PECAN BARS

FOR THE CRUST:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

FOR THE FILLING

• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces (about 2 cups) pecans
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil.

Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg; pulse just until a dough forms.

Transfer dough to prepared pan; with floured fingers and an offset spatula, press firmly into bottom and 3/4 inch up sides. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Prick bottom of dough; bake until lightly golden, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool while preparing filling.

Make the filling: In a large saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly, until smooth; continue boiling, without stirring, until slightly darkened, about 2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat. Whisk in cream and salt; mix in pecans. 

Assemble and bake: Spoon hot filling evenly over crust, using spoon to arrange and press in nuts so they fit snugly (create as flat a surface as possible).

Bake until bubbling and golden-colored, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Using foil, lift cake from pan; peel off foil. With a sharp knife, trim edges (if desired). Cut into 6 even strips; cut each strip crosswise into 4 even strips to make 24 bars.

BLACKRASPBERRY CUPCAKES

   

 INGREDIENTS

• One box of Betty Crocker Fun Da-Middles cupcake mix (Chocolate with white cream filling)
• Oil, water and eggs to make mix according to box.
• 1/3 c. black raspberry jam
• 1 stick of salted butter (room temp)
• 1 stick of unsalted butter (room temp)
• 1 1/2c. powdered sugar
• 3 t. raspberry extract flavoring (use vanilla if making just plain frosting)
• Wiltons Icing Color- Violet
• 12 large blackberries
• Edible Glitter, White

DIRECTIONS:

• Make cupcakes according to package.
• Distribute white cream filling according to package
• Place 1/3c. black raspberry jam in a zip top bag.  Clip a corner and pipe about 1 t. over cream filling in each cup.
• Finish distributing batter over the top, according to package.
• Bake according to package.
• Cool completely.
• Place both sticks of (room temp!!!) butter in a mixing bowl with the powdered sugar, and flavoring.
• Beat on high until creamy, smooth and thick.
• Add coloring until desired frosting shade is reached.
• Clip the corner of a zip top bag and insert a piping tip (or use a piping bag if you want).  Fill bag with frosting and pipe over cupcakes

MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH

MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH
Ingredients:

1 egg
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 slices egg bread (challah works well), sliced 1/2-inch thick
8 thin slices ham
8 thin slices turkey
8 thin slices Swiss cheese
3 cups canola oil
Confectioners sugar
Blackberry preserves

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels; set aside.
2. Whisk the egg and water together in a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and whisk thoroughly for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth, scraping sides of bowl.
3. On one slice of bread, arrange 2 slices of ham, turkey, and cheese, covering the bread evenly. Place another slice of bread on top and slice each sandwich in half diagonally.
4. Heat oil to between 365 degrees F and 375 degrees F in a 10-inch pan. Do not let the oil reach a higher temperature than this; if the oil starts to smoke, turn the heat down. Dip half of the sandwich into the batter, allowing excess to drain, and very carefully place into the oil.
5. Repeat with the other sandwich half. Cook 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Place the cooked sandwich on the prepared cookie sheet in a warm oven until ready to serve. Repeat with the other three sandwiches.
6. Cook one at a time, and allow the oil to reach the desired temperature between each.
7. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve with blackberry preserves on the side.

GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD

Romaine lettuce, chopped
Iceburg lettuce, chopped
Sliced avocado
Mandarin oranges
Cilantro, chopped
Tropical trail mix
Cashews
Grilled chicken, sliced
Lime, squeez

CHICKEN LASAGNA ROLLUPS

 ingredients

chopped cooked chicken  

1/4 cup milk

 1 cup Ricotta cheese

 1/8 teaspoon white pepper  

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese 

 8 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained  

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese  

2 cups Prego Spaghetti Sauce
 
in medium bowl, combine chicken, cheeses, milk, and pepper

 

Spread 1/2 cup mixture on each lasagna noodle; roll jelly-roll fashion

In a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce

Arrange lasagna rolls, seam-side down in sauce in baking dish

Top with remaining spaghetti sauce

Cover

Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until hot

Serve, if desired, with additional Parmesan cheese.

CHICKEN, PEAR PINENUT SALAD

 

Leftover roast chicken, rewarm. Or hot roasted chicken pulled into pieces when still warm

1 bunch of arugula, washed and torn or favorite lettuce

2 pears, sliced paper thin

4-6 small sweet peppers, slivered

1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted

2 Tbs. minced rosemary

2 shallots, sliced thin

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 Tbs. sherry vinegar

1 Tbs. whole grain mustard

1/2 c. olive oil

Combine chicken, arugula, peppers, pears and pine nuts in a large bowl.  Place rosemary, lemon juice, sherry vinegar & mustard in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Continue whisking while slowly drizzling in olive oil until emulsified.  Whisk in roast chicken juices/drippings.  Add dressing to salad and toss until well combined.  Serve at once.

LEMON CHEESECAKE BARS

 INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour 

 1/2 cup powdered sugar 

          1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 

                 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened 

2 large eggs 

2/3 cup (5 fl.-oz. can) Nestles Carnation evaporated milk 

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel 

1 teaspoon yellow food coloring (optional) 

1 cup sour cream

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

COMBINE flour and powdered sugar in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until crumbly. Press onto bottom and 1-inch up sides of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

BAKE for 25 minutes.

PLACE cream cheese, eggs, evaporated milk, granulated sugar, flour, lemon juice, lemon peel and food coloring in blender container; cover. Blend until smooth. Pour into partially baked crust.

BAKE for additional 15 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on wire rack. Spread sour cream over top; refrigerate. Cut into bars. Garnish as desired.

PINEAPPLE COCONUT BANANA BREAD

 Pineapple Coconut Banana Bread 

       1 stick of butter, melted and cooled

       1/3 cup organic cane sugar

       1/3 cup dark brown sugar

       2 eggs

       1 1/2 cups white flour

       1/2 cup whole wheat flour

       1 teaspoons salt

       2 teaspoons baking powder

       5 very ripe bananas, coarsely mashed

       6 oz. canned crushed pineapple, drain liquid

       5 oz. canned cream of coconut (not coconut milk – however I have used coconut milk when I couldn’t    find cream of coconut and I added a 1/4 tsp of vanilla)

       1 teaspoon vanilla

       1/2 cup of roughly chopped and toasted macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a standard loaf pan

Toast the nuts in the oven for about 10 minutes

Cream butter, 2 of the mashed bananas and sugars in a large bowl.

Mix in eggs.

In a separate bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients

Mash remaining bananas thoroughly in another bowl (3rd) and fold in pineapple, cream of coconut, and vanilla.

Fold both banana mixtures from other two bowls slowly into dry ingredients – don’t over mix!

Fold in the nuts.

Pour batter into the pan

Bake for about 55-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out mostly clean, rotate pan a few times while baking (Cooking time may vary depending upon your ovens… just keep an eye on it :-)

Let the bread cool on a rack and turn out of the pan after about fifteen minutes. Let cool almost completely (approximately 45 minutes) before slicing. The bread will be very dense and moist.

MONKEY SQUARES

Monkey Squares

from TheWelcomeMat 

1 ½ cups sugar

1 cup sour cream
½ cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 ¾ cups (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour 10x15 jelly roll pan. Beat first four ingredients until creamy. Blend in bananas and vanilla one minute. Add dry ingredients and blend one minute. Stir in nuts and spread in pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool and frost with Browned Butter Frosting (recipe below).

 Butter Frosting 

 ½ cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
about 3 tablespoons milk or half and half

Heat butter in saucepan over medium heat past the melting point until it boiling, and a delicate brown. Remove from the heat and immediately add the remaining ingredients. This should be thicker than a glaze and thinner than frosting. Using a spatula smooth over the top of the Monkey Squares immediately. The frosting will be easier to spread once it's on the warm bread.

BACON CHEESE STUFFED CHICKEN

 

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 slices of bacon
6-8 slices of cheese – mozzarella, cheddar, colby jack – anything you like! (off of a block of cheese, if you’re using pre-sliced for sandwiches 2 slices)
2 tsp barbecue sauce, plus extra for serving
Grilling rub of your choice (we use the Dizzy Pig’s Raging River)
Toothpicks, soaked in water (optional, to prevent excessive  burning while grilling)

Directions:

Preheat grill to 350 degrees.

Pound out chicken breasts (in a plastic bag or between two sheets of wax paper) to about 1/4 inch thickness. Coat the top of chicken with grill rub. Turn over so rub side is down on work surface. Spread one teaspoon of barbeque sauce in a thin layer over each chicken breast. Layer cheese in the middle of the chicken. Roll chicken tightly. Wrap with bacon, using as many slices of bacon as you need and using toothpicks to hold bacon in place.

Grill for 20-25 minutes, turning every 4-5 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken breast has reached 165 degrees.

Remove toothpicks and serve with barbecue sauce on the side.

Adapted from Bac'n and eggs