Granny Smith Apple Pie

An all American pie straight from heaven.
In this rcipe you don't lay the apple slices
down flat in the pie, you stand them up on end.
Right close to each other around the entire pie.
I use some maple syrup for an extra special taste.

Ingredients:
2- 9" pie crusts
10 or 12 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
sprinkle of sugar for top

Directions:
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl place flour,
sugar, cinnamon and salt mix well.
Peel apple and cut into 1/4" slices.
You should get four slices per apple
with two 1/2" rectangle end pieces.
As you slice the apple place in bowl
with flour mixture and turn to coat them.
Repeat until you have enough apple slices
to place side by side around edge of pie.
Place bottom crust in pie plate and arrange
apple slices around pie with small pieces
placed in the center of the pie standing up.
Dot apple slices with butter and drizzle
some maple syrup around the center of pie.
Place top crust on and crimp edges to bake.
Sprinkle pie with sugar and create vent holes.
Bake for about 1 hour or until brown and bubbly.

Poached Egg in Microwave

You'll be amazed at how good and fast it is
to poach an egg using a microwave oven.
Try this recipe and I guarentee that you
will never poach an egg in a sautee pan.
It's a little tricky getting the time to
cook it just the way you like it because
all microwaves cook differant temperatures.

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1/3 cup cold water
1/8 teaspoon butter
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Directions:
Place water in a glass measuring cup.
Crack open egg right into water and
using a sharp knife poke it in egg yolk.
Cover the cup with plastic wrap.
Microwave on high power for one minute
or until the egg is poached to your liking.
Drain water and plate the poached egg.
Season with butter, salt and pepper.

Maple Honey Glazed Salmon

Sauteed in bacon fat for extra flavor.
This is gourmet tasting all the way.
Use a slice of bacon to render the fat.

Ingredients:
1 (6 ounce) salmon steak per serving
1 tablespoon bacon fat
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon honey
a sprinkle of corn meal
a squirt of brown mustard
a few capers in brine

Directions:
Heat a saute pan on medium heat.
Prepare salmon steak by spreading
maple syrup and honey on one side.
Place bacon fat in pan, then place
prepared salmon steak wet side down
in pan and saute for about 3 minutes.
Sprinke some corn meal on steak in pan.
Turn steak over to cook other side.
When salmon is cooked to your liking
remove to a serving plate and top with
a squirt of mustard and a few capers.

Herbs De Provence Mashed Potatoes

These are special tasting mashed potatoes.
Make them for a family holiday's table.
I couldn't stop licking the spoon while
making these to test out this recipe.
This is good for making the day ahead and
reheating on low setting in microwave.

Ingredients:
8 russet potatoes, peeled
8 cups cold water
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Dash or two of black pepper
8 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup milk or cream
More salt to adjust seasoning

Directions:
Cut potatoes into 1" cubes and
place them into a soup pot then
cover the potatoes by 1" with water.
Season water with salt to taste.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat
to simmer for about 20 minutes.
Drain water and place potatoes back
in warm soup pot along with butter,
Herbs De Provence, salt and pepper.
Add in the milk or cream to potatoes.
Stir and use a potato masher to get
them to your desired consistency.
Remove to a storing or serving dish.

Creamy Cole Slaw

This slaw has a touch of onion in it
which adds a little something special.
It also has some grated red radishes
which give it a little tartness.
Garlic powder rounds out the taste.
Some people add in some celery seeds.

Ingredients:
1 (14 ounce)bag store bought shredded cabbage.
8 red radishes, grated
2 tablespoons onion, grated
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup milk

Directions:
In a large bowl combine the cabbage
radishes and onion mixing well.
In another bowl combine the sugar
vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper
garlic powder, mayonaise and milk.
A little at a time add the cabbage
to the mayonaise and stir to blend.
When all the cabbage is dressed, cover
bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate
overnight for the flavors to blend well.

Deep Dish Muffin Pizzas

These are easily made in muffin tins.
Add what ever toppings you desire.

Ingredients:
Olive oil for coating tins
Cornmeal for coating tins
Store bought pizza dough
Fresh tomatoes, sliced
Mozzarella cheese, shreded
Pepperoni, sliced
Dried oregano to taste
Other toppings of your choice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degress F.
Oil muffin tins and sprinkle the
bottoms with a little corn meal.
Roll out pizza dough to about 1/4".
Cut in pieces and fit into muffin tins.
Place a slice of tomato in each pizza.
Place some cheese on each tomato.
Place some pepperoni on each pizza.
Season with dried oregano
Bake for 12 minutes or until done.

Creamy Coffee Cake Pudding

This is a bread pudding made in a microwave oven.
Creamy and buttery tasting and very satisfying.
This makes about 2 cups bread pudding that you
can eat from the cup or turn it out on a dish
for a very nice looking visual presentation.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
about 6" baked coffee cake

Directions
In a 4 cup glass measuring cup,
beat together eggs, milk and vanilla.
Cut coffee cake into small cubes and
place the cubes in a food processor to
pulse into crumbs one or two times.
Place coffee cake crumbs into measuring
cup along with egg mixture, stir to
combine and let the milk soak in.
Microwave uncovered on high setting
for about three minutes and let sit
for a few minutes to finish setting up.
Turn out onto a serving platter and serve.

Rice & Tomato Soup

Some days I want a simple rice soup.
Flavored with chicken broth and a few
slices of fresh tomato to round it off.

Ingredients:
4 cups cold water
1 teaspoon chicken base
1 fresh tomato, sliced
salt to taste

Directions:
Pour water into a sauce pan on high heat,
add in the rice and chicken flavoring.
Lower heat to a simmer, cover pan,
and cook for about 15 minutes.
Add in the sliced tomato and continue
simmering until rice is tender.
Season with salt to taste.
Serve warm.

Italian Toast

One childhood memory of mine was walking over
to my Nana's house and smelling from a block
away her tomato sauce simmering on the stove.
This tomato sauce was used for dressing pasta,
as a sauce for pizza and for her Italian toast.
Nana's Italian toast was slices of Italian bread
toasted and simply slathered with her tomato sauce.

Ingredients
1 loaf Italian bread, sliced
1 batch or jar of tomato sauce
grated parmesan or romano cheese
dried oregano to taste

Directions
Cook up your homemade tomato sauce or
heat up a jar of store bought sauce.
Toast up the Italian bread slices,
spread tomato sauce on bread slices.
Top with grated cheese and season with
dried oregano if desired, serve.

Home Pickled Cooked Eggs

I like to use the brine left over
from a store bought jar of dill pickles
to make up a few pickles hard cooked eggs.
This is easy to do and tastes really good.

Ingredients:
Brine in a jar of dill pickles
6 large eggs
6 cups cold water

Directions:
Place eggs in a saucepan and cover
them with one inch of cold water.
Bring to a boil on high heat.
Turn off heat and put a cover on pan.
Let eggs sit for about 10 minutes.
Drain hot water from pan and fill
with cold water to cool eggs.
Peel eggs and place in the brine
right inside the pickle jar.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
These will last for a good long time.

NCS Pastrami on Rye

NCS is North Country Smokehouse.
Thier Montreal Smoked Brisket is
simply an all beef pastrami.
A really good tasting high end
of an all beef pastrami.
I ordered a few packages from them
and upon arrival opening up the
shipping package my aroma senses
were exited from the unmistakable
aroma of the applewood smoking.
Even from from inside of the
plastic sealed smoked meat products.

Ingredients:
For a single serving sandwich:
2 slices deli rye bread
2 tablespoons Real mayonaise
1 teaspoon grated horseradish
1 slice of provelone cheese
1 slice of swiss cheese
1 slice a red ripe tomato
1 or 2 leafs of lettuce
1 dill pickle on the side
potato chips on the side

Directions:
Your on your own on this one!

Milk Toast Cereal

Really easy to make and is so very good tasting.
You'll find yourself making this as a comfort food.
Use any type of bread you desire in this dish,
I like to keep things simple with white bread.
You can also heat this up in the microwave.

Ingredients, per serving:
3 slices bread
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup milk, or more

Directions
Toast bread as dark as you like.
Cut toast into 1" squares and place
them into a serving bowl.
Pour milkover the toasted bread squares
and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Serve cold or heated up.

Perfectly Grilled Beef Steaks

Start out with the correct cut of beef.
Rib Eye, Top Sirloin, or any beef meant
to be grilled, even T-Bone or Porterhouse.
Marinate in a simple to make marinade
and then season just before grilling.
After grilling let the steaks rest for
five mintes before slicing and serving.

Ingredients:
Steaks for grilling
Dashes of Worsetershire sauce
Dashes of low sodium Soy sauce
Dashes of garlic powder
Dashes of ground black pepper
Dashes of salt
Unsalted butter
BBQ sauce of choice

Directions:
Place steaks in a single layer in a glass dish.
Put a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce on each.
Put a few dashes of Soy sauce on top of each steak.
Sprinkle on a little garlic powder and black pepper.
Let beef come to room temperature uncovered as the
marinade seeps into the beef as it sits in the dish.
Preheat the grill for fifteen minutes on high heat.
Clean the grill grates with oiled papper towels.
Let the grill get as blazing hot as possible.
Sprinkle some salt on the steaks and place on grill.
Close lid and grill for about four minutes time.
Open lid and turn steaks over using a spatula.
Close cover and grill steaks for another two minutes.
Of course grill time depends on the steaks thickness.
Remove grilled steaks to a serving platter and then
dot each steak with butter, cover with foil and let sit.
Five minutes later slice and serve with bbq sauce.

Simple Tomato Salad

This is great with fresh red ripe tomatoes
but even the ones in the grocery will do.
I like to serve this inside a Dixie cup.

Ingredients, per serving:
1 red ripe tomato
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
dash of dried oregano
dash of dried chives
dash of salt
dash of sugar

Directions:
Wash and cut up tomato into bite sized pieces
and place inside a single serving cup.
Dress tomato with oil and vinegar.
Season tomato with oregano, chives,
salt and sugar to taste.
Serve at room temperature.

Leftover Garden Salad Soup

This is the cheapest and tastiest soup ever!
Taking leftover salad then adding in a few
ingredients to create a really healthy soup.
The salad must not have salad dressing on it.
You can use the Raman noodles flavor packet
or do as I did with some Better Than Boullion.
The secret is to add in some butter to this.

Ingredients:
Leftover garden fresh green salad
4 cups water, about
1 tablespoon Better Than Boullion
I used the chicken flavor.
1 package Raman noodles
Seasoning to your desired taste
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
Place leftover garden salad in a soup pot.
Cover with cold water by one inch or so.
Stir in the boullion flavoring and bring
to a boil on high heat to cook until the
vegetables are tender enough to chop up,
in a food processor or with a stick blender.
Blend vegetables to your desired texture.
Add in the Raman noodles and cook until
the noodles are soft and season to taste.
Here I use kitchen shears to cut up
the softened noodles right in the soup pot.
Add in the butter, stir and serve warm.

Quick to make Tomato Sauce

I've been making this simple to make tomato sauce
for many years and use it on pizza and pasta.
It's quick to make and really good tasting.

Ingredients:
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 cups cold water
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
dash of garlic powder
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of dried oregano
dash of salt or to taste

Directions:
In a bowl mix all ingredients.
Bring tpo a boil on the stovetop
in a saucepan or in the microwave.
That's it, your done!

Better Than Best Beef Stew

In three hours on top of the stove,
you can make this better than best
tasting very tender beef stew ever.
The secret is in your choice of beef,
I use sirloin tips which have some fat
that just makes the difference in taste.

Ingredients:
4 pounds beef sirloin tips
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup canola oil
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
4 russet potatoes, peeled and
4 celery stalks, sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 can of tomatotoes of choice
a few shots of woreshershire sauce
(that I can never spell or pronounce)
1 cup cold water
1 cup red wine
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
4 bay leaves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Serve with crusty bread.
The Directions?
Your on your own,
Make this beef stew your own.
add in mushrooms, parsnips or
chopped olives and anchovies.

Salmon Poached in Oil

Poaching salmon in water removes flavor
from the fish into the poaching water,
while poaching the salmon in oil keeps
the flavor in the fish and not oily.
The secret is to keep the temperature
of the oil at around 180 degrees F.
To do this easily place the pan in a
oven to finish the poaching process.

Ingredients:
4 serving size salmon steaks
1 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons butter
juice of 1 lemon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Place oil in an oven proof pan
and heat on medium to 180 degrees F.
Use a food thermometer to check the temp.
Place salmon in oil in pan and poach
on top of the stove for 2 minutes or so.
Carfully turn salmon steaks over and
now cover the pan and place in oven.
Poach in oven for about 12 minutes.
Remove salmon, plate and garnish with
butter and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Glazed Breakfast Donut

Imagine eating a sweet and tasty glazed donut
sliced in two and loaded up with egg and bacon.
I dare say it doesn't get any better than this.

Ingredients:
1 glazed plain donut
1 egg, scrambled
2 slices bacon, cooked
1 tablespoon mayonaise
1/2 teaspoon tomato ketchup
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Slice glazed donut in half creating
two sweet round bagel like buns.
In a small bowl mix the mayo and ketchup
and spread on the cut side of the donut halves.
Scramble up an egg,(I use the microwave)
Place on top of one glazed donut round.
Cook bacon slices (again in the microwave)
Place bacon on top of egg on the donut.
Season with black papper to taste.
Top with second glazed donut half and serve.

Wholey Chunkie Guacamole

Guacamole is one of my faverite spreadsbles.
This recipe is one of my favorite dips.
I dip tortilla chips in it and this makes
for a great tasting topping on a burger.

Ingredients:
2 ripe Hass avocados
1 teaapoon fresh lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 tablespoons dried chives
2 tablespoons red onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
Salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Cut avocados in half, remove seed, and peel.
Place the avocado pulp in bowl, add lime juice.
Mash the avocado and juice together with a fork.
Add in the remaining ingredients, and mix.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Homemade Granola Bars

Granola Bars are mostly made of oats,
with tasty sweet flavoring ingredients.
I make these granola bars for snacking.

Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1 banana,peeled and mashed 1/3 cup peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl,br> Mix wet into another bowl.
Combine wet ingredients with dry.
Line a baking dish with parchment paper.
Pour granola mixture into baking dish.
Bake for about 45minutes or until done.
Remove to cool and cut into serving pieces.