charisstoma

You can eliminate the chocolate. (But it's fine with dark choco.)
If you just want the toffee and nuts.

Used a combo of pecans, peanuts and almonds and put some nuts down first, then poured the VERY hot Toffee mix over, then added more nuts on top.
If you don't have a digital, instant read thermometer, a good ol' fashioned Candy thermometer works. And if you don't even have that, keep the heat up to medium high and stir, Stir STIR, for at least 25 minutes as the mixture bubbles up and starts to turn amber, then a bit more darker... That's hot and long enough to become TOFFEE.
IF you wish to add a New Mexico twist to this, feel FREE to add a Tablespoon of your favorite Red Chile Powder (more or less...) at the very beginning of melting the butter. (It smells SO GOOD in there as it's heating up!!)

English Toffee with Chocolate and Pecans

INGREDIENTS-
1 cup Butter (only real butter can be used in this recipe)
1 cup Sugar
1⁄4 cup Water
1⁄2 teaspoon Salt
3 semi-sweet chocolate baking squares or 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
1 cup coarsely broken Pecans (other nuts are welcome)

DIRECTIONS-
In heavy saucepan, combine butter, sugar, water, and salt.
Cook to hard-crack stage (300°F) stirring with a WOODEN SPOON constantly and watching carefully. Do not try a plastic spoon, it will melt into your delicious candy!
Immediately pour into ungreased 13"x9" pan.
Cool until hard.
Melt chocolate over hot, but not boiling water.
Spread over toffee; sprinkle with nuts, pressing them into chocolate.
Let stand 2-3 hours or chill 30 minutes.
Break into bite-size pieces.

You can make Apple Sauce, or cook it down to Apple Butter. What ever suits you.
Apple Butter (Crock Pot)


Ingredients-
6 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions-
Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, add sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples and mix well.

Cook in slow cooker on low for about 10 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.

Uncover, stir in vanilla and continue cooking uncovered on low for about 2 hours.
Use an immersion blender to puree the apple butter until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze.

** Slow Cooker French Onion Soup **
Serves 8

Ingredients-
• 4 pounds* yellow Onions, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted Butter
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 8 cups Beef broth
• 1 large Bay leaf (or 2)
•. 1/2 tsp dry Thyme
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup all-purpose Flour
• 2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Chinese Shaoxing cooking wine
* 4 pounds of onions =s abt 6 to 7 large onions

TO SERVE-
• 1 baguette, sliced 3/4” diagonally to fit serving bowls, and toasted
• 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or swiss cheese, grated
DIRECTIONS-
• Place butter and olive oil in slow cooker, add onions and season generously with pepper. (Go easy on any salt because the beef broth can be very salty.
• Cover and cook on HIGH for 30-45 minutes, STIRRING occasionally, cooking until onions have caramelized, lightly browned.
• In a small bowl, whisk flour into balsamic vinegar, wine and Worcestershire sauce and mix until smooth.
• Uncover onions and pour in beef broth, flour mixture and bay leaf. Stir everything together and recover.
• Reduce heat to LOW and cook for 6 hours, (or on HIGH for 4 hours).
• Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
• Ladle soup into oven proof bowls, top each with 1 slice of bread and a healthy dose of grated cheese.
• Place on top rack of oven and broil for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

** Microwave Peanut Brittle **
(Of course, you can use any brand and also, any small size or chopped, salted nuts in this recipe. Free to choose!)

Required Utensils-
4 Cup sized oven safe, microwavable baking dish or bowl
Wooden spoon (small) or chop sticks to stir
Measuring spoons, cups
Cookie/Baking sheet lined with baking paper

Ingredients-
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Corn Syrup
1 & 1/2 Cup Peanuts
1 Tbsp Butter
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Baking Soda
I add Red Chile Powder to mine!! About 1 Tbsp.

Method-


Combine Sugar and Corn Syrup and Microwave for 4 minutes.

Add Peanuts and stir to combine.
Add Vanilla, Baking Soda and Butter too!!
STIR.

