Coconut Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
• 6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• Coconut liqueur
• Whipped topping, for garnish
• Shaved dark chocolate for garnish
• Shredded sweetened coconut, for garnish

Directions

Bring the milk, cream, and coconut extract to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the chocolate. Whisk until smooth and pour into mugs. Stir in coconut liqueur, to taste. Garnish with whipped topping, shaved dark chocolate, and shredded coconut.

Brown Sugar Bacon

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, 8 slices

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix brown sugar, cayenne, and black pepper together in a medium bowl. Add bacon and toss.

Line a baking sheet with a wire rack and lay bacon on the rack. Pat any remanding spice mixture on the bacon. Put the baking sheet on the top rack of the oven and bake until crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven to a serving dish and let cool slightly before serving.

Key Lime Mousse Pie

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 cups crushed graham crackers
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Filling:

• 6 tablespoons fresh key lime juice
• 1 1/4 ounces (1 envelope) package unflavored gelatin
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 10 (1-ounce) squares white chocolate, chopped
• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lime zest
• 1 1/2 ounces white chocolate, grated or shaved into curls, for garnish
• Candied Lime Peel, for garnish, recipe follows

Directions

Crust:

Mix together the cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press the mixture into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Set aside.

Filling:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the lime juice. Whisk in the gelatin and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat. Add 10 ounces of white chocolate and stir until smooth. Allow to cool.

Using an electric mixer, blend together the cream cheese, sugar and lime zest in a medium bowl, until smooth. Slowly beat in the cooled white chocolate mixture into cream cheese mixture.

Using clean, dry beaters, beat the remaining 2-cups heavy cream in a small bowl, until it forms soft peaks. Fold it into the white chocolate mixture and pour into the pie crust. Cover and freeze overnight.

Remove from freezer and run a sharp knife around inside of springform pan to help loosen the pie. Release springform ring from the bottom of the pan and transfer the pie to a serving plate. Grate or curl the white chocolate over the top and garnish with candied lime peel. Cut into wedges with a knife that has been dipped into hot water and serve.

Candied Lime Peels:

• 4 limes, peels removed and sliced into strips
• 2 cups sugar, plus more for rolling
• 2 cups water

Bring a medium-sized saucepan of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the peels in and blanch them for a few minutes. Set aside.

Put the peels in another medium saucepan and cover with equal parts of sugar and water. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 1 hour. Remove the peels and drain until almost dry. Roll into sugar and set aside.

Broccoli Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste, if desired
• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil, plus more as needed
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons peeled and chopped ginger
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 2 cups broccoli florets, blanched

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, light brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and cornstarch. Reserve.

Set a wok over medium-high heat and coat with 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. When the oil shimmers, add about half of the chicken thigh pieces. Stir-fry until the chicken is fully cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat the process with the remaining chicken thighs.

Add enough peanut oil to the hot wok to coat the bottom. Add the garlic, ginger, green onions, and red pepper flakes, to taste, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken back to the pan along with the broccoli florets and stir to warm through. Pour in the reserved sauce and stir until the sauce is thickened and bubbly, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Apple Sauce Syrup

2 cups applesauce
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar (or less... I do a bit less)
1tbsp butter
cinnamon (to taste)
*** Mix all ingredients and bring to a boil***

Then...
Mix 2 tbsp of cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Make sure you mix the cornstarch and water BEFORE you add to syrup!
***Add to boiling applesauce mix and

stir over heat until thick***

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 (3/4 pound) boneless skinless chicken breast
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 (16-ounce) ball pizza dough, store-bought
• 2 cups baby spinach, well washed and dried
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, red and yellow
• 1 cup grated mozzarella
• Olive oil, for brushing crust

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Adjust racks to the middle of the oven. Put pizza stone in the oven to preheat while you begin the sauce.

Preheat a grill pan over medium heat.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Put the chicken on the grill pan and grill until cooked through. Remove to a cutting board and dice. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant. Add the flour and cook until light blonde in color. Whisk in the cream, reduce the heat to low, and let simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and season lightly with salt and pepper, to taste.

Flour your work surface and roll the pizza dough into a 13-inch diameter. Carefully remove the pizza stone from the oven and put the dough on top. Ladle the sauce to cover the bottom of the pizza. Evenly top with the baby spinach, grape tomatoes, grilled chicken and the mozzarella. Brush the edge of the crust with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake the pizza until crisp and golden, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately top with another handful of spinach. Slice and serve.

Pizza Crust

INGREDIENTS
1 cup warm water (110-120 degrees F, over 120 degrees will kill your yeast)
2 tsp. honey
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 cup bread flour (+ up to 1/4 cup more for kneading)
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS
1. In a glass or plastic bowl (metal can negatively affect yeast), dissolve honey in warm water. Add yeast and let sit (at least 10 minutes) until yeast is active and bubbly.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, and salt. Create a well in the center.

3. Once the yeast mixture is ready, pour it into the well in your flour mixture bowl. Add the extra virgin olive oil. Using a spatula and then your fingers, mix the dough until it pulls away from the side of the bowl.

4. Knead the dough on the counter top, adding up to 1/4 cup more flour just until it is no longer sticking to the counter and has a smooth texture. (You can brush a little olive oil onto your fingers for the kneading process.)

5. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled in size, about an hour. You can test if your dough has risen enough by poking it with a finger. If the imprint stays, then the dough is ready.

6. Deflate the dough into a ball, and let it rest on your counter for at least 10 minutes before you create the crust.

7. Preheat the oven and pizza stone (sprinkle with corn meal or semolina flour before placing in the oven) to 450 degrees F. This will take 15-20 minutes. A scorching hot pizza stone is the key to getting that puffy evenly cooked crust.

8. To shape your crust you will simply use your hands and gravity. DO NOT use a rolling pin- it will press out all of the air that has formed in your dough. Take the ball of dough in your hands and simply begin pulling it around the edges. It should start to stretch easily. Rotate it around your first making sure you are stretching each side evenly, so that you have a round crust. The middle will be fairly thin, and you want to leave the edges thicker so they will puff up.

9. Now you have several options. First is to open the preheated oven and place your crust directly on the stone. Then add your sauce and toppings and close the oven. This allows a fair bit of heat to escape the oven though so it is not ideal. The second option is to place your "rolled" out crust on a sheet of parchment paper. You can then add the sauce and toppings. Carry the pizza to the oven and place it on the stone (parchment paper stays beneath it). This makes removing the pizza from the oven easy as well-you simply pick up the parchment paper! Last of all, if you own a pizza peel, place your crust on the peel, add your sauce and toppings, then use the peel to slide it onto the pizza stone. Once it is cooked you will slide it off the stone back onto the peel. If you are cooking multiple pizzas the second and third options are best, as they do not require you to remove the stone from the oven and it will stay hot.

10. Bake your pizza for approximately 10-15 minutes, until the crust is puffy and starting to turn golden brown, and the cheese is melted and bubbling up.

11. Once you have removed your pizza from the oven, let it rest for a few minutes before slicing it. You can slice right on the pizza stone if you wish. And enjoy!

Fried Ravioli w/Marinara Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 9-ounce package frozen 4-cheese ravioli
• 2 cups ground pecans
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Oil
• Marinara Cream Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Cook ravioli for 2 minutes. Place cooked ravioli on paper towels to drain; set aside.

Combine pecans and cheese in a shallow dish. Whisk together milk, eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl. Dip ravioli in egg mixture then dredge in pecan mixture. Pour oil to a depth of 1/2-inch in a skillet or Dutch oven; heat to 360 degrees F. Fry ravioli, in batches, 2 minutes on each side, or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve with Marinara Cream Sauce.

Marinara Cream Sauce:

1 1/2 cups prepared marinara sauce

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

In a large saucepan, combine sauce and cream. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Strawberry Banana Ice Pops

Ingredients

• 1 (3 1/4-ounce) package instant banana cream pudding mix (regular, not sugar-free)
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into ice pop molds and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Cook's Note: If you don't have molds, divide the mixture among 8 (5-ounce) small plastic or paper cups. Cover each with plastic wrap and insert a wooden pop stick through the wrap.

Individual Meat Loaves

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 3 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup canned chicken stock or broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 1/2 pounds ground chuck (81 percent lean)
• 1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs (recommended: Progresso)
• 2 extra-large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup ketchup (recommended: Heinz)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not brown. Off the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meatloaf will be dense. Divide the mixture into 6 (10 to 11-ounce) portions and shape each portion into a small loaf on a sheet pan. Spread about a tablespoon of ketchup on the top of each portion. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the internal temperature is 155 to 160 degrees F and the meat loaves are cooked through. Serve hot.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

Dough:

• 1/4-ounce package yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup scalded milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or shortening
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

• 1/2 cup melted butter, plus more for pan
• 3/4 cup sugar, plus more for pan
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup raisins, walnuts, or pecans, optional

Glaze:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 6 tablespoons hot water

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Place in well-greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

When doubled in size, punch down dough. Roll out on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle. Spread melted butter all over dough. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough. Sprinkle with walnuts, pecans, or raisins if desired. Beginning at the 15-inch side, role up dough and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12 to 15 slices.

Coat the bottom of baking pan with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan and let rise until dough is doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.

Meanwhile, mix butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches desired consistency. Spread over slightly cooled rolls.

Lemon Bars

Ingredients

Pastry:

• 1/2 cup cold butter, diced
• 1 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cold egg yolk
• 1 dash salt
• 1/8 cup ice cold water

Lemon Filling:

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 lemon, zested
• 3 lemons, juiced
• 4 medium eggs

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract

Pastry:

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Dice the butter and put into a food processor with the flour, and sugar. Pulse in short intervals until the mixture is crumbly and resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add the cold egg yolk, salt and water to the mixture, this will make a pastry dough. Place the dough onto a floured surface and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator until cold.

*Cook's Note: If you don't have a food processor you can use a pastry cutter, a fork or your hands. If using your hands be careful not to over mix or allow your hands to warm the butter.

When the dough is cold, place on a floured surface and roll out to cover the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

Lemon Filling:

Whisk eggs together and set aside.

In a separate bowl mix the sugar, flour and baking powder together. Add the lemon zest and juice. Mix in the eggs until well combined. Pour the mixture over the par baked crust.

Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the center has set firmly. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool. Cut into bars.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together and blend with a hand mixer on low until creamy. Pipe frosting on lemon bars.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Ingredients

• 4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 quarts water
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, split
• 1 tablespoon bouillon flavoring
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 small white onion, diced (1/4 cup)
• 2 stalks celery (1/2 cup), diced
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Pinch sea salt
• 1 store-bought pie crust

Directions

Add diced potatoes to a large bowl filled with cold water. Set aside.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add chicken, reduce heat to a simmer and allow to poach; about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate to cool. Continue to simmer the broth, adding the bouillon until reduced by half, about 10 more minutes. Dice the chicken when cooled.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the celery cooking until translucent, 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and whisk until it forms a roux. Add the Italian seasoning and pepper; cook for 3 more minutes.

Whisk the roux into the broth and bring back up to a boil. Drain the potatoes. Add the potatoes and the chicken to the broth over low heat. Stir in the frozen vegetables. Place a lid on top and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cream and a pinch of sea salt and cook for 5 more minutes.

Preheat the oven as directed on the pie crust package.

Lay the pie crust on a baking sheet and place into the oven. Cook according to package instructions, or until the pie crust is golden brown. When the crust has cooled, break up into pieces.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the pie crust.

Fried Lasagna Bites

Ingredients

• 14 to 16 manicotti shells
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for frying
• 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 white onion, diced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pound shredded mozzarella
• 1 quart cottage cheese, strained
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups plain bread crumbs

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta, cook for 6 minutes, then drain and spread out on a sheet pan to cool.

Heat a large saute pan with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage, ground beef and onions; saute for 3 minutes. Add the Italian seasoning, basil and black pepper. Cook for about 8 more minutes, until the meat has browned. Stir in 1/2 cup of canned tomato sauce and cook until heated through. Set mixture aside to cool in a large bowl.

Add the rest of the canned sauce into saute pan and stir in the red pepper flakes.

Fold the mozzarella and cottage cheese and into the cooled meat mixture. Stuff each cannelloni shell with the meat mixture and then place the shells in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up. When ready to fry, slice shells into thirds.

Preheat oil to 350 degrees F.

Place the flour, eggs and bread crumbs into separate bowls.

Dredge the shells in the flour, then eggs, and then bread crumbs.

Fry the bites until they are golden brown and crispy; about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve with the spicy tomato sauce.