Huli Huli Chicken

Ingredients:
1 (4 pound) chicken, quartered
1/2 cup shoyu or soy sauce
1/2 cup pureed pineapple chunks (or frozen pineapple concentrate)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1 finger ginger, finely grated
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Special Equipment
Smoker grill
Mesquite coals
Mesquite chunks (soaked in water at least 1 hour)
Marinade mop

Directions:
1. Cut chicken into quarters, and place pieces in a large Ziploc bag.
2. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, pineapple, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic and Worcestershire. Pour half the mixture into a large resealable plastic bag with the chicken. Set aside remaining marinade for mopping chicken during cooking. Refrigerate chicken for 30 minutes.
3. To prepare the smoker: Use a chimney to light your mesquite chunks or lump charcoal. When they’re flaming and charred on the outside, dump the coals into your smoker. When the temperature reaches 250°F, add a handful of soaked mesquite chips to your coals to get some smoke going.
4. Remove chicken from the marinade, discarding marinade that has come into contact with the raw chicken.
5. Place the chicken on the grill, bone-side down, and mop the chicken with your reserved marinade. Flip and mop the chicken every 10-15 minutes until internal temp reaches 180°F, between 2 and 3 hours. Pull the chicken off the grill, and tent it under foil for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Alternate Cooking Methods:
To Smoke/Grill: Smoke the chicken for around 90 minutes, and finish it on a traditional grill over medium heat. Turn and mop the chicken every 4-5 minutes to keep the brown sugar from burning. Remove from heat and tent with foil for at least 15 minutes.

To Broil: Line a broiler pan with foil. Keep chicken and marinade separate. Broil chicken, skin side up, on the broiler pan, for 10 minutes on each side. Then turn and baste with marinade every 5 minutes until browned, about 20 minutes total.

Orange Pistachio Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups (11.25 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (6 ounces) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (6 ounces) light brown sugar, packed
2 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
Grated zest of 2 large oranges or 1/4 teaspoon orange oil
1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shelled pistachios, salted or unsalted, left whole

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, with the rack in the center position. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone pan liners or parchment paper.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.
3. In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on high until it’s light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Add the almond extract, orange zest and the flour mixture. Once the flour mixture is totally incorporated, mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.
4. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until they begin to brown around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. The centers should remain pale. (If you like flat, crisp, chewy cookies, slam the cookie sheets down on a work surface halfway through the baking time. If you like softer cookies, skip that step.) Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Bake the remaining cookies in the same way.
5. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Note: These make great freeze-and-serve cookies. Form the dough into 2 logs 10 inches long and about 2 inches wide. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and again in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake: Use a sharp knife to cut the still frozen dough into 3/4-inch slices. Place the slices 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets and allow them to defrost for 15 minutes before baking them according to the directions above.

Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:

4 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
6 baked 2-inch Cream Biscuits (recipe below)
Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries and sugar.
2. Remove 1 cup of the strawberry mixture, and purée it in a blender or food processor. Return the purée to the rest of the strawberries; stir. Set aside at least 15 minutes.
3. In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, whip together the cream, vanilla and sugar until it starts to form soft peaks.
4. Slice the Cream Biscuits in half. For each biscuit, spoon the strawberry mixture onto the bottom half, and add a dollop of whipped cream. Top with the other biscuit half, and dust it with powdered sugar.

Cream Biscuits
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons sugar (optional)
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar (if using) and baking powder.
3. Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingertips. The pieces should be the size of small peas.
4. Measure cream; set aside 1 tablespoon. Add the remaining cream to the flour, and stir with a fork until the mixture just comes together. Lightly knead the dough a few times in the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured board, and roll out about 3/4 inch thick.
5. Cut six 2-inch circles or squares out of the dough. Reroll the scraps, if necessary.
6. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and brush the tops with the tablespoon of cream.
7. Bake for 17 minutes or until golden and done.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
4 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound snow peas (or asparagus, sliced into thirds)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 scallions, sliced diagonally
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Up to 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the chicken on a sheet pan. Rub the skin with olive oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Let cool. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces.
3. Combine the chicken, snow peas and peppers in a large bowl.
4. Whisk the dressing ingredients, and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds, and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Glazed Mini Meatloaf

Makes 4-5 mini meat loaves.

Ingredients:

Meatloaves:

17-20 saltine crackers, crushed fine (about 2/3 cup)

1/4 cup whole milk

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 large egg

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 pounds ground meat (I used a combination of lean ground chuck and lean ground pork)

2 teaspoons oil

Glaze:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

4 teaspoons cider vinegar

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Stir cracker crumbs, milk, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, egg, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Add ground meat and combine until uniform. Shape mixture into oval loaves Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is rippling. Add meatloaves (without letting them touch sides) and brown well on one side, 3-5 minutes. Carefully flip loaves over and tidy up edges using a spatula. Brown on this side for another 2-3 minutes

Meanwhile, mix glaze ingredients together until smooth. Transfer mini meatloaves to a foil-lined baking pan and spoon the glaze over the top of each meatloaf. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the center of the loaf registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

Honey Glazed Ham

Most baked ham recipes call for heating the ham to an internal temp of 140°F. But you can heat it to a lower temp, you just want it to be warm enough to eat. The higher the internal temp, the more risk there is of drying out the ham. So the guideline here is 110°F to 120°F, but heat it to a higher temp if you want. Remember, the ham is already cooked, so you're not cooking it here, you're just heating it. If you are working with a partially cooked ham, and not a ready-to-eat ham, follow the cooking directions on the package, most suggest cooking a partially cooked ham to 150°F. Half hams are either cut from the shank end or from the butt end. The butt end may have more meat, but because of the shape of the bone at that end, is more difficult to cut. The hams pictured here are both from the shank end.

