Slowcooker Stroganoff

• 3 pounds Beef Stew Meat In 1/2 Inch Cubes
• 1 package Au Jus Mix
• 1 cup Water
• 2 cans Condensed Cream Of Mushroom Soup
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• ½ pounds White Mushrooms, Sliced
• 1 pkg. egg noodles, prepared

Preparation InstructionsPut stew meat, au jus mix and water into slow cooker.Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Put stew meat, au jus, water and mushrooms into slow cooker.

Cook on low for 5 hours.

Add soup and sour cream. Mix thoroughly.

Cook for 30 more minutes.

Serve over noodles.

Baked Lemon Pasta

• 1 pound Thin Spaghetti
• 4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
• 2 cups Sour Cream
• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
• Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
• Extra Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente and rinse under hot water.

In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.

Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.

Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)

When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Pesto Chicken Salad Sandwich

1/4 c. diced almonds, toasted

1 roasted deli chicken, meat pulled off and shredded

1-7 oz. jar prepared pesto

3 medium roma tomatoes

1 loaf soft italian bread

1/2 c. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. spinach

Mix almonds with chicken and pesto. Set aside. Slice ends from tomatoes, halve lengthwise and remove seeds. Flatten each half and sprinkle with salt. Halve the bread lengthwise. Pinch middle of bread out about 1 inch deep. Leave a 1/2 inch border. Spread cream cheese over each half. Lay tomatoes skin side down over top of cream cheese on bottom half. Line with spinach leaves and top with chicken salad. Top with the top part of the bread. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let sit at room temp for 1 hour. Slice and serve.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks

2/3 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

3 t. vinegar

1/2 t. baking soda

2/3 c. water

Mix flour and salt and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the vinegar, baking soda and water. Add to the flour mixture. Dip chicken in batter and deep fry. In a large bowl combine chicken, sauce, 1 small green pepper (cut into chunks) and 1 can drained pineapple chunks.

Sauce:

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. chicken broth

1/3 c. white vinegar

1 t. oil

1 t. soy sauce

1/4 t. salt

1 clove minced garlic

Heat all to boil over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally so it doesn't burn. Mix 2 T. cornstarch with 2 T. cold water. Add to sauce once it's boiling. Cook until thick.

Carribean Cordial

2 oz. piece of bruised ginger root

1 lemon, thinly sliced

6 c. water

4 c. brown sugar

sparkling mineral water

Place ginger and lemon in water in a covered pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and add sugar. Strain into a bottle, seal and store.

To drink: 1/3 c. cordial to 2/3 c. mineral water

Spiced Lemonade (for a sore throat)

5 c. water

1/2 c. sugar

4 whole cloves

1/2 t. ground allspice

1 cinnamon stick

juice of 4 lemons or scant 2/3 c. lemon juice

Combine all but lemon in a pan. Slowly bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and then stir in lemon. Drink hot. Store leftovers in fridge.

Ham Fried Rice

1 T. butter

1/4 c. onion

1 c. diced ham

2 t. soy sauce

2 c. cooked rice

2 eggs, scrambled and set aside

1 c. frozen peas

Saute onion in butter. Add all but eggs. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add eggs and stir gently before serving.

Grandma Olsen's Chili Sauce

6-1/2 pounds tomatoes, peeled and cored before measuring

2-3 large green, red, yellow or orange peppers, or a mix of peppers

1 c. chopped onion

1-1/2 c. sugar

2 c. vinegar

5 t. salt

1 t. nutmeg

2 t. ginger

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. dry mustard

1/2 t. curry

3/4 t. tabasco

Put tomatoes, peppers and onions through food grinder. Add with all other ingredients in a large saucepot. Boil slowly for 2 hours or until slightly thickened. Stir frequently. Pour into hot pint jars. Seal for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.

*This recipe only makes 6-1/2 pint jars.

Emily's Fudge

4-1/2 c. sugar

1 can evaporated milk

3- 12 oz. bags of milk chocolate chips

2 cubes real butter, cut into 4th's

1 t. vanilla

Combine chocolate chips and butter in a large bowl. Soften in the microwave. In a saucepan, bring sugar and milk to a boil. Watch it! Stirring constantly, boil for 6 minutes. Pour over the chocolate mixture. Stir together. Beat the crap out of it with the hand mixer and add vanilla. Pour into buttered glass pan. Cool and cut.

Raspberry Slush

1 large can pineapple juice

1 (12 oz) frozen lemonade

3 pkg. raspberry kool-aid

3/4 c. lemon juice

2 boxes frozen raspberries

4 c. sugar

Dissolve 4 c. sugar in 2 c. boiling water. Mix other ingredients and add sugar water to make 2 gallons. Freeze. Stir it as it freezes. Add sprite to mixture to serve.

Garlic Chicken

2 t. garlic

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. breadcrumbs

1/4 c. parmesan

4 chicken breasts

Heat oven to 425. Warm garlic and oil together in a small pan to blend flavors. Mix crumbs and cheese. Dip chicken in oil and then breadcrumbs. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Lemon bread

1/2 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 eggs
2 T lemon juice
1 T lemon zest
1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
1/2 c milk

GLAZE:
2 T lemon juice
1/2 c powdered sugar

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar til fluffy. Beat in eggs, lemon juice and zest. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, gradually stir into creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well each time. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Combine glaze ingredients. Remove bread from pan, immediately drizzle with glaze. Cool on wire rack.

brownie crackles

1 box fudge brownie mix, 9x13 pan size
1 c flour
1 egg
1/2 c water
1/4 c canola oil
1 c choc chips
powdered sugar

In a large bowl beat brownie mix, flour, egg, water and oil until well mixed Stir in chocolate chips. Put powdered sugar in a bowl, drop dough by tbs full into sugar roll to coat. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on wire racks.

Caramel Cashew Brownies

18 caramels
1/3 c butter
2 tbs milk
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c chopped salted cashews
Cook and stir caramels, butter, and milk in large pan over low heat til caramels are melted. Stir until smooth, then add sugar and stir again until smooth. In a bowl combine eggs and vanilla, stir into caramel mixture. In a large bowl combine flour, salt and b.p., stir into caramel mixture until blended. Fold in cashews. Put in greased 9 inch square pan, bake at 350 for 24-28 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Can be doubled or tripled, adjust baking time.

Italian Lemonade

• 2 cups lemon juice, about 12 to 15 lemons
• 2 cups Basil Simple Syrup, recipe follows
• 2 cups cold water

Mix lemon juice, Basil Simple Syrup, and water together in a pitcher. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Pour over ice filled glasses and garnish with a lemon twist.

Basil Simple Syrup:

• 1 bunch fresh basil, washed and stemmed
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water

In a saucepan combine basil, sugar, and water and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 5 minutes. Cool, strain the simple syrup, and store in the refrigerator.

Bajio Chicken Chile Salad

5 chicken breasts (4 if they are large)

1/2 cup salsa

1 Tbsp cumin

1/2 cup brown sugar (more to taste)

1 4 oz. can diced green chilies

6 oz. Sprite (1/2 can)

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return to crock pot and cook 1 more hour. Thicken the juices with a little cornstarch mixed in water.

Serve with flour tortillas, lettuce, cheese, black beans and any other taco fixings or like the salads at Cafe Rio.

If you want it spicer rather than sweeter add a hotter salsa and more green chilies.