Cafe Rio Chicken

2 lbs chicken breasts
1/2 a small bottle of zesty italian dressing
1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 pkt ranch dressing mix (mixed with 1/2 cup of water)
1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin

Place all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on High 5-6 hours OR on Low 8 hours. Shred with fork and serve in salads, burritos, tacos…etc. You can also double or triple this to make extras for freezing. Then simply thaw and reheat for a lickity split meal.

This is easy and delicious! The chicken was tender, juicy and tasted great! From Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms.

Cinnamon Cheesecake

Crust:
1-1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 cup  butter, melted
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Filling:
3 pkgs (8 oz each)Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup Sour Cream
1 heaping Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 extra-large eggs + 1 egg yolk

Preheat oven to 325^ F.

Mix graham crumbs, butter and brown sugar; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese and granulated sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream, flour and cinnamon; mix well. Add eggs and yolk, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 50 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Cheesecake is not my favorite dessert, but John loves the stuff and he says this was a winner! IMO, as cheesecakes go, this one was pretty good. I would have liked the crust to be a bit crunchier, but it'll do. I served it with a bit of the Blue Cranberry Sauce I made earlier spooned over each slice.

I don't remember where I found the recipe, but I think it might have been on the Philadelphia Cream Cheese webpage. Or maybe Honey Maid graham crackers.

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 3/4 cups cranberries
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle mixture evenly over bottom of pan; arrange cranberries in a single layer on top.

With an electric mixer, cream remaining 6 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined.

Spoon batter over cranberries in pan, and smooth top. Place pan on a baking sheet; bake cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; invert onto a rimmed platter.

I don't remember exactly where I found this recipe...I think it might be from Martha Stewart but I can't swear to it. It's good though! I served it with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream and was quite happy with the results.

Yukon Golds Jacques Pepin Style

1.5 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1-2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves

Place the potatoes in a deep skillet and add salt and pepper, to taste. Cover potatoes halfway with chicken stock, about 2 cups, add the butter and cover skillet with a lid. Cook the potatoes in the stock until almost tender, about 5 to 8 minutes, depending upon the size of the potatoes.

Remove the lid and allow the stock to evaporate, about another 5 minutes. Once the stock has evaporated pop each potato using a ladle or large spoon, creating a small crack in each, but do not smash. Allow the potatoes to brown on each side, another 5 minutes, and re-season with salt and pepper, if necessary or desired.

Remove the browned potatoes from the skillet and place onto a serving platter, garnished with the parsley.

Quite tasty! Adapted from Rachael Ray's recipe.

Foolproof Rib Roast

1 (5 pound) standing beef rib roast
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Allow roast to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the salt, pepper and garlic powder in a small cup. Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan so that the fatty side is up and the rib side is on the bottom. Rub the seasoning onto the roast.

Roast for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Turn the oven off and leave the roast inside. Do not open the door. Leave it in there for 3 hours. 30 to 40 minutes before serving, turn the oven back on at 375 degrees F. to reheat the roast. The internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees F.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving into servings.

This truly is a foolproof way to cook a rib roast. I've made this several times since finding this Paula Deen recipe on foodnetwork.com and it's always juicy, tender and perfectly cooked!

Sunday Gravy and Macaroni (Spaghetti, Really)

1 pound spaghetti
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 thin cut pork loin chops, 1/2-inch thick
Salt and pepper
2 each sweet and hot Italian sausage links
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup Marsala
1 pound meat loaf mix, ground beef, pork and veal combined
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for tossing pasta and to pass at table
1 loaf crusty Italian bread, heated just before serving to crisp crust

Heat a deep skillet or medium heavy bottomed sauce pot over medium high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Remove skin and cut sausages into 1" chunks. Add 1 tablespoon, 1 turn of the pan, extra-virgin olive oil to pan or pot. Place chops in pan or pot and brown 2 minutes on each side, remove. Add another tablespoon oil, 1 turn of the pan, and sausages. Brown sausages 2 minutes on each side and transfer to plate with pork. Add pepper flakes, 3 cloves chopped garlic and onion to the pot and saute 1 minute. Add broth to the pan and scrape up drippings. Add tomatoes and herbs and bring sauce to a bubble. Add meats back to the pot and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer sauce over a very low heat for a couple of hours, gently stirring every once in a while.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Lightly mix the ground meat, mayo, garlic salt, 1/4 cup cheese and some black pepper. Gently roll into balls, 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. Place balls on nonstick cookie sheet. Roast meatballs 10 minutes, then slide into Sunday sauce.

In the meantime, heat water for pasta to a boil. Salt and cook pasta 7 to 8 minutes, to al dente.

To serve, place pork, sausages and meatballs on serving dish. Pour 1/2 of the sauce into a serving dish to ladle over pasta and meats at the table. Toss cooked spaghetti with remaining sauce in sauce pot, adding a few handfuls of grated cheese to the pot as you toss it. Transfer pasta to a serving dish.

Adapted from the Rachael Ray recipe. This stuff is GOOD!

Hurry Up Turkey Pot Pie

2 cups chopped cooked turkey breast
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk
4 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 350^F. Place the turkey and peas & carrots in a greased 2-quart casserole. Combine the soup, chicken broth and thyme in a small bowl until well mixed. Add salt and pepper if desired. Pour over the turkey. Stir together the Bisquick and milk and pour it gently over the turkey mixture. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

Adapted from Paula Deen's Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie.

Berry Shortbread Bars

21 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
3 cups + 3 Tbsp all purpose flour (note: I had to use closer to 4 cups)
1/2 recipe Blue Cranberry Sauce (see recipe)
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 325^F. With a wooden spoon, mix the 3/4 cup sugar into the melted butter and whisk in the egg yolks. Stir in the flour to make a very stiff dough. (I had to use 1 whole cup more than the original recipe called for to make a stiff dough!)

Remove two cups of this dough and pat evenly into a foil lined 9 x 13 pan. (The foil should hang over the ends of the pan to make it easy to remove after it's baked) Prick the dough all over with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or put in freezer for 7 minutes). Set the rest of the dough aside.

Bake the 9 x 13" chilled pan of dough, on the middle rack of your oven, for 20 minutes at 325. After 20 minutes, the dough will still be very pale in color and will not have any golden color on the edges.

Remove it from the oven and spread the cooled Blue Cranberry Sauce evenly over it. Increase oven to 350^F.

Add the 1/4 cup of flour to the remaining dough and stir gently until the mixture is crumbly but don't overdo it. You want some "lumps" but no bigger than about 1 inch. Sprinkle evenly over the cranberry sauce and return the pan to the oven for 20-35 minutes. (Mine needed closer to 35-40 minutes to attain the light golden brown color you want.

Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Lift the cookies out of the pan using the foil ends and cut into bars.

These things are REALLY tasty! Adapted from coleensrecipes.blogspot.com

Butterscotch & Black Pepper Baby Carrots

2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound baby carrots, halved lengthwise
1/2 to 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

In a medium skillet, heat the butter, sugar, and salt over medium-high heat, stirring until smooth. Add the carrots and toss to coat. Cover and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender and glazed. Top with black pepper. Serve hot or warm.

Delicious!!

Recipe courtesy The Deen Brothers as seen on Food Network.

Smothered Pork Chops

• 4 bone-in pork loin chops, each about 1 inch thick
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp minced fresh thyme
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. hot sauce, plus more for serving
• Buttered rice for serving

Preheat oven to 375^F. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. In a large electric skillet set on medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the chops and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a large baking dish.

Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up the browned bits from the pan bottom, until the onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper, celery, the white portion of the green onions and the garlic. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the thyme and flour and stir well. Gradually stir in the broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cream and hot sauce and pour over the chops in the baking dish.

Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1.5 hours or until pork it very tender. Serve with buttered rice. Pass more hot sauce at the table. Serves 4.

This was very good!

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food, by Rick Rodgers (Oxmoor House, 2009).

Pecan Pie Muffins

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 18 mini muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour and pecans. In a separate bowl beat the butter and eggs together until smooth, stir into the dry ingredients just until combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Cups should be about 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks when done. I had enough batter to make 24 mini muffins and 3 regular-sized ones with this recipe. And they are good!!!

