Stuffed Shells

From Kraft

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 container (16 oz.) Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1 red pepper, chopped
1 egg white
1 env. (0.7 oz.) Italian Dressing Mix
1 cup Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
20 jumbo macaroni shells (for stuffing), cooked, drained and cooled
1 jar (13-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce

Directions:
Heat oven to 400°F.

Combine first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella; spoon into shells.

Spread half the sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Place shells in dish; top with remaining sauce and mozzarella. Cover.

Bake 40 min. or until heated through, uncovering after 30 min.

My Favorite Quiche

serves 16

Ingredients:
1 pie crust
1 whole potato, peeled, cubed
1 T olive oil
1 whole leek, cleaned, sliced
3 whole mushrooms, diced (or 1 small can of stems and pieces of mushrooms)
5 whole eggs beaten
1 c milk
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t dry mustard powder
1/4 c red bell peppers, diced (preferably roasted)
1 c cheese (I like the mexican blend)

Ingredients:
Preheat your oven to 375 F, and bake the pie crust for about 14 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Remove and let it cool. During this time, boil your potato chunks for about 7 minutes. You do not want them fully cooked, but cooked more than halfway through. Drain, and let cool.

Add the olive oil to a preheated saute pan, and add the leeks, and mushrooms. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring from time to time.

To a bowl, add the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and mustard powder. Beat, and beat well.

To the pie crust, layer half of the cheese, add the potatoes, leek and mushrooms, and sprinkle with the roasted bell peppers. Pour in the egg mixture, top with the remaining cheese, and place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the center is fully cooked.

Remove and let cool for about 1o minutes before slicing into it.

Blueberry Cream Coffee Cake

serves 12

Ingredients:
1/2 c Butter
1 1/4 c sugar
2 eggs
2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t soda
1/2 t salt
1/3 c milk
1 t vanilla
8 oz, fluid cream cheese, softened
2 c blueberries
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c flour
1 t cinnamon
3 T butter

Directions:
Cream 1/2 cup butter and 1 1/4 cup sugar; add eggs.
Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture.
Add milk, vanilla, cream cheese. Stir well.
Gently fold in blueberries. Spread in a greased 9 X 13 inch pan.

Combine the 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 3 Tbsp. butter and 1/2 cup flour. Cut in butter until it resembles peas. Sprinkle over cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Chicken Divan

From Amber Mayfield

Ingredients:
2 (10 oz) pkg broccoli, chopped and cooked
salt and pepper to taste
2 c cooked chicken (or turkey)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream or chicken soup
1 c mayo
1 t lemon juice
1/2 t curry powder
1 pkg shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 T melted butter

Directions:
Arrange broccoli in baking dish, season to taste, place chicken on top. Combine soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry powder, pour over chicken and mix up. Sprinkle with cheese and top with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins. Serve over hot rice.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
16 oz can corn
1-2 cans of pinto or red beans
1/3 c salsa
2 c chopped cooked chicken
2 16 oz can diced tomatoes
4 c chicken broth
2 T taco seasoning

Combine all together and simmer for 30 mins. Top with sour cream and cheese if desired.

Lemon Raspberry Cake

From Amber Mayfield

Ingredients (cake):
18 1/4 oz pkg of yellow cake mix
1 pkg of lemon instant pudding mix
3/4 c oil
3/4 c water
4 eggs
1 small container raspberries

Ingredients (glaze)
2 c powdered sugar
2 T melted butter
2 T water
1/3 c lemon juice

Mix together ingredients

Combine all [cake] ingredients, mix well. Fold in berries, then pour into 13x9 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 mins or until done. Poke holes in cake with fork, pour glaze over top and spread.

Sweet Ambrosia Salad

From Amber Mayfield

It's a Southern thing I'm pretty sure. All I know is that Ambrosia sounded questionable to me (when I heard it even though I had no idea what it was). So I wikipedia'd "Ambrosia" after eating this awesome salad, and apparently Ambrosia refers to food/ drink that the Greeks thought would make you ageless. Yeah I know this salad won't make you ageless, but it tastes good at least.

20 oz pineapple chunks, drained
14 1/2 oz jar marashino cherries, drained
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
8 oz sour cream
1 c mini marshmallows (I like the colorful kind)
1/2 c sweetened coconut
Dash of cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and let chill in the fridge.

Chips Ahoy Ice cream loaf

From Kraft


Ingredients:
1 pt (2 c) strawberry ice cream, softened
1/2 c hot fudge ice cream topping
1/2 c mini-marshmallows
10 chewy chip ahoy cookies, coarsely chopped
1 pt (2 c) vanilla ice cream
1 c thawed cool whip

Directions:
Spread strawberry ice cream into plastic wrapped 9x5 inch loaf pan; top w/ layers of 1/2 c fudge topping, marshmallows and 3/4 c chopped cookies. Freeze 30 min. Cover cookie layer w/ vanilla ice cream; cover with plastic wrap. Freeze 6 hrs or until firm. Unmold dessert onto serving platter. Remove and discard plastic wrap. Frost top and sides with cool whip. Sprinkle with remaining chopped cookies; drizzle with remaining fudge topping.

Triple Layer Peanut Butter Brownies

Awesomely yummy!

Ingredients:
1 pkg (19-21 oz) brownie mix (13x9 inch pan size)
1 c cold milk
1 pkg (3.4 oz) vanilla pudding
1 c creamy peanut butter
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 c cool whip (do not thaw)
3 squares baker's semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 c peanuts, chopped

Directions:
Prepare and bake brownies as directed on the package. Meanwhile, beat milk and pudding mix with whisk 2 mins. Add peanut butter ans sugar; mix well. Refrigerate until brownies are completely cooled. Spread over brownies.
Microwave cool whip and cool whip on high 1 min, stirring every 30 seconds. Spread over pudding; top with nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Got this one because of the fabulous Monica's Philadelphia cooking party :-)
serves 4

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
2 t oil
3 c shredded cooked chicken breasts
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 tub (10 oz) Philadelphia Santa Fe Blend Cooking Creme
1/2 c Mexican blend cheese
8 flour tortillas (6 inch)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350
Cook & stir onion in hot oil in skillet on medium heat 4-5 mins or until crisp-tender. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, 3/4 c cooking creme and shredded cheese.
Spoon about 1/3 c of chicken mixture into tortilla; roll up. Place in 13x9 inch baking dish sprayed w/ cooking spray; top with remaining cooking creme. Cover.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Top with chopped tomatoes and sliced green onions if desired.

Hiroko's Almond Cookies

Got this recipe from Hiroko

Ingredients:
Dough:
1 1/2 c room temp butter
1/2 c sugar or powdered sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/2 c flour
pinch of salt

Caramel Sauce:
2 c sliced almonds
1 1/2 c butter
1/3 c honey
1/3 c whipping cream
1/2 c sugar

Directions:
1. Make dough. Add sugar to the soft butter, add egg and mix well. Sieve flour and salt mix it together. Wrap in the refrigerator to rest until it gets kind of hard.
2. Spread on a bed of dough on a sheet and stick to the baking sheet. Bake in oven for 10 minutes 400F.
3. Prepare a medium pot. Pour all ingredients [for caramel sauce] into the pot and heat at medium level. Heat until the temperature reaches 400F.
4. Taking out the dough out of oven, spread caramel sauce with sliced almonds on the dough. Bake 350F in the oven for about 15 minutes, bake until the surface of golden brown. Slice while hot.

Double Chocolate Brownies

From Nestle Tollhouse
yields 16 brownies

Ingredients:
3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 c vegetable shortening
3/4 c granulated sugar
2 T water
2 c (12-oz. pkg.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, divided
2 large eggs

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 325º F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

HEAT shortening, sugar and water in medium saucepan to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup morsels; stir until smooth.

ADD eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add in flour mixture. Stir in remaining morsels. Spread into prepared baking pan.

BAKE for 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into squares.

Grilled Shrimp Caprese

Copy cat from Olive Garden
serves 8

Ingredients:
Marinated Tomatoes:
3 lbs Roma tomatoes, cored and cut into 1” pieces
30 medium fresh basil leaves, stems removed and cut into 1” pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt to taste

4 Tbsp butter
1 cup white wine (or white grape juice)
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated
2 lbs capellini (angel hair) pasta, cooked according to package directions
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 lbs 26/30 or 21/25 shrimp, peeled and de-veined

Directions:
Preheat broiler.

1. COMBINE tomatoes, basil, olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning and salt in a large bowl and blend thoroughly. Cover, set aside and marinate for at least 1 hour.
2. HEAT a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add butter and let melt. Stir in white wine and bring to a boil. Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and bring to a simmer. Let sauce reduce to desired consistency.
3. ADD cooked, drained pasta and marinated tomatoes to skillet. Stir to thoroughly coat pasta with sauce.
4. TRANSFER pasta and sauce to serving platter and top with mozzarella cheese.
5. GRILL or SAUTE shrimp until internal temperature reaches 150°F and set aside.
6. PLACE serving platter in broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
7. TOP pasta with cooked shrimp and serve.

Chicken Marsala

A Olive Garden Copy Cat
serves 6

Ingredients:
6 ea Chicken half-breast, boneless & skinless
3/8 cup(s) Flour
3/4 tsp Salt
Pepper to taste
3/4 tsp Oregano, dried
6 Tbsp Oil
6 Tbsp Butter (or margarine)
1 1/2 cup(s) Fresh Mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup(s) Marsala wine

Directions:
1. Pound chicken breasts between sheets of "Saran Wrap" until about 1/4" even-thickness.
2. Combine flour, salt, pepper and oregano, blend
3. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour, shake off excess
4. Heat oil and butter in frying pan over medium heat.
5. Cook the breasts on medium heat for about two minutes on the first side, until lightly brown. Turn breasts over to second side to cook, add the mushrooms around the chicken breasts. Cook breasts about two more minutes, until lightly browned on the second side, stir the mushrooms. When lightly browned, add Marsala around the chicken pieces, cover and simmer for about ten minutes
6. Transfer to serving plate & enjoy with cooked pasta of choice!

Irish Brown Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups whole-wheat (wholemeal) flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour, plus extra for kneading and dusting
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Have ready a nonstick baking sheet.

In a bowl, combine the flours, wheat germ, baking soda and salt. Whisk to blend. Beat in the buttermilk and egg and stir just until moistened.

Turn the dough out onto a generously floured work surface and, with floured hands, gently knead it 8 to 10 times; the dough will be sticky. Gather into a loose ball.

On the baking sheet, form the dough into a 7-inch round. Dust the top of dough with a small amount of flour. Cut a 4-inch X into the top of the dough, cutting about 1/2 inch deep. Bake until the bread splits open at the X and makes a hollow sound when the underside is tapped, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 2 hours (ideally) before slicing.