Rumaki

1 lb. bacon
4 cans whole water chestnuts
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar

Directions:
Cut bacon in half. Wrap a strip of bacon around a water chestnut and poke a flat toothpick through the bacon and water chestnut. Continue wrapping water chestnuts with bacon until finished. Place each water chestnut that has been wrapped on broiler pan. Cook until bacon is crisp. Mix soy sauce and brown sugar together in bowl. Place each water chestnut with bacon in sauce and marinate for a couple of seconds. Serve hot. Serves 10.

Baked Chicken Breast with Honey Mustard Sauce

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 ½ TBS honey
2 TBS Dijon mustard
1/4 cup sliced dried apricots
2 TBS coarsely chopped walnuts
1 TBS chopped parsley
4 bunches fresh spinach, stems removed and rinsed thoroughly
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375. Place chicken breasts in baking dish. Season with salt and pepper and cover. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until done.
2. While chicken is baking, bring salted water to a boil to cook spinach.
3. While water is coming to a boil, begin sauce. Combine broth, lemon juice, honey, and mustard in a small saucepan. Whisk together and bring to a boil on high heat. Once it comes to a boil, simmer for about 20 minutes. This can be cooking while chicken is baking. You want it to be reduced to a little less than half the volume you start with. This will thicken and intensify the flavor.
4. Add apricots and cook on high for another 5 minutes. When sauce is done add chopped walnuts, parsley, salt and pepper.
5. Cook spinach for only 2 minutes at the most. Drain and press dry. Season with a little salt and pepper. Divide spinach between 4 plates. Slice chicken breast and place over bed of spinach. Spoon sauce over chicken and spinach.

Bubble-up Pizza

3 packages (7.5 oz. each) buttermilk biscuits
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup sliced olives
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 clove garlic - pressed

Preheat oven to 375° F. Combine the vegetables with the sauce. Press the garlic and mix well into sauce mixture. Quarter biscuits with kitchen shears.
Arrange 1/2 of the biscuit pieces evenly over bottom of 9" x 13" pan (it mat not cover the whole pan). Spread with 1/2 the sauce mixture and 1/2 the cheese. Repeat layers.

Bake 23-28 minutes or until sides are golden brown.

Note: this recipe fills 9 x 13.

Hawaiian Meatballs

2 (8 oz.) cans pineapple chunks in juice, undrained
1/2 C. red or green pepper (or a combination of both)
1 tsp. ginger
1 lb. ground fresh turkey (or ground beef)
1/2 C. green onion slices
1/2 C. plain dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. teriyaki sauce

Preheat oven to 400°F. Drain pineapple. reserving juice; set aside.

Using Food Chopper, finely chop peppers. In Classic 2-quart Batter
Bowl, combine 1/4 cup of pineapple juice, pepper, ginger, turkey,
onion, bread crumbs and salt; mix gently but thoroughly.

Using small Stainless Steel Scoop, shape meat mixture into balls;
place in Deep Dish Baker. Pour teriyaki sauce over meatballs; mix
lightly to coat meatballs evenly.

Bake 30 minutes. Place 1 piece of pineapple on each party pick. Add
meatball and serve.

Yields 10 meatballs.

Cheesy Spinach Pinwheels

1 can (8 ounces) Pillsbury(R) Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1/3 cup gourmet spreadable cheese with garlic and herbs
4 slices (1 ounce each) thinly sliced deli ham
1/2 cup packed spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 375°F. Separate dough into four rectangles on
smooth side of Large Grooved Cutting Board. Press seams to seal.

Using Small Spreader, spread each rectangle with about 11/2
tablespoons cheese to within 1/4 inch of edges. Top with 1 slice ham
and spinach leaves.

Starting at short side, roll up each rectangle; pinch edges to
seal. Cut each roll crosswise into six slices using Serrated Bread Knife for
a total of 24 slices. Place slices, cut side down, on Large Round Stone.
Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven to Stackable
Cooling Rack. Serve warm using Mini-Serving Spatula.

Yield: 24 pinwheels
Nutrients per serving: (1 pinwheel): Calories 60, Total Fat 3.5 g,
Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Carbohydrate 4 g, Protein 2 g,
Sodium 160 mg, Fiber 0 g

Cook's Tip: If desired, 1/3 cup regular cream cheese spread, 1 garlic
clove pressed with the Garlic Press and 1/2 teaspoon Pantry Italian
Seasoning Mix can be substituted for the flavored gourmet spreadable
cheese.

Variation: Holiday Pinwheel Wreath: Double ingredients for pinwheels.
Slice each roll into four slices for a total of 32 slices. Arrange 11
slices in a slightly overlapping circular pattern, leaving a
5-inch-diameter opening in center of baking stone. Arrange remaining
slices outside of the first ring, slightly overlapping each other but
not touching the first ring. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Christmas Hard Candy

(Need Candy Thermometer)
1 c. Karo light corn syrup
1 c. water
4 c. sugar
1 dram of Lorann Oil Flavoring
Food color

Grease a cookie sheet and cover in powdered sugar. Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in large saucepan. Cook on medium heat until sugar dissolves; stirring constantly. Test sugar on a large spoon to feel for graininess. Stop stirring once sugar dissolves. Insert candy thermometer and bring to a boil until temperature reaches 310 degrees. Remove from heat, stir in oil and food coloring (to desired shade). Pour QUICKLY onto cookie sheet covered with powdered sugar. Let cool completely, break. For gifts, put broken pieces and more powdered sugar into a mason jar and cover lid with Christmas fabric and ribbon. Makes a great (and inexpensive) gift.

Pigs in a Blanket

1 package Pillbury crescent rolls
1 package hot dogs
4 slices of American cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut hot dogs down the center, deep enough to put a half slice of cheese in the middle. Unroll crescents and roll one cheese filled hot dog into one crescent. Place pigs in a blanket cheese side up. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Frost on the Pumpkin Pie

Frost on the Pumpkin Pie
Submitted by Rick Paoletta
Servings 2 pies yield 16 servings
Serving size 1/8 of one pie

Ingredients for crust:
2-1/2 cups (36 squares) graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2/3 cup unsalted margarine, melted

Preparation for crust

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In small bowl, combine all crust ingredients; stir until blended. Reserve 4 tablespoons of crumbs for topping.
3. Press remaining crumbs over bottom and up sides of two 9-inch pie pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes. Cool.

Ingredients for filling
* 1 can Pillsbury® Creamy Supreme® Sour Cream Vanilla Frosting
* 1 cup dairy sour cream
* 1 cup canned pumpkin
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon cloves
* 8 ounce carton (3-1/2 cups) frozen nondairy topping, thawed

Preparation for filling
1. In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients, except whipped topping. Pour filling into prepared crusts.
2. Spread whipped topping over filling; sprinkle reserved graham crackers crumbs over whipped topping.
3. Freeze to set up, then refrigerate until served.
4. Store in refrigerator.

Low Carb Chicken Cordon Bleu

Less than 1 Carb per Serving
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 thin slices of ham
4 oz bleu cheese (or swiss)
1 tbs melted butter
1 large egg
3/4 cup parmesan cheese

Pound chicken breasts to about 1/3" thick. Place ham on breast, then 1/2 oz of bleu or swiss cheese. Roll up; securing with a toothpick. Dip each breast-roll into mixture of melted butter and beaten egg. Roll in Parmesan cheese, and place in a buttered baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until brown and tender.

Serves 4.

Low Carb Hot Wings w/ Celery and Ranch

3 Carbs per Serving (Induction Friendly for Atkins)
Serving Size - 10 wings, 5 celery stick, and 1 cup Ranch

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 bottle Ken's Buffalo Wing Sauce
1 bunch celery
16 oz Sour Cream
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch mix

Cut chicken into strips. Either grill or saute, coating each piece in sauce. Wash and cut celery into pieces. Mix Ranch mix with Sour Cream. Serve.

Snicker Salad

A Fun Dessert,
Kids Will Love It!

1 pack mini Snickers candy bars (or 3 regular size)
4 medium Granny Smith apples
1 can Pineapple tidbits
1 1/2 cup Peanuts
1 tub Cool Whip

Thaw Cool Whip. Chop up Snickers and peanuts into little pieces. Peel, core, and slice apples. Drain pineapple and combine all contents into a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Serve and Enjoy! Add less Snickers for a Healthier snack. Whipped Cream is surprisingly low in calories!

Crab Rangoon with Sweet and Sour Sauce

A Great Party Appetizer

1 package Wonton Wrappers (available in most grocery produce sections)
1 package imitation crab
1 package Cream Cheese
3 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 egg

1 bottle Sweet and Sour Sauce

Heat oil in deep fryer or small pot. Whip egg in small bowl with a fork. Mix cream cheese with crab in a small bowl. Place on tablespoon of cream cheese mixture in the middle of one wonton wrapper. Wet edges of wonton wrapper with egg, and fold into a triangle, pressing edges firmly together. Repeat until mixture is gone. Deep fry wontons until golden brown (only about 15-30 seconds!) Serve with Sweet and Sour Sauce!

Note: You must make sure that the wontons are sealed tightly and the wontons are not overloaded because if the cream cheese leaks out into the oil, it will splatter.

Jagacida (Crioulo Rice Dish)

(Pronounced Jug-a-see-da)
By Debbie Flowers, a Member of the Cooking Club of America
Published in "Sharing Our Best" 2004

1 med. onion
3 c. rice
1 (15-oz) can beans (lima or kidney)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Paprika to taste
2 bay leaves
Fresh parsley
4 t. oil

Cut up onions in a 2-quart pan and simmer until golden brown in oil. Add 6 cups of water to onions and season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika, bay leaves and parsley. Bring to a boil and add 3 cups rice. Lower heat, add beans, cover pan and simmer for 25 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is cooked. Turn off stove and let stand. Serve with chicken, linguica, or other meats.

"This recipe is a traditional criould rice dish from the Cape Verde Islands. My grandfather, Antonio Napolean Bannas Barbosa, came to America from Cape Verde in 1923 . He ws from the 4th largest island of a group of islands. Crioulos are of Portuguese, Spanish, and West African decent. Crioule food has a wonderful melting pot of flavors which reflect a diverse culture. Jagacida is served as a special main dish or as a side to other crioule foods such as linguica (pronounced lin-gwee-sha), which is a hot and spicy portuguese sausage."

Ham Kedgeree

A great way to use leftover ham, this is a family favorite, from three generations of Woods', adopted from a British recipe via the western section of Shanghai, China before Mao. A very simple recipe.

1/4 c butter
1 c. rice
1 onion, chopped
2 to 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 c. or so cubed cooked ham

Melt butter and saute onion and rice until lightly browned. Add 2 c. of water and cover until rice is done, about 20 minutes. Check during cooking to see if more water is needed. Add egg and ham and heat through. Salt and pepper to taste.

Submitted by Karen Woods

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

A Richer Version of the Plain Potato Dish: Not for Dieters
5 red skin potatos, cut into chunks
1/4 pack cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 stick butter
1/3 cup milk
1 tbs salt

Boil potatos until soft. Drain and pour into meduim bowl. Add all ingredients and mash with potato masher or hand mixer. (Add pepper or garlic salt for more flavor).

I had this dish last night as a side with steak. Delicious!

Chicken Parmesan

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 stick butter
1 egg
3 cups Italian bread crumbs
1 package shredded mozzarella cheese
1 jar spaghetti sauce (either Prego or Ragu)
1/2 pack linguine

Heat butter in a large skillet. Whip egg in a small bowl with fork; put bread crumbs in another bowl. Flatten chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer until they are of even thickness (about 1/2 - 3/4 in. thick). Dip chicken into egg wash, then coat thoroughly with bread crumbs. Cook chicken in skillet on medium until coating becomes golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Pour 2 cups spaghetti sauce into skillet. Turn on medium high and cover for 15 minutes.

Boil water in a large pot and cook linguine until noodles are tender. Strain.
Uncover chicken (cut small piece to see if the inside is done) and coat each piece with a thick layer of shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover for another 5 minutes. Serve chicken over pasta.

