Pecan cranberry tart

FOUND IT: At Foodnetwork.com, where it was linked from a pecan pie recipe I've also mentioned recently.

I love pecan pie, and this is a great twist on it. The crust is a fair amount of work, but it's worth it as an alternative to a normal pie crust. You can also simplify a fair amount here. For example: The recipe calls for a tart pan, but I don't own one. A pie plate worked fine in its place.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 3 tbsp water

Filling:

• 1 cup pecan halves, divided into two 1/2 cups
  
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  

Coat a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick spray.

To make crust: Spread oats in another pie pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until toasted, 6 to 12 minutes at 375. Let cool. (I didn't.) Place the oats in a food processor and process until coarsely ground. Leave the oven on and set at 375.

Stir together oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Drizzle oil onto dry ingredients and use a fork or your fingers to blend until crumbly. Using a fork, stir in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 7 to 8 times. Roll the dough out to an 11-inch circle, dusting with flour if necessary. Transfer the dough to prepared pan, pressing to fit. Trim edges. (If necessary, use scraps to patch any holes in crust.)

To make filling & bake: Spread 1/2 cup pecans on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Whisk brown sugar, eggs, egg whites, corn syrup, vinegar, butter, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. By this point your pecans should be cool-ish, give them a coarse chop. Stir in dried cranberries and the chopped pecans. Spoon filling into crust. Arrange remaining 1/2 cup pecans on top of the filling.

Bake the tart until filling is set and crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Cranberry Brie en Croute

FOUND IT: The cranberry part is from this recipe, and the en croute part is from this one.

I've tried my normal brie en croute recipe several ways now. This one is great for holiday gatherings when cranberries are in season. With that said, the cranberry sauce recipe below makes much more than you'll need for this, so cut it in half if you don't want extra.

This one must have been a hit: I made it for a holiday party at my house and had someone immediately request I make it again for a gathering at their house.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a 17.3 oz package of puff pastry sheets
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 13.2 ounce Brie cheese round

For the cranberry sauce:

• 1 cup orange juice
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 12 oz bag fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  

Leave a puff pastry sheet out around 40 minutes to defrost. If you can't wait that long, try putting it in the microwave on defrost, checking every 30 seconds.

In a medium saucepan, combine juice and sugar; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves.

Add cranberries and continue simmering until cranberries pop and mixture has thickened; about 10-12 minutes. Stir in cinnamon. Transfer from the saucepan to a bowl, and let it cool and thicken for half an hour. Less time is probably ok, but it's easier to work with once it's cool.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface, and roll out to a 14 inch square (mine was about the right shape already). Spoon roughly half a cup of the cranberry sauce into the middle of the sheet, in a circle the size of your wheel of brie. Unwrap the brie and place it on top of that. Fold two sides of the pastry dough over the brie. Cut the remaining two sides to just fit over the cheese. Place the brie in a baking dish (I use a pie plate) seam side down.

Beat the egg and water together and brush this mixture onto the outside.

Bake 20-25 minutes at 400 until the pastry is "deep golden brown." Let it cool for 45 minutes before serving.

Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup

FOUND IT: My mother-in-law lent me The Soup Bible. I didn't end up making many recipes out of it, but this is a good one.

With that said, this is a somewhat thin soup when it's done. At the very least, you'll want to add some oyster crackers or something similar for texture. I went a step farther and added a 16 oz package of mini gnocchi.

Later, I also added a red bell pepper after seeing Sunny Anderson use it in a similar recipe on her show. I didn't notice a big difference, but my wife seemed to think it made the soup better.

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs ripe roma tomatoes, quartered and seeded (recipe calls for them to be peeled, but I don't.)
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into quarters or so with seeds removed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil or butter
• 1 leek, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 5 cups of chicken stock
• 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled (I double this)
• 3 tbsp heavy cream (I skip this if I don't have it on hand)
• Several large fresh basil leaves (dried works too)
• 6 oz cooked, crumbled bacon for garnish (More bacon will never draw a complaint)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 16 oz package of mini gnocchi

Spread the tomatoes and bell peppers in a 9x13 pan, then sprinkle them with the garlic and some salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

After they've been in for about 20 minutes, heat the butter or oil in a soup pot (I use my dutch oven for half batches). Add the leek and carrot, and some more salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until they're tender or the tomatoes are done.

Add the tomatoes and peppers and stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the blue cheese, cream (if using), and basil. Once the cheese has melted, you can either transfer it to a blender/food processor to puree, or use an immersion blender to puree in the pot. If you have to remove it from the pot to puree, return it to the pot to reheat to serving temperature.

(If you're using the gnocchi, add them here and let simmer for roughly 5-8 minutes or until gnocchi are done.)

Garnish with bacon and/or a sprig of fresh herbs.

Pecan pie

FOUND IT: At FoodNetwork.com.

Pecan pie is one of my favorite foods. Last winter I had a recipe that I made over and over again until my wife complained so I put it away for a while. This winter I wanted to make one again, but the recipe was gone. This one is also pretty good, so I'm filing it away before I lose it again.

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 cups chopped toasted pecans
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 pre-baked pie crust (follow the link above for a recipe for that)
  

In a medium saucepan combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat and, stirring constantly, continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts and the vanilla. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. (If the crust has cooled, return it to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.) Whisk the beaten eggs into the filling until smooth. Put the pie shell on a sheet pan and pour the filling into the hot crust.

Bake on the lower oven rack at 400 until the edges are set but the center is still slightly loose, about 40 to 45 minutes. If the edges get very dark, cover them with aluminum foil half way during baking, or use a silicon cover for the edges, like I do.

Easy Enchiladas

FOUND IT: Trenni Kusnierek of MLB Network was kind enough to share it with me.

This is a great, flexible enchilada recipe with a quick, easy list of ingredients. It calls for chicken, but I replaced it with half ground venison/half black beans, and that seemed to work out well.

I also used hot picante sauce (and a little too much of it), and the result was a meal that I thought was great but made smoke come out of my wife's ears. If you're not a fan of spicy food, stick to mild/medium.

Ingredients:

• 1 10 3/4 oz of cream of chicken soup, preferably the fat-free kind
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1 cup picante sauce
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 cup Monterrey jack cheese (I used a mexican blend)
• Additional cheese for on top, if desired
  
• 6-8 flour tortillas, warmed
• 2 cups of shredded chicken (or 1 cup of ground beef/venison and 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed)

Brown meat, if you haven't already.

In a bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder. Take one cup of this mixture, and combine it in another bowl with the cheese, meat and beans (if using).

Lightly grease a 9x9 baking dish (they'll fit tightly, but it should work). Spoon some filling into a tortilla, roll it up and place it seam-side-down in the dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Once all the tortillas are in the dish, pour the remaining soup mixture over the top.

Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes at 350. If you're adding cheese, remove the foil at this point, put the cheese on top and bake for another 5-7 minutes. Give them a few minutes to cool before serving.

Waffle Cookies...or "Wookies"

FOUND IT: I got the idea via Lifehacker, who directed me to a recipe at FineCooking.com.

This idea is genius. The cookies are easy, bake fast, have an interesting shape and pattern, and are delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1-1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Nonstick cooking spray

Heat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.

In a large bowl, whisk the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

Coat the grids of the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Use a spoon to place small spoonfuls of cookies on the grid. Close the iron and cook until set and beginning to brown, roughly a minute and a half (my waffle iron lights up when it's done). Use a fork to transfer the cooked cookies to a wire rack and repeat with the remaining dough, coating the grids with spray as necessary.

Double Decker Pumpkin Pudding

FOUND IT: At Thriftyfun.com

This is a great, easy, relatively simple recipe. Top it with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and you'll love it. It's also better the second day.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pumpkin puree, or a 15 oz can
  
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 small can evaporated milk (5-1/3 oz.)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp ginger
  
• 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (I skipped this)
  
• 1 package spice cake mix (1 layer size)
• Whipped cream, optional

Mix pumpkin, sugar, milk, eggs, butter and spices in a large bowl. Beat until well mixed. Fold in the nuts. Pour into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Spread cake batter over pumpkin mixture. It might look like it's sinking in, but it'll rise to the top during baking. Bake at 325 until cake tests done with a toothpick, about 45 minutes.

If desired, top with whipped cream or Cool Whip.

Cheesy Wisconsin Chowder

FOUND IT: Via Wisconsin Cheese's Twitter Feed.

This is a nice, hearty soup. It could use a little more of something, either more cheese or maybe some meat to add some flavor to it. But, it's a pretty good soup this way too, filling and warming.

Ingredients:

3 cups carrots, diced
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
3/4 cup green onions, chopped
4 cups red potatoes, cut in 1/2-3/4" chunks (the recipe calls for them to be peeled, but I skipped that step)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (recipe calls for 1 10 1/2 oz can)
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt (I used much more of this, the pepper and the nutmeg)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar (I used a whole cup, and would use more next time)

Coat a Dutch oven or soup pot with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high. Add carrots, celery and green onions. Saute, stirring often, about 8 minutes.

Add potatoes and chicken stock; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, combine flour and milk in a bowl, whisking until smooth. Add milk mixture to pan and stir well. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook 2 minutes or until thickened.

Remove from heat. Stir in the cheese until melted. Serve hot (do not boil).

Laura's Salsa

FOUND IT: Laura gave it to me on a note card and said "Will you put this on your site please?"

I'm not a big homemade salsa fan, but Laura is and she asked me to put this recipe on the site for safekeeping.

Ingredients:

1 can yellow corn
1 can white shoe peg corn
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black eyes peas, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can rotella hot tomatoes
1 tbsp cilantro
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 small bottle of italian dressing
1 cup medium salsa

Easy Pasta with Sausage Ragu

FOUND IT: At the NY Times' Bitten blog.

I typically avoid making my own pasta sauce, because it's time consuming and you can get really good sauce in a jar. With that said, this is pretty quick, easy and good.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage, removed from casing if necessary
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound pasta
• At least 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Put the oil in a 10-inch skillet, and turn the heat to medium. Once it's hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage in bits, and turn the heat to medium high; cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is nicely browned, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add milk, tomato paste, some salt and pepper; stir to blend, and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened but not dry. Keep it warm if necessary, and if it becomes too thick, add a little more milk or water.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta, and drain it when it's done. Toss pasta with sauce and parmesan cheese and enjoy.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie

FOUND IT: At Thriftyfun.com.

This is a nice variation on pumpkin pie. The little bit of peanut butter in it goes a long way.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin(or 2 cups pumpkin puree)
  
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup light cream, you may substitute half and half (I use skim milk)
  
• (9-inch) unbaked deep-dish pie crust

In large bowl, beat eggs, then add pumpkin, sugars, peanut butter, seasonings and salt. Gradually add light cream, beating until blended; pour into pie crust. Bake 65 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. On wire rack, let cool. Garnish, if desired, with whipped cream.

(Note: I used skim milk and that might be part of it, but this took much longer than 65 minutes. I didn't time it exactly, but it might have been closer to 90-100. It also produced nearly a cup more filling than I needed, so the "deep dish" part of the pie crust is important.)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

FOUND IT: On Allrecipes.com, with a reference from my friend Erin.

Yes, another pumpkin recipe. Maybe I should change the name of the blog. Give me ideas for something that'll alliterate with both pumpkins and mac and cheese.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin pureee
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Splenda
  
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I skipped them)

Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in to wet ingredients. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

Stir in vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm. These are soft, fluffy cookies so they won't get really dark or firm.

Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese

FOUND IT: Where else? Keyingredient.com

As I've mentioned previously, I cook pumpkins down from scratch in big batches every year, and as such I'm always looking for new ways to cook it. This isn't the kind of recipe I would ever try if "pumpkin" hadn't been in the title - with that said, it's not bad and much healthier than your average mac and cheese. Just make sure you're using good cheese, because a little bit of cheese has to go a long way here.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• ½ cup grated (I just used 1 1/2 cups of sharp cheddar)
• ¼ tsp ground mustard
• ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ tsp ground red pepper
• Salt and pepper
• 10 oz. small pasta

Boil pasta according to package directions to al dente. Heat pumpkin puree in a medium
saucepan over medium to high heat. Add milk and thoroughly combine. Turn heat down to low. Add ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ½ cup cheddar cheese, and the mozzarella cheese. Stir until melted into pumpkin mixture. Add mustard, worchestire sauce, red pepper, and salt & pepper. Mix pumpkin sauce with drained pasta until thoroughly combined. Mix in rest of cheddar cheese.

Sprinkle extra cheese (if you have any) on top and bake in a 9x9 baking dish at 350 for ten minutes. Allow to cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.

Sauteed Apples

FOUND IT: On Allrecipes.com

I have over 40 lbs of apples on hand and needed a side dish for pork chops, so this filled in nicely. With the amount of sugar in it, it's basically pie filling, but you could call it a serving of fruit.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 large tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  

In a large skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add apples. Cook, stirring constantly, until apples are almost tender, about 6 to 7 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in water; add to skillet. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and serve warm.

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

FOUND IT: It's a Paula Dean recipe.

Until I made this one, I thought there was only two ways to make mac and cheese: on the stove or in the oven. This one creates a third option - in the crock pot. The volume of pasta would suggest a small recipe, but this filled my small crock pot, and easily serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (slightly more than half of a 1 lb box).
  
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes.
• 10 ounces grated sharp Cheddar
• 3 eggs, beaten (less if you don't want them)
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk (I used skim)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

(The recipe calls for 3 hours, but make sure it doesn't get dry and add liquid if you need to. When I made it, it was really good at 2 hours, and not as good at 3.)

Foolproof Mac and Cheese

FOUND IT: My mother-in-law spotted it in a Cooks Illustrated publication.
MODIFIED IT: I removed the bread crumb topping, which I've never been a big fan of, and replaced it with some extra cheese on top. Other changes are noted below.

Ingredients:

1 lb elbow macaroni
Table salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter
5 tbsp flour
3 12-ounce cans evaporated milk (I use two and 1 1/2 cups skim milk)
2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dry mustard
8 ounces extra sharp cheddar, shredded
5 ounces American cheese, shredded (You can use mild cheddar, or just skip it and replace it with sharp cheddar)
2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

(The recipe calls for you to save 1/2 cup of the pasta water. If you use the skim milk as I did above, you don't need it.)

Boil macaroni in a large pot with 1 tbsp of salt until al dente. Save 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Melt butter in the now empty pot, cooking until it becomes foamy. Whisk in the flour until it starts to brown a little, then whisk in the milk, hot sauce, nutmeg, mustard, and 2 tsp of salt, stir and simmer until the mixture *starts to* thicken, roughly 4-5 minutes. Off heat, stir in cheeses and reserved cooking water (if you're using it). Stir in pasta and mix until coated.

Pour mixture into 13x9 baking dish, top with some extra shredded cheese (maybe some jack or mild cheddar), and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

FOUND IT: It's a Martha.

Roasting pumpkin seeds is a nice bonus when cooking down dozens of pumpkins, as I plan on doing this year. I usually double the recipe, as I'm usually cooking at least two pumpkins at a time.

Ingredients:

• Seeds from one medium pumpkin (roughly 1 cup)
  
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil (I use olive oil)
  

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread seeds on parchment in an even layer. Bake at 250 until dry, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Let cool. (Actually, I usually go straight from oven to pan.)

In a medium bowl combine 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add pumpkin seeds and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook until sugar melts and pumpkin seeds begin to caramelize, about 45 to 60 seconds. Transfer to bowl with spices, and stir well to coat. Let cool. These may be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week. They'll never last that long.

Pumpkin Waffles

FOUND IT: At my friend Erin's blog about her adventures in Alaska.

I always love a good pumpkin recipe. This one makes a lot, so cut it in half if you're only feeding 2-4 people.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk (Skim milk works.)
1 cup pumpkin, canned or fresh
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl with buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until smooth. In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Folk them gently into the waffle batter, until just combined. Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon batter (about 2 cups for four 4-inch Belgian waffles) into waffle iron, spreading quickly. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm and crisp. Make more waffles in same manner.

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

FOUND IT: At this site.

I love pumpkin, and cook a bunch of it down from scratch using the oven version of this recipe every year. As such, I've always got a bunch of it around this time of year. And, like everyone else in the Midwest, I've got a ton of zucchini around. This recipe uses a little of both, and it's delicious.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 2 cups pumpkin puree, from a can or fresh
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 3 cups flour
• 1 Teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup chopped or ground walnuts (optional)
• (I added a cup of chocolate chips)

Spray two bread loaf pans, or a loaf pan and a round cake pan, as I did. Mix eggs, sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Stir in pumpkin puree and butter(or margarine). Mix flour, baking soda, and spices in a separate bowl. Stir dry ingredients into the first bowl containing the egg mixture. Stir in the shredded zucchini. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips, if you are using them. Divide the batter into the two pans. Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes. Test bread with a knife or a toothpick to see if it is done. Remove the bread from the oven and let rest for ten minutes before cooling on a wire rack.

Manchego Chorizo Mac and Cheese

FOUND IT: In Rachael Ray's Magazine.

I had been considering modifying my stove top recipe to use manchego and chorizo, but then I found this recipe so I didn't have to. Feel free to substitute in any veggies you like, just chop them small because they don't have much time to cook. I've already used spinach, peas, carrots, corn and asparagus.

Ingredients:

1 lb cavatappi, or any small cut pasta, really.
1/2 raw chorizo (or, grill a bunch of chorizo the night before and save a couple to chop up and use the next day)
3 tbsp butter
2 shallots, chopped (I use half of a small onion)
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp flour
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk
2 cups (or more) shredded manchego cheese
2 cups frozen peas (or any vegetable that you can chop small, really)

Cook pasta to al dente in salted water, drain and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, remove the casings from the chorizo, and brown them in a skillet. roughly 2-3 minutes or until done. Remove from heat and allow to drain on a paper towel.

Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a skillet with high sides. Add the shallots (or onions) and garlic and cook until tender, roughly 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour, then the sherry, then the stock, then the milk. Keep stirring until it starts to thicken. It shouldn't be like paste, but it should be thicker than it is when you start.

Salt and pepper this mixture, and add the vegetables and the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted, then add the pasta. Serve with the chorizo as a garnish.

Easy Chicken Parmesan

FOUND IT: In a magazine from Kraft

I've tried making Chicken Parm in several different ways, and never really done it well. This one is so easy that it's probably cheating, but it's better than any of my previous attempts.

Ingredients:

3 cups rotini pasta (I had penne on hand, so I used that.)
Ten Ritz Reduced Fat crackers, crushed (I used about half a tube in the food processor.)
3 tbsp grated parmesan, plus some to top it off
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 egg white (I used the whole egg)
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I bought 3 big ones and made them into six thin ones)
2 cups of your favorite pasta sauce
At least 1 cup of shredded mozzerella cheese

Heat a large skillet (but pick one you can cover) on medium-high heat and add a couple of turns of oil. Crush the crackers, and combine the crumbs with the grated parmesan and oregano in one bowl. Beat the egg in another. Dip chicken in the egg, then the crumbs, coating the chicken in crumbs. Once your chicken breasts are coated, cook them in a single layer in the skillet, turning once. It'll take 3-4 minutes per side.

While they're cooking, boil the pasta, strain it and set it aside. Once the chicken is cooked through, add a cup of the sauce, spreading evenly, then put the mozzerella and parmesan cheeses on top and cover the skillet, simmering on low heat until the cheese is melted. Toss the pasta with the remaining sauce, and serve the two together.

Asparagus Tempura

Found it: In Everyday with Rachael Ray

This is an interesting new way to serve asparagus, and I'm always interested in new ways to serve vegetables. It's a little plain, but you could probably fix that by adding more spices to the batter or adding spices to the finished product. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm guessing you could also replace the seltzer water in the batter with beer for beer battering.

Ingredients:

1 lb asparagus
4 cups vegetable oil (just use enough to get about an inch/two inches in the bottom of the kettle you're using, or use a deep fryer if you have one)

For Batter:

3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup corn starch
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup seltzer water, room temperature

For dipping sauce:

1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey

Heat the oil in a large saucepan for several minutes on high, then turn it down to medium-high to maintain temperature of about 375 degrees. Combine all batter ingredients to form a sticky batter. Dip asparagus into batter one at a time and place in the oil. Cook the asparagus in 3-4 batches, each of which will take around 2 minutes. You can keep earlier batches warm in a 200 degree oven if needed. They're done when they're golden brown. Serve hot.

Combine the four sauce ingredients to make a dipping sauce.

Oatmeal Raspberry Bar Cookies

FOUND IT: On Cooks.com

I was recently given some raspberries from the first picking of the season, then needed a recipe to make some kind of dessert for a barbecue. This one was pretty easy and not bad.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, soft
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 c. rolled oats
3/4 c. fruit only seedless raspberry jam (I used a cup of fresh raspberries in the food processor, and didn't remove the seeds)

Line an 8 inch square pan with aluminum foil and then spray the foil with cooking spray or butter. Mix all the ingredients together, except the raspberries. Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the fruit to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top and lightly press it into the jam. Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 350 and allow to cool on a wire rack before cutting.

Acorn Squash with Cranberries

FOUND IT: On Cooks.com

I'm not a big squash fan, but I like it this way, mainly because I love cranberries.

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash
1/2 c. fresh cranberries
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cut squash in halves lengthwise; remove seeds. Combine cranberries, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon; fill squash halves with this mixture. Place in shallow baking dish and surround with 1/2 inch water. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until squash is done.

Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

FOUND IT: On Cooks.com

Cranberries are one of my favorite things. I like summer as much as the next guy, but I also love the first fresh cranberries of the fall.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. butter, softened
Juice and grated peel of 1 orange
1 egg
1 c. cranberries, chopped
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Grease bottom of loaf pan, 9 x 5 x 3 inches. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in orange peel (about 1 tablespoon), the juice of 1 orange and 1 egg. Stir only until the flour is moistened. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in pan.

Bake at 350 until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Original recipe says to let it stand for at least 8 hours. I've never made it more than half an hour or so before I cut into it.

Stove top mac and cheese

FOUND IT: On Good Eats.

I have about half a dozen mac and cheese recipes I use from time to time, but this one is the easiest. If you want to add some meat, try a couple of chopped up, cooked chicken breasts, or, make it into Buffalo chicken mac and cheese by adding that chicken and upping the hot sauce (to taste). This recipe serves about 4, but is easy to double if you're serving more, or halve if you're serving less.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs
• 6 ounces evaporated milk (I rarely have this around, so I use 3/4 cup skim milk)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
  
• 10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Return to the pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy.

Spinach Artichoke soup

FOUND IT: My friend Miranda sent me this Spinach-Artichoke Dip recipe, which got me started.
MODIFIED: I added some liquids to make it into a soup in an attempt to duplicate a Chicken Florentine Soup I had in a restaurant, and some protein to make it a one-dish meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (I don't like big chunks of artichoke, so I chop it up in the food processor.)
  
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (I just use a full box.)
  
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1-2 boneless chicken breasts, chopped bite size
• 1 quart chicken stock or broth.

Stir all ingredients (except stock and chicken) together, then add chicken and pour stock on top. Stir briefly, then cook on low in a crock pot for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked.

Beer Cheddar Soup

FOUND IT: At Cooks.com

I modified this recipe on 9/24/2011 to add and adjust some ingredients and change the cheese sauce process a bit.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup bacon, diced
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped bell pepper (I prefer red, green works)

4 cloves garlic
3 cups chicken broth or stock
1 can of beer (12 oz)
4 cups milk
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2/3 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute bacon in a large soup pot until crisp, and set aside on a paper towel. In the bacon drippings, saute the vegetables and garlic until the onions are transparent. Add stock and beer to pot and heat to boiling. Then reduce it to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, roughly 20-25 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter. Once the butter has melted add the flour, whisking the two together and letting the flour brown for 2 minutes or so. Whisk in the milk next, then the dry mustard and hot sauce and heat to near boiling. Once this mixture is hot, add the cheese and stir until it melts.

Add the cheese mixture to the soup pot. Use an immersion blender at this point (or a regular blender in shifts) to puree it down to a smooth texture. Season the soup to taste and heat it to desired serving temperature. Garnish with the bacon.

This recipe makes about six servings.

Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Roll Ups

FOUND IT: In Rachael Ray's magazine.
MODIFIED IT: A little.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (I've skipped this the last couple of times and not missed it)
1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped (see below)
8 chicken breast cutlets (I usually just buy four chicken breasts and turn one thick breast into two thin ones, then pound them thinner.)
1/2 pound deli-sliced provolone cheese (use whatever cheese you like here)
1/4 cup olive oil

The first time I made this recipe, I had a hard time finding the sun dried tomatoes, but was able to find Classico Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto. I used about half a jar of that instead and loved it.

I also frequently add a slice of capicola or prosciutto in with each roll up.

Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl, and place the bread crumbs in another one. Dip each cutlet in the eggs, then bread crumbs, and place them on a work surface. Place one slice of cheese on each cutlet, then the capicola if you're using it, then the tomatoes and the ricotta, roll them up and secure with a toothpick. Cover a baking sheet with foil and put the finished roll ups on it. Drizzle the olive oil over the roll ups, and bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Sweet Potato Muffins

FOUND IT: In a Penzey's catalog.

These are easy, good and fairly healthy.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
1 1/4 cup sugar (or Splenda)
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes, about one good sized potato (see microwave note below)
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Topping (I skipped this):

2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Cream the butter with the sugar, then add eggs one at a time. Stir in the sweet potatoes and the milk. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Combine the two mixtures, stirring until moistened. Fold in the raisins and pecans. Spoon into greased muffin tin (or silicon liners). Fill to about 2/3 of capacity. Sprinkle topping on if you're using it, then bake at 375 for 25-27 minutes.

To microwave sweet potato, wash it off, poke some holes in it with a fork, wrap it in plastic wrap and microwave for 8-10 minutes.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch

FOUND IT: In a Penzey's catalog.

I had been waiting for the first rhubarb of the season to try this recipe. I made it last night to rave reviews.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup oatmeal, uncooked
1 stick butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar (can be replaced with Splenda)
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups diced rhubarb (2-3 good sized stalks)
2 cups strawberries (I used more, because I had more)
1 cup water
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp Vanilla

Combine flour, both sugars, oatmeal, butter, and cinnamon in a large bowl and mix until crumbly. Press half of that mixture into the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. Spread the strawberries and rhubarb over that. In a small saucepan, combine the water, cornstarch and vanilla over medium-low heat until mixture becomes clear and thick, stirring constantly. (The recipe says this takes five minutes, it took me much less). Pour this mixture over the strawberries and rhubarb, then cover with the remaining crumb mixture, and bake in a 350 oven for 60 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Red Velvet Cake Truffles

FOUND IT: At my friend Jay Wagner's North by Northwest blog.

Making truffles is much easier than I expected, and I've tried several recipes lately, but this is the best one.

Ingredients:

1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)

1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)

1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)

After cake is cooked, crumble into large bowl. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. You can use your hands for this, if you don't mind getting messy. It'll be easier if you do it while the cake is still somewhat warm. Then, put the mixture in the fridge and let it cool for an hour or so.

Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50.) Chill for another hour, at least. Overnight wouldn't be the worst thing.

Melt chocolate in microwave, stopping to stir each minute until it's completely melted. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

Layered Enchilada Bake

FOUND IT: At Fab Food Friday, another recipe blog you should be reading. Jody's recipes are great and easy to make - I've never made a Fab Food Friday recipe that I didn't want to make again.

I started off with this recipe as a standby for when company is visiting, but now I make it all the time.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef (you can use turkey or chicken to reduce fat)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups salsa
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained, rinsed
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix, either from a pouch or a recipe like this one.
6 flour tortillas (8 inch)
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg. shredded cheese, Mexican or Co-Jack

Brown meat with onions in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Add salsa, beans and seasoning mix; mix well.

Arrange 3 of the tortillas in single layer on bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of half each of the meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat all layers. Cover with foil.

Bake covered for 30 min at 400. Remove foil. Bake an additional 10 min. or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve.

Pasta with Spinach and Blue Cheese

FOUND IT: At the NY Times' Bitten blog, my favorite place to go find new things to try.

This is a nice side, especially if you have really good pasta to use.

Ingredients:

Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound spinach
1 pound spaghetti, linguine, or other pasta
2 tablespoons butter (preferred), or extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pound Roquefort, gorgonzola, or other good blue cheese, crumbled

Set large pot of water to boil, and add salt. Remove largest, thickest stems from spinach; roughly chop leaves and remaining stems. Wash thoroughly.

When water comes to boil, add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly tender. When just about done, add spinach. Stir. As soon as spinach wilts completely -- less than 30 seconds -- drain quickly.

Immediately return pasta and spinach to pot, with butter and cheese, over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese and butter melt, all water is absorbed, and pasta is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Bread pudding

FOUND IT: At the NY Times' Bitten blog, which, as I've previously mentioned, is my favorite place to go to find new things to try.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
6 cups white bread, cut or torn into 1-inch chunks (Be picky about the bread - bread that's too heavy will ruin it.)
2 cups half-and-half (I use skim milk)
4 eggs
3/4 cup maple syrup or sugar (Splenda works here, knocking off about 500 calories)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt (I omit this)
(I add about half a cup of chocolate chips, which puts the calories back in from before, but the chocolate adds a lot)

Butter an 8-inch souffle or baking dish, and add bread. Cut remaining butter into bits, and combine with all other ingredients; pour over bread. Submerge bread with weighted plate, and turn oven to 350 degrees.

When oven is hot, remove the plate and bake until pudding is just set, 35 to 45 minutes. Serve with or without whipped cream.

Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce

FOUND IT: On the New York Times' Bitten blog, which I frequently check out when I'm looking to try something new. They post a new recipe almost every day, with varying levels of difficulty. I usually snag the easy ones.
MODIFIED IT: A little.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter or neutral oil, like canola
4 tablespoons minced shallots (I use about 1/4 of an onion)
2 tablespoons white wine or cider vinegar(I use beer)
6 ounces crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese
Pinch of cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 to 2 pounds strip or rib-eye steaks, or filet mignon

Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; when butter melts and its foam begins to subside, add shallots and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar, stir, and cook until it is just about evaporated, 1 or 2 minutes. Turn heat to low and stir in cheese, cayenne and a few grindings of pepper. Stir occasionally until cheese melts, then taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm while you grill steaks.

Season steaks well with salt and pepper, then grill or broil about 3 to 4 minutes a side for medium-rare, longer or shorter according to your taste. Serve steaks with 1 or 2 spoonfuls of sauce over each, garnished with parsley or chives if you like.

This recipe makes enough for about four steaks, but I usually make a full batch with two steaks and spoon the remainder over a vegetable or a baked potato.

Lasagna Soup

FOUND IT: On Fab Food Friday, one of my favorite recipe blogs.

This might be my favorite recipe from one of my favorite recipe sites. Jody does a fantastic job of posting recipes that are doable and delicious. If you're reading this blog, you should be reading hers too.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed)
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
8 ounces pasta
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
8 ounces ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella

In a large pot, saute the sausage over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pot. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and sauté until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

2. Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package. Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil. If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.

3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the Parmesan, the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pinch of pepper. To serve, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture in each bowl, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and ladle the soup on top. Makes about 13 cups.

Black bean meatloaf with mac and cheese filling

FOUND IT: This one is my creation.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground meat (I use venison, beef will work)
1 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed
1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs
2 eggs
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

For the mac and cheese:
1/2 lb sharp cheddar, shredded
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup beer
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons of butter, cut into small chunks
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper
Half a box of pasta or so. Probably a little less.

To make the mac and cheese part, warm the milk and beer over low-medium heat, and add all the other ingredients except the cheese and pasta. Once the butter melts, stir it until it starts to thicken, then add cheese. Stir until the sauce is thick and all the cheese has melted, then set it aside. Boil pasta until it's done, strain, and combine.

Combine all the meatloaf ingredients in another bowl. Grease a loaf pan, divide your meat mixture in half and put half into the bottom of the loaf pan. Cover that with the mac and cheese, then shape the remaining meatloaf to cover the mac and cheese. Bake at 350 for half an hour. Let it chill for a few minutes before serving it.

Chocolate crepes with peanut butter and banana filling

FOUND IT: It's loosely based on my homemade manicotti recipe, and the peanut butter part of the filling is from an Ina Garten recipe.

Ingredients:

Crepes:

3 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

(You can also use this recipe to make regular crepes if you remove the cocoa, or use it to make homemade manicotti if you remove the vanilla too and add some italian seasonings.)

Filling:

World Market has an awesome Dark Chocolate spread. Use that if you can get it. If you can't, Nutella should work too.
2 bananas, sliced thin
Peanut butter frosting

Here's the pb frosting recipe:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk, maybe a little less.

To make the crepes, beat the eggs with the milk. Then add all the other ingredients and whisk it until you have no more lumps. Spray a small frying pan over medium-low heat and pour 1/4 cup of the batter into it, tilting the pan around to cover as much space as possible. Cook them about 30-45 seconds on one side, then flip and cook about 15 seconds on the other. Then spray the pan and repeat. Set the crepes aside on a plate. This recipe will make about nine of them.

To make the peanut butter frosting, place the sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in a bowl and mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the milk and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Then, take a crepe, make a stripe of chocolate spread down the middle, place 5 slices of banana on top of that, and some frosting on top of that. Roll them up and enjoy.

Garlic Sweet Potatoes

FOUND IY: Laura tore it out of a copy of Shape magazine.
MODIFIED IT: Only to increase the seasonings

I eat sweet potatoes in several ways, but when I make them at home, this is how I do it.

Ingredients:

Two medium-large sweet potatoes
1 tbsp (or so) olive oil
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel sweet potatoes and chop them into 1/2-3/4 inch cubes. Toss them in the oil, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, salt and pepper. Spread them in a single layer in a baking dish, and bake in a 425 oven for 45 minutes, stirring once around halfway. They'll be tender when they're done.

Brie en Croute

FOUND IT: In an ad in Cooking Light Magazine
MODIFIED IT: Just to replace one thing I didn't have.

I tried this one the other day and was immediately told "You can make this again." It's not all that hard, either.

Ingredients:

1/2 of a 17.3 oz package of puff pastry sheets
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tbsp chopped rosemary leaves (I used a pinch of dried rosemary)
1 13.2 ounce Brie cheese round

Leave a puff pastry sheet out around 40 minutes to defrost. If you can't wait that long, try putting it in the microwave on defrost, checking every 30 seconds.

Toast the pecans in a small pan, stirring occasionally. If you can smell them cooking, they're done.

Soften the cherries by leaving them in a cup of hot water for about a minute.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface, and roll out to a 14 inch square (mine was about the right shape already). Mix cherries, honey, rosemary and pecans in a small bowl, then spoon that mixture onto the center of the puff pastry dough. Place the brie on top of that. Fold two sides of the pastry dough over the brie. Cut the remaining two sides to just fit over the cheese. Place the brie in a baking dish (I used a pie plate) seam side down. You can use the trimmings to decorate the top, or just accept the fact that life will never be perfect.

Beat the egg and water together and brush this mixture onto the outside.

Bake 20-25 minutes at 400 until the pastry is "deep golden brown." Let it cool for 45 minutes before serving.

Homemade Manicotti

FOUND IT: In Rachael Ray's magazine.
ADAPTED IT: A little.

This recipe is quickly becoming a standby. You can easily modify the basic pasta recipe to make crepes, and fill them with anything you like.

Ingredients:

Filling:
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated romano
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (I substitute Italian seasoning)
2 tablespoons milk

Pasta:
3 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1 cup water (I use milk)
(I added some italian seasonings here at well)

3 cups pasta sauce
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Beat the eggs with the water (or milk), then mix in the flour, eliminating lumps. Add the seasonings, if you're using them. Spray an 8-inch pan and put it on medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan, tilting the pan to spread it around. Allow crepes to cook around 45 seconds on one side, then flip and cook around 15 seconds on the other. Move the finished crepe to a plate, spray the pan again and repeat.

Then, combine all the filling ingredients. You can add some browned italian sausage or pepperoni at this point as well. Pour half the pasta sauce into a 9x13 baking dish. Spoon the cheese mixture down the middle of each crepe, then roll them and place them seam-side down in the dish. Once they're all in there, pour the remaining pasta sauce over the top, top with cheese and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Buttermilk Bran Muffins

WHERE I FOUND IT: On the side of a HyVee brand Raisin Bran Crunch box.

This might be my favorite muffin recipe. It's not unhealthy, it doesn't taste exceptionally healthy and it's pretty easy, as long as you have buttermilk.

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups crunchy raisin bran cereal - any brand will do.
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar (I used Splenda, knocking off about 30-40 calories per muffin)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Combine the first four ingredients in a medium bowl, then put in the fridge for ten minutes.

While you're waiting, combine the flour, sugar, soda and salt. Once the ten minutes are up, combine the two bowls, stir until moistened. Fill lightly greased muffin tins about 2/3 full (or use silicon liners, like I do), and bake for 17-20 minutes at 375 degrees. Test with a toothpick when done.

Makes 10-12.