Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ cup shortening with 1 T water

½ cup sugar

1 T molasses

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ¼ cups old fashioned oats

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate large bowl cream the shortening, water and sugar. Beat in egg, vanilla and molasses. Stir in the dry ingredients until combined, and then carefully stir in oats, chocolate chips and cherries. On parchment lined or prepared cookie sheets, drop by tablespoons two inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Roasted Root Vegetable and Ham Quiche

3 cups roasted root vegetables

½ cup cooked ham, finely diced

¼ cup onion finely diced

1 T olive oil

½ cup shredded sharp cheddar

4 eggs

¾ cup milk

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 refrigerated pie crust, thawed to package instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Roll out pie crust onto a 9” glass or ceramic pie dish. Press to form and crimp edges. Prick the bottom of the crust several times with a fork. Bake for 20 min or until golden brown.  Remove from oven to cool while preparing the vegetables.

In a skillet, sauté onion in olive oil for till translucent. Add ham, root vegetables, salt and pepper, stirring till mixture is warm, 3 to 4 minutes. Take off heat and stir in cheese. Pour mixture into the baked crust.

In a bowl beat eggs and milk. Carefully pour over vegetables until it reaches the edge of the crust (may not use all of the egg mixture). Bake quiche for 40 to 45 minutes or until the center is cooked and set. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. 

Roasted Root Vegetables

1 pound purple potatoes (2 to 3)

1 pound sweet potatoes (2 small or 1 large)

3 large parsnips

3 large carrots

3 garlic cloves, peeled

2 T olive oil

1 T fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse and scrub purple potatoes. Peel carrots, parsnips and sweet potatoes. Dice all vegetables into roughly ½ cubed pieces. Coarsely chop garlic. Toss together in a large bowl with olive oil, garlic and rosemary. Spread vegetables onto a large jelly roll pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are fork tender.

You can substitute the rosemary with other herbs or seasonings of your choice, or merely season with salt and pepper. 

10-Spice Peppernuts

1 c vegetable shortening

4 c cane sugar

4 eggs, beaten

2 T molasses

2 tsp soda dissolved in 2 tsp hot water

1 tsp anise extract

6 ¾ c flour

1 tsp each ground cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, mace, fennel, anise, black pepper, cardamom

1 tsp salt

Beat shortening and sugar till fluffy. Add eggs and molasses and mix well. Add soda and anise. In a separate bowl combine 2 cups of flour, spices and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Add remaining 4 ¾ c flour one cup at a time. Chill dough thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut chilled dough, work well with warm hands and then roll into long logs ½ inch in diameter and cut into ¼ inch pieces. Place an inch apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 14 mins. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Yes this makes a LOT of peppernuts but everyone will love them so much you will need as big of batch as it is.

(adapted from a recipe by Hazel Ekholm)

Homemade Chicken Stock

Homemade stock is a great way to use those left over chicken pieces and vegetables. Full of flavor, use in soups, sauces, or other dishes. Frozen fresh stock makes a great gift for family, neighbors and friends!

Ingredients:

Leftover pieces of a chicken including skin and bones

Roughly chopped vegetables such as carrots, celery, onion (about 2c)

2 cloves of garlic

2 or 3 sprigs of fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary and sage

Salt & pepper

Water

Place all ingredients into a large stock pot or dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cook for 30 min to 1 hour – the longer it cooks the more the flavor.  Turn off heat and let cool at least 30 mins. Strain liquid into a freezer-proof container and freeze. Pouring strained stock into ice cube trays and freezing makes using stock even easier! 

(p.s. if you use ice cube trays, use them ONLY for stock)

Variations: Use chicken, beef, or pork for meat stocks. Omit meat and add extra veggies for a vegetable stock. Add different herbs and spices for a unique taste.