Recipes of the Month

If you have a package of New Mexico Mesa Spicy Fiesta soup, use the chickpeas from that package. (Save the spice packet and simmer it with a cup of rice and 3 cups of chicken broth for an easy side dish with chicken or pork chops.) A 1-cup serving of the chickpeas will provide about 15 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber for a nutrition packed meal in any season.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 12 ounces dried chickpeas
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon poupon mustard, optional
• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional Additions:

Choose 3 or 4. The more additions the more texture this great Mediterranean salad will have. It can be a side dish or main course!

• About 6 ounces artichoke hearts, sliced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 cup purple onion, diced
• 1/2 cup black olives, sliced in half
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3-4 ounces fresh baby arugula
• 2 ounces pine nuts or sliced almonds, toasted
• 2 cups cut up chicken breast

Cooking Directions:

1. Rinse, drain and pick over peas. Place in a medium bowl with water filled to the top. Let the peas soak overnight.

2. Drain peas and bring to a simmer in fresh water for 1-1/2 hours. Test peas by pressing a pea against the side of the cook pot with the back of a spoon. The peas should be firm but tender; they should be able to be squashed, but not mushy. Place peas in colander to drain.

3. Prepare all fresh additions.

4. Mix olive oil, lemon juice and mustard in bottom of large salad bowl.

5. Add in fresh ingredients, toss and serve or may refrigerate until ready to use. We like a light dressing, but feel free to add a couple more tablespoons of lemon juice and olive oil, if you’ve added a lot of fresh ingredients.

Spring is making an appearance in time for Easter this year. Of course it’s asparagus season so that’s an easy vegetable for Easter dinner. If you’re serving ham or lamb, an excellent side dish is our Roasted Corn Polenta served piping hot with gruyere cheese on top. Appalachian Trail Cornbread Mix will whip up some easy muffins.

For after the feast try one of the following ideas for using hard boiled eggs.

Creamed Eggs on Toast

First, make a simple white sauce:

2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 cup milk, salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in saucepan over moderate heat.
2. Sprinkle in the flour, stirring with a whisk until blended and thick.
3. Warm the milk in the microwave and pour it into the butter mixture all at once.
4. Bring it to a simmer, stir well, season with salt and pepper. Sauce will thicken right up for you.
5. Slice 4 hard boiled eggs and add them to the white sauce. Optional additions: diced ham or sautéed mushrooms.
6. Serve on toast for a casual after the feast supper, right out of the 1950’s.

Egg Salad

1. Chop 4 hard boiled eggs into a bowl.
2. Mix together with: 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 tablespoons poupon mustard, 1 teaspoon worcetshire and a shake of Lawry’s salt.
3. Add 1-2 stalks finely sliced celery, and 1/2 cup of chick peas for a health nut variation. Serve on toasted bread.

For using up some of that left over ham, try the following:

Grilled Ham Sandwich

Ingredients:

• Good hearty, whole grain bread
• Sliced Ham
• Good White Cheddar or Swiss Cheese, sliced or shredded
• Tart Green Apple, sliced thinly
• Honey Mustard, Strawberry or Apricot Jam, pick your favorite or what you have on hand.

Directions:

1. Layer all ingredients onto one slice of bread. Top with second slice and butter the outside of each slice.
2. Place onto skillet on stove or use a panini press and grill sandwich until cheese starts to melt. Serve immediately.

Minnesota Heartland 11-Bean Soup

Slow Cooker Recipe Directions:

Recommended slow cooker: 6-7 quart size

For this all day cooker, we suggest cutting up all the vegetables
and meats the night before or in the morning and refrigerate them
in large plastic container so they are ready to add to the soup
at the end of the day.

• Rinse, drain and pick over beans.
• Place beans into bowl of slow cooker.
• Add the bouquet garni, ham hock, and 12 cups water. (Leave out the salt.)
• Cover and cook on HIGH 6-8 hours.
• Add tomatoes, onion, green pepper, garlic, diced sausage and cut up chicken. Stir well.
• Cover and cook on HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 more hours, or transfer to the stove to cook more quickly.
• Serve this thick and hearty soup with crusty bread and enjoy.

Dakota Territory Beef Barley Bean Stew

Slow Cooker Recipe Directions:

Recommended slow cooker: 6-7 quart size

• In large skillet brown meat and onion a butter. Drain and transfer to bowl of slow cooker.
• Add contents of soup mix and broth. Stir well.
• Cover and cook on HIGH for 6-8 hours.
• Stir in sherry, mushrooms, turnips.
• Cook 1 to 2 hours longer covered on high, and serve.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 3/4 pound ground fresh lamb
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth/stock
• 3/4 cup long grain white rice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried mint
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 cup pine nuts
• 3/4 cup currants
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 11 by 7 by 1 1/2 inch pan
• Single pie crust or frozen puffed pastry

Lamb Pie with Filo Crust Recipe Directions:

1. Heat oil in large skillet, sauté onion until softened.
2. Add the lamb and cook until brown.
3. Add stock, rice, herbs and spices.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and blend in egg, currants and pine nuts.  Allow the filling to cool.
5. Spoon filling into pan. Top with pie crust or puffed pastry, crimping the edges to fit the pan.
6. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes until pastry puffs and is golden.

