Swedish Christmas Rice

3 c cooked rice, white or brown
1/2 can evaporated milk
1/4 c sugar
1 Tbs corn starch
1 c milk

opt:  almonds

Place together in a slow cooker.  Cook on low for a couple hours.  Serve with milk and cinnamon/sugar.

Or cook on stove (in double boiler)

Cake Mix Cookies

1 pkg cake mix (lemon, chocolate, etc)
1/3 c oil
2 eggs

Mix together and drop onto parchment lined pan.
Bake at 375 for 6-8 min.
**1 Tbs scoop for 7 min
**1 1/2 Tbs scoop for 8 min

Or 350 for 9 min.

For Oreos:
Bake cookies as above, using any chocolate cake mix.

Frost with:
1/2 stick softened butter
4 oz cream cheese
2 1/3 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Lentil Chili

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe  (This sounds awful, but it's so good! Delicious flavor.  Love it over baked potatoes!!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow or white onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups (about 12-14 ounces) brown lentils, rinsed, picked through and drained
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and small diced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• All the chili toppings your heart desires

DIRECTIONS:

1. INSTANT POT: Using the saute function, brown the ground turkey/beef (if using) with the onions and garlic, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Drain any excess grease.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, lentils, green bell pepper, chili powder, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Secure the lid. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes (if you are impatient, you can quick release right away, but liquid may sputter through the valve). After 10 minutes, quick release the remaining pressure.
3. Stir the chili and add any additional broth if you want to thin out the consistency (it will thicken as it cools). Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve with any and all chili toppings your heart desires.
4. STOVETOP: In a 5- or 6-quart pot over medium heat, brown the ground turkey/beef (if using) with the onions and garlic, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Drain any excess grease.
5. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, lentils, green bell pepper, chili powder, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30-40 minutes until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally and moderating heat so the chili doesn’t burn on the bottom.
6. Add additional broth, if desired, to thin out the chili. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve with any and all chili toppings your heart desires.
7. SLOW COOKER: In a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat, brown the ground turkey/beef (if using) with the onions and garlic, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Drain any excess grease.
8. Add the ground meat to the insert of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, lentils, green bell pepper, chili powder, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper.
9. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir the chili, and add any additional broth if you want to thin out the consistency (it will thicken as it cools). Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve with any and all chili toppings your heart desires.

Lentils! Let’s talk about them for a sec. I always use everyday, awesome brown lentils for this chili (I buy these ones on Amazon or grab them from the bulk bins at my grocery store). The recipe cooking times are written for these brown lentils. If using green lentils, most likely the cooking time will need to be increased (a couple minutes in the IP, maybe 10-15 minutes on the stove, not sure about the slow cooker). Red lentils will probably cook in about the same time as per the recipe – red lentils tend to break down a bit more so keep that in mind if you use them. 

If omitting the ground beef, I’d probably still saute the onions and garlic in a little oil as I find the onions don’t soften as well with just straight pressure cooking/simmering/slow cooking time. 

Chewy, Soft Pretzels

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

(Double the recipe to make 12 good sized ones)

INGREDIENTS:

DOUGH:

• 2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 cup (8 ounces) very warm water

TOPPING:

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) warm water
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• Coarse salt (optional)
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix to just combine. Add the water and mix well, adding more flour, as needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth and quite slack. The goal is to get a really soft dough that isn’t overly sticky. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes (see pictures below).
2. Preheat your oven to 500°F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into 6 equal pieces (about 70g, or 2 1/2 ounces, each). Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved; if it isn’t, it will make your pretzels splotchy. Sometimes I have a hard time getting the baking soda completely dissolved, so I just lightly stir up the mixture right before adding each pretzel.
4. Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (anywhere from 14 to 22 inches long), and twist each rope into a pretzel. Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
5. Bake the pretzels for 7 to 9 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time – it won’t hurt the other pretzels to chill out for a little longer.
6. Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you’ve used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that’s what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave.

Taco Quinoa and Lentils

(From Samily)

2 Tbs minced garlic (3-4 cloves) - modify if you aren't a garlic lover
1 cube (about a Tbs) veggie stock
1 1/4 c quinoa, rinsed
1 1/4 c brown lentils, rinsed
5 1/2 c water (or veggie stock)
1/2 Tbs minced dried onion flakes (or use as much fresh onion as you like and cook with garlic)
1/2 Tbs oregano
fresh cracked pepper
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan, saute garlic (and onion if desired) in veggie stock until garlic is fragrant.
2. Add quinoa, lentils and water (or veggie stock) and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
3. Add all the seasoning while you are bringing to a boil.  Allow to simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed and quinoa and lentils are tender.
4. Serve as if it were taco beans and meat on a tortilla, salad, in place of ground beef, etc.