Sarah Meyer’s Carrot Cake

Ingredients

 1½ cups salad oil 

 2 cups sugar 

 4 eggs 

 3 cups flour (less one tablespoon) 

 2 teaspoons baking powder 

 2 teaspoons baking soda 

 2 teaspoons cinnamon

 pinch of salt…but only if you want to 

 2 cups grated carrots 

 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional) 

 1 cup coconut (optional) 

 Sift together dry ingredients…I just put it all in a bowl and use a whisk to mix it up. 

 Mix oil and sugar with electric mixer. 

 Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. 

 Slowly add whisked/sifted ingredients. 

 Add grated carrots, walnuts and coconut. 

 Pour into a greased tube or bundt pan-or cup cakes…if the pan is teflon spray with Pam…if pan is not teflon coated grease and flour. 

 Bake at 375 for 1 hour Cream Cheese Frosting 

Frosting

 1 8 oz package of softened cream cheese (I use Organic Valley Cream Cheese) 

 1½ cups powdered sugar 

 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

 Mix softened cream cheese with electric mixer til creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla slowly, blend til creamy.  

 Frost cake while cake is still slightly warm. Mmmgood! 

Filo Tomato Tart

 

This Tomato Tart is so good-especially on holidays, at parties & Pot Lucks

....I did make some changes below...they are highlighted

AUTHOR   

Sandy McKee, Omaha, NE,

This tomato tart is stunning and simple—a winner as a party hors d'oeuvre or a picnic entrée. Be sure to slice the tomatoes thinly so juice evaporates while baking. Otherwise, the dough will be soggy.

Ingredients

 7 sheets filo dough, thawed

 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

 7 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, divided - I use a mix of Parmesan and Pecorino

 1 cup very thinly sliced onion

 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese-  Fresh Mozzarella is best

 8 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/8-in.-thick slices

 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves - I substitute fresh Basil 

 Salt

 Freshly ground black pepper- I prefer coarse ground black Pepper

Nutrition Facts

Servings Makes about 20 3-in. squares

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Amount Per Serving

Calories 76Calories from Fat 60

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 5.1g8%

Saturated Fat 2.9g15%

Cholesterol 14mg5%

Sodium 88mg4%

Total Carbohydrate 5.2g2%

Dietary Fiber 0.5g2%

Protein 2.5g5%

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* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

How to Make It

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray paper with cooking-oil spray (or brush lightly with vegetable oil). Lay 1 sheet filo on paper and brush lightly with a little melted butter. Sprinkle all over with 1 tbsp. parmesan. Repeat layering 5 more times (with filo, butter, and parmesan), pressing each sheet firmly so it sticks to sheet below. Lay the last filo sheet on top, brush with remaining melted butter, and sprinkle on remaining 1 tbsp. parmesan.

Scatter onion across filo, top with mozzarella, and arrange tomato slices in a single layer, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with thyme and salt and pepper to taste.

Bake until filo is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, then serve.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per square.

ITALIAN SUNDAY GRAVY

This recipe is from https://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/3499-italian-sunday-gravy

I had the Cook Book...so I made a few changes and this is my version...which is insanely delicious

Italian Sunday Gravy

Italian gravy is a hearty, slow-simmered tomato sauce cooked
with everything from meatballs to pork chops. We used our
slow cooker to streamline the cooking process, and we
discovered which meats yielded the best taste, texture and
convenience.

Test Kitchen Discoveries - THESE ARE NOTES FROM TEST KITCHEN AND THEY ALL WORK IN THIS RECIPE.

Tasters preferred flank steak over brisket and chuck roast
(both of which made the sauce too greasy).
Baby back ribs didn’t deliver enough flavor, but country-style
spareribs provided flavorful meat that fell right off the bone
after eight hours in the slow cooker.
Canned diced tomatoes made the sauce too watery, but a
combination of drained diced tomatoes, canned tomato sauce,
and tomato paste had the best balance of flavor and texture.
Cooking onions, garlic, wine, and oregano in the sausage
drippings built a rich flavor base that carried through to the
end of cooking. We added fresh basil to brighten the finished
sauce.


STEP BY STEP
The Meat Matters
Ask a hundred Italian grandmothers
what meat they use for Sunday gravy
and you'll get a hundred different
answers—everything from meatballs
to pork chops. For our easy slowcooker
version, we prefer the taste,
texture, and convenience of the
following combination.

ITALIAN SAUSAGES: Browning the
sausage in advance helps build deep
flavor.
FLANK STEAK: This lean cut adds
beefy flavor without too much
grease.
COUNTRY-STYLE SPARERIBS: These
meaty ribs become fall-apart tender
in a slow cooker.

Feel free to add notes...




Italian Sunday Gravy
Serves 8 to 10


Most sausage has enough seasoning to make extra salt unnecessary.
The hearty sauce makes a meal when paired with 2 pounds of rigatoni,
ziti, or penne.


1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 pound hot Italian sausage
2 onions , chopped medium
12 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste...I like Tomato paste in the tube
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 pounds bone-in country-style spareribs ,
trimmed of excess fat
1 1/2 pounds flank steak
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Pepper





1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking.
Add sweet sausage and cook until well browned and fat begins to
render, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to
paper towel-lined plate to drain, then place in slow-cooker insert.
Repeat with hot sausage.

