Smoked Goose

Don't be scared.  We use this in place of the "pork" in "pork and seeds".  OMG  It's amazingly delicious!!

Smoked Goose

2-3 goose breasts, rinsed
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c salt
1 c soy sauce
1 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp minced onion
1/2 c sherry or dry red wine
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 c orange juice
1 1/2 c water
Hot Chinese Mustard
Sesame Seeds

1. Place goose breasts in large zip top bag.
2. In large bowl, mix all remaining ingredients well, except mustard and seeds.
3. Pour over goose breasts into zip top bag.
4. Seal bag and place flat onto a large plate (in case the zip top bag leaks).
5. Refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours...up to 24 hours.
6. Remove goose from bag and rinse.
7. Dry with paper towels until completely dry.
8. Place in smoker for 2.5 - 3 hours.
9. Finish cooking in oven at 300 degrees for one hour.
10. Slice into bite sized pieces and serve with hot mustard and sesame seeds.

Courtesy of the internet.  I can not find the picture I took this Christmas!  But ours looked just like this.  Must organize photos! :)

Enchiladas

Only the best enchiladas I've ever had.  And I don't normally like enchiladas.  Thanks to my friend, KayCee Hall, for the inspiration and 95% of the recipe.

Enchiladas

1 lb ground beef
1.5 tbsp taco seasoning (I used Fiesta Dip from Tastefully Simple)
1-4 oz  can diced green chiles
1-15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 green onion stalks, diced
1-4 oz small can chopped olives, drained
Burrito shells
1 lb Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1 lb Mexican Cheese, shredded
1-10 oz can Old El Paso Mild Enchilada Sauce
1-10 oz can Old El Paso Medium Enchilada Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a separate bowl, mix both enchilada sauces together.
3. In medium skillet, brown ground beef, drain and return to pan.
4. Add taco seasoning and stir well.
5. Off the burner add diced green chillies, black beans, chopped green onions and olives.
6. Divide filling between 5-6 burrito sized shells, put a handful of shredded mozzarella in each and roll up. You can also use small shells which fits more into the pan. 
7. Place in GREASED 9 x 13" pan, pour mixed enchilada sauce over burritos.
8. Top with shredded Mexican cheese. 
9. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees (325 degrees if using a glass pan for 30 min. 
10. Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes.

You can make ahead and put in fridge.  When baking, add another 15-20 min baking time. 

Top with sour cream when serving, optional.

And these are amazing left over so next time, I will make a double batch!!

p.s.  I had some meat mixture left over.  It was amazing in taco salads.

USANA Nutrimeal Chia Seed Pudding

We're always looking for ways to incorporate our USANA products into healthy recipes. And this?  Accidentally delicious and SUPER healthy!! There are a ton of chia seed pudding recipes online. I combined a few of them and voila!

USANA Nutrimeal Chia Seed Pudding

1/2 c chocolate almond milk
1/4 c unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp USANA Dutch Chocolate Nutrimeal
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp stevia (optional)

Mix all ingredients well (takes a bit to incorporate the cocoa powder, but be patient, it will).  Store in an air-tight container overnight.  And then enjoy!

This is not your ordinary pudding.  It has texture.  If you can get over that, it will be the best pudding you'll ever have.

The best part?  The whole thing is only 306 calories (according to sparkpeople.com) and after 5 bites, my chocolate craving was satisfied.

 p.s.  This is gluten free if your maple syrup and vanilla extract are.  

Lemon Meringue Pie

As per request of our Dad for dessert after our big holiday meal, we made this lemon meringue pie.  It still needs some work (it's suggested to add cream of tarter to the meringue so it adheres to the pie and crust).  It was amazingly delicious, but our meringue slipped all over the place.

Lemon Meringue Pie

For the pie:

1 9-inch pie crust, baked as directed, cooled
2 2.9 oz boxes lemon flavor cook and serve pudding
1 c sugar
1/2 c lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons
4 egg yolks
4 c water

1. Stir the pudding mix, sugar, water, lemon juice, lemon zest and egg yolks in sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly.
3. Cool completely, stirring twice (to remove film that is on top of pudding mix).
4. Pour into pie crust.

