Yummy Dishes

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

1/2 Cup milk

1/4 tsp. white vinegar

1/2 Cup room temperature butter (1 stick)

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

1 3/4 Cups white sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp. PURE VANILLA EXTRACT

2 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

4 TB. NATURAL COCOA POWDER

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. CINNAMON

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Cups peeled and finely grated zucchini - 3 small zucchini

1 Cup chocolate chips

1/4 Cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 325°. Line 2 standard muffin pans with papers. Mix together the milk and vinegar and set aside (if a recipe calls for sour milk, this is how you make it). In a large bowl, beat together the butter, oil and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, VANILLA EXTRACT and milk/vinegar mix. Blend well. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, COCOA POWDER, baking soda, CINNAMON and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir by hand or mixer to combine. Add grated zucchini and half the chocolate chipsand stir well. Spoon the batter evenly into the pans, filling each paper 2/3 full. Sprinkle the other half of the chocolate chips and nuts (if using), on top and bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or the muffins spring back when lightly touched (don't touch the melted chocolate, though).

 

Prep. time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 20-25 minutes
Yield: 24 muffins

 

Source: http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/shophome.html

Zucchini Brownies with Frosting 

Brownies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups grated zucchini (peeled first)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Pour into a 11 X 15 pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes. Make frosting and spread on cooled brownies.

Frosting:
1 stick melted margarine
1/4 cup cocoa
5 tbsp. milk
3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla.

To make frosting melt margarine and combine with the sugar, milk, vanilla, and cocoa. Mix well and beat until fluffy. Spread on brownies.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 stick butter, softened

1/4 cup splenda brown sugar for baking

1/4 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 5 ingredients into a bowl. In a separate bowl cream the butter and slowly add in the sugars. Beat until light and fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla and mix thoroughly.Add oat mixture slowly to the creamed mixture. Fold in the raisins. Drop teaspoon sized balls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies set a couple of minutes before removing them onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Makes 40 bite sized cookies.
 

Lemon Cream Cheese Bars

1 lemon cake mix

2 sticks butter

1 8 ounce cream cheese

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon lemon extract

3 eggs

Melt 1 stick of butter; add the cake mix and 1 of the eggs. Mix well with mixer and pat into a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the second stick of butter (melted), remaining eggs, vanilla and lemon extract to the cream cheese and mix until blended. Then add the powdered sugar to the mixture and beat until smooth. Spread filling over the cake mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. 

Southern Chocolate Cream Pie

2 cups milk

3 eggs, divided

1 ¾ cup sugar, divided

6 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 teaspoons vanilla, divided

1 tablespoon butter

1 9 inch deep-dish pie shell

1 teaspoon cream of tarter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prebaking a piecrust is also known as “blind baking” and you will need to do this to your crust, so prepare the deep-dish pie shell by using fork to lightly prick the bottom of the pastry. Bake the frozen deep-dish pie shell until golden brown in your 350 degree oven. Separate eggs. Stir together 1 ¼ cups sugar, flour, and cocoa powder in a heavy saucepan. Blend in milk and egg yolks. Cook until thick. Stir constantly. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and butter. Mix well. Pour into pie shell. Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in mixing bowl. Beat egg whites. Gradually add ½ cup sugar. Beat until egg whites are stiff. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat well. Pile meringue on top of pie. Bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown. Enjoy.     

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

Desired amount of  dried pinto beans

Ham, for seasoning

Salt

Water

Wash and sort beans in large bowl. Make sure to sort out any rocks and bad looking beans. Cover beans with cold water and let sit overnight, 6-8 hours. The next morning pour off the water and rinse the beans before putting them into the slow cooker. Cover with enough water to cover plus a little extra, usually 1-2 inches of water or about half beans-and-half water. Turn on low and cook all day for 8-10 hours or until beans are tender and liquid is thickened to desired consistency. If in a hurry, then bring the beans to a boil before placing in slow cooker to jump start the cooking process and then cook on high for 4-6 hours or until beans are tender and liquid has thickened to your desired consistency. Enjoy with fresh cornbread. Yummy!  

Taco Soup

1 can tomato sauce (16 oz. can)
1 can (29 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 cans rotel tomatoes
2 pounds ground beef
1 can (16 oz.) whole kernel corn
1 can (16 oz.) chili beans
1 can (16 oz.) pinto beans
1 can (16 oz.) black beans
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning

Brown ground beef. Drain off fat. Mix all ingredients together in a large stock pot or crock pot. Cook 6-8 hours in crock pot or simmer on low for about an hour or until soup is thick and thoroughly heated. Serve with corn chips, sour cream and shredded cheese.

Chicken Salad

2 pounds chicken breast
2 cups red grapes
1 cup diced red onion
1 tablespoon Tiger seasoning
4 c. mayonnaise
1 tablespoon celery salt
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/4 c. diced celery
Chopped pecans

Cook chicken breast until tender. Dice into small cubes. Mix the tiger seasoning, celery salt, and pepper together and coat chicken, onions, celery salt and grapes well. Add mayonnaise. Chill and enjoy. Should yield  about 2 1/2 pounds to 3 pounds of chicken salad. If cannot find tiger seasoning then use a seasoning salt of some sort. Hellmann's is the best mayo to use in the recipe. Add pecans according to your taste preference, usually I add about 1 cup and make sure to lightly toast them before adding them to the recipe.

Baked Potato Soup

2/3 c. butter

2/3 c. flour

7 c. milk

4 large baking potatoes, baked, peeled and cubed (about 4 cups)

12 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 ¼ c. shredded Cheddar cheese

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

1 c. sour cream

In a large soup pan, melt butter; stir in flour. Heat and stir until smooth. Gradually add milk; stir occasionally until thickened. Add potatoes. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Stir until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Garnish with green onions if desired. Makes 8 to 10 servings or 2 ½ quarts.  

 

Semi-Homemade White Bread

1 c. + 2 tbsp. warm water

2 tbsp. oil

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

3 c. flour

4 1/2 tsp. quick rise yeast

Measure and add liquid ingredients into your bread machine. Measure and add dry ingredients except yeast. Make a small well (hole) in the flour. Measure yeast and pour into well. Close the breadmaker. Select "expressbake" and in 58 minutes you will have yummy semi-homemade bread!