Burrito bowl

This burrito bowl was amazing!

3 frozen whole chicken breasts
2 cups chicken stock
1 tub/16oz of fresh salsa
1 cup uncooked rice
3/4 cup dry, not soaked black beans
2 tbls minced garlic
2 tbls cumin
1 tbls onion powder
2 tbls chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika

Throw it all in
Set manual for 25 mins, natural release for 10, then quick release. Chicken was coming apart with a spoon.
Shred it and add your favorite toppings!

*someone said beans were undercooked, may add canned beans at end next time

Turkey Taco Jar Salads

 1lb lean ground turkey

1 package of taco seasoning (1tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp sea salt)

 2 Bells peppers of choice, diced

1 large seedless cucumber, sliced into quarters

 ½ cup dry brown rice, cooked according to package

 1 cup frozen corn, cooked

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

½ jar of salsa

1 large container of fresh baby spinach or salad greens

Bolthouse Farms yogurt dressing of choice, I prefer Cilantro Avocado

5 (24oz) mason jars

 Brown turkey meat over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain meat and return to heat. Add in taco seasoning and ¼ cup of water. Allow to cook until bubbly then remove from heat.

Line up mason jars and add in layers the rest of the ingredients:   First pour in 1tbsp of dressing to the bottom of each jar, add 2 spoonfuls of salsa, then dividing evenly amongst all of the jars.  Add in this order: cucumber, peppers, corn, rice, beans, turkey and then greens on top.

 Cover with lids and store in fridge for up to 5 days.

Birthday Cake Popcorn

• 2 TB butter
• 6 cups popped popcorn
• 3 cups marshmallows
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 TB milk
• 1 cup white cake mix
• Sprinkles

Instructions

1. Take kernels out from popcorn and pour into a bowl.
2. In a medium pot, melt marshmallows and butter on medium heat, stirring constantly.
3. Once marshmallows are completely melted, remove from heat and add vanilla, milk and cake mix. Stir until well combined and pour over popcorn.

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Gluten Free by Bob's Red Mill

1/4 cup walnuts bakers pieces
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup chocolate chips
1 2/3 cups GF all purpose baking flour

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease large cookie sheet or line with parchment paper; set aside.

Stir together GF baking flour, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt; set aside.

In large mixer bowl, beat butter (room temperature, not melted) with granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and egg; scrape sides of bowl frequently.  Beat in flour mixture on low speed, mixing thoroughly.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

**Shape dough into flat disk, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill for 1-2 hours. (Sister Boyenga said 2 hours.  Bob's red mill said it help keep them from spreading too much)   Drop by tablespoonfuls 2" apart on baking sheet, or roll into balls if dough is hard to work with.  Bake 10-12 minutes on center rack of oven or until lightly browned.  Cool 2-3 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.  Makes 24 cookies.

Rice Krispy Treats by Kathy (Sluggers Baseball)

1 stick butter
1 large bag mini marshmallows
10 cups rice krispies


Butter 9x13 pan.

Melt butter and marshmallows over low to medium heat. When melted add rice krispies to butter and marshmallows. Pour into buttered pan.

Nan Barker's Chicken Chimichangas - Yum!

Chicken Chimichangas*

2 ½ C. shredded chicken, cooked

 2/3 C. Pace 

1 t. cumin

1/3 C. chopped green onions 

½ t. oregano 

½ t. salt

Combine above ingredients.

Flour tortillas shredded cheese melted butter

Spread one side of each flour tortilla with melted butter. Turn over.

Put some (about ¼ c. chicken mixture on unbuttered tortilla. Put

some (3-4 T.) cheese on top of chicken mixture. Roll up. Cook at

475 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Nan Barker's Spanish Rice - Yum!

Spanish Rice

¼ C. oil

 3 1/2  c. uncooked rice

3-4 bouillon cubes

3 ½ c. water

salt

2-3 crushed garlic cloves

4 c. stewed tomatoes

½ c. salsa

 1 bunch green onions, chopped

green chilis

Put bouillon cubes in 3 1/2 cups hot water in rice cooker.

Brown rice in heated oil until lightly browned (about 10-15 minutes).

Add remaining ingredients to rice cooker. Add browned rice. Stir and heat to a boil. Cover and turn

down heat. Let sit on low heat for 20 minutes. Don’t lift lid to

check—it needs the steam to cook the rice.

**Or you can put browned rice along with all of the other ingredients

into a rice cooker and just cook the rice the way you normally would.
___________
Nan said:
put cubes in 3 1/2 cups hot water.

In rice cooker:
brown rice in oil
add salt, garlic, salsa, green chilis, tomatoes to rice cooker. 
add browned rice to rice cooker
turn on

CROCK POT CREAMY MASHED POTATOES

Creamy mashed potatoes cooked in the crock pot!

Prep Time20 min Cook Time5 hr

INGREDIENTS
5 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes
3/4 cup butter, divided and cut into small pieces
3 cups water
salt and pepper, to taste
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3-4 Tablespoons milk

INSTRUCTIONS
Peel and then cut potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Rinse cut potato pieces in cold water.

Grease a large (6-8 quart) crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place the cut potatoes into the crock pot. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the 3 cups water, and then dot the tops of potatoes with 1/4 cup of the butter.

Turn crock pot on high. Cover with lid and cook potatoes for at least 4-5 hours. Potatoes are ready when they are fork tender.

Carefully, drain the hot water from crock pot, keeping the cooked potatoes inside. (Or you could dump everything into a colander and then put potatoes back in the crock pot). Add the remaining butter, cream cheese and milk. (add milk depending on how thin or thick you like your mashed potatoes)

Mash the potatoes with a potato masher until there are no lumps left, and all the butter and cream cheese is combined. Season potatoes with more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken Tostadas

Chicken, Guacamole and Bean Tostadas

Yield: 6 tostadas

Ingredients

• 6 tostada shells, store-bought or homemade*
• 2 medium ripe avocados
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (16 oz) can Rosarita Traditional Refried Beans
• 1 (10oz) can Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, drained (use Mild if you don't like spicy food)
• 3/4 tsp ancho chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
   Coupons
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken or shredded cooked chicken breasts
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1 cup pico de gallo, homemade or store-bought**
• Sour cream

Directions

• Using a fork mash avocado with lime juice and 1/8 tsp garlic powder to a slightly chunky texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a small saucepan mix together refried beans, drained canned tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and remaining 1/8 tsp garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until heated through.
• To assemble tostadas, layer each tostada shell with guacamole (avocado mixture), bean mixture, lettuce, chicken, cheese, pico de gallo and sour cream. Serve immediately.
• *The store-bought tostada shells can usually be found by the tortillas. If making the tostada shells yourself preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush both sides of 6 yellow corn tortillas lightly with olive or vegetable oil (about 1 Tbsp total). Season lightly with salt then bake on a rimmed baking sheet about 4 - 5 mins per side until crisp.
• **For homemade pico de gallo - in a medium bowl toss together 2 diced roma tomatoes, 3 Tbsp diced yellow onion, 2 Tbsp minced cilantro and 2 tsp lime juice. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Recipe source: Cooking Classy

Beef Bourguignon Brisket from Women's Day

1/2 c. dry red wine
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. low-sodium beef bouillon base (we used Better than Bouillon)
4 large carrots, cut into 2" pieces
4 cloves garlic, smashed
12 oz. small yellow new potatoes (about 10), halved
1 14-oz. pkg frozen pearl onions
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Bay leaves (optional)
1 1/2 lb. first-cut beef brisket
Kosher salt and pepper
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving

DIRECTIONS

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, whisk together the wine, flour, tomato paste, and bouillon base. Add the carrots, garlic, potatoes, onions, thyme, and bay leaves, if using.
Season the beef with 1⁄2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and nestle among the vegetables. Cook, covered, until the beef is tender, 7 to 8 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.
Discard the thyme and bay leaves and transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Slice the brisket and serve with the vegetables and any juices. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.


*  Yummy!  Next time make Ashley mashed potatoes and veggies. She didn't like the sauce but loved the meat!

Beef Brisket with Gravy from Taste of Home

Beef brisket (about 2 pounds)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup hot water
1 envelope beefy onion soup mix
2 Tbsp cornstarch - I don't use
1/2 cup cold water - I don't use

In Dutch oven, brown brisket in oil on both sides over medium high heat; drain.

Combine hot water and soup mix, pour over brisket. Cover and bake at 325 for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove brisket to a serving platter.  Let stand 10-15 minutes.  Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into pan juices.  Bring to boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened.  Thinly slice meat across the grain; serve with the gravy.

**  instead of cornstarch and water I use ultra gel

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies by Crisco

3/4 cup butter flavored crisco
2 tbsp milk
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup pecans

Heat oven to 375.  Combine butter flavor crisco, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed until creamy.

Beat egg into creamed mixture.

