Minestrone

This is a hearty, versatile soup perfect for cold winter nights. The vegetables can be mixed and matched to suit your tastes.

1/4 lb. pancetta (Italian cured pork belly) or bacon, chopped
1/3 c. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 small zucchini, 1/2 inch dice
1/4 lb. green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 lb. potatoes, 1/2 inch dice
4 c. shredded cabbage
1/2 lb. kale, leaves chopped
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
4 1/2 c. chicken broth
2 cans white beans

In a heavy soup pot, cook the pancetta in oil over moderate heat. Omit oil if using bacon. Cook until crisp and drain excess oil. Add the onion and cook until onion is soft. Add carrots, celery and garlic. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for about four minutes. Add the zucchini, green beans and potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another four minutes. Add the cabbage and kale and cook until wilted, just a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes and broth and simmer, covered, for about an hour.

Drain beans, reserving some liquid. In a blender or food processor puree one can of beans and add to the soup. Add remaining can of beans to the soup and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Thin if necessary with the reserved bean liquid (or just use water.) Season with salt and pepper.

This recipe can be made however you like it. I leave out the cabbage. It's great with a little Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. You can also add pasta to the soup if you'd like.

Thai Noodle Salad

My friend Stacy cooked this recipe for us and it was fantastic! Hope you enjoy it!

Thai Noodle Salad

6 oz. dried vermicelli
1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 c. vegetable or chicken broth
2 Tbs. peanut butter
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 1/2 c. cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
1 red sweet pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
3 green onions, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
lime wedges for garnish

1. Cook vermicelli according to package instructions, drain and set aside.
2. Brown chicken in skillet. Add sweet red pepper and green onions the last few minutes.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine soy sauce, broth, peanut butter, lime juice, ginger and crushed red pepper. Cook over medium-low heat until peanut butter is melted.
4. Add cooked pasta and toss to coat evenly.
5. Stir in chicken, sweet red pepper, green onions, and cilantro.
6. Serve with lime wedges.

The original recipe doesn't cook the red pepper and green onions, but I prefer them a little stir-fried. This recipe can be served either warm or cold. We like it best warm.

Cherry Eggnog Bread

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. rum extract
1-1/2 cups eggnog
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup maraschino cherries
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and oil. Beat in the sugar, extracts and eggnog. Combine 2-1/2 cups four, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to egg mixture. Toss the cherries with remaining flour; stir into batter. Fold in nuts.

2. Pour into two greased 8-in. x 2-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing pants to wire racks to cool completely.

Orange-Almond Spiral Rolls

These rolls are very flavorful and the glaze is the best part! The original recipe called for hazelnuts, but I couldn't find any so I used almonds instead.


Dough:
5 to 5 1/2 c. flour, divided
1 c. mashed potato flakes
1/4 c. sugar
2 packages quick-rise yeast (about 4 1/2 tsp. total)
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. grated orange peel
1 c. milk
1/2 c. butter, cubed
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. water
2 eggs

Filling:
1/3 c. butter, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. ground almonds

Glaze:
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. orange juice concentrate
1/4 c. sour cream
2 Tbs. butter

1. In a large bowl, combine 4 c. flour, potato flakes, sugar, yeast, salt and orange peel. In saucepan, heat the milk, butter, sour cream and water to 120-130 degrees. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add eggs; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough.

2. Turn onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. (I let my Kitchen Aid do the kneading) Cover, let dough rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.

3. Punch dough down. Turn onto a floured surface; roll into a 22-in. x 14-in. rectangle. For filling, combine butter, powdered sugar and nuts. Spread lengthwise over half the dough. Fold dough over filling, forming a 22-in. x 7-in. rectangle. Cut into 7-in x 3/4 in. strips.

4. Twist each strip 4 or 5 times and shape into a ring. Pinch ends together. Place on two greased cookie sheets. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes, or until doubled.

5. Bake at 375 for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine glaze ingredients over medium heat. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Drizzle over warm rolls.

*To grind almonds, pulse in food processor until finely chopped. Stop before it turns into almond paste!

Cake Balls

Dave and I made 538 of these cake balls for neighbor Christmas gifts this year. It's surprising to bite into one and get a mouthful of yummy cake goodness.

