Mock Cranberry Apple Pie

2 cups boiling water
8 serving size package or 2 4-serving size packages red flavor gelatin dessert
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 prepared graham cracker crumb crust
1 medium apple, shopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
fresh mint leaves - optional

Stir boiling water into gelatin in a large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water and spices. REfrigerate about 1 1/2 hours or until thickened .

Meanwhile, mix cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spread on crust. Refrigerate.

Stir apples and walnuts into thickened gelatin. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture is very thick and will mound. Spoon over cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Garnish with additional whipped topping and mint leaves, if desired. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.

Foil Baked Asian Chicken

8 tsp olive oil
4 cups baby spinach
4 4-oz boneless, skinles schicken breast halves
8 oz whtie mushrooms, sliced
4 tsp teriyaki sauce
salt

1. Preheat oven to 450'. Tear off 4 10 inch squares of aluminum foil. Brush each square with 2 tsp ollive oil. Place 1 cup spinach on each square, slightly off center. Top with a chicken breast half and some mushrooms. Drizzle 1 tsp teriyaki sauce over each portion; sprinkle with salt.

2. Fold each piece of foil over to cover chicken and vegetables. Crimp edges together tightly to seal. Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until chicken is cooked through, 15-20 minutes.

Brown Sugar Pound Cake with vanilla Glaze

Cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 lb light brown sugar
5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar

Glaze:
1 cup convectioners sugar
2 tbs milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350'. Butter and flour a 10 inch tube pan or bundt pan.

2. Make cake: Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, 1 at a time. Reduce speed to low; alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with flour.

3. In a dry bowl, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar 1 tbsp at a time, beating until whites form stiff peaks. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites. Transfer batter to pan.

4. Bake 75-85 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake stand in pan 10 mintues, invert onto wire rack; let cool.

5. Make glaze: Mix sugar, milk and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Spoon glaze atop cake.

Pizza Slider Burgers

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 tsp basil leaves
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup pizza sauce or tomato sauce
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
8 small dinner rolls
pepperoni slices (optional)

Mix ground beef and seasonings in medium bowl until well blended. Shape into 8 patties

Grill burgers over medium heat or cook in nonstick skillet 4-6 minutes per side or until cooked through.

Top each burger evenly with sauce and cheese. Cook 1 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve on rolls with pepperoni slices, if desired.

Pork medallions with Lemon Sauce

1 1lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch slices
salt
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbs finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Flatten each pork slice to 3/4 inch thickness by pressing it with flat side of a chef's knife. Sprinkle pork slices with salt. Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge pork slices in it.

2. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. working in bathces if necessary, cook pork medallions, turning once, until well browned on both sides, about 4 mintues total. Transfer pork to a plate.

3. Add wine and lemon juice to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Boil, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and parsley. Return pork to pan and warm throug, turning slices to coat with sauce. Serve immediately.

Mini Blueberry Muffins

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 375'. Mist 2 24-cup miniatre-muffin tins with cookign spray.

In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a seperate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, oil, sugar and vanilla. Stir dry ingredients gently into milk mixture. Fold in berries.

Spoon batter into muffin tins so they're 3/4 full. bake until a totohpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes, then turn muffins out onto racks. Serve warm.

Tip: Stir a few tesp of grated lemon zest or orange zest into the milk mixture.

Onion Rings

nonstick vegetable cooking spray
1 large onion
1 1/4 cups italian style bread crumbs
1/2 tsp bottled minced garlic
1 cup low fat milk
1 cup all purpose flour
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 400'. Spray 2 large cookie sheets with nonstick spray.
2. Cut onion into 1/2 inch slices. Seperate slices into rings
3. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and garlic. Set aside.
4. Place milk, flour and egg whites into 3 seperate small bowls. Dip each onion rin into milk, flour, eggwihte and bread crumbs (in that order).
5. Place on prepared cookie sheets and bake for 20 mintues. Turn onion rings over and bake until golden brown, about 10 mintues longer.

Southern Pulled Pork

2 tbs vegetable oil
1 pork shoulder roast
garlic salt
lemon pepper
1 bottle (12 oz) chilli sauce
3 packets (1.31 oz each) sloppy joe mix
1/2 cup beef broth
hamburger buns

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork roast with garlic salt and lemon pepper. brown on all sides. Place in a 4-5 qt slow cooker.

2. In a small bowl, combine chilli sauce, sloppy joe mix and broth. Pour over roast.

3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7-8 hours or high heat setting for 4 hours. To serve, shred pork and place on hamburger buns.

Watercress, Goat Cheese and Red Pepper Salad

3 bunches watercress, tough stems removed
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1 red bell pepper, cored, stemmed and seeded
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, chopped
salt and pepper

Toss watercress with goat cheese in a large salad bowl. Cut bell pepper lengthwise into thin stirps and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk with mayonnaise until smooth. Stir in parsley and garlic. Season dressign with salt and pepper.
Pour 1/4 cup of dressing over watercress, toss well and arrange on individual salad plates. Garnish with red pepper strips. Serve remaining dressing on the side. Or serve salad in a large bowl with dressing on the side.

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

4 pink grapefruit
4 avacoados
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tbsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1/3 cup oilive oil
8 whole boston lettuce leaves
1 tbsp chopped chives

Peel a grapefruit, cutting away as much pith as possible. Over a bowl, cut flesh away from membranes and allow fruit to fall into bowl. Repeat with remaining grapefruit.
Halve avocados lengthwise and remove pits. Scoop out flesh with a spoon. With a stainless-steel knife, cut avocado lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp lime juice to keep from turning brown.
Whisk 2 tbsp lime juice with mustard, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil.
Place lettuce leaves flat on a platter. Arrange grapefruit segments and avocado on top. Drizzle salad with dressing, sprinkle with chives and serve.

Mushroom Risotto

2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup white wine
4 cups vegetable broh
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed golden mushroom soup
1 tsp bottled minced garlic
6 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Stir together Arborio rice, wine, vegetable broth, cream of mushroom soup, golden ushroom soup, garlic, mushrooms, salt, pepepr and dried tyme in a 4-5 qt slow cooker. Cook on high-heat setting for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.

2. Check consistency. If necessary, continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook risotto. (Rice should be al dente, not mushy) Before serving, stir in Parmesan cheese and garnish with a sprig of fresh theyme if desired.

Zesty Shephard's Pie

1 lb ground turkey
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis
1 package of McCormick chili powder seasoning
1 box instant potatoes
1 can corn

Brown ground turkey for 15 minutes or until done and add dreained tomatoes with chilis. Add the powder seasoing. Pour completed mixture into a casserole dish. Drain can of corn and pour over the turkey mixture. Prepare the instant potatoes according to box directions, the pour on top of corn. Bake for 35 minutes at 350'.

Grilled Steak with Pineapple Salsa

1 tbs chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 lb boneless beef sirloin, 1 inch thick
1 15 oz can no sugar added mandarin oranges
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion
1 8 oz can pinapple tidbits in its own juice
1 tbs chopped, seeded jalapeno pepper (optional)
1/2 cup chopped green and red pepper
6 cups torn mixed salad greens

Mix chili powder, cumin and garlic together in a small bowl.
Trim fat from steak. Rub both sides with chili powder seasoning.
Grill steak, uncovered, directly over medium coals for 12-15 minutes.
Stir together oranges, tomatoes, pineapple, green and red pepper and jalapeno.
Thinly slice steak against the grain. Serve steak and salsa over salad greens.

Catalina Chicken Stir-Fry

3/4 cup catallina french dressing
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb boneless chicken breasts cubed
1 16 oz packaged frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
rice

Heat the dressing, soy sauce and garlic powder in a large skillet.
Stir in the chicken and cook completely, about 8 mintues.
Add the vegetables. Cook and stir until heated.
Serve over rice.

Fruit Cocktail Cake

1 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup golden raisin
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 can (8 3/4 oz) fruit cocktail, undrained
confectioners sugar

Butter sauce:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup evaporated milk or half and half cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, nuts, raisins, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a small bowl, beat egg; add fruit cocktail. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour into a greased and floured 8 inch round baking pan. Bake at 325 for 55 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pan for 5 mintues before removing to a wire rack. Cool completely. Dust with confectioneers sugar if desired. For sauce, combine sugar, butter nad milk in a small saucepan; bring ot a boil. Cook and stir for 3 mintues. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Serve warm over the cake. Refrigerate leftover sauce.

Serves 4

Easy Turkey Pot Pie

1 2/3 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 cup cut up cooke dturkey
1 10 3/4 oz can condened cream of chicken coup
1 can original bisquick
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

Heat oven to 400'.
Stir vegetables, turkey and soup in ungreased 9 inch pie plate.
Stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate. Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 6 servings.

Stuffed Crescents

1 8-oz container refrigerated crescent roll dough
6 tbs shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 shredded parmesan cheese
6 tbs onion flavored cheese spread

1. Preheat oven to 350' Lay dough for each crescent roll flat on a clean surface. Fill each of 3 rolls with 2 tbs cheddar cheese, each of 2 rolls with 3 tbs prmesan cheese, each of 3 rolls with 2 tbs ccheese spread. Roll up each crescent to enclose filling.
2. Places, seam sides down, onto a cookie sheet. bake for 20 minutes or until cooked thoroughly and golden on top. Cut each roll in half and serve hot.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

Makes 4 dozen Truffles

1 1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tbs heavy cream
1 tbs butter
2 tbs seedless raspberry jam

Choice of coatings:
one 6-oz pkg white baking bars or 1 cup milk chocolate morsels
2 tsp shortening
or nestle cocoa
or confectioners sugar

In a heavy-gauge saucepan, combine chocolate chips, heavy cream and butter. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Stir in raspberry jam. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze 30 inutes. Drop mixture by tspfulls onto foil lined cookie sheet. Freeze 15 mintues. Roll into balls; freeze until firm.

Coatings:
Over hot (not boiling) water melt either the white baking bars or the milk chocolate chips and shortening, stirring until smooth.

Drop frozen truffles one at a time, into melted coating; stir quickly to coat, then remove with fork, shaking off excess. Place on acookie sheet; chill until set. Store in refrigerator.

Low Fat Chocolate Cheesecake

vegetable cooking spray
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
3 8-oz packages fat free cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
3 tbs flour
1 14-oz can fat free sweetened condensed skimmed milk
3 egg whites
1 egg
1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300'. Spray bottom of 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray. Combine crumbs and sugar; sprinkle evenly on bottom of pan. In a large mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy. Mix in cocoa and flour. Add the condensed milk, egg whites, egg, chips and vanilla; mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 45-50 minutes or until center is set. cool. Chill. Garnish as desired (raspberries or cherries). Refrigerate leftovers.