CAFE RIO CHICKEN √

CAFE RIO CHICKEN

2 lbs chicken breasts
1 packet zesty Italian dressing mix
1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 Tbsp. paprika
1/2 Tbsp. onion powder

Place all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on High 3-4 hours OR on Low 5-6 hours. Shred with fork and serve in salads, burritos, tacos...etc. You can also double or triple this to make extras for freezing. Then simply thaw and reheat for a fast and delicious meal.

Enjoy!

Modified from recipe found here

Charlene's Beans √

Use a LARGE pot!

1 1/2 lb ground meat - cooked and drained
6 cans pinto beans
1 can peeled tomatoes, cut
1 lg green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbl ground chili powder
1/2 Tbl salt
1/2 Tbl pepper
dashes Tobasco Sauce

Bring to boil and simmer 20-30 minutes.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Makes 2-3 dozen

Ingredients:
½ cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoons baking soda
1-½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

*If using a non-stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

Grilled Vegetable Ratatouille

1 large head garlic, top sliced off to expose tips of garlic cloves

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 large, ripe tomatoes (about 3/4 pound), halved

1 small eggplant (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices

1 large zucchini (about 1/2 pound), trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices

1 large yellow squash (about 1/2 pound), trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices

1 small red onion (about 1/2 pound), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rings

1 medium red bell pepper, stem, seeds and ribs removed, cut in half lengthwise

1 medium yellow bell pepper, stem, seeds and ribs removed, cut in half lengthwise

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

3 tablespoons freshly minced basil leaves

2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley leaves

1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves

Freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish

Preheat the grill.

Before preparing the vegetables, roast the garlic. Rub 1 teaspoon of the oil and a pinch of the salt and pepper onto the cut side of the garlic. Wrap in foil and place on the grill. Roast until soft and starting to caramelize, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes. Remove from the grill and let sit until cool enough to handle. Squeeze the pulp from the garlic skins and set aside.

Rub 2 teaspoons of the oil and a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper on the tomatoes. Place on the grill away from the direct heat (or on the upper rack) and grill until tender and starting to char, about 6 minutes, depending upon the heat. (The longer the tomatoes stay on the grill, the smokier flavor they will obtain.) Remove from the heat and, when cool, remove the skin and roughly chop.

In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, zucchini, squash, onions and bell peppers, and toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Grill, turning, until marked by the grill and tender, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove with tongs and let cool. Dice into 1/2-inch pieces.

In the bottom of a large bowl, mash the roasted garlic and 1 teaspoon of oil to make a paste. Drizzle in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and the vinegar, and whisk to combine. Add the chopped vegetables, tomatoes and the herbs, and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature, garnished with Parmesan. (The ratatouille can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight to allow the flavors to further develop.)

Serve atop grilled bread.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 40-45 minutes

Ease of preparation: Easy

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Food of Love Productions, 2007

Spaghetti Bread √

Spaghetti Bread

1 cup warm water (70* to 80*)
2 tablespoons olive OR vegetable oil
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used the kind out of the can - still tasted great)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon EACH dried basil, marjoram, savory and thyme
1/8 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
for the last 3 entries, whatever you have on hand, go with that. it'll still be great.
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size if available. Bake according to bread machine directions. (Check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; this dough should appear dry. If it looks wet, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour.

Quick Cooking - Jan/Feb 1999

Oven Barbecued Chicken 'n Cheesy Biscuits

Oven Barbecued Chicken 'n Cheesy Biscuits

3lb frying chicken (or 4 chicken breasts)
1c BBQ Sauce (any flavor)
1 can refrigerator biscuits
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Place cut-up 3 lb frying chicken in 13x9 inch pan. Pour 1c barbecue sauce over chicken. Bake uncovered at 375Ü for 45 min. Turn pieces every 15 min. Add water if necessary to prevent excess browning. Arrange biscuits on top of chicken, bake another 12 to 15 min until browned. Add shredded cheddar cheese last 5 minutes of baking. Serves 4-6

We usually shove all the chicken to one side and place the biscuits down in the BBQ sauce. MMMMmmmm good.

Double Stuffed Potatoes with The Works

Double Stuffed Potatoes with The Works
Recipe from 30 Minute Meals
SO YUMMY! One of my favorite side dishes!

2 large Russet potatoes, cleaned and pricked with a fork several times each
Drizzle olive oil or vegetable oil
2 slices center cut bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and coarse black pepper

Preheat a small nonstick pan over medium high heat. Rub potatoes with a drizzle of oil. Place potatoes on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 12 minutes, rotating once. While potatoes cook, add chopped bacon to hot skillet and brown until bits are crisp. Add scallions and cook scallions together with bacon 1 minute more. Transfer bacon bits and green onions to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Allow potatoes to cool enough to be handled, 5 minutes. Preheat broiler to high. Cut potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh into a small bowl. Smash potato flesh together with sour cream until combined using a potato masher. Stir in cheddar cheese, bacon and scallions and season with salt and pepper, to your taste. Scoop filling back into potato skins and place on a cookie sheet. Place potatoes in oven and brown under broiler, 6 inches from heat 5 minutes.

Baker's Secret Pie Crust

Baker's Secret Pie Crust
This is an AWESOME recipe. The crusts turn out wonderful.

3/4 cup cake flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons shortening
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
3 cubes ice
1/2 cup cold water

Measure butter & shortening onto a plate, put into freezer for about 20 minutes.

Measure cake flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds to mix.

Take 1/2 of the cold butter and 1/2 of the cold shortening, put into processor with dry ingredients and pulse off and on for about 1 minute. Scrape down twice while doing this.

Take remainder of the cold butter & cold shortening and cut in very briefly with the processor, leaving visible pea-sized chunks. Do not over process at this stage!

In a measuring cup, mix egg yolk and vinegar together, add ice cubes and water. Let this get chilled, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove mixed flours and shortening from processor, put into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle approximately 4 to 5 tablespoons of this egg, water, vinegar mixture, a little at a time, mixing gently with a fork. The key to this is, you do not want a wet dough, and you do not want to overmix.

Place this dough into plastic wrap or plastic bag, chill in refrigerator for a few minutes. (May also be frozen for a few weeks at this stage for future use).

Remove from refrigerator and roll out.

Bacon and Potato Breakfast Pizza √

Bacon and Potato Breakfast Pizza
From the 2004 Pillsbury Bake-Off Recipe book

1 (8-oz.) can Pillsbury® Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1 (9-oz.) box Green Giant® Frozen Roasted Potatoes with Garlic & Herbs
I used plain frozen hash browns (the square kind) and added a bit of garlic
4 eggs
1/3 cup milk
8 slices precooked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
I used real bacon pieces – the kind you buy in the salad garnish aisle
6 oz. (1 1/2 cups) shredded Cheddar cheese
I used a mixture of Mild Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar, Jack and Mozzarella Cheeses
Salt and pepper, if desired
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley I used dried

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. Unroll dough into sprayed pan; press in bottom and 1/2 inch up sides to form crust; press perforations to seal. Bake at 350°F. for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut small slit in center of roasted potatoes pouch; microwave on High for 2 to 3 minutes or until thawed. Remove potatoes from pouch; cut larger pieces in half.

In medium bowl, beat eggs. Stir in milk, bacon, 1 cup of the cheese, the thawed potatoes, salt and pepper.

Remove partially baked crust from oven. Spoon potato mixture evenly over crust. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese and the parsley over top.

Return to oven; bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until set and edges are golden brown. Cut into squares.

8 servings

I made this all ahead of time and then stuck it in the fridge for about an hour until it was time for dinner. It still cooked up great. I think you could also put all of the ingredients together in a bowl (except the crescent rolls), spread the rolls in the 9x13 pan and then put everything in the fridge for later. My life is all about being able to make dinner when I can fit it in!

Wheat Crackers

Wheat Crackers

3 c. Wheat Roll Mix
5 T. oil
1 c. water
salt

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl combine roll mix, oil, and water. Stir with a fork until
blended. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough only until smooth (about 3 min). Divide into
4 pieces. Roll dough into a 16x12 rectangle, 1/6 inch thick. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Shake w/ salt to taste. Using a pastry wheel (or knife) mark cutting lines in dough about 2 inches apart. Bake 10-20 min or til golden. Cool on rack. Makes about 200.

Taste exactly like Wheat Thins! SO GOOD!

See: Wheat Roll Mix

Wheat Roll Mix

Wheat Roll Mix

9 c.whole wheat flour
8 c. unbleached flour or all purpose flour
4 tsp salt
1 c. instant powdered milk
1 c. brown sugar, packed or 1 c. granulated sugar

In a lrg bowl, combine flour, salt, and milk powder. Stir with a wire whisk until evenly distributed. Press brown sugar through a sieve. Stir brown sugar or granulated sugar in flour mixture.

Makes 18 c. Whole Wheat Roll Mix.

Use mix to make Wheat Crackers.

North Carolina Pulled BBQ - Crock Pot √

North Carolina Pulled BBQ - Crock Pot
02/17/05 - VERY VERY good

1 4-6# pork shoulder or boneless butt
1 teas. salt
1/2 teas. celery seed
1/2 teas. cinnamon
1/2 teas. chili powder
1/2 teas. nutmeg
1/2 teas. garlic powder
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. ketchup
3/4 c. cider vinegar
1 large onion, chopped
1 teas. liquid smoke [opt.]

Place all in crockpot and cook on high for 3 hours. Turn to low and continue cooking for 4 hours more. Remove meat from liquid and shred with 2 forks. Place shredded meat back in liquid in crockpot and cook 1 hour more on low

Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 cups Sugar

1 cup Water

1/4 cup Margarine

4 cups Instant Powdered Milk

1 tablespoon Vanilla

In saucepan, bring water to a boil and remove from heat. Add sugar & margarine, then stir until dissolved. Pour hot mixture into blender. Add milk and vanilla and blend until smooth. Makes 1 quart. Stores well in refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Blackened Chicken Breasts √

Blackened Chicken Breasts
Tried & True - You can adjust how much spice mix you use according to the members of you family for varied tastes. It's quite spicy. Very good!

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
margarine or butter

Spice Mix
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

Coat each piece of chicken with about 1 tablespoon spice mix. The mixture is hot and spicy, so adjust amount for taste of each person. Using a pastry brush, baste each piece of chicken with melted margarine or butter. Grill chicken, basting with butter or margarine after turning once. Grill about 10 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle. Or cook chicken in a large, nonstick skillet in hot oil over medium heat. Cook, turning chicken once, until it's done, about 10 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Turkey Sage Sausage

Turkey Sage Sausage (recipe to be used in Swedish Meatballs)

2 pounds ground turkey

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground pepper

1 Tbsp. sage

¼ tsp. cayenne (optional)

In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients.

Karen's Kookies

Karen’s Kookies

4 cubes margarine

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

2 c. brown sugar

2 c. corn flakes, crushed *

2 c. oatmeal

4 c. flour

2 tsp. soda

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla

1 - 12 oz. pkg choc. chips

nuts or coconut (opt)

*I have used Golden Grahams (which is really good) or other types of cereals. . I don’t measure the cereal too much, it’s probably more than 2 c. that I use, so it would be 2 cups of crushed cereal.
Mix ingredients as listed. Bake at 350 for 8-10 min. Makes 50 or more.

BBQ Potatoes

BBQ Potatoes
Tried & True - VERY good

4-6 large russet potatoes
1 medium onion (optional)
2-3 garlic cloves
butter
salt
cooking spray
tin foil or bbq foil bags
sour cream (optional)

Wash potatoes well. (Leave the peel on, or peel potoatoes - your choice. I leave the peel on - they get nice and crispy.) Cut each potato in half and then slice. You can slice the onion in large chunks or in small slices. Remove 2 pieces of tin foil about 24" long each. Lay them one on top of the other. (Or use a large foil bag). Spray the foil with cooking spray to keep the potatoes from sticking. Place potatoes and onions on a pile in the middle of the tin foil. With a garlic crusher, crush the garlic cloves over the potatoes and spread them around. Scatter several pats of butter over the potatoes. Lightly salt the entire concoction. If you don't use real garlic, you can use garlic powder instead. This is equally as tasty.

Bring the two short ends of tin foil together and fold them over each other several times sealing the tin foil together. Fold the sides together in the same way creating a large foil packet that will hold together on the BBQ. If need be, wrap the entire thing in another sheet of tin foil to make it more secure.

Start cooking the potatoes well before you start cooking the meat on the grill. Place the entire packet on the BBQ grill. (Can be cooked in the oven if necessary) Cooking times vary according to how crunchy you like the potatoes. I like them VERY well cooked. 25-30 minutes total cooking time - turning often to prevent the potatoes from burning.

Serve with sour cream! Makes an excellent side dish to any bbq'd meat. This is my absolute favorite way to make potatoes.

BBQ Corn on the Cob

BBQ Corn on the Cob
Tried & True - VERY good

Corn on the cob - fresh is best, but thawed frozen ears work too
olive oil
salt
pepper
tin foil

Shuck the ears of corn and remove all of the strands of corn silk that you can. Tear one sheet of tin foil per ear of corn. Each sheet should be 12-18 inches long. Place one ear on a sheet of tin foil and lightly coat with olive oil. Season the corn with salt and pepper. Tightly wrap the ear of corn in the tin foil. Repeat for remaining ears.

Place the corn on the grill. Cook for 30 minutes total, turning 3 times. Corn will burn if left on one side too long! Unwrap corn and eat! No butter needed! Corn is VERY tasty cooked this way. We like it so much that we've even been known to cook frozen kernal corn like this!

Best Ever Guacamole √

Best Ever Guacamole
Tried & True! I make this Guacamole all the time. It's SO yummy!

3 avocados
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Pit the avocados. Scoop out the avocado meat with a large spoon and place in mixing bowl. Add the lime juice, garlic powder, olive oil and salt. Mash avocados with a large fork. Chill for 30-60 minutes. Guacamole does not keep very well. Eat up!

Tips: You can use 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh minced/chopped garlic if you prefer. I like it better with garlic powder. The garlic powder I use is VERY powdery, the same consistancy as baby powder. You may add 1/2 cup pico de gallo or chopped tomatoes and onions if desired.

Ripe avocados: A ripe avocado is relatively firm, but will yield to gentle pressure when held in the palm of the hand and squeezed. Color cannot always be trusted to determine whether or not an avocado is ripe. Indeed, the squeeze test is the most accurate.

If you plan to use avocados immediately, buy ripe ones. But if you want to buy them a few days before you plan to use them, you can buy them when they are hard and do not yield to squeezing. Then just set them out in a cool place and wait for them to get ripe.

But what if you want them to get ripe faster? A good trick is to put the avocados in a brown paper bag. Putting an apple in the bag with the avocados speeds the process even more.

Apricot Pineapple Jam

Apricot Pineapple Jam

2 cups dried apricots *

2 cups crushed pineapple

½ lemon, with peel, thinly sliced

4 cups sugar

Rinse apricots. Place in a bowl, cover with cold water and let soak overnight. Simmer apricots in water til they are tender. Mash apricots. Add pineapple, lemon and sugar to apricots. Simmer, stirring frequently until thick and clear (approx. 20 minutes).

Process jam in water bath canner for

10 minutes. Makes 5 & one ½ pint sized jars.

*Using Dole brand packaged apricots is not advised. Buying apricots in bulk at Winco, or the bagged apricots at Costco have been the best results in flavor and color.