Bean Dip

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) refried beans
5 slices of bottled jalapeños
1 Tbsp of brine from bottled jalapeños
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 onion powder
1/4 paprika
1/8 garlic powder
1/8 cayenne pepper

Directions:
Combine refried beans with the other ingredients.  (You can use a food processor on high speed until smooth.)  Cover and chill for an hour before serving.

Recipe from www.food.com.

Cadbury Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
3 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 1/2 cup flour
2 packages white chocolate chips (I used one package)
1 package milk chocolate chips
1 package Cadbury Mini Eggs

Directions:
Place Cadbury Mini Eggs in a large ziplock bag, with the handle end of a spoon or knife, smack each egg until they pop in half.  Mix the wet ingredients, add dry ingredients, and then the chocolate chips/eggs.  Roll into 1 inch balls or use a medium cookie scoop.  Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes and until the edges are slightly browned.  Let them rest on the pan for 1 minute more then transfer to a rack to cool.  Yields 48 cookies.

Recipe from www.whatscookingwithruthie.com.

Mexican Shrimp Bisque

Note this recipe only yields 3 cups, so when I made it I multiplied it by 4.

Ingredients:
1 small onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp sodium free chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 sour cream
Fresh cilantro and cubed avocado, optional

Directions:
In a small saucepan, sauté onion in oil until tender.  Add garlic; cook for 1 minute longer.  Stir in flour until blended.  Stir in the water, cream, chili powder, bouillon, cumin, and coriander; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.  Cut shrimp into bite size pieces; add to soup.  Simmer 5 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink.  Gradually stir 1/2 cup hot soup into sour cream; return all to the pan, stirring constantly.  Heat through (do not boil).  Garnish with cilantro and avocado.  (I also put corn tortilla chips in mine.)

Recipe from Taste of Home Cooking School.

Taco Casserole

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 bottle (8 oz) taco sauce
3/4 cup water
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 package (12 count) taco shells, broken
2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided
Optional: chopped tomatoes, green bell pepper, sour cream

Direction:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease 11x7 inch baking dish.  Cook beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned.  Drain and discard excess fat.  Stir in taco sauce, water, chiles and seasoning mix; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Layer half of broken taco shells on bottom of prepared baking dish.  Cover with half of meat mixture; sprinkle with 1 cup cheese.  Repeat with ingredients.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.  Serve with desired toppings.

Recipe from Taste of Home Cooking School.

Naan Pizza

Ingredients:
Naan bread
Pesto sauce
Mozzarella cheese
Parmigiano reggiano cheese
Goats cheese
Grilled chicken
Mushrooms
Kalamata olives

Directions:
Spread pesto sauce on the Naan bread and top with the rest of the ingredients in order.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.

Recipe modified from Taste of Home Cooking School.

Glazed Ham

Ingredients

• 2 ripe pineapples
• 3 C water
• 2 C sugar
• 1/4 C Dijon mustard
• 1 smoked, bone in ham (10 pound), trimmed of excess skin and fat removed
• 40 whole cloves
• 1 C white grape juice
• parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Glaze:
2. In a large saucepan bring pineapple slices, water, sugar to boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer until pineapple is translucent and mixture reduced to 4 C. (approx 60-80 minutes).
4. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
5. Add mustard and stir.
6. Glaze will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
7. Ham:
8. Preheat oven 350 degrees with rack in lowest position.
9. Score ham with a sharp knife in a pattern of 1 1/4 inch diamonds.
10. Pierce a pineapple slice with a clove and press into center of each diamond.
11. Place ham cut side down in roasting pan; drizzle with white grape juice and half of pineapple glaze.
12. Refrigerate the remainder of pineapple glaze.
13. Cover ham with parchment paper and then foil, bake for 1 hour.
14. Remove from oven.
15. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
16. Uncover ham and coat with remaining glaze. (some pineapple will fall to the bottom) Bake, uncovered, basting every 15 minutes until browned, 40-45 minutes. (tent top with foil if getting too dark.)
17. Transfer ham to cutting board; let rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.
18. Serve with drippings and pineapple.
19. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Recipe from www.whatscookingwithruthie.com.

Glazed Lemon-Blueberry Poppy Seed Cake

Ingredients

• Cake:
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 4 large eggs
• 13 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• Glaze:
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon nonfat buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. To prepare cake, coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray; dust with breadcrumbs.

3. Combine granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt); stir with a whisk. Add blueberries to flour mixture; toss to coat. Combine 3/4 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup juice, and extracts. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.

4. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan; cool on rack.

5. To prepare glaze, place powdered sugar in a small bowl; add 1 tablespoon buttermilk and 1 tablespoon juice, stirring with a whisk until combined. Pour glaze over warm cake; cool completely.

Recipe from Cooking Light at www.myrecipes.com.