Swedish Apple Pie

This pie is delicious and a wonderful dessert to make when you are craving some apple pie but don't have the time to make a crust.  However, please don't think it's some sort of second-rate apple pie in a pinch.  It's so tasty I make it even when I *do* have the time for an old fashioned apple pie.  It's in a class all by itself.  :)  Oh my gravy it's good!

5-6 medium apples, sliced
 OR use your apple slices from your food storage (I buy mine in bulk from the LDS Home Storage Center, everyone is welcome - find one near you here)
I use 2.5 - 3 cups dried apples, rehydrate for 5 minutes in 4 cups boiling water - drain excess

1 T sugar
1 T cinnamon
3/4 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped nuts
small splash of vanilla

Fill pie plate 2/3 full of apples.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  In a medium bowl, stir the rest of the ingredients until combined.  Pour over apples.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

Food Storage:  I *always* make this with my dehydrated apples so everything in the recipe comes from items I have on hand.  Remember you can substitute shortening for butter or margarine, and use your powdered eggs and then all the ingredients are shelf stable.   A fresh tasting dessert without much effort and no runs to the store for ingredients!

Chicken and Ham Roll-Ups

from the fabulous Kathy:

2 -3 boneless chicken halves
about 10-15 slices deli ham (the Kirkland brand from Costo is perfect cut in half the short way)
block of Swiss cheese (you will only use a portion), cut into about 1/4"-wide sticks (however many strips of chicken you end up cutting is how many pieces of cheese you'll need)
(This should serve about 4-6, adjust accordingly)

Sauce:
1 can cream of chicken soup (of course I use one recipe of the SOS mix!)
1 cup sour cream

These are basically cheater chicken cordon bleu!  :)   I would allow for 2 roll-ups for kids and 4 for adults.  Personally I only eat 2 and then fill up on veggies since they are deliciously cheesy and creamy and therefore probably not the best for my non-exercising self ;)

Prep:  Cut your ham slices in half (however many you would like for your family - if you end up with extra rolls I have frozen the assembled rolls, sans sauce, and thawed and baked them later with great results).  Take a couple of chicken breasts and then slice then into strips (like you would for fajitas) in a diagonal direction - I get about 8-10 strips per breast.  Feel free to place smaller pieces of chicken together to equal a longer piece when assembling.  From a block of Swiss cheese, cut off a chunk about 1/4" wide.  Cut that into long sticks (like a cheese stick).  Slice as many cheese sticks as you have chicken strips.
Assembly:  Lay out the ham slices and place a slice of chicken breast and a cheese stick in each.

Roll up so the chicken and cheese are rolled up inside the ham. 

Lay roll-ups side by side in shallow baking dish (seam side down) misted with oil.  I don't stack them.
Mix sauce ingredients and spread on top of roll-ups.  Cover and bake 1 to 1.5 hrs at 325 degrees F.

Enjoy!

Lion House Oatmeal Cookies

From the Lion House Recipes cookbook:

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 cups quick rolled oats
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
2 cups flour
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup nuts
(for my family we just add about a cup and a half our our desired mix-ins:  cinnamon or chocolate chips, craisins, nuts, etc.)

Cream together sugar and shortening.  Add eggs and milk and mix well.  Then add rolled oats.  Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth.  Stir in desired mix-ins.  Drop on cookie sheet and back at 375 degrees F for 10 or until lightly browned.  Makes 5-6 dozen cookies. 

Notes:  We have successfully substituted margarine and butter for shortening when we've run out.

Food Storage:  Shortening is a great item for your food storage since it's shelf stable.  I always bake with my powdered eggs and powdered milk and the rest of the ingredients are all dry and store well in your pantry.

Chicken Breasts with Peppers

I made this a few months ago and loved it!  I took the picture and then promptly lost the recipe so I couldn't post it - so frustrating!!!  But we've been doing some organizing and I finally found the recipe.  It's amazing what you find when you clean.  ; )

Chicken Breasts with Peppers

2 Tb olive or vegetable oil
2 medium red, green or yellow peppers, cut into thing strips
1 tsp garlic powder
1 envelope (or 1/4 cup of your homemade mix) onion soup mix
2 boneless chicken breasts, halved (meaning if you bought them butterflied, or the halves of the breast were connected - cut them into separate halves. You should end up with 4 halves like the one pictured above)
1 c water
1/2 tsp basil leaves

In large skillet, heat oil and brown chicken over medium-high heat.  Remove chicken.  Add peppers and cook, stirring frequently, two minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender.  Stir in onion soup mix blended with water and basil; bring to a boil.  Return chicken to skillet and simmer uncovered eight minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken once.  Makes 4 servings.

Adaptations:
For a Food Storage meal- use canned chicken and peppers or another veggie.
For the Crockpot - dump all the ingredients in the pot!  Cook for the typical 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 on low.  You could absolutely use frozen peppers and chicken without thawing first - just toss them in as is!  You may brown the chicken first if you prefer.

