Bring it to the Party!

Last weekend hubby and I were invited to a "Twilightathon" party at friends', Sean and Heidi, home. While not big fans of shiny vampires, the chance to get out and socialize with other adults was the real treat. Anyone attending was asked to bring a snack to share which is only fair and I had planned on making my Mexican 4-layer dip. Heidi though was hankering for a 7 layer dip and who was I to deny her? Now I'm not going to claim that 4 or 7 layer dip was originally started by me; there are just so many different versions out there, so I'm just posting my take on them.

Anyway, then I was thinking about this little snack treat that I've been dying to make, but it makes so many that it's only good for a party. Hello, did someone say party? I first had this treat way back in 1997 when a coworker brought them in for a Christmas party. They were great and the recipe, only 3 ingredients, was passed around to everyone. Now you can find it on the internet everywhere, so if anyone is declaring they were the inventor....well who really knows by now? Anyway, at Heidi and Sean's party, they went faster than the dip, that's for sure.

So here come the recipes and next time you need a party snack idea, you've got a couple of more recipes to choose from. Enjoy!

Mexican 4 or 7 Layer Dip

4 Layer Dip

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz) container French onion dip (Helleva Good is the best)
1 (8 oz) jar medium, chunky style salsa
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
Tortilla chips

Preparation:
Using a 12 inch round aluminum pizza pan, spread out the onion dip evenly out to the edges; next spread out the salsa over the dip. Evenly spread out the lettuce, then the cheese blend.
Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.


7 Layer Dip

Ingredients:
1 (14.5 oz) can refried beans
1 (8 oz) jar medium, chunky style salsa
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 (12 oz) bag shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 ½ cups sour cream
1 ½ cups guacamole
1 cup each sliced black olives and diced onions, mixed together
Tortilla chips

Preparation:
Using a glass or plastic 2 quart rectangular dish, evenly spread out each ingredient, in order, over the next. Refrigerate for an hour to let the layers settle together. Serve with tortilla chips.

Note: For either dip, using a spatula to spread ingredients allows for smoother, more even layers.

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3 Ingredient Pretzel Chocolate Snack

Ingredients:
1 (10 oz) bag square or round waffle pretzels
2 (13 oz) bags Hershey’s Kisses (any one type or a mixture), unwrapped
1 (14 oz) bag plain chocolate M&M’s

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 180F; line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.

Spread pretzels onto parchment paper; place an unwrapped Hershey kiss in center of each pretzel. When all pretzels have a kiss on them, carefully place on center rack of oven, so they do not shift about.

Within 5 minutes the chocolate will get a glossy sheen to it; carefully remove pan from oven. Gently press an M&M candy in the center of each kiss; the chocolate will squash down and adhere to the pretzel.

Place pan in a cool place to let the chocolate firm up and set. The snacks can be stacked inside a plastic container; place a piece of waxed paper between each layer.

Makes about 75 - 100 pieces; dependent upon using whole pretzels only, not broken pieces.

Mary Cokenour

Pies Aren't Always Sweet.

When you hear the word pie, often times your mind thinks of something sweet such as fruit pies or perhaps a rich cream pie with a mile high meringue topping.  Pies can be savory too containing some type of meat and vegetables like Shepherd's or Cottage Pie or even sausage with peppers and onions can make a great filling in a pie crust.

Now how about taking an American classic sandwich, such as the Cheeseburger, and making that into a pie? Yes, it can be done; just check out online recipe sites or basic American cookbooks such as those put out by "Taste of Home" magazine.  Trying to come up with something new for dinner one night, I decided to try my own version of a cheeseburger pie.  Roy and I discussed what we like on a typical cheeseburger; simple items like cheese, of course, lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, mayonnaise, horseradish mustard, grilled onions and/or mushrooms.  Now how to make this into a pie of some sort and have it be edible; however we both didn't like all the items on one burger, so needed to compromise.

