Nutter Butter Cookies by Guest Chef Amy

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup white sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
¾ cup all- purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup quick cooking oats
Filling:
3 Tbsp butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup smooth peanut butter
2 ½ Tbsp heavy whipping cream

In a large bowl, cream together ½ cup butter, ½ cup peanut butter, white, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add egg and beat will. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir. Add oatmeal and stir. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet and press each mound down to form ¼ inch thick cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 – 10 minutes.
To make filling, cream butter, powdered sugar, peanut butter and the cream. Spread filling onto half of the cooled cookies, then top with the other half to form sandwiches.

Breakfast Shortcake by Guest Chef Amy

(Okay so there is no cooking required for this one. But, it is easy and delightfully sensible and filling!)

1 frozen waffle
½ cup flavored yogurt
½ cup honey bunches of oats or granola cereal
Fresh or canned fruit

Toast waffle. Top with yogurt, cereal and fruit. Serve immediately.

Lasagna Style Baked Ziti by Guest Chef Amy

½ lb.dried ziti
16 oz ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella
3 cups spaghetti sauce
½ cup grated parmesan
Italian sausage (optional)
Sautéed vegetables (optional)

Cook ziti until tender, about 8 minutes. Mix cooked ziti with ricotta and ½ of the mozzarella cheese in a large bowl. Grease a 9 x 13 dish. Spread ½ spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the dish. Add ziti mixture and cover with remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese on top. Bake @ 350 for 20-30 minutes or until it bubbles on the edges.

***Serve with Guest Chef Amy's Quick Breadsticks

Creamy Bean Soup & Taquito Dippers by Guest Chef Amy

Start to finish: 30 minutes 4 servings

1 can (16 oz) refried beans
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup (from 14 oz can) unsweetened coconut milk (not cream of coconut)
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
1 package (1.25 oz) taco seasoning mix
6 sticks (0.75 oz each) sharp cheddar or chipotle cheddar cheese
1 pkg (10.5 oz) of 12 flour tortillas for tacos & fajitas
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 medium green onions, sliced

Heat oven to 450. Line cookie sheet with foil. In 2-quart saucepan, stir beans, tomatoes, broth, coconut milk, chiles and taco mix; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cut each cheese stick in half lengthwise to make 2 thin sticks. Place 1 cheese stick on one edge of each tortilla; roll tortilla tightly around cheese. Brush edges of tortillas with water to seal. Place taquitos, seam sides down, on cookies sheet. Brush each lightly with oil. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until edges of tortillas are golden brown and cheese is melted. Pour soup into serving bowls; garnish with cilantro or onions. Serve with taquitos for dipping.
**Amy’s notes:
--You can find unsweetened coconut milk in the oriental section of the grocery.
--Instead of prepackaged sticks of cheese, I just bought an 8 oz block and cut into thin strips.
--I had Azteca brand tortillas and Kroger brand tortillas. The Azteca sealed well with water. The Kroger brand wouldn’t stick and I had to secure with a toothpick for heating.

Sausage and Tomato Rigatoni by Guest Chef Amy

4 cups rigatoni pasta, uncooked
1 lb. Italian bulk sausage, cut into chunks
1 medium red onion, sliced
¼ cup tomato paste
¼ cup Kraft Sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, brown sausage in large nonstick skillet; drain. Stir in onions and tomato paste; cover. Cook 15 min. or until onions are tender and sausage is cooed through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing. Toss sausage mixture with pasta. Sprinkle with parsley and cheese.
Makes 4 two cup servings.

Quick Breadsticks by Guest Chef Amy

(*for picture, see previously posted Chicken Tetrazzini recipe by Guest Chef Amy)
½ Tbsp dry yeast
¾ cup warm water
½ Tbsp powdered milk
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
Butter
Garlic salt
Shredded mozzarella or freshly grated parmesan
Dissolve yeast in water. Add powdered milk, sugar, and salt. Add flour until mixture forms a ball. Knead. Roll out to approximately 8 x 10 inch rectangle (about the size of a sheet of paper). Lay on lightly greased cookie sheet. Using pizza cutter, cut into 1 inch strips but do not separate. Spread with butter and sprinkle with garlic salt and cheese. Let rise 15 minutes. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Chicken Tetrazzini by Guest Chef Amy

4 chicken breasts, boiled, cubed
7 oz spaghetti noodles, cooked in chicken borth
1 jar sliced mushrooms
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
¾ stick margarine
8 oz. sour cream
Combine all ingredients and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 45 minutes.
(Breadsticks in picture will be posted next!)

Asian Marinated Steak by Guest Chef Amy

Steak, sliced in small pieces
½ cup soy sauce
Scallions, chopped
¼ cup water
2 cloves garlic
4 Tbsp sugar
Pepper

Combine soy sauce, scallions, water, garlic, sugar and pepper to form marinade. Reserve a small amount of sauce to top steak. Add steak to marinade in large sealable bag. Keep in refrigerator 5 hours to overnight. Broil on top rack in oven in broiling pan until done (about 5 minutes). Serve with rice and reserved marinade.

Tangy BBQ Sandwiches by Guest Chef Amy

1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 ½ - 4 lb.)
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 ¾ cups ketchup
Oval shaped buns/hoagies

In slow cooker, mix all ingredients except buns. Cover; cook on low for 5 hours, stirring occasionally. To serve, fill buns with beef mixture.

Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies by Guest Chef Amy

2/3 cup Crisco shortening
1 ½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 oz. pkg) semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375. Combine Crisco, brown sugar, water, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat eggs into creamed mixture. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375 for 7 – 9 minutes, or until cookies are set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cookies will appear soft and moist. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling rack. Makes about 3 dozen.

Best Blueberry Muffins by Guest Chef Amy

(also a great recipe for Apple Cinnamon Muffins!)
½ cup unsalted butter
1 ¼ cup sugar
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour, divided
2 tsp baking powder
½ cup buttermilk*
1 pint fresh blueberries**-- rinsed, drained and patted dry
2 Tbsp sugar
Position rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 375. Spray the top of the muffin pan with non-stick spray and line with paper liners. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, 1 ¼ cups sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix together 1 ¾ cup of the flour and baking powder. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Crush ¼ of the blueberries, and stir into the batter. Mix the rest of the whole blueberries with the remaining ¼ cup of the flour, and fold into the batter. Scoop into muffin cups. Sprinkle tops lightly with sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and tops spring back when lightly tapped.
* If you do not have buttermilk, pour 1 tsp lemon juice into a measuring cup and fill with milk until you reach 1/2 cup. Stir well and refrigerate at least an hour. I often do this step the night before if I know I’m going to make muffins.
**To make apple cinnamon muffins, substitute blueberries for 3 peeled, cored apples—chopped small. Also add 2 Tbsp cinnamon.

Homemade Pizza by Guest Chef Amy

Homemade Pizza
(makes 2 large thin pizzas)
1 ½ c hot tap water
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. yeast
3 ½ to 3 ¾ cups flour
Pizza sauce
Mozzarella, shredded
Pizza toppings (green pepper, onion, pepperoni, sausage, ham, mushrooms, banana peppers, etc.)
Mix water, sugar, salt, baking powder and yeast. Let stand 5 minutes, then add flour. Knead for 3 minutes (adding a bit more flour if too sticky). Cut dough in half to make two dough balls. (You can put one of the dough balls in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for future use if only making one pizza.) Roll out the dough ball into a circle on a well floured surface with a greased rolling pin until about ¼ inch thick and about 12 – 14 inches wide. Place on a greased cookie sheet. (You can roll in the edge of the crust ½ inch all the way around if desired.) Poke dough randomly with a fork. You can top right away, or let rise for 45 minutes for a fluffier crust. Top as desired. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

If you are feeling really ambitious, here’s a recipe to make your own pizza sauce. I sometimes make this in large batches ahead of time and freeze in 1 cup portions until ready to use. (1 cup of sauce should cover one pizza.)

Pizza Sauce (this is supposed to be similar to Papa John’s sauce)
1 (10 ¾ oz) can tomato puree
¼ cup water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp olive oil
¼ tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp oregano
1/8 tsp basil
1/8 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Combine ingredients in small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

White Chicken Chili by Guest Chef Amy

Good news - Amy has almost 2 weeks worth of recipes to share! Here's the first.

White Chicken Chili

Serves 6

2 large chicken breasts
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tsp cumin
Garlic (to taste)
1 can white kidney beans (undrained)
1 can garbanzo beans (undrained)
1 can white corn (undrained)
1 small can chopped green chilies (undrained)
1 cup chicken broth from can
Salsa
Shredded Monterey jack cheese
Sour cream
Hot pepper sauce
Tortilla chips
Boil chicken for 1 hour. Shred with fork. Combine chicken, onion, cumin, garlic, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, white corn, green chilies and chicken broth in large pot. Cook on low for 1 to 3 hours. Serve with remaining ingredients as toppings.

Introducing Guest Chef Amy!

Introducing Guest Chef Amy - This lady is awesome! Check out her bio, and see the recipes she'll be featured for this week!
Location: Louisville, KY
Occupation: SAHM of three kids (and one on the way!)
Favorite cuisine: Italian or Cajun… or mexican… or Steak house… or… okay, I like it all!
Cooking preference: baking, especially trying new cookie recipes
Cooking handicap: husband who is a picky eater!
Most used recipe site: allrecipes.com (other than Tasty Sensations, of course!)
Cooking motto: I love scrumptious foods. I don’t mind the effort of elaborate cooking if it’s worth it in the end!
Recipes For Week:
Best Blueberry muffins
Choc chip brownie cookies
Creamy bean soup with taquito dippers
Asian marinated steak
Sausage and tomato rigatoni
Breakfast shortcake
Nutter Butter Cookies (her husband's all time favorite cookie)

Coconut Chocolate Chunk Macadamia Cookies by Guest Chef Kim

2/3 CUP BUTTER
2/3 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR
½ CUP PACKED BROWN SUGAR
1 LARGE EGG
½ TEASPOON SALT
1 TEASPOON VANILLA
1 ½ CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
8 OUNCES OF CHOCOLATE CHIPS
1 ½ CUP SWEETENED FLAKED COCONUT
3 ½ OUNCES MACADAMIA NUTS, CHOPPED COARSELY (ABOUT ¾ CUP)

Heat over to 325 degrees. Lightly grease two 17x14-inch cookie sheets. In mixer, beat butter, sugars, egg, salt, and vanilla at medium speed until fluffy. Reduce mix to low speed, add flour, increase mixer speed gradually and beat just until blended. Stir in chocolate, coconut, and nuts. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough on cookie sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 17 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned and tops look dry. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes. Remove to completely cool. Makes 26 cookies.

Chicken Tetrazzini by Guest Chef Kim

8 OUNCES SPAGHETTI
8 OUNCES SLICED FRESH MUSHROOMS
4-6 SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS OR 8 BONELESS SKINLESS THIGHS (CUT IN BITE-SIZE PIECES)
1 TABLESPOON BUTTER
1 ½ TABLESPOONS LEMON JUICE
3-4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER
6 TABLESPOONS FLOUR
½ TEASPOON PAPRIKA
1/8 TEASPOON NUTMEG
¾ TEASPOON SALT
½ TEASPOON PEPPER
1 CAN CHICKEN BROTH (14 ½ OUNCES)
1 CUP SKIM MILK
¾ CUP PARMESAN CHEESE
SPRINKLE PAPRIKA

Cook and drain spaghetti. Stir fry the mushrooms and the chicken pieces with the 1 tablespoon butter and the lemon juice until chicken is done, about 15-20 minutes. Toss with the cooked spaghetti. Set aside. Melt the 3-4 tablespoons of butter and stir in the flour and spices. Add broth and stir until the sauce thickens, then add the milk. Pour the sauce over the spaghetti. Mix. Place mixture into a 9x13-inch pan. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and paprika and back at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Grilled Pork Chops with Mango Salsa by Guest Chef Kim

PORK CHOP MARINADE:

1 CUP BROWN SUGAR
1 CUP HONEY
½ CUP SOY SAUCE
1 CUP CIDER VINEGAR
3 CLOVES GARLIC
1 TABLESPOON SESAME SEED OIL

Mix all the ingredients together and marinate the pork chops overnight. Then grill. (This recipe is for about 6-8 pork chops.)

MANGO SALSA

2 RIPE MANGOS – CUT IN SMALL CUBES
½ MEDIUM RED ONION – CHOPPED
½ LARGE RED PEPPER – CHOPPED
½ CUP CHOPPEN CILANTRO
¼ JALAPENO CHOPPED (REMOVE SEEDS)
JUICE OF 1 LIME

Chill the salsa. Serve with grilled pork chops.

Butterfly Chicken by Guest Chef Kim

4-6 WHOLE BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS (depending on the thickness of breast. I usually pound the breasts with a meat mallet to thin the breast and end up getting two pieces of chicken out of each thick breast. You can determine how thick you want the meat.)
½ CUP FLOUR
½ TEASPOON SALT
¼ TEASPOON PEPPER
½-3/4 CUP BUTTER
LEMON JUICE
1 ½ POUNDS OF FRESH MUSHROOMS SLICED OR 2-3 JARS CANNED MUSHROOMS
3 CUPS WHIPPING CREAM
2 CUPS FRESH GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
MINCED FRESH PARSLEY OR DRIED PARSLEY

Pound chicken breasts between waxed paper or plastic wrap until thin like a cutlet. Dip chicken in flour that is seasoned with salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour. Melt part of the butter in a large skillet. Saute’ chicken two to three minutes on each side. While sautéing drizzle 4-5 drops of lemon juice on each chicken piece. Add more butter as needed to the pan for sautéing the chicken pieces. Transfer the chicken to baking pans (9x13 or a little bigger). Give each piece of chicken some space between to let the cream and cheese run between the pieces. Set aside.

Saute’ the mushrooms in the same pan as the chicken was sautéed in. Add more butter if needed. Don’t burn the mushrooms. Spoon the mushrooms and drippings over the chicken. Pour the cream over the chicken. Sprinkle generous amounts of parmesan cheese on each chicken piece. Get the parmesan down in the cream. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Stuffed Shells by Guest Chef Kim

1 PACKAGE (12-OUNCE) JUMBO SHELLS
4 CUPS RICOTTA CHEESE
8 OUNCES SHREDDED MOZZARELLA CHEESE
½ CUP GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
2 EGGS
1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED PARSLEY
½ TEASPOON SALT
¼ TEASPOON PEPPER
1/8 TEASPOON NUTMEG
1 JAR SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Prepare pasta as directed on package, cooking 9 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water, drain, and arrange in single layer to fill. Meanwhile mix together cheeses, eggs, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Fill cookie shells with cheese mixture.

Cover bottom of a 9x13 pan with some sauce. Arrange filled shells in single layer in the pan. Pour remaining sauce over the shells and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. Makes 6-8 servings.

Featuring Guest Chef Kim

Here's my next Guest Chef, Kim (and her lovely assistant Kira). Kim has lots of fun recipes to share...I've already made some of them and they were good! Stay tuned this week for her recipes which will include:

• Pork Chops with Mango Salsa
• Chicken Tetrazzini
• Stuffed Shells
• Butterfly Chicken
• Coconut Chocolate Chunk Macadamia Nut Cookies