From allrecipes.com

Crock Pot Turkey Breast

Crock Pot Turkey Breast

3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup baby carrots
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
6 lb turkey breast
Black Pepper
1 envelope dry onion soup mix

Put the celery, carrots, onion and chicken broth into the bottom of the slow cooker and place the turkey breast over that, skin side up. Sprinkle the turkey with black pepper then with the dry onion soup mix. Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours, then reduce heat to low for 7-8 hours.

This is a fantastic way to cook a turkey breast! It was juicy, tender and delicious! Adapted from coleensrecipes.blogspot.com

Blue Cranberry Sauce

Blue Cranberry Sauce

1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pint fresh blueberries

Wash and pick over cranberries. Place in a medium saucepan with water, and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, stir and simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries burst.

Slightly mash the cranberries with the back of a wooden spoon to insure all skins are broken. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Mix well.

Remove from heat and mix in the blueberries (don't be afraid to break a few, but don't over mash either). The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Transfer to a bowl, cool slightly and place plastic wrap directly on top of sauce to cover. Refrigerate until chilled.

Excellent sauce!

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Bombshell Brownies

1 cup butter, melted
3 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

Combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove, and cool pan on wire rack before cutting.

aka Brooke's Best Bombshell Brownies from allrecipes.com and HOLY cow, are these good!! They may be the best brownies I've ever eaten! However, they do not keep well...they dry out way too quickly.

Alabama Smokehouse Pig Burger with White BBQ Sauce

Alabama Smokehouse Pig Burgers with White BBQ Sauce

White BBQ Sauce:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients and whisk until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pig Burgers:
12 slices thick cut hickory smoked bacon
2 pounds ground pork
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for grill rack
6 thick slices smoked Gouda (recommended: Boar's Head)
6 kaiser rolls, split
1 1/2 cups finely shredded green cabbage

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

Heat a large fireproof nonstick skillet on the grill. Add the bacon and cook over medium-high heat until the bacon is crispy, about 5 minutes, flipping once. Drain on paper towels. Reserve the rendered bacon fat from the skillet.

Patties:
Combine the pork, smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat from the skillet. Mix well, handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the size of the rolls.

Brush the grill rack with oil. Arrange the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once just until done, about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. During the last few minutes of cooking, top the burgers with equal amounts of smoked Gouda and put the rolls, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly.

To assemble the burgers, spread a generous amount of Alabama White Barbecue Sauce on the cut sides of the rolls. On each roll bottom, put some shredded cabbage, a cheese-topped patty, and 2 slices of bacon. Cover with the roll tops and serve.

As seen on Food Network, Recipe courtesy of Harold Cohen. These are delicious! I added bread & butter pickles, shredded romaine (instead of the cabbage), and sliced tomatoes and they were fabulous!

Baglio Della Luna Marinara

Baglio Della Luna Marinara

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb penne
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)(3 times around the pan)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 pinches crushed red pepper
2 cans (6 ounces each) Italian tun in oil, drained or 2 cans (6 oz each) Albacore tuna, drained
1 cup dry red wine (a few good glugs)
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes
16 to 20 oil-cured black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp capers, smashed with flat of knife
A handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Put a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta. When water boils, add salt and penne. Cook according to package directions, until al dente. Drain.

In a deep skillet, heat evoo, garlic, and crushed red pepper over medium heat until garlic sizzles. Add tuna and saute 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine, bring to a boil, and reduce liquid by half. Add crushed tomatoes, olives, capers, parsley, and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Toss pasta in two-thirds of sauce and transfer to platter. Serve with remaining sauce for passing, along with salad and bread.

From Rachael Ray. As far as fishy meals go, this one wasn't half bad. John loved it and I can tolerate it!

Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup

Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of chicken with herbs soup
4 soup cans water
32 oz carton chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups diced, cooked chicken
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
16 oz pkg wide egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream

Combine both cans of soup, water, broth, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, pepper, chicken and vegetables in a stockpot. Stir well and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until just done. Stir in sour cream until well combined and serve hot!

Adapted from a recipe @ Taste of Home.

Slow Cooker Hungarian Stew

Slow Cooker Hungarian Stew

2-lb. lean boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1- inch pieces
2 cups fresh baby carrots
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chili sauce
1 3/4 cups Progresso® beef flavored broth (from 32-oz. carton)
16-oz. pkg. uncooked wide egg noodles
8-oz sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker, combine beef, carrots, onion and bell pepper. Add flour, paprika, salt, thyme and pepper; toss beef and vegetables to coat. Add chili sauce and broth; mix well. Cover; cook on low setting for 7 to 8 hours or until beef is tender.

Meanwhile, cook noodles to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain. Stir sour cream into stew until well mixed. To serve, spoon noodles into shallow bowls. Top with stew; sprinkle with parsley.

John liked this but I didn't care for it....too sweet in my opinion! From Pillsbury.

Swiss Chicken Quiche

Swiss Chicken Quiche

1 (9-inch) unbaked pastry shell, pricked
2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1 cup (4 oz) shredded swiss cheese
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp instant chicken bouillon
1 cup milk
3 eggs, well beaten
1 Tbsp dehydrated minced onions
2 Tbsp minced green bell pepper
2 Tbsp chopped pimiento

Preheat oven to 450^F. Bake pastry shell 8 minutes; remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350^F.

In small bowl, toss cheese with flour and bouillon. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add cheese and remaining ingredients until well mixed. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until set.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

From Borden's Holiday Recipe Collection, 1987. This is a very tasty Quiche!

Alfredo Mashed Potatoes

1 large baking potatoes, peeled and diced
Water
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
Salt
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
2-3 Tbsp heavy cream

Cover the potatoes with water in a medium sized saucepan. Add italian seasoning and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until the potatoes are tender.

Drain well, return the potatoes to the pan and add the cheese, butter, and Italian dressing. Mash potatoes with a potato masher (I like mine lumpy!) and add the heavy cream, whisking until mixed. Serve hot.

2 large (about 5-6" long) baking potatoes will make 3 normal servings (or 1 serving for me and a bunch for John!)

These are so good!

Chicken Marsala

This is supposed to be the recipe from Buca di Beppo's. Whatever...it's really good!!!

Olive oil
4 thin chicken breast cutlets, pounded to an even thickness
2 ounces low salt bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup flour
Coarse salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
4 tablespoons heavy cream
minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Coat a large skillet lightly with olive oil and set over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook just until crisp and lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon; set aside. Leave fat in pan.

Put flour on a plate. Pat cutlets dry. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour.

Heat pan with bacon fat over medium-high heat. Add a touch more olive oil if necessary to make approximately 2 tablespoons. When fat is hot, shake excess flour off cutlets and place in pan. Sauté, turning once until browned on both sides. Thin cutlets should only take a few minutes per side. Remove cutlets. Pour excess fat from pan. With pan over medium-high heat, add the Marsala and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook Marsala until it is reduced by one quarter.

Stir in cream and simmer until you get a nicely thickened sauce. Return the chicken and bacon to the pan and turn the cutlets to coat and reheat for a minute. Serve with the sauce over the top, with a sprinkling of parsley.

Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

Snickerdoodle layer:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Pumpkin Pie Layer:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

Topping
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Drizzle
• 1 oz white chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice


1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan.

To make snickerdoodle layer:
1. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.
2. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan.

To make pumpkin pie filling:
1. In a mixer bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. Pour over the snickerdoodle layer, smoothing out the top.
2. Combine white sugar and cinnamon in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.

3. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Let the bars cool completely. They will deflate a bit and remain a bit pie-like on the top layer. The bars that are closer to the edges of the pan will be more firm.

4. After the bars are completely cool, place the chopped white chocolate into a bowl or zip-lock bag and melt on low power. When it's completely melted, add the pumpkin pie spice and mix (or knead if using a zip lock bag). Use a spoon or cut a small corner off the bag and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the bars and let it cool and harden.

5. Store in a covered container.

This was good...not great and a lot more "cakey" than I thought it would be.

