Banana Nut Muffins

1 Cup Flour

½ Cup Sugar

2 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking soda

¾ cup oats (quick or regular)

1 egg beaten

½ cup milk

3 tbs oil

½ cup mashed banana

1/3 cup chopped nuts opt.

Prepare dry and wet ingredients. Combine and mix together until moistened. Stir in nuts. Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full (I probably do more). Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes (too long in my oven especially would be if you made them smaller).

No-Knead Bread

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery

Time: About 1 ½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ t. instant yeast
1 ¼ t. salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat over to 450 degrees. Put a 6 to 8 quart heavy covered post (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide you hand under towel and turn dough over into pat, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is okay. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on rack.

Yield: One 1 ½ pound loaf.

Chicken Salad Habenera

2 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced into strips (I marinate mine with Italian dressing)
1 avocado cut in crescents
½ c green pepper, cut in strips
¼ c red onion, finely chopped
Green or red lettuce

Dressing:

½ c salad oil
¼ c red wine vinegar
¼ c lemon juice
1 Tbsp sugar
1tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp minced garlic

Apple Cashew Salad

3 apples, your choice, cut in bite-size pieces
3 celery ribs, sliced small
1 can cashews
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. powdered sugar

Prepare and mix apples and celery. Separately mix mayo and powdered sugar. Right before serving, add cashews to apples and celery and then toss with mayo mixture.

Double for large crowds, or small ones - it goes fast!

Taco Salad

1 lb. ground chuck
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1/2 c. Cheddar cheese
2 tomatoes, sliced and chunked
1 sm. head lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 14 oz. can kidney beans
1 bag corn chips, crushed
1 8 oz. bottle Catalina salad dressing

Brown ground beef and drain excess grease. Add taco mix and make according to packet directions. Chill beef mixture completely in refrigerator. Mix remaining salad ingredients together. Add chilled beef mixture. Just before serving add corn chips (so they stay crunchy). Toss with Catalina salad dressing.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
dehydrated onions
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes (large can)
1 packet taco seasoning

Directions:
Brown ground beef with dehydrated onions (or you can use a small regular onion if you have one on hand). Drain.

In a slow cooker combine undrained beans, undrained corn, tomatoes, ground beef and taco seasoning. Mix well.

Let cook until heated through and seasoning has mixed with all ingredients. 4-6 hours.

Serve with cheese, sour cream, chips, or anything you would eat with tacos.

Black Bean Soup

From the Kids Around the World Cook! Book

2 15-19-oz cans black beans
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 gloves garlic, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 t salt
½ t ground pepper
¼ t oregano
1 T sugar
½ - 1 cup water, optional
1-2 T olive oil

Heat the beans with the liquid from the cans in a large pot on low while chopping the vegetables. Saute the chopped onion, garlic, and green pepper in the 2 T. olive oil until onion is tender. Remove a few spoonfuls of the black beans and mash with a fork. Add to the vegetables and mix together. Add the vegetable mixture to the beans in the pot. Add the salt, ground pepper, oregano and sugar. Add the water only if the soup is too thick. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 30-45 min, stirring occasionally. When ready to serve, stir in the remaining olive oil (we skipped that part.) Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream.

From Melanie and Julia D.

Oriental Chicken Salad

2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
2 bags coleslaw mix or 1 head of cabbage, shredded
1 bunch green onions, diced
3 chicken top ramen noodles, crushed
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Dressing:
Spice packets from the ramen soup
5 Tbl. apple cider vinegar
1/4-1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. oil

Mix well then stir through salad just before serving.

Mexican Chicken Soup

4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

4. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using.

5. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

6. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste.

7. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.

Originally by Ina Garten from Barefoot Contessa at Home

Confetti Beans and Rice

1. Prepare one bag of boil-in-bag rice.
2. Add cooked rice to one 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed, 1 cup frozen corn, 1/4 c. minced onions, 1/4 c. chopped peppers, 2 tsp. dijon-style mustard, and 1/2 c. of salad dressing.
3. Toss together
4. Chill or serve at room temperature.
Easy and Fast!

Slow Cooker Berry Cobbler

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

2 tablespoons plus 1 cup sugar, divided

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup fat-free milk

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups unsweetened raspberries

2 cups unsweetened blueberries

2 cups reduced-fat frozen vanilla yogurt, optional

In a bowl, combine 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. In another bowl, combine the egg, milk and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will be thick). Spread batter evenly onto the bottom of a 5-qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine salt and remaining flour and sugar; add berries and toss to coat. Spread over batter. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted into cobbler comes out without crumbs. Top each serving with 1/4 cup frozen yogurt if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

Fudgy Peanut Butter Cake

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons baking cocoa

1 cup boiling water

Vanilla ice cream

In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, flour and baking powder. In another bowl, combine the milk, peanut butter, oil and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Spread evenly into a 1-1/2-qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine the cocoa and remaining sugar; stir in boiling water. Pour into slow cooker (do not stir). Cover and cook on high for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean. Serve warm with ice cream. Yield: 4 servings.

Stuffed Shells

Frozen stuffed shells (Costco sells these) – about 3 per person

½ onion, chopped

½ c. frozen diced green peppers

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce.

Mozzarella Cheese (optional)

Put ½ jar sauce in crockpot. Put everything else in and top with the rest of the sauce. Can be topped with mozzarella cheese. Cook on low for 4+ hours

Beef Stroganoff

1 pound cubed beef stew meat

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup water

8 oz sliced mushrooms

4 ounces cream cheese

In a slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce and water. Cook on Low setting for 8 hours, or on High setting for about 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese just before serving. Serve over egg noodles or rice. (You can make these in advance).

I will also make this with nothing but vegetables – mushrooms, squash, zucchini, green beans, just about anything works.

Potato and Green Bean Casserole

2 (14 ounce) cans green beans, drained, or 1 lb frozen green beans

4-5 large potatoes diced (I leave peels on)

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can water

½ onion, chopped

1 cup shredded Colby cheese

Dump everything into a crockpot on low for 4-6 hours. You can add a meat if you want, but it's good without meat, too. Serve over rice (I use a rice cooker and start it before I leave home. Even if the rice is cold when I'm ready to eat, the hot casserole heats it back up.)

FLAKY FREEZER BISCUITS

These wonderful biscuits can be baked immediately or frozen and baked as needed.

1 T. Yeast (1 pkg.)………….15 mL

2 T. Sugar ………………….30mL

¼ C. Warm Water…………..60mL

Mix above ingredients (yeast, sugar, warm water) in a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.

5 C. Flour …………………..125mL

3 T. Sugar……………………45mL

1 T. Baking Powder…………15mL

1 t. Baking Soda……………..5mL

1 T. Salt……………………..5mL

1 C. Butter or Margarine…….250mL

2 C. Buttermilk………………500mL (substitute with 2 cups of milk and 2 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar)

In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter to form a crumbly mixture. Stir in yeast mixture and buttermilk. Mix just enough to hold dough together. Roll dough ¾" (2 cm) thick on floured surface. Cut out biscuits with the top of a glass or a cutter. Prick tops with fork. Freeze separately on cookie sheet.

After biscuits are frozen, stack and wrap well. Before baking thaw and let rise until doubled in size (about 30 minutes). Bake at 425 degrees F. (220C) for 15 minutes on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Makes 3-4 dozen.

ALTERNATIVE: Grated cheddar cheese may be added to soft dough for flakey cheese biscuits.

Chinese Pepper Steak

1-1.5 lb London Broil or round steak

2 T oil

1 clove garlic

½ tsp salt

freshly ground pepper

½ C soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

¼ C water

1 C fresh or canned tomatoes, cut-up

2 green peppers seeded and cut into strips

1 ½ C bean sprouts

Directions:

Slice steak into narrow strips (it is easier to slice meat when it is partially frozen, icy). In a skillet, brown steak in oil. Combine with garlic, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and sugar in slow cooking pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Turn control to high. Add water, bean sprouts, tomatoes, and green peppers. Cover and cook on high for 15-20 minutes. Pour off juices into a small sauce pan and thicken with cornstarch to the consistency of gravy. Pour back onto pepper steak and serve over rice.

Italian Crock-Pot Chicken

4-6 boneless chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 8-oz package cream cheese

1 package of Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix

Combine soup, cream cheese, dressing mix. Pour over chicken in crock pot. Cook all day over low heat. Serve over rice or noodles.

Variation by Christine B.:

Combine 2 packets Good Seasons dressing mix and 2 cans chicken broth in crockpot. Add chicken (thawed) and cook on low for 4 hours. After 4 hours, take chicken out and shred with a fork. Add 2 cans cream of chicken soup, cream cheese and shredded chicken to the crockpot mixture and cook on low for 1 more hour.

Crock Pot Chili

(undrained 15 oz cans)

2 cans pinto beans

2 cans any kind of white bean

2 cans of diced tomatoes

1 pd. browned ground hamburger

with 2-3 tablespoons of chili powder,

1 tablespoon onion powder,

1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes mix into meat.

Throw ingredients into crock pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours. You can also add diced onion and diced green peppers (optional).

Crock Beef and Vegetable Soup

Day 6 - Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds lean beef stew meat

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 of a medium green bell pepper, chopped

3/4 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 medium carrots, sliced

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2 (14.5-oz.) cans low sodium beef broth

2 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes with garlic, undrained

1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; brown beef; salt and pepper to taste and place in a slow cooker. Add the water to the skillet; bring to a boil and scrape up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan; pour over the beef. Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker; stir to combine. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high setting for 4 to 5 hours, or until veggies are tender.