2. Cook onions in sausage fat over medium heat until well browned,
about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant,
about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook until paste begins to
brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine and simmer, scraping browned
bits from pan bottom with wooden spoon, until wine is reduced, about
3 minutes. Transfer to slow-cooker insert and stir in diced tomatoes
and tomato sauce.

3. Submerge spareribs and flank steak in sauce in slow-cooker insert.
Set slow cooker on low, cover, and cook until meat is tender, 8 to 10
hours. (Alternatively, cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.)

4. About 30 minutes before serving, transfer sausages, ribs, and flank
steak to baking sheet and set aside until cool enough to handle. Shred
ribs and flank steak into small pieces, discarding excess fat and bones;
slice sausages in half crosswise. Use wide spoon to skim fat off
surface, then stir sausages and shredded meat back into sauce. Stir in
basil and season with pepper. Serve. (Leftover gravy can be stored in
airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

Make Ahead: The recipe can be prepared through step 2 up to 2 days
in advance. After reducing the wine in step 2, add the diced
tomatoes, tomato sauce, and browned sausages to the Dutch oven and
simmer over medium-low heat until the sausages are cooked through,
about 12 minutes. Refrigerate the sausage and sauce mixture in an
airtight container until ready to use. When ready to cook the gravy,

Deep South recipes-Potato soup

https://www.deepsouthdish.com/2013/01/grandmas-homemade-potato-soup.html?fbclid=IwAR3vADDDoslQw5BOdRtfNq5SSO1D9Ul6NX7WgY_CGwJa7iPAdT78azMpJ9U

Vegetable TIAN

 Vegetable TIAN (I do not remember where I got this recipe...but it is delicious...

Vegetable Tian (thinly sliced veggies topped with cheese and then roasted)...

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium Sweet or yellow onion -I like sweet
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium potato-pre boil potato slices
1 medium tomato
1 tsp. dried thyme
to taste salt & pepper
1 cup shredded Italian cheese

Directions:

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 180 (400 degrees f) Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté both in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).

STEP 2: While the onion and garlic are sautéing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.

STEP 3: Spray the inside of an 8x8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.

STEP 4: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown

This looks delicious from a great recipe site called Cafe Delights-check it out

https://cafedelites.com/caprese-stuffed-balsamic-chicken/?fbclid=IwAR0CcIvuLFK7Ga5JD3DTZqiVmr2VAzQl7-IIaFOLpDSlQb60sKa9rWxPubQ

caprese stuffed balsamic chicken

My Favorite Chicken Pot Pie Recipe from Carla Hall (with some changes)

SKILLET CHICKEN POT PIE - (from Carla Hall with some adjustments)

ingredients

CARLA HALL'S CHICKEN POT PIE

• Filling:
• 2 medium yellow onions (1/2-inch dice) I used sweet onion-not as bitter as yellow-
• 2 carrots (cut in half lengthwise then into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons)
• 3 celery ribs (cut in half lengthwise then into 1/2-inch-thick slices on a bias)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme-did not use -overpowers other seasonings
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary-did nor use overpowers other seasonings
• 2 fresh sage leaves
• 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds, roasted, substitute with store-bought rotisserie chicken)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 Cup all-purpose flour
• 1 fresh or dried bay leaf
• 6 Cups chicken stock-I used bouillon -makes broth richer-this is the best.

• 3/4 Cup heavy cream
• 1 Cup frozen peas (defrosted) (edamame works in place of peas)
• extra-virgin olive oil
• Cheddar Chive Drop Biscuits: Cheddar Chive Drop Biscuits: salt and pepper to taste Cheddar Chive Drop Biscuits: (Chives are optional-I did not like the chives)
• 2 Cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dredging)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 Cup shredded, sharp, yellow cheddar cheese (plus more if desired)
• 6 Tbsp cold butter (cut into pats, plus more for finishing)
• 1/2 Cup plain yogurt
• 1 1/3 Cups milk
• 1/3 Cup chives (finely chopped)
• 1/2 Cup flour (for dredging)

directions

• Preheat oven to 400ºF.
• Chicken Filling: In a high-sided, large cast iron skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery with the thyme, rosemary and sage for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pull the meat from the roasted chickens and chop up into bite size pieces.
• When the vegetables are fork tender, remove herb stems and discard. Melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Gradually pour in chicken stock while whisking constantly. Add the bay leaf and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Stir in peas and chicken. Simmer for 10 more minutes, or until thick and creamy. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Cheddar Chive Drop Biscuits:
• In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt, and whisk to combine. Add the butter to the dry ingredients. Combine and work the butter into the dry ingredients with fingertips. Add the cheese and chives to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
• In medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt and milk.
• Make a well in the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet mixture. Using your hands or wooden spoon, mix until just combined adding more flour if necessary.
• Drop large heaping spoonfuls of dough, about 1/4 cup, into flour to dredge. Shake off the excess flour. Arrange the biscuits on top of the chicken pot pie base. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
• Once the biscuits are golden brown remove skillet from the oven. Place a pat of butter over each biscuit and allow to melt.