No-Bake PB Squares

PURE SUGAR RUSH! I've also heard this recipe called Buckeye Bars. It should be eaten sparingly, since you can hardly put more sugar in it.

8 Tbs. (1 stick) butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 & 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup peanut butter
chocolate chips

Melt butter; add sugar, crumbs, and peanut butter. Spread evenly in greased 9x13 pan. Melt chips, spread over top, let cool. Cut into small cubes.

Death By Chocolate

This one is from my husband. He LOVES this, and it is very simple to make, which makes me happy. It is really a trifle rather than a cake. It doesn't actually fit my idea of DBC, but it's really good. We have had many many many birthdays with this dessert. We have made lots of alterations to this recipe over the years. It's easy to do because it is so simple. Once I could not find Heath Bits anywhere, I ended up substituting a bag of ... I don't remember what they were called. They were Heath Bits, but they were made into little chocolate covered balls. This was considered "good but not an upgrade" by the birthday boy in question. I have used chocolate whipped topping before. That was adored by the boy who says there is no such thing as too much chocolate. Not worth the extra expense IMO. One year we completely transformed it to fit the strawberry lemonade theme of daughter's bday party. That was a long while ago, and I can't remember exactly what we changed about it. It had strawberries in it. And I think I found strawberry flavored whipped topping. It probably still had brownies in it, though I remember it being more white colored than usual, so we might have done something else. Anyhow, crumbled cake or brownie, whipped topping, and some kind of fruit or "goodie", you've got yourself a trifle. Er, I mean DBC.

1 (9x13) pan of Brownies, cooked and cooled
8 servings (2 sm. boxes) instant chocolate pudding
4 cups milk
1 large tub (12 oz.) whipped topping
1 (8 oz.) pkg. Heath Bits

Prepare instant pudding according to package directions, using 4 cups milk. Put in fridge to set, 5 minutes. Crumble 1/2 of brownies in bottom of clear glass dessert bowl. Carefully spoon 1/2 prepared pudding over crumbled brownies. Be sure to seal to edge of bowl. Spoon 1/2 whipped topping over pudding layer, sealing to edge. Sprinkle half Heath bits over whipped topping. Crumble remaining brownies over Heath bits, follow with a layer each of the remaining pudding, then whipped cream. Top off with remaining Heath bits. Take a picture before serving, it's only pretty in the bowl!

Hershey's Brownies

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. In medium saucepan melt butter. Remove from heat. Mix in sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Set aside. Sift together dry ingredients, except nuts. Add egg mixture, beat until smooth. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour into greased 9x9 pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, approx. 30 minutes.

Double this recipe for 9x13 pan, increase bake time to approx. 40 minutes.

Substitute butterscotch, peanut butter, mint, or chocolate chips for nuts, if desired.

Chai Cheesecake with Ginger Crust

Chai Cheesecake with Ginger Crust

Crust:

1 1/2 c. flour

1 t. ground ginger

1/4 t. salt

3/4 c. butter, room temp.

1/4 c. sugar

1 lg. egg yolk

1/4 c. candied ginger, minced

350 oven.  Spray 9-inch spring form pan with 3" sides with nonstick spray.

Sift dry ingredients together into a medium bowl. Using mixer, beat butter and sugar until blended. Beat in egg yolk, then the flour mixture. Stir in minced ginger. Roll dough out into a 9-inch round; transfer to prepared pan. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan; pierce all over with a fork. Freeze for 30 minutes. Cook on center rack (using pie weights) until set, about 20 minutes. Crust should be golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack.

Filling:

4 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature

1 c. sugar

1 (8oz) pkg. mascarpone cheese

5 lg. eggs

2 lg. egg yolks

2 1/2 t. ground ginger

2 1/2 t. cardamom

1/2 t. vanilla 

1/4 t. allspice

1/4 t. salt

1/8 t. black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. 

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth, about 3 min. Add mascarpone; beat 'til smooth. Beat in whole eggs, one at a time. Beat in yolks. Add next 6 ingredients; beat until blended. Transfer filling to cooled crust in pan; smooth top. Bake for 1 hour. Reduce oven temp. to 200, continue baking until cake is set around the edges, but center moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 30 minutes longer. Remove cake from oven; increase temp. back to 350.

Topping:

1 1/3 c. sour cream

3 T. sugar

2 t. vanilla

Whisk ingredients together; spread evenly over cake. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Run small knife around cake sides. Chill uncovered overnight. Remove pan sides. Transfer cake to platter; cut and serve.

