Author: Cindy Randolph

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Streusel-Topped Peach-Blueberry Pie

  • 35 min prep time
  • 1 hr 20 min total time
  • 10 ingredients
  • 8 servings

A Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust makes pie-making just peachy!

Ingredients

Crust

1 box Pillsbury™ refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Filling

  • 3  cups sliced peeled peaches or 1 can (29 oz) peach slices, well drained
  • 1  cup blueberries
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup butter or margarine

Steps

  • 1 Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie pan as directed on box for One-Crust Filled Pie.
  • 2 Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, mix filling ingredients; spoon into crust-lined pan.
  • 3 In medium bowl, mix topping ingredients with fork or pastry blender until crumbly; sprinkle over filling.
  • 4 Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until topping is golden brown. After 15 or 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning.
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Stuffed Cucumber Bites

Ingredients

  • 2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced ¾ inch thick and hollowed with a melon baller
  • 8 oz block cream cheese at room temperature
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • Halved grape tomatoes

Instructions

  1. Peel and slice cucumbers to ¾ thick.
  2. With a melon baller, cut out center portion of the cucumber
  3. Mix the cream cheese, mayo, hidden valley ranch mix and salt in a bowl.
  4. Place in a pastry bag with a rosette pipette end
  5. Pipe cucumber slice with cream cheese to ½ inch above cucumber
  6. Stand a halved grape tomato in the cream cheese.
  7. Sprinkle with chives or parsley to garnish
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Spinach & Cheese-Stuffed Manicotti

Ingredients:
2 medium carrots, peeled (2/3 cup finely chopped)
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning Mix
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 jar (24-28 oz) spaghetti or marinara sauce
2 can (14.5 oz) Italian-seasoned petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup water
12 uncooked manicotti noodles
1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
1.  Finely chop carrots using Food Chopper. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine carrots, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, spinach, seasoning mix and garlic pressed with Garlic Press; mix well. Spoon cheese mixture into a large resealable plastic bag; trim ¾ in. off corner with Professional Shears.
2.  Combine spaghetti sauce, tomatoes and water in Stainless (2-qt.) Mixing Bowl; stir. Spread ¼ cup of the sauce over bottom of Deep Covered Baker. Pipe filling into uncooked manicotti noodles. Arrange eight manicotti in bottom of baker. Top with half of the remaining sauce. Layer remaining manicotti in baker. Pour remaining sauce over top.
3.  Microwave, covered, on HIGH 27-30 minutes or until noodles are tender. Remove from microwave; let stand 10 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Yield: 6 servings

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Spaghetti alla Carbonara Recipe

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes

This recipe uses raw eggs, which are essentially cooked by tossing with hot pasta. They are not cooked to the point of scrambled though, just enough to thicken the eggs into a sauce. The garlic is optional. It is not traditionally included in spaghetti alla carbonara, but I like the addition of it, so it’s in my version.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil or unsalted butter
  • 1/2 pound pancetta or thick cut bacon, diced
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, minced, about 1 teaspoon (optional)
  • 3-4 whole eggs
  • 1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
  • 1 pound spaghetti pasta (or bucatini or fettuccine)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

1 Put a large pot of salted water on to boil (1 Tbsp salt for every 2 quarts of water.)

2 While the water is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bacon or pancetta and cook slowly until crispy. Add the garlic (if using) and cook another minute, then turn off the heat and put the pancetta and garlic into a large bowl.

3 In a small bowl, beat the eggs and mix in about half of the cheese.

4 Once the water has reached a rolling boil, add the pasta, and cook, uncovered, at a rolling boil. When the pasta is al dente (still a little firm, not mushy), use tongs to move it to the bowl with the bacon and garlic. Move the pasta from the pot to the bowl quickly, as you want the pasta to be hot. It’s the heat of the pasta that will heat the eggs sufficiently to create a creamy sauce. Toss everything to combine, then add the beaten eggs with cheese and toss quickly to combine once more. Add salt to taste.

Serve at once with the rest of the parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.

If you want, sprinkle with a little fresh chopped parsley.

Yield: Serves 4-6.

 

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Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients

Sauce:

  • 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes in juice, drained, juice reserved, tomatoes finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 medium onions, peeled, halved through root end
  • 1/2 teaspoon (or more) salt

Meatballs:

  • 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French or country-style bread
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 8 ounces ground beef (15% fat)
  • 8 ounces ground pork
  • 1 cup finely ground (not grated) Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)

Preparation

For sauce:
Combine tomatoes with juice, butter, onions, and salt in large wide pot. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard onions. Using immersion blender, process sauce briefly to break up any large pieces of tomato (texture should be even but not completely smooth). Season sauce with more salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat.

For meatballs:
Combine breadcrumbs and milk in small bowl; stir until breadcrumbs are evenly moistened. Let stand 10 minutes.

Place beef and pork in large bowl and break up into small chunks. Add 1 cup ground Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper.

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Smoky Yukon Gold Potato Chowder

Ingredients:
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only
1 tbsp (15 mL) salted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped chopped
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1½ tsp (7 mL) smoked paprika
2 lbs (1 kg) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced (see Cook’s Tip)
4 cups (1 L) unsalted chicken stock
1 can (14.5 oz or 398 mL) no-salt-added Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1½ cups (375 mL) 2% milk
3 oz (90 g) extra sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
½ tsp (2 mL) coarsely ground black pepper
6 tbsp (90 mL) reduced-fat sour cream

Snipped fresh chives and additional smoked paprika (optional)

Directions:
1.  Cut leeks in half lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise. Place into Stainless (4-qt./4-L) Mixing Bowl and swish in cold water to remove dirt. Drain leeks using medium Stainless Mesh Colander.
2.  Melt butter in (8-qt./7.6-L) Stockpot over medium heat. Add leeks, onion, pressed garlic and paprika to Stockpot; cook, uncovered, 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add stock; cook, covered, 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender, stirring occasionally. Add beans; cook 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Remove Stockpot from heat; cool 5 minutes.
3.  Carefully ladle one-third of the potato mixture into blender container. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour blended potato mixture into Stainless (6-qt./6-L) Mixing Bowl. Repeat with remaining potato mixture.
4.  Return blended potato mixture to Stockpot; stir in milk. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until simmering. Stir in cheese, salt and black pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish each serving with sour cream, chives and additional paprika, if desired.
Yield: 6 servings

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Smoky Barbecue Dry Rub

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine the paprika, salt, sugar, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, chile powder and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and mix well with a small whisk.

Yields 3 tablespoons, enough for Grilled Beer Can Chicken

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Salisbury Steak with Mushrooms

Ingredients

 

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup chopped onions
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons water

Prep:  15 m

Cook:  25 m

Ready In:  40 m

  1. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, chopped onion, egg, salt, and black pepper in a bowl until evenly mixed. Shape beef mixture into 4 patties, about 3/4 inch thick.
  2. Fry patties in a large skillet over medium heat until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Add beef broth, onion, and mushrooms; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until patties are no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes more. Transfer patties to a platter and keep warm.
  3. Bring onion mixture to a boil. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl; stir into onion mixture. Cook and stir until onion gravy is thickened, about 1 minute. Pour over patties to serve.
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Salmon Patties Recipe

Salmon patties, or salmon cakes, are wonderfully easy to make. The base is just cooked salmon, shredded bread, bread crumbs or even saltines, chopped onion, and egg to bind it all into patties, which are then quickly fried. In this recipe my father dresses up the patties with garlic, dill, bell pepper, and paprika. You could also use parsley, Old Bay seasoning, lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce, or cilantro.

Ingredients

  • 1 (14.75 ounce) can salmon, undrained and flaked
  • 1 slice of bread, shredded
  • 3 Tbsp chopped green onion, including the green parts
  • 1 medium garlic clove, minced
  • 1 Tbsp fresh chopped dill weed, or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 3 Tbsp minced green bell pepper
  • 1 Tbsp flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Several turns of freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 Tbsp vegetable oil

Method

1 In a large bowl, gently mix together the salmon, bread, green onion, garlic, dill, bell pepper, flour, egg, paprika, salt and pepper. Form into 8 patties; each about 1/2 inch thick.

2 Heat oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Cook the patties until nicely browned on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.

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Sausage Balls

  • 1 pound hot country-style ground sausage
  • 3 ½ c. sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 c. Bisquick or other baking mix

 

Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands so there are no dry crumbs. Form into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Refrigerate overnight or freeze.

Remove from refrigerator or freezer and place on a baking sheet. Bake until the balls are golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Yield: About 6 dozen.