For the meringue:

6 egg whites
2 tbsp corn starch
4 tbsp cold water
1 c boiling water
3/4 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend corn starch and cold water in sauce pan. 
3. Add boiling water and then cook on medium heat until clear and thick, stirring constantly.
4. Let stand until completely cold.
5. With stand mixer, on high speed, beat egg whites until foamy.
6. Gradually add sugar.
7. Beat until stiff, but not dry.
8. Turn to low speed and add vanilla and salt.
9. Gradually beat in corn starch and water mixture.
10. Turn stand mixer to high again and beat well.
11. Spread meringue over pie.
12. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Festive Salsa

For our holiday feast, our mom suggested we add this appetizer to the already ginormous menu. And boy, are we glad she did. It's scrumptious!!

Festive Salsa

1 small bag cranberries
1 bunch green onions, root end removed, cut in half
1 jalepeno pepper, seeds and membrane removed
1/2 bunch cilantro (optional), we used parsley flakes (fresh parsley would have been better)
1/4 c sugar
1 8 oz cream cheese
Crackers for serving

Mix cranberries, green onion, pepper, cilantro or parsley, and sugar in food processor until well incorporated.

Store in refrigerator until ready to serve, best if overnight.

Pour over cream cheese and serve with crackers (wheat thins are our favorite)

p.s.  Mom got this recipe from her friend Cindy Shaw

Divinity

This recipe  from our Grandma Lena has always scared me.  I knew I couldn't even attempt it until I had a stand mixer.  Well, I've had one of those for 10 years now, so must have been scured for other reasons!  Maybe it's the rumored humidity level that affects the candy "setting up" properly.  Or maybe it's because I just don't like to eat it.  But I've always wanted to try making it.  And it's our dad's favorite, so...

When our mom was here for the holidays, we decided to make it.  Knowing we had an "expert" to guide us through the otherwise lacking "recipe" made us willing cooks!!

And again, Travis saved the day!  Our individual candies weren't setting up right.  He found some really great directions on the internet that we'll include.  Praise!!

Divinity**

6 c sugar
2 c light corn syrup
1 c water

Mix well in a large stock pot and cook at a roiling boil until temperature reaches 250 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Stir constantly.

When the candy is almost to temperature, in a stand mixer,  beat 4 egg whites until stiff.  Add 2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp salt.  Mix until well incorporated.

While the mixer is on medium speed, drip candy mixture into the egg mixture SLOWLY (the stream is about the size of a piece of string).  It is almost so slow you couldn't see the candy moving.

When this is done, beat on medium/high speed until the candy loses it's shine and turns a dull white.  We didn't mix long enough and our first attempts of dropping them didn't work...they just fell into puddles and didn't keep their fluffy shape.  It's important to mix until the color is not shiny anymore.

At this point, you can add 2 cups of chopped pecans...optional.

Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper (or, if you only have parchment paper, lightly grease it with butter or olive oil spray).  Store in tight container.

**this is the full recipe.  It's HUGE!  We recommend starting with a half recipe.

Apple Pie - Rated R

This is the most requested Apple Pie recipe at our house around the holidays.  And it's not what you think!  Travis makes this and it's SOOO good.  Nicole and I don't really like alcohol and we love this.

Apple Pie

1 gallon apple juice
1 gallon apple cider
2 c brown sugar
2 c white sugar
6-8 cinnamon sticks
1.5 tbsp ground nutmeg
1/5 (1 L) 190 proof alcohol (like Everclear)
Half of 1/5 (1 L) vanilla vodka

1. In large stock pot, bring juice, cider, sugars, cinnamon sticks and nutmeg to a boil, stirring occasionally.
2. Reduce heat and simmer until cinnamon sticks burst (unpeel), about 1-2 hours.
3. Cool completely.
4. Add alcohols and stir well.
5. Store at room temperature in mason jars with lids, or you can use the containers or bottles the juice, cider and alcohol came in, or whatever else that can seal tight.  It makes 8-10 quarts.  
6. You can refrigerate it for an iced beverage.  
7. You can heat it up for a hot toddy!