Resurrection Rolls

Resurrection Rolls
(aka easy-peasy cinnamon rolls)

When I was in the primary in West Seattle we made these for Easter time.  My family loves them so we have them often. 

You will need:
Crescent rolls
Large marshmallows
Cinnamon
Sugar
Melted Butter

Warning: these are very gooey so I usually put aluminum foil over the baking sheet for easier clean up. 

First, unroll the crescent rolls.  Take a marshmallow and dip it in the melted butter.  Roll it in the cinnamon and sugar until well coated.  Put the marshmallow on an unrolled crescent roll and roll the dough around the marshmallow pinching the sides closed.  When they are all ready, bake following the normal package directions.  (Which I think is 350 for 9 to 11 min, but check.)  The marshmallow will melt, leak out, goo everywhere, etc. 

Here is why they are called resurrection rolls:  The marshmallow is the body.  You embalm it in oil (butter) and rub it with spices (cinnamon and sugar).  Then you wrap it in the swaddling clothes (the dough) and put it in the tomb (the oven).  When you open it up the body will be gone.  There will be an empty space in the roll.  The primary kids loved it.  My family just likes eating them.  Enjoy. 

Shannon

Indian Style Veggies and Rice

Indian-Style Vegetables and Rice

I used to think that I didn't like curry.  I have since expanded my horizons and know there is a time when curry is just the thing to warm up a cold rainy day.  This was my first attempt at Indian Food and I must say I thought it was great.  Jeff thought is was good he wanted to eat it all himself.  Brian thought it neither looked nor smelled good so I'm not sure if he even tried it.  Warning: the kitchen smelled like curry the whole next day.  Or maybe that was because Jeff had two more bowls finishing off the leftovers.  This recipe is from a cookbook called Vegetarian Easy Dinners that I picked up at a garage sale.  This is a beautiful golden color full of veggies.  It warms you up from the inside out. 

Ingredients:
Rice (the recipe calls for brown, I used white)
1 large red onion, cut into thick wedges
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup water (I ended up adding more)
1/2 cup apple juice
2 medium potatos, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 carrot, cut into slices
2 T soy sauce
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ginger (they wanted fresh, I used dried)
1/2 tsp. cardamom (I didn't have this so I skipped it)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups cauliflower
1 medium zucchini, cut into slices
1 cup frozen peas

1.  Coat a large pot with nonstick cooking spray.  Preheat over medium high heat.  Add onion and garlic, cook and stir until onion is tender.
2.  Add water, apple juice, potatoes, carrot, soy sauce, curry, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 min or until potatoes can be pierced easily.
3.  Add the cauliflower, zucchini, peas.
4.  Serve with rice.

- Shannon

Tomato Sausage Tart

Tomato Sausage Tart

Look at me contributing!  Ha!

We've been experimenting a lot lately.  One dish that even Brian said was good was a sausage tomato tart recipe from allrecipe.com.  Here goes:

Ingrediants:
sausage
tomatos
frozen pie crust
onion
garlic
cheese and seasoning (I used mozzarella and basil but I want to try gouda and dill, swiss and rosemary, Monterey jack and cumin and chili powder, etc)
1 cup light whipped cream
1 egg
1 T Dijon mustard (optional)

1. Cover the bottowm of the pie crust with cheese.
2.  Saute the onion and garlic until the onion is soft.  Add the sausage and cook until the sausage is fully cooked.
3.  In a separate bowl beat the egg.  Add the cream and mustard.  Then add the hot sausage onion mix and stir until well mixed.
4.  Put the sausage mixture over the cheese.
5.  Add a thick layer of sliced tomatos. 
6.  Last layer is another covering of cheese and seasoning.
7.  Bake at 375 for 30-40 min. 

Shannon

Chilaquiles

I first discovered this dish at Hugo's - it was so good I went back the next day to order it again. After returning from that vacation I scoured the internet, looking for the right recipe. After lots of testing, this is what I have come up with.What are chilaquiles, you may ask? Think of it as a Mexican casserole or lasagna. I make this when I want something bold, hearty, and that will last for days.


5-6 large tomatoes
2-3 jalapenos
1 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 bunch cilantro
sour cream
cojito cheese
1 package white corn tortillas
olive oil


Place tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, 2/3 of the onion and 1/2 the cilantro in a large pot and cover with water. Heat water to boiling, and let simmer 20 minutes. Dump all contents of pot into colander and set aside to cool (do not be concerned that bits of onion or cilantro slip through the colander).


Heat oil in a large skillet. Cut tortillas into six wedges. Working in batches, fry tortillas just until crispy. They do not have to be evenly cooked or even cooked all the way through. Once they have browned and crisped up a bit, you can take them out of the oil. Drain the oil off the cooked tortillas over a paper towel. Continue until all of the tortillas are cooked. (You can use tortilla chips instead, but this is way better. Trust me.)


Peel and core tomatoes and put a blender along with the onions, garlic, and cilantro. Seed the jalapenos, and add those to the blender as well. Blend until smooth. Pour the contents into a large pot and turn heat to medium low. After a few minutes (when the mixture has begun to heat up), stir in the tortillas. Continue stirring until the tortillas are completely coated. Reduce heat to low and let cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve topped with fresh chopped onions, cilantro, cojito cheese, and sour cream.(Trust me, this is one recipe where you don't want to skip the garnish at the end - the onions, cilantro and cheese add a snap of flavor and the sour cream brings a coolness to a potentially hot dish.)

One more thing: I have seen this served with eggs, chicken, black beans, corn, etc. I am far too lazy to bother with all of that - and I think the dish stands up on its own, but I definitely encourage everyone to try out variations.

Tomatillo Dressing (from Cafe Rio)

1 pkg Hidden Valley buttermilk ranch dry mix
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayo
1-2 tomatillos, peeled
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/2 - 1 jalepeno, de-seeded

*Blend together in a blender until smooth and keep refrigerated.

CPK Chopped Salad

(photo courtesy of California Pizza Kitchen)

SALAD:
1/2 head iceburg lettuce
1/2 romaine lettuce
12 basil leaves, cut in narrow strips
2 cups Italian salami, in thin strips
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup chopped garbanzo beans
4 cups fresh diced tomatoes
3 cups diced turkey breast
2 TB chopped green onions

DRESSING: Herb Mustard Vinaigerette
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced shallot
2 TB Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/3 cups olive oil (mild)
3 TB grated Parmesan cheese

Cranberry Raspberry Salad

(A Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish favorite!)

1. 6oz raspberry jello
2. 1 1/2 cup boiling water
3. 2 10oz pkg frozen raspberries
4. 1 tsp lemon juice
5. 1 pint sour cream
6. 6oz cherry jello
7. 1 cup boiling water
8. 1 20oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
9. 1 16oz can whole-berry cranberry sauce
10. 1 small tub Cool whip (Optional)

• Bottom layer: Dissolve (1) in (2). Add (3) and (4). Stir to thaw. Pour into 9x13 dish and refrigerate. When firm go to next step.
• Middle layer: Spread (5) across. Put back in fridge to firm.
• Top layer: Dissolve (6) in (7). Add (8) and (9) and pour on top. Refrigerate. 
• Spread (10) on top is using just before serving.