10 really good cook Recipes

chopped onion, cooked elbow macaroni, shredded low-fat cheddar cheese, minced fresh parsley, fat-free evaporated milk, fat cottage cheese, dijon mustard, salt, pepper (fresh ground makes it really good)

chicken breasts (2 boneless skinless ), wondra flour (not necessary), sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil (approx. 1/3 cup) chopped, italian pepper and onion seasoning (just discovered, really good), dried thyme (about 1/2 tsp. or less ), dried oregano ( ditto ), dry white wine or white cooking wine (approx. 1/2 cup), milk or chicken broth - just pour in slowly until the consistency you like (i used cuz of hubby s recent gout bout, but next time will use the broth, it s good either way), cream cheese (i use philly light), penne pasta - approx 5-6 oz. (or your choice )

head iceberg lettuce, shredded, roma tomatoes, chopped and seeded, yellow pepper, chopped and seeded, chopped green onion, hard boiled eggs, chopped, sliced mushrooms, frozen peas thawed and drained ., bacon, cooked and crumbled, shredded cheddar cheese, dressing : simple ,basic-good stuff, mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar (more if like it really sweet!), two of white vinegar, p.s you can use miracle whip too, just omit the sour cream and up the amount you use (i don tsp even think of miracle whip as a food, but many loyal layer salad lovers swear by it, so had to add!)

dried apricots, coarsely chopped, dried apples, coarsely chopped, dried cranberries, unsweetened preferred, granulated sugar, water, flour, quick-cooking oats, light-brown sugar, lightly packed, salt, ground cinnamon, cold unsalted butter , cut into 1/2 inch pieces, honey (1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp), sweetened flaked coconut, toasted pecans or 1 cup almonds (or a combination of both), sunflower seeds , roasted and salted

unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped, bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, unsalted butter, in small pieces, eggs, at room temperature, granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, good-quality unsweetened dutch-process cocoa, salt, unsalted butter, at room temperature , or vegetable oil cooking spray, for greasing pan

heavy cream, sugar, gelatin (4 1/2 tsps.), cold water, sour cream, red raspberries, preferrably frozen and thawed or fresh raspberries with lots of sugar in them

bacon, chopped, onion, diced, flour, minced clams , with juices, canned corn niblets , with juices, potatoes, diced, butter, heavy cream (or whipping cream for extra richness), whole milk, salt and pepper

risotto with sausage and cranberry beans, make risotto , you absolutely must use a specific type of rice called arborio rice (carnaroli and vialone nano are also used, some say superior, but are more difficult to find). these types of rice release starch when stirred in a liquid; it is this process which makes risotto, otherwise you just have a starchy mess of mush. these types of rice are identified by their fat round grains and pearly appearance. they can be used to make other sorts of rice dishes, such as pilaf, but other types of rice cannot be used for risotto. arborio is no longer that much of a specialty product; it can be found in most large, well-stocked grocery stores in the italian section. or sometimes, misguidedly, in the asian section., okay , so now we have the rice. you will also need some good, low-salt stock or broth - it should be low-salt not for health reasons, but because a good deal of it will evaporate, leaving its salt behind, and i like to have more control over the salt in a dish. it can be homemade, but i m not going to be a snob about it because, in truth, we go through gallons of store-bought stock in this household and i don tsp see that changing anytime soon. furthermore, risotto is actually a dish which can be whipped up out of thin air when it seems as though you have nothing to eat, as long as you have butter, rice, stock, maybe a few herbs, and some leftover parmesan. i like the kind of stock purchased in tetrapak cartons, because they are resealable and can be put in the fridge and used as needed. if you really want to use homemade but you don tsp have time to make stock or don tsp like the aroma of roasting bones in your house (i don tsp blame you), you can buy really great stock at north market poultry and game - it is expensive, but can be diluted with a 2- or 3-to-1 ratio of water to stock, so it stretches. my general guideline is to plan on 1/4 cup dry rice per person, and about 4 cups of stock to 1 cup of rice. of course, this isn tsp exact and will vary depending on your elevation and the phases of the moon, but it s a good place to start. i usually just use 4 cups of stock and then dilute with water or wine (or sometimes beer, if that s all i have) if i feel i m going to run out., well, we have rice and stock covered, now we just need our setup: place the stock in a saucepan on your rear burner, bring to a simmer, and leave it there with a 6-8 oz ladle in, and place a large, wide saute pan (must be really large, plan that your rice will at least quadruple in size) or dutch oven on the burner in front. get out your favorite wooden spoon and flex your stirring arm., nice thing about using sausage is it s so full of flavor you can leave out the usual onion/garlic/shallot/celery nonsense if you re tired and don tsp feel like chopping. furthermore, sausage goes from the freezer to the pan without suffering too much. okay, let s go, risotto with sausage and cranberry beans - serves 4, links italian sausage , or 1 lb bulk (or hot, or a combination - definitely with some fennel), casings removed, cooked cranberry beans or 1 can white beans, drained, arborio rice, beef , chicken or vegetable stock, butter, freshly, finely grated parmesan cheese , plus more for garnish, an oz) flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely, lemon juice , or juice from 1/2 lemon, salt and black pepper to taste, red pepper flakes to taste, optional, good balsamic vinegar , optional