Chocolate Mint Brownies

Chocolate Mint Brownies

Brownie
1 cup sugar
1 cup softened butter
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 can Hershey syrup (16 oz)
1 tsp vanilla

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix sugar and butter.
3. Add eggs and stir.
4. Add flour and stir.
5. Add syrup and vanilla and stir.
6. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Topping
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp cream or milk
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
green food coloring

1. Mix all ingredients together and spread over top of cooled brownies.

Glaze
1 cup chocolate chips
6 tbsp butter

1. Melt together in saucepan or double broiler.
2. Pour evenly over brownies.
3. Refrigerate for several hours until set.

Notes: The topping and glaze can be used on a normal boxed brownie mix as well.

Recipe Origination: Tammy Dill

Pumpkin-Spiced Gingersnap Truffles

Pumpkin-Spiced Gingersnap Truffles

1 1/4 cujps semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup chopped gingersnaps (about 10 cookies)
1/3 cup finely crushed gingersnaps (about 7 cookies)

1. In medium bowl combine chocolate chips, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla.
2. In medium microwave safe bowl place whipping cream. Microwave on high for 70 seconds or until boiling. Pour cream over chocolate mixture and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth.
3. Stir chopped gingersnaps into mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours until firm.
4. Place crushed gingersnaps in a small bowl. Remove dough from fridge and roll into 1" balls. Roll each ball in crushed gingersnaps.
5. Keep refrigerated to store.

Notes: If you keep the dough in the fridge for too long, it becomes difficult to roll into balls. Also, if you don't chop the gingersnaps enough, it hurts when you roll them into balls Overall, the recipe will make 20-25 delicious truffles.

Recipe Origination: "Better Homes and Gardens"

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Butter

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Butter

Butter
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Pancakes
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups milk
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1. In heavy saucceman, cook butter over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. Remove from heat and stir in pecans.
3. In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin and cheese. Stir in dry ingredients until just moistened.
5. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle, turning when bubbles form on top.
6. Serve with cinnamon butter.

Notes: This is a quick and easy recipe, great for any meal. It made 12 pancakes.

Recipe Origination: "Better Homes and Gardens"

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 stick melted butter

Filling
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (15 ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. For crust, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter and press flat into a 9" springform pan.
3. For filling, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, sour cream, sugar, spices, flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.
4. Pour filling evenly into crust. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Notes: If you have a Kitchenaid, use it. A regular handmixer leaves the filling lumpy. (It still tastes good; it's just lumpy.)

Recipe Origination: Paula Dean

Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup

1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 green, yellow or orange pepper, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup dry lentils, rinsed
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken stock (or veggie stock)
16 ounce jar salsa

1. Saute onion and peppers with a little bit of olive oil until tender.
2. Add lentils, chili powder, cumin, garlic and chicken stock. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 50 minutes.
3. Stir in salsa and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Variations: Add 1 small cooked, shredded chicken breast in step #3. Or, add 3 oz cooked ground chorizo sausage in step #3, and serve with diced avocado and fresh cilantro.

Notes: We like to eat it with cheese quesadilla wedges. If you've never had lentils, they're a great source of fiber and protein with no salt, sugar or fat...and actually taste good, too :)

Recipe Origination: Erin Rowley gave me the original Lentil Soup recipe but it has changed a lot to get to this one.

Spinach Tortellini with Beans and Feta

Spinach Tortellini with Beans and Feta

1 9 oz package tortellini (cheese or spinach)
1 15 oz can cannellini beans (white kidney)
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tomato, finely chopped
4 cups baby spinach

1. Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Drain and return to saucepan.
2. Add beans, feta and olive oil to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese begins to melt.
3. Add tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.
4. Divide spinach among 4 shallow bowls. Top with tortellini mixture.

Notes: This tastes good with a clove or two of garlic added in during the tomato step, too. It can easily be cut in half to serve 2.

