Yam Casserole

Yam Casserole: It’s a staple for us at Thanksgiving and Christmas

2 lbs yams (or 6 med)
1/3 C milk
¼ C brown sugar, packed
¼ C melted butter
1 t vanilla
½ t salt
1 egg
Topping :
4 T butter (melt in saucepan). Remove from heat and add:
1/2 C brown sugar (packed), 6 T flour, 2/3 C chopped walnuts or pecans. Stir until combined.

Cut off ends and woody portions of yams. Boil yams (I cut them into 2 inch round to cook them faster).
When fork tender , strain yams from water and cool. Remove skins.
Preheat oven to 350. In mixer combine yams, milk, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, salt and egg. Mix until
fluffy. Put into greased baking dish (I would use a 2 qt casserole dish). Top with topping mixture. Bake
for 30-35 minutes.

Susan's Mint Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake, AKA "Danger Cake"

Blend for 2 minutes on medium speed:

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 pkg instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1/2 c. oil, 1/2 cup water

Add:
1 tsp peppermint extract

While beating on low speed, add:
8 oz. sour cream (Erin uses applesauce instead, and it works pretty well. But you know me...)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or a tad more. Again, you know me...)

Spray bundt pan with cooking spray and then coat with powdered sugar.
Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

Let cool in pan 15 min. before removing from pan. Remove, and sprinkle top of cake with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Buddy Bars

Please Note: I hate that these are called "Buddy" bars.

1 cup peanut butter
6 TBSP softened unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups chocolate chips

* blend peanut butter andd butter
* add eggs, sugar, vanilla
* add flour and salt
* add 1 cup of the chocolate chips
* bake at 350 for 25 minutes
* sprinkle remaining chocolate chips, allow to get shiny, spread em around.

Meyer Lemon Crepe Cake

From Martha Stewart

Serves 10 to 12

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, melted, plus more, melted, for pan
• Meyer Lemon Curd Mousse (below)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, whipped
• Candied Meyer Lemons, optional

Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Whisk in butter. Pour through a fine sieve into an airtight container; discard lumps. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Lightly coat a 6-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet with butter. Heat over medium heat until just starting to smoke. Remove from heat; pour about 2 tablespoons batter into center. Swirl to cover bottom. Reduce heat to medium-low; return pan to heat. Cook until edges are golden and center is dry, about 30 seconds per side.

Slide crepe onto an overturned plate. Repeat with remaining batter, coating pan with butter as needed, and stacking crepes. Let cool.

Place 1 crepe on a flat serving dish. Spread about 1/4 cup lemon curd mousse onto crepe. Top with 1 crepe. Continue layering crepes and mousse. (Use 15 crepes, ending with a crepe on top.) Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Top crepe cake with whipped cream and 3 or 4 candied lemon slices.

For Meyer Lemon Curd Mousse:

Makes about 3 3/4 cups

• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from one 1/4-ounce envelope)
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 4 large eggs plus 6 large yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons finely grated Meyer lemon zest (from 2 lemons), plus 3/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (from 5 to 6 lemons)
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
• Sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk together eggs and yolks in a heavy small saucepan. Whisk in sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium-low heat, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat; add gelatin, stirring constantly, until gelatin dissolves and mixture is slightly cool. Add butter, a few pieces at a time, stirring after each addition, until smooth.
• Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing with a rubber spatula to remove as much curd as possible; discard any undissolved bits of gelatin and egg. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours or overnight. Stir curd, and gently fold in whipped cream. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Stir before using.

For Candied Meyer Lemons:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 Meyer lemons (do not peel), washed well and sliced 1/4 inch thick

Mozarella, Raspberry & Brown Sugar Panini

From Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 6

12 1/2 inch thick slices bakery style white bread

1/3 cup olive oil

3/4 cup raspberry jam

3 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

12 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, patted dry and sliced

Salt (optional)

3 Tbsp light brown sugar

1. Preheat panini press

2. Using a pastry brush, paint bread on both sides with oil. Spread one side of each slice with jam. Sprinnkle rosemar yover jam.

3. Place 2 slices mozzarella on 6 slices of bread

4. Covering with the other slice of bread, sprinkle brown sugar on top of the panini.

5. Grill for 3-5 minutes, until cheese has melted and bread is golden and crispy.

Lion House Pumpkin Bread

Makes 2 loaves

1 cup vegetable oil

5 eggs

1 16 oz can pumpkin

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

2 3 oz packages instant vanilla pudding mix

1 cup chopped walnuts (way optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine oil, eggs, and pumpkin into a large mixing bowl and beat well. In a separate bowl sift together flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix until blended. Stir in pudding mix and nuts. Pour onto a greased 4 1/2 x 8 inch loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.

Zucchini-Ribbon "Lasagna"

Serves 9

For the sauce:

1 28 oz can of whole peeled plum tomatoes, with juice

2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)

1/4 tsp red-pepper flakes

12 oz ground turkey

2 Tbs chopped oregano

2 tsp salt

For the lasagna:

2 medium zucchini, trimmed

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1/4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

Oregano

1. Make the sauce: Pulse tomatoes with juice in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat oil in large straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and red-pepper flakes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 8 minutes. Add turkey; cook, breaking up any large pieces, until browned, 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until thick, about 20 minutes. Stir in oregano and salt. Let cool.

2. Make the lasagna: Preheat oven to 375. Slice zucchini lengthwise into thin strips, about 1/8 inch thick. Place 5 or 6 zucchini slices, overlapping slightly, in the bottom of an 8 iinch square baking dish. Top with 1 cup sauce. Dot with 1/4 cup ricotta. Repeat twice with zucchini, remaining sauce, and 1/2 cup ricotta, alternating direction of zucchini. Top with remaining zucchini, alternating direction; brush with oil. Dot with remaining 1/4 cup ricotta. Season with pepper. Bake, uncovered, until lasagna bubbles and top browns, 50-60 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Garnish with oregano.

Spinach Teriyaki Pasta Salad

16 oz bowtie (or what you have) pasta. Cooked al dente

1 10 oz bag fresh spinach

1 6 oz bag craisins

3 11 oz cans mandarin oranges

1 8 oz can of water chestnuts (drained)

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1 bunched green onions, chopped

1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted

6 oz honey roasted peanuts

2 cups cooked chicken-diced or pulled into small pieces

Dressing:

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup bottled Teriyaki sauce

2/3 cup white wine vinegar

6 T. sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

ò Blend dressing ingredients together in a blender. Mix 1/2 of dressing, pasta, chicken and water chestnuts overnight in refrigerator.

ò Before serving, combine spinach, craisins, oranges, parsley, onions, sesame seeds, and peanuts together. Add marinated mixture and remaining dressing and toss.

Aunt Kathryn's Shower Salad

This is a TRUE MEAL salad. It fills up my 6'5" jock brother-in-law. End of story.

1 bag spinach

1 head red leaf lettuce

1 head romaine lettuce

1 box or bag sliced mushrooms

i jar artichoke hearts

i purple onion

1 avocado, sliced in chunks

1 pkg. cherry tomatoes (I cut them in half)

1 pkg chicken tenders (marinate w/ honey mustard dressing and grill!)
1 pkg grated Parmesan

1 pkg butter garlic croutons

1 pkg cheese tortellini (cooked)

Combine above ingredients -- add tortellini and croutons just before serving. Also, make sure lettuce is rinsed and very dry before tossing together with other ingredients.

For dressing mix in blender:

2 1/2 t salt

1/2 c balsamic vinegar

2 T onion

2 cloves garlic

2 T garlic powder

3/4 c canola oil

2 T parsley

4 t Dijon mustard

1 t Worcestershire sauce
8 t sugar

Blend and drizzle over salad (you don't have to use all this dressing for one recipe of salad. You'll likely need most, but not all of it. I added all of it once and it made the salad so soggy it was kind of a bummer.) You don't want the salad to loose it's crispy freshness!

Homemade Granola

from Aunt Susan, who is a prettier and much more classy version of Martha Stewart.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

In a very large bowl combine the following:

8 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 lb. shredded coconut

1 cup sesame seeds

1/4 to 1/2 cup flax seeds

5 cups chopped almonds or pecans

Set aside

Over medium heat, warm and stir until dissolved:

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 1/2 cups canola or vegetable oil

1/2 cup real maple syrup

1/2 cup peanut butter

Pour sauce over oat mixture. Stir to coat. Spread mixture on two or more cookie sheets. Toast in oven 20 to 30 minutes, checking frequently and turning over/stirring occasionally for even browning.

Let granola cool.

Optional additions: You can add chopped dried fruit -- I've tried dried blueberries. Delish.

Chicken Crescent Sandwich

1 pkg Pillsbury crescent rolls
2 cups cooked canned chicken
3 oz. soft cream cheese
1 chopped cream onion
1 pinch salt & pepper
3 tbl. melted butter
2 tbl. parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium bowl combine chicken, cream cheese, chopped onion and salt & pepper. Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles. Spoon meat mixture on 1 end of each triangle. Fold dough over. Seal edges. Brush with butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake on ungreased sheet 15-17 minutes until golden brown.

Ham & Cheese Wrap-Ups

Comes to us live from the kitchen of Aubrey Messick!

1 pkg. Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 pkg. thick sliced honey ham
1 pkg. provolone cheese
2 thinly sliced Pink Lady Apples

Place sliced ham in a frying pan and allow to sear on each side until golden brown. Cut to size and place desired amount of ham on open crescent rolls. (I used one slice cut into 1/4s per roll). Top with provolone cheese and thinly sliced apple pieces. Fold up crescent rolls and bake according to the crescent roll directions. Serve with tomato soup and any leftover apple slices.

Smashed Potatoes and Broccoli

• I found this on The Food Network, it's provided by the Neeley's (makers of Git-Cho-Man Chicken!), and it was just up my alley.
• 4 pounds Yukon gold or russet potatoes, quartered
• 2 (about 6 cups) broccoli heads
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 stick butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Boil potatoes in salted water until very tender; about 20 minutes. Cut the florets off the broccoli and add to boiling potatoes, about 7 minutes. Drain and place back into pot.

Heat the milk, cream, and butter in a small saucepan. Pour sauce into the potatoes and broccoli, add cheese, mash together. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Great Vanilla Cupcake

from Williams Sonoma, to use with their darling cupcake pan.

For the Cupcake:

3 2/3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/3 cups unsalted butter

2 1/3 cups granulated sugar

5 eggs, lightly beaten

4 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups milk

For the Buttercream Frosting:

4 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 Tbs. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Grease and flour the Great Cupcake Pan; tap out the excess flour.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla until just incorporated, about 1 minute.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, filling the wells to within 1/2 inch of the rim and spreading the batter so the sides are higher than the center. Bake until the cupcake halves begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the enter of each comes out clean, 70 to 80 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cupcake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.

Gently tap the pan on the counter to loosen the cupcake. Set the rack over the cupcake, invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Let the cupcake cool completely, at least 2 hours, before assembling and decorating. Wash and dry the pan.

Meanwhile, make the buttercream: In a small bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt and continue beating until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes more.

To assemble the cupcake, return both halves of the cooled cupcake to the pan. Level the cupcake. Remove the cupcake base. Spread about 1/2 cup of the buttercream over the cut side of the cupcake top. Place the top on the base, cover loosely with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 1 hour or until buttercream is firm.

Decorate your head off!