Mandarin Orange Sorbet "A refreshing, light frozen citrus sorbet. Easy to make and fat free." Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Ready In: 3 Hours Servings: 10 Ingredients: 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 cups orange juice 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 can mandarin oranges 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest Directions: 1. In a medium saucepan, bring water and sugar to a simmer over medium high heat until sugar is dissolved. 2. In a food processor, puree mandarin oranges with their juice until smooth. Transfer to a metal bowl, and stir in syrup, lemon juice, orange juice, and orange zest. Freeze until slightly firm, but not frozen. 3. Process mixture again in the food processor or beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

Apple-cheddar turkey burgers

2 pounds ground turkey breast 4 scallions, finely chopped 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (a generous handful) 1 tablespoon grill seasoning 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) 1 apple, such as granny smith, cut into 12 slices 8 slices extra-sharp cheddar cheese 1/4 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce 2 tablespoons grainy mustard 4 sandwich-size english muffins, split and toasted 8 leaves red- or green-leaf lettuce Directions In a bowl, combine the turkey, scallions, parsley, grill seasoning and poultry seasoning. Form into 4 patties, pressing your thumb into the center of each to prevent it from bulging. In a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook for 6 minutes on each side for medium. Top each with 3 apple slices and 2 cheese slices, tent the pan with foil and cook until the cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together the cranberry sauce and mustard; slather on the muffin tops. Pile 2 lettuce leaves on each muffin bottom, top with the patties and set the muffin tops into place.

Honeydew Cucumber Margarita Popsicle

Makes five 2-and-1/4-oz. popsicles 1 cup honeydew juice (approximately a whole melon weighing 1lb) 1/3 cup cucumber juice (approximately half a cucumber weighing 5oz.) ½ cup tequila 1 tablespoon triple sec 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon mint simple syrup (recipe follows) 3 large mint sprigs Instructions: 1. Place the honeydew and cucumber in a food processor or a blender and process until everything is pureed. Add tequila, triple sec, lime juice and mint syrup and process for another 20-30 seconds to blend well. Pour mixture into popsicles mold. 2. Freeze for about 2 hours or until mixture starts to solidify enough to hold a popsicle stick upright. Insert popsicle sticks and finish freezing popsicles overnight. To release popsicles run hot water on the outside of popsicle molds for a 2-3 seconds. Mint Syrup (You will have more syrup than you need. Save for other cocktail uses. · 1/2 cup water · 1/2 cups sugar · 1 cup mint leaves, loosely packed Instructions: 1. Place sugar and water in a pot over heat until sugar dissolves. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature and place mint leaves in mixture and muddle. Allow mint leaves to steep for 20 minutes. Strain and discard leaves. (Depending on the fineness of the sieve tiny pieces may remain).

Lobster Potato Salad

Mayonnaise Lime juice Hot pepper sauce Salt Pepper Green Onion Celery Of course...Lobster All these ingredients can be to your liking I think small red potatoes look good. Boil the potatoes, cool then add to the mixture then add the lobster meat last and gently fold into the potato salad. Cover and chill for 4 hours or more.

Ambrosia Salad

1 can mandarin oranges 1/2 bag of mini marshmallows 1 8 oz container of sour cream 1/2 jar of maraschino cherries, chop into quarters 1/2 - 1 cup grated coconut 5 slices pineapples cut into chunks, reserve juice for later Mix all ingredients together and place into a covered bowl and refrigerate. Mix occasional as the marshmallows soften. Use pineapple juice if to thick.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

3 cups shredded cooked chicken 1/4 to 1/2 cup hot sauce (to taste) 3 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 3/4 cups sharp shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 cup chopped green onions 1 cup all-purpose flour 4 eggs, lightly beaten 3 – 4 cups Corn Flakes cereal, crushed Directions: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine chicken, cream cheese and hot sauce, cheddar cheese and green onions. Roll a heaping tablespoon of mixture into a 1½-inch ball and place onto a plate or separate baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Place flour in a shallow dish. In a second shallow dish, place eggs. In a third shallow dish, place corn flakes. Dip each chicken ball first into the flour, then the egg and ending with the Corn Flakes. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Warm lemon Cake

1 pkg yellow cake mix (I used Betty Crocker, get the kind that makes a 9x13 size) Ingredients called for on back of cake box 2 pkg (3.4oz each) instant lemon pudding 1/3 c. sugar 2 c. cold milk 1 1/4 c. water 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar (for dusting) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake as directed on package. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Beat dry pudding mixes, granulated sugar, milk and water with whisk 2 min.; pour over batter in dish. Don't spread it. You'll fail. Place baking dish on baking sheet. (Baking sheet will catch any sauce that might bubble over sides of dish as dessert bakes.) Bake 55 min. to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 min. (Sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.) Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

LOUISIANA HOT CRAB DIP

1/2 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, free of shells 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup grated Parmesan 3 tablespoons minced green onions (white and green parts) 2 large garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon hot sauce 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning Salt and pepper to taste 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 2. Combine all of the ingredients in a casserole dish and gently stir until thoroughly mixed. Adjust seasoning to taste. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until lightly golden on top. Serve hot. 3. Serve hot, with hot sauce on the side for those who like it spicy. Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Baked Crab Ragoons

Ingredients: 1/8 tsp garlic salt 1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce 14 won ton wrappers 1 small green onion 4 oz surimi imitation crab 3 oz cream cheese Directions In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, garlic salt and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Stir in crab and onion. Place 2 teaspoonfuls in the center of each wonton wrapper. Moisten edges with water; bring corners to center over filling and press edges together to seal. Place on a baking sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly spray wontons with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 425 °F (210 °C) for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Hollandaise Sauce Recipe I & II

Add to shopping list Ingredients 3 egg yolks (see how to separate eggs) 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional) 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (if using salted butter, skip the added salt) Method 1 Melt the butter slowly in a small pot. Try not to let it boil – you want the moisture in the butter to remain there and not steam away. 2 Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne (if using) into your blender. Blend the egg yolk mixture at a medium to medium high speed until it lightens in color, about 20-30 seconds. The friction generated by the blender blades will heat the yolks a bit. The blending action will also introduce a little air into them, making your hollandaise a bit lighter. 3 Once the yolks have lightened in color, turn the blender down to its lowest setting (if you only have one speed on your blender it will still work), and drizzle in the melted butter slowly, while the blender is going. Continue to buzz for another couple seconds after the butter is all incorporated. 4 Turn off the blender and taste the sauce. It should be buttery, lemony and just lightly salty. If it is not salty or lemony enough, you can add a little lemon juice or salt to taste. If you want a thinner consistency, add a little warm water. Pulse briefly to incorporate the ingredients one more time. Store until needed in a warm spot, like on or next to the stove top. Use within an hour or so. Makes about 1 cup of sauce, good for about 4-6 servings. Asparagus and Hollandaise Sauce Ingredients 1 bunch of asparagus (about 1 lb) 10 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick plus 2 Tbsp) 3 egg yolks 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt (skip if using salted butter) Pinch of cayenne Method asparagus-hollandaise-1.jpg asparagus-hollandaise-2.jpg 1 Prep the asparagus. Break off the tough ends with your fingers. Bend the asparagus spears near the end and they will break naturally where the spear is no longer tough. For an elegant presentation of the spears, use a vegetable peeler to peel off a very thin layer of the outer skin of the lower two to three inches of the asparagus spears. Prepare a large, shallow pan (with a cover) with a half inch of water and a steamer rack. 2 Prepare the Hollandaise sauce. Melt the butter in a small pot. Put the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne into a blender. Blend the eggs for 20-30 seconds at medium to medium high speed until lighter in color. Turn blender down to lowest setting and slowly drizzle in the hot melted butter while the blender is going. Continue to blend for a few seconds after all of the butter is incorporated. Taste the sauce and add more salt or lemon juice if needed. Keep warm while you are steaming the asparagus. asparagus-hollandaise-3.jpg 3 Bring the water in your steaming pan to a boil. Place the asparagus on the steaming rack. Cover. Steam for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender, but still a little crisp, definitely not mushy. The timing depends on how thick the asparagus spears are. Plate the asparagus. Pour Hollandaise sauce over them.

Brussel Sprouts I & II

1 lb fresh Brussels sprouts 4-6 Tbsp butter 1/2 onion, chopped Salt and Pepper 1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice, fresh squeezed 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds Method 1 Remove any ragged or old-looking outer leaves on the brussels sprouts and discard. Parboil the brussels sprouts (or steam them) for 3 minutes or until just tender. They should be almost cooked all the way through (split one in half to test). Strain the hot water and place the sprouts in a bowl of ice water, this will keep their color bright green. Cut the sprouts into halves. 2 Heat 2-3 Tbsp of butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add 2-3 Tbsp more of butter and the brussels sprouts halves. Increase the heat to medium high and cook for several more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, while the brussels sprouts are cooking. Do not overcook! Overcooked brussels sprouts are bitter and are the main reason why some people don't like them. 3 Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and half of the toasted almonds. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in serving dish and garnish with the rest of the toasted almonds. Serves 6-8. Hashed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Recipe 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest 1 lbs brussels sprouts 1 Tbsp olive oil 4 teaspoons butter 1 garlic clove, minced 1 Tbsp black mustard seeds or poppy seeds 2 Tbsp vermouth or dry white wine Salt and pepper to taste. Method hashed-brussels-sprouts-1.jpghashed-brussels-sprouts-2.jpghashed-brussels-sprouts-3.jpg 1 Place lemon juice in a large bowl. Cut bottoms off sprouts, and discard. Halve sprouts lengthwise. If you are really ambitions, carefully cut out and discard the firm core of each sprout half. Thinly slice the sprouts. As you work, transfer slices into bowl with lemon juice. When all sprouts are sliced toss them in juice and separate leaves. (Recipe can be prepared to this point and refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 hours.) hashed-brussels-sprouts-4.jpg 2 When ready to serve, heat oil and butter over high heat in a skillet large enough to hold all sprouts. When very hot (almost to smoking point) add sprouts, garlic and seeds, and cook, stirring often, until sprouts are wilted and lightly cooked, but still green and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Some leaves might brown slightly. 3 Add vermouth, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Turn off heat, add salt and pepper to taste and stir in the lemon zest, reserving a little for top of dish. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining zest and serve. Serves 4.

Ham, Potato and Leek Soup

2 Tbsp unsalted butter 4 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only 4 cups chicken broth* 2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper 2 cups ham, diced 1/4 cup cream or half and half (optional) Salt to taste 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chives or dill, chopped *If cooking gluten-free use homemade chicken stock or gluten-free packaged broth. Method 1 Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, potatoes and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. 2 Reduce heat; cover and simmer 25 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Using a blender or food processor, working in batches, process until smooth. 3 Stir in diced ham and cream. Season to taste with salt. Garnish with parsley, chives or dill. Serves 6.

Braised Leeks Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 50 minutes Try to buy leeks with as long and as white a shank as possible. If you can only find ones with short shanks that are mostly green, don't buy them -- choose another recipe instead. Add to shopping list Ingredients 4-6 leeks 1 garlic clove, minced 3-4 Tbsp unsalted butter Salt 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried 1 teaspoon sugar 1 bay leaf 1 cup white wine or vegetable stock 1/4 cup parsley, chopped Method 1 Cut off the ends of the leeks until you get to the shank; a little of the light green part is fine, but not too much of it. If you want, you can save the unused portion of the leeks in the freezer for making stock later. Slice through the shank of the leek lengthwise until you get to the root end—do not cut through the root just yet. Clean the leeks under cold running water, as leeks are usually dirty. Once the leeks are free of any dirt or grit, cut through the root to make two long pieces of leek. 2 Get a sauté pan large enough to hold the leeks in one layer and heat the butter in it over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and begins to foam, turn the heat down to medium and add the minced garlic and then the leeks, cut side down. Cook for 1-2 minutes, just to get them a little browned and to let the butter get into the leeks. Turn over and sprinkle with salt, then cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. 3 Turn the leeks back over so the cut side is down, sprinkle the leeks with the sugar, the thyme leaves and a touch more salt. Add the white wine with the bay leaf and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook 35-45 minutes over medium-low heat. 4 When the leeks are tender enough so that a knife blade pierces them easily, uncover the pot and bring the braising liquid to a rolling boil. Let this reduce by half, then turn off the heat. Add the parsley, swirl it around and serve. Yield: Serves 4 as a side dish

Swiss Chard Recipe

Add to shopping list Ingredients 1 large bunch of fresh Swiss chard 1 small clove garlic, sliced 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp water Pinch of dried crushed red pepper 1 teaspoon butter Salt Method 1 Rinse out the Swiss chard leaves thoroughly. Remove the toughest third of the stalk, discard or save for another recipe (such as this Swiss chard ribs with cream and pasta). Roughly chop the leaves into inch-wide strips. 2 Heat a saucepan on a medium heat setting, add olive oil, a few small slices of garlic and the crushed red pepper. Sauté for about a minute. Add the chopped Swiss chard leaves. Cover. Check after about 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Flip the leaves over in the pan, so that what was on the bottom, is now on the top. Cover again. Check for doneness after another 5 minutes (remove a piece and taste it). Add salt to taste, and a small amount of butter. Remove the swiss chard to a serving dish.

Queso Blanco Dip

1 1/4 (1.25) lb block White American Cheese,cut into 1-inch cubes 1/4 cup diced green chiles 2 pickled jalapenos, chopped 1 ounce pickled jalapeno juice 2/3 cup whole milk 1/2 cup cold water pinch of cumin (optional) Toss all ingredients into a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, stopping to stir after every minute. The mixture might seem watery during the first few stirs, but should come together as a nice runny dip after all the cheese is melted. Serve immediately as a dip with tortilla chips or as a sauce over your favorite Mexican dish. *Recipe Note: White American cheese is found at most deli counters in your local grocery store. *Reheat Instructions: Store any leftover cheese dip in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until creamy and hot.

Meltaway Cookies

½ lb butter ¾ cup cornstarch 1/3 cup powdered sugar 1 cup flour Beat butter, add cornstarch, flour and sugar, beat until creamy. Drop by teaspoon fulls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes; frost when cool. Frosting: 3 oz package cream cheese 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup powdered sugar Cream cheese, add vanilla and powdered sugar, divide in half tint. Yields 40 cookies.

Tres Leche cake

Ingredients 1 cup All-purpose Flour 1-1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder 1/4 teaspoon Salt 5 whole Eggs 1 cup Sugar, Divided 1 teaspoon Vanilla 1/3 cup Milk 1 can Evaporated Milk 1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk 1/4 cup Heavy Cream _____ FOR THE ICING: 1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping 3 Tablespoons Sugar Preparation Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs. Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined. Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry. Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool. Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can. Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable. Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Makes 2-3 dozen Ingredients: ½ cups butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1 whole egg 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice ¼ teaspoons salt ¼ teaspoons baking powder ⅛ teaspoons baking soda 1-½ cup all-purpose flour ½ cups powdered sugar

Nanna's turkey sausage

2 lbs ground turkey 3/4 tsp ginger 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp ground sage 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1 1/2 tsp black pepper Mix all ingredients together just til combined. Make sausage patties by filling 1/4 cup mixture. Heat frying pan to med hot. Add patties and cook 2 minutes on each side or till browned. Drain.

Trisha Yearwood Key Lime Cake

■1 3-oz package lime-flavored gelatin ■1⅓ cups granulated sugar ■2 cups sifted all-purpose flour ■½ tsp salt ■1 tsp baking powder ■1 tsp baking soda ■5 large eggs, slightly beaten ■1½ cups vegetable oil ■¾ cup orange juice ■1 Tbsp lemon juice ■½ tsp vanilla extract ■½ cup Key lime juice (from about 25 small Key limes or 4 large regular limes) ■½ cup confectioners’ sugar 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 9-inch-round cake pans. 2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the gelatin, sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir to mix well. Add the eggs, oil, orange juice, lemon juice, and vanilla. Divide the batter evenly among the 3 pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Test for doneness by lightly touching the tops of the layers or inserting a toothpick. Cool the layers in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto racks. 3. While the layers are still hot, mix the lime juice and confectioners’ sugar and pour it over the layers on the racks. You can pierce the layers with a fork to allow the glaze to soak in better. Allow the layers to cool completely as you prepare the icing. CREAM CHEESE ICING ■½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature ■1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, room temperature ■1 (1-lb) box confectioners’ sugar (I used lime zest & lime juice in my icing) 1. Cream the butter and cream cheese. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar until the mixture is smooth and easy to spread. Spread the icing between the layers and on the top and sides of the cake. Note: The cream cheese icing is optional. This cake is beautiful and tastes great with just the glaze poured over it. Serves 12.

Lemony lemon brownies

3/4 cup all-purpose flour {King Arthur All-Purpose Flour} 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt {Sea Salt} 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons lemon zest 2 tablespoons lemon juice Tart Lemon Glaze 1 cup powdered sugar 4 tablespoon lemon juice 8 teaspoons lemon zest Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease/Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with butter/cooking spray and set aside. Zest and juice two small/large lemons; set aside. {whatever you have} In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined. Pour into the flour mixture and beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before glazing. Do not overbake, or the bars will be dry. {even with the yummy glaze} When brownies are cooled completely, make the glaze...sift the powdered sugar, add lemon zest and juice, and whisk together all three ingredients. Spread 1/2 the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula. Let glaze harden. Spread the remaining glaze over the bars, and let it harden. Cut into bars, and serve!

Coconut Cake

Ingredients 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans 2 cups sugar 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup milk 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut For the frosting: 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling. For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!). To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Lentil soup 2 large cans of diced tomatoes 4 cups green lentils Beef bullion powder hytop Stew meat

Stevenson’s Chocolate Chip Cookies 1 pound of butter 2 c. brown sugar 1 ½ c. sugar 1 ½ t baking soda 1 ½ t salt if butter is salted only us ¾ t. 2 t. of vanilla 4 eggs 6 c flour 24 oz of chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar in a bowl. Mix dry ingredients in another bowl. Add eggs and vanilla to butter mixture, mix Combine flour mix to butter mix 1 cup at a time. Stir in chocolate. Use ice cream scoop to dip batter for cookies. I can only get 6 scoops for large cookies on large cookie sheet. Bake 12 and ½ min, Check at 12 min to make sure they are not browning. Let cool for about 1 min on tray. Then transfer to cooling rack. Cookies will still be a little soft so be careful. If making regular size cookies bake 10 min. Recipe makes about 40 (4 inch) or 80 regular. We want the BIG ones. . Thank you! I

Sabbatarian Cinnamon Rolls 1 packet of yeast (2 1/4 tsp.) 1 1/2 c. warm water (I normally use half milk, half water.) 1/3 c. sugar 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (or 3/4 tsp. table salt) 1 egg 1/3 c. unsalted butter, softened (Crisco works in a pinch.) 1/2 tsp. vanilla (real, if you have it) 3 1/2-4 c. white bread flour (All purpose flour works fine) In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast, sugar and salt in water. Wait about five minutes until foamy. Stir in remaining ingredients. Knead in flour when stirring becomes too difficult. (I use the flat beater on my KitchenAid for everything and skip the kneading hook altogether.) This dough will be nice and squashy, not stiff. Resist the temptation to add more than 4 cups of flour to the dough. Let rise until double in a greased bowl covered with oiled plastic wrap. At this point you can punch it down and refrigerate it until Saturday night. (I find the dough easier to work with when cold.) Otherwise, dump the dough out on to a very generously floured board. Roll (or pat with well-floured hands) into a rectangle about 16" x 20". Filling: 1 stick (1/2 c.) butter (Absolutely no substitutions!) 1 c. brown sugar (or up to half white sugar) 2 T. (yes, tablespoons) cinnamon Melt the butter and spread evenly over the rectangle of dough. Mix together sugar and cinnamon and spread evenly over the butter. Roll it all up, pulling the dough toward you to stretch it a bit as you roll. (This results in lots of nice, thin layers to unroll as you eat and keeps the butter and sugar from melting out and forming a caramelly ooze on the bottom of your pan. If you like the caramelly ooze, then, by all means, roll these more loosely.) Slice into 20 even slices. (Again, this is easier to do if the dough is chilled.) Arrange rolls in a 4 x 5 pattern in a well buttered 9 x 13 pan. (I have always had best results with glass.) Let rise until almost doubled, and bake at 375° for 25 minutes. (Longer if the dough is cold to start with, a bit less if it's been a hot day in the kitchen. See note below.) Cool. Icing: This recipe is up to you. Some people like cream cheese or buttercream frosting, and I can't argue. But my normal recipe is simply: 1-2 c. powdered sugar 1 tsp real vanilla Enough heavy cream to reach desired consistency—spreadable or drizzlable, depending on what you like. Mix sugar, cream and vanilla thoroughly. Frost cinnamon rolls. (If you baked them the night before, save this step for after you have rewarmed them in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Otherwise the icing may scorch or melt away into sticky nothingness.) Additional Notes: Sometimes these have a tendency to rise skyward into little cinnamon roll mountain peaks. Check them half way through baking, and if they are forming something of a topographic map of the Rockies, then take a flat spatula and gently press them back down into a surface more reminiscent of the Iowa landscape. You can double the dough recipe and, after letting it rise the first time, freeze half of the dough in an oiled gallon sized Ziploc bag for next week's cinnamon rolls. If there are too many rolls for your family, share the joy, or else bake the rolls in two 9" round cake pans. Carefully wrap (foil inside a plastic bag) one of the two pans after they are baked and cooled, and freeze until next week. They keep surprisingly well. Then just thaw overnight, and warm in the oven before frosting. Bonus: If you leave the vanilla out of the dough recipe and omit the cinnamon and sugar from the filling, this recipe makes fabulous crescent rolls suitable for Thanksgiving dinner. Just roll the dough into two dinner plate-sized circles instead of one big rectangle, and butter each circle with half a stick. Slice each circle like a pizza into 12 or 16 equal wedges and roll up starting with the wider end, firmly adhering the pointed end to keep from unrolling. Let rise on two greased or parchment-lined cookie sheets, and bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes, until golden.

Fried chinese chicken rice

3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil 2 tablespoons butter 2 chicken breast (no fat or skin) 6 eggs mixed for scrambling 1 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables 1 cup sauce 1/2 cup General Tsao sauce 3/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 3 tablespoons cornstarch salt and pepper to taste In a large frying pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and butter add vegetables. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon onion powder and garlic powder. Stir til vegetable are soft. Put vegetables in a bowl for later. In same frying pan over medium heat, (DON”T CLEAN AFTER VEGETABLES) Add chicken with some more oil. Sprinkle with more of the onion and garlic powder. As chicken cooks chop into mall cubes. Continue cooking till lightly brown. Transfer the chicken to same plate as vegetables. In SAME frying pan (scrape out any chicken bits , but DON”T CLEAN). Add remaining oil and butter add eggs and scramble. Keep egg pieces small. TURN heat low add vegetables and chicken to eggs. Mix together. Put chicken vegetable egg mix in a large bowl. In medium size bowl add cornstarch with 1 cup cool water mix so there are no lumps Add to the same frying pan. Cook stirring, this sauce will thicken. Add 1/2 soy sauce and 1/2 General Tsao sauce. Continue stirring taste hummmmm. Add more of each sauce if you like. Mix the chicken vegetable egg mix in with the thickened sauce. If more sauce is needed go back to the cornstarch and make 1/2 more. Don’t forget the rice. ENJOY!

Cheddar Breakfast Strata

8 ounces cheddar cheese chopped 8 slices bread (stale) 3 cups milk 8 eggs 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese Trim crust off bread, crumble and combine with cheeses. Place in lightly buttered casserole dish. Beat eggs milk salt, pepper and mustard. Pour over cheese and bread. Refrigerate over night. Next morning bake at 350° 1 hour or until lightly browned.

Lamb Gyros

Ingredients: 1 lb. lean ground lamb 1 large tomato, cut in half, then thinly sliced 1 small onion, thinly sliced 4 whole pita breads, cut in half, warmed Seasonings for Lamb: 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 1/2 tsps. dried oregano leaves, crushed 1 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. salt 3/4 tsp. pepper Cucumber Yogurt Sauce: 1 8-oz. carton plain low-fat yogurt 1/3 cup seeded, chopped cucumber 2 Tbsps. finely chopped onion 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tsp. granulated sugar mix ingredients in a medium bowl Directions: Prepare Cucumber Yogurt Sauce; cover and refrigerate. In large bowl, combine lamb seasoning ingredients; mix 2 minutes or until very well-blended. Shape into two oval 1/2 inch thick patties. Place patties on rack in broiler pan so meat is 3-4 inches from heat. Broil 8-10 minutes or until no longer pink and juices run clear, turning once.Carve patties into thin slices. Place equal amounts of lamb, tomato and onion in each pita half; serve with cucumber Yogurt Sauce. Makes 4 servings (2 filled pita halves and 1/4 cup sauce) each with 472 calories, 19 g fat and 86 mg cholesterol.

Potato Crab Salad

Potato Crab Salad 5 lg idaho potatoes 1/2 - 1 lb crab meat 4-5 fresh garlic cloves 1/2 onion mayonaise salt pepper Peel and dice potatoes into 1/2 in cubes Add 1 teaspoon salt to 1/2 pot of water, boil do not over cook Steam crab meat for 5 - 10 minutes, cut into small pieces Let potatoes and crab stand for about 15 minutes, cool Mix potatoes crab and mayonaise together, Do not drown Add fresh crushed garlic and onion to mix. Finish with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate or serve at room temperature. Add parsley to decorate. Thanks to Sandy’s mom Mary

Quaker Oats Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 lb margarine 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt (optional) 3 cups Quaker Oats and 1 cup raisins Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl. Mix till all blended. Drop by teaspoon or tablespoon. Bake 5-7 minutes. Less if you like a softer chewy cookie, more if you like a crisp cookie.

Chef John's Crab Cakes

8 saltine crackers, finely crushed
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay®)
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, beaten
salt to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1 pound fresh crabmeat, well drained
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Mix saltine crackers, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, seafood seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, egg, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.
Stir in crabmeat until mixture is combined but still chunky. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs on a plate.
Shape chilled crab mixture into 4 small thick patties; coat completely with bread crumbs.
Melt butter in a skillet over medium-heat; cook crab cakes until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.

Healthy Waldorf Salad

Combine the following ingredients: (Makes 4 servings)

4 apples, cubed
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup raisins
Place on washed romaine lettuce.

Baked Pesto Chicken

(Makes 4 servings, recipe adapted slightly from The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook.)

4 boneless, skinless chickenn breasts
salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning chicken
1/2 cup basil pesto (I used my homemade Basil Pesto with Lemon, but you can use purchased pesto.)
2 oz. (1/2 cup) grated low-fat mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken pieces, then cut each chicken breast lengthwise into 2 or 3 pieces. (I cut the larger ones into 3 strips and the smaller ones into 2 strips.)

Spray a 9" x 12" (or 8.5" X 12.5") baking dish with non-stick spray, then spread 1/4 cup basil pesto over the bottom of the dish. Lay chicken strips over the pesto, then spread 1/4 cup more basil pesto over the chicken.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil (or use a baking dish with a tight-fitting lid) and bake the chicken for 25-30 minutes, just until chicken is barely firm and cooked through. (Don't cook too much at this point, or the chicken will be overcooked by the time the cheese is melted and browned.)

When chicken is barely cooked through, remove foil and sprinkle chicken with 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese. Put dish back into the oven without foil and cook 5 minutes more, just until cheese is melted. (If your broiler is separate from the oven, start preheating it when you take the chicken out.) After I melted the cheese for 5 minutes I switched my oven to broil and broiled for 5 minutes more, just long enough to get the cheese lightly browned.

Serve hot. There will be some flavorful juice in the bottom of the dish when this is done, so you may want to serve with rice, couscous, or quinoa to soak up the juice, but if you're eating this for phase one, just spoon the juice over the chicken.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

CINNAMON ROLL CAKE
recipe from: Grin and Bake It


CAKE:

3 cups Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Sugar
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 1/2 cups Milk
2 Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1/2 cup ( 1 stick) Butter, melted



TOPPING:

1 cup ( 2 sticks) Butter, softened
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon



GLAZE:

2 cups Powdered Sugar
5 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 glass baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In an electric or stand mixer add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined well , slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour into the prepared 9×13 baking pan.

For topping, In a large bowl mix the 2 sticks of butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together until well combined and creamy. Drop evenly over the batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out nearly clean.

FOR GLAZE: In a medium bowl, mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together with a whisk. Drizzle evenly over the warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Frozen Reese's Peanut Butter Pie

Frozen Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie

Makes one 9 inch pie or three 4 inch mini pies. Preparation: Lightly butter springform pan if it is not non-stick. If you do not have a springform pan line a cake pan with a piece of lightly buttered foil leaving a one inch over hang around the edges for easy pie removal or alternately use a traditional pie pan.

Ingredients:

24 oreo cookies, crushed
4 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 ½ cups Cool Whip
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup confectioner sugar
½ cup crushed Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

Instructions:

Oreo Crust:

Place Oreos in a food processor or blender and pulse until cookies are finely crumbed. Alternatively, place Oreos in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Mix in the melted butter and then firmly press crumbs into pan to create a crust. Bake crust at 350 degrees F for 7-10 minutes.

Reese Peanut Butter Pie Filling:

Place peanut butter and confectioner sugar in a pan over low heat and stir until combined and peanut butter is melted. Set aside for five minutes to cool. Gently fold in peanut butter mixture into Cool Whip until combined. Gently fold in crushed Reese’s pieces into peanut butter Cool Whip mixture.
Pour mixture into Oreo crust and freeze for 3 hours. Garnish with caramel and chocolate drizzle (for added decadence rim with chopped Reese’s pieces).

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt ( I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.

Cranberry Almond Broccoli Salad

10 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled, set aside
1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 cup sliced almonds

Bring a large pot of water to boil, add cut broccoli and let boil for 3-4 minutes, drain and emerge broccoli in an ice bath, drain. (skip this step if you want a crunchier broccoli salad)
In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli, onion and cranberries. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and mayonnaise. Pour over broccoli mixture, and toss until well mixed. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
Before serving, toss salad with crumbled bacon and almonds.

Little Lemon Souffles

Ingredients

8 large lemons, preferably Meyer
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Trim tip end from a lemon so fruit sits level. Cut stem end one-third of the way down, making cut parallel with bottom; reserve top. Repeat with remaining lemons.
Hold a lemon above a sieve set over a bowl, and scoop out the pulp. Squeeze the juice from the pulp, and reserve. Repeat with all lemons. Place shells on prepared baking sheet.
Combine egg yolks, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup reserved lemon juice, and flour in the heat-proof bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat mixture on medium speed until pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Place bowl over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until very thick, about 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat, and return to mixer. Beat on medium speed until cool, scraping down sides several times, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, and set aside.
Combine egg whites and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar in clean mixer bowl. Place the bowl over the pan of simmering water, and stir until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch. Remove bowl from heat, and return to mixer; beat on low speed until frothy. Gradually increase speed until meringue is shiny and holds soft peaks, 2 to 3 minutes, being careful not to overbeat.
Whisk 1/3 of the meringue into the yolk mixture. Gently fold in the remaining meringue. Carefully fill the prepared lemon shells to just below the rims.
Transfer baking sheet to oven, and bake until meringue is slightly golden and rises about 1 inch above the shell, about 14 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to serving plates. Garnish with the reserved lemon tops, and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Rounds

Ingredients:
• 2 sweet potatoes {Roughly the same thickness if you can}
• Butter {or Coconut Oil}
• Salt, Pepper, Dried Rosemary

How To:
• Pre-Heat your oven to 375 degrees{F}

• Get a big ‘ol skillet heating with a fair amount of butter, and cut your sweet potatoes into 1/4″ {ish} rounds. {Go thicker or thinner depending on your mood}.

• Drop your rounds into the skillet to get them to start browning. Flip over and brown over on the other side, and place them on a baking sheet. I have to split it up into two or three batches normally, and just keep placing them on you baking sheet.

• Generously sprinkle Rosemary, Salt + Pepper on One Side, Bake for 15 minutes.

• Take them out of the oven, flip, sprinkle this side with the Rosemary, Salt + Pepper, put bake in oven and bake for 10-15 more minutes.



Enjoy! They have a creamy inside with a slightly crunchy outside, so it’s like a roasted sweet potato spear, baked sweet potato, and a mashed potato all in one! I normally smother it in more butter or whip up a quick mayo dip. They taste great the next day too with some eggs!

Oh and if you’re not a rosemary fan, feel free to use basil, thyme, whatever dried herb is your favorite :)

Gummy Fruit Snacks

1 cup mixed berries
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup fruit juice (apple, cranberry, blueberry, whatever)
2 envelopes gelatin (1 envelope = 2 1/2 tsp)

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the berries and water. Bring to a boil and cook until berries are soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree berries until smooth. Return to pot. Add applesauce and return to a boil, then remove from heat, cover and set aside.

In a large bowl, sprinkle gelatin over fruit juice and let stand one minute. Add hot fruit mixture and stir until gelatin completely dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes.

Pour into 8 x 8 inch glass or ceramic baking dish (or into molds, if you want to go that route). Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. Cut into blocks or shapes.

Double Dark Chocolate Shortbread

(makes about 12-14 cookies, double the recipe if you want to)
oven to 325
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips


Put the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine well.
Drop in the butter and vanilla and pulse until the mixture just comes together.
Stir in the chocolate chips and turn the dough out onto a board and form into an 8" log.
Wrap it in waxed or parchment paper and twist both ends to secure. Refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight. You can also freeze the dough for later use.
Slice the log into 1/2" slices with a sharp knife.
Put on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven at 325 for 12 to 15 minutes. They will feel slightly soft, don't over bake them.
Cool for a few minutes on the pan and then transfer to a rack.
If you're going to give them away make sure they are completely cool before you package them.

Frozen Peanut Butter Cup Pie

One chocolate or Oreo Pre-made Pie Crust (6 oz.)
8 oz block cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 reduced fat from Philly)
3/4 C. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
8 oz tub Cool Whip, thawed (I used a light version)
7 “snack size” Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chopped
1/2 C. hot fudge topping (I used Hershey's Extra Dark)
Chocolate syrup, for decorative drizzling (optional)


In the bowl of a mixer, combine cream cheese, condensed milk, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. Beat on medium speed until smooth and completely combined.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the Cool Whip until combined. Add chopped candy.

Pour hot fudge topping into bottom of crust (heat the fudge in microwave first if cold or too stiff). Spread fudge evenly to cover bottom.

Pour peanut butter mixture into pie crust. Drizzle top with chocolate syrup, if desired. Cover and freeze until firm.

Lemon-Blueberry Breakfast Cake Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Serves 6-8

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar**
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk

* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
** This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Brown and serve rolls

1 egg, water , added to egg to make 1 1/2 cups liquid
4 cups bread flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup soft butter
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
butter-flavored cooking spray

Directions:
Beat egg in large measuring cup and add enough water to equal 1 1/2 cups liquid.
Add liquid to breadmaker.
Add remaining ingredients except cooking spray in order as suggested by your breadmaker.
Select dough cycle.
When cycle is complete, remove dough and place in large greased bowl and spray top with butter spray.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes
Punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured board.
Cut each of these pieces into 3 equal pieces to make 18 pieces of dough.
Lightly flour hands and roll each piece into a ball and place into muffin tins that have been sprayed with butter spray.
Spray tops of rolls, cover and let stand for 30 minutes to rise until doubled.
Bake at 400° for 5 minutes or just until they begin to brown.
Remove from oven and cool in pans for a few minutes.
Remove to racks to cool completely, then place on a tray and put in freezer until firm.
Place in plastic freezer bags and freeze.
To complete cooking, place as many frozen rolls as you need in muffin tins and bake at 400° until golden brown, about 6 or 7 minutes.
Note: If you want to bake them immediately, bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Corned Beef Hash

1 lb baking (russet) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1-lb piece cooked corned beef, cut into chunks
1 cup chopped onion
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

print a shopping list for this recipe
Preparation

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water to cover until just tender, about 3 minutes, then drain. Pulse corned beef in a food processor until coarsely chopped.

Sauté onion and bell pepper in butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in corned beef and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add cream and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

If desired, make 4 holes in hash and break 1 egg into each. Cook over moderately low heat, covered, 5 minutes, or until eggs are cooked to desired doneness, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle hash with parsley.

Brussels Sprouts

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 pounds Brussels sprouts
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup chicken broth
1 bunch thyme
1 bunch bay leaves

Directions
In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Cook Brussels sprouts in the water for two minutes or until tender. Drain and place sprouts in an ice bath to cool. In a separate pan, heat the butter, sugar and vinegar and reduce until syrupy. Stir in broth and reduce by half. Toss in sprouts with the thyme and bay leaves and cook until glazed. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Banoffee Pie

Banoffee Pie

Crust:
9 ounces graham crackers or Maria cookies (I used the dulce de leche flavor)
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Toffee sauce:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (preferably dark)
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
8 tablespoons butter
Filling:
1 + 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 medium bananas, ripe but firm

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. To make the crust, line the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan (or deep dish pie pan) with parchment paper. Blend the graham crackers in a food processor until they are finely ground and combine well with the butter, they should stick together when pressed. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom and 1½ – 2 inches up the sides of the spring form pan. Bake for 8 minutes.

2. To make the toffee sauce combine the sugar and 3 tablespoons of water in a medium-heavy saucepan over medium low heat, stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat until the sugar boils, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Whisk in the condensed milk and butter, continue whisking/stirring for five minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.

3. Remove from the heat and spread 1 cup of the sauce over the prepared crust, including the sides, refrigerate for about 1/2 hour or until the caramel is semi-firm. Keep the remaining caramel sauce at room temperature.

4. Using an electric or stand mixer, beat the cream until thick and very soft billowy peaks form. Thinly slice bananas into discs and fold into the whipped cream. Spoon into pie crust. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

5. Rewarm the remaining toffee sauce gently over low heat, cool to lukewarm and drizzle or spread over top of pie. (Add a tablespoon of milk if sauce seems to thick). Refrigerate another 1/2 hour before serving.

6. Best eaten immediately or within 24-36 hours. Additional bananas can be sliced over top right before serving.

Serves 8

Tortellini and Spinach in Garlic Broth

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups water
3 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
1 pound spinach, stems removed, leaves washed well (about 2 1/4 quarts)
Grated Parmesan, for sprinkling

In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the water, broth, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the tortellini until just done, about 4 minutes for fresh or 12 minutes for frozen. Drain.
Add the spinach to the soup and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in the tortellini. Serve the soup sprinkled with grated Parmesan and pass more of the grated cheese at the table.

Notes

Variations

• Substitute one quart of shredded escarole for the spinach.

• Use meat- or cheese-filled ravioli instead of the tortellini.

P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe:

(Recipe adapted from Food.com)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup water
¾ cup dark brown sugar
vegetable oil , for frying (about 1 cup)
1 lb flank steak
¼ cup cornstarch
2 large green onions, chopped

Directions:

Sauce:
Heat 2 tsp. of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Don't get the oil too hot.
Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.
Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then increase the heat to medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat.

Beef:
Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts. Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks. As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil). Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking. Add the beef to the oil and sauté until brown. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly. After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels. Dab excess oil off meat with a paper towel and add to medium saucepan with the sauce in it. Put the pan back on the oven over medium/low heat. Add chopped green onions and let sauce simmer until warm. Serve over ric

Molasses Peanut Butter Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter (you can use chunky peanut butter)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar (dark and packed, mix molasses with 1 cup white sugar for brown sugar
2 eggs

Mix flour salt baking soda together.
In a large bowl mix butter peanut butter sugars and eggs. Add flour mixture. Mix till well blended.

Drop on ungreased cookie sheet. Use a floured fork or glass bottom, press into cookie to flatten.

Bake 375* 5-8 minutes. Some like them soft - molasses brown sugar create a softer lasting cookie.

homemade pasta/tortellini

Ingredients

1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped spinach
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Fresh pasta, recipe follows
1 egg mixed with 1/2 teaspoon water

Directions

In a bowl combine all ingredients, except for the pasta and egg wash.

Using the fresh pasta recipe, roll out your dough either by hand or by machine. Cut into 3 or 4- inch rounds with a round cookie cutter. Place 1/4 teaspoon into the center of each round. Brush egg wash (on the bottom half of the round and fold over to seal. Fold back around your finger and turn down the edge to form a tortellini.

In half a gallon of rapidly boiling salted water add the tortellini in batches. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they float to the surface. Remove to a strainer to drain.
Fresh Pasta:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
By Hand: On a clean surface make a well with the flour. In a measuring cup mix the eggs, water and oil and salt. Pour the wet mixture slowly into the flour and mix with your 2 fingers until all of the wet is incorporated. Do not force the dough to take all of the flour. If you are going to use a pasta machine to roll out the dough you may at this point form the dough into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to rest. If you going to roll this by hand you should knead the dough on a floured work surface for 8 to 10 minutes.

By Food Processor:

In the bowl of your food processor combine the flour and salt and pulse 2 to 3 times. In a liquid measuring cup whisk the eggs, water and oil. While pulsing the machine pour this mixture in a continuous stream and continue running the machine until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Follow directions above for hand rolling or machine.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 3 to 5 minutes in boiling water
Ease of Preparation: easy

tortellini and shrimp salad

20-oz package of mixed-cheese tortellini (fresh, not dried)
1 lb frozen raw shrimp (31-40 size), peeled and deveined
1/2 red bell pepper, minced, or 1/2 cup chopped tomato
2 Tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley or basil, or some of each

For the dressing:
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp honey, or more to taste
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

Bring 6 quarts of water to the boil in a stock pot over high heat. While the water is coming to the boil, place the shrimp in a large bowl filled with cold water for 3 minutes. Peel the shrimp and set aside.

Add the bell pepper or tomato, and chopped herbs, to a large mixing bowl.

In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine all of the dressing ingredients, and shake until the dressing emulsifies (thickens).

When the water boils, add the pasta, and cook for 5 minutes. Then, stir the shrimp into the pasta. Cook for 2 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and curled, and the pasta is cooked. Drain the pot, and run the pasta and shrimp under cold water. Drain well, and add to the mixing bowl.

Pour on a few tablespoons of the dressing, and stir several times. Set aside on the counter, and stir every few minutes. When the pasta absorbs all of the dressing, add a little bit more, and repeat until the pasta doesn't take in any more dressing. Pour off the excess and reserve.

Serve at room temperature. If you want to make this in advance, refrigerate it and bring to room temperature before serving. If you wish, add the reserved dressing right before you serve.

Serves 4-6, or more as part of a buffet meal.

Pappardelle

3 1/2 c Flour, all purpose
2 lg Eggs
1/4 ts Salt
1 ts Oil, olive
3/4 c Water, warm (approximately)

For Pasta:

Place 3 cups of flour on your work surface.
Make a well in the center of the flour.

Beat the eggs together with the salt and pour into the flour well.

Stirring the eggs with your fingertips,
gradually incorporate the
flour.
When about half of the flour has been incorporated, drizzle
1teaspoon of olive oil over
the egg-flour mixture and stir it in.

Use a little of the remaining 1/2 cup of flour to
rub any sticky bits from your fingers.
Continue to add the unincorporated flour
alternately with warm water, until you have worked in all of the
flour and just enough water to form a
mass that is supple but not sticky.

Knead the mixture until very smooth
and silky (about 10 minutes)
adding flour if it becomes sticky, or
a little warm water if it
becomes too firm.
Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Flatten slightly, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. (You can freeze 1 ball for later, or roll out both and freeze the cut pasta.)

Roll out the dough. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and dust with flour. Starting in the middle, push away from you with a rolling pin, easing up on the pressure as you approach the edge. Continue rolling the dough into a sheet, turning occasionally, until you can see your fingers through the bottom. Let dry about 10 minutes.

Cut the pappardelle. Dust the top of the sheet of dough with flour and loosely roll it into a cylinder. Using a sharp knife, cut into 3/4-inch-wide slices. Unwrap the noodles; dust with flour and gently toss to separate. Place on a sheet pan and cover with a tea towel until ready to cook (or freeze in freezer bags for up to 2 months).
Yield: 6 Servings

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients:

• 24 ounces chocolate chips (semi-sweet Ghiradelli work best)
• 1 cup natural style creamy peanut butter (must be natural style)
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar ( more or less)

Extra Stuff:

• Muffin tins (regular size or mini)
• Foil muffin or candy baking cups (size for the muffin tin you are using)
• Pastry brush

Insert the liners into the muffin tin (you will need 12 if you are using a regular size muffin pan and 24 if using a mini muffin pan).

In a saucepan over very low heat (or in a double boiler), melt the chocolate until smooth. DO NOT OVER HEAT!

Using the pastry brush, brush the melted chocolate on the bottom and up the sides of the liners. You want it thick enough to hold the filling. Set pan(s) in freezer for a couple of minutes to set.

Combine the peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until the mixture is the consistency of the inside of a peanut butter cup. It might not take all two cups. Place a dollop of the mixture inside each chocolate shell, making sure the mixture doesn’t come up higher than the top of the foil liner.

Top with more of the melted chocolate making sure the peanut butter mixture is well covered and the chocolate touches the sides. Make a little swirl on top for added effect.

Let harden in the fridge. Then, store covered at room temperature. Package in decorative tins or on a plate that has been wrapped in cellophane and secured with a thick bow. Add some heart stickers or attach an antique Valentines Day postcard. Cute-i-fy it any way you wish. A decadent Valentines Day treat!

Orange Cream Cheese Bread

Ingredients

1 8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c coconut oil
1 2/3 c sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 T baking powder
1 c milk
1/2 c chopped walnuts
2 T orange zest
1/4 c orange juice

1 Combine cream cheese and shortening, creaming well.

2 Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.

3 Add eggs, beating well after each addition.

4 Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix well after each addition.

5 Stir in walnuts and orange peel.

6 Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 3 inch loaf pans.

7 Bake at 375 degrees F for 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

8 Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Then sprinkle orange juice over loaves. Remove to wire rack to finish cooling

Lemony cucumber salad

• 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
• 1/2 cup finely chopped orange bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Combine lemon rind and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour over cucumber mixture; toss well to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Crock-Pot Cheesecake

3 8oz Packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
3 Eggs
3/4 Cup Sugar
6 Graham Crackers (full pieces), pulverized into crumbs
3 Tablespoons of Stick Butter, melted

Instructions

1. Allow Cream Cheese to get to room temperature.
2. Open cream cheese and place in large bowl.
3. Add Sugar.
4. Mix until sugar and cream cheese are well blended.
5. Add the 3 eggs one at a time. After adding an egg, blend, then add the other etc.
6. In a separate bowl, add graham cracker crumbs and melted butter.
7. Mix well as this will form your crust.
8. Choose a pan or small crock type cooking pan that will fit in the bottom of your crock-pot with room left on the side. You want to be able to pull the pan out without too much difficulty.
9. Add the graham cracker crumbs mixture to the bottom of the pan.
10. With a spoon, pat the graham crackers out til you have a smooth layer.
11. Add the cream cheese mixture to the top of the graham crackers.
12. Add 2 to 3 cups water to the bottom of the crock-pot. You need enough to last 2 hours but not too much that it will get in your pan.
13. Place the cheesecake pan in the crock-pot and place the lid of the crock-pot on.
14. Cook on high for 2 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes or until the center does not have a watery consistency when you stick a knife into it.
15. The cheesecake will begin to crack on the sides.
16. Let cool for 30m to 1h.
17. Remove and let set in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
18. Serve.

Lemonade layer cake

• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar $
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 3 tablespoons thawed lemonade concentrate
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs $
• 2 large egg whites $
• 2 cups all-purpose flour $
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt $
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free buttermilk $
• Cooking spray $
• Frosting:
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened $$
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind $$
• 2 teaspoons thawed lemonade concentrate
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract $$
• 8 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese $
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cake, place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition.
3. Pour batter into 2 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
4. To prepare frosting, place 2 tablespoons butter and the next 4 ingredients (2 tablespoons butter through cream cheese) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, and beat at low speed just until blended (do not over beat). Chill 1 hour.
5. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.

Chicken Breast with Parmesan and Basil filling

Ingredients

4 skinless chicken breasts (10-12 ounces each)

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)

2 ounces cream cheese, softened (about 1/4 cup)

1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves

1 small clove garlic

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken breasts dry. Using a paring knife and starting at the center edge of one of the breasts, cut a slit into the breast leaving a 1 inch border around all sides. You will be stuffing the filling into this slit.
2. Mix the cheeses, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper together until uniform. Reserve 1/4 cup of the filling. Divide the remaining filling into slit in each of the chicken breasts. Use toothpicks to cinch each of the slits closed.
3. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat until shimmering. Place the chicken breasts in the pan without crowding. Cook without disturbing until browned on the bottoms, about 3-5 minutes. Flip the chicken breasts and cook, covered, until a thermometer registers 160 to 165 in the middle of the meat, about 5-10 more minutes. Just before removing the chicken from the pan, remove the pan from the heat and spoon 1 tablespoon of filling over each breast. Cover and let rest for one to two minutes, or until filling is melted over the chicken breasts.
4. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. (4 servings)

Black Bean Chocolate Chili Cherry Cookies

Makes nine 3” cookies

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups black beans, very soft (or one 15 oz. can)

2 Tbsp. coconut oil (or ghee)

1/3 cup organic cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/3 cup maple syrup (or honey, agave)

2 Tbsp. chia seeds (or use 2 Tbsp. ground flax seeds OR 2 eggs)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate (80% or higher)

1/4 cup chopped dried cherries (optional, or use dried cranberries)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Mix chia seeds, maple syrup, and vanilla in a bowl and set aside. If using eggs, skip this step.

3. Place drained and well-rinsed beans, coconut oil, cocoa, salt and cayenne in a food processor and blend until well combined. Add maple syrup and chia mixture (or eggs) and pulse to incorporate. The batter will be quite liquid-y, but still hold together. Remove blade from the food processor and add chopped chocolate and cherries. Fold to incorporate.

4. Spoon cookie batter onto lined baking sheet. Using the back of the spoon, flatten top of cookies slightly, as they will not spread when baking. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt (important!). Bake for 15 minutes until the edges are browning. Cool and eat. Store in the fridge.

Homemade Nutella Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 12 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil, such as canola
• 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, more or less depending upon your preference

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).

2. Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 12 minutes, until they’ve browned a little and the skins are blistered a little. Wrap them in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove as much loose skin as possible. (Some skin will cling to the nuts when you’re done. It’s okay—not to mention inevitable.) Let cool completely.

3. Melt the chocolate in a saucepan over gently simmering water or in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Let cool completely.

4. In a food processor, grind the hazelnuts until they form a paste. Add the oil, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt and continue processing until the mixture is as smooth as possible–or as smooth as you like. Add the melted chocolate, blend well, and then strain the mixture to remove any chunks of hazelnut that remain. The resulting homemade Nutella will be thin and somewhat runny and maybe even a little warm but it will thicken as it cools. Scrape your homemade nutella into a jar or other resealable container and let it cool to room temperature. Cover the container after snitching several spoonfuls. The nutella will keep on the counter for up to 2 weeks. (Hah!)

Pull Apart Lemon Coffee Cake (Bread)

Sweet Yeast Dough
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (You might not use all of this)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup whole milk
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) water
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Lemon Sugar Filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Zest of three lemons
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted

Tangy Cream Cheese Icing
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Make the dough:

1. In the microwave heat the butter and the milk together until the butter melts. Set aside to cool slightly. While it is cooling Mix two cups of the flour with the yeast and the sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Then add the water to the milk mixture and stir in the vanilla extract

2. Pour the milk mixture over the flour mixer and stir until combined. Turn the mixer on low speed and add the eggs one at a time, mixing each egg until it is combined. Add another 1/2 of the flour and the salt and mix till combined.

3. Sprinkle the dough with 2 tbsp of flour and knead it with the dough hook for 3 minutes. The dough will be sticky but should become soft and smooth from the kneading. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.

Make Ahead Tip: If you want to make the dough the night before you bake it just gently deflate the dough after its first rise, place back in the bowl and cover it with plastic. Stick it in the fridge overnight (it will continue to rise, but at a much slower rate. Plus you get added flavor in the bread from the benefit of a slow, cold rise) The next day take the dough out and bring it to room temperature before proceeding with the next steps. I like to cover my dough with a damp piece of paper towel and stick it in my oven at the lowest temperature until it is room temp.

4. Mix the sugar, lemon zest, and orange zest. It will draw out the citrus oils and make the sugar sandy and fragrant.

5. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9″x5″ loaf pan or spray it will baking spray

6. Forming the loaf: Deflate the dough with your hand. Flour a work surface and roll the dough into a 20″ by 12″ rectangle. This part is a lot easier with a ruler on hand! Use a pastry brush to thickly coat the dough with the melted butter

7. Use a pizza cutter, pastry cutter, or a sharp knife to cut the dough crosswise in five strips, each about 12″ by 4″ (it might not be this exact size, but try to make the five strips be equal sizes). Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of the lemon sugar over the first buttered rectangle and gently press the sugar in. Top it with a second rectangle, sprinkling that one with 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon sugar as well. Continue to top with rectangles and sprinkle, so you have a stack of five 12″ by 4″ rectangles, all buttered and topped with lemon sugar.

8. Slice this new stack crosswise, through all five layers, into 6 equal rectangles (each should be 4″ by 2″.) Carefully transfer these strips of dough into the loaf pan, cut edges up, side by side. it might be a little roomy, but the bread will rise and expand after baking. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until puffy and almost doubled in size, 30 to 50 minutes.

9.Bake the loaf for 20 minutes and then check to make sure that top isn't browning too quickly. If it is, just cover the top of the loaf with tinfoil and continue baking. My loaf took a little over 40 minutes to bake completely. When done, transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.

10. Meanwhile, make the cream cheese icing. Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon until smooth, then add the milk and lemon juice. Stir until creamy and smooth. Spread over the warm bread (you might want to put some plastic wrap or parchment paper under the bread to catch the drips)

11. Eat!

Broccoli and Beef

*Serves 4-5

INGREDIENTS:
Sauce:
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
5 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Beef and Broccoli:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut into 2-inch-wide strips with the grain, then sliced across the grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices
6 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon peanut oil or vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking
1 1/4 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup water
3 medium scallions, sliced 1/2-inch thick on diagonal, optional

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, combine beef and soy sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. Meanwhile, whisk the sauce ingredients together in a liquid measure or small bowl. In another small bowl, combine garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon peanut oil. Set aside.

Heat 1-2 teaspoons peanut oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot and rippling. Add half of beef to skillet and break up clumps; cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and cook until beef is browned around edges and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Don’t overcook the meat – cook until just barely cooked through so the meat stays tender. Transfer beef to a medium bowl and cover with a lid and tin foil. Heat another 1-2 teaspoons peanut oil in the skillet and repeat with remaining beef.

Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to now-empty skillet; heat until rippling and hot. Add broccoli and cook 30 seconds; add water, cover pan, and lower heat to medium. Steam broccoli until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Push the broccoli to the sides of the skillet and add the garlic/ginger mixture. Cook, mashing the mixture with a spoon, until fragrant, about 15-30 seconds. Stir the mixture into the broccoli. Add the beef back to skillet and toss to combine. Whisk the sauce to recombine and add to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with scallions, and serve – or be like me and serve it straight out of the skillet!

Thanks pinterest

New York-Style Bagels

2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 Tbs granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup warn potato water ( peel, cube and boil A LOT, let rest)
3 1/2 cups flour (more for kneading)
1 1/2 tsp salt

In 1/2 cup warm potato water, pour sugar and yeast. DO NOT STIR. Let sit 5 minutes. Stir mixture til dissolved completely. Mix flour and salt in large bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in yeast mixture.
Pour 1/2 of the remaining potato water in also mix stirring in rest of water (more if high elevations have this to dry) resulting in a moist firm dough.
On floured surface, knead 10 minutes, til smooth and elastic. work in as much flour as possible - firm and stiff dough.
Lightly brush oil in a small bowl place dough in turn dough to coat all the dough. Cover with damp tea towel. Let rise for 1 hour.
Carefully divide into 8 pieces.
Shape in to rounds pressing on the surface as you create the round.
Make a hole in the center with a floured finger. Pull, then stretch. Place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. After shaping cover with damp cloth 10 minutes.
Preheat oven 425*
Bring large pot of salted water. Use slotted spoon to lower bagels into water.
When bagel floats let cook 1 minute flip cook 1 minute.
Want a chewy bagel cook 2 minutes on each side.
Add toppings after bagels are removed from the water. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet again and bake 20 minutes

Pumpkin scones

2 cups flour
1/3 cup plus 1Tbs sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp ginger
1/2 cup COLD butter
1/2 cup pumpkin puree'
3 Tbs 1/2 and 1/2
1 lg egg

Combine flour sugar, minus 1 Tbs, baking powder and baking soda and spices in a large bowl. Cut in butter. In small bowl combine pumpkin, egg and 1/2 and 1/2.
Fold in wet ingredients into the dry, ...the mix will be dry. Knead on floured surface til blended.
Divide in 1/2, 2 - 6"circles. Place on parchment paper or greased cookie sheet. Cut into 8 small wedges.
Or make one large circle and cut into 8 large wedges.
Brush with 1/2 and 1/2 and sprinkle with reserved sugar.

Bake 15 minutes or til light brown.

Spiced Glaze
1 cup confectioner's sugar
3 Tbs confectioner's sugar
2 Tbs whole milk or 1/2 and 1/2
1/8 tsp of cinnamon and nutmeg
pinch of cloves and ginger

Mix together glaze scones when cooled

Baked Oatmeal :) Jeanette O.

1 cup applesauce or oil
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
6 cups oats
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups milk (whole)

Combine all ingredients. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator.
Bake at 375* for 30-40 minutes, until lightly browned.

8-10 servings
Top with brown sugar, butter and milk when serving.
Or cut into bars and eat with butter

Lobster Bisque

1-2 cups cooked lobster meat
1/3 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup butter
3-4 Tbs flour
3 cups milk
4 tsp steak sauce
salt and pepper to taste


In a small bowl, combine lobster and sherry, set aside
in a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Blend in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly.
Gradually add milk, stirring constantly.

Continue cooking and stirring until mixture is thickened; stir in steal sauce salt and pepper. Add lobster and sherry; cover and simmer bisque for 5-10 minutes.

Makes 4 cups

Paella

1/2 lb sweet and hot sausage
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
8 pc chicken thighs
1 lg green pepper (cut into thin strips)
1 28 0z can tomato
1/4 tsp saffron
1 1/2 cup long grain rice
1 2oz jar pimento (drain)
1 lb shrimp
1 10 oz pkg frozen peas rinsed and drained
12 or more mussels in the shell.

Preheat oven to 350*
Brown chicken in a oven safe covered baking dish after seasoning with salt and pepper, remove from pan and set aside.
Add green pepper and onion slices into pan with drippings. Saute til soft.
Add rice, can of tomato, chicken broth, saffron and pimento. Place covered baking dish in oven.
Cook till rice is soft. Add remaining ingredients turn gently and cover make sure all mussels open before serving and shrimp are pink.

Breakfast Crepes

4 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 1/3 cup milk
2 Tbs melted butter (no substitutes)
1 cup flour
2 Tbs sugar or 3 tsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients let stand for 15-30 minutes
Heat skillet melt butter use 1/3 cup measure to create crepes. Roll batter around pan to fill in crepe. Cook till bubbles and flip.
Serve with fresh fruit dust with confectioner's sugar.

Awesome Bread

3 1/3 cup white four
2 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp yeast
1 1/2 cup water


Mix all ingredients together. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 4 - 24 hours.
The longer the better. Knead.
Cover with a tea towel that is covered with cornmeal that is placed on a cookie sheet. Place dough on toweled cookie sheet. Sprinkle cornmeal onto dough. Cover again with another towel let rise for 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 450*
Heat a covered pot with lid. Bake for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes or til browned.

Creamy Truffle Herb Dressing

1 tsp parsley, basil
3 Tbs truffle oil / bacon fat drippings
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
or
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup whole milk

Whisk together til thickened.

Chocolate Brownie Delight

12 level Tbs cocoa powder
4 Tbs canola oil
1/2 cup butter
3 lg eggs
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp flour
dash salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Oil and flour pan (use cocoa instead of flour)
Mix cocoa and oil together till blended.
Beat eggs sugar and cocoa and oil in large bowl til thick. Add vanilla
Mix flour and salt into egg mixture. Spread into pan. Bake for 30- 35 minutes in a 350* oven.
Cool and dust with confectioner's sugar or dust with cocoa powder.


Classic Cake Brownies
4 oz choc (12 Tbs cocoa with 4 Tbs oil)
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs vanilla
dash salt
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped nuts

Prepare the same as above

Gingery Glazed Asian ribs

3 lbs baby back ribs (2 racks)
(or try a pork tenderloin)
Black pepper
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tb grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup basmati sushi rice
2 scallions, thinly sliced


Cook rice.
Heat oven to 350*
Place ribs in large roasting pan and season with 1 tsp pepper
In a small bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Spon 1/2 the gaze over ribs. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake until the ribs are tender, 40-45 minutes.

Heat broiler. Spoon off and discard all but 1/2 cup of the pan drippings.
Cut the racks of ribs into individual ribs or if using tenderloin shred meat and return to the roasting pan and brush with remaining glaze.
Broil until just beginning to char, 2-3 minutes
Serve ribs over rice, drizzle with any cooking juices and sprinkle with the scallions.