Cilantro Couscous

This is one of my favorite side dishes. It goes great with any dish you would typically eat with rice.

Bring 1 3/4 cups water to boil. Add 3/4 cups couscous, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Chop up 2-3 tablespoons of cilantro. Add the cilantro, the juice of one lime, the juice of half an orange, and salt and pepper to the couscous. Stir it all up and that's it.

Baked Goat Cheese Salad

This is one of my favorite recipes, especially because it took a while to find just the right one. About a year ago I was at a restaurant in Colorado where I ordered a baked goat cheese salad. I love goat cheese and tend to order anything that has it as an ingredient. The salad was amazing and I became determined to find a recipe to make it at home. After several failed attempts I found this one by accident in a friend's cooking magazine.

I like to make a bunch of the goat cheese rounds in advance and then freeze them so that I can use them whenever I want a quick snack.

3 oz. white melba toasts (about 2 cups)
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 eggs
2 tbsp dijon mustard
12 oz. firm goat cheese w/herbs
olive oil

In a food processor, process the Melba toasts. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and stir in the pepper. Whisk the eggs and mustard in another medium bowl until combined.

Divide the cheese into equal pieces (about 8-12) and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the egg mixture then coat in toast mixture. Then press the balls into a disc shape about an inch thick. Put on baking sheet and place in freezer for 30 minutes. (May be kept in freezer for up to a week if wrapped tightly)

Adjust oven rack to uppermost position; heat oven to 475 degrees.

After removing from freezer, brush cheese with olive oil. Bake until the crumbs are golden brown and the cheese is slightly soft, 7 to 9 minutes (or 9 to 12 minutes if completely frozen). Using thin metal spatula, transfer the cheese to a paper towel-lined plate and cool for 3 minutes.

Chicken Wing Dip

This is perfect for a Sunday afternoon, lying on the couch, watching football. Tastes like buffalo wings but without the mess, and a lot easier. If you have a small crock pot it's best served in that to keep it warm.

16 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup pepper sauce
1 cup blue cheese dressing
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and hot pepper sauce until well blended. Mix in the Blue Cheese dressing, chicken and Cheddar cheese. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. If oil collects on the top, dab it off using a paper towel.

I've found this is best served with the frito scoops.

Mom's Peach Cobbler

Yummy! Especially in Georgia with all the fresh peaches. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 1/3 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 peaches

Mix 1 cup sugar, 1 cup self rising flour, 1cup milk, 1stick butter melted, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix, but not too much-can be a little lumpy-if you overmix it won't rise.

Then peel peaches mix in sauce pan with 1/4 cup sugar and1/3 stick butter and melt buter and dissolve sugar.

Pour peaches on bottom of a casserole dish, then pour batter over peaches. Bake at 350 til crust is golden. Don't burn or let crust get all dark. The time varies but I think it will take about 45 min. to an hour.

Mom's French Toast

I love this french toast! In fact it's the only french toast I've ever really liked. Mom makes it for every special occasion usually in some holiday shape (i.e. turkey, christmas tree).

Good Bread (really any fresh, good bread that doesn't have an overwhelming taste)
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 orange
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp butter

Combine all ingredients. Grate some of the orange rind into the mixture. Whisk until well mixed.

Heat griddle to medium high heat. Melt butter on griddle.

Dip bread in mixture and cook on griddle until sides are a nice golden brown.

Tuna Pasta

This recipe is really good and super easy to make. I got this recipe from Dad. His originally had capers in it as well, but I'm not a huge fan so I omitted them.

1 can tuna in olive oil
1 can whole, peeled tomatoes
red pepper flakes
angel hair pasta

In sauce pan heat tuna and tomatoes in olive oil. When adding tomatoes squeeze them in your hand and gently break them apart somewhat. Add red pepper flakes.

Cook angel hair pasta. Pour tuna and tomato sauce over pasta.

It's really that easy.

Vegetarian Lasagna

I first found this recipe on allrecipes.com, where I find a lot of my recipes. I modified it some. It's by far the best lasagna I've ever had, and anyone I've served it to has agreed. If you're not making it for a lot of people then I would recommend making it in two small square dishes and freezing one for later use.

2 cups diced, marinated squash
1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
5 tomatoes
1 pint ricotta cheese
9 oz crumbled feta cheese
2/3 cup pesto
2 eggs, beaten
1 can tomato sauce
no-bake pasta sheets
1 1/3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Cut squash into bite sized pieces put in ziploc bag with olive oil, paprika, salt, red pepper. Shake until coated, cook for 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes. Meanwhile, grill eggplant on a charcoal grill or fry in a skillet, turning once, until charred and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Halve tomatoes and place on baking sheet in oven for last 15 minutes of pumpkin time; cook until tender and wrinkly.

In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, feta, pesto, eggs, salt and pepper until well mixed. Fold roasted squash into ricotta mixture.

Spoon half of the tomato sauce into a 9x13 baking dish. Lay two pasta sheets over the sauce. Arrange a single layer of eggplant slices over pasta and top with half the ricotta mixture. Cover with two more pasta sheets. Arrange the roasted tomatoes evenly over the sheets and spoon the remaining half the ricotta mixture over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella. Top with remaining two sheets of pasta. Pour remaining tomato sauce over all and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.