Lemon Pound Cake ~

3 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 2/3 cups white sugar
3 jumbo eggs
1 cup milk (I use 2%)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
zest of 1 lemon

Do not preheat oven. Grease and flour cake pan. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In a bowl, beat butter, shortening and sugar. Add eggs and blend. Add flour mix and milk. Add vanilla and lemon extracts. Pour batter into pan. Set oven to 350F and bake for 1 hr and 20 min. Let cake cool in pan on cooling rack and invert onto it to finish cooling.

Lemon Glaze ~

For a thicker glaze, add more lemon juice. For a thinner, add less.

This glaze consists of just powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.

Double Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

7 oz chopped chocolate
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
3 large egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp coconut extract
2 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Melt 5 oz chocolate til smooth. Cool a little. In bowl, whisk sugar and cocoa. Whisk in whites, salt, vanilla and coconut extract. Whisk in chocolate mix. Fold in coconut and rest of 2 oz chocolate. (If the mix is too warm, refrigerate til cool so the remaining added chocolate doesn't melt.) Chill til firm enough to scoop.

Put oven rack to upper-middle position. Preheat to 350F. Line baking sheets with non-stick liner. If using parchment, grease.

Using scoop or tablespoon, portion batter and space evenly. Form into mounds. Bake til set and center doesn't look raw. 13-15 min. Cool on pan 10 min and let finish cooling on cooling racks.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese...

You need to make this.
7 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for greasing dish.
salt
1 lb elbow macaroni
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup hot sauce
2 tbsp flour
2 tsp dry mustard
2 1/2 cup half-and-half
1 lb yellow sharp cheddar
8 oz pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup panko
crumbled blue cheese (optional)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter baking dish.

Boil pasta in salted water til al dente. Drain.

Melt 3 tbsp butter in skillet over med heat. Add onion and celery. Cook til soft. Stir in chicken and garlic and cook 2 min. Add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer about 1 minute.
Melt 2 tbsp butter in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and mustard til smooth. Whisk in half-and-half, then add 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir til thick. Whisk in cheddar and pepper jack. Whisk in sour cream til smooth.

Spread half macaroni in prepared baking dish. Top with chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour cheese sauce on top.
Put remaining 2 tbsp butter in bowl and microwave til melted. Stir in panko and parsley. Sprinkle over macaroni. (Can sprinkle some blue cheese if you want. I did a little.) Bake about 30 minutes.

Simply Good Pork Chop Dinner

Preheated the oven to 400F.

 Threw a couple of pork chops onto a lightly-coated olive oil sprayed pan til golden. Mixed up some dijon mustard, chili powder, honey, garlic powder, salt and pepper, covered the pork in it and baked for 40 minutes covered with foil.

Rice: Threw some olive oil, chopped onion and minced garlic into a pot, cooked until wilting and golden, added a cup of rice, stirred and cooked til golden and added 2 cups of vegetable broth, a sprinkle of salt and pepper (I wanted to use beef but didn't have any. The vegetable broth did add flavor), bringing it to a boil and letting it simmer covered for 20-25 min.

The broccoli was just boiled in salt water.

Tuscan Garlic Chicken

3/4 cup flour, 1/2 tbsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp oregano, 4 boneless chicken breasts (I sliced chicken breasts into smaller pieces), 1 tbsp minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves), 1 chopped red bell pepper, 1/2 cup chicken broth (used low sodium), 6 oz fresh spinach (used a little more this time), 1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1 cup lowfat milk, 1 cup freshly grated parm cheese, 1 lb fettuccine  olive oil
Preheat oven to 350F.

In dish, combine flour, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Dip chicken pieces in flour mix til coated.
In skillet, heat olive oil over med. heat til oil is hot. Place chicken in pan, cooking 2-3 min each side til golden but not cooked all the way. Move to lightly greased/sprayed baking sheet and bake 15 min. Set aside.

Boil a pot of water and add pasta,  cooking til al dente. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and add more olive oil, heating on medium heat.
Add garlic and bell pepper. Saute.
Stir in 1 tbsp flour and stir while cooking. Add broth to skillet and bring mix to low simmer. Whisk til thickening for a few min. In small bowl, whisk cornstarch and cream. Add spinach, milk and cream mix to skillet. Bring to simmer and cook while stirring til spinach wilting and sauce thickening. Stir in parm cheese.

