Cherry Coconut Macaroons

I wanted to make a friend a gift of cookies for her birthday. My mom used to make coconut macaroons when we were young. So, I thought that would be good. I found a recipe for 3 ingredient macaroons, but read all the comments and everyone complained about the consistency. I talked it over with the friend who suggested I add flour. I also decided to add meringue to give the cookies shape.

Because this was a gift, I decide to make them special by adding dried cherries. You can use them or substitute any other dried fruit. I wouldn’t use raisins because this is very sweet and needs something to cut that. The cherries are slightly bitter. I think dried orange or lemon peel would work well. You could also drizzle chocolate on them afterward. I made a second batch and added ¼ cup toasted, sliced almonds and replaced ½ teaspoon of the vanilla extract with almond extract.

My friend loved them. I took a second batch to a party and people came looking for me to ask where I had found them. They were amazed that I had made them from scratch. They stay fresh and moist in an airtight container for a week. Find a pretty tin and give these macaroons as a gift.

 

 

Cherry Coconut Macaroons

Servings:  2 dozen cookies

Time:  Prep: 15 minutes, cooking: 20 minutes

Hardware:  Measuring cups and spoons, 2 mixing bowls, wooden spoon, a mixer, a baking sheet, a silpat or parchment paper, a rubber spatula, cooling rack, plastic wrap

Ingredients

• 14 ounces shredded, sweetened coconut
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• ½ cup dried, chopped cherries
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup flour
• 3 large egg whites
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees°. Cover the baking sheet in the silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In one bowl, combine the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, cherries, vanilla and salt. This is best to do with the wooden spoon.
3. Separate the eggs. Save the yolks for something else. Add the cream of tartar to the whites and whip until the eggs are holding soft peaks.
4. Stir the flour into the coconut. Then gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
5. I used the ⅛ cup to scoop out 2 tablespoons of mixture. Place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until the coconut is toasted. Allow them to cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before moving to the cooling rack. Cover the cookie dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge between batches. Store in an airtight container.

Chicken Enchilda Soup

I stumbled upon this soup by accident. I was trying to make chicken and dumplings. Someone told me that you could cut flour tortillas into strips and use them instead of dumplings. Ummm, no you can’t.

The tortillas didn’t add the necessary starch to the broth and therefore it didn’t thicken. I saved the soup by going with the tortillas' Mexican theme. I added cumin and went for it.  That first batch wasn’t the best, but over the years I have perfected it.

This soup is the best. The weather lately has been perfect for soup. When making this soup, you can use rotisserie chicken, leftovers, canned chicken (should be your last choice) or you can make it fresh. I roasted and shredded three skinless, boneless chicken thighs that I had covered in cumin and smoked paprika.

Servings: 6-8

Time:   Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 30-40 minutes

Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, no-powder latex gloves, a large soup pot, a baking sheet, non-stick foil, a whisk, and a wooden spoon

Ingredients:

• ½ pound tomatoes
• 1 large bell pepper
• 1 medium onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeño pepper (optional)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• ¼ cup chili powder
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon cilantro
• 1 ½ pounds cooked shredded chicken
• 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 4-6 inch flour tortillas
• Salt

 Garnish:  Shredded cheddar cheese, Frito chips, crunchy tortilla strips (can be found with croutons), sour cream, hot sauce

1.  Cover the baking sheet in foil, non-stick side up. Pre-heat the oven to 350˚.
2. Slice and seed the tomatoes. Cut the bell pepper into long thin strips, removing the seeds and white ribs. Slice the onion into rings. Put on the gloves and seed and chop the jalapeño. Peel and chop the garlic.
3. Spread the veggies out on the prepared baking sheet and salt generously. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the peppers are charred. Don’t worry about the char.

   

   Soup full of veggies

4.  Melt the butter in the soup pot over medium. Add the flour, chili powder, cumin and tomato paste. Stir until all the lumps are gone. Cook and whisk for about 3 minutes.
5. Slowly add the stock and water, stirring the whole time. Bring to a low boil.
6. Add the cilantro, shredded chicken and veggies. Allow it to simmer while you are preparing the tortillas.
7. Cut the tortillas into long, one inch wide strips. Then turn the tortillas and cut them the other way a little wider. You want most tortillas pieces to be a little bigger than the bowl of a spoon.
8. Add the tortillas a few at a time to the boiling soup. Stir so that they separate. After adding the last of the tortillas, simmer the soup for about 10 more minutes.Taste and adjust the salt.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Offer your guests shredded cheddar cheese, Frito chips, crunchy tortilla strips, sour cream, and hot sauce. Serve with corn bread.

Red Sauce with Olives and Mushrooms

Red Sauce with Olives and Mushrooms

I have created 290 original recipes. Not really an easy task. So, I bumped up against a creative wall. Nothing new would come to me. I asked my friends for help and their suggestions invigorated my imagination.

The first of my new recipes is a Red Sauce with Olives and Mushrooms. This vegetarian dish is wonderfully filling. Make sure to use a variety of mushrooms and olives. Variety adds depth. Buy fresh mushrooms. I used button, Portobello, and oyster mushrooms. Try to find an olive bar to get the best olives possible. Use fresh herbs for the richest sauce.

Boil the pasta until it is a bit firmer than  al dente and toss it in the sauce to finish. The pasta will absorb the sauce.

Servings: 6-8

Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a large pot with a heavy bottom, a wooden spoon, a can opener

Time:  Prep:  10 minutes    Cooking: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• Olive oil for the bottom of the pan
• 1 shallot (¼ cup)
• 3 cloves garlic peeled, diced
• 1 fire roasted red pepper (1 cup)
• 1 pound mixed mushrooms
• ½ pound mixed, pitted olives
• 1 pound tomatoes
• ½ cup artichoke hearts
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• ½ cup shredded basil
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• Salt
• Long, thick pasta (vermicelli, fettuccine, spaghetti, linguine)

1.   Dice the shallot and garlic.  Wash and cut the mushrooms into thick slices. Roughly chop the olives. Chop the tomatoes and red pepper. Set everything aside.
2. Add the olive oil to the pot and heat over medium. Add the garlic and shallots and sweat for 2 minutes. Stir occasionally.
3. Add the mushrooms and salt generously.  Cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to liquefy.
4. Add everything else and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust the salt. Turn the sauce down and simmer for about 30-40 minutes.
5. Serve over your favorite pasta.