Cooking - for a new lifestyle (Our Test Kitchen)

Great for leftovers! In a pot: Melt 1/4 cup of butter with 1 sliced/diced onion Mix in 1/4 cup flour 2 tbsp black pepper 2 tsp of poultry seasoning Add: 2 cups chicken boullion 1 cup milk (I added 1/2 cup leftover cheeseball to add flavour) Cook on medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Add 2 cups diced cooked chicken/turkey Remove from heat. In a rectangular casserole dish place: 1 bag hash browns 1 can corn kernels (canned or frozen) 1 cup of diced carrots (fresh or frozen) 2 cups of finely diced cauliflower and brocolli (frozen or fresh) Give your sauce a quick stir and then pour over the vegetables. Top the whole casserole with: 1 tube of Pillsbury pizza dough Bake at 300 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. "Bon Appetit!"

Got leftover soup?????? I had leftover cream of potato soup, but just about any cream of "?" soup would work 2-3 cups of diced meat (ham, turkey, sausage.... your choice) 2 tbsp of seasoning (I used poultry because I chose turkey.... use whatever will work) 1 onion (sliced) 4 large carrots (grated) *** frozen peas would be a nice addition or broccolli 1/2 - whole bag of frozen hash brown potatoes 4 + cups leftover cream soup 1 cup of shredded cheese (optional) In a casserole dish (I uses my rectangular pampered chef dish),  cover bottom the diced meat you chose (I used turkey) Sprinkle with appropriate seasoning cover with sliced onion cover with carrot shavings top with still frozen hash brown potatoes pour soup to cover sprinkle cheese on top Bake at 350 for about an hour. Serve with crusty bread. "Bon Appetit!"

4 cups peeled, diced sweet potatoes 1 Vidalia onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves 1/2 cup pecan halves 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 425F. In large bowl, combine potatoes, onion, garlic, oil and thyme.  Toss well to coat.  Pour into shallow roasting pan.  Bake, turning occasionally, for 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft and golden brown. Add pecans.  Roast 10 minutes, watching carefully so nuts don't burn. Drizzle with vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper. Makes 4-6 side servings.

1 250 g package soft cream cheese 3 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 9" unbaked pie shell 14 oz sweet potatoes cooked and mashed 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ginger 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk whipped cream (optional) Beat cream cheese until light and fluggy; blend in 1 of the eggs, vanilla and half of the sugar.  Spread cheese mixture on the bottom of the unbaked pie shell. Beat remaining 2 eggs; blend in sweet potatoes, remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, cinnamon, ginger and milk.  Pour mixture carefully over cream cheese to form a second layer. Bake in preheated 425F oven for 10 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 350F.  Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until set. Cool.  Garnish with whipped cream.

4 medium sweet potatoes 3 tart apples 1 tbsp lemon juice 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 tbsp butter 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg Preheat over to 350F.  Lightly coat a shallow 1-1/2 quart baking dish with nonstick spray. In a medium saucepan, cover sweet potatoes with water and boil over medium-high heat for 20 minutes of until slightly tender.  Drain and let cool.  Remove and discard the sweet potato skins and cut into 1/2" thick slices. Peel and core the apples.  Cut crosswise into 1/2" thick rings.  Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent discolouring.  Arrange half of the sweet potato slices in a layer in the prepared baking dish.  Top with the apples and then the remaining sweet potatoes. In a small microwaveable bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Microwave on high power for 30 seconds or until melted.  Stir until smooth and blended.  Drizzle over the sweet potato mixture.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or unti

1 cup soft butter 1/2 cup sifted icing sugar 1/4 tsp salt 3 tbsp finely chopped ginger 2 cups of flour Mix by hand.  Put in ungreased 8" square pan.  Bake at 300F for 60 minutes. My mom made these cookies for a recipe swap last year and I really enjoyed them.  That is saying a lot because I'm not really fond of ginger.

. . . perfect for broccoli and cauliflower. 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 1 cup milk 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese salt and pepper to taste Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; whisk flour into butter until smooth.  Pour milk into butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.  Cook and stir until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.  Add cheese and stir until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes more.  Season with salt and pepper.

Sometimes you see a cookbook and the picture on the front sells you on buying it. In this case the "idea" of the recipe created an amazing supper! INGREDIENTS: 1 box of frozen puff pastry thawed the amount of time recommended on box (1 box will do 8 small chops) 8 nice medium to small size boneless pork chops olive oil 1 cup of chutney or salsa or SUNSET GOURMET's roasted red pepper and onion relish melted butter DIRECTIONS: Pre cook your chops in a frying pan with the oil, no more than 2 minutes each side. Cut your puff pastry into the required number of squares. Place 1 tbsp of chutney in the center of the pastry. Place 1 chop on the chutney. Add another tbsp of chutney if desired. Fold the pastry over and moisten edges to seal. Place on a cookie sheet. Baste with melted butter. Bake for 17-18 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve immediately. These can be prepared up to 12 hours in advance! Just place on sheet covered in foil. THESES

4 servings Preparation 10 minutes Cooking 50 minutes 130 calories per serving 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks 1 potato, peeled and cut into chunks 1/2 pear, peeled and cut into chunks 1-1/2 tbsp olive oil 2-3/4 cups chicken broth 1 tsp dried oregano salt and pepper to taste Preheat the oven to 400F.  Generously oil a baking sheet. Prepare the vegetables and pear and lay them out on the baking sheet in a single layer and coat them thoroughly with the oil.  Roast in the middle of the oven for 35-40 minutes, until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned.  During cooking, turn them a couple times using a spatula to coat them with the oil on the sheet. Heat the broth in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir and in the roasted vegetables and pear.  Add salt and pepper then simmer 15 minutes.  Puree the soup in a blender or food processor adding more broth if the soup is too thick.  Add the oregano, adjust the seasoning then serve the soup into bowls. This soup

Have you ever looked in the fridge and said "ugh, I do NOT want to make that again tonight"? Tonight, I decided to play with 3 house favourites and make a side dish for the meatloaf John chose for super. dice up 4-6 raw potatoes (I left the skins on) scissor cut 1 head of brocolli and all the thin stems (small pcs) Throw in Pampered Chef casserole dish with 1/2 cup of water in a 350 oven for 40 minutes. 1/2 box of Cheesy Cheddar Broccoli Soup from Sunset Gourmet 1 1/2 cups of milk or 1/2 and 1/2 1 1/2 cups of water In a bowl whisk soup mix and liquids. After the potatoes have spent 40 minutes in the oven, pour soup over potato mixture and continue baking until everything is baked and bubbly about another 40 minutes. "Bon Appetit!"

I dug through our freezers today.  I love a challenge. I found a lot of one of a kind things. like small amounts of frozen veggie, and random pieces of chicken (1pc each), and some frozen boullion. Sounds like a casserole just waiting to be made! First the BASE: frozen potatoes/hash brown chunksor 2 large potatoes, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper In a large bowl, toss potato slices with oil, salt and pepper. Arrange slices onto the bottom and sides of an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until potato is tender. Reduce heat to 350°. Second the FILLING: 1-1/2 pounds chicken cut into 1/2-inch cubes or strips 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 1/2 cups diced tomato (I used some frozen green) 1 medium onion, chopped 1/2 green pepper mushrooms (optional) 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups milk 1 cup shredded cheese 2 cups

Ingredients: 1/2 cup Renée's® Caesar Dressing 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 Onion, chopped 2 cloves Garlic, chopped 1/2 bag of mini carrots, diced 3 Boneless, skinless chicken pieces, chopped 1/2 tsp Each salt and pepper 2 tbsp All-purpose flour 1 cup Milk 2 cups cauliflower and broccoli florets 1 cup Chopped roasted red pepper 1/2 cup frozen Peas 1 tbsp Finely grated lemon zest 1 1/2 cups Fresh breadcrumbs 3/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese 2 tbsp Finely chopped green onion 2 tbsp Butter, melted YUMMY!! Instructions: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet set over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and carrots; cook for 3 minutes or until softened.  Add the chicken, salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until browned. Pour the milk into the used frying pan scraping the sides and bottom. Add flour gently then add caesar dressing and stir until well combined. Turn o

