Nectarine Cobbler

Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Filling:
4 cups sliced nectarines
1/2 cup cold water
1/3 cup unpacked light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Garnish:
Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the topping: In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour, the sugar, and the baking powder. Add the milk and the butter and beat until smooth.

To prepare the filling: In a large saucepan, combine all the ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly, about 5-10 minutes.

Pour into an ungreased 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Spoon the topping over the filling and spread carefully and evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake 30-40 minutes or until topping is lightly golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of topping comes out clean.

This recipe can be found here.

Zucchini & Yellow Squash with Sun-dried Tomatoes

10 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

¾ cup warm water

¼ cup chicken broth

5 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, finely sliced

5 cloves garlic

2 yellow squash, cut into thin strips

2 zucchini, cut into thin strips

salt & pepper

Slice the tomatoes into thin strips.

In a large frying pan heat the oil and stir in the onion.  Cook over low heat until it softens but does not brown.

Stir in the garlic, squash, and zucchini. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, their soaking liquid, and the chicken broth.

Season with salt and pepper.

Raise the heat slightly and cook until the veggies are just tender.

Serve hot or cold.

This recipe can be found here.

Enchilada Casserole

1 can (16 oz) kidney beans or pinto beans

¾ cup scallions, sliced

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. minced garlic; 1 tsp cumin

6 six-inch corn tortillas

1 can (11 oz) corn, undrained

1½ cups cheddar cheese, grated

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

1 can (14½ oz) pasta style stewed tomatoes

sour cream

Drain beans, reserving 1 Tbsp. liquid.  Put in medium sized bowl with scallions and spices.  Mash to make a chunky puree.

Cut tortillas in half.  Line the bottom of a 8 X 8 pan, with 4 tortilla halves, longside against the sides.  Spread half the bean mixture on top.  Top with 4 more tortilla halves.  Spoon corn on top.  Sprinkle with half the cheese and all the chilies. Top with remaining tortilla halves.  Spread remaining bean mixture.  Spoon tomatoes over beans and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover tightly with foil.  Bake at 350° for 50 – 55 minutes.

Serve with sour cream.

Baby Back Ribs

1 rack baby back ribs (about 2-2.5 pounds)

3 c. pineapple juice

1½ c. brown sugar

1½ tsp. mustard powder

1/3 c. ketchup

1/3 c. red wine vinegar

1½ Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

½ tsp. ground cloves

2 tsp. ground ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

Your favorite barbecue sauce

Using a sharp knife or a pair of kitchen shears, cut each rack into about 4 portions (it ends up being about 3-4 rib bones each).  Place in crockpot.

Mix pineapple juice, brown sugar, mustard powder, ketchup, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, cloves, ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Pour over ribs and cover. (This step can be done the night before.) Set to low for 6-7 hours.

Remove ribs from liquid and heat grill to medium. Place ribs on the grill, brush one side with barbecue sauce, and close the lid for 3-4 minutes. Carefully turn the ribs, brush other side with sauce, close the lid, and wait another 3-4 minutes. Repeat.

Serve immediately.

This recipe can be found here.

Cajun BBQ Shrimp

¾ lb. large shrimp

2 Tbsp margarine

1 Tbsp Worchester sauce

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp ketchup

1½ Cajun seasoning

¼ tsp cayenne

1 lemon, juiced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Peel and devein shrimp.

Melt margarine in medium pan.  Remove from heat.  Whisk in remaining ingredients.

Arrange shrimp in single layer in baking pan; pour butter mix over top. 

Heat oven to 450°.  Bake shrimp 3 minutes.  Turn shrimp and bake 2 minutes more.

Rainbow Soup

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, pressed

1 med red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup carrot, chopped (or pumpkin)

1 heaping Tbsp paprika

3 tsp turmeric

½ tsp cinnamon

1 bay leaf

A little hot sauce

1 (15 oz) can tomatoes, chopped

5 cups broth

1½ cups spinach

Salt and pepper, to taste

In large pot, place oil, onion and celery.  Cook on low heat for 5 – 10 minutes to develop more sweetness in the onion.

Add garlic and turn up heat to medium.  Cook for a minute or so; add peppers and carrots.  Cook another minute or two and add the spices.  Stir and cook until fragrant – another minute or so.

Add tomatoes and broth; simmer 15 minutes.  Add spinach; simmer 5 minutes more.

If adding cooked cubed meat (i.e. chicken or turkey) , add at this time.

Adjust seasonings as desired.

Makes approximately 9 cups of soup.

Stuffed Pork Chops

1 lb. uncooked lean boneless pork chop(s), four chops (1/4-lb each) trimmed  

3 Tbsp. dried plain breadcrumbs  

½ rib celery, finely chopped  

½ small onion, finely chopped  

1 egg  

1 tsp. parsley  

 1 tsp. sage

 black pepper, to taste  

Cut a large, deep pocket in the side of each chop with a very sharp knife.

Combine the bread crumbs, celery, onion, egg, parsley, sage, and pepper in a medium bowl. Fill the pocket of each chop with the mixture; skewer the edges with toothpicks to hold them together, if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a 1-quart shallow baking pan with cooking spray.

Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add the stuffed chops and cook, turning once, until golden brown on each side.

Transfer to the baking pan; cover with foil, and bake until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables in the stuffing are tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue baking until the stuffing is golden and slightly crispy, 10 minutes more.

This recipe can be found here.

Mix and Match Meatloaf

1. Pick Your Meat

Preheat the oven to 350°. Put 1½ lbs. ground meat in a large bowl (choose 1 or a combination).

Ground beef

Ground turkey

Ground veal

Ground pork

2. Choose a Binder

Add 1 cup to the bowl with the meat (choose 1).

Breadcrumbs

Instant rice (uncooked)

Cornflakes

Crackers or croutons, crushed

Fine bulgur (uncooked)

Oats (quick cooking or regular)

Instant potato flakes (use ½ cup)

Quick-cooking barley (uncooked; use ½ cup)

3. Pick a Vegetable

Prepare 1 to 2 cups (choose 1); add to the bowl.

Carrots, shredded

Frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Swiss chard or kale, finely chopped

Bell peppers, finely chopped

Mushrooms, finely chopped

Zucchini, shredded and squeezed dry

Celery, finely chopped and sautéed

4. Choose a Mix-In (Optional)

Add ½ cup total (choose up to 2).

Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

Cooked bacon, chopped

Pickles or gherkins, chopped

Canned green chiles or pickled jalapeños, chopped

Walnuts, chopped

Roasted red peppers, chopped

Shredded cheese (up to 1 cup)

5. Bake the Meatloaf

Add 1 cup grated onion, ½ cup ketchup, 2 Tbsps chopped herbs (parsley, chives, basil and/or thyme), 2 eggs, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 minced garlic clove, 1½ tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp. pepper and mix with your hands until just combined. Shape into a 9-by-5-inch oval loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Top with strips of bacon, if desired. Bake about halfway, 30 minutes.  (I use mini loaf pans and cut the baking time.  Check the temperature!)

6. Make a Glaze

Brush the top and sides of the meatloaf with a glaze and continue baking until a thermometer inserted into the center registers 160°, about 25 more minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Classic

Mix ¼ cup ketchup, 2 tsp. brown sugar and 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce.

Garlic-Herb

Mix ¼ cup ketchup, 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp. brown sugar, 1 grated garlic clove and ½ tsp. Italian seasoning.

Spicy Barbecue

Mix ¼ cup barbecue sauce, 2 tsp. honey, 1 tsp. chipotle chile powder and 1 tsp. cider vinegar.

Tangy

Mix ¼ cup ketchup, 2 Tbsp. apricot preserves, 2 tsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. rice vinegar and 1 tsp. ground ginger.

This recipe can be found here.

Toffee Bars

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

¼ tsp. salt

1 (12 oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cream butter, sugar and egg yolk.  Add vanilla.  Mix in flour and salt; stir well.

Spread dough in a greased and floured 9X13 inch pan.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips while hot.

Return to oven for 1 minute.  Remove and spread melted chocolate evenly over the top of the bars.

Let cool before cutting into squares.

Clara's Chicken Soup

1 chicken breast
1 pkg Ranch dressing mix
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen broccoli
1 handful noodles

Place chicken, dressing mix and broth in crockpot and cook on high for 3 1/2 hours.

Shred chicken.  Add broccoli and noodles and continue cooking til tender.