Stuffed Shells/Manicotti

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 jars pasta sauce
• pepper, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, garlic powder

• 12 manicotti or (?) jumbo shells

• 1 bag spinach
• salt, pepper, red pepper, garlic powder

• 24 oz. small curd cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1 egg
• 3-4 cloves garlic

• 1 8 oz. bag Italian blend cheese
• 1/4 shredded parmesan or 1/2 cup grated parmesan

Directions

Heat oven to 375.

Pour pasta sauce into saucepan along with the pepper, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and garlic powder.

Gently simmer while preparing the other ingredients.

Bring salted water to a boil; boil manicotti for 6 minutes.
Drain pasta and place on a sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray. Set aside.

Blanch spinach and squeeze out excess water.
Thoroughly chop the spinach.
Sprinkle a small amount of salt, pepper, red pepper, garlic powder onto the spinach, and mix in well.

Place cottage cheese, parmesan, egg into a food processor.

Grate 3-4 garlic cloves into the food processor.

Pulse until thoroughly combined.

Add spinach and pulse until incorporated throughout mixture.

Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.

Spread a thin layer of pasta sauce onto bottom of the pan.

Stuff pasta with cheese mixture, then place them into the pan.

Once the pasta is filled, cover it with pasta sauce.

Sprinkle additional parmesan over the pasta.

Sprinkle bag of Italian blend cheese over the pasta.

Bake covered for 20 minutes. 

Uncover and bake for an additional 20+ minutes (until cheese is lightly browned and the sauce is bubbling).

Cherry Topping for Cheesecake

10 oz. bag of frozen tart cherries
juice from half a lemon, or about 2 TBSP
1 TBSP cornstarch, sifted
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a 2 qt. saucepan. Heat on high until mixture comes to a boil; let the mixture continue to boil for 2-4 minutes (the longer it cooks, the thicker the syrup), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool.

Company Cheesecake

This was the first cheesecake recipe I ever made. It was from my mother's old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 cup fine graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter,melted
• 
  
• 3 well-beaten eggs
• 2 8 oz packages of cream cheese,softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 3 cups sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine graham crackers, nuts, cinnamon, and melted butter. Press on bottom and up 2/3 of sides of 9" spring form pan.

Beat smooth 3 well-beaten eggs, cream cheese, sugar, salt, vanilla and almond extracts.

Blend in sour cream.

Pour into crust.

Bake at 375 about 35 minutes or just till set; cool.

Chill 4-5 hours. Filling will be soft. 

Frittata

Ingredients

• 6 eggs, beaten
• Parmesan, grated (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon butter OR cooking spray
• additions: ham, veggies, etc.
• shredded cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to broil setting.

Using a fork, blend together eggs, Parmesan, pepper, and salt. Heat 12-inch non-stick, oven safe saute pan over medium high heat. Add butter (or cooking spray) to pan and melt. Saute any additions: Add mushrooms first, saute for about a minute and then add onions, peppers, ham, etc. Turn off heat. Pour egg mixture into pan and stir with rubber spatula. Cook until the egg mixture has set on the bottom.

Place pan into oven and broil just until eggs are set. Remove and sprinkle on shredded cheese. Return to broiler and cook until cheese melts.

Chocolate Chip Skones

This is my custom version of Alton Brown's skone recipe: 

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg
• Handful of chocolate chips

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Pulse to combine the mixture. Add diced butter and coconut oil. Pulse until fats are incorporated into the flour. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and add vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture. Also add 1/2 cup buttermilk. Pulse to combine and then decide if more buttermilk is required. Add a handful of chocolate chips and pulse just enough to distribute the chips. Turn dough out onto flour surface. Pat into a pie-sized circle. Using a pastry cutter, cut dough into 8 pie-shaped pieces. Place on baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until tops are golden. Do NOT over-bake!

Blueberry Muffins II

This is a variation of my original recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups AP flour
1 cup WW flour
1 cup + 2 TBSP white sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk

vanilla 

zest of 1/2 lemon

1 1/2 cups blueberries (if using frozen blueberries, toss berries in a small amount of the flour mixture)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tin or line with paper liners.
2. Combine flours, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add oil, eggs, vanilla, zest and buttermilk to flour mixture. Stir just to incorporate ingredients and then fold in blueberries. Do NOT overmix!
3. Fill muffin cups right to the top and sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar mixture (if desired).
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until done.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

(from The Frog Commissary Cookbook)

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tbsp milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups oats (rolled or “quick,” but not “instant”)

2 cups chocolate chips (about 12-oz.)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugars until mixture is light in color. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the milk and the vanilla extract.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Either by hand or with the mixer on low speed, gradually beat the flour in to the sugar mixture until just incorporated.
Stir in the oats and chocolate chips by hand.
Drop 1-inch balls of dough onto the cookie sheet, placing about 1 1/2 inches apart so they have room to spread.
Bake at 350F for 10-13 minutes, until golden brown at the edges and light golden at the center.
Cool on baking sheet for at least 1-2 minutes before transfering to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 4 dozen.


Notes:
- If you chill the dough for about 30 minutes before baking, you will have a slightly puffier cookie.
- You can substitute raisins for the chocolate chips.
- You can add up to 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts in addition to raisins or chocolate chips. You might want to make the cookies slightly larger if this is the case.

Sam's Sugar Cookies and Icing

The Cookies:

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Cover, and chill dough overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

The Icing:

Ingredients

1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
assorted food coloring

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup, vanilla, and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy.

If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.