Combine flour, salt and baking soda and mix into creamed mixture until just blended.

Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.  Drop rounded tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 375 for 8-10 minutes for chewy cookies (cookies will appear moist - DO NOT OVERBAKE) or 11-13 minutes for crisp cookies.  (I did 10 minutes, probably better with 8 minutes)

Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

M&M Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

12 oz package m&m mini baking bits

3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In large bowl cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla

In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt; blend into creamed mixture.  Stir in m&m's and nuts.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets

Bake 10-13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft.  Do not overbake.  Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Taco Salad

Spray a bowl with pam and lay tortilla over it; cook in microwave about 2.5 minutes (until crunchy)

Then put hamburger, beans, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, lettuce, tomatoes and olives in

Enjoy!

Dinner in a pumpkin by Nani

1 small-medium pumpkin
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 - 1.5# burger
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
4 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can cream chicken soup
2 1/2 cups cooked rice
8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup chopped celery

Cut off top of pumpkin & clean.  Preheat oven to 350.  In large skillet, saute onions in oil until tender.  If using celery add to onions and saute.  Add meat, brown.  Drain.

Add soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, and soup.

Simmer 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add cooked rice & water chestnuts if not using celery and spoon into pumpkin (make sure pumpkin on cookie sheet).

Bake 1 hour or until meat of pumpkin is tender

Hamburger Stroganoff by Nani

Brown 1# hamburger

Add 1-2 Tbsp flour (depending on what % fat burger was/how much grease), Brown Flour

Add can milk, cream mushroom soup and about 8 oz mushrooms

After thickens, Add sour cream (about 1/2 container)



Serve over baked potatoes (already cooked) or egg noodle pasta (already cooked)

Perfect Pulled Pork from pinterest

Haven't tried yet 

Ingredients:

1 (4-7 pound) whole Boston Butt or pork shoulder (bone-in with a layer of fat on the bottom)
DRY RUB

1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar
BRINE SOLUTION

1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 quarts cold water
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons dry rub mix
Directions:

FOR THE DRY RUB

Mix well and store in an air tight container.
FOR THE BRINE SOLUTION

Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar, dry rub, and bay leaves and stir well to combine.
PORK SHOULDER PREPARATION

Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container, pour in the brine solution until the shoulder is completely covered. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
Remove pork shoulder from brine solution, pat dry with paper towels, place in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least a inch in length and width and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub onto the surface of the shoulder and massage in such that it adheres to the surface. Coat all sides. Make sure the fat layer on the shoulder is facing up before cooking! Place baking pan uncovered in a 225 degree F oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center or thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking (a digital thermometer with an alarm function is the easiest way to do this). Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200 degrees.
When the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. When the temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove from oven. Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Pull apart with two forks, it will pull apart very easily. Serve for friends and family!


http://www.kevinandamanda.com/perfect-pulled-pork-slow-roasted-seasoned-savory/

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

--**Not Tried Yet**--

Ingredients
2½ lbs chicken thighs (or chicken breasts but they tend to dry out faster)
1 cup honey
½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
½ tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp olive oil
1½ tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp minced onion (I used the dried kind)
¼ cup barbecue sauce
¼ tsp crushed red peppers
3 tbsp cold water
3 tbsp cornstarch
Sesame seeds
Green onions, sliced

Instructions

1. Cut chicken into 1 to 1½ inch cubes and put into Crock Pot.
2. Mix together honey, low-sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, garlic, onion, barbecue sauce and crushed red peppers in a small bowl.
3. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.
4. Cook on low for 2 to 4 hours, depending on your slow cooker.
5. Remove the chicken from the Crock Pot while reserving the sauce.
6. Pour the sauce into a saucepan over medium heat.
7. Mix together the cold water and cornstarch and stir into the sauce.
8. Cook sauce over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. This only takes a couple of minutes.
9. Turn the heat down to low, add chicken to sauce and break any large pieces into smaller chunks. I used the end of my wooden spatula. Stir to coat while simmering.
10. Remove from heat and sauce will thicken more as it cools.
11. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Bonus Tips:

1. Choose chicken thighs over chicken breasts for this recipe. I’ve tried it with both but the chicken thighs are dark meat and have more fat. This will help keep the chicken moist, if that has been an issue for you.
2. Get to know your slow cooker. Every brand and every price point varies significantly. Check the chicken after two hours to see if it is done.
3. I updated the water to cornstarch ratio in the recipe. If it still isn’t thick enough, continue adding water and cornstarch in a 1:1 ratio (for example, dissolving 1 tbsp of cornstarch in 1 tbsp cold water)

Author: The Gunny Sack

Serves: 6 servings

Orange Chicken

--**Not Tried Yet**--

Ingredients
1½ lbs boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
2 tbsp vegetable oil (for frying)
Sesame seeds & sliced green onions for garnish, if desired
Marinade:
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tbsp water
Orange Sauce:
¾ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp sriracha sauce (optional)

Instructions

1. Start by cutting 1½ pounds of chicken breasts into chunks (about 1 – 1½ cubes). Mix together soy sauce, cornstarch, and water. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate for 5 minutes.
2. While it is marinating, prepare the orange sauce so that it is ready when you need it later. Whisk together fresh squeezed orange juice, dark brown sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, orange zest, and optional sriracha sauce. Set aside.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon and carefully add it to the skillet. Stir-fry the chicken, over medium-high heat, for 5-7 minutes until golden and cooked through.
4. Add the orange sauce to the chicken and cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring often until the sauce has thickened.
5. Top with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired. Serve over rice or noodles.

Author: The Gunny Sack

Serves: 4

Buttered Cod in Skillet

--**Not Tried Yet**--

Ingredients for Cod in Skillet-

• 1.5 lbs cod (fresh or frozen)*
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, sliced

Seasoning-

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 3/4 tsp paprika
• Few lemon slices
• Herbs, parsley or cilantro

Instructions

How to make Buttered Cod in Skillet-

1. Stir together ingredients for seasoning in a small bowl.
2. Cut cod into smaller pieces, if desired. Season all sides of the cod with the seasoning.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Once butter melts, add cod to skillet. Cook 2 minutes.
4. Turn heat down to medium. Turn cod over, top with remaining butter and cook another 3-4 minutes. Butter will completely melt and fish will cook through. Don’t overcook, it will become mushy and completely fall apart.
5. Drizzle cod with fresh lemon juice. Serve immediately.
6. Enjoy friends.

Author: valentinascorner

Serves: 2-4

Peanut Brittle from Betty Crocker

1 1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp water
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup
3 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 # shelled unroasted peanuts

Butter 2 baking sheets, each 15 1/2 x 12 inches; keep warm.  Combine soda, 1 teaspoon water and the vanilla; set aside

Combine sugar, 1 cup water and the corn syrup in large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to 240 degrees on candy thermometer (or until small amount of syrup dropped into very cold water forms a soft ball which flattens when removed from water)

Stir in butter and peanuts. Cook, stirring constantly, to 300 degrees (or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into threads which are hard and brittle).  Watch carefully so mixture does not burn.

Immediately remove from heat; stir in soda mixture thoroughly.  Pour half the candy mixture onto each warm baking sheet and quickly spread evenly about 1/4 inch thick.  Cool; break candy into pieces.

2#

Honey Garlic Salmon

--**Not Tried Yet**--

Ingredients

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp lemon/lime juice (freshly squeezed is best)

2 - 3 large garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

6 x 3 oz each salmon fillets, skin on/off

1 - 2 tsp coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil

2 green onions, finely chopped

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together honey, lemon/lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Place salmon fillets in a large resealable Ziploc bag and pour marinade over. Squeeze as much air out as possible and seal the bag. Gently move fillets around inside the bag to make sure they are all evenly coated. Place flesh side down and let marinate 15 minutes.

Preheat large non-stick skillet on low - medium heat and add oil, making sure it coats the bottom of the skillet evenly. Place salmon fillets flesh side down leaving enough space in between them. Cover with a lid and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the lid, cook another minute and flip over. Repeat: cover, cook for 3 minutes, remove the lid and cook for another minute. If your skillet is not large enough, I recommend cooking in two batches. If you over crowd the skillet, cooking time increases by a few minutes for each step. Serve hot garnished with green onions, alongside quinoa and steamed broccoli - my favorite.

Notes

To make a full meal (optional): While salmon is marinating, cook quinoa per package instructions. To cook broccoli, in a medium pot bring water to a boil, add a pinch of salt along with broccoli, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain and place ice on top to stop the cooking process. Drain and serve. That's it. Eating clean is easy, especially if you make enough for leftovers that last up to 5 days refrigerated.


Author: ifoodreal
Serves: 6 servings

Chili Shrimp and Coconut Risotto

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt (regular will work just fine)
2 Tbsp chili paste (I use 2 tsp)
1 14oz can coconut milk
4 cups cooked jasmine rice
1 cup bean sprouts
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Heat the oil in large saute pan over medium heat.  Add the shrimp, garlic and salt and cook until the shrimp is pink and just cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Remove the shrimp and set aside.

Add the chili paste and coconut milk to the pan and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by half, about 5 minutes.  Add the rice, bean sprouts, scallion, lime juice and shrimp and cook until heated through, 3-4 minutes.

Maxine Arrington's Lemon Curd Recipe

Haven't tried yet

1 cup of sugar
3 eggs
1 cup of lemon juice freshly squeezed
1/2 cup of butter (melted but cooled)
zest from 2 lemons

Whisk eggs and sugar together, stir in juice, lemon zest and butter ... place in microwave for 2 minutes then stir after cooking another minute to 5 minutes until it thickens homemade lemon curd :)


CAN BE FROZEN UP TO A YEAR !!!!!

Barbecued Shrimp (Ken's recipe)

1 cup butter, divided
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup cocktail sauce
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried italian seasoning
2 lbs unpeeled, large raw shrimp (thawed)
1 lemon, sliced
lemon wedges, optional
2 french bread baguettes, sliced

** we added crab legs last time and they were DELICIOUS!!!!

1.  Melt 1/4 cup butter in a skillet over medium high 2 minutes, add garlic and saute until fragrant and lightly browned.  Remove from heat; spoon into a 6 quart oval slow cooker.  Add remaining 3/4 cup butter and next 7 ingredients. Cover and cook on Low 2 hours.

2  Add shrimp and sliced lemon.  Increase heat to High.  Cover and cook on High for 45 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, stirring once after 30 minutes.  Serve with lemon wedges, if desired, and bread.

Last time we used peeled shrimp and surprisingly it wasn't as good as shrimp with shell on.

Next time, gonna try this variation with corn and potatoes (prob not the sausage):

Ingredients

• 5 cups water
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 Tbl. Old Bay seasoning
• 1.5 lbs. (about 10) small red potatoes
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 onion, cut into quarters
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 bag (12 mini ears) frozen corn on the cob
• 2 lemons, cut in half
• 1 lbs. Hillshire Farms turkey kielbasa
• 2 lbs. uncooked large shrimp in shells, deveined and thawed if frozen

Instructions

1. In a large 6 or 7-quart slow cooker, add the water, bay leaves and Old Bay. Stir until combined.
2. Add the potatoes, celery, onion, corn and garlic to the mixture. Squeeze the lemons over the top, preventing the seeds from falling in. Add the squeezed halves to the pot.
3. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Try not to lift the lid during this time.
4. Increase the temperature to high. Add the shrimp and kielbasa to the pot. Carefully stir until combined.
5. Cover and cook for an additional 40 minutes to an hour, or until the shrimp are no longer pink.
6. Drain the mixture into a large rimmed dish. Save some of the liquid for dipping crusty bread.

Amy’s Lemon Chicken (pinterest)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
8 cloves minced garlic
2/3 cup dry white wine
Fresh grated lemon zest from about 2 lemons
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 to 3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper
1 whole cut up fryer or 4 to 6 bone-in chicken breasts (I used bone in chicken breasts)
1 lemon

Directions:

Warm oil in small sauce pan over medium low heat, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

 Turn off the heat and add white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Then pour into a 9 x 13 foil baking pan. Pat chicken dry and place it skin sides up over the sauce. 

Brush chicken with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt & pepper.

 Cut the lemon in wedges and tuck it among chicken. 

Bake chicken in a preheated 400 degree oven, covered, for 45 minutes to an hour until chicken is cooked through. Feel free to baste chicken every once in a while with the sauce.  (I didn't!)

Serve chicken with the sauce on top. Garnish with lemons if desired.

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Shoney's Country Fried Steak (Copy Cat recipe from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes)

2 cups flour
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups water
4  4-oz cube steaks
veg oil for frying

Country Gravy:
1 1/2 Tbsp ground beef
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

1.  Prepare the steaks at least several hours before you plan to serve this meal.  First, mix flour, salt and pepper together into a large, shallow bowl.  Pour water into another shallow bowl.

2. Press down firmly on each cube steak (squeeze with hands so don't have to dirty cutting board).

3. Dredge each steak, one at a time, first in the water and then in the flour.  Repeat one more time so that each steak has been coated twice.

4.  When all steaks have been coated, place them on waxed paper and put them in the freezer for several hours until they are solid.  This is the technique used at the restaurant chain to ensure that the flour coating won't fall off when frying the steaks.

5.  About 10 minutes before you are ready to cook the steaks, prepare the gravy by browning the ground beef in a small frying pan. Crumble the meat into tiny pieces as you cook it.

6. Transfer the meat to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup flour and stir it in with the ground beef.  Add the remaining ingredients for the gravy and bring to a boil, stirring often.  Cook 10-15 minutes until thick.  Reduce the heat to low to keep the gravy warm while the steaks are prepared.

7.  As the gravy is cooking, heat oil in a frying pan over medium/high heat.  You want enough to cover the steaks when frying.

8.  When the oil is hot, drop the steaks, one at a time, into the oil.  Fry 8-10 minutes or until golden brown, then drain onto paper towel.

9.  Serve the steaks with gravy poured over the top, with mashed potatoes or steamed vegetables.

Tuscan Pasta With Tomato-Basil Cream from myrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli*
1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
2 tablespoons white wine
2 medium-size fresh tomatoes, chopped**
1/8 cup italian seasoning * I use (or 1/2 cup basil *recipe calls for)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish: fresh basil strips



Preparation

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish, if desired.
*1 (13-oz.) package three-cheese tortellini may be substituted.
**1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, fully drained, may be substituted.

Perfect Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook) **** haven't tried yet

Haven't tried yet

Recipe says it will yield approximately 3 dozen cookies. I doubled the recipe & got 32 cookies with my cookie cutters. The amount of cookies will definitely depend on your cookie cutter sizes!

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup superfine sugar (just whipped 1 cup sugar in the food processor until it was blended and then measured out 3/4 cup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ pieces & softened
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whisk the flour, sugar, & salt together in a large bowl. Beat the butter into the flour mixture, one piece at a time using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, then continue to beat until the mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the cream cheese & vanilla until he dough just begins to form large clumps, about thirty seconds.

Knead the dough in the large bowl by hand a few times until it forms a large, cohesive mass. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter, divide it in half, and apt into a two four inch disks. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until they begin to firm up, 20 to 30 minutes.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375. Work with one disk at a time, roll out the dough to a 1/8″ thickness between two sheets of parchment paper. Slide the rolled dough and parchment onto a baking sheet & refrigerate again until firm.

Working with one
sheet of dough at a time cut out shapes using cookie cutters and lay on two parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced about 1″ apart. Bake the cookies until light golden brown, about ten minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, about thirty minutes. When cooled, the cookies can be decorated as desired.

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Sugar Cookie Frosting

4 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup shortening
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Food coloring

In a large bowl, cream together confectioners sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about five minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

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Nani's Thanksgiving Stuffing

Mrs. Cubbison traditional box
Mrs. Cubbison cornbread box
3 sticks butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup or more of celery
1 onion, diced

Cook celery, onion, butter in microwave bowl for 3 minutes or until butter is melted.

Add all together and mix together.  Add chicken broth (2-3 cans) until moist.

Cook covered at 350 for 45 minutes, uncover for the last 10-15 minutes to brown top.

*makes two 9x13 pans

Classic Lemon Meringue Pie by Betty Crocker

Taste a classic recipe! This pie is bursting with fresh lemon taste and a sweet, creamy real meringue topping.

Ingredients

Pastry

1

cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/3

cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening

2

to 3 tablespoons cold water

Filling

3

egg yolks

1 1/2

cups sugar

1/3

cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 1/2

cups water

3

tablespoons butter or margarine

2

teaspoons grated lemon peel

1/2

cup lemon juice

2

drops yellow food color, if desired

Meringue

3

egg whites

1/4

teaspoon cream of tartar

6

tablespoons sugar

1/2

teaspoon vanilla

Directions

(pie crust)

• 1 In medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
• 2 Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
• 3 Heat oven to 475°F. With floured rolling pin, roll pastry into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired. Prick bottom and side of pastry thoroughly with fork. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown; cool on cooling rack.
• 4 Reduce oven temperature to 400°F. In small bowl, beat egg yolks with fork. In 2-quart saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch; gradually stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute.
• 5 Immediately stir at least half of hot mixture into egg yolks; stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 2 minutes; remove from heat. Stir in butter, lemon peel, lemon juice and food color. Pour into pie crust.
• 6 In medium bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff and glossy. Do not underbeat. Beat in vanilla. Spoon onto hot pie filling. Spread over filling, carefully sealing meringue to edge of crust to prevent shrinking or weeping.
• 7 Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until meringue is light brown. Cool away from draft 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate cooled pie until serving. Store in refrigerator.
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