CROCKPOT RANCH ONION WHOLE CHICKEN

1 whole chicken (approx. 4-5 lbs)

1 oz packet onion soup mix

1 oz  packet hidden valley ranch dressing mix

3 cloves garlic, crushed, then peeled

1 tbs paprika

add dry ingredients to a small bowl and mix together for the rub.

rinse chicken, remove innards and pat dry with paper towels.

generously add rub to inside and outside of chicken.

place three peeled garlic cloves inside of chicken.

place chicken in a resealable bag overnight to marinate (optional).

carefully place chicken into a 6-7 quart slow cooker.

cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours, or until done.

use a meat thermometer in a thick portion of breast to verify if chicken is done at 165 degrees.

enjoy!

 

KRIS KRINGLES

1 cup soft shortening

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour milk OR buttermilk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 1/2 cup flour

Mix shortening, sugar and eggs together thoroughly. Stir in milk. Sift flour baking soda and salt together and stir into creamed mixture. Chill dough for one hour. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about 2″ apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Makes about 6 dozen cookies

GRILLED STEAKS WITH RED WINE-MUSHROOM SAUCE

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1 cup red wine

2 tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 small New York sirloin steaks (about 1 3/4 lbs total)

2 tbs unsalted butter

4 scallions, coarsely chopped

3/4 lb mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 tbs flour

In a shallow dish large enough to hold the steaks in a single layer, combine the wine, soy sauce, vinegar, thyme, pepper, and half of the garlic. Place the steaks in the marinade and turn them over to thoroughly coat. Set them aside to marinate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Preheat the broiler or prepare the grill. If  broiling, line a broiler pan with foil.

In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the remaining garlic, the scallions, and mushrooms, and saute until the scallions are limp and the mushrooms are beginning to release their liquid, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until it is no longer visible, about 30 seconds.

Remove the steaks from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Stir the reserved marinade into the skillet and cook, stirring, until the mixture has come to a boil and thickened slightly, 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer while you cook the steaks.

Grill or broil the steaks 4″ from the heat: 7 minutes per side for rare, 8 minutes per side for medium-rare, 9 minutes per side for well-done. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve the steaks topped with the red wine-mushroom sauce.

4 servings

WHITE CHIP ORANGE COOKIES

2 1/4 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter OR margarine , softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 lg egg

2 tsp freshly grated orange peel

2 cups white chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugar and brown sugar in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg and orange peel. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tbs onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

CALIFORNIA CHICKEN

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6-8 oz each)

5 limes

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp white pepper

1/4 cup flour

3 tbs oil

4 tbs butter

hot cooked rice

Place chicken breasts in a flat dish. Squeeze juice of 4 limes over the chicken, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator 4-6 hours, turning 3 or 4 times.

When ready to cook, coat chicken breasts with flour.

Heat oil in a skillet and cook chicken until golden brown, turning to brown both sides. Place in one layer in a bbaking dish and bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat butter in a skillet until golden brown. Add juice from half of the remaining lime to the butter. Place the baked chicken on a platter and pour lime butter over it. Garnish with thin slices of remaining lime.

Serve with rice and veggies of choice.

HOT DOG PIZZAS AND MINUTE PICKLES

PIZZAS:

4 large plain, egg, or sesame bagels, split in half

1 bottle ketchup with squirt top

1 bag shredded cheddar cheese

2 hot dogs, sliced

PICKLES:

1 tsp sugar

1 tbs grill seasonng blend (such as montreal steak seasoning)

2 kirby cucumbers (small pickling cucumbers) OR 1 English seedless cucumber

TO MAKE THE PIZZA: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the broiler. Place the bagels on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven to toast. When the bagels are toasted, pull them out of the oven. Let the toasted bagels cool for 5 minutes. Lower the oven temp to 400 degrees.

Squirt ketchup all around each bagel; it’s your hot dog pizza sauce. Top the bagels with lots of cheddar cheese. Arrange the sliced hot dogs like pepperoni on a pizza, putting the slices all over the top of each bagel. Put the pizzas back in the oven and bake them until the cheese is bubbly and the hot dog slices are hot, about 5-6 minutes. While the pizzas are baking, make the pickles.

TO MAKE THE PICKLES: Put sugar and grill seasoning in a small bowl and mix together. Cut the cucumbers into spears about 4″ long. Use your hands to gently sprinkle your special spice blend over the spears.

Take the pizzas out of the oven and slide them onto a cutting board. Cut pizzas into wedges and serve with minute-pickle spears.

 

CAKES, FROSTINGS AND COOKIES

Adding a pinch of baking powder to powdered sugar frosting will help it stay moist and not crack.

Your frosting will look more professional if you first frost with a thin layer and let it set. Then apply a second coat of frosting.

An easy way to form drop cookies is to drop them onto the cookie sheet and then press them with the bottom of a water glass that has been dipped in sugar.

To preserve the creamy texture of frozen cheesecake, thaw in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

Dipping the cookie cutter in slightly warm salad oil will give you a much cleaner cut.

A quick frosting can be made by adding a bit of chocolate syrup to prepared whipped topping.

If powdered sugar is sprinkled on top of each layer before filling or frosting, this will keep the filling from soaking through the cake.

Spaghetti is great with cake! While waiting for frosting to set, a few sticks of dry spaghetti will hold the layers in place. Also, a piece of raw spaghetti works well to light birthday candles.

To cut down on cholesterol, substitute two egg whites stiffly beaten for each whole egg called for.

Frostings won’t become grainy if a pinch of salt is added to the sugar.

Use cocoa to dust baking tins so cookies and cakes won’t have a floury look.

Trace the bottom of the baking pan onto wax paper and cut it out. Now this can be placed in the bottom of the pan and the sides greased and floured like normal. When the cake is done it can be inverted and the paper taken off while still warm with no sticking.

For a thinner, crispier rolled cookie try rolling the dough directly onto a greased and floured cookie sheet. Cut the cookies out then pick up the scrap dough.

If eggs are beaten and added slowly to batter it won’t make the batter too stiff.

Cookies will stay moist in the jar if a slice of bread is placed in the jar.

Two tbs of salad oil added to cake mix keeps the mix moist and less crumbly.

Adding a pinch of salt to chocolate dishes will enhance the flavor.

 

RANCH ROASTED POTATOES

2 lbs small red potatoes, quartered
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 (1 oz) packet hidden valley original ranch salad dressing mix

Place potatoes in a resealable plastic bag and add oil; seal bag. Toss to coat. Add salad dressing mix and toss again until coated. Bake in an ungreased baking pan at 450 degrees for 35 minutes or until potatoes are brown and crisp.

Makes 4-6 servings