Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 1 pound semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 1/2 tablespoon
• 1/4 cup Kahlua
• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder, for garnish
• Fresh strawberries or raspberries, for garnish

Procedure

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Using 1/2 tablespoon butter grease a 9-inch springform pan and line bottom with a parchment round. Cover pan underneath and along sides with foil and set in a roasting pan. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil.
• Combine the chocolate, butter, and Kahlua in a metal bowl set over simmering water or in the top of a double boiler. Melt the mixture, stirring constantly, until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes; reserve.
• Meanwhile combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until frothy and almost doubled in volume, about 5 to 10 minutes. Fold 1/3 of egg mixture into chocolate mixture using a rubber spatula. Repeat this process 2 more times – until all of egg mixture has been folded into chocolate mixture.
• Pour batter into prepared springform pan and place in the roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come about halfway up the sides. Bake until cake has risen slightly and edges are just beginning to set, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove cake from roasting pan and cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove foil, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove cake from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Remove springform pan sides, invert cake onto a large plate, and peel away parchment paper from bottom. Reinvert cake on another large plate or serving platter and garnish with confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder immediately before serving.

Braised Lamb Shanks With Vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• 2 pounds meaty lamb shanks, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 7 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 pound all-purpose potatoes, pared and cut in 3/4-inch chunks
• 12 ounces white turnips, pared and cut in 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 to 3 large carrots, pared and cut diagonally into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 teaspoon leaf rosemary, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• Dash freshly ground black pepper

Procedure

• Preheat oven to 350* (175*C).
• Heat oil in ovenproof Dutch oven or pan over medium-high heat. Dredge lamb in flour. Working in batches, add lamb to oil; saute until browned well browned, about 5 minutes. Remove lamb to a bowl as it browns.
• Lower heat, add onion, garlic and ginger to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened.
• Add potatoes, turnips, carrots, broth, white wine, rosemary,lemon rind, pepper and the browned lamb. Bring to boiling; cover and remove from heat.
• Bake for 1 hour or until meat in fork-tender.

Shrimp With Mango And Basil

Ingredients

• 1 pound raw shrimp (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined, tails left on
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large ripe, firm mango, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see Tip)
• 1 bunch scallions, green tops only, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

Procedure

• Toss shrimp with salt, cayenne to taste and turmeric in a medium bowl. Cover; refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; place the shrimp in a single layer and cook until the undersides turn salmon-pink, about 1 minute. Flip them over and cook for 1 minute more.
• Add mango, scallion greens and basil and cook, stirring, until the shrimp is just cooked and starts to barely curl, 1 to 2 minutes.

Apple And BBQ Sauce Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients

• 4 cups barbeque sauce
• 4 cups applesauce
• 4 pounds baby back pork ribs
• salt and black pepper to taste
• cayenne pepper to taste
• garlic powder to taste

Procedure

• Mix the barbeque sauce and applesauce in bowl. Place ribs on a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil, and rub on all sides with the salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Pour sauce over ribs to coat. Seal ribs in the foil. Marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat grill for high heat.
• Place ribs in foil on the grill grate, and cook 1 hour. Remove ribs from foil, and place directly on the grill grate. Continue cooking 30 minutes, basting frequently with the sauce, until ribs are done.

Double-Decker Delicious Treat

Ingredients

• 1 (19.5 ounce) box of Pillsbury Brownie Classics Milk Chocolate Brownie Mix
• 1 quart vanilla ice cream, or flavor of your choice
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1 (11.75 ounce) jar Smucker’s Hot Fudge Topping
• Whipped non-dairy topping, thawed
• Maraschino cherries

Procedure

• Remove lid from the Smucker’s Hot Fudge Topping, warm jar in microwave for approximately 30 seconds. Stir Topping. Do not overheat.
• Prepare and bake brownies as directed on package. Cool completely in pan.
• Cut into 20 squares. Top 10 brownie squares with small scoops of ice cream, Hot Fudge Topping and sliced strawberries. Top with remaining brownie squares.
• Drizzle each sundae with Hot Fudge Topping. Place a dollop of whipped topping over the Hot Fudge Topping, and top with a Maraschino cherry.

Amazing Ribs

Ingredients

• 6 pounds pork baby back ribs
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper
• 4 cups barbecue sauce
• 2 (12 ounce) bottles porter beer, room temperature

Procedure

• Cut ribs into small portions of 2 or 3 bones each. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season water a pinch each of salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper to the water. Boil ribs in seasoned water for 20 minutes. Drain, and let the ribs sit for about a half an hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
• Lightly coat the ribs with barbecue sauce. Cook the ribs over high heat for a 5 to 10 minutes on each side to get a nice grilled look to them.
• Place grilled ribs in a slow cooker. Pour remaining barbecue sauce and one bottle of beer over the ribs; this should cover at least half of the ribs. Cover, and cook on High for 3 hours. Check ribs every hour or so, and add more beer if needed to dilute sauce. Stir to get the ribs on top into the sauce. The ribs are done when the meat is falling off the bone. The ribs were cooked completely in the first process, the rest is about flavor and texture.

Grilled Tuna Teriyaki

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 4 (6 ounce) tuna steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Procedure

• In a shallow dish, stir together soy sauce, rice wine, garlic, and ginger. Place tuna in the marinade, and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
• Remove tuna from marinade, and discard remaining liquid. Brush both sides of steaks with oil.
• Cook tuna for approximately for 3 to 6 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.

Ultimate Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• 16 to 18 unbaked frozen dinner rolls
• 1 (3-ounce) package regular butterscotch pudding mix, not instant
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

Procedure

• The night before place frozen rolls in well greased Bundt pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls. Sprinkle brown sugar over pudding mix. Sprinkle chopped pecans over brown sugar. Pour melted butter over all. To prevent the dough from forming a hard crust while its rising overnight, cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Let rise overnight at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn pan over onto a serving platter to remove. Serve by pulling apart chunks with forks.

Basil Pan-Seared Scallops Over Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
• 24 scallops, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 9 tablespoons whipped butter

Procedure

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, rinse, and transfer to a large serving bowl.
• Meanwhile, place scallops in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Pour mixture over scallops. Arrange scallops in a single layer in a large baking dish or plate. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon dried basil over scallops so that only one side is sparsely coated with basil.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high, and melt one tablespoon of butter in the pan. Place 12 scallops basil-side down, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until dark golden brown. Turn scallops, and cook the other side. Cook the remaining 12 scallops the same way.
• In a small saucepan, melt remaining butter with 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon basil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Toss pasta with butter and olive oil mixture. Divide pasta onto plates, and top with scallops.

Pina Colada Punch

Ingredients

• 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple
• 1 (8 ounce) can coconut cream
• 1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice
• 2 cups light rum
• 1 (2 liter) bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

Procedure

• In a large plastic container, combine ice cream, crushed pineapple, coconut cream, pineapple juice and rum. Mix well and slowly stir in the lemon-lime soda. Freeze for 4 hours or until slushy.

Long Beach Island Iced Tea

Ingredients

• 1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger vodka
• 1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger gin
• 1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger rum
• 1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger triple sec liqueur
• 1 teaspoon tequila
• 2 teaspoons orange juice
• 2 fluid ounces cola-flavored carbonated beverage
• 1 wedge lemon

Procedure

• In a cocktail mixer full of ice, combine vodka, gin, rum, triple sec and tequila. Add orange juice and cola. Shake vigorously until frothy. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice, and garnish with wedge of lemon.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Procedure

• In a bowl, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, red bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Set aside 1/4 cup of the mixture to use for basting. Place chicken in the bowl, and marinate at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Preheat grill for high heat.
• Lightly oil grill grate. Drain and discard marinade from the bowl, and place chicken on the grill. Cook 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear, basting occasionally with the reserved marinade.

Quick And Easy Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package angel hair pasta
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 3/4 (8 ounce) package processed cheese, cubed
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
• 1/2 (4 ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and return to pot.
• To the pasta add the diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, cream of chicken soup, processed cheese, chopped chicken, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted and mixture is heated through.

Individual Vegetable Lasagnas

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, finely chopped
• 1 medium summer squash, finely chopped
• 8 asparagus spears, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 pound fresh plain lasagna sheets
• 2 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows
• 1 1/2 cups canned white beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, halved
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Procedure

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a saute pan over medium heat, add extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and cook for 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and squash cook for 5 minutes. Add asparagus and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat when all vegetables are completely cooked but still have a good crunch. Allow to cool.
• Using a 6-inch round cookie cutter, cut circles out of the lasagna sheets. You will need 18 circles. Coat the bottom of 6 (6-inch) gratin dishes with a teaspoon of tomato sauce in each. Place a circle of pasta on the bottom of each ramekin. Rinse the beans with water and season with salt and pepper. Divide the beans between each ramekin. Next, divide the spinach between the ramekins. Place a second layer of pasta on top and gently press down. Divide the sauteed vegetables among the ramekins and top with a tablespoon of tomato sauce in each. Place the third layer of pasta in each ramekin and coat with a tablespoon of tomato sauce. Sprinkle ramekins with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, and top each with 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place gratin dishes on top. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until brown and bubbling.

Simple Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

Procedure

• In a large casserole pot or Dutch over, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
• Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
• If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Pasta Pomodorini

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound spaghettini or spaghetti
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/4 cup sliced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon finely minced Calabrian chiles, or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pint small cherry tomatoes, stems removed, crushed between your thumb and forefinger
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, each torn into 2 or 3 pieces
• Gray salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Parmesan, for grating

Procedure

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and stir.
• While the pasta cooks, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until the slivers are golden brown and crisp, then add the chiles and cook for about 30 seconds. Raise the heat to high and add the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes soften and the juices thicken, about 3 minutes. Add the basil and season with salt and pepper.
• When the pasta is al dente, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the warm pot off the heat. Add the sauce and mix well. Add some of the reserved cooking water if the pasta seems dry. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and grate Parmesan over the top, to taste. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Serve immediately.

Wild Mushroom Ravioli With Butter And Parmesan Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 packages (11-ounce) fresh wild mushroom ravioli
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 6 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 1 whole nutmeg or 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan

Procedure

• Cook the ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain and put on a platter.
• Meanwhile, cook the butter in a heavy medium frying pan over medium-high heat until pale golden, about 4 minutes. Add the basil leaves and cook until lightly fried, about 2 minutes. Add the pine nuts. Pour over the cooked ravioli. Grate 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg directly over ravioli. Sprinkle Parmesan over dish and serve.

Acapulco Fishburgers

Ingredients

• 1 pound fish fillets
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 2 cups soft bread crumbs
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons shortening

Procedure

• Bone fish; put through food chopper or chop finely with knife. Combine with green pepper, onions, bread crumbs, salt and pepper; mix well. Shape into 8 patties about 4 inches in diameter. Brown on both sides in shortening in skillet over moderate heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

Avocado Chicken Melt

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 firm ripe avocado, peeled and sliced thin, divided
• 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 4 wheat bread slices, toasted
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped sweet red bell pepper

Procedure

• Rinse chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to flatten to 1/4-inch thickness.
• In resealable plastic bag, combine cornmeal and garlic salt. Add chicken; close bag and toss to coat well. In large nonstick frying pan, heat oil. Cook chicken in hot oil for 2 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan and place in shallow baking pan.
• Place half of avocado slices over chicken and sprinkle evenly with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until chicken is done and cheese is melted.
• Place each chicken breast on a slice of toast. Top with remaining avocado slices. In small bowl, combine yogurt and pepper; serve with chicken.

Easy Corn And Crab Chowder

Ingredients

• 1 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 5 slices bacon, diced
• 1 (6 ounce) can crab meat, drained
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

• Wrap potato cubes in plastic wrap, and microwave for 30 seconds. Set aside.
• In a saute pan, cook bacon over medium heat until heated through, and add chopped onions. Cook and stir until onions are clear. Stir in crab meat and parsley flakes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large stock pot over low heat. Whisk in flour until mixture becomes creamy and takes on a eggshell color. Continue to cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in wine. Dissolve chicken bouillon in milk; when the floor mixture is crumbly, slowly whisk in the milk. Mix well in order to eliminate all lumps.
• When the mixture is creamy and hot, stir in bacon mixture, cubed potatoes, and creamed corn. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• For a creamy curry variation add 2 tablespoons curry powder after adding the wine to the flour mixture, and substitute cooked, cubed chicken for the bacon.

Pizza Salad Pita Pockets

Ingredients

• 3 (6-inch) white or whole wheat pitas
• 6 leaves romaine lettuce
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 (13 3/4 ounce) can artichoke hearts, packed
  in water, well drained and quartered
• 1 ounce pepperoni slices, cut in half
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 1/4 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Procedure

• In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cherry tomatoes, red onion, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, pepperoni, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, vinegar and garlic powder. Warm in the microwave for 1 minute.


• Cut each pita in half and warm in the microwave, about 30 seconds. Stuff each with a lettuce leaf; fill each pita with the pizza salad and serve..

Shrimp Linguine Alfredo

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package linguine pasta
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons diced onion
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 40 small shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 sprigs fresh parsley
• 4 slices lemon, for garnish

Procedure

• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente; drain.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan. Saute onion and garlic over medium heat until tender. Add shrimp; saute over high heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in half-and-half. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens.
• Place pasta in a serving dish, and cover with shrimp sauce. Sprinkle with black pepper and Parmesan cheese. Garnish with parsley and lemon slices.