Shredded Beef Sandwiches and Parmesan Herb Buttered Corn

Yeah, that still sounds good! And I eat one more bit of anything, I think I'll die! But this was an experiment meal that turned out really fantastic!

Easy Italian Beef Sandwiches

1 14 oz. can beef broth

1 pkg Italian salad dressing mix

2 3-3.5 lb boneless beef roasts (called for chuck roast...but I just got what was on sale and it worked out great)

1 16 oz. jar pepperoncini peppers, undrained

20 rolls, French-style or hamburger buns

tomato, cucumber, red onion, and lettuces slices

In crock pot. combine beef broth and dressing mix. Add roasts and top with pepperoncinis. Cover and cook on low 12 hours or high 6 hours or until meat tender enough to shred. Remove pepperoncinis and shred beef. Skim fat from the liquid. Return shredded meat to liquid. Spoon beef onto rolls and top with sliced vegetables. (May need mayo or mustard or whatever kind of dressing you like...but it's pretty good plain too :) I served this with corn on the cob slathered with:

Parmesan Herb Butter

Combine in food processor: 1/2 c. softened butter, 2 T. parmesan cheese, 2 T. fresh chopped parsley, 1/8 t. garlic powder, 1/8 t. onion powder, a dash of salt and pepper. Whip until fully combined. Add more salt as needed. Slather onto your vegetable of choice, or just slather yourself in it and roll around gleefully. I know I'd like to, it's that good.

Streusel Topped Banana Bread

I made this for the same reason we all make banana bread: my bananas were getting seriously scary! But I took it to Young Women's to try to win them over with my culinary craftiness, and it totally worked! (I also made lemon bread, but the recipe needs to be tweaked, so I'll pop that one up when I'm happier with it.) *Keep in mind that on all fruit/vegetable breads you can substitute more of the fruit/vegetable to replace some of the oil or butter, and occasionally some of the sugar. But this is the original recipe, without modification:

Streusel Topped Banana Bread

2 c. flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. cinnamon (I like more!)

1/8 t. nutmeg (ditto!)

2 beaten eggs

1 1/2 c. mashed bananas

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. oil or melted butter/margarine

1/4 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Oven @ 350. Grease 9x5x3" bread pan or two 7.5x3.5x2" pans. Mix together first 5 ingredients in large bowl and create a well in the center. In smaller bowl, mix together the next 4 ingredients until smooth. Pour into the well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add nuts if desired. Stir together until just combined (will be lumpy), and pour into pan(s). Top with:

Streusel-Nut Topping

In small bowl combine 1/4 c. brown sugar and 3 T. flour. With pastry blender, mix together until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/3 c. chopped walnuts, if desired.

Sprinkle over batter evenly and bake for 55-60 minutes for larger pan or 40-45 minutes for smaller pans, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely before slicing (like anyone ever does THAT! Seriously, just yank out the butter and just go to town!)

Grilled Chicken & Vegetable Salad

This is as close as I could come to Wana Iguana's salad!

chopped romaine lettuce
chicken breasts
green peppers
onions
zucchini
corn
shredded monterey jack cheese
1 lime


*Julienne peppers, onions, and zucchini & toss in olive oil and salt/pepper. Brush chicken breasts w/olive oil and salt/pepper & grill. Grill peppers, onions, & zuchinni until slightly tender. Serve over lettuce & corn while warm & sprinkle w/cheese. Sprinkle w/fresh lime juice and toss in favorite dressing.

CPD (Chicken, Peas & Dressing)

CPD (Chicken, Peas & Dressing)

1 batch of stove top
1 half bag (or full, if you like) frozen peas
2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed or shredded
2 cans of soup (either cream of chicken or cream of mushroom)

Mix the soup, peas and chicken together. Lay half of the dressing down on the bottom of a 9x13 pyrex dish. Then lay the soup mixture on top of it, then put the other half of the dressing on top of the whole thing.

Bake at 350* for 45min -1 hour (until the top bubbles).
Cover with tin foil. Remove for the last 10 - 15 minutes.

Garbanzo Bean Salad

Garbanzo Bean Salad

• Romaine lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Garbanzo Beans
• Green Onions or Red Onion chopped
• Sliced Salami
• Olives
• Girard's Original Dressing (or any other Italian dressing)
  

You can also add:

• Cucumbers
• Crumbled Feta Cheese
  

Pasta Frola

At the request of a friend, I am submitting this recipe for an Argentine dessert called Pasta Frola. Don't ask me why it's called that...it just is. And the traditional filling is "dulce de membrillo" made from the quince fruit. I have, of course, altered this to whatever jam is on hand, in this case, raspberry.

Pasta Frola

2 c. flour

4 t. baking powder

1/2 c. + 2 T. butter or margarine

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. milk

1 t. vanilla

1 c. jam or marmalade (my recipe says "1 lb", how awesome is that?)

1 egg

1-2 T. water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour and baking powder in large bowl. Add margarine/butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla and beat with mixer just until a dough is formed. Pat 1/2 into bottom of 9x9 or 9x11 greased pan, leaving a slightly raised edge all around. Spread jam over the bottom crust, leaving the raised edges clean. Roll remaining dough into strips to criss-cross over the jam. Whip egg and water to create an egg wash and brush over the strips and exposed crust. Bake 20-30 minutes or until evenly browned. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares. Makes 12-15 bars.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

I saw this on "The Barefoot Contessa" and modified it to make it even lighter. It is a tangier and quicker version of the regular chicken salad. Oh, and Misty keeps bugging me to put it on here...just for you Mist!Chicken Salad
2-3 c. chopped chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken, chilled and chopped)
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 c. mayo and plain yogurt (I mix them to make it lighter, using more yogurt)
1/4 c. dijon mustard
1/8 c. whole grain mustard
1/2 t. salt (or to taste)
1/4 t. pepper (or to taste)
1 T. chopped fresh tarragon

Add chicken, celery, tomatoes, and tarragon to a large bowl. Mix together remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whip until smooth. Add as needed to chicken and toss. Chill for 2 hours to overnight. Serve on sandwich rolls or croissants.

Moist Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 tsps vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon
2 cups shredded zucchini

Peel zucchini and remove seeds. Grate. Mix eggs, oil, vanilla and sugars. Add dry ingredients and zucchini alternating. Blend well. Grease 2 9x5 loaf tins and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Or muffin tins for approximately 30 minutes.

Slice and serve warm with butter.

Given by Wendy Cannon, my mother-in-law.

Zucchini Brownies

INGREDIENTS

* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups shredded zucchini
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

* 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/4 cup margarine
* 2 cups confectioners' sugar
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. (The batter will not pour like regular batter, you'll have to spread it)
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched. To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners' sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares. ( I used store bought frosting)

Butternut Squash Soup

3 butternut squash, peeled
Nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1 can evaporated milk

*Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Add milk & seasonings, and heat until hot. Sprinkle w/pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds and drizzle with plain yogurt or sour cream for garnish.

Sweet Squash Skillet

chopped yellow squash
olive oil
salt/pepper
season salt
parmesean cheese

*Sautee squash in a small amount of olive oil & add seasonings. Cook until tender and sprinkle with cheese. Delicious!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
dash ground cloves
dash nutmeg
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
2 c. rolled oats
1 c. chocolate chips

*Beat butter & sugars until combined. Add baking powder, soda, and spices. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Add flour, oats, & chocolate chips. Bake at 375 for 7 minutes.

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup

2 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
OR
leftover rotisserie chicken, broken up
chopped zucchini
chopped squash
chopped onion
chopped carrots
chopped celery
1 cube butter
1 can corn, drained
2 cans cream chicken soup
1 can chicken broth or 2 c. water to 2 cubes chicken bullion

*Cook chicken ahead. Place 1 cube butter in crock pot on low & melt. Then add chopped veggies except corn. Once veggies are tender-crisp, add corn & chicken. Whisk broth & condensed soup & add to crock pot. Cook on low until hot.

*VARIATIONS: Can add cooked rice or noodles to finished soup. Also, for VEGETARIAN (Jeannie!) can use cream of celery soup and dry vegetable soup mix & water instead of broth.