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I LOVE bacon.  I make a salad with a pound of bacon but I’ll share that recipe another time.  With summer Bar-B-Ques I thought you might try a different take on potato salad.  You have to turn on the stove for that one, but the dessert recipe I included is No Bake!

I am also including an orzo recipe compliments of Gail Gallagher; and a sneak peak at a recipe that will be featured in an anthology scheduled for next spring.

German Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 5 slices bacon (diced and cooked until crisp)
• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 cups sliced cooked potatoes – look for thin skinned like red or fingerling

Directions

1. Boil already-sliced potatoes until they are cooked through. Set aside.
2. Cook the bacon and keep the drippings. Set it aside to cool.
3. Heat bacon drippings in a pan large enough to add the potatoes.
4. Blend in flour, sugar, salt, and mustard.
5. Slowly add vinegar and water, stir until smooth.
6. Continue cooking over low heat, until thickened.
7. Add potatoes and heat through, slowly add crumbled bacon-save a few tablespoons for garnish.
8. Serve warm or room temp.

No Bake Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ⅓ cup white sugar
• 4 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
• ½ pint sliced fresh strawberries – sprinkled with sugar – set aside

Directions

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
2. Fold in whipped topping.
3. Spoon mixture into graham crumb crust. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
4. Once the cheesecake has set, garnish with sliced strawberries.

Grandma Matilda’s Plum Cake courtesy of Patricia Dorph

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, plus some to coat pan
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp sugar
• 6 ripe plums – cut into slices (remove pit)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Coat round nine-inch pan with butter.
3. Mix the sugar and 1 cup butter together until creamy.
4. Stir in eggs.
5. Add dry ingredients until mixed through.
6. Spread mixture into pan.
7. Begin in the middle and place 4-6 slices into a fan pattern, then alternate layers as you move from the middle of the pan to the inside edge.
8. Place in oven. Bake 40 minutes and check with a toothpick to be sure it comes out clean. If not bake an additional five minutes.

Summer Orzo Salad

Ingredients

• 1 box or bag of orzo (16 oz)
• 1  1/2 tablespoon Lemon Zest
• Juice of 2 lemons (add more after the orzo cools to keep moist)
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped up
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped or mashed up
• 1 cup of frozen baby peas – I put them in water to slightly thaw while orzo is cooking
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped up scallions (or I substitute sweet onions)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup packed arugula ( you can judge how much after mixing some through)

Directions

1. Cook the orzo per package and drain well.
2. Mix in the olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, peas, parsley, lemon juice and scallions. Mix well.
3. Put aside until cool. Put in refrigerator covered after it stops steaming.
4. After it is cool, mix in the parmesan cheese and the arugula.
   If you mix the cheese and arugula while it is still warm the cheese will melt and make it icky.
5. Serve cold.

NOTE: if you have had the salad in the refrigerator for a couple of hours you might need to add a touch more olive oil and lemon as sometimes it gets absorbed into the orzo!

It’s time for Fresh Basil!!

Watermelon Salad – Delicious and Pretty

Prep time: 15 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 T fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 8-lb seedless watermelon cut into 1½-inch chunks
• 1 cup reduced-fat feta
• 1 small sweet onion
• 1 cup coarsely chopped basil leaves

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the watermelon, feta and onion and toss gently. Garnish with the basil and serve.

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Smoked Mozzarella Salad

Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Serves: 8

Ingredients

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• ½ cup low-fat mayonnaise
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 and ½ tsp.)
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• ½ pound whole wheat penne pasta
• 2 cups packed baby spinach, washed and stemmed
• 4 pieces jarred roasted red pepper, diced
• ½ pound smoked mozzarella cheese, diced (use regular mozzarella if you can’t find smoked)
• Fresh basil (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine the Parmesan cheese, parsley, mayonnaise, vinegar, garlic, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper with a hand mixer or in the bowl of food processor or in a blender until the dressing is smooth.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain the pasta into a colander, run cold water over it or submerge it in ice water until chilled through, and drain well. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, spinach, roasted red peppers, and smoked mozzarella.
3. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired. For best results, make this ahead of time and let chill for 2-4 hours before serving. Serve cold.

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Pulled Pork Sandwiches

20 minutes prep
8 hours cook time
Serves 8-10

Ingredients

• 4 pounds pork shoulder
• 2 tablespoons paprika or try smoked paprika for more of that smoked flavor
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup water
• 10-12 slider buns or 8 regular buns

Instructions

1. Cut pork into 3-4 pieces
2. Mix all dried spices together and rub into all sides of the pork
3. Place vinegar and water in bottom of slow cooker and add pork
4. Cover and cook for 8 hours
5. Remove pork and shred
6. Serve on slider buns or Hawaiian buns

Stuffed Shells 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. of large macaroni shells
• 2 cups Ricotta cheese – please don’t ruin it with cottage cheese!
• 1 cup parmesan or Romano cheese – grated
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley – the dried stuff doesn’t do it
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil – this you can substitute for 2 tsps. dried basil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese – or more if you like a lot of cheese

Directions

Marinara sauce:  If you want to save time and have EXCELLENT sauce get a couple of jars of RAO’s.  Most grocery stores carry that brand now.  It comes from a family recipe at Rao’s Italian Restaurant in the Bronx.  The restaurant has only 10 tables and is considered THE hardest place to get a reservation.  For real.  It’s not even knowing someone.  It’s knowing someone who owns a slot who would be willing to give it up for you!

Cook the pasta al dente according to the package.  You don’t want them to get too mushy because you will be stuffing them and then baking them.
Drain and let them cool down a bit so you can handle them.

While the pasta is cooking – 10-12 minutes prepare the mixture.
Beat the eggs and mix ricotta and parmesan cheeses and herbs and blend. (The mozzarella goes on later.)
Fill each cooked shell with egg/cheese mix.

Preheat oven to 325.

Put a small layer of sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish.
Lay stuffed shells on top of the sauce. Its ok to overlap them if necessary.
Top the shells with more sauce, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.

Bake for 20 minutes.

They’ll think you have an Italian chef in your kitchen!

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Short Ribs Slow Cooker 

This is SO easy!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. short ribs
• 3 large peeled carrots cut into chunks
• 3 cloves garlic – sliced
• 1 onion sliced (can use leeks if you want)
• 1 8oz. package of mushrooms (optional)
• 2 tsps. Thyme
• 1 8oz. can of beef broth
• 2 cups red wine or alcohol free wine

Directions

Salt the ribs on both sides and brown in a little olive oil– 2 minutes on each side.
Remove from pan and set aside.
Sauté the onion and garlic in same pan used for browning the short ribs until wilted.

In crock pot add broth, thyme, wine, carrots, mushrooms if desired, then add the wilted onions and garlic and short ribs to the crock pot.
Set on low for 8 hours.

The meat will fall off the bone!

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Creamy Cheesecake

Combine in blender:

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 lbs. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Pour blender mixture in graham cracker crust.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool slightly before spreading topping on top.

Topping

• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Spread topping on. Bake at 475 degrees for 5 minutes. Refrigerate.
If desired, top with cherries (or 1 can of cherry pie filling) before serving.

Now on to something delicious.

Easter Brunchy Food:

FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE  

INGREDIENTS

• loaf French bread (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 Cups unsweetened milk
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• maple syrup, for serving

Topping:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

DIRECTIONS

Grease 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place bread cubes in baking dish. In large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour mixture evenly over bread cubes.

If making casserole ahead, cover baking dish and refrigerate overnight. If baking immediately, let stand 30 minutes at room temperature to allow bread to soak up egg mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

To make topping: Drizzle casserole with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans. Top with strawberries and blueberries.

Cover and bake 35 minutes then uncover and bake 10-20 minutes, or until topping is browned and egg mixture has mostly set.

Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and let stand 10 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with maple syrup.

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FRITATTA

Need ovenproof frying pan.

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 can potatoes or 1 cup [blanched] sliced fresh potatoes
• 1 package of frozen artichoke hearts –[thawed]
• ½ cup sun dried tomatoes – sliced
• 3-4 tablespoons fresh basil leaves shredded/chopped
• ¼ cup grated parmesan or Romano cheese
• 4-containers of Eggbeaters [or 6-8 eggs scrambled]
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese [according to taste preference] to melt on top  just before done

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Sauté onions and potatoes in olive oil until soft.

Add artichokes and sun dried tomatoes and sauté until ingredients are mixed.

Whisk eggs and parmesan cheese together and pour mixture over veggies, toss half the basil on top.

Let entire mixture set for about five-seven minutes on top of stove on low-medium, heat.  You don’t want it to cook through.

Once set, place frying pan in oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle shredded cheese and bake additional 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and let sit for 3-4 minutes.  Garnish with remaining basil.

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BLUEBERRY LEMON MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Finely chopped zest of 1 lemon or 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 egg, large
• 1½ cups (225 g) Pamela’s Bread Mix
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅓ cup milk or milk substitute
• ¾ cup fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400° F. Grease 7 or 8 muffin cups, or use muffin papers sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, beat together oil, white and brown sugar, lemon juice, zest or extract, and egg until creamy.

In another bowl, whisk together Bread Mix, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

Alternately stir flour mixture and milk into egg mixture, in two additions each, stirring until smooth after each addition.

Set aside ¼ cup of the blueberries to put on top of the muffins; add the other ½ cup to the dough and gently mix to combine.

Scoop dough equally into muffins cups.

Press reserved berries slightly into tops.

Bake for 22 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean.

Serve muffins once they are cool enough to handle.

Here are a couple of recipes that will keep you warm and cozy until the tulips stick their head out.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Ingredients
Serves 6 –  Serving Size 2 cups

• 1 pound bottom round beef roast, cut into 1-inch cubes, all visible fat discarded
• 1 large russet potato, cut into 1/2-inch pieces about 2 cups
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch pieces about 2 cups
• 2 cups thinly sliced carrots
• 10 ounces frozen pearl onions
• 1 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
• 1 14.5-ounce can fat-free, low-sodium beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 10 ounces frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley

Directions

1. Add the beef, potato, and flour to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, stirring well to combine.
2. Add the sweet potato and carrots to the slow cooker. Top with the onions, tomatoes, broth, water, thyme, and pepper.
3. Cook, covered, on low heat for 10 to 12 hours or high heat for 5 to 6 hours. Quickly stir in the peas and parsley. Re-cover the slow cooker. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

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An easy, healthy favorite: 

Pasta Fagioli pronounced Pasta Fa-zool

This is more like a stew.  If you want it more like a soup see below.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 cloves large garlic chopped
• medium onion chopped
• tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried
• teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
• 16 oz. can of tomato sauce (I like Rao’s with basil.)
• 8 oz. cans Cannellini Beans drained and rinsed
• ¾ lb. dried small pasta shells (I like the shells because the beans get nestled in them and they hold the sauce better.)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
• ½ cup dry red wine
• Salt and Pepper
• Crushed red pepper – optional
• Fresh chopped basil – for garnish

Directions:

1. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil
2. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, broth, wine and herbs
3. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add parmesan cheese and  pasta and cook another 20-30 minutes until pasta is tender
4. Garnish with basil, more grated cheese and crushed pepper. This will last in the frig for a week and in the freezer for a couple of months
5. Easy peasy

For soup:

add 2 chopped carrots and 3 stalks of chopped celery, and 16 oz. of vegetable of chicken stock – follow same directions

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And of course what would a letter be without GRILLED CHEESE!!!!

Here are a couple of my favorites.  BTW, did you know you can substitute mayonnaise (the real stuff) instead of butter?  I recently discovered that many diners use it in place of butter.

• Grilled Swiss Cheese, Bacon & Tomato – I like it on Rye Bread
• Make sure the bacon is cooked first.
• *Slather up two slices of bread with either butter or mayo. Place slathered side down on medium heat in frying pan.
• Place 2-3 slices of swiss cheese on each slice of bread. When cheese starts to melt top with bacon and a slice of tomato.  Let melt for another minute.  Carefully flip one of the slices over and place on top of the other – cheese meets cheese.

If you want a little tang:

• Sourdough bread
• Provolone
• Cheddar

*Same routine as above substituting cheeses

Even more tang:

• Your choice of bread
• Monterey Jack
• Jalapeno peppers – as much heat as you can stand
• *Same routine as above substituting cheese and adding peppers