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Friday, August 31, 2007

Strombolis! Calzones! Pizza Pockets! (Whatever you want to call them!)

Oh yum! I just made these tonight for the very first time and they were delicious! A huge hit with everyone!

You will need:

For Dough:
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Sugar
4 cups all purpose (or bread machine) flour
4 Tbsp. bread machine yeast

For Filling:
1 small onion diced small
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. Extra lean ground pork (can use ground Italian sausage of any temp. if you like to go spicier)
Italian Seasoning (can use fresh herbs if ya got 'em)
1 can/jar of your favorite pizza sauce (or about 2 to 3 cups of your favorite homemade pizza sauce)
Approx. 3 cups of mozzarella (or pre-shredded pizza cheese)

Put all dough ingredients into bread machine and set to dough setting. Push start. (This is of course the easy, no fuss version! If you like or if you do not have a bread machine, make the dough as you normally would using any pizza dough recipe you like best.) [On a side note, I got my bread machine at a garage sale for $10 about 3 years ago. I love that thing! Keep an eye out for these at garage sales. People buy them with good intentions but a lot of people find that they just don't use them very often.]

I took my dough out of the bread machine about 30 minutes before it "bing-ed" at me to take it out. I broke it up into 7 equal sized balls and put them in my oven on the "bread proof" setting (100 degrees) with plastic wrap covering them loosely. I let it rise in there for about 30 to 40 minutes.


In a large skillet sautee the onion in a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) until tender. Season with about a tsp. of salt and a few shakes of your favorite Italian seasonings. Add the ground pork (or Italian sausage) and cook until there is no pink left. Add pizza sauce and simmer for about 8-10 minutes.


Roll out one of the balls of dough. Place a large spoonful of filling on half of the dough, leaving about 1/4 inch around the edge. Top it with a handful of cheese. Then fold the empty side of the dough over the filled side and press down around the edges. Fold the bottom layer of dough over the top layer and pinch together again, sealing the filling in. Place on cookie sheet or pizza stone and repeat until all are filled and sealed in this manner.


Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, until just golden brown. Remove from oven and enjoy! Caution: They will be very hot inside!

We had them with Ceasar salad. A great combo.

I decided to freeze the leftovers for another time.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Chicken Soup for the Sickies.

So since we all felt so awful tonight I decided that we needed chicken noodle soup. But I'm sorry, I have had enough of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup. Those mealy noodles. Those little bits of chicken that look more like cat food. So, yes even though I felt like poo poo I made homemade chicken noodle soup. Kudos to my hubby for going to the store to get the needed ingredients.

Here's my recipe...

5 boneless skinless chicken thighs (could have bones and skin if you don't mind all the extra work... I'm sure there would be more nutrients in there) cut into bite size bits
30 oz. Chicken Broth
4 Cups water
1 large carrot peeled and thinly sliced
1-2 scallions chopped finely
1/2 tsp. salt (or a little more perhaps)
1/2 cup finely minced fresh parsley (don't even think of using dried!)
1/2 large bag or 1 small bag egg noodles

Put everything except for egg noodles into large saucepan/pot, bring to a rolling boil. Boil for a few minutes. Turn burner to low and cover. Simmer for approx. 20 minutes. Taste check for saltiness. If it needs more add it now. Then add the egg noodles and bring back to a boil. Once brought to a boil, turn burner back down to medium and cook until noodles are desired consistency, approx. 10 minutes.

This was just what the doctor ordered tonight. Hit the spot. Hopefully we'll get back to feeling human again and maybe I'll be my regular blogging self once again.

Monday, August 6, 2007

Posting this here too....

Because of problems with my blog I'm going to post this here for any who could not view all of it on the other blog. Sorry about the inconvenience!

Oh, I just can't help myself. I love pictures!! I love it that I have you all scratching your head over today's mystery post. (It's really not that exciting but hey, it's fun keeping you in suspense!) I'll tell you what it is tomorrow.

When we were on our way to California by way of Amtrak train, we had a bit of a layover in Portland, Oregon. We had to find a place to have lunch near Union Station on a Sunday afternoon. Pleasantly there just so happened to be a street fair going on only mere blocks away. Having been cramped in small spaces with little ones underfoot we were happy to go for the walk and enjoy the afternoon out and about rather than cooped up in the station.

It was a colorfest. I loved looking at all of the handmade wares. Everything from clocks, to natural wood carved bowls, handbags (be still my beating heart) to brilliant home decor. On top of all that there was to ogle, the food was gorge-worthy. My husband and I ate the best lamb pitas I think we have ever had the pleasure of coming across. And do you think I was going to let that moment go by without being duly noted in the form of a digital image? I think not!

Drool. Drool. Drool.

Pretty pretty purses.


I loved these baskets. It was a color feast.

And dang, if only I was still into these... I was sorely tempted.

Okay, so that was the street fair. There were a lot more pictures but I don't want to bore the bile out of you.

So you know that we went to family camp at Mount Hermon in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Every week of Family Camp all of the campers take the old train that winds through the Redwoods, on the very railroad tracks upon which I met my husband for the first time, and takes the whole lot of them (campers that is) to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It's a gorgeous trip in an open air train car.

So we all spent the day down by the sea and it was just delightful. The baby experienced sand for the first time ever (poor deprived little soul doesn't have a sandbox at home). He expressed his joy in this new texture by picking it up. By eating it. And by rubbing it right into his cheeks and eyes and hair and every other imaginable spot. Sadly, in doing so, he rubbed off all of his sunscreen and hence had quite a bad sunburn later.

Once he learned not to do that anymore he, like the rest of us, had a wonderfully exhausting day.

I love the Boardwalk. I have so many funny memories there. So many sweet memories. Some stinkin' scary memories. And I love this picture. It brings them all back.


So I love the Boardwalk. But I do not love everything about it. Numero Uno, why on God's green earth is there nothing unfried there to be purchased and consumed? Aren't there enough granola types in Santa Cruz to have created a real demand for organic, healthful, non-artery clogging foods at the Boardwalk? It's despicable. Luckily we had lunches packed so we didn't have to partake in any of the billions of calories that assailed us at every turn.

Secondly, there is one ride there that needs to be put into the world's largest slingshot and sent into another galaxy. It's evil. It's hellish. It's vomitrocious. It's the Fireball. It's what is now known in our house as the Sinister Spinning Pendulum of Death. The beastly ride turns in circles, oh... I'd say at about the speed of light while swinging back and forth. Don't ask me what the world looks like at that speed. I had my eyes closed and every single muscle in my body clenched more tightly than ever. I actually left a semi-permanent indentation in my arm where my bracelet had been so forcefully impressed. The thing was of course attached to the ground but for pity's sake, there is no earthly excuse for that kind of machine. I wanted to hurl so badly and I went to bed that night curled up in the fetal position rocking myself and moaning to my husband, "Why?! Why did I do that?!" He said he had no pity for anyone stupid enough to go on the thing. (This is how we love each other you see. It's a symbiotic thing that you may not understand.) The Giant Dipper on the other hand is pure splendor. And for some unknown reason they sent us on a second go 'round with no explanation as to why. Yay! Almost made up for the horrible Fireball experience. Almost.


We ended our time at the beach by walking down the wharf so as to completely exhaust the children in order to ensure a quality night's sleep that night. (It worked like a charm by the way.) We surveyed the sea gulls with caution (if you saw the very white splattered state of the wharf you would understand the caution.) We watched sea lions. We saw a gorgeous Rolls Royce. Then we caught the train back to camp and fell into our beds.


One thing that I saw while walking along the sidewalk between the Boardwalk and the wharf was this sign:


I thought, wow... rarely do you see such a blatant call for such things. I know I need to change in so very many ways but rarely am I reminded of the fact by street signs. I then quickly realized that this was no spiritual charge to the peoples of Santa Cruz, it was merely letting people know that there was a change machine nearby. Hmph. (Okay so I really knew it meant "change machine here" but still, I thought it could be just the thing for some poor soul who was looking for a sign from God that something needed to give in their life! Had to take the picture.)

Monday, July 30, 2007

Bacon Chicken on Roasted Tomatoes

You all know the rest of the saying. "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Yeah, my husband thinks I'm a crazy loveable little freak when I leave pictures like the ones I showed you yesterday. But what really speaks to him is of course food! Sure he likes a good manly beef steak but he also loves a refined gourmet treat every now and then. And for pity's sake this one involves bacon. It might be a fancypants meal but since it involves bacon I dare say it could still fit into the manly meal category.

Tonight I decided that I had had enough of eating with the children. No offense to the little darlings. I love them to pieces but every once in a while it's nice to eat in peace and quiet. So the children were fed early. They stuffed their faces with their vitamin and nutrient rich rations of Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese and quickly carted upstairs to watch a movie.

Meanwhile I started our dinner. And oohhh was it yummy!

First I started with 5 Campari tomatoes.


I bought a whole box of them from Costco a couple of days ago thinking I would make salsa with them but oh dear... I think I now have other plans.

I washed them and cut them all in half.


And I placed them all on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.


Then I thinly sliced four or five cloves of garlic. I bought a little pot of herbs early this Summer because my attempt at growing herbs from seeds was a royal failure. I've learned my lesson, baby seeds do about as well under my care as indoor plants do. They die cruel and torturous deaths. I went out to that and gathered a handful of the following (not a handful of each but a handful altogether), Rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil, brought them inside and chopped them up.


I covered the tomatoes in the sliced garlic and herbs and then drizzled them with olive oil and a bit of red wine vinegar, sprinkled them with kosher salt and placed them in a 275 degree oven for about 2 hours (I use the "roast" feature on my convection oven. Once they were in, I started with the chicken.

I used boneless skinless chicken thighs. First I placed foil on another baking sheet. I laid the chicken out on the foil and repeated the same routine with the garlic and seasonings (sliced garlic, chopped herbs and placed them on the chicken).

Meanwhile, I peeked into the oven to check on how the tomatoes were looking and Mmmm, they were splattering and spluttering away and smelling very yummy.


Then I covered all of the chicken in half slices of bacon and popped them into the oven next to the tomatoes about half way through the roasting process.

I didn't really time the cooking of the chicken. I just kept checking on it and when the bacon looked nice and crispy I took out both the tomatoes and the chicken. The tomatoes were very dark in color and considerably shorter than they were when they went in.

I quickly threw together a green salad. Then I prepared our plates while the hubby was upstairs getting our toddler into bed.

I laid five halves of tomatoes in a circle in the center of a plate and then placed the chicken on top of it (about 1 1/2 thighs per serving). I cut another little sprig of Rosemary for a garnish and put it in the middle of the chicken.

I drizzled a drop of olive oil and a drop of balsamic vinegar in four spots around the plate and voila! It was done.




And Ooooh were those tomatoes every good. They were like candy. They were like heaven. They were better than... well... okay, they were just stinkin' good!


This sounds very Martha Stewart and very labor intensive but really, it was very simple and required very little in the way of preparation except for having fresh herbs at your disposal. Fresh herbs make all the difference in flavor.

And I am about the furthest thing from Martha Stewart. We eat like this (gourmet and alone) about twice a year so naturally I have to tell the world when it actually comes out as yummy as I imagined it! I hope you try it and enjoy!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

The Best No Lettuce Salad Ever

Today I am sharing with you a new and delicious and really healthy No Lettuce salad. On Sunday our beautiful friends, Don and Ina, had us over to their house for lunch. I love cooking with Ina. She is inspirational and she cooks like I do which makes it much more fun when we cook together! What do I mean when I say, "she cooks like I do?" I mean we make things up on the fly. We start pulling stuff out of the refrigerator and chopping and mixing and creating and stirring and tasting and what results is nothing short of intense yumminess!

I credit Ina with the fact that I roast pretty much all of my vegatables now as opposed to boiling them (gag!) or ((gulp)) microwaving them! (Blech!) On Sunday we made a wonderful roasted vegetables mix; sweet young carrots fresh from the farmer's market, parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cauliflower. We threw in a handful of chopped fresh herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, and sage), some kosher salt and some herb seasoning from the local organic food store. Added a hefty drizzling of EV Olive Oil and Ohhh, the wonder. I cannot feel guilty about pigging out on vegetables. And I did pig out. (Don't worry, there were still some left after we had all pigged out on them.) We made lots because everyone loves them. My children would probably have licked the platter when they were all gone if I had let them. I would have fairly gorged myself on the roasted veggies alone if we had not thrown together the Best No Lettuce Salad Ever. Never one to leave a just recently conceived recipe alone, I have already tweaked it and added a few items that were not in there before (yes, it was so good on Sunday that I decided to make it for dinner tonight.)

This salad packs more nutrition into one bowl than I think I could get in any other meal and did I mention yet that it is heaven on the palate? I made this in the morning as cooking never feels as stressful in the morning and the flavors get to marry throughout the day.

Mix the following ingredients in a large salad bowl:
(all measurements are the pre-cooked measurements but the rice, barley and pasta all need to be cooked and cooled in the refrigerator for about an hour or two before making the salad. I threw them all in the same bowl to cool.)

1 1/2 cups brown rice
3/4 cup (pot) barley
3/4 cup alphabet/stars pasta. The kids chose alphabet today.
1 can olives, drained and halved (can use red grapes halved if you want a different/sweet take on it)
1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
1 can artichoke hearts drained and quartered
3 to 4 sun dried tomatoes julienned
1/8 to 1/4 cup of grated or julienned red bell pepper
3/4 cup finely shredded asiago cheese

For the dressing, in an another bowl combine:
3/4 cup mayonaisse (can use light)
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (0 fat or 2%)
1/4 cup chopped dill (can use fresh or freeze dried)
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. EV Olive Oil

Pour the dressing over top of the salad mixture and stir until everything is thoroughly coated. Go ahead! Lay it on! It's a lowfat dressing!

This cold meal in a bowl is about enough to turn me into a vegetarian it is so good! You may look at this list of ingredients and doubt me but I'm telling you, it is already my favorite no lettuce salad and definitely replaces plain old pasta or potato salad. I am going to make this for the Fourth of July. I have a feeling my Dad won't be able to keep himself from wanting thirds of it... if I know my Dad!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

This looks so yummy!!

I must try this recipe I just found over at Scribbit!

Monday, May 28, 2007

Don't miss this!!

There will be fun stuff happening over at my place next week! Tell your friends!

Monday, April 30, 2007

Cheesy Peasy Salad

This salad is one of our all time favorites. It's light and crispy but quite substantial as far as salads go. And so yummy! Company worthy for sure!

What you'll need:
4-6 cups bit sized greens (I like to use a combination of baby spinach, butter lettuce and iceburg)
3 green onions chopped
2 cups fresh or frozen peas (I don't precook them, though you can) If you try this with canned peas I'll be forced to cause you some sort of bodily harm.
1 1/2 cups swiss cheese grated
6-8 Tblsp. Mayonaisse
3 tsp. granulated sugar
5 slices crisp bacon (crumbled or chopped) -- If you try substituting bacon bits for the real deal... well, I promise not to hurt you but I will retract my company worthy rating of the salad!

What to do:
In large bowl layer half of every ingredient. Just sprinkle the sugar evenly and then plop the mayo in blobs on top of the first layer. Repeat the layers ending with the sugar and mayo and cover. Refrigerate for about two hours. Toss just before serving. Bacon can be withheld until after chilling. It will be crunchier this way.

It's Salad Season!


Every Summer I feel the need to make specialty salads for dinner at least once a week. There is just something about the heat of the day that makes me crave light and lucious foods! I love getting new salad recipes! So I'm just going to right ahead and assume that you do too.

I will be posting a couple of sald recipes over the next week as Summer approaches. What can I say? Since there is no snow on the ground it's as good as Summer to me! So I say, bring on the salads!

Friday, April 27, 2007

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Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Rosemary Grilled Chicken Sandwiches


This sandwich is SCRUMPTIOUS! You will Mmmm and Oooh over it the whole time you are rapidly ingesting it.

I wish I had taken pictures of it as I made them because I'm sure you would believe me more fully about how incredibly yummy they are. You'll just have to take my word for it though.

What you will need:

5 medium sized chicken breasts
2 - 3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive oil
3 tsp. fresh Rosemary chopped small
3 cloves garlic minced
salt (several shakes)
pepper (a few turns of the grinder)
Focaccia bread or crusty buns

Toppings:
Hellman's Mayonaisse
2 avocados sliced
1 tomato sliced (if you like them... I don't)
1 medium red/purple onion sliced thinly
head of butter lettuce
Havarti cheese sliced
1 pkg. pre-cooked bacon warmed


About 30 minutes prior to putting them on the BBQ, prepare chicken by coating them in 2 - 3 Tbsp. of EV olive oil, the minced garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Let them marinate at least 20 to 30 minutes. Of course you can marinate them for longer if you want to. Cook them on the grill. (I won't attempt to tell you how long this takes to do them perfectly. My husband is master of the grill here so I don't really know how long it takes!)


Now prepare the focaccia bread. Cut into sandwich sized wedges. I like to cut them triangularly as they look more attractive this way. I was unable to find focaccia bread this last time that I made these sandwiches so I bought several of the fresh "crusty buns" instead. But herbed foccacia bread is much preferable. I don't like the cheesy focaccia bread with this. But really, whatever you prefer. Now slice the wedges across the center and brush the inside of the "buns" with a bit of olive. When the chicken is done, pop the buns or focaccia buns inside down on the grill for a couple of minutes to make them just ever so crisp. Just some light grill marking is what you are aiming for.

At the table have all of your toppings available on plates. The bacon can be warmed (I just stuck all of them in together for about 15 seconds) or it can be used cold. Assemble your sandwich as you please and enjoy! These are so incredibly yummy and very company worthy. I'm sure there are plenty of variations you can make to the toppings you'd like on them to make them yours.

I think you're going to love them!

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Poor Man's Pasta

This very versatile dish can be personalized to your likes and dislikes. My brother in law introduced us to it and told us that he and his room mates (food saavy folks, all of them) would pull out whatever they had in their pantry or fridge and throw it together -- hence the name "poor man's pasta." We have tweaked it enough that it isn't truly a poor man's dish anymore, but oh boy is it ever good!

1 large onion sliced or diced (your preference)
a couple of large chicken breasts
1 box of pasta (your choice - colored fusili) cooked
5-7 fresh mushrooms sliced
1 can artichoke hearts drained and quartered
1 jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained and julienned
1 can of olives (I use a whole can of whole olives and slice them. You could also of course just use two cans of sliced)
broccolli or roasted asparagus
salt to taste
Drizzling of EV Olive Oil
sprinkle of basil


Bring water to boil and cook your pasta. In hot skillet saute onions and chicken (salt to taste) in extra virgin olive oil until cooked through. Meanwhile steam your broccolli or roast your asparagus (instructions below.) When chicken is a couple minutes away from completion, add your sliced mushrooms. When the chicken/onions/mushrooms are fully cooked, add all other canned ingredients to heat and add a sprinkling of fresh or a few small shakes of dried basil.

Once heated through, in large serving bowl stir in your chicken mixture, your pasta and add in your broccolli. (p.s. you do NOT want to overcook your broccolli for this dish. It would not taste right at all. It ought to be bright green as opposed to a very sad looking dark green.) Stir well to mix. If you are doing asparagus with it you can either serve it on the side, whole or you can cut them into small pieces and mix them in. Over all of it drizzle a Tablespoon or two more of EV olive oil, salt it to taste. You can garnish it with a bit of mozarella or parmesan.

This one is a crowd pleaser. We always make extras because everyone wants seconds, even the kids (who can pick out the goodies that they dislike and hand them all over to a parent who can truly appreciate them!) It also makes wonderful leftovers. It can even be eaten cold as a pasta salad the next day for lunch and it is still simply delicious! Play with it. Add some stuff that you love. Take out some stuff that you hate. It's pretty hard to really mess this up.

VARIATION: You can also grill the chicken rather than pan cooking it, just pan cooking the onions/mushrooms, etc. alone.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Roasted Asparagus

This is absolutely delicious. My picky oldest son even says of them, "Wow!! They are sweet!"

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Wash asparagus. Cut off or break off the bottoms (I usually cut off about 1 1/2 inches though you really can just break each on individually off and where it breaks is generally where the toughness ends.)

Lay flat on a cookie/baking sheet and brush with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Make sure they are covered well in the OO but not dripping otherwise the oil will splatter and make stinky burning smells in your oven and hence in your kitchen and your fire alarm will go off and your guests will think you don't know how to cook and you are burning down the house. And you will be really embarrassed. Ask me how I know.

Sprinkle kosher salt over them. Use regular salt if you must but Kosher salt is better. :^D

Place in oven on middle rack for approx. 12 minutes. Might need up to 14 or 15. I keep my eye on them for the last 5 minutes and just gauge them by their color. You want them to start having some dark brown spots (carmelization).

Check them by poking a fork into their tender little bums, making sure that they are nice and soft. You should feel very little resistance on the fork as you poke them.

Pull them out and place them in a serving dish if you wish. (ooh, I feel like Dr. Suess.) Eat. Revel. Drool. Beat yourself with cactus fronds for not having made them before. Plan to buy two bunches next time.

An optional garnish is Feta cheese. So good.

And don't be shocked the next time you pee and find that it smells really really terribly awful. It's what asparagus does to pee. Nothing to be worried about. Don't page your urologist.

This one comes with a story...

I originally blogged this recipe here at my regular blog.

Yummy Brussel Sprouts (Maybe even if you don't love brussel sprouts. Maybe not.)

My Brussel Sprouts Recipe:
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Halve and wash as many Brussel Sprouts as you want to consume. When water comes to a boil, dump in the Brussel Sprouts. Boil gently for 8-10 minutes or until Brussel Sprouts are just fork tender. Do NOT overcook or they will become mooshy and bitter. Strain and rinse with cold water.
Slice or mince about 4 or 5 garlic cloves. In large hot pan pour a few Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Place garlic in pan and brown. When the garlic begins to brwon nicely, add the Brussel Sprouts and cook on med/high heat for about 3-5 minutes, stirring very frequently. You want some of them to go a bit golden on the edges but you obviously don't want them to burn so keep them moving. Remove from heat and serve.

They are DELICIOUS no matter what my Mom thinks!

Monday, March 26, 2007

Taco Soup


1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (optional)
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can pinto beans
1 (16 ounce) can black beans
1 (28 ounce) white hominy (drained)
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes and chiles (Rotel or stewed tomatoes will work)
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

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Brown meat and onions. Mix taco seasoning mix into meat. Mix all other ingredients without draining (except for the hominy) into a large pot or crock pot. Add meat, and simmer for 1 hour (or several in crockpot.)
I got this recipe from my sister. Thanks Sandy!

