Orange Dark Chocolate Pancakes

Wow! That's all I can say. I loved these pancakes! I found them at Baking Serendipity. My favorite part is that they are whole wheat and healthy, but you would never know because they taste SO good. Not that "healthy" doesn't taste good. :)

Orange Dark Chocolate Pancakes

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup milk
zest 1 medium sized orange
1/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate bowl, beat egg, orange juice and milk. Add to dry ingredients and mix to incorporate. Fold in orange zest and dark chocolate. 


Spoon batter onto a hot, greased griddle or large skillet. Flip when the edges begin to dry, cooking evenly on both sides. Serve with maple syrup.

Note: I found that the batter was a little thick. I thinned it with some water until it looked like the right consistency. But if it happens again, I am going to use orange juice...I was lazy, my family was hungry, and I didn't want to juice another orange. The end result was great (even though I used water), but I think it would have been even better if I added more orange instead.

Ham and Bean Soup

I am putting this on here because of a request from my mom. We love ham beans here, and it's so easy and simple to make I've never really thought about putting it on the blog. But...just for you mom!

Ham and Bean Soup

6 c. water
5 c. dried navy beans, soaked overnight and drained (if you forget to soak them over night, put them in a pot boil for 10 mins and leave it to sit for an hour.)
1 ham bone, or 1lb of ham
2 c.  frozen corn
1 large jalapeño, chopped (you can remove the seeds and the membrane, but I am lazy and like it more spicy so I don't.)
1 onion, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in the crock pot. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or until beans are tender. Sometime during the last hour take the ham bone out and let it cool. Trim the ham off the bone and put the ham back in the pot. Toss the bone. Yummy!

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

This is a favorite around here. I probably make it about once a month. It's so delicious!


Broccoli and Cheese Soup

4 potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 lbs. broccoli (stems and all) chopped
2 carrots, peeled, and chopped
(I sometimes add about 1/2 of a chopped onion)
4 c. water
4 tsp. chicken bouillon
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
Cheese, to taste (I use about 1 cup)
Parsley, to taste (I use about 2 tsp...maybe a tbs.)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

In a large pot, layer potatoes, broccoli, and carrots, adding 1 tsp. bouillon and a little salt between each of the layers. (If you forget to do that, you can always add it in with the water.) Add the water and parsley, cover, and boil for about 20mins. or until the broccoli is soft, but not mushy. Remove from heat. Mash with a potato masher until mostly smooth, but with some chunks. Add chicken soup, sour cream, and cheese. Stir.

Recipe adapted from: The Family Dinner Cookbook

Mint Chocolate Delights

I was in the mood to bake this evening. I bought some of Nestle's Dark Chocolate & Mint Morsels during the Holidays with the intention to make something yummy. I never did. So I thought I would use them today. I got the recipe from the back of the bag. They are delicious!

2 c. flour
2/3 c. cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter
2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 2/3 c. Dark Chocolate & Mint Morsels (I am pretty sure these were a seasonal thing, but I am sure there are mint chips available at any time of year. You could just do half mint and half semi-sweet.)

Preheat oven to 325*F. Combine flour, cocoa, soda, and salt in a small bowl.  In a large bowl beat butter, sugars, and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by well-rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets. Bake 11-13 mins. or until cookies are puffed and centers are set. Cool for 2 mins on pan, and then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Chicken Jambalaya

I have been wanting this recipe for forever! It was one of the first dishes that I ever ate with my husbands family (back before I was even thinking about being a part of his family). It's delicious, and here's proof!

Heather had three servings! THREE!!

Quick Chicken Jambalaya 

1 lb. chicken breasts, skinned, boned and cut into chunks
1/2 lb. smoked sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup rice, uncooked
1 can chicken broth
1 can french onion soup
1 4 oz. can mushrooms
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 dashes Tabasco
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. Tony Cachero's Creole seasoning (or any other creole seasoning works fine too)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl then pour into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 60-75 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Red Beans and Rice

This is my favorite way to cook beans (and the last catch-up post!). I used these beans for beans and rice, but I also use them for well, everything else. I have stopped buying canned beans (including refried beans), and using the results of this wonderful recipe as a replacement. I got this recipe with the users manual that came with our crockpot. I stick to the recipe, but I also add different spices too (salsa, jalapeño, and chili powder, to name a few).

Red Beans and Rice

1 lb. dried red (or any other type) beans
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 c. broth of your choice (I usually do chicken)
2 c. water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
3 c. cooked rice

In a large pot, cover the beans with three times their volume of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 mins. and then remove from heat. Cover and let stand for an hour then drain. Combine all of the ingredients in the crockpot (except rice). Cover and cook on low for 10 hours, or on high for 6. You can either serve over hot rice (I like to use cilantro as a garnish and to round of the taste for beans and rice.), or freeze in bags (about 2 cups per bag) for later use.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

I made my own pumpkin puree this year, and I made LOTS of it. I wanted to try to use pumpkin in other ways besides bread and desserts. Here is something we tried and liked. I got the idea from a recipe on allrecipes.com, and added a couple of my own ideas. Here's the finished product:

3-5 potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 c. chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you have it)
2 tablespoons curry powder (more or less, depending on personal preference)
4 cups of your own pumpkin puree or one large can of pumpkin
1 cups milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white sugar
salt and pepper to taste
(I can't remember, but I think I may have added a little dried parsley)

Boil potatoes in broth until soft enough to mash. Remove from heat and mash the potatoes with a potato masher (keep them in the pot and don't worry if there seems to be too much water). Stir in pumpkin, curry, milk, and sour cream. Stir until smooth. Add soy sauce, sugar, and salt and pepper (and parsley). Season with soy sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Thicken with a roux or corn starch if desired. Remove from heat. Garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds.