Idiot Pork Chops

2 sticks butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
Italian bread crumbs, mixed with garlic salt & onion powder
6 pork chops

Mix the melted butter and the eggs being careful that the butter is not so hot it will cook the eggs. Dip your pork chops in the butter/egg mix, and then the Italian bread crumbs, and then dip it again in the butter/egg mix and again in the Italian bread crumbs. You have to dip it in each twice as it is not as good if you only do it one time. Bake the pork chops at 375 10-15 minutes.  Flip over and bake 10-15 more depending on the thickness of the pork chops.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

1 medium sweet potato

2 ½ C flour

½ C brown sugar

1 T baking powder

¾ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp allspice

½ C shortening/butter

½ C cream or milk

Microwave sweet potato until tender.  Peel and add with a little water to the blender & puree.  Combine all dry ingredients.  Blend in shortening.  Stir in 1 C sweet potato puree.  Add cream, gently stirring just until it forms a soft dough.  Turn onto floured surface.  Roll out ½ - ¾ inch thick.  Cut with biscuit cutter (or you can drop spoonfuls onto sheet.  Bake on greased sheet 375 20-25 minutes.

Orange Julius

½ C Sugar

½ C Milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 6oz. frozen orange juice concentrate

3-4 C Ice cubes

1/3 C Powdered milk

1 C Water

Combine everything in a blender and serve immediately.  Add more or less liquid & ice depending on desired consistency.

Bran Muffins

2 c Bran Flakes

2 C Boiling water

2 ½ C Sugar

1 C Oil

4 Eggs

4 C Buttermilk

4 C Kellog’s Bran Buds cereal

5 C Flour

5 tsp Baking soda

1 ½ tsp Salt

Pour boiling water over bran flakes; set aside to cool.  Beat sugar and oil.  Add eggs and buttermilk.  Sift together the rest of the dry ingredients.  Stir gently with everything else just until combined.  Store in Tupperware in fridge. Don’t ever stir it again!  The batter will keep in the fridge for 6 weeks, and makes about 4 dozen muffins.  Bake muffins at 375 for 20 minutes.

Chicken Scampi

Saute the following in a large skillet until chicken is cooked:
2 Chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 Tb each butter & olive oil
2 tsp Sicilian seasoning
2 tsp Parmesan blend
(These are both bread dipping spices in a big cylinder labeled Dean Jacob’s or Delallo)

Remove chicken from pan and sauté the following until tender/crisp:
1 of each red, orange & yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp each butter & olive oil

Add the following to the peppers and stir until hot:
½ C heavy cream
½ C water
1 Tb chicken bullion
1 Tb fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp garlic salt

Toss with:
12-16 oz Pkg Linguine or Angel Hair pasta
1 ½ C Parmesan

Strawberry Lemonade Slush

2 C frozen sliced strawberries
½ can frozen lemonade concentrate (pink ok)
6 oz water
1 can Sprite
2 C ice cubes
Sugar to taste

Thaw concentrate and combine with all ingredients in blender until slushy.

Beef Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

1 ½-2 lbs. ground beef
½ medium onion, chopped fine
2 jalapenos, chopped fine, or 2 Tb green pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T flour
1 Tb chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp sugar
15 oz. tomato sauce
1 C water
1 large tomato, seeded & chopped
1 C shredded white cheddar
1 C shredded Monterey jack
10-12 tortillas

Brown beef with onion, peppers and garlic. Drain; add flour, spices and sugar. Stir well, then add tomato sauce, water and tomato. Simmer 5 minutes. Use slotted spoon to fill tortillas with meat, then add cheese and roll up. Place in greased pan and top with the remaining sauce and cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Top with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, etc.

Italian Chicken Soup

1 box Ditalini pasta or other mini pasta
1 whole chicken, cooked & shredded
8 c chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 jalapenos, (seeds removed) diced
1 Tb olive oil
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
2 c heavy cream
1/3 c olive oil
4 Tb minced fresh oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan

Cook pasta according to package. Heat small skillet over med. Add 1/3 c olive oil & oregano & turn off heat, stirring for a minute to keep from burning. Set aside.
In large pot, saute onion, peppers, & celery in 1 Tb olive oil over medium heat until tender and golden brown. Add broth, chicken & tomatoes with their juice. Boil, then reduce to simmer. Add cooked pasta, cream, oregano & olive oil from the skillet. Stir and turn off heat. Serve with lots of parmesan on top, and Italian bread.

Herb Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken, turkey, or turkey breast
Kosher salt
Olive oil
Dried thyme, rosemary and sage -or herbs of your choice

Place poultry in large bowl and cover with water. Add about ½ cup kosher salt per gallon of water (you can just estimate). Cover and refrigerate 12-24 hours, depending on the size of the bird, you may have to turn it over after 12 hours and let the other side soak in the brine the other 12 hours.

Rinse off the brine; pat dry, place on roasting pan. Lightly brush olive oil all over bird and sprinkle it with herbs. Bake it breast side down at 350 for 30 minutes. Turn it over and bake 30 more minutes or until internal temp reaches 165, or leg joint juices run clear when cracked back. While baking, cover loosely with foil if it begins to brown too much or splatter juices all over the oven. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

1 graham cracker pie crust
1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 C powdered sugar
½ C peanut butter
1 12-oz. cool whip
Chopped peanuts

Beat cream cheese and sugar; add peanut butter and mix well. Fold in half of the whipped cream. Pour into crust. Top with remaining whipped cream and chopped peanuts; chill.

Creamy Potato & Leek Soup

4 medium leeks, white & green parts halved lengthwise, washed, & sliced thin (about 4 c), dark green parts halved, washed, & cut into 2-inch pieces
2 C Vegetable or chicken broth
2 C Water
4 Tb butter
1 C chopped onion
¼ tsp. salt
1 small russet potato (6 oz.) peeled, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 (4 in.) sprig fresh thyme
1 large slice white bread, lightly toasted & torn into ½ inch slices
Pepper to taste
½ C Half & Half or cream (opt.)

Bring dark-green leek pieces, broth, and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce to low, cover, and simmer 20 min. Strain broth through fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing on solids to extract liquid; set aside. Discard solids in strainer and rinse out saucepan. Melt butter in now empty pan over med-low. When foamy, add sliced leeks, onion, and salt. Cook and stir over low until vegetables are softened. Over high heat, stir in reserved broth, potato, bay leaf, and thyme sprig and boil. Reduce to low, simmer until potatoes are tender. Add toasted bread and simmer until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf and thyme sprig. Add cream (opt.) Transfer soup to blender and process until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Chalupa

3-4 lbs pork loin roast
1 lb pinto beans- soak first overnight and cook an hour or so til done.
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 Tbl chili powder
1 Tbl ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 -2 cans green chilis
1 Tbl salt
10 oz diced tomatoes
1/2 c chopped onions

Put everything in crockpot. Cover with water. Cook covered over low heat for 6 hours. Take out bones and break up roast with fork. If you want it less juicy, cook without lid 1 hour more.

Serve in shallow bowls & top with:
Corn chips
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheese
Olives
Avocados
Sour cream

Chinese BBQ Pork

2 Pork tenderloins
¼ C. Sugar
2 Tb Hoisin sauce
4 Tb Soy Sauce (shy 1/3 C)
½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Red food coloring

Trim excess fat off pork. Marinate overnight. Bake at 350 ½ hour, then flip over and bake another ½ hour. Cool; Slice very thin. Serve cooled or chilled with ketchup, spicy mustard (ground mustard mixed with a little water) and toasted sesame seeds for dipping.

Chicken Enchiladas

2-4 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
1 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
3 Tb green taco sauce
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. onion powder
3 c. grated cheddar, divided
6-9 flour tortillas
¼ c. milk

Combine soup, taco sauce, sour cream, onion powder and half of cheese. Spoon 2/3 of mixture into tortillas. Add chicken and roll up; place in greased 9x13. Add milk to remaining sauce and pour over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 350 for 30 min. until bubbly.

Bean Dip

1 8-oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
16 oz. sour cream
1 14-oz. can refried beans
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 c. grated cheddar

Beat cream cheese; add sour cream, beans and seasoning. Stir in ½ c. cheese and pour into casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Cover and bake 325 for 30 min. or until bubbly and hot. Serve with tortilla chips

Balsamic Chicken Noodle Bowl

1 lb Linguine
1 Red pepper, cut into thin strips
4 T Balsamic vinegar
5 Garlic cloves, finely minced
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Black pepper
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1 c Fresh basil
2 c Cooked, shredded chicken
1 1/2 c Shredded or cubed mozzarella cheese
½ c Feta cheese

Cook the linguine until just tender according to package directions. Drain.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. When combined, slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is completely combined.

While the pasta is boiling, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the bell pepper. Cook briefly until crisp-tender. Add the cooked chicken and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until the chicken is heated through.

Add the cooked noodles to the skillet with the red pepper and chicken and toss. Add the mozzarella and toss quickly to combine before the cheese melts. Pour the dressing over the top and toss with tongs to coat all the ingredients with the dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6-8

Teriyaki Chicken

1 C. Water
1 C. Soy sauce
1 C. Pineapple juice or orange juice
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ C. Sugar
½ tsp. Fresh ginger
¼ C. oil

Combine all ingredients and use some of the sauce to marinate chicken or steak overnight. Grill meat, and boil the reserved sauce for a couple of minutes and serve with the meat over rice.

French Onion Salisbury Steak With Cheese Toast

1 ¼ lbs ground chuck
¼ c minced fresh parsley
2 Tb scallions, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp pepper
2 Tb flour
1 Tb olive oil
2 c onions, sliced thin
1 tsp sugar
1 Tb garlic, minced
1 Tb tomato paste
2 c beef broth
¼ c dry red wine/apple juice
¾ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp dried thyme leaves
2 Tb flour
4 slices French bread
1/3 c shredded swiss or mozzarella

Combine chuck, parley, scallion, salt and pepper. Divide evenly into 4 portions and shape into ¾-1 inch oval patties. Place 2 Tb flour in shallow dish; dredge each patty in flour. Heat oil in pan over med-high. Brown patties 3 minutes each side; remove from pan. Add onions and sugar to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste; sauté 1 minute, or until paste begins to brown. Sprinkle onions with reserved flour; cook 1 minute. Stir in broth, wine, salt and thyme. Return meat to pan; boil soup. Cover and simmer on med-low 10 minutes, or until beef is fully cooked. Sprinkle cheese over bread and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Serve meat over toast with soup ladled over.

Broccoli Potato Cheese Soup

4 Tb Butter
1 Leek, diced
1 Minced garlic clove
1 Diced carrot
3 Diced medium red potatoes
4 C Chicken stock
1 Bay leaf
½ tsp Celery seed
1 tsp Dried thyme
¼ C Slivered fresh basil
1 Bunch broccoli, chopped
1 C Heavy cream
Dash Cayenne pepper
1 C Monterrey Jack cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high. Add leeks, garlic and carrots. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add potatoes; cook 2 minutes. Add stock, bay leaf, celery seed, thyme and basil. Boil; reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are barely tender, about 15 minutes. Add broccoli and cook 10 minutes until tender. Pull out some of the broccoli and set aside. Puree the soup in blender. Pour back into pot and stir in cream, cheese, reserved broccoli and rest of seasonings. Keep hot until ready to serve but do not boil.

Steak Fajita Salad

½ cup Italian-style salad dressing
1 tsp ground cumin
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1 lb flank steak, cut into strips
½ cup frozen corn
½ cup black beans, rinsed
½ cup sliced green onion
½ cup shredded cheddar
1 tomato, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
½ cup chopped cilantro
8 cups mixed salad greens
1 cup Caesar salad dressing
1-2 tsp fajita seasoning
Crushed tortilla chips

Combine the cumin, hot pepper sauce and Italian dressing in a small bowl and mix well. Pour over the beef and let marinate for 1 hour. Cook the beef in crock pot on low 5 hours or until tender (or you can pan fry or grill). Allow the beef to cool.

In small bowl, mix Caesar dressing with the fajita seasoning (enough to taste)

In a medium bowl combine the beef with the corn, beans, onions, peppers, cilantro and 1/2 cup of the Caesar dressing mixture. Refrigerate until serving.

To serve, toss the beef and vegetable mixture with the salad greens, tomatoes and shredded cheese. Add the extra dressing if necessary and top with crushed tortilla chips.

Vegetable Lasagna

Sauce:

6 Tb Olive oil
½ C Onion
4 Cloves minced garlic
¼ Fennel bulb, chopped
½ Red pepper, seed & dice
½ C Shredded carrot
1 28 oz. Can diced tomatoes
2 C Tomato sauce
2 Tb Fresh oregano
2 Tb Fresh basil
1 ½ C Dry white wine or chicken broth
¼ lb. Chopped mushrooms
2 tsp. Sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper

Filling:

1 C Fresh or frozen spinach
3 C Ricotta cheese
1/3 C Parmesan
2 Tb Fresh basil
1 tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Nutmeg
2 Eggs, beaten
2 C Mozzarella
2/3 C Parmesan
1 lb. Oven ready Lasagna noodles

For sauce, sauté oil, onion and garlic in large pot. Add the next 8 ingredients. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes until vegetables are soft and the sauce cooks down and starts to thicken slightly. Add the last 4 sauce ingredients; simmer 5 minutes. Puree in blender. You should have about 6 cups.

For filling, combine all 8 ingredients in large bowl. Combine mozzarella and 2/3 cup parmesan in a separate bowl.

Grease a 9x13 pan. Coat the pan with 1 cup of sauce. Top with one layer of noodles, then 1 cup of ricotta mixture. Top with 1 light layer of spinach and ½ cup cheese mixture. Top with 1 cup sauce. Repeat layers 3 more times, ending with 1 layer pasta, sauce, then cheese.

Bake 375 for 30 minutes until bubbly and starts to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

From frozen, bake covered 45 minutes or until bubbly. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes or until cheese just starts to brown.