Ingredients:

1 cake mix baked according to directions on box

3/4 can of coordinating frosting

24 oz almond bark

Sprinkles, nuts, etc.

After cake has cooled, crumble it into fine pieces. I use my mixer. Some people do it by hand. Add frosting and mix well. Put mixture in refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Roll into balls and place on waxed paper in a freezer safe container. Freeze for 6 hours. Melt almond bark. Stick a toothpick in a frozen ball of cake and dip in the almond bark. Cover hole where toothpick was with chocolate. Sprinkle on sprinkles. These can be left at room temperature or frozen. One cake mix makes about 34 balls if you use Pampered Chef's small cookie scoop. Be sure to roll balls for smooth sides when dipping.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Ingredients

U.S.

Metric

Conversion chart

• Cooking spray
• 1 1/4 cup(s) (5.35 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/2 cup(s) creamy peanut butter (do not use "natural")
• 2/3 cup(s) sugar
• 3 large ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup(s) chopped walnuts or chopped pecans (optional)
• 1/2 cup(s) miniature chocolate chips (optional)

---

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mist a 5 x 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt with a fork. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the peanut butter and sugar together until well blended, about 2 minutes. Beat in the mashed banana and eggs; mix well.
3. Using a wooden spoon or flexible spatula, stir the flour mixture into the peanut butter–banana mixture, mixing until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula if needed. Stir in the chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips, if using.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and gently smooth the top with the flexible spatula. Bake 45 minutes. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes in the pan.
5. Remove the bread by running a paring knife around the inside of the pan to loosen it, then inverting the pan to release the bread onto a wire rack. Carefully turn the bread right-side up and cool completely. Slice and serve. Wrap any leftovers tightly in plastic wrap and foil; keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

For those of you with mixers it definitely will be easy, but on the other hand you won't have the tommy-gun forearms that I have!
And also I thought about putting pumpkin in instead of banana, I might try that next time!

Winter Granola

I've tried out a few granola recipes lately. This one is our favorite so far.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups oats

1 cup shredded coconut

3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup craisins

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut, and nuts; set aside. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, oil, honey and cinnamon; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over oat mixture; stir to coat. Spread in a large shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool. Add craisins and chocolate chips. store in an airtight container.

Banana Pancakes

I always start singing that Jack Johnson "Banana Pancakes" song when I see this recipe. These are really yummy, and a great way to use up over-ripe bananas.

Banana Pancakes

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. ground rice or semolina
3 Tbs. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. plain yogurt
4 small ripe bananas, 2 mashed, 2 sliced

Sift the flour, ground rice, sugar, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Put the egg, milk and yogurt into another bowl, beat well, then add the 2 mashed bananas. Beat the flour mixture into the egg mixture - don't be tempted to beat until smooth. Lumps are good.

Heat the prepared griddle or skillet and spray lightly with Pam. Pour 2 Tbs. batter into the pan and press 3 slices of banana onto the pancake. Cook for about 1 minute over low heat, or until small bubbles begin to appear and the underside is golden. Turn and cook 2-3 minutes more. Serve warm with syrup or jam.

Note: I made these following the recipe exactly and they were awesome, but almost too sweet. (Is that even possible!?) I just happened to have rice flour on hand from back in the nursing-no-wheat-for-Maggie days. The second time I made the recipe, I used half whole wheat flour and half white, and also reduced the sugar to 2 Tbs. They were still excellent. I think you could substitute regular flour for the rice flour and they'd be fine.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes. The picture doesn't do it justice - sorry!

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Crust:
2 c. crushed gingersnaps
1/2 c. pecans, finely chopped
6 Tbs. butter, melted

Filling:
3 8-oz pkgs cream cheese
1 c. sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
dash cloves

Mix ingredients for crust and press into 9-inch pie pan. For filling, beat cream cheese, 3/4 c. sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Reserve 1-1/2 cups plain batter. Stir in remaining 1/4 c. sugar, pumpkin, and spices into remaining batter. Spoon half of pumpkin batter over crust, top with spoonfuls of half of reserved plain batter. Repeat layers. Marble with a knife. Bake at 325 for 55 minutes until center is almost set. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Note: This recipe always makes too much for my 9-inch pie plates. Don't overfill the pan. I am going to try making this in a 9-inch springform pan one of these days to see if that works better.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

I combined a few recipes together with a few random things I had in my fridge and I ended up with a yummy homemade pizza. I used my bread maker for the crust recipe, but I'm sure you could use a mixer or do it by hand. This recipe makes two 12 inch pizzas.

Pizza Dough

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

3 cups bread flour

3 tablespoons dry milk powder

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Make in bread machine according to manufacturer directions. Select "Dough" setting. Spread dough on greased pizza pans or cookie sheet. Poke holes in dough with fork. Bake at 400 degrees for about seven minutes. Take out of oven and add toppings.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Toppings

3/4 cup spaghetti sauce mixed with 3/4 cup hot and spicy bbq sauce

2 marinated grilled chicken breasts, sliced into bite size pieces (I used a garlic herb marinade)

Swiss cheese

mozzarella cheese

red bell pepper, sliced

purple onion, sliced

fresh cilantro, chopped or dried cilantro

Spread sauce mix on partially cooked pizza crusts. Add grilled chicken cheeses (however much you like). Top with red pepper, onion, and cilantro. Continue to bake at 400 degrees until cheese is melted and crust is browned.

I don't always use shrimp in this recipe, chicken tastes great too.




Ingredients
* 1 pound linguine pasta
* 1/2 cup butter
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/3 cup pesto
* 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in cream, and season with pepper. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Stir Parmesan cheese into cream sauce, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Blend in the pesto, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until thickened.
4. Stir in the shrimp, and cook until they turn pink, about 5 minutes. Serve over the hot linguine.

Ingredients

* 4 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
* 1 cup chopped celery
* 2 green onions, chopped
* 1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
* 1 cup chopped pecans
* 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
* ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise with paprika and seasoned salt. Blend in dried cranberries, celery, bell pepper, onion, and nuts. Add chopped chicken, and mix well. Season with black pepper to taste. Chill 1 hour.

Holiday Tossed Salad

This recipe is also from the 2008 Taste of Home Best Holiday Recipes magazine. I used almonds in place of walnuts, and red wine vinegar in the dressing because that's what I had on hand.


Holiday Tossed Salad

8 c. torn mixed salad greens
2 medium red apples, diced
1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese
1/3 c. dried cranberries
1/3 c. coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
1/4 c. sliced green onions

2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. cranberry juice concentrate
1 Tbs. white wine vinegar
Dash salt and pepper

In a large salad bowl, combine the greens, apples, blue cheese, cranberries, walnuts and onions. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients. Drizzle over salad and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I found this recipe titled as "Crusty Mummy Fingers" for Halloween. I served them with Hannah's Blue Cheese Burgers. In the words of Rachael Ray, "Yum-O!"

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled (about 2 large potatoes)
2 Tbs. water
2 egg whites
1 c. Italian style bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
cooking spray

1. Heat oven to 450. Spray 2 large cookie sheets with cooking spray.
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2 x 1/2-inch strips. In shallow dish, mix water and egg whites with wire whisk or fork. In another shallow dish, mix bread crumbs, cheese, salt, pepper and red pepper. Working in batches, dip sweet potatoes into egg white mixture, roll in bread crumb mixture. Place potatoes in a single layer on cookie sheets. Spray potatoes with cooking spray about 10 seconds. (I forgot to spray mine and they turned out just fine.)
3. Bake 18-20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes, until crisp.

Orange Cranberry Bread

This recipe is from last year's Taste of Home Best Holiday Recipes magazine. I made this a few days ago and froze one loaf. It's still really moist even after freezing - I think the apple gives it a great texture.

Orange Cranberry Bread

2-3/4 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
3-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1 c. milk
1/2 c. orange juice
3 Tbs. canola oil
2 to 3 tsp. grated orange peel
2 c. coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
1 large apple, peeled and chopped

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk the egg, milk, orange juice, oil and orange peel; stir into dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in the cranberries and apple.

2. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Wanda's Donuts

Making these donuts is a fall tradition around our house. We take them to our neighbors and use the rest to "BOO" people. They are so so yummy when they are warm. They just melt right in your mouth. They remind me of getting donuts for Halloween at LaRue and Worthy Beck's house. I never want to forget those fun days and so we make the donuts each year.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons yeast

1/2 cup warm water

4 cups milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup shortening

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup mashed potatoes

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

5 small eggs

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons vanilla

10 cups flour (more or less)

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, sugar, shortening, potatoes and salt; mix well. Add remaining ingredients and flour a little at a time mixing well. Knead like a soft roll dough -- just enough to mix. Cover and raise until double. Roll dough out on a floured counter. Cut out into donuts. ( I use plastic cups and lids from spice jars.) Raise again 30 minutes. Fry in oil and dip in glaze frosting while hot.

*I usually make half the recipe in my mixer, but this year I did the full recipe all by hand in the biggest bowl I have. It was surprisingly easy.

Glaze Frosting:

powdered sugar

milk

vanilla

Mix ingredients together with a wire whisk until the glaze is the consistency you like. I like mine quite runny.

Pumpkin Waffles

Pumpkin Waffles

1 Tbs. vanilla
1 1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. butter or margarine, melted
1 c. pumpkin
4 eggs, divided
2 c. flour
1 Tbs. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbs. baking powder
1 Tbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix vanilla, milk, butter, pumpkin, and egg yolks. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients and then stir in pumpkin mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into batter. Cook in waffle iron and serve with syrup.

I served these with cinnamon syrup, but the original recipe included a recipe for buttermilk syrup. I didn't make it because I didn't have buttermilk, but I'll include it here. Sounds interesting...

Buttermilk Syrup

1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Bring butter, buttermilk, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla. Let sit until foam goes down, stirring occasionally.

Delicious Lasagna

My friend brought this lasagna to us when Krynn was in the hospital. It was so good I asked her for the recipe. I think it's the best lasagna I've ever had. I forgot to take a picture before we ate it all...

Delicious Lasagna

1 lb. Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (I use the kind with garlic and basil)
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 large container cottage cheese (at least 16 oz, I used half ricotta cheese.)
3 Tbs. dried parsley
1 egg
2/3 c. Parmesan cheese
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated
9 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente

In a large frying pan cook sausage and onion. Drain off fat. Place in crock pot on low heat. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes. Let simmer on low approx. 4 hours, stirring once in a while. Add minced garlic, basil, oregano, and pepper 30 minutes before sauce is done. Then turn crock pot off. In medium sized bowl, mix together cottage cheese, egg, parsley, and Parmesan cheese. You should now have 4 layers (noodles, cottage cheese mixture, sauce, and mozzarella cheese.) Layer it in this order, beginning with the noodles. Grease Pyrex dish with a little olive oil. This makes enough for a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. This is a great recipe to make the day before and also freezes well.

Candy Corn Cookies

I found these cookies on a blog the other day. I thought the girls would have fun making them with me. Who doesn't like to use food coloring and make snakes out of dough?

Ingredients:

1 package (18 oz.) of sugar cookie dough -- or you could use your favorite recipe

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract -- or 1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon orange extract -- or 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest

yellow and red or orange food coloring

1/2 cup white chocolate chips or white almond bark, chopped

coarse decorating sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer on low, beat cookie dough and flour until combined. Divide dough into three equal portions.

2. Add lemon extract and yellow food coloring to one portion of the dough. With the mixer on low, beat until blended; set aside. Add orange extract and red and yellow or orange food coloring to another portion of the dough; beat until blended. Leave the remaining portion plain.

3. Divide each dough section in half. Roll 1 piece of each color into a 12-inch long rope. Transfer dough ropes to a lightly floured surface, side by side, with the orange rope in the middle.

4. Place parchment paper or wax paper over dough; gently roll into a 15 x 4 inch rectangle. Remove parchment paper. Using a knife, cut dough into 12 equal triangles.

5. Transfer triangles to an ungreased baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Push a ruler against side of triangles to straighten edges. Bake until lightly browned, 9 - 11 minutes; let cool on cookie sheet.

6. In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave white chocolate until melted, about 1 minute. Stir. Dip wide end of cookies into chocolate then into decorating sugar. Let stand until set.

Apple Coffee Cake Pizza

On Sunday morning I woke up and wanted to cook something for breakfast that would make the whole house smell like Fall. This recipe from allrecipes.com did the trick. It does have five steps, but I made the dough in my bread maker and with the help of Olivia had the other four parts done before the dough had raised.

