Catherine's Recipe Box

Note: You control the spiciness when you make this soup! The Tabasco sauce is what really gives it that extra kick, so use a VERY light hand when adding it (I had no idea what I was doing. it was SPICY). Ingredients 28oz Crushed Tomatoes 28oz Water 15oz Diced Tomatoes Kidney Beans (3 15oz cans, or 3/4 lb, cooked) 6 ribs celery, chopped 1 onion, diced garlic 6 cloves 1lb sausage, in bite-sized pieces 1/2 cup uncooked rice 2 tsp parsley 2 tsp paprika 1 1/2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp oregano 2 whole bay leaves Tabasco sauce - a few drops to a few shakes. Directions 1) Put the tomatoes and a can of water in a large stock pot and put it on to boil. 2) Before it boils, add the kidney beans, celery, onion, garlic, and sausage. 3) Add in all the spices except for the Tabasco sauce. 4) After it boils, turn it down to a low simmer for 1/2 an hour. Add a few drops of Tabasco, and taste after 5 minutes. Continue to slowly add more and taste after 5 minutes until it is at the desired he...

Note: This bread is delightfully dense, has a hint of sweetness and is way easier than it looks. It looks impressively difficult! This would be a great hostess present that you can WOW people with! For this recipe, I used my bread maker to do the hard work - mixing and the first rising cycle. Ingredients 3 eggs 1/3 cup water 1.5 tbsp butter 3 tbsp sugar 1.5 tsp salt 3 cups flour 1 tbsp yeast Directions 1) Add the ingredients in the order they are listed into your bread machine. Set it to the dough/white dough setting. Mine takes about 90 minutes to finish. 2) When your bread maker is done, remove the dough and punch it down. 3) Cut the dough into 3 equal parts. Roll each part into 18 inch long ropes. Braid them together. Pinch ends together then fold under. 4) Cover and let rise until doubled. (It was about an hour to an hour and a half for me) 5) Glaze with one egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp water. Sprinkle top with coarse salt, poppy seeds or sesame seeds. 6) ...

Note: I know there are TONS of different Irish Soda Breads out there, and they are all so different! This one probably isn't very authentic, but I figured if it was published in a calendar, it probably wasn't going to be a flop. And we liked it! Ingredients 4 c all-purpose flour 1/4 c sugar 1 tsp baking powder 2 tbsp caraway seeds 1/4 c butter 2 c raisins 1 1/3 c buttermilk (I keep powdered buttermilk on hand) 1 egg, beaten 1 tsp baking soda 1 egg yolk, beaten Directions 1) Mix flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl; stir in caraway seeds. 2) Cut in butter until mixture looks like coarse meal. Stir in raisins and set aside. 3) Combine buttermilk*, egg and baking soda; stir into flour mixture just enough to moisten. 4) Turn onto floured board and knead lightly until dough is smooth; shape into a ball. 5) Place in a greased 2-quart casserole dish; brush with egg yolk. 6) Bake at 375 degrees for one hour. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from casserole dish. Let ...

Note: This was a suggestion from my friend Amy and I put my own twist on it. In particular, I didn't have an cream soup on hand, so I made my own. I also added veggies (not that you can tell by the picture). Ingredients For cream sauce: (Can replace with 1 can condensed cream soup + 1/4 cup milk) 1 tablespoon butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth 3/4 cup low-fat or fat free milk salt and pepper to taste 1 bag of Egg Noodles 1 can of Tuna Fish 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cooked veggies Italian Bread Crumbs Directions 1) Prepare Egg Noodles cooking a minute or two less than the package directions, drain, set aside. 2) Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. 3) Remove from heat and add the chicken broth and milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth. 4) Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Add salt, pepper, and any other desired...

Note: Modified from The Packet Queen. We really liked this, so hopefully it will become a new addition to the menu (Sorry, no picture! Will try to get one next time I make this.) The major change that I made was to replace the salsa with crushed tomatoes. I thought it was still very flavorful and much cheaper this way! Ingredients 1 pound of ground beef 1 can of black beans 1 can of corn 1 large can of crushed tomatoes 1 pound of pasta, cooked (any kind you like, but medium sized shells work nice) 1 packet of taco seasoning (or equivalent) 2 cups shredded cheese Sour Cream (for serving) Directions Brown beef in a large skillet(drain grease if necessary). Add in the beans and then the taco seasoning and water (according to packet directions). When the beef is done, add in the corn and half a can of crushed tomatoes. Mix the beef mixture and the pasta together (you may have to transfer to a large bowl if your skillet is not large enough). Add a cup of shredded cheese and stir some...

Note: This was so super easy, and we loved it! Next time I make it, I will adjust the ratio of veggies/potatoes/meat and follow this new recipe. Ingredients 2 unbaked pie crusts 2 cans of condensed cream-of-whatever soup 1 cup of cubed potatoes 1 1/2 cups frozen veggies 1/2 cup chopped onions 2 cups of cooked chicken cut into small cubes Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bring a medium pot of water to boil. Roll out 1 pie crust and place into pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes in the pre-heating oven. Set aside. Meanwhile, peel and cube potatoes (1/2 inch size) and boil until soft. In a bowl, combine chicken, frozen vegetables, onions, potatoes and soup. Mix well. Pour mixture into pie plate, top with remaining pie crust, making several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. source: http://www.5dollardinners.com/2009/12/chicken-pot-pie.html