Cake Mix Toffee Bars

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
6 Tblsp butter, melted
2 10-oz. bags chocolate toffee bits
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray.

3. Combine cake mix, butter and egg. Press into the bottom of the dish.

4. Sprinkle toffee bits on top.

5. Pour condensed milk evenly over toffee bits.

6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, and cool completely before cutting.

Thin Crust Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
olive oil or melter butter, to brush on the crust

Preparation:
1. Place a baking sheet in the oven, and heat to 500°F while you make the dough.

2. Pour the water into a bowl and stir in the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the water, stirring only slightly, and let stand until the yeast is dissolved and foamy, about 5 minutes.

3. Mix in the flour and salt with the yeast using a wooden spoon until floury, shaggy dough forms.

4. Turn the dough out on a work surface and knead until it forms a smooth, slightly tacky ball that springs back when you poke it, about 5 to 8 minutes. If the dough sticks to your hands, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it's easier to work with; but avoid adding too much flour, if possible.

5. Cover the dough lightly and set aside for about ten minutes.

6. Divide the dough into two parts. Roll each part into a thin layer of crust, 1/4" thick or less. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for five minutes, and then try rolling again.

7. Remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven, and place it upside down. Transfer the dough directly onto the upside down baking sheet, then brush with the oil or melted butter. Spread on pizza sauce and add toppings and cheese. Keep toppings light, as crust is thin.

8. Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and browned in spots, about five to eight minutes.

NOTE: Dough can be allowed to rise or be refrigerated to give it more flavor and a crackling crust. Dough will expand in the refrigerator, so be sure to place it in a much larger container for storing.

Tabouleh

Ingredients:

2/3 cup bulgur wheat

½ cup boiling water

1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

½ cup olive oil

½ tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 bunches of fresh parsley (4 cups)

1 bunch green onions (2/3 cup)

4 Roma tomatoes (1 ½ cup)

2 Tblsp minced garlic

Preparation:

1.    Put wheat in a bowl. Pour boiling water over it. Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir and set aside for 1 hour.

2.    Thoroughly rinse parsley and dry (use a salad spinner for ease).

3.    Line up parsley leaves and chop finely. Only chop the very tender and small parsley stems. Discard lower portions of stems with no leaves. DO NOT USE A FOOD PROCESSOR.

4.    De-seed the tomatoes and finely dice.

5.    Finely chop the onion, white bottoms and 2/3 of the green part. Discard the upper portion of the green part.

6.    After an hour, check to make sure wheat is tender. Once tender, mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and stir gently.

7.    Add salt and pepper to taste.

NOTE: Can add finely chopped mint and cucumber, if desired.

Jack's Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• Cheesecake:
• Butter, for coating the pan
• 2 bricks of cream cheese (not low fat)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tblsp cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed preferred)
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 3 large eggs + 1 yolk
• 
  
• Crust (can double if you want a thicker crust):
• 12 large graham crackers
• 5 Tblsp unsalted butter

• Equipment:
• 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan
• Aluminum foil
• Food processor
• Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Spatula
• Roasting pan or other dish big enough to hold the springform pan

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven and warm the cream cheese. Arrange a rack in the lower-middle position of the oven and heat to 350°F. Take the blocks of cream cheese out of their boxes and let them come to room temperature on the counter while you prepare the crust, about 30 minutes.

2. Coat the pan with butter. Use your fingers to coat a small pat of butter all over the bottom and sides of a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan.

3. Wrap the pan in foil. Cut 2 large pieces of foil and place them on your work surface on top of each other in a cross. Set the springform pan in the middle and fold the edges of the foil up and around the sides of the pan. The foil gives you extra protection against water getting into the pan during the water bath step.

4. Prepare the crust. Crush the graham crackers in a food processor (or in a bag using a rolling pin) until they form fine crumbs — you should have 1 1/2 to 2 cups. Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stovetop and mix this into the graham cracker crumbs. The mixture should look like wet sand and hold together in a clump when you press it in your fist. If not, add extra tablespoons of water (one a time) until the mixture holds together. Transfer it into the springform pan and use the bottom of a glass to press it evenly into the bottom.

5. Bake the crust. Place the crust in the oven (be careful not to tear the foil). Bake until the crust is fragrant and just starting to brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Let the crust cool on a cooling rack while you prepare the filling.

6. Mix the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Place the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture is creamy, like thick frosting, and no lumps of cream cheese remain. Scrape down the beater and the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

7. Mix in the sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until combined and creamy. Scrape down the beater and sides of the bowl with a spatula.

8. Mix in the eggs and yolk one at a time. With the mixer on medium-low speed, beat in the eggs and the yolk one at a time. Wait until the previous egg is just barely mixed into the batter before adding the next one. At first, the mixture will look clumpy and broken, but it will come together as the eggs are worked in.

9. Stir a few times by hand. Scrape down the beater and sides of the bowl with a spatula. Stir the whole batter a few times by hand, being sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl, to make sure everything is incorporated. The finished batter should be thick, creamy and silky. Don't worry if you see a few specks of un-mixed cream cheese here and there; they will melt into the batter during baking and won't affect the finished cheesecake.

10. Pour the batter over the cooled crust. Check to make sure the crust and the sides of the pan are cool — if they're cool enough to comfortably touch, you can go on. Pour the batter over the cooled crust and spread it into an even layer.