Ingredients

Crust:

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup milk

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 egg

Cheese Topping:

8 0z cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Apple Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

5 medium apples, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup butter or margarine, cubed

Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar yeast and salt. In a saucepan, heat the water, milk and butter to 120 degrees. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Beat in egg until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 - 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

--Or just throw all of the ingredients in the bread maker and hit the "dough cycle" button.

2. Punch dough down. Press into two greased 12 inch pizza pans; build up edges. In a small mixing bowl, combine the cheese topping ingredients. Spread over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. In a saucepan, combine the apple topping ingredients; simmer, uncovered, until apples are tender, stirring often. Spoon over cream cheese layer.

3. Combine streusel ingredients; sprinkle over apples. Let stand for 15 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes or until crust is browned. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm pizzas.

Lemon Chicken Not-Potpies with Poppy Seed Crust

Lemon Chicken Not-Potpies with Poppy Seed Crust

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 sheet puff pastry (9-inch square), thawed but cold
* 1 egg, beaten with a little water
* 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
* 2 baking potatoes (1-1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* Salt
* 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
* 1-1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
* 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
* Pepper
* 2 leeks—stems split, thinly sliced and thoroughly rinsed
* 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
* 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Preheat the oven to 425°. Roll out the puff pastry into a 12-inch square. Set aside four 2-cup bowls; invert 1 bowl onto the pastry and cut out 4 rounds. Place on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and brush with the egg. Sprinkle with the poppy seeds and bake until golden, 12 minutes. Let cool.
2.

In a large saucepan, add the potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, salt the water and cook until tender, 7 minutes. Add the peas and cook for 1 minute; drain.
3.

In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO over medium heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook for 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO to the skillet. Add the leeks and carrot; season with salt, pepper and the thyme. Cook for 3 minutes.
4.

Scoot the leeks to the side and add the butter. Whisk in the flour, then the wine and chicken broth. Stir in the chicken and cream and heat through. Stir in the lemon peel, lemon juice, potatoes and peas. Fill the bowls with the chicken mixture and top with the crust.

Butternut Squash Soup

I'm cooking again! Oddly enough, I really missed cooking my own meals while Krynn was in the hospital. We had so many people bringing us food that we've been eating leftovers for weeks. But, I'm finally back in the kitchen. This recipe is the same recipe I use for pumpkin soup, and one of my favorite recipes for fall. I used butternut squash this time, but I think I like it better with pumpkin.

Pumpkin Soup

1/4 c. butter

1 small onion, chopped fine

1 clove garlic

2 tsp brown sugar

14 oz. chicken broth

1/2 c. water

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

15 oz. pumpkin

12 oz. evaporated milk

1/8 tsp cinnamon

Chop onion small and saute with butter, garlic, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Add broth and water. Bring to boil, turn heat down to medium and simmer 15 minutes. Add milk, pumpkin and cinnamon. Cook on medium heat 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with crusty bread. (For the squash recipe, I baked the butternut squash until very soft, then pureed in the food processor. Replace the pumpkin with the squash.)

Lemon Pound Cake

A few weeks ago I signed up to take a dessert to a potluck dinner. I was planning on making a cake mix with a can of frosting since I had a crazy busy day. Then I was told that I had to bring the recipe also to put in a cookbook.

I could just imagine the recipe I would submit:

1 box lemon cake mix

1 can vanilla frosting

Cook according to directions on package.

So I spruced up the cake mix (from the alternate directions on the package) and added some glaze. It turned out pretty and tasty.

Ingredients:

1 package lemon cake mix

1 package (3.4 oz) lemon instant pudding and pie filling mix

4 large eggs

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Glaze:

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

1 tablespoon milk

2 drops yellow food coloring

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 10-inch Budnt pan or tube pan. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water and oil in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 25 minutes. Invert onto heat resistant serving plate. Mix glaze ingredients together with wire wisk. Drizzle over cake.

Shrimp and Pasta in a Tomato-Chile Cream Sauce

Shrimp and Pasta in a Tomato-Chile Cream Sauce
(This is Quade's favorite I made a big batch of Essence because I cook it so much)
Ingredients

* 1/4 cup kosher salt
* 1 pound linguine
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 2 tablespoons Essence, recipe follows
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
* 1/4 cup finely chopped jalapeno
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* 11/2 cups heavy cream
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 cup diced tomatoes
* 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water
* 1 cup grated Pepper Jack cheese
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Set a large 1-gallon stock pot of water to a boil and add the kosher salt. Place the linguine in the pot and stir the pot until the water returns to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender, but with a bit of resistance (al dente), about 12 minutes. Drain a reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Set a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pan. Once the butter has melted, season the shrimp with 1 tablespoon of the Essence and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and add the shrimp to the pan. Sear the shrimp until well browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the onions and jalapenos to the pan and saute until the onions are softened and lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cream, remaining 1 tablespoon of Essence, remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt and the pepper to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce until the cream is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Return the shrimp to the pan, and add the tomatoes, linguine and the reserved cooking water to the pan and cook, tossing to incorporate for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and add the Pepper Jack, Parmesan, parsley and basil and toss to blend. Serve immediately.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

* 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
* 2 tablespoons salt
* 2 tablespoons garlic powder
* 1 tablespoon black pepper
* 1 tablespoon onion powder
* 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
* 1 tablespoon dried oregano
* 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Blue Cheese Burgers

Blue Cheese Burgers

* 3 pounds lean ground beef
* 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
* 1/2 cup minced fresh chives
* 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon dry mustard
* 12 French rolls or hamburger buns

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, blue cheese, chives, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, salt, and mustard. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
2. Preheat grill for high heat. Gently form the burger mixture into about 12 patties.
3. Oil the grill grate. Grill patties 5 minutes per side, or until well done. Serve on rolls.

Japanese Style Deep Fried Shrimp

Japanese Style Deep Fried Shrimp

* 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled (tails left on) and deveined
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 cup panko crumbs
* 1 quart vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the shrimp in a bowl and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. In a small bowl, stir together the flour and paprika. Place eggs and panko crumbs into separate bowls.
2. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or deep skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Dip each shrimp into the flour mixture, then into the egg, and finally into the panko crumbs to coat. Fry a few at a time until golden brown. This should take no longer than 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels before serving.

Broiled Tilapia Paremesan Recipe

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan Recipe
(We love fish at our house and this recipe was awesome)

* 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
* 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
* 2 pounds tilapia fillets

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Almond Chicken and Rice

Prep Time: 5 min

Total Time: 30 min

Makes: 4 servings

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

1/4 cup KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade, divided

1-1/4 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup instant white rice, uncooked

1/4 cup PLANTERS Sliced Almonds, toasted, divided

COOK chicken in 2 Tbsp. dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium heat 4 min. on each side or until evenly browned.

STIR in broth, garlic powder and remaining dressing; bring to boil. Cover; simmer 5 min or until chicken is done (165ºF). Remove chicken; cover to keep warm.

ADD broccoli to skillet; cook, uncovered, 3 min. Stir in rice and 3 Tbsp. nuts. Remove from heat; cover. Let stand 7 min. Serve chicken over rice; top with remaining nuts.

White Chip Chocolate Cookies

We love cookies, or as Aubrey says, "Keekos", at our house.  Chocolate chip cookies are the favorite by far.  But in my opinion, the more chocolate the better.  Why not make the dough chocolate, too?  

Ingredients:

1 C unsalted butter

1 C white sugar

3/4 C packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1  1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder

1  3/4 C flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 C white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease cookie sheets.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition.  Mix in the cocoa, flour, and baking soda.  Finally, fold in white chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.  Bake for 8 to 10  minutes in the preheated oven, until puffy but still soft.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Light Oat Bread

This bread always raises so nicely.  The oatmeal gives it a  surprisingly light texture.

1 1/4 C water

2 T margarine

1 tsp salt

3 C flour

1/2 C rolled oats

2 T brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp yeast

Mix according to bread maker's instructions, testing for enough flour/water.  Let rise once in bread maker and then take out dough and shape into a loaf.  Put in a greased bread pan.  Cover and let rise about 3o minutes.  Bake in oven at 360 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cool on wire rack. Or, make the dough in your mixer.

Country Peach Tart

Autumn is my favorite season.  Fall foods are my favorite foods.  This is one of them.

Ingredients

1/4 C sugar

4 tsp flour

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3 C sliced, peeled peaches

1 T lemon juice

1 beaten egg

powdered sugar

1 single crust pie dough

Directions

1.  Line a baking sheet with foil; sprinkle lightly with flour.  Roll dough to 13-inch circle atop baking sheet.

2.  Mix sugar, flour and nutmeg; stir in peaches and lemon juice.  Mound peach mixture in center of crust, leaving a 2 - inch border.  Fold border up over peaches.  Combine egg and 1 T water, brush onto the top and sides of the crust.

3.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or till crust is golden.  To prevent overbrowning, cover edge with foil the last 10 to 15 minutes of baking.  Cool 30 minutes on the baking sheet.  Dust edges with powdered sugar.  If desired, serve with whipped cream.  Serves 8.

Chicken Florentine Casserole

INGREDIENTS

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 1/4 cup butter
* 3 teaspoons minced garlic
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
* 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
* 1/2 cup half-and-half
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 (13.5 ounce) cans spinach, drained
* 4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
* 2/3 cup bacon bits
* 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the chicken breast halves on a baking sheet; bake 20 to 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, mix in the garlic, lemon juice, cream of mushroom soup, Italian seasoning, half-and-half, and Parmesan cheese.
4. Arrange the spinach over the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking dish. Cover the spinach with the mushrooms. Pour half the mixture from the saucepan over the mushrooms. Arrange chicken breasts in the dish, and cover with the remaining sauce mixture. Sprinkle with bacon bits, and top with mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in the 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Pesto Cheesy Chicken Rolls

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
* 1 cup prepared basil pesto
* 4 thick slices mozzarella cheese


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pesto sauce onto each flattened chicken breast. Place one slice of cheese over the pesto. Roll up tightly, and secure with toothpicks. Place in a lightly greased baking dish.
3. Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until chicken is nicely browned and juices run clear.

Maruchen Ramen Noodle Soup-Roast Chicken Flavor:)

This is one of my personal favorites and the directions are really simple. If you aren't near a computer when you are making this delectable soup, they are also convienently located on the back of the package.

1.Boil two cups of water in a saucepan, add noodles and cook 3 mins, stirring occasionally.
2.Turn off heat, add contents of seasoning, stir.
3.Serve immediately for best results. Makes 2-8 oz. servings.

Enjoy!

Andouille Sausage Creole

Andouille Sausage Creole">
When Chad came home late and I told him there was spaghetti on the stove he didn't bother to eat until I told him it was better than usual. You are actually supposed to eat it over grits but I didn't know how the boys would respond to that.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 3/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 pounds andouille sausage, sliced
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley leaves

Directions

Combine oil and flour in a Dutch oven; cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture is golden colored about 10 to 15 minutes. Add onion, garlic, green pepper, celery and green onions. Cook, stirring often, 10 minutes or more until vegetables are tender.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, seasoning salt, bay leaves, 1 cup of water, hot sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and sausage. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves. Garnish with parsley and serve over grits, if desired.

Stuffed Chicken Thighs with Smashed Potatoes

If you are anything like me you never try a new recipe unless it has a picture by it, but this recipe is definitely worth trying. I was amazed I could make chicken taste this good.

Ingredients

Stuffed Chicken Thighs:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted and diced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• Smashed Potatoes
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 whole sprig rosemary
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the onion and diced apple. Add brown sugar and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until onion begins to soften, stirring frequently. Add chopped fresh rosemary and parsley and mix to combine. Remove from heat. Stir in diced bread and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Lay the chicken thighs out flat on a work surface. Cover with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4-inch thick. Spoon some of the apple filling into each thigh, making sure not to over stuff so you don't lose the filling while cooking. Roll up each thigh and secure with toothpicks.

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large skillet over high heat. Generously salt and pepper each side of the thighs. Place thighs in the skillet and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from the pan to a serving platter and let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Smashed Potatoes:

Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. In the meantime, add milk, butter, garlic, and rosemary sprig to a small saucepan and warm over low heat. Drain potatoes and return to the pot. Use a potato masher or large fork to mash the potatoes. Remove rosemary sprig from milk mixture and discard. Add the hot milk to the mashed potatoes. Mix to combine and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with the chicken.