Tikka Paste (For Chicken)

These spices form the background to a wonderful tikka paste. Make a double batch of spices if desired and use the dry mix for a dry rub for grilled chicken. Or, make the paste and follow the recipe for chicken tikka masala, which a few have claimed to be better than a restaurants.

Be sure to use chili powder made of only red chilis. You do not want to use the chilli seasoning for a pot of chili.

Fish Fillets Baked with Cheese

An excellent way to eat fish! This recipe is from Mom McGuire many years ago. I am assuming she gave it to us when we were first married, because it is in my printed cookbook and not hand written.

Surprise Lemon Bars

I am not sure where I originally found this recipe. I know that we made it a few times in our travels for potlucks so I have had it for all -most?- of the time I have been married. I never tell what the secret ingredient is until people have tried this recipe and say they like it. Most think it is coconut, so why ruin it for them?

The recipe says it makes 2 pies, but we usually bake it in a 9×13 casserole dish and cut it into squares. For a gluten free crust, see notes.

Samosas

This was a favorite treat at all church potlucks! While this is very close to what I remember from Swaziland, I would love to be able to compare it and see how close we really are.

If you do not like spice, cut the spices in half for your first batch. These are not hot, but they are spicy.

Jamie’s Potato Soup (Almost)

My friend Jamie, makes this soup often for potlucks. It is very popular and the children ask for it often at home. It is wonderful with a green salad on the side.

Some good potatoes to try are Russet, Red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes. Each will have a slightly different flavor.

Corn Meal Yeast Bread

This is a good bread to have with chili or soup when you do not want plain cornbread. You can use yellow corn meal if you want, but we prefer to use white. It tastes great toasted and is a good base for BLT’s and other favorite sandwiches.

Bubble Solution

It is fun to play with bubbles all year. I enjoy them even more in the winter!

So, I never lose this recipe, I will share it here 🙂

Marinara Sauce (to Can)

This summer we wanted to make Marinara Sauce to can some garden tomatoes our neighbor, Mrs. Beer, shared with us. We knew she often cans her extra tomatoes, so we asked for her favorite recipe. She gave us this one and we adjusted it very slightly.

We usually eat a whole quart of sauce with spaghetti, but decided to can pints instead this year. Our thought was to use it for extra special grilled pizza since we often have that with company. This sauce is also extra good on homemade noodles.

Using roma tomatoes are best for a thick sauce, but we usually combine them with assorted tomatoes from the garden. We think it creates a better blend of flavors.

White Chili (with Chicken)

This is an easy, make ahead soup for cold days. We usually keep it on low all day in the crock pot and serve with corn chips or corn bread. Also, to reduce the cheese a little, instead of putting it all in the soup, set some aside to use as garnish.

You will need at least 2 cups of broth, but we usually use more. Use your favorite method to poach the chicken breast, or use this recipe. Leftover broth can be saved for another recipe.