Ham Buns

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 small onion, grated
1 tablespoon poppy seed
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1-1/4 cups finely chopped fully cooked ham (about 8 ounces)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
6 to 8 hamburger buns, split or 16 to 20 mini buns

• In a bowl, mix butter, onion, poppy seed, Worcestershire sauce and mustard until well blended. Add ham and cheese; mix well. Divide evenly among buns.
• Place in a shallow baking pan and cover with foil. Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until hot. Yield: 6-8 main dish or 16-20 appetizer servings.

Peanut Butter Carrot Cake for Dogs

1 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
1 t. baking soda
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup shredded carrots
1 t. vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1 egg

• Mix flour and baking soda. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into greased 8" round cake pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool. Puree cottage cheese or neufchatel cheese in a blender for icing.
  

Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 cups hot water

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

6 medium carrots, sliced

2 medium turnips, peeled and cubed

1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

1 medium green pepper, julienned

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies

2 tablespoons sugar

• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.

• In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, brown beef in oil. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour.

• Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until meat and vegetables are tender.
  

Yield: 8 servings (about 2-1/2 quarts)

Raspberry-Stuffed French Toast

4 oz. Neufchatel Cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese), softened
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
1 t. ground cinnamon
2 eggs, plus 2 egg whites
5 cups fat free milk, divided
1 loaf (ends trimmed off) French baguette, cut into 18 slices
1 pkg. frozen unsweetened raspberries
1 pkg. (4-serving size) Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix

• Beat Neufchatel Cheese, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon with mixer until well blended. Add eggs and egg whites, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Gradually add 2 cups of the milk, beating until well blended.
• Arrange 9 of the bread slices in a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the raspberries, top with remaining bread slices. Pour wet mixture over bread. Let stand 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake 40 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, bring remaining 3 cups of milk just to boiling in a saucepan, gradually add the dry pudding mix, whisking until well blended. Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes. Microwave remaining berries in small microwaveable bowl in high 15-20 seconds or until warm. Serve French Toast topped with custard sauce and raspberries.

Makes 9 servings.

Herbal Iced Tea

4 Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger tea bags
4 Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger tea bags
4 cups pure apple juice

• Steep the 8 tea bags in 4 cups of boiling water for 10 minutes.
• Discard the tea bags*.
• Combine the tea with the apple juice and refrigerate until cold.
• Serve over ice.

*note: I thought that the tea bags still had more potency, so I steeped them again and made regular iced tea.

Cinnamon Stewed Apples

6 cups chopped peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt

• Combine all ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan.
• Cover and cook over medium-low heat 45 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring occasionally.
• Let stand 5 minutes.

Grilled Marinated London Broil

4 large garlic cloves, minced
4 T. balsamic vinegar
4 T. fresh lemon juice
3 T. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. soy sauce
1 t. each dried oregano, basil, and thyme, crumbled
1/2 t. dried hot peper flakes
2/c c. olive oil

one 2 to 2 1/2 pound London Broil

To make marinade:

• In a bowl, wisk together ingredients until combined well
• Put London Broil in a large resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over it. Seal bag, pressing out excess air and set on a plate. Marinate meat, chilled, turning bag once or twice, overnight.
• Grill meat, marinade discarded, over medium heat turning once (9-10 minutes on each side or until meat reaches 135 degrees). Alternatively, meat may be broiled. Transfer meat onto a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Cut meat diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serves 6.
  

Chicken Piccata

4 Chicken breast halves, boned and skinned
Salt and Pepper
Flour (enough for coating)
3 T. butter
Jiuce of 1 lemon
1 1/2 C. chicken broth
1/2 C. white wine

• Use a meat pounder to pound the meat to a uniform thickness, a little less than an inch. Salt and pepper the chicken generously, then coat with flour. Melt butter in a large skillet and brown chicken on both sides.
• Remove chicken from skillet. Add lemon juice, chicken broth, and wine. Boil down until it's about 1/2 cup. Place chicken back in skillet, cover and cook 3 minutes. Remove cover and serve.
  

Oreo Truffles

1 package Oreo cookies
1 package Cream Cheese, softened
2 packages (8 oz. each) Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

• Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs for later use, set aside
• Crush the remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs, place in medium-sized bowl. Add cream cheese, mix until well blended.
• Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1 inch in diameter.
• Dip balls in chocolate, place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.
• Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.
• Makes 3 1/2 dozen.
  

Warm Winter Lemon Cake

1 package (2-layer size) yellow cake mix and the ingredients to make it
2 cups cold milk
1 1/4 cups cold water
2 packages (4-serving size each) Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding and Pie Filling
1/3 cup sugar
2 T. powdered sugar

• Preheat oven to 350. Prepare cake mix as directed on package. Pour batter into greased 13x9 inch baking dish
• Pour milk and water into a large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes and sugar. Beat with wire wisk 2 min. or until well blended. Pour over cake batter in dish. Place baking dish on a cookie sheet to catch any bubbling over that may occur in the oven.
• Bake 55 min to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 20 min. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Spoon into serving dished, serve warm; garnish with raspberries if desired.

Makes 16 servings.

Meat Loaf Wellington


INGREDIENTS
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce, divided
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls

• In a large bowl, combine the egg, 1/3 cup spaghetti sauce, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.
• On a piece of heavy-duty foil, pat beef mixture into a 12-in. x 8-in. rectangle. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese and parsley to within 1 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side and peeling foil away while rolling. Seal seam and ends. Place seam side down in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour; drain.
• Unroll crescent dough; seal seams and perforations. Drape dough over meat loaf to cover the top, sides and ends; seal ends.
• Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160° and crust is golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Using two large spatulas, carefully transfer meat loaf to a serving platter. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serve with remaining spaghetti sauce.

Yield: 8 servings.

Florida Hot Browns
(Jacki's version of Kentucky Hot Browns)

Ingredients:
Ham, roasted and sliced (you will need about 3 oz. per sandwich)
Toasted white bread (1 slice per sandwich)
Cooked Bacon (1 piece per sandwich)
Sandwic toppings (tomato, onion, etc.)

Sauce:
3/4 c. milk (fat free not recommended)
~5 oz. cheese. I used 3 slices american cheese plus 2 oz. mozzerella
dash garlic powder
2 oz. butter
3 oz. flour
Salt and white pepper, to taste
Note: the sauce makes enough for about 4 sandwiches

• Heat butter and add flour. Whisk and slowly cook for 5 minutes. Whisk in milk and heat. Whisk in cheese until melted. Season. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Sauce should be very thick, but you can add more milk to reach desired consistency.
• Build your sandwich!

Two-Step Crunchy Chicken Strips

Makes 4 -6 servings
Start to Finish: 20 min

Ingredients
2 1/2 c. crushed bite-size cheddar goldfish crackers or pretzels
2/3 c. bottled buttermilk ranch or honey mustard salad dressing
1 lb. chicken breast tenderloins

• Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking pan with foil, lightly coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a shallow dish, place the crushed crackers or pretzels. In another, place the dressing. Dip the chicken into the dressing, allowing excess to drip off. Dip into crumbs to coat.
• Arrange chicken in prepared pan.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees). Serve with more dressing for dipping if desired.

Zesty Grilled Ham

1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. prepared horseradish
¼ c. lemon juice
1 fully cooked ham steak (about 1.5 lbs)

In a small saucepan, bring first 3 ingredients to a boil. Brush over both sides of ham. Grill over med-hot coals, turning once until heated through and well glazed. You can also use a George Foreman grill.

Stuffing-Crusted Creamy Chicken Casserole
Serves 6

1 package (6 oz.) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for chicken
6 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 and a half pounds)
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen stir-fry vegetables, thawed and drained
1 can (7 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
1/4 c. Reduced Fat Ranch Dressing
1 1/2 c. hot water

• Preheat oven to 400. Sprinkle 1/2 c. of the stuffing mix evenly onto the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish; top with the chicken. Sprinkle evenly with the garlic powder. Cover with the stir-fry vegetables. Mix corn and dressing; spoon over vegetable layer. Set aside.
• Add hot water to remaining stuffing mix; stir until just moistened. Spoon evenly over corn mixture.
• Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (17o degrees)

Variations:
Prepare as directed, substituting your favorite frozen vegetables for the stir-fry veggies.

Basic Pancakes
Serves 4

1 c. AP flour
2 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. milk
2 T. butter, melted, or vegetable oil
1 large egg

• Preheat oven to 200; have a baking sheet to keep cooked pancakes warm in the oven.
  
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside
• In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter (or oil), and egg. Add dry ingredients to milk mixture, whisk until just moistened (do not overmix, a few lumps are fine)
• Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast-iron) or griddle over medium heat. Grease skillet.
  
• For each pancake, spoon 2-3 T. of batter onto skillet.
• Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst; 1-2 minutes. Flip carefully and cook until underside is browned.
  
• Transfer to baking sheet, keep warm in the oven until the rest of the pancakes are finished.
• Serve warm, with desired toppings.

Pancake variations

• BUTTERMILK: Add 1/2 t. baking soda to dry mixture. Replace milk with low-fat buttermilk.
• YOGURT: Add 1/2 t. baking soda to dry mixture. Replace the milk with 2/3 c. plain (or vanilla) low-fat yogurt and 1/3 c. milk
• WHOLE-GRAIN WITH YOGURT: Replace the all-purpose flour with 1/2 c. whole-wheat flour, 1/4 c. each cornmeal and wheat germ, and 1/2 t. baking soda. Replace the milk with 2/3 c. plain (or vanilla) yogurt and 1/3 c. milk

To make and store extra mix:

Whisk together 3 c. flour, 6 T. sugar, 2 T. baking powder, and 1 1/2 t. salt. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. This makes enough for 12 servings of 3-4 pancakes per person. For four servings: place 1 1/4 c. mix in a bowl. In a seperate bowl, whisk together 1 c. milk, 2 T. melted butter or oil, and 1 large egg, add to dry milk and whisk just until combined.


How to freeze pancakes:

Stack cooled pancakes between squares of waxed paper; place in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container. Freeze up to 3 months. Reheat on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 350.

Chicken Gruyere Bisque

4T butter
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1 stalk finely chopped celery
2 carrots, peeled & grated
2 pints half-n-half
8oz cubed gruyere cheese
2 c cooked, minced chicken
dash of white wine
1 tsp dried tarragon

• In soup pot melt butter and saute veggies until soft, remove from heat.
• In saucepan heat 1 cup half-n-half and cheese,stirring constantly until chees is melted. Add remaining half-n-half and heat thoroughly. Add veggies and chicken, stir well. Add wine and tarragon

Serves 6

Mexican Pork and Black Beans

1 pound black beans, cooked
1 pound boneless pork sirloin -- cut in 1" cubes
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp salt
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
16 ounces stewed tomatoes, broken up
2 cups water
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro leaves

• Put beans in crock pot. Toss pork with chili powder,coriander and salt.
• Lightly brown onion and garlic with pork in ungreased skillet.
• Mix tomatoes into crockpotwith their juice. Add meat, pepper and 2 cups water.
• Cover and cook 9 hours on LOW. Ladle over rice and garnish with cilantro.

Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cream Sauce

Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min

1# pork tenderloin, cut into 1" slices
Seasoned flour (S&P)
2 Tbl. butter, divided
2 tsp. canola or olive oil
2 green onions, sliced (coin shape), white and green parts separated
1/3 cup white wine or dry vermouth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. Dijon mustard - or more to taste
salt and pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to low, about 170 degrees.
  
• Pound pork medallions to 1/2" thick.
  
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tsp. oil over medium high heat.
• Dredge pork in seasoned flour. Add all at once to pan and saute 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and hold in the oven while finishing the sauce. (pork will be a bit underdone but will finish in the oven.)
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to pan.
  
• Add white part of onion, saute for 1 minute.
  
• Add wine or vermouth, simmer until reduced to about 3 tablespoons.
  
• Add cream, simmer 2 - 3 minutes until thickened.*
  
• Stir in Dijon, add salt and pepper to taste.
  
• Spoon sauce over pork, garnish with green part of onion.
  

*If sauce ends up too thick for your liking, add a little water, but no more than 1/4 cup.

Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cream Sauce

Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min

1# pork tenderloin, cut into 1" slices
Seasoned flour (S&P)
2 Tbl. butter, divided
2 tsp. canola or olive oil
2 green onions, sliced (coin shape), white and green parts separated
1/3 cup white wine or dry vermouth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. Dijon mustard - or more to taste
salt and pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to low, about 170 degrees.
  
• Pound pork medallions to 1/2" thick.
  
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tsp. oil over medium high heat.
• Dredge pork in seasoned flour. Add all at once to pan and saute 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and hold in the oven while finishing the sauce. (pork will be a bit underdone but will finish in the oven.)
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to pan.
  
• Add white part of onion, saute for 1 minute.
  
• Add wine or vermouth, simmer until reduced to about 3 tablespoons.
  
• Add cream, simmer 2 - 3 minutes until thickened.*
  
• Stir in Dijon, add salt and pepper to taste.
  
• Spoon sauce over pork, garnish with green part of onion.
  

*If sauce ends up too thick for your liking, add a little water, but no more than 1/4 cup.