Recipe Origination: "Better Homes and Gardens"

Spicy Pasta with Sweet Potatoes

Spicy Pasta with Sweet Potatoes

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes
1/2 tsp each sugar, chili powder and cinnamon
1 tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. dried rigatoni
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 oz. cream cheese, cut up
2 tsp. Sriracha sauce (or another Asian chili sauce)
1 tbsp. soy sauce
6 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Place sweet potato cubes in a bowl and toss with olive oil, sugar, chili powder and cinnamon. Spread on foil lined pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until tender.
2. Cook pasta according to package instructions, saving 1 cup cooking water.
3. In saucepan, combine peanut butter, cream cheese, chili sauce and soy sauce. Whisk in 3/4 cup hot pasta water. Stir over medium heat until heated through, adding additional pasta water if needed.
4. Stir in green onions, pasta and sweet potatoes. Serve.

Notes: If you don't like spice, add less of the Sriracha and chili powder. Add more if you like extra heat. If you don't have rigatoni, penne works well, too. To avoid blackened potatoes, flip them half-way through cooking or put them on a cooling rack to allow more air circulation.

Recipe Origination: From "Better Homes and Gardens"

Goat Cheese Mac & Cheese

Goat Cheese Mac & Cheese

1 cup pitted Mediterranean olives
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 tsp thyme
12 oz penne pasta

1. Chop olives in food processor until finely chopped.
2. Place in large bowl and add garlic, olive oil, goat cheese and thyme.
3. Cook pasta until al dente, saving some of the cooking water.
4. Toss pasta with cheese mixture, adding pasta water for desired consistency.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes: I don't care for olives, so I made half with and half without. It's still good without the olives. The recipe can easily be split in half to feed 2 people, too.

Recipe Origination: Shannon Downey sent this one from a Mac and Cheese book.

Chicken Wellington

Chicken Wellington

1 sheet puffed pastry dough, thawed, rolled out and cut in half
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and diced
4 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup marinara or other red sauce
1/2 pepper (any color) finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread half of each ingredient on each puffed pastry sheet.
3. Fold puffed pastry sheet over and seal each open side by folding over and indenting with a fork. (This makes it look like a hot pocket.)
4. Put on foil lined baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Notes: You can really put anything inside the pastry dough. This is just a combination that we happen to enjoy. If the pastry dough sticks to the counter, use a little flour or don't let it thaw out quite so long. This recipe makes two wellingtons.

Recipe Origination: Erin made us veggie wellingtons once, so this is a version of that.

Chicken Penne Pasta

Chicken Penne Pasta

1 large skinless chicken breast, trimmed and sliced in very thin strips
1/2 green pepper, sliced in very thin strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dried spinach flakes
1-2 dashes cayenne pepper
1 tbsp oil
1/2 jar marinara sauce
1/2 jar cream based sauce (we like Bertolli Four Cheese Rosa)
1/2 box penne pasta, cooked to package directions (we like Ronzoni Smart Taste)
1/4 cup Parmesan shreds

1. Put oil in saute pan on medium heat.
2. Put in chicken, pepper, garlic, spinach flakes and cayenne pepper. Saute for several minutes until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
3. Reduce heat. Add marinara and cream sauce. Mix until warm.
4. Add cooked pasta. Stir and warm.
5. Serve in bowl and sprinkle with Parmesan shreds.

Notes: This will serve 2-3 people. If you like tomatoes, a finely chopped one would probably go well with this dish, added in during the sauteing.

Recipe Origination: Made it up tonight using random ingredients we had in the cabinets and in our garden. It turned out good :)

Spicy Chicken Tacos

Spicy Chicken Tacos

2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 cup salsa verde
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/2 tsp garlic sea salt
1/2 tsp cumin
Juice of 1 lime
6-8 hard taco shells
Suggested toppings: shredded chihuahua cheese or crumbled queso fresca, diced avocado, chopped lettuce

1. Place shredded chicken, salsa, jalapeno, garlic sea salt, cumin and lime in a saute pan. Cook over medium heat until hot (2-3 minutes).
2. Serve in taco shells with desired toppings.

Notes: You can cook the chicken any way. If I'm crunched for time, I just microwave it, flipping every 2 minutes until it's thoroughly cooked. If I have more time, I'll grill it. I've found the easiest way to shred chicken is using two forks to pull it apart. If you don't enjoy spicy foods, I'd skip this one! It will feed 2-3 people.

Recipe Origination: I made it up in attempts to use up cooked chicken and limes that were about to go bad. It ended up delicious!

Voodoo Pasta

Voodoo Pasta

1/2 pound penne pasta (usually 1/2 box)
1/2 kielbasa sausage link (or equivalent - lite, turkey, etc.)
1/2 jar alfredo sauce
1+ tsp blackening seasonings
1+ dash hot sauce

1. Cook pasta according to instructions and set aside.
2. Cut sausage link into 1/4" pieces and sprinkle with blackening seasoning.
3. Saute sausage links over medium heat on a sprayed saute pan for 2-3 minutes.
4. Reduce heat and add alfredo sauce until warmed.
5. Add dash of hot sauce and stir.
6. Add noodles and stir.

Notes: The recipe will serve 2-3 adults and can easily be doubled. Look for a blackening season that doesn't list salt as one of its first three ingredients. If you want your face to melt from the heat, add more hot sauce :)

Recipe Origination: One of Sean's specialties.

Red-Skinned Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Red-Skinned Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

4 medium new red potatoes, washed and cut into 1" cubes
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp garlic sea salt
1/2 cup milk

1. Boil potatoes for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
2. Combine all ingredients and blend until mixed. (The longer you blend, the creamier the potatoes. If you want lumpy potatoes, blend for less time.)

Notes: This will feed 2-3 people as a side. If you don't like skins, you can peel them first, but all the good stuff is in the skins, so I like keeping them on. Adding a little shredded parmesan tastes good, too.

Recipe Origination: I made it up. The more cheese, the merrier :)

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

2 chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded to 1/2" thickness
1/8 cup bread crumbs
1/8 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Pinch of salt
1 egg
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup marinara sauce
3-4 slices provolone cheese

1. Combine bread crumbs, salt and parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl.
2. Beat the egg and put in a separate shallow bowl.
3. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg and then the crumb mixture.
4. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Sear each chicken 2-3 minutes on each side.
5. Place chicken in a baking dish. Cover with marinara and provolone cheese.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle.

Recipe Origination: I made it up, though I'm sure it's similar to any other chicken parm recipe.

Flour Tortillas

Flour Tortillas

3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup hot water

1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Cut in shortening until crumbly.
3. Add water to moisten.
4. Knead mixture thoroughly and let sit covered for 1 hour.
5. Pull apart to make 12 balls and roll each on a floured surface to 1/8" thickness (or use a tortilla press).
6. Cook on hot cast iron skillet for 1-2 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Notes: Don't be stupid like me and immediately start kneading after putting in the hot water. I definitely burned my thumb. Make sure the tortillas are rolled super thin, otherwise they'll be pretty dense when eating. They taste great with shredded chipotle chicken (see 4/28/2010 for recipe) and traditional taco toppings.

Recipe Origination: allrecipes.com

Marinated Skirt Steak

Marinated Skirt Steak

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 scallions, cut in half
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 lbs skirt steak, cut into three equal pieces

1. Heat charcoal grill
2. Blend oil, soy sauce, scallions, garlic, lime juice, red pepper, cumin and sugar.
3. Place steak and marinade in zip-loc bag, remove air, seal and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Remove steak and pat dry with paper towels.
5. Cook steak over charcoal until desired doneness.
6. Wrap steak in aluminum foil and let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Notes: Instead of using the rack on the grill, you can also cook the steak directly on the coals, just use a blow dryer to blow the ash off first and reduce cooking time considerably. It's worth it to get a good quality skirt steak instead of the cheap pre-packaged one at the grocery store.

Recipe Origination: Alton Brown...Sean loves that show :)

Spinach Pesto

Spinach Pesto

2 bunches flat-leaf spinach (about 1 pound), trimmed and washed
10 oz penne type pasta
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, extra for sprinkling
1/3 cup walnuts
1 garlic clove
1 tsp grated lemon zest plus 2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water; place a colander inside, resting in the ice.
2. In batches, stir spinach into boiling water and cook until wilted and bright green (about 30 seconds per batch.) Transfer spinach to the colander (in ice bath) to stop cooking. Reserve the boiling water for later.
3. Cool spinach completely in ice bath, lift colander and squeeze spinach dry.
4. Cook pasta according to package directions, saving 1/2 cup pasta water. Immediately drain pasta and return to pot.
5. Place spinach, Parmesan, walnuts, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice into a food processor. Process until a coarse paste forms. With motor running add oil, 1/4 cup plain water and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add pesto and tomatoes (if desired) to pasta and toss, adding reserved pasta water to coat pasta if necessary.

Notes: Considering I typically don't like pesto and hate walnuts, I'm surprised how much I like this recipe. Sean really loves it! If cooked correctly, it comes out a beautiful bright green color. It makes about 4 servings.

Recipe Origination: From "Body & Soul" magazine

Cheese-It Chicken Strips

Cheese-It Chicken Strips

1/2 cup Cheese-Its, finely crushed
2 large chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into strips
2-3 tbsp oil

1. Put oil in frying pan over medium heat.
2. Put Cheese-It's in gallon zip-loc bag, followed by chicken strips, and shake until coated.
3. Place strips on frying pan and cook 3-4 minutes each side, until no longer pink in the center.
4. Serve hot and crispy.

Notes: This feeds 2-3 people, depending on how large the original breasts were. If your frying pan is small, cook in two separate batches. To crush the Cheese-Its, I put them in the gallon zip-loc and take a rolling pin to them until completely crushed. You can obviously add other seasonings, but the Cheese-Its already offer good flavor! We like eating these with corn on the cob.

Recipe Origination: It's your basic fried chicken recipe but instead of making a coating mix, I used stale Cheese-Its because I hate throwing food away. (Most types of crackers - stale or not - will probably work. I've made it with Goldfish, too.)

Sausage Kabobs

Sausage Kabobs

1 sausage link (that Kielbasa stuff), cut into 8 equal pieces
1 sweet potato, peeled, washed and cut into 1" cubes
1 apple, peeled, washed and cut into 1" cubes (Granny Smith works well)
4 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp honey
1/8 cup packed brown sugar
4 bamboo skewers

1. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Heat water to boiling in a medium sized sauce pan.
3. Add sweet potatoes, reduce heat, cover and cook for 6 minutes.
4. Add apples and recover, cooking for 6 more minutes, or until potatoes are slightly tender.
5. Combine butter, honey and brown sugar in a gallon sized ziploc bag.
6. Add potatoes, apples and sausage to bag and mix around. Let marinate for at least one hour.
7. Thread all food on skewers and place on a foil lined baking sheet. If any marinade remains, baste the kabobs. Bake for 8 minutes or until everything is sizzling.

Notes: If you overcook the sweet potatoes, they will mash into pieces while marinating, making it impossible to thread them on skewers.

Recipe Origination: I made it up, though the marinade is similar to one I've used with ham kabobs.

Stuffed Chicken

Stuffed Chicken

2 large chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded evenly to 1/4" thickness
2-4 thin slices ham
4 slices cheese (swiss or provolone work well)
4 oz cooked, seasoned wild rice (more if you want extra to serve along side)

1. Place ham slices on top of each chicken breast.
2. Place 1 cheese slice on each chicken breast.
3. Place half of rice on each chicken breast.
4. Fold over each chicken breast to make a "pocket," using toothpicks if necessary to keep it together.
5. Pan fry on medium heat for 1 minute per side.
6. Place one slice cheese on each breast and bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes, or until chicken is entirely cooked through. (If you didn't do a good job pounding, you may have to cook it longer.)

Notes: We forgot to season these the first time we made them, and they had great flavor as is. Obviously you can add seasonings, but I recommend holding off on salt, as the cheese and ham already have quite a bit in them. The key is really even pounding to allow for even cooking. You don't want to find out halfway through eating that the very center is still pinkish!

Recipe Origination: I'm sure something like this is in several cookbooks, but this was a made-up recipe using what we already had in the house.

DIY Ice Cream

DIY Ice Cream

1/2 cup milk (I recommend whole)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup rock salt
2-3 cups ice
1 quart zip loc bag
1 gallon zip loc bag

1. Add sugar, milk, cream and vanilla to the quart zip loc bag and seal.
2. Add ice and salt to the gallon zip loc bag.
3. Place the sealed quart bag into teh gallon bag and seal the gallon bag.
4. Gently rock the bag from side to side for 10 minutes, or until the ice cream has solidified. (Pretend you're milking a cow...it works, I swear.)
5. Remove the quart bag, rinse off any salt residue, and enjoy the contents.

Notes: This ice cream is gooooooooood. Technically this makes 2 servings, but I can certainly eat it all at once :) If you double the recipe, it's best to double the set up as well. Putting twice the ingredients in the same size bag could result in the ice cream not freezing.

Recipe Origination: The chemistry department at Warren.

BLT Bruschetta

BLT Bruschetta

1 loaf Italian crusty bread (the skinny loaf)
8 slices cooked bacon
2 roma tomatoes, sliced very thin
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
2. Cut bread into 16 slices and place on a foil lined baking sheet.
3. Place tomato slices on bread.
4. Place half a slice of bacon on each slice of bread.
5. Sprinkle cheese over each slice of bread.
6. Bake for 7-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling.
7. Serve warm or cold.

Notes: If you have extra time on hand, you can lightly oil each slice prior to putting any toppings on. Also, you can sprinkle each with spices, like garlic powder or oregano. They taste great without the extras though :)

Recipe Origination: I made it up as an appetizer for a party. It was a success!

Easy Punch

Easy Punch

1 2-liter Sprite or 7-Up
1 2-liter Ginger-ale (I have a home-made recipe I'll share sometime)
1 quart raspberry sherbert

1. Scoop raspberry sherbert into punch bowl.
2. Pour Sprite and Ginger-ale over top.
3. Serve and wait for people to ask how you made it.

Notes: I'd say this recipe serves about 12-15 people. It can easily be cut in half and doubled. I'm not a big pop drinker, but I still love it!

Recipe Origination: I believe this is Kathy Delzotti's recipe, or at least what I remember of it when she told me one time.

Chipotle Chicken

Chipotle Chicken

2 chicken breasts, trimmed (pounded if uneven in thickness)
2-3 tbsp lime juice
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1-2 tbsp honey
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt

1. Combine all ingredients except chicken in a zip-loc bag.
2. Add chicken breasts and "massage" until chicken is fully coated. Put in fridge to marinate for at least an hour.
3. Remove chicken from bag and grill. (Grilling times vary based on the grill...about 4-6 minutes per side is average, making sure no pink remains in the middle.)

Notes: The chicken can stand alone with a side dish, but it tastes great chopped up in the "Chicken and Green Chili Enchiladas" recipe from a previous posting, which is how we ate it tonight. It would be good chopped up in tacos or on a salad, too.

Recipe Origination: Sean made this one up, and it was a success!

Banana Blueberry Bread (or Muffins)

Banana Blueberry Bread (or Muffins)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 large or 3 medium mashed bananas
1/2 yogurt, plain or flavored
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen, thawed)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour two bread pans or use 24 muffin cups.
3. Beat sugar and oil together.
4. Add bananas, yogurt, vanilla, and eggs, blending well.
5. Add flour and baking soda, stirring until ingredients are moistened.
6. Gently stir in blueberries.
7. Pour batter into pan or cups.
8. Bake loaves for 50-60 minutes or muffins for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake

1 box Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake Mix
16 oz. sour cream
3 large eggs
25 mini peanut butter cups, quartered

Glaze:
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2-4 tbsp powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the cake mix, sour cream and eggs in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for several minutes.
3. Grease a bundt pan.
4. Pour half the batter in the pan, followed by peanut butter cups, and then the remaining batter.
5. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool for 10-15 minutes and then turn over on a rack or plate to cool.
7. Make the glaze just before serving: heat milk in a sauce pan. Whisk in peanut butter and then powdered sugar. Drizzle over cake.

Notes: This cake is as good as it sounds. You can get 12 hearty slices out of it, or up to 20 smaller slices.  To increase the mouthwatering effect, you can save a few of the peanut butter cups to sprinkle on top of the cake.

Recipe Origination: Erin Rowley sent me this one, from the "Whipped" website.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce (or Dip)

Chicken Satays

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground coriander
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
1 red pepper, cut into cubes
Skewers

1. Combine all ingredients (except chicken and peppers) in a shallow dish.
2. Place chicken in marinate and turn to coat.
3. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
4. Pre-heat grill.
5. Place chicken and peppers on skewers and cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side.

Peanut Sauce
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp carawy seeds
1/4 tsp ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, crushed
pinch of salt
1/4 cup peanut butter

1. In a small saucepan, combine everything except the peanut butter and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter and simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Peanut Dip
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce

1. Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, lime and oil in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Add honey, red pepper, garlic and hot sauce and mix well.

Notes: The chicken on its own is great, but we like eating it with one of the peanut sauces above. The first one tastes good but I've never been able to get it to thicken very well. The second peanut sauce is more of a spread, but it will become more sauce like with a quick 15 seconds in the microwave. (The last dip can also be served as an appetizer with raw veggies.) I always serve it with brown or jasmine rice. The recipe as is will serve 2, possibly 3 with bigger chicken breasts. It can easily be doubled.

Recipe Origination: The first two parts came from "The Nest" and the last peanut dip was given to me by Dom Geocaris.

Lemon Goat Cheese Pasta

Lemon Goat Cheese Pasta

1 box/lb spiral pasta (we like Barilla Plus)
1/2 cup frozen corn and/or peas
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp ground lemon peel
2 tsp dried chives
1 log (5-6 oz) goat cheese
Fresh lemon juice, pepper and salt to taste

1. Cook pasta according to directions in salted water. With 4-5 minutes remaining, add corn and finish cooking.
2. Drain, but reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
3. In a separate bowl, combine olive oil, lemon peel, chives and goat cheese. Break up cheese and mix.
4. Add hot pasta/corn to cheese mixture. Stir until combined, adding cooking water as necessary to give a smooth texture.
5. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Notes: This will make about 4 servings. It can be cut in half to feed 2. The original recipe calls for tarragon (which I didn't have, but will buy for next time), but I used chives instead and it turned out well. Basil, rosemary or anise would also work well. The original recipe also called for asparagus, which is a no-no in the Smith house; hence, the corn and peas. Next time I might try it with wrinkled string beans. The lemon made this a very refreshing dish - fresh zest is a must! It's incredibly easy and doesn't require many ingredients.

Recipe Origination: Shannon Downey sent me this one, as we're both goat cheese lovers

Yellow Bows of Texas

Yellow Bows of Texas

1 lb ground turkey
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup chopped onion (we prefer red onion)
1 cup chopped bell pepper, any color
1 cup diced carrots
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
2-3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
12 oz. bow tie pasta
Toppings as Desired: sour cream, shredded cheese, green onion

1. Cook turkey and garlic over medium heat.
2. Add onions, pepper and carrots. Cook and stir for 4-5 minutes.
3. Stir in tomato sauce, salsa, beans, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain.
5. Divide pasta among shallow bowls. Cover with chili and toppings.

Notes: This makes quite a bit of food. Maybe 6 total servings. It can be cut in half, but as a chili product, it also freezes or saves for a few days pretty easily.

Recipe Origination: Taken from "Taste of Home"

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

1 can cream of chicken soup (undiluted)
1/4 cup + 1/3 cup milk, divided
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp garlic salt
1 16 oz package frozen mixed veggies (corn, peas, carrots)
1 cup cooked, shredded (or cubed) chicken breast
3/4 cup bisquick

1. Combine the soup, 1/4 cup milk and seasonings in a large bowl. Stir in veggies and chicken.
2. Transfer to an 8 x 8 baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. In a small bowl, stir bisquick and milk until blended. Drop by spoonfuls onto chicken mixture.
4. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (or until biscuits are golden brown.)

Notes: This will make 2-3 adult servings.

Recipe Origination: An adaption from "Taste of Home"

Baked Penne

Baked Penne

1/2 box Penne
1/2-1 jar red pasta sauce (I like cheese and garlic sauces)
1/2 cup cottage cheese (small curd) or ricotta cheese
1/3 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (or just Mozzarella)

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Boil pasta according to package directions (al dente).
3. Mix pasta with sauce and cottage cheese.
4. Place half of mixture into each of 2 mini-corningware baking dishes.
5. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 20 minutes.

Notes: This can be cooked in a bigger cooking dish, too, but we like having our own individual dishes full of baked pasta. The ones I use are 22 oz each, made by Corningware. The recipe makes enough for 2, and can easily be doubled or more. I like using Barilla Plus for the added nutrients. Essentially, this is a cheap, but tasty meal. If you're a sucker for meat sauce, add 1/2 pound of cooked ground beef.

Recipe Origination: I'm sure it's in a simple recipe book somewhere, but I made it up. It tastes like lasagna without all the hassle of lasagna.

Chilaquiles Casserole (or Mexican Vegetarian) Lasagna

Chilaquiles Casserole

1/2 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 medium zucchini, grated (optional)
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup corn, frozen (thawed) or fresh
1-2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
6 corn or flour tortillas, quartered
1 10-ounce can mild red or green enchilada sauce
3/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Optional toppings - sour cream, guacamole

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat oil in sauce pan over medium heat. Cook onions, peppers and zucchini until browned. (4-5 minutes)
3. Add peppers, beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin and salsa to saucepan and warm. (2-3 minutes)
4. Grease/spray an 8 x 11 baking dish. Place half of tortillas over bottom. Spread half of veggie mixture on top, followed by half the enchilada sauce and half the cheese. Repeat each layer.
5. Bake covered for 15 minutes, then an additional 10 minutes uncovered until bubbling on the edges.
6. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes: The original recipe was double this one in a 9 x 13 baking dish. We're not big into leftovers, so this half recipe was great for 2 people and a toddler.

Recipe Origination: My cousin Erin Theoharis sent it to me. Thanks Cuz!

Taco Cupcakes

Taco Cupcakes

8 unbaked biscuit dough (1 tube), each cut in half
1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
1 taco seasoning mix
Toppings as desired (cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Make taco beef according to seasoning mix directions.
2. Grease/spray 16 spots in muffin tray.
3. Press half a biscuit worth of dough in each muffin well.
4. Put one spoonful of taco beef into each well.
5. Sprinkle with cheese and/or salsa.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
7. Top with additional toppings, such as guacamole or sour cream.

Notes: These can also be made using the mini-muffin trays. Cut the biscuit dough into thirds to make 24 mini taco cupcakes. If you don't cook them long enough, the inner dough won't be cooked and they're not very good!

Recipe Origination: A Heather original.

Quinoa & Black Beans

Quinoa & Black Beans

1 tsp oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 pepper (any color), chopped
1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 cup veggie broth
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup frozen corn
15 oz black beans (rinsed and drained)
Crumbled queso fresco
Chopped cilantro
Lime wedges

1. Heat oil over medium heat and saute garlic, onions and peppers.
2. Mix quinoa into saucepan. Pour veggie broth on top.
3. Season with cumin, cayenne, pepper and salt.
4. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Stir in corn and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Mix in black beans until warmed.
7. Serve with crumbled queso fresco, chopped cilantro and a lime wedge. 

Notes: We like eating this with toasted tortillas cut up into triangles, though tortilla chips would work just as well. A side of guacamole is good, too. In case anyone cares, quinoa is considered a whole protein, which means it has all 9 essential amino acids in it, a feat traditionally completed only by meat products. So, it makes a good meat substitute, and is also gluten-free.

Recipe Origination: No idea. I'm sure I used a recipe the first time I made it, but I changed it since then to fit what my family likes.

Corn Bread Casserole

Corn Bread Casserole

1 can whole kernel corn
1 can creamed corn
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
1 cup sour cream
1 box corn muffin mix

1. Mix all ingredients together and put in an 8" x 8" baking dish.
2. Bake at 350 degrees (uncovered) for 1 hour.

Notes: This will make about 8 servings. If recipe is doubled, use a 9" x 13" baking dish. For a little kick, add a 4 oz can of chopped green chiles and a finely chopped jalapeno.

Recipe Origination: It's a Gaasrud Family tradition at holidays. Officially, I got the recipe from Aunt Linda.