soft sugar cookies

I made these today, and they were great!


Award winning sugar cookies

recipe from Allrecipes

NGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup shortening 2/3 cup butter 1 1/2 cups white sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, shortening and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, stir into the creamed mixture until dough comes together. Roll dough into walnut sized balls and roll the balls in sugar. Place them on an unprepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
3.	Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottom is light brown. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

Addictive tomato soup

(I moved this recipe over from my old food blog - sogoodsoeasy.blogspot.com )

"My new favorite addictive taste"

That was Reid's response to this easy soup I put together a few years ago

There's no exact recipe

Here's what I did:

Sauteed in olive oil: half a large onion, a small pepper and three cloves of garlic - all chopped.

While cooking, added hot pepper flakes (generous pinch), dried basil (about 1/2 tsp) and dried oregano (about 1/4 tsp).



Poured in 2 cans chopped tomatoes and 1 can chicken broth





Added pepper to taste plus a couple teaspoons sugar (I used brown)

Simmered 15-20 minutes

Took off heat and stirred in 1/2 cup cream

Simmered 15 to 20 minutes

Perfect with crusty fermented european bread

Soft Glazed Pumpkin Sugar Cookes

I have made these cookies 2 times already this fall and they are a hit!  They stay soft and make the BEST breakfast the next day!

Soft Glazed Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup pumpkin puree {canned pumpkin}
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

for the glaze-
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside. In a large bowl, stir butter, oil, pumpkin, sugars, vanilla and eggs together until incorporated and smooth. Slowly mix in all dry ingredients until completely incorporated. Scoop onto prepared baking sheet using 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop and flatten to 1/2 inch thick using the bottom of a glass. If the dough is sticking to the glass, press the bottom of the glass in granulated sugar before flattening. Bake 8-9 minutes.

While cookies bake, stir all ingredients together for glaze until smooth.

Once cookies are finished baking, cool 3 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons glaze over each warm cookie. Let glaze harden 2-3 hours before serving. OR eat them warm with lots of runny glaze :)

Pumpkin pie spice Recipe 
(in case you live in Ghana and can't find any)
from the kitchen

How To Make Pumpkin Pie Spice

Makes 2 1/3 tablespoons

Adapted from The Contemporary Encyclopedia of Herbs & Spices by Tony Hill

What You Need

Ingredients1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Equipment
Measuring spoons, bowl, whisk or spoon

Instructions

1. Measure: Measure out all ingredients in the order listed (to ensure you don't double up or leave one out) into a small bowl.
2. Mix: Whisk or stir to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 year

Quick white chicken chili

I created this quick easy version based on the ingredients I can find here in Ghana

Simmer a chicken breast in chicken stock (I use the "Better than Boullion" brand we brought from the US) seasoned with medium chopped onion, 2 sliced garlic cloves, a bay leaf, and any herb that sounds good.

Remove chicken. Strain broth. These can be refrigerated until you are ready to make the chili.

To make the Chili:

Saute about 1/4 cup chopped onion in a little oil. Add 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp oregano. Sauté for a few minutes. Stir in 2 cups of chicken broth (reserved from cooking chicken breasts). Drain and rinse one can baked beans and add to broth. Chop chicken breast and add to soup.

Serve topped with grated cheese and chopped tomatoes.


This was so good - I will definitely double it next time - or triple.

And I might try adding some veggies - some pumpkin?

Sweet and sour sauce

Wow! Sweet and Sour Sauce

Reid loves this and I figure out a way to make it in Ghana - most ingredients are easy to find - especially nice fresh pineapple and juice. I made a 1/4 recipe to test it out and it served us both with some leftovers. I simmered a little cooked (tough) chicken in the sauce for 10 minutes and it was nice and tender.

This recipe is from Allrecipes

Rated:  Submitted By: Nana Nat Photo By: Sam Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 30 Minutes Servings: 6

"This is a quick sweet-and-sour sauce you can serve over meat, vegetables, rice, pasta, or any combination thereof!"

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups water 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1 cup ketchup 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, undrained (I used fresh pineapple and juice) 2/3 cup distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1/2 tablespoon steak sauce 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper hot sauce (I left this out) 3 tablespoons cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Stir water, sugar, ketchup, pineapple, vinegar, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, steak sauce, and hot sauce together in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove 1/2 cup of the sauce to a small bowl; whisk cornstarch into the sauce in the bowl. Bring the sauce in the saucepan to a boil, stir the sauce with the cornstarch into the boiling sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before using.

Homemade hot sauce

I love hot sauce!

I can't get it to copy/paste

but here's a link to the recipe

Vegetarian Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

I might try this one

It's from Kalyn's Kitchen

Vegetarian Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup with Lime

(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe adapted from Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes found in Fine Cooking Soups and Stews.)


1 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced small
1 tsp. minced garlic
3/4 tsp. ground coriander
3/4 - 1 tsp. ground cumin (I used a whole teaspoon, but I love cumin)
1/4 tsp. ground fennel
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch piece
2 cans (15 oz. can) black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups homemade vegetable or chicken stock (or use 3 cans broth and just freeze the extra)
salt to taste
2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
fat free Greek yogurt or light sour cream for serving
lime wedges to squeeze into the soup, optional


Heat olive oil in heavy soup pot, add diced onion and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, or until onions are just starting to brown. Add minced garlic, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground fennel and fresh-ground black pepper and saute 1-2 minutes more, or until spices are becoming fragrant.

While onions are cooking, peel and dice sweet potato and rinse beans until no more foam appears, then drain. After onions and spice mixture have been sauteed, add the diced sweet potatoes, black beans, and vegetable or chicken stock to the soup pot, along with salt to taste. Let soup simmer on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are falling-apart tender. (There will be some foam from the beans that rises to the top during cooking; just skim off with a large spoon or stock skimmer.)

When sweet potatoes are tender, use a slotted spoon to remove 3 cups of beans and sweet potatoes; then use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the remaining soup. (Be very careful with the hot soup if using a regular blender; fill the blender container only about 3/4 full and hold the lid on the blender with a towel or hot pad draped over the lid.)

Add the reserved sweet potatoes and beans back into the soup and simmer about 15 minutes more. Taste to see if you want to add more salt; then add the lime juice and simmer about 5 minutes more.

Serve hot, with a dollop of fat free Greek yogurt or light sour cream. If desired you can serve with lime wedges so people who want to can squeeze more lime juice into their soup.


This printable recipe from KalynsKitchen.com.