Nutrition

Appetizers

Shrimp Dip

• 1 can (4-5 oz) cleaned shrimp
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1/4 mayonnaise
• 1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1 T finely chopped onion
• 1/8 tsp dried dill weed
• 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt

Drain shrimp, rinse in cold water, and chop finely. Gradually blend milk and mayonnaise into cream cheese. Beat until smooth. Add onion, salt, dill weed and Tabasco. Mix well. Stir in shrimp. Chill and serve. Makes 2 cups

Hot Appetizer Pie

• 1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
• 1 pkg or jar of chipped (dried) beef, chopped fine
• 2 T milk
• 2 T minced green onion
• 1 cup sour cream (if serving cold use 2 cups)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Add milk to cream cheese and mix with mixer until smooth; add chipped beef, onions and sour cream. Pour into a glass pie pan and top with chopped walnuts. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Serve with crackers or vegetables

Black Bean Salsa

• 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 can of petite jalapeno flavored diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 bunch of green onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3/4 bunch of cilantro
• 2 medium jalapenos
• 1/3 cup of orange juice

Put garlic, cilantro, jalapenos and orange juice into food processor and process into a rustic chop. Pour over other ingredients and mix well. Chill and serve with tortilla chips.

Fruit Dip

• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Dash of nutmeg
• 2 cups of thawed Cool Whip

Mix sugar with spices. Fold in whipped topping… do not over mix Serve with assorted fruits, cookies or cake cubes. Makes 1-2/3 cups.

Beverages

Russian Tea

• 1 cup dry, unsweetened instant tea mix
• 1 pkg of Kool-Aid Lemonade flavor
• 1 cups of Tang
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Mix very well and store in air tight container. To use: Add 2 teaspoons to 1 cup of boiling water. Makes 4 cups of dry mix.

Fireside Coffee

• 1 cup cocoa mix
• 1 cup non-dairy creamer
• 1 cup instant coffee
• 1-3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp nutmeg

In a large container with a lid, mix all ingredients; stir together well. To use: Add 3 teaspoons of mix to 1 cup of boiling water.

Breads

Apple Nut Muffins

• 1-1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup chopped unpeeled apple
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk

Combine dry ingredients, set aside. In large bowl, mix sugar, oil and vanilla. Add eggs and mix well. Add 1/2 of flour mixture and mix well. Stir in apples, nuts and milk. Add remaining flour and mix well. Pour into greased muffin tin. Bake 350° 25 minutes.

Buttermilk Pancakes

• 3 egg yolks, beat well and add:
• 1-2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Sift together and beat into egg mixture:
• 1-1/2 cup flour, 1 T sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt. Beat into egg and dry ingredients 3 T melted butter and fold in 3 beaten egg whites.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

• 2 cups of grated zucchini
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1-1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 chopped nuts
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 T cocoa
• 3 cups flour

Mix together zucchini, oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 350° for 1 hour.

Pizza Dough

• 1 pkg or 1 T yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 T oil
• 2-1/2 cup flour

Dissolve yeast in water. Stir in remaining ingredients and beat 20 strokes – knead 20 times. Let raise 10-15 minutes. Stretch dough with oiled hands to fit 1 large pizza pan that has been oiled. Add your favorite toppings.

Desserts

Bill's Favorite Brownies

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups flour

Mix all ingredients together and beat well. Pour into greased 9 x 13 cake pan and bake at 350° for about 30 minutes.

Frosting:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Crisco
• 2 T cocoa
• 1/4 cup milk

Cook above ingredients over med. Heat stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add 1 tsp vanilla. Cool. Spread on brownies.

Lemon Delight

Crust:

• Mix 1-1/2 cup flour
• 1-1/2 sticks of butter, softened
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
• Mix well and press into 9 x 13 pan
• Bake 325° 30 minutes

Filling:

• Beat until smooth, 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 carton lf large Cool Whip

Cool crust, and then spread cream cheese mixture over crust.

Topping:

• Combine 3 small pkgs of lemon instant pudding and 4-1/2 cups milk
• Beat until smooth
• Spread over creamed cheese mixture and frost with remaining cool whip
• Chill

Rhubarb Pudding

• 4 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1-3/4 cup sugar
• 3 T butter, softened
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 T cornstarch

Place rhubarb in baking dish, cream sugar and butter together. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients with milk to creamed mixture.
Pour over rhubarb. Mix 1 cup sugar with 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1/4 tsp salt. Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture. Pour 1 cup hot water over entire mixture and
bake at 375° 1 hour.

Strawberry Mousse

• 1 8 oz. pkg fat free cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 small pkg Sugar Free Strawberry Jell-O
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 cups thawed Cool Whip, sugar free if available
• 2 cups sliced strawberries

Beat cream cheese and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Set aside.

Stir boiling water into dry Jell-O in small bowl until completely dissolved. Add cold water, stir until thickened. Gradually add to cream cheese mixture
beating after each addition until well blended. Gently stir in 1-1/2 cups of the whipped topping and strawberries. Spoon evenly into 10 small dessert dishes.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. Top with a dollop of remaining whipped topping just before serving.

Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1-1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1-1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1-1/4 packed brown sugar
• 1 T vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 bag (24 oz) semisweet choc. Chips

Cream butter, sugars, vanilla and salt together well. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix in dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons full, about 2" apart, onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350° 11-13 minutes. Place on rack to cool. About 6 dozen cookies.

Soft Ginger Cookies

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt

Cream shortening and sugar, add egg and molasses. Add dry ingredients. Roll into 1" balls and roll balls in sugar. Flatten slightly. Bake at 350° 12 minutes. Cool on rack.

Soups

Taco Soup

• 1-1/2 hamburger
• 4 T onion, diced
• 1 can kidney beans (not drained)
• 1 can whole kernel corn (not drained)
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 3 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 cup prepared salsa

Brown hamburger and onions. Drain off fat. Add other ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer 15 minutes. Garnish with sour cream, grated cheese and corn chips.

Pasta E Fagioli

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup carrot, shredded
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1-15 oz. can red kidney beans
• 1-15 oz. can Great Northern Beans, untrained
• 1-15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1-12 oz can V8 juice
• 1 T white vinegar
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 lb ditalini pasta

Brown ground beef in large pot. Drain off most of the fat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except pasta and simmer for 1 hour. About 50 minutes into simmer time, cook the pasta in 1-1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water. Cook 10 minutes, drain. Add pasta to the large pot of soup. Simmer and serve. Good with French bread or breadsticks.

White Chicken Chili

• 3-15 oz. cans Great Northern, pinto or cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
• 2-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I use the rotisserie chickens from the
  grocer)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 cans green chilies
• 2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
• 3-1/2 cups chicken broth
• Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• Broken tortilla chips (optional) (I sliced corn tortillas into thin strips
  and fry and salt them)

In a 3-1/2-4 quart slow cooker stir together the drained beans, chicken, onion, green chilies, jalapeño, garlic, cumin, salt and oregano. Stir in chicken broth. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or on high heat for 4-5 hours. Garnish with cheese and tortilla chips.

Salads

Apple Salad

• 8 apples, peeled and diced (I love Granny Smith for this)
• 1 large can pineapple tidbits, drained
• 1/2-3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
• 1 large carton Cool Whip
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients together and chill thoroughly before serving.

Cranberry Fruit Salad

• 1 bag fresh cranberries
• 1-½ cups sugar
• 1 large can pineapple tidbits
• 1 can peaches
• 1 can fruit cocktail
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 8 oz container fat free sour cream

Grind cranberries, add sugar and let set overnight. Add all 3 cans of fruit which have been drained. Just before serving add sour cream and marshmallows.

Dump Salad

• 1 large container low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 large container Cool Whip
• 1 large box of dry Orange Jell-O
• 1 large can of mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Mix all ingredients together very well and chill. Good variations to this are Strawberry Jell-O with sliced strawberries instead of oranges and Strawberry/Banana Jell-O with sliced strawberries and bananas instead of oranges. Use your imagination with flavors.

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 1 bottle Zesty Italian salad dressing
• 1 pkg Ranch dressing
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped

Cook spaghetti, drained and rinse under cold water. Add rest of ingredients
and chill

Italian Dressing

• 1 qt. Burgundy or Chianti wine
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 whole head fresh garlic, minced
• 1 T pepper
• 1 T salt
• 1 tsp onion salt
• Mix all ingredients in an airtight container and shake very well.

Strawberry-Spinach Salad

• 1 bag or container of fresh spinach
• 1 quart of fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup of roasted walnuts
• Raspberry vinaigrette or poppy seed dressing

Wash and spin dry the spinach and add strawberries and walnuts. Use dressing sparingly as it will cause a soggy salad.

Sweet-Sour Cucumbers

• 1 unpeeled cucumber
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 1/2 tsp mustard seed

Score cucumber with fork and slice very thin. Slice onion and separate into rings. Combine the last 5 ingredients, stir well and bring to a boil. Pour over cucumber and onion while hot. Chill thoroughly and serve. Makes 3 cups.

Confetti Salad

• 1 head of broccoli
• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 small red onion
• 1 container of cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 cucumber, unpeeled
• 1 bag of shredded carrots
• 1 large bottle of Zesty Italian Salad dressing

Into a large bowl, break broccoli and cauliflower apart into bite-size pieces. Chop onion, slice and quarter cucumber. Add tomatoes and carrots. Mix very well and pour salad dressing over vegetables. Mix again very well. Store in airtight container in refrigerator at least 4 hours. Shake or turn the container once an hour to evenly distribute dressing.

Best Macaroni Salad Ever

This recipe makes a very large amount. You may want to cut it in half unless you are feeding a large crowd.

• 2 pounds elbow macaroni
• 12 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 4 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1/4 pickle relish
• 3 cups mayonnaise
• 2 T salt
• 1 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
• Dash of hot sauce
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce

Cook pasta in salted water until done. Drain and cool. Very important to cool. For best results refrigerate for 30 minutes. Boil eggs, cool, peel and roughly dice. Place pasta in large bowl, add onion, celery, eggs, relish, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Mix until well combined. Chill thoroughly.

Main Dishes

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T butter
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 2-3 med jalapeno peppers, seeded, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-4 oz can mild green chilies
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
• 3-10 oz. cans cream of chicken soup
• 1-16 oz container light sour cream
• 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
• 10-7" flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 9 x 13" glass baking dish with cooking spray. Heat oil and butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapenos, garlic, chilies, cilantro, soup and sour cream. Cook 10 minutes. Stir in chicken and salt and pepper to taste. Arrange tortillas on a work surface. Spoon about 1/2 cup of mixture onto each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in pan. Pour remaining sauce evenly over top and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake 30-35 minutes until cheese has melted and sauce is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. Serves 10.

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak

Marinade:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Other ingredients:

• 2 lbs flank steak
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Score surface of the steak with 1/4" deep knife cuts. Put meet into gallon zip lock bag and add marinade ingredients which have been mixed together. Marinate overnight in refrigerator. Cook on grill to medium done. Remove from grill and let rest 10 minutes. Slice on an angle into very thin strips.

Pork Tenderloin and Apples

• 3 slices bacon
• 1 pork tenderloin
• 3 tart apples (granny smith or Jonathan)
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Course ground black pepper

In a skillet, brown bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside. Reserve bacon drippings and pan. Trim the silver and fat from tenderloin. Sprinkle lightly with pepper. Place in the hot bacon grease and brown all sides. Turn heat to low and let cook for approx 25-30 minutes uncovered, turning every now and then. While meat is cooking, core and slice apples and set aside. Remove the meat after 25-30 minutes. The pork will be done, but still a little pink inside. You don't want it overcooked. Set aside in a dish covered with foil. In a small bowl, mix vinegar, water and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add the apples and the vinegar mixture to the same pan and cook until apples are soft but not mushy. Slice tenderloin into medallions and pour apples over pork. Crumble bacon on top and serve.

Chicken with Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce

• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 lb orzo pasta
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 T butter
• 12 cremini or baby Portobello mushrooms
• 12 shitake mushrooms
• 12 white mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 T thyme leaves
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 3 T heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Cook orzo in salted water until al dente. Wipe all mushrooms clean with damp paper towel, remove stems and slice them. Preheat large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the hot skillet. Cook for 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and cover with foil. Return skillet to heat and lower temperature. Add butter. When butter is melted add mushrooms and brown stirring occasionally for about 4-5 minutes. When mushrooms are brown, season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, thyme and shallots. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes or until shallots are wilted. Sprinkle four into the pan and cook for 2 more minutes. Whisk in the stock, vinegar and cream. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice chicken on an angle and add chicken and parsley back to the skillet to heat up. About 1 minute. To serve pile orzo on dinner plates and top with chicken and sauce.

Russian Chicken

• 1 cut-up chicken
• 1/2 bottle Russian salad dressing
• 1 cup apricot jam
• 1 pkg dry onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup water

Mix all ingredients and pour over chicken and bake 1 hour at 350°

Alfredo Sauce

• 1 stick butter
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 3/4 cup fresh parmesean cheese
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 T softened cream cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 lb cooked pasta
• Chopped parsley

Melt butter and cream on medium heat stirring occaisionaly. Add cream cheese, parmesean cheese and seasonings. Serve immediately.

*Hint, do not mix the pasta and sauce together if you think you will have left overs. It does not re-heat well. Use your favorite pasta and you can top with grilled chicken breast, grilled shrimp, crispy bacon or pancetta. Let your imagination run wild with you.