Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

Place eggs in single layer in saucepan.
Cover with at least one inch of cold water over tops of shells.
Cover pot with lid and bring to a boil over medium heat.
As soon as the water comes to a full boil, remove from heat and let stand.

Large soft-cooked eggs: let stand in hot water 1 to 4 minutes, depending on your tastes.
Large hard-cooked eggs: let stand in hot water 15 to 17 minutes.

When cooked to desired level, drain off hot water.
Immediately cover with cold water and add a few ice cubes.

Soft-cooked eggs: let stand in cold water until cool enough to handle. Serve.
Hard-cooked eggs: let stand in cold water until completely cooled. Use as needed

Shepherd's Pie

2T Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
3T Unsalted Butter
1 Medium Onion, diced
3c Green Beans
1 Zucchini, sliced and halved
1/2lb. Cremini Mushrooms, quartered
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1T Kosher Salt
3/4t Dried Oregano
3T Tomato Paste
1lb. Ground Beef
1/4c can low-sodium Beef Broth
1/2t Worcestershire Sauce
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
4 cups Mashed Potatoes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil and 2T of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, g. beans, zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, half the salt, and oregano. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until mushrooms are soft and tomato paste has turned brick red, about 8 minutes more. Stir in the beef, the broth, the remaining salt, the Worcestershire, and some pepper, breaking up any large clumps of meat, cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
Transfer the meat and vegetables to a 2-quart oval casserole dish and spread the mashed potatoes over the top, leaving a 1/4-inch boarder around the edge. Make a decorative pattern on the top of the potatoes, if desired. Sprinkle with cheese, if using, and dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Bake until potatoes brown and the juices bubble around the edge, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken & Basil Roulades with Mustard Sauce

Fresh bread crumbs are quick & easy to make. Use slices of any firm-textured, coarse country bread—1 or 2 days old is perfect. If the slices are very fresh, then lay them on a counter top & leave overnight to dry out. Tear the slices into large pieces (don't bother to remove the crusts), put in a food processor or blender & process, in batches, to the desired texture, from coarse to medium to fine. This recipe is from the Williams-Sonoma Collection Series.

For the sauce: in a small bowl, stir together & let stand at room temperature to lose its chill while the chicken breasts bake:
1/2c Plain low-fat yogurt (Greek)
1T Dijon Mustard
2t Chopped Fresh Chives

For the Chicken:
2T Unsalted Butter, melted
2T Chopped Fresh Basil
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Halves (6 oz. ea), pounded to 3/8”
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/3c Plain low-fat yogurt
1t Dijon mustard
1c Fine Fresh Bread Crumbs
1/2c Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly brush a baking sheet (preferably nonstick) with some of the melted butter.

Sprinkle 1 1/2t of the basil in the center of each chicken breast & season with salt & pepper. Fold in the short ends of the breast about ½”. Starting at a long side, roll up the breast, enclosing the basil.

In a shallow bowl, stir together yogurt & mustard. In a shallow dish, stir together the bread crumbs & cheese. Roll each chicken breast in the yogurt mixture & then coat with the crumb mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheet & drizzle with the remaining melted butter.

Bake until the coating is golden brown & the chicken shows no sign of pink when cut into the center, about 30 minutes. Serve hot, with a dollop of the sauce on the side.

Granny's Granola

1/2 of Large box of Old Fashioned Oats
2c Cocnut
3/4c of Almonds *ground
1t cinnamon
Mix well.

1/2c Oil
1/2c Honey
Heat & Pour over dry ingredients

Spread onto 2 cookie sheets and Bake for 30 minutes @ 275

** Remember to let it Cool/Dry out after baking

Peach Cobbler

10 Fresh Peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges
1/4c White Sugar
1/4c Brown Sugar
1/4t Ground Cinnamon
1/8t Ground Nutmeg
1t Fresh Lemon Juice
2t Cornstarch
2c All-Purpose Flour
1/2c White Sugar
1/2c Brown Sugar
2t Baking Powder
1t Salt
12T Unsalted Butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/2c Boiling Water

MIX TOGETHER:
3T White Sugar
1t Ground Cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 F
In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4c white sugar, 1/4c brown sugar, 1/4t cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4c white sugar, 1/4c brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.
Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes

Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake

2c Flour
3/4c Sugar
2 1/2t Baking Powder
3/4t Salt
1/4c Shortening
3/4c Milk
1 Egg
2c Fresh Blueberries (2C = 1 Pint)
Crumb Topping (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 375F
Grease 9x9x2 baking pan, or round layer cake pan
Blend flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, shortening, milk, and egg. Beat for 30 seconds
Carefully stir in blueberries.
Spread in pan; sprinkle batter with Crumb Topping.
Bake 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clear

Crumb Topping
Directions:
Mix until well-blended:
1/3c Flour
1/2c Sugar
1/2t Cinnamon (more as desired to 2 1/2 t)
1/4c Soft Butter

Oatmeal Cookies

3/4c Shortening

1c Brown Sugar
1/2c Granulated Sugar
1 Egg
1/4c Water
1t Vanilla Extract
1c Flour
1t Salt
1/2t Baking Soda
3c Quick-Cook Oats, uncooked

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F
Beat shortening a little to make it smooth, then add brown & granulated sugars, egg, water and vanilla. Beat thoroughly.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to shortening mixture, and mix well. Blend oats into mixture.
Grease cookie sheets or use silicone baking mats, as otherwise, cookies will stick. Grease sheets with each re-use of sheets.
Drop by t (or use small cookie scoop) onto sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges of cookies brown. Cool on sheet a few minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely
Makes 4 dozen

Use standard baking sheets (NOT insulated [Air-Bake] sheets & a silicone baking mat.

Lemon Tea Cookies

1 1/2t vinegar
1/2c Milk
1/2c Butter (1 stick)
3/4c Sugar
1 Egg
1t Lemon Zest*
1 3/4c Flour
1t Baking Powder
1/4t Baking Soda
1/4t Salt

Glaze:

Blend together 3/4c Granulated Sugar & 1/4c Lemon Juice*. Mixture will be grainy and produce a crispy top. Do not heat to dissolve sugar, as that makes for a sticky cookie.

Directions:

Stir Vinegar into Milk, set aside
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, then beat in egg and lemon zest
Sift together dry ingredients, and add to creamed mixture alternatively with milk mixture, beating after each addition
Drop a t full onto ungreased cookie sheets; bake at 350F for 12-14 min, and remove from sheets at once. Brush cookie tops with glaze. There is enough glaze to apply several times to each cookie.

Makes 4 dozen

*You should be able to get the required zest and juice from one lemon. To pick good citrus fruits, get one that's heavy for its size (that means it's juicy) and has a taut, unwithered skin.

Pot Roast

2 (10.75 ounce) cans Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 (1 ounce) Package Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 1/4c Water
5 1/2 Pounds Pot Roast
Potatoes
Zucchini

Cook for 8 hours on low

Crock Pot Chicken

Boneless Frozen Chicken Breasts
1 Can Tomatoes
1 Can Black Beans
1T Chicken Boullion
1 15oz Jar Salsa

Directions:

Crock Pot on High - 5 hours
Last 1/2 hour of cooking put on low and throw in a cube of cream cheese, stir, chicken will just fall apart
Serve over rice.

Garlic Naan

1 (.25 ounce) Package Active Dry Yeast
1c Warm Water
1/4c White Sugar
3T Milk
1 Egg *beaten
2t Salt
4 1/2c Bread Flour
2t Minced Garlic
1/4c Butter *melted
1/2t of Baking Soda

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
Punch down dough. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
OR COOK IN A PAN INSTEAD, WITH A LID!!! Brush on garlic and melted butter. Let garlic marinate in butter for 10 minutes.
At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the Naan has been prepared.

Chicken Marsala

To make it easier to clean up, put the flour, salt, pepper, and oregano in a resealable plastic bag, then added the pounded chicken and shake it up (one breast at a time) to coat. It's just easier and cleaner that way. When browning the chicken breasts, added a few sliced cloves of garlic.

Double the sauce, triple the mushrooms, and then thickened it with a slurry (water-cornstarch mixture) at the end so we could enjoy it over the angel hair pasta i served it on. So good. Add a splash of heavy cream and a splash of chicken broth to the sauce, to make it richer and creamier.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour for coating
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded 1/4 inch thick
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1/4 cup cooking sherry

Directions:

In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper and oregano. Coat chicken pieces in flour mixture.
In a large skillet, melt butter in oil over medium heat. Place chicken in the pan, and lightly brown. Turn over chicken pieces, and add mushrooms. Pour in wine and sherry. Cover skillet; simmer chicken 10 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

1 9-inch Graham Cracker Crust (store bought or from scratch)
2p Fresh Strawberries (2 lbs)
3/4c Sugar
2T Cornstarch
1/3c Water
1t Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Wash and dry the strawberries, then remove the hulls (green leafy tops).
Take 1 1/2c of the berries and puree them in a food processor to make approximately 1c puree.
Combine puree with sugar, cornstarch and water in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for about 1 minute, then remove from heat, add in the vanilla extract and whisk the mixture steadily (doesn’t need to be fast, just to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pan) while it cools down for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the berries in half (unless they are small and you can leave them whole) and arrange them in the pie crust. When the strawberry sauce has been cooled for 5 minutes, pour it over the sliced berries, trying to cover them as evenly as possible.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until ready to serve. This pie is best eaten the day it is sliced.

Healthy Pancakes

2 Bananas
1.5c Water
Flaxseed meal

Directions

Blend two bananas and 1.5 cups of water in a blender. Pour mixture in the bowl with the pancake mix and flaxseed meal. No need to measure; just make sure the batter is wet and to YOUR desired consistency, and if it's too thick just add more water. Slice up any fresh fruit you have and top it off when they're done.

Indian Rice

8 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup diced onion
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 pinch saffron threads
3 drops yellow food coloring

Directions

Melt butter or margarine in a medium, non-stick pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion until golden. Add rice, and stir to coat. Stir in water, parsley flakes, saffron, and 3 drops of yellow food coloring. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Chicken Tikka Masala

1c Yogurt
1T Lemon juice
2t Ground Cumin
1t Ground Cinnamon
2t Cayenne Pepper
2t Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1T Minced Fresh Ginger
4t Salt, or to taste
3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 Long Skewers
1T Butter
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
1 Jalapeno Pepper, finely chopped
2t Ground Cumin
2t Paprika
3t Salt, or to taste
1 (8 ounce) Can Tomato Sauce
1c Heavy Cream
1/4c Chopped Fresh Cilantro

Directions:

In a large bowl- combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2t cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4t salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat your grill for high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.
Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.

Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2t cumin, paprika, and 3t salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Chicken Dinner

2 medium-size boneless, skinless Chicken Breast halves (12 oz. total), cut into 3/4-inch chunks
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2T plus 2t Olive Oil
8 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
6 Medium Asparagus spears, ends trimmed, spears split down the middle and cut into 2-inch pieces (or 8 skinny spears cut into 2-inch pieces)
3 Large Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
6T Water or low-salt canned Chicken Broth
3T Fresh Lemon juice
2T Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces
1T Minced Fresh Basil

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1T of the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and asparagus and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have softened and the asparagus is golden brown around the edges, 2 to 3 min. Transfer to a medium bowl. Heat another 1T oil in the pan and add the chicken. When the underside of the chicken has turned deep golden brown, (about 1 min.), turn it with a metal spatula. Turn occasionally for even browning until almost cooked through, 3 to 5 min. Add the chicken to the bowl of vegetables.

Reduce the heat to medium and heat the remaining 2t oil in the pan. Add the garlic, cooking until golden brown, 1 to 2 min. Add the water or broth and the lemon juice, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits in the pan and blend them into the sauce. Simmer for 3 min. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the butter. Stir in the chicken, asparagus, tomatoes, any juices, and the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

German Chocolate Coconut Bars

1 pkg. (18.25 oz) German Chocolate cake mix
1/3c Butter *softened
1 Large Egg *lightly beaten
1 can (14 oz) NESTLE Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Large Egg
1t Vanilla Extract
1 1/3c Flaked Sweetened Coconut, divided
1c Chopped Pecans
1c (6oz) NESTLE toll house swirled Semi-Sweet; Premier White Morsels, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F
Pour cake mix into large bowl; cut in butter and lightly beaten egg with pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press onto bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Combine sweetened condensed milk, egg and vanilla extract in medium bowl; beat until well combined. Stir in 1 cup coconut, nuts and 1/2 cup swirled morsels. Spread mixture evenly over base; sprinkle with remaining coconut and swirled morsels. Lightly press dowl morsels.
Bake for 30-32 minutes or until center is almost set. Center will firm when cool. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Banana Nut Bread

Makes 2 Loaves

Chopped Walnuts
2c Sugar
1c Shortening
6 Medium Bananas
4 Eggs *well beaten
2c Flour
1t Salt
2t Baking Soda

Directions:
Beat sugar & shortening for 15 min with electric beater *very important
Add mashed bananas & well beaten eggs
Fold in flour, salt & baking soda *that was sifted together
Bake at 350 for 45 min

Crepes

4 servings

1c Flour
2 Eggs
1/2c Milk
1/2c Water
1/4t Salt
2T Butter