OK, I'm going to amend my opinion of this recipe. It is EXCELLENT the NEXT DAY! So, imo, this should be made one day before you serve it. I would also reduce the amount of baking powder in the Snickerdoodle layer from 2 teaspoons to only 1 tsp!

Bonanza Beans

Bonanza Beans

2 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
1 lb dry pinto beans, washed
8 cups water
1 tbsp beef base
1 medium sized red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
15-oz can ranch-style beans
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp pickled diced jalapeno peppers
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp paprika
6 oz can tomato paste
8 oz smoked sausage, sliced into bite-sized rounds

Put everything into the crockpot except the tomato paste and the smoked sausage. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until beans are completely cooked. Stir in the tomato paste and the smoked sausage and cook another 1-2 hours.

This was delicious! Excellent flavor and I'll definitely make this again.

Beef Fried Rice

Beef Fried Rice

8 oz ground sirloin
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp crystallized ginger
1 tsp Five Spice Powder
16 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables (broccoli, carrots, snap peas, water chestnuts are my favorite)
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce
2 tsp chili paste
2 cups cooked Rice

Brown and crumble the ground sirloin in a large skillet with the onion and garlic. Stir in the ground and crystallized ginger, five spice powder and the frozen vegetables. Add water, stir, cover and cook on medium high heat about 5-10 minutes or until veggies are nearly done (crisp tender). Stir in the soy sauce, hoisin sauce and chili paste and cook another minute or two, stirring. Mix in the hot cooked rice and serve. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Makes aboout 4 servings. 6 PointsPlus per serving. This was really tasty and John loved it! From the Weight Watchers website.

Hot and Chili Chicken

Hot and Chili Chicken

1⁄2 cup sweet or bitter orange marmalade
2 Tbsp chili powder (mild, hot or a mix of both)
6 chicken drumsticks
2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick (Release) foil.

2. Mix marmalade, chili powder and 1⁄2 tsp salt in a large ziptop bag. Add chicken; seal bag. Turn and squeeze bag to coat drumsticks. Arrange on lined baking sheet, spooning on any excess marmalade mixture.

Good! Found in a Womans' Day magazine.


3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of meat, not touching bone, registers 180°F.

From Woman's Day magazine.

Sweet & Spicy Picante Chicken

Sweet & Spicy Picante Chicken

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 jar (16 ounces) Pace Picante Sauce
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

Heat the oven to 400°F. Place the chicken into a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Stir the picante sauce, brown sugar and mustard in a small bowl. Pour the picante sauce mixture over the chicken.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

This was delicious! I'll be making this one again and again and again! And only 5 PointsPlus!

I got this recipe from my sister, Donna and I think she found it on the Weight Watchers website, but I'm not sure.

Southwestern Chicken Scalloppine

SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN SCALLOPPINE

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 lb.)
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
1 c. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. red pepper sauce, optional (I used it)
4 Tbsp. lime juice
3-4 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Between pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, place chicken breast half with smooth side down; gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4" thick. Repeat with remaining chicken. Cut chicken into smaller pieces, if desired.In shallow bowl, combine flour, cumin and salt. Reserve 2 tsp. flour mixture. Coat chicken with remaining flour mixture.In a 12" nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 3-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from skillet; cover to keep warm. In a small bowl, stir reserved 1 tsp. flour mixture into chicken broth. Gradually stir broth and red pepper sauce into skillet. Heat to boiling; stir in lime juice and cilantro. Serve sauce over chicken. 4 servings.

Excellent! Fast and easy too!!! Served with a Tomato Salad and Chili-Lime Corn.

(FROM Bunny’s Warm Oven blog)

Beef with Broccoli

Beef with Broccoli

2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch, divided
1/4 tsp table salt
3/4 pound(s) lean sirloin beef, trimmed, thinly sliced against the grain
2 tsp canola oil
1 can fat free beef broth, divided
5 cup(s) broccoli, florets (about a 12 oz bag)
1 Tbsp crystallized ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 cup(s) low-sodium soy sauce

On a plate, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch and salt; add beef and toss to coat.

Heat oil in a large nonstick wok or large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 4 minutes; transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

Add 1/2 the broth to same pan; stir to loosen any bits on food on bottom of pan. Add broccoli; cover and cook, tossing occasionally, until broccoli is almost crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Uncover pan and add ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes; stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.

In a cup, stir together soy sauce, remaining 1/2 cup broth, remaining 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch and water until blended; stir into pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

This was excellent!

4 servings at 5 PointsPlus each. From Weight Watchers.


Return beef and accumulated juices to pan; toss to coat. Serve. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.

Honey-Balsamic Glazed Chicken Breasts

Honey-Balsamic Glazed Chicken Breasts

1 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 Lb of boneles, skinless chicken breast (four, 4 oz pieces
2 tbsp Balsalmic Vinegar
2 tbsp Honey

Combine first 4 ingredients; sprinkle over both sides of chicken.

Heat EVOO in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook 7-8 minutes on each side or until chicken is completely cooked.

Reduce heat to medium low, transfer chicken to serving platter; keep warm. Add vinegar and honey. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until glaze thickens; stir constantly. (Glaze will bubble up as it's stirred) Pour glaze over chicken and serve.

This was very good! From Weight Watchers.

Number of Servings: 4
PointsPlus: 4

WW Beef Stew

WW Beef Stew

1 onion, chopped
1 tsp minced roasted garlic
1/2 pound baby carrots
Salt & Pepper
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
4 small uncooked potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
16 oz lean beef top sirloin, cut into bite-sized chunks
14 oz canned beef broth
3 tsp honey
8 prunes
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp flour to thicken, if desired

Put everything in the slow-cooker. Stir and cover. Cook for 6-8 hours or until beef and veggies are tender. If you want thicker gravy, combine 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid with 1 Tbsp flour and whisk until smooth. Stir into the mixture in the slow-cooker and cook another 10 minutes.

This was OK...John liked it a lot more than I did. I didn't care for the sweetness with the beef.

Adapted from Weight Watchers (8 PointsPlus).

Autumn Potato Gratin

Autumn Potato Gratin

24 oz tiny baby potatoes
1 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp butter
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
3/4 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp minced roasted garlic
Salt & Pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400^F. Place the potatoes in a large baking dish and season with salt and pepper.

Combine the cream, butter, herbs, and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes to infuse the cream. Pour over the potatoes (should come about 3/4 of the way up the potatoes - add more cream if necessary). Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake for 35 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through and the top begins to brown.

I'd give this 3.5 stars (out 5)

Adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe.

Oven Fried Chicken

Oven Fried Chicken

2 boneless-skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 tsp dried thyme
Salt & Pepper
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400^ F. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty foil. Place a cooling rack over pan and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a shallow dish combine the bread crumbs, parmesan, thyme and 1 Tbsp olive oil until crumbly.

In another dish combine the mustard, salt & pepper, water and remaining tablespoon olive oil and whisk to mix well.

Coat each chicken breast in mustard mixture then dredge in the bread crumbs. Place on prepared rack and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and completely cooked.

Serve immediately.

3 stars.

Adapted from a Paula Deen recipe by the same name.

Mexican Lasagna

Mexican Lasagna

1 lb ground chuck
1 packet taco seasoning mix
16-oz can seasoned pinto beans, drained
15-oz can black beans, drained
16 oz jar taco sauce
1 cup water
10-oz can Ro-Tel tomatoes (I used Original)
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cups shredded Pepper-Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar-Jack cheese
1 cup shredded medium Cheddar cheese
Sour cream and chopped cilantro, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350^ F.

In a large skillet, brown and crumble the ground chuck. When the meat is nearly cooked through add the taco seasoning mix and the pinto beans, stirring and mashing the beans until well mixed and meat is completely cooked. Stir in the black beans and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the taco sauce, water and Ro-Tel tomatoes. Set aside.

In a 9x13" pan, place 4 uncooked noodles in the bottom. Pour about 3/4 cup of the taco sauce mixture over the noodles and spread half the meat mixture over that. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheeses and repeat layers, ending with 4 noodles and the remaining cheese and taco sauce.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 1 1/2 hours or until the noodles are tender. Let set about 30 minutes before cutting.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro leaves.

