Johnny Hoosier Cake (aka Texas Sheet Cake)

Cake:

Sift the following ingredients:

2 C. Sugar
2 C. Flour
1 tsp. Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt

Melt in saucepan; bring to a boil and pour over dry ingredients:

2 sticks Margarine
4 Tbsp. Cocoa
1 C. Water

Add:

1/2 C. Buttermilk (1 C. milk + 1 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice)
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla

Bake in sheet pan at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Frosting:

Combine and bring to a boil:

1 stick Butter
5-6 Tbsp. Buttermilk
4 Tbsp. Cocoa

Add:

1 box Powdered Sugar (4-4.5 cups)
1 tsp. Vanilla

Pour frosting over cake and put in refrigerator to cool.

Turkey Meatloaf...or Meatballs

I copied this recipe from my sister-in-law, Adrienne, who got it from her good friend Lindsay.  Adrienne and her sisters are fabulous cooks and post their recipes at http://wardgirlscooking.blogspot.com/.  I have been making meatloaf from this recipe for a couple of years now, and it's always a hit.  


I get the big packages of ground turkey from Costco, and make up a few  batches to freeze and cook later.  It takes a couple of hours to cook a frozen meatloaf, though, so in an attempt to make cooking the frozen meatloaf more convenient, I recently tried making the mixture into meatballs (I used a cookie scoop - it was slick!), and freezing those.  When I was ready to eat them, I put the meatballs and sauce into the crockpot, and after 4-6 hours on low or high (my crockpot is not incredibly precise), we had amazing meatballs.  So easy!   

Turkey Meat Loaf

1 to 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (or beef)
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
chopped onion to taste (I have used both fresh minced onion and dried minced onion - either is fine)
salt and pepper to taste


Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. I've found that mixing it together with my hands (or a potato masher) is the best way to incorporate all the ingredients. Place in greased 9x13 and form into loaf (I usually make mine in a bread loaf pan...lined with tin foil, the clean-up is a breeze...or form into meatballs, freeze in a pan and then transfer to a ziploc bag if you're so inclined). Spread sauce over loaf. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes for turkey or one hour for beef.  (My oven usually needs longer.)

Sauce (from a Paula Deen recipe):


2/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp prepared mustard

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

I copied this recipe from

 http://lakelurecottagekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/08/crock-pot-teriyaki-chicken.html.  

I used frozen chicken breasts, and steamed some veggies to go along with it.  

It was a delicious meal, and very easy! 

CROCK POT TERIYAKI CHICKEN

12 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 1/2 teaspoons cold water
Hot cooked long grain rice

Place chicken in a 4 qt. slow cooker.  In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper.  Pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender.  Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm.  Skim fat from cooking liquid.  Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Combine cornstarch and water until smooth.  Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickend.  Serve with chicken and rice.

Note:  I halved the recipe and it still worked fine in my crock pot.  It might not need the full 4 hours time.

Stir-Fry Sauce (Mom)

2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp. sugar
cornstarch and water

4 tsp. sesame oil

Combine and bring first three ingredients to a boil while thickening with cornstarch and water.  Remove from heat, then add oil.  Pour over steamed vegetables.  Serve over rice.

Pizza Dough (Melissa Godfrey - BBQ Chicken Pizza)

4 cups flour
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. oil
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. salt

Combine 2 1/2 cups flour and yeast.  Add the wet ingredients and mix well.

Add 1 1/2 cups flour and salt.  Mix well.

Cover, let rise until double.  Roll out.  Let rise again.

Sprinkle with onion salt, bake until crust is dry to the touch.  Add pizza ingredients, and cook until cheese is browned.

Lentil Soup (Heidi Jameson)

Saute the following ingredients:

1 cup chopped onion
1/2 green bell pepper
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/4 cup browned turkey burger (1 lb. raw)


Add the following ingredients:

2 cans chicken broth (I usually end up adding twice this amount)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup lentils
1/2 cup barley
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. rosemary
1/4 tsp. oregano
3 medium carrots, diced
14 oz. diced tomatoes


Simmer until the lentils and carrots are tender (about 45 - 60 minutes).

Noodle Stir-Fry (Our Best Bites)

Cut and Pasted from Our Best Bites (http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/09/quick-easy-noodle-stir-fry/)

Quick & Easy Noodle Stir-Fry
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1 12-oz. package linguine (whole wheat or regular)
1-2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Asian sweet red chili sauce (Thai Kitchen makes one that’s great and easy to find; this is not the chili sauce you find near the ketchup)
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 small red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced or pressed
1 large or 2 small orange, red, and/or yellow bell peppers, seeded and sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen green sugar snap peas, snow peas, edamame, or green beans
1 medium zucchini, julienned or chopped
Optional: Grilled chicken, shrimp, or steak, black sesame seeds, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it is boiling, add the noodles and cook al dente. When the noodles are done, drain them and toss in 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil.

Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, sweet chili sauce, and dark sesame oil. Set aside.

While the noodles are cooking, heat a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir fry 1-2 minutes or until fragrant, but the garlic isn’t burning. Add the peas (or beans or edamame) and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add the zucchini and peppers and stir fry for another 30 seconds or until the veggies are crisp-tender. Add the noodles and stir fry until the noodles are well-combined with the vegetables. Give the sauce a quick whisk and then drizzle it evenly over the noodles and stir fry the entire mixture for about 30-60 seconds or until everything is well-coated in the sauce. Serve immediately–if you want, you can garnish individual servings with chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and black sesame seeds. Serves 6-8.

Caramel-Glazed Pear Cake (Emily White)

From Southern Living

Pear Cake

4 ripe Bartlett pears, peeled and diced (about 3 cups...you can use and puree the equivalent in canned pears)
1 Tbsp. sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Caramel glaze (see below)

If using fresh pears, toss pears with 1 Tbsp. sugar.  Let stand 5 minutes.

Beat eggs, 2 cups sugar, and oil at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.

Combine flour, salt, and baking soda.  Add to egg mixture, beating at low speed until blended.  Fold in pears, pecans, and vanilla.  Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch Bundt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (or more) or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from pan and drizzle caramel glaze over warm cake.

Caramel Glaze
(makes 1 1/2 cups)

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk

Stir ingredients together in small saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

Honey Balsamic Chicken

(Modified from http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Honey-Balsamic-Chicken)


Photo by: Taste of Home

2 Servings
Prep/Total Time: 20 min.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (approximate - just sprinkle over each side of raw chicken)
• 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper (approximate - just sprinkle over each side of raw chicken)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

• Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in oil for 4-7 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.
• Add the vinegar, honey and basil to the same skillet; cook and stir for 1 minute. Return chicken to the pan; heat through, turning to coat with glaze. Yield: 2 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 chicken breast half equals 232 calories, 8 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 78 mg cholesterol, 524 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 29 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 1 fat, 1/2 starch.

(Originally published as Honey Balsamic Chicken in Reminisce April/May 2009, p 49.)

Nanaimo Bars

Grease 9x9 pan

Cook the following ingredients over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth and slightly thickened:

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
5 Tbsp. cocoa
1 egg (or equivalent in Egg Beaters)
1 tsp. vanilla

Stir in:

1 2/3 cup fine graham cracker crumbs
1 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Press the entire mixture into prepared pan.

Cream:

1/4 cup butter

Beat gradually into butter:

2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg (or equivalent in Egg Beaters...especially because this won't be cooked)

Spread the cream mixture over the crumb mixture, and chill 15 minutes.

Over hot water, melt:

4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
1 Tbsp. butter

Spread on top of mixture and chill.

When set, cut into squares.  Makes 20.

Olive Garden Italian Salad Dressing

(Modified from "Copy That," Food Network Magazine, June/July 2009)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
6 Tbsp. Miracle Whip
4 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp. water

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor; puree until smooth.