Molasses Ginger Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon coriander
3/4 cup turbinado sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1 - In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses, egg & ginger.
2 - Combine all dry ingredients (except turbinado sugar) and gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
3 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 1.5 hours until the dough is easy to handle.
4 - Roll into 1/2 inch balls and roll in turbinado sugar. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.
5 - Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool 2 minutes before removing from pan to wire racks.

THOUGHTS:
The first time I made these they were the greatest cookies I have ever made. The second time, the texture was a bit off and I can't figure out what I did wrong. Oh well, they still tasted delicious. Thanks to Taste of Home magazine.

Chocolate Toffee Delights

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar, divided
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted & cooled
1 jar (12 1/4 oz) caramel ice cream topping
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
1 - In a small bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extracts.
2 - Combine the flour, salt & baking powder. Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
3 - Press into a greased 13x9 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Prick crust with a fork or toothpick and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake 15 minutes longer or until set.
4 - Place coconut and almonds in a food processor and finely chop. Transfer to a small bowl and mix with caramel topping. Spread over crust and bake another 5-10 minutes or until edges are bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.
5 - Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle over the caramel mixture. Let stand until chocolate is set.

THOUGHTS:
This recipe came from Taste of Home magazine in a special section on holiday cookies. The idea was that they tasted like Samoa Girl Scout cookies - I'm not quite convinced. They aren't bad though. Not bad at all.

Chicken Piccata

INGREDIENTS:
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded & cut into thirds
1 egg
2 Tablespoons and 1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup white wine
1 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic
2 Tablespoons capers
2 Tablespoons cold water and 2 teaspoons cornstarch whisked together (slurry)

DIRECTIONS:
1 - In a small bowl, beat the egg together with 1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 - In a shallow bowl, mix together flour, garlic powder & paprika. Dip the chicken into the egg mixture then in the seasoned flour. Put chicken in fridge for 30 minutes.
3 - In a large skillet, brown the coated chicken pieces in olive oil and butter. When browned, put in the oven at 250 degrees to keep warm.
4 - In a pot, boil together the broth and wine. Add the sugar, remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, capers and garlic. Stir in the slurry, lower the temp and let simmer.
5 - Get skillet with chicken out of the oven and add enough sauce from the pot to cover the bottom of pan, but not fully cover the chicken. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, turning chicken pieces after 10 minutes (while remaining sauce also simmers in the pot for 20 minutes).

THOUGHTS:
My challenge was to make a piccata that wasn't sour and I succeeded. This was just that perfect amount of lemon. Delish.

Chicken and Caper Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
3 chicken breasts
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup white wine
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup half & half
2 Tablespoons capers, drained & rinsed

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Season chicken with lemon pepper, salt, dill weed, & garlic powder.
2 - Melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and brown, turning frequently for about 5 minutes.
3 - Reduce heat to medium and cook 5-7 minutes until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken to a baking sheet and place in oven at 250 degrees to keep warm.
4 - Deglaze skillet with 1/4 cup white wine and increase heat to high. Add garlic and half and half to skillet whisking consistently until it reaches the consistency of sauce. Add capers and mix in well.
5 - Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

THOUGHTS:
I have a weakness for caper dishes and this was just wonderful. I served the chicken over buttered penne with some fresh Parmesan.

Filet Mignon and Goat Cheese

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tablespoon butter
2 (5-6 oz) filet mignon steaks (about 1" thick)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 oz soft fresh goat cheese
balsamic glaze

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Preheat the broiler. Season the steaks with salt and pepper.
2 - In a heavy large skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter.
3 - Add the steaks to the skillet, cooking to desired doneness (about 3 minutes per side for medium rare).
4 - Transfer steaks to a baking sheet and crumble the cheese over the steaks. Broil just until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with pepper.
5 - If desired, drizzle balsamic glaze over the steaks.

THOUGHTS:
This is recipe from www.foodnetwork.com (Giada De Laurentiis). In her recipe, she has the cook make the balsamic glaze, but I will never do that again. The fumes burned my eyes and it was practically unbearable to be in my kitchen while it was cooking. So, if I can find a place to purchase balsamic glaze, then that will be included. If not, it's just not worth it. Other than that, this was a great way to make filet mignon when you do not have convenient access to a grill.

Sweet Corn Bread

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 can whole kernel corn, drained

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease or line 12 muffin cups.
2 - In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, honey, eggs and salt. Mix in flour, cornmeal and baking powder; blend thoroughly. Stir in milk and corn. Pour or spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3 -Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

THOUGHTS:
My favorite corn bread in the world is from Boston Market. It has a sweet flavor and the full kernels of corn. This recipe is not as good as the Boston Market recipe, but it's still a good recipe for sweet cornbread and I'm betting it has a fraction of the calories.

Apple Squares

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 chopped apples (I used gala)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
cinnamon sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
2 - In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture until just combined, then stir in the apples and pecans. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar lightly over the top of the bars.
3 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in preheated oven; finished bars should spring back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan, and cut into squares.

THOUGHTS:
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine
1 cup heavy whipping cream or half and half
1 (4 ounce) jar sliced pimento peppers, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Pound the chicken breasts to flatten them for quicker and more even cooking.
2 - Place milk and bread crumbs in separate, shallow bowls. In skillet, heat butter or margarine to medium heat. Dip chicken in milk, then coat with crumbs. Cook in butter or margarine, on both sides, until juices run clear (about 10 minutes). Remove and keep warm.
3 - Add broth to skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and stir to loosen browned bits from pan. Stir in cream and pimentos; boil and stir for 1 minute. Reduce heat.
4 - Add Parmesan cheese, basil and pepper. Stir sauce and cook until heated through. Pour mixture over chicken and serve with egg noodles

THOUGHTS:
Anyone who has ever eaten at my house knows that I have a bit of an issue cooking anything that doesn't have a cream sauce. This is a very easy dish with a very different taste to it. A nice change from all of my other dishes with cream sauces.

Chocolate Raspberry Turnovers

INGREDIENTS:
1 package Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets
2 egg yolks
2 Tablespoons water
semi sweet chocolate chips
fresh raspberries
confectioners sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature for 30 minutes
2 - Unfold pastry sheet on lightly floured surface and roll out to 14-15" square
3 - Mix egg yolk with water and brush the pastry with the egg mix
4 - Cut pastry into 8 squares and put 1 teaspoon chocolate and 1 raspberry in the center of each.
5 - Fold each square into a triangle and press firmly to seal. Use a fork to seal the edges and poke a hole in the top of each triangle. Brush the tops of the pastries with the remaining egg mix.
6 - Place pastries on a large ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet and put into the freezer until firm (about 15 minutes).
7 - Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake 15 minutes (or until puffed and golden).
8 - Sprinkle with sugar and serve.

THOUGHTS:
When I make beef wellington, I am left with an unused pastry sheet so I went in search of nice desserts to serve that would use that sheet. This fits the bill perfectly. The desserts are light and tasty, but watch out or you will burn the *#&$ out of your mouth when you take a bite. After freezing the pastries for 15 minutes to firm them, I kept them in the fridge until I was ready to bake them.

Simple Cole Slaw

INGREDIENTS:
16oz bag cole slaw mix
2/3 cup mayo
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Mix together all ingredients except cole slaw mix and whisk together well
2 - Toss mixture with the cole slaw mix

THOUGHTS:
I have grown to really love having cole slaw on my pulled pork sandwiches. This recipe is simple and really does taste great with my pulled pork.

Fried Chicken Legs

INGREDIENTS:
6 chicken legs w/ skin
1 cup all purpose flour
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 tsp paprika
1 qt vegetable oil
Oil thermometer

DIRECTIONS:
1 - 20 minutes before cooking, place chicken in a bath of ice water with generous amount salt to get rid of veins near bones.
2 - Season chicken legs with salt, pepper and paprika. Roll in flour.
3 - Add 1/2 to 3/4 inch of vegetable oil to a heavy skillet. Heat to approximately 365 degrees. Place chicken in hot oil. Cover and fry for about 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.
4 - When done, remove the chicken to a rack over a baking pan to catch excess grease.

THOUGHTS:
Everyone warned me that fried chicken is tricky, so I was so excited when this turned out to be some of the best fried chicken I have ever had. Getting the oil to the correct temperature is the most important and most difficult step. I have an electric stove and starting around 4 for heating the oil worked well for me. For the 1st and 2nd 10 minutes, I turned it up to 6 to make up for the lower temperature of the chicken. For the 3rd and 4th 10 minutes, I returned it to 4. I would not even attempt this without an oil thermometer.

Drop Biscuits

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups self rising flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup buttermilk

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Mix butter with flour. Add buttermilk and stir until mixed.
2 - Drop by rounded amounts into a greased round 9" pan (approx 9 biscuits)
3 - Bake at 450 degrees for 10-11 minutes or until tops just begin to brown.

THOUGHTS:
I'm trying to recreate my grandmother's biscuits and this was a decent attempt, but I'm not quite there yet.

Rack of Lamb

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 (8 bone) rack of lamb, room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Move oven rack to the middle position.
2 - In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic, rosemary, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to moisten the mixture.
3 - Season the rack all over with salt & pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large oven proof skillet over high heat.
4 - Sear rack of lamb for 1-2 minutes on all sides. Set aside for a few minutes to cool.
5 - Brush rack of lamb with the mustard and roll in the bread crumb mixture until evenly coated. Cover the ends of the bones with aluminum foil to prevent charring.
6 - Arrange the rack bone side down in the skillet. Roast the lamb in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees for medium rare.
7 - Remove the lamb from the oven and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let rest for 5-7 minutes. Internal temperature should rise 5-10 degrees while resting.
8 - Slice the lamb between the bones and serve.

THOUGHTS:
This was my very first rack of lamb and I love it! It went amazingly well with the Gorgonzola Pear Pasta.

Gorgonzola Pear Pasta

INGREDIENTS:
9 oz penne pasta
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 large pears, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup chopped pecans
ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Make the penne pasta according to package directions and drain
2 - Return the pasta to the pot and add the butter, Parmesan cheese, and Gorgonzola cheese. Place over medium heat and stir until cheese is completely melted.
3 - Pour the cream into the pasta mixture and stir
4 - Remove the pasta mixture from heat and add the pear and pecans. Stir well and season with pepper.

THOUGHTS:
This pasta has such an usual taste. I think it is possibly the best pasta dish I have ever had. It is super easy to make and would be a very impressive side dish for a dinner party.

Orange Fail Cake

INGREDIENTS:
1 18.25oz Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
1 3oz package instant vanilla pudding mix
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/3 cup orange juice
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter
Confectioners sugar to thicken glaze

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease Bundt pan.
2 - In a large bowl, stir together cake mix & pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in 3/4 cup orange juice, vegetable oil, eggs and lemon extract.
3 - Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into Bundt pan.
4 - Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out to wire rack to cool completely.
5 - In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook 1/3 cup orange juice, sugar & butter for 2 minutes. Put cake back into Bundt pan and poke holes in the cake with a skewer. Pour half of the glaze onto the bottom of the cake. Add confectioners sugar to the remaining glaze, flip the cake back onto a plate and pour thickened, remaining glaze over top of cake.

THOUGHTS:
This cake got its name because the first time I made it, I used a silicone Bundt pan. I will never cook with silicone again, the cake came out in pieces (see picture). The taste, however, was undeniable...this cake is amazing. I made the cake again today in a real Bundt pan for Easter and expect it to be a hit!

Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo

INGREDIENTS:
3 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
5.5 Tablespoons butter, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1.5 teaspoons italian seasoning
1/2 lb fettuccini pasta
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 package sliced mushrooms (8 oz)
2 Tablespoons and 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
1.5 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1.5 cups milk
1/2 cup half & half
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Colby-Monterrey Jack cheese
1/4 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS:
1 - In a large skillet over medium heat combine chicken, 1.5 Tablespoons butter, 1 clove minced garlic and italian seasoning. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove from skillet and set aside.
2 - Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes until al dente, drain.
3 - Meanwhile, melt 4 Tablespoons butter in the skillet. Saute onion, 1 clove minced garlic and mushrooms until onions are transparent.
4 - Slowly add milk and half & half and stir. Then stir in the flour, salt and pepper and stir until smooth and creamy.
5 - Stir in Parmesan and Colby-Monterrey Jack cheeses until melted.
6 - Add chicken mixture and sour cream. Serve over cooked fettucini.

THOUGHTS:
Better than any chicken fettuccini I have had in any restaurant. I can't wait to make this again!

Sauteed Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 clove minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1 lb sliced mushrooms

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2 - Add balsamic vinegar, garlic, oregano and mushrooms. Saute for 20-30 minutes or until tender.

THOUGHTS:
Yummy addition to any steak dinner.

Chicken Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups rice, cooked & chilled
1 egg
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion
1 serving frozen peas, defrosted
1 serving frozen corn, defrosted
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chicken, cooked & cubed

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Beat 1 egg with 1 Tablespoon water. Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add egg and leave flat 1-2 minutes. Remove from skillet, shred and set aside.
2 - Heat 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil in the same skillet. Add onion and saute until soft. Add peas, corn, rice, soy sauce, pepper and chicken.
3 - Stir fry all ingredients for 5 minutes, then add egg. Keep heating until warmed through and well mixed.

THOUGHTS:
Easy and flexible recipe that can be made with things I usually have laying around.

Tasty Meatloaf

INGREDIENTS:
2 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb ground pork sausage
18 saltine crackers, crushed
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup ketchup

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 11 X 7 inch baking dish.
2 - Combine first 8 ingredients and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a large bowl until blended. Place mixture into the baking dish and shape into a 10 X 5 inch loaf.
3 - Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Remove from oven and drain.
4 - Stir together the ketchup and remaining 1/4 brown sugar. Pour over meatloaf and bake 20 more minutes at 350 or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 160 degrees.
5 - Remove from oven and let stand for 20 minutes. Remove from baking dish before serving.

THOUGHTS:
This was my first meatloaf and I think it turned out very well. It was very easy to make and was the perfect comfort food for a chilly February night.

Shrimp & Cheddar Grits

INGREDIENTS:
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup half & half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup grits
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled

DIRECTIONS:
1 - In a large saucepan bring broth & half & half to a boil (the total liquid of broth & half & half should match the amount of water on the directions for the grits). Add salt and gradually stir in grits. Cook grits for amount of time listed on package. Stir in cheese and butter and stir until melted, set aside.

2 - Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms & garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes until shrimp turn opaque, stirring often. Add black pepper and stir until combined.

3 - Transfer grits to plates and top with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with bacon bits.

THOUGHTS:
Best recipe I could find for shrimp and grits that wasn't cajun style or made with tomatoes. Very tasty and easy.

Banana Bread Cobbler

INGREDIENTS:
For cake part:
1 cup self rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 medium-sized ripe bananas, sliced
For streusel topping:
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup self rising flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup uncooked regular oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Make cake: Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together flour and next two ingredients just until blended; whisk in melted butter. Pour batter into a lightly greased 11x7 inch baking dish. Top with sliced bananas.
2 - Make streusel: Stir together brown sugar, flour, and butter until crumbly, using a fork. Stir in oats & pecans.
3 - "Sprinkle" the streusel over the bananas and bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown & bubbly.
4 - Serve with vanilla ice cream

THOUGHTS:
Being a fan of chocolate, this isn't going to become my go to dessert, but it's a great one to have in my recipe box for times that a non-chocolate recipe fits the bill.

Stir-Fried Spanish Rice

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tablespoon oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup salsa (restaurant style, not-chunky)
1 onion
1 cup white rice, uncooked
1 10 oz can whole kernel corn (fiesta corn is best)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add eggs and cook until set, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet & set aside.
2 - In a small sauce pan, bring broth & salsa to a boil
3 - While waiting for the broth/salsa mix to boil, saute the onion in olive oil in the large skillet
4 - Add boiling broth/salsa to the large skillet and add the rice
5 - Season with chili powder, salt & pepper
6 - Cover and simmer until rice is cooked (loosely following directions on rice box)
7 - Stir in corn and eggs.
8 - Serve

THOUGHTS:
This was my first attempt and truly creating a recipe on my own. I had scoured the web for a fried rice w/ egg recipe that had a tilt toward mexican/spanish flavors. After finding nothing, I created this recipe. It worked out very well!

Tacoritos

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups water
3 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 lb ground beef (try to stay under a pound)
1 lb bulk pork sausage
1 cup refried beans
8 flour tortillas (8 inch), warmed
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup Monterey Jack/Cheddar mixed cheese
Sour Cream for serving

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 - In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add water and bring to a boil. Cook & stir for 1 minute or until thickened.
3 - Stir in chili powder and garlic salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes.
4 - Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the beef and sausage until meat is no longer pink. Drain.
5 - Stir refried beans into meat and heat through
6 - Spread 1/4 sauce in a greased 13X9 baking dish
7 - Assemble 8 tacoritos by spreading 1 Tablespoon of sauce over each tortilla and placing 2/3 cup of meat mixture in center of each. Top each with 1/4 cup monterey jack cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in the prepared dish.
8 - Pour remaining sauce over the top and finish with the monterey jack/cheddar mix of cheese.
9 - Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

THOUGHTS:
Yes Yes Yes Yes.

Beef Wellington

INGREDIENTS:
4 1 1/2-inch-thick center-cut filets mignons (about 6 ounces each)
4 large mushrooms (about 1/4 pound total)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 large egg
2 puff pastry sheets (from a 17 1/4-ounce package frozen puff pastry), thawed
4 tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Preheat oven to 425°F.
2 - Pat filets mignons dry and season with salt and pepper. In a shallow roasting pan roast filets in middle of oven 12 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 110°F for rare, and cool (filets will be baked again after being wrapped in pastry).
3 - Chill filets, covered, until cold, about 1 hour.
4 - Thinly slice mushrooms and in a heavy skillet cook in butter with shallot, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste over moderate heat, stirring, until mushrooms are lightly browned. Transfer mushroom mixture to a bowl to cool completely.
5 - In a small bowl lightly beat egg to make an egg wash.
6 - On a lightly floured surface roll out puff pastry sheet into a 14 inch square. Trim edges to form a 13-inch square and cut square into four 6.5 inch squares.
7 - Put 1 tablespoon Gorgonzola in center of 1 square and top with one fourth mushroom mixture.
8 - Top mushroom mixture with a filet mignon, pressing it down gently, and wrap 2 opposite corners of puff pastry over filet, overlapping them. Seal seam with egg wash. Wrap remaining 2 corners of pastry over filet and seal in same manner. Seal any gaps with egg wash and press pastry around filet to enclose completely.
9 - Arrange beef Wellington, seam side down, in a non-stick baking pan.
10 - Make 3 more beef Wellingtons in same manner.
11 - Chill remaining egg wash for brushing on pastry just before baking. Chill beef Wellingtons, loosely covered, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
12 - Preheat oven to 425°F.
13 - Brush top and sides of each beef Wellington with some remaining egg wash and bake 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden.

THOUGHTS:
I cannot believe I have never had beef wellington before and I'm even more surprised about how easy it is to make. I am using this recipe as the main dish for an upcoming dinner party. All of the preparation is done in advance which makes it the perfect dish when entertaining.

Turtle Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
14 ounces individually wrapped caramels (unwrapped)
1 (5oz) can evaporated milk
1 cup chopped pecans
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter one 9" springform pan
2 - Toast the pecans at 350 degrees for 6 minutes. Remove pecans and set aside. Leave oven at 350 degrees.
3 - In a small saucepan, melt the butter.
4 - Combine vanilla wafer crumbs with the melted butter and press into the bottom of the buttered springform pan. Place the pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350. Remove and allow to cool.
5 - In a double boiler, melt the caramels in the evaporated milk. Stir until smooth. Pour this mixture over the cooked crust. Sprinkle the nuts over the top.
6 - In a bowl, combine the cheese, sugar, and vanilla and beat until smooth, scraping down the bowl several times. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth.
7 - Melt the chocolate chips in the double boiler.
8 - Pour the cheese mixture over the caramel layer. When chocolate is melted drizzle over the cheese mixture and swirl with the edge of a knife.
9 - Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until barely set. Chill in refrigerator overnight before serving.

THOUGHTS:
Clayton chose this cheesecake to make for my upcoming dinner party. We tried it once as a trial and found it to be extremely tasty. I have very little experience with cheesecake and we did have trouble removing it from the springform pan. I'm hoping that was just bad luck and it will work better on the second try.

Tossed Salad for Four

INGREDIENTS:
8 cups torn mixed salad greens
1 large granny smith apple, sliced
1/2 sliced almonds
1/2 cup craisins
1/2 cup fat-free poppy seed salad dressing

DIRECTIONS:
1 - In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Add dressing last and toss to coat.
2 - Serve immediately

THOUGHTS:
I don't often eat salads and I rarely like anything low-fat. This recipe was in the December/January 2010 issue of Healthy Cooking and I decided to use it for an upcoming dinner party. I did a test run of the salad and found it to be wonderful. I used Olde Cape Cod's fat-free poppy seed dressing.

Chicken Marsala

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup cream sherry
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:
1 - Mix together the flour, salt, pepper & oregano. Dredge the pounded chicken breasts in the dry mixture until coated.
2 - In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt in the oil.
3 - Place the chicken breasts in pan and lightly brown
4 - Turn over chicken breasts and add mushrooms. Add wine and sherry.
5 - Cover the skillet and simmer the chicken for 10 minutes, turning once. Chicken should no longer be pink and juices should run clear.
6 - While chicken is cooking mix the cornstarch & heavy cream to make a slurry (to thicken the sauce)
6 - Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add slurry to mushroom sauce and stir until the sauce thickens (only takes 1-2 minutes).
7 - Serve over pasta

THOUGHTS:
Absolutely delicious. I made this just a few days after a failed chicken piccata that was so bad I refuse to post it. I really just needed a good, solid Italian chicken dish and this recipe hit the spot.