Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, vinegar and cumin.

Add green onion, bell pepper, cilantro, corn, and black beans. Mix well. Cover, refrigerate.

Boil chicken broth in the microwave. Stir in couscous. Cover, let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine cooked couscous with dressing and vegetable mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour couscous into a 2 quart casserole dish.

In a medium kettle, heat chicken stock, curry powder, garam masala, salt, pepper, olive oil and raisins to boiling.

Remove from heat and pour over couscous.

Cover with plastic wrap and then lid. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Remove plastic wrap, fluff with fork.

Garnish with cilantro and slivered almonds.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, oats, milk and melted margarine so that it makes nice clumps and there is no dry mix left.

Press 1/2 of the oats mixture evenly into the bottom the prepared pan. In a separate bowl, mix jam with lemon juice, and spread over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture evenly over the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 23 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Cool before cutting into bars.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

Sprinkle chicken with paprika, pepper, and curry powder. Place in a roasting pan.

Combine mustard, honey, and jam in a small bowl. Pour over chicken, and marinate for 1 hour or overnight.

Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour, basting often.

Combine all ingredients, blend or shake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Don’t let it boil though. I should take about 45 seconds if you take the butter directly from the refrigerator.

Add the sliced bananas to the melted butter and mash together with the spoon.

Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla.

Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and stir to combine.

Add the flour, mix.

Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan.

Bake for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven, but leave in the bread pan. Cool on a rack.

Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Preheat oven to 250 F. If you have a convection oven, use the convection setting. The granola will brown more evenly.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut and brown sugar. Stir. (This is a great thing for kids to help with)

In a smaller bowl, combine the pure maple syrup, oil and salt. Pour over the oats mixture and stir well to coat evenly. (I like to pour the mixture over the oats and let my son stir)

Spread the granola mixture onto two cookie sheet pans (with sides) that have been lined with parchment paper for easy clean up.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally (every 15 minutes or so) to allow the granola to brown evenly.

Remove the granola from the oven and transfer to a large bowl. Add in the dried fruits and raisins and mix well.

Store granola in an airtight container. Homemade granola will last for about 4 weeks if stored properly.

A food processor provides an easy solution for chopping onions. Since we’ll use the food processor for our sauce, I take advantage of having it out and use it to chop my onion first. After the onion is chopped, rinse out the processor and we’ll get started.

Place the cans of stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, pesto or fresh parsley, peeled garlic cloves, oregano, salt and pepper in the food processor. Pulse until the mixture is smooth (less than 1 minute).

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add Chardonnay and simmer for another minute. Add blended tomato sauce.

Simmer on low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Trim asparagus spears to be roughly the same length.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add trimmed asparagus spears. Boil 2 minutes. Immediately transfer asparagus to an ice cold water bath to stop the cooking and set the color. Drain.

With a very sharp knife, cut each chicken breast in half horizontally to make 2 thin cutlets out of each breast. Pound each cutlet to create an even thickness across the breast.

Begin to layer remaining ingredients on top of chicken breast cutlets. Begin by spreading 1 Tablespoon of pesto on each piece of chicken. Top with cheese, prosciutto and 4-5 asparagus spears.

Starting on one side of the chicken breast, begin to roll up ingredients around the asparagus. If the rolls do not stay together, secure with a toothpick. Season roll ups with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add chicken rolls and cover. Cook 4-5 minutes. Turn the roll ups. Cover. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until chicken is done.

Transfer to a serving plate.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until tender but firm to the bite, stirring pasta occasionally. Cook times will vary from 8-12 minutes depending on the type of pasta you are cooking.

Drain pasta into a large bowl.

Place the almonds or other nuts in a food processor and pulse until they become the texture of breadcrumbs.

Add the breadcrumbs and processed almonds to the hot pasta.

Heat olive oil over med high heat in skillet. Sauté garlic and leek for 3-4 minutes. Add peas. Sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes. Pour over pasta and breadcrumbs.

Toss ingredients lightly to combine. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve. Lightly drizzle extra virgin olive over the top if desired.

Boil 3 large potatoes and egg until done (potatoes should be easily pierced with fork)

Pour out hot water and let stand or place in refrigerator to cool.

Cut cooled potatoes into bite size pieces and place in large mixing bowl.

Grate entire cooked egg into bowl.

Mix remaining ingredients with potatoes. For a lumpier potato salad, use a spatula to fold ingredients together. For a smoother consistency, use a spoon to stir.

Rinse and drain chick peas.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and toss.

Cover and refrigerate at least three hours to let the flavors combine.

Before serving, taste the salad. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt if needed. If the salad is dry, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Toss before serving.

Wash and boil potatoes until tender, drain and cool. Peel and cube potatoes.

Sauté chopped celery and onions in butter with a pinch of white pepper and a pinch of Tony’s seasoning for 1-2 minutes.

In a large bowl mix potatoes, sugar, Tony’s seasoning, white pepper, and smoky paprika. Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, sweet relish, chopped eggs without yolks, celery and onion sauté.

Fold in drained pimentos.

Garnish with sliced egg and a sprinkle of smoky paprika.

Chill in the refrigerator for at last 2 hours or overnight.

Cut red potatoes into quarters (or smaller depending on size and personal preference). Bring water to a boil, and boil potatoes 10-15 minutes. Drain and let cool in the refrigerator.

Peel the shell from the eggs. Separate the egg yolk from the whites. Chop all of the egg whites, and only 2-3 yolk.

Chop the onions, celery, green onions, and pickles.

In a bowl, mix the mayo, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and mustard. Add the potatoes, egg, onion, celery, green onion, pickles, and pimentos. Mix well.

Cover the potato salad and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Before serving sprinkle fresh parsley or bacon crumbles on top.

Boil cubed potatoes in water with 2 tsp Kosher salt until soft, but still a little firm. Drain.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, pepper and Tony’s seasoning.

In a larger mixing bowl, combine potatoes with bacon bits, onions, and cheddar cheese. Reserve some of the bacon, onion and cheese for the topping.

Fold the sour cream mixture into the potatoes.

Pour into a baking dish. Top with the reserved bacon, onions, and shredded cheese.

Before serving, bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese melts.

This dish can be made ahead and refrigerated before baking.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl

Chill

Drizzle the chicken breasts with olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bake on a cookie sheet in a preheated 350 F oven for 35-40 minutes. Cool. Remove skin and bones, shred meat, set aside.

Toast sesame seeds and slivered almonds in a nonstick pan over medium high heat for 5-10 minutes or until they begin to brown. Remove from heat, set aside.

In a small jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the salt, sugar, vinegar, black pepper, olive oil and sesame oil. Shake until everything is well combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the lettuce, green onion, chow mein noodles, toasted sesame seeds and slivered almonds and the cooked chicken.

Pour dressing over the salad and gently toss. Serve immediately. The dressing will make the salad soggy if you mix it too early, so toss right before serving.

Cut chicken into bite size pieces no larger than 1”. If you are using a precooked rotisserie chicken, remove the skin and bones before cutting the meat.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat for about 2 minutes. If you are using a precooked rotisserie chicken, you can skip this step as the chicken is already cooked.

Add the uncooked cubed chicken breasts to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes or until the meat is cooked through and you can no longer see pink. (I like to sauté my chicken in a seasoned cast iron skillet. Then I can skip the adding the oil)

Remove cooked meat from the pan and set on a plate.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and peppers. Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add cilantro pesto. Stir. Remove skillet from heat.

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Wash the chicken and pat dry.

Place the chicken on a baking sheet and drizzle both sides of each breast with olive oil.

Sprinkle the meat generously with salt and pepper, or whatever seasoning you prefer. Amazingly, the chicken is quite tasty with only salt and pepper seasoning. You really don’t need anything else.

Roast for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

If the chicken is for another recipe, set it aside and allow it to cool before removing the skin, bones and cutting the meat into smaller cubes. You will have about 6 cups of cooked chicken when you’re finished.

Combine diced potatoes, onion, chicken stock and cream of chicken soup in a crock pot, kettle or microwave safe dish.

Cover and cook in slow cooker on low 8-10 hours, on high 4-5 hours, or on stove or in microwave until potatoes are tender. It doesn’t matter how you cook the mixture so long as the potatoes cook in the broth and are covered while they cook.

Remove half of the cooked potatoes and set aside.

Add the cream cheese and blend mixture with cream cheese until smooth in consistency. Use an upright blender, hand held blender or food processor to achieve a uniform consistency.

Add back potatoes and any other ingredients you would like to add (basil pesto, cooked sausage, corn, peppers, etc)

Top with crumbled bacon and chives before serving.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a small bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar, dark brown sugar, and ketchup until smooth.

In a larger bowl, mix together ground beef, bread, egg, onion, salt, pepper, ketchup, Kitchen Bouquet and half and half.

Either shape into a loaf or place in a baking dish (a 9” pie plate works well) and smooth out top.

Pour half of the sauce over the top of the meatloaf.

Bake 70-75 minutes or until meat is cooked through.

Remove from oven and allow meatloaf to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Warm the remaining sauce and pour over the top before serving or place in a bowl and serve on the side.

In a small, brightly colored bowl (something that’s fun to whisk in)…combine the Miracle Whip, white vinegar, sugar and mustard. Whisk together until smooth.

Cook the macaroni as directed on the package, drain (do not rinse) and cool.

In a large bowl, gently combine the macaroni, celery, carrot, green pepper, onion, chopped eggs. Fold in the dressing mixture.

Top with sliced egg, paprika, and chill at least two hours before serving.

Find a kettle that has a lid and can go from the stove top to the oven.

Preheat oven to 350 F

Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse over cool water under water runs clear.

On the stove top over medium high heat, bring the liquid to a boil.

Turn off heat and add the rice.

Put the lid on, place the kettle in the oven and cook for exactly 17 minutes.

That’s it. Your rice is done. Perfect every time! You can remove it from the oven and leave the lid on to serve when you’re ready.

By the way, cooked rice freezes very well. Place individual servings in sealed sandwich bags and freeze. Microwave each serving for about 1 minute when you are ready to enjoy it.

Over medium high heat, melt the butter in a large pot. Add the sirloin and cook until the meat is browned. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes.

Stir in the broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

In a separate saucepan, melt 3 T butter over medium high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1-2 minutes, then add the milk and continue to whisk, working out all the lumps. You need to work fast on this step.

When the flour mixture is smooth, add it to the soup broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add in the pesto, shredded cheese, ketchup, mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted.

Remove from heat and serve (chopped pickles on top of the soup add a nice flavor…I know…it seems odd…but give it a try).

Melt butter in large pot over med high heat. Add leeks, sauté 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and ginger, sauté one additional minute.

Stir in carrots, sugar, salt, and cayenne. Continue to sauté for one minute.

Add wine. Continue to simmer until wine is nearly gone. Be sure to scrap the bits off the bottom to deglaze.

Stir in the broth and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes or until carrots are soft.

Remove pot and allow soup to cool for 10 minutes. Ladle into blender to puree (or use a hand blender).

Finish soup by adding freshly squeezed lemon juice, sweet basil pesto, and cream. Gently stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Melt butter in a small saucepan on the stove. Don’t use the microwave. It’s too easy to ruin the butter. When melted, pour into the bottom of a heavy 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, egg, milk and vanilla to create a batter.

Pour batter evenly over the melted butter.

In a different bowl, combine peaches, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Spread peaches over batter. DO NOT STIR!

Bake 40-45 minutes until batter rises to the top and is golden brown.

Brown meat in large skillet over med high heat.

Add chopped onions, green bell pepper, celery and mushrooms. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Add in tomatoes, tomato sauce, sweet pickle juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.

Cook over medium heat in skillet for one hour.

In large casserole dish layer cooked noodles, cream of mushroom soup, simmered meat sauce and shredded cheese.

Either freeze at this point or bake in a preheated 350 oven for 40 minutes.

Over med high heat, heat oil in large kettle. Add chicken pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue to cook over med high heat until chicken is browned. Transfer chicken to plate.

To same kettle, add onion, curry powder, ginger, garlic, jalapeno and red pepper flakes. Continue to sauté over med high heat for 3 minutes.

Stir in chicken stock, tomatoes, and cilantro. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes.

Ladle out about 2 cups of hot broth. Set aside.

In a different smaller saucepan, melt butter over med high heat. Add flour and whisk over med high heat until smooth and bubbly, making a roux (pronounced ROO). Gradually add the ladled broth, continually whisking. Simmer and whisk for an additional minute. Remove from heat.

Add flour/broth mixture back to soup kettle. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add coconut milk and spinach. Remove from heat. Cover for 5 minutes. Stir.

Serve in a bowl over steamed rice.

First, enjoy a glass of wine.

Preheat oven to 375. Wash chicken and pat dry.

Put chopped ingredients in the bottom of a large, heavy pot that can be placed in the oven.

Place chicken on top of chopped vegetables, sprinkle with salt, Herbs de Provence, and freshly ground black pepper.

Add water and wine.

Cover, bake 2 hours.

Remove chicken and vegetables from pot.

Stir cornstarch into hot water and whisk into the hot broth. Whisk until all white lumps are gone.

Cover. Return to oven for 8 more minutes to thicken gravy.

Add the fresh basil (leaves only, no stems), garlic cloves, pine nuts, parmesan, salt and pepper to food processor.

Pulse on low until everything is well mixed, drizzling with olive oil while blending.

The pesto will last a few days in the refrigerator or can be frozen for later use. I always make a triple batch and then spread the pesto into ice cubes trays for easy use. Freeze the pesto and pop the cubes out into bags that can be vacuum sealed. They will last this way in the freezer for one year.

Place your packaged spices (I’ve included a photo of the packaging in case you’re not sure what I mean…they are in the refrigerated produce section) and all of the other ingredients into a 16-20 quart stock pot.

Add 6 quarts of water. Bring to a boil.

Simmer, uncovered, for 4 hours.

Strain the entire pot with contents through a colander. Discard the solids (you may want to use the chicken in another recipe)

Chill the stock in the refrigerator overnight. Skim off the fat on the surface and discard it. Divide into 2 cup containers and freeze for up to three months or use immediately.

Heat chicken stock in a small kettle or in a microwave safe bowl until it begins to gently boil.

Remove from heat. Stir in taco seasoning. Mix until the spices are dissolved in the broth.

Place chicken breasts in crock pot.

Pour seasoned chicken stock over chicken breasts.

Cover. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Do not lift the lid during cooking. It will interfere with the timing and cause chicken to take longer to cook.

After the chicken is done, shred the chicken breasts with two forks, by pulling the meat apart. The meat should be very tender and break apart easily. If it does not, it is not done and needs to cook longer.

In a large kettle, bring 4 quarts water and 2 T salt to a rolling boil. Add macaroni and continue to boil, stirring occasionally, for 9 minutes. Drain pasta but do not rinse.

In the same kettle, melt butter over med-hi heat. Whisk in flour, ½ tsp kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne, garlic salt and vanilla. Continue to cook, continually whisking, for 2 minutes or until the mixture is smooth.

Slowly pour in the milk and half & half. Cook, whisking continually for 8-10 minutes until the mixture is thickened. You may need to reduce the heat to med after 4 minutes of cooking if the mixture is at a hard boil. You want to allow it to reach a gentle, slow boil. Continual whisking is important to eliminate lumps.

Remove from heat. Stir in 2 (8 oz pkg) shredded medium cheddar. Continue stirring until cheese is melted.

Mix the cooked pasta, cheese sauce nd raw broccoli florets together. Pour into a 13x9 casserole dish that has been sprayed with Pam.

Top with 1 (8 oz) pkg shredded sharp cheddar and ¼ c breadcrumbs.

Bake in preheated 350 oven for 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving.