Strawberry Lemonade Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pureed strawberries (about 3/4 cup whole berries)
1 cup lemon juice
2-3 teaspoons lemon zest
1-1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350^F.  Butter a 9x13" pan.

Combine the first 4 ingredients and mix until crumbly.  Press into the prepared pan and bake for 17 minutes or until the crust starts to turn golden around the edges.

Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice, zest, sugar, and eggs and beat until smooth.  Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt.  Pour over the hot crust and return to the oven for 23-26 minutes or until set.

Let cool completely in pan on rack before cutting into bars to serve.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.

My opinion:  Too much lemon juice!  It took closer to 45 minutes to bake this and it was very tart! So tart that you completely lose the strawberry flavor.  I would reduce the lemon juice to 1/2 - 3/4 cup and (maybe) add a bit more strawberry puree.  And I'd strain the puree to get rid of the little strawberry seeds, because they don't look very appetizing in the finished product.  Just sayin'....

Recipe found on Pinterest.

Russian Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup catsup
2 tablespoon grated onion (or 1 teaspoon onion powder)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Sweet Relish
2 tablespoons half & half or milk
2 tablespoons minced parsley

Combine all ingredients until well mixed.  Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and preferably overnight.

Good!  Adapted from one found on allrecipes.com

Reuben Sandwiches

4 slices Seedless Rye Bread, from the Publix Bakery of course
Russian Dressing
4 slices Swiss cheese
8 thin slices Boar's Head lean corned beef
Small can Silver Floss Sauerkraut, drained
Butter

Spread Russian Dressing on the 4 slices of bread and lay a slice of Swiss on each one.  Divide the corned beef and sauerkraut between 2 of the slices and then top with the remaining bread and cheese to make 2 sandwiches.

Heat a griddle (or panini press) and brush with a little butter.  Grill the sandwiches until toasted on both sides.  If the meat and cheese isn't hot and melty by the time the bread is golden brown, stick the sandwiches in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.

Cut in halves or thirds and serve with dill pickle spears.

Yum!  I prefer mine with less sauerkraut. John likes more sauerkraut, no Swiss and brown mustard instead of Russian Dressing.

Bobby Flay's The Perfect Burger (aka The Crunch Burger)

I saw this on the Today Show a couple of weeks ago and decided to give it a try.  This is seriously "The Perfect Burger" as far as I'm concerned!  Juicy, sloppy, cheesy goodness!!  I may never cook hamburgers any other way ever again!  I put a little yellow mustard and catsup on my buttered and lightly toasted bottom bun, some Chipotle Sweet Relish, Dill Pickle chips, 2 thin slices of Beefsteak Tomato, Romaine Lettuce and Lay's Lightly Salted Potato Chips on the burger with a little Mayonnaise on the top bun.  Perfect Burger!  - Cathy, May 28, 2106

The Perfect Burger (aka The Crunch Burger)

Bobby Flay

 May. 16, 2016 at 8:15 AM

Samantha Okazaki / TODAY

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SERVINGS:  4

 Burger season is right around the corner! Avoid common mistakes and make this recipe from burger aficionado Bobby Flay.

Ingredients

• • 1½ pounds ground chuck (80/20)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Canola oil
  • Thin slices of white American cheese
  • Thin slices of white cheddar cheese
  • Sliced beef steak tomatoes
  • Sliced dill pickles
  • Sliced red onion
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Martin's seeded soft burger buns
  • Lay's potato chips
  • 6-inch wooden skewers
  • Dijon mustard
  • Horseradish mustard
  • Ketchup

Preparation

1. Form the meat into 4 equal-sized patties (6-ounces each) no more than ¾-inch thick.  TIP 1 - 80/20 ground chuck is Bobby's preferred choice for burgers because of the relatively high fat content, guaranteeing a juicy burger.

2. Using your thumb, make a deep depression in the center of each burger to keep the burger from puffing up and bulging in the center. 

