Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Mexican Meatballs from Dana Sandoval

I haven't tried these yet but Dana says they are a family favorite.
Meatballs:3 Slices fresh white bread1/4 cup milk1 lb. ground chuck1 lb. ground pork2 tsp. salt1/4 tsp. pepper1 tsp. chili powder1/3 tsp. dried oregano leaves2 eggs slightly beatenChili Sauce:2 tbsp. olive oil1/3 cup finely chopped onion1 clove garlic, crushed1 1/2 tbsp chili powder1/4 tsp. dried oregano leaves1/4 tsp gound cumin1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauceMake Meatballs: In medium bowl, soak bread in milk. Mask bread with fork. Add remaining meatball ingredients; mix well with hands to combine. With moistened hands, shape mixture into meatballs, 1 ¼ in. in diameter. Place meatballs in a 13-by-9-by-2 inch baking pan. Make Chili Sauce: In hot oil in medium saucepan, sauté onion and garlic, stirring until golden for about 5 minutes. Add rest of ingredients. Mix well. Bring mixture to boiling while stirring. Reduce heat, simmer covered for 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Preheat oven to 350 F. Add 1 ¼ cups water to sauce. Return to boiling. Spoon sauce over meatballs in baking pan. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake 30 minutes.

Cream of Tomato Soup by Gary Lemons

Comfort food at it's finest. You can set this up with garnishes for add ons such as ravioli, sausage, croutons, etc. Makes a huge batch and freezes very well.
4T Butter2 sliced Onions1 Carrot peeled & chopped6 cloves garlic2 cans plum tomato w/juice (35 oz. ea)8 lg. (2t) fresh basil leaves, sliveredpinch sugars&P to taste4C chix broth1/2 t ground allspice2 c heavy cream Cook veggies in butter. Add tomatoes and spices. Cook 5 min. Add chix stock and allspice. Boil, simmer 50 min. Purree and add cream.Can use extra basil or a dollop of pesto on top, cheese is good too!!

Homemade Dressing from Uncle Gary Lemons

Making your own dressing might be easier than you think. I add a variety of things including fresh ginger, jalapenos, cilantro or fresh herbs to change it up a bit.
1 or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste (I like a lot of pepper)
1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup olive oil (I like a mixture of about half-and-half extra virgin and pure olive oil)
Put all ingredients except the olive oil in a blender or food processor. Turn on and pour in the olive oil.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies from Phyllis Kohl.

These are a wonderful twist on a traditional sugar cookie! Great for any occasion, especially a Holiday Party!
1 C Sugar1/2 t salt1 C Butter3 oz. cream cheese1/2 t almond extract1/2 t vanilla1 egg yolk2 1/4 C flour in large bowl, blend well all ingredients except flour. Add flour and work in. Chill dough 30 min. Roll out 1/3 at a time to 1/8 " thick. Bake at 375 for 7-9 minutes. Cool, frost and decorate. YUM!

Coconut Topped Pineapple Pie by Marian and Mia Armstrong

This is an absolutely delicious pie! We both entered a pie contest, I won but thought her pie was incredible!

2 EGGS
¾ TO 1 CUP SUGAR
3 TBSPS. ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
1 ½ TBSP. LEMON JUICE
4 C. DICED FRESH PINEAPPLE
9 INCH PIE CRUST, UNBAKED
COCONUT TOPPING (RECIPE FOLLOWS)

Beat 2 eggs slightly; mix in ¾ to 1 c. sugar, depending on sweetness of pineapple. Add flour and lemon juice. Fold in pineapple.

Fill a 9 inch, unbaked pie crust with pineapple mixture. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes. Remove and cover evenly with coconut topping. Return to oven and bake about 20 to 25 minutes more, until topping is brown. Serve warm or room temp. Note: crust may need to be covered with foil if browning too rapidly.

COCONUT TOPPING:
Beat 1 egg with 1/3 cup sugar until sugar dissolves. Mix in ½ teaspoon vanilla, 2 tablespoons milk. Fold in 2 ¼ cups flaked coconut.