That Dish Ran Away With My Spoon

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

2010-10-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

1 2/3	cups Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1	cup cut-up cooked chicken
1	can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1	cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/2	cup milk
1	egg

1. Heat oven to 400°F. In ungreased 9-inch pie plate, stir vegetables, chicken and soup.

2. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate.

3. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until crust golden brown.

Beef Satay with Sesame Ginger Sauce

2010-10-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

This is a very simple recipe and very good! I have doubled or tripled the recipe easily for a main course. I found the sesame-ginger sauce in the Asian food aisle at HEB.

Ingredients (4 appetizer portions)

16 oz. beef tenderloin tips

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. lime juice

4 tbsp. sesame-ginger sauce (store bought)

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

8 bamboo skewers

Marinate the beef tenderloin tips in the soy sauce, lime juice and sesame-ginger sauce for about 20 minutes covered in the refrigerator.

Thread the beef on the skewers and grill the beef satays over fire-grill until the desired doneness.

Drizzle the grilled beef satays with some more of the sesame-ginger sauce and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds over them.

Pioneer Woman Monster Cookies

2010-10-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

From The Pioneer Woman web site - super yummy!

Ingredients

2 sticks (1/2 Pound) Butter (salted) Softened
½ cups White Sugar
1-½ cup Brown Sugar, Packed
2 whole Large Eggs
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1-½ cup Oats (either Quick Or Regular)
½ cups M & M's (more To Taste)
½ cups Pecans, Chopped (more To Taste)
¾ cups Chocolate Chips (milk Or Semi-sweet)
½ cups Peanut Butter Chips
2-¼ cups Rice Krispies

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter with sugars until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Add to mixing bowl and mix till combined. After that, add in remaining ingredients in whatever quantity you prefer. Add more nuts if you’d like, or more M & M’s, more peanut butter chips or chocolate chips.

Add Rice Crispies at the very end, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix!

Use a cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, then allow to cool on a rack.

Serve with glasses of cold milk.

Emergency Fruit Crostatas from the Pastry Queen

2010-04-17T14:22:00.000-07:00

1 Cup sugar

2 Cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

4 tablespoons ice water

1 cup any type of fruit(though strawberries and bananas do not work well)

In a food processor, pulse 1/2 cup sugar with the flour and salt. Add butter and pulse 5 times, until crumbly. Pour water through feed tube 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse until dough holds together. Remove dough and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate an hour.

Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and roll into a ball. Press with hands to make the dough 1/4 inch thick rounds. Place on greased cookie sheet. The rounds should be 6 inches in diameter. Spoon 1/4 cup of fruit into the center of each round, leaving 1 1/2 inch border all around. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar evenly among the fruit on each crostata. Fold up the edges toward the center, making 3 separate flaps. Pinch together seams between the folds.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until brown around the edges. Cool for no more than 10 minutes or they will be difficult to remove. Serve warm with some ice cream.

Feta Topped Chicken

2010-02-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it's on the short list to try soon. It sounds delicious!

From bettycrocker.com

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/4 lb)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette dressing
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1 large roma (plum) tomato, cut into 8 slices
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (1 oz)

1. Set oven control to broil. Brush both sides of chicken breasts with dressing. Sprinkle both sides with Italian seasoning and seasoned pepper. Place on rack in broiler pan.

2. Broil with tops 4 inches from heat about 10 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F). Top with tomato and cheese. Broil 2 to 3 minutes longer or until cheese is lightly browned.

Salted Peanut Chews

2010-01-23T11:56:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite dessert. It is the perfect combination of ooey-gooey, salty-sweet yumminess!

from bettycrocker.com

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix (the first time I had these, they were made with sugar cookie mix instead, and it was so yummy, that's what i use as well)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
1 egg
3 cups miniature marshmallows
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 bag (10 oz) peanut butter chips
2 cups crisp rice cereal
2 cups salted peanuts

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, water and egg until soft dough forms. Press dough in pan using floured fingers.

3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until set. Immediately sprinkle marshmallows over crust; bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or until marshmallows begin to puff.

4. In 4-quart saucepan, cook corn syrup, butter, vanilla and chips over low heat, stirring constantly, until chips are melted. Remove from heat; stir in cereal and nuts. Immediately spoon cereal mixture evenly over marshmallows. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows.

Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon, and Asparagus

2009-11-29T18:15:00.000-08:00

From MarthaStewart.com

I made this for dinner tonight and it was really good. I didn't have a whole chicken so I used chicken breast tenders and it worked well.

Serves 4
• 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, halved
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 package cut-up whole chicken (about 3 pounds)
• 1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place potatoes and half the butter in a roasting pan; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until potatoes are golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Place chicken, skin side up, on top of potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes.

3. Scatter asparagus, lemon, remaining butter, and thyme around chicken. Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is opaque throughout, 5 to 15 minutes. Serve chicken, vegetables, and lemon drizzled with pan juices.

Pecan - Blue Cheese Chopped Salad

2009-10-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

This is close to the salad served at Outback. Yumm-O!

4 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
⅓ cup chopped green onion
¼ cup shredded carrot
Cinnamon pecans (recipe below)
1 bottle Blue Cheese Vinagrette
Crunchy angel hair pasta (recipe below)
¼ cup crumbled bleu cheese

Mix together and serve!

Cinnamon Pecans
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon butter
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• dash salt
• ½ cup chopped pecans

Make cinnamon pecans by combining sugar, water, butter, cinnamon and salt in a small pan over medium heat. When mixture begins to bubble, add pecans. Stir constantly until liquid evaporates and sugar begins to crystallize on the nuts. Don’t allow the nuts to smoke or burn. When sugar is crystallized on the nuts, pour them out onto a plate to cool.

Crunchy Angel Hair Pasta
24 pieces of uncooked angel hair pasta
1 cup vegetable oil

To make the crunchy angel hair pasta, bring several cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Break pasta into quarters and boil for two minutes, then strain and rinse with cold water. Bring 1 cup of oil to 325 degrees F.

Fry the pasta in several batches in the oil for 1 minute or until light brown. Drain on paper towels. When the fried pasta is cool, break it into smaller, bite-size pieces.

Broccoli & Gruyere Gratin

2009-10-16T10:13:00.001-07:00

2 large bunches broccoli, roughly chopped

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups whole milk

2 cups grated Gruyere

S&P

Heat oven to 375. Steam broccoli until just tender. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook (stirring) for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and simmer until slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of cheese, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Toss in broccoli. Transfer to shallow 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until bubbling, 35-40 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Grilled Pork Chops w/ Tomatoes and Garlic

2009-10-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

*if you don't like tomatoes, other veggies could easily be substituted

1/2 stick butter - room temperature

1 clove finely chopped garlic

1 tsp. thyme

4 (1" thick) pork chops

2 lbs. cherry tomatoes

Combine butter, thyme, garlic - set aside. Season chops with S&P and grill. Divide tomatoes (or veggies) into 2 foil packets, season with S&P, and grill 8 minutes. Top chops with tomatoes and garlic butter to serve. Mashed potatoes or a side of pasta is great with this! Serves 4

Parmesan Potatoes

2009-08-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

Chop potatoes into bite-size cubes, put in a large ziploc with some olive oil, enough to lightly coat.

In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup flour with 3 Tablespoons Cavenders seasoning and 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese. Pour over potatoes in Ziploc, shake to mix together.

Cut one stick of butter into small slices, coat the bottom of a glass 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes or until soft. Stir occasionally.

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

2009-08-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

This may be courtesy of Southern Living. For me, its courtesy of my mom. Best served soon after baking.

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 Tbl sugar
1/3 cup butter, cut up
½ cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp poppy seeds

Icing:
1 ½ Tbl fresh lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 425.
Combine first five ingredients; cut in butter with pastry blender until crumbly.
Add lemon rind and poppy seeds.
Add buttermilk and egg; stirring until just moistened.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 5 times.
Divide dough in half; roll or pat each portion into a 6” circle.
Cut each circle into 8 wedges and place 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.

Combine lemon juice and powdered sugar, and drizzle over warm scones.

Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip

2009-08-03T21:05:00.001-07:00

3 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 jar (15 oz) Marzetti's blue cheese or ranch
1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce
1 8-oz.pkg. cream cheese softened
Tabasco sauce (optional)

Boil chicken until tender, cool, then shred or chop finely. Mix together dressing and Buffalo sauce. Add Tabasco sauce to fire it up to your desire. Spread cream cheese in a 9x13 baking dish. Mix chicken into dressing mix. Then pour chicken mixture over cream cheese evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool and serve with tortilla chips.

Yum!

Parmesan Risotto

2009-06-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

Parmesan Risotto
about 1/4 pound Pancetta (optional)
3 ½ cups chicken broth4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 medium onion , minced2 cups Arborio rice (or Carnaroli)
1 cup dry white wine
2 ounces fresh grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leavesInstructions

1. Cut pancetta into chunks. In a saute pan, saute pancetta until browned and remove from pan. Add the butter, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the edges of the grains are transparent, about 4 minutes.

2. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any browned bits, until the wine is completely absorbed by the rice, about 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of the warm broth and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring infrequently (about every 3 minutes), until the liquid is absorbed and the bottom of the pan is dry, 10 to 12 minutes.

3. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and adding more broth, 1/2 cup at a time, every 3 to 4 minutes as needed to keep the pan bottom from drying out, until the grains of rice are cooked through but still somewhat firm in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan cheese and parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cover until ready to serve.

4. Add additional warm broth as needed to loosen the risotto.

Scotcharoons

2009-05-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

1 cup sugar
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 cup creamy peanut butter
6 cups corn flakes
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Bring sugar and Karo syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Stir in corn flakes until well coated, spread in buttered pan. Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips togeter and spread on top. Cool.

Risotto with asparagus, peas and ham

2009-05-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

I made a variation of this recipe a few nights ago. Failed attempt #3 at making creamy risotto (my rice is always a little bit crunchy!). Regardless of the texture, this is a great flavor combination, I loved the peas and the asparagus, especially.

Asparagus risotto with peas and hamadapted from Whole Foods

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh asparagus,
trimmed Sea salt Cooking liquid combined with beef, poultry or vegetable broth to make 7 cups
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 cups arborio rice
1 1/2 cups cooked ham
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
Fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

Directions:

Braise asparagus in large pan filled with about 2 inches of water (asparagus should fit in one layer across bottom of pan), covered, about 5 minutes. Remove asparagus (reserve water) and rinse with cool water to prevent further cooking. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces and set spear tips aside to add to dish once it is cooked. Pour cooking water into large pot and add enough beef broth to make 7 cups of liquid. Keep water simmering over low heat, as you’ll be adding this to the rice throughout its cooking.

In large heavy pot, add 1 tablespoon butter, olive oil and minced onion. Cook onion until nearly translucent over medium-high heat. Add asparagus stalks (not the spear tips) and stir well. Add rice, stirring quickly. Add 1/2 cups simmering broth and cook, stirring constantly, until water is absorbed. Repeat process till rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Add peas about 3/4 way though.
Final consistency should be creamy and the rice tender but slightly firm at the center.

Turn off heat and stir in asparagus spear tips, ham, pepper, 2 tablespoons butter and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve immediately.

Baked Peaches . . .

2009-04-23T17:48:00.001-07:00

. . . and the results of the vegetarian, non-dairy, non-soy, gluten-free dinner!

In my last post I asked for some suggestions for our company with strict diet needs. I ended up making fish tacos, dredging small pieces of basa in Creole seasoning and corn meal and wrapping them in corn tortillas. I served (vegetarian!) refried beans and Spanish rice on the side along with a salad with homemade lemon-garlic dressing, and had cole slaw, cheese, sour cream and tomatoes to go on the tacos.

Dessert was the real challenge. Do you know how many recipes call for either flour or milk or both?! Answer: almost all of them. I could have bought a gluten-free cake mix and used rice milk, but in my experience some brands are really good and some really aren't, and I didn't have time to experiment. Luckily, I found the recipe below in my "Best of America" cookbook, and it was delicious!

The dinner was a hit, we enjoyed their company, and now I'm ready for a new challenge. Anyone got an egg allergy?

Baked Peaches with Raspberry Sauce

3 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup ground almonds
6 ripe peaches

Sauce:
1 cup raspberries
1 Tbsp or more confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp fruit-flavored brandy (optional)

Beat the butter with the sugar until soft and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add the ground almonds and beat just until blended.

Halve the peaches and remove the pits. Scrape out some of the flesh from each half to enlarge the hollow, reserving the excess peach flesh to use in the sauce. Place each half on a baking sheet, using crumpled foil if needed to keep them upright. Fill each hollow with the almond mixture. Bake at 350 about 30 minutes, until filling is fluffy and golden and peaches are tender.

Combine the sauce ingredients and the excess peach flesh in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and press through a strainer to remove fibers and seeds.

Let the peaches cool slightly, then serve with the sauce on the side.

Congealed Salad

2009-04-20T05:32:00.000-07:00

This is what I brought to Christy's for Easter. We grew up eating it at holidays but it's a great dish to bring to a pot-luck or cookout...

Congealed Salad:
1 package (6 oz) raspberry Jello
1 1/2 Cups boiling water
1 can blueberries (15 oz) juice and all (I use Oregon )
1 can (15 oz) crushed pineapple (juice and all)

Mix boiling water with Jello. Add the other ingredients and pour into a 9 x 13 dish and chill in the refrigerator. When congealed, spread with topping.

Topping:
1 package (8 oz) softened cream cheese
1 carton (8 oz) sour cream
1/2 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix topping ingredients together and spread on the congealed Jello. Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts on top (I skip the nuts)

Notes: you can sub in cherries for the blueberries or change up the Jello flavor. Also, when making the topping, pour the sugar on the softened cream cheese and let it sit for awhile (1/2 to 1 hour). It will blend together more smoothly. After you get the sugar and cc blended, then add the sc and vanilla.

A Foodie Brainteaser

2009-04-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

I have a small cooking dilemma on my hands, and thought I'd throw this out there to see what you other cooks might do. We've invited another couple over to dinner, and when we have company I always ask if there's anything they can't or won't eat. Usually people say they'll eat anything, or maybe they don't like mushrooms or tomatoes--easy enough. Well, this time the answer may be more than I bargained for: she's a vegetarian, and he can't have dairy, soy or wheat!

So I ask you: what would you cook? I've got some ideas in mind, and I'll post again in a few days with what I end up preparing, but I'm curious to see what y'all might come up with!

Sugared Pecans

2009-03-27T04:43:00.001-07:00

From Julie Thu:

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 egg white
1 lb. pecans

Preheat oven to 300.
Combine sugar, cinnamon, salt in large ziploc.
Beat egg white and water in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until frothy but not stiff.
Pour pecans in and coat them with the egg mixture.
Place the pecans into sugar mixture in the ziploc and shake to coat nuts.
Spread on a cookie sheet with sides.
Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 min with spatula so they won't burn.
Cool completely before packaging.

Chicken & Veggie Pot Pie

2009-03-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure where this recipe came from, but it is so easy and really good!

1 lb chicken breast, cooked and cut up

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, sliced into small pieces

3 Tbs. flour

1/2 cup dry white white (this could probably be omitted)

2 cups milk

1 package frozen peas

1/2 package frozen corn or 1 can drained

1 Tbs. thyme or rosemary or whatever you have

2 9-inch store bought piecrusts, thawed

Heat oven to 400. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat; cook onions and carrots 6-8 minutes. Sprinkle flour over veggies and cook stirring 1 minute. Add wine and cook until evaporated. Add milk and simmer until sauce starts to thicken (about 2-3 minutes). Stir in cooked chicken, peas, corn, thyme and S&P to taste. In a 2 quart dish, place one pie crust on bottom and up sides. Pour mixture into dish. Lay 2nd piecrust on top, pressing to seal. Cut several vents in crust. Place pot pie on baking sheet and bake until bubbling and crust is golden - about 30 minutes.

Note - you could easily substitute a package of frozen mixed vegetables. I sprayed my dish with Pam before putting my bottom crust in . . .

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake

2009-03-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

Paula Deen's Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake

1 (18.25-ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 egg
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 (16-ounce) box confectioners' sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 1 stick melted butter; stir until well blended. Pat mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan and set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs, and the cocoa powder. Reduce the mixer speed and add the confectioners' sugar. Continue beating until ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 1 stick of melted butter and vanilla; beat until smooth.
Stir in nuts with a rubber spatula. Spread filling over cake mixture in pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the cake; the center should still be a little gooey when done. Let cake partially cool on a wire rack before cutting into pieces. Makes 16 servings.

Variations:
Use yellow cake mix for the bottom. For the filling, omit the cocoa, add 1 teaspoon each cinnamon and nutmeg and for:
Pumpkin Gooey Cake: Add a 15-ounce can pumpkin.
Pineapple Gooey Cake: Add a drained 20-ounce can crushed pineapple.
Banana Gooey Cake: Add 2 ripe mashed bananas.
Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter.

Raspberry Cheese Spread

2009-03-05T10:05:00.000-08:00

4 oz cream cheese

1 cup mayo

2 cups mozzarella

2 cups cheddar

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup raspberry preserves

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and mayo. Beat in cheeses. Stir in pecans. Spread into plastic wrap lined 9-inch round dish (I used a pie plate). Refrigerate until set. Invert onto plate and cover with raspberry preserves. Serve with crackers or pita chips.

No-Pain Lo Mein

2009-02-20T08:49:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3-4 chicken breasts cut into thin strips
1/2 cup snow peas
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into match stick size pieces
1 can of water chestnuts, drained
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 pound mushrooms
4 green onion, thinly sliced on a diagonal
2 T ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
red pepper flakes
1 pound lo mein noodles or thin spaghetti, cooked to al dente and drained well
1/2 soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
sesame seeds
salt to taste

While the pasta is cooking, brown meat in wok or large skillet over high heat in 1 T sesame oil. Remove from pan. Add vegetable oil and crushed red pepper. Stir fry snow peas, onion, mushrooms, red pepper, mushrooms, and water chestnuts for one minute. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon and add to meat. Dump drained, cooled pasta into wok. Add green onions and half your cooked veggies and meat. Toss and fry the mixture until noodles and veggies are combined. Drizzle with a couple tablespoons soy sauce and 1 T sesame oil. Combine well. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Dump into serving dish and top with remaining meat and veggies.
Adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe

Pan Seared Chicken with rice

2009-02-19T11:51:00.000-08:00

This is very easy !
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning (I used fresh thyme, basil, oregano and rosemary and chopped it all up together instead of Italian seasonin)
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2/3 cup chicken broth
Preparation
Stir together Italian seasoning and next 4 ingredients. Sprinkle evenly on both sides of chicken.
Cook 3 chicken breasts in 1 Tbsp. hot oil over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan. Repeat with remaining 3 chicken breasts and 1 Tbsp. oil.
Sauté garlic in hot skillet 1 minute. Add chicken broth, and cook 2 minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Serve sauce over chicken. Serve with rice.
Southern Living, SEPTEMBER 2007

Jello Cake

2009-02-18T21:32:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS
Yellow Cake Mix
Strawberry Jello (6 oz) (just the powder)
2/3 c oil
2/3 c water
4 eggs
1 tsp strawberry extract
*small box of vanilla pudding optional*

DIRECTIONS
1. Grease and flour a bunt cake pan
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees
3. Mix together the cake mix, jello powder, oil and water
4. Add eggs one at a time
5. Add strawberry extract
4. *optional to then add pudding powder*
5. Pour cake batter into bunt cake pan and cook 35-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Let cake cool and then remove from bunt cake pan
6. *Optional to add a little water to a 1/2 cup or so of powdered sugar (just to consistency that powdered sugar is just a little runny) and drizzle on top*

(This was a family favorite in my family when I was growing up. It was always a moist cake, but the last time I cooked it I added the box of pudding mix to it and it make it even more moist - Delicious!)

Chicken Florentine Casserole

2009-02-18T21:26:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup butter
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 (13.5 ounce) cans spinach, drained
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2/3 cup bacon bits
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the chicken breast halves on a baking sheet; bake 20 to 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat, and set aside. (I decided to cut the chicken into cubes to make it easier to serve more people)
2.Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3.Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, mix in the garlic, lemon juice, cream of mushroom soup, Italian seasoning, half-and-half, and Parmesan cheese.
4.Arrange the spinach over the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking dish. Cover the spinach with the mushrooms. Pour half the mixture from the saucepan over the mushrooms. Arrange chicken breasts in the dish (again, I cubed the chicken), and cover with the remaining sauce mixture. Sprinkle with bacon bits, and top with mozzarella cheese.
5.Bake 20 to 25 minutes in the 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.

(Found this recipe at www.allrecipes.com. We had it tonight with guests and loved it. We don't like mushrooms so I left those out. Also, I, being somewhat cooking challenged, have no idea what Italian Seasoning is, so I used Creole seasoning instead. It all turned out great and it served 4 adults and 4 children and we still had a serving left over.)

Brie and Sausage Breakfast Casserole

2009-02-17T07:26:00.000-08:00

8 to 10 servings

Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) round Brie*
1 pound ground hot pork sausage
6 white sandwich bread slices
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
7 large eggs, divided
3 cups whipping cream, divided
2 cups fat-free milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Garnishes: chopped green onions, shaved Parmesan cheese
Preparation
Trim rind from Brie, and discard; cut cheese into cubes, and set aside.
Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink; drain well.
Cut crusts from bread slices, and place crusts evenly in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Layer evenly with bread slices, sausage, Brie, and Parmesan cheese.
Whisk together 5 eggs, 2 cups whipping cream, and next 4 ingredients; pour evenly over cheeses. Cover and chill mixture for 8 hours.
Whisk together remaining 2 eggs and remaining 1 cup whipping cream; pour evenly over chilled mixture.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until casserole is set. Garnish, if desired.
* 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese may be substituted.
Southern Living. myrecipes.com

Croissant French Toast with Strawberry Syrup

2009-02-17T07:21:00.000-08:00

Prep: 15 min., Cook: 4 min. per batch

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
4 large day-old croissants
3/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Slice croissants in half lengthwise.
Whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into a shallow dish. Dip croissant halves into egg mixture, coating well.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add four croissant halves, and cook about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Repeat procedure with remaining butter and croissant halves. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; top with Sweetened Whipped Cream, if desired, and Fresh Strawberry Syrup.

Fresh Strawberry Syrup
Prep: 10 min., Stand: 30 min., Cook: 5 min.
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange liqueur or orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, and let stand 30 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until warm.
myrecipes.com

Cashew-Crusted Chicken on Basil-Pineapple Rice

2009-01-15T09:56:00.000-08:00

From Cooking Light

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted cashews
2 tablespoons garlic-seasoned breadcrumbs
4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
Cooking spray
1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag precooked long-grain rice (such as Success)
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Place nuts and breadcrumbs in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until the crumbs measure 2/3 cup. Pour nut mixture into a shallow dish. Brush chicken with egg white; dredge chicken in nut mixture. Spread the pineapple in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange chicken over pineapple, and bake at 450° for 14 minutes or until chicken is done, turning after 7 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the rice according to package directions. Remove chicken from dish. Stir rice, basil, and salt into pineapple. Serve with chicken.

Layered Sun-dried tomato and basil spread

2008-12-22T16:18:00.000-08:00

Prep: 8 hrs. Make this recipe up to 3 days before the party.
Yield
Makes 20 servings
Ingredients
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/3 cups sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened and divided
1/3 cup tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 cups firmly packed fresh basil
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Vegetable cooking spray
Garnishes: fresh rosemary sprigs, sun-dried tomatoes
Crackers or baguette slices
Preparation
Beat 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Set aside.
Process dried tomatoes in a food processor until chopped. Add 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, tomato paste, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; process until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Spoon into a bowl, and set aside. Wipe container of food processor clean.
Process garlic and next 4 ingredients in food processor until chopped. Add Parmesan cheese, remaining 3-ounce package cream cheese, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; pulse just until blended, stopping to scrape down sides.
Spray a 6-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup butter mixture evenly on bottom of springform pan. Layer with half of tomato mixture, 1/2 cup butter mixture, and half of basil mixture; top with 1/2 cup butter mixture. Repeat layers with remaining tomato mixture, 1/2 cup butter mixture, and remaining basil mixture. Top with remaining butter mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; chill at least 8 hours.
Run a knife gently around edge of pan to loosen sides. Remove sides of pan; carefully remove bottom of pan, and place layered spread on a serving tray. Garnish, if desired. Serve with crackers or baguette slices.

Southern Living, Nov. 2005

Goat Cheese Wrapped in Phyllo

2008-12-22T16:17:00.000-08:00

Yield:6 servings

Myrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 tablespoon light butter
4 small white onions, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 frozen phyllo sheets, thawed
Butter-flavored vegetable cooking spray
1 (3-ounce) goat cheese log, crumbled
Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs
Preparation
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add onion and sugar, and cook, stirring often, 30 minutes or until caramel colored. Add vinegar and honey, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened. Stir in thyme.
Stack phyllo, coating each layer with cooking spray. Cut into 6 (5-inch) squares. Spoon onion mixture evenly onto center of phyllo squares. Top evenly with goat cheese. Lift corners, and twist together. Place packets on a lightly greased baking sheet; coat each with cooking spray.
Bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until golden; garnish, if desired.

Jon's Chicken Parmesan

2008-12-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

I made this for the first time last night, and it was so easy and good. Great for serving 8 or having leftovers, or in Jon's case serving 4 . . . .

1. Boil water for cooking pasta (I prefer thin spaghetti)

2. Preheat oven to 350 for baking garlic bread

3. Prepare tomato sauce (I use Muir Glen Organic in a jar - 2)

To prepare chicken:

1. Take 4 chicken breasts and slice in half then pound flat

2. Coat each piece with egg (I use 2 eggs in a pie plate with a little whipping cream)

3. Coat each piece with bread crumb mixture (in a large ziploc I mix Italian bread crumbs, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, S&P)

4. Place in refrigerator for a few minutes to set

Heat small amount of oil in a skillet and cook chicken; they are so thin it will only take 3-4 minutes per side. While chicken is cooking, cook pasta, bread and heat sauce.

To serve, I place pasta on plate, cover with sauce, put chicken on top of that with a little more sauce and then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Peppermint Bark

2008-12-11T06:14:00.000-08:00

Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
8 ounces (about 1-1/3 cup) dark chocolate, chopped
8 ounces (about 1-1/3 cup) white chocolate, chopped
6 peppermint candy canes
Preparation:
1. Unwrap the candy canes and place them in a food processor. Pulse on/off several times, until the canes have been chopped into small pieces. Alternately, place the candy canes in a large Ziploc bag and seal tightly. Use a rolling pin to roll/smash the candy canes until they are the size you desire.
2. Prepare a cookie sheet by covering it with smooth aluminum foil.
3. Melt the dark chocolate. Pour the chocolate onto the prepared cookie sheet use an offset spatula to spread it to a unform 1/8” thickness. The chocolate does not have to reach all sides of the sheet, as it will be broken up later anyhow. Place the tray in the refrigerator to firm up for 15 minutes.
4. While the dark chocolate hardens, melt the white chocolate.
5. Remove the tray from the refrigerator and spread the white chocolate in an even layer over the dark chocolate.
6. While the white chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the chopped candy cane pieces over the entire surface evenly. Press down very slightly to ensure they stick. Place the tray back in the refrigerator to firm up for 30 minutes.
7. Once bark is completely set, break into small, uneven pieces by hand.

Ambrosia Macaroons

2008-12-01T15:11:00.001-08:00

Coconut lovers - these are delicious! Recipe makes about 45 cookies.

1 stick unsalted butter, room temp

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

2 tsp. finely grated orange peel

3 eggs

24 oz sweetened coconut flakes

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in coconut and stir together. Add orange peel and stir together. Drop onto baking sheets by spoonfuls. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned. (my oven cooks fast so I baked for about 15 mins). Cool. Using fork, drizzle chocolate over macaroons. Chill 30 minutes.

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

2008-10-26T19:58:00.001-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
4 ounces cream cheese,
softened
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/2 cups frozen whipped
topping, thawed
1 (9 inch) prepared graham
cracker crust
1 cup cold milk
2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant
vanilla pudding mix
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack
pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
DIRECTIONS:
1.In a large bowl, whisk together cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of milk, and sugar until smooth. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spread into bottom of crust.
2.Pour 1 cup of milk into large bowl, and thoroughly mix in pudding mix, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. When thickened, spread over cream cheese layer.
3.Refrigerate 4 hours, or until set.

Pumpkin Waffles

2008-10-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1. Set up the waffle iron on a countertop or table within easy reach of the cook. Plug in the iron to preheat it. (Remind your child never to touch the surface of the iron; she should touch only the handle and always cook with adult supervision.) 2. In a medium-size mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, and pumpkin. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture and stir just until combined. 3. Coat the preheated waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour the waffle batter onto the center of each section of the iron. (You will need 1/4 to 3/4 cup of batter for each waffle.) 4. Cook the waffles for about 4 to 5 minutes or until they are crispy and light brown. (Read the manufacturer's directions for details about how long you should cook the waffles in your particular waffle iron.) Serve immediately with maple syrup and butter. Serves 4.

Pumpkin Crunch Muffins

2008-10-26T19:49:00.000-07:00

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/2 cup raisins, chopped nuts, or chocolate chips

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/2 cup plain canned pumpkin

Brown sugarIn a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.Stir in the raisins nuts, or chocolate chips. In another bowl, mix together, milk, oil, egg, and pumpkin. Stir well.Pour the liquid ingredients onto the dry ingredients and gently stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Do not overmix.Generously grease muffin cups and fill 2/3 full with batter.Heavily sprinkle the top of each muffin with approximately 1 tablespoon brown sugar.Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

2008-10-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

For Bread pudding:

2 cups half and half

1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin

1 cup (packed) plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

10 cups 1/2-inch cubes egg bread (about 10-ounces)
Caramel sauce:

1 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup whipping cream
Powdered sugar
Preparation:

For bread pudding: Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk half and half, pumpkin, dark brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and vanilla extract in large bowl to blend. Fold in bread cubes. Transfer mixture to 11x7-inch glass baking dish. Let stand 15 minutes. Bake pumpkin bread pudding until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare caramel sauce: Whisk brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Whisk in cream and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.
Sift powdered sugar over bread pudding. Serve warm with caramel sauce.

Pumpkin Bisque

2008-10-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 sm. onion, chopped

1 c. pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin

1 1/4 c. chicken broth

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 c. heavy cream

Salt and freshly ground pepper
In medium saucepan saute onion in butter until translucent, not brown. Add pumpkin, chicken broth, 2 cups water, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add cream. Gently heat bisque until hot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pumpkin Roll

2008-10-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

3 eggs
¾ cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cup pumpkin
2 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup chopped nuts
Filling:
1 cup powdered sugar 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened 1 tsp. vanilla

Beat eggs until think and yellow. Add pumpkin and lemon juice. Fold in flour, sugar, baking powder, and all spice. Spoon into jelly roll pan.
Sprinkle with nuts(optional). Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Invert onto a towel
sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll in towel as for a jelly roll. Beat
cream cheese with remaining ingredients. Unroll cake and spread cream
cheese mixture, and then reroll. Freeze roll. Thaw when ready to serve.

Pumpkin Risotto

2008-10-24T05:58:00.000-07:00

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 large onions, chopped

2 cups chicken stock

2 minced garlic cloves

1 cup Arborio rice

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 cups cubed pumpkin, steamed or boiled until tender

1/4 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

salt

freshly ground white pepper

Melt the butter and olive oil together in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent. While the onion is cooking, place the stock in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until simmering, but not boiling. Add the garlic to the onions and cook for two minutes. Add the rice and stir well to coat. Sauté for a minute, then add the wine. Cook the rice until all of the wine is absorbed, stirring constantly. Add a ladle of the warm stock, and stirring constantly, cook until all of the liquid is absorbed. Repeat until almost all of the liquid had been absorbed. Add the pumpkin and mix well. Continue to cook until the pumpkin is heated through, and all of the liquid is absorbed. Add the Prosciutto, Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well and serve hot.

Chicken with Pesto Pasta

2008-10-17T20:04:00.001-07:00

This is something that I make quite often. Everyone in my family seems to like it.

Ingredients:
2-3 chicken breasts, thawed and cut into one inch cubes
1 red pepper
1 red onion
1 pound angel hair pasta
olive oil for sauteing
For the Pesto:
2 cups fresh basil leaves or a combination of basil and parsley
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1/4 pound Parmigiano or Romano Cheese

Bring a pot of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, add pasta and cook until done (8 min or so.) Clean onion and pepper and cut into chunks. Heat some olive oil in a pan and then saute pepper and onion together until tender. Meanwhile, rub oil and salt and pepper on chicken. Add chicken to a pan and cook the chicken until is is done in the center and browned on the outside. While everything is cooking, make the pesto. For the pesto-Toast the pine nuts. Heat oil and garlic in the microwave for 20 seconds on high. Then add all of the ingredients into the food processor until paste forms. Pesto should be used at room temp.
Once pasta is finished, drain and return to pot. Add pesto and mix well with noodles. You may want to add more oil. Add chicken, onions, and pepper. Mix. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

** You can buy a variety of already made pesto at the store instead of making your own. And also, add any veggies that you like for a variation.

Triple Peanut Butter Brownies

2008-10-17T20:01:00.001-07:00

I got this from Kraft. I made it without the peanuts on top and liked it alot, but I am sure with the nuts on top would be good too. You could also half the recipe since it makes alot and is pretty rich.

Prep Time:40 min
Total Time:2 hr 10 min
Makes:Makes 32 servings.
What You Need
1 pkg. (19 to 21 oz.) brownie mix(13x9-inch pan size)
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (Do not thaw.)
3 squares Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cup Dry Roasted Peanuts, coarsely chopped

Make It
PREPARE and bake brownies in 13x9-inch pan as directed on package; cool. Meanwhile, beat milk and pudding mix with whisk 2 min. Add peanut butter and sugar; mix well. Refrigerate until brownies are completely cooled.
SPREAD pudding mixture over brownies.
MICROWAVE COOL WHIP and chocolate on HIGH 1 min., stirring every 30 sec. Spread over pudding; sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Spahetti and Venison Meatballs

2008-10-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti
Salt, for pasta water
pasta sauce
Meatballs:
1 pound ground vension( you can also use ground beef, but won't need the sausage)
1/2 pound ground sausage
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper

Directions:Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook.
Mix beef and Worcestershire, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch medium-sized meatballs and place on nonstick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet greased with extra-virgin olive oil. Bake balls 10 to 12 minutes, until no longer pink.
Drain pasta and retuen to pot. Add pasta sauce. Put meatballs on each individual plate. Serve with bread or garlic bread (and some good chianti!)

Casey's Mexican YumO!

2008-10-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

8 oz. cream cheese - soften
small can diced green chilies (sp?)
1 small can black olives - drain
sliced jalapenos (like Trappey's)
1 can turkey chili - no beans
3 shredded chicken breasts
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

Spread cream cheese in the pan. Layer the other ingredients in the pan. Heat for about 30 mins until
bubbly at 350 degrees.

You can omit any ingredient you would like.

Taco Soup

2008-10-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

I got this from Beth H. and it is easy and really good. Everyone likes this in our house.

2 cans chicken, strained
1 carton chicken broth
1 can tomato sauce
1 can Rotel, strained
1 can black beans, strained
2 cups frozen corn
2 Tbsp. of olive oil
1 Tbsp cumin
1/8 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
tortillas cut in strips

Heat oil and spices in pot. Add chicken and coat with the spice mixture. Add 1/2 chicken broth, 1/2 a can of tomato sauce, beans, corn, and Rotel. Bring to a boil. Add more broth and sauce until you reach desired consistency. Simmer until dinner. Add tortilla strips before serving.
I also have served with fritos and also in a bread bowl. All ways are really good.

2008-09-27T12:58:00.001-07:00

Lasagna Pizza Cups

2008-09-23T05:46:00.000-07:00

Yield:Makes 10 cups

Ingredients
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-oz.) jar pizza sauce
1 (7.5-oz.) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Cook first 3 ingredients in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain well. Return meat mixture to skillet; stir in 1 cup pizza sauce. Remove from heat.
2. Press biscuits on bottom and up sides of lightly greased muffin cups. Spoon about 1 rounded tablespoonful meat mixture into each biscuit cup; top with ricotta cheese (about 1 heaping teaspoonful each). Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
3. Bake at 375° for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of pizza cups to loosen from sides of pan. Remove cups from pan, using a spoon.
4. Place remaining pizza sauce in a small microwave-safe glass bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH 30 to 45 seconds or until thoroughly heated. Serve pizza cups with warm sauce.
Southern Living, AUGUST 2008

Citrus Shrimp Tacos

2008-09-23T05:41:00.001-07:00

Prep: 25 min., Chill: 10 min., Grill: 6 min. Soak wooden skewers in water at least 30 minutes before grilling to keep them from burning.
Yield:Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
2 pounds unpeeled, large raw shrimp
20 (12-inch-long) skewers
2 tablespoons Southwest seasoning
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons lemon juice
16 (8-inch) soft taco-size flour tortillas, warmed
1 head iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
1 head radicchio, finely shredded
Garnish: fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation
1. Peel shrimp; devein, if desired. Thread shrimp onto skewers.
2. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high). Combine Southwest seasoning and garlic in a long shallow dish; add lime juice, lemon juice, and shrimp, turning to coat. Cover and chill 10 minutes. Remove shrimp from marinade, discarding marinade.
3. Grill shrimp, without grill lid, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or just until shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp from skewers. Serve in warm tortillas with next 4 ingredients. Garnish, if desired.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Emeril's Southwest Seasoning.
Southwest Cream Sauce: Whisk together 1 (16-oz.) container sour cream; 1 garlic clove, minced; 2 Tbsp. finely chopped red onion; 1 tsp. chili powder; 1/2 tsp. ground cumin; 1/2 tsp. ground red pepper; and 1/4 tsp. salt. Whisk in 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro and 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice until smooth. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Makes about 2 cups; Prep: 10 min.
Southern Living, AUGUST 2008

Chocolate Chip Cake

2008-09-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

My friend Angel gave me this recipe and said it's no-fail, really moist, and easy to make. I agree!

1 box yellow cake mix
1 4 oz box chocolate instant pudding mix
3 eggs
8 oz sour cream
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup water
6 oz chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips. Beat for 2 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake in Bundt pan for 45 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean, may take closer to an hour). Cool for 10 minutes in pan.
I usually serve it as is (no frosting), but sometimes I pour a little caramel sauce and chopped nuts on top of the whole cake, or dust each serving with powdered sugar.

Corn and Cheese Dip

2008-08-12T13:38:00.001-07:00

This is another recipe from Ashley's kitchen. This is really good with tortilla chips.

Mix the following:
2 cans of shoepeg corn (drained)
2 cups of Monterrey jack cheese
1 cup mayo
a dash of garlic powder
1 Tbs. chopped onion
2 Tbs. chopped jalapeno

Chill and serve.

Note from Ashley: I've made the dip even easier on myself by getting the jack cheese that comes with jalapenos in it and by using onion powder instead of real onions. It saves some time and effort and doesn't seem to change the taste.

Baked Chilean Sea Bass (or other mild fish)

2008-08-12T06:27:00.000-07:00

You can use this recipe for as many fish fillets as you need - I like to get the thinner pieces rather than the really thick, short ones.

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil and place fish on foil. Lightly drizzle some olive oil over top and using a brush, spread it evenly over each piece. Salt and pepper each piece generously. Place a couple of thin lemon slices on each piece. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve with your favorite veggies or rice.

Spaghetti w/Broccoli and Lemon

2008-08-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

from Living Simple - serves 4

12 oz spaghetti (I used the wheat)

3 Tbs. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 pkg. frozen broccoli

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta per the instructions. Reserve 1 cup water, drain pasta, return to pot.

Heat oil over medium heat and add garlic - cook 1-2 minutes. Add broccoli, red pepper, salt and cook 1-2 minutes until broccoli is tender. Add that to the pasta with lemon juice, Parmesan and the reserved water. Cook 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon zest and serve. Also good with chicken or shrimp.

Pizza Roll

2008-06-24T18:56:00.001-07:00

I saw this recipe on the Food Network yesterday, tried it tonight, and was instructed to make it again, every night, forever. So I guess it was a hit! I really wouldn't mind making it often, since it only took about five minutes to put together. Here's how I made it:

1 can refrigerated pizza dough
1/4 pound pancetta
fresh spinach
1 cup mozzarella cheese
olive oil

Roll out the dough into a thin rectangle--not too thin, you don't want it to tear, and you can just use your hands if you don't have a rolling pin. Drizzle a little olive oil over the dough and brush it to the edges. Spread a thin layer of mozzarella, then all the pancetta; tear the spinach into pieces and lay it over the pancetta. Sprinkle the top with more mozzarella, then gently roll the dough up into a cylinder shape. Lay it seam-side down on a greased cookie sheet, and brush the top with a little more olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Let it rest about five minutes before cutting it into slices.

I served this alone, but next time I'll heat up some good marinara sauce for dipping. It has also been suggested by a certain member of my family that this recipe would be good with seasoned hamburger and cheddar cheese. If I do switch up the ingredients, I'll post here how it turns out. Buon appetito!

SHRIMP IN PARMESAN BUTTER

2008-06-16T17:12:00.001-07:00

36 lg. shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1 c. butter
3 tbsp. capers
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese

In large skillet, melt butter and saute shrimp, capers, garlic, and lemon juice until shrimp is done, 5-10 minutes. Add Parmesan and serve over spaghetti, linguine or other pasta. Serves 4.

* This was really good, but you can cut back on the butter and still be ok.

From cooks.com

Asparagus Alternative

2008-06-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

I really like asparagus and it's in season now, so it's a great summer vegetable. I usually grill or steam it, but this broiled version is nice too!

1 lb asparagus, trimmed
2 Tbs. olive oil
S&P

Heat oven broiler. On a baking sheet, toss asparagus with oil, S&P to coat. Arrange in a single layer and broil, shaking occasionally - about 6-8 minutes.

This works well with broccoli too, but I roast it at 400 instead.

Rosemary Chicken & Zucchini

2008-06-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

This is from Real Simple and looks great!

1 lb. new potatoes
2 carrots
2 zucchini
1 bunch Rosemary (I Tbs.)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
S&P
2 Tbs. Olive oil
2 Tbs. Whole grain mustard

Heat oven to 400. Quarter potatoes and cut carrots and zucchini into 2-inch sticks. Mix vegetables in bowl with olive oil, mustard, rosemary, S&P. Pour into 9x13 dish and place chicken on top (season chicken with S&P first). Roast for 25 minutes, toss vegetables and turn chicken, continue roasting until chicken is done (about 20-25 more minutes.

Spiced Mini Burgers with Couscous

2008-05-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

This is really quick and easy and we all eat it. It's a nice change from the usual ground beef options.
1 10 oz box couscous
1 lb ground beef
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 Tbl oregano
4 Tbl olive oil
6 green onions, sliced
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 seedless cucumber, sliced into half moons
3 Tbl lemon juice
1/4 cup feta
1 8 oz container hummus and pita chips

Cook the couscous according to package directions.
Form the beef into 12 small 1/2 inch thick patties. Sprinkle them with 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, the cumin and oregano.
Heat 1 Tbl oil in skilllet over medium heat. Add patties and cook to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium.
Combine the couscous, green onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon juice, 1 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, most of the feta and remaining oil in a large bowl.
Divide couscous and mini-burgers among plates, and sprinkle a little feta over the burgers.
Serve with hummus and pita chips.

Recipe courtesy Real Simple April 2008

2008-04-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

Lemon Dill Chicken

2008-04-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

I don't remember where I found this recipe, but it's so simple to make and is perfect for either kids or company.

1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
flour
olive oil
6 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
2 cups chicken broth
3 tsp dill

Salt the chicken breasts and dredge them flour. In a large skillet, brown them in olive oil. Pour in the juice, broth and dill and simmer for five minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

All done! The extra liquid is delicious mixed with rice, and asparagus would be a nice vegetable to serve with it. This recipe also works well with boneless, skinless thighs as long as they're pounded very thin.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with honey

2008-04-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling potatoes after cooked
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a roasting tray. Drizzle the oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper over the potatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes in oven or until tender.
Take sweet potatoes out of the oven and transfer them to a serving platter. Drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil.

Meaty Cheesey Manicotti

2008-04-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

From Southern Living
Meaty Cheese Manicotti Prep: 15 min., Cook: 20 min., Bake: 30 min., Broil: 3 min. A
n 8-ounce package of manicotti shells has 14 shells; a couple may break, so we count on using 12 shells in this recipe.
1 (8-ounce) package uncooked manicotti shells
1/2 pound hot Italian sausage
1/2 pound ground round
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse in cold water. Drain. Place in a single layer on a wire rack; set aside.
Remove casings from sausage, and discard. Cook sausage, ground round, and onion in a large skillet, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain and set aside.
Add wine to skillet, stirring to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Add whipping cream and next 3 ingredients; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 15 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; cover and set aside.
Combine meat mixture, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. Spoon mixture evenly into 12 manicotti shells; arrange shells in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
Bake, covered, at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover and pour cream mixture evenly over shells; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 10 more minutes. Broil, 5 1/2 inches from heat, 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.

Cranberry-Pecan Chicken Salad

2008-03-31T06:38:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
8 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 celery ribs, diced
5 green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups chopped, toasted pecans
1 (6-ounce) package sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Sweet-Hot Honey Mustard

Preparation
Stir together 8 cups chopped cooked chicken; 3 celery ribs, diced; 5 green onions, thinly sliced; 1 1/2 cups chopped, toasted pecans; 1 (6-ounce) package sweetened dried cranberries; 1 cup mayonnaise; and 1/2 cup Sweet-Hot Honey Mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill up to 3 days.
Yield
Makes 6 to 8 servings

*** I did not add the green onions when I made it for Lunch Bunch. I also did not have that kind of mustard so I just used less of some stone ground mustard that I had on hand.

Broccoli Salad

2008-03-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

This is Ashley Beard's recipe - super easy and SO YUMMY!

1 bunch of broccoli
1 lb. of shredded cheddar cheese
4 green onions, chopped
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 Tbs. vinegar
1 pt. mayo
1 cup sugar

Chop broccoli and onions. Combine with cheese and bacon. Mix mayo, sugar and vinegar. Add mayo mixture to the broccoli mixture. Serve chilled. I usually don't use that much onions or bacon.

Southestern Chicken and Black Bean Burritos

2008-03-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp ground cumin1 tsp chili powder
a couple shakes cayenne pepper sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot or Tabasco
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium spanish onion chopped (I just used regular yellow onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
3 Tbsp smoky barbecue sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 heart of romaine, shredded6 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 large flour tortillas, flavored or plain
Rub chicken with cumin, chili powder, and cayenne sauce. Heat a griddle pan to high. Cook chicken breasts 4 minutes on each side and remove from heat.While chicken is cooking, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Go once around the pan with oil. Cook onions and garlic until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add beans and barbecue sauce. Chop cooked chicken breasts and drop into barbecued beans. Heat mixture through. Season with salt and pepper.Place a tortilla on a plate and pile chicken and beans in center. Top with lettuce, scallions, and tomatoes. Wrap, roll, and repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Serve with chips and salsa.

Double Chocolate Tart with Dulce de Leche

2008-03-19T12:29:00.000-07:00

From Food Network Kitchens

Crust: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced (1 stick)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large egg yolks
Filling: 1/2 pound quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup prepared dulce de leche(I used ice cream topping)
1/2 teaspoon medium gray salt or other quality sea salt, optional
Special equipment: 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom
Crust: Whisk the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Put the butter, confectioners' and brown sugar in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add the dry ingredients and pulse to combine. Add the egg yolks and continue to pulse to make a smooth dough. Remove the blade, and turn dough out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap, form into a disk, and wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Meanwhile, make the filling: Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Put the cream and sweetened condensed milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. (Alternatively, heat the cream and milk in the microwave.) Pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth and shiny. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until smooth. Cover, and set aside at room temperature.
Place the dough between 2 pieces of waxed or parchment paper and roll into a circle about 1/4-inch thick. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Peel off a piece of parchment from the dough, then gently flip dough into tart pan, peeling away the rest of parchment. Carefully press dough into the tart pan so that it sits evenly in the pan. Trim excess dough from the edges, if needed. Line the crust with wax paper or lightly sprayed parchment paper and fill with pie weights or baking beans (see photo).
Place tart shell on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and continue to bake until the crust sets and looks a little dull (a sign it is cooked), about 5 minutes more. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
Remove tart pan from oven and spread the dulce de leche evenly over the warm crust. Then top with the chocolate filling. Bake until the filling sets around edges but is still slightly wobbly in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely.
Serve. For a final flourish, sprinkle lightly with gray salt just before serving, if desired.

Busy Bakers' Tips: - Make dough and freeze for up to a month ahead. - Form, bake and freeze crust, tightly wrapped, for up to 1 week. - Assemble and refrigerate up to 2 days, tightly wrapped.

Smoky Mac and Cheese

2008-03-19T12:24:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from Kellee and it is super easy.
12 oz. uncooked elbow macaroni (3 cups)
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (sometimes I'll put in 2 different kinds of cheese; mostly all cheddar and some Asiago but I've done it with all cheddar and its pretty much just the same)
2 cans (14 oz each) fire roasted diced tomatoes, well drained (Muir Glen is the brand I buy but it doesn't matter and if you can't find diced, just buy the whole tomatoes and dice them yourself; I've had to do that before)
1/4 cup sliced green onions--I think I usually do a little less
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup bread crumbs--Italian or plain
2 tsp. olive oil
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain macaroni as directed on box; return to pot and pour cheese mixture over and stir.While pasta cooks, heat cream, mustard, salt and cayenne pepper in saucepan until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat; stir in cheese(s) with whisk until smooth. Pour sauce over macaroni. Stir in tomatoes and onions. Pour into baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs; stir in olive oil. Sprinkle over top of macaroni mixture.Bake 15-20 minutes or until edges are bubbly and top is golden brown. Serves 8.

Chicken Saltimbocca

2008-03-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

6 (3-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded to evenly flatten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 paper-thin slices prosciutto
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Place the chicken cutlets flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay 1 slice of prosciutto atop each chicken cutlet.
Squeeze the frozen spinach to remove the excess water. Season the spinach with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, toss the spinach with 1 tablespoon of oil to coat.
Arrange an even, thin layer of spinach atop the prosciutto slices. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over each. Beginning at the short tapered end, roll up each chicken cutlet as for a jellyroll. Secure with a toothpick.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Simmer the cooking liquid over high heat until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove toothpicks from the chicken. Drizzle the reduced cooking liquid over the chicken and serve immediately.

Fudge Pie

2008-03-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

2 squares (2-ounces) semisweet chocolate 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs, beaten 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar, then the eggs; beat well. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 25 minutes or until just set. Serve warm or cold, with ice cream or whipped cream.

Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches with Cream Cheese Icing

2008-03-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

These are the invention of my sister Katy - super yummy!

Carrot Cake Cookies
1 box carrot cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 tablespoons water

Mix ingredients together, drop by tablespoonful onto cookie sheet, bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes. Cool.

Cream Cheese Icing
One 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. pkg. powdered sugar

Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Blend in vanilla. Sift powdered sugar. Gradually beat together powdered sugar and mixture.

Make sandwhiches with the cookies and cream cheese icing. Roll cookies in chopped pecans (they will stick on the icing) for a little extra crunch.

Chocolate Macadamia Nut Tart

2008-03-17T07:36:00.000-07:00

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
3 large eggs
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 325. Butter a 9-inch pie plate. In bowl, microwave chocolate and cream for 25 seconds until melted. Whisk until smooth and let cool. Whisk in eggs, maple syrup, sugar and salt. Pour mixture into pie plate and add macadamia nuts to top in even layer. Bake for 40 minutes until set. Cool and serve in wedges.

Warm Leek & Goat Cheese Dip

2008-03-15T08:06:00.001-07:00

4 Tbs. unsalted butter
8 small leeks, white and tender green part only - thinly sliced
1 lb. goat cheese at room temperature
1/2 lb. cream cheese at room temperature
S&P
2 Tbs. snipped chives
Serve with flatbreads, pita crisps, crackers or crusty bread

Melt butter in large skillet. Add leeks and stir to coat. Cover and cook over high heat until leeks begin to soften - about 3 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium heat until starting to brown - about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in goat cheese, cream cheese and S&P; stir until melted. Transfer to shallow serving dish and sprinkle with chives.

You can make this ahead and then heat in oven at 325 for 15 minutes before serving.

Mustard Roasted Chicken

2008-03-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

1 pkg chicken breasts
3 Tbs. whole grain mustard
2 Tbs. soy sauce
4 carrots, cut in half (or use the little ones from the bag)
1 medium fennel bulb, cut in wedges
1 red onion, cut in wedges
8 sprigs Thyme
2 Tbs. olive oil

Heat oven to 400. Combine mustard, soy sauce, 1/4 tsp. pepper in bowl. Add chicken and coat. Combine carrots, fennel, onion, thyme, oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in roasting pan. Add chicken to vegetables. Roast until cooked - about 45 minutes.

I like to serve with mashed potatoes.

Monkey Bread

2008-02-18T14:16:00.000-08:00

4 cans buttermilk biscuits
3 tsp cinnamon
1 ¾ cup sugar
¾ cup butter
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk

Cut each biscuit into fourths. Combine 1 ½ tsp cinnamon and ¾ cup sugar in bag. Add biscuits, shake to coat. Arrange biscuits in greased Bundt pan. Mix butter, brown sugar, condensed milk, 1 cup sugar and 1 ½ tsp cinnamon in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Pour over biscuits. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Turn out on plate to cool. Best served warm.

You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta

2008-02-16T15:32:00.000-08:00

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper
16 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
Crusty bread
Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it). While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.
Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Pass pasta with crusty bread.

Salt & Pepper Shrimp

2008-02-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

Less than 30 minutes / Serves 4-6

1 lb frozen peeled & deveined shrimp
3/4 tsp each salt & pepper
1 Tbs olive oil

Heat oven to 450. In a baking sheet, toss the shrimp with the other ingredients and roast in the oven until bright pink and cooked through (about 15 minutes).

Serve over a salad (I like this with both Casear and mixed greens) or pasta. You can also add some garlic to the shrimp before roasting.

Lemon Chicken with Olives

2008-02-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

30 mintutes / Serves 4 / recipe from Real Simple

2 Tbs flour
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp lemon zest, plus 1Tbs lemon juice
1 1/2 lbs chicken cutlets
2 Tbs olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup pitted green olives (I like the mixed olives)
1/2 cup dry white wine

Mix flour, cumin, zest, salt & pepper on a plate. Pat the chicken dry and dredge in flour mixture. Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Cook the chicken in 2 batches until brown. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out the skillet and return to med heat. Heat the remaining oil and cook shallots until soft. Stir in olives, lemon juice and wine and bring to a boil. Return chicken to pan, reduce heat and cook (covered) about 5 mintues. Divide among plates spooning olives, shallots and sauce over top. Serve with brown rice.

Deluxe Chicken Divan

2008-01-25T14:42:00.000-08:00

1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 quart chicken stock
1 lemon, zested
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 cups white rice
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds chicken breast cutlets, 8 cutlets
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons plus about 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of pan
6 or 7 large button mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup half-and-half
1 rounded tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons, a couple sprigs, fresh tarragon, leaves chopped
2 scallions, chopped
Toast almonds in a small skillet until golden. Set aside.
Bring 2 3/4 cups chicken stock, the zest of 1 lemon, thyme sprigs and a tablespoon of butter to a boil in a medium pot with a tight fitting lid. Add rice to water, stir. Return the water to a boil then reduce heat to simmer and cove the pot. Cook 18 minutes or until tender, remove from heat. Remove the thyme sprigs, the leaves will have fallen off in the rice.
While the rice cooks, season chicken with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Dredge chicken in about half cup of flour then discard the rest. Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, and 1 tablespoon butter to the large skillet. To the hot butter and oil, add the cutlets and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove the meat to a large platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
Return chicken skillet to the heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. Melt butter, add the mushrooms and saute for a couple of minutes. Whisk in 2 rounded tablespoons flour. Cook the flour 1 minute then whisk in 1/3 cup white wine, a couple of glugs. Cook off wine, 30 seconds, then whisk in 1 1/4 cups of chicken stock (remainder of the quart) then the half-and-half. When sauce bubbles, stir in mustard and tarragon and let sauce simmer and thicken 2 to 3 minutes. Stir scallions into rice and fluff with fork. Make a bed of rice on each dinner plate. Top with a serving of steamed asparagus then 2 cutlets of chicken. Cover the chicken with the tarragon sauce, allowing the gravy to spill over edges of rice. Sprinkle the plates with toasted nuts.

Spaghetti w/ Spinach, Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

2008-01-21T08:58:00.000-08:00

3/4 lb. spaghetti
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (or use the kind in a jar)
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
S&P to taste
8 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup grated peccorino cheese (or parmesan/reggiano)
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Cook spaghetti, drain and save 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil and cook garlic and red pepper until tender. Add tomatoes, season with S&P and cook over medium heat about 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add the spaghetti, pasta water and peccorino cheese - toss over low heat until pasta is coated with sauce. Add the goat cheese and toss gently.

Transfer to serving bowls and top with additional greated cheese. Can be served with chicken or shrimp, but I like it plain. Serves 4 and only takes about 30 minutes!

Stuffed French Toast

2008-01-21T08:50:00.000-08:00

This is so easy and sooo good!

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
8 slices wheat bread, crust removed
3 Tbs. blueberry (or your favorite) preserves or jam
8-10 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 Tbs. vanilla
butter

In a small bowl, stir cream cheese and ricotta until smooth. Divide cheese among 4 pieces of bread and spread to edges. Spoon jam in middle of each slice on top of cheese. Top with other slice of bread and slice in half diagonally.

In a 9x13 pan, beat eggs with whipping cream and vanilla. Soak "sandwiches" in egg mixture, turning once.

Heat butter in large pan or griddle over medium heat (I put an electric skillet on about 300). Saute French toast until brown on each side, turning once.

Serve with warm maple syrup and fresh fruit.

This easily serves 4-6 people.

Creole Shrimp with Garlic and Lemon

2008-01-16T07:47:00.000-08:00

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 Tbs. minced garlic
1 Tbs. Creole seasoning
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
Juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Toss shrimp with garlic, Creole seasoning and bell pepper.

In a skillet, saute the shrimp in the oil over med-high heat, turning once until white throughout. Add the lemon juice and parsley and serve over/with rice or pasta.

This is a really quick recipe - only about 30 mins and serves 4.

Blackened Chicken

2008-01-14T15:27:00.000-08:00

1 T. paprika 1 t. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder 1 t. cayenne pepper
¾ t. black pepper ½ t. dried thyme
½ t. oregano ¾ t. red pepper
½ stick melted butter
boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Mix all dry ingredients. Dip chicken in melted butter and sprinkle with mixture of dry ingredients. Heat a heavy skillet and cook chicken about 3 minutes on each side. Be sure chicken is cooked through.

Chocolate cake with icing

2008-01-14T15:25:00.000-08:00

Cake
2 c. sugar 2 c. flour
1 stick margarine ½ c. Crisco
4 T. cocoa 1 c. water
½ c. buttermilk 2 eggs
1 t. soda 1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
Mix together sugar and flour into a large bowl. Put margarine, Crisco, cocoa and water into saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil, while stirring constantly. Pour over flour and sugar. Stir well. Add buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and soda. Mix well. Bake in 16x11 sheet pan for 20 min. at 400. Spread soft chocolate icing over cake.

Soft Chocolate Icing
1 stick margarine
4 T. cocoa
6 T. milk
1 T. vanilla
1 box powdered sugar
1 c. finely chopped pecans(optional)
Melt together margarine, cocoa and milk. Bring to
Boil and remove from heat. Add powdered sugar,
vanilla and pecans. Beat well and spread on cake
is still hot.

Green Salas Chicken Enchiladas

2008-01-14T15:23:00.000-08:00

8 chicken breasts(2 c. cooked chicken)
16-20 tortillas
2 28 oz. jars salsa verde (I used 1 medium/1 hot)
2c. Monterrey Jack cheese
2c. Cheddar Cheese
2c. whipping cream

Dip boths sides of tortilla in salsa. Put 3 T. chicken, some cheese and roll up. Fill pan with tortillas. Pour whipping cream over tortillas. Cover with remaining cheese and salsa. Cook uncovered at 350 for 20 min. You can put green onions on the top.

Tina's Cheese Soup

2008-01-14T15:16:00.000-08:00

1 stick unsalted butter
1 small onion chopped
3 carrots grated
3 ribs celery sliced
saute above in the butter add 2 cans low salt chicken broth--simmer 30 mins.
add 2 cans potato soup
1 can fiesta nacho soup
1 lb.velveeta cheese
stir until melted
add 8oz lite sour creamstir until melted

add dash of curry,cayenne pepper,and nutmeg(or to taste)

Roasted Potato Soup

2007-12-24T06:04:00.000-08:00

6 baking potatoes, cut into medium pieces
1 onion, sliced or chopped
6 gloves garlic or about 3Tbs. minced garlic from jar
3 Tbs. melted butter
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425. Place potatoes (I leave skins on) in shallow roasting pan or cookie sheet. Add the onions and garlic and then drizzle with melted butter. Pepper to taste. Roast in oven for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer potatoes to large saucepan. Add broth and water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer with lid for about 20 minutes. Mash potatoes to desired consistency. Add cream and cook another 10 minutes, stirring until desired consistency. Add salt as desired.

Serve with grated cheddar on top and cornbread.

*When I add the cream, I also add 1 can sweet whole kernal corn. Also, depending on how "soupy" or "thick" you like your soup, you can use less broth/water or add more if it gets too thick.

Eggplant Parmigiana

2007-12-19T16:47:00.000-08:00

1 small eggplant
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbs. water
1/4 cup flour
2 Tbs. oil
1.2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Wash and peel eggplant; cut cross-wise into 1/2-inch slices. Combine egg and water; dip eggplant into mixture, then into the flour. Preheat oven to 400.

In skillet, cook eggplant in oil about 4-6 minutes.

Place eggplant in a baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Top with spaghetti sauce (use more if needed) and mozzarella. Bake 10-12 minutes. Serve with cooked spaghetti.

Apple & Walnut Tarts

2007-12-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

This recipe makes 4 - its easy to double though for 8 . . .

1 8oz sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 apple, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Heat overn to 400. Cut pastry into 4 squares and place inside 4 rounds of a muffin pan. Mix together all other ingredients and fill each pastry with some of the mixture. Bake until crust is golden - about 20 or 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes & remove from pan. Serve with whip cream is desired.

Mom's Great Mac & Cheese

2007-12-19T16:34:00.000-08:00

Bring water to boil and cook maccaroni (I prefer the larger size).

In medium saucepan, melt 1 stick butter and 1/2 a brick of Velveeta cheese. Stir continuously so the cheese doesn't scorch. When melted together, add 3/4 cup shredded cheddar and stir until melted. Add 1/2 - 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream and stir until blended. (If it's too thick add more cream). Salt and pepper to taste.

Add cheese to drained maccaroni.

You can also use other cheeses - parmesan, Gouda, different cheddars, etc. The velveeta helps it have a really creamy texture.

Easy Shepherd's Pie

2007-12-19T16:31:00.000-08:00

Recipe from Real Simple
1 lb. ground beef
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tsp. Worchestershire
8 oz. frozen mixed vegetables
1/4 cup shredded cheddar
1 16 oz. pkg refrigerated mashed potatoes (or make your own)

Heat oven to 400. Brown ground beef and drain any fat. Stir in ketchup and Worchestershire. Add vegetables and cook 1 minute. Spoon into baking dish. Mix cheese and potatoes together and then spread over beef/veggie mixture. Bake until heated - about 10 minutes.

Swiss and Bacon Dip

2007-12-09T21:36:00.000-08:00

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

I love this as a dip, but also love to make little appetizers by mixing the ingredients and filling mini fillo dough cups with it - then bake for 10-12 minutes. (Kim made it this way at her Christmas party.)

8 slices center cut bacon,chopped
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 rounded teaspoons prepared Dijon style mustard
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, available on dairy aisle
3 scallions
chopped 1/2 cup smoked almonds, coarsely chopped
Baby carrots and a selection of spiced flat breads, cocktail sized pumpernickel or rye breads, or sliced whole grain baguettes, for dipping

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Brown bacon in nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Drain crisp bacon bits on paper towels.
In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon, Swiss and scallions with cooked bacon. Transfer to a shallow small casserole or baking dish and bake until golden and bubbly at edges, 15 to 18 minutes.
Top with chopped smoked almonds.
Place dip on a platter and surround warm casserole with breads and carrots for dipping.

Bacon Water Chestnut Rolls

2007-12-09T21:31:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, halved
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut in half
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup tomato-based chili sauce

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Wrap each water chestnut with a piece of bacon. Place the rolls seam-side down in a baking dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until bacon is crisp and cooked through. Drain off the grease. (I turned the "rolls" over about halfway through.)
In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, brown sugar and chili sauce; pour over the bacon-chestnut rolls. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes.

I used mostly whole water chestnuts (I bought two different brands and they were very different sized from one can to the other. The can of large water chestnuts, I cut in half. The other jar I left the water chestnuts whole.)

Dip for the Stars

2007-12-09T21:26:00.006-08:00

Courtesy of Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons dry vermouth
ground white pepper, to taste
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3/4 cup pesto sauce

DIRECTIONS

In a food processor, combine the butter, feta cheese, cream cheese, garlic, shallot, vermouth, and white pepper. Process until smooth.
Oil a medium bowl, or gelatin mold, and line with plastic wrap for easy removal. Layer the dip into the mold as follows: Sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, pesto, cheese mixture. Repeat. Pat down into the mold, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Turn the dip out onto a serving plate, and remove plastic wrap. Serve with crackers.

I thought this was a little to "shalloty" and will use a smaller shallot or maybe half of one next time. Also, I didn't have any vermouth, so used red wine vinegar instead...

White Chocolate-Cinnamon Triangles

2007-12-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS
Bars
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® Create 'n Bake® refrigerated sugar cookies
1 cup white chocolate chunks or white vanilla baking chips
1/2 cup honey-roasted cashews, chopped
1/2 cup toffee bits
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 to 3 teaspoons milk

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in all remaining bar ingredients until well blended. In ungreased 9-inch square pan, press dough evenly in bottom. Bake 23 to 27 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 30 minutes.
In small bowl, blend all glaze ingredients until smooth, adding enough milk for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle over bars. Cool completely, about 45 minutes. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Cut each bar in half diagonally to make triangles.

Raw Vegetable Salad

2007-12-09T21:17:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
6 slices bacon
3 cups chopped broccoli
3 cups cauliflower, chopped
3 cups chopped celery
1 (10 ounce) package frozen green peas, thawed
1 cup sweetened-dried cranberries
1 cup raw Spanish peanuts
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons grated onion
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, cauliflower, celery, peas and cranberries. Wisk together the sugar, salt, vinegar, grated onion, cheese and mayonnaise. Pour dressing over the salad; add nuts and bacon and toss well.

I used Oscar Meyer bacon recipe pieces (directions on the back to tell you how many tablespoons equals 1 bacon slice) and skipped the celery...

Chicken Enchilada Dip

2007-12-09T19:06:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) jar mayonnaise
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place chicken breast halves on a medium baking sheet.
2. Bake in the preheated oven 20 minutes, or until no longer pink. Remove from heat, cool and shred.
3. Place shredded chicken in a medium bowl, and mix in cream cheese, mayonnaise, Cheddar cheese, green chile peppers and jalapeno pepper. Transfer the chicken mixture to a medium baking dish.
4. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

When I made this for care group tonight I was in a hurry and didn't want to chop the jalapeno, and I think it was a little bland without it.

Fruit and Chocolate

2007-11-10T04:55:00.001-08:00

This isn't really a "recipe", but I wanted to share. This week our chocolate supply at home ran low (as in completely out), and when I needed a sweet treat I did this a couple of times. I took a handful of milk chocolate chips, melted in the microwave for 25-30 seconds, and stirred until completely smooth. You have instant, really tasty, chocolate dip. And this week we had pears at home, so I sliced pears and dipped them in the warm chocolate. Other fruit suggestions: grapes, strawberries, apples, nectarines, etc. Enjoy!

Marinated Flank Steak

2007-11-10T04:54:00.001-08:00

1 1/2 - 2 lb flank steak
1/4 c soy sauce
2 T oil
2 T honey
1 T red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp minced ginger root or 1/2 tsp pwd.

Mix all of the ingredients, marinate flank steak at least overnight. Grill and enjoy!

Carmel Passion Fruit Sundaes

2007-11-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

Sauce:
Carmel or butterscotch sauce from jar

Sundaes:
24 chocolate wafer cookies, crushed
1 pint passion fruit sorbet, barely softened
1 pint vanilla ice cream, barely softened

In 4 tall glasses, spoon 2 Tbs of cookies into bottom of each glass. Then layer 1/4 cup sorbet, 2 Tbs. caramel sauce, and 1/4 cup ice cream. Repeat layers once more starting with cookies. Sprinkle 1 Tbs. of cookie crumbs on top and serve immediately.