Stromboli from Jay G!

The long awaited Stromboli from Jay is finally here due to my lack of attention to the blog recently...just cooking a lot and not writing about it...whoops!!

Well here it, thank you jay!

Ingredients:
- 1 loaf frozen bread dough (find in the freezer section of a grocer)
- 14-20 oz. thin-sliced lunch meat
- 1 lb. mozzarella cheese
- 4T butter
- Seasonings

Thaw the bread dough in the refrigerator overnight, or in a plastic bag with some warm water. Separate dough into halves. On a well-floured cutting board, use a rolling pin to roll one half of the dough into a thin sheet, about 8" x 12". Layer half of the meat on top of this, then half the cheese. Roll up like a jelly roll to form a 12" roll. Pinch dough to seal the ends, and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat with the second half of the ingredients.

Melt 4T butter. Stir in a dash or two of paprika, about a teaspoon of oregano, and a teaspoon of garlic powder. Brush the top and sides of the stromboli loaves with this butter mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30m. Let cool 5m, then cut into slices about 2" thick. Serve plain, or dip in marinara sauce or italian dressing. Serves 4-6.

Tips:
- You can make tons of variations on the recipe by choosing different meats. Usually deli meats are sold in packages of 7-10 oz, and I get one package each of two different meats. Put half of each meat into each stromboli.
- I usually find it's best to use one simple lunch meat (turkey, roast beef, etc.) and one cured meat (salami, pepperoni, etc.). Roast beef + pepperoni is a great combination, and a good starter choice to fall in love with this recipe.
- When layering the meats and cheese, it's easier if you don't layer evenly across the whole sheet of dough. Leave about 3" of uncovered dough at one end, but overlap the edge of the sheet at the other end. Start rolling from the end with the overlap -- then you won't have meat and cheese falling out the edge when you get to the other end, and melted cheese won't leak out the seam when it bakes.

Kahlua Cake

Submitted by Nicole Nutting

For the cake:
1. 1 box of chocolate cake mix (any kind, I usually get the most chocolaty of the on-sale ones)
2. 1 box chocolate pudding (same instructions as the cake mix)
3. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
4. 4 eggs
5. 3/4 cup strong instant coffee (brewed and cooled) - I use espresso shots
6. 3/4 cup Kahlua
7. (optional) 1 bag chocolate semi-sweet chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all these ingredients together. Pour into a greased tube pan. Bake for 45 minutes.

"Soak"
1. 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
2. 2 tbsp. cooled coffee (I use espresso shots here as well)
3. 4 tbsp. Kahlua

Mix these three ingredients together. When the cake comes out of the oven, without removing from the pan, poke a series of holes in the top and pour this "soak" over the top of the cake, letting it soak into the cake. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Flip cake onto a cake stand and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Voila!

Super Moist Chocolate Cake from Rebecca

Super Moist Chocolate Cake
Submitted by Rebecca

Chocolate Cake:
1 box devils food cake mix
1 large box instant chocolate pudding
¾ cup water
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ cup granulated or Bakers sugar
8oz of sour cream (do not substitute with fat free products)
4 large eggs

Mix all ingredients on medium speed
Once blended place mixing bowl with cake batter in refrigerator for at least an hour

Preheat oven to 350 (high elevations 365)
Grease “bundt” cake pan
Add 1 cup of chocolate chips to cake batter and blend on medium speed
Pour the cake batter mixture into the bundt pan and bake for 45-50 minutes
Test with tooth pick

Remove from oven and cool

After cake is cool turn upside down on a plate.
Prepare icing and prepare to ice cake immediately after icing is finished.

Icing:
Heat 1/3 cup of half & half
Add 4 tablespoons of butter as soon as it appears to bubble until it just starts to boil
Add 1 cup of Baker’s sugar stir constantly until all granules have dissolved to not allow to boil but make certain all the sugar granules are dissolved, this may take a few minutes
Add 1 cup of chocolate chips – stir in until fully melted, don’t cook this mixture, just melt it
While the mixture is still warm drizzle it generously over the cake.

