#54 Soft Gingersnaps

Soft Gingersnaps

¾ cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 egg whites

½ cup molasses

4 cups flour

4 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp ground ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

¼ cup sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg whites. Beat well. Stir in molasses. Sift dry ingredients together. Mix into creamed mixture. Refrigerate for one hour. Roll dough into balls. Roll balls into ¼ sugar and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 6 to 8 minutes. Makes about 48 cookies.

#53 Spicy Garlic and Lime Shrimp

Juice from one lime

1 T olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, pressed

36 peeled shrimp (I used a pound)

1/2 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1/4 t dried parsley flakes

1/4 t paprika

1/8 t dried thyme

1/8 t onion powder

Mix all dry seasonings together in small bowl.

Preheat a large skillet over med heat.

Add oil to the pan.

When oil is heated, stir in garlic.

Immediately add shrimp. Squeeze fresh lime juice over shrimp.

Sprinkle entire seasoning blend over shrimp.

Saute shrimp for 5-8 minutes.

#52 Ulla Pie

My friend Ulla is one of the best bakers I know and this is one of my favorite recipes she has given me.  I don't know what the real name of the recipe is but at our house it's "Ulla Pie" even though it's more of a cake.  It can be made with apples or berries or both.  Hmmm, I wonder what this would be like with peaches?

1 stick butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 scant cup milk

Grease pie pan and sprinkle with flour.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat softened butter with sugar until well mixed.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition.  Stir the flour and baking powder together and then add to other ingredients.  Mix together briefly and add milk.  Beat until well mixed.  Batter will be thick and delicious

Spread dough in to pie pan. and smooth out evenly.

Skin and slice 1 1/2 to 2 apples and arrange on dough.  Sprinkle top with a generous amount of cinnamon and sugar (mixed together) OR use blueberries and raspberries or plain blueberries.  Sprinkle top of berries with plain sugar.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until center comes out clean when poked with a fork.

(I tried frozen blueberries for the first time in my blueberry pie and it needed a little extra baking but was still fabulous)

#51 Bread Dumplings

Never Fail Bread Dumplings

2 c. flour

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

2 slices bread (cubed)

2 tsp. dried parsley (optional)

Stir together flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.  Lightly whisk together eggs and milk in a seperate bowl.  Add dry ingredients and bread to wet ingredients.  Mix together until well blended.  Divide dough into halves and roll lightly in flour.  Set dough aside for one hour.  Cook in boiling water for 10 minutes on each side.  Slice and serve with gravy.

#50 Fried Apple Pies

My Grandmother used to make these pies but we lost the correct recipe.

I'm happy to say I have worked it out and these taste just like Grandmas!

To see the how of making the pies watch this video of a cute Kentucky woman.

My Filling Recipe:

8 apples (Granny Smith & Jonathans work well but you can use any variety)
sugar and cinnamon to taste
1 tablespoon butter (yes butter, no margarine please!)

Core, slice and peel apples. I like to use the same corer/slicer I use to cut up apples for the kids and then use my paring knife to peel the apples. I then cut these pieces in half so they are chunky. Put the peeled apples pieces into a 3 qt or larger pot, with the butter. Cook on medium to low heat for about 20 minutes with the lid on the pot. Make sure to stir the apples every five minutes or so to make sure the heat isn't too high and to see if they are softening up. Once your apples are soft you can break up some of the apples, but leave some chunks too. I suppose this is really a personal choice.

Add about 1 Tbsp of Cinnamon to the apples and stir. Taste the apples to see if they are already sweet enough, if not start by adding a couple tablespoons of sugar and then tasting the apples as you go. Let the apples cook another minute over low heat and then remove from heat.

Crust Recipe:
2 cups self rising flour
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 - 2/3 cup milk

Measure flour and shortening into bowl. Add 1/2 cup of milk and stir together with large spoon. If the mixture is dry and doesn't come together in a nice ball after stiring add a little more milk until it forms a ball.

On a well floured surface briefly knead dough. Roll dough out very thin. Cut out circles. I have a 4" diameter circle cutter that I used. The woman on the video cut around a small saucer and so her pies are larger than mine.

The size of your circle will determine the amount of apple you place in the middle of the pie. You will need enough filling to fill half the circle and leave a small amount to seal the pie. Once filling is in circle, fold the dough over the filling and seal the edges with the tines of a fork.

Put skillet over a medium heat and add about an inch of oil. I use a combination of canola oil and shortening. The woman in the video uses Lard. This is definately not a diet food! The oil will need to be replenished as you fry the pies because the pies will absorb the oil.

I test the heat of the oil by placing a corner of a pie in the oil. If bubbles form around the pie edge then the oil is hot enough. Do not overheat the oil. Watch the pies as they cook and turn over once they are golden brown. Remove pies from oil and place on paper towels once both sides are cooked to absorb excess oil.

Enjoy by themselves or with ice cream.

#49 Modified Chicken Cacciatore

This is a recipe I found on the back of the "Shake 'N Bake" box and modified slightly. My family felt very special the first time I served this because it looks pretty and tastes great. I like it because it is fast and simple.

1 package Shake 'N Bake Original Chicken seasoned coating mix
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 jar Prego spaghetti sauce (my family's favorite is traditional style)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or mozzarella cheese
Cooked pasta of your choice

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Put Shake 'N Bake mix into plastic bag with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and shake to mix. Add chicken breasts to bag one at a time to coat. Bake breasts in un-greased or foil-lined pan for 15 minutes. Do not cover or turn the chicken while baking.

Remove pan from oven and pour about 1/4- 1/3 cup of Prego on top of each chicken breast. Sprinkle Parmesan or mozzarella cheese onto sauce. Place pan back into oven and bake for 5 more minutes.

Remove pan from oven and slice chicken into strips (across the shortest width). Part of what makes this dish so special is the plating of it. Put a small amount (1/2 to one cup) of pasta on to the center of the plate and then arrange 4 or 5 slices of chicken onto pasta. Everyone felt like they were eating in a fancy restaurant. lol
Serve with a salad and bread.

Depending on the size of the chicken breasts this feeds 4 to 6 people.

#48 Carrot Cake

This is a surprise recipe. Since I am not near my cookbook, I cannot give you the recipe yet. So this is like a little teaser and a message for me to get in gear.

#47 Delaware Chicken Divan

2 pkgs (10 oz each) frozen broccoli or 1 1/2 lbs fresh broccoli, cut in florets and lightly steamed
1 1/2 c. cooked chicken white meat, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 tblsp fresh lemon juice
2 tblsp sherry or chicken broth
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Arrange broccoli on bottom of a 1 1/2 quart buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle chicken peices over broccoli. Combine remaining ingredients and spoon over the top of the broccoli and chicken. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Yield: 4 servings

I cut this out of "Country" magazine years and years ago. It's fast, easily doubled,and a favorite of my son, Chris. I usually use chicken breasts, cut up and sauteed with salt, pepper, and garlic. A Costco rotissierie chicken would be even easier.

Thank You!

I just wanted to say that I have enjoyed trying these recipes! I have made quite a few of them. Recently, I have made the coconut banana bread, black forest brownies, spinach strawberry salad, skillet pizza, bacon wrapped chicken..... and more I am sure. Thanks for participating!

I have tried some new recipes but they just weren't any good and not worth posting. Maybe next time.

Keep on Cooking!

Sylvia

#46 Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies

These are low fat, easy and taste wonderful. If you have ever been to a Weight Watchers Meeting you have probably been given this recipe, but make them and no one will ever guess they are low in calories.
The Ingredients:
One box spice cake mix (any brand will do)
One 15 oz can pureed Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix, but plain ol' 100% pure pumpkin)
1 cup chocolate chips (I love using the really dark chips for this recipe)


Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on cookie sheet.
Empty cake mix into bowl. Open pumpkin can and dump pumpkin in with cake mix. Mix throughly with a spoon until all ingredients look wet.
Add Chocolate Chips, throw in a few more if you like.
Spoon onto cookie sheet by large dallops and bake about 12 to 15 minutes. They might look a little underdone but they will be fine. Let cool and then get ready to feast!

Makes about 2 dozen large sized cookies and beware - they disappear quickly.

#45 Chicken Spinach Alfredo

This is not a low fat recipe and is meant to be savoured.

Ingredients:
6 T butter (you know its going to be good when there is butter involved)
4 T flour
1 cup Chicken Broth (Pacific Organic Free Range Chicken Broth is THE best and can be purchased in a six pack at Costco for a much better price than individually. I really wish they also sold the Pacific Organic Beef broth at Costco because it is also fabulous)
1 Cup Heavy (or Whipping) Cream
1 Cup Milk (I use 1% because that is whats in the fridge)
1/2 to 1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese (not the grated stuff in the green containers you find on the store shelf and wonder how long it's been there but the kind that is refrigerated)
1/2 to 1 cup grated Provolone Cheese (or cut up slices also work well - it all melts)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 lb chopped frozen spinach, thawed (according to your taste, I use the higher amount)
3 chicken breasts flattened, grilled and chopped into cubes (one roasted chicken, deboned and chopped up will also work well)
1 lb Piccolini Mini Farfalle noodles cooked according to package directions.


How it's Done:

While noodles are cooking, make a roux by melting the butter over medium heat in a large pot. Whisk in the flour until smooth as soon as the butter is melted. Try not to let the butter brown, but it will still work as long as the butter doesn't burn! Next whisk in the chicken broth until combined and smooth. Do the same with the cream and then the milk, making sure each addition is mixed in well.

Turn heat to low and slowly add parmesan and provolone cheeses, making sure each addition is melted before adding more. (This is the best part of the recipe) Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper as you think necessary. I usually just use a small amount of each.

Stir in spinach, chicken and noodles until well coated and serve. YUM

This is wonderful all by itself or with a Cesar salad and garlic bread.

Serves 8, unless you have a hungry family like mine and then you are lucky if it serves 6.
This recipe can easily be cut in half to serve 4.

#44 Cherry Cheesecake with Chocolate Almond Crust!

Cherry Cheesecake with Chocolate Almond Crust
Gourmet July 1997
Yield: Makes 1 Cake

For chocolate-almond crust
3/4 cup blanched whole almonds, toasted lightly
20 thin chocolate wafer cookies (I replaced the chocolate wafers in the crust with chocolate Oreos minus the white filling)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

For cherry topping
3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (depending how juicy your cherries are, you may need more. I ended up using about a tablespoon)
1 tablespoon water
3 cups pitted picked-over fresh tart cherries (about 2 pints)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

For cheese filling
two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
an 8-ounce container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup cherry juice reserved from making topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Make crust:

In a food processor pulse almonds until ground. Add chocolate wafer cookies and grind fine. Add butter, sugar, almond extract, and salt and pulse until combined well. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up side. Bake crust in middle of oven 10 minutes and transfer to a rack to cool. Crust may be made 3 days ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.


Make topping:
In a very small bowl sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand about 1 minute to soften. In a heavy saucepan bring cherries, sugar, and lemon juice to a boil, stirring. Remove pan from heat and reserve 1/2 cup juice for filling. To mixture remaining in pan add gelatin mixture and almond extract and stir until gelatin is dissolved.


Make filling:
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Beat in flour and add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in sour cream, vanilla, and reserved cherry juice until combined well.

Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 50 minutes. (Cake will not be set in center but will set as it cools.) Transfer cake in pan to a rack to cool completely. Chill cake, loosely covered, 1 hour. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate. Chill cake, loosely covered, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Spread topping evenly over cake when ready to serve.

#43 Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cake

CAKE
Vegetable oil or spray for misting the cake pan
1 box devils' food or chocolate fudge cake mix
1 21 oz can cherry pie filling
2 large eggs
1 tsp almond extract

GLAZE
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/3 c. whole milk
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 13 x 9 pan with oil or mist with spray and set aside.

Place cake mix, pie filling, eggs, and extract in a large mixing bowl and mix on low with electric mixer for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, increase speed to medium, and beat 2 minutes more, until batter is thick and well-blended. Pour batter into the pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Bake in the center of the oven about 30-35 minutes, until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and springs back when lightly touched with your finger. Remove pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack while you prepare the glaze.

For the glaze, place the sugar, butter, and milk in a small saucepan over medium low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips. When the chips have melted and the glaze is smooth, pour it over the warm cake so that it covers the entire surface. The glaze will be thin, but will firm up as it cools. Cool cake for at least 20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

This is the cake version of Lisa's cherry chocolate brownies. You wouldn't think it would work without any water or oil, but it does. It's a hit with everyone except my husband, Steve, who likes his chocolate cake with chocolate frosting "without any gunk in it." Recipe is from "The Cake Doctor" by Anne Byrn. Every recipe I've tried from this book is fabulous.

#42 Chicken, Chili, and Cheese Enchiladas

2-3 chicken breasts, cut in bite-sized pieces, to equal about 2 cups
2 1/2-3 cups grated cheese (Monterey Jack or pre-grated Mexican combination)
1/2 c. finely chopped red onion
1 12 oz. pkg 7" flour tortillas (10 tortillas)
2 tbls. butter
2 tbls. flour
2 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. sour cream
3 4 oz. cans diced green chilies
1/2 c. sliced green onions
Salt, pepper, garlic powder

Season chicken well with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste and cook in a non-stick frying pan until no longer pink. Set aside until cool, then mix in a bowl with 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, 1 can of the chilies, and the red onion. Place 1/3 cup of mixture into each tortillas and roll up tightly. Arrange the filled tortillas, seam side down, in a 13 x 9 baking dish and set aside.

Melt butter in a heavy 2 quart saucepan over low heat. Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly for a full 5 minutes. Add broth, continuing to stir. Increase heat to medium and stir about every 3 minutes, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat and fold in remaining 2 cans of chilies and the sour cream. Pour sauce over the rolled tortillas in baking dish and bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until sauce is bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and green onions and bake about 15 minutes longer, until cheese melts. Serve with rice and refried beans if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

This is my mom's recipe, cut out of a newspaper years ago, which I adapted (more chilies and cheese!) and served for Molly's graduation luncheon. She often uses the meat from a precooked Costco chicken. The recipe is easily doubled, and the enchiladas taste even better reheated the next day.

#41 Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F (or 175 Celsius)

2. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light & fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir the powdered ingredients into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by the rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Bake them less time than you think or they get a little crunchy. In addition, they lose their softness after a few days but they are still really tasty!!

**I have had a problem in the past with my cookies flattening out. So I now use butter flavored vegetable shortening instead of butter or margarine and the cookies stay nice and rounded. Also, since I tend to eat a lot of cookies, I halved the batch (this one was pretty easy to split in half). I also made really small cookies so the portion size was smaller.

#40 Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 package cream cheese, sliced
4 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
garlic salt to taste
uncooked bacon

Directions:
1-Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 C).
2-Pound chicken until flat (it is less messy if you put it between two layers of wax paper, with the shiny side up). Put a slice of cream cheese and 1 teaspoon of chives in the middle of each chicken breast and roll up. Wrap each chicken with 1 slice of bacon (I really like bacon so I used 3 slices on each breast) and secure with toothpicks. Place in a baking dish.
3-In a bowl combine soup, mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice, pepper and garlic salt. Mix until smooth (a whisk is ideal for this). Pour over chicken.
4-Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until no longer pink and juices run clear.

**I am always nervous about baking chicken all the way through so I baked mine longer and because of the sauce it did not dry out. In addition, some of the reviews on Allrecipes.com said it was kind of bland so I sprinkled lemon pepper on top of the sauce after I had poured it on the chicken. Also, I used about 1/3 of the sauce for only two breasts. Next time I will save some of the extra to pour over the chicken after it is cooked; with the bacon the sauce in the pan was really greasy. I served it over bow tie pasta. Matt and I really loved this one!

#39 Black Forest Brownies

Ingredients:
1 package brownie mix
1 cup Cherry Pie Filling
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom only of a 13x9" pan. Mix all ingredients, but chocolate chips, together and pour into pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, spread when melted. Let cool and cut into squares.

**Mom has found out that they are really good with the chocolate chips mixed in rather than on top! I will have to try it.

This recipe is from my mother-in-law, Debbie. It is one of Matt's favorites.

#38 Iron Skillet Pizza

Iron Skillet Pizza

Ingredients:
Pizza toppings of choice
1 cup shredded pizza cheese or mozzerella cheese
1/4 - 1/3 cup bottled pasta sauce (such as Prego)

2/3 cup warm water 1 Tbsp Olive Oil (I use canola oil)
1/2 tsp Salt 1 1/2 cups all purpose or bread flour
1 tsp SAF Yeast (or any quick rise yeast)

Combine 3/4 cup bread flour, salt and yeast. Add water and olive oil. Stir to make a smooth batter. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface for a 2 minutes. Let dough rest approximately 20 minutes. While dough is resting, heat oven to 450 degrees. Once oven is hot, put about 1 to 2 Tbls vegetable oil into iron skillet and place skillet into oven to heat up. Once skillet is hot remove it from oven and make sure hot oil is spread evenly around pan. "Roll" dough into a circle. I don't use a rolling pin, I just push and pull it out by hand. The less handling of the dough the better. Once dough is the size of the skillet, place dough into skillet and push sides up slightly. Spread pasta sauce across dough, add toppings and cheese. Bake in 450 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes until crust is golden. Remove pizza from skillet, cut and enjoy!

#37 Beef Fajitas

Ingredients:

1 lb sirloin steak
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper sliced into thin slices
1 green bell pepper sliced into thin slices
1 small yellow onion

for marinade:

juice of 1 lime
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Whisk together marinade ingredients. Cover meat with marinate and cover. Refrigerate 1-2 hours, turning several times, bring to room temperature.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, warm oil. Add bell peppers and onion. Saute until vegetables are tender, 6-8 minutes, set aside and keep warm.

Meat options:

Grill:
Preheat grill. In a small sauce pan boil marinade for 1 minute. Grill meat over high heat turning once. Baste meat several times with reserve, boiled marinade. When cooked remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into thin strips and serve with warm vegetables, shredded cheese, sour cream, lettuce and salsa in warm tortillas.

Stovetop:
Cut meat into thin strips. Heat oil in a large skillet (you can reuse the one from earlier) on medium-high heat. Cook meat in oil until cooked through and no longer pink. Serve with warm vegetables and other toppings in warm tortillas.

I served this with a fresh, homemade salsa from Betty Crocker. This was a delicious, light fajita recipe.

~36Lemon Glace Cake

Here is the recipe for the delicious cake I made for husband's birthday.

Gravestone candle does not add or take away from the deliciousness of this cake.

The flavor of this lemon cake is similar to lemon squares, but in a cake form.

1 package yellow or white cake mix

1 small package lemon jello

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

3/4 cup water

Add ingredients in order given and beat about 4 minutes. Pour into greased 9" x 13" pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, until pick comes out clean.

While cake is baking mix together:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 lemons juiced and zested.

As soon as cake comes out of oven, punch holes all over the cake using a fork, and then pour the lemon sugar mixture over the top. Serve once cooled.

#35 Double Corn Polenta

Ingredients:

1/8 cup melted butter
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 package frozen corn, thawed and well drained
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tablespoon sugar (I believe that is 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 can chopped green chiles, drained (I did not have these so I omitted them)
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine all ingredients except Parmesan cheese. Mix well. Pour into a greased square baking dish (9x9?). Bake uncovered, until firm, about 40 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake 5 more minutes.

Can be served with sour cream and salsa. If it had the chiles it would be a great side dish for a Mexican meal. I served it with Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo.

#34 Filled Ham & Cheese Rolls

Ingredients:

6 crusty sourdough sandwich rolls, split
Mayonnaise
2 cups chopped cooked ham
2 tablespoons sweet pickle, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sweet pickle juice
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
2 cups cheddar cheese
6 green onions, including some tender green tops, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped black olives

Directions:

Ham Filling:
In a medium bowl combine Ham, pickle, pickle juice, mustard and 3 tablespoons mayonnaise.
Cheese Filling:
In a medium bowl combine cheese, green onions, olives and 3 tablespoons mayonnaise.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread cut sides of rolls lightly with mayonnaise. On bottom half of the rolls, spread a layer of ham filling, then a layer of cheese filling. Replace tops of rolls. Wrap sandwiches in aluminum foil and bake until warmed through, 15-20 minutes.

These were fabulous!!! Matt & I were so surprised by the awesome flavor. I did not use the sweet pickle or juice because Matt doesn't like it. You can probably use a little less Mayo if you want. I also used part cheddar and part colby jack.

#33 Apricot Jam

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh apricots (I used rehydrated dried apricots)
1/2 cup lemon juice
5 3/4 cup sugar
1 packet liquid pectin

Directions:

If using, prepare boiling water bath and jars and lids. I used 2 pint jars, 1 larger jam jar and 1 1/2 pint jar.

Stirring constantly, bring apricots, lemon juice and sugar to a raging boil, that cannot be stirred down (using High Heat). Add liquid pectin and continue stirring on high heat for 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim foam off top. Fill jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace and put in boiling bath for 10 minutes (with the SLC altitude you really have to do it for 20 minutes). Remove from bath and set on a towel. I waited about 5 minutes then flipped them upside down to distribute the fruit evenly throughout. After about 15 minutes I flipped them back over.

I think you could just freeze the jam if you don't want to use the "canning" method. I am very excited to try this recipe! I made my mom Apricot Brandy for her birthday and used some of the apricots from that for this jam. I have some more so I will probably make another batch this week sometime!

#32 Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

1 lb crabmeat (finely chopped/minced)
2-3 green onions, chopped
1 egg
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 packet saltine crackers, crumbled (I used wheat)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
oil for frying

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except oil. Form into 1/2 inch thick patties. Heat oil in pan on medium-high heat. Cook cakes until golden brown one each side. Drain briefly on paper towels and serve hot.

#31 Turkey Tetrazzini

16 oz of spagehetti broken in half

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup diced onion

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

2 cups grated Cheddar Cheese

1 can sliced mushrooms (do not drain)

1 pound cooked turkey, diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Boil pasta according to package directions, drain.

Melt the butter over med heat. Add the onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended. Then add milk. Cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and gradually add about half the grated cheese. Add undrained mushrooms to the sauce and stir.

Layer half the spagehetti in a 9 x 13 inch greased pan. Cover with a layer of turkey and then a layer of sauce. Repeat. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake about 20 mins.

#30 Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 cans chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup chunky salsa
8 oz corn tortilla chips

Directions:

In a large pot saute chicken in oil until no longer pink. Add the garlic and cumin, mix well. Then add the broth, corn, onion, chili powder, lemon juice and salsa. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Break up some tortilla chips into individual bowls and pour soup over chips. Top with cheese and sour cream (optional). I chose not to use the chips but had some wheat saltines to dip in it.

#29 No Knead Bread

A friend posted on her blog about making this bread and I have finally tried it and I must share. It is the easiest bread you will ever make and the bread and crust are divine! It does take a long time to make, but only because it needs to rise for about 12 hours. But basically you mix it with a spoon and forget it, then go back do a couple of easy things and bake it for fabulous deliciousness! The recipe is from a 2006 recipe in the NY Times. Here is the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html?ex=1320642000&en=d5976d62a4577548&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

And here is the recipe:

No-Knead Bread
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting

¼ teaspoon instant yeast

1¼ teaspoons salt

Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed. (I used flour)

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic - I used my Pyrex dish that is smaller than the recommended size and did okay) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

This is what my dough looked like right after stirring it all together. Takes a minute tops.

These photos were taken with my phone as my camera battery was dead,

but I think you can get the idea!

And this picture shows the beautiful results - and it tasted even better than it looks! My friend who's post I read is now making it using a starter for a yummy sour dough bread. I may have to try that next!

#28 Shredded Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 bottle of BBQ Sauce
~3 lbs of pork (I used boneless ribs)

Directions:

Pour a small amount sauce on bottom of slow cooker. Add the pork and pour the rest of the sauce over top. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When it is done shred the pork with a fork.

Put on hamburger buns with a slice of cheese. I also used more BBQ sauce on the buns. You could probably use less sauce in the slow cooker, it just depends on the amount of pork you have.

Best served with seasoned fries!

#27 Citrus Turkey Brine

1 cup kosher salt
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 orange, cut into wedges
1 onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves of garlic
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1-1/2 gallons cold water

12-14 lb turkey

Using a large turkey roasting bag, line a large stockpot. Put the turkey in the bag and add other ingredients. Then tie the bag to keep the brine around the turkey. Put in the fridge overnight. Drain and discard brine. Roast or Grill turkey as usual.

This brine came from Allrecipes.com A wonderful resource for recipes. I will post grilling photos later this afternoon.

Made #23 Easy Roast

I made the Easy Roast while Sandy was here. It was GOOD!