Drain pasta when done cooking and toss pasta with half cheese sauce (I just put some on top of the chicken and pasta but this adds to the full-on flavor).

Nutella-Banana Bread

1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 mashed bananas
1/2 cup Nutella

350 F Preheat. Grease and flour loaf pan.

Combine sugar, flour, baking soda, salt. Add eggs, oil, banana and mix well.

Take half of batter and put in different bowl. Combine with Nutella and mix well. Alternate adding batters into loaf pan. Use knife to swirl batters together. Bake 55-70 min or til toothpick/fork inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan and invert onto cooling rack.

Steak Marinade / Bacon Beer Mac and Cheese/ Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Steak Marinade: 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder, 3 tbsp dried basil, 1 1/2 tbsp parsley flakes, 1 tsp white pepper, 1/4 tsp hot sauce. (Marinade meat for minimum of 3 hours. - This is enough for about 4 steaks. Can alter amounts for less.)

Bacon Beer Mac and Cheese: 2 1/2 cups macaroni, 3 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp flour, 1 1/2 cups milk, 12 oz beer, 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 cup cheddar jack, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, 6 cooked and crumbled strips of bacon. -Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare pasta - cooking 1-2 min less than time noted. In pan over medium-high, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook til bubbly and golden. Whisk in milk and beer. Stir in cheeses, lower heat to medium and stir til mix thickens. Stir in paprika, pepper, garlic powder, salt and nutmeg. Stir macaroni in. Pour mix into baking dish. Combine panko and bacon in bowl. Top macaroni with mixture. Bake about 25-30 minutes. (Til bubbly.)

(Mashed potatoes: Just simple mashed potatoes, milk, butter,  shredded cheddar, salt, pepper, garlic powder )

Shrimp Parmesan Bake

Needed: 1 1/2 lb shrimp, cleaned and ready, 1/2 cup flour, 1 tsp old bay, 3/4-1 cup breadcrumbs (seasoned), 3/4-1 cup panko, 1/2 cup powder parmesan (can also use - preferred - 3/4 cup shredded parmesan), 2 beaten eggs, 2 tbsp mayo, olive oil for frying, 12-16 oz shredded mozzarella, 3-4 cups tomato sauce (used my homemade), 1 lb pasta cooked aldente (I used whole wheat penne), ricotta cheese (optional), extra parmesan.
(Make sure to remove vein from shrimp.)
In ziploc, place flour, sprinkle of salt and old bay. Toss in shrimp and shake to coat. Remove shrimp. To same bag, add panko, breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
In bowl, whisk eggs and mayo.
Dip floured shrimp into egg mix and then bread crumb mix.
Heat oil in pan. Brown shrimp in batches and drain on paper towel.
(I mixed some ricotta into the tomato sauce.)
Spread 1/3 sauce on bottom of baking pan. Spread cooked pasta on top, Spoon another 1/3 sauce on top of pasta. Lay shrimp in single layer, sprinkle with mozzarella and top with rest of sauce. Top with parmesan cheese.
Bake in preheated 350F oven til cheese melted. About 25 minutes.
(Can throw it on broil for a more crisp surface.)

Shrimp Pasta In Spicy Cream Sauce

 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 lb shrimp prepared for cooking, crushed red pepper, paprika, salt, 1 small onion chopped, 4 minced garlic cloves, 2 cups crushed tomatoes, 1/4 cup boiling water, half cube chicken bouillon, 1 tbsp basil, 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 8-16 oz penne 

-----Heat olive oil on med-high heat. Add shrimp and cook. While cooking, sprinkle with crushed red pepper, paprika and salt. Remove to plate, leaving oil in skillet. To skillet, add onion and garlic. Cook while stirring. Add crushed tomatoes and chicken bouillon cube dissolved in boiling water. Add basil and oregano, mix, boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer 10-15 min. Season with more red pepper and salt (optional). While on simmer, add heavy cream, mix and remove from heat. Add shrimp and cooked pasta (when boiling pasta, cook til al dente, drain and rinse in cold water).

Cinnamon Hazelnut Biscotti

3/4 cup butter, 

1 cup white sugar,

 2 eggs, 

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract,

 2 1/2 cups flour,

 1 tsp cinnamon,

 3/4 tsp baking powder,

 1/2 tsp salt, 

1 cup hazelnuts

Oven to 350F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In med. bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Mix into egg mix. Stir in hazelnuts. Shape dough into two equal logs approx. 12 in. long. Place logs onto baking sheet and flatten out to about 1/2 in. thickness. Bake for about 30 min in preheated oven or til edges golden and center firm. Remove from oven to cool. When loaves cool, use knife to slice diagonally into 1/2 in thick slices. Return slices to baking sheet and bake additional 10 min, turning once. Cool completely.

Cajun-Baked Catfish/ Creole Black-Eyed Peas and Rice~

Ingredients: 

Cornmeal,

 salt, 

pepper,

 Catfish fillets,

 Cajun seasoning,

 butter

Preheat oven to 400F.
Mix cornmeal, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper together. Cover fillets. Place down on greased baking sheet or use parchment paper.
Bake til golden and fish flakes. Can garnish with lemon.

Cajun seasoning: salt, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes..

Creole Black-Eyed Peas and Rice~
Add 2 small onions chopped, 1 cup chopped green pepper and drizzle of olive oil to skillet over medium high heat. Cook and stir. ----Can also make this with 1 lb ground beef and add all, cook til beef browned (omitting olive oil) and drain grease.---- Add 1 cup rice, 2 cups water and season with Creole seasoning, pepper, sprinkle of salt and garlic powder. Bring to boil, cover and reduce to low.Simmer til water absorbed. Stir in about 2 cups cooked black eyed peas (drained) halfway through cooking.
Greens~
Used the Collard Greens recipe with Kale (chicken broth this time).

Oven-Baked Cod

1 1/2 cups panko,

 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped,

 2-3 minced garlic cloves,

 zest of 1 lemon,

 3/4 tsp salt, 4 cod fish fillets,

 olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F. Line pan with foil and lightly brush with olive oil - can use cooking spray.

Combine parsley, garlic, lemon zest and salt on cutting board. (This is to finely chop) Add to breadcrumbs in shallow plate.

Brush top of each fillet with olive oil. Press fillet into crumb mixture. Place fillets in baking dish, crust side up. Bake til firm, about 12-15 min depending on thickness of fish. Serve with lemon wedges.

Minestrone Soup

4 tbsp butter, 3/4 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 1/2 cup chopped carrots, 19 oz can cannellini beans, 1/2 cup shredded cabbage, 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes, 1 quart chicken broth, 2-3 minced garlic cloves, 2 tbsp parsley, 1 tsp salt, sprinkle of italian seasoning and black pepper, 1/2-1 cup ditalini macaroni, grated parmesan cheese

Melt butter in heavy pot over med. heat. Add onion, celery, carrots and saute for few min. Add beans, cabbage, tomatoes, tomato paste, potato, broth, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and italian seasoning to pot. Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for about 1 hr til vegs start to tender. --- Boil pasta in separate pot til al dente, drain and rinse with cold water, set aside. (It's better to keep separate so noodles don't get mushy and change soup consistently.

Serve hot, mix in some noodles, sprinkle with grated cheese. Yum!

Fully Loaded Fries & Chicken Fingers

Fully-Loaded Fries -

Bacon, cooked crisp (reserve 1 tbsp bacon fat), 2 lb potatoes, 1 tbsp melted butter, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, sharp shredded cheddar cheese, shredded colby jack cheese, scallions diced and sour cream for garnish

Cook bacon crisp, drain and chop. Set aside. Reserve tbsp bacon fat.

Oven to 425 F. Cut potatoes into wedges. Place potatoes in bowl and add bacon fat, melted butter, salt, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Toss to coat. Put potatoes onto baking sheet (parchment paper allows a quick cleanup) in single layer and roast 15 min. Flip and roast another 10-15 min. Mound potatoes into piles. Cover each pile with cheddar, bacon and then colby jack. Place pan back in oven to melt cheese. Place servings onto plates, sprinkle with scallions and add sour cream on top.

Chicken Fingers -

6 boneless chicken breasts, 1 beaten egg, 1 cup buttermilk (can make this yourself - 1 cup milk (whole, 2%, or heavy cream)
1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar - let sit 5-10 min before using), 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 cup flour, 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, oil for frying

Cut chicken into strips. In large ziploc bag, combine egg, buttermilk and garlic powder. Add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 2-4 hrs (can use before that though). Drain and in another ziploc, combine flour, bread crumbs, salt and baking powder. Add chicken. Seal bag and toss to coat.

Heat oil and fry chicken in batches for 4-5 min or til golden brown/done. Drain on paper towels.

Stuffed Lemon Chicken

Lemon Herb Chicken Marinade - (You'll need thinly sliced pieces of chicken breast. Can also use something to flatten them.)

1 lemon squeezed, salt, pepper, oregano and 1 tbsp olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and coat chicken.

Can make homemade stuffing but used boxed for this one as a quick fix. ---Before adding the butter to the water to prepare the stuffing, I sauteed onion and celery in the butter. - can add cranberry, scallions and sage to this too but I went the lazy way.

Preheat oven to 400F. Coat baking pan with cooking spray.

Spoon stuffing into center of breast piece. Fold chicken over and roll. Secure closed chicken with wooden toothpicks. Bake til cooked through - about 30-40 minutes.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork <3 span="">

1 medium onion, 

6 garlic cloves minced,

 28 oz beef broth, 

18 oz barbeque sauce, 

1/3 cup brown sugar, 

1/3 cup cider vinegar, 

1/2 tsp pepper,

 3 1/2 lb pork roast -

 Place into slow cooker and cook 6-8 hrs or til pork is fork tender.

Remove pork from slow cooker. 
Combine 2 tbsp cornstarch, 3 tbsp water til blended. Stir into sauce mix in slow cooker. Stir and boil 4-5 min til slightly thickened.
Shred pork using two forks. Discard onions.

Fried Pickles!

Fried Pickles!

1/2 cup buttermilk, salt, pepper, 16 oz dill pickle slices, 1/2 cup flour, 1 1/2 cups cornmeal, 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning, 1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning, oil for frying, Cajun seasoning, buttermilk ranch dressing

Cajun Seasoning: 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 1/4 tsp oregano, 1 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

In shallow dish, combine buttermilk, salt, pepper. Place pickles in mix and set aside.

Pour flour, cornmeal, old bay, 1/4 tsp cajun seasoning into ziploc bag. Shake to mix. Add pickles (few at a time) and shake gently to coat with flour mixture. Remove and place on plate (can cover plate with parchment or wax paper)

Heat oil in skillet/pan. Fry pickles til golden brown and crisp on outside - 1-2 min. Drain on paper towels.

Dip: combine buttermilk ranch dressing with cajun seasoning - to taste.

Great Pumpkin Pull-Apart w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

This is peak pumpkin spice, in the best way.

INGREDIENTS

PULL-APART BREAD

• 1 tube Pillsbury Grands Biscuits
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 c. pumpkin purée
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 1/2 (4-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 c. milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a loaf pan.
2. Make the pull-apart bread: Cut biscuits in half, like you’re making a biscuit sandwich (or pulling apart those flaky layers while it’s still dough).
3. Pour sugar and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice into a gallon-sized plastic bag, shaking to combine. Drop the biscuit slices 2 to 3 at a time into the bag, sealing and shaking it to coat the biscuits, until all are covered. Set biscuits aside.
4. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract. Use a butter knife to slather one biscuit. Top with another biscuit.Cover the top of that biscuit with the pumpkin mixture, and repeat the process until you’ve created a towering stack of the biscuits, almost like a massive sandwich or layer cake. (This may be easiest to break into two stacks of biscuits—otherwise they might topple.)
5. Place the biscuit stack in the loaf pan on its side so you see the layers of pumpkin filling. (It should look like Oreos when you pull them out of the package.) Bake in the oven until the biscuits have puffed up and turned lightly golden on top, 35 to 40 minutes.
6. Make the cream cheese frosting: Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice, mixing on low until combined. Gradually add milk, mixing until it’s a pourable consistency. Pour on top of warm pull-apart bread and serve.

PIN FOR LATER

Tator Tot Casserole with Chops

Tator tot casserole with chops. .

Just brown chops and set aside, fry tots in butter and crumble, add a little season salt to tot crumbles. When done put tots in casserole dish, lay chops on top and cover with cream of mushroom soup (mixed with milk) add black pepper and microwave 20 minutes or bake 1 hour at 350...

Thick Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies

Go ahead! I know you want them.  What’s stopping you?

Thick Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 (4 ounce) bars Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate baking bars chopped.
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Stir flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl; set aside. In stand mixer on medium speed cream butter, brown sugar and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time mixing just until incorporated.
3. Add dry mixture slowly to butter mixture. Scraping bowl several times. Stir in chocolate and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoons on to ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes or until the tops start to brown.

Notes

If you would like to do half the batch without nuts you will only need 1/2 cup. Mix in after you have baked off 1/2 of the cookies.