Extra-Special Crispy Rice Treats

¼ C Butter or Margarine

40 large Marshmallows

6 C Crispy Rice cereal

1 package White Chocolate chips

Grease a 13 x 9 pan.  In a large bowl, combine cereal and white chocolate chips.  Melt butter and marshmallows in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Once smoothly melted, pour marshmallow mixture over cereal and quickly stir to combine.  While still warm, transfer to greased pan and with clean hands, pat down evenly to fill to the corners and edges.  Allow to cool before cutting into squares with a sharp knife.  Remember to share!

Oyster Dressing

This recipe comes from my Great-Grandmother, Mable Wallace, known to me as Mimmi.  With the oysters, it is a real Louisiana twist to our Thanksgiving menu.  (Adding a Louisiana twist to any menu is always a good idea!)   Ten years ago my Aunt LaRue submitted it to Rachel Ray’s magazine, Everyday With Rachel Ray, and it was chosen as one of ten winners in the “America’s Best Stuffing” contest.  I made it that year for the first time and it has been requested every year since by one or more of my children.  The two boxes of corn muffin mix make the same amount of cornbread as a single recipe of cornbread, so I skip buying the boxes and make cornbread the way I normally do.  The secret to this recipe isn’t in the boxes of corn muffin mix, it’s in the rest of the ingredients!

Persimmon Collection

It's Persimmon Time again!  I'm going to collect all the persimmon recipes which I have used and love right here so that I don't have to go through the frustrating search for them each year when it's Persimmon Time.

Persimmons in general
*and persimmon pulp, which you will need for the jam.

Lemon Persimmon Bars

Persimmon Cookies

Persimmon Caprese Salad

Persimmon Butter

Ginger Persimmon Jam
* Variations: Lemon, Nutmeg & Persimmon Jam- Substitute lemon zest for ginger, add 2 dashes of ground nutmeg to persimmon pulp. Habanero, Ginger & Persimmon Jam- Substitute 2 habanero peppers, seeds removed & finely diced, for 1/2 the ginger; substitute apple cider vinegar for the lemon juice. And finally, using orange zest instead of lemon, with orange juice and pulp, about 1/4 C, added to the lemon juice, makes another lovely variation!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Spice Cookies with White Chocolate Chips, Craisins, and Walnuts

I don't often do this, but, I saw a photo of someone else's cookies on Facebook and was seized by a craving so strong I couldn't shake it until I had made them myself.  No, that's a lie.  I always do that.  It's just not often that it happens with cookies.  When I couldn't find the exact recipe I resorted to Pinterest and made the recipe that most closely resembled the cookies I was not imagining almost non-stop.  I then made a few changes in order to bring them to exactly what I wanted, and here they are.  So yummy, and full of good things they are practically must be good for you!  (I sure hope they are, because I am now alone in the house with an entire recipe fresh out of the oven...)

Chocolate Pots

I first discovered this recipe way back when I watched Jamie Oliver's cooking show, his first, I think, called The Naked Chef.  This is literally all of your chocolate dreams come true. The beauty of this dessert is that it is so smooth, silky and rich. If you want to lighten the texture into more of a mousse then follow the recipe but fold in 2 stiffly whipped egg whites. Small servings are the key – I use espresso cups as this is the ideal size. Chocolate pots are brilliant for dinner parties as you can make them up the day before and then stick them in the fridge until needed.

Blackened Chicken Breasts

While I'm thinking about yummy, spicy chicken sandwiches, here's another favorite from the past which we haven't made in way too long! 

1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 sandwich rolls, split and lightly toasted

Spray oil or low-fat margarine

Spice mix:

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. white pepper

½ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. dried thyme leaves

½ tsp. dried oregano leaves

Place chicken breasts, one at a time, inside a plastic zip-top bag and beat with a meat mallet to about a 1/2 inch thickness.  Using a pastry brush, gently baste each piece of chicken with melted margarine, or spray with light coating of oil.  Coat each piece of chicken with 1 tablespoon of spice mix.  The mixture is hot and spicy (!), so adjust to taste of each person.  Grill chicken, basting after turning once.  Grill about 3 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the middle.  You may also cook in a non-stick skillet in hot oil over medium heat.  Serve on sandwich rolls spread with a little low-fat margarine or mayonnaise.

Hot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

This recipe came to mind this morning as I stared into the depths of the refrigerator, willing the ingredients therein to reveal a menu to my out-of-ideas brain.  We haven't made this in years, for which I owe my family an apology.  We all love these sandwiches, and they aren't complicated to make!  

Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

When my family, one by one, with the notable exception of the cook, chose to eat a vegetarian diet, my friend Stephanie Schaeffer gave me this recipe.  It became a staple in our menu, and has remained so even now that we are all omnivores again.  This is simple and quick to make, and most of the ingredients are already in the pantry and fridge.

Fiber Rich Muffins

Yes, these take white flour, but the multi-grain cereal makes up for that.  These are so tasty that you will need to remind people that they are rather high in fiber, before someone inadvertently eats four at once.... Yes, that happened.

Tomato Chutney

 

1 1/2 tsp Olive Oil

1/4 C chopped Shallots

1 tsp minced seeded Serrano Chile

1/4 tsp minced peeled fresh Ginger

1 Garlic clove, minced

1 C coarsely chopped seeded Tomato (Or canned diced tomatoes)

2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tbsp Sugar

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/2 tsp Salt

To prepare chutney, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and serrano; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add ginger and garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add tomato, vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer 5 minutes or until mixture is thick. Set aside, and keep warm.