HOMEMADE PANCAKE MIX

Filed Under Breakfast and Brunch
Ingredients
For the mix:
6 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar

For the pancakes:
2 cups Homemade Pancake Mix
2 eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons melted butter

Directions
Heat an electric griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees. Whisk together the egg whites and buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.  Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together: don't over mix.  Lightly butter the griddle. Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel. (You can skip this step if you're using a non-stick griddle).  Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set and golden. Serve immediately. Makes 12 pancakes.
 
Let's Dish
These are so much better than pancakes from a store-bought pancake mix.  Just keep the mix stored in an air-tight container and you can whip up pancakes any time.  A few tips: don't over mix the batter.  It's okay to have some lumps.  Be sure to use fresh baking soda.  Once you've ladled your pancake batter, leave it alone until it's time to flip. You should use up the pancake mix within 3 months.  Leftover cooked pancakes can be
frozen and reheated

Who Dished It Up First
Monica at Lick the Bowl Good via Alton Brown

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GHORIBA: MOROCCAN BUTTER COOKIES

Filed under Desserts
Ingredients
4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/3 cup toasted sesame seeds
1 egg white, beaten

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour and salt; set aside. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in the egg yolks. Gradually mix in the flour mixture to form a thick, stiff dough. Add sesame seeds to the dough and mix well. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets.  Flatten the cookies to about 1/4 inch thick.  Brush the tops lightly with beaten egg white.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Let's Dish
Normally I am a soft cookie person, but I absolutely love these crispy, sesame seed filled cookies.  They are surprisingly flavorful judging by the simple list of ingredients.  The sesame seeds add great texture and a nutty taste.  If the idea of sesame seeds in your cookies isn't appealing (but really, you must try it) then you can use cinnamon instead.  Or better yet, split the dough and make some of each! 

Who Dished It Up First
Adapted from Food For Thought.
 
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WHITE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH GREEN CHILE SOUR CREAM SAUCE

Filed Under Main Dishes
Ingredients
8 soft taco size flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese, divided
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
Chopped, fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.  Mix the chicken together with 1 cup of the cheese. Distribute the chicken and cheese mixture evenly among the tortillas.  Roll up and place seam side down in the prepared pan. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, whisking until smooth. Continue cooking over medium heat until sauce is thick and bubbly. Stir in the sour cream and diced green chiles. Pour the sauce in an even layer over the enchiladas.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Sprinkle with cilantro just before serving.
Let's Dish
The whole family gets excited when these enchiladas are on the menu.  They are so quick and easy to put together, especially with leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. If you like more green chile flavor, feel free to throw in an extra can of diced chiles.  If you have any leftovers, these are great the next day too.
 
Who Dished It Up First
Adapted from Cassie Craves 
 
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I'm sharing @ Tuesday Night Supper Club

OSCAR PARTY CARAMEL POPCORN

Filed under Desserts
Ingredients
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 quarts popped popcorn (about 2 bags of microwave popped, microwave popcorn)
1 cup nuts (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line two large, shallow baking dishes with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place popped popcorn in a very large bowl. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat.  Place popcorn in prepared pans and bake in preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, for 30-45 minutes(less if you like chewy popcorn, more if you like it crunchy). Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces.

Let's Dish
The Oscars are coming up at the end of the month, and this caramel popcorn would be a perfect treat for any Oscar party.  I'm not having a party and I'll probably still make it.  It's also great for the drive-in, if you're lucky enough to have one of those close by, or just a family movie night. I like my caramel corn on the chewy side, so I keep the cooking time short.  If you like it really soft and chewy, you can skip the baking step altogether.  Be sure to pick all the kernels from your popcorn before you add the caramel.  You don't want anyone breaking a tooth!

Who Dished It Up First
Adapted from allrecipes.com

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CRANBERRY PECAN BRAN MUFFINS

Filed under Breads, Breakfast & Brunch
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups wheat bran or All-Bran Cereal
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners. Mix together wheat bran and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes. Beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and add to buttermilk/bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into buttermilk mixture, until just blended. Fold in cranberries and pecans and spoon batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Let's Dish
I love having healthy, on-the-go options handy for breakfast, and this is one of my favorites.  The cranberries and pecans can easily be substituted with any combination of dried fruit and nuts, or left out all together.  This is a great, basic bran muffin recipe that can be adapted to your tastes, so feel free to try new additions.  Even fresh fruits, like blueberries, work well in this recipe.  If you want to be really healthy, try using applesauce in place of the oil.  I like to make a double batch and keep a supply in the freezer.

Who Dished It Up First
Adapted from allrecipes.com

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Please visit Sweet Treats and More today to read my guest post on Classic Chocolate Truffles.  Perfect for Valentine's Day!

