Girl Scout Cookies: Thin Mints

This is from www.topsecretrecipes.com (great website!):

Chocolate Cookie Wafers
1 18.25-ounce package Betty Crocker chocolate fudge cake mix
3 tablespoons shortening, melted
1/2 cup cake flour, measured then sifted
1 egg
3 tablespoons water
Non-stick cooking spray

Coating
3 12-ounce bags semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
6 tablespoons shortening
1. Combine the cookie ingredients in a large bowl, adding the water a little bit at a time until the dough forms. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of the dough to just under 1/16 of an inch thick. To cut, use a lid from a spice container with a 1 1/2-inch diameter (Schilling brand is good.) Arrange the cut dough rounds on a cookie sheet that is sprayed with a light coating on non-stick spray. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the wafers from the oven and cool completely.
4. Combine chocolate chips with peppermint extract and shortening in a large microwave - safe glass or ceramic bow. Heat on 50 percent power for 2 minutes, stir gently, then heat for an addition minute. Stir once again, and if chocolate is not a smooth consistency, continue to zap in microwave in 30-second intervals until smooth.
5. Use a fork to dip each wafer in the chocolate, tap the fork on the edge of the bowl so that the excess chocolate runs off, and then place the cookies side-by-side on a wax paper - lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm. Makes 108 cookies (3 boxes).

Roy's Beef

The sheer volume of food produced is impressive, but wait till you try it. This dish is delicious and makes me salivate just thinking about it. It's named after some guy we don't know from New Orleans (named Roy) who passed the recipe around until my hubby's parents finally got their hands on it and passed it on to us. He obviously knows his stuff!

3 Ibs Chuck Roast
1 Jar of Pepperoncini
1 package of dry Zesty Italian dressing

Place the roast in a croc pot and poor the pepperoncini and the juice, from the jar, over it. We also sometimes add carrots and potatoes (but add a little water if you do this, otherwise it will dry out). Cook on high for 8 hours. Remove the roast and the pepperoncini from the croc pot. Pick out the stems from the pepperoncini. Mix the dry zesty Italian dressing into the liquid of the croc pot. Put the roast and pepperoncini back into the croc pot and cook on low for 1 hour. Eat!

Baked Shrimp with Lemon

Baked Shrimp with Lemon

I know it's hard to think about baking this summer but this one is worth it. It's from O, the Oprah Magazine, which is actually pretty great for recipes.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon zest and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 medium (about 1 1/2 pounds) Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons capers

Preheat the oven to 450°. Wash the shrimp and pat them dry with paper towels. In a medium glass or plastic bowl, combine the shrimp, one tablespoon olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, one teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss together and refrigerate. Rub a 9-inch baking dish or gratin pan with olive oil. Place the potato slices, slightly overlapping, in the pan. Drizzle them with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, one teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast the potatoes in the oven for about 15 minutes, until golden and just tender. Remove from the oven, top with the shrimp and the marinade, and return to the oven. Cook an additional 10 minutes, until the shrimp is opaque and slightly roasted looking. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the capers. Serve at once with a green salad. Recommended variation: Add 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 3/4 cup diced tomatoes, and 1/2 cup feta when adding the shrimp. Or substitute peeled butternut squash (cut into 1/4-inch slices) for the potatoes, and sage for the capers.

Nutritional information: 303.5 calories, 11 grams fat, 5.5 grams saturated fat, 14 mg of cholesterol, 218 mg sodium, 47.4 grams carbohydrate, 1.5 grams fiber, 2.6 grams protein
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Kung Pow!

This recipe (and the picture) are from Cooking.com, but it is a meal we make almost weekly due to its ease in preparation and ultimate tummy satisfaction, so I have to include it. This is one of few recipes that my husband does not changed at all from the original.

Note: some of the ingredients can be used for a wide variety of chinese dishes, if you are a big fan of chinese like we are it's worth the investment.

Kung Pao Chicken

Prep time: 30 min
Serves: 3-4

1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sherry (or sake)
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 cup peanuts
4 scallions, white bulbs and green tops cut separately into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

RECIPE METHOD
In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the sherry, and the 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, water, and the remaining 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sherry, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch.
In a wok or large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderately high heat. Add the peanuts and stir-fry until light brown, about 30 seconds. Remove from the pan. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the white part of the scallions and the red-pepper flakes to the pan and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the chicken with its marinade and cook, stirring, until almost done, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the soy-sauce mixture and the scallion tops and simmer until the chicken is just done, about 1 minute longer. Stir in the peanuts.
VARIATION
Cashew Chicken: Substitute the same amount of cashews for the peanuts.