3. Season the outside of the burger liberally with salt and pepper.  Do not season the meat mixture itself or add herbs or onions or garlic to it.  That is meatloaf.  We are making burgers.

4. Heat a cast iron pan or griddle over high heat until it begins to slightly smoke.  Add a few teaspoons of canola oil and put the burgers in the pan or on griddle and do not touch until a crust has formed on the bottom, this will take at least 3 minutes. Once a crust has formed, use a metal spatula and flip over and continue cooking until a crust has formed on the bottom and cooked to desired doneness (MEDIUM) another 4 minutes. DO NOT PRESS ON THE BURGER.

5. Place 2 slices of cheese on each burger add a few splashes of water and immediately cover the pan tightly and cook until cheese is completely melted, about 30 seconds.

6. A soft bun with sesame seeds is the way to go. Lightly toast the bun (if desired) and place the burger on the bottom of the bun. Add desired toppings and a few potato chips. Place top of bun on top and place a skewer through the burger.  

Hot Roast Beef Sandwich

2 Publix Bakery Egg Knot Rolls

1/2 lb Publix Deli top Round Roast Beef, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon Lite Soy Sauce

3 splashes Worcestershire sauce

2 slices Sargento's Aged Swiss

2 slices American cheese

Mayonnaise

French's Spicy Brown Mustard

Good  Season's Italian Dressing Mix, prepared according to package directions (with white vinegar, water and        vegetable oil)

Shredded Romaine lettuce

Thinly sliced Beefsteak tomato

Cut the Egg Knot Rolls in half horizontally.  Melt half the butter on a large skillet over medium high heat.  Place the rolls, cut side down, in the skillet until lightly toasted.  Remove to serving plates and top the bottom half of the rolls with 1 slice Swiss cheese and 1 slice American cheese each. 

In the same skillet, melt the remaining butter.  Add the beef strips, soy sauce and Worcestershire.  Toss the meat around in the skillet until it's hot through and then divide the hot beef on the cheese-topped roll bottoms.  Spread a little mayonnaise and drizzle of mustard onto the roll tops.  Top the beef with lettuce and sliced tomatoes and drizzle with a little Italian Dressing then place the roll top over the sandwich. 

Serve with a Salad and a slice of Publix's Mini Apple Pie for dessert.  Excellent meal!!

Creamy Heirloom Bean Soup

2 cups mixed heirloom beans, washed
1 onion, chopped
1 heaping tablespoon bacon grease
2 quarts chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream

Put the beans, onion, bacon grease, chicken broth and thyme in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours or until the beans are tender.  Just before serving, stir in the salt, pepper and cream.

This is excellent!  Adapted from a recipe found on Pinterest & Bon Appetit.

Jimmy Dean's Hearty Sausage & Potato Soup

3 medium potatoes, baked, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 lb Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage
4 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup half and half
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned and crumbled.  Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute.  Gradually stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring frequently until the mixture begins to thicken.  

Stir in the thyme and baked potato cubes and boil for about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and stir in the milk, half and half and Parmesan cheese.  Cook 5-10 minutes, stirring often, until hot through. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Very good soup!!  

One-Hour Skillet Garlic-Parmesan Focaccia

3/4 cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 teaspoon for skillet

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to 250^F.  Once it's preheated, turn the oven off.  Grease a 10-inch iron skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the warm water and sugar.  Stir to dissolve sugar and then stir in the yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes.  Stir in the salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 cup flour.  Mix well.  Gradually add the remaining 3/4 cup flour, mixing until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  

Remove dough from bowl (with floured hands!) and shape into a ball.  Press the dough into the greased skillet using your fingers.  Cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel and place in oven for 30 minutes to rise.

Remove skillet from oven and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 400^F while you mix the melted butter, Parmesan, garlic powder and Italian seasoning in a small bowl.  Make indentations in the dough with your fingers and brush with half the butter mixture.  

Place the skillet in the hot oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and brush with the remaining butter.  Let cool slightly then slice and serve.