If I never eat raviolli again, I will remember this meal forever. This is what I did. Artichoke dip. 1/2 brick of cream cheese 1/2 cup of Hellman's mayo 1/4 cup shredded cheese (I used marble) 1/2 package of SUNSET GOURMET Creamy Parmesan Artichoke Dip Mix (2 packages to each box) Mix well and refrigerate. I used 1 package of frozen meat raviolli Bring water to a rapid boil. Drop frozen raviolli in. Bring back to boil stirring constantly. ***DO NOT over-boil or they will be mushy, which is what most people complain about when eating premade frozen raviolli. Drain and set aside for a moment. Adjust amounts by how much sauce/pasta you will need. Ok, so now you have: artichoke dip, cooked raviolli all you need now is a small amount of pasta sauce (1/2 cup). In the hot pot you just boiled the pasta in: drop artichoke dip and pasta sauce into pot and stir. ***Remember to stir from bottom as it is cheese and will burn. Turn off burner. Ret

When it becomes summer I start over cooking the amounts of items I am making, so prep for another meal is only half the work. We made homemade mac and cheese this week AND a macaronni salad AND this recipe out of 1 900g bag of elbows. Pre cooking the macaronni was a great help. Ingredients 3-4 cups cooked elbow macaronni 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 cups diced chicken (I used leftover frozen shredded turkey) 1/2 cup diced green onion 2 stalks of celery diced small 1 clove garlic, minced 3 diced tomatoes and 1 cup tomato juice or 1 can of diced tomato with juice 1 cup shredded marble cheese 1 tsp italian seasoning 1 crown broccoli cut into small pieces 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 cup chicken boullion 1 tub of shredded asiago cheese or whatever you prefer 1 cup bread crumbs 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoon butter melted Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add

1 250ml container of cottage cheese (or ricotta if that is your preference) 1 jar of alfredo sauce (I used a no name version) 1/2 jar of 1/2 and 1/2 cream (I use the jar for measurement and get all the sauce that way) 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese 1 crown of broccolli cut small 3 green onions diced 1 tub of cherry tomatoes each sliced in half 1 tsp italian seasoning 1/2 tsp minced garlic Optional: green peppers, mushrooms Mix and heat on low in a crockpot. We added 1 bag of cleaned and peeled shrimp (mine were precooked). But diced chicken would work too. Pan fry to heat up and throw into sauce. I NEVER trust fish or chicken raw in a sauce. I left my sauce to heat for 1 hour in the crock pot on low. I served it over tri color spiral pasta with warm bread. A salad of spring greens or spinach would be very nice, with a light dressing to counter how heavy this sauce was. "Bon Appetit!"

3/4 tsp sage 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp ground all spice 1/2 tsp paprika 2/3 cup cranberry sauce 1 tbsp soya sauce 2 small pork tenderloin  cut into 3 large pieces (or pork chops) In a large ziploc bag, mix first 7 items well then place pork in bag and rub into spices well. Seal and let sit for 2 hours. Rub down again (in bag) and let sit for another 2 hours. I did not keep refrigerated but would have if it was summer time. 2-4 left over apples or about 1 1/2 cups apple sauce 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional) 5 stalks of green onions In a greased baking dish slice 2 apples and lay on bottom of dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Place meat onto apples. Garnish with green onions and more apple. Add 3/4 cup of water and bake uncovered. Bake 40-50 minutes. Serve chunky veggies and rice! We added vegetable egg rolls as an appetizer. "Bon Appetit!" This was the moistest meat I have had in forever. 

1/2 cup olive oil 1 large onion diced 1-2 pounds of asparagus  (I use the stalks after using the tips in other recipes) 5 cups chicken stock 1 cup heavy cream 1tbsp butter 1 tbsp flour salt and pepper crab meat or fresh diced bacon bits f desired Trim ends off and cut stalks of asparagus into 1/2-inch or smaller pieces. Cook diced onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil  in a large pot over medium heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste,  then cook, stirring often for 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan. THIS IS WHEN I refrigerated it, to continue making when I wanted to eat it. It would freeze well at this point too. Just bring back to a boil and continue from here if you choose to do the same. Stir in h

