Pecan Biscuits

I found this recipe after visiting The Reata in Fort Worth and loving their version...

2 cups unbleached flour (reserve some for kneading)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 scant teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, cold and cut into pieces
1/2 cup broken pecan pieces
3/4 cup milk (enough to make a sticky dough, but not too moist)


1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients together.
3. Cut in butter with pastry cutter.
4. Gradually add milk and stir in.
5. Knead on floured board for 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Knead in pecans.
7. Pat out to 3/4 inch roundness.
8. Cut with biscuit cutter.
9. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Healthy Stuffed Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 medium baking potatoes
3/4 C lowfat (1%) cottage cheese
1/4 C lowfat (1%) milk
2 Tbsp soft margarine
1 tsp dill weed
3/4 tsp herb seasoning
4-6 drops hot pepper sauce
2 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated


Directions:

1. Prick potatoes with fork. Bake at 425 °F for 60 minutes or until fork is easily inserted.

2. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out potato, leaving about 1/2 inch of pulp inside shell. Mash pulp in large bowl.

3. By hand, mix in remaining ingredients, except Parmesan cheese. Spoon mixture into potato shells.
4. Sprinkle each top with 1/4 teaspoon Parmesan cheese.

5. Place on baking sheet and return to oven. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Baked Ziti with Tomato, Mozzarella and Sausage

Olive oil
1 large onion, cut in small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 lb. sweet Italian pork sausage, removed from its casing and crumbled (works just as good with turkey sausage too)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry red wine
35-oz. can whole plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh marjoram or oregano (from about 6 large sprigs)
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese1 cup freshly grated mild pecorino cheese
Pinch nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 lb. dried ziti
1/2 lb. mozzarella, preferably fresh, cut in small cubes

Heat the oven to 425°F. Lightly oil a large, shallow baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
In a large skillet, heat about 2 Tbs. olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and crumbled sausage and sauté until the sausage starts to brown. Season with salt and pepper. If the sausage gives off a lot of fat, pour off most of it, but leave a little to add flavor to the sauce. Add the red wine and let it boil until it's almost gone. Add the tomatoes with all of their juices and cook, uncovered, at a lively simmer for about 10 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly. Add the marjoram or oregano and taste for seasoning.
In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, about half of the grated pecorino, the nutmeg, and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, cook the ziti until al dente. Drain well and toss it with the ricotta mixture until well coated. Add the sausage and sauce and mix again. Add the mozzarella and toss gently. Pour everything into the baking dish and sprinkle the remaining pecorino on top. Bake uncovered until lightly browned and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Serve right away

Raspberry "sparklers"

Raspberries
POM (pomegranate) juice
Sparkling White Wine (or Sparkling Cider for a non-alcoholic version)

Add 2 raspberries to a champagne flute. Add 2 Tbsp (more or less to taste) POM juice. Fill remaining glass with wine or cider.

I've found that a container of raspberries, 1 small bottle of POM juice, and a bottle of wine will make at least 8 glasses.

Kristi's Speedy Corn Egg-Drop Soup

1 can cream of corn soup
1 can water
3 eggs
salt (to taste)
white pepper (to taste)

1. Heat cream of corn soup and water over high heat until boiling
2. Mix eggs until slightly blended (I use a fork and the original soup can to save dishes)
3. When soup/water mixture begins to boil, slowly pour egg mixture into the soup/water mixture
4. Return to a boil, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for a few minutes
5. Salt and pepper to taste

* more or less eggs may be added depending on desired consistency

* black pepper may be substituted for white