Pirate Stew

Haven't tried this yet, but it sounds good, and I

LOVE using the crock pot!
Makes 4-6 servings
Ideal slow cooker size: 4-quart

Ingredients:
¾ cup sliced onion
1 lb. ground beef
¼ cup uncooked, long grain rice
3 cups diced raw potatoes
1 cup diced celery
2 cups canned kidney beans, drained
½ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup tomato sauce
½ cup water

1. Brown onions and ground beef in skillet. Drain. 
2. Layer ingredients in slow cooker in order given.
3. Cover. Cook on Low 6 hours, or until potatoes and rice are cooked. 

Exchange List Values:
Starch 2.0, Vegetable 1.0, Meat, lean 2.0, Fat 0.5

Basic Nutritional Values:
Calories 310 (Calories from Fat 73), Total Fat 8 gm (Saturated Fat 3.0 gm, Polyunsat Fat 0.5 gm, Monounsat Fat 3.4 gm, Cholesterol 45 mg), Sodium 611 mg, Total Carbohydrate 38 gm, Dietary Fiber 7 gm, Sugars 6 gm, Protein 22 gm

Variation: Add a layer of 2 cups sliced carrots between potatoes and celery.

Fudgie-Scotch Squares

My ABSOLUTE favorite Christmas dessert!!

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup butterscotch morsels
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Mix ingredients, press into a well-greased baking dish (9x9), and bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Extravagance Tarts

Tart Dough
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour                    
1/2 cup grated semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Souffle Filling
8 oz. semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup espresso or strong coffee, warm
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
pinch salt

Finishing Touches
2 oz. white chocolate or dark chocolate, melted, for drizzling
Confectioners sugar

In a food processor, place flour, grated chocolate, confectioners sugar, and salt and blend briefly.  Add butter and pulse to break butter into mixture and make a grainy mixture.  Add vanilla and pulse briefly;  then process to make a dough that just sticks together.  (Add a touch of light cream or water to help it along, if needed.)
Preheat oven to 350.
Remove pastry from processor and gently knead on a lightly floured work surface a couple of minutes to smooth out dough.  Wrap and chill dough 10 minutes.  Then divide dough into 8 equal portions and press out onto bottom and sides  of ungreased 4-inch tart pans.  Using a fork, prick bottoms.  Place tart shells on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake tart shells until lightly colored, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Cool well.
For chocolate souffle filling, melt chocolate and set aside to cool.  Stir in warm espresso or coffee and vanilla.
Meanwhile, with a whisk attachment on an electric mixer, beat eggs with sugar and salt until light and thick, about 5 to 8 minutes.  Add some of egg mixture to melted chocolate and mix well.  Then fold in remaining egg mixture to chocolate, blending gently but thoroughly.  Spoon chocolate filling equally into baked tart shells.
Place filled tart shells on baking sheet.  Bake until filling puffs and seems set, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Cool well.  Remove sides from pans to release tarts.  Drizzle with melted chocolate or dust with confectioners sugar.

Glazed Ham, Pineapple Casserole, and Creamy Asparagus

I had to add this one, although I've only tried the ham (at Publix - the Apron's Simple Meals) - but it was delicious, and the lady said the pineapple casserole was incredibly good!!!!  I know it seems a little unlikely, but so did the cheese/onion/strawberry preserves dip!  And this sounds perfect for Easter!

Pineapple Casserole
cooking spray
24 buttery-flavor crackers (Ritz), crushed
7 oz. white cheddar cheese, shredded
6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 20-oz cans pineapple chunks in juice, drained
(reserve juice for ham)
Preheat oven to 375F.  Coat 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Crush crackers (should make about 1-1/2 cups).  Shred cheese
(should be about 2 cups).  Combine flour, sugar, and cheese;  stir in pineapple until evenly coated.  Place mixture evenly in dish;  top with cracker crumbs.  Bake (at 375) 25-30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Glazed Ham
1 half ham, fully cooked (6-8 pounds)
1/2 cup pineapple preserves
3 Tbsp pineapple juice (reserved from casserole)
Ham should be fully cooked and ready to serve.  Place ham on serving platter and let come to room temperature (whether it is still warm from being cooked, or cold from the fridge).   Combine preserves and juice;  microwave on high 1-2 minutes or until hot.  Slice ham and serve with sauce.  If you choose to heat the ham, follow package instructions.  To glaze ham, use up to 1/2 cup of pineapple preserves to coat ham before heating.

Creamy Asparagus
2 lbs fresh asparagus spears                                      1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 Tbsp canola oil                                                       1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup European salad dressing                                   1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
Trim asparagus; remove tough root end.  Preheat large saute pan on med-high 2-3 minutes.  Place oil in pan, then add asparagus;  cook 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned.  Reduce heat to low;  add dressing, salt, and pepper.  Cook and stir 1-2 minutes more or until asparagus is tender.  Top with cheese and serve.

Pineapple Salsa Salmon and Rice

1/2 lb fresh pineapple chunks

4 salmon fillets, skin removed

1 cup refrigerated salsa (in produce)

1 Tbsp honey mustard

2 tsp cornstarch

2 tsp prepared horseradish

2 cups rice

cooking spray

1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

Chop pineapple into small pieces.  Check fish for bones.  Combine pineapple, salsa, honey mustard, cornstarch, and horseradish;  set aside.  Cook rice according to package directions.  Preheat large saute pan on med-high 2-3 minutes.  Coat both sides of fish with cooking spray;  sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning.  Place fish in pan;  cook 3 minutes.  Turn fish and add salsa mixture.  Cover and reduce heat to medium;  cook 5-7 minutes or until 145 degrees (or flesh separates easily).  Serve fish and sauce over rice.

I tasted this at Publix one day, and it was SO good I bought the ingredients and made it for dinner that night.  It was delicious!!!!  And easy!  (Except for removing the skin from the salmon - not so much).

German Cornbread

2 Eggs
8 Oz. Sour Cream
1 Small Can Cream Corn
1 Large Onion Chopped
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 Cups Self Rising Corn Meal Mix

Combine ingredients. Pour into greased pan and bake at 450 Degrees for 25 Minutes until golden brown.

That Good Old Coalson Cooking!: Chess Bars!

That Good Old Coalson Cooking!: Chess Bars!: "Bottom Layer box yellow cake mix 1 stick butter, softened 1 egg Top Layer 8-oz block cream cheese, softened 16-oz box powdered sugar..."
YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That Good Old Coalson Cooking!: Crawfish-Scallop Cakes

That Good Old Coalson Cooking!: Crawfish-Scallop Cakes: "I have not tried this recipe, but I have had it at one of my favorite restaurants. They stopped making this as an appetizer because it was..."
Um Joni, its in Greek or something. LOL!

Red Velvet Cake

1 1/2 Cups Wesson Oil
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Cup Buttermilk
2 1/2 Cups Plain Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Bottle Red Food Coloring

Mix oil, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, food coloring.  Mix flour and soda together.  Gradually add flour/soda mixture to oil/sugar/buttermilk mixture.  Mix thoroughly.  Pour into (3) 8" cake pans and bake in 350 F. oven until done (approx. 20 to 25 min.)

Frosting
16 oz. box Confectioners Sugar
8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 Stick Butter
1 Cup Chopped Pecans

Mix butter, cream cheese, sugar thoroughly.  Stir in pecans.  Frost cake.