Cast Asparagus

Pineapple Berry Banana Smoothie

2012-02-25T14:34:00.003-05:00

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

2 medium bananas
1 1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1 cup blackberries OR blueberries
1 cup V8 açaí mixed berry juice

Directions

1. Chop larger fruits up into smaller pieces.
2. Put all the ingredients in the blender.
3. Blend until smooth.

Tips

You can buy pre-frozen berries, but I find it pretty easy to freeze my own. I spread a piece of wax paper across a cookie sheet, then spread the berries across it and pop the sheet in the freezer for at least 4 hours. Then I just toss all the berries in a Ziploc bag to store them in the freezer.

Crockpot Red Beans and Rice

2012-02-21T18:04:00.003-05:00

Ingredients: Vegan Option
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/2 cup celery
3 cups red beans (canned with liquid)
1-3 tsp Cajun seasoning (depending on how spicy you want it)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp file powder
1-2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 – 1 tsp hot sauce, if desired
2 tbsp corn starch
4 tbsp cold water
cooked rice to serve

Ingredients: Meat Option
(Pictured Here)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/2 cup celery
3 cups red beans (canned with liquid)
1-3 tsp Cajun seasoning (depending on how spicy you want it)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp file powder
3/4 lb chicken or pork Andouille sausage, sliced
1-2 cups chicken broth
1/2 – 1 tsp hot sauce, if desired
2 tbsp corn starch
4 tbsp cold water
cooked rice to serve

Directions
1. Begin to heat up your crockpot so you aren't putting the beans into a cold dish. Heat up the olive oil in a saute pan. Saute onion, bell pepper and celery until they begin to soften.
2. Put beans in the crockpot. Add broth to make sure the beans are covered with liquid.
3. Once the onion, bell pepper, and celery are softened, add them to the crockpot. Add seasonings (and the hot sauce if you want it) and stir well.
4. If you are making the sausage version, toss your sausage in the same pan you cooked the onions in until they start to brown. Then add the sausage to the crockpot.
5. Cook on high for 5-6 hours.
6. Put the corn starch into a jar or Tupperware container with a tight lid. Add 4 tablespoons of cold water. Shake to combine. Then add in 3-4 tablespoons of the hot liquid from the beans and shake again. This will help prevent clumps.
7. Add the corn starch mixture to the crockpot and stir to combine. Let thicken until the mixture is a the consistency you want it (a thicker mix will need to cook for a bit longer).
8. As the mixture is thickening, prepare the rice. Serve the red beans over rice.

Tips
1. You can use re-hydrated dried beans if you want, although you may need to add more liquid to the crockpot.
2. You can actually cook this over low heat on the stove as well.
3. This does have a bit of a kick to it with the hot sauce, so be careful if you're not a fan of spicy foods.
4. If you're having trouble finding chicken Andouille sausage, know that you may be able to find miniature ones in the refrigerated meat section of your store. That's what I used here. Yes, sausage purists, I know it isn't pork. It is still delicious.

Blood Orange Banana Berry Smoothie

2012-02-20T13:39:00.001-05:00

(Serves 2)

Ingredients
2 medium bananas
1 blood orange
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen blackberries
1 cup açaí berry juice

Directions
1. Chop bananas up into smaller pieces. Peel and chop the blood orange segments into smaller pieces, making sure to remove any seeds.
2. Blend.
3. Enjoy.

Tips
You can buy pre-frozen blueberries and blackberries, but I find it pretty easy to freeze my own. I spread a piece of wax paper across a cookie sheet, then spread the berries across it and pop the sheet in the freezer for at least 4 hours. Then I just toss all the berries in a Ziploc bag to store them in the freezer.

Oven Baked Purple Sweet Potato Fries

2012-02-11T19:02:00.006-05:00

Ingredients
1 pound purple sweet potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400* F.
2. Peel potatoes.
3. Slice potatoes into layers, then slice those into strips. You can make them as thick or as thin as you want, but know that thicker slices will need longer in the oven.
4. Put the potato strips into a reusable container with a lid or a Ziploc bag with the oil and seasonings. Shake them to coat.
5. Spread the potato strips across a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Flip the potato strips and return to the oven to bake for at least 10-15 more minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and eat hot.

Tips
1. Bake the potatoes for longer for crunchier potatoes or deep fry them.
2. I cover my cookie sheet with foil for an easier clean up.

Baked Chicken

2012-02-11T18:58:00.004-05:00

Ingredients
1 pound chicken breast tenders
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp cumin

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400* F.
2. In a bowl, toss chicken with oil and seasonings.
3. Lay tenders flat on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Tips
You can also do this with full chicken breasts, but you will need to bake them longer on each side.

Salsa Rice

2012-01-23T17:40:00.003-05:00

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 c diced onion
1/2 c diced bell pepper
1/2 c corn
1 c sliced mushrooms
1/2 c diced tomato
1/2 c tomato paste
1/4 c mild red salsa
1/4 c salsa verde
1 1/2 c cooked shredded chicken
1 1/2 c cooked rice
1-2 tsp salt, to taste

Directions
1. Saute garlic, onions, and bell pepper in olive oil over medium to medium-high heat until softened.
2. Add corn, mushrooms, and tomato. Saute for a few minutes until the mushrooms start to soften.
3. Stir in tomato paste and salsa.
4. Stir in chicken. Saute for a few minutes to heat up the chicken.
5. Mix in rice and salt. Saute for a few minutes to heat the rice.

Tips
1. I used cooked rice while it was still hot, so it took less time to heat it up in the mix. I cooked it in a mix of chicken stock and water.
2. I used cooked shredded chicken that was leftover from tacos the previous day. To make the chicken originally, I cooked 1 – 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast meat (you can also use dark meat for this) with a large jar of salsa verde in a crock pot for 4 hours on high (you can also do it for a longer period on low heat). We then shredded the chicken with forks.
3. Feel free to mix up some of the vegetables if you want. I find this as an excellent way to use leftover bits – for me the tomatoes, chicken, and salsas were left over from tacos, the mushrooms and tomato paste from spaghetti, the corn was leftover from another dinner.
4. Leave the chicken and chicken stock out and this is still tasty! Mmmm...vegetables.

General Tso's Chicken

2012-01-17T19:02:00.004-05:00

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb chicken, cut into cubes
1 – 1 1/2 c cornstarch
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp rice vinegar
4 tbsp Pinot Grigio
7 tbsp soy sauce
6 tbsp white sugar
4 tbsp cornstarch
5 dried red chile peppers
2 tsp olive oil
2-4 cups broccoli
water for steaming broccoli
vegetable oil for frying chicken

Directions
1. Pour oil into a pan and start heating it up.
2. Mix together 1 – 1 1/2 cups of cornstarch, salt, and pepper on a plate.
3. Dip chicken in egg, then in cornstarch to coat. Place gently in oil to fry.
4. As the chicken begins to turn a light golden brown color, remove it from the oil and place on a paper-towel or brown paper covered plate to drain a bit. It won't get as dark as it would if you fried it with flour.
5. While your chicken is frying, steam your broccoli (in a pan on the stove or in the microwave if you don't have a steamer).
6. Whisk together rice vinegar, white wine, soy sauce, white sugar, and 4 tablespoons cornstarch. Set aside.
7. After the chicken is fried, in a separate pan heat up olive oil and add the chiles into it. Then add the chicken to the pan and stir.
8. Pour the sauce over the chicken and stir to coat. Add the broccoli and keep stirring. The sauce will start to thicken quickly.
9. Serve over rice, if desired.

Tips
5 chile peppers sounds like a lot, but it actually makes a pretty mild version. If you want it spicy, add more.
This makes a pretty big batch, so there is plenty for leftovers and lunch the next day!

French Onion Soup

2012-01-14T19:03:00.005-05:00

Ingredients
3-5 c sliced onion
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1-2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp white sugar
1 c Pinot Grigio
8-10 c beef broth

1/2 lb cubed stale bread
1/4 c melted butter or 2-3 tbsp olive oil

cheese (Swiss, Gruyere, Mozzarella)

Directions
1. Slice the onions thin. You can use a knife for this, but I found a mandoline slicer made it easier.
2. Melt the butter in a large pan or skillet.
3. Add onions to butter and stir. Once the onions start to soften, add the garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and sugar.
4. Saute the onions until they are soft and start to brown.
5. Stir the wine and broth together in a crock pot set on high. Gently add the onion mixture and stir to combine.
6. Let everything cook together in the crock pot for 4-6 hours.
7. At some point while the soup is cooking, preheat the oven to 350*F.
8. Toss the cubed bread in the melted butter or olive oil. Spread across a cookie sheet and bake at 350*F until brown (about 15 minutes).
8. Remove croutons from the oven and set aside to cool.
9. When you're ready for soup, put some of the soup into an oven-safe dish. You can do this in a larger dish for multiple people or in individual serving dishes (small souffle dishes work great). Put some of the croutons on top, then cover with cheese. Place into the oven at 350*F until the cheese melts.
10. Serve hot.

Tips
1. You can use pre-made croutons for this, if you so choose.
2. If you use shredded cheese, it melts pretty well on its own, if you want to skip the oven step. If you use slices, I'd recommend the oven.
3. You can use all beef broth or a mix of beef and chicken. I prefer all beef broth. You can use a little more or a little less, depending on how much broth you prefer in a soup like this.
4. How many cups of onions you use depends on, well, how much you like onions. I tend to use the full 5 cups, but it is still perfectly tasty with 3-4 cups.
5. If you want, toss in some seasonings with the croutons. I prefer plain for something like this, but there are a lot of seasonings that work well on them in general – garlic salt, oregano, rosemary, etc.
6. You can also just let this simmer in a pot on the stove for several hours or let it cook all day on low on the crock pot.

Fried Fish Batter

2012-01-07T17:47:00.002-05:00

Ingredients
1/8 tsp corriander
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp tumeric
1 c beer
2 eggs, beaten
2 c water
1/2 c cornmeal
1 c flour
1/2 c Panko crumbs
1 tsp baking powder

Directions
1. Preheat oil for frying.
2. Coat fish in batter (I use a white fish).
3. Fry until golden brown.
4. When you remove the fish from the oil, place them on a piece of paper bag or paper towels to soak up some of the excess oil.

A Dinner for the New Year: Chicken, Greens, and Black Eyed Peas

2012-01-01T19:29:00.015-05:00

A traditional Southern New Year's dinner for many includes pork, greens, black eyed peas, and cornbread. The black eyed peas symbolize good luck. The greens (often collard greens) stand for money or prosperity and cornbread for gold. I've heard people say the pork represents a variety of things – progress and moving forward, a reminder to remain humble, health. Unfortunately, for me pork equates to nasty migraines, so we switched over to chicken for our New Year's meal. Some folks say eating chicken will make blessings fly in, so we'll go with that.

Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients
1 can black eyed peas
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp coriander
1-2 tsp olive oil

Directions
1. Put the olive oil in a pot over medium heat.
2. Stir onions, bell pepper, garlic, and spices into olive oil and let cook until the onions and peppers begin to soften.
3. Drain and rinse the black eyed peas. Add them to the pot.
4. Add chicken broth. Cover and let simmer for about an hour and a half.

Beer Chicken

Ingredients
1 whole chicken (3-4 lbs)
3-4 tbsp butter
1 1/2 c beer (I went with Anchor Brewing's Christmas Ale.)
4 tbsp salt
1-2 tbsp oregano
2-3 tsp coriander
2-3 tsp black pepper
A few tablespoons of the liquid, onions, and bell pepper from the black eyed peas
water

Directions
1. Fill a large pot or bowl with enough hot water to fully cover the chicken. Stir in salt, oregano, coriander, and pepper. Put the chicken in and let it soak in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
2. Pre-heat oven to 450*F.
3. Remove chicken from the water and pat dry.
4. Cut butter into smaller pieces. Put some between the skin and the meat on the chicken (you may need to use a knife to pull the skin off the meat a little). Put the rest in the cavity of the chicken.
5. Truss the chicken. You can find lots of excellent directional videos online (who explain it probably far better than I could) and, if you look around, you can even find pre-trussed chicken at some grocery stores.
6. Smear a bit of butter on the bottom of a baking dish, just in case to make sure nothing sticks. Put the chicken in the pan, breast down.
7. Pour the beer over the chicken. I also added a few spoons of the liquid (with onions and peppers) from the black eyed peas, which had been cooking for about a half an hour at this point.
8. Cover with foil and put in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes. Then remove the foil, lower the temperature to 400*F, and bake for another 30 minutes. I took the opportunity to throw the cornbread in with the chicken to bake when I dropped the temperature.
9. Remove the chicken from the pan and let rest (I set it on a cutting board) for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Kale

Ingredients
3-4 cups of chopped kale
6-8 cups of water

Directions
1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Throw the kale in and cook until softened.
3. Strain and serve.

Tips
We served all of this with cornbread on the side, of course.

Happy 2012!

Easy Chocolate Roll Out Cookies

2011-12-30T19:06:00.003-05:00

Not from scratch, but still delicious.

Ingredients
1 package Krusteaz sugar cookie mix
1 egg
1 stick of margarine or butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 375*F.
2. Mix together margarine or butter and egg.
3. Add in sugar cookie mix, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
4. Roll out on a floured surface until dough is 1/4 inch thick.
5. Cut out whatever shapes you want.
6. Bake on a greased/floured cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes. Cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Tips
Just like with sugar cookies, you can put sprinkles or sugar on these or ice them.

Chocolate Chip Brownies

2011-12-18T17:49:00.002-05:00

Ingredients
2 cups AP flour
1/2 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 cup corn oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 tbsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350* F. Butter and flour a 13x9 inch pan.
2. Combine flour and cocoa powders
3. Take two tablespoons of the flour-cocoa mix and put them in a Ziploc bag. Add the chocolate chips, close the bag, and shake until coated. Set aside.
4. Add sugar, salt, and baking powder to flour-cocoa mix and stir.
5. In a separate bowl, beat eggs.
6. Add oil, applesauce, and vanilla to eggs and stir to combine.
7. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine.
8. Empty the bag with the chocolate chips into the batter (including any extra flour and cocoa powder) and stir.
9. Pour batter into pan and bake at 350* F for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
10. Let them cool a bit before you cut them.

Tips
1. You can use any kinds of chocolate chips. I like a combination of mini-semi-sweet chocolate chips and regular sized white chocolate chips. You can also use other chips like butterscotch, peanut butter, or chocolate peppermint. If you want, you can also use walnuts or pecans for this. You can also use non-dairy versions.
2. You can use all dark chocolate cocoa powder or all regular cocoa powder if you don't have both.
3. Instead of buttering and flouring the pan by hand, you can use the sprays made for baking (they have some flour in them already). Do not just use a regular Pam spray with just oil/butter, it won't work as well.

Crockpot BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

2011-12-18T17:48:00.007-05:00

Or as my husband calls them, Margaret's Method BBQ Chicken Sandwiches.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups BBQ sauce
1 cup beer
1 tbsp whiskey
1 1/2 lb chicken meat
buns or white bread to make sandwiches

Directions
1. Whisk together BBQ sauce, beer, and whiskey.
2. Pour sauce into a crock pot, add the chicken meat.
3. Cook on high heat for 5 hours or on low heat for 8-9 hours.
4. Pull chicken meat out of the sauce, place on a cutting board, and pull apart with forks or your hands.
5. Serve on bread or buns.

Tips
1. Okay, so this isn't really real BBQ, but it is tasty.
2. For the BBQ sauce, I like two different options. The first is a mix of Bull's-Eye's Carolina style and Original. The second is homemade BBQ sauces.
3. For the beer, I like Rogue's Dead Guy Ale.
4. For the chicken, you can use white meat, dark meat, or a combination of the two.

Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie

2011-12-08T15:33:00.010-05:00

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrot
1 cups diced potatoes
1/2 cup green peas
1 cups diced broccoli
1-2 cups diced chicken
2-3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 1/4 cup chicken broth

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350* F.
2. Dice potatoes. Set in cold water to soak to remove some of the excess starch while you chop everything else. You can leave them to soak for up to a day, if you want.
3. Mince garlic. Chop onions, celery, and carrots.
4. Toss together garlic, onions, celery, carrots, peas, and potatoes with olive oil and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Place in a baking dish. Bake at 350* F, stirring regularly, until vegetables soften.
5. Saute chicken in a skillet until it is no longer pink on the outside.
6. Steam broccoli in a steamer or the microwave.
7. Remove vegetables from oven and chicken from the pan, mix together with broccoli (you can do this in a bowl or in the dish you baked the vegetables in).
8. Put butter into the skillet and let it melt.
9. Add flour and stir to create a roux. Slowly add 3/4 cup of chicken broth, a 1/4 cup at a time, stirring as you go to completely incorporate it before adding more broth.
10. Stir broth mixture into vegetables and chicken. Add salt and pepper.
11. Line the bottom of a cast iron pan or a pie pan (I much, much prefer the cast iron) with one of the crusts. Pour in filling mixture into crust (it will look like too much, but I've never had a problem fitting it all in!) and cover with the top crust. Use a fork or fingers to pinch the edges of the crust together.
12. Cut 3-4 inch long slits in the top crust to let steam escape.
13. Bake at 350* F until the crust is golden brown. Let sit for a few minutes to cool a bit before cutting and serving.

Tips

1. You don't have to precook everything - I know some folks just toss a lot of it into a crust raw. However, I have found the precooking makes for my ideal mix of crispy crust and soft vegetables.
2. You can use precooked left over vegetables or chicken from previous meals to make this easier.
3. You can easily leave the chicken out and replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth to make a vegetarian version.
4. For the pie crusts, you can use store bought or homemade, but keep in mind you need either one already in a pan, plus a flat one to lay across the top or two flat ones (one for the bottom crust in the pan, one for the top crust). Don't buy two already in the pan.
5. Instead of cutting slits in the top crust, you can also use a pie bird.

Pumpkin Pie

2011-11-27T21:46:00.006-05:00

Ingredients

2 3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
14 ounces (1 can) evaporated milk
2 eggs
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pie crust

Directions

1. The day before you want to make the pie, take the pumpkin puree and strain it. To do this, I take a colander and put it on top of a large measuring cup or small bowl so that any liquid can drip down. I put a coffee filter into the colander and put the puree over it. You can cover this with another filter or a towel. I let that sit in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 425* F.
3. Line an ungreased pie pan with pie crust.
4. Mix together pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, and spices.
5. Pour mixture into pie crust and bake at 425* F for 15 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to 350* F and bake until set (about 20-30 minutes).

Tips

You can use canned or homemade pumpkin puree. I have directions for the homemade version up here.
You can use premade or homemade pie crust.
Serve hot or serve with whipped cream after the pie has cooled.

Everything Cookies

2011-11-11T22:08:00.003-05:00

Or, as my husband calls them, Monster Cookies.

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup Nutella
2 1/4 cups AP flour
3/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup mini-semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate M&Ms
1 tbsp AP flour

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350* F.
2. Mix butter, egg, vanilla, vinegar, granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, and Nutella. I use an electric or standing mixer for this.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, oats, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. About 1/2 cup at a time, add dry mixture to wet mixture, stirring to combine with each addition.
4. Toss walnuts, chocolate chips, and M&Ms together with 1 tbsp AP flour.
5. Mix walnuts and chocolate into cookie dough. It may be easier to do this with a spoon, rather than with the mixer.
6. Put cookie mixture into the fridge for 15-20 minutes. Once it is chilled, scoop out spoonfuls onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. You can do this with two teaspoons or by rolling the dough into balls by hand. The balls of dough should be about 1 inch in diameter.
7. Bake for approximately 10 minutes at 350* F. The cookies don't spread out much at all, so you can put them closer together to bake (about a 1/2 inch apart). They won't spread out and it is hard to tell if they've browned as they bake, but they will start to crack on top.
8. Let cool on a wire cooling wrack. Store in an airtight container.

Oatmeal Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-11-07T18:02:00.002-05:00

For my dad.

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, tightly packed
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 cups quick oats
4 ounces chopped walnuts
12 ounces mini-chocolate chips (about 1 bag)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350*. Prepare cookie sheets either by greasing them or covering in parchment paper.
2. Mix together butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, stirring throughout.
5. Mix in oats, nuts, and chocolate chips (if you're using an electric mixer in this recipe, you'll probably want to switch to a spoon at this point).
6. Spoon dough in approximately 1 inch balls onto the cookie sheet. I actually roll the dough into balls by hand, so they are more uniform.
7. Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them - the bottoms burn easily!

