Smoky Sweet-Potato Chicken Stoup

I apologize for the word “stoup” again—it’s Rachael Ray’s and not my own! (Personally, I think this qualifies as a soup, but don’t let that stop you from making this one and the other.) This recipe comes from Rachael Ray’s Express Lane Meals.

2 T EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil, twice around the pan)
2 medium carrots, peeled
2 celery ribs
1 large onion, peeled and halved
1 large sweet potato
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 chipotle chili in adobo, finely chopped
salt and black pepper
1/2 t dried thyme (eyeball it)
1 quart + 1 C chicken stock
1 pkg chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves, a generous handful, coarsely chopped
1/2 c sour cream, for garnish (optional)

Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat with the EVOO. While the oil heats, cut the carrots in half lengthwise, then slice into thin half moons. Add the carrots to the pot, stirring to coat the carrots in the oil. Chop and drop in the celery and onion, chopping them as small as you can, but don’t make yourself crazy.

Peel and then cut the sweet potato into quarters lengthwise, then thinly slice them into bite-size pieces. Add the sweet potatoes, garlic, and chipotle and stir to combine. Season the veggies with salt and pepper, then thyme and the bay leaf. Cook the veggies together for 1 minute. Add the wine to the vegetables and reduce for a minute. Add the stock to the pot, cover the pot, and raise the heat to high.

When the soup boils, remove the cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the cut-up chicken and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through. Turn the heat off, discard the bay leaf, and stir in the scallions and cilantro. Serve each portion of stoup with a dollop of sour cream on top.

**I omitted the chipotle chili in adobo because I wanted my daughter to eat it and I feared it might be too spicy with the pepper added. Turns out, she did eat it. She even ate the sweet potatoes—score!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

My husband likes these a whole lot. For that reason alone I want to hang on to the recipe.

1 cup butter-flavored shortening
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2-2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

In a large bowl cream shortening, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add vanilla, then add eggs and mix thoroughly. Combine the baking soda, salt and flour and stir into creamed mixture. Add oatmeal and chocolate chips and stir until well blended.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, let cool for 2 minutes on pan then remove to cool completely.

Buttermilk Devil’s Food Cake (with White Chocolate Frosting)

Made for Jeremy’s 42nd birthday. Taken from The Cake Mix Doctor.

Solid vegetable oil for greasing pans
Flour for dusting pans
1 pkg plain devil’s food cake mix
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/3 C buttermilk
1/2 C vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 t pure vanilla extract

1) Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350. Generously grease two 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour and set pans aside.

2) Place cake mix, cocoa powder, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down sides, then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. The batter should look well-blended. Divide between prepared pans.

3) Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until cakes spring lightly against your touch and start to pull away from pan. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes on cooling rack. Run a dinner knife around edges and invert onto rack. Cool completely.

4) Frost with White Chocolate Frosting (separate post).

* Place this cake, uncovered, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. Cover the cake with waxed paper and store, in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week. Or freeze, wrapped in aluminum foil for up to 6 months. Thaw cake overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Caramel Apple Crisp

Fall is here and it’s time to enjoy some delicious apple recipes! The particular recipe comes from Taste of Home. Read the original recipe, user comments and nutritional information from the link. I’m altering the actual layering of the ingredients so it makes sense to me. Whatever you do, the dish will taste amazing—you throw these ingredients together and it’s hard to go wrong.

• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup cold butter, cubed
• 8 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples
• 1 package caramel bits
• 1 cup apple cider, divided

Grease a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Layer half of the apples in bottom of dish, then follow with a layer of half of oatmeal mixture and half of  caramels bits. Repeat layers. Pour 1/2 cup cider over top.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Drizzle with remaining cider; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until apples are tender. Yield: 12-14 servings.

Wilton Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

  Easy-Add clear vanilla extractAdd to shopping list clear vanilla extract

• 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
• 2 tablespoons milk

Makes:

About 3 cups of icing.

Instructions:

step 1

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

step 2

For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

step 3

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

step 4

For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.

Strawberry Cream Pie

(Originally posted in July 2009.) This recipe comes from Jason’s mom, Rachel. It’s Jason’s favorite pie, and we even served it at the rehearsal dinner for our wedding. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh* strawberries, sliced
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 2 8-0unce packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 container Cool Whip
• 1 premade chocolate crumb or graham cracker pie crust (extra large)

Directions

1. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar over strawberries and let set 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator to create juice.
2. In mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, vanilla, and 1/4 cup sugar. Beat until well blended.
3. Add strawberries, and continue beating until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
4. Fold in Cool Whip.
5. Pour into prepared pie crust, and refrigerate 2 hours to set before serving.

