Nancy's Simple Cheese Dip

• 8 oz. shredded Mexican Mix cheese
• ½  onion
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup lite mayonnaise 

1. Place all the ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend, stopping to stir to redistribute every 30 seconds.
3. Repeat this process for the next 4 minutes.
4. Scoop into a dish, cover, and refrigerate.
5. Chill for an hour.
6. Serve with crackers, chips, veggie crudités, or crunchy snacks  Enjoy.

Baked Vidalias with Morels

• 4 Vidalia onions
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 package dried morels (rehydrated)
• 2 oz. white chardonnay
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ½  teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 ounces water

1. Spray four pieces of aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Peel and wash the Vidalia onions.
3. Scoop a triangle from the top  to make a cavity for the morels.
4. Spray the onions with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Wrap each onion separately on one sheet of the cooking foil, shiny side touching the onion.
6. Bake in 450 degree onion for 35 minutes.
7. While baking the onions, make the morel mixture by sautéing the rehydrated morels in olive oil, stirring often. Towards the end of browning, the minced minced garlic (I used the kind  in a jar that is refrigerated).
8. When browned to your taste, add  two ounces white chardonnay and reduce, stirring frequently. 
9. When the wine has been reduced, add 4 tablespoons of butter to the mixture and stir until melted. 
10. Remove onions from the oven. 
11. Open the foil and brush the sugar water mixture on each onion. 
12. Place the onions, still on the foil, but not covered, on a pizza pan. 
13. Return to oven and start with browning for 10 minutes.  Check to see if you like the color, and return to oven if not quite brown enough suit you.  When the browning suits you, remove.
14. Divide the morel mixture that among the cavities of the four baked onions. 
15. Serve and enjoy!

Nancy's Crumbleburgers

• 1 lb. ground chuck
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
• 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
• 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard

1. In a Dutch oven or skillet, cook on high heat the ground chuck with the water, stirring constantly with a fork.  
2. After all the meat is cooked and finely separated (about 5 minutes), add the onion powder, bouillon powder, dill pickle juice and yellow mustard. 
3. Stir until well mixed. 
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes allowing the mixture to steam. 
5. Put the meat mixture on buns and serve with condiments.  Purists will tell you that the original sandwich is really never served with ketchup, and it is traditional to have chopped onions, pickles and mustard.  However, I now see that their menu has ketchup listed on its menu. Since this recipe is only my best guess of the original, purism is not really an issue.  
6. This is a good way to use up extra hot dog buns, too.

Nancy's Potsticker Dipping Sauce

4 ounces teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

½ teaspoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon chopped green onions

Combine the ingredients and serve with potstickers   (I used Yum Yum brand.) Enjoy!

Nancy's Potato Leek Soup

This is a really quick soup for when you are in a hurry.  

• 2 leeks
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon crystals
• 6 cups water
• 4 potatoes, peeled and sliced
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 cups cold milk

1. Clean the leeks. Cut the root end off and also again about 4 inches from the root.  Use only this lighter colored portion of the leeks.  Slice lengthwise then crosswise to chop
2. Under low heat,melt the butter or margarine and saute the leeks in a pot big enough to make soup.
3. Add the chicken bouillon crystals, water, sliced potatoes, and pepper.
4. Bring mixture to a slow boil stirring frequently.  Cook until the potatoes are tender (about 12 minutes).
5. In a deep container for mixing,  place the flour.  Add 1 cup of cold milk a tiny bit at a time, stirring after each addition to make a paste without lumps. 
6. Add the milk/flour mixture to the potato leek mixture, stirring constantly. 
7. And another cup of milk.
8. Continue to heat approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently, so the soup does not scorch.
9. Serve and enjoy.

Millionaire Shortbread

This recipe was stolen blatantly and adapted from the old people’s magazine, AARP.  A British concoction, these squares reflect on the complex of layers of life—the salty caramel  paired with  the sweetness of the chocolate.  I am so glad that we get the old people’s magazine (and we have been getting it for a while, since we turned 50, I think).  Anyway, these cookies are required a bit work, but not overwhelmingly so and are so WORTH it!

Shopping list:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (it didn’t say to, but I sifted it)
• 1 pound butter (in 4 sticks)
• 1 ½  cups packed light-brown sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla divided
• ¼  cup light corn syrup
• 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 12 ounce package of milk chocolate chips

Shortbread layer:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Butter the bottom and sides of a 9” x 13” inch glass baking dish.

To make shortbread, measure the flour, ½ cup of the brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon of the salt into the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until mixed.

Add 1 cup (two sticks) of the butter in chunks and pulse until roughly mixed.

Add ½ teaspoon of the vanilla.  Continue to process until the dough begins to for a ball.  Remove from the process and press evenly over the bottom of the pan.

Bake 20 minutes.  Turn dish so that it browns evenly.  Bake another 15 minutes.  Remove the dish and let cool.

Caramel Layer:

Melt the remaining 1 cup butter (2 sticks) over low heat.  Stir in the remaining 1 cup of brown sugar, the corn syrup, and the condensed milk.  Raise heat to medium-low.  Bring to boil, stirring constantly for 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Pour evenly over the shortbread.  Let cool.

Chocolate Layer:

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave on high.  Stir after every minute until the chips are all melted.

Pour the chocolate over the caramel layer and spread evenly over it.  Let cool. Once the dish is somewhat cool, you might even refrigerate it to make them easier to handle until they are cut.  Cut and enjoy.

Nancy's Grilled Ham Asparagus Wraps

•  1 bunch tender young asparagus
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ pound very thin sliced ham.
• 1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese.

1. Cut woody ends off washed spears.
2. Put the spears in a ziplock bag.
3. Add olive oil, pepper, garlic, salt, and lemon juice. 
4. Close the bag and shake well, making sure that the spears are evenly coated.
5. Let spears marinate for several hours if possible. 
6. Put spears on a grill pan that has holes in them.
7. Grill 10 minutes or until browned.
8. Remove spears from grill with tongs and wrap each two spears with slices of ham.
9. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
10. Return to ham wrapped spears to grill and grill about 5 minutes more.

Serve and enjoy.