A "sort of" recipe challenge

[plumies]

This oldie but goodie recipe for Buckeye Candy. I get requests for this all the time.

Ingredients:
1 (18 oz) jar creamy peanut butter (I like to use Jiffy Creamy)
1/2 C butter, softened (you can substitute with margarine)
1 lb confectioners' sugar (~3.5 cups) (see Note below)
1 Tbsp vanilla
12 oz milk chocolate chips (you can substitute with semi-sweet)
1-2 Tbsp Crisco shortening (you can substitute with 3-4 oz of paraffin wax)



Makes ~80 buckeyes

• Cream peanut butter and butter.
• Add sugar and vanilla and mix well.
• Form into 1 inch balls and refrigerate.
• Melt chocolate chips with Crisco shortening in a double boiler.
• Dip balls into chocolate with a toothpick about 3/4 of the way covered.
• Place chocolate side down on waxed paper. You can put a small dollop of chocolate over the hole. I often have lots of left over chocolate and like to use a fork to drizzle thin streams of chocolate over the buckeyes to give it a gourmet look. Kind of look like chocolate truffles.
• Let set at room temperature or refrigerate. I usually refrigerate to help speed up the cooling and hardening of the chocolate due to space. After they are set, I stack them in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator. I've kept some as long as 3 weeks.

Note: Depending on how oily the peanut butter is, you might need to add up to an additional 1 C of confectioner's sugar. I like to add about 1/4 C at a time, blending well. You want to get a consistency that's just starting to NOT stick to everything. Put a small dollop in your palm and roll it. If it doesn't stick, you're good to go. Something similar to the inside of a REESE'S® Peanut Butter Cup center (at room temperature).

[jkath]

Originally Posted by Penguins

..... (we actually broke up but that wasn't because of the soup)

Jeff G, I'm going to give your recipe to my 15-year old. He just made Chicago dogs a couple of weeks ago and asked what else he could do to liven up a hot dog. Thanks!

Ironchef, I bet that looks beautiful!

[Constance]

My family loves this dish.

1 whole chicken, cut up, or your favorite pieces
potatoes, cut into 1" wedges (I don't bother peeling)
carrots, sliced or whole baby
mushrooms, sliced, fresh or canned
Brussels sprouts, fresh or frozen
2 cans Campbell's condensed Golden Mushroom soup
1 fresh tomato, sliced very thinly (optional)

Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Season chicken and vegetables with a little salt and pepper and arrange in dish. Spoon soup over all and put sliced tomatoes on top. Cover with foil and bake in 375 oven for about an hour, or until chicken and vegies are tender.

Leave out the Brussels sprouts if you don't like them, or substitute broccoli. The tomatoes are a nice touch, but not vital to the dish. I have also used pimentos or julienned red pepper strips.

Substitute boneless pork loin chops for the chicken if you like.

[MexicoKaren]

Here is my "go to" chicken recipe - authentic Mexican. I may have posted it here before, not sure. Hope you enjoy.If you can't get dried chiles for the sauce, use a good canned enchilada sauce.

Pollo con Salsa Roja y Chorizo (Chicken with Red Chile Sauce and Sausage)

6 chicken drumsticks and 6 thighs, skinned
2 tbs oil
½ pound ground fresh chorizo (or buy fresh chorizo links and remove the casings)

Salsa roja (recipe follows, but you can also use a large can of enchilada sauce)

6 dried chiles guajillo (long and dark red, smooth skin)
3 dried chiles ancho or pasilla (shorter and darker- wrinkled skin)
3 or 4 roma tomatoes (or a medium can of diced tomatoes)
¼ onion
2 cloves garlic
1 and ½ cups chicken broth
2 TBS corn oil
salt to taste

Since the chiles guajillo are hotter than the chiles ancho, you may want to modify the mix if you want milder sauce. Remove the stems, seeds and membranes and soak in hot water for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, peel the tomatoes*, garlic and onion and cut into pieces.

