“Better Than Sex” Chocolate Pie

“Better Than Sex” Chocolate Pie

1 deep dish pie crust, or 2 standard pie crusts 

1 c. Sugar (original recipe called for 1½ c. but it was a little too sweet)

¼ c. Cornstarch 

¼ tsp Salt

3 c. Whole Milk

4 whole Egg Yolks 

6½ oz. weight Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate 

2 tsp Vanilla Extract 

2 tbsp Unsalted Butter

Whipped Cream, for serving

Bake your pie crust according to directions before beginning the pudding. 

Combine the sugar salt and cornstarch in a medium sauce pan and stir or whisk together. 

Pour in milk and egg yolks and whisk together.

Cook over medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until the mixture just barely come to a boil, approximately 7 to 8 minutes.  Just keep an eye on it and may take more or less depending on your stove.  The second it starts to bubble, remove it from the heat and stir in the chocolate, vanilla and butter until everything is combined and smooth. 

Pour the pudding into a pie crust and refrigerate for about 4 hours before serving.

*  Recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman Blog

Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana 

2 tsp Olive oil

1 lb sweet Italian sausage (not hot), casings removed if using links

5 slices of thick bacon, sliced into ¼ inch slices

1 c. yellow onion, finely chopped 

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

3 cans (14.5 oz each) low-sodium chicken broth

2 c. Water

1.5 lbs russet potatoes

1 ½ tsp granulated sugar

½ tsp fennel seeds

2 tsp salt (if using the regular chicken broth, taste before adding any salt)

½ tsp black pepper

1 c. heavy whipping cream

2 c. Kale, washed and chopped into small bite-size pieces with heavy stems removed

Romano cheese, grated for topping

Wash and peel potatoes. Cut in half lengthwise, then make ⅛ inch slices. Set aside in a pan of cool water until ready to cook. 

Heat olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage into 1-inch pieces and add to saucepan. Cook sausage, stirring occasionally until cooked through. Drain sausage onto a plate or baking dish lined with paper towels leaving 1 tsp fat in pan, set sausage aside. Add diced bacon (being sure to separate pieces from each other if you stacked them when slicing) to fat in saucepan, return to heat and sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add diced onions and garlic to bacon in saucepan and sauté mixture until bacon is cooked through (not crisp) and onions are tender, about 5 minutes longer.

        Add chicken broth, water, sliced potatoes, sugar, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Bring soup just to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover saucepan and simmer 25 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender.  Some of the potatoes will dissolve to thicken the soup. When soup is almost done, stir in kale and cooked sausage. Cook for a few more minutes until kale is tender. Use a spoon or ladle to remove excess fat from top of soup if desired. Add heavy cream. Serve warm topped with grated Romano cheese.

Baked Quail

Baked Quail

4 Quail

Seasoning salt to taste

4 tbsp butter

½ cup fresh Mushrooms

½ cup Italian Bread Crumbs

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp flour

1 ½ cups chicken stock

2 green onions, minced

½ tsp parsley, minced

1 slice thick cut bacon, cut in 4 pieces

Cooking spray

Directions:  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

If the quail were shot in the wild, be sure to remove all pieces of shot with tweezers or a paring knife.

Lightly rub the quail inside and out with seasoning salt.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter and add the mushrooms. Sauté for a minute and add bread crumbs.  Cook for a minute or two until mushrooms tenderize a bit.  Use this mixture to stuff the quail.

Using the same skillet, heat the oil and add flour. Cook to make a light brown rue. Add chicken stock, parsley, and green onions. Cook for about 5 minutes or until onions are tender.

Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray and place stuffed quail in it. Pour sauce over quail. Place a piece of bacon on each quail. 

Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Baste the quail 2 or 3 times during the baking with the sauce.

Mexican Venison Soup

Mexican Venison Soup

1 lb ground venison 

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced 

14.5 oz can diced or stewed tomatoes

2 1/2 c. Water, divided 

4 medium russet potatoes, cut in large cubes

2 1/2 tsp Chili powder

2 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp salt 

1 tsp sugar

1/8 tsp black pepper 

Cook the ground venision with the onion and garlic until done. Drain all the grease off. In a large Dutch oven, add potatoes, 1 1/2 cups water, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes until potatoes are beginning to get tender. Add the tomatoes, dry seasonings, and the other cup of water. Bring the mixture back to a boil and add the meat mixture. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Serve with cornbread. 

Zucchinni Fruit Bread

3 c Self-rising Flour 

2 c Sugar 

2 c shredded Zucchinni 

2 c Blueberries (or fruit of choice)

1 c Sour Cream 

2/3 c Canola Oil

3 large Eggs

3 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Baking Soda 

1 tsp Baking Powder 

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon 

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs lightly with a mixer.  Slowly add sugar while beating.  Then do the same with the oil and follow with sour cream.  Add vanilla and cinnamon. 

Combine flour mixture and liquid mixture. Stir well. Add zucchinni and blueberries and fold into batter. 

Spray 2 9x5 inch loaf pans with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350°. Bake for 1 hour or until a knife inserted will come out clean. 

*Lasagna

* This is my personal lasagna recipe, and I promise, it is the best you'll ever eat!  I've honestly never had any at a restaurant or anywhere else that is better than this! 

Total Time Involved:  2 hours

Prep Time:  1 hour 35 minutes

Bake Time:  25 minutes

(Prep time includes: cooking the pasta, chopping garlic & onion, cooking the ground beef and making the meat sauce, grating the cheeses, and assembling the complete dish prior to baking. If you spend the extra money and buy pre-shredded cheese then it would save you some time. Also, this is assuming that you are doing all the work by yourself. If you have other family members helping you, it won't take quite as long.)

1 lb ground chuck

12 oz pkg lasagna noodles (about 12 noodles)

1 medium yellow onion

2 large cloves garlic

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

6 oz tomato paste

2 large eggs

32 oz ricotta cheese

8 oz block mozzarella 

8 oz block sharp cheddar

1/2 c grated Parmesan, ¼ c for topping and ¼ c for cheese in dish

2 Tbsp dried parsley

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp basil

1 tsp salt (if tomatoes say ''no salt added'' you may need more salt)

¼ tsp black pepper

Chop up onion and garlic very fine and add to ground chuck. Brown meat in a skillet with onions and garlic until thoroughly cooked. Drain off as much excess grease as possible. 

Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 25 minutes. 

While the sauce is simmering, prepare a pot of boiling salted water for the lasagna noodles. Cook them for about 7 minutes only. They will finish cooking later in the oven. 

Mix the two eggs in a bowl with the ricotta cheese. In another bowl grate the cheddar cheese and the mozzarella and stir together.  Add ¼ cup Parmesan to cheddar and mozzarella.  When the sauce mixture and the noodles are finished cooking set them aside. 

In a 9 x 13 baking dish, lay 3 to 4 noodles across the bottom slightly overlapping. Spread about 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Then spread 1/2 the meat and sauce mixture. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the Cheddar/Mozzarella/Parmesan mix over the sauce. Next repeat this process with another layer.  After the second layer of meat and sauce mixture you will cover the top with the remaining four or five noodles. Spread the last 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the top and then sprinkle with the last 1/3 of the Cheddar/Mozzarella/Parmesan mix. Sprinkle the other ¼ cup Parmesan cheese over the top of the dish as well. Bake at 375° for about 25 minutes. Allow the dish to set for a few minutes after removing from oven before serving. 

Use about a 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on the first layer. You will use another 1/3 on the second layer and the last 1/3 as part of the topping.

Use 1/2 of the meat sauce on your first layer and the other 1/2 on the second layer. 

1st full layer complete. Repeat with noodles, ricotta mixture, meat sauce, and shredded cheeses.  Then add one more layer of noodles and top with remaining ricotta mixture and shredded cheeses. You should have two complete layers and one layer of noodles with cheese for topping.

Banana Pudding - Emma Stephenson

1/2 c sugar

2 Tbsp flour 

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup whole milk *

1 cup half and half *

3 eggs, separated 

1 tsp vanilla 

1 med size box vanilla wafers

4-6 bananas   

Combine the sugar flour and salt. Add milk to slightly beaten egg yolks. Combine flour mixture and milk mixture. Cook in the top of a double boiler until the consistency of custard. Add the vanilla. 

Line a baking dish with vanilla wafers. Slice bananas over the wafers. Pour half of the custard mixture over the bananas then repeat with a second layer as before.  

Beat the egg whites with 6 tablespoons of sugar to make a meringue topping. Pour the meringue over the pudding. 

Bake at 425° for five minutes or until delicately brown.  May be served hot or cold. 

Yield 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe courtesy of my Aunt Barbara's mother, Emma Stevenson. 

* Original recipe called for 2 cups whole milk. I modified it to make it slightly richer. 

The milk, half and half, and egg yolks mixture.

The sugar, flour, and salt

Cooking the custard.

The finished product with meringue before cooking. 

After cooking. 

Shepherd's Pie - Autumn

2¼ lbs lean ground beef

6 cups prepared instant creamed potatoes, or homemade if desired

8 oz. block of sharp cheddar cheese, grated

½ medium onion, diced

½ large bell pepper, diced

2 teaspoons diced garlic (from the jar) or 4-5 med/lrg cloves, minced

salt & pepper to taste

Prepare the instant potatoes (or homemade if you have the time) and set aside.  Be sure to salt, pepper, and butter the potatoes.  

Season the meat with salt and pepper also. Cook the ground chuck with the peppers, garlic and onions in a skillet.  Drain the excess grease off of the meat.  Place the meat in the bottom of a 9x13 Pyrex dish.  Layer the creamed potatoes on top of the meat.  Sprinkle the grated cheese all over the potatoes.  Place in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until the entire dish is good and hot.

Notes:  I usually prepare this dish with extra lean ground beef, 1% milk and margarine in the potatoes, and 2% cheese to reduce the fat content of this dish.  It is still really good! You’d never know I used the reduced fat options.

*Stuffed Peppers - Autumn

3 large bell peppers

1 lb ground chuck

2 c. cooked white rice

2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp lemon pepper

¼ tsp celery seed

¼ tsp salt

⅛ tsp cayenne pepper

Fresh ground black pepper [to taste]

Cook ground chuck and drain off the grease. Parboil the bell peppers.  Make sure not to boil them tool long because they will become flimsy and difficult to stuff later.  

While the peppers are boiling, mix the beef, rice, seasoning and one can of tomato sauce in a medium bowl. Use mixture to stuff peppers. Pour remaining can of sauce over peppers.  

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.

*The Perfect Chili

* This is my personal chili recipe.  It uses a combination of fresh ingredients and dry seasonings for optimal flavor.  Note that I not only use fresh garlic and onion but also garlic and onion powders.  I find that this produces a better flavor. 

servings: 4

cook time: 30 min

total time: 1 hr

2 lbs lean Ground Beef

1 med Onion, chopped

4 large cloves, or equivalent of minced from jar

2 c. Water

2 tbsp Flour

1 can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes

2 (8 oz.) cans Tomato Sauce

Seasonings: 

6 tbsp Mexene Chili Powder

1 tbsp Paprika

1 tsp Ground Cumin

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Onion Powder

1½ tsp Salt (regular, not sea salt)

2 tsp Sugar

Cook ground beef with onions and garlic in a large skillet. Drain the excess grease off of the meat and place the meat back in the skillet. Add all of the other ingredients and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

*Tip:  If you are sensitive to spicy foods, try cutting back the chili powder to 4 tbsp. This will give it a milder flavor. 

Makes about 6 cups.

Green Bean Casserole

When I was a little child I never would eat green bean casserole because the cream of mushroom soup mixed with the green beans seemed disgusting. However, this recipe is unlike any I have ever had before and is delicious!

Green Bean Casserole

2 (15 oz) cans of green beans (French cut works nice)

2 slices of bacon

½ cup brown sugar

¼ tsp garlic powder

 ⅛ tsp salt

1 tbsp butter (cut into 4 pieces)

Drain the green beans well.  Place them in a clear 9X9 baking dish.  Sprinkle the garlic, brown sugar, and salt on the beans.  Cut the bacon into small pieces and sprinkle over the beans.  Place the pieces of butter on the beans.  Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Stir about every 15 minutes to make sure it’s not sticking.  For an extra kick, add some French’s French Fried Onions during the last 15 minutes of cooking time.

Recipe courtesy of Dot Land

The Best Ever Cole Slaw / Cabbage Slaw

This is the best recipe for cole slaw (or cabbage slaw as some call it) that I have ever had!

½ lrg head cabbage (shredded)

1 med carrot (shredded)

½ med onion (quartered)

½ c. sugar

½ c. vegetable oil

¼ c. vinegar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp celery seed

½ tsp ground mustard

Directions:  Toss the shredded cabbage, carrots, and celery seed together in a large bowl.  Put the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and the sugar has dissolved.  Pour the sauce over the cabbage mixture and stir through well.  Refrigerate before serving.  Serve with a slotted spoon.

**If you don't have time to cut up cabbage, you can buy the bag mix with the carrots already in it and use it instead. 

**This stuff is so delicious that you won't be able to back away from it! My only warning is don't feed it to a diabetic because it's sweet!

Beef Tips with Gravy

Beef Tips with Gravy

1 lb of beef tips

1 can (10 oz) cream mushroom soup

Zesty Italian dressing dry mix

Brown Gravy dry mix

1/2 tsp garlic powder, or 2 cloves, finely minced 

1/2 small onion, minced

1/2 c cold water for brown gravy

1/4 cup hot water for Italian dressing

Lawry's Season Salt for meat. 

Sprinkle the meat (somewhat liberally) with Lawry's season salt to taste. Chop up 1/2 of a small onion and 2 cloves of garlic and place in a nonstick pan with the meat. Lightly brown the meat, garlic and onions. Dissolve the gravy mix in 1/2 c cold water. Dissolve the Italian Dressing mix in 1/4 cup warm water. Place the meat, onions, and garlic in a slow cooker and add the gravy, the dressing, and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Cook on high for about three hours. 

I personally have a shortcut that I like to use. I place the meat garlic and onion mixture in an electric pressure cooker and add the gravy mix and dressing mix with the water. I cook it under pressure for about 15 minutes. Then I depressurize it and stir in the cream of mushroom soup and let it simmer for a few minutes before serving.

*Best served over white rice or egg noodles. 

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Mexican Cornbread - Autumn

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Mexican Cornbread

3 c. yellow self-rising cornmeal

1½ c. cultured whole buttermilk

2 c. grated medium cheddar cheese

3 lrg eggs

¼ c. canola oil

¾ c. sugar

1 (15 oz) can whole kernel sweet corn (drained)

5 whole medium jalapenos (fresh) or substitute ½ c. pickled jalapeños with some of the juice  

Directions:  If using the fresh jalapenos, cut the tops off and you might want to rake the seeds out. Then place the jalapenos in a food processor along with the corn.  Chop until the mixture is completely pureed and soupy.  Place the mixture in a large bowl.  Add the oil, eggs, sugar, cheese, buttermilk, and cornmeal.  Blend the mixture well.  

You will need 2 iron skillets:  a 10¼ inch and an 8½ inch.  Make sure both are sprayed well with Pam cooking spray.  Bake at 450 for 25-35 minutes.  The small pan will cook more quickly (about 25 minutes) and the large pan will take about 35 minutes.

As an alternative you can also cook the entire batch in a 13X9 inch glass baking dish at 350 for 45 minutes.  Using the baking dish will also make the crust softer and the bread will be a little more moist.

This is my own personal recipe. 

~Autumn~

Elegant Venison Stew

2 lb venison steak

1/2 lb bacon or salt pork

2 tbsp. flour

6 cups beef stock (not broth)

1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes

8 med. carrots

3 stalks celery diced

2 tbsp. sugar

2 1/2 med. yellow onions

garlic to taste (I used 5 cloves)

1 cup peas (optional)

salt (2-3 tsp) and pepper(1/4 tsp); to taste

1/2 tsp dried Rosemary leaves

Cut bacon into 1″ cubes and saute in large saucepan until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Cut venison into 1 1/2 or 2″ pieces and brown over high heat in bacon fat. Stir in flour and make a roux. Lower heat and let brown 2-3 minutes.

Add stock and stir till smooth. Simmer 1 hour or more until venison begins to get tender, add more liquid as necessary.

Add all the other ingredients, except peas, and continue to simmer to make a thick stew. Simmer peas in a separate pan until done. Strain and spoon over or around stew when served. Serve with corn muffins, potatoes or parsnips and a salad.

**I served this with Melt-In-Your-Mouth Mexican Cornbread**

Apple Lasagna

My mother-in-law is very skeptical about trying new foods, but she was even impressed with this one and insisted we make it again! I got this recipe from one of my customers at work who brought me some to try. She also mentioned she has had great success freezing this dish after it is cooked. It re-warms beautifully. 

Apple Lasagna

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

12 lasagna noodles

2 (21 ounce) cans apple pie filling

2 c. (8 ounce block) grated sharp cheddar

1 c. ricotta cheese

1 large egg, beaten

1/4 c. granulated sugar 

6 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 tbsp unsalted butter

6 tbsp light or dark brown sugar

1/4 c. quick cook oats

dash of ground nutmeg, optional

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Directions:  Preheat oven to 350°F.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the noodles to the desired doneness.  Drain and set aside. 

Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Layer for noodles on the bottom of the prepared dish.  Spread one can of apple pie filling on top and slice any extra thick apples in two.  Layer 4 more noodles over the apples. 

In a large bowl, mix together the cheddar cheese, ricotta cheese, egg and granulated sugar.  Spread the mixture evenly over the noodles.  Place the last 4 noodles over the mixture.  Spread the remaining can of apple pie filling over the noodles. 

In a small bowl, crumble together the flour, cinnamon, butter, brown sugar and quick oats.  Sprinkle the mixture over the apple pie filling. 

Bake for 45 minutes in 350° oven. Let stand for 15 minutes after removing from hot oven.  Then slice into serving size pieces and serve either warm or cold.