Cooking	Food For Thought
Welcome to Food For Thought cooking and recipes - online since 1991! There are 5 new recipes, plus new cooking hints & tips, posted to this page each week.
Crab Cake Bites	Beverage or Appetizer   July 8, 2018
Title: Crab Cake Bites Categories: Appetizer Yield: 36 Appetizers Crab Cake Bites 1/2 c mayonnaise 1 egg 2 tb chopped fresh chives 1 ts worcestershire sauce 1 ts dijon mustard 1 1/2 ts seafood seasoning 1 ts fresh lemon juice 16 oz refrigerated crabmeat, cleaned 2/3 c plain panko bread crumbs Lemon-Garlic Sauce 1 c mayonnaise 2 ts dijon mustard 1 ts finely chopped garlic 2 ts fresh lemon juice 1/4 ts salt Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. In medium bowl, stir together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, the egg, chives, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, seafood seasoning and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Fold in crabmeat and bread crumbs until well blended (mixture will be moist). Using measuring tablespoon, shape mixture into 36 balls. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned and hot in center. Cool 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together Lemon-Garlic Sauce ingredients until blended. Serve bites with sauce and lemon wedges.
Tip 1	Cooking Tip   July 8, 2018
Add flavor to hot tea by dissolving old-fashioned lemon drops or hard mint candies in the cup.
Nut And Berry Salad	Soup or Salad   July 8, 2018
Title: Nut And Berry Salad Categories: Salad Yield: 4 Servings 1/3 c raspberry vinegar 2 tb snipped fresh mint 2 tb honey 1 tb canola oil 1/4 ts salt 4 c packaged spinach leaves 2 c chopped cooked chicken breast 2 c fresh strawberries, sliced 1/2 c fresh blueberries, thawed 1/4 c walnuts, toasted and chopped 1 oz semisoft goat cheese, crumbled 1/2 ts freshly ground black pepper For vinaigrette: In a screw-top jar, combine vinegar, mint, honey, oil, and salt. Cover and shake well. In a large bowl, toss together spinach, chicken, strawberries, blueberries, walnuts, and goat cheese. Transfer to salad plates. Drizzle with vinaigrette and sprinkle with pepper.
Tip 2	Cooking Tip   July 8, 2018
To keep a punch cool, make an ice ring using some of the punch and float it in the punch bowl. This way the punch will not become diluted with melted ice cubs.
Cheese Steak Shepherd's Pie	Main Dish   July 8, 2018
Title: Cheese Steak Shepherd's Pie Categories: Main Dish Yield: 8 Servings 1 lb lean ground beef 1 1/2 c coarsely chopped onions 1 md green bell pepper, 1" strips 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced 1 tb steak grill seasoning 8 oz velveeta cheese product, cubed 1/4 c beef flavored broth 4.7 oz package mashed potatoes water, butter, milk on potato pouch 1/2 c shredded Cheddar cheese chopped italian parsley Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef, onions and bell pepper over medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink; drain. Add mushrooms and grill seasoning to skillet. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms start to soften. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in Velveeta™ cheese and broth. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted; transfer to ungreased 2-quart casserole or glass baking dish. Make potatoes as directed on pouch. Spoon potatoes onto hot beef mixture in casserole. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly around edges. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese; bake 2 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with parsley before serving.
Tip 3	Cooking Tip   July 8, 2018
Place fresh or dried mint in the bottom of a cup of hot chocolate for a cool, refreshing taste.
Garlic Smashed Potatoes	Side Dish   July 8, 2018
Title: Garlic Smashed Potatoes Categories: Side Dish Yield: 10 Servings 20 baby red potatoes 132 oz vegetable broth 1/2 c butter, melted 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/2 ts salt 2 tb finely chopped chives Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray 18x13-inch rimmed pan with cooking spray. In 5-quart Dutch oven, mix potatoes and broth; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with fork; drain, reserving broth for another use if desired. Shake pan with potatoes over low heat to dry. Remove from heat. In small bowl, mix melted butter and garlic. Pour 1/4 cup of the butter mixture over potatoes; toss to coat thoroughly. Place potatoes in pan. Use bottom of glass or measuring cup to flatten each potato to about 1/2-inch thickness. Drizzle top with remaining butter mixture; season with salt. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, turning once, until browned and crispy. Transfer to serving platter; sprinkle with chives.
Tip 4	Cooking Tip   July 8, 2018
If a recipe calls for chicken or beef broth, make your own by using chicken or beef bouillon cubes or granules. The ratio is 1 cube or 1 heaping teaspoon of granules to 1 cup water.
Reese's No-Bake Bars	Dessert   July 8, 2018
Title: Reese's No-Bake Bars Categories: Dessert Yield: 24 Bars 6 c reese's Puffs cereal 1 c semisweet chocolate chips 1/4 c creamy peanut butter (not natural) 2 tb unsalted butter, cut into pieces 10 oz miniature marshmallows Line 13x9-inch pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray. Place cereal in large bowl; set aside. In very large microwavable bowl, place chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter and marshmallows. Microwave on High in 30-second increments, stirring after each, for 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly melted. Mixture will be very sticky. Quickly pour cereal into melted marshmallow mixture; stir until cereal is evenly coated. Mixture will be sticky. Pour into pan. Spray hands with cooking spray; press hard to compact mixture into pan, being careful since mixture will be hot. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.
Tip 5	Cooking Tip   July 8, 2018
A leaf of lettuce dropped in a pot of soup absorbs grease from the top.
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