Margueritas on the Rocks

1 can frozen limeade (regular size, not the tiny ones)
1 can/bottle cheap beer (12 oz)
Tequilla -- 1/3 to 1/2 of limeade can full (or to taste!)

Mix all in a pitcher, pour over ice. To salt rims of glasses: Pour marguerita salt onto a small plate, rub rim or glass with a damp clean sponge/cloth, press rim into salt, tap gently to knock off loose salt.

Makes 4-5 drinks. Easily doubles (or triples, etc.!)

Grandma Leggiero's Easter Rice Pie

Sweet Crust

• 3 C Flour
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 1/3 C sugar
• 3 t. baking powder
• 1 egg plus milk to equal 3/4 C
• 1 1/2 t. vanilla
• 3/4 Shortening (can be half shortening, half butter)

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together. Cut shortening/butter into dry ingredients until shortening is pea sized. (Food processor works great) Mix in wet ingredients just until dough holds together. Gather into a ball and refrigerate for 20-30 min. Don't overwork the dough.

Filling

• 2/3 C rice
• 1 qt milk
• 6 egg yolks
  
• 2 C sugar
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 1/2 lbs ricotta
  

Cook rice about 10 minutes in water, then drain. Add rice to milk and cook gently until all milk is absorbed. Stir frequently to keep rice from scorching. (about 1 hr). Let rice mixture cook completely. Stir in sugar, vanilla and ricotta.

Roll out dough to fit a 9x13 baking dish and fold back edges to make a rim. Fill with filling mixture. Bake at 350 for 1- 1.5 hours until filling is set in the middle and a knife inserted comes out dry. Don't overbake.

Several smaller pies can be made from this recipe. The baking time will be less.

Mapo Tofu (Stir-Fried Tofu in Hot Sauce)

Ingredients:

1 block silken tofu (medium firm)(19 oz box)

1/4 lb ground pork (or beef)

3 tablespoons Sichuan spicy bean paste (Available in any Chinese grocery store. Show them these Chinese words 辣豆瓣酱, and they will understand it-- jie)

3 dry red chili peppers (cut into 3 pieces)

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns (roasted and ground to powder) (Hard to find in US, and i did not use it today. --jie)

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 stalk of green onion (chopped into small pieces)

3 pieces of garlic (chopped)

1 small piece of ginger (chopped)

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup water

Salt to taste

Method:

Cut the tofu into small cubes. Heat up a wok and pour in the cooking oil. Add the chopped garlic, ginger, spicy bean paste, and chili pepper. Stir-fry till the flavor come out. Add ground pork and stir-fry until the pork is half-done. Then add in the tofu, soy sauce, salt, sugar and water. Stir gently to blend the tofu (don’t break them) well with the sauce. Lower the heat and simmer for about 3-5 mins or until the sauce thickens.* Dish out and add the roasted Sichuan peppercorn powder and the chopped green onion on the surface. Serve hot.

*Depending on how thick the sauce is at this stage, stir in some of the cornflour-water mixture and turn up the heat to medium. The sauce should start to thicken.

Chocolate Raspberry Pound Cake

1 C. seedless black or red raspberry preserves, divided
2 C. all-purpose flour
1 ½ C. sugar
¾ C. Hershey’s cocoa
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2/3 C. butter, softened
2 C. (16 oz.) sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Powdered sugar
Raspberry crème (follows)

Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour 12-cup tube or bundt pan. In small microwave-safe bowl, place ¾ C. preserves. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 30 to 45 seconds or until melted; cool.
In large mixer bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add butter, sour cream, eggs ,vanilla and melted preserves; beat on medium speed of mixer 3-4 minutes or until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50-60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 min.; remove to wire rack. In small microwave-safe bowl, place remaining ¼ C. preserves. Microwave on HIGH 30 seconds or until melted; brush over warm cake. Cool completely. At serving time, sprinkle powdered sugar over top. Spoon Raspberry crème over slices.

Raspberry crème: Thaw 1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen red raspberries in light syrup. Puree in food processor or blender. Strain to remove seeds; discard seeds. Blend 1 container (8 oz.) frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed, with raspberry puree. Stir in 2 T. Chambord (raspberry-flavored liqueur) if desired.

Crockpot Apricot Chicken

6 frozen, skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 pkg onion soup mix
1/2 C. Russian Dressing
1 C. apricot preserves

In a 3-4 quart slow cooker arrange chicken pieces. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until thoroughly cooked. serve with noodles or spaetzel.

Not Your Mother's Tuna Casserole
Serves 4

1 box Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Premium White Cheddar
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can white solid albacore tuna, drained
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup skim milk
1 cup saltine cracker crumbs
1 cup Kraft 2% Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil water to make boxed mac and cheese. Cook the pasta and drain. My advice is to cook it a little less than the box calls for. In the meantime, chop your onion and open your can of tuna. In a medium sized skillet, melt your butter and oil together. Add the onion and saute till onion is translucent. Now add the tuna using your spatula to chop it up. Now add the milk, butter and sauce packet from the box and cook till nice and thick. Add the pasta back in and mix thoroughly. In a small bowl, mix the shredded cheese and cracker crumbs together.
Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish and place the mac and cheese mixture in there. Now top with cracker crumb mixture and bake till hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

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Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

2T Vodka
1c Dried cranberries
2c Unbleached all-purpose flourq
1c Granulated sugar
1t Baking powder
1/2t Baking soda
1/2t Salt
2 Large eggs
2 Large egg whites
2t Pure vanilla extract
1T Grated orange zest
1c Shelled natural pistachios(unsalted)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with baking parchment. Sprinkle the vodka over the cranberries and set aside.
2. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle and stir to blend. Add the eggs, egg whites, vanilla extract, and orange zest and beat on low speed until the dough just comes together. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the cranberries with their vodka and the pistachios.
3. Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide into 3 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a log about 12 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Place two of the logs 4 inches apart on one of the prepared cookie sheets and the third log on the other.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, until the logs are firm to the touch and turn a light golden color. Remove from the oven and place cookie sheets on wire racks. Let them cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
5. Slide the baked logs onto a cutting board. Using a long serrated knife, cut each log diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut sides down, on the cookie sheets. Bake for an additional 15 minutes on each side, until dry and toasted to a light golden color.
6. Remove the biscotti to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store them at room temperature in an airtight container. They will keep for up to a month.

Yield: about 40 biscotti