Feta and Bacon Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 4 slices feta cheese
• 4 slices bacon, fried and drained

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix together. Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish and pour oil mixture over chicken.
3. Stuff each chicken breast with 1 slice feta cheese and 1 slice bacon. Secure open sides with toothpicks.
4. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes.

Marinated Grilled Shrimp

A very simple and easy marinade that makes your shrimp so yummy you don't even need cocktail sauce! Don't let the cayenne pepper scare you, you don't even taste it. 

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• skewers

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, and red wine vinegar. Season with basil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add shrimp to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice.
2. Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.

Spring Omelet

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk (optional)
• 3 spears asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/3 cup green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus, mushrooms and onions; cook and stir until the asparagus is fairly soft, about 4 minutes. Whisk together the eggs and milk in a small bowl; pour over the sauteed vegetables and reduce the heat to medium. While the omelet cooks, lift the edge to allow the uncooked egg to flow underneath. When most of the egg is cooked, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. Allow the cheese to melt slightly, then fold in half and serve.

Easy Buttermilk Doughnuts

Ingredients

• oil for deep frying
• 1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F.
2. Separate out the biscuits and cut a hole in the middle of each one, like you would a doughnut.
3. You can get creative on this part and make different shapes. Just be sure not to make them too thick in any places, or they will not cook all the way through.
4. Carefully slide doughnuts into hot oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain briefly on wire racks placed over baking sheets.
5. Place the confectioners' sugar in a bowl and roll the hot doughnuts in the sugar.

Hasselback Potatoes

Ingredients

• 6 Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Thinly slice each potato several times, stopping just short of cutting all the way through.
3. Whisk olive oil, garlic, paprika, oregano, and celery salt together in a bowl; pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the potatoes, seal the bag, and shake to coat completely. Transfer potatoes to a baking dish and reserve oil mixture in a small bowl. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the potatoes.
4. Bake potatoes in the preheated oven until layers start to separate and potatoes are slightly tender, about 30 minutes. Brush potatoes with reserved oil mixture, pulling layers apart if they are sticking together. Continue baking until potatoes are crispy on the edges and easily pierced with knife, 30 to 40 minutes more.

Soft Onion Sandwich Rolls

I know quite a few people, myself included, have bread machines.  Here is a great recipe that utilized the dough cycle of most bread makers.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup lukewarm milk
• 5 tablespoons lukewarm water
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 3 tablespoons dried minced onion
• 1/4 cup instant potato flakes
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup dried minced onion

Directions

1. Place the milk, water, butter, salt, sugar, onion powder, 3 tablespoons of dried onion, potato flakes, flour and yeast into the pan of a bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the Dough cycle, and press Start.
2. When the cycle has completed, remove the dough from the machine, and knead on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 8 equal pieces, and form into balls. Gently flatten the balls until they are 4 inches in diameter. If they keep shrinking back, just let them relax for a minute before flattening. Place on a baking sheet, and cover loosely with a towel. Set in a draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Whisk together the egg white and water in a cup. Brush over the tops of the risen rolls, and sprinkle with remaining minced onion.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool completely, then slice in half horizontally before using.