Chicken Marsala

My sister gave me this recipe. It is Carabbas-style chicken marsala and is really, really good! It does require quite a few ingredients, but once you get started...it's really nothing more than throwing a bunch of stuff together in a pan and simmering. To make things easier and for timing purposes, I prepped all the ingredients first (dice the proscuitto, mince the garlic and shallots, measure out the liquids, combine spices for rub, season the chicken, etc.) This made it much easier for me to ensure that the chicken, the sauce, and my sides would all get done at the same time. Carabbas also serves a sirloin marsala which is fabulous, so I think I will make this sauce with steak next time. *I used 3 slices of proscuitto because I love it so much. I served this dish with baked potatoes and salad.

What You'll Need:

Marsala Sauce:

1/3 cup butter

1 slice prosciutto, diced

2 teaspoons minced shallots

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 4-ounce cans sliced mushrooms (drained)

1/4 cup marsala wine

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup chicken stock

2 teaspoons corn starch

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Chicken Spice:

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon marjoram

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

4 chicken breasts

What you'll Do:

Melt butter over low heat in a medium saucepan.

Turn heat up to medium/high to sauté the prosciutto in the melted butter for about 2-3 minutes (be careful not to burn the butter).

Add shallots and garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds.

Add marsala wine, simmer for another 30 seconds or so, then add mushrooms (drain off liquid) and black pepper.

Simmer over medium/high heat for 5 minutes.

Dissolve corn starch in chicken stock. Add stock to the saucepan and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Add parsley and cream to the sauce and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until thick.

Remove pan from the heat, then cover it until needed.

Preheat barbecue grill on high heat.

Combine ingredients for chicken spice in a small bowl. Use your thumb and fingers to crush the spices in the bowl to make a finer blend.

Brush each chicken breast generously with olive oil.

Sprinkle spice blend over both sides of each chicken breast and grill for 6 to 8 minutes per side or until done. Give chicken a one-quarter turn on each side while cooking to make criss-cross grill marks.

Serve entree by arranging each chicken breast on a plate. Spoon one quarter of the marsala sauce over each serving of chicken.

Goulash

If you can get past the name of this dish...I think you'll really like it! The name reminds me of something you would have thrown together in a bucket in your backyard when you were a kid pretending to cook, but it really is pretty tasty. It's Paula Deen's recipe and, as I've said before, if it's Paula's...you know it's gonna good! Definitely nothing fancy, but sometimes that's just what the doctor orders! I only made half of the recipe (and cut down the cooking time) and it still made plenty. I added a dollup of sour cream before serving and it made it more creamy and rich...I love sour cream!

What You'll Need:
2 pounds lean ground beef (I used ground sirloin)
1 pound ground turkey
2 large onions, chopped
3 cups water
1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
2 cups dried elbow macaroni

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

What you'll Do:
In a Dutch oven, saute the ground beef and ground turkey over medium-high heat, until no pink remains. Break up meat while sauteing; spoon off any grease.
Add the onions to the pot and saute until they are tender about 5 minutes.
Add 3 cups water, along with the tomato sauce, tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, House Seasoning, and seasoned salt. Stir well. Place a lid on the pot and allow this to cook for 20 to 25 minutes.
Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves and allow the mixture to sit about 30 minutes more before serving.

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

These biscuits taste just like the ones served at Red Lobster! So easy to make since you use Bisquick, and you most liklely already have all the ingredients. For the recipe, visit: http://sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com/2008/01/red-lobster-style-cheese-biscuits.html (What can I say? It was a total "SugarandSpice" week for me! Thanks Celeste!)

Nacho Spuds

This was yummy-licious! My daughter loved it too. It's a nice departure from regular tacos and something new to do with potatoes. For the recipe, visit: http://sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com/2008/01/nacho-spuds.html Thanks for another great recipe, Celeste! (Originally from Rachel Ray)

*Suggestion for additional toppings: Black Olives and Zesty Ranch Sauce

Chicken Divan

I got this recipe from "RubyRedBride06" and her great blog: http://sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com/ Thanks Celeste! The recipe originally comes from Paula Deen with the Food Network. I knew it was going to be good...I mean, what does Paula make that isn't scrumptious? I used a Rotisserie chicken from the store. I was worried that it wouldn't produce 6 cups of chicken, but it ended up being the perfect amount. Also, I used Panko bread crumbs because that's what I happened to have on hand. I really like the texture and consistency of them too. I doubled the bread crumb topping too because that's one of my favorite parts of a casserole. This makes alot, so unless you have a crowd, I would half the recipe or make it in two seperate dishes and freeze half.

What You'll Need:

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen broccoli, chopped
6 cups cooked and shredded chicken
2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon curry powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted

What You'll Do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove the outer wrappers from the boxes of broccoli. Open 1 end of each box. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes, until thawed. Drain the broccoli and put into a bowl with the shredded chicken.
In a seperate bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, Cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper and wine. Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the broccoli and chicken. Mix well with a spatula.
Place the mixture into an 11 by 7-inch casserole dish or 2 (9-inch) square disposable aluminum foil pans that have been sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula.

Combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the top.

Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Rib-Eye Steak with Black Olive Vinaigrette

Most people love a good steak, right? We do too. Especially Rib-Eye...it's our favorite cut. But, this black olive vinaigrette was unlike anything we had ever tasted on steak before. It made it super tasty and extra special. This recipe comes from Everyday Italian with Giada. I saw her make it and knew I had to try it. I adore black olives. If you've ever had a black olive tapanede, this kind of tastes like that...only a little tangier and not as thick. Speaking of black olives...make sure to get really good, Italian black olives. Definitely do not use those little watery things from a can! Giada grilled her steak, but it was way too cold here for that so I seared it and finished it in the oven. I was amazed at how tender it was! I had never cooked a steak like that before, but will certainly do it again!

What You'll Need:

Rib-eye Steak:

1 2-inch rib-eye steak, boneless

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Black Olive Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup black olives, pitted

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

What You'll Do:

For the Rib-eye:

Turn on your oven to 400 degrees. Get a cast iron skillet super hot over medium-high heat. It should be VERY hot.

Coat the beef with olive oil and sprinkle with the Herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper.

In the skillet, sear the steak on each side for about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to the oven and cook for about 8 minutes longer or until desired doneness...depending on how thick the steak is.

For the Black Olive Vinaigrette:

Combine the olives, red wine vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until mixed. Drizzle the oils into the blender with the machine running. Transfer the vinaigrette to a serving dish. Stir in the parsley and serve with the rib-eye.

Roasted Asparagus with Parmesean

Couldn't be faster or easier and makes for a nice, elegant side. Pretty healthy too! I like to get the skinny asparagus rather than the big, fat ones because they tend to be more tender.

What You'll Need:

Asparagus
EVOO

Salt & Pepper

Shredded Parmesean

What You'll Do:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse and dry asparagus. Cut off the woody part at the ends...hold one asparagus on each end and bend it...where it naturally snaps off is how much you need to remove from the rest.

Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook for 8-10 minutes. They should still have some texture to them...should not be mushy.

When they come out of the oven, sprinkle with parmesean.

Seared Scallops with Wasabi Mayo

Seared scallops are so easy to make...I don't know why I tend to save them for special occasions. The wasabi dressing with the avocado goes perfectly with the scallops. To make it more of an appetizer, you could get a leaf of Bibb lettuce and place a piece of avocado on it, a scallop, then a drizzle of the dressing.



What You'll Need:
6-8 Jumbo Sea Scallops
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 Avocado
3/4 Cup Mayonaise
Juice of Half a Lime
1 Tbsp. Wasabi Paste (more or less to taste)
2 Tbsp. Cilantro, chopped

What you'll Do:
Rinse the scallops making sure the "beard" has been removed. Thouroughly pat dry.
Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with Salt and Pepper.
In a VERY hot pan, sear the scallops on one side and allow to cook for about 3 minutes until they loosen from the pan. Flip them over and do the same for the other side.
To make the dressing, combine the mayo, lime juice, wasabi, and cilantro and refrigerate until ready to use.
Serve the warm scallops with the avocado on the side drizzled with the wasabi mayo.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

My husband's all-time favorite sweet treat is chocolate covered strawberries. In fact, he loves them so much that we had a tower of them at our wedding rather than having a groom's cake! I made them for him last Valentine's Day and thought I would continue on the tradition this year. They are super easy to make and taste so yummy. It's a nice ending to a romantic dinner. Sure, my white chocolate drizzle may look more like blobs than the professional drizzle you see in the Godiva shop....but, I don't think my husband will mind once he tastes them!

