Mac'n Cheese

This recipe is a modified version from Paula Dean.

Ingredients

2 boxes macaroni shells (12 oz boxes)

4-5 strips of bacon, cut in small bits

1 cube butter

3 1/2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

1 1/2 cups gruyere cheese, grated

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cup sour cream

2 cans condensed Cheddar cheese soup

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Boil the macaroni according to package directions but only for about 7 minutes. Rinse in cold water, drain and set aside. Cook bacon bits in a small pan until bacon is browned. Pour bacon and the bacon grease into the crock pot.

In a medium saucepan on medium low heat, melt butter. Add cheese and stir until cheese melts. In the crock pot, combine cheese/butter mixture with the bacon, add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir until well combined. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Your mixture may be a little clumpy with cheese, but the clumps of cheese will melt as it cooks. Set the crock pot on low and cook for approximately 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Low Fat Hummus

Ingredients

One 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (buy the more expensive brand as it will contain less husks)

1/2 cup plain nonfat or lowfat yogurt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

This is where you add your own seasoning or not. I like just plain old garlic flavor in which case you don't need to add any additional seasonings.

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin & 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice or;
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning or;
• Greek seasoning or;
• Italian seasoning or;
• Etc.

Directions

In a food processor or blender, puree all the ingredients. If texture isn't quite hummus like, add a tablespoon at a time more yogurt until you get the right consistency. Serve with corn chips or pita bread.

Chicken Paprika

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless whole  chicken breasts

1/4 cup Paprika

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion, chopped

3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 or 2 cans chicken broth

16-ounce sour cream

1/4 flour

Pepper

Cooked noodles

Directions

Dredge chicken breasts in paprika until completely covered (use tongs as paprika will stain your hands.) Brown chicken breasts in butter until chicken is very browned; about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken breasts and set aside. In the same pan, cook the onion and garlic until the onion is just translucent (you may want to add a bit more butter if pan is too dry.) Add the chicken broth to the pan and scrape to loosen brown bits. Add the chicken breasts, cover and simmer until chicken is completely cooked; about 10 minutes.

Once chicken is cooked, remove breasts from pan and set aside - keep warm. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, flour, and pepper. This is where you can add more broth to the pan if you feel there isn't enough for a good amount of gravy. Wisk the sour cream mixture into the  pan and cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

Serve the chicken breast over pasta with liberal amounts of gravy.

Almond Joy Pie

Makes one 8 or 9 inch pie.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients

1 Oreo cookie crust (I buy mine from the store instead of making my own.)

3 eggs

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup almonds

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together until smooth the eggs, flour, sugar, melted butter, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in shredded coconut. Pour mixture into pie shell. Lightly press the almonds into the top of the pie so there is a pretty almost asterisk type design. Bake 1 hour or until center is set.

Topping

4 squares semi-sweet chocolate baking squares

4 tablespoons half-and-half

In a small saucepan on medium heat, bring half-and-half to almost boiling. Add the chocolate squares and stir until completely melted. Spread topping on the pie after pie has cooled about 45 minutes.

This is a modified recipe from an unknown source (meaning, I have had it so long I don't remember where I got it.) 

Cinnamon Roll Dough - Bread Machine

Ingredients

6 tablespoons milk - heated approximately 1 minute in microwave

6 tablespoons water (110°)

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 egg, room temperature

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3 Tablespoons dough relaxer (optional) - Vital Wheat Gluten

3 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Directions

Add all ingredients according to your bread machine instructions. Set machine to dough. Check dough occasionally. If dough to moist add a bit of flour. If dough is looking to dry add warm water at about a tablespoon at a time.

When bread machine has completed the dough cycle, remove the dough from the pan to a lightly oiled surface. Knead the dough several times and form the dough into an oval; cover with a clean towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll and stretch the dough into approximately a 9x8 inch rectangle.

Fill dough with desired filling recipe. Roll and cut into 1 1/2 inch sections and place in a greased 9x13x2 inch baking dish. At this point the rolls can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight  and can be baked right out of the refrigerator (rolls can be frozen for up to one month, but must be completely  thawed and allowed to rise in a warm place before baking - usually 10 - 12 hours.)

Preheat oven to 350°. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake for 25 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Spread with frosting if desired.

White Chili

I call this white chili because it contains ground turkey (99% fat free) and white kidney beans (cannellini beans). I have been told is it is a little spicy, but I can’t tell. Also, if you don’t know me very well, I love to use beer and wine in my cooking. This recipe includes beer. You can make it without beer, but the flavor may differ. Perhaps use a non-alcoholic beer instead?

Ingredients

2 pounds ground turkey, browned with a bit of pepper and powdered garlic

1 medium to small onion, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, chopped

½ green pepper

½ yellow pepper

½ orange or red pepper

2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes

1.5 15 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 15 oz. cans white kidney beans (a.k.a. cannellini beans) drained

½ cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce

1 bottle beer (I like to use an amber or ale beer)

1 teaspoon crushed red peppers

½ tablespoon ground pepper

1 tablespoon cumin

½ tablespoon paprika

½ tablespoon oregano

½ tablespoon chili powder

Directions

In a large pan sprayed with cooking spray, brown the ground turkey add about 1 tablespoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Meanwhile, in a large pot sauté the onion and bell pepper in 1 teaspoon of olive oil until onion is almost translucent. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for one minute more. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, drained kidney beans, hot sauce and beer. Add all of the spices and stir. Cook on low heat for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. This is a thick chili so you will not look like a soup.

You can also do this in a crock pot. Brown the turkey as stated above. Saute the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Add all of the ingredients into the crock pot and stir. Cook on low heat for approximately 3.5 to 4 hours.

Chicken Avocado Salad Sandwich

The only bad fat in this sandwich is the 6g found in the chicken. Use a low fat bread and you have a fairly good for you sandwich.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon yellow onion

1 tablespoon green zucchini

1 tablespoon carrot

1 cup cooked chicken thigh meat

Fresh spinach leaves

1 half avocado

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic

1 teaspoon fat free mayonnaise

Directions

Finely chop the onion, zucchini, carrot and chicken. Place in a bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the avocado, lime juice, pepper, garlic and mayonnaise and mash together (I use a food processor for this process.) Mix the avocado mixture together with the chicken mixture and place on bread. Add spinach leaves and serve.

Breakfast Cookies

I made these low fat high fiber cookies to eat during my gallbladder attacks. They are scrumptious. 

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 cup non-fat yogurt

¾ cup applesauce

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup unbleached flour

½ cup rye flour or wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

¼ cup flax seed

¼ cup wheat germ

2 ½ cups quick cook oats

¾ cups dried fruit (like raisins or cranberries)

½ cup chopped nuts (like walnuts, pecans, etc.)

¼ cup high fiber cereal, crushed (like grape nuts)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugars, yogurt, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir together until completely combined. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flours, soda, flax seed, and wheat germ. Pour flour mixture into liquid mixture and stir until combined. Stir in oats. Stir in dried fruit, nuts, and cereal.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto a cookie sheet lightly sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet immediately after baking..

Chicken Paprikash

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless whole  chicken breasts

1/2 cup chopped onion, chopped

3 cans chicken broth.

16-ounce sour cream

A LOT of Paprika

1/4 flour

3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped

Pepper

Directions

Cook chicken by boiling in seasoned water until cooked. Once done, chop chicken breast into bite size pieces. In a large cooking pot, add chicken, chopped onion and all but 1/2 cup of the broth - chicken should be submerged. Add a lot of paprika (about 1/4 cup).  Add garlic, pepper, and bay leaves. Simmer until onions are fully cooked.  Mix corn starch or flour into the 1/2 cup of remaining broth (if broth doesn't resemble a medium thick gravy you may need to add more flour/water mixture to thicken it even more.) Add to chicken mixture and simmer and stir until thickened.  Add sour cream and maybe some more paprika. Serve over Spaetzel, egg noodles, or rice.

Tomato Basil Salad

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Salt

1/2 teaspoon spiced mustard like Dijon

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

5 Roma Tomatoes

1/3 cup fresh shredded basil leaves

1 small red onion chopped

3/4 cup Mozzarella (best if purchased in small ball size)

In a food processor add the red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, sugar, salt, mustard, and pepper. Pulse until mixed thoroughly and garlic is chopped into very small pieces. Set aside.

Cut tomatoes to bite size pieces and place in a large bowl and add chopped onions. Remove stems from basil. To cut basil stack several leaves together and roll basil leaves into a slightly tight roll. Slice basil in the middle along full length of leaves, then slice across basil leaves several times. Sprinkle basil on tomato and onions. Add mozzarella balls. Toss ingredients with vinegar concoction and serve.

This is very good the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that. It can be used to top a hamburger patty or on a sandwich.

(Recipe adapted from the Weight Watchers cookbook)

Kalua Pork

Ingredients

Any size pork shoulder (with or without bone)

Liquid Smoke (found next to the Worcestershire sauce in the grocery store)

Sea Salt

Garlic Powder

Directions

Place pork shoulder in crock pot. Stab the roast several times with a fork or knife. Rub liberal amounts of sea salt into the meat (about ¼ cup for a 3 lbs roast.) Sprinkle garlic powder over top of roast (about 3 tablespoons for a 3 lbs roast.) Pour liquid smoke into crock pot (about 1 tbs, per pound). Cook on high for about 9 or 10 hours.

The pork shoulder should fall apart when you try to remove it from the crock pot. Place cooked roast onto a cookie sheet with sides. Start shredding the pork with two forks removing most of the fat.

Kalua pork can be served with rice; or add BBQ sauce (I prefer Jack Denials BBQ sauce – original) and serve in sandwich rolls with a tangy cabbage salad.

Cowboy Caviar

This is not my own recipe, but very good non-the-less. Great for dipping chips or on a burger. 

Ingredients

1/2 bottle - Newman's Balsamic & Oil Salad Dressing

3 cloves of Garlic

1 Bunch fresh Cilantro

1 can Shoepeg Corn (drained)

1 can Garbanzo Beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can Black Eyed Peas - (drained)

4 - 5 Roma Tomatoes

2 bunches green onions

2 avocadoes

1 Anaheim pepper

Directions

Slice and chop, mix, and chill.

(This recipe given to me by a friend, but I have seen many adaptations on the internet so I am unsure where the original came from. Thank you to whomever designed this...it's very good.)

Simple Beef Stew for the Crockpot

Ingredients

2 Lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

3 potatoes, diced

1 stalk celery, sliced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon paprika

2 onions, chopped

2 teaspoons Kitchen Bouquet (optional)

Directions

Place meat in crock pot. Mix flour, salt, and pepper and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix well.

Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for 4 - 6 hours. Stir thoroughly before serving.

Carmel Biscuit Pull-Apart

Revised recipe. If you printed this out, please discard and reprint. Cooking times were not accurate.

A quick and easy morning sweet.

Before going into oven

Finished - yum!

Preheat oven to 350° degrees

Ingredients

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon water

1 8-ounce can plain Pop-N-Fresh biscuits

1/3 cup chopped nuts

1 tablespoon butter cut into quarters

Directions

In a medium sauce pan, combine sugar, water, and butter and cook on medium low heat for one minute (do not boil). Remove from heat and set aside. Add nuts.

In a large bowl, cut biscuits into 1/2 inch pieces. Add to sugar mixture. Toss to cover biscuits.

In a round oven proof dish place a small round ramekin in the middle and pour biscuit mixture evenly around the baking dish. Place butter quarters on top of biscuit mixture.

Bake biscuits for 10 minutes, then turn. Bake 17-20 minutes more. You really want to make sure the biscuits in the middle are cooked. I tap on bread and if it sounds hallow, it's done. Let cool on a wire rack for 5-7 minutes and then overturn onto a plate and remove ramekin. Serve.

Buffalo Chicken Casserole

This is a creamy and slightly spicy casserole. Serve with tortilla chips, celery stocks and a good beer.

Ingredients

2 or 3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

8 corn tortillas, cut into triangles

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened in the microwave approximately 1 minute

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 12-ounce bottle Franks Red Hot wing sauce

1 cup blue cheese

2 cups Jack cheese, grated

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 or 3 celery sticks, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon oil

Directions

Cook chicken breasts. I usually boil them for about 1.5 hours in water seasoned with garlic salt and pepper. Shred warm chicken using two forks.

Sauté garlic, celery and onion in 1 tablespoon oil until onion is almost translucent and celery is almost cooked.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the warm cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, and  hot sauce. Stir garlic/onion mixture into the cream cheese mixture.

In a casserole dish, spread a small amount of cream cheese mixture in the bottom of the dish (about 1/3 of a cup.) Place a layer of tortillas, a layer of chicken, a layer of jack cheese, a sprinkle of blue cheese, and a layer of cream cheese mixture. Continue the layers ending with a layer of the cream cheese mixture topped with the remaining jack cheese and blue cheese on top. Depending on the size of your dish, this should be about 3 layers.

Bake at 350° for about 35-45 minutes or until edges are bubbly. Let cool 5 minutes and serve.

Granola

Ingredients

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup canola oil

4 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 cup sun flower seeds

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup chopped almonds

1/3 cup shredded coconut

Directions

In a small mixing bowl, mix together syrup, honey and oil, set aside. In a very large mixing bowl combine oats, wheat germ, sun flower seeds, cranberries, and almonds. Pour syrup mixture into oats and toss to coat.

Spread onto a large baking sheet and bake at 325°oven for 50 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. Stir in coconut and drizzle about 2 tablespoons of honey on top of mixture during the last 7 minutes of baking. The oat mixture should be well browned when done. Store in an airtight container. Stores for about 2 weeks.

Easy Filled Pastry

"Pop Tart"

Crust Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tsp salt

1 egg (slightly beaten)

2 tablespoons whole milk

2 sticks (1 cup) cold butter (unsalted)

Raw Sugar

Crust Directions

In a food processor pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the beaten egg and pulse about 5 times (if you do not have a food processor, use a fork.) Add the milk and pulse about 5-7 times (make sure the flour is not clumpy at this point.) Pour flour mixture into a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and add to flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or large fork, squish the butter into the flour just until blended (the butter should be about pea size or slightly larger.) You want big chunks of butter to show (the batter will not look like bread dough, it will appear as though it is not holding together). Pour out on to a slightly floured surface. Squeeze it together into a ball (do not knead.) Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place dough in the refrigerator for about an hour.

When ready to use, place the dough ball on the counter for approximately 5-7 minutes. Roll dough out on a slightly floured surface to approximately 1/4 inch thick. Cut into even rectangles. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of every other rectangle. Using your finger, rub water on the edges of the filled rectangle. Place another rectangle on top of the filled rectangle, press lightly around the edges. Using a fork, press the tines into the edges to create a bound and pretty edge. Sprinkle with raw sugar. Using the fork, make a few holes in the top of the rectangle. Bake at 325° for about 15-17 minutes or until edges are a very light brown. Let cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool on a wire rack or parchment paper.

Filling Ingredients

Any jam or jelly will work for the filling. Or make the brown sugar filling below.

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons sugar

Filling Direction

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients. Place about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of ingredients per rectangle.

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup oil

2 cups grated zucchini

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions

Combine sugar, eggs, oil and zucchini and vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine flour, soda, salt baking powder and cinnamon.

Pour flour mixture into zucchini.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour.

Note:  Zucchini freezes very well. Peal and shred zucchini in the summer when it is abundant and freeze in two cup packages. When ready to use, allow to thaw and dump entire contents into bread recipe.

Not so magic ....

Just so you know, not all cooking experiences will be brilliant or fantastic. Take tonight for example; I made soup that tasted terrible. I wasn't paying attention and it burned. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood to cook. So if something fails or doesn't turn out quite like you think it should, don't fret. Just chalk it up to a learning experience and try again another day.

Overnight Coffee Cake

Ingredients

Cake Mixture

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

Topping

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped nuts

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3-4 teaspoons milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Grease and flour a 9" round baking pan

Combine all ingredients under cake mixture. Mix on low speed with an electric mixer until moistened. Mix for 3 minutes. Spread in prepared pan.

Blend topping ingredients together and sprinkle over batter.

Cover and refrigerate over night.

Bake in 350° degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in middle comes out clean. Drizzle with glaze before serving.

Wheat Bread

Partly whole-wheat slightly sweet

Ingredients

1 cup warm water (110-115°)

1 tablespoon milk (warmed)

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1½  cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1½  cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast

Directions

Stir first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bow. Add both flours and yeast, and knead until dough is smooth and elastic - about 10-15 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Punch dough down; knead for a few minutes until smooth and then form into a loaf. Place in greased loaf pan and cover. Let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. If loaf starts browning too soon, lightly lay a piece of foil on top of the loaf to prevent too much darkening. Remove bread from oven and allow to rest in pan for a few minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cover with a cloth.

Eat it while still warm! Bread may be frozen until needed. Refrigeration is recommended as homemade bread molds quickly.

Yield 1 loaf