Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Chicken Enchilada Casserole
For a 13" x9" pan

12 corn tortillas
2-3 pounds of chicken (cut into chunks)
2 pounds Cheddar, Colby or CoJack cheese, shredded
1 large can Stoke's Green Chili w/ Pork
1 small can Mild Enchilada Sauce (red, mild)
1 small can Medium Enchilada Sauce (can the size of soup cans)
1 can diced Green Chilies (small can)
1 small-medium Onion, chopped
1-2 Garlic Cloves, mashed
2 cups Sour Cream (or 1 small container)
1 small can Jalapenos, diced (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9"x13" pan.

Saute the chicken with a little salt, the onion, green chilies and garlic. You can add a small bit of olive oil, if you like. Cook until the chicken is done and the onion is limp.

Mix the Stoke's green chili sauce with the enchilada sauces and heat.

To prepare the casserole by assembling the layers as such:
3 corn tortillas spread along the bottom
Chicken mix
scoop or so of sauce
bunch of cheese
repeat this two more times.
Top with 3 corn tortillas
Sauce
Cheese

Place the completed casserole on a cookie sheet or something else to protect from bubbly overflow. Bake until heated through, about 40 minutes, I think.

Cool for 15 min. before serving. Offer the sour cream and the jalapenos on the side for those what want them.

Enjoy - it is a big hit at our parties.
Bake until bubbly.

Lia's Toffee

Lia's Toffee Barvia Pioneer Woman
Ingredients

* 16 ounces, weight Butter, Melted
* 16 ounces, weight Granulated Sugar
* 3 ounces, fluid Water
* 1 teaspoon Salt
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
* 16 ounces, weight Chopped Topping: Toasted Nuts, Candy Canes, Sea Salt, Etc.
* 24 ounces, weight Tempered Dark Chocolate For Coating, Melted

Preparation Instructions

*Necessary Equipment: Candy Thermometer*

Combine butter, sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Cook over moderate heat, stirring gently, until candy thermometer registers 298 degrees.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla until well combined.

Pour the mixture onto a silicone baking mat or good parchment paper. Use a heatproof rubber spatula or offset spatula to spread quickly before the toffee sets. Spread thin.

Allow toffee to cool completely. Blot to remove excess oil from the surface. Coat surface with half of the melted chocolate and immediately sprinkle with topping.

When chocolate has totally set, carefully flip over (it’s okay if it falls apart a bit) and coat other side with the rest of the chocolate. Sprinkle on topping.

Allow to set, then break into bite-size pieces.

Store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread Cookies

Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread Cookies

3 cups flour
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (I omitted)
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Semi-sweet or dark chocolate disks (I used Trader Joe’s chocolate callets)*

Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl.
Using a mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Immediately press a callet into the center of each cookie. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Store cookies in airtight container up to 5 days.

Snowman Shooters

Snowman Shootersvia Babble blog

* 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
* 2 squares unsweetened chocolate
* 1 pint of vanilla ice cream
* 1 Small & 1medium ice cream scoops
* 8-12 Mini chocolate chips (or peppercorns)
* 4-6 Small pieces of carrots, cut into tiny spears

In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, place the chocolate squares and microwave them for 35-40 seconds, just enough to soften. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the chocolate, then return to the microwave for 50-60 seconds. Remove and stir until the chocolate is fully melted and a thick hot fudge sauce forms.

Spoon hot fudge sauce into the bottom of 4-5 small shooter glasses. Using a medium-sized ice cream scoop, scoop some of the vanilla ice cream into a rounded ball and plop it carefully on top of the hot fudge sauce. Use the small sized scoop to do the same, placing the second scoop on top of the first one to create the snowman’s head.

Gently press the carrot nose & chocolate chip eyes into the snowman’s head. Return to the freezer and allow to freeze until ready to serve (to ensure your shot glasses don’t freeze & crack, I recommend making these just about 1 hour ahead of time).

Moroccan Quinoa & Pomegrante Salad

Moroccan Quinoa Saladfrom Green Kitchen Stories
Serves 4If you don’t feel like marinating the zucchini and eggplant yourself you can find ready-made at most supermarkets (but nothing beats homemade).

1 zucchini, cut in thin slices
1 eggplant , cut in thin slices
olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
1 1/2 cup quinoa
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 lemon
1/2 cup almonds
2 bunches mint leaves
1 bunch cilantro/coriander
3 tbsp raisins
2 avocados, cut into 1 inch squares
4 small spring onions, chopped
1 cup almonds, divided in half, roasted and salted

Start by making the marinated vegetables. Spread out the zucchini and eggplant slices on a bbq, in a grill pan or in the oven, a couple of minutes on each side. Put them in a bowl, drizzle olive oil, garlic and salt over them and set aside.

Cook the quinoa according to the package but add two tbsp cinnamon in the water. When it’s done cooking, rinse and set aside to cool off. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon and add five tbsp of olive oil into the quinoa. Chop half of the mint leaves, half of the cilantro and all the raisins, throw them in the quinoa and toss it around until everything is mixed. Serve in bowls together with the marinated vegetables, avocado, spring onions, the rest of the mint and cilantro and the roasted almonds.

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Quinoa and Pomegranate Salad
via OOh, Look blog
serves 3-4

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups reduced salt chicken stock
50g baby spinach leaves, shredded
1/4 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
1/2 pomegranate, seeds extracted
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Dressing
4 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tblsp red wine vinegar
1 tblsp pomegranate molasses
salt and pepper

Method
1. To cook the quinoa: rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve, drain, then place in a medium saucepan with the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until the quinoa is soft and the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
2. For the dressing: Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a jug or bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. To assemble the salad: Fluff up the quinoa with a fork, then combine with the spinach, craisins and pomegranate seeds. Pour over the dressing and toss through. Sprinkle with walnuts and serve.

Read more: http://ooh-look.blogspot.com/2010/11/quinoa-pomegranate-salad-and-whack-pom.html#ixzz17lwjRPag

Pizzelles

Pizzelles
YIELD - Makes 30 pizzelle cookies

Ingredients:

* 3 eggs

* 1 3/4 c. flour

* 1/2 tsp. anise seed or extract (optional see substitution ideas below)

* 1/2 c. UNSALTED butter (1/4 lb.)

* 2 tsp. baking powder

* 3/4 c. sugar

* 1 tsp. vanilla extract (I use 1/4 tsp. Anise Extract, orange extract is nice, too.)



Procedure

* Beat eggs and sugar.

* Add cooled melted butter and vanilla and anise.

* Sift flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture.

* Drop the stiff batter by spoon.

(Batter can be refrigerated and used at a later time)

Zucchini and Garlic Soup

Zucchini and Garlic Soup

2 Zucchini, small, cut into coins
1 Onion, small, diced
3 TBL Olive Oil or Butter
4-5 cups Broth (chicken or vegetable)
5.2 oz Boursin Gournay Cheese with Garlic and Fine Herbs
2 TBL Cornstarch

Saute the onion and zucchini until they are both limp. Add in the stock and cook for about 20 minutes. Add in the Boursin cheese and stir to break it up. At this point I use a stick blender to puree most of the soup. Just before serving mix the cornstarch with a small bit of water and add to the gently boiling soup. Stir 2-3 minutes, or until thickened. Serve with slices of good sourdough bread.

Holiday Cranberry Spritzer

Holiday Cranberry Spritzer
4 cups Cranberry Juice
3 cups Ginger Ale
3 TBL. Lime Juice
* Garnish - pomegranate seeds, cranberries, wedge of lime)

Mix together and serve.

Orzo Salad II

Orzo Salad II
1 1/2 Orzo, dried
15 oz. Garbanzo Beans (I used dried beans that I dehydrated, canned works fine, too)
1 1/2 cup Grape Tomatoes, halved
1/2-3/4/cup Raspberry Vingiarette (to taste)
1/2 cup Fresh Basil, chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Mint Leaves, chopped
1-2 cups Casero Cheese, cubed (Mexican Cheese)

Cook the Orzo. If you are not serving vegetarians, you can cook it in 4 cups of chicken broth for a nice flavor. Drain. In a bowl mix the orzo, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, basil, mint and cheese. Toss to mix well. Toss with the raspberry vinaigrette, beginning with a small amount. The dressing should brighten the flavors, not drown them out.

This keeps and travels well.

Wild Rice Soup

Wild Rice Soup (Vegetarian)
Inspired by the recipe by GirlFriday blog, by Alexis McKinnis

2-3 cups Wild Rice, cooked in broth
2 Tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 bunch celery, cleaned and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 TBL Flour
6 cups Broth (vegetable or chicken)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2-3 TBL Basil
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
3 bay leaves (optional)
1-2 cups Milk or Cream
salt to taste

Saute onion and celery in butter or olive oil over medium-high heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour and stir it around until it is absorbed.

Add wild rice, broth, thyme, sage, marjoram and bay leaves (if using). Bring soup to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in cream. Salt, ladle, serve.

* You could make this a gluten-free recipe easily by omitting the flour. The soup would be less thick, but still every bit as tasty.
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Nantucket Cranberry Pie

Nantucket Cranberry Pie
(inspired by the recipe found on The Pioneer Woman)
2 TBL Butter
12 oz. (about 21/2 cups) Fresh Cranberries
1 cup Pecans (or Walnuts)Chopped
2/3 cups Sugar
1 cup Flour (Whole Wheat Flour works nicely)
2/3 cup Sugar
1 stick Butter, melted
2 whole Eggs, Lightly Beaten
1 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
1 Tablespoon Sugar For Sprinkling

Preparation Instructions

*Adapted from a recipe by Laurie Colwin*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Generously butter a cake pan or pie pan. Add cranberries to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle on chopped pecans, then sprinkle on 2/3 cup sugar. Mix this around to combine nicely.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, 1 cup sugar, melted butter, eggs, almond extract, and salt. Stir gently to combine. It will be very thick.