11. Transfer the pan to the water bath. Transfer the pan to a roasting pan or other baking dish big enough to hold it. Bring a few cups of water to a boil and pour the water into the roasting pan, being careful not to splash any water onto the cheesecake. Fill the pan to about an inch, or just below the lowest edge of foil.

12. Bake the cheesecake. Bake the cheesecake for 50 to 60 minutes. Cakes baked in a 10-inch pan will usually cook in 50 to 55 minutes; cakes in a 9-inch pan will cook in 55 to 60 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the outer two to three inches look slightly puffed and set, but the inner circle still jiggles (like Jell-O) when you gently shake the pan. Some spots of toasted golden color are fine, but if you see any cracks starting to form, move on to the next step right away.

13. Cool the cheesecake in the oven. Leave the cheesecake in the oven. Turn off the oven and crack the door open or prop it oven with a wooden spoon. Let the cheesecake cool slowly for 1 hour.

14. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and cool the cake completely.Remove the cheesecake from the oven and from the water bath, unwrap the foil, and transfer it to a cooling rack. Run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to make sure it's not sticking to the sides (which can cause cracks as it cools). Let the cheesecake cool completely on the rack.

15. Chill the cheesecake for 4 hours in the refrigerator. Chill the cheesecake, uncovered, for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days in the refrigerator. This step is crucial for letting the cheesecake set and achieving perfect cheesecake texture — don't rush it.

Baked Kibbeh

Ingredients:
3 Tblsp cinnamon
4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp marjarom
1/2 tsp cumin
6 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1/2 stick of unsalted butter, or 2 Tblsp ghee
1 1/2 cups bulgur wheat (not coarse)
3 cups boiling water
3 lbs lean ground chuck, separated
2 large onions, separated
8 Tblsp Lebanese Spice Mix, separated
1/4 cup pine nuts

        Lebanese Spice Mix will use the following (makes ~8 Tblsp, enough for entire recipe):
        3 Tblsp cinnamon
        4 tsp nutmeg
        1 tsp allspice
        1 tsp marjarom
        1/2 tsp cumin
        4 tsp salt
        2 tsp pepper
        

        Meat base mixture will use the following:
        1 1/2 cups bulgur wheat 
        3 cups boiling water
        2 lbs lean ground chuck
        1 large onion, grated
        6 Tblsp Lebanese Spice Mix
        

        Meat filling mixture will use the following:
        2 Tblsp ghee        

        1/4 cup pine nuts
        1 lb lean ground chuck
        1 onion, chopped

        2 Tblsp Lebanese Spice Mix

Preparation:
1. Grate/chop all onions. Separate and set aside portions for meat base and meat filling.

2. Mix together cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, marjoram, cumin, salt and pepper in a bowl to form the Lebanese Spice Mix.

3. Make the ghee, if necessary, by slowly cooking 1/2 stick of unsalted butter until it foams twice and turns a golden color, with brown milk proteins separated out into the bottom. Strain proteins out to yield 2 Tblsp of ghee for the recipe.

4. Put ghee in skillet and heat.

5. Add meat filling ingredients of ground chuck, onion, pine nuts and spices.

6. Chop meat up while cooking, until it is crumbly. Cook until meat is done, then set aside to cool.

7. Set 3 cups water to boil.

8. While water is boiling, put wheat in a large bowl.

9. Cover wheat with boiling water and stir. Cover bowl with a plate and let stand for ten minutes.

10. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

11. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.

12. Put 2 lbs of the ground chuck (meat base) into a food processor, and pulse until it forms a paste.

13. Put pulsed (paste) meat into a large bowl. Add meat base portion of the onion and 6 Tblsp. of the Lebanese Spice Mix.

14. Drain off all water from the wheat, once the ten minutes is up.

15. Add the wheat to the meat paste, onions and spice mix.

16. Using hands, mix meat base mixture ingredients completely, until all wheat, spices and onion are evenly distributed.

17. Take half of meat base mixture and press into baking dish evenly and smoothly.

18. Spread the cooked filling mixture over the bottom layer of meat base mixture.

19. Top filling layer with remaining meat base mixture, smoothing it evenly over the top and pressing down to seal. Wet hands if necessary to achieve a smooth top.

20. Slice kibbeh diagonally, forming diamonds. Be sure to slice all the way through to the bottom of the pan.

21. Bake until loaf is fully cooked, about 35 minutes in a convection oven, 40-45 minutes in a standard oven.

Low-Carb Mozzarella Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tblsp butter or olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 onion, diced
6 Tblsp minced garlic (adjust to taste)

2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes

2 cans crushed tomatoes

1/2 small can tomato paste

2 Tblsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preparation:

1. Use a meat tenderizer or needler to flatten chicken breasts. Cut in half, if needed, based on size of breasts.

2. Salt and pepper both sides of chicken breasts.  

3. Saute chicken breasts in skillet until completely cooked through. Set aside.

4. In same skillet, saute onion until clear, then add garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes.

5. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings. Stir until combined. Bring to a simmer so that sauce thickens some.

6. If smooth sauce is desired, pulse ingredients in food processor or blender.

7. Spread a little of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish. Arrange chicken breasts in the dish on top of sauce.

8. Top chicken with remaining sauce, then sprinkle with cheese.

9. Place in oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn to broil to brown cheese, if desired.

10. Serve with noodles or thinly sliced and sauted yellow squash.