Microwave Peanut Brittle

I’ve been making this candy during the holiday season for many years now. It’s very easy and has been fool-proof for me. Just remember to work quickly once you add the baking soda. And be careful, because the mixture is hot!

This is very tasty and much lighter in texture than store-bought peanut brittle. It’s great to give as a gift.

Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes
Servings 24

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
1 cup salted peanuts
1 tsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda

Directions

Coat a jell yroll pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a 2 quart glass bowl and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Add peanuts and microwave 3 ½ minutes, then stir in butter and vanilla and microwave for 1 ½ minutes more.

Stir in baking soda until the mixture turns light and foamy. Pour onto the cookie sheet and spread it thinly and evenly. Let cool completely and break into pieces.

Hot & Spicy Pecans

Let me warn you: these nuts are addictive! I like to make them during the holiday season for an appetizer/snack. They are also great to give as a gift. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and it has never let me down.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 16

Ingredients

2 TBSP butter, melted
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp ground red pepper
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 TBSP chili powder
2 cups pecan halves

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix butter, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper, salt and garlic powder. Stir in the pecans and gently toss with the chili powder to coat.

Spread coated pecans on a medium baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes, stirring the pecans about every 10 minutes.

Savory Black-Eyed Peas

I must admit I used to think that black-eyed peas taste like mud, but then I realized I hadn’t really done anything to season them. I started researching recipes online and let my imagination go wild. I think you’ll see that once you properly season them, black-eyed peas can be delicious! This dish is a hearty dinner, one that works great on a cold winter’s night. Of course, corn bread is the perfect accompaniment to the peas.

Prep time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Servings 8

Ingredients

1 pound dry black-eyed peas (sorted and soaked overnight)
Water
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups chopped ham
2 onions, chopped
2 cans Rotel tomatoes (you choose the heat level)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place black-eyed peas in large pot. Barely cover with water. Stir in ham, onions, garlic, and Rotel tomatoes. Then add salt and pepper to taste. Bring beans to a boil. Cover beans, and simmer on medium-low heat for 2 ½ to 3 hours, or until peas are tender.

Parmesan Crab Spread

This is a great recipe for a party. I think it is best when served with toasted baguette slices, but you could serve it with crackers or tortilla chips. I had several recipes for crab dip, so I combined the best of each of them and came up with this recipe.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 16

Ingredients

1 cup crab meat (if you must, use canned crab, drained and flaked)
1 8 ounce package softened cream cheese
1 cup mayonnaise (I use reduced fat)
1 cup sour cream (I use reduced fat)
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Dried parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix the crab, cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic and Parmesan cheese. Pour into a medium casserole dish and sprinkle with parsley. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until the spread is bubbly and golden brown.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

How could this get any better? It’s a combination of two of my most favorite things! When I make this for dinner, I serve it with a tossed salad. At a party, I cut it into squares and serve it with ranch or blue cheese dressing with carrot and celery sticks on the side. Either way, it’s delicious!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8-10 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

1 prepared pizza crust (such as Boboli)
1 cup cooked, cubed chicken breast
½ small onion, chopped
½ cup sliced banana peppers, chopped
¾ cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
¼ cup melted butter
1 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except mozzarella in a large bowl and stir. Evenly spread chicken mixture on the pizza crust. Top with desired amount of mozzarella cheese. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted completely and crust is crispy.

Grilled Mushrooms, Onions and Peppers

I’ve been making variations of this recipe for years. I just decided to measure everything and write it down for the blog when I was preparing it on Memorial Day. This made a fine accompaniment to the grilled ribeye steaks we enjoyed for dinner.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 8-ounce package baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
2 medium onions (Vidalia, if you can find them), sliced in 1/4 inch thick half moons
1 large green bell pepper, sliced
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
Black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium heat. Line a jellyroll pan with non-stick aluminum foil. Add the mushrooms, onions and pepper. Top with Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, butter, olive oil, garlic and black pepper. Top with another sheet of non-stick aluminum foil and crimp edges all the way around, creating a packet.

Put packet directly on grill and cook 20-25 minutes, until the veggies are softened. Be careful opening packet as there will be a lot of steam.

Savory Hamburgers

I came up with this recipe about a month ago. I was thinking about how my Mamaw Allen always mixed bread into her hamburgers, and so did Billy Ray’s in Prestonsburg, KY. I know in the “old days” they did this sort of thing to stretch the meat out. So I added the crumbled bread and some spices and patted out hamburgers. Charlie and I thought they were great.

This is a quick and easy weeknight recipe. I hope you like it.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: About 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 TBSP dried minced onions
1 TBSP Montreal steak seasoning
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 slice bread, crumbled

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Shape into four patties.

Heat a grill to medium high heat. Cook patties 4-5 minutes on each side or until your desired level of doneness is reached. Serve on buns with your favorite condiments.

Spicy Bean Salsa

I've had this recipe for years. There are variations of it, but this has been my go-to version. It’s a delicious salsa that always goes over well at parties, when it is served with tortilla chips. It’s also a great warm-weather side dish to accompany grilled meats. It can be put together in minutes, but does need some time to marinate to let the flavors marry. It should be made at least 8 hours ahead, but letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight is the best! It can be served cold or at room temperature.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time N/A
Servings 8-10

Ingredients

1 can black-eyed peas
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can Rotel tomatoes (you choose the heat level)
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup Italian dressing (I use Kraft Light)
½ tsp garlic salt
Black pepper to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well and cover. Refrigerate mixture at least eight hours (overnight is best).

Mozzarella Mac

This is another recipe I got from my mom. It’s a deliciously different take on basic macaroni and cheese. It’s so simple and the ingredients are ones most have on hand all the time. This is a very easy weeknight dish, as it takes no time at all to put it together.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 cups cooked elbow macaroni
16 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded or diced (Mom uses the reduced fat version)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (Mom uses the reduced fat version)
1 ½ cups milk (Mom uses fat free milk)
1 tsp hot sauce (or to taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 11 baking pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until the mixture is hot and bubbly.

Apple Scotch Cake

This is a recipe I got from my mom. It’s one of the few non-chocolate cakes I like! It is easy to put together and very moist. Let me know what you think…

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 16

Ingredients

2 ½ cups self rising flour
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup canola oil
2 eggs
3 cups peeled, diced apples (Mom always uses Granny Smith)
1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
6 ounces (1/2 bag) butterscotch chips (or more, if desired)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add oil, eggs, apples and nuts. Note: dough will be VERY stiff.

Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle butterscotch chips over the dough. Press chips into dough. Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Picnic Chicken Salad

I can’t tell you how many sandwiches I’ve eaten from The Picnic Café in Nashville, TN, over the last 10 ½ years. Mostly, I order their low-fat chicken salad sandwiches. This is not the low-fat version, thought I am sure it could be made by just substituing the mayo. This chicken salad is absolutely delicious.

So you can imagine how happy I was when The Picnic Café’s owner, Kathy Bonnet, shared the chicken salad recipe with the Tennessean. I think you will enjoy it as much as I have. It’s delicious and a snap to make.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

3 cups cooked white chicken breast, chopped
¾ cup celery, chopped
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
½ tsp celery seed
½ tsp black pepper
salt to taste
1 cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise (do not substitute)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Chill. Serve as a sandwich spread or as a salad on lettuce or stuffed into a tomato.

Note: The Picnic Café steams the chicken in a convection oven. This leaves the chicken fat-free and tender and is one of the reasons everyone loves Picnic Chicken Salad.

Chicken and Noodles

I got this recipe from a friend in college; he had gotten it from his dad. Back then, the recipe only had four ingredients: chicken, soup, broth and noodles. While it was good in its original state, I have modified it over the years to be a bit more flavorful, filling and healthy.

It’s a very easy recipe to put together in the morning and let it cook all day. When you get home from work, all that’s left to do is to boil some noodles and you’re all set. It’s another satisfying supper for a cold winter’s night.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6-8 hours
Servings: 4

Ingredients

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
½ cup sliced carrots
½ cup sliced celery
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I use the 98% fat free version) or any cream soup you like
1 can chicken broth (I use reduced sodium)
Salt and pepper
Hot cooked noodles (1/2 bag of yolk-less wide egg noodles is what I use)

Directions:

Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken in the crock pot and cover with the vegetables. Add soups and broth. Cook over low heat six to eight hours.

Remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to pot and add egg noodles. Stir thoroughly and enjoy.

Note: Sometimes, at the very end of cooking, I’ll stir in a bit of sour cream for a stroganoff-type effect.

Jazzed Up Bean Dip

I can’t remember where or when I got this recipe, but I’ve made it for years for tailgating, parties, etc. I don’t think it had a name, so I just made it up. I think it’s a LOT better than canned bean dip and can be made with ingredients most people have on hand.

So, I thought I’d share this easy and delicious dip. It makes a good amount, is hot and filling, and easy to assemble. I hope you enjoy it.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: About 8

Ingredients

2 cans refried beans
1 8 ounce container sour cream (I use reduced fat)
1 8 ounce package cream cheese (I use Neufchatel)
1 package taco seasoning
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

Spread beans in the bottom of a glass pie pan or casserole dish (depends on how thick you want the dip to be). Mix together sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth, then stir in taco seasoning. Spread sour cream mixture over the bean layer and top with the cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Note: Leftover dip is good spread into a flour tortilla and warmed. It would make a nice snack or lunch.

Carolina Hot Pot

This recipe was given to me by a co-worker. She made a batch of it and brought it in to work to share and we all thought it was fabulous. It’s a great slow cooker meal, but can also be made on the stove top. I think it’s a wonderful dinner for a cold winter evening.

The ingredient list may sound a little odd, but trust me; you will be amazed at how wonderful the dish will turn out. I think the ranch dressing mix is probably the “secret” ingredient. It makes about eight servings, so it is good for feeding a crowd.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours (in crock pot); 1 hour (on stove top)
Servings: 8

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chilies (you choose desired level of "heat"; I use regular)
1 can corn
1 can navy or white beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
1 TBSP chili powder

Toppings (optional): shredded sharp cheddar cheese, a squeeze of fresh lime, sour cream, etc.

Directions

Crock Pot: combine all ingredients (do not drain beans or corn). Cook on low for 6 hours. Remove chicken breast, shred and return to pot to heat through.

Stove top: combine all ingredients (do not drain beans or corn). Cook on medium heat until chicken is cooked through; remove chicken breast, shred and return to pot and simmer for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Serve with desired toppings and tortillas or tortilla chips.

Note: for those watching their sodium levels, you may drain the corn and beans before you put them into the pot, but you might need to add a little water or low-sodium chicken broth to thin the mixture just a bit.

Miss Judy's Party Sandwiches

Following is another recipe that would be great for your football party tomorrow. I got this recipe from my dear friend, Judy Jones. She has been making these sandwiches for most every get together we've had over the last ten years because all of our friends just love them. It's a quick and easy recipe, but just delicious! You won't believe just how great they taste.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

1 pound thinly sliced ham
2 sticks of butter
3 tsp poppy seeds
1 medium onion grated (Judy uses dried minced onion)
12 oz sliced Swiss cheese
3 tsp mustard
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
3 packages fingerling rolls (they are packaged in a tin pan and bagged)

Directions

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Then add mustard, poppy seeds, Worchestershire sauce,onion and mix well.

Split the entire packages of rolls (do not separate into individual rolls) and spread butter mixture on both sides of the bread.

Fill the split rolls evenly with ham and cheese. Place the filled rolls back into the pans provided, and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove from oven and cut each pan into individual sandwiches.

Hot Jalapeno Popper Dip

I came across this recipe online. I have since made modifications to it, and I think it’s just about the best dip you could have for a party. Try it this weekend for the Big Game and I guarantee you’ll have an empty dish at the end of the night!

The dip tastes like the deep fried jalapeno poppers you can order in a restaurant, but it is a quick and easy alternative to the real thing. I have lightened up the recipe just a bit, but it is still a rich and decadent treat.

It’s a creamy and spicy spread, but it’s not too hot for those that don’t like to feel the burn. I think it would be a great topper for a baked potato, burger or bowl of chili, but I’ve never had any left over to try! I hope you enjoy it…

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Servings: 32

Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) packages Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers, drained
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided use

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together Neufchatel cheese and mayonnaise together until smooth. Stir in green chilies, jalapenos and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese. Pour mixture into an oven safe casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of cheese.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and the top is golden-brown. Serve dip warm with tortilla chips.

Award-Winning Chili

Well, I can say this is award-winning since I was once the chili champ at my office's annual Chili Cook-Off! It's a prestigious honor, of course!

Tomorrow is my this year's cook-off, so I thought I'd share this recipe with you. I got the original recipe from a friend years ago, and once again, have tweaked it just a bit to suit my tastes. It is the ONLY recipe I use for chili, so I must think it's very good. I hope you enjoy it.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground sirloin
2 16 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 can black beans
1 can chili-flavored pinto beans (I buy "hot" chili beans)
2 small cans sliced mushrooms (optional)
2 onions, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
3 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can or bottle beer (use the kind you like)
1 sack of chili mix (I use Carroll Shelby's Original Chili mix)
Tabasco sauce (to taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Over medium heat, brown ground sirloin in a skillet with the onions until the sirloin is cooked through and the onions are tender. Drain fat, if there is any, and put mixture into a large pot.

Over medium heat, dain the black beans and mushrooms and add them to the pot. Add the pinto beans, undrained. Then add the Rotel tomatoes, tomato sauce and jalapenos. Add the chili mix, a couple shakes of Tabasco and salt and pepper to taste. Finally, add the beer and stir well.

Bring the chili to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer as long as you like. The longer it simmers, the better the taste.

Chicken Fajitas

Years ago, I relied on those little spice packets you buy at the store when I wanted to make fajitas. I began noticing that most of them had about the same spices in them; hmm, I had those same spices at home in my cabinet. So, I came to a conclusion that I could probably figure out a decent combination of items I had around the house to make a marinade for chicken.

I started with a base list of ingredients and worked with it several times until I was happy with the combination of flavors. My husband, Charlie, thinks my fajitas taste like those we enjoy in our favorite Mexican restaurant, so this is the recipe I always use.

I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe, but you could use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, as well. It’s funny to me that I’ve never made steak fajitas, but I imagine the marinade would work just fine. Steak slices would probably just need more time to marinate.

Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes (allow 30 minutes to 1 hour for marinating)
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper (any color will work; I prefer red)
1 TBSP lime juice
1 TBSP cider vinegar
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 TBSP soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
3-4 dashes hot sauce (or to taste)
1 TBSP vegetable oil

Directions:

Combine lime juice, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic, chili powder, cumin and hot sauce in a medium bowl. Add chicken and veggies. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes until they begin to soften (I cook the vegetables first, as we like them to be more tender; feel free to switch the cooking order if you like crisper veggies). Add the chicken and marinade; saute until the chicken is cooked through, about 5-7 more minutes.

Serve the mixture with warm tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream and salsa.

Sweet and Sour Mahi Mahi

This recipe is a combination of a couple of recipes I have tried in the past. My husband and I like fish, and I am always looking for a healthy way to prepare it.

Sweet and sour mahi mahi is an Asian-inspired dish and I think you will enjoy the complex tastes involved. I am sure the marinade would be good on other types of fish, such as salmon, or on chicken. This fish is very good served over a bed of rice, and it looks rather impressive, too. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 5 minutes (allow 30 minutes for marinating)
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

4 (6 ounce) mahi mahi filets
3 TBSP honey
3 TBSP balsamic vinegar
3 TBSP soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
2 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Whisk together the honey, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and olive oil together. Season fish filets with salt and peppers and place them (skin side down, if applicable) into a shallow dish. Pour the mixture over the fish and place in the refrigerator to marinate for approximately 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove fish from the dish and reserve the marinade. Place fish (skin side down, if applicable) in a shallow baking pan (I use a jellyroll pan lined with Reynolds Release Foil; this makes clean up easy and keeps the fish from sticking). Place in oven and cook for about 20 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork.

While the fish is cooking, pour reserved marinade in a small sauce pan. Place over medium low heat and reduce the mixture to a glaze (it is done when it coats the back of a spoon).

When fish is done, place on serving platter and drizzle with glaze. Serve immediately.

Southwestern Chicken Soup

I got this recipe from a coworker years ago. He referred to it as "Black Bean Chicken Chili (from the Deep Midwest)". Not only is this a mouthful to say, I didn't think it accurately described the dish. Since I've made this soup several times, I have revised the recipe to our tastes.

Today, I made this soup for the first time this season, and it was really delicious. It made the house smell wonderful. My husband made some corn bread to accompany the soup, and we had a nice one-pot supper. We also have leftovers for lunch this week.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
1 can black beans (do not drain)
1 can pinto beans (do not drain)
1 can whole kernel corn (do not drain)
1 can chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup Pace Picante Sauce (choose your own heat level)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Salt and pepper chicken on both sides. Over medium heat, saute chicken in a little oil or cooking spray until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and chop into bite size pieces, and reserve. Making sure you have oil or cooking spray in the pan, saute the onions, garlic, and red and yellow peppers until softened.

When vegetables have softened, add the beans, corn, chicken broth, picante sauce and chicken to the pan. Heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then simmer until the desired consistency is reached (about 30 minutes).

We serve the soup with a sprinkle of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a shake of hot sauce.