Enchiladas

Ingredients:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cans of Enchilada Sauce
2 cups grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups shredded cooked chicken from a rotisserie chicken
1 small can of diced green chiles
1 cup canned corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced
12 to 14 soft round 6 to 8-inch flour or corn tortillasDirections

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl cream together the cream cheese and the sour cream. Stir in 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Stir in 1 cup of the grated cheese. In a second bowl toss together the chicken, the corn, chiles, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and 1/2 of the scallions. Add the chicken mixture to the cheese mixture and stir to combine. In a baking dish, spray bottom with cookie spray and spread a 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce over the bottom. Lay tortilla on a flat surface and brush the surface with enchilada sauce to moisten. Place about a 1/3 cup of the filling on a corn tortilla, roll up being careful not to break the tortilla and transfer to the baking dish with the seam side down. Repeat process for remaining tortillas. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas, spreading to coat all of them. Sprinkle remaining grated cheese over the top.

Enchiladas may be prepared up to this point 12 hours in advance. Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Enchiladas may be reheated, covered with aluminum foil, before service. Sprinkle with the remaining scallions and serve warm.

Stuffed Red Peppers

Ingredients:

10 Medium Bell Peppers

1/2 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese, grated

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Sea Salt to taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

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Beef Mixture

16 oz ground beef

8 Sun-dried Tomatoes in oil, chopped

4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped

1 Large Yellow Onion, finely chopped

2 tsp Dried Parsley

1 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves, torn

1 Can (28 Fl oz) Whole Tomatos, crushed and drained

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

1 Tbsp Chili Flakes

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Sea salt to taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

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Directions:

Prepare the beef mixtures: In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and sauté until translucent, for about 10 minutes.Add the ground beef and cook until the meat is no longer pink in color. Then add the sun-dried tomato, chili flakes, parsley, and give it a quick stir. Mix in the can tomatoes, tomato paste, and basil leaves and cook for another 10 minutes. Season the beef mixtures with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.Preheat oven to 400˚F. Clean the peppers, sliced the top off (reserved), discard the cores and dry with paper towels.Brush the peppers with olive oil on the outsides. Fill the beef mixture in to the peppers and top with the cheeses. Lightly oil a baking tray, place peppers and the reserved top besides them.Roast for about 25 minutes or until the cheese have melted and light brown in color. Remove from the oven. Let it cool slightly before serving.

Gazpacho with Shrimp

Ingredients:
1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
4 plum tomatoes
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
grilled shrimp
diced avacado

Directions:
Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!
After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop. Before serving, top with grilled shrimp and avacado.

Grilled Portabella and Brie Burgers

Ingredients:
2 large Portabella mushroom caps
1-2 zucchini, sliced thinly longways
1-2 summer squash, sliced thinly longways
4-5 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper
1-2 roasted red peppers, fresh or jarred, sliced thinly
handful of fresh basil leaves
2 thin slices of Ile de France Brie cheese
2 French hamburger buns

Directions:
Place mushroom caps and sliced veggies in a large shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper and let marinate for 15 minutes. Place veggies over medium heat on grill and cook approximately 5 minutes on each side or until you veggies start to soften and you see grill marks. Place sliced buns on grill rack and watch carefully until lightly toasted.Layer mushroom caps on bottom of your buns, top with slices of zucchini, squash and roasted red peppers. Top with 3-4 basil leaves. Spread brie on top half of warm bun and serve.

Summer Tortellini Salad

Ingredients:
1 package (9 ounces) uncooked refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
4 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley
1/2 cup fat-free ranch dressing
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Cook tortellini according to package directions in Professional (8-qt.) Stockpot; drain and rinse under cold running water using large Colander. Place tortellini in large Colander Bowl and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, slice zucchini using Ultimate Slice & Grate fitted with v-shaped blade. Chop carrot using Food Chopper. Cut cherry tomatoes in half and slice green onions. Snip parsley using Kitchen Shears.
3. Add vegetables to tortellini. Pour salad dressing over salad. Grate Parmesan cheese over salad using Deluxe Cheese Grater; mix gently. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Flatbread Herb Bread

Ingredietnts:
Pizza dough or crescent dinner rolls (8 oz. refrigerated can) or your own pizza dough or roll dough
1/2 C fresh basil leaves
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C grated Mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into 2 long rectangles. Place one rectangle on ungreased cookie sheet. Place basil leaves on dough. Then sprinkle rosemary on top of basil. Place second rectangle over the herbs. Flatten a little with rollling pin or bottle. Brush egg over top. Sprinkle on the cheeses (you can also add other cheese you like). Bake until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.

BBQ Chicken

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon No-Salt salt
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
8 (6-ounce) skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
Cooking spray

Directions

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Combine ketchup and next 3 ingredients (through mustard) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.
3. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Rub spice mixture evenly over chicken thighs.
4. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 12 minutes. Turn chicken over. Brush with half of ketchup mixture; cook 12 minutes.
5. Turn chicken over. Brush with remaining ketchup mixture; cook 2 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°. Be sure your thermometer does not touch the bone when taking the temp.

Chocolate-Peppermint Bark

Ingredints:
12 oz chocolate chips
1 pound white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup peppermint candy, crushed

Directions: .
Preheat oven to 250. Line a 9x13 pan with foil, letting it hang over the sides. Spray foil. Pour the chocolate chips in an even layer on the foil. Place in oven for 5 minutes or until almost melted. Remove from oven, smooth with an offset spatula or knife. Place in refrigerator until cold and firm, about 20 minutes.
Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a metal bowl over simmering water (don’t let bottom of bowl touch water), until chocolate is almost melted. You can use your microwave for this if you’re brave! Remove bowl from water and stir until completely melted, stirring in extract. Let cool a little bit so it doesn’t melt the chocolate layer when you pour it on top. Pour this over chocolate layer, and, working quickly, spread to cover. Sprinkle with crushed candy.
Chill until both layers are firm. Lift foil out of pan and shake off excess candy. Trim edges. Cut into 2” wide strips. Peel bark from foil and cut each strip as desired. Chill in covered container. Makes about 2 pounds.

Brownie Burger Cupcakes & Sugar Cookie French Fries

From Bakerella:

You will need:

1 brownie cake mix

1 yellow cake mix

1 cut-out cookie mix (see directions for making them cut-out) or pre-made dough

sugar

frosting & food coloring

sesame seeds

Go here to print out the templates: http://www.bakelove.com/bakerella_fathers_day.pdf

To make the fries: Cut the sugar cookie dough in thin strips with a sharp knife and then a long cut down the center. The varied lengths are fine because you don't want all your french fries exactly the same size. Remove the alternating strips so it won't bake into one giant blob. (Reserve dough strips and repeat) Sprinkle sugar on top of the dough. Bake for about 8 minutes at 350 degrees.These spread more than I had hoped they would for rolled sugar cookies. I know. I know. The mix thing. But, no problem. Just take your knife and cut each "steak fry" down the center for "skinny fries." Do this right when they come out of the oven. Sprinkle more sugar on top while they are still warm, too. Lightly rub it on to make sure it sticks good.And voila……A big pile of fries.

Bake the brownies and let cool completely.

Bake the yellow cake mix into small cupcakes. Use liners to keep the sides from browning in the muffin tins.
Now it's time to assemble. Cut each cooled cupcake in half or thirds depending on how tall it is. Cut out 24 circles from the completely cooled brownies and place in between the cupcake bun.I used my ever so handy graduated circle cutters to do the trick. Size 2" for uniform burgers.

Divide the canned frosting in three bowls. Two can have equal amounts for the mustard and ketchup. The third - a little more for the lettuce. The colors I used to tint were, Wilton Leaf Green, Wilton Golden Yellow, and Americolor Super Red. To make the red a little deeper, use a tiny bit of violet when you mix. Place each color in a ziploc bag and snip a small tip off one corner.

Gently squeeze out the mustard and ketchup first. Then the lettuce in more of a squiggly design. Place the top of the bun on and press gently.Now for the finishing touch. Brush a very thin layer of water over the top of the bun or either dab a few drops of water on with your finger. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and they'll stick.

Mexican Grilled Corn

Ingredients:

6 ears corn, husked
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 cup crema Mexicana (can be replaced with low-fat or regular sour cream)
6 lime wedges

Directions:
1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, salt and pepper.
3. Place corn on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook 12 minutes or until corn is lightly browned, turning frequently. Place corn on a platter; drizzle with crema. Sprinkle with chili powder mixture. Spritz with lime juice.
Oven Directions: If you need to roast the corn in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and place the corn (in its husks) on the middle rack for about 30 minutes.

Lovely Lemon Bars

Ingredients:

Lemon Bars Crust:

1 cup butter

1 3/4 cup flour

2/3 cup confectioner's sugar (plus more for dusting)

Topping:

1 1/2 cup plain sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degreesGrease and flour a 9 X 13 pan

To make crust:
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and confectioner's sugar
Cut in butter until combined and crumbly.
Press mixture into bottom of pan.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

To make topping:
While crust is baking, prepare topping.
In a larger bowl, add sugar, flour, and baking powder.
Then add slightly beaten eggs and lemon juice.
Mix well and pour on top of warm baked crust.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
When cool, dust with confectioner's sugar and refrigerate. Cut into bars and enjoy them cold!

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups 1% milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese, at room temp

Directions:
Warm milk and cream on stove over medium heat. Once steamy add in vanilla and sugar, and stir to dissolve. Whisk yolks in a seperate bowl and temper with hot milk mixture. Pour all back into pot and cook until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Strain into a bowl with cream cheese and whisk to bring together. Cover and refrigerate until very cold. Churn according to manufactures directions. Layer ice cream with blueberry sauce in a freezer proof container and allow to freeze for serval hours before serving.

Blueberry Sauce
1 cup blueberries (I used frozen)
3 tbsp sugar (or more to taste)
1 tsp lemon zest
Place all ingredients into a small saucepan and over medium heat brng to a simmer. Squish blueberries with a back of a spoon to break up if needed. Remove from heat, put into a different container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Seasoned Fish Crackers

Ingredients:

3 packages (6 ounces each) bite-size cheddar cheese fish crackers
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
3 teaspoons dill weed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
Place the crackers in a large bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients; drizzle over crackers and toss to coat evenly. Transfer to two ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Bake @ 250 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Caramel Corn

Ingredients:

5 quarts popped popcorn-unbuttered (more if you want it less gooey)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 Tbsp. molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 225 degrees. Place popcorn in a large roasting pan; set aside.
2. Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, molasses and salt in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a full boil. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until candy thermometer reaches 250 degrees or small amount of mixture dropped in ice water forms a hard ball. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda. The caramel will foam up a little and turn a lighter color when you add the baking soda.
3. Carefully pour hot mixture over the popcorn. Using a wooden spoon, stir until all popcorn is coated. Place in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, stir to evenly coat the popcorn. Return to oven. Continue cooking for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Immediately spread caramel corn onto waxed paper. Let cool completely. Break into bite-sized pieces. Store in tightly covered container.

Candy Cane Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup margarine
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy canes
1/2 cup white sugar for decoration

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream together sugar and white sugar and confectioner's sugar. Beat in the egg, vanilla and peppermint extracts. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until well blended. Cover or wrap dough and chill for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Divide dough into halves. Color one half red by mixing in the food color. Roll a small amount of each dough into 4 inch strips. Roll them together in a twisted rope and curve the end like a cane. Place onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8-10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together the crushed candy cane and remaining white sugar. Roll hot cookies in the sugar mixture.

Cookie Bouquets

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temp.
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
lemon zest (optional)-for the most flavor, rub the zest into the sugar before adding it to the butter

Directions:
Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for a minute or so, until smooth. Beat in the sugar and continue to beat for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and pale. Add the egg and yolk and beat for another minute or two; beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and steadily add the flour mixture, mixing only until it has been incorporated-because this dough is best when worked least, you might want to stop the mixer before all the flour is thoroughly blended into the dough and finish the job with a rubber spatula. When mixed, the dough will be soft, creamy and malleable.
Turn the dough out onto a counter and divide it in half. Shape each half into a disk and wrap in plastic. The dough must be chilled for at least 2 hours. (Well wrapped, the dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.)
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll out dough between sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper to a thickness of 1/4" (5/8" to make cookie bouquet), lifting the plastic or paper and turning the dough over often so that it rolls evenly. Lift off the top sheet of plastic or paper and cut out the cookies. Pull away the excess dough, saving the scraps for rerolling, and carefully lift the cookies onto the baking sheet with a spatula, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between the cookies.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the sheet at the midpoint. The cookies should feel firm, but they should not color much, if at all. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool completely before glazing.

Glace' Icing
1 lb powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 cups)
1/4 C + 2T Whole milk (low-fat actually works, but use whole if you can)
1/4 C +2T light Corn Syrup
1 t extract (I used almond)
With a whisk, combine sugar and milk until smooth (no lumps!). Then stir in corn syrup and extract.
You will use this same recipe for both glazing and piping. The way it is right now is the consistency you want for glazing. For piping just thicken with more powdered sugar.

Triple Berry Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh or frozen berries**
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

Directions:
1. Grease 9x9x2 inch or 8x8x2 inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl combine the 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the 3/4 cup sugar and beat on med-high until light and fluffy. Add egg, beat well. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to beaten egg mixture, beating until smooth after each addition.
3. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with berries. In another bowl combine the 1/2 cup flour, the 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle over berries. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 9 servings.
**Raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. The triple berry mix at Costco is great when you don't have fresh berries. (The mix is blueberries, raspberries and marionberries)

Stuffed Shells with Ricotta, Spinach, and Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil
1 large portobello mushroom, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, diced
1 15 oz ricotta cheese - I used low fat
1 egg
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (divided)
1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and chopped (use a potato ricer to get rid of the water)
1/2 tsp dried basil
Dash of crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper

About 3 cups of marinara sauce

About 18 jumbo pasta shells, cooked al dente, read box instructions

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish or Pyrex 9 by 13 pan with cooking spray. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Once hot, add the onion, cook until soft. Add in garlic, mushrooms, and red peppers. Remove from heat and cool.
In a large bowl combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, stir well. Add in the egg, spinach, dried basil, crushed red pepper,salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Mix well until creamy. Add the mushroom, onion, red pepper mixture.
Pour 1/2 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of your sprayed baking dish. Place the cooked shells in the pan. Make sure they are spaced out evenly. Stuff each shell with cheese/veggie mixture. Use a spoon, it might get messy:)
Pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed shells. Add the leftover mozzarella and Parmesan.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. You want the shells to be bubbling with goodness. Let cool for a few minutes and serve warm.

Sour Cherry Pie With Pistachio Crumble

Ingredients:
1 prepared pie crust

For the Pistachio Crumble:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole oats, ground to a flour in a food processor(yielding 1/2 cup oat flour)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup shelled unsalted whole pistachios, coarsely ground in a food processor
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Sour Cherry Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 1/4 pounds fresh sour cherries, pitted, or 2 pound frozen sour cherries, partially thawed, or 2 cans Oregon brand tart cherries, drained

Directions:
To make the pistachio crumble:
1. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, oat flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pistachios.
2. Stir in the melted butter and mix gently to combine.
Before you make the filling:
Place a rack in the bottom third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350*. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
To make the Cherry Filling:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, place the cherries and sprinkle the cornstarch mixture over the top; mix gently to combine. (If you are using fresh cherries, the natural sweetness can vary. Taste the mixture to see if you need more sugar that is called for).
3. Pour the cherries into the unbaked pie shell.
To complete the Pie:
1. Sprinkle the pistachio crumble evenly over the top of the cherries.
2. Place the pie plate on the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the juices are bubbling and thick. Remove to a rack to cool to room temp before serving.

Noodles With Mushrooms & Lemon Ginger Dressing

Ingredients:
Lemon Ginger Dressing:
3/4 teaspoon Asian chlli powder (or cayenne)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 inch section of ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons olive oil

The Noodles:
9 ounces dried noodles (spaghetti, linguine, udon, soba)
7 ounces fresh mushrooms (enoki, shimeji, sliced button, sliced shitake)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs (parsley, green onion, cilantro or basil)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions:
1) Make the dressing by combining all ingredients, except for the sesame oil and olive oil in a food processor or hand blender. Run the blender for a few seconds, until all ingredients are combined. With the machine running, drizzle in the oils.
2) In a pot, cook the dried noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
3) Heat a frying pan over high heat. Add the butter and when the butter starts bubbling, add the mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms for 2 minutes.
4) In a large bowl, toss the cooked noodles with the mushrooms, fresh herbs, sesame seeds and some of the dressing (to taste.)
Serves 4.

Chippers

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder)
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsps. baking soda
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups white chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheet. (I used a cookie sheet with a silpat liner)
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addiction. Add the salt and vanilla.
3. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until fluffy but still soft. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sausage Balls

Ingredients:
3 cups Bisquick baking mix
1 pound maple pork sausage
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk
pinch Cayenne Pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl (it’s easiest if you have a Kitchen Aid mixer – use the dough hook), roll into 1 inch balls and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the balls are golden brown. Cool completely.

Coconut Lime Crunch Ice Cream

Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz) sweetened coconut cream (or coconut cream and add sugar)
1 1/2 whipping cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
zest from 2 limes
graham crackers, broken

Directions:
In a blender or food processor, puree coconut cream, whipping cream, milk, flaked coconut and lime zest until thoroughly blended. Transfer to ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Add broken graham crackers to ice cream mixture about 5 minutes before ice cream is done. Transfer ice cream to an air tight container and freeze for 1 hour before serving.

Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 1/4 C. cake flour
3/4 C. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 C. cold butter, cut into small chunks
3/4 C. buttermilk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees
2. Prepare ingredients: Cut butter into small chunks, place in a bowl and return to fridge. Measure out buttermilk and set aside. Sprinkle flour on a work surface and have extra flour nearby for your hands and biscuit cutter. Have biscuit cutter and an ungreased baking sheet handy
3. Mix dough: In a medium-large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt until very well blended. Add butter and cut into flour using a pastry blender, two knives or your fingertips, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in buttermilk and stir lightly until dough comes together in a ball.
4. Knead dough and cut biscuits: Dump dough mixture out onto floured work surface. With floured hands, lightly knead dough a few times until it is fairly well blended. Pat out into a circle, 3/4 - 1 inch thick. Dip cutter into flour and cut biscuits without twisting the cutter. Form the dough scraps into an extra biscuit-like shape instead of re-rolling the dough. Place cut biscuits together on the baking sheet so that the sides are touching. Brush tops with melted butter, if desired.
5. Bake biscuits: place baking sheet in the middle of a preheated 500 degree oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove biscuits to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes.

Banana Cinnamon Chip Cake

Ingredients:
3 very ripe bananas 2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour1 tsp. baking soda2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup cinnamon chips
For topping:
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas well with a fork or potato masher. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Stir in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and sugar. Add ¾ cup of the cinnamon chips, and stir briefly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the topping ingredients. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter in the pan, and top with the remaining ¼ cup chips. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Rhodes Orange Rolls

Ingredients:

1 package of Rhodes frozen roll dough
Butter, softened
Sugar
Orange zest
Powdered sugar
Fresh orange juice

Directions:
1. Let the frozen dough thaw out on the counter for about two hours.
2. Once the dough is workable, but still cool, roll the dough balls into ropes and then tie a knot.
3. Dip the knots in softened butter.
4. Combine the sugar and orange zest with your fingers. Dip the buttered knots into the orange/sugar mixture.
5. Place rolls in a greased pan and let rise for at least 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until they are golden.
7. Let the rolls cool. Make a glaze by combining powdered sugar, orange zest, and fresh orange juice. Whisk until smooth. I didn't measure but you want the consistency to be a glaze.
8. With a spoon ice the rolls with the orange glaze.

Nutella Brownies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate, (2 ounces) coarsely chopped
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp hazelnut extract
1/4-1/3 cup of Nutella

Directions:
Position an oven rack on the middle rung. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake or pie pan. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add in the chocolate chunks. Whisk until blended.In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, eggs, and extract with a fork until just blended. Pour the liquid over the flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until just blended. The batter will be kind of dry, don’t worry. Add in the nutella and stir until combined. Scrape the mixture in to the pan and spread evenly. You might have to press the mixture in to the sides if you are having trouble spreading with a spatula.Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in to the center comes out with only a few gooey pieces clinging to it. Transfer the baking dish to a cooling rack and let cool. Cut into wedges, squares, or just eat from the pan:)

Cranberry Orange Buttermilk Cookies

Ingredients:
For the cookies:
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Zest of one orange
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. (3 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk

For the glaze:
Confectioners sugar
Orange juice, fresh from the orange
Orange zest

Directions:
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Preheat the oven to 350°F.Put the dried cranberries in a small bowl with hot water. Allow them to sit for a couple of minutes. Then drain. This just plumps them up:)
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, zest, baking soda, and salt.In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter briefly, until creamy. Add the sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the egg, and beat well to mix. Add the vanilla, and beat briefly again. Mix in the flour mixture and the buttermilk in batches at low speed, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add in the dried cranberries. Drop the dough by level tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 ½ inches between each cookie. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, for about 11 minutes per batch. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 1 minute; then transfer them to a wire rack.For the glaze, whisk together the sifted confectioners sugar, orange juice, and zest. I just guess on the amount. Brush or spoon the glaze onto the warm cookies. Allow cookies to sit on the rack until the glaze is set.

Dark Chocolate Orange Shortbread

Ingredients:
2 sticks of unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
Zest of 2 oranges (about 3 tablespoons)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/3 cups flour
1 cup dark chocolate, chopped into tiny pieces

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 2 9 inch cake pans.
2. Place the sugar and orange zest in a bowl. Rub the zest in with your fingers. In the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter, sugar/orange mix, salt, and vanilla.
3. Chop chocolate. You want the pieces a little smaller than chocolate chips.
4. Beat the flour and the chocolate with the butter mixture, until well combined.
5. Divide the dough in half and press in prepared cake pans. Make sure each pan is even. Smooth the surface and prick the dough with a fork.
6. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown on the edges. Remove and loosen the edges with a knife.
7. Wait five minutes, then carefully place the shortbread out onto a clean work surface, all in one piece.
8. Using a pizza wheel or knife, cut into wedges. Do this while it is still warm so you can cut it. Transfer wedges to a cooling rack.

Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 C. plain whole-milk yogurt or used low fat sour cream
1 1/3 C. sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 tsp. grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 C. vegetable oil
3/4 cup fresh blueberries (coated with flour to stop them from sinking)
1/3 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Glaze:
1 C. confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbs. 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 sour cream, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Slowly fold in the blueberries. 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 C. lemon juice and remaining 1/3 C. 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.

Italian Meatball Sandwich Casserole

Ingredients:
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound ground beef (the leanest you can find)
1 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread, cut into 1 inch cubes (I broil mine until crisp)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used ricotta cheese)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cups spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix together onions, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and ground beef. Roll into 1 inch diameter balls, and place in a baking pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer in an ungreased 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning and black pepper until smooth. Spread this mixture over each bread cube. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated mozzarella cheese.
In a large bowl, mix together spaghetti sauce, water, and garlic. Gently stir in meatballs. Pour over the bread and cheese mixture in the baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

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