Chocolate Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
12 oz chocolate chips
3 cups miniature marshmallows
Peanut butter chips for topping

Mix butter, peanut butter, and chocolate chips in a double boiler just till melted, then remove from heat. Place 3 cups miniature marshmallows in a buttered pan and spread on warm mixture. Save a few chips and marshmallows to decorate the top, or be generous and add extra. Cut in squares when cool.

Beef and Horseradish Sauce Sandwich

For the beef:
2 to 3 pounds fillet of beef, trimmed and tied
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

For the sandwich:

1 loaf health or 7-grain bread
Mustard Horseradish Sauce, recipe follows
1 bunch arugula
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Unsalted butter at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the beef on a baking sheet and pat the outside dry with a paper towel. Mix the unsalted butter and mustard together in a small bowl and spread the mixture over the beef with your hands. Sprinkle evenly with the salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for exactly 22 minutes for rare and 25 minutes for medium-rare.

Remove the beef from the oven, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Remove the strings and slice the fillet thickly.

To make the sandwiches, cut the bread into 1/4-inch thick slices. Spread 4 of the slices thickly with the Mustard Horseradish Sauce. Top with slices of beef and arugula and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread 4 more slices of bread very lightly with butter and place, butter side down, on top of the beef.

Mustard Horseradish Sauce:
3/4 cup good mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1/2 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons sour cream
Kosher salt

Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustards, horseradish, sour cream, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Serve at room temperature.

Yield: 1 cup

Balsamic Chicken Drumettes

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce 5 sprigs of rosemary
5 garlic cloves, halved
10 to 12 chicken drumsticks
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Combine the balsamic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves, in a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Shake and squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar. Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag and seal with as little air as possible in the bag. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the chicken drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until the skin is caramelized and very dark in spots, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria). Reduce the heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Reserve.

Use a pastry brush to brush some of the cooked marinade on the cooked chicken. Place the chicken on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and the chopped parsley.

Cook's note: I like the rosemary and garlic flavors in the background. Brushing the cooked drumettes with the reduced marinade helps the flavors along. Also, re-moistening helps the parsley and the seeds to adhere.

Vanilla Gelato Bites with Chocolate and Hazelnuts

1 pint vanilla gelato or ice cream
1 (12-ounce) bag chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
1 cup finely chopped toasted hazelnuts (about 5 ounces)

Special equipment: bite-sized ice cream scoop and wooden popsticks

Place a small tray or a plate in the freezer. Remove the gelato from the freezer to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove the chilled tray from the freezer. Scoop out 16 bite-sized balls of gelato and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and quickly insert a wooden popstick into each gelato ball. Return them to the freezer for at least 1 hour.

When the gelato balls have frozen with their sticks in place, place the chocolate in a double-boiler over very gently simmering water until melted. Next to the pot of chocolate, place the toasted, chopped hazelnuts in a shallow bowl.

Remove the gelato balls from the freezer, 4 at a time. Working quickly, hold the gelato ball by the stick and dip into the melted chocolate, then dredge it in the hazelnuts. Return them to the freezer and continue with 4 more gelato balls, until all the gelato balls are covered in chocolate and nuts. Freeze the chocolate-and-nut-covered gelato for at least 1 hour.

These are very fun, festive, and tasty. The ice cream scoop I used is a number 40 (holds 1 tablespoon, is 1 1/2 inches in diameter.)

Sweet Potato Fries with Basil Salt and Garlic Mayonnaise

5 sweet potatoes, cut into about 1 by 5-inch "fries"
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup mayonnaise 1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the sweet potato "fries" on a foil-lined baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile combine the basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. In another small bowl combine the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice, and stir to combine.

When the sweet potato fries come out of the oven, sprinkle with the basil salt. Serve with the garlic mayonnaise alongside for dipping.