Place the batter over the top of the cranberry mixture. Spread gently if necessary.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Five minutes before removing from oven, sprinkle surface with 1 tablespoon sugar for a little extra crunch.

Ham and Cheese Bread

Ham & Cheese Bread
1 ¾ c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
¼ t. black pepper
3 large eggs
1/3 c. whole milk
1/3 c. olive oil
6 oz. baked ham, cut into ¼″ cubes
6 oz. Gruyere, coarsely grated
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter a loaf pan generously with butter.
In a large bowl, whisk flour with baking powder, salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl lightly whisk the eggs, then whisk in the milk and olive oil.
With a spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just mixed. Fold in ham and cheese.
Pour batter into loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a cake test comes out with a few crumbs attached.
Cool loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then, turn it onto the rack and cool completely.

Tender Chuck Roast with Au Jus Gravy

Tender Chuck Roast with Au Jus Gravy

1 Chuck Roast (Other types of roast would work nicely, too)
3 TBL Olive Oil
6 Garlic Cloves, peeled
1 TBL Rosemary (I used 4 large, fresh sprigs from my garden)
Beef Broth
1-2 TBL Worcestershire Sauce

Heat the oil in the bottom of a dutch oven, pressure cooker or other thick, stout pan. Add the meat to brown it. Turn occasionally so that every side is browned. I usually let it brown for about 3-5 minutes per side. (Longer browning time for thicker pieces of meat. Turn carefully to avoid getting splattered with the hot oil.) Once the browning is done, add in the garlic cloves, enough broth to fill the pan half way (with half of the beef in broth and half of it above the broth). Add in the Worcestershire sauce and the rosemary. Cover and let simmer for a long time. If this is done in a crock pot, it will need to cook for 7-8 hours. If done in a dutch oven, place a piece of foil over the top before placing the lid. This will help create a more effective seal. It will need to cook for 4-6 hours at 350 in the oven. If you are using a pressure cooker, place the lid, bring the internal temperature up to high and then reduce the heat to medium low once the pressure is going and cook for 4 hours.

To serve, remove the meat ahead of time to slice. Add the meat back into the pan to keep warm until just before serving. Place the meat on a platter, serving the Au Jus gravy on the side

French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup

4 Onions, thinly sliced
6 pc. Bacon (optional, but nice. I used turkey bacon)
2 TBL. Butter
2 TBL. Olive Oil
1 TBL. Sugar
1 tea Salt
8 cups Beef Broth
1 pk. Au Jus Mix (optional, but very nice)
1 cup White Wine
1 1/2 TBL. Thyme (fresh is best, but dried will do)
4 Bay Leaves
Gruyere or Swiss Cheese Grated
Bagette (Italian, French, Puglies or Sour Dough - any dense bread with a nice crust)

Cook the bacon. Remove it from the heat and chop it into small pieces. Heat the oil and butter in a deep pan. Add onions and turn to coat with the oil/butter mixture. (You can use all oil or all butter if you like)cook on medium until they are browning nicely. Stir them occasionally for even browning. Stir in the sugar and salt, cooking more until the onions have caramelized (Mine took about 40 minutes)Sprinkle on the Au Jus powder mix, if using, and stir it in. Add the bacon back into the soup. Add the white wine. Add the beef broth and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Once the broth is hot, turn down the heat and let the soup simmer for a long time. The soups can be enjoyed at this time, but it will have a deeper flavor if you let it simmer for a long while. The simmering can be done on the stove, or in a crock pot.

Preheat the broiler. Slice the bread into 1" pieces. Place them on a cookie sheet and toast them on one side. (I am going to consider cutting my bread into cubes next time. I believe this will make it easier to eat.)

To assemble the soup: Place the hot soup in an oven proof bowl. Top the soup with a piece or two of toast. Add grated cheese on top of the bread. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Be sure to keep an eye on it as it can burn easily. Serve right away.

The soup keeps nicely in the refrigerator.

Buttery Almond Tiles

Buttery Almond Tiles

Base:
2 1/2 cup Flour
1 TBL Baking Powder
3/4 tea Salt (omit if using salted butter)
1 1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Butter
2 Eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Blend in the butter and eggs. This will make a dry dough that you press into a 9" x 13" pan that has been lined with non-stick foil. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Topping:
3/4 cup Almonds, sliced
1/2 cup Butter
3/4 cup Sugar
2 TBL Flour
2 TBL Milk
1 TBL Almond Extract
1 tea Vanilla Extract

Place the sliced almonds, butter, sugar, flour and milk in a sauce pan on medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Next, carefully add in te almond and vanilla extracts, stirring gently to combine. Pour over the cookies once they have been removed from the oven. Spread out evenly and broil for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes, or until bubbly.

Lacquered Citrus

Lacquered Citrus

2 cups sugar
1 TBL Lemon Juice
1 TBL Vanilla Extract
1/2 tea Cardamon Seeds, ground or 8 Caradmon Seeds, crushed
1 cup Water
2-3 Grapefruit
6 Oranges


In a small saucepan heat the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cardamon and water until the sugar dissolves, stirring often. Then turn the heat down and let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the fruit, removing as much of the white pith as possible. Cut the fruits into 1/2" discs and arrange on plates. Pour hot syrup on them and serve.

The unused flavored syrup lasts for a long time in a jar with a good lid.

Pumpkin Granola Pancakes

Pumpkin Granola Pancakes
2 cups Biscuit Mix (like Bisquick)
2 TBL. Brown Sugar
2 tea. Cinnamon, ground
1 tea. Allspice, ground
12 oz Evaporated Milk
1/2 cup Canned Pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie filling in a can!)
2 TBL Oil
2 Eggs
1 tea. Vanilla Extract
1/2 -3/4 cup Granola

In a large bowl mix the biscuit mix, brown sugar, cinnamon and the allspice. In a seperate bowl mix the evaporated milk, canned pumpkin, oil, eggs and vanilla. Stir until well combined and the eggs are incorporated. Gently mix this in with the dry ingredients.

Butter a hot skillet. Add the pancake mix to make the size and shape of desired pancakes. Sprinkle 1 - 2 TBL of granola on top of each pancake. Flip the pancakes once bubble appear on the surface of the pancakes. Serve warm with butter and syrup.

Lettuce Wraps - 2 Versions

Lettuce Wraps - Two Versions

Pouring/Dipping sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Chicken or Beef Stir-fry
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed to 1/2″ (or ground beef)
1 – 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, minced to the size of corn kernals
1 - 8 oz. can Bamboo Shoots, chopped finely
1/2 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced fine
6 large leaves of iceberg lettuce

Stir-fry sauce
1 teaspoon hot water
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Begin by making the pouring sauce. In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in 1/2 cup warm water, then add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, lemon/lime juice and sesame oil. Mix well.

Combine 1 teaspoons hot water with Dijon mustard and garlic and set this aside in small bowl.

Combine oils and add to wok or large frying pan. Heat oil over high heat until it glistens, about one minute. Add chicken and saute until cooked through, then remove from the pan (I kept it warm in a casserole dish in the oven). Keep oil in the pan, keeping it hot over a low flame. (If you are making the beef version brown the beef with the onions and drain off any fat.)

Prep the stir fry sauce by mixing soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Add in the Dijon mix.

Take pan that you cooked the chicken or beef in and turn it up to medium-high heat. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, wait one minute, and then add garlic, onions, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and the stir-fry sauce you prepared earlier. Stir-fry everything until they have cooked, about four minutes. Add in the chicken/beef. Pout the stir fry sauce over the mix and stir it in.

Serve stir-fry with iceberg lettuce leaf wraps and the pouring sauce on the side.

Grilled Corn and Basil Salad

Grilled Corn and Basil SaladFrom: Cooking Light Magazine, Sept. 2010
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 1/4 cups)
Ingredients

* 8 ounces small yellow Finnish potatoes or small red potatoes (I boiled and then roasted these before adding them to the salad)
* 3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears) (I used frozen
* 2 cups assorted tear-drop cherry tomatoes (pear-shaped), halved
* 1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper
* 1/4 cup minced shallots (I didn't have these this time - they add crunch)
* 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (I used regular Balsamic Vinegar)
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 6 cups arugula, trimmed (I could not find this, but it was fine without it)
* 1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
* 2 ounces goat cheese, sliced (I will use mozzarella next time)

Preparation

1. Place potatoes in a small saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 11 minutes or until tender. (I then tossed mine with olive oil and roasted them at 400 until they were lightly browned on the edges.) Drain and chill. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Combine potatoes, corn, tomatoes, and bell pepper in a large bowl.

2. Combine shallots and next 4 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Slowly pour oil into shallot mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle over corn mixture; toss well. Add arugula; toss. Sprinkle with basil; top evenly with goat cheese.

Jeanne Kelley, Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2010

Tomato, Zucchini and Cheese Tart

Tomato, Zucchini and Cheese Tart

1/2 cup Olive Oil
10 sheets Phyllo Dough
1 med. Zucchini, thinly sliced and quarted
2 cups Tomatoes (Cherry, Roma, etc. small ones work best)
1 cup Feta *
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated *
1/3 cup Pesto *

(* = this amount is merely a suggestion. Go with how much or low little compliments your taste.)

Preheat the over to 350 degrees.

Saute the zucchini in 3 TBL. of olive oil in a sauce pan until it becomes slightly translucent (about 5 minutes).

