Nancy's Cheese Ball

I love a good cheese ball...and this one is one of my all time favorites!

2, 8oz packages cream cheese

3 stalks green onions

1Tbs Bon Apetit (or if you can't find Bon Apetit like me you can use equal parts celery salt and onion powder, so 1/2 Tbs of each)

1 Tbs Miracle Whip

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

1/2 tsp mustard (you can use whatever kind you like best.  My favorite is spicy brown)

Mix together well with an electric mixer.  Make into one large ball or two smaller ones.  I line a small glass bowl with saran wrap and pack the cheese mix into it.  After it chills it's easy to lift the saran wrap out and turn the "ball" over onto a serving tray.  Can also roll balls in choppped pecans.  Refrigerate overnight for the flavors to blend (or if pressed for time, just put it in the freezer for an hour or two so it sets).  Serve with any kind of crackers (especially good with wheat thins and ritz).

To make into an eyeball for Halloween, mix 1/4 cup ketchup with 2 tsp chili powder.  Put mixture into a small ziplock bag and clip a tiny piece of one corner off.  Squeeze mix in a vein design. Cut a spinach leaf into a circle for the middle of the eyeball and use half of a large olive as the pupil. 

 

Pumpkin Donut Muffins

These are seriously TO DIE for!!! they're fluffy and delicious- and best warm, but still good the next day!! They make about 12 big muffins, we doubled it and made 18 big muffins and 24 tiny muffins. We liked the tiny muffins the best.

INGREDIENTS

For the batter

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree (from a 15-ounce can)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs

For the sugar coating

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

• DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 12 standard muffin cups. Make batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.(until it changes color to a white-ish color) Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture, and beat to combine.
      WATCH: Sugared Pumpkin Muffins
  2. Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Let muffins cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Working with one at a time, remove muffins from pan, brush all over with butter, then toss to coat in sugar mixture. Let muffins cool completely on a wire rack.
     
     
     http://www.marthastewart.com/331754/pumpkin-doughnut-muffins

Fish Tacos, Slaw and Coconut Rice

For the Slaw:
whisk together, toss with:

2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t. olive oil
1 t. sugar
1/2 C green cabbage, shredded
1/2 C carrot, shredded
1/4 C red onion, sliced
1/4 C granny smith apple cut into matchsticks
1/2 jalapeño, seeded, thinly sliced
salt to taste

For the Tartar Sauce:

1/2 C mayo
2 T sweet pickle relish
1 T capers
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 t. prepared horseradish
1 t. lemon zest, minced

For the Fish:

6 oz tilapia or cod cut into 8 long pieces

1/2 C all purpose flour
1 t. table salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 C club soda
1 T. tabasco
1 C panko bread crumbs

whisk flour, salt and baking powder together for the fish. Add club soda and tabasco (whisk, it will be a little lumpy). Spread panko in shallow dish.

Heat oil to 375 in skillet (you can also use this oil for the tortillas if you want them fried)

Dip fish in batter then dredge in panko. Fry 1-2 min.

Coconut Mango Rice

1/2 C long grain white rice
1/2 C water
1/2 C coconut milk
1 T sugar
pinch of salt

After cooking for 15-20 min stir in:
Mango, peeled and pitted, diced
2 T fresh cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime

Sausage and Lentil Soup

Ingredients:
1 pound green lentils
3 Tbls olive oil
1 lb ground Italian sausage (you can also use ground Italian turkey sausage)
1 cup diced onion (about 1 large)
1.5 cups diced celery (about 4 stalks)
1.5 cups diced carrots (about 2-3 large)
1.5 cups diced zucchini (about 1 small)
1 Tbl minced garlic (2 large cloves)
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I usually half this so it's not too spicy)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
6 cups chicken broth
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
grated Parmesan
fresh parsley

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes.  Drain.

2. In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and add in the Italian sausage.  Brown the sausage until it is cooked through.
3.  Add the chicken stock, canned tomatoes and drained lentils, cover and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1.5 hours, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender, stirring occasionally.  Add water as needed to adjust the consistency of the soup.  We prefer ours a little on the thick side, so I add in about 3 cups half way through the cook time.

6.  Check the seasonings and add more salt and pepper to taste.  Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley.

KrispieRoos

Peant Butter Rice Krispie

1 cup sugar

1 cupr Karo syrup

1 cup peanut butter

6 cups Krispies

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 1/4 cup butterscotch chips

 

In saucepan stir sugar and karo until bubbly over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Pour over cereal mixing well. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Melt chips in microwave and pour over treats.

From Susan Eyre

Patio Beans (a delicious version of baked beans!!!)

8 slices bacon (add more if you wish)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb can baked beans such as Bush's (I like the kind with brown sugar)
1 lb can kidney beans, drained
1 lb can lima beans, drained
1/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Fry bacon until crisp.  Saute onion in bacon drippings.  Combine in large casserole the beans, cheese, brown sugar and seasonings.  Stir in the onion and bacon which has been crumbled.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees until heated thoroughly and bubbly.  Serves 6.

This is a great BBQ side dish and freezes great, too!

Sallyanne's pork tenderloin salad

For pork
-2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-1 tsp ground cumin
-1 tsp chili powder
-1 tsp cinnamon
-2 pork tenderloins (2.25-2.5 pounds total)
-2 Tbl olive oil

For glaze
-1cup packed dark brown sugar
-2 Tbl finely chopped garlic
-1 Tbl Tabasco

For vinaigrette 
-3 Tbl fresh lime juice
-1 Tbl fresh orange juice
-1 Tbl Dijon mustard
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp black pepper
-1/2 cup olive oil
-1 tsp toasted curry powder (toast curry in small skillet on stovetop on med-high heat stirring constantly until the curry becomes aromatic, about 3 minutes)

For salad
-3 navel oranges
-5 ounces baby spinach trimmed (about 6 cups leaves)
-4 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage (about 1 medium head)
-1 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into thin
-1/2 cup golden raisins
-2 firm ripe avocados

Preheat oven to 350

Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon then coat pork with spice rub

-heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke, then brown pork, turning, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in skillet.

Make glaze and roast pork:
Stir together brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco & pat onto top of each tenderloin.  Roast in middle of oven until thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 140 degrees F (about 20 minutes.  Let pork stand in skillet at room temperature 10 minutes (Temperature will rise to about 155 degrees F while standing).

Make vinaigrette while pork roasts:
Whisk together juices, mustard, curry powder, salt and pepper then add oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified.

Prepare salad ingredients while pork stands:
Cut peel, including white pith, from oranges with a sharp knife, then cut oranges crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Toss spinach, cabbage, bell pepper, and raisins in a large bowl with about 1/4 cup vinaigrette.  Halve, pit and peel avocados, then cut diagonally into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Assemble salad:
Cut pork at a 45-degree angle into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Line a large platter with dressed salad and arrange sliced pork, oranges, and avocados in rows on top.  Drizzle some vinaigrette over avocados and oranges.  Pour any juices from skillet over pork.