Bean N' Beef Quesadillas

1 1/2 C chunky salsa
1/4 C minced fresh cilantro
juice from one lime
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 C frozen corn, thawed
2 C julienned cooked roast beef
2 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8 flour tortillas (10 inches)
1 to 2 T vegetable oil

In a small bowl, combine the salsa, cilantro and lime juice. In another bowl, combine the beans, corn and 1/2 cup salsa mixutre. Set remaining salsa mixture aside.

Place beef, cheese and bean mixture on half of each tortilla; fold over. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook quesadillas in 1 T oil for 1-2 minutes on each side or until cheese is melted, using additional oil as neded. Cut into wedges. Serve with reserved salsa mixture. 4-6 servings.

Sticky Coconut Chicken

from My Kitchen Cafe

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used breasts)
1 cup canned coconut milk
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Marinade chicken in coconut milk, ginger, pepper and red pepper flakes at least one hour (I left mine overnight). Grill on barbecue.

Glaze:
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. red pepper flakes

While the chicken is grilling, bring above ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is reduced and thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Be patient because it takes a little while. But once it starts getting really thick, immediately take it off the heat! Glaze both sides of chicken the last few minutes of grilling and serve chicken over rice.

Sidenote: I used the extra coconut milk left in the can as part of the liquid in my rice and it was unbelievable! It was very mildly sweet and paired so well with the chicken. Yum!

Glazed Poppyseed Bundt Cake

from The Sisters' Cafe

1 yellow cake mix
1 (3.5 oz) box of instant vanilla pudding
1 tablespoon poppyseeds
1/2 cup pinapple or orange juice (I used pineapple)
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sour cream (I use reduced fat)
4 eggs

Mix yellow cake mix, vanilla pudding and poppyseeds. Add juice, oil, and sour cream and mix. Add 4 eggs one at a time, mix well. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes (don't overbake).

When the cake is about 10 minutes from being done start the glaze.

Glaze:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter (1 cube)

Bring ingredients to a boil and keep bubbling until ready to pour over cake. You can either pour the glaze over the cake while it is in the pan or turn the cake out onto a cooling rack and pour the glaze over the cake that way. It is really like syrup that soaks in. (Some commenters have said that glazing the cake in the pan makes it hard to remove because the glaze gets sticky. I glazed it out of the pan and it worked great.) Give it a few minutes to soak in and then turn it out onto a cake plate. Optional: dust top of cake with powdered sugar.

Lemon Streusel Muffins

1 1/2 C flour
1 C sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 C plain yogurt
1/2 C butter, melted
1 T grated lemon peel
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

For the streusel:
3 T flour
3 T sugar
1 T cold butter

For the glaze:
1/4 C powdered sugar
1 T fresh lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, butter, lemon peel and lemon juice. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix, just until moistened. Let batter rest for 5 minutes. Grease muffin cups and fill the cups 3/4 full. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar and butter. Using your hands, or a pastry blender, mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter.

Bake muffins at 350 degrees for 15-20 miutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and remove onto a wire rack.

Mix together the powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to make a thin glaze. Drizzle over warm muffins.

I found this on The Sisters' Cafe

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
4 T ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

I found this on My Kitchen Cafe

English Muffin Bread

This has become a favorite. It is fast and easy. If you like English muffins, you will love this bread. It is yummy toasted with butter and jam or peanut butter. It is a great food storage recipe.

5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups warm milk (110° to 115°)
1/2 cup warm water (120° to 130°)
1 T. oil
Cornmeal

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt and baking soda. Add warm milk, water and oil; beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat on high for 3 minutes. Stir in remaining flour (batter will be stiff). Do not knead.
Grease two 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Sprinkle pans with cornmeal. Spoon batter into the pans and sprinkle cornmeal on top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans immediately to cool on wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves.

Bean Taco Soup

This is a great food storage recipe that is really fast. It freezes well too. Lauren loves to take it to school for lunch.

1 pound chopped chicken, roast beef or ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, with liquid
1 (16 oz.) can white beans, with liquid
1 (16 oz.) can pinto beans, with liquid
1 (16 oz.) can corn, with liquid
2 (16 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes (I use the ones with Mexican seasoning), with liquid
1 package taco mix
1 package Ranch dressing mix

Saute ground beef and onion. Drain. (I use a pint of home-canned chicken and saute the onion in a little oil.) Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil and simmer for 15-20 mionutes. Top with sour cream, tortilla chips and grated cheese.

