Refried Beans

1 (15 oz) can Black Beans or Pinto Beans

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Garlic Clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Pinch Black Pepper

Drain the beans and reserve the liquid in a measuring cup.  

In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute for about a minute.  Add beans, 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.  

Turn the heat to medium low and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring often.  Smash towards the end of the cooking time until most of the liquid is cooked out and the texture is mashed and thick, but not to dry.  You can add small amounts of liquid if the beans become too dry.  The consistency should be fairly creamy with some whole beans.  

Add additional salt to taste.  Serve immediately.

Peppermint Bark

3/4 cup Crushed Candy Canes (~10 ct.)

24 oz. White Chocolate chips (2 bags) or (1 block of almond bark)

1 teaspoon Peppermint Extract

In a large ZipLock bag, crush candy canes so no piece is larger than 1/4 inch.  

Line a jelly roll pan with parchment or wax paper, cut to size.

In a double broiler, melt chocolate.

Combine candy pieces, chocolate, and extract.  

Pour mixture onto lined jelly roll pan.  

Refrigerate at least 1 hour until firm.  Break into small chunks.

NOTE: you can do variations to this.  

- Make 3 Corn Treat but using this peppermint bark as the chocolate. 

- Take 4 cups of Pecans and pour mixture over.  Spread on 2 lined jelly roll pans. Break into chunks when firm.

- Before you melt the white chocolate, melt 24 oz. of dark chocolate in the microwave following package directions.  Spread onto lined jelly roll pan.  Let cool for 1 hour.  Then continue with the  recipe for the white chocolate.  When you pour on top of the dark chocolate let set for 10 minutes before you put in the refrigerator.  Then let cool for 1 hour until firm.  Break into chunks.  

Fettuccine Alfredo

16 oz. Fettuccine
2 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
1 Lemon, zested and juiced
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 triangle shredded Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain.

Stir 2 cups of the heavy cream and lemon juice in a large skillet.  Add butter and cook over medium heat till butter melts.  

Add remaining cream, Parmesan, lemon zest, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Stir over low heat until sauce thickens slightly.

Add pasta and toss.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

1 lb. bag Shrimp, peeled, deveined

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 lb Linguini, cooked
1/4 cup Olive Oil, divided
1 medium Onion, sliced
4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano Leaves
1/3 cup White Wine Vinegar
2 Lemons Juiced (zest one)
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 teaspoon Sugar
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh Basil
Fresh Parmesan Cheese, shredded

In a medium bowl toss the shrimp with salt and crushed red pepper.  

Prepare linguini according to package directions.  Run under cold water and drain.  Set aside.

Heat 3 Tablespoons oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp and sauté for about 2-3 minutes until all shrimp have turned pink.

Transfer shrimp to small bowl; set aside.

Add onion to the same skillet with remaining oil.  Sauté till translucent, ~5 minutes.  Add garlic and oregano and cook till fragrant ~30 seconds.

Add vinegar and lemon juice and bring to a boil.  Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, sugar, and zest from one lemon.  Lower heat to a simmer and cook until thickened ~10-15 minutes.

Return shrimp to tomato mixture, toss to coat and cook about a minute.  Stir in basil and season with more salt to taste.  

Add drained noodles to sauce and stir. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle each individual bowl with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

12 oz can Chicken 
1/3 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1 package Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing 
1 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1 bag Tortilla Chips or club crackers

Preheat toaster oven to 375.

In a bowl combine chicken and Frank's.   

Add cream cheese and ranch dressing and stir to combine.    

Add 1 cup cheese and stir.  

Transfer to a pie pan.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake at for 10 minutes.  

Eat with Chips.

Note: You can also substitute 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken for the canned chicken.

Tortellini Soup

2 Tablespoons Oil
2 Tablespoon Butter
19 oz Hot Italian Sausage
1 Onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
4 Tablespoons Flour
1/2 Tablespoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
32-64 oz Chicken Broth
19 oz package frozen Tortellini
1 can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
10 oz package Spinach, chopped
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

Heat oil and butter in a large cast iron pan over medium heat.  Add sausage and cook 4 minutes each top and bottom sides.  Then 2 minutes on each of the curvy sides.  I use a splatter guard on top of the pan to keep splatters to a minimum.  Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up grease.  Let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing sausage.  

In the same cast iron pan saute onions and garlic in the sausage juice.  When onions are cooked add Tomatoe paste and stir to combine a little.   Add flour, salt, and pepper and stir.  
Slowly add 32 oz of broth to the pan, stir.  

Pour everything from cast iron skillet into a soup pan.  Bring to a boil.  Add Tortellini, Tomatoes, and Italian Seasoning to soup pan.  If you think it needs more broth add now.  Return to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in spinach, sliced sausage, and heavy cream.  

Angel Food Cake

1 1/2 cups Egg Whites
1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
1 1/4 cup Flour
1 3/4 cup Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Notes before you begin:

1. Make sure all utensils are grease free - any grease can cause your cake to fall.
2. Any yoke in the egg white will cause your cake to fall. Use a funnel! The whites slip right out and the yokes are kept in the funnel. Just be sure to separate over a separate bowl so that if a yoke does slip through, it won't spoil the whole bunch.
3. Use a tube pan with a removable bottom
4. Do not preheat the oven!

Beat egg whites to a good thick foam, then add the cream of tartar, whipped them to soft peaks, then add the extracts, then whipped just enough to incorporate them. Batter should be pour-able. 

Mix flour, sugar, and salt together.

mix the flour mixture in, gently fold it in with a spatula, or else you'll pop the tiny bubbles and it will deflate.

Spray tube pan with Pam. Pour cake batter into pan.

Place cake in cold oven. Turn oven to 325. Cook for about 1 hour or until cake is golden brown.

Invert cake, and allow to cool in the pan. When thoroughly cooled, remove from pan.

Homemade Pudding

1 cup Sugar (brown sugar for butterscotch)
1/3 cup Cornstarch
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
3 cups Whole Milk
5 Egg Yolks, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Butter, cut into pieces

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a soup pan.

Stir in heavy cream and 3 cups of milk.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently with a whisk, for about 20 minutes.  

When mixture is thick and bubbly and starts to stick at the bottom, ladle a spoonful of the mixture slowly into the egg yolks.  Whisk while slowly pouring.  Then poor the egg yolk mixture into the milk mixture while whisking.

Continue cooking and whisking till mixture thickens.  Remove from heat.

Stir in butter pieces and vanilla.

Transfer to a baking dish and lay plastic wrap over dish making sure that the plastic wrap touches the top of the pudding in all places.  Let rest for about 10 minutes then put in refrigerate till cold, about 6-8 hours.  

White Chicken Chili

1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
4 medium Poblano chiles, seeded, diced
2 Serrano Chilies, seeded, minced
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Chili Powder
2 teaspoons (heaping) Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon (heaping)  Ground Coriander
1 teaspoon (heaping) Dried Oregano
3-5 cups Chicken Broth
45 oz canned Cannelloni Beans, rinsed and drained, divided
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 1/2 cup frozen corn
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 Limes juiced
1/2 cup Cilantro, minced
1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add onion and peppers, saute, stirring often, until softened, about 5-10 minutes. 

Add Garlic, chili powder, salt, cumin, coriander, and oregano; stir and cook 1 minute.  

Add broth, increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes.  

Measure out 1 cup beans and process in a food processor with 1/4 cup broth from the soup and cream cheese.  Puree until smooth.

Stir in puree into soup. 

Stir in frozen corn, whole beans and pureed beans.  Simmer for 5 more minutes.  

Add shredded chicken to pot and stir in lime juice, cilantro, and Frank's; heat through. 

Serve with avocado slices, tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream.

Note: For more spice, leave the seeds in the Serranos.

Cheesy Potato Soup

2 Red Potatoes, diced
2 Carrots, diced
2 Celery ribs, diced
1/2 Onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
3/4 teaspoon Pepper (pure ground)
3 Cups Milk
2 1/2 Cups Mild Cheddar
4-8 oz. Diced Ham

Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper to a pot. Fill half way with water. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Make cheesy sauce while veggies cook.
In a sauce pan melt butter over medium heat (level 6-7).

When the butter has melted completely remove the pan from heat.  Using a spoon, not a whisk, vigorously stir in cornstarch, salt, and pepper till combined.  It should look smooth.

Gradually stir in milk while constantly stirring.  I stir in 2-4 Tablespoons at a time to combine the cornstarch mixture into a smooth creamy sauce.  After you have added about 1/2 cup of milk return to heat, level 6.  Then keep adding up to 1/4 cup and to slowly incorporate the milk into the sauce.  Keep stirring constantly.  After all the milk is poured keep stirring and every 15 seconds lift spoon out of sauce for a second or two to see if bubbles start to form when not stirring.  When this happens immediately remove from heat.


Gradually add cheese to the sauce, about 1/4 cup at a time, while vigorously stirring to incorporate the cheese.  You have added too much cheese if it strings when you pull the spoon away from the sauce.  

When veggies are done cooking, add cheesy sauce and diced ham to the pot.  Stir to combine.