Best Rolled Sugar Cookies

12 years ago, Dustin's mom, Lannis, passed away from breast cancer. This year I wanted to remember her in a simple way so I decided to make sugar cookies in the shape of cancer symbols and decorate them with pink frosting for "breast cancer."

I normally don't make sugar cookies because they are not my favorite but these turned out really good. it is a very good recipe if you plan on decorating them and needed to cut them in certain shapes.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes
• 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
• 3/4 cup pitted and quartered kalamata olives
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

The recipe:
1. Steam the butternut squash until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Remove half of the squash pieces and set aside.

2. Steam the remaining squash until very tender, an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Mash this squash with the back of a fork. Set aside.

3. To the saucepan, add tomatoes, butternut squash pieces, mashed butternut squash. Stir to combine.

4. Stir in reserved chicken broth and quinoa. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.

5. Shred the chicken with your fingers or a fork. Stir the chicken, olives and pepper into the stew and simmer, uncovered, to heat, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and serve.

6. To the saucepan, add tomatoes, butternut squash pieces, mashed butternut squash. Stir to combine.

7. Stir in reserved chicken broth and quinoa. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.

8. Shred the chicken with your fingers or a fork.

9. Stir the chicken, olives and pepper into the stew and simmer, uncovered, to heat, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and serve.

From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck. www.cookincanuck.com

Chicken Pasta Salad with Grapes

This salad has a great combination of sweet, comforting, a little bit of crunch and a cool dish when pairing with hot meat at a BBQ.

1 pkg curly noodles, cooked

1 chicken breast, shredded or cut in chunks (whatever you prefer)

1 small package sliced almonds

1 can pineapple tidbits, drained (or I have used crushed pineapple and it was still just as good)

bag of red grapes

Dressing:

1 c. sour cream

1 c. miracle whip

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ginger

Mix dressing a little at a time (depending on how much creamy sauce you want) and stir into the other ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. And wa-lah! A yummy pasta salad. Great summer dish!

My Guacamole Dip

In my opinion, the best guacamole is FRESH guacamole with as many ingredients from the garden as possible.

Ingredients:
3 avocados
Red onion, chopped (about 1/4 c.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (or to taste)
1 large ripe garden tomato (or 2 smaller tomatoes), diced
juice of 1 lime
4-5 shakes green Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Pit avocados and mash in a bowl. If you like your guac kind of chunky (that's how we like it), coarsely chop with the side of a fork instead of using the fork to mash it straight down. Carefully stir in remaining ingredients until well mixed.

Cilantro-Lime Rice

CILANTRO-LIME RICE:
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Black beans and Corn

BLACK BEANS:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 can corn

dash of chili powder
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, corn, chili powder and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

Homemade tortilla strips

These go great over a mexican meal like tortilla soup, tacos, taco salad or the Cafe Rio pulled pork recipe.

10-12 corn tortillas
oil for frying
Kosher salt

Cut tortillas into strips using a pizza cutter. You can cut 2-3 at a time pretty easily. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Place strips into hot oil and fry until they become crispy. When nice and crispy, remove from oil and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt after each batch.

Cafe Rio pulled pork (Copycat)

2 pounds pork (I use boneless pork rib meat)3 cans Coke (NOT diet)1/4 c. light brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 small can diced green chilies
3/4 (10oz) can red enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness but any will work)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

Pulled Venison BBQ

So I love cooking pulled pork, but my dad likes to eat wild meat so while making a pulled pork recipe for others I made this recipe for my dad and his hunting buddies. I searched a forum for what other hunters liked and I combined their ideas.

Ingredients:

-Venison Roast or deer tenderloins

-1 can of coke or beer

-1/4 C Brown sugar

-1/2 tsp Garlic Salt

-1/2 tsp Pepper

-Pinch of Cayenne (or more if you like it hot, but my dad didn't)

-A few tablespoons of butter (gets dry without it)

-Favorite BBQ sauce

Directions:

1. Put meat, 1/2 can coke/beer, sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne in a large ziplock bag and let the meat marinate for a few hours or overnight for best taste.