Drain the chiles and transfer to a blender. Add the peeled tomatoes, onion,, garlic and broth and puree.

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the pureed sauce. Stir a bit to let it bloom. Simmer for 10 minutes over low heat and add salt to taste.

Using a heavy, deep frying pan ( I use a cast iron pan) with sides at least 3 “ high, brown the chicken well in the oil in two batches, remove from pan and set aside. Add chorizo and sauté for a few minutes. Drain excess oil and add 1 cup of the sauce. Mix well, then add chicken pieces and cover with the remaining sauce. Bring to a simmer, and then cook covered for about 60-75 minutes.

To serve, let the tender chicken literally fall off the bone into a hot, fresh soft corn tortilla. Roll it up and enjoy. Garnish with chopped avocado, onion, radish or cheese if you want. You could serve this with Mexicana rice and/or beans, and/or some fresh fruit (mango, pineapple, papaya, etc.)


*This is easy if you dip them in boiling water for a few minutes, the skins just peel off.

[AllenOK]

I've posted this before, but I couldn't find it. And, I know some of the members here have tried it, but, we have a lot of new faces here, so I'm posting it again.

Big Al’s Wicked Good Clam Chowder
Yields: 1 ½ gal

This is one of those recipes that my family and I just die for. When it gets colder, I usually make this at least once a month.
You’ll notice that I caramelize the bacon, then add the vegetables and seasonings, and caramelize those as well. The reason for this is added flavor. When the vegetables hit the pan, and they start exuding their liquid, they will deglaze the pan a bit. However, once that liquid is cooked off, they will start to caramelize slightly. I look for this point. I’m always scraping the pan bottom trying to work all the good flavor into the vegetables, and once it’s gone, I start keeping an eye on the pan bottom to see when the onions start to caramelize a bit. When I start to see color again, I add the clams and juice to deglaze the pan again.
A couple other tips: Before you do any other prep for this recipe, place the bacon on a sheet pan and place it in the freezer. Prep the other ingredients, then cut the bacon last. This lessens the chance of any cross-contamination from the bacon to other things, as well as gives you an easier time cutting the bacon. And lastly, don’t add any salt until the very end, and taste it first! Then, if the chowder needs salt, add a little. Remember that you are using salt-cured bacon, and salt-water (dang swear filter!) shellfish, so there will be plenty of salt in the chowder without needing any more.

8 slices thick sliced bacon, diced fine
1 ½ large onion, diced
1 ½ c celery, diced
1 ½ t Old Bay Seasoning, optional
½ t ground black pepper
1 ½ t tarragon
1 ½ t thyme
1 ½ t garlic, minced
2 # sized potatoes, peeled, and cubed into half inch cubes
33 oz (total) canned chopped sea clams with the juice (around here, that’s about 6 cans)
2 8 oz bottles of Clam Juice
1 pt heavy cream
1 pt half and half
½ c corn starch mixed with ½ c water
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Fry the bacon in a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium-high until the bacon starts to crisp, and you see lots of color and “brown bits” in the pan. At this time, add the onions, celery, garlic, pepper, thyme, tarragon, and Old Bay seasoning, if desired. When the onions are translucent and slightly caramelized, add the clams, juice, and potatoes; adding a little water if needed to cover the potatoes. Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cream, half-and-half, and bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch/water slurry and bring back to a boil to tighten the chowder. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Someone mentioned sauteed apples and onions. This is one of the ingredients in a sandwich I had placed on the menu at work last year, and it's still going strong. I may post that later.

Of course, now I've got to make something. That's going to be awhile, until I can get some money.

[Sedagive]

My mom used to make this chicken dish and I always loved it.

Take boneless, skinless chicken breasts and coat with a quarter inch thick coating of sour cream. Take a bag of Cheesit crackers and smash them to crumbs. Roll the coated chicken in the crumbs, place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour, depending on the size of the breasts.