Plain-Jane Black Beans

I looked around online till I found a recipe that told how to do "quick cooking" beans. I had to do some adapting because what I wanted was something healthier than what comes out of a can (no salt), and since I knew I would be using them in other recipes, I did not want to have any extra flavoring or seasoning in the recipe. So this is what I came up with, and it is exactly what the title says: Plain-Jane. Appropriate as a replacement for canned black beans, but I wouldn't eat them without dressing them up, or else putting them in another recipe.

3 or 4 cups Dried Black Beans
Water

Rinse beans, picking out any dirt or foreign particles. Place in a large pan. Add enough water to have about 4 inches of water covering beans. DO NOT add salt, as this will cause beans not to soften. Bring to boil, boil 20 minutes further. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for one hour. Drain beans. Add enough water have about 2 inches covering beans. Bring to boil. Simmer 40 minutes, or until beans are soft. Beans are finished at this point. I let mine completely cool, then packaged into ziplock bags by the cupful, which is about the same as one can of beans. I froze them before use. Freezing will further break down the fibers in the beans, causing them to soften up some more.

Crockpot Black Bean Salsa Chicken

This recipe can be prepared serveral ways. You can put uncooked ingredients in a large ziplock bag and throw in the freezer. It can then go direct from freezer to crockpot, or freezer to stovetop. You can also throw everything right into the crockpot or do it on the stovetop without doing anything ahead.

4 Bnls. Sknls. Chicken Breasts, chopped
2 (15 oz.) Cans Corn, Drained
2 (15 oz.) Can Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed
2 cups Salsa
1 Can Olives, Drained And Sliced (Optional)
8 oz. Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, Or Your Favorite Cheese

Mix together chicken, corn, black beans, salsa and olives. Cook low 6 hours in crockpot (8 hours if frozen). Or, cook on stovetop in large stock pot till chicken is done. Add cheese/sour cream/cream cheese to individual servings. If making ahead, do not add cheese/sour cream/cream cheese to freezer bag, as these items do not freeze well.

Saffron Rice

A generous pinch of Saffron Threads
2 cups Uncooked Long Grain Rice (not the 5 minute kind)

Measure 4 cups water into a medium saucepan. Add saffron threads. Cover and bring to boil. Add rice, stir to mix in saffron. Cover and reduce heat. Boil for 15 minutes. If needed, remove lid and stir rice to prevent over-boiling and to better mix in saffron. Remove from heat (do not uncover). Let stand for 5 more minutes. Remove lid, stir to fluff rice. Serve immediately. Makes 3 to 4 cups of cooked rice.

This recipe can be adjusted in a 2:1 ratio of water to rice. 4 cups water to 2 cups rice, 2 cups water to 1 cup rice, etc. Add saffron to taste.

Mandarin Chicken

This recipe has passed the "kids' taste test". It is not an orange flavored recipe. It is more like what you would get when you order fast-food chinese. We have had this several times, and it has passed the test to become one of our every-day favorites.

1 Bnls Sknls Chicken Breast
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1 Tbs. Lemon Juice
1 Tbs. Vegetable Oil
1/2 tsp. Minced Garlic
1/2 tsp. Minced Ginger
1/4 cup COLD Water
4 tsp. Cornstarch

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces, cook till done, set aside. Combine sugar, soy, lemon, oil, garlic and ginger. Heat till sugar dissolves, bring to boil. Combine cornstarch and water in a jar or container with tight-fitting lid. Shake till well combined, no lumps. Add to sauce all at once. Reduce heat, stirring constantly till sauce thickens. Add chicken and heat through. Serve over rice.

Orange Chicken

This recipe serves exactly 2 people with NO leftovers. You can make the sauce ahead of time, and then all you have to do is thaw and cut a chicken breast, and cut/juice an orange.

2 Tbs. Peanut Only
1 Bnls Sknls Chicken Breast
1" Piece Fresh Ginger, grated
1/4 cup Orange Juice
1/4 cup Honey
2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
2 Tbs. Cornstarch
3/4 Tbs. Dry Mustard
1/2 Of An Orange, sliced

Cut chicken into thin strips, fry in oil till tender. In a jar or container with lid, mix all ingredients except orange slices. Secure lid, and shake till well combined, making sure there are no cornstarch lumps. Add all at once to chicken, stirring constantly till thickened. Add orange slices, stir in gently. Serve over rice.