2. After marinating, drain and place meat in the crockpot. Pour other 1/2 can coke/beer in crock pot along with 2Tb butter. Cook for 6 hours or more. Cook until the meat shreds easily.

***Wild game cooks a lot faster than store bought meat because there is less fat***(So I would check it periodically to make sure it is not drying out or overcooking.)

Cumin scented Quinoa and Black Rice

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup short-grain black rice
• 1 cup red quinoa, rinsed well
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons 1" pieces chives
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 
  

• Ingredient Info:

  Black rice and red quinoa are available at better supermarkets and at natural foods and specialty foods stores.
  
  

Preparation

• Bring rice and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 25–30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine quinoa, bay leaf, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return quinoa to hot saucepan. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf, fluff quinoa with a fork, and transfer to a large bowl.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add to quinoa. Add rice; mix well. Stir in remaining 2 Tbsp. oil, fresh lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut avocado into wedges. Serve salad with avocado and lemon wedges.

Fisherman's Stew/Cioppino

So this recipe was inspired by my dad and Julia Child. My dad is a big time kiteboarder and whenever he and his buddies goes out to the ocean they go eat fisherman's stew at this warf restaurant. After learning about Julia Child last year as well as watching the movie on her with Meryl Streep, I have followed some of her recipes and they are always good ones. Anyway, I found a recipe of hers that she called a Bouillabaisse and I was inspired to make a fisherman's stew for New Year's Eve for my family. I don't always follow one recipe to the t very well since I like this or that in my own way. So, for this recipe I used Julia Child's, the recipe from the restaurant my dad goes to on the coast and a seafood chef recipe and combined them how I wanted.

So this recipe was inspired by my dad and Julia Child. My dad is a big time kiteboarder and whenever he and his buddies goes out to the ocean they go eat fisherman's stew at this warf restaurant. After learning about Julia Child last year as well as watching the movie on her with Meryl Streep, I have followed some of her recipes and they are always good ones. Anyway, I found a recipe of hers that she called a Bouillabaisse and I was inspired to make a fisherman's stew for New Year's Eve for my family. I don't always follow one recipe to the t very well since I like this or that in my own way. So, for this recipe I used Julia Child's, the recipe from the restaurant my dad goes to on the coast and a seafood chef recipe and combined them how I wanted.

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
• fennel seeds
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 small red chili finely diced
• 2/3 cup of dry white wine
• a pinch of saffron
• a pinch of anise
• thyme
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 300 ml of fish stock (fresh is best but if buying a prepackaged one check to see how many additives there are!)
• 200 ml of clam juice
• 1 lb fresh cleaned mussels
• 1 lb fresh scallops
• 1 lb raw prawns with tails kept intact
• calamari rings/squid
• firm white fish fillets-I used wild alaskan cod-cut into chunks
• a handful of chopped flat leaf parley
• parsley to garnish

1. Saute the onion, fennel and garlic in olive oil for about five minutes until translucent and aromatic
2. Add the chili and saute for a few more minutes
3. Add the wine, saffron thyme and anise and allow it to cook off for about 2 minutes
4. Add the crushed tomatoes/sauce, tomato paste clam juice and fish stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat to medium and allow the mixture to simmer and thicken-for approx. 30 mins
5. Add the scallops and prawns and cook for 3 minutes
6. Add the squid and then the mussels.
7. Add the chunks of fish and cook for a further 5-7 mins
8. Remove from the heat and garnish with lots of fresh parsley and serve with bread. With this recipe I serve a Rouille spread that Julia Child also made that is optional. Please see below:

   Rouille

   • 1 roasted and peeled red bell pepper
   • 1 roasted hot red chile pepper or ground cayenne pepper to taste
   • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
   • 1 small peeled garlic clove
   • 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs or finely chopped almonds
   • 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
   • Fine sea salt, about 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
   • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
   Puree everything except for the olive oil in a food processor until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil while processing to form a paste.