A pound of perfection

This pound cake is absolutely delicious. Top it with fresh whipped cream and your choice of fruit. We even eat it by itself with a glass of milk. Its sweet, buttery crumb is addictive. I got the recipe from my sister Laura, who has graced many happy family gatherings with its presence.

THE RECIPE:

1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sour cream
2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix ingredients and pour into greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake for 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake cool, then turn onto serving platter. Garnish as desired.

*I am at a high altitude, which may make my baking times different from yours.

Enchiladas for breakfast

 My family loves enchiladas....enough to have them for breakfast.

I saw these overnight ham and egg breakfast enchiladas on The Girl Who Ate Everything and had to give them a try. My family was very happy with the results. We used leftover Easter ham.

THE RECIPE:

2 c. cubed cooked ham
1/2 c. chopped green onions
2 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
10 flour tortillas
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. flour
1 1/4 c. half-and-half
1 4-ounce can diced green chiles
Salsa and sour cream for serving

Toss together ham, green onions and 2 cups cheese. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Fill each tortilla with a heaping 1/3 cup of ham mixture, then roll up and place seam side down in baking dish. Whisk together eggs, salt, flour, half-and-half and chiles. Pour over enchiladas, then cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over top. Bake another 10 minutes, or until eggs are set. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Simple, yet satisfying

This is just a simple, mild, kid-friendly recipe for white bean chili. It uses pantry ingredients, and it's meatless, because I like to try to reduce the amount of meat we eat every week. My entire family gobbled this right up. Add whatever toppings make you happy -- crushed tortilla chips, avocado chunks.....

THE RECIPE:

2 cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, NOT drained
1 medium onion, chopped
2 c. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. each salt, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 c. cream
1 c. shredded cheese

In large pot, mix beans, corn, chiles, onion, broth and seasonings. Bring to boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes so flavors can combine. Stir in cream and cheese. Serves 4.

O'Dougherty approved

This loaf is a foot across. It's dense and crusty and even a little dry, but there's something my family just loves about it. We are Doughertys, after all. And this is Irish soda bread. It really is tasty.

I got the recipe from "Bon Appetit," which published it as "Mrs. O'Callaghan's Soda Bread," from Ballinalacken Castle Country House and Restaurant, in Ireland. This is traditional Irish soda bread, with the exception of the addition of sugar, which cooks have started including only in recent generations. Many recipes online call for eggs or dried fruit. These may taste good but would be considered "cake" in Ireland, not bread.

I am in love with the idea of having freshly baked bread in less than an hour, start to finish. There's no yeast, no rising time, and very little kneading. The baking soda's abilities as a leavening agent are amazing and make a great science lesson for the kids.

THE RECIPE:

Nonstick cooking spray
3 c. all-purpose flour
3 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. (half a stick) chilled margarine or butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 c. buttermilk*

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray heavy baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Whisk together flours, sugar, soda and salt. Add butter and cut into flour mixture until no large chunks remain. Add buttermilk and stir until shaggy dough forms. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead only until dough comes together, about 10 turns. Shape dough into 9-inch round, about 1 inch high.

Place on baking sheet. Cut a large X, about 1/2 inch deep, in top of dough, almost all the way to edges. Bake dough in center of oven until a bamboo skewer goes in without sticking and comes out clean. Mine was perfect at 32 minutes. The original recipe says 55 to 60 minutes. I attribute the significant difference to my altitude, which is 4,200 feet. Transfer bread to wire rack and cool completely. Serve with honey butter or jam.

*Or pour 2 tablespoons vinegar into a 2-cup measuring cup, then add milk to make 2 cups liquid. Stir and let stand for 10 minutes.

Fruit dip

I love dips and sauces. I guess everything is more fun when it's gussied up. My friend Natalie introduced me to this yummy fruit dip. It tastes perfect on apples. Strawberries are a little too juicy and cover up the dip's flavor. Or you could just eat the dip with a spoon...

THE RECIPE:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 oz. yogurt, any flavor
7 oz. marshmallow cream
4 oz. Cool Whip

Beat cream cheese and yogurt with electric mixer. Add marshmallow cream, then Cool Whip. Store in refrigerator. Makes enough for a party.

*Note: I used reduced-fat ingredients.

Sweet potatoes meet ginger

I really loved this sweet potato and ginger soup. It was smooth and creamy and very different from the usual, but it hit the spot on a day when I was in the mood for a change. I got the recipe from allrecipes.com. It is fantastic with an Asian chicken salad on the side. Or leave out the chicken and have a nice meatless meal.

THE RECIPE:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. sugar
3 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. chicken broth
1 c. milk
Chopped honey-roasted peanuts for garnish


In large pot, heat oil on medium-high, then add sweet potatoes and onion. Saute until golden brown. Add butter, sugar, garlic, ginger, nutmeg and salt, then saute for a couple more minutes.

Pour in chicken broth and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until sweet potatoes are very tender. Puree using an immersion blender or a regular blender (leave lid slightly ajar and cover with towel to avoid pressure buildup and volcano effect). Mix in milk and adjust seasonings as desired. Top individual servings with chopped peanuts. This soup tastes better the longer it sits.

Fudge

This is a fun and easy way to make two delicious kinds of fudge -- traditional and cookies and cream. These recipes are meant to be shared! A 9x13 pan goes a long way. Fudge is rich, so you can only eat one or two pieces at a time or else you'll be induced into a sugar coma. Hey, Valentine's Day is coming up. It's a perfect time to spread some thick, sweet, creamy love.

THE RECIPE:

Base ingredients:

1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
3 c. sugar
1 c. butter, softened
4 c. mini marshmallows
1 Tbsp. imitation vanilla extract

Traditional mix-ins:

2 12-ounce bags semisweet chocolate chips
2 c. chopped pecans (optional)

Cookies and cream mix-ins:

2 12-ounce bags white chocolate chips
20 (at least) chocolate sandwich cookies, chopped into big chunks

Prepare ingredients before starting the cooking process. In a large pot, mix evaporated milk and sugar and bring to boil. Once it starts to boil, set a timer. Cook, stirring constantly, for 7 minutes.

Remove from heat, then quickly stir in butter, marshmallows, vanilla and your choice of chocolate chips. Mix until smooth, then quickly stir in your other mix-in (nuts or cookies). Pour into 9x13 pan and refrigerate at least 3 hours before cutting into squares. Store in air-tight container.