Easy Candied Pecans

 

This is a wonderful snack.  Pecans, or almost any kind of nut, with a cinnamon syrup coating.  Be warned.  Once you start eating them, it is hard to stop.

Ingredients

1 3/4 c. pecan halves
1 Tbs. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Heat oven to 250°.

Place pecan halves in a baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake the pecans for 10 minutes, or until they are nicely warmed.

In a heavy saucepan, combine butter, sugar, water, salt and cinnamon.  Over medium heat, cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar is completely dissolved. It is important that the sugar dissolves completely, because if it isn't, sugar crystals will form. This will give the texture of eating grainy pecans.  

Cover the pot with a lid.  Cook for 2 minutes.  This will dissolve the sugar that may be on the sides of the pot. 

Remove the lid.  Cook without stirring until the mixture reaches soft ball stage, 236° on a candy thermometer.  Remove from heat.

Stir in vanilla.  

Add the pecans.  Stir until the pecans are evenly coated in the syrup. 

Spread the pecans on a buttered baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Spread on a cool baking sheet lined with waxed paper.

Cool and enjoy.

Pork Roast

Moist, tender pork roast with tender vegetables.  It is an old-fashioned meal that is easy to prepare and sure to please your family.

Ingredients

2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 potatoes, quartered
3 lb. pork roast
1 Tbs. oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 c. beef or chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. honey
3 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. mustard
1 Tbs. oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°.

In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, paprika, onion powder and thyme.  

Season all sides of the pork roast with salt and pepper to taste. Rub the spice blend all over the pork.  

In a large heavy cast iron skillet, heat the cooking oil. Sear the pork roast on all sides. This takes about 4 to 5 minutes per side.  

Place carrots, onion, celery, and potatoes around the roast.

Pour in the beef broth. 

In a small bowl, combine garlic, honey, soy sauce, mustard, and oil.  Stir until thoroughly combined and smooth. Set aside.

Bake for 90 minutes. 

Brush all but 2 tablespoons of the sauce over the top pork roast.   Drizzle the remaining sauce over the vegetables. Continue to bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145°.

Remove from the oven. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Dish

My family loves butternut squash, and we also prefer wild rice.  Combine these two ingredients together, and you get a great side-dish. Perfect to go with almost any meal. 

Ingredients

1 c. raw wild rice **
1 3/4 c. chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
1 lb. butternut squash, cut into bite-sized 3/4 inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 sweet pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 can mushrooms, drained or 1 1/2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar **
2 Tbs. olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or lightly oil the pan. 

In a saucepan, that has a tight-fitting lid, cook the wild rice according to package directions, using the chicken broth in place of the water.  

As the wild rice is cooking, combine the squash, onions, sweet pepper, garlic, and mushrooms in a large bowl. 

Drizzle the balsamic vinegar, and 2 tablespoons oil over the vegetables.  Toss to coat the vegetables. Season with salt. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Place in the oven and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Reduce oven heat to 375°.

Combine wild rice, squash, onions, sweet pepper, garlic, and mushrooms together in a 2-quart casserole baking dish.

Pour in the heavy whipping cream, and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Sprinkle more Parmesan cheese over the top if desired.  Dot with butter over the top.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cream is bubbly, and the top is lightly browned. 

Serve and enjoy.

Notes:

You can use a box of wild rice instead.  Just make according to the directions, adding the seasoning content package. Use the broth in place of water. 

Here is a handy substitution if you don't have balsamic vinegar. Use 2 tablespoons cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar instead.

Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken Breasts

Tender juicy chicken breasts served on top of hot buttered noodles with a creamy mustard sauce over the top. If you like the taste of mustard, you'll love this chicken dish. 

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. cooking oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 onion, chopped
2 c. chicken broth or stock
3 Tbs. grainy mustard
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
3 Tbs. honey (more or less depending on how sweet you like your sauce to be)
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 Tbs. butter
hot buttered noodles

Directions

In a heavy cast iron skillet, heat butter and oil over medium high heat.  Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook chicken breasts on both sides until golden brown and cooked through.  This takes about 8 minutes per side.  You'll want to check to make sure the internal temperature is 165°.  Remove chicken from the skillet.  Place the chicken in a covered dish or pan to keep the chicken warm.