* You can also use 1 10-ounce package of frozen strawberries (sweetened); don’t add the first 1/2 cup sugar, but reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid to add with the strawberries.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Originally posted in July 2009. Straight from the old church cookbook, this recipe is always good, especially for potlucks or Easter dinners. And since my dad asked for it the other day, I figured I would post it on Needs More Butter for easy accessibility.

Crust:
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons sugar
2 2/3 cups chopped, crushed pretzels (not too fine)

Creamy layer:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 small carton (8 ounces) Cool Whip

Gelatin layer:
1 large box (6 ounces) strawberry gelatin
1 cup boiling water
16 ounces frozen strawberries

Directions:

1. In a bowl, cream butter and 3 tablespoons sugar; add pretzels and press into a 9×13 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 and cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, add cream cheese and 1 cup sugar; fold in Cool Whip and spread over cooled pretzel crust. Refrigerate at least one hour.
3. Mix gelatin and boiling water. Add strawberries. Let partially set and spoon over cream cheese mixture. Chill until set. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Lemon Bars

Adapted from these lemon bars.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 stick cold butter

Filling:

• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (fresh really does seem to be important; don’t use the bottled stuff)
• 2-3 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• (powdered sugar for dusting finished bars)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
2. To make the crust, combine the flour, powdered sugar, and sea salt in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter and work with your fingers until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Press into a greased 9×13-inch pan and bake for about 17 minutes, or until set at the edges.
3. While the crust bakes, prepare the filling.
4. In a blender or the bowl of a food processor, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and eggs and process until smooth. Add in flour, baking powder, and salt, then pulse until smooth.
5. Gently pour the filling over the hot crust when it has finished baking. Return pan to oven and bake for 23-26 minutes, until the filling is set (There will be a light colored “crust” on top from the sugar in the custard – nothing to worry about).
6. Cool completely before slicing and use a damp knife to ensure clean slices. Dust with powdered sugar.
7. Store in refrigerator until ready to eat.

Strawberry Lemon Bars

I had seen a version of these bars on Pinterest. I love lemon bars and was intrigued by the twist of adding strawberries. When my mom and I were trying to come up with a menu for Easter dinner, I immediately thought of the beautiful pink color and knew I had to try them. (I used super-fresh farm eggs from some friends’ chickens — the brightest yolks I’ve ever seen — and this batch turned out more orange/grapefruit pink than the bright pink in the picture I originally saw. It was still a nice, springy color; I only mention it because I chose the recipe[s] in the first place based on color.) Since I was also making lemon bars and lime bars (which ended up being Lime Kiwi Bars), I did a little searching and comparing of lemon bar recipes before I started. The final product ended up being a combination of this recipe and this one.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 stick cold butter

Filling:

• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (fresh really does seem to be important; don’t use the bottled stuff)
• 2-3 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/2 cup strawberry puree (made from about 3/4 cup fresh strawberries)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• (powdered sugar for dusting finished bars)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
2. To make the crust, combine the flour, powdered sugar, and sea salt in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter and work with your fingers until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Press into a greased 9×13-inch pan and bake for about 17 minutes, or until set at the edges.
3. While the crust bakes, prepare the filling.
4. In a blender or the bowl of a food processor, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, strawberry puree, sugar, and eggs and process until smooth. Add in flour, baking powder, and salt, then pulse until smooth.
5. Gently pour the filling over the hot crust when it has finished baking. Return pan to oven and bake for 23-26 minutes, until the filling is set (There will be a light colored “crust” on top from the sugar in the custard – nothing to worry about).
6. Cool completely before slicing and use a damp knife to ensure clean slices. Dust with powdered sugar.
7. Store in refrigerator until ready to eat.

Black Bean Brownies

Jason, who doesn’t like beans no matter how unrecognizable they might be (and they are truly unrecognizable in this recipe), thought these were “interesting” in kind of a neutral way. I thought they were interesting in kind of an awesome way.

I really loved the texture of these brownies — very smooth, while still being cake-like. I used oil, but since Jason could take or leave them, next time  – and there will be a next time — I’ll use applesauce to make the recipe lower in fat and higher in fiber. (Recipe slightly adapted from this one.)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup cooked black beans (if using canned, rinse very well)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 9-inch square baking pan.
2.  In a blender, puree the beans with the oil.
3. Add the eggs, cocoa, sugar, coffee, and vanilla. Blend on medium-high until smooth.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the blender and pulse until just incorporated.
5. Pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
6. Bake until the surface looks somewhat matte around the edges and still a bit shiny in the middle, about 20 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and removing from the pan.