Pico de Gallo**

NOTE: I don't really follow a set recipe for pico de gallo. It is one of those things that I believe you can't really mess up. You can adjust the heat or flavor to your liking. I usually base my recipe with what I have on hand. Here is a general recipe of quantities, but like I said you can really use more or less of everything and it will still be delicious with garden fresh tomatoes. I put it on top of everything, great garnish.

Ingredients
6 medium Tomatoes diced
1 medium Onion finely diced (Red, Yellow, or use a bunch of green onions, or any combination of the three)
1/4 cup fresh Cilantro chopped (I usually put a lot)
2 to 4 Fresh serrano or jalapeño seeded and minced (I leave these out for the kids or add a little bit of El Tapatio Mexican Hot Sauce)
garlic powder to taste
Salt to taste
Juice from one lime (sometimes I just don't have one and use a little bit of lemon juice concentrate or nothing).

Directions
Put all ingredients in a bowl and chill to allow flavors to blend.

Red Potato Medley

2 tablespoons butter
3 cups cubed red potatoes (about 2-1/2 pounds)
1-1/2 cups diagonally sliced carrots (I use whole baby carrots)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add potatoes and carrots; toss to coat. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring every 5 minutes. Yield: 6 servings.

One of our favorites. I have made this using sweet potatoes in place of some or all of the red potatoes.

Crisp Graham Cookies

1/2 C butter-flavored shortening
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 C (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
3 T creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 C flour
1 C graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 C plain M&M's
1/2 C chopped pecans

In a mixling bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar; beat in egg. Add vanilla and milk. Blend in peanut butter. Combine dry ingredients; add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the M&M's and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls 1" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Yield: 7 dozen (2 inch cookies).

We had these cookies at the Jensen's during the family reunion 2009.

Fresh Raspberry Breakfast Cake

2 C fresh raspberries
6 T brown sugar
2 C flour
2/3 C white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C sour cream
1/4 C butter,melted
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 C toasted, chopped pecans

Glaze:
2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C confectioners'sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10 inch bundt cake pan with cooking spray.
2. Stir together raspberries and brown sugar; set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a third bowl, cream together sour cream, butter and 2 tsp vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in flour mixture just until moist.
4. Sprinkle 1/2 C of berries and 1 C pecans in pan, pour in half of the batter. Pour on the remaining berries and remaining cup of pecans. Spread the remaining batter over the berries.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the cake comes out clean. While cake bakes, mix the frosting. In a small bowl, stir together 2 tsp milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 1/2 C confectioners' sugar. Let cake cool for 10 minutes then remove cake from pan and let cool an additional 20 minutes before frosting.

Campbell's Beef & Macaroni Skillet *

From: Campbell's Kitchen

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
2 stalk celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
1 can (about 8 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained (I used 1 c. of frozen corn)
2 cup cooked elbow pasta
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Cook the beef, celery and oregano in a 10-inch skillet until the beef is well browned, stirring to separate meat. Pour off any fat.

Stir the soup, Picante sauce, corn and pasta into the skillet. Cook and stir until hot and bubbling. Top with cheese and heat until the cheese is melted.

***This was a very easy dish I found on the back of the soup label when I was trying to think of a quick dinner. Everyone loved it.***

Apple Dip

15 Mother's brand coconut macaroon cookies crushed into crumbs

3/4 C brown sugar

1 pint of sour cream

Combine the above ingredients in a bowl and serve with apples or other fruit.

I made this for the family reunion.

Parslied Potatoes

2 lbs small red potatoes

1 tsp seasoned salt

2 cloves garlic minced

pepper to taste

1/2 C fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tb olive oil

1 Tb parsley

Cut unpeeled potatoes in small chunks. Mix potatoes with other ingredients in a large bowl to coat well. These can be cooked in heavy duty tinfoil on a medium heat grill until tender. Or bake on a cookie sheet at 450 30 minutes until tender.

Lemon-Basil Potatoes

16 baby new potatoes, halved

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 C fresh lemon juice

2 Tb olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 C chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil

Place the potatoes, chicken broth, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and place in a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and add the olive oil. Toss.

I wasn't sure about the lemon with the potatoes, but they are really yummy.

Baked New Potatoes

New potatoes or small red potatoes cut into bite size pieces.

One green bell pepper, and or red or yellow pepper cut into bite sized pieces.

One yellow onion thinly sliced.

Toss all together in an oven proof container with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake at 350 for about 1 hour, turning occasionally. Raise temperature near end of cooking time to brown.

Apple Dumplings

1 can refrigerator crescent rolls

3/4 stick of margarine (do not use butter)

3/4 C sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 -1 can of Sprite

2 apples peeled and quartered

Roll up apple pieces into the crescent roll dough starting at the big end of the roll.  Place each one in a 9x9 baking dish. Melt margarine, sugar and cinnamon together and pour over rolls. Pour sprite over the whole thing and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

These are so easy and are delicious!  They taste like apple pie and are great with whipping cream or ice cream.  

Fresh Corn Salad

2 C blanched fresh corn cut from the cob

3/4 C chopped tomato

1/2 C Chopped cucumber

2 T chopped green bell pepper

3 T white wine vinegar

1 1/2 Tsp olive oil

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 Tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl: toss.

Combine vinegar and next 5 ingredients in a jar. Cover, shake vigorously. Pour over corn mixture and toss well.  

I have brought this to a family gathering at the Dodson's. 

Thin Mint Cookies

Chocolate Cookie Wafers
1 18.25 oz. package chocolate fudge cake mix
3 tablespoons shortening, melted
1/2 cup cake flour, measured then sifted
1 egg
3 tablespoons water
Non-stick cooking spray

Coating
3 1/2 oz. bags semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
6 tablespoons shortening

Directions

Combine the cookie ingredients in a large bowl, adding the water a little bit at a time until the dough forms. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of the dough to just under 1/16 of an inch thick.
To cut, use a lid from a spice container with a
1 1/2-inch diameter (Schilling brand is good).

Arrange the cut dough rounds on a cookie sheet that is sprayed with a light coating of
non-stick spray.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the wafers from the over and cool completely.

Combine chocolate chips with peppermint extract and shortening in a large microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl. Heat on 50% power for 2 minutes, stir gently, then heat for an additional minute. Stir once again, and if chocolate is not a smooth consistency, continue to zap in microwave in 30-second intervals until smooth.

Use a fork to dip each wafer in the chocolate, tap the fork on the edge of the bowl so that the excess chocolate runs off, and then place the cookies side-by-side on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm.

Makes 108 cookies.

Caramel Peanut Bars

1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 package (14 ounces) caramels
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped peanuts

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients; stir in butter. Set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining mixture into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
In a heavy saucepan or microwave, melt caramels with cream, stirring often. Sprinkle chocolate chips and peanuts over the crust; top with caramel mixture. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Yield: 3 dozen.

Scotcheroos

1 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Light Corn Syrup
1 1/2 Cups Creamy Peanut Butter
9 Cups Rice Krispy Cereal
2 Cups Milk Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 Cups Butterscotch Chips

In a microwave-safe dish, combine sugar, syrup, and peanut butter. Microwave until mixture is smooth and sugar is dissolved (approximately 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.) Add rice cereal and mix until well-coated. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and press the coated cereal into the sheet until flat and even. Set aside.

In a microwave-safe dish, combine chocolate and butterscotch chips. Microwave until chips are melted, stirring occasionally.

Poor chocolate onto the cereal and spread evenly. Place cookie sheet into the refrigerator until chocolate has hardened (close to 10 minutes.)

Cut with a sharp knife and serve.

(I make these at work almost every day. Everyone says I make the best Scotcheroos! People come and ask for them all the time. The managers won't buy them unless I'm the baker that made them! Definitely a great dessert hit!)

Tropical Chicken Salad

2 C cubed cooked chicken
1 C chopped celery
1 C mayonnaise
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 can (20 oz) chunk pineapple, drained
2 large firm bananas, sliced
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 C flaked coconut
salad greens, optional
3/4 C salted peanuts or cashew halves

Place chicken and celery in a large bowl. Combine mayonnaise and curry powder; add to chicien mixture and mix well. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Before serving, add the pineapple, bananas, oranges and coconut; toss gently. Serve on salad greens if desired. Sprinkle with nuts. Yield: 4-6 servings.

I made this for our spring break luncheon at Dodson's. I used one pint of some home canned chicken.

Peanut Chocolate Whirls

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup Domino® or C&H® Granulated Pure Cane Sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, cream the shortening, peanut butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 16-in. x 12-in. rectangle.

In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Spread over dough to within 1/2 in. of edges. Tightly roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes.

Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices with a serrated knife. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: about 3 dozen.

(I made these a few weeks ago for a girls night. So pretty, so yummy!)

Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups flaked coconut
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine the coconut, flour and salt. Add milk and vanilla; mix well (batter will be stiff). Drop by tablespoonfuls 1 in. apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

(I made these for some boys today. Big hit!)

Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons diced onion
1 teaspoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup cashews
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 apple - cored and diced
1 pear - cored and diced


DIRECTIONS
In a blender or food processor, (I use a mixer) combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard and salt. Process until well blended. With machine still running add oil in a slow steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds and process just a few seconds more to mix.

In a large serving bowl combine the romaine lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, cashews, dried cranberries, cubed apple and cubed pear. Toss to mix then pour dressing over salad just before serving and toss to coat. (I usually just serve the dressing on the side.)

I brought this to Debra's for New Year's Day 2009.

Chicken and Buttermilk Dumplings

3 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (the bone and skin add flavor)
12 cups water
7 chicken bouillon cubes
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cups sliced carrots
3 celery ribs, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 tsp. salt

7 T. butter
3/4 cup flour
1/8 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup half and half

DUMPLINGS:
2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a soup kettle, combine the first eight ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Remove chicken; when cool enough to handle, debone and dice. Strain broth, reserving broth and vegetables. (This part can be done ahead of time and refrigerated. You will need to heat the broth before you add it in the next part.)

In the same kettle, melt butter. Stir in flour and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in broth. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat; stir in the half and half, reserved vegetables and chicken. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to simmer.

For dumplings, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. Combine eggs, buttermilk and butter; stir into dry ingredients to form a stiff batter.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto simmering mixture. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean (do not lift cover while simmering). Serve immediately. Serve with some fresh fruit for a complete meal.

This makes enough for two meals for our family. Everyone likes it. One of our favorites.

Sweet Roll Dough

2 T. yeast
1 cup warm water
1 cup lukewarm milk (scalded then cooled)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup Imperial margarine
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
7-8 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in milk, sugar, margarine, salt, eggs, and 4 cups flour. Beat until smooth. (I do this part with the flat beater.)

Now I put on the dough hook and mix in enough remaining flour to make dough cling to the dough hook. Knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Put dough into greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down dough. Shape, place on greased cookie sheet, and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

This recipe makes 20 large rolls on my large baking sheet. It is a good dough for cinnamon rolls. I got it from the Betty Crocker Cookbook.

Triple Lemon Pound Cake

This recipe is from Sandra Lee. She does Semi-Homemade cooking. If you like lemon... you will love this cake.

CAKE:
1 box (18.25 oz.) lemon cake
1 box lemon instant pudding
1 cup water
4 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Zest of one lemon
6 tablespoons store bought lemon curd (found in the jam aisle)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 12-cup Bundt pan or 13x9-inch metal baking pan.

2. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, water, eggs, oil, and lemon zest in large bowl. Beat for 2 minutes or until well blended. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Drizzle lemon curd on top of batter, keeping curd away from sides of pan.

3. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center of cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on cooling rack for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto cooling rack. Place cooling rack on a cookie sheet. Cool cake completely.

LEMON GLAZE:
6 tablespoons store bought lemon curd (found in the jam aisle)
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups powdered sugar

1. Beat lemon curd, water, and lemon juice in large bowl until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until mixture is smooth. Drizzle glaze over cake. Transfer cake to serving platter.

Sesame Noodles

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Servings: 2

1 tablespoon peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/3 pound thin spaghetti, cooked to al dente, drained and cooled
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 scallion, chopped


Whisk peanut butter, soy, cayenne, oil and sesame oil. Add noodles and toss to coat. Sprinkle noodles with sesame and scallion to garnish.

This recipe is from Rachel Ray. Really easy and delish.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

4 ounces linguine pasta

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced into thin strips

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

2 tablespoons butter

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

4 fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 green onion, minced

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl, and toss to coat.

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté chicken in butter until no longer pink and juices run clear, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add green and red bell peppers, sliced mushrooms and green onions; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat, and stir in heavy cream. Season the sauce with basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper, and heat through.

In a large bowl, toss linguine with sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

---I found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com. It has become a favorite for our family. The recipe says 2 servings, but there is enough sauce for 8-10 ounces of pasta.---