Egg Noodles

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter

In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Add the beaten egg, milk, and butter. Knead dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. Let rest in a covered bowl for 10 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut the noodles in desired width with a pizza cutter. You can also use small cookie cutters to cut different shapes. Lay noodles out on stacked cookie sheets and allow to air dry before cooking, 30-40 minutes (until no longer moist and sticky).
Cook pasta in a large pot with boiling salted water cook until al dente.
This is also a great quick dough for ravioli......Butternut squash with sage brown butter perhaps?? Mama B's FAV!

Fettuccine Carbonara

Adapted from the bon appetit magazine

4 large eggs
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 oz thinly sliced pancetta (Italian bacon), finely chopped
12 oz egg fettuccine
1 medium bunch broccoli rabe (rapini), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
grated rind from 1/2 of a lemon

Whisk 4 eggs, both cheeses, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl; set aside. Cook pancetta in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to small bowl.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender (about 3 minutes less than package directions); add broccoli rabe. Cook just until broccoli rabe is crisp-tender and pasta is tender, about 3 minutes longer. Drain pasta-broccoli rabe mixture, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Return hot pasta-broccoli rabe mixture to pot (off heat). Immediately add egg-cheese mixture, pancetta, and 1/4 cup hot cooking liquid; quickly toss to combine, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls to moisten as needed. Season to taste with salt and more pepper, if desired. Sprinkle with lemon juice and rind. Serve hot.

Tortellini Ala Fini

My rendition of my favorite dish from Mama Maria's in Hudson, WI

1 package dry cheese tortellini
1 pkg prosciutto, crisped and crumbled
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
1 package baby mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1C baby sweet peas
1/2C white wine

Parmesan Bechamel:

5T butter
1/2C flour
4C whole milk, warmed
3/4C Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Cook tortellini as directed on package. Saute mushrooms, onion and garlic in white wine. Add peas at end to warm. Meanwhile, melt 5T butter in sauce pan. Slowly add flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Gradually add WARM milk. Whisk constantly for 5 minutes, but do not boil. Add salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Place tortellini in a large serving bowl. Add mushroom mixture, prosciutto and bechamel sauce and combine. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and serve hot.
Can add chicken sauteed in white wine for complete meal.

Stuffed Peppers

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

4 large green peppers, tops cut off and cleaned out
2C basmati rice, cooked
1lb hamburger
2 cans tomato juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, minced
1 can stewed herbed tomatoes (I use Muir Glenn organic)
1/2C shredded Parmesan cheese
1tsp salt
1tsp pepper
1 egg

Saute hamburger, onion and garlic in 1 can tomato juice. Turn heat off. In same pan, add rice, stewed tomatoes, cheese, salt, pepper and raw egg. Stuff peppers with rice mixture and pour 2nd can of tomato juice over top (can use a jar of marinara sauce instead). Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Plum Chicken Kabobs and Fruited Bulgar

Chicken Marinade:

1/2 jar plum jam
2T soy sauce
1/4C olive oil

Whisk together and add raw cubed chicken. Best to marinade in refrigerator overnight. Place on skewers and grill over medium heat.

3C cooked bulgar
1/4C olive oil
1/2C orange juice (make from concentrate, and have dilution strong)
1 can mandarin oranges
1C purple grapes, halved
1T sage, minced
3T parsley, chopped

Combine and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Roasted Citrus and Garlic Turkey

1 turkey

Brine Injection:

1C chicken stock
1C fresh orange juice
1T orange zest
1T lemon zest
1/4C kosher salt
2T light brown sugar

Fresh springs rosemary
8-10 clove garlic, halved
1 bunch fresh sage
1 bunch fresh basil

Lift skin from turkey without removing. Slide rosemary, garlic, sage and basil evenly under skin.
Combine brine injection and place in injector. Inject into turkey in several places. Place in roasting pan and roast as directed on turkey. When finished roasting, remove herbs from under skin, slice and serve.

This is also great for chicken, using breasts with skin on and baking @ 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

1 rotisserie chicken or 1lb chicken breasts, cooked and diced
3C wild rice, cooked
1/4C white wine
2C carrots, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
3-4T fresh parsley, minced
1 container (16oz) sour cream
2 family sized cans cream of chicken soup
20-24oz chicken stock
6-8 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer carrots, garlic and onion in chicken stock and white wine until carrots are soft and onions are translucent. Add chicken, wild rice, parsley, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, bacon, and salt and pepper. Simmer for 20-30 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning on bottom of pan. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. If soup is too thick, add milk or more chicken stock to achieve desired consistency.

Greek Orzo Chicken

1lb chicken breasts or 1 rotisserie chicken

1pkg orzo pasta (looks like fat grains of rice)
2C frozen spinach or 1 bag fresh spinach
1-2T olive oil
1/2C feta cheese
1T lemon peel
1-2T lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2tsp black pepper
1/2tsp salt
1 tomato, diced

Saute spinach, garlic, salt and pepper, lemon peel, and lemon juice in olive oil. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and grill, bake or saute. If using rotisserie chicken, remove meat from bone and slice. Cook pasta. Drain and add feta cheese. Place orzo in large serving bowl. Top with spinach mixture and chicken. Sprinkle with feta and tomato. Can add lemon wedges to the side to use if wanted.

