sauce pan and let sit until the jello softens, about 5 minutes.  Cook over medium heat until the jello dissolves and the mixture is very hot but not boiling, about 2 minutes.  Whisking vigorously, slowly add the jello mixture to the egg yolks.  Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in the remaining 1/2 pineapple mixture.  Pour into a clean large bowl and refrigerate until set, about 1 1/2 hours.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip the cream and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar to stiff peaks, about 3 minutes.  Whisk 1 cup of the whipped cream into the jello mixture until completely incorporated.  Using a rubber spatula, fold 1 cup more whipped cream into the jello mixture until no streaks of white remain. Scrape the mixture into the cooled pie shell and smooth the top.  Spread the remaining whipped cream evenly over the filling and refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 4 hours.  Serve.

Serves 8.

“Respect for authority brings glory to God.”

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Mar25

Shrimp and Artichoke Dip

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shrimpandartichokedip

Shrimp and Artichoke Dip

Shrimp, Cheddar and Parmesan!!  Yum.  Serve with tortilla chips.

  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 (14-oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup cooked, peeled and chopped shrimp
  • Paprika, for garnish, opt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix everything together in a bowl.  Put in baking dish, sprinkle with paprika, and bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

“God’s love is abundant.”

Mar25

Country Club Bacon Bites

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countryclubbaconbites

Country Club Bacon Bites

I have made these for a couple of parties now and they are devoured instantly.  In the picture, the light colored ones are Parmesan cheese and the dark colored ones are brown sugar.  I have never tried blue cheese, but I think they would be good too.  These are very easy to make but take quite a long time in the oven.  Maybe that’s why they are so good.

  • 1 pound bacon, cut in half
  • Grated Parmesan cheese or brown sugar
  • Club crackers

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Lay the crackers face up on a large rack over a baking sheet.  Scoop 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan or brown sugar onto each cracker (I used a packed teaspoon).  Carefully wrap a piece of bacon around cracker, completely covering.  It should fit tight but not too taut.  Place the bacon-wrapped crackers onto the rack.  Bake for 2 hours.  Serve immediately warm or at room temperature.

Makes approximately 36 crackers.

“Access to God’s throne is always open.”

 

 

 

Mar11

Stuffed Bell Peppers

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stuffedbellpeppers2

Stuffed Bell Peppers

This recipe is a long-time family favorite.  I have tried other recipes but always come back to this one.  And this is the one my kids love and make for their families.

I love red, yellow or orange peppers the best.  I know they are more expensive than green, but they are sweeter, so choose whichever you like the best.

  • 4 large (6-oz.) or 6 medium (4-oz.) bell peppers
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons chopped onion (or more if you like)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup cooked rice (1/2 cup raw)
  • 1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce, divided
  • 8 oz. Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese (or whatever you like)

Trim 1/2 inch off top of each pepper, remove core, seeds and membrane.  The tops will not be used, but to be frugal cut around the tops and chop up.  Put in a plastic bag and freeze for later use.

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large stockpot or Dutch oven over high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon salt and bell peppers.  Cook until peppers just begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.  Using slotted spoon, remove peppers from pot, drain off excess water, and place peppers cut-sides up on paper towels.  Return water to boil; add rice and boil until tender, about 13 minutes.  Drain rice and transfer to large bowl; set aside.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook and stir ground beef and onion in skillet until onion is tender.  Drain off fat.  Stir in salt, garlic powder, rice and 1 cup tomato sauce.  Heat through.  Lightly stuff each pepper with 1/2 cup meat mixture.  Stand peppers upright in ungreased baking dish.  Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers.  Cover and bake 45 minutes.  Uncover, top with cheese and bake 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Serves 4 to 6.

“God calls us to live by faith, believing that He will fulfill His promises.”

Mar5

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

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cinnamonraisinbread

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

This bread is so delicious!  The grandkids stopped by and we devoured a whole loaf within an hour.  Sure glad this recipe made two loaves.  I think I need to make another recipe just so I can freeze it and have it ready to serve when unexpected company comes.

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar, divided
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Set oven rack to the lower middle position.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, baking soda and salt.  In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk and oil.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Fold in raisins.  Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar; set aside.

Spoon half of the batter into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans.  Sprinkle with half of the reserved cinnamon-sugar; repeat layers.  Cut through batter with a knife to swirl.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Slice and gobble it up warm right away.

Or – wrap in foil and freeze for up to 3 months.  To use frozen bread:  Thaw at room temperature.

Makes 2 loaves (12 slices each).

“We can finish strong when we focus on Christ.”

Feb18

Chicken Noodle Soup

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chickennoodlesoup

Chicken Noodle Soup

This is the best chicken noodle soup!!  It reminds me of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup, which I also love.

  • 16-oz. pkg. egg noodles, uncooked (or any kind of pasta you like)
  • 12 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 4 cups cooked and diced chicken
  • 1 or 2 (14.5-oz.) cans low-sodium chicken stock, optional*

In a large stock pot, saute on medium heat celery, carrots and onions in vegetable oil until cooked.  Add chicken stock, salt, poultry seasoning, and chicken.  Heat to boiling and then add noodles.  Reduce heat and cook just until noodles are cooked.  Serve.

*Because the noodles soak up  the broth, I then add the extra chicken stock..  If you like your soup heartier and not so juicy, leave the extra chicken stock out.  I like to add crackers to my soup so I like the juicier version.

Serves 8 to 10.

“Turning down the volume of life allows you to listen to God.”

Feb13

Homemade Spaghetti-O’s

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homemadespaghettios

Homemade Spaghetti-O’s

Fix this for your kids.  They will love it.  Or better yet, let them help you make it.

  • 6 oz. ground turkey
  • 3 tablespoons pesto (homemade or store bought)
  • 3 tablespoons plain dried breadcrumbs
  • Salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped coarse
  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped medium
  • 1 small celery rib, chopped coarse
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 4 oz. ditalini pasta (about 1 cup)

Combine turkey, pesto, breadcrumbs, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl and mix with your hands until uniform.  Use a teaspoon to gently form the mixture into 3/4-inch round meatballs, place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the broth and tomatoes with their juice, scraping up any browned bits.  Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until carrot is softened, 15 to 20 minutes.

Transfer soup to a food processor or blender and process until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.  Return the pureed soup to the pot, cover and return to a simmer over medium heat.

Stir in the pasta and reserved meatballs and continue to simmer until the pasta and meatballs are cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired and serve.

Serves 4.

Per 1 1/2-cup serving:  Cal 330; Fat 13 g; Sat Fat 2.5 g; Chol 30 mg; Carb 38 g; protein 15; Fiber 4; Sodium 680 mg

Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Cookbook

“Each person is a unique expression of God’s loving design.”