The first attempt wasn't very successful, too bland and if reheated, it was worse.  The filling was also too mushy, so the addition of a binder was needed.  The second attempt came out much better by adding some leftover ingredients from an Italian meal I made, plus using eggs as a binder...sort of like you would with a quiche.  I do intend to play more with this recipe eventually, so don't be surprised if you see an update at a later time.

Cheeseburger Pie

Ingredients:
2-9 inch, deep dish pie crusts (frozen in pans, refrigerated or homemade)
2 lbs lean ground beef
2 Tbsp Italian herbal mix
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 medium onion, diced
1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 (12 oz) bag shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided into thirds
3 eggs, beaten
½ tsp each salt and ground black pepper
1 can Pillsbury Grands biscuits

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350F; if refrigerated or homemade crusts, place in 9 inch pans; place pie crusts in oven for 5 minutes to set dough.

In large skillet, medium-high heat, brown beef; add Italian herbal mix, garlic, onion and mushrooms halfway through browning. Drain excess grease.

In large bowl, mix together beef mixture with tomatoes, tomato sauce, ricotta, 2/3 of the cheddar cheese, eggs, salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Divide between two pie pans. Divide 6 of the Grands biscuits to form 12 thinner biscuits; press the 1/3 of the remaining cheddar cheese onto one side of the halved biscuit dough. Place 6 on top of each pie (1 in center, 5 around), cheese side up; bake for 20 minutes; let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 2 pies; 6 servings in each.

Mary Cokenour

Golden Dragon Reigns over Farmington, New Mexico.

Golden Dragon

2324 E. Main Street
Farmington, NM, 87401

(505) 325-5100

Website: N/A

Located directly next to Fresh for Less on Farmington's Main Street is the Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant. This restaurant is open seven days a week and offers lunch and dinner buffets besides the regular ala carte menu. While it boasts the typical Oriental art upon its walls, the restaurant is open and welcoming, as is the staff.

We were seated at a booth and our drink orders were taken immediately. Unfortunately, we were late for the lunch buffet and too early for the dinner buffet, so needed to order from the ala carte menu. There was much to choose from and the choice was difficult as we wanted to try so much. Next visit, a buffet is a must to experience the variety Golden Dragon offers.

The Wonton Soup is a rich broth filled with vegetables and delicate wontons.

The Eggdrop Soup has a broth similar to the Wonton Soup, but thicker and it also contains vegetables, but cut finer.

Either soup would be an excellent choice as a meal alone, or for comfort if hit with a cold or flu.

Main courses were Chicken with Broccoli and Chicken Chop Suey; Fried Rice and Egg Rolls (served with sweet and sour sauce). Both chicken dishes were loaded with thinly sliced white breast meat and vegetables with light sauces, but flavorful. The fried rice was moist and tender; the egg rolls were crispy and absolutely delicious. This meal was for four people and we still ended up taking food home; and the bill did not break our wallet at all.

If in the mood for Chinese cuisine, the Golden Dragon's cave is where you want your table set.

Mary Cokenour

Briskets and Gravy.

As much as I love to grill and smoke meats, I am not one of those extreme die hards who are out there in any type of weather manning the grill and/or smoker.  What a quandry though when you are craving a good brisket, but don't want to deal with the cold weather outside.  That's where the crock pot comes in and becomes a best friend; always willing to help out and never complaininng.

After defrosting a four pound beef brisket and trimming excess fat off; I gave it a good massage with my All Purpose Rub. Sealing it inside an airtight container and popping it into the refrigerator, the preparations for Funeral Potatoes was begun. I didn't have any corn flakes on hand though, so a nice layer of shredded sharp cheddar cheese became my topping. Covered with plastic wrap, into the refrigerator that went to keep the brisket company overnight.

Next morning I got the crock pot out; the brisket went inside with all the other ingredients needed. I knew that the onions, tomatoes, chilies and garlic would not just help enhance the flavor of the brisket, but tenderize and moisturize. The rub on the brisket would help season those ingredients also, so the resulting gravy would be awe inspiring.