Grilled Eggplant and Goat Cheese Salad

3 tablespoons olive oil

7 Japanese eggplant, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch wide slices

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup basil, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped mint

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the olive oil over the slices of eggplant and toss to coat. Grill the eggplants until tender and grill marks appear, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Place the eggplants side-by-side on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the pine nuts, goat cheese, basil, and mint. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Cook's note: Plating the eggplant salad this way allowed the cheese to stay bright white. The salt and pepper showed up on it. The herbs remained green and fluffy. The grill marks on the eggplant were distinct

Grits Toast with Creamy Mushrooms



3 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 1/3 cups quick-cooking grits
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1 cup
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups mayonnaise
2 (4-ounce) can mushroom pieces and stems, drained
2 (2.8- ounce) can French-fried onion rings


Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in grits, and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, or until grits are thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese and salt. Remove from heat. Spoon grits into a greased 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Cover, and chill at least 2 hours, or until firm. Un-mold grits onto a large cutting board.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut out 48 (1 1/2-inch) circles using a round or fluted cookie cutter. Brush a large jellyroll pan with melted butter. Place grits rounds on pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn grits, and bake 15 minutes more. Set aside. (Up to this point, the recipe can be prepared ahead. If preparing early, cover and refrigerate grit rounds until you are ready to top with shrimp mixture.)

In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, 1 cup Parmesan, mushrooms, and onion rings. Top each grits round evenly with mushroom mixture. Broil 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and heated through.

Mini Lemon Pork Sandwiches Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

3 (11-ounce) packages frozen dinner rolls
2 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
Lemon Tarragon Mayonnaise, recipe follows


Thaw rolls according to package directions.
Rinse tenderloin and pat dry. Combine oil and next 5 ingredients in a large zip-top freezer bag or shallow dish: add tenderloins and seal or cover, and chill at least 4 hours. Remove pork from marinade, discarding marinade.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place pork on rack of broiler pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake pork for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a thermometer registers 160 degrees F. Let stand 15 minutes.

Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F. Place rolls in oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden.

Cut pork into1/4-inch thick slices. Serve with dinner rolls and Lemon Tarragon Mayonnaise.



Lemon Tarragon Mayonnaise:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon chopped tarragon leaves
1/8 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients. Chill.

Chicken and Dumplins

Ingredients:
4 Chicken breasts
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
5 cans of Water
a chunk a butter
Salt, pepper, and garlic salt
2 cups of Bisquick
2/3 cup of milk


Directions: Wash chicken and put in a pot with above 6 ingredients (not Bisquick or Milk). Cook 1.5 - 2 hour on low. Bring to a boil, cook til the chicken falls off the bone. Remove chicken and get rid of bones. Make dumplins by mixing bisquick and milk with a fork. Drop rounded spoonfulls of dough into boiling liqiud. Do about 10 at a time. Cook on low ten miuntes uncoved, then cover and cook ten more minutes. Remove dumplins and add another cup/cup and a half of water and repeate for the remaining 10 dumplings.

Makes 20 dumplings in all, serves 4

PEACH TRIFLE

1 pound cakes or angel food cake

1 cans (16oz) size of sliced peaches in syrup.

¼ teaspoon of Almond Extract

Cut cake into 1 inch sized cubes and place 1/3 of cubes into bottom and up the sides a little of a clear glass trifle bowl.

Drain peaches (saving the juice) and roughly chop the peaches. Save 6 Tablespoons of juice with almond extract and mix back into chopped peaches. Add 1/3 peaches over cubes in bowl.


1 small box of Jello instant pudding (FRENCH VANILLA)

1 ½ cups milk

1 8 oz container of good peach yogurt

1 box of Dream Whip (2 cup size)

1 teaspoon of Rum extract or Vanilla extract

With mixer mix pudding, dream whip and milk until thick and creamy, gently fold in yogurt. Pour 1/3 mixture over peaches & cake.

Complete another layer of cake, peaches and pudding, always ending with pudding on top to seal air from fruit & cake. Just before serving top with whipped cream and cherries if desired

This can be doubled. You could make this using bananas instead for Banana Pudding. Just dip banana slices in little lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.

SPINACH BALLS

2 packages chopped spinach (drain)
3 cups seasoned stuffing mix
2 medium onions chopped fine
6 eggs
1 1/2 sticks melted butter
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon Accent

Mix all ingredients together. Form into small balls, place on cookie sheet and bake @ 350 degrees for 15 min.

Dutch Meatloaf



1 ½ lbs gr. Beef
¾ cup water
1 cup bread crumbs
1 med. Onion
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs vinegar
1 8 oz can Tomato Sauce
1 egg
2 Tbs Mustard
1 ½ tsps Salt
¼ tsp pepper


Lightly mix beef, bread crumbs, ½ can tomato sauce, egg, Onion, salt and pepper. Shape into loaf in shallow baking pan. Combine remaining Sauce with the rest of the ingredients, pour over loaf. Bake at 350 degrees – 1 ¼ hours. Baste several times while cooking.

Easy Turtle Candies

1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 bag vanilla caramels (14 ounces)
5 milk chocolate candy bars (1 1/2 ounces each), broken into sections



On a greased baking sheet, arrange pecans in clusters of 3 halves
about 2 inches apart. Top each cluster of pecans with a slightly
flattened caramel. Bake at 300&de;g for 6 to 8 minutes, or until
caramels soften. Remove to waxed paper. Flatten caramels with a
spatula. While caramels are still warm, top each with a section of
chocolate. Spread chocolate a bit when it melts. Refrigerate turtles
for a few minutes to harden candies.

Miss Patti LaBelle's Mac and Cheese recipe, courtesy of the Oprah Winfrey Show:


1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound (box) elbow macaroni
8 tbsp (1 stick) plus 1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Muenster cheese
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded mild Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups half and half
1 cup (8 oz) Velveeta, cut into small cubes
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2 quart casserole pan.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, then the elbow macaroni and cook until macaroni is tender. (approx 7 mins) Do not overcook. Drain well and return to cooking pot.

In a small saucepan, melt the eight tablespoons of butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheeses. To the macaroni, add the half and half, 1 and 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, the cubed Velveeta and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and dot with the remaining one tablespoon of butter.

Bake until it's bubbling around the edges and browned lightly on top, about 35 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

Chili Con Carne Pie

Serves 6

1/2 C chopped onion 3/4 C. cornmeal
1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 C. flour
1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1/2 t salt
1 8 oz can tomato sauce 1 1/2 t baking powder
1 20 oz can kidney beans, drained 1 egg
1 T. chili powder 1/4 C. vegetable oil
1 t. salt 1 T chopped parsley

Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Cook onion, garlic, and beef until beef is well browned. Drain excess fat if desired. Stir in tomato sauce, beans, chili powder, and salt. Simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sift together cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder. Add egg, oil, and parsley. Mix until blended but don't overmix.

Place meat mixture in baking dish and pour cornbread mix over top of meat, making sure cornbread touches the edges of the baking dish. (this is to make sure the meat juices don't come up over the top of the bread)

Bake at 425 about 15 to 18 minutes until cornbread is done.

Lisanne's Grandmoms Potatoes

1 small/medium bag Idaho russet potatoes
1 8 oz. container sour cream
1 package cream cheese
4 Tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Peel the potatoes, then boil them in a large stock pot
until tender. Place into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk
attachment. Mix until smooth. Add the sour cream gradually, then add the cream
cheese. Potatoes will be more on the thin side. If they're too thick,
then add a little bit of milk. Pour potatoes into a large Corningware
baking dish and dot with butter on top. Cover. You can refrigerate these
overnight and bake them the next day, or you can bake them right away.
Bake for about an hour at 350 degrees ~ the sides will be a little
golden brown. Mmm!

Fried Gorgonzola

7 ounces Gorgonzola
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
olive oil for deep-frying

Blend the Gorgonzola in a food processor until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the work bowl occasionally. Using 1 rounded teaspoon of cheese for each, form the cheese into 18 (1-inch) balls. Working in batches, coat the balls with the egg then with the bread crumbs. Repeat coating the balls in the egg and bread crumbs. Arrange the balls on a small baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Add enough oil to a heavy small saucepan to come 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil over medium heat. At this point, remove the refrigerated Gorgonzola balls from the refrigerator. Working in batches, add the cold balls to the hot oil and fry just until golden brown, about 30 seconds. (It is essential that the Gorgonzola balls be cold when they go into the oil, otherwise they will fall apart in the oil. If they start to warm up at any point, return them to the refrigerator to firm back up.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried balls to paper towels to drain.

Pancetta Carbonara

4 slices bacon, chopped
4 slices pancetta, chopped
2 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
6 large egg yolks
18 ounces fresh fettuccine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Saute the bacon and pancetta in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat until almost crisp, about 7 minutes. Cool. Whisk in the cream, cheese, and yolks to blend.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Drain. Add the fettuccine to the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Orange Brownies Recipe



Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 24 squares


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure orange extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan and set aside. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter, eggs, orange extract, and orange zest and beat with a handheld electric mixer until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven and pierce top of entire cake with a fork.

Glaze:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Pour glaze over cake. Cool cake and cut into squares.

Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie


1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Cook beef and onion until beef is brown; drain. Spread in pie plate; sprinkle with salt and cheese.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate.
3. Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.

Creamy Italian Chicken


4 Boneless skinless chicken breast
2 packs “Good Seasons” Italian dressing mix
1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 block of cream cheese


Cut up the chicken brest into small pieces.

In a large pan cook chicken and both season packs with butter and a little water, about ½ way covering the chicken so it doesn’t burn.

Do not rinse pan, add cream soup and stir into chicken.

Add cream cheese (chop into smaller pieces so it melts quicker). Mix throughly. Add a about a ½ can to a can of water to thin out mixture.

Let simmer on low heat, stirring often, to blend flavors.

Serve over egg noodles.

test

Tater Tot Casserole

- Bacon (8-10 slices)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 lb crumbled blue cheese
- 1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots

Preheat oven to 375F. Apply nonstick spray to a 9x13 glass casserole dish.

In a large frying pan or saucepan, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove to a cooling rack set over a newspaper-lined sheet pan and let drain. Chop.

Using the same pan, brown the ground beef. Add thyme. Drain the beef in a colander. Still using the same pan, warm 1 T olive oil over medium heat and saute chopped onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together bacon, beef, onion mixture, and 2 cans cream of mushroom soup. Spread in a layer in the prepared dish. Crumble blue cheese over the goopy mixture then cover with a single layer of tater tots. Bake for one hour.

CHOCOLATE & PEANUT BUTTER DIPPED APPLES

• 10 to 12 medium apples, stems removed
• 10 to 12 wooden ice cream sticks
• 1 cup HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips, divided
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening, divided (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil)


1. Line tray with wax paper. Wash apples; dry thoroughly. Insert wooden stick into stem end of each apple; place on prepared tray.

2. Place chocolate chips, 2/3 cup peanut butter chips and 1/4 cup shortening in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 1 minute; stir. In necessary, microwave at HIGH an additional 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred. Dip bottom three-fourths of each apple into mixture. Twirl and gently shake to remove excess; return to prepared tray.

3. Place remaining 1 cup peanut butter chips and remaining 2 tablespoons shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 30 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave at HIGH an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred. Spoon over top section of each apple, allowing to drip down sides. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 10 to 12 coated apples.

Baby Carrots

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds baby carrots
3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pats
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions
Place baby carrots in 1/2-inch of water with butter, sugar, and salt. Bring water to a boil,
cover pan, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook carrots 7 or 8 minutes, remove lid, and raise heat to medium high. Reduce
water until it almost evaporates, a couple of minutes. Turn carrots in sauce and taste to adjust seasonings and
serve.

Twice Baked Potatoes


Ingredients
4 large russet potatoes, each about 3/4 pound each, scrubbed and dried
2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup sour cream
1 scallion, finely chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg, optional
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the potatoes directly on the rack in the center of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Pierce each potato in a
couple spots with a fork and continue to bake until tender, about 30 minutes more. Remove potatoes from the oven, and
turn the heat down to 375 degrees F.

Hold the potato with an oven-mit or towel, trim off the top of the potatoes to make a canoe-like shape. Reserve the tops. Carefully scoop out most of the potato into a bowl. Take care to leave enough potato in the skin so the shells
stay together. Mash the potato lightly with fork along with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the butter and sour cream. Stir in the
scallion, nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Season the skins with salt and pepper. Refill the shells
with the potato mixture mounding it slightly. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the potato filling. Brush the reserved top
with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper.

Set the potatoes and lids on a baking sheet, and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Chicken-Fried Steak

Serves 6
Getting the initial oil temperature to 375 degrees is key to the success of this recipe. An instant-read thermometer with a high upper range is perfect for checking the temperature; a clip-on candy/deep-fry thermometer is also fine. If your Dutch oven measures 11 inches across (as ours does), you will need to fry the steaks in two batches.

Steak
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Salt and ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
6 cube steaks, about 5 ounces each, pounded to 1/3-inch thickness
4 to 5 cups peanut oil

Cream Gravy
1 medium onion, minced
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne

1. For the steaks: Measure the flour, 5 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and cayenne into a large shallow dish. In a second large shallow dish, beat the egg, baking powder, and baking soda; stir in the buttermilk (the mixture will bubble and foam).

2. Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and sprinkle each side with salt and pepper to taste. Drop the steaks into the flour and shake the pan to coat. Shake excess flour from each steak, then, using tongs, dip the steaks into the egg mixture, turning to coat well and allowing the excess to drip off. Coat the steaks with flour again, shake off the excess, and place them on the wire rack.

3. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, set a second wire rack over a second rimmed baking sheet, and place the sheet on the oven rack; heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a large plate with a double layer of paper towels. Meanwhile, heat 1 inch of oil in a large (11-inch diameter) Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Place three steaks in the oil and fry, turning once, until deep golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes (oil temperature will drop to around 335 degrees). Transfer the steaks to the paper-towel-lined plate to drain, then transfer them to the wire rack in the oven. Bring the oil back to 375 degrees and repeat the cooking and draining process (use fresh paper towels) with the three remaining steaks.

4. For the gravy: Carefully pour the hot oil through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot. Return the browned bits from the strainer along with 2 tablespoons of frying oil back to the Dutch oven. Turn the heat to medium, add the onion and thyme, and cook until the onion has softened and is beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the flour to the pan and stir until well combined and starting to dissolve, about 1 minute. Whisk in the broth, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the milk, salt, pepper, and cayenne; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until thickened (gravy should have a loose consistency--it will thicken as it cools), about 5 minutes.

5. Transfer the chicken-fried steaks to individual plates. Spoon a generous amount of gravy over each steak. Serve immediately, placing any remaining gravy in a small bowl.

Swiss and Bacon Dip

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 18 minutes Yield: 10 minutes



8 slices center cut bacon, chopped
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 rounded teaspoons prepared Dijon style mustard
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, available on dairy aisle
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup smoked almonds, coarsely chopped
Baby carrots and a selection of spiced flat breads, cocktail sized pumpernickel or rye breads, or sliced whole grain baguettes, for dipping


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Brown bacon in nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Drain crisp bacon bits on paper towels.

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon, Swiss and scallions with cooked bacon. Transfer to a shallow small casserole or baking dish and bake until golden and bubbly at edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Top with chopped smoked almonds. Place dip on a platter and surround warm casserole with breads and carrots for dipping.

Yield: 6 servings

Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese


1 (1-oz) slice whole wheat bread
2 Tbs butter
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded smoked Gouda
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
5 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
4 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place bread in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, cook one minute. Add flour, cook one minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, salt and pepper, stirring constantly with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil, cook until thick (about two minutes). Add cheeses, stir until melted. Add spinach and macaroni to cheese sauce, stirring until well blended. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 4.

Hamburger Stroganoff

1/2 Cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 Cup margarine
1 lb. ground beef (best to use lean or extra lean as you don't drain the fat)
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp pepper
Salt to taste
1 lb mushrooms, sliced (or 1 can sliced mushrooms, drained)
1 can cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup
1 Cup sour cream
Parsley

Sauté onion & garlic in margarine over medium heat. Stir in meat and brown. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and mushrooms. Cook about 5 minutes. Add soup. Stir and simmer (uncovered) 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream and heat through. Garnish with parsley if desired. Serve on hot pasta or rice.


Makes 6 servings

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: About 20 minutes, give or take.


Note: I recommend putting in half the required amount of sour cream, tasting it, then adding the rest as needed to taste. This meal may scare you the first time as it turns out, um, grey, but it tastes and smells out of this world.

Homemade Heath Bars

1 c sugar
Saltine crackers (approx. 1 sleeve)
2 sticks butter (must be butter)
12 oz milk chocolate chips
Finely chopped pecans or walnuts

Line a 15x9 cookie sheet with foil. Place crackers side to side until
bottom of cookie sheet is covered.

Melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for 3
minutes. Pour mixture over crackers and spread with spatula to cover
crackers evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and
sprinkle chocolate chips over crackers. As they melt, smooth chocolate
evenly over crackers. Add finely chopped nuts to the top. Let completely
cool (may need to refrigerate). Break into pieces, Enjoy!

By Christy Jenks

Creamy Italian Chicken

1 packet italian salad dressing mix
1/4 water
1 lb chicken tenderloins
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8oz can mushrooms
hot cooked noodles

1. Mix salad dressing and water, pour over chicken
2. Cook 3 hours on low in crockpot
3. Mix remaining ingredients (except noodles), pour over chicken
4. Cook 1 hour on low
5. Serve over noodles

Inside Out Cheese Burgers


Ingredients:

-5 slices bacon, chopped
-extra virgin olive oil to drizzle on the pan/burgers
-1 1/3 ground sirloin
-1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
-1 teaspoon Montreal Seasoning (it's made by McCormick)
-1/2 LB extra sharp cheddar, crumbled

Directions:
Preheat pan over high heat. In a medium pan brown bacon over medium high heat until crisp, drain and set aside to cool. Combine meat with Worcestershire sauce and Montreal seasoning. Divide meat into 4 equal parts. Take 1/4 in you hand and make a well in it, pile in bacon and cheese and form the burger around it. Make sure the cheese and bacon is compactly covered in ground sirloin. Drizzle with oil (I suggest you drizzle the pan as well) and place on hot grill pan. Cook 2 minutes on high, then reduce heat and cook thoroughly, turning occasionally. Let rest for a few minutes, then eat!

Spaghetti Squash


- 1 spaghetti squash
- 1 lb ground beef (or less, it's not important)
- 1 jar of commercial spaghetti sauce
- garlic, basil, oregano, etc.

Cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place face down in a baking dish (spraying it first might be a good idea - mine didn't stick at all that way). Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, a little longer if you want it mushy.

Meanwhile, brown the beef and spices. Drain fat and place in a sauce pan. Add jar of sauce. Heat. You can add more spices if you'd like.

When squash is ready, use a fork or spoon to scrape out all the flesh. After cooking, it will separate into short spaghetti-like strands. Serve with sauce.

This could easily be a fully vegetarian meal by omitting the beef. You can also dress up the sauce in any way you like.

It was so easy and it's so cool to see it turn into strands. It has a flavour somewhat akin to sweet corn on the cob and it was delicious.

Holy Cow Cake


Cake:

Vegetable oil spray for the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devil's food cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/2-cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs


Topping:

1 jar (8 ounces) caramel topping
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
4 Butterfinger candy bars (2.1 ounces each), crushed
1 container (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature

Place a rack in the center of the over and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly mist a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray.

Set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.

Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.

Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.

The batter should look thick and well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing out the top with the rubber spatula.

Place the pan in the oven

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 35.38 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack.

Immediately poke holes in the top of the cake with a drinking straw or chopstick.

Prepare the topping.

Place the caramel topping and sweetened condensed milk in a small bowl and stir to combine.

Spoon this mixture over the warm cake so that it can seep down into the holes.

Measure out half of the crushed candy bars and sprinkle the pieces over the cake.

Place the whipped topping and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and blend with and electric mixer on low speed until smooth and combined, 1 minute.

Spread the mixture over the top of the candy.

