Guacamole (from Lucia)

3 Avocados
1-2 small roma tomatoes
1/4 red onion
cilantro (lots!)
1/2 to full juice from lime
salt and black pepper to taste

Cowboy Caviar

1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
2 large tomatotes, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 bunch green onions, chopped OR 1/4-1/2 red onion, chopped
1 envelope good seasons italian dressing - mix and pour over salsa (you can also add this without mixing it)
lime juice, optional (because limes make everything taste better!)

Before serving add:
2 chopped avocados.

Serve with Frito dipping chips.

Meatloaf (2 loaves)

Ingredients
2 lbs ground turkey
1 lb ground sausage (jimmy dean reg or sage)
3 eggs
1 cup oatmeal
2 cups bread crumbs or stuffing mix (pep farms)
2 cups cornflakes
2 tsp salt
1 TBSP parsley
1 TBSP basil
1 onion, chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup
pepper
2 TBSP worcestershire sauce

Directions
Mix above ingredients. Wet hands with water to smooth top of loaves. Bake 350 F for 1.5 hours. You can add a topping to this (bbq sauce, ketchup and brown sugar), but it isn't needed, imo.


from Vonnie Baird

Garlic Red Potatoes

2 lbs red potatoes, cleaned and quartered
1/4 cup butter
2-3 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp lemon juice
course ground garlic salt with parsley
parmesan cheese, optional


Preheat oven to 400 F.

Place butter in 9X13 dish and place in oven. Clean and quarter potatoes while butter is melting. Place potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon in dish in oven and mix. Cover with tinfoil. Cook about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, sprinkle with 'course ground garlic salt with parsley' and parmesan cheese (if desired) and cook an additional 10 minutes uncovered.

You can also mix all ingredients together and cook in the microwave for 15-20 minutes, stirring a couple times throughout. This tastes just OK I comparison to the baking method.

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs with vinegar
6 eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Smoked Spanish paprika, for garnish

Deviled eggs with relish

6 large eggs 

2 tablespoons mayonnaise 

1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish 

1 teaspoon prepared mustard 

1/8 teaspoon salt 

Dash of pepper 

Garnish: paprika 


Boil water in pot. Add 1 tsp baking soda. Add eggs gently (I use a spoon to add them). Put lid on pot and boil on a low boil for 1 minute then turn off stove and sit for 15 minutes. Transfer eggs, gently, into a bowl of cold water and let them sit for several minutes to cool off. Cut eggs in half and transfer egg yolks to a bowl and egg whites to a plate. Smash down egg whites with a fork. Put other ingredients into a quart size ziplock bag and mix up. Add smashed egg yolk. Mix again. Cut a small hole in corner of ziplock bag and squeeze mixture into egg whites. Enjoy! 

You can also boil water, add eggs, and cook without a lid for 11 minutes (florida update).

Simple Black Beans

1 lb black beans pre-soaked in 2 TBSP salt and 8 cups water (I soak 24 hrs) and drained
1/4-1/2 onion (whole)
1-2 garlic cloves
3-4 bay leafs
1 TBSP oil
1 tsp salt

Add the above ingredients to a pressure cooker with 7 cups of water and cook for however long your pressure cooker suggests. Mine cooks for 30 minutes after it gets to a boil. After it finishes cooking and the pressure is released, I removed the bay leaf and cook for an extra 30 minutes with the lid off. I then mash up some of the beans.

Black Beans (from Brazil)

1 lb black beans
3-4 Bay Leaves
3 Whole garlic cloves (unchopped)
2 TBSP chopped garlic (optional)
Large or 14 OZ beef smoked sausage or kabasa, cut into slices (I use half of one)

1-1.5 onions, chopped and sautéed.

SOAK beans for around 12 hours. If you don't soak, it may taste bitter and will take longer to cook.

Add all ingredients except onions to pressure cooker. Cover with water plus 2-3 inches extra. Cook 30 minutes on high once pressure cooker starts steaming (or on 'normal bean' mode). Cook 45 minutes if beans not soaked prior.

Right before serving, add sautéed onions. Take 1-2 ladles of mostly beans and smash and put in pan with onions and rest of mixture. Cook on med/med high stirring occasionally until water evaporates mostly. Enjoy!

Freezes well (best if onions added once thawed and ready to eat).

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

3 lbs wings

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
2 TBS butter
1 tsp dry mustard
3/4 cup water


Combine all ingredients besides wings and boil so butter melts. Pour over wings and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Bake on cookie sheet for 1.5 hours. Turn at least once during baking.

Baked Chicken

Chicken (thigh, drum and/or breast)
salt
pepper
olive oil
2 TBSP butter
1 tsp thyme



Bake chicken at 375 F with oil, salt and pepper for approximately 1 hour. After baking, melt 2 TBSP butter in pan with 1 tsp thyme leaves and spoon over pieces.

Chocolate Truffle Pie

Oreo Crust:
20 oreos
1/4 cup butter
 
Truffle filling:
2/3 cup heavy cream
6 ounces bittersweet choc chips

Whipped Chocolate filling:
6 ounces bittersweet choc chips
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ tsp vanilla

Whipped Cream Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar

For the Oreo crust, take the cream out of the oreos and puree the cookies. melt 1/4 cup butter and stir into the oreos. Press into pie tin and refrigerate.

For the truffle filling, in a saucepan, bring 2/3 cup cream to a simmer. Place the 6 ounces chocolate chips in a bowl and pour hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute, then gently whisk until smooth. Spread truffle filling over the bottom of the prepared pie crust. Freeze for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the whipped chocolate filling, in a double boiler or microwave set on low power, heat the 6 ounces chocolate chips with ½ cup of the cream until the chocolate is melted, stirring often. Let cool to room temperature. In a chilled bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup cream until thick. Add the chocolate mixture and the vanilla and beat until soft peaks form (tips curl). Spread the whipped chocolate mixture over the truffle filling in the crust. Refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, for the topping, beat 1 cup cream on medium speed of an electric mixer until it begins to thicken. Add powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Spread the whipped cream over the top of the pie. Optional: Garnish with chocolate pieces/shavings. Serve immediately.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Olive oil, and Lemon Juice

Oven Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Olive oil, and Lemon Juice

5 cups cauliflower, cut to eating size
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 TB garlic, minced/grated
2 TB lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TB parm cheese, grated
1 chives, for ganish (I left this out since we have no garden anymore)

Preheat oven to 500 (I did 450) degrees. Place cauliflower in large roasting pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower and season with the garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Put in oven for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parm cheese. Garnish with chopped chives.

(PS. This is not my picture and I don't know why theirs looks so cheesy. 2 TB of cheese is not that much.)

Potato Flake Rolls

Mix the following ingredients in the order listed:

2 cups warm water 

2/3 cup dry milk                     

½ cup soft butter                    

1 Tbsp dry yeast                                 

½ cup sugar

1 ½ cup instant dried potato flakes (not potato pearls)

1 ½ tsp. salt

2 eggs

 5 cups flour to make a soft dough (sometimes a little more or less)

Knead for 8 minutes. Let it raise one hour.  Punch down.  Turn out on a floured board.  Divide in half. Roll each half into a 10-12 inch circle.  Brush with melted butter.  Use pizza cutter and cut like a pizza into 16 pieces. Start at the wide end of each wedge and roll up in crescent roll fashion.  Place all 32 rolls on a greased baking sheet with points on the bottom.  Butter the tops again. Let raise 20-30 minutes.  Bake 375° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Broccoli Casserole

3 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (10 ounce) packages chopped frozen broccoli, thawed (or raw broccoli, steamed for a few minutes) 

1/2 -1 lb chicken, cooked (cubed or shredded)

2 cups cooked rice (i.e. 1 cup non-cooked rice)

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1+ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

2 eggs, beaten

1/2-1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

12 buttery round crackers, crushed fine

2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic until golden. In a small bowl, mix together soup, cheese, mayonnaise, eggs, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. In a large casserole dish, mix together onion/garlic, broccoli, chicken and rice. Add contents of small bowl to casserole dish and mix. Sprinkle crushed crackers over top and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 45 minutes, until heated through and browned on top.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 pound chicken breast (or 3/4 of a rotisserie chicken)
1 cup carrots sliced
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cups milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F 
2. In a saucepan, combine chicken (not if using rotisserie), carrots, peas, and celery. Add chicken broth (any amount) to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and save chicken broth and set aside.
3. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed (and any other spices you like to make it flavorful like garlic powder). Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and stir in the veggie/chicken mixture.
4. Put pie crust in pan. Fill with filling. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Brush with egg.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Ingredients:

24 good white dinner rolls

24 pieces good honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup miracle whip


Poppy seed sauce 
1 Tablespoon poppyseeds
1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:
In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. You do not have to use all of the sauce! Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm.

Note: Sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead and kept in the fridge ready to bake.
Recipe from thegirlwhoateeverything

French Peasant Bread

Ingredients

• 1 pkg dry yeast or 2 1/4 tsp yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 cups flour
• olive oil
• corn meal
• melted butter

Directions

Place yeast, water, sugar and salt in warm bowl and stir until dissolved. Add flour and stir until blended. Do not knead. Cover and let rise one hour or until doubled in size. Flour hands, remove dough from the bowl and place in 2 rounds on an oiled cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal. Cover with bread cloth (or loosely with saran wrap sprayed with pam). Let rise an additional hour. Brush the top with melted butter and bake at 425 F for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 F and cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush again with butter. Serve warm. Takes just under 3 hours from start to finish.

Chocolate Truffle Cake (recipe from Ruth)

Chocolate Truffle Cake (adapted from Gwin Grimes flourless chocolate cake)

1 pound Callebaut dark chocolate (I used the chips sold in the bulk section in Central Market, semi-sweet calets)

8 ounces unsalted butter, cubed

1/2 cup sugar

6 large eggs

1/2 tsp salt

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Butter the sides with softened butter. Cut a large piece of heavy duty foil or two pieces of regular foil and cover bottom and 3/4 of the way up the side of the pan with the foil.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, pour in the sugar and eggs. Beat on high speed for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is light in color and has tripled in volume.

Turn the mixer to low and pour in chocolate and butter mixture. Continue to mix on low speed until the chocolate is completely mixed in. Add the salt.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. At this point you can either bake the cake or cover the pan with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to bake the cake, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Boil about 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Place the cake in a large roasting pan and pour the boiling water around the cake pan until it reaches about 3/4 up the side of the pan. Bake the cake for about 35 minutes or until the cake is slightly puffed and the center is still slightly jiggly. It will continue to cook after it's removed from the oven, and will get completely firm once it is chilled.

Remove roasting pan and cake from the oven and let the cake cool for about 15 minutes in the water. Remove and let cool on the counter for another 30 minutes. Remove the ring, frost the cake with warm ganache and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Serve the cake or wrap the cake and chill it for a few hours. When it's cold it will cut better. Cut it like cheesecake by running hot water over the knife, drying it quickly, cut cake, repeat with each slice.

Ganache

8 ounces Callebaut semi-sweet calets

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 T sugar

1 T light corn syrup

2 T butter

Heat cream, sugar and syrup in a small saucepan to a boil. Pour over chocolate chips. Stir the mixture and add the butter. Stir again until smooth. Cool slightly before pouring on cake.

Serve with Chantilly Cream (whipped cream).

1 cup heavy cream, whipped with 2 T confectioner's sugar

Fresh and Simple Pizza

• Ingredients
• 
  
• 1 container refrigerated pizza crust (I like the pillsubry pizza crust classic, 13.8 oz)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 roma (plum) tomatoes, sliced (I use whatever tomato I have in the garden)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or fresh mozzarella sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Roll out pizza dough, and place on a baking sheet**. Mix mayonnaise, Parmesan, basil, and garlic in a small bowl. Spread mayonnaise mixture on pizza crust; top with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. OR you can switch around the order of the toppings (as seen in photo)
3. Bake in preheated oven until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes(you may have to cook a bit longer if you use fresh mozzarella). Cut into squares to serve.

**I make several small pizzas since I sometimes get uncooked dough in the middle if I make one large one.

Zucchini Bread - my favorite recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3-4 cups grated zucchini (no need to peel or drain)

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
2. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Add Zucchini and mix well. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan.

Rachel's Meaty Zucchini Casserole

6-8 medium sized zucchini

1.5 lbs meat (I use a combination of sausage and ground meat)

2 eggs

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped and sautéed

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated (can use the cheepo kind too:)

1 cup colby jack, cheddar or mozzarella cheese (I use whatever I have on hand)

1.5-2 Jars spaghetti sauce (24 oz)

spices (oregano, parlsey) to taste, optional

2-4 cups cooked rice, optional

1 cup cottage cheese, optional

Cook meat. Put in 9X13 casserole dish to cool, leaving fat from cooking in pan.

Wash and trim ends of zucchini. You can also peel zucchini, which is what my family prefers. Cut zucchini lengthwise into four pieces. Then cut into inch wide pieces. Preheat oven to 350. Cook zucchini until mostly done in pan you used to cook meat. I usually cover and cook on medium low for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While zucchini cooks mix together eggs, garlic and parmesan cheese and spaghetti sauce into meat mixture. When zucchini is done cooking, drain it then mix into the meet mixture. Add more spaghetti sauce, if desired and rice and/or cottage cheese, if desired. Top with some cheese before putting in over, or right before taking out of the oven. Cover lightly with tinfoil then cook 45-60 minutes.