Spencer's mexican corn elote sauce

 

• 6 to 8 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed

• 1/4 cup Mexican crema, or el salvadoranean crema
  

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, or to taste

• 1 teaspoons finely grated lime zest, from 1 lime

• .5 tablespoons lime juice, from 1 lime

• 1/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled

• Lime wedges, to serve

Spencer's Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe from November 2020

Night before or day of:

1 long baguette about 16: long

Slice 8 snowflake mountain dinner rolls into 3/4 inch pieces.

drizzle bread with olive oil and lightly toast -- slightly less than you would for croutons.  DON'T ADD SALT TO BREAD LIKE YOU WOULD BREAD CRUMBS

 Chop 2 cups of  onion

About 4 celery stalks

2 large garlic cloves diced

Chop herbs and chestnuts (chopped into small quarters).  Store bread in buttered pan

 Day of Thanksgiving

Generously Butter a 13x9 glass pan.  Add bread

cook half pound of ground Italian sweet or mild sausage until nearly fully cooked

Add onion, celery and garlic.

in final minute add chestnuts. Cook until onions are clear and add to bread

Add one cup to 1 can of chicken broth to the sausage pan

Add a generous table spoon or two of balsamic vinegar to the broth. Cook until it's nearly half reduced. 

Add a table spoon or so of butter to reduction

Drizzle over bread.

Add to bread:

•     1 Teaspoon of dried thyme
•     2 tablespoons of fresh chopped sage
•     2 tablespoons of chopped parsely
•     2 teaspoons of kosher salt
•     Generous amount of fresh ground pepper

Whisk two eggs and poor over the now slightly cool sausage pan.  

Cook for 30 minutes covered at 350 degrees

Remove foil and cook 25 minutes until top is crispy

Reheat before serving if necessary.

 

Grilled Chicken Skewers with Pineapple

A family favorite.  I make this with many combinations of marinade and veggies.  Here is a marinade to go with grilled pineapple.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs Chicken cut into 1 inch pieces
• Half an onion
• 1 Bell pepper
• 1 can of pineapple chunks, or 2 cups fresh pineapple
• 1 large or 2 small zucchini 

Marinade Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 3 Tbsp pineapple juice
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 cloves of garlic in the garlic press

Wisk together marinade ingredients and marinade chicken for 1 hour.  Right before grilling, cut veggies into 1 inch pieces and add to marinade with chicken.  Thread chicken, veggies and pineapple chunks on skewers.  Grill on low flame until chicken is done and veggies are tender, about 10 -15 minutes.

Oven Fritatta

A perfect breakfast- delicious without feeling overly decadent.  This recipe is adapted from the New York Times cooking blog, which was made for a 10 inch skillet.


Ingredients:
14 eggs
3/4 cup milk
3/4-1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 1/2 sweet bell peppers, diced (I like a combination of red and yellow)
8 slices turkey bacon, diced
1-1 1/2 small onions, finely diced
6 oz baby spinach, leaves torn
1/3 cup mozzarella


Preheat oven to 375 degrees and heat a well oiled 13 inch cast-iron skillet on the stove. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl; set aside.  Cook bacon until crisp.  Add onions and peppers and cook, stirring constantly until tender, about 7 minutes.  Add the spinach and stir to let wilt.  Pour egg mixture over the veggies and gently stir to evenly distribute.  Sprinkle mozzarella over the top.  Put the whole pan in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the center is set.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Banana Bars

I found this recipe on Pinterest years ago and I'm glad I saved the recipe because it has disappeared from Pinterest!  I've adjusted a bit from the original recipe, including doubling it because it is so popular in my house that it's hardly worth the effort to make an 8x8 pan!  It can be halved for an 8x8 pan, bake for 20 minutes.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Banana Bars
3 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk
2 large egg, lightly beaten
2 large mashed bananas
1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter


Preheat oven to 375 degrees (350 convect).  Mix together the quick cooking oats, light brown sugar, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon. Stir together vanilla extract, milk, eggs,  mashed bananas and peanut butter. Mix into oats. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake for 20-25  minutes. Cut into squares and enjoy. Can be frozen-I like to wrap them in packs of 2 for a quick on the go breakfast or snack.

Christmas French Toast

This began as a Christmas breakfast but has creeped into General Conference or other times when an easy, delicious, maybe slightly fancy but not too fancy, make ahead breakfast is called for.
Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp + extra dusting for top Cinnamon
• 1 loaf of Challah bread or wheat bread (for more healthy, less desserty french toast)

Directions:

• Mix melted butter and brown sugar together and spread on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. 
• Mix together eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla.
• Layer bread on top of sugar/butter mix and pour egg mixture over.
• Dust the top with extra Cinnamon.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in the fridge over night.  
• In the morning take out of the fridge.  Preheat oven to 350.  
• Remove plastic wrap and cover with aluminum foil.  
• Bake for 30 minutes, remove cover and bake for another 15.  

This only needs a little touch of syrup for the maple flavor but not the sweet.  

Chicken Pot Pie

It's about time I add this since I combine several different recipes plus my own alterations making it a pain every time I go to make this.  Not a personal favorite of mine, but a favorite of everyone else in my family: it is requested for birthdays and cheered at the inevitable "what's for dinner?" question, which makes it a winning meal in my mind. I often double the filling and freeze some for a quick dinner.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 home made pie crust or 2 store bought (delicious both ways, but homemade is too rich with 2 crusts.

Filling-enough for 2 8x8 pies or 1 9x13

• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 carrots, diced
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 can/ 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup frozen green beans (the haricot vert are my favorite here)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in large pot, add veggies, salt & pepper and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Empty veggies into a bowl and mix with chicken, set aside.  Melt butter in pot and stir in flour; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Slowly whisk in milk and chicken broth; try to avoid lumps.  Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the thyme, veggies, and chicken; add the green beans. (this part can be done ahead of time and frozen for 2 months or refrigerated over night until ready to use)

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a large casserole or 8x8 pan.  Gently unroll one pie crust if using 2 crusts.  Fill will half of filling. Freeze or make a second pie.  Roll second pie crust on top and pinch edges together.  Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes, until top of crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.