Pretty good. Didn't take long to put it together either.

Adapted from allrecipes.com "Mexican Lasagna I"

Classic Ham Sandwich (My Way)

Classic Ham Sandwich, My Way

4 slices honey wheat bread, lightly toasted
2 tbsp chive & onion spreadable cream cheese
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 ripe beefsteak tomato, sliced thin
Shredded lettuce
2 tbsp sliced banana peppers
8 thin slices Virginia ham
2 thin slices Swiss cheese

Spread 2 slices toast with cream cheese. Spread the other 2 slices with mayo. Top each of the cream cheese slices with 2 slices ham, a slice of swiss, 2 more slices ham, half the banana pepper, shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Top with the remaining bread slices, mayo side down. Cut in half on the diagonal and serve immediately. Makes 2 big, delicious sandwiches!

Yum-OH!

Maple Cinnamon Pecan Pull-Aparts

Maple Cinnamon Pecan Pull-Aparts

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon maple flavor or vanilla
1 can (17.5 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Flaky Supreme refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8x4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix all ingredients except cinnamon rolls with icing.

Separate dough into 5 rolls; set icing aside. Cut each roll into quarters; add to pecan mixture, tossing gently to coat. Spoon roll mixture into pan.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate or platter. Spread with icing. Serve warm.

I don't remember where I found this recipe but it's probably from the Pillsbury website. Good...not as good as my Monkey Bread, but it'll do.

Spaghetti all'Elsa (sort of)

Spaghetti all'Elsa (sort of)

Salt
1 pound Italian imported dried spaghetti (I used Muellers - my Publix doesn't sell imported dried spaghetti!)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
3 cloves garlic, crushed (I used minced roasted garlic out of a jar!)
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup chicken stock (wich I had some white wine)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano), plus
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (I used a small jar of pizza sauce)
Several leaves basil, torn or chopped, a handful
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (I used half parmesan and half asiago)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add pasta. Cook to al dente, with a bite to it.

Heat a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and red pepper and let them cook 5 minutes. Add stock or wine and stir 30 seconds, add tomatoes and combine. Season the sauce with salt, to taste, then stir basil in and reduce heat to low.

I didn't noticed the 14 oz can of tomatoes tacked onto the end of the original recipe and didn't have any in the pantry, so I used a small jar of pizza sauce. Hey, it's Italian! :-)

When pasta is cooked, turn off the heat, drain the pasta then add it back to the still-hot, deep pot. Add butter to spaghetti and toss to melt and coat. Add half the red sauce and all of the cheese, work in a handful at a time as you toss to combine. To serve, use tongs or a meat fork to swirl the pasta into buttery, cheesy mounds to pile onto each plate. Top each portion with spoonfuls of remaining sauce.

I made Italian Cheese Stuffed Chicken to go with this and spooned a bit of this sauce over each chicken roll.

This was OK....definitely not the best Marinara type sauce I've ever had, but not bad. It needs spicing up in my opinion. Adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe.

Italian Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Italian Cheese Stuffed Chicken

4 chicken cutlets
3 tbsp cream cheese
1 1/2 tbsp shredded asiago cheese
1/2 tsp My Spice Sage's tomato powder
1/2 tsp dried basil + a sprinkle
1/2 tsp greek oregano
Garlic Salt and Pepper
Olive oil
Chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 375^.

Pound the chicken cutlets until thin and of even thickness. (That doesn't really sound right - thin but thick? - but I think you'll know what I mean.) In other words, make is flat!

Combine the cream cheese, asiago, tomato powder, 1/2 tsp basil, and oregano and beat until well mixed. Divide cheese mixture into 4 portions and spread over the flattened chicken. Roll up the chicken like a jelly roll and place, seam side down in a baking dish. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with basil, garlic salt and pepper. Pour some chicken broth around the chicken to just cover the bottom of the dish.

Bake, uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked.

I served this chicken with Spaghetti all'Elsa and I spooned a bit of the sauce from that dish over the tops of the chicken rolls. Good chicken if I do say so myself! I saw a recipe somewhere a while back for chicken stuffed with cream cheese and sundried tomatoes, so that was the inspiration for this dish. next time I make this dish, I'm going to sprinkle some mozzarella over the sauced chicken rolls and broil it until the cheese melts!

BBQ Chicken BLT Salad

BBQ Chicken BLT Salad

1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 Tbsp barbecue sauce
1 tsp minced dehydrated onions
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp pepper
McCormick's Mesquite seasoning
Garlic powder
1 lb chicken tenderloins
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 bag salad greens, washed and spun dry
1 large tomato, diced
8 bacon strips, cooked crispy, drained and broken into pieces
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
French Fried Onions (or croutons), if desired

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, bbq sauce, onions, lemon juice, honey, pepper and a dash of McCormick's Mesquite seasoning. Whisk until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Season the chicken tenderloins with garlic powder, pepper and Mesquite seasoning. Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet and saute the chicken until completely and throroughly cooked. Remove from heat and let cool. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Combine the salad greens, tomato, chicken chunks, bacon and eggs in a large bowl. Toss well and serve with the BBQ Dressing and a sprinkle of French Fried Onions.

Yum!

Peach Cobbler Bread

PEACH COBBLER BREAD

1/3 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/3 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. almond extract
1 c. diced peeled peaches
1 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. chopped pecans

TOPPING:
2 Tbsp. chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. brown sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in water and extracts. Stir in peaches. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in pecans. Pour into a greased 9x5x3" loaf pan. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake @ 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Makes 1 loaf

I don't remember where I got this recipe, but it's good! I had some ripe peaches I needed to use up today so I made this (minus the pecans cause I didn't have any and I left off the brown sugar topping too). I also doubled the recipe and baked it in a Bundt pan. Smelled so good while it was baking John was hanging out in the kitchen waiting for it to come out of the oven! It doesn't really taste very peachy, but I'll definitely be making it again.

Herb Baked Eggs

Herb Baked Eggs

1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves, minced
3/4 tablespoons parsley, minced
1 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
Pinch garlic powder
6 extra-large eggs
3 Tbsp heavy cream
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and Pepper to taste, if desired
Toasted French bread or brioche, for serving

Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.

Combine the thyme, oregano, parsley, parmesan cheese and garlic powder and set aside. Carefully crack 2 eggs into each of 3 small bowls (you won’t be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks.

Place 3 individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Quickly, but carefully, pour 2 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren’t cooking evenly.)

The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot with toasted bread.

Good eggs! Easy and quick. However, I left mine in for the entire 6 minutes and they were a bit over-cooked for my taste. Nest time I'll only cook them 5 minutes!

Adapted from http://www.thedragonskitchen.com/2008/07/herb-baked-eggs_25.html

Turkey Ranch Sub

Turkey Ranch Sub

2-3 oz soft cream cheese
1 heaping tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp ranch dressing mix
1 loaf french bread, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 lb thinly sliced turkey breast
1/4 lb thinly slice swiss cheese
Shredded Lettuce
Thinly sliced ripe tomato
Pepper

Combine cream cheese, mayo and ranch dressing mix and stir until well mixed. Spread on both sides of bread. Layer lettuce, turkey, cheese and tomato on bottom half. Sprinkle tomatoes with pepper. Top with the other half. Cut into 2 or 3 servings.

Yummy with Bread and Butter pickles!

Bowties with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream

Bowties with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can Italian-style plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp chiffonade of fresh basil
1 cup heavy cream
Garlic salt to taste
12 oz pkg bowties, cooked al dente and drained
Grated Parmesan and minced fresh parsley top garnish

In a heavy skillet, cook the sausage, pepper flakes and onions in a little bit of water until browned and cooked through. Add garlic and cook, stirring 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and basil and simmer aout 8 minutes. Add cream and garlic salt to taste and continue cooking, stirring occasionally over low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir in cooked bowties and sprinkle with parmesan and parsley, if desired.

Very good! Adapted from allrecipes.com

Brazilian Lemonade

I don't know why they call this lemondade, when it's made with LIMES! But it's really good! Might be the 2nd best "lemonade" I've ever had!

Brazilian Lemonade

2 limes
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
3 cups water
Ice

Wash limes thoroughly. Cut off the ends and slice into eight wedges. Place limes in a blender with the sugar, condensed milk and water.

Blend in an electric blender, pulsing 5 times. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove rinds. Serve over ice.

From allrecipes.com

Roman Style Chicken

Roman-Style Chicken

2 chicken breasts, with ribs
4 chicken thighs, with bones
Garlic salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 bell peppers, sliced (mixture of red, yellow and green)
3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons capers

Season the chicken with garlic salt and pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan while stirring.

Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the capers. Stir to combine and serve with pasta.

This was very good!

Adapted from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe from the Food Network.

Naked Linguine

Naked Linguine

1 (16 ounce) package linguine
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp minced roasted garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the linguine until al dente (see package for time). In the meantime, in a small saucepan, combine the olice oil, garlic and pepper flakes and cook over a low heat until hot.

Drain the pasta. Pour the olive oil mixture over it and toss well. Toss in the parmesan cheese and serve.

Not bad...

Found at allrecipes.com This recipe is called "Pasta, Hot, Hot, Hot!" on their side, but I liked my husband's name for it better! He said it looked naked!

Brazilian Feijoada

Brazilian Feijoada

4 slices applewood-smoked bacon
1 pound boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Garlic Salt and Pepper
3-4 bone-in beef short ribs
2 medium onions, finely chopped
10.5 oz low-sodium chicken broth
3 tsp minced roasted garlic
1 smoked ham hock
2 cans black beans
1 tablespoon white vinegar (I used Apple Cider Vinegar)

In a large, heavy skillet cook bacon slices until crisp. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the pork cubes to the bacon grease. Season with garlic salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until browned. With a slotted spoon, remove the pork cubes from the skillet and put them in a large slow cooker.

Again in the same skillet, brown the short ribs (season with more garlic salt and pepper). Place the browned short ribs in the slow cooker. Add the onions, chicken broth, garlic and ham hock and cook 4-6 hours. Add black beans and continue cooking for another 2-3 hours. Serve over hot cooked rice.

These were the best black beans I've ever eaten! Seriously.

Lemon Blueberry Marble Cake

I found a link to the inspiration for this cake on pinterest and it looked so incredibly good that I just had to try it. Problem was, I had no fresh or frozen blueberries and I was too lazy to go to the grocery store to buy some. I DID have a jar of blueberry preserves though and a well stocked pantry! Hmmmm....let's try this:

Lemon Blueberry Marble Cake

12 oz jar blueberry preserves
1 large lemon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 pkg lemon cake mix, plus whatever other ingredients that mix calls for
1 stick butter, softened
1 lb confectioner's sugar

Zest the lemon. Reserve the lemon for the frosting.

For the Blueberry Filling: Combine 1 tsp of the lemon zest, the ginger and 3/4 of the jar of blueberry preserves in a small bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions, adding about half of the remaining lemon zest to the batter. Remove 3/4 cup of batter to a small bowl and reserve. Divide the remaining batter between 2 greased and floured (or hit 'em with Baking Pam!) 8" round pans.

Add 2 Tbsp blueberry preserves from the amount left in the jar to the reserved batter and beat well. Spoon/drizzle blueberry batter over the filled pans and swirl/marble with a knife or skewer. Bake at 350^ F until cakes are done. Remove from pans and cool thoroughly on wire racks.

For the frosting, beat the softened butter, remaining lemon zest, powdered sugar and enough lemon juice (I needed all the juice that lemon had!) to make a smooth and spreadable icing.

Spread the blueberry filling over the top of one of the cake layers. Top with remaining cake layer and frost the top and sides with the Lemon Frosting. Refrigerate until serving time.

I loved it! I bet the original is phenomenal and I'll have to try it one day (when I have blueberries!)

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Cajun Chicken Pasta

3 large chicken breasts, cut into cubes
3 tsp Cajun seasoning, divided
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 large red onion, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced (I used a mixture of red, green and yellow)
1 tsp minced roasted garlic
1/2 cup white wine
10.5 oz can low sodium chicken broth
28 oz can diced tomatoes (I used a can with basil, garlic & oregano)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Garlic salt and pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb pasta (I used Rotelle)

Season the chicken chunks with 1 tsp cajun seasoning and brown lightly in a large skillet in the hot olive oil. Remove chicken from pan and add onions and bell pepper slices. Season with another tsp of cajun seasoning and cook about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and wine and cook until most of the wine evaporates. Stir in chicken broth, diced tomatoes and cayenne. Taste and season with garlic salt and pepper as desired. Stir the chicken into the mixture and simmer about 20 minutes.

Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve. If you're feeling fancy, feel free to throw some chopped parsley on top!

This is my lazy woman's version of a recipe found on the Pioneer Woman's blog! (I love her!) I always keep sliced peppers in the freezer so I only had to slice the onion tonight, which suited me fine after a long day at the office. This was easy and DEElicious!

Sausage & Red Beans with Cajun Rice

Sausage & Red Beans with Cajun Rice

2 cups long-grain white rice
4 cups water
1 tbsp instant chicken bouillon
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp roasted minced garlic
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 can sliced stewed tomatoes
2 cans light red kidney beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
2 splashes hot sauce

Combine rice, water, bouillon and cajun seasoning and cook in a rice cooker until done. Keep hot.

In a large skillet, brown the sausage slices in hot olive oil. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Keeping only 1 tbsp oil in the pan, add onion and bell pepper and cook about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and worcestershire sauce and stir well. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Return sausage slices to the mixture and cook 10 minutes more. Serve over Cajun Rice.

This was a spur of the moment creation and it was REALLY good! I'll be making this again.

Herb Roasted Potatoes

Herb Roasted Potatoes

2 large baking potatoes
2 Tbsp minced shallots
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp lemon juice
4 springs fresh thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
 
Preheat oven to 450^. Slice potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, into slices ¼-inch thick and arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Combine shallots, melted butter and lemon juice; pour over the potatoes. Arrange thyme sprigs on top.
 
Approximately 15 to 20 minutes before serving time, put potatoes in oven. Roast 10 to 15 minutes, turning them over as they brown. When potato slices are tender inside and browned on the outside, season with salt and pepper, turn off the oven, and leave them in the oven with the door ajar.

These were OK. I've had better roasted potatoes though....

Brick Chicken with Garlic & Thyme

Brick Chicken with Garlic & Thyme

2 clean bricks wrapped in foil
2 chicken breasts
4 chicken thighs
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp olive oil
8 cloves garlic, smashed
8 sprigs thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large iron skillet until hot (over medium heat). Season chicken pieces with salt & pepper and place, skin side down in the hot skillet. Scatter garlic, thyme and pepper flakes around chicken. Place another clean iron skillet on top of the chicken and place the bricks in that skillet. Cook 10 minutes.

Remove the bricks/skillet. Carefully turn the chicken and stir the garlic. Return the bricks/skillet to the chicken and continue cooking another 10 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked and golden brown.

Smelled wonderfully garlicky, but the taste was not worth messing with those heavy bricks! And I can't recommend cooking the breast meat this way...too dry.

Adapted from a Woman's Day recipe.

Crockpot Braised Short Ribs

Crockpot Braised Short Ribs

3 tbsp olive oil
4 lbs beef short ribs
Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder to taste
2 onions, cut into quarters
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup red wine
32 oz beef broth

Heat oil in a large iron skillet. Season the short ribs with salt, pepper and garlic powder and brown well on all sides in the hot oil. When browned, place the ribs in a large crock pot and add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours or until the ribs are very tender.

Skim off the fat and thicken gravy if desired. Good stuff!

Chicken Carbonara over Garlic-Butter Rice

Chicken Carbonara over Garlic-Butter Rice

2 cups long-grain rice
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp instant chicken boillon granules
1 tsp garlic powder
7 slices thick sliced low-sodium bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb chicken tenderloins, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tsp garlic minced
2 green onions, sliced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup frozen petite peas thawed, drained
1/2 - 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook rice as directed on package, adding butter, bouillon granules and garlic powder.

