Coffee Cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 16

Ingredients:

• For Cake:
• 1 1/2 stick butter, softened
• 2 cups (scant) sugar
• 3 cups flour, sifted
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup whole milk
• 3 egg whites, beaten until stiff
• For the Topping:
• 1 1/2 stick butter, softened
• 3/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat egg whites and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add flour mixture and milk alternately until combined. Don't overbeat. Fold in beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula. Spread in a well-greased 9x13 (or larger!) baking pan. A cake pan with higher sides would be best.
3. In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle all over the top.
4. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until no longer jiggly. Serve warm.

~Recipe adapted from thepioneerwoman.com

Korean Style Pork Chops

 

Prep time: 3 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 pork chops
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce, low sodium
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 2 tsp sriracha sauce
• black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a gallon Ziplock bag add the soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and sriracha sauce and message bag until combined. Place pork chops in bag and marinade for about 20 minutes.
2. Heat the oilive oil in a large skillet for medium high heat. Add pork chops, without marinade, and cook for about 5 minutes for the first side, or until it gets a nice brownish color. Flip the pork chops and pour the remaining marinade over them. Cook until cooked through or you can finish it off in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.

~Recipe adapted from jocooks.com

Smokey Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups peeled and diced sweet potato, 1/4 inch diced
• 3 cups cooked black beans, or 2 - 15oz cans drained
• 3 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3-4 cups vegetable stock, depending on how thick you want your soup

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, a pinch of salt and stir for 3 minutes. Then add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add sweet potato, black beans, and all the spices. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are cooked through.
2. Using a cup or soup ladle, scoop out 2 cups of the sweet potato and black beans and set aside. Let soup cool and then using an immersion blender, blender, or food processor blend the remaining soup together. Turn the heat back on and add back in the reserved sweet potato and black beans. Heat soup, stirring occasionally, until hot.
3. Serve with your favorite garnishes: cilantro, red onion, avocado, tortilla strips, salsa etc...

~Recipe adapted from shelikesfood.com

Chicken & Dumplings

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 2 1/2 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 cups diced carrots
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme)
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 10 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sherry

For the dumplings:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

Directions:

1. In a large, deep pot set over medium-high heat, melt together olive oil and butter. Generously season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken on both sides, working in batches so as not to crowd the pot (about 4  to 6 minutes per side). Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
2. Add the celery, carrots, and garlic to the pot. Cook the vegetables in the drippings until they begin to soften, stirring and adjusting the heat as necessary, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the browned chicken pieces, thyme, bay leaves, garlic powder, onion powder, and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and discard the thyme stems and bay leaves. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. Remove and discard the skin and bones, shred the chicken, and return to the pot.
3. Ladle 2 cups of the cooking liquid into a large bowl or quart-sized measuring cup. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the flour until smooth. Continuously whisk the contents of the pot while slowly pouring in the flour mixture. Simmer and whisk until slightly thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. To make the dumplings, in a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir in the melted butter, buttermilk, and minced parsley until just combined. With heat reduced to low, drop rustic, tablespoon-sized balls into the simmering broth. Gently stir dumplings one time and then simmer, covered, until the dumplings are firm, about 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in sherry and season the dish with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately with additional minced fresh parsley.

*If you don't have buttermilk, measure the amount of milk you need and add a dash of vinegar.

**The addition of sherry at the end of the recipe is optional but I think it really gives a unique and delicious depth of flavor to the soup. Do Not buy "cooking sherry," as it has added salt, etc., and also don't buy sweet sherry. A regular bottle of medium dry sherry is what you are looking for, and it will last indefinitely in the pantry.

~Recipe from fivehearthome.com

Light and Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 5 min

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.
2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg and melted butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined. (There should be lumps in the batter.)
3. Place a nonstick pan or griddle over medium-low heat. Grease it with oil. Drop dollops of the batter onto the hot pan. Once bubbles form, flip the pancake once and continue cooking 1 to 2 more minutes until the pancakes are cooked throughout. Serve immediately with maple syrup or other toppings.

*Do not overmix the batter or the pancakes will be dense and flat rather than light and fluffy.

~Recipe from justataste.com