Who doesn't like a two-for-one deal? One weekend when I made some dip and crudites and served it in a hollowed-out red cabbage, I realized that I had the makings for coleslaw right there. So after the dip was enjoyed (no double-dipping, of course) I chopped up the cabbage, dip, and any extra veggies and had instant coleslaw.  How easy is that? Homemade Ranch-style Dip Served in Cabbage With Veggies 1 cup Greek style plain yogurt 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup buttermilk 3 T mayonnaise 1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 1 tsp. Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp. onion powder or finely chopped onion 1/4 tsp. …

  Talk about easy—no waiting for butter to soften (or remembering to take it out of the refrigerator the night before), or assembling an armful of ingredients, or dragging out the mixer—this recipe for moist and tasty muffins is so easy it can be made on a weekday with plenty of time to get the family off to work and school. Banana Nut Muffins makes 12 muffins  3 large or 4 medium ripe bananas, smashed 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine, cooled slightly 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 Tbsp espresso or strong coffee (optional) 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking …

  The column this week is dedicated to my two colleagues Bree and Jessie who are obsessed with all things French, including Nutella crepes! These are pretty easy to make. You might as well plan on having the first two crepes look so-so after you get the knack of swirling the batter in the pan and flipping them. It takes a bit of practice. These are sweet crepes and are great for use as a dessert crepe or for breakfast filled with Nutella, the hazelnut spread, or any high-quality preserve. If you want to make a savory crepe and fill it with things such as veggies and cheese, or chicken or crab…

  Please welcome guest writer/cook Pem McNerney this week! I've never been a fan of omelets. Making a great omelet, particularly early in the morning for breakfast, is just too much work. Unless it's made by someone with good technique and sufficient patience, it can end up dried out on the outside with undercooked, runny ingredients within. That's why my go-to choice for breakfast is scrambled eggs. To make great scrambled eggs, you just have to remember two things: use gentle heat pull the eggs off of the heat just as soon as they stop being runny If you're adding cheese, add the cheese in …

  If you made a big pot of corned beef for St. Patrick's day, hopefully you have some leftovers. This make-in-a-flash hot appetizer is like a reuben sandwich. It's hot, yummy, and easy to serve to just a couple of friends or a crowd. "Reuben Sandwich" Hot Appetizer about 1 cup of chopped cooked corned beef one 14.4 oz. can of sauerkraut, drained and rinsed 1 bottle (8 fl. oz.) of Russian dressing 1 cup of shredded swiss cheese In an oven-safe dish, spread out the corned beef, and top with the sauerkraut, dressing, and cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes until hot and …

  What is more traditional than corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day? Ahh...I can't think of anything. Try this classic recipe and serve it with horseradish sauce for a new kick. And Irish Soda Bread is a nice accompaniment for the whole meal and for breakfast the next day. Next week look for an awesome dip recipe using leftover corned beef. Classic Corned Beef & Cabbage Serves about 6 3-4 large onions - you need one cup diced and the remainder in large chunks 10 medium carrots - you need one cup diced and the remainder in large chunks 3 pounds corned beef brisket, spiced or unspiced…

  Even though it is called "Irish Soda Bread," this isn't a traditional bread recipe that involves yeast, multiple risings and lots of kneading. It's a pretty easy recipe. Sometimes it can be a tad bland, so you need to add some punch. I saw Ina Garten from the Barefoot Contessa add orange zest to her recipe on her show. That really makes a difference. She doesn't add caraway seeds to hers, but I do as I like their unique flavor. You can use currants or raisins in this recipe. I like to bake my Irish Soda Bread in a 9" x 9" brownie pan. It can be baked in a round pie plate as well so it can …

  We know the winter has been really mild (as I write this it is 57 degrees on a February afternoon) but Connecticut still isn't California or Florida. Fresh fruit is out of season and those available at the grocery store are quite pricey. When I came across this recipe from Great American Home Baking for a cobbler that uses canned peaches and apricots, I was a bit skeptical. Would it really be good? It is. PS: if my 10-year old nephew and 14-year old niece are any indication, kids of all ages will love this dessert. Wintertime Fruit Cobbler Serves about 6 For the filling: 1/2 cup sugar 2 T …

Making your own granola, which can be used as hot oatmeal cereal, is easy, fun and manageable on your wallet. The best part is you control what goes into your cereal - not the manufacturer. Do you like raisins and almonds but dislike coconut? No problem.  Do you love coconut but hate nuts? Again, no problem. You add what you like to your recipe. You can also adjust the level of sweetness (none, a little, major) to your own preferences or those of your family's. Speaking of families, this is a fun kitchen project for kids. They can customize their own cereal and make it their own. Just store …

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and although it's always nice to go out to a restaurant for a special dinner, it can be just as romantic to have dinner at home, just the two of you. Set the mood and make it special as this will be no ordinary Tuesday night!: Use your best china, cloth napkins and fanciest wine glasses Set an elegant table for two - how about in front of the fireplace? Have a pretty vase of flowers on the table and light some candles Dim the lights Play a romantic C.D. of love songs, soft jazz or your favorite songs for background music Here's a special four-course …

