Bavarian Apple Torte

Crust:

½ cup butter

⅓ cup sugar

¼ tsp. vanilla

1 cup flour

Filling:

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

¼ cup sugar

1 egg

½ tsp. vanilla

4 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples

⅓ cup sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ cup sliced almonds (optional)

Crust:  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Blend in vanilla. Add flour; mix well.  Spread dough onto bottom and 1½ inches around sides of 9” springform pan.

Filling:  Combine cream cheese and sugar mixing until well blended. Blend in egg and vanilla; pour into pastry-lined pan.

Toss apples with sugar, which has been mixed with cinnamon. Spoon apple mixture over cream cheese layer; sprinkle with almonds.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.  Reduce oven to 400 degrees and continue baking 25 minutes. Loosen cake from rim of pan.  Cool; remove rim.  Chill.

Frosted Pumpkin Cake

1⅔  cups sugar

4 large eggs

15-ounce canned pumpkin

1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp cinnamon OR 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Frosting:

8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 13x9-inch pan.

Prepare cake: In bowl, with mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and batter is smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool pumpkin cake in pan on a wire rack.

Prepare frosting: In bowl, with mixer at low speed, combine the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Applelicious Cake

There are apples galore in this cake: grated apples, sliced apples and dried apples. And apple butter to add some great extra flavor.

2 medium baking apples, Honeycrisp or Gala

⅓ cup butter, melted

1⅔  cups packed dark brown sugar

1 cup apple butter (recommended; Kime’s Sugar Free Apple Butter)

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1⅔  cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 cup finely chopped dried apples

1 recipe Maple Icing, below

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9x2-inch pan; set aside. Peel, core, and coarsely shred one apple using a box grater; thinly slice remaining apple.  Cover; set aside.  

In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, apple butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; whisk to combine. Fold in dried and fresh shredded apple. Spread batter into prepared pan. Arrange apples slices over batter.

Bake 40 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack.  Pour Maple Icing over hot cake; spread evenly.  Dust with cinnamon and sugar.

Maple icing:

In a small bowl stir together ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp melted butter, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp milk and ¼ tsp vanilla until smooth.

Tzatziki

Great sauce to serve with marinated chicken breasts. Tasty on pita chips, too!

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped into chunks

1 tsp. salt

2 (5.3 oz) containers plain Greek yogurt

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried)

salt and pepper to taste

Place diced cucumber in a mesh strainer or colander and sprinkle with salt, toss to evenly coat  then allow to rest 30 minutes at room temperature.

Rinse cucumbers and place over several layers of paper towels.  Squeeze some of the liquid from the cucumbers (almost as if wringing moisture from a cloth). Place cucumbers in food processor and pulse to chop fine or chop fine by hand.  Drain off any excess liquid.

Place cucumbers into a mixing bowl and add greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, and dill.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Whisk to combine.  Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

Marinated Greek Chicken Kebobs

This marinade works well with boneless chicken breasts as well as kebobs. Tzatziki is a nice addition to the meal.

1½- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

¼ plus olive oil

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp ground coriander

salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

2 large red peppers, diced into 1¼ “ pieces

3 small zucchini, sliced into rounds about ½” thick

1 large red onion, diced into 1¼” wedges

In a bowl, whisk together ¼ cup olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, basil , thyme, coriander and salt and pepper to taste.  Place chicken in a gallon size resealable bag, pour olive oil mixture over chicken and press chicken into marinade.  Seal bag and refrigerate 45 to 2 hours (no longer than 2 hours due to acidic ingredients).

Preheat a grill over medium-high heat. Thread chicken on skewers,  If desired, toss a red bell pepper, red onion and zucchini with 2 tbsp oil and thread on skewers. Grill chicken, about 7-9 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking.

Tabbouleh

Most tabbouleh recipes call for less bulgur and more parsley than my adaptation. Use this recipe as a guide to make a healthy, tasty salad to your liking.

1 cup bulgur

1½ cups boiling water

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

2 medium tomatoes, cut into ¼” pieces

½ seedless cucumber, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼ pieces

¼ cup chopped scallions

¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint (optional)

Place bulgur in a heatproof bowl.  Pour boiling water over bulgur, then cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand 30 minutes. If necessary, drain in a sieve press pressing on bulgur to remove any excess liquid.

Stir in lemon juice, oil and salt and pepper. and chill for 2-3 hours. Add parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, scallions and if desired, fresh mint.

Summer Fruit Kuchen

Kuchen, the German word for cake, is defined as any of various coffee cakes made from sweet yeast dough often with fruit and nuts. This easier recipe doesn't call for yeast and takes advantage of colorful summer fruit.  A plum can be substituted for one or both of the peaches.

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp each ground cinnamon and salt

1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

2 large eggs

1½ tsp vanilla extract

⅓ cup milk

1½ cup blueberries

2 ripe peaches, pitted and cut into ½ inch wedges

Crumb Topping:

3 tbsp each all-purpose flour and light brown sugar

2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into bits

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 inch square pan with foil; let foil extend over ends of pan. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl.  Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer on high speed for 2 minutes until smooth. On medium speed, beat in eggs and vanilla just until combined. On low speed, beat in flour mixture and milk until blended.  Gently fold ½ cup of blueberries into batter.

Spread batter into prepared pan into an even layer.  Top with peach slices, evenly spaced in batter. Scatter with remaining 1 cup blueberries.

Topping: In a medium bowl, rub ingredients together with fingertips until moistened and clumpy, then scatter over fruit. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean and kuchen starts to pull away slightly from sides of pan. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Lift foil by ends onto work surface. Using 2 large spatulas, lift cake from foil onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Cut into squares.

Lemon Blueberry Bars

This is a easy recipe - perfect for the novice baker or an experienced baker introducing children to the joy of baking. Fresh raspberries can be substituted for the blueberries.

Crust:

1½ cups graham crackers

6 tbsp butter, melted

¼ cup granulated sugar

Filling:

2 large egg yolks

1 (14 oz can) sweetened condensed milk

½ cup fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar.  Stir until graham cracker crumbs are moist. Press the crumbs firmly into prepared pan.  Bake the graham cracker crust for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

To make filling, combine the egg yolks and condensed milk in a medium bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.  Stir until mixture is smooth and begins to slightly thicken.  Gently fold in the blueberries.

Pour the lemon blueberry filling evenly over the graham cracker crust.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until just set.

Cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator at least one hour before serving.

Coconut-Lemon Bars

Lemon and coconut pair nicely on top of a buttery crust in this easy dessert recipe.

Buttery Crust:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

¼ tsp salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

Coconut-lemon topping:

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1¼ cups granulated sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

2 tsp grated lemon zest

½ cup fresh lemon juice

3 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 13 x 9 baking pan.  Line with foil, allowing the ends to extend over the two short sides of the pan.  Grease the foil.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  On low speed, gradually add the flour.  Press the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until golden around the edges.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer until they are frothy.  Beat in the granulated sugar.  Beat in the flour and baking powder, then beat in the lemon zest and juice.  Add the coconut, stirring until the topping is thoroughly mixed.

Scrape the topping into the hot crust, spreading the coconut evenly.  Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until the edges are golden and the coconut is lightly browned in a few spots.  Set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.  Refrigerate briefly for easier cutting.

Run a thin, sharp knife around the sides of the pan to release the foil, if necessary.  Lift the foil by its ends and transfer the bars to a cutting board.  Using a large, sharp knife cut in 24 squares.  Store well-covered in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

This cake can be made with either a chocolate-buttermilk frosting or topped with raspberry whipped cream.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup butter
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk*
1½ tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan; set aside.  Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.   In a medium saucepan combine butter, cocoa powder, and 1 cup water.  Bring mixture just to boiling, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add the chocolate mixture to the flour mixture; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined.  Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Beat for 1 minute (batter will be thin).

Pour into prepared pan.  Bake in a preheated oven for 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Pour warm Chocolate-Buttermilk Frosting over warm cake, spreading evenly.  Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Chocolate-Buttermilk Frosting:  In a medium saucepan, combine ¼ cup butter, 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, and 3 tbsp. buttermilk.  Bring mixture to boiling.  Remove from heat.  Add 2¼ cups sifted powdered sugar and ½ tsp vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  If desired, stir in ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans.

Cover and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Variation: Cool cake completely. Beat 1 cup heavy whipped cream until it begins to thicken.  Add 1/4 cup raspberry jam.  Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

*Buttermilk substitute: Add ½ tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to measure ½cup. Stir, then let stand for 5 minutes.

Crumb Cake

CAKE:
½ lb. butter, at room temperature
1⅓  cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk, at room temperature

CRUMB TOPPING:
½ lb. butter
1½ cups sugar
2 ½ cups flour
2 tsp.baking powder
5 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

CAKE: In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer.  Add eggs and vanilla and combine. Beat in half of the flour mixture to creamed mixture to blend well. Beat in milk, then remaining flour mixture until just combined.

Spread mixture into a greased 13” x 18” x 1” cookie sheet.

CRUMB TOPPING: Melt and cool butter.  Meanwhile mix dry ingredients; then add cooled butter and vanilla.  Stir with a fork until the mixture comes together to form small crumbs (if you clump it in your hand it should easily form crumbs).  Add additional sugar, if necessary. Break up the crumb mixture if you prefer less crumbs.  For large crumbs, clump portions of the mixture tightly in your hand  to the desired size before placing them on top of the cake batter. Cover the batter completely with crumbs.

Bake 30 minutes at 375.  When cool, sift with confectioners sugar.

One-Bowl Brownies

Yes, brownies from a mix are easier than from scratch. But why use a mix when you can make tastier brownies with not that much extra effort?

4 squares Baker’s unsweetened chocolate
¾ cup (1½ sticks) margarine or butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for glass baking dish).
Microwave chocolate and margarine in large microwavable bowl on high 2 minutes or until margarine is melted.  Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Stir sugar into chocolate until well blended.  Mix in eggs and vanilla.  Stir in flour and nuts until well blended.  Spread in greased foil-lined 13 by 9 inch baking pan.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs.  DO NOT OVERBAKE.  Cool in pan. Cut into squares.

Variations:

Cakelike Brownies:  Stir in ½ cup milk with eggs and vanilla.  Increase flour to
 1 ½ cups.

Cream Cheese Brownies:  Prepare brownies as directed using 4 eggs.  Spread in pan.  Beat 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg and 2 tbsp. flour.  Spoon mixture over brownie batter.  Swirl with knife to marbleize.  Bake 40 minutes.

Rocky Road Brownies:  Prepare brownies as directed.  Bake 30 minutes.  Immediately sprinkle 2 cups miniature marshmallows, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and I cup chopped nuts over brownies.  Bake 3 minutes or until topping begins to melt together.

Peanut Butter Swirl:  Prepare brownies as directed, reserving 1 tbsp. of the margarine and 2 tbsp. of the sugar.  Spread in prepared pan.  Mix reserved ingredients and 2/3 cup peanut butter.  Spoon mixture over brownie matter.  Swirl with knife to marbleize.  Bake as directed.

Raspberry Brownies: Prepare brownies as directed. Pour ⅓ cup of raspberry jam  into a small bowl and stir vigorously to loosen. Drizzle jam evenly over batter and swirl in lightly with a spoon.  Bake until 30 to 35 minutes.

Garden Orzo

Colorful, flavorful vegetables and orzo make a great combination for a side dish that is a bit different from the usual pasta side dishes.

3 cups chicken broth
1 cup orzo pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup diced red pepper
⅓ cup diced onion
½ tsp. minced fresh garlic
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium-size saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil.  Add the orzo and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender.  Drain if necessary.

Meanwhile, in a medium-size skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the zucchini, red pepper, and onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.  Remove the skillet from the heat.

In a medium-size bowl, mix the orzo, the vegetable mixture, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, and pepper. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Oven-fried Potato Sticks

Potatoes are full of vitamin C and potassium and can be part of a healthy diet. Instead of covering them with cheese, sour cream, butter, etc, try oven frying them with some tasty spices and a coating of oil.

4 medium potatoes
1 tbsp oil
⅛ tsp garlic powder
⅛ tsp onion powder
1½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Wash potatoes well and slice them lengthwise into strips, leaving the skins on.  Put all ingredients into a bowl, tossing well to coat the potatoes with the oil and seasonings.

Place potatoes in a shallow baking pan lined with foil.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 35 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are tender.

Chocolate-Toffee Cookies

These cookies are a chocolate lovers delight with chocolate chips and chocolate toffee pieces.

2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 bag (8 ounces) chopped milk chocolate pieces (Such as Hershey’s Heath Bar Baking Pieces)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in egg and vanilla.

On low speed, gradually add in flour mixture.  Beat for 2 minutes or until blended.  Stir in chocolate chips and toffee pieces.

Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets and bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden.  Cool baking sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire wire to cool completely.

Oatmeal Raisin Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Hershey's Cinnamon Chips are hard to find in the supermarket but can be readily found online through the Hershey Store, Walmart or even Drugstore.com!

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2-½ cups quick- cooking oats
1 pkg. (10 oz.) Hershey’s Cinnamon Chips*
¾ cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in bowl until creamy.  Add eggs and vanilla; beating well.  Combine flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture, beating well.  Stir in oats, cinnamon chips and raisins (batter will be stiff).

Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool I minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.  Makes about 4 dozen.

*I use half a package of chips as I find using the entire bag a bit overpowering.

Bar variation:  Spread batter into lightly greased 13x9x2-inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool; cut into bars.  Makes about 3 dozen bars.

Pepper Chicken

A reader submitted this recipe to Family Circle magazine as a family favorite.  She revised a classic pepper steak recipe by swapping steak with chicken. Soy sauce and ketchup may sound a bit odd but somehow it works.

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup ketchup
3 tbsp light soy sauce
⅛ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 large onion, halved and cut into thin slices
2 green peppers, seeded, cored and cut into thin slices
1 can (4 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained*
Cooked white rice for serving

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

In a medium-size bowl, whisk 1 cup water, ketchup, soy sauce and pepper; gradually whisk in the flour.

Remove chicken from skillet.  Stir in the water-ketchup mixture and bring to a boil; add chicken  and the onion.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add peppers and mushrooms and simmer, covered for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with rice.

*I don’t include the mushrooms and would use fresh mushrooms if I ever chose to add them.

Country-Style Potato and Onion Pie

2 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 cup sliced ⅛” new red potatoes
1 medium onion, sliced ⅛”, separated into rings
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
⅓ cup milk
 8 eggs, slightly beaten or equivalent egg substitute
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 medium ripe tomato, sliced


Heat oven to 400 degrees.  In a 10” ovenproof skillet melt butter in oven 3 to 4 minutes.  Add potatoes and onion.  Bake, stirring once, for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are crisply tender.  Meanwhile, in small bowl stir together remaining ingredients except tomato slices.  Pour over baked potatoes and onion; arrange tomato slices over eggs.  Return to oven; continue baking for 17 to 22 minutes or until eggs are set and lightly browned.

Note: I use half the amount of parsley, only 6 eggs and no tomato.  However, the tomato makes an even nicer presentation.

Potato Soup

I found this recipe on Saveur.com, a food, drink and travel website.  I agree with their comment that it’s “a flavorful and creamy soup with just the right amount of cheese.”

4 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
6 cups chicken stock
8 tbsp butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups hot milk
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Combine potatoes, carrots, onions, and chicken stock in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 45 minutes.

Melt butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.  Stir in hot milk, ½ cup at a time, and cook until smooth and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.  Add cheese.  Stir milk mixture into soup.  Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 6-8

Cornflake Chicken

3 cups cornflakes cereal, coarsely crushed 
2 tsp Trader Joe's Garlic Salt
1 lb chicken tenders
Mayonnaise

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray or grease with butter.

Coarsely crush cornflakes; add garlic salt. Set aside. Coat chicken tenders with mayonnaise. Roll chicken in crushed cornflakes crumbs.

Place chicken tenders on baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes, turning over halfway through baking.

Zucchini Tots

From SkinnyTaste.com, the easy-to-make tots are perfect little sides for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

1 cup zucchini, grated

1 large egg

¼ medium onion, diced

¼ cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, grated

¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray mini muffin tin* with cooking spray.

Grate the zucchini into a clean dish towel or paper towel.  Wring all of the excess water out of the zucchini. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

Fill each muffin section to the top, pushing down on the filling with your spoon so its nice and compacted; then they won't fall apart when you take them out of the tin.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden.

*They can also baked on a cookie sheet:

Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture in your hands and roll into small ovals.  Place on cookie sheet and bake 16-18, turning halfway through cooking until golden brown.

Zucchini-Carrot-Pineapple Bread

This is a delicious way to get your daily serving of vegetables!

1-½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
dash ground nutmeg
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup undrained, canned crushed pineapple packed in juice
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup shredded zucchini*
¾ cup shredded carrots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an 8½x4½x2¾ inch loaf pan.  Lightly dust pan with additional flour and tap out excess.

In a medium-sized bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.  In a large bowl, and using a hand-held electric mixer, beat together sugar, pineapple, oil, eggs, and vanilla for 2 minutes.  Gradually stir in flour mixture just to combine.  Stir in zucchini and carrot.

Scrape batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 55 t0 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center of bread comes out clean.  Remove pan to a wire rack.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing bread from pan; finish cooling on rack.

Store completely cooled bread in an airtight container at cool room temperature.  This bread freezes well.

*Grate the zucchini into a clean dish towel or paper towel.  Wring all of the excess water out of the zucchini.

Illinois Buttermilk Pecan Muffins

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. sugar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
1 lg. egg
2/3 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. butter, melted & cooled
1/3 c. chopped pecans
1/3 c. raisins

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease twelve 2 to 2 1/2 inch muffin-pan cups. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and spices in large bowl. Using wooden spoon or electric mixer, beat egg, buttermilk and melted butter to blend well. Stir buttermilk into flour mixture only until just blended. Quickly fold in nuts and raisins.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin-pan cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake 20 minutes until lightly browned and sharp knife inserted in muffin comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Making pancakes from scratch might require a bit more effort, but they're worth it!

2 cups flour (or 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour)
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk
⅓ cup milk
2 large eggs
¼ cup butter or margarine, melted

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Whisk until blended.  Combine buttermilk, milk, eggs and melted butter in a medium bowl.  Whisk until blended.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  When griddle is hot, add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients, then stir batter just until blended.

Reduce heat to medium and grease griddle with butter, oil or shortening.  Using ladle or ⅓ cup dry measure, pour spoonfuls of batter onto prepared griddle.  Cook until bubbles for on top 2 to 3 minutes.  Turn pancakes with a spatula.  Cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until browned.

Makes 14 pancakes

Apple Cobbler

Easier than making an apple pie and just as good, this Cobbler is a good recipe for both the experienced and novice baker.

Filling:
8 cups pared baking apple slices (about 6 medium)
½ cup sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg

Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
⅓ cup melted butter
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place apples in a greased 8” square pan.  Mix ½ cup sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; sprinkle over apples.

Mix flour, 1 cup sugar, butter, egg, baking powder, and salt in a bowl (mixture will be dry). Sprinkle mixture over apples.

Bake until crust is golden, about 1 hour. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Sour Cream Chocolate Pound Cake

This cake is extremely moist.  And the perfect recipe if you're looking to make something smaller than a full-size pound cake.

1 cup boiling water
2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
½ cup (1 stick) softened butter
1¾ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla

Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, pour boiling water over chocolate. Stir to blend, then cool; set aside (about 20 minutes).

Place butter in the mixing bowl of an electric mixer. With the speed set to medium, cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, beating just until the yellow disappears.

Mix together flour, soda and salt. With speed set to low, add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream. Mix until combined, scraping bowl once to blend; do not overmix.

 Mix in cooled chocolate, then vanilla just until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 1 loaf. To freeze, tightly wrap in double layers and store in the freezer for up to three months.

Minestrone

A tasty, healthy recipe from Woman’s Day magazine.  I vary it slightly by using the entire can of tomato paste, leaving out the cabbage and adding less baby spinach.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp. tomato paste
4 carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
2 stalks celery, sliced ¼ inch thick
1 russet potato, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
6 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
½ small head savoy cabbage, quartered and cut into 1 inch thick strips
1 cup ditalini
1 15.5 oz can white beans, rinsed
2 cups baby spinach
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally until very tender, 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Add the carrots, celery, potato, thyme (if using) and 8 cups water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the cabbage and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 10 or 12 minutes more.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions.

Discard the thyme.  Stir the pasta and beans into the soup and cook until beans are heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add the spinach, folding until beginning to wilt.  Serve with Parmesan cheese.