Chocolate Chip & Fig Oatmeal Cookies

 2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup almond flour

1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 oz chopped dried figs (we buy them in a big bag from Costco)
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter  and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs & almond extract,  mixing well. Combine oats, flours, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in figs and chocolate chips

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Sausage Rolls

https://cookingwithcurls.com/2014/10/08/puff-pastry-sausage-rolls/
There's also an awesome Chorizo version: https://cookingwithcurls.com/2016/12/16/puff-pastry-chorizo-rolls/

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 1 pound msg-free pork sausage
• 1/4 cup fine bread crumbs or panko crumbs
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 2 Tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
• 1 box Peppridge Farms Puff Pastry defrosted

Egg Wash

• 1 large egg
• 1 Tablespoon water

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Beat egg in a large bowl until frothy. Add the sausage, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, parsley, and mustard. Mix until thoroughly combined.
• Unwrap first sheet of puff pastry and place on a floured surface. Cut along the fold lines to create three strips of dough.
• Divide sausage mixture into 6 equal parts.
• Make each section of sausage into a roll and place down the center of puff pastry strips. Fold pastry over and press seam to seal.
• Cut each roll into 6 equal pieces (about 2 inches). 
• Place on baking sheet and brush with egg wash.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Follow the same steps with the remaining sausage and puff pastry.
• Serve sausage rolls while warm.
• Store leftover rolls in the refrigerator or freezer. Reheat in the microwave or heated oven.

Crowd Pleasing Broccoli Casserole

http://www.food.com/recipe/good-eats-broccoli-noodle-casserole-138672

1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup mayo
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
1 Tbs spicy mustard
1/2 tsp garlic salt
pepper to taste
2 eggs

4 slices bacon, cooked and diced/crumbled
2 large heads broccoli, diced and blanched
1 package egg noodles, cooked al dente

In a large bowl, mix together yogurt through eggs (reserving 1/2 cup cheddar cheese)
Stir in bacon, broccoli, and egg noodles
Pour into a greased 8x8 (medium sized) casserole dish
Top with remaining cheese
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

Easy Blueberry Muffins

The trick is to not mix them too much once the wet ingredients are added to the dry.  It keeps the muffins tender

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

zest from 1 lemon (optional)
1/3 cup oil (coconut, vegetable, applesauce)
1 egg
milk to fill measure to 1 cup (about 1/2 cup)
1 tsp vanilla

1 cup blueberries

Mix together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl
Mix zest, oil, and 1 egg in a glass measuring cup.  Add milk to measuring cup to fill liquids to 1 cup line, then add vanilla and mix together

Gently mix wet ingredients in with dry ingredients.  Fold in blueberries

Line muffin pan with 12 liners (or spray well with non stick spray).  Divide batter between cups.  Sprinkle tops with sugar.

Bake at 400 x 18-20 minutes.

Fruit Cobbler

http://markbittman.com/blueberry-cobbler/

4 to 6 cups blueberries or other fruit, washed and well dried, peeled and sliced as necessary

2 Tbs flour

1 cup sugar, or to taste
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits, plus some for the pan
1 /2 cup all-purpose flour
1 /2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
1 egg
1 /2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sprinkle of brown sugar

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Toss the fruit with half the sugar and spread it in a lightly greased 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a food processor and pulse once or twice. Add the butter and process for 10 seconds, until the mixture is well blended. By hand, beat in the egg and vanilla.

3. Drop this mixture onto the fruit by tablespoon-fuls; do not spread it out. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake until golden yellow and just starting to brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

PW's Easy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/05/quick-and-easy-roasted-red-pepper-pasta/

Ingredients

• 12 ounces, weight Pasta Of Your Choice (I Prefer Short Ones Like Rigatoni, Penne, Etc.)
• 4 Tablespoons Butter or a drizzle of olive oil
• 1/2 whole Large Onion, Finely Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 jar (15.5 Ounces) Roasted Red Peppers, Drained And Roughly Chopped
• 1 1/2 cup Vegetable Or Chicken Broth
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
•  Freshly Ground Black Pepper and maybe a shake of red pepper or hot sauce if the kids aren't around....
• 4 Tbs Goat cheese (or cream cheese or even half & half in a pinch)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Shavings (more For Serving)
•  Finely Minced Parsley or Chopped Fresh Basil (if You Have It!)

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter or a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until starting to soften. Add the chopped red peppers and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until hot.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Carefully transfer the contents of the skillet to a food processor or blender. Place on the lid and puree the pepper mixture until totally blended (there will still be some texture to the peppers.)

Heat the other 2 tablespoon butter or a drizzle of olive oil back to the skillet over medium heat. Pour the pepper puree back into the skillet. Add the broth, salt, and pepper, and stir until heated. Crumble in goat cheese (or the substitute you are using) stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if you need to.

Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Add Parmesan and parsley/basil, then stir it together to coat the pasta.

Serve in bowls with extra Parmesan and a sprinkling of parsley on top.

Biscuits and gravy casserole

• http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/breakfast-sausage-casserole-10000001108260/
• It's not as decadent as biscuits and gravy (Keith's favorite) but it's easy and tasty and a smidge healthier....
• 
  
• Cooking spray
• 1 (16-ounce) package spicy sausage (we like turkey)
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 8 cups diced bread (sourdough or english muffins are good)
  
  
• 2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
• 3 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided $
• 4 eggs $
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbs hot sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper 
• 1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed 30% reduced-sodium, 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted $

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage and onion to pan; cook 5 minutes then add mushrooms and cook until browned, stirring well to crumble sausage.
2. Arrange bread in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top evenly with cooked turkey sausage and cheddar cheese (if using). Combine 2 1/2 cups milk, eggs, and seasonings, stirring with a whisk. Pour over bread mixture in dish. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350°.
4. Uncover casserole. Combine remaining 1/2 cup milk and cream of mushroom soup, stirring with a whisk. Pour over bread mixture. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Favorite Chicken Soup with Homemade Noodles

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken (we like thighs)~either cut into chunks or boiled whole and then shredded; your choice
• bay leaf
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• bay leaf
• 1 Tbs poultry seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste (we also like a sprinkling of crushed red pepper)
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms, sauted if desired
• 1 cup peas (frozen is fine)
• juice from 1 lemon or chopped parsley as garnish if desired
• homemade egg noodles  (click for recipe)

Saute carrots, onions, celery in a large stock pot for 5 minutes.  Add garlic and seasoning and saute for 1 minute.  Add chicken, bay leaf, and enough water to make a large pot of soup.

Simmer for until chicken is done (at least 20 minutes) but a few hours is even better.

Remove bay leaf and shred chicken at this point if it isn't cut into bite sized pieces.  Return chicken to pot.

30 minutes before serving, prep noodles.  Add noodles, mushrooms, and peas for last 10 minutes of cooking time.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice or some chopped parsley if desired.

Fancy Mac&Cheese

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/02/fancy-mac-and-cheese/

We're making these in individual ramekins so each of us can doctor them up with our favorite add ins

(I'd like to do a hot wings variation with shredded chicken soaked in hot sauce instead of bacon and chopped green onions and celery for mushrooms and maybe extra blue cheese instead of goat cheese)

• 16 ounces, weight White Button Or Cremini Mushrooms, Quartered
• Olive Oil, For Drizzling
• Kosher Salt And Black Pepper To Taste
• 8 slices Thick Cut Bacon
• 2 whole Yellow Onions, Peeled, Halved, And Thinly Sliced
• 5 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 cup Grated Gruyere Cheese
• 1/2 cup Grated Fontina Cheese
• 4 ounces, weight Goat Cheese (chevre)
• 1-1/2 pound Macaroni
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2 cups  Milk
• 2 whole Eggs, Beaten
• 4 ounces, weight Crumbled Gorgonzola Or Other Blue Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle the mushrooms with olive oil, then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside.

Next, fry the bacon until chewy but not yet crisp. Chop the bacon into bite-size bits and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-low heat, saute the onions in 1 tablespoon butter, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Grate the Parmesan, Gruyere, and fontina cheeses. Unwrap the goat cheese.

Cook the macaroni until just undercooked. Drain and set aside.

To make the sauce, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour, whisking to combine. Let the roux cook for a minute or so, whisking constantly. Pour in the milk, whisking constantly, then cook the white sauce for 3 to 5 minutes, or until thick and bubbly.

Next, add 1 teaspoon of salt, plenty of black pepper, and stir to combine.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of the hot white sauce into a small bowl containing the beaten egg, stirring the egg with a fork as you drizzle it in. Once combined, pour the mixture into the pot with the white sauce, stirring constantly. Add all the cheese in and stir them around to melt.

Add the cooked macaroni and stir to coat. Splash in a little milk or hot water as needed for thinning.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan generously.

Lay half the cooked onions in the bottom of the pan, followed by half the macaroni, half the roasted mushrooms, half the Gorgonzola, and half the bacon. Repeat the layers, ending with the bacon. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bubbly and hot. Delicious!

Indulgent Macaroni and Cheese

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/04/macaroni-cheese/

• 4 cups Dried Macaroni
• 1 whole Egg Beaten
• 1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
• 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
• 1 pound Cheese, Grated
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Preparation Instructions

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

slow cooker stuffed peppers

We do a lot of "build your own" burritos and tacos with friends (meat, grilled veggies, rice, beans, cheese, etc)  And always have lots of leftover fixings.  This is a great way to use them up.  If you don't want to slow cook, you can also just stuff and bake the raw peppers at 350 degrees for about an hour.

