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.

Mexican Spoon Bread

1 C cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ C milk

1/3 C oil

2 eggs, beaten

1 (17oz) can creamed corn

1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies

1 ½ C Monterey Jack Cheese (I used cheddar jack cheese)

Mix first 5 ingredients.  Add eggs and corn and spoon half into 9x9 greased baking dish.  Sprinkle with half of the chilies and cheese.  Repeat layer.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  Toothpick should come out clean when it is done.

Roasted Potatoes

1 envelope onion soup mix
2 Tbs. Red Potatoes - cut into cubes
1/3 c oil (vegetable or olive)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a 9x13 pan, combine all the ingredients. Bake, Stirring occasionally, 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender golden brown.

Caramelized Green Beans

1 lb. (actually, just a little bit more…maybe 1 1/8 lb.) fresh green beans
1/2 lb. bacon
1/2 red onion, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
olive oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
Lots of freshly-ground pepper

Begin frying the bacon in a large skillet. Start boiling a large pot of water. Place beans in a colander and rinse them well. Then snap the ends off and snap them in half.

Prepare the sauce by mixing sugar, soy sauce, and salt in a small bowl.

Make sure your onions are sliced, garlic is pressed (or minced…but I think if you don’t have a garlic press, the Easter Bunny needs to bring you one this year), and everything is ready to go. Hold on tight…it’s a crazy, crazy ride.

Remove bacon from pan and drain on a paper towel. If you feel like it, you can crumble it now or wait until it’s cooled off a little. Pour bacon drippings out of pan (I keep an empty tin can around for this very purpose).

Now…if you want to be naughty (and who doesn't??), return a couple tablespoons of bacon drippings to the pan. Otherwise, just use some olive oil and heat pan to medium-high heat. When the pan is hot…

–Add onions and garlic. Give them a quick stir and then…

–Add beans to boiling water. Place colander in a clean sink. Boil for one minute; you’re not cooking them until they’re done, just blanching them to take the edge off. Meanwhile, stir the onions and garlic so they don’t scorch. After one minute, drain beans in the colander in the sink.

–Once beans have been drained, add them to the onions and garlic. Stir fry 2-3 more minutes.

–Give your sauce a quick stir and then pour on top of the beans. Keep stir-frying until the beans get kind of glazy. Yeah, I make up words. Do this (stir fry, not make up words…you don’t have time to make up words right now!) for another 2 minutes.

–Add crumbled bacon and lots of freshly-ground pepper to the beans. Keep stir frying until the sauce sticks to the beans and the bacon. Transfer to a serving dish and allow to stand a few minutes so the beans cool down a bit and the glaze thickens up a little.

Caramelized Green Beans

(From OurBestBites.com)

1 lb. (actually, just a little bit more…maybe 1 1/8 lb.) fresh green beans
1/2 lb. bacon
1/2 red onion, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
olive oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
Lots of freshly-ground pepper

Begin frying the bacon in a large skillet. Start boiling a large pot of water. Place beans in a colander and rinse them well. Then snap the ends off and snap them in half.

Prepare the sauce by mixing sugar, soy sauce, and salt in a small bowl.

Make sure your onions are sliced, garlic is pressed, and everything is ready to go. Hold on tight…it’s a crazy, crazy ride.

Remove bacon from pan and drain on a paper towel. If you feel like it, you can crumble it now or wait until it’s cooled off a little. Pour bacon drippings out of pan.

Now…if you want to be naughty, return a couple tablespoons of bacon drippings to the pan. Otherwise, just use some olive oil and heat pan to medium-high heat. When the pan is hot…

–Add onions and garlic. Give them a quick stir and then…

–Add beans to boiling water. Place colander in a clean sink. Boil for one minute; you’re not cooking them until they’re done, just blanching them to take the edge off. Meanwhile, stir the onions and garlic so they don’t scorch. After one minute, drain beans in the colander in the sink.

–Once beans have been drained, add them to the onions and garlic. Stir fry 2-3 more minutes.

–Give your sauce a quick stir and then pour on top of the beans. Keep stir-frying until the beans get kind of glazy. Yeah, I make up words. Do this (stir fry, not make up words…you don’t have time to make up words right now!) for another 2 minutes.

–Add crumbled bacon and lots of freshly-ground pepper to the beans. Keep stir frying until the sauce sticks to the beans and the bacon. Transfer to a serving dish and allow to stand a few minutes so the beans cool down a bit and the glaze thickens up a little.

Spicy Pork Roast with Rosemary Potatoes

For the pork:

1 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbs red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 Tbs salt
1 (3-pound) pork roast, cut into 4 stekas, 2-in thick

For the potatoes:

3 russet potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
2 sprigs rosemary, stripped
2 Tbs vegetable oil
Salt

For the Sweet and Sour Sauce

3/4 c sugar
1/2 c red wine vinegar
1 c orange juice
1 Tbs butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

To prepare the pork: Mix spices together in a small bowl. Rub mixture over pork. Let set at room temperature, 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss potatoes with rosemary, oil and salt. In a smal saucepan, bring sugar, vinegar and orange juice to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking sweet and sour sacue until it reduces by half, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, swirl in butter and keep warm before using.

In a 13" cast iron skillet (I've always just used my regular 12" oven safe skillet), heat 2 Tbs vegetable oil. When pan is smoking hot, add pork, and sear on both sides. Add potatoes and place in the oven until pork is cooked through and potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes.

Serve pork chops with rosemary potatoes and drizzled with the sweet and sour sauce.

Golden Sweet Cornbread

1 c flour
1 c yellow cornmeal
2/3 c sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 c milk
1/2 c vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400. Spray or lightly grease a 9" round pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk and vegetable oil until well comined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 ounces (3/4 cup) pineapple juice
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Fresh pineapple, for grilling
Hot rice, for serving

In a small bowl, combine the pineapple juice, soy sauce, molasses, brown sugar, oil, vinegar and garlic powder. Whisk to combine. Add the chicken breasts to a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the chicken. Seal the bag and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours.

Drain the liquid. Grill the chicken over medium-high heat for 6-7 minutes on each side, until the chicken is cooked through. When the chicken has about 4-5 minutes left to cook, add the rings of fresh pineapple and grill for 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board, cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice the chicken into strips. Serve over hot, cooked rice with grilled pineapple.

Baked Brown Rice

1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water (if using water, add 1 teaspoon salt)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8X8-inch or 9X9-inch baking pan. Place the rice in the prepared pan and pour in the liquid. Stir to equally distribute the rice. Cover tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for five minutes before removing the aluminum foil and fluffing with a fork. If your rice still has a bit of liquid on the bottom or conversely, if it is dried out, adjust the baking time up or down to make changes.

Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa (rinsed)
1 can chicken broth (14 oz)
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Place rinsed quinoa and chicken broth in medium pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer 20-25 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Place cooked quinoa in a bowl and toss with olive oil. Refrigerate until cooled completely.

Dice the following ingredients into small dices.

½ cucumber
½ red or green pepper
1 tomato
1-2 Tablespoons red onion
half a bunch of cilantro
1 avocado (slice and place on top of salad to garnish)

When Quinoa is cooled add diced veggies and toss. Season as desired with salt and pepper.

Red Curry with Coconut Milk

1 Tbs. Vegetable Oil
1 small onion chopped finely
2 ½ tsp. Red Curry Paste (I used Mae Ploy from the Asian Market)
2 teas minced garlic
1 cup coconut milk
½ cup chicken stock
1-2 Kaffir lime leaves (whole)
2 lemongrass stocks (in 2 inch pieces)
1 Tbs. fish sauce
2 Tbs. palm sugar or brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
12 oz. chunked chicken (raw)
1 red or green pepper cubed
½ cup sliced bamboo shoots
½ cup thinly sliced carrots
½ tsp. cornstarch mixed with ½ tsp. water (thickener)
4 large sweet Thai basil leaves finely sliced
Jasmine Rice

Heat oil in wok or large frying pan and cook onion for a few minutes. Add red curry paste and minced garlic and cook, stirring for a minute. Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, lime leaves, lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and let it return to a boil. Stir in cubed pepper, bamboo shoots, and sliced carrots. Simmer on med.-low 10 min. or until vegetables are tender and chicken cooked through. Remove lemongrass and lime leaves. Add the cornstarch paste and stir continuously until thickened. Top with Thai basil leaves and serve over Jasmine Rice.

From Frozen:

Defrost

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in a large frying pan or wok. Stir fry garlic, carrots, peppers, and bamboo shoots for a few minutes. Add defrosted curry/chicken mixture and simmer until all is warmed through. The curry will be pretty thin. If you like it thicker add more cornstarch water mixture. Serve over Jasmine Rice.

Roasted Potatoes

potatoes (peeled or unpeeled)
salt and pepper
olive oil
rosemary and/or thyme

Cut potatoes in medium-sized chunks. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Sprinkle a couple tsp of rosemary and/or thyme over the potatoes and toss to coat. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam and pour the seasoned potatoes out on the cookie sheet. Bake for about 30 min. at 350 until done.

Oven Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

1 1/2 pounds small new red potatoes (about 15), scrubbed and dried
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 to 6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pare a narrow strip of peel from the middle of each potato. In a large bowl mix the oil, garlic, and rosemary; add the potatoes and toss well. Transfer the potatoes to a shallow baking pan and roast until potatoes are tender when tested with the tip of a knife. Serve hot. These can also be chilled and served with fried chicken or ham.

Twice Baked Potatoes

6 medium baked potatoes2 Tb butter, melted
½ c sour cream
¼ tsp salt
½ c shredded cheddar
Chopped green onions and crumbled bacon (opt.)

Slice baked potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out most of the insides and mix with remaining ingredients. Add milk to thin if needed. Scoop potatoes back into skins. Top with green onions and bacon. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until hot.

Mexican Green Rice

1 onion, chopped fine
2 Poblano peppers, cored, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. cumin
1 14 oz. can green enchilada sauce
1 cup long-grain rice
1 1/4 c. water
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Saute onion, peppers, garlic, & cumin and 1 t olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add enchilada sauce, rice and water and bring to boil. Cook over low heat, stirring every 5 min. until rice is tender, about 20 min.

Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. To add even more green color, you can add 1/4 c. parsley or 1 c. chopped spinach. For more heat, add a minced jalapeno.

Poppyseed Chicken Pasta Salad

(large recipe!)

1 pound penne pasta
12 oz bowtie pasta
2-3 cans mandarin oranges
1 large can pineapple tidbits
About 1 bottle Brianna’s Poppyseed salad dressing
½-1 bottle Hidden Valley Coleslaw dressing (however creamy you like it)
1 or 2 - 12.5 ounce can(s) chicken breast
¼-1/2 cup chopped red onion (to taste)
Fresh Avocado, chopped (to taste)

Directions:

Cook pasta until done – rinse in cold water and drain. In a large bowl, combine pasta, canned fruit (drained), chicken breast (I shred with my fingers as I add it), and red onion. Add salad dressings and stir until salad is well-coated. Refrigerate at least an hour. Just before serving, add chopped avocado and add extra dressing if it looks too dry.

**Can be served as a main dish. When I do that, I add the second can of chicken. As a side dish I usually use 1 can chicken. All amounts, including fruit, can be varied to taste.**

Applebee's Spinach and Artichoke Dip

4 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 of a 16 oz. jar Alfredo sauce
12 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. minced garlic

Mix cream cheese with Alfredo sauce until smooth. Add all other ingredients. Mix thoroughly and spread mixture into a baking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cheeses are bubbling and melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Spanish Rice

2 c. rice
chopped tomatoes
chopped green pepper
chopped onions
4 1/2 c. chicken broth
3 tsp. cumin powder
dash of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Fry rice until slightly brown. Add veggies and cook until onion is clear. Add chicken broth, cumin powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Let cook 20-30 min. or until liquid is gone.

Couscous

Box of Couscous
Broccoli
Tomato

Dice up the tomato and broccoli into small pieces. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes (long enough to lightly cook them). Prepare couscous as indicated on the box. When couscous is done cooking, add the broccoli and tomatoes. Mix together and let stand for 5 minutes then serve.

Sarah Salad

Lion House Cookbook

1 head iceberg lettuce
3 strips bacon
5 oz frozen peas
¼ tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ cup shredded Swiss cheese (or cut 2.5 oz in strips)
2/3 cup chopped green onion
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup salad dressing

Wash and drain lettuce. Dry thoroughly. Dice bacon and sauté until crisp; drain on paper towels. Run hot water over frozen peas and drain. Tear lettuce into bite-size pieces into salad bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper. Add peas, cheese, onion, mayonnaise, and salad dressing. (These ingredients may be layered, if desired, with the mayonnaise spread on last. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.) Chill. Toss when ready to serve and garnish with bacon.

London Broil and Mashed Cauliflower

London Broil

Preheat a broiler to high. Bring the steaks to room temperature about 20 minutes before cooking. Broil until just charred and crispy on top, about 6 minutes on 1 side. Flip the steak and cook until beginning to char, about 6 minutes more or until rare and temperature registers 115 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Place the steak on a cutting board and let rest, tented w/ foil for about 10 minutes. Slice across the grain and serve.

“Mock” Garlic Mashed Potatoes from Food Network Kitchens

1 medium head cauliflower
1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
¼ cup grated Parmesan
½ teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon straight chicken base or bullion (may substitute ½ teaspoon salt)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon chopped fresh or dry chives, for garnish
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Set a stockpot of water to boil over high heat.

Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done. Drain well; do not let cool and pat cooked cauliflower very dry between several layers of paper towels.

In bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic, chicken base, and pepper until almost smooth.

Garnish with chives, and serve hot with pats of butter.

Hint: Try roasting the garlic and adding a little fresh rosemary for a whole new taste.