Chicken Wings

5 lbs. chicken wings, split
1/4 c. coriander seeds, crushed
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. kosher salt
1/4 c. olive oil
3/4 c. sriracha sauce
3/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
grated zest and juice of 3 limes

1. In a large bowl, combine coriander, cumin, cinnamon, salt and olive oil. Toss wings in this sauce. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 275 F.
3. Arrange wings on baking sheets. Cover with foil and roast for 45 min. Remove foil and increase heat to 475 F. Roast until wings are crisp and cooked through, about 5 min.
4. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine sriracha, melted butter, cilantro, lime zest and juice.
5. When wings are done roasting, toss with the sriracha-butter sauce. Place on a platter. Get out the napkins. Enjoy!

Salmon Baked in Foil

3 tomatoes, chopped OR 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
2 shallots, chopped
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano OR 3/4 tsp. dried
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme OR 3/4 tsp. dried
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 salmon fillets (about 5 oz. each)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. In a medium bowl, stir the tomatoes, shallots, 2 tbsp. olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper.
3. In the center of each of four large sheets of aluminum foil, spoon 1/2 tsp. olive oil. Place one salmon fillet atop each sheet and turn to coat with the oil.
4. Sprinkle the salmon fillets with the remaining 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper.
5. Spoon tomato mixture over the salmon.
6. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely, and seal the packets closed. Place the packets on a heavy baking sheet.
7. Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 25 minutes.

Onion Beef Au Jus

1 boneless beef rump roast (4 lbs.)
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 lg. sweet onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices
6 tbsp. butter, softened, divided
5 c. water
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. browning sauce, optional
1 loaf French bread
1 c. Swiss cheese, shredded

1. In a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, brown roast on all sides in oil; drain.
2. In a large skillet, saute onions in 2 tbsp. butter until tender. Add the water, soy sauce, soup mix, garlic and browning sauce if desired. Pour over roast.
3. Cover and bake at 325 F for 2 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.
4. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Return meat to pan juices.
5. Slice bread in half lengthwise; cut into 3-inch sections. Spread remaining butter over bread. Place on a baking sheet. Broil 4-6 inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Top with beef and onions; sprinkle with cheese. Broil 4-6 inches from heat for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with pan juices.

Cupcakes

Cari gave me this recipe. I didn't write down instructions when I got it from her, but did the usual thing. I used a hand mixer. I lined the muffin pan with cupcake papers. Makes 12 cupcakes.

2/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder

1. Cream sugar and butter.
2. Add milk, egg, and vanilla.
3. Add flour and baking powder. Do not over mix.
4. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.

I didn't have enough powdered sugar for butter cream frosting and so found this recipe. It is fantastic!

Fudge Frosting

1/2 c. sugar
2 tbsp. cocoa
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. milk
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
dash of salt
1/2 to 3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1. Mix sugar, cocoa, butter, milk, corn syrup, and salt. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Boil, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Cool for 10-15 minutes.
2. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.

Hamburger and Vegetable Casserole

My Mom calls this casserole Ship Wreck Hotdish. She uses tomato soup, but you can use any kind of canned soup (tomato, cream of celery, cream of chicken, or cream of mushroom). The ground beef does not have to be browned before adding to this dish. I use a medium onion and 3-4 peeled and sliced carrots.

6 med. potatoes, sliced
1/2 c. rice
1 lb. ground beef
onions, chopped
carrots, sliced
2 c. water
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar

1. In a 9x13 pan, layer potatoes, rice, burger, onions and carrots in order listed.
2. In a small bowl, mix water, soup, salt and sugar. Pour over layers in pan.
3. Bake at 350 F for 1 1/2 hours.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

My Grandma Mary used to make these cupcakes. I asked her for the recipe so that I could make them for myself. Grandma told me specifically to use the molasses with the purple label with the rabbit on it. If I remember right, this recipe makes more like 18 cupcakes instead of 12.

2 eggs, beaten
1 c. sugar
1 c. canola oil
1/2 c. molasses
2 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. boiling water

1. Beat eggs well, add sugar, oil, and molasses.
2. Add dry ingredients sifted together.
3. Add water last.
4. Put in muffin cups. Bake at 350 F for 30 min.

Lemon Frosting

1 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. milk

1. Mix with hand mixer.

Banana Cupcakes

1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda dissolved in 1 tbsp. hot water
1 c. mashed bananas
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour

1. Cream shortening and sugar. Stir in egg, vanilla, bananas and soda water.
2. Stir in salt, baking powder, and flour.
3. Put in muffin cups. Bake 20 min. at 350 F.

Lemon Frosting

1 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. milk

1. Mix with hand mixer.

Waikiki Meatballs with Rice and Pineapple

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2/3 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 c. milk
1 tbsp. canola oil
2 tbsp. corn starch
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 (16 oz.) container chilled fresh pineapple, plus juice from the container (1/4-1/2 c.)
1/2-3/4 c. water (enough to make 1 c. with the pineapple juice)
1/3 c. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. soy sauce

1. In large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, salt and ginger. Using a tablespoon, scoop meat mixture and roll into balls placing on a tray or parchment paper.
2. Preheat oven to 325 F. Heat canola oil in skillet. Brown meatballs in batches in skillet without crowding until brown on all sides, then place in baking pan. Save bits and oil in bottom of skillet.
3. Once all meatballs are browned, place in oven to finish cooking for about 15 min.
4. Prepare rice while meatballs are in the oven (2 c. water + 1 c. white rice + 1/2 tsp. salt). Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 min.
5. If there is more than 1 tbsp. of grease in the skillet, remove the excess. For sauce, mix cornstarch and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add the pineapple juice/water, rice vinegar and soy sauce. Mix until smooth. Add to frying pan and bring to boil stirring until thickened and glossy. Reduce heat and add meatballs to sauce and gently stir to coat. This can simmer for a few minutes. (The sauce can be doubled if you like more sauce for the rice.)
6. Serve meatballs with rice and chilled pineapple chunks.

Lasagna

Lasagna is one of those dishes that can be made with so many variations. I sometimes skip the sausage and pepperoni and just use the ground beef, sometimes I use three layers and cook four more noodles, and sometimes I just use cottage cheese for the filling. If you want to skip the meat altogether or add to it, you can add sauted vegetables such as mushrooms, onions, garlic, bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, etc. to the sauce. I like putting grated Parmesan on top too.

1 lb. ground beef, browned
1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage, browned (optional)
1 lg. jar spaghetti sauce
8 lasagna noodles, cooked
pepperoni
1 lb. mozzarella, grated

Filling:
15 oz. ricotta
1 egg
1/2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 c. mozzarella, grated

1. Brown ground meat. Add spaghetti sauce.
2. Cook noodles.
3. Mix filling ingredients.
4. In 9x13, layer 1/2 of the noodles, sauce, filling, single layer pepperoni and mozzarella. Repeat.
5. Bake at 350 F for 1 hr. Let stand 10 min.

Beefy Chile Rellenos Casserole

5 (4 oz.) cans whole green chiles, drained
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 med. onion, chopped (1 c.)
1 tsp. garlic, minced
3 tsp. cumin, divided
1 pkg. taco seasoning, divided
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz. pkg. shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 c.)
8 oz. pkg. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (2 c.)
4 eggs, beaten
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 tbsp. flour
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
Sour cream
Raisins
Toasted slivered almonds
Pitted ripe olive slices

1. Heat oven to 325 F. Grease 9x13 glass baking dish.
2. Split chiles lengthwise; remove seeds. Pat chiles dry with paper towels.
3. In a heavy skillet, cook and stir ground beef with onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in 1 tsp. of the cumin, 2 tbsp. of the taco seasoning, and salt.
4. Arrange half of the chiles in a single layer in greased baking dish; top with beef mixture and another layer of chiles.
5. Sprinkle cheese over chiles.
6. Combine eggs, milk, and flour; pour over cheeses.
7. Stir remaining 2 tsp. cumin and remaining taco seasoning into tomato sauce. Spread tomato sauce evenly over casserole.
8. Bake until bubbly in center (about 60 min.). Serve with sour cream, raisins, almonds and olives if desired.
NOTE: You can refrigerate this casserole up to 24 hr. before baking. Refrigerate the tomato sauce in a separate bowl and spread on casserole just before baking.

Rice with Sauted Onions and Leeks

I love leeks. I used brown rice instead of white rice making the simmer time 45-50 minutes. It was still very wet after that time, so I put the lid on only half way and let it simmer many more minutes to eliminate more moisture.

2 leeks
1/4 c. olive oil
1 c. onion, minced
1 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
4 c. water
1 c. rice, uncooked

1. Clean leeks. Slice into rounds.
2. Heat oil. Saute onions about 5 minutes.
3. Add flour, salt, and sugar and saute 1 minute.
4. Add rice and leek rings. Turn to coat.
5. Cover, reduce heat, simmer 20-25 minutes.

Italian Pasta Salad

4 qt. water
1 tbsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. tricolor spiral pasta

1. Bring water, salt and oil to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just al dente, about 9 min.

2 tbsp. garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. Italian herb mix
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. olive oil

2. In a large bowl, mash garlic and salt. Add balsamic vinegar, Italian herb mix, black pepper, and crushed red pepper; whisk to blend. Gradually whisk in the olive oil.
3. Toss cooked cooled pasta with vinaigrette.

1 c. provolone cheese, cubed
1 c. salami, sliced
1 c. prosciutto, sliced
1 c. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, sliced
2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley and 2 tbsp. fresh chopped basil OR 2 tsp. pasta sprinkle

Optional ingredients:
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Pepperoni
Green bell pepper, diced
Red onion, thinly sliced
Black olives, sliced
1/4 c. Parmesan, grated

4. Toss with remaining ingredients to mix. Refrigerate. Return to room temperature to serve.

Crock Pot Stuffing

I'm starting to think about Thanksgiving. This works great if you have no plans to put stuffing in the turkey.

1 c. butter
2 c. onion, chopped
2 c. celery, chopped
16 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c. parsley (1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. dried)
12-13 c. bread cubes, slightly dry
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. sage
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. marjoram (optional)
3 1/2-4 1/2 c. chicken or turkey broth
2 eggs, beaten

1. Melt butter and sauté onion, celery, mushrooms and parsley.
2. Pour over bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl. Add all seasonings and toss together well.
3. Pour in enough broth to moisten; add beaten eggs and mix together well.
4. Pack lightly into crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 45 min.; reduce heat to low and cook for 4-8 hours.

Cold Brew Coffee

My youngest sister told me how to make cold brew coffee. It reportedly has much less acid when made in this manner. It definately has a smoother taste. I didn't make it exactly as she did. My version is as follows.

6 oz. freshly ground coffee
8 c. room-termperature filtered water

1. Put coffee in a 1/2- to 1-gallon glass jar. Pour the water over the coffee. Cover.
2. Let stand approximately 24 hours at room temperature.
3. Strain using a mesh collander. Strain again using a paper coffee filter.
4. For a cup of hot coffee, mix equal parts cold brew coffee with hot water.
5. Store remaining cold brew coffee in the fridge.

I strained it from the jar through the mesh collander into the glass coffee pot from my coffee maker. Then I used the filter basket from the coffee maker through a paper filter back into the jar. The jar I am using has a wide mouth making this easier.

Parsley Potatoes

1 1/2 lbs. small new red potatoes, scrubbed
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 med. onion, chopped
1 sm. clove garlic, crushed
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. chopped fresh parsley, divided
1/2 tsp. pepper

1. Peel a strip of skin from around the middle of each potato; place potatoes in cold water. Set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add oil. Sauté onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until tender. Add broth and 3/4 c. parsley; mix well. Bring to a boil.
3. Place potatoes in a single layer in skillet. Return to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
4. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon to serving bowl. Add pepper to skillet; stir. Pour sauce over potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Oven-Fried Chicken

This is really tasty. I used half regular bread crumbs and half panko bread crumbs so that I did not have to pulse half of them until fine. If you want to use all Panko and put half in your food processor for awhile that would be great. I cut the chicken breast pieces in half lengthwise so that they were smaller pieces.

1 1/2 c. low-fat buttermilk
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/4 c. panko bread crumbs
1 1/4 c. bread crumbs
3 tbsp. canola oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Whisk together the buttermilk, mustard, paprika, garlic and onion powders, kosher salt and cayenne in a large baking dish. Add chicken breasts; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400 F. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position.
3. In a shallow dish, add bread crumbs, canola oil, salt and pepper. Mix well.
4. Remove chicken from the marinade and dredge in the crumb mixture. Place on sheet pan with rack. Bake until deep golden brown and thermometer registers 160 F, about 25 minutes.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

I made half of this recipe in a 8x8 pan since there are usually only two of us. Crumbles or crisps are so easy to make and such a delicious way to make a dessert with fresh or frozen fruit.

4 c. strawberries, sliced
4 c. rhubarb, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. orange zest
1/2 c. orange juice
1 tbsp. corn starch

1 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. oatmeal
12 tbsp. butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Place strawberries and rhubarb in a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, combine orange zest, orange juice and corn starch. Pour over fruit and stir. Put fruit mixture in a 11x8x2 pan.
4. Combine flour, brown sugar, sugar, salt, oatmeal and butter with fork or process until crumbly. Spread evenly over top of fruit mixture.
5. Bake for 1 hour.

Penne Pasta Salad

1 lb. penne pasta, cooked
1 jar roasted red peppers
1 c. kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
fresh basil, torn
1 c. olive oil
½ c. red wine vinegar
4-5 lg. cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated

Cinnamon Topped Rhubarb Muffins

The rhubarb is up and ready. I love rhubarb. It makes me think of my Grandma. She had a huge rhubarb patch in the garden and we were treated to rhubarb pie, cake, jam, and sauce. This recipe came from my youngest sister.

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter
1 c. sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 c. rhubarb, chopped
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add sour cream, eggs, and vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl, sift and stir together flour, baking soda, and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.
4. Stir flour mixture into sour cream mixture just until moistened. Fold in rhubarb.
5. Spoon into greased muffin pan.
6. In a small bowl, stir together 1 tbsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle onto each muffin.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Barley Casserole

I've always like barley. I just didn't know what to do with it besides put it in soup.

2 celery ribs, chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
7 green onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 c. uncooked medium pearl barley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 1/2 c. chicken broth, divided
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1/2 c. slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Saute the celery, carrots, onions and garlic in butter until tender.
3. Stir in the barley, salt and pepper. Stir in 2 1/2 c. of the chicken broth. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
4. Stir in parsley and remaining 2 c. broth; sprinkle with almonds. Bake, uncovered, 30-40 minutes longer or until liquid is absorbed and barley is tender.