Microwave for 3 more minutes!
Then stir quickly!
(The dish is HADES HOT, use caution and gloves or hot pads to handle!!)

Pour onto baking sheet lined with baking paper.
Spread out with back of large spoon.

Allow to cool.
Crack into pieces once totally cooled, and EAT!

** Mac and Cheese Bake **

3-1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (about 12 ounces)
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Few dashes hot pepper sauce
3 cups whole milk, heated to very warm temp
5 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
(A sprinkle of dry mustard on each layer, sliced tomatoes and or bell pepper, thin sliced ham or bacon, are


ALL complimentary to Mac and Cheese Bake. Feel free to add them or other things too! It doesn't hurt my feelings to sprinkle in a hot sauce or some Tony's and paprika!!)

* Boil your salted water and make your elbow macaroni (or other noodles) with at least 3 or 4 minutes LESS time than the package instructions state. You want them very al dente, not done, because they're going to bake for 30 minutes in the oven.

* Shred your choice of cheese(s). (the old Velveeta style melts easily and has that old fashion taste, i.e., "processed".)

* Then put a third of the noodles into a 13"x9" baking dish, layer on a third of the cheese & butter and add ground pepper, then more noodles, more cheese/butter, until it's all in the dish, topped with cheese.

* Add the milk, cover with foil and bake at 350° F for 45 minutes.
If it suits you, uncover the oven dish, stir the Mac & Cheese a bit, then add crushed saltines or Ritz (buttery) crackers over the top and bake for 10 minutes more, uncovered.

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD

INGREDIENTS

Bread

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter softened
1/4 cup brown sugar packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups mashed bananas (about 4 small bananas)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Topping

1/4 cup half and half
2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

Bread

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan generously with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs and mashed bananas.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

Topping

Heat the half and half and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to bubble around the edges, stirring often. Stir in the butter and vanilla until combined.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add in the chocolate chips, whisking until melted.

Pour the chocolate glaze into a small bowl and set aside to cool completely. Once cooled, drizzle the glaze over top of the chocolate banana bread.

Can you imagine... with Green Chile in?
Or cooked Chorizo, and seasoned with more Red Chile powder?



Polish Pasta with Cottage Cheese
(Makes 6 servings)

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter (2 sticks)
1/3 cup small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) package egg noodles (Any pasta/noodle works.)
1 (16 ounce) package cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream (sub- cream cheese)
1/3 cup milk, optional (but helps for creamier sauce.)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (for boiling water)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
(I didn’t add any additional salt to the combined ingredients. TASTE first.)

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook noodles/pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 1 minute less than package direction's minutes. Drain and return to the pot. OR, place in bowl and cover to keep warm. Use the same pot to continue...

2. Stir to melt butter in pot on medium heat, add onion cooked until translucent, add garlic last. Then add cottage cheese, sour cream, and black pepper into the pot and stir to partially meld, blend together. Put pasta/noodles in, and stir over medium/low heat; cook and stir until heated through and warm, 5 to 8 minutes.


(Add any ingredients as in cooked meats, spinach, tomatoes here now also.)

Added meat, like cooked, shredded chicken, cooked Polish sausage is great, or use as a side dish for pork chops, etc. Other add ins like fresh baby spinach, diced tomato work well. Sprinkle with a dash of Paprika or Chile powder, maybe chopped parsley or cilantro to serve.

Tomato Paste
https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/how-to-cook-with-tomato-paste-from-a-tube-caramelize-it-article

The way to get the most out of this flavor-boosting ingredient is to brown it until deep maroon and concentrated.

Here's a thing you should pretty much never do: squeeze a dollop of store-bought tomato paste directly into a bubbling broth (or sauce—or anywhere else for that matter). And that's because tomato paste straight out of the tube (or can) has a tart, mineral flavor that won't do your dish any good.

