Almond Crunch

Almond Crunch

Ingredients:
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 c sugar
2 T corn syrup
2 T water
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 cup toasted almond slivers
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Special Equipment:
Acrylic or Pyrex pot
Candy Thermometer

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet with foil, set aside
2. Combine first four ingredients in pot over medium heat and stir occasionally
3. When mixture begins to bubble, insert candy thermometer and begin to mix constantly
4. When mixture reaches 300F, remove from heat and add vanilla and almonds (vanilla will cause the candy to bubble momentarily, this is normal- it is the alcohol cooking off)
5. Spread evenly over foil (it will cover roughly 80-90% of the pan)
6. Add chocolate chips and let sit for 5-7 minutes
7. When chips look shiny, use a spatula to spread evenly over candy
8. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until chocolate and candy is hard
9. Carefully remove foil and break up into bite sized pieces
10. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to one month

Top of the Town Tuna Salad

Top of the Town Tuna Salad

2 cans tuna, drained
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/4 c chopped pecans
1/4 c diced apple
1/4 c diced Swiss cheese
1 T diced red onion

spicy mustard
lettuce
tomato slices
sliced pumpernickel bread

1. Combine all ingredients, mix well
2. Prepare sandwiches as desired, with mustard, lettuce, tomato and bread
3. Place enough tuna mix over bread to cover, and cut sandwich in triangles

Best served with a fruit salad or chips

Chicken I Dunno

Chicken I Dunno

Person A: What do you want for dinner?
Person B: I dunno
Person C: I don't care
Person A: Chicken it is!

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 t Italian seasoning
1/4 t garlic salt
1/4 t ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Coat a Pyrex dish with cooking spray.
3. Lay chicken in dish and lightly coat with cooking spray
4. Sprinkle seasonings evenly over both chicken breasts
5. Bake chicken for 20-25 minutes, until chicken is done
6. Let chicken rest for 2-5 minutes before serving

Best served with rice and cheesy broccoli

What's an "I Dunno" got to do with this?!

The following is a real conversation, that sadly, takes place in too many households far too often...

Person A: What do you want for dinner?
Person B: I dunno
Person A: What's I dunno?
Person B: I dunno, something edible?

Frustrating, isn't it?! I've had that conversation far too often with my own family, and it leaves me wondering what to make for dinner. Not that only ago, I told my husband that if I heard that one more time, I was going to come up with a recipe called "I dunno," and every time he said he wanted I dunno for dinner, that's what I would make. For the past month, I have been working on developing versions of "I Dunno." But now I need to know, what sort of things do you guys like?





I can't wait to hear your answers! Once I do, I'll start posting some versions of "I Dunno" for you all!

Sponge Toffee

Sponge Toffee

Ingredients:

1 c dark corn syrup
1 c sugar
1 T vinegar
1 T baking soda

Special Equipment:
Acrylic or Pyrex pot
Candy Thermometer

Directions:

1. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 dish with foil. Make sure the edges come up several inches past the top of the dish
2. Pat down the foil to make it as smooth as possible
3. Generously coat the foil with cooking spray
4. In a large acrylic or Pyrex pot, combine corn syrup, sugar and vinegar
5. Over medium heat, continue stirring until sugar has dissolved
6. Place candy thermometer in pot (do not let the bottom of the thermometer touch the bottom of the pot)
7. Bring the mix to a boil and let continue cooking until the candy thermometer reads 300 F
8. Quickly remove from heat and stir in baking soda, quickly mixing to combine ingredients
9. Add mix to foiled pan. Candy mixture will "foam up"
10. Let candy sit for 45 minutes to an hour, until it has cooled
11. Remove foil and place candy brick in a large Ziploc bag to break apart into bite sized pieces (if you have a mallet or hammer, you can use that, gently)
12. Candy can be stored for up to 1 month in an airtight container

Lazy Good Chicken Bake

Lazy Good Chicken Bake

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup brown rice*
1 can mushrooms
1 can sliced olives
1 can diced tomatoes
1 t oregano
1 t basil
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/2 t salt
3 T Champagne vinegar**
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Trim chicken of excess fat and skin and cut into small, bite size pieces
3. Place all ingredients, except Parmesan, in an 8x11 Pyrex casserole dish (do not drain cans prior), and mix
4. Snuggly place foil around dish
5. Bake for 1 hour
6. Remove foil from dish, mix, and sprinkle desired amount of cheese on top of casserole
7. Continue baking, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, until remaining liquid has evaporated
8. Let casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving



*white rice can be substituted for brown rice
**red wine vinegar can be substituted for Champagne vinegar

Down Home Mac 'N Cheese

Down Home Mac 'N Cheese

2 c elbow macaroni, cooked
1, 5 oz can evaporated milk
3 T milk
1 T flour
1 T butter
1 c grated cheddar cheese plus extra for topping
1/4 c Vermont cheese powder

1. For creamier mac n cheese, preheat oven to 350 F. For cheesier mac n cheese, preheat oven to 400 F
2. In a medium sized sauce pan, over medium heat, melt butter. Remove from heat and add flour to butter to make a roux
3. Once flour and butter are combined, return to heat and add evaporated milk and milk
4. Add cheese to milk mixture and mix until cheese is melted
5. Stir macaroni and cheese together in an 8x8 Pyxrex casserole
6. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes
7. Stir macaroni and return to oven for 15 minutes
8. Remove foil and spread desired amount of cheese on top of macaroni
9. Return dish to oven for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted
10. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving

Brinner Casserole

Brinner (Breakfast) Casserole

Ingredients:

16 oz loose sausage, cooked, drained
7 eggs
1/4 c milk
2 c frozen potatoes O'Brien
1 tube buttermilk biscuits (8 biscuits)
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Line an 8x12 Pyrex or ceramic dish with biscuits. Pat down biscuits and pinch seams together to create bottom crust
3. Place sausage and potatoes on top of biscuits
4. Whisk together eggs and milk and pour over sausage and potatoes
5. Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes, until egg has set
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese over top
7. Switch oven to broil and continue cooking until cheese is bubbling
8. Let casserole sit for 5 minutes before cutting

6 Grain Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

6 Grain Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups 6 grain flakes
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup walnut oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen wild blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl (grains, flour, pecans, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt)
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg
4. Add buttermilk, walnut oil and vanilla extract to egg and mix
5. Add wet mix to dry ingredients and blend
6. Quickly add boiling water to muffin mix and stir
7. Fold in blueberries
8. Prepare muffin tin with muffin papers or grease tin (10 large muffins or 20 standard size)
9. Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way
10. For added sweetness, sprinkle sugar to the top of the muffins before baking
11. Bake muffins for 23-26 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean
12. Let muffins cool for 10 minutes before turning out

Muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months, or stored in an airtight container for 2 weeks

Frito Brittle

Frito Brittle

This recipe is a copycat recipe of a product that The Chocolate Bar makes

Ingredients:
1, 9 oz bag Fritos
8 oz pretzel sticks
1/2 c chopped pecans
1/2 c chopped walnuts
3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
2 oz German chocolate

Special equipment:
Double boiler

Directions:
1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or wax paper
2. Spread out Fritos, pretzels and nuts over lined cookie sheet
3. Melt chocolate in double boiler (chocolate can be slowly melted in microwave, though it is not recommended)
4. Drizzle chocolate over Frito mix
5. Refrigerate for 1 hour
6. Break apart mix and store in an air tight container

Cha-Cha-Chicken Monterrey

Cha-Cha-Chicken Monterrey

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 stalks green onion, cleaned, ends cut off
1 medium red bell pepper, cleaned, julienned
2 cups, separated, Italian dressing
1 cup, separated, white vinegar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 lb Monterrey Jack cheese (block), sliced

Special equipment:
Grill pan


Instructions:

1. In a gallon Ziploc bag, mix 1 cup Italian dressing, 1/2 cup vinegar and lemon juice. Add chicken and let marinate for 3-4 hours (if you start with frozen chicken, that's OK, let it defrost in the mix)
2. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat and the broiler in your oven
3. Over medium heat, cook chicken
4. While the chicken is cooking, prepare green onions, red bell pepper and cheese. In a quart sized Ziploc bag, place remaining dressing and vinegar, and then add bell peppers
4. Once the chicken is mostly done (about 10-15 minutes), place the green onion in the pan to cook. Cook for a minute on each side
5. Once the green onion is done, place them atop the chicken breasts. Next, place the sliced cheese on top of chicken and green onion
6. Place pan in oven under the broiler. It will stay there until cheese has melted (some will drip off into pan, it's OK). This could take up to 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it because you don't want to burn anything (note: some cheese that drips on the pan could look like it's burning, but might not be- if it smells burnt, then it is)
7. Remove from oven and remove chicken from pan
8. Add peppers to pan (draining the liquid first), and cook over medium heat. Depending on how you want your peppers determines cooking time. If you want them crunchy, no more than 3-4 minutes. If you want them soft, 8-10 minutes.
9. Plate and serve over white rice

Crazy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Crazy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is a version of Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 stick margarine, softened
2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
3/4 c granulated sugar
3/4 c packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c chocolate chunks or mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together butter, margarine, sugar and brown sugar until mixture is fluffy and no lumps of brown sugar are left
2. Add in eggs, baking soda and vanilla extract. Mix until blended
3. Add in flour, 1/4 cup at a time
4. Add in chips
5. Refrigerate for one hour
6. Preheat oven to 375F
7. Line a cookie sheet with a sil-mat or parchment paper
8. Using a small ice cream scoop or cookie dough scooper, scoop out dough balls onto pan, leaving enough space for cookies (you will be able to fit approximately 12 balls on one pan)
9. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are golden brown
10. Remove cookies from oven and let sit for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack
11. Repeat step 8-10 for remaining cookie dough. Replace dough in fridge when not in use
12. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for one week. Dough can be frozen for up to 3 months

Beautiful Buffalo Meatloaf

Beautiful Buffalo Meatloaf

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground buffalo*
1/2 cup oatmeal
2 eggs, beaten
1 t parsley
1 t dried garlic
3/4 t seasoned pepper
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t sage
1/2 t thyme


Glaze:
1/2 c ketchup
1/4 c brown sugar
1 T spicy mustard
1 t Tiger sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. In a large bowl, combine ingredients with hands until well blended
3. Form meat into a loaf and place on a broiler pan
4. For glaze, combine ingredients. Make sure there are no lumps of brown sugar
5. Pour glaze on top of loaf and evenly spread around (including sides)
6. Bake meatloaf for 1 hour
7. For a crispier glaze, turn on broiler for last 2-3 minutes of cooking
8. Let meatloaf stand for at least 10 minutes before cutting




*Beef can be substituted for buffalo. It is recommended to use 1 lb 85% lean ground beef with 1 lb 93% lean ground beef

Pizza Sticks

Pizza Sticks

Ingredients:

1 batch Basic Pizza Dough or Wheat Pizza Dough
12 mozzarella string cheese sticks
60 pieces pepperoni
Pizza Seasoning
Olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll out pizza dough into an oval, approximately 1 foot wide and 20 inches long
3. Using a bench scrape, cut dough in thirds, length wise, then cut strips in fourths (to form 12, rectangular pieces)
4. Place 5 pieces of pepperoni on top of each piece of dough, then top with mozzarella stick (make sure pepperoni is fanned out to length of mozzarella stick)
5. Fold over sides to close up dough around mozzarella and pepperoni. Give sticks a roll to close up seams (seams can be carefully pinched shut, to be sure)
6. Place pizza sticks, seam side down, on a greased cookie sheet
7. Brush pizza sticks with oil then coat sticks with desire amount of pizza seasoning
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until dough is golden
9. Let pizza sticks rest for 5-10 minutes before serving

