Category: Recipes

Stuffed Eggs

12 eggs (don’t buy the special Omega eggs as they are difficult to peel; I use fresh large brown eggs).

Mayonnaise (in my house it has to be Cains).

Two stalks celery

Half an onion (but I don’t use the onion when I know my guests don’t eat onions).

Vinegar (this is my secret ingredient!).

Paprika

Directions:

Put enough water in pan to cover the eggs. Put on burner. Turn on burner (start at High) and start timer for 20 minutes. Once the water starts boiling, turn the heat down just a little so the eggs don’t knock each other and crack. At 20 minutes, take eggs off heat. Drain water and run under cold water.

Let eggs sit in cold water for five or 10 minutes while preparing the celery and onion. Pulverize the celery and onion. Set aside. Peel eggs. You’ll need your egg serving tray and a bowl.

Slice eggs and remove the yolk. Place each egg in tray and the yolks in bowl. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to the egg yolks. Add celery and onion without their juices. Add their juices if the eggs seem dry.

Mash eggs, celery, onion, and vinegar. Add teaspoon of vinegar if egg yolks are still dry. Mix in 1/3 cup of mayonnaise. The egg yolk mixture should not be runny. If it’s still too dry, add more of the celery/onion juice.

Fill each cooked egg white half with enough egg mix to fill the cavity. Sprinkle with paprika before serving. These need to be refrigerated if not eaten right away.

12 eggs will make 24 stuffed egg halves.

If you’re bringing stuffed eggs as a hostess helper, buy an egg carrier that doubles as a server and leave it as gift.

Stay tuned for my Potato Salad recipe. Everyone loves it!

Another variation on the yellow cake mix with chocolate chips. This time it’s chocolate cake mix with peanut butter chips. I went back to using the ice cream scoop so that I got 20 cookies. They stayed chewy. And are they delicious! Wow! So good!

Cake Mix Cookies

Ingredients

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 cup peanut butter chips
½ cup oil or melted butter
2 eggs

Preparation

Combine cake mix, chocolate chips, oil or butter, and eggs in a mixing bowl.

Use an ice cream scoop to form golf-ball sized balls of cookie dough.I got 20 balls from my batch.

Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.

Let cookies cool on sheet for 10 minutes. Cool completely on racks before storing.

Download the recipe for free! CLICK HERE.

 

I’ve been anxious to try a variation on the white cake mix with chocolate chips and so I chose to make chocolate cake mix with white chocolate chips. It didn’t disappoint!

Cake Mix Cookies

Ingredients

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 cup white chocolate chips
½ cup oil or melted butter
2 eggs

Preparation

Combine cake mix, chocolate chips, oil or butter, and eggs in a mixing bowl.

Use an ice cream scoop to form golf-ball sized balls of cookie dough.I got 20 balls from my batch.

Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.

Let cookies cool on sheet for 10 minutes. Cool completely on racks before storing.

Download the recipe for free! CLICK HERE.

 

These cookies are a time-saver and also delicious! Thanks to my brother’s girlfriend for sharing a batch she made.

They are so good warm and gooey from the oven, but also great after being stored in a container for a few days! You need to try these.

Cake Mix Cookies

Ingredients

1 package yellow cake mix
1 cup chocolate chips
½ cup oil or melted butter
2 eggs

Preparation

Combine cake mix, chocolate chips, oil or butter, and eggs in a mixing bowl.

Use an ice cream scoop to form golf-ball sized balls of cookie dough.I got 20 balls from my batch.

Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.

Let cookies cool on sheet for 10 minutes. Cool completely on racks before storing.

 

 

 

 

 

Download the recipe for free! CLICK HERE.

Eggplant Parmesan

There is nothing quick about making eggplant parmesan from scratch, but this classic can be made ahead and reheated when needed so it just may become your get-together favorite!

Sauce ingredients (or use two 24 oz. jars of Hunt’s Garlic and Herb Sauce doctored up)

Sauce from scratch:
¼ cup olive oil,
1 head of garlic cloves crushed,
1 large red onion, chopped,
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes,
1 tablespoon tomato paste,
2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes,
¼ cup torn basil leaves (or use dried),
½ teaspoon dried oregano,
Salt

Eggplant stuff:
2-1/4 lbs (about 2 large) eggplants,
1 teaspoon kosher salt (helps to absorb moisture in the eggplants so they don’t become mushy as they absorb liquid and oil),
1-1/2 cups breadcrumbs or Panko,
1-1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided,
3/4 cup flour,
4 eggs, beaten (more if needed, I did two for the first eggplant and two for the second),
1/4 cup olive oil (plus more to oil the sheet pans),
1-1/2 pounds sliced mozzarella

Directions

Slice eggplant into 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick rounds and salt both sides. Lay the eggplant slices on several layers of paper towels. Let the eggplant rounds sit and release moisture while you prepare the sauce for up to two hours.

Open cans of sauce if not making from scratch. Doctor up the canned sauce with your favorite spices.

Or if making sauce from scratch: Sauté garlic, add tomatoes, simmer, add salt, pepper, basil, oregano in 1 Tbsp olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan on medium heat.
Add the tomatoes and their juices. Increase heat to bring to a simmer, lower heat to maintain a very low simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Spread a scant amount of olive oil each over the bottom of two rimmed baking sheet pans.

Make breadcrumb Parmesan mixture. Combine 1-1/2 cups of breadcrumbs/Panko with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and place in a shallow bowl or dish.

Pat dry the eggplant slices with paper towels.

Set up bowls for dredging with flour, egg, breadcrumbs, in that order. After coating eggplant rounds, top with slightest amount of olive oil. Place on oiled sheet pan.

Place sheets of eggplant slices in oven. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes at 425°F, turning the slices over at the half-way point, until they are nicely browned. Remove from oven, and let cool to touch.

Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Place a third of the eggplant rounds in a single layer covering the sauce on the bottom of the pan.

Layer half of the sliced mozzarella on top of the eggplant rounds. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

Place another third of the eggplant rounds over the cheese. Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the eggplant rounds. Layer the rest of the sliced mozzarella over the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan.

Add the remaining eggplant in a single layer on top of the cheese. Top with the remaining sauce and the remaining Parmesan.

Bake uncovered at 350°F for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Eggplant Parmesan can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover with foil and chill. Reheat in a 350° oven, uncovering halfway through, until bubbling gently at edges.

Note: For safety, wash and dry the tops of cans before opening.

 

 

Download a PDF of this recipe for free! CLICK HERE. I save my favorite recipes in a plastic sleeve in a 3-ring notebook.

Download a copy of this recipe for free! CLICK HERE.

Continue reading Tiger Balls

Sausage, Turkey and Shrimp Gumbo

 

8 Tablespoons butter, divided

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 1/2 Tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 cup jarred jalapenos, chopped (optional)

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste

1 Tablespoon Old Bay seasoning, to taste

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

2 cups frozen shelled edamame

4-6 Tablespoons flour

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound smoked sausage, sliced

2 cups cooked turkey, shredded

1/2 pound frozen cooked shrimp, thawed, tails removed

 

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt 2 Tablespoons butter over medium heat. Once melted, add bell peppers, celery and onion and cook about 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and jalapenos for 30 seconds more.
2. Add the broth, cayenne, Old Bay, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, edamame, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, cover and let simmer.
3. Meanwhile, add the sliced sausage to a skillet and let brown, stirring. Once browned, remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and add to the broth mixture.
4. Discard the drippings from the skillet and add the remaining 6 Tablespoons of butter. Once melted, sprinkle in the flour, as much as desired, and whisk to form a roux. Continue cooking about 6-7 minutes, stirring constantly until it becomes a caramel color. Do not let it burn!
5. Add the roux to the broth mixture and bring to a boil, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat and add the turkey and simmer. Adjust the seasonings to your liking and thickness. At this point, the gumbo is ready to eat, but you can let it simmer for 1-2 hours to let the flavors meld even more, if desired. You could also pour the gumbo into a slow cooker on low heat until ready to eat.
6. Add the shrimp about 5 minutes before serving so they heat through. If the shrimp is added too soon, the become tough to eat.
7. Serve with a scoop of cooked white rice or with cooked grits. The recipe is very versatile and can be adjusted to your own liking. Enjoy!

Chicken Casserole

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
3/4 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 box chicken flavored stove top stuffing

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, soup, corn, sour cream, salt and pepper.
3. Transfer to a casserole dish, set aside.
4. Prepare the stuffing according to the instructions on box. Once the stuffing is ready, spoon on top of the chicken mixture. Spread evenly.
5. Place casserole in oven, covered for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and bake another 10 minutes until the casserole is heated through.
6. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

*You can substitute any vegetable for the corn. Add more seasonings to your taste. It’s a very basic recipe, play around with it!