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.

MIL's Red Beans & Rice

My husband got this recipe from his mother and brought it along when we got married. It's on a stained index card that we just keep hanging on to. It takes several hours to make, but there's enough for a party...or to freeze for another day when you only have time to make rice and cornbread!

1 pound dried red beans, rinsed
1 large ham hock
2 quarts water
3 cups green onion, chopped
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 T salt
1 t red pepper
1 t black pepper
1/4 t dried oregano
1/4 t dried thyme
1 T Worcestershire
3 dashes tabasco (optional)
4 oz. tomato sauce
1 pound any smoked sausage, cut into 3/4" pieces

hot cooked rice

1. Place rinsed ham hock in soup pot with the beans and the water. Salt the water if desired and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook about an hour.
2. Remove ham hock to cutting board. Set aside.
3. Add vegetables, seasonings and tomato sauce to pot. Cook slowly for another hour.
4. Add sausage and cook another 45 minutes. Remove bits of ham from the ham bone and return to pan; cook another 10 minutes and serve over hot rice with tabasco to taste.

Too-Easy Lasagna

I'd always made lasagna "the long way" until I found this recipe in Food & Family magazine, Winter 2008. While not quite as authentically Italian, perhaps, as my old recipe, this one is so much faster...takes so many fewer pans...and is eaten just as enthusiastically by the whole family!

1 pound ground beef
1 egg, beaten
2 1/2 C shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided
1 15-oz container part-skim ricotta
1/2 C grated or shredded parmesan, divided
1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped
1 26-oz jar spaghetti sauce (I like Newman's Own marinara)
1 1/4 C water
12 lasagna noodles, uncooked (regular noodles, not the "no-boil" kind...whole grain works fine!)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray lasagna pan with non-stick spray.
2. Brown meat over medium-high heat; drain.Add spaghetti sauce to meat; put water in jar, cover and shake well. Add water to pan. Stir well.
3. Mix egg, 1 1/4 C mozzarella, ricotta, 1/4 C parmesan and parsley until well blended.
4. Spread 1 C of sauce in bottom of pan. Top with 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture and 1 C of sauce. Repeat two more times. Top with remaining 3 noodles and the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and then parmesan cheeses. Cover pan with greased foil.
5. Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil; bake another 15 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Makes 12 servings.

Oven French Toast With Orange Apple Syrup

French Toast
2 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 French bread slices, cut in 1-inch slices
1/4 cup melted butter, plus additional butter for greasing pan

Orange Apple Syrup
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 medium peeled apple, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 orange, peeled and cut into sections

1. Grease a 9x13 pan with butter.
   
2. Whisk together all French toast ingredients except bread and butter. Dip both sides of bread in mixture and place in greased pan. Pour any remaining mixture over bread.
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
   
4. Drizzle melted butter over bread. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. While French toast is baking, prepare syrup. Combine 3/4 cup orange juice with brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbly.
6. Add apples, cinnamon, and ginger and cook until apples are tender.
7. Add orange sections just before serving.

This French toast recipe is very easy and delicious, with or without the special syrup. The syrup adds a little prep time in the morning, but it's a nice touch if you have time for it. I didn't have oranges on hand, and I thought the syrup was great without them. --Sarah

Meatballs in Pineapple Glaze

8-ounce can crushed pineapple
1 egg
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
1/2 pound ground beef

Glaze:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons Dijon-mayonnaise blend*

*If you can't find Dijon-mayonnaise blend, mix 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise with 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard.

1. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Place pineapple and 2 Tablespoons of juice in a large bowl. Set aside the remaining juice for the glaze.
2. Add the egg, bread crumbs, and pepper to the pineapple and stir to combine.
3. Stir in the sausage and beef; mix thoroughly. Shape into 1-inch meatballs.
   
4. Place meatballs on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes until no longer pink. Drain.
5. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine the glaze ingredients and reserved pineapple juice. Add meatballs and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 5-10 minutes or until heated through.

Makes about 3 dozen meat balls. If you're taking this to a party, consider doubling the recipe.

Slow Cooker Yogurt

Can you believe it? You can make yogurt in the slow cooker! If, like my husband, you're wondering why you'd want to, I can give you two good reasons. 1) It's really cheap. 2) You know exactly what's in it, and what's not (sugar, artificial coloring, and preservatives).

1 quart milk*
1/4 to 1/2 cup dry instant nonfat milk (optional, for thickening)
1/4 cup natural plain yogurt, preferably fresh (from store or homemade)

*If you use low-fat milk, you'll need to add the dry milk unless you like it runny. I added 1/2 cup, and it was nice and solid.

1. Put the milk and dry milk into a slow cooker and stir well. If the milk doesn't come at least halfway up the crock, you should put a smaller, oven-safe bowl (such as a Pyrex glass dish) inside the crock; this will add some time to the cooking.
   
2. Cook on high for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the milk is starting to bubble, but not quite boiling. (If you have a candy thermometer, you can test it; the milk should be 180 degrees to kill all undesirable bacteria.)
3. Remove the crock from the slow cooker and leave it on the counter, with the lid on, for about an hour. The milk should be cooled to about 110 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer, test with your finger; it should be a little warmer than a baby's bath water. (If you add the starter with the milk hotter than 110, it can kill the bacteria in the starter.)
   
4. Turn the oven on its lowest setting.
   
5. If the milk has formed a skin on top, run it through a sieve if desired.
   
6. Ladle a small amount of warm milk into a cup and mix the yogurt into it until well combined. Then pour the yogurt mixture into the milk and whisk well.
7. Turn off the oven, but leave the oven light on.
   
8. Put the lid on the slow cooker crock and put it in the oven to culture. Close the door and do not disturb for 5 to 12 hours. The longer you leave it, the tangier the taste.
9. Remove from the oven and refrigerate for several hours. Reserve 1/4 cup of yogurt for your next batch.
   

Serve with one or more of the following:

• Fruit of your choice (bananas and blueberries are nice)
• Strawberry jam (about a tablespoon per cup)
• Cereal or granola
• Vanilla and maple syrup to taste

When you add fruit, the yogurt may get runnier, so it's best to add it just before serving.

If you prefer Greek style yogurt (thicker), line a colander with a coffee filter or cheesecloth and allow it to drain overnight. You can use the drained whey to add protein to smoothies, or you can feed it to your dog.