CRISPY TILAPIA FILLETS WITH SAUCE

 

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp white whole-wheat flour
6 (1 1/2-lbs) tilapia fillets
1 tbsp olive or coconut oil
1 tbsp butter

Mix the cheese and flour together in a pie plate.

Dip the fish fillets, one at a time, in the flour mixture turning to coat evenly on both sides.

Heat the oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Add tilapia and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side or until fillets flake easily with a fork.

Remove fish from skillet and keep warm in having to fry in batches.
Serve with lemon wedges and/or the following sauce, if desired.

SAUCE (optional):
1 cup peeled, seeded, finely chopped cucumber
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon zest

Combine all ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

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EASY CHICKEN A LA KING

 1/2 cup diced bell pepper

1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup milk
2 cups cooked and cubed chicken
3/4 shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to suit taste
4 large biscuits for serving

Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat; add bell pepper and onion, sauté until tender.

Stir the soup and milk into the skillet mixture and blend together well. Add the chicken and cheese, stir to blend.

Cook skillet mixture at least 5 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

Serve over hot biscuits.

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QUICK & EASY SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE JAMBALAYA

 

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 lb andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1 bag (16-oz) frozen onion and bell pepper mix
1 can (14-oz) chicken broth
2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked
8 oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

Heat oil in a nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add sausage and onion/pepper mix sautéing until veggies are tender.

Add the chicken broth to the Dutch oven and bring mixture to a boil. Add the rice, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Stir the shrimp into the mixture, replace lid, remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 to 7 minutes until shrimp is opaque and the rice is tender. Fluff rice with a fork before serving.

Yield: 4 servings

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MIXED GREENS SALAD

1/2 a small head of iceberg lettuce, torn

1/2 small bunch endive, torn
1/2 small bunch romaine, torn
1 tomato, cut into chunks
1/2 small cucumber, cut in half lengthwise then sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
dash of salt
dash of freshly ground black pepper

Place the salad greens, tomato and cucumber into a large salad bowl.

Pour the olive oil and vinegar into a small jar with a tight-fitting lid; add the salt and pepper; shake very well to mix.  Pour dressing over the lettuce mixture and toss to coat.

Serve immediately.

This is my version of a TOH recipe along with their picture.

EASY CARROT PINWHEELS

 

If you don't like meat, you can make some tasty little pinwheels using carrots.

2 (8-inch) flour tortillas
3 tbsp Philadelphia Chive and Onion Cream Cheese Spread
2 carrots, finely shredded
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Spread each of the tortillas with 1 1/2 tablespoonfuls of the cream cheese spread. Top spread with the carrots and onions.

Roll tortillas up tightly and wrap individually in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

To serve, unwrap roll-ups and cut each into 6 equal pieces.

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TOMATO BASIL TORTELLINI BAKE

1 pkg (16-oz) frozen cheese tortellini

1 tub tomato basil cream cheese cooking cream 

1 cup your favorite pasta sauce

1/4 cup water

1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Italiano-blend shredded cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

While pasta cooks combine the cooking cream, pasta sauce, water, bell pepper, peas, and Parmesan cheese until combined.

Drain pasta and add to the sauce mixture, gently combining.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and heated through, approximately 25-30 minutes.

MAKE AHEAD NOTE:
You can make this dish ahead by covering tightly with plastic wrap before baking and freezing for up to 3 months. To bake, remove from freezer to refrigerator overnight. Remove plastic wrap and cover with foil. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, remove foil and bake another 10 to 15.

Note: This is a recipe I got from Kraft Foods.

LEMON-HERB DIP

1/2 cup mayonnaise-type salad dressing
1/4 cup sour cream
3 large fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Mix all ingredients until blended. Chill.

Serve with fresh veggies.

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CHEDDAR CHEESE MUFFINS WITH GARLIC AND ONION

 2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp minced onion

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until well combined.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, fill each to the top.

Bake at 400 degrees 15 to 20 minutes until browned and cooked through.

This is my version of a Sweet Pea's Kitchen recipe.

Photo from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

CREAMY NEW ENGLAND-STYLE CLAM CHOWDER

 

1 can (10 3/4-oz) condensed cream of celery soup
2 cups water
1 bottle (8-oz) clam juice
1 can (7 1/2-oz) minced clams
3/4 cup milk or cream
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1 cup quick cook rice
2 tsp lemon juice

Mix the soup with the water and clam juice in a large saucepan.  Add the clams, milk, butter, parsley, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and lemon juice; remove from the heat and cover pan. Let stand 5 minutes.

Garnish serving bowls with additional chopped parsley, if desired.

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CRISPY ALMOND SHORTBREAD WAFERS

 

1 cup crispy rice cereal crushed down to 3/4 cup

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted ground almonds

Drizzle:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp shortening

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until creamy; reduce speed to low. Add the crushed cereal, flour, and almonds. Beat until combined.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough, one-half at a time, to 1/8-inch thickness. (Keep the other half of the dough refrigerated until needed.) Cut with 2-inch round cookie cutter.

Place cut cookies on ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 375 degrees for about 7 minutes until the edges begin to brown.  Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

In a small saucepan, combine chocolate morsels and shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Place in cake decorating bag fitted with a straight tip or in a plastic zip-top bag with a small cut in one bottom corner. Drizzle over cookies in decorative design of your choosing.

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WARM BACON DIP

 

1 brick (8-oz) cream cheese, softened

2 cups sour cream
3 oz bacon bits
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped green onion

Bring cream cheese to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Very lightly grease a 1-quart baking dish.

Combine all the dip ingredients in a bowl then transfer to the prepared baking dish; place cover on dish.

Bake at 400 degrees approximately 25 minutes until hot.

Serve with assorted crackers, chips, and/or French bread.

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HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS

 

3 1/2 cups oats

1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup raisins
2/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 can cherry pie filling

Spread oats in a jellyroll pan and toast in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a large bowl, mix oats, nuts, and raisins. Melt butter in saucepan. Add honey, egg, vanilla, salt, brown sugar, and pie filling. Stir into oat mixture. Press firmly into greased jelly roll pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool, cut into squares.

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THE QUICKEST EASIEST PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

 

1 box (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut or olive oil
1 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together and place mixture by spoonful's onto very lightly greased cookie sheets. Using the tines of a fork, made crisscross patterns atop the cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

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ORANGE PECAN HOT WINGS

 

3 lbs uncooked chicken wing sections
3 eggs
1 can (6-oz) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 tbsp water
1 cup flour
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk eggs, orange juice concentrate, and water.

In a second bowl or a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour and pecans.

Dip wings in egg mixture then roll or toss in the flour/pecan mixture.

Pour the butter into a 15" x 10" x 1" baking pan/ arrange wings in a single layer in the pan.

Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

While wings bake make the following sauce:

SAUCE:
2 cups ketchup
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 to 3 drops hot sauce

Combine well.

Spoon half the sauce over the wings and then turn them.  Pour the remaining sauce over the top.

Bake another 30 minutes or until the wing juices run clear.

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DADDY'S DUNKERS

 This recipe comes from the Capitol Cookies cookbooklet that features a cookie from each state capitol. This one comes from Denver, Colorado and was the favorite cookie of the late dad of a lady there. She wanted to share this recipe so others could enjoy dunking these cookies in coffee or milk as her daddy did.

1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
4 cups flour
2 tbsp cream

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, then cream and vanilla.  Sift in dry ingredients. Mix well. Pinch into 1-inch balls and press with flour-dipped tines of fork onto well-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees just until edges are light brown. Don't brown whole cookie.

1-2-3 JAMBALAYA

 

This is a repost of a recipe from February 2014 thus the reference to Mardi Gras.

I am not someone who enjoys jambalaya and I am not interested in Mardi Gras but I know many of you are. For those who are I pulled this recipe from Johnsonville Sausage for your Fat Tuesday celebration.

1 package (13.5 ounces) Johnsonville® Andouille Dinner Sausage, cut into 1/4-inch coins

1/2 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined OR boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1- inch cubes

• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 box (8 ounces) jambalaya rice mix
• 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• In a bowl, toss Johnsonville® Andouille Dinner Sausage, shrimp or chicken and Creole seasoning. In a skillet, cook the sausage mixture in oil over medium heat until shrimp or chicken is fully cooked; set aside.
• Prepare jambalaya rice mix according to package directions, adding half of the tomatoes.
• About ten minutes before the rice is done and while it is still firm, add the remaining tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and parsley. Partially cover and finish cooking. Stir in sausage mixture.
• To serve, taste and adjust seasonings, adding a little additional Creole seasoning if you want it more spicy. Spoon into large bowls.
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POLYNESIAN POULTRY MEATBALLS

1 can (20-oz) crushed pineapple, divided

1 pkg (20-oz) ground chicken or turkey
2 cups Minute brown rice, uncooked
3/4 cup green onions, sliced thin and divided
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce, divided
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp orange marmalade
Additional brown Minute rice, cooked, for serving
Pineapple chunks for garnish, if desired.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain 1/2 cup crushed pineapple for meatballs. Reserve remaining pineapple and juice for sauce.

Combine ground poultry, rice, the 1/2 cup drained pineapple, 1/2 cup green onions, 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce, egg, and spices in a large bowl; mix together well.  Form mixture into meatballs of desired size and place on a foil-lined baking sheet with sides.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

Meanwhile make the sauce by combining the remaining pineapple and juice, teriyaki sauce and the orange marmalade in a medium saucepan; get to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining green onion.

To serve, place meatballs over cooked brown rice and top with the sauce. Garnish with pineapple chucks, if desired.

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SALISBURY STEAK WITH MUSHROOMS

1 lb ground beef

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup finely crushed saltines
1/4 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp butter
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp white whole-wheat flour
2 1/2 cups hot water
1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Hot buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes for 4, for serving

In a large mixing bowl, using your hands, gently mix the beef, egg, onion, saltine crumbs, sage, 1/2 tsp salt, and about 3 grinds of pepper. Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and form each part into a patty about 1/2-inch thick.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the patties in the butter, 4 minutes per side; remove to a plate.

Add another tablespoon of the butter to the skillet along with the mushrooms; cook until the mushrooms are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Scrape up any browned bits on bottom of skillet.  Sprinkle the flour overall and stir in. Stir in the hot water and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 2 minutes.  Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and swirl to combine.

Return the meat patties to the skillet; simmer until the sauce thickens and the patties are cooked through. Sprinkle with the fresh chopped parsley.

Serve with the noodles or mashed potatoes.

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BURRITO PIE

 

2 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1 can (2 oz) sliced black olives
1 can (4-oz) diced green chilies
1 can  (10-oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 jar (16-oz) taco sauce
2 cans (16-oz each) refried beans
12 (8-oz) flour tortillas
9-oz shredded Mexican-blend or Colby cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic until beef is no longer pink; drain any excess fat from the meat.

Add the olives, green chilies, tomatoes, taco sauce and beans to the meat stirring to blend. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.

In the bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish spread a thin layer of the meat mixture. Top with a tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat the process until all the tortillas are used, ending with a layer of meat and sprinkled cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes until the cheese is browned and casserole is bubbly.

Serve with additional olives, diced tomatoes, sour cream, or other desired toppings.

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CRANBERRY CABBAGE

 

10 cups (med head) shredded cabbage

3 tbsp olive or canola oil
1 pkg (6-oz) sweetened dried cranberries
3/4 cup orange juice (about 2 oranges)
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
3 tbsp butter

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the cabbage to the hot oil and cook, stirring constantly, until tender---about 5 minutes.

Stir the cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Cook, stirring often, until the liquid is reduced by half---about 7 minutes. 

Remove cabbage from the heat and stir in the butter.

Yield: 6 servings

DUFF GOLDMAN'S SLIGHTLY ADAPTED MAMO'S POTATO PANCAKES

Duff says his great-grandmother Mamo made the best latkes in the whole world! Here is his adaptation of her recipe.

5 large or 6 small firm Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 1/4 lbs)
1 large onion, halved
1 large egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or matzo meal
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
Applesauce or other toppings, for serving

Peel the potatoes, immediately immersing them in very cold water as you finish each one.

Remove the potatoes from the water. Grate the potatoes and onion with a food processor fitted with the grating blade. Don't press too hard on the potatoes going in, just enough to get them through.

Transfer potatoes and onion to a fine mesh strainer; squeeze out all the water into a bowl. Let the potato starch settle, then pour out as much water as possible, leaving the starch in the bowl. Add the potato-onion mixture to the bowl and mix in the egg, flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.

Heat a well seasoned cast-iron skillet with a thin layer of vegetable oil over medium heat. Scoop large spoonsful of the potato mixture into the pan and flatten them out (thin pancakes yield crispy ones). Fry until golden on the bottom, then gently flip and fry the other side, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. If you have to wait to serve, re-crisp them on a baking sheet lined with clean paper towels in a 350 degree oven.

Serve with applesauce, cinnamon applesauce, sour cream, etc.

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MINI CHICKEN EMPANADAS

 

2 pkg (11-oz each) pie dough mix

1 can (9.5-oz) white chicken meat, drained OR 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken
1 cup chunky salsa
1 can (3-oz) sliced ripe olives
1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
flour for dusting

Prepare pie dough according to the package instructions for a double crust pie.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken, salsa, and olives; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer mixture for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.  Allow to cool slightly.

On a flour-dusted surface, roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness.  Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out 36 circles, rerolling scraps as needed. Place about 1 tablespoon of the mixture in the center of each circle. Moisten the edges with water and fold the circles in half; pinch edges to seal. Make some small piercings with a fork on the top.

Place empanadas on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes or until golden.

Serve hot.