Perfect Pita Pizza

Quick, Low Calorie, Cooking for Two (or Less)
Whole wheat pita bread
6-oz can tomato paste
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
Fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 small green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix tomato paste and Italian seasoning. Spread over 1 slice pita bread. Top with mozzarella, mushrooms, peppers, and onions.

Either:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 10 minutes OR
2. Microwave on High for 1-2 minutes.

Creamy Vanilla Apple Pie

A New Twist on a Classic Pie
Apple Pie
1 egg
5-7 apples
(peeled, cored, sliced 1/4 in thick)
1 cup granulated sugar
4 to 6 tbs all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 unbaked 9 in. pie crust
Spicy Crumb Topping
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat egg in medium bowl; add apples, sugar, flour, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir to coat apples; pour mixture into pie crust. Prepare crumb topping, and sprinkle generously over apple mixture. Bake 1 hour or until topping is golden brown.

~Best served with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream!

Cooking Tidbits

When cooking up a variety of brown rices (available a Heinens) add an equal amount of rye berries to the rice. The rye berries are very good for you as well as adding additional flavor and crunchieness.

Another thing you can do for quick meals is to brown one pound package of Bob Evans bulk sausage with one pound of ground turkey. Package individual servings and freeze it. It is always good for a quick meal added to veggies or rice, beans, and veggies.

Diane at Circulation
Twinsburg Public Library

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake

~ Dessert for Chocolate Lovers
(Created by Beth)
1 package Duncan Hines German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 container Duncan Hines Milk Chocolate Frosting
1 can strawberry pie filling
1 package fresh strawberres
1 package milk chocolate wafers

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
Prepare, bake and cool cake as directed on package.
To assemble, place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread thin layer of strawberry pie filling on top. (Do not overfill as it may ooze out of the sides). Top with second cake layer. Frost sides and top with frosting. Refrigerate. You can use piping bag to decorate cake if desired.

For garnish:
Place wax paper over a cookie sheet.
Put milk chocolate wafers in a microwavable container. Heat at 10 second intervals in the micowave, stirring in between, until the chocolate contains no lumps. (Be careful not to overcook). Wash and dry strawberries, then dip into melted chocolate.
Place on wax covered cookie sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate is solid.

When ready to serve, decorate cake with chocolate covered strawberries and serve.
NOTE - Chocolate Covered Strawberries tend to sweat when coming in contact with sugar, so these are best made and served quickly so that the juices do not ruin the cake.

Easy Greek Gyros

(Yields 6 Servings)
Difficulty Level - Easy
Gyro -
1 Package Pita Bread
1/2 Package of Steak-Ums
1 Tomato (large, sliced)
2 cups Lettuce (chopped)
1/2 small onion (sliced)
1 cup Feta cheese

Cucumber Dressing
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tbs lemon juice
1/4 cucumber (finely chopped)
1 tsp garlic

Put pita bread on a cookie sheet and leave in the oven on warm. Cook Steak-Ums in a skillet until dark brown, drain. Mix together all the ingredients for the cucumber dressing in a small mizing bowl. Take out pita, and layer steak-ums, feta cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Add cucumber dressing and VOILA! These are great with french fries.

Chicken Broccoli Braid

Difficulty Level - Hard
12 oz. Chicken (cooked), Chopped
1 c. Broccoli, Chopped
1/2 c. red bell pepper, Chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 c.)
1/2 c. mayo
2 t. dill Mix
1/4 t. Salt
2 pkgs. crescent rolls
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 375°F. Chop chicken & broccoli. Place in bowl. Chop pepper and add to bowl. Press garlic over top. Shred cheese and add to mixture; mix gently. Add mayo, dill, and salt; mixing well. Unroll 1 crescent roll, do not seperate. Arrange longest sides of dough across the width of 12x15" rectangle pan. Repeat with 2nd crescent roll dough. Roll dough to seal perforations. On long side of pan cut dough into strips 1 1/2" apart, 3" deep. Spread filling evenly over middle of dough. To braid, lift strips of dough across mixture to meet in center, twisting each strip one turn. Continue alternating strips to form the braid. Tuck ends under to seal at end of braid. Brush egg white over dough. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake 25-28 minutes or until deep golden brown.