Baked Beans are a must for the family picnic or holiday celebration. Here's my cousin's easy to follow and tasty recipe.


INGREDIENTS:

3 cans red beans

1 green pepper, chopped

1 cup ketchup

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 large onion, chopped

½ cup cider vinegar

1 stick butter

  

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400

Sauté onion and green pepper in butter

Add remaining ingredients

Pour into buttered casserole dish

Bake for 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  ·         1 rack of beef ribs

·         ½ cup dry rub

(I use chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, basil, plus a little salt and pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and a dash of cayenne).

·         ¼ cup barbecue sauce for cooking (Donna's Barbecue Sauce)

·         ¼ cup barbecue sauce for serving.

Directions:
1.       Heat oven to 200º F

2.       Cut rack in half or into individual servings (if individual take 30 minutes off cook time)

3.       Mix dry rub and apply to all sides of ribs

4.       Place in roasting dish with fat side up, tent with aluminum foil

5.       Bake for 2 hours

6.       Remove from oven, remove foil, turn and brush with barbecue sauce

7.       Bake for an additional 30 minutes without foil

8.       Serve with barbecue sauce on the side

for more meat increase cook time so that internal meat temp is 170ºF

SPINACH AND CHEDDAR QUINOA CAKES

INGREDIENTS:


·         ¼ cup quinoa

·         ¼ cup barley

·         1 cup water

·         1 TBSP olive oil

·         1 onion, chopped finely

·         1 large clove garlic, minced

·         3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped

·         2 eggs

·         2 tablespoons milk

·         ¼ cup breadcrumbs

·         2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

·         ½ cup grated cheddar cheese

·         salt & pepper

·         oil for pan frying

Directions:

1.       Combine the quinoa and barley and water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.

2.        Reduce to a low heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until water is fully absorbed.

3.       Transfer quinoa and barley to a large bowl.

4.       Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

5.       Saute the onions for about a minute

6.       Add the garlic, cook for until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

7.       Add the spinach and cook for until wilted about 1 to 2 minutes.

8.       Combine the spinach and onions with the quinoa and barley in the bowl.

9.       Beat the eggs and milk together in a small bowl

10.   Add beaten eggs to the other ingredients.

11.   Add the breadcrumbs, cheddar and salt and pepper.

12.   Stir everything together until well incorporated.

13.   Shape the mixture into patties

14.   Cover with panko

15.   Add about 1 TBSP of cooking oil to skillet heat over medium-high.

16.   Fry patties for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.

17.   Transfer to a paper towel lined rack to drain.

Serve warm. Try them with Hot Cool and Creamy Dip

This dip is great with wings, shrimp, chips, pitas or any thing that can be dipped. It is not overly spicy and the recipe can be adjusted heat-wise for taste.

Hot Cool & Creamy Dip

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Jalapeño peppers, seeds removed (leave the seeds in for more heat)
• 3 oz. Cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup Sour cream
• 2 tsp Hot sauce of your choice (optional)

Directions:

1.       Preheat Oven to Broil

2.       Place jalapeños on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil

3.       Broil for 3-4 minutes until skin is blistered

4.       Remove from oven and immediately place the peppers in a covered bowl for about 15 minutes allowing them to steam

5.       Once steamed, don gloves and remove the skins from the peppers

6.       Combine the cream cheese and sour cream in a small bowl and stir until blended and smooth.

7.       Dice the roasted peppers.
8.       Stir in  hot sauce, and peppers

This recipe for a healthy snack or perfect party appetizer is sure to please.

GARLIC PARMESAN SQUASH CHIPS


INGREDIENTS: 

·         4 yellow squash sliced to ¼-inch to ½-inch thickness

·         3 tablespoons olive oil

·         salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

·         1 cup panko crumbs

·         1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

·         1 teaspoon dried oregano

·         1 teaspoon garlic powder

·         cooking spray (optional)

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Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 450º

2.      Combine olive oil, salt and pepper

3.      Pour mixture over squash

4.      In a separate bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano, and garlic powder.

5.      Dip squash slices in cheese/panko mixture and coat on both sides, pressing on the coating to stick.

6.      Place the squash in a single layer on the baking sheets lined with parchment paper

7.      Lightly spray each slice with cooking spray. (optional for crispiness)

8.      Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through

While preparing Christmas dinner, I realized I didn't have enough green beans for the green bean casserole I normally make. So my sister Lani suggested using corn. We came up with this recipe for a corn casserole based on the ingredients available. It was a hit! So I decided I'd better write down the recipe and make it every year.



Donna and Lani’s Corn Casserole

Ingredients: 
  ·         8 oz. cream cheese

·         1 can cream of chicken soup

·         16 oz. corn

·         1 cup stuffing mix, or course bread crumbs

Directions: 
 1.       Preheat oven to 350ºF

2.       Melt cream cheese, (put in microwave for 1 minute)

3.       Stir cream cheese and soup together

4.       Add corn to mixture and stir

5.       Place mixture in baking dish

6.       Top with stuffing

7.       Cover with foil

8.       Bake for 30 minutes

9.       Remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes

Like any good celebration, many of the traditions of Hanukkah center on eating. Two of those traditions, eating fried foods and eating dairy are combined in this recipe.

Cheese Latkes

Ingredients:
·         ½ cup ricotta cheese

·         ½ cup flour

·         ¼ cup sugar

·         2 eggs, beaten

Directions:
·         Mix all ingredients

·         Form into patties

·         Fry

Hanukkah has so many yummy foods to enjoy. Doughnuts are one of the most popular. This recipe for Jelly Doughnuts takes some time but is well worth the effort.
Jelly Doughnuts

Ingredients:
·         1 cup warm milk (about 105 degrees F)

·         1 teaspoon active dry yeast

·         ¼ cup granulated sugar

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         2 eggs

·         2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

·         4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

·         1 cup Vegetable oil

·         Fruit Jam or Jelly

·         ½ cup Confectioners' sugar



Directions:
Bloom the yeast:

1.       Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer.

2.       Sprinkle the yeast on top and stir to dissolve;

3.       let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Make the dough: 
 1.       Add the sugar, salt, vanilla and eggs to the yeast

2.        Whisk until blended.

3.       Add 2 cups flour and mix with the dough hook to combine, stopping to scrape down the bowl. (The dough should be sticky but if it's too wet, add ¼ cup flour.)

4.       Add the butter and mix until smooth.

5.       Let it rise: Brush a large bowl with vegetable oil; add the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in the refrigerator, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Now you are ready to cut out your doughnuts. Since we are making jelly filled doughnuts we don’t want to make holes. 
 1.       Line baking sheets with parchment and dust with flour.

2.       Dust a clean surface with flour

3.       turn out the dough onto the surface and dust with flour

4.       Roll out the dough until about ½ inch thick.

5.       Cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch rounds with a cookie cutter

6.        Transfer to the prepared baking sheets.

7.       Dust the dough rounds lightly with flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rest 1 hour in a warm place.

8.       Heat 2 to 3 inches vegetable oil in a large pot until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360ºF.

9.       Working in batches, fry the doughnuts, turning, until golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes total.

10.   Using tongs or a skimmer, remove to paper towels to drain.

Fill with jelly: 11.   Fit a pastry bag with a 1/8-inch-round tip; place the bag in a glass and cuff the open end over the glass. Fill the bag with jelly.

12.   Insert the pastry tip into the side of a doughnut and gently squeeze to fill. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts.

13.   Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

The Christmas season brings tons of chances to make and share goodies and sweets together. Here is a simple fudge recipe that is fantastic to bring to parties, give as gifts, and enjoy at home.

Fantastic Fudge

Ingredients:

  ·         3 cups sugar

·         ¾ cup butter

·         6 oz evaporated milk

·         12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate pieces

·         1 jar marshmallow crème (7 oz)

·         1 cup chopped nuts of your choice

·         1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1.      combine sugar, butter, and milk in saucepan

2.      bring to rolling boil, stirring constantly

3.      boil 5 minutes over medium heat stirring constantly

4.      remove from heat

5.      stir in chocolate pieces until melted

6.      stir in marshmallow crème, nuts and vanilla

7.      pour into 13 x 9 pan and cool

8.      cut into squares and serve

Hanukkah is coming and so I thought I'd share the recipe for this traditional holiday fare. 


Potato Latkes

 
INGREDIENTS:

·         2 cups peeled and shredded potatoes

·         1 tablespoon grated onion

·         3 eggs, beaten

·         2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

·         1 ½ tsp. salt

·         ½ cup olive oil for frying

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

1.    Place the potatoes in a cheesecloth and wring, extracting as much moisture as possible

2.   In a medium bowl stir the potatoes, onion, eggs, flour and salt together

3.   In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until hot

4.   Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form ¼ to ½ inch thick patties

5.   Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other

6.   Let drain on paper towels. Serve hot!

Serving suggestion: Serve with Applesauce or Sour Cream