Skillet Garlic Biscuits

2 packages refrigarator biscuits

2 Tbsp margarine

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup parmesan grated cheese

In a large skillet melt margarine. In a small bowl mix garlic powder and Parmesan cheese. Coat biscuits in cheese mixture, then place in pan. Cook covered for 8 - 10 minutes. Using lid, turn the biscuits over and return to skillet. Cook another 10 - 12 minutes.

Lasagna

1 lb ground beef

1 clove garlic - minced

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 Tbsp chopped sweet basil

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 lb can crushed tomatoes

2 cans 6 oz tomato paste

Lasagna noodles

2 cottage cheese small curd 12 oz

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 lb mozzarella cheese - shredded

In a fry pan slowly brown meat, drain. In a medium pot add next 6 ingredients. Add meat to mixture, simmer on covered till thick, about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.

In a large pot boil noodles to directions on package. Drain and rinse.

In a medium bowl, mix the cottage cheese with the next 5 ingredients.

In a 9 by 13 in pan ( I prefer glass) layer 4 of the noodles, half cottage mixture, half of the shredded mozzarella cheese the half of the meat mixture. Repeat another layer with remaining ingredients. Sprinkle a small amount of mozzarella cheese on top.

Cook at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Pull out and let stand for 15 minutes.

*If you do not have fresh parsley or basil you can use dried.

White Bean Chili

6 Tbsp butter

2 large onions - chopped

1/3 cup flour

4 cups chicken broth

3 cups half and half

3 - 15 oz cans white beans - drained and rinsed

3 small cans diced chili peppers

4 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp tabasco sauce

1 Tbsp ground cumin

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 1/2 cups jack cheese

1 cup sour cream

Garnishes:

Sour cream

Chopped cilantro

Chunky salsa

Blue tortilla chips

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until tender, about 15 minutes.

Add flour and cook and stir for 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in broth and half & half. Simmer gently until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add white beans, chilis, shredded chicken, chili powder, Tabasco sauce, cumin, salt and white pepper. Simmer gently for 20 minutes. Add jack cheese and sour cream, stir until chili is heated through.DO NOT BOIL.

Serve warm with any of the garnishes

Fruit Dip

1 - 8 oz Philly cream cheese

1 - 7 or 7 1/2 oz Kraft marshmallow fluff

2 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate

Blend all together and use as dip with all sorts of fruits. 

I usually double recipe if not triple.

Monkey Bread

4 packages refrigerator buttermilk biscuits

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Spray a bundt pan with cooking oil. Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl. Cut biscuits into quarters, the roll into cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place into bundt pan.

Sauce:

3/4 cup margarine

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup brown sugar

Place ingredients into glass measuring bowl. In microwave, boil for about 2 minutes. Pour over biscuits and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Immediately turn it over onto a cookie sheet or platter. Eat warm.

Baby Red Potatoes

2 lbs red small potatoes

Ranch instant dressing

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Cut up potatoes into small chunks (size of walnuts), put potatoes into large ziplock bag. Pour the vegetable over the potatoes. Mix well making sure that all are coated. Then add ranch dry dressing, making sure also to coat all potatoes. Spray with cooking oil a 9 by 13 inch pan. Empty the bag of potatoes into pan. Cook at 450 degrees for 30 minutes or until done.

* also you can use other dry dressings if you do not like the ranch

Almond Roca

1 lb German chocolate (4 bars) - grated

9 oz whole almonds - grated

2 cups sugar

1 lb butter (do not use margarine)

Using a food processor, grate chocolate and set aside, grate almonds and set aside. Use a cookie sheet, layer half of grated almonds, then half of grated chocolate. In a good size cooking pot, melt butter and sugar. Bring to boil over medium high heat. Cook till it reaches 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. Immediately pour over chocolate on cookie sheet, lightly spread it out if necessary. Then sprinkle remaining chocolate over mixture and then the almonds. Let cool at room temperature over night. Break into pieces.

Poppy Seed Chicken

1 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp Worchestershire sauce

2 tsp celery salt

1 tsp paprika

2 cloves garlic - minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

6 to 8 chicken breasts

Mix all the ingredients together. Dip chicken into mixture, place in a storage container and cover. Put in frig and let set over night.

1 1/2 cups crushed Ritz crackers

1/4 melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crush Ritz crackers and put into shallow bowl. Take chicken and roll it in the crushed crackers. Place chicken in greased baking dish. Melt butter and drizzle over chicken. Bake for 45 minutes.

Optional - another 1/4 cup of melted butter

Poppy seeds

You may pour another 1/4 cup of butter over chicken if you like. Sprinkle poppy seeds over chicken and cook for another 15 minutes.

Beef Brisket

1 large beef brisket

4 to 6 onions - sliced

1 package of Lipton's onion dry soup mix

1 to 1 1/2 cups beef broth.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Tear off large sheet of aluminum heavy foil, place in pan. Put brisket into pan, sprinkle dry soup mix over the top. Layer sliced onions onto brisket. Pour hot broth over all. Seal the aluminum around brisket so that no steam gets out. Let cook for 5 to 6 hours.

Cheesy Potatoes

2 lbs Frozen southern style hash browns

2 cans Cream of chicken soup

1 pint sour cream

1/2 of large onion - chopped

1/4 cup melted butter

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

1 cup crushed corn flakes

1/4 melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 by 13 inch pan. Mix ingredients 2 through 7, then add frozen southern style hash browns. Put mixture into pan, then pour the melted butter over the top, then sprinkle the crushed corn flakes over it all. Bake 45 minutes or until done.

Ramon Noodle Salad

Ramon Noodles "oriental"

1/2 head of cabbage chopped

4 green onions - sliced

1/2 cup slivered almonds - toasted

3 Tbsp sesame seeds - toasted

Dressing:

1 package Ramon noodles"oriental" dressing

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 Tbsp white vinegar

2 Tbsps sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds and sesame seeds on cookie sheet. Bake for 4 to 7 minutes. Mix cabbage, onions, almonds and sesame seeds. Make dressing. Take noodles and smash them up. Add to cabbage mixture . Pour dressing over salad just before serving and toss.

* to stretch this out I sometimes use leftover chicken cut up.

Hot Chip Beef

2 Tbsps vegetable oil

1 - 8 oz cream cheese

2 Tbsps milk

1 package chipped beef - cut up

1/4 cup green pepper - chopped

1 small onion grated

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup sour cream

Cream together the first 3 ingredients on stove over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients, mix well then slowly stir in sour cream. Serve with chips.

Cream Cheese Mushroom Cresent Rolls

2 - 8 oz package Pilsbury Cresent Rolls - cut each in 1/2

1 - 8 oz package cream cheese - softened

1 large can mushrooms, or fresh

Garlic salt to taste

Roll out dough. Mix cream cheese, chopped mushrooms and garlic salt. Put a spoonful of mixture on each piece of dough. Fold close. Brush w/egg whites and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Bake at 350 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes.

* I use fresh mushrooms.

Chex Party Mix

Rice Chex

Wheat Chex

Corn Chex

Large can of mixed nuts

Pretzel thin sticks

Cheerios

2 cups vegetable oil

2 Tbsps Worchestershire sauce

1 Tbsp Lawry's Season salt

1 Tbsp Garlic salt

I use 3 disposable turkey pans. In 2 of the pans begin layering the first 6 items. Mix the sauce, pour over the 2 pans. Bake at 200 degrees for 5 hours. Every 30 to 45 minutes take out pans and transfer to the extra pan, and so on. Return to oven.

* I make a batch and a half of the sauce. We like it with a little more zest.

Russian Tea

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

2 cups orange juice

3/4 cup lemon juice

2 quarts water

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsps almond extract

In large pot, bring sugar and water to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Then add remaining ingredients. Let simmer to hot. Enjoy!

Waffles

2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 Tbsp sugar

2 1/4 cups milk

3/4 cup salad oil

Sift together dry ingredients, add remaining ingredients. Cook poured batter for 2 1/2 minutes.

Chili's Chili Queso

1 16-ounce box Velveeta Cheese

1 15-ounce can Hormel Chili (No Beans)

1 cup milk

4 tsp chili powder

2 tsp paprika

1 Tbsp lime juice

1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Cut the Valveeta into cubes. Combine the cheese with the remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until cheese melts, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve hot with tortilla chips.

Grilled Salmon Burger

5 oz salmon filet, finely diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1/4 of a red onion, diced

1 tsp fresh dill, chopped

1 egg white, beaten

2 cups cleaned, then romaine or spinach lettuce

3 1-inch slices of avocado

Salt and pepper to taste

Nonstick cooking spray

Preparation: Heat a nonstick skillet coated with nonstick Cooking spray over medium heat. Then sauté the celery and the onions until translucent and allow to cool. In a bowl, combine the salmon, cooled celery/onions, dill, egg white, and salt and pepper and form into a patty. Grill or boil the patty for about 5 to 6 minutes on each side until cooked through. Serve over a bed of romaine or spinach and top with avocado slices.

Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil

Mmm, Mmm, delicious!

Ingredients:

For the lemon oil

1/2 c. extra virgin oil

1 lemon, zested

For the pasta

1 lb linguine pasta

2 tbsp olive oil

2 shallots diced

16 oz. frozen shrimp

1/4c. lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

1 lemon, zested

1tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 oz. arugula (about 3 packed cups)

1/4c. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Directions:

For the lemon oil:

Combine the olive oil and lemon zest and reserve.

For the pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 min. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for two minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 min. Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and add the arugula. Using a mesh sieve strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add to the pasta. The zest can be discarded. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Notes:

You can substitute chicken for the shrimp just pre-cook the chicken. Watch the garlic carefully when you cook it in the oil. It burns easily. I leave the zest from the reserved lemon oil to add extra lemon flavor. Trust me it's worth it. This recipe is wonderful cold as well.