Salmon Patties

Ingredients

1 (14.75 ounce) can canned salmon

1 egg

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs or crushed crackers

1 tablespoon olive oil

Milk

Pepper

Directions

Drain liquid and remove bones from salmon. Mix egg, onion, bread crumbs, pepper and salmon together.


Make into patties. If mixture is too dry to form into patties, add milk.


In a frying pan, heat olive oil. Place patties in pan. Brown on each side, turning gently. Drain on paper towels and serve.

Apple Cinnamon Dessert Pizza

Ingredients

1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie dough circle

3 large Granny Smith apples

1/2 cup sugar1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons flour

Icing:

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)

1 cup powdered sugar1-5 tablespoons of hot water


Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

Peel core and cut apples into 1/2 inch wedges

Toss apples with sugar, cinnamon and flour.

Spread apples over the center of the pie crust on a pizza baking sheet, leaving an inch of dough around the edges.

Fold dough towards the center to create a crust around the apples.

Bake 25-30 minutes until crust is golden brown.

In a small bowl mix butter, vanilla bean paste (or extract) and powdered sugar. Add a tablespoon of hot water and repeat until the
icing reaches the desired consistency.

Drizzle icing over warm apple pizza, slice and serve.

Creamy Caesar Dressing

Ingredients:

3/4 cup bottled Italian dressing

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon anchovy paste or soy sauce

Directions:

Combine all with wire whisk.

Keep refrigerated.

Use within a week.

(Red Lobster's Receipe)

Surpreme Pizza Pasta Bake

1 lb ground italian sausge

1 package pepperoni

13 1/4 ounces whole wheat pasta

1 cup low-fat sour cream

8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese

1 large egg

1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup green peppers, chopped

1 small can sliced black olives

1 small can sliced mushroom

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)

1 1/2 cups Italian cheese blend, shredded


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook pasta according to directions on the box, set aside.

Brown the ground sausage, onion, green pepper, and garlic until cooked through.

In a bowl, combine 8 ounces softened cream cheese, 1 cup sour cream, and one egg. Blend thoroughly.

Add spaghetti sauce and red pepper flakes to the cheese mixture. Blend thoroughly.

Add one cup shredded Italian cheese. Mix together.

In a casserole dish, combine 13.25 oz (one box) whole wheat rotini, sausage mixture, pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives and sauce blend.

Top with remaining 1/2 cup Italian Cheese.

Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Ham & Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 (20 ounce) package 15 bean mixture, soaked overnight

1 ham bone

3-4 cups cubed ham

1 large onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped (optional)

5 large carrots, chopped (optional)

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with liquid

1 (12 fluid ounce) can low-sodium vegetable juice

3 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon dried parsley

3 tablespoons lemon juice

7 cups low fat, low sodium chicken broth


Directions

Place the soaked beans into a large pot and fill with enough water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low for 30 minutes. Drain. Add the ham bone, ham, onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes, vegetable juice, and vegetable broth. Season with Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, chili powder, bay leaves, pepper, brown sugar, parsley and lemon juice. Pour in enough of the chicken broth to cover the ingredients.


Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 hours. Add more chicken broth as needed throughout the day. Remove the ham bone and season with salt if needed. Continue to simmer for a couple more hours. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Roasted Pears

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean

1 1/2 pounds slightly-under-ripe, fragrant, medium pears, peeled if desired, halved though the stem and cored

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the sugar in a small bowl. With a thin, sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise in half and scrape out the seeds. Stir the seeds into the sugar.
Arrange the pears in a large baking dish, cut-side up. Drizzle the lemon juice evenly over the fruit, then sprinkle with the sugar. Nestle the vanilla pod among the fruit (I first slit my halves lengthwise into quarters). Pour the water into the dish. Dot each pear with some butter.
Roast the pears 30 minutes brushing them occasionally with the pan juices. Turn the pears over and continue roasting, basting once or twice, until tender and caramelized, 25 to 30 minutes longer (if the pears are small, test for doneness after 35 or 40 minutes of cooking; a paring knife poked into the thickest part of one should meet with no resistance).
Serve warm, spooned with the caramelized pear drippings from the pan over ice cream, dolloped with crème fraîche, on your morning oatmeal, over slices of gingerbread or so much more.

Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

2 pounds Yukon golden potatoes, washed and quartered

Salt

4 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup heavy cream4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Freshly ground black pepper


Directions

Place potatoes in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium and cook until fork tender. Drain well. Add back to the pot that they were cooked in.

Meanwhile, heat butter and cream until hot. Add the crumbled blue cheese and stir together. Add sauce to potatoes and mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Swiss Steak

Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 pounds round steak, cut into small pieces

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, shredded

2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar, or to taste


Directions

In a shallow bowl, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Lightly coat the round steak pieces in the flour mixture.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the celery, onion, and carrots about 5 minutes, until tender. Remove from heat, and set aside. Mix in the round steak pieces, and cook until lightly browned.

Place the vegetables and steak in a slow cooker. Mix in the tomatoes with juice, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar.

Cover, and cook 8 to 10 hours on Low, until the round steak is very tender.

Vegetable Medley

2 cups cauliflower florets

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup carrot, sliced diagonally

1 medium red onion, sliced and separated into rings

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 1/2 tablespoons oil or butter

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed


Directions:

Place the cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and onion in steamer basket.

Cover and steam over boiling water for 10 minutes.

Add mushroom and steam 5 minutes more or until vegetables are just tender.

Meanwhile, melt butter

Add lemon juice, basil and marjoram.

To serve, place vegetables in serving bowl.

Pour lemon mixture over vegetables and toss to coat.

Macaroni & Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter PLUS
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese
1/2 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups half & half
1 cup Velveeta, cut into small cubes
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2 quart casserole.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, add the oil then the elbow macaroni and cook until macaroni is just tender (about 7 minutes). Do not overcook. Drain well and return to the pot.

In a small saucepan, melt the first measure of butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar cheese and the Monterey Jack cheese. To the macaroni, add the half and half, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheeses, the cubed Velveeta and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and dot with the remaining butter.

Bake until it is bubbling around the edges, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Ketchup Glaze
1/4 cup ketchup or chili sauce
2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons cider or white vinegar

Meat Loaf
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black paper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
1/2 cup milk, buttermilk or low-fat plain yogurt
1 pound ground chuck
1 pound ground pork
2/3 cups crushed saltine crackers (about 16) or quick oatmeal or 1 1/3 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced parsley
6 ounces thin-sliced bacon


GlazeDirections
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

Meat Loaf Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add onion and garlic, saute until softened, about 5 minutes; set aside to cool.
Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, Worchestershire, pepper sauce, and milk or yogurt. Add egg mixture to meat in a large bowl, along with crackers, oatmeal or bread crumbs, parsley and cook onions and garlic; mix with a fork until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl. (If mixture does stick, add additional milk, a couple tablespoons at a time, and continue stirring until mixture stops sticking.)
Turn meat mixture onto a work surface. With wet hands, pat mixture into a loaf approximately 9 by 5 inches.
Cover a wire rack with foil; prick foil in several places with a fork. Place a rack on a shallow roasting pan lined with foil for easy cleanup.
Set formed loaf on rack. Brush loaf with all of glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping them slightly and tucking them under to prevent curling.
Bake loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Cool for at least 20 minutes. Slice and serve

Sausage, Potatoes & Peppers

Sausage Potatoes & Pepper Bake

(Orginal Recipe)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 to 60 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound Italian sausage, hot, sweet, or mixed, each cut crosswise into 3 chunks.

2.5lbs Red Potatoes, cubed

2 large bell peppers (1 Green 1 Yellow), seeded and cut into 1-inch strips

1 medium sweet onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe Preparation

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. For easy cleanup line a large roasting pan (large enough to comfortably fit all the ingredients in a single layer) with aluminum foil. (I like to use a half sheet pan.)

Place the sausage, potatoes, peppers, onions and garlic (if using) in the pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the ingredients. Season with the oregano, salt and pepper. Toss to coat everything with the oil and seasonings. Roast in the oven until the potatoes are tender and the sausage is browned, 45 to 60 minutes, stirring the mixture every 20 minutes or so.


(Changes I have made to Orginal Recipe)

Since sometimes I don't have an hour to prepare dinner, sad but true. This can also be made in the crockpot. Cook on low all day.

I have also made it using Jimmy Dean Italian Ground Sausage, because that's what I had in the freezer.

Leftovers are great on a toasted hoagie or served over pasta.