Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These cookies remind me of when I was a little girl and my grandmother would bake on a rainy day.

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 cups of all purpose unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 cups of quick cooking oats
• 1/2 tsp. of baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. of salt
• 1/2 cup of butter or margarine at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup of Sun-Maid raisins

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Place oven rack in the center of the oven.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. (easier for clean up)
3. In a medium size bowl mix the first 4 ingredients together and set aside. 
4. In another medium size bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter, brown sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla. 
5. Add the egg and beat again making sure everything is well mixed.
6. With a spoon mix the wet and dry ingredients together well. 
7. Add the raisins mixing again.
8. With a soup spoon measure out the cookie dough (making a rounded ball) and place on the parchment paper. 
9. Press each cookie with the back of the spoon.
10. Place in the oven for 14 minutes.
11. Cool on a rack.
12. Serve and ENJOY!

This recipe will make 20 - 24 cookies.

Sausage Rice Delight

An easy to follow recipe using hot Italian sausage where everything can be prepared ahead of time and cooked 20 minutes before serving. This one skillet dish will serve 3-5 people.

Ingredients

• 6 Hot Italian sausages cooked and sliced. 
• Uncle Ben's or Minute Rice (Follow package directions for 6 servings)
• 1 Tbs. of Canola or vegetable oil
• 1 large cooking onion chopped
• 1 large garlic clove diced
• 1 large red bell pepper chopped
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbs. of Italian seasoning
• Slap Ya Mama white pepper blend seasoning (optional)
• Fresh ground pepper

Instructions

1. Ahead of time cook your sausage and rice. Set aside. If not making right away refrigerate the sausage. 
2. When you're ready to start cooking, in a large electric frying pan (or large stovetop skillet) heat your oil.
3. To the oil add the onions and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes. 
4. Next add the sausage slices and continue to cook and stir. 
5. Spoon out the diced tomatoes using a bit of the juice and add to the skillet.
6. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning, ground pepper, and Slap Ya Mama.
7. Add cooked rice and cook until everything is heated through.
8. Serve and ENJOY!

   

Banana Bread on Wordless Wednesday

I've been collecting frozen bananas for a few months and wanted to use some of them up today by making 2 loaves of banana bread. Whenever I bake just one loaf it goes so fast and everyone says why didn't you make more. Well today I did just that.

My recipe is your basic banana bread but I would have added nuts to the mix if I'd had some.

Here is the recipe that I used.

Ingredients

• 5 frozen and thawed bananas
• 2/3 cup of softened (room temperature) butter
• 1+ 3/4 cups of white sugar
• 2 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 2 beaten eggs
• 3 cups of all purpose unbleached flour
• 2 tsp. of baking soda
• 2 good pinches of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease 2 loaf pans.
3. Remove peels from the bananas and set into a medium size bowl.
4. Mash the bananas and add the butter mixing well.
5. Next add the sugar and vanilla mixing well again.
6. Beat the eggs and then add to the wet mixture mixing well.
7. In a larger bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt mixing well.
8. Add the wet mixture to the dry and beat well. 
9. Add equal amounts to each pan and set in the oven for 60 minutes or until done.
10. Remove from the oven and cool for ten to fifteen minutes.
11. Remove the bread from the pans and cool on a rack.
12. Slice and ENJOY!

Linking up to +Ruchira Khanna over at ABRACABADRA for Wordless Wednesday.

Green Leafy Lettuce Salad with Avocado and Parmesan

I'd never before tried green leafy lettuce so figured it was about time that I did. After buying it I thought about what might go well with this gorgeous head of red and green lettuce, and the following recipe is what I came up with.

Salad Before Dressing Added

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of green leafy lettuce washed dried and ripped into bite size pieces
• 1 avocado peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks
• lemon juice
• garlic powder
• 2 Tbs. of roasted red peppers
• 4 thinly sliced red onion slices
• Baby Parmesan cheese thinly sliced (as little or as much as you like)
• 1/8 cup of sunflower seeds
• Salad dressing (I used Renee's Sweet Onion Vinaigrette) 

 Instructions 

Tear up your lettuce

Prepare the avocado

Toss and coat with lemon juice and garlic powder

Add avocado to the lettuce and gently toss

Add the roasted red peppers and gently toss

Add the sliced red onions

I use a vegetable peeler for my parmesan 

Add the parmesan cheese and toss gently

Just before you're ready to eat add your salad dressing and sunflower seeds.
Serve and ENJOY!

Hearty Minestrone Soup

Hearty Minestrone Soup

A very hearty and fulfilling minestrone soup. My family went back for seconds and thirds. Serve this with an Italian bread or buns and make it a meal.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs of olive oil
• 1 large carrot sliced thin
• 2 ribs of celery chopped
• 1 large onion diced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 8 cups of vegetable broth (2 boxes)
• 1 can of stewed tomatoes
• 4 Tbs. of tomato paste
• 3 cups of water
• 1 tsp. of basil 
• 1 tsp. of oregano
• 1 tsp of thyme 
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 medium potatoes washed and cubed
• 1 can of kidney beans rinsed and drained
• 2 cups of shredded cabbage
• 1 cup of uncooked elbow macaroni (or pasta of your choice)

Instructions 

1. In a large stock pot heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic to the pot and stir fry until onions are opaque. 
3. Next you want to add the vegetable broth, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste and water.
4. For the spices you can add more to your own taste.
5. Stir and bring to a boil.
6. Next add the potatoes, kidney beans and shredded cabbage.
7. Turn the heat down to medium - low and continue to cook until cabbage and potatoes are cooked.
8. While the soup is cooking boil the uncooked pasta until it is almost cooked.
9. Drain and add the pasta to the soup.
10. Let everything simmer for twenty minutes or more.
11. Serve when ready and ENJOY!

Baked Salmon Fillets in a Creamy Garlic Sauce

An easy to follow recipe using a garlic mayonnaise sauce that will delight your taste buds.

I'm always looking for new ways to prepare fish in a way that my family will enjoy it. Because we are all huge fans of garlic I wanted to make a sauce that would compliment the salmon and satisfy everyone's pallet.

To serve along side the salmon I made two salads; potato and a spring mix.

Baked Salmon Fillets In A Creamy Garlic Sauce

Photo by Susan Zutautas

Ingredients for four servings but will serve six

• 3 12 ounce salmon fillets
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbs. of lemon juice
• 2 Tbs. of Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. of dried tarragon leaves

Preparing the Garlic Sauce

1. Either peel and press or grate the garlic into a small bowl.
2. Add the lemon juice, mustard, mayo, tarragon whisking all together.  

Preparing the Salmon Fillets

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F setting the rack in the center of the oven.
2. Cover the bottom of a shallow pan with aluminum foil and place the salmon skin down onto the pan.
3. Spoon the garlic sauce over the salmon covering the fish as best as you can.
4. Place into the oven and cook for 18 min. or until the salmon is light pink and you can flake it with a fork.
5. Serve and ENJOY!

Chicken Chipotle Hot Sauce Fajitas

My family couldn't get enough of these delicious fajitas I made for dinner. The thing I did differently than ever before was to marinate the boneless chicken breast meat in a lemon, olive oil, and chipotle hot sauce before cooking it. It gave the chicken just the right spicy kick I was looking for.

Chicken Chipotle Fajitas served with a side of rice.

Ingredients for Marinade

• 5 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• ground cumin
• cilantro flakes  
• 1/8 cup of lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup of chipotle hot sauce

Instructions

• Slice the chicken breasts into strips and set in a dish for marinating. 
• Season the chicken with cumin and cilantro flakes coating well.
• Add the lemon juice and olive oil and gently toss.
• Coat the chicken with the chipotle hot sauce (you can use less or more depending on your taste) Cover and set in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

While the chicken is marinating I like to get all of my other ingredients ready to go.

Ingredients

Guacamole & Fajita Fixings

• 1 large green pepper sliced
• 1/2 of a very large sweet white onion sliced thick
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 1/4 head of iceberg or romaine lettuce chopped 
• 2 cups of cheddar cheese grated
• 10 large flour tortillas  

Guacamole 

For the guacamole I mashed 1 large avocado with 1/4 cup of sweet red onion together with lemon juice, cilantro, and ground cumin.

  

Instruction for cooking the chicken

Chicken, onions and green peppers

• When you're ready to cook heat a wok or large frying pan and add the chicken with all the marinade and stir fry until cooked. 
• Push the chicken up the side of the wok and add the onion slices. Cook for 3 minutes and then add the green pepper slices. Cook for 3 min or more if you like your green peppers cooked longer. 

Construct your fajitas or have everyone make their own. Serve with a side of sour cream, more hot sauce and or salsa. ENJOY!

Bufalo chilpotle