Bourbon-glazed Lamb Chops And Peaches

Total Time: 33 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 (4 ounce) boneless center cut lamb chops (about 3/4-inch thick)
• 2 peaches, halved and pitted

Recipe

• 1 combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl; add lamb chops and peaches; toss well to coat.
• 2 heat a nonstick grill pan coated with cooking spray over med-high heat.
• 3 remove lamb and peaches from bowl, reserving marinade.
• 4 place lamb and peaches on grill pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until lamb is done.
• 5 while lamb cooks, place marinade in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high for 2 minutes (make sure the marinade comes to a full boil).
• 6 spoon over lamb and peaches.

Coconutty Macaroons

Total Time: 22 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 20
• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted nuts (your preference)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 (7 ounce) bag coconut
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 pinch salt

Recipe

• 1 melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.
• 2 let cool slightly.
• 3 beat eggwhites to stiff peaks.
• 4 fold in sugar, coconut, chocolate, nuts, salt and vanilla.
• 5 drop mounds onto a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• 6 bake at 375 for 12-15 min.
• 7 cool on pan.

Chicken Chimichangas

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 4 chicken breast halves
• 1 small chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 jar picante sauce (pace is great)
• 8 ounces shredded monterey jack cheese
• 8 burrito sized flour tortillas
• vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1 jar heinz chicken gravy
• sour cream

Recipe

• 1 boil chicken breasts in water for 20 minutes, drain.
• 2 cut chicken into 1/2" cubes.
• 3 melt butter and saute onion until clear.
• 4 add chicken cubes and 1/2 jar of picante sauce.
• 5 heat through.
• 6 pre-heat 1/4" oil in electric skillet.
• 7 microwave 1-2 tortillas at a time until soft and flexible.
• 8 spoon about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of chicken mixture onto tortilla.
• 9 sprinkle 1/4 c cheese on top.
• 10 fold tortilla over mixture in 1/3, fold ends towards center and fold over.
• 11 place in oil with flap side down and fry til golden.
• 12 turn over and fry other side till golden.
• 13 drain slightly on paper towel.
• 14 serve with warm chicken gravy drizzled on top with a dollup of sour cream and picante sauce.
• 15 mmmmmmmm.

Chocolate Salami

Total Time: 1 hr 31 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 1 min

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 8 ounces amaretti di saronno cookies (at your italian grocer or specialty market)
• 24 graham crackers or 24 other plain cookies
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup amaretto liqueur
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup unsalted butter, plus
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup ground almonds

Recipe

• 1 place the amaretti and plain cookies in a large bowl and crush roughly with the bottom of a drinking glass.
• 2 put the chocolate and amaretto liqueur in a medium microwave safe bowl and microwave on high, 1 minute at a time, stirring until smooth and melted.
• 3 stir the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture and then beat in the butter, a little at a time until evenly incorporated.
• 4 add the chocolate mixture to the crushed cookies and stir well to mix.
• 5 leave in a cold place for 1 hour to firm up the mixture.
• 6 brush a large sheet of wax paper with oil or spray with cooking spray.
• 7 pour the mixture onto the wax paper and shape into a 14-inch long log with a small metal spatula or butter knife.
• 8 fold the wax paper tightly around the log and chill overnight.
• 9 to serve, unwrap the"salami" and allow to come to room temperature for about 1 hour.
• 10 slice thin and serve with whipped cream.

A Picky Eaters' Chicken Casserole

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
• 2 (10 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (8 ounce) package of shredded cheddar cheese
• 60 ritz crackers, crushed (that's 2 stacks)
• 1/2 cup margarine, melted

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 425.
• 2 cook the chopped broccoli in your microwave according to package directions, then spread on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
• 3 mix together the soup, chicken, and sour cream. spread mixture on top of the broccoli.
• 4 sprinkle the cheese all over the chicken mixture.
• 5 crush your crackers (i do this by leaving them in their stacks and carefully rolling my marble rolling pin over them). then mix your melted margarine with your crackers.
• 6 spread the buttery crackers all over the cheese.
• 7 bake for 25 minutes at 425 degrees.

Corpus Christi's Chicken Chimichangas

Total Time: 10 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 (16 ounce) package shredded chicken
• 4 burrito-size flour tortillas
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can sweet corn, drained
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (12 ounce) container mango pico de gallo
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons sour cream

Recipe

• 1 microwave chicken just enough to shred or pull apart.
• 2 mix together chicken, corn, black beans and pico.
• 3 fill each tortilla with mixture and fold into a burrito. secure with a toothpick.
• 4 in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add oil and pan frhy chimichangas until golden brown on each side. drain on a dish lined with paper towels.
• 5 top chimichangas with sour cream and serve!

Bourbon Peppercorn Steak Sauce

Total Time: 8 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 3 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon peppercorn
• 2 tablespoons bourbon

Recipe

• 1 put peppercorns in sandwich bag, crack with hammer or shoe, whatever is on hand.
• 2 place peppercorns in a bowl with butter, bourbon, maple syrup and worcestershire.
• 3 microwave for 30 seconds, stir. microwave again for 30 seconds, stir it again and repeat one more time. cooking time will need to be increased with amount of servings. to cook on stovetop, bring to boil quickly, simmer on low for 5 minutes and turn off the heat. store in fridge for next day use, reheat in microwave or simmer on low.

Chicken Chimichangas (baked)

Total Time: 15 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded (i use store roasted chicken or 2 half breasts simmered in water until cooked. (tip, shred chicken wh)
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
• 12 ounces chunky salsa
• chicken base
• 8 ounces reduced-fat mexican cheese blend (shredded)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 8 low-fat flour tortillas (soft taco-size)
• sour cream (optional)
• cilantro (optional)
• hot pepper sauce (optional)
• jalapeno (optional)
• olive (optional)
• avocado (optional)
• guacamole (optional)
• salsa (optional)

Recipe

• 1 mix chicken base ingredients in mixing bowl - set aside to use as filling.
• 2 warm tortilla's between paper towels for 20 - 30 seconds in microwave to make pliable for folding.
• 3 place 2oz of chicken mixture (squeeze juice out of chix mixture before filling tortillas) and 1oz cheese in center of tortilla - fold burrito style.
• 4 place on greased baking sheet and rub tops of each with olive oil.
• 5 bake 400° 5 -10 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy on both sides (i use my toaster oven).
• 6 serve immediately or refrigerate for a "grab & go" meal (my teenagers like these cold, on the go).
• 7 for a beautiful presentation; serve topped with a dollop of sour cream chopped cilantro sprinkled over top and avocado slices on the side.

Bourbon Sweet Potato Puff

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 6 lbs sweet potatoes
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 375°f bake yams on an oven rack for 45.
• 2 minutes, or until soft. (ten minutes in the microwave before.
• 3 putting in to bake in oven speeds this up considerably.) halve.
• 4 and scoop out pulp. mash pulp, then add eggs, sugar, butter,.
• 5 cream, bourbon, and vanilla. electric mixer works best. stir.
• 6 well to combine. pour into buttered 9 x 13 inch casserole.
• 7 sprinkle with topping.
• 8 to prepare topping: combine all ingredients and sprinkle over.
• 9 yams. decorate top with whole pecans, if desired. bake.
• 10 casserole, uncovered, in a 350f (325f for glass) oven for 40.
• 11 minutes, or until heated through and top is lightly browned.

Cheesy Meatloaf Ring

Total Time: 26 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 11 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 10 1/2 ounces cheddar cheese soup
• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
• 4 slices bread, crunbled (about 2 cups)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Recipe

• 1 mix 1/2 cup cheddar cheese soup, beef, breadcrumbs, egg , milk, onion, green pepper, parsley, oregano and pepper in a medium bowl just until blended.
• 2 press into an 8 3/4-inch microwave-safe glass ring, smoothing top.
• 3 microwave on high for 8 minutes, rotating dish a half turn after 6 minutes, or until cooked.
• 4 cover with plastic wrap; let stand 5 minutes.
• 5 combine remaining soup and sour cream in a 2-cup glass measure.
• 6 cover with plastic wrap.
• 7 microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring once.
• 8 pour over meatloaf or serve in a gravy boat.

A Real Philly Cheesesteak

Total Time: 20 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 lb rib eye, frozen, then cut very thin
• onion
• mushroom
• provolone cheese or cheese whiz
• 4 hoagie rolls

Recipe

• 1 meat: make friends with your butcher. you need him to partially freeze a hunk of rib eye, and then slice it very thin. you want it sliced thin even though common sense tells us that thick is better. you can buy the hunk of rib eye and freeze and slice it yourself, but the butcher generally does a better job than i do. i can only get it about 1/8" thick and he does about.
• 2 bread: this is the hard part. if you aren't in the tristate area, and can't get amorosos rolls (the only thing that is really good on a cheesesteak) then you have to find a substitute. squishy sub rolls will not do. they do not hold together under pressure. refrain from buying those "hero" rolls too. a good hoagie roll is almost rubbery in texture, but quite soft. the best substitute i have found is a loaf of french bread. not as good as the real thing, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.
• 3 toppings: all of this is personal choice. i like fried onions and mushrooms myself.
• 4 cheeses used vary - i hate to admit it but i think cheese whiz tastes the best. provolone is awesome too and thats what i would use if i was afraid of the plastic orange stuff called whiz.
• 5 cooking the steak: in a cast iron frying pan, or a grill pan heat some oil. saute toppings until pliable - make them however you like them. remove them from pan and set aside.
• 6 pour some more oil in the pan (i use olive oil, but if you have access to the stuff they use in restaurants on grills it would taste even better) on medium high heat. place 1/4 to 1/3 of a pound of meat in the pan, lying the pieces flat and overlapping to form a shape that will fit nicely in a bun.
• 7 when the meat turns grey with doneness, flip it over and if you are using cheese slices now is the time to lie them on top of the meat. add the other toppings back into the pan next to the meat and allow to reheat. cover the pan to allow the cheese to melt. this should take 1-2 minutes. if the meat looks overcooked, thats ok - i t should be gray.
• 8 this is the time to toast the bread if you so wish. i don't like mine toasted at all. warmed is ok.
• 9 if you are using cheese whiz, warm it in the microwave. pick up meat and melted cheese with a spatula and deposit on the roll. if using cheese whiz, use a butter knife or chopstick to smear whiz next to the meat.
• 10 push the meat on one side of the roll and deposit the toppings next to it. this is important because if you put the toppings on the meat, they will not be in the bottom of the sandwich, which really sux.
• 11 you should get meat, toppings and cheese in every bite.

Baked Clam Spread

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 (6 ounce) cans minced clams with juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut in cubes
• paprika (to garnish)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2 place 1/2 cup margarine in 1.5 quart oven safe casserole dish. cover and microwave on high for 30 seconds or until margarine is melted.
• 3 add onion and garlic. cover and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes or until onion is translucent.
• 4 add remaining ingredients and mix well. sprinkle with paprika.
• 5 bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
• 6 serve as a spread with crackers or top over toasted bread triangles.

Cheesy Manicotti

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 5 ounces manicotti
• 8 ounces fat free cream cheese
• 1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 cup fat free mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup fat free egg substitute
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 1/2 cups fat free spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1/2 cup fat free parmesan

Recipe

• 1 cook manicotti shells according to package directions and drain well.
• 2 blend the cream cheese until smooth; mix with the ricotta cheese.
• 3 stir the mozzarella, egg substitute, parsley and pepper into the cheese mixture.
• 4 fill each manicotti shell with 1/4 cup cheese filling.
• 5 pour 1-1/4 cups spaghetti sauce over the bottom of a microwave safe baking dish.
• 6 place filled manicotti shells on top of sauce.
• 7 pour remaining sauce over the shells.
• 8 cover with vented plastic wrap.
• 9 cook on medium heat 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
• 10 sprinkle parmesan cheese on top; cook an additional 1 or 2 minutes until cheese melts.

Cabbage Jambalaya

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning (more if you prefer)
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 lb smoked sausage, cut into bite size pieces (i prefer andouille)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 head cabbage (chopped)
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 (10 ounce) can rotel tomatoes & chilies
• 3/4 cup of your favorite wine
• 8 ounces mushrooms (sliced)

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
• 2 saute' the ground meat in the olive oil.
• 3 season the meat well with cajun seasonings, or salt, pepper and your favorite seasoning.
• 4 add chopped onion, celery and smoked sausage.
• 5 cook until onions and celery are clear, about 10 minutes add garlic.
• 6 while meat and veggies are cooking, chop the cabbage and combine with rice, chili powder and canned tomato blend in roaster.
• 7 after meat mixture has cooked for 10 minutes, add it the to the cabbage mixture in the roaster.
• 8 mix well.
• 9 finally, saute' the mushrooms in a little oil for about a minute or two, then add the wine to the mushrooms and deglaze the pan.
• 10 add the mushrooms and wine to the roaster and mix well.
• 11 cover, and place in the oven to bake for 2 hours, stirring halfway through the cooking time.
• 12 an excellent dish for pot luck suppers because it makes lots.
• 13 also reheats well in a microwave, but, doesn't freeze well.
• 14 enjoy!

Chicken Chili

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken thighs
• 1 large onion
• 1 small green pepper
• 1 small red pepper
• 2 minced fresh garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons chili powder (or to taste)
• red pepper flakes, for added heat (optional)
• 14 ounces stewed tomatoes (italian style is what i use)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup water (if you wish) or 1/4 cup chicken broth (if you wish)
• 15 ounces red kidney beans (use black beans or a mixture if you prefer)

Recipe

• 1 in a non-stick skillet brown ground chicken thighs. dice onion, green pepper, red pepper. chop garlic cloves. add to browning meat in skillet. saute for 5 minutes until veggies just start to become tender. add chili powder and stir well to coat. cook 1-2 minutes. add red pepper flakes to taste if you are using. add stewed tomatoes, breaking up with wooden spoon. add water, tomato paste and stir to combine. add 1 can kidney beans, simmer 10-15 minutes to cook veggies and heat through. chili can be frozen and reheated in the microwave. even better the next day! sometimes i add a little bit of frozen corn to the hot chili and wrap in a whole wheat tortilla. top with low-fat cheddar cheese and non-fat sour cream and it's complete!

Creamy Butternut Squash And Spinach Gratin

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• 3 -3 1/2 lbs fresh spinach, stems discarded (or 3-4 packages frozen leaf spinach, thawed-10 oz.)
• 3 -5 tablespoons unsalted butter (plus additional for greasing pan-or use cooking spray to grease the pan)
• 3/4 cup finely chopped onion (1 small)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper (lemon pepper is good too)
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream (or use 1/2 and 1/2 or use evaporated milk)
• 4 lbs butternut squash, peeled, quartered, and seeded (2 large)
• 1/3-3/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, finely grated
• 1/2 cup gruyere cheese (optional)

Recipe

• 1 if using fresh spinach, bring 1 inch water to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart pot over high heat. add spinach, a few handfuls at a time, and cook, turning with tongs, until wilted, about 3 to 5 minutes. drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. you may skip this step if you like, i don't think it's really necessary.
• 2 thoroughly squeeze cooked fresh or thawed frozen spinach in small handfuls to remove excess moisture(try to get it absolutely dry), then coarsely chop and transfer to a bowl.
• 3 melt 3 tablespoons butter in an 8-inch heavy skillet over medium low heat, then cook onion and garlic, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes(you can cook it till caramalized if you like). add onion mixture to spinach along with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cream and stir to combine.
• 4 put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 400°f butter a 3-quart shallow baking dish (13 by 9 inches; not glass-i think you could use glass, just be careful when broiling-that's the reason it's not recommended).
• 5 cut squash to separate bulb section from solid neck section, then cut pieces lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with slicer or food processor. to make the squash easier to cut, microwave for 3-5 minutes.
• 6 layer squash and spinach mixture in baking dish, using about one fifth of squash and one fourth of spinach for each layer, beginning and ending with squash. sprinkle each layer of squash evenly with cheeses and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter, then cover directly with a sheet of parchment or wax paper(or use glass lid). bake until squash is tender and filling is bubbling, 35 to 45 minutes. if you like, you can use individual baking dishes, just note shorter cooking time. i haven't tried baking it individually so cook times are estimated.
• 7 remove paper and bake gratin until browned in spots, 10 to 15 minutes, or broil 3 inches from heat, 2 to 3 minutes. enjoy!
• 8 note:.
• 9 if making individual gratins, bake 20-30 minutes.
• 10 also, for a shortcut, use 3 packages of creamed spinach(cooked) and skip the cream.
• 11 some reviewers added a little jalapeno(or chipotle peppers and sliced almonds on top.

Baked Cinnamon Tortillas

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• chocolate syrup

Recipe

• 1 melt butter in a microwave safe bowl (can use measuring cup).
• 2 mix butter, sugar, cinnamon, egg in a medium mixing bowl.
• 3 dip torillas in mix, covering fully, roll when done with dip.
• 4 place rolled tortilla in greased (i use butter for more flavor) baking pan, this recipe made enough to fill a 13" by 9" pan. stack side by side.
• 5 sift powdered sugar over top tortillas.
• 6 bake at 350 for 35 minutes, should give when poked.
• 7 let cool for five minutes, should be crispy.
• 8 stripe with chocolate syrup.
• 9 serve and enjoy.

Chicken Chili Macaroni

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 lb ground chicken (500 gram)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 (15 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, preferably mexican style (398ml)
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup green beans
• 1 cup macaroni or 1 cup elbow macaroni or 1 cup rotelle pasta
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese or 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded, for serving day

Recipe

• 1 in a large skillet, cook chicken with garlic over medium-high heat fro 5 minutes or until no longer pink.
• 2 stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, oregano and cumin. bring to boil. stir in macaroni and green beans; bring back to boil. reduce heat to medium-low, until the beans and pasta are tender. season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 3 to freeze: let pasta mixture cool. spoon into freezer containers, seal, label and date. freeze for up to 3 months.
• 4 to serve: thaw in microwave or refrigerator overnight. reheat in baking dish at 350°f (180°c) for about 30-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. serve sprinkled with cheese with bread and a salad.

Caribbean Sweet Potato & Bean Stew

Total Time: 4 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 lb)
• 2 cups frozen cut green beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 teaspoons jamaican jerk spice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds (best if toasted)
• hot pepper sauce (optional)

Recipe

• 1 if cooking in the slow cooker- combine all ingredients, except for almonds, in the slow cooker. cover; cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or high 2-3 hours until vegetables are tender.
• 2 then adjust seasonings and serve with almonds and hot pepper sauce if desired.
• 3 to toast almonds spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
• 4 to cook on the stove, if you add any meats, cook those first, then add all ingredients to a large pot, bring up to a boil, then reduce heat and cover, simmer for 1-2 hours or until vegetables are tender.
• 5 use same directions for seasonings and hot sauce, but you can also toast your almonds in the microwave for 20-30 seconds in a bowl.

A Peach Of A Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 1 angel food cake, store bought or homemade
• 1 cup peach nectar
• 1 (1/3 ounce) box sugar-free peach gelatin mix
• 1 (15 ounce) container low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen peaches, thawed and drained or 2 cups fresh peaches or 2 cups canned peaches
• 16 ounces non-dairy whipped topping or 2 cups whipped cream
• 2 tablespoons rum extract, i don't use it (optional)

Recipe

• 1 heat peach nectar in microwave for 1-2 minutes or until very hot but not boiling.
• 2 pour over gelatin and stir till combined.
• 3 cool in fridge for 15 minutes.
• 4 cut the peach slices into 1/2" pieces.
• 5 stir peaches into ricotta then add in the gelatin mixture.
• 6 chill another 30 minutes or until just set.
• 7 meanwhile, using a serrated knife, cut top off angel food cake & hollow out center leaving a 1" edge.
• 8 eat the leftover cake pieces as a snack while you finish up the recipe.
• 9 spoon cooled gelatin/ricotta/peach mixture into angel food shell & replace the top.
• 10 i usually have a couple of tablespoons too much filling. that's the cook's snack # 2.
• 11 **tip - if you find that the center edge of the cake tries to fold in under the weight of the filling, place a juice glass in the hollow center. remove it before serving.
• 12 stir extract into whipped topping & frost the cake.
• 13 garnish with peach slices, if desired.
• 14 chill at least 1 hour before serving & keep any leftovers refrigerated.
• 15 note: i've made this in a hurry & rather than hollowing out the cake, i cut it up into 1" cubes & layered it with the filling for a trifle type dessert.

Cheesy Mexican Dip

Total Time: 1 hr 2 mins Preparation Time: 2 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 2 cups fat free sour cream
• 2 cups ultra low-fat mayonnaise (not miracle whip)
• 2 cups mild chunky salsa
• 1 1/4 ounces dry vegetable soup mix
• 1 cup cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces low-fat cream cheese

Recipe

• 1 soften cream cheese either on the counter or in the microwave.
• 2 combine all ingredients together just until mixed, the cream cheese should still be in small chunks.
• 3 chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Chocolate Ribbon Cheesecake

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 30 oreo cookies, crushed
• 1/2 cup margarine, melted or 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 6 semi-sweet chocolate baking squares

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350*f>.
• 2 mix crushed cookies, margarine, pecans and coconut: press firmly into the bottom of a 13"x9" baking pan. chill while preparing filling.
• 3 beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until mixed well. add the eggs, one at a time, mi,ing on low speed after each addition until just blended. pour over the crust.
• 4 bake 40 minutes or until the center is almost set. cool, then chill in fridge 3 hours and up to overnight.
• 5 place whipping cream and chocolate in a small saucepan. cook on low heat until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring occasionally. pour over cheesecake. chill 15 minutes or until chocolate is firm. store any leftover cheesecake in the fridge.
• 6 to make this special:.
• 7 once chocolate topping is firm, place 2 additional chocolate squares in microwaveable bowl and microwave on medium 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. stir until the chocolate is totally melted. pour it into a small reclosable plastic bag. snip off one small corner from the bottom of bag; twist top of bag to squeeze chcolate from bag to pipe a special message, such as love you, greetings, etc. on top of cheesecake. enjoy!

Chicken Chipotle Panini Sandwich

Total Time: 10 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients

• 4 slices french bread (1/2-inch thick)
• 6 slices cooked bacon (i use the ready to eat one)
• 4 slices havarti cheese
• 8 -10 ounces sliced roasted chicken breast
• 4 -6 tablespoons chipotle hummus (or more if needed)

Recipe

• 1 heat the panini press on high.
• 2 spread one side of each slice of bread with the chipotle hummus to cover completely.
• 3 place the sliced chicken on top of the hummus on two of the bread slices.
• 4 microwave the bacon for 10 seconds. place the bacon on top of the chicken, then the cheese.
• 5 finish the sandwich by adding the remaining bread slices, hummus side in, on top of the cheese.
• 6 place the two sandwiches on the press and cook for several minutes, or until the bread is crisp and the cheese has melted.
• 7 remove the sandwiches and cut in half before serving.

