ZEPPOLE (SFINGI)

1 POUND RICOTTA ( 15 OZ CONTAINER OK)
3 EGGS LIGHTLY BEATEN
¼ CUP SUGAR
1 CUP FLOUR
4 TABLESPOONS BAKING POWDER
DASH SALT
1 TABLESPOON VANILLA

OIL FOR FRYING
POWDERED SUGAR


COMBINE RICOTTA WITH EGGS AND SUGAR
SIFT FLOUR WITH BAKING POWDER AND SALT
GRADUALLY ADD CHEESE MIXTURE
LET IT STAND AND REST ½ HOUR
HEAT OIL ( ABOUT 2 INCHES DEEP)
DROP Tablespoon of mixture and fry til med brown turn over
DRAIN AND SPRINKLE WITH POWDED SUGAR (A LOT)
EAT RIGHT AWAY

Southern Style Oven-Fried Chicken

PREP TIME: 2-3 Hours
MAKES: 8-10 Pieces

COMMENT:
The secret to this southern fried chicken recipe is the fact that it has a crispy outside without the skin. If you follow this recipe exactly, it will be extremely difficult for anyone to tell that it is not a typical southern fried chicken.

INGREDEINTS:

8-10 chicken pieces, skin removed, pierced
½ cup kosher salt
½ cup brown sugar
4 cups hot water
4 cups ice cubes
3 cups all-purpose flour
2-3 tbsps black pepper
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp paprika
2 egg whites
1 cup buttermilk
3 tbsps vegetable oil

METHOD:
Dissolve salt and sugar for brine in hot water in a large container. Add ice and stir to cool mixture. Prepare chicken pieces by removing the skin and piercing the meat with a knife. Add to brine and refrigerate for 1½-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a 4-quart Pyrex baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Combine flour, pepper, salt and paprika in a large, heavy bag. Remove chicken pieces from the brine and lightly pat dry. Place a few pieces into the bag of seasoned flour and toss to coat. Shake off excess flour and place on a rack. Let sit 10 minutes. Beat egg whites to soft peaks. Add buttermilk and stir gently. Dip floured chicken pieces into the egg white-buttermilk mixture. Put the dipped pieces back into the seasoned flour bag. Shake gently and transfer to the rack. Repeat with remaining chicken. Heat oil in the prepared Pyrex dish by placing it in the oven for 5 minutes. Set the prepared chicken pieces, meaty-side down, into the hot Pyrex dish; roast for 30 minutes. Remove dish from the oven and carefully turn the pieces over. Return to the oven and roast 20 minutes more. Remove chicken from the oven and let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Garlic and Soy Grilled Pork Chops

Ingredients:

2 boneless center-cuts pork loin chops, trimmed of all visible fat
½ tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Fresh herbs, for garnish

Instructions:

Sprinkle the pork chops all over with soy sauce, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Coat a grill rack or broiler-pan rack with cooking spray. Preheat the grill or broiler.

Cook the pork chops 4” from the heat, turning once halfway through cooking time, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the center of a chop registers 155 degrees F and the juices run clear. Garnish with the herbs.

The longer you marinate the pork chops my family and I have found they taste better. My family and I have also found we enjoy the pork chops grilled outside on a charcoal grill.

Nutritional Information:
105.71 calories
2.91 total fat (0 g sat)
55.28 mg cholesterol
.54 g carbohydrates
18.22 g protein
0 g fibert
168.88 mg sodium

Grill up chunks of fresh vegetables alongside these lip-smaking pork chops for an irresistible outdoor feast. Bell pepper, sweet onion, and zucchini would work quite nicely.

Skillet Peach Cobbler with Blueberries

PREP TIME: 1 Hour
SERVES: 8

COMMENT:
Use an 8- or 10-inch cast iron skillet to bake this wonderful dessert.

INGREDIENTS:
1 (29-ounce) can sliced peaches
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 tsp corn starch
1/4 pound butter
1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a wire whisk, whip approximately 1/4 cup of the peach syrup with the corn starch until well-blended. Set aside. Place the butter in an 8- or 10-inch cast iron skillet to melt over medium heat. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar. Slowly pour in milk, whisking constantly. Add baking powder and continue to whip until well-blended. Batter will appear to be slightly lumpy. Once the butter is melted, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Pour the batter directly into the skillet over the melted butter. Blend the dissolved corn starch with the remaining syrup, peaches and nutmeg. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour fruit over the batter. Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 50-60 minutes or until cobbler is golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Root Beer Glazed Ham

PREP TIME:1 Hour
SERVES: 6

COMMENT:
This is a wonderful recipe to create your own special holiday ham. It is quite simple to accomplish, but I guarantee you will receive rave reviews with this dish. Try adding a few of your own secret spices.

INGREDIENTS:
6 bottles root beer (high quality)
1 red apple, sliced
1 green apple, sliced
1 cup red seedless grapes
1/2 orange, sliced
1/2 tsp cloves
cracked black pepper to taste
1 tsp file (ground sassafras)

METHOD FOR BOILING HAM:
Place ham in a heavy-bottomed black iron pot or dutch oven. Surround the ham with apples, grapes, orange and cloves. Add root beer and dust with cracked black pepper and file. Bring to a rolling boil and reduce to simmer. Boil approximately 1 hour and turn ham over and continue boiling until root beer is reduced to a thick syrup. Remove ham and set aside. Continue to reduce syrup until it is the consistency of molasses. CAUTION: Do not scorch. Remove syrup and place in a mixing bowl, allow to cool and reserve for later.

INGREDIENTS:
1 (5 - 10 pounds) smoked ham
1/2 cup root beer syrup (reserved)
1 cup Creole mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup cracked black pepper
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of allspice
pinch of ground clove

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the mixing bowl, combine all of the above ingredients except the ham. Using a wire whisk, blend all spices into the mustard mixture until well incorporated. Place ham in center of dutch oven and coat completely with the sweet mustard mixture. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. You may wish to decorate the ham for the table centerpiece. If so, use a sharp paring knife to cut slits on eighth inch deep diagonally across the ham. Continue in the same pattern from the opposite side until even triangles appear from the cuts. Stuff with cloves and, using toothpicks, secure pineapple slices or fresh strawberries to the top of the ham before baking.

Praline Bread Pudding Cake

PREP TIME: 2 hours
Serves: 14

INGREDIENTS:
1 ounce praline liquor
5 (10-inch) loaves French bread
1 quart milk
6 whole eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup vanilla
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp nutmeg
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup raisins

METHOD:
Slice French into bread into 1/2-inch round croutons. In a large mixing bowl, combine milk, eggs and sugar. Using a wire whisk, blend ingredients well. Add praline liquor, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Continue to blend until all ingredients are well mixed. Oil a 10-inch cheesecake pan. Press 1 layer of French bread croutons into the bottom of the pan, making sure there are no void spaces. Sprinkle a small amount of pecans and raisins over this layer. Ladle in 1/3 of the custard mixture. Carefully press the custard into the croutons using the tips of your fingers. Continue this process until all croutons and custard are used up. You may find that 1-2 cups of the custard mixture will remain once the pan has been filled. This is normal and you must continue to add the custard, a little at a time, firmly pressing into the croutons until all has been used. This may take an hour or so. The bread pudding is always allowed to set in the refrigerator overnight before cooking. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place the bread pudding pan into a larger pan filled with water. Cook in this water bath approximately 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm or cold. Slice into 14 wedges.

Chicken Noodle Soup Express

3 1/2 cups Chicken Broth
Generous dash of pepper
Salt for taste
1 Medium Carrot, sliced
1 Stalk Cerlery, sliced
1 small onion
1/2 teaspoon of parsely
1 16 ounce of bow tie macroni
1 cup of cubed cooked chicken

Mix broth, pepper, crrot, onion and celery in saucepan. Heat to a boil and boil for 10 minutes.

Stir in noodles and chicken. Cook over medium heat 10 minu or until noodles are done.

Serves 4.

I have used egg noodles in place of the bow tie noodles. My family also does not like big chunks of cerlery and onions so I dice them finely.

Creole Cream Cheese Cheesecake

PREP TIME: 1 ½ Hours
MAKES: 1 (10-inch) cake

INGREDIENTS FOR CRUST:
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cups sugar
4 tbsps melted butter


METHOD:
Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Drizzle melted butter into the mixture to moisten. Using your fingertips, press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of a 10-inch round spring form pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or until crust is firm to the touch.

INGREDIENTS FOR CHEESECAKE:
1 pkg. Creole cream cheese
(with liquid)
2 8 ounce pkgs. Philadelphia cream cheese
4 whole eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pinch nutmeg
2 tbsps vanilla

METHOD:
Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F. Soften Philadelphia cream cheese to room temperature and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine Creole cream cheese and softened Philadelphia cream cheese. Blend well to remove all lumps. This can be done in a blender or with a hand-held mixer. Add one egg at a time, whipping completely before the next one is added. Continue until all are incorporated. Add sugar, nutmeg and vanilla, blending well. Remove crust from the refrigerator and fill with batter. Rotate pan until batter mixture flattens out. Place in oven and bake approximately 1 hour or until firm to the touch. The cake may be topped with a sour cream topping made by combining one pound of sour cream, 4 tbsps of sugar and ½ tsp vanilla. Blend all ingredients together until creamy. Add to the top of the slightly cooled cheesecake and place in a pre-heated, 400 degrees F oven for 5 minutes.

Tasty Pork Chops in 2 easy Steps

4 Boneless Pork Chops
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup Milk
Salt and pepper

Brown the boneless pork chops with the salt and pepper for taste. Add the soup, and milk. Cover and simmer until done. Approximately 20 minutes.

Serves 4.

I take the gravy that is in the pan and put over the pork chops and mashed potatoes.

You can also substitute the Cream of Mushroom soup with Cream of Celery, Tomato with Roasted Garlic & Herbs or Cram of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic Soups.

VANISHING OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

1 CUP (2 STICKS) MARGARINE OR BUTTER, SOFTEN
1-1/2 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
1 CUP FIRMLY PACKED BROWN SUGAR
1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
½ CUP GRANULATED SUGAR
1 TEASPOON CINNAMON
2EGGS ½ TEASPOON SALT
1 TEASPOON VANILLA
3 CUPS QUAKER OATS
1 CUP OF RAISINS


Heat oven to 350 F

Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.
Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, mix well. Stir in oats and raisins, mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoons unto ungreased cookie sheet

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until a golden brown.
Cool 1 minute on a cookie sheet, makes about 4 dozen.

Note: I do mine a little differently. I add about a teaspoon of clabber girl baking powder. And since my oven cooks hot I set mine at 325f. Cookies sheets are on the middle rack and I cook mine for about 10 minutes. They don’t appear all the way done but that’s they key to making them soft. Once they cool they are cooked and have softness to them.

Chewy Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients:

1/3 cup shortening
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Cream shortening, brown sugar, sugar, peanut butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Bake for 30 minutes.