Kathie's Pasta Chicken Salad

12 oz bowtie pasta  (cooked)

12 oz spiral pasta    (cooked)

20 oz pineapple tidbits  (drained)

2 cans water chestnuts  (drained)

2 cups diced celery

4-5 green onions  (chopped)

1 pkg craisins

1 cup cashews

2 cups red & green grapes

5-6 cups cubed chicken

1 16oz Kraft coleslaw dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

Mix all together. Add cashews just before serving.

from: Kathie!

Delicious Dinner Rolls for a Crowd

1 1/2 cups of milk
3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 egg
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons yeast
2 cups of warm water
about 9-10 cups of all purpose flour
at least 1 cup of butter

In a measuring cup dissolve 2 Tablespoons of yeast in 2 cups of warm water and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Let it sit for a couple of minutes until it is bubbly.

Scald 1 1/2 cups of milk, 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of butter, in a microwave safe bowl, for about 2 minutes. Cutting the butter into pieces helps it melt faster. There will probably be some little cubes of butter still floating in the hot mixture, they will melt.

Stir in 1-2 cups of flour, then add 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon of salt, and leave it to cool for a couple of minutes. Once your milk mixture is cooled down to lukewarm, add the yeast mixture.

Using a fork or wooden spoon, gradually stir in 9-10 cups of flour (counting the flour you have already added). Work the flour in by adding 2 cups at time and stirring well. These rolls turn out so much better when they are mixed by hand.

At the end the dough will be dense and sticky, and may be hard to stir. You can use your hands to incorporate the rest of the flour if needed. Be sure not to add too much flour. Then smooth the dough out and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave it in a warm place and let it rise until doubled in size.

When your dough is close to raising completely, butter 2 cookie sheets and set them aside.

Cover your working space with flour to prevent the dough from sticking (I love to use my pastry cloth). Divide the dough into 4 balls. Eyeball the sizes, then lift them up and feel the weight of each ball. Try to make them even, but they don’t have to be perfect.

Using one ball of dough at a time: roll the dough into a circle on a floured counter. Once it is rolled out spread the top with butter from edge to edge. You will use about 2 Tablespoons per circle of dough.

Cut the dough into quarters using a pizza cutter. Then cut each quarter into 3 pieces. You should end up with 12 triangles from each circle of dough. Roll the dough starting with the wide end of the triangle. Tuck the tail of the triangle under the roll and place it on the buttered cookie sheet. You will make 3 rows, with 8 rolls per row. This will give you 24 rolls per pan. Two balls of dough will fill 1 pan. You will get a total of 48 rolls!

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pans of rolls in a warm place (on top of the oven if possible) to let them rise. Once they are touching and full in size, cook (one pan at a time) in the oven until they are golden brown, about 13 – 15 minutes.

While they are still hot and fresh out of the oven run a stick of butter over the tops of the rolls for a delicious buttery glaze.

adapted from: How Does She

Baked Oatmeal

3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
Additional milk

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar,
baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk
and butter. Stir into oat mixture until blended.

Spoon into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or
until set. Serve warm with milk. Yield: 9 servings.

Audrey's little note: I halved this recipe and put it in a muffin tin, baked for @ 20 minutes: yum.

from: Taste of Home

Steph's Salsa

2 cans diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons vinegar
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cumin (start with half & add to taste)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
3-4 green onions, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
1 can green chiles (optional)

Add ingredients to blender and pulse until you have the consistency you like.

adapted from: Stephanie's recipe

Hamburger Gravy: Baked Potato Topping

1 1/2 lbs ground round
3 tablespoons margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
hot cooked mashed potatoes

Brown ground round. Drain any grease. Add margarine and flour. Cook for a few minutes over medium heat. Add milk. Increase heat and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the cayenne pepper.

Serve over baked or mashed potatoes.

from: food.com

Beef Stew

2 pounds beef stew meat, (cut into bite-sized pieces)
1/4 c. flour
2 T. olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, sliced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 oz can tomato paste
32 oz beef broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups baby carrots carrots
4-5 small potatoes,cut into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon oregano

Crock Pot Method:

In a large bowl, toss the beef with flour, salt & pepper to coat evenly. Brown in the olive oil.

Combine beef, celery, carrots, onion, potatoes, salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and tomato paste in the crock pot. Cook on LOW for 10 hours or on HIGH for 6-7 hours.

Quick Cook Method (Electric Pressure Cooker):

In a large bowl, toss the beef with flour, salt & pepper to coat evenly. On the 'Brown' setting, warm the oil and brown the beef on all sides. Transfer the meat to a bowl.

Add the broth to the cooker and bring to a simmer, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Add the beef, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, tomato paste and spices, stir to combine. Cover and cook on high pressure setting for 20 minutes. When done cooking, release the pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions.

adapted from: family fresh meals and williams-sonoma

Baked Ravioli aka Lazy Lasagna

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, or oregano
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 pounds store-bought frozen ravioli
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot.

Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

from: Martha Stewart

note: I usually replace the tomatoes & spices with a jar of spaghetti sauce. Quick & easy!!

Tri-Color Pasta Salad

1 12 oz. package tri-color rotini pasta, cooked and drained
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 can black olives, sliced
¼ cups red onion, finely diced
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
6 fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
4 tablespoons basil pesto
2/3 cup creamy Caesar dressing
2 teaspoons sauté spice (equal parts black pepper, salt, and garlic powder)
½-1 cup toasted pine nuts

Cook pasta and coat with Caesar dressing while warm. Add the rest of the ingredients (minus the pine nuts) and toss.

Top with toasted pine nuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Honey Lime Grilled Chicken

3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp natural honey
1 tbsp vegetable oil
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp garlic powder (OR 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the above ingredients.

Place chicken in a glass dish and pour the marinade over top. Flip chicken so that is is evenly coated on both sides. Let marinate for at least an hour, or up to a full day (if you can!).

When ready, grill on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until no longer pink on the inside.

Serve with brown rice and your favorite veggie side!

from: running to bake

Carne Asada Steak

Lean Steak - Carne Asada Style
Soy Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
Balsamic Vinegar
Ground Ginger
Ground Mustard
Onion Powder
Garlic Salt
Salt

Mix together soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, ground ginger, ground mustard, onion powder and garlic salt to taste. Pour mixture over the beef  in a bag or container and marinate for 30 minutes to an hour (or more) so beef becomes tender. (No longer than 8 hours - the meat will start to break down.)

Grill on med-high heat for @ 7 minutes per side.

Serve with rice, beans, or burrito style wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.

(Can also marinate in traditional carne asada flavors: olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic)

Maple Pancake Syrup

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
2 tablespoons butter

In a saucepan, mix the sugar and water together and bring to a boil.
  
Remove the syrup from the heat and add the cream of tartar, maple flavoring, and butter.  Stir until smooth. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. 

from: The Prepared Pantry

Chinese Pork Tenderloin with Noodles

2 (1-lb) pork tenderloins, trimmed
1/4 c. lower-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 T. hoisin sauce
1 T. tomato sauce
1 t. sugar
1 t. grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 T. seasoned rice vinegar
1 t. dark sesame oil
8 c. hot cooked Chinese-style noodles (about 16 ounces uncooked)
1 c. matchstick-cut carrots
3/4 c. diagonally sliced green onions
1/4 c. fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 c. chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts or cashews
1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
9 lime wedges

Place tenderloins in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce and next 5 ingredients (through garlic); drizzle over tenderloins. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 1/2 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker, and place in a large bowl, reserving cooking liquid in slow cooker. Let pork stand 10 minutes.

Strain cooking liquid through a sieve into a bowl. Cover and keep warm. Shred pork with 2 forks.

Return cooking liquid to slow cooker; stir in remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil. Cover and cook on HIGH 10 minutes. Turn slow cooker off. Add pork, noodles, and next 3 ingredients (through cilantro leaves), tossing to coat.

Spoon noodle mixture into bowls; sprinkle with peanuts and chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

from: myrecipes.com

Hamburger Potato Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
2 large potatoes (4 small), peeled & cut into bite-size pieces
1 - 1 1/2 cups carrots, peeled & cut into bite-size pieces
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
2/3 c. milk
Onion
Salt & pepper
1-2 T. Butter

In large frying pan, melt 1-2 T. butter, add potatoes & carrots, add salt & pepper to taste, cover, & cook until tender. Stir frequently.

While vegetables are cooking, brown hamburger. I use dried, minced onions and add them to the beef while it's cooking. Also salt & pepper to taste.

Place the browned ground beef in casserole dish. Top with vegetables. Mix the soups and milk together and pour over the casserole. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes.

from: Preston family favorites

Angel Biscuits

5 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
3 t. baking powder
1 t. soda
1 t. salt
1 c. butter - soft
1 pkg. yeast (2 1/2 t.)
2 T. warm water
2 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°.

Dissolve yeast in warm water.

Mix dry ingredients together. Cut butter into dry ingredients until you have pea-sized pieces.

Add yeast/water and buttermilk to the dry mixture; stir just until combined, dough will still be quite crumbly.

Form 1/2 of the dough into a ball, place on a floured surface & pat out to desired thickness. Cut into biscuit rounds & place on baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Bake for 13-15 minutes until done.

from: Preston family favorites

Caramel Puffcorn

1 package Puffcorn
1 cup butter (no substitutes)
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 250 °.

Combine butter, brown sugar, and light corn syrup in a 2 quart saucepan; cook on medium heat until mixture has melted (I let it come to a boil and let it boil for about 2 minutes). Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda. This will cause the mixture to foam, so be sure your pan is large enough.

Pour Puffcorn into a large roaster pan (sometimes I add a can of honey roasted peanuts with it). Pour caramel mixture over the Puffcorn and stir until mixed.

Place in preheated oven for 45 minutes, stirring at least every 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, pour on wax paper, let cool, and break apart.

Pumpkin Butter

3 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, or 1 (29 ounce) can (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup apple cider or juice
1 cup packed brown sugar
2-3 cinnamon sticks
1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

Combine pureed pumpkin, vanilla, apple juice, spices, cinnamon sticks and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. Adjust spices to your taste. Makes 3 3/4 cups.

from: skinnytaste