Manicotti

Manicotti

Pictured is half the recipe

Ingredients

• 12 manicotti noodles
• 4 cups mozzarella (divided)
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• egg
• 2 tablespoons basil
• 26 oz spaghetti sauce (divided)
• 1/2 Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease 9 x 13 pan.
2. In med bowl stir together 3 cups mozzarella, egg, ricotta and basil.
3. Using a teaspoon stuff UNCOOKED manicotti noodles with cheese mixture.
4. Spoon 2 cups spaghetti sauce in dish.  Arrange stuffed pasta over sauce.
5. Pour remaining sauce over top of pasta.  Sprinkle with remaining  mozzarella.
6. Cover with foil and bake 50 minutes.
7. Uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake 10 minutes longer.

So easy to make now that I know you don't have to COOK the noodles first.  Sure make
stuffing them easy.
This is one of my favorite meals.
A salad and garlic bread top it off.
 Happy Eating 🍽

Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons corn starch
• 1 1/2 cups orange juice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 6 cups assorted cut-up fruit

Directions

1. Mix sugar and corn starch together in saucepan.
2. Gradually stir in orange juice until smooth.
3. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and boil 1 minute.
4. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
5. When cool fold in fruit.

Sauce cooked and cooling

Fruit added to the sauce

 Great with any kind of fruit.

The one pictured has 

strawberries

green grapes

black grapes

pineapple

orange slices

blueberries

I find there is more than enough sauce to cover the 6 cups of fruit and always add more fruit.
Every where I bring this, people love it and ask for the recipe.

Happy Eating

🍓     🍇     🍌     🍉     🍒     🍍

Rigatoni and Vegetables

Rigatoni and Vegetables

Ingredients

• 1/2 box (16 oz) rigatoni pasta
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large green pepper cut in 1/2 inch strips
• 1 small onion
• 1 zucchini cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 2 cloves garlic crushed with garlic press
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 4 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese into 1/2 inch dice

Directions

1. Cook pasta
2. Meanwhile heat oil over medium high heat in a nonstick 12" skillet.  Add pepper and onion and cook until lightly charred and tender, about 7 minutes.
3. Add zucchini and garlic, cover and cook 3 minutes.
4. Add oregano, salt and cook 30 seconds.  
5. Stir in tomatoes and cook until slightly softened.
6. Drain pasta.  In serving bowl, toss pasta with vegetables and cheese.

Ken and I both thought it very good and tasty.  Good flavor.
Happy eating  🍽

Macaroni Salad

 Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoons pickle relish
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons vinegar
• 1/4 salt
• 3/4 teaspoon celery seed

Directions

1. Bring pot of water to boil.  Add macaroni.  Return to boil.  Cover and turn off heat.  Let sit for 10 minutes.
2. In large bowl, stir together onion, celery, pepper, and relish.  Set aside.
3. Stir together mayo, mustard, sugar, vinegar, salt and celery seed.
4. Pour over the vegetables, and stir till well blended.
5. Add macaroni and mix well.
6. Cover and chill for a least 1 hour before serving.

This is my favorite macaroni salad.
Happy eating  🍽

Forgotten Cookies

Forgotten Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 2/3 cup sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)
2. Beat egg whites till stiff, gradually add sugar.
3. Add salt and vanilla.
4. Add chips 
5. Drop by spoonfuls on foil lined cookie tray.  Put in oven and turn oven off.  Leave oven door closed.  Leave in overnight.

My mother's recipe.
Light and airy cookies and very good.  And only 25 calories.
Ken wasn't that crazy about them.
Happy eating 🍪

Salmon Cakes with Dill Sauce

Salmon Cakes

Recipe from the book Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

 Ingredients:

• 7 or 8 oz can salmon (can also use tuna or chicken)
• 2 slices bread, crusts removed
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (can also use hot sauce or lemon juice)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 Tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Drain can salmon and put in small mixing bowl.  Flake it with a fork.
2. Tear bread into small pieces and add to salmon.
3. Add egg and mix it all up with a fork.
4. Mix in the Worcestershire sauce (or hot sauce of lemon juice), dry mustard, salt, and onion powder
5. Stir it all up until it resembles a thick batter with lumps.
6. Form into 3 balls and then flatten like a hamburger patty about 1/2 inch thick.
7. Let them sit for a minute or two to firm up. 
8. Melt butter in frying pan over medium heat. (I cooked mine on a griddle sprayed with Pam.)
9. Place patties in pan and fry about 2 minutes on each side. 
10. Drain patties on a paper towel.

Serve with Dill Sauce
Mix 2 Tablespoons heavy cream and 1/2 cup mayonnaise till smooth and then mix in 1 teaspoon dill weed.
Cover with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

I doubled the recipe and made 6 cakes.

Ken thought they were okay but he's not that crazy about sea food anyway.  Me on the other hand thought they were very good and I loved the Dill Sauce.  

Happy Eating 🍴

Red Velvet Cookies

Red Velvet Cookies

Recipe from the book Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

Ingredients

• 2 one-ounce squares unsweetened baking chocolate (melted)
• 1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tablespoon red food coloring
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, rack in the middle position.
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Spray the paper with Pam.
3. Combine butter and sugars together in bowl and mix till smooth.
4. Add baking soda and salt and mix till incorporated.
5. Add egg and beat till smooth. 
6. Add red food coloring and mix in.
7. Add half the flour.  When incorporated add the sour cream.
8. Add the rest of the flour and beat till incorporated.
9.  Stir in the chocolate chips.
10. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray with Pam.
11. Use teaspoon to drop dough on parchment paper (I used medium size Pampered Chef scoop.) 
12.  Bake 9 - 11 minutes (I baked them 10 minutes)
13. Slide the parchment from the cookie sheets and onto a wire rack.  Let the cookies cool on rack while the next batch is baking. 

Electric mixer is recommended which I used and made quite a mess as the dough is pretty sticky.  Next time I will mix it all by hand.

Cookies are very good and were a hit with Ken and David.  Tastes like little bites of Red Velvet Cake.

They are time consuming to make with lots of steps but worth it.

Happy Eating 🍪