Rebecca's Buttermilk Pancakes

Rebecca’s Buttermilk Pancakes

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
3 tbsp. sugar
2 large eggs lightly beaten
3 cups buttermilk
4 tbsp. unsalted butter melted

Mix all pf the ingredients in a large bowl.
Preheat a pancake griddle to 450°
Grease or spray Pam on the griddle.
Place a ladle of pancake batter on the hot griddle.
Prepare to flip the pancakes to avoid burning
Makes 9 six inch pancakes


mmm--nothing seems to be better than buttermilk pancakes, berries and coffee on a saturday morning...how delightful! Thanks Rebecca!

"Cha Cha Chicken Salad"

A dish submitted by my own mother and how thrilled I am to make this for friends one sunny afternoon!

prep time: 30 min. Chill: 8 hours

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese 1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple
1 c. mayo 2/3 c. orange flavored dried cranberries
2 tsp. curry powder 1 c. chopped roasted, salted almonds
1 tsp. salt Garnish w/ blueberries, blackberries,
6 c. chopped cooked chicken raspberries and sliced peaches

Whisk together first 4 ingredients. Stir in cooked chicken (boil boneless breasts w/celery, onion and salt for 20 min.--drain & chop), pineapple and cranberries just till blended. Spoon mixture into a plastic wrap-lined round cake pan. Cover and chill at least 8 hrs or up to 24. Invert onto a large platter, remove plastic wrap. Gently press ch. almonds onto sides of salad. Garnish the platter with berries and peaches. Serves 6-8.

Submitted by Susie Courtney

Chicken Dijon and Potato Pancakes

One of April's favorite meals, she says that you must make the two together in order to put the chicken dijon over the potato pancakes.

This sounds like the perfect dish as fall is quickly approaching, perhaps I'll cook this on October 24....it seems like just about the right time :)

Chicken Dijon

2 tbsp. butter
1 2 1/2 to 3-lb. broiler, quartered
2 c. dry white wine
1/4 tsp. dried tarragon
pinch of thyme
1 sm. bay leaf
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp. sour cream
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Melt butter in fry pan; add chicken and cook until browned well on both
sides. Add wine, tarragon, thyme, bay leaf, salt and black pepper. Bring
to a boil. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until meat is tender.
Remove meat to heated serving dish and keep warm. Discard bay leaf.
Blend sauce with egg yolks; add sour cream, mustard and cayenne pepper.
Heat, stirring briskly constantly; do not boil. Pour over chicken.

Yield: 4 servings

Potato Pancakes

2 lge. potatoes, peeled and grated
1 med. onion, grated
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. chopped parsley
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
Butter

Put potatoes and onion in a bowl; add flour and seasonings and mix all
together well. add egg yolks and when they are well combined, fold in the
egg whites. Put a little butter in a skillet and when hot add 2
tablespoons of this mixture for each cake. Fry over a medium-hot fire
until golden brown on both sides.

Yield: 4-5 servings

Submitted by A. Tumey

pizza dough from the clemson boys!

Mike wants everyone to know that this is "a hearty pie with a thick crust!"

Pizza Dough (1 pie, feeds 3-4 people)

1 1/2 c. warm water
mix in
1 T. yeast
2 1/2 T. honey
1/2 t. salt

Add 2 cups of white flower, and mix in
Add 1 1/2 cups of wheat flower, and mix in.
Keep adding flower or water to get right consistency. Dough should not be too sticky or too dry.
Kneed dough well.

Coat dough in olive oil and place in a warm spot to rise for at least 1 hour.

Cook dough at 410 degrees for ~5 min before adding toppings.
Add toppings. I usually use some sort of cheap spaghetti sauce for sauce.
(ham and pineapple is my favorite combo)

Cook pizza for ~20 min until cheese is golden brown.

Submitted by M. Soltys