Pronto Pups

from Amy

1 cup flour
1/2 cup corn meal
4 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk (plus 1 or 2 Tbs)

Stir together dry ingredients.  Add milk and egg and stir to a thick batter (add extra milk if too thick).  Warm hot dogs in microwave or boiling water.  Dry with paper towels.  Spear with popsicle sticks, then dip in batter and deep fry until brown.

My Notes:  I cut my hot dogs in thirds and don't use sticks.  I fry at 365F for about 2 minutes.

Taco Rice/Spanish Rice

TACO RICE MIX
In a quart-sized ziplock bag combine the following ingredients:

1 cup long grain brown rice or white rice
2 teaspoons chili powder (wimpy white girl halves this)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon each oregano & cumin & garlic powder
2 tablespoons dry onion
Dash red pepper flakes (and you know I omit this)


Seal & Label the bag. Store on the pantry shelf.

To Prepare:
1 package of Taco Rice Mix
1 or 2 tablespoons oil
8 oz can reduced sodium tomato sauce or 1 cup chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
2 cups water

Get out a 2-quart saucepan. Heat the oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the contents of the Taco Rice Mix. Sauté the rice and seasonings in the hot oil until the rice is toasty and slightly opaque. Add the tomato sauce and water. Stir it up and bring it to a boil. When it starts to boil, cover the pan with a good lid and reduce the heat to very low. Brown rice will cook in 45 minutes. White rice will cook in 20 minutes. Serve topped with cheese for a main dish, or just like it is as a side dish. This recipe doubles easily. Cook it in a 3-quart saucepan if you double it.

Makes 4 servings.

Variations

To make Taco Style Beans & Rice add a 15 oz can of kidney or pinto or black beans (1-1/2 cups cooked beans) well drained and rinsed, along with the tomato sauce and water. Cook as directed.

To make Taco TVP & Rice Mix add 1 cup of plain TVP and 2 bouillon cubes to the rice mixture. Use the flavor of bouillon that you prefer. When you prepare the dish, increase the water to 2-3/4 cups. Otherwise, proceed as directed. This is a great main dish mix to keep on hand for busy days.

Note: I keep the bag of Taco Rice Mix in a small brown paper bag along with the canned tomato sauce, and sometimes a can of kidney beans too. This keeps the items together in one spot so I don't have to hunt all over the kitchen for that "can of tomato sauce that I know is around here somewhere". You may be more organized than me and always know where that extra can of tomato sauce is, but in case you're not this tip will save some work. Be sure to label and date the paper bag so you know what it is when you see it sitting there on the shelf.

Cheese Enchiladas

This recipe comes from Spark People's recipe site sparkrecipes.com.

I quadrupled the recipe so I could use the whole container of ricotta.  I bagged the rest and froze three additional meals for later.  I placed the sauce, olives and cheese mixture in three separate baggies (quart and snack-size) and then placed all three baggies in one gallon bag so the whole meal was together.  

Sorry about the picture.  We had almost finished eating before I remembered to take a picture!  So here is my son's plate - sour cream and all!

I served this with the Hillbilly Housewife's Taco Rice.  Scrumptious!  I loved this meal!

No Guilt Cheese Enchiladas

12 8-inch Corn Tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican four cheese blend
1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
3/4 cup chopped white onions
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta
1 can (19 ounces) enchilada sauce
2 Tbsp diced green chilies
3 Tbsp sliced black olives

Pour the enchilada sauce in a skillet and heat. Or make your own - check out the link above!  Dip each tortilla in the hot sauce, coating each side, for a few seconds. Shake off and place on microwavable platter, 3 or 4 at a time, making sure that they do not overlap. Microwave for 20-40 seconds, until soft. (Time will vary according to your microwave oven.) Set aside to cool. I skipped the microwaving and just dipped the tortillas in the skillet that I made my enchilada sauce in.

In a bowl, mix 3/4 cup finely chopped onion (about 1/2 a large onion) I used rehydrated dry onion, ricotta, cottage cheese, green chiles (mild or hot, to taste), and salt and pepper to taste. Add half the shredded cheese (1/2 cup.) Mix with fork until ingredients are blended.

Spray a rectangular casserole dish with non-stick spray.
Place approximately 1/12th of the cheese mixture (about 1/4 cup) on a tortilla and loosely roll. Place seam side down in casserole dish. Repeat until all tortillas are filled. I did this dish as a casserole to save on mess and time.  I placed a layer of dipped tortillas on the bottom of the pan, topped with spoonfulls of the cheese mixture (about 2 1/4 cups total) and topped with more dipped tortillas.  Spread remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas.

Bake for 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. After 15 minutes, remove and evenly spread the remaining cheese and the black olives on top. Return to oven for 10 more minutes.

Serve hot.

Number of Servings: 6