Blond Brownies

27 November, 20138 July, 2014Marissa

There are few baked goods that I feel like I could sit down and eat the entire pan in one setting when it comes out of the oven. This is one of them. They taste good after they cool down, too. I usually bake them on a Friday for church services on Saturday, and there are never any left by Sunday. It’s a quick dessert, so if you need something last-minute for Thanksgiving tomorrow, these blondies would work.

Blond Brownies

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1 cup butter, softened

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1-½ cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Spread batter in a greased and floured 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.

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Asian Chicken Marinade

20 November, 20138 July, 2014Marissa

I’ve finally decided to write this recipe down (partly so I can remember how to make it, and partly so I can share it here). I like to serve it with salad and my Oriental Salad Dressing. In fact, this is what my brother requested for his birthday lunch this week. I wonder how many other 16-year-old boys want an artisan salad for their birthday?

Asian Chicken Marinade

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¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon ginger powder

½ teaspoon sesame oil

2 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon rice wine

Mix ingredients in gallon-size, plastic zip-lock bag. Add 1-½ pounds chicken breast tenders and seal the bag. Turn to coat chicken. Let rest in the marinade for 30 minutes. Place chicken in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.

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Easy Alfredo Sauce

13 November, 20135 November, 2013Marissa

I was shocked to discover I hadn’t blogged this recipe yet. It’s my mother’s favorite pasta, and it’s a deceptively simple recipe. I’ve been making it for company for several years, and it always gets good reviews. I like to serve it with salad and bread, or with green beans (which my Dad covers in Alfredo sauce). Having made it so many times, I can offer a few suggestions to make timing everything easier. Start water for the pasta boiling right before you start melting butter for the sauce. The chicken should be cooking by the time you are adding cream cheese to the sauce, then everything should be done about the same time.

Easy Alfredo Sauce

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1/2 cup butter

1 (8-oz) package cream cheese

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 cups milk

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-½ teaspoons parsley

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic powder then cream cheese, stirring with a wire whisk until smooth.

Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan cheese and spices. Stir frequently until sauce reaches desired consistency.

Serve with spaghetti, penne, linguine, or fettuccine.

Chicken Alfredo

For chicken Alfredo, chop 2 chicken breasts into cubes. Cook chicken in olive oil, garlic powder, and black pepper until done. Add to sauce right before serving.

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Speedy Brownies

6 November, 201328 October, 2013Marissa

This is not my favorite brownie recipe, but it is by far the easiest to make. Dump all the ingredients in one bowl, mix, pour in a pan, sprinkle with nuts or chocolate chips, and bake. That’s it. You don’t even have to wait for butter to soften, since they take oil.

Speedy Brownies

Speedy Brownie recipe marissabaker.wordpress.com — all the ingredients in one bowl

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2 cups sugar

1 cup white, unbleached flour

¾ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup baking cocoa

½ teaspoons salt

5 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

walnuts and/or chocolate chips

Combine first seven in gradients in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and/or walnuts. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

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Sweet Potato Casserole

30 October, 201328 October, 2013Marissa

We grew sweet potatoes in the garden for the first time this year. I wasn’t quite prepared for how deep and far away from the base of the plant they grow — we cut several in half with the spade and potato fork. My brother started excavating them with his hands, and he proved to be the most successful at locating sweet potatoes. Per instructions we found online, we let the potatoes sit for about a week before using them.

This casserole was the result of experiments combining several recipes last year. It cooked up splendidly with these new sweet potatoes, and I decided to post this finished version. If you use enough sweet potatoes, it has a very nice not-at-all-soupy texture.

Sweet Potato Casserole

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Filling

4 or 5 medium sweet potatoes

3/4 cup white sugar

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup milk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Peal and chop sweet potatoes into 1- to 1.5-inch chunks, enough to fill a 2.5-quart sauce pan. Add water fill pan about halfway. Cook over medium-high heat until tender. Drain.

Mash sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Add remainder of the filling ingredients and beat until smooth with electric mixer. Transfer to a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato filling.

Bake at 325°F for 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown. Serve warm.

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Cheese Burger Soup

23 October, 201321 October, 2013Marissa

Ah, the fall season — crisp weather, autumn leaves, ripe apples, nasty allergies, and warm soup. This soup began life as a way-too-cheesey potato soup, and has now settled down as a meat soup with respectable levels of cheese.

A bit of bloggish news: I’ve added a recipe book page. It has all the recipes I’ve posted in one convenient, organized location so you can easily find what you’re looking for. I’ll keep it updated as I post new recipes.

Cheese Burger Soup

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5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 4 cups)

1 large carrot, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 stalk celery, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

2 cups water

2 cups beef broth

1/2 pound ground beef, cooked

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender (15 – 20 minutes. Add ground beef.

6 Tbsp. butter, melted

6 Tbsp. flour

3 tsp. steak seasoning (see recipe below)

2 cups of shredded cheese (cheddar or a mixture of different types)

In a small bowl, combine ingredients except cheese. Stir into soup, increase heat to medium and cook, stirring until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Steak Seasoning

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon paprika or chili powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 t teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon . cayenne or chipotle powder

1 dash each coriander and tumeric (optional)

Combine all and place in a container.

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