White Chocolate Cranberry Chunk Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup roughly chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 375*F.

In a medium bowl, with electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until just combined. Set aside.

Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Add milk to the butter mixture and then add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Batter should be stiff.

Add nuts, cranberries, and white chocolate, stirring just to combine. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden, and cool on wire rack.

Sweet and Salty Cookies

• 1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 2 cups unsalted butter, cold
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp instant espresso powder, dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup thin salty pretzels, crushed into small pieces but not powder

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in the oats and stir to combine.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs, beating until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add in the vanilla, and beat for a couple seconds. Add in your coffee, and mix until combined.

Add half the dry ingredients into the wet, and mix until just combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat until just incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and stir in chocolate chips and about 1/2 cup of the crushed pretzels.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350*F and prepare some cookie sheets by lining them with parchment.

Using a tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out dough and place about an inch apart, at 12 per pan. Sprinkle the remaining pretzel pieces on top of the cookie dough and use your hands to press lightly so they stick.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Once ready, let cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Chocolate Candy Cane Cheesecake

• 1 1/2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks
• 1/2 cup coarsely crushed hard peppermint candies
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks

Combine Oreo crumbs, melted butter and first amount of sugar; stir well. Press mixture firmly on bottom of a lightly greased 9″ springform pan. Bake at 325° for 12-15 minutes. Let cool.

Beat cream cheese at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk, beating until blended. Add 1/3 cup whipping cream, sugar, flour and vanilla, beating until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until yellow disappears. Stir in chocolate chunks and crushed candies with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Pour batter into baked crust. Bake at 325° for 52 to 55 minutes or until edges are set and center is slightly wiggly. Turn off oven. Immediately run a knife around edge of pan, releasing sides. With oven door slightly open, let cheesecake stand in oven 1 hour. Remove from oven; cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and chill 8 hours. Remove sides and bottom of pan; place cheesecake on a serving plate.

Pour 3/4 cup whipping cream into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until hot. Add 1 1/2 cups semisweet morsels; stir until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Pour ganache over chilled cheesecake, allowing ganache to spill over edges of cheesecake; smooth ganache with an offset spatula. Let stand 10 minutes, and garnish with soft candycanes or peppermint bark. Store in refrigerator.

Mint Whoopie Pies

Cake:

• 2 cups unsifted flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup milk

Filling:

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup Marshmallow Creme
• 2 tsp peppermint extract

Preheat oven to 350*F

In a large bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa and sugar. Add egg, oil, vanilla and milk and combine well. Drop about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies are firm. Watch them carefully as they will harden or burn quickly.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a medium bowl combine butter, marshmallow cream, and mint. Stir in icing sugar until smooth and fluffy. When making filling I recommend using 1 tsp of mint and trying it first before adding the other 1 tsp.

Put filling into a piping bag. Turn one cookie upside down, and cover with as much filling as you want. Top with another cookie and serve.

Fruit Cake Cookies

• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tbsp dark rum, or 1 tsp rum flavouring
• 3/4 cup finely chopped candied red and green cherries
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup coconut

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in milk and rum. Add half of the flour and mix well, slowly adding remaining flour.

Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix in cherries and pecans.

Roll into a log shape and roll in coconut. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, overnight if possible.

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Slice cookies so they are about 1/4 of an inch thick. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart, and bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden.

Transfer to wire cooling rack.

 

Mint Mocha Cookies

•  1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
•  1/3 cup espresso coffee or very strong coffee
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• granulated sugar
• 24 Candy Cane Hershey Kisses

Stir together flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl mix butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg until well combined. Slowly stir in coffee until well combined. Add dry ingredients, and stir until well mixed. Refrigerate mixture for at least 30 minutes.

During this time, preheat oven to 350*F.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and roll into granulated sugar.

Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Immediately push a Hershey’s Kiss into the middle of each cookie, and be careful not to move the rack until the cookies completely cool, or the Hershey’s Kisses could melt into a mess.

Makes 2 dozen

Homemade Pizza Dough

Super easy and quick to make, and by far the best recipe I’ve tried. 

• 1 pkg active dry yeast (about 2 1/2 tsps)
• 1 1/3 cups luke warm water
• 2 tsp white sugar
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp melted butter, cooled

In a small bowl combine water and sugar, then stir in active yeast. Allow to rest for 10 minutes until it foams.

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour and salt. Add in melted butter and yeast mixture, stirring well to combine. If using a stand mixture, increase speed to medium high, and allow it to kneed the dough for 5-8 minutes, adding a little flour if dough appears too sticky. If kneeding by hand, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed until smooth and elasticy, about 10 minutes.

Once dough is kneeded, turn into a well oiled boil, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise for half hour in a warm area. Dough should double in size. Punch down, and allow to rise again. At this point, dough can be used to make a thick crust pizza, or divided in two to make two thin crust pizzas.

Use a well oiled baking sheet, or a pizza stone. I recommend using a fine cornmeal as well on the bottom. Roll pizza dough out to thickness wanted, then restretch it on baking sheet to correct size. Add desired toppings and bake in preheated 350*F oven.

Tandoori Chicken

• 4 large chicken breasts
• 1 cup Balkan style yogurt
• 4 heaping tablespoons Pataks Tandoori curry paste
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced and finely diced
• 2 tsp ground coriander seed
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 serrano chili, minced
• 3 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
• 3 tbsp butter or olive oil

In a large nonreactive bowl, combine all ingredients except for chicken. Cut chicken into large pieces (I cut mine into about 5 pieces each), and add to marinade. Refrigerate over night if possible, or for at least 6 hours.

In a large, deep sided skillet heat 3 tablespoons of butter (or olive oil) on medium high heat. Remove chunks of chicken from marinade and carefully place in hot oil, searing until golden. Turn chicken over, and sear the other side. Add the remaining marinade to the pan, and allow it to come to a simmer before reducing heat to low and covering. Cook chicken on low heat for 2 hours. Check to make sure that the contents are not boiling. Chicken should be very tender and easy to pull apart when it is done.

Serve over rice, and top with fresh cilantro.

Pistachio and Sausage Stuffed Chicken

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

• 6 large chicken breasts
• 1 cup Italian sausage meat
• 1/2 cup unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped (I really recommend buying the shelled ones. My fingers were sore after)
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and all water squeezed out
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 12 thin sliced of bacon

Split chicken breasts in half, leaving part connected. Use meat tenderizer or rolling pin and smash them out so they are thinner.

In a medium bowl mix Italian sausage, pistachios, spinach, feta, and garlic. Add two heaping scoops evenly to chicken breasts and roll tightly. Wrap tightly with bacon. Take aluminum foil, and tightly wrap chicken breasts.

Put them in a large pot of boiling water, and cook on medium high heat for 25-30 minutes. Remove from water, and allow to rest.

In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Unwrap chicken, and fry in hot oil until bacon is crisp. Serve immediately.

Recommended serving: Roasted potatoes and sauteed green beans

Chocolate Cream Pots

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup white sugar

In a small saucepan heat milk and cream to a low boil. Add chocolate and stir until melted. Allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whip eggs and sugar until combines, but not foaming. Slowly pour in milk and chocolate mix. Make sure it is not too hot as it will cook the eggs.

Bring kettle of water to a boil, and heat oven to 350*F.

Set six single-serving size ramekins in a baking dish, and divide the chocolate mixture among them.

Set the baking dish with the ramekins on the shelf of the over, and carefully fill the baking dish with the boiling water to cover about two thirds up the sides of the ramekinds. Carefully push shelf back in oven.

Bake until just set and they wiggle a bit in the center, about 25-30 minutes. Remove baking dish from over, and set aside for 5 minutes, then remove from water bath and allow to cool at room temperature. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Adding a few fresh raspberries on top is a nice touch.

Tropical Cupcakes

Mango cupcakes with a pineapple cream cheese icing and toasted coconut

Makes 24 cupcakes

Cake recipe*:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 large mango, peeled and finely diced, about 1 cup

Icing recipe:

• 12oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup fresh pineapple, finely diced, or 1 8oz can crushed pineapple, drained well
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut, optional

Preheat oven to 350*F. In a medium bowl cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well. In a smaller bowl, combine dry ingredients. Slowly add to butter mixture, alternating with milk. Stir in mango. If batter seems a little dry, add milk by the tablespoon until it reaches a soft batter.

Using an ice cream scoop, drop batter into lined cupcake pan, filling about half full. Bake 12-15 minutes, until done and golden brown on top. Allow to cool before icing.

Icing:

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Add in crushed pineapple, mixing well. Add icing sugar to taste. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add coconut, stirring often until light brown and toasted. Remove from heat immediately as coconut will continue to toast.

Ice cool cupcakes, and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Keep refrigerated.

*Boxed cake mix can be substituted.

Jicama Salad

The jicama has a sweet turnip taste to it, and is amazing in salads. It is crisp, and goes well with the apple. Jicama can be found at most grocery stores now, and is best stored in a cooler area such as a pantry, where it will last about a month. Do not store them in the refrigerator, as the colder temperature will damage it.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 6

• 2 cups julienned jicama
• 1 cup julienned granny smith apple
• 1 cup julienned cucumber
• 1 cup julienned carrot
• 2 green onions, julienned
• 1 large lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add in remaining ingredients, and toss well. Refrigerate until serving.

Tzatziki

• 1 16oz tub of greek or plain low fat yogurt
• 1 English cucumber, peeled
• 1 tsp salt + 1 extra tsp
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced well
• 2 tbsp fresh minced dill
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Line a sieve with cheese cloth or a coffee filter, and place on top of a bowl. Spoon in yogurt, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Excess liquid from the yogurt will drain out. Transfer yogurt to a medium bowl, and discard liquid.

Slice cucumbers in half lengthwise, and scrap out seeds. Grate cucumber, and place in a colander over a bowl. Toss with 1 tsp salt, and let sit for at least an hour, for extra liquid to come out. After done draining, squeeze cucumber in a paper towel or kitchen towel to remove any remaining liquid. Add to drained yogurt.

Add minced garlic, salt, dill, olive oil, pepper and lemon juice. Combine well. Chill for 2 hours before serving.

 

Per Tablespoon: 20 calories

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup coconut or spiced rum
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup of butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

In a small bowl, combine raisins and rum. Marinate for at least an hour, overnight if possible.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla extract. In another bowl, combine flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and oats. Mix in to the butter mixture. Dough will be stiff. Stir in raisin and rum mixture, as well as the pecans.

Drop by a teaspoon onto a cookie sheet, leaving room for cookies to spread out.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges of cookies are golden. Remove from oven, and leave to cook on cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling down.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Chinese Soup Dumplings

• 2 pkgs dumpling wrappers, about 75 (NOT wonton wrappers)
• bamboo steamer

Soup:

• 10 cups water
• 3lbs chicken for stock (wings, necks, back, bones)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 inch piece on ginger, thickly sliced
• 5 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp gelatin

Sauce:

• 6 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp hot chili oil
• 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 green onion, minced
• 1 tsp grated ginger

Filling:

• 1lb ground pork
• 15 uncooked shrimp, chopped
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 whole canned water chestnuts, minced
• 2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 head Napa cabbage

In a large pot, combine water, chicken parts, onion, ginger, onion, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, skimming any foam that comes to the surface off. Boil for 10 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours. If stock starts to get low, add a little water at a time.

After 2 hours, strain soup. Reserve only the liquid, and return to pot. Continue to boil until stock reduced to about 2 1/2 cups, about 40 minutes. In a small bowl, add 3 tbsp cold water, and add gelatin, stirring until soft. Add to hot stock and stir until dissolved. Transfer into a square, glass baking dish and refrigerate covered overnight.

In a bowl, combine ingredients for sauce. Whisk together soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, hot chili oil, brown sugar, minced garlic, green onion, and ginger. Cover and refrigerate over night. Serve at room temperature, and whisk well.

In a bowl combine pork, shrimp, green onions, garlic, water chestnuts, allspice, pepper, and soy sauce. Stir well. Cut set gelatin into small, 1/4 inch cubes. Stir into pork mixture very gently. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Working with one wrapper at a time, lightly brush the edges with water. Fill with a heaping teaspoon of filling, making such there are a few gelatin cubes in each. Seal dumplings by folding the tops to look like a small bundle. *See picture below.  Gather corners and twist to seal.

Line bottom of bamboo steamer with a few cabbage leaves. Place over wok filled with about 3 cups of water, or enough to not quite come up to the bottom of bamboo basket. Place some dumplings on top of cabbage leaves, about 5. Cover and steam until cooked, about 12 minutes, adding more water to wok if it stars to get low. Try to not remove lid from steamer while cooking. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Dumplings can be frozen for up to two weeks. Cook frozen dumplings for about 15 minutes.

Roast Beef Stuffed Yorkshire Puddings with Caramelized Onions

Pepper Crusted Roast Beef:

• 3lb top sirloin roast
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp pepper
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp dried sage
• olive oil

Preheat oven to 325*F.

Place roast in a pan, rubbing with olive oil. Mash garlic into a paste. In a small bowl combine garlic, pepper, thyme, and sage. Rub over roast. Cook roast in oven for an hour and a half, until an inserted thermometer reads 140*F for medium rare, 155*F for medium, or 160*F for well done. Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing. Reserve the juices.

Yorkshire Puddings:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
• 2 eggs, at room temperature, beaten
• 1/2 cup water, at room temperature
• melted butter or oil

Preheat oven to 350*F.

In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Make a well in center. Pour in milk, eggs, and water. Combine for a thin batter.

In a 12 or 6 count muffin pan, add 2 tsp melted butter or oil. Place pan into over for a few minutes, until oil is hot. Fill hot tins 2/3 full with batter, returning to oven immediately. Bake for 20 minutes, until puddings are golden brown and inflated. Try to not open oven during baking process. Once done, these should be immediately used, so make these while meat is finishing/resting. Recipe should make about 12-24 Yorkshire puddings, depending on muffin tin used.

Caramelized Onions:

• 4 large red onions
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• In a large skillet, heat oil.

Slice tops and bottoms from onions, cutting in half. Remove skin. Slice onions in 1/4 inch slices. Add to hot oil, and add salt. Stir, and reduce heat to medium. Keep stirring onions as they continue to cook. If onions begin to stick to pan, add about a tablespoon of red wine to the bottom of the pan, and stir again. Continue to cook for about 30 minutes. Onions should darken, but not burn. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Gravy:

• Reserved beef drippings, usually about 1/2 a cup
• 4 cups reduced sodium beef stock
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic

In a saucepan, combine together beef drippings, 3 cups of beef stock, red wine, and garlic. Bring to a bowl, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, or until reduced to about half. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining cup of beef stock and the flour. Make sure there are no lumps. Add to simmering stock, and whisk constantly until thickened. Adjust seasoning to preference.

Preparation:

Woo! Now that we got all that done…

Slice Yorkshire Puddings in half vertically. Stuff with some caramelized onions and thinly sliced roast beef. Pour gravy over top.

Definitely worth the work. Serve with mashed potatoes, sautéed spinach, grilled asparagus, or your favourite veggies.

Triple Chocolate Almond Cookies

• 1 cup softened butter or margarine
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 6oz white chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/3 cups unsweetened chocolate chips
• 1 cup slivered almonds

Cream butter and both sugars in a medium bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs and almond extract.

Heat white chocolate in a double boiler until almost melted. Remove from heat and stir to finish melting. Cool to room temperature and stir into sugar mixture. Add flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir until just moistened.

Stir in almonds and chocolate chips. Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap to form a log. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Cut each log into 10 portions. Place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for ten minutes, or until edges are darkened. Do not over bake.

Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 head romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
• 3 cups cubed French bread
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3 tsp dried herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, etc)
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 5 slices bacon, cut into small pieces

Dressing:

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp anchovy paste or 4 anchovy fillets
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• fresh ground black pepper

In a large frying pan, heat first amount of olive oil. Fry bread cubes until lightly golden. Toss with salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Set aside.

Fry bacon until crisp, and set aside.

In a bowl combine second amount of olive oil, lemon, anchovy, Worcestershire, egg, garlic,cheese and pepper. Blend with a hand mixture until thick. A blender can also be used, but I don’t find it gets as thick that way.

In a large bowl toss Romaine, bacon, croutons, and sauce. Sprinkle with first amount of Parmesan cheese, and serve immediately.

Vegetarian Lasagna

• 3 1/2 cups vegan pasta sauce
• 12 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
• 2 roasted red bell peppers, cut into strips
• 2 zucchinis, thinly sliced
• 2 cups grated mozzarella
• 2 cups ricotta
• 2 cup dry cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• pepper

In a bowl, mix ricotta, cottage cheese, pepper, and egg.

In the bottom of a 9×11 casserole dish spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce. Layer 4 noodles. Cover with 1 cup of sauce. Add 2 cups of cheese mixture on top. Layer 4 more noodles. Add 1 cup of sauce and 2 cups of cheese. Put 4 remaining noodles on top. Spread remainder of sauce over them. Cover with mozzarella cheese.

Baked, covered with aluminum foil, for 20 minutes. Uncover and finish baking until top is golden.

Serving Recommendation:

Caesar Salad

Double Chocolate Brownies

Brownie Batter:

• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3 cups white sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 chopped pecans
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Chocolate Icing

• 2 cups icing sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Butter a rectangular cake pan.

In a sauce pan melt butter. Stir in cocoa powder and sugar. Remove from heat and stir in salt, vanilla, flour, and eggs. Combine well. Stir in pecans and white chocolate. Spread into cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Top should be almost firm to the touch. Cool and ice.

In a bowl whip together all the icing ingredients. Refrigerate until brownies are ready for icing.

Apple Custard Pie

• 1 pie shell
• 3 baking apples
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Peel and slice apples. Arrange in pie shell.

In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Slowly whisk in cream. Pour over apples, and bake for 15-20 minutes until crust golden and custard almost set. Cool until completely set and serve with vanilla ice cream, or a little whipping cream poured over top.

Salmon and Asparagus in Puff Pastry

• 1 1/2lb salmon fillet, skin and bones removed
• 1lb asparagus, trimmed
• 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped dill
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 sheet puff pastry
• salt
• pepper
• 1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 450*F.

Trim salmon fillet so it is even. Cut tips off of asparagus and poach in salted water until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and put in an ice bath to cool. Drain well.

In a food processor blend asparagus tips and crème fraîche or sour cream, dill, lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly oil a baking sheet. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry to 1/4 of an inch. Lay on baking sheet. Place salmon fillet on top. Cover top with pureed asparagus mixture. Lay raw asparagus stems on top to cover. Brush edges with egg, and cover top with second sheet of rolled out puff pastry. seal and trim edges. Brush top top egg and cut a few slits to release steam.

Bake until golden and puffy, about 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, and serve.

Serving recommendation:

Sautéed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes.

Orange Chocolate Fudge

• 2-12oz packages unsweetened chocolate chips
• 1-14oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup orange honey*
• 2 tbsp orange zest
• 1/4 cup minced candied orange peel
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Butter a 9 inch square pan.

In a medium saucepan on medium low heat, melt chocolate chips, condensed milk, and honey. Stir constantly until melted. Add orange zest, and cook for another minute, still stirring. Remove from heat and stir in candied orange peel and pecans.

Pour into prepared pan. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for several hours. Cut into squares to serve.

* If you cannot find orange flavoured honey, orange extract, or oil, can be added to regular honey, about 1/2 tsp per 1/4 cup honey.

Blueberry, White Chocolate, Cream Cheese Tarts

• 24 tart shells
• 3 cups fresh blueberries, washed
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 orange
• 1 tsp corn starch
• 2-6oz packages white chocolate
• 2-80z packages cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Line tart shells on a baking sheet. Prick bottoms with a fork to prevent them from puffing up. Bake in a preheated 350*F oven until golden brown, then cool.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler, melt chocolate.

In a sauce pan, combine blueberries, sugar, and zest from the orange. Heat on medium until bubbling. In a small bowl combine orange juice with corn starch. Add to blueberries and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and cool.

In another bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, whipping cream, vanilla and icing sugar.

In the bottom of each tart shell drop a little melted chocolate, coating bottom. Let harden. Top with some of the cream cheese mixture, so shell is about half full. Top with cooled blueberry mixture. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

Thai Garlic Chili Sauce

• 8 red Thai chilies, stems removed
• 10 cloves garlic, skins removed
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled
• 1 lime, juiced
• 3 lemon grass stems
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup fish sauce
• 1/4 cup warm water

Place chilies, garlic, ginger, lime juice, lemon grass, and cilantro in a food processor. Blend until it forms a coarse paste.

In a sauce pan, dissolve sugar in water over medium heat. Cook on high until light caramel forms, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in paste and bring to boil. Add cider vinegar and fish sauce. Boil for another two minutes.

Makes about 3 cups. Can be sealed in jars and stored