What's Cookin' ??

For Ms. Swing....

www.kitchenlink.com pick "recipes from restaurants" and when that page appears, pick the letter "O" and they have Olive garden recipes. "O" for Outback too.

Here's some other sites for your recipe search...

www.backofthebox.com
www.epicurious.com
www.allrecipes.com
www.1001recipes2send.com

Meatball and Pasta Soup

Soup Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, separated
1 large onion, slivered
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
2 stalks of celery, sliced thinly
2 carrots, sliced in "coins"
1 teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 large can diced tomatoes (20 oz.)
Two 14.5 oz cans beef broth
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup water
2 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
2 medium zucchini (about 1 lb.), cut in 1/2 inch slices and then in half moons
½ red sweet pepper, chopped
Salt
Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated


Meatball Ingredients:
1 pound Lean Ground Beef
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup soft breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¾ teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed



Directions
1. In a 4 to 6 quart Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add next 7 ingredients, basil through water. Raise heat and bring to a boil.
3. In a medium bowl mix the meatball ingredients. Form into 1-inch meatballs.
4. Preheat a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add meatballs and brown.
5. As they brown, move meatballs from skillet to soup pot. Meatballs do not need to be cooked through; they will continue cooking in the soup.
6. Reduce heat on the soup to a simmer. Add zucchini and red pepper.
7. In a separate pot, cook pasta until nearly tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
8. Add pasta to soup when vegetables are tender to taste. Salt, if desired.
9. Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled over each serving.


Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Ricotta pasta with fresh spinach

12 ounces medium shells
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 (10 to 12 ounces) package fresh spinach, well washed and stemmed

Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain; reserving 1/2 cup of the hot pasta cooking water. Transfer the pasta to a serving container, toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, and cover.


In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta with the reserved pasta cooking water and stir until well blended. Stir into the pasta along with the Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper.


Cover and steam the spinach using just the water clinging to the leaves in the same pot used to cook the pasta, 1 to 2 minutes.


Drain the spinach well and chop coarsely. Transfer to a small serving bowl and toss with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter. Serve at once, topping each serving of pasta with some of the steamed spinach. Makes 4 servings.

Pressed Spritz Cookies


Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup evaporated milk
3 cups flour
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and milk, mixing thoroughly. Stir in the flour, mixing well.

Fill the cookie press with the dough and form cookies on a cold and ungreased cookie sheet. Bake on an oven rack slightly above the center of the oven for about 8 minutes or until light brown. Remove from cookie pan at once.

Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

5 medium unpeeled potatoes
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
¼ c. Parmesan cheese
1¾ c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. sour cream
Wash potatoes. Peel onion and garlic. Boil potatoes, onions and garlic about 20 to 25 minutes or until soft. Drain. Add cheeses and sour cream. Mash, leaving some small chunks of potato. Salt and pepper to taste.

CHOCLOATE ZUCCHINI LOAF

2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup choc. chips
2 cups grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 325. Coat two 8" loaf pans with non-stick spray. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, blend the next 5 ingredients. Fold in the flour mixture just until combined. Add choc. chips & zucchini gently. Divide between the pans and bake 55-60 minutes. Let cool then slice.

Pesto Lasagna (Spinach & Cheese)

1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles, partially cooked according to package directions
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
30 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
24 ounces ricotta cheese (3 cups)
1 1/2 cups pesto sauce
3 ounces parmesan cheese, grated (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (6 cups)

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Oil 13"x9" casserole dish.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil.
Sauté onion and garlic until onion is transparent.
Add spinach; cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a large bowl.
Add ricotta, pesto, Parmesan, and pine nuts to spinach; mix well.
Layer 5 lasagne noodles in bottom of casserole dish, slightly overlapping each other.
Top with 1/3 of spinach mixture and 1/3 of mozarella cheese.
Repeat layers twice.
Bake until hot and bubbly (35 minutes).

CROCKPOT FRENCH ONION SOUP

3 medium onions, sliced thin
1/4 cup butter
4 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 cups toasted croutons
4 slices swiss cheese


1. Add first four ingredients to your crockpot.
2. Cover and cook on High for 4-6 hours.
3. Here comes the difference between most soups like this. Place a slice of cheese on the bottom of your bowl.
4. Add the soup followed by your croutons.
5. As you stir your soup all that good cheese gets swirled around.

