Cooking : Beef Stroganoff with White Wine

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1 (8 ounce) package sliced mushrooms
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup white wine
2 cups beef bouillon
1 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half cream

Directions
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook and stir the mushrooms, onion and garlic in the butter until tender. Reserving the liquid in the saucepan, remove the mushroom mixture to a bowl. Return the butter mixture to medium-high heat.
Whisk together the flour and half-and-half until smooth; set aside.
Season the beef with salt and pepper; cook the beef in the reserved liquid until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir the wine, beef bouillon, thyme, basil, oregano, bay leaves, and pepper; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Slowly stir in the flour mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, 20 to 30 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture and stir.

Cooking : Best Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Ingredients
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 cups whole milk
10 slices hearty farmhouse-style bread, toasted and cut into cubes
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 pinch ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
In a mixing bowl, whisk 3 eggs, white sugar, 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 cup of butter, and 3 cups of whole milk together, and gently stir in the bread cubes and raisins. Lightly spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Bake in the preheated oven until browned and set in the middle, 50 to 55 minutes; cover the dish with foil after 30 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Let the pudding stand for 10 minutes before serving.
For vanilla sauce, whisk 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, the flour, a pinch of cinnamon, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 1/4 cups of whole milk,and salt together in a heavy saucepan until smooth. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour sauce over warm bread pudding, or serve on the side in a bowl.

Cooking : Best Whole Wheat Chocolate Chippers

Ingredients
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 cups butter, softened
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup ground pecans
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the brown sugar, white sugar, and butter until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Stir in the vanilla, salt, and baking soda until well blended, then mix in the ground pecans and flour. Stir in the chocolate chips last. Try not to over mix once you add the flour.
Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto ungreased baking sheets so they are about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cookies are just starting to brown at the edges. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Cooking : Barbeque Macaroni Salad

Ingredients
1 (12 ounce) package elbow macaroni
1 (15 ounce) can marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup sweet pickle relish
1 (4 ounce) can sliced black olives
1 small red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chili powder

Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Put macaroni in a serving bowl, and mix in the marinara sauce, celery, relish, olives, onion, mayonnaise and chili powder. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Cooking : Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Strata

Ingredients
12 thick slices white bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms (optional)
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Directions
Toss cubed bread with bacon, cheese, and mushrooms, and pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Whisk together eggs, half-and-half, and mustard until smooth, then pour evenly over cubed bread. Cover dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Remove plastic wrap from the baking dish, and bake strata in preheated oven until the top is golden brown, and the eggs are set, about 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.