Brown Rice Salad

                                                               
                                                                      ~For the salad

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 1 red capsicum, chopped (red bell pepper)
• 1 green capsicum, chopped
• 3 spring onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins or 1/2 cup sultana
• 1/2 cup cashews or 1/2 cup peanuts   

                                                                       ~For the dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons soya sauce
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• black pepper

                                                                    ~Directions:

1. Cook brown rice until tender, allow to cool.
2. To prepare the dressing put the ingredients into a large jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. Put aside.
3. In a large bowl add the rice and all other salad ingredients.
4. Pour over the dressing and mix through. The flavours improve on standing as the rice soaks in the dressing. Enjoy!

Southern Style Potato Salad

2 1/2 lb. potatoes
1/4 c. celery
1/4 c. onions
1/4 c. green peppers
1/4 c. sweet relish
1 tsp. celery seed
1/4 c. yellow mustard
4 tbsp. sugar
1 c. mayonnaise
Salt to taste

Chop up all ingredients finely. Boil potatoes with skin on until tender. Cover with cold water and cool. Peel potatoes, dice into medium size cubes.

Add all other ingredients and mix. Place in serving dish and sprinkle with paprika and chill before serving.

Stuffed Italian Bread

1 Italian loaf, about 12 inches long
1 stick butter, melted
1/8 cup olive oil
3 tsp minced onion
2-3 cloves garlic, grated
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp poppy seeds
3 tsp chopped parsley (add more if you wish)
12 oz grated cheese (use a mix of white cheddar and Monterrey jack.)(Or your choice)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Mix the melted butter, olive oil, onion, garlic, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds and parsley in a bowl.

Cut the bread into cubes with X slices without cutting all the way through the bottom crust.

Pour the butter-onion garlic mixture carefully into those X cracks using a small spoon and over the top of the bread. Fill those delicious cracks with the grated cheese.

Wrap the entire loaf with foil, sealing the sides properly and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and unwrap. Bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and gooey.

— with Christina Strongblacklady Douglas and Ithaca Sunkissed Butts.

LOW CARB BEEF N ZUCCHINI MEATBALLS

Ingredients
16 oz 98% Lean Ground Beef
1 egg
26 2/5 g Ground Flax Seed
1 cup Zucchini
1/2 cup Milk 2%
3 tsp Basil, Dried
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 second Pam Original Cooking Spray

Directions
Mix the ground beef with the egg and milk first. It helps loosen the meat and make it mushy and easier for adding other ingredients. Shred the zucchini with a small gauge shredder. I used a regular cowbell one but did short strokes, and I kept the zucchini flat to make the bits smaller. The smaller the better. Add the zucchini to the meat mixture. Add in remaining ingredients and mix well.

This recipe is a bit mushier for rolling the meatballs but it shouldn't be overly mushy. If there is still too much liquid, sprinkle in some extra flax meal and stir in well... wait a few minutes for the flax to expand. Add until you get a good consistency for rolling meatballs.

I always use gloves to do this. I find I get better mixing and I prefer them for making the meatballs anyway.

Once mixed, allow the meat mixture to sit, covered and refrigerated for at least 30 min. The longer it sits the stronger the flavour. It is key to keeping the amount of salt and other spices lower. You can make it the night before or you can get to this stage, bag it and freeze it.

Shape the mixture into appropriate sized meatballs. Smaller ones will cook more evenly without burning. I use about 1 TBSP sized blob of the meat mixture.

To use in sauces, or to serve for dipping, etc., brown the meatballs in a skillet lightly sprayed with cooking oil, or in 1 TBSP cooking oil. Cook over medium heat until the outsides begin to brown, turn as needed. As cooking completes the meatballs should be firm when pressed with a fork. To be certain they are cooked through, cut one and check for pink inside. When browned remove from skillet and serve with prepared sauce, etc., or allow them to cool and then chill them for another time.

For meatball soups like Italian wedding soup - have your stock already at a low boil while making the meatballs. Add them directly to the pot as you shape them. Cover and allow them to boil for approx 40 minutes. Maintain liquid level in the pot and test firmness and colour of the meatballs before serving. Note: they will not brown in this method but the colour should be the same through when cooked.

Creamy cole slaw
2/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar , white wine, cider, or white
1/3 cup oil
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large head cabbage, finely shredded
Preparation:
In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, and oil. Add onion powder, celery salt, pepper, lemon juice, cream, and salt. Stir until smooth. Put the shredded cabbage in a large bowl; pour the dressing over the cabbage and toss until cabbage is well coated. Refrigerate until serving time. Serves 8.

