March 2012 Easter Favorites

 Lemon Cake Brought by Barb Dahl
I need to find the recipe. lol

Lemon Cream Cheese Stuffed Blueberry Muffins brought by Jen Tecson
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
Zest of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 large egg
1/3 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen) (toss in 1 TB flour)
Cream cheese filling:
3 tablespoons cream cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest (or small amount of lemon extract)
1 tablespoon sugar
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin pan or line pan with muffin liners. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.
3. In a small bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Rub sugar and zest together, until fragrant. Add to the flour mixture and whisk again.
4. In a separate medium bowl, mix canola oil, egg, milk, and vanilla together.
5. Incorporate the wet ingredients into flour mixture. Add slowly and do not over mix. The batter will be lumpy and thick. Gently fold in the blueberries.
6. In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, lemon zest, and sugar until smooth. Fill each muffin cup half way with batter. Next, add about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese filling to each muffin cup. Cover each cup with remaining batter so you can't see the cream cheese filling.
7. Bake muffins for 17-20 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let muffins cool on a cooking rack.

 Easter nests brought by Tina Gann
Ingredients:
-1 bag of Cadbury mini chocolate eggs (you won't use the whole bag, but I'm sure you can handle the extras!)
1 cup milk chocolate chips
3 cups chow mein noodles

Directions:
Heat chips and peanut butter in microwave at 30 sec. increments until melted
Add Chow Mein Noodles & stir until evenly coated.
Drop onto waxed paper by 1 Tbsp spoonfuls forming each into the shape of little nests.
Refrigerate or freeze until solid.
Add eggs for garnish

 Deviled Eggs Brought by Lisa Smith 
Ingredients
8 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise
1/2 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise
1/4 cup low-fat (1 percent) creamy cottage cheese, drained
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Dash hot pepper sauce
Paprika, for sprinkling
Parsley sprigs, for garnish
Directions
Place 4 of the egg yolks in a food processor or blender (discard the other 4) with the mayonnaise, cottage cheese, curry, mustard and pepper sauce. Process until smooth.
Spoon the filling into a pastry bag with star tip. Pipe the filling into the egg whites, then sprinkle with the paprika. Garnish with the parsley. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.

 Ham brought by Carol Snyder

Baby Shower for Jen!!

Feb 2012 St. Patty Day Favorites! 

 Corned Beef Sliders & Fried Pickles Brought by Ariella Walker

• 8 ounces thin (deli-style) sliced corned beef or from a cooked roast
• 8 mini bakery-style potato rolls (about 2-inches wide), sliced for sandwiches
• 2 tablespoons country mustard
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Divide corned beef equally into 8 mounds in small oiled baking dish; top evenly with shredded cheese.
• Cover loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes or until corned beef is warm and cheese is melted.
• Spread mustard evenly on rolls; top each with warm corned beef and cheese.
• Close sandwiches with top halves of rolls; serve warm.
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•  Paula Dean's Fried Pickles
• Ingredients
  

• 1 24-ounce Jar Kosher dill pickle spears or slices
  1 tsp garlic powder
  1/2 cup Louisiana hot sauce (I like Texas Pete)
  1/2 cup buttermilk
  1 gal peanut oil
  2 cups Uncle Bubba’s Fry Mix
  

  Directions

  Drain the juice from the pickle jar and refill the jar with the garlic powder, hot sauce, and buttermilk. Marinate the pickles for at least 30 minutes.
  In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Drain the pickles. Put the fry mix in a large mixing bowl, and toss the pickles to coat thoroughly. Shake off the excess mix by tossing lightly in a strainer and deep fry the pickles in batches for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the spears.
  When golden brown, remove the pickles from the oil with a clean strainer or slotted metal spoon and place on paper towels to drain off any excess oil. Serve immediately.

 Chicken Florentine brought by Carol Snyder

 Chicken & Spinach Pasta Brought by Annette

 Colconnon Brought by Jen Tecson
450g (1 lb) parsnips
450g (1 lb) potatoes
450g (1 lb) cabbage, central rib removed and finely sliced
1 large onion
250ml (8 fl oz) milk
55g (2 oz) butter
salt and freshly ground pepper
Peel the potatoes and parsnips, and place them in a saucepan filled with salted, boiling water. When the potatoes and parsnips are cooked, strain off the water, add the milk and mash.
While they are cooking, bring a pot of well salted water to the boil. Cook the cabbage until the leaves are tender. Drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan and fry the onions until soft and sweet. Add the cabbage and stir well to get everything thoroughly coated with butter. Add the cabbage mixture to the pot with mash and stir well.
Season to taste. Serve immediately.
Kale can be used in lieu of cabbage. Some people add bacon when cooking the onion

 Puffed pastry with ground beef & Puffed pastry with guava paste brought by Gio Diaz
"Pastelillos de Guayava", Puff Pastry with Guava sauce.
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
Guava Paste (as you desire)
1 TBSP of water
Powdered sugar
You just need 1 sheet of Pastry, cut them any way you desire.
Put them in the oven at 400* for 15 to 20 min, or until golden brown and puffy.
Take them out and cut them in half.
Put the Guava paste and the water together in a glas bowl and melt it in the microwave.
You can do 20 sec at a time until melted.
Get the pastry and put the melted Guava paste in the center off each pastry.
When they are done you can sprinkle some Powdered sugar.
Meat Puff Pastry
1Sheet of Puff pastry
cooked ground beef
Prepare your ground beef as you desire. Cut the pastry in squares.
Cook the Puff Pastry following instructions on the package.
Cut them in half and put the meat in the midel. Serveed them hot.
*To make them green just mix food coloring with water and bush the sheet of pastry before cutting and baking.

 Chicken Spinach Artichoke White Pizza brought by Barb Dahl
1 Frozen bread dough loaf thawed & raised double in size (You can use any pizza crust too)
1 jar Alfredo sauce (brand of choice, I used Regu)
1-2 cups Tyson frozen grilled chicken strips cut into chuncks
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 can artichokes drained
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Roll bread dough out into a 16 inch  circle Place on pizza pan
Spread with sauce
put remaining ingredients on top of crust (I break the artichokes as I put them on)
Bake at 400 for 15-20 min or until crust is brown & cheese is bubbly
 

Luscious Lime Angel Squares Brought by Barb Dahl

Ingredients

• 1 package (.3 ounce) sugar-free lime gelatin
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 prepared angel food cake (8 inches), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1 carton (8 ounces) reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed, divided

Directions

• In a small bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Refrigerate until mixture just begins to thicken, about 35 minutes. Place cake cubes in a 13-in. x 9-in. dish coated with cooking spray; set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the sugar, lemon juice and peel. Add gelatin mixture; beat until combined. Fold in 1-1/2 cups whipped topping.
• Spread over top of cake, covering completely. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm. Cut into squares; top with remaining whipped topping. Yield: 15 servings.

 Luck o' the Irish brownies brought by Patty Foster

Original recipe makes 1 - 9x13 inch pan Change Servings

• 4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup margarine, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
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• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk, or as needed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 6 drops green food coloring
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• 1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

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Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Melt the unsweetened chocolate in a cup or small bowl in the microwave. Stir at 15 second intervals until chocolate is smooth. Allow to cool slightly. Transfer to a large bowl, and stir in the margarine and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Stir in the flour just until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread evenly.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the surface appears dry and the sides are beginning to pull away from the edges of the pan, 20 to 25 minutes. The brownies may look more like cake and may jiggle slightly in the center- this is normal. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan set over a wire rack.
4. To make the middle layer, beat 1/2 cup of butter with confectioners' sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Add milk as needed to get a spreadable consistency. Stir in the peppermint extract and green food coloring. Spread this over the cooled pan of brownies. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
5. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips with the butter until melted. Stir every 20 seconds until chocolate is smooth. Stir in vanilla and then pour over the chilled brownies and quickly spread to cover the surface. Cool again until firm, about 10 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.

 Irish Soda bread brought by Ginny Wingate

Chocolate potato cake brought by Lindsay DeHart