Cook bacon until crisp; remove and drain off all but 2 tbsp of drippings. Season chicken with salt and pepper as desired. Add chicken, saute until seared on all sides.

Add garlic, green onions, peas, cream and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; simmer until it begins to thicken. Add extra cheese if necessary to thicken to your taste. Add bacon just before serving.

Serve over rice; garnish with extra green onion, if desired.

I don't remember where I got the original recipe for this, but I think it might have been an Uncle Ben's Rice recipe, since it called for Uncle Ben's Garlic & Butter Rice mix. Since that's impossible to find here (if they even still make it!) I make my own as shown above. This recipe is delicious over the rice or over pasta and it's very easy and fast!

Shrimp Creole

Shrimp Creole

6 tbsp butter
1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups julienned bell pepper (I used a mix of yellow, red and green)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cajun seasoning
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 tsp hot sauce or to taste (I used about double that)
2 cans sliced stewed tomatoes
1 cup V-8 vegetable juice
24 oz peeled and deveined shrimp (31-41 per lb)
Garlic & Herb seasoning

In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and bell peppers and saute about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, paprika and cajun seasoning and continue cooking another 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Simmer about 15-20 minutes.

In another large skillet, melt the remaining 4 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add shrimp. sprinkle with a little Garlic & Herb seasoning and saute, stirring constantly 5-6 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and tender. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and toss to coat well. Serve over hot, buttered rice.

This was delicious!

Lime Cream Pie

Lime Cream Pie

1 graham cracker crust
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
Zest from 1 lime
1/2 cup lime juice
Up to 1/3 cup sugar, depending on the tartness of your limes

Beat the cream until soft peaks form and set aside.

Combine cream cheese, condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice and beat until smooth and well blended. Taste and add sugar, if necessary, to suit your taste. Fold in whipped cream and spoon into graham crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Really good flavor, but next time I'd only use about 3/4 cup of the heavy cream. I thought this was too...er, "fluffy" for lack of a better word. John loved it though! Nice and light and cool. Perfect for a hot weather dessert.

Black Beans and Yellow Rice with Fresh Tomato Relish

Black Beans and Yellow Rice with Fresh Tomato Relish

Tomato Relish:
2 large, ripe tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp minced red onion
1 tbsp minced cilantro
2-3 tsp lime juice
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Yellow Rice:
2.5 cups water
2 tbsp butter
11 oz can Mexicorn
10 oz pkg Vigo Yellow Rice mix
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp minced cilantro

Black Beans:
2 cans Black Beans
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp catsup
1 heaping Tbsp diced pickled jalapenos

Sour cream, if desired

Combine Tomato Relish ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

About 1/2 hour before serving, bring water, butter and Mexicorn to a boil over high heat in a medium sized saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Stir in yellow rice mix, cumin, chili powder and cilanto and boil 1 minute. Cover with lid, reduce heat to low and cook 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

In the meantime, combine beans, cumin, tomato paste, catsup, and jalapenos and heat, stirring often, over medium heat until thoroughly hot.

Spoon yellow rice mixture onto plate, top with beans, a spoonful of the tomato relish and a dollop of sour cream.

This was absolutely the best Yellow Rice and Black Beans I've ever made! Really good! And it was really pretty to look at...I have to start taking pictures!

Ranchero Pork

Ranchero Pork

3-4 lb bone-in pork shoulder roast or pork butt
Garlic Salt, Pepper and Chili Powder
14 oz can mild enchilada sauce
4 oz can chopped green chiles
1 large red onion, sliced

Season the pork roast with garlic salt, pepper and chili powder. Combine the enchilada sauce, green chiles and onion slices in a large crockpot. Place the roast in the pot and turn to coat with the sauce. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until roast is very tender and completely cooked.

Very good. I served this with Black Beans, Yellow Rice and a Fresh Tomato Relish. John raved!

Adapted from Woman's Day Magazine.

Brown Sugar Shortbread

Brown Sugar Shortbread

1 cup flour
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
Cinnamon, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350°. Using an electric mixer, combine the flour, butter and sugar. Press the dough evenly into a 9-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Bake until golden around the edges, 18 to 20 minutes.

Let the shortbread cool slightly in the pan, then cut into 16 squares and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

These were OK, but not nearly as good as my old recipe. Though these are ridiculously easy and fast!

Adapted from

Catalina Taco Salad

Catalina Taco Salad

1 lb ground chuck
1 pkg low sodium taco seasoning mix
1 16 oz can chili beans
8 oz Catalina salad dressing
1 bag assorted salad greens
1 large tomato, chopped
Shredded Cheddar
Tortilla Chips
Sour Cream
Salsa

Brown and crumble ground chuck in a skillet over medium-medium high heat, stirring often. Add taco seasoning, chili beans and Catalina dressing and stir well. Simmer over low heat until all ingredients are hot.

Serve over salad greens with tomatoes, Cheddar, tortilla chips, sour cream and salsa.

This was good, but a tad sweet for my taste...John liked it better than I did. I'd rather have spicy taco meat personally.

Adapted from Taco Salad I at allrecipes.com

Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew

2 quarts water
1/2 whole fryer chicken, cut up
Salt and Black Pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 (15-ounce) can baby lima beans, undrained
1 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 yellow onion, diced
2 splashes Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
2 cups frozen baby lima beans
3 small potatoes, peeled and diced
1(15-ounce) can cream-style corn
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
3 teaspoons hot sauce
1 tsp McCormick's Salt Free Garlic & Herb seasoning
Drizzle of Pickled Jalapeno juice

Bring water, chicken, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to a boil in a Dutch oven. Reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes or until tender.

Remove chicken, and set aside. Reserve 3 cups broth in Dutch oven. Pour canned lima beans and liquid through a wire-mesh strainer into Dutch oven. Reserve beans. Add tomatoes and chopped onions to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, for 40 minutes or until liquid is reduced by 1/3.

Skin, bone, and shred chicken. Mash reserved beans with a potato masher. Add chicken, mashed lima beans, Worcestershire sauce and Liquid Smoke and continue cooking another 40 minutes.

Add frozen beans, potatoes, corn, butter, garlic-herb seasoning and hot sauce to Dutch oven. Taste and adjust seasonings. Cook over low heat, stirring often, for an additional 40 minutes or so.

I added the last couple of ingredients and the extra hot sauce to try to cut the sweet taste. The original recipe called for 1/4 cup of sugar (!) and even though I only used half that amount I thought this tasted unreasonably sweet. Next time I'd only add about 1-2 TEASPOONS of sugar, if I add sugar at all! This was definitely good enough to give it another try!!!

This is adapted from a Food Network recipe "courtesy of Bob Garner; Author North Carolina Barbecue".

Lemon Cream Chicken with Pasta

Lemon Cream Chicken with Pasta

1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp Maggi instant chicken bouillon
Sea Salt
1 lb thin spaghetti (or pasta of choice)
1 lb chicken tenderloins
McCormick's Garlic & Herb Salt Free Seasoning
Lemon Pepper
4 tbsp butter
Zest of 1 large lemon
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 - 3/4 cups grated Parmesan

Add the lemon juice, bouillon and sea salt to enough water in a large pot to cook pasta and bring to a boil over hight heat.

Cut chicken into bite-sized cubes and season with Garlic & Herb seasoning and Lemon Pepper. Melt butter in a large skillet until sizzling. Add chicken and cook over medium heat until chicken is completely cooked. Stir in lemon zest and juice, thyme and cream and heat until barely simmering over low to medium heat. Stir in Parmesan and stir frequently until sauce is well combined.

In the meantime, cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Toss pasta with sauce and chicken and serve hot.

Yum-OH!! Best Lemon Chicken Pasta I've ever made!!!

