Roasted Potatoes

Serves 4 to 6

This rules - enough said.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
• 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary - or 2 dried
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup baby red onions, peeled or1/2 large red onion cut into a big dice
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400
2. Put potatoes, garlic, rosemary and onions in a large bowl
3. Add olive oil and mix well
4. Place on baking sheet and bake until brown and crispy - about 30 minutes, but don't burn
5. Remove from oven, place on serving tray or plates and sprinkle with feta and more rosemary
6. Sit back and enjoy the praise!

Corn, Jalapeno & Cheese Biscuits

Makes about 18

Don't like the jalapeno heat? You could leave them out - but I wouldn't. I think it's time to start appreciating new flavors - just try a little less of the them.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Bisquick
• 1 tablespoon diced jalapenos
• 1-8 ounce can creamed corn
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Mix all ingredients in large bowl
3. Lightly butter large baking sheet
4. Drop batter by tablespoon-fulls onto sheet
5. Bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes

Artichoke & Red Pepper Dip

We make this all the time...you should too.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers - drained and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup artichoke bottoms - drained and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese - shredded
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Mix all ingredients together except parmesan
3. Transfer to oven proof bowl, and sprinkle parmesan on top
4. Bake about 30 minutes until heated through and bubbly and delicious
5. Serve with crackers, or even better - toasted pitas - see recipe

Asian Wings

Once again those frozen chicken wings I told you to keep in your freezer are coming in handy - and you thought I was crazy. Listen to your mother...and listen to me.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 12-18 chicken wings, frozen even

Directions

1. Mix soy and brown sugar well in a bowl
2. Pour mixture over wings, coat well and allow to marinate up to 30minutes - but if you only have 5 minutes...go with that
3. Place under the broiler for 15 minutes, flip and cook for another 15- try to baste 2 or 3 times on each side
4. Serve on a platter and sprinkle with thinly sliced green onion tops

Baked Ravioli

Keep extra ravioli in the freezer and you'll be set for a last minute, unexpected gathering. Buy the larger ones - you eat these with your fingers and the bigger ones are more fun.

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh ravioli, any kind
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Mix bread crumbs, cheese and herbs in a large bowl
3. Cook ravioli in boiling water according to package directions
4. Drain, but not too well and toss them in the bread crumb mixture to coat
5. Place on greased baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes or until bottoms start to brown
6. Remove and place under broiler until tops brown as well
7. Serve with any sauce for dipping - regular pesto, sun dried tomato pesto, spaghetti sauce, mustard sauce - it's up to you Emeril

BBQ Chicken Packs

Makes 8

Delicious little packages of BBQ chicken and cheese and you don't even have to wait until your b-day to open them!

Ingredients

• 1 tube refrigerator biscuits (the big ones are easier)
• 1/4 cup barbeque sauce
• 1/2 cup cheese
• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Remove biscuits from package and flatten with your hand
3. In the middle of each biscuit, place some chicken, some barbecue sauce and some cheese - I say "some", because you want to be able to fold them over once the stuff is inside and the amount depends on what size biscuit you buy
4. Fold biscuit over 'stuff', seal edges well and place on cookie sheet
5. Bake at 350 until brown

Hoisin Beef Skewers

Makes about 2 dozen skewers

These can be made in 5 minutes and cooked in about 5. That's pretty darn good - plus you get to eat them off those cool little sticks. Put the steak in the freezer for about 15 minutes before slicing - it will make it easier.

Ingredients

• 1 pound steak, I think a New York works well
• 1/2 cup Hoisin sauce, supermarket Asian aisle
• Juice from 2 limes
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• bamboo skewers
• chili sauce, to taste
• green onions, thinly sliced and toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Directions

1. Mix Hoisin, lime juice and garlic well - set aside
2. Trim steak across grain into slices about 1/4 thick
3. Thread steak onto skewers
4. Add some of the sauce to the skewered meat - reserving some for dipping
5. Heat grill pan or bbq really well
6. They won't take long - no more than about 3 minutes a side
7. Mix a little chili sauce with reserved dipping sauce and serve on the side

Bruschetta

Makes approximately 16

A perfect appetizer, and it's yours in no time.

Ingredients

• 2 vine ripened tomatoes, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 or 4 large fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 ounces soft goat cheese
• French or Italian bread, sliced crosswise about 1/4 inch thick

Directions

1. Preheat broiler
2. Mix all ingredients except bread and goat cheese in a medium bowl
3. Spread about 1 tablespoon of goat cheese on each bread slice
4. Top with tomato mixture
5. Place on baking sheet and place under broiler about 4 minutes
6. Make sure it doesn't burn

Cocktail-Rye-Cheesey-Olivey-Things

Ok, so it's got a stupid name, but it's still a great quick and easy appetizer. Plus you get to make it on those funny little rye bread slices.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chopped green olives (with pimento if you like)
• 1/4 cup chopped black olives (of the Mediterranean kind)
• 2-3 tablespoons mayo
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Cocktail rye bread slices

Directions

1. Heat broiler
2. Mix all ingredients except bread
3. Spread about a tablespoon of olive mixture on each slice
4. Broil 5 to 7 minutes
5. Yum.

---

Crab Dip

You can buy expensive crabmeat at your favorite seafood joint, but as long as you find yourself a really good quality canned version you don't need to.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound crabmeat
• 1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce, I like Cholula
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix all ingredients well and put in a oven proof serving bowl
3. Bake for 15 minutes, then place under broiler to brown top
4. Serve with crackers or something crunchy like baked won ton chips

Crab Won Tons

Makes about 30

This falls under the heading of "Don't make the same thing all the time". They're delicious, simple and different - plus they're baked, not fried. I would try to insist on fresh crab, but there's no point. You're going to use what you want and besides - canned in this case is actually not that bad. But if you do use the canned, buy the 'lump'.

Ingredients

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3 green onions, sliced very thin
• 1 cup crab meat, approximately
• 1 tablespoon Asian hot sauce (Sriracha)
• 1 package won ton wrappers, I like the round ones

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Mix all ingredients well in bowl, except wrappers
3. Put about a teaspoon and a half of mixture in center of each wrapper
4. Dip finger tips in water and wet edges of wrapper lightly and fold in half - try to remove as much air as possible
5. Seal tightly and place won tons on baking sheet coated with cooking spray
6. Bake until they start to brown - should be about 15 to 20 minutes
7. While they cook, make the dipping sauce:
8. 3 tablespoons soy
9. 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
10. 1 teaspoon sugar
11. 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
12. 1 teaspoon green onion, finely chopped
13. Mix all ingredients and serve on the side

Feta and Red Pepper Pockets

Roasted red peppers, feta and pesto all baked together? Who doesn't love that?

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced
• 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 16 refrigerator rolls (round ones)

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients well, except biscuits and set aside
2. Separate rolls and flatten
3. Put approximately 1 large tablespoon in each and fold in half
4. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 until lightly browned (about 20 minutes)

Grilled PB and Jelly

Makes one

This is not as goofy as it seems. If you like a PB & J, and who doesn't?...then this is a must-try. Give it a whirl for lunch one weekend.

Ingredients

• 2 pieces of bread (if you're asking me, this needs a heavier grain bread)
• PB - of course
• Jelly - of course (I would go grape here, trust me)
• Butter

Directions

1. Spread PB on one slice of bread, and the J on the other.
2. Put both slices together with the gooey stuff in the middle- as if that wasn't obvious.
3. Lightly butter outside of one slice and place face down in a warm pan.
4. Squish down and flatten a little with a spatula or your hand, but watch out for the sides.
5. Butter top piece of bread and flip over once the bottom has browned slightly.
6. Cut into wedges and enjoy!

Honey Garlic Spare Ribs

Need to take an appetizer to someone's home? Bring these baby's along and they'll be talking about you all night. You don't even have to say where you got the recipe. Just send me an email telling me how good they were.

Ingredients

• 4-5 pounds pork spare ribs, 2 racks

• 2 tablespoons garlic powder

• 3/4 cup honey

• 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

• 3/4 cup soy sauce

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed

• Sliced green onion

• 1/2 teaspoon Sesame seeds

Directions

1. Cut racks into individual ribs and season with garlic powder

2. Arrange in a 13x9-baking dish

3. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for one hour, or until very tender

4. Combine remaining ingredients (except green onions and sesame seeds) in a saucepan and simmer 5 minutes

5. Remove from oven and drain ribs well - careful, there will be lots of steam under the foil

6. Pour honey mixture over spareribs and make sure all ribs get coated

7. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for another hour. Baste well about every 10 minutes

8. Remove from oven and garnish with the green onions and sesame seeds.

Hot Sweet Wings

Makes about 2 dozen wings

Make them on a moments notice by keeping a bag of wings in the freezer - you don't even need to defrost them. Just yank 'em out and throw them in the oven, it's a piece of cake.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken wings

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/4 cup butter

• 6 ounces Louisiana-style hot sauce

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• good size pinch of salt

Directions

1. Preheat broiler

2. Place wings on a foil lined baking sheet and broil until done - about 10 minutes a side - more if frozen

3. While they're cooking, put remaining ingredients in a small pot and simmer for about 15 minutes

4. When wings are done, mix them in batches with the sauce in large bowl

5. Place wings in serving bowl with some of the sauce

Pesto Pizza

Serves 6 for an appetizer

Our friends John and Jo Ann (Jo Ann H., Somewhere in Texas) would often serve this amazingly simple and delicious appetizer. When they moved away, we were all sad, but she left the recipe behind and it made us feel a little better (not a lot, just a little.) This is so quick to make and will easily travel to someone else's home - just get it all ready and cook it in their oven. Oh yeah, don't let them tell you there's no room. There's always room, and it only takes 10 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1-10 oz pre baked pizza crust
• 1-7 oz container pesto sauce (you'll use about half)
• 1-4 oz Garlic & Herb soft spreadable cheese (I use Allouette)
• 3/4 cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Spread Herb & Garlic cheese over pizza crust
3. Spread about half of the pesto evenly over top of cheese
4. Sprinkle parmesan over top of pesto. That's it!
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until it starts to get bubbly and a little brown
6. Cool for a few minutes and then slice into thin wedges

My Mom's Lox Dip

So simple yet so delicious. Man, she's good.

Ingredients

• 1-4 oz package sliced Lox, chopped
• 4 ounces cream cheese (3/4 small package)
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 hard boiled egg, grated
• thinly sliced green onion for garnish

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well
2. Chill in refrigerator about 20 minutes
3. Sprinkle with a little more sliced green onion
4. Serve with toasted pitas (see recipes)

Fresh Mozzarella & Tomato Pizza

Serves 6 as an appetizer

Also referred to as a 'Margherita" pizza (but different from the Margarita drink) this is easily on of my favorites. The fresh mozzarella makes it the bizzle. The quantities below will make a 10-inch pizza, or 2 of the smaller appetizer sized ones.

Ingredients

• 1-10" ready made pizza crust - like Boboli
• Fresh Mozzarella, sliced 1/8" thick
• 3-4 Roma tomatoes, sliced 1/8" thick
• Fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Put tomatoes in bowl with olive oil & garlic, mix well
3. Put tomatoes on crust & cover with mozzarella (NOTE: Do not cover too perfectly - you want some of the tomatoes showing through)
4. Top pizza with some of the basil leaves
5. Bake approximately 12-15 minutes

Mushroom Crostini

'Crostini' too fancy-sounding? Then let's just call this 'mushrooms on bread'. Better?

Ingredients

• 3 cups sliced mushrooms (your choice)

• 2 tablespoons rosemary

• 1 large clove garlic

• 2 tablespoons dry vermouth

• 1 baguette, sliced into diagonal 1/4 inch slices

• fresh ground pepper

• olive oil

Directions

1. Brush one side of bread slices lightly with olive oil

2. Saute mushrooms in oil in nonstick pan over medium heat

3. When soft, add pepper, rosemary and garlic - stir well for a minute

4. Heat broiler, and toast bread slices lightly; oiled side up

5. Add vermouth, taking care as it may flame up

6. When most of the liquid has evaporated, remove from heat

7. Spoon mushroom mixture on the tops of the toasted bread

8. Sprinkle lightly with Parmesan and serve

Mushrooms & Goat Cheese in Pastry

There are so many kinds of 'shrooms out there - it doesn't matter what you use -just choose your favorites!

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound mixed mushrooms, sliced thin
• 2 large shallots, diced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 5 ounces softened goat cheese
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• Olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Heat olive oil in medium pan and saute mushrooms until softened
3. Add shallots and garlic; mix well and cook for 2 minutes
4. Remove from heat and put in large bowl; allow to cool slightly
5. Add goat cheese and parsley
6. Mix well
7. Spread puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface
8. Place mushroom mixture in middle of sheet and fold ends over the top and seal edges
9. Place seam-side down on a well greased baking sheet, make some small decorative slices with a sharp knife across the top; but don't cut all the way through
10. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown
11. Slice and serve warm