So easy and tasty and inexpensive when you get it on sale. If this is the first time your child has had them..... Grandpa used to call them little trees. Asparagus does not store well so plan to use it as soon as you can. and store the way you found them in the store! 1 package of asparagus. (the slimmer the stalks the better) (usually 12 to a bunch) 24-36 slices of thinly sliced ham or prosciutto 6 full size slices of cheese ( your favourite.... I have used Kraft slices. Swiss, Havarti) 3 cups of already cooked rice (or pasta al dente) *** note that you can add onions or celery or green peppers or shredded carrot or mushrooms to this. In a rectangular greased baking pan, lay down the precooked rice or pasta. Trim your stalks of asparagus to 6-8" long. Set aside base of stalks for soup if desired. Lay out 2-3 thin slices of ham on the counter. Place 1/2 slice of cheese on top. Place 2 asparagus tips on the cheese and roll. Lay this wrap on the rice.

Ingredients Box cake mix 2 cups cool whip 1 egg Icing sugar Directions Mix together cake mix, cool whip and egg using electric mixer till smooth. Take your time because it does become quite thick and sticky. Suggestion is to let the cool whip melt a bit before adding. Cover bowl with plastic wrap for 2 hours or over night in freezer. Preheat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheet. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and then roll in icing sugar Place on cookie sheet 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 10-12mins. Be watchful, you don't want them to brown. Any cake mix can be used for making the cookies. Just do remember, take your time or you'll get splattered like Mum.

Makes 4 servings 4 apples, peeled and cut into thin slices 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 cup rolled oats 2 tbsp butter, unsalted 4 scoops vanilla ice cream (optional) Preheat the oven to 400F.  Butter an oven-safe dish. Peel the apples, remove and discard the cores, cut them into thin slices.  Arrange the slices in the buttered dish, then sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon.  Bake in the middle of the oven 12-15 minutes. During this time, combine the brown sugar, rolled oats, and butter in a bowl.  Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, blend the ingredients until a crumbly pastry mixture forms (about the size of peas). Take the dish out of the oven, spread the crumbly mixture evenly over the apples.  Bake an additional 15 minutes, until the topping is golden-brown. Let stand 15 minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Creamy Cole Slaw Makes 6 servings 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1/3 cup yogurt, plain, 2% 3 tbsp wine vinegar 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp horseradish 8 cups Savoy cabbage, or green, thinly sliced 3 carrots, grated 6 green onions/scallions, thinly sliced salt and ground pepper, to taste In a large bowl add the mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, mustard and horseradish. Prepare the cabbage, carrots and green onions.  Add the prepared vegetables to the bowl, add salt and pepper, then mix well.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Adjust the seasoning and serve. Delicious!!  From www.soscuisine.com

A recipe has been passed around the internet today for Oven Roasted Vegetables.  The photo looked good.  The recipe sounded good.  So I decided to make it for supper tonight. I changed a few things . . . surprise . . . !!!  And it was delicious!!  This recipe makes enough for at least six hearty diners.  I served it with roast beef and apple crisp for dessert. Here goes . . . 1 bundle of asparagus, cut in half 1 small package of snow peas 2 medium yellow squash (which I couldn't find), cut in large chunks 1 zucchini (so I added a second zucchini), cut in large chunks 1 small package of baby carrots 1 package of grape or cherry tomatoes 1 small bag of baby red potatoes, cut into wedges about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp of rosemary 1-1/2 tbsp of basil steak seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash) salt and pepper 1-1/2 tbsp garlic salt (I used a couple of garlic cloves well chopped) Prepare the vegetables and place in a large bowl.  Drizzle olive oil over and

Found in The LooneySpoons Collection Cookbook, you know this has to be good if I am willing to eat something with cooked apples. Ingredients 2tsp olive oil 6 boneless pork loin chops, trimmed of fat (about 5oz each) 1cup apple butter (ours was caramelized) 2Tbsp yellow mustard 1tsp ground cumin 1/4tsp each of salt and ground black pepper (we used 1/8tsp of salt) 3cups peeled and sliced Golden Delicious apples (Says 3 large, we used 3 medium) 1/2cup thinly sliced onions 2Tbsp cider vinegar Directions 1. Heat oil in a large, non stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook cho0ps until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. 2. In a small bowl, combine apple butter, mustard, cumin, salt and pepper. Spoon evenly over chops. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until chops are just slightly pink in the center and juices run clear, about 10minutes. Remove chops from skillet (leave sauce in) and keep warm. 3. Add apples, onions and vinegar to sauce in skillet. Stir to

These pork tenderloins go on sale often, ours was about $4! So this is an inexpensive recipe to make. Will work with pork chops too. 2 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp curry 1/4 tsp chilli powder ( I used Pam's from this blog) 1/4 tsp black pepper 3lb pork tenderloin 1/4 cup water 1 can of fruit (peaches was called for but I used blackberries) 2tbsp vinegar 1/8 tsp nutmeg 1/8 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp mustard Combine first 4 items in a large bowl. Coat pork with spice mix and place into a roasting pan (with lid) with water. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until meat is no longer pink. For sauce: Stir water and juices in roaster removing bits of pork and drippings. I put the pork in the oven on broil to crisp up the topping a bit while I made the sauce. Add the last 4 items on med-high heat stirring often until hot and reduced a bit to consistency that makes you happy (thinner or thicker). I added a bit of cornstach to thicken. Makes about 2 cups of sauce and smells

On a quest to try something different a couple years ago, we taste tested  (the little white and purple) turnips  vs rhutabagas (larger brown and burgundy),  out taste testing found they are interchangeable  (although rhutabagas are more visually appealing being orange when they are done).  However!  rhutagagas have 38 calories per serving 9g of carbohydrates and 2.3g of fiber  while turnips have 28 calories, 6g carbohydrates and 1.3g of fiber. Around here either are welcome at our table, but you could easily substitute carrots, celeriac or parsnips in this dish. This can be prepared and refrigerated ahead of time too! 4 cups cooked diced potato 2 cups of cooked diced root vegetable pinch of salt pinch of pepper 2 tbsp margarine 1/4 cup of diced onion or green onion or small shallots 1 cup crushed corn flakes Combine potato and vegetable in a greased baking dish (no lid) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small frying pan melt

Judy dislikes sausage.  BUT! it is cheap and easy to use in recipes and adds tons of flavour.  I have begun finding places to "hide it" without ruining the recipe.  This one called for both turkey AND sausage! So this is what I used. Vary as I think this recipe leaves TONS of room for personalization. 1 sandwich bag of leftover turkey (approx 2-3 cooked and diced chicken thighs - they said a turkey drumstick!) 3 sausages diced to tiny tiny bits (or removed from casing and fried like hamburger) 1 container of soup boullion (I had some homemade in the freezer) 1 package of green onions diced 5 stalks of celery 1/2 green pepper diced small 1/2 bag of mini carrots shredded 1 can of cream corn (I use creamed corn ONLY to thicken the soup) 5-6 potatoes diced 2 tsp black pepper 2 tsp Parmesan Garlic (Pampered Chef)Seasoning **parmesan, garlic powder Cook on high for 4-5 hours and then reduce heat to medium. I then added: 1 cup of frozen peas 2 cups of c

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 3 large chicken breasts) 1 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (I used all my cayenne pepper making  Homemade Chili Powder  . . . so I used 1/8 tsp. of that) 1 tsp. paprika (I used 1 tsp. Homemade Chili Powder) 1 tsp. curry powder 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 onion, chopped 1  cup peach or apricot preserves (I used applesauce) 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce 1/2 cup chicken broth or water 2 tbsp. cornstarch (I was happy with the consistency of the sauce so I didn't thicken it) Place sweet potatoes and onions in a 3-1/2 quart slow cooker.  Sprinkle chicken with salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, curry powder, and ginger. Place chicken on top of potatoes.  Top with peach preserves, vinegar, and soy sauce.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (I went high for 4 hours)  until chicken is thoroughly cooked and sweet potatoes are tender.  Combine chicken broth and cornstarch and

20-30 mini meatballs (about a cereal bowl full) precooked 1 can of diced tomatoes 4 stalks of celery chopped 2 carrots diced 1 large onion chopped 1 green pepper chopped 1/2 L of *vegetable cocktail (or tomato juice) 1/2 L of water 1L of soup boullion (I used some I had in the freezer) 2 tsp italian seasoning 1 tsp minced garlic Put all items in a large crock pot stir and let simmer for 5-6 hours on high with lid on. 500g  of rings, penne or spiral pasta cooked Add pasta to sauce and stir well. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired. Serve with fresh bread, and salad. "Bon Appetit!" *vegetable cocktail will add an unexpected sweet flavour

Enchilada Sauce As I could not find this premade, I followed this easy recipe. In a pan heat: 1/4 cup of oil 2 tbsp flour 1/4 cup chili powder (I used Pam's homemade blend on this site) Stir constantly until it is thick (a rue). Reduce heat to medium. Add: 1 1/2 cups of water 8oz can of tomato sauce 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp onion powder (I used flakes) salt to taste. Cook mixture, stirring often over medium heat for 10 minutes. Set aside. Prepare a 9x12 rectangular baking pan. **As I use a pampered chef pan I do not have to grease but if using a cake pan or corning ware, grease and set aside. 2 large peppers (red and green) cut up into the size you prefer 1 large onion cut up into the size you prefer 2 tbsp oil 1 fresh jalepeno (optional) seeded and chopped 2 cups of diced cooked chicken 3 tbsp taco seasoning 1 can refried beans 2 10oz cans enchilada sauce (or the amount in recipe above) 1 cup green oni

pasta: measuring chart Use the chart below to determine how much dry pasta to start with and to see the final volume of the cooked pasta. Note: Chart below based on four servings (2 oz. each) for a total of 8 oz. long pastas uncooked cooked Bucatini 8 oz. 4 1/2 cups Cappellini 8 oz. 3 3/4 cups Fettuccine 8 oz. 4 cups Linguine 8 oz. 3 3/4 cups Pappardelle 8 oz. 4 cups Spaghetti 8 oz. 3 1/2 cups Spaghettini 8 oz. 3 1/2 cups Tagliatelle 8 oz. 4 cups Vermicelli 8 oz. 3 1/2 cups short pastas uncooked cooked Cavatelli 8 oz. 4 cups Farfalle 8 oz. 4 1/3 cups Fusilli 8 oz. 4 1/2 cups Macaroni 8 oz. 4 cups Medium Shells 8 oz. 3 2/3 cups Orecchiette 8 oz. 3 1/3 cups Orzo 8 oz. 3 1/2 cups Penne 8 oz. 4 cups Rigatoni 8 oz. 4 1/4 cups Rotelle 8 oz. 3 1/2 cups Ziti 8 oz. 5 cups

The recipe actually calls for the bread to cook IN the bread maker. My experience with my bread maker is I end up with VERY heavy and dense bread. So I chose to mix as a dough and bake in the oven. In a bread maker: 1 cup milk 2 ripe bananas chopped 3 cups of flour (2 1/2 cups white and 1/2 cup brown) 4 tbsp brown sugar 1 tsp salt pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon 3 tbsp margarine (or butter) 1 1/2 tsp fast acting yeast nuts are optional *****one of my 2 loaves will have 3/4 cup peanut butter added to it. I set it on mix dough as I said earlier my bread machine bakes very dense bread. Because there is yeast in it you have 3 options 1:  let it rise in the machine before moving it into 1 or 2 greased loaf pans and bake 2:  let the machine bake the loaf 3:  divide mixture into 1 or 2 small greased loaf pans and set aside to rise, then bake Bake at 350 until a toothpick comes out clean. "Bon Appetit!"

1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey breast 1 large onion, chopped 1 large carrot, peeled, halved and sliced 2 large stalks celery with leaves, thinly sliced 2 cans (1 pound each) unsalted tomatoes, crushed  tsp dried basil 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tap crushed fresh garlic 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 3 cups beef broth 1 can (1 pound) navy or garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained 6 ounces elbow macaroni or ziti pasta Place the ground meat in a 4-quart pot and brown over medium heat, stirring constantly to crumble, until the meat is no longer pink.  Drain off any excess fat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, tomatoes, seasonings and beef broth to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add the beans and pasta to the pot, cover and simmer for 7 to 9 minutes or just until the pasta is al dente.  Be careful not to overcook as the pasta will continue to soften as long as it remains

Jewish challah bread is a rich, slightly sweet yeast bread that is typically braided and eaten at the Sabbath evening meal on Friday nights and at ceremonial dinners.  I just wanted a nice sweet egg bread to go with the tuscan pork dish I made from this site for dinner. Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Rising time: 1 hour, 15 minutes Total Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes Ingredients: 2 large eggs (+ 1 large egg white later) 5 ounces warm water 2 1/2 tablespoons oil 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey) 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar 3 cups bread flour 1 package active dry yeast (1 1/2 tsp) Preparation: Put 2 eggs, water, oil, honey and vanilla into a bowl (I use a bread machine to mix as I over mix)  Add salt, sugar and flour.  Make a well in the flour and add yeast.  Mix until JUST combined, and let rest for 10 min. Knead more and let rest for 10 more min. (or Run bread machine on doug

NO DOUGH PIZZA!!!!!!!  This one is a WINNER!!!! Gluten Free, Low Carb, Diabetic Friendly!!!!!! For when you absolutely want pizza but not all the carbs!!!!!!! Crust 1 (8 oz) package of full fat cream cheese, room temperature 2 eggs 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese Topping 1/2 cup pizza sauce 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese toppings - pepperoni, ham, sausage, mushrooms, peppers Garlic powder Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spay a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.  With a handheld mixer, mix cream cheese, eggs, pepper, garlic powder and parmesan cheese until combined. Spread into baking dish.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, our until golden brown.  Allow crust to cool for 10 minutes. Spread pizza sauce on crust.  Top with cheese and toppings.  Sprinkle pizza with garlic powder.  *Add toppings as desired Bake 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted. "Bon Appetit!"

French Toast Breakfast Muffins.  These are amazing!! Taste exactly like French toast!!! Made with skim milk and light butter was only 121 calories a muffin if you make 12!  1/3 c. butter  melted  1/2 c. sugar 1 egg (preferably room temperature)  1 1/2 c. all purpose flour  1 1/2 tsp. baking powder  1/2 tsp. salt  1/4 tsp. nutmeg  1/2 c. milk  Topping (option: cut topping in half*)  1/2 c. sugar  1/2 c. butter melted  1 tsp. cinnamon  Preheat oven to 350F.  In a medium-large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients.  Add wet ingredients and stir just until combined,  but still a bit lumpy.  Do NOT overmix; overmixing will ruin the texture of the finished muffins.  Scoop batter into muffin tins that have sprayed with cooking spray.  Using a large ice cream scoop, I got 8 medium-large muffins out of this batter; I think you could get 10-12 muffins by distributing the batter a little less generously.  Bake for 2

Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) reduced-sodium chicken broth 2/3 cup (150 mL) reduced-fat (lite) coconut milk (not cream of coconut) 1 tbsp (15 mL) grated ginger-root 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt 1 1/3 cup (325 mL) uncooked regular long-grain rice 1 tsp (5 mL) grated lime peel 3 medium green onions, chopped (about 3 tbsp/45 mL) 3 tbsp (45 mL) flaked coconut, toasted Lime slice Method: Heat broth, coconut milk, ginger-root and salt to boiling in 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in rice. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed; remove from heat. Add lime peel and onions. Fluff rice, lime peel and onions lightly with fork to mix. Garnish with coconut and lime slices.

One of the things  I made for my friends  at Christmas was homemade chili powder. I haven't used it yet but it sure does smell good. 1 tsp paprika 2 tsp cumin 1 tsp cayenne 1 tsp oregano 2 tsp garlic powder Mix everything together and store in a glass jar.

Its that time of year when you open your fridge and find remnants of cheese and veggie trays! No dip, no cucumbers just the stuff everyone left. What do you do, most of us stick it back in the fridge and find it ready for the garbage 1 week later and throw it out. I just found a recipe that could change that. Pull out the crockpot, and lightly coat with non stick cooking spray. Add: 1-10oz can of cream of ___?___ soup OR 1-10oz can of gravy 1 cup sour cream 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese ( gruyere, swiss or old cheddar or whatever happens to be left) 1 cup milk 1 tsp italian seasoning 1 tsp black pepper 5-6 cups of cubed red skin new potatoes (we used white - red would have been prettier) This sauce turns out rather yummy! **Note: we used the can of turkey gravy and old cheddar ________________________________________________________ This is the moment when I looked to the veggie tray! Dice up and add any RAW celery, onions, carrots, pars