Tuna Stuff

This is an easy one for a night when you're SUPER hungry but only have a can of tuna, some old bread and some pasta (and hopefully a few of the other things), and only want to spend 10 minutes making it:

Total prep time: 10 minutes (or a little longer to boil the pasta)
Serves: 2-4, depending on how hungry you are

Tuna Stuff

1 can of tuna
1 box of your pasta of choice
2 tomatoes
4 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 slices of bread (bread butts are good)
1 tbs oregano
salt and pepper

Boil the pasta in a sauce pan until done. Tear the bread into cubes. Saute the bread cubes in the olive oil until crisp, and add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bread crumbs, put to the side. Put the remaining two tbs of olive oil in the pan, add the rest of the ingredients and sauté over medium heat. When heated thoroughly, put over pasta and place bread crumbs on top. Voila!

Banana, Nutella and PB Sandwich

This recipe seems so simple when you think about it, and I apologize if you already knew to do it, but once you've tried it you feel obligated to share the idea with others. I originally got the idea from a restaurant here in Minneapolis that only serves PB sandwiches, all different exotic varieties (this is on their menu).

Ingrediants:

2 slices bread
1 banana
Nutella (often can be found in the natural foods section of the grocery store, in the sandwich spread section - tastes like chocolate)
Peanut Butter

Spread one slice of bread with PB, other slice with Nutella. Cut up banana, put between two slices and enjoy. I like to toast the bread first.

Mexican!

Enchiladas!

This one, and Green Salsa (below), are our two FAVORITEST Mexican recipes. We are big fans of Mexican, and live in Minnesota where ketchup is considered too spicy, so we've gone through a lot of recipes finding just the right ones. The first is one we've had a long time, the second is one we've recently found and made a lot of friends with.

This Enchiladas recipe has been perfected by my husband’s mother. It was one of my husband’s staples growing up and has been one of those dishes you just have to make every once in a while to satisfy that craving.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 min of work, 20 min of baking

2 cans Old El’ Paso Enchilada Sauce (1 hot, 1 mild)
1 can tomato sauce
1 medium clove garlic, minced
2 tsp brown sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 lb ground beef, browned, crumbled and drained (can substitute ground
turkey or ground Boca burger meat substitute)
2 cups of grated Jack cheese
½ tsp salt
8 corn tortillas

In a medium saucepan, combine the first five ingredients. Heat to boiling point. Reduce heat. For filling, combine beef, 1 cup cheese, salt, and ½ cup prepared sauce. For each enchilada, dip tortilla in hot sauce (or let soak for a minute to soften, fill with 1/8 of filling, roll tightly and place, seem side down, in 6x10’ baking dish. Pour sauce over all. Top with remaining cheese. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Green Salsa

This is the best salsa we've ever had, and has turned into a drug addiction for most who have tried it - I have acquired artwork, secrets, and more in exchange for a batch of this good stuff. Here is the recipe in its entirety for the general public's enjoyment (beware it's a little spicy):

GREEN Salsa (Salsa Verde)
Watch out! This is highly addictive!

INGREDIENTS

4 11 oz cans of tomatillos or 2 Ibs of fresh
tomatillos
5 Fresh serrano peppers(Use more to increase the
heat...Bouyah!)
1 Can of chicken broth(low sodium is preferred)
1 Cup of fresh cilantro
1 Clove of garlic
2 Tbsp of vegetable oil.


RECIPE

Cut the stems off the serrano peppers. If you are
using fresh tomatillos remove the husks. Drain and
rinse the tomatillos. Place the tomatillos and the
serrano peppers in a 3 quart saucepan with half of the
can of chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil.
When the mixture comes to a boil, cover it, and
continue to boil for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes
remove from heat.

Place the boiled tomatillos and serrano peppers
mixture into a blender or food processor. Add the
cilantro and garlic. Blend. The salsa should be
consistent and smooth.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Poor all of the
salsa from the blender in the pan and stir constantly
for 5 minutes. Poor the rest of the chicken broth in
to the pan and bring the salsa to a boil. Reduce the
heat to medium and let simmer for 10 minutes. Make
sure to stir the salsa occasionally to prevent it from
burning.

Salsa!

Pop Tart Recipe

This was sent to me by a fellow graduate-student friend of mine who I think was overreacting to my idea of starting a recipe exchange:

POP TART RECIPE

1. Take pop tart of choice out of package (there are many varieties-see
Cub Food for details)
2. Place said pop tart in the toaster-push the lever down
3. Wait until pop tart pops up or after 2 min. push lever up (watch
closely it can easily burn)
4. Place pop tart quickly (it's hot) on a plate
5. Wait 5 minutes until cool
6. Enjoy with diet Coke