Skillet Cabbage

1 pound ground beef
1 chopped onion
garlic to taste
1 medium head cabbage,chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes (may use rotel)

Brown hamburger with onions, place chopped cabbage on top. Pour tomatoes over, cover and simmer until cabbage is tender. May sprinkle grated cheese on top.

Italian Marinated Chicken Breasts

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups Italian salad dressing (I use Kraft House Italian)
1 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

In a glass 9 x 11 baking dish, place cleaned and trimmed chicken breasts, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Pour Italian salad dressing over to coat and let marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
After the hour of marinating, turn chicken breasts over and sprinkle evenly with oregano and grated parmesan cheese.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour (or until juices run clear), checking after 45 minutes to make sure they do not get over-cooked.

Bread Pudding with Praline Hard Sauce

1 loaf baguette or French-style bread
1 quart milk
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla

Hard Sauce
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup praline liqueur

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Tear the bread into bite-size pieces with your hands and cover with milk in a shallow bowl. Let soak for 15 minutes, or if you’re using whole-grain bread, 30 minutes.
3. Add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla and mix well.
4. Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan and spoon the pudding in.
5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes until set and then let cool.
6. While cooling, make the sauce by combining the butter, sugar, and liqueur in a small, heavy saucepan.
7. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil, and let cook until sugar dissovles and sauce is syrupy and smooth.
8. Serve warm or room temperature by cutting the pudding into squares and pouring the sauce on top of each square.

Lo Fat Vegetable Dip

Ingredients:
2 cups plain lowfat yogurt
1 package (10 oz. size) frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
1/3 cup minced fresh onion
1 envelopes (0.9 oz. size) vegetable soup mix
Assorted raw vegetables for dipping

Directions:
In a medium bowl combine all ingredients (except raw vegetables for dipping). Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve as a dip for raw vegetables.

Pepped Up Pepper Steak

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound sirloin steak, 1/2 inch thick
2 medium white onions, chopped
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 green peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
2 tomatoes, peeled and cut into eighths (optional)
Cooked rice
Directions:
Trim fat and bone from meat; cut meat into serving pieces. Grease large skillet lightly with fat from meat.

Thoroughly brown meat on both sides. Add onions; cook and stir until tender. Mix in beef broth and soy sauce. Cover; simmer for 10 minutes or until meat is tender. Add green peppers. Cover; simmer for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, blend cornstarch and water and gradually stir into skillet. Add tomatoes and heat for one minute. Serve over cooked rice.

Cinnamon Refrigerator Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg

2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cups chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:
Cream butter, sugars, vanilla, and egg.
Sift and stir in flour, soda, salt, cinnamon.
Add nuts.

Roll into logs on wax paper and chill. Slice and bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.

Sesame Seed Chicken (Crockpot)


Ingredients:
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Directions:
Place chicken thighs in the slow cooker. Whisk together remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 or 4.

Iced Coffee Frappe


Ingredients:
3/4 ounce creme de cacao
3/4 ounce Kahlua
2 ounces coffee
3 scoops coffee ice cream
1 1/2 scoops crushed ice
1 ounce ice cream
Directions:
Combine ingredients in blender and blend until frothy.

Down Home Apple Pie

Ingredients :

5 1/2 cups Granny Smith Apples ; peeled and sliced
6 tb Flour
1 cup Sugar
Juice of ; 1 lemon
1 ts Ground cinnamon
3/4 cup Raisins
3/4 cup Walnuts broken
1 tb Butter ; cut in small pieces

*Topping*
1 cup Brown sugar
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Butter
2 ts Vanilla

*Glaze*
3/4 cup Confectioners Sugar
3 tb Butter ; melted
1 ts Vanilla

Instructions :

Combine first 7 ingredients and pour into a 10 inch unbaked pie shell. Dot with butter. Bke 40 minutes at 350, then add topping.
Combine topping ingredients and spread on partially baked pie. Bake for 15 more minutes. Stir together glaze ingredients and pour over slightly cooled pie.

