Rice and Cheese Bake

http://recipes.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Baked_Rice_And_Cheese_No._1_Recipe

Ingredients for Baked Rice And Cheese No. 1 Recipe

• 3 cups cooked rice
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ½ pound cheese
• ½ teaspoon salt
• bread crumbs

Instructions

1. Blend the milk, flour and salt.
2. Cook the mixture over medium heat. When it is bubbling softly, add the cheese and blend it as it melts, to make a sauce.
3. Into a buttered baking dish put alternate layers of the cooked rice and the sauce.
4. Cover with bread crumbs, and bake until the crumbs are brown.

Note: you may add lightly steamed vegetables in the rice and cheese casserole's layers, as well

Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/polenta-with-roasted-tomatoes-recipe/index.html

(I skipped out on the chard and replaced farmers cheese with feta...)

Ingredients

• 1 28-ounce can San Marzano plum tomatoes, drained
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup instant polenta
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 bunches Swiss chard (about 2 pounds)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 7.5-ounce package farmer cheese, crumbled

Directions

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450. Toss the tomatoes, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large ovenproof skillet. Roast in the oven until the tomatoes are charred around the edges, about 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 but keep the tomatoes inside.

Meanwhile, bring 5 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta until smooth and creamy. Add 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Slice the chard leaves into wide strips and the stems into 1-inch pieces. Boil the stems until almost tender, about 5 minutes, then add the leaves and cook until both are tender, about 3 more minutes. Drain the chard.

Remove the skillet from the oven and place over medium-high heat. Push the tomatoes to one side, add the butter and swirl until the butter is golden brown. Add the chard and toss to coat. Divide the polenta among 4 bowls. Top with the tomatoes and chard. Season the cheese with salt and sprinkle over the top.

Peanut Butter Cups

http://www.therecipeclub.net/2011/02/04/karen-solomons-diy-peanut-butter-cups/

Filling
• 1/3 cups fresh roasted and salted peanuts
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon neutral vegetable oil, like canola or sunflower
• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Coating
• 2 cups chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Instructions
To make the peanut butter filling, place the liners in your cupcake pan, and have a holding dish standing by. In a food processor, puree the peanuts for 3 to 4 minutes, until very smooth. Add the honey, oil, sugar, vanilla, and salt and puree until completely combined, scraping down the sides as you work.

Take about 2 teaspoons of the peanut butter mixture into your clean hands, roll into a ball, and flatten into a disk that will fit into the center of the cupcake liner but not touch the sides. Shape the remaining 11 centers. The peanut butter should be evenly distributed.

To prepare the coating, in a microwave-safe bowl heat the chocolate on high for 1 minute, and stir well with a fork to distribute the heat. Heat for 1 minute more, and stir again. Heat for an additional 30 to 60 seconds, stirring thoroughly. The chocolate should be melted and quite satiny, and you should be able to drop it in ribbons from the end of the fork.

To assemble the cups, working quickly, spoon about 2 teaspoons of melted chocolate into the bottom of each liner, being careful to coat the bottom in a complete, thin layer, and to coat the sides about halfway up. Gently drop each of the peanut butter disks into the center of a cup, and give it a gentle tap to secure it in the chocolate (but don’t push it all the way through to the bottom). Cover each center with an additional teaspoon of chocolate, covering the top completely and allowing it to surround the sides of the peanut butter, enclosing it completely. Gently smooth out the tops with the back of the spoon or by giving the pan a gentle shake. Let sit, undisturbed, for at least 4 hours, until the cups harden completely.

How to Store It
Devour immediately, or store up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. Do not refrigerate.

Caramel Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients

• 1 box vanilla wafers (65 cookies)
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 large ripe bananas
• 1 cup salted caramel, plus more for garnish (1 cup caramel, plus 1 teaspoon fleur de sel)
• Vanilla Pudding, recipe follows
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put 45 vanilla wafers in a food processor and pulse until the cookies are finely crushed. Reserve 1/2 cup to top the pie. Stir together crushed vanilla wafers and butter in a small bowl until blended. Firmly press it into the bottom, up the sides, and onto the lip of a greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack, and let cool until completely cool, about 30 minutes.

Coat the banana slices with salted caramel. Arrange some banana slices evenly over the bottom of the crust. Spread half of the hot, prepared Vanilla Pudding over the bananas, top with vanilla wafers, and more caramel-coated bananas. Spread the remaining filling over the vanilla wafers, and caramel-coated bananas.

In a large bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Add the almond extract, and sugar and beat until peaks form. Make sure not to overbeat, or the cream will become lumpy, and butter-like. Spread the cream over the pies. At service, garnish with a caramel swirl, and the reserved vanilla wafer crumbs.

Vanilla Pudding:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a bowl whisk together the sugar and flour until all of the lumps are gone. Once it is a fine powder, whisk in the eggs, and egg yolks, and continue whisking until a smooth paste is formed. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of milk, and once this is incorporated add the remaining cup of milk. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan, and cook over medium heat whisking constantly, until it reaches the thickness of chilled pudding, about 10 to 15 minutes. (Mixture will just begin to bubble and will be thick enough to hold soft peaks when the whisk is lifted.) Remove from the heat, and stir in vanilla.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-thornton/salted-caramel-banana-pudding-pie-recipe/index.html

Cheesey Rice Souffle

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked brown rice
1 2/3 cups hot milk
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
4 ounces cheddar cheese, freshly grated
4 ounces Swiss cheese, grated
6 eggs, separated
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine rice with milk, butter, Cheddar and Swiss cheeses; set aside. Beat egg whites until stiff in large bowl. Beat egg yolks in small bowl and add to cooled rice mixture. Gently fold egg whites into rice mixture and pour into a lightly-greased 2-quart soufflé dish. Bake on middle rack in preheated oven 30 minutes; increase heat to 450 degrees for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

Spanish Tortilla Potato Chip Style

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil
kosher salt
12 large eggs
1 8.5 oz bag thick-cut potato chips
1 C water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Beat eggs, and 1 C water in large bowl.
Lightly crush chips into egg mixture, let stand about 10 min, stirring occasionally
Heat 1 T oil in skillet
Add egg mix , cook till it begins to set--5 min
Put skillet in oven, bake til eggs are firm and top is golden and slightly crisp---30 to 35 min
remove and let stand about 5 min, slide onto plate

Really in Spain these often have onions in them and are sometimes served on baguettes like a sandwich. I thought this tasted pretty authentic, but think I overcooked it just a tad.

2011

Well, I completed my 2010 goal of making a new recipe each week! I've realized that it's become a great habit, so I'm going to keep it up, maybe not every week, but often :) I think I'll just blog the meals and links I used, and maybe the directions from time to time, at least for now. So to start it off:

1. Chicken Curry Stew
adapted from a goodLife{eats} creation

• 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
• 1 1/2 lb chicken – boneless skinless breasts or thighs, cut into bite sized chunks
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tablespoons curry powder, adjust for heat preferences
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 ounces no-chicken broth
• 2 cups carrots, sliced 1/3 inch thick
• 2 1/2 cups red skinned potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 – 14 ounce can light coconut milk
• 20 ounces canned diced tomatoes, drained but not rinsed
• salt and pepper, to taste

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Add the onion to the pan and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until slightly tender. Add the ginger, garlic, curry powder, and cumin and sauté for another 2 minutes.

