Standard Pie Crust from Ina Garten

3 cups flour into food processor
1 tsp salt
1 Tb sugar

Pulse a few times to mix

12 Tb very cold diced butter
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening

Pulse till butter size of peas

1/2 cup iced water down feed tube and pulse till begins to form a ball.

Dump onto floured board. Roll into ball and cover in saran wrap and refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Creamy Garlic Alfredo Sauce

This recipe is very easy and fairly low fat, compared with regular Alfredo Sauce.

Ingredients:
2 TBS butter
3-6 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk
3 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste, if needed

Directions:
In medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cream cheese and stir with whisk until smooth. Add milk gradually, whisking with each addition. Stir in Parmesan cheese, pepper, and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes for a thicker sauce or remove right after cheese is melted for a thinner sauce. Serve immediately over hot, cooked noodles.

From www.melskitchencafe.com

cream cheese frosting

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract

Meat Stuffed Bell Peppers

I usually double this recipe. You can add lentils in place of ground hamburger for a vegetarian/healthier version, or even do 50/50.

Ingredients:
4 bell peppers

2 Tbs olive oil
8 ounces ground beef
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme (sometimes I add less thyme and then add some oregano)

1 cup hot cooked rice
1 ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped (when I double this I used a can of diced tomatoes)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil
Worcestershire sauce or red pepper flakes to taste
Salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 Tbs olive oil
Parmesan cheese

Prepare bell peppers (de-stem and clean out). Steam over boiling water for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet and sauté meat, onion and thyme until meat is browned. Add rice, tomato, eggs, garlic, and seasonings.  Fill peppers with mixture and set in baking dish. Add breadcrumbs on top and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with cheese. Cook 375 for 25 minutes.

Adapted from the Joy of Cooking

Lentils

Lately we have been replacing ground hamburger for lentils (or you can do half and half). As long as you add seasoning to the lentils it usually tastes great, if not better than the ground hamburger. Remember to only cook the lentils until they are just done or else they will become soggy/mushy. We've done this very successfully with:

-Taco salad
I season the lentils with taco seasoning or I add chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, onion and garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes and maybe some oregano and paprika.
-Stuffed green peppers
I season the lentils with lots of salt and pepper, oregano, basil, garlic, onions, and tomatoes and mix it with rice and an egg or two.

Chinese Chicken and Noodle Soup

After watching Kung Fu Panda together one night, Breno and I were both craving a Chinese noodle soup, like the one Po's "dad" makes. I looked up some recipes on the internet but they kept calling for ingredients I didn't have. I decided to make a soup based off the egg drop soup recipe I had and it was easy and turned out great. I usually double this recipe.

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken stock (or 2 cups chicken broth and 2 cups water)
2 large slices fresh ginger
2 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 Tbs cornstarch (I add a little more to increase thickness)
3 Tbs water
Fresh vegetables, chopped (carrots, mushrooms, celery)
Oriental style noodles (I got mine from a Chinese store)
Chicken, cooked and shredded (I use my crock pot chicken for this)
1 tsp salt (if using stock, do not add if using broth)
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 scallions, diagonally sliced (i.e. spring/green onion)(opt.)

Combine stock/broth-water, ginger and garlic in a large saucepan and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Discard the ginger and garlic. In a small bowl stir together cornstarch and water. Bring soup to low simmer and add cornstarch mixture. Stir until the soup is slightly thickened. Add vegetables and noodles and boil 5 minutes, or until done (the noodles I have only need to be cooked 5 minutes). Add chicken and allow to warm in soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with scallions.

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.

Chive-Ham Brunch Bake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 Tbs butter

1 can (5 oz) chunk ham, drained (or any left over ham)

1 medium tomato, chopped

2 cups biscuit/baking mix

1/2 cup water

1 cup (4 oz) shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp dill weed

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

3 Tbs minced chives

Directions:

In a small skillet, sauté onion in butter until tender. Stir in the ham and tomato; set aside. In a small bowl, combine biscuit mix and water; mix well. Press onto the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Spread ham mixture over the crust; sprinkle with cheese. In a bowl, beat the eggs, milk, dill, salt, and pepper; pour over cheese. Sprinkle with chives. Bake uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

When I make this, I add anything on hand that I would to an omelet. More tomatoes, bacon, mushrooms, olives, etc. I then add an extra egg or two and increase the milk. Delicious.

From The Taste of Home Cookbook

Bacon Quiche Tarts

Ingredients:
1 package cream cheese (6 oz), softened
5 tsp milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese
2 Tbs chopped green pepper
1 Tbs finely chopped onion
1 tube (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add the eggs, cheese, green pepper and onion; mix well. Separate dough into eight triangles; press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased muffin cups. (I usually get a little dough from each of the 8 and make 9 total). Sprinkle half of the bacon into cups. Pour egg mixture over bacon; top with remaining bacon. Bake uncovered at 375 for 18-22 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Serve warm.

Easy to make. Great for freezing. Great finger breakfast food.

From The Taste of Home Cookbook.

Crock Pot Chicken and Black Beans

3-4 boneless chicken breast halves, cut in strips
1 can (12-15 oz) corn (or frozen), drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2-1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, cut in strips (I leave this out)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on LOW about 6 hours.
Either warm some tortillas and put crock pot mixture in the tortillas with lettuce, cheese and sour cream or serve over some rice.