That evening I knew when Roy would be coming home from work, so I put the Funeral Potatoes in the oven, so they would be ready at the same time as the brisket and gravy. Result? Between the "Hmmm's" and "Oh my's", Roy was able to tell me that this was one of the best meals he'd ever enjoyed. The gravy was stupendous and the threat to eat a bowl of just that was made; he absolutely could not believe how deliciously awesome it was. He kept telling me that the brisket just melted in his mouth, and I have to agree that it was the tenderest brisket I've ever eaten. The Funeral Potatoes were a perfect accompaniment; the flavors melding so well with the beef and gravy.

Ain't that a kicker though, a crock pot giving a grill a run for it's money.

Crock Pot Beef Brisket and Gravy

Ingredients:
4-5 lb beef brisket, trimmed of fat
½ cup all purpose rub
1 (10.5 oz) can French onion soup plus ½ can water
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies – mild
1 ½ Tbsp minced garlic
4 Tbsp flour

Preparation:
Thoroughly coat, and massage in, all sides of brisket with rub; place in airtight plastic container or bag and refrigerate overnight.

Set 6 qt crock pot on low; spray inside with nonstick cooking spray. Place soup, water, tomatoes and garlic in crock pot; whisk in flour until incorporated well. Immerse brisket into liquid, cover and cook for 8 hours.

Remove brisket to rest before slicing. Set crock pot to high; using an immersion blender in the crock pot, or placing liquid into stand blender, puree tomatoes and onions. Let pureed liquid cook for 15 minutes to thicken. Serve over sliced brisket; also good for a gravy over mashed potatoes and/or biscuits.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Native American Foods - Navajo Fry Bread

The first time I ever had Navajo Fry Bread was in October 2008 at the Moab Farmers' Market.  Deep fried with cinnamon and sugar over it; it was awesomely delicious.  It reminded me very much of the zeppoli I used to get when I lived in New York, just a flatter version. 

My apologies to the Navajo Nation and my Navajo friends if I get the information too sketchy or not totally correct regarding Fry Bread.  The Navajo dinetah (homeland) is bordered by the four sacred mountains, from northeastern Arizona, western New Mexico and north into Utah and Colorado.  In 1863, Kit Carson was sent to meet with the Navajo to arrange surrender to the United States Army, but that was not to be.  So, their lands were burned and those that were captured were forced to march (what became to be known as "Long Walks") to Fort Sumner.  A 300 mile walk where many of the Navajo died from exhaustion and starvation.  At the Fort, as many as 9000 Natives were forced to live in deplorable conditions; the government supplies of lard, flour, salt, sugar, baking powder or yeast, and powdered milk were often rancid.  Fry bread came from these few foods provided during the 4 years of captivity. 

The above photo is of Fry Bread made by a friend here in Monticello, Anita Hathale. Anita is Navajo and a marvelous weaver which she learned from her mother; she also makes a wonderful Fry Bread. As you can see though, it is not totally flat, like a tortilla or pita would be and it can be eaten many ways. Fresh and hot just out of the fryer; coated with cinnamon and sugar, drizzled with honey; or as a Navajo Taco - seasoned meat, salsa, guacamole, grated cheese and sour cream. The Twin Rocks Cafe in Bluff also uses it to make pizza, and I know I'm trying that next time I get down there.

Now living in Southeastern Utah, it is part of the area known as "The Four Corners", and there is a monument area commemorating this.  The monument is located 6 miles from Teec Nos Pos, AZ on the Colorado Plateau.  While visiting the monument, one of the vendors there was making Fry Bread, and I was able to obtain a copy of his recipe. I am going to reprint the recipe as he had it written.



Navajo Fry Bread

Ingredients:

4 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 to 2 cups very warm water
2 cups oil

Preparation:

1 - Mix dry ingredients together very well.
2 - Add water to dry ingredients and kneed well until dough is soft.
3 - Let it sit for 10-15 minutes (or longer).
4 - Break off golf ball size pieces of dough and pat or roll out to 1/4 inch thick.
5 - Heat 2 cups of oil and carefully place dough into the hot oil.
6 - Fry it to a golden brown and carefully turn and fry the other side.
7 - Drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle with powder sugar, cinnamon or other toppings to your liking.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Another Adventure in the Realm of Baking.