Roasted Smoked Sausage with Mustard Sauce

Roasted Smoked Sausage with Mustard Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp Grey Poupon Spicy Brown Mustard
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp horseradish sauce
1 tsp Montreal Steak seasoning
1 tsp honey
1 splash Hot Pickled Pepper juice
1 tsp lemon juice
1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/2-in.-thick wedges
3 carrots, cut in 1 1/2-in. pieces (or 2 cups baby carrots)
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut lengthwise in quarters, then halved crosswise
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
14-oz pkg smoked sausage, cut into 2" pieces

Combine the first 8 ingredients and whisk until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 450^F. Place the onion, carrots and potatoes in a 9x13" baking dish. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. Roast for 15-20 minutes. Add sausage pieces to vegetables and return to oven. Roast another 15 minutes or until vegetables are completely cooked. Serve with Mustard Sauce .

This tasted good, but was way too greasy! Probably won't make it again.

Adapted from a Woman's Day magazine recipe.

Cheese & Onion Meatloaf

Cheese & Onion Meatloaf

1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup catsup
2 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1.5 lb meatloaf mix (combination of ground chuck and ground pork)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
3 tbsp catsup
4 oz shredded Cheddar
3 oz can French Fried Onions, lightly crushed

Preheat oven to 350^F. Gently combine the breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, catsup, mustard, Worcestershire, meat, salt and pepper until well mixed and lightly pack into a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Combine 1 tbsp mustard and 3 tbsp catsup and spread over the top of the meatloaf. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour.

This was OK. Barely.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

I was throwing things out of the garage the other day and found my Deni Ice Cream Maker. I'd completely forgotten I had one of those! So I'm making ice cream this afternoon to top an Apple Pie for dessert tonight.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon

Mix milk and sugar together using a wire whisk or hand mixer so that the sugar completely dissolves. Stir in heavy cream, vanilla, and cinnamon, making sure that the cinnamon is well blended throughout. Pour mixture into your ice cream maker. Mix about 20-25 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 quarts

Helpful Hint: Cinnamon has a tendency to sink to the bottom of the ice cream mixture, so make sure that the ice cream is freshly stirred before pouring it in the ice cream maker!

This needs a pinch of salt! And next time I'd reduce the amount of heavy cream and increase the milk by the same amount.

From

Cayenne Cinnamon Baby Back Ribs with Maple Glaze

Cayenne Cinnamon Baby Back Ribs with Maple Glaze

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 pounds pork baby back ribs
1/4 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375F (or prepare your grill. We're using the oven because it's too hot and too rainy to grill!). Remove the tough membrane from the underside of the ribs.

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, garlic powder, both paprikas, ground cinnamon, cayenne and salt. Place ribs on a double layer of tin foil (large enough to wrap around ribs) and season the ribs on both sides with the rub. Fold over foil and completely cover ribs. Place ribs on baking sheet or roasting pan.

Bake 1-1/2 hours or until meat starts to pull away from bones.

Carefully open foil. Brush ribs with maple syrup. Return to oven (leaving foil open) and roast 30 minutes. Carefully turn ribs over, brush with remaining maple syrup and bake for 15-30 minutes more or until ribs are very tender and browned.

These were very good! Falling apart tender, nice flavor, but a little too sweet for my taste. I'll definitely use the rub again, but instead of maple syrup I'll switch to a vinegar based BBQ sauce...but that's strictly my personal preference. I'll also double the cayenne.

Adapted from a recipe at steamykitchen.com

Croque Madame a la Martha

Croque Madame

1 Tbsp butter, room temperature
4 slices thin white sandwich bread
4 thin slices Gruyere cheese
8 thin slices deli ham
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread 1/2 teaspoon butter on each bread slice and place 2 slices, butter side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Divide cheese and ham evenly among slices, season with salt and pepper, and top with remaining bread slices, butter side up. Bake until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, melt 2 teaspoons butter over medium heat. Cook 2 eggs until whites are set and yolks are still runny, about 4 minutes (or until done to your liking!) Top each sandwich with 1 egg. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

This was good. And easy. Always a winning combination as far as I'm concerned!

http://www.marthastewart.com/print/349728

West Coast Cheese Burgers

West Coast Cheese Burgers

Special Sauce:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp catsup
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 Tbsp Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp honey

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Grilled Onions:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
1 Tbsp BBQ sauce

Heat the oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add the BBQ sauce and cook 2 minutes more. Remove the onions from the pan to a small bowl and set aside.

Burgers:
1 lb ground chuck
Garlic Salt & Pepper
4 slices American cheese
4 Hamburger Buns with sesame seeds
2 Tbsp butter
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
Sliced ripe Beefsteak tomatoes
Shredded Lettuce

Preheat the broiler. Shape the ground chuck gently into 4 patties. Season with garlic salt and pepper and set aside. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly brush the split buns with some of the butter and place cut side up on a sheet pan. Cook the hamburger patties in the buttered skillet 4-5 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook the other side until the burger is as done as you want it. Splash on some Worcestershire sauce after you flip them. Top with cheese slices about 1 minute before they're done. In the meantime, lightly toast the buns under the broiler.

To assemble, spread about 1 Tbsp of the sauce on both bun halves. Place the patties on the bottom half of each bun and top with the BBQ onions, tomatoes and lettuce. Cover with the top half of the bun to serve.

Good burgers! The sauce and the onions were very tasty! John ate 2!

Adapted from a Brian Boitano recipe.

Baked Penne

Baked Penne

1 lb sausage
1/2 lb ground chuck
Garlic Salt & Pepper to taste
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp dried Greek oregano
1 heaping tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp ground rosemary
2 tbsp dried mixed vegetables
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
24 oz jar Classico Italian Sausage with Peppers & Onion pasta sauce
14.5 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 palm fulls grated Parmesan cheese
16 oz penne regate
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
16 oz small curd cottage cheese
8 oz Six Cheese Italian blend cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
4 oz shredded mozzarella

In a large skillet, crumble the sausage and ground chuck with garlic salt, pepper, onions and garlic until well browned and cooked through. Add oregano, basil, rosemary, dried veggies, crushed pepper flakes, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in pasta sauce, tomatoes and parmesan and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, bring a large pot full of salted water to a boil and cook the penne according the the instructions until al dente. Drain well. Add butter and garlic powder to pasta and toss until butter has melted and coated the pasta. Stir in cottage cheese and the 6-Cheese Italian blend.

Spoon about 2 cups of the sauce into the bottom of a deep casserole dish. Top with the cheese-pasta mixture and spread evenly in the pan. Top with remaining sauce, the parmesan and the mozzarella. Cover pan with foil and bake at 350^F for 30 minutes or until hot through. Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes until mozzarella starts to brown a tiny bit.

Yummy, cheesy, GOOD!

Mongolian Style Beef

Mongolian Style Beef

1 lb lean beef round, sliced into thin strips
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp beef base
2 cups water
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
1/4 cup Tamari
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp molasses
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp red chili pepper flakes
1/2 Tbsp peanut butter
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp honey
Hot, cooked rice

Heat canola oil in a large skillet and brown the beef stirring occasionally. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Stir in the beef base and water and bring to a boil. Cook until water is reduced to a small amount and the beef is tender.

In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients (except the rice) and whisk until blended. Pour over the tenderized beef and simmer about 15 minutes. Serve over rice.

Adapted from the blog, "A Year of Slow Cooking". I had intended to put this in the crockpot but I was lazy and kept procrastinating until it was too late to cook it that way! It was so salty I couldn't eat it. The flavor was good, but if I ever made it again I'd only use about 1/2 the soy sauce/Tamari.

Yankee Chicken Chili

Yankee Chicken Chili

16 oz pkg Great Northern Beans, washed
32 oz chicken broth
4 oz can chopped green chiles
2 Tbsp Ancho chile powder
1/2 cup Sofrito
Garlic Salt & Pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp Hot Mexican chili powder
1 large Vidalia onion, coarsely chopped
1 Lime
1 cup water

Place the beans in a crockpot with the chicken broth, green chiles, ancho chile powder, sofrito and Garlic Salt & Pepper.

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet. Season the chicken breasts with Garlic Salt, pepper and Hot Mexican chili powder and cook in oil over medium heat until well browned on both sides., adding chopped onions about halfway through cooking time. Squeeze lime juice over chicken and onions and add water. Bring to boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits, then add mixture in skillet to the beans in the crockpot.