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Abominable Cheezeburger Casserole

I can't believe what I am about to do.

I've said those words before and somehow they never keep me from doing what I can't believe I'm about to do. Blame it on my OCD.

I am going to give you a recipe that calls for Cheeze Whiz (hence the spelling of the word cheezeburger in the post title). I have never ever purchased Cheeze Whiz until yesterday. I can't believe I'm going to admit that I have now incorporated it into a meal. Real cheese just wouldn't cut it... only the creamy processed stuff, of which my Mother in law says, "It just melts so beautifully." Not only am I going to give you this recipe but I am also going to admit to you that I personally created this recipe. I wanted a cheeseburger in a casserole dish so I made it up. The result was yummy... if you can contemplate anything containing Cheeze Whiz being yummy.

I've decided to name the recipe: Combo #1 Whopper with cheese and can I have onion rings on the side instead of french fries casserole

Yes, it's a sort of long title but that is the taste I was going for, as wrong as that is. Please believe we actually eat quite healthy on a regular basis. We eat lots of green vegetables and olive oil and low fat meats. My kids order salad when we go out to eat and some of their favorite foods are naturally green without food coloring.

So without further ado I give you Combo #1 Whopper with cheese and can I have onion rings on the side instead of french fries casserole (feel free to substitute the light version of any of the following products as I did.)


1 lb. ground beef
1/2 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
Seasoning salt to taste
3/4 cup Mayonaisse
3 Tbsp. Ketchup (approx.)
2 Tbsp. Mustard (approx.)
Pasta (we used shells) cooked and drained
1 jar of Cheeze Whiz (NOTE: If you shop at Costco or Sam's Club for your Cheeze Whiz it will probably be much less than one jar!!)
1 can French's French Fried Onions



Bring lightly salted water to a boil and cook shells until tender. Meanwhile brown ground beef, onion, garlic and season with Seasoning Salt. Drain fat from beef. In a small bowl mix the Mayonaisse, ketchup and mustard. (You are going for a pinkish color.) Stir this mixture into the browned ground beef and mix well. When the pasta is done cooking, drain it and put it back into the pot. Add the Cheeze Whiz and stir until melted and evenly distributed.

In a casserole dish (I used the french white oval Pyrex). Pour half of the pasta into the casserole dish. Then layer the beef mixture over it, spreading it out evenly. Add the remainder of the pasta on top of the beef. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle the French Fried Onions over top of the pasta and bake for another 3-5 minutes to brown them.

There you have it. I can't remark upon the health value of it other than I believe it probably has fewer calories than the real Whopper... but who's counting?

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Any recipe posted by Ree...

is a recipe I could recommend!

So I just redirect you to this sumptuous page.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Beer Brats and Potato Salad

Main Course:

Beer Braised Brats

5 brats
3 Tbsp. diced onion
1 minced garlic
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups German brown ale
Saurkraut

Melt the butter in large skillet. Add onions and garlic. Cook over medium-high until tender. Add bratwurst and 1/2 cup of beer. Cook (stirring frequently) until beer is evaporated. Add another 1/2 cup and cook until evaporated again. Add final 1/2 cup and cook until evaporated. Remove brats to a serving dish. Turn heat up to high and add saurkraut (I think I used about 1 1/2 cups), depending on how much you like it. Cook saurkraut for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until hot.

Side Dish:

German Potato Salad

GERMAN POTATO SALAD

1 lb. bacon, diced and cooked
1/4 c. oil or bacon fat
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. onion, chopped
3 tbsp. flour
1 1/3 c. water
2/3 c. vinegar
2/3 c. sugar
3 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. celery seed

Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. Cool, peel, and cut into cubes. Cook bacon; drain the fat, reserving 1/4 cup. Add the celery and onion to the fat; cook for 1 minute. Blend flour and water in a cup. Add this with the vinegar and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and bubbly. Stir in sugar, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Add dressing to potatoes and toss lightly. Refrigerate and let rest overnight. Reheat salad in a casserole or serve cold. Good either way.

The most evil brownies on the face of the planet

Ingredients:
  • 24 small (1-1/2 inch) YORK Peppermint Patties
  • 1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter or margarine, melted
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 5 eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F.(325°F. for glass baking dish). Remove wrappers from peppermint patties. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs; beat until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; blend well. Reserve 2 cups batter. Spread remaining batter in prepared pan. Arrange peppermint patties or Reeses' Peanut Butter Cup about 1/2 inch apart in single layer over batter. Spread reserved 2 cups batter over patties.

3. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into squares. About 36 brownies.


Recipe originally found at: Hershey's Recipes

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Summer Garden Zucchini, Tomato & Cheese Casserole

You'd need:
*4 medium sized Zucchinis
* 3 bright red juicy Tomatoes
*An Onion
*Oregano
*Salt & Pepper
*Extra Virgin Olive Oil
*Parmesan Cheese (can be powdered kind)
* Shredded Mozz. cheese
* Chicken breast strips or boneless skinless thighs

1) Saute' in a large skillet or large frying pan, EV olive oil with chopped onion & zucchini sliced thin.
Saute' it until soft, but not squishy.
2) Generously add salt, pepper and a dash or two of oregano and a couple shakes of dried basil
3) Put zucc. mixture into large baking dish (I use a glass pyrex 9X13) with small slices of raw tomato layered on top
4) then on this sprinkle w/ Parm cheese and then sprinkle the mozz. cheese on top of that (desired amount)
5) Saute the chicken on high temp. until golden brown in the pan that you just emptied the onion/zuch. out of. Nestle the chicken in the “stuff” that’s already in the cass. dish. Sprinkle some more of the cheeses over top.
Cover with tin foil and bake at 350* for 20 - 30 minutes.

