Eggplant Parmigiana Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 large firm eggplant
3 large eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup olive oil, approximately
6 Italian style hoagie rolls, warmed in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes before serving
1 cup part-skim Mozzarella, shredded
2 cups prepared marinara sauce, warm

Directions:

Slice the eggplant crosswise about 1/4 to 3/8-inch thick - make slices as consistent as possible. If the base of the eggplant is very large, cut it in half lengthwise. Soak the sliced eggplant in a large bowl of warm, salted water for 1 to 2 hours. Make sure the eggplant is completely submerged in the salt water. 

Scramble the 3 eggs with salt and pepper to make an egg wash. Remove eggplant slices from the salt bath, shake off excess moisture, and dip into egg wash. Then dip the eggplant slices, 1 at a time, into a flat plate filled with seasoned bread crumbs, covering all surfaces, and set aside. Continue breading the eggplant until all slices are done. Discard excess egg wash and bread crumbs.


In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan and allow it to heat up. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.)


Add the breaded eggplant slices to the pan, cover and cook until you begin to see the eggplant become translucent, about 5 minutes. If it begins to burn, lower heat and allow it to cook slowly. Using a large spatula, turn eggplant onto the other side and cook 1 to 2 more minutes with the lid on until eggplant is completely tender.


When eggplant is completely cooked, remove from frying pan and place onto paper towels to blot any excess oil.


Place 2 or 3 eggplant slices onto warmed Italian roll, top with shredded mozzarella cheese, then warm marinara sauce.

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar, plus 4 teaspoons
8 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 

Arrange 8 (1/2-cup) ramekins or custard cups in a large metal baking pan.

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat.


In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until frothy and lemon-colored. Slowly add 3/4 cup of the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Add the egg mixture to the remaining hot cream, and whisk. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin, and whisk until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Divide among the prepared custard cups.


Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake until the custards are just set in the center but not stiff, 45 minutes to 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.


Sprinkle each custard with 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining sugar. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar. (Alternately, preheat the broiler, and broil until the sugar melts and caramelizes, watching closely to avoid burning and rotating the cups, about 1 to 2 minutes.) Place on small dessert plates and serve.

Cheese Souffle

Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups tomato ketchup
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground red hot pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Combine all ingredients for the sauce in the slow cooker. Add the chicken, try to coat it well with the sauce. 

Cook on high 3-4 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked all the way through. Then shred or cut up the chicken, and replace it in the Barbecue sauce in the pot; mix it all up so all the pieces are coated. 

You can keep the slow cooker on low to keep the chicken warm for serving.

Parmesan French Fries

Ingredients:

4 large russet potatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Cut potatoes into strips (I keep mine on the thick side because they shrink).

Soak the potatoes in warm water for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Drain and rinse potatoes.  Pat potatoes dry with a dish or paper towel.

Toss potatoes in a large bowl with olive oil, salt, garlic and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.

Arrange potatoes on a large cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake  for 15 minutes.

Remove potatoes from oven, turn over and cover with 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.

Turn up oven to 500 degrees and bake potatoes for another 15 minutes.

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 – 15 ounce cans black beans – drained and rinsed
2 cups gluten free chicken or vegetable stock
½ cup prepared salsa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & Pepper
1 lime – optional

Garnish

½ cup sour cream
Juice of ½ a lime (more or less)
Sliced green onion tops (green part) or cilantro

Directions:

Put 1 can of black beans in a blender with the chicken or vegetable stock, salsa and ground cumin. Blend until smooth. Put into a saucepan with the other can of beans and heat over medium heat. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Add the lime juice.

Stir some lime juice into the sour cream until smooth and swirl some over the top of each serving and garnish with chopped green onions or cilantro.

Peach Ice Cream

Ingredients:

9 oz frozen peaches

Custard
1 cup Heavy Cream
2 Large Eggs
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
Pinch of Salt

Directions:

Place the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt into 40 oz bowl and blend together until smooth.

In a medium saucepan, heat the cream until steaming. DO NOT BOIL.

Pour about one-half cup of the cream mixture into the egg mixture and blend for about 10 seconds

Pour this mixture slowly into a saucepan with the remaining cream, stirring in slowly to combine.

Bring the mixture to a very low simmer and stir for about 3 minutes, until smooth and thick.

Remove from the heat and chill for several hours in refrigerator.

After mixture has cooled, add frozen peaches to 40 oz bowl and then pour in custard.

Pulse for approx. 8-10 seconds to break up the peaches, then hold down the pod for 30 seconds.

Impossible Pumpkin Pie

Baconchiladas

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped (about a cup)
Vegetable oil - grapeseed or olive
2 small cloves garlic, minced 
1 14.5-ounce can tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted if you can get it 
2 Tbsp red chili powder 
1 teaspoon sugar 
1/2 cup to a cup of water 
12 corn tortillas 
Canola oil - a high smoke point vegetable oil 
2-3 cups of fried bacon, chopped 
Salt 
2 cups grated cheese (about 1/3 lb)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Prepare the sauce. Coat a large skillet with oil and sauté the onions on medium heat until translucent, a few minutes. Add the garlic for a minute more. While the onions are cooking, purée the canned tomatoes in a blender. Add the tomatoes to the onions and garlic. Bring to a low simmer. Start adding the chili powder, one teaspoon at a time, tasting after each addition, until you get to the desired level of heat and chili flavor. For us that's around 2 Tablespoons. But it depends on your taste and how strong the chili powder is that you are using. Note that the tortillas and chicken will absorb some of the heat, so allow for that and let it be a little bit spicier than what you want in the finished dish. Add a teaspoon of sugar if necessary to cut down on the acid from the tomatoes. You want more of the taste of the chili and less of the tomatoes for this sauce. As the sauce simmers, dilute it with water to keep it from getting too thick as it simmers. Remove from heat.

Alternatively, use a prepared canned enchilada sauce, which can be perfectly fine.

Mix in 1/4 cup of the sauce with the cooked chicken, and a 1/4 cup of the cheese. Sprinkle with a little salt. Set aside.

Prepare the tortillas. Heat a small light skillet on med-high heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to coat the pan. Dip a tortilla in the sauce to coat the tortilla with sauce on both sides. Place the tortilla in the skillet and heat for a few seconds, until the tortilla begin to show some air bubbles. Use a metal spatula to flip to the other side for a few more seconds. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Proceed to next step.

Assemble the enchiladas. Use an 8x12 inch Pyrex baking dish. Place a couple spoonfuls of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla and roll it up. Place in the baking dish and repeat until all dozen of your tortillas are neatly placed in rows in the casserole dish. Cover the tortillas rolls with the remaining sauce.

Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.

Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Use a metal spatula to serve.

Serve with thinly sliced iceberg lettuce that has been seasoned with vinegar and salt (no oil), guacamole or avocado slices, and

Tiramisu Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

Crust
2-¾ cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
2 sticks Unsalted Butter, Softened
1-½ cup Granulated Sugar
1 whole Egg
½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Filling
16 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
1 can (14 Oz. Size) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Tablespoon Ground Coffee Or Espresso
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 whole Eggs
1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Topping
½ cups Whipping Cream
6 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
Shredded Chocolate, For Decoration

 

Directions:

To make the sugar cookie crust, preheat the oven to 350ºF and spray the bottom and sides of an 8×12″ pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Gradually add in the dry ingredients until well-combined. Press half of the dough into the pan and bake 15–18 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool. (You don’t need the other half of the dough for this recipe, but that’s okay—just make sugar cookies! Roll the dough into 1″ balls and then either freeze them for baking later, or bake 8–10 minutes at 350ºF.)

To make the filling, in a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in the milk and beat until well-blended. Then, beat in the coffee, vanilla, and eggs. Stir in chocolate chips and pour over the sugar cookie crust. Bake 35–40 minutes or until the edges are set (and the center is mostly set, but not completely). Cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then refrigerate another 30 minutes to cool completely.

To make the topping, in a small bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the cream cheese until fluffy. Spread the topping over the cooled bars and sprinkle with the shredded chocolate. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled before cutting into bars. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Cheddar, Apple & Dried Cranberry Panini Sandwhich

Ingredients:

8 slices whole grain bread
1/2 cup low-fat honey mustard
2 apples, sliced thin
8 ounces low-fat Cheddar cheese, sliced thin
Dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat Panini press on medium heat. If you don't have a Panini press, you can use a non-stick skillet or a George Foreman grill. 

Lightly spread honey mustard evenly over each slice of bread. Layer apple slices, cheese and cranberries over 4 slices of bread, using about 1/2 apple, 2 ounces of cheese, and half dozen dried cranberries for each sandwich. Top each with remaining bread slices. 

Lightly coat Panini press with cooking spray. Grill each sandwich for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese has melted and bread has toasted.

Southern Cornbread

 

Ingredients:

1 cup self-rising cornmeal*
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup milk
3 Tbsp bacon drippings (warmed to liquid)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup of cooked corn, either fresh, defrosted frozen corn, or drained from a can

*Self-rising cornmeal is just cornmeal with the leavening already in it. You can make your own easily. 1 cup of self-rising cornmeal is equivalent to 1 Tbsp of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1 cup minus 1 Tbsp of cornmeal.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine cornmeal, soda and salt. Add remaining ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. 

Spoon into a greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Ingredients:

Cake

3 cups Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Sugar
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 1/2 cups Milk
2 Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1/2 cup (1 stick)  Butter, melted

 

Topping

1 cup ( 2 sticks) Butter, softened
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

 

Glaze

2 cups Powdered Sugar
5 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 glass baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In an electric or stand mixer add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined well , slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour into the prepared 9×13 baking pan.

For topping, In a large bowl mix the 2 sticks of butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together until well combined and creamy. Drop evenly over the batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.

Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out nearly clean.

Glaze: In a medium bowl, mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together with a whisk. Drizzle evenly over the warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Lemongrass Coconut Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil

4 lemongrass stalks, pale parts only, crushed with the flat side of a knife

2 medium onions, sliced 1/8 inch thick

2 Thai or serrano chiles, stemmed but not seeded, minced (optional)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips

3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)

6 cups Master Chicken Broth or low-sodium canned chicken broth

1/2 cup coconut milk

Juice of 2 lemons

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallion greens

Directions:

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the lemongrass, stir, and sweat it, uncovered, for 2 minutes. 

Add the onions and chiles, if using, and sauté, stirring, for 1 minute. 

Add the chicken and sauté until opaque, about 1 minute. 

Add the fish sauce and broth, stir, bring to a simmer, and cook until the liquid is reduced slightly to intensify its flavor, 15 to 20 minutes. 

Whisk in the coconut milk and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with the scallions, and serve.

Dessert Chex Mix

Ingredients

8  cups Chocolate Chex® cereal
3/4  cup packed brown sugar
6  tablespoons butter or margarine
3  tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4  teaspoon baking soda
1  cup Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, MINI size
1 cup MINIATURE marshmallows
1/2  cup caramel bits (found by the chocolate chips in the baking aisle -- or chop up regular caramels)
1 Tbsp heavy cream
1/2  cup MILK chocolate baking chips (or more if you're a huge chocolate fan)
1/2  cup vanilla (white) chocolate baking chips
1 tsp coarse sea salt

Directions

Into large microwavable bowl, measure cereal; set aside. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper or foil.

    

In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave brown sugar, butter and corn syrup uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until melted and smooth. Stir in baking soda until dissolved. Pour caramel mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Microwave on High 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Spread on cookie sheet. Cool 10 minutes. Break into bite-sized pieces.

    

Make sure Chex mixture is cool to the touch (so candy doesn't melt.) Evenly sprinkle mini peanut butter cups candy and miniature marshmallows over Chex mixture.

    

In small microwavable bowl, microwave caramel baking bits and cream uncovered on High about 1 minute or until chips can be stirred smooth. Use a spoon or fork to drizzle over snack. Repeat with milk chocolate baking chips. Repeat again with vanilla (white) baking chips. Quickly sprinkle coarse salt over all while candy drizzles are still wet.

  

Refrigerate until set. Break apart and store in tightly covered container.

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 box favorite cake mix
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 24 flat-bottomed ice cream cones

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine cake mix and 1/2 cup cold water. Beat 1 minute. Beat in eggs, water, vanilla and oil. Mix well. Place ice cream cones in muffin tin or on cookie sheet and fill each 1/2 full with batter. Bake 15 minutes or until cake springs back to the touch. Frost and decorate when cooled.