Pour the broth into the pan and stir, making sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan because they have a lot of flavor. Stir in the coconut milk and potatoes. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and carrots. Simmer until vegetables reach desired tenderness. Season the stew with salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

2. Broccoli Cheese Soup

http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2009/09/my-version-of-panera-bread-broccoli-cheddar-soup.html

My version of Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar Soup

5 cups broccoli florets (if you have a little more or a little less that is fine)
6 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk or 1/2 & 1/2 (1/2 & 1/2 does taste better but I usually use milk)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
2 – 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
bacon, cooked and chopped (optional)

(ps, morningstar meatless bacon is wonderful! especially since bacon is one of the hardest things for me to give up)

Steam broccoli until tender, about six minutes. Chop finely. I do mine in the food processor because we like it really chopped up and it is quicker. Set aside. In a large saucepan combine broth and milk. Slowly whisk in flour. Cook over med to med high heat stirring. Cook until it starts to thicken but not too thick. I usually do it until it just starts to boil. Add chopped broccoli. Reduce heat to med low. Continue to cook about 5 minutes. Add cheese stir until cheese melts. Serve. If using bacon sprinkle each bowl with a little.

Cherry Almond Coffee Cake

Ingredients

cake:
1 3/4 cup flour (I used whole wheat and it worked!)
1/2 cup plus 1 T sugar
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1 egg
3/4 c sour cream
1 t almond extract

topping:
1/3 c flour
2 T sugar
2 T cold butter
1/3 cup sliced almonds

filling:
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
3/4 c cherry preserves, warmed

Directions:

For the cake, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixtures is like coarse crumbs. Beat egg, sour cream and extract until smooth. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. My batter was too thick, I think because of the whole wheat flour, so I added water.
For topping, combine flour and sugar, cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in almonds and set aside.
For filling, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.
Pour half of the cake mixture into a greased 5 x 9 pan. Pour cream cheese filling over it, then the preserves and swirl. Cover with remaining batter then sprinkle with the topping. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Delish! This was a hit with the hubbs, the Christmas party and me!

Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia Bread

Ingredients:



1 3/4 cups warm water
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 package active dry yeast
2 teaspoons fine salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chipped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Put the water in a medium bowl; whisk in 2 tablespoons of the flour, then sprinkle the yeast over the surface. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.



Whisk the remaining flour and the fine salt into an electric mixer.



Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture and 1/4 cup of the olive oil.



Gradually mix the flour with wooden spoon to make a shaggy, loose dough.



Mix on high until dough is workable but still moist. (about 4-5 minutes). Form dough into a ball.



Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl, turning around to coat. Cover with moist kitchen towel and let rise for 45 minutes.



Knead dough on lightly floured surface briefly before reshaping into a ball and setting aside in the bowl to rise for another 45 minutes.

Pour remaining 1/4 cup olive oil into an 11 17 inch jelly roll pan.



Put dough in pan and flatten by hand.



Set aside for 10 minutes until dough spreads easily in pan. Turn it over so both sides are well coated with the oil.

Stretch and press from the center to the edges of the pan.



Make indentations in the dough with fingertips and sprinkle with rosemary.





Cover with towel and let rise until puffy, about an hour.

Preheat oven to 425, sprinkle dough with sea salt. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Slip focaccia from pan and cool on a rack.





Serve with delicious pasta!




(original recipe found in Food Network cookbook)

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin pie filling, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 piece pre-made pie dough
Whipped cream, for topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of homemade whipped cream.

Taken directly from Paula Dean. This woman knows what's UP with pumpkin pie! It was perfect and I don't even like pumpkin pie. I think the thing that really made it excellent was the pie filling I used: Libby's Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix!

Pierogi Casserole

Ingredients:

9 – 12 lasagna noodles, prepared according to package directions
2 cups cottage cheese
1 egg
3 cups mashed potatoes
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 pan. Place 3 – 4 cooked noodles on the bottom of the pan.

In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese and egg.

Spread the mixture evenly over the lasagna noodles.

Place 3 – 4 more noodles over the cottage cheese and egg mixtures. In a medium bowl, combine mashed potatoes and mozzarella cheese.

Spread the potato mixture over the noodles.

Place final 3 –4 noodles over the potato mixture and brush melted butter over the noodles.

Sprinkle with remaining cheeses.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 – 10 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown. Serve and enjoy!

Fiesta Bean Soup

Formerly Known as Taco Soup

Another oldie but goody! This is one of those wonderful recipes where you can use many options in your pantry. I make it often, and last night when I made it it turned out the best yet!

Ingredients
.5 to 1 lb cooked ground beef, optional
1-2 cans Rotel (I used 1 last night and it was plenty spicy)
2 cans beans, your choice, drained and rinsed (I used kidney and white pinto. You might like black beans, red pinto, chili beans, etc)
2 cans hominy, drained and rinsed (I use one yellow one white)
¼ c. No Chicken broth
1 can tomato soup
1 packet dry ranch dressing seasoning
As much or as little taco seasoning as you like
Grated cheddar cheese to top
Crunched up tortilla chips to top
Sour cream to top

Directions
Add everything to a crock pot, stir together and let cook for 2-3 hours. Serve with toppings and enjoy!
Easy and delicious, especially for a chilly fall or winter day!

Breakfast Pizza

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper, any color
1/4 cup Canadian bacon
1 (12-inch) prepared pizza crust, recipe found here:
8 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup taco sauce or salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

Bake crust as necessary. Heat the oven to 400°F. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the pepper and bacon. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the bacon is as brown as you'd like. Stir the eggs and black pepper in the skillet. (in the case of the veg and the carnivore-who-hates-peppers, I separated the meat and peppers and, cooked the eggs, then added the meat back to 1/2 and the peppers back to half of the eggs.) Cook and stir until the eggs are set. Spoon the egg mixture onto the pizza crust. Top with the taco sauce. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with the cilantro. Cut and enjoy!

This was a hit! I used all whole wheat flour for the crust and added some extra honey and it had a delicious balance of sweetness to the egg mixture. YUM!

Autumn Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and/or nutmeg, and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. To the sugar mixture, add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla extract and mix well. Now add flour mixture to the sugar mixture until all ingredients are incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Enjoy! These are superb!

Homemade Tomato Soup and Cheesy Toast

Ingredients:
(for soup)
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, crumbled between your fingers
Pinch of ground cloves
2 tablespoons flour
Two 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes in puree or juice
Pinch of baking soda
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups milk
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small can Tomato paste

(for toast)
1 egg, separated,
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
4 slices delicious bread, lightly toasted

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add celery, basil, and cloves; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, then add the tomatoes, baking soda, and stock. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Let cool briefly, then puree in a blender until smooth

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Return the soup to the pot, add the milk and tomato paste, and season to taste. If the soup is too thick, thin it with additional milk or stock.

3. For the toasts, combine the yolk, mustard and cayenne pepper, then stir in the cheese. Whisk the white until it holds soft peaks and fold in. Spread the mixture on the toasted bread and bake until puffed and golden, about 5 minutes, while you reheat the soup. Serve the soup piping hot, with cheese toast.

Enjoy! Perfect for a cold Autumn day.

White Chicken Enchiladas

Since the year is coming to an end and I'm starting to complete my new years resolution, I've decided to add a few "old" recipes that are still great standbys that I will always have in my recipe collection. This is one of them!

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast
12 tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
20oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 small cans diced chile's
1-2 diced tomatoes
salsa and/or taco sauce

Directions:
(this is the half veg version)
bake and dice chicken breast
heat cream of chicken soup with half of sour cream and chile's in one pot
heat cream of mushroom soup with 2nd half of sour cream and chile's in a 2nd pot
dollop as much chicken/no chicken mixture as you'd like in a tortilla and add as much cheese as you'd like.
roll tortilla tightly and place in a baking pan and repeat.
leave enough soup mixture to spread over the top of the tortillas when the pan is full.
bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.
top with tomatoes, salsa and anything else you find tasty.

YUM! One of our favorite meals!
heat

Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips

Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
1 cup cooking oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2/3 cups water
1 150z can pumpkin



Directions:
Grease 2 loaf pans. Beat sugar, oil, eggs. In another bowl combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add flour mixture gradually to sugar mixture, then add water. Beat in pumpkin. Add chocolate chips.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour 15 min or until knife comes out of the center clean.
Absolutely delish! I LOVE fall treats. Thanks, Jo, for this incredible recipe!