If the puff pastry looks like too much work, use a pie crust on top only.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Recipe Directions:

1. In large bowl beat butter and sugar until smooth.
2. Add eggs and continue beating.
3. Add melted chocolate and vanilla.  Continue mixing.
4. Add flour and salt, mix and pour batter into 9 x 13 buttered pyrex pan.
5. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven, 25 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, let stand five minutes.
7. Dust with powdered sugar, cut into squares.

Make ahead in the day and enjoy the taste of real, non mix, brownies.

Salad Ingredients:

• Romaine lettuce, 1 head for 4, 2 heads for 8
• Mandarin oranges, small can for 4, large can for 8
• 1/2 cup candied almonds, walnuts or pecans
• Optional: crumbled blue cheese

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, or tarragon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon poupon mustard
• 1 cup canola oil

Recipe Directions:

For dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar with tight fitting lid and shake.

For salad, mix ingredients in a large bowl, and toss with as much dressing as needed.  Save the rest for another time.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Use either an 8-inch square pyrex baking pan, or 7 x 11 size, or 9 inch round spring form cheesecake pan.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups ground gingersnaps (about 30 Nabisco Gingersnap Cookies)
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar

Filling:

• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon Frontier Soups Pumpkin Spice Mix
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs

Recipe Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In food processor grind cookies to a fine crumb.
3. Drizzle in melted butter and sugar, process til moist and starts to clump.
4. Press crumb mixture into bottom and slightly up the sides of pan.
5. In medium bowl combine softened cream cheese and sugar, beat with electric mixer until smooth.
6. Add pumpkin, spices, vanilla, and blend.
7. Add eggs and blend thoroughly again.
8. Pour into crust. Bake 55 minutes or until almost set, but slightly soft.
9. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
10. Cut in squares to serve, or remove from springform pan and cut in wedges. Serve with whipped cream.

This recipe may be doubled for a crowd using two pans or a large baking pan. May need to bake 5 minutes longer.

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces cream whipped cheese at room temperature
• 4 ounces mascarpone at room temperature (or cool whip)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 8 ounces pumpkin puree, canned pumpkin not pie filling
• 1 packet Frontier Soups Pumpkin Spice Mix
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Optional topping: 1/2 cup pecans, 1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Recipe Directions:

1. In a medium bowl blend together the cream cheese and mascarpone until smooth.
2. Add brown sugar, spice blend, pumpkin, and salt, and blend again until smooth.
3. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Sprinkle nuts and top with zigzags of maple syrup, if desired.
5. Place dip in a bowl surrounded by apple slices, ginger snaps, biscotti, cinnamon crisps, vanilla wafers, or other sweet cracker or cookie.

Inventive Variation: Use as an inside filler layer in a spice cake!

Combine two favorite foods–apples and pancakes–made deliciously easy with Frontier Soups cornbread mix. The corn in the mix makes the texture hearty and crispy, not doughy and cakey like some pancakes. Top with maple syrup for a wonderful Fall breakfast, or lunch or dinner!

Apple Mixture:

Apple Pancakes

The peaches have been superb this summer in the Midwest. The local farmers at Farmers Markets are saying there’s about two weeks left of the best peaches. Our recipe for Peach Crisp features a thick crunchy layer of crisp on top made with oatmeal. The large size recipe below fills a 9 x 13 pan; serve it for dessert with ice cream and the leftovers for breakfast with cream. Use our Colorado Morning Oatmeal Breakfast mix for a short cut to the following recipe.

Peach Crisp Recipe Ingredients:

(Ingredients for 9 x 13 pan: See below for adaptation to fit an 8 x 8 inch pan.)

• 1 ½ cup flour
• 1 ½ cup oatmeal
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup softened unsalted butter
• (If you are using our Colorado Morning Breakfast Oatmeal mix, use the contents of the streusel packet and you won’t need the following additions.  Add the dried cranberries into the sliced peaches.)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• ¼ cup walnut nibs, optional

Recipe Directions:

1. Peel and slice 10 to 12 fresh peaches into baking pan.
2. Add 2 Tablespoons sugar, stir and set aside.
3. Place all dry ingredients into a medium bowl and stir to blend.
4. Use two knives and scissor slash the softened butter into the oatmeal mixture. Keep cutting until the mixture clumps and turns brown from the cinnamon.
5. Pat the mixture onto the top of the peaches.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.
7. Serve hot with ice cream.

For a smaller crisp use the following proportions: 5 to 6 peaches, 1 cup flour, 1 cup oatmeal, 1/3 cup sugar, ¼ tsp. salt, ½ cup softened butter. Use the Colorado Morning streusel mixture or the same measurements above for brown sugar and cinnamon. You’’ll have a nice thick oatmeal crisp topping! We love it for cold for breakfast!

Peach Crisp