Christina's Sour Cream Dip with Tomatoes and Chiles

1 pint sour cream

1/2 tsp onion salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

2-4 large tomatoes, diced

1 can diced green chiles

Mix the sour cream with all the spices until well mixed. Stir in the tomatoes and chiles. Chill at least one hour before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Ben and Christina's Fish Tacos

Just found this after it sitting in my drafts for 10 months. Oops. We were inspired to try fish tacos after a recent episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Since we decided to make the attempt on a Sunday, we just had to use what was in the house, but we think they turned out pretty great!

Fish Batter--use whatever recipe you want

Cabbage Slaw

1/2 cup sour cream
juice of 1 lime
1 TBSP minced garlic
cabbage
red onion
carrot

1 cup pico de gallo

1 1/2 pounds tiliapia filets, sliced lengthwise
corn tortillas

Fry up the fish and fill each tortilla with fish, slaw, pico de gallo and eat! I also think some crumbled cheese (like Cotija) would be fantastic. Yum!

Christina's Roasted Sweet Potato Soup with Curried Apples

source unknown

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (3 0r 4)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
course salt and ground pepper
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced
2 jalapeno peppers, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced 
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
4 cups vegetable broth, homemade or canned (2 cans)
2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar (or whatever kind you have)
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 small tart apple, diced
1/4 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
2 tablespoons chopped mint, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 4oo degrees. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour, turning once, or until potatoes are very soft. When cool enough to handle, scoop cooked potatoes out of the skins. Discard the skins. Or you can cheat and put them in the microwave wrapped in plastic and cook them 20 minutes on 70% power.
2. Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and caramelized, about 20 min. Add bell pepper, jalapenos, and garlic; cook for 5 min. Add sweet potato and broth, stir. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, until flavors have blended.
3. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender. Combine batches in a clean bowl. The soup should be thick. (If you prefer a thinner soup, add water or more broth). Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring vinegar, honey, and curry powder to a boil. Add apple; stir for 1 minute and remove from heat. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, ad spoonful of apples, spoonful of yogurt and a sprinkle of mint.

Christina's Fennel and Fruit Salad, Two Ways

from Make and Takes

1 large fennel bulb, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced (peeled or unpeeled)
1/2 cup green onions, white and tender green parts only, sliced
juice 1 large navel orange (reserve zest for another use)
1-2 tsp. poppy seeds
dried cherries or cranberries
goat cheese or blue cheese, crumbled
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
a handful of raw walnuts or pecans

Toss the fennel, celery, apple, green onions, cranberries, cheese and walnuts together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, olive oil, poppy seeds (if using) and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the veggies and fruit. Put a few big spoonfuls of the basic salad on a bed of greens and mix in.

Chicken Salad Recipe:

To the basic salad add:

A big spoonful of sour cream and/or mayo or yogurt (1/4 cup or so)
Chopped fronds of the fennel, to taste, but about 2 Tbsp. is great
A bit of grated orange zest
Cooked chicken (1-2 cups, canned or leftover is fine)

Serve on little rolls or croissants, or on its own, or on a bed of greens.

Christina's Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

from Melanie Andersen Williams

1 pound cubed beef stew meat
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
1 beef boullion cube
1/2 packet onion soup mix (optional)
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces sour cream
8 oz mushrooms, sauteed

In a slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, boullion, Worcestershire sauce and water.
Cook on Low setting for 6 hours, or on High setting for about 3 hours. Stir in mushrooms 1/2 hour before serving. Stir in cream cheese and sour cream just before serving. Season with salt, pepper and garlic to taste. Garnish with chives or green onions. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Lorri's Cheddar, Onion, and Sour Cream Drop Biscuits

5 1/2 Tbsp cold butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsps chopped fresh basil
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
3/4 cup sour cream (or buttermilk)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1. Saute onion until translucent in 1 1/2 Tbsp butter. Add garlic adn cook for 30 seconds then remove the pan from the heat.
2. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl and add the basil. Cut the remaining butter into the mixture. Add the cheese and onions.
3. Blend the sour cream and milk together. Gently mix into dry ingredients and let stand until for 5 minutes.
4. Scoop blobs of dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes at 425.
(As a note - do not use silpat because you will never get them to smell the same. Onion and garlic taste delicious in a biscuit but not on a cookie.)

Christina's Spicy Cabbage and Tomatoes

from Fun Foods on a Budget

1 small head cabbage, shredded
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter or bacon fat
3 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. butter or bacon fat
2 tbsp. flour
1 cup diced canned tomatoes
1 tbsp. sugar, or to taste
2 tbsp. sour cream
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Several sprinkles of red pepper flakes

Saute the onion in a large frying pan until tender. Add the cabbage and water and cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until the cabbage is tender but still slightly crisp.

