Manicotti The Easy Way

Ingredients:

12 large manicotti shells

4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

2 c. ricotta cheese

6 T. chopped fresh basil or 2 T. dried OR a jar of Classico Pesto Sauce

1 (26. ounce) jar spaghetti sauce, divided (I add about 1/2 c. of red wine and some olives for taste and bring to a boil before pouring over shells)

1/2 - 1 c. grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9/ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cool waters and let dry on paper towels.

For filling, in medium bowl, stir together 3c. mozzarella with the ricotta and either basil or pesto. Using a teaspoon, carefully stuff pasta shells with prepared cheese mixture.

Spoon 2 c. spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dish. Arrange stuffed pasta over sauce. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over top and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

Bake 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and bake an additional 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

Chilaquiles

Ingredients:

1 T. canola oil

1 pound lean ground turkey

2 red onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

1 1/2 t. chili powder

1/2 t. cumin powder

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies, not drained

1 (15 ounce) can tomatoes with freen chilies, not drained

Salt

1 t. freshly gound pepper

2 c. shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

1/4 c. shredded low-fat mozarella cheese

18 ounces light cream cheese

1 bunch green onions, sliced

Directions:

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the ground turkey to the hot oil and brown, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain meat into a colander and reserve. To the same skillet which has a little residual fat from cooking the turkey, add the onions and cook over medium heat until soft; then add the garlic and cook until soft. Stir in the chili powder and cumin. Add the chiles and their juices and the tomatoes and their juices. Add the meat back to the pan and stir until combined. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until thick. Season with salt, to taste, and pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine Cheddar and cream cheese; set aside. Line a casserole dish with half the tortillas and ladle half of the meat mixture over. Cover with half of the cheese mixture. Top with half of the green onions. Repeat layers 1 more time. Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbling. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Tater-Topped Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup (or celery or cheese)
1/4 c. milk
1 c. frozen mixed vegetables
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb. (1/2 of 32 ounce bag) frozen bite-size seasoned potato nuggets

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Brown meat with onions in skillet, stirring occasionally. Drain. Spoon into 8-inch square baking dish.

Mix soup and milk - pour over meat mixture. Top with layers of mixed vegetables, cheese, and potatoes - one layer each.

Bake 45 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and casserole is heated through.

Beef Satay Wraps

Ingredients:
1/2 cup beef or chicken broth
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Boston lettuce leaves
Chopped peanuts (optional)
Cilantro (optional)

Directions
1. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine broth, peanut butter, and cornstarch. Shake to blend well; set aside.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and add ginger and garlic. Cook 30 seconds, then add beef and brown, breaking up with a spoon, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Shake sauce again, then pour into skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in carrots, green onion, and soy sauce. Serve wrapped in lettuce leaves, garnished with peanuts and cilantro, if desired.

Nutrition facts per serving:
Servings Per Recipe 6 servings
Calories 324
Total Fat (g) 25
Carbohydrate (g) 7
Fiber (g) 2
Protein (g) 18
Calcium (DV%) 2.3

"Cracker Spreads for Drinks"

Fritzie Fischer (she's a good cook)

"Deli Chicken Salad - about 1/4 pound - seasoned and chopped finer.  Put in a crock with a small knife.

Ham Salad Spread if deli has it.  Season it too.

Crab (can be imitation) salad spread.  Chop finer - good on crackers."

Creamed Chicken & Biscuits

Ingredients:

1/2 large onion

1 1/2 t. butter

1 (10 3/4 ounce) chopped cooked chicken

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. milk

1/2 cl. chopped pimiento

1 c. shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided

6 forzen biscuits, thawed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of an 11 x 7 inch baking dish.

Cop the onion. Heat butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Stir in onion and saute until tender.

Combine onion, chicken, soup, sour cream, milk and pimiento in a medium bowl and mix well. Sppon mixture into a prepared baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle baked layer with 3/4 c. of cheddar. Arrange biscuits in single layer over the top. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar.

Bake until biscuits are golden brown and sauce is bubbly...about 20-30 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

You can add a cup of small mixed vegies to this as well.

Sonoma Chicken Salad

Dressing Ingredients:

1 c. Mayonnaise

4 t. cider vinegar

6 t. honey (or more to your taste)

2 t. poppy seeds

salt & pepper to taste

Prepare the dressing by thoroughly mixing together all dressing ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad. This can be prepared 2 days ahead.

Salad Ingredients:

2 lbs. chicken boneless chicken breasts - cooked as you like

3/4 c. toasted pecan or walnut pieces

1 c. dried cranberries

3 stalks celery - thinly sliced

Directions:

Dice chicken into bite-sized pieces and then mix all other ingredients together with the chicken. Mix in the dressing and refrigerate all.

This is a wonderful salad for sandwiches - especially on croissants.

I would say it can serve about 6 people.

Barley & Pine Nut Pilaf

Ingredients:
1 cup barley rinsed and drained
6 T. butter ( I don’t use this much)
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 cup green onions
2 ½ T. dried parsley
¼ tsp salt and pepper
3 1/3 cup chicken broth

Directions:
In a skillet, saute pine nuts in butter until toasted. Remove with a slotted spoon and save. Add green onions and barley to skillet and brown. Stir in pine nuts, parsley, salt and pepper. Place mixture in a 2 quart ungreased casserole dish and pour heated chicken broth over it. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes (or a little longer until all the liquid is absorbed).

Mom's San Diego Dip

Ingredients:

1 small can diced Ortega Chilies…drained
1 small can black sliced olives…drained
2 medium tomatoes, peeled & chopped (maybe 3 tomatoes)
3 green onions…tops chopped
2 T. red wine vinegar
2 T. Canola oil
Dash of seasoned salt (Lawry’s)
Pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all together and chill. Serve with tortilla chips.

Special Notes: Make early in the day or a day ahead

Sawdust Pie

Makes: 10 servings
Prep: 10 minutes Bake: 38 minutes

Ingredients:
7 egg whites
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1-1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell
Whipped cream, banana slices, mint

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 325°F.
2. In a large bowl, mix egg whites, sugar, graham cracker crumbs, pecans and coconut. Stir until well combined.
3. Pour mixture into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 325°F for 38 minutes or until glossy and set. Remove from oven; cool

completely on a rack. Once pie is cool, top with whipped cream, banana slices and a sprig of mint, if desired. I also add a drizzle of caramel or butterscotch topping.

Easy and delicious. Try different flavors of graham crackers too!

Apple Pecan Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. grahm cracker crumbs - I use cinnamon flavored

1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1 1/2 c. plus 2 T. packed brown sugar, divided 2 T. brown sugar

4 pkg. (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1 t. vanilla

1 c. sour cream

4 eggs

4 c. peeled & chopped apples (about 3)

3/4 c. chopped pecans

1 t. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Heat oven to 325 degress. Line a 13x9 inch pan with foil. Mix crumbs, butter and 2 T brown sugar. Press onto bottom of pan and bake 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, 1 c. sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add soure cream and blend. Add eggs one at a time - mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Poor over crust.

Mix remaining sugar, apples, pecans and cinnamon. Spoon over batter.

Bake one hour (plus 5 minutes if needed). Cool and then refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve.

Makes 16 servings.

Cake Mix Cookies

Ingredients:

1 (9 ounce) pkg. yellow cake mix (or your favorite flavor)

2/3 cup oatmeal

1/2 c. butter or margarine, melted

1 egg (or 1 bannana - adds a great flavor)

1/2 c. chocolate/butterscotch/peanut butter/M&M's or raisins or nuts (your preference)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat the cake mix, oatmeal, butter and egg (or bannana). Mix in the chips or raisins.

Drop by the tablespoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately remove to flat surface to cool. Great with a dollop of ice cream!

Mrs. Scott's Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients
½ c. oleo (melted, ½ cube in each cake pan)
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar (½ c. sprinkled over melted oleo each pan)
1 (8 ounce) can crushed, drained pineapple
1 small bottle maraschino cherries, drained and halved
1 (8 ounce) can peach slices, drained
½ cup pecan or walnut slices (halves)
1 package yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1 c. whipped cream (Cool Whip)

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Put oleo in pans, then sugar. Melt. In one pan put pineapple & cherries. In one pan put peaches & nuts. Pour ½ batter in each pan over “stuff”. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool completely. Whip cream goes on peaches and nuts. Put top cake on and whip cream only sides. Refrigerate

Glazed Lemon Apricot Cake

Ingredients for Cake:
1 package lemon cake mix
4 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flaked coconut
3/4 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. apricot nectar
1 t. lemon extract

Ingredients for Glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
2 T. apricot nectar
1 T. melted butter
2 T. lemon juice (more if needed)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flout a 9 or 10 inch tube or bundt pan. Set aside. Combine the lemon cake mix, eggs, brown sugar, flaked coconut, vegetable oil, 3/4 cup apricot nectar and the lemon extract. Beat with electric mixer for 4 minutes at medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-45 minutes (until inserted pick comes out clean). Let cake cool in pan for 10-15 minutes then turn cake out on to a serving dish. For extra tang you can squirt on 1 -2 T. of lemon juice directly on the cake before you glaze...and then immediately pour glaze over warm cake.To Make Glaze:While cake is cooling, combine powdered sugar, 2 T. apricot nectar, butter and enough lemon juice to give the glaze a liquid consistency. Mix until smooth. Pour over cake.Great with a dollop of ice cream!!

You can also change the type of nectar you use for a diffent taste. Garnish with Marigolds!

Lemon Curd Tart

Makes: 8 servings Prep: 10 minutes Bake: at 350 degrees for 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 of 18 ounce tube refrigerated rolled sugar-cookie dough

2 t. grated lemon zest

1/2 c. bottled lemon curd

3 c. fresh raspberries (about 1 pint)

Fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan with removable bottom.

In large bowl, work dough and lemon zest together with a wooden spoon until well blended. If dough becomes to soft to work with, refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm. Press dough evenly over the bottom & 1/2 inch up sides of prepared pan.

Bake 350 degrees about 20 minutes or until golden brown and center springs back when lightly touched. Remove springform pan to wire rack. Using thin metal spatula, carefully loosen crust from side of pan. Remove side of pan; cool crust completely on wire rack.

Place crust on serving platter. Spread lemon curd over crust. Top with raspberries & garnish to liking. You can also use lime curd with strawberries.

Per serving: 229 calories; 9 g. fat (3 saturated); 2 g. protein; 50 g. carbohydrates; 3 g. fiber; 167 mg. sodium; 10 mg. cholesterol.