Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Cooking : Beefy Barbecue Macaroni

Ingredients
3/4 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 1/2 cups cooked elbow macaroni
3/4 cup barbeque sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 dash cayenne pepper
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Additional Cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions
In a skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add macaroni, barbecue sauce, pepper and cayenne; mix well. In a saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Stir in cheese until melted. Pour over the macaroni mixture and mix gently. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Cooking : Bloomin' Onion Dipping Sauce

Ingredients
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated raw horseradish
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions
In a medium mixing bowl, combine sour cream, ketchup, seasoning salt, red pepper flakes, horseradish, and paprika. Serve immediately or refrigerate before serving.

Cooking : 25-Minute Chicken and Noodles

Ingredients
1 (14 ounce) can Swanson� Chicken Broth or Swanson� Natural Goodness™ Chicken Broth
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups frozen vegetable combination (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
2 cups uncooked medium egg noodles
2 cups cubed cooked chicken

Directions
Mix broth, basil, pepper and vegetables in skillet. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes.
Stir in noodles. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Add chicken and heat through.

Cooking : Bacon & Eggs Spaghetti

Ingredients
12 ounces cooked and drained spaghetti
8 thick slices bacon, diced
2 onions, chopped
4 ounces processed cheese food (eg. Velveeta), cubed

Directions
In a large skillet, cook the bacon and remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the onion to the bacon drippings and cook until clear (about 5 minutes). Add the spaghetti and the bacon to the onions and toss until well mixed.
Add the eggs and the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Serve while warm.

Cooking : Big Soft Ginger Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Additional sugar

Directions
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls, then roll in sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Cooking : Baked Stuffed Ravioli

Ingredients
1 (24 ounce) package frozen large round cheese-filled ravioli
1 (26 ounce) can Hunt's� Garlic & Herb Pasta Sauce
8 ounces frozen cooked meatballs, quartered
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Chopped fresh basil (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook ravioli according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine pasta sauce and meatball pieces in medium saucepan; cook over medium heat 8 minutes, or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Drain ravioli; spread onto bottom of prepared dish. Top with the spaghetti sauce mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake 20 minutes, or until ravioli mixture is heated through and cheese is melted. Garnish with basil, if desired.

Cooking : Baked Chicken Breasts Supreme

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Plain yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 cups fine dry bread crumbs

Directions
In a large bowl, combine first eight ingredients. Place chicken in mixture and turn to coat. Cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Remove chicken from marinade; coat each piece with crumbs. Arrange on a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.

Cooking : Budin (Puerto Rican Bread Pudding)

Ingredients
1 cup water
2 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks
15 whole cloves
1 teaspoon anise seed
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 (1 pound) loaf day-old bread
4 cups evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and anise seeds. Cover, and set aside to steep for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons water with 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar completely, but stop stirring once the mixture comes to a boil. Stay near the stove to monitor the color, swirling the pan gently to redistribute the caramel as the sugar begins to darken. Cook to about 310 degrees F (160 degrees C), or until the sugar turns light golden brown, then pour into a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Set aside to allow the caramel to harden.
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Remove the crusts from the day-old bread, tear the bread into cubes, and place into a large mixing bowl. Strain the spice tea through a fine mesh sieve to remove the spices. Add to the bread along with the evaporated milk. Stir to evenly moisten, and set aside for 10 minutes. Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl along with 1 1/2 cups of sugar, the vanilla extract, salt, and melted butter. Stir in the moistened bread mixture until evenly mixed. Pour into the loaf pan over the caramel.
Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place the loaf pan on the towel, inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool in the pan for about an hour, then refrigerate until cold, 2 hours more. When ready, invert the budin onto a serving plate. The caramel will have turned to a syrup and will cover the budin like a sauce.

Cooking : Broccoli, Corn, and Green Bean Saute

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can green beans, drained
1/2 (8 ounce) package crumbled feta cheese with basil and sun-dried tomatoes
dried oregano to taste
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in broccoli, corn, and green beans. Cook until broccoli is tender. Sprinkle with feta cheese, and continue cooking until cheese is melted. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately.

Cooking : Beef/Mushroom Pockets

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package hot roll mix
1 pound ground beef
1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (4 ounce) can mushroom pieces, drained
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons water

Directions
Prepare roll mix according to package directions for pizza crust. While dough rises, brown meat in a skillet. Drain excess fat. Stir in the soup, mushrooms, onion and Worcestershire sauce. Remove from heat.
Divide the dough into eight pieces. Form each piece into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into an 8-in. circle. Place circles on 2 lightly greased baking sheets. Divide meat mixture over eight circles. Top with cheese. Moisten edges of dough and fold in half. Press edges firmly together with a fork. Prick top of dough. Beat egg and water; brush over each pocket. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes.

Cooking : Banana Rum Biscotti

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup mashed ripe banana
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon rum
1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and stir to mix well. Beat the eggs lightly in a bowl, and add the sugar, banana, oil, and rum. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture, blend well, and drop in the pecans, mixing them thoroughly into the dough. Form the dough into 4 logs about 1/2 inch thick, place them onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, and bake for 25 minutes, until the cookie logs begin to brown.
Lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookie logs cool for 10 minutes. Remove the logs from the parchment paper and cut each log into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place the biscotti back onto the cookie sheets and bake for 15 minutes per side (30 minutes total) until cookies begin to brown. Remove to racks to cool. The biscotti will be soft at first, and will harden as they cool.

Cooking : Avocado Ice Cream Sauce

Ingredients
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup milk

Directions
Mash the avocados in a bowl using a fork. Stir in the sugar and milk until smooth and completely blended.

Cooking : A Good Easy Garlic Chicken

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with garlic powder, seasoning salt and onion powder. Saute about 10 to 15 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Cooking : Almond and Coconut Crusted Tilapia

Ingredients
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup chopped toasted almonds
1 cup flaked coconut
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 pinch nutmeg
1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 (5 ounce) fillets tilapia

Directions
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a large baking dish.
Place the beaten eggs in a shallow dish. Mix the almonds, coconut, sesame seeds, brown sugar, and nutmeg together in a mixing bowl. Stir the pineapple and onion together in a separate bowl. Dip each tilapia fillet into the beaten egg and then press into the almond mixture. Place the coated tilapia into the prepared dish. Spread the pineapple mixture over the coated fillets.
Bake in the preheated oven until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 40 minutes.

Cooking : Braised Rabbit with Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (3 pound) dressed rabbit, cut up
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (8 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups baby carrots
6 potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks

Directions
Combine flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a bowl, and set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Coat each piece of rabbit with the seasoned flour mixture, and cook in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until the rabbit pieces are golden brown. Remove the rabbit from the skillet and set aside.
Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Mix together the mushroom soup, mushrooms, garlic, Italian seasoning, and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat.
Place the browned rabbit pieces in a large roasting pan or Dutch oven with a lid, and cover the rabbit with the carrots and potatoes. Pour the mushroom sauce over the rabbit, carrots, and potatoes, cover, and bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours, until the rabbit and vegetables are tender and the sauce is bubbling.

Cooking : Baked Mushroom Rice

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked white rice
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup fresh chopped mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a large bowl, stir together the white rice, cream of mushroom soup, and vegetable broth. Blend in the onion, mushrooms, parsley, oregano, melted butter, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish, and cover with a lid or aluminum foil.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. If the rice is looking dry before it is tender, then pour in a little water and continue cooking until rice is tender.

Cooking : Beef and Barley Soup II

Ingredients
2 quarts beef stock
1 cup diced cooked beef
1 (12 ounce) package barley
ground black pepper to taste

Directions
In a large stock pot bring beef stock to a gentle boil. Add beef and barley, reduce to simmer, cover and cook at least 1 hour.
Check the barley, as to how soft it is. You made need to add more beef stock if to much evaporates.
Add ground pepper to taste. Cook until soup reaches desired thickness.

Cooking : Ameilia's Italian Stuffed Olives

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 stalk celery, minced
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 thick cut bone-in pork chops
1 whole skinless, bone-in chicken breast
1 (10.75 ounce) can tomato puree
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup water
3 (8 ounce) jars colossal green olives, with pits
3 eggs, divided and beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 lemon, zested
flour for dredging
bread crumbs
vegetable oil for deep frying

Directions
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir celery, onion, and garlic in hot oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add pork and chicken and cook for 7 to 10 minutes. Combine tomato puree and tomato paste with 1 cup water, and add to meat mixture. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours, or until pork and chicken are falling off the bone. Remove meat from the pot to cool, and set sauce aside.
Meanwhile, remove olive pits using a special olive pitting tool. Make a slit in one side of each olive large enough to insert stuffing.
Once cooled, remove pork and chicken meat from the bones, and mince. Mix together with 2 beaten eggs, Parmesan cheese, ground nutmeg, lemon zest, and 1/4 cup of reserved sauce. Use more or less sauce as needed so that meat mixture is moist, but not too wet.
Fill each olive with enough stuffing so that a small amount is pushing out of the slit. Dip each stuffed olive in flour, then beaten egg, then bread crumbs. Stuffed olives may be frozen in an air-tight container at this point until ready to use.
Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Fry olives in hot oil for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside. Serve warm.

Cooking : Black Bean Soup I

Ingredients
2 cups dry black beans
6 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup chopped ham
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Directions
Simmer beans, water, ham bone, broth, and salt for 1 1/2 hours.
Discard ham bone. Puree about 1/2 of soup; pour back into pot.
Saute onion, tomato, and meat in oil until onion is soft. Stir in vinegar, and then add mixture to beans. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Cooking : Big Ray's Pork Pie

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds lean ground pork
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup water
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Crumble the ground pork into a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and water. Cook, stirring frequently, until evenly browned. Remove from heat, and mix in the fresh bread crumbs. Season with salt, cinnamon, and cloves, and mix well.
Press one of the pie crusts into the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate. Fill with the pork mixture. Place the second crust over the top, and pinch the seams to seal. Poke a couple of holes in the top crust to vent steam.
Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crust is golden.

Cooking : Blueberry Orange Bran Muffin

Ingredients
1/2 cup oat bran
1 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 orange, juiced and zested
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.
Combine the oat bran and wheat bran in a large bowl. Stir in sour cream and milk. Allow mixture to stand for 10 minutes. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, and salt in a separate bowl. Gently stir blueberries into the flour mixture, carefully coating all the blueberries with flour. Stir vegetable oil, orange juice and zest, egg, and vanilla extract into the bran mixture. Combine flour mixture with the wet ingredients until just blended. Drop batter into lined muffin cups.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Cooking : Apple Dumpling Cake

Ingredients
3 pounds apples - peeled, cored and sliced
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Place sliced apples in baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in eggs and oil; pack on top of apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until topping is puffed and golden brown.

Cooking : Absolutely Ultimate Potato Soup

Ingredients
1 pound bacon, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups chicken stock, or enough to cover potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
3 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until done. Remove bacon from pan, and set aside. Drain off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease.
In the bacon grease remaining in the pan, saute the celery and onion until onion begins to turn clear. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cubed potatoes, and toss to coat. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Return the bacon to the pan, and add enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes. Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender.
In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream, tarragon and cilantro. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir the cream mixture into the potato mixture. Puree about 1/2 the soup, and return to the pan. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Cooking : Barbecued Pork Steaks

Ingredients
4 pork blade steaks, 1 to 1 1/4-inches thick
1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

Directions
Place steaks on grill about 4 inches above medium-slow coals. Cook about 8 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, stir together remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Brush steaks with sauce and continue cooking 5 minutes more, turning and brushing with sauce.