Flattened Chicken, Smashed Red Potatoes, and Kale

2011-10-19T18:38:00.004-04:00

I've listed the directions here for each component separately, so you can make them individually if desired. This is also easy to do all at once!

Flattened Chicken

Ingredients

4-6 chicken tenders or 1-2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp butter
1/8-1/4 cup chicken stock (see Tips)

Directions

1. Place the chicken on a cutting board. Cover with saran wrap and hit with a heavy object to flatten to about 1/4 inch thick. I use a kitchen-dedicated mallet. You can make the chicken thicker if you want, but it will take longer to cook.
2. Melt butter in a skillet.
3. Mix together flour, salt, and pepper on a plate. Coat outside of chicken in flour, place in pan in melted butter over medium to medium-high heat.
4. Flip chicken over as needed, browning both sides.
5. Remove chicken from heat onto a plate to rest.
6. Add chicken broth to the pan the chicken was cooked in, adding it to the remaining browned bits and butter. Saute over low to medium heat until it thickens.
7. Serve chicken with sauce. You can also use the sauce on potatoes.

Smashed Red Potatoes

Ingredients

5-7 medium red potatoes
1-2 cups chicken stock
1/8-1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Dice the red potatoes and put in a pot with chicken stock. Make sure you have enough stock to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil.
2. Once potatoes are soft (you should be able to easily pierce them with a fork), drain potatoes.
3. Using a mixer (or you can do it by hand), mash the potatoes with milk until they are the consistency you want.

Kale

Ingredients

2-3 cups fresh kale
4-5 cups water
Parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Drop the kale into the boiling water to cook for several minutes until the leaves soften.
3. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Tips

1. If you are making all of these together, just use the chicken stock you have left over after you drain the potatoes for the chicken.
2. I find that the red potatoes cooked this way look a little waxy, so don't be put off by that. I do not peel these before I cook them. I simply wash them and cut off any bad spots.
3. You can also top the potatoes and kale with sauteed mushrooms, onion, and minced garlic - delicious!

Chicken, Portobello Mushrooms, and Asparagus

2011-10-09T17:46:00.002-04:00

Ingredients

1-2 chicken breasts (or an equivalent amount of breast meat in tenders)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 pound asparagus
2 portobello mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp butter

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350*.
2. Put 1-2 tbsp olive oil with roughly chopped garlic and onion in a baking dish. Put onion in, turning it over once to make sure there is olive oil on both sides. Cover with foil. Bake for 30-60 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken pieces, until the chicken is cooked through and starting to brown on the bottom.
3. Remove the chicken from the oven and keep it covered to keep it warm.
4. Toss asparagus with remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake in 350* oven for 10-15 minutes.
5. While the asparagus is roasting, melt butter in a skillet. Add the minced garlic and mushrooms. Sautee until the mushrooms are soft.
6. Remove asparagus from the oven. Serve along side the chicken, covered in the mushrooms.

Chunky Salsa

2011-09-08T17:47:00.004-04:00

Ingredients

2 c diced tomatoes
1 c diced orange bell pepper
1/2 c diced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1-2 tbsp minced jalapeño pepper
1/4 c lime juice

Directions

1. Mix all the chopped vegetables.
2. Stir in lime juice.

Tips

Add more or less jalapeño depending on how spicy you want it.
If you have the genetic code for it, add 1-2 tsp chopped cilantro.

Mixed Berry Jam

2011-09-08T01:13:00.007-04:00

Ingredients

1/3 c blueberries
1/3 c raspberries
1/3 c blackberries
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c water

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir frequently.
3. As you stir, mash the berries down.
4. After the berries start to thicken, pull them from the heat. If you want, at this point you can strain the jam through some cheesecloth or a small mesh strainer to remove seeds.
5. After the jam cools for a bit, use a stick blender or blender to get some of the bigger chunks smoothed out.
6. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

New Links

2011-09-08T00:02:00.002-04:00

A few new links up to the right.

Local Harvest is a website designed to help you find food that is grown in your area, including farmers markets, farms, and CSAs. Pick Your Own will help you find farms where you can pick your own fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Eat Well Guide's Sustainable Food Map will help you figure out what is in season in your area.

Wine Y'all is a new site that talks about wine and Southern life. It has tips on getting started drinking wine and a great sangria recipe.

Beltane Farm is a Connecticut farm that produces fantastic goat cheeses. Dame Farm and Orchards have pick your own blueberries and apples, as well as producing other foods.

Eggless Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-07-24T19:33:00.002-04:00

Ingredients

2 sticks (1 c) of salted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 c AP flour
1 c oat flour
2 c oats (regular, not quick)
1 bag (2 c) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 c water
1 tsp baking soda

Directions

1. Boil 1/4 cup water. Preheat oven to 300* F.
2. Add baking soda and dissolve it in the water.
3. Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla together.
4. Add AP flour, oat flour, and salt, gradually, while stirring.
5. Add water/baking soda mixture and stir.
6. Mix in chocolate chips.
7. Using your hands, form balls of dough and place them about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.
8. Press down gently on the top of each cookie so it flattens out a bit. I find this helps the cookies spread out and bake more evenly.
9. Bake at 300*F for 10-15 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and let cool on the tray for a few minutes before serving.

Tips

I make my own oat flour at home by grinding down oats in an old coffee grinder.
You can also add dried fruit to these. Simply let 1-2 cups of whatever dried fruit you want (raisins and cranberries work well) soak in hot water to re-hydrate a bit, drain them, and add them to the mix when you add the chocolate chips.

Ramen Chicken Soup

2011-07-24T19:25:00.002-04:00

Ingredients
1x1 inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c diced onion
1/2 c diced green bell pepper
1/2 c diced or sliced carrot
1 large chicken breast, cubed
2 c vegetable or chicken stock
1-2 c water + enough to boil chicken
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
1 package Ramen noodles

Directions
1. Puree or mash together ginger and garlic. I used an old coffee grinder.
2. Saute garlic and ginger in olive oil.
3. Add onion, bell pepper, and carrots. Saute until they begin to soften.
4. Add stock, water and seasonings. Bring to a boil.
5. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, boil cubed chicken in water. I did this in a separate pan to keep some of the fat, etc. out of the final soup, but if you don't care, just toss the chicken in with everything else.
6. Pull the chicken out of the water and add to soup.
7. Simmer until the veggies are as soft as you want them.
8. Add Ramen noodles. Do not add the seasoning packet (keep it, if you want, or just toss it out).
9. Let cook for 3-5 minutes. Serve hot!

Split Pea and Zucchini Soup

2011-06-22T01:01:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

4 tsbp olive oil
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cup zucchini, chopped
2 1/2 c dried split peas
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp ginger powder
6-20 cups water

Directions

1. Soak peas in 10-12 cups cold water overnight (at least 12 hours).
2. Drain peas.
3. Saute garlic, onions, and zucchini in olive oil until they begin to soften.
4. Add peas and seasonings. Stir.
5. Add 6 cups of water. Let simmer for about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on the mix, it will thicken quickly and may burn if you don't catch it in time to add more water.
6. As the soup thickens, add 5-8 more cups of water, depending on how thick or thin you want your soup. Allow the soup to simmer on low for an additional 1-3 hours.
7. Use a stick blender to smooth out the soup, if desired.
8. Refrigerates and freezes well.

Dark Chocolate Brownies

2011-06-22T01:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 cup AP flour
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.
3. Beat eggs. Add oil, applesauce, and vanilla.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients.
5. Pour into a greased 9 x 9 inch pan.
6. Bake for approximately 30 minutes.

Tips

Optional add-ins (to be added after wet and dry ingredients are combined): walnuts, chocolate chips, marshmallows, or peanut butter chips.

Rosemary Olive Oil Bagels

2011-06-22T00:58:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
4 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp dried rosemary
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 packets quick rise yeast
Optional: 2-4 tablespoons cornmeal

Directions

1. Stir two packets yeast and sugar into 1/2 cup warm water. Set aside until foamy.
2. Fill a large pot (one with a large diameter is easier to work with) slightly more than half full of water. Bring water to a boil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Meanwhile, combine flour, salt, and rosemary in a bowl.
4. Combine yeast mixture, 1 cup warm water, and olive oil in a bowl.
5. Gradually add flour mixture to water.
6. Place dough on a floured surface and kneed for about 5 minutes, until soft.
7. Divide dough into 8 sections.
8. Roll each dough section into a snake, then pinch ends together to make a loop.
9. Set bagels aside to rise, approximately 5-10 minutes.
10. Cover a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Spray lightly with oil, then sprinkle with cornmeal, if desired.
11. Place bagels 1-3 at a time into the boiling water (depending on the size of your pot). The bagels will sink at first. After about 30-60 seconds, turn them over. About 30-60 seconds later they should start to float.
12. As the bagels begin to float, use a slotted spoon or small strainer to pull them out of the water and allow them to drip a bit into the pot. Place on cookie sheet, about 1/2 to 1 inch apart.
13. Repeat with remaining bagels until all 8 are on the cookie sheet.
14. Bake bagels for approximately 20 minutes or until browned. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool at least a bit before eating.

Bagels

2011-06-22T00:57:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp oil
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 packets quick rise yeast
Optional: 2-4 tablespoons cornmeal

Directions

1. Stir two packets yeast and sugar into 1/2 cup warm water. Set aside until foamy.
2. Fill a large pot (one with a large diameter is easier to work with) slightly more than half full of water. Bring water to a boil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Meanwhile, combine flour and salt in a bowl.
4. Combine yeast mixture, 1 cup warm water, and 2 tsp oil in a bowl.
5. Gradually add flour mixture to water.
6. Place dough on a floured surface and kneed for about 5 minutes, until soft.
7. Divide dough into 8 sections.
8. Roll each dough section into a snake, then pinch ends together to make a loop.
9. Set bagels aside to rise, approximately 5-10 minutes.
10. Cover a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Spray lightly with oil, then sprinkle with cornmeal, if desired.
11. Place bagels 1-3 at a time into the boiling water (depending on the size of your pot). The bagels will sink at first. After about 30-60 seconds, turn them over. About 30-60 seconds later they should start to float.
12. As the bagels begin to float, use a slotted spoon or small strainer to pull them out of the water and allow them to drip a bit into the pot. Place on cookie sheet, about 1/2 to 1 inch apart.
13. Repeat with remaining bagels until all 8 are on the cookie sheet.
14. Bake bagels for approximately 20 minutes or until browned. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool at least a bit before eating.

Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Bananas

2011-06-22T00:55:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

3-4 bananas
1/2 cup dark chocolate
1/2 cup milk chocolate
1 cup peanut butter
4 tablespoons butter
Optional Toppings: peanut pieces, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, shredded coconut

Unusual Tools

popsicle sticks or skewers
parchment paper
double boiler

Directions

1. Fill the bottom pot of the double boiler with water and set it to boil. Set the other pot or bowl on top of the water pot and use it as a lid. Make sure no water can get into the top pot or bowl.
2. Cut bananas in half and skewer them with the popsicle sticks or skewers. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Put them in the freezer.
3. If you are using candy bars for the chocolate, chop them up. If you are using chocolate melts or chips, there is no need to chop them.
4. Put the butter into the top pot or bowl to melt. Add the chocolate and stir as it begins to melt.
5. Add the peanut butter to the chocolate. Continue to stir as it melts.
6. Remove bananas from the freezer and dip them in the chocolate mix to coat.
7. If desired, roll coated bananas in peanuts, sprinkles, chocolate chips, or coconut.
8. Return bananas to the parchment paper. Once you've coated all the bananas, put them back in the freezer.
9. Allow bananas to freeze for at least 30 minutes. Store extras in the freezer and eat them cold!

Tips

1. If you don't have a double boiler, there are two easy alternatives: use two pots or a pot and a metal bowl. If you use two pots, makes sure that one either fits securely on top of the lower pot on its own or that you can hold it up in the other pot so that no water gets into the chocolate (or it will seize). If you use a pot and a bowl, make sure you use a metal bowl that sits securely on the pot.
2. Leave out the peanut butter for a non-nut version.

Turkey and Bean Chili

2011-06-22T00:53:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1/4 lb ground turkey
2 cups (1 can) kidney beans
4 cups (2 cans) diced tomatoes (I used the canned ones with basil.)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup onion
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp mustard seed
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp A-1

Directions

1. Brown turkey in a bit of olive oil with onions, garlic, and dry seasonings.
2. Meanwhile, microwave beans, covered, for 5 minutes in the liquid they come in.
3. Mix turkey, tomatoes, beans, and other seasonings in a soup pan.
4. Bring to boil. Simmer on low, uncovered, till thickened.

Tips

1. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, crackers, or green onion.
2. Leave out the turkey and add more beans, if desired, for a vegetarian version.

Choose Your Own Adventure Enchiladas

2011-06-22T00:50:00.001-04:00

This makes 3-4 enchiladas. Scales up easily as necessary.

Ingredients

Tortillas:
3-4 corn tortillas OR
3-4 flour tortillas

Seasonings:
1 tsp paprika AND
1 tsp minced garlic AND
2-3 tbsp diced onion AND
1-2 tsp olive oil

Meat:
1-1 1/2 cups chicken breast or thigh, diced into small pieces OR
1-1 1/2 cup ground beef OR
1-1 1/2 cup cooked shredded beef (leftover roast beef works well for this) OR
2 cups sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, and zucchini

Cheese:
1/2 cup feta cheese OR
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Enchilada Sauce:
3/4 cup green enchilada sauce OR
3/4 cup red enchilada sauce

Optional additions:
2-3 tablespoons diced bell pepper OR/AND
4-5 sliced button mushrooms

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil. If you want to include bell pepper or mushrooms, saute them with this. Add the beef or chicken and brown.
3. Oil a baking dish, then add half of your enchilada sauce. You can use more or less than the recipe if you like your enchiladas wetter or drier.
4. Take the meat mixture and divide it among the tortillas, placing it in the middle of each. Add a sprinkle of cheese across the meat. Fold the ends of the tortilla over, then roll it up. Place the rolled tortilla with the seam down in the pan on top of the sauce. Repeat until you've used up all the tortillas and meat mixture.
5. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle the rest of the cheese across the whole. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10-20 minutes, until it is as browned as you want.
6. Serve hot, with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, if wanted.

Tips

1. As my husband notes, placing the tortillas on a flat, hot pan (he uses our cast iron) briefly on each side makes them easier to work with!
2. To make a vegetarian version, use a mix of diced mushrooms, bell peppers, and zucchini.

Tzatziki Sauce

2011-06-22T00:49:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1/2 cucumber
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp. fresh dill
juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

1. Peel the cucumber, then use a spoon to remove the seeds.
2. Chop the cucumber into pieces and sprinkle with salt. Set aside in a colander to drain for at least 30 minutes.
3. Mince garlic and finely chop dill.
4. Juice 1/2 lemon.
5. Remove cucumber from colander and chop into smaller pieces.
6. Combine all ingredients.

Coleslaw

2011-06-22T00:48:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

4 cups shredded purple or green cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup thinly sliced green bell pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons spicy mustard
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
salt to taste

Directions

1. Combine mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar and whisk until it comes together.
2. Add pepper, sugar, and salt.
3. Combine sauce, cabbage, and carrots. I generally get an even coating of sauce by shaking all the ingredients in a Tupperware container.

Tips

1. You can shred the cabbage by chopping it with a knife or using a mandoline.
2. You can double the wet ingredients if you want a wetter coleslaw with more sauce.
3. You can add 1/4-1/2 cup thinly sliced onion, if you want.
4. If you use purple cabbage it will stain the sauce (as well as your cutting board and fingers) purple/pink.

Roasted Parsnips and Mushrooms

2011-06-22T00:47:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

3-5 parsnips
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350º
2. Clean and peel parsnips. If you have particularly mud-coated parsnips, soak them in water first. You can peel parsnips with a potato peeler.
3. Cut parsnips into chunks - about 1/2 inch to 1 inch square.
4. Put parsnips and mushrooms into a large ziplock bag. Toss with oil and spices.
5. Spread parsnips and mushrooms in a large baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until parsnips begin to soften. Stir once or twice.
6. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
7. Serve hot.

Tips

1. If you enjoy roasted onions or garlic, you can add roughly chopped onions and whole cloves of garlic.
2. This goes well with roasted chicken.

Apple Tarts

2011-06-22T00:45:00.000-04:00

For this recipe, I was feeling lazy and so I used pre-made tart shells.
I was able to fill 8 mini tart shells with this recipe.

Ingredients

2 apples, peeled and cored (I used Jazz apples, which I adore for baking.)
2-4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup apple jelly
4 teaspoons butter

Directions

1. Thinly slice the apples and then cut the slices in half. Fill your tart shells with the apples.
2. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar across the top of the tarts.
3. Put 1/2 teaspoon of butter on the top of each tart.
4. Cover the edges of the tart shells with foil so they don't burn and put the tarts on a lightly greased baking sheet.
5. Bake the tarts at 350º for 10-20 minutes or until the apples have softened.
6. While the tarts are baking, melt the apple jelly on the stove top.
7. Pour the apple jelly over the apples in each tart shell.
8. Allow tarts to cool and set in the refrigerator.

Tips

1. This also works with pears and you can also use other types of jelly - feel free to mix and match flavors.
2. To make sure this is vegetarian or non-dairy, be sure to check the ingredients on the tart shells and jelly.

Pumpkin M&M Cookies

2011-06-22T00:43:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 can pumpkin puree (about 2 cups)
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup M&Ms

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Cream butter.
3. Mix in brown sugar.
4. Add pumpkin puree, egg, vanilla, and oil. Combine.
5. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cayenne pepper, and salt.
6. 1/2 cup at a time, add flour mixture to wet ingredients.
7. Add in M&Ms.
8. Using teaspoons, place scoops of the cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet. I put a dozen cookies spread out across a sheet pan.
9. Bake for about 10-15 minutes. When the cookies are done they will be firm, yet springy when you poke them. These don't really get golden brown like some cookies do.
10. Remove from tray to a wire rack to cool.

Tips

1. I've used both AP and whole wheat flour for these. You could use either or a combination for the cookies.
2. If M&Ms are hanging on the edge of the cookie when you spoon them onto the tray, they may melt and burn a bit. Usually this isn't too much of a problem, but you may have to trim off those bits with a spatula as you remove the cookies from the tray.
3. This makes a lot of cookies. About 5 dozen.

Yeast Bread

2011-06-22T00:42:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 cups warm water
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 packs (0.25 oz each) rapid rise active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
5 cups all purpose (AP) flour
1 cup whole wheat flour

Directions

1. Put 1 cup of warm (not hot!) water into a bowl. Stir in sugar and yeast, set aside until it foams up.
2. Combine warm water, skim milk, oil, and honey in a sauce pan on a stove. Keep in pot on low heat until warm (not hot!).
3. Combine 1 cup whole wheat flour, 3 cups AP flour, and 1 tsp salt in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add water/milk mixture to flour mix and stir to combine.
5. Add yeast mixture to the flour mix and stir to combine.
6. 1/2 to 1 cup at a time, add the rest of the AP flour to the flour mix.
7. Oil another large mixing bowl lightly with vegetable oil.
8. Turn the bread mixture into the oiled bowl. Smear a bit of oil on top of the bread, just so the bread does not stick to the clean kitchen towel which you should cover the bowl with.
9. Allow the bread to rise until doubled - at least an hour.
10. Turn out the bread mixture onto a well floured surface and knead gently for no more than 5 minutes.
11. Divide bread mixture into two equal parts. Form two loaves. To do this, I gently push and knead the dough into a long oval about 1-2 inches thick. I then fold the loaf together into thirds and turn over so the seal is at the bottom. I then use my hands to tuck the edges of the loaves under to make it a smoother shape.
12. Smear a thin layer of butter on two cookie sheets and then sprinkle lightly with flour. Set each loaf on its own greased cookie sheet (you can also put it in a loaf pan if you want a more even shape).
13. Cover with a clean kitchen down and let rise a second time, until it doubles in size.
14. Bake at 350º for 30-45 minutes, until the loaves are golden brown.
15. Remove bread from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Be careful, since this is a rather soft bread, especially when it is fresh out of the oven.
16. Cut and serve! The bread will firm up a bit as it cools, but this is a soft bread - great for sandwiches!

Pumpkin Puree

2011-06-22T00:41:00.002-04:00

Ingredients

1 3-4 lb sugar or pie pumpkin
3-4 cups water (about 1 cup per pound of pumpkin)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.
2. Cut the sugar pumpkin into large chunks. Clean out the "guts" and seeds.
3. Pour the water into a large baking dish.
4. Place the pieces of pumpking flesh down, skin up into the baking dish. Cover with foil.
5. Bake for about 60 minutes until tender to a fork - the skin will be very loose on the pumpkin and you may be able to see it curling up or a gap between the skin and the flesh of the pumpkin.
6. Remove pumpkin from oven, let cool at least part way - handle it whenever you like, just don't burn your fingers!
7. Peel the skin off the pumpkin pieces.
8. Puree the flesh of the pumkin using a stick blender or food processor.

Tips

1. If you're not using the puree in the next few days, store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
2. If you know you're using this instead of canned for pumpkin pie, you can add the spices before you freeze it. This replaces about 1 can of pumpkin puree. Many of the same spices work well for the puree as a side dish as well.

Apple Butter

2011-06-22T00:39:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

10 cups diced apples
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
4 tbsp brown sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a crock pot.
2. Cook on low heat for 7-8 hours.
3. Puree using a stick blender or blender. Be careful with the hot mixture. It shouldn't take much to puree the mix, since the apples will be very mushy by this point.

Tips

1. No need to peel the apples unless you really want to.
2. Add more ginger and nutmeg if you want a spicer mix.
3. Freezes well for up to 6 months, although sometimes it may be thicker when you defrost it.

Sweet Strawberry Jam

2011-06-22T00:38:00.001-04:00

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup strawberries, chopped
2 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons water

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Stir regularly as mixture begins to boil and foam. Allow to boil, stirring periodically, for approximately 15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat.
4. For chunkier preserves, mash the mixture with a potato masher. for smoother preserves, blend with a stick blender.
5. Allow to cool in container on counter before putting in the refrigerator or freezer. As preserves cool they will thicken into more of a jam or jelly texture than they initially appear when first removed from heat.

Tips

This will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator or for up to 6 months in the freezer. To use frozen preserves, simply remove from freezer and allow to defrost. Then, store in the refrigerator while using.

You can use up to a cup less sugar if you want less sweet and more tart jam, but I notice it can take longer to set up. I've also had success doing this with a mix of strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries.

Spaghetti Sauce with Yellow Squash

2011-06-22T00:37:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 medium yellow squash, sliced (or zucchini)
½ purple onion, minced
3 gloves of garlic, minced
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
2 large cans of diced tomatoes
½ tsp tumeric powder
½ tsp ginger powder
½ tsp red chili flakes
½ tsp cumin
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Saute onions in olive oil until they begin to soften.
2. Add garlic to onions and saute.
3. Add bell peppers and zucchini to onion mix, saute until squash begin to soften.
4. Add spices to vegetables.
5. Add diced tomatoes.
6. Let simmer for 30-60 minutes.
7. Serve over pasta.

Pesto with a Kick

2011-06-22T00:35:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 cup pine nuts
4 cups loosely packed basil leaves
6-8 gloves of garlic
2/3 cup red onion, minced
1 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350º. Spread pine nuts on a baking sheet and roast for 5 minutes. Stir and return to oven for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
2. Run the garlic through the grinder, set aside in a large bowl.
3. Run the pine nuts through your grinder and add them to the garlic.
4. Add the onions and olive oil to the garlic and pine nut mixture, blend with the stick blender.
5. A handful at a time, add the basil leaves to the mixture and run through the stick blender until you have pureed all of the leaves.

Tips

1. Enjoy on toasted bread or tossed with pasta. Can be frozen for up to 6 months.
2. I do not use a food processor for this, but rather an older smaller coffee grinder and a stick blender.
3. If you want a chunkier pesto, simply mince the garlic and grind the pine nuts with a mortar and pestle.

Cereal Fried Chicken Nuggets

2011-06-22T00:34:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

3-4 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
4 cups Cheerios (or generic O cereal)
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp red chili pepper flakes
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
oil for frying

Directions

1. Set oil in a large, deep skillet on medium to medium-high heat to begin warming.
2. Place cereal in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Place that bag into a second bag.
3. Use a rolling pin or a large glass bottle to roll over the bag of cereal to crush. Most of the cereal should be crushed, but some larger pieces are good for crunchiness.
4. Open the ziploc bags and add garlic powder, ginger, and chili flakes. Close the bag and shake to mix.
5. In a small bowl, mix milk and eggs.
6. Working with a few bite-sized pieces of chicken at a time, coat them in the egg/milk mixture. Then add them into the bag with the cereal mix, close, and shake to coat. Pull the pieces out by hand and add them to the hot oil to fry.
7. Keep an eye on the chicken as it fries, but you can usually start getting the second batch of chicken nuggets coated. I often have one set in the pan, one coating in egg/milk, and one in the bag of cereal.
8. Pull the chicken out using a slotted spoon to drain excess oil as it turns a golden brown. Place it on a cooling rack sitting over paper towels to drain.

Tips

1. Can be served hot or cold. Great for picnics.
2. In general, I would avoid using the multi-grain or honey-nut versions because of their sweetness. However, you may be able to use the multi-grain version if you are working with a slightly less savory recipe like chicken and waffles (which people often eat with syrup).

Chicken and Rice Casserole

2011-06-22T00:33:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, diced
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup cooked white rice
1 tablespoon oil

Directions

1. Combine cinnamon, ginger powder, garlic powder, red chili flakes, and flour. Toss diced chicken in mixture to coat.
2. Heat oil in a medium sauce pan. Add green peppers and mushrooms to oil and sautee.
3. Add coated chicken to sauce pan and stir mixture until chicken begins to cook.
4. Add vinegar and tomatoes, stir. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5. Add rice and stir. Let cook for 5 minutes.
6. Serve hot!

Tips

For a vegetarian version, substitute large chunks of mushrooms, eggplant, and zucchini for the chicken.

Brined and Roasted Chicken

2011-06-22T00:31:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

3-4 lb. chicken (whole) (Yes, you can buy these in the grocery store without the head, feathers, feet, and innards.)
6 quarts of water
¾ cup of salt
½ cup butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Truss your chicken. This will keep it together better during the roasting process. You can find directions online for trussing or, in some areas, buy a pre-trussed chicken.
2. Mix the salt into the water in a large stockpot over medium heat for 5-10 minutes to help the salt dissolve. No need to let the water boil. Pull the water from the heat, add the chicken. Put a lid on your stockpot and put the entire thing into the refrigerator for 2 hours.
3. Preheat your oven to 450º. Grease the bottom of a baking pan with some of the butter, just enough to ensure the chicken does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
4. Divide the remainder of the butter in half and break it into pieces. Put half of the butter, in pieces, inside the chicken’s cavity. Put the remainder of the putter between the skin and the breast meat of the chicken. You may have to use a small knife to help pull the skin apart from the meat. Push down on the skin to more evenly distribute the butter. Sprinkle the top of the chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the baking dish, breasts up. Cover loosely with foil (don’t press it tightly against the chicken).
5. Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the skin is golden brown. During the second half of the baking process, use a spoon or ladle to periodically spoon juices from the chicken in the pan over the top of the chicken to keep it moist. Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before carving.

Tips

Save the bones and scraps and boil them. Strain out the bones after a while and you’ll have great stock – much better than store bought!

Rosemary, Lemon, and Thyme Potatoes

2011-06-22T00:30:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

4 cups new potatoes, roughly chopped into large pieces
1 teaspoon rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon lemon thyme, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced onion
½ cup Italian salad dressing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450º.
2. Mix olive oil, garlic, onion, rosemary, lemon thyme, and Italian salad dressing.
3. Toss potatoes to coat (a large Ziploc bag works great for this).
4. Spread the mixture in a large baking dish.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, covered in foil. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender when poked.

Tips

Check out the ingredients for the Italian salad dressing you're using if you're trying to make a vegan version of this! Some contain cheeses!

Crockpot Garlic Chicken

2011-06-22T00:29:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts
½ cup onion, sliced thin
20 cloves of garlic, whole and peeled
1 tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
Additional olive oil

Directions

1. Whisk together olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper.
2. Using a brush, cover chicken breasts on both sides with olive oil mixture. You should have some of the mixture left over in the end.
3. Set the chicken aside. Then, toss together the onions, garlic, and remaining olive oil mixture.
4. Put the additional olive oil in the bottom of your crock pot, just enough to coat the bottom.
5. Put about a third of the onion and garlic mixture in the bottom of the crock pot. Then add a chicken breast, another third of the onion and garlic mixture, the second chicken breast, and the rest of the onion and garlic mixture.
6. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. The chicken, onions, and garlic will all be soft and slightly sweet after the garlic has cooked for so long.

Tips

Goes great with mashed potatoes!

Amish's Chilled Coffee

2011-06-22T00:28:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

12 cup pot of brewed coffee
1 quart whole milk
1 cup of sugar

Directions

1. First, brew the coffee (your regular coffee pot works just fine for this, you don't need anything fancy).
2. Put the sugar in a pitcher (plastic works fine, something that seals completely is best), then add the brewed coffee and stir. The brewed coffee should be hot or at least warm enough to dissolve the sugar when you add it.
3. Next, add the milk (you can add more until you're happy with the color of the coffee mix). Mix everything well (if you have a well sealed pitcher, you can just shake it).
4. Put it in the refrigerator overnight to chill and enjoy!

Tips

Regular coffee works well for this, but so do flavored coffees.

Grasshoppers in a Blanket

2011-06-22T00:26:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls or refrigerated thin crust pizza dough
1 bundle asparagus
flour

Directions

1. Grease and flour a cookie sheet. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Flour some space on the counter top. Remove refrigerated crescent rolls or pizza crust from the tube and spread flat on the floured counter. If you are using crescent rolls, pinch the seams of the crescent rolls together, flour the surface of the dough, and roll them flat and slightly thinner. Cut the dough into small rectangles (approximately 1/2 inch by 1 1/2 inches).
3. Cut asparagus into small pieces, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches long.
4. Roll each piece in a rectangle of dough. Press down the end of the dough to seal.
5. Place each piece with the seal down on the pre-greased cookie sheet. You can place these pieces close together on the cookie sheet, but do not let the dough touch as it will puff up some.
6. Bake for 8-12 minutes until dough is golden-brown. Can serve hot or cool. Can store in the refrigerator and re-heat later in the oven.

Tips

1. If you are looking to make a vegan or non-dairy version of these, be sure to check the ingredients on the crescent rolls or pizza dough. Some versions contain milk or butter, but some store brands and some Pillsbury versions are non-dairy and use soy.
2. Younger, thinner asparagus works best for this.

Pigs in a Blanket

2011-06-22T00:25:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls or refrigerated thin crust pizza dough
small sausages
flour

Directions

1. Grease and flour a cookie sheet. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Flour some space on the counter top. Remove refrigerated crescent rolls or pizza crust from the tube and spread flat on the floured counter. If you are using crescent rolls, pinch the seams of the crescent rolls together, flour the surface of the dough, and roll them flat and slightly thinner. Cut the dough into small rectangles (approximately 1/2 inch by 1 1/2 inches).
3. Roll each sausage in a rectangle of dough. Press down the end of the dough to seal.
4. Place each piece with the seal down on the pre-greased cookie sheet. You can place these pieces close together on the cookie sheet, but do not let the dough touch as it will puff up some.
5. Bake for 8-12 minutes until dough is golden-brown. Can serve hot or cool. Can store in the refrigerator and re-heat later in the oven.

Tips

1. If you are looking to make a vegan or non-dairy version of these, be sure to check the ingredients on the crescent rolls or pizza dough. Some versions contain milk or butter, but some store brands and some Pillsbury versions are non-dairy and use soy.
2. You can use canned Vienna sausages for this, usually found in the grocery store near other canned meats, or you can use various small sausages (about 1-2 inches long) sold in packets in the refrigerated section. There are a wide variety of these refrigerated sausages, including non-pork versions that are made of chicken and/or beef.

Bacon-Wrapped Pineapple

2011-06-22T00:24:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

diced pineapple
bacon

Tools

toothpicks

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. If you're using fresh pineapple, peel and dice it. If you're using canned, strain off the excess liquid. If you're using a canned version in syrup rather than juice or water, rinse off the excess syrup.
3. Cut bacon slices into approximately 3 inch long strips.
4. Wrap each piece of pineapple in a slice of bacon. Spear with a toothpick to keep in place.
5. Spread pieces across a baking sheet and cook in the oven for about 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn. Finish under the broiler to crisp up the bacon a bit.

Sloppy Joes

2011-06-22T00:23:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp spicy mustard or Russian hot mustard
1 tsp steak sauce
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp ginger
1 tbsp oil to coat pan
buns to serve on

Directions

1. Pour olive oil into pan and heat on medium to medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Saute until they begin to soften.
2. Add ground beef and stir to combine. Cook until beef browns.
3. While the beef is cooking, whisk together ketchup, mustards, steak sauce, and spices.
4. Once the beef is brown, add ketchup mixture and combine.
5. Serve on hamburger buns.

Tips

Serve with shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top.

Simple Fish with Butter Herb Sauce

2011-06-22T00:21:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 fillets of tilapia (each about the size of your hand)
2/3 cup of whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp tumeric
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped parsley
vegetable oil to coat skillet

Directions

1. Mix flour, cumin, ginger, tumeric, and Cajun seasoning.
2. Lightly coat fish in flour mixture. If you've been storing them in the refrigerator or defrosted them from the freezer, they should be moist, so you don't really need any milk or eggs first.
3. Heat up the oil in skillet on medium to medium-high heat. Gently place fish in pan and cook on one side for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Carefully flip fish and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until that side is also golden brown.
4. Remove fish from pan and set aside.
5. Break butter into pieces and place in pan to melt. Stir butter around in pan as it melts to help de-glaze the pan. Stir in parsley and allow to wilt. Serve over fish.

Dajaj Bil Fiter (Chicken with Mushrooms)

2011-06-22T00:20:00.000-04:00

A Middle Eastern recipe for chicken and mushrooms.

Ingredients

2-3 chicken breasts, cubed
2 cups sliced mushrooms
4 tbsp butter, divided into 2 equal portions
3 tbsp white vinegar
3 gloves chopped garlic
1 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp flour
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a saute pan.
2. In a Ziploc bag, toss flour, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
3. Add cubed chicken and toss to coat.
4. Saute chicken in the pan until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
5. Melt additional 2 tbsp butter in the pan.
6. Add garlic and mushrooms. Cook until soft.
7. Add parsley.
8. Add back in chicken and add the white vinegar. Cook until it all comes together and the vinegar begins to reduce.
9. Serve over rice.

Shrimp Eggrolls

2011-06-22T00:18:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

6 egg roll wrappers
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 carrot, shredded (I just used a vegetable peeler for this.)
1/4 broccoli florets, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 of a red bell pepper, finely sliced
1/4 to 1/2 of a green bell pepper, finely sliced
6-8 medium shrimp, diced
1/4 of a medium onion, diced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp fresh tarragon, shredded
1 tsp vegetable oil

Cooking Ingredients

1 egg, beaten, mixed with 1 tbsp water
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions

1. Mix together vegetables, shrimp, and seasonings. Saute together in a small sauce pan in 1 tsp of vegetable oil. Once the shrimp are cooked and vegetables are soft, transfer the mix to a bowl.
2. Spread the mixture evenly across the 6 egg roll wrappers. Put the mixture near one end of the wrapper across the width of the egg roll, leaving about an inch on either end. Fold those ends over, then starting on the end with the mixture, roll the egg roll towards the open end of the wrapper. At the end of the wrapper, use a pastry brush to spread a mix of egg and water. Fold over the egg roll to seal.
3. Heat tablespoon of oil in a pan on the stove. Gently set the egg rolls in the pan. Turn them over side to side as the cook. Keep an eye on them, as they burn quickly! Set to cool on a cookie sheet over some paper towels.

Tips

1. If you roll the egg rolls tightly they will hold together better. This may take some practice.
2. For a vegetarian or vegan version, leave out the shrimp.
3. You can buy pre-made egg roll wrappers in the produce section of your grocery store, near salad dressings and whatnot.

Baked Mac and Cheese

2011-06-22T00:17:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
1 cup shredded Edam cheese
1/4 cup shredded Colby cheese
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups milk
1/2 pound whole wheat pasta
1 tbsp shredded fresh basil
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp tumeric
2 cups vegetables
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour

Topping Ingredients

1/2 cup crushed crackers
1/4 cup shredded Edam or Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Boil water and cook pasta until al dente. When the pasta is done, strain and set aside. You can skip this step, but it will take at lot longer to bake.
2. Meanwhile, dice and slice your vegetables into medium sized chunks. Mix the vegetables and seasonings together and set aside.
3. Pre-heat your oven to 350º F. Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.
4. In a saucepan on the stove, melt butter. Add flour. Stir the mix over medium to medium-high heat until turns golden-brown. Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, whisking, and allow to thicken slightly.
5. Mix all ingredients together and pour into pan. Cover with foil and bake for 30-45 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the oven. Shake together cracker crumbs and shredded Edam or Cheddar together in a plastic bag. Sprinkle the mixture across the top of the mac and cheese. Return to the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes.
7. Remove and eat hot!

Tips

1. Pastas that work well include elbow, rotini, small shells, etc., anything that the cheese sauce will grab.
2. Vegetables that work well include diced bell pepper, mushroom, zucchini, yellow squash, diced tomatoes, etc.
3. You can also add chunks of sauteed or grilled chicken to this.

Amish's Homemade Jumbo Pizza Rolls

2011-06-22T00:15:00.000-04:00

Recipe by Amish Trivedi.

Ingredients

1 package frozen pastry sheets, thawed
spaghetti sauce
Monterey Jack cheese
Colby cheese
turkey pepperoni

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
2. Cut pastry sheets into 5 inch squares.
3. In each square, put a tablespoon of sauce (2 if you really like sauce, but no more or the rolls will get mushy).
4. Sprinkle some cheese across the sauce and add a few turkey pepperoni.
5. Fold the square in half, carefully, and crimp the open edges with a fork. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until crispy.

Tips

1. If you want, you can wrap these in plastic wrap or drop them in small individual Ziploc bags before baking and freeze them. They last in the freezer for a few weeks and to bake them, you just need to pull them out of the bag and pop them in a 400º oven for a bit longer than the fresh ones (25-30 minutes).
2. Other good toppings to use, in addition to or in place of turkey pepperoni, include: regular pepperoni, zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, or bell pepper. To make a vegetarian version, simply leave out the pepperoni.

Chocolate Spice Cookies

2011-06-22T00:14:00.001-04:00

Ingredients

1 cup butter or non-dairy substitute
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp paprika
3 tbsp cocoa powder

Directions

1 Cream butter and shortening until smooth.
2. Add vanilla and sugars and blend well. Mix in an egg.
3. In another bowl, mix flour and spices.
4. Gradually add dry mix into wet (in about three batches). It may look a bit crumbly.
5. Cool mixture in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (it can sit overnight if you want to make the cookies the next day).
6. Preheat oven to 350º.
7. Butter and flour two cookie sheets, sprinkle the countertop with flour.
8. Divide dough into three batches. Work with one at a time, keeping the others in the refrigerator.
9. Knead dough until soft.
10. Roll dough out until it is 1/4 inch thick and cut it into shapes and place on cookie sheets.
11. These cookies don't spread out too much, so you can put them a little closer together than other cookies. Bake 10-15 minutes.
12. Let cookies cool on tray for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Tips

Use a non-dairy butter substitute for a non-dairy cookie.

Red and Green Soup

2011-06-22T00:13:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 cup roughly chopped onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cans tomato sauce
7 cans water
2 cans vegetable stock
1 1/2 cup rough chopped zucchini
4 cups rough chopped fresh tomatoes
6 ounces fresh spinach
1/2 tsp fresh ground ginger
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 to 1 pound pasta
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil.
2. Mix all ingredients in a large stock pot (you'll need a lot of room to let the spinach cook down).
3. Bring mix to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Let simmer until pasta is cooked and mixture reduces.
4. Serve hot.

Tips

Freezes and reheats well.

Dorm Fudge

2011-06-22T00:11:00.000-04:00

An "ancient" Wahlig family recipe.
Also known as Amish Proposal Fudge.

Ingredients

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 bag (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp vanilla

Directions

1. Line a square pan with wax paper. Line it. Seriously. Line it.
2. Mix milk and vanilla together. Microwave 2-4 minutes, until bubbly.
3. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted.
4. Flatten the mixture into the LINED pan. Cool. Remove from pan to cut.

Tips

Optional add-ins include up to one cup of walnuts or pecans.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

2011-06-22T00:08:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup Cool Whip, thawed
1/2 cup peanuts or crushed or powdered sugar

Directions

1. Melt chocolate chips in microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Stir at end until all chips are melted.
2. Mix in peanut butter and let cool.
3. Add Cool Whip.
4. Spread mixture into a baking dish. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. Using a teaspoon, scoop out portions of the mix and role into balls.
6. Coat in nuts or sugar.
7. Store in fridge.

Cocoa Pumpkin Nut Bread

2011-06-22T00:07:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 beaten eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 can pumpkin puree
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup walnuts
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Put a baking pan 3/4 full with water on bottom rack.
2. Mix sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in pumpkin.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and cocoa powder.
4. Add dry to wet, alternating additions with additions of water.
5. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans.
6. Put in oven on top rack over water bath. Bake for 60-70 minutes.
7. Cool in pans 10 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool.

Tips

Leave out almonds and walnuts for a non-nut version.

Der Apfelstreuselkuchen

2011-06-22T00:06:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter or non-dairy substitute
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups diced apples
1/2 cup water

Topping Ingredients

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter, cold

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. Add melted butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and water. Mix until smooth.
4. Add apples and stir.
5. Spoon into muffin cups.
6. For topping, mix brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut butter into mix. Sprinkle on muffins.
7. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Tips

For a non-dairy version, use a non-dairy butter substitute.

Orange Blueberry Almond Muffins

2011-06-22T00:05:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup soy milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups dried blueberries
juice of 1 orange
zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. Set blueberries to hydrate in cold water.
3. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. In another bowl, mix egg, milk, oil, juice, vanilla, zest, and sugar.
5. Combine wet and dry ingredients.
6. Drain water from blueberries. Gently stir blueberries and almonds to mix.
7. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted come out clean.
8. Cool for 5 minutes in pan before transferring to a cooling tray.

Tip

These freeze well for up to 3 months!

Baklava

2011-06-22T00:04:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 pack phyllo dough (defrosted)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 cup melted butter
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp brown sugar
butter to grease pan

Syrup Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup rose syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease 9x12 pan well!
2. Put nuts, spices, and brown sugar in a bag and shake.
3. Unroll dough. Put 3-4 layers in pan, spread with melted butter using a pastry brush. Put 3-4 more layers in, spread with melted butter. Continue this process until you have used half of the dough.
4. Sprinkle the nut mixture across the layers. Then, continue the dough and butter layers.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes until it begins to crisp.
6. Meanwhile, boil water and sugar until sugar melts.
7. Add vanilla, honey, and rose syrup.
8. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes until the mix thickens.
9. Remove baklava from oven and carefully cut into squares.
10. Cover in syrup mixture and return to the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes.
11. Let cool on counter.

Soy Mango Ice Cream

2011-06-22T00:03:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 cups soy milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup Naked Mighty Mango juice or other mango or mixed mango and other fruit juice
fruit from 2 mangos, crushed
fruit from 1 mango, diced

Directions

1. Set water to boil in the bottom of a double boiler.
2. In a bowl, beat eggs with sugar until the mix becomes pale and frothy (a hand mixer is great for this).
3. On another burner than the double boiler, heat soy milk until it simmers. Add vanilla and juice.
4. Add a small amount of this mix to eggs in a separate bowl to temper the mix.
5. Combine egg mix into milk.
6. Pour the entire mixture into the top pan of the double boiler. Stir until it coats the back of a spoon.
7. Remove from heat and add crushed mango.
8. Cool mix in fridge for about 1 hour. Add diced mango to mix.
9. Cool in fridge an additional 1-2 hours.
10. Add to ice cream maker, as per manufacturer's directions.

Banana Bread

2011-06-22T00:01:00.001-04:00

Ingredients

4 medium-sized bananas
1/2 cup applesauce (about 2 individual serving cups)
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. On the lower rack of the oven, put a baking dish 3/4 full of water to heat with the oven.
2. Grease bread pan with butter and flour.
3. Peel and mash bananas. Mix in applesauce, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.
4. Add flour and baking soda. Mix.
5. Stir in pecans or walnuts.
6. Fill bread pan.
7. Bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Tips

To make a non-nut version, simply leave out the nuts.

Frozen Cookie Dough

2011-06-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1 1/2 cup walnut pieces (optional)
3 cups flour OR 1 1/2 cup flour and 1 1/2 cup oats

Directions

1. Pre-line cookie sheet with wax paper and make sure you have room for them in the freezer.
2. Blend butter until creamy. Add sugars, mix. Blend in eggs and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, mix flour (or flour and oats), baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
4. Gradually add to wet ingredients.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
6. Dust your hands with flour, roll dough into bite-sized balls.
7. Place on wax paper lined trays, as close to one another as possible without touching.
8. Freeze for 1-2 hours.
9. Move dough balls to a freezer-safe container and freeze to store.

Directions to Bake

1. Preheat oven for 350ºF and allow cookie dough balls to defrost some.
2. Put dough on lined cookie sheets.
2. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Tips

1. To make non-dairy, use a non-dairy butter substitute (like non-dairy Smart Balance) and eliminate chocolate chips.
2. To make non-nut, eliminate walnuts.

Ginger Nutmeg Candy Almonds

2011-06-21T23:59:00.002-04:00

Ingredients

1 pound raw almonds
2 egg whites
1 tbsp water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250ºF.
2. Using a hand mixer, mix egg whites and water until the mixture is foamy.
3. Stir in spices.
4. Stir in almonds.
5. Spread the mix onto a greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours, stirring every 15-20 minutes to evenly dry the coated nuts.
7. Allow mix to cool.

Garam Masala Candy Almonds

2011-06-21T23:59:00.001-04:00

Ingredients

1 pound raw almonds
2 egg whites
1 tbsp water
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chili powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250ºF.
2. Using a hand mixer, mix egg whites and water until the mixture is foamy.
3. Stir in spices.
4. Stir in almonds.
5. Spread the mix onto a greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours, stirring every 15-20 minutes to evenly dry the coated nuts.
7. Allow mix to cool.

Cinnamon Cayenne Candy Almonds

2011-06-21T23:58:00.001-04:00

Ingredients

1 pound raw almonds
2 egg whites
1 tbsp water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250ºF.
2. Using a hand mixer, mix egg whites and water until the mixture is foamy.
3. Stir in spices.
4. Stir in almonds.
5. Spread the mix onto a greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours, stirring every 15-20 minutes to evenly dry the coated nuts.
7. Allow mix to cool.

Honey Cinnamon Walnuts

2011-06-21T23:57:00.001-04:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup honey
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups walnut halves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Melt honey in the microwave until it looks thin and pours like water, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Stir in cinnamon and salt.
4. Coat walnuts with mixture.
5. Spread onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
6. Let cool and break into pieces.

Tips

This will probably stay sticky.

Peanut Brittle

2011-06-21T23:55:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup peanuts
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. GREASE a cookie sheet covered in wax paper.
2. Mix corn syrup and sugar.
3. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, stir. Microwave for 4 more minutes, stir again.
4. Stir in peanuts, salt, vanilla, butter, and cinnamon.
5. Microwave entire mix on high for 2 minutes.
6. Stir in baking soda, allow to foam for a second, then spread on cookie sheet.
7. Let mix cool and firm up (after it cools initially, you can move it to the freezer for a while to speed this process up).
8. Break into pieces.

Praline Bars

2011-06-21T23:54:00.000-04:00

Crust Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened

Caramel Ingredients

1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup butter
1 tbsp vanilla

Toppings Ingredients

2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a pan with foil. Grease the foil. This will make your life tremendously easier later.
2. Using a mixer, combine flour, sugar, and softened butter until crumbly like sand. Pour into pan and press down evenly.
3. Sprinkle pecans for topping over crust.
4. In a pan over medium heat, melt 2/3 cup butter and add vanilla and sugar. When it looks foamy, stir for another minute and remove from heat.
5. Drizzle caramel mix over pecans. Bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven.
6. Sprinkle chocolate chips across the top, return to oven for 5-10 minutes.
7. Using a butter knife, spread the chips out.
8. Let cool before removing from pan using the foil and slicing.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

2011-06-21T23:53:00.001-04:00

Ingredients

2 cans whole, peeled sweet potatoes
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter

Topping Ingredients

2 cups pecans
1/3 cup flour
2 tbsp. butter (frozen)
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Dice sweet potatoes. If using fresh potatoes, you will need to boil them until the begin to soften. If you are using canned potatoes, simply drain them.
3. Using a stick blender, puree together sweet potatoes, cream, sugar, salt and 1/4 cup butter.
4. In a Ziploc bag, shake together pecans, flour, and brown sugar.
5. Chop butter into small chunks, shake into pecan mix.
6. Spread sweet potato puree mix into a greased 8-9 inch pan.
7. Sprinkle pecan mix over top of the mix (you can use more or less to taste).
8. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Golden Coin Carrots

2011-06-21T23:52:00.001-04:00

Ingredients

8-12 carrots, peeled
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp honey

Directions

1. Cut carrots into 1/4 inch thick disks.
2. Melt butter in pan on medium heat.
3. Add sugar, salt, and lemon juice. Bring mix to a boil.
4. Add carrots, bring liquids back to a boil.
5. Add honey. Stir and cook, covered (stirring periodically) until the carrots are soft.
6. Serve hot.

Spaghetti Sauce

2011-06-21T23:51:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

3 cans fire roasted tomatoes
12 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 can tomato paste
2 cups zucchini, chopped
2 cups yellow squash, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
6 gloves garlic, minced
2 cups mushrooms
4 tbsp diced basil
2 tsp diced sage
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp diced rosemary
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1 bottle (750 ml) red wine
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Saute onions, garlic, and bell pepper in skillet to soften.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large pan to simmer for 3-5 hours.
3. Serve hot.

