Lentils

If you're looking for a dish that is tasty, filling, hot, and full of fiber, then this is the perfect dish to try.  Lentils are wonderful because you can fix them in so many different ways.  They can remain a vegetarian dish or you can add meat if you wish.  You can also make them in a variety of flavors, depending on what you add to them.

Ingredients

lentils (8 oz., dry)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 veggie sausage(13 oz.), cut into bite-sized pieces

4 cups boiled water

2 OXO cubes (or beef bullion cubes)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions

Soak lentils in cold water for 3-4 hours, then drain and set aside just before cooking.

Boil 4 cups of water, remove from heat and add OXO cubes. Stir and set aside. 

In a couple tablespoons of olive oil, brown the sausage and onion (~5-10 min).

Add the drained lentils and stir.  Add the OXO mixture.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for ~2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.

Once most of the water has evaporated out and the lentils are soft, it's ready! 

Spinach Cheese Pastry Swirls

This is a fairly simple appetizer, which is great for parties.  I have added bacon to mine, but you could simply leave it out to make it vegetarian.  This is also a savory version.  I'll be making a sweet version of these swirls, as well.  Because it's just a pastry base, you could put anything you wanted inside and make it your own.

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 Tbsp. water

1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1.4 cup bacon pieces (cooked)

1 green onion, chopped (~2 Tbps)

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

all purpose flour

1/2 of  a 17.3 oz. package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry (1 sheet), thawed for 40 min.

1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and WELL drained of water

Directions

Beat egg and water together in a small bowl.

Mix together cheeses, bacon, onion, and garlic powder in a medium bowl.

On a floured surface, lay out the pastry.

Brush with egg mixture.

Sprinkle on a layer of cheese mixture, then spinach.

Roll up and cut, seam-side down, in 1/2 inch sections.

Place cut-side down and brush with egg mixture again on the top.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Cherry and Cream Cheese Pastry Rolls

This yummy treat is great for parties or get-togethers.  They are easy to make, and there isn't a lot of clean-up.  The cream cheese in the pastry almost makes them taste like danishes.  You can add  any kind of pie filler or jam that you wish, of course.  I chose cherry because I made them close to Christmas and was trying to go for a festive color.  

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 Tbsp. water

all purpose flour

2 sheets (17.3 oz. package) Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry, thawed for 40 min.
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 (16  oz) can of cherry pie filling

Directions

Beat egg and water together in a small bowl.

Mix together cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and sugar in a medium bowl.

On a floured surface, lay out the pastry.

Brush with egg mixture.

Spread on a layer of cream cheese mixture.
Spoon on and spread a layer of pie filling.

Roll up and cut, seam-side down, in 1/2 inch sections.

Place cut-side down and brush with egg mixture again on the top.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits are one of the most difficult things to master, and I have not mastered them, but when you really want apple butter and there are no biscuit tins in the house, you'll learn how to make biscuits pretty quickly!   At least, that is what happened to me. 

Ingredients

2 cups self-rising flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1/4 cup Crisco All-Vegetable shortening, chilled

3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, blend the flour and sugar. Cut in shortening with a fork until the crumbs are pea-sized.  Blend in milk with a fork until dough leaves the sides of bowl

On a floured surface, turn out the dough and knead gently 2-3 times.  Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut out circles with a glass dipped in flour or a biscuit cutter.  

Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 500 for 8-10 min.

Makes 12 biscuits.