Crock Pot Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers
adapted from Slow Cooker Revolution by America's Test Kitchen

Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours

Ingredients

4 bell peppers
1/2 pound left over taco meat or grilled chicken or carne asada (diced
1 small can enchilada sauce (red or green)
1 1/4 cup of shredded jack cheese (or cheddar or pepper jack or whatever)
1 cup of cooked (leftover) mexican rice
1 can black beans, drained

sour cream and diced green onion for toppings

Directions
 
Cut the tops off of four bell peppers. Remove stems and seeds and dice the tops of the bell peppers. 


Pour 1/3 of a cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the crock pot and nestle bell peppers in.  


 In a large mixing bowl, combine meat, diced bell peppers, 1 cup of shredded jack cheese, cooked rice, beans, and salt and pepper to taste.


Fill bell peppers with ground beef mixture and place them into slow cooker.  top with more cheese and the rest of the enchilada sauce. 


Cook on low for about 6 hours.  YOu can top these with sour cream, guacamole, diced onion, crumbled tortilla chips, etc if desired.




Note: You must used pre-cooked rice. I used leftover mexican rice,  but you can also use cooked white rice. Just bump up your seasoning so that the mixture is not too bland. You can add chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, chipotle in adobo. Whatever sounds good to you!

Man Pleasing Chicken

http://www.wittyinthecity.com/2011/08/man-pleasing-chicken/

The original recipe is for a yummy oven baked chicken recipe. But it's also really good just as a marinade for grilled chicken.  And it's also REALLY good if you wrap each piece of chicken in a slice of bacon first! :)

• 1.5 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
• Dijon mustard- 1/2 cup
• Maple syrup- 1/4 cup
• Rice (or red) wine vinegar- 1 tablespoon
• Fresh rosemary (optional) 
• 1 slice of bacon for each piece of chicken (optional)

To make this chicken, which you should absolutely do immediately, preheat your oven to 450ºF.Then, mix together 1/2 cup of dijon mustard, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar. 

Put a 1.5 pound package of chicken into a foil-lined, oven-proof baking dish. I used boneless, skinless thighs. Six came in my package, which made enough to serve 3 people. Then, salt and pepper the thighs. Pour your maple mustard mixture over them, turning the thighs in the mixture so they are fully coated.

Put the chicken into the oven, and let them bake for 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165ºF. Baste the tops of the chicken with more sauce half way through.I find that a meat thermometer is essential in cooking because it allows me to check for doneness without cutting into the meat and losing its precious juices. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Plate the chicken, making sure to spoon some extra sauce over the top. Sprinkle over some fresh rosemary. If there is ever a time to use fresh herbs, THIS IS IT! The flavors are just so good together. Enjoy the savory goodness of this meal!

Aunt Sue's Macaroni Casserole

An Aunt Sue Classic xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

1 box elbow macaroni

1.5 pounds hamburger

onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

slices American cheese

1 can each cream of corn and peas

Boil the macaroni until al dente then drain

Brown the hamburger with some seasoning (onion powder, black pepper, salt, garlic powder)

Spray the bottom of a casserole dish

Put a thin layer of noodles in the dish.

Then the hamburger.

Then slices of cheese to cover.

Then the veggies

Then the rest of the noodles

Then the slices of cheese

Beat together the eggs and add the milk

Pour egg mixture over the casserole and bake uncovered at 350 degrees until bubbly and cheese is melty and browned a bit.

Let it cool for 10-15 minutes

Fight over who gets to peel the browned cheese off the top of the casserole :)

Cabbage Roll Casserole

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/lazy-cabbage-roll-casserole-124926.aspx?cm_mmc=eml-_-rbe-_-20110503-_-1028

I want to play with this recipe since it uses a lot of winter produce~could use more cabbage by putting handfuls of chopped cabbage between layers instead of leaves. Could probably increase amount of shredded veggies and decrease amount of beef. And will try vinegar & mustard (maybe worchestershire sauce?) instead of salad dressing.

what you need

5 large savoy cabbage leaves

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 parsnip, shredded

1 carrot, shredded

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 cup instant white rice, uncooked

1/4 cup KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade

1 qt. (4 cups) tomato sauce, divided

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Three Cheese with a Touch of PHILADELPHIA, divided

make it

PLACE cabbage leaves in large bowl. Add enough boiling water to completely cover cabbage. Let stand 10 min.

MEANWHILE, brown meat with onions in large nonstick skillet. Add parsnips, carrots and celery; cook 3 min., stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in tomato paste, rice, dressing, 3 cups tomato sauce and 3/4 cup cheese.

HEAT oven to 375ºF. Drain cabbage; pat dry. Carefully remove vein from center of each leaf. Pour 1/2 cup of the remaining tomato sauce into 3-qt. round casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with layers of 1 cabbage leaf and 2 cups rice mixture; repeat layers 3 times. Top with remaining cabbage leaf, remaining sauce and cheese; cover.

BAKE 1 hour 10 min., uncovering after 1 hour. Let stand 5 min. before serving