Super Easy Pistachio Cake

Super Easy Pistachio Cake

From: janis_and_c0

You need:
A box cake mix ( yellow is best)
2 or 3 packages pistachio pudding
whipped cream
chopped nuts (optional)

add 1 or 1/2 envelope dry pudding to dry cake mix
mix cake according to package directions
When cake is baked & somewhat cooled, mix rest of pudding & pour over cake, coating evenly. put in the fridge to chill.
when cake is cold, "frost" with whipped cream & sprinkle nuts on top, if desired. 

Salty and Sweet Cranberry Citrus Brine (Link)

Salty and Sweet Cranberry Citrus Brine

Shared by: VunderBob

From: allrecipes.com

This is the turkey brine the Vunders will use this year. It is Teh Num...

SENATOR RUSSELL'S SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE

SENATOR RUSSELL'S SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE
From: swampbear

(Why Senator Russell? I don't know. He was a Senator from Jawja and liked it I guess.)

3 large well-smashed up, (might wanna use your electric mixer. it's probably under the counter somewhere) sweet potatoes (but N.O.T.) (boiled or baked, your call)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk, cream, or evaporated milk (cream or evaporated milk is best. this is for a holiday people splurge!)
1/2 cup butter (real butter please!)
1 teaspoon salt (this can be left out or reduced but it does taste better with the salt. in the interest of culinary science I have tried it with and without.)

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter (see above)
1 cup pecans, chopped (walnuts work too. your call. I don't judge. ok, I do but not to your face. I got some couth.)



Combine first 7 ingredients and pour into greased casserole.

Mix brown sugar, flour, butter and pecans until crumbly and sprinkle on top.

Bake 30 - 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Ok, so this is actually more like a casserole but I grew up callin' it a souffle. So There!

Corn Pudding (Link)

Corn Pudding
From: Ivory Tower Denizen

4 cups frozen corn kernels (about 19 ounces), thawed
4 large eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt


Whirr in a blender, pour into buttered 8x8x2 dish. Bake 45 min at 350 until puffed and brown. To die for. From here.

Easy Sweet N.O.T.* Biscuits

Easy Sweet N.O.T. Biscuits
From: swampbear

1/2 cup of cold butter or 1/2 cup margarine (if you must) cut into pieces
2 1/2 cups biscuit mix (notice how I cleverly say this generically as if no one would know what I really mean)
1 cup of canned (ick!) or cooked sweet N.O.T.
1/2 cup milk

Cut butter into biscuit mix until crumbly. One can do this with a fork or be like me and get in there with your hands. Do flour your hands first but y'all should already know to do that, right?

Combine the sweet N.O.T. and milk. Add to the biscuit mix, stirring with the fork just until moistened. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 4 to 5 times. Again, or be like me and get in there with your hands. See hand flourin' comment above.

Pat or roll out the dough to 3/4 inch thickness and cut with 2-inch round biscuit cutter. Or just roll 'em out and press down with your hands like me. Again, see hand flourin' comment above.

Place on large ungreased cookie sheet bake at 450°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. I trust y'all read recipes before y'all start so this is the place I will mention you should have already turned your oven on to preheat. Y'all knew this though, right?

Thus endeth the cookin' lesson.

* For those not versed in MMP lingo: N.O.T. = potatoes

Aunt Lola's Fudge Cake

Aunt Lola's Fudge Cake
From Ethilrist

4 tbsp shortening
2 c sugar
2 eggs
4 sq unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 3/4 cup flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c milk
1 c chopped nuts
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare pans.

Sift together flour, salt & baking powder.

In a large bowl, combine shortening & sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Add chocolate. Add milk & flour mix, 1/3 at a time each, alternating. Add vanilla. Add nuts.

Pour into pans.

Bake 40-45 minutes. Keep an eye on it for the last 5-10 minutes as this cake scorches easily. 

Chicken Saute’ with Lemon, Cumin and Parsley

Chicken Saute’ with Lemon, Cumin and Parsley
From: AprilR

Serves 9

Ingredients:
3 lemons
9 Tbl.Olive Oil
3 large red onions, thinly sliced
3 medium cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled. ( I just use my press)
2 ¼ tsp. ground cumin
Salt and fresh ground pepper
¾ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed and cut into ½- inch thin strips.
Finely grate 3 tsp. zest from the lemons and then juice the lemons.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering hot. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to soften, 5-8 minutes. Add the chicken, lemon zest, cumin, ½ tsp. salt, ¾ tsp. pepper and cook, sauteing, until the chicken is just cooked through, 12-18 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the parsley and 6 Tbs. of the lemon juice. Discard the garlic if you like ( only need to if smashed and large pieces present). Season to taste with salt and pepper.


The idea is to serve it warm over a bed of fresh spinach leaves. It is going to be great. A bunch of us are making batches and then our woman's axillary is going to have a 3 course sit down dinner and devotional.

Shrimp Scampi Bake (Link)

Shrimp Scampi Bake
Shared by FairyChatMom
From: allrecipes

And speaking of last night's supper, I used this recipe as a basis, but I changed a bunch. First off, I melted half of the butter called for in a large frying pan, then tossed in onions and mushrooms and sauteed. Then I added the other ingredients (but not the rest of the butter - it was just too much!!) plus some white wine - maybe half a cup? Once that was all blended and hot, I added a pound of shrimp, mixed it up, put on the lid, and let it cook for about 3 minutes. I mixed it again, gave it another minute to be sure the shrimps were cooked, then served it over pasta. I know dijon mustard isn't a standard scampi ingredient, but it added a nice surprise flavor.

It does need more sauce, but I refuse to have a full cup of butter. I shall figure out how to deal with that. But it is a yummy recipe.

Italian Beef

Italian Beef
from tarragon918

I made Italian Beef in the crock pot tonight for dinner, it was so good! I just looked up a recipe on the Internet, so it's not really mine but here it is anyways:

1 medium onion, sliced in quarters
1 jar of pepperoncini
2-4 lb. pot roast, I used boneless chuck roast
@ 1 cup of beef bouillon
2 packets of good seasons zesty Italian dressing

I put the quartered onion in the bottom of the crock pot, followed by 1/2 the jar of peppers, along with half the liquid, next the roast, then the packets of dressing, followed by the beef bouillon and finally the rest of the jar of peppers. Cover the lid and cook on low at least 7 hours, or until the meat is "shreddable." Serve on sub rolls or french roll, with whatever condiments you prefer. It is a bit spicy from the peppers, but not too much I guess from them being cooked so long! I even ate a couple of them, believe it or not. And we used provolone cheese but I tell you, I could have eaten just the beef on the roll and it would have melted in my mouth (well, practically). Very delicious,and -very- easy.

Eggplant Parmesan, Healthier Version

Eggplant Parmesan, Healthier Version
From: tarragon918

The eggplant parmesan, healthier version, turned out delicious! So, here is the recipe (which is kinda made up by me, from several that I saw online):

Need: 1 or 2 medium to large eggplants (you can peel them or not, your preference)
panko bread crumbs, a couple of eggs, beaten with @ tablespoon of water.

Preheat oven to 375 F, spray baking sheets with cooking spray
Slice eggplant into slices about 1/4-1/2 in. thick, dip in egg mixture, then dredge in panko bread crumbs (I suggest using a ziplock bag - less messy!). Bake them at 375 for 30 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes.

You'll need at least 24 oz. of tomato sauce - I used some spaghetti sauce straight from the jar. But you do need a big jar (the really big jar, actually LOL).

Cheeses: ricotta (I used the part skim one), the bigger container if you like it cheesy, or the smaller one if not. Mix in 1 beaten egg, Italian spices of your liking (basil, oregano, parsley), a little salt and pepper and about 1/3 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

I used a 9X13 glass dish, and started with a layer of sauce, then a layer of eggplant slices, then the ricotta cheese mixture, followed by a light sprinking of shredded mozzerella cheese, then more sauce, eggplant, and so on. You should have at least two layers - that's enough, really. End with a layer of sauce, mozzerella cheese on top of that, and about another 1/3 cup of the parmesan on top of all of it. Cover with foil and bake at 375 F for about 30 minutes. Take off the foil and bake another 10 minutes or so, until the cheese browns some more.

Mine was not saucy enough, really, but it tasted sooo good. There were NOT any leftovers,and I was sad about that. But it will definitely be made again, probably next week!

Simon and Garfunkel Chicken

Simon & Garfunkel Chicken
from janis_and_c0

Chicken Parts, (legs or thighs work best)
Red or blush wine
soy sauce
garlic powder
onion
green pepper
3/4 C shredded cheese
tomato
Parsley sage, rosemary & thyme (or whatever herbs you like)

Marinate chicken pieces in Wine*, soy sauce and garlic (score or tenderize them first) (best for at least a few hours. If you can't the will still pick up some of ther marinade flavor. you can also marinate overnight) Saute them in the marinade and add what herbs you like**. (they should be white on both sides but not done in the middle) Remove from pan, and place in baking dish. Rough chop a whole onion & green pepper & cook in marinade until cooked down. Pour on top of chicken. Bake for 35 mins. Add favorite shredded cheese***, back in the oven for 15 mins. Add 1 totato on top; diced fresh. Bake 5 more mins.. This is my absolute favorite way to do chicken.

* I normally use White Zinfindel, but today am using a Muscato.
*** Mexican shredded works well for this

Brussels Sprouts Wars (feat. Not much of a recipe really - with a variation

Brussels sprouts are a bone of contention in the MMP.  There are two factions:  the one that considers them yumm, and the one that considers them fart blossoms.

Here' are a couple of recipes from the yummmm faction:

Brussels Sprouts - not much of a recipe really
From: ems

Erm not much of a recipe really but here goes:

Bunch Brussels......trimmed of outside leaves and if they are large cut in half
Add a bit of olive oil (not much a you get the fat from the bacon) to a roasting dish/casserole dish and put the sprouts in the dish and roll them around enough to coat them.
Cut up a couple of stripes of bacon of your choice into about half inch pieces and fling willy nilly into the pan same for the onions. Season up with salt & pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Roll everything around to ensure they are coated. Shove in oven at 350-375 for about 30 mins until they are fork tender. Eat.

Alternatively sauté onions, garlic and bacon in a cast iron skillet. Add a bunch of thinly sliced Brussels to the pan and sauté in the delicious bacony goodness. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end of cooking just enough to coat them. Salt if it needs it as the bacon will add a lot & lots of black pepper. Serve. Eat. Enjoy.

Curried Fruit

Curried Fruit
From: gardentraveler

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1 can (29 oz) peach slices

1 can (20 oz) chunk pineapple  
1 can (20 oz) pear slices
1/4 c. dried cranberries

1/4 cup butter
1/4 c. sugar (you can substitute brown sugar and skip the molasses, but I like the added flavor)
1 t. molasses
1/2 t. curry powder - more or less to taste  (I used 3/4 t. Penzey's Maharajah curry powder)

1/8 c. flaked coconut and 1/4 c. sliced almonds for garnish.

Drain fruit. Cut peach and pear slices in half, if desired. (The original recipe calls for peach and pear halves, so size doesn't really matter in this case.)

Combine fruit in a 1 1/2 or 2 qt. baking dish.

Melt butter (I cut it into pieces and melt it on low in the microwave). Combine with sugar and curry powder.  Microwave a bit more to make sure it's well combined.

Pour butter mixture over fruit and combine well.

Bake 30-40 minutes, until liquid is a bit bubbly.  This is best served the next day.

Top with a bit of flaked coconut and toasted almonds just before serving. (Toast almonds in dry frying pan over low heat.  Stir constantly and watch closely so that they don't burn.)

Wifey's Pear Salad

Wifey's Pear Salad
From: Bumbazine

Gather together your usual salad greens.
throw in a big handful of dried cranberries.
throw in a handful of chopped nuts. Pecans or walnuts are good, but we've been using hazelnuts 'cause they grow 'em around here.
Toss in some bits of goat's cheese. It can be gooey and hard to 'crumble', but break it up as best you can.
Quarter a nice, ripe pear, Bartlett or D'anjou would be good, then slice thinly into the salad. You can peel it first or not. We don't.
Dress with a nice sweet dressing. We like Raspberry Walnut Vinigarette best for this, or Ken's Steak House Vidalia Onion.

That's it. Best salad ever.

Fat Club Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

Fat Club Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya
From: VunderBob

Ingredients

1 Tbsp regular butter
1 large uncooked onion, chopped 1 medium green pepper, seeded and chopped
3 ribs raw celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb uncooked turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
28 oz crushed tomatoes
14 1/2 oz (1 can) fat-free chicken broth, reduced-sodium
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pound cleaned and cooked shrimp, medium

Instructions

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7–8 minutes. Add the kielbasa and cook, stirring, 3 minutes longer.

Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes with liquid, the broth, thyme, and cayenne; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the shrimp to the mixture and cook until just opaque in the center and all the liquid has been absorbed, 5–7 minutes longer. Yields 1 1/3 cups per serving.


Notes

Small chunks of skinless boneless chicken breast can easily be substituted for the shrimp and/or the kielbasa, or you can use crawfish instead of shrimp, and a cup of thawed frozen peas can be added with the shrimp.

Keep a close watch while simmering. The jambalaya sticks to the bottom very quickly and easily.

For those playing along with Fat Club, a 1-1/3 cup portion is 9 points.