My Recipes

Sweet Tea

Sweet Tea
Makes 1 pitcher

2 family sized tea bags
3 cups water
1-2 cups sugar (depending on taste)
Ice

Place tea bags in teapot or saucepan and bring to simmer with water. Add sugar to taste. Pour into serving pitcher over ice. Add cold water to fill pitcher. Add more ice and stir. Can refrigerate.

Variations: Can add lemon slices or apple slices. Can add mint. If under-sweetened, can utilize rock candy for garnish.

Cucumber Lemon Water

Cucumber Lemon Water

Makes 1 pitcher

Water

1 small cucumber, cut into 1/4" slices

1/2 lemon, cut into 1/4" slices

Mint (optional)

Place the cucumber and lemon in a 2 quart pitcher and fill with water. Refrigerate for two hours or more. Serve over ice. May add sprigs of mint.

Soy Sauce Chicken

Soy Sauce Chicken

Serves 2

Chicken breasts, Whole Chicken, Chicken Wings, or Chicken Drumsticks (enough to fill pan)
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon sherry (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Several chopped scallions (green onions)
1 tablespoon ginger (or pickled ginger)
1 smashed clove garlic

Clean chicken and place in pan. Add water, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, sherry, and sugar. Bring to boil. Add scallions, ginger, and garlic. Make sure that sauce covers at least half of chicken. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes; then flip chicken to ensure even browning. Simmer another 15 minutes. If frozen chicken, it will take approximately one hour of simmering before chicken is done.

Sauce can be frozen or refrigerated for future use.

Coconut French Toast with Grilled Pineapple and Tropical Salsa

Coconut French Toast with Grilled Pineapple and Tropical Salsa

Make 8 servings

Ingredients:

Salsa:

2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

2 peeled ripe mangoes, chopped

1 pint strawberries, chopped

 

French toast:

1 cup egg substitute

1 cup light coconut milk

1 cup 1% low-fat milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 (16-oz.) loaf French bread, cut into 16 slices

Cooking spray

 

Remaining ingredients:

1 medium pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut crosswise into 8 slices

Powdered sugar (optional)

                 

To prepare salsa, combine first 4 ingredients; cover and chill.

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 

To prepare French toast, combine egg substitute and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place bread in egg mixture; press down with spatula to completely submerge bread in egg mixture. Let stand 15 minutes.

 

Arrange soaked bread in a single layer on a jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until set. Remove from oven, and keep warm.

While bread bakes, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.

 

Arrange 4 pineapple slices in pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until pineapple begins to brown. Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining pineapple and cooking spray. Arrange 2 toast pieces on each of 8 plates; top each serving with 1 pineapple slice and 1/2 cup salsa. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Pesto Tortellini

Pesto Tortellini

Serves 2

1 12 oz package of meat tortellini

6-7 mushrooms

3/4 cup frozen peas

Handful of grape tomatoes

3 tablespoons of pesto

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Cook homemade pesto if desired. Refrigerate. In pot, make meat tortellini as directed. Add salt. Drain over colander. In small saucepan, heat olive oil. Add chopped mushrooms and peas. Add water. Saute mushrooms and peas for approximately 5 minutes. In bowl, toss tortellini. Add in pesto and toss. Add sauteed mushrooms and peas. Add sugar. Toss in tomatoes, and serve warm.

 

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 8-10

7 ounces (1-3/4 cups) uncooked macaroni
1 pound sharp cheese, grated
2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper
Paprika

Cook macaroni until tender, place in a strainer, and rinse with cold water.  In a 2-quart casserole, alternate layers of macaroni and cheese, ending with cheese.  Bring milk to a boil.  Stir in butter, egg, salt and pepper.  Pour over the macaroni and cheese.  Sprinkle paprika on top.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread
Makes 2 loaves

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 cup raisins
1 3/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter and flour a large baking sheet, knocking off excess flour.
Sift together 4 cups flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and stir in sugar, caraway, and raisins. Add buttermilk and stir just until dough is evenly moistened but still lumpy.

Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and gently knead with floured hands about 8 times to form a soft but slightly less sticky dough. Halve dough and form into 2 balls. Pat out each ball into a domed 6-inch round on baking sheet. Cut a 1/2-inch-deep X on top of each loaf with a sharp knife, then brush loaves with butter.

Bake in middle of oven until golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer loaves to racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

4 to 6 croissants, preferably 1 or 2 days old
2 cups half-and- half
2 cups heavy cream
Pinch salt
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
Vanilla ice cream, for serving, optional

Cut the croissants into 1-inch cubes. You should have about 3 1/2 cups. Place the cubes in an ovenproof baking dish. In a saucepan, heat the half-and-half, cream, and salt over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to make sure the mixture doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. When the cream mixture reaches a fast simmer (do not let it boil), turn off the heat. Add the chocolate and whisk until melted.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together. Whisking constantly, gradually add the hot chocolate-cream mixture. Strain the mixture over the croissant pieces and toss lightly. Let sit while the mixture is absorbed, at least 15 minutes. As it soaks, fold the mixture a few times to ensure even soaking. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a roasting pan that's 2 inches deep and larger than the baking dish with paper towels. Fill the pan with very hot water and place the dish of bread pudding inside. Bake until set, about 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on each serving.

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

Prep: 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

2 boxes (3 oz each) cook & serve vanilla pudding and pie filling
1 qt (4 cups) whole milk
4 chocolate croissants (about 4 oz each)

Heat oven to 350 F. Have a 3-qt shallow baking dish ready. Whisk pudding mix and milk in a large bowl for 2 minutes, or until thoroughly blended.

Cut croissants in 1-in. pieces. Arrange in prepared baking dish. Pour pudding mixture over croissants, pushing pieces into the liquid. Bake 50 minutes, or until bubbly around edges and a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool about 10 minutes before serving. If desired, dust top with confectioners sugar.

Vineyard Chicken

Vineyard Chicken
Serves 4

1 3-pound chicken, quartered
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
3 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup minced parsley

Place chicken, skin side down, in large casserole.  Blend all other ingredients together and pour over the chicken.  Cover with foil and bake 1 hour in 325 degree oven.  Remove the foil.  Turn chicken skin side up; increase temperature to 375 degrees and bake 30 minutes, basting two or three times.  Increase temperature to 425 degrees for the last 30 minutes of baking time.  Baste frequently (total cooking time is 2 hours).