Carne Asada

• 3 pounds flank steak
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
•  
• Lay the flank steak in a large glass baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, 4 cloves of garlic, juice of two limes, and olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, cumin and paprika. Whisk until well blended (we used the blender and it really helped it mix together well), then pour over the steak in the dish. Turn over once to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate for 1 to 8 hours.  Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the marinated flank steak into cubes or strips. Cook, stirring constantly, until the meat is cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated.  Serve with taco toppings in taco shells or as burritos.

*Dustin actually grilled our meat before we cut it into strips (instead of frying it in a skillet) and it was really yummy that way.

(From allrecipes.com)

Coconut Cream Pie

3/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
7 Tbsp. flour
2 eggs
3 c. milk, scalded
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 to 3/4 c. coconut (add more if desired)
1/2 c. heavy cream, whipped (or substitute Cool Whip)
1 deep dish crust, baked

In medium bowl combine sugar, salt, flour, and eggs.  Slowly add sugar mixture to scalded milk, stirring constantly over low heat until it begins to boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, continue to stir and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until thickened.  Remove from heat, add vanilla.  Cool to room temperature, fold in coconut; pour the filling into shell.  Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with additional coconut.  Chill.  Serves 6.

(From Grandma L.)

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough (or make your own)
marinara/pizza sauce
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted butter
1/2 t garlic powder
1  t dried Italian seasoning
mozzerella cheese, diced or grated
Pizza toppings of your choice: ie, ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package.  Usually it's 400 degrees.  If you make your own dough, 400 is usually a good heat as well.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8".  You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to.  Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square.  (Note that you're not putting the marinara sauce on the dough- it's for dipping after).  You just need to be able to enclose the toppings in the dough so keep that in mind.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings.  Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).

Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter (I've used both and there's not much difference in result) and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese. 

Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Keep an eye on them! Doughs vary, so I'd check them after even 10 minutes.

Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping. 


(From ourbestbites.com...a great kid food!)

Puffed French Toast

2 eggs
2 ½ Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. milk
1 c. flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
12 slices Texas style toast, cut in half diagonally

In a large skillet or frying pan, heat about 1/4" of vegetable oil (not olive oil) over medium heat. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk together eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, milk, flour, and baking powder. Test oil heat by flicking some water into the frying pan. If it pops, reduce the heat. If hardly anything happens, turn up the heat. If it sizzles, it's just right.

Working quickly, take each 1/2 slice of bread and soak it both sides in the milk/egg/flour mixture. If you leave it in too long, it will get soggy, but you want to make sure enough of the egg mixture has soaked into the bread. Gently shake to remove excess batter and place in hot oil. Cook until puffed, golden brown, and a nice, crispy crust has formed on each side (probably 3-5 minutes per side; you really need to babysit them and make sure they're cooking correctly) and then remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. While cooking remaining french toast, keep cooked pieces warm in an oven set to the lowest temperature it will go.

When ready to serve, roll each piece in cinnamon sugar (3/4 c. sugar and 4 tsp. cinnamon).  Serve with syrup, if desired.


(Talk about a sinful recipe!  The cookbook suggests serving it on a special occasion.  When we decided to try it I asked Dustin what the special occasion was and he declared it was a "Saturday that we get to stay home so we're celebrating".  Fair enough.  From ourbestbites.com.)

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
1 (15oz.) can black beans, drained
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for garnishing
1 (10oz) can enchilada sauce (use hot for really spicy enchiladas!)
8 flour tortillas
1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded, plus more for garnish
Chopped tomato, lettuce, and black olives for garnish

Heat oven to 375. Cook chicken in a large skillet, then add spices and beans, cooking on medium for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in half cup sour cream.  To assemble each enchilada, spread 1 Tbsp. Sauce on tortilla, place a third cup bean mixture in center of tortilla and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. Cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in greased 13X9 inch baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over enchiladas. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 15 minutes or until heated through. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. To serve, garnish with desired toppings. 

Meatless version: use an additional can of black beans, omit chicken.
Make ahead version: Prepare as directed, cover and freeze. Bake at 375 for 60-70 minutes. Again, sprinkle cheese on at end, uncover, and bake a few more minutes.


(From Vicki's friend Robin B.)

To Die for Blueberry Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk (I used powdered milk)
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (I used freeze dried blueberries and they worked great)
(I added 1/2 tsp. vanilla)
• 1/2 cup white sugar (some people suggested brown sugar instead)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.  Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.  
• 
  
• To Make Crumb Topping (enough for 2 batches of muffins): Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
• 
  
• Bake for 18-20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.
(From allrecipes.com....4.5 stars out of over 5,000 reviews!)

Cake Batter Ice Cream

1 c. milk
1/2 c. sugar
2 egg yolks, beaten
3 tsp. vanilla
2 c. heavy whipping cream
1 c. yellow cake mix, sifted

Combine all ingredients and whisk together in a saucepan until well blended.  Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture reaches 160 degrees.  Remove from heat and place in refrigerator or freezer until mixture is cold.  Pour chilled mixture into ice-cream maker and freeze according to ice cream maker's directions.  Transfer ice cream into a plastic container, cover with plastic wrap and lid.  For best results, put ice cream in freezer for at least two hours before serving.

*We tried it without putting it in the freezer first and it was really soft.  After freezing for a couple of hours, it was the perfect consistency-almost like Cold Stone.  The taste is really similar to Cold Stone's cake batter ice cream.  The recipe doesn't make a ton (6 servings according to original recipe), but it is super sweet so a little goes a long way!  Just plan ahead if you try it because it's easy to make, but time consuming.

(Slightly adapted from allrecipes.com)

Arby's Sauce

1 c. ketchup
2 tsp. water
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Tabasco

Combine and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool.  Keep in refrigerator.  Makes 1 cup of sauce.  Great with chicken tenders!

Chick-Fil-A Chicken

1 Egg

1 Cup Milk

1 Cup Flour

2 1/2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar

2 1/2 Teaspoons Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

2 Chicken Breasts, cut into strips or nuggets

Cooking Oil

Mix egg and milk together and pour over chicken. Let sit 5 minutes. In a seperate bowl, mix flour, powdered sugar, salt, and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces into the flour mixture, put back in milk mixture, then dredge in the flour mixture a second time. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Gently drop chicken pieces in the heated oil and cook until golden brown.

(From LeAnn and Under the Table and Dreaming)

Luscious Slush Punch

2 1/2 cups white sugar

6 cups water
2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored jello
1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 quart orange juice
2 (2 liter) bottles lemon-lime flavored soda

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, water, and jello. Boil for 3 minutes.  Stir in pineapple juice, lemon juice and orange juice.  Divide mixture in half, and freeze in 2 separate containers.  (I used gallon sized Ziplock bags).

When ready to serve, place the frozen contents of one container in a punch bowl, and stir in 1 bottle or soda until slushy.

Makes 50 (4 ounce) servings.

(Served at Haley and Kalob's wedding reception)

Creamy Chicken Lasagna

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded
6 cooked lasagna noodles (I used rotini and just estimated on how much to use)
3 cubes chicken bouillon
1/4 c. hot water
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
1 26-oz jar spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350.  Dissolve bouillon cube in 1/4 c. hot water.  In a large bowl, mix chicken, bouillon, cream cheese, and 1 c. mozzarella cheese (I added salt, pepper and garlic powder as well).  Spread 1/3 of spaghetti sauce in bottom of a 9" square dish.  Cover with half of chicken mixture; top with 3 noodles.  Repeat layers.  Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Serves 9.

(Slightly adapted from the Worldwide Ward Secret Recipes Cookbook)

Grilled Potatoes and Onions

1 potato per person 

1/2 small onion per person
1 Tbsp. butter per person, cut into pieces
1/4 tsp. salt per person
Freshly-ground black pepper
Smoked paprika
Aluminum foil

Tear sheets (1 per person) of aluminum foil into about 16″ pieces. Fold each in half into a sqaure-ish and set aside.  Preheat grill. Slice potatoes into pieces about 1/8-1/4″ thick.  Slice onions about 1/8″ thick.  Place 1 potato in the middle of each foil square and dot with butter pieces.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then sprinkle generously with smoked paprika. Remember, paprika is super mild, so it’s hard to add too much. Top each pile with onions.  Fold edges in and secure tightly. It’s important to get a good seal because the moisture will cook the potatoes and onions and you want all those yummy juices, so if it seems like there’s not quite enough foil, wrap packet in another layer.  Turn heat on grill to low. Place each packet on the grill. Close lid for 15 minutes. Turn and allow to cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully open each packet.  These can also be cooked in the oven at 400 for about 15-20 minutes (just check on them to see how they’re doing) or in a panini press for about the same amount of time.

(From ourbestbites.com-can you tell this is my favorite site?!)

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs, and mix well. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then add to batter. Blend in chopped nuts. Spread batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.  Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1/2 hour before slicing.

We made these into muffins and cooked them for about 15 minutes.  They were super moist and fluffy for whole wheat bread.  We also added cinnamon and extra bananas (we used 3 medium bananas).  Other people suggested using 1/4 c. honey and 1/4 c. brown sugar instead of all honey and 1/3 c. applesauce instead of the oil.


(From allrecipes.com)

"Alambre" Tacos or Burritos

My Dad loves a restaurant called La Parilla Suiza and they serve some delicious alambre tacos.  I tried to recreate them the other night and while they didn't taste the same as the restaurants, I think we discovered something yummy.

Bacon, diced
Onion, diced
Bell Pepper, diced
Chicken or beef, cooked and cubed or shredded

Season to taste with:
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Chipotle chili powder (I'm sure you could use regular chili powder)
Seasoning salt

Cook bacon in a frying pan until crispy, then add onion and peppers and cook in bacon grease until desired softness.  Add meat and seasonings; cook until heated.  I used home canned chicken with the juice drained and it turned out really yummy and moist.  Serve in taco shells or flour tortillas for a burrito.  Add sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, etc.

Sorry, there's a reason I don't write recipes down for my made up meals very often...I'm not a great recipe writer, but I hope it made sense. : )

Molten Lava Cakes

Discovering this recipe was a sin.  It made the perfect Father's Day treat, though, and reminded us of the delicious chocolate molten cakes on the cruise we took back in the day. : )  They are super easy to make and ridiculously rich. 

4 T  real butter
1/3 C sugar

3 large eggs
1/3 C flour
1/4 t salt
8 oz bittersweet chocolate*, melted 

*8 ounces is about 1 1/3 C of bittersweet chocolate chips.  Make the 1/3 cup a little over-full and you should be good 

Additional Ingredients:
conf. sugar for dusting
sweetened whipped cream for serving 

butter and sugar for preparing pans  

You can either bake these in a muffin tin, in ramekins, or even a oven-proof mug.  If you use a muffin tin you'll get 6 cakes and depending on the size of the ramekins you'll get 4-6.  

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   

To prepare pans, use your fingers (or the butter wrapper) to rub butter in the muffin tins or ramekins.  Sprinkle in some granulated sugar to coat the entire inner surface and tap out any extra and discard.  

In a bowl with a mixer beat butter and sugar until fluffy.   Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.   Combine flour and salt and slowly add it into the butter mixture just until combined.   Stir in melted chocolate by hand, just until combined.  Don't over mix.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups or ramekins and then place them on a baking sheet.

Bake just until tops of cakes no longer jiggle when pan is lightly shaken, about 8-10 min for a muffin pan, and 10-12 for ramekins.   Remove from oven and let stand 10 min.   

If using muffin tins, invert the tin and place an idividual cake on each serving plate.  You can do the same with the ramekins, or just serve them as is.   Dust with powdered sugar and serve with a dallop of sweetened whipped cream.

(From ourbestbites.com)

Taco Chicken

1 lb. chicken breasts or thighs
A couple of juicy limes
A splash of red wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or coarsely chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Juice the limes and combine with a couple splashes of red wine vinegar. Add garlic. Pour over chicken. This will not completely cover the chicken; just turn it occasionally as needed. Marinate for at least 4 hours, no longer than 8.

Heat an outdoor grill (you can also use a grill pan inside. Or your broiler in your oven.) Combine salt, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper in a small bowl. Remove chicken from marinade and rub the spices all over the chicken.

Grill about 7 minutes per side.

Remove from heat and allow to stand a few minutes so it doesn't lose its juiciness. You can either eat the chicken as it is, maybe with Mexican rice and beans, or use slice it up and use it as you would taco meat.


(From ourbestbites.com)

Potato and Bacon Breakfast Casserole

4 c. Southern/country-style hash browns (cubes), completely thawed (if they’re not thawed, they won’t cook correctly)...I used fresh potatoes, cubed and cooked in microwave until mostly softened
1 12-oz. package bacon
1 1/2 c. pepper jack cheese (I used all cheddar because that's what I had!)
1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 eggs
1 c. milk*
about 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
about 10 turns freshly ground black pepper


Begin cooking bacon.  While the bacon is cooking, place the potatoes in a 9×13″ baking dish. Mix the cheeses together and sprinkle it over the potatoes. When the bacon is done cooking, drain it on a paper towel and reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings. Cook the onions in the drippings for 2-3 minutes or until they’re tender and fragrant. Spread the onions over the cheese mixture and then sprinkle everything with the crumbled bacon.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper and, whisking constantly, pour the egg mixture evenly over the potato mixture.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or for 7-8 hours.  When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350.  Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly but not brown. Allow to stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Serve with fresh fruit.

(From ourbestbites.com)

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

SALAD:

4 c. chopped Romaine Lettuce

2 c. chopped grilled chicken

1 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, washed

1/3 c. vertically-sliced red onions

1 avocado, cubed

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 8 3/4 oz. can corn, rinsed and drained Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

DRESSING:

1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 c. light sour cream
1 1/2 + tsp. adobo sauce from canned chipotle chilies
1 tsp. chili powder
4 tsp. fresh lime juice
¼ tsp. salt

OPTIONAL:Tortilla Strips


Make sure all salad ingredients that need to be washed or rinsed have been. Combine lettuce, chicken, beans, corn, onion, and tomatoes in a large bowl and gently mix with your hands. Set aside.

Mix dressing ingredients. Start with 1 1/2 tsp. of adobo sauce and then go from there, probably 1/4-1/2 tsp. at a time. Set dressing aside.

When you're ready to serve, add avocado, tortilla strips, and dressing. Gently combine with your hands and serve.

*We just used whatever veggies we had on hand so ours ended up without avocado (a sin, I know), but we added cucumbers, carrots, etc. and it was super yummy.

(From ourbestbites.com)

Spicey Honey Chicken

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2lbs (yes, we used chicken breasts)
2 t vegetable oil

Rub:

2 t granulated garlic
2 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1 t cumin
1/2 t chipotle chili powder

Glaze:
1/2 C Honey
1T Cider Vinegar

Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.

Use kitchen shears (or a pair of clean scissors) to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there! Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it’s not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well.  Reserve 2T honey glaze for later. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.  I’m gonna warn you that this can make a hot mess, literally. It’s sugar, and it’s gonna drip. After taking chicken off the grill, then drizzle with remaining glaze.

(From ourbestbites.com)

Fresh Spinach and Tarragon Salad

1 bunch spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
5 slices bacon, cooked until brown and crumbled
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Combine spinach, egg and bacon in bowl.  Whisk together oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, tarragon and pepper to make dressing.  Pour enough dressing over salad to coat.  Toss and serve immediately.

(From allrecipes.com)

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice (I used lemon juice)
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro (I used a ton more because I LOVE cilantro)
2 T sliced green onions (we skimped here because we didn't have any)
2 C shredded cooked chicken (I used home canned chicken)
1 C grated pepperjack cheese (we used regular 'ol cheddar)

small corn tortillas (we used flour)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.  Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa,  lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.  You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.  Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.  Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.  Then roll it up as tight as you can.  Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

(From ourbestbites.com)

These are DIVINE!

Fudgy Brownies

8 oz.-pure cocoa
1 cup-butter or margarine
5-eggs
3 cups-sugar, Succanat (or equivialent), or honey.
2-1/2 cups of your favorite nuts, pecans, walnuts, cashews, etc...(we just put pecans in our frosting kind of like a Texas sheet cake)
1-1/2 cups freshly ground soft white wheat (we used regular 'ol white flour)
1 Tbsp-pure vanilla extract
1 tsp-salt
(for a 'cakier' textured brownie, add 1/2 tsp each of baking soda and baking powder)

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 square pan.  Melt cocoa and butter together in a saucepan over low heat. Set aside.  In your mixer, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla on high speed for 10 minutes. Add cocoa mixture, flour and salt until just mixed. Stir in nuts by hand.  Pour the mix into the baking pan and bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. DO NOT OVER BAKE! Allow to cool. You can frost them, but it is not necessary.  *This brownie comes out of the oven looking really cake-like and light brown, but it becomes less fluffy and darker as it cools.  We used the chocolate pan frosting recipe from the darn good chocolate cake on top of the brownies and it was divine.


(from breadbeckers.mywowbb.com)

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

1 c. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. margarine
1/2-1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 c. milk

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and garlic powder in a bowl.  Cut margarine in as you would for pie dough.  Add cheese and stir to coat with flour.  Add milk all at once and stir gently just until incorporated.  The dough should be very soft but still hold together.  With a large spoon, drop dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, until lightly brown.

(From St. David Ward cookbook)

Tortilla Roll-Ups

Tortillas
Cream cheese
Mayonnaise
Sandwich meat
Lettuce
Green onions
Shredded cheese

Spread a layer of cream cheese over the tortilla and spread a really thin layer of mayonnaise over the cream cheese (this just helps to keep the cream cheese from drying out).  Lay slices of sandwich meat over mayo, making sure not to over lap the pieces of meat (so there aren't tiny pieces of meat when you cut the slices).  Cover meat with lettuce.  Sprinkle a few green onions down the center of the tortilla and then sprinkle cheese across the whole tortilla.  Roll up tortilla like a burrito, making sure it stays rolled really tight.  Wrap tightly in saran wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.  When ready to serve, cut off ends, then cut remainder of wrap in 1-2" slices.

(From Vicki S. and served at Maren and Jake's reception)

Marinated Cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup white wine vinegar     

1 small jar of pimentos or 2 marinated roasted red peppers - chopped small

1 bunch of green onions - chopped

1 Tbsp. fresh basil - chopped in small ribbons

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese

1 - 8 oz. package sharp cheddar cheese  

Combine all the above ingredients except the cheeses in a jar or large measuring bowl. Let sit for a few hours so the flavors combine. Meanwhile, in a shallow dish place alternating slices of cream cheese and sharp cheddar cheese in a decorative pattern. Refrigerate. About an hour or two before serving pour marinade over the cheese. Serve with premium quality crackers.  

*Some hints on how to cut and arrange the cheese in pretty rows from Sister B.  "I cut the sharp cheddar first by slicing it long ways in 3 even bars and then cutting each long bar into small slices. Do all the cheddar first. Then for the cream cheese keep it as cold as possible until ready to slice it. I put it in the freezer while I am cutting the other cheese and then do the same thing by cutting it long ways into 3 bars and then cut each one into small slices. I also find that if you cut one small slice of cream cheese and then touch the cheddar it sort of sticks to the cream cheese slice -then cut the next piece of cream cheese and touch a piece of cheddar with it and so on. I do about 3 or 4 of each and then set it on the tray. Repeat! "

(From Carrie B. and served at Maren and Jake's reception)

Garlic Chicken Pasta with Spinach

6 Tbs. olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 box (1-lb) penne pasta
5-oz. fresh spinach, chopped
1 Tbs. dried basil (or 1/2 cup fresh)
6 Tbs. lemon juice
1 cup Parmesan cheese
  
Heat olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in  a small glass bowl in the microwave for about 1 minute to blend flavors.  Pour about 1 tablespoon of the flavored oil in a skillet.  Salt and pepper chicken and cook in the oil over medium high heat until chicken is browned and juices run clear.  Add the chopped spinach and saute with the cooked chicken for 1 minute (or until just barely wilted) and remove from heat.   Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package; drain well.  Add cooked chicken/spinach to pasta, along with basil, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese.  Then stir in the remainder of the flavored olive oil.  Toss lightly until all ingredients are well-combined.  Serve immediately.  Makes about 6 servings.  

(From http://recipeshoebox.blogspot.com)

Cream Cheese Wontons

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (14 ounce) package small wonton wrappers
3 cups vegetable oil for frying
(We added lemon juice and chili powder as well)

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, green onions, paprika and ground black pepper. Place about 1 teaspoon of filling into the won ton skin and seal corner to corner forming a triangle.  In a large skillet, heat oil to a high temperature. Fry the won tons until they are browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
 
(Our version of a recipe from allrecipes.com)

Sweet and Sour Sauce

3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Place the sugar, vinegar, water, soy sauce, ketchup and cornstarch in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Stir continuously until the mixture has thickened.
 
(From allrecipes.com)

Macaroni Cheese Deluxe

8 oz package macaroni (2 cups)
2 c. small curd cottage cheese
1 c. sour cream
1 slightly beaten egg
3/4 tsp. salt
dash pepper
2 c. sharp cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni according to directions on package, drain well.  Combine cottage cheese, sour cream, egg, salt and pepper (I usually add more salt and pepper and some garlic powder).  Add cheese and mix well.  Stir in cooked macaroni.  Put into a greased 9x9 pan (double for very full 9x13).  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Towards the end of baking I usually sprinkle crushed crackers combined with melted margarine over the macaroni and bake until brown.

(From Vicki S.)

BBQ Sauce

3/4 cup ketchup 1/2 cup water 1/3 cup vinegar 3 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 Tbsp. worchester sauce 2 Tbsp. mustard onions sauteed in butter Heat together on stove, then use for whatever.  I like to do it over crockpot chicken and serve with baked potatoes or something. (From DawnSheree L.)

Dearie's Banana Cake

1 large banana pudding
4 mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cube butter

Mix and add:
1 yellow cake mix, made according to directions on package.
2 additional eggs
Lots of nuts

Mix well and put in bundt cake pan or 9x13 to make bars. Cook cake according to directions on cake mix. When cool, frost with Grandpa's Harold's frosting.

Grandpa Harold's Frosting:

1 c. milk
5 Tbsp. flour

Cook over medium-low heat until really thick and refrigerate until cool.

Cream together:
2 cubes margarine
1 c. sugar

Add cooked milk and flour and beat until smooth. Stir in 2 Tbsp. vanilla. Add nuts if desired. If frosting is too thin for the cake, add a small amount of powdered sugar or cream cheese to thicken to desired consistency. Pour over cooled cake. Double recipe for large cakes.


Alternate Banana Cake recipe:

Cream together:
1/2 c. softened butter
1 1/2 c. sugar

Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Beat for 3 minutes.

Add:
1/4 c. buttermilk
4 ripe bananas
Mix on high until combined and add:

2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix just until combined.

Cook at 350 for 30 minutes and frost when cool.