The first time I ever saw and tried Red Velvet cake was in Pennsylvania. It was being sold at one of the many farmers' markets: slices, whole cakes, half a cake and whoopie pies. I tried a slice and while it was good, I still preferred my old fashioned yellow cake with milk chocolate frosting. Call me a creature of habit, but I like what I like.

Red Velvet cake gets a good dose of its flavor from cocoa powder. A myth is that the red coloring in the cake comes from a chemical reaction between the cocoa powder and the baking soda, but that only creates a brownish-gray color. The red comes from either red food coloring or beetroot juice; frosting for this cake is usually a white frosting or cream cheese. Origins are pretty iffy; the Waldorf Astoria in New York claims to be the inventor of this cake. However, in the Southern United States, a Red Velvet cake was commonly the groom's cake at weddings. Then there are the Amish and Mennonite in Pennsylvania who are known for their outstanding baked treats.

A few weeks ago I purchased some Red Velvet cupcakes at a supermarket and they were absolutely delicious. Being adventurous, I decided it was time for me to tackle this cake. I found many a recipe in books and online, narrowed it down to three, saw what ingredients were listed exactly alike and averaged out the rest. Not bad really and while the cream cheese frosting was pretty good, I found it a bit too sweet for my tastes. Next time I'm going with a plain white frosting.

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting(makes 8 servings)

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups cake flour (or finely sifted all purpose flour)
1 tsp baking soda
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup softened butter
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
3 oz. red food coloring
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350F; spray 2-9 inch round baking pan with nonstick baking spray; or a light coating of oil with a dusting of flour.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and cocoa powder; set aside.

In a small bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth; set aside. In another small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, vinegar, food coloring and vanilla. Add liquid mixture to creamed mixture, beat until smooth.

Add the creamed mixture to the large bowl; mix until smooth scraping down the sides as batter is mixing. Divide batter between the 2 baking pans; bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes cleanly out of center of the cakes. Let cool before frosting.

While cake is baking, prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:
In a large bowl, begin mixing the cream cheese and butter together. Add one cup of confectioners’ sugar at a time, until each cup is well incorporated. Once the entire mixture is smooth; mix in the vanilla. Place in the refrigerator to firm up before frosting the cooled cakes.

Makes enough to cover sides, top and in-between 2-9 inch cakes.

Mary Cokenour

French Cuisine is a fail at home.

I have only eaten French food a few times and I have to admit I am not a big fan. Can I explain why? Not really, perhaps it was the atmosphere of the restaurants and the pretentious attitudes of the staff that turned me off to it. Perhaps it was the dishes I tried, drenched in sauce and too sweet; not being an expert in French cooking, maybe they weren't cooked correctly in the first place? I don't know.

I am a comfort cook, so more than likely the dishes I had were just too on the frou-frou end of the French cooking spectrum. Now I had heard of French peasant cuisine, so did a little reading about that. That seemed geared more towards my liking for comfort style food, so I came up with a recipe called Rustic Chicken. Earthy flavors with a mild sweetness coming from tomatoes and a just as mild tang from Dijon mustard.

I happen to like the result, but Roy, my hubby, doesn't agree with me. His assessment was, "it tastes too foreign". Now this was confusing to me considering I cook Italian, Slavic, Mexican and Asian cuisines for him. So I pushed for a more specific critique and got, "I don't know, it tastes odd and I just don't like it". Not much to work with there, so I will just say that Roy and I do not like French cuisine, plain and simple.

But here is my recipe, you might like it, you may not, let your palate decide for you.

Rustic Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
½ cup shredded smoked ham or thin sliced beef kielbasa
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) artichoke hearts, quartered
1 can (8 oz) whole mushrooms
1 ½ cups chicken broth
¼ cup dry red wine
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 cup long grain rice.

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients, except rice, in a 4 qt slow cooker, set on low. Cover and cook for 6 hours; add the rice, mix, cover and let cook for an additional 30-40 minutes; until rice is tender.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour