Hot Sausage Casserole

This recipe came from my mom. She got it out of a magazine or newspaper years ago. It's always been a family favorite and we use it for breakfast, dinner, or a quick snack since it's just as good cold as it is hot.

1 1/2 lbs. breakfast sausage, cooked and drained (pork, turkey, or any variation you like)
6 slices stale bread
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. dry mustard, ground superfine
2 cups shredded cheese, whatever medium-hard cheese sounds good. Spice it up with pepper jack.

Preheat oven to 375. Tear bread into small pieces and spread evenly in the bottom of a greased or sprayed 9x13 baking dish. Spread sausage evenly over the top of the bread. Beat eggs, milk, and mustard, pour over top. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake on center rack until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before cutting. Serve with chopped green onions, salsa, sour cream, or anything else that suits your fancy. Serves about 6.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

My sister shared this recipe from allrecipes.com

2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp minced onion
10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
1 quart strawberries, cleaned, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup blanched and slivered almonds

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Sante Fe Chicken

(Debra Cook of Pampa, TX, in Country Discovery Magazine, Premier Issue)
Serving Size: 4

1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp margarine
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup salsa
1 cup rice -- uncooked
1/8 tsp garlic powder
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

In a large skillet, saute onion in margarine until tender. Add broth and salsa: bring to a boil. Stir in rice and garlic powder. Place chicken over rice; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn chicken; cook 10-15 minutes longer or until meat juices run clear. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Death by Butterscotch Bars

from Marie, on tribe

(the picture is from a batch I made today (me, Nubs) on 4.26.08)


Death by Butterscotch Bars
Heat oven to 350
1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
2/3 cup melted butter
Mix together, pat in bottom of 9x13 pan, bake for 10 minutes, remove and immediately pour a 10 ½ oz bag (or close to that much) of mini marshmallows on top, bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. For gooey bars, go on the 10 minute end….But be careful, cause they are a pain to cut up, and you end up eating all the messed up ones…

In microwave melt together:
1 pkg Butterscotch Chips
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup corn syrup
¼ cup butter

Pour over the cake and marshmallows. Sprinkle chopped pecans until you think enough calories have been added

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com (submitted by Patti Kane). I was unsure of it at first, but one bite and I was hooked.

Beans, corn, tomatoes, and taco seasonings slow cooked with shredded chicken. Easy and tasty!

7 hours and 15 minutes
4 servings

Ingredients:
1 chopped onion
16 oz. can chili beans
15 oz. can black beans
15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 can beer (I made without, just because we didn't have any in the house - I added water instead)
10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 package taco seasoning
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning and stir. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered. Set slow cooker on low, cover, and cook for five hours.
2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup and shred. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup and continue cooking for two hours.
3. If you'd like, serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips. Personally, I liked it with a little extra hot sauce!

Sausage and Portobellos with Sicilian Pesto

This recipe is from a box collection my Gram gave me - Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade

4 Servings
20 minutes start to finish

Ingredients:
2 packages (9 ounces each) refrigerated fettuccine or linguine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 links spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 portobello mushroom caps, cut in half and sliced
1 10 oz. can diced Italian tomatoes
1 container (7 oz) refrigerated pesto with basil

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, return to pot, and keep warm.
2. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat, add sausage and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, breaking us sausage. Add mushrooms to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring. Add drained tomatoes and pesto. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Serve hot over cooked pasta.

White Chocolate Cheesecake with Chocolate Brandy Sauce

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour Ready In: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Yields: 12 servings

"This is a dense cheesecake that is very smooth and melts in your mouth. The white chocolate brandy sauce tops it off. Just spoon it over the center of the slice of cheesecake on the plate. Garnish it with mint leaves and either raspberries or strawberries."
INGREDIENTS:
8 (1 ounce) squares white
chocolate
3 (8 ounce) packages cream
cheese
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping
cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups finely chopped chocolate chips
1 fluid ounces brandy
Top with fruit

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Wrap the outside of a 10 inch springform pan with foil. Grease the inside of the pan.
2. Place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour in a mixing bowl and cream until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape bowl.
3. Melt 8 ounces of the white chocolate. With an electric mixer on low speed, mix melted white chocolate into cream cheese mixture. Keeping electric mixer on low, slowly beat in the vanilla and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Blend well. Pour mixture into the prepared springform pan.
4. Place cheesecake pan in a water bath filled with warm water. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes, or until center of the cheesecake is just firm. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Refrigerate until set before removing from pan.
5. To make Chocolate Brandy Sauce: Place 1 cup heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Watch carefully so it doesn't boil over. Pour hot cream over 2 cups of finely chopped chocolate chips and stir with a wooden spoon until melted. Add brandy and continue stirring until incorporated. Pour over chilled cheesecake and serve.

Strawberry Salsa






"A sweet salsa that is great with pork and chicken dishes."
PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 2 Hrs
READY IN 2 Hrs 10 Min
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 4 cups

INGREDIENTS

* 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
* 4 roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded and chopped
* 1 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 lime, juiced
* 1 tablespoon olive oil


DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine strawberries, tomatoes, chile peppers, garlic, lime juice and oil. Toss all together to mix and coat. Cover dish and refrigerate for 2 hours to chill. Ready to serve!




Strawberry Balsamic Chicken





"Savory, sweet and simply divine. This stunning dish marries two amazing flavors in an amazing way, for easy but high-class food. Best when marinated for up to 24 hours in the fridge, but this recipe is designed for only an hour."
PREP TIME 1 Hr
COOK TIME 20 Min
READY IN 1 Hr 20 Min
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

* 4 (8 ounce) containers strawberry yogurt
* 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* 4 large strawberries
* 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh mint leaves
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)


DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, sugar, pepper, cinnamon and salt. Place chicken breast halves in a shallow baking dish, and pour the sauce over them. Refrigerate for 1 hour, turning chicken over half way through.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Scrape the marinade off of the chicken breasts, and place them into the hot oil. Quickly brown the chicken on both sides, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let rest for 3 minutes.
3. While the chicken is cooking, transfer the marinade to a saucepan. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat. Remove stems from strawberries, and slice thinly so they will fan nicely. Set aside.
4. Slice chicken breasts on the diagonal into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place on serving plates, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the marinade over each chicken breast, and fan one sliced strawberry over the top. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh mint and parsley. If you really love balsamic vinegar, finish the dish off with an artful drizzle.

spicy paella

from alison, who is too lazy to post here....

********************************


make brown rice ahead of time

1 onion, saute in your biggest surface area pan w/olive oil medium heat
add 1 package soy sausage cut up, let brown
2 tsp minced garlic
add 1-2 (dependant on size) summer squash, bite size, and zuchinni, bite size
add asparagus cut into bite size
other veggies that go well-- carrots (put them in right after sausage) celery, can of peas (@ end) sugar snap peas (towards end) etc etc

1/2 can crushed tomatoes

season salt, salt, black pepper, cumin, paprika, cayenne to taste

nice big palm full of fresh cilantro @ end

stir in brown rice, warm through, devour. can use turkey sausage. ha ha I said sausage.

Cottage Meatloaf

Courtesy of Melissa H from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup tomato juice (or substitute Worchestershire sauce)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs ( I used Italian style)
1/4 cup diced onion
2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
4 teaspoons brown sugar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, 1/2 cup ketchup, tomato juice, salt, pepper, red pepper, eggs, bread crumbs, onion and 2 teaspoons mustard until well mixed. Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with foil. Press meat mixture into pan.
In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 teaspoon mustard and brown sugar until smooth. Spread brown sugar mixture over meatloaf.
Bake in preheated oven 35 to 45 minutes, until no longer pink. Drain off fat. Let rest 5 minutes before serving

I used a little extra mustard by accident but it tasted good anyway. This meatloaf has a nice kick.

Indian Chicken With Spinach, Potatoes and Chickpeas

from Kirsten, on the Donut Shoppe again:

*****
I also made this from WW online last night. I had it cold for lunch today (just added a squeeze of lemon, it was delicious). I didn't have all the spices, I just used cumin, cinnamon and garam masala, tasted wonderful. I also substitued Arugula for Spinach , I like it because it's peppery.

I'm going to make at least 1 main dish and 1 dessert from WW online every week so I'll share if they are good. Thanks Chemmy for the cooking light tip, I never heard of that before.

**********************************************************


Indian Chicken With Spinach, Potatoes and Chickpeas
main meals


POINTS® Value: 8
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 25 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Flavorful Indian cuisine can be a breeze to make at home. But to make this dish even faster, use cubed, parboiled potatoes — with or without onions — found in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores.


Ingredients
10 oz potato, red, white, red, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
15 1/2 oz canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
10 oz spinach, baby
1 tsp table salt, divided
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
8 oz low-fat plain yogurt
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4 oz cutlets
Instructions
In a large pot, cook potatoes in water until tender, about 15 minutes; drain and set aside.


In same pot, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until garlic begins to brown, about 1 minute. Add chickpeas; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook, stirring, until almost wilted, about 2 minutes. Add back potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Stir. Remove from heat. Stir in yogurt and set aside.


Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine cumin, zest, remaining salt, coriander, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon oil. Rub over cutlets.


In a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil. Cook cutlets, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Yields 1 chicken cutlet and about 3/4 cup potato mixture per serving.

WW Banana Bread

Kirsten posted this on the donut shoppe, thought I'd put it over here...

Nubs


******************
baby on lap knawing at my hand...

i made this last night, super easy and tasty, i threw in some cinnamon and vanilla extract to make it yummier...10 slices, 4 points a slice!

######################################

Banana-Oatmeal Bread
POINTS: 4
INSTRUCTIONS

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 tsp canola oil
1 large egg(s), beaten
2 medium egg white(s), beaten
3 large banana(s), ripe
1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats



Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add oil and eggs; mix thoroughly.


In a smaller bowl, mash bananas with a potato masher or fork. Add bananas and oatmeal to batter.


Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan and bake until top of loaf is firm to touch, 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Flip out and cool on a wire rack for another 10 minutes.

***

oh, and when it says mix together "dry" ingredients it doesn't mean the oats....you put them in later...

enjoy!

Homemade Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tb light corn syrup
1 ts. Water
1 ts. Vanilla

Microwave cream in micro cooker on high 30-40 seconds or until hot; set aside. Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in (2qu) saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat 4-5 minutes or until sugar is melted, stirring occasionally using bamboo spoon. Reduce heat to low. Stir syrup until honey colored and remove pan from heat. Slowly add cream (mixture will bubble dramatically), stirring constantly until smooth. Add vanilla and salt. Cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Yield 3/4 cup (12 servings)
Cook’s Tip: to check color of sugar syrup, place a small drop of syrup onto a white paper plate. Repeat until honey color is achieved.

Grilled Chipotle Pork Tenderloin

Chipotle (chih-POHT-lay) peppers are dried, smoked jalapeños. They have a deep smoky and spicy flavor.
Ingredients:
Pork and Marinade

1 pork tenderloin (12-14 ounces)
1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon seeded and chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 teaspoon salt

Pickled Red Onion Salad

1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup whole fresh cilantro leaves
1 orange, cut into segments
Directions:
1. For pork, trim excess fat and silver skin from pork tenderloin. For marinade, combine orange juice concentrate, oil, chipotle peppers, garlic and salt; mix well. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade for later use. Place remaining marinade and pork into a large resealable plastic bag; turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, for pickled red onion salad, combine onion, water, vinegar, sugar, garlic and salt in (1.5-qt.) Saucepan; bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Cool slightly; refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Heat Grill Pan over medium heat 5 minutes. Remove pork from marinade; discard plastic bag with marinade. Grill pork 18-20 minutes or until Pocket Thermometer registers 150°F, turning occasionally. Remove pork to cutting board and tent with aluminum foil; let stand 10 minutes (temperature will continue to rise) or until internal temperature reads 160°F for medium doneness.
4. To serve, drain onions and toss with cilantro. Slice pork and arrange on serving plates with small mound of onion salad. Garnish each serving with orange segments and drizzle reserved marinade around edge of plate.
Yield: 2 servings
Nutrients per serving: Light: Calories 300, Total Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 2.5 g, Cholesterol 110 mg, Carbohydrate 15 g, Protein 37 g, Sodium 550 mg, Fiber 2 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 fruit, 3 low-fat meat (1 carb)
Cook’s Tips: Removing the tough silver skin from pork tenderloin will keep the meat from curling during cooking. Insert the blade of Paring Knife underneath the silver skin, keeping the blade angled away from the meat as you cut along the entire length of the silver skin.
To cut orange into segments, cut a thin slice from the top and bottom of the orange using Paring Knife. Stand the orange upright, cut end down, on cutting board. Cutting from top to bottom, carefully trim away peel and white membrane. Cut down one side of membrane. Angle knife under segment and lift out. Repeat with remaining segments.
The temperature of the pork tenderloin will rise 5-10°F after it is removed from the Grill Pan. This happens when the residual heat on the surface of the meat moves toward the center (called carryover cooking).
©The Pampered Chef, Ltd. 2003

Upside-Down Caramel Apple Pie

Ingredients:
Glaze and Pastry

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/3 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped
1 package (15 ounces) refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on package

Filling

6 large Granny Smith apples (about 6 cups sliced)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Korintje Cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. For glaze, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in Deep Dish Pie Plate; spread evenly over bottom. Chop pecans using Food Chopper; sprinkle over sugar mixture. Gently unroll one pie crust; place in pie plate, pressing into bottom and up sides. Set aside.
2. For filling, peel, core and slice apples using Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer; cut slices in half. In Stainless (4-qt.) Mixing Bowl, combine apples and lemon juice; toss gently to coat. Add brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon zest; mix gently. Spoon filling into pie plate. Unroll remaining crust and place over filling. Fold edges of top crust under edges of bottom crust; seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.
3. Gently place Pie Crust Shield or 2- to 3-inch-wide strips of aluminum foil over edge of pie. Bake 30 minutes; remove shield. Bake an additional 25-30 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Remove from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack; let stand 5 minutes. Loosen edge of pie from pie plate; carefully invert pie onto heat-resistant serving plate. Scrape any remaining caramel topping from pie plate onto top of pie. Cool at least 1 hour before serving.
Yield: 8 servings
Nutrients per serving: Calories 460, Total Fat 19 g, Saturated Fat 7 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Carbohydrate 72 g, Protein 3 g, Sodium 220 mg, Fiber 3 g

Cook’s Tips: Ground cinnamon can be substituted for the Korintje Cinnamon, if desired.
This recipe is based on tarte Tatin, an inverted caramel apple pie that was developed and sold by the Tatin sisters in France.
Granny Smith apples are wonderful for pies because of their firm texture and sweet-tart flavor that hold up during baking.
©The Pampered Chef, Ltd. 2003

Bourbon Slush

from my friend, Carie J:

Bourbon Slush

---

Ingredients

4 teabags

2 cups boiling water

1 cup sugar

7 cups cold water

12 oz orange juice (frozen concentrate)

6 oz lemonade (frozen concentrate)

2 cups bourbon (I say throw in the whole bottle)

--How to make—

1. Boil teabags for 10 min

2. Stir in sugar

3. Add remaining ingredients freeze

Berry-Pine Nut Chicken Salad

Here is a recipe to get us started, from my Pampered Chef newsletter I get each month from Kelly Cagle. It looks yummy.


Using cooked chicken and bagged lettuce shaves off a great deal of time for this colorful salad.
Ingredients:
Dressing
3 tbsp (45 mL) red wine vinegar
2 tbsp (30 mL) seedless raspberry jam
1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard
1/4 cup (50 mL) olive oil
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) salt
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) coarsely ground black pepper

Salad
1/4 cup (50 mL) pine nuts
1 bag (5-6 oz/150-175 g) Boston lettuce salad blend (about 5 cups/125 L torn Boston lettuce)
1 cup (250 mL) blueberries
1 lb (500 g) cooked chicken breasts (about 4)
1/4 small red onion
8 oz (250 g) sugar snap peas (2 cups/500 mL)
Directions:
1. For dressing, combine vinegar, jam and mustard in Measure, Mix & Pour™; mix well. Add oil, salt and black pepper. Mix again and set aside.
2. For salad, place pine nuts into (8-in./20-cm) Sauté Pan; toast over medium heat 4-6 minutes or until fragrant and golden brown. Remove pine nuts from pan; cool completely.
3. Wash lettuce and berries using Salad & Berry Spinner. Thinly slice chicken and onion using Chef's Knife. Cut sugar snap peas in half on a bias.
4. To serve, layer lettuce, chicken, peas, blueberries and onion in a large serving bowl. Pour dressing over salad just before serving; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.
Yield: 4 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 450, Total Fat 24 g, Saturated Fat 3.5 g, Cholesterol 95 mg, Carbohydrate 20 g, Protein 39 g, Sodium 200 mg, Fiber 3 g

U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 fruit, 1 vegetable, 4 low-fat meat, 3 fat (1 carb)

Cook’s Tips: Using seedless raspberry jam in the vinaigrette adds concentrated raspberry flavor. If desired, use raspberry vinegar in place of the red wine vinegar for even greater impact.

Pine nuts can be toasted in the Small Oval Baker in the microwave oven for 2-3 minutes, stirring after each 30-second interval.

This salad can be served in the outer bowl of the Salad & Berry Spinner for casual meals.

©The Pampered Chef, Ltd. 2003