Butter and Gorgonzola Cheese

This stuff if crazy good on toasted anything.
I like this on blueberry bagels in the morning.
The Frugal Gourmet did this on pear slices.

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 wedge Gorgonzola cheese

Directions:
Bring butter and cheese to room temp.
Whip up in a mixing bowl and serve.

Fried Cracker Barrel Cheese

Good appetizers to put on a buffet table.
Crunchy on the outside and creamy inside.
I like this using sharp cheddar cheese.
Try this method with all Cracker Barrel cheeses.

Ingredients:
Any Cracker Barrel cheese
Corn starch
Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:
Preheat oil to 375 degrees F.
Dredge block of cheese in corn starch.
Carefully place in oil to brown all sides.
It should only take a few minutes time.
Then remove to drain on paper towels.
Serve whole with a butter knife to slice up.

***** Beef Chili with Beans

Here's a recipe for making a great tasting
sweet and sour, hot and spicy beef chili.
I made this up today awaiting cold weather.
It takes a few hours and a rest in the fridge.
After taste testing this over and over I created,
A blue ribbon winner if ever there was one.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 chuck steak
1 pound ground beef
2 onions, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 cups cold water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 fresh plum tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons corn meal or flour
1 can of red kidney beans
1 can of black beans
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions
Heat oil in a saute pan and sear steak
on both sides to get a nice browning.
Remove steak to a cutting board and
slice into 1" size cubed pieces, set aside.
Take 1/4 pound of ground beef, season
with salt and ground pepper and form into
two beef patties, saute on both sides to brown.
Remove to cool, cut into cubes and set aside.
Place remaining ground beef in saute pan
and cook stirring until no longer pink.
Find your largest soup pot and set it on stove.
Put into soup pot cubed chuck steak,
cubed hamburger and browned beef.
Add in onions, celery, peppers and water.
Stir and add in Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar,
lemon juice, soy sauce, ground pepper, cumin,
chili powder, garlic, onion powder and oregano.
Thyme, cayenne, fresh tomatoes and corn meal.
Stir to combine and let simmer about 1 hour.
Now add in beans, wine and maple syrup.
Adjust seasonings and let simmer another hour.
Turn off heat and when cool refrigerate overnight.
Return to stove to re heat on medium for two hours.
Do not ever let this boil

Desert Fruit Salad

Chocolate and orange go well together.
With sweet grapes and whipped cream.
Simple yet elegant at the same time.

Ingredients:
2 navel oranges
12 red seedless grapes
12 white seedless grapes
1 cup chocolate chips
whipped cream

Directions:
Peel and cut oranges into a serving bowl.
Toss in grapes and chocolate chip morsels.
Serve along with whipped cream on the side.

Cubed Beef for Stew

Slow simmered to tender perfection.
This takes a few hours time to prepare,
but the texture and taste of this beef
is just what you want in a beef stew.

Ingredients:
1 beef chuck steak
1 tablespoon olive oil
dash of salt and pepper
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup water, or more

Directions:
Place oil to heat in a saute pan,
Pat dry beef steak with paper towels.
Season one side with salt and pepper.
Place in saute pan seasoned side down.
Season other side of steak while cooking.
Slightly brown on both sides and remove
to a cutting board and slice into 1" cubes.
Place cubed beef in pan along with tomato
sauce and bring to a low simmer for 2 hours.
Adding water if needed to keep it simmering.
Remove cubed beef when fork tender.

Make Ahead Deli Sandwiches

This helps you prepare sandwiches to
feed an army with little effort involved.
These are made using bakery hard rolls.
Deli sliced meats and cheese with cole slaw.
Upon serving add on fresh tomato and lettuce.
Along with any seasons you desire to.

Ingredients:
24 freshly baked rolls
4 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pound sliced turkey
1 pound sliced salami
1 pound sliced roast beef
freshly ground black pepper
1 pound sliced ham
1 pound sliced American cheese
sliced tomato for serving
sliced lettuce for serving

Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine cabbage,
with vinegar and sugar, set aside.
Slice rolls in half and open up to fill.
Place about one tablespoon of slaw
on the bottoms of each hard roll.
Top with a slice of turkey, salami,
roast beef and season beef with pepper.
Top with a slice of ham, and cheese.
Place other half of roll on top and press down.
Use plastic wrap to seal and wrap sandwiches.
Place sandwiches in a plastic bag and freeze.
When serve add some sliced tomato and lettuce.

Watermelon and Orange Salad

A simple fruit salad that's sweet and refreshing.

Try this one recipe and you'll be glad you did.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh watermelon, seedless

1 navel orange, peeled and segmented

fresh mint leaves, chiffonade

1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

Place cubed watermelon in a serving bowl.

After peeling and slicing orange, cut segments

into bite size pieces and place in bowl.

Sprinkle with some sugar and add in a few

fresh mint leaves just before serving.

Pork Shoulder Finishing Sauce

A sauce to serve along side smoked meat.
This goes well with smoked pulled  pork.
In between a vinegar and mustard sauce.
With a citrus barbecue and a little heat.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pan drippings
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
dash of garlic powder
dash of onion powder
dash of chili powder
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of black pepper
squirt of lemon juice

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a pan,
bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer.
Cook for 10 minutes stirring.
Remove from heat, cover and let cool.
Serve along side pulled pork shoulder.

Spicy Salsa Meatloaf

Here's a different flavored meatloaf,

with a jar of salsa in the meat mixture.

The added chopped mushrooms gives

this yet another texture and flavor profile.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef 85/15

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup medium salsa

1 large egg, beaten

ketchup for topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl combine ground beef,

chopped mushrooms, oatmeal, salsa,

beaten egg, salt and pepper to taste.

Form into a loaf on a baking sheet.

Top with ketchup and bake for 1 hour.

Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Baked Pork Butt Shoulder

Baking a pork shoulder does take time.
Time that's well worth the tasty wait.
The meat is so juicy and very tender !
This is what pulled pork is all about.

Ingredients:
1 fresh pork shoulder
salt and ground pepper
water for bottom of pan

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with foil.
Remove pork from packaging and
rinse then pat dry with paper towels.
Season all over with salt and pepper.
Place pork skin side up on a wire rack
in baking sheet, bake uncovered for 5 hours.
Turn pork over and bake another 4 hours.
Wrap pork in foil and bake one more hour.
Remove from oven and let rest 30 minutes.
Pull apart, slice it up and serve.

Spicy Hot Cole Slaw

With no mayonnaise this is a good one.
There's a pleasant hint of spice in this,
which comes from chopped hot peppers.

Ingredients:
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 small red onion, peeled and chopped
4 hot peppers, chopped
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Combine allingredients in a big bowl.
Mix well, cover and allow to rest one day
in the refrigerator before serving.

Ham on Rye Appetizers

This appetizer calls for a hearty tasting ham.
Along with a bold tasting eating cheese.
Spicy brown mustard finishes this up good.

Ingredients
Caraway seeded Rye bread
Whole grain spicy brown mustard
Black forest or honey ham, thin sliced
Swiss or Jack cheese, thinly sliced

Directions:
Make a sandwich with rye bread,
mustard, ham and cheese slices.
Slice sandwiches into bite sized pieces.
Can be prepared in advance and chilled.
Serve at room temperature.

Watermelon Croissant Sandwich

Simple as it could get.
Tasty as it could be.
Along with a glass of chablis.

Ingredients:
Croissants
Watermelon slices, seedless
Basil leaves, chiffonade
Black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:
Slice croissants in half shell.
Arrange watermelon and basil
on top of one cut side of croissant.
Season with freshly ground black pepper.
replace top of sandwich and serve with wine.

Oven Baked Chicken Wings

I found a recipe to bake chicken wings,
so the meat is juicy and the skin crispy.

Ingredients:
24 chicken wings, tips removed
4 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Rinse and pat wings dry with paper towels.
In a mixing bowl combine baking powder with salt.
Dredge wings in mixture to coat all over.
Arrange wings on a foil lined baking sheet.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Turn heat up to 425 degrees F. and continue baking

for another 45 minutes or so until lightly browned.

Remove from oven and serve along with a dipping sauce.

Lemon Truffle Scrambled Eggs

These eggs are easily made gourmet tasting.
Your guests will thing your a virtual genius.
Mine stopped in mid sentence at their first bite.
Season with freshly ground black pepper.
Served along with a slice of fresh red tomato.
Served along with a garnish of dried chives.

Ingredients:
4 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon cold water
1 drop of white truffle oil
1 lemon, zest of
Tomato for garnish
Dried chives for garnish

Directions:
Beat eggs in a bowl with water,
add in drops of truffle oil and
stir in the zest of one fresh lemon.
Pour beaten eggs into saute pan and
slowly stir to create scrambled eggs.
Remove to a warm serving plate and
season with freshly ground black pepper.
Garnish with tomato and chives.

Chinese Spicy Chicken Wings

This is one of my favorite ways to prepare
Chinese sweet an spicy hot chicken wings.
They're finger lickin good & addictive tasting.

Ingredients:
24 chicken wings, tips removed
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup cold water
3 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
a dash or three hot pepper sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon five spice powder
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
Make a sauce by combining in a bowl the wine,
soy sauce,water,vinegar,oyster sauce, hot sauce,
brown sugar, cinnamon, five spice and ginger.
Place oil in a large saute pan on medium high heat.
Add in chicken wings to brown the skin,
stirring them to brown on all sides.
Pour in the sauce, stir and cover to cook.
Lower heat to a simmer and cook 20 minutes.
Remove cover and stir chicken around,
reduce liquid to a syrup and coat chicken wings.
Serve.

Really Good Tasting Soup

What makes any soup taste better ?

Herbs, fresh or dried is the answer.

Even if you open up a can of soup,

adding in a few herbs at the end brings

up the flavors to make people say,

this is a really good tasting soup.

Ingredients:

Dried or fresh:

Thyme

Rosemary

Basil

Oregano

Sage

Garlic

Lemon zest

Directions:

Add in one or two herbs to soup.

Not so much to over power it

just enough to compliment the flavors.

Shrimp Pot Pies

Shrimp taste great with cream of celery soup.
Diced carrots, peas and diced potatoes.
Topped with a canned biscuit crust.

Ingredients
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 can milk or water
1/2 cup chopped frozen shrimp, shelled
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots
1/4 cup diced cooked potato
Canned biscuit for topping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F>
Open soup and mix in bowl with milk.
Stir in shrimp, peas, carrots and potatoes.
Pour into baking dishes and top with biscuits.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until done.

Personal Size Kids Pizza

These pizzas are made using English muffins.
With mild tasting cheese and fun toppings.

Ingredients:
English muffins
Pizza tomato sauce
String cheese, any flavor
Pepperidge farms goldfish crackers
Rice crispy cereal

Directions:
Place English muffin on a toasting tray.
Spread some pizza sauce on it and top
with string cheese, goldfish or rice crisps.
Toast in oven until heated and cheese melts.
Slice in quarters or into serving size pieces.

French Fried Apple Slices

Using Granny Smith tart apples is best.
The stay firm and crisp when frying.
Serve with an apple sauce for dipping.

Ingredients:
Granny Smith apples
Cornstarch
Oil for frying
Ground cinnamon
Sugar
Applesauce for dipping

Directions:
Peel and core apples into slices.
Dredge in cornstarch and fry in
oil until lightly browned all over.
Drain on paper towels and season
with some ground cinnamon sugar.
Serve with apple sauce dip sauce.

Toasting Almonds in Microwave

I toast slivered almonds in the microwave.
This is the fastest and easiest way I know
how to toast whole, half or slivered almonds.

Ingredients:
1 cup slivered almonds

Directions:
Spread your almonds out evenly
on a large paper or glass plate.
Microwave on high for 1 minute.
Spread the almonds around and
microwave another minute or so.
The almonds will toast and brown.

Toasted Coconut in Microwave

This is the fastest and easiest way
how to toast shredded coconut.

Ingredients:
1 cup shredded dried coconut

Directions:
Spread shredded coconut evenly
on a large paper or glass plate.
Microwave on high for 1 minute.
Spread the coconut around and
microwave another minute or so.
The coconut will toast and brown.

Giardeniera Appetizer Salad

A mixture of pickled garden vegetables.
This makes for a fine tasting appetizer.
A little bit tart and a little bit spicy hot.

Ingredients:
Carrots
Celery
Cauliflower
Red peppers
Yellow hot peppers
White Vinegar
Sugar
Black pepper seeds
Water
Salt

Directions:
Prepare vegetables by cleaning and
cutting them up into bite sized pieces.
Place the vegetables in a soup pot,
cover with water and season with salt
peppercorns and sugar to taste.
Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer.
Cook for about 30 minutes until fork tender.
Drain and add in 1/4 cup white vinegar and salt.
Pour in enough water to create a salty brine.
Pack vegetables in mason jars and fill with brine.
Seal and refrigerate to cool before serving.

Pan Fried Potato Chips

This only takes a little time to make
some home made crispy potato chips.
Add what ever seasonings you want.
These will stay fresh for a few days.

Ingredients:
1 potato
2 cups vegetable oil
salt for seasoning

Directions
Wash and dry potaoto then slice thin.
Use a madoline slicer if you have one.
Pat sliced potatoes dry on paper towels.
Preheat vegetable oil in a 12" fry pan.
When you think the oil is hot enough,
place one sliced potato in oil and watch
it start to bubble, cook and turn brown.
Adjust heat to cook chips evenly brown.
Add in about 8 potato slices at a time.
Remove them when they just start to brown
into a paper towel lined bowl, season with salt.
Being careful and try not to let brown too much.

Bacon Fat Fried Potatoes

Pan fried to be crispy and creamy good.
These are what home fries should be.

Ingredients:
2 russet potatoes
2 slices smoked bacon
ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat a skillet over medium heat.
Cook bacon to reder out fat and
remove cooked bacon leaving fat.
After washing and slicing potatoes,
arrange in skillet and season to taste.
Cook covered for about 30 minutes.
The steam will cook the potatoes
while the bottoms get crispy brown.

Eggplant & Bean Soup

You start with the mirepoix of vegetables,
chopped carrots, celery and onions.
Throw in Eggplant, pasta and beans.
This is an addicting comfort food soup.

Ingredients:
2 slices smoked bacon
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 eggplant, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups water
1 fresh tomato, chopped
dash of oregano
dash of dried thyme
dash of dried rosemary
dash of garlic powder
dash of ground black pepper
1 can red kidney beans with juice
1 can white kidney beans with juice
2 cups salad greens, chopped
1 cup dried short pasta

Directions:
Place bacon in a large soup pot.
Cook on medium heat and add in
the carrot, celery, onion and eggplant.
Turn to high heat and stir in olive oil and water.
Bring to a boil and add in tomato and herbs.
Lower to a simmer and add in the canned beans.
Let simmer for about 20 minutes then stir in the
salad greens and a short pasta like ditalini.
Let simmer for 30 minutes, adjust seasonings.
Serve with crusty bread and grated cheese.

Sixty Garlic Clove Chicken

An easy way to roast up some chicken.
Garlic gives baked chicken a sweetness
that can only be achieved by roasting.
Don't be put off by how much garlic
is used here, you'll love the taste.

Ingredients:
6 whole heads of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 chicken thighs, bone in
ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the tops off of the garlic.
Arrange garlic heads in roasting pan
trying to keep the cut side up.
Pour some olive oil on each garlic.
Place chicken right on top of garlic.
Bake covered for 90 minutes or until done.

New England Boiled Dinner

Yankee Pot Roast at it's best taste yet.
Made in a slow cooker or crock pot.

Ingredients:
1 beef chuck roast
2 slices smoked bacon
4 New England potatoes, quartered
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 onions, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup beef or vegetable broth
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Place bacon slices on bottom of pot,
Arrange the potatoes, celery, carrots,
onions, and place chuck roast on top.
Pour in broth and Worcestershire sauce.
Season with ground black pepper and cook
Covered on low setting for 8 to 10 hours.

Shrimp and Bean Sprouts

Shiracha cooked shrimp served with
some fresh or canned bean sprouts.
Simply served on a bed of lettuce.

Ingredients:
Iceberg lettuce
Frozen peeled shrimp
Shiracha hot pepper sauce
Bean sprouts

Directions:
Place shrimp in a saute pan,
season with hot sauce and cook until
shrimp thaw and start to turn color.
Stir in bean sprouts and heat through.
Plate shrimp on top of some lettuce.

Baked Eggs on Waffles

These are frozen waffles toasted and topped
with one large egg along with some butter.
This makes for a good Sunday breakfast.

Ingredients:
frozen waffles
butter
eggs

Directions:
Remove waffles from freezer and spread
some butter around all of the edges.
Place on a metal pan and crack egg on top.
Put in oven to toast and cook through.

Grilled Cheese BLT Sandwich

A grilled cheese with bacon, lettuce and tomato.
This kicks a BLT sandwich up to new levels.
Butter toasted bread and silky creamy cheese.

Ingredients:
12 slices white bread
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound sliced smoked bacon
6 slices deli american cheese
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
6 fresh lettuce leaves
6 fresh to tomato slices
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Butter one side of bread slices
Place on griddle butter side down
then place one slice of american cheese
on six slices of the bread on griddle.
Cook on medium heat until toasted.
Remove bread from griddle and top
the cheese with tomato, lettuce, and bacon.
Season with ground black pepper to taste.
Top with dry toasted slices of bread.
Cut sandwich on the diagonal and serve.
Serve along with potato chips and a pickle.

Baked Not FriedEggplant Parmesan

You bake the eggplant slices then assemble
the eggplant parmesan to bake the casserole.
This is much lighter made without any oil
and only a small amount of parmesan cheese .

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
dash of dried oregano

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut ends off of eggplant and peel.
Cut into 8 (1/2") slices and place on
on a baking sheet to bake for 40 minutes.
Remove and let cool before assembling
eggplant parmesan caserole to bake.
Lower heat to 350 degrees F.
Pour some tomato sauce in a baking dish
place in a few eggplant slices, then cheese
and another layer of eggplant slices.
Add in more tomato sauce and cheese.
Another layer of eggplant, sauce and cheese.
Season top with dried oregano and bake
uncovered until heated through and cheese melts.
Let cool about 20 minutes before serving.

Zesty Lemon Shrimp

Lately I've been using lemon zest in everything.
Here I sauteed shrimp in a brown butter sauce
and tossed in a few garlic cloves and some lemon.
Served on a bed of cooked and seasoned white rice.

Ingredients:
frozen shrimp
unsalted butter
garlic cloves
salt to taste
lemons
cooked white rice
Ground black pepper

Directions:

Saute shrimp in butter and add in some garlic,
when browned turn shrimp and add in lemon zest.
Cook until heated through and serve on rice.
Season with ground black pepper to taste.

Ice Cream Flavored Cookies

Use any flavor ice cream to make some
of that ice creams flavor sugar cookies.
The ice cream takes place of butter or
vegetable shortening in this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen ice cream, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, beaten
2 cups flour, more if needed
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment.
In a mixing bowl combine flour,
baking powder with salt and set aside.
In another bowl mix together egg, sugar
melted ice cream until well blended.
Combine wet ingredients with dry just
enough to make a workable cookie dough.
Use hands to make small 1" round balls.
Arrange 2" apart on baking sheet and use
a fork to press the dough and flatten it out some.
Bake for about 12 minutes or until browned edges.
Remove to cool before storing in an air tight container.

Pie Crust Cinnamon Bites

Crispy and sweet little pastry bites.
Made with left over pie crust dough.
Similar to Rugelach but easier to make.

Ingredients:
left over pie dough
cinnamon
sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut rolled out pie dough into strips.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Roll up into pin wheels and arrange
on a parchment lined baking sheet to bake
for about 12 minutes or until golden.

Baked Eggplant Slices

I wanted to bake some eggplant with no oil.
Then use them in a tomato based recipe.
They are creamy inside and just starting
to dry out and get a little brown color.
I like the fact there's no oil at all involved.

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
sprinkle of salt to taste
Directions:
Cut ends off eggplant and remove peel.
Place on a parchment paper lined sheet.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes.
When they start to get brown remove and season
each slice of baked eggplant with a sprinkle of salt.
They will tend to stick to the parchment paper.
But it's not a big deal, I actually like it that way.
Serve them plain or with tomato sauce and cheese.

My Party Snack Mix

I love to snack on crackers, nuts and stuff.
Buying snacks in a grocery is expensive.
Here's how to make a big game time batch
of a party snacking mix that's mighty tasty.
You can add in some chocolate chips if desired.

Ingredients:
1 box of corn or rice Chex cereal
1 box of frosted mini wheat cereal
1 box of small sized salty pretzels
1 box of dried golden raisins
1 box of salted shelled peanuts

Directions:
Find the biggest mixing bowl you got.
Even a trash bag will do to mix this up.
Combine all ingredients until well mixed.
Serve with copious amounts of alcohol.

Crumb Topped Egg Appetizers

Hard boiled eggs cut in half then broiled
with a bread crumb and pepperoni topping.
These are a good make ahead appetizer.
Served at room temperature all night long.
Can you think of other tasty toppings ?

Ingredients:
12 large hard boiled eggs, peeled
24 foil muffin cups
24 thin sliced pepperoni
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

Directions:
After hard boiled eggs have cooled,
peel them and cut them in half crosswise.
Place them in muffin cups inside muffin tins.
Place one slice of pepperoni on top of each egg.
Spread 1/2 teaspoon of mayonnaise on pepperoni,
then cover with a dried bread crumb topping.
Place muffin tin under the broiler to brown the tops.
Served on a platter they can stay good all night long.
( You might have to do this in batches ).
( I only have one 12 cup muffin tin so...).

Bread & Bacon Croutons

Made using deli sliced rye bread and
a few thick slices of smoked bacon.
These are the tastiest croutons ever !

Ingredients:
6 slices rye bread, diced
6 slices smoked bacon
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with foil
Arrange diced rye bread in a single layer on sheet.
Place bacon slices 1" apart on top of diced bread.
Bake 20 minutes then turn over to brown all over.

Pumpkin Banana Bread

This pumpkin bread is moist and tasty.
Sliced and toasted with cream cream on it.

Ingredients:
2 large eggs, beaten
2 large ripe bananas
1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9x5" loaf pan
Mix all ingredients and pour in pan.
Bake 40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Pumpkin Cookies

It's time to make pumpkin and spice cookies.
You can use fresh pumpkin or canned.
Add in some chocolate chips if desired.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pumpkin pie fill
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl beat shortening, sugar,egg,
vanilla and pumpkin until well combined.
Add in flour, baking powder and soda and salt.
Place 1" apart on a greased baking sheet.
Bake about 10 minutes and remove to cool.

Chicken Fried Fish Fillets

Fillets of fish breaded and golden fried.
Served on a bun or in a tortilla wrap
with a tasty creamy and spicy sauce.

Ingredients:
fish fillet (Tilapia)
flour
egg, beaten
breadcrumbs
oil for frying in

Directions:
Preheat oil in a fry pan.
Dredge fish fillet in flour
then in egg and bread crumbs.
Fry on both sides until golden.
Serve on a sandwich or in a tortilla wrap.

Pizza Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

The kids love to have these for lunch.
Similar to Sloppy Joe Sandwiches.
Ground beef sauteed in pizza sauce.
Served on small buns with stringy cheese
and a few slices of deli pepperoni.

Ingredients:
12 soft dinner rolls
1 pound ground beef
1 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
12 pieces string cheese
12 slices thin pepperoni

Directions:
Saute ground beef in a pan until browned,
drain and add in tomato sauce and oregano.
Stir to heat through and serve on split rolls
along with some cheese and sliced pepperoni.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers

Ritz crackers spread with peanut butter,
placed together into sandwich cookies.
These stay fresh in an air tight container
for a good two weeks if they last that long.

Ingredients:
Ritz crackers
Creamy peanut butter

Directions:
Spread peanut butter on one side of crackers.
Place together with peanut butter in the middle.
Store in air tight food containers until served.

Best Tasting Tuna Salad

Use to make a sandwich or simply

serve on a bed of Iceberg lettuce.

Good to make Ritz cracker appetizers.

Ingredients:

1 (5 ounce) canned tuna, drained

1 fresh lemon, zest and juice of

6 black olives, chopped

1/2 celery stalk, peeled and chopped

1 slice of red onion, chopped

1 scallion, chopped

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

dash of ground black pepper

Directions:

Use a food processor to chop celery,

onions and olives to desired textures.

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Stir to combine well and serve.

Baked Egg Bueberry Waffle

I took a blueberry waffle topped it with
one large egg and baked it sunny side up.
The yolk was nice and runny the way I like.
You can also place a slice of cheese on this.

Ingredients:
1 frozen blueberry waffle
1 tablespoon butter
1 large egg

Directions:
Line a baking dish with foil.
Place frozen waffle on dish.
Spread butter around edge of waffle.
Drop egg in the center and then place
the baking dish in a toaster oven.
Bake until egg sets and waffle browns.

Coffee Over Vanilla Dessert

Simply brew some espresso coffee,
place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a cup.
Then pour coffee over ice cream and serve.

Dirty Thin Spaghetti Pasta

The dirty part is in the bread crumbs.
It gives the pasta a crunch to the tooth.
Really good to serve with steamed mussels.
Equally as good simply with tomato sauce.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound thin dried spaghetti
6 cups water for cooking in
1 teaspoon salt for cooking
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions:
Bring salted water to a rolling boil,
ad in pasta and bring back to boil.
Reduce heat and cook until tender.
It should take about 12 minutes or so.
Drain pasta, add in bread crumbs and butter.
Stir to combine well and serve warm.

Thanksgiving Day Roast Turkey

I keep things simple in this recipe.
Defrost the turkey, remove the things
that are inside the cavity, both ends.
Then bake until golden brown and crispy.

Ingredients:
1 whole turkey
2 cups water
Directions:
Place the turkey breast side up on a rack.
Place the rack in a roasting pan with water.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place roasting pan in oven for 30 minutes,
then reduce heat to 350 degrees F.
It should take about 15 minutes per pound.
Bake uncovered and baste every so often.
Let turkey rest 15 minutes before carving.

Oven Baked Hard Eggs

Cooked in the shell using a muffin pan.
An easy way to hard cook Easter eggs.
The shells are easy to peel off when cool.

Ingredients:
12 large white eggs
6 cups ice cold water

Directions:
Do not preheat oven.
Place an egg into each muffin cup.
Place in oven and bake on 350 degrees F.
for about 20 minutes, then remove eggs to a
bath of ice cold water for 10 minutes to cool.
Peel them or color them to make Easter eggs.

Green Olive Mashed Potatoes

Using a jar of stuffed olives in place of salt
is a unique way to add flavor, not just salt.
The olives turn the potatoes slightly green.
I serve these potatoes on Saint Patrick's day.

Ingredients:
6 Yukon Gold potatoes
6 cups water for boiling
1 (6 ounce) jar stuffed green olives, drained
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup milk or cream

Directions:
After washing and peeling potatoes,quarter them
and place in a soup pot with enough water to cover.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cook until tender.
Chop olives in a food processor into desired texture.
Drain potatoes, add in butter, milk and chopped olives.
Mash together and keep covered until serving.

Butter Baked Baby Carrots

The carrots get all brown and creamy good.
This is a good Thanksgiving day side dish
that can be made ahead of time and reheated.
I like to serve them with a white cream sauce.

Ingredients:
2 pounds baby carrots
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
white sauce for serving them
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place carrots in a roasting pan,
dot with butter and bake covered.
It should take about 90 minutes or so.
Remove until serving with cream sauce.

Secret Ingredient Gourmet Meatballs

Your going to need to make a double batch!
These are the first to go on the buffet table.
Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing mix
makes these meatballs tender and tasty.
Easily kept warm using a slow cooker.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground turkey
1 (14 ounce) bag PF stuffing
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
In a large bowl combine beef, pork
turkey, onion with ground black pepper.
In another bowl combine stuffing mix with
eggs and milk and let rest for 10 minutes.
Mix in the stuffing into the meat mixture.
Use an ice cream scoop to form balls and
place them on a lined baking sheet.
Bake on 350 degrees F. for 40 minutes.
Remove to keep warm in a crock pot,
pouring some tomato sauce on them.

Pickle & Pimento Hot Dogs

You can get Pickle & Pimento loaf in the Deli.

Why not use pickles and pimetos on a hot dog?

With a slather of cream cheese on the toasted bun.

A Gourmet tasting hot dog all the way!

Ingredients:

Hot dog buns, toasted

Cream cheese, softened

Hot dogs, grilled

Pickles, chopped

Pimentos, chopped

Directions

Butter and toast hot dog buns.

Grill or boil up hot dogs.

Put a shmear of cream cheese on bun,

place a hot dog on it an top with pickle

and pimentos to your desired liking.

Serve

American Banh Mi Sandwich

A Vietnamese style sandwich with easy ingredients.
You can serve this on a soft French Baguette or
simply on single serving Kaiser or Hard rolls.
Some prefer to toast the bread before making.

Ingredients:
1 (10") Baguette
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 or 3 drops soy sauce
2 long cucumber slices
1 long fresh carrot slice
1 long pickle slice
6 radish slices
some cilantro or parsley
2 Deli sliced cooked chicken

Directions:
Cut Baguette in half lengthwise.
Remove some of the bread from the center,
sprinkle with soy sauce and spread mayonnaise.
Arrange cucumber, carrot, pickle, and radish slices.
Add on some cilantro and the deli sliced chicken.
Top with other half of Baguette and serve.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

An easy version which is baked not fried.
Flavored with a few drops of olive oil.
And served with a few fresh basil leaves.
This is much lighter than fried eggplant.

Ingredients:
1 eggplant, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup corn starch
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian dried breadcrumbs
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
a few fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with foil
Peel and slice eggplant into 1/2" thick rounds.
Dredge in corn starch, then beaten egg and crumbs.
Place eggplant slices on a prepared baking sheet
then drizzle with just a few drops of olive oil.
Using extra virgin olive oil is best to use here.
Bake for about 10 minutes then turn them over.
Bake another 10 minutes and remove to cool.
Spread some sauce in the bottom of a 9"x11" baking dish,
arrange baked eggplant slices side by side in baking dish,
top with shredded mozzarella cheese and more sauce.
Arrange the rest of baked eggplant slices on top
along with more tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Bake un-covered for about 30 minutes until cheese melts.

Spooky Halloween Red Eyeballs

These are just hard cooked eggs cut in half,
but the kids don't know that at first sight.
After cutting hard boiled eggs in half,
you drizzle red food coloring on them.
Boooo !

Ingredients:
12 hard cooked eggs
4 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
2 drops of red food coloring

Directions:
After cooking and cooling eggs,
use a chefs knife to cut them in half.
Use a table spoon to remove from shell.
In a glass mixing bowl combine vinegar
with sugar and red food coloring.
Place cooked eggs on  serving platter and
drizzle red syrupy blood all over each eye.

Sausages, Peppers & Eggs

Italian sausages and green bell peppers
with onions and sauce on a hard roll.
Add on a slice of Provelone cheese and
what could be a better tasting sandwich.
Adding in a slice of lettuce for the crunch.

Ingredients:
8 Hard rolls
1 cup tomato sauce
8 slices provelone cheese
8 slices green peppers,cooked
8 slices yellow onions, cooked
8 leaves of Iceberg lettuce

Directions:
Place one half of roll on counter,
top with sauce, pepper, onion and cheese.
Top with a leaf of Iceberg lettuce.
Cover with other hard roll and serve.

Creepy Rice Crispy Bugs

With cinnamon sugar and spice that's nice.
You simply bake some sugar and top it with
a few rice crisps and they become bugs.
Happy Halloween every booody !

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup crisp rice cereal
red food coloring by the drop

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place about a tablespoon of sugar about 2" apart
on the prepared baking sheet because the bugs spread.
Pace a few rice cereal on top of each mound of sugar.
Bake for about 6 minutes or until just starting to brown.
remove to a plate and serve cold with blooody ketchup.

Boo Berry Balls

Frozen blueberries covered in powdered sugar.
This works if they are kept really frozen cold.
Take frozen blueberries and toss them together
with about a pound of confectioner's sugar.
Place back in freezer before serving cold.

Halloween Baked Worms

Easy to make using a simple pie crust dough.
Served with some ghoulish green syrup sauce.
Making the dough is easy and it bakes up good.
The syrup is sweet and has crunchy things in it.
Simply frightening to me but the kids love it.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup bottled pancake syrup
1 teaspoon green food coloring
1/8 cup rice crispies cereal

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine in a mixing bowl the flour,
shortening, water, vinegar, sugar and salt.
Dump out onto a floured board and knead,

until dough comes together then divide
and form into long thin worm like things.
lace on a baking sheet and bake for about
8 minutes or until just browning and cooked.
Remove to cool and before serving.
To make the green ghoulish sauce combine
pancake syrup with green food coloring and
mix in some rice crunchy cereal before serving.

Campbell's Soup Baked Pork

Baked right in a serving dish saves time.
Pork chops cooked an a creamy broth,
bakes up nice and tender juicy.
Served on a bed of cooked egg noodles.

Ingredients:
4 bone in pork chops
1 can condensed mushroom soup
2 cups water
cooked egg noodles

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl mix up soup and water.
Place in a baking dish along with chops.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for
about 1 hour or until done to desired taste.
Serve along with cooked egg noodles.

Russian Dressing with Bite

Spicy hot to wake up your taste buds.
This is a tangy salad dressing that's
sure to get people asking for more.
I like this in place of tomato ketchup.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Real mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
dash of hot pepper sauce
dash of ground black pepper

Directions:,br>
In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients.
Refrigerate until serving.

Brussel Sprouts and Sausages

Italian sausage links baked on top of
fresh brussel sprouts and carrots.
A few potatoes that turn creamy good.
This is so simple and a great meal.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 small potatoes, quartered
1 pint brussel sprouts
1 pint baby carrots
dash of salt and pepper
4 Italian sausage links

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small roasting pan, add oil.
Place in potatoes, brussel sprouts,
carrots and season with salt and pepper.
Place Italian sausages on top of vegetables.
Piece the sausage links a few times with fork.
Cover and bake about 90 minutes.
Remove and serve warm right from pan.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Home made is Better than Good Eats.
Here's how to make a Steak & Cheese.
In your Own kitchen that's Easy & Tasty.
The secret to getting really thin slices of
beef is to slice it when almost frozen.
Sauteed in a flavored buttery beef broth,
Served on a soft hoagie or grinder roll .
Some people like it with Cheese Wiz.
I prefer it with sliced Provolone cheese.

This recipe already in the database.

OMG Favorite Breakfast

Sunny side up eggs and home fries,

with toast and a cup of hot coffee.

This is a semi trucker's breakfast.

Recipes already in the database.

Ingredients:

2 cooked sunny side up eggs

2 cups home fried potatoes

2 toasted  bread with butter

1 cup of fresh hot coffee

Scrambled Egg Sandwich

Made with roasted red peppers and cheese.
A classic sandwich served on white bread.
I like this best served on un-toasted bread.
This makes a great lunch with potato chips,
a slice or a whole dill pickle on the side.

Ingredients:,br>
2 slices white bread
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 large egg, scrambled
dash of ground black pepper
1 slice roast red pepper
1 slice American cheese

Directions:
Spread mayonnaise on one side of bread,
top with egg, ground black and red peppers.
Add on a slice or two American cheese.
Top with another slice of bread, slice and serve.

Sauteed Corn on the Cob

I found a really simple way to easily remove

the husks and silks from corn in seconds time.

Then I pan fry them to finish the cooking.

Tastes like caramel corn on the cob.

Ingredients:

2 ears garden fresh corn

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons butter

Sprinkle of salt to taste

Directions:

Cut off about 1" of the bottom ends

and place on a microwave safe plate.

Microwave about 2 minutes and remove.

Hold the corn by the silk end and shake,

the corn on the cob should drop out clean.

Place the shucked corn on a cutting board

and using a chefs knife or cleaver chop

into three equal sized serving pieces.

Preheat oil in a skillet and saute corn,

turn to get browned on most sides.

Remove from pan, butter and salt to taste.

Microwave Made Scrambled Eggs

I first made scrambled eggs using the
microwave about thirty years ago.
This is good with some dried chives.
It only takes a few minutes time.
This is about the correct size to use
on top of a crispy English muffin.

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon butter
1 tablespoon cold water
a dash of dried chives

Directions:
Spread butter in a 3" round plastic bowl,
Crack egg into it and add in water.
Stir or whisk to combine and mix well.
Sprinkle with dried chives.
Cover and microwave on high power
for 1 minute then check how done it is,
cook for more time until cooked as desired.

Cooking Frozen Beef Steaks

I always thawed steaks before cooking.
Then one day after forgetting to thaw it,
I decided to cook one from frozen,
put the steak in a saute pan in oil to brown on
both sides, then in the oven at 350 degrees F.
until internal temperature reached 125 degrees F.
The result was a perfectly cooked steak.
Crusty browned on the outside and just about
cooked to medium rare on the inside.
It took 30 minutes to cook from start to finish.
Try this for a real surprising taste treat.

Mushroom & Rice Meatloaf

Adding in pureed cooked rice is an easy
way to lighten up a ground beef meatloaf.
Adding in some chopped fresh mushrooms
makes this earthy tasting and even better.
This also makes a good mix for meatballs.

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
2 pounds ground beef
1 can of creamed mushroom soup
1 large egg, beaten with some water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste

Directions:
Place cooked rice in a food processor and
pulse to make a thick paste, set aside in large bowl.
In same processor bowl  place the chopped
fresh mushrooms and pulse into small pieces.
Add mushrooms into mixing bowl with rice puree.
Mix in ground beef, can of soup, egg, Worcestershire
pepper and salt until it's all mixed together real good.
Remove onto a baking sheet and form into a loaf.
Bake in a 350 degree F. preheated oven,
for about 60 minutes or until cooked as desired.
remove to cool before slicing and serving.

Thunder & Lightning Potatoes

Potato rounds sauteed thunder brown and crispy,
then tossed in serious hot pepper lightning sauce.
Perfect snack to eat at any game day party.
Make these as thunder hot as you can handle.
Having plenty cans of cold beer to tame the heat.

Ingredients:
Potatoes, Red, Russet, or Yukon Gold
Hot pepper sauce as much as needed
Dried cayenne pepper as desired
Salt to taste or as desired

Directions:
You can bake the potatoes in the oven
or simply cook them using the microwave.
I like to bake them until browned and crispy.
Let them cook until soft and cool to handle.
Slice them and toss them in a large bowl
with melted butter and hot pepper sauce.
Season with cayenne pepper to taste.
These can be served at room temperature.

Kettle Style Baked Beans

Dried beans simmered for 8 hours
in a slow cooker to create tasty
cowboy style country baked beans.
This is a winner on a cold winter day.

Ingredients:
1 pound dried Northern/Navy beans
6 cups cold water
1/2 pound smoked bacon
4 yellow onions, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1/8 cup barbecue sauce
1/8 cup dark molasses
1/8 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups water

Directions:
Place dried beans in a large bowl,
cover with 1" of cold water.
Let sit overnight to soak.
Drain and rinse beans then set aside.
In a large pot place bacon and onions
cook until onions get a golden color
on them and remove all to a slow cooker.
Stir in ketchup, bbq sauce, molasses and
liquid smoke flavoring, season with pepper.
Stir in dried and soaked beans then add in
enough water to cover beans by 2 inches.
Cook on low for 8 hours adding water if needed.

Connecticut Clam Chowda

With winter weather getting closer every day,
I wanted to create a New England clam chowder,
with a splash of color as well as great tasting.
Try this recipe out and sit down to a bowl.
it has clams, crab and tasty vegetables.

Ingredients:
2 slices smoked bacon, chopped
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 Yukon gold potato, diced
2 scallions, sliced
1 stalk celery, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
12 ounces fresh clams
6 ounces fresh crab meat
2 ounces imitation crab meat
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/8 cup black olives, sliced
1/8 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup clam juice
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup half and half cream
1/4 cup white wine
oyster crackers

Directions:,br>
Place chopped bacon in a large soup pot.
Bring to medium heat and add in onions,
garlic, potatoes and scallions and celery.
Cook stirring for 5 minutes then add in
corn starch and butter to create a roux.
Add in clams, crab meat, imitation crab
shredded carrots, sliced olives, and red peppers.
Season with black pepper then add in clam juice,
vegetable broth, half and half cream and wine.
Never let this come to a boil.
Simmer stirring for 30 minutes or until brought
up to serving temperature then turn off heat.
Serve with oyster crackers in top of each bowl.

Meatball Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

I made these with store bought frozen meatballs.
They're easy to make in a slow cooker crock pot.

Ingredients:
1 head cabbage
4 cups water to cook cabbage
24 frozen meatballs
2 cans condensed tomato soup
2 soup cans of water
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Remove outer leaves from cabbage and core.
Place cabbage in a soup pot with water.
Bring to a boil until soft enough to handle.
Separate cabbage leaves on a work surface
and place one meatball on each cabbage leaf.
Roll or wrap cabbage around each meatball.
Place all filled cabbage rolls in a slow cooker.
In a bowl mix condensed soup with water,
pour tomato soup into slow cooker.
Season with ground black pepper.
Cook on low heat for about 4 hours.

Potato Cubes with Onions

These are fried along with onion to create
a good potato base to serve with eggs,
as a side with beef, chicken, pork or fish.

Ingredients:
2 potatoes of choice
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
Canola oil for frying
A sprinkle of salt to taste

Directions:
Wash potatoes, do not peel.
Place in a glass bowl and cover
then microwave for 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove from bowl and pat dry.
When cool enough to handle cut into
1" size cubes and pat dry again.
Preheat oil in a saute pan to medium heat.
Fry potato cubes for about 6 minutes.
Stir in the chopped onion and cook
another 4 minutes or until onions are brown.
Remove and sprinkle with salt to taste.

Crispy Baked Potato Wedges

I used red potatoes with some olive oil,
and a few dried herbs to make the best
tasting baked crispy potato wedges.
They're still soft and creamy inside.
Delicious along with a dipping sauce.

Ingredients:
4 red potatoes, washed and cut in wedges
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Wash and pat dry red potatoes.
Cut each potato into eight wedges,
place wedges in a plastic freezer bag.
Add in the olive oil and spices.
Seal bag and roll around to coat wedges.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Arrange wedges on an aluminum foil lined sheet.
Bake 30 minutes, turn wedges over and bake
another 12 minutes or until crispy browned.
Remove and sprinkle with more salt if desired.
Serve with a dipping sauce on the side.

Lettuce Wrapped Cheese Appetizers

Served at room temperature for best flavor,
this is a good make ahead of time appetizer.
I like to sprinkle some ground pepper on top.

Ingredients:
12 Iceberg lettuce leaves
1 package string cheese
12 slices deli pepperoni

Directions:
Lay out Iceberg lettuce leaves flat.
Place one slice pepperoni on each lettuce.
Place one piece string cheese on top and
wrap up into a tight bundle of goodness.
Place each lettuce wrapped appetizer on a
serving tray and cover with plastic wrap,
refrigerate until ready to serve at room temp.

to serve.

No Flour NutButter Cookies

This recipe really works you must try it.
I used peanut butter but any nut butter will do.
I was amazed at just how good these are.

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, beaten

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix peanut butter, sugar and egg.
Place by teaspoonfuls on a baking sheet.
Bake for about 12 minutes or until done.

Hash Browned Potato Cakes

Shredded potatoes fried brown and crispy.
These are perfect served with apple sauce.
Also with some sour cream on the side.

Ingredients:
1 Russet or white potato
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons flour
1 small yellow onion, grated
a dash of ground black pepper
Vegetable/Canola oil for frying

Directions:
Use a box grater and grate potato.
Into a mixing bowl with egg, flour,
onion and ground black pepper.
Preheat frying pan and fry potato batter
one tablespoon for each potato cake.
Turn over when browned to cook other side.
Remove to drain on paper towels and serve.

Peanut Butter Bacon Sandwich

What makes this peanut butter sandwich a special
treat is in adding a few slices of dill pickle chips.
Use either creamy or crunchy peanut butter.
Toast the bread for an added crunchy touch.

Ingredients:
2 slices white bread
2 slices smoked bacon
2 tablespoons peanut butter
6 dill pickle slices

Directions:
Toast bread if desired.
Wrap bacon in paper towels and microwave
on high setting to crisp up as you like it.
Spread peanut butter on bread and top with
bacon and dill pickle chip slices.
Place on the other slice of bread and serve.

Eggplant Slices for Sandwich

Battered with beaten egg and Romano cheese,
then fried in olive oil and baked in tomato sauce.
This method makes the best tasting sandwich.
You can add in some grated Parmesan cheese
or even some shredded mozzarella cheese.

Ingredients:
1 eggplant
olive oil for frying
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
2 cups tomato sauce
more Romano cheese as desired.

Directions:
Cut ends off of eggplant and peel if desired.
Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds.
Fry in preheated olive oil for 2 minutes each side.
Remove to drain on paper towels and pat dry.
In a mixing bowl beat egg with 1/2 cup Romano
cheese to make a batter for the eggplant slices.
Dip eggplant slices in batter and fry again until
just starting to get golden brown on both sides.
Place cooked eggplant slices in a baking dish,
Spread tomato sauce over top and sprinkle cheese.
Place another layer of eggplant, more sauce and cheese.
Bake un covered in a 350 degree F. oven about 30 minutes.
Remove and let cool a little bit before slicing and serving.

Spam-A-Muffin Sandwich

This as a close clone of McDonald's
Egg-A-Muffin breakfast sandwich.
Using a slice of Spam for the ham.
I like to use two types of deli cheese
to make this a sandwich all my own.

Ingredients:
For one sandwich:
1 English muffin, toasted and sliced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 slice canned Spam lunch meat
1 slice American cheese
1 slice Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon tomato ketchup

Directions:
Preheat a fry pan to medium heat.
Place slice of Spam in pan to cook.
After toasting muffin as desired
place muffin halves on a serving plate.
Slather one muffin with butter and
the other side with mayonnaise.
Top with cheeses and slice of Spam,
spritz with a  dash of tomato ketchup.
Enjoy.

Elbow Macaroni Picnic Salad

This is a mayonnaise based pasta salad
with black olives, red peppers and capers.
It's a family favorite served cold and tasty.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound elbow macaroni, cooked
1 can black olives, drained and sliced
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup Real mayonnaise
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook macaroni, drain and chill.
I like to refrigerate it overnight.
In a large mixing bowl combine the
sliced olives, chopped pepper,
capers with the mayonnaise right good.
Stir in the cold elbow macaroni and
serve cold with black pepper to taste.

Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Made with White bread and Real butter.
This is easy to make and tastes great.
An old fashioned family diner sandwich.
You can also add in some tuna, bacon,
tomatoes or even slices of deli meat.

Ingredients:
For each sandwich:
2 slices white bread
2 slices american cheese
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
Preheat a skillet on low heat.
Spread butter on one side of each bread.
Place one bread in pan buttered side down.
Place cheese on slice of bread and top with
the other slice of bread buttered side up.
Let cook until bottom is browned then
use a spatula to turn over and cook other side.
This should only take a minute or two to heat through.
You might want to cover pan to help melt cheese.
Remove from pan and cut in half before serving.
It's a classic sandwich served with a dill pickle
and a small bag of potato chips for lunch.

Real Onion Ring Strings

Calling these fried onions rings is not right.
They are onion strips and not onion rings.
Addictive tasting when served with salt.
Easy to make and even more easy to eat
with simple ingredients and a few tricks.

Ingredients:
2 yellow onions, peeled
2 cups of white flour
peanut oil for frying in
salt for serving with

Directions:
Cut peeled onions in half.
Then slice them as thinly as possible.
Dredge the sliced onions in flour,
and deep fry them until golden brown.
Remove to drain and serve with salt.

Heaven Between Hamburgers

The Heaven between this burger is in the cheese.
Soft Gruyere and Hard Gorgonzola together
between two beef patties is amazing tasting.
I add on some sun dried tomatoes and a few
hot pepper flakes for a great taste combination.
This would be a good thing with smoked bacon.

Ingredients:
For each Heaven Between Hamburger:
1 hamburger bun, butter toasted
2 ground beef patties
Gruyere cheese
Gorgonzola cheese
Sun dried tomatoes
Hot pepper flakes

Directions:
Preheat grill or a griddle to cook the burgers.
Place beef patties on griddle, cook one side.
Turn over and place cheese on top of each.
To assemble pat burgers together with cheese
between then place in between hamburger buns.
Top with sun dried tomatoes and hot peppers.
Add with what ever other toppings you desire.
This is good with Iceberg lettuce and dill pickle.

Breaded Eggplant Burgers

This method is how I cook eggplant
as in making eggplant parmesan.
Instead of baking the casserole,
I use the fried eggplant slices in
between toasted hamburger buns.
An eggplant parmesan sandwich.

Ingredients:
1 eggplant
2 cups flour
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups dried bread crumbs
olive oil for frying eggplant in
8 hamburger buns
1 cup cooked tomato sauce.
8 slices Parmesan cheese
other burger toppings if desired

Directions:
Cut ends off of eggplant and peel
to remove most of the tough skin.
Slice into 1/2" thick rounds.
Dredge each eggplant slice in flour,
then dip in beaten egg and in breadcrumbs.
Heat olive oil in a large saute pan and fry
eggplant slices until nicely browned on one side,
then flip them over and top with a slice of cheese.
When heated through, place one eggplant slice
on sauced hamburger buns and add toppings.

Fried Egg in Onion Ring

An easy way to cook an egg is to
drop it into a slice of an onion ring.
Saute it until bottom is set then use
a spatula to turn the egg over to
cook other side as desired.

Ingredients:
1 slice red onion
1 teaspoon butter
1 large egg
salt and black pepper

Directions:
Heat saute pan and melt butter.
Place the slice of onion in pan and
crack the egg into center of onion ring.
Saute until just cooked through, turn egg
and cook other side until done as desired.
Season egg with salt and black pepper.