ROCK'S BEST RECIPES

Pork Roast with Adobo Seasoning

2012-01-26T14:07:00.000-08:00

I looked on the Internet and couldn't find
a recipe using Adobo seasoning on a
pork roast so I came up with my own.
I sprayed some balsamic vinegar on it
and it was fantastic looking and tasting.
This makes real good pulled pork sandwiches.

Ingredients:
1 boneless pork roast
1 tablespoon Adobo seasoning
balsamic vinegar to taste
1 cup water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Rinse pork and pat dry with paper towel.
Place pork fat side up in a roasting pan,
sprinkle top with Adobo seasoning.
Bake in oven,uncovered for 30 minutes.
Remove and spritz the top of pork
with balsamic vinegar to taste.
Place water along side pork, cover and
bake for 3 hours or until done.

Fried Cucumber Slices

2012-01-26T13:48:00.000-08:00

These pan fried cucumber slices are very good.
Everyone that tastes these raves at how good they are.
I just made a batch for our supper tonight.
These are addictive, I couldn't stop eating them.
Easy to make ahead of time and keep in a warm
oven until serving time at the big game.
They are crunchy golden brown outside and
taste like creamy buttery goodness inside.
These are good tasting at room temperature.

Ingredients:
1 fresh cucumber
1 cup flour
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1 cup flavored dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup canola oil
dash of table salt

Directions:
Wash cucumber and cut ends off.
Use a potato peeler to peel
almost all of the skin off.
I leave some skin intact.
Slice cucumber into 1/4" rounds.
Preheat oil to medium in a large saute pan.
Place flour in a mixing bowl,
Place whisked egg and milk in another bowl and
place breadcrumbs in a third mixing bowl.
Dredge cucumber slices in flour,
then egg wash and then in breadcrumbs.
Saute to brown in hot oil on both sides.
Season with table salt to taste,
keep cucumber slices warm until serving.

Gramma's Baking Powder Biscuits

2012-01-23T15:01:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up this is one of
the first things I learned to bake.
Light and fluffy melt on your mouth
baking powder biscuits from scratch.
These are really simple to make,
wonderful served with some jelly,
cream cheese or some buttery spread.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup whole milk

Directions:
Prheat oven to 450 degrees F.
In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Cut in shortening until mixture looks like fine crumbs.
Stir in milk until dough leaves side of bowl.
On lightly floured surface, gently roll dough in flour to coat.
Knead lightly and roll or pat 1/2 inch thick.
Cut with floured 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter.
Place biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
Serve warm.

Simple Shrimp Scampi

2012-01-21T16:50:00.000-08:00

Use any cooked pasta you desire,
add this sgarlicky shrimp to it
and create a fantastic scampi dish.
Make this as spicy hot as you like.

Ingredients:
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 raw shrimp 16/20
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
dash of Old Bay Seasoning
dash of garlic powder
4 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs

Directions:
Bring salted water to a boil in a saucepot.
Add shrimp and cook until just pink in color.
Romove to cool enough to remove tails.
Place in bowl with butter and olive oil,
season with Old Bay, garlic and sugar.
Stir in bread crumbs to combine.
Place in a microwave on high power
for 1 minute or sountil heated through.
Add to cooked pasta and serve warm.

Cheese Puffed Meatloaf

2012-01-21T15:07:00.000-08:00

I replaced crushed cheese puffs for some
of the bread crumbs in this meatloaf.
The cheese flavor is really good tasting
and this stays together great to slice
for meatloaf sandwiches the next day.
It's a little saltier than I prefer,
mabey usung the crunchy cheese doodles
would be less salty tasting and still
have that great cheese taste.
You can top this with ketchup in
place of the beef gravy if desired.
This moist meatloaf freezes very well.
Try this recipe, you won't be sorry.

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced onion
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon MSG powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup crushed cheese puffs
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons worchestshire sauce

Directions:
Mince garlic and onion in a food processor.
Add in egg, MSG and ground black pepper.
Pulse to combine then pour into a mixing bowl.
Add worchestshire sauce, crushed cheese puffs
and bread crumbs then well mix to combine.
Add in ground beef and pork, then mix
just to combined. Place meat mixture into a
baking dish, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 90 minutes.

Pan Fried Bread Dough

2012-01-20T16:41:00.000-08:00

This is so easy to make and tastes so good.
Use your own bread or pizza dough or as I do,
buy a pizza dough in the grocery store.
Fry it up and serve with pizza sauce.
This is one of my favorite comfort foods.

Ingredients:
1 pound bread or pizza dough
oil for frying
tomato sauce for dipping
grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Let dough rise until doubled in size,
punch down and cut into 2"x2" pieces.
Use flour to help keep from sticking.
Use your fingers to stretch dough.
Preheat a frypan to medium high heat,
add in 1 tablespoon oil and when hot
add in dough to fry and brown on one
side then turn and brown other side.
Remove and fry up the rest of dough.
Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.
Serve with grated cheese if desired.

Dragon's Breath Chili

2012-01-16T17:39:00.000-08:00

This is one of my best chili recipes.
Make this as hot as your dragon desires.
It's hearty and spicy that is sure to
hit the spot on a cold winter's night.
The key is in using Campbell's tomato soup.
Your friends will never guess that ingredient.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef 85/15
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 cup cold water
5 tablespoons real good chili powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 (15.5 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained
cayenne red pepper to taste

Directions:
Crumble the ground beef and turkey or chicken
into a soup pot over medium-high heat.
Cook and stir until evenly browned.
Drain off most of the grease.
Add onion, red pepper flakes,
and half of the cumin, cook and stir
until onion is tender, about ten minutes.
Pour in the tomato soup, water,
chicken broth, and crushed tomatoes.
Season with chili powder, salt and pepper.
Simmer chili for about 30 minutes or so.
Pour in the beans, and season with
remaining cumin and cayenne pepper,
simmer for another 30 minutes.

Turkey Cheeseburgers

2012-01-16T15:22:00.000-08:00

You can use ground chicken for this,
but I like to use lean ground turkey.
Spicy, cheesy and very good tasting,
this is one of my favorite burgers.

Ingredients:
1 pound freshly ground turkey
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons diced jalapeno chiles
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
chicken broth to moisten
1 cup crushed Cheetos snack chips
slices of iceberg lettuce
slices of Velveeta cheese

Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine groung turkey,
onion, chiles, chili powder, cumin and bread crumbs.
Add enough chicken broth to moisten.
Divide into patties and press into ground Cheetos,
making sure that they adhere to form a crust.
Spray a frying pan with nonstick cooking spray
and heat over medium high heat until lightly smoking.
Add patties and reduce heat to medium-low.
Fry until golden-brown on one side.
Turn and continue to fry slowly until turkey
is cooked inside, about 20 minutes.
Serve on warm buns with a slice of
iceberg lettuce and Velveeta cheese.

Black Pepper Tea

2012-01-16T14:52:00.000-08:00

Soothes a sore throat in seconds.
I add some ground cinnamon to make
a really good smooth tasting tea.
Also helps ease up sinus preasure.

Ingredients:
2 cups cold water
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 dash ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon powdered ginger

Directions:
Boil water.
Add black pepper, cinnamon, lemon, honey and ginger.
Let tea steep for 5 minutes or so and put
through a coffee filter into a measuring cup.
Pour into serving cups and serve warm.

Polenta Pancakes

2012-01-16T09:39:00.000-08:00

Two steps in making these pancakes.
First you cook the corn meal and then
add some pancake mix to make some
really great tasting corn pancakes.
Add in fresh corn kernels if desired.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup corn meal
2 cups cold water
1/2 cup pancake mix
1/4 cup cold water

Directions:
Place 2 cups cold water in a saucepan,
add in cornmeal and bring to a boil.
Stirring all the time until cooked.
Add in 1/2 cup cold water and
1/2 cup pancake mix stir to combine.
Batter will be thick.
Let sit while griddle heats up.
Drop by large spoonfuls unto griddle.
Cook until bubbles appear
and turn to cook other side.
Serve with maple syrup.

Appetizer Potato Gems

2012-01-14T16:44:00.000-08:00

These appetizers are really good tasting.
I had trouble in naming these potato gems.
Bacon flavor crispy on the outside and
creamy potato flavor on the inside.
A cross between home fries and tater tots,
with some nice fluffiness inside of them.
When you make these, make a lot of them,
they go fast and are just as good cold.
I like these better than potato chips!

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked mashed potatoes
1 cup cold water (about)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 slices smoked bacon
seasoning salt to taste

Directions:
Place cooked mashed potatoes in a sauce pan.
Add in water, flour and ground black pepper.
Cook on medium heat stirring to make a dough.
Remove to cool enough to form dough into cigars.
Fry bacon in a saute pan and remove leaving fat.
Saute potato cigars until slightly browned on all sides.
Remove and place in a sealed container to refrigerate.
When cooled, cut cigars into 1/2" pieces.
Place cut pieces in a dry saute pan cut side down
and brown on both sides until heated through.
Season with salt and serve warm or at room temperature.

Hot Dog Bites

2012-01-14T14:34:00.000-08:00

Great served as warm appetizers dipped
in a simple red tomato ketchup sauce.
Really easy to make appetizer and
keeps well in a crock pot for parties.
I like these also with a bbq sauce.

Ingredients:
8 beef hot dogs
2 cups ketchup

Directions:
Rinse hot dogs under cold water.
Place whole hot dogs in a saute pan,
cover with water and bring to a boil.
Cook for 2 minutes and drain off water.
Slice hot dogs on the bias or diagnally.
Place sliced hot dogs in saute pan and
cook just until browned on both sides.
Remove to a crock pot or warming dish.
Stir in the ketchup and serve warm.

Hard Salami Boats

2012-01-14T14:23:00.000-08:00

Filled with grape jelly of all things,
try this appitizer once and you'll be
surprised at how good tasting this is.
Crispy, salty and sweet, easy to make.

Ingredients:
12 deli sliced hard salami
12 teaspoons grape jelly

Directions:
Place salami slices in a dry frypan,
place 1 teaspoon grape jelly
in the center of each salami slice.
Cook on medium heat until the salami curls
up creating a bowl with jelly filling.
Remove and serve at room temperature.

Butter Corn Polenta

2012-01-14T14:14:00.000-08:00

This stuff takes over any main dish,
simply melt in the mouth and creamy.
With browned crispy beginings this
polenta will make any meal amazing.
This is one of my favorite recipes!

Ingredients:
4 cups cold water
1 cup corn meal
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
olive oil for frying

Directions:
Place cold water in a saucepan, add in cornmeal.
Bring to a rolling boil and stir mixture for 5 minutes.
Add in butter and salt and remove from heat to cool.
Pour into a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap
making sure the plastic is close to the polenta.
Refrigerate overnight. Remove to room temperature.
Cut polenta into serving pieces and saute in just
enough hot oil to keep it from sticking to pan.
Serve warm.

German Potato Dumplings

2012-01-13T16:54:00.000-08:00

One of my Granmother's was German and
made these to die for potato dumplings.
Simple ingredients made into somthing
you just can't get enough of, really!

Ingredients:
6 russet potatoes
6 cups cold water
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
6 bacon strips, cooked
2 cups flour or more

Directions:
Peel potatoes and cut into 1" dice,
place in sauce pot and cover with salted water.
Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender.
Place flour all over top of water to seal,
add in pepper and cook until bubbles appear in flour.
Drain water from pot and mash potatoes with flour.
Let cool enoughto handle then form into dumplings.
Place on a baking sheet 1/4" apart to dry for 1 hour.
Saute bacon in a large pan and remove bacon, set aside.
Saute potato dumpings until browned on all sides.
Serve with cooked bacon.

Tuna Stuffed Vidalia Onions

2012-01-13T15:24:00.000-08:00

Sweet Vidalia onions stuffed with simple canned tuna
may sound very bland tasting but I zipped thing up.
This recipe takes a little time but it's worth it.

Ingredients:
8 Vidalia onions, peeled, bottom trimmed root intact
6 Tbsps. olive oil
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, large dice
4 oz. butter, room temperature, cut in 1 inch cubes
4 oz. heavy whipping cream, room temperature
2 cups canned tuna (16 ounces)
2 oz. fresh chives, finely chopped
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
Peel onions and trim root end so it sits flat.
Scoop out the onion leaving enough of the sides
and bottom for making an outer shell.
Toss onion cups with 4 tbsp of olive oil,
salt and black pepper to coat.
Drain excess oil and arrange on greased baking pan.
Roast in oven at 350 degree F. for about 30 minutes
or until golden brown and tender, remove and set aside.
Pour remaining olive oil on corn.
Toss with salt and spread out on baking dish,
roast at 350 degrees F. for about 10 min. and set aside.
Bring potatoes to a boil and cook until tender about 20 min.
Strain potatoes and transfer to mixing bowl.
With the whip attachment start on low speed
and add the butter and continue mixing.
Once mixed add cream and mix on high speed for 45 seconds.
Remove bowl from mixer, fold in the roasted corn and tuna.
Fold in chives and add to pastry bag without a tip.
Pipe potatoes into onions, filling completely
and coming out of the top about an inch.
Place onions on baking rack and bake at 350 degrees F.
about 15-20 min. until onions are hot all the way through.

Pot Smokers Peanut Butter Sandwich

2012-01-12T16:42:00.000-08:00

Made with no jelly at all.
This is a good one to try.
crispy lettuce with creamy
sweet peanut butter, yummy!

Ingredients:
2 slices wheat bread
4 tablespoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1 slice iceberg lettuce

Directions:
You can toast the bread but I didn't.
Spread both slices bread with peanut butter,
sprinkle with sugar and place iceberg lettuce
on before making this great tasting sandwich.

Perfect Sunny Side Up Eggs

2012-01-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

Cooking eggs isn't as easy as it seems,
here are a few tips on how to make them.
Have your toast all done on a plate first.

Ingredients:
6 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat saute pan on medium heat.
Crack one egg at a time in a cup,
placing them into the saute pan.
Don't mess with them for 2 minutes.
When the whites are cooked enough turn
the eggs over and remove pan from heat.
Cover and let rest for 2 minutes or so.
If you want tighter egg yolks you can
leave the saute pan on the hot burner
so that the yolks get a bit more solid.
Plate sunny side up eggs on buttered toast.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

My Best Oven Baked Pork Ribs

2012-01-12T14:38:00.000-08:00

Fall off your chair lip smacking good.
I've been making bbq pork ribs for over
thirty years taste testing all the time.
This is my tried and true recipe for
making the best fall off the bone ribs.
It takes some time in the oven but it's
well worth the effort to enjoy the best.
I serve these with Lexington cole slaw!

Ingredients:
16 baby back pork ribs (1 slab)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 tablespoon dried mustard
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cayanne pepper
2 cups bottled barbecue sauce
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcesteshire sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
Rinse rack of pork ribs in cold water.
Peel off membrane that covers the bony side of the ribs.
Mix together the sugar and spices to make the rub.
In a bowl combine the wet ingredients to make a bbq sauce.
Apply rub to ribs on all sides and lay onto a layer of foil
then to9p with another layer of foil on top of ribs and
roll and crimp edges of foil to tightly seal.
Place ribs on baking sheet and bake for 3 hours.
Remove from oven, heat broiler.
Cut ribs into serving sized portions of 2 or 3 ribs.
Arrange ribs on broiler pan, bony side up.
Brush on bbq sauce and broil for 1 or 2 minutes
until sauce sticks to the ribs and is smokey hot.
Turn ribs over and repeat brushing the bbq sauce
on other side and broil until browned and done.

Old Timer's Waffle Soup

2012-01-12T09:34:00.000-08:00

Years ago they never threw any leftover food
out and tried to make new meals with them.
I remember my Grandmother taking yesterday's
breakfast waffles and cutting them up into
little squres then adding them into soup.
Today I did just that and it really is good,
the waffles stay crispy in a hearty soup.

Ingredients:
1 (18.5 ounce) canned soup
(Progresso creamy potato)
1 cooked waffle, diced

Directions:
Place waffle squares in a glass mixing bowl,
add in the can of soup and microwave on high
power for about 3 minutes or until hot, serve.

Roast Red Pepper Polenta

2012-01-11T16:52:00.000-08:00

Some polenta tastes bland, not this one!
I jazzed it up with roasted red peppers,
some garlic and dried chives for color.
There's a balance of garlic, pepper and
along with the red pepper it's very good.
Sauteed in butter this is to die for.

Ingredients:
2 cups cold water
1 cup cold milk
1 cup cornmeal
1 roasted red pepper
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup frozen sweet corn

Directions:
Place water, milk and sugar in a saucepan,
bring to a boil and add in cornmeal, stir.
Chop roasted red pepper in a food processor
and add it into the polenta mixture, stir.
Add in salt, pepper, garlic powder and chives.
Stir, stir, stir, stir for ten minutes.
Removing from heat so as not to burn.
Pour polenta into a glass baking dish.
Shake and smooth to a even out look.
Sprinkle top with frozen sweet corn.
Cover with plastic wrap pressung it right
on top of the polenta to prevent a crust.
Refrigerate overnight.
Remove plastic wrap and cut into 2" squares.
Heat a saute pan and melt in butter.
Saute polenta squares frozen corn side up
to a nice crispy and buttery tasting goodness.
Serve warm.

Sour Apple Dumplings

2012-01-11T15:11:00.000-08:00

These apple dumplings are so good tasting.
Gooey and addictive when served warm with
a dollop or two of vanilla ice cream.
I bet you can't eat just one of these!

Ingredients:
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls
2 sticks unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces sour apple schnapps
cinnamon
sugar

Directions:
Slice each apple into 8 slices.
Roll one apple slice in a roll of crescent dough.
Place in greased 9x13 glass baking dish.
Melt butter in microwave, add sugar, vanilla and stir.
Pour over rolls. Pour schnapps around edges of pan.
Sprinkle top of dumplings with cinnamon sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40 minutes.
Serve warm with ice cream.

Refrigerator Biscuit Munchkins

2012-01-11T14:49:00.000-08:00

These are easy to make using a can of
any old refrigerator biscuit dough.
You can dust these with cinnamon sugar,
powdered sugar, or if your really looking
to be creative stiff them with some jelly.

Ingredients:
1 can refrigerater biscuits
cinnamon/sugar
canola oil for deep frying

Directions:
Preheat oil to 360 degrees F.
Open can of biscuit dough and
cut dough into 1/2" pieces or balls.
Deep fry until golden brown, remove
and roll the in cinnamon sugar.

Green Bell Pepper Meatloaf

2012-01-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

Green bell pepper and onion goes really good
in this very good tasting meatloaf mixture.
Topped with bacon and green peppers
this meatloaf is good enough to serve
to company at an elegent dinner.
It tastes just as good as it looks.

Inredients:
2 lbs. ground beef, 85/15
6 slices smoked bacon slices
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup Italian dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup A-1 Original Steak Sauce
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup tomato sauce or ketchup
1/4 cup light brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl mix 1/2 cup of tomato sauce
or ketchup, ground beef, onion,
bread crumbs, A-1 sauce, eggs,
and black pepper to taste.
Press meat mixture into 9x5-inch loaf pan.
Top with tomato sauce, bacon and brown sugar.
Bake for about 1 hour or until done.
Let sit 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Anchovie Tomato Bruchetta

2012-01-11T14:30:00.000-08:00

Being Italian making Bruchetta is one thing
I make all year long to serve as a first course.
With summer fresh tomatoes this is amazing but
winter plum tomatoes are also good on this.
The secret is in using some sun-dried tomatoes.
And the anchovies take tis over the top in taste.
Using capers in place of salt is a stoke of flaver.

Ingredients
6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
1 teaspoon capers, crushed
1 can packed anchovies, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 fresh French baguette
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven on high broiler setting.
In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes,
sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies, garlic, olive oil,
vinegar, basil, capers, and pepper.
Allow the mixture to sit for 15 minutes.
Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices.
On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette
slices in a single layer.
Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
Divide the tomato mixture evenly over baguette slices.
Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Olive Oil Crispy Potatoes

2012-01-11T14:12:00.000-08:00

This is good to make on a cold winter day,
it goes good as a side for baked chicken.
Easy to make and tastes really great.

Ingredients:
3 Russet potatoes
1/2 cup Olive oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with foil.
Peel and slice potatoes to 1/2".
Arrange in one layer on baking sheet.
Drizzle with oil and season to taste.
Bake for 40 minutes, then turn potatoes,
drizzle with more olive oil if needed,
season and bake until brown and crispy.
About another 15 minutes should do it.

Potato Frites French Fries

2012-01-11T12:04:00.000-08:00

Usually served along side a steak,
potato frites are easy to make at home.
They are crispy on the outside and
creamy good tasting on the inside.
I like to serve these with beef gravy.

Ingredients:
2 russet potatoes
2 tablespoons corn starch
peanut oil for deep frying
salt to taste
beef gravy for dipping

Directions:
Cut the ends off of the potatoes,
slice into 1/4" french fries or frites.
Place in a bowl and cover with cold water.
Let sit for 30 minutes to remove starch.
Drain and pat dry then lay on baking sheet
and allow to air dry another 30 minutes.
Place potatoes in a large mixing bowl and
toss with the corn starch.
Heat oil to 325 degrees F.
Cook potatoes in batches to cook through
for about 5 minutes then remove to drain.
Raise heat to 375 degrees F. and refry the
potatoes to a golden brown crispy color.
Remove, drain and season with salt.
Serve with beef gravy as a dipping sauce.

Chinese Corned Beef Strips

2012-01-10T16:50:00.000-08:00

These beef strips are really good tasting.
And I mean really good tasting!
Moist and juicy and have a bite that I like.
They resemble Chinese pork ribs but no bone.
When you have left over corned beef do this!

Ingredents:
cooked corned beef
soy sauce
mustard as a side

Directions:
Slice corned beef and pan fry
until lightly browned both sides.
Season with soy sauce to taste.
Serve warm with cooked white rice.

Cheese Puffed Burgers

2012-01-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

The secret ingredient to making the cheesiest
tasting hamburgers is in a bag of cheese puffs.
I replaced bread crumbs with crushed cheese puffs,
Yup, crush them up and add them into the beef.
Try this once and you'll soon agree that this
is one of my best creations and great recipes.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef 85/15
1 cup crushed cheese curls
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons canned beef gravy
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
burger toppings and buns

Directions:
Combine in a mixing bowl the egg,
Worcestershire sauce, beef gravy,
chopped onion, chopped bell pepper,
hot pepper sauce and ground pepper.
Add in the ground beef and mix well.
Crush the cheese curls by hand or by
machine to a fine crumb texture and
add into the meat mixture in bowl.
Form four quarter pound burgers and
cook by pan frying or grilling.
Enjoy with your favorite burger toppings
within a butter toasted hamburger bun.
or

- Take your cheezies and crush them in your hands and put in bowl. The more you crush them the better.

- Add your egg. No not the shell.

- Take your Worcestershire sauce and give about four good shots of it into the mix

- Pour about 4 to 5 tablespoons of BBQ sauce in.

- Dice a small handful of red onion and throw that in too.

- Hot pepper sauce is not to burn your mouth off but to add some zip to the burgers, give a couple or three shots of it into the bowl. Unless you like the heat then lay it on thick. I myself love the heat.

- Few shakes of black pepper and your done.

Shrimp and Fresh Mussels

2012-01-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

This is one dish I can't live without.
About twice a year I must have this.
Fresh mussels steamed with shrimp in
a seasoned white wine and butter sauce.
I think I just drooled on my keyboard!

Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh mussels
40 frozen shrimp 20/pound
2 cups white wine
juice of one lemon plus zest
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Place a large soup pot on high heat.
Add in mussels and then the wine,
lemon, and other seasonings.
Then add in the frozen shrimp.
Cover and cook until mussels open
and the shrimp turn red in color.
This should take about 5 minutes or so.
Garnish with more chives if desired.

Caramelized Red Onions

2012-01-09T14:39:00.000-08:00

Red onions are less tart and more sweet.
Use these to top a grilled pork chop or
a juicy grilled black and blue rib-eye.
I cook these onions up using no added salt,
adding in the Worestershire is enough.
Also good on top of twice baked potatoes.

Ingredients:
4 red onions
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
1 dash of dark balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Heat up a large saute pan to medium heat.
Peel onions and slice to desired thickness.
Place in pan the butter, sugar, flour
Worchestershire sauce, vinegar and pepper.
Add in the onions and saute until the onions
cook down and soften for about 20 minutes.

Apple and Egg Dessert Cake

2012-01-09T14:24:00.000-08:00

This cake is easy to make and tastes great.
I made this in a 10" spring form pan.
Serve this along with your afternoon tea
with a dollop of sweet whipped cream.

Ingredients:
Butter for greasing pan
6 Granny Smith apples
3 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
Ground cinnamon/sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line the bottom of springform pan with parchment paper.
Butter the paper and the sides of the pan.
Peel, halve and core your apples,
then chop them into medium-sized chunks.
Place cut apples directly in the prepared pan.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk eggs with sugars
until thick and ribbons form on the surface.
Beat in vanilla, then stir in flour until
just combined to make a thick batter.
Pour batter over apples in spring form pan,
spread the batter so that it covers apples.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until done.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes on rack,
then flip out onto another rack,
peel off the parchment paper,
and flip it back onto a serving platter.
Dust lightly with ground cinnamon/sugar.

Chicken Wings for Party

2012-01-09T12:15:00.000-08:00

Here is a fine recipe for making
some lip smacking chicken wings.
Just enough sweet and saltiness.
These are the first to go at parties.

Ingredients:
20 chicken wings
Marinade:
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic - minced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 tsp cayenne pepper or crushed chili peppers
2 tbsp honey
Seasoning:
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Drizzles of honey for glaze

Directions:
Wash chicken wings and pat dry,
Remove wing tips if desired.
In a large bowl, mix together
the marinade ingredients.
Season the chicken wings with salt before
coating well in the marinade.
Place wings and marinade in
a resealable plastic bag
and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Line a baking pan with foil,
and place the chicken wings on top
Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the chicken wings
over and brush them with the remaining marinade.
Bake for another 10 minutes.
Then set the oven on broil and
broil the chicken for another 3 to 5 minutes,
or until the chicken is crispy brown.

Horseradish Lasagna

2012-01-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

I've been on a horseradish kick lately.
Today I made a lasagna with horseradish.
Very tasty and bacon put this over the top.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef, 85/15
12 slices cooked bacon
1 cup Onion, peeled and chopped
1 (4 oz.) can Green chilies, drained, chopped
1 tablespoons ground cumin seasoning
4 cups prepared tomato sauce
2 cups chunky mild salsa
12 Lasagna noodles, uncooked
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons Prepared horseradish

Instructions:
Brown ground beef and onion, drain.
Stir in green chilies and seasoning; set aside.
In a large bowl mix together tomato sauce and salsa.
Spoon 1 cup tomato/salsa mixture into 13x9x2-inch pan.
Place four lasagna noodles (uncooked) in pan
(there should be extra room in the pan);
spoon an additional 1 cup sauce over noodles.
Place or arrange cooked bacon in the pan.
Spoon half of ground beef mixture evenly over top,
sprinkle with 1/3 of mozzarella cheese.
Whisk together ricotta and horseradish;
spread half of the ricotta, egg and mozzarella;
top with 1 cup of sauce and 4 lasagna noodles.
Repeat, ending with four noodles,
remaining 1 cup sauce and 1/3 of mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350 F for 45-55 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Serve on top of shredded lettuce
with 1 tablespoon Horseradish Cream Sauce.

Home Canned Fresh Salsa

2012-01-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up I would help
my Mother in the kitchen make this.
We had a big fresh green garden and
would 'put up' as she called it
many fresh vegetables for winter use.
This salsa is made with fresh tomatoes
and other ingredients and is the best.

Ingrdients:
8 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 1/2 cups onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups green peppers
1 cup jalapeno pepper, chopped
6 garlic cloves,peeled and minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/8 cup salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a soup pot.
Bring to a slow boil for 10 minute.
Seal in clean canning jars and cook
in hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Snicker's Cookies

2012-01-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

I use refrigerator sugar cookie dough
to wrap up pieces of Snicker's bars
to make a candy centered sugar cookie.
Easy to make and these taste great.

Ingredients:
1/2 tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
24 miniature Snickers candy bars
Red and green colored sugar

Directions:
In a small bowl, beat cookie dough
and flour until combined.
Shape 1-1/2 teaspoonfuls of dough
around each candy bar.
Dip in colored sugar.
Place 2 in. apart on parchment
paper lined baking sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees F.
for 10-12 minutes or until
edges are golden brown.
Remove to wire racks to cool.

Food Mill Mashed Potatoes

2012-01-08T12:02:00.000-08:00

This makes for really good tasting
and the creamiest, fluffy potatoes.
I like to use both Yukon Gold and
Russet potatoes for mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes
2 Yukon Gold potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Fill a large pot halfway with cold water.
Peel potatoes and cut into 2" pieces,
adding to pot as they are cut.
Add cold water to cover by 1" if needed.
Stir in salt and bring to a boil,
then reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender.
Drain potatoes and transfer to a baking sheet.
Let dry, 5–10 minutes.
Pass potatoes through a food mill
along with butter into a large bowl.
Stir in the milk and season to taste.

Mashed Carrots

2012-01-08T11:47:00.000-08:00

I add a russet potatoe to lighten
up the creamy mashed carrots.
This is one way to get your kids
to eat some good for you carrots.

1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
1 russet potato, peeled and sliced
water for boiling
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 pint Greek yogurt
black pepper to taste
cream or milk if desired

Directions:
Cook carrots and potato in boiling water
for about 30 minutes or until tender.
Drain and add in butter, salt and pepper.
Mix and when butter has melted add in yogurt.
Using an immersion blender chop up carrots.
I like to make these really creamy by adding
in some cream or milk to desired texture.

Crockpot Lasagna

2012-01-08T11:29:00.000-08:00

It's easy to layer lasagna noodles along with
other ingredients into the bottom of a 6 quart
slow cooker the day or night before an event.
Refrigerate over night and cook on low power
for about 4 or 5 hours until it gets piping hot.
This dish is great to make for parties.
And the crispy bacon is a pleasant surprise.

Ingredients:
12 lasagna noodles
12 slices cooked crispy bacon, chopped
2 cups red tomato sauce
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
dried oregano

Directions:
Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water.
Drain and let sit in cold water to cool.
Place beef in saute pan with onions and
green pepper to cook until browned.
Remve from heat, drain and let cool.
Place some pasta sauce on bottom of crock pot.
Layer in noodles, beef mixture, cheeses along
with bacon and more sauce as needed or desired.
Sprinkle top with dried oregano, cover with
plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Remove to room temperature before taking off
plastic wrap, cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Use a large spoon for ease of serving.

SnickerDoodle Cookies

2012-01-08T11:07:00.000-08:00

I always make these cookies this time of year.
They ship and freeze well and store for weeks.
Nice crispy outside with a soft inside.

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1-1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 large eggs
1/4 cup plain cream cheese
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1-3/4 teaspoons vanilla
1-2/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of cloves
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl combine dry ingredients.
Beat together butter, shortening, and cream cheese,
Add in eggs one at a time, vanilla and vinegar.
Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
Roll dough into walnut sized balls and then roll
in a cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Bake for 11-13 minutes, until golden.

Sliced Steak Salad

2012-01-07T15:01:00.000-08:00

When I have left over cooked steak,
I like to thinly slice it and serve
it along with some dressed salad greens.
I use olive oil and red wine vinegar
which makes for a clean tasting and a
not so heavy dressing without mayonaise.

Ingredients:
(Amounts depend on salad size)
left over cooked steak
table salt to taste
Wershtershire sauce to taste
Iceberg lettuce
grape tomatoes
pitted black olives
peeled red onion
ground black pepper
Gorgonzola cheese
extra virgin olive oil
Progresso red wine vinegar
fresh lemon zest

Directions:
Slice cooked steak paper thin and
spinkle with table salt to taste.
Cut lettuce into serving pieces.
Cut grape tomatoes in half.
Cut black olives in half lengthwise.
Chop up some red onion to a dice.
Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl
and season with back pepper to taste.
Add in some crumbled Gorgonzola cheese.
Dress with olive oil and red wine vinegar.
Garnish with freshly grated lemon zest.
Enjoy with a glass of wine your choosing.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

2012-01-07T14:35:00.000-08:00

You can add in some potatoes if you desire,
I made this a simple beef and cabbage meal.
Use a big stock pot for ease of adding in
the cabbage to cook down as it gets tender.
Cook at a simmer and do not allow this
to boil as it will make the beef tough.

Ingredients:
1 packeged corned beef
water to cover beef
1 teaspoon pickling spices
1 head fresh cabbage

Directions:
Place corned beef in pot with any juices
that are with it in the plastic package.
Cover beef with 4" cold water.
Add in some pickling spices, do not cover.
Bring to a boil on high heat then lower
heat to a gentle simmer and cook for
about 3 hours until the beef if fork tender.
Remove beef from pot and strain out spices,
Core and cut up cabbage in serving pieces
and place the cabbage in pot with the water.
Place corned beef on top of cabbage.
Add in more water if needed to cover beef.
Cook at a simmer until cabbage is tender,
about 30 minutes should be enough.

Mini Meatballs

2012-01-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

These are about the size of walnuts
and are bursting with beef flavor.
I add these to pasta shells or
toss them in a lasagna or on pizza.
They also make great meatball subs.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
salt to taste
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup beef broth or stock
1 tablespoon Accent Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
canola oil for deep frying

Directions:
Using a food processor pulse oatmeal
making a fine dust like powder.
Place oatmeal powder in a mixing bowl
and combine in Accent Seasoning, beef
broth and freshly ground black pepper.
Add in ground beef and mix to combine
to make a meatball forming mixture.
In a seperate mixing bowl combine flour
with the cornmeal and salt to taste.
Using a melon baller or your clean hands
form beef mixture into walnut sized meatballs.
Place meatballs in the bowl of the seasoned flour
turning to coat with the flour all over them.
Drop the meatballs into a deep fryer to just brown.
Then finish cooking them in the oven.

Great Taste Buffalo Wings

2012-01-04T13:56:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite recipes.
I'm not saying these are better tasting than
deep fried because deep fried food rules but
these spicy hot broiled chicken wings are
better for your health than deep fried.
And these really are crispy and good tasting.

Ingredients:
12 chicken wings (about 2 pounds)
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons bottled hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
Black pepper to taste
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup Real mayonnaise
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Celery sticks

Directions:
Preheat oven broiler to high heat.
Wash and pat dry chicken wings.
Cut wings at joints to form 24 pieces.
Place chicken pieces in a non-reactive bowl,
dust in corn starch and mix to coat wings.
In another mixing bowl stir together melted butter,
hot pepper sauce, paprika and Old Bay Seasoning.
Pour mixture over chicken wings, mixing to coat.
Cover chicken with plastic wrap and refrigerate
for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Remove chicken from marinade and place
the wings on a foil lined baking pan.
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
Brush with some of the marinating sauce.
Broil chicken 4 to 5 inches from the heat
for about 10 minutes or until light brown.
Turn the chicken pieces over and
brush again with the marinating sauce.
Broil for 10 to 15 minutes more or until
the chicken is tender and cooked through.
In a food processor combine sour cream, yogurt,
mayonnaise, blue cheese, garlic, and vinegar.
Cover and process until smooth.
Serve wings with celery sticks and blue cheese dip.

Quinoa and Flax Tater Tots

2012-01-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

Homemade Tater Tots made with Quinoa flakes
and Flax meal are a healthy tasty treat.

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa flakes
1/4 cup golden flax meal
nonstick cooking spray
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
4 russet potatoes, peeled
1 Tbsp. kosher or sea salt, plus more
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine quinoa flakes and flax meal in a bowl; set aside.
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Spray generously with nonstick spray.
Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally,
until soft, about 8 minutes.
Transfer onion to a bowl; set aside.
Wipe out and reserve skillet.
Finely grate potatoes to make 4 cups.
Place potatoes to a bowl, add egg and mix well.
Add reserved onion, cayenne, paprika, and garlic powder;
season lightly with salt and pepper.
Using your hands, form potato mixture into 1" balls.
Roll potato balls in quinoa flake mixture.
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Spray lightly with nonstick spray.
Working in batches, cook balls, turning,
until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side.
Transfer tots to a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Clam Chowder and Pasta Shells

2012-01-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

Open up a can of clam chowder,
add it to some cooked pasta,
some frozen green peas and
some fresh grape tomatoes.
This looks as good as it tastes.

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked pasta shells
1 (18 ounce) can clam chowder
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 strips bacon, cooked
8 grape tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried chives
dash of black pepper

Directions:
Place cooked pasta in a bowl,
mix in soup, peas, bacon, and tomatoes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Season with dried chives if desired.
Slowly heat in microwave or put in a
soup pot to slowly heat on stovetop.

Potato Puff Pastry

2012-01-04T06:43:00.000-08:00

Made along the same method as cream puff pastry
but you fry and not bake these potato puffs.
I add in some cooked mashed potatoes to make
a very light and crispy good taste treat.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole milk
dash of salt
dash of black pepper
2 large eggs
1 cup cooked mashed potatoes
canola oil for frying
sour cream for dipping

Directions:
Heat a small pot on medium high heat,
melt the butter and add in the flour.
Add salt, pepper and stir with a wooden
spoon to combine and make a smooth roux.
Add in one egg at a time, stirring well.
Add in mashed potatoes, stir to combine.
Drop by teaspoonfuls into 360 degree oil,
fry until crispy brown, about two minutes.
Remove to drain on wire rack or towels.
Serve warm with sour cream on the side.

Archway Cookie Ice Box Cake

2012-01-02T14:48:00.000-08:00

I make this cake using the raspberry filled cookies.
Any flavor that you like will be just as yummy.
You make this one day ahead and refrigerate it.
This is easy to make and always a hit at parties.

Ingedients:
2 packages Archway cookies
1 pint whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
fresh mint

Directions:
Take the 24 filled Archway cookies and
place them on a baking sheet to broil,
or under a toaster oven just to brown.
Remove cookies to cool to rome temperature.
In a cold glass bowl whip cream.
Place a layer of cookies on a serving dish.
Cover with a layer of whipped cream and
then layer with cookies and cream ubtil done.
Top with a sprinkle of baking cocoa powder.
Serve cold with a sprig of fresh mint.

Salmon Salad Stuffed Tomatoes

2012-01-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows salmon is good for you,
I stuff some fresh tomatoes with this
tasty salmon salad with lima beans.
No mayonaise in this healthy recipe.
It's a different and good side dish.

Ingredients:
1 cup canned salmon, flaked
1/2 cup canned lima beans, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 kalamata olives, pitted and diced
1 teaspoon peeled, minced red onion
1/2 teaspoon dried chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried chopped chives
ground black pepper to taste
4 red ripe tomatoes
4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine salmon,
lima beans, olive oil, lemon juice,
olives, onion, parsley, pepper and chives.
Preheat oven on high broil setting.
Cut off the top of tomatoes and scoop out
pulp and seeds from inside making a bowl.
Add scooped out tomato to salmon mixture
in bowl and mix well to combine.
Fill tomato bowls with salmon mixture,
place filled tomatoes in a baking dish
and top with grated parmesan cheese.
Broil to just brown the cheese a bit.
You can now serve them but I like to
nuke them in the microwave a minute or two.

BLT with HorseRadish Cream

2012-01-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

I made a very gourmet style BLT sandwich
by peeling some grape tomatoes and soaking
them in a creamy sauce made with prepared
horseradish. Which adds a tasty little zing.
Sauteing the tomatoes in the rendered bacon fat
adds a complex flavor to the tomatoes which
you can't get in simply placing a few
slices of bacon into the sandwich.
And the prepared horeradish takes this
BLT sandwich over the top in flavor.

Ingredients:
20 whole grape tomatoes
6 slices of smoked bacon
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teasoon salt
1 tablespoon horseradish
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons mayonaise

Directions:
Cut bacon into 2" pieces and place
in a cold frying pan and heat to low to
saute until desired doneness turning often.
Remove bacon from pan and add in the
whole grape tomatoes, raise heat and
cook them until they are heated through.
Remove tomatoes and place them in a bowl
of ice cold water to help in removing skins.
Peel skins off using your fingers.
In a seperate bowl combine horseradish,
milk, mayonaise, salt and garlic powder.
Pour over peeled tomatoes, cover and
let rest while making the BLT sandwich.
Toast bread and place the tomatoes with
some of the creamy sauce on one slice.
Then some iceberg lettuce and some bacon.
Spread some of the horseradish sauce on
bread, top sandwich and cut in half.

Best Tasting Roast Beef

2011-12-30T14:41:00.000-08:00

It's all in the cooking method to make
the juiciest and best tasting roast beef.
This is how I do it at my restaraunt and
the roast will maintain at serving temperature
for a good five hours when cooked this way.
A good recipe to do around this time of year.

Ingredients:
1 Cut of beef to make a roast
12 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
All purpose flour
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Let beef come to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Place the roast in a roasting pan.
Along with the peeled cloves of garlic.
Sprinkle beef with flour, salt and pepper.
Now spread prepared horseradish
over the top of the roast beef.
Put the beef in the preheated oven
and roast about 5 minutes per pound.
When cooking time is finished,
turn off the oven.
DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR!
Allow the roast to remain in the oven
to finish cooking for about two hours.
The roast will have a tasty and crunchy
brown outside and an internal temperature
suitable for serving for as long as 4 hours
after removing it from the oven.

.

Gourmet Waldorf Salad

2011-12-29T14:25:00.000-08:00

Most recipes for Waldorf Salads taste good enough.
But I find them lacking that little extra somthing.
In this recipe I kick up the flavors a bit.
Adding some crispy bacon, lemon and horseradish!
This is one of my best recipes you must try.
From my kitchen to your taste buds...

Ingredients:
4 bacon stips, cooked and minced
1 half head Iceberg lettuce, choppped
1 red delicious apple, diced
1 green granny smith apple, diced
2 celery stalks, peeled and sliced
1/2 red onion, peeled and diced
12 green seedlees grapes, halved
1/2 cup walnuts, chooped
1 fresh lemon, zest and juice of
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of ground black pepper

Directions:
Place bacon between sheets of paper towels,
cook on high in the microwave until crispy.
Cut into serving pieces and place in a bowl.
Peel and core apples leaving some peel on.
Cut apples into serving size dice, place in bowl.
Peel celery stalks to remove the strings
thinly slice and place in bowl.
Peel and thinly slice red onion into bowl.
Cut grapes in half and you guessed it, into bowl.
Add in chopped walnuts, salt and peeper to taste.
In a seperate bowl combine Greek yogurt and mayonaise.
Add to bowl with the other ingredients and mix well.
Serve chilled inside a leaf of Iceberg lettuce.
Garnish with freash lemon zest and juice to taste.

I Luv NY Pizza I Love New York Pizza

2011-12-29T13:58:00.000-08:00

From the Dr. Oz show and website,
this makes one great tasting pizza.
I must admit though that I add some
canned anchovies when I make this.
Is it still a vegetarian pizza?

Ingredients:
1/2 lb whole wheat pizza dough
Canned crushed low salt tomatoes
1/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp parmigiano reggiano cheese
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
Fresh basil for garnish
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cornmeal for sprinkling
Flour for dusting
Olive oil for coating pan

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.
On a lightly floured surface,
roll the dough into a 12-inch circle,
keeping the edges thicker to form a rim.
Place the dough on a lightly oiled
baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes,
just until starting to lightly brown.
Remove crust from oven and flip over.
Spoon crushed tomatoes evenly over crust
and season with salt and pepper.
Add your desired vegetables, including
peppers, onion, spinach and mushrooms.
Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Bake until cheese is melted and vegetables
are tender to crisp, about 10-15 minutes.
Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

Deviled Eggs Stuffed Hard Boiled Eggs

2011-12-29T05:24:00.000-08:00

12 eggs
3/4 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Ground black pepper to taste
Fresh parsley leaves
Paprika for garnish

Directions:
Place the eggs in enough cold water to
cover in a large saucepan with a lid.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Immediately remove from heat, cover,
and leave for 10 minutes.
Drain off the hot water,
and run the eggs under cold water until cool.
Tap the eggs gently in several places
to crack and then peel.
Slice the eggs in halve lengthwise.
Carefully remove the yolks from the whites,
and place the yolks in a bowl.
Add the salad dressing, mustard,
lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Then mix until well blended.
Refill the egg white halves with the yolk mixture,
using a spoon or small spatula.
Garnish with parsley leaves, paprika
and chill thoroughly before serving.

Roasted Fresh White Grapes

2011-12-28T14:24:00.000-08:00

Sweet and bursting with white wine flavor
these roasted grapes are a taste treat.
A good side dish and a great add in to
a bowl of ice cold vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:
100 fresh white grapes
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place grapes in a roasting pan,
add and stir in wine, sugar, salt and vanilla.
Bake for 1 hour until the grapes are warmed and
the sugar wine makes a tasty syrup on them.

Homemade Big Mac Burger

2011-12-28T14:13:00.000-08:00

Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce,
cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.
This is my recipe for making that burger at home.
The secret is in making that yummy special sauce.

Ingredients:
4 ounces 85/15 ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon prepared French salad dressing
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons sweet green pepper relish
1 hamburger bun
1 slice of white bread, crust removed
1 slice of an onion, chopped
1 slice iceberg lettuce, chopped
3 dill pickle slices
2 slices American cheese

Directions:
Place beef in a mixing bowl and
season with salt and black pepper.
Mix and form into two beef patties.
Heat a griddle to high heat and
cook beef patties until done.
In a mixing bowl combine yogurt
with French salad dressing
sugar, white vinegar and relish.
Assemble Big Mac by placing dressing
on buns and bread slice, along with burgers
pickles, onions, lettuce and cheese.

New Year's Stuffed Mushrooms

2011-12-27T14:04:00.000-08:00

Yummy cheese stuffed baked mushroom caps
are first on my list to make for a really
great tasting New Year's Eve appitizer.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound torn fresh spinach
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup water chestnuts, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, divided
24 large fresh mushroom caps

Directions:
In a saucepan, bring spinach and water to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and cook for 3 minutes.
Drain; squeeze dry and finely chop.
Or use some frozen chopped spinach squeezed dry.
In a mixing bowl, beat ricotta and butter until smooth.
Beat in egg. Stir in Parmesan cheese, water chestnuts,
3 tablespoons pecans and chopped spinach.
Remove stems from mushrooms.
Place caps on a baking sheet.
Stuff with spinach mixture;
sprinkle with remaining pecans.
Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F.
for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Roasted Grapes and Green Olives

2011-12-27T13:43:00.000-08:00

Imagine a grape that tastes like warm
white wine bursting open in your mouth.
With salty pimento stuffed green olives.
The salty olives have enough oil to
make this a gourmet treat all the way.

Ingredients:
40 fresh seedless white grapes
40 pimento stuffed green olives

Directions:
Drain liquid from green olives and
place the olives on a baking sheet
lined with paper towels to dry for at
least 4 hours or even better overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place grapes and olives in roasting pan.
Do not cover, bake for about 90 minutes.

Fresh Grape Pudding

2011-12-27T13:15:00.000-08:00

Using whole seedless white grapes,
an egg/milk mixture that soaks into
some stale cubed raisin bread.
This resembles a bread pudding topped
with a layer of grapes that to my surprise
didn't split open as I thought they would.
The baked grapes taste like warm white wine.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 cups stale babka, cubed
3 large eggs
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
40 seedless white grapes
2 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter the sides of a baking dish.
Place cut up bread in dish.
In a seperate bowl combine eggs
milk and vanilla, pour over bread.
Push bread cubes down to soak up milk.
Place a layer of grapes over bread.
Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
Cover and bake for about 90 minutes.
Let cool some before serving.

Walnut Penne Pasta

2011-12-27T11:33:00.001-08:00

I cooked plain penne pasta and tossed
in a few chopped walnuts right into
the salted boiling cooking water.
The pasta looked like it was wheat pasta.
This tastes good and would be a nice
blank canvas to add broccoli, asparagus or
any vegetable to make a good side dish.

Ingredients:
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound plain penne pasta
1/2 cup chopped fresh walnuts
2 cups red pasta sauce

Directions:
Cook pasta per package adding in
chopped walnuts as the pasta cooks.
Drain water and toss pasta with sauce.

Apple Buttermilk Pancakes Apple Butter Milk Flap Jacks

2011-12-25T14:14:00.000-08:00

I use boxed buttermilk pancake mix,
add in some fresh sliced apples
that are dusted in ground cinnamon,
with fresh cream to make fantastic
looking and tasting buttery pancakes.

Ingredients:
1 cup whipping cream
2 cups buttermilk pancake mix
2 red delicious apples
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
maple syrup to taste

Directions:
Preheat flat griddle to medium heat.
In a bowl combine cinnamon with sugar.
Peel, core and slice apples to about
1/8" thick and diced 1/2" in size.
Place diced apples in bowl with
melted butter, and cinnamon sugar mixture,
toss to coat apple slices all over.
In a seperate bowl combine pancake mix
and cream stirring to make a batter.
Add in some cold water if needed.
Add in the apples and get ready to
make the best tasting pancakes ever!
I like siver dollar size flap Jacks
because they is easier to flip but
what the heck,
make them what ever size you fancy.
Serve warm with maple syrup on top.

Baked Italian Chicken Fingers

2011-12-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

At first read this is a complicated recipe.
Not so if you get all the ingredients set out
in the kitchen before making these appetizers.
I serve these crispy chicken fingers with a few
different dipping sauces, some Hot buffalo sauces
and some Creamy Ranch sauces with gorgonzola.

Ingredients:
1 fresh chicken breast, cut in strips
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl mix up the breadcrumbs,
ground black pepper, cheese and oregano.
In a bowl combine the butter and horseradish.
Dip chicken strips in melted butter mixture and
then dredge them in the Italian breadcrumbs.
Dredge the chicken again in the horseradish butter
and again in the Italian flavored bred crumbs.
Place 1 inch apart on a baking sheet and bake
for about 1 hour or so until crispy and done.

Green Bell Pepper Meatloaf

2011-12-23T12:11:00.000-08:00

A moist good tasting meatloaf made with
green pepper, onion, oatmeal and beef broth.
Add in an egg, some herbs and spices to make
a good old family favorite comfort food that
slices really well for meatloaf sandwiches.

Ingredients:
1 green bell pepper
1 small onion
4 tablespoons oatmeal
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
4 slices white bread
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
1/2 cup beef broth or stock
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Dice green pepper and onion
and place in a large mixing bowl.
Add in egg, oatmeal, beef broth
and seasonings, mix well.
Cut up bread and using a food processor
pulse to make bread crumbs and add to bowl.
Add in the ground beef and pork
and mix well just to combine.
Place and form meat mixture in baking dish,
spread ketchup over top of meatloaf and
bake uncovered for a good 2 hours.

Red Lentils, Corn & Peas

2011-12-22T14:16:00.000-08:00

This dish is so healthy for you and very good.
The red lentils turn a pale orange color.
All you need is a pot of simmering water,
adding herbs and spices to create a tasty side dish.
I add in a few slices of bacon for a flavor boost.

Ingredients:
1 cup dried red lentils
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup diced red onion
4 cups cold water
2 slices of apple smoked bacon
herbs and spices to your taste
sour cream or Greek yogurt

Directions:
Place lentils, diced onion, frozen corn,
frozen peas and bacon slices in a sauce pot,
season with dried herbs and spices of your choice.
Cover lentils with cold water, bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer until lentils are soft.
Depending on which lentil, about one hour or so.
Remove cooked bacon slices, drain and serve warm
with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.

.

Rice and Ham Casserole

2011-12-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

With peas, carrots and cream of celery soup
this is easy to make and tastes really good.
The rice gets all creamy and also a little
crispy around the edges.(That's the best part).
The rice compliments the saltiness of the ham.
This is a colorful and flavorful ham casserole.
I used deli sliced ham and it came out great.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 cup frozen green peas
2 cups milk
1/4 cup water
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup cooked ham, diced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Pour oil in a small roasting pan,
coat bottom with oil and heat on
top of stove just until hot, add rice.
Stir to coat rice, remove from heat.
Stir in carrots and frozen peas.
In a mixing bowl combine cream soup
milk and water and pour over rice.
Add and stir in ham, cover and
bake for about 1 hour until done.

Garbanzo Bean Cookies Chick Pea Cookies

2011-12-19T14:25:00.000-08:00

I made these using canned Chick Peas,
drained and pureed along with spices.
These make hearty cookies with oats and
a good amount of chocolate chips.
They are not a soft cookie but not
so hard as you have to dunk them.

Ingredients:
1 (15oz.) can chickpeas drained, rinsed
1 cup light or dark brown sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large brown egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup regular oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the
sugar and butter on medium speed until smooth.
Beat in the egg whites and vanilla,
then the chickpeas and chocolate chips.
Add the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt
and mix on low speed until a thick dough forms.
Add in lemon zest into the cookie dough.
Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheet,
spacing cookies about 1 inch apart.
Flatten slightly with a fork dipped in sugar.
Bake for about 12 minutes, do not overbake.
Remove cookies on parchment paper from baking sheet
to cool and then place in a sealed container.

Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies

2011-12-19T09:54:00.000-08:00

Easy to make using store bought pie crust.
They taste good along with a cup of tea.

Ingredients:
1 (9") prepared pie crust
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt to taste

Directions:
Let pie crust come to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Roll out pie crust, sprinkle
with cinnamon, sugar and salt.
Roll into a log from one side to other.
Slice cookies 1/4" thick and the
place them on a baking sheet to bake
for about 10 minutes or so until browned.
They burn easy so watch how long they bake.
Remove to store in a sealable plastic bag.

Hot Shrimp Chip Dip

2011-12-16T14:25:00.000-08:00

This is the best flavored dip to serve warm.
Put out some lime flavored tortilla chips and
watch this warm shrimp dip quickly disappear.
A big hit at every New Years Eve Party !

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup dried parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dried flavored bread crumbs
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 ounces real sour cream
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
2 cups shrimp, chopped
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large fry pan melt butter and add
in red pepper and onions to soften up,
but not to brown or burn the butter.
Stir in sour cream, mayonnaise and cheeses.
Stir in chopped shrimp, Old Bay and horseradish.
Bake uncovered in a casserole for 30 minutes.
That's it, serve warm...

Fresh Kale Crisps with Gorgonzola Cheese

2011-12-14T14:56:00.000-08:00

I just drooled on my keyboard yet again.
If I could moonwalk this recipe is what for.
Fresh Kale baked in the oven gets crispy.
Adding Gorgonzola cheese is a stroke of genius.
The cheese melts clinging to the kale chips.
I added some roasted garlic for the trifecta.
Sprinkled with the juice of one lemon and salt.
More drooling is happening here.

Ingredients:
2 bunches fresh kale
(one is not enough)
1 cup shredded gorgonzola cheese
6 cloves of roasted garlic
juice of one fresh lemon
salt to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place cleaned and destemed kale
on the baking sheet along with the
cloves of garlic and gorgonzola cheese.
Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Season with lemon juice and salt.

Fresh Popcorn Cereal

2011-12-14T14:38:00.000-08:00

This tastes like puffed corn cereal
but is much better tasting and fresher.
Remember, no salt or butter in this.

Ingredients:
2 cups popped corn kernals
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 cup or more of milk

Directions:
Pop corn making sure it's all natural
with no salt or flavorings in it.
Place popped corn in a cereal bowl.
Let it cool to room temperature.
Sprinkle with sugar to taste.
Pour on the milk and enjoy.

Sauteed Sweet Potato Slices

2011-12-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

I bake the sweet potatoes first and let
them cool before slicing one inch thick.
Place them in a hot skillet to brown some.
They have plenty of sugar in them which
makes them easy to carmalize as they fry up.
This makes for a good side dish with chicken.

Ingredients:
2 fresh sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Bake whole sweet potatoes in oven
or in the micrwave oven if desired.
When potatoes are cool enough to handle
cut into one inch thick slices.
Sautee or fry if you will in a
hot pan until browned on both sides.

Mushrooms Sauteed in Butter

2011-12-13T14:10:00.000-08:00

Fresh mushrooms with sliced onions, olive oil
and ground black pepper, a super side dish.
Nothing could be easier to make or tastier.
Somtimes I'll add garlic or fresh parsley.
Serve along with pork, chicken or beef.

Ingredients:
12 ounces sliced mushrooms, cleaned
1 cup sliced onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
a sprinkle of black pepper
add salt to your taste

Directions:
Preheat a large saute pan on medium heat.
Add in oil and butter, when hot add in
the sliced mushrooms and onions.
Saute turning frequently until carmalized.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garlic Pork Roast

2011-12-13T11:15:00.000-08:00

Marinated in a spicy garlic rub this
flavorful bone in pork roast is great.
Although you have to plan when making this,
it's easy to make and everybody likes it.
The fat on top gets crispy brown and it
actually tastes just like bacon.

Ingredients:
1 (5) pound bone in pork roast
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 tablespoon white sugar
12 cups water

Directions:
Wash the pork roast and place in
a resealable plastic bag.
In a mixing bowl combine seasonings
along with any herbs you desire.
Pour rub all over pork in bag,
seal bag and place in a bowl.
Refrigerate for up to two days.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Remove pork from plastic bag and rinse
almost all of the dry rub off of it.
Place pork fat side up on roasting rack in pan.
Sprinkle sugar on top of the pork and
pour 6 cups water in bottom of roasting pan.
Bake uncovered for 10 minutes
then lower heat to 275 degrees F.
bake for 1 hour, add 6 cups water to pan and
bake for another hour, remove and let rest
15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Peanut Butter and Horseradish

2011-12-13T10:51:00.000-08:00

You read that right, horseradish.
Tastes great on toasted wheat bread.
Surprise your family making Ritz crackers
filled with peanut butter and horseradish.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Directions:
Mix together and use as a spread on
bread or your favorite crackers.

Bacon Dumplings

2011-12-11T14:34:00.000-08:00

One bite of of these tasty appetizers and
you'll wish you made more, a lot more.
Maple honey sweet with salt and pepper,
is roll your eyes and curl your toes good.
These are one of my football game day snacks.

Ingredients:
1 pound applewood smoked bacon
4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 cup (about) Bisquick baking mix
1/4 cup prepared horseradish

Directions:
Cook up the bacon as you desire by pan frying,
oven baking or even microwaving until crispy.
Drain bacon and pulse in a food processor
into tiny bits of salty bacon goodness.
Preheat oil in deep fryer to 360 Degrees F.
Combine bacon bits with maple syrup, honey,
brown sugar and black pepper in a mixing bowl.
Add in the Bisquick baking mix just to combine.
Deep fry until crispy brown and then serve.
I like to serve these with prepared horseradish.

Grilled Flat Iron Steaks

2011-12-10T10:04:00.000-08:00

Marinated in red wine, rosemary and garlic.
And then grilled to perfection, black on
the outside and rare on the inside.
This recipe serves two people.

Ingredients:
2 flat iron steaks
1/2 cup red wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions:
Combine red wine, olive oil, garlic,
rosemary, black pepper and mustard
in a plastic resealable bag.
Add the steaks and marinate in
the refrigerator overnight.
Remove steaks from marinade
and bring to room temperature.
Light grill to high high heat.
Grill steaks 4 minutes per side.

Deep Fried Carrot Sticks

2011-12-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

Julienned and dusted with ground cayenne pepper
then deep fried to be crispy sweet and hot.
Adding a drizzle of balsamic vinegar makes
these carrot sticks something magical tasting.
I like to dip these in bleu cheese dressing.

Ingredients:
6 fresh carrots, peeled
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red cayenne pepper
oil for deep frying
balsamic vinegar to taste
salt to taste
bleu cheese dressing if desired

Directions:
Preheat deep fry oil to 375 degrees F.
Cut carrots into match stick size.
Place carrots in a bowl with flour, and peppers.
Mix to coat carrots with flour on all sides.
Deep fry carrots in batches until crispy brown
about 5 minutes and remove carrots to drain.
Salt carrot sticks to taste.

Garlic and Frozen Pea Soup

2011-12-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite soups.
The egg brings it together with
the saltiness of the parmesan cheese.
Creamy and garlicky and oh so good!

Ingredients:
2 cups cold water
1 head garlic, peeled and minced
Salt and ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons small soup pasta
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

Directions:
Bring cold water to a simmer over medium-high heat in a saucepan.
Add the garlic, olive oil and salt to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon).
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the green vegetables and pasta,
and simmer uncovered for another five to eight minutes until the
peas are tender and the pasta cooked al dente. Taste and adjust salt.
Beat the egg in a mixing bowl, and add a little freshly ground pepper.
Remove a small ladleful of the soup. Ladle into a bowl.
Top with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and serve.
Drizzle with some additional extra virgin olive oil if desired.

Roasted Vegetables

2011-12-07T14:28:00.000-08:00

With the long and cold winter weather upon us.
Here is a simple recipe for roasted vegetables.
Use any veggies that you like to make a fine
medley of warm, good tastes from Mother earth.

Ingredients:
Mixed vegetables of your choice:
Onions, beets, carrots, parsnips, eggplant, fennel,
turnips, sweet potatoes, yams, white or red potatoes.
Celery, radishes, what ever you use is just fine to do.
I like to add in a lot of whole heads of garlic with this.
At least 3 tablesoons of olive oil or more to taste.
Chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage)
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Lightly oil a large shallow roasting pan.
Place veggies in the roasting pan and roast
until they're brown and tender, about one hour,

Orange & Vidalia Onion Salad

2011-12-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

This is a simple salad with complex flavors.
Dressed with balsamic vinegar and not much else.
I like to use this salad as a base for a grilled
fillet mignon steak or a butter fried pork chop.

Ingredients:
4 Clementine oranges (or blood oranges)
1 or 2 small sweet white onions, peeled
Balsamic vinegar to taste
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Some freshly ground black pepper
a sprinkling of salt if desired

Directions:
Cut the tops and bottoms off the oranges and
slice off the peels of the oranges.
Slice thinly, removing any remaning white pith.
Arrange orange slices on a serving plate.
Thinly slice onions and lay them on top of the oranges.
Pour enough balsamic vinegar and olive oil
on to the orange and onion salad as you desire.
Grind some fresh black pepper over top to taste.
And if you must, a sprinkling of salt.

Bacon Flavored Butter

2011-12-06T14:04:00.000-08:00

With sun dried tomatoes this flavored butter
tastes amazing on just about anything it touches.
I like to even fry up some eggs over easy using it
for a great tasting bacon and sunny side up eggs treat.
You can wrap this flavored butter in plastic wrap and
refrigerate it to make bacon butter sticks.
I just put it in a seal tight container.

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon sun dried tomatoes, minced
4 slices maple smoked bacon
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Lay bacon on foil and spinkle with sugar
and ground black pepper to taste.
Bake for about 10 minutes until crispy.
Cut up bacon and pulse in a food processor
into very fine bits of sugared bacon.
Combine bacon, minced sun dried tomato and
softened butter in a mixing bowl.
Place in a container, seal and refrigerate.

Light Waldorf Salad

2011-12-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make a lighter Waldorf salad
that didn't use any mayonaise in it.
I added some fresh grapes and avocado.
This is great to serve any time of year.

Ingredients:
1 Red Ida apple, diced
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
2 stalks fresh celery, sliced
12 green seedless grapes
12 red seedless grapes
1 fresh avocado, cubed
1 lemon
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
1 bunch Iceberg lettuce, torn
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Place apples, grapes, avocado and celery into a
bowl and toss with juice from half of the lemon.
In another bowl, whisk together yogurt, mustard,
honey and the juice from the other half of the lemon.
Serve the salad over the greens and drizzle
with the dressing, garnish with chopped walnuts.

Italian Pancetta Risotto

2011-12-06T10:20:00.000-08:00

This is so creamy and good tasting.
The pancetta lends a nice saltyness and
fresh herbal flavors to this risotto.
Making risotto is not difficult to make
it's just a little time consuming as the
chicken stock must reduce down three times,
as the rice cooks, absorbs and expands.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cubed pancetta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup aborio rice
6 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
chives for garnish
lemon zest for garnish

Directions:
Use a good size soup pot on high heat
to render the fat out of the pancetta.
Add in the olive oil and then the rice.
Stir to coat rice in oil and then add
in 2 cups of chicken broth. Let reduce
down and then add in another 2 cups
of chicken stock to reduce down again
and the add in the remaining 2 cups
chicken broth and let risotto cook
until to desired doneness.
Add in butter and plate with garnishes.

Crab Toast

2011-12-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

If you like Chinese shrimp toast
you'll love this this crab toast.
And I don't deep fry them to keep
the crab yummy and as good tasting
as possible along with tomato and
green onions on top of this appetizer.

Ingredients:
1 loaf of Italian bread
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can Jalapeno Peppers, drained, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced
1 Pound Fresh/Canned Crab Meat
3/4 Cup-Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Cup-Sour Cream
2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut the bread in half horizontally;
hollow out top and bottom.
Crumble removed bread and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt the butter
over medium heat and add half of the tomatoes.
Add the jalapenos, garlic and cook for about 4 minutes.
Remove from heat. In a large bowl, combine the crab,
ricotta and sour cream. Stir in the tomato mixture,
the reserved bread crumbs and 1 cup of the cheese.
Spoon into bread shells. Place on an ungreased
baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
Top with the remaining cheese and tomatoes.
Bake for 5-7 minutes longer until the cheese in melted.
Cut crab toasts into 1" or more serving size pieces.
Makes about 6 entree servings or 24 crab appetizers.

Scrambled Egg Bread Pudding

2011-12-04T14:01:00.000-08:00

With apples on the bottom and slices of wheat bread,
the eggs soak into the bread and also create tiny
bits of scrambled egg bits that cling to the apples.
Many bread pudding recipes allow the pudding to
fall when taken out of the oven, not this one.
You can add in some dried raisins if desired.
This is real easy to make and tastes wonderful.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons butter
4 cups sliced apples
4 slices wheat bread
cinnamon sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a casserole dish.
Peel and slice apples, place in dish.
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
In a mixing bowl beat eggs wth mil
then add in sugar and vanilla.
Cut bread into 1" pieces and place on apples.
Pour egg mixture over bread and let rest to
allow the bread to soak up some of the milk.
Press bread down into the egg mixture and
sprinkle more cinnamon sugar on top.
Cover and bake for about 1 hour,
remove cover and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Remove to cool 10 minutes before serving warm.

Homemade Ritz Crackers

2011-12-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

Today I wanted a peanut butter Ritz cracker.
Not a Ritz cracker found to be in the house.
So I came up with this recipe to make my own.
It's close to the boxed crackers but better.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut up
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2/3 cup cold water

Topping:
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Put uin a food processor the flour, baking powder,
sugar, and 1/2 tsp of salt and pulse to combine.
Add cold butter, pulse to combine.
Add vegetable oil. Pulse to combine.
Add water a bit at a time. Pulse,
until the dough begins to form a ball.
Roll dough out as thin as you can.
The thinner they are the more crisp
and cracker like they are.
Use cookie cutters to cut the dough out.
Bake until brown aqnd crispy about 12 minutes.
Season and drizzle butter and salt to taste.

Homemade Spiced Donuts

2011-12-03T05:44:00.000-08:00

These are the best donuts in the world.
Baked in a donut maker, not deep fried.
I bet you can't eat just one!

Ingredients:
For the Batter:
1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
pinch of allspice
pinch of cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar, divided
1 egg
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons milk
2 Tablespoons butter

For the Glaze:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda,
cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves,
salt and 1/4 cup brown sugar together.
Add the egg, applesauce, maple syrup milk, and butter.
Mix well and put the batter into a large Ziploc bag.
Cut off the tip of the bag.
Fill each donut maker cup 1/2 full with batter.
Close and bake until done, about 5 minutes.
Remove and cool donutes to glaze.
Make the glaze begin by melting the remaining
2 tablespoons of butter with 1/4 cup brown sugar
in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Bring the butter/sugar mixture to a boil and
allow it to boil about 2 minutes.
Do not let it burn; lower the heat if necessary.
Add 1 tablespoon milk allow to come to a boil again.
Add the powdered sugar. If the glaze is too thick
add an additional tablespoon of milk.
Turn the heat to low and begin dipping
the top halves of the donuts.

Baked Chicken Nuggets

2011-12-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

The best tasting chicken nuggets in the world.
There's no heavy breading on these nuggets.
These are marinated and baked, not deep fried.
This just might be the healthiest fresh chicken
nuggets recipe you'll find on the Internet.

Ingredients:
6 boneless chicken thighs
the zest of one fresh lemon
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
Vegetable cooking spray

Directions:
Place lemon zest, black pepper, paprika,
onion powder, garlic powder, and Old Bay
in a resealible plastic freezer bag.
Remove all skin and fat from chicken.
Cut chicken into nugget size pieces.
Place chicken in bag and shake, shake, shake.
Let chicken marinate in the spice muxture
overnight in the refrigerator.
Take chiken out to reach room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place chicken nuggets on a baking sheet,
spray top of chicken with cooking oil.
Place in oven and Bake for 45 minutes.
That's my recipe for the best dang tasting
baked not deep oil fried chicken nuggets.

Blueberry, Pineapple & Cheese Pie

2011-12-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

Creamy Ricotta cheese lines the bottom
and blueberry pie filling covers the cheese
to make a colorful looking and tasty treat.
Placing rings of pineapple in the center
and filling them with some cheese filling,
creates a volcano of creamy goodness.
A slice of this open faced blueberry pie
topped with a dollop of fresh whipped cream
is as delishious and as elegant as it gets.

Ingredients:
1 prepared 9" pie shell
1 cup dried blueberies
water
1 (15 ounce) can of blueberry pie filling
5 slices of canned pineapple rings
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
Bring pie crust to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place dried blueberries in a glass cup,
add water to cover and microwave 5 minutes.
Drain and add in a bowl with blueberry pie filling.
Place pie crust in center of a 9" pie plate.
Arrange pineapple slices one on top of the other
at the center of the pie crust.
In a mixing bowl combine ricotta cheese, egg and salt.
Carefully fill the center of the pineapple slices.
Then pou the rest of the cheese mixture on the bottom
of the crust around the pineapple slices.
Pour the blueberry pie fill all over the cheese and
around the pineapple slices.
Fold in the pie crust over the pie filling towards
the center of the pie. Sprinkle crust with
cinnamon sugar and bake for about one hour.
Until crust is browned and the filling set.

Ritz Crackers Cheese and Bacon

2011-11-30T15:14:00.000-08:00

Appetizing and good tasting finger food to the max!
These are so simple to make and very good tasting.
Make a lot of these, at least six per person
to gobble up at your office or Christmas party.

Ingredients:
For each horderves:
1 Ritz cracker
1/2 teaspoon Greyere cheese
dash of prepared horseradish
1/4 slice smoked bacon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
Place some horseradish and greyere cheese
on each Ritz cracker,
season with Old Bay Seasoning to taste.
and wrap cracker with the slice of the bacon.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for about
2 hours or so until the bacon is crispy.

Boiled Bacon and Cabbage

2011-11-30T13:59:00.001-08:00

This is an old time Irish dish, and a good one.
If you follow my recipe blog you know that
I like to find new ways to prepare old foods.
Try this recipe for an old taste of Ireland.
What could be better than bacon and cabbage?

Ingredients:
1 pound smoked bacon
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 turnip, peeled and sliced
1 leek, cleaned and sliced
2 bay leaves
flat leaf parsley

Directions:
Place the bacon in a soup pot and cover with cold water.
Soak overnight to remove some of the saltiness.
Remove bacon from pot and put in a pan with
onion, turnip, carrots, leek and bayleafs,
then cover vegetebales with cold water.
Bring it slowly to a boil and then lower heat
and simmer it for about 6 hours.
Cut the meat up in chunks with the vegetables on a platter.
Garnish with chopped parsley and ladled over some of the broth.
Remove bay leaves before serving.

Lexington BBQ Sauce

2011-11-29T15:07:00.000-08:00

This Lexington red BBQ sauce I make is the best
dang tasting sauce I've ever tasted and goes well
with making a smoked beef brisket sandwich.
Slathered on a toasted or grilled bun with cheese
I can't imagine a better beef brisket sandwich.
I buy Boar's Head deli beef brisket for this.
With smoked or plain brisket this sauce is amazing.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1/4 cup fresh apple juice
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Cover and refrigerate for about two days.
Use as a sauce on any beef brisket sandwich.
Yum...!

Deep Fried Sticks of Butter

2011-11-29T15:03:00.000-08:00

Stop laughing, these deep fried butter slices
go along side a grilled rib eye steak, pork chop,
chicken wings or anything protein for that matter,
even vegetables, butter makes everything taste better.

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup flour
canola oil for deep frying

Directions:
Place a stick of butter in freezer overnight.
Preheat oil for deep frying to 360 degrees F.
Place flour on a plate or bowl and dip in butter
to coat on all sides, coating ends as well.
Place floured stick of butter in oil and watch
carefully until the coating is just browned.
Remove deep fried stick of butter from hot oil,
wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer for an
hour or two and then slice in 1/2 inch pieces.
Use your imagination as a gourmet of a garnish.

Fresh Pasta for Four People

2011-11-29T14:40:00.000-08:00

My recipe for making fresh pasta is so easy
you might never want to buy dry pasta again.
Although I must admit when I make fresh pasta
I get fresh flour all over my kitchen space.
Though a nice thing to do on a cold winter day.

Ingredients:
4 large eggs
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups and more flour

Directions:
Place eggs, salt, black pepper and olive oil
in a food processor, pulse until blended.
Add in flour one cup at a time,
pulsing until flour forms a ball and is
no longer sticky, add more flour as needed.
Romove pasta dough from food processor and
using a pasta machine or rolling out by hand,
to desired thickness adding flour as needed
to keep the pasta from sticking together.
Cut into desired pasta shapes. spaghetti,
linguini, for making lasagna, ravioli ect.
Let air dry and keep in air tight container.
Ths freezes well in plastic freezer bags.

Microwave Stuffed Mushrooms

2011-11-29T05:16:00.000-08:00

I like stuffed mushrooms and have
made these using a microwave oven.
Good enough to serve at parties.

Ingredients:
1 pound large stuffing mushrooms,
cleaned and stems removed
4 ounces bulk italian sausage, cooked
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella-
cheese plus two tablespoons
2 green onions, chopped

Directions:
Chop mushroom stems.
In microwaveable pie plate using a fork,
combine mushroom stems, sausage,
Italian seasoning, garlic, Parmesan cheese,
1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese and green onions.
Cover with paper towel.
Microwave on HIGH (100% power) for 1 minute.
Arrange mushroom caps on paper towel
lined microwaveable pie plate.
Spoon about 1 tablespoon sausage
mixture into each cap.
Sprinkle the remaining Mozzarella
over the stuffed mushrooms.
Microwave on HIGH (100% power) uncovered,
until cheese melts, about 30 seconds.

Macadamia Nut Cookies

2011-11-27T14:53:00.000-08:00

Better than Pepperidge Farms cookies!
The secret is in the roasting of the nuts.
Creamy toasted goodness in every bite.
Could well be the best cookies on Earth.
Althouth I'm thinking about kicking these
up a notch by adding in some Nutella.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread nuts in one layer on a baking sheet.
Put baking sheet in oven for 10-15 minutes.
Reduce heat to 250 degrees F.
Let nuts brown turning them occasionally.
Nuts are done when golden brown in color.
For about 35-45 minutes at the reduced heat.
Remove from oven and let cool.
In a mixing bowl combine dry ingredients,
except the roasted macadamia nuts.
In a mixing bowl blend together the butter,
vegetable shortening and eggs until smooth.
Combine with dry ingredients, mixing well.
Add roasated and cooled nuts.
Drop by teaspoonfull 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10- 12 minutes. Yummy!

Black Bean Cookies

2011-11-27T12:46:00.000-08:00

I put plenty of fiber in these great
tasting chewy black bean cookies.
There made with butter and sugar and
people like them and never can guess
that I put a can of beans in them.

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 can black beans, drained
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter
and white sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg, then stir in the vanilla.
Place the black beans in a food processor
and pulse until chopped fine, add to the bowl.
Combine the flour and salt;
stir into the sugar mixture.
Cover dough, and chill for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Press dough out onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven,
or until lightly golden at the edges.
Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Open Faced Turkey Pot Pie

2011-11-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

This is a home run of a recipe that uses
just one store bought 9" pie crust which
is folded over the turkey filling of the pie
leaving a circle of filling in the center.
I like to leave the vegetables a little on
the crunchy side, you can cook them using the
microwave more before adding into the filling.
The Old Bay Seasoning tastes great on the crust.

Ingredients:
1 premade 9" pie crust
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
2 cups cooked turkey, diced
1 3/4 cups turkey gravy
flour as a thickener if needed
black pepper to taste
Old Bay Seasoning

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove pie crust to room temperature.
Place carrots in a glass bowl with a
few tablespoons of water, place in
microwave and cook for 3 minutes,
add onions and celery to carrots and
cook another three minutes. Remove
and gravy mixing well to combine.
Season with black pepper to taste and
add some flour if needed for thickening.
Place pie crust in a 9"pie plate and cover
the entire bottom with the turkey meat.
Place vegetable mixture over the turkey.
Fold the pie crust into the center of the
pie leaving a circle of filling in the center.
Sprinkle Old Bay Seasoning on pie crust.
Bake for 1 hour or until crust is browned
and the filling is piping hot.

Time for a Turkey Pot Pie

2011-11-26T14:27:00.000-08:00

Two days after Turkey day with tasty
leftovers in the refrigerator to use up.
Time to make a comforting turkey pot pie.
This is a recipe I came up with using
the usual leftover ingredients with one
added crispy surprise, potato chips.
Cooking up some fresh carrots, celery,
onions and using up some left over
turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes.
Better than Grandma used to make!

Ingredients:
1 store bought pie crust
(which I always have in the refrigerator)
2 cups left over cooked turkey meat
2 cups left over mashed potatoes
1 fresh carrot, peeled and sliced
1 fresh celery stalk, sliced
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup left over turkey gravy
24 crispy potato chips
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine turkey,mashed potatoes and
gravy in a large mixing bowl.
Place carrots, celery and
onion in a glass dish.
Microwave on high for 6 minutes.
Add vegetables to turkey mixture.
Place turkey mixture in a casserole dish.
Arrange 12 potato chips over top of this.
Place left over mashed potatoes on top
and then arrange potato chips on top.
Cover with pie crust and bake for about
45 minutes or until crust is brown and
the turkey pot pie is turkey gobble good.
Cool a bit before serving.

Pasta & Broccoli in a Mushroom Sauce

2011-11-26T13:39:00.000-08:00

This only has four ingredients if you
put water on the ingredient list.
I make this using one soup pot,
dry pasta shells with frozen broccoli.
The mushroom sauce is made using a
can of cream of mushroom soup.
Easy to make and good tasting.

Ingredients:
6 cups cold water
1/2 pound pasta medium shells
1/2 package frozen broccoli
1 can of cream of mushroom soup

Directions:
Place water in a soup pot,
do not add any salt to the pasta water.
Bring to a boil and add in pasta.
When boiling again lower heat and
cook for about 12 minutes.
Remove pasta from water, set aside.
Raise heat to high, add in broccoli.
Cook for about ten minutes until tender.
Remove broccoli, set aside with pasta.
Drain all but 1 cup of pasta water and
and cream of soup to water, stir to combine.
Place pot back on burner, stir in pasta
along with broccoli to combine well.
Turn of heat, let sit 4 minutes before serving.