Instead, the secret to using tomato paste is to caramelize it—really caramelize it—before any liquid is added to the pot.
This doesn't mean that you need a second cooking vessel every time time you make tomato sauce. The method goes like this: sauté some onions, carrots, garlic, or other aromatics until they've softened and are almost as dark as you'd like them to be (they'll continue cooking with the paste).

Add any spices and sauté briefly to release their essential oils. Add tomato paste and continue cooking until the paste has changed from bright to brick red.

Deglaze with wine or whatever other liquid you're using.


A full 1/2 cup of tomato paste is the base for Rigatoni With Easy Vodka Sauce. Deeply caramelizing the paste make all the difference. Photo by Chelsie Craig

Before you convince yourself there's no way that a little onion, tomato paste, and cream can come together in mere minutes to make one of the best homemade pasta sauces you've ever had, hear us out. Better yet, make this recipe for yourself. Just try and use double-concentrated tomato paste, which packs more flavor than the standard stuff.
Serves 4

Ingredients

Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 (4.5-oz.) tube double-concentrated tomato paste
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 oz. vodka
¾ cup heavy cream
1 lb. rigatoni
4 oz. Parmesan, finely grated
Basil leaves (for serving)

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium.

Cook onion and garlic, stirring constantly, just until onion is starting to brown around the edges, 5–7 minutes.

Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes and stir to coat onion. Cook, stirring often, until paste is deep red and starting to brown and stick to the bottom of pot, 5–7 minutes.

Add vodka, scraping up brown bits; reduce heat to low.

3. Using a heatproof measuring glass, scoop out about ¼ cup boiling water from pot and add heavy cream. Stirring constantly, gradually pour cream mixture into onion mixture and cook, stirring, until a smooth sauce forms. Remove from heat.

4. Cook pasta in the pot of boiling water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. About 1 minute before pasta is done, scoop out 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

5. Return Dutch oven to low heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to Dutch oven.

Stir in ½ cup pasta cooking liquid, then gradually add half of Parmesan, stirring constantly to melt. Pasta should be coated with a smooth, glossy sauce. Season with salt; add more pasta cooking liquid if sauce is too thick.

6. Divide pasta among bowls. Top with basil and remaining Parmesan and drizzle with a little oil.

Chicken Stew
https://ineskohl.info/chicken-stew/

Quick and easy in 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 chicken thighs - quarter and remove skin
3 carrots - cut in strips
3 potatoes - cut in cubes
3 cloves of garlic
salt
pepper
parsley
nutmeg
onion powder
4 T ground oatmeal or flour for breading
2 glasses of water
1 glass of white wine

Directions

Mix 4 T of oatmeal flour, salt, pepper in a bag and add chicken.

Saute chicken with 3 cloves of garlic in oil.
Drain and add wine, parsley, nutmeg, onion powder, a little salt to the pot.
Add potatoes, carrots, water; and cover.

Cook 20 minutes.

Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas
https://ineskohl.info/cheesy-ground-beef-quesadillas/?fbclid=IwAR3oX7WjE0On6-c_qCG1tio09FCWKsKLEa4Ihkeyzx75HJc0e0iUVP2-bw4

Ingredients

1 lb Lean Ground beef
1 onion chopped
1 grated carrot
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 t fresh chili peppers, seeded and finely chopped
Or 1/4 t Tabasco sauce
2 t chili seasoning
1/4 t salt
2 chopped tomatoes
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
8 large white flour tortillas
1 1/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese.

Directions

In a large skillet over medium-heat heat, cook the ground beef breaking with a spoon, for about 5 min. or its lost the pink color. Degrease the pan.

Add onion, carrot, garlic, chili pepper, chili seasoning, and salt.
Cook over medium until onion is softened ~ 4 min.
Add tomatoes and cilantro and stir.

Spread about 1/2 C of the ground beef filling on 1/2 of each tortillas and sprinkle with cheese.
Fold in half over filling.
Place on baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees 10 minutes until crispy. One on the top rack, one on the bottom rack, switching baking sheets rack positions half way through the baking time.

Cut quesadillas into wedges.