Tips

1. This refrigerates and freezes well.
2. Feel free to add shredded carrots and chopped spinach.
3. If you want a chunkier sauce, leave it be. If you want a smoother sauce, puree it with a stick blender or regular blender (once cooled).
4. Use on pasta or pizza.

Mrs. T's Vinegar BBQ Sauce

2011-06-21T23:49:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter (or non-dairy substitute)
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
3 gloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cumin

Directions

1. Melt butter in a saucepan.
2. Add onions and garlic and sauté until soft.
3. Add water, vinegar, ketchup, and honey mustard. Stir.
4. Add brown sugar, ginger, turmeric, coriander, and cumin. Stir.
5. Cook at a simmer until the sauce thickens.

Tips

1. If you like smoother sauces let the thickened sauce cool briefly and then puree the mix in a blender, a food processor, or with a stick mixer.
2. To make a non-dairy or vegan version, use a non-dairy butter substitute or vegetable oil.

Mrs. T's BBQ Beer Sauce

2011-06-21T23:48:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1 pint beer
1 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup steak sauce
1/4 cup honey mustard
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s seasoning powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Directions

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a pan over medium heat.
2. Simmer on medium until mix reduces by half, stirring occasionally.

Tips

1. Any beer you want works here, although beers that are too light or weak (cheap beers, light or low carb beers) or too strong (heavy stout beers) throw off the flavor. An ale or something similar works best.
2. To make a non-dairy or vegan version, be sure to check the ingredients on the Italian dressing.

Strawberry Sangria

2011-06-21T23:47:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 bottles (750 ml each) Pinot Grigio or Chablis Blanc
1 cup strawberry schnapps
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups sliced strawberries

Directions

1. Mix white wine, schnapps, and sugar until sugar dissolves/dissipates.
2. Add in fruit.
3. Cover (using a pitcher with a lid works best) and let sit in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
4. Serve cold.

Peach Sangria

2011-06-21T23:46:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 bottles (750 ml each) Pinot Grigio or Chablis Blanc
1 cup peach schnapps
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups diced peaches

Directions

1. Mix white wine, schnapps, and sugar until sugar dissolves/dissipates.
2. Add in fruit.
3. Cover (using a pitcher with a lid works best) and let sit in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
4. Serve cold.

Meatballs

2011-06-21T23:44:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup assorted chopped fresh herbs (thyme, cilantro, chives, sage, and rosemary)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 egg

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients together.
3. Shape mixture into balls – approximately 1 inch in diameter if making cocktail meatballs or slightly larger 2 inch diameter balls for meatballs for spaghetti or subs.
4. Place in a greased baking dish or on a greased deep cookie sheet. Fit them tightly together.
5. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, longer for larger meatballs, until center is no longer pink.

Tips

To make a non-dairy version, use soy or goat's milk instead of regular milk. Be sure to check the ingredients in the bread crumbs for dairy.

Meatless Balls

2011-06-21T23:42:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 pound ground or crumbled meat substitute
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup goat’s or soy milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup assorted chopped fresh herbs (thyme, cilantro, chives, sage, and rosemary)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 egg

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients.
3. Shape mixture into balls – approximately 1 inch in diameter if making cocktail meatballs or slightly larger 2 inch diameter balls for meatballs for spaghetti or subs.
4. Place in a greased baking dish or on a greased deep cookie sheet. Fit them tightly together.
5. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, slightly longer for larger meatballs, until they have browned.

Tips

Morning Star makes a great crumbled meat substitute.
To make a non-dairy version, be sure to check the ingredients on the Italian dressing.

Mustard Chicken

2011-06-21T23:39:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1/2cup Italian Dressing
1/2 cup honey mustard
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup stone ground or horseradish mustard (you can add up to a 1/2 cup of this if you like your chicken a little spicier)
3-4 chicken breasts, diced
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ginger powder
1/4 tsp. cumin powder
1 tbsp. olive oil

Directions

1. Whisk together Italian dressing, mustards, and spices.
2. Coat chicken with mixture.
3. Heat up olive oil in a medium sized skillet on medium to medium-high heat.
4. Pour chicken mixture into heated skillet. Stir while cooking.
5. Cook until chicken begins to brown.

Tips

To make a non-dairy version, be sure to check the ingredients on the Italian dressing.

Potato Salad

2011-06-21T23:37:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

10 or so potatoes
2 eggs
3/4 cup of mayonnaise
3 tablespoons honey mustard
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Boil potatoes whole and with their skin in lightly salted water along with the eggs. The potatoes should be done when they are tender throughout when poked with a knife. Usually at this point the skins of at least one or two have cracked and peeled slightly.
2. Drain the potatoes and eggs. Rinse gently in cold water to stop the cooking process.
3. Let potatoes and eggs cool completely. While the potatoes and eggs are cooling, dice the onion, celery, and bell pepper.
4. Mix the mayonnaise, honey mustard, Dijon mustard, and paprika in a small bowl.
5. Cube the potatoes. You can peel them first or leave the skin on, depending on your tastes.
6. Peel and dice the hard-boiled eggs.
7. Mix together (in a large bowl) the potatoes, eggs, celery, onion, and bell pepper.
8. Add in mayonnaise mixture and mix completely.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste.
10. Allow to cool in the refrigerator before serving.

Tips

1. If you plan on leaving the skins of the potatoes on in the salad, be sure to wash them thoroughly before cooking!
2. Canola oil- and olive oil-based mayonnaise works well in this recipe.
3. If you're using sweeter onions (like Vidalia onions), use a green bell pepper for contrasting taste. If you're using a white onion, use a yellow, orange, or red bell pepper.
4. If you're using really big baking potatoes, you'll only need 5-6, not 10.

Annie's Meatball Subs

2011-06-21T23:35:00.000-04:00

Recipe from Annie Skrmetti.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 egg
garlic, minced (1-3 cloves, to taste)
onion, finely diced (1/2-1 cup, to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 cup bread crumbs
cubed provolone cheese
6 hoagie rolls
2 cups spaghetti sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425º F.
2. Mix beef, egg, garlic, onion, salt and pepper, and breadcrumbs.
3. Roll beef mixture into balls, placing 1 cube of provolone in the center of each. When making the meatballs, be sure to keep in mind the size of your rolls.
4. Place meatballs on a greased cookie sheet and cook at 425º F for 15-20 minutes.
5. While the meatballs are baking, heat up spaghetti sauce and cut open hoagie rolls.
6. When meatballs are done, place 3-4 in each hoagie roll (again, depending on the size of the roll) and pour some sauce on top.
7. Put a few additional cubes of cheese on top and place in oven under broiler until cheese melts.

Tips

1. If you don’t have cubed cheese, mix in about 1/2 cup of shredded in with your meatball mixture. Then, use some more shredded on top of the subs towards the end.
2. Using smaller dinner rolls and just 1-2 meatballs on each makes a neat smaller version for parties.

Baked OJ Chicken

2011-06-21T23:32:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 cup orange juice
1 cup Italian dressing
1 tablespoon tumeric
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon BBQ sauce
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions

1. Whisk all ingredients together.
2. Marinade thawed chicken breasts for 30 minutes.
3. Pour chicken and marinade into baking dish.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake, covered in foil, for 1 hour.
5. Uncover and continue to bake for 15 minutes.

Tips

To make a non-dairy version, be sure to check the ingredients on the Italian dressing.

Vegetarian Pinwheels

2011-06-21T23:30:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 packages crescent rolls
8 ounces sheep milk feta cheese
1 package of frozen spinach, defrosted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Working with one package of crescent rolls at a time, lay the rolls out to make a fat rectangle (as opposed to a long, thin rectangle). Pinch the seems together. I find it helps to work with the dough on a lightly floured or greased piece of wax paper. Repeat with the other crescent rolls.
3. Place the spinach in a paper towel and wring the excess moisture out.
4. Sprinkle the spinach across the surface of the dough rectangles, leaving about an inch on one side bare.
5. Break apart and sprinkle the feta cheese over the spinach.
6. Starting with the edge opposite the open edge, roll the dough into a cylinder. Use that extra space on one side to seal it closed.
7. Wrap in wax paper and put in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
8. Slice cylinders into 1/2 inch slices, place face down on a greased cookie sheet and bake until the crescent rolls are golden brown.

Spinach Cheese Ham Pinwheels

2011-06-21T23:29:00.000-04:00

Recipe from Jen Hoyt.

Ingredients

1 package of crescent rolls
8 slices Provolone cheese
8 slices ham
1 package frozen spinach, thawed

Directions

1. Pre-grease a cookie sheet. Pre-heat oven to 400º
2. Take frozen spinach. Place into a collender or strainer, cover with a paper towel. Place a weight on top of the towel (a large can of spaghetti sauce works great for this). Let this sit for a little while until the spinach drains.
3. Remove crescent rolls from can. Using two crescent rolls, overlap slightly and flatten the seam between them.
4. Pat the Provolone cheese dry with a paper towel. Lay two slices of Provolone cheese on the flattened dough.
5. Pat the ham dry with a paper towel. Lay two slices of ham on the flattened dough.
6. Spread 1/4 of the spinach on top of the ham.
7. Carefully role the layers into a cylinder. Using a large knife, cut the cylinder into slices, each about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the slices one at a time, carefully picking it up and placing it onto the pre-greased cookie sheet. Space them apart because some expansion will take place during cooking.
8. Allow pinwheels to bake for at least 10-20 minutes. Keep an eye on them! They should brown, but not too much.

Tips

To make these non-pork, use sliced turkey instead of ham.

Baked Chicken and Rice

2011-06-21T23:18:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

3/4 cup uncooked rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped red or orange bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 lb. uncooked cubed chicken
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 tbsp. Italian dressing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
3. Put the entire mix into a 9x13 inch pan, lightly greased with oil to make clean-up easier.
4. Bake covered in foil for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours or until chicken is tender and rice is done.

Tips

1. I use red or orange bell pepper because I think it adds a nice sweetness, but yellow, green, or purple bell peppers work as well.
2. You can also substitute turkey for chicken or, for a vegetarian option, large chunks of mushrooms.
3. You can also, if you want to, entirely leave out the onion, celery, and bell pepper.