Sprinkle the remaining candy pieces on top.

Place the pan, uncovered, in the refrigerator to chill the cake for about 20 minutes before cutting.

Store covered in waxed paper in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Sauteed Squash with Portobello Mushrooms (compliments of Christina)

2 Tbsps cooking oil
1/4 cup (more or less to suit tastes) onion, coarsely
chopped
1 small yellow summer squash
1 small green zucchini
1 or 2 portobello mushrooms, sliced and then cut
*optional* several dashes of Asian seasoning mix (like
Pampered Chef's)
*optional* couple dashes of soy sauce

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a stir fry or
large saute pan. Add onions and cook until tender,
but not browned. Add squash and stir fry until tender
and golden. Finally, add mushrooms and cook for just
a minute or two. Add the seasoning or just salt and
pepper and serve.

BREAD PUDDING




INGREDIENTS:
6 slices of Texas Toast (or white bread)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs. cinnamon powder
1/2 cup packed raisins

Mix together in small bowl.
7 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups sugar

Mix together in medium size mixing bowl until sugar is dissolved;
DO NOT WHIP.
3 cups half-n-half
1 cup heavy cream

Add both slowly to the egg mixture until well blended.



METHOD OF PREPARATION:

Place the slices of Texas Toast (or white bread) in a 9” x 13” baking pan; sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar/raisin mixture on top of bread.
Pour liquid mixture on top, pushing bread down when it begins to float; soak bread well; cover pan with foil.
Place on a sheet pan filled with water; bake in a pre-heated 320° (moderate) oven for 1 hour or until pudding is firm on top and no liquid is showing.
Take out of the oven, remove foil from pan, let cool and serve.



May be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for about 2 days and then re-heated.
Once re-heated, do not refrigerate.
If desired, you may serve with a fruit topping, brandy or chocolate sauce

Chicken Divan


* 2-3 c. cooked, cut up chicken
* 1/2 sm. onion, chopped
* 1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
* 1/3 c. mayonnaise
* 3 tbsp. flour
* 2 celery stalks, cut up
* 1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen broccoli cuts
* 1/2 tsp. curry powder
* 1 tbsp. lemon juice
* Hot buttered noodles


In medium bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients except noodles. Pour into lightly greased crockpot. Cover and cook on low setting 6-8 hours or on high setting 2-3 hours. Serve over hot buttered noodles. Makes about 2 quarts. You can double this recipe. Add more vegetables and/or some chicken broth if too thick. You can mix this the night before and keep in the refrigerator to cook the next day while you're away.

Onion Dip from Scratch



2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced onions
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
In a saute pan over medium heat add oil, heat and add onions and salt. Cook the onions until they are caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Mix the rest of the ingredients, and then add the cooled onions. Refrigerate and stir again before serving.

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon Garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup Marsala wine
½ cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon basil leaves
½ teaspoon onion powder

Place chicken between two sheets of wax paper and pound to approx 1/4 inch thick. In a large bowl or plastic bag, combine flour with next 3 ingredients. Add chicken to flour mixture, toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute chicken 3-5 minutes per side or until done. Remove from skillet.
Add mushrooms and remaining oil, if needed. Saute 2-3 minutes. Sir in wine and remaining 3 ingredients. Stir to loosen any browned particles; bring to a boil. Return check to skillet. Simmer, uncovered, 2 minutes.

Mom's Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

One Box of elbow Macaroni
16 oz of sharp cheddar cheese (best if you use the kind you have to shred yourself)
1 Stick of Real Butter
Italian Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup of Milk


Directions
Prepare noodles by box instructions. Shred Cheese. Layer Macaroni and cheese starting with noodles ending with cheese (usually two layers of each) pour milk over the top and use one third of the stick of butter cut into little pieces and stick into noodles. Take remainder of butter and melt in a separate pan add bread crumbs slowly until they start to be dry looking (usually 3/4th of the can of bread crumbs). Take buttered bread crumbs and cover top of Macaroni. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until bread crumbs get real brown. Let finished Mac and Cheese sit for 5 minutes then enjoy!