Rosemary Polenta

1/4 lb. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 c. olive oil
1 T. minced garlic(3 cloves)
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 t. minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 salt
1/2 t. pepper
3 c. chicken stock
2 c. half and half
2 c. milk
2 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. good grated Parmesan cheese
Flour, olive oil and butter for frying

Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan.  Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, salt and pepper and saute for 1 minute.  Add the chicken stock, half and half and milk and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and slowly sprinkle the cornmeal into the hot milk while stirring constantly with a wisk.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly for a few minutes, untill thickened and bubbly. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan.  Pour into a 9 X 13 X 2 inch pan, smooth the top, and refrigrate until firm and cold.

Cut the chilled polenta into 12 squares as you would with brownies.  Lift each one out with a spatula and cut diagonally into triangles.  Dust each triangle lightly in flour.  Heat 1 T. oil  and 1 T.butter in a large saute pan and cook the triangles in batches over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, turning once until browned on the outside and heated inside. Add more butter and oil as needed. Serve immediately.

(from the Barefoot Contessa)

Parmesan Chicken

6 boneless chicken breasts
1 c. flour
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. black pepper
2 extra large eggs
1 1/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1 12 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Unsalted butter
Good olive oil
Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
Lemon Vinaigrette

Pound chicken breasts until 1/4 " thick.  Combine flour, salad and pepper on a dinner plate.  On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 T. of  water.  On a third plate combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 c. parmesan cheese.  Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread crumbs, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 T. of butter and 1 T. olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 breasts on med. low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until cooked through.  Add more butter and oill and cook the rest of the chicken breasts.  Toss the salad greens with the lemon vinaigrette.  Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast.  Serve with extra grated cheese.

Lemon Vinaigrette:

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice (2 lemons )
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

1/4 lb.  good Parmesan cheese

Fried Won Tons

One package won ton skins or egg rolls skins

Meat Filling:

1 lb lean, raw pork, chopped very fine
1 T. scallions or green onions chopped fine
2 eggs beaten
3/4 t. Lawry's seasoning and garlic powder(to taste)
1/2 t. salt and a dash of pepper

Spread two sides of wonton skins with egg wash, fill center with one T. of filling
and fold to make a triangle pressing edges to close.  Do this to all your skins.
When finished fry in oil until brown.  Add a little water to steam the with lid
on pan.

Serve with soy sauce or sweet and sour sauce.

My Turkey Stuffing

1 bag seasoned bread stuffing (I prefer Pepperidge Farm)
1 box Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice mix
1 medium onion
1 cup celery
1/4 cup butter
1-2 cups hot water with chicken bouillon or use chicken broth
1 tsp sage
1 tsp salt

Cook rice according to package directions.  Saute onion and celery in butter.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix lightly and stuff into washed and dried turkey cavities.

For a variation, you could add mushrooms, 1 lb pork shoulder.  If so, lighten the mixture by adding 3 or 4 eggs beaten and tossed in when you mix all ingredients together.

Potato Rolls

To 2 cups boiling water add:

1/4 c. instant mashed potatoes
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter
1 egg


Add 1 oz. yeast and then 6 cups white flour.
Beat well after each cup added until too thick
for beaters.  Add in remaining flour by hand.
Riase the dough twice.'
Form rolls and raise again.
Bake @ 425 degrees F. about 10 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen depending on size.

Wellesley Coffee Cake

1 c. butter, softened
2 C. sugar
2 eggs 1 c. sour cream
1/2 vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract
2 c. sifted flour
 1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt

FILLING:

4 t. sugar
1 c chopped pecans
1 t. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add sour cream, vanilla and almond extract; beat well.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt.
Add to mixture and beat.
In separate bowl, combine sugar, pecans and cinnamon for filling.
Place one third of batter in well-greased and floured tube pan or bundt pan.
Sprinkle with three-quarters of filling mixture.  Spoon in rest of batter and sprinkle with remaining
filling.  Bake 1 hour.

Heirloom Tomatoes with Blue Cheese dressing

3 pounds heirloom tomatoes
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound Roquefort cheese, divided
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup cream
2 t. tarragon wine vinegar
2 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Slice tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Blend remaining ingredients saving parsley and half the cheese for sprinkling on top.

Yummy dressing!

Pork Sate with Peanut-Mirin Sauce

PORK

2 t. grated lime rind
2 T/ fresh lime juice
1 T. peanut butter
2 t. sugar
2 t. fish sauce
1/2 t. curry powder
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 16(4-inch-long)strips

SAUCE

1 1/2 T. sugar
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
2 T. seasoned rice vinegar
2 T. mirin(sweet rice wine)
1 t. fish sauce
1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 T. dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

Remaining ingredient:

Cooking spray

1)Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2)To prepare pork, comvine first 9 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring until smooth.
Add pork to bow; toss well to coat.  Let stand at room remperature 15 minutes.
3)Thead 2 pork pieces lengthwise onto eachof 8(12-inch) skewers.  Pleace skewers on a grill rack
with cooking spray;grill 3 minutes on each side until done.  Serve with sauce.

(from Pam Klampe)

Pasta Primavera

1/2 stick butter
1 med. onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 lb. thin asparagus cut diagonally into 1/4 "slics
1/2 lb. mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 oz cauliflower flowerets
1 small carrot cut diagonally into 1/8"slices
1 medium zucchini cut into 1/4 " rounds
1 c. cream
1/2 c. chicken stock
2 T. chopped fresh basil or
2 t. dried
1 c. prosciutto or cooked ham, chopped
1 lb. fettucini or linguini
1 c. grated parmesan cheese

In WOK or large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and saaute onion and galic until onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Mix the asparagus, mushrooms, cauliflower, zucchini and carrot;stir fry 2 minutes. (At this point, remove several pieces of asparagustips. mushrooms and zucchini and reserve for garnish.)
Increase heat to high. Add cream, stock and basil;allow mixture to boil until liquid is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Stir in peas, ham and green onion; cook 1 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add pasta andcheese, tossinguntil thoroughly combined and pasta is heated through. Serve immediately with a side dish of extra parmesan cheese, Garnish with reserved vegetables. Serves 4 for dinner

Chicken Breasts in Cream

Season boned and skinned breasts well with salt and pepper. Dip in beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs. Let dry a few minutes.

Saute in butter on low heat until golden brown. Place in large baking dish. Over them pour 2 c. (I used 3 c.) heavy cream mixed with 1/4 t. garlic salt. Dust with paprika.

Bake in 350 oven for 45-60 minutes, basting occasionally. The cream will be absorbed. This can be done the day before except for the cream and baking. This recipe is for approximately 10 halves of chicken breasts. Delicious and fattening!

Italian Cream Cake

Cream Cheese Icing
Vegetable cooking spray
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light butter
2 egg yolks
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 t. butter extract
1 t. coconut extract
1 t. vanilla extract
6 egg whites (at room temperature)
Sugared kumquats(otional
Orange rind strips(optional
Kumquat leaves(optional

PREPARE cream cheese Icing: cover and chill.
COAT bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with cookig spray(do not coat sides of pans);line bottoms of pans with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray and dust with flour;set aside.
COMBINE sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine 2 cups flour and baking soda;stir well. Add flour mixture to creamedmixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in pecans and extracts.
BEAT egg whites at high speed of a mixer until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Fold egg whites into batter;pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 23 minutes. Let cool in pans 5 minutes on a wire rack. Loosen cake layers from sides of pans using a narrow metal spatula and turn out onto wire racks. Peel off wax paper, and let cool completely.

PLACE 1 cake layer on a plate, and spread with 2/3 cup Cream Cheese Icing; top with another cake layer. Repeat with 2/3 cup icing and remaining layer,m ending with cake. Spread remaining icing over cake. Garnish with Kumquats, orange rind and leaves.

Yield: 20 servings

Cream Cheese Icing:

1 T. light butter
1 (8-ounce)package Neufchatel cheese
1 (1lb.) package powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla extract

Cream butter and cheese at high speed of a mixer until fluffy. Add sugar;beat at low sped until well blended. Add vanilla.

Greek-Style Quinoa Burgers

1/2 c. rinsed quinoa
1 medium carrot, cut in large chunks
6 scallions, thinly sliced
15 oz. great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. plain dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 T. ground cumin
Coarse salt
Ground pepper
2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 T. fresh lemon juice
4 pitas(each 6 inches
1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced diagonally

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 c. water to a boil; add quinoa, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed, 12 to 14 minutes.

In a food processor, pulse carrot until finely chopped. Add cooked quinoa, half the scallions, beans, breadcrumbs, egg, cumin, 1 t. salt, and 1/4 t. pepper; pulse until combined ut still slightly chunky.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice and the remaining scallions;season with salt and pepper. Serve burgers in pita topped with cucumber and yogurt sauce(add tahini if you like.)

Fruity Winter Salad

1/4 C. Splenda
1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/4 T. salt
2 t. poppy seeds
1 T. olive oil

Whisk together the above ingredients and store covered in refrigerator until ready to toss with the salad greens.

1 large head romaine lettuce or mixed greens
1 apple, diced
1 pear, diced
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. cashews, chopped

Gingered sugar snap peas

1 T. canola oil
1 T. fresh ginger, grated
1 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. sugar snap peas
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper



Heat 1 T. canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 T. grated peeled fresh ginger and 2 minced garlic cloves to pan; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Add 8 ounces trimmed sugar snap peas;saute 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water;cook 1 minute or until most of water evaporates. Stir in 1/4 t. salt and 1/8 t. freshly ground pepper. Cook 30 seconds or until peas are crisp-tender.

Pork Sate with Peanut-Mirin Sauce

PORK

2 t. grated lime rind
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 T. peanut butter
2 t. sugar
2 t. fish sauce
1/2 t. curry powder
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut
i nto 16(4-inch-long)strips

SAUCE

1 1/2 T. sugar
1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
2 T. seasoned rice vinegar
2 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. mirin(sweet rice wine)
1 t. fish sauce
1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 T. dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

REMAINING INGREDIENT:

Cooking spray

1) Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2) To prepare pork, combine first 9 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring until smooth.
Add pork to bowl;toss well to coat. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes.
3) Thread 2 pork pieces lengthwise onto each of 8(12-inch) skewers. Place skewers on a grill rack coated with
cooking spray;grill 3 minutes on each side until done. Serve with sauce

(from Pam Klampe)

Banana Nut Bread

1 1/2 c. flour
1 cube butter
1 c. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
2 eggs
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 c. sour cream
1 t. vanilla
3/4 cup nuts, chopped

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Add dry ingredients that have been blended together to the wet ingredients. Blend in the nuts.

Butter and flour loaf pan and bake @350F. for 1 hour.

Best I've made yet!

Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake from Eloise Barry

1 (18.25 oz.)package devil's food cake mix
1 (4 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 (12 oz.) semisweet choclate chips (2 cups)
1 3/4 cup water
2 large eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T. butter, melted
2 to 3 T. hot water

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. (175 C.). Grease and flour a 12 inch Bundt pan; set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix and chocolate chips. In another bowl combine water, eggs
and vanilla; mix well. Add egg mixture to dry mixture and mix by hand just until blended.
3. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until cake tests done when wooden pick inserted in center
comes out clean. Cool 15 to 20 minutes before removing cake from pan.
4. When completely cool drizzle cake with Chocolate Glaze.
5. For Chocolate Glaze: Combine all ingredients in bowl and beat by hand until smooth.

Makes 12 servings

Rene's Coleslaw

5 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 c almonds, toasted
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup chopped green onions, white and green parts
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

Dressing:
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 tblsp sweet pickle relish
1 tblsp honey mustard
1 tblsp honey
salt and pepper to taste

Combine cabbage, almonds, cranberries, green onions, and green pepper in a large plastic bowl with a snap-on lid. Combine all dressing ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Pour dressing over slaw just before serving. Stir well.

Prep time: 10 minutes. Servings: 10-12.

Cowboy Beans

6 slices bacon, cut in pieces
1/2 c onions, choped
1 garlic clove, minced
16-oz. can baked beans
16-oz can kidney beans, drained
15-oz can butter beans or pinto beans, drained
2 Tbsp dill pickle relish or copped dill pickles
1/3 cup chili sauce or ketchup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce, optional

Lightly brown bacon, onions, and garlic in skillet, drain. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Mix well.
Cover. Cook on low 5-7 hours or high 3-4 hours.

Cheese Straws from Ina Garten

2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
Flour, for dusting
1 egg
1 T. water
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese
1 t. minced fresh thyme (or try rosemary)
1 t. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Peheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out each sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured board until it is 10-12 inches. Beat the egg with the water and brush
the surface of the pastry. Sprinkle each sheet evenly with 14 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, 12 t. of the thyme, 12 t. of the salt, and some pepper. With the rolling pin, lightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry. Cut each sheet crosswise with a floured knife or pizza wheel into 11 or 12 strips. Twist each strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Trun each straw and bake for another 2 minutes. Don't overbake or the cheese will burn. Cool and serve at room temperature.