Set this aside to cool while you lay down one or two layers of phyllo dough on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Use a silicone pastry brush to brush on a think layer of olive oil. Top this with one or two more sheets of phyllo and repeat the process until you are out of phyllo dough.

Top this with basil, gently spreading it around as if it were pizza sauce. You may want to adjust the amount of pesto according to your taste. Consider being light with your touch so as to not overwhelm your tart with pesto.

Arrange the zucchini, tomatoes and basil to your liking.

Spread out the Feta as much as you like. Top it all with the Parmesan cheese. The tart can be refridgerated, if needed, at this point.

Bake until the cheese is melted and the tart is warm, about 15-20 minutes. Cut with a pizza wheel or knife. This can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Kevin's Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies

Kevin's Amazing Cookies

1 1/4 cup Whole Wheat
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1 tea Vanilla Extract
1 tea Salt
3 Eggs
1 tea Baking Soda
3/4 cup Brown Sugar, dark
1/2-3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Wheat Germ
1 cup Flax
1-2 cups Oatmeal, instant
1 small tub of Smart Balance
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips, Dark
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips, SemiSweet
1 cup Craisins or Dried Cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the wheat, vanilla, salt, and the eggs. Next, add in the baking soda, sugars, wheat germ, flax and oatmeal. Soften the Smart Balance in the microwave then combine with the dough. Finally, gently add in the chocolate chips and the fruit. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Orange Herb Salmon

Orange Herb Salmon

1-2 TBL Olive Oil
6 eight oz. Salmon, Red Snapper or Swordfish Fillets
¾ cup Orange Juice
¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 TBL Olive Oil
2 TBL Fresh Basil, chopped or 1 tea Dried Basil
2 TBL Fresh Parsley, chopped or 1 tea Dried Parsley
2 TBL Fresh Mint, chopped or 1 tea Dried Mint
2 TBL Onions or Shallots, chopped
Springs of Fresh Parsley

Coat a 9”x13” pan with 1-2 TBL of olive oil. Heat to 400 degrees. Arrange the fish fillets in a single layer in the hot oil.
Combine orange juice, vinegar,2 TBL olive oil, basil, chopped parsley, mint and onion in a bowl and mix well. Pour over the fillets.
(Grill over hot coals until the fish flakes with a fork.)Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Broil for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and crusty. Garnish with sprigs of parsley. Grill the fillets, if desired.

Serves 6

Shrimp Kristofer’s From The Inn at Kristofer’s

Shrimp Kristofer’s From The Inn at Kristofer’s
Sister Bay, Door County Wisconsin
Serves 832 Large Shrimp , tails intact, deveined and butterflied (8-10 count size, 3-4 per person serving size)2 TBl Olive Oil
2 tea fresh Ginger, peeled and finely minced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced

Sauce –1 TBL Olive Oil
½ pound Chorizo sausage, crumbled (remove from casting, if necessary)
28 oz Roma Tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 TBL Fresh Ginger, peeled and finely minced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
¾ cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 TBL Soy Sauce
¼ cup Honey
¼ cup Brown Sugar
1 TBL Worcestershire Sauce
2 TBL Fresh Cilantro, chopped – for garnish, optional

Shrimp –
Place the shrimp, 2 TBL olive oil , ginger and garlic in a large ceramic/glass bowl, covered, to marinate for at least 3-6 hours.

Sauce –
Place 1 TBL of olive oil in a medium hot skillet. Add the chorizo sausage and tomatoes. Cook until the sausage is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain off the excess grease. Add the ginger, garlic and shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until the sauce is syrupy and thick – about 10-15 minutes. Place this in a food processor and puree until smooth. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
In a clean skillet that is heated to medium high, add the shrimp, cut side down. No olive oil is needed since it is in the marinade. Cook until the shrimp are pink and opaque throughout, about 4-5 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp.

To serve, place the shrimp on a plate and drizzle with the sauce. Feel free to add the cilantro as a garnish. It is great with mashed potatoes or rice. You can make it “hotter” by adding a jalapeno to the sauce.

Chef’s Tip –
Shrimp come from different areas. The best shrimp are from Central America and are called white shrimp or Panama whites. They are firm and have a sweet flavor. Tiger shrimp are the next , followed by the brown shrimp. Brown shrimp then to be softer and do not hold up well when sautéed.

Egg Drop Soup

Egg Drop Soup
(Better than Restaurant Quality) from Allrecipes.comServes 1


Ingredients

* 2 cups chicken broth
* 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch (optional)
* 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon water (optional)
* 2 egg, beaten
* 2 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
* 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
* 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
* 1 teaspoon ground white pepper (optional)

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the chicken broth, soy sauce and sesame oil. Bring to a boil. Stir together the cornstarch and water to dissolve cornstarch; pour into the boiling broth. Stir gently while you pour in the egg and yellow food coloring if using. Season with chives, salt and pepper before serving.

Lemon Curd

Tangy Lemon Curd

This is a more frugal version of curd, because, like the Joy of Cooking’s version, I use whole eggs instead of just the egg yolks. However, you could substitute 6 egg yolks for the whole eggs for a super rich curd.

3 large eggs
1/4 -1/3 cup of honey
Grated zest of one lemon (I used about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup of lemon juice
6 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (or you could use ghee or butter).

1-In a medium stainless steel or enamel saucepan, whisk together the first three ingredients until light colored.

2-Add the the coconut oil, breaking it into small clumps as you drop it into the pot for even melting. Then add the lemon juice.

3-Cook, whisking over medium heat until the coconut oil is melted. Continue to cook until the mixture thickens and you start to see a few bubbles popping at the surface.

4-Remove from heat, and scrape into a fine sieve set over a bowl. Strain the curd, gently stirring if needed.

5-Refrigerate for several hours to thicken. Will keep about one week in the refrigerator.

Lemon Curd Bars

Lemon Curd Bars

Nuts are best when soaked and dehydrated, but I’ve used both raw and soaked nuts with good success in this recipe.
Makes 16
1 recipe of tangy lemon curd Recipe below. (Save extra zest for the the cookie base).

1 cup of raw almonds
1 cup of raw cashews
1/4 cup honey (These are very lightly sweetened. If you want the bars sweeter, you could up this amount)
1/2 cup of melted virgin coconut oil
2-4 teaspoons lemon zest
2 eggs
1 teaspoon sea salt

1-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make the lemon curd. Place the curd in the refrigerator to cool.

2- Place the almonds and the cashews in a food processor. Grind them into a medium fine “flour”. You don’t want to turn it into a nut paste, so don’t over do it. There will still be little chunks here and there.

3-Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until combined.

4-Evenly spread the nut batter into a greased 8 by 8 pan. Place in the middle of the hot oven. It will take between 15 to 18 minutes to cook. It may puff up as it cooks, but don’t worry, it won’t stay that way once you take it out of the oven. When the top is lightly brown, and a toothpick comes out clean when stuck in the middle, it’s done.

4-Cool completely, then spread one recipes of lemon curd on top. Let set in the refrigerator for at least several hours. The curd will continue to set, and we liked it even better the next day. When ready to serve, take them out and cut into squares (16 bars worked well for us), and serve.

Cucumber Lime Water

Cucumber Lime Water
3 small seedless cucumbers, sliced
2 liters of water
1/2 lime, sliced into small pieces

Add all ingredients into a pitcher. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
Strain water and pour into glasses. Enjoy straight from the pitcher or over ice.

Dolmas

Dolmas / Stuffed Grape Leaves

1 jar Grape Leaves (found in the pickle section on the top shelf of a large grocery store)
1 Onion, finely chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup Olive Oil
3 cups Rice, cooked (I use Botan brand Calrose Rice, a shorter, fatter grain of rice used for making Asian desserts)
4 TBL Lemon Juice
1 tea salt
1/2 cup Pinon Nuts
4 TBL Fresh Mint, finely chopped

1. Saute the onion and garlic with the oil until they soft and translucent. Once this is done, add in the rice and stir until it is all coated with oil. Remove from the heat, adding in the lemon juice, salt, pinon nuts and mint. Stir to combine well.

2. Gently unpack the grape leaves from the jar and rinse them. Use a pair of scissors to cut off the small bit of stem left at the base of the leaf. Place these on a plate next to a cutting board. Have the bowl of the rice mixture next to these.

3. Take a large saute pan and place torn grape leaves or very thinly sliced carrots to cover the surface of the pan. This will prevent any of the dolmas from sticking.

4. To make the Dolmas: Place 1-3 Tbsp (depending on the size of the leaf) of rice mix at the bottom near where the stem would attach. Roll the grape leaves by first folding the bottom up, then the right and left sides in then rolling all the way toward the top. (This is very similar to the way we roll a burrito. see the dedemed.com website for video instructions, if needed). Continue to fill and roll each grape leaf this way. Once the Dolmas is done, place it seam side down in the pan, making sure to place them right next to each other. This will help them keep their shape. If you fill the bottom of the pot in a single layer and still have more, you can start a second layer. Be sure to separate the layers with a few leaves.

5. Fill the pan with water just until the Dolmas are covered. (Original instructions: Place a large plate or dish on top of the Dolmas to hold them down and keep them from unraveling as they boil. Place the pot over high heat, bring to a boil then reduce the temperature and simmer.I did this and found that the Dolmas were more mushy than I would have liked. Next time I will simply microwave them to warm them up.) Gently remove the Dolmas from the pot after cooking. Reserve any left over liquid to be poured over any left over Dolmas while they are stored in the refrigerator.

Spanakopita

SpanakopitaYield: 1 9" x 13" Pan

2- 3 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained*
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 TBL Garlic, finely minced
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tea Cinnamon,ground
1/4 tea. Nutmeg
1/4 tea Black Pepper, ground
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough

Directions

(* I squeeze the spinach with my hand to get out as much liquid as possible.)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Saute onion and garlic until tender, but do not brown. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until all moisture has evaporated. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
3. In a large bowl combine feta cheese, Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese,nutmeg,salt, pepper and cinnamon. Stir in spinach,garlic and onion mixture.
4. Combine the melted butter and with the Olive oil. Brush the bottom of a 9" x 13" casserole pan with butter/oil mix. Place 1 sheet of dough in the bottom of the pan; brush with butter/oil. Place two more sheets of phyllo dough on top of this and brush with the butter/oil mixture. Continue this until you have used around 8-12 layers of phyllo (the more you use, the crunchier it will be). Spread half of the spinach and cheese mixture over dough. top with six sheets of phyllo, brushing every other one with the butter/oil mixture. Top this with the remaining spinach mixture. Top this with more phyllo, using the same method as before. I used about 6-8 sheets on top. You can use more, if you like. Use a sharp knife to cut the Spanakopita into a diamond or square shaped grid before you bake it.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Gyro Meat with Tzatziki Sauce

Gyro Meat with Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients

* 1 medium onion, finely chopped or shredded
* 2 pounds ground lamb
* 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
* 1 tablespoon dried marjoram (I used Thyme)
* 1 tablespoon dried ground rosemary
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Tzatziki Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Process the onion in a food processor for 10 to 15 seconds and turn out into the center of a tea towel. Gather up the ends of the towel and squeeze until almost all of the juice is removed. Discard juice.

Return the onion to the food processor and add the lamb, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper and process until it is a fine paste, approximately 1 minute. Stop the processor as needed to scrape down sides of bowl.

To cook in the oven as a meatloaf, proceed as follows:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the mixture into a loaf pan, making sure to press into the sides of the pan. Place the loaf pan into a water bath and bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the mixture reaches 165 to 170 degrees F. Remove from the oven and drain off any fat. Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack and place a brick wrapped in aluminum foil directly on the surface of the meat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes and feta cheese.

To cook on a rotisserie, proceed as follows:

Form the meat mixture into a loaf shape and place on top of 2 overlapping pieces of plastic wrap that are at least 18 inches long. Roll the mixture in the plastic wrap tightly, making sure to remove any air pockets. Once the meat is completely rolled in the wrap, twist the ends of the plastic wrap until the surface of the wrap is tight. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight, to allow the mixture to firm up.

Preheat the grill to high.

Place the meat onto the rotisserie skewer. Place a double-thick piece of aluminum foil folded into a tray directly under the meat to catch any drippings. Cook on high for 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium and continue to cook for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F. Turn off the heat and allow to continue to spin for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes, and feta cheese.

Tzatziki Sauce:

16 ounces plain yogurt

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped

Pinch kosher salt

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

5 to 6 mint leaves, finely minced

Place the yogurt in a tea towel, gather up the edges, suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Place the chopped cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint. Serve as a sauce for gyros. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Pita Bread

Pita Bread (Bread machine version)Yield: 8 Pitas

1 1/4 cup Water, warm
2 TBL Oil
1 TBL Honey
1 tea Salt
1 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
2 1/2 tea Yeast

Place the inexpedience in the bread mixer in the order listed. Run the bread machine on the "dough" setting.

Once the dough is done and has risen, turn it out on a flour board and knead for a minute or two. Divide the dough into 8 equal segments. Roll each one out and place on a cookie sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal. Cover the pita with a tea towel and allow them rise a slight bit (30 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Be sure to have a rack in the lower third of the oven. Removing the other rack before preheating the oven will be helpful. Use tongs to place the pitas directly onto the lower rack. Bake for 2 minutes, then flip and bake for 1 more minute. This makes lovely, soft pitas. For pita chips simple bake on one side for 3 minutes and two on the reverse side.

Allow them to cool and then cover them with a tea towel or plastic wrap.

We used those pitas to make gyros. I tried the recipe below with ground beef and enjoyed it, but the lamb version cannot be beat!

Cinnamon Rolls II

Cinnamon Rolls II
from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients

* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/2 cup water
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1 egg
*
* 3 tablespoons softened butter
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/3 cup white sugar
* 1/3 cup raisins (optional)
* 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
*
* 1 cup confectioners' sugar
* 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
* 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. In saucepan, heat 1/2 cup milk, water, and 2 tablespoons butter until very warm. Place milk mixture, salt, flour, yeast, sugar, and eggs in the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the Dough cycle. Press Start.
2. Once Dough cycle is complete, remove the dough from the bread machine and punch down. On a floured surface, roll into a large rectangle. Smear with the softened butter. Combine the cinnamon and 1/3 cup sugar. Sprinkle over the rectangle. Generously sprinkle the raisins and/or chopped nuts over the top.
3. Roll the dough up into a log starting at the long side. Cut into 12 slices. Place the rolls cut side down into a 9x13-inch greased baking pan. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Combine the confectioners' sugar, 1.5 tablespoons melted butter, vanilla extract, and 1.5 tablespoons milk into a thick frosting; set aside.
5. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool 10 minutes. Spread frosting over baked rolls and enjoy.

Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad

Lemon Vinaigrette
2 teaspoons finely grated lemons zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed to wet pasta

Blend the lemon zest and juice, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette to taste with more salt and pepper.

Pasta
1 pound cappelletti (Hat shaped pasta)
1/2 pound diced ripe tomatoes
16 ounce tub fresh mozzarella pearls, drained
Lemon vinaigrette
Lots of fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the cappelletti according to the directions, drain, and rinse with cold water. Move the pasta to a large serving bowl and toss together with the rest of the ingredients.

Pepperoni Pasta Salad

Pepperoni Pasta SaladYield: 10 servings
Time: 20 minutes + 1 hour refrigeration
Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!

1 -16 oz package multicolored pasta
1 small can olives
3 large carrots
1 green pepper
1/2 bunch green onions
2 tomatoes (or 1/2 C sun-dried tomatoes)
3/4 C pepperoni
1/2 C shredded parmesan cheese
2 T olive oil
1 T Johnny's Garlic Seasoning
1 t sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing (I use Light)

1. Boil up your pasta, rinse in cool water and set it aside in a large bowl.
2. Chop up your veggies and the pepperoni.
3. Add all ingredients, but the Zesty Italian Dressing to the pasta and mix well.
4. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
5. Just before serving pour the Zesty Italian Dressing on to taste.

Lemon or Lime Bars

Lemon (or Lime) Bars
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup lemon (or lime) juice (2-3 lemons, juiced)
Zest of one Lemon
Powdered Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. It should look something like sand. Gently Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.It does not need to be very neat, just evenly spread. Mixing or playing with it will result in an overly hard shortbread crust.

3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden.

4. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/12 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest. Pour over the baked crust.

5. Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool. For a festive tray, make another pan using limes instead of lemons and adding a drop of green food coloring to give a very pale green. Dust the top of the lemon/lime bars with powdered sugar. After both pans have cooled, cut into uniform 2 inch squares and arrange in a checker board fashion.

Snicker Doodle Cookies

Snicker Doodle Cookies (Crispy or Soft)
Here's the recipe if you want thin, crispy cookies:
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 tea Vanilla Extract
2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if you are using salted (regular) butter)
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

(For soft, puffy cookies use shortening in place of the butter and increase the Cream of Tar Tar to 2 teaspoons.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F .
2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter/shortening and 1 1/2 cups of white sugar until smooth. Stir in the eggs, blending well after each. Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into the batter until just blended.
3. Roll the dough into balls the size of small walnuts. Roll in a mixture of 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned, but still soft.

Yolanda's Famous Chicken

Yolanda's Famous Chicken (from Cooking Light, July 2010)
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast half and 1 lemon wedge)
Ingredients

2 (1 1/2-ounce) bread slices
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon 2% reduced-fat milk
1 large egg
Cooking spray
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
4 lemon wedges

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Tear bread into pieces. Place bread in a food processor; pulse until breadcrumbs measure about 1 3/4 cups.

3. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound chicken to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet.

4. Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a second shallow dish. Combine milk and egg in a third shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Working with 1 breast half at a time, dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Dip into egg mixture; dredge in breadcrumb mixture, pressing to coat evenly on both sides. Place chicken on a large plate. Repeat procedure with remaining breast halves, flour, egg mixture, and breadcrumb mixture; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray; add 2 teaspoons olive oil, swirling to coat. Add 2 breast halves to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and remaining breast halves. Bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°. Serve with lemon wedges.

Carne Asada

Carne Asada
1 Flat Iron Steak (1 skirt steak or 2 hanger steaks)

Marinadejuice of 1 limes
1/4 C olive oil
(1/4 C minced cilantro - I did not have this)
(1-2 Serrano chillies minced (to taste) - I omitted this)
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin seed
2 tsp kosher salt (less if using table salt)
black pepper to taste
(1 Tbs pureed kiwi (optional)I did not have this)

garnish
(1/4 C sweet onions minced - I did not have this)
(1/4 cilantro minced -I did not have this)
Avocado, cubed
Queso Fresa Cheese (Cheddar would be fine, but different from this)
Salsa
Fresh lime juice

1 batch of homemade tortillas (You can serve this without a tortillas, or you can serve them on corn tortillas for a wheat free option. It is the more authentic way to do it.)

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a container with a lid that will fit the meat. Kiwi has a powerful enzyme called actinidin that breaks down protein, making it a great addition to the marinade if you don’t plan on letting the meat marinate overnight. Taste it and add more salt or sugar if needed. It should be relatively salty, but not so salty that it burns your tongue. The sugar is a personal preference thing. If you like it sweeter, add more sugar.


