Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Curd and Fresh Raspberries

Directions

Note: I use an 18x13 sheet cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.

INGREDIENTS:

2 egg yolks
2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
2 stiffly beaten egg whites

DIRECTIONS:

Sweet corn, as many ears as you like
Butter, softened
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Kosher salt

Cut enough pieces of aluminum foil to fully cover each ear of corn.

Lay one ear of corn on one foil sheet. Spread butter over all sides of the corn. Sprinkle cheese over all sides of the corn and do the same with the salt. Wrap foil around corn.

Place corn on grill for 10 minutes. Turn and grill for 5 more minutes. Be careful opening the corn.

Makes as many servings as you have ears of corn.

Grilled Nachos

Leftover grilled chicken, chunked up
A couple of tomatoes, chunked up
One bunch of green onions, sliced up including a bit of the green
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
A couple of spoonfuls of chopped jalapenos
1 (16 oz) bag of taco cheese
Tortilla chips, I used white and blue

In a disposable aluminum pan layer all your ingredients ~ chips, chicken, beans, veggies, cheese, repeat until used up.

Cover with aluminum foil and place on the grill (medium-high) with the lid closed for 5 to 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Makes about 6 servings or more.

Tortellini with Pesto Dip

4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsps olive oil, divided
1 pkg (10 ozs) refrigerated spinach tortellini
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1/8 tsp pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes

On a double thickness of aluminum foil, place the garlic cloves and drizzle with 1 tbsps olive oil. Wrap the foil around and roast in the oven at 425º for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Cool for 15 minutes.

While garlic is cooking, cook tortellini according to the package, drain, rise in cold water. Toss with remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the mayo, Parmesan, milk, pesto and pepper. Squeeze the garlic into this mixture and stir until combined.

Thread tortellini and tomatoes onto skewers and serve with pesto dip.

I made all of this ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

Makes about 2 dozen skewers and 1 1/2 cups dip.

Turkey Finger Sandwiches

1 unsliced loaf of French bread
2/3 cup low-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
3/4 tsp garlic, minced
12-14 slices of deli turkey
Fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 sweet red bell pepper, sliced into thin sticks
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and hearts sliced in half if they are big or you can use sliced regular artichoke hearts

Carefully slice off the top 1/3 of the loaf of bread. Pull out the bread from the bottom 2/3 carefully, leaving a 1/2 inch shell.

In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic together until thoroughly mixed. Spread half of this mix over the inside of the bottom shell.

Roll up the turkey slices and fit them inside the shell over the cream cheese layer. Lay spinach leaves over the turkey. Layer the red bell pepper strips over the spinach and the artichokes over the red bell pepper.

Spread remaining cream cheese mix over the inside of the top of the loaf and replace on top of the filled bottom.

Wrap entire loaf tightly in aluminum foil and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. I made mine the morning of the party.

To serve, unwrap and slice into 1-inch slices and stick a toothpick in each slice. Arrange on a platter and serve.

Makes 10-12 servings

2 pkgs chicken drummettes
3/4 cup chili sauce
3 tbsps brown sugar, packed
2 tbsps chopped chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tbsp grated lime peel
2 cloves garlic, minced

Heat oven to 375º and line a 13×9 pan with foil (the easy-off foil is great for this). Arrange drummettes in pan in a single layer.

Mix well all of the rest of the ingredients in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute or until the sugar is dissoved. Stir sauce well and pour over drummettes in the pan.

Bake for 30 minutes, turn drummettes over, and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes longer or until glazed and cooked through entirely and no pink remains.

Makes about 20 appetizers but you may want to double recipe.

1 cup butter
1/4 cup onion, minced
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons spicy mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

24 small dinner rolls
mayonnaise
24 slices thin slices deli ham
24 slices thin slices Swiss cheese

Line two 9 x 13-inch baking pans with non-stick or regular foil.

Prepare marinade: Saute onion in butter over low heat until onion is soft. Add poppy seeds, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and brown sugar. Stir until brown sugar is melted into the sauce. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Set aside.

Slice the buns in half. Spread bottoms of buns with a thin layer

Patti LaBelle's Mac and Cheese Recipe

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 stick of butter plus 1 tablespoon of butter
2 cups shredded Muenster cheese
2 cups shredded mild Cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups half & half
1 cup colby cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
 salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350:. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2 quart casserole.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, add the oil then the elbow macaroni and cook until macaroni is just tender (about 7 minutes). Do not overcook. Drain well and return to the pot. 

In a small saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter. Stir into the macaroni.

In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar cheese and the Monterey Jack cheese.

To the macaroni, add the half & half, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheeses, the cubed Velveeta and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and dot with the remaining butter. 

Bake until it is bubbling around the edges, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.