Split Pea Soup

Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

1C chopped yellow onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8C good olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2C medium-diced carrots (4 carrots)
1-2C Ham, diced small
1T fresh lemon juice
Rind from 1 lemon
1C medium-diced red boiling potatoes, peeled (3 small)
1 lb dried split green peas
10 cups chicken stock

In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the carrots, ham, potatoes, split peas, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 60 minutes, or until peas are soft. Stir frequently to keep the solids from burning on the bottom. Taste for salt and pepper. Blend with hand mixer if desired. Serve hot.

Dill Meatballs

From LV

Meatballs, 5 lbs. pre-made (I use 6 lb. club store bag)*

¾C chopped onion (one medium)

1/4C melted butter (use a little more)*

2C chicken broth

¼C flour

¼ tsp salt

1T dill weed (yes, this is a lot)*

16oz Top-the-Tator or sour cream

Heat meatballs in large roaster with a small amount of water on bottom. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. You do not have to pre-roast the meatballs, but you might have a lot of grease in the sauce if you don't.

While the meatballs are roasting, saute onion in butter until tender. Whisk a small amount of chicken broth and the flour together, then add that mixture and the rest of the chicken broth, salt, dill and Top-the-Tater to the pan with the onions and butter.

Drain excessive water/juice from heated meatballs and dump meatballs into very large crock pot (if serving as an appetizer). Pour warm sauce over heated meatballs and stir.
If making for dinner, serve over egg noodles.

Puppy Chow

9C rice chex cereal
1C chocolate chips
1/2C peanut butter
1/4C butter
1tsp vanilla
1 1/2C powdered sugar

Combine everything but cereal in bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and continue to microwave in 30 second increments until smooth. Add vanilla. Place cereal in large bowl, pour warm mixture over cereal and mix. Place in brown grocery bag, add powdered sugar and shake well to coat. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in air tight container.

Margarita Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

3/4C pre-made margarita mix (I use Williams-Sonoma)
3 egg yolks
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2C crushed graham crackers
1/3-1/2C butter, melted

Mix crushed graham crackers and butter (start with 1/3C butter) until it forms a loose, crumbly dough. Pat crust mixture into 9"X9" pan. Mix remaining 3 ingredients together and pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool and refrigerate.

Raspberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Adapted from a recipe from my mom
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 loaf french bread, cubed (about 1")
4C milk
3 eggs
2C sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3T butter
1/2 bag white chocolate chips
1/3C raspberry preserves or 1 container fresh raspberries

SAUCE:
1C sugar
1/2C butter, melted
1 egg
1/4C whiskey

Beat milk, eggs, sugar, raspberry preserves and vanilla. With large spoon, mix in bread and white chocolate chips and let sit for 20-30 minutes. In the mean time, melt butter and pour in the bottom of a 9"X13" pan. Place pan on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

SAUCE:
Mix all ingredients together in sauce pan, making sure egg is fully mixed in. Simmer on stove, stirring constantly for 3-5 minutes, until sugar is fully melted.

For a traditional bread pudding, omit raspberry preserves and white chocolate chips, and add 3/4 C raisins (soaked in 1/2C whiskey for 1 hour) and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

Unbaked Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

3C Sugar
1/3C cocoa powder
3/4C milk
1/2C butter
1 tsp vanilla
3/4C peanut butter
5C quick oatmeal

Mix sugar and cocoa in large, heavy pan. Stir in milk. Bring to boil over medium heat. When at a full boil, add butter. Do not stir. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla, oatmeal and peanut butter. Drop spoon fulls onto waxed paper and allow to set (at least 2 hours, up to 12 hours). Store in a covered pan.

Lemon Bars

From my mom

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2C flour
1C butter
1/2C powdered sugar
4 eggs
2C white sugar
3T flour
1T brown sugar
4T lemon juice
2T lemon rind (from about 2 lemons)

Mix flour, butter and powdered sugar. Pat into 9"X13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Mix in remaining ingredients and pour over crust. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and loosen edges with knife. Let cool fully - cut and serve.

New Orleans Sugar Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1/2C butter
1C sugar
1 egg
1T milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2tsp baking soda
1 3/4C + 2T flour

Sift salt, baking soda and flour together*. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, vanilla and 1/4 C of the flour mix at a time. Place dough on plastic wrap and form into a tube. Chill for 8 hours. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes.

*If you don't have a sifter, you can sift the flour mixture in a wire kitchen strainer. Just add the flour mixture and tap the sides. Repeat 2-3 times.

Graham Cracker Toffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2pkg graham crackers, snapped in half (to make 2 squares)
1C butter
1C brown sugar
1 bag chocolate chips
1 1/2 C toasted pecans

Line cookie sheet with graham crackers. Melt butter over medium heat and add brown sugar. Bring to rolling boil and cook for 2 minutes without stirring. Pour hot mixture over crackers and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle with choc chips and toasted pecans. remove from pan and place on cooling rack immediately. Let fully cool before serving.

Raspberry Almond Squares

From NK
Preheat oven to 325 degrees

1/4C sliced almonds
1/2C butter
12oz white chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2C sugar
1C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1tsp almond extract
3/4C raspberry preserves

Grease and flour a 9" square pan. Toast almonds. Melt 1C choc chips and the butter in a pan over low heat, stirring constantly. Set aside.
Beat eggs until foamy, adding sugar gradually. Beat at high speed until mixture is lemon colored. Stir into melted chocolate mixture. Add flour, salt and almond extract - mix on low speed. Spread 1/2 the batter into pan and bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and add remaining chocolate chips to top. Melt jam and spread on crust. Add remaining batter and almonds. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes.