Mustard Sauce

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dry mustard

blend together, then add:

2 eggs slightly beaten
1/2 cup vinegar

Cook slowly, stirring constantly. When hot, add:

1/4 cup butter

Continue to stir and cook until thick.
Serve with ham.

Lactose-free Caramel Corn

12 C popped popcorn (about 1/2 - 2/3 c kernels)
2 C brown sugar 
1/2 C white Karo syrup 
1 t salt (if you are using salted microwave popcorn then omit salt here) 
1 cup margarine 
1 t baking soda 
2 t vanilla

Pop popcorn and set aside. Place brown sugar, Karo syrup, salt, and butter in a microwave safe dish. Cut up the butter into chunks so it melts better.
Microwave for 30 seconds. That should be enough to melt the butter at least half way. Stir it all to combine. Now microwave on high for 2 minutes. Take it out and stir. Microwave for 2 more minutes.

While the caramel is cooking, put the popcorn in a big bowl. Use one that is way bigger than you think you’ll need. Also, try to get any un-popped kernels out so you don’t break a tooth.
When the caramel is done cooking, take out of microwave and add baking soda and vanilla. Sit back and watch it do cool things like bubble and foam. 

Stir it well and then pour it over the popcorn.

Mix it up well with a big spoon. I usually spread it all out on a piece of foil and let it cool for a minute so it doesn’t get stuck in one big clump. The longer it sits out, the firmer it will get, but it won’t ever get crunchy-hard unless you bake it.

adapted from: ourbestbites.com

Mom's Enchiladas

(Yes, I now refer to myself as 'Mom' in 3rd person.)

4 chicken breasts, poached and shredded

3 c salsa
2 c sour cream
blend together for sauce

Add 3/4 of the sauce to the shredded chicken, roll into tortillas, place in greased 9x12 pan.

Top with the remaining sauce, and sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake 45 minutes at 350.

(optional ingredients: jalepenos, chiles, black olives, cilantro)

Mascarpone Meringue Cake

Yield: One 9" round dessert

Meringue Layers

Ingredients

12 egg whites (360 g), room temperature

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

pinch salt

Method

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 C) and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using an 8" round cake pan, trace the 8" circle onto each piece of parchment so you have 3 circles. Wipe 5 Qt KitchenAid mixer bowl with paper towel and some vinegar or lemon juice, to eliminate grease. Using whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt until foamy. Add sugar, slowly, and continue beating until it reaches glossy, stiff peaks. Using a small offset palette knife, spread an even layer (apprx 1.5" thick) of meringue over your each of the circle outlines. Bake for approximately 2.5 hours, or until dry and crisp, rotating pans every 20 minutes, and then leave in turned-off oven for another 60 minutes. *Depending on humidity in your kitchen and variance in ovens, this may take up to an additional 30 minutes to bake the meringue. You want to ensure that they are dry all the way through, so as long as they are not browning, you can keep baking them.. Once dry and crisp, remove from oven and leave on tray in cool, dry area, until you are ready to use. Layers will likely have expanded slightly when baked. You can bake 2 trays at a time, and the third layer afterwards.

*I've updated the baking time to ensure the meringue is nice and biscuit-like.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

18 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups heavy cream

Method

Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Allow it to cool until thick enough to spread, but loose enough that it will spread easily. To thicken, cover and place in refrigerator. To loosen chilled ganache, you can microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring after each one, or place in double boiler for a few moments.

Ganache recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Mascarpone Cream Filling

Ingredients

1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream (35%)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 cup (125 ml) Creme de Cacao (or other chocolate flavoured clear liqueur)

2 cups softened mascarpone cheese

Method

In cold stainless steel mixing bowl and using the whisk attachment, whip the whipping cream with the sugar until thick. Add Creme de Cacao and whip again until it holds its shape. Place mascarpone cheese in a medium bowl, and fold in the whipped cream mixture.

Assembly of Mascarpone Meringue Cake

1. Place 1st meringue layer on doily or cake round. With a small offset palette knife, spread 1/3 of mascarpone cream filling over layer. With a clean small offset palette knife, spread 1/3 of your ganache over cream.

2. Repeat using remaning layers, finishing with ganache.

Notes: Store cake in refrigerator. Cut using a sharp, non-serrated knife in a gentle sliding motion.

Recipe adapted from Lucy Waverman, LCBO Food & Drink Magazine

www.sweetapolita.com/blog

Cake from a box

1 cake mix
1 6-serving instant pudding
1 c water
1/2 c oil
4 eggs

Mix together, pour into a well greased pan, bake according to cake mix directions.

Hey, or:

1 box chocolate cake
1 can cherry pie filling
3 eggs

blend and bake 350 x 1hour in a bundt pan

Focaccia

Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

2 hr 15 min

Cook Time:

30 min

Level:

Intermediate

Serves:

8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups warm water
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Directions

Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm, not hot or cool, place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic, at least 15 minutes.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1/2 cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes on a medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.

Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times. Again, give it another sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.

Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it withplastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.

Coat a jelly roll pan with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. (Chef's Note: This may seem excessive, but focaccia is an oily crusted bread. This is why it is soooooooooo delicious!).

Put the dough onto the jelly roll pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan. As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the way through the dough. (Chef's Note: Yes, this is strange. But when the dough rises again it will create the characteristic craggy lookingfocaccia. If you do not make the actual holes in the dough, the finished product will be very smooth.)

Put the dough in the warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt and lightly drizzle a little oil on top. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving.

Oh baby!

Via Kelly - something that Keith makes

Coconut Rice

2 c white or Jasmine rice
1 can coconut milk
water to top off the liquid to 4 cups for stove method, or to reach water-level in rice cooker
dash salt
1 T white vinegar
1 T sugar

Mix all ingredients well in the rice cooker, cook as usual.
Or simmer covered on stove for 15 minutes, turn off heat and allow to cook in its own heat for 5 more minutes.