Coconut Cream Pie

Brought to you by Better Homes and Gardens and a little Jenny-style genius.

4 egg yolks, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 cups milk
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp coconut extract
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 cube cream cheese, softenened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 pint whipped cream

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Gradually add milk. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly; reduce heat and stir two minutes more. Remove from heat.

Add one cup of the hot mixture to the beaten yolks, stirring steadily. Return yolk mixture to the saucepan and bring back to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and cook 2 minutes more.

Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla extract. Stir in flaked coconut.

In a separate bowl, cream softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup sugar. Pour half of the coconut pudding into the cream cheese mixture. Pour into prepared crust (see recipe below). Top with remaining coconut pudding. Top with whipped cream and coconut flakes before serving.

Coconut-Pecan Crust

1 cup pecan meal (finely-ground pecans)
1 cup coconut, finely ground in food processor
1 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Mix pecan, coconut, and sugar. Mix butter until coarse crumbs form. Add 1/3 cup flour (gluten-free for Mom, of course) if the mixture is too sticky. Smash into the bottom of a 9" pie tin. Bake at 375* until very lightly browned.

Monkey Bread

This Jordan family tradition made it's way to our Stewart family table this Thanksgiving, and I think it's here to stay! Thanks for the recipe, Bobby and Kali!

2 cups warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 package yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
2 eggs, beaten
4 Tbsp shortening, melted and cooled
3 cups flour
1 Tbsp salt
4 cups flour
1 cube butter

Combine water, sugar, and yeast. Add eggs and first 3 cups of flour; mix. Stir in shortening, salt, and remaining 4 cups of flour. Knead until elastic, then cover and let rise 1 hour or until doubled.

Melt butter and divide between 2 bundt pans. Roll dough to 1/2" thick. Cut out with 2" diameter circle cookie cutter. Place rolls upright in pans. Let rise two hours. Bake at 400* for 20 minutes.

Morrocan stew

This is from a Rachel Ray magazine.  It passed the picky toddler test and it freezes beautifully.  Makes a large batch, so freeze half for a hectic day later on.  You'll get compliments all over again!

Moroccan Stew

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

3/4 lb lamb sausage, casing discarded (confession, I use a mild pork breakfast sausage that comes in a tube and it works just great)

1 onion, chopped

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (yep, cinnamon. don't leave it out!)

1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes

1 14.5-oz can chickpeas, rinsed

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 10-oz box couscous

 In a large saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp oil. Add sausage and cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; discard the fat in the pan. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil and the onion to the pan and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and 2/3 cup water to the pan and bring to a boil. cook, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat, stir in the sausage and parsely, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the couscous according to package directions. Serve the stew over the couscous.

Dijon Chicken stew with potatoes and kale

This comes from a Cooking Light Magazine.  Super yummy, and the dijon is a nice change of pace.

 

Dijon Chicken Stew with Potatoes and Kale

 4 tsp olive oil, divided

2 cups sliced leek (or onion)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup flour

1 lb skinless, boneless chiken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided

4 cups (1 quart) chicken broth, divided

1 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 cups water

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 cups potato, peeled and cubed (1/2")

8 cups loosely packed torn kale

crushed red pepper, optional

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leek/onion to pan and saute until transluscent. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more. Spoon the mixture into a large bowl.

Place 1/3 cup flour, 1/8 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper in a shallow bowl. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in pan over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook in batches until all is cooked.

Add 1 cup broth to the pan, scraping the bottom to loosen browned bits. In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup broth and 1 Tbsp flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add broth mixture, remaining 2 cups broth, 1 1/2 cups water, and mustard to pan; bring to a boil. Stir in chicken mixture, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp black pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Stir in potato. cover and simmer 30 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in kale; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Garnish with crushed red pepper, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings (1 1/2 cup serving size)

Lemon Souffle Pancakes

Good enough for a special weekend when you want to impress someone. And beware - any leftovers are gone quickly!

 

Lemon Souffle Pancakes

3/4 cup milk

2 egg yoks

1 Tbsp grated lemon zest

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp butter, melted

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 Tbsp sugar

a pinch of salt

2 egg whites

Mix egg yolks, milk, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a bowl. Add melted butter and mix well.

Sift flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and gradually pour the egg and lemon mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix just until incorporated; do not overmix.

Place egg white in a clean bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into the prepared lemon pancake batter.

Cook batter in 2 Tbsp scoops on a buttered preheated griddle--pancakes will be small. They won't flip if they are too much bigger.

Serve with fresh strawberries, honey, and a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Bobby's Special Blueberry pancakes

Bobby doesn't often mess around in the kitchen.  But when he does, it sure is good!

Bobby's Blueberry Pancakes

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

6 Tbsp cooking oil

1 cup blueberries (we used canned ones in juice, just not the pie filling stuff, they aren't as good)

3 cups special sour milk*

 Combine flours, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add oil, sour milk, and eggs; beat wet ingredients with a whisk and then combine with surrounding dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries last. Pour 1/4 cup portions onto a preheated griddle to make pancakes. Makes enough to feed a crowd!

Special Sour Milk

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

3 cups milk

Stir and let sit for at least 5 minutes before using.

Crock Pot Oatmeal

Fellow oatmeal lovers, rejoice!  (Sorry Jesse.)  Put this in before going to bed and wake up to yummy breakfast ready to eat.  It makes the house smell great too. The waterbath is the key ingredient to making this work without making a burnt mess.  (Thanks to Jenny for typing these recipes up for me while she was visiting.)

Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal

2 apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2" pieces (2 1/2-3 cups chopped)

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp butter, cut into 5-6 pieces

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp ground flax seed

1/4 tsp salt

Optional garnishes: chopped nuts, raisins, maple syrup, additional milk or butter

 Place a 2 quart oven-safe bowl inside the crockpot. Combine all ingredients inside the bowl. Pour water around the bowl to create a waterbath; add only enough water to reach the level of the oatmeal mixture. Cook on low for 7 hours (we do it overnight!). Spoon oatmeal into bowls and serve with milk and additional ingredients if desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Cherry Almond Variation

 3/4 cup dried tart cherries

1 apple, peeled and gratee (approximately 1 cup grated) or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce)

2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp butter, cut into 5-6 pieces

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 Tbsp ground flax seed

Follow directions as for Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal.