Teriyaki Salmon Kabobs and Sweet Potato Fries

This meal was soo good! And easy too!

Ingredients:
1 lb Salmon cut into chunks
Pineapple chunks
Red/yellow bell pepper chunks

Teriyaki Marinade:
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 T brown sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
(I added a little hoisin sauce for kicks)

Marinate salmon chunks for 10 min or so. Throw everything on the kabob and grill till done.

Sweet Potato Fries
(2 servings)
1 medium sweet potato cut in fry shape
2 T olive oil
1 tsp salt

Moisten fries with oil, then sprinkle with salt. Put on a cooling rack and cook in 420 degree oven for 10 min. (really good with fry sauce)

Italian Sausage Medley Pasta

Ingredients:

• 5 Mild Italian Sausage links
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper
• 1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper
• 1/2 Green Bell Pepper
• 1/2 Medium Onion
• 1 Clove Minced Garlic
  
• Fresh Basil leaves (optional)
• Parmesan Cheese (optional)
• Penne Pasta
• 1 T Olive Oil
• salt and pepper
  

Directions:
Chop all of the veggies in large wedge shapes as you cook the sausages in 1/2 cup of water for 10 min on medium heat covered. Boil the penne pasta till tender. Slice up the cooked sausages at an angle. Saute the veggies with the olive oil and garlic for about 2 min then throw in the sausage. Cook until veggies are tender. Toss with pasta and top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.

Roasted Cornish Hen with Panzanaella Dressing and Sauteed Broccolini

Ingredients
Dressing:

* 1 loaf sour dough bread (8 cups) cut into 1/4-inch cubes
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 cups diced canned tomatoes, drained
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 cup chopped parsley
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
* Salt
* Pinch red pepper flakes

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Grease a 2 quart high-sided baking dish with olive oil. Combine the tomatoes, garlic, parsley, and rosemary in a large bowl and season with salt and red pepper flakes. Add the toasted bread cubes and the olive oil and stir to combine. Place the mixture into the baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the dressing is crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes longer.
Roasted Garlic Cornish Hens:

* 1 bunch rosemary
* 2 Cornish hens
* 1 head roasted garlic, cloves removed and mashed to a paste
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Divide the rosemary in half and place in the cavity of the hens and tie the legs together with butcher's twine. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic paste and the olive oil. Rub the mixture over the hens and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place the hens in a saute pan, with a heat-resistant handle, and sear on all sides. Put in the oven and roast until just cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan and add any accumulated juices from the hen.
Sauteed broccolini:

* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
* 1 1/2 pounds broccollini, trimmed, blanched, shocked in cold water and drained
* Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add broccolini and saute for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

[Source: Bobby Flay]

Paula Deen's NY Cheesecake

Ingredients: Crust: 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup sugar 7 tablespoon butter, melted Filling: 3 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 eggs chocolate glaze for serving, recipe follows
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Crust: In a medium size bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar and butter. Mix well and place in the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform cake pan. Make sure to press against the sides and bottom of the pan. Place into oven and bake for 8 minutes. Let cool. Filling: Prepare the filling by beating cream cheese. Mix in sugar and vanilla while beating until well blended. Add in eggs and combine. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, top with chocolate glaze, cherries, whipped cream and or powdered sugar. Chocolate Glaze: 1/4 cup butter 2 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate 3/4 cup sugar (I used powdered sugar) 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat. Add chocolate to the butter. Whisk in sugar, whipping cream, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until combined. Cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes while whisking constantly.

Manicotti

2 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-3/4 cups POLLY-O Original Ricotta Cheese
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup pesto
12 manicotti shells, cooked, rinsed in cold water

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Spread 3/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce on bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix egg, cheeses and pesto until well blended. Spoon cheese mixture into large resealable plastic bag. Using scissors, cut off small hole from one of the bottom corners of bag.

FILL manicotti shells, one at a time, squeezing cheese mixture into both sides of each shell. Place manicotti over sauce in baking dish; pour remaining 1-1/4 cups spaghetti sauce over manicotti. Cover with foil.

BAKE 40 min. or until heated through

[Source: www.kraftfoods.com]

Choc-Oat-Chip Cookies

1 3/4 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 1/4 Cups packed brown sugar
1 Cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
2 Large Eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

2 1/2 Cups quick or old fashioned oats
2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 Cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat brown sugar, butter and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, morsels, and nuts; mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto UNGREASED baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 10 minutes for a chewy cookie; 12 to 13 minutes for a crispy cookie. Cool on baking sheets for 1 minute remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies

*I only baked them for 9 minutes each time and they turned out still relatively "crispy." Also, we found they worked better if we cooled the dough in the fridge for a bit before baking them.

Peach Crisp

Ingredients:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup oats
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
2-2/3 cup peaches (or any other fruit)

Directions:

• Combine flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar. Cut butter into mixture until crumbly.
• Take half of the mixture and pat it into the bottom of a 9x9 pan.
• Cover crumb mixture with fruit slices, then sprinkle fruit with remaining crumb mixture.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.

(note: this tastes excellent with pecan praline ice cream)

Stuffing and Pork Chops Skillet

6 boneless pork chops, 1/2 inch thick (1-1/2 lb.)

1 medium onion, sliced

1 Tbsp. oil

2 medium apples, thinly sliced

1-1/2 cups water

1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Pork

COOK chops and onions in hot oil in large skillet 4 min. on each side or until chops are cooked through. Transfer to plate; cover to keep warm.

ADD apples and water to skillet. Bring to boil.

STIR in stuffing mix. Top with the chops and onions; cover. Remove from heat; let stand 5 min.

Bacon, Cheese and Tomato Crescents

1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup finely chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup finely chopped red peppers

4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, drained and chopped

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Separate dough into eight triangles; spread with cream cheese. Top evenly with remaining ingredients.

ROLL up, starting at shortest side of each triangle. Place, point-sides down, on baking sheet.

BAKE 12 to 15 min. or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Neiman Marcus Cookies

These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 1 cup light brown sugar 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1-3/4 cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds) 2. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds. 3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. 4. Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.

Cafe Rio Pork Salad

Sweet Pork
2-3 lbs pork roast
1 can Dr. Pepper
1 can green chillies
2 Tb brown sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion chopped
1 cup brown sugar

Directions:
Mix together brown sugar, cayenne, cumin, and salt. Rub on roast. Put in crock pot on low for 5 hrs or so. Add Dr. Pepper, chicken broth, garlic and onions. Cook for 3 more hours. About 1 hr before serving, shred roast and add 1 cup brown sugar.

CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro


In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a small pot, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

This tastes way better if you use the uncooked tortillas found at Costco. Top with cheddar, cilantro, ranch, salsa, and guac.

Pesto Pizza on Naan

Today I made the most delicious pizza on Naan bread (it can be found at Target).

Ingredients:
Naan bread (garlic flavored or plain)
Pesto sauce
3 Chicken tenders
Pine nuts
Feta cheese
Tomato
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Boil chicken in water till done. Spread pesto sauce over naan bread. Chop up chicken into chunks and put on pizza. Put pine nuts and tomato slices on pizza with feta cheese. Top it with Parmesan cheese. Cook 450 degrees for about 10 min.

Oreo Chocolate Pudding Parfait

2 cups cold fat-free milk
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
6 Reduced Fat OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
ADD milk to dry pudding mix in medium bowl. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Refrigerate 5 min.

SPOON one-third of the pudding mixture evenly into four mugs or parfait glasses; top with layers of half each of the strawberries and cookies. Repeat all layers. Cover with the remaining pudding mixture and whipped topping.
SERVE immediately or store in refrigerator up to 2 hours before serving.

Bacon and Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes

I can't really figure out where my inspiration comes from, but fortunately for Diane and me, it just comes. Don't interpret this to mean that Diane isn't good at cooking because she is. I enjoy many of the meals that she prepares. It just so happens that right now, I do more of the cooking (since I am the man-wife who works from home while she goes to school all day).
Anyway, I was trying to think of something delicious to make with what we had in stock (you have no idea how many times we run to the grocery store in order to have the exact ingredients for a recipe). We had purchased some red potatoes a while back and it was about time we made something starchy since we neglected them for so long. I wasn't up for the usual mashed potatoes or grilled potatoes with rosemary, so I decided to make scalloped potatoes.
Normal scalloped potatoes are good, but I think many things can be easily improved by adding a little cheddar and bacon. I went to my favorite online recipe site, AllRecipes.com, and quickly search for a simple (yet delicious) scalloped potato recipe. I found one recipe that fared well in the reviews.

Ingredients (Serves 4)
3-1/4 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 cup and 3 tablespoons chicken broth
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Paprika

Directions
In a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish, layer potatoes and onion.
In a saucepan, melt the butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add broth, mayonnaise, salt and pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika.
Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours or until tender.
Modifications
I only used 3 potatoes, but one was fairly large
I forgot to add the mayonnaise
I didn't have paprika
I added 5 strips of bacon (pre-cooked Kirkland Signature kind from Costco)
I sliced enough medium cheddar cheese to cover the potatoes
I didn't grease the pan (it didn't need it)
I used aluminum foil to cover it and I had the shiny side facing outward
I cooked for approximately one hour and then I added the bacon and cheese
After adding the bacon and cheese, I let it cook approximately 30 more minutes without the foil cover
There you have it! Let me know if you have any questions or if you modify it yourself and it turns out delicious.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

Prep Time:15 min
Total Time:30 min
Makes:4 cakes
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping


PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Butter four 3/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes. Place on baking sheet.
MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Blend in eggs and egg yolks with wire whisk. Stir in flour. Divide batter among prepared custard cups.
BAKE 11 to 12 min. or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 min. Carefully run small knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert dishes. Serve immediately, topped with whipped topping.
How to Bake Cakes in Muffin Cups
Prepare batter as directed; pour evenly among ten paper-lined medium muffin cups. Bake at 425ºF for 10 min. or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 min. Makes 10 servings.

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Herbed Couscous

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1/2 cup couscous
coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped (cilantro or parsely works well too)
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)

Directions
In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil. Add couscous; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and remove from heat; let steam 5 minutes. Add mint, pine nuts, scallions, lemon zest and juice, and 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper, and fluff with a fork.

Lay chicken flat on a work surface. With a paring knife, cut a 2-inch-long slit in the thick side of each breast. Insert knife, and pivot inside chicken without enlarging opening, carefully forming a deep pocket (make sure not to pierce the opposite side). Stuff each breast with an equal amount of couscous mixture, packing it tightly.

In a large skillet, heat remaining tablespoon oil over medium. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in skillet, and cook until browned on one side, 6 to 8 minutes. Carefully turn chicken over, and add 1/2 cup water to skillet (a little couscous may fall out). Cover, and cook until chicken is opaque throughout, 6 to 8 minutes more.

Carrots and Peas
Grate 2 large carrots with a vegetable peeler or knife. Saute with butter and frozen peas for 5 min.