Ranch Roasted Red Potatoes

So good, and so easy! Thanks to Sylvia for this yummy one!

1 pkg. ranch dressing powder
2 lbs. red potatoes, washed and quartered
1/4 c. olive or vegetable oil.

Toss quartered potatoes and oil in a ziploc bag to coat. Add dressing powder and toss to coat. Place in ungreased baking dish in single layer.

Bake at 450 for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Rosalie's Pork Chops 'n' Baked Apples

This will be a new family favorite - we had it first at Christmas, and again for Sunday dinner tonight. It is scrumptious! Some people prefer the apples on the side...but not me. Slop 'em right on top and smear it all together...Delish. Oh, and you can bake them both in the oven at the same time!

BAKED PORK CUTLETS

2 cups finely crushed Ritz cracker crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teasponns garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
6 boneless pork chops
1 cup plain yogurt

In a medium-sized bowl combine cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and sage; set aside. Coat each pork cutlet with yogurt, then dip both sides into crumbs. Place in greased baking dish. Bake at 350 F. for 45 minutes or until tender. Makes 6 servings

APPLE TOPPING

6 apples, peeled, pared, and sliced
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine ingredients in an 8X8-inch baking dish and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes or until tender. Serve as a side dish or atop the pork chops. Makes 6-8 servings

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.

Baked Beans by Guest Chef Kariann

2 cans (1 lb. 15 oz.) pork & beans
1 lb. bacon cooked & crumbled (I also have used turkey bacon and it tastes great too)
2 cups ketchup
2 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 chopped onion
3/4 cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together. Place in crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours.

Four Bean Salad by Guest Chef Kariann

1 pkg. frozen baby lima beans
1 can yellow wax beans
1 can green beans
1 can red kidney beans
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced green pepper
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Cook lima beans according to package directions; drain. Drain canned beans. Combine beans in large bowl. Combine onion and green pepper; add oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix well and pour over beans. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.

Sprite Potatoes by Guest Chef Kariann

These potatoes are awesome as a side dish...or they're good enough to eat alone!

1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
Cook in big pot/skillet until onion is translucent and bacon is starting to crisp.
Then add:(I usually use my food processor to slice the potatoes and carrots)
5-6 potatoes, peeled and sliced thin (more or less depending on how much you want)
9-10 baby carrots sliced thin
Stir and season to taste with the following:
seasoned salt
onion salt
garlic salt
salt
pepper
Add:
1-2 cans sprite, enough to just cover the potatoes.
Cover and bring to a boil, simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender and most of the liquid has reduced.
Cover generously with grated colby jack cheese or cheddar cheese and let melt (about 3-5 more minutes).
Sometimes we add a little more sprite to keep them from drying out before the potatoes and carrots are all the way done. We also leave a little liquid in the bottom when we put the cheese on so it's not to dry) YUMMY!!

Perfect Plain Potato Salad

So, I'm really picky when it comes to potato salad. To be honest, I don't love it all that much - some have too much onion, some have too much pickle (or any pickle for that matter), some are made with Miracle Whip (eeeewwww)...You get the idea. So, I had some last summer that I really liked, it's plain, but just up my alley for potato salad. Let me know if you like it!

6 medium whole potatoes - peeled boiled for about 15 minutes. Once they are soft enough to cut (don't overcook), let them cool slightly, and then dice.

1.5 cups Mayo
1 TBS. white vinegar
1 TBS. prepared mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper (fresh ground)
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/2 white or vidalia onion, finely chopped

Mix the above ingredients together. Add diced potatoes, onions, and if you like celery (I didn't have any in my kitchen this time), you can add 2 stalks, chopped up. Mix it all together to coat. Add 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped. Let it all sit together in the fridge overnight, or at least 4 hours, to enhance flavor. Serve with BBQ!

Maple Glazed Baby Carrots by Guest Chef Jamie

2 lb. baby carrots
1/4 C. Kraft Light Done Right! Catalina Reduced Fat dressing
1/4 C. maple-flavored or pancake syrup
1 T. butter
1/2 C. Planters Pecan Pieces, toasted

Cook carrots in saucepan, in enough boiling water to cover, 12-14 minutes or until tender. Drain; set aside.

Mix dressing and syrup in saucepan; cook on medium heat until mixture is bubbly, stirring occasionally. Add coarrots; cook until glaze is thickened to desired consistency, stirring frequently. Add butter, stir until melted. Stir int he pecans.

Roquefort Pear Salad by Chef Jamie

1 head leaf lettuce, bite-size pieces
3 pears- peeled, cored and chopped
5 oz. Roquefort (bleu cheese) crumbled
1 avacado- peeled, pitted & diced
1/2 C. thinly sliced green onions
1/4 C. white sugar
1/2 C. pecans

Dressing:
1/3 C. olive oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 t. white sugar
1 1/2 t. prepared mustard
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 t. salt
ground pepper to taste

In a skillet, over medium heat, stir 1/4 c. sugar together with pecans. Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans. Carefully transfer to wax paper to cool. Break into pieces.
For dressing: mix dressing ingredients in blender. In a large bowl, layer lettuce, pears, cheese, avacado and onions. Pour over salad and nuts.

African Peanut Soup

Peanut butter and tomatoes may not sound like the best combination. But this soup is excellent! The original recipe also includes rice, but I prefer it without.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large red bell peppers, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, with liquid
8 cups vegetable broth or stock
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
2/3 cup extra crunchy peanut butter
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Cook onions and bell peppers until lightly browned and tender, stirring in garlic when almost done to prevent burning. Stir in tomatoes, vegetable stock, pepper, and chili powder. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Stir in rice, cover, and simmer another fifteen minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in peanut butter until well blended, and serve.

Potato Vegetable Au Gratin from Cooking Light by Guest Chef Krista

This is a great spin on regular mashed potatoes. I also like that if you are counting calories you can keep it light, or you can add more cheese if you don’t care!

5 cups cubed red potatoes (1 ½ pounds)
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup skim milk
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar, divided
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil potatoes for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and partially mash. Steam broccoli, carrots, and onions for 10 minutes. Combine potatoes and steamed vegetables, milk, ½ cup cheese, salt and pepper. Top with ¼ cup cheese. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. (I probably use twice as much cheese – because you can never have too much cheese!)

The Cure to Sweet Potato-itis

I usually hate sweet potatoes, but my awesome cook sister-in-law, Bryndy, has an awesome solution to sweetpotatoitis.

1 large sweet potato - cut into thin strips
Place strips in bowl, add 1/8 c. olive oil.
Add:
1/2 tsp. season salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
sprinkle or two of all purpose, salt free seasoning
Mix well. Place strips on large greased cookie sheet.
Chop 1/4 of an onion into long strips and place on top of sweet potatoes.

Bake at 475F for 30-40 minutes, or until crispy. Turn once or twice during baking.

Turkey Tortellini Salad

Here are a few things you can make with leftovers of stuff you used for Thanksgiving! A big old turkey can go a long way!

Turkey & Tortellini Salad
1 pkg. refrigerated cheese tortellini (9 oz.)

6 cups salad greens, pre-washed

3 cups cooked turkey, chopped

½ cup low fat Italian salad dressing

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Fresh ground black pepper

Cook and drain tortellini as directed on package; let cool slightly in colander. Mix tortellini, greens, turkey and dressing; top with Parmesan cheese and pepper to serve.

Harvest Salad

2-3 chicken breasts, grilled or pan fried in 2 TBS. olive oil, sprinkling both sides with basil, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cut into thin strips or small cubes.

1 head red leaf lettuce, or small bag of fresh spinach (whichever you prefer)
1 c. diced, dried apricots
1 c. craisins or dried berry blend
bleu cheese crumbles (or mozzarella if you prefer it more mild)

Toss salad. Cover with grilled chicken strips. Pour Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette over salad (this brand of dressing is crucial!). Serve while chicken is still warm. A delicious and easy salad for autumn time.

Those One Potatoes

Oh my gosh. Greasy goodness!

8-9 baking potatoes - thinly sliced (about 1/4 in. or so)
1/2 c. melted butter
1/2 c. oil
salt/pepper to taste - use generously. Maybe a tsp. or so of each?
1-2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese.

Preheat oven to 400. Arrange thinly sliced potatoes in 9x13 pan. In bowl, mix butter, oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and parmesan cheese. Pour generously and evenly over potatoes. Bake for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender, and parmesan is browned on potatoes. DELICIOUS!

Greek Salad

3-4 tomatoes diced into small cubes
1 cucumber, peeled and diced into small cubes
2 stalks of green onion chopped finely
1/8 -1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/8 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper to taste.

Combine ingredient in bowl. Mix well. Let juices marinate in fridge for one hour before serving with crusty french bread.

Oven Roasted Golden Potatoes

4-5 medium sized golden potatoes
4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp. season salt
2-3 TBS. olive oil
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. black pepper
1 bell pepper finely diced (optional)

Preheat oven to 475. Cut potatoes into 1 1/2 inch cubes. Toss with remaining ingredients. Spread out on cookie dish with sides. Bakes for 30-35 minutes, making sure to toss the potatoes occasionally.

Kentucky Cheesy Garlic Grits

1 cup Quick grits

4 cups Water, boiling

1 tsp Salt

4 oz Butter

12 oz Cheddar cheese, sharp

1 Egg

1 Tbl Garlic powder

3/4 cup Milk

dash Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Cook grits in boiling water until thick. Remove from heat. Stir in butter & 1/2 the cheese. Beat egg with garlic powder, milk & hot sauce. Add to grits. Pour into buttered 2 Qt casserole. Top with rest of cheese. Bake 1 hour at 350.

Mango Sticky Coconut Rice

Try this out with the Spiced Cilantro Chicken, and you'll have a great complement to your meal.

1 C. glutinous rice (soaked for 30 minutes in cold water)
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tbls. sugar
pinch of salt
2 large ripe mangoes
Drain rice and rinse thoroughly. Place in a pan with coconut milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally until the rice has absorbed all the coconut milk and is very soft. Transfer the rice to a steamer set over a pan of simmering water. Cover and steam for 15 minutes.
Peel and Cut the mangoes into cubes. Serve.

Frog Eye Salad

1/2 (16 ounce) package uncooked orzo pasta (I USED acini di pepe)*
1/4 cup white sugar
1 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (20 ounce) cans crushed pineapple, drained with juice reserved
1 can mandarin orange segments, drained
1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained and chopped (OR USE FRESH)*
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup*ish sliced strawberries

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente, rinse under cold water and drain. In a sauce pan, combine the sugar, eggs, flour, salt, pineapple juice and cook over medium heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and cool. Toss together the pasta and cooked pineapple juice mixture. Refrigerate overnight (or for a couple of hours)*. Break up chilled pasta with a spoon and mix in pineapple, mandarin oranges, cherries, and strawberries. Fold in thawed whipped topping, chill and serve.