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[moreluck]

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Icing


Ingredients:
***carrot cake***
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 egg
1 egg white
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup grated carrots
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup drained, canned, crushed pineapple
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional
nonstick cooking spray

***cream cheese icing***
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
carrot cake: Preheat the oven to 350?friend. Remove the butter and eggs from the refrigerator to allow them to come to room temperature.
Place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Gradually add the brown sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is very fluffy.
With the mixer on low speed, add the egg and egg white. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg and carrots. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Fold in half the flour mixture. Stir in the pineapple, raisins and walnuts. Fold in the rest of the flour mixture. The batter should be smooth, but do not overmix.
Coat a 10-inch round cake pan with nonstick spray. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake until the cake is golden brown and set in the center, about 35 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.
cream cheese icing: In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla together until the mixture is smooth. Using a spoon or spatula, spread the icing on top of the cooled cake. Store the cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Cut the cake into pieces and allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

 

[moreluck]

Chocolate Peanut Buddy Bars


Ingredients:
1 cup Peanut butter
6 tablespoons Soft butter
1 1/2 cup Sugar
3 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 package (12 oz size) Chocolate Chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 friend In large bowl, blend peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla, beat until creamy. Blend in flour and salt. Stir in 1 cup chips. Spread into ungreased 13x9 inch pan. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Immediately sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on. Let stand 5 minutes until morsels become shiny and soft. Spread evenly over top. Cool completely. cut into 1 1/2 inch bars.

 

[moreluck]

Creme De Menthe Squares


Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup Butter
1/2 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
3 1/2 cups Sifted powdered sugar
1 Egg, beaten
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 cups Graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup Green creme de menthe liquer
1 1/2 cup Semi-sweet chocolate bits
Directions:
Bottom Layer: In saucepan combine 1/2 cup of the butter and 1/2 cup cocoa powder. heat and stir until well blended. Remove. Add 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar, the egg, and vanilla. Stir in graham cracker crumbs. Mix well. Press into ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
Middle Layer: Melt 1/2 cup butter. In bowl combine melted butter and creme de menthe. At low speed beat in remaining 3 cups of powdered sugar until smooth, spread over chocolate. Chill 1 hour. Top Layer: In saucepan combine 1/4 cup butter and chocolate bits. Stir over low heat until melted. Spread over mint layer. Chill 1 to 2 hours. Cut into small squares. Store in refrigerator.

 

[moreluck]

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY

The fragrant roasted birds are served with a pan sauce containing whole garlic cloves. Accompany the hens with a crusty garlic bread to mop up the sauce, and pour a light Chianti throughout the meal.

4- 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-pound Cornish game hens, giblets removed
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
4 large fresh rosemary sprigs
3 tablespoons olive oil
24 garlic cloves, peeled

1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup canned low-salt chicken broth

Additional rosemary sprigs (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 450?friend. Pat hens dry with paper towels. Season cavities lightly with salt and pepper. Place 1 lemon wedge and 1 rosemary sprig in cavity of each hen. Rub hens with 1 tablespoon oil. Season outside of hens lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange in heavy large roasting pan. Scatter garlic around hens.
Roast hens 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350?friend. Pour wine, broth and remaining 2 tablespoons oil over hens. Continue roasting until hens are golden brown and juices run clear when thigh is pierced at thickest part, basting every 10 minutes with pan juices, about 25 minutes longer.
Transfer hens to platter, pouring any juices from cavity into roasting pan. Tent hens with foil to keep warm. Transfer pan juices and garlic to heavy medium saucepan. Boil until reduced to sauce consistency, about 6 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise. Arrange on plates. Spoon sauce and garlic around hens. Garnish with additional rosemary sprigs and serve.

 

[moreluck]

Pecan Pie Bars


Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 can (14-ounce size) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350?friend.
In medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly.
Press mixture on bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake 10 to 15 minutes. In small bowl, combine pecans, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and lemon juice; pour over crust. Bake 25 minutes or until filling is set. Cool. Cut into bars. Store covered at room temperature.

 

[moreluck]

Cuban Ropa Vieja

This is great shredded beef served on tortillas or over rice. Add sour cream, cheese, and fresh cilantro on the side."
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]INGREDIENTS:[/FONT]
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds beef flank steak
1 cup beef broth
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 small onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded
and sliced into strips
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chopped fresh
cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]DIRECTIONS:[/FONT]
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the flank steak on each side, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer beef to a slow cooker. Pour in the beef broth and tomato sauce, then add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, cilantro, olive oil and vinegar. Stir until well blended. Cover, and cook on High for 4 hours, or on Low for up to 10 hours. When ready to serve, shred meat and serve with tortillas or rice

 

[moreluck]

Adreena's Cream Chicken & Mushrooms

4 boneless chicken breasts
black pepper
seasoning salt
garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbls. oil
3 large portabello mushrooms
2 Tbls. butter
12 oz. whipping cream

1. Lightly season chicken on both sides with pepper, seasoning salt & garlic powder.
2. In a skillet, brown chicken on both sides over med. heat until golden, 3-4 mins. per side.
3. Place chicken in a baking pan; cook in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 mins.
4. Meanwhile, slice mushrooms lengthwise; place in a buttered pan and saute over med. heat. Once mushrooms start to shrivel, pour in whipping cream. Season with pepper, seasoning salt & garlic powder. Lower heat and let cook 'til sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
5. When chicken is almost done, pour mushrooms and sauce over the breasts and place back in oven for 10-15 mins.

Serve with roasted potatoes.

 

[moreluck]

Monkey Bread Bites


Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (12 oz size)
1/2 cup butter, PLUS
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Extra large foil muffin cups
Directions:
Combine half the sugar and the cinnamon in a large bowl. Cut biscuits into fourths and add to sugar mixture; toss to coat. Set aside. Melt butter in medium pan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and remaining sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and pecans. Arrange 5 coated biscuit pieces in a lightly greased foil muffin cup; place in a muffin pan. Repeat with remaining biscuit pieces. Drizzle evenly with pecan mixture. Bake at 400 for 18 minutes or until golden.

 

[moreluck]

Salvation Army Doughnuts

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
4 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder or vanilla extract
Directions:
Cream shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla if using extract and beat well. Combine dry ingredients (including vanilla if using powder) then sift together. Add dry mixture to creamed mixture, alternating with milk.
Roll dough 1/2 inch thick on floured board. Cut into rounds, and cut out centers. A glass works well for cutting, with a small, empty prescription pill bottle to cut the centers. The centers can be rolled together for more doughnuts or fried as they are for 'donut holes.' Deep fry in vegetable oil, turning once, until browned. Drain on grocery bag (to absorb oil) and dust with confectioner's sugar.

 

[moreluck]

Amish Apple Cake

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda, divided
2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup milk
2 eggs 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced apples

Topping
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan.
In a mixing bowl combine brown and white sugars, 1 teaspoon baking soda, cinnamon, flour and salt. Add oil and beat for 2 minutes.
In a separate bowl, blend vinegar and remaining teaspoon baking soda with milk to sour. Add to flour mixture with eggs. Beat well. Fold in sliced apples. Pour batter into prepared pan.
In small bowl combine brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and nuts. Sprinkle topping over batter and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick; it should come out clean. Serves 12 to 16.

 

[moreluck]

Lemon Garlic Chicken with Coriander
(from: Cooking Light)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt & fresh ground pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
finely grated zest & juice from 3 lemons
1 red chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
4 Tbls. honey
2 Tbls. ground coriander

Season chicken with salt & pepper. Mix together garlic, lemon zest and juice, chili pepper, honey & ground coriander. Add chicken and turn to coat and marinate in a covered, nonmetallic dish for 3 hours (or overnight in the fridge)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Transfer chicken & marinade to oven proof dish and roast chicken for 40 mins. or til tender and juices run clear.

 

[moreluck]

Cheatin' Beans

You can tell everybody you baked these beans from scratch, and they'll never know the difference.

• 2 1-pound (or 15-1/2 ounce) cans pork and beans
• 1 pound bacon
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons catsup
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard

Preheat oven to 350?friend.
Drain the liquid from the beans. Remove and discard that token scrap of pork fat (if that's what it really is) they put in each can. Put the beans in a 2-quart baking dish.
Fry the bacon, remove it from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Saut�*�he onion in the bacon drippings until it is transparent. Remove onion with a slotted spoon and add to beans.
In a small bowl, blend the brown sugar, molasses, catsup and dried mustard.
Break or tear the bacon into 1-inch pieces and add to beans. Add the brown sugar mixture, and stir gently until all ingredients are incorporated. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring once. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

 

[moreluck]

Cape Breton Chicken (crockpot)

Ingredients:
4 uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cubed
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 small-medium-sized green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 quart low-sodium stewed, or crushed,tomatoes
1 cup water
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
Cover. Cook on low 7 hours. Serve over rice.

 

[moreluck]

Mexican Red Rice

• 1 cup uncooked rice (not instant rice)
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil or lard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
• 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 2 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
• 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken or beef broth
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Add the rice and stir over medium-high heat until rice is golden brown. Add the garlic and chopped onion, and saut*ntil the onion just begins to brown.
Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, chili powder and salt, lower heat and cover. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. Makes 5 or 6 servings.

 

[moreluck]

Wilted Spinach, White Bean & Bacon Salad

1 Tbls. olive oil
3 slices turkey bacon cut crosswise into 1/2" wide strips
12 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
1 can (19oz.) white beans rinsed and drained
1/2 cup mixed vegetable juice....like V-8
2 Tbls. red wine vinegar
1 Tbls. Dijon mustard
/12 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
12 cups spinach leaves
1 yellow bell pepper cut into small squares
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced.

Heat oil in a large non stick skillet over med. heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp about 5 mins. With slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel to drain.

Add mushrooms to skillet and cook 'til tender about 5 mins. Add beans and cook 'til heated through.

Whisk vegetable juice, vinegar, mustard, salt & pepper in small bowl. Add to mushroom mixture in skillet and bring to a boil.

Combine spinach, bell pepper, red onion & bacon in large bowl. Add hot mushroom mixture to bowl and toss to combine.

 

[moreluck]

Roly Poly Roll Ups

Ingredients
1 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 ripe avocado
2 ounces low-fat cream cheese
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup salsa, mild
4 large flour tortillas
1 cup chopped lettuce leaves
1 cup chopped tomatoes
Preparation Cook: 15 minutes

1. Have kids shred the chicken into thin pieces and set aside in a small bowl.
2. Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and place it in a mixing bowl with the cream cheese. Have kids mash the avocado and cheese together with a potato masher or fork until chunky. Add the lime juice, cilantro salt and pepper and mix with a fork.
3. Everyone can assemble the roll ups. Spread half of the avocado-cheese mixture on the tortillas. Top with chicken, dividing it evenly among the tortillas. Sprinkle the lettuce leaves and tomatoes on top of the chicken. Top with the remainder of the avocado cheese mixture and spoon the salsa on top. Roll up tightly.
4. You can make these ahead and chill them overnight, individually wrapped in plastic.
5. Slice in half on the diagonal and serve at room temperature.

 

[moreluck]

Jimmy Carter's Favorite Dessert

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup Chopped peanuts; divided
1 cup Flour
1/2 cup Butter or margarine
8 ounces Cream cheese; softened
12 ounces Whipped topping
1 cup Confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup Creamy peanut butter
1 small Pkg chocolate instant pudding
1 small Pkg vanilla instant pudding
2 1/2 cups Milk
1 cup Chocolate syrup
Directions:
For Crust: Mix 1 C peanuts with flour and the softened stick of butter or margarine. Blend together and press in 13x9" pan. Bake for 20 minutes at 300 friend. Cool.
1st Layer: Cream the cream cheese with the peanut butter and confectioners' sugar with electric mixer. Blend in 1 C whipped topping with a spoon. Spread on cooled crust carefully.
2nd Layer: Blend instand puddings into cold milk. Spread on top of first layer.
3rd Layer: Spread remaining whipped toppping on top of 2nd layer.
4th Layer: Drizzle chocolate syrup on top of whipped topping. 5th Layer: Sprinkle with remaining half cup chopped peanuts. Freeze. Remove from freezer 1 hour before serving. Refrigerate or refreeze leftovers.

 

[moreluck]

Lumberjack Pancakes

Ingredients:
[SIZE=-1]2 cups Oats Uncooked[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]1 teaspoon Salt [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]1 1/2 cups Flour [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]3 Eggs Beaten[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]1/4 cup Sugar[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]2 cups Milk [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]2 1/2 teaspoons Baking powder[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]1/3 cup Margarine Melted[/SIZE]

Instructions
Combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, and margarine. Mix well. Pour 1/2 cup batter onto hot greased griddle.

 

[moreluck]

Easy Beef Tips

Ingredients
[SIZE=-1]2 pounds lean chuck roast cut into 1" pieces[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]1 cup 7-Up or similar [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]1 envelope dry onion soup mix [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]1 cup Mushrooms sliced[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]1 can cream of mushroom soup [/SIZE]

InstructionsPlace meat in crockpot. Do not season. Pour mushroom soup over meat and sprinkle onion soup mix on top. Add 7-Up and mushrooms and stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

Serve over noodles or rice. Freeze cooled beef tips in large freezer bag. Thaw and reheat.

 

[moreluck]

Toad In The Hole

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound good-quality sausage (pork, turkey)
salt and pepper
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 425 friend.
Sift flour into a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Make a well in the center of the flour. Whisk the eggs and the milk into the center of the well in the flour, gradually to smooth out lumps. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.
Brown the sausages in a little olive oil and cook through, about 10 minutes. Put sausages in a roasting pan, pour the batter over the sausages and place in oven. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the batter is risen and golden. Serve at once.