Sweet Ketchup- and Bacon-Topped Meatloaf

Adapted from Southern Living 2003 recipe

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork sausage (I used sweet Italian seasoned)
1/2 c soft bread crumbs
1 medium onion
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
bacon
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup molasses

In a skillet on medium heat, caramelize onions, set aside. Pulse 1-2 slices fresh sandwich bread in the food processor, until even crumb is established. Measure out 1/2 cup (remainder can be frozen in a ziplock bag) Meanwhile, mix together eggs, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning & bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl. Break beef and pork apart, coat with egg mixture. Add onions, and mix together until all coated and incorporated, being careful not to overwork the mixture, because that will make the meatloaf tough.

Heat oven to 375. Line a rimmed jelly-roll or large casserole dish with foil. Freeform the mixture into 2 logs about 6" x 2" Cook 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix ketchup, brown sugar & molasses in a measuring cup or small mixing bowl. After 20 minutes cooking, pour or spoon ketchup mixture evenly over the loaves, then top with bacon lengthwise along the loaf. (I used 3 slices per loaf). Cook at 375 for 50 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle.


I even was able to make this egg-free by using Ener-G egg replacer. Using safe bread, it's dairy-free, too.

Pasta something-or-other

I don't know what this recipe is called, it's got a lot of Italian-sounding vowels and such.

It's adapted from a Rachel Ray 30-Minute Meal, and it really does only take about 30 minutes

1 pound penne pasta
salt
pepper
olive oil
6 slices peppered bacon, chopped
1 medium onion (she uses red)
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped or minced
1 dry pint sliced mushrooms (this is my addition, I used baby bellas)
1 cup chicken stock
28 oz fire roasted tomatoes diced or chopped
handful each fresh parsley, fresh basil
salt & pepper

Put pasta water on to boil, salt heavily (tablespoon or so). Meanwhile, add olive oil to large stockpot, enough to just coat the bottom of the pan. Add bacon, cook till browned. Add onion, mushrooms, cook till mushrooms are tender and onions are translucent. Add garlic. Deglaze pot with chicken stock, add tomatoes. Meanwhile, cook pasta to just al dente. Simmer sauce till slightly reduced. Taste, add salt & pepper as needed. Drain pasta, and add to sauce pot and continue cooking till pasta is done. Serve with shredded sharp cheddar cheese, or other strong-flavored cheese like good parmesan.

I think another good addition to this dish would be roasted red peppers, sliced/chopped, and maybe some cream at the end of cooking for a little extra silkiness. Otherwise, it is a dairy-free dish (without the cheese) and approved by the toddler.

Cream Scones with Blueberries

From Cook's Illustrated
I've never made scones, but I had both blueberries and cream to use.

2 cups (10 oz) all purpose flour preferably a lower-protein brand such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury. I use Kroger Brand, I am not sure where it falls on the protein spectrum, but I did measure with my food scale, and came up with just shy of 2 whole cups

1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4" cubes
1/2 cup currants (original recipe calls for currants, I subbed blueberries, and probably used about a cup)

1 cup heavy cream

Heat oven to 425, and adjust rack to middle position. Fit a food processor with metal blade.
Combine dry ingredients in food processor, pulse till just mixed. Add butter, pulse until just crumbly.
Transfer to a large bowl. Mix in blueberries. Pour in cream, mix with a spatula until it just comes together. Transfer dough ball and all crumbly bits to a floured work surface. Knead gently with hands to create a ball. Press into a disk about 8" round. Cut into wedges.

Transfer to ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until light brown. Cool on a wire rack at least 10 minutes.

You can also brush the tops with a little cream and sprinkle with sugar for a nice sheen and sweet flavor.

Oh Mama Chocolate Cielo!!

Buttermilk-Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

Ingredients

1 (8-oz.) package semisweet chocolate baking squares, chopped*

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1/2 cup chocolate syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

Garnish: powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Microwave chocolate baking squares in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 minute and 15 seconds or until chocolate is melted and smooth, stirring every 15 seconds.



2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate, chocolate syrup, and vanilla until smooth.



3. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan or a 12-cup Bundt pan.



4. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack, and let cool 1 hour and 30 minutes or until completely cool. Garnish, if desired.



*2 (4.4-oz.) packages Mexican chocolate, chopped, may be substituted for semisweet chocolate baking squares. Omit ground cinnamon, and proceed with recipe as directed. For testing purposes only, we used Nestlé Abuelita Mexican Chocolate.

Pasta with Peas and Pancetta

1/4 lb pancetta, diced (I suppose you could sub regular, un-flavored bacon--no maple, no hickory...)
2 Tbs butter
1 small onion, diced
4 baby portabella caps, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced very fine
1 c or more heavy cream
1 Tbs fresh basil
1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese
1 box penne pasta
salt
1 c frozen peas
fresh ground pepper

Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add pancetta, cook till golden. Remove pancetta to a towel-lined plate. In the same hot pan, add butter. Add onions and mushrooms and saute until onions are translucent, and mushrooms start to soften. Add pancetta back to the pan. Add garlic and cook all till fragrant.

Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente in salted water. Add frozen peas in the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Add cream to pancetta pan, and allow to reduce some. Add basil, pepper, and parmesan cheese, stir in pan to mix.

Add pasta back to pasta pot. Pour sauce over pasta and stir to mix. Add more cream if needed.

Serve with shaved parmesan cheese.

Total cooking time was about 30 minutes. Serves 4 or more

Hey, mambo! Mambo italiano!

Appetizers


Salami and Bocconcini Bites

On a piece of thin sliced salami place one basil leaf, one half of a cherry tomato, a small bocconcini ball or a cube of fresh mozzarella and one sun-dried tomato in oil. Secure with a pick and drizzle with balsamic and olive oil.

Salad

Tomato sliced thick with bocconcini and mozzarella add a splash of EVO and Basalminc viniager



Dessert

Rustic Fig and Ricotta Tart

For the Ricotta Filling:

1lb ricotta

2 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

Orange zest

Heaping tablespoon of orange marmalade

Pinch of cinnamon

Beat together on low speed until all incorporated



On a baking sheet place parchment paper, then place your dough round on top of that and prick the bottom with a fork.

Spread ricotta mixture all over except where you're going to be folding the edges up. Then place figs on top.

Brush the top with a beaten egg or milk, bake at 375F until golden brown, check the bottom with a spatula to make sure it has a nice brown color.

Mini S'mores Bites

Someone else has probably made these before, but, the idea occurred to me after seeing a commercial with chocolate fondue. I had also just bought graham crackers for my son, because they're one of the few sweet things that he can eat, due to his egg and dairy allergies. The idea of chocolate fondue and graham crackers logically led me to marshmallows...

Mini S'mores Bites

2 Graham Crackers*
1/2 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips*
approximately 1/2 bag "normal" size marshmallows

Pour chocolate chips into a small metal or glass bowl, and melt over a saucepan of water slowly, in a double boiler. Meanwhile, crush graham crackers in a baggie with a rolling pin, until you get a consistent, fine crumb, then pour into a shallow bowl. Stir the chocolate until very smooth and fully melted. Remove from heat.

Line a sheet pan with waxed paper.

Dip marshmallows in chocolate till the chocolate comes about halfway up the marshmallow. Coat all the chocolate in graham cracker crumbs, and place, crumb side down on waxed paper. Refrigerate to allow chocolate to re-harden.

Yummo. If you have older children, they could easily help with the construction of these tasty treats.

*Always check labels, if you are cooking for someone with allergies, but the Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips are dairy-free. Many graham crackers contain dry milk powder, but the Honey Maid and the Kroger brand graham crackers are dairy-free as well.



Water simmering under double boiler



Graham Cracker Crumbs



Smooth Melted Chocolate



Finished Product

Chocolate Cake - Egg/Nut/Dairy Free

I invited 18 boys to my son's birthday party this year. Is that crazy? I got RSVP's from 16 of them. Two never bothered to respond. One advised they were unable to make it. So we have a party of 15, plus my son - so that 16 boys...and they are all 2nd and 3rd graders.

I got notes from two parents regarding allergies, and would it be okay if they brought something special for their child so they didn't miss out on anything. I knew going into this that there were allergies, and I was thankful that the parents who's kids had them advised me. I am dealing with peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs. I thought to myself - this must be a regular occurance for these poor kids. Nobody bothers to cater to the needs of all the kids, they just exclude the ones with allergies - hence the parents asking if they could bring something for their own child.

The hunt began. It ended very quickly as well because I found THIS recipe.

Egg-Free Dairy-Free Nut-Free Cake

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Egg-Free-Dairy-Free-Nut-Free-Cake/Detail.aspx

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch baking pan.
2.In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Mix well with a fork, then stir in oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract. When dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened, pour in cold water and stir until batter is smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and pour batter into prepared pan.
3.Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

So I made this cake tonight for my son's party tomorrow. We are also serving fruit, cheese, crackers, and kielbasa - as well as some kool aid drink boxes, Chubby soda's (they are neat one cup servings of soda in small containers great for kids), and big bottles of water.

The cake turned out FANTASTIC!! It is very dense, but the flavour is really good. I know I'm supposed to be eating on plan, but I scored the cake to make sure the tops were even for when I frost it tomorrow, and I couldn't resist taking a bite. It was DELICIOUS! My husband thought it was really good as well.

So - if you're in need of a good allergy friendly cake - look no further, here it is :o)

If I get the chance after I ice it I'll take a picture to post later.

Ham Stuffed Manicotti

This recipe came to me via BFF Melissa who is currently pregnant with her 5th child - and first girl! She said it was AMAZING! The reviews I saw on the site itself were also very positive. Sounds like a keeper!

http://busycooks.about.com/od/pastacasserolerecipes/r/hammanicotti.htm

This fabulous casserole has the most wonderful flavor. It freezes really well too, so make a couple of batches this holiday season.

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 70 minutes

Ingredients:

•14 manicotti pasta shells
•1 onion, chopped
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
•1/4 cup butter or olive oil
•1-2 cups cooked cubed ham
•1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
•6 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
•6 Tbsp. flour
•3 cups milk
•2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
•1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Cook manicotti as directed on package. Drain, rinse in cool water and set aside. Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, and green bell pepper in 4 Tbsp. butter or olive oil until tender. Add ham and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.

In another heavy saucepan, cook 6 Tbsp. butter or olive oil until foamy. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles, about 3 minutes. Add milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens. Stir in cheese. Mix 1/4 of cheese sauce with ham mixture.

Fill manicotti shells with ham mixture (your fingers work best for this; it's messy, but most efficient). Spread about 1/2 cup cheese sauce in greased 13x9" glass baking dish and arrange filled shells over sauce. If there is any leftover stuffing, just sprinkle it over the filled shells. Pour remaining cheese sauce over filled manicotti. At this point the casserole can be cooled in the refrigerator, then wrapped and frozen up to 3 months. To thaw and reheat, thaw casserole overnight in refrigerator, then uncover, sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes. If not freezing casserole, sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until bubbly. Serves 8

Chicken Enchilada Dip Roll Ups

http://annies-eats.com/2010/02/04/chicken-enchilada-roll-ups/
 
Chicken Enchilada Dip Roll-Ups
Printer Friendly Version
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, pepper jack, etc.)
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
Handful of cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained well
4-6 8-inch tortillas
Directions:
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Cook in a skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned and cooked through.  Transfer to a plate and let cool.
In the meantime, combine all of the remaining ingredients except tortillas in a large mixing bowl.  Mix until well blended.  Once the chicken is cool, transfer to a cutting board and chop or shred into small pieces.  Add the chicken to the filling mixture and stir well to incorporate.
Spread a thin layer of the filling mixture over a tortilla, leaving a small border clear around the edge.  Roll the tortilla up tightly into a spiral.  Place the rolled up tortilla on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut into 1- to 1½-inch thick segments.  Transfer to a serving platter and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Smores Cookies

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/se28099mores-cookies-2/

• 1 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
• ¾ cups White Sugar
• ¾ cups Packed Brown Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1-¾ cup All Purpose White Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 8 whole Graham Cracker Crumbs (finely Crushed)
• ¾ cups Milk Chocolate Chips
• ¾ cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips/chunks
• 2 whole Large (8 Oz.) Hershey Candy Bar (Milk Chocolate)
• 120 whole Mini Marshmallows (or More)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs.
Cream together butter and sugars, beat until fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time and vanilla, beat together.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and graham cracker crumbs.
Gradually add flour/graham cracker mixture to butter mixture, beating until combined.
Stir in both types of chocolate chips.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
While cookies are baking – prep Hershey’s Chocolate bar. Snap apart the pieces and then cut them in half. You should get 24 pieces for every single bar.
Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven.
Quickly press marshmallows and chocolate bar pieces into each cookie.
Return cookies to oven and bake for 4 minutes.
Remove from oven, cool completely.

Chicken Tostada Upside Down Bake

http://picky-palate.com/2010/03/08/chicken-tostada-upside-down-bake/

Chicken Tostada Upside Down Bake

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
4 small or 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
1 can diced tomatoes, fire roasted is great with this recipe
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can black olives, chopped
1 packet ranch dressing seasoning packet (optional, but really tasty)
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
Pinch of kosher salt and pepper
1/2 Cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 can Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, in the sheet form if possible
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Lawry’s Garlic Salt with Parsley
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat oil in dutch oven or other large pot over medium heat.  Saute onions for 5 minutes then add in garlic; cook for an additional 1 minute.  Add chicken, tomatoes, corn, black beans, olives, ranch seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper.  Stir and cook for 5 minutes, until heated through, then stir in cilantro.  Pour into a 9×13 inch baking dish that’s been sprayed with non stick cooking spray.  Place Crescent Roll sheet over top of chicken mixture, brush lightly with olive oil and season with garlic salt.  (If you are using the regular crescent rolls, unroll then and press perforations together with fingers then place over chicken).  Bake for 20 minutes, until just starting to brown.  Top with cheese and bake for an additional 15-18 minutes or until cheese is melted and crescent dough is cooked through.  Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
2.  Serve with shredded lettuce and sour cream if desired (not pictured, but really good!)
8 servings

Guacamole

I love avocados in just about any form, and guacamole is no exception. I always make mine fresh, from whole, ripe avocados. Avocados are a great source for monounsaturated fats--which are the healthy fats. They also contain 20 other vitamins and minerals. To select an avocado, it should be heavy, the skin should be intact, and it should have some give to it, when you press lightly with your thumb, like a tomato or a very ripe pear. If they're very hard, you can still buy them, and place them on your countertop until they soften and ripen. Ripe avocados will keep in the refrigerator for about a week until you should really use them up. Most Haas avocados will have a dark green/brown/black "alligator" skin when they're ripe, but are much more green when unripe. Avocados are also one of the fruits that the USDA states do not need to be bought organic, because there is often little pesticide residue in the fruit flesh. Just be sure you wash the surface skin of the avocado before cutting, otherwise, you'll transfer anything on the skin to the flesh when you slice it. Avocados are available year-round in most grocery stores, but when they're in season (starting in late spring), you can often find them very cheap. Stock up! They also make great food for babies and toddlers because of their mild, buttery taste.

This recipe makes enough for 4-6 adults as part of a side dish or appetizer for party

4-5 ripe avocados
1 tsp (or more) Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
1-2 tbs Southwest style seasoning, adobo, or cajun style seasoning
1 tbs lime juice (or juice from about half a small lime)
3-4 tbs sour cream (optional, omit if making dairy-free)

Slice avocados in half, remove pit. There are a number of ways to do this. Since the avocados are going to be mashed, it doesn't matter if it comes out pretty. I usually just hold the avocado half in one hand, and pry the pit out with the thumb of the other hand. Peel or scoop the flesh out of the skin (again, you can use your hands) and place it into a bowl. Mash avocados with your hands to achieve whatever texture you desire. I like mine very smooth. Add Tabasco, seasoning, lime juice and sour cream (if using) and stir to mix well. If you are not serving it immediately, cut a piece of plastic wrap big enough to fit into the bowl and up the sides. Press the plastic wrap onto the surface of the guacamole so that the plastic wrap covers the entire surface, and there is no air exposure. Then, you can either wrap again, or add a top to your bowl. The browning of the surface of guacamole won't affect its taste or texture, just its appearance. If it begins to brown, simply stir the surface to mix with the rest.

Serve with white corn chips, or add to a burger or sandwich.

Another trick: When you're done mashing the avocados, wipe as much of the flesh as you can off your hands, and simply rinse your hands rather than washing with soap (your hands should have been clean before starting to prepare!), and rub the leftover flesh into your fingers. The avocado oil is great for the skin.

www.avocado.org

Sweet & Spicy Coleslaw

This is a recipe from Down Home with the Neelys on the Food Network. The couple is a little too sugar-sweet on TV, but they have some awesome recipes. This slaw will knock the socks off of any other impostor. Nothing can really hold a candle to it, once you try it. And, it is super easy to make, and it actually freezes pretty well.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/down-home-with-the-neelys/sweet-and-spicy-coleslaw-recipe/index.html

2 pounds green cabbage (I always use a mix of green & red equaling about 2 lbs, because it just looks prettier)
4 carrots
1 medium onion
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c prepared yellow mustard
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 c sugar
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp (or more) cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste

Cut cabbages into quarters and remove core. Peel carrots, chunk onions. Feed veggies into a food processor with large-hole grater blade attached. In a large bowl, toss the veggies together to mix. In a smaller bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and season with cayenne/salt & pepper to taste. Pour dressing over veggies and mix well. Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving, and just prior to serving, re-toss to mix, as the mixture/cabbage will have seeped out more liquid.

Great on barbecue sandwiches and hot dogs.

Coney Island Chili Dog Pie

Here's another from my low-carb website that I visit quite often for recipes...

http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/coney_island_chilidog_pie.html

I've perverted it slightly...

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef
1 diced onion
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tbsp mustard (straight from the plastic container)
Dash of hot sauce
1 can tomatoe sauce
1 package hot dogs (I buy the chicken dogs because they are always on sale for less then a dollar, otherwise any kind you get is fine)
2 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use miracle whip)
1/4 cup cream (or whipping cream depending on where you live)
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown the hamburger and onion; drain fat. Stir in the seasonings, mustard, hot sauce, tomato sauce and sliced hot dogs. Spread in a greased large pie plate; stir in half of the cheese. Beat the eggs well; whisk in the mayonnaise then the cream. Beat well until smooth. Stir in the remaining cheese. Pour over the meat mixture and spread evenly. Bake at 350º 30-35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

My husband loves this - pair it with a salad, and it's a well balanced meal!!

Crock Pot Beef Tacos In Soft Tortilla Bread

http://picky-palate.com/2009/08/20/crock-pot-beef-tacos-in-soft-tortilla-bread/

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 anaheim chili peppers, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 lbs lean ground beef

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1/4 teaspoon Lawry’s garlic salt with Parsley

1 Cup Herdez Mild Salsa, or your favorite brand

1.  Place oil into a large rimmed skillet over medium heat.  Saute onion, peppers and garlic for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add in beef, salt, pepper and Lawry’s.  Cook until browned.  Stir in Salsa then transfer to crockpot on low heat.  Let cook on low for 2-3 hours or until ready to serve.  Right before serving, stir in fresh chopped cilantro if desired.

8 servings

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

http://picky-palate.com/2009/02/27/ranch-house-crock-pot-pork-chops-with/

6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning
10 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup
4 lbs peeled, cubed potatoes
5 Tablespoons real butter
1 Cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
6 cloves roasted garlic (click for directions how to roast garlic)
1- 1 1/2 Cups warm skim milk (any milk will do, I just happened to use skim)
1 Tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste
1. Place pork chops, Ranch seasoning and soup into a medium sized crock pot over high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.
2. Place potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Place onto stovetop over high heat and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the work bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix on low until potatoes are mashed then add butter, parmesan, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Season to taste if needed. For thinner mashed potatoes add more milk, slowly until your desired consitency.
3. Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates and top with pork chops and soup gravy from crock pot. Enjoy!

Balsamic Roasted Asparagus

This is our favorite way to enjoy fresh, in-season asparagus. I personally like the super-thin asparagus, but some like the thicker spears.

1/2-1 lb asparagus spears
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Heat oven to 450. Line a baking dish or rimmed cookie sheet with foil. Rinse asparagus, and trim woody ends. (One way to do this is to bend the asparagus until it snaps at its natural place. You can do this with individual spears, or with a small handful)

Pat the asparagus dry. Lay on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, shuffle and turn to coat. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Bake in the oven at 450 for about 5 minutes.

Honey-Mustard Pork Roast with Bacon

This is to die for. My aunt made it for us last night while staying with us to care for our son for a few days. She used only spicy brown mustard, in quantities to equal both kinds of mustard. She also seemed to use less bacon, as she said there was some leftover from the package. Our pork loin was about 4-1/4lbs, and served 3 generously with about half leftover. I suggested that the next time I make it, I will butterfly the pork loin, and spread the inside with the mustard mixture before rolling back together.

When my aunt saw this on Giada's show, she said she actually took a bite (and didn't throw it back up off camera!)

From Food Network

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/honey-mustard-pork-roast-with-bacon-recipe/index.html

Honey-Mustard Pork Roast with Bacon

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:
15 min
Inactive Prep Time:
10 min
Cook Time:
30 min

Level:
Easy

Serves:
6 servings

Ingredients
Pork:

* 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard (recommended: Maille)
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
* 1 (3 1/2-pound) center-cut, boneless, pork loin roast
* 12 slices bacon (about 1 pound)

Directions

Special equipment: kitchen twine

For the pork: Put an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, add the Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, honey, garlic, and rosemary and mix together until smooth. Arrange the pork in a 9 by 13-inch baking pan and spread the mustard mixture evenly over the pork. Starting on 1 side, lay a piece of bacon, lengthwise, on the pork. Lay another slice of bacon on the pork making sure to slightly overlap the first piece. Continue with the remaining bacon, until the pork is fully covered in bacon. Using 3 pieces of kitchen twine, secure the bacon in place. Roast for 1 hour. Cover the pan, loosely, with foil and roast for another 10 to 20 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 160 degrees F. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the roast to a cutting board. Cover the pan with foil and allow the pork to rest for 20 minutes. Remove the kitchen twine and slice the pork into 1/2-inch thick slices.

Another Potato Salad Recipe

This one is altered from a recipe I cut out from some magazine somewhere, from a Tabasco ad. I have made it so much, I just kind of eyeball measurements...If you use a full 5 lbs of potatoes, it makes a TON, but it's good, so it won't last!

Here's the original recipe:
http://www.tabasco.com/taste_tent/recipes/recipe.cfm?id=83&catid=7&name=Eula_Mae_Dors_Potato_Salad

5 lbs russet or gold potatoes, peeled & chunked
6 eggs
3-5 green onions
fresh dill (few tablespoons)
1/4 cup (ish) vegetable oil
few tablespoons vinegar (I use red wine vinegar)
up to 1-1/2 cups mayo* (or more depending on consistency)
few tablespoons dill pickle juice, or more to taste
1/4 c (ish) prepared yellow mustard
few shakes tabasco sauce
salt & pepper

Peel & chunk potatoes into 1" rough cut chunks. Boil until fork-tender, rinse and drain. Set aside. Meanwhile, hard-cook eggs. Separate yolks from whites, place whites in a very large bowl, and yolks into a smaller bowl. Chop green onions, snip dill, add to whites. Cut whites into chunks and set all aside.

With the egg yolks, mix oil, vinegar, mayo, pickle juice, mustard and tabasco. Mash the yolks into a fine paste with ingredients to make a dressing. Adjust spices to your taste (I usually make it with quite a bit of heat, but not to overpower the dill). Add potatoes to the whites/onions/dill and toss to mix. Pour dressing over, and stir to mix well, turning to get everything from the bottom. Add more mayo if it seems dry. Cover and refrigerate before serving

*I am totally brand loyal to Sauer's or Dukes mayo and will never use anything else if I can help it. You can order online at www.cfsauer.com

Some Potato Salad Recipes

#1:

Red Skinned Potato Salad

Ingredients:

2 lbs clean, scrubbed new red potatoes

6 eggs

1 lb bacon

1 onion, finely chopped (I use green onions, like 4-5 since they give it more color)

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

2 cups mayonnaise

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes.  Drain and set in the refrigerator to cool.

2. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water.  Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat.  Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from hot water, cool, peel, and chop.

3.  Place bacon in a large, deep skillet.  Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown.  Drain, crumble and set aside.

4. Chop the cooled potatoes, leaving skin on.  Add to a large bowl, along with the eggs, bacon, onion, and celery.  Add mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste.  Chill for an hour before serving.