CINNAMON VALENTINE CARAMELS

Filed under Holidays, Desserts
Ingredients
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup butter, plus some for buttering the pan
2 teaspoons cinnamon oil
1 teaspoon red food color gel

Directions
Butter a 9x13 pan and set aside.  In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, cream and butter.  Cook, stirring almost constantly, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees.  This may take up to 30 minutes.  Remove caramel mixture from heat and stir in the cinnamon oil and red food coloring.  Pour into buttered pan.  Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to set.  Let caramel sit for 10-15 minutes at room temperature before cutting.  Wrap individual pieces in wax paper for storing or giving away.

Let's Dish
I'm not a big candy maker, mostly because of all that waiting and stirring.  I didn't even own a candy thermometer until I saw these caramels over at A Farmgirl's Dabbles.  I went out and bought one that very day!  If you love cinnamon, especially soft and chewy cinnamon (think cinnamon bears or Hot Tamales) you'll love these.  I couldn't stop eating them!  These do require a bit of patience and a strong stirring arm, but they are well worth it.  Keep in mind that not all candy thermometers are the same, but to help with that, you can find a great tutorial on calibrating your candy thermometer here.

Who Dished It Up First
Adapted from A Farmgirl's Dabbles.

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PINEAPPLE GREEN CHILE PORK TACOS

Filed under Main Dishes
Ingredients
1 (2-3 pound) pork roast
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa verde
2 (8 oz.) cans crushed pineapple, undrained
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
1/4 cup brown sugar
1-2 teaspoons chopped jalepeno
Salt and pepper, to taste
Flour tortillas
Favorite taco toppings, such as tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, guacamole, cilantro, etc.

Directions
Place the pork roast in a lightly greased slow cooker.  In a medium bowl, combine salsa verde, crushed pineapple, green chiles, brown sugar, jalepeno, salt, and pepper. Pour over pork roast. cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. Remove roast from crock pot and shred with a fork. Drain the juices from the crock pot through a colander. In a bowl, combine the shredded pork and drained pineapple/salsa mixture that remains in the colander. Serve in warm tortillas with your favorite taco toppings.

Let's Dish
These reminded me a bit of the Slow Cooker Green Chili Pork tacos I love to make, but I like this pineapple version even better.  It's the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. My whole family love these tacos, and no one complained about having leftovers the next day.  If you have leftovers and want to make something besides tacos, try quesadillas.  Besides being delicious, this is quick to put together. It will definitely become part of the regular rotation at our house.

Who Dished It Up First
Adapted from Cassie Craves

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MEATBALL SLIDERS

Filed under Appetizers
Ingredients
1 bag frozen Italian Style meatballs (32 meatballs)
1 jar (28 oz.) pasta sauce
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
11 slices mozzarella cheese, cut into thirds

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Simmer meatballs and sauce over low heat until warmed through (5-10 minutes). Separate crescent rolls into triangles. Cut eat triangle in half to form two triangles. Place 1/3 slice of mozzarella cheese on top of each crescent roll, top with meatball and roll up. Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Let's Dish
If you're looking for some great football food, head on over to Plain Chicken.  Steph posts fun, tailgate-style appetizers on Friday's during football season.  These meatball sliders are one of my favorites from her Football Friday posts.  I figured they'd be good, but I liked them even more than I expected, and so did the rest of my family. I can't say they're the prettiest thing I've ever made, but I'm pretty sure nobody cared. They'd be a perfect addition to your Super Bowl Sunday menu.

Who Dished It Up First
Adapted from Plain Chicken.

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BUFFALO CHEX MIX

Filed under Appetizers
Ingredients
4 cups Rice Chex® cereal
4 cups Wheat Chex® cereal
2 cups cheese crackers (Goldfish or Cheez-it)
2 cups pretzel twists
2 cups whole almonds
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3-4 tablespoons hot sauce
1 (1 oz.) packet ranch dressing mix

Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  In large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and crackers; set aside. In a large roasting pan, combine melted butter, hot sauce and ranch dressing mix. Gradually stir in cereal mixture until evenly coated. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.

Let's Dish
I'm not sure that I prefer this buffalo version over the classic Chex Mix, but it's nice to change things up once in awhile. Regardless, if you put a bowl of it in front of me, I'll just keep eating it.  If you want to use Corn Chex, different nuts (or no nuts), or more or less hot sauce, go right ahead.  You could even add some cayenne pepper for an extra kick. This is the kind of recipe you can change easily to suit your tastes. It would make a great snack for Super Bowl Sunday.

Who Dished It Up First
Adapted from allrecipes.com

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