Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk

Filling
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 cups prepared marshmallow creme
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

With an electric mixer, beat the sugar, egg, butter, and vanilla until light and creamy. In another bowl, mix the cocoa, baking soda, salt, and flour; then blend with buttermilk into the creamed mixture.

Drop batter by the heaping tablespoon onto greased baking sheets and bake 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from the baking sheets and cool on wire racks. Makes 30 mini-cakes.

To make the filling, mix together all ingredients well.

To assemble, sandwich a heaping tablespoon of cream between two cakes, dividing cream evenly between the 15 whoopie pies.

Angry Bird Mini Pizza

Ingredients:

1 ball pizza dough (enough for 1 large pizza) – split into two balls
1 cup white cheese
2-3 Tbsp olive oil

Toppings/Faces:

pepperoni
black olives, sliced (eye center)
mozzarella (eye whites)
orange bell pepper triangle (beak)
red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

Make according to dough direction or your favorite pizza recipe.

Tex-Mex Taco Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 cup prepared salsa
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces lean ground beef or turkey
1 large plum tomato, diced
1/2 cup canned kidney beans, rinsed (see Tips for Two)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Combine salsa and sour cream in a large bowl.

Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add beef (or turkey) and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato, beans, cumin, chili powder and salt; cook, stirring, until the tomato begins to break down, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in cilantro and 2 tablespoons of the salsa mixture.

Add lettuce to the remaining salsa mixture and toss to coat. Divide the lettuce between 2 plates, top with the cooked meat and sprinkle with cheese.

Buttermilk Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 stick butter, melted
1 unbaked 10-inch basic pie crust shell

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and lemon zest. Whisk in the eggs, 1at a time. Stir in the buttermilk and melted butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the pie shell and bake until the top is lightly browned and the center sets, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Slice the pie into individual servings. Garnish with the whipped cream and mint.

French Toast Casserole

Ingredients:

1 loaf (10 ounces) french bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (10 cups)

8 eggs

3 cups milk

4 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon salt, optional

For the Topping

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, cubed

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon -- maple syrup, optional

Directions:

Place bread cubes in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt if desired. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Dot with butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with syrup if desired.

Bacon Cheese Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:

12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 strips bacon, cooked, crumbled
2 tablespoons shredded sharp Cheddar
Parsley, for garnish, optional

Directions:

Halve eggs lengthwise. Spoon yolks into a bowl. Reserve whites.

Mash yolks with fork. Add mayonnaise, honey-mustard, salt and pepper. Fold in bacon and cheese.

Fill each half egg white with yolk mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Crab Cakes Benedict

Ingredients:

3 saltine crackers

3 (1-ounce) slices French bread, torn

1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, drained

1 cup mayonnaise

1 egg white

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon seafood seasoning

1/4 cup peanut oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 avocados, peeled and sliced

6 large eggs, poached

Hollandaise Sauce

Cracked black pepper

Garnish: diced red bell pepper

Directions:

Place crackers in a blender or food processor; process until finely ground. Place bread in blender or food processor; process until finely ground.

Combine crabmeat, mayonnaise, cracker crumbs, breadcrumbs, egg white, and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Shape crab mixture into 6 (4-inch) patties. Cook crab cakes, in batches, in hot oil and melted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes on each side or until golden.

Place avocado slices and poached eggs on crab cakes, and top with Caribbean Hollandaise Sauce and pepper. Garnish, if desired.