Cut the marinaded meat into small bite size pieces and saute in a stir fry style. Be careful to not overcook the meat.
(Here's her recommendations: When you’re ready to grill the meat, remove it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. This helps ensure the Carne Asada will cook evenly. If you’re using a broiler, move the rack to the top position and turn the broiler on high, with a grilling rack on top of a baking sheet. Scrape any excess marinade off the meat and place the meat on the grill. Cook until nicely browned on one side, flip and brown the other side. Skirt steak will cook much faster than hanger steak, so be careful not to overcook it.

Transfer the Carne Asada to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 5 minutes. Use a sharp knife to roughly chop up the meat then add it to a bowl with the sweet onions, cilantro, and any juices that accumulated on the baking sheet or cutting board.

Serve the Carne Asade with fresh tortillas and Pico De Gallo.)

I served mine by placing the shredded Queso Fresca and some avacado on a tortilla, adding the meat and squeezing a bit of lime over everything.

We thought this was very tasty. Too bad Ethan is away at camp and did not get to try this one. I'll have to make it again.

Grilled Potato, Corn and Bell Pepper Salad

Grilled Potato, Corn and Bell Pepper Saladfrom Ellysaysopa.com
Serves 4-6

1.5 lbs. small potatoes (I used small redskin)
2 ears corn
2 bell peppers (I used red), cut in half
1 large vidalia or red onion, cut in half or in quarters (thick slices)
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley

2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
3 Tbsp. good quality balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Grill all the vegetables. Here’s what we did:

Scrub the potatoes and add them (whole) with cold water in a saucepan/pot. Bring to a boil, add some salt, and cook until JUST tender. A fork should be able to go into the potato, but it should still take a little effort. Cool them slightly and then slice them in half lengthwise.

Toss or lightly brush all the vegetables with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Then, start grilling. You’ll want to start the corn first, followed by the peppers and onions. Since the potatoes are pretty much cooked, they can go on last. Grill until there are noticeable char marks on the vegetables and the peppers and onions are tender.

Cut the corn off the ears, and slice the peppers and onions into strips. Combine all of that with the potatoes and the parsley.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk together the garlic and the balsamic vinegar. Slowly drizzle the oil in, while continuing to whisk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Lightly toss the vegetables with the dressing.

That Good Salad

That Good Salad
from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 2 heads romaine lettuce - rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
* 2 cups chopped tomatoes
* 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
* 2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
* 1 cup Caesar salad croutons

Directions

1. In a jar with tight-fitting lid, combine oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper; cover and shake well. Chill. In a bowl, toss romaine, tomatoes, Swiss cheese, almonds if desired, Parmesan cheese and bacon. Shake dressing; pour over salad and toss. Add croutons and serve immediately.

Roasted Potato Salad

Roasted Potato Saladvia the Dogs Breakfast
Serves 4 as a side dish

NOTES We’ve sometimes added bacon or lardons to this salad, or used sliced shallots instead of Vidalia onions. You can also think of adding dill, or chervil, or whatever mild herbs you like, just be sure to use a generous amount of tarragon. The roasted potatoes do not refrigerate well. You can also make this using unpeeled boiled potatoes, it makes a lighter-tasting salad that does keep well in the fridge.

4 pounds of fingerling potatoes
3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
about 2/3 C olive oil
a Vidalia onion, halved and sliced
½ C fresh tarragon leaves
½ C Italian parsley leaves
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1. Clean and dry the potatoes. Cut them, unpeeled, into bite-sizes pieces, toss them with olive oil, salt, and a little pepper, and roast them in a 400º oven for 15 – 20 minutes, or until golden and crusty on the outside, and soft on the inside.

2. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Pour the vinegar into a salad bowl, and whisk in enough salt to balance the vinegar’s acidity. Add the pepper and mustard, and whisk to combine. Add the olive oil in a thin stream while whisking. Add the Vidalia onions and fresh herbs, and let them macerate in the vinaigrette while the potatoes finish cooking.

3. When the potatoes are done, let them cool for about 20 minutes before adding them to the salad bowl and tossing them gently to coat with the vinaigrette. Let the salad rest for a few minutes before serving so the potatoes can absorb the flavours, then taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower
4 cloves garlic (optional)
2 teaspoons olive oil (approx.)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. After removing the exterior leaves, rinse and pat dry your head of cauliflower. Trim the stem, and chop cauliflower into bite-sized florets. But, the florets and stems should be cut into roughly the same-sized pieces to ensure even roasting.

3. Toss the florets into a a large bowl or big baggie. Sprinkle the olive oil, salt, and pepper over the florets – then toss to coat them evenly. Place these on a large baking dish. The dish should be large enough to spread the cauliflower into a single layer (we used a 9 1/2 x 13 pan).

4. Carefully use the side of a large chopping knife to smash four whole cloves of garlic. Once smashed, the cloves should easily slide out of their papery exterior. Place the smashed cloves in the baking pan, and place the pan into the oven.

5. Cook the cauliflower for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, until they are softened, aromatic, and browned along the edges. I would recommend checking the cauliflower after 15 minutes and shaking the pan to prevent the florets from sticking. Additionally, you may wish to add a little more olive oil at this point to prevent sticking.

6. Remove pan from oven, serve, and enjoy! We really enjoyed this just as it is written here, but you could also add a few spices, some sesame seeds, sliced almonds, etc.

Muddy Buddy

Chex Muddy Buddy
(from the Betty Crocker website)
9 cups Corn Chex®, Rice Chex®, Wheat Chex® or Chocolate Chex® cereal (or combination)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar


1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Cinnamon French Toast

Cinnamon FRENCH TOAST Casserole by The Pioneer Woman
Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour Difficulty: Easy Servings: 12
Ingredients

* 1 loaf Crusty Sourdough Or French Bread
* 8 whole Eggs
* 2 cups Whole Milk
* ½ cups Whipping (heavy) Cream
* ¾ cups Sugar
* 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
* Topping
* ½ cups All-purpose Flour
* ½ cups Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
* 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
* ¼ teaspoons Salt
* 1 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces
* Fresh Fruit (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks (or cut into cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan.

Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge several hours or overnight.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add nutmeg if desired. Add butter pieces and but into the dry mixture until mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a Ziploc in the fridge.

When you’re ready to bake the casserole, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. (If you’re using fruit, sprinkle on before the crumb mixture.) Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.

Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup.

(Feedback - This was very popular, just as I had expected. I did not have the maple syrup,but not a single person who ate this seemed to notice. I made enough for about 15 people, so I think that is a bit of reliable data.

Possible alternations: Next time I may consider adding in small walnut or pecan bits into the topping. I may also throw in some chopped apples that have been sauted in butter, cinnamon and nutmeg. Or I may simply try adding in bits of dried apple. Either way = yum!)

Orzo Salad

Orzo Salad
4 cups Chicken Broth
1 1/2 cup Orzo (pasta)
15 oz. Garbanzo Beans
3/4 cup Red Onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup Basil, finely chopped
1/4 cup Mint, finely chopped
1-2 cups Fresh Mozzarella (I used Queso Fresco - Mexican Crumbling Cheese) cubed
3/4 cup Red Wine Vinegrette

Bring the broth to a boil and add the orzo. Cook until nearly al dente. Cool the pasta slightly. While the pasta is cooking, chop the onion, basil, mint and cheese. Toss all of the ingredients and mix with enough red wine vinaigrette to coat. Serve cold.

Cream Cheese Chicken

Cream Cheese Chicken
1 Pk. Italian Dressing Mix (generic works nicely)
3-4 Chicken Breasts, cubed
1 Stick Butter
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
8 oz. Cream Cheese
Noodles/Brown Rice/Grilled Polenta

Saute the chicken in the butter. Next, add the dressing and stir. Then add the soup and the cream cheese. Let simmer until well blended. Serve over noodles or rice or grilled polenta.

You can also make this in a crock pot.

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesedillas ala Pioneer Woman

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesedillas ala Pioneer WomanIngredients

* 8 whole Flour Tortillas
* Butter Or Margarine
* 2 cups Grilled Pineapple, Sliced
* 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
* Salt And Pepper, to taste
* 3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
* 1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
* Cilantro
* 3 Tablespoons Barbecue Sauce


Here's my version:
8 whole Flour Tortillas
Butter Or Margarine
2 cups Grilled Pineapple, Sliced
3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Cajun Seasoning, to taste
3 cups Monterey Jack and Cheddar Cheeses, Grated
3 Tablespoons Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar (Regular, good quality Balsamic would be great, too!)


Preparation Instructions

(To grill pineapple: cut wedges, stick on skewers, and grill over low heat. Cut into slices.)(I did not use skewers, I simply flipped them with tongs.)

(To pound chicken, place inside a Ziploc bag and pound with a mallet or large can to flatten to uniform thickness.)

Sprinkle with flattened raw chicken with the salt and pepper and Cajun spice (or cumin/cayenne, etc.) Drizzle olive oil on a grill pan and grill on both sides until done, (brushing with barbecue sauce). Set aside and slice into very thin slices.

Pioneer Woman - Warm griddle over medium heat and put sizzling butter or margarine in the pan. Slightly warm and toast tortillas on both sides, then remove from griddle and set aside.) I did not do this.

To assemble, sprinkle four browned tortillas with grated Monterey Jack. Arrange chicken slices evenly over the surface. Add pineapple slices and jalapeno slices. Sprinkle on cilantro. If desired, drizzle extra barbecue sauce (or the balsamic vinegar) over the top. Add second browned tortilla on top of each one. (You’ll have four complete quesadillas at this point.)

Add to oven to warm, or back to skillet to warm, until cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Serve with sour cream, pico de gallo, and lime wedges.

Cobb Salad

Classic Cobb SaladAdapted, barely, from Saveur
Serves 4 to 6

Dressing (Heads up: I found I only needed half of this)
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cored and shredded
1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 bunch watercress, some of the stems trimmed, chopped
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (we used a Stilton)
6 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium tomatoes, peeled*, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chives, minced

Make the dressing: Combine the canola oil, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire, sugar, and garlic in a blender. Purée the ingredients to make a smooth dressing and season with salt and pepper. Set the dressing aside.

Make the salad: On a (very) large platter, combine the iceberg and romaine lettuces along with the watercress. Arrange the blue cheese, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, chicken, and avocado on top of the greens in neat rows. To serve, drizzle salad with dressing, season with salt and pepper, and top with chives. Alternatively, toss everything together in a bowl.

Do ahead: Salad dressing keeps, covered and refrigerated, for up to one week. Individual ingredients (except the avocado, which is too prone to browning) can be prepped and chopped, and kept in separate containers in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the salad. However, no doubt due to sturdiness of 2/3 of the lettuces, I found that the entire assembled salad kept surprisingly well wrapped in plastic in the fridge for a few hours.

* To peel a tomato: Cut an X in bottom of each tomato and blanch in a large pot of boiling water for 10 seconds. Immediately transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to cool. Slide the skins right off, starting at the X. Completely befuddled by the need for this step? Skip it.

Tangy Pineapple Chicken

Tangy Pineapple Chicken
2 whole chicken breasts without skin
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 can pineapple chunks in juice
1 Tbs cornstarch
1/8 cup Dijon mustard
1/8 cup honey
1 clove garlic — minced
Rice — cooked

Sprinkle chicken with thyme, salt and pepper. In a skillet, brown chicken in oil.

Meanwhile, drain pineapple reserving the juice. Combine cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons juice until smooth. set aside.

Combine mustard, honey, garlic and remaining 1/2 of the can of pineapple juice; mix well.

Add to pan, bring to boil, reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes. Remove chicken and keep warm.

Stir cornstarch mixture and add to pan; bring to boil for 2 minutes.

Return chicken to pan, top with a few of the pineapple chunks and heat thoroughly. Serve over rice.

Servings: 2

Meatballs in Peanut Sauce

Meatballs in Peanut Sauce
via Crockpot 365serves 10

40 already cooked meatballs (frozen or fresh)
2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
1 cup canned coconunt milk (I used light, it was fine. If using regular, shake well and include the cream on top)
1 tablespoon red chile paste (jarred, in the Asian cooking aisle)
2 teaspoons fish sauce (in Asian cooking aisle, surprisingly inexpensive, although I bet you could substitute a gluten free soy sauce and not notice much of a taste difference)
1 1/2 tablespoons white granulated sugar

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart slow cooker. It's okay to use a 6 quart, but decrease cooking time by about an hour.

Put meatballs into slow cooker (frozen is fine). Add peanut butter and coconut milk. Drop in a gollop of red chile paste, then add fish sauce and sugar. Stir as well as you can to combine---it won't be perfect because the peanut butter will still be clumpy. No worries.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours, high for 2-4, or until peanut butter mixture is fully melted and the meatballs are heated throughout.

Serve as a hot appetizer, or over long grained basmati rice as a meal.

Salad with Apples, Oranges and Honey-Garlic Dressing

Salad of Apple & Oranges with Honey-Garlic Dressing
(featured on Inn Cuisine, recipe courtesy Abingdon Manner Inn & Restaurant Found by me via Foodgwaker at Inn Cuisine. )

Yield: Serves 4

* 1/4 cup honey
* 1/4 cup Wesson oil (olive oil)
* 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
* bibb lettuce, chopped (I used hearts of Romaine)
* red and green lettuce, chopped (I did not have this)
* 1 red apple, thinly sliced (unpeeled)
* 1 green apple, thinly sliced (unpeeled)
* 2 large oranges, peeled and sectioned
* optional – a sprinkling of chopped & toasted walnuts, pecans or almonds

Mix the oil, honey & garlic in a jar (with lid) and shake before serving. Tear or cut lettuce(s) into bite-size pieces and mix with apples and oranges, add toasted nuts if desired, and toss all with dressing. Serve immediately.

Read more: http://inncuisine.com/luscious-lunches/fix-it-fresh-recipe-abingdon-manners-salad-of-apples-oranges-with-honey-garlic-dressing/#ixzz0lUbgGn99

Pizza

Pizza Crust Dough
1 3/8 cup of Water, warm (about 110 degrees)
3 TBS Olive Oil
1/4 cup Sugar
1 1/2 tea. Salt
4 cup Flour, all purpose
2 1/2 tea. Instant Yeast

1. Place all of the ingredients in the bread pan in the order that they are listed, set to the "dough" setting and press start.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.

3. When it is finished turn it out onto a floured surface. I usually cut it into 2-4 pieces so that we can have a variety of pizzas. Roll them out and add the toppings. If you like, you can let them rise for a while.

4. Bake them on the middle shelf for about 15 minutes, or until the crust is nicely brown and the cheese is melted.

3 Types of Hummus and Pita Bread

Classic Hummus and Black Olive Hummus
from Choosy Beggars

Basic Hummus
* 1 19 oz can of chickpeas
* 2 tbsp Tahini
* 1 clove garlic
* 1/4 cup fruity extra virgin olive oil *
* 1 lemon
* 1/2 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
* 1/4 tsp ground cumin
* 1/8 tsp cayenne **


1. Dump everything, except the chickpeas (garbanzo beans) into the bowl of your food processor and give it a good whirl to get everything chopped and mixed.


2. Drain the water from the chickpeas into a cup so that the liquid can be used to thin the hummus to your liking. Place the chickpeas in the food processor with the other stuff and run until it is as thick and smooth as you like it.

Here's how much you need if you want to make a base for three different flavors:
* 3 19 oz cans of chickpeas
* 6 tbsp tahini
* 3 – 4 cloves garlic, depending on size
* 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 3 large, luscious lemons
* 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
* 1 tsp ground cumin
* 1/2 tsp cayenne


Variation 1: Black Olive Hummus
1 batch of Classic/Basic Hummus (or 1/3 of the amount above)
3/4 cup briny black olives, preferably kalamata
1 – 2 sprigs of fresh oregano, or 1/2 tsp of dried


Choosy Beggars opted to hand chop and mix in the olives, as well as the oregano. I simply tossed them into the food processor with the chickpeas.


Variation 2: Indian Style Spicy Hummus
1.5 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp very hot paprika OR 1/2 tsp chili powder + 1/2 tsp paprika + cayenne to taste
1 tsp cumin


I had also hoped to make a Red Pepper and Feta Hummus that I found over at Gimme Some Oven blog, but I did not have red pepper in any form. This was part of a week of hummus recipes. I look forward to trying some of them out:

Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Hummus Recipe(Original recipe)

Ingredients:

* 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained (juices reserved)
* 1/2 cup roasted red peppers (about 1 whole red pepper, roasted and peeled)
* 1/4 cup feta cheese
* 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
* 2 Tbsp. tahini
* 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
* 1 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1 tsp. cumin
* 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika (or sweet paprika)
* pinch of salt, to taste

Method:

Add all ingredients to a food processor, and blend until smooth. Add in 3-4 tablespoons of water (or leftover chickpea juice) until the hummus reaches your desired consistency, then blend until smooth.

Garnish with crumbled feta, chopped roasted red peppers and/or chopped parsley if desired. Then serve or refrigerate.

Ali’s Tip:

If you’re not a huge fan of feta, feel free to sub in another crumbly cheese (gorgonzola, goat cheese, bleu, etc.). OR this recipe is also completely delicious without the cheese!




Peppy's Pita Bread
(courtesy of Allrecipes.com)Ingredients

* 1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in bread pan of your bread machine, select Dough setting and start. When dough has risen long enough, machine will beep.
2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll and stretch dough into a 12 inch rope. With a sharp knife, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6 to 7 inch circle. Set aside on a lightly floured countertop. cover with a towel. Let pitas rise about 30 minutes until slightly puffy.
3. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Place 2 or 3 pitas on a wire cake rack. Place cake rack directly on oven rack. Bake pitas 4 to 5 minutes until puffed and tops begin to brown. Remove from oven and immediately place pitas in a sealed brown paper bag or cover them with a damp kitchen towel until soft. Once pitas a softened, either cut in half or split top edge for half or whole pitas. They can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for 1 or 2 months.
(note: My pitas came out okay. They were more life puffy crackers, which might be okay for my use. I think I was the problem, not the recipe. We are preparing for having our carpets cleaned so I simply did it in between other things, not paying enough attention to the recipe. I may have to try it again.)

I might even go one step farther and make some of them into flavored pita chips using a recipe from Cooking with Michele.

Pita CrispsYields 32 chips

2 pita breads
Olive oil spray or butter spray (or 1/2 cup melted butter)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt

Cut pita breads into eighths, then gently peel apart the layers to create 16 triangles from each pita bread. Lay flat on foil lined baking sheets and spray liberally with cooking spray or spray butter. (If you are using melted butter, toss the pita crisps with melted butter in a bowl.) Combine spices and sprinkle over the top of the pita bread, then bake at 375 degrees until crisp and lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes. Let cool and serve with hummus.

Pioneer Woman's Cream Mashed Potatoes

Pioneer Woman's Creamy Mashed Potatoes
* 5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
* ¾ cups Butter
* 1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened*
* ½ cups (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
* ½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
* ½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

* You can view a blow by blow tutorial over at thepioneerwoman.com.