Yummy!  Great with soup.

Buttermilk Pie

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell
1 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1/2 cup melted butter, cooled

Preheat the oven to 350^F.

Mix the sugar and flour in a large bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix on high speed until well combined.  Pour into the pie shell.

Bake at 350^F for about 40 minutes or until set.  (Mine actually took about 65-70 minutes!)

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  It's allegedly over 100 years old and I can understand why it's been around for so long.  This is really GOOD!

Confetti Spaghetti

1-1/2 pounds ground chuck

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1 can (14.5-oz) diced or stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 can (8-oz) tomato sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 pkg (16-oz) spaghetti, cooked and drained

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350^F and lightly grease a 9x13" casserole dish.

In a large skillet, cook the ground chuck, chopped peppers, onions over medium-high heat until the meat is browned and crumbly.  Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne.  Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and brown sugar.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Add the spaghetti to the meat sauce and stir to combine.  Transfer the mixture to the greased casserole.  Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted.  

Excellent, easy and great for potluck dinners!  I prefer the stewed tomatoes, which I whirl in the food processor before adding to the meat.  I also use a half package of frozen peppers and onions instead of chopping fresh....cause I'm a lazy cook!  

John prefers it without cheese, so I usually only put cheese on half the dish.  In my opinion, the cheese makes this even better!

Garlic-Parmesan Potato Wedges

3-4 large russet potatoes, cut into wedges

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1-2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to 375^F.  Lightly grease a large baking sheet and set aside.

Place potato wedges in a large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.  Sprinkle the potato wedges with the Parmesan cheese and toss again to coat.  Sprinkle with the remaining ingredients and toss once more to evenly coat the wedges.

Place the potato wedges, skin side down, on the baking sheet.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender and golden.

Chicken Ranch Tater Tot Casserole

3 cups chopped cooked chicken
16 oz sour cream
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 (1oz) package Ranch dressing mix
1 (3oz) bag real bacon pieces (Oscar Meyer)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 lb bag frozen tater tots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13-­inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together chicken, sour cream, soup, Ranch mix, bacon and cheese. Fold in frozen tater tots. Spoon mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until bubbly.

We did not like this at all.  What a waste of ingredients.  Blech!  5.23.16

Panera Copy Cat Tuna Sandwiches

2 cans chunk white Albacore tuna in oil, drained

2 teaspoons sweet relish

1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Red Onion, very thinly sliced

Tomato, thinly sliced

Lettuce

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pepperidge Farm's Hearty White Bread

Combine the tuna, relish, mustard and mayonnaise in a bowl and mix well with a spoon.  Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Spread the tuna on bread, top with red onion, tomato, lettuce and (if desired) salt and pepper.  Top each sandwich with another slice of bread.  Makes 2 large sandwiches. 

Very Good!  Found on Pinterest.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

• In a bowl, soak oats in buttermilk for 15 minutes. Stir in egg, sugar and oil.      Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into oat mixture just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400° for 16-18 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack. 

Yield: about 8 muffins. 

These are really good and they're fiber rich but they dry out quickly.

Original source unknown - I got the recipe from my sister, Donna!

These are great! Not too sweet, nice & fluffy with a little crunch around the edges. I'll be making these again! Made 10 muffins.  

Eggs Benedict Casserole

6-oz Canadian Bacon or Ham, cut into cubes
3 English Muffins, cut into cubes
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
Hollandaise Sauce, if desired

Butter a 9x9-inch casserole dish.

Combine the ham and English Muffin cubes and put them in the casserole.  Whisk the eggs, milk, onion powder, salt, pepper and paprika until well mixed and pour over the ham mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375^F.  Remove the plastic wrap and cover the dish with foil.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for 15-20 minutes more or until set.

Serve with Hollandaise Sauce, if desired.  Being the lazy cook that I am, I used a package mix for the Hollandaise.

Adapted from a couple of recipes found on Pinterest.