Creme de Menthe Bars

Borrowed from Kathy Reny

- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup flower
- pinch salt
- 16oz can Hershey syrup

**Cream butter and sugar, add the eggs, stir in the flour and salt, add the syrup and bake at 350 in a 13x9x2 pan for 20-25 minutes, then let it cool (I put in the fridge for at least 45-60 minutes)*

Mint Layer:
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 stick butter
- 3 tbl creme d'menthe syrup

**Cream together and frost cooled cake**

Chocolate Top Layer:
- 6oz chocolate bits (I sometimes add a bit more!)
- 6 tbl butter

**Melt together and pour over mint layer, stick in the fridge until cooled, then cut and enjoy!**

Marshmallow Fruit Dip

Borrowed from Kait

Ingredients:

1 container (8oz) regular or strawberry cream cheese
1 jar (16oz) marshmallow fluff

Steps:

Mix the two together and serve with sturdy fruits!

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

From Ina Garten

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash
• 1 head garlic separated but not peeled
• 2 Tbsp. good olive oil
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces thinly sliced pancetta chopped
• 16 whole fresh sage leaves
• French bread for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°. Peel and seed butternut squash and then cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes. Place squash and whole unpeeled garlic cloves in a baking dish or sheet pan large enough to hold them all in one layer. Toss with olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until squash begins to brown, turning once during baking.

Sprinkle pancetta and sage leaves evenly over squash and continue to bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until squash and garlic are tender and caramelized. Season to taste and serve hot with French bread for guests to spread with the roasted garlic.

Potato Basil Puree

From Ina Garten

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
• 2 pounds large Yukon Gold or white boiling potatoes
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and fill a bowl with ice water. Add the basil leaves to the boiling water and cook for exactly 15 seconds. Remove the basil with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge the leaves into the ice water to set the bright green color. Drain and set aside.

Peel the potatoes and cut them in quarters. Add the potatoes to the same pot of boiling water and return to a boil. Cook the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes, until very tender. Drain well, return to the saucepan, and steam over low heat until any remaining water evaporates.


In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the half-and-half and Parmesan cheese until the cream simmers. Place the basil in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree. Add the hot cream mixture and process until smooth.


With a handheld mixer with the beater attachment, beat the hot potatoes in the pot until they are broken up. Slowly add the hot basil cream, the salt, and pepper and beat until smooth. If the potatoes need to be reheated, cover and cook gently over low heat for a few minutes. Pour into a serving bowl, sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese, season to taste, and serve hot.

**you can be lazy like me and use instant potatoes if you are in a rush!**

Eclair Cake

Borrowed from various sites

Ingredients

• 2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 3 cups milk
• 1 (16 ounce) package graham cracker squares
• 1 (16 ounce) package prepared chocolate frosting

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend the pudding mix, whipped topping, and milk.
2. Arrange a single layer of graham cracker squares in the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan. Evenly spread half of the pudding mixture over the crackers. Top with another layer of crackers and the remaining pudding mixture. Top with a final layer of graham crackers.
3. Spread the frosting over the whole cake up to the edges of the pan. Cover, and chill at least 4 hours before serving.

Lemon Pepper Scallops

 Found a few places, altered by Dave

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 tablespoons lemon pepper
16 sea jumbo scallops, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions
In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, oregano, thyme and lemon pepper.
Roll scallops in flour mixture until lightly coated on all sides.
Heat olive oil in a skillet or frying pan over high heat.
Add 4 scallops to the pan and sear on all sides (about 2 minutes for each side).
Remove scallops from pan and place on a plate in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve.
Repeat 3 times until remaining scallops are cooked.
Toss with parsley and lemon juice.

Ice Cream Sandwich Delight

Borrowed from Michelle Danis

1. You layer a tin pan or brownie pan with ice cream sandwiches....cut some if you need to get it to fit in pan.
2. Optional layer of caramel sauce on ice cream sandwiches.
3. Cover it with a layer of cool whip.
4. Pour heath bar crumbles over it.
You can also do double layer of ice cream sandwiches if you want extra fatty :-)

Chili

Homemade

Another one that I add to as I go along, so it's never the same recipe

Ingredients:
package ground turkey (or beef), cooked
package of turkey or chicken sausage, decased and cooked
2 onions
3-4 peppers, various colors, chopped
variety of beans, whatever you want, drained, I usually do:
can black beans
can red kidney beans
can dark red kidney beans
can pink beans
can cannelini beans
2 cans chopped chilis
1 can corn, drained
2 cans diced tomatoes
1-2 cans crushed tomatoes - depends how thick you want it
cumin
chili powder
cayenne red pepper

Steps:
1. I cook the meats and season with pepper and chili powder as it cooks
2. Saute the chopped onion and peppers in olive oil
3. Add the drained beans and the cans of chili to the onions and peppers
4. Add the cooked meat
5. Add in as much diced and crused tomatoes as you like
6. Season to your liking with the spices
7. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips!

Gazpacho

From Ina Garten

We have tried a few recipes, but Ina is always a good one

Ingredients

• 1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
• 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

Zucchini Boats

Homemade

Ingredients:
gigantic zucchini
small summer squash, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
cooked ground turkey meat
1 egg
bread crumbs
tomato sauce
shredded cheese

Steps:
1. Clean the zucchini and cut it down the middle, lengthwise.  Hollow it out, scooping out the seeds.
2. Put half an inch of water in a shallow baking dish big enough to fit the zucchini and bake just the zucchini, face down, for 10-15 minutes.
3. In the meantime, cook the turkey or beef, seasoning with pepper as you cook. Once it's done, put the beaten egg in a bowl with the breadcrumbs and mix it into the cooked meat.
3. Once the zucchini is done pre-cooking, fill them with the meat mixture, the summer squash and red onion.  Pour tomato sauce on top and sprinkle with tomato sauce.  You can also add any other veggies but this is all we do.
4. Bake at 350-375 for about 40 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pie

Borrowed (and adapted) from Sarah Bochenek

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
potatoes, boiled and chopped*
carrots, boiled and chopped*
peas, 1 can
butternut squash, boiled and chopped*
parsnips, boiled and chopped* -- I don't always use
flour
onions
chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
curry powder
onion powder
celery salt
olive oil
1-2 pastry sheets - depends how much crust you like

I never follow directions or amounts for ingredients, I always just do what looks right

1. Boil the chicken, usually takes about 25ish minutes. Once it has cooled, shred it into pieces.
2. I am a big fan of saving time so instad of peeling, boiling and chopping all my own veggies, I buy frozen whatever I can. You can usually find packages of diced potatoes, so I just thaw those and throw them in. You can also do the same for the squash. For the carrots and parsnips though, you do have to peel, chop and boil.  The parsnips have a very stong taste so if you use them, start with a little.
3. In a big pot, saute the onions in olive oil.  Once they are translucent, add a little flour and chicken broth, continuing to add both until a nice thick paste is forming. 
4. Start adding in the chicken and veggies, folding it into the onion/flour mixture. 
5. The more flour and stock you add, the more of a sauce you will have .... it took us a couple times to get it how we really like it.
6. As you are mixing together, add spices.  This is another area where no measuring is involved, I just add a bunch of all those spices, so obviously add more/less depending on what you like.
7. Once everything is mixed in, pour into a deep casserole dish and top with the thawed pastry dough.
8. Bake at 400 for about 45 minutes or until the pastry is starting to brown and is no longer doughy looking.

Mac N'Cheese

Ingredients:

8 oz. PRINCE elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon dehydrated minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3 cups milk
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddarcheese
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 cup flavored bread crumbs

Steps:

Cook pasta according to package directions for seven minutes. In saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter; add flour, onion, salt, and dry mustard; blend well. Add milk; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Sauce will not be thick. Remove from heat, add cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Add hot pasta to hot sauce. Pour mixture into 2-quart casserole dish. Stir together bread crumbs and butter. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Makes six 1-cup servings.

Shepard's Pie

Borrowed (and adapted) from Marsha

Ingredients:
one pack of ground turkey meat (can do beef if you want)
one can of corn (some people use creamed corn - alters the dish but it also delicious)
mashed potatoes (I am lazy and use the boxed Betty Croker instant potatoes, one pouch)
1-2 cups shredded cheese (I use cheddar or a blend)

Steps:
1. Cook the meat on the stove, seasoning with pepper
2. Cook the potatoes. If you use the high tech instant ones, they can take only 8-9 minutes
3. In a baking dish, layer the meat, then the corn, then the potatoes and top with cheese
4. Bake in the oven at 350 for 30-40 minutes

Chicken Stir Fry

Homemade recipe!

Veggies may vary, but for an example:

Ingredients:
package of thin skinless chicken breasts
terryaki sauce (or other sauce if you prefer)
white rice (or brown)
red onion
variety of peppers
sugar snap peas
cherry tomatoes
pineapple
manderin oranges

Steps:
1. Slice the chicken into small pieces and cook in a frying pan - I cook with a little of the terryaki sauce to get the flavor right from the beginning. I always salt and pepper the chicken as I go. More pepper, less salt.
2. Some rice takes five minutes, some twenty-five, so cook your rice accordingly. I didn't put an amount of rice because some people like a lot, some don't, so whatever you like.
3. In a separate frying pan start sauteing the chopped veggies. I start with onions and peppers and peas if I use those. The last things I throw in are the tomatoes and fruit.  I cook the veggies and fruit in the terryaki sauce.
4. Once everything is cooked I pile rice, then chicken, then the veggies onto a plate. Delish!

Dessert Crepes

Borrowed from 2003 Parisian Jess!

There are a ton of versions of the recipe, here is one I recently used:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
3. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Cook's Comments:
I fill with nutella, chocolate chips, chocoalte chips and strawberries, chocolate and banana, honey, honey and brown sugar, butter and brown sugar, the options are endless!

Steakhouse Salad

From Parenting Magazine

Ingredients:
1 lb sirloin steak (about 1 inch thick)
2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp Montreal steak rub (or other favorite rub)
2 Tbsp white-wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 (5-oz) package mixed baby greens
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup crumbled
Danish blue cheese

Steps:

1. Rub the steak with 1 tsp of the oil; season on both sides with the steak rub. Set aside for 5 minutes.
2. Combine the vinegar, mustard, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small jar. Shake well. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil, and shake well again.
3. Lightly oil a grill pan, or mist with cooking spray. Place over medium-high heat. Grill the steak about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare (145°F), or longer for a more well-done steak. Tent with foil, set aside, and let rest 5 minutes.
4. Combine the salad greens, tomatoes, and red onion in a large bowl.
5. Thinly slice the steak across the grain. Add the dressing to the salad and toss well.
6. Mound some of the salad on each of four serving plates. Top with the steak and the crumbled blue cheese. Serve with garlic bread or a crusty baguette.

Fig and Goat Cheese Phyllos

From Health magazine

Ingredients:
- 30 mini phyllo shells
- package of goat cheese
- jar fig jam
- pepper
**if you can find black pepper goat cheese, use that instead

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. Fill each shell with about one teaspoon goat cheese and 1/2 teaspoon fig jam
3. Sprinkle some pepper on top
4. Bake in the middle of the oven for about five minutes or until the cheese starts to melt.
5. Serve immediately, they don't get that hot

Zucchini Bread

From Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

3

cups shredded zucchini (2 to 3 medium)

1 2/3

cups sugar

2/3

cup vegetable oil

2

teaspoons vanilla

4

eggs

3

cups Gold Medal® all-purpose or whole wheat flour

2

teaspoons baking soda

1

teaspoon salt

1

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2

teaspoon ground cloves

1/2

teaspoon baking powder

1/2

cup coarsely chopped nuts

1/2

cup raisins, if desired

Steps:
1. Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 (8x4-inch) loaf pans or 1 (9x5-inch) loaf pan with shortening or cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, stir zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs until well mixed. Stir in remaining ingredients except nuts and raisins. Stir in nuts and raisins. Divide batter evenly between 8-inch pans or pour into 9-inch pan.

3. Bake 8-inch loaves 50 to 60 minutes, 9-inch loaf 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on cooling rack 10 minutes.

4. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Cook's Comments:

We have made a bunch of different zucchini bread recipes, you really can't go wrong.  Instead of raisins or nuts though, we substitute with chocolate chips!  We also make zucchini muffins as an alternative.  During garden season we will make half a dozen loaves and freeze them to have throughout the fall.

Pumpkin Bread

Borrowed from Cathy Kelly

Ingredients:

1/2 cup melted shortening

1 cup Pumpkin

1/2 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup mini choc chips

2 eggs beaten

1/2 cup water

SIFT AND ADD TO THE ABOVE INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups flour

1. Pour into greased and floured loaf pans (or 2-3 mini pans)

2. Bake @ 350 degrees for 90 min or until toothpick in center comes out clean

3. Cool for 1 hour before removing from pans

Cook's Comments:

I put it into one loaf pan but it really rose above the pan so you could definitely put into two pans.

Pumpkin Cream Pie

From Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups cold milk
• 2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked

Directions

1. Combine milk, pie filling mix, pumpkin, spices, and whipped topping in a deep, narrow-bottom bowl. Beat at lowest speed of an electric mixer for about 1 minute. Pour filling into cooled pie shell.
2. Chill until set, about 3 hours.

Mac N'Cheese (Prince)

Borrowed from Prince Pasta

Ingredients:
8 ounces dried PRINCE ELBOW MACARONI or desired-shape pasta (2 cups)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 12-ounce package sliced reduced-fat process American cheese product, torn
Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, for cheese sauce, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Add cheese, stirring until melted. Stir macaroni into cheese sauce in saucepan, stirring to coat. Cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings. Oven Macaroni and Cheese: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare as above, except increase milk to 2 cups. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart casserole. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Apple Pie

From Betty Crocker

Pastry  - (we use premade but if you want to do it all!)

2

cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1

teaspoon salt

2/3

cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening

4

to 6 tablespoons cold water

Filling

1/3

to 1/2 cup sugar

1/4

cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1/2

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2

teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8

teaspoon salt

8

cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (8 medium)

2

tablespoons butter or margarine

I cheat and use pre-made pastry

1. In medium bowl, mix 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
2. Gather pastry into a ball. Divide in half; shape into 2 flattened rounds on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling. 
3. Heat oven to 425°F. With floured rolling pin, roll one pastry round into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
4. In large bowl, mix sugar, 1/4 cup flour, the cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir in apples until well mixed. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Cut butter into small pieces; sprinkle over filling. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1/2 inch from rim of plate.
5. Roll other round of pastry into 10-inch round. Fold into fourths and cut slits so steam can escape. Unfold top pastry over filling; trim overhanging edge 1 inch from rim of plate. Fold and roll top edge under lower edge, pressing on rim to seal; flute as desired. Cover edge with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning.
6. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, removing foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Serve warm if desired.

It says to wait two hours before eating so the juices have a chance to solidify. I agree that's best, but I can never wait that long!

Apple Crisp

Recipe here

Black Bean Mango Salsa

Borrowed from Hina Suri

Ingredients
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced
½ cup Italian dressing, any kind you like (use fat-free or low-cal)
Two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup chopped red onions
1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small red pepper, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
In a food processor or blender, take ¼ cup of the mango with the Italian dressing until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining mango with the beans, red onions, and peppers. To the bean mixture, add the mango puree.>
Season to taste with salt and pepper, and chill until ready to serve.

Butternut Squash Soup

From the Food Network
(one of the many versions that we make)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh (4 apples)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups good apple cider or juice

Directions

Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.

Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the soup through a food mill fitted with a large blade, or puree it coarsely in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Pour the soup back into the pot. Add the apple cider or juice and enough water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.

Pumpkin Dip

Borrowed from Beth Murray

Fall pumpkin dip that goes well with ginger snaps or cinnamon pita chips.

the dip is really easy... mix together:

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 8 oz package of cream cheese

1 15 oz can of pumpkin

1/2 tablespoon or so of cinnamon

1 teaspon of nutmeg

I mix the sugar and cream cheese first then add the pumpkin.  I also did some extra cream cheese to make it creamy.  I used fat free cream cheese or light - makes it not as bad for you but still really good!

Skirt Steak with Cilantro Garlic Sauce

From Gourmet

For sauce1 medium garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt -- DON'T USE THIS MCUH!
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

For steak1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt -- DON'T USE THIS MUCH!!
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 pound skirt steak, cut crosswise into 3- to 4-inch pieces

Make sauce:Mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt. Transfer to a blender and add remaining sauce ingredients, then blend until smooth.

Grill steak:Stir together cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pat steak dry, then rub both sides of pieces with cumin mixture.

Heat an oiled well-seasoned ridged grill pan over high heat until hot but not smoking, then grill steak in 2 batches, turning over occasionally, about 2 minutes per batch for thin pieces or 6 to 8 minutes per batch for thicker pieces (medium-rare). Serve steak drizzled with sauce.

Lemon Blueberry Panckes

From People magazine

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cup Cake Flour
• 1 Tablespoon (additional) Cake Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1-1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (more If Needed)
• 1 whole Lemon (more If Needed)
• 1 whole Large Egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• Zest From 1 Lemon
• 1 cup Heaping Blueberries
• Extra Butter
• Maple Or Pancake Syrup

Preparation/Instructions:

1. Heat heavy skillet or grill over medium low heat.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, mix evaporated milk, juice of 1 lemon (more if lemon isn't very juicy), and lemon zest. Allow to sit for five minutes, then add egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix to combine.
4. Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients. Stir gently to combine. Splash in more evaporated milk if mixture is overly thick. Stir in blueberries. Again, check to make sure mixture isn't overly thick.
5. Melt butter in heated skillet. Drop batter by 1/4 cup measures and fry pancakes on both sides until golden.
6. Serve with softened butter and warm syrup.

Chili Dip

Borrowed from Lauren

1 jar salsa
2 cans hormel chili (no beans)
1 8 oz tub of sour cream
2 packages of cream cheese
mix it all together, put into a baking dish and bake for about 30 min at 350

Pam's Baked Chicken

Borrowed from Pam

8 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup (sleeve) ritz crackers crushed
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1 stick melted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup ( I use the fat free)
1/2 c milk
8 oz sour cream ( I use the reduced fat)

Mix cracker crumbs with cheese. 
Dip chicken in melted butter, then into cracker crumb mixture. 
Place in a 9 x 13 pan
Mix soup, milk and sour cream; stir well. 
Pour this mix over the chicken. 
Spread leftover butter and cracker mix over top of chicken. 
Bake in a 350 oven for about 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Serve over white or brown rice, even mashed potatoes on the side.

Chicken Divan

Borrowed from Kim

• 1 box Caroline white rice
• 2 packages (10 ounces each) broccoli spears, or 1 large bunch fresh trimmed broccoli
• 4 cooked chicken breasts, sliced
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup mayonnaise 
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• Ritz crackers, crumbles and sautéed with 2 tablespoons butter and garlic salt

Cook rice and spread as first layer in a baking/casserole dish.  Cook broccoli in a small amount of boiling water until crisp-tender; drain. Arrange the broccoli as second layer in dish. Layer cooked chicken over the broccoli spears.

Separately, combine the soup with mayonnaise in a small bowl until well blended; pour mixture over chicken. Add top layer of shredded cheese. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes, until heated thoroughly and cheese is bubbling.  Sprinkle Ritz crackers on top and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Chicken divan recipe serves about 6.

Betsy's Salad

Borrowed from Betsy

Salad ingredients:

Baby spinach
tomatoes
cukes
black olives
bacon bits (or bacon that you cook yourself-either is fine)
red onion

Dressing ingredients:

1/3 cup ketchup
1 cup veg. oil
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar ( I think- I need to check on that)
* shake vigorously before adding to salad because if you don't, the oil will seperate and it doesn't taste as good.

Asparagus Rollups

Borrowed from Moe

bunch of small asparagus (I like small, but you can also use larger)
cream cheese
blue cheese
loaf of arnold bread
melted butter

Par boil asparagus.  Mix cream cheese and blue cheese (amount of blue to cream depends on your taste.  I personally like quite a bit of blue.)  Cut crusts off of bread and take a glass and roll on bread to flatten a bit.  spread cheese mixture on bread. Place asparagus at tip of bread and roll.   Brush all the roll ups with butter and put on cookie sheet.   Broil until brown and turn over and broil other side.  

Stuffed Mushrooms

Borrowed from Jen

- Wash white mushrooms and put out stems so you have hollow mushrooms (this is the most time consuming part) - The stems will essentially "pop" out.
- Scoop spoonfuls of Boursin cheese (I usually buy the light kind - either are good) into hollowed out mushrooms (usually 1 package of Boursin will do 2 packages of mushrooms)
- Place on baking sheet w/sides (so the juices don't run off) - either spray w/Pam first or you can dip the mushroom cap into melted butter
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes at 400 degrees
- Cheese on mushrooms should be slightly brown when they are ready

Chili-Pumpkin Spice Sweet Potato Fries

Borrowed from Linda C

- Take as many sweet potatoes as you want...
- cut them into strips like french fries
- spray them with cooking spray
- sprinkle with a mix of pumpkin pie spice and chili powder
- bake at 400 for about 40 minutes

Personal preference for how much seasoning you want to use 

Chicken Boullibaise

From Ina Garten

Ingredients

• 1 (4 to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 10 pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• Good olive oil
• 1 large head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato puree
• 1 1/2 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons Pernod
• 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved
• Rouille, for serving, recipe follows
• Crusty French bread, for serving

Directions

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it generously with salt, pepper, and the rosemary.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven and brown the chicken pieces in batches until nicely browned all over, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch.

Transfer the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, saffron, fennel seeds, tomato puree, chicken stock, white wine, Pernod, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper to the pot.

Stir and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the garlic is very tender, stirring occasionally.


Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.


Carefully pour the sauce into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Puree until smooth.

Return the sauce to the Dutch oven and add the sliced potatoes and browned chicken pieces with their juices. Stir carefully.


Cover the pot and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is done.

Check the seasonings and serve hot in shallow bowls with big dollops of Rouille and slices of crusty bread.

Rouille:

• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• *1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup good olive oil

Place the garlic and salt on a cutting board and mince together.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, saffron, and red pepper flakes. Process until smooth.

With the machine running, pour the olive oil in a thin, steady stream through the feed tube to make a thick mayonnaise emulsion.

Transfer the rouille to a serving bowl and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.


Yield: 1 cup

*RAW EGG WARNING

Bean Dip

Borrowed from Nan

Ingredients:
- a variety of beans
I usually do black, pink kidney, red, dark red
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- carton cherry tomatoes
- small onion

Steps:
- dice the tomatoes and onions
- mix them with the beans
- pour a mix of oil and vinegar over the beans
That's it!

It's personal preference how much oil and vinegar you add.
It's also best if you let it marinate for a few hours before serving. I usually serve with chips.

Fruit Pizza

From lots of different sources; lots of variations of this recipe so use whatever fruits are in season. You can also use fruit flavored cream cheese (strawberry or mixed berry)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Mix in egg. combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Press dough into an ungreased pizza pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool.
4. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla until light. Spread on cooled crust.
5. Arrange desired fruit on top of filling, and chill.

Chinese Chicken Salad

From Gourmet

Ingredients:

For fried wontons (optional)

• 20 square wonton wrappers, thawed if frozen
• About 2 1/2 cups vegetable oil

For salad

• 1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed 1 lb Napa cabbage, cored, then cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-wide strips (about 6 cups)
• 1 (1-lb) head of romaine, torn into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (from a 2 1/2-lb rotisserie chicken)
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Make fried wontons:
Cut wonton wrappers into 1/2-inch-wide strips and separate on paper towels.

Heat 3/4 inch oil in a wide 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until it registers 350°F on thermometer. Fry strips, 5 or 6 at a time, gently turning over once with a slotted spoon, until just golden, 15 to 30 seconds per batch (some strips will fold and curl). Transfer to paper towels to drain, then season with salt.

Make salad:
- Cook snow peas in a 4-quart pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 1 1/2 minutes.

- Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then drain in a colander and pat dry.

- Cut diagonally into 1-inch-wide pieces and put in a large bowl with cabbage and romaine.

- Whisk together soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add sesame oil and vegetable oil in a slow stream, whisking until sugar is dissolved and dressing is combined well.

- Toss chicken and scallions with 1/3 cup of dressing in another large bowl.

- Whisk remaining dressing (it will separate), then add cabbage mixture, cilantro, almonds, and sesame seeds to chicken and toss with enough remaining dressing to coat.

- Sprinkle with wontons (if using).

I don't use almonds and I buy premade wontons that come in a bag

Sweet Potato Bake

From Paula Deen

Ingredients:
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk
Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Steps:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients together except for cream. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add cream;mix well. Pour into greased casserole dish ( 1 1/2 quarts). Add topping. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.


You can add walnuts or pecans but we don't

Cucumber and Feta Salad

From We Are NOT Martha

Ingredients:

• 2 medium cucumbers, diced into pea-sized pieces
• Coarse salt
• 8 oz. Athenos feta cheese (I used half cracked black pepper and half traditional)
• 1/4 C olive oil
• 2-3 T freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 T water
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small red onion, peeled and finely-diced
• 1 T fresh mint
• 1 T fresh parsley
• 1 T fresh dill

Steps:

1. After chopping my cucumbers, I put them in a colander with some salt and let them drain for about 30 minutes, shaking the colander from time to time.
2. I crumbled the feta in a medium bowl and mixed together with olive oil, lemon juice, water, and some black pepper.
3. Mix in the onions and herbs and then cucumber

Voila!

You can serve it as a dip with pita chips. We usually just have it with dinner

Zucchini Soup

Borrowed from Lindsey

     Ingredients and steps together:

               

1 medium yellow onion  dice and saute in...

2 oz butter ( 1 or 2 tablespoons)

1 lg zucchini cubed ( 12--15 ins. long. more or less to taste)

  throw in with onions

1T. flour sprinkled over cooked zucchini. Stir a bit to mix,

3 pints light stock( chicken broth or veg broth if cooking for a vegetarian)

salt & pepper 

Simmer until zucchini is very soft  it doesn't take long.

Blend soup in batches in blender & return to pot.

tricky part:  

blend 2 yolks with

2T cream

take some of the hot soup and blend with yolks.

this makes yolks warm and keeps them form cooking too fast making the soup

lumpy instead of creamy.

While stirring, mix yolk mixture into soup.

Add chopped dill to taste. I suppose the dill can go in earlier. Probably doesn't make a difference.

At this point you never want the soup to boil or it will curdle.

Just warm through.

Sausage Bread

Borrowed (once removed)

SAUSAGE BREAD

1 Pillsbury French Loaf or thick pizza dough
grated parmeasan cheese
1/2lbs grated mozarella cheese.
1lbs Italian sweet sausage(or hot)
1 chopped onion
1/2 green and red pepper chopped

Sauasage mix-
Saute sausage (out of casing), onion and pepper drain in colandar. Then place on brown paper bag and press down to get most of the grease out.  This all can be done anytime, because you can freeze this mixture. 

Spread dough out gently with fingertips to make a large rectangle.  Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on rather heavy all over, then grated mozarella then sausage mix.  Shake pepper on top. 

Roll up and press edges together.  Mix 1 egg yoke and brush all over top of dough.  Sprinkle seasame or poppy seeds and place on oiled cookie sheet. 

Cook 1/2hr at 350degrees or until brown.

Stuffed Tomatoes

Borrowed from Cailin
(she eyeballs incredients so this is all guesstimates)

Ingredients:

- One package frozen chopped spinach

- One can artichoke hearts in water, drained

- Equal parts of the following three- I'm thinking maybe a 1/2 c.

- Reduced fat sour cream

- Reduced fat mayo

- Reduced fat cream cheese

- 1/4 c. Part skim mozzarella cheese shredded

- One clove garlic minced

- Salt and pepper

Steps:

1. Defrost spinach and squeeze excess liquid really well

2. chop artichokes, combine all ingredients.

3. Fill tomato, bake until mozz cheese gets melted.

The other way I serve it which is good for entertaining is to put the mixture in a small pyrex baking dish and warm it in the oven and serve it w pita chips and raw veggies

Best Baked Spinach

From Smitten Kitchen
(note: the comments at the bottom are hers, not ours)

Serves 6

Ingredients:
3 pounds fresh spinach
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 cup stock (your choice; Julia recommends beef) or cream (I used stock; it doesn’t *need* cream)
3/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons fine, dry breadcrumbs

Steps:

• Stem and wash your spinach (see Tips below) well but no need to spin or pat it dry. Place spinach in a large pot over high heat. Cook, covered, with just the water clinging to leaves, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 to 4 minutes for baby spinach and 4 to 6 minutes for regular spinach. Transfer to a colander, immediately fill pot with cold water, transfer it back to the pot of cold water to shock it (stop the cooking) and drain again. Squeeze a small amount of the spinach at a time in your hands to extract as much water as possible. Chop the spinach coarsely. You should have about 3 cups of chopped spinach, or about 1 cup per pound.
• Wipe out pot then melt 2 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat and stir in the spinach. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until all of the moisture from the spinach has boiled off — you’ll know you’re done when the spinach begins to stick to the pan.
• Lower the heat and sprinkle with flour and stir for 2 minutes to cook the flour. Add 2/3 of your stock or cream, a tiny bit at a time, scraping up any stuck spinach as you do. Once the liquid is added, simmer for another minute or two, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. If you’re feeling especially indulgent, stir in one more tablespoon of butter. If needed, add all or part of remaining liquid. Season with salt (I found 1/2 teaspoon table salt about right) and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a shallow 1-quart baking dish. Stir 1/2 cup cheese into the spinach and pour it into the baking dish. Mix the remaining cheese with breadcrumbs and sprinkle on spinach. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons remaining butter and pour it over the top. Bake until heated through and slightly brown on the top, about 30 minutes.
• Serve with steaks, chops, veal, chicken, broiled fish or, if you’re us, eggs, glorious eggs.

Do ahead: Spinach can be blanched and chopped several hours or a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Gratin can be fully assembled and 30 minutes before needed, placed in a preheated 375 degree oven to bake, then served.

To stem spinach, as per Julia: If spinach is young and tender, remove the stems at the base of the leaf. If more mature, fold the leaf vertically with its underside up, grasp the leaf in one hand and the stem in the other and and rip it off toward the tip of the leaf, removing the stem and the tough tendrils. Discard any wilted or yellow leaves.

How I wash greens: Fill a large bowl or basin with cold water. Drop in the spinach and swish it around a few times so it deposits any sand and grit before lifting it out of the bowl (leaving any grit/dirt at the bottom of the bowl and not dragging the clean leaves through it) and drop it in a colander. No need to dry it for this recipe, but in others, I either spread it out on towels or run it through a salad spinner.

Peach Crumble

From http://www.food.com/

Ingredients

• 6 cups peeled sliced ripe peaches
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, grated
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

TOPPING

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375*.
2. Put peach slices in greased, shallow 11x7 baking dish.
3. Mix brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, peel, and cinnamon.
4. Sprinkle over the peaches.
5. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
6. Stir in egg until mixture is coarse crumbs.
7. Sprinkle over peaches.
8. Drizzle butter evenly over topping.
9. Bake for 38 minutes.

Sooooooo good!

Bark

Borrowed from Molly McCarthy

Ingredients:
- 1 sleeve Saltine crackers
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Cover a non stick cookie sheet with Saltines
2. Preheat oven to 325
3. In a non stick pan melt sugar and butter over medium high heat.  Stir constantly (about 3 to 5mins). 
4. When mixture bubbles and starts to pull away from sides of pan it's done. 
5. Pour over saltines.  (spread evenly with a wooden spoon).
6. Put in oven at 325 for about 3 to 5 minutes.  Keep an eye on it.  It can burn quickly.  When it starts to bubble, remove from oven
7. Let cool about 2 minutes then sprinkle 1/2 cup of choclate chips on top.  When they start to melt take the trusty old wooden spoon and spread evenly over top.   (Start with 1/2 cup and put more on if you
like it very chocolatey.
8. I usually put whole pan in the freezer for about 5 minutes to harden.  
9. Keep in tight container and either freeze or refrigerate until serving

Watch out, they are hard to stop eating once you start!

Zucchini Soup

Borrowed from Lindsey Shelley

1 medium yellow onion  dice and saute in...

2 oz butter ( 1 or 2 tablespoons)

1 lg zucchini cubed ( 12--15 ins. long. more or less to taste)

throw in with onions

1T. flour sprinkled over cooked zucchini. Stir a bit to mix,

3 pints light stock( chicken broth or veg broth if cooking for a vegetarian)

salt & pepper 

Simmer until zucchini is very soft  it doesn't take long.

Blend soup in batches in blender & return to pot.

tricky part:  

blend 2 yolks with

2T cream

take some of the hot soup and blend with yolks.

this makes yolks warm and keeps them form cooking too fast making the soup

lumpy instead of creamy.

While stirring, mix yolk mixture into soup.

Add chopped dill to taste. I suppose the dill can go in earlier. Probably doesn't make a difference.

At this point you never want the soup to boil or it will curdle.

Just warm through.

Fruit Salsa

From Stacy's Pita Chips

Ingredients:

· 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice
· 2 medium Granny Smith apples, chopped
· 1 cup strawberries or other berries, chopped
· 1 kiwi, chopped
· 1/2 banana, chopped
· 2 tablespoons brown sugar
· 2 tablespoons apple jelly

Pour the pineapple, with its juice, into a small mixing bowl. Then, mix fruit into pineapple and add brown sugar and jelly. Let salsa sit to marinate flavors. Serve with Stacy's® Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips for dipping. Servings: 4-6 People

Beer Can Chicken with a Cajun Rub

From BBQ USA

For the Rub:

Yield: Makes about 1 cup

1/4 cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons dried thyme (preferably ground)
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground white pepper
2 teaspoons ground dried sage leaves
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper**

** we used only half a teaspoon of the cayenne!
Combine the salt, paprika, garlic and onion powders, thyme, oregano, black pepper, white pepper, sage, and cayenne in a small bowl and whisk to mix or place in a jar, cover it, and shake to mix. Store the rub in an airtight jar away from heat and light; it will keep for at least 1 year.

Method: Indirect grilling

 
For the beer can chicken:

• 1 can (12 ounces) beer
• 6-7lb chicken
• 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
• 1/4 cup chicken stock at room temp
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 tablespoon brandy (we didn't have, didn't sub)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons melted butter, for basting
• your favorite BBQ sauce for serving

You'll also need: 2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory or cherry), soaked for 1 hour in water or beer to cover, then drained; vertical chicken roaster (optional)

1. Pop the tab off the beer can. Using a church key-style can opener, make 2 or 3 additional holes in the top of the can. Pour the Liquid Smoke into one of these holes. Insert a chopstick or skewer and gently stir to mix the Liquid Smoke and beer.
 
2. Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Place the chicken in a large bowl on its side and pour half the smoke-flavored beer over it. Let marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 45 minutes, turning twice. Make sure each breast side and the back have marinated for 15 minutes. Set the can with the remaining smoke-flavored beer aside
 
3. Make the rub: Put the Cajun and Old Bay seasonings in a small bowl and stir to mix.
 
4. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see page 000 for charcoal or page 000 for gas) and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch (see page 000) and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
 
5. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the rub inside the body and cavity and 1 teaspoon inside the neck cavity of the chicken. Drizzle the oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with 1 tablespoon rub and rub it all over the skin.
 
6. Spoon the remaining rub through a hole in the top of the can into the beer. Don't worry if it foams up; this is normal. If grilling the chicken on the beer can, hold the chicken upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom and lower the bird onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. If using a vertical chicken roaster, fill it with the beer as described on page 000 and position the chicken on top.
 
7. If using the beer can, pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can. You don't need to do this if using a vertical chicken roaster. Tuck the wing tips behind the chicken's back.
 
8. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all the wood chips on the coals. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan, away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180¡ F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in a thigh), 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. (See page 000 for other tests for doneness.) If using a charcoal grill, you'll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.
 
9. Using tongs, grab the bird with tongs by the beer can just below the bottom, carefully transfer it in its upright position to a platter, and present it to your guests. If using a vertical chicken roaster, grab it with oven mitts or pot holders. Let rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift the chicken off the support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Normally I discard the beer, but some people like to save it for making barbecue sauce. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve.

Cook's Comments:
- instead of putting the rub just on the outside of the chicken, Dave separated the skin from the meat and rubbed it inside there too. AMAZING!!!

Lime-Cilantro Pork Tacos

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into thin strips
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
• 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup chopped plum tomato
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Preparation

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and black pepper. Add oil to pan. Add pork, and sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove pork from pan; place in a bowl. Add onion and jalapeño to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add broth; reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in tomato; simmer 2 minutes.
• Return pork and accumulated juices to pan. Stir in cilantro and lime juice; cook 1 minute or until pork is done.
• Heat tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 1/2 cup pork mixture into each tortilla; roll up.

Cook's Comments:
- I didn't have a jalapeno pepper but I did have a little can of chili peppers and that worked just fine
- as a side I did refried black beans and also mexican rice, probably could have done without the rice