In another pan, melt the butter or bacon fat. Add the flour, stir to blend, and add the tomatoes and sugar. Cook until the sauce thickens. Add the sour cream and season to taste with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes

Combine the sauce with the cabbage and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Christina's Cheesecake with Lemon Curd

from Epicurious

* 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
* 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For crust

* 1 1/3 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (5 oz)
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For filling

* 3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
* 1 cup sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 3/4 cup sour cream
* 1 teaspoon vanilla

* Accompaniment: blueberries (optional)

Make lemon curd:
Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Add butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubbles appear on surface, about 6 minutes.

Force lemon curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a wide shallow dish, scraping bottom of sieve, then cover surface with wax paper. Cool completely, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Make and bake crust:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Invert bottom of springform pan (to make it easier to slide cake off bottom), then lock on side. 3Stir together crust ingredients in a bowl, then press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of springform pan. Place springform pan in a shallow baking pan and bake 10 minutes, then cool crust completely in springform pan on a rack.

Make filling and bake cheesecake:
Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.

Beat together cream cheese and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add eggs 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in sour cream and vanilla until combined.

Pour two thirds of cream cheese filling into crust, then spoon half of lemon curd over filling and swirl curd into filling with a small knife. (Avoid touching crust with knife to prevent crumbs getting into filling.) Repeat with remaining filling and curd.

Bake cheesecake until set 1 1/2 inches from edge but center trembles when pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes. (Center of cake will appear very loose but will continue to set as it cools.) Transfer springform pan to a rack and immediately run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen. Cool completely, about 2 hours, then chill, uncovered, at least 4 hours. Remove side of springform pan before serving.

Christina's Acorn Squash Quesdadillas

from Smitten Kitchen

1 small/medium acorn squash
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons diced white onion
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
2 poblano chiles, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
4 10-inch flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
Butter for frying quesadillas
Garnishes: sour cream and salsa verde

First, roast the acorn squash. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly oil a baking sheet. Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Lay the halves on prepared baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes, until soft but not cooked to mush.

When cool enough to work with, scoop out flesh with a spoon, leaving in chunks.

Saute the onions, poblano peppers and jalapeno in the oil until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a couple minutes more. Add the squash and cook for another 5 or 10 minutes, until the squash is tender and the flavors have melded. Season with salt and pepper and take off heat.

Spread a few tablespoons of the cooked squash mixture onto one half of a 10-inch flour tortilla. Sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of the cheese. Fold over and place in a hot pan with melted butter, and fry until crispy. Cut the finished quesadilla into four triangles and top with your choice of garnishes. Eat while warm.

Christina's Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze

from Smitten Kitchen

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cakepans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely.

4. To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

5. To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving. Decorate the top with chopped peanut brittle.

Peanut Butter Frosting

10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze

8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

1. In the top of a double boiler combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

Lorri's Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

Between commuting and actually working, I am gone for 12 hours a day. This recipe is great because it only takes 15 minutes to prep in the morning and or family of two can have great meals several days in a row. Plus it uses all of those food storage canned goods!

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 2 pounds (breasts work too)
salt and pepper
vegetable oil

1 cup salsa, we like the hot variety
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
(sometimes I use one a of kidney beans and 1 can black beans)
2 (11 oz ) cans whole kernel corn, drained
2 tbsp fresh cilantro

1. Heat some vegetable oil in a pan. Sprinkle chicken with salt and brown in hot oil. About 2 minutes on each side.
2. Mix salsa, beans, and corn in the slow cooker. Top with chicken.
3. Cook for 7-9 hours on low.
4. Enjoy over rice and garnish with cilantro.

I also shred all the chicken we didn't eat the first night and make burritos with the leftovers for the next couple of nights.

Christina's Sour Cream Corn Bread

1/4 C. whole wheat flour
3/4 C. yellow cornmeal
3/4 C. unsifted white flour
3 TBSP. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 C. sour cream
1/4 C. milk
1 egg, beaten
2 TBSP vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425 degree. Mix together flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Blend together sour cream, milk, egg, and vegetable oil. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just enough to blend well. Pour into a greased 8" x 8" pan. Bake about 20 minutes or until done.

Christina's Rice and Sage Stuffed Porkchops

1 C cooked rice
1/3 C shredded carrot
1/4 C green onion, sliced
1/2 dried sage
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 pork loin rib chops, 1 1/4 inch thick
1 C sliced fresh mushrooms
1 TBSP butter
2 tsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C milk
1/4 C sour cream
1 tsp dried parsley

In a small mixing bowl, stir together rice, carrot, green onion, salt and pepper.

Cut a pocket in each chop by cutting from fat side almost to bone.

Spoon stuffing into chops and secure with toothpicks. Place on rack in shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake 35-45 minutes at 375.

In small saucepan, cook mushrooms in butter until tender. Stir in flour, salt and dash pepper. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, then 1 minute more. Stir in sour cream and parsely. Heath through.

To serve, remove toothpicks from ships and cover with sauce.