Pan Fried Rib Eye Steak

Pioneer Woman's Pan Fried Ribeye Steak
Ingredients

* 2 pieces (about 8 Oz. Each) Ribeye Steak
* 1 Tablespoon Lawry's Seasoning Salt
* 3 Tablespoons Lemon And Pepper Seasoning
* 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
* Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
* 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
* 1 Tablespoon Butter

Preparation Instructions

Mix the seasonings all together in a small bowl to create a rub and massage into your steaks.

Bring a skillet to a medium heat and add olive oil and butter. Get these two nice and hot until the butter is beginning to brown. With tongs, set the steak right onto the sizzling butter/oil mixture.

Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side and then flip and turn the heat down to a medium-low to finish off the cooking. Cooking it for about 2 ½ minutes on the second side will result in a medium-rare piece of meat. Alter your cooking time a little to achieve a steak that is a little less pink in the center. Let steak rest for a couple minutes before digging in.

* We do not have a skillet with the raised ribs and my cast iron skillet was smaller than my smallest steak. I simply used a non-stick pan and it worked beautifully.

Hot Kentucky Brown

Hot Kentucky Brown
from Tasty Kitchen by The Pioneer Woman
* ½ cups Butter
* 6 Tablespoons Flour
* 3-½ cups Milk (2% Or Whole)
* 6 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
* Salt And Pepper, to taste
* Leftover Cooked Turkey And/or Ham, Shredded
* 8 slices Bread, Toasted
* 8 slices Tomato
* 8 slices Bacon, Slightly Undercooked
* 2 cups Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add flour and stir until well incorporated. Cook about 1 minute. Add milk and whisk quickly to avoid lumps. Add Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Cook on medium heat until it begins to boil, stirring constantly. Sauce will thicken and be almost like a batter.

Put one slice of toast on each of four oven-save plates. Cover with the leftover turkey and/or ham and top each with another piece of toast. Drizzle 1-2 cups of sauce over top of sandwich, covering it entirely and covering the base of the plate. Put two slices of bacon on top of sauce and four half-slices of tomato around the sandwich.

Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese on top of everything. Place plate under broiler for 2-4 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve immediately. Be careful, for the plate is very hot!!

Monte Cristo Sandwich

Monte Cristo Sandwich

2/3 cup water
1 egg
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 slices wheat bread
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices turkey
4 slices ham
4 tablespoons jelly (raspberry, strawberry or boysenberry)
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons Butter
3 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Heat up a skillet on medium high. Make the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper; whisk into the egg mixture until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Assemble sandwiches by placing smearing Dijon mustard on one slice of bread and the jelly on the other slice of bread. Next, place a slice of turkey on one slice of bread, a slice of ham on another (If you do not have both ham and turkey, you can simply use two slices of the meat that you have on hand), then sandwich them with the Swiss cheese in the middle. Cut sandwiches into halves, and secure with toothpicks, if needed (I don't usually need them).
3. Dip each sandwich half in the batter so that all sides are coated. Melt a bit of butter in the hot pan and place the sandwich in it. Turn them once they have browned nicely. If the cheese is not melting quickly enough you may need to put a lid on the pan briefly. Remove toothpicks and arrange on a serving tray. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Magic Spinach Ring

Magic Spinach Ring
1 box frozen Spinach, thawed and drained
1 egg
Seasonings to taste = salt, pepper, garlic, dried onion, cayenne pepper, basil, etc.
1 pound Swiss Cheese, grated
2 packages Pilsbury Crescent Rolls (I think the Garlic ones are best)


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the spinach with the egg and season to your liking. Add the grated cheese.Unwrap the crescent rolls, using them to form a star on your baking sheet. Mold the center of the star to hold the spinach mix. Scoop the spinach mixture to form a circle, twist up the crescent roll dough into the center and press into place. Bake for 45 minutes. Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving and enjoy!

Walter Sands' Favorite Bread

Walter Sands' Favorite Bread – Bread Machine Version

1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups (10 to 10 5/8 ounces) water, depending on the time of year (more in the winter, less in the summer)
1 heaping tablespoon (1 1/8 ounces) honey or sugar (1/2 ounce)
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/3 cup (1 1/4 ounces) Baker's Special Dry Milk or 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk granules
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt (best the lesser amount, but Dad preferred the greater)
4 cups (17 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Place the ingredients in your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer, and program the machine for white or basic bread, or for the dough cycle. Press Start.

If you're using the dough cycle, after the cycle is complete, allow the dough to continue to rise in the machine until it has really doubled in bulk. Remove the dough, shape it into a loaf, and place it in an 9" x 5" loaf pan. Let it rise until almost doubled. Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool and offer to a friend.

(* I did not have the dried milk so I used 2% milk and reduced the water by that same amount. I also brushed the top of the dough with butter before putting it in the oven.)

Fondue - Swiss Cheese and Chocolate

Classic Swiss Fondue
1 clove Garlic, halved
1 cup White Wine, dry
1 tea. Lemon Juice
2 cups Gruyere Cheese, shredded
2 cups Emmental Cheese, shredded (If you can't find this simply double the amount of Swiss or Gruyere cheese used)
2 tea. Cornstarch
(2 tea Kirsch - I did not use this)
Pinch of Nutmeg, fresh, grated

* If you do not like the wine flavor, or need to make it alcohol free, you can substitute Chicken broth for the wine.

Rub the inside of the fondue pot with the cut clove of garlic.

Place the wine and lemon juice in the top of a double broiler. Once the liquid reaches a gentle boil stir in the grated cheese using a wooden spoon. Add it gradually to prevent lumping. Stir frequently until the cheese has melted.

In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with the kirsch or 2 TBL. of water. Mix until it is smooth. Stir this into the cheese mixture a few minutes before serving. This will thicken the fondue just slightly. Be sure to not let the fondue mix boil. Season with freshly ground pepper and nutmeg.

Serve with dipping items such as bread cubes, steamed veggies and the like.

Classic Chocolate Fondue
9 oz. Chocolate (we like a mix of milk and dark chocolates)
2/3 cup Heavy Cream

Use a knife to cut the chocolate up into small pieces. (You can use chocolate chips if you like. However, nicer chocolate will yield a smoother fondue) Place the chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave proof bowl. I find that a glass bowl works nicely. Microwave it for about 2:00 then stir to mix. If the chocolate is not completely melted microwave it for another 30 seconds, followed by more mixing. Please note that it is very easy to burn the chocolate in the microwave. Stirring each time will help reduce the likelihood of burning it. Serve the fondue with fun dipping items such as pound cake, fresh strawberries, dried mango slices, dried banana slices, fresh pineapple, marshmallows, etc.

Crispy Waffles

Even Easier Crispy Waffles
by Crispy Waffle
2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 stick melted butter
2 cups warm milk (heated to about 110 degrees)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

The night before:Combine and whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Combine the melted butter and milk. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients. Whisk eggs and vanilla together in a separate small bowl. Add the egg-vanilla mixture to the other mixture, and whisk until well-combined. Cover with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge until tomorrow morning.

The next morning:Prepare waffle iron as usual. Stir the batter to deflate it (it should be puffy and frothy). Add to waffle iron the same way you would other batter, keeping in mind that this batter will rise more than batters that use baking powder instead of yeast.

Note: Be sure to put the batter in a large container. I stored my in a Rubbermaid container that at least two or three inches of clearance from the batter to the top. I thought that was enough. However, in the morning I found that I had lost 1/3rd of my batter as it expanded, popped open the lid and made a mess on the shelf.

Cheddar Puffs

Cheddar Puffs
from The Pioneer Woman

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 8
Ingredients
· 1 loaf Crusty French Bread, Cut Into 1-inch Cubes
· ½ sticks Butter
· 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
· 1 whole Shallot, Minced
· 1-½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
· 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Sliced
· 1-½ cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
· Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
· 2 whole Egg Whites, Beaten
Preparation Instructions
Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add Dijon and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low.
Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add grated cheddar and stir until melted. Turn off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in egg whites.
Dunk bread cubes in cheese, coating thoroughly. Place on a nonstick baking mat or sheet of waxed paper and freeze for 20 minutes, uncovered. Remove frozen chunks from tray and place into a Ziploc bag. Store in the freezer.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place frozen cheese puffs on a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper, and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites!from Tasty Kitchen, added by Wendy Darling
· 1 pound Bacon
· 1 can Chunked Pineapple (large Chunks)
· ½ cups Brown Sugar

Set your oven to 375F.
Cut the pound of bacon in half. Put the brown sugar in a shallow bowl. Take a half a slice of bacon and dredge it through the brown sugar. Put a chunk of pineapple on one end of the bacon slice and roll up. Secure with a toothpick.
I put a cookie cooling rack into a foil-lined jelly roll pan. Lay the bacon pineapple bundles onto the rack.
Bake for at least 25 minutes, or until the bacon looks brown and crispy. Sometimes I pop them under the broiler for the last few minutes just to get them really crisp. But watch out – the sugar will burn!
Try to wait for them to cool slightly – only because the tasty goodness will burn your lips if it’s too hot! Enjoy.

Garlic Cheese Breadsticks

Garlic Cheese Breadsticks
from More Bread Machine Magic
Breadsticks -
1 3/8 cup Water, Warm
4 tea. Butter, room temperature
2 tea. Sugar
2 tea. Salt
4 cup Bread Flour
2 1/2 tea. Yeast

Topping -
1/4 cup Butter, melted
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2-3 Garlic Cloves, finely minced
4 tea. Parmesan Cheese, finely grated

Place all of the ingredients for the bread sticks into your bread maker in the order that they are listed. Select the dough setting and set it to work (this takes 50 minutes in my machine.)

Once the dough has risen long enough remove it from the pan and turn it out onto a well floured surface (I use a cutting board.) Knead the bread a bit more and shape it into three sections. Work with one section at a time, creating a rectangle shape. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 12 strips. Place them slightly apart from each other on a baking sheet. (I cover mine with foil to make clean up faster.) Repeat this step for the other dough bundles. Cover the breadstick and let them raise until doubled. This usually takes about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. It is best to let it preheat for at least 30 minutes before baking the breadsticks.

Create the topping my mixing all of the ingredients for the topping in a measuring cup. Right before you bake the breadsticks brush on half of the topping. Then cook the breadsticks for about 15-20 minutes, or until nicely browned. Brush the remaining topping on the breadsticks after they have been removed from the oven.

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Frosting for Laura and Davis
Cake -
4 eggs
3/4 cup Buttermilk
3/4 cup Canola Oil
1 1/2 cup Sugar
2 tea. Vanilla Extract
2 tea. Cinnamon, ground
1/4 tea. Salt
2 cups Flour, all-purpose
2 tea. Baking Soda
2 tea. Baking Powder
3 cups Grated Carrots
1 cup Coconut, flaked or grated
(8 oz. pineapple, crushed, drained - I did not use pineapple this go-round, It can be included or omitted)
1 cup Walnuts or Pecans, chopped rather fine
1 cup Raisins

Frosting -10 oz. Cream Cheese, at room temperature
5 TBL. Butter, unsalted & at room temperature
2 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
1/4 cup Maple Syrup (be sure to use the real stuff!)

Cake -
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Grease a 9"x13" pan or two 8" rounds, or prepare cupcake papers.

In a large bowl beat together the eggs, buttermilk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.

In another bowl combine the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Stir to mix well.

Fold this into the wet mixture, being careful to not overmix. Add in remaining ingredients and mix as little as possible. (Overmixing results in a dry cake.) Pour into the pan(s)/cups. If making cupcakes, be sure to only fill the cups about 3/4 of the way to prevent overage.

Cakes will take about 40-50 minutes to bake. Cupcakes should take about 15-30 minutes to bake. Remove when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for at least 10 minutes before turning out from the pans.

At this point the cake freezes successfully. It is easier to frost when it is just beginning to thaw. However, you can also frost it once it is cool.

Frosting -

Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat at a low speed until well incorporated. Add in the maple syrup and mix well.

Homemade Noodles and Alfredo Sauce

Homemade Noodles
3-5 Egg Yolks
1 Egg Whole, beaten
1 tea. Salt
3-6 TBL. Milk
2 cups Flour, all purpose

We make our noodles by mixing up the dough on a cutting board. Do this by making a pile with the flour and creating a bowl in the center. Place 3 egg yolks, the whole egg and a the salt in a bowl and beat with a fork. Pour this into the well that you have made in the middle of the flour. Use a fork to incorporate the eggs into the flour. Add the milk to the dough as needed. The weather impacts this process greatly. You may have to add the extra egg yolk(s) and milk if the dough is too dry and shaggy. Knead the dough for about 3-5 minutes, cover with plastic and let it rest for at least 10 minutes. It is great if you can let it rest for 1-3 hours, but we were impatient so we rolled it out quickly. Once the dough is done resting cut it into four chunks. Roll out the dough. Put through a pasta machine, if you have one. Otherwise, roll out by hand and cut with a knife. You can cook them immediately by dropping them into boiling water or you can dry and refrigerate them. These are very tasty.

Alfredo Sauce
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3-4 TBL. Cream Cheese
Salt to taste
1/8th (pinch) Nutmeg, ground (use freshly ground nutmeg, if possible.)
1/4 tea. Pepper, ground
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (for a topping)

Melt butterin a saucepan over medium heat. Add 3/4 cup heavy cream, stirring gently. Add in the cream cheese and stir as it heats enough to become mostly melted. Stir in salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Let it cook for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Meanwhile, add the egg yolk to the remaining 1/4 of cream. Mix this well, but not vigorously. Add the grated Parmesan cheese, and grated Romano cheese. (You can double the Parmesan if you do not have the Romano) Stir constantly until melted. Gently mix in the then mix in cream and egg yolk. Simmer over medium low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Garnish with additional grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Chutney Chicken

Chutney Chicken
1 bottle Chutney (I used an apricot chutney that I mixed with left over cranberry relish this time. You can also get a nice slightly spicy result with Major Gray's Chutney.)
8 chicken thighs
A small bit of water
1 envelope Onion Soup Mix powder (optional)

Put the chutney into a bowl and add a small bit of warm water to make it more manageable. You can also add in the onion soup mix powder, if you like. I did not have it this time and things worked great.

Line a 9"x13" pan with foil for easy clean up. Remove the skin from the chicken thighs. Divide the chutney topping over the chicken thighs. Cook for 20 minutes. Then check the chicken and teaspoon over any topping that may have slid off. Cook for another 30 minutes, or until done. If you are in a hurry, you can start off by browning the chicken in a skillet. This warms it up, pulls out much of the fat that you would drain off later, and shortens the oven cooking time.

This was very popular with my family. It was also extremely easy.

Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Chicken

Honey Mustard Chickenfrom Aunt Lynne
2 TBl. Butter
4-6 Chicken Breasts (I used 8 chicken thighs)
1/2 cup Apple Juice (Aunt Lynne buys a small amount in the baby food section of the grocery store)
3 TBL. Honey Mustard (I often substitute 3 TBL. Dijon Mustard mixed with 1 TBL. Honey)
3 TBL. Peanuts, finely chopped for topping (optional)
3-4 TBL. Flour
1-1.5 cup Chicken Broth to extend the gravy

Saute the chicken in the butter. When they are nearly done add in the apple juice and the mustard. Mix well. Cover and let it cook until it is done. Add in the chicken broth. Mix the flour with a small bit of cold water. Add this to the gravy and stir. Add more if it does not thicken enough.

This is a very fast dinner. I can usually get it on the table in under 30 minutes.

Butter Beer - For a Harry Potter Movie Night

Butter Beer
1 can Cream Soda (about 1.5 cups)
1/4 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4 Butterscotch Topping for Ice Cream
2 TBL. Butter, melted

Warm up the soda in a sauce pan with ample room as it will foam more as it heats. Stir in the milk and the butterscotch. Once these are incorporated stir in the butter. Serve warm

Serves 2

Petite Foures

Chef Heather Hurlbert's Magnificent Moist Whipped Cream Pound Cake(From Bakewise by Shirley Corriher)
** This is a truly fabulous recipe. It may even be my favorite cake recipe.)

2 TBL. each Flour and Butter to prepare the pans

2 cups Butter, unsalted, at room temperature and cut into smallish chunks
2 3/4 cups Sugar
1 TBL Vanilla Extract
6 Eggs, large, at room temperature
2 3/4 cups Flour, all purpose, spooned and leveled
1/2 cup Heavy Cream, whipped
(2 cups Blueberries - I did not use these for this go round.)

(** I jar nice fruit jam - I used raspberry - for the filling**)

For a regular pound cake you would butter and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan (or two- three loaf pans). For my purpose I made a half recipe, cooking them in loaf pans that were lined with no-stick foil.

Arrange a shelf in the lower third of your oven and preheat it to 350 degrees.

With the mixer on medium, beat the butter to soften it. Add the sugar and continue to beat/cream until it is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl at least once. While creaming, feel the outside of the bowl. If it is not cool, place it in the freezer for 5 minutes to cool it down.

Beat in the vanilla. On the lowest speed, beat in the eggs one at a time.

Add the flour in several batches, mixing until just blended.

Stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the batter. Gently fold in the rest, being careful to not pop many of the bubbles in the whipped cream. If using, fold in the berries. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Place the cake in the oven and cook until a toothpick inserted comes out moist but without crumbs, 50-60 minutes for the Bundt cake, 20-30 minutes for smaller pans. Place the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for at least ten minutes to cool.

*** From here I removed the cake, cut it into 1" slices. I then used a square fondant cutter from Wilton (a cookie cutter would work, too)to cut out the small cakes. While the cake was baking I placed the jam in a sauce pan with 2 TBL of water and warmed it up to make it easy to spread. I then spread a small, even layer of the jam on half of the cake squares and placed another bit of cake on top of that.***


Lovely Glaze
From Martha StewartMakes enough for 32 petits fours

* 9 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
* 1/2 cup light corn syrup
* 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
* Gel food coloring, in desired colors

Directions

** Be sure to take the time to sift the powdered sugar to reduce or eliminate lumps in your glaze. Also, be very careful to not stir too quickly or too hard. This may cause bubbles in your glaze. This is a job for your spatula in hand, not your mixer! I used half a recipe. ***

1. In a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water, mix sugar, corn syrup, 1/2 cup water, vanilla and almond extracts together until they are warm, well combined, and smooth. Stir in enough food coloring until desired color is reached. Do not overheat. Let cool about 8 minutes before pouring.


Candy Flowers

Starburst Candy or Laffy Taffy (I used 2 pks. for 22 petit fores)

Unwrap the candy. Soften it in the microwave. I needed to heat the red and orange candies for 12 seconds while the lighter colors only needed abut 8 seconds.

While the candies are warm, place them on a piece of waxed paper and use a rolling pin to flatten them. Then use scissors to cut them into long strips. Roll then up loosely, using your fingers to form petal. Be sure to curve some of them outward.

Attach them to the petit fores with royal icing.

Royal Icing (made with real egg whites) from The Joy of Baking

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

For Royal Icing with Egg Whites: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the lemon juice. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.

*Note: You can also buy meringue powder if you would like to avoid the raw egg issue.