Shannan's Potato Soup (from Mom again)

Shannan's Potato Soup

6 medium to large potatoes (or I used 10 small ones), peeled and cubed

1 cube butter (to cut down on fat and save money, I used only about 3/4 of a cube, and it turned out great!)

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 c. flour

2 c. heavy whipping cream or half and half

1 pound bacon, cooked till crisp and then crumbled (I substituted about a fourth a package of pepperoni, cut up and crisped on the stove...worked great!)

1 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Pepper

 Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water (have it be about 2 inches over the potatoes). Bring to a boil and cook gently about 15-20 minutes (till tender). Drain a little bit of the water.

Meanwhile, saute onion in butter til onion is tender. Stir flour into butter. Slowly stir in 2 c. heavy whipping cream (of half and half) until smooth and thick. Add to potatoes and cook for a couple of minutes to thicken. (You may need to add a little more water if it is too thick---however you like it).

Then add salt, pepper, bacon, and cheddar cheese. I saved a little cheese to put on top. This way we could add as little or as much as we liked.

Served with a nice hunk of bread, and it's like you're eating at Zupas...or, according to my husband, better!

He gives it 5 stars. :)

Sweet and Sour Chicken from Mom

Sweet and Sour Chicken

4-8 chicken breasts (cut into ¼’s or small pieces)

Roll in corn starch and fry in pan with oil until brown.

Sauce:

1 ½ cups sugar

2 Tb soy sauce

½ cup catsup

¼ tsp garlic powder

2/3 cup vinegar

¼ tsp salt 

Pour sauce over chicken in a glass pan.  Bring to a simmer in a 350 degree oven and cook till chicken is completely done and sauce thickens slightly (about 15 minutes).

A family favorite. The sauce is the best part.  I love it with wantons too.

One Crust Pie Recipe (From High School Foods Class)

1 cup flour

½ tsp salt

½ cup shortening*

3-4 Tb water**

*Keep shortening cold.  You don’t want it to melt before baking.

**Use very cold water to keep shortening 
from melting.


Mix flour and salt together. Cut shortening into dry ingredients.


 *TIP: "Cutting in" is a technique used to put tiny chunks of butter or other fat into dry ingredients. A pastry cutter is my favorite way to do this, but two butter knives can be used if you don't have one. Simply cut across the butter, running the knives against each other like you are sharpening them. You are trying to cut the butter into tiny pieces to create pockets of air and make your crust flaky. The end result should be a corn-mealy texture with no big pieces of shortening left in the bowl.


Add cold water to form a dough. Roll out on floured surface and place in pie tin. Be sure to gently sink the crust into the tin. Do not stretch the dough. Poke holes all over the dough with a fork to prevent big air pockets from rising. Do this unless you are putting filling in the pie before baking. Make the edges of your pie look pretty by trimming off excess dough and crimping with your fingers or a fork.


Bake 8 min at 350 degrees or until slightly brown.

Beef & Bean Enchiladas

Tonight I made enchiladas for the first time. I looked up a recipe online and had to subsitute a few ingredients along the way. Luckily, it turned out amazing! I think this is the best meal I have made for my new husband since we have been married.

Beef & Bean Enchilads: (adapted from a recipe on allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1 can kidney beans
• Enchilada Sauce (see recipe below)
• 8-10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon onion salt
• 1/4 teaspoon season all

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium skillet over medium high heat, cook the ground beef until beef is evenly browned. Add enough kidney beans to make a mixture of half meat and half beans. Season with onion salt and season all, if preferred.
2. Prepare the enchilada sauce according recipe below. Pour about 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish, so the bottom is covered in a thin layer of sauce.
3. On each flour tortilla, place an equal portion of the ground beef and bean mixture and about 1 ounce of Cheddar cheese, reserving at least 1/2 cup of cheese. Then tightly roll the tortillas and place seam side down in the baking dish. You will need at least 8 tortillas to fit this pan, but 10 can be squeezed in.
4. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and cheese is thoroughly melted.

Serve enchiladas with lettuce and sour cream, and you have a meal that is easy and tasty too.

Enchilada Sauce: (adapted from a recipe on allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons self-rising flour
• 1/4 cup chili powder OR taco seasoning packet (I didn't have chili powder, so I used taco seasoning and it turned out really well!)
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion salt
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and taco seasoning/chili powder, reduce heat to medium, and cook until lightly brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning flour.
2. Gradually stir in tomato sauce, water, garlic powder, and onion salt into the flour and taco seasoning/chili powder until smooth, and continue cooking over medium heat approximately 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt.