Cherry Tomato and Walnut Pasta Sauce with Honey & Lime

This works as either a hot or cold dish.

2 c cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
¾ c chopped walnuts
1 leek, white part only, sliced. separate each slice into rings and rinse.
¼ c honey
¼ c olive oil
Juice and zest of half a lime
Salt and cracked pepper
4 large basil leaves
Fresh shaved parmesan cheese

For cold pasta:
1lb boiled and rinsed penne pasta

For hot pasta:
1lb fresh fettuccine boiled and drained.

Preparation:
In a mixing bowl, add sliced cherry tomatoes, chopped walnuts and leek rings. In a measuring cup, combine honey and oil together with lime juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly.

At this point, you can add either use this cold or hot

For cold salad:
Add to a pound of boiled and rinsed penne pasta for a chilled side dish

For hot entrée:
Saute mixture until fully heated, about 3min. I like the cherry tomatoes to be hot, but not cooked to the point where they fall apart. Add a pound of boiled and drained fettuccine noodles to the sauté and heat together for 30 sec. Topped with chopped basil and parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Roasted Balsamic Veggies with Penne

This recipe comes from "Cooking Light" magazine.

• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
• 2 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices (6 oz.)
• 1 eggplant, cut into bite-size pieces (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch wide slivers
• 4 tablespoons chopped basil, divided
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 8 ounces penne
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon goat cheese (about 1/2 ounce)--optional

1. Preheat oven to 500 F

2. In a medium bowl, add zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, onion, bell pepper, 2 tablespoons basil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and toss.

3. Place in a single layer on a large cookie sheet lined with foil and bake 15 to 20 minutes or are until vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife and just beginning to brown.

4. Cook pasta. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add sour cream veggies, 2 tablespoons basil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and toss to combine. Divide pasta among four plates and crumble goat cheese over the top.

Serving: 1 cup. Calories 327, Fat 6g, Carbs 57g, Protein, 11g, Fiber 4 g Serves 6 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes

Baja-Style Fish Tacos

I learned how to make these beer-battered fish tacos from a friend in San Carlos, Mexico one summer. I don't do them often as they kind of require too much work for just the 3 of us, but they're always fun to make when I have a big group over for dinner. This recipe easily serves 8 adults.

Ingredients

3/4 cup of flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp crushed oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 egg yolk

1/2 beer of your preference

1 lb white fish (tilapia, sole or halibut)

4 cups canola oil

In medium size bowl mix dry ingredients. Add egg yolk and pour in beer, mixing as you pour. Mix until you have a smooth consistency. Chug the other half of the beer. Go ahead, don’t be afraid.

Cut fish into 1 inch strips/chunks. Stir fish into beer batter mixture so that all pieces are evenly covered.

In a large pot, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Drop fish pieces into heated oil and fry for 4-5 minutes or until a light golden brown color. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel.

Serve on white corn tortillas with shredded cabbage, lime wedges, white sauce (recipe follows), salsa, guacamole or Cholula sauce.

White Sauce for Baja-Style Fish Tacos

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp crushed oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Mix sour cream, milk, lemon and lime juice until smooth consistency. Add dry ingredients and stir well.

Mexican Red Rice

My friend Kelli in Arizona shared this recipe with me not too long ago and I swear I will never buy a box of Rice-A-Roni Mexican rice (or Spanish rice) ever again! This is just like the stuff you normally find in restaurants.

Serves 6-8

1 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 cup white rice (or medium-grain)
1/2 cup bottled tomato salsa (or your fave homemade)
2 cups chicken broth (one can if you're using store-bought)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cups frozen peas

Turn on the oven to 350 degrees. Set a medium ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and rice. Stir frequently until the grains of rice turn from translucent to milky-white, about 5 minutes - don’t worry if some of them brown. Add the salsa, chicken broth and salt. Stir a couple of times, then let the mixture come to a full boil.

Pour into an oven-safe dish, cover with aluminum foil and set in the middle of the oven. Bake 20 minutes. Uncover, add the peas and re-cover. Bake 5 minutes longer, then remove from the oven, fluff the rice, releasing the steam and mixing in the peas. Place back into the oven (uncovered) for an additional 5-10 minutes until rice is nice and brown on the top.

Cook's Note: If you opt to use brown rice instead of white, double the amount of chicken broth and cook for 40 minutes instead of 20 before adding the peas.

Cheesecake Strawberries

I received this Weight Watchers-friendly dessert recipe from a friend a while back and everyone who has tried them LOVES them; even my uber-picky husband who detests cream cheese. This is a way easy recipe that will make people think you're super gourmet. :)



Ingredients:

8 oz tub of whipped cream cheese
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 qt strawberries
graham cracker crumbs (approx 4 graham crackers, crushed)

In a small mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and creamy; set aside.
Using a paring knife, hollow out the top of each strawberry (about 3/4 in.).
Gently fill each strawberry with cream cheese mixture using a teaspoon (each strawberry should hold about 1 tsp).
Place strawberries on a cookie sheet after filling.
Once all of the strawberries are filled, dip the top (cream cheese part) of each strawberry into the graham cracker crumbs and place back on the cookie sheet.
Place the cookie sheet into the refrigerator and let chill for a few hours or overnight.
Yields 44 strawberries

3 strawberries= 1 Weight Watchers point

Pork Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:

2 to 3 pounds boneless pork loin roast, trimmed, cut in 1/2- to
3/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 can diced tomatoes
7 to 12 ounces diced green chile
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced, or to your taste
2 cloves garlic, mashed and minced
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups shredded Jack, Cheddar, Mexican blend, or jalapeno cheese
1/2 cup enchilada sauce or salsa
6 to 8 corn tortillas*
Preparation:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, quickly brown the
pork cubes in the oil. Drain and transfer to the slow
cooker/Crock Pot. Add the diced tomatoes, chile, peppers,
garlic, salt and cumin. Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours; add
1 1/2 cups of the cheese during last 45 minutes. In a 2-quart
baking dish, place enough of the pork mixture to cover the
bottom. Place 2 or 3 tortillas on top, then more pork mixture.
Repeat until pork and tortillas are used, ending with pork.
Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and spoon the salsa over the
cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.
Pork enchilada casserole serves 6.

Easy Meatloaf

This is the easiest meatloaf and is super yummy. Even my picky
husband, who SWORE he would never eat meatloaf loves it! I
love it cold on a sandwich the next day. It's actually the
only time I eat ketchup!

2 lb Ground beef
1 packet onion soup mix
1 can evaporated milk

Mix the ingredients together and plop into a loaf pan, smooth
the top and place in the oven. Cook for about 60-90 minutes at
350 degrees.

*If the meat I'm using is extra fatty, or has water in it from defrosting, I add about 1/2 C breadcrumbs to help soak it up.

Easy Biscuits

1 3/4 C Flour
1 TBSP Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/3 C Margarine
3/4 C Milk

Pre-heat oven to 450
Mix dry ingredients; cut in margarine to coarse meal. Add milk & stir. Drop on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown.

I added 2 handfuls of cheese chunks before I dropped them on the pan.

Baked Potato Soup

A baked potato soup with butter, green onions, bacon, cheddar cheese sour cream, and seasonings.
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:

* 2/3 cup butter
* 2/3 cup flour
* 7 cups milk
* 4 large baking potatoes, baked, cooled, peeled and cubed, about 4 cups
* 4 green onions, thinly sliced
* 10 to 12 strips bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled
* 1 1/4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
* 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:
In a large Dutch oven or stockpot over low heat, melt butter. Stir in flour; stir until smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened. Add potatoes and onions. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until soup begins to bubble. Reduce heat; simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; stir until cheese is melted. Serve baked potato soup immediately.
This baked potato soup recipe serves 6 to 8.

I did not have onions, so I just added a few sprinkles of garlic salt; I also did not have any bacon, so we sprinkled bac-os on top when we ate it. I skipped the sour cream both becasue I didn't have any and because Josh doesn't like it. It was so yummy! I also made cheesy drop biscuits to go with it (and use up more cheese)...

Italian Meatloaf

INGREDIENTS
Fresh Basil
Garlic cloves (about 8-10)
Sundried tomatoes
Bell Pepper
Onion

Plus dry spices-
1 T of each:
Oregano, dry mustard, thyme, and freshly ground black pepper.
1 tsp of onion powder, garlic powder
1/8 tsp of kosher salt
Mix it all together.

Meat Loaf Ingredients:
2 lbs ground meat (any combo beef, pork, Italian sausage, turkey etc) I used ground beef and Italian sausage.
1 C bread crumbs
1/4 C of grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 C chili sauce
1/4 C tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Dash or two of Tabasco
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Topping:
1/4 c reduced (see note) homemade tomato sauce
1/4 c bottled grocery store chili sauce
1/3 c cheddar cheese, (or any of your favorite Italian cheeses).

Mix the ketchup and tomato sauce. You'll sprinkle the cheese over the sauce.
Reduce this into a near paste, and you’ll really intensify the flavor of the tomato sauce.)

Preparation Of The Meat Loaf:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Roast garlic cloves in a little bit of olive oil on the stove top or oven. Set aside
2. Saute onion, bell pepper for until soft. Add sundried tomatoes and basil
3. Chop or leave cloves whole, depending on flavor you like.
4. Add all sautéed veggies, garlic with meat in a large mixing bowl.
5. Add rest of ingredients.
6. Place into a large bread pan.
7. Cook for 1 hour, take meatloaf out of oven and add glaze and cheese. Cook until
Cheese is browned, about 15 mins.

Yummy Veggie Dip

1 avacado - mashed
1/4 c. soft cream cheese
1 tbsp snipped fresh chives
1 ripe tomato, chopped (recipe says to skin, deseed - I never did)

mix it all up
steam veggies & cut into cool shapes. heart, square, triangle, flower, etc.
DIP!

Root Vegetable Chips

A great snack for the kids!

1 sweet potato, scrubbed
1 parsnip, peeled
2 carrots or 1 raw beet, peeled
can of spray oil for baking
freshly ground sea salt (optional)
(you can also use sliced plantain)

Slice all the vegetables wafer-thin by hand or by using a slicing blade in a food processor. Spray some oil onto a couple of large baking sheets and brush to cover the surface. Heat the baking sheets for 5 minutes in the preheated oven.

Place the veggies on the baking sheets in a single layer and lightly spray with oil. Cook in the oven for 10 - 12 minutes, turning halfway through. Transfer to paper towels, sprinkle with sea salt, if using, and serve cold.

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

My friend, Suzie, gave me this recipe and my family LOVES it!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds London broil or round steak, cut into strips
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp paprika
1 medium onion, chopped
4 to 6 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 cups of water
1 cup sour cream

Preparation:
Brown meat in pan and drain off grease. Mix all other ingredients (with the exception of the sour cream) in the crockpot. Add browned meat into crockpot and mix well. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours. Stir sour cream into hot meat mixture about 10 minutes before serving. Serve over cooked egg noodles (my favorite), fettuccine, rice or mashed potatoes.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Here is the Spinach and Artichoke Dip I brought to Bunko it was a big hit!!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and packed
2 14 oz cans artichoke hearts (not marinated)
12 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
2/3 cut grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/4 cup Colby and Monterey jack cheese

1. Thaw spinach and ring out extra water
2. Heat cream cheese for 1 min in microwave.
3. Drain and chop artichokes.
4. Mix everything together except Colby cheese
5. Top mix with Colby cheese
6. Bake at 375 for 20-30 mins or until brown and oohhy goohy and yummy.

Stomboli

Ingredients:
1 pound pizza dough
dijon/stone ground mustard
1/2 pound deli ham
1/2 pound salami
1/4 pound provolone cheese
1-2 cups mozzarella
egg whites

Preheat oven to 350.
Roll the dough into a rectangle.
Spread a thin layer of mustard.
Layer ham over mustard. Repeat with provolone, then salami.
Scatter mozzarella over the salami.
Tucking in the shorter sides, roll the dough like a jelly-roll length wise, so it looks like a long loaf of bread.
Brush on egg whites.
Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Slice into pieces and enjoy!!

Alymer Pasta

A recipe from Angela's sister:

My new favourite thing to buy for stirfrys, pastas, casseroles, crockpot, etc. is found in the canned tomato section. The product is Aylmer Accents (petite cut tomatoes with SPICY RED PEPPER). They are the flavoured canned diced tomatoes but this one has red peppers in it too. The flavour is fabulous but it has to have the red peppers in it. I was buying it to put in the crockpot with meat or chicken but I now make a fabulous pasta with it.

Whole wheat penne pasta
Aylmer Canned diced tomatoes with spicy red peppers
Jar of Classico basil pesto
Onion, peppers and broccoli slaw and whatever other veggies you have
feta cheese
parmesan

Cook pasta, stir fry veggies, usually just peppers and onion and small cut up broccoli slaw (broccoli, cauliflower and carrots cut into thin strips). I chop the slaw up small so the kids don't really know how much they're eating. I actually sneak that slaw into everything! If I have other veggies, like zuchini, asparagus, artichokes, etc. then I add that too. Whatever you have. When it's still crispy I add the canned 'tomatoes with red peppers' and a jar of pesto. I've been a pesto addict - everything tastes good with pesto!! My fav brand by far is Classico (small glass jar, metal lid, basil pesto - not the red one).

Pasta's done, pour the sauce over, add feta and parmesan and might have to add a bit of olive oil. It's oh so yummy! And good enough for company. Literally takes as long as the pasta takes to cook! If I was having company, I would probably add some meat, likely chicken and some pine nuts.

Try it! You'd love it.

Amy's Danish Meatballs with Dill Sauce

~~~ MeatBalls ~~~
1-1/2 lb. ground venison or ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork, unseasoned
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 eggs
1/3 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter

To make the Meat Balls: In a large bowl mix the meat, salt, pepper, eggs, onion and cream.
With moistened hands (this will be sticky), shape into 1″ balls.

Roll the meatballs in bread crumbs until well coated. Arrange in a
single layer on shallow baking pans. Drizzle melted butter over the
meatballs.

Bake at 375º F., turning 3 or 4 times, until evenly browned,
about 35 minutes.

~~~Creamy Dill Sauce~~~
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups sour cream
2 tsp. dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
Salt and pepper, to taste

To make the Creamy Dill Sauce: Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the
flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the chicken broth. Continue stirring until thickened and bubbly,
then blend in sour cream, dill and seasonings. Place meatballs in a serving dish and
cover with the sauce. Serve over egg noodles.

Taco Seasoning Mix

For those who use packets in recipes like taco seasoning mix. The web has good homemade alternatives that taste just the same and don't use as much salt or MSG.

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

They are really easy to make.

BEST Roast Chicken in the World

4lb whole chicken

BRINE SOLUTION
2 quarts water
1 cup kosher salt
½ cup sugar

Brine (soak) chicken in this solution for 1 hour
Butterfly chicken, (using kitchen shears, cut backbone out of chicken on either side of spine, from tail to neck cavity – discard bone) and place flat on a broiler pan. Make sure you have a drip pan underneath. Press breast to break chest / sternum. Pat dry with paper towels. For crispier skin, place in fridge overnight.

SEASONED BUTTER
2 TBSP unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tsp fresh thyme, coarsely chopped
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
black pepper to taste

Lift skin of chicken with your hands (without breaking skin) and rub seasoned butter under skin of chicken on breast, thighs & drumsticks.

Rub outside of chicken with just enough canola oil to coat. Sprinkle with pepper.

BAKE 450* for 1 hour, rotating half way through.

White Bean and Ham Soup

2 cans (15.5 oz each) great northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium carrots, diced
1 small onion, chopped
2 T butter or margarine
2 1/4 c water
1 1/2 c cubed fully cooked ham
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 to 1/4 tsp white pepper
1 bay leaf

1. Mash 1 can of beans. Set aside

2. In a large sauce pan, saute the carrots and onion in butter. Stir in the water, ham, seasonings, and whole and mashed beans.

3. Cook over medium heat until heated through. Discard bay leaf before serving.

Yields 6 servings.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 T butter
1/2 C green onions
1/2 tsp garlic powder
4 oz can green chilies
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 C sour cream
1 1/2 C chicken, cooked, cubed
1 C cheese, shredded
8 12" flour tortillas
1/4 C milk

heat oven to 350 degrees
grease casserole dish
over medium heat, melt butter then saute green onions. Add garlic powder, green chilies, cream of chicken soup, sour cream.
Reserve 3/4 of this sauce. Set aside.

To the remaining 1/4 of this sauce, add the chicken, and half the cheese. Stir together. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture and roll up. Place seam side down in dish.

To the reserved sauce, add milk. Spoon this mixture over the rolled tortillas and top with remaining cheese.

Bake 30 minutes or till cheese is bubbly.

Creamy Chickpea Soup with Rosemary

1 tablespoon of olive oil
5 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaf minced (MUST use fresh; the whole recipe hangs on this flavor coming through)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 (15-19 ounce) cans chickpeas (aka Garbanzo Beans) rinsed & drained
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
sea salt to taste
fresh group pepper to taste
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add chickpeas and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes; let cool slightly. Transfer soup to a blender (I used my food processor), cover loosely and puree until just smooth. Or use an immersion blender if you have one of those magical toys.

Return to the saucepan and stir in lemon juice and sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve, garnished with a fresh rosemary sprig, or an additional drizzling of olive oil. If you’re wowing somebody, you can add a drizzle of Crème fraîche or heavy cream and do a little drizzle swirly art thing.

Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
2 1/1-3 lbs cubed chicken
3 Tbs Flour
3 Tbs Curry Powder
2 tsp Salt
1 cut up green pepper
3 cups of pineapple cut up
1 jar of pearl onions ( I think a cut up one would be great too)
1/3 cup dried currants (I used craisins, or raisins would work)
3/4 cup Guiness or any other dark beer

Shake chicken, flour, curry powder and salt into a bag until all pieces are coverd.

Clay Pot Directions:Soak pot in water for 15 minutes, empty then put all veggies at the bottom, all of chicken bag mixture then beer on top. Place in a cold over @ 480 degrees. Cook for 70 minutes stirring half way though. Serve over rice!

Crock Pot Directions. I think same directions as above but put on low for 8 hours and stir half way through if possible.

Enjoy!

Crockpot Maple Dijon Chicken

I think anything with the word "dijon" in the title instantly sounds exquisite and marvelous---even though it's only a $2.99 condiment. Dijon is the show-off in the mustard family.

The Ingredients.

--1 lb chicken pieces (I used frozen breast tenderloins)
--1 cup chicken broth
--2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
--1 onion, chopped
--2 T dijon mustard
--3 T maple syrup
--3 cloves garlic, chopped
--2 bay leaves
--1 tsp thyme

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart crockpot---it was a good size. This fed the four of us with a tiny bit left for lunch the next day. If you have a large family or would like leftovers, double the quantity.

Put the chicken into the bottom of your crockpot and toss it with the thyme, maple syrup, and dijon mustard.

Peel and slice the sweet potato, and add to the pot. Add the onion and garlic. If you don't want your onion to have a crunch, put it at the bottom of the crockpot; otherwise on top of the chicken is fine.

Pour in the chicken broth. Add the bay leaves.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5. This is done when the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables reach desired tenderness.

The Verdict.

Very good, and quite moist. I had enough juice in the pot to ladle over the vegetables and some leftover white rice. The sweet potato fell apart a bit, so some were more mashed than chunky. The kids each ate 2 of the breast tenderloins, and a bit of sweet potato.

Crockpot Taco Soup

The Ingredients:


There are a lot of cans. Recycle. Make Al Gore happy.

--2 cans of kindey beans

--2 cans of pinto beans

--2 cans of corn

--1 large can of diced tomatoes (I have no idea why the can wasn't in this picture. I know I put it in. This is a mystery.)

--1 can tomatoes and chiles

--1 packet taco seasoning (if you are gluten free, stick to McCormick)

--1 packet ranch dressing mix (make sure there isn't hidden gluten, I went with Hidden Valley)

--1 lb browned ground turkey or hamburger (optional.)

--shredded cheese and sour cream for embelishment (optional, unless you're in my house. then it's mandatory.)

The Directions:

--brown meat if you are going to use it

--drain fat and add to crockpot stoneware insert (the meat. not the fat.)

--sprinkle seasoning packets on top of meat

--drain and rinse the beans and add

--add the ENTIRE contents of the corn and tomato cans

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5. I think the longer you cook soup, the better, so if you have the time, opt for cooking on low.

Serve with a handful of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

It made a ton! We have enough for two more meals for the two of us.

Allison's Mom's Chicken and Beef Stew

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into cubes/small pieces
1 lb cubed stew meat (beef)
1 box of fresh mushrooms, quartered
1-2 handfuls of whole baby carrots
1 bag of small red potatoes, cut in half or into whatever size you’d like
Flour (a cup or so in a gallon freezer bag)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2-3 crushed garlic cloves (I use the refrigerated pre-crushed garlic)
1 yellow onion
1 chicken or beef buillion cube
1-2 bay leaves, broken up
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
2 shakes of garlic powder
¼-1/2 cup fresh or dried parsley (I usually just do a few good shakes of dried)
½ cup ketchup

Directions:

Step 1
• In a Ziploc bag with flour, toss in meat to coat with flour. You will most likely need to do this in multiple batches

Step 2
• On the stovetop, add oil, melted butter, garlic, onion and turn to medium heat
• In small batches, add beef & chicken to brown
• Once browned, take out and toss in crock pot, then repeat
• When finished browning all meat, scrape the “sauce” from the pan into the crock pot

Step 3
• After all meat is in crock pot, add water just to cover the meat
• Add beef or chicken buillion cube
• Add 1-2 bay leaves, broken into pieces, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder parsley, ketchup
• Stir
• Turn crock pot onto high and cook covered for one hour
• After an hour, add potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and turn to low heat, occasionally coming back to stir
• Cook until carrots and potatoes are fully cooked (can easily stick a fork in them)

It is super easy once you brown the meat, which is a bit of a pain. Very yummy though and well worth it! Enjoy!

***This recipe does not freeze!!!

**You can also do this on the stovetop if you don't have a crockpot.

Grandma O's Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Serves 100 small meatballs (I make larger ones so never get that many!)

Sauce:
In Cuisinart/blender, mix:
o ¾-1 cup brown sugar
o Juice of one lemon (~1/2 cup)
o 1 chopped up onion
o 2 cans tomato sauce and rinse can with water (add water) OR 1 can tomato sauce and 1 cup ketchup and water rinse)

On bottom of large soup pot, add 1-2 grated carrots and 1 teaspoon dill seed


Meatball Mix:
Mix well with hands:
o 2 slices white bread soaked in 1 cup water and mushed up
o 2 lbs ground beef (20% fat for meatballs to stick together)
o 3 t. salt
o ½ t. pepper
o 2 crushed garlic cloves
o 1 egg
o ¼ chopped onion


Bring sauce to a boil. Roll meat mixture into desired size balls (get hands wet with cold water for less stick), and drop balls into sauce. Turn stove down to medium-low, and cook covered for 1 hour, basting often. Take lid off and cook for an additional ½ hour.

Serve over rice or pasta.

Helpful Tip--Mini Meatloaf

I just wanted to add that when I make turkey meatloaf I also like to use muffin tins instead of a meatloaf pan. You spray the muffin tin with pam and put a large meatball size portion in each cup. The meatloaf cooks faster, stays moist, and arrives in cute little portions.

Italian Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients

* 1 small onion, grated (this is important!)
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves or a tablespoon .of dried Italian Seasoning
* 1 large egg
* 3 tablespoons ketchup
* 3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon of jarred minced)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan
* 1/2 cup dried plain bread crumbs
* 1 pound ground turkey
4 Slices Mozzarella or your favorite cheese


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

*Whisk the onion, parsley, egg, ketchup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to blend. *Stir in the cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in the turkey. Turkey can feel moist and since you are adding grated onion you will have more liquid so if you think it needs a little more bread crumbs add a tablespoon or more till it feels right to you.

Spray your loaf pan with olive oil or Pam, add half of mixture patting down to cover bottom of pan. Lay four slices of cheese and cover with the rest of the meatloaf mixture,
Pat down to enclose cheese. Top with ketchup or ½ cup marinara sauce.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Another option is to roll meat mixture into balls placing a little grated cheese in the middle and baking in muffin tins! Top with ketchup or marinara sauce.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 min.

Easy Lemon Cookies

Need a very easy semi-homemade cookie?


1 box Better Crocker Lemon Supreme Cake mix
1/3 cup Shortening
1/3 cup margarine or butter (softened)
1 egg

Blend all together.......and they are ready. You can roll them out and use them as you would use sugar cookies.....then are very cute with sprinkes and good with lemon forsting. Or roll the dough into a log and cut into slices and decorate.


Bake at 350 for about 13 minutes....just make sure they are golden along the edges.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 1/2 cups pancake mix
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 egg
1 3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
1 cup pumpkin puree


Mix it all together and spoon 1/4 cup at a time onto a hot griddle. These get really fluffy so you have to watch them carefully.

Serve with butter, syrup, and honey.

West African Stew

Another one of Nenek's recipes. This is an incredibly hearty dish that only gets better with age.

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½-inch dice (about 4 cups)
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbs minced garlic
2 Tbs minced fresh ginger
2 to 3 large onions, chopped
2-3 eggplants, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice (8 cups)
5-6 fresh tomatoes, chopped (or one 28-ounce can diced tomatoes)
2 large bell peppers, seeded, membranes removed, chopped
2 medium zucchini, cut into half-moon slices (2 cups)
1 cup peanut butter
2 Tbs + 1 tsp ground coriander
½ to 1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt

Place sweet potatoes in saucepan and cover with water. Cook until just tender, about 10 minutes after the water begins to boil. Drain and set aside. (Save liquid to add to stew if it’s too dry.)

Heat oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, sauté for 3 minutes. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes more.

Add eggplant and fresh tomatoes, if using. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add green peppers and zucchini; cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes if using canned, plus sweet potatoes, peanut butter, coriander, cayenne and salt to taste; mix well. Set aside to keep warm.

Serve over couscous. (or with rice, potatoes, or plain.)

Chana Masala with Kale

I made this recipe up after the fact, so all the measurements are pretty inexact. Just taste as you go!

1/2 large onion, chopped finely 

2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained 

1 can stewed tomatoes

3-4 cups kale, chopped

1 cup coconut milk

2-3 TB garam masala 

1 TB yellow curry powder 

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

salt

black pepper

red pepper flakes

paprika 

fresh lime

cilantro

In a large deep frying pan, saute onion with a smidge of butter. Add a bit of salt and pepper, approximately 2-3 tablespoons of garam masala, 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, as much red pepper flakes as you want it to be hot, and some paprika.

Stir that around until the onions are translucent. Then add garbanzos and tomatoes. Stir together. Taste to see if it needs any more salt.

Let it all simmer on low, covered, for about 15 minutes. Then add the chopped kale on top and cover the pan for another 10 minutes or so, until the kale is nice and wilty.

Stir everything together, do a taste test, and let it keep cooking for a while. The longer this cooks (on very low heat!) the better it will be.

In the last few minutes before you want to serve, add the coconut milk and cook uncovered to integrate.

Serve over basmati rice and garnished liberally with cilantro.

Nanek's Yellow Curry

“Nenek” is what we call my grandmother (it means grandmother in Malay, and she grew up as a missionary’s kid in Penang, Malaysia). This is the curry recipe that her nurse made for her and her sister when they were growing up. It’s not spicy, so it’s called “Baby curry.”

Saute in a large pot until limp:
- 1/8-1/4 inch of oil
- 3-5 chopped onions
- 6-8 halved garlic cloves

Stir in and fry for one minute while stirring:
- 1-2 TB yellow curry powder

Add and simmer, covered, for 3-4 hours:
- 6-8 cups chicken broth
- large potato PER SERVING (quartered)

When potatoes are cooked through, salt to taste

Add and heat (do not boil):
- 1 can coconut milk

Thicken with cornstarch

Add the juice of 1 lemon

Hard boil one egg for each serving. Peel and add to pot whole.

Serve over rice, garnished with peanuts, raisins, sliced bananas, plain yogurt, and chutney. The leftovers get even better, but it doesn’t freeze well due to the potatoes getting spongy.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

1cup water
3/4 cup of milk
pinch of salt
teas. Cinnamon
1/8 of a teaspoon of nutmeg
1/3 cup of cooked pumpkin
Pat of butter
1 1/3 cup of whole oats or mixed grain oats
1 mashed banana
your favorite nuts to top.

Bring water, milk, salt, spices to a boil. Whisk in pumpkin and pat of butter. Add oats and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and add mash bannana. Sweeten to taste top with nuts and a splash of milk.
*Optional - I topped the kids bowl with a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips. I added a teaspoon of real peanut butter to mine. YUM!

Sweet Potato Grautin

I brought this to Bunco and it is great for these cold months.

Ingredients:

3 large sweet potatos (yams) peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups WHOLE milk
2 cups cheddar cheese
1/2 cup flour
5 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion chopped
1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

preheat oven to 400
Melt butter in a large sauce pan- add onions and cook until soft- 8 minutes or so
Pull off of heat and add flour- stir until combined and whisk in milk, salt, pepper and rosemary.
Return to burner and stir constantly until it comes to a boil
remove it form heat and stir in the potatoes
Pour mixture in a 9x9 greased dish and cover with cheese
Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the potatoes in the center are done.

Mashed Potato Soup

Gotta love the Rachel Ray recipes! This is a great way to use leftover mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

* Drizzle of EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 6 slices bacon, chopped
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 4 tablespoons flour
* 1 quart chicken stock
* 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
* 8 ounces shredded yellow cheddar cheese
* Chopped chives, for garnish


Preparation

In a medium pot or Dutch oven, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve.
Step

Drain off excess bacon fat from the pot and add butter. When it is melted, add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour into the pot and cook with a wooden spoon for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a bubble. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

Whisk in mashed potatoes, then stir in the cheddar cheese with a wooden spoon and cook until the potatoes are hot and the cheese is melted.

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved bacon and chopped chives.

Fire Salad

I brought this to the Book Club Meetup last night and it was a big hit. Several of the ladies asked for the recipe so here you go!

Fire Salad

1/4 C Olive Oil
3 Tblsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
3 Tblsp Honey
2 Tblsp Soy Sauce
1-1/2 tsp Salt

8 oz. Spaghetti Pasta

2 tsp Cilantro (chopped)
1/4 C Roasted Peanuts (chopped)
1/4 C Green Onions (minced)
1 Tblsp Sesame Seeds (toasted)

Combine first six ingredients in pan over low heat, until honey is runny.
(More honey makes it sweeter. More red pepper makes it hotter.)

Pour over cooked pasta. Marinade at least 4 hours, stirring occasionally. (This is great marinated overnight.)

Before serving, add rest of ingredients and toss. (You can add this and let marinade too.)

Double this if you like and it will feed about 15-20 people as a side dish.

Leftover Turkey Soup

Prep Time:10 min
Total Time:30 min
Makes:6 servings, 1 cup each

What You Need:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 Tbsp. oil
2 cans (14-1/2 oz. each) chicken broth
2 cups water
1 env. GOOD SEASONS Italian Dressing Mix
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1/2 cup bite-sized pasta, uncooked

Make It:
COOK onion, carrot and celery in hot oil in large saucepan 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

STIR in chicken broth, water and dressing mix. Bring to boil.

ADD turkey and pasta; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Nutrition Infomation
Calories 170
Total fat 6 g
Saturated fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 35 mg
Sodium 910 mg
Carbohydrate 10 g
Dietary fiber 1 g
Sugars 3 g
Protein 18 g
Vitamin A 25 %DV
Vitamin C 0 %DV
Calcium 4 %DV
Iron 8 %DV

Taco Soup

1 package ground turkey (they come in 1.25 lb packages...but cook down to a pound)
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (with jalapenos if you like)
1 14.5 oz can pinto beans (with jalapenos)
1 can of original rotel
1 20 oz can of white hominey, not drained (found in the hispanic food section)
4 cups of water
4 chicken bouillion cubes


Cook turkey, drain. Add all other ingredients, stir and simmer for as long as you have until dinner (I try to get at least 30 min in), stirring occassionally. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream.

You can make this hotter or more mild as you prefer. The more ranch dressing mix you add, the more mild it gets. Also, the sour cream is good to cut some of the spice.

FYI: Hominey is fermented corn, not as sweet, and slightly more meaty than corn. It is great in soup...it really holds up and adds a different texture.

Mudballs

1/4 cp of peanut butter
1/4 cp of honey
1/4 cp of ground flax
1/2 cp of oats
1/4 cp of chocolate chips

1 cup of crushed dry cereal. ex. cheerios, chex, rice krispies.

Cook cook peanut butter and honey on low till blended. Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT dry cereal. Mix till well blended.
When cool enough to handle butter little hands and roll into little balls. Coat with dry cereal and refrigerate for 1 hr. before eating.

Crockpot Meatballs

I made these for Bunco once and they're always a great appetizer to take to parties.

1 bag frozen pre-cooked meatballs (I usually get these at Costco)
1 can cranberry sauce (the jelly, not whole)
1 jar chili sauce (usually found on the top shelf near the ketchup and mustard)
1 tsp Worcheshire
2 tsp soy sauce
3 tbsp dehydrated onion
1 crushed garlic clove (or to taste)
Fresh lemon juice -1/2 lemon squeezed

Simmer the sauce separately on the stove for 10-15 minutes. Brown your meatballs in oil, then transfer to crockpot. Pour the sauce over the top and mix until all meatballs are well-coated. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Bunco Cheese Ball

Hello, for those of you from Bunco who wanted the recipe for the cheese ball, here it is:



2-8oz pkgs cream cheese
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon chopped pimiento (I don't care for pimiento so I used red pepper instead)
1 tablespoon chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion (I used red)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Dash of cayenne
Dash of salt
Finely chopped pecans
Combine softened cream cheese and cheddar cheese, mixing until well blended. Add pimiento, green pepper, onion, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and seasonings; mix well. Chill. Shape into a ball; roll in nuts. Serve with crackers. (I also added a little creole seasoning to the mix) I also only made half the recipe as the full size is huge!

Enjoy!

Helpful Tip--Veggie Mashed Potatoes

This is not a recipe but it is a tip.

When I'm boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes I throw in a handful of baby carrots. I make the potatoes like normal but they have an light orange color. I've convinced my daughter they are cheesy mashed potatoes.

I've done it with broccoli too and it is always a hit.

Now Diana wants pink mashed potatoes so I will have to try beets next! I'll let you know how it turns out!

Cream Puffs

Ingredients:
1 C Water
1/2 C Butter or Margarine
1/4 tsp Salt
1 C Sifted All-purpose Flour
4 Large Eggs

Filling:
1 Box Vanilla Pudding
3 C Milk

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400. In medium saucepan, bring water, butter and salt to boil.
2. Remove from heat; with wooden spoon, beat in flour all at once.
3. Return to low heat; beat in eggs, one at a time, beating hard after each addition until mixture is smooth.
4. Plop onto ungreased cookie sheet by heaping spponful, about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake until golden-brown; about 45-50 minutes. Puffs should sound hollow when lightly tapped.
6. Cool completely on wire rack; in the meantime, make vanilla pudding according to package directions.
7. Cut of top of puff, gently scoop out "guts", fill with pudding. Replace top and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Easy Apple Dumplings

2 apples, cored, peeled and cut into quarters
cinnamon
1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.
Separate the dough into the precut triangles.
Place an apple slice inside each triangle and wrap the dough all around it - make sure to completely cover the apple and to pinch the dough closed.
Place the wrapped apples in a 9x9 pan - I spray mine with Pam first.
Sprinkle with cinnamon.
In saucepan, bring water, sugar, orange juice and butter to a boil.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, then pour over the wrapped apples.
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the dumplings turn light brown.
Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream!

Crockpot Recipe Blog

I just discovered this site: http://crockpot365.bl... all sorts of things to cook in the crockpot!

Green Chili Chicken AKA "Scary Tacos"

This is a recipe that I seem to be making every couple weeks. Allison C's husband, Drew, dubbed them "Scary Tacos" after making them for their family on Halloween. Somehow the name kind of stuck. :)

* 2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 6-8 chicken tenders)
* 1 small can of green salsa
* 1 small can of diced green chilies
* 1 tablespoon of cumin
* 1 teaspoon of crushed oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder

Mix salsa, chilies, cumin, oregano and chili powder in your crockpot. Place chicken in the crockpot. Give it all a little stir. Cook covered on High for 4-5 hours, or on Low for 6-8. You'll know it's ready when the chicken easily shreds with a fork. Shred chicken and stir with liquid mixture about an hour before serving.

Serve with flour tortillas, with sour cream, cheese, olives, onions, tomatoes.

Serves 4.

Chicken Curry and Rice

This is Tanya Benson's recipe for Chicken Curry. We had it last night and it's wonderful!

1 TBSP butter
1 C. chopped apple
1C. sliced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ C. chopped onion
2 TBSP cornstarch
3 tsp curry powder
¾ C. cold, low sodium chicken stock
2 C. milk
2 C. cooked chicken, diced
8oz mushrooms, in chunks

Rice:

1/4 C. butter
½ C. chopped onion
¼ C. slivered almonds
½ C. light raisins
6 C. hot cooked rice

1. Melt butter in a big, heavy saucepan. Add apple, celery, garlic and onion. Cook until onion is tender.

2. Combine cornstarch, curry powder and broth in a bowl, mix well.

3. Stir this into onion mixture. Add milk. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add chicken and mushrooms, stir until heated through.

4. Cook rice and add the butter, onions, almonds and raisins to it. Stir. Serve Chicken curry over rice.

Note: We just made plain basmati rice and had raisins and slivered almonds on the side to add if you wanted to. No butter or onions in the rice. It was delicious.

Spaghetti Frittata

I love this recipe because I can use leftover spaghetti from the night before. The kids love it because they think it taste like pizza.
It's great for lunch the next day too!

• 10 eggs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, sliced thinly into half moons
• 1 bunch fresh spinach (about 1/2 pound) washed, dried and coarsely chopped (5 cups)
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted in boiling water for 10 minutes, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups cooked whole-wheat spaghetti tossed with 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

In a medium bowl, separate 5 of the egg whites, discarding the yolks. Add the remaining 5 whole eggs to the bowl with the whites and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Heat the oil in large oven-proof, nonstick skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Add the pasta to the pan and stir to combine. Pour the eggs evenly over the pasta and vegetables. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until eggs are set on the edges but not in the middle.

Preheat the broiler. Sprinkle the top of the frittata with cheese and place under the broiler. Cooke until the top is set and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the eggs will become tough. Cut into 6 wedges and serve.

Per Serving:

Calories 220; Total Fat 9 g; (Sat Fat 2.5 g, Mono Fat 2 g, Poly Fat 0.75 g) ; Protein 15 g; Carb 20 g; Fiber 4 g; Cholesterol 185 mg; Sodium 540 mg

Excellent source of: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Folate, Vitamin K, Manganese, Selenium

Good source of: Fiber, Riboflavin, Calcium, Iodine, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium

Crockpot Baked Potatoes

I hate using the oven in the summer but my family loves baked potatoes. This is a never fail way to have a perfectly cooked baked potatoes with out heating up the whole house.
Sometimes we have this with our favorite toppings with a salad for a complete meal


Stab clean potatoes with fork rub lightly with olive oil. Wrap each in foil. Fill slow cooker with potatoes. Cover and cook on High 2 1/2--4 hours. DO NOT ADD WATER.

Gluten Free Nutty Oatmeal Cookies

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup hazelnut meal/flour
1/2 cup almond meal/flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the butter and sugars in food processor or mix with mixer. Add the egg and vanilla, process until well combined. Add the flours and baking powder and mix well. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine. Drop by tablespoons on a baking sheet and cook about 15 minutes.

Classic River Brownies

For those of you who usually use a box, homemade brownies are the best!! I use a recipe very similar to this one and love it!!

Ingredients:

24 ounces of semisweet of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup butter cut into chunks
6 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tbs vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Select two of the following ingredients to add:
1/2 toasted of chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup peanut butter or butterscotch chips
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chocolate covered peanuts
1 cup finely chopped peppermint bark or use Andes mints chopped (yum)

Preheat to 350. Butter a 9x13 pan and set aside. Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass or stainless steel pan over a saucepan of simmering water, remove from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile in a large bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar, fold in the melted chocolate and vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining dry ingredients then fold into the chocolate/sugar mixture. At this point if you are going to add any of the above ingredients stir them into batter now. Bake on the center rack about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.

Magic River Bars

1/2 cup butter melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/3 cup sweetened flaked or shredded coconut
6 ounces semisweet choc. chips
1 cup walnuts or pecans (can toast)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat the oven to 350. Scape the melted butter in a 9x9 square pan. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs over the butter and press down evenly. Sprinkle the coconut over the crumbs then sprinkle on the chocolate chips over the coconut. Next sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate chips and drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the ingredients.

Bake on the center rack until your toothpick comes out clean (I bet about 15 minutes). Remove from over and let cool before cutting into squares.

Apple Snickers Salad

You will need:
8-10 Green apples- peeled, cored and cut into chunks
4 snickers bars- cut into small pieces
1 large tub whipped topping (Cool Whip)
1 pkg cream cheese- softened to room temp
1/4 powdered suger

Mix Cool Whip, cream cheese and powdered sugar in a mixer. Add mixture to apples and snickers and stir together. This has such a nice sweetness to it- Perfect for BBQ's!!!

Macaroni Salad

You will need:

1 bag macaroni- cooked
1 green pepper- chopped
1 red pepper chopped ( I used Yellow and Orange also- for sweetness)
1 bunch green onions- chopped
5 hard boiled eggs- chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
2 cups Mayo
3 tbsp mustard

Mix all together and season to taske with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Sloppy Joe Di Maggios

I recently tried out this sloppy joe recipe and it was outstanding. I used ground turkey and whole grain hamburger buns.. My babysitter who happened to be visiting my kids with a friend both stayed for dinner and really enjoyed it as well.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds lean ground sirloin or ground turkey
• 1 packages beef or pork hot dogs, sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon steak seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 9 soft burger rolls - like at the ballpark

Directions

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan, in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat and crumble as it browns. Add chopped hot dogs after 3 to 4 minutes then cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Add the onions to the pan and cook to soften, 5 to 6 minutes more. In a bowl mix the spices, sugar, Worcestershire and tomato sauce. Pour sauce over the meat and simmer a few minutes to combine flavors. Slop onto buns and serve.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 heaping tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
dash of salt
4 ripe bananas- mashed
1/4 cup vegtable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 heaping cup sugar

In a large bowl, combine the bananas, veg. oil, egg, vanilla and sugar. Stir to combine ingredients.

In a seperate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir to combine ingredients.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combinded.

Pour into a bread pan and bake at 375 for 50 minutes.

I also like to add a Cinn and Sugar topping to mine before baking. I use the CinnSugar you buy at the store- premixed, and just sprinkle a generous amount on top.

I also usually make this 2 loaves at a time, in which the only thing I change is increase the baking time by 5 minutes or so.

ENJOY!

Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry with Quinoa, Peppers and Basil

This recipe comes from the box of Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa. (You can use any brand though)

1 cup Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa prepared with chicken stock according to package directions
2 cups Trader Joe's Chicken Broth (for the quinoa)
1 1/2 pounds Trader Joe's Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Tenders
4 tablespoons Trader Joe's Garlic Flavored Olive Oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
20 leaves fresh sweet basil, julienne
Grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut chicken into one inch pieces. Heat large nonstick skillet over high heat and add the oil. Add chicken and saute for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add onions, peppers, and saute for one or two more minutes. Add garlic and saute until peppers become slightly limp, but still bright, about one to two minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from heat. Add basil and quinoa. Toss until basil wilts and garnish with parmesan cheese. Serves four.

White Chili Surprise

I love this recipie, if you leave off the cheese and use light sour cream, I think it is pretty healthy.

White Chili Surprise Recipe courtesy of Tim Reinert from Howell, MI, for the FoodTV.com Manly Man Chili Cook-Off

Flavorful & tasty, not your typical red chili

3 limes (including zest)
1/2 cup tequila
Red pepper flakes
1 lb great northern beans (3 16-oz cans will work ok if you don't want to use dry beans)
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
2 large onions chopped
5 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 (4 oz) cans of green chiles
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper divided
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 cups defatted chicken stock (canned will work all right)
3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
Chopped fresh green onions

If using dry beans, pick over the beans and rinse them. Cover beans with water by at least 3 inches and soak the beans for 24 hours. Change the water 1 time about 12 hours after the soaking process starts.

Remove fat and tendons from the chicken and place the chicken breast in a container that can be covered. Zest 1 of the limes and sprinkle the lime zest over the chicken breast. Using a lemon reamer, juice all 3 limes and pour the juice over the chicken breast. Pour the tequila over the chicken and add 1 teaspoon cumin and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Sprinkle red pepper flakes over the chicken and marinate for 3 hours.

Heat olive oil in stock pot and add onion and saute for about 10 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, green chilis, cumin, cayene pepper, and cloves and saute for 10 minutes.

Add beans and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are tender, about 2 hours. (If using canned beans, complete step 5 below and then add the cooked chicken and reduce simmering time.)

Heat grill after the chili has simmered for about 2 hours. Grill the chicken breast for 5 minutes and pour remaining marinade over the chicken breast on the grill. Turn the chicken breast and grill the second side for 4 minutes. Remove the chicken breast from the grill and cut into small cubes.

Add the cubed chicken and 1 cup of cheese to the chili and stir until the cheese melts.

Ladle into bowls and serve with remaining cheese, chopped green onions, and sour cream. Salt to taste.

Chicken Pasta

My husband makes us this:

cubed chicken breast (he uses about 4-5 tenders)
2 bell peppers chopped up(we usually get 1 yellow and 1 red)
Olive oil
1 box pasta
seasonings (rosemary, a little garlic, salt & pepper, whatever else you like)

Cook chicken in the olive oil until done. Add peppers and seasonings to taste. Let this all simmer while you cook the pasta.

When the pasta is done, mix everything together and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This one is more of a dessert or treat but I cooked up the Choco Chip Cookie recipe yesterday from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook. I tweaked it a little but will post the original recipe with my notes at the end for how I tweaked it.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
¾ Cup trans fat free soft tub margarine spread
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
¾ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
¾ cup raisins (optional)
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt

1 Preheat oven to 350. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray

2 In a large bowl or electric mixer, beat the sugar and margarine with a wooden spoon or on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla, then add the chickpeas and chocolate chips. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.

3 Drop the dough by the tablespoon onto the baking sheet, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart. Press gently with a fork to flatten. Bake until the cookies are golden brown and just set, 11-13 minutes; do not overbake! Transfer to a rack and cool.
Store in an airtight container for up to three days.

***Cameo's changes***
(1)I used two WHOLE eggs which made a "cakey" texture. I didn't believe the recipe needed to be so low fat that I needed to remove the yolks from the eggs. Next time, I will only use ONE egg so it maintains a cookie versus cakey texture.

(2) I did half chocolate, half butterscotch chips simply because I like butterscotch

(3) I did half regular all purpose flour and half whole wheat flour

(4) I used unsalted butter in place of the margarine she calls for. I personally prefer butter to margarine, even if it is trans fat free.

(5) I used the Kitchenaid mixer which I believe mashed some or most of the garbanzo beans. If you are mixing by hand, even though the recipe didn't say to do it, I'd lightly mash the beans. I personally didn't want to bite into a garbanzo bean in my cookies but it's just my preference.

I think these cookies are really good! I hope you enjoy them too!

Curried Chicken

This recipe comes from the "Fix It and Forget It Lightly" cookbook.

1 1/2 lb uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 1/2 cups green apple, finely chopped
10 3/4 oz can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
4 oz can mushroom pieces
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1/2 cup skim milk
2-3 tsp curry powder, according to taste preference ***
1/4 tsp paprika
1 cup peas, thawed

1. Combine all ingredients except peas in greased (or lined) slowcooker
2. Cook on low 5-6 hours
3. Add peas.
4. Cook 1 additional hour.
5. Serve over noodles or rice if desired.

We prefer curry with rice. Also, as far as the amount of curry, we went on the high side, I think even more than it called for...but we really like the curry flavor.

Lentil-Rice Casserole

3 c chicken broth
3/4 c uncooked lentils
1/2 c uncooked brown rice
1/4 c minced onion
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 c grated chedder cheese

Blend all ingredients except cheese in a casserole dish. Bake covered at 300 degrees for 2 to 2 1/2 hrs until tender and the water is absorbed, topping with cheese during the last 20 min. Stir to blend cheese.

*Notes: I cooked the casserole in an 8x8 dish for 2 hrs, and then added the cheese and cooked an additional 15 minutes. This is really easy to make and also inexpensive!

Baked Spaghetti

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef round
1/2 cup chopped onion (from 1 small onion)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and cut into slices
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups of tomato-based pasta sauce (I like the Classico Fire Roasted Tomato)
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar
4 cups cooked spaghetti (8 oz uncooked)
2 tbsp shredded Parm cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Place olive oil in a large skillet over md-high heat. Crumble in the ground beef and add onion and garlic. Cook until beef is browned. Remove the skillet from heat and transfer beef to a large mixing bowl (drain fat first if there is any). Add the mushroom soup, pasta sauce, 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, cooked spaghetti and 1/2 cup of water and stir to mix. Transfer the spaghetti to a 13x9 baking dish and sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

3. Bake the spaghetti until it bubbles throughout and the cheese has melted. About 18 to 20 minutes.

Diet Coke Chicken

This is a lower calorie chicken recipe...If you are on WW it is 4 points I believe.

Makes 4 servings

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 cup catsup
12 oz can diet cola
Put chicken in non-stick skillet.
Pour catsup and diet cola over the top. Bring to boil.
Cover, reduce heat and cook for 45 minutes.
Uncover, turn up the heat and continue to cook until the sauce becomes thick and adheres to the chicken. It turns into the most incredible BBQ sauce



We use BBQ sauce instead of catsup. We also add in some diced onion and green pepper. It's really good! Once it starts to stick to the chicken and it gets really tender, you can shred it and use it for sandwiches, too. It's SO good.

Madeira Beef Stew

1 T canola oil
2 lbs stewing beef (1 inch cubes)
2 large onions
4 stalks celery (diced)
5 large carrots
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cracked pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
10 oz beef broth
1 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
1 lb fresh mushrooms (sliced)
¼ cup Madeira

1. Heat oil in skillet, medium-high heat. Add beef and brown on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions, celery and carrots. Cook until vegetables are softened. Add garlic, thyme, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add beef broth and wine. Cook until thickened, stirring. Add bay leaves.

3. Transfer mixture to slow cooker and stir thoroughly to combine ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. Discard bay leaves.

4. Melt 1 T butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until mushrooms release their liquid. Season to taste, then sprinkle with 1 T all-purpose flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add Madeira and stir until thickened. Just before serving, stir into the stew.

5. Serve with scalloped or mash potatoes and a good bread.

Note: I made the broth using Better Than Bouillon beef base. For the wine, I used a Cabernet Sauvignon (Sebastiani 2005). If you can't find Madeira you can substitute port wine. This recipe comes from Delicious & Dependable Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson. So far, all the recipes we've tried from this book have been great.

Amy G's Mom's Turkey Curry Salad

All of the measurments for this recipe are to taste

1 box dried pasta (penne works great)
1/2 large sweet onion diced
5 or 6 stalks of celery chopped
1 crisp apple chopped (granny smith works best)
dried cranberries (amount to liking)
cubed leftover turkey (amount to liking)
mayonnaise (can substitute sour cream)
curry powder (to taste)

Cook the pasta al dente rinse and cool. Mix the mayo and curry powder to create dressing. Mix all ingredients till coated generously with the dressing. This salad gets better after sitting in the fridge overnight.

BBQ Turkey Chili

1 can turkey chili
1 can diced tomatos
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1/3 c BBQ sauce

Mix all ingredients in slow cooker, cook on high for 8 hrs or low for 4 hrs. It's SO EASY. You can also all chili powder to make it more spicy.

Teriyaki Chicken

1-2 lbs of chicken tenders or thighs (whatever is on sale is good).
1 teaspoon of garlic minced or powder
1 cup of your favorite terriyaki sauce (I use Soy Vey)
Sliced Orange with peel or 1/2 cup of orange juice ( any citrus would be fine)
Cooking Spray or olive oil

Lightly grease the crock pot.
Add Chicken and lightly coat with garlic powder or minced garlic.
Add orange and terriyaki sauce.

Cook on low for 5 hours. Depending on size of chicken.
Serve with rice and steamed snow peas or broccoli.

Crockpot Pot Roast

1-2 lb. of lean stew meat.
Pot Roast Seasoning packet. (I use McCormick)
Sm. Yukon Potatos (no need to peel)
2 handfuls of Baby Carrots
1 cup of water or low sodium broth

Throw all the veggies in first, then add stew meat.
I like to coat the meat with a little garlic powder before adding to pot. Mix the pot roast seasoning with cup of liquid (discard the bag that come with the seasoning) and pour over meat and veggies.

Cook on low for 6 hours.
My kids love cesar salad and sourdough bread with this meal.

Zucchini Harvest Bread

3 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ cup sugar
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cloves
1 tbsp vanilla
2 cups unpeeled, shredded zucchini (about 2 medium sized ones)

Heat oven to 350. In large mixing bowl combine all ingredients except zucchini. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes). By hand, stir in zucchini. Spread into 2 greased 8 x 4? loaf pans.

Bake for 50 ? 65 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes then remove from pans. Cool completely; store refrigerated.

Cheesy Vegetable Pasta

Ingredients

1/2 pound dry ziti or penne
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
2 medium eggplants, halved lengthwise
1/2 large yellow onion, quartered
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup pasta sauce
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled Feta
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella

Preparation

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small bowl. Place the zucchini, eggplants, and onion on a baking sheet. Brush with the vinaigrette. Heat broiler on high. Broil until tender, 8 minutes per side.

Heat oven to 350° F. Chop the roasted vegetables. Place a large pot over low heat. Add the garlic and the remaining oil and cook for 3 minutes. Add the drained pasta, vegetables, oregano, tomatoes, pasta sauce, Feta, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and the remaining salt and toss. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the mozzarella. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 minutes more.

To Freeze: Assemble (but do not bake) the casserole. Cover tightly with two layers of aluminum foil. Store for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or thaw partially in the microwave. Cover and heat in a 350° F oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and heat for 10 minutes more.

Tip: To make individual servings, freeze the pasta in ramekins or small ovenproof bowls. Cover and heat for 20 minutes, then uncover and heat for 10 minutes more.

Yield

Makes 4 servings

Tiramisu

Makes 4 to 6 generous servings.

Ingredients

3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
1 (8-oz) container mascarpone cheese (1 scant cup)
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
1 cup very strong brewed coffee or brewed espresso, cooled to room temperature

2 tablespoons sweet dark rum

18 savoiardi (crisp Italian ladyfingers, 6 oz)
1/4 cup fine-quality bittersweet chocolate shavings (not unsweetened; made with a vegetable peeler) or 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation

Beat together yolks and 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Beat in mascarpone until just combined.

Beat whites with a pinch of salt in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they hold soft peaks. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating, then continue to beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat cream in another bowl with cleaned beaters until it holds soft peaks. Fold cream into mascarpone mixture gently but thoroughly, then fold in whites. Beat until it holds stiff peaks.

Stir together coffee and Marsala in a shallow bowl. Dip 1 ladyfinger in coffee mixture, soaking it very quickly and transfer to an 8-inch glass baking dish (2-quart capacity). Repeat with 8 more ladyfingers and arrange in bottom of dish, trimming as needed to fit snugly. Spread half of mascarpone mixture evenly over ladyfingers. Make another layer in same manner with remaining ladyfingers and mascarpone mixture. Chill tiramisu, covered, at least 6 hours.

Just before serving, sprinkle with chocolate.

Cooks' notes:
? The eggs in this recipe are not cooked, which may be of concern if there is a problem with salmonella in your area.
? Tiramisu can be chilled up to 1 day.

Cowboy Caviar

(1) 15 oz. can white corn (drained)

(1) 15 oz. can black beans (drained and rinsed)

2-3 avocados cubed

(1) cup diced tomatoes (no seeds)

2/3 cup cilantro (chopped)

2/3 cup green onions (chopped)



DRESSING

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1/8 tsp. ground pepper

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin



Blend dressing ingredients and pour over salsa - Refrigerate

Eggplant Parmesan

I prefer baking or grilling the eggplant rather than the traditional method of frying it to help cut down calories and fat. Choose firm fleshed, shiny eggplants for the best results. This recipe is very easy, and as long as you use quality ingredients you can?t go wrong.


2 ? 3 Medium Eggplants

6 Tablespoons Coarse Salt

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 1/2 Cups Grated Mozzarella Cheese

1 1/2 Cups Grated Parmesan Cheese


For The Sauce:

2 (15 Ounce) Cans Imported Chopped Italian Tomatoes

1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Onion

2 Cloves Garlic, Peeled And Minced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)

3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Basil


Cut the eggplants lengthwise into 3/4 to 1 inch thick slices. Place a few slices in a colander and sprinkle with a little of the salt. Continue to slice the eggplants and place them in the colander with salt. Place a plate that just covers the eggplant on top, and then weight it down with a heavy can or canister. Let the eggplant drain in the sink for about 45 minutes. Pat the eggplant dry.

While the eggplant is being purged of any bitterness, begin the sauce by heating the olive oil in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute or two. Next add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook over low heat until the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. Add the chopped basil and mix well.

Turn on the broiler in the oven and place the eggplant slices flat on a lightly greased baking sheet. Lightly brush the top of the eggplants with olive oil and then broil until lightly browned. Turn the eggplant, and brown the other side. Continue in this manner until all of the eggplant slices have been browned.

Preheat oven to 350*. In a large baking pan, first spoon in a little sauce to just barely cover the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of eggplant slices side by side without touching each other. Spoon a little sauce on each slice, and then sprinkle a little of each of the grated cheeses. Choose another slice of equal size for each of the prepared eggplant slices in the pan, and cover each one with this second slice. Spoon some sauce on each of these slices, and then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake the eggplant until bubbly and lightly browned, about 35 to 40 minutes.


Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 2004

Salsa Veggie Chicken

Chicken breasts (no fat, no skins)
big jar of salsa
whatever other veggies you like (if you want)

1. Just brown the chicken in a frying pan with some garlic.
2. Dump the jar of salsa over top
3. Along with the veggies (if adding any) Peas are really good, and simple.
4. And simmer until done

Easy Porkchops

Enough pork chops to feed family
Enough potatoes to feed family
1 can cream of mush soup
milk, butter and salt and pepper

Spray pan and add just enough milk to cover bottom of dish. Peel and slice potatoes like chips but thicker. Place potatoes in pan and season with s&p. Place pork chops over potatoes and add cream of mush soup, covering chops. Cover pan with foil and bake at 375 for 45 mins, uncover and cook 15 more mins.

Mexican Lasagne

1-lb cooked ground beef or turkey, season to taste with taco seasoning
1- 16 oz can refried beans
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
2-1/2 c water
2 c sour cream
2-1/2 c salsa
3/4 c green onions
1 can black olives
1+ cup grated cheese (whatever you like)

Combine meat and beans. Place 4 of the noodles in bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Spread 1/2 the meat mix over noodles. Top with 4 more noodles and remaining meat mix. Cover with remaining noodles. Combine water and salsa in bowl and pour over noodles and meat. Cover tight with foil and bake at 350 for 1-1/2 hours. Combine sour cream, olives and onions. Spoon over casserole. Top with cheese and bake uncovered for 15 mins. Let stand for 10 mins to firm then serve and eat!

Garlic Shrimp with Mushrooms

2 tsp white wine or nonfat veggie broth
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined and thawed
1 tsp minced garlic
3 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 c. green onions, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 c non fat veg broth
2 c. cooked rice

Spray nonstick skillet with cooking spray add wine and heat over med heat. Add shrimp and garlic to skillet and cook 1-2 mins. Add mushrooms, onions and veg broth, cook stirring frequently until shrimp are no longer ping and veggies are heated through. Server over cooked rice!

Lattice Top Chicken Stew

1 pkg 16 oz frozen veggies (whatever you like)
2 c. cubed cooken chicken breasts
1 can 10 3/4 oz cream of pot soup
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of shredded chedder cheese
1/2 tsp seasoned salt (mrs. dash works great)
1 tube (8oz) crescent rolls

In a bowl combine the chick, veggies, soup, milk, cheese and s. salt. Transfer to a greased 13x9 baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 mins. Separate crescent dough into 2 rectangles. Seal perferations and cut into strips, weave lattice style and bake 15 mins uncovered. This is a great reciped to use with leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken and veggies from holidays and such!

Oven Fried Chicken

2 lg eggs
1-TBSP Dijon mustard
1- tsp dried thyme
3/4- tsp salt
1/2 - tsp pepper
1 pkg (5-1/2 oz) melba toast: pulse to sand texture in food processor
4 drumsticks, 4 thighs (skin removed)
Spray bottle filled with veg oil

Preheat oven to 400. Mix eggs, mustard, thyme, S&P in a shallow dish. Put melba crumbs in another shallow dish. Set a lg wire rack over 18x19" foil-lined jelly roll pan. Using 1 hand lay chick in egg mix and roll to coat. Then roll in toast crumbs. Press crumbs into top of chick. Set chick on reach and spray top of chick with veg oil. Bake until chick is nutty brown and juices are clean. About 30 mins for drumsticks and 35-40 for thighs or breasts.

Creamy Cooker Chicken

16oz sour cream
1 envelope lipton onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4-6 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves

Mix first 3 ingredients in the crock-pot. Submerge chicken in sauce. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

Robert Hogan's Roast Pork Tenderloin

1 small pork tenderloin (12 oz.) ? well trimmed of fat
¼ cup plus 3 tbsp hoisen sauce (divided)
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger root
1 tbsp dry sherry
1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard

Mix all together in bowl. Put tenderloin in Ziploc bag and pour in the sauce. Let sit at least 2 hours in the fridge (or overnight). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put pork on rack over foil-lined pan for 30-45 minutes. Check so no pink inside ? should be 160 degrees. After you remove the pork from the ziplock, cook marinade in a small sauce pan about 3 minutes. Use as a basting sauce while the pork is cooking.

Angela's Mom's Chow Mein

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed, fat removed
1 large onion
5 pieces of bok choy (a must!)
any vegetables that you like, here is what I use:
1 grated carrot
1/2 cup bean sprouts
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 one inch of ginger, grated
1 1/2c mushrooms, sliced (canned mushrooms have too much salt)
Chinese style steam fried noodles (low fat)
½ wok of low sodium, low fat chicken broth

1. In a wok, cook the chicken with some ginger and garlic. Set aside.
2. Add a bit of oil, garlic, ginger and all vegetables in the wok. Always place the hardest vegetables in the wok first. Use any vegetables you like. Just a few minutes until they are just starting to soften.
3. Add chicken broth and stir.
4. Add noodles and stir. Simmer until noodles are soft.

Season with sesame oil, about 1 ? 2 TBSPs. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

(you can use a frying pan, but use as little oil as you can and keep stirring it)

Chole

This is an indian recipe. We LOVE it. It's not hot, not spicy and is just a good comfort food. It's really easy and cooks in one pot.

1 chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1 block firm tofu
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp garam marsala
2 tsp coriander
½ tsp tumeric
1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas)
2 14.5oz. cans crushed tomatoes
½ bunch of spinach (if desired)
1 small potato, cooked & cubed


1. In a large pot sauté onion & garlic & tofu in olive oil, about 5 mins. LET COOL.
2. Add all spices.
3. Stir in tomatoes, garbanzo beans (drained), spinach and potato.
4. Simmer on low ? 20 minutes.

This is a really nice, tasty meal. It is not spicy. We like parmesan cheese on top and a nice bread with it.

Serve over basmati rice.

p.s. Cosco has a wonderful brown basmati rice that you would never know is brown rice.

Cheesy Buns

1 can "pop" biscuits (pillsbury, flaky ones don't work very well)
grated cheese
butter or cooking spray

Coat the inside bottom and sides of a 9X9 inch pan with butter or cooking spray. Pre-heat the oven according to the package directions.

Cover the bottom of the pan with an even layer of cheese, so no pan is showing, but not too thick.

Cut the raw biscuits into 4ths. Place the pieces on top of the cheese next to each other, sides touching.

Bake according to package directions, or until the biscuits are golden brown.

Let the pan cool for a minute or two, then flip out onto a plate so the cheese is on top. To eat just pull them apart and enjoy. The crispy cheesy edges are the best!

Farmer Style Breakfast

1 lb breakfast sausage
2/3 bag of O'brien potatoes
4-6 whipped eggs (depending on how eggy you want it)
Grated cheese

Brown the sausage in a pot or big skillet.
Add the potatoes and cook until they are about done (5-10 minutes)
pour the eggs over the whole mess and stir it so everything gets coated. Cook until the eggs are all yellow.
Top with grated cheese and serve.

Also makes great Breakfast burrito filling.

Baked Pasta with Spinach, Ricotta and Proscuitto

1 lb gemelli (or other pasta of choice)
6 ozs sliced proscuitto
2 10 oz packages frozen spinach
2 cups milk
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 cup grated parmesan
Coarse salt (to season)
Ground pepper (to season)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the pasta a few minutes less than package says. Cut 6 ozs of prosciutto into thin strips. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, toss pasta with the spinach (after thawed and squeezed of excess moisture), half of the proscuitto, milk, ricotta and garlic. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Top with remaining prosciutto and parmesan. Bake until golden, 30 - 40 minutes.
Yummy!

Crockpot Sloppy Joes

3 lbs ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup prepared mustard
4 TBS vinegar
4 TBS worcestershire sauce
3 tsp chili powder
hamburger buns

Cook ground beef, onion, and garlic, drain.
Combine ketchup, water, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, worcestershire sauce and chili powder in crock pot, stir in meat.
Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours.

Spinach Pinwheels

Ingredients:

6 lasagna noodles, boiled and drained
1 package frozen spinach, cooked and drained
3/4 teaspoon Oregano
1/4 Cup parmesean cheese
1 egg
15 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 8oz package mozz. cheese slices, cut in half lengthwise


Procedure

Pour 1/2 of spaghetti sauce into a 8x8 baking dish

Mix spinach with egg, Oregano and parm. cheese. Layout noodles and place mozz cheese on each one. Put 1 good tablespoon of spinach mixture on end of each noodle and roll up. Cut crosswise, and place cut side down in baking dish. Cover with remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

Taco Soup

Ingredients

1 lb - very lean ground beef
1 onion
2 cans Rotel Tomatoes (I only used one)
1 can of crushed Tomatoes
1 can of wholecorn
2 cans of black beans (drained) (I only used one)
1 cup of water
1 package of taco seasoning
1 package of Ranch Dressing Mix


Procedure

Brown ground beef and onion together with the taco seasoning & ranch dressing mix. Pour in remaining ingredients. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

You can also add some shredded chedder cheese or sour cream on top..YUM!

White Castle Burgers AKA "Sliders"

Ingredients

2 Tbsp mayo
small dinner rolls (pepperidge farms) 36 rolls
Lipton onion soup mix
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
american cheese slices
pickles
Procedure

Brown ground beef and drain.
Add soup mix and mayo.
Spoon mixture onto buns. Add pickle and cheese(if desired)
Cover with top of bun.
Heat at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. If refrigerated, heat longer

Jamie's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
  
• 1 stick butter crisco
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1 cup brown sugar
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1 tbsp vanilla
  
• 2 1/4 cups flour
  
• 3 cups oatmeal- not the instant kind
  
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips ( I like to use a combo of milk chocolate, semi sweet and peanut butter chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix the butter and crisco butter together until smooth. Add sugar and brown sugar mix.
Add eggs, salt, baking soda and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add flour and mix. Add Oatmeal and mix. Add chips.
Bake in tbsp scoops for 11-13 minutes. The should be slightly browning on the edges but still look almost gooey in the center. Let sit on pan for a few minutes before moving to cool. These cookies are the BEST when they are warm!!!!!

Stuffed Tomatoes

• 2 large tomatoes, such as beefsteak (about 1 pound)
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  
• 3 slices bacon (about 3 ounces) - finely chopped
  
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  
• 1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and excess liquid squeezed out
  
• Freshly ground black pepper
  
• Freshly grated nutmeg
  
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  
• 1/3 cup fine bread crumbs
  
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, optional

Cut the tomatoes crosswise, and pop out the seeds. Season with some of the salt and place cut-side down on a paper towel to drain.
Position an oven rack in the upper part of the oven and preheat the broiler to high. Cook the bacon over medium heat in a large skillet until crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the paper towel with the tomatoes. Cook the shallot until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, stir until heated through and somewhat dry, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a board to cool.

Add the crisp bacon into a bowl and toss with the spinach, cheese, and bread crumbs.

Place the tomato on a foil-lined baking pan, season with pepper and stuff each with some of the spinach stuffing. Broil until warm throughout and tops are brown, about 5 minutes. Serve.

Curry Chicken Pot Pie

• 2 cups frozen vegetable mix, peas, carrots
  
• 2 cups cooked diced potato
  
• 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
  
• 6 tablespoons butter
  
• 1 cup chopped onion
  
• 1 cup chopped celery
  
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 6 tablespoons flour
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
  
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
  
• 1 package puff pastry

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss frozen vegetables with canola oil and spread evenly onto a sheet pan. Place into oven and cook until golden brown.
In a saute pan heat 2 tablespoon of butter and sweat the onion and celery.
In another saucepan, heat the broth and milk.
Add 4 more tablespoons of butter to the celery mix and cook out the water. Add the flour and curry and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Whisk in the hot milk mixture and cook until thickened. Add the parsley, salt and pepper. Toss the browned vegetables and the chicken.
Pour into a shallow oiled baking pan and top with 6 to 8 circles of puff pastry. Place into the oven and cook until puff pastry has browned and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti:

You will need:

• 1 pound dried ziti pasta
  
• 1 pound swwet or spicy italian sausage, casing removed and crumbled( i use half a pkg of both kinds.
  
• 1/4 medium onion
  
• 3 gloves of garlic
  
• 3 1/2 cups whole, peeled. canned tomatoes in puree (28oz can), roughly chopped ( I puree in a food processor)
  
• Spring fresh thyme
  
• Spring fresh basil
  
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt + some
  
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, half cut into 1/2 inch cubes and half thinly sliced
  
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
  
• 1/2 tsp. pepper+ some
  
• Pinch red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously, and boil the pasta until al dente, tender but still slightly firm. Drain. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook sausage until beginning to brown. the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the herb sprigs and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in the salt and season with pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the marinara sauce, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan,
and the cubed mozzarella pieces. Season with the black pepper and red pepper to taste, and mix until well combined. Transfer the pasta to an oiled 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Cover the top of the pasta with the sliced mozzarella, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until lightly browned and hot, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Welcome to the MMOCO Recipe Blog!

Ok, I'll admit it--I have selfish reasons for starting this blog. I love cooking and am always searching for tried and true recipes that others love. Although we have an extensive list of recipes on the MMOCO website message board, I always have a hard time finding recipes in that post when I really need them. Even more so, it seems that so many of us have given these recipes a try and have hints of ways to enhance them or switch them up a little. So I decided to move them all over to one blog that would allow us to be more interactive with our recipes. All MMOCO members will now be able to search recipes easier, as well as add comments once you've actually made one of these dishes. Hopefully we can add to this blog weekly to further enhance the inner Alton Browns in all of us. :)