Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1/3 cup vegetable oil (I use 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce instead)
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2-3 ripe mashed bananas
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs, and mix well. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and baking soda. Blend in chopped nuts. Spread batter into a greased 9X5 inch loaf pan.
3. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1/2 hour before slicing.

Bow Tie Lasagna

Ingredients:

4 oz. bow tie pasta

1 cup ricotta cheese

4 oz. soft-style cream cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

3/4 lb. lean ground meat

1 clove garlic, minced

15 oz. jar spaghetti sauce

Topping:

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large saucepan, cook pasta in boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes or just until tender. Drain and set aside. I a medium mixing bowl, stir together ricotta, cream cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan and Italian seasoning. Set aside. Preheat large skillet and stir-fry meat and garlic until meat is brown. Stir in spaghetti sauce and cooked noodles. Do not stir. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until heated thoroughly.

Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients:

8 chopped ripe Roma tomatoes
5 leaves chopped fresh basil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 pinch of dried oregano
1 dash of crushed red pepper
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
2-3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 loaf of Italian-style (or French) bread, cut into diagonal slices

1. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, garlic, oregano, red pepper, salt, pepper and olive oil. Use more olive oil, if necessary, to coat the entire mixture. Allow the mixture to sit for 10-15 minutes for flavors to blend.
2. In the meantime, preheat the broiler. On a baking sheet, arrange the slices of bread in a single layer and brown both sides slightly in the oven. Remove the slices from the oven.
3. Spread the tomato mixture on the still warm toasted bread slices and serve.

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients:

1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
1/4 of a bunch of kale

Cook sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat. Refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients. In the same pan, saute bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour. Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in the sausage and the kale. Heat through and serve.

***The recipe the way it is is really spicy. I would probably either make it with regular sausage or I would only do 1/2 the amount of the red pepper that it calls for unless you really like a kick to your recipe. It had wonderful flavor but was way spicy***

Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

1 lb. frozen cooked meatballs
26-oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 onion, chopped
1-1/2 c. water
8 oz. pkg. spaghetti uncooked and broken into 3 inch pieces
Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese

Combine meatballs, spaghetti sauce, onion and water in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours. Stir well; add broken spaghetti. Increase to hi setting; cover and cook for an additional hour stirring once during cooking. Serve with Parmesan cheese. serves 4 to 6.

(I have to add a jar of tomato juice after adding spaghetti so that sauce is not dry.)

Stacked Taco Pie

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
3/4 pound lean ground beef
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/3 cup water
1 (151/2 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa
8 ounces cheddar-Monterrey jack cheese, grated

Step 1: In a large skillet over medium-low heat, warm oil. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes stirring often. Add garlic and saute another minute.
Step 2: Increase the heat to medium, then add the ground beef, chili powder, and cumin. Cook the mixture until beef is browned and no longer pink, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add the salt, water, black beans, and corn, and bring mixture to a boil. Continue boiling, until liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes. Remove the mixture form the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Heat the oven to 350*.
Step 4: Butter bottom and sides of spring form pan. Press tortilla evenly into pan's bottom. spread 2 tablespoons of sour cream over tortilla, followed by 1/4 cup of the salsa. Spoon and spread a quarter of beef mixture over the salsa and sprinkle a quarter of the grated cheese evenly over the top.
Step 5: Repeat this until all ingredients are used up. End with a tortilla and sprinkle top with cheese.
Step 6: Bake for 30 minutes and allow to cool for 10. Then remove the side for spring form pan. Slice pie into wedges. Serves 10.
(If you don't have a spring form pan, you can use a pie plate. Just doesn't stack as high.

Crepes

4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 cups flour
2 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients on high speed in a blender. Let sit in fridge for a couple of hours to let the air bubbles settle. Heat up crepe maker. Dip crepe maker in batter or make crepes in a greased pan. Fill crepes with whatever you want. For example, fresh strawberries, bananas, blueberries, syrup, powdered sugar, ice cream, chocolate, peanut butter etc. (the skies the limit). Top with whip cream and serve.

No Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 stick butter
4 Tbsp. Cocoa
Combine in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. 
Pour over:
3 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter

Make blobs and place on wax paper.  Chill in fridge.

Spinach Salad

Spinach
Romaine Lettuce
Swiss cheese, shredded
red onions, sliced
crumbled bacon
candied almonds
mushrooms, sliced

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsalmic vinegar
1/8 cup yellow mustard
3/4 Tbsp. poppyseeds
3/4 Tbsp. minced onion (use red onion from above)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
Mix together well and pour on salad

Candied Almonds
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup sugar
Put all together in a pan and stir constantly until all sugar is melted.

Strawberry Sinach Salad

spinach
romaine lettuce
strawberries
green onion
slivered almonds
grated swiss cheese
craisins
*slice strawberries and green onion
combine all

Dressing:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
Blend in blender.
While blending add:
1 cup canola oil
1 tsp. poppy seeds

Lasagna

12 lasagna noodles
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 clove garlic
1 Tbsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
2 (6oz) cans tomato paste
2 (15oz) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup water

1 (16oz) container cottage cheese
1 egg
1 Tbsp. Parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Cook lasagna noodles.  Brown hamburger or cook chicken.  Stir in other ingredients in first column.  Bring to a boil and let simmer.  Combine ingredients in second section.  Pour enough meat sauce to cover bottom of 9x13 baking dish.  Add noodles, cheese mixture, and parmesan.  Repeat, ending with meat sauce.  Bake covered for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.  Remove cover and bake 5 minutes longer.  Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

1 cup chicken, cooked and cubed
1 cup shreaded cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 cup rice

Cook rice.  Heat soup, sour cream, milk and garlic salt.  Make layers with soup, meat, cheese, and rice.  Repeat.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.  Top with croutons before serving.

Chicken Tacos (Crock Pot)

4-6 Chicken Breasts
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1/2 can water
Barbecue sauce

Add all ingredients in crock pot and cook all day.  I just dump some barbecue sauce in.  Before serving use a fork to break up chicken and mix all together.  Serve in tortillas with cheese, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, etc.

Cajun Maple Chicken

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning (add more if you like it spicy)
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp. Brown sugar, packed
1 cup chopped pecans
Long grain and wild rice

Sprinkle chicken with Cajun seasoning.  In a skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in butter until golden.  Arrange chicken in crock pot.  Mix together syrup, brown sugar and pecans.  Pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.  Serve with cooked wild rice.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
      Cut chicken into chunks, dip in cornstartch and then egg (I don't always do this)
      Brown chicken and season with salt and pepper
      Place in a baking dish

Sauce: (simmer-don't boil)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup ketchup
2 TBSP. soy sauce
Mix all together with a wire whisk and simmer.  Pour over chicken and bake for 1/2 hour at 350 degrees

Chicken Swiss Bundles

1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1-1/2 tsp. butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chopped roasted sweet red peppers
1 Tbsp honey mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 cups shredded Swiss Cheese
12 frozen bread dough dinner rolls, thawed
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

In a large skillet, saute onion and mushrooms in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the chicken, peppers, mustard, and seasonings; heat through. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese.

Flatten each roll into a 5-in circle. Place 1/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of six circles. Brush edges with water; top with remaining circles. Press edges with a fork to seal.

Place on greased baking sheets; brush with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cut bundles in half to serve.