Lemon almond biscotti

Without chocolate 125 calories and 2.5 gr. fat per cookie. Yea! Makes 20

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons grated lemon zest (from about 3 to 4 lemons)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped whole almonds
18 ounces white chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.

In another large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs with an electric mixture until pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Mix in the lemon zest and then the flour, and beat until just blended. (The dough will be sticky). Stir in the almonds. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

Divide the dough evenly into 2 equal mounds and place on the prepared baking sheet. With moist hands, space the dough evenly apart and form into 2 (9 by-3-inch) logs. Bake for 35 minutes until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick diagonal slices. Arrange the biscotti cut side down on the same baking sheet. Bake until the cookies are pale golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely.

Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the pan does not touch the water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Dip the end of each biscotti in the chocolate. Transfer the dipped biscotti to a wire rack, set over a baking sheet, until the chocolate has hardened. Store in an airtight container.

Giada de laurentes

SERVINGS: 20 (PER BISCOTTI); Calories: 268; Total Fat: 11 grams; Saturated Fat: 5.5 grams; Protein: 5 grams; Total carbohydrates: 39 grams; Sugar: 26 grams Fiber: 1 grams; Cholesterol: 40 milligrams; Sodium: 191 milligrams

Meatloaf Ina Style

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves(dried works)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup canned chicken stock or broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 1/2 pounds ground chuck (81 percent lean)
• 1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs (recommended: Progresso)
• 2 extra-large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup ketchup (recommended: Heinz)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not brown. Off the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meat loaf will be dense. Shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F and the meat loaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven, under the meat loaf, will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot.
Ina Garten

Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup with Bacon and Cilantro
recipe by Whitney Ingram
7 pieces bacon, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 dried California bay leaf
3 15 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and 1 1/2 cups beans set aside
5 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro


In a large pot over medium high heat, add bacon. Saute until bacon is cooked through. With a slotted spoon, remove bacon and set aside in a bowl. Reduce heat to medium and in remaining bacon fat, add red bell pepper, onion, garlic and salt. Saute until peppers and onions are softened, about 10 minutes. Add oregano, bay leaf, 2 1/2 cups black beans and chicken stock. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. In a blender, add reserved 1 1/2 cups black beans and 1 cup of the chicken stock from the pot. Blend until beans are smooth. Pour into soup and stir well. Simmer over medium for 10 minutes. Before serving, stir in cooked bacon and cilantro.  *I added grilled Chicken and tortilla chips


Yields 6 servings.

St. Louis BBQ Pork Steak

Not as easy as the tried and true Ross bbq pork chops, but with a little effort this dinner is elevated to something special. Only 20-30 min hands on time. Serve with rice and steamed veggies for a low effort low stress dinner. Grill indoors or out.

Boston butt pork roast or pork shoulder steaks (6 steaks)
1 1/2 cups ketchup
2 cups American lager (Budweiser)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup A-1
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder (not salt)

Cut roast into inch thick steaks. Mix all sauce ingrediens together and pour into a 9x13 pan or disposable foil pan if using outdoor grill. Grill steaks until well crusted. Add meat to BBQ sauce. Cover and braise for 1 1/2 hours until tender (in oven at 325 or on your grill with all burners turned to low, grill closed.) Skim fat from sauce. Grill steaks lightly to caramelized sauce. Serve with reserved and skimmed sauce.

Lofthouse sugar cookies

Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients
3 cups *cake flour (4 if rolling the dough out)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla (or one vanilla bean)

Directions
In a medium bowl combine cake flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. 

Using an electric mixer cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs one at a time stirring after each addition.  Stir in sour cream and vanilla until combined.  Gradually add in flour mixture combined.  

Chill dough for at least one hour in refrigerator. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  

Round cookies: Roll 3 tablespoons of dough into a ball.  Use flour on your hands if needed.  Place ball on baking sheet and flatten to about 1/2 inch thick, molding sides to keep round shape if necessary.  Continue with remaining dough, placing each 2 inches apart.  

If rolling: roll dough out onto a silicone baking mat to 1/4 inch thickness. These are best rolled out pretty thick. Flip rectangle of dough over to transfer to a baking sheet. Cut out cookies and remove scraps. Re-roll and cut more cookies.

Bake in preheated oven for 10. Cool for a 2-3 minutes on baking sheet, and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  

Cream cheese Frosting

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, soften
1/2 pkg cream cheese
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
food coloring (optional)

Directions
Using an electric mixer whip cream cheese and then butter together. Add vanilla. gradually add in confectioners sugar. blend on medium until fluffy.  Add in food color if desired. 

*substitute 1/4 cup corn starch plus 3/4 cups flour for cake every 2 cups of cake flour.

Pink Punch

Pink punch for a crowd 1 Can frozen Pink Lemonade concentrate 1 can pinapple juice concentrate 1 can cranraspberry concentrate 2 liters ginger ale Crushed ice Combine and stir Yummmmmm Makes about 30 small servings