Twice Baked Broccoli and Cheese Potato Bites:
Ingredients
12 small red potatoes (1 to 1¼ inch diameter)
1 bag (12 oz) Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers® frozen broc...coli & cheese sauce
1 cup ranch dressing
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup chopped plum (Roma) tomato
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Place potatoes in ungreased 15×10×1-inch pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until tender. Cool until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook broccoli as directed on bag.

Cut potatoes in half. With melon baller, scoop out insides of potatoes into medium bowl, leaving 1/4 inch lining of potato in skins. To potatoes in bowl, add broccoli, 1/4 cup of the ranch dressing, the salt and pepper. Mix well, breaking up potatoes. Stir in tomato.

Fill each potato shell with about 2 tablespoons potato mixture. Place on ungreased 15×10×1-inch pan. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with remaining 3/4 cup ranch dressing.

Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread

Ingredients

2 cans Chef Boyardee Spaghetti with Meatballs
2 cans Garlic Breadsticks
¼ C cornmeal
¼ C butter, melted and divided – 2 Tbsp by 2 Tbsp
1 C shredded Italian Blend Cheese
Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F
Sprinkle 2 Tbsp cornmeal onto a parchment lined baking sheet or pizza stone
Lay out one sheet of garlic breadstick dough on top of the cornmeal, brush with 2 Tbsp melted butter and sprinkle with ¼ C cheese
Spoon about ¾ of the spaghetti and meatball mixture down the center of the breadsticks, lengthwise. Top with ½ C cheese
Lay the other sheet of breadstick dough on top of the other, making the edges meet. Pinch and roll the edges together and up all the way around, creating a seal and raised edge.
Brush the top with the rest of the melted butter and sprinkle with cornmeal and the rest of the cheese.
Bake for 17 minutes or until crispy and golden brown

Brush with more melted butter after it comes out of the oven

Copy Cat KFC Potato Wedges
Ingredients

Shortening (for frying)

5 baking potatoes, cut into wedges
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon msg
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 dash garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat shortening to 375°F.
Cut the potatoes into 16 to 18 equal size wedges.
Mix the egg and milk till well blended in a big bowl.
Mix the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
Put some potatoes in the milk and egg then into the flour mixture till well coated.
Fry in fryer for 3 minutes, remove from the oil and allow them to sit for one minute and then cook them again for 5 minutes or until cooked.
It may take up to 6 minutes.

— with Onnie James and Lindsay Holmes.

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Yield: 16 servings



Ingredients
Cake
2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/8 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/8 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter , softened but still cool
1 cup plus 7 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated zest
4 teaspoons lemon juice
4 large eggs
5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream
8 ounces cream cheese , softened

Instructions
To Prepare Cake Batter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spay a 10 inch tube pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium sized bowl add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and whisk together with a fork.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat together the butter and 1 cup plus two tablespoons of sugar, and lemon zest at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, incorporating into the batter, and adding next egg only after the previous one has been blended. Add 4 teaspoons of vanilla to this mixture.

Reduce speed of mixer to low, add in 1/3 of the dry flour mixture, blend in well, then add about half of the sour cream, blend well, then 1/2 of the dry flour mixture, blend, the remaining sour cream blending in, and then the remaining flour. Pour about 1/2 of this batter into the prepared tube pan, place the remaining batter into a small bowl, and set aside.

Cream Cheese Mixture

Using the bowl that you mixed the cake batter into add the cream cheese, 5 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and beat until moist and creamy. Add about 1/4 cup of the batter and mix in well. Spoon this cream cheese batter over the cake batter, spread the mixture towards the center of the pan. You are trying to achieve a nice tunnel, so don't spread this out all the way to the edges. Top with remaining cake batter. Spread cake batter over the top evenly.

Baking Coffee Cake

Bake for approximately 45 to 50 minutes, the cake will be golden. If you are using a cake tester to test the cake, the cream cheese layer will be wet. Cool cake for approximately 1 hour before serving.

Store the cake in the refrigerator.

You may want to drizzle the cake with a light glaze mix 1 cup of powdered sugar combined with 1 tablespoon of milk. This coffee cake has just the right amount of sweetness without a glaze.aption

Italian Rice Balls

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds rice (about 3 cups)
1 1/4 pounds mozzarella cheese, finely diced
1/4 pound ham, finely diced
1/4 pound pepperoni, finely diced
1/4 pound salami, finely diced
1/4 cup dried parsley
1/4 pound Romano cheese, grated (Parmesan is fine)
flour, for coating
egg, for coating
breadcrumbs, for coating
Instructions
Cook rice according to package directions. Allow rice to cool before mixing. Grind up the meats and mozzarella then mix together with rice along with the parsley and Grated cheese. I use my food processor to chop the meat and cheese. Mix until it is easy to roll into a ball. Then coat each ball with flour, dip in egg, then bread crumbs.

Deep fry until golden brown.