CAROL'S ALMOND BISCOTTI

4 - 4 & 1/2 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

1 TABLESPOON BAKING POWDER

1/2 TEASPOON SALT

1CUP BUTTER

2CUPS SUGAR

4 LARGE EGGS

1 TABLESPOON VANILLA EXTRACT

1 CUP SLICED NATURAL ALMONDS

1 CUP SLIVERED BLANCHED ALMONDS

OR PINE NUTS ( I USE 2 CUPS NATURAL ALMONDS ONLY )

HEAT OVEN TO 325. LIGHTLY GREASE 2 LARGE BAKING SHEETS.

1. IN MEDIUM BOWL, COMBINE 4 CUPS OF FOUR, BAKING POWDER, SALT AND SET ASIDE. IN A LARGE BOWL, WITH ELECTRIC MIXER ON MEDIUM SPEED, BEAT BUTTER AND SUGAR UNTIL LIGHT AND FLUFFY. ADD EGGS ONE AT A TIME, BEATING WELL AFTER EACH ADDITION. ADD VANILLA TO BUTTER MIXTURE AND BEAT WELL.  REDUCE MIXER SPEED TO LOW, GRADUALLY BEAT MIXTURE INTO BUTTER MIXTURE UNTIL WELL BLENDED.

2. WITH SPOON, STIR IN BOTH TYPES OF NUTS.  IF DOUGH IS TOO SOFT TO SHAPE, STIR IN SOME OF THE REMAINING 1/2 CUP OF FLOUR. DIVIDE DOUGH INTO 6 EQUAL PIECES. SHAPE EACH PIECE INTO A 8 X 2 INCH LOG AND PLACE ACROSS A LARGE BAKING SHEET. BAKE LOGS FOR 30 MINUTES OR UNTIL FIRM AND GOLDEN BROWN.

3. TRANSFER LOGS TO CUTTING BOARD. USING A SERRATED KNIFE AND A SAWING MOTION, CUT 3 INCH LOG DIAGONALLY INTO 1/2 INCH THICK SLICES. ARRANGE SLICES ON BAKING SHEET. BAKE SLICES 15 MINUTES.  COOL SLICES ON WIRE RACK AND STORE IN AIRTIGHT CONTAINERS.  WILL KEEP FOR 2 MONTHS OF SO. IN THE FREEZER, THEY WILL KEEP FOR UP TO 6 MONTHS.

BILL'S LASAGNE

Meat Sauce
1 pound Italian Sweet or Mild sausage
2 cups chopped onions
Add another cup of diced veggies as you like such as bell peppers, carrots,
Pasta sauce (Classico or Bertolli's)

Sauté all ingredients until onions are translucent.
Add some commercially made pasta sauce- I like Classico or Bertollis and don’t be afraid to add some red wine or water to thin out the sauce-the pasta needs it to rehydrate and not be crunchy! The longer the sauce cooks, the better the flavors combine. Just give it time to be really fine.
Béchamel Sauce
3 cups milk
Powdered nutmeg/mace
2 bay leaves (optional)
½ cup butter
¾ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Warm the milk in the microwave with the bay leaf and nutmeg mixed in.
In a non-stick pan, melt butter and then mix in flour.
Cook till a nice nutty aroma comes off the mixture and a nice soft brown color is achieved. Slowly add the heated milk to the flour/butter mix. Stir all the time over medium heat till the béchamel comes together in a nice thick sauce. Then add the cheese to it. Be careful about letting this sauce sit for a while as it will harden up on you and be difficult to work with.
Assembly
In an oblong baking dish which has been buttered or sprayed with non-stick:Add some of the meat mixture. Then a layer of the non-pre cooked Barilla pasta (1 pound box-I have started to use the whole grain pasta).
Then a layer of the béchamel.
Repeat for about three layers.
The last layer should just be pasta and then a layering of the béchamel.
Finish by dotting the top with butter and a sprinkle of Parmesan.

If you are cooking in a glass dish, put the lasagna in the oven on a cookie sheet. Bake according to your pasta’s instructions, usually 350 for about 50 minutes, covered with foil! Take the foil off for the last five to ten minutes of cooking for browning. Let it sit for about ten minutes and then cut and enjoy!

 

BACON MUSHROOM CHICKEN



2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 bone-in chicken breast halves, with skin
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 clove garlic, crushed (I used garlic powder)
2 thick slices bacon
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350.

Pour melted butter into a 9x13 inch-baking dish. Add chicken, skin side down; sprinkle with seasoning salt and garlic. Turn chicken over, season, and lay bacon strips on top. Sprinkle with mushrooms.

Bake in preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Remove chicken, bacon and mushrooms to a platter and keep warm. Pour juices from baking dish into a small saucepan and whisk together with cream over low heat until thickened. Pour sauce over chicken and serve warm.

   

 

 

    

      

 

Katie’s Buffalo Chicken Dip

8 oz. block cream cheese
12.5 oz can Tyson all white chicken ( drain and break up chicken to
shredded consistency)
1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Buffalo wing sauce
1/2 cup ranch dressing
  *****you can add or subtract buffalo/ranch to taste****
1/4-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook on stove top medium heat until all cheese are melted and
everything blends together. Keep in crockpot on warm.

APPLE DABBLE CAKE

1 + 1/2 CUPS CRISCO OIL

3 EGGS

2 CUPS SUGAR

2 TSP VANILLA

3 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

1 TSP BAKING SODA

1 TSP SALT

1 TSP CINNAMON

3 CUPS CHOPPED APPLES-GOLDEN DELICIOUS OR FUGI WORK WELL

1 CUP CHOPPED NUTS

CREAM TOGETHER THE OIL, EGGS, SUGAR & VANILLA. SIFT TOGETHER THE FLOUR, SODA,SALT AND CINNAMON, ADD TO THE EGG MIXTURE. ADD THE NUTS & APPLES, POUR INTO A BUNDT PAN, & BAKE @ 350 FOR 1-1 & 1/2 HOURS OR UNTIL DONE. COOL AND DUST WITH POWDERED SUGAR.

BILL'S CHEWY NOELS

Bake at 350 degrees in a 9x9 pan.

Melt 2 tbsp of butter in pan (in oven).
Beat 2 eggs with 1 tsp of Vanilla.

Mix 1 cup of brown sugar with 5 tbsp of flour, 1/8 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 cup of broken walnuts (you can use other types of nuts).
Add sugar mixture with egg mixture and mix.

Now pour mixture into buttered pan and cook for 25 minutes or till firm to the touch.

When they are done, let cool for a minute then divide the pan into equal larger pieces and remove from hot pan.  Cut them on a cutting board into rows and then roll them in powdered sugar on wax paper.

The recipe doubles very easily into an oblong pan.

This recipe is from my brother BILL LEWIS in Seattle....great cook and wonderful brother!!!

Bacon, Corn & Zucchini Medley

4 slices bacon
2 cups chopped zucchini
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 small onion, chopped
1 pinch pepper
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:
1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings. Drain bacon, chop, and set aside.

2. Heat the bacon drippings in the skillet over medium heat. Saute the zucchini, corn, and onion until tender but still crisp, about 10 minutes. Season with pepper. Spoon vegetables into a bowl, and sprinkle with chopped bacon and shredded cheese.