Fry Bread for Navajo Tacos

This is such a yummy, quick fry bread recipe, especially when topped with chili, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, salsa, and sour cream. I've tried several recipes which were tough, but this came out perfectly crispy and soft.

2 c flour
1 TBS baking powder
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp oil
1 c milk

Combine dry ingredients, add oil and milk and mix well. Knead on a floured counter and add flour until it isn't too sticky. Knead for a few minutes, then let rest for 5 minutes.

Heat an inch of vegetable oil in a deep pan. Divide dough into 4-6 pieces and flatten into a thin circle. Fry on each side for a few minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oil and let rest on paper towels for a few minutes.

This was awesome with my chili recipe. (I will share that one soon!)

Hamilton's Whipped Sweet Potatoes

A few years ago a chef from Hamilton's shared the recipe for their sweet potatoes on Studio 5. I hadn't been a fan of yams or sweet potatoes in the past, but these are awesome. They have a sugary crust on top and can be sprinkled with pecans.

Ingredients:
•4 or 6 sm. sweet potatoes
•1 1/2 tbsp. butter
•1/8 tsp. cinnamon
•6 tbsp. milk
•¼ c - ½ c sugar, depending on sweetness
•1 egg

Brown sugar crust:
•½ c brown sugar
•1 tbsp flour
•1/8 tsp cinnamon
•¼ c melted butter

Method:

Peel and boil sweet potatoes. When tender, pour off water. Add butter, milk, sugar, egg and cinnamon and whip with mixer.

Pour mixture in a 9x9 square baking dish and smooth out. Combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Spread melted butter evenly over sweet potato mixture. Sprinkle topping over butter and bake for 20 - 25 minutes @ 375º to create a nice crust. Top with chopped pecans.

Butternut Squash Bisque

This is one of my favorites in the fall. I revised this from a recipe on Allrecipes.com.

1 T oil or butter
1/2 cup onion, diced
3/4 cup carrots, diced
4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
3 cups of vegetable or chicken stock or broth
salt
pepper
ground nutmeg
1/2 cup cream

Saute the onions in the oil over medium heat until tender. Add carrots, squash and stock. Season to taste with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, and simmer until all the veggies are tender (the carrots take a little longer than the squash). Using a food processor, or blender puree the soup until it is smooth. (I like to use an immersion blender). Return to the pot and add the cream. Heat through, without boiling it. Serve with a dash of nutmeg.

Apple Cider Glazed Pork Chops

We tried this recipe last night and loved it! I received it in an email from America's Test Kitchen. The flavor was fantastic. Sorry we didn't get a picture. We gobbled them up too fast!

Glaze
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar or cider vinegar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Pinch cayenne pepper

Chops
4 boneless, center-cut pork loin chops , 5 to 7 ounces each, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions
1. Combine all glaze ingredients in medium bowl; mix thoroughly and set aside. Pat chops dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add pork to skillet and cook until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn chops and cook 1 minute longer; transfer chops to plate and pour off any oil in skillet. (Check internal temperature of thinner chops; see note above.) Return chops to skillet, browned side up, and add glaze mixture; cook over medium heat until center of chops registers 140 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; transfer chops to clean platter, tent with foil, and let rest 5 minutes.

3. When chops have rested, add any accumulated juices to skillet and set over medium heat. Simmer, whisking constantly, until glaze is thick and color of dark caramel (heatproof spatula should leave wide trail when dragged through glaze), 2 to 6 minutes. Return chops to skillet; turn to coat both sides with glaze. Transfer chops back to platter, browned side up, and spread remaining glaze over chops. Serve immediately.

Fresh Peach Pie

I adapted this recipe from one on Allrecipes.com. I love it because it doesn't use any artificial glaze and I love the freshness of the peaches.

1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tsp butter
1 1/2 cups fresh peaches, pitted and mashed
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups fresh peaches - pitted, skinned, and sliced

Combine sugar, water, cornstarch, butter or margarine, mashed peaches, and nutmeg in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until clear and thick. Stir in vanilla. Fill pie shell with half of the sliced peaches, then half of the glaze, then the rest of the peaches and glaze. Refrigerate until cold, then serve.

Chile Salsa

If you are a fan of spicy salsa, this recipe is for you. This is my favorite salsa recipe to date. It is fairly hot, but not uncomfortably so. I got it off of a few university extention websites and it has been tested safe for canning.

I used a food processor to chop everything finely and it saved a lot of time and tears (from the peppers and onions).

Yield: 7 to 9 pints
10 cups peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes
4 cups chopped onions
1 cup vinegar
6 cups seeded, chopped chiles/peppers*
3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine ingredients in a large saucepan. Heat to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Ladle hot salsa into pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner: 15 minutes at 0-1,000 feet altitude, 20 minutes at 1,001-6,000 feet; 25 minutes above 6,000 feet.
*Use mixture of mild and hot chiles/peppers.

(If desired, you may substitute lemon of lime juice for the vinegar)

Teriyaki Glazed Chicken with Rice and Sauted Vegetables

I came up with this recipe myself last week inspired by the rice bowls from Rumbi Grill. It was so easy!! We will definitely make this one again.

2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken
salt
pepper
stir fry your favorite veggies in a little oil (julienne carrots, zucchini, celery, onions, broccoli, cabbage, bean sprouts, etc.)
prepared rice

Teriyaki Glaze:

1/4 c soy sauce
1 c water
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
5 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS honey
2 TBS cornstarch
1/2 c water
hot chili sauce or red pepper flakes, optional

Combine the soy sauce, 1 c water, ginger, garlic powder, brown sugar, and honey in a small sauce pan. Heat to a simmer. Combine the cornstarch and 1/2 c water in a small bowl and add to sauce pan when heated. Stir and cook until it has reached a desired thickness. Add hot chili sauce, if desired. Pour about 1/3 to 1/2 of the sauce into a bowl to be brushed over the chicken. The rest will be used to add to the final dish.

Grill 2 lbs of chicken strips seasoned with salt and pepper. About a minute before they are fully cooked, brush some of the glaze on one side. Remove chicken and slice as desired.

Pile rice on your plate, or bowl and add lots of veggies and chicken. Drizzle with remaining sauce as desired.