Ingredients:
1/2 ready-to-eat, cooked ham, bone-in, uncut (NOT spiral cut), shank end or butt end, about 9-11 pounds

Sweet Hot Honey Mustard Glaze:
3 Tbsp sweet hot honey mustard (or brown mustard with honey)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
About 50 cloves
OR
Honey Thyme Glaze
3 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dry)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
1 Remove the ham from the refrigerator (still wrapped) a couple of hours before you intend to cook it so that it can get closer to room temperature.

2 Preheat oven to 325°F. Place ham, fattier side up, in a foil-lined roasting pan. Score a diamond pattern in the fat with a sharp knife, about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch deep, and the parallel lines about 1 1/2-inches apart. Do not score the meat itself, just the fat and any skin. You can score the fat to as deep as where the fat meets the meat. If you want you can first cut off any skin that might still be on the ham, but it isn't necessary.

3 If using cloves (with the Sweet Honey Mustard Glaze), you can either put them in before applying the glaze or after. They look better if applied after, but it is easier to see the lines in the ham as a guide for placement if you put them in first. Place the cloves in the center of the diamonds to form a nice pattern around the top and sides of the ham. (Some people put the cloves in the intersection points of the scores. Do as you wish. You just want a nice pattern.)

4 Prepare glaze.
If using the sweet honey mustard glaze, mix the mustard with the brown sugar in a small bowl.
If using the honey thyme glaze, mix thyme in with the hot melted butter and let sit for a few minutes. In a small saucepan on high heat, let the cider vinegar reduce down from 1/4 cup to 1 Tbsp, remove from heat. Whisk in the butter and thyme. Add the honey, the brown sugar, and the Worcestershire sauce. Using a pastry brush, brush whichever glaze you are using over the ham. Only use about third of the glaze (reserve the rest for later in cooking). Try to work the glaze into the scored lines.

5 Place ham in oven. Cook for about 1 1/2 hours (check after 1 hour, will take longer if the ham is not at room temp to begin with), or about 10 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature of the ham is 110°-120° (use a meat thermometer). (Note that the ham is already cooked when you buy it, all you are trying to do is heat it up for eating.) Baste the ham with the glaze a couple of times during the cooking. If you check on the ham and think that the glaze is at risk of getting too browned (like on the way to burnt), you can cover with a piece of foil.

6 When the ham has reached the desired temperature, finish it off in the broiler for a minute or two just to get some nice browning on the top. Take the pan out of the oven and brush the ham all over with pan juices. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

White Chocolate Cranberry Coconut Bark

Ingredients:

6 ounces white chocolate, chopped

½ cup dried sweetened dried cranberries

1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (or other nuts)

2 tablespoons coconut, toasted

½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Directions:

Melt the 3 ounces of high quality white chocolate over a double-boiler of simmering water or slowly in the microwave. Stir until the chocolate is smooth. Add the cranberries, pecans, coconut, and almond extract. Drop onto waxed paper or use a mold. Melt the remaining 3 ounces white chocolate and drizzle in a crisscross pattern using a piping bag. Refrigerate or freeze until firm. Store in an airtight container. Can be stored in the refrigerator for several months.

Sun-dried Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1½ pound total)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, finely diced

¼ cup drained sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil; ½ ounce), patted dry and coarsely chopped

¾ teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

¼ cup dry white wine

¾ cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1¾ cup heavy cream

¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

Directions:

Dry the meat with a paper towel and season with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown chicken on all sides, about 6 minutes total. (Chicken will not be cooked through.) Set aside.Add garlic, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes to pan and sauté, stirring, until garlic is pale golden, about 1 minute. Add wine and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Reduce this mixture by half, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, mustard and soy sauce and bring to a boil, covered.Add chicken to skillet with any juices accumulated on plate and simmer, covered, until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Set chicken aside and tent with foil. Purée sauce with either an immersion or stand blender until almost smooth. (Use caution when blending hot liquids in a stand blender.) If necessary, add water to thin to desired consistency. (Can be made ahead up to this point and frozen.) Stir cream and 2 tablespoons basil into sauce in pan and bring just to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sauce over chicken and garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons basil.

Shrimp and Avacado Cornets

Ingredients:
1/3 lb shrimp - peeled, deveined and coarsely chopped

1 avocado - peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

3 tbsp minced cilantro

1 tbsp minced shallots (I used scallions)

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp sherry vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp ground cumin

1 pkg frozen puff pastry, thawed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine shrimp, avocado, cilantro, shallots, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin.On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 sheet of pastry to measure 12 inches square. Cut into thirds in one direction, then into quarters in the other. Cut each rectangle in half diagonally to form 2 triangles. Place one triangle with long side nearest you. Spoon 1 tsp of filling in the center of the triangle. Bring bottom corner of the shortest side up to the top point, then wrap remaining corner to create bottom of the cone. Pinch to seal, then transfer to baking sheet. (I placed the pastry triangles on the baking sheet before filling them with the mixture - it was a lot easier that way!)Repeat proceedure with remaining puff pastry sheets. Bake in heated oven 17-19 minutes, or until golden (my oven took 15 minutes exactly and they came out perfect).

Granola Grabbers

Ingredients:

3 cups granola without fruit

3/4 cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden)

1/2 cup salted peanuts

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup sweetened coconut

1/3 cup wheat germ

1-3/4 sticks (14 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temp

3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup AP flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.
Put cereal in a large bowl and break up any clumps with your fingers. Add in craisins, peanuts, coconut. Mix together. Cream butter at medium speed for about 1-2 minutes. Add sugars and beat until creamy. Add in egg and salt. Reduce speed to low and slowly add in flour a little at a time until just blended.Slowly add the cereal mixture and use a spatula to fold it into the cookie batter. Scoop out the cookie dough in 1/2-1oz balls (depending on how big you want the cookies) and arrange on baking sheet about 1-2 inches between each ball. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Repeat with remaining dough.

I subbed chocolate & cinnamon chips for the raisins, used half regular granola & half spiced pumpkin granola and used walnuts instead of almonds… the result = fabulous!

Oreo Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

2-1/3 c all-purpose flour

1 c unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 tbsp (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 c firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs, at room temperature

1-1/2 c buttermilk, at room temperature

24 Oreos, one side twisted off and reserved for frosting

For the frosting/filling:

1-1/4 c whipping cream

2 tbsp powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c Oreo cookie crumbs, made from reserved Oreo sides

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan. Place one oreo in each liner, cream side up.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the brown sugar and continue beating until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour, beating after each addition.
Divide the batter between the prepared liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, 19 to 24 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.

For the frosting/filling:In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff. Gently fold in the cookie crumbs. Scoop the mixture into a piping bag (or gallon sized ziplock bag), and using a 1M tip, inject filling into each cupcake by sticking the tip into the middle of the cupcake and squeezing a bit. Frost the cupcakes and top with 1/2 of an Oreo.

Let the cupcakes cake cool completely before filling and frosting.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken stock, homemade or purchased (I use reduced sodium)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I like to roast mine)
½ white onion, chopped
(I also add 2-3 zucchinis, chopped)
2 teaspoons chili powder (I also use 1 teaspoon or so of cumin)
juice from 3-4 limes
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled tortilla chips

Directions:

Coat a large saucepan with olive oil over medium-high heat, add onion and zucchini and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder and stir until fragrant. Pour in stock and bring to a boil. Add the shredded chicken, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is heated through. Add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with tortilla chips and garnishes.

Garnish ideas:
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
chopped avocado
fresh chopped cilantro

World Peace Cookies

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips

Directions:

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on a medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 more minutes. Turn off the mixer. Pour in the dry ingredients, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. If there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple times more; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough – for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the four is added, and don't be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 ½ inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours (the dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you've frozen the dough, there's no need to defrost it before baking – just slice the logs into cookies and bake the cookies 1 minute longer).

Grilled Squash

Ingredients:
One large zucchini, sliced
Two small summer squash, sliced
Olive oil
sea salt, pepper, seasoning salt

Directions:
In a large bowl, toss sliced zucchini and squash with olive oil (as much as you'd like), salt, pepper, and seasoning salt. Grill on one side for 3-5 minutes, then turn and cook for another 2-3 minutes. I like to add green chile to this mix and sweet corn never hurts either.

Turkey Meatball Sub

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp each salt and pepper
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 jar marinara sauce
sub rolls
provolone or mozzarella cheese-2 slices per sub

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until just combined. Heat a skillet over medium heat with about 1-2 Tbsp olive oil. Form the turkey mixture into balls and place in the skillet. Turn the meatballs every couple minutes to brown on all sides. Add marinara sauce to the pan, cover and let simmer over low heat about 15 minutes to ensure the meatballs are completely cooked. Place 4 meatballs on each sub roll that has been sliced lengthwise and spoon the marinara sauce over the meatballs. Top with cheese (I used shredded mozzarella this time, but provolone is delicious as well) and place under the broiler for a couple minutes to toast the bread and melt the cheese.

Maple Glazed Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c. pumpkin

2 egg whites, whipped

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup AP and 1/2 cup whole wheat)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cloves

3 c. rolled oats

1 c. raisins (I omitted)

1 c. powdered sugar

1 or 2 drops maple extract

splash of milk

Directions:

Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine pumpkin and egg whites. In a separate bowl combine sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, oats, and raisins (batter will be very dry at first). Mix ingredients together just until moistened.Drop cookies by tablespoonfuls onto a prepared baking sheet, 2" apart. You can leave the cookies in the shape of a ball (the baked cookie will still be a ball) or flatten them out with the bottom of a glass before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
For Glaze: mix the powdered sugar, milk and maple extract in a small bowl, then drizzle over cooled cookies.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup ranch salad dressing

1/4 cup blue cheese salad dressing

1/2 cup buffalo sauce or buffalo style barbecue sauce

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (shredded mozzarella cheese can be substituted)

2 cans chicken breast (or if you're uncomfortable with canned meat, you can shred up a rotisserie chicken.

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a deep baking dish, mix cream cheese, salad dress, buffalo sauce, and cheese. Stir until combined. Stir in chicken. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the dish is heated through. Serve with crackers, pita chips, sliced bread or vegetables.

NOTE: Depending on your tastes and the ingredients on hand, you can use 1/2 cup ranch or blue cheese salad rather than 1/4 cup of each. Similarly, you can mix blue cheese and mozzarella, or use portions of each.

French Macaroons

Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar

½ cup powdered almonds or pecans

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

5 tablespoons granulated sugar

Nutella

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

On a piece of parchment, use a pencil to draw 1-inch circles about 2 inches apart. Flip each sheet over and place each sheet on a baking sheet. Note: You only have to draw circles on the parchment paper if you want absolutely even-sized macarons. If you’re skilled with piping and don’t mind eyeballing the amount of batter per cookie, skip this step.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip ready (or in our case, a ziploc bag with the tip cut out). Grind together the powdered sugar with the almond powder so there are no lumps; use a blender or food processor since almond meal that you buy isn't quite fine enough.In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you're alone). Pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1-inch circles (about 1 tablespoon each of batter), evenly spaced one-inch apart. Let sit out on the counter for 1-2 hours until they form a "skin". Bake them for 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet. Fill with Nutella filling and sandwich cookies together.

Savory Tilapia

Ingredients:

2 tilapia fillets

Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Dill

Fresh lemon juice

Cayenne pepper (just a pinch; optional)

Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Heat 1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan over medium heat; season fish with salt, pepper, paprika, dill, lemon juice and cayenne pepper to taste. Place fish in pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until inside of fish is cooked through and "flaky".Serve with grilled or sauteed zucchini and squash (I just slice them thin, season with salt and pepper, and saute them in a litte olive oil in a skillet for about 7 - 10 minutes or until tender).

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:

1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” pieces)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons green onions (chopped)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts

Directions:

Combine chicken and cornstarch in a small bowl and toss to coat. Heat sesame oil in wok (or large deep-dish skillet) over medium heat, add chicken and stir fry 5-7 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Remove chicken from wok.Add green onions, garlic, red pepper flakes and ginger to the wok and stir fry for 15 seconds. Combine vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Mix well and add the sauce to the wok.Return chicken to the wok and coat with sauce. Stir in roasted peanuts. Heat thoroughly. Top with additional green onions if desired and serve over white rice.

Chicken Divan

Ingredients:
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli
2 cooked boneless chicken breast halves, chopped
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place broccoli in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with the chicken.
In a small bowl, blend the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Top with Cheddar cheese.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Coconut Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
Cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons potato starch (in the baking aisle)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2/3 cup fat-free milk (I used 1/3 cup lite coconut milk and 1/3 cup fat-free milk)
2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cupcakes, place 2 muffin cup liners in each of 12 muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.
4. Combine 3/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended (mixture will be the consistency of damp sand). Add egg and egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to egg mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in coconut and vanilla.
5. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched lightly in the center. Cool in pan 2 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
6. To prepare frosting, combine 3 tablespoons butter and next 3 ingredients (through juice) in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating just until smooth. Spread about 2 1/2 teaspoons frosting onto each cupcake.

Pecan Toffee Bars

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 egg
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 cup toffee bits

Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and brown sugar until well blended. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until it resembles course crumbs. Whisk the egg and add to the flour mixture, mix well. stir in 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips and the pecans. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the mixture. Press the remaining crumbs into a greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the hot crust. Top with the toffee bits. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture and the 1/2 cup of chocolate chips evenly over the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until set and golden brown. Cool completely and cut into bars.

White Velvet Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups butter, softened to room temperature
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 3/4 cups flour

Directions:
Cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add sugar, egg yolks and vanilla; mix well. Gradually add flour. The dough will be VERY soft; don't worry, it gets firmer after chilling. Cover and chill two hours or until firm. Roll out on floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into shapes; place on greased baking sheets (or use parchment paper). Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until set (but not browned). Cool 5 minutes. Place on wire racks to cool. Frost as desired.

Brown Butter Ravioli

Ingredients:
1 12-16 oz. package of fresh or frozen ravioli (I prefer chicken and cheese)
3 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 handfuls grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for ravioli. Salt water and drop ravioli in water. Cook 8 minutes or until ravioli expand, float to top of water and are al dente.
Melt butter into large frying pan and brown. Add cooked ravioli to browned butter and turn and cook until browned. Add balsamic vinegar and stir until coated. Sprinkle cheese over the top, salt and pepper to taste.

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:
4 1/2 lb. pork tenderloins, 2 packages with 1 tenderloin in each package
4 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, cracked or chopped
Steak seasoning blend or coarse salt and black pepper
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped and finely chopped (I used a teaspoon of dry)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees
Trim silver skin or connective tissue off tenderloins
Place tenderloins on a nonstick cookie sheet with a rim (I covered mine in foil)
Cut small slits into meat and disperse chunks of cracked garlic coves into meat.
Coat tenderloins with a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and rub into meat. Drizzle tenderloins with olive oil, just enough to coat. Combine steak seasoning blend or coarse salt and pepper with rosemary and thyme and rub meat with blend. Roast in hot oven for 20 minutes
Let meat rest, transfer to a carving board, slice and serve.

Fried Mozerella Balls

Ingredients:
About 5 cups vegetable oil
1 lb drained marinated bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), patted dry
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup plain fine dry bread crumbs

Equipment:A deep-fat thermometer
Accompaniment:warm homemade or bottled spicy tomato sauce

Directions:
Heat about 1 1/2 inches oil to 360°F in a 3 1/2- to 4-qt heavy saucepan.
Meanwhile, double-coat bocconcini by dipping in eggs, then in bread crumbs, and repeating. Transfer to a sheet of wax paper.
Working in batches of 10, lower balls into oil with a slotted spoon and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 30 seconds per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt. (Return oil to 360°F between batches.)

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients:
2 Portobello mushrooms
Balsamic vinegar
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 of an onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, roasted and chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cups of fresh spinach
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
Italian seasoning
Mozzerella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the stem and gills from the mushroom. I use a spoon to scoop them out.
2. Brush the mushrooms with balsamic vinegar
3. Heat olive oil in a small saute pan. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until tender. Add in peppers. Cook until tender.
4. Add in tomatoes and spinach. Cook until spinach wilted and "cooked."
5. Divide the filling and stuff the mushrooms.
6. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on the top and add Italian seasoning. Top with cheese.
7. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about ten minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Chile Verde

Ingredients:
3 pounds pork roast, fat removed as much as possible (*If using a roast any larger than 3 lbs, I always double the remaining ingredients)
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 10 oz can green enchilada sauce
1 4 oz can diced green chilis
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with chilis
2 chicken bouillon cubes
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp oregano
¼ tsp pepper

Directions:
In a large heavy pot, over medium heat, brown meat, then add onion and garlic and saute a few minutes. Place in crockpot. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. 1 hour before serving, remove roast and set aside. Strain out the onions and tomatoes as much as possible and put with the roast. Pour remaining liquid into a large saucepan. (I place the roast and strained solids back into the crockpot, TURNED OFF, with the lid on to keep warm.) Bring the liquids to a boil on the stove, and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every now and then, until considerably reduced. The point is to concentrate all the liquids to make a thicker sauce. This is a very important step, because all the flavor is in this liquid, and you want to preserve all that flavor for the meat. Plus, I don't like meat too liquid-y or else it runs out the back of the burritos. (You could also opt to drain the tomatoes at the beginning to make this step go faster.)

Mix the thickened sauce into the shredded meat and serve. Serve with warm tortillas, Monterey Jack cheese (monterey pepper jack is good too), cilantro, diced tomatoes, and lettuce. You can also served it with sour cream and chopped red onion.

*Original instructions say: Cube roast. In a large heavy pot, over medium heat, brown meat, then add onion, garlic and ½ cup water with the bouillon cubes. Cover for 15-20 minutes then stir, getting all the brown bits off the side of the pan. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook on low for 2-4 hours (or in oven at 300°).

Sun Dried Tomato Quiche

Ingredients:
3/4 c Swiss cheese, shredded
3/4 c Cheddar cheese, shredded
2/3 c chopped sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
2 T finely diced onion
1 t Italian seasonings
1/2 t salt
4 eggs
1 c half and half
3/4 c milk
1 T flour
one 9-inch pie crust (this recipe makes enough for two 8-inch crusts too)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees and then bake pie crust for 5 minutes. in a large bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Pour mixture into the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Slice into wedges and serve.

Lemon Yogurt Cake With Lemon Curd

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
3 T olive oil
Kosher salt
pepper
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 cup gruyere cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the cauliflower into florets and then lay them on a baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower and add plenty of salt and pepper. Toss and then put in the oven for 30 minutes. About halfway through toss again to keep from burning.
Once the cauliflower is roasted, add the cheese on top and put it back in the oven for another two minutes.

Ravioli Bake

Ingredients:
1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T tomato paste
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 T minced fresh basil
1/4 heavy cream
salt and ground black pepper
2 (9 ounce) packages fresh cheese ravioli
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.
Cook sausage in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking meat up with wooden spoon until lightly browned and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain meat and set aside.
Add oil, garlic, and tomato paste to skillet and return to medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and reserved sausage and cook until slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in basil and cream and continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, cover, and set aside.
Add 1 T salt and ravioli to boiling water and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain ravioli and return to pot.
Stir sauce into ravioli and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture into 13 by 9-inch baking dish and sprinkle evenly with mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Serve.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Ingredients:
1/4 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 T sugar
2 eggs
1/3 c milk
1/3 c canola oil
1 c ricotta cheese
juice and zest of 1 lemon

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients, and then mix with the dry ingredients. Add lemon juice and zest. Pour approximately 1/4 c batter on grill or skillet (400 degrees). Cook until golden brown. Flip once. Arrange on a plate and dust with confectioner's sugar.

Portabello Mushroom Burgers

Ingredients:

2 large portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed

Balsamic vinegar

2 whole wheat buns

Roasted red peppers

Grilled onions

Spinach leaves

Mozzarella cheese

Spicy mustard

Tomato slices

Directions:

1. Heat the grill or grill pan if doing it inside. Brush the mushrooms with balsamic vinegar.

2. Cook both sides until tender and juicy.

3. Toast the whole wheat buns.

4. Place the mushroom on the bun, top with cheese, red peppers, onions, spinach, mustard, and tomato slices.

Coconut Lime Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut, divided

1 stick butter, softened

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon grated lime zest

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

5 tablespoons lime juice, divided

1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the middle. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan, line bottom with a round of parchment paper then butter the parchment paper.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Measure out 1/2 cup of shredded coconut and process in a mini food processor until very finely chopped (you can also finely chop it with a knife). Stir the chopped coconut into the flour mixture and set aside. Combine buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of lime juice; set aside.
3. Beat together butter, sugar, and lime zest with an electric mixer until very fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Turn mixer to low speed, add one third of the flour mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
4. Spoon batter into the buttered cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of a preheated 350 degree oven until golden and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Cool to warm, then turn out of pan and discard parchment.
5. Whisk together powdered sugar and the remaining three tablespoons of lime juice. Poke top of cake all over with a fork then pour glaze over the cake. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of coconut.

Peppermint Meringue Cookies

Ingredients:
2-3 Tbsp thoroughly crushed peppermint candies
3 egg whites
Pinch salt
1 cup sugar (use superfine if you have it)
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Directions:
1 )Preheat oven to 300°F.
2 )Put egg whites into a standup mixer, add a pinch of salt. Start the mixer on low, gradually increasing the speed to medium until quite foamy and soft peaks can just begin to form, about 2-3 minutes. Egg white bubbles should be small and uniform.
3) Increase the speed to medium high and slowly add the sugar, a little (1-2 teaspoons) at a time. Continue to whip egg whites and sugar for a few minutes, then add the vinegar. Increase the speed to the highest setting and whip the egg whites until they are glossy and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted, about 4 to 5 minutes.
4) Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the crushed peppermints.
5 )Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. If you are using parchment paper, you can put a dollop of the meringue mixture in the corners of the pans before placing the parchment paper on them, to help secure the parchment paper in place. Either use a spoon to drop teaspoonfuls of the meringue mixture onto the cookie sheets (spaced an inch apart) or use a pastry piping bag (can make one with a plastic freezer bag with the corner cut off) to pipe mounds (1 1/2 inches wide) onto the lined cookie sheet.
6) Put the cookie sheets in the 300°F oven, close the door. Wait for one minute only, then turn the oven OFF. Do not open the door for another 3 hours. You can leave them in the oven overnight. The meringues will gently cook in the residual heat of the oven. When done, the meringues will be lightly crisp on the outside and light and airy on the inside. If they are still a little chewy after 3 hours, just let them dry out for a few more hours.
Makes 24 meringue cookies. Store in an airtight container.

Sweet-Potato Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 C. Bisquick baking mix
4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1 heaping teaspoon fresh chopped thyme leaves
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup mashed sweet potato*
1 T. brown sugar
all purpose flour for dusting counter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust a counter top lightly with flour.
2. In a medium bowl, combine baking mix, bacon, and chopped thyme. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sweet potato, milk, and brown sugar.
3. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until just combined.
4. Dump mixture out onto a floured counter and knead a few times just to finish mixing the dough.
5. Pat out into a circle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut biscuits and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes until just lightly browned on top
Yield: 8-10 small biscuits
* To make 1/2 cup of mashed sweet potatoes, I just peeled one smallish sweet potato, cut it into chunks, and boiled it for about 15 minutes until it was fork tender. I put the potato through a food mill, but you can mash it however you like. Just make sure that it’s tender enough not to leave little chunks in your biscuits! You could also mash a leftover baked sweet potato.

German Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
Cake:
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 T water
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/4 C + 1/4 C sugar
4 large eggs, separated
2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 C buttermilk, at room temp
1 t vanilla extract

Filling:
1 C evaporated milk
1 C sugar
3 beaten egg yolks
1 stick butter
1 t vanilla extract
1 C pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 1/3 C coconut, toasted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Butter or spray baking pan (9x13 or 2 9" rounds)
Melt both chocolates together with the 6 T water in the microwave. Stir until smooth, then set aside until room temp.
In a mixer, beat the butter, and 1 1/4 C sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 mins. Beat in the melted chocolate, then the egg yolks 1 at a time.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt.
Mix in half of the dry ingredients into mixer, then the buttermilk and vanilla, then the rest of the dry ingredients.
In a separate metal or glass bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft, droopy peaks. Beat in the 1/4 C sugar until stiff.
Fold about 1/3 of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites just until there's no trace of egg whites visisible.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, smooth the tops and back for about 45 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake completely.

Mix together the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter, and vanilla in a saucepan. Heat the mixture and cook, stirring constantly until the it begins to thicken and coats the spoon (170 degrees). Mix in the pecans and coconut. Cool to room temperature (it will thicken).

Makes enough frosting to generously cover a 9x13 cake or 2 on top of each round.

Snowman Donuts

Stick a baby carrot into the center of a powdered donut. Make eyes and mouth with candies or chocolate chips.

Toasted Walnut Pasta

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 clove garlic, minced

1 slice bread, crusts removed

2/3 cup 2% milk

1 ounce grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 pound any flat short pasta

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Put a large saucepan of water on to boil, and toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan until they begin to make a nutty aroma. Put the bread in a bowl and cover with the milk. Put most of the toasted walnuts (reserving about 1 ounce for garnish) into a blender along with the garlic, bread soaked in milk, and Parmesan. Blend until it turns smooth and creamy, then pour in the oil and season well with salt and pepper before blending again.Pour into a bowl, and set aside. Add pasta to boiling water with salt and cook for the required amount of time. When pasta is al dente, reserve a cup of the pasta cooking liquid and then drain the pasta, but put it in to a large bowl while it's still dripping slightly with water. Sprinkle a little olive oil over the pasta to prevent it from sticking together, and then add the walnut sauce, mixing it into the pasta (splash in a little pasta cooking liquid to make the sauce less thick if needed). Roughly chop the remaining walnuts and toss them over the top along with some more Parmesan and the chopped parsley.

Kahlua Pork

Ingredients:
4-6 lbs boneless pork butt
1/2 bottle liquid smoke
Hawaiin salt or Kosher salt

Directions:
Cut slashes in pork and rub with salt. Pour liquid smoke over meat and wrap in foil. Refrigerate overnight. Put marinated pork in a crockpot with 1/2 C water. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Shred to serve.

Cheesy Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup parmesan cheese (grated fresh)
I cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced onion

Directions:
Combine ingredients. Split French bread horizontally, spread mixture and sprinkle with paprika (if desired... the above picture is minus the paprika). Broil to crisp up. Enough for 2 loaves of French bread.

Chile Cheese Souffle

Ingredients:
10 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2 (4 oz.) cans chopped green chilies
4 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 pint small curd, cottage cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:
Add eggs, flour, baking powder and salt together. Mix well. Add remainder of ingredients. Grease a 9 x 13 glass baking dish and pour mixture in. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Pastry:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar, divided
3/4 cup butter, chilled
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs, divided
1 tsp. almond extract

Filling:
1 -8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup raspberry jam
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions:
Grease and flour bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or fork and work into coarse crumbs. Set aside 1 cup of crumb mixture.
Into remaining crumb mixture, add baking powder, soda, salt, sour cream, 1 egg and almond extract. Blend well.
Spread batter over bottom and 2 inches up sides of pan. Batter should be about 1/4 inch thick on sides.
In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, remaining sugar and 1 egg and blend well. Pour over batter in pan. Carefully spoon preserves evenly over cheese filling.
In a small bowl, combine the 1 cup reserved crumb mixture and sliced almonds. Sprinkle over the top.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-55 minutes or until cream cheese filling is set and crust is golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes. Remove sides of pan. Serve warm or cool, cut into wedges.

Raspberry Tuxedo Brownie Squares

Ingredients:
1 package (21 oz.) brownie mix (9 x 13 size)
1/2 C seedless raspberry jam
2 C fresh raspberries, or frozen whole raspberries without syrup, thawed and drained, divided (I used 1 1/2 cups frozen for the dessert and then used 1/2 cup fresh to garnish the top)
3 squares (1 ounce each) white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
2 packages (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/4 C milk
1 C heavy whipping cream, wh ipped to stiff peaks

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Prepare and bake brownie mix according to package. Cool completely. Spread jam onto brownies. Reserve 1/2 cup of raspberries for the garnish, arrange the remaining 1 1/2 cups raspberries evenly over jam. Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar in medium bowl, mix well. Gradually whisk in melted chocolate and milk. Fold in whipped cream. Spread carefully over raspberries. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Cut into squares. Garnish with reserved raspberries or chocolate curls. Store, covered in the refrigerator. Yields: 15 servings

Cinnamon Toast White Chocolate Pretzels

Ingredients:

1 bag (18 oz.) small pretzels
2/3 C oil
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Extra cinnamon sugar for sprinkling
White chocolate for drizzling

Directions:
In microwave safe bowl pour in pretzels. Mix together oil, sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Pour over pretzels and mix well, making sure to coat pretzels. Place in microwave for 2 minutes on high. Check after first minute as they might burn. Stir the mixture and continue cooking. Microwave for 1 minute more.
When out of the microwave, stir again to make sure they are all coated. Spread the pretzels onto two cookie sheets. You want a single layer of pretzels. While they are still hot sprinkle additional cinnamon sugar over the top. Melt white chocolate and drizzle over the top of pretzels. Once white chocolate hardens put into air tight containers.

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:

1 lb dark chocolate, chopped
1 lb white chocolate, chopped

A drop of peppermint oil

12 peppermint candy canes, crushed (about 1 cup)

Directions:
Melt the dark chocolate and pour onto a jelly roll pan lined with aluminum foil or a silpat. Spread evenly to desired thickness. Place in refrigerator to harden. Sift peppermint candy to separate the large chunks from the peppermint sand. Melt the white chocolate. Stir in peppermint oil. Make sure it is only a drop.

When cooled, fold the peppermint sand into the white chocolate taking care not to overmix (and getting pink chocolate instead). Remove dark chocolate from the refrigerator and spread the white chocolate on top. Sprinkle the peppermint chunks evenly over the white chocolate and gently press the pieces into the layer. Refrigerate until hardened. Break the bark into pieces.

Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
1/2 cup shelled pistachios, coarsley chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries (or cherries)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup decorative sugar (preferably coarse)

Directions:
Make dough:
Stir together flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
Beat together butter, granulated sugar, and zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until dough just comes together in clumps, then mix in pistachios and cranberries. Gather and press dough together, then divide into 2 equal pieces. Using a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper as an aid, form each piece of dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Square off long sides of each log to form a bar, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until very firm, at least 2 hours.

Slice and bake cookies:
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Brush egg over all 4 long sides of bars (but not ends). Sprinkle decorative sugar on a separate sheet of parchment or wax paper and press bars into sugar, coating well.
Cut each bar crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, rotating bar after cutting each slice to help keep square shape. (If dough gets too soft to slice, freeze bars briefly until firm.) Arrange cookies about 1/2 inch apart on lined baking sheets.
Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are pale golden, 15 to 18 minutes total. Transfer cookies from parchment to racks using a slotted spatula and cool completely.

Prosciutto, Fontina, Spinach, and Chicken Roll-ups

Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz prosciutto, cut into 10 pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
10 small slices fontina cheese
15-20 fresh spinach leaves
10 chicken breast halves, pounded thin
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup All Whites ( liquid egg whites)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chicken stock

Directions:
1. Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine bread crumbs, minced rosemary, and garlic powder, in another shallow dish. Pour egg whites into a third shallow dish.
2. Lay a thin chicken breast half on a cutting board and at the top of the breast, layer a small piece of prosciutto. Cover the proscuitto with fontina cheese and lay a 1-2 spinach leaves on top of the cheese. Very carefully, roll the chicken up, as tightly as you can and secure it with a toothpick.
3. Dip the chicken roll in the flour, then the egg white and finally the bread crumbs, rolling it around, to make sure that it is completely covered. Place the completed roll on a plate and repeat process with remaining chicken breast halves and other ingredients.
4. When all your chicken pieces are rolled, heat 1 Tbls olive oil in an electric skillet, heated to medium-high heat. Place 5 of the rolls in the oil and let brown, turning quickly, so all sides are evenly brown. When all sides, top and bottom are brown, add 1 cup of chicken stock to the pan and cover.
5. Let cook, until chicken is cooked through, adding more chicken stock, if necessary, 10-15 minutes. To check for doneness, cut one of the rolls in half to make sure the thicker part of the chicken rolls are cooked through.
6. Remove chicken rolls from the dish and serve.

Baked Apple French Toast

Ingredients:
1 C. brown sugar
4 T. minute tapioca
1 C. butter
4 eggs
2 T. corn syrup
1 T. vanilla
9 slices rustic country bread
1 C. milk
4 C. tart apples

Directions:
Microwave brown sugar, butter, corn syrup for 2 ½ to 3 minutes. Whisk until combined. Pour into an oven proof dish. Distribute the apples atop the brown sugar mixture and sprinkle the apples with tapioca.Combine eggs, milk and vanilla in a deep dish and dip bread into mixture.
Place bread on top of apples and refrigerate overnight.Bake at 350° uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes.

Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes (leave the skins on)
Cooking Spray
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Slice potatoes to about 1/8" thickness. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Lightly spray the tops of the potatoes with cooking spray too. Sprinkle with seasonings. Bake at 425 for 15-25 minutes. Start checking the chips at about 15 minutes. Remove chips that are browning.

Parmesan Potato Pancake

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch diameter) nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until tender and fragrant, about another 2 minutes. Season the onion mixture with salt and pepper. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl and set aside. Reserve the pan.
Meanwhile, grate the potatoes in a food processor using the grating attachment blade. Use a kitchen towel to help squeeze out the water from the grated potatoes. Add the potatoes to the bowl with the onion mixture. Add the Parmesan and the basil. Stir to combine and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
Warm the remaining olive oil over high heat in the same pan that was used to cook the onions. When the pan is hot, but not smoking add the potato mixture. Use a spatula to press the mixture down into the pan firmly and evenly. Turn the heat down to medium and cook the potato mixture until the bottom is golden brown and the pancake can move in the pan, about 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low if the pancake is browning too fast in places. Place a large plate on top of the pancake and flip the pancake out of the pan. Turn the heat on the pan back up to high. When the pan is hot slide the pancake back into the pan and cook until the bottom is golden and is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. Slide the pancake onto a serving platter, slice, and serve.