CLASSIC STUFFED POTATOES

CLASSIC STUFFED POTATOES Food Recipes, I think almost everyone has their own version of stuffed baked potatoes, but for those who don't, I hope you will try this recipe. It is such a versatile dish that you can add just about any ingredient to this recipe to suite your tastes. My favorite version has crisp bacon, sauteed onions, broccoli, cheese, sour cream and butter. It is an excellent side dish for dinner guests because you can make these early in the day and then just heat them up while you are grilling the main course. Stuffed potatoes and a small salad also make a wonderful meal all by themselves.

3 large baking potatoes (1 pound each)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup of butter (divided)
1/2 cup light cream (or less)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
3 slices bacon fried crisp and drained
1 cup broccoli chopped small

Wash and dry baking potatoes. Bake them (unwrapped) in a 375 degree oven for about one hour and 20 minutes or until easily pierced with a knife. Let the potatoes cool until you can handle them or use a oven glove to protect your hands. Cut potatoes in half, lengthwise; carefully scoop out pulp and put it into a mixing bowl (try not to tear the potato skins). Saute onions until they are tender and sweet in 1/4 cup butter then add them to the potato pulp. Saute the broccoli until tender and set aside.

Removed a few of the "prettier" broccoli florets to decorate the potato tops and set those aside. Mix the potato pulp, onions, remaining 1/4 cup butter, sour cream, cheese and seasonings until very well mixed. Whip in enough of the light cream to make a consistency like mashed potatoes(you may not need all of the cream). Stir in the crisp bacon and small broccoli pieces with a wooden spoon.
Fill potato skins with this mixture (mounding slightly) and top with a little extra cheddar, decorate with broccoli florets and drizzle with a little butter. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through. Makes six half potatoes.

NOTE: If you make these earlier in the day, cover and refrigerate them. At dinner time, bake them at 350 for about 40 minutes.
NOTE: These potatoes are also excellent topped with beef stroganoff or Swedish meatballs.
CLASSIC STUFFED POTATOES FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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APPLE TURNOVERS

APPLE TURNOVERS Food Recipes, These delicious apple turnovers could not be easier, since the crust is ready made phylo dough and the filling goes together in minutes. The turnovers are brushed with an egg wash and sprinkled with sugar, which bakes into a shiny, flaky, lighter-than-air crust. You can have these on the table in less than 30 minutes.

1 sheet thawed phylo dough
2 cups cubed apples
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Egg wash = 1 egg mixed with 1 tbsp. water
This recipe makes 4 apple turnovers (can be easily doubled). Preheat oven to 400. Spray a large cookie sheet (with edges) with vegetable spray, then use a paper towel to wipe most of the vegetable spray off.
In large frying pan melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium high heat. Add two cups of cubed apples and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and continue to cook (stirring once in a while) for another 3-4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour and stir to dissolve. Continue to cook until apples are almost tender and sauce has thickened, remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
On lightly floured surface, roll phylo dough out to a 12" x 12" square. Cut dough into four squares. Put one fourth of the cooked apple mixture into the center of each square. Dip your fingers in the egg wash and moisten the interior edges of each square. Fold dough over apple filling to make a triangle; pinch edges shut. You can bake them just like this (as triangles) but I don't care for the empty crust corners of the triangle so I grasp both (empty) corner points and bring them back to the center (see next photo). Moisten the point ends with egg wash and pinch them together. Cut one or two small vent holes in each turnover.

Brush the turnovers with egg wash and sprinkle with white sugar. Bake 20 minutes in a preheated 400 oven. Cool on baking rack. Best eaten warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: Best way to thaw phylo dough is overnight in the fridge.
NOTE: I snip vent holes in the crust with kitchen scissors.
NOTE: Pre-made phylo dough can be found in the freezer section of any market.

NOTE: I usually make these with a baking apple like granny smith, however I only had red delicious apples today and they worked great too.

NOTE: How long you saute the apples depends on what kind of apples you use and how small you chop them. Keep the times listed as an approximate. Test for doneness with the tip of a knife.

APPLE TURNOVERS FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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FUDGY BROWNIES FOR TWO

FUDGY BROWNIES FOR TWO Food Recipes, I whipped these up in just a few minutes today and I must tell you they are delicious!! Moist, fudgy and just right for two huge 4" x 4" brownies (or six small ones). I can also see many other possibilities for these beauties. Do you have last minute company coming? Cut these into 6 small brownies and top each one with a scoop of vanilla ice cream & chocolate syrup for a wonderful dessert or cut these brownies into small pieces and layer them with chocolate pudding for a wonderful last minute parfait. Then, of course, there is always the "I need something rich and chocolate-y late night attack" --these would be PERFECT!!

Preheat your oven to 350 and spray an 8" x 4" x 2" loaf pan (recipe will give you a brownie 8" long 4" wide and 1" thick).

1/4 cup butter flavored Crisco
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 large egg
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cream shortening, sugar, cocoa, vanilla and egg together until smooth. Add dry ingredients and beat until well combined. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Spread mixture in lightly greased loaf pan and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
NOTE: To help in removing the baked brownies, I cut a piece of parchment paper (wax paper works too) the same size as the bottom of the loaf pan, except I made it twice as long. After the brownies were baked (and cooled for about 15 minutes) I used the "tails" of the paper to hang on to and lifted the brownies out of the pan.
NOTE: I decorated the top of my brownies with some whole pecans and a couple swirls of a simple chocolate glaze, but it isn't necessary. These brownies are super rich and moist, they really don't need any frosting at all.
NOTE: Recipe calls for a baking time of 15 to 20 minutes. My oven took 20 minutes.
FUDGY BROWNIES FOR TWO FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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SUPER EASY SUGAR COOKIES

SUPER EASY SUGAR COOKIES Food Recipes, School is in session and everyone is looking for lunch box ideas. This is a great one since it is the easiest sugar cookie I have ever tried. It is quick to put together, using simple ingredients and it has a fantastic, buttery flavor and better yet... you don't have to roll out the dough! Three of our granddaughters visited this weekend and they helped make these cookies for our tea party; we wore (flower adorned) big straw garden hats, fancy formals and tons of necklaces).

1 cup butter

1 and 1/4 cup white sugar

3 egg yolks

2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

extra sugar to roll cookie dough in

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease cookie sheet.

Cream butter and sugar, then beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Add flour baking soda and cream of tartar. Beat until well mixed.

Form into walnut size balls and roll in sugar. Place 2" apart on cookie sheet (do not flatten). Bake 10-11 minutes or until tops are cracked and just turning color.

NOTE: I did not grease my cookie sheets and I had no sticking problems.

NOTE: I baked my cookies 13 minutes.

SUPER EASY SUGAR COOKIES FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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PINEAPPLE WHIPPED CREAM DRESSING

PINEAPPLE WHIPPED CREAM DRESSING Food Recipes, When I was a kid, my mother, bless her heart, made (what she called) fruit salad on special occasions. Her idea of fruit salad was a can of drained fruit cocktail with a little Dream Whip stirred in; if it was a very special occasion, she added a banana. When I started cooking, a good fruit salad was one of the things I wanted to learn how to make.

The other day, Judy from Mennonite Girls Can Cook posted a simple little recipe for a fruit salad dressing that is exactly what I've been searching for (they have the greatest recipes over there). A cooked pineapple flavored whipped cream dressing that I just had to try.

1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream (+1/4 cup sugar - my tweak)

Beat the eggs until smooth, then stir in sugar and juices. Cook over medium heat until thickened (stirring constantly). Chill

Just before serving, whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks form and fold it into the chilled pineapple mixture. Fold the dressing into the salad or serve on the side.

NOTE: The recipe, as written, is ALMOST on the verge of tart (for our tastes), so I added 1/4 cup of sugar to the whipping cream before I whipped it. The additional sugar produces a dressing that is ALMOST verging on sweet (definitely not too sweet). Here is my suggestion: When the cooked part of the dressing has chilled, taste it...if you like it, don't add any extra sugar and just fold it directly into the whipped cream.

If you would like the final dressing to be a little sweeter, add the extra sugar to the whipping cream before you whip it, then fold the two together. Does that make sense?

NOTE: This pineapple whipped cream is super light, fluffy and creamy, it would be great on just about anything (I plan on using it on pound cake). I also have plans for substituting orange juice for the pineapple juice and making an orange flavored whipped cream. TONS of possibilities here!
PINEAPPLE WHIPPED CREAM DRESSING FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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PIZZA CHICKEN

PIZZA CHICKEN Food Recipes, I came up with the idea for pizza chicken one day when afternoon thunder showers cancelled my grilling plans. There I was, faced with (yet another) potentially boring package of boneless, skinless chicken staring at me.

The food fairies must have been at my house that day, because the recipe idea just popped into my head and it has been a huge hit ever since. The first time I served this to picky-picky husband, he gave me that, all too familiar, sidewards glance as if to say...you expect me to try this? But, to his credit, he took a bite and his eyes opened wide as he said "this is REALLY good!!" I almost fell off of my chair. The recipe immediately became one of our favorite quick fix dinners.


I took boneless, skinless chicken breasts and sliced them horizontally (to make two or three THIN chicken cutlets which I breaded and browned. I placed them on a baking sheet and topped them with pizza sauce (recipe follows) and a generous handful of mozzarella cheese and heated them through...thats it!!

PIZZA CHICKEN

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 eggs
all purpose flour for breading
dry bread crumbs for breading

1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 clove garlic minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
(1) 6 ounce can of tomato paste
(1) 6 ounce can of water
1 teaspoon dry sweet basil
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (do not leave out)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch dry crushed red pepper flakes


Depending on how thick the chicken pieces are, slice them horizontally into two or three thin layers. Coat each layer with all purpose flour, then dunk them into beaten eggs, then coat them with a generous layer of fine dry bread crumbs. Brown these cutlets in a little canola oil and set them on paper towels to drain. Because they are thin, they will cook quite quickly.


Next make the pizza sauce: Saute the onion, celery and garlic in the olive oil until they are tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. The sauce will thicken up very quickly after it comes to a boil which is what you want (thick). Remove from heat and set aside.


Top the browned chicken with the pizza sauce (dividing equally between the cutlets) and top with a generous handful of mozzarella cheese.


Bake at 350 until the chicken and sauce are nice and hot and the cheese is melted (about 15 minutes).

NOTE: Add any veggies you like on pizza (before you put it in the oven).

NOTE: If you have any leftovers, pizza chicken makes a delicious sandwich!!

NOTE: If you decide to use a commercial pizza sauce, just make sure it is a very thick one (but I hope you will use the above recipe instead).
PIZZA CHICKEN FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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HEARTY BREAKFAST SANDWICH

HEARTY BREAKFAST SANDWICH Food Recipes, What is that old saying..."necessity is the mother of invention"? Well, necessity was the origin of this simple breakfast sandwich over the weekend. Hubby and I had a leisurely late morning breakfast planned when he received an unexpected phone call and had to meet a client right away. As luck would have it, I already had some potatoes and bacon fried up, so I mixed them into a couple of scrambled eggs, along with some cheese and morphed it all into a grilled sandwich that he could take with him.

1 small potato chopped fairly small (skins on)
3 slices of bacon diced
2 eggs
salt and pepper
2 slices of favorite cheese
2 slices of bread

Fry the bacon first, until it is crispy & drain it on paper towels. Pour the bacon fat out of the pan, but leave just a very thin skim of fat in the pan to fry the potatoes in. Fry the potatoes (make sure they are chopped very small) and drain on paper towels. Wipe the pan out & return the potatoes, crumbled bacon and two large eggs to the pan. Stir everything together, add salt and pepper & cook until soft set (leave the egg-bacon-potato mixture as flat and thin as possible).

Put the egg mixture and cheese slices in between two slices of bread. Butter the outside of the bead and grill like you would any other grilled sandwich.

To make the story short...breakfast interruption was avoided and Hubby was able to take his breakfast with him. He said it tasted great and stayed hot for a long time.
NOTE: Makes two hearty sandwiches.

HEARTY BREAKFAST SANDWICH FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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