Creamy Sesame Baked Egg Rolls

 4 Tbsp EVOO
1 pound ground turkey
12 oz coleslaw mix
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup creamy sesame dressing
2 Tbsp sriracha
12 egg roll wrappers

Preheat oven to 400.  Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.  In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp EVOO over medium high heat.  Add turkey and cook, breaking up the meat until the turkey is just cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Add coleslaw mix and the salt and cook, stirring, until it begins to wilt, about 3 minutes.  Stir in creamy sesame dressing and sriracha until well combined.  Remove from the heat.  

Place one egg roll wrapper on a cutting board and add 2 Tbsp of filling diagonally on the wrap. Fold bottom corner over filling then roll snugly halfway to cover filling.  Next, fold in both sides snugly against filling.  Finally, moisten the edges of the last flap then wrap up and seal the top corner.  Lay seam side down on the prepared baking sheet and continue until all are complete.  Brush the tops of each rolls evenly with the remaining 2 Tbsp EVOO.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the egg rolls are golden brown and crispy.  Serve with additional creamy sesame dressing.  

Smoky Beef and Black Bean Chili

 2 Tbsp EVOO
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 pound ground beef
2 chipotle chilis, chopped
2 Tbsp adobo sauce
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 cup beef stock
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper

In a large pot, add EVOO over medium high heat.  Add red and orange bell pepper, poblano pepper, yellow and red onion and saute for 10-12 minutes until the vegetables start to cook down.  Add the garlic and chili powder and saute for 1-2 minutes.  Next, add ground beef.  Break it up into pieces with a wooden spoon and saute until golden brown.  Season with salt and pepper.  Once the beef is cooked, add chopped chipotle chili peppers, adobo sauce, crushed tomatoes and beef stock.  Stir to combine and reduce the heat to medium.  Add drained black beans and simmer for 1 hour until the chili thickens.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 8

Ranger Cookies

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) oatmeal cookie mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 Tbsp water
1 egg
3/4 cup rice krispies cereal
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Heat oven to 375.  In large bowl, stir all ingredients until soft dough forms.  Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet.  Cool completely.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

 For Cake: 
1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz)  **not pumpkin pie filling
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 pkg yellow cake mix (2 layer size)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, melted

For Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9x13 pan.  Mix together pumpkin, eggs, the water, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until combined.  Add cake mix and baking powder; mix just until combined.  Spread batter in prepared pan.  Stir together brown sugar, flour, and melted butter in a small bowl until crumbly; sprinkle over batter in pan.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.  Cool cake on a wire rack 10 minutes.  

Glaze:

Meanwhile, stir together brown sugar, white sugar, cream, and vanilla in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cook, stirring frequently, until sugars are dissolved and glaze is smooth, about 2 minutes.  Drizzle glaze evenly over warm cake.  Serve warm.

Sticky Buns with Toffee Sauce

 For Dough:
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup milk
2 tsp active dry yeast
6 Tbsp butter, melted
1 egg
2 Tbsp sugar
4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

For Topping:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
6 Tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp water
pinch of salt
1 cup chopped pecans

For Filling:
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

For Toffee Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

Dough:

Heat 2/3 cup each water and milk in small saucepan until warm (120-130 degrees).  Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.  Sprinkle with yeast; let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes.  Whisk melted butter, egg, and white sugar into yeast mixture.  Add 3 cups flour and the salt.  Mix, adding more flour as needed, until a very soft and sticky dough forms.  Knead with mixer for 5 minutes.  Form dough into a ball; transfer to a lightly greased medium bowl, turning to coat.  Let rise, covered, in a warm place (75-80 degrees) until double in size, about an hour.

Sticky Topping:

Meanwhile, generously grease a 9x13 dish.  For topping, stir together brown sugar, melted butter, white sugar, the water and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.  Pour into prepared pan, spreading evenly to cover bottom.  Scatter nuts evenly over topping.  

Filling:

In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar and cinnamon.

Assembly of Buns:

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; roll into a 15x18 inch rectangle.  Evely sprinkle filling over dough, leaving a 2 inch border on long ends.  Starting on long side, roll up dough to form a log, taking care not to roll too tightly or tearing dough.  Pinch seam to seal.  Cut log crosswise into 12 equal portions.  Arrang buns, cut sides down, over topping in pan.  Let rise, covered, in warm space (75-80 degrees) until buns have almost doubled in size, about an hour.  Preheat oven to 375.  Uncover buns and bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and a thermometer inserted into centers registers 200.  If tops are browning too quickly, tent pan loosely with foil during last 10 minutes of baking.  Make toffee sauce now.  Transfer pan with rolls to a wire rack; let cool 5 minutes.  Carefully invert pan over a serving platter.  Use a rubber spatula to scrape any topping remaining in pan onto rolls.  

Toffee Sauce:

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in brown sugar.  Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Reduce heat to medium and boil gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.  Carefully stir in whipping cream.  Return to a boil.  Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.  Let cool to room temperature.  Pour over rolls.  

Serve rolls warm.  

Cherry Chip Cake

1 box confetti cake mix (or white cake mix)
Butter, Milk, Eggs that are called for on the box of cake mix
        *** decrease milk by 1/4 cup on box
1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice
1/4 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries
1/2 cup cherry chips (you can find these next to chocolate chips at the store)
Betty Crocker cherry frosting (if unable to find this frosting in any brand, see directions following)
    Frosting if you need to make your own
            2 pounds powdered sugar
            1 cup butter
            6 Tbsp milk
            2 Tbsp maraschino cherry juice (add more or less of this per your flavor preference)

Prepare cake mix as directed on package.  Don't forget to decrease the amount of milk the box calls for by 1/4 cup.  Add in cherry juice, chopped cherries and cherry chips.  Mix together.  Bake as directed on cake mix box.  After baking, allow to completely cool before frosting.

For frosting:  Combine sugar and butter in large bowl.  Mix on low until butter starts to absorb the sugar.  Add milk and cherry juice and increase the speed, whipping until light and fluffy.  

Coconut Balls

 **From my Dad's recipe collection:  "A traditional Christmas candy in the Kell family for as long as I can remember.  Mom made these every year, normally storing them in a candy tin on top of the freezer on the back deck during cold weather.  That is until the raccoons decided they liked them too."**

2 lbs powdered sugar

1/4 tsp salt

8 oz coconut flakes

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

2 cups chopped pecans

2 pkgs almond chocolate bark

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together, except the chocolate.  It mixes better when using a set of "God's tools (your hands)"...another nugget from my Dad....  Place the bowl of mixed ingredients in refrigerator to chill for at least one hour.  After chilling, make into small balls (quarter to half dollar size) and place back in bowl. Chill again for at least another hour.  Melt almond bark using a double boiler (or the microwave...but it burns faster this way so you have to keep a close eye on it).  Drop chilled balls into chocolate one at a time.  Place on wax paper to cool.

Chicken Korma

 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk (do not shake)

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, cut into strips or bite size chunks

1 Tbsp curry powder

Salt and Pepper

3/4 cup sliced almonds

1 small onion, roughly chopped

1 Tbsp minced ginger

2 cloves garlic

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 cup basmati rice

8 oz thin green beans, trimmed and halved (not canned)

Chopped cilantro for topping, if desired

Scoop 1 Tbsp cream from the top of the coconut milk.  Toss with chicken, 1/2 Tbsp curry powder, and a big pinch each of salt and pepper in a bowl.  Set aside 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, lightly toast almonds in a large wide pot over med-high heat. Remove to a bowl and reserve the pot.  Puree onion, ginger, garlic and half of the almonds in a food processor.  Heat 2 Tbsp coconut cream in the reserved pot. Add onion puree and 1/2 tsp salt.  Cook, stirring, until the mixture is mostly dry, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes and remaining curry powder, cook until softened, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the chicken and remaining coconut milk and cream from the can.  Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 10 minutes.  Uncover and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile cook the rice as the label directs.  Microwave green beans in a bowl, covered, until bright green, about 3 minutes.  Add green beans to pan.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve over the rice.  Sprinkle with remaining almonds and cilantro.

Serves 4

Fried Rice with Yum Yum Sauce

 4 tsp EVOO
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup chopped carrots
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

1 cup frozen peas
4 green onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tbsp butter
4 cups chilled cooked long grain rice (fully chilled......6-8 hours in the fridge minimum)
1/3 cup soy sauce, adjust to taste preference

**For extra protein, add 1-2 cans chicken (add when you add rice to skillet), 1 can spam (sauted in another skillet prior to adding to rice), 1 pound shrimp (add when you add rice to skillet and cook until shrimp are pink), Fully cooked steak (add at the end for a few minutes just to warm up)

Yum Yum Sauce:
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup sweet chile sauce

Mix mayo and sweet chile sauce and refrigerate until rice is ready to serve.  Heat a LARGE skillet with 1 tsp EVOO.  In a bowl, lightly beat eggs and pour in skillet once it is hot.  Gently fold eggs occasionaly with a spatula until eggs reach desired consistency, about 2 minutes.  Transfer eggs to a plate.  Heat remaining EVOO.  Add carrots, salt and pepper; cook, stirring constantly 2-3 minutes.  Stir in peas and green onions, stirring constantly until peas are heated through, 1-2 minutes.  Reduce heat and stir in garlic.  Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add butter, rice, eggs and soy sauce.  Cook, stirring until heated through, about 5 minutes.  Top with yum yum sauce prior to serving.

Serves 4

Turkey Pot Pie

 4 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 pounds turkey breast, fully cooked and cut into bite size pieces
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tsp parsley
2 refrigerated unbaked pie crusts (Remove from refrigerator 15-20 minutes prior to cooking)

Preheat oven to 425.  Add butter to large skillet.  Once butter is melted, add carrots, celery, onion, salt, garlic powder, thyme leaves and pepper.  Cook for 6-7 minutes until vegetables are softening. Add turkey and cook 3-4 minutes longer or until warmed through.  Add flour.  Stir well, until no dry flour remains.  Slowly stir in cream, then the chicken broth.  Cook until bubbling and thick, stirring often, 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in peas and parsley.  Let this cook for 30 minutes before filling the pie to avoid a soggy bottom crust.  Fit one pie crust into a deep 9-inch pie plate.  Spoon the cooled filling into the pie crust.  Top with second pie crust.  Seal edges of pie crust together.  Cut 3-4 slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.  Place filled pie plate on a baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Wrap edges of pie crust in foil after first 15 minutes of cooking to avoid burnt edges.  cool 15-30 minutes before serving.