Thai Lettuce Wraps

 1 lb. ground chicken

2 minced garlic cloves

3 thinly sliced green onions (white & green parts)

1 thinly sliced fresh jalapeno (optional)

Salt & pepper to taste

2 TB soy sauce

1 tsp. fish sauce

1 tsp. sambal oelek or sriracha

1 TB brown sugar

1 head iceberg or bibb lettuce, well rinsed and separated

2 fresh limes

½ onion cut in slivers

1 TB fresh ginger (optional)

Cilantro, basil or mint for topping (or all 3)

Heat nonstick skillet with 2 TB oil.  Quickly sauté jalapeno and onion for 1-2 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 additional minute.  Remove veggies from skillet and set aside.  Brown chicken in same skillet.  When browned, add cooked veggies back to skillet with soy, fish sauce, sriracha, and brown sugar.  Cook until liquid is almost completely reduced.  

Serve with juice of limes drizzled across the top.  Spread onion slivers and fresh herbs across the top.  Serve with chilled lettuce to serve as a wrap for chicken mixture.

Robin's Corn Chowder

 2 T. Olive oil

1 T. Butter

3 T. Flour

5 c. Vegetable stock

4 c. whole kernel corn

1 med. diced sweet onion

2 Russet potatoes, diced

1//2 c. each red and green pepper

1/4 T. black pepper

1 c. Half and Half

1 can diced tomatoes

Add oil and butter to pan over low heat. Saute onion until transparent. Sprinkle flour over onion, cook 5 minutes. Add broth and potatoes, bring to boil, reduce heat to medium and cover for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 

Add corn, peppers, salt, pepper, cream (tomatoes). Simmer over low for 10 minutes.

Garnish: 2 Roma tomatoes diced and 1/2 c. Basil

Makes 6 servings

Banana Nut Bread or Muffins with Maple Glaze

 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan 

1¼ cups all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon fine sea salt 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 cup sugar 

2 large eggs, at room temperature 

3 ripe bananas, mashed 

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush an 8- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pan with butter. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set this aside. To make the batter, in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the 1/2 cup of butter and the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the mashed bananas. Add the reserved dry ingredients and pecans and stir to combine. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is a rich, golden brown and it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 1 hour to 1¼ hours. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, then invert the cake onto the rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

For muffins, bake at same temperature for 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins. Spray muffins tins well.

Maple Glaze 

1 c. confectioner's sugar

3 T. pure maple syrup

3 T. whole milk

Mix together and pour glaze over cooled bread or muffins. Top with toasted pecans.

Adapted from Virginia Willis--Bon Appetit Y'All

Apple Butter Bars

 

Apple Butter Bars

 

 

1 ½ Cup of sifted A/P Flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 ½ Cup Old Fashioned Oatmeal – uncooked

1 ½ Cup Sugar

1 Cup Butter (melted and cooled)

1 ½ Cup Apple Butter

1 tsp cinnamon

 

In large bowl sift flour, soda, salt, sugar and cinnamon.  Stir in oatmeal, add melted butter and mix well.  Press ½ of mixture into a greased and floured 10 ½ X 7 X 1/1/2 pan.  Spread the apple butter over this layer.  Cover with remaining oatmeal mixture.  Pat gently.

 

Bake for 1 hour at 325°.  Cut into bars while warm.

Chocolate Caramel Cake

 

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

• 1 standard size chocolate cake mix and ingredients called for on the box
• 1 extra egg in addition to what’s called for on the box
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup butter
• 14 ounces individually wrapped caramels unwrapped

POURABLE FROSTING

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 standard sized can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Lightly grease a 13x9 inch pan.
• Make cake mix according to package directions, adding in an extra egg and ½ cup sour cream to the ingredients.
• Pour 1/2 of the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
• While cake is baking, in a heavy saucepan over low to medium heat melt caramels, heavy cream and butter. Stir well until melted and combined.
• Remove cake from oven after 20 minutes of baking and pour caramel sauce over top of baked cake. Sprinkle 1 cup chocolate chips over caramel. Pour remaining cake batter over top and return to oven to continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes more.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for approximately five minutes.
• Combine remaining chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for one minute. Remove and stir until well combined. If chocolate chips are not completely melted return to microwave for 15 seconds, remove and stir. Repeat until melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour over the top of the cake. Allow to sit for approximately five minutes.

Jiffy Jalapeno Cornbread

 

1 Jiffy cornbread mix box  (8.5 oz.)

1 egg

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons diced jalapenos

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Gently mix all ingredients together well.  Wait 4-5 minutes.  Spoon mixture into muffin tin (makes 6-8).  Bake for 25 minutes.  

Magic Custard Cake

 

MAGIC CUSTARD CAKE

Ingredients:

4 eggs (whites and yolks separated) at room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup sugar

1 stick butter, melted

3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cups milk lukewarm

powdered sugar for dusting cake

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease and Line 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish with parchment.

Separate eggs and add the egg whites to a mixer and beat egg whites until stiff. Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside.

Beat the egg yolks & sugar until light. Add butter and vanilla. Beat for two mins. Add the flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.

Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together. Add the egg whites, a third at a time and gently fold them in using a spatula, repeat until all egg whites are folded in. Pour batter into baking dish and bake for approximately 60 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. Cool and dust heavily with powdered sugar.

***for chocolate version add 1/2 c. cocoa