Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad

½ pound red grape tomatoes, halved

½ pound yellow grape tomatoes, halved

2 avocados, diced

1 cucumber, sliced

⅓ cup red onion, diced

8 ounces small fresh mozzarella cheese balls

Salad Dressing:

¼ cup basil pesto

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine halved red and yellow grape tomatoes, diced avocado, sliced cucumber, diced red onion, small fresh mozzarella cheese balls.

Add basil pesto and lemon juice to the salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Use more basil pesto, if desired.

Pudding Mix

2 cups Dry Milk Powder

1 cup + 2 Tbl White Sugar

⅔ cup Cornstarch

¼ tsp Salt

Combine the dry milk powder, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Store in a covered container. This will yield 3 cups of mix.

To make a batch of pudding: Place one cup of the mix in a small saucepan. Slowly add 2 cups boiling water, stirring as you add the water. Then cook on the stove over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened.

To make vanilla pudding: Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla at the end of the cooking time once the mixture has thickened. Then put in the refrigerator to cool.

To make chocolate pudding: Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the cup of dry mix before cooking. Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter and a ½ teaspoon of vanilla at the end of the cooking time once the mixture has thickened. Then put in the refrigerator to cool.

NOTES:

For Butterscotch Pudding Use brown sugar in the place of white sugar when making the original mix.

For Lemon Pudding Add 1 Tbl of lemon juice, 1 tsp of lemon zest, and 1 Tbl of butter at the end of the cooking time.

For Richer Flavored Pudding: Use 1 cup boiling water and 1 cup warmed milk

For Chocolate Pie Filling: Use 1-1/2 cups of the Mix with 3 Tbl of Cocoa Powder. Add 3 cups of boiling water and cook. Add 1-1/2 Tbl of butter and 1 tsp of vanilla at the end of the cooking time.

For a larger batch of mix:

3 cups milk powder

1¾ cups white sugar

1 cup cornstarch 

½ tsp salt. 

This yields 4 cups of mix.

Swedish Meatballs

Meatballs:

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1 large egg

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil (for frying)

I have also used a bag of Italian meatballs from BJ's. Bake them on a cookie sheet at 350⁰ for 25 min & make the sauce as directed.

Sauce:

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)

1/3 cup flour

3 cups beef broth

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup full fat sour cream

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley.

Add all the meatball ingredients (except for the olive oil) to a fairly large prep bowl. Using your hands, mix it together and then form 1 ¼ - 1 ½-inch meatballs (use about 2 ½ tbsp meat/meatball and it'll make approx. 25-30 meatballs). Place the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up.

Add the olive oil to a large and deep skillet or a Dutch oven/pot and let it heat up for a few minutes over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs in two batches until all sides are browned (about 5-7 minutes/batch). It's easiest to turn the meatballs with tongs. You may need to add a splash more oil for the second batch. Transfer meatballs to a plate.

Pour out most of the fat from the skillet, but keep the browned bits in for extra flavor (don't wipe it out).

Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet. Once it’s melted, stir in the flour and cook, stirring often, for a few minutes until the roux starts to turn golden.

Slowly whisk the beef broth in, and ensure the flour has dissolved into the sauce.

Whisk in the Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

Add the meatballs back to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and the gravy thickens to your liking (it's not meant to be a super thick gravy).

Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream.

Season with salt & pepper as needed. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Great served over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles. 

Peanut Butter Granola

4 cups quick cooking oats

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

¾ C natural peanut butter

½ C honey or maple syrup

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325⁰. Grease a large cookie sheet and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together oats, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a microwave safe dish or on the stovetop, melt the peanut butter and honey (or maple syrup) together until smooth.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Stir in dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

Spread mixture on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until granola is lightly browned, stirring the granola once gently half way through. (A great way to test for doneness is to remove a small portion of the granola from the pan and set it on the counter. If it hardens as it cools the rest of the granola is done)!

Remove from oven and let sit until cooled.

Once cooled, break apart and eat!

Mama's Mini Meatloaves

Meatloaves:

1½ C Milk

8 slices White Bread

3 pounds Ground Beef, 80% lean

1½ C Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated

1/4 tsp Seasoned Salt

1 tsp Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 T dried parsley

6 Eggs, Beaten

Sauce:

1½ C Ketchup

1/3 cup Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Dry Mustard

1 dash Tabasco sauce

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350⁰.

Add the bread to a large bowl and pour the milk on top of the slices. Let them soak for 5 minutes.

Add the remaining meatloaf ingredients (except hamburger) and use your hands to combine. Add Ground beef. Try to ensure that the bread is sufficiently combined into the mixture but try not to overmix as the ground beef will become tougher and lose some flavor.

Form the meat into mini loaves, (about 2½ X 3½"). Place them on a cooling rack inside a sheet pan. Lining the bottom of the pan with foil will make for easier cleanup.

Combine the sauce ingredients and brush 1/3 of it over the meatloaves.

Bake the meatloaf for 25 minutes on the middle rack. Remove from the oven and brush another 1/3 of the sauce over them. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let them sit for 10 minutes. Letting them rest allows the juices to absorb back into the meat.

Pro Tip: Use a meat thermometer to ensure the middle is 160°F before serving.

Serve with the remaining sauce and enjoy! These are delicious with mashed potatoes and roasted green beans!

Makes about 12 mini meatloaves

Creamy Garlic Chicken

3-4 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally.

6 tablespoons flour

6 tablespoons finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese

3 tsp salt

1½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp Black pepper

For The Sauce:

6 T olive oil

3 T butter

1½ small onion, finely chopped

1 whole head of garlic peeled and divided into 10-12 cloves

1¾ cup chicken broth

1¾ cup half and half or heavy cream (or evaporated milk)

¾ cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese

3 T fresh parsley, to serve

Season the chicken with salt, garlic powder and pepper.

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour & parmesan cheese. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture; shake off excess.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl pan to coat evenly. 

Fry 2-3 chicken breasts at a time until golden on each side, cooked through and no longer pink (about 4-5 minutes each side, depending on the thickness of your chicken). Transfer to a warm plate. Set aside.

Wipe pan over with a sheet of paper towel. Repeat with remaining oil, butter and chicken breasts. When cooked, transfer the chicken onto the same plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Sauté the onion in the remaining oil/juices in the pan until softened. 

Smash 6 whole cloves of garlic with the blunt edge of the back of a knife 

Add the remaining oil to the pan and heat through, mixing it through the onions. Sauté smashed garlic cloves and whole garlic cloves until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the broth to deglaze the pan. Scrape up any browned bits and let simmer and reduce to half, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour in the cream. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer for about 2-3 minutes, combining all of the flavours together.

Mix in the parmesan cheese. Continue cooking gently for about 2-3 minutes until cheese melts, while stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. 

Add the chicken back into the pan and let simmer for a further 2-3 minutes to thicken the sauce to your liking. The chicken breast will soak up all of the delicious flavours.

Garnish with parsley and a little black cracked pepper. 

Serve over pasta, cauliflower mash, zucchini noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

3-4 lbs chicken

1 1/2 cups green enchilada sauce

8 fajita tortillas

1 cup jack cheese grated

1 cup cheddar cheese grated

1/4 cup sour cream

3 tbsp cilantro

1 avocado sliced

Preheat oven to 375⁰. Cook chicken in electric pressure cooker with enchilada sauce for 20 min. Release pressure & remove chicken. Shred chicken & set aside.

Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of your baking dish and spread to evenly coat.

Mix cheddar cheese and jack cheese in a bowl.

Lay out 8 tortillas and spread about a tablespoon of sour cream in each tortilla. Evenly distribute shredded chicken amongst the tortillas. Finally, sprinkle with about 1-2 tablespoons of mixed cheese leaving about 3/4 cup of cheese for topping.

Roll enchiladas up and place seal side down in the baking dish. Top enchiladas with remaining green enchilada sauce and sprinkle top with remaining cheese.

Bake enchiladas uncovered for 30-35 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Serve enchiladas with sliced avocado and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro (optional).

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temp

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

½ Tablespoon molasses

2 cups flour

1 ½ cups rolled oats

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 cups Raisins

Soak raisins in warm water for 10 min to plump up.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Combine the softened butter with the brown and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until well combined, 2-3 minutes.

Next add the eggs, vanilla extract & molasses and continue beating until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Stir to combine and slowly add the dry ingredients into the dough, mixing on low speed until dough starts to form.

Before the dough thickens, add the raisins. Beat a couple of times just until the flour incorporates.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Scoop the dough using a large cookie scoop and place on a sheet pan, 2 inches apart.

Bake for 11-13 minutes. The center of the cookie should be slightly under baked but not too gooey. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container

Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta

16 oz penne pasta, uncooked

1½ lbs Italian Sausage

4 cups heavy cream

1 cup chicken broth

2 tsps garlic powder

2 tsps italian seasoning

2 cups parmesan cheese

4 cups spinach chopped

1 cup sun dried tomatoes

 

Bring a large pot to boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.

In a large skillet add the sausage. Cook and crumble until it is no longer pink.

Add the heavy cream, chicken broth, garlic powder, italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese. Whisk over medium high heat until it starts to thicken. Add the spinach and sundried tomatoes and let it simmer until the spinach starts to wilt. Add the pasta and stir until heated throughout.

Sausage Rigatoni

16 oz uncooked rigatoni

1 ½ lbs Italian sausage (spicy or mild)

1 medium onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 (14 fluid oz) cans diced tomatoes with juices

2 (14 fluid oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 cup heavy/whipping cream

Fresh basil, torn

Salt & pepper to taste

½ c freshly grated parmesan cheese

Bring a salted pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the rigatoni al dente.

Meanwhile, sauté the sausage meat and onion over medium-high heat in a skillet until browned (about 8-10 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Drain a bit of the fat from the pan (I just spoon it out). Don't worry about getting it all.

Add the canned tomatoes to the pan. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.

Stir in the cream, basil (if using), and season the sauce with salt & pepper as needed. Cook for another minute or two and then toss with the drained pasta & parmesan cheese.

Smoked Baked Potatoes

4 russet potatoes, medium

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Prep smoker according to manufacturer's directions to a temperature of 225⁰.

In a small bowl combine garlic powder, black pepper and salt. Stir to combine.

Wash potatoes. Brush with olive oil. Roll potatoes in spices in bowl until they are completely covered.

Place potatoes on smoker set to 225⁰. Smoke for 2 hours or until soft and fork tender.

Serve potatoes with your favorite toppings!

Smoked Chuck Roast

3-4 pounds chuck roast

1 tablespoon coarse salt

1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

2 cups beef broth unsalted

Remove the meat from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 45-60 minutes.

Preheat the Smoker: Preheat your smoker to 225°. Allow to heat with the lid closed for 10-15 minutes.

Prepare the Dry Rub: combine the salt, pepper and garlic powder in a small bowl.

After roast has sat for 45-60 mins at room temperature, liberally apply the dry rub to the roast, using your hands to press it in.

Place the roast on the center of the grill grate. Smoke for approximately 4 hours until the internal temperature registers 165⁰.

Pour 2 cups of beef broth into a 9×13 disposable baking tray. Once the roast registers 165⁰, remove from the smoker, place in the tray and cover tightly with foil.

Continue cooking on the smoker, increasing the smoker’s temperature to 250⁰.

Continue cooking the roast until the internal temperature registers 200⁰- 203⁰. Approximately another 3 hours.

Remove from the smoker, keeping the roast covered. Let rest for 30 minutes before slicing.

Smoked Ham

One 9-11 lb ham

Pork Rub ( we like "Rub Some Butt" Carolina seasoning)

Pineapple Habenaro finishing sauce 

Take ham out of refrigerator 45 min before smoking to come to room temp. Score ham in diagonal 1 inch squares. Place foil under grates of smoker. Preheat smoker to 225⁰. Rub seasoning all over ham. Place ham spiral side down on grates & smoke for 1 hr. Turn heat up on smoker to 300⁰. Brush finishing sauce all over ham & smoke for 3-4 more hrs. The ham is precooked so just keep it on until you're ready to eat, but it should be at least 3 hrs& 145⁰ internally.

Yum!

Piña Colada Cake

1 yellow cake mix (mix as directed on box)

15.25 oz can crushed pineapple in juice

15 oz can cream of coconut

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 small pkg vanilla pudding

8 oz Cool Whip, thawed

2 cups sweetened coconut flakes, (toasted in oven 350⁰ for 5-7 min)

Prepare cake mix & bake in a 9x13-inch baking dish.

While cake is baking, drain 15.25 oz can crushed pineapple into a bowl (saving the juice).

In a separate bowl, whisk together 15 oz can cream of coconut, 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, pudding mix & the drained pineapple juice.

Once cake is done, take it out of the oven. While cake is still warm, begin poking holes in the top using the handle of a wooden spoon.

Then pour pudding mixture evenly over cake. It will look pretty saturated. But don't worry the cake is going to soak it all up. Refrigerate until cool.

Once cake is completely cooled, top it with drained crushed pineapple.

Then spread 8 ounce

whipped topping evenly on top.

Then sprinkle toasted coconut flakes on top of the Cool Whip.

Slice and serve. Keep cake refrigerated.

Notes:

For the cake mix. you can use white, yellow, pineapple or coconut cake mixes.