Wheat Pizza Dough

Wheat Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

1 c all purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 T honey
1 1/2 T vegetable or walnut oil
1/2 cup water, 105-115F
1 packet dry, active yeast

Directions:

1. Add yeast to warm water (note: water must be between 105-115 to activate yeast) and stir. Let water sit for 5 minutes
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, honey and oil with a fork until few lumps are left
3. Add water and yeast to flour, mix
4. Coat hands with vegetable oil, to prevent sticking
5. Remove dough from bowl and work into a ball, pulling the top of the ball around and under
6. Coat your bowl with vegetable oil and return ball of dough to bowl
7. Tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap
8. Let dough sit in a warm area for 1 hour, to proof
9. Dough is ready when it has doubled in size

Basic Pizza Dough

Basic Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

2 c all purpose flour
3 T olive oil
1 packet dry, active yeast
1/2 cup water, 105-115F
1 t sugar

Directions:

1. Add yeast to warm water (note: water must be between 105-115 to activate yeast) and stir. Let water sit for 5 minutes
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar and oil with a fork until few lumps are left
3. Add water and yeast to flour, mix
4. Coat hands with olive oil, to prevent sticking
5. Remove dough from bowl and work into a ball, pulling the top of the ball around and under
6. Coat your bowl with olive oil and return ball of dough to bowl
7. Tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap
8. Let dough sit in a warm area for 1 hour, to proof
9. Dough is ready when it has doubled in size

Baked French Fries

Baked French Fries

Ingredients:

2 Idaho potatoes, cleaned (optional: peeled)
3 T vegetable or canola oil
2 t pink sea salt (Australian sea salt)
1 t ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. To cut potatoes by hand: cut potato in fourths, length wise, then slice each fourth to desired width. To cut potatoes with a mandolin: cut potatoes in half before slicing. If using a potato slicer: follow directions of slicer
3. On a large cookie sheet, mix potatoes, oil, salt and pepper
4. Bake fries for 10 minutes, then turn fries
5. Continue baking for another 10 minutes
6. For softer fries, remove from oven
7. For crispier fries, switch oven to broil and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes

Cool Club Sandwich

Cool Club Sandwich

Ingredients:

4 turkey cutlets
1 t ground rosemary
1/2 t lemon pepper
1/2 t pink sea salt (Australian sea salt)
1 T vegetable or canola oil
6 slices Applewood smoked bacon, cooked
4 slices oat or sourdough bread, toasted

Zippy mayo:
1/2 c mayonaise
1 T lemon or lime juice
1 t ground black pepper
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t paprika

lettuce
tomato

Directions:

1. Preheat a medium sized saute pan over medium heat with vegetable or canola oil
2. Combine ground rosemary, lemon pepper and sea salt. Sprinkle over both sides of turkey
3. Cook turkey in pan until done (about 3-4 minutes per side)
4. For zippy mayo, combine all ingredients
5. Assemble sandwiches- spread mayo on all pieces of toast, place desired amount of lettuce and tomato, place 2 pieces of cutlets per sandwich, and 3 pieces of bacon per sandwich (bacon should be cut in half and laid across turkey)
6. Cut in triangles and serve
7. Leftover Zippy mayo can be stored, covered, in fridge for up to 1 month

Broiled Chicken

Broiled Chicken

2 chicken breasts, with bone and skin
1 T lemon pepper
1/2 T white pepper
1 t garlic salt
vegetable oil or vegetable oil spray

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Coat an 8x8 Pyrex or ceramic dish, and chicken with vegetable oil
3. Combine spices and rub over chicken skins. Place in Pyrex
4. Bake chicken for 30 minutes
5. Switch oven to broil and broil chicken for 5-7 minutes, until skin is crispy and chicken is cooked

Fabulous Fajitas

Fabulous Fajitas

Ingredients:

2 lb flank steak OR/and 2 lb boneless skinless chicken
1, 16 oz bottle Italian dressing
4 oz vinegar
4 oz lemon juice [does not have to be fresh]
1 bag frozen bell peppers
1 medium sized onion, julienned
1 package tortillas

Instructions:

1. Tenderize your meat. To do so, lay on a cutting board. If you have a mallet tenderizer, you will need to mash until the meat is even and slightly pierced. If you have a needle tenderizer, 3-4 passes will suffice
2. In a gallon Ziploc bag, mix dressing, lemon juice and vinegar. Add meat
3. Marinate for at least 3-4 hours (overnight is OK. If you are time crunched, no less than 1 hour)
3. Preheat oven to 425°F
4. Lay meat on a baking sheet. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes (or until done)
5. While meat is cooking, start veggies. If you want your vegetables together, cook the onions until translucent, then add frozen peppers. If you want them separate, in another pan, start cooking the peppers right before the onions are done. For both- preheat a saute pan over medium heat with enough vegetable oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan (for a 12 inch saute pan, this will be roughly 2 tablespoons of oil). DO NOT USE OLIVE OIL! Cook until they are done to your liking. For caramelized onions, use butter in the pan instead of vegetable oil.
6. Serve on tortillas with anything else you want (cheese, sour cream, Pico De Gallo, Guacamole, ect.)

Notes from the Pro, first installment

The following is a quick reference/guide in some simple things to help you out. This is the first installment, with more to be passed on later.



-Olive oil burns faster, so unless the recipe says so, use vegetable or canola

-when baking, always use UNsalted butter, unless the recipe says so (using unsalted butter for general cooking is also a good idea)

-your dough didn't rise because you might have done something wrong to the yeast or did not proof the dough properly

-softened means softened, not melted

-margarine can not always be substituted for butter. Sometimes it can, sometimes you need to make other adjustments for the substitution, and sometimes you have to use the butter

-when frying, keep the oil temperature at 350F. Do NOT raise it! If you do, that is why your chicken got dried out or over cooked on the outside. I'm serious!

-braising is a good method for tough cuts of meats. Blanching is a good method for rougher vegetables. Yes, these methods do add a pot or two to your cleaning detail, and do add on a few minutes to your cooking and prep time, but it's worth it

-it is possible to over marinate a piece of meat. Marinating it longer does not always add more flavor. Tenderizing meat first will help add flavor

-always read a recipe, in full, before you make it. Reading it multiple times is good too

-to a certain extent, baking is a science. If you are baking something for the first time, follow the recipe to a T. If you want to make changes to the recipe, be careful and remember that the change could affect the final outcome

-if you are unsure how a new addition to a dish will taste, take out a small portion and add the spice or herb to that portion to try it out. Remember, you can add, but you can't subtract

-when cooking for large crowds, remember that not everyone likes salt and pepper the same way you do. It's better to add less (or no) salt and pepper and let people add on if they want to





-sometimes there are no shortcuts. Good food takes time and patience (and a little bit of a love)

-anyone can cook. You may think you can't, but all it takes is some patience and an open mind

Very Best Baked Chicken

Very Best Baked Chicken

4 chicken breasts, boneless-skinless, trimmed
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 t garlic salt
1 t ground black pepper
3 eggs
1 c milk
2 c vegetable or canola oil

1. In a medium sized sauce pan, preheat oil over medium heat (a thermometer should read that the oil has been heated to 350F). Preheat oven to 400F
2. Prepare breading sequence- mix flour with garlic salt and pepper in one bowl. In the next bowl, mix eggs with milk. In the third bowl, place bread crumbs
3. To bread chicken- coat with flour, then egg wash, followed by the flour again, with a second coat of the egg wash, and finished off with the bread crumbs (flour, egg, flour, egg, bread crumbs)
4. Cook chicken, 1 piece at a time, for 2-3 minutes on each side, to brown breading
5. Place pre-cooked chicken in a Pyrex or ceramic dish and continue to cook in oven for 10-15 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked
6. Let chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before serving

Texas Style Creamed Corn

Texas Style Creamed Corn

Ingredients:
2 lbs frozen corn, off the cob
1 stick unsalted butter
1 small onion, diced
2 c heavy cream*
1 t ground white pepper
1 t ground black pepper
1 t garlic salt

Directions:
1. Preheat a large saute pan over medium heat
2. Melt butter and add onion
3. Cook onions until they become translucent
4. Add frozen corn and stir
5. Once corn is mostly defrosted, add cream
6. Continue to saute over medium heat, stirring occasionally
7. When cream begins to boil, turn heat down to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cream begins to thicken
8. Return heat to medium to finish reducing until liquid is a creamy texture


*Evaporated milk can be substituted for heavy cream. For substitution, add 2 T cornstarch to 2 T cold water and add to evaporated milk before adding to corn.

Marvelous Maniccotti

Marvelous Maniccotti

Ingredients:
1 jar tomato sauce
1 lb cottage cheese
15 oz ricotta
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
2 T Italian dressing
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/2 c cooked, chopped spinach, drained
1, 4 oz can mushrooms, diced
1 package (14) manicotti shells
1 jar tomato sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Using a large bowl, whisk eggs together
3. Add cheeses, vegetables, herbs, spices and Italian dressing to eggs. Mix until ingredients are evenly blended
4. Stuff shells with cheese mixture (you will have leftovers)
5. Place shells in a 9x13 Pyrex or ceramic baking dish
6. Cover shells with a jar of tomato sauce
7. Cover dish tightly with foil
8. Bake for 1 hour, until shells are soft and cheese is melted
9. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving


Note:
Leftover cheese stuffing can be refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for 3 months

Roasted Mashed potatoes

Roasted Mashed potatoes

Ingredients:
1 lb red bliss potatoes
1/4 c olive oil
1 t oregano
1 t sea salt
1/2 ground white pepper

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 c heavy cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Wash potatoes, do not peel
3. Cut potatoes into quarters
4. Place cut potatoes on a large baking sheet
5. Drizzle olive oil and spices over potatoes. Mix potatoes to evenly coat
6. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn potatoes. Continue baking for another 20 minutes, until potatoes begin to brown
7. Remove pan from oven and let potatoes cool for 10 minutes

Stand mixer:
8. Using the paddle attachment, slowly blend potatoes
9. When potatoes have begun to mash, add cream and butter
10. Using medium speed, mix potatoes until fully mashed

By hand:
8. In a large bowl, mash potatoes with potato masher
9. Once potatoes are mashed, add milk and butter

Killer Guacamole

Killer Guacamole

Ingredients:

2-3 avocados
1 Roma tomato
2 T lemon juice
1 t cumin
1 t ground black pepper
1/2 t sea salt


1. Slice avocados. Remove pit and skins
2. Place in a bowl and mash with fork to desired consistency
3. Remove seeds and guts from tomato. Dice into small pieces (1/8 of an inch or less)
4. Mix tomatoes and all ingredients with guacamole. Chill for 1 hour before serving

Heavenly Pie

Heavenly Pie

Crust:
3 egg whites
1/4 t salt
1/4 t cream of tartar
1/2 c sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
3/4 c chopped pecans

Filling:
4 oz semi sweet chocolate
3 T water
1 c whipping cream
1 t vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 300F
2. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until a stiff peak is formed
3. Add cream of tartar and salt. Slowly add in sugar
4. Once sugar is incorporated, fold in pecans and vanilla extract
5. Grease a 9 inch pie pan
6. Add meringue to pan and spread with a spatula, up to the edges
7. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until meringue has browned
8. When meringue is done, place to the side to cool, for at least 20 minutes
9. In a small pot, melt chocolate with water
10. Once chocolate it melted, place in fridge to cool for 10-15 minutes
11. In a large bowl, beat whipping cream to the consistency of whipped cream
12. Add chocolate and vanilla extract to whipping cream and mix with a spatula
13. Place chocolate whipping cream mixture into meringue crust and spread evenly
14. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Do not freeze pie

Easy Yumm-o Nachos

Easy Yumm-o Nachos

1 lb Velveeta cheese
1 lb Jimmy Dean sausage
1 can Rotel
2 T cold water
1 T cornstarch

1. Over medium heat in a stock pot, cook sausage
2. Empty pot to drain sausage; do not rise or wipe out pot
3. Return pot to heat and add Rotel and Velveeta, stirring frequently to avoid burning
4. Once cheese is melted, add sausage and simmer for 2-3 minutes
5. Mix cornstarch and water. Add to cheese mix to thicken
6. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently
7. Serve over or with tortilla chips

Pretty Nifty Potatoes

Pretty Nifty Potatoes
(also known as Hassleback potatoes)

2 Idaho or Russet potatoes
2 T spreadable butter, divided
Sea Salt
Ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Wash potatoes, do NOT peel
3. On a cutting board, set the potatoes down so that the flattest side is laying down (on the cutting board)
4. Carefully make 1/8" slices, but do not slice all the way through (keep the potato together on the bottom, leaving about 1/4" on the bottom unsliced)
5. Rub 1T of butter on each potato then sprinkle desired amount of salt and pepper over each potato
6. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, until golden and tender. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving


Variations

Herbed:
Add 2 t of your favorite herbs to the butter before spreading

Spiced:
Add 1/2 t paprika, 1/2 t white pepper (omit black pepper) and 1/2 t salt to potatoes

Zesty:
Squeeze 1 lemon (1/2 per potato) over potatoes before rubbing butter into

Stupendous Stir Fry

Stupendous Stir Fry

Ingredients:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz bag frozen mixed veggies or Asian veggies
1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce
1 T brown sugar
2 T rice wine vinegar
chopped garlic, as needed (1-2 T)
1 cup rice, cooked

Special equipment:
Wok

Directions:

1. In a zip lock bag, combine Teriyaki, brown sugar, and rice wine
2. Dice up chicken into bite sized pieces. Place in sauce mixture for 10-20 minutes
3. Cook rice
4. In a large sauté pan or wok, cook chicken. Halfway, add garlic (as much or little as you want). When almost done, add veggies to cook through
5. Serve over rice


Serves 4-6

Kickin' Chicken Salad

Kickin' Chicken Salad

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 T dill relish
1 T brown sugar

1. Fill a large stock pot with water, but do not completely fill
2. Add vinegar and chicken
3. Cook over medium heat until chicken is done (chicken will float when done)
4. Cut chicken into small pieces
5. In a large bowl, mix relish, mayonnaise and sugar. Add cut chicken and mix
6. This does not need to be refrigerated before serving, but can be if you choose to


Serving preference:

4 English muffins
8 slices provolone cheese
Hungarian paprika

1. Slice English muffins in half and line on a cookie sheet
2. Toast English muffins under a broiler until lightly browned
3. Cover each half with a large spoonful of chicken salad
4. Top each piece with a slice of cheese
5. Lightly sprinkle paprika over cheese
6. Place cookie sheet back in oven to melt cheese before serving


Serves 4-6

Amazingly Awesome Ice Cream

Amazingly Awesome Ice Cream

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
3/4 sugar
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup whole milk

Special equipment:
Ice cream maker

1. In a large bowl, mix eggs until well blended with a wire whisk
2. Add sugar to eggs
3. Blend in milk and whipping cream
4. Refrigerate for one hour
5. Prepare ice cream maker
6. If using an electric maker, turn on maker before adding mix. If using a hand mixer, add mix and begin.
7. Mix until ice cream has formed (will take about 45 minutes)
8. Chill for one hour before serving


Yields 1.25 quarts


Flavor alternatives

Mint Chocolate chip
1 t peppermint extract
6 drops green food coloring
1 c mini chocolate chips

Add extract and food coloring into mix before blending. Add chips into mix just before it is done to blend in.


White Russian
1/2 coffee liqueur

Add liqueur to mix before blending. Because of the alcohol content, ice cream will not fully freeze when done (it will remain on the soft side).

Coming Soon!

From the awesome mind and kitchen of Lindsay Prescott.... How to Cook Like a Bad@$$, an easy guide to cooking like the pro's.