Cajun Seafood Pasta

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 cup chopped green onions

1 cup chopped parsley

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 pound scallops

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 pound dry fettuccine pasta

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, pour cream into large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until just about boiling. Reduce heat, and add herbs, salt, peppers, onions, and parsley. Simmer seven to eight minutes or until thickened. Stir in seafood, cooking until shrimp is no longer transparent. Stir in cheeses, blending well. Drain pasta. Serve sauce over noodles. (If you are weak of tongue, then divide the amounts of peppers in half.)

Spice Rubbed Pork Chops

Ingredients:
4 boneless pork loin chops, cut 1/2 inch thick (about 1 pound total)
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Place chops in a plastic bag set in a shallow dish. For the marinade, in a small bowl stir together the lime juice, chili powder, olive oil, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, hot pepper sauce, and salt. Pour over chops. Close bag. Marinate in refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours, turning the bag occasionally. Drain chops, discarding marinade.
2. Place chops on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until no pink remains and juices run clear, turning once. Makes 4 servings.

Skillet Fried Corn


1 pound bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 medium green bell peppers, chopped
2 (16 ounce) packages frozen corn
salt and pepper to taste


Directions
1 Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over
medium-high heat until evenly brown, but still soft. Stir in onion
and green bell peppers, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
2 Reduce heat to low. Stir corn into skillet, and cook
until tender, about 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Do
not drain grease from bacon - that is the secret to the flavor.

First place, Colorado State Fair Lynn Corsaro, Florence

AWESOME PORK TENDERLOIN

2 to 3 pound pork tenderloin

1 1/2 sticks butter

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced, or canned mushrooms

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Salt and pepper tenderloin to taste. Place in 9-by-13-inch pan. In saucepan, melt butter with whole garlic cloves. Add mushrooms and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and pour over tenderloin. Place some of the mushrooms on top of the tenderloin. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Old Spaghetti Factory Original Clam Sauce

3 Ounces Butter
2 Garlic cloves -- fine chopped
1/2 Medium Onion -- finely chopped
3 Medium Celery Stalks -- * See Note
3 Tablespoons Flour
2 Cans Chopped clams -- (6 oz ea)
1 Quart Half and half
1/4 Teaspoon Ground thyme
1 Teaspoon Salt

* peel stalks then finely chop.
Combine butter, garlic, onion and celery in a saucepan.
Braise over medium-low heat until tender but not brown.
Add the flour, and mix to make a roux. Drain clams, reserving juice.
In a separate saucepan, combine clam juice, half-and-half, thyme and salt.
Heat until just below boiling. Add to roux, and cook until sauce thickens.
Add clams, stirring gently to mix through out the sauce. Serve over noodles.

Crockpot Polish Sausage and Cabbage Soup

2 cups potatoes, cubed and peeled
4 cups cabbage, with carrot mix (packaged)
1 large onion, chopped
2 teaspoons caraway seeds, crushed
1 lb Polish sausage, cooked, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch slices
4 cups low sodium chicken broth

Place potatoes, coleslaw mix, onion, caraway seeds and sausage in crockpot. Pour broth over all.
Cover; cook on low for 10 - 12 hours or high for 5 - 6 hours.
Ladle in bowls.

RICE PUDDING

2 1/2 cups of whole milk
1/3 cup of long or short grain white rice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins

1 In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan, combine milk, rice and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

2 In a small mixing bowl, whisk together egg and brown sugar until well mixed. Add a half cup of the rice mixture - a Tablespoon at a time - beating to incorporate.

3 Add egg mixture back into the saucepan of rice and milk and stir, on low heat, for 10 minutes or so, until thickened. Be careful not to have the mixture come to a boil at this point. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from heat and stir in the raisins.

Serve warm or cold.

Serves 2-3.

Easy Apple Coffee Cake


Ingredients:
1 package yellow cake mix
1 package (4 oz. size) instant vanilla pudding
1 cup dairy sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
2 apples, peeled, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:
Mix sugar, nuts and cinnamon. Set aside.

Combine dry cake mix, pudding, eggs, sour cream and oil. Beat at medium speed 5 minutes.

Pour one-half of batter into greased 9 x 13 inch pan (or a 10 inch tube pan). Arrange one-half of the apple slices on batter. Sprinkle one half of sugar cinnamon mixture over apple slices.

Cover with rest of batter and add rest of apple slices on top; sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture.

Bake 45-60 minutes in 350º oven. Cool 5 or more minutes before serving; top with whipped cream if desired. Or serve with ice cream.