This will be very moist, with a brothy-soupy juice bubbling; but the flavor is so fresh and delicious!! It would be good served sort of as a soup or you could serve it over pasta... Good to have french bread to dip into the extra juice!!

Suzanne's Hot Broccoli Cheese Dip

2 cups chopped broccoli
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayo (miracle whip will not work - it just melts into even more oil!)
2 cups grated cheddar (older & stronger the better)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped red pepper

mix all ingredients together
place in deep dish baker (any pyrex or corningware will work)

Bake @ 375 for 25 minutes until bubbly & golden edges.

I doubled the recipe for the potlucks.
I baked it in the oven in my crockpot removable baking dish.
Then placed it in crockpot housing on keep warm setting.

This recipe is great hot & fine as cold leftovers.
Great with chips, nachos, bread, veggies - anything!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

12 ozs. fresh spinach leaves
1 qt. fresh strawberries - hulled, quartered
2 tsp. sesame seeds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. grated onion
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. paprika


-Wash and drain spinach, then squeeze dry between layers of paper towels; tear bite-size pieces.
-Toss together spinach, strawberries, and sesame seeds in a large bowl; set aside.
-In a separate bowl, beat together oil, sugar, vinegar, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika.
-Pour prepared dressing over salad and toss to coat.
-Serve immediately.

Rustic Italian Bean Casserole

2 handfuls spaghetti noodles broken up and boiled
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can White Kidney Beans, partially drained
1/2 to 3/4 (what you prefer) can of diced tomatoes, partially drained
1/2 can (or 1 small can) mushroom slices
1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and cut into 1/4’s
1 small can sliced black olives
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. dried crushed Basil
Salt&Pepper
1 1/2 cups Mozzarella, shredded

Cook broken spaghetti noodles as usual with a bit of olive oil and salt added to the water.
Meanwhile in large skillet sautee onion until tender (in butter or margarine or olive oil). Then add the kidney beans, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, artichoke hearts. Add the olive oil and Sautee together for about 5 minutes on a high temperature, stirring constantly.
Combine cooked/drained spaghetti noodles and bean mixture in a casserole dish (9x13 would work... I used my oval pyrex with the higher sides). Stir in the olives and half of the mozzarella. Stir until mixed well. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella over the top and place in 375 oven for 20 minutes.

Poppy Seed Casserole

2-3 chkn breasts cooked/cubed
1 1/2-2 cups cooked white rice
1 cup sour cream
1 can crm. chkn soup (or crm. mushroom; either is very yummy)
1 Tbsp. white cooking wine
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. chicken broth
30 Ritz Crackers crumbled
1/2 cup butter melted
Poppy seeds

Cook chicken whichever way you prefer. If you have the time, it tastes best if you saute it in oil/butter (and salt and pepper it). But if you are short on time you can microwave it or boil it or whatever. Cut into cubes. Mix chicken, rice, sour cream, soup, wine, lemon juice, chicken broth in oven safe cass. dish (I always use our oval french white dish).
Put crumbled crackers over the top of the rice mixture. Sprinkle poppy seeds generously over entire top. Pour melted butter evenly over top.
Cook for 30 min. on 350.
This is an old favorite here... kids love it, grown ups love it... and it makes great leftovers!

Peanut Butter Pie

Pie shell:
1 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling:
1 cup peanut butter
8 oz pkg. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream (not whipped)
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:
semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
whipped cream

Mix ingredients for pie shell and form in 9" pie pan. Cream together peanut butter, cream cheese, and sugar. **Make sure these ingredients are at room temperature.** Add whipping cream and vanilla and mix until creamy. Pour into pie shell. Melt chcolate chips and swirl over top. Chill. Serve topped with whipped cream.

(This is very rich so a little goes a long way.)

My Lasagna

1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 small can of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 white onions
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. marjoram
1 tsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. white sugar
1 tsp. salt
few dashes of pepper
1 Tbsp. dry white wine
1 - 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 cups Mozarella cheese
1 container Ricotta cheese
Sprinkling of Parmesan cheese
Lasagna noodles

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. While cooking the beef, in blender, blend together the 1 large can of diced tomatoes, the onions and the garlic. Blend them up until smooth. Drain the ground beef. Add the contents of the blender, the 1 small can of diced tomatoes and all of the seasonings and the wine. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or so.
Layering it:
In a 9x13 casserole dish, begin with a layer of the hot sauce mixture, followed by lasagna noodles (you'll have to break one up to fill in the gaps at the ends. The next layer should be Ricotta cheese. Use a spoon and spread evenly just less than half of the container onto the noodles. Sprinkle a layer of mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layering pattern once again, ending with a top layer of mozz. cheese and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese
Cover with foil and place on cookie sheet (because it tends to bubble over a bit). Cook in a 375 Degree oven for 1 hour (usually more like 55). Let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Easy Meatloaf

2 pounds ground chuck
1 pkg. Stove Top Stuffing Mix--any flavor (I used Savory Herbs)
1 cup of water
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup BBQ sauce, any flavor, divide into two 1/4 cup servings

Mix all ingredients except 1/4 cup of the BBQ sauce

Shape meat mixture into 2 oval loaves, side by side, in 13 x 9 inch baking
dish. Top with 1/4 cup BBQ sauce.

Bake @375 degrees for 35 minutes or until the center is no longer pink.

Makes 6 - 8 servings

Mango and Black Bean Salad

This is one of our family favorites! It's especially good if you make it a few hours ahead of time but still delicious (perfect for Summer) if you make it just before scarfing it down.

1 large mango, cut into small chunks
1 avocado, cut into small pieces
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup red pepper, finely chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped
1 recipe Lime Dressing

Dressing:

2 Tbsp freshly squeezed (or bottled) lime juice
2 Tbsp good quality olive oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp liquid honey
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp water

Whisk together and pour over salad just before serving.