Cheesy Mexican Chicken

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1 (11 ounce) bag nacho cheese flavor doritos
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) packet taco seasoning
• 1/2 bottle taco bell taco sauce, mild or hot
• 1 can rotel tomatos and green chili, original
• 2 lbs velveeta cheese

Recipe

• 1 add taco seasoning to shredded chicken according to taco seasoning pkg. in large skillet.
• 2 while chicken is cooking, add velveeta, rotel, and taco bell sauce together in a large microwaveable bowl, melt down until their are just a few lumps, making sure to stir often.
• 3 preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 4 once chicken is finished being seasoned, add to cheese mixture and stir.
• 5 pour the chicken and cheese mixture into a 9x9 baking dish, leave uncovered for about 10-15 minutes, or until just barely beginning to brown a little on the top.
• 6 spoon mixture out and pour over a slightly crunched pile of doritos. enjoy.

Baked Coconut Shrimp

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 3
• 1 1/2 lbs shrimp, extra large, defrosted, shelled and deveined, rinsed and patted dry
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• salt, dash
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon lime juice, fresh squeezed
• 1/3 cup egg
• 3/4 cup coconut

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 425°f lightly spray a large baking sheet with butter flavored cooking spray.
• 2 in a small bowl combine cornstarch, pepper & salt. in a small microwave safe dish heat up honey approximately 30-45 seconds.
• 3 add lime juice to honey and stir. slowly add in egg whites and continue to stir.
• 4 place coconut in a thin layer on a pie plate or flat dish.
• 5 take each shrimp and first dip into cornstarch mixture, then in egg mixture and finally roll in the coconut.
• 6 place on the baking sheet and lightly spray with butter pam. bake 10-15 minutes or until shrimp is pink and the coconut is lightly toasted.

Choco Walnut Cake

Total Time: 49 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 19 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup nesquik cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup sunflower oil
• 1/2 cup coarsely ground walnuts, powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Recipe

• 1 beat eggs, one at a time, in a bowl, until light and fluffy.
• 2 in another bowl, sieve together the flour and baking powder.
• 3 fold in chocolate powder, walnut powder and sugar. mix the dry ingredients well.
• 4 now, slowly add this dry ingredient mixture to the beaten eggs alternating with oil and mix well to combine.
• 5 stir in vanilla essence and mix thoroughly till you obtain a smooth batter.
• 6 using a little oil, grease a microwave oven proof rectangular dish and pour the prepared cake batter into it.
• 7 microwave on 80 percent power for 4 minutes.
• 8 allow it to stand for 15 minutes.
• 9 remove from oven and turn the dish upside down to gently allow the cake to slide out. if it does not slide out easily, use a knife around the edges.
• 10 transfer the cake to a plate greased with a little ghee or oil.
• 11 slice and serve once it has cooled or you may enjoy some rightaway :).

Chocolate Almond Bar

Total Time: 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 40
• 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 ounce almonds, finely ground
• 1 teaspoon cream (optional)
• 4 teaspoons granular splenda sugar substitute
• 2 ounces almonds, finely chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Recipe

• 1 melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave on medium power.
• 2 blend well.
• 3 stir in the remaining ingredients.
• 4 spread to about a 1/4-inch thick rectangle on a foil-lined pan.
• 5 freeze 2 hours or more.
• 6 remove from the foil and cut into 40-48 tiny pieces. keep and eat frozen.

A Snack For Cream Cheese And Veggie Fans

Total Time: 5 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 1
• 1 tortilla, shell taco size works best
• 1 tablespoon cream cheese
• 4 -6 slices cucumbers (sliced thin)
• 3 -5 slices red peppers (sliced thin)
• salt and pepper

Recipe

• 1 heat the shell in the microwave for 8-10 seconds just to soften it a bit (i keep my shells in the refrigerator and pull one or two out at a time). also, taco size does work best - i've used the bigger shells, but they are harder to hold and the veggies tend to fall out.
• 2 spread cream cheese onto the tortilla shell (use more of less depending on your taste). i use neufchatel cheese instead because it has less fat and i think it taste better and spreads better than regular cream cheese. i don't like the texture of the spreadable cream cheese in the tub.
• 3 place cucumber slices and red pepper slices on top of the cream cheese. the number of slices depends on what you like and how big the veggies are. also, i tend to always use red peppers for this -- green just doesn't have the right flavor. yellow is ok, but red just taste better with the ingredients.
• 4 lightly salt and pepper.
• 5 roll up. if your tortilla doesn't want to stay rolled up, spread a little cream cheese on the outer edge and press.
• 6 i wrap these up individually and take them for lunch. a yummy and healthy lunch.
• 7 for a change of pace, add some lettuce or other veggie favorites.

Caribbean Style Sweet Potato

Total Time: 10 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Recipe

• 1 microwave sweet potato until done (approx. 5 min.).
• 2 saute onion in small amount of oil until transparent.
• 3 peel sweet potato when cool enough to handle.
• 4 lightly mash potato (leave them chunky), and add the onion.
• 5 sprinkle with cayenne pepper.

Chocolate Mug Cake

Total Time: 4 mins Preparation Time: 1 min Cook Time: 3 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 1
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 -1 1/2 cup coffee, mug

Recipe

• 1 add dry ingredients to mug and mix well.
• 2 add egg and mix well.
• 3 pour in milk, oil, and mix well.
• 4 add chocolate chips and vanilla and mix again.
• 5 put mug in microwave for 3 minutes on 1000 watts.
• 6 the cake will rise over the top of mug, dont be alarmed.
• 7 allow to cool a bit and tip it out of the mug or grab a spoon.

Choco-nutty Banana Pizzelles

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 36
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 ounce banana extract
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 (12 ounce) package milk chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups pecans, coursely chopped
• 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Recipe

• 1 beat egg with sugar until thick. stir in melted butter and banana extract. sift flour and baking powder. mix into batter. batter will be thick.
• 2 preheat pizzelle griddle. lightly grease griddle as needed. drop 1 tablespoon batter onto each circle. cook for approximately 25 seconds.
• 3 once the pizzelles are done, set aside. melt milk chocolate chips in microwave on medium setting for approximately 1 1/2 minutes. stir chocolate until it is smooth. spread melted chocolate about 1/2" strip around the edge of a pizzelle. sprinkle chopped pecans over chocolate before it hardens. set aside to cool and harden. repeat with the remaining pizzelles.
• 4 optional: if you would like your pizzelles to look more "dressy," drizzle the tops of the pizzelles with melted chocolate.

Chicken Chimichangas

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon canned chipotle chile in adobo, minced
• 1/2 cup long grain rice
• 1 pinch salt and pepper
• 2 whole chicken breasts, trimmed skinless and boneless
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3 cups canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon water
• 4 flour tortillas

Recipe

• 1 1. in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, whisk broth and pepper. mix 1/2 cup of this mixture, rice, and 1/4t salt in a bowl. cover and microwave until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. meanwhile, pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
• 2 2. in a dutch oven, heat 1t oil over medium high heat until just smoking. cook onion until softened, about 5 minutes, then add garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. add remaining chipotle broth, partially cooked rice, and bring to a boil.
• 3 3. reduce heat to medium low, add chicken, cover, and cook until chicken's internal temperature is 160 degrees and rice is tender, about 15 minutes, flipping chicken about halfway through. remove chicken to a cutting board to rest for 5-10 minutes, then cut into 1/2 inch pieces and return to rice mixture, adding cheddar and cilantro, all in a large bowl. wash the pot.
• 4 4. whisk flour and water in a small bowl. microwave tortillas, covered, on a plate, about 1 minute. divide chicken mixture into 4. working with one tortilla at a time, place 1/4 of the chicken mixture in the center. brush edges of tortilla with flour paste, then wrap top and bottom of tortilla tightly over filling (fold side toward center, then fold in the sides--you might want to repaste the last pieces).
• 5 5. heat remaining 3c oil in dutch oven over medium high heat until 325 degrees. place 2 chimis, seam down, in oil, and fry until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes a side. monitor your oil temperature, keeping it between 300 and 325 degrees. drain on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. repeat with remaining chimis.
• 6 6. if you prefer a healthier version, you can bake them. 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.
• 7 serve.

Christmas Walnut Toffee

Total Time: 25 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 24
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped, divided
• 6 ounces chocolate chips

Recipe

• 1 butter a 9 inch square baking dishand set aside.
• 2 melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat.
• 3 stir in sugar, corn syrup and water until smooth.
• 4 heat to 290°f (145°c) using a candy thermometer.
• 5 stir in 1 cup walnuts and cook 3 more minutes stirring constantly.
• 6 pour into prepared pan and allow to cool.
• 7 remove from pan and place on waxed paper.
• 8 melt chocolate chips in double boiler or in the microwave stirring frequently until smooth.
• 9 spread half of the melted chocolate onto one side of the toffee slab and sprinkle with half the remaining nuts.
• 10 allow to cool until set, then repeat with the other side.
• 11 break into bite size pieces when set.

Baked Chimichangas

Total Time: 25 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 8 (8 inch) whole wheat tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed (see note in description)
• 3/4 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese (we use ww mexican blend cheese)
• 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 teaspoon parsley, dried
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin, ground

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400 degrees f.
• 2 in a bowl mix together filling ingredients.
• 3 warm tortillas (5 seconds in a microwave).
• 4 wet one side of tortilla and place wet side down and then spoon filling in the center of tortilla. fold to hold in the filling. repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
• 5 spray baking dish with pam. lay chimichangas, seam side down in dish. bake for 15 minutes.
• 6 to make sauce:.
• 7 mix together ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate before serving.

Bourbon St . Chocolate Pecan Pie

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 cups pecans, chopped
• 1 pie shell, uncooked
• 5 ounces milk chocolate pieces

Recipe

• 1 preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• 2 combine the corn syrup, eggs and butter and whisk briskly.
• 3 add the brown sugar and mix well.
• 4 add vanilla,bourbon, salt and pecans.
• 5 mix well.
• 6 pour the mixture into the pie shell and drop in the chocolate pieces.
• 7 wrap a piece of foil around the edge of the pie to help keep the crust from over browning, and place in the oven on a small sheet pan for about one hour until the filling is set and the top is golden brown.
• 8 best served at room temperature or warmed slightly in the microwave.

Chocolate & Prune Refrigerator Bars

Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1/2 lb good quality milk chocolate
• 4 ounces graham crackers
• 4 ounces ready-to-eat prunes
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter

Recipe

• 1 put the graham crackers in a platic bag and smash into small pieces with a rolling pin. roughly chop the prunes.
• 2 break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. add the butter and melt in the microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. stir to mix.
• 3 stir the crackers and prunes into the chocolate.
• 4 spoon the mixture into an 8 inch/20cm cake pan and chill for 1-2 hours, until set.
• 5 using a sharp knife, cut into 12 bars.

Biscuits - Vegan

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup shortening (non-hydrogenated)
• 3/4 cup soymilk or 3/4 cup rice milk or 3/4 cup almond milk

Recipe

• 1 sift all the dry ingredients into a bowl and stir them up real good with a fork. cut the shortening into bits and stir it into the mix. it should not look very good yet.
• 2 add the liquid and stir until a dough forms. gather the dough into a large ball, without kneading it much (too much kneading will yield bisquits that are not very flaky). roll it out on a surface floured with whole-wheat flour to about an inch (2.5 cm) thick. cut it into round bisquits with a floured cookie cutter or a glass. (or cut them.
• 3 into any other shape you prefer. scones are often triangular, for instance.).
• 4 bake on an ungreased, unfloured baking sheet at 475 degrees f for 12 to 15 minutes. the bisquits’ edges should be browned but not black. the whole-wheat flour on the surface will be nicely toasted and add little speckles to the bisquits.
• 5 bisquits are also quite tasty when warmed over. they store well in the fridge and can be frozen. warm them up in the oven, a toaster oven, or the microwave.

Carioca

Total Time: 5 hrs 55 mins Preparation Time: 5 hrs Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted,plus more for pan
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons cold water
• 2 cups water
• 5 ounces very finely ground-for-espresso coffee (2 packed cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso or 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee
• 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 cups sliced blanched almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 10 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

Recipe

• 1 for the genoise: preheat the oven to 350 degrees f and center a rack in the oven.
• 2 butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
• 3 dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
• 4 pour a few inches of water into a skillet large enough to hold the bowl from your mixer.
• 5 bring the water to a gentle simmer.
• 6 melt the butter and set it aside to cool.
• 7 it should be just warm when you're ready for it.
• 8 whisk the eggs and sugar together in the mixer bowl.
• 9 place the bowl in the skillet of simmering water and, whisking without stop, heat the mixture until it is foamy, slightly pale, and reads between 130 and 140 degrees f on an instant-read thermometer, about 4 minutes.
• 10 remove the bowl from the water.
• 11 working in the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on high speed until it cools to room temperature and triples in volume.
• 12 when you lift the whisk, the batter will fall back into the bowl and form a ribbon that remains on the surface for 10 seconds before it dissolves, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• 13 stir about 2 tablespoons of batter into the slightly cooled butter and set it aside.
• 14 with a large flexible rubber spatula, gently fold the flour into the batter in 2 or 3 additions, taking care to handle the batter gently in order to maintain its bubble structure.
• 15 (the batter will lose volume as you fold in the flour and later the butter. this reaction is inevitable and shouldn't jeopardize the success of the finished cake, but be careful just the same.) still working with the spatula, fold in the butter mixture.
• 16 pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top is golden and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, 28 to 33 minutes.
• 17 transfer the cake to a cooling rack for 5 minutes.
• 18 remove cake from pan, invert, and cool completely on the rack.
• 19 for the simple syrup: stir the sugar and water together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to the boil.
• 20 as soon as the syrup comes to the boil, remove it from the heat.
• 21 cool to room temperature.
• 22 using a serrated knife, cut 2 horizontally layers from cake, each 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch-thick.
• 23 set aside.
• 24 prepare coffee syrup: spoon off 2 tablespoons of the simple syrup, cover, and refrigerate for the glazed almonds.
• 25 set the remainder of the syrup aside.
• 26 line a strainer with a double thickness of dampened cheesecloth and place it over a small bowl; keep close at hand.
• 27 bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
• 28 add the coffee, stir, and immediately pour the mixture through the lined strainer.
• 29 you should have about 3/4 cup of very dark coffee.
• 30 stir in the instant coffee and the simple syrup.
• 31 set the syrup aside until needed.
• 32 (the syrup can be made up to a week ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.) prepare mousse: beat the cream until it holds medium-firm peaks, then cover and chill it until needed.
• 33 place the eggs and yolks in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at the lowest speed for a few seconds, just to break up the eggs; set aside while you prepare the chocolate and sugar syrup.
• 34 melt the chocolate in a microwave oven or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water.
• 35 remove the chocolate from the heat and, if necessary, pour it into a bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients for the mousse.
• 36 cool the chocolate to 114 degrees, as measured on an instant-read thermometer.
• 37 while the chocolate is melting and cooling, place the sugar and water in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan.
• 38 bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally and washing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water.
• 39 boil the syrup over high heat without stirring it until it reaches 257 degrees f as measured on an instant-read thermometer, about 8 to 10 minutes, then immediately remove it from the heat.
• 40 with the mixer on the lowest speed, beat the eggs for a few seconds, then very slowly add the hot sugar syrup in a thin, steady stream.
• 41 to avoid splatters, try to pour the syrup down the side of the bowl, not into the spinning whisk.
• 42 (inevitably, some will splatter, but don't attempt to scrape the hardened syrup into the eggs, you'll get lumps.) increase the mixer speed to high and beat the eggs for about 5 minutes, or until they are pale and more than double their original volume.
• 43 if the mixture is still warm, reduce the speed to medium and continue to beat until the eggs are at room temperature.
• 44 using a large rubber spatula, fold about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the chocolate.
• 45 fold in the rest of the cream and then, very delicately, fold in the whipped egg mixture.
• 46 assembly_ stage one: center an 8 3/4-inch/22 cm dessert ring on a cardboard cake round.
• 47 place 1 layer of genoise, cut side up, in the ring.
• 48 brush enough coffee syrup over the cake to moisten it thoroughly.
• 49 using an offset spatula or a flexible rubber spatula, spread 2 to 2 1/2 cups of mousse over the cake and smooth the top.
• 50 position a second layer of cake on the mousse, pressing down gently and jiggling the cake to settle it in place.
• 51 brush on some coffee soaking syrup and spread on another 2 to 2 1/2 cups of mousse; smooth the top level with the edge of the dessert ring.
• 52 you may have some syrup left over, and you will have extra mousse.
• 53 the syrup can be refrigerated for another use or discarded.
• 54 the mousse may be refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for a month.
• 55 transfer the cake to the freezer and freeze for 2 hours to set the mousse.
• 56 the cake can be made to this point and frozen for up to 1 month.
• 57 if you're not going to freeze the cake for long-term storage, it should be transferred to the refrigerator to defrost after its 2 hour freeze. remove the dessert ring. using a long metal offset spatula, spread ganache over the top and sides of the cake. if you want to repeat with another one or two layers of ganache, go ahead—you’ve got plenty of ganache to play with. if the ganache is firm enough to hold a design, you can decorate the top now. if the ganache is still very soft, return the cake to the refrigerator for a few minutes to set it enough to hold a line drawn across its surface with a knife. (keep the leftover ganache at hand so you can cover up any design attempts that don’t pass muster.) decorate the top of the cake using the blade of a long, serrated bread knife. hold the handle of the knife with one hand and the tip with the other. starting at one edge of the cake and holding the knife almost perpendicular to the cake, gently slide the knife from one side of the cake to the other. without “losing your placeâ€? at the edge of the cake, shift the blade about 1/16 inch and slide it 1/16 inch back to the opposite edge of the cake. you will have created the first v in a herringbone pattern. continue until you have decorated the entire top of the cake. if the knife blade becomes clogged with ganache, clean the blade before continuing the pattern. return the cake to the refrigerator for a few minutes to set the design. if you prefer, the cake can be finished with a flat-top—that is, a smooth coating of ganache—or you can decorate the top with swirls, ridges, or any other pattern that pleases you.
• 58 prepare almonds: center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• 59 toss the almonds with the cocoa, then toss with the syrup to coat, and spread them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• 60 toast the almonds, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, until they are deeply and evenly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• 61 transfer the sheet to a rack and cool the almonds to room temperature.
• 62 (the almonds can be used immediately or packed into an airtight container and stored at room temperature for about 4 days.) prepare ganache: place the chocolate and cocoa in a medium bowl.
• 63 bring the cream to a boil and remove it from the heat.
• 64 pour the cream into the chocolate in three additions, using a rubber spatula to stir the mixture in concentric circles, starting each time with a small circle in the center of the bowl and working your way out into larger circles.
• 65 you'll have a smooth, glossy ganache.
• 66 allow the ganache to rest uncovered and undisturbed (don't stir it) at room temperature until it sets, 40 to 60 minutes, depending on the room's temperature.
• 67 when the ganache is properly set, it will hold a ribbon for a second or two when stirred.
• 68 it is ready to be used now or covered and refrigerated until needed.
• 69 if the ganache is chilled, it must be brought back to its proper consistency by leaving it at room temperature until spreadable, or by heating it over hot water or in a microwave oven at low power.
• 70 be sure not to overbeat.

Creamy Blueberry Porridge

Total Time: 5 mins Preparation Time: 1 min Cook Time: 4 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 1
• 1/4 cup regular oats
• 1 teaspoon lsa
• 1/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 teaspoon coffee creamer (powdered blueberry cobbler flavour)

Recipe

• 1 mix all ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl.
• 2 cok for 2 mins on high and stir through.
• 3 cook for an additional 1 1/2 - 2mins until mixture is creamy.

Cheesy Miracle Asparagus

Total Time: 15 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 lb asparagus spear, trimmed
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup miracle whip light
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup velveeta reduced fat cheese product

Recipe

• 1 place asparagus and water in 2-qt. microwaveable casserole dish; cover.
• 2 microwave on high for 4-5 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender; drain.
• 3 meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in medium saucepan.
• 4 cook and stir on medium heat until heated through.
• 5 pour sauce over asaparagus.

Carla Hall's Mississippi Mud Pie

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 8 ounces butter
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate or 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs (separated)
• 2 tablespoons butter (softened)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups chocolate sandwich style cookies (crushed, chocolate cookie part only plus more to garnish)
• 1/4 cup butter (softened)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Recipe

• 1 for the brownie batter: gently melt butter and chocolate together in a glass bowl in the microwave or over a pot of simmering water. in a separate bowl whisk together eggs, salt, sugars and vanilla.
• 2 stir egg mixture into chocolate mixture, and then add flour. stir just until combined.
• 3 for the chocolate pudding: combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, salt, cocoa powder and flour in a medium bowl. slowly stir milk into dry mixture.
• 4 put mixture in medium sauce pot and cook until mixture begins to thicken.
• 5 beat egg yolks in a small bowl, then briskly stir a small amount of the hot mixture (about 1/2 cup) into this mixture. add egg yolk mixture back into the hot mixture in top of double boiler and stir in butter and vanilla. cook until mixture thickens again. set aside.
• 6 to build pie: preheat oven to 350°. in a small bowl, combine the crushed chocolate sandwich cookies with the butter until thoroughly mixed. press into a lightly greased springform pan. bake for 15 minutes to set the crust.
• 7 scrape brownie batter into the chocolate crust, forming an even layer. bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out somewhat clean. allow to cool slightly, and then pour pudding over the brownie layer, spreading into an even layer.
• 8 combine the heavy cream and vanilla and whip until peaks form, and use to top the chocolate pudding layer. garnish with more crushed chocolate sandwich cookies.

Chicken Cheezy Yummy

Total Time: 6 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 1 min

Ingredients

• 1 chicken breast fillet, cooked
• 2 slices cheese
• 2 slices tomatoes
• 1 pickle
• 1 small pizza crust
• 1 dash basil
• 1 fluid ounce amarula cream liqueur (for a drink afterwards)

Recipe

• 1 put all the stuff on the pizza crust and microwave for a minute. eat. then have the shot of amarula.

Choc-chunk Raspberry Blondies

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 125 g butter, chopped
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 250 g chocolate, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup plain flour
• 3/4 cup self-raising flour
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• powdered sugar icing, to serve
• 180 g chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup pure cream

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 180°c/160°c fan-forced. grease a 23cm (base) square cake pan. line base and sides with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang on all sides.
• 2 place butter, sugar, milk and half the chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. cook, stirring, for 10 to 12 minutes or until smooth. transfer to a bowl. set aside for 10 minutes.
• 3 whisk eggs and flours into chocolate mixture until just combined. fold in raspberries and remaining chocolate. pour into prepared pan. bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre has moist crumbs clinging (cover with foil if over-browning).
• 4 make sauce: place chocolate and cream in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. microwave on high (100%), stirring halfway, for 1 minute or until smooth.
• 5 cut into squares. dust with icing sugar. serve with sauce.

Chicken Spinach Parmesan

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 2
• 2 skinless chicken breasts
• 10 ounces frozen spinach
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper

Recipe

• 1 poach chicken till slightly done. cool and cut into bite sized pieces.
• 2 microwave spinach till thawed, then drain. combine with chicken and place in a 9x13 baking dish.
• 3 mix cheese, mayo, sour cream together. spread cheese mixture on top of chicken and spinach. bake uncovered 350 for 35 minute or till edges are browned.