Tortilla Soup

Lindsey Fisher’s Recipe

(Serves approximately 10 adults)

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 8-oz can green chilies, chopped (optional)
• 2 cans chicken broth
• 2 cans beef broth
• 3 cups tomato juice
• 2 cans chopped/diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp cumin
• 4 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 cans corn, drained
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cans sliced black olives, drained
• 1 rotissori chicken (precooked chicken from the deli section of grocery store) or 3-4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

Sauté onion and garlic, add green chilis. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Let simmer one hour. Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream & avocado.

-Ashley Asay

GRILLING 101

Food

Steak – Sirloin

Sausage – Kabobs

Hot Dogs – Regular

Hamburger – Regular

Condiments (for everything you grill)

• -       EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• -       Garlic Salt
• -       Sea Salt
• -       Pepper
• -       Butter or Margarine
• -       Steak Seasoning (Montreal)

Steak (Sirloin)

• -       Season to your taste.
• -       Spray grill with spray before you heat up grill.  Make sure grill is hot.
• -       Put steak on grill and let cook one side for 10 min. When you see sides get cooked, flip over and cook other side till done…another 10 min.
• -       Cover with clear wrap for 5 min and slice (covering holds in the juices).

Sausage (Italian mild)

• -       Soak kabob sticks in water
• -       Leave sausage whole and boil in water till almost done (when you poke it, clear juice should run out).
• -       Get vegetables ready.  Any will do.  Whatever you like.  Cut into large chunks.
• -       Take your sticks and put all your prepared food on any way.
• -       Spray grill and heat on medium.
• -       Turn often so it won’t burn.
• -       When all is browned it is ready.

Vegetables (grilled)

• -       Onion, tomato, pepper, zucchini, potato, whole mushroom, can of pineapple chunks (for kabobs)
• -       Cut vegetables up in large pieces.
• -       Put in baggies, and add EVOO and whatever seasoning you like.
• -       Shake well.  When done, put on kabobs, foil or tray.

1.     Kabobs – Medium heat.  Turn and watch.  When brown they’re done.

2.     Foil – Put all in foil and add butter (pat).  Close loosely.  Cook for ½ hour.  Open and cook 5 more min.

3.     Tray – Medium heat.  Spray tray.  Add vegetables and cook.  Turn now and then.  Cook till done when poked with fork.  10-20 min.

Hamburgers

• -       Spray grill.
• -       Get grill hot.
• -       Make patties to taste.  You can add anything to a burger, so use your imagination!  GO WILD!!
• -       Cook till one side is done and flip to doneness.
• -       Put on cheese if you like and cover!

Hot Dogs

• Need to be turned as they color.

-Angel Buddenbaum

Magnolia Bakery Carrot Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsps vanilla
• 2 cups lightly packed shredded carrots
• 1-8oz can crushed pineapple in its own juice, with juice
• 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
• 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325. Grease and lightly flour 2 9x2 inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, on medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the oil and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until light and thick, about two minutes. Add the vanilla and beat well. Gradually add the dry ingredients, beating until well incorporated. Stir in the carrots, pineapple with juice, pecans and coconut, Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on wire racks. When the cake has cooled, ice between the layers, then ice the top and sides of the cake with cream cheese icing. Garnish with toasted pecans if desired.

-Kristin Strobelt

Red Velvet Cake (cupcakes)

Ingredients

• 3 1/3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 Tbsp red food coloring (I used about 2 1/2 Tbsp because that's all I had and they the cupcakes had a nice red color)
• 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsps vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsps salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsps cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsps baking soda

Directions

1. Fill cupcake tins with paper liners. In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well. In a liquid measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter in smooth. Fill each cupcake tin about 2/3 full with batter. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack. (I removed them from the pans immediately because I only have one cupcake tin and I needed it to bake the rest of the cupcakes).

FROSTING

1 cup milk (skim is fine)

3 Tbsp flour

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Stir milk and flour in a saucepan.  Heat over medium-heat until thickened, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and cover while cooling.  Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl for 15 minutes.  Carefully fold in milk mixture.  (sometimes, I have to whip it a few more minutes after I add the milk mixture to obtain the right texture.)

-Kristin Strobelt

Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes

(these are great to use in Magnolia's Banana Pudding)

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing:

• Vanilla Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream:

The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners' sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Yield: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake

-Kristin Strobelt

Hummingbird Cake

Yield: 1 9-inch triple-layer cake

• 3 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
• 2 CUPS SUGAR
• 1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
• 1 TEASPOON GROUND CINNAMON
• 1 TEASPOON SALT
• 3 EGGS, BEATEN
• 1 1/2 CUPS VEGETABLE OIL
• 1 1/2 TEASPOONS VANILLA EXTRACT
• 1 (8-OUNCE) CAN CRUSHED PINEAPPLE, UNDRAINED
• 2 CUPS CHOPPED PECANS, DIVIDED
• 2 CHOPPED BANANAS
• CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (RECIPE BELOW)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans, or spray them with a nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add eggs, oil and vanilla; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
3. Stir in pineapple, 1 cup chopped pecans and bananas.
4. Spoon batter into prepared cake pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool immediately. When the cakes are completely cooled, spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with 1 cup chopped pecans.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 (8-OUNCE) PACKAGES CREAM CHEESE, ROOM TEMPERATURE
• 1 CUP (2 STICKS) BUTTER, SOFTENED
• 2 POUNDS POWDERED SUGAR
• 2 TEASPOONS VANILLA EXTRACT

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine cream cheese and butter; cream until smooth. Add powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

-Kristin Strobelt

Mama's pound cake

( by Paula Deen)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, plus more for pan

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

3 cups sugar

5 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.  With a mixer, cream butter and shortening together.  Add sugar, a little at a time.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to mixer alternately with milk, starting with the flour and ending with the flour.  Mix in vanilla.  Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

( I served it with 4 cups sliced strawberries mixed with 1/4 cup sugar.  Then topped it with homemade whipped cream (Beat 1 cup heavy cream till peaks are about to form.  Add 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 Tbs. confectioners sugar.  Beat till peaks form (not too much or it comes out like butter).)

-Jen Schwab