Steak Marinade

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Worchestershire or teriyaki sauce
1 1/2 T garlic powder
3 T basil
1 1/2 T parsley
1 t pepper
1 t garlic, minced

Tomato and Zucchini Salad

7 tomatoes, cut into wedges
3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 medium sweet yellow peppers, thinly sliced

Dressing: whisk
1/3 cup cider vinegar
3 T olive oil
1 T sugar
1 1/2 t salt
1 T each minced fresh basil, parsley and tarragon

Molten Chocolate Cupcakes

¾ cup whipping cream

1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® devil's food cake mix

1 box (4-serving size) chocolate fudge instant pudding and pie filling mix

1 ¼ cups water

½ cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

In 1-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream over medium-high heat until hot but not boiling. Stir in chocolate chips until melted and mixture is smooth. Refrigerate about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until thick.

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 24 large (2 3/4x1 1/4-inch) muffin cups (dark or nonstick pans not recommended). In large bowl, beat cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl constantly. Place 1/4 cup batter in each muffin cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon cold chocolate mixture on top of batter in center of each cup.

Bake 20 to 23 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 1 minute. Carefully remove from pan; place on cooking parchment paper. Cool 10 minutes. Frost with chocolate frosting. Just before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Garnish with strawberry slices. Serve warm. Store loosely covered.

Makes 24 cupcakes

Steak Marinade

2 T soy sauce

2 T water

¼ cup teriyaki

2 tsp ginger powder

1 T lemon juice (or 2 T)

3 T olive oil

1 T brown sugar

Spicy Cashews

2 cups cashews

1.5 T honey

¼ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

¼ tsp cumin

Bake on foil lined cookie sheet at 350 for 6.5 minutes.  Stir after 3 minutes. 

Broccoli Salad

3 heads broccoli (about 5 cups)

¼ c slivered almonds

1/3 cup diced red onion

½ cup goldens

4 bacon strips, cut up

Dash of salt

Dressing: ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 T vinegar, 1.5 T sugar

Christmas Rice Crispy Treats

2 1/3 bags marshmallows

1 ½ stick butter

1 18 oz box Rice Crispies

1 bag red and green M&Ms

Melt marshmallows and butter in a large bowl in the microwave.  Add cereal and M&Ms.  Makes 64.

Fudge

3 c chocolate chips (1 ½ 12 oz pkgs), mixture of semi sweet and milk

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

3 T butter

1 ½ t vanilla

Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a glass bowl and microwave 1 minute at a time, stirring after each minute.  When combined add vanilla and pour into 9x13 pan lined with foil.

Christmas Mint Chocolate Cookies

1 pkg Devils Food cake mix

½ c oil

2 eggs

½ c chocolate chips

Andes mints

Mix together all ingredients except mints and drop by spoonfuls on baking sheet.  Bake 350 for 7-8 minutes, smash and bake 3 minutes more.  Put an Andes mint on top of each cookie. When it has melted, swirl with a knife.  Let cookies cool completely.   

Spinach Quiche

Mix together 4 eggs, well beaten, and 6 T flour until smooth.

Add the following

½ carton of 10 oz pkg fresh spinach

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

½ tsp salt

1 cup diced chicken, ham or bacon

Pour into greased casserole dish (round) and sprinkle 1 cup cheddar cheese on top.  Cover and cook for 45 minutes at 350.  Remove lid during last few minutes of baking.  Allow to cool some before serving.  

Amazing Apple Pancake

2 apples, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

5 tablespoons butter/margarine

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

powdered sugar

Lower  the rack in your oven so that it is closer to the bottom of the oven than to the top. Preheat the oven to 425° F (220° C).  In a small bowl, mix the apple slices with the two sugars and cinnamon; set aside.  Chop the butter/margarine and scatter it in a 9″ x 13″ (23 cm x 33 cm) glass baking dish, then place the dish in the oven.  While the butter/margarine melts, beat the eggs, then stir in the milk, flour, and salt.  As soon as the butter starts to bubble, remove the baking dish from the oven and pour in the sugar-and-apple mixture. Without stirring, pour the egg-milk-and-flour mixture on top.  Carefully return the baking dish to the oven and bake for 20–22 minutes. Watch the amazing pancake rise! Cut the pancake into squares and sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Makes 6 servings.

Strawberry Cream Cake

Make a yellow cake mix according to package directions and spread in the bottom of a greased and floured 9x13 pan.  Mix 2-3 cups of strawberries with 1 cup sugar and layer over cake.  Dribble ½ pint whipping cream over the top.  Bake 350 50-60 minutes.  Serve with whipped cream. 

Spinach Poppers

These sound weird but they are delicious and so nutritious.  You must try them! 

Uncle Ben's 90 second heat-in-microwave wild rice packet
5-10 oz spinach
2 eggs
8 oz shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried Italian herbs

Heat oven to 350. Put parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  In skillet, saute 5-10 ounces spinach over 1 T olive oil over medium heat, add salt and pepper to taste.  (Could also add chopped garlic, garlic powder, or chopped onion, if you were feeling fancy.) While spinach is cooking down, add 2 eggs to a bowl and beat.  Add 8 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (Kraft is fine), 1 tsp dried Italian herbs.  Heat rice package in microwave and add that and the spinach to the egg/cheese mixture. Stir until mixed. 
Using a serving type spoon, spoon up a mound of the mixture and place on cookie sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Serve with pizza sauce. 

Chilled Shrimp Pasta Salad

Combine until smooth:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup horseradish sauce
2 T grated onion
1 1/2 t seasoned salt
3/4 t pepper

Add:
3 cups pasta shells, cooked
1 pound peeled and deveined cooked small shrimp
1 large cucumber, seeded and chopped
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced

Refrigerate.

Mediterranean Cobb Salad

1 pkg (6 oz) falafel mix
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/4 cup 2% milk
1 t minced fresh parsley
1/4 t salt
4 cups torn romaine
4 cups fresh baby spinach
3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup pitted Greek olives, finely chopped

Prepare and cook falafel according to package directions.  When cool enough to handle, crumble or coarsely chop falafel.
In a small bowl, mix sour cream, cucumber, milk, parsley and salt.  In a large bowl, combine romaine and spinach; transfer to a platter.  Arrange crumbled falafel and remaining ingredients over greens.  Drizzle with dressing, such as balsamic vinaigrette or Bernstein's champagne dressing.

Layered Corn Salad

Combine 1 can corn with 2 T olive oil, 1 t salt, 3/4 t pepper and 3/4 t crushed red pepper flakes.
In a 2 qt glass bowl layer a third of each: corn, diced tomatoes, diced red onion, sliced basil leaves three times.  Pour 1 cup zesty Italian dressing over top.  Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Chocolaty Nanaimo Bars

1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Filling
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 T instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups powdered sugar
3 T half-and-half

Topping
1 cup (6 oz) chocolate chips
1 T shortening

Line bottom of 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper.  In a small saucepan, cook and stir butter, sugar and cocoa over medium heat until butter is melted.  Remove from heat.
In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg; return all to pan, whisking constantly. Cook 2-3 minutes or until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and a thermometer reads at least 160, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.
Stir in cracker crumbs, coconut and pecans.  Press into prepared pan.  Refrigerate 30 minutes or until cold.
For filling, in a large bowl beat butter and pudding powder until blended.  Beat in powdered sugar and the cream until smooth.  Spread over crust.  Refrigerate, covered, for 1 hour or until filling is firm.
For topping, microwave chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth.  Spread evenly over filling.  Refrigerate 10 minutes or until topping is just set (do not allow the chocolate to completely harden).  Cut into bars.