Lemon Bars

For the Shortbread:
1 cup (4 1⁄2 oz) all-purpose flour
1⁄4 cup confectioner s sugar
1 TBS lightly packed finely grated lemon zest
pinch salt
1⁄2 c (4 oz) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the Lemon Curd: (this can be used separately as they do in England for spreading on cakes or cookies or toast or mixed with yogurt)
1 c fresh lemon juice (squeezed from 4 to 6 lemons)
4 TBS (2 oz) unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
2 TBS heavy cream (I use regular milk and it works fine too)
1 c granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1⁄4 tsp salt
1⁄4 tsp vanilla extract
wooden spoon to stir

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350. Butter an 8 inch square baking pan.
In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients for shortbread. Cut the butter into the mixture with a pastry blender or two table knives until the mixture resembles small peas. Knead the dough in the bowl just until it begins to come together. Transfer the dough to the baking pan and, with floured hands, press it evenly over the bottom. Bake until very light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a rack while you make the filling.

In a medium saucepan, heat the lemon juice, butter and cream to just under a boil; the butter should be melted. Remove from the heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together by hand the sugar, eggs, yolks until combined. Whisk in a bit of the hot liquid and then gradually whisk in a bit more until it s all added. This technique is called tempering and heats the eggs slowly and gently so they don t curdle.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat on medium, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan to keep the eggs from scrambling. Cook until the lemon curd coats the spoon thickly enough to leave a line when you draw your finger through on the back of the spoon, about 5 to 8 minutes (may take longer).
Remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve if any egg has curdled. Stir in the salt and vanilla.

To finish: Pour the curd over the baked shortbread and smooth it evenly with a spatula, if needed. Bake until the curd has set and jiggles like firm jello, 15 to 20 min. Let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 hours. Cut into 16 pieces.

Key Lime Bars

1 1⁄2 cups graham cracker crumbs (20 squares)
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1 package (8 ounces) reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 ounces) fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1⁄4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon grated lime peel

Heat oven to 350°. Cover bottom and sides of square pan, 9 X 9 X 2 inches, with cooking spray. Mix cracker crumbs, butter and sugar thoroughly with fork. Press evenly in pan. Refrigerate while preparing cream cheese mixture. Beat cream cheese in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in milk until smooth. Beat in lime juice and lime peel. Spread over graham cracker layer in pan. Bake about 35 minutes or until center is set. Cool 30 minutes. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 3 hours until chilled. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows. Store covered in refrigerator. Makes: 36 bars.

HAWAIIAN CHICKEN

OVEN TEMP. 375

5 BONESLESS CHICKEN BREAST
ROLLED IN BEATEN EGGS (2) AND THEN IN CORNSTARCH
FRY UNTIL CHICKEN IS BROWN
PLACE IN OVEN SAFE DISH
SAUCE:
4 TBS KETCHUP
JUICE FROM A CAN OF PINEAPPLE AND A CAN OF PINEAPPLE SLICES
2 TSP SOY SAUCE
1/2 C. BROWN SUGAR
1 TBSP. CORNSTARCH
COOK IN SAUCEPAN OVER LOW HEAT UNTIL SUGER MELTS
POUR OVER CHICKEN
TOP WITH CRUSHED PINEAPPLE AND PLACE A PINEAPPLE SLICE ON TOP OF EACH CHICKEN BREAST
BAKE FOR 35 MIN. OR UNTIL CHICKEN IS DONE.
SET OVEN TO BROIL AT HI-TEMP, BROIL FOR ABOUT 8 MIN. (WATCH CLOSELY) JUST UNTIL PINEAPPLE TURNS BROWNISH ON TOP
SERVE OVER RICE!

This is Oh so "company" worthy. Really pretty presentation too.

Hash Brown Casserole

10.25 oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
8 oz. Colby cheese - grated
1/2 cup melted butter OR margarine
1 sm. onion - minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 lb. bag frozen shredded hash browns


-Spray a 13" X 9" X 2" baking pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
-In a bowl, combine soup, cheese, butter, onion, salt, and pepper.
-Gently fold the potatoes into the mixture and pour into prepared pan.
-Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, until heated through and top is browned.

Green Enchiladas

3 chicken breasts
salt/pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 large onion chopped
1 small can of mild (unless you like it spicy) salsa verde (tomatillo salsa), Herdez is a good brand
1 to 1 1/2 cups sour cream (depending on how spicy you like it)
2 pkgs. small flour tortillas (we make them homemade and these are all the yummier...)
Monterey Jack Cheese

Sautee chicken in canola oil and a pat of butter, salt and pepper to taste and cook with minced garlic and chopped onion. When finished cooking, shred or chop chicken (I use "the chopper").
In separate bowl mix together the salsa verde with the sour cream. If you like it a bit spicier, use less sour cream.
Grate the cheese (probably a good 2-3 cups of grated cheese is what I use... I don't measure it usually. I just buy a medium block of it and grate the whole thing.)
In each tortilla put a spoonful of chicken mixture, spoonful of sauce and sprinkling of cheese, roll up and repeat, placing enchiladas close to each other in a 9x13 casserole dish. You can pack them in pretty tight. I actually usuaally end up using one large cass. dish and one smaller square one and freezing half of them for another meal.
Once you have filled and rolled them all, pour the remaining sauce evenly over all enchiladas and sprinkle the tops with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 min. in 350 degree oven.
Sooooo yummy! I serve 'em with black beans! (or chips and guacamole)

Gorilla Bread

1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.

Enchilada Casserole

1 lb. of extra lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups non-fat sour cream
1 can mild green enchilada sauce (La Victoria)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
5 flour tortillas
1 cup cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef and drain. Add the sour cream and enchilada sauce and stir until well mixed, simmering on low for about 3-5 minutes. Stir in black beans.
Layer beef/bean mixture, ripped up tortillas and cheese, starting with the sauce mixture on bottom and ending with cheese on top.
Bake in 375 oven for 20-25 minutes.
To make it just a little more evil, sprinkle Fritos over it when serving. Add a dollop of guacamole.
Everyone scarfed it down and wanted seconds. :^)

Dilly Macaroni Salad

1 cup elbow macaroni
1/2 cup mayonaise or salad dressing
1 cup cubed cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 cup cubed cooked ham
1 cucumber seeded and diced (and peeled if you want)
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
4 green onions sliced
1 Tablespoon vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried dillweed



Cook macaroni. Drain well and cool. Combine macaroni, cheese
cubes,cucumber, green onion and bell pepper.
Blend together mayonaise or salad dressing, vinegar,salt and dillweed;
add to macaroni mixture. Toss lightly. Cover and chill well. Makes 6 servings.

Coleslaw Dressing

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. cold pressed oil
1 Tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. dill (fresh, frozen or dried)
salt
pepper

1 head of cabbage chopped

Chicken Zucchini Parmigiana

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut in half
salt and pepper to taste
3 large or 4 small zucchini, sliced
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
sprinkling of Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. white sugar
1 Tbsp. Sauterne cooking wine
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil

In a large, heavy skillet saute chicken breast and garlic in oil about 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from skillet; set aside. Add zucchini to skillet, sprinkle with seasoning salt to taste and cook and stir 5 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender. Push to sides of skillet. Arrange chicken in middle of skillet. Mix tomato sauce with the sugar, wine and herbs. Top chicken with cheeses and tomato sauce. Cover, cook on med/low for 8-10 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce is hot.

Bee Sting Cake

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 5/8 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 1 pinch salt
* 3/4 cup lukewarm milk
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
* 1 tablespoon milk
* 5/8 cup sliced almonds
* 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1/3 cup cornstarch
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream
* 1/2 tablespoon cream of tartar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine flour, yeast, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt, 3/4 cup milk, and 3 tablespoons butter or margarine. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 15 to 20 minutes. Place in a well greased bowl, and cover. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled.
2. Punch down the dough. Roll out to a 1/2 inch thickness. Spread into a greased 8 inch square baking pan. Cover, and let rise for 30 minutes.
3. Melt 3 tablespoons butter or margarine and confectioner's sugar in a saucepan. Add almonds and 1 tablespoon milk. Remove from heat, and stir in honey. Spread evenly and carefully onto the dough. Allow dough to continue to rise for an additional 30 minutes.
4. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes, or until crust turns golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Dissolve cornstarch in a little milk. Combine 1 1/2 cups milk, cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon sugar inn the top of a double boiler. Heat while stirring until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add in beaten egg, and keep stirring for about 2 more minutes, or until thick. Remove from heat, and stir in extract. Chill, covered, in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Beat the whipping cream with the cream of tartar until stiff. Fold into the chilled pudding.
6. Cut the cooled almond crust bread into 1 1/4 x 2 inch rectangles. Slice each horizontally into halves. Fill with pudding mixture. Chill, and serve cold.

Chicken Picatta

chicken breasts (2), cubed;

1 16 oz can of chicken broth;

1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

1 jar of capers

1 can of mushrooms

Cube the chicken and coat it in flour. Saute in a pan until almost cooked through. Add remaining ingredients and cook until it reduces.

Chicken Spinach Quesadillas

2-3 chicken breasts cubed (small)
1-2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 clove garlic
a few shakes of Williams Fajita Seasoning (or garlic salt, pepper, a dash of cumin, a bit of oregano...)
1/2 container of washed and ready to eat baby spinach
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups mozarella cheese (grated)
2 Tbsp. Medium heat Tomatillo salsa
Tortillas

Cook chicken breasts with garlic in the olive oil until almost completely done. Add the spinach and cook until it begins to wilt. Add milk, 3/4 cup of the cheese, tomatillo salsa. Stir and cook for a few more minutes on medium heat. Try not to eat it all before filling the tortillas.

Lightly margarine or butter a flour tortilla and place in a hot (med./high) pan. Immediately spoon some of the filling onto the tortilla, sprinkle a bit more cheese and then place another (lightly buttered on one side) tortilla on top. Cook until golden and then flip and cook until golden. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream (and salsa if you want).

Chicken Club Brunch Ring

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped
1 tablespoon onions, finely chopped
1 (10 ounces) can white chicken meat, drained and flaked
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, chopped
1 (4 ounces) cup finely shredded Swiss cheese
2 (8 ounces) packages refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1-2 large plum tomato, thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper
2 cups shredded lettuce


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a bowl, combine mayonnaise and mustard.
Snip parsley.
Chop onion.
Add parsley and onion to mayonnaise mixture; mix well.
In a 2 quart bowl, flake chicken with a fork.
Chop bacon.
Add bacon, 3/4 cup Swiss cheese, and 1/3 cup of the mayonnaise mixture; mix well.
Unroll crescent dough, separate into 16 triangles.
Arrange triangles in a circle on a 13" baking stone with wide ends of triangles overlapping in the center and points toward the outside (there should be a 5-inch diameter opening in the center of the stone).
Scoop the chicken mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle.
Bring outside points of triangle up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center or ring (filling will not be completely covered).
Slice tomatoes, cut slices in half.
Place 1 tomato half over filling between openings of ring.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until deep golden brown.
Remove from oven, immediately sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Swiss cheese.
Using a v-shaped cutter, cut around bell pepper.
Separate halves; remove membrane and seeds.
Fill with remaining mayonnaise mixture; place in center of ring.
Arrange lettuce around the pepper.

Recipe #1

Waiting to add.