Cucumber & Watermelon Salad

Serves 4

Refreshing, delicious and pretty, so what more do you need? You want it simple? Ok then, simple too. The key is to cut everything into cubes somewhere around 1 inch square.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cucumber, peeled then cut into cubes (an English cucumber is is best)
• 2 cups, seedless watermelon, cubed
• 2 avocados, cubed
• 1 tablespoon each chopped cilantro, basil and chives
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Put watermelon, cucumber, avocado, herbs, olive oil and vinegar in a large bowl
2. Season with salt & pepper
3. Mix well, but do it carefully so you do not bust up the watermelon
4. Serve

Chipotle Baked Beans

Makes 10-12 servinggs

Burgers, dogs, or anything grilled - this is a delicious addition. Tri it with the Chili Rubbed Tri Tip. Get it..tri it? Man am I funny...

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced small
• 1 green pepper, diced small
• 2 - 28 ounce cans maple flavored baked beans
• 1 cup chili sauce (like Heinz, not the spicy version
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (regular chili powder will do fine btw)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons chipotle peppers, minced fine
• Big pinch Kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a large oven proof pot (that has a lid) cook bacon until just getting crispy, remove most of the grease then add the onion & green pepper and cook until vegetables start to soften - about 5 minutes
3. Add remaining ingredients, stir well, cover and bake about 45 minutes to an hour
4. Serve hot - was that obvious?

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Makes 12

Just like at your favorite taco shop, but you bake them instead of deep frying. And you can make and eat them at home in your jammies. Nice huh?

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (a deli-roasted chicken is perfect)
• 1/3 cup green salsa
• 1-2 tablespoons chipotle peppers, finely minced
• 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 12 small flour tortillas
• Oil - I like a spray for this
• For serving: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, queso fresco, limes etc

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Combine chicken, salsa, chipotles and cheese in a large bowl - mix well
3. Warm tortillas in a non-stick pan until softened and pliable - about 30 seconds a side
4. Add some chicken to each tortilla, roll up tight and place seam-side down on a greased baking
5. Brush or spray with oil and bake about 25 minutes or until beginning to brown at the edges
6. Serve with sour cream, guac etc

BBQ Chicken Calzone

Serves 4

This is made with chicken and bacon, but could just as easily have pepperoni, or ground beef or whatever you normally like on (or in) a pizza.

Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 10 slices ready bacon, diced
• 3 cups shredded deli roasted chicken
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 1 tube refrigerator pizza dough
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Saute onion and bacon in a non stick pan until soft and mix well with chicken and bbq sauce in a bowl
3. Stretch out pizza dough on a lightly greased baking sheet
4. Spread chicken mixture on about half the dough along one long edge
5. Top chicken with mozzarella, and fold remaining dough over the chicken and seal edges tight with fingers
6. Make 3 or 4 slits in the top of the dough with a knife and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown

Mini Breakfast Muffins

Makes about 18

These are basically omelets pretending to be muffins. And the cool part is you can fill em with anything you like.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• Your choice of filling - diced ham, bacon, mushrooms, peppers, onions...you get the idea
• Shredded colby/jack cheese
• Hot sauce for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Beat eggs and season with salt & pepper
3. Spray mini muffins pan well
4. Put some of the filling in each muffin hole, and fill with beaten egg
5. Top with some cheese and bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until set

Curry Pumpkin Soup

Makes 4 servings

Tis the season...the Fall season that is.

Ingredients

• 15 ounces canned pumpkin (just pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin seeds, dried
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Directions

1. Put pumpkin, curry paste, coconut milk and water in a pot
2. Stir to mix well and heat until simmering
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper
4. Meanwhile, heat pumpkin seeds and oil in a non-stick pan until slightly brown and season with salt
5. Serve soup topped with some of the seeds on top

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Mini Caprese Pizzas

Makes about 18

Like a big caprese pizza? Well you really like these little ones...

Ingredients

• 6 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/8 inch slices1 tube refrigerator pizza dough, spread out and cut into 18 2 inch circles
• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• 6 small fresh mozzarella balls - the golf ball size, sliced into 1/8 inch slices halved
• about a dozen basil leaves, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Place dough circles on baking sheet
3. Top with a little pesto, then a tomato slice and a cheese slice
4. Bake about 20-25 minutes or until dough is crisp and cheese has started to melt
5. Remove from oven, sprinkle with chopped basil and serve

Baked Feta

Serve about 8 as an appetizer

Warm, soft and delicious...(that's what she said).

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) block feta cheese1 big (or 2 small) cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat to oven 350
2. Place feta in an ovenproof baking dish
3. Top with crushed garlic, oregano and red pepper - drizzle liberally with olive oil
4. Bake uncovered until the feta is soft, 15-20 minutes
5. Remove carefully and serve with something crunchy

Addie's Puff Pastry Rugelach

Serves 6-10

Viewer Addie's Rugelach

Ingredients

• 1 sheet ready-made puff pastry
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup pecans
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons strawberry jelly
• 1 egg beaten with 1 Tsp water

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees
2. Thaw pastry to room temperature
3. In a bowl mix together all ingredients except for the cream cheese jam, and egg/water
4. On a cookie sheet, place a piece of parchment paper and puff pastry opened on top of paper
5. Spread the cream cheese down the center of the pastry then the jam on top of the cream cheese
6. Sprinkle mixture evenly on top of cream cheese & jam
7. With a scissor or knife, cut the dough on each side of the mixture on an angle about a half inch apart
8. Braid it starting with the first strip and overlapping side to side on top of the mixture
9. Turn the ends under or press together with a fork to seal
10. Brush the pastry with the egg/water mixture
11. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown
12. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting
13. Serve warm or at room temperature

Diane's Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Serves 4

Viewer Diane's Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• Fresh black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons crushed pistachios

Directions

1. Heat oven to 475 degrees
2. Line a cookie sheet with non-stick foil
3. Combine oil, mustard, lemon peel and pepper, and spread on fillets
4. I do one side at a time, add the pistachios, turn to the other side and do the same
5. Bake in oven 12 -15 minutes, depending on thickness of fish
6. Check at 8-9 minutes
7. Don't overcook

Grilled Turkey & Stuffing Sandwich

Makes 1

Think 'grilled cheese with turkey' but with the addition of stuffing. The amazing, wonderful addition of stuffing.

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 slices turkey
• 2 slices good bread, whole wheat, sourdough or even a mini baguette would be good
• 2 slices Muenster cheese
• about 1/3 cup stuffing, heated
• Mayonnaise
• Fresh ground pepper
• Softened butter

Directions

1. Preheat grill pan or non-stick pan
2. Heat turkey (in a non-stick pan or quickly in a microwave) and put on top of one slice of bread then add the cheese and the warmed stuffing
3. Add a few grinds of pepper
4. Add mayo to 2nd slice of bread and put on top
5. Spread one slice of bread lightly with butter and put butter-side down in the pan
6. Cook until golden brown, add butter to top and flip over
7. Cook until 2nd side is beautiful - eat

Stuffing Quesadilla

Makes one 8 inch quesadilla

Until you try it, you can't make fun of me. Well, you can - but just not about this.

Ingredients

• 2 flour tortillas, about the 8 inch size
• About 3/4 cup leftover stuffing, warmed
• 1/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese
• Sour cream and cranberries for garnish

Directions

1. Place one tortilla in a non-stick pan over medium heat and spread with about half the cheese, let it start to melt a bit
2. Then add the stuffing, the remaining cheese and then top with the 2nd tortilla
3. Squish down with a spatula
4. Once the bottom starts to get a little bit golden, flip and lightly brown the other side
5. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and some cranberry

Baked Stuffing Balls

Makes about a dozen

They're like 'one biters' of crunchy, stuffing perfection. Don't leave out the sour cream & hot sauce...that makes it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup leftover stuffing
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• Hot sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Roll stuffing into twelve one and a half inch round balls
3. Dip into beaten egg, then roll in bread crumbs - make sure the crumbs stick well
4. Put on lightly greased baking sheet and bake about 35 minutes or until golden brown
5. To serve give them a dip in sour cream and then in the hot sauce

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Stuffing Bruschetta

Makes about 16 pieces

Weird...maybe. Good...of course. Will you make it? How am I supposed to know...

Ingredients

• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 long sour dough baguette
• 1.5-2 cups stuffing, warmed
• 3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Cook onions in oil in a large pan until really well softened and just beginning to brown
2. Heat broiler
3. Slice baguette down the middle and brown ever-so-slightly under the broiler
4. Top each half with warmed stuffing, then onions and then a light coating of the cheese
5. Place under broiler until the slices begin to brown and cheese melts
6. Remove and slice each half into 8 serving pieces

Rosemary / Soy Marinade

Makes enough for about a 2 pound steak

Perfect for a flank steak, skirt and flatiron. Ok, so there’s more ingredients than I normally use, but it's really really good and super simple: dump, mix and use. Boom

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 tablespoon finely minced onion

• 1 teaspoon dry mustard

• 1 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 1/2 cup neutral oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/3 cup soy sauce

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• One 2 pound steak - flank, flatiron or skirt will be perfect, any thinner style steak

Directions

1. Put everything in a blender or big bowl and mix until smooth

2. Put steak and marinade in a ziplock bag and refrigerate as long as you can - 2 hours, 4, 8 or overnight would be great

3. Remove steak from fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking.

4. Heat grill well on medium high and cook 3-5 minutes on the first side (depending on the thickness of your cut) flip and continue until done to you liking

N. Bars

Makes a 9x12 pan

not complete

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Directions

1. Mix butter, sugar, egg and cocoa

Beer-Nog Shooters

Makes 1

Here's my theory - a little eggnog is great, a lot isn't.

Ingredients

• 1 shot glass, clear glass please
• A dark beer, but not too dark - something like Newcastle Brown Ale is perfect
• Egg Nog, store bought is way easier than making

Directions

1. Fill the clear shot glass about half way with the beer
2. Then slowly, and I mean slowly pour Egg Nog over the back of a spoon so it gently settles on top of the beer - but doesn't mix together
3. Drink

Grandma Fran's Butter Nut Bars

Makes 2 dozen bars

This is Producer Michelle's grandma Fran. She's amazing, and so are these bars.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cups butter
• 1 cup (6 oz) butterscotch morsels
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 T butter
• 1 T water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2-1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Combine flour, brown sugar and salt in medium size bowl
2. Cut in butter until everything is like a really coarse sand and press into the bottom of an ungreased 8x8 inch pan
3. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned
4. Combine butterscotch morsels, corn syrup, butter, water, and salt in the top of a double boiler
5. Cook over boiling water until all is melted and the mixture is smooth - stir in walnuts
6. Spread butterscotch mixture evenly over the cookie base
7. Bake 8-10 minutes until bubbly and brown on the edges
8. Let cool and cut into 2 x 1 inch bars

Black Velvet

Makes 1

Guinness and champagne - one of my favorite ways to drink Guinness. But for God's sake there's no need for expensive champagne.

Ingredients

• Guinness
• Champagne

Directions

1. Fill glass half way with the beer, then slowly add champagne and serve

Pizza Eggs

Serves 2-3

Forget about eating cold pizza...Pizza Eggs RULE!

Ingredients

• 2-3 slices thin crust pizza - sliced into small thin strips (enough to make about 2 cups)
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1. Preheat broiler
2. Put pizza strips into a non-stick oven proof pan and cook over medium heat until they get hot and crisp again
3. Remove pizza from pan and set aside
4. Put butter in pan, let it melt all around and then add the eggs
5. Stir briefly, then add back in the pizza slices
6. Now cook like basic scrambled eggs until almost done, top with cheese while still in the pan, and place under broiler
7. Let cheese melt, then remove and eat - and use some hot sauce...trust me