#2

Simple recipe :

 Potatoes peeled and cut into quarters

Boil long enough for a fork to go in them, but not to where the potato is soft.

 

Set aside and let cool

Meanwhile cut up celery, onions, olives, boiled eggs, carrots, and whatever veggie you like.

When potatoes are cooled mix with the veggies and mayonnaise gently as not to break the potatoes.

Set in frig overnight for the flavors to mix.

Eat and Enjoy!

 

#3

(given to me by Katie)

5 large russett potatoes
4 Hard Boiled Eggs- 2 chopped, 2 cut into 8 wedges for decor
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1/4 c heinz tarragon vinegar
1-1 1/2 c hellman's or Best foods Mayo
a sprinkly of paprika
salt and pepper
-Leaving the skin on, boil your potatoes until they easily slide off a fork when puncturing the thickest part. Set aside until slightly cooled ( you want them to be warm!!!!)
-once you can handle them, peel the potatoes, cut into large chunks, and put into a large mixing bowl with eggs, onion and vinegar. mix well, but not too hard.
-Add mayo and Salt and pepper to taste.
chill for 2 hours and serve chilled.
when you put the flavorings on the spuds when they are still hot, it seeps into the potaotes and makes them extra delicious!!!!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

I love Pioneer Woman recipes!!
http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/slow-cooker-pulled-pork/

Ingredients:

• 2-½ pounds Boneless Pork Shoulder
• ½ cups Chopped Onion
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• ¼ cups Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Black Pepper
• 2 cups Ketchup
• ¼ cups Worcestershire Sauce

Cut boneless pork shoulder crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Partially freezing it will make slicing easier. (I used pork shoulder spare ribs (or something to that effect). They were pre-cut into thick strips which I then cut in half to make fit.)
In the slow cooker, combine pork, onion, garlic, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, pepper, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce; mix well and cover. Cook on low, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 hours or until the meat is tender.

Pizza - Without all the Carbs

Per special request from BFF Jamie, here is my recipe for a personal Pizza. It's low-carb, and once you have all the pizza ingredients on them the crust is pretty good. It's slightly moister then what you would be normally used to, and it's definitely got an eggy taste to it, and it looks like a pancake, lol, but it works.

http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/individual_pizza_crust.html


1 large egg
1 tablespoon almond flour
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon oil, about
Pizza toppings of your choice (not included in the counts)

In a small bowl, mix everything together well with a fork. Heat a little oil in a small nonstick skillet. Pour in the batter and fry like a pancake. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove the crust to a baking sheet. Add the pizza toppings of your choice then bake or broil to heat the toppings and melt the cheese.

Makes 1 serving
Can be frozen

So - like I said, it's not the greatest thing in the world, and you can definitely tell the difference, but for somebody like me who's watching how many carbs are being added to the food, it's an alright substitute. I haven't tried any other recipes out yet, but I'm sure I will in the future.

Crab Cakes

http://makeaheadmeals.blogspot.com/2008/01/17-maryland-crab-cakes.html

Ingredients:

1 pound backfin Blue crab meat or other lump crab meat
8 saltine crackers
1 egg beaten
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp Worcestershire
1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Make Ahead Preparation:

Carefully check the crab meat for any cartilage. Put meat in a bowl and set it aside.

Crush the saltine crackers very finely by putting them into a ziploc bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin or by putting them into a food processor. Mix them with all the other ingredients. Gently fold in the crab being careful to only mix enough to combine ingredients. You don't want to break up the crab into fine shreds.

Shape into 6 large crab cakes, or cut in half and make 12 smaller cakes for appetizers. If serving immediately, refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

To freeze the crab cakes, wrap each one individually in waxed paper or freezer paper. Place into ziploc bags and freeze for up to two weeks.



Last Minute Assembly:

Allow crab cakes to thaw.


Heat about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan.

Sauté until golden brown on each side. This will only take about 3 minutes per side. Garnish with tartar sauce, remoulade, or simply with a squeeze of lemon.


Alternate Serving Suggestions:

• Grill up a buttered sandwich roll. Place crab cake on the roll and serve with a side of Make Ahead Cole Slaw, french fries and plenty of remoulade sauce and lemon wedges.
• For a nice light lunch, toss some field greens with a simple vinaigrette. Top with some roasted corn salsa and then top all of that with two crab bakes.
• For a delicious brunch dish, try making Crab Cakes Benedict. Set one-half of a grilled English Muffin on a plate. Top with a crab cake, poached egg and hollandaise sauce.

Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

http://makeaheadmeals.blogspot.com/2008/02/28-slow-cooker-bbq-ribs.html

Ingredients:

4 lbs pork baby-back ribs
Salt & pepper to taste
2 cups bottled or homemade BBQ sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 dash hot sauce

Make Ahead Preparation:

Season ribs to taste with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, mix together the BBQ sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt and pepper. Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour sauce over ribs, and turn to coat.

Cover, and cook on Low 6 to 8 hours, or until ribs are tender.

To serve immediately, see instructions below. Or allow ribs to cool, wrap them tightly in tin foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Last Minute Assembly:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place ribs on foil-wrapped baking sheet and baste with some additional BBQ sauce. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until ribs are heated through and you start to see some caramelization of the sauce.

Honey Sesame Chicken Skewers

http://makeaheadmeals.blogspot.com/2008/03/40-honey-sesame-chicken-skewers.html


Ingredients:

1 cup honey
1/4 cup sesame seeds
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. turmeric
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat

Make-Ahead Preparation:

Combine honey, sesame seeds, lime juice, olive oil, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne, paprika and turmeric in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut chicken into strips approx. 1" wide or into 1" chunks. Place chicken in ziploc bag and pour honey-sesame mixture over. (You can freeze the chicken before or after grilling. Choose which method you would like below.)
If freezing uncooked chicken:

Place the bag with the chicken and marinade in the freezer. Freeze up to two months.

Allow chicken to thaw in the marinade overnight in the refrigerator. Thread onto wooden skewers that have been soaked in warm water so that they do not burn. Discard any leftover marinade.

Preheat grill or broiler. Grill or broil on high approximately 6 to 8 minutes each side.

If freezing pre-cooked chicken:

Place bag with chicken and marinade in refrigerator and allow to sit at least overnight.

Preheat grill or broiler. Thread chicken onto wooden skewers that havae been soaked in warm water so that they do not burn. Discard any leftover marinade.

Grill or broil on high approximately 6 to 8 minutes each side. Remove from grill or broiler and allow to cool completely.

Wrap cooled chicken in foil (either on or off the skewers) in tin foil and place in freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Allow chicken to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a preheated 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Bowtie Soup

Submitted by BFF Steph
**I love this because its really fast and easy and GREAT for toddlers.**
Bowtie Soup
2 cans of chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken
2 cans of water
natures seasoning box of bowtie noodles
Combine all ingredients. Season with natures seasoning to taste. (I use about half a cap full) Cook 15 mins or until noodles are done. Soup will thicken the longer it sits. And if I have left over chicken I will cut it up and throw it in.

Honey Wheat Bread

From Betty Crocker Best Bread Machine Cookbook

I am scared of bread. The only way that I have even considered making yeast breads is via a bread machine, which I got for my birthday last month. This was the third loaf of bread I made. The first two were white breads, and didn't turn out as I had hoped--dense, dry, but tasty. I made this on a Saturday morning, and there were 2 slices left over on Sunday evening. It is just that good. This bread will probably be a staple in our house

Follow your bread machine's instructions for ingredient placement. Quantities are for a 1-1/2 lb loaf

1c plus 1 TBS water
1-1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c honey
1-1/2 c bread flour
1-1/2 c whole wheat bread flour
1 TBS plus 1-1/2 tsp vegetable shortening
1 TBS dry milk powder
1 tsp bread machine yeast or quick active dry yeast


Add ingredients to bread machine, use Light or Medium crust setting, and Whole Wheat or Basic/White cycle. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.



Through trial & error with my first two loaves of bread being very thick and dense, I decided to sift the flour into the measuring cup before measuring. Scoop flour into sifter, sift into measuring cup. I suspect I used significantly less flour than if I had measured straight out of the canister, and I think that's what contributed to this bread's much lighter, airier and moister texture than the two white loaves I tried. I always level and scrape all my measurements, because I know what an exact science baking is.

I omit the dry milk powder, and so this bread is safe for my dairy-allergic son.