Chai Waffles with Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 7 chai tea bags
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, divided
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Vanilla Whipped Cream: 
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• Confectioner’s sugar

1. Preheat your waffle iron, and grease it, if necessary.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat. Add the tea bags, and remove the pan from the heat. Let the tea steep for about 5 minutes. As you remove the tea bags, squeeze the milk out of each one back into the pan. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, oil, vanilla and chai-steeped milk. (Make sure the milk has cooled before you add it to the eggs.)
5. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the wet ingredients, stirring just to combine. The batter should be slightly lumpy.
6. In a separate small bowl, using a whisk or hand mixer, beat the egg white until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter, being careful not to overmix. (You should still see some unmixed egg white in the batter.)
7. Pour the recommended amount of batter onto the preheated iron, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Close the top, and cook until the waffle is golden brown and easy to remove. Keep waffles warm in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.
8. For the Vanilla Whipped Cream: Pour the heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer, and whip on low speed. Add the confectioner’s sugar, and increase the speed to medium-high. Add the vanilla. Whip until medium-stiff peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes.
9. Dust the waffles with confectioner’s sugar, and top with Vanilla Whipped Cream. Serve hot off the iron or warm from the oven.

Ultimate Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

cake: 
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1 cup butter, melted
4 tsp. honey
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/3-1/2 cup whole milk (start out with 1/3 cup of milk and add more milk to your desired consistency)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

liqueur for drizzling on the cake layers (i.e. chocolate, coffee or almond)

melted chocolate for drizzling, :
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips*
2-3 Tbs. heavy cream or vegetable oil
semi-sweet chocolate chips for the sides of the cake

assorted chocolate candies for the top of the cake* (Kit Kat, Hershey's, Twix, etc.)

To make the cake:

(Note: Instead of milk, you can replace it with water or cooled brewed coffee. Instead of butter, you can use vegetable oil. Instead of honey, you can use corn syrup or agave nectar. Instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips, you can use Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips. For allergen-free alternatives for the candies, you can try Enjoy Life chocolate chips, bars or cookies)

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease and dust two to three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans with cocoa powder or flour. Set aside.

Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, combine milk, butter, honey and vanilla extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the milk/butter mixture. Mix until combined.  Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour in the batter into prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and wait for about 10 minutes to remove from cake pans and place on a cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely before decorating.

To make the frosting:

Note: instead of butter, you can use any allowed margarine, Spectrum organic vegetable shortening, or coconut oil.  Instead of milk, you can use rice milk or soy milk.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add the butter, milk and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, slowly mix together at a low speed. Once all the ingredients are combined, increase the speed and beat till fluffy.

To assemble the cake:

Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake circle.  Lightly drizzle with liqueur.  Spread an even layer of frosting. Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Lightly drizzle with liqueur. Cover the sides and top of the cake with frosting.  Cover the sides of the cake with semi-sweet chocolate chips and cover the top with assorted chocolate candies. Drizzle the melted chocolate all over the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides of the cake.

Fried Green Tomato, Bacon, Lettuce & Pimento Cheese Sandwhich

Ingredients:

·      8 slices rustic bread, lightly toasted

·      2 green tomatoes, fried 

·      12-16 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and set aside to drain on a paper towel

·      1 batch pimento cheese

·      4 big leaves of romaine (or other crunchy) lettuce

Directions:

Spread a thick layer of pimento cheese on one slice of bread for each sandwich.  Layer the bacon, two tomato slices each and the lettuce on top of the pimento cheese.  Top with the second slice of bread.  Best served when the tomatoes are warm and fresh from the frying pan. 

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lbs. green tomatoes (4-5 large)
• 2/3 c. cornmeal
• 1/3 c. flour
• 1-1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1/4 t. cayenne pepper
• 2/3 c. buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2 c. vegetable or peanut oil

Directions:

Slice tomatoes 1/4" thick.  Place flat on a paper towel-lined baking sheet.  Cover with another layer of paper towels and let sit 20 minutes.  Pat dry.

Meanwhile, zip 1/3 cup cornmeal in a food processor until ground finely.  Mix ground cornmeal, cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a shallow dish.  In another shallow dish, whisk 2/3 cup buttermilk and egg.

One at a time, dip a tomato slice in the buttermilk mixture, then in the cornmeal mixture, pressing to adhere.  Place on clean baking sheet as you continue with the rest.

Heat oil in large skillet to 350*.  Fry the tomato slices in the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan.  They will fry about 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.  Place on a rack set inside baking sheet.  Feel free to place in a warm 200* oven while you fry the rest.