Country Chowder

I made this yummy soup yesterday for dinner and we all loved it so I thought I'd post it so I can keep the recipe.  :)  I didn't have any peppers or sausage, so I left those out and added celery and fresh mushrooms with the onions instead.  Yummm!

Country Chowder

Ingredients

• 8 cups chicken broth (I used 8 c water and 8 bouillon cubes)
• 1 pound mild or spicy pork breakfast sausage (I left this out since I didn't have any)
• 4 Russet Potatoes, washed and cubed with skins on
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 12 ounce bag frozen pepper and onion blend (or 1/2 cup diced onion & 1 diced bell pepper)
• 2 cups corn
• 2 cups chopped turnip greens (fresh or frozen, can substitute spinach)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup instant potato flakes


Seasonings
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1+1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (Go easy here if you use hot sausage)

Instructions

1. Place chicken broth in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add potatoes, carrots, and corn.
2. In a large skillet also over medium high heat, chop up and brown sausage until fully cooked and no longer pink in the center. Move sausage to side of the skillet and add in frozen pepper blend to the other side. Cook for three to four minutes, or until fully thawed.
3. Stir together sausage and pepper blend and cook for another three or four minutes before adding to stock pot. Stir well.
4. Add in turnip greens and all other seasonings and bring to a gentle boil.
5. Allow to simmer fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Pour in cream and add potato flakes. Stir well. Simmer five to ten minutes more.
Serve hot with a hearty bread. Leftovers are even better the next day. 

If you're a visible instructions type of person, her blog has tons of pictures to show each step.  It's easy and delicious. Enjoy!
http://www.southernplate.com/2012/09/country-chowder.html

Pumpkin Pillows

I made these last night for a Relief Society meeting. They were delicious and super easy to make. Enjoy!
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/pumpkin-pillows-127535.aspx

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Carrie's thoughtful neighbor mowed her lawn recently, so she repaid his kindness with a batch of these yummy cookies... 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Yield: about 3-4 dozen cookies

Ingredients for the cookies:
3¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the coating:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
Dash of allspice

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Whisk to blend and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Blend in the pumpkin puree.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated.  With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.  Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.  Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend.  Scoop the dough (about 2½ tablespoons) and roll into a ball.  Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart.  Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly.  Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through.  Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Repeat with the remaining dough.  Store in an airtight container.

Vegetarian Meatloaf

Engine 2 (Vegan) Lynn’s Meatloaf 

This is actually a really good version of "meatloaf" or I have even made them into meat muffins to cook faster.  The walnuts help with the texture.  If you're a little adventurous, give it a try... we like it!

INGREDIENTS:

2 stalks celery, chopped

½ onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

10 ounces firm tofu, drained

¼ cup walnuts, finely ground

1 1/2 cups cooked brown lentils or 12 oz. vegan meat crumbles

1 ¼ cups quick-cooking oats

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup (additional for topping)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons dried parsley

½ teaspoon each thyme, sage, and rosemary

Ketchup, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Spray loaf pan (or use non-stick silicone bake-ware)

Sauté celery, onion and garlic on high heat in skillet with a little water or low sodium vegetable broth for 5 minutes until tender.

Remove from heat and cool.

Mash tofu in large bowl.

Stir in cooked mixture and remaining ingredients, and combine well.

Spoon mixture into loaf pan. Top with a layer of ketchup.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Susan Manter's Famous Pancakes

1 C. Flour
1 C. Milk
2 eggs
2 tdp. Baking powder
1-4 tsp. sugar
Separate egg yolks and eggs whites. Whip egg whites till stiff. Add sugar to egg whites, then add to rest of batter, stir well.

Sautéed Zucchini

I hate to say this, but if you want to do a larger amount, double the recipe, but divide and cook the zucchini in two pans. If you crowd the squash too much, it steams rather than browns, and loses too much structure, which isn't what you're after.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 medium shallots or new red onions, thinly sliced
fine grain sea salt
2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch thick coins
a good handful of basil, chopped
1/4 cup Marcona almonds or toasted almond slices

In your largest skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until it starts to take on a hint of color. Stir in the shallots and a big pinch of salt, and cook until they start to soften, a couple minutes. Add the zucchini, stir to get it coated with a bit of oil, and arrange the coins in as much of a single layer as your pan permits. Dial the heat up a bit if needed, add another pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally until the zucchini browns - ten minutes or so. Remove from heat and fold in the basil and almonds before serving. Taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Serves 2 - 4.

Prep time: 5 min - Cook time: 15 min

Bowtie pasta salad

Submitted by: Lynnette Brady