A Man’s Barbecue Chicken

2 teaspoons salt                                                    3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon pepper                                             1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups canned tomato juice                             3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper                                3 tablespoons oil or butter
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard                                      2  21/2 to 2 lb. broiler, fryers,
1 bay leaf                                                                  quartered
4 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce                   3 medium onions thinly sliced

Early in the day or the day before:  Make barbecue sauce by combining in a saucepan the salt, pepper, tomato juice, cayenne, mustard, bay leaf, Worcestershire, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and butter.  Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.  Refrigerate.

About 1 hour and 30 minutes before serving:  Start heating oven to 425 degrees.  Arrange chicken, skin sides down, in single layer in shallow open pan.  Sprinkle lightly with some salt and pepper.  Arrange onions on chicken, tucking a few slices under wings and legs.  Pour on barbecue sauce.  Bake, uncovered,basting often, 1/2 hour; turn; bake,basting often, 45 minutes, or until fork can be inserted easily into the legs.  

Makes 4-6 Servings

I found this recipe a long time ago when I was first married in the “New Good Housekeeping Cookbook” and my family loved it.  Men really do like it!!!!!!
 

Ham & Cheese Omelet Roll 

(This recipe was given to me by a very good friend Nadine Bennett.
  I make it when I have company in for brunch and everyone loves it.)

 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 1/4 cups shredded cheddar or Swiss cheese, divided
2 cups finely chopped fully cooked ham (I use smoked ham)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

Line the bottom and sides of a greased 15” x 10” x 1” baking pan (jelly roll pan) with parchment paper; grease the paper and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl beat cream cheese and milk until smooth.  Add flour and salt; mix until combined.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until blended.  Add cream cheese mixture; mix well.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until eggs are puffed and set.  Remove the pan from the oven.  Immediately spread with mustard and sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. 

Sprinkle with ham, onions and 1 cup cheese.  Roll up from a short side, peeling parchment paper away while rolling.  Sprinkle top of roll with the remaining cheese; bake 3-4 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.  Serve immediately.

Yield:  12 Servings.
 

Baked Manicotti

(Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen)
This recipe is so easy and you don’t have the mess of boiling the noodles!  Try it!

Tomato Sauce:
2 28-ounce cans of diced tomatoes (in juice)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, optional
2 teaspoons table salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, if using dried use 1 tablespoon
        or to taste

1.     Heat oven to 375 degrees and put the rack in the middle position.

2.     Pulse 1 can of tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until coarsely chopped, 3-4 pulses.  Repeat with remaining can of tomatoes.

3.     Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using them) in a large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, but not browned, 1-2 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.  I also add a teaspoon of sugar at this point to cut down on the acidity of the tomatoes.  If I have any leftover white wine, it goes in too!!!!!  Stir in basil to taste.  Season with salt to taste. 

Cheese Filling & Pasta:
3 cups ricotta cheese (I used whole milk, but you can use part skim)
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups), divided
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups).  I used whole
        milk mozzarella cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ teaspoon table salt
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, or if using dried, use
        1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, if using dried use 1 tablespoon
16 no-boil lasagna noodles (I used Barilla)

1.     Combine ricotta, 1 cup parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, salt, pepper and herbs in medium bowl; set aside. 

2.     To assemble:  Pour 1-inch boiling water into a 13 x 9 inch broiler safe baking dish, then add noodles one at a time.  Let noodles all soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with the tip of a sharp knife to prevent sticking.  Remove noodles from water and place in a single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry dish.

3.     Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 ½ cups sauce.  Using soup spoon spread ½ cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed.  Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down.  Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.  (I remembered how I put them in the dish so they would serve better after baking).

4.     Cover manicotti with aluminum foil.  Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil.  Remove baking dish, adjust oven rack to uppermost position (about 6 inches from heating element), and heat broiler.  Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan (I also put some extra mozzarella cheese on top with the Parmesan cheese).   Broil until cheese is spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes.  Cool 15 minutes, then serve. 

Note:  You can prepare this ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, then bake as normal.  You can also freeze it up to 1 month, then thaw in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, and then bake for 1 to 1 ¼ hours, instead of the 40 minutes.  When refrigerating or freezing cover manicotti with a sheet of parchment paper and then wrap in aluminum foil. 
 

Spaghetti Pizza Casserole 

1 package (7 ounces) spaghetti                                  
2 eggs, beaten with a fork
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound lean ground beef or Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped 
½ cup chopped red or green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar (26 ounces) meatless spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ pound fresh sliced mushrooms
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Rinse with cold water and drain.  In a bowl, toss spaghetti with beaten eggs and Parmesan cheese.  Spread evenly into a 15” x 10” x 1” baking pan coated with nonstick coking spray. Set aside.

In a large non-stick skillet, cook the beef, onion and peppers over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, then drain.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.  Stir in spaghetti sauce and seasoning until heated through.

Spoon sauce and meat mixture over the spaghetti.  Top with mushrooms and cheese.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Let casserole stand for 5 minutes before serving.

You could also put pepperoni on the top, or some fried onions. Serve with a salad and Italian bread.
 

Skewered Shrimp 

Basting Sauce:  (All herbs came fresh from my herb garden)

¼ cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3-5 fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt (recipe says kosher, I used plain old salt)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried pepper flakes
(I also added a couple of springs of rosemary and my some burgundy basil)
8 jumbo shrimp, tails left on, deveined.  (I bought some pre-cooked)

Preheat the grill or a stovetop grill to medium heat.  (I used my gas grill)

Mince the onion, parsley, basil, rosemary (optional) and garlic together in a food processor.  Add the oil, vinegar and seasonings; set aside.

Assemble kebobs by threading 2 shrimp on each of 4 skewers.  (I arranged them according to the picture and then slid the WELL SOAKED skewer through the shrimp.  Grill 3-5 minutes per side, or until shrimp are cooked through.  If using pre-cooked it takes half as long.  Baste with the herb mixture and grill until nicely browned.   

It said in the recipe to “serve over rice.”  I decided to cook two cups of rice in my microwave.  In a frying pan I sautéed some onions and green peppers, and added a clove of fresh garlic by pressing through my garlic press.  Then I added a cubed up tomato and the rice and heated it all through.  I put the shrimp on top and it made a nice looking presentation!  I also sprinkled some fresh parsley over it.

This herb basting sauce is also great to baste over grilled chicken and last night I butterflied some pork tenderloin and used this sauce to baste it when it was almost done.  It was delicious.  You could also vary the herbs!
 

CANADIAN MAPLE-GLAZED POT ROAST
 

1 ½ to 3-pound boneless beef chuck pot roast
1 T. cooking oil (I used Crisco)
4 medium parsnips and/or carrots, cut into 3-inch long pieces (I used 4 of each)
1 medium acorn squash, seeded, cut into 1-inch thick slices (I used butternut)
2 small onions cut into wedges
½ cup maple syrup
3 T. quick-cooking tapioca
2 T. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. finely shredded orange peel (optional)
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
4 cups hot cooked noodles

1. Trim fat from meat.  If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 4-5-quart slow cooker.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Brown the meat on all sides in hot oil.  Drain off fat.   I added a bit of water and got all the juices out of the pan and put them in slow cooker with meat.
2. In the slow cooker, combine parsnips, carrots, squash, and onion.  Place the meat on top of the vegetables.  In a small bowl combine maple syrup, tapioca, white wine vinegar, orange peel (optional, I didn’t use it), salt and pepper.  Pour over meat and vegetables.
3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 11 – 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 ½ hours to 6 hours.
4. Transfer meat and vegetables to a serving platter.  Pass cooking liquid with meat.  Serve over hot noodles.  Makes 8 servings.

Sweet & Sour Pork

2 lbs. cooked pork, cubed (I used tenderloin)
4 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
2 tablespoons cold water
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained with syrup reserved
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup vinegar
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 carrots cut diagonally into thin slices
1 medium onion chopped in large pieces
1 clove garlic, finely chopped (optional)
1 green bell pepper, cut into ¾” pieces (I used half red and half green pepper)
4 cups hot cooked rice

Trim excess fat from pork loin.  Cut pork into ¾” pieces.  Heat some oil in a frying pan.  Put cornstarch in zip lock bag and shake pork pieces in it a few at a time.  Fry half at a time in the oil until browned.  Put pork in crock-pot after browning.

Add enough water to reserved drained pineapple syrup to make 1 cup.  Heat syrup mixture, brown sugar, vinegar, ½ tsp. salt, and the soy sauce until it comes to a boil.  Simmer for about 6 minutes.  Brown, carrots onion, peppers and in a frying pan until translucent.  Add to crock-pot with pork.  Add pineapple syrup mixture to crock-pot. 

Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water; stir into sauce.  Add to crock-pot with the pork.  Cook in crock-pot for 4 hours on low, but begin the cooking on high for the first hour.  Add the pineapple at the last minute.  Serve over hot, fluffy rice.  . 

I serve a nice tossed salad and bread with it.  Makes 6 servings.
 

THANKSGIVING SQUASH CASSEROLE

2 - 3 lbs. Hubbard, Acorn, or Butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 tablespoons butter (must be REAL butter)
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup (not imitation)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Oil a baking pan and add squash cubes.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 325 degrees until the squash is tender. 

2. Mash squash (I use a potato masher), add 1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar and 1 tablespoon maple syrup.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Put mixture into a nice casserole dish.  Put remaining tablespoon of butter over the top in small bits.  Sprinkle on the last tablespoon of brown sugar and pour over the remaining tablespoon of maple syrup.  Be sure to taste to see if it is sweet enough.  If not, add more brown sugar. 

4. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Serve immediately.  Sometimes I drizzle on even more maple syrup at this point.

Tip:  You can also half the acorn and butternut squash, seed it, and bake upside down on a well oiled pan until it is soft.  Then scrape the pulp out of the squash skins and mash.  With the Hubbard, it is too large to do this way and needs to be cut up.  If really big, use a hack saw (or better yet, have your husband use a hack saw). 
 

Crock-Pot Lasagna

1 jar (25 to 26 oz.) spaghetti sauce, store bought or homemade
1 can (14 ½ oz.) diced tomatoes
1 package (8 – 9 oz.) oven –ready, no boil lasagna noodles
1 container (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
1 package (8 oz.) shredded Italian cheese blend or shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
½ lb. ground beef, browned (optional)
½ cup chopped onion (optional)

1. Combine the spaghetti sauce and the canned diced tomatoes (do not drain).

2. Spray a 4 ½-to 6-quart crock-pot with nonstick cooking spray.  Spoon 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce mixture into the bowl of the crock pot.  Arrange one-fourth of the lasagna noodles over the sauce, overlapping and/or breaking the noodles into large pieces to cover as much of the sauce as possible.  Three-fourths of a cup of spaghetti sauce over the noodles, then top with one-third of the ricotta cheese (about ½ cup), and ½ cup of the shredded cheese.  Spread half of the spinach over the cheese. 

3. At this point if you are making vegetarian lasagna, then repeat the layering two more times, beginning with noodles.  If you are adding the ground beef and onions, then replace the spinach with the ground beef and noodles.  Do this once more, then put the remaining noodles over the sauce and shredded cheese on top.

4. Cover crock-pot with lid and cook as manufacturer directs on low setting for 2 ½ hours to 3 hours, or on high setting 1 ½ to 1 ¾ hours or until noodles are very tender.  I did it on high, then went to low setting. 

5. Cut into serving-sized sections and lift out.  It comes out very high and is absolutely delicious served with a tossed salad and Italian bread. 
    

                                    Raspberry-Apple Nut Salad
4 slices bacon
1 bunch romaine lettuce
1 bunch baby spinach
1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and sliced
1 cup fresh raspberries
½ cup walnuts or pecans
½ cup bottled raspberry vinaigrette

1.     In a medium-sized non-stick skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 – 6 minutes.  Remove from pan to a paper-towel-lined plate to cool.  Discard pan drippings.

2.     In a large salad bowl, tear romaine lettuce into bite size pieces.  Add apple slices, raspberries and walnuts or pecans.  Gently toss with dressing.  Crumble bacon over salad and serve.
 

Ham & Brie Panini 

Makes 5 servings, 390 calories per half sandwich

1 round Pain De Campagne loaf (I got mine at Wegman’s)
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided  (I also like the whole grain mustard)
4 oz. medium Brie, sliced 1/8” thick
6 fresh basil leaves
2-3 whole kosher dill pickles, thinly sliced
6 oz. smoked deli ham
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Tip:  Refrigerate the Brie before trying to slice it.

Cut the bread into 4 ¼” slices.  Do not use crusts – save for something else.  Spread 1 tablespoon mustard on each slice.  Top 2 bread slices with cheese slice, basil leaves, pickle slices, ham and top slice of bread.

Coat the Panini grill lightly with vegetable oil, or spray it with Pam spray. 

Brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil on 1 side of sandwiches.  Place sandwiches, oiled side down on Panini grill.  Grill about 5 minutes until golden brown.  Brush the other side of the sandwich with oil, turn over and grill until golden brown and cheese is melted.

(My Panini grill has a top and bottom and it does it all at the same time.  I guess you would need to turn this sandwich if it was in a grill pan on the stove or in a frying pan.)