Vegetable Soup

For the crock pot, for a vegetarian version, use veggie broth instead of the beef broth

3 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (10 ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn
1 (10 ounce) package frozen baby lima beans
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
3 celery ribs, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves

Mix together all the ingredients in a 5 quart slow cooker.
Cover slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 4 hours, then turn it down to LOW for the remainder.
Remove bay leaves and discard; serve with warm crusty bread.

Plum Upside Down Cake

from Everyday Food magazine

Serves 8; Prep time: 30 minutes; Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes


9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
4 red plums (about 1 pound), halved and pitted, each cut into 12 wedges
1 large egg
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
Whipped cream (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 325°. Place 3 tablespoons butter in an 8-inch round cake pan; melt in preheating oven, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle melted butter with 1/2 cup brown sugar. Arrange overlapping plum wedges in a circle around edge of pan; repeat in center, covering bottom of pan. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat together remaining 6 tablespoons butter, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and egg. Beat in sour cream until blended. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin-pie spice, and walnuts. Stir flour mixture into sour-cream mixture until just combined (batter will be thick).

4. Spread batter evenly over plums. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pan; invert onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream if desired.

Three Pepper Salsa

Salsa

10 pounds tomatoes -- peeled and chopped
4-6 medium onions -- chopped
3-5 cups chopped bell peppers
5 jalapeno chile peppers -- seeded and chopped
4 serrano peppers -- seeded and chopped
1 habanero chile -- seeded and chopped
6 cloves garlic -- minced
1 1/3 cups apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup cilantro -- chopped
1/4 cup salt
3 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons lime juice
3 or 4 12 oz. cans tomato paste
1 Tablespoon ground cumin

Combine everything except bell peppers, hot peppers, onions, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Add all peppers and onions, return to a simmer, and simmer for another 10 minutes.

One can at a time, add the tomato paste, giving each addition time to cook a little bit (about 5 minutes between additions). Very frequent stirring will be necessary at this point. Add tomato paste until it's thickened nicely. Simmer 20 minutes more- stirring frequently to prevent scorching.

Ladle into hot jars. Add lids and process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.

Makes 9 quarts of salsa.

Caribbean Chicken

1/2 cup pineapple juice, frozen concentrate -- thawed
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup brown sugar -- firmly packed
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons molasses
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine pineapple juice, lime juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, water, molasses, and red pepper in a shallow glass dish or zip lock bag until sugar is dissolved. Add chicken; cover dish or close bag.

Marinate in refrigerator up to 6 hours, turning once.

Grill chicken, covered, over medium coals, 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

To freeze, drop the boneless skinless chicken into the marinade in a freezer bag and freeze. That overnight in the fridge before cooking.

Chicken Sausage and Cabbage Stew with Wild Rice

for the crockpot
from Pillsbury Slow Cooker Recipes

2 cups coarsely chopped cabbage (1-inch pieces)
1 cup fresh baby carrots, quartered lengthwise
1 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8 oz) package sliced fresh mushrooms (about 3 cups)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 lb. (about 2) mild Italian pork sausages, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1. In a 3 1/2 tp 4-quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients except broth and soup, mix well.

2. In medium bowl, combine broth and soup; blend well. Pour over meat and vegetables in slow cooker; stir gently to combine.

3. Cover; cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours.

Serves 8

Grilled Breaded Pork Chops

courtesy Gourmet magazine, August 2006

Fruity olive oil and rich parmesan cheese add flavor to these hearty grilled chops. Coating the pork with fresh bread crumbs, as we do here, creates a light and crunchy crust, which seals in all the meaty juices and keeps the chops moist.

4 cups fine fresh bread crumbs (from 10 slices firm white sandwich bread) or 2 cups crouton crumbs
3/4 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (2/3 cup)
Rounded 1/2 teaspoon salt I omitted
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 (3/4- to 1-inch-thick) bone-in center-cut pork chops (4 1/2 lb)
1 cup olive oil or canola oil

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Spread bread crumbs in a shallow baking pan and toast in oven, stirring once or twice, until dry but not golden, 7 to 10 minutes.

Cool bread crumbs completely, then stir together with cheese, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or a 9-inch pie plate.

Lightly season chops with additional salt and pepper.

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Put oil in another shallow bowl or 9-inch pie plate.

Dip each chop in oil, letting excess drip off, then dredge both sides of chop in bread-crumb mixture, pressing gently to help crumbs adhere, and transfer to baking sheet.

Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas). Grill chops on well-oiled grill rack, covered only if using gas grill, turning over once or twice, until pork is cooked through and crumbs are golden brown, about 10 minutes total.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 1/2 cups zucchini -- shredded
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup nuts or flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350.Combine ingredients, and pour into 2 loaf pans.Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean.

Mom's Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease two 9x5x3 loaf pans.

Combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil, and applesauce. Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix briefly. Add the zucchini and nuts (or raisins or chips) and mix well.

Divide between the pans and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven when a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in pans. Turn loaves out of pans and allow to cool completely.

Quick breads are always best served the next day. For best results, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Razz-Ma-Tazz Bars

Razz-Ma-Tazz Bars

1/2 cup butter or margarine -- (1 stick)
2 cups NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Premier White Morsels -- (12-oz. pkg.) divided 2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

PREHEAT oven to 325° F. Grease and sugar 9-inch-square baking pan.

MELT butter in medium, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Add 1 cup morsels; let stand. Do not stir.

BEAT eggs in large mixer bowl until foamy. Add sugar; beat until light lemon colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in morsel-butter mixture. Add flour, salt and almond extract; mix at low speed until combined. Spread 2/3 of batter into prepared pan.

BAKE for 15 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Remove from oven to wire rack.

HEAT jam in small, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 30 seconds; stir. Spread jam over warm crust. Stir remaining morsels into remaining batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter over jam. Sprinkle with almonds.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini Fritters
Taverna Cookbook

2 lb small zucchini, coarsely grated
Salt
1/2 lb feta cheese, or equal parts feta and kasseri or ricotta (used reduced fat feta)
6 green onions, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill ( I used 1 teaspoon dried)
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (left out)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
Freshly ground pepper
Peanut oil for frying (used EVOO)

RECIPE METHOD
Place the zucchini in a sieve or colander, salt it lightly and toss to mix. Let stand for 30 minutes to draw out the excess moisture. Using a kitchen towel, squeeze the zucchini dry and place it in a bowl.

Crumble the cheese over the zucchini and add the green onions, dill, mint, parsley, eggs, flour and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix well.

In a deep frying pan over medium-high heat, pour in the peanut oil to a depth of 1/4 inch. When the oil is hot, using a serving spoon, drop spoonfuls of the batter into the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Fry, turning once, until nicely browned on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, transfer the fritters to paper towels to drain. Keep warm until all the fritters are cooked.Arrange the fritters on a warmed platter and serve hot.

Big Daddy's Carolina Style Barbecue Sauce

Big Daddy's Carolina Style Barbecue Sauce #120492
recipe by Rita L

1 cup prepared yellow mustard
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon liquid smoke(hickory flavoring)

Mix all except soy, butter and smoke. Simmer 30 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 more minutes. Vinegar taste may be very strong until completely cooled. Refrigerating overnight is best and allows flavors to blend.
Add a few drops of Louisiana Hot Sauce at the end if additional heat is desired.

Red Barbecue Sauce

Joy of Cooking Barbecue Sauce

1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons dry mustard
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 slices lemons

Over medium heat stir all of the ingredients together.

Pancakes

Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Chocolate Chips, blueberries, chopped bananas, etc (optional)

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stit with a whisk until combined. Stir in any add-ins at this point. Heat a griddle to 350º, oiling if necessary. Pour 1/3 cup batter onto griddle- and repeat as necessary. Cook until bubble start to come to the surface of each pancake, and the edges seem to start to firm up. Flip and cook for another minute or two- until browned. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Mom's Brownies

1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup nuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º

Combine oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. To this, add the flour, baking powder, and cocoa- mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts as desired. Pour in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 30 minutes- or until a toothpick comes out clean.

For more fudgy brownies, take the brownies out of the oven about 5 minutes early. Chill completely before cutting.