Strawberry and Feta Spinach Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• Baby spinach
  
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the almonds, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and set aside.
2. In a bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together the garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, raspberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil.
3. In a large bowl, toss together the toasted almonds, spinach, strawberries, and feta cheese. Cover with the dressing mixture, and toss to serve.

Chicken & Hashbrown Bake

Ingredients

• 1 package (32 ounces) frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 2 cups chicken broth or stock
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped sweet red pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Paprika
• 1-2 sleeves Ritz crackers
• 1/4 to 1/2 C melted butter
  

Directions

• Spread potatoes in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle chicken and mushrooms over the top. Combine the sour cream, broth, soup, bouillon, onion, red pepper and garlic; pour over mushrooms.
• Melt butter and mix in crushed Ritz crackers. Sprinkle with paprika and butter coated cracker topping. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Creamy Hollandaise Sauce

2 egg yolks
1 3-oz package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

In small saucepan, blend egg yolks, one at a time, into cream cheese, beating vigorously after each addition. Blend in lemon juice and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring vigorously, until sauce thickens.

I usually use and 8-oz package and 4-5 large egg yolks. Sometimes it needs to be thinned with a little milk.

Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits

Red Lobster Garlic Cheddar Bisquits

3 3/4 cups buttermilk pancake mix
1/4 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup melted butter
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Add mix, garlic powder, and butter in a large bowl. Cut the butter into the mix with two knives or a pastry cutter until lumps resemble course meal. Add milk, and cheese. Stir till moistened. Do not over mix. Using an ice cream scoop, drop dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. Mix the parsley into the melted butter. Spoon the butter, parsley mix over each biscuit. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Lemon Cream Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
FROSTING:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon peel and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition (batter will be thick).

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 1 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting, cream butter and confectioners' sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Add the lemon juice, vanilla, lemon peel and milk; beat until smooth. Frost

Glazed Salmon Filets

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Honey Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

• Place salmon in a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine the remaining ingredients; spoon over fillets.
• Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Yield: 4 servings.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

For the Filling:

1 c chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips

¼ cup heavy cream

½ lb. cream cheese, room temperature

1 egg

2 teaspoons flour

For the Brownie Batter:

9 ounces (18 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature; more for buttering the pan

1 1/2 cups sugar

5 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

For the Icing:

Approximately 12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (about 2 cups)

DIRECTIONS

FOR THE FILLING: Slowly melt half the chopped chocolate and cream together in a microwave or a double boiler. Set aside to cool. In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and egg together until fluffy. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and mix well. Add the flour and the remaining chocolate and mix until incorporated. Chill the filling while you assemble the brownie batter.

FOR THE BROWNIE BATTER: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure that each one is fully incorporated before adding another. Occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking powder and gently blend them into the batter.

TO ASSEMBLE: Using an offset metal spatula, spread half the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Spread the filling over the batter. Spoon the remaining brownie batter over the filling and gently spread it into an even layer. Bake for 35 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean.

FOR THE ICING: As soon as you remove the brownies from the oven, sprinkle about three-quarters of the chocolate on top. Let sit about 5 minutes, until the chocolate has melted. Gently spread the soft chocolate into a thin, smooth layer. If it isn’t enough chocolate, sprinkle a few more pieces on top and spread again, but be careful not to make the icing too thick.

TO SERVE: Let the bars cool before cutting.