Cook on high 6-8 hours or until beans are tender. Chop the chicken and return to the pot. Simmer 5-10 minutes and then serve.

6/11/11 - This was really good, especially the broth and the chicken. Try making this without the beans (just a Braised Chicken kind of thing). The beans were actually kind of bland, so I may experiment with a sour cream/salsa based topping or maybe a Ranch/Sour Cream flavor.

Sizzlin' Skillet Baked Chicken with Gravy

Sizzlin' Skillet Baked Chicken with Gravy

1 cup water
1 tbsp Maggi instant chicken bouillon
1 very large sweet onion, halved and sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Mrs. Dash (original blend)
1 packet Chicken or Turkey gravy mix

Preheat oven to 350^F. Combine the water and chicken bouillon in a large iron skillet and whisk to blend. Stir in the garlic and the sliced onions. Place the chicken breasts on top of the onions and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with Mrs. Dash. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes.

Remove foil, turn chicken breasts and continue baking another 10-15 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked.

Remove Chicken from oven and place chicken breasts and onions to a warm plate, cover loosely with foil and keep warm. Heat the liquid remaining in the skillet until it comes to a boil. Whisk in gravy mix until smooth and thickened.

This was good, but the gravy mix combined with the chicken bouillon made the gravy taste very salty. Adapted from recipe from mrsdash.com

Maple Peach Glazed Ham Steaks

Maple Peach Glazed Ham Steaks

1 cup peach marmalade
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 ham steaks, each 1-inch thick

Stir together the preserves, maple syrup, ancho powder and orange juice in a medium bowl.

Heat grill to high. Grill the steaks for 4 to 5 minutes on both sides, keeping the grill covered to heat through. Baste with the glaze every few minutes. Slice and serve.

This is a Bobby Flay recipe. I used 2 small ham steaks and cooked them on my grill pan in the kitchen (too hot aside for grilling!) I also halved the amount of the glaze ingredients which was still too much for the small steaks I used. Quite good!

Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

2 lbs red boiling potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 Tbsp Ranch dressing mix
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped fine
1/8 cup minced chives
1/8 cup minced red onion
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 Tbsp Ranch dressing mix
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 oz smoked Gruyere, diced
1 handful of shredded cheddar
6 slices thick bacon, cooked until crisp and diced

Simmer the potatoes in boiling salted water with 1 Tbsp Ranch dressing mix until potatoes are completely cooked about 20-25 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Cool potatoes.

In a large bowl combine the chopped eggs, chives, red onion, sour cream, mayo, mustard, ranch dressing mix and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in potatoes, and cheeses and toss until well combined. Chill until ready to serve and then toss in the diced bacon just before serving.

This was a very good potato salad. John said it's the best he's ever had!

Inspired by recipe at eatwisconsincheese.com

Praline French Toast

Praline French Toast

Glaze
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey, maple syrup or corn syrup

Bread
French or Italian bread sliced 1/2" thick, enough to cover the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan

Custard
1 1/2 cups whipping cream, half and half, milk, or fat-free half and half
5 large eggs, or 1 1/4 cups egg substitute
1/2 teaspoon flavor: pralines & cream, eggnog, vanilla-butternut, Amaretto, or your choice; OR 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1) Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan or shallow 2-quart casserole.

2) To make the glaze: Melt the butter in a saucepan, and stir in the brown sugar and syrup. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cooking until the sugar melts.Pour the glaze into the prepared pan, spreading it to the corners.

3) Lay the slices of bread in the pan, atop the glaze. Use baguettes for smaller servings, a fat loaf of Italian bread for larger servings. Leftover/stale bread works well here; kids may prefer softer, sandwich-type bread, which will make softer, smoother French toast. Adults seem to prefer bread with more body.

4) To make the custard, whisk together the cream, half and half, or milk, eggs or egg substitute, the flavor, and the salt. Pour it over the bread in the pan, pressing the bread down into the custard.

5) Cover the pan, and refrigerate overnight, or for up to 24 hours.

6) When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.

7) Make the topping by stirring together the brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Sprinkle it evenly over the bread.

8) Bake the French toast for 40 to 45 minutes, until it's bubbly and the top is very lightly browned.

9) Remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve individual slices of bread, turning it over on the plate so the syrupy bottom is on top.

Yield: 9 to 12 servings.

I used maple syrup in the glaze, fat free half & half and Butter Pecan flavoring in the custard. My opinion: not worth the time. It tasted OK, but there are much better recipes out there for this type dish.

From kingarthurflour.com

Portuguese Style Slow Roasted Pork

Portuguese Style Slow Roasted Pork

1 tbsp diced pickled jalapenos
1 Tbsp Aji Panca powder
1/2 tsp Hickory Smoke powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp minced garlic
3/4 Tbsp sea salt
2 Tbsp sweet paprika
1/3 cup white wine
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup water
4-5 lb boneless pork butt

Combine first 11 ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well blended.

Using a sharp paring knife, make deep slits all over the roast to allow marinade to penetrate the meat. Put the pork into a large plastic zip-loc bag (I used a 2-gallon bag, but I think it might have fit in 1 gallon) and pour the marinade over the meat. Seal the bag and turn to coat thoroughly. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

The next morning place the pork into the slow cooker. Add about 1/2 cup water, cover and cook on low until the meat is completely cooked and falling apart tender, about 6-8 hours.

This was delicious! Next time I will increase the jalapenos and maybe add some onion.

Inspired by Emeril's Portuguese-Style Garlic-Roasted Pork.

Southwestern Rice

Southwestern Rice

1 small Vidalia onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup frozen Sofrito
1/2 packet taco seasoning mix
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp turmeric
1 cup long grain rice
14 oz chicken broth
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
10 oz can Mexi-Corn
10 oz can Ro-Tel


Cook the onion in the olive oil in a large skillet until onion is translucent. Add garlic and sofrito and cook until Sofrito is thawed, stirring often. Add rice, taco seasoning, cumin and turmeric and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is done. Stir in the beans, corn and Ro-tel and continue cooking over low heat another 10-15 minutes or until completely hot.

Adapted from a recipe at allrecipes.com

This was really good...however, next time I'll cook the rice with the taco seasoning, cumin and turmeric in the chicken broth separately and mix it in at the end. This would be awesome with cheese on it and baked a few minutes until melty!

My Tex-Mex Meatloaf

My Tex-Mex Meatloaf

1.5 lbs meatloaf mix (ground beef & ground pork)
1 cup Chile-Cheese Fritos, crushed fine
1/2 cup medium chunky salsa
1/2 packet taco seasoning mix
1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise
1 cup shredded Mexican style cheese (cheddar & jack)
1/2 cup medium chunky salsa

Preheat the oven to 350^F. Combine all ingredients (except the last 1/2 cup salsa) with hands until well mixed and pack lightly into a loaf pan . Top with remaining 1/2 cup medium salsa and bake for 1.5 hours or until completely cooked. Drain and cool 15 minutes before slicing.

This is probably the best meatloaf I've ever personally come up with! John loved it and I'll definitely be making it again. It was really good!

Tamale Soup

Tamale Soup

1 lb sausage
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup water
2 tsp Hot Mexican-Style chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried cilantro
10 oz can Medium Enchilada Sauce
15 oz can Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes
32 oz carton Beef Broth
15 oz can Chili Beans with Sauce
16 oz can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz can Fiesta-style Corn
15 oz can Hormel beef flavored tamales, wrappings removed and sliced into 3/4" chunks
Sour Cream and Shredded Mexican Style Cheese to garnish
Tortilla Chips


Cook the sausage, onion and water in a Dutch oven until browned and crumbly and until all the water evaporates. Drain if necessary. Add chili powder, cumin and cilantro and cook 1 minute, stirring. Add Enchilada Sauce, diced tomatoes, beef broth, chili beans and drained black beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Add the corn and cook 10 more minutes. Stir in tamale chunks and cook just until tamales are hot through. Serve in bowls topped with sour cream and cheese with chips on the side.

Yummy!