Monday, February 24, 2014

Kitty's Fast and Delicious Pozole


 
 
Welcome to Red Couch Recipes.  I took an unexpected break from blogging, life happens, but here I am again ;).  One of the best things about blogging is finding recipes from other bloggers.  I found this recipe from Kitty where she is the wonderful host of the blog of Kitty's Kozy Kitchen.   I love the chipotle peppers in this recipe, it just adds such interest to the soup, and I love the ease of making it.  Kitty used a rotisserie chicken in her pozole, but I had some leftover pork from a roast that I had made, and was so happy to find the pork worked perfectly in the soup. I just also want to state that I have loved hominy ever since I was a little girls-- love the texture!  Thank you Kitty for such a wonderful recipe.  We will make this recipe over and over!  This recipe makes a lot, and I love that; it serves 10 to 12 portions.

Kitty's Fast and Delicious Pozole

Soup
 1/4 cup olive oil
2 small onions, diced
Kosher salt
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped -- See note below.
4 (15-oz.) cans hominy, drained and rinsed
2 (32-oz) containers low-sodium chicken broth
1 rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded, meat shredded -- As noted above I used the leftovers from a pork roast (about 3 cups)

For Toppings
Sliced scallions,
Grated cheese
  Lime wedges
Cilantro leaves, minced
 Tortilla chips

Kitty also used avocado wedges and sour cream to top her soup. 

 Warm oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, season with salt and cook, stirring until softened, about five minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until soft, about 1 minute. Add chipotles and cook 30 seconds.   If you like a bit hotter soup, you could slowly add a bit more chipotle peppers.  Stir in hominy and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, season with salt and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in chicken or pork , and cover pot to heat through. Serve with assorted toppings.

NOTE:  You can find the chipotle peppers in the Latin section of your grocery store.  Our local Wal-Mart stocks them.  The extra chipotles can be frozen individually with some adobo sauce on wax paper and then put in a freezer proof bag.
  

 I hope you will try this soup; you will love it.  Thanks

Monday, February 10, 2014

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies -- Four Year Blogging Anniversary!!!!




Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies are so perfect for Valentine's Day.  I make them every year at this time because my children enjoy them so much!  The recipe is a oldie, but a goodie.  They are so much better than the peanut butter and chocolate candy bar, don't you think?

Today marks the 4th Anniversary of my blog Red Couch Recipes.  Little did I know four years ago that I would still be blogging.  I kind of set up my blog on a lark.  Many things have happened, good and bad, and many things have changed, but blogging has always been a constant.  Thank you for your support and kind comments.  It has been a fun ride in the blogging world.


 
For these cookies, I would love for you to kind of under bake  them; they are best that way.
 
Peanut  Butter Kiss Cookies Recipe -- Makes about 24 cookies.
 
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
  1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar to roll in
1 bag Hershey Kisses

 Cream sugars and butter. Beat in egg. Add milk, peanut butter and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Mix well.   Roll into balls, walnut-sized, and roll in sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. When cooked, lightly press Hershey kiss in the middle. Make sure you put Hershey's kisses on after the cookies are baked and cooled for just a few minutes.   

Thanks for dropping by Red Couch Recipes.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Valentine Love Table


Welcome to Red Couch Recipes and my Valentine's Love Table.  This is my second Valentine Table of the season.  This table features Brook Pink transferware salad plates. 


 


Underneath the plate is a heart plate.
 



The pink ramekins are a sweet addition to the table setting.
 

 As a younger girl, I always thought that pink and red clashed, but I think these shades look wonderful together.
 
A napkin view.  


I chose the cranberry King's Crown goblet and a clear bubbly glass for the stemware.  My aunt always used King's Crown at Christmas, but it also is fabulous for Valentine's Day.


Just a view of the table.


I partially filled the apothecary jar with conversation hearts.  I am not a huge fan of them.  I think they are cute, but I don't like the taste.  However, our little ten year-old friend does, and they are mostly gone by now.
I


Valentine's Day is about LOVE, and in our home it is not just about romantic love, but about love and kindness to each other.  My children do not like Valentine's Day very much because of the perceived emphasis on romantic love.  Last year we invited a single friend of ours to dinner.  The butter served with the asparagus formed a heart shape!
 



I hope you LOVE my table.
 


As I was thinking about doing a "Table Information" paragraph, I began to think about the people I love who have given me the elements for this table as gifts of love. 
 
Table Information
 
Jacqueline:  White chargers, heart plates and ramekins, King's Crown and clear bubbly glass stemware.  All, but the King's Crown from Tai Pan Trading.  King's Crown from e-bay.  The clear bubbly glasses, a favorite of mine, may have also come from my other sister Jean. Both sisters just kind of presented them to me.
 
Tatianna (daughter) :  Brook Pink Transferware salad plates
 
Mom and Dad (Nedra and Fritz):  Damask Rose Sterling
 
Napkins and Paper Heart Placemats:  Home Goods last year

Red Plates:  Wal-Mart
 
Napkin Rings:  Style Sisters

Posted with Tablescape Thursday

Thanks for dropping by my Couch!
 










Monday, February 3, 2014

Potato Rolls Are Just the Ticket

 
 
Potato Rolls are just the ticket for a cold winter evening.  There are not too many things better than baked bread fresh out of the oven.  I am a particular fan of potato rolls.  The potatoes make the rolls so moist and then there is a goodly amount of sugar in them too, which makes them such a treat.  I am not a fan of instant potatoes, but they work just fine in this recipe.  You can use the leftover instant potatoes for my mothers Gnocchi.
 
Potato Rolls Recipe
Yield:  About 16 rolls
 
1-1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons  yeast
2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup oil (such as canola)
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm mashed potatoes (I use 1 cup warm water with 3/4 cup instant potatoes)
7 cups flour
 
In a large mixing bowl, place warm water, yeast, and sugar.  Let yeast rise for about 10 minutes.  Add oil, salt, and potatoes.  Mix and add flour, a little at a time. At this point, knead bread for about 5 minutes.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until double.  Punch dough down and let rise again until double.  Make into rolls and let rise.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.  If you are making the rolls in the cake pans as I do, not individually, on a baking pan, they take a little extra time to bake.   Note:  as with all recipes, add flour slowly, as you may not need the full 7 cups of flour.  
 
 
 
 Baking in the oven...
 

 
Fresh from the oven...


Soup and bread make a fabulous winter meal, don't you think?
 


Thanks for dropping by my Couch.

Engageya