Balsamic Vinaigrette

Recipe Source: Franklin Biggs, Franklin’s Homewood Gourmet

Ingredients:

1 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/3 cup Dijon Mustard
1/3 cup Honey
2 TB Garlic, chopped, browned or roasted
2 tsp Fresh Shallots, chopped (optional)
2 cups Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Whisk vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, garlic and shallots until thick. Slowly add olive oil as dressing emulsifies. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes enough for 12 salads.

Baked Mac and Cheese

Recipe Source: Pampoosh

Cook al dente:
1 pound elbow macaroni
Drain well, set aside

Grate 12 oz. cheese, I used a combination of Gruyere (5) Gouda (5) and Parmesan (2)
Set aside

In a sauce pan make a roux using:
3T butter
3T flour

When slightly turned color, add and bring to a simmer:
1 c broth
1 c milk
1 T paprika
1 t cayenne pepper

Remove from heat and melt cheese into the sauce. Add:
2 - 3 heaping T minced garlic

Combine well with the pasta, place in baking pan and broil until top has browned.

Serve hot with a nice bottle of white wine. MMMM

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe Source: New York Times, 1/4/06

Prep/Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup cottage cheese (not lowfat)
2 cups milk (not skim)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch cayenne
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 pound elbow pasta, uncooked

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack in upper third of oven. Use 1 tablespoon butter to butter a 9-inch round or square baking pan.

In a blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper together.* Reserve 1/4 cup grated cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.

Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

* Next time, I will puree everything without the milk, and then add it in. I think that will put a finer grind on the cottage cheese, so no lumps remain.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Crabcakes

Recipe Source: Mr_Recipe / MyFoxAL

Ingredients:

2 lb crab meat
1/2 cup trio peppers, small dice
1/2 cup red onion, small dice
2 Tbsp lemon zest or lemon grass
1/2 cup garlic chives
3/4 cup mayo
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 Tbsp Old Bay
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 each whole eggs
2 cups panko

Directions:

Place all ingredients in bowl, except panko. Mix well. Then add panko.

Form out into 2 1/2 oz disks and brown on griddle or saute pan. Place in 350 F oven for 3-5 minutes or until done.

Baked Eggs, Basque-Style

Recipe Source: Franklin Biggs, Franklin’s Homewood Gourmet / MyFoxAL

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 Tbsp roasted chopped garlic
1 cup ham or cooked sausage, diced
2 cups tomato sauce
to taste: salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, red chili flakes
6 eggs

Directions:

Saute onion and red bell pepper in oil until soft. Add garlic, ham (or sausage) and heat through. Add tomato sauce and season to taste. Simmer 5 minutes. Pour sauce into flat baking dish and smooth flat. Make 6 indentations with a spoon and break an egg in each. Bake at 350F until eggs are done.

Cornbread Dressing

Recipe Source: Chef Bob

Ingredients:

1 recipe cornbread (crumbled)
1 small onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
6 to 7 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp rubbed sage
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 Tbsp butter
5 eggs

Directions:

Saute onions and celery in butter til soft. Add all ingredients together and bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes.

Cheesy Oven-Fried Chicken

Recipe Source: deliciousdecisions.org

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil spray
2 cups bite-size, low-fat cheddar-cheese-flavored crackers
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or turkey breast tenderloins, all visible fat removed
2 tablespoons skim milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400: F. Spray a shallow baking pan with vegetable oil.

Place crackers, basil and pepper in a large plastic bag with a tight-fitting seal (leave end open so air can escape) and use a rolling pin to crush the crackers. Or place crackers, basil and pepper in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until finely crushed; transfer to large plastic bag. Set aside.

Rinse chicken or turkey and pat dry. Cut into 16 strips, about 1×3-inches each. Dip chicken or turkey in milk. Add chicken or turkey strips, a few pieces at a time, to bag with cracker mixture. Seal bag and shake until chicken or turkey is coated. Place coated chicken or turkey in a single layer on prepared baking pan.

Bake, uncovered, 5 to 7 minutes, or until chicken or turkey is tender and no longer pink.
Cheesy Chicken Nuggets: Prepare recipe as above except cut chicken or turkey into bite-size pieces. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 400:F oven about 5 minutes, or until tender and no longer pink.

Serves 4; 4 chicken strips per serving.

Beef and Bean Enchiladas

Recipe Source: deliciousdecisions.org

Ingredients:

1/2 cup no-salt-added tomato sauce
1/2 cup salsa
8 6-inch corn tortillas
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 cup canned nonfat refried beans
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together tomato sauce and salsa. Using about half the tomato sauce mixture, brush both sides of each tortilla. Stack tortillas on a plate and set aside. (This allows tortillas to soften.)

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat until brown, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place in a colander and rinse under hot water. Drain well. Wipe skillet with a paper towel. Return beef to skillet. Stir in refried beans, chili powder, cumin and pepper. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, or until heated through.

Preheat broiler.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of the mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas and place, seam side down, in a 10×6x2-inch or 9×9x2-inch glass baking dish. Top with remaining tomato sauce mixture.

Broil 4 inches from the heat for 5 minutes, or until browned. Sprinkle with cheese. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4; 2 enchiladas per serving

Fried Dill Pickles

Recipe Source: The Fish Market

Ingredients:

1 egg beaten
1 cup milk
3 and 1/2 cups flour
1 qt. sliced dill pickles
vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine milk and egg in a bowl. Put the flour in a freezer bag and add salt and pepper. Dip drained pickles in egg mixture and then shake in flour. When pickles are coated well, deep fry in oil until they turn golden brown and float. Enjoy!

Sausage Balls

Recipe Source: mom

Ingredients:

1 (10-oz) package Cheddar cheese
1 lb. hot bulk sausage
2 1/2 cup Bisquick

Directions:

Shread cheese in large glass mixing bowl. Add hunks of sausage into bowl and heat briefly in microwave–just until the mixture warms, maybe thirty seconds. Return to counter and gradually cut in bisquick, mixing well with your hands as if you’re kneading bread. (The heat from the microwave is a neat trick to help mix the ingredients.)

Form into small balls, about the size of a walnut; place on cookie sheet. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. May be frozen before baking.

Serve by themselves or with your favorite dipping sauces. (my fav is mustard!)

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