Looking for an easy appetizer for Super Bowl Sunday that you can make ahead of time? This recipe for shrimp mousse fits the bill. It may sound fancy, but it is easy to make. Shrimp Mousse serves about 10 1 envelope Knox plain gelatin ¼ cup water 1 can cream of shrimp or cream of tomato soup, undiluted 1 -  4 oz. pkg. cream cheese ¼ cup finely chopped onion ¼ cup finely chopped celery 1 carrot, shredded ½ cup mayonnaise 1 can (3.5 oz.) tiny shrimp, drained Chopped fresh herbs such as chives and parsley, for color, or a few shakes of dried herbs. Mix gelatin and cold water in a cup and set …

This is the easiest (and one of the tastiest) dips to make for any event.  Serve it with an assortment of raw vegetables, chips, and crackers. Georgia's Shrimp Dip 1 can small shrimp, drained, or about 1 cup chopped cooked shrimp 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 small onion, minced 1/2 jar of a 12 oz. chili sauce such as Heinz 1 T fresh lemon juice Combine all the ingredients until well mixed. Chill for several hours or the day before serving.

Slow-cookers (or Crockpots) work best when you can add your ingredients to the pot, walk away for several hours, and return to a delicious meal. This chili recipe, perfect for Super Bowl Sunday, has all the right ingredients to make it a great choice for the slow-cooker and for cheering on your favorite team. Smoky Brisket Chili Serves 8 1 cup low-sodium beef broth 2 T cornstarch, mixed well with 3 T of beef broth so there are no lumps 1 cup dark beer or regular beer 1 T cider vinegar 2 T tomato paste 2 T molasses 2 T chili powder 1 T smoked paprika 3/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 2 lbs. flat-…

Want to mix things up a bit for Super Bowl Sunday? Serve your family and guests a chicken and white bean chili.  The flavors are bright and fresh and offer a nice alternative or second choice to a beef and bean chili if you are hosting a big party! I can't promise that your favorite team will win, but I can promise that this chili is just as tasty as beef chili. Chicken and White Bean Chili serves 8 1 T olive oil 1 large onion or two medium, chopped 2-3 garlic cloves, minced 8 chicken breast halves (about 3 1/2 lbs.) skinned and boned, cut into small, bite-size pieces 3 cups water or chicken …

So it’s the Patriots vs. the Giants on February 5. What better to serve than a piping hot pot of chili for two or a crowd? Even though the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t make the Super bowl, this would be a hit at half-time for any football fan. It is an out-of-the-ordinary chili, but one I believe is a real winner in the taste department. You add unsweetened chocolate and a drawer-full of spices to the chili which makes it sweet, hot, and savory. I know it sounds odd – but it is a great-tasting chili. The Cincinnati Five-Way Chili is served as follows: in a big rimmed bowl or plate place a …

In my opinion, chili is ideal to serve during the Super Bowl: it's hot, nourishing, can be made the day before, and is easy to keep warm on the stove so the cook won't miss even a minute of the game or the commercials! I saw several great chili recipes in a recent issue of Family Circle magazine. I tweaked this one a bit, but did not change one very special ingredient: smoked paprika.  Thinking that a small spice jar of smoked paprika would be really expensive, I was surprised to see the Badia brand for $1.69 at ShopRite in Clinton. You will be rewarded by the huge amount of flavor it adds to…

The wonderful aroma of these muffins baking on a Sunday morning is guaranteed to get everyone in the family out of bed! This recipe comes from a 1993 Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library cookbook called Muffins & Quick Breads. All of the recipes in the cookbook are great, but this one is especially good. If there are any leftovers, these muffins stay moist for a few days. The only thing to remember is to take out your butter the night before so it is at room temperature and soft. This recipe is also a great way to use bananas that are getting too soft. Banana-Bran Muffins 1 cup flour 1 cup wheat …

I love receiving great cooking tips from other cooks, friends and relatives. So many of the little shortcuts I use every day I've received from someone else, or from reading one of my cooking magazines or cookbooks. If you have a great tip that makes your time in the kitchen faster and easier or makes your recipes come out perfect every time, we want to know about it! Please share them with our Patch readers by posting a comment at the end of this article Kitchen Tips & Shortcuts Buy a roll of parchment paper – it lasts a long time and really stops things from sticking or burning.  I use it …

If you like an easy-to-prepare, flavorful cake that is rich and moist (even days after it is baked) and requires no frosting, here's the cake for you. Swedes call it Bruna Pepparkaka (also spelled Pepparkakor or -kaker) which loosely translated means brown gingerbread cake.  This is not to be confused with the thin ginger cookies which are also called Pepparkaka. The cake is traditionally baked in a small to medium-size Bundt style ring-shaped pan.  The fun part, of course, is finding the perfect pan. My husband's mother and aunts all have the perfect pan - not too big and not too small. They…

This chicken and white bean chili recipe comes from a chili throwdown (cookoff) contest I attended earlier this year at The Morgan School. Five culinary students each made a different chili.  All were delicious and one was judged overall best by a panel of judges. I've been wanting to make this recipe by Jeremiah Gibbs' ever since.  The chicken and white bean make this a refreshing change from any type of beef and red bean chili.  The flavors are bright and fresh. Chicken and White Bean Chili serves about 8 1 T olive oil 1 large onion or two medium, chopped 2-3 garlic cloves, minced 8 chicken…