American Potato Salad

5 pounds red potatoes, boiled and cut into cubes
6 eggs, boiled, peeled and chopped
2 cups mayonnaise
1 onion, diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

In a bowl, combine all.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving. 

Serves 12

Rosemary Chicken

6 chicken breasts
1 cup light mayonnaise
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 heaping Tbsp rosemary
1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray 13x9 with nonstick cooking spray.  Mix garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary and bread crumbs, set aside.  Cover chicken breast with mayonnaise and dip in bread crumb mixture.  Place chicken breasts in 13x9 and cook for 30-45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Ginger Cake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup grated fresh ginger root
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a 9 inch bundt pan.  Sift together flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, and salt.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in grated ginger root and vanilla.  Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk, mixing just until incorporated.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.  Let cook in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.  Dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving.

Lemon Parsley Green Beans

1 pinch white sugar
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat; add sugar and beans.  Cook until beans are bright green and tender, 3-5 minutes.  Drain and place in a large bowl of ice water to stop cooking.  Combine butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat; cook until butter melts.  Stir in garlic; cook until pale beige and fragrant.  Stir in beans; cook until wilted and garlic is dark brown, about 4 minutes.  Toss beans with lemon zest and parsley; cook 1-2 minutes more.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Transfer beans to a serving dish and garnish with lemon wedges.

Serves 6

Chicago Style Pan Pizza

Premade pizza crust
1 pound bulk Italian sausage, crumbled and browned
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tsp olive oil
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained well
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Remove browned sausage from skillet with a slotted spoon and onto a paper towel covered plate.  Blot sausage with additional paper towels to remove excess grease.  Spread sausage evenly over crust.  Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.  Heat oil in skillet.  Add mushrooms and onions and cook until onion is tender.  Stir in well drained tomatoes, oregano, salt, fennel seeds, and garlic powder.  Spoon over mozzarella.  Sprinkle Parmesan on top.

Cook according to pizza crust package directions. 

Serves 6

Spinach Sausage Soup

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
4 cans chicken broth
8 red potatoes, quartered and thinly sliced
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
2 cups frozen chopped spinach

In skillet, brown sausage.  Meanwhile, in stew pot, combine broth, potatoes, and salad dressing mix.  Bring to a boil; cover and simmer for10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Drain sausage.  Add sausage and spinach to broth and potato mix.  Cook until heated through. 

Serves 6

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 (11 oz) pkg peanut butter and chocolate pieces
1/2 cup chocolate frosting
1/2 cup peanut butter

Beat butter for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, brown sugar, soda, and salt.  Beat until combined.  Add egg and vanilla.  Beat till combined.  Beat in flour and cocoa powder.  Stir in peanut butter and chocolate pieces.  Cover and chill for 2-3 hours. 

Preheat oven to 375.  Roll dough into 1 inch balls.  Place 2 inches apart on lightly greased sheets.  Flatten slightly.  Bake 7-8 minutes.  In a small bowl, stir together frosting and peanut butter.  Spread 2 tsp frosting mix on bottom half of cookies.  Top with another cookie.

Chicken Braciole

2 cups marinara sauce
2 eight ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 thin slices prosciutto
1 cup fresh spinach
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 tsp pepper

Cut each breast in half horizontally, cutting nearly through to the opposite side.  Open so it forms two flaps, hinged at the center.  Cover with a large piece of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thickness.  Layer 2 slices of prosciutto, 1/2 cup spinach, and 1/4 cup mozzarella on each breast.  Starting from a long side, roll closed.  Either tie with kitchen string or use toothpicks to keep closed and tuck them in to keep the filling from falling out in a 13x9 pan.  Sprinkle each roll with pepper and cover all with marinara sauce.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through.  Remove string or toothpicks before serving. 

Serves 4

Chicken and Nectarine Salad

2 ripe nectarines, halved and pitted
1 tsp EVOO, plus 1/4 cup, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp water
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
2 cups finely chopped radicchio
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup feta cheese

Season chicken with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper and grill until done. Brush nectarine halves lightly with 1 tsp oil. Grill nectarines until lightly charred and softened, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Let the chicken and nectarines cool on a clean cutting board for about 10 minutes, then chop into bite size pieces. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup oil, vinegar, water, mustard, honey and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add lettuce, radicchio, tomatoes, cheese, chicken, nectarines. Toss well to combine. Season with pepper to taste.

Serves 5

Creamy Jalapeno Popper Dip

4 bacon strips, chopped
1 pkg (8 oz) light cream cheese, softened
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup skim or 2 % milk
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp butter
Tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350. In a small skillet, cook bacon until crisp.  Drain on paper towels, reserving 1 Tablespoon of drippings.  In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, milk, jalapenos, vinegar, cooked bacon and reserved drippings.  Transfer to a greased 8 inch square baking dish.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs; dot with butter.  Bake 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and topping is golden brown.  Serve with chips. 

Yields 2 cups.