Fried Donut Shrimp Appetizers

In this recipe I cheat and use plain
store bought donuts and cooked shrimp.
It's really easy and impressive looking.
1/2 donut and six shrimp for each appetizer.

Ingredients:
6 plain donuts
36 medium cooked tail-on shrimp
2 tablespoons butter
12 teaspoons cocktail sauce

Directions:
Split donuts in half legthwise
like you would split a bagel.
Heat butter in a saute pan, add
donutes flat side down and
fry donuts unti just browned.
Remove to serving dish flat side down.
Place a teaspoon of cocktail sauce
in the center hole of each donut.
Arange shrimp around donut from
the center hole over the donut
so the tails are sticking upward.

One Pot Pasta and Shrimp

I used orzo pasta because it's creamy,
frozen shrimp and brocolli in this dish.
Cooked in one pot, timing is everthing,
cook the shrimp last to not overcook.
I use the dried beef you get in the jar,
adding it instead of salting the water.

Ingredients:
12 medium frozen shrimp
4 slices dried beef
1/2 pound orzo pasta
1 1/2 cups frozen brocolli
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil,
add dried beef and orzo pasta.
Cook for ten minutes and drop
in the frozen broccoli.
Bring back to a boil,
add the frozen shrimp and
bring back to a boil again.
Drain and peel shrimp,
place back in warm pot.
Add butter and garlic powder, toss.
Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Cookie Dough Pie Crust

You can use any type of cookie dough
to easily make a tasty pie crust.
Simply press it in the bottom and
up the sides of a pie plate,
flute the edges and blind bake.
After it cools fill it with your
pudding of choice and chill.

Apples in Butter

Sauted apples in butter makes for
a great tasting side dish served
with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:
8 medium Granny Smith apples, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:
Melt butter in a heavy skillet
over medium-low heat. Add apples,
brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Saute 15 to 20 minutes,
or until apples are tender.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Beets Parmesan

You will not believe how good this is.
I created this simply by accident
and am glad that accident happened.
I was serving cooked fresh beets
along side some pasta that I
sprinkled with parmesan,
some of the cheese went
on the beets and a new
taste sensation was born.
These dish is amazing tasting.
You will find yourself making this often.

Ingredients:
2 fresh beets
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon red wine vinegsr
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Wash and cut ends off beets.
Place whole beets and water
in a glass bowl, cover and
cook in a microwave on high
for 4 minutes or until tender.
Remove beets to cool enough
to handle and peel skin.
Slice beets into bite size pieces.
Place beets back in glass bowl,
add sugar and vinegars.
Microwave for 2 minutes to heat through.
Serve on plates sprinkled with cheese.

Spanish Chorizo Cooked in Wine

Here is a simple to prepare recipe that
makes one of the best tasting chorizo dishes.

Ingredients:
14 ounces semi-cured cooking chorizo
4 cups dry red wine

Directions:
Slice the chorizo unto 3/4-inch slices.
Heat a heavy-base pan and add the chorizo.
Cover with the wine, bring to a boil,
then lower the heat and let cook
until nearly all the wine has evaporated.
Serve.

Chocolate Dipped Sugar Cookies

These are great little pick me up
cookies dipped in dark chocolate.
I sometimes like to add some other
flavorings like almond or maple extract.

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup flour, sifted
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp orange zest
2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup dark chocolate

Directions:
In a mixing bowl cream together the
egg, sugar and salt for about 5 minutes
until light in color, full and frothy.
Add in extracts and mix well.
Add flour and mix until incorporated.
Pour in half of the butter and mix.
Pour in the rest of the butter and mix.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 375 deg F.
Place dough by teaspoonfuls on sheet,
bake for about 9 minutes until done.
Melt chocolate in microwave, stir.
Dip cooled cookies in chocolate, let cool.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Butterscotch Chips

The butterscotch chips add a nice
taste of creamy butter flavor.
The also help give the cookies
a good texture, not a flat cookie.

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
1 1/3 cups whita granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Parchment line a baking sheet.
In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter,
1 cup sugar, egg, butterscotch chips, and vanilla.
Roll the dough into balls the size of walnuts.
Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet.
With a fork, dipped in sugar to prevent sticking,
press a crisscross design on each cookie.
Bake for 12 minutes, remove from the oven,
and sprinkle the cookies with some sugar.
Cool slightly before removing from pan.

Chinese Fried Milk

You can make this sweet or savory,
I like to keep this recipe simple.
It makes for a nice ending to a meal.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups whole milk
8 egg whites
2 to 3 tablespoons peanut oil

Directions:
Mix the cornstarch and salt to a smooth paste
with a few tablespoons of the milk.
Add the remaining milk and egg whites
and whisk the mixture until well combined
but not quite perfectly blended.
Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
When it is not quite smoking,
pour in the milk-egg white mixture
and begin to stir-fry,
scrambling with a spatula.
At first it will be thing and soupy;
after a couple of minutes you will
notice some thickening on the bottom.
Reduce the heat to low and continue
to stir-fry for a few minutes longer,
until the milk custard has the
consistency of scrambled eggs.
Turn the "fried milk" out into
a serving dish. Serve at once.

Porcini Mushroom Paste

Porcini mushroom paste is great
brushed on broiled rib-eye steaks.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint porcini mushrooms
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt or to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a food processor
and pulse until blended to a smooth paste.

Cream Cheese Cookies

These cookies are easy to make and
this is a good basic cookie recipe to
have around for Christmas or any time.
I top these with almond flavor frosting.

Ingredients:
1 Cup Butter softened
3 1/2 Cups all-purpose Flour
1 Package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1 Egg
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat butter and
cream cheese until well combined,
Add sugar; beat until fluffy,
add egg, vanilla and almond extract; beat well.
In small bowl combine flour and baking powder.
Add dry ingredients to cream cheese mixture;
beat until well mixed. Divide Dough in half.
Wrap each portion in plastic wrap;
refrigerate about 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll out dough , half at a time,
to 1/8" thickness on lightly floured surface.
Cut out with cookie cutters.
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 10 to 12 Minutes or until
edges are lightly browned.
Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Ground Turkey Meatballs

Here is a simple to prepare and
good tasting recipe for making
some ground turkey meatballs.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup saltine crackers
1 large egg
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
Combine turkey, egg and seasoning
in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
Roll the meat mixture into 1 inch balls.
Preheat a large skillet over
medium heat with the olive oil.
Brown the meatballs in the skillet
until golden brown all over.
Transfer the meatballs
to a 9 x 9 baking dish.
Cook in a 350 degree F.
oven for 15 minutes.

Cilantro and Cabbage Cole Slaw Salad

If you like the taste of cilantro
you will love this salad recipe.

Ingredients:
1 head green cabbage
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 green onion, sliced or minced
1 teaspoon chopped jalapenos or to taste
1 tablespoon real mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Shred or chop the cabbage.
In a medium bowl, combine the
cabbage with remaining ingredients.

Madagascar Coffee

Madagascar is famous for two food products;
the vanilla bean and tamarind.
This is more of a drink than a coffee,
it's an authentic tasting drink.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Tamarind paste
1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
3 cups hot water
1/2 cup sugar or to taste

Directions:
Place all ingredients into
a large heat proof pitcher.
Mix well.
Serve over ice or serve warm.
For a more adult taste mix in
1/2 cup spiced rum (or to taste).

Pasta Shells and Sweet Peas

This is a recipe that makes a good
pasta salad for lunch or a light supper.
Simply dreesed with olive oil of your choice.
Topped with grated parmesan cheese.
The secret to this recipe and what
makes this tasting so good is the
one tablespoon unsalted butter.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound pasta shells
water
salt
1 cup sweet green peas,
frozen works in this
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Bring salted water to a boil,
add pasta shells and cook 12 minutes,
add frozen peas and cook until peas
are cooked and tender, about 4 minutes.
Drain in a colander and place back
in warm cooking pot.
Add olive oil, butter and stir to coat all over.
Place in serving bowl and top with cheese.

I Really Like Christmas Cookies

I like everything about them,
from whipping up the batter,
adding flavors and colors to
baking and eating them.
Even the clean up of the cookie
making press is easy if you have
inside running hot water.
This is a simple to make recipe
for making some tasty and good
looking Christmas cookies using
one of those crank type presses.
These come out nice and crispy
with a good shortcake texture.

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons Triple-Sec
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 drop red food coloring
white or colored sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the cold stick of butter in
microwave for 20 seconds to soften.
Place butter in a mixing bowl,
add sugar and cream together.
Add egg, coloring and flavorings, mix well.
Add flour and baking powder,
mix well to combine.
Remove batter into a cookie press, and press
onto a parchment lined cold baking sheet.
Sprinkle tops with white or colored sugar.
Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes or until
the cookies are just browned arond the edges.
Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Hearts of Palm Salad

Here is a crisp and clean tasting salad.
The rice vinegar makes a light dressing.
And the ginger adds a splash of freshness.

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped hearts of palm
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped cucumber
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 teaspoon pickled ginger

Directions:
In large bowl,
combine all ingredients,
except feta, mix well.
Toss with feta, serve.

Pumkin Pie Cookies

Sometimes I want the taste of pumpkin
without making a whole pumkin pie.
Here is a recipe for making some
pumpkin pie tasting cookies.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 box french vanilla instant pudding mix
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together
butter, sugar, pumpkin, egg,
spices, salt, vanilla and milk.
In a second bowl, mix together flour,
baking powder and pudding mix
until evenly distributed.
Add the dry ingredients to the
pumpkin mixture, stirring
until smoothly incorporated.
Spoon batter onto a greased baking sheet,
using heaping tablespoons for portions.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until a knife
inserted into a cookie comes out clean.
Makes about 18 cookies.

Chicken Patties in Mushroom Sauce

This recipe uses Shwan's
cooked frozen chicken patties and
Campbell's cream of mushroom soup.
Creating a creamy good quick meal.
Cooked potatoes go real well with this.

Ingredients:
2 Shwan's cooked frozen,
chicken patties
1 can Campbell's condensed,
cream of mushroom soup
3/4 can cold water

Directions:
Place chicken patties in a glass bowl,
microwave on high for 3 minutes.
Remove to a cutting board and cut
into 1/2 inch dice.
Place soup and water in the glass bowl,
stir to combine and then add the
chicken and stir again.
Cover and mucrowave for 3 minutes.
Remove and stir, cook more if needed.
serve along side some cooked potatoes.

Black Olive Tapenade

The amounts of the ingredints depends on
the amount of tapenade you desire to make.
This makes one of the best tapenades ever.

Ingredients:
Kalamata olives, pitted and diced
Sun dried tomatoes
Feta cheese, crumbled
Sweet smoked paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
Capers, drained
Flat anchovy fillets
Extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Dijon mustard
Minced fresh thyme leaves
Chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor,
and pulse to process until desired texture.

Fresh Chopped Basil Pasta

This is simplicity at it's best.
Fresh cooked pasta dressed in
olive oil and fresh chopped basil.
With a splash of lemon juice,
a tomato and an olive or two.
Mabe some shaved parmesan cheese.
Keeping it simple and fresh is best!

Ingredients:
1/2 pound pasta, cooked
2 tablespoons fresh basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

Directions:
Cook pasta, drain and while warm,
add basil and dress with olive oil.
Season with salt and cheese, Enjoy!

Crawfish Soup

The first time I tried to make a
craw fish soup it was almost tasteless.
This is a better than good tasting soup.

Ingredients:
1 Stick unsalted butter
1 large Onion, peeled and chopped
2 Celery stalks minced finely
1/4 cup Green onion finely sliced
2 Cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 cans Cream of potato soup
1 can Cream style white or yellow corn
1 pound Crawfish tails w/ fat
1 quart Half & half
Salt to taste
Old Bay Seasoning Mix to taste
1 tablespoon Fresh chopped Parsley

Directions:
Melt the stick of unsalted butter
in a bowl in microwave.
Place in a saute pan and saute onions in butter,
then add celery, green onion, and garlic and
simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients.
Simmer for about 40 minutes.
Serve hot with french bread or garlic bread.

Maple Flavored Royal Icing

This is the icing I always use on
maple leaf shaped sugar cookies.

Ingredients:
1 pound powdered sugar
5 tbsp meringue powder
1/3 cup water (plus more for adjusting consistency)
Few drops maple flavoring

Directions:
In a bowl mix together sugar, meringue powder,
water, and maple flavoring until smooth (about 2 minutes).
If icing is too thick, add more water in 1 tsp increments.
If too thin, slowly add more powdered sugar.

Snow Flake Cookies

This is a recipe for making cookies
in the shape of snow flakes and then
decorated with icing and sprinkles.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter (room temperature)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Frosting:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons of butter, softened
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
food coloring and sprinkles


Directions:
In a mixing bowl, cream together
the butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla; beat well.
Stir together the dry ingredients.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the
creamed mixture until completely blended.
Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface,
roll the dough to 1/4 an inch thickness.
Cut with various sized snowflake
shaped cookie cutters dipped in flour.
Transfer cookies to an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes.
Cool the cookies on wire cooling racks.

Frosting:
Mix together the sugar, butter, vanilla, and milk.
Add more milk if the icing is too thick.
Add food coloring to the icing if desired.
Use a cake decorating piping set to decorate
the cookies and sprinkle them with sprinkles.

Apricot Arborio Rice Pudding

Bringing the sweet flavor of dried apricots
and the creamy goodness of arborio rice together,
this recipe will make you want this rice
pudding dish more than just once in a while.
Easy to prepare in a pan on the stove top.

Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 cup milk
another 1 cup milk
cinnamon sugar

Directions:
Place water and vanilla in a pot with a cover,
bring to a boil and add chopped dried apricots.
Stir and add rice, lower heat to a slow slow heat.
After a minute or two stir rice again.
Heat milk up in the microwave for two minutes,
add milk to rice and apricots and stir again.
Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Add another cup of milk that you have warmed
up in the microwave for 2 minutes, stir and cover.
Let simmer another 15 minutes, stir, cover pot
and turn off heat completely.
Let sit on burner for 30 minutes.
until all liquid is absorbed,
and rice pudding is a very creamy and good.
Sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar.

Olive Oil on Rye

This is really good tasting.
I make this as an appetizer
and people go crazy for these.
Very simple and make and these
can sit out on the buffet table
for hours because it's just toast.

Ingredients:
10 slices Jewish style rye bread
olive oil

Directions:
Place slices of bread on a baking sheet
and toast them in the oven or if you
wish to just use a toaster that works.
Get them to your desired browness.
Cut them or break into small pieces.
Place the toast on a serving platter.
Drizzle with olive oil to taste.

Crispy Sauteed Potatoes

These potatoes are so good there addictive.
Creamy on the inside and all brown and cruchy
on the outside from baking in the butter.

Ingredients:
Potatoes, boiled in skin, fork tender
Unsalted butter
Olive oil
Herbs of your choice

Directions:
After cooking potatoes remove the skins.
Heat a large frying pan or griddle (medium heat)
and add some butter and olive oil.
Put the potatoes in the pan and roll
them around to coat them with oil.
Leave some space between the potatoes.
Lower the heat to about 300 deg F.
and let the potatoes cook slowly
until a golden crust develops.
This takes about 15 minutes.
Turn the potatoes and cook them.
Keep turning them so the potatoes
are browned on all sides.
Add more butter if needed.
When ready to serve,
sprinkle the potatoes with herbs.

Smoker Cooked Baked Beans

These beans are good tasting alone
and great tasting with the pineapple.
This recipe uses canned beans but you
could also make this with dried beans,
if you wanted to go through all the work.

Ingredients:
6-8 strips of bacon cut into 1/2 inch squares
1/2 Medium onion, peeled and diced
1/2 Bell pepper, diced
1 - 2 Jalapeno Peppers, diced (seeding is optional)
1 - 55 ounce can Bush's Baked Beans
1-8 ounce can of pineapple chunks, drained
1 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
1 Cup ketchup
1/2 - 1 Tbs. dry (ground) mustard

Directions:
Saute bacon pieces in fry pan until crispy
and remove from pan with a slotted spoon.
Saute onion, bell pepper
and jalapeno pepper until tender.
In a large mixing bowl combine beans,
pineapple, brown sugar, ketchup and dry mustard.
Stir in bacon pieces and vegetables.
Pour into a deep 9X9 aluminum baking pan.
(While mixing if things look dry,
add additional ketchup 1/2 cup at a time)
Place in a 220-250 degree F. meak smoker
for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or place
in a 350 degree F. oven and bake for 1 hour.

Tuna Macaroni and Cheese

This is an easy recipe to make
and is a good tasting quick lunch.

Ingredients:
1 package Macaroni and cheese
1 can of tuna fish
Old Bay Seasoning to taste

Directions:
Prepare macaroni and cheese per package.
Open can of tuna and place on serving plate.
Sprinkle tuna with Old Bay Seasoning.
Place macaroni and cheese along side tuna.
Serve.

Original Greek Style Coney Hot Dog Sauce

1 pound Ground beef 85/15
1 cup lard or Vegetable Shortening
1 medium Onion, peeled and diced
1/3 cup Chili powder
2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon Black pepper, coarsely ground
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
1 teaspoon Cumin powder
1 teaspoon Allspice
1 teaspoon Basil, dried
1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon Oregano, dried

Directions:
Cover the meat with water and soak,
in the fridge, for about 30 minutes.
Then take a fork and break up any chunks.
Drain the water and go on to browning.
You will have some water while browning
but it will slowly steam off.
Brown beef, onion and shortening.
Add remaining ingredients.
Simmer for 2 hours.
You may have to add some water.
This freezes well.

Grilled Pablano Peppers and Feta

Good to serve along with some corn bread,
this is a recipe to make grilled
and feta cheese stuffed pablano peppers.

Ingredients:
pablano chile peppers
Olive Oil
Feta Cheese
Fresh cracked pepper
Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:
Preheat grill to medium heat.
Slice each pablano pepper into half lenghwise,
and remove some or all of the seeds.
Coat the outside of each pablano pepper
half with olive oil, sprinkle feta cheese
into each pepper half and place on grill.
After removing pablano pepper halves from grill,
splash each paplano pepper half with fresh cracked
black pepper and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Deep Fried Whole Turkey

I've always wanted to get one of those
propane gas fired pots that are specially
made for deep frying a whole turkey.
A few years ago I watched as my neighbor
burnt her wooden deck down right quick.
So I kind of passed on the whole idea.
Until this year!
When the oil reached 350 degrees,
I dried the bird thoroughly, inside and out.
Then the turkey went on the rack,
Frying a whole turkey can be dangerous
if you’re not careful, but it’s not difficult.
About 40 minutes or so later,
I was pulling a beautiful,
golden-brown bird out of the pot.
A thermometer inserted into the breast
registered 160 degrees F.
I put the turkey on a plate
covered it with aluminum foil,
and let it rest for a few minutes..
Then I carved it. The turkey was visibly juicy.
Would the meat taste as good as it looked?
Simply: yes.
It was tender and full of flavo,
even the white meat that's usually dry,
this turkey breast meat may have been the
juiciest white turkey meat I’ve ever had.

Canned Soup over Cooked Rice

I like to use canned soups to make a meal
fast and easy and rib sticking good.
Open a can of soup and simply heat it
up in the microwave oven and then pour
it over a bed of cooked white rice.
A cheap meal to prepare and really good.

Easy Sweet and Sour Sauce

I use this sauce on chicken wings
for a change of pace from hot sauce.

Ingredients:
1 cup fat free chicken broth
1 can pineapple chunks with juice
6 maraschino cherries with juice
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 pinch red pepper flakes

Directions:
In a bowl mix corn starch with chicken broth.
Heat in a skillet or saute pan until thick.
Then add the pineapple juice and a
good sized pinch of red pepper flakes.
Stir over heat until thick and bubbly again.
Then remove from heat and add
marachino cherry juice.
Add pineapple chunks,
sauteed bell pepper chunks
and a few maraschino cherries.
Serve over chicken and white cooked rice.

Eight Hour Baked Beef Brisket

This recipe is incredibly good tasting.
You bake it really slow in a roasting bag.
You won't believe how delicious this is.
The low heat and slow cooking make
for a melt-in-your-mouth brisket.
I'm salivating just thinking about it!

Ingredients:
3 pounds beef brisket
1 package dry onion soup mix
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
Coat the inside of an oven roasting bag with flour.
Place brisket and garlic powder inside bag along with
dry onion soup mix, and ground black pepper. Seal bag.
Using a fork, make two sets of holes
in the top of the roasting bag.
Lay bag in a broiling pan.
Bake in a preheated oven for 8 hours.

Mashed Baked Yams

This is a recipe for making mashed yams.
I like to bake them for added flavor.

Ingredients:
5 medium yams
unsalted butter to taste
Sea salt to taste
Cracked black peppercorns to taste

Directions:
Bake whole yams at 425 degrees F. until soft.
Peel the skin and mash with a potato masher.
Season with butter, salt and black pepper.
Keep warm until ready to serve.

Light Turkey Stew

This is a recipe for using some
left over turkey and making stew
with vegetables and egg noodles.
Cooking the egg noodles in the broth
adds flavor inside the noodles.

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups turkey meat
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
pepper to taste
8 ounces egg noodles
fresh parsley leaves

Directions:
In a large stock pot or saucepan,
combine broth, turkey, onion, celery,
carrots, and bay leaves.
Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.
Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil.
Add egg noodles and partially cover with lid.
Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until noodles
are just tender. Remove from heat,
remove bay leaves and stir in parsley.

Mango Pineapple Salsa Hot Dogs

This is a unique topping for hot dogs.
Tasty and refreshing on a toasted bun.

Ingredients:
8 hot dogs
8 buns

For the mango-pineapple salsa:
1 mango, cubed
1 cup cubed pineapple
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons minced jalapeno
juice of 1/2 lime

For the jalapeno sauce:
5 jalapenos, seeded
3 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 shallot
juice of 1/2 lime
salt
freshly ground black pepper


Directions:
Place all of the sauce ingredients in
a food processor and pulse until smooth.
In a medium bowl, stir together the salsa ingredients.
Broil or grill the hot dogs. Place in buns,
top with the fruit salsa and drizzle with sauce.

Shrimp Cocktail Pizza

This is just like a shrimp cocktail but better.
Served on a warm from the oven pizza crust,
this is one of my favorite pizza recipes.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Hot Pepper Sauce
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 cup prepared pizza sauce
1 (12-inch) ready-to-eat pizza crust
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tomato, sliced
8 shrimp, peeled, par-cooked, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
Cocktail sauce

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil,
drop in shrimp to par-cook for one minute.
Remove shrimp to a bowl and add hot sauce,
horseradish, pizza sauce and mix well.
Place pizza crust on an oiled pizza pan.
Spread pizza sauce mixture over crust,
leaving a 1-inch border around edge.
Sprinkle cheese over sauce and top
with tomato slices and shrimp.
Bake according to pizza package instructions
or until cheese is melted and crust is crisp.
Remove pizza from oven and sprinkle with parsley.
Cool slightly and cut into 8 slices.
Serve with cocktail sauce on the side.

Wasabi Shrimp Rolls

This is a good shrimp sandwich
to make for a change of pace.
You can make this as hot as
you like to, I like it mild.
This recipe makes two rolls.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked and chopped shrimp
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 Tbsp wasabi mayonnaise
2 hot dog buns
black sesame seeds and sriracha

Directions:
In a bowl combine shrimp, celery
green onion and mayonnaise.
Toast buns on grill if desired.
Top buns with shrimp mixture
and some sesame and sriracha.

Roasted Beets and Bleu Cheese

This is one of those recipes that
you must try once in your life.
The roasted beets go very well
with the flavor of bleu cheese.

Ingredients:
3 pounds red beets, tops removed
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 pound bleu cheese
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Sea salt, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Cut six 5 by 7-inch pieces of aluminum foil.
Put 2 to 3 beets in the center of each sheet,
making sure there's plenty of extra foil.
Bring the sides of the foil sheets together
and fold to form a package.
Put the packages in oven and roast
for about 1 1/2 hours.
Let the beets sit in the packages
until they are cool enough to handle.
Rub each beet to remove the skin.
Cut the peeled beets into rough dice
measuring about 1 1/2 inches square.
Transfer the beets to a mixing bowl
and toss with the rice vinegar.
Transfer beets to a container and chill.
Arrange beets on a serving platter.
Crumble the bleu cheese over the beets
and then top with the walnuts and parsley.
Garnish with sea salt and serve.

Cinnamon Sugar Whipped Cream

Just in time for the holidays.
This is great on pumpkin pie.
Next to some warm bread pudding,
or on top of a Christmas eggnog.

Ingredients:
1/2 pint heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Place a glass bowl and egg beaters in
the freezer to cool for ten minutes.
Plug in your electric mixer and in
that cold mixing bowl add cream.
Beat on high setting until cream
is almost to your desired consistancy.
Add cinnamon and sugar just to mix in.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Here is a winning recipe for brussels sprouts.
Sweet and salty and cooked to perfection.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place trimmed Brussels sprouts,
olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper
in a large resealable plastic bag.
Seal tightly, and shake to coat.
Pour onto a baking sheet,
and place on center oven rack.
Roast in the oven for 40 minutes,
shaking pan every 5 to 7 minutes
for even browning of sprouts.
Adjust seasoning with salt, if necessary.

Prime Rib Roast Beef

This is one of my best recipes.
Easy to prepare and is a show stopper.
It is perfect rare in the center
and med-rare on the ends. Terrific!
I serve this with a nice creamy gravy.

Ingredients:
1 (10 pound) prime rib roast
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme

Directions:
Place the roast in a roasting pan fat side up.
In a small bowl, mix together the garlic,
olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme.
Spread the mixture over the roast.
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
Bake the roast for 20 minutes then reduce
the temperature to 325 degrees F.,
and continue roasting for an
additional 60 to 80 minutes.
The internal temperature of the roast
should be at 130 degrees F. for medium rare.
Allow the roast to rest for 15 minutes
before carving so the meat can retain its juices.

Yogurt Dipping Sauce for BBQ Chicken Wings

This is a good tasting dipping sauce
for hot wings made with fat-free yogurt.
It's very good on the hot wings.

Ingredients:
1 cup fat-free yogurt
1/2 teaspoon parsley, chopped
1/4 teapsoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
In a bowl mix together all
the ingredients and stir.
Chill until ready to serve.

Beetza Pizza Fresh Beet Pizza

Think this sounds strange?
It is awesome tasting.
Fresh beets with gorganzola
is a classic combination for
making a Mediterranean salad.
It also is a great tasting pizza,
topped with fresh basil after baking.

Ingredients:
1 pizza dough
1 fresh beet, peeled and sliced thin
1 cup gorganzola cheese crumbles
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
corn meal for preparing pan

Directions:
After dough has risen to use.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Roll out dough on a baking sheet
sprinkled with some corn meal.
Arrange slices of beet on dough.
Place gorganzola between beets.
Bake in oven until crust is browned.
About 20 minutes or so.
Arrange chopped basil around pizza.

Roast Root Vegetables and Schwan's Chicken Legs

This is a good vegetable dish
to prepare on a cold winter day.
The vegetables get all nice soft
and pick up some of the flavors from
all of the herbs and spices nicely.
You don't even have to peel the beets.

Ingredients:
5 celery stalks
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
6 garlic cloves, peeled
3 white potatoes, washed and cut up
1 sweet potaoto, washed and chopped
3 fresh beets, washed and cut up
4 Schwan's frozen chicken legs
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a roasting pan place celery
to make a bed to place the other
vegetables on top of celery stalks.
Place onion, garlic, sweet potatoes,
white potatoes and beets in pan.
Place Shwan's chicken legs in pan.
Drizzle with olive oil and
sprinkle with salt and seasonings.
Cover pan and roast for 45 minutes.
Turn off oven and let pan stay
inside while oven cools down some.
15 minutes later dinner is served.

Ginger Cream Sauce

This is a great tasting sauce
to serve with broiled salmon.
Not sweet, has a nice ginger taste.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1-1/2 tablespoons minced gingerroot
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 cup light cream

Directions:
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat.
Saute onions and ginger until soft, about 5 minutes.
Stir in vinegar until evaporated.
Stir in cream; bring to a boil.
Boil for 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

Sliced Rye Bread Croutons

Yesterday I placed four slices of rye bread
in my toaster oven and lightly toasted them.
In my haste to serve the meal and everything
I forgot to serve the toasted rye bread and
found them still sitting in the oven today.
Took them out and they were crispy and crunchy.
A new recipe was born as these taste great!
I broke them up into pieces and served them
as croutons on bowls of tomato soup.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I’m a frequent user of dried herbs.
But this dish demands fresh rosemary.
Even though the needles dry during roasting,
they’re not as stiff and tough as dried rosemary.
And while I often chop fresh rosemary
when I cook with it, I left them whole here.

Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes
3 to 4 shallots, peeled and halved
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
olive oil
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Peel the sweet potatoes and
cut into bite-sized chunks.
Place in a 9×13-inch glass baking dish.
Add shallots and garlic to baking dish
and drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
Season generously with salt and pepper,
then sprinkle with cayenne pepper.
Toss again to spread seasonings evenly.
Place baking dish on middle rack
in oven and roast 40 to 55 minutes,
until sweet potatoes are tender and slightly browned.
Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Roast Beets and Sweet Potatoes

I bought some sweet potatoes and
some fresh beets that I thought
would last for a month on the counter.
Today I noticed the beets getting soft.
So I decided to roast them with the
sweet potatoes and I'm glad I did.
These roast up great and were a good
side dish with the pork chops I made.

Ingredients:
3 large beets, peeled and cut into chunks
3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
1 large white onion, cut in large pieces
4 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place sweet potatoes, beets and onion
in large bowl and add olive oil, garlic,
and salt and pepper to taste.
Mix in bowl to coat all over.
Place in a roasting pan and roast 1 hour
or until vegetables are tender.

Shrimp with Cannellini Beans

Shrimp and beans are great combined with
some fine tasting herbs and spices.
Here is a recipe doing just that,
a smooth tasting comforting Dish.

Ingredients:
20 large shrimp or medium-size prawns
1/2 oz. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tomatoes, diced
3 1/2 oz. water used to boil beans
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat 1 oz. of olive oil in a casserole;
brown the garlic and remove it.
Add the shrimps and cook
on each side for 1 1/2 minutes.
Add the rosemary, tomatoes, cannellini beans,
water, salt and pepper to taste and simmer
for 3 more minutes, over a medium heat.
Remove from heat; place either in
single serving plates or in a platter.
Top with extra-virgin olive oil and serve.

Cream Cheese Frosting for Cookies and Cupcakes

This is a recipe to make a good frosting
made with cream cheese and powdered sugar.
It dries up to a sweet and creamy glazing.
Use butter and cheese at room temperature.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
8 oz package of cream cheese
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
In a mixing bowl cream together the
butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes.
Add the vanilla and stir to combine.
Gradually add the powdered sugar,
continually tasting to achieve
the desired level of sweetness.
Spread over cooled cookies.

Creamy Mustard Soup

Serve the great tasting soup with
chunks of French bread, slices of
wholegrain toast with butter,
breadsticks dipped in cheese
and rolled in parsley.
Leftovers are great as a sauce on steak
or mixed into cooked pasta and baked.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
4 cups water
1 beef bullion cube
4 ounces sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
4 tablespoons corn starch
4 tablesponns water
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Peel and chop the onion.
Melt the butter in a large soup pot
and then add the chopped onion,
letting it cook for a few minutes.
Add water and the bullion cube,
then slowly bring to the boil.
Combine the cream cheese, sour cream
and the mustard with a whisk or a spoon.
When water has come to the boil,
lower the heat and add mustard mixture;
whip with a whisk until smooth.
Let simmer for a few minutes.
Add cornstarch and let the soup thicken
on low heat for a couple of minutes.
Once thickened, season with black pepper.

Seafood Tartar Sauce

Use this sauce on fish sticks and
as a dipping sauce for seafood.
Spoon over tacos, fish sticks, or
add into taco salads or rice bowls.
It's great tasting in a lobster roll.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream
and mayonnaise until well blended.
Squeeze the juice from one half lime
into the mixture, then whisk thoroughly.
You’ll want the consistency of a pourable,
creamy salad dressing. If still too thick,
add more lime juice from the other half.
If too runny, add sour cream.
Add all the spices, whisking to mix thoroughly.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate
for at least one hour, the longer the better.
Serve chilled.

Homemade Mushroom Soup

I like mushroom soup and the store
bought canned soups just don't do the taste
of the mushrooms justuce and are too salty.
This is a recipe for making a great tasting soup.
For a richer soup, use chicken or beef broth.

Ingredients:
2 lb Fresh Mushrooms
3 Cup Potatoes, Diced
1 1/2 Cup Carrots, Sliced
1 Clove Garlic (Optional)
1 tbsp Onion, Minced
1 tbsp Parsley, Chopped
Salt And Pepper To Taste
1/4 Cup Oil For Roux
4-5 tbsp Flour For Roux

Directions:
Place carrots and potatoes in
approximately 4 quarts of water.
When partially cooked,
add sliced mushrooms, parsley,
and onion, cook until tender.
Make a roux of approximately
4 to 5 tablespoons flour and 1/4 cup oil,
lightly brown in frying pan and
slowly mix into soup broth.
Add more water if too thick.

Crock Pot Chicken Wings for New Years Eve Party

In this New Year's Eve chicken wings recipe.
I cook chicken wings in a slow cooker,
swimming in a spicy tomato marinade,
remove the chicken to a baking sheet
and place them under the broiler
and then back into the slow cooker
to keep warm for serving.

Ingredients:
3 pounds chicken wings
12 ounces barbeque sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic flakes
1 teaspoon onion flakes
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons hot jalapeno sauce
1 tablespoon tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon cajun spice seasoning

Directions:
In a slow cooker add chicken
barbeque sauce, and all spices.
Stir and heat on low for 4 hours.
Preheat broiler and place chicken
on a baking shhet and broil for a
few minutes on each side then
return to slow cooker to serve.

Shrimp Cocktail with Wasabi Sauce

This recipe makes one of the hotest
cocktail sauces that I've ever tasted.
Be careful with this one folks,
the heat really catches you by surprise.
But if you like it hot this is so good.

Ingredients:
1 pound frozen shrimp, thawed
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 cup tomato ketchup
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon wasabi powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
Peel and devein shrimp leaving tail on.
Place shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle with
wasabi powder and cayenne pepper.
Toss to coat all shrimp.
Cover and refrigerate over night.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add shrimp
and cook until just red, do not overcook.
In a bowl combine soup, ketchup,
brown sugar and horseradish.
Add enough water to desired consistancy.
Add shrimp and stir, serve chilled.

Christmas Recipes

From cookies to Caviar,
this is a good resourse to get new and old
cooking and baking recipes for Christmas.

Spritz Cookies

Ah this is the time of year I pull out
the old cookie press and bake up
a batch of spritz cookies. I remember
making these with my Grandmother.
It seems every year I make these
using a differant spritz cookie recipe.
This is the recipe I just made and baked.

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl combine flour
and baking powder, set aside.
In a mixing bowl,
cream the butter with sugar.
Add egg, milk and extract.
Mix just until combined then
slowly add flour mixture.
Again mix just to combine.
Place cookie dough in a cookie
press fitted with your desired tip.
Press out dough to desired shapes.
Bake for 10 minutes or until browned
around the edges and remove to cool.
Be careful not to over bake these.

White Bean and Arugula Gratin

This is a good tasting white bean gratin,
baked in the oven on a high temperature.
The beans get creamy and blend with cheese.

Ingredients:
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 zucchini diced
1 red pepper diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
3 Tbs olive oil
2 cup Arugula
2 cans white beans
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup stock
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, grated
Pinch red pepper
Capers
Sun-dried tomatoes
Pine nuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
In a large soup pot with lid,
add the first four ingredients,
and the olive oil to pot,
and put in the oven with the lid off,
until lightly browned.
Add the Arugula, return to oven until wilted.
Add the white beans, stock, and wine.
Mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan.
Cover the dish with the bread crumb mixture.
Cover and bake. Take off the lid off the pan
for the last few minutes to brown.

Lemon and Sausage Dressing

You can taste the bright lemon flavor
which pairs well with the sausage and herbs.

Ingredients:
3 cups white bread cubes, dried
3 cups rye bread cubes, dried
1/2 pound ground pork sausage
3/8 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
4 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 eggs
1/2 cup turkey broth
zest and juice of 4 lemons

Directions:
Saute sausage and crumble into small pieces.
Drain grease and set crumbled sausage aside.
Melt the butter in a pan and
add the onions and celery.
Cook until onions begin to soften
and turn a light golden brown.
The celery should still be slightly crunchy.
Remove from the heat and add the sage,
salt and pepper to the celery mixture.
Combine the bread cubes, sausage, and the
onion and celery mixture in a large bowl.
Stir until the ingredients are well mixed.
Add the broth gradually to the stuffing mixture.
Only add enough liquid to moisten the stuffing
enough for it to hold together.
Begin by adding 1 cup or less.
Add lemon zest and juice.
Add more seasoning if necessary
and then add the beaten eggs
and stir until combined well.
Butter the bottom and sides of a
baking dish and place stuffing in dish.
Lightly pat the stuffing in the dish
and cover with foil.
Bake at 350 Degree F. for 45 minutes.
Remove the foil for the last
20 minutes of cooking time.

The Best Recipe For Shrimp

I've got a 2 pound bag of frozen shrimp
sitting in the freezer calling for me
to make a dish using some of them.
I couldn't decide which shrimp recipe.
Scampi, chowder, salad or Po-Boy.
Until upon turning the pages of one of
my Grandmother's old cook books.
I found an old and yellowed index card
with this hand written shrimp recipe.
Try this one yourself and you will agree,
that this is the best recipe for shrimp.

Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp, cooked
1/4 cup pickled ginger
2 celery stalks, peeled and chopped
1 cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon low salt soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon wasabi powder
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
lettuce cups
sour cream

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl,
combine all ingredients.
Refrigerate to cool and then
serve in lettuce cups,
topped with sour cream.

Special Shrimp Gravy

This is a good tasting shrimp gravy.
Serve over grits, biscuits or rice.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup chopped raw bacon
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cube beef bouillon
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Directions:
Place the bacon in a skillet
and cook over medium-high heat.
Cook and stir until crisp.
Remove bacon and set aside,
leaving the grease in the skillet.
Reduce the heat to medium and
add the onions to the pan.
Cook and stir until transparent.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together
the flour, Old Bay Seasoning and water.
Mix in the evaporated milk.
Pour into the pan with the onions;
cook, stirring constantly,
until gravy has thickened.
Stir in the bouillon cube,
garlic salt, chives, salt and pepper.
Return the bacon to the skillet,
and add the shrimp.
Cook for 5 to 10 minutes,
until shrimp are pink and opaque.

Baked Sourdough Buttered Loaf

This is a recipe for baking a loaf
of sour dough bread loaded with
jack cheese and fresh parsley.

Ingredients:
1 round loaf of sourdough bread, unsliced
1/2 pound of grated jack cheese
1/2 red onion, peeled and cut into thin pieces
1/2 cup chopped parsley
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut bread into diagonal slices,
about 1 inch apart, stopping before
you cut through the bottom of the loaf.
Cut bread in the opposite direction
in the same manner, creating diagonal
shaped cubes, taking care
not to cut through to the bottom.
Carefully stuff the space in between
each cube with cheese, onions and parsley,
then drizzle with melted butter.
Wrap in foil and place in the
oven for 20 minutes. Unwrap the top
of the loaf and bake for 15 minutes more,
to crisp up the crust. Serve immediately.

Calipso Grilled Lime Shrimp

Making lime shrimp is easy if you
follow the simple rule of not
marinating the shrimp too long.
The shrimp can cook in the marinade.
And turn rubbery on the grill.

Ingredients:
1 lb jumbo shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 garlic cloves (minced)

Directions:
In a large bowl mix together cumin,
oregano, salt, pepper, olive oil,
lime zest and lime juice.
Add shrimp and toss to coat.
Let stand at room temperature
for 10 minutes to marinate.
Thread the shrimp onto skewers
and reserve the marinade.
Lightly grease and heat an
outdoor grill to medium heat.
Place skewered shrimp onto the grill
and cook for 3-7 minutes or until
shrimp turn pink turning once and
brushing with the reserved marinade.

Best French Fries Ever

These potatoes are cooked in oil
but not hot oil in the begining.
You slice the potatoes into fries,
place them in a pot of cold oil,
then heat them to a tender inside
and a crispy browned outside.

Ingredients:
4 yukon gold potatoes
6 cups canola oil
1/2 cup bacon fat
salt

Directions:
Wash and pat dry potatoes.
Cut off ends and as much peel as desired.
Cut into 1/4 inch slices and then again
cut into 1/4 inch french fries.
Place cold oil in a cold pot.
Add potatoes to cold oil and bring
the oil to a boil on high heat.
Cook for 15 minutes.
Stir to loosen any potatoes
stuck tothe bottom of the pot.
Cook a few minutes more until
the outside gets golden brown.
remove from oil to drain on
paper towels, salt to taste.

Baked Canned Ham

Ever want a baked ham and
didn't want to make a big one?
Try this recipe for baking a canned ham.

Ingredients:
1 canned ham, about 5 lbs.
cloves
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup sherry

Directions:
Put the ham in a shallow baking dish and
cut a criss-cross pattern over the top
to make 1-inch-sized diamond designs.
Then stick a clove in the points of the diamonds.
In a small saucepan, cook the pineapple juice,
brown sugar, and sherry together,
just long enough for the sugar to melt.
Brush this over the top and sides of ham.
Bake in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour,
and every once in a while spoon some of the
glaze from the pan back on the ham again.

Pomegranate Grape Punch

Pomegranate juice is good for you
and this punch tastes good enough.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups white grape juice
1 1/2 cups cranberry juice
1 1/4 cups pomegranate juice
1 large lemon, thinly sliced
Pomegranate seeds
Fresh mint leaves
Ice cubes

Directions:
Bring 1/2 cup water and sugar to boil in small saucepan,
stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes.
Cool syrup completely. Combine Grape, cranberry
and pomegranate juices in punch bowl.
Add enough syrup to sweeten to taste.
Mix in lemon slices, pomegranate seeds, and mint leaves.
Add ice to bowl.

Taco Pizza

This recipe makes a really good tasting
pizza with the flavors of a soft taco.
Ground beef, refried beans and cheddar cheese.
After baking you add some lettuce for crunch
and some sour cream for that cool taste.


Ingredients:
2/3 cup Taco Sauce
2/3 cup Pizza Sauce
1/4 cup Refried beans
1 Taco meat seasoning
1 pound Ground Beef 85/15
1 1/2 c – Mozzarella cheese

Topping (after baking):
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Shredded Lettuce
Chopped Tomato
Sliced Black Olives
Sour Cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Brown ground beef in a skillet and drain.
Then mix in the packet of taco meat seasoning
and some water as per the instructions on the bag.
Stretch dough out into a pizza pan,
mix the taco sauce, pizza sauce, and refried beans
and spread it on the rolled out dough.
Next, a layer of mozzarella and
taco meat sprinkled on top.
Another layer of mozzarella over the meat.
Bake for 11 minutes at 450 degrees F.
Remove from oven, top with shredded lettuce,
diced tomatoes, sour cream and black olives.

Cod Poached in Soy Water

Cod is a very delicate white fish,
usually I bread it and bake it,
in this recipe I poached the fellets
in a bath of soy sauce and water.
Garnished with some pickled ginger.

Ingredients:
2 cod fillets
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 cup water
pickled ginger

Directions:
Place water and soy sauce in a saute pan.
Bring to a boil and add cod fillets.
Turn heat to simmer for 10 minutes.
Turn fish, cover pan and simmer 8 minutes.
Remove fiets and top with pickled ginger.

Potato Cheese Casserole

This is a winning recipe to prepare
and bring to parties or pot lucks.
Easy to make and bake and eat.
Sometimes I add some cooked bacon.

Ingredients:
32 oz frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups corn flake cereal
1 (10.5 oz) can condensed celery soup
1 (16 oz) carton sour cream
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup melted butter
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Arrange the thawed hash brown potatoes
in bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish
sprayed with cooking spray.
Sprinkle cheddar cheese over potatoes.
In a medium bowl, combine the
remaining ingredients;
stir into the potato mixture.
Sprinkle top with corn flakes.
Bake covered for 1 hour or until done.

Baked Cod in Lemon Butter

This is a simple to prepare baked cod,
lemon butter and some bread crumbs,
baked for thirty minutes it's done.

Ingredients:
1 cod fish fillet
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup Italian dry bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
sweet smoked paprika

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl mix butter and lemon juice.
In another bowl, mix breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
Dip fish into butter mixture;
coat fish with breadcrumb mixture.
Place fish in ungreased baking dish.
Pour remaining butter mixture over fish;
sprinkle with smoked paprika.
Bake uncovered until fish flakes
easily with fork, 25-30 minutes.
Garnish with lemon slices if desired.

Wasabi Mayonnaise

I make this and use it in egg salad,
everyone loves the great spicy taste.
It's easy to make but if your not careful
you'll end up burning your taste buds.

1/2 cup real mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder

Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine wasabi
and mayonnaise, cover and let
sit refrigerated until use.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

This is the sauce I make to use
when making General Tso's chicken.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup pineapple, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, cut in julienne strips
1/2 cup capsicum, cut in julienne strips
1/2 cup spring onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp cornflour
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 tbsp Soya sauce
4 tbsp vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Bring water to a boil and cook
carrot strips until slightly tender.
Add pineapple pieces and cook for one minute.
Stir in sugar, vinegar and Soya sauce.
Cover and simmer for two minutes.
Heat oil in a separate pan, and
gently fry capsicum strips for a minute,
add spring onions, chopped or powdered
ginger and fry for a further two minutes.
Add fried mixture to carrot mixture in a saucepan.
Blend cornflour to a smooth paste
with a little cold water and stir into the mixture.
Bring it to a boil,
stirring continuously until the sauce thickens.
Simmer for two minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.

Black Eyed Pea Hummas

Black eyed peas go good with
fried hog jowles, baked sweet
potatoes, or sauteed collard greens.
The taste of black eyed pea hummas
surprises people if they
have never tasted it before.

Ingredients:
1(14 Oz. Can) Black Eyed Peas, Drained
1 clove Garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon hot pepper Sauce
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
Salt to Taste
Black Pepper to taste

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor,
and pulse until smooth and creamy.

Perfect no Lumps Turkey Gravy

Around this time of year everyone looks
forward to a big Thanksgiving day meal,
usually a turkey with all the trimmings.
Here is the way I make the turkey gravy.
This recipe mkes about 2 cups gravy.

Ingredients:
2 cups turkey drippings
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning

Directions:
Place turkey drippings in a saucepan.
Add flour and poultry seasoning
and cook over medium heat, stirring
constantly until smooth and bubbly.
If necessary, add water to reserved
turkey drippings to measure 2 1/2 cups.
Gradually stir mixture to boiling,
stirring frequently.
Boil until thickened, 5-7 minutes.

Popovers for Breakfast

I've never made popovers before today,
so I was pleased they came out perfectly.
This is an easy recipe to follow,
almost a fool-proof popover recipe.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in large bowl.
Half fill greased muffin tins w/ mixture.
Put in cold oven and set temp to 450 degrees F.
Bake 15 minutes and reduce heat to 350 degrees F.
Bake for another 15-20 minutes.

Fresh Sage Sauce

I like to use fresh herbs in my cooking.
Here is a fresh sage sauce that you can
use over breaded and cooked chicken,
veal or any type of wiener schnitzels.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Juice of half a lemon

Directions:
Melt the butter in a sauce pan,
add the minced shallots and saute
until wilted and golden.
Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
Whisk in the broth and white wine
and stir well until smooth.
Add the minced sage, salt,
pepper and fresh lemon juice.
Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Texas Beef Chili

There are more recipes for chili
all claiming to be "the best ever".
Try this one and you will be rewarded
with one of the best tasting chilis.
There isn't one bean in Texas chili.

Ingredients:
2 pounds of lean ground beef
1 (14.5 ounce) can of beef broth
1 (8 ounce) can of salt free tomato sauce.
1 hot Serrano pepper
1 Tablespoon of onion powder
2 Teaspoons of garlic powder
1 Tablespoon of Chili Powder
2-1/2 Tablespoons light chili powder
2 Teaspoons cumin
1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
1/4 Teaspoon white pepper
1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cube beef bullion
1/2 cube chicken bullion
1/2 Teaspoon brown sugar
1 pk Sazon Goya
2 Teaspoons Mexene Chili Powder
1 Teaspon cumin
Salt to taste

Directions:
Brown beef and drain all the grease off,
add to the pot tomato sauce and hot pepper,
and bring to a boil.
Add onion powder, garlic powder and chili Powder.
Cover the pot and reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour.
Remove the pepper and crush the juice into the pot.
Add chili powder, cumin, black pepper, white pepper,
cayenne pepper, beef bullion, chicken bullion,
brown sugar and one packet Sazon Goya.
Continue boiling with lid on for 30 minutes.
After the 30 minutes add the Mexene Chili Powder,
cumin and salt to taste. Cover and simmer
for 15 minutes more and serve.

Baked Stuffed Fresh Artichokes

I love artichokes and eat the
ones in the jars all the time.
Here is a good recipe to
stuff and bake the fresh ones.

Ingredients:
8 medium artichokes
2 lemons
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pancetta or bacon
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 Tbsp chopped mint
6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp water or white wine
Dash of salt and pepper

Directions:
Wash artichokes and trim off the
top about 1/2-inch from the top down.
Fill a large pot 3/4 full with cold water
and squeeze the juice from one lemon into the pot,
tossing in the actual squeezed lemon at the end.
Add 1 Tbsp salt to the water.
Remove the outer leaves of the artichoke
to the lighter and more tender underleaves.
One by one, slice the artichokes in half
and core out the furry part above the heart.
Place in the pot of water when you are done.
Once all the chokes are trimmed, halved and
defurred, bring the covered pot of water to a boil.
Turn off the heat once you gain a rapid boil
and then let the artichokes sit
in the covered pot for 5-7 minutes.
Remove the artichokes from the water and drain.
Press a paper towel against them to
try to gently press out any excess water.
Place the artichokes in a large baking pan,
cut side up, and drizzle 3 tablespoons of oil
on top along with the zest of your remaining
lemon as well as that lemon's juice.
Flip the artichokes over, and then cover
and refrigerate the pan until ready to use.
You can make these up to a day ahead of time.
Cut the pancetta or bacon into small cubes and
sauté with the garlic in olive oil until crispy.
Place your bread crumbs, cooked pancetta and garlic,
parsley, mint, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil,
Parmesan cheese, and water or white wine in a
food processor along with a dash of salt and pepper.
Pulse until everything is thoroughly chopped and combined.
Turn the artichokes over so they are once again
cut-side up and gently press a
small mound of stuffing into each cavity.
Top with a sprinkle of kosher or sea salt.
Bake each artichokes in a 350 degree F. oven
for about 40 minutes, or until done.

Loose Meat Taco Filling

I made this as a beef taco topping for
open faced sandwiches on sliced rye bread.
This beef filling would be great simply
wrapped in a soft taco or flour tortilla.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small jar roasted red peppers
1 tablespoons dried chives
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon corn starch
rye bread slices

Directions:
Place olive oil in a large saute pan,
heat and add onions to a simmer.
Saute for 5 minutes and add
cumin and chili powder, stir.
Add ground beef, salt to taste.
Brown meat breaking into pieces.
Drain fat from saute pan and
add roasted peppers, chives.
Adjust seasonings of salt and pepper.
Move meat to one side and add
corn starch to liquid in pan, stir.
Combine thickened sauce with meat.
Serve on slices of rye bread.

Salmon and Avocado Salad

Salmon and avocado go well together
in this tasty fresh herbed cold salad.

Ingredients:
1 pound salmon fillets, poached and cooled
1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs,
(dill, basil, parsley, tarragon and/or chives)
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
Lemon wedges for garnish

Directions:
Break cooked salmon into chunks in a bowl.
Gently toss with remaining ingredients.
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes
to allow flavors to blend.
Serve with lemon wedges.

Pickling Cucumber Salad

This is a tart vinegar cucumber salad that's
served over cooked black eyed peas or okra.

Ingredients:
6 pickling cucumbers
1 large meaty tomato
1 small yellow onion
apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar, or more to taste
1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
a pinch or two fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Dice cucumbers, tomato and onion
into the same size pieces, and
toss together in a medium bowl.
Pour in enough cider vinegar
to cover the salad, add sugar.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve over black eye peas or
tossed with fried okra.

Kidney Beans in Coconut Milk

This dish is I think Jamaican in origin.
It's a simple recipe that you simply simmer
some beans and onion in coconut milk.
The texture of the beans is creamy and
the coconut milk compliments the flavor well.

Ingredients:
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 tomato, diced
1 can of coconut milk
salt to taste
cooked white rice

Directions:
Saute onion until tender, add tomato and beans.
Pour in a can of coconut milk and continue to
simmer until beans are soft and ready.
Season with salt to taste.
Serve over cooked white rice.

Crushed Red Potatoes with Sour Cream

You could make these potatoes by
heating them in a microwave and
then crushing them in a fry pan.
This recipe is for baking them and
I think a little bit healthier.

Ingredients:
12 whole Red Potatoes
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt To Taste
Black Pepper To Taste
Rosemary, or Herbs of Choice

Directions:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Add in as many potatoes as you wish
and cook them until they are fork-tender.
On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil.
Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet
leaving plenty of room between each potato.
With a potato masher, gently press down
each potato until it slightly crushes.
Brush the tops of each crushed potato
generously with more olive oil.
Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt,
fresh ground black pepper and
fresh chopped rosemary.
Bake in a 450 degree F. oven
for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Serve warm with sour cream on the side.

Canned Salmon Pasta Salad

This is a good tasting and good
for you salmon pasta salad.
I like to add some cooked bacon
bits to this as well.

Ingredients:
1 package (12 oz.) small shell pasta
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 package (1.7 oz.) lemon dill sauce mix
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 can (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 can(6 oz.) salmon, drained
1 cup frozen green peas

Directins:
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
In small bowl, whisk milk with sauce mix; set aside.
In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat.
Add shallot and mushrooms; cook 3 minutes.
Stir in milk mixture.
Cook, stirring occasionally,
until sauce is thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add lemon juice, pasta, peas and salmon;
stir until pasta is heated through.

Persimmon Cheesecake

This cheesecake is so good tasting,
a little work and your rewarded with
a creamy great textured cheesecake.
I made this in a springform pan.
You could top this with cherries,
strawberries or any sweet fruit.
In this recipe I used persimmons
for the sweet fruit topping.

Ingrediets:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup ginger snap cookie crumbs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large whole egg
3 large egg whites
1 tablesppon corn starch
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine cracker crumbs,
butter and canola oil making a crust and
press on the bottom of a springform pan.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In another bwl cream together the cheese,
sugar and add vanilla and eggs.
Add the flour and corn starch.
Pour the cheese mixture in the
pan and spread out evenly.
Bake for about 1 hour.
Removefrom heat and while stil warm,
top with sliced persimmons.
Serve slightly warm then refrigerate
overnight for the leftovers ro set up.

Two Soups In One

I like to create new recipes and while eating
think of what could have been added or just
what I could have done to improve this one.
The other day I made a good ham and greens soup,
with the left overs I added some cherry tomatoes,
and about 2 cups of shreded cheddar cheese.
This made the some creamy and changed it just
enough that nobody would guess it was left overs.

Persimmon Cookies

Persimmons make for a great tasting cookie.
I like to peel them and also don't use the
center of the fresh persimmons to make pulp.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 eggs
1 cup persimmon pulp

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon,
and ginger in a bowl; set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar with an
mixer in a large bowl until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time,
allowing each egg to blend into the
butter mixture before adding the next.
Beat in the persimmon pulp.
Mix the flour mixture until incorporated.
Drop spoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart
onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven until
slightly puffed and golden brown.
Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before
removing to cool on a wire rack.

Taco Casserole

I'm always finding ways to use
Bisquick baking mix in my recipes.
In this one I top a beef and cheddar
casserole with a Bisquick batter.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 cup Bisquick baking mix
1/4 cup cold water
1 small tomato, sliced

Directions:
In a nonstick skillet, cook beef
over medium heat; drain fat.
Remove from the heat; stir in the cheese,
mayonnaise, sour cream and onion.
In a bowl, combine biscuit mix and water.
Spread into an 8-in. square baking dish
coated with nonstick cooking spray.
Top with beef mixture and tomato.
Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F.
for about 20 minutes or
until bottom crust is golden brown.

Hot Szechuan Shrimp

Characterized by a spicy hotness;
Szechuan shrimp is good served
over cooked rice or noodles.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon salad oil
1 lb. medium shrimp; shelled and deveined
3 green onions, diagonally sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh gingerroot
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Hot cooked rice

Directions:
In small bowl, combine sherry, ketchup,
chili sauce, soy sauce, water, sugar,
cornstarch and salt to taste,
mix well and set aside.
In skillet over high heat, add hot oil,
cook shrimp, onions, garlic, ginger
and red pepper 2 minutes or until
shrimp is almost cooked, stirring.
Stir in reserved sauce mixture.
Heat to boiling. Serve with rice.

Banana Muffins

These banana muffins are easy to make
and are out of this world good.
I like the tasty crumb topping.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 12 muffin cups with muffin papers.
In a large bowl, mix together
1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda,
baking powder and salt.
In another bowl, beat together
bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter.
Stir the banana mixture into the
flour mixture just until moistened.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar,
2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon.
Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until
mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
Sprinkle topping over muffins.
Bake in preheated oven
for 18 to 25 minutes.

Cooked Ham and Greens Soup

This is a simple pleasant tasting soup.
With only five ingredients if you count
water as one of the ingredients.
I used left over cooked ham, added
a can each of seasoned kale and corn.
I think a breakfast sausage or two
would swim very well in this soup.
This simple soup was great tasting,
I served it in a bowl with pieces
of broken up toasted rye bread.
This would be an award winning taste.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked ham, diced
1 can seasoned kale, drained
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can of corn, drained

Directions:
In a soup pot place 6 cups water
and add ham, simmer for one hour.
Skim off fat from top of water.
Add seasoned kale, mushrooms and corn.
Simmer just until warmed through.
Serve with toasted rye bread.

Chicken Fried Ground Beef Burgers

I know this sounds weird even for me,
but my Dad has been without some teeth
for over a month awaiting new dentures.
So I've been cooking all sorts of
soft and easy to eat foods for him.
This one tastes great, is quick to make
and isn't all that difficult to prepare.

Ingredients:
Canola oil for deep-frying
2 pounds ground beef 85/15
salt and pepper to taste
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
All-purpose flour for dredging
Hamburger buns

Directions:
Preheat a deep fryer with oil
over high heat to 375 degrees.
Form the meat into six patties.
Season liberally with salt and pepper.
Whisk the eggs and cream together
and place in a shallow bowl.
Put the flour in a separate bowl.
Dredge one of the patties in the flour.
Place the floured patty in the egg mixture,
lift, drain and repeat, dumping the patties
back in the flour and then back in the
egg and cream until you have
gone through the process three times.
Place one or two burgers in the oil
and repeat with the remaining burgers,
being careful not to overcrowd the fryer.
Cook the burgers for 4 to 5 minutes
until the crust is golden brown.
While the burgers are cooking,
butter and lightly toast the buns.

Cranberry Relish

Fresh cranberries and oranges
make for the best tasting and
colorful looking relish ever.
This recipe has always been
on our family Thanksgiving day
table and it brings back so
many fond old memories for me.
Years ago we made this using a
hand crank food mill or grinder.
I just made this in a food processor,
with a fire blazing in the fire place
and some Christmas music playing.
You can make this as sweet as you desire,
I like it more on the tart side.

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh cranberries
2 oranges
1 cup sugar

Directions:
Wash and cut ends off of oranges.
Slice in half and into small pieces,
I don't use the middle of the orange.
Place in processor and pulse to a
small size as you desire for relish.
Remove oranges to a large bowl.
Place cranberries in processor and
pulse to a relish consistancy.
Place in bowl with oranges and
add sugar with stirring and mixing.
Remove to a covered container and
place in the refrigerator to let
the flavors blend for a few days.

Easy Cheatin Chili

I call this cheatin chili because I start
out with a cup of Wendy's Restaurant chili
and add my own ingredients to make one
fantastic tasting almost homemade chili.
I like to spice it up with hot pepper sauce.

Ingredients:
1 cup Wendy's chili
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 carrot, peeled and slice thin
1 celery stalk sliced
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a saute pan place celery, carrots
and onion along with a drop or two oil.
Saute until the vegetables soften
then add Wendl's chili and stir.
Heat through and serve with
shredded cheddar cheese on top.

Spicy BBQ Corn Dogs

In this recipe you add some horseradish
and spicy sauce to the corn dog batter
before frying that kicks up the flavor.
If you have any batter leftover,
drop it into the hot oil by the
spoonful to make some hush puppies.
They freeze and microwave well.

Ingredients:
Canola oil (for deep fat frying)
6 hot dogs, halved horizontally
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Salt, to taste
1 cup milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon spicy hot BBQ sauce

Directions:
In a deep, heavy-bottomed pot,
heat 6 inches of oil until it
reaches 350 degrees on a thermometer.
In a bowl, toss the hot dogs and
cornstarch to coat them all over.
Place each piece on a 10-inch wooden skewer.
In an electric mixer combine the cornmeal,
flour, sugar, baking powder, horseradish,
BBQ sauce and a generous pinch of salt.
Beat just to mix.
Add the milk, egg, and butter.
Mix on medium speed until smooth.
Pour batter into a tall container.
When the oil is hot, dip 1 hot dog
into the batter and lift up,
gently shaking off any drips
at the bottom but leaving a thick, even coating.
Dip the hot dog into the hot oil and
hold it until the batter begins to bubble
and you feel it start to float.
Let go of the stick and let the
corn dog float horizontally in the oil.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning occasionally
with tongs, until the corn dog is evenly browned.
Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
Repeat with remaining hot dogs;
cooking no more than 2 or 3 corn dogs at a time.

Is It Beef Soup Or Stew?

This beef stew could be a soup,
just add some beef broth to it.
Also use an immersion blender to liquify
this into a very thick and creamy soup.

Ingredients
3 pounds beef stew meat
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 (8 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
3 cups water
2 cubes beef bouillon
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup red wine
6 carrots, peeled and chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped
6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups pearl onions

Directions:
Season the stew meat with some of the
salt and pepper and coat with flour.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat,
Sautee the beef and onions in the butter
and oil until browned on the outside.
Transfer the beef and onions to a stockpot
and stir in the tomatoes, water and bouillon.
Season with garlic, parsley, thyme
and remaining salt and pepper.
Stir in the red wine.
Cover soup and simmer for 1 1/2 hours
before adding carrots, celery
potatoes and pearl onions.
Continue to simmer until
potatoes are tender, about 1 hour.

New York Style Cheese Cake

I found cream cheese to be on sale
and bought some giving me the exuse
to make one of the best cheese cakes.
Genuine New York Style is The Best!

Ingredients:
2 cups cream cheese
1 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sour cream

Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 Tablespoons sugar
4 ounces unsalted butter

Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine the sugar
and graham cracker crumbs.
Melt the butter and add it
to the crumb mixture.
Mix until butter is incorporated.
Press into a spring form pan
covering the bottom and sides.
In another bowl beat together the
cream and sugar until light and smooth.
Mix in the eggs, vanilla and
cornstarch until well blended.
Stir in the sour cream until well blended.
Bake the cake for 45 minutes or
until the sides start to raise and
are barely beginning to brown.
Turn the oven off at this point
and cool the cake in the oven
with the door open a bit.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Tuna Salad with no Mayonnaise

I made a tuna salad using no mayonnaise
that is just as creamy and tasty good.
Using fat free yogurt is a healthy thing.

Ingredients:
1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained
1/2 cup fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped dill pickle
1/4 cup chopped sweet pickle
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
black pepper to taste

Directions:
In a bowl mix together the tuna,
yogurt, red onion, celery, dill pickle,
sweet pickle, and parsley and pepper,
chill in refrigerator at
least 1 hour before serving.

Cinnamon Apples in Sauce

Warm and spiced with cinnamon sugar,
this apple side dish is more of a dessert.
This goes great with pork roast or chops.

Ingredients:
4 medium cooking apples
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/2-3/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Peel, core and cut apples in half.
In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat;
stir in the sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon;
mix well, then add in water.
Add in the apples, to the sauce in the fry pan;
cover, and cook over medium heat,
spoon sauce over the apples as they cook
for 15 minutes until the apples are tender,
and the sauce is thick.
To serve: Place 2 apple halves in a dish,
and ladle approximately 1/2 cup
butter/cinnamon sauce over each serving.

Beets Cooked in the Microwave

This is such a cool a thing to do.
After a few minutes in the microwave the
beet whistled dixie making my dog bark.
I honestly never cooked a fresh
beet in any way before today.
Boiled, baked, roasted or fried.
I bought four beets thinking that
I wanted to use the red liqued to
dye some homemade fresh pasta or turn
the whites of hard cooked eggs red.
This is how I cooked the fresh beet,
using a microwave oven to cook it.

Ingredients:
1 fresh beet
1/2 cup water
dash of salt

Directions:
Wash the beet and place in a glass bowl,
add water and cover bowl with plastic wrap.
Microwave on medium setting for 20 minutes.
Test for doneness by piercing with a fork,
cook longer if needed to get desired softness.

Apricot Macaroons

I like macaroon cookies and adding
some apricots make these great tasting.
This is an easy to make recipe,
and they store well in a air tight bag.

Ingredients:
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste

Directions:
Stir together coconut, apricots,
condensed milk and salt.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a
greased or parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees F.
until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes,
then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Pecan Christmas Cookies

My Grandmother used to make these
every year around the holidays.
They are melt in your mouth good.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Place parchment paper on cookie sheets.
In a medium bowl, cream together
butter and sugar until smooth.
Beat in the vanilla.
Grind pecans in a food processor
and combine with cake flour.
Stir the pecan mixture into the
creamed mixture until well blended.
Roll the dough into tablespoon balls,
then place them 1 inch apart onto
the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 25 to 20 minutes
or until lightly browned.
Roll warm cookies in confectioners' sugar.
When they are cooled, roll them again.

Raspberry Sauce

I use this sauce on vanilla ice cream.
It's easy to make and everybody likes it.

Ingredients:
1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of salt

Directions:
In small saucepan, cook raspberries and sugar
on medium heat until raspberries wilt down.
Let simmer on low for 5 minutes until
the mixture becomes a pourable consistency.
Remove pot from heat and mix in vanilla,
lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt.
Taste and adjust sweetness by
adding more sugar if necessary.
Let cool in refrigerator.

Rosemary Roast Potatoes

I have a rosemary plant that after bringing
inside for the winter all the needles dried up.
So I've been using them in every thing I can.
These potatoes are really good and tasty.

Ingredients:
3 russet potatoes
1 tbsp dried rosemary
3 garlic cloves, pressed
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Peel the potatoes, then wash them.
Cut them into big cubes.
Toss them with olive oil,
and cook them in the oven at 400 degrees F.
until cooked and lightly browned.
In a bowl, mix the rosemary, salt, pepper,
garlic and 1 tbsp olive oil.
Toss the potatoes with this mixture and
cook them 5 minutes until golden and crispy.

Leftover Baked Potato and Eggs

I hollowed out a leftover baked potato.
Placed a pad of butter inside and
seasoned them with salt and black pepper.
Cracked a large egg into each potato
and baked at 350 degrees F. for about
15 minutes or so, then topped the egg
with cheese, chives and bacon bits.
Baked them a few more minutes until
the cheddar cheese was all melted.

Cappuccino Cupcakes

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.
I frosted them with butter cream.

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp ground coffee
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp instant coffee
1 tsp warm water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Mix together flour, baking powder,
baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ground coffee.
Whisk together instant coffee and water.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar,
oil and egg until smooth.
Whisk in instant coffee mixture and vanilla.
Alternately whisk in flour mixture and sour cream,
making three additions of flour mixture
and two of sour cream, beating until smooth.
Mix in chocolate chips.
Scoop batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated 350 degree F. oven
for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.
Remove from pan and let cool on rack.
Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.

Simple Shortbread Cookies

This is just about the simplest cookie to make.
A shortbread cookie that is buttery and crispy.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix butter and sugar in large bowl.
Stir in flour, roll dough to 1/2"
thickness and cut dough with cookie
cutters or a knife into desired shapes.
Bake about 20 minutes or until set.
Remove from oven and
transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Romano Cheese and Garlic Sauced Carrots

I had a 5 pound bag of fresh carrots
that needed to be cooked up real soon.
Today I simply boiled the carrots along
with some fresh garlic and dried herbs.
No sweetener needed as the carrots add
enough sweetness to make this taste great.
This recipe makes for a nice creamy sauce,
with real soft and tasty cooked carrots.

Ingredients:
6 fresh carrots
3 garlic cloves
water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon dried chives
1 teaspoon dried lemon peel
1/2 cup grated romano cheese

Directions:
Peel and thinly slice carrots.
Place carrots in a saucepan
and cover with cold water.
Peal and chop garlic and add.
Season with salt to taste.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat
and simmer 30 minutes or until
the carrots are fork tender.
In a small bowl combine melted
butter and flour creating a roux.
Drain water and add butter roux,
chives, romano and lemon peel.
Heat and stir to coat carrots.

Watercress Orange and Arugala Salad

There's something about the combination
of the peppery greens in this salad that
go so well in balancing the sweet oranges.
Topped with a clean olive oil dressing
this is a good salad to serve anytime.

Ingredients:
1 bunch of watercress
1 bunch fresh arugula
1 can Mandarin oranges, drained
2 tablespoons extra-virgin Olive oil
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:
Arrange watercress and arugula in salad bowl,
mix in oranges and drizzle the olive oil
and balsamic vinegar over top.
Garnish with nuts if desired.