Spray the inside and the pouring spout of a measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray before measuring honey--it slides right out with no mess.

Spinach Lasagne

http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/spinach_lasagna.html

We made up our menu for the week, and I tried out this recipe with a few modifications. Linda's Low Carb Menus has really helped me to stay on track with my eating plan, and it's kept fresh ideas going for the past 8 months so we aren't bored with the food.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 tomatoe
5 mushrooms
1 pkg cream cheese
1 can tomatoe sauce
1 egg
parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
cheddar and/or mozzarella cheese
1 pkg frozen spinach
Garlic Powder

Directions:

Prehead the oven to 350 F. Brown the beef with diced onion, chopped green pepper, sliced mushrooms, and diced tomatoe. Add Tomatoe sauce and garlic powder and bring to a bubble. In a bowl, heat up cream cheese in the microwave for about 40-60 seconds until it's easy to stir. Add 1 egg and salt and pepper to mixture and use a fork to blend it all well. For the spinach, I used a strainer and defrosted it under hot water, but it's probably best to have it defrosted beforehand so that you don't have to waste so much water. Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as you can, otherwise it's too watery for the lasagne. Once you've got as much water out of the spinach as you can, mix it with the cream cheese mixture.

To layer the lasagne, put half of the meat mixture on the bottom of an 8X13" glass dish, and then cover completely with the entire spinach/cheese mixture, spreading to the sides. Then put your shredded cheese on top of the cream cheese mixture, and layer the remaining meat sauce on top of that, again - spreading to the sides to cover completely. Then sprinkle entire dish with parmesan cheese and bake in your oven for 30 minutes.

We made a salad to go along with the lasagne, but you can choose to side it with anything you like. I managed to get two lunches made up with it, on top of two adult servings, two child servings, and enough for small leftovers for two adults and 1 child. It was VERY filling!

Homemade MOUSSE!

I had a bunch of whipping cream left from last night's Pumpkin Soup (last post), and was brainstorming what to do with it. Be silly and try to make butter? Naw. Make some whipped cream? Hmm...maybe! It turned out to be MOUSSE!

Ingredients:

2 cups whipping cream
2 heaping tbsp cocoa powder
3 tsp splenda

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, and then blend in either a mixer, a blender, or using a hand mixer. I did a blender. It was YUMMY! Also a nice dessert after a crummy supper of leftovers from the weekend (botched job at split pea soup). Was DEFINITELY warranted.

Pumpkin Soup - DELICIOUS!

Last night's endeavour with the great refrigerator clean-up took me to a new level tonight. I had pumpkin left in the can from my attempts at making a pumpkin muffin in a minute - which turned into two minutes, but was still very good. I decided I was going to make soup though. I have never had pumpkin soup before, so I was worried it wouldn't taste very good. Boy was I ever surprised!

Ingredients:

4 cans of chicken stock
1 can of pure pumpkin
1 diced onion
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup whipping cream
1 lb ground beef
Ground sea salt and black peppercorn (to taste)

Directions:

Place chicken stock and pumpkin into pot together on medium-high heat. Stir together to get it all mixed up, and then add the onion and celery. Boil all ingredients together for just under an hour (or until the celery is not crisp anymore), and while the soup is boiling, you can brown up your beef and season it how you like. You'll notice it's a lot thicker then when you started. This is where the fun begins! If you have a hand mixer (like you would use to make fancy schmancy drinks), you can put it right into the pot and blend. Others prefer to blend in their blender in small quantities, and people who don't want to make a mess - like me - will just leave it all as is and not worry. I added the sea salt and black peppercorn (ground up) to the soup, and then put the ground beef into the pot as well and stirred. Once it was all mixed together, I added the cup of whipping cream and stirred until a consistant colour.

I'm always worried when making up recipes that they will turn out horribly...to date, the only thing I've messed up royally while cooking is a batch of cookies I made for my mother when I was little for Christmas. I was so proud of how they turned out that I didn't want to eat them, so I wrapped them all up and presented them to her on Christmas morning. I was giddy with excitement as she opened it up and marvelled at how yummy they looked. Then she bit into it. She asked me if I had tried them yet, and I was beaming letting her know I wanted to make sure they were all for her. She made me try one. Let's just say I quadruple check the salt amounts when using a recipe now.

This was fabulous though! My husband gobbled it all up and had seconds...and I had seconds, and placed the rest in the refrigerator for my lunch tomorrow.

The Great Refrigerator Clean-up - Everything but the Kitchen Sink

So last night I was trying to figure out what to do with all the vegetables I had left in my fridge since we'll be doing a shopping soon, and I HATE having leftover veggies because I want to make sure none are old and moldy before putting new stuff in.

So - cue in the Great Refrigerator Clean-up!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
Leftover drippings from pork roast
1/2 diced cucumber
3 diced tomatoes
2 cups chopped celery
1 bag bean sprouts
1 diced onion
Freshly ground sea salt and black peppercorns
1/2 cup pure pumpkin (the pureed stuff you find in a can)
Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

First I put in the butter and drippings, then added the onion and pumpkin and started sauteeing. Once the onion was softened a bit, I added the celery, and tomatoes, and then put the entire bag of bean sprouts over it all. I ground up the salt and pepper to put all over it, and just let it sautee like that on medium heat for about 20 minutes or so. When it was almost ready, I put about 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese and mixed it in. Once plated, I garnished with more parmesan.

I was worried that it wouldn't taste good, but once I got going, it was actually REALLY good! The sauce from the butter, and drippings thickened up with the addition of the pumpkin, and all of the vegetables just complimented everything else. My husband told me it tasted like an Asian dish, and I had to agree - it almost tasted like something you'd find in an egg roll...just a bit more involved.

Having this again for lunch today, and because I packed so much onto my plate last night, I also have an extra serving in my freezer for another day.

I think what did the trick to make this so good was the combination of the pumpkin making the sauce, and the bean sprouts to give it that needed crunch (we aren't huge celery fans, and yes they do crunch as well, but not as nicely as the bean sprouts).

Bonnie's Buffalo Chicken dip

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 2 pounds, poached and shredded with 2 forks (my crockpot is great for this but however you want to cook them is fine)

1 - 12 ounce bottle Frank's Hot Sauce
2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese
1 - 16 ounce bottle of Ranch Dressing
1/2 cup celery chopped
8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese or combo thereof
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 13x9x2 inch baking pan, combine the shredded chicken and entire bottle of Frank's sauce, spreading to form an even layer. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream cheese and entire bottle of Ranch dressing, stirring til smooth and hot. Pour this mixture evenly over the chicken mixture. Sprinkle celery evenly over all. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Then, add the shredded cheese and bake for another 20 minutes uncovered or til bubbly...don't let the top get too browned or it will be hardened. Remove and let stand for 10 minutes and serve with celery stalks or sturdy corn chip dippers (or spoons, like my 20 year old son says..lol!) Men in particular seem to go wild over this dip.

Congratulations Molly on your Successful VBAC!

From all of us, to you and your family - Congratulations on following through with your convictions and successfully having your VBAC. Elijah is very lucky to have such a strong mother. We can't wait to hear about all the mischief your two boys will get into together in the future.

We loke you hard, we love you to pieces, and we are so proud of you.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Submitted by BFF Stefanie (My Mom's Recipe)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:

1 cup of flour

1/2 cup of sugar

1 tsp of baking soda

1 tsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp of salt

6 very ripe bananas

2 whole eggs

1/2 stick of butter

In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas and put aside

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl

Mix the bananas into the dry ingredients

Melt the butter (in microwave)

Beat eggs by hand until well mixed and add to the dry ingredients

Add butter

Mix all the ingredients very well (watch for any lumps of flour, baking soda or powder)

Grease a bread pan (with cooking spray or margarine) and pour the bread into pan

Bake for about an hour (testing with a toothpick to the center)

Bread should be firm (not gooey) and browning.

Mexican Casserole

Easy Mexican Casserole
Submitted by: ANDREALF63 via www.biggs.com
Ground beef, salsa and chili beans are layered with tortilla chips and sour cream and topped with melted cheese in this tasty dish.
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
2 cups salsa
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, drained
3 cups crushed tortilla chips
2 cups sour cream
1 (2 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink. Stir in salsa, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in beans, and heat through.
3. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread crushed tortilla chips in dish, and then spoon beef mixture over chips. Spread sour cream over beef, and sprinkle olives, green onion, and tomato over the sour cream. Top with Cheddar cheese.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Quinoa

Serves 2 EASY (as main course 4 as side)

• 2 cups seafood (or vegetable) stock - My preference is vegetable stock
• 1 cup Quinoa
• half sweet onion chopped - I sub out just a white onion, not necessarily sweet
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 table spoon olive oil
• half cup Cilantro chopped
• half cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half - I use grape tomatoes and quarter them
• 4 leaves fresh basil
• 1 boiled egg chopped - I increased the boiled egg to 2
• pinch salt and pepper (to taste, less is more)

Heat olive oil in pot
Saute chopped onion, minced garlic add salt and pepper
Add seafood stock and bing to a boil
Add cup of Quinoa reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes COVERED

After 15 min stir Quinoa and turn off heat

Add remaining ingredients and stir well

Recover and let sit for 1o more minutes

Serve!

Mozzarella Ranch Chicken

Ingredients:

1 pk. dry hidden valley ranch
2 T olive oil
3/4 cup bread crumbs
chicken breasts, sliced thin
mozzarella cheese
garlic
sauted mushrooms

*pan fry in breading before putting in oven

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º. Marinade the chicken in the olive oil and some garlic for about an hour. Mix the ranch packet with some breadcrumbs and coat the chicken. Add to a baking dish coated with non stick spray. Bake for about 40 minutes until no longer pink. Add mushrooms on top of chicken then the mozzarella cheese and put back into the oven until the cheese melts.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipes/buffalo-chicken-bites-685160/

The chicken is coated in spices prior to frying and is delicious on its own without any sauce--perfect for those who do not want the kick. To make this more of a meal, serve with mashed potatoes and a salad on the side--along with cut up carrots and celery sticks. Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Servings: 6

Ingredients

• SAUCE
• 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup hot sauce, such as Frank's Louisiana Hot Sauce or Texas Pete's
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• SEASONING
• 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 3 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup flour
• CHICKEN BITES
• 1 cup peanut oil
• 1 1/2 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• Cut up celery and carrot sticks
• 1 cup blue cheese dip or salad dressing

Instructions

1. Make the sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the hot sauce, sugar and vinegar until combined. Remove from the heat and set aside. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired. (Add melted butter for a mild flavor or add some Tabasco sauce to kick it up a bit.)
   
2. Make the seasoning by mixing together the cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, and flour on a plate. Place chicken into flour and press down to adhere the flour. Place peanut oil in a deep fryer or skillet--over medium-high heat (375 degrees). Remove chicken from the flour, shaking off any excess and place in hot skillet, in a single layer without crowding. Fry, turning once until golden crisp on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side, depending upon heat of the oil. The oil will get hotter over time, so the second batch will cook faster--adjust the heat accordingly. Remove the chicken from the oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat steps with remaining chicken.
   
3. If you would like to keep some chicken plain, set those pieces to the side. Transfer the remaining chicken to a large mixing bowl, pour the sauce over the chicken and toss until coated. Pour off and reserve excess sauce. Serve chicken bites with cut up celery and carrot sticks and blue cheese dip.
   

Lobster Fondue (Red Lobster Copycat)

http://www.recipezaar.com/Lobster-Fondue-Red-Lobster-Copycat-170763

SERVES 4 -6 (change servings and units)

Ingredients

• 16 ounces Velveeta cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 lb broil lobster tail or broiled crawfish tail meat
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 loaf round sourdough French bread

Directions

1. Take the cap off the bread and hollow it out being careful to do it in chunks you can serve with the fondue.
2. Spray the inside of the bowl and extra pieces of bread with light olive oil and broil till golden.
3. Combine all other ingredients except red pepper and parsley in a sauce pan (if you are subbing with crab don't add here or it will lose it's lumps).
4. Heat on medium low till cheese is melted.
5. Stir in pepper (and crab if using).
6. Pour as much as will fit into bread bowl.
7. Garnish with parsley and serve hot with fondue forks.
8. You will need a bread knife to cut the bread bowl up into chunks toward the end.

Stuffed Pork Chops

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8147.asp

Extra thick pork chops are stuffed with a tasty bread filling and baked to perfection.

• 6 center cut pork chops, 1-1/2" thick
• 6 oz. fresh bread cubes
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 T. chopped parsley
• 1 large egg - lightly beaten
• 2 T. butter
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Preparation -
Slice each pork chop horizontally through the meat to form a pocket. Set the chops aside. Combine all the ingredients, except the pork chops in a large bowl and mix together well. Stuff an equal amount of the bread filling mixture into the pocket of each pork chop. Spray a large shallow baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the stuffed chops in the prepared pan. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 375º for about 50 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil from the pan and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the chops and stuffing are nicely browned.

My Aunt's Kahlua Cake

1 box Chocolate cake mix
1/2 tsp veg. oil
1 package of instant pudding mix (6 oz)
4 eggs
3/4 cup of Kahlua
1/2 cup of water
Mix together and bake for 45-50 minutes
(best if you use a bundt cake or tube cake pan)
While cake is in cooling, mix 6 tablespoons of Kahlua and 1 cup of confectioners sugar.
Poke holes cake while in pan and pour in mixture.
Let set for 2 hours.
Drizzle with melted white chocolate if desired.

Chicken Ala Zing

Preheat oven to 302 degree Fahrenheit
4 chicken breast fillets - no bone (cut into cubes)
1 green pepper
Mushrooms
A packet of brown onion soup
½ cup of smooth apricot jam
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 cup of cold water
1 heaped teaspoon of flour
Method
Cut your fillets into cubes, slice mushrooms and green pepper (season as you want, I usually just add salt, pepper, some herbs and chicken spice). Place in an over proof dish.
In a separate bowl, add the jam, mayo, water, brown onion soup and flour. Stir all the ingredients together. Add to the chicken.
Put in the oven covered; keep it there for 1½-2 hours. (Taking it out every 30 minutes to stir). Uncover for the last 15 minutes to brown.
Serve with rice and a green salad.

Contributed by BFF Clauds via the BFF thread
Posted by Heather

Milky Way Cake

This is a luscious, rich cake. This favorite old recipe means a lot to me, since it was given to me by a good friend, Sharon. One thing you can count on... it is really nice and moist!

What you Need:

6 large Milky Way bars
2 stick margarine (used separately)
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. nuts

Icing:
2 Milky Way bars
1 stick margarine
2 tbsp. milk
1 (1 lb) box powdered sugar

Melt candy bars with 1 stick of margarine. Set aside. Cream sugar and other stick of margarine until creamy; add eggs one at a time. Blend in flour, soda, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add Milky Way mixture and nuts. Pour into greased 9x13 in pan and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Icing: Melt candy bars, margarine, and milk together; add powdered sugar and beat well. Spred on cake.

Baked Eggs

This is for all you BFF Egg lovers!! I know I saw a few of you, who like me, could eat eggs any and every way! My Grandma used to make these for my cousin and I when we would spend the night. Yummy!

9 Eggs
3 c. Milk
3 slices bread, cubed
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. grated cheese
onion, chopped

Beat eggs. Add milk, bread, mustard, salt, cheese, and onion. Pour into a greased 9x13 in pan. refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until done. Let stand 20 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.

Sausage-Rice Casserole

1 lb sausage
1 pkg onion soup
1 pkg cream of chicken soup
4 1/2 c. water
1 c. white rice
1 can mushrooms
cheese

Brown sausage and drain. Cook together soup mixes, rice, and water until rice is done. Mix together and add desired amount of cheese of your choice; pour into a buttered casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, or until heated through and bubbly.

Breakfast Quesadillas

I made this Christmas morning for a light breakfast in 2002. These were amazing, and I seriously questioned how good they could be considering you were mixing cheese and applesauce. I mean, cheese and apples sure...but applesauce? Let me tell you - this was VERY decadent! It's super cheap and easy to make too!

Ingredients:

1 jar chunky applesauce
1 pkg grated cheese (or grate your own from a brick)
Cinnamon
Sugar
Tortilla shells

Directions:

Prepare a pan just as you would for regular quesadillas. Place first side down into pan, then spread applesauce onto the shell. Top with cheese, cinnamon and sugar. Place the other tortilla shell overtop and cook as you normally would a regular quesadilla. You can flip while cooking as well if you wish, and this can be cut into 8 pie slices.

Perfect for a light breakfast when you know you'll be having a VERY large meal later on.

Sex In A Pan

This is a recipe my mother used to make for her adult guests...us kids used to BEG to have some, but we were relegated to the leftovers the next day. Still very tastey, but it's even better when it's freshly served!!

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecan nuts
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 butter
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 tub of cool whip
1 pkg pudding (we like chocolate)

Directions:

Combing nuts, flour, and butter and mix well. Press it into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350 F 20-25 minutes. Cream together the cream cheese and icing sugar, and spread evenly over the nut/butter/flour mixture. Spread the cool whip over top of the cream cheese mixture. Make up the package of pudding as per directions and let it thicken for 5 minutes. Spread it evenly overtop of the cool whip. Spread and remaining cool whip over top of the pudding. Sprinkle with grated semi sweet chocolate.

This dish needs to be kept cool to serve, otherwise it's one big chocolatey gooey mess (not that it doesn't taste good though).

Frozen Snicker Pie

I got this recipe at a WW meeting back in 2002. YUM. No wonder I never lost weight doing this diet, lol. They always had ways to eat JUNK!

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen vanilla yogurt (or ice cream) slightly softened
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 box chocolate pudding
8 oz container cool whip

Directions:

In a large bowl mix peanut butter into ice cream. Add pudding mix and stir until combined. Add whipped topping and stir until well blended. Pour into 9-inch pie plate and freeze.

Maple Baked Sweet Potatoes

I tried these once in Missouri, and I was hooked. These are delicious little morsels :o)

Ingredients:

1 sweet potatoe (peeled)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut sweet potatoe into slice 1/2-inch thick & place on a greased cookie sheet. Dab a small amout of butter on each slice. Bake in preheated overn for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with maple syrup. Place back in oven for another 10 minutes.

It's like eating candy!

Meadows Taco Salad

This is a recipe from my MIL. It's not necessarily a recipe, but just all the ingredients you need to make an awesome taco salad :o)

Ingredients:

1 head Romaine Lettuce
2-3 different coloured peppers diced
1 stalk of green onion chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg Taco seasoning (or just chili powder and cumin like i normally do)
2 diced tomatoes
Shredded Cheese (however much you want)
1 can kidney beans
1 bag Tostitos
1 tub sour cream
French Dressing

Directions:

Brown ground beef with kidney beans til cooked (I like to add diced onions to this mixture as well). Add taco seasoning and simmer until dissolved. While simmering, prepare lettuce for salad and any other ingredients that need some slicing.

To serve, put lettuce onto a plate, then add your vegetables, then crunch up the tostitos on top of that. Follow with the meat mixture, shredded cheese, and sour cream. If you want dressing, the French dressing is a great addition.

Variations:

We've been adding salsa, refried beans, and guacamole. YUMMMM. It's basically a layer salad, but with yummy taco ingredients.

Caribbean Chicken Curry

Can you tell I like chicken? My husband is getting pretty sick of it, but I could eat it all the time. This recipe came to us from the newspaper back in 2004. My mother was away on business and I was trying out new recipes on my Dad and my husband. This one was a keeper.

Ingredients:
2 large bananas cut into pieces
2 tbsp curry powder
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dry mustard
3 tbsp butter
grated zest of 1 lime (you grate with the small cheese holes the entire lime rind)
4 tsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
3/4 cup water, more if needed
4 bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (optional)

Directions:

Heat the oven to 450 F. In a food processor or blender, puree the bananas, curry powder, coriander, dry mustard, butter, lime zest, lime juice, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the water.

Make a few deep cuts in each chicken breast and put the breasts in a roasting pan. Pour the curry sauce over the chicken, making sure the sauce gets into the cuts. Roast in the bottom third of the oven until the chicken is just done, about 20 minutes.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven and remove the chicken breasts from the pan. There should be plenty of thick sauce in the bottom of the pan. Set the pan over moderate heat and whisk until the sauce is heated through, adding more water if you want a thinner sauce.

To serve immediately, arrange the chicken pieces on plates, pour the sauve over them and sprinkle with parsley. To make ahead, refrigerate the chicken and sauce together, covered. To serve, heat gently on medium low until the meat is warmed through. Sprinkle with Parsley.

I honestly thought when I tried this recipe that I would hate it, the ingredients just didn't make sense to me. It was DELICIOUS.

ETA: Oh - I found out where the recipe came from..."Quick From Scratch Chicken Cookbook"

Cocoa Quickies

This recipe has made it's rounds everywhere. I have no idea who the original owner of it is, but it was in a hand-bound family cookbook submitted by a family member. I love these, and they are delicious whether right out of the pot, cooled, or frozen. YUM.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine or butter
2 cups of white sugar
1/2 cup milk
6 tbsp cocoa
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except oats and coconut in a large saucepan, bringing to a full rolling boil. Allow to boil NO LONGER THAN 3 MINUTES. Remove from heat and add the colled oats and coconut, and mix it all together. Then drop by the tbsp onto waxed paper.

Once cooled, you can place them into cookie tins for freezing, or enjoy them right away.

One thing I'd love to do sometime with this recipe is add some peanut butter. I think I would probably add about 1/2 a cup to the original mixture that comes to a boil.

Magic Cookie Bars

Another pilferred recipe...this time using Eagle Brand condensed milk. The recipe and instructions even have cut out lines so you can add it neatly to your recipe collection, lol.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 oz) can Eager Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (I use no-name all the time)
1 (6 oz) package semi-swee chocolate morsels
1 (3-1/2 oz) can flaked cocunut (I've never seen it canned, I just use the stuff in a bag)
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 (325 for a glass dish). In a 13 x 9-inch baking pan, melt butter. Sprinkle crumbs over butter; pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Top evenly with remaining ingredients; press down gently. Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. cool thoroughly before cutting. Store, loosely covered, at room temperature.

We freeze our baked goods...these freeze quite nicely, and thaw out just fine.

Rocky Road Snack Cookies

Totally pilferred from an old Readers Digest I'm sure, but this is a holiday favourite! Here's what the article says:

"Here's a man-sized dessert that's quick and easy. Rocky Road Snack Cookies. Make 'em with any flavor of Pillsbury Refrigerated Slice 'n Bake Cookies and Kraft Miniature Marshmallows. Serve 'em with this hearty, quick-to-fix menu...a corned beef sandwich, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, and a big glass of milk, topped off with Rocky Road Snack Cookies."

I love it, lol "man-sized dessert"

Ingredients:

1 roll Pillsbury Refrigerated Slice 'n bake cookies, any flavor
15.4 oz package Pillsbury Creamy Fudge Frosting mix or Creamy Double Dutch Frosting Mix
1 cup Kraft Miniature Marshmallows
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desired

Preheat oven to 375, Grease 8 or 9-inch square pan. Slice cookie dough 1/4-inch thick and overlap slices in bottom of prepared pan. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned (Cookies will be puffy when removed from oven). Cool 15 minutes. In a medium sauce-pan, melt butter in water. Stir in frosting mix; blend well. Remove from heat; stir in miniature marshmallows and nuts; spoon over cookie base and spread. Cool; cut into 24 bars.

Sounds yummy to me!! When I get my scanner back up and running I should scan some of these old recipes too, lol.

Sassy & Saucy BBQ Chicken

When I was doing my Weight Watchers program back in 2002 after my son was born, there was always great recipes that were easy to make. This is one that most people have all the ingredients for already. I loved it because it's easy to make, it's pretty cheap, and supposedly it's healthy for you, lol.

Ingredients:

1 cup of either BBQ sauce or Ketchup
1 cup of Pepsi/Coke/7-up/Sprite (I used to use diet to keep my calories low)
6-10 Chicken Strips
***If using Ketchup, you will need the following:
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Cook chicken pieces and mix all ingredients together in pan until chicken is done. Take the chicken out and let the sauce boil down to a thicker texture. Once it's thickened, add the chicken back to the sauce to coat.

This tastes great with a side of stuffing too!!

Peanut Butter Bon Bons

3 cups rice crispies
4 cups powdered sugar
2 cups peanut butter
1 stick margarine
1 package almond bark or chocolate chips (although you might want to have extra on hand)

Mix rice crispies and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Melt peanut butter and margarine together and pour over rice crispies mixture. Mix with hands and form in to 1/2" balls (small). Chill. Melt chocolate chips or almond bark. Dip balls in chocolate. Place on wax paper. Chill. Makes 100.

Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan Pie Bars
Servings: 48

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons margarine, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease the sides and bottom of one 15x10 inch pan.

2. In a large bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, margarine or butter and salt until the mixture resemble coarse crumbs. Press firmly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes.

4. In a large bowl stir the eggs, corn syrup 1 1/2 cups white sugar, melted margarine and vanilla until blended. Stir in the chopped pecans.

5. Spread the filling evenly over the hot crust. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes or until set. Let cool before slicing.

Egg Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. R.B. Rice brand Italian Sausage
1 lb. R.B. Rice brand Hot Pork Sausage
1 small onion
1 small Red Pepper
10 eggs
3 cups milk
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 box seasoned croutons
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Directions:

1. Grease 9 X 13 baking dish. Pour croutons in bottom of the baking dish.

2. Brown sausage; add onion and red pepper about half way through browning of the sausage. Drain sausage well and then layer on top of the croutons.

3. Combine eggs, 2 ½ cups of the milk, and cheddar cheese in bowl and then pour over sausage.

4. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

5. Combine cream of mushroom soup and ½ cup of milk and spread over top of casserole. Bake for 1 ½ hours on 350.

Corn Casserole

1 can whole kernel corn
1 can creamed corn
1 box jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
1/2 cup butter
1 red pepper
1 small onion
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Sauté red pepper and onion in butter until tender. Mix all ingredients and pour into 9 X 13 inch baking dish.

Bake on 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Aunt Cheryl's Avocado Salsa

1 16 oz. package of thawed frozen corn
2 2¼ oz. cans of sliced ripe olives
1 medium chopped sweet red pepper
1 small chopped red onion
Mix all above Corn Mixture

Mix the following and pour on the Corn Mixture and stir.
1/3 cup of olive or vegetable oil
5 minced garlic cloves
¼ cup of fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons of cider or white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of dried oregano

Refrigerate over night.

Before serving -
slice 4 medium avocados into bite-size pieces and stir the pieces into the salsa.

I have made this many times and it is always the first thing to go. Yummy.

Fried Pork Chops with Cream Gravy

From Southern Living

1 c all purpose flour
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 lbs boneless center-cut pork chops (about 4-6 chops)
1 c buttermilk
3 Tbs vegetable oil
1 c fat free milk
1/4 tsp salt

Reserve 2 Tbs flour. Place remaining flour in a shallow dish. Add seasonings and stir to mix. Rub chops with flour & seasonings, then dredge in buttermilk, then in flour again. Cook in oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Drain on paper towels. Add remaining flour to pan drippings, stir in milk and heat through. Use a whisk to keep gravy from getting too lumpy. Serve over chops.

Sauteed Sesame Chicken

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins
3 Tbs light soy sauce or teriyaki sauce
2 Tbs dry sherry or sweet red wine
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 Tbs cornstarch
4 Tbs sesame seeds

Blend dry ingredients (except sesame seeds) in a zip-top bag. Add liquids. Marinate chicken and coat thoroughly for at least an hour. Roll in sesame seeds. Saute in 1/4" vegetable oil on medium-high heat. Serve with honey to dip.

Sausage Broccoli Chowder

This is a recipe that I got from my friend Jennifer. It really gets better after a few days in the fridge. To reheat, you may need to add more milk or cream to get the desired consistency.

1 lb bulk Italian pork sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbs butter or margarine
2c broccoli florets
2-3 carrots, dicied
2 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
9 oz cheese tortellini, cooked & drained
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
2 qts cream
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

Cook and crumble sausage until no longer pink. Remove to paper towels. In the same skillet, melt butter, saute onions, mushrooms and garlic until tender. Set aside. In a large, heavy stockpot, cook broccoli and carrots in broth until tender. Stir in sausage and mushroom mixture. Add soup, tortellini, and spices. Heat through. Stir in cream and cheese.

Reheat leftovers by adding cream or whole or 2% milk.

Aunt Thelma's Crab Casserole

Yup, I had a great-aunt Thelma

1 lb crabmeat, picked through
1-1/2 c cracker crumbs (ritz or similar)
1 c mayo
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c milk
3 Tbs butter
salt & pepper

Mix 1 c cracker crumbs with melted butter and set aside. Rinse, drain and pick through crab to remove any leftover shells. Mix all other ingredients together with crab. Put crab mixture into a buttered casserole dish, top with buttered crumbs. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve warm with crackers or baguette

Macaroni and Cheese

This is a fairly grown-up version of the classic

1 box pasta
1-1/2 Tbs butter
1-1/2 Tbs flour
2 c milk
1 tsp dry mustard
splash Worcestershire sauce
splash Tabasco or similar hot sauce
2 c (or more) grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

Cook and drain pasta according to directions.

Meanwhile, make a roux with butter and flour. To make roux, melt butter until just bubbling, and add flour to make a paste. Add milk when roux is dark and fragrant, and stir to thicken. Add mustard, Worcestershire, and Tabasco. Mix well. Add cheese and stir until totally melted.

Put pasta in a casserole dish, pour cheese over top, turn over to mix well. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until the edges are brown and crispy.

Nancy's Cold Noodles with Hot Sauce

This is a recipe from one of my family's friends, Nancy.

12 oz oriental-style noodles (ramen)
2 Tbs sesame oil

Boil noodles according to package directions, if you use ramen, discard the flavor packet. Drain, rinse, run under cold water. Return to pot and toss with sesame oil

Mix in a bowl:
2 Tbs creamy peanut butter
3 Tbs soy sauce
3 Tbs teriyaki sauce
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp fresh ground ginger
2 tsp fresh minced garlic
1 Tbs (or more) hot chili sauce
ground pepper

Mix all sauce ingredients well. Pour over noodles and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Add in a few tablespoons of chopped plain peanuts, and sliced green onion.

Stuffed Mushrooms

I make these on a pretty regular basis. Everyone loves them and they dont seem to last very long after they come out of the oven! I am always asked to bring them for family get togethers and you will soon know why after you taste them!

You will need:
2 prepackaged containers of mushrooms of your choice (I usually use Portobello)
1 8oz block of softened cream cheese
1 roll of sausage (i use the Jimmy Dean Spicy but any kind will do )

What you do:
Let the cream cheese sit at room temperature until softened, or microwave it for about 30 seconds.

Brown sausage in a skillet, then drain.

Mix together the sausage and the cream cheese using a spoon. (don't use an electric mixer like Ive done in the past! Makes it too thin!)

Remove stems from mushrooms and wash mushrooms well.

Spoon in about 1tsp or how much you desire into the mushroom cavity. Overflow it a bit

After all mushrooms are filled, place in a glass baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 7-10 minutes, or until tops of mushrooms are a little brown.

Cool, and enjoy! :)

Beam Me Up Scotch Eggs

My friend Tammy is low-carbing with me right now, lucky for her she doesn't have much weight to lose. Somebody wise once said the person who joins a weight loss group, or starts out on their own to drop pounds with only a few to lose is the smartest person out there. I wholeheartedly agree - it's pretty dumb to wait until you're just so far gone you feel it's hopeless.

Anyway - I give you this recipe that Tammy recommended to me.

Ingredients:

4 Sausages (I choose the ones with very little ingredients...basically pork, and spices.

1 large egg

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper (I have a grinder)

6 hardboiled eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a cookie sheet. Peel the cooled hardboiled eggs and put off to side. Take sausage meet out of it's casing (I find it cheaper to buy sausage in the casing then ground pork meat), and mix well by hand the egg, cheese, salt and pepper. Once it's all blended together, the trick now is to get the meat to surround the egg. It takes a bit of practice, but it does work. It might feel a bit too slimy because the one egg really moistens it up. Once all the eggs are covered, you can place each one onto the cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until the sausage meat is done. I put a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top of them as well.

Variations:

There are MANY variations you can use for this, including diced onions, garlic, and peppers. You just slice them up finely and add to the meat. You can also use more then just sausage meat. My friend enjoys using ground turkey, ground beef, and ground pork. I was also thinking about rolling them around in either the parmesan cheese or flax meal. When I went to research this on the Internet, there was also recipes for a creamy dipping sauce that sounded good. People use this recipe as an appetizer, though I ate it as my main meal. Anyway - this was delicious and highly recommended