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Created by Ina Garten, from the July, 2003 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine
Makes 8 servings (1 1/2 cups dip)

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, halved (8 breasts)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2/3 cup diced red onion (1 small onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Add chicken breasts and turn to coat. Cover and marinate, turning occasionally, in refrigerator 6 hours or overnight.

In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, cook olive oil, sesame oil, red onion, garlic, gingerroot and red pepper flakes 10 minutes, or until onion is softened. Whisk in vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter, ketchup, sherry and lime juice, and cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Heat a charcoal grill and cook chicken 10 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through. Cool slightly and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Put each slice on a 7-inch bamboo skewer.

Place the bowl of dip in the center of a platter, and arrange chicken around the bowl, or transfer dip to individual plastic cups with 1 skewer dipped in each.

Labels: Barefoot Contessa, Grilled Lemon Chicken with Satay Dip, Ina Garten, The Oprah Magazine

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Recipe courtesy of Memories of a Cuban Kitchen

1/2 cup pure Spanish olive oil
4-6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2-1/2 to 3 pounds prawns or extra-large shrimp, shells and heads left on (we de-shelled)
juice of 2 limes
salt to taste
pinch of dried oregano
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
dash of Tabasco sauce, optional (we added more)

In a large skillet over low heat, heat the oil until it is fragrant, then cook the garlic, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Raise the heat to medium, add the shrimp, and cook, stirring, until they turn pink, 5 minutes. (If you prefer extra oil, add it along with the shrimp.) Add the lime juice, salt, oregano and parsley, and stir well. Adjust seasonings to taste and add Tabasco. Transfer to a heated serving platter and serve immediately, accompanied by crunchy bread to soak up the garlic-flavored oil.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Labels: Camarones al Ajillo, Garlic Shrimp, Memories of a Cuban Kitchen

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Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003

8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, coarsely grated
8 ounces Muenster, coarsely grated
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon kirsch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Optional Dipping Items on Skewers:
Boiled baby new potatoes in their skins, or quartered if large
Lightly steamed broccoli florets
Lightly steamed cauliflower florets
Lightly steamed asparagus
Button mushrooms, wiped clean and stems removed
Cubed smoked ham
Cooked sliced hot sausage
Long thick pretzel sticks
Lightly toasted cubes French bread

In a bowl or large plastic bag, combine the cheeses and toss with the cornstarch to coat. Set aside until ready to use. In a fondue pot or large heavy saucepan, bring the wine and garlic to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the cheese a bit at a time, stirring well to prevent from clumping, and cook until melted. Add the kirsch, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, stir well, and cook stirring until the mixture is smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. Set the pot over a candle or canned heat and serve hot with assorted dipping items.

Labels: Emeril Lagasse, Garlicky Cheese Fondue

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Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast

Serving: Serves 4

1 Cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 Cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
Grated zest of 1 lemon, (about 1 tablespoon)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 bone-in chicken breast halves, (about 3 pounds)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, mix parsley, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and zest. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Divide parsley mixture into four mounds. Carefully loosen chicken skin with fingers; tuck parsley mixture under skin (left). Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan. Bake until skin is crispy, chicken is cooked through, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees; about 30 minutes.

Labels: Great Food Fast, Martha Stewart, Parmesan Stuffed Chicken Breasts

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Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast

Serving: Serves 4

6 ears corn, husks and silk removed (I used three small cans)
3 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise (1/2 cup)
2 Tablespoons white-wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Remove kernels: Cut off tip of each cob; stand in a wide shallow bowl. With a sharp knife, slice downward to remove kernels. To bowl, add scallions, vinegar, and oil. Season generously with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Serve, or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.

Labels: Corn Salad, Great Food Fast, Martha Stewart

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Recipe courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens
Prep: 15 minutes
Roast: 2-1/4 hours

1 8- to 10-lb. fully-cooked boneless ham
1 recipe glaze

Place ham on rack in roasting pan. Insert an oven-going meat thermometer into center. Bake in 325 degrees F oven 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours or until thermometer registers 140 degrees F. Brush ham with desired glaze during last 20 to 30 minutes. Makes 10 to 12 (3-ounce servings) plus leftovers.

Stout Glaze: In a saucepan combine 1/2 cup Irish stout or apple cider and 1/4 cup each honey and butter. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Makes 3/4 cup glaze.

Labels: Better Homes and Gardens, Glazed Easter Ham

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From Every Day with Rachael Ray, February 2007

MAKES NINE BARS (that's crazy! we got way more)
Prep Time: 15 min
Bake Time: 40 min

1 pound semi-sweet chocolate
2 sticks (8 ounces) plus 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1 cup flour
2 half-pints fresh raspberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan. In a microwave oven or double boiler, melt half of the chocolate and the 2 sticks butter; stir to combine. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, using a whisk, beat the sugar with the eggs until bubbly, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the melted chocolate, then the flour. Using a spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, about 35 minutes. Let cool on a rack.

3. In a microwave oven or double boiler, melt the remaining chocolate and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter; stir to combine. Pour the glaze onto the cooled truffle cake and tilt the pan to coat the top. Refrigerate to partially set the glaze, about 30 minutes. While the chocolate is still tacky, scatter the raspberries in a single layer on top, then refrigerate for a few more minutes to set the glaze completely. Cut the cake into 3-inch squares.

Labels: Chocolate-Raspberry Truffle Bars, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Rachael Ray

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Recipe courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens, April 2007

Prep: 20 minutes; Cook: 5 minutes
8 1/2-inch slices country French white bread
4 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. honey mustard
4 oz. thinly sliced Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

1. Brush one side of each bread slice with oil; brush other side with mustard. Top mustard side of four slices with cheese, cucumber, spinach, and onion. Top with remaining bread slices, mustard side down.

2. Preheat indoor electric grill. Place sandwiches on grill. If using covered grill, close lid. Grill sandwiches until bread is golden. For covered grill, allow 3 to 5 minutes. For uncovered grill, allow 6 to 8 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling. Serve.

Labels: Better Homes and Gardens, Veggie-Cheese Sandwiches

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Taste of Home Celebrations Cookbook Copyright 2005 via The Cookbook Junkie

25 medium fresh jalapeño peppers
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3 cups (12 ounces) finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Cut jalapeños in half lengthwise; remove seeds and membranes. In a large saucepan, boil peppers in water for 5-10 minutes (the longer you boil the peppers, the milder they become.) Drain and rinse in cold water; set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon 2 teaspoonfuls in to each jalapeño half; sprinkle with bacon. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Yield: about 4 dozen

Labels: Cheese-Stuffed Jalapenos, Taste of Home

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Recipe courtesy of Every Day with Rachael Ray, May 2007

MAKES FOUR SERVINGS
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 30 min

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garam masala and turmeric and stir to combine. Stir in 3 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the rice and salt and return to a boil, stirring briefly to break up any clumps. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer, without disturbing, until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through, about 18 minutes.

2. Uncover the pan and mix in the peas while fluffing the rice with a fork; cover and set aside for 5 minutes, until the peas are heated through.

Labels: Every Day with Rachael Ray, Peas Pullao, Rachael Ray

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Recipe courtesy of Grand Floridian Cafe, Disneyworld

(Full recipe below; I halved recipe; it makes a ton)

2 lbs cream cheese
1/2 quart heavy cream
6 oz parmesan cheese
1/8 oz garlic powder
3 lbs frozen spinach
2 lbs artichoke hearts

In a food processor, process the cream cheese, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and garlic powder until smooth and creamy. Add the spinach and process until thoroughly mixed. Add the artichokes and process until coarsely chopped. Place 10 ounces of mix in large ramekin and bake in oven for 20 minutes at 350. Cool.

Labels: Disneyworld, Grand Floridian Cafe, Spinach Artichoke Dip

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Recipe courtesy of 'Ohana Restaurant
Yield: 1 quart or 6-8 servings

1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
3 cloves garlic
1 finger garlic
1/4 cup Spanish onion, diced
1 tablespoon chopped peanuts

Peel garlic and ginger. Add all ingredients together in a blender and pulse until smooth.

Labels: Disneyworld, Ohana Restaurant, Peanut Satay Sauce

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Recipe courtesy of Jamie's Italy
Yield: 4 servings

6 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
10 medium shrimp, shelled and deveined, half roughly chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, salt, and pepper. Add cheese, parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice; add whole and chopped shrimp to egg mixture. In a small, heavy non-stick ovenproof skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat; add egg mixture. Stir eggs slowly for 1 minute, then place pan in oven and cook 9-10 minutes, until frittata is slightly set in the middle. Remove pan from oven; sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Labels: Jamie Oliver, Jamie's Italy, The Best Shrimp and Parsley Frittata

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Recipe courtesy of Woman's World magazine
Yield: 4 servings

Cut 2 (4") waffles into 1" pieces. Whisk 1/2 cup Italian vinaigrette, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; toss 1/4 cup with waffles. Bake in 400F oven until golden. To leftover dressing, add 4 cups spinach, 3 slices cooked chopped bacon, 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved), 3/4 cup sliced mushrooms and 1/4 cup sliced onion (I used red) and croutons.

Labels: Spinach Salad with Waffle Croutons, Woman's World magazine

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Recipe courtesy of Executive Chef Allan Daly, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Serves 4

12 oz penne pasta
2 oz sliced zucchini
2 oz prosciutto, cut into strips
2 oz gorgonzola cheese
3 oz white wine
6 oz bechamel sauce
1 oz onion, finely diced (I used one small)
1 oz chopped garlic
1 oz chopped basil
3 oz cream
2 oz olive oil
salt, pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in pan and slowly cook onions and garlic without color. Add prosciutto, zucchini and cook until prosciutto is crispy. Add gorgonzola, mix well. Add wine, stir until gorgonzola is dissolved. Add cream and white sauce, bring to a boil and cook until creamy in consistency. Mix in pasta until hot, add basil and season as required.

P.S. If you want to skip the bechamel step (I did), just add in heavy cream and about a half-teaspoon of flour to thicken it a bit. Worked like a charm.

Labels: Chef Allan Daly, Penne Del Goloso, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

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Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

Sweetnicks' Notes: Instead of doing the potatoes separately, I added them to the roasting pan. Because of that change, I added more wine.

2 turnips, cut into large wedges
4 parsnips, peeled and cut on a long bias (skipped)
3 carrots, peeled and cut on a long bias (added 4-5)
3 shallots, peeled and quartered
1 fennel bulb, cored and cut into wedges (chop and save fennel fronds for herb rub)
1 cup dry white wine (used 1-1/2 cup)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup tarragon, roughly chopped
1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, grated
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) (I used softened butter instead), plus 2 tablespoons and additional for drizzling
4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
4 thigh/leg pieces, left whole and not disjointed
2 pounds small white potatoes, quartered
1 bunch thin asparagus
4 leeks, cleaned well and thinly sliced, white parts only
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place turnips, parsnips, carrots, shallots, fennel wedges and wine into a roasting pan. Drizzle with EVOO and season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, combine the chopped fennel fronds, tarragon, parsley, grated garlic, lemon zest, 1/2 cup of EVOO, salt and pepper. (Instead of the EVOO, I used 1/2 cup of softened butter to make it more of a paste)

Rub mixture all over the chicken, place the pieces on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan and season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 60-90 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and let rest 10-15 minutes.

Once the chicken has been in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, place the potatoes in a medium sauce pot and cover with cold, salted water. Place on high heat and bring up to a boil. Cook 12-15 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Drain potatoes and set aside.

Once the chicken is out of the oven, add one inch of water to a high-sided skillet and place over high heat. Bring to a simmer and add asparagus. Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes or until asparagus is tender.

As the asparagus is steaming, place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons EVOO. Sauté sliced leeks and season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked potatoes to the leeks, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until slightly browned.

Drain the asparagus and return to them skillet. Place over medium heat and add the Dijon and butter. Toss until the butter has melted.

To serve, place a portion of chicken on a dinner plate, add a scoop of the roasted veggies and spoon some of the pan juices over the top. Serve the Dijon asparagus and the potato-leek mixture alongside.

Yields 4-6 servings

Dijon Asparagus
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 bunch thin asparagus
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon butter

Add one inch of water to a high-sided skillet and place over high heat. Bring to a simmer and add asparagus. Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes or until asparagus is tender.

Drain the asparagus and return to them skillet. Place over medium heat and add the Dijon and butter. Serve.

Labels: Rachael Ray, Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Veggies with Dijon Asparagus

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Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 refrigerated pizza dough, or one from your favorite pizza joint
Cornmeal, for sprinkling on pizza pan
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
1/4 pound pancetta, chopped
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 large clove garlic, grated
Black pepper
2 large egg yolks, beaten
1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded provolone cheese
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 450°F. Roll out dough into a large, thin, round or rectangular shape. Scatter a little cornmeal on the pizza pan or baking sheet before placing rolled-out dough on it. Drizzle dough with EVOO and prick it with fork tines in a few places.

Place in oven and partially bake for 7-8 minutes. Drizzle EVOO in a small skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Cook pancetta until crisp, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool. Brush the baked pizza crust with some of the grease from the skillet you cooked the pancetta in for a little extra flavor. (I skipped that step; extra grease not necessary) Add beaten egg yolks, ricotta, Romano, grated garlic and black pepper to a bowl and stir to combine.

Spread the ricotta cheese mixture out over the pizza crust, then top with provolone cheese.

Scatter the reserved pancetta all over and bake 12 minutes or until crust is crisp and the cheese is evenly golden on top. Scatter parsley over cooked pizza, cut into wedges and serve.

Yields 4 servings

Labels: Carbonara Pizza, Rachael Ray

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Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
2 large onions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pizza dough, from your favorite pizza shop or store-bought
1/4 pound sliced prosciutto, cut into strips
1 cup grated fontina cheese
1/4 pound gorgonzola cheese, crumbled into small pieces

Preheat oven to 425°F. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the butter and 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the sliced onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook; stirring frequently for 20-25 minutes or until very brown and caramelized. Remove from skillet and let cool slightly.

Drizzle a little EVOO on to the pizza dough and pull and stretch until almost the same size as the baking sheet pan. Drizzle the baking sheet pan with EVOO, then set crust in place. Poke the pizza dough in several areas with the tines of a fork. Season the dough with salt and pepper, and spread the caramelized onions on top.

Top the onions with the prosciutto, then the fontina and gorgonzola cheese.

Transfer to the oven and bake until the dough is cooked through and the cheese melts, about 20 minutes. Remove, cut into portions and serve.

Yields 4 servings

Labels: Cheese and Caramelized Onion Pizza, Rachael Ray

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Recipe courtesy of Cate O'Malley

Mussels, cooked
1-1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch or two of oregano
Salt
Pepper

Combine oil, vinegar, and mustard and stir with whisk. Add salt, pepper and oregano, stir to combine. Add mussels. Toss to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Labels: Mussel Salad, Sweetnicks original

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Recipe courtesy of Family Circle

1/2 pound thin spaghetti
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 fresh plum tomatoes, cored and chopped (I used one 14.5 oz can diced)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dry white wine
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil and lightly salt. Prepare spaghetti following package directions. Remove 1/4 cup of the cooking water and reserve; drain pasta.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring so garlic does not burn. Stir in tomatoes, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for 2 minutes. Add wine and cook for 1 minute. Add feta cheese, spaghetti and reserved water and toss with pepper. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 (we easily got 6 servings out of recipe, with at least 1 serving leftover)

Labels: Family Circle, Greek Feta and Tomato Pasta

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Recipe courtesy of Mensch71

1 head fresh garlic
1 can cannelli beans, rinsed
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Cut the top of the garlic head off and cover with olive oil. Wrap head in aluminum foil and roast in oven for 45 minutes. Allow to cool to room temp and squeeze out the roasted garlic.

In a food processor, add the beans, the roasted garlic and the lemon juice and pulse until thoroughly blended. Taste for seasoning, adding about 1.5t salt and 5 - 10 cranks of fresh pepper. Add the parley at the last second.

Serve with veggies or on toasted rounds of bread.

You can also roast half the garlic and add one fresh clove for a more intense garlicky taste.

Sweetnicks' Notes: Added a drizzle of balsamic vinegar to the top before serving for a little something extra.

Labels: White Bean Puree

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From AllRecipes

2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 slices bacon
1/2 small head cabbage, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter, melted

Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving drippings, crumble and set aside. In the reserved drippings, saute the cabbage and onion until soft and translucent. Putting a lid on the pan helps the vegetables cook faster.

Drain the cooked potatoes, mash with milk and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the bacon, cabbage, and onions, then transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the melted butter. Serve immediately.

Labels: AllRecipes, Diane's Colcannon

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Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 pounds Rome Beauty or Winesap apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Irish whiskey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
Pinch salt
1/4 cup Irish oatmeal
1/4 cup toasted, chopped walnut pieces
Irish Whiskey Cream, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter an 11 by 7-inch baking pan and set aside. In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, lemon juice, 1/2-cup of the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of the flour. Stir well, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the whiskey, cinnamon, cardamom and salt, stir well, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl combine the remaining flour, oatmeal and remaining 1/2-cup sugar. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter, and with your fingers or a pastry blender, work the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the walnuts and mix well.

Place the apple mixture in the greased pan and sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the top. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot with the Irish Whiskey Cream.

Irish Whiskey Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons Irish whiskey

Whip the cream until it begins to form soft peaks. Add the sugar and whiskey and beat until stiff peaks form. Cover and chill until needed. Yield: about 2 cups

Labels: Apple-Oatmeal Crisp with Irish Whiskey Cream, Emeril Lagasse

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Recipe via CLBB from Josh Weekley, Executive Chef, Lowe’s Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel, Nashville

For Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ lb (one stick) butter, melted
1 Tbsp honey

Combine ingredients, mixing by hand until crumbs are moist and sticky. Butter inside of a 9-inch springform pan. Press crumbs into bottom and along sides. Set aside.

For Cheesecake Filling:
2 ¼ lbs Philadelphia (or other high-quality) cream cheese, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
5 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur (no substitutions)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Blend cream cheese and sugar with mixer until creamy. Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well, scraping sides of bowl frequently to incorporate all ingredients. Add vanilla extract and liqueur, mixing well again. Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Let cheesecake cool slightly at room temperature, then chill completely – preferably overnight. The cheesecake will have a mousse-like texture when it comes out of the oven and requires thorough chilling to set. Serves 12.

Labels: Bailey's Irish Cream Cheesecake

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Recipe courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Makes 6 servings

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 2- to 2-1/2-pound corned beef brisket*
1 teaspoon whole black pepper
2 bay leaves
3 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise
2 medium parsnips or 1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cut into chunks
2 medium red onions, cut into wedges
10 to 12 new potatoes (1 pound)
1 small cabbage, cut into 6 wedges (1 pound)

Directions
1. Trim fat from meat. Place in a 4- to 6-quart pot; add juices and spices from package of beef. Add enough water to cover meat. Add pepper and bay leaves. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 2 hours or until meat is almost tender.

2. Add carrots, parsnips or rutabaga, and onions to meat. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Scrub potatoes; halve or quarter. Add potatoes and cabbage to pot. Cover and cook about 20 minutes more or until vegetables and meat are tender. Discard bay leaves. Remove meat from pot. Thinly slice meat across the grain. Transfer meat and vegetables to a serving platter. Makes 6 servings.

*Note: If your brisket comes with an additional packet of spices, add it instead of the pepper and bay leaves called for in the ingredient list.

Labels: Cooking Light, Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner

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Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light, MARCH 2003
Tender from gentle cooking, this entree is a classic preparation made without the usual pot watching. Serve it with grainy, coarse-ground mustard. Use the leftovers in classic Rueben sandwiches: sliced corned beef with Thousand Island dressing, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut on sourdough, rye, or pumpernickel bread.

2 cups water
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup Guinness stout
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried dill
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can low-salt beef broth
6 black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
1 (3-pound) cured corned beef brisket, trimmed

Combine first 11 ingredients in a large electric slow cooker, stirring until well blended; top with beef. Cover and cook on HIGH 8 hours or until beef is tender. Remove beef; cut diagonally across grain into 1/4-inch slices. Discard broth mixture.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3 ounces)

CALORIES 226 (39% from fat); FAT 9.7g (sat 3.2g,mono 4.7g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 17.9g; CHOLESTEROL 87mg; CALCIUM 28mg; SODIUM 1105mg; FIBER 0.9g; IRON 2.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.2g

Labels: Cooking Light, Guinness-Braised Beef Brisket

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Recipe courtesy of Technicolor in English blog

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat the oven to 165ºC/325ºF. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 7cm apart. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 38-40 cookies

Labels: Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast

2 bunches (1-1/2 pounds) asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450F. Trim the tough ends from the asparagus. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the asparagus with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Roast until the asparagus is tender and the cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Serves immediately. Serves 4.

Labels: Great Food Fast, Martha Stewart, Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan

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Recipe courtesy of Kimkelly on CLBB

1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

Place all ingredients in blender and blend with oil. Serve on your favorite mixed green salad.

Labels: Balsamic Vinaigrette

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Makes 4 servings (I had to double, and there's just a smidge left)

1-3/4 cups of Swanson chicken broth (of course, your favorite brand will do just fine)
3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

Heat broth in a 2 quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.

*For an interesting twist, stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese before serving. Serve with additional cheese.

Labels: Swanson Broth-Simmered Rice

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Recipe courtesy of 3/07 Bon Appetit magazine
Dinner rolls work well as buns for these mini burgers. Allow three burgers per person and top with tomato, red onion, and cucumber slices.

Makes 4 servings (3 burgers each).

1 cup mayonnaise, divided (I used 1/2 cup mayo)
6 1/4 teaspoons curry powder, divided (I used 3-1/2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt (I used 3/4 tablespoon)
1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup (I used 3/4 tablespoon)
1 garlic clove, minced

2 pounds ground turkey
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup minced green onions
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger (I used 1 tablespoon ginger paste)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon hot chili powder or Hungarian hot paprika
1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil
12 small dinner rolls, cut horizontally in half, lightly toasted preparation

Mix 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 1/4 teaspoons curry powder, and next 3 ingredients in small bowl for sauce. Let stand at room temperature while preparing sliders.

Place turkey, next 6 ingredients, remaining 1/4 cup mayonnaise, and 4 teaspoons curry powder in large bowl. Mix with fork or hands just until blended (do not overmix). Divide mixture into 12 equal portions. Using wet hands, form each portion into patty about 1/2 inch thick.

Preheat broiler or heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. If broiling patties, brush rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil and arrange patties on sheet. Broil (or cover patties in skillet and cook in batches) until cooked through, pressing patties down lightly with spatula before turning over, about 3 minutes per side (or 4 minutes per side if cooking in skillet).

Place patties on bottom halves of rolls. Top each patty with sauce. Cover with roll tops. Place 3 sliders on each of 4 plates and serve.

Sweetnicks' Notes: I roughly halved the sauce ingredients and still had plenty leftover.

Labels: Bombay Sliders, Bon Appetit magazine

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Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker

Prep Time: 25 min (it's really way shorter than this)
Start to Finish: 1 hr 30 min
Makes: 4 dozen 1 1/2-inch cookies

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons shortening

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar and vanilla with spoon. Stir in flour. (If dough is crumbly, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened.)

2. Roll dough 1/2 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into small shapes by hand or use cookie cutters. Place 1/2 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until set and bottoms are light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and shortening uncovered on High 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted; stir until smooth. Dip half of each cooled cookie into melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper until chocolate is set.

Labels: Betty Crocker, Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies

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Recipe courtesy of Scott Phillips on Get Your Grill On

On the stove top, saute a couple of finely chopped shallots and three cloves of minced garlic in a two tablespoons of butter. Cook until soft.

Shuck a dozen large oysters and place in a cast iron skillet or other grill-safe vessel. A layer of crumpled aluminum foil in the bottom of your skillet will keep the oysters from rattling around.

Cook on a HOT grill until done. Your cooking time will vary depending on how heavy your skillet is. In my cast iron skillet it took about 7-10 minutes. In a light weight, disposable aluminum roasting pan, maybe 5-6 minutes.

When your oysters come off the grill, top each with a little of the sauteed shallot and garlic butter. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the top and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

A few words of caution may be in order. On the difficulty scale, both of these recipes get around a 1.25 out of 5. If you can read simple directions and are comfortable around hot grills, you will be fine. Just be careful when shucking the oysters. The natural inclination is to hold the oyster in one hand and go at it with an oyster knife held in the other. This is a good way to jab said oyster knife into the meaty part of your hand. Having done this once, I can’t recommend this technique.

Instead, place a folded towel on a cutting board and place the oyster on it, hinge side up. This way, you can support the oyster without too much risk of gouging your hand. Insert the tip of the knife into the hinge. Push the knife inward into the hinge and twist. The oyster should open right up.

Labels: Get Your Grill On, Roasted Oysters

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Recipe courtesy of Scott Phillips of Get Your Grill On

4 tablespoons of olive oil
Juice of one lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Combine the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add one dozen large shrimp (peeled and de-veined) and coat thoroughly. Put shrimp on wooden skewers (soak the skewers in water beforehand to prevent burning) and cook until done. On a hot grill about a minute per side is usually enough.

Labels: Chile-Lime Shrimp, Get Your Grill On

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Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds all-white meat ground chicken breast
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
5 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon smoked paprika (you can substitute with chipotles or chipotle chili powder)
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce, depending on how hot you like it
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce (if you have a big can of tomatoes, don't go to the store to get the sauce, it's fine. Just use what you have)
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 7-ounce bag yellow corn chips
1 7-ounce bag blue corn chips
3/4 pound blue cheese, crumbled, recommended type Maytag Blue
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped (a couple of handfuls)

Preheat oven to 375°F or broiler to medium. Place a large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon, and the butter. Once the butter has melted and the pot is hot, add the ground chicken. Brown it, using the back of a wooden spoon to break it up in to small pieces, about 5-6 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, bay leaf and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the hot sauce, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes, and bring up to a bubble. Simmer for 8-10 minutes to let the flavors come together.

While the chili is simmering, spread the yellow and blue corn chips out on a cookie sheet. Top with the crumbled blue cheese and transfer to the oven to melt the cheese, about 4-5 minutes. If using the broiler, 2-3 minutes should do the trick. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Top each serving of buffalo chicken chili with a few blue cheese-topped corn chips.

Yields 4 servings

Labels: Buffalo Chicken Chili, Rachael Ray

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Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 2.5-ounce container Boursin cheese
1 package cream cheese (4 ounces)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 15-ounce can artichokes in water, drained and roughly chopped
1 10-ounce bag of spinach, stems removed
Salt and black pepper
2 bags, bagel chips (if making as a dip)
4 large, wrap-size spinach tortillas (if making as a wrap)
2 roasted red peppers, chopped

In a food processor, add the Boursin and cream cheeses, lemon juice, chopped artichokes and spinach, and pulse until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with bagel chips as a dip or spread on a spinach wrap, top with red peppers and take it on the go!

Yields 4-6 servings

Labels: Rachael Ray, Spinach Artichoke and Cheese Wraps or Dip

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4 tablespoons butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cans Tomato Soup
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves

Blend butter, sugar and eggs. Sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with soup. Pour into bundt pan. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

Toasted Walnut and Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 ounces (1/2 stick) butter, softened
3/4 pound (about 3 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces

In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the cheese and butter. Add the sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the vanilla and milk and mix well. Fold in the walnut pieces.

Labels: Tomato Soup Cake with Toasted Walnut and Cream Cheese Frosting

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Courtesy of Cooking Light, March 1995.

1/2 pound medium unpeeled shrimp
Vegetable cooking spray
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used a little more when adding the vegetables)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery (I omitted)
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 pound lower-salt, lean ham, diced (I used three sausages instead)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups no-salt-added chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked

Peel and devein shrimp; set aside. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add the oil, and stir in flour. Cook over medium-high heat 1 1/2 minutes or until brown, stirring constantly. Add onion and the next 4 ingredients; sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Add chicken broth and next 7 ingredients; stir well, and bring to a boil. Add rice; stir well. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in shrimp; cover and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp is done.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 356(16% from fat); FAT 6.4g (sat 1.4g,mono 1.9g,poly 2.3g); PROTEIN 19.7g; CHOLESTEROL 79mg; CALCIUM 111mg; SODIUM 625mg; FIBER 2.7g; IRON 5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 53.1g

Labels: Shrimp Jambalaya

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Recipe courtesy of Weight Watchers' Make It In Minutes
7 points

4 (6-oz) flounder fillets
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place the fish fillets on the baking sheet. Combine the olive oil, bread crumbs, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and oregano ina bowl. Press an equal amount of the bread crumb mixture onto the top of each fillet. Bake until the fish is just opaque in the center - about 10 minutes.

Labels: Flounder Oreganata

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1 pound angel hair pasta
2 tablespoons butter (I used three)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sliced green onions (I used one medium onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (I used one can of diced, drained)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 pound cooked flaked crab meat
1/4 cup chopped parsley (I used dried, and about 1-1/2 tablespoons)
Salt and pepper to taste

Have salted water boiling for pasta then start sauce. Cook onion, garlic, tomatoes in butter and oil until soft. Add wine, simmer 2 minutes. Add lemon and Crab turn to warm. Cook pasta per package. Drain, toss with sauce. Garnish with parsley. Serve with grated Parmesan on the side.

Notes: I drizzled the top with just a smidge of extra virgin olive oil and then mixed.

Labels: Angel Hair Pasta With Crab

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Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman

1 head iceberg lettuce, cored and roughly chopped
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/3 cup good quality feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup pitted black oil-cured Moroccan olives (I used Kalamata)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large serving bowl, combine iceberg lettuce, red onion, feta and olives.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper, to taste. Whisk until well combined. Toss the salad gently with dressing and serve immediately.

Labels: and Oregano Salad, Black Olive, Feta

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Courtesy of Foodie Bride's blog

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb mushrooms, washed and sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (I used 1/4 cup instead)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Saute mushrooms, parsley and salt in 1 tablespoon olive oil, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and set aside. Pour remaining olive oil and black pepper over drained pasta and toss. Add mushrooms, toss and serve.

(Recipe didn't specify how many it served, but 4 seems about right for a lb of spaghetti)

Labels: Fresh Mushroom Pasta Sauce

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Recipe from Hellmanns
Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 Minute(s)
Cook Time: 10 Minute(s)

1 cup Hellmann's ® or Best Foods ® Real Mayonnaise (I used 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup apricot preserves*
1 Tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. ground ginger (I used half teaspoon of ginger paste)
8 uncooked shrimp or chicken kabobs (I used 1/2 lb of medium raw shrimp and 1 lb of chicken breast tenderloins)
4 medium green onions, cut into 3-inch pieces

Combine first 6 ingredients; reserve 1/3 cup. Brush kabobs with remaining sauce. Grill shrimp with green onion until shrimp turn pink. Serve with reserved sauce.

*Variation: Use orange marmalade or mango chutney instead of apricot preserves.

Labels: Grilled Asian Kabobs

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From 10/06 issue of Coastal Living

1/2 pound sea scallops
1/3 cup Japanese breadcrumbs (panko) or fine, dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place scallops in a lightly greased 1-quart baking dish. Combine breadcrumbs and remaining ingredients, and sprinkle over scallops. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until scallops are opaque and topping is golden.

Yield: Makes 2 servings

Labels: Baked Scallops au Gratin

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Posted by luvItalian on the Cooking Light Bulletin Board

1 lb carrots cut diag., 1/2 inch slices
2 zucchini sliced, not too thin
small head of broccoli
small head of cauliflower
1/2 cup mayo (I used a little less than a 1/3 cup)
2 T grated onion
3/4 t horseradish
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/3 cup breadcrumbs (I used panko)
1/3 cup grated parm. cheese
1/4 cup melted butter

Cook vegtables in small amount of salted water until crisp. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid. Combine liquid, mayo, onion, horseradish, salt & pepper. Put vegtables into greased casserol dish & pour mixture over top, mix well. Combine cheese, breadcrumbs & butter and sprinkle over top. Bake 375 degrees ffor 15 - 20 minutes until bubbly.

Labels: Vegetable Casserole

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Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

1 loaf baguette or semolina bread, day old is fine
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped or 1 pickled hot pepper of any kind, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1 cup prepared salsa, any variety
2 cups shredded Cheddar, smoked Cheddar, Monterey Jack or pepper Jack
1 heart romaine or 1/2 iceberg head, shredded
1/2 cup green olives with or without pimiento, chopped
1/4 red onion or 2 to 3 scallions, chopped
2 plum or vine tomatoes, seeded and diced

Split bread lengthwise. Hollow the bread out and cut each half in half across, making 4 boats. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil, 1 turn of the pan, garlic and hot peppers. Drain beans. Add half of the beans then mash the remainder of the beans in the can using a fork. Add mashed beans to the pan and combine with whole beans. Season beans with hot sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. When the spicy beans are hot through, spread them evenly across all of the bread. Top with salsa and liberally sprinkle with cheese, covering bread to all edges. The boats will only be half-full. Melt cheese in the oven until it bubbles and begins to brown.

Top Nacho Bread Pizzas with lettuce, olives, onions and tomatoes and serve.

Sweetnicks' Notes: Put the hollowed out bread in the oven for a few minutes before filling it up. This allows the bread to get a little crispy.

Labels: Nacho Bread Pizza

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Coffee Cake
1-1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup firm butter or margarine, cut into pieces
2/3 cup buttermilk (I used regular milk)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Streusel
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking cocoa
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom of 8 inch square pan. In large bowl, stir 1-1/2 cups flour, the granulated sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt until mixed. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Beat with mixer on medium speed 1 minute. Spread in pan.

In small bowl, mix all streusel ingredients except chocolate chips with fork until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.

9 servings

Labels: Chocolate Streusel Coffee Cake

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Recipe courtesy of Kraft.

Prep Time: 5 min
Total Time: 20 min
Makes: 4 servings, 1 cup each

8 oz. fettuccine, uncooked
1-1/4 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 tsp. flour
1/3 cup PHILADELPHIA Light Cream Cheese Spread (I used one with chives)
3 Tbsp. KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (I skipped)
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

COOK pasta as directed on package. MEANWHILE, combine broth and flour in medium saucepan. Stir in cream cheese spread, 2 Tbsp. of the Parmesan cheese, the nutmeg and pepper; cook 2 min., stirring constantly with wire whisk until mixture boils and thickens. DRAIN pasta. Toss with sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Notes: 300 calories and 6 grams of fat per serving.

Labels: Smarter Fettuccine Alfredo

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Recipe courtesy of Good Housekeeping

Yields: 6 main-dish servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: About 15 minutes

8 ounces mini penne or elbow pasta (about 2 cups)
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes in puree
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped (I skipped)
2 cloves garlic, crushed with press
2 cans (15 to 19 ounces each) navy or other small white beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
Ground black pepper
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat large, covered saucepot of water to boiling over high heat. Add pasta and cook 2 minutes less than label directs. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Return pasta to saucepot.

2. Meanwhile, drain tomatoes, reserving puree. Coarsely chop tomatoes.

3. In 4-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and celery and cook 9 to 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute.

4. Stir in tomatoes with their puree, beans, broth, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; stir in spinach.

5. Add bean mixture, reserved pasta cooking water, and 1/4 cup Romano to pasta in saucepot and toss until well mixed. Transfer pasta mixture to 3-quart glass or ceramic baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining Romano. Bake 15 minutes or until center is hot and top is golden.

Labels: Baked Pasta e Fagioli

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Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray.

1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
8 ounces Emmenthaler cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup Kirschwasser cherry brandy
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
White pepper or cayenne, a pinch to taste

Serve with any or all of the following:
Fresh sausages such as lamb, beef, chicken and pork, broiled or sautéed and cut into bite-size pieces
Small Red Bliss potatoes, boiled
French bread, cut into chunks
Blanched green beans
Drained pickled vegetables such as cauliflower
Whole small radishes

Rub the inside of a small pot with the smashed garlic clove, then discard. Add wine to the pot and bring up to a bubble over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the cheese in handfuls. Stir constantly, melting the cheese in batches. Stir in a figure-eight pattern with a wooden spoon.

When the cheese has been incorporated fully, stir the cornstarch into brandy using your finger until smooth, add brandy mixture into the cheese slowly. Add the lemon juice and season the fondue with nutmeg and white or cayenne pepper, to taste. Transfer the fondue to a fondue pot and serve.

* If your fondue pot is made of cast iron, you can heat the wine on the stove and then add the cheese, all in one pot. If your fondue pot cannot be placed on the stove, follow the above recipe.

Yields 4 servings

Labels: Classic Fondue

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Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray.

MAKES ABOUT 20 TOASTIES
PREP TIME 30 min; COOK TIME 10 min

1½ ounces boiled deli ham slices, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
3 ounces shredded Swiss cheese (3/4 cup)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1½ teaspoons chili sauce
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 baguette, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices, or 5 slices of white sandwich bread, quartered
2 to 3 crisp dill pickles, thinly sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 500°. In a small bowl, stir together the ham, cheese, mayonnaise, onion, chili sauce and mustard.
2. Arrange the bread slices on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place 2 pickle slices on each slice of bread, then spread about 1 tablespoon of the ham mixture on top. Bake the toasties for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Cool for a few minutes before serving.

Labels: Cuban Toasties

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Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes
6 servings

PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 15 Min

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine eggs, milk and oil; add to dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour the batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until second side is golden brown. Keep warm.

Labels: Chocolate Chip Pancakes

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Recipe courtesy of Gourmet, February 2007
You may never go back to roast beef sandwiches after trying the bold flavor of steak with creamy, garlicky Boursin.

1 (1-lb) piece flank steak
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (24-inch-long) baguette or 4 (6-inch-long) ciabatta rolls
1 (5-oz) package Boursin cheese (herb or pepper)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 hearts of romaine, halved lengthwise

Preheat broiler. Pat steak dry and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Put on rack of a broiler pan and broil 2 to 3 inches from heat, turning over once, 6 to 8 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes.

While steak broils, cut baguette into 4 sections, then halve each horizontally. Spread Boursin over bottom halves of bread.

While steak stands, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté romaine in 2 batches, turning over once, until browned in spots and slightly wilted, about 2 minutes per batch. Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet between batches. Transfer as sautéed to cutting board with meat. Cut off and discard core end of romaine, then lay romaine on top of Boursin.

Cut steak across the grain into thin slices and divide among sandwiches.

Makes 4 servings.

Labels: Steak and Boursin Sandwiches

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Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Bulletin Board (luvItalian)

1/2 cup mayo
2 beaten eggs
12 oz shredded swiss cheese
6 oz canned real crab, drained
2 Tbs. flour
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup chopped onion

Combine mayo, flour, eggs & milk. Add crab, cheese & onion. Pour into prepared shell and bake 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Labels: Crab Quiche

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Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Bulletin Board (slknight)

1 (6 1/2 ounce) can crabmeat or minced clams - I used a 6 ounce package of fresh crabmeat.
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1 tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot sauce
2 tbl chopped chives (optional)
2 tsp dry sherry (optional)

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Transfer to a 1 quart casserole dish. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with corn chips or crackers.

Labels: Barbara Bush's Crab or Clam Dip

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Recipe courtesy of Family Circle magazine
Makes 12 servings

1 refrigerated ready-rolled piecrust
2/3 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup light or dark corn syrup
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
whipped topping, optional

Heat oven to 350. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan (I used regular glass pie dish). Sprinkle chocolate chips and walnuts evenly over crust. Set aside. Microwave butter in large glass bowl for 30 seconds, or until melted. Whisk in espresso powder. Beat in brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs and vanilla. Pour into crust. Bake in lower third of oven for 37-40 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Cut into slices, serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Labels: Cafe Mocha Tart

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
Serves 4

Print PDF of recipe here.

INGREDIENTS
6 slices thin-cut white bread
1 cup soft, spreadable herb cheese
8 slices Prosciutto di Parma
12 leaves fresh arugula or basil
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
Salt
2 radishes, thinly sliced
Toothpicks

Spread 4 slices of bread with soft herb cheese. Top each cheese-covered slice with 2 slices of prosciutto, 3 leaves of arugula or basil, and 4 thinly sliced tomatoes seasoned with a pinch of salt. Place a completed layer atop another, making 2 stacks—each 2 layers high. Set the final bread slices in place, making 2 triple-decker sandwiches.

Thinly slice and salt the radishes. Pierce a couple of thin slices of radish on each toothpick and place 4 toothpicks in each sandwich. Cut each sandwich into 4 equal parts, cutting the sandwich across evenly on each side.

Labels: Italian Club Finger Sandwiches, Rachael Ray

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Recipe Courtesy of Rachael Ray
Serves 4

4 beef tenderloin steaks, 1-1/2 inches thick
leaves from 4 fresh thyme sprigs, chopped
salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons very soft butter
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
generous handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
generous handful of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
4 2-inch thick slices Italian sesame-semolina bread, cut on an angle

Season the steaks with the thyme, salt and pepper. Place a large skillet over high heat with the EVOO, once around the pan. When the oil is hot, using a pair of tongs and a folded paper towel, spread the oil lightly over the surface of the pan. Place the steaks in the hot pan and sear the meat, cooking it for 2 minutes on each side. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the steaks for 3-4 minutes longer on each side. Remove the steaks to a plate, cover them loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for about 5 minutes.

While the steaks cook, combine the soft butter, garlic, parsley, basil, Parmigiano and some pepper in a bowl. Spread the butter mixture evenly on all the cut sides of the bread slices. Once the steaks are out of the skillet and resting, return the skillet to the stovetop over medium heat. Add the slices of bread and cook until the first side is golden, 2-3 minutes. Flip and toast the second buttered side. Serve the steaks on top of the cheesy, garlicky bread chunks.

Sweetnicks' Notes: Slice steaks before topping on bread. Top with melted cheese or gravy next time.

Labels: Garlicky Cheesy Bread Chunks Topped with Steaks, Rachael Ray

Recipe courtesy of Sweetnicks reader Merry.

Print PDF of recipe here.

1 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter
4-6 cups cornflakes

Heat the corn syrup and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is desolved. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Add cornflakes until you have the consistency you want (more cornflakes make them crunchier while less make them chewier). Drop on waxed paper or press into a buttered 11x14" pan.

Labels: Peanut Butter Crunchies

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Recipe Courtesy of Every Day with Rachael Ray
Makes 4 burgers

1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 eggy rolls, split and toasted, or 8 thick slices challah bread, toasted
1 small bunch watercress, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cornichons or baby gherkin pickles
1/2 pound truffle mousse pate

In a medium bowl, mix together the meat, shallot, parsley and Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper. Score the meat into 4 equal portions and then form into large patties. Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is screaming hot, add the patties and cook for 4 minutes on each side for medium rare, 6 minutes on each side for medium well.

Meanwhile, place a medium skillet over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a drizzle of EVOO, add the mushrooms and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Pour in the sherry and let it cook off, about 30 seconds. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

Stir together the mustard and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Spread the Dijon butter liberally on the bun bottoms. Top with the watercress, a burger patty, a pile of mushrooms and a few chopped cornichons. Spread the mousse pate on the bun tops and set them into place.

Labels: Beef Wellington Burgers, Rachael Ray

From Southern Living magazine
Serves 8

Print PDF of recipe here.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 cups (3 lb.) thinly sliced baking potatoes (about 4 large)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise and next 3 ingredients in a saucepan. Gradually add milk, and cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat 8 to 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Add Cheddar cheese and next 3 ingredients, stirring until cheese melts and is well blended.

Place half of potato slices evenly in a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish; pour half of cheese mixture over potatoes. Repeat layers with remaining half of potato slices and cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.

Bake, covered, at 350 for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 30 more minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and fork tender.

Labels: Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

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Recipe courtesy of Mark Bittman

8 short ribs, about 3 pounds (I used regular ribs)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar or honey
3 star anise (I used a teaspoon of five spice instead)
6 scallions, trimmed
1 3-inch piece cinnamon (I used a teaspoon of ground cinnamon)
5 nickel-size slices of ginger
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (I skipped)
Salt
Cooked white rice for serving
Chopped scallions or fresh cilantro leaves for garnish.

Combine all ingredients, except salt, rice and garnish, in slow cooker. Cover and cook until meat is very tender and falling from bone, 5 hours or more on high, 7 hours or more on low. Taste and add salt if necessary.

If you like, remove meat, strain liquid and refrigerate meat and liquid separately;
skim fat from liquid, and reheat with meat. Serve hot over white rice garnished
with scallions or cilantro.

Labels: Mark Bittman, Short Ribs with Chinese Flavor

Recipe Courtesy of Good Housekeeping (December 2006)
Yields: About 4 dozen cookies

Print PDF of recipe here.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine (2 sticks), softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1 cup raisins
1 package (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350F. On waxed paper, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown and granulated sugars until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl. With spoon, stir in oats, raisins, and chocolate chips.

Drop dough by heaping measuring tablespoons, 2 inches apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake cookies 13 to 15 minutes or until tops are golden. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room temperature up to 1 week or in freezer up to 3 months.

Labels: Holiday Oatmeal Cookies

This version of the classic salad shows why it is a favorite across America. Recipe courtesy of Gourmet magazine.

Print PDF of recipe here.

1 1/2 lb skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, smashed
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
2 (10-oz) packages hearts of romaine
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 1/2 cups plain or flavored croutons

Special equipment: a well-seasoned large (2-burner) ridged grill pan

Heat lightly oiled grill pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Meanwhile, pat chicken dry and coat with 1 tablespoon oil, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Grill chicken, turning over once, until just cooked through, 14 to 16 minutes total.

While chicken grills, blend garlic, lemon juice, mustard, anchovy paste, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a blender until combined. With motor running, add remaining 7 tablespoons oil in a slow stream, blending until emulsified.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Toss chicken with 2 tablespoons dressing in a large bowl. Add romaine, cheese, remaining dressing, and croutons and toss.

Makes 4 servings.

Labels: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

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Recipe courtesy of Gourmet magazine.
In true Argentine and Uruguayan fashion, the steak is simply seasoned with salt and pepper, so the quality of the ingredients is particularly important. This is a well-marbled cut, which makes for a juicy and full-flavored grilled steak.

2 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
2 lb skirt steak (about three 1/2-inch-thick pieces)
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

Accompaniment: chimichurri sauce (see recipe below)

Prepare grill for cooking over direct heat with hot charcoal (high heat for gas; see "Grilling Procedure."

While grill is heating, coarsely crush peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or by wrapping them in a kitchen towel and pressing with bottom of a heavy skillet.

Pat steaks dry and sprinkle both sides with salt and crushed pepper, pressing to help adhere. Grill steaks on lightly oiled grill rack (covered only if using a gas grill), turning over once and moving around to avoid flare-ups if necessary, 6 to 8 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 5 minutes. Thinly slice steaks diagonally.

Cooks' notes:- Steaks can be grilled in a hot lightly oiled well-seasoned large (2-burner) ridged grill pan in batches over moderately high heat.
- If your sea salt is very coarse, lightly crush it with a mortar and pestle or the side of a large heavy knife.

Makes 4 servings.

Chimichurri Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Gourmet magazine.
This is the national condiment of both Argentina and Uruguay, and there are hundreds of versions. The sauce is also great with vegetables, especially grilled or fried tomatoes.
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced shallots (about 2 medium)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt

Stir together all ingredients in a bowl.

Makes about 2/3 cup.

Labels: Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

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Courtesy of Italian Salads cookbook

Serves 4

2 balls of buffalo mozzarella, 5 oz. each
2 large rip tomatoes, roughly the same size as the balls of mozzarella
2 oz. fresh basil leaves
about 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the mozzarella and tomatoes into slices about 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the tomato slices on a large plate and season with salt and pepper. Put a slice of mozzarella on each slice of tomato and top with a basil leaf. Tear up the remaining basil and scatter over the top. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil just before serving. This salad must be made at the last moment to prevent the tomatoes from weeping and the mozzarella from drying out. Serve at room temperature, never chilled, as this would kill the flavors.

Labels: Tomato Mozzarella and Basil Salad

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Using Yukon Gold, slice them pretty thinly. Put them in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet and drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and a smattering of herbs. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 or until slightly crispy. Delicious, and a perfect complement for the steak.

Labels: herbed potatoes

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1 tablespoon butter -- melted
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon stoneground mustard
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cups broccoli florets -- 1 pound
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon water

Mix butter, brown sugar and mustard; set aside.

Heat oil in 10-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add broccoli; stir-fry 1 minute. Add 3 tablespoons water. Cover and cook about 3 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender.

Add butter mixture and 1 tablespoon water; toss until broccoli is coated.

Makes 4 servings (about 3/4 cup each)

Labels: Stir-Fried Broccoli with Mustard Glaze

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October 2005 Supper Club, Recipe from Nan

These peppery-sweet potatoes are delicious with roasted meats. Cooking them at a high heat makes their interior tender just as the sugar-and-spice coating begins to caramelize and brown the outside.

6 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds)
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 500°. Peel potatoes; cut each lengthwise into quarters. Place potatoes in a large bowl; coat with cooking spray. Combine sugar, salt, and peppers, and sprinkle over potatoes, tossing well to coat. Arrange potatoes, cut sides down, in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 500° for 10 minutes; turn wedges over. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until tender and beginning to brown.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3 wedges)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 153(2% from fat); FAT 0.4g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 2.4g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 31mg; SODIUM 166mg; FIBER 2.3g; IRON 0.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 35.5g

Labels: Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges

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Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings (ha! I ate it all myself!)

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 bunch fresh asparagus
3 cloves garlic, chopped

Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and asparagus spears; cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is tender. If you like your asparagus well done, reduce heat and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Labels: Sauteed Garlic Asparagus

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1 lb bag of frozen fries
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
vinegar (white, malt or cider) for sprinkling
olive oil for drizzling

Cook fries to package directions on a cookie sheet. Combine salt and cayenne. Remove fries and toss with spicy salt, seasoning to your taste. Sprinkle with vinegar and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.

Labels: Salt, Vinegar and Cayenne Fries

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12 carrots
2 T good olive oil
1-1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 T minced fresh dill or parsley

Preheat the oven to 400. If the carrots are thick, cut them in half lengthwise; if not, leave whole. Slice carrots diagonally in 1-1/2 inch thick slices. (The carrots will shrink while cooking, so make the slices big). Toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a sheet pan in 1 layer and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, until lightly browned and tender. Toss the carrots with minced dill or parsley, season to taste and serve.

Labels: roasted carrots

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Recipe courtesy of Jane Brody's Good Food Gourmet

1 cup lentils
4 cups water
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 - 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne or to taste
Salt to taste (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups canned chopped or crushed tomatoes
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp honey
Water, if necessary

In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, water, salt (if desired) and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to med-low, and simmer the lentils until they are just soft, about 30 minutes. Do not drain the lentils! Discard the bay leaf, then set the lentils aside.

In a large dutch oven or saucepan with a nonstick surface, heat the butter or margarine and oil briefly, and add the potatoes. Sprinkle them with the turmeric, cayenne, salt (if desired), and pepper. Cook the potatoes, tossing them, over medium heat, for about five minutes.

Add the tomatoes, the reserved lentils and their cooking liquid, the garam masala and the sugar or honey to the potatoes.

Cook the stew over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring the mixture from time to time and adding water if the stew seems to be too dry.

Sweetnicks' Notes: I usually serve this over rice with a dollop of sour cream and mango chutney on top, and hot, crusty bread on the side. Originally made and reviewed here.

Labels: Potato and Lentil Stew

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Cook asparagus in a covered skillet in 1 inch of boiling water for 5-7 minutes, until crisp-tender. Divide in bunches; roll a slice of prosciutto or other ham around each. Place in an oiled baking dish, dot with butter and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes until a golden crust forms. Serve.

Labels: Parmesan-Style Asparagus Bundles

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Recipe courtesy of Time Life's Fast, Fresh and Delicious cookbook
4 servings

4 large all-purpose potatoes, unpeeled
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon basil
3/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease the foil. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Melt the butter on the stovetop or microwave. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, oil, garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and toss to coat well with the herbed butter. Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan. Bake the potatoes for about 30 minutes, or until they are tender and golden. Twice during the cooking time, use a spatula to move the potatoes around to ensure even cooking.

Labels: Oven-Fries Italiano

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5 all-purpose potatoes, scrubbed and dried
extra virgin olive oil, about 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon Monterey Steak seasoning
Salt, to your taste

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Cut potatoes into thin wedges and place on a cookie sheet. Coat potatoes in a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with herbs. Toss potatoes to coat evenly. Roast potatoes 25 minutes, until crisp and golden at edges. Season hot wedges with salt to your taste.

Sweetnicks Notes: Quick, easy and nice alternative to French Fries. Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray.

Labels: Oven Fries

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Recipe courtesy of Penzeys.

6 ounces sliced portobello mushrooms
1 teaspoon your favorite seasoned salt
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, sliced thin
2 slices provolone cheese
4 thick slices of bread (Texas Toast), toasted

Gently rinse and clean the mushrooms; pat dry. Place in a bowl and carefully toss with seasoned salt and 1 tablespoon oil. In a large fry pan, saute onions in 1/2 tablespoon oil over medium heat until brown, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Carefully place mushrooms in the pan flat side down (start the toast now). Fry for 2 minutes then gently turn each piece. Fry for another 30 seconds then arrange the mushrooms into 2 lots, roughly the shape of the toast. Top with a slice of provolone then cover the pan for about 30 seconds until the cheese is melted. Slide a spatula under the mushrooms, trying to keep the shape, and place on the toast. Top with onions and serve.

Labels: Melty Portobello Sandwiches, Penzeys

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Serves 4 (or just one asparagus lover!)

fat-free cooking spray
1 lb. asparagus spears, bottoms ends trimmed, cut into thirds
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
freshly ground cracked pepper
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 375. Spray baking sheet with fat-free cooking spray and place asparagus on sheet. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over asparagus. Sprinkle on cheese, garlic salt and pepper; toss well. Top with sliced red onion. Bake for 30 minutes or until crispy.

Labels: Martita's Awesome Asparagus

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Recipe from November 2005 Supper Club

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup whole milk plain yogurt
3/4 cup half-and-half
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add spices and cook until fragrant. Add yogurt, half-and-half, thawed spinach with its liquid, and drained chickpeas. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until heated through.

Labels: Indian Spinach and Chickpeas

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3 pounds potatoes, cut in bite size chunks
2 T olive oil
2 T mustard seed
2 tsp coriander seed, crushed
1 tsp salt
½ cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 green onions, trimmed, sliced

Heat oven to 400. Toss together the potatoes, oil, mustard seed, crushed coriander and salt in roasting pan. Roast in oven for 35-45 minutes or until potatoes are light brown and fork tender. Meanwhile, combine yogurt, cilantro, salt and pepper. Toss together potatoes and dressing in bowl. Add green onion. Serve.

Sweetnicks Notes: Woman's Day magazine recipe, modified by Sweetnicks. Loved this one.

Labels: Indian Potato Salad

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Have all the ingredients ready before starting this easy recipe. Bake 4 tortillas in a 375 degree oven (directly on the rack, no baking sheet) until crisp, about 4 minutes. Carefully remove and place each one on a plate. Top with warmed canned refried black beans, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes (or your favorite salsa), avocado, corn and chopped scallions. Enjoy!

Sweetnicks' Notes: I also added a bit of sour cream and my Guacamole Cream to the top before serving. Originally made and reviewed here.

Labels: Healthy Black Bean Tostados

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October 2005 Supper Club, Recipe from Nan

Make this dish the night before a gathering, refrigerate overnight, and serve at room temperature.

24 large grape leaves
Cooking spray
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 cup water
2 tablespoons dried currants
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
11/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
8 lemon wedges

Rinse grape leaves with cold water; drain well. Pat dry with paper towels. Remove stems; discard. Set aside. Set large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 cup chopped onion; cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add rice, green onions, and nuts; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in water and next 7 ingredients (through cinnamon); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Cool slightly.

Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon rice mixture onto center of each grape leaf. Fold one side of leaf over filling. Fold opposite side of leaf over filling. Beginning at 1 short side, roll up leaf tightly, jelly-roll fashion. Steam grape leaves, covered, 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Cool to room temperature. Serve with yogurt and lemon wedges.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3 stuffed grape leaves, 1 tablespoon yogurt, and 1 lemon wedge)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 88(12% from fat); FAT 1.8g (sat 0.2g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 2.7g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 72mg; SODIUM 500mg;
FIBER 1g; IRON 1.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16.5g

Joanne Weir Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2005

Labels: and Herbs, Currants, Grape Leaves Stuffed with Rice

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8 oz. (2 cups) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4-oz.) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (24-oz.) pkg. (about 8 cups) frozen hash-brown potatoes, thawed
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish or pan. In large bowl, combine cheese, salsa, onion, sour cream, soup and pepper; mix well. Add potatoes; mix well. Spread in greased dish. In small bowl, combine bread crumbs and butter; mix well. Sprinkle over potatoes. Bake at 350°F. for 45 to 60 minutes or until cheese is melted and potatoes are tender.

Labels: Easy Cheesy Salsa Potatoes

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2 teaspoons canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 (10 ounce) package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained (I used fresh)
1-1/2 cups (about 6 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese
6 large egg whites
1 large egg
1/3 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375. Coat 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray and set aside. In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add spinach and stir until moisture has evaporated, about 3 minutes longer. Sprinkle cheese evenly in prepared pie plate. Top with spinach mixture. In medium bowl, whisk together egg whites, egg, cottage cheese, red pepper, salt and nutmeg. Pour egg mixture evenly over spinach. Bake 30-40 minutes or until set. Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve. (4 servings)

Labels: Crustless Spinach-Cheddar Quiche

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12 small new red potatoes
1 (0.4-ounce) package ranch dressing mix (recommended: Hidden Valley Original Ranch Buttermilk Recipe)
2 cups crushed Cheez-It crackers
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes, let cool slightly, and then peel. Mix the dressing mix and the crackers in a bowl. Dip the potatoes in melted butter, and then roll them in the cracker mixture. Place the potatoes in a greased baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Labels: Cheesy Crunchy New Potatoes

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1 bunch broccoli rabe
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
salt, hot sauce to taste
Wash the rabe and trim off any yellowed parts. Trim off the stalk ends, cutting at a sharp angle, and, again with the knife at a sharp angle, cut the stalks in thirds. (This last instruction is optional: many Italian restaurants serve the stalks whole, for the diners to cut at table.)

In a roomy heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, saute the rabe in the oil over high heat, tossing constantly with tongs, for a couple of minutes. When the rabe is all coated with the oil and has turned a brighter green, add in the garlic, hot pepper flakes (if using) and broth. Cover tightly, lower heat to medium-high, and cook for 4 minutes. Toss the rabe with the tongs and replace the cover and let them sit in their steam for another 5-10 minutes. Season to taste.

Labels: Broccoli Rabe with Oil and Garlic

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From delicious. Magazine Serves 4

300g fresh shiitake mushrooms, halved if large
200g swiss brown mushrooms, halved if large
300g oyster mushrooms, halved if large
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
150g mixed salad greens
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley
75g reduced-fat feta, crumbled

Place the mushrooms in a bowl with the olive oil, garlic and 1/4 cup of the balsamic vinegar, and toss to coat mushrooms in the mixture. Heat a lightly oiled pan over high heat. When hot, add the mushrooms in batches and cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing occasionally, until cooked all over. Place salad and parsley leaves in a bowl with the remaining tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, then toss to combine. Divide the salad among plates, then top with the mushrooms and feta.

Sweetnicks Notes: Instead of the different types of mushrooms, I used 4 large Portobello mushrooms that I had on hand.

Labels: Barbecued Mushrooms with Feta (Gluten-Free)

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Spicy Sausage

2 pounds ground pork
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1-1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, crushed

Rest of Pizza:

1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
Cooking spray
5 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 3/4 of an 8 oz bag)
4 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained well
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients for spicy sausage in a large bowl. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain. Preheat oven to 450°. Unroll dough onto large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Pat the dough out. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border, and top with sausage, basil, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pepper. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until cheese melts.

Labels: Spicy Sausage Pizza

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1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3-4 big garlic cloves, peeled and cut into thin slivers
2 pounds shrimp
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine the oil and garlic in a skillet. Cook on medium heat until the garlic begins to sizzle. Stir, raise the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are all pink (about 3-4 minutes), being careful not to overcook them. Do not evaporate their liquid. Turn off the heat and serve with hot, crusty bread for mopping up the sauce. Mmmm, mmmm, good!

Sweetnicks Note: You can also serve this over angel hair pasta for a quick Shrimp Scampi Pasta dish.

Labels: Shrimp Scampi Braised in Olive Oil

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Decidely delicious. I used Pillsbury Ready Made Pie Crust, since I had an extra one in the fridge already, and laid it out on a cookie sheet. I sprinkled it with salt and pepper and then covered the bottom, leaving a border, with thinly sliced tomatoes. Then, I caramelized some onions and added those. After the onions were done, I threw some soppresata strips into the pan and crisped them up, and added that to the pizza, along with crumbled goat cheese, julienned fresh basil and more salt and pepper. Lastly, I drizzled olive oil over the top. Turned up the corners all around and baked it for about 20 minutes. It doesn't get much better than this. First made in July 2005.

Labels: Rustic Frizzled Ham and Goat Cheese Pizza

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1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cans beef broth
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
dash hot pepper sauce
salt and pepper

In dutch oven, saute mushrooms, onion, garlic, tarragon, nutmeg in butter until vegetables are tender. Stir in flour until it's smooth. Gradually add broth; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and slowly add sour cream. Whisk to fully include sour cream. Cook and stir until smooth. Stir in half-and-half and milk. Add lemon juice, hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper. Heat through, but do not boil. Yields: 4-6 servings.

Sweetnicks Notes: Rich and creamy, one of my favorite soups for cold weather.

Labels: Rich and Creamy Mushroom Soup

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Serves 4-6

1 pound ground chicken
1 small onion chopped
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper, pinch of each
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 egg
half a sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, onion, mozzarella, ketchup, cumin, salt, pepper, basil, parsley and egg. Mix well and form patties. In separate shallow bowl, mix cracker crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Coat each burger, both sides, in cracker/crumb mixture. Heat a bit of vegetable oil in large skillet (or spray with non-stick spray) over medium-high heat. Cook burgers about 6 minutes each side, or until done. Serve.

Labels: Parmesan Chicken Burgers

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Fried ice cream from Mexican restaurants is one of my favorite desserts. I came up with this simple throw-together version for when I just can't get to a restaurant. Scoop some vanilla bean ice cream (love Breyers!) in a bowl and top with crushed frosted flakes, a drizzle of honey and a maraschino cherry. Can't get simpler than that and it's a nice way to end the day.

Labels: Mock Mexican Fried Ice Cream

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Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in large skillet. Add 4 cloves garlic (minced), 2 onions (chopped), 1/2 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tablespoon Tamari/soy sauce. Cook until onions are soft, about 5 minutes (might need to add a little more oil or soy sauce to keep everything “wet”). Add 3 cups cooked rice. Stir fry 5 minutes so rice can absorb flavors. Add 1 cup peas. Stir well into rice mixture. Just before serving, add 2 eggs, beaten. Over medium heat, stir carefully through rice until eggs are cooked. Serve hot.

Sweetnicks Notes: You might find you need to add more salt/soy to taste. For variety, sometimes I add some cooked chicken pieces (rotisserie chicken works great) or cooked shrimp. You may never order Chinese take-out Fried Rice again!

Labels: House Fried Rice

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Using Yukon Gold, slice them pretty thinly. Put them in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet and drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and a smattering of herbs. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 or until slightly crispy. Delicious, and a perfect complement for the steak.

Labels: Golden Crispy Herbed Potatoes

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1 (5 ounce) log goat cheese, crumbled
1 (7 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes marinated in olive oil, drained
4 pita bread rounds
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F. Separate the pita breads by cutting around the outer edge, and carefully prying the halves apart to make two rounds out of each one. Place the separated pita rounds onto cookie sheets. Generously sprinkle goat cheese, roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes onto each one. Bake the pizzas for 16 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the crust is crisp. (Also can be grilled) As soon as the pizzas come out of the oven, sprinkle with torn basil, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut into quarters, and serve hot or warm. Easiest way to cut is on a large cutting board with your longest knife.

Labels: Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza

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7 egg yolks
7 tablespooons sugar
3-1/2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
extra sugar for sprinkling the tops

Heat cream and vanilla until very hot. Beat eggs with sugar until light and creamy. SLOWLY add hot cream to egg mixture and stir well. Evenly divide mixture into ramekins. Place cups in a 13x9 baking pan filled halfway up with water. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool, then refrigerate. When serving, I pull them out of the refrigerator about a half-hour before serving, and then immediately before serving, sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of sugar on top of each cup and broil until golden brown and crunchy.

Labels: Creme Brulee

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1/2 cup sour cream
4 oz crumbled gorgonzola
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix up ingredients and serve over your favorite salad or with a platter of crudites.

Sweetnicks' Notes: A light creamy dressing that we like.

Labels: Creamy Gorgonzola Salad Dressing

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Dressing:

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon tamari sauce
4 green onions, finely chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons ginger paste
2 teaspoons maple syrup

In a small bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients together, or combine in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. For the salad, combine shredded rotisserie chicken, mixed salad greens, shredded cabbage (use coleslaw mix in produce section), sliced cucumber, and thinly sliced red onion. Pour dressing over the salad and thoroughly mix to ensure everything is evenly coated with dressing. Add salt to taste and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over top. Devour.

Labels: Chinese Chicken Salad

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1/2 lb browned ground beef
4 cups diced potatoes
3/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup shredded carrots
8 oz Velveeta
3/4 cup diced celery
1-1/2 cup milk
1 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup sour cream

Saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 T butter for about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and hamburger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt about 3 T butter. Add flour and cook, stirring, for about 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup. Bring to boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Labels: Cheeseburger Soup

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1 cup vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
squirt of lime juice
2 cans pineapple chunks, drained
1 cup orange sections (about 2 oranges)
2 red grapefruit, sectioned
2 medium bananas, sliced

Combine yogurt, honey and lime juice in a small bowl. Add in all fruit, adding banana last.

Labels: Fruit Salad

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1 tube refrigerated pizza dough
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 ounces pancetta (Italian-style bacon) or Canadian bacon, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded fontina cheese, divided
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Cracked black pepper

Unroll dough onto large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Pat the dough out. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add pancetta, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add onions, thyme, salt, and white pepper; cook 20 minutes or until onions are browned, stirring frequently. Preheat oven to 475°. Brush the pizza dough with 1-1/2 teaspoons oil; top with half of onion mixture. Sprinkle cheese over pizza and top with remaining onion mixture. Bake at 475° for 9 minutes or until crust is crisp. Sprinkle with black pepper.

Labels: Caramelized-Onion and Crispy Pancetta Pizza

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4 starter servings

2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
12 oz. beer
2 cups beef broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
2-1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Melt the margarine in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and carrots in margarine, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add flour and stir to coat vegetables. Gradually stir in beer, broth and salt. Heat to boiling, reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in sour cream and cheese; continue stirring until cheese is melted. Serve.

Sweetnicks Note: One of our favorite tummy-warming soups. Great for chilly nights, and easy meal for busy weeknights.

Labels: Beer and Cheddar Soup

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1 cup sliced banana
1 cup ice
1 cup milk

Blend and enjoy!

Labels: Banana Smoothie

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1 (8 ounce) package spaghetti
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2-3/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Preheat oven to 425F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and cool.

Beat egg in large bowl, add milk, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese, salt and garlic powder. Stir in cooked spaghetti, mix well. Spread mixture evenly in greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Spread sauce over spaghetti. Sprinkle with oregano, basil and the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and bake for 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Labels: Baked Spaghetti Casserole

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Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

2 (9-ounce) packages fresh cheese tortellini
1 1/2 cups (1 1/2-inch-long) slices fresh asparagus (about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups trimmed arugula
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup (3 ounces) pregrated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add asparagus to pasta during last 2 minutes of cook time. Drain.

While pasta cooks, combine vinegars, oil, and pepper in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add pasta mixture, arugula, and remaining ingredients; toss to coat.

Labels: Warm Tortellini and Cherry Tomato Salad

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Courtesy of Italian Salads cookbook

Serves 4

2 balls of buffalo mozzarella, 5 oz. each
2 large rip tomatoes, roughly the same size as the balls of mozzarella
2 oz. fresh basil leaves
about 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the mozzarella and tomatoes into slices about 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the tomato slices on a large plate and season with salt and pepper. Put a slice of mozzarella on each slice of tomato and top with a basil leaf. Tear up the remaining basil and scatter over the top. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil just before serving. This salad must be made at the last moment to prevent the tomatoes from weeping and the mozzarella from drying out. Serve at room temperature, never chilled, as this would kill the flavors.

Labels: Mozzarella and Basil Salad, Tomato

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Courtesy of Rachael Ray

4 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and serve.

Labels: Tomato and Onion Salad

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Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson, from her Forever Summer cookbook
Serves 6-8
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus steeping

From Nigella: "Whenever I make this, it's met, at first, with slightly patronising amusement - and then with the most colossal greed. The trick is twofold: first, substitute sliced fennel for the more traditional cucumber (which has the added benefit of not making the salad go soggy on standing); second, let the onion steep, sprinkled with dried oregano, in the oil and vinegar long enough for it to lose all of its acrid, rib-sticking aftertaste. This version is mild, abundant, gloriously summery. If you don't like fennel, just leave it out, although don't be tempted to reinstate the cucumber."

Ingredients

1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 red onion, finely sliced
Black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
200ml extra virgin olive oil
5 tomatoes
1 teaspoon caster sugar (regular works fine)
Pinch of salt
1 very large head of romaine lettuce
1 bulb fennel
125g pitted black olives
400g Feta cheese
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Sprinkle the oregano over the red onion and grind over some pepper. Pour in the vinegar and oil and toss well, cover and leave to steep for a good 2 hours; longer's fine. You'll notice, once it's had its time, that the blooded crimson of the onion is now a luminescent puce. It's something to do with the acid in the vinegar: don't ask. You don't need to be fully conversant with the technicalities to take advantage of them.

But to return to the case in hand: cut the tomatoes into quarters, then cut each quarter into quarters (always lengthwise) again, so that you have a collection of fine segments. Sprinkle the sugar and a pinch of salt over them and set aside. Tear the lettuce into big pieces and put in a large bowl. Slice the fennel and add that, then the olives and Feta, crumbled into chunks, and toss well. Add the tomatoes, the onion in its marinade, and the lemon juice. Toss gently but thoroughly, so everything is well combined.

This is addictive: you will find yourself making it all through summer - and beyond.

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The recipe below is one of my original creations. Feel free to use and enjoy it, but if you pass it on, please be sure to tell everyone that you got the recipe from Sweetnicks. Thank you!

1/2 cup sour cream
4 oz crumbled gorgonzola
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix up ingredients and serve over your favorite salad or with a platter of crudites.

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Dressing:

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon tamari sauce
4 green onions, finely chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons ginger paste
2 teaspoons maple syrup

In a small bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients together, or combine in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. For the salad, combine shredded rotisserie chicken, mixed salad greens, shredded cabbage (use coleslaw mix in produce section), sliced cucumber, and thinly sliced red onion. Pour dressing over the salad and thoroughly mix to ensure everything is evenly coated with dressing. Add salt to taste and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over top. Devour.

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1 package triple-washed spinach
3 to 4 handfuls pecan halves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
A few pinches sugar
A few pinches salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons stoneground mustard
2 small shallots, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small wedge Gorgonzola, crumbled (about 2 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place spinach in serving bowl. Toss pecans with vegetable oil, sugar and salt. Lay out on baking sheet. Roast until shade darker and aromatic, about 7 to 8 minutes. Set aside. Make dressing by combining olive oil, vinegar, mustard, shallots, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisking together or place in sealable container and shake. Toss spinach with dressing, Gorgonzola and pecans. Serve.

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Yield: Makes 6 servings

1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 (8-ounce) package rotini pasta, cooked
1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and cut into strips
1/2 pound smoked mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes*
1/2 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Drain artichokes, reserving marinade. Cut artichokes into strips, and place in a large bowl. Add pasta and next 4 ingredients, and gently toss. Stir together reserved artichoke marinade, mayonnaise, and next 3 ingredients until blended. Add to pasta mixture, stirring to combine. Cover and chill.

*1/2 pound smoked Gouda or Cheddar cheese may be substituted for smoked mozzarella, if desired.

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(original recipe is from Barefoot Contessa; recipe below is modified to include my changes)

1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 pounds medium or large shrimp, cooked, peeled and tails removed
1 cup good mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon good white wine or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3-4 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
1/2 cup minced red onion
1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, wine, salt, the pepper, lemon juice and dill. Combine with the peeled shrimp. Add the red onion and check the seasonings. Serve, or cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

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Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello
Prep Time: 15 minutes Yield: 8 to 10 servings

1 pound salami, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
6 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 pound mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for drizzling
Vinegar, for drizzling

In a large bowl, combine salami, tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and toss well.

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2 cups tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 avocados - peeled, pitted and diced
1/3 cup picante sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
handful of chopped fresh cilantro

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, zucchini, corn, green onions, and avocado. Whisk together the picante sauce, oil, lemon juice, garlic salt, cilantro and cumin. Toss gently with the vegetables. Chill 3-4 hours, and toss before serving.

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Serves 4

3-4 fresh mall goat cheese crottins
8 slices of country white bread
olive oil
salad greens for 4 salads
vinaigrette (see below recipe)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450. Cut each crottin horizontally into 2 or 3 half-inch slices. Place the bread on a baking sheet, brush lightly with olive oil and place a slice of goat cheese on each piece of bread. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the bread is toasted and the cheese is warm. Place the salad greens in a large bowl and toss with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Divide the salad among 4 lunch plates. Place 2 slices of toasted bread on each salad, sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 extra large egg yolk, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, egg yolk, salt and pepper. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified.

