[Gwenny]

I have decided to start a thread of recipes that I have found, that have been passed on to me, and things I've discovered...

The first recipe is my version of
Chicken Pesto Pizza.

* 10 oz. of skinless, boneless chicken breasts
* Italian Dressing
* 12-inch baked pizza crust
* 6 oz. prepared pesto
* 6 oz. jar of artichoke hearts drained
* 4 oz. sliced black olives
* 1 1/2 cups shredded fontina or mozzarella cheese or mixed
* Parmesan cheese grated
* Optional: Red Peppers, Sun Dried Tomatos, Green Onions, and Mushrooms

Method

Marinate chicken breasts in Italian dressing for 1 hour. Drain; discard marinade. Grill chicken breasts for 8 to 10 minutes per side (until juices run clear.) Slice chicken thinly. Preheat oven to 425. Spread pizza crust with pesto to cover. Sprinkle sliced black olives and artichoke hearts over pesto. Sprinkle chicken slices on pizza. Cover pizza with shredded cheese (more or less may be added as preferred). Bake pizza in oven on pizza stone for 10-12 minutes, just until cheese has melted over toppings. After baking top with parmesan cheese.

Pesto Sauce:

3 cloves garlic

2 cups fresh basil leaves

3 tablespoons pine nuts (pignolia)

1 dash salt and pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated

Add the garlic to the food processor and mince. Next, add the basil leaves, pine nuts, and a dash of salt and pepper to the bowl of the processor. While the processor is running, slowly drizzle in olive oil through the feed tube until all the ingredients are pureed.

You may need to stop the processor at this point and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula to get every mixed together. Now add Parmesan cheese and mix it into the rest of the mixture. If the pesto is too thick, add a tablespoon of water.

Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use it. This should keep for 2 - 3 days in the fridge but freezes well if you want to keep it longer.

I found these recipes online and just combined about 7 or 8 until I found the perfect combo.

[Gwenny]

Valeries Meatloaf (My mom's name)
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1 cup BBQ Sauce
1 cup oatmeal
2 eggs
1 tablespoon onion flakes

Mix all ingredients. Put in a 3 quart casserole dish. Spread extra BBQ sauce over top. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Makes 8 servings.

This is the only meatloaf I will eat. The BBQ sauce makes meatloaf edible.

[Gwenny]

Beef Brisket

Mix:
4 T brown sugar
12 oz. Pineapple Juice
1 pkg of French onion soup (dry soup mix)

1. In the morning, place the brisket in a a roasting pan with the fat side up.
2. Pour the mixture over the meat and cover with foil. Refrigerate all day and DO NOT OPEN AGAIN.
3. In the evening, bake at 325 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.
4 Turn off the oven at the end of 2 1/2 hours. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR.
5. The next morning, slice the meat across the grain and return to the roasting pan and sauce. Refrigerate uncovered.
6. Before serving, seal pan tightly with foil and bake in oven for 350 degrees at 30 minutes.
(I have also put into the crock pot to heat it through, especially if I am taking it somewhere to share or if I'd adjusted my starting times to have at a noon meal).

Make sure to give yourself enough time. This recipe is probably some of the best beef I've ever had. It is so juicy and succulent. Seriously. If you're willing to take the effort to make it you won't be disappointed.

[Gwenny]

Harry and David’s Red Pepper Onion Relish (Knockoff)

6 cups tomatoes, skinned, diced and drained
6 large red peppers diced (I used multiple colors from garden)
8 cups sugar
2 TBSP salt
2 small boxes pectin
3 cups white vinegar
1 tsp ground red pepper
2 jalapenos seeded and diced
3 large onions diced (gives a little spiciness)
1. Mix all ingredients together, except pectin and bring to a boil.
2. Turn down and simmer for 2 - 2 1/2 hours until thickened
3. Whisk in the 2 boxes of pectin and boil for 1 minute.
4. Pour into sterile jars
5. Process in pressure canner at #11 for 15 minutes
Notes

I increased the peppers and the ground red. I actually used scotch hots and it still lost some of the heat in the canning process. This always happens to me! Go ahead and be a little generous on the heat because it seems to leave the product after canning. Also, in using the 8 cups of sugar, you need the hot pepper to balance out the sweet.

It seems like a long time to cook but it makes a beautiful transformation from orange/red to a deep jewel ruby red. It is necessary to cook it the 2 hours because it becomes thick (unlike fresh salsa that stays thin).

Recipe reads that it makes about 7 pints. Not sure about that since I increased the vegetables. I would can in jelly jars because one mixed with 2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese was plenty of dip.

I did not pressure can. I water-boiled for 10 minutes. They all set up perfectly.

It was a success. Tasted great, just wish it was a little spicier. I added cayenne to my cream cheese mixture.

ENJOY!!!!