In the same skillet that you cooked the chicken in, add the onions. Saute the onions until they are softened and translucent.  Add the garlic cloves and cook another 30 seconds.

Pour in the chicken broth or stock. 

Stir in the grainy mustard, Dijon mustard and honey.  Cook over medium high heat until the sauce has reduced by half. This takes about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. 

Stirring constantly with a spoon or whisk, slowly pour in the heavy cream.  Add 1 tablespoon butter. Stir until well blended.

Carefully place the chicken back in the skillet. Cook until everything is warmed through over low heat.  

Serve the chicken over hot buttered noodles.  

Salt Free Herb Blend Seasoning

This is a multipurpose herbal seasoning blend that brings out the flavor and adds some spiciness to the dish as well.  It tastes great on just about any meal like, meats, poultry, vegetables, fried potatoes, and breads. 

Ingredients

4 tsp. seasame seeds
2 tsp. celery seed
2 tsp. dried marjoram
2 tsp. poppy seeds
2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (more or less)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. paprika

Directions

In a bowl, combine sesame seeds, celery seed, marjoram, poppy seeds, black pepper, parsley flakes, red pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and paprika.  The seeds can be ground up in a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder, as we don't really like whole seeds in our food.  Mix until thoroughly combined.  You can also mix the seasonings in a mason jar.  Just add the spices, put the lid on the jar, and then shake the jar until all the spices are mixed thoroughly.  This helps to keep the small particles of spice that tend to drift up in the air when mixing.

Store in an airtight container.  We store our seasonings in a mason jar that has a lid, or you can use an old empty spice bottle to store the seasoning in.

No Knead Bread Rolls

It is easy to make this bread during the holiday season.  Since it does not require kneading time, it frees you up, so you can enjoy the day, yet settle down to some delicious home-made bread.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. yeast
3 Tbs. sugar, divided
1/4 c. hot tap water
1/4 c. c. oil or butter, softened
1 1./4 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1 egg
3 1/2 c. flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 9 x 13" baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in the hot tap water.  Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom.

Add the rest of the sugar, butter, salt, milk, egg, and flour.  Mix well with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated. The dough will be very sticky.  

Cover with a sheet of plastic or tea towel and place in a warm location for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.  

Punch dough down. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour. Shape the dough into a log and cut into 4 equal pieces.  Then cut each piece into 3 pieces.  You will have 12 dough balls in total.  Roll each piece of dough between the palms of your hands  a smooth ball.  Place the dough balls onto the prepared cake pan. 

Spray the surface of the rolls with cooking spray and then lightly cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Place in a warm oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size. 

Carefully remove the plastic wrap.  

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. The rolls will sound hollow when tapped with your finger. 

Brush some butter over the tops of the hot rolls.  We just take a stick of butter and run that over the tops of the rolls for a great buttery taste.

Mexican Rice Casserole

 Merry Christmas from Rejoice Treasures to you and your family!  May you be richly blessed and have peace in your heart. God has everything under control, no matter what is going on in the world.

Thank you for being with us for over a year and checking out our recipes! 

This recipe mixes up and cooks in one skillet. My family loves the Mexican or Southwestern flavors, so this is one of our favorite meals to cook.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, diced
1 sweet bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped

2 Tbs. taco seasoning

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 c. white rice

1 1/2 c. beef broth

1 (15-oz.) can whole kernel corn

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1/2 c. salsa
salt and pepper to taste

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese

Directions

In a heavy cast iron skillet, over medium high heat, cook the ground beef, onion, sweet bell pepper and jalapeño pepper together until the beef is no longer pink. Drain off excess fat. 

Stir in taco seasoning and garlic powder.  

Add the rice, beef broth, whole kernel corn, tomato sauce, and salsa.

Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 18 to 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir the mixture occasionally to keep the rice from sticking on the bottom and burning. 

Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top. Cover with a lid and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts.

Serve and enjoy!