What You'll Need:

Strawberries (ripe and large...stem on looks even nicer)

Milk Chocolate (I use the chocolate that you buy by the pound from Fresh Market, but you can use chips, squares, bars...whatever you like best.)

White Chocolate

What you'll Do:

Gently rinse the strawberries and dry them very well. They should not be even the slightest bit damp. I like to leave the green leaves on.

Melt the milk chocolate. (I just use the microwave on 50% power for a minute at a time, stirring in between. You can use a double boiler if you prefer.)

Dunk the strawberries into the milk chocolate. Put into refrigerator to cool and harden for a few minutes.

In the meantime, melt the white chocolate.

Take the strawberries out of the fridge and, using a fork, drizzle the white chocolate on. This will work best if you lay your strawberries on some wax paper before drizzling so that you can make long, sweeping motions with your drizzle. Then, transfer them to your serving dish.

Crispy Fried Chicken Cutlettes

This chicken is great served with freshly squeezed lemon. Although they are fried, the cutlettes are so thin that they don't seem heavy or greasy at all. Pair them with a salad, some corn and/or rice, and you have a great weeknight meal that doesn't take long to cook.

What You'll Need:

4 Chicken Cutlettes (Or 2 breasts, butterflied and pounded thin.)
1 Egg
Flour for Dredging
Breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Tbsp. Butter

Hot Sauce

What You'll Do:

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium.

Put the flour in a container. Season with salt and pepper.

Crack egg into a seperate container. Put a few dashes of hot sauce into the egg.

Put the breadcrumbs into a third container.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Dredge one piece of chicken at a time into the flour. Dip into egg then into breadcrumbs, pressing them into the chicken.

Add oil and butter to pan.

Put chicken into pan and continue with other pieces.

Cook for about 4 minutes. Flip and cook other side for about 4 more minutes.

Place cooked chicken on a wire rack after removing from pan so that they don't get soggy.

Italian Panini

Oh My!!! I think I could eat a panini every day of my life and not get tired of it! Of course, you can make them with just about anything that you love...turkey, roasted peppers, pesto, artichoke hearts...but I love it this way because it reminds me of a panini that ate while in Italy. It was in one of those fabulous little cafe windows and I couldn't resist. Eating one at home just makes me smile remembering how great it tasted while I walked the streets of Venice!

What You'll Need:

Good bread (Ciabatta, French Loaf, Italian Loaf, Baguette)

Proscuitto
Salami
Fresh Mozzerella

Fresh Basil

Tomatoes

EVOO

S & P

What You'll Do:

Slice the bread in half long-ways.

Add the proscuitto, salami, cheese, basil, and tomatoes to the bread, layering any way you like.

Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with S&P.

Drizzle a hot panini press, grill pan, or griddle with some olive oil. Put the panini on the pan and press with something heavy. (I just use a heavy cast iron skillet on top of the panini to press it down).

Cook for about 3 minutes then flip to cook the other side.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

I combined several recipes to make this one my own. I love the smoked gouda in this...it gives it such good flavor. I really think, though, that what makes a pizza great is its crust. I just used a Pillsbury pizza dough from a tube that I rolled out, but I think it would be much better with a homemade dough or one that you buy from a local pizzeria. For the BBQ sauce, I used a combination of Sticky Finger's North Carolina Sweet and Stubb's Original. Use whatever you like best.

What you'll Need:

Pizza Dough

1 lb. chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1/2 red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lb. smoked gouda, shredded

1-2 cups shredded mozzerella

2 oz. bacon bits

Small can pineapple tidbits

1 bottle BBQ sauce

cilantro, chopped

What You'll Do:

Prepare your crust according to directions. (I drizzled my store-bought crust with EVOO and baked it on 400 for about 8 minutes.)

Put a little oil in a pan and sautee the onion and garlic over medium until soft. Add the cooked, shredded chicken, bacon bits, and about 2/3 of the BBQ sauce and heat through.

Pour the remaining BBQ sauce on the crust and all the chicken mixture on top of that.

Add the pineapple and sprinkle the cheese all over.

Bake for about another 10 minuites until cheese is melted.

Sprinkle cilantro on top.

Pesto Pasta with Chicken

This is (yet another) quick and easy meal that I like to cook during the week when I'm too tired to spend hours in the kitchen. You can make your own pesto, but the kind I buy in the jar is great and saves alot of time and dirty dishes! Any pasta would be good with this, but I like Pene b/c it's holds the sauce well.

What You'll Need:

2 Tbsp. Oil

1 lb. Chicken (breasts or tenders), cut into medium sized chunks
Mini Pene Pasta (I used about 1/2 a box)
1 Jar Pesto

What You'll Do:

Heat oil in a large skillet.

Boil pasta to al dente in salted water.

Cook chicken in the oil until no longer pink.

Add 1-2 Tbsp. of the pesto to the chicken. Stir and cook over low heat for a couple of minutes.

Drain pasta and add to the chicken. Stir and let everything cook together for a few minutes.

Crispy Sauteed Potatoes with Rosemary

I'm always trying to find new things to do with potatoes, and these were really good. The funny thing is that once I tasted them, I realized that I grew up eating potatoes cooked this way. My mom used to make them all the time. She would always serve them with pinto beans, turnip greens, and cornbread...a true Southern country dinner. I served them with grilled porkchops and they worked just as well!

What You'll Need:

1-2 lbs. red or white potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. minced garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

What You'll Do:

Place potatoes in a pot of salted water, bring to a boil, and simmer until nearly tender (about 10 minutes). Drain.

Heat oil over med-high heat in a large non-stick skillet for 3-4 minutes.

Cook potatoes in the oil, tossing from time to time, until they are nicely browned all over (about 15 minutes).

Add the rosemary and garlic and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Omelet...My Way

When I'm really hungry in the morning, nothing satisfies me like an omelet. Also perfect for weekend mornings when you get to sleep in and be lazy after breakfast! Of course, you can put anything you like in your omelet, but this is how I like mine. I think the only difficult part to making an omelet is learning how to manuever the pan so that all the egg cooks, yet stays together. I think the only way to get this down pat is to practice it alot. I was so excited when I learned to flip the omelet over in the pan just by using a swift flip of the wrist! But, even if it doesn't look perfect when it's done (and you can see from the picture that mine tore a little too) it's okay....it'll still taste great!

What You'll Need:

2 Eggs
1 Tbsp. Butter
Salt & Pepper

Shredded Cheddar

Roasted Red Peppers
Bacon, crumbled (or bacon bits)

Capers

(Mushrooms are also great, but I didn't have any)

What You'll Do:

In a bowl, wisk the eggs with some salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in an omelet pan.
Pour the eggs into the pan and let set on the bottom for several seconds. I like to use a rubber spatula to lift and push the eggs around a bit, allowing the uncooked egg on the top to run to the sides and bottom.

Once all the eggs look cooked, put the cheese, bacon, peppers, and capers in a small pile on one side of the omelet.

Fold over the other side on top of the ingredients.

Let cook for a few seconds while the cheese begins to melt and everything gets warm.

Using a quick, swift flip of your wrist, flip the omelet over so that the other side can cook for a few more seconds (or just turn it over with your spatula!)

Double Chocolate Mocha Brownie Trifle

Man oh Man! This dessert is so yummy! If you like brownies and coffee...you will love this! This recipe comes from Pampered Chef. It is very simple to whip together and tastes great the next day too. Also, it serves alot of people which is always a good thing for parties!

What You'll Need:

1 package brownie mix

1 3/4 cups cold milk

2 packages white chocolate instant pudding

1/4 cup warm water

4 teaspoons instant coffee granules

2 cups thawed frozen whipped topping

3 toffee bars (or buy toffee bits)

What You'll Do:

Lightly spray 9" X 13" pan with vegetable oil. Prep and bake brownie mix according to cake-like package directions. (This usually means adding an extra egg.) Cool completely.

Whisk pudding mix into milk until mixture begins to thicken. Dissolve coffee granules in warm water; add to pudding mixture, mixing well. Fold in whipped topping.

Cut brownies into 1-inch cubes. Chop toffee bars. Layer 1/3 of brownie cubes onto bottom of trifle bowl. Top with 1/3 of pudding mixture, pressing lightly, and 1/3 of shopped toffee. Repeat layers two more times. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

White Chip Chocolate Cookies

This recipe was given to me by Bridellie on TheNest.com. It comes from Allrecipes.com. She described these cookies as the best and easiest she had ever made, and I think I must agree! I had all of the ingredients needed, so no special trip to the store was necessary. I undercooked them just a bit because I like cookies to be a little gooey inside and chewy on the outside. This recipe makes over 50 cookies...so I only baked half and left the other half of the dough in the fridge to bake later. Anyway, is there really anything better than a spoonful of cookie dough? I think not!

What You'll Need:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups white chocolate chips

What You'll Do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture.

Fold in the white chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies are set.

Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lasagne with Bechamel and Ragu

I combined several different lasagna recipes to come up with this one. I much prefer a lasagna with a bechemel sauce rather than one with ricotta and cottage cheese. It is much creamier and is more authentic Itlaian in my opinion. In the past, I have made homemade meat sauce for lasagna, but in this one I just used some ground round and a jar of tomato sauce (I like Bertolli Organic, Olive Oil, Basil and Garlic) to make it much faster and easier. The pictures above show the steps involved (layer of noodles with bechemel, layer of meat sauce, layer of cheese) but I forgot to take a picture of it after it was cooked. Oops! This lasagna can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or even frozen. It makes alot so it's great for a large group too!

What You'll Need:

12 lasagne noodles

1 Lb. ground round

1 jar good tomato sauce

2-3 Tbs. white wine

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

2 cups milk

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 cups grated parmesean

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

More salt & pepper, to taste

Butter, oil, or spray to coat dish

What You'll Do:

Set at least 5 quarts of water in a large pot over high heat. When it comes to a boil, salt it. Cook lasagne noodles for about 5 minutes. They should be underdone...they will finish cooking in the oven. You do not want them to be mushy. Drain the noodles, then spread them out and allow to rest on paper towels while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

To make the meat sauce: Cook meat over medium until browned. Drain. Add tomato sauce to the meat. Pour the white wine into the jar, swish, and pour into pot. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

To make the Bechamel: In medium saucepan, melt butter over med-lo heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes until smooth and golden. Whisk in milk, broth, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. The sauce should be thick enough to cover the back of a spoon...it will thicken more as it sits.

To assemble: Prepare glass casserole dish by smearing some butter, oil, or spray on the bottom. Place a layer of noodles (3 noodles if you are using a 9 X 13 dish) , touching but not overlapping. Cover the noodles with about 1/4 each of the bechamel, meat sauce, mozzarella, parmesean, and a sprinkling of black pepper (also salt if you feel it needs more). Make four layers, ending with parmesean. (Make sure no noodles are left on top without being completely covered in sauces and cheeses or they will get hard on the edges.)

Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees, until lasagne is bubbly. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Lemon Squares

This recipe was suggested to me by Katie http://www.goodthingscatered.blogspot.com/
on the What's Cooking Board on TheNest.com. It comes from the Williams Sonoma Collection Series, Dessert. These are probably the most declicious lemon bars I've ever eaten! They are very lemony and tart. One bar is the perfect ending to any dinner!

What You'll Need:
For the crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
8 Tbs. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

For the filling:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
3 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs. heavy cream

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)

What You'll Do:
To make the crust, preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish, preferably glass. In a food processor, combine the flour, granulated sugar, salt and cinnamon. Pulse briefly until blended. Add the butter and pulse until the dough forms moist crumbs and sticks together when pinched, about 1 minute. There should be no trace of dryness. Press the dough into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the prepared baking dish, lightly flouring your fingertips if necessary to prevent them from sticking. Bake the crust until pale golden, 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the crust cool completely.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

To make the filling, in a bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, flour, salt and lemon zest. Add the eggs, lemon juice and cream and whisk until just blended. Carefully pour the mixture over the baked crust.

Bake until the filling is set but still jiggles slightly when the dish is gently shaken, about 20 minutes, or longer if using a metal pan. Transfer the pan to the wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes.

Run the tip of a small knife along the inside of the dish to loosen the crust from the sides, then let cool completely.

Cut into 12 small rectangles. Using a spatula, carefully remove the bars from the dish. Just before serving, sift a dusting of confectioners sugar over the bars. Makes 12 bar cookies.

Taco Chili

Taco Soup is so good when it's cold outside. And, I love the fact that I usually have all the ingredients on hand and can just throw it all together in a matter of minutes. You can let it cook in a crock pot for hours or just cook it on the stove for about 30 minutes. I serve it with sour cream, shredded cheese and fritos.

What You'll Need:

1 lb. ground beef (I use round)

1 onion, chopped

1 can chili beans

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can corn, drained

1 can rotel

1 can diced tomatoes

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 pkg. ranch dressing mix

What You'll Do:

Sautee the onion in a little oil.

Add the meat and brown.

Drain the meat.

Add all other ingredients and cook on Med to Med-Hi for about 30 minutes.

Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage

This recipe makes alot! This is a great dish to make for a crowd and it freezes well too. The sausage gives it great flavor... and, of course, all that cheese makes it so delicious! The tomato sauce couldn't be easier to throw together and can be made days in advance, if needed. I found this recipe on FoodNetwork.com.

What You'll Need:

(For the tomato sauce)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound sweet and or spicy Italian sausages, casing removed and crumbled

1/4 medium onion, diced (about 3 tablespoons)

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 1/2 cups whole, peeled, canned tomatoes in puree, (one 28-ounce can), roughly chopped

Sprig fresh thyme

Sprig fresh basil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

(For the Rest)

1 pound dried ziti pasta

Kosher salt

1 pound fresh mozzarella, half cut into 1/2-inch cubes and half thinly sliced

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch red pepper flakes

What you'll Do:

Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously, and boil the pasta until al dente, tender but still slightly firm. Drain.

Sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes more.

Add the tomatoes and the herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in the salt and season with pepper, to taste. Use now or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Toss the cooked pasta with the marinara sauce, cubed mozzarella, half the Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and pepper flakes. Transfer the pasta to an oiled 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Cover the top of the pasta with the sliced mozzarella, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until lightly browned and hot, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tuscan Pasta with Basil Cream

The name of this pasta makes it sound much fancier than it really is! In fact, it uses a jar sauce and pre-made ravioli. So, it's great for a quick week-night dinner when you are tired and hungry. You pretty much just throw everything together and warm through...and, presto, dinner is served!




What You'll Need:
1 (20 oz) package refrigerated 4-cheese ravioli (I use Buotini)
1 (16 oz) jar Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo sauce
2 Tbs. white wine
2 medium fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh Basil
1/3 cup Parmesean Cheese


What you'll Do:
Prepare pasta according to package directions
Pour alfredo sauce into saucepan. Pour white wine into jar, shake, and pour into sauce.
Stir in chopped tomatoes and basil.
Cook over med-lo heat for about 5 minutes.
Toss pasta into sauce and top with Parmesean cheese.

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken

I used chicken cutletts for this recipe because that's what I had in the freezer, but I think it would have worked best with chicken breasts that you pound out yourself. This is because the cutletts are much smaller and I wasn't able to put as much filling in. Also, I had to use several picks in each one to get them to stay closed. The next time I make this, I will add salt to the spinach mixture while cooking and I will put more feta cheese inside. They were still really good though!

What You'll Need:

3 cups lightly packed baby spinach (about 4 oz)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp. olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheeese

1 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning

1/2 tsp. oregano

What You'll Do:

Preheat oven to 400.

In a saucepan, cook spinach and garlic in olive oil until spinach is tender. Set aside.

Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a mallet to 1/4 inch thickness.

Spoon one-quarter of the spinach mixture down the center of each breast. Top with 1 Tbsp. of the feta.

Fold in long sides and roll up from a short end. Secure with picks.

Brush rolled-up breasts with some olive oil and sprinkle on the lemon pepper and oregano.

Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Top with chopped parsley and additional feta, if desired.

Roasted Fish with Cherry Tomatoes and Capers

This recipe originally called for Flounder, but I used Tilapia. I think it would also be good with Grouper or any other white fish. The cherry tomatoes are so good...they get sweet and juicy, and go very nicely with the capers and balsamic vinegar.





What You'll Need:
3-6 Fish Fillets
30 Cherry Tomatoes
6 Garlic Cloves, skin on and crushed
3 Tbs. Capers, rinsed and drained
2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
3 Tbsp. EVOO
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1/8 Tsp. Pepper
1 Tsp. Dried Thyme

What You'll Do:
Make a marinade out of the vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper. Put the tomatoes, garlic, and capers into the marinade and gently mix.
Pour onto a baking sheet and roast for about 10 minutes on 400 degrees. You should start to see the tomatoes split open.
Add fish, resting on top of tomatoes.
Season fish with more salt and pepper. Drizzle on some EVOO and sprinkle on the thyme.
Bake for another 10 minutes or so, until fish is done and flaky.

Double Layer Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Wow! This pie is a winner! It tastes just like a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup! If you love peanut butter and chocolate...this pie is a must-try. I'll warn you though...it is so rich, I couldn't even finish my entire piece. And that never happens! (Tip: I used the larger sized graham cracker crust that holds more filling. I think the regular size would have been too small.) This recipe came from AllRecipes.com.

What You'll Need:

1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon cold milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
2 (3.9 ounce) packages instant chocolate pudding mix
2 cups cold milk
4 peanut butter cups, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

What You'll Do:
In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and peanut butter until smooth. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups of whipped topping.

Spread mixture on bottom of pie crust.
In a second bowl, stir pudding mix with 2 cups milk until thick.

Immediately stir in remaining whipped topping.

Spread mixture over peanut butter layer.
Scatter peanut butter cups over top of pie.

Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Harvest Salad

This salad reminds me of Fall and Thanksgiving for some reason. It has so many yummy things in it, and the dressing is different than most because of all the fresh basil in it. It is a sweeter dressing, so if don't like sweet, you may want to put less sugar than called for.

Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup cider vinegar (more or less to taste)
2 cloves garlic
1 package fresh basil, chopped or torn
Salt & Pepper to taste

Salad:
Romaine Lettuce
Bacon, crumbled
pples, very thinly sliced
Craisins, large handful
Pecans, broken into pieces
Blue Cheese, crumbled

Mix everything together just before serving.

Chicken Piccata

This is one of my absolute favorite chicken dishes. This recipe comes from Giada on Food Network. If you like butter, lemon and capers, you will love this! I use chicken cutlettes when I make this, but you can just butterfly regular breasts if that's what you have. Also, I usually leave off the parsley just because I usually don't have any in the fridge...it's still great without it.

What You'll Need:
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

What You'll Do:
Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil.
When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.
Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning.
Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously.
Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Zesty Corn Quesadillas

These corn quesadillas make a great appetizer for a party or a side dish with dinner. With only 4 ingredients, they are quick and simple. You probably already have everything you need to make them! Just make sure you drain the corn well and try to use a chunkier salsa that does not have much liquid. I serve them with a dollup of sour cream and a squeeze of lime. Cilantro would be great too...and you could add some chopped, cooked chicken to the mix for a main dish.

What you'll Need:

1 can Corn, drained
1/4 cup Salsa
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
4 Tortillas (I use the soft taco size)

What You'll Do:

Heat just a little oil in a pan over Med-Hi.

Add one tortilla to the pan and put corn filling on one side.

Fold over the tortilla and cook.

Flip over and cook other side.

Cheese should be melted and tortilla should be brown on both sides.

Repeat with remaining tortillas and cut into 3 wedges each. You should end up with 12 wedges.