Sweetnicks Note: A nice, simple salad. Recipe courtesy of Barefoot Contessa.

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Recipe from Nan December 2005 Supper Club

Poppy Seed Dressing
Mix for 5 minutes in blender or with hand-held blender

1/2 cup sugar (I only use ¼ cup)
2 teaspoons mustard
2/3 cup cider vinegar
2 cups vegetable oil (I use canola oil)
3 teaspoons poppy seed

Salad
(Romaine lettuce or field greens)
Arrange over lettuce:

Dried cranberries
Blue cheese
Walnuts
Red onion thinly sliced
Grilled chicken

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September 2005 Supper Club, Recipe from Julie

2 teaspoons sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup sour cream
8 red radishes, thinly sliced
2 Delicious apples, quartered cored and thinly sliced
1/2 European seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Salt and black pepper

Combine sugar, lemon juice, and sour cream in a medium bowl with a fork. Add radishes, apple, and cucumber. Turn vegetables and fruit in dressing to coat. Season with dill, salt, and pepper, toss again; serve.

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1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pound thinly sliced rare roast beef
5 small scallions, diced
3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
5 plum tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, diced

In large bowl, mix the lime juice, Asian fish sauce, and sugar; stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the beef, scallions, shallots, tomato, cucumber and celery leaves; toss gently and serve.

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Makes 8 servings.
Bon Appétit
August 2004

The pickled cucumbers are also great on their own as a condiment for tuna-salad sandwiches.

6 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
2 1-pound English hothouse cucumbers, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
3 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 10 medium), unpeeled
Additional coarse kosher salt
1 cup very thinly sliced white onion
8 radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced
3/4 cup mayonnaise
Small radishes with green tops

Stir vinegar and 4 teaspoons coarse salt in small bowl until salt dissolves. Place cucumbers and 1/2 cup dill in heavy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add vinegar mixture; seal bag. Turn several times to coat. Refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally. Pour cucumber mixture into large sieve set over bowl. Drain at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Discard brine.

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain. Cool potatoes completely. Peel potatoes; quarter lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place potatoes in large bowl; sprinkle generously with coarse salt and pepper. Add drained cucumbers, onion, sliced radishes, and remaining 3 tablespoons dill; toss to blend. Let stand 1 hour. Stir mayonnaise into salad. Season generously with salt and pepper, if desired. (Salad can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Mound salad in bowl; garnish with whole radishes. Serve cold or at room temperature.

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Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
2 ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 crisply cooked pieces of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2-1/2 cups cloose packed mixed greens
1-2 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola

In a small bowl, mix together the oil and honey. Whisk in the mustard, salt, pepper and vinegar. In a medium bowl, gently toss together the pears, bacon and mixed greens, lifting and blending the ingredients. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, toss again, and divide among 4 chilled salad plates. Garnish each salad with crumbled cheese and serve immediately.

Sweetnicks Notes: First made in July 2005. From cookbook, "Everything Tastes Better with Bacon." Slightly modified by Sweetnicks.

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Serves 4

8 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 oz orzo or other tiny soup pasta
6 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped mixed fresh herbs (I used basil and a small bit of dill)
grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the grill or broiler. Thread the tomatoes onto soaked wooden skewers with all the cut halves facing the same way. Sprinkle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper; and grill or broil for 1-2 minutes on each side until lightly charred and softened. (I just broiled them on a cookie sheet - just easier at the time). Remove from heat and set aside while you cook the orzo. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for about 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet, add the onions, herbs and lemon zest and stir fry for 30 seconds. Stir into the orzo, then add the grilled tomatoes, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well and let cool before serving.

Sweetnicks Notes: First made in July 2005. Refreshing, healthy, and easy. From Grilling by Louise Pickford.

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1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Yield: about 3/4 cup

Sweetnicks' Notes: Excellent.

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Recipe from Christie December 2005 Supper Club

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 12 ham salad biscuits, 6 servings

2 tubes, 6 pieces each, large bake-off biscuits (recommended: Pillsbury brand, from dairy aisle of market)
1 pound cooked ham from the deli, 1/4-inch thick slices, diced
3 ribs celery, from the heart, finely chopped
1/2 cup salad olives with pimento, drained, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley - a couple of handfuls of leaves
1/3 cup mayonnaise, just enough to bind salad
3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
3 tablespoons dill pickle relish
Salt and black pepper

Prepare bake-off biscuits to package directions, 8 to 10 minutes in the oven. Cool biscuits on wire rack. Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and adjust seasonings, to taste.

Split cool biscuits and fill with Leslie's DEEELICIOUS ham salad.

Courtesy of Rachael Ray, 30 Minute Meals

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SELF Magazine July 2003

2 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and well drained
3/4 cup chopped seeded tomato
3/4 cup chopped peeled jicama
3/4 cup fresh corn kernels, uncooked (or frozen or canned)
3/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
Half a ripe avocado, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

Honey-Lime Dressing

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro (or more to taste)
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tsp chopped jalapeño pepper (use canned for less heat)

Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl. In separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over mixture and toss again. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 4 servings.

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8 oz couscous
14 fl oz vegetable stock
1/2 lb. grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 medium avocados, peeled, stoned and cut into large chunks
4 oz black olives
8 oz feta cheese, roughly crumbled
mixed salad green leaves

For the dressing:

5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Tip the couscous into a large bowl, stir in the hot vegetable stock, cover and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Make a dressing with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir 2 tablespoons into the couscous, then gently mix in the tomatoes, avocados, olives and feta. Taste for seasoning. Toss salad leaves with the remaining dressing, divide the salad between four plates and spoon toe couscous over the top.

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3 pounds potatoes, cut in bite size chunks
2 T olive oil
2 T mustard seed
2 tsp coriander seed, crushed
1 tsp salt
½ cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 green onions, trimmed, sliced

Heat oven to 400. Toss together the potatoes, oil, mustard seed, crushed coriander and salt in roasting pan. Roast in oven for 35-45 minutes or until potatoes are light brown and fork tender. Meanwhile, combine yogurt, cilantro, salt and pepper. Toss together potatoes and dressing in bowl. Add green onion. Serve.

Sweetnicks Notes: Woman's Day magazine recipe, modified by Sweetnicks. Loved this one.

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(adapted from a Pillsbury recipe)

1 bag (16 oz) coleslaw blend
1 rotisserie chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 packages (3 oz. each) chicken ramen noodle soup mix
1 can (11 oz) Green Giant Mexicorn whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 cup honey-mustard salad dressing
1 can (11 oz) mandarin orange segments, drained
1/2 cup slivered almond, toasted

In very large bowl, mix coleslaw blend, chicken, onions, noodles (breaking them in bite size pieces) from soup mix and corn. In small bowl, mix dressing and contents of the seasoning packets from the soup mix. Pour dressing over salad and toss to mix. Gently stir in orange segments. Serve, topped with almonds.

Sweetnicks' Notes: If you're planning on serving this over more than one day, don't add the ramen noodles into the salad, but use them for crunchy topping instead. If you add them into the salad, they'll lose their crunch by the next day.

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Recipe courtesy of Dave Lieberman

The 'Berg's back! For a while it was almost embarrassing to even think of eating Iceberg lettuce?it was blacklisted as flavorless, colorless and watery. But Iceberg is an All-American favorite that doesn't deserve to be shelved. It's refreshing and crisp, and the 'rents are sure to love it because it's probably what they grew up on. And it's so simple! To serve, I just split a head of iceberg into wedges and top them with some homemade ranch dressing and fresh chopped chives. Nothing simpler. Nothing better.

1 small head iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup plain yogurt (I omitted)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, pressed through garlic press or finely minced
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped chives, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel off any wilted or discolored leaves from the outside of the lettuce. Trim the core even with the bottom of the lettuce and cut the lettuce into quarters through the core. If the quarters look too big for a single serving, either cut them in half or trim them to whatever size you feel is a good serving.

Combine the sour cream, yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic, vinegar, and chives in a bowl until well mixed. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To serve, set the wedge of iceberg in the center of a salad plate, spoon the dressing over and dash it with a good pinch of chives. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

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1 cup canola oil
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 packet ramen oriental seasoning
Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 head Napa cabbage, sliced 1/8-inch thick
1/4 head red cabbage, sliced 1/8-inch thick
1/2 head green cabbage, sliced 1/8-inch thick
2 red onions, thinly sliced
2 carrots, shredded
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
24 wonton skins, fried
3 ramen noodle bunches, broken into small pieces
3/4 cup Spanish peanuts, finely chopped (I didn't chop, and liked them better this way)

In a large bowl combine oil, vinegar, garlic, ginger, ramen seasoning, salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix cabbages, onions, carrots, and cilantro. Whisk the dressing and pour over the cabbage mixture. Toss thoroughly. (Dress the salad no more than 10 minutes prior to serving.)

Place equal portions of salad on wonton skins and top with ramen noodles and chopped peanuts. Serve immediately.

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(From Party Line with the Hearty Boys)

1 shallot, diced
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

Put the shallot into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well chopped. Add the lemon juice, feta, oregano, salt and pepper and pulse again to combine. With the processor running, add the oil in a steady stream. Pour into a small pitcher and set aside.

Sweetnicks' Notes: Very delicious and easy to make. For the salad, we used chopped romaine lettuce and added sliced red onions, black olives, and feta cheese on top.

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Compliments of Lynne Conway, Renton, WA

Sweetnicks' Note: All below notes are Lynne's.

1 head of romaine lettuce, cleaned and torn into bits
3-4 teaspoon A-1 sauce
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 avocado, cut into small pieces
1 large tomato, cut into pieces
red wine vinegar
good olive oil
salt and pepper
2-3 cloves of garlic
two clean hands

To prepare the red onion, marinate the slices for at least half an hour (longer is better) in a small bowl in red wine vinegar to cover. They will become very soft. To prepare the salad bowl, use a garlic press to mash the garlic into the bottom of the bowl. Add the A-1 sauce (do not substitute). Using your hands, rub the garlic and A-1 well all over the inside of the bowl. When you are ready to mix the salad, kick everyone out of the kitchen. Place the lettuce, avocado, tomato and red onions in the bowl. Season with a liberal sprinkling of pepper; salt to taste. Pour about one part red wine vinegar and three parts olive oil over the salad. With your hands (do not use tongs!) mix the salad thoroughly, making sure to incorporate the garlic and A1. Invite one of your favorite relatives to come in and test it for you! Enjoy!

Sweetnicks Notes: My Grandma Rosa, the sweetest lady now in her 90s, used to make the best green salad any of us had ever tasted. We five grandchildren would bring our friends home for special family dinners, and everyone went crazy over Grandma's salad. No one could get enough! Grandma used to kick everyone out of the kitchen when she would make her salad. Absolutely no one was allowed to watch. After the salad was mixed, she would call one of the grandkids in to "test" the salad, and tell her what we thought needed an extra pinch. Usually we just exclaimed how wonderful it was! When she got into her eighties, and the kids scattered around the West Coast she decided to let me in on her secret salad to keep it going. Of course, I cannot duplicate it ? she had magic hands! But the simple recipe above ? give or take quantities because Grandma never measured anything ? is the closest anyone can come to Grandmas Secret Salad.

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2 cups cooked orzo pasta (about half a box of uncooked pasta)
1/2 cup dry salami, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (2 oz.)
1/4 cup sliced, pitted kalamata olives
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled (4 oz.)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste
Combine orzo, salami, olives and feta cheese in large bowl. Whisk together oil, vinegar, cumin and pepper in small bowl. Pour over feta mixture, stirring until blended. Serve.

Sweetnicks Notes: Easy and refreshing.

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Use any kind of tomatoes in this salad, even chopped cherry tomatoes if you like.

6 slices thick-sliced bacon (1/2 cup cooked and crumbled)
1 large tomato (or 2 medium), about 1-1/2 cups chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 head iceberg lettuce, about 6 cups chopped

Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel. Meanwhile, core the tomatoes, cut them in half horizontally and scoop the seeds out with your finger. Don't be obsessive about getting every seed, but just go quickly through. Chop the tomatoes into 1-inch (or so) pieces and place them in a bowl with mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes, or several hours. Before serving, chop lettuce and bacon, add to bowl and stir to coat evenly. Serve with grilled sirloin or other steak, or as a side to hamburgers, and accompany with corn on the cob. Serves four.

Sweetnicks' Notes: I also added some ground black pepper in with the salt, used only a pinch of cayenne instead of the 1/4 tsp and upped the bacon ante with 15 pieces of bacon instead of 6. Delicious!

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Yield: 6 servings

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 heads romaine lettuce hearts
1/2 lemon
Shaved Parmesan
Anchovy oil from can of anchovies packed in olive oil

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, few pinches of salt, about 15 grinds pepper, juice of lemon half and the anchovy oil. Cut lettuce in bite-size pieces and put in bowl. Toss with dressing. Sprinkle shaved Parmesan over the top.

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Courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 10 oz. package of baby spinach
1/3 lb bleu cheese, crumbled
6 oz. walnut halves, toasted if desired
1/4 cup maple syrup
1-1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Place spinach on a large platter. Top with bleu cheese and walnuts. Warm maple syrup in a small saucepan. Pour vinegar into a small bowl. Whisk oil into the vinegar in a slow stream. Whisk maple syrup into dressing in a slow stream. Pour dressing over the salad platter and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

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4 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 bunch arugula, thick stems removed, washed and dried
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Handful washed basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
20 grinds black pepper

Empty the cans of beans into a colander and rinse them briefly under cold water. Drain thoroughly and empty the colander into a large serving bowl. Toss the beans together with the red onion and arugula. Shake the olive oil, vinegar, chopped basil, salt and pepper in a sealable container until the salt is dissolved. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. It's best to make and dress the salad about an hour before you serve it. Let it stand at room temperature, tossing every time you think about it. Just before serving, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Sweetnicks Note: Tasty and simple to make. Nice peppery bite from the arugula and a recipe you can feel good about eating. Recipe courtesy of Dave Lieberman.

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Recipe from Julie, December 2005 Supper Club

1 package frozen peas (16 oz.) -- thawed
1 can sliced waterchestnuts (8 oz.) -- drained
2 green onions -- thinly sliced --- Optional
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup prepared ranch dressing
5 bacon slices -- cooked & crumbled
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Mix peas, waterchestnuts, onions, and cheese in a serving bowl. In a small bowl, combine the salad dressing, bacon, & pepper; mix well. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Chill until served.

Description:
"This is a home version of a salad served at my favorite restaurant in Spokane, WA - Clinkerdagger's. It's so easy and delicious! Recipe from Taste of Home."

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It is very simple to make and super yummy. I cheat for the crust and use Pillsbury Pizza Crust. Line a pizza pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Spread the crust out the reach the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with salt, freshly ground pepper and assorted fresh herbs (I used garlic chives, tarragon and rosemary). Bake for 8 minutes at 400. Top it with chopped plum tomatoes (about 7, making sure the pizza is covered), mozzarella (about 1/2 cup), chopped fresh basil (about 3 tablespoons), dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Drizzle it with olive oil and bake it for another 6-7 minutes. Crack a few eggs in a small bowl and gently slide over the pizza. Return to the oven for a few more minutes, until whites are set, but yolk still loose. Eat and enjoy. I love sunny side up eggs on pizza.

Sweetnicks Notes: See my post here for more info and a picture.

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1 (5 ounce) log goat cheese, crumbled
1 (7 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes marinated in olive oil, drained
4 pita bread rounds
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F. Separate the pita breads by cutting around the outer edge, and carefully prying the halves apart to make two rounds out of each one. Place the separated pita rounds onto cookie sheets. Generously sprinkle goat cheese, roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes onto each one. Bake the pizzas for 16 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the crust is crisp. (Also can be grilled) As soon as the pizzas come out of the oven, sprinkle with torn basil, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut into quarters, and serve hot or warm. Easiest way to cut is on a large cutting board with your longest knife.

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Spicy Sausage:

2 pounds ground pork
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1-1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, crushed

Rest of Pizza:

1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
Cooking spray
5 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 3/4 of an 8 oz bag)
4 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained well
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients for spicy sausage in a large bowl. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain. Preheat oven to 450�. Unroll dough onto large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Pat the dough out. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border, and top with sausage, basil, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pepper. Bake at 425 for 12 minutes or until cheese melts.

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Decidely delicious. I used Pillsbury Ready Made Pie Crust, since I had an extra one in the fridge already, and laid it out on a cookie sheet. I sprinkled it with salt and pepper and then covered the bottom, leaving a border, with thinly sliced tomatoes. Then, I caramelized some onions and added those. After the onions were done, I threw some soppresata strips into the pan and crisped them up, and added that to the pizza, along with crumbled goat cheese, julienned fresh basil and more salt and pepper. Lastly, I drizzled olive oil over the top. Turned up the corners all around and baked it for about 20 minutes. It doesn't get much better than this. First made in July 2005.

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1 tube refrigerated pizza dough
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 ounces pancetta (Italian-style bacon) or Canadian bacon, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded fontina cheese, divided
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Cracked black pepper

Unroll dough onto large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Pat the dough out. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add pancetta, and saut� for 2 minutes. Add onions, thyme, salt, and white pepper; cook 20 minutes or until onions are browned, stirring frequently. Preheat oven to 475�. Brush the pizza dough with 1-1/2 teaspoons oil; top with half of onion mixture. Sprinkle cheese over pizza and top with remaining onion mixture. Bake at 475� for 9 minutes or until crust is crisp. Sprinkle with black pepper.

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This makes a wonderful 10 minutes or less party offering or appetizer, as well as a light entree on summer nights. Compliment it with a simple mixed green salad for supper.

1 (12-inch) prepared thin crust pizza shell, recommended: Boboli brand
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves, chopped or snipped
1/3 pound Nova Scotia smoked salmon, thinly sliced
1/4 English cucumber, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained

Preheat oven to 400. Crisp pizza crust 5 minutes on perforated pizza pan or on oven rack. While pizza crust is in oven, mix sour cream with lemon juice and dill in a small bowl. Remove pizza shell from oven and let stand until cool to the touch. On cool, crisp pizza shell, spread the sour cream-dill sauce in an even layer. Evenly distribute sliced smoked salmon, working all the way to the edges. Top pizza with sliced cucumber, red onion, and capers. To serve, cut pizza in 1/2. Cut each 1/2 in 1/2 again, 4 cuts across. Turn the pan a 1/4 turn and slice into quarters, making 16 cuts.

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From AllRecipes.

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used about 1/2 a rotisserie chicken)
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough (I used a thin crust Boboli)
1/2 cup Ranch-style salad dressing
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease a pizza pan or medium baking sheet. Place chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until no longer pink and juices run clear. Cool, then either shred or chop into small pieces. Unroll dough and press into the prepared pizza pan or baking sheet. Bake crust for 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until it begins to turn golden brown. Remove from oven. Spread ranch dressing over partially baked crust. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese. Place tomatoes, green onion and chicken on top of mozzarella cheese, then top with Cheddar cheese. Return to the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

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Recipe courtesy of Boy Meets Grill with Bobby Flay

1 (8-ounce) ball prepared pizza dough (bought fresh from pizzeria or frozen from market)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Heat grill to high. Roll the dough into 2 (10-inch circles). Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer dough to grill. When bottom side is mostly cooked through, brush with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle evenly with grated cheese, red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt and pepper. Let cook until dough is cooked through and slightly charred. Remove from grill, garnish with fresh basil, and cut into pieces.

Sweetnicks' Note: Pizza on the grill is a delicious twist. This one was yummy, although stretching out the dough and getting it onto the grill was a bit tricky.

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6 oz undrained Tuna
1 cup Cornmeal
1 cup Oat or Barley Flour
1/3 cup Water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Measure all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands (might need to add more cornmeal to get the right consistency to cut). Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into treat sized pieces (I used a dog bone cookie cutter). Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden. Let cool. Recipe can be multiplied as needed. Refrigerate to keep fresh or freeze immediately for later use. Great for cats and dogs.

Sweetnicks Note: The recipe indicates it's good for both dogs AND cats, and if our cat, Luke, is any indication, cats are going to like them. The tuna smell was driving him crazy, and my son and I had to push him away many times before he finally got the message. Gave two bones to the dogs this morning, and they happily gobbled them up. Not that their palate is too discerning to begin with, they weren't complaining. Recipe is below, if you want to give your pets a treat. Recipe courtesy of our dog trainer.

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(For DOGS) Makes 16

2 tablespoons honey
2-3/4 cups water
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together honey, water, applesauce, vanilla and egg. In a separate bowl, mix peanuts, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, mixing well. Spoon into a greased muffin tin, filling each cup two-thirds full. Bake for 35 minutes. Store in a sealed container.

Sweetnicks' Notes: Devoured by the dogs, recipe from Three Dog Bakery Cookbook.

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1 tablespoon olive oil
1 rotisserie chicken, taken apart, in bite sizes pieces
3-1/2 oz. snow peas
¼ cup cream of coconut
1 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ginger paste
¼ cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons brown sugar
¾ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (reserve a few pieces for topping)
Peanuts

Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add the oil and chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Add the snow peas and cook for 1 minute, then add the combined cream of coconut, peanut butter, soy sauce, stock, ginger paste and sugar and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Stir through the cilantro and serve over steamed rice. Top with a few pieces of cilantro and peanuts.

Sweetnicks Note: Quick and easy, great recipe to have on hand for quick weeknight meals.

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Serves 4-6
As this is a Sweetnicks Original, if you share the recipe with someone, please let them know you got it from here. Enjoy!

1 pound ground chicken
1 small onion chopped
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper, pinch of each
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 egg
half a sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, onion, mozzarella, ketchup, cumin, salt, pepper, basil, parsley and egg. Mix well and form patties. In separate shallow bowl, mix cracker crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Coat each burger, both sides, in cracker/crumb mixture. Heat a bit of vegetable oil in large skillet (or spray with non-stick spray) over medium-high heat. Cook burgers about 6 minutes each side, or until done. Serve.

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1 pound sweet Italian sausage
2 pounds meatballs
4-5 lean pork chops
1 pound lean spareribs
1 pound piece of beef or pork
1/2 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
pinch of dried basil, red pepper flakes and mint
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
1 28 oz can peeled and crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can of water
salt and pepper to taste

Fry the meats of your choice in 1/4 cup of the oil in a large heavy saucepan. When they are browned, transfer them to a platter. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of oil to the residual juices in the pan. When the oil is hot, saute the onion, garlic and seasonings until transparent. Stir in the tomato paste and blend well. Add the tomatoes and stir until blended with the tomato paste and oil. Stir in an extra pinch of the seasonings. Add water, using the 28 oz can from the tomatoes. (Keep adding water until the sauce remains the thickness you desire; usually a full can does it). Let the sauce come to a full boil and add salt and pepper to taste and an additional pinch of herbs. Return the meat to the pan, then simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for at least 1 hour or until all of the meat is fully cooked. Stir gently every 15 minutes or so, using a large wooden spoon. Serve the sauce over pasta, reserving some additional sauce for individual servings at the table. Serves 10-12 generously.

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1 cup buttermilk
1 package (1.25 oz) Taco seasoning
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 pieces bone-in chicken, dark meat
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat oven to 400. In shallow bowl, mix buttermilk and 1 tablespoon of the taco seasoning mix. In another shallow bowl, mix the rest of the taco seasoning mix, bread crumbs, flour, salt and pepper. Dip chicken pieces in the buttermilk mixture and them coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place in a single layer in a greased baking dish. Repeat with all the chicken pieces. Drizzle melted butter over the chicken and bake for 45-55 minutes, until chicken is fork tender and juices run clear.

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4-pound beef chuck roast
4 tablespoons flour
Montreal steak seasoning
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 package dry onion soup mix
6 carrots, cut in 2-inch pieces, peeled
3 large onions, peeled and quartered
3 cups quartered red new potatoes

Lightly coat beef with about 2 tablespoons flour and sprinkle with Montreal steak seasoning. Brown meat on all sides in hot oil in Dutch oven or large heavy saucepan. Combine soy sauce and 1/4 cup water and pour over beef. Sprinkle dry onion soup mix over beef. Cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours. Add carrots, onions and potatoes; cover and simmer for 30 minutes longer, until vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, blend 2 tablespoons flour with 1/4 cup of water. Set aside. Remove beef and vegetables from pan; keep warm. Stir flour mixture into drippings until blended. Bring to boil and cook, stirring, until gravy thickens. Slice beef across grain and serve with gravy and vegetables.

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1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup salsa
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup peanut butter -- (use crunchy and leave out the peanuts)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated gingerroot or ginger paste
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Place chicken in crockpot. Mix other ingredients except cilantro and peanuts. Pour over chicken. Cook for 4 hours on low. Garnish with cilantro and peanuts.

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1/3 cup bottled teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons tamari sauce
4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
2 pounds chicken wing drummettes
3 tablespoons BBQ sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

In a large Ziploc bag, combine the teriyaki sauce, tamari sauce and sesame seeds. Add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to the baking sheet. Discard extra marinade. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small bowl, combine BBQ sauce, honey and sesame oil. Brush chicken with half of the sauce; bake for 10 minutes more, turning and brushing with sauce after 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Sweetnicks Notes: Simple and delicious, one of The Husband's favorites.

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1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4-pounds chicken thighs

Whisk the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend. Combine the vinaigrette and chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag; seal the bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove chicken from the bag and arrange the chicken pieces on a large greased baking dish. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 hour. If your chicken browns too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve.

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1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pound thinly sliced rare roast beef
5 small scallions, diced
3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
5 plum tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, diced

In large bowl, mix the lime juice, Asian fish sauce, and sugar; stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the beef, scallions, shallots, tomato, cucumber and celery leaves; toss gently and serve.

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1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minces
2 pounds lean ground beef
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons capers
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and garlic. Saute about 5 minutes until the onions are softened, then add the beef. Break up the meat into small pieces while you stir the ingredients. Cook 8-10 minutes, until the meat is lightly browned and cooked through. Add the tomatoes and cumin, cover and reduce heat toe medium-low. Simmer for 15 minutes, then add the capers and simmer 5 minutes longer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain some of the juice and serve hot over rice.

Sweetnicks Notes: Very good, easy and flavorful. Added about a quarter-cup of green olives.

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1 1/2 lb ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon garlic minced
2 tablespoon softened butter
add a few shakes of cajun seasoning

Set up BBQ or broiler. Mix ingredients, shape patties and refrigerate at least two hours. Grill until done the way you like it.

Peanut Butter Sauce for Topping

2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced

To prepare sauce, combine first 6 ingredients, stirring with a whisk until smooth.

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1-1/2 lbs ground beef, cut into bite size pieces
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 can mushrooms
2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 300F. Brown meat over high heat. Lower heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Pour into lightly greased covered casserole dish and bake for 2-1/2 hours. No peeking! Remove from oven and serve over hot noodles or buttered rice.

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Recipe from Christie December 2005 Supper Club

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 12 ham salad biscuits, 6 servings

2 tubes, 6 pieces each, large bake-off biscuits (recommended: Pillsbury brand, from dairy aisle of market)
1 pound cooked ham from the deli, 1/4-inch thick slices, diced
3 ribs celery, from the heart, finely chopped
1/2 cup salad olives with pimento, drained, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley - a couple of handfuls of leaves
1/3 cup mayonnaise, just enough to bind salad
3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
3 tablespoons dill pickle relish
Salt and black pepper

Prepare bake-off biscuits to package directions, 8 to 10 minutes in the oven. Cool biscuits on wire rack. Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and adjust seasonings, to taste.

Split cool biscuits and fill with Leslie's DEEELICIOUS ham salad.
Courtesy of Rachael Ray, 30 Minute Meals

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Recipes courtesy of Cooking Pleasures magazine

1-1/2 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
1 pickled jalapeno chile (I used diced green chiles)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon grate lime peel (I omitted)
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 slices Monterey Jack cheese
4 Kaiser or Mexican bolillo rolls, split
1/2 cup Jalapeno-Lime Mayonnaise (recipe follows)
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup Quick-Roasted Chile Salsa (recipe follows)
1 cup Quick Guacamole (recipe follows)

In medium bowl, gently mix together beef, cilantro, green onion, chile, garlic, chili powder, lime peel and salt. Shape into 4 patties. Heat grill. Place burgers on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal hrill 4-6 inches from medium coals; cover grill. Grill 8-10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink in center, turning once. Top each burger with one slice cheese, grill 1 minute or until cheese has melted. Spread each roll with 2 tablespoons of the Jalapeno-Lime Mayonnaise.

Place lettuce on top of tolls; top with burgers, salsa and guacamole.

Jalapeno-Lime Mayonnaise:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
1 tablespoon fhinely chopped pickled jalapeno chile (I used diced green chiles)

In small bowl, stir together all ingredients.

Quick-Roasted Chile Salsa:

1 large tomato, diced
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons diced canned roasted green chiles
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

In small bowl, stir together all ingredients.

Quick Guacamole:

1 large avocado
1/4 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped seeded deveined jalapeno chile, if desired
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Place avocado in medium bowl, mash coarsely with fork or potato masher. (Do not overmash; texture should be quite lumpy). Stir in remaining ingredients.

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Makes 6-8 servings

2 lbs sweet Italian sausage, cut into 5-inch lengths
48-oz jar spaghetti sauce
6 oz can tomato sauce
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 cup water

Place sausage in skillet. Cover with water. Simmer 10 minutes. Drain. Combine remaining ingredients in slow cooker. Add sausage. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve in buns or cut sausage into bite-sized pieces and serve over cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese. Also tastes great in a toasted roll with melted cheese.

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Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Prep Time: 10 minutesCook Time: 20 minutesYield: 4 to 6 servings (4 huge, 6 normal)

1 pound elbow macaroni
Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 package beef or pork hot dogs, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all- purpose flour
1/2 cup beer, 1/3 of a bottle – whatever you have on hand, chicken broth can be substituted
2 cups milk
Pepper
1 rounded tablespoon spicy mustard
2 rounded tablespoons ketchup
3 cups yellow sharp Cheddar, shredded, divided (Buy preshredded cheese. You will need 1 1/2 sacks of 10-ounce packages.)

Boil a large pot of water for macaroni. Salt water and under cook macaroni, cook about 7 minutes until just under al dente in doneness. Preheat broiler and set rack 12 inches from heat.

While pasta works, heat a large deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, then add hot dogs and brown on both sides, 4 minutes total. Remove the dogs with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and the butter. When butter melts, cook onions 4 to 5 minutes, then add flour and cook another minute. Add beer and cook off completely, 1 minute. Whisk in milk and bring to a bubble, then season the sauce with salt and pepper and stir in the mustard and ketchup. Lower heat and add 2 cups of the cheese. Stir to melt, 1 minute. Adjust mustard, ketchup, and salt and pepper, to your taste.

Drain pasta well. Combine pasta and hot dogs with sauce and coat evenly then pour into large casserole and top with remaining cheese. Melt and brown cheese under broiler, 2 minutes. Serve.

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Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup dry vermouth (or any sort of wine)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 tsp minced garlic
8 small chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
3 tablespoons freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk together the lemon juice, vermouth, mustard, butter, sage and garlic. Place the chicken thighs in a baking dish. Pour the lemon mixture over all. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, salt and pepper. Bake until done, about 45 minutes, basting occasionally with the pan juices. Serve immediately over rice.

Sweetnicks Notes: Easy and delicious.

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Rub:

1 tablespoon lemonade powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons hickory-smoked salt
1 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 can (12 oz.) lemonade
1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 lbs.)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Put the lemonade powder, brown sugar, paprika, hickory salt, lemon pepper, garlic and onion powders and celery seed in a small bowl and stir to mix.

Pop the tab off the lemonade can. Pour half of the lemonade into a measuring cup and set aside for the sauce. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top. Set the can aside.

Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the rub inside the body cavity and d teaspoon inside the neck cavity of the chicken. Drizzle the oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with 1 tablespoon rub and rub it all over the skin. Set aside 2 teaspoons of rub for the sauce. Spoon the remaining rub into the lemonade through a hole in the top of the can.

To cook on a can: Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at bottom, and lower it onto the can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the can. Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken's back.

Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center and distribute the coals on the left and right side of the grill, leaving the center open for the drip pan.

Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 1 b to 1 d hours. If using a charcoal grill, you'll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after an hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.

If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter.

Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off the can. Take care not to spill the hot lemonade or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter or carve the chicken and serve with Lemonade-Mustard Sauce.
Serves 2 to 4.

Lemonade Mustard Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
2 to 3 shallots, or 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 C.)
3/4 cup lemonade (reserved from Lemonade Chicken)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until just beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the lemonade, raise the heat to high, and let boil until reduced to 2 tbsp., about 5 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, mustard, lemon juice and lemon zest. Lower the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer until thick and richly flavored, about 5 minutes, whisking from time to time.

Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper, and more lemon juice to taste. This sauce goes great with any sort of poultry, with pork, and even with rich, grilled fish, such as swordfish or salmon.

Sweetnicks Note: Chicken was very good, moist and flavorful. Would skip the sauce next time. Recipe courtesy of Steven Raichlen.

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Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen's son, Jamie
Serves 8-10

1 pound ground beef and sausage, browned and drained
1 medium onion, diced
1 small green pepper diced
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can whole, peeled tomatoes
Cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 can chili beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 package chili seasoning mix
2 cups chopped celery
Shredded Cheddar
Sour cream
Chopped green onions

Brown ground beef in skillet and drain. Set aside. Spray large pot with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper, diced tomatoes, and whole tomatoes. Add cumin and chili powder, to taste, and cook for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the beans, the ground beef, chili seasoning and chopped celery. Let simmer and slow cook for 4 hours. Serve with Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onion as garnishes.

Sweetnicks' Notes: I think serving 6 is more like it. No sizes were noted for the cans of tomatoes. For the diced, I used 14 oz. cans, and for the whole (I used pureed), I used 28 oz. Recipe didn't mention if beans should be drained, I drained mine. Cumin measurement wasn't specified, I used a teaspoon.

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Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay
ACTIVE TIME: 20 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 1 HR
SERVES: 6

"You haven't really had an authentic Southern restaurant experience until you've had meat-and-three: a choice of meat plus three vegetable side dishes. Here, Flay bakes chicken the centerpiece of many a meat-and-three with a sticky sweet-and-spicy honey glaze inspired by the Savannah Bee Company's tupelo honey."

Two 4-pound chickens, each cut into 8 pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400. On 2 large rimmed baking sheets, toss the chicken and olive oil; season with salt. Roast until nearly cooked through, about 20 minutes for the breasts and 25 minutes for the legs, thighs and wings. Pour off the fat on the baking sheets. Preheat the broiler and position a rack in the top slot. In a saucepan, bring the honey, mustard, pepper and a pinch of salt to a boil. On 1 of the baking sheets, toss all of chicken with the honey mixture.

Turn the chicken skin side down and broil for about 5 minutes, basting with the honey and shifting the baking sheet, as necessary, until the pieces are browned. Turn the chicken skin side up and broil for 5 minutes longer, basting occasionally. The chicken is done when it's cooked through and the skin is deeply glazed but not blackened. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Pour the juices from the baking sheet into a heatproof bowl and skim off the fat. Serve the chicken, passing the juices on the side.

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2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
One 1-pound hanger/skirt steak
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 oz. small potatoes, quartered
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup coarsely chopped herbs

Combine Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and maple syrup. Coat steak with the mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Let marinate 2 hours at room temperature. About an hour before serving, heat oven to 375. Coat potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper and roast crisp. Keep warm. Heat grill. Grill steaks. Set aside. Warm remaining olive oil in a small skillet, add herbs and cook about 30 seconds, until herbs are fragrant. Pour herbs and oil over potatoes and steaks. Serve. Serves 2.

Sweetnicks Notes: One of our favorite ways to eat steak. Moist, tender and very flavorful.

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(Serves 2)

2 12-oz steaks (I used rib eyes)
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brandy
1 cup heavy cream
salt
Sear steaks on both sides in a pan on high heat until done. Remove steaks from pan. Pour stock and brandy into pan and boil hard, stirring, until reduced by half. Lower heat, stir in cream and cook for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste. Put steaks on plate, then pour over sauce.

Sweetnicks Notes : Excellent

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Bursts of feta cheese, red onion, and fresh mint add spark to these flavorful burgers.

1 large egg white
1 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup chopped fresh mint (I excluded the mint)
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 pound ground turkey
Cooking spray
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, split
1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained and cut into 1-inch strips

Place egg white in a large bowl; lightly beat with a whisk. Add onion and next 6 ingredients (through turkey); stir well to combine. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 8 minutes on each side or until done. Place patties on bottom halves of hamburger buns. Divide peppers evenly among burgers; cover with top halves of buns.

Note: To freeze extra servings, wrap each uncooked patty individually first in plastic wrap and then in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, thaw patties completely in refrigerator, and then cook and serve as directed.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 426(33% from fat); FAT 15.7g (sat 5.7g,mono 5.5g,poly 3.2g); PROTEIN 30.5g; CHOLESTEROL 101mg; CALCIUM 177mg; SODIUM 790mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 4.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40g

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2-1/2 pounds chicken tenders
2 lemons
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Spread chicken tenders on a dinner plate or other wide dish. Grate lemon rind (yellow part only) over the chicken, then cut the lemons in quarters and squeeze juice over all. Sprinkle with dried oregano, salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add tenders and juice and cook, turning over, about 8-10 minutes or until tenders are cooked through. Serve with buttered orzo on the side. Serves 4.

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(Cut chickens in quarters, leave the skin on.)

Mix together:

1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons mild chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper

Loosen the skin on the chicken pieces, and put a generous amount of the combined spices under the skin, then sprinkle generous all over the chicken, both sides. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hrs, the longer the better. Start up the grill and cook until done. Also good on pork.

Sweetnicks Note: The rub makes enough for 2 whole chickens. I used it for about 10 chicken thighs instead. I also made a few slight changes to the rub mix.

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Recipe courtesy of Dave Lieberman

From Dave: "My dad's roast chicken is really simple. He stuffs a whole chicken with fresh herbs and seasons it with salt and pepper, then pops it in the oven. My version, which uses chicken that's already cut into serving pieces instead of a whole chicken, is less work and cooks a lot faster and more evenly. I've also spruced up the flavor with some grated lemon rind and finish it off with a fresh, colorful and tangy oil for drizzling over the finished chicken. Dad ? your chicken's good, but I may have one up on you on this one!"

For the chicken:

1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken cut in 8 serving pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Olive oil, for drizzling
The rind of 1/2 lemon, zested

For the parsley drizzle:

1/2 bunch parsley
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F. Trim off any excess skin or fat from the chicken. Cut off and discard the wing tips. Place the chicken pieces in an 11 by 13-inch baking pan, or any pan that that they fit in without crowding. Season the chicken pieces generously with salt, pepper, olive oil, the herbs, and the lemon zest. Toss through all the seasonings and then arrange the chicken piece skin side up in the pan. You can season the chicken pieces and set them up in the roaster up to a day before you cook them. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Roast until the skin is nicely browned and there is no pink near the thigh bone and the juices run clear, about 35 to 40 minutes. Check both white meat and dark meat. If the white meat is done before the dark meat, take it out and set it on the serving plate until the dark meat is done.

For the parsley drizzle, wash and dry the parsley. Remove the leaves from the stems and chop the leaves finely. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and use immediately to garnish the roast chicken.

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Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray(Includes minor modifications)

Rice:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 slices bacon, chopped (I used 3)
1 small white onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups white rice
2 pinches saffron or 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Salt

Pork:

2 pork tenderloins, trimmed, about 2 1/2 pounds total weight
4 cloves garlic, cracked away from skin, cut in half
8 bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend (recommended: McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Optional garnishes: chopped mango or kiwi, or chopped cilantro and scallions

Preheat the oven to 450F. Heat medium pot with tight fitting lid over medium high heat. Add oil and bacon and brown bacon. Add onions and peppers and saute 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add rice. Cover the pot and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 15 to 18 minutes, until rice is tender.

For pork, cut 4 slits into each loin and nest garlic and bay into meat. Place meat on nonstick baking sheet. Combine the spices. Coat meat with oil. Rub spices over the pork tenderloins and place in oven. Roast meat 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Let juices redistribute, then slice and serve with soffrito rice and garnishes of chopped tropical fruit or chopped cilantro and scallions.

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Recipe courtesy of Jamie Oliver

4 chicken drumsticks and 4 chicken quarters (legs and thighs joined)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
a big bunch of fresh basil, rough chopped
1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved
10 cloves of garlic, chopped
olive oil
1-1/2 lbs of new potatoes, scrubbed and chopped in bite-size pieces

Preheat oven to 275. Season the chicken pieces with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and put them in a snug-fitting pan in one layer. Throw in all the basil leaves, the halved cherry tomatoes and the potatoes. Scatter the garlic cloves into the pan and drizzle over some olive oil. Mix around, pushing the tomatoes and potatoes underneath the chicken. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour. Take it out, and stir it all around a bit and raise the heat to 325 and cook for another 2 hours. It's done when you see clear juice coming from the chicken when pierced and the meat falls off the bone. Serve over buttered rice, hot mashed potatoes or linguine.

Sweetnicks Notes: One of our favorites. Recipe could not be easier. Great for company.

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3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup mashed potato flakes
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil, more as needed

Flatten chicken to 1/2-in. thickness; cut into 1-in. strips. In a shallow bowl, combine the potato flakes and bread crumbs. Dip chicken in beaten eggs, then in potato mixture. In a skillet, cook chicken in oil for 4-5 minutes or until golden.

Yield: 3 servings.

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Recipe from Nan December 2005 Supper Club
Colonel Benjamin used many spices, rather than a premixed curry powder.

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 cups finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped peeled tomato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), skinned
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups hot cooked rice
Cilantro sprigs

Combine first 6 ingredients. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cumin mixture, tomato, and juice. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add chicken and potatoes to pan; stir in chopped cilantro. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve mixture over rice, and garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 thighs, 1 cup potato curry, and 1/2 cup rice)

NUTRITION PER SERVING CALORIES 449(14% from fat); FAT 7g (sat 1.6g,mono 2.1g,poly 1.8g); PROTEIN 34g; CHOLESTEROL 115mg; CALCIUM 67mg; SODIUM 735mg; FIBER 5.8g; IRON 3.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 62.6g

Elizabeth Taliaferro
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2003

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Serves 4-6

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
6 boneless pork chops

In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, vegetable oil, ginger, and garlic powder. Set aside some of the mixture in a separate bowl for marinating during cooking. Pierce the pork chops on both sides with a fork, place in a large resealable plastic bag, and cover with the remaining marinade mixture. Refrigerate 6 to 8 hours. Preheat the grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Discard marinade, and grill pork chops 6 to 8 minutes per side, or to desired doneness, marinating often with the reserved portion of the marinade.

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Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

1 package store-bought frozen fries, any variety
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, plus some for drizzling
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, 2 chopped, 1 crushed
1 red onion, 1/2 chopped, 1/2 thinly sliced
1 box, 10 ounces, frozen spinach, defrosted
2 teaspoons dried oregano, lightly crushed in the palm, divided
1/4 pound feta crumbles
1 1/3 pounds ground chicken or ground turkey breast, 1 package
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
1/3 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise, plus 1 small, 2-inch piece of cucumber peeled, trimmed and chopped
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced lengthwise
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 to 2 cups good quality plain yogurt, look for Greek yogurt
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 cup arugula, coarsely chopped or shredded
4 crusty rolls, split

Topping:

2 roasted red peppers, drained
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful
1/4 cup 10 to 12 pitted kalamata olives
Hot pepper rings or pepperoncini, optional
Preheat oven to directions on the package and bake fries until crisp. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. To one side, add a little extra-virgin olive oil and a tablespoon of butter. When butter melts, add the chopped garlic and chopped red onion and cook 5 minutes. Transfer the onions and garlic to a bowl to cool. Return pan to heat.

Wring the defrosted spinach dry buy twisting it in a clean kitchen towel over your sink. Separate the spinach as you add it to the bowl with cool onions, garlic and season with 1 teaspoon of oregano. Add in feta crumbles then chicken or turkey, grill seasoning and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Mix and form into 4 patties, 1-inch thick. Raise heat on pan to medium-high. Add patties and cook 6 inches on each side.

Season the sliced cucumbers and tomatoes with salt and pepper. Toast rolls, if you prefer.

Place remaining chopped cucumber, the crushed clove of garlic, yogurt, 1 teaspoon oregano and juice of 1/2 lemon in a food processor. Add a little salt and process the sauce until smooth. Transfer to a small dish and serve with the fries as a dipping sauce. Rinse out the processor bowl and return to base.

Place red peppers, parsley and olives in food processor, season with salt and pepper and process until a paste forms. Place cooked burgers on roll bottoms. Top the burgers with sliced cucumber, tomato, reserved red onions, shredded arugula and hot peppers, if using. Slather roll tops with red pepper and olive paste and serve with chips of choice.

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8 servings

8 skinned and boned chicken breasts (about 4 lbs)(I used thighs and drumsticks)
1-1/2 cups Buttermilk-Herb Salad Dressing (see recipe below)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Place chicken in a Ziploc plastic freezer bag. Pour Buttermilk-Herb Salad Dressing evenly over chicken. Seal and chill ast least 2 hours or up to 8 hours. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat until done. Remove chicken from grill; cover with foil and let stand ten minutes before serving.

Buttermilk-Herb Salad Dressing

1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind (I skipped)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped (I used about 1/8 cup)

Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl until blended. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

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10 pork spareribs
1/2 cup soy sauce
10 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 lime, juiced
10 sprigs fresh cilantro
ground black pepper to taste
2 limes, cut into wedges

Place the spare ribs into a large pot, and fill with just enough water to cover. Add the soy sauce, garlic, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, lime juice and 3/4 of the cilantro. Bring to a boil, then boil uncovered over medium heat until the water has completely evaporated, about 25 minutes. When all of the water is gone, remove the bay leaves, and allow meat to brown, turning occasionally. Use a spatula to scrape up browned bits and softened garlic from the bottom of the pot, and toss them with the pork. The garlic will dissolve onto the meat. Remove the meat, and drain on paper towels. Season with black pepper and garnish with lime wedges and remaining cilantro.

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Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken breast
1 tablespoon smoked sweet Hungarian paprika, available on spice aisle in small cans*, a palmful
1 1/2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped parsley, a couple of handfuls of leaves, chopped
1/2 medium yellow skinned onion
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the bowl
8 slices sandwich white or whole-wheat bread
2 to 3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups chopped baby spinach, watercress or arugula (Boo would skip the greens)

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Place chicken in a bowl and add the smoked paprika, grill seasoning and parsley to it. Using a hand held grater or microplane, grate the onion into the chicken. (Boo liked onion juice and its flavor, but she did not like big pieces of onion). Add the garlic (Boo LOVED garlic!) and mix to combine. Make a mini patty, the size of a quarter, and cook it up, a minute on each side, to taste and check seasonings. If you want it really smoky, like Boo, you can adjust the seasonings accordingly. Drizzle the chicken mixture with about 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and form 4 large thin patties then place them in the pan. Cook patties 5 minutes on each side. Toast bread slices and spread liberally with softened butter. Serve patties on buttered toast with some chopped dark greens.

* Smoked paprika is widely available, especially in larger markets, but if your store does not carry the smoked kind, mix 1 tablespoon cumin with 2 teaspoons sweet paprika in its place. You can also order smoked paprika on-line at spice company sites such as Penzy's. It is a cool spice to have in the cabinet. It's great in lentil soup or to mix with grill seasoning for a smoky rub to use on any lean meat.

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September 2005 Supper Club, Recipe from Julie

1 unsliced loaf french bread
6 tablespoons butter
1 whole head of fresh garlic -- peeled and chopped fine
7 teaspoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup parmesan cheese -- grated
1 1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups monterey jack cheese -- cut into 1" cubes
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
2 teaspoons parsley
2 cups chopped artichoke hearts

Cut loaf in half lengthwise. Tear out soft center of bread in chunks, leaving crust intact. Put crust shells on a foil covered cookie sheet, crust sides down. Melt butter in a large skillet, stir in garlic and sesame seeds. Cook for 1-2 minutes on medium heat (don't burn the garlic!). Stir in torn bread chunks, and cook until golden brown and butter has been absorbed. Remove from heat. In a very large bowl combine sour cream, jack cheese, parmesan, parsley and lemon pepper. Stir in artichoke hearts and toasted bread (garlic bits too!). Mix well and spoon back into bread shells. Lay them both crustside down on the foil covered sheet, and put a sheet of foil over the top (it just has to be over the top...doesn't need to be wrapped), then bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes uncovered. Let rest 5-8 minutes before cutting.

Sweetnicks Notes: This recipe was posted by Peggy/OR over at Gail's Recipe Swap. It got rave reviews.

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Makes 2 loaves.

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1-1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups fresh chopped strawberries
1 cup chopped walnuts

In large bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. Add egg and oil; mix well. Stir in berries and nuts until evenly distributed - batter will be thick. Grease & flour two 9" loaf pans and divide batter evenly into each. Bake at 350 approx. 1 hour. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely.

Sweetnicks Note: Absolutely excellent.

2 cans cresent dinner rolls
2 (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg (separated)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup sugar
cinnamon

Flatten 1 pkg. cresent rolls in an ungreased 13x9 pan. Combine 3/4 cup sugar, softened cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla and egg yolk. Mix until creamy. Spread over flattened cresent rolls. Unroll other cresent roll and lay over that mixture, trying to cover the first layer the best you can. Mix egg white and 1/3 cup sugar and pour over second layer

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1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon superfine granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon each finely chopped fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 egg white, lightly beaten
16 small fresh parsley leaves
16 very small fresh sage leaves (1/2 inch)
16 fresh rosemary leaves
16 (1-inch) fresh thyme sprigs

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Stir together flour, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, and chopped herbs in a bowl, then add butter and stir with a fork until mixture forms a dough. Divide dough in half and pat each half into a 6 1/2- to 7-inch round on an ungreased baking sheet. Crimp edges of rounds and cut each into 8 wedges with a sharp knife. Lightly brush with egg white and arrange 1 leaf of each herb on each wedge. Brush herbs lightly with egg white and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Prick each wedge once with a fork.

Bake until golden, 15 to 17 minutes. Recut wedges while shortbread is hot, then cool completely on sheet on a rack.
Makes 16 cookies. Gourmet (Last Touch) September 2005

Sweetnicks Note: Shortbread keeps in an airtight container up to 5 days.

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Recipe from Julie December 2005 Supper Club

The recipe makes two generous free-form loaves--one to enjoy now, and one to freeze later or give as gift.

3/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 1/2 cups bread flour, divided (about 15 3/4 ounces)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese, divided
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon cornmeal
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 cup flour and butter to yeast mixture; stir just until combined. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes.

Add pumpkin, salt, and nutmeg to flour mixture; stir until well combined. Add 2 1/4 cups flour and half of cheese; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough in half; shape each half into an 8-inch circle. Place dough circles on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle remaining cheese and nuts evenly over dough circles; press lightly to adhere. Lightly coat dough circles with cooking spray; cover and let rise 20 minutes (dough will not double in size).

Preheat oven to 400°. Uncover dough; bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until loaves are browned on the bottom and cheese melts (shield loaves with foil to prevent overbrowning, if necessary).

Yield: 2 loaves, 8 servings each (serving size: 1 wedge)
NUTRITION PER SERVING CALORIES 169(30% from fat); FAT 5.6g (sat 2.3g,mono 1.7g,poly 1.4g); PROTEIN 5.8g; CHOLESTEROL 11mg; CALCIUM 65mg; SODIUM 219mg; FIBER 1.4g; IRON 1.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.6g Julie Grimes Bottcher Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2005.

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1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon snipped parsley
9 1/2 inch slices of French bread.

In a bowl, combine butter, Parmesan cheese, mustard and parsley. For a charcoal grill: Cook bread on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 1 minute. Remove from grill; spread the toasted sides with the butter mixture. Return to grill, buttered sides up, and grill for about 1 minute more or until bottoms are toasted. For a gas grill: Preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place bread on grill rack. Cover and grill as above. Makes 4 servings. (I skipped the grill and just broiled it).

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1/2 cup or more raisins
3 oz (6 TBS) bourbon or rum
1 cup plus 2 TBS all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick or 4 oz)
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Very ripe bananas, mashed about 3 to 4
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon banana extract

An hour or more before you want to make this, put 1/2 cup (or more if you like it) raisins and the bourbon or rum in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let plump for an hour or more. Drain. When they are ready, preheat oven to 325 F. Butter and flour loaf pan. Put flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and mix to combine. Melt the butter in a large bowl. Add the sugar and beat until blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the mashed bananas. Then stir in the walnuts, drained raisins, and vanilla and banana extract.

Add flour mixture 1/3 at a time to combine. Scrape into the loaf pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, till it tests clean(ish). Cool the pan on a rack and slice to serve.

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4-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2-1/2 tablespoon wheat germ
1 pint buttermilk (or milk with 1 teaspoon white vinegar)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg, beaten

Mix first 6 ingredients. Add next 3 ingredients. Mix well. Add additional flour if dough is too sticky. Shape into two round loafs, and mark with an X. Bake at 425 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.

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2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs -- beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas -- 5 bananas!

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 9x5 loaf pan. In large bowl, combine flour, soda and salt. In separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

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Makes 2 large or 4 small loaves.

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ripe bananas, mashed
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
Mix in order given. Place in greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Sweetnicks Notes: First made in July 2005. Easy enough to make, but not a WOW for us.

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Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 loaf, 24 inches or longer, crusty bread
2 or 3 large cloves garlic, crushed
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
4 small to medium vine ripe tomatoes
1 lemon, juiced
Coarse salt
4 whole pimento peppers, drained, found in glass jars with Spanish and Mexican foods in market
1 1/4 pounds manchego cheese
2 cups assorted large olives, green and black stuffed or pitted, mixed -- take your pick
3-inch party picks

Preheat broiler to high. Cut bread in half then slit loaf lengthwise. Char the bread under broiler, then rub with crushed garlic and drizzle with oil. Cut bread into large, bite size cubes and transfer to a basket. Slice tomatoes and arrange on a platter. Dress with lemon juice and salt.

Slice pimentos and place in a small serving dish. Slice or cube half of the manchego, leave the remainder whole with a utensil to cut with alongside. Serve on a cutting board. Place olives in a dish near cheese.

Use party picks to stack tomatoes and or cheese and olives with bread cubes to pop into your mouth. Bread cubes are tasty with meat and mushroom bites as well.

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Recipe courtesy of the Very Blueberry cookbook.

Makes 1 loaf

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 3 by 8 inch metal loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
(Note: Ovenproof glass conducts heat more than metal does, so if you're using a glass loaf pan, decrease the oven temperature by 25 degrees). In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, butter, and bananas and mix well. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add all liquid ingredients all at once. Stir only enough to moisten. Add the blueberries and gently fold in and turn into the prepared pan. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes Yield: 4 cups

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
10 bacon strips, fried until crisp and crumbled
2 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt (added a bit more)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
(Crispy Pitas, recipe follows)

Heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium low heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallot softens and the garlic begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Put the spinach in a colander and squeeze out all of the excess water. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add the artichoke hearts, crumbled bacon, cooked garlic and shallot, sour cream, salt and pepper. Mix well with a rubber spatula, and transfer to a decorative bowl. Allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving so the flavors can blend. Serve with crispy pitas.

Crispy Pitas:

1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 pitas, cut into 4 wedges each, then separated

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all of the herbs and spices in a small bowl. Put the pita wedges flat on a greased cookie sheet. Drizzle with vegetable oil and then evenly distribute the herbs amongst the pita chips. Place cookie sheet into the top half of the preheated oven until they are crispy and lightly brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool 10 minutes and mound around the dip bowl.

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Salad:

1 head red-leaf lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
4 ears cooked fresh corn, kernels cut from cob (I used one can of drained corn)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt
2 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges

Protein:

1-1/2 lbs bay scallops
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves (love the cilantro, so used 3)
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (I skipped this)
1/2 small red onion, minced (I diced)
sea salt
ground black pepper

At least one hour before serving, place the scallops, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, red onion, salt and pepper as desired in a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 12 hours. On large serving platter, place large lettuce leaves overlapping each other in a circle so the frilly edges extend just beyond the rim of the platter. Using a slotted spoon to leave the juices behind, mound the seviche in the center. Place corn, chili powder and 1-1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a bowl; mix together and season to taste with salt. Arrange corn in a ring aruond the seviche so that the corn covers the bottom third of the lettuce leaves. Place tomatoes in an overlapping ring surrounding the corn and covering the middle third of lettuce leaves. Distribute pressed garlic over the tomatoes, drizzle remaining oil on them and season to taste with salt. Place the avocado slices and lime wedges on the top third of the lettuce leaves, around the tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Sweetnicks Notes: Source Body + Soul magazine. First made in July 2005. Very light and refreshing.

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1/3 cup bottled teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons tamari sauce
4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
2 pounds chicken wing drummettes
3 tablespoons BBQ sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

In a large Ziploc bag, combine the teriyaki sauce, tamari sauce and sesame seeds. Add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to the baking sheet. Discard extra marinade. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small bowl, combine BBQ sauce, honey and sesame oil. Brush chicken with half of the sauce; bake for 10 minutes more, turning and brushing with sauce after 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Sweetnicks Notes: Simple and delicious, one of The Husband's favorites.

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1/3 cup bottled teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons tamari sauce
4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
2 pounds chicken wing drummettes
3 tablespoons BBQ sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

In a large Ziploc bag, combine the teriyaki sauce, tamari sauce and sesame seeds. Add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to the baking sheet. Discard extra marinade. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small bowl, combine BBQ sauce, honey and sesame oil. Brush chicken with half of the sauce; bake for 10 minutes more, turning and brushing with sauce after 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Sweetnicks Notes: Simple and delicious, one of The Husband's favorites.

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2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup very thinly sliced cabbage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup mashed peeled potato (or use Simply Potatoes {already mashed potatoes} from your grocery store's refrigerated section)
1/4 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 tablespoon soy sauce
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Muenster cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and next 5 ingredients (cabbage through garlic); saute 3 minutes or until the cabbage is crisp-tender. Remove from heat; stir in potato, peas, and soy sauce.

Place 4 tortillas on a large baking sheet. Spread about 1/2 cup potato mixture over each tortilla; top each with 1/4 cup cheese and a tortilla. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges.

Sweetnicks Notes: Another favorite of ours. Great vegetarian meal. I serve it with a Mango Dipping Sauce (mix mango chutney with sour cream to achieve desired consistency). Delicious!

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Modified by Sweetnicks, Serves 4

4 roma tomatoes (I used much more), quartered lengthwise
cooking spray
6 slices prosciutto (again, I used more)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 ciabatta bread loaf
1 avocado, diced
Balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a roasting pan. and arrange tomato slices on the pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on lower oven shelf for about 40 minutes, or until light golden. Meanwhile, place prosciutto in a single layer on a lightly greased baking tray. Roast on shelf above tomatoes for about 10 minutes or until golden and crisp. Transfer to wire rack to cool (I didn't). Combine 2 T oil and garlic in small bowl. Cut approximately 1-inch thick slices from ciabatta loaf. Brush one side with oil mixture. Place bread in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake on shelf above tomato for 10 minutes or until crisp and lightly toasted. Set aside to cool. Break prosciutto into pieces. Place roast tomatoe on toast. Then top with avocado and prosciutto pieces. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, then a little salt and pepper.

Sweetnicks Notes: I did make some changes to the recipe and the above one is my modified one. Separately, the roasting of the prosciutto really brings out its saltiness, so if you're not big on salt, you might want to skip the roasting part.

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3 cups mixed green and black olives with pits
4 sprigs rosemary
4 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 orange
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a small roasting pan, mix together the olives, rosemary, and garlic. Slice the orange in quarters and squeeze the juice over the olives; toss in the rinds. Pour over the olive oil and vinegar and give it a good stir. Bake for about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sweetnicks' Notes: Excellent and easy, from Tyler Florence.

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Courtesy of Bon Appetit, December 2004

16 thin slices pancetta
16 teaspoons soft fresh goat cheese (from 5-ounce log)
2 very ripe small pears, halved, cored, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (used canned)
Fresh thyme leaves
Preheat oven to 450°F. Place pancetta slices in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Using spatula, slide pancetta crisps onto platter. Top each with 1 teaspoon goat cheese and 1 pear slice. Sprinkle with thyme and serve.

Sweetnicks' Notes: Absolutely excellent, and so easy to make, it should be illegal. Saltiness from the pancetta, creaminess from the goat cheese and a little bit of sweetness from the pear makes this an OMG appetizer for us. Originally made and reviewed here.

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1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup Fontina cheese, grated
1/4 cup chopped fresh spinach
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (I used basil and oregano)

Mix all together and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the top and cracked black pepper. Serve with crostini for dipping.

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2 T extra virgin olive oil
12 oz cremini or button mushrooms, trimmed and thickly sliced
salt
4 medium garlic cloves
minced freshly ground pepper
8 8-inch flour tortillas
5 oz cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and 1/2 tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned lightly, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper to taste and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Set the mushroom mixture aside. Lay 4 tortillas flat on a work surface. Sprinkle the cheese over the tortillas, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge of each tortilla. Divide the mushroom mixture evenly among the tortillas. Top with remaining 4 tortillas. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the first quesadilla and cook, turning once, until the tortillas are golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the quesadilla to a large plate and repeat with the remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into quarters. Serve immediately. I served them with a dollop of sour cream for dipping.

Sweetnicks Note: Love these! Cannot wrong with them. Recipe courtesy of Jack Bishop's, A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen.

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2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
1 (15 oz) potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I didn't peel, and diced smaller)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 large eggs
1/4 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped (I used about 6 oz)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

In a 9-1/2 inch diameter nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the potato, garlic, salt and pepper, and saute over medium-low heat until the potato is tender and golden, about 15 minutes. Preheat the broiler. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, Parmesan cheese, prosciutto and basil to blend. Stir the egg mixture into the potato mixture in the skillet. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the egg mixture is almost set, but the top is still runny, about 2 minutes. Place the skillet under the broiler and broil until the top is set and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittata from the skillet and slide it onto a plate. Cut the frittata into wedges and serve.

Sweetnicks Note: Not a WOW, but tasty nonetheless. Recipe courtesy of Giada DeLaurentiis' Everyday Italian.

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Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 loaf, 24 inches or longer, crusty bread
2 or 3 large cloves garlic, crushed
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
4 small to medium vine ripe tomatoes
1 lemon, juiced
Coarse salt
4 whole pimento peppers, drained, found in glass jars with Spanish and Mexican foods in market
1 1/4 pounds manchego cheese
2 cups assorted large olives, green and black stuffed or pitted, mixed -- take your pick
3-inch party picks

Preheat broiler to high. Cut bread in half then slit loaf lengthwise. Char the bread under broiler, then rub with crushed garlic and drizzle with oil. Cut bread into large, bite size cubes and transfer to a basket. Slice tomatoes and arrange on a platter. Dress with lemon juice and salt.

Slice pimentos and place in a small serving dish. Slice or cube half of the manchego, leave the remainder whole with a utensil to cut with alongside. Serve on a cutting board. Place olives in a dish near cheese.

Use party picks to stack tomatoes and or cheese and olives with bread cubes to pop into your mouth. Bread cubes are tasty with meat and mushroom bites as well.

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1 teaspoon olive oil
3 medium minced garlic cloves
15-1/2 oz canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1-1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 tablespoon water
1/8 teaspoon table salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika

To prepare, heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and saute garlic, stirring constantly, until garlic just begins to turn golden, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. In a food processor, combine oil mixture, beans and lemon juice. Process until smooth, slowly adding 1-2 tablespoons water to obtain a thick yet creamy consistency. Season to taste. Transfer dip to a small bowl and garnish with paprika. Serve with prepared vegetables (i.e., carrots, cherry tomatoes, etc.).

Sweetnicks Note: Love this dip, and so healthy! Recipe courtesy of Weight Watchers.

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Recipe from Nan November 2005 Supper Club

1 pkg 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream
¼ tea cinnamon
2 tablespoons honey
1-16 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/3 cup slivered almonds
assorted crackers

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, honey & cinnamon until smooth. Spread onto a serving plate. In a bowl mix cranberry sauce until it reaches a spreading consistency. Spread over cream cheese. Sprinkle with almonds, cover and refrigerate 1-3 hours. Serve with crackers and enjoy.

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1/4 cup margarine, softened
2/3 (5 ounce) container sharp processed cheese spread
8 ounces cooked crabmeat
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
8 English muffins, split

Preheat oven on broiler setting. In a medium bowl, mix together margarine and cheese spread. Stir in crabmeat, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and parsley. Spread the mixture on the split English muffins. Arrange on a cookie sheet. Broil until the cheese mixture is bubbly.

Sweetnicks Note: Love this! Great to have on hand in the freezer and broil when unexpected company comes.

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3-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 tea ground cumin
¾ tea ground coriander
½ tea cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 eggs beaten to blend
Dijon Mustard

Toast coconut on heavy large baking sheet in 325 oven until golden brown. Stir frequently, about 15 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cool. Coarsely grind in batches in processor using on/off turns.Butter 2 heavy large baking sheets. Mix cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper in large bowl. Add chicken pieces, turning to coat. Add eggs and toss well. Dredge chicken pieces in coconut, coating completely. Transfer to prepared sheets. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. (can prepare 1 day ahead)Preheat oven to 400. Bake chicken until crisp and golden, turning pieces over once, about 12 minutes. Arrange chicken on platter. Serve warm or at room temp with Dijon mustard.

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1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Coarse salt (for lining the baking sheet)
12 small Manila clams, scrubbed and shucked (shells reserved)

Preheat the broiler. In a large bowl, gently toss the bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of olive oil, all the herbs, the kosher salt, and the pepper. Be careful not to overwork the mixture. Set aside. Line a heavy baking sheet with some coarse salt and arrange the 12 clam shells atop the salt. Place one clam in each shell, then top with 2 tablespoons of the bread-crumb mixture. Drizzle with more olive oil. Broil until the bread-crumb topping is golden and the clams are just cooked through, about 2 minutes.

Sweetnicks Note: A pain to open all the clams, but the recipe was yummy, courtesy of Giada DeLaurentiis' Everyday Italian.

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2/3 cup beer
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring beer to a boil. Lower heat. Slowly stir in Monterey Jack cheese and flour. Cook and stir until cheese is melted but not bubbly. Mix spinach, cilantro, salt and pepper into the beer mixture. Serve warm.

Sweetnicks' Notes: Next time, I'd use half Cheddar/half Jack cheese for more of a flavor impact.

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October 2005, Recipe from Jessica

1 8-ounce (4 1/2-inch-diameter) firm Camembert cheese with rind
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread
1 cup ruby Port
1 cup dried black Mission figs, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1/3 cup crumbled bleu cheese
Chopped fresh chives
1 French bread baguette, sliced into rounds, lightly toasted

Brush Camembert on all sides with egg, then coat with breadcrumbs. Place on foil-lined plate and cover. Bring Port to simmer in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Add figs; simmer until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer figs to small bowl. Add sugar to Port in pan; boil until reduced to thick syrup, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Pour syrup over figs. (Cheese and figs can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Refrigerate cheese. Let figs stand at room temperature.)Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add Camembert and cook until breadcrumbs are brown and cheese is warm, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to platter. Top with blue cheese, figs and syrup. Sprinkle with chives and surround with toasts. Bon Appetit

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They are ridiculously simple to make and always quick to go. In an ovensafe dish, layer good potato chips (I usually use one of the kettle chips or something similar) with crumbled bleu cheese or gorgonzola. Stick it in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes until the cheese melts. Enjoy! I promise you won't be disappointed.

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1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced, plus 2 to 3 teaspoons adobo sauce
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp (not shelled)
Accompaniment: baguette

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in a saucepan and stir in wine, Worcestershire sauce, chipotles, adobo sauce, garlic, and salt. Toss shrimp with sauce in a large shallow baking dish and bake in middle of oven until shrimp are just cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
Sweetnicks Note: Tasty and easy. Make sure to have hot, crusty bread on hand for mopping up the extra sauce.

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12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 strips bacon, cooked, crumbled
2 tablespoons shredded sharp Cheddar
Parsley, for garnish, optional

Halve eggs lengthwise. Spoon yolks into a bowl. Reserve whites. Mash yolks with fork. Add mayonnaise, honey-mustard, salt and pepper. Fold in bacon and cheese. Fill each half egg white with yolk mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve

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A Sweetnicks Original

Yield: 6 servings

1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2-1/2 tablespoons tamari sauce
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 pounds chicken wings

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease large baking pan. Combine green onion, honey, soy sauce, tamari sauce, sesame oil, ginger, brown sugar and garlic in large bowl. Add wings; toss to coat. Place wings with sauce in single layer in prepared baking pan. Bake, turning occasionally, 25 minutes or until chicken is evenly browned.

Increase oven temperature to broil. Broil wings 6 inches from heat, turning occasionally, for 8 minutes or until sauce is thick enough to coat back of spoon. Remove wings to platter; spoon sauce over.

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1 cup crumbled feta (4 ounces)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 1/2 medium cucumbers
1/4 cup finely shredded fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives

In a small bowl stir together the cheese, sour cream, parsley, tomatoes, garlic, and pepper. Cover and chill for at least two hours.

Bias-slice cukes into 1/4 inch slices. Spoon 1 1/2 tsp. cheese mixture onto each cuke slice. Arrange on serving platter.

In a small bowl, stir together basil and olives. Spoon some of the mixture over each cuke slice. Serve immediately.

Labels: Greek Salad Bites

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Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.

Serves 8
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 large onions, chopped
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart shucked clams, with liquid
6 (8 ounce) jars clam juice
1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cups half-and-half cream
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill weed

Melt butter in a large kettle or stock pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until clear. Stir in flour and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 2 to 4 minutes. Set aside to cool. In a separate pot, bring clams and clam juice to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. In a small saucepan, cover peeled potatoes with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. Slowly pour hot clam stock into butter/flour mixture while stirring constantly. Continue stirring and slowly bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add cooked potatoes. Mix in half and half, salt and pepper and chopped dill. Heat through but do not boil.

Labels: Newport Clam Chowder

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Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes.

PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 5 Min
READY IN 15 Min

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon sage
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 French baguette, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Preheat oven to broil. In a medium bowl combine butter, mayonnaise, sage, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Spread mixture evenly on bread and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place bread under broil for 5 minutes, or until lightly toasted.

Labels: Garlic Bread Fantastique

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Recipe from Cooking Light.
This piquant specialty of Provence, France, features classic ingredients from the region--olives, capers, and anchovies. Serve at room temperature with baguette slices and lemon wedges or crackers. For a fast entree option, stir the tapenade into hot cooked pasta.

1 cup kalamata olives, pitted (about 4 ounces)
1 cup green olives, pitted (about 4 ounces)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 oil-cured olives, pitted (about 1 ounce)
3 canned anchovy fillets (about 1/4 ounce)
1 garlic clove, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until olives are finely chopped.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: about 2 tablespoons)

Labels: Cooking Light, Mixed Olive Tapenade

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From Every Day with Rachael Ray.
June-July 2006

2 SERVINGS

2 single-serving packets of plain instant oatmeal
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 banana, chopped
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons honey

Prepare the oatmeal in a bowl according to package instructions. While it's hot, stir in the peanut butter and banana. Top with the yogurt, then drizzle with the honey.

Labels: Every Day with Rachael Ray, Oatmeal with 'Nanas and PB, Rachael Ray

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Recipe courtesy of Fresh magazine
Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and roughly diced
1 sprig thyme
1 potato, peeled and roughly diced (I didn't peel, extra vitamins are good!)
1/2 bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine
4 cups vegetable stock (I used chicken stock instead for extra richness)
8 oz Camembert, cut into small cubes
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a pan and sweat the onion and thyme until soft, but not colored. Add the potato and continue to cook for another five minutes. Add the Champagne and allow to reduce by a third in volume. Add the vegetable (or chicken) stock and cook until the potato is thoroughly cooked (about 20 minutes). Add the Camembert and heat until it has completely melted. Blend the soup until completely smooth (I just used a potato masher) and pass through a sieve. Add the cream and heat again slowly, but do not boil. Season to taste.

Labels: Camembert and Champagne Soup

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Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray.
Yields 6 servings

2 pounds large white mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 bay leaf
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon, 4 sprigs, fresh thyme leaves, stripped and chopped
1 24-inch loaf of crusty French bread
3 cups shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Preheat the broiler. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp towel and slice. Heat a deep skillet with EVOO and butter over medium heat. When the butter melts into oil, add the bay leaf, garlic and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are dark and tender, 12-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute. Add in the Dijon, Worcestershire and thyme, let reduce and thicken. Turn off the heat and reserve.

Split bread lengthwise. Hollow out some of the insides. Toast the bread lightly under the broiler. Fill evenly with mushrooms then top with cheese. Put loaves back under the broiler until cheese is melted and starting to brown. Remove from oven, cut each half into thirds and serve.

Labels: Rachael Ray, Really French French Bread Pizza

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Recipe courtesy of Sun Times
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeds and ribs removed, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 Kirby cucumbers (also called pickling cucumbers), scrubbed, halved length- wise, seeds removed, and cut into 1/2-inch dice (or use 1/2 English cucumber -- no need to scrub or discard seeds)
2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 scallions, white and green parts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pulse vinegar, oregano and garlic in a blender to combine. With the machine running, gradually add oil through the top vent.

Combine bell pepper, cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions, feta and olives in a medium bowl. Add dressing and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Serve chilled.

Labels: Chopped Greek Salad witrh Feta and Olives, Rachael Ray