Strawberry Shortcake by Geisel Nye

Serves 12

Ingredients:

1 25oz bag frozen 12 Buttermilk Biscuits (Grands)

1 Cup Unsalted Butter, melted

½ Cup plus 2 Tbls Sugar

4 Cups Strawberries, hulled and sliced (Substitute frozen sliced strawberries)

2 Cups Heavy Cream, whipped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl combine sliced strawberries and sugar.

3. Line a jelly-roll (10x15) pan with parchment paper. Dip frozen biscuits in melted butter and sugar then place 1” apart on prepared pan.

4. Bake biscuits according to package directions.

5. Place heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment. Whip cream to stiff peaks.

To assemble:

Split biscuits in half, spoon on strawberries and top with a dollop of whipped cream.

Here's the refrigerated Grands biscuits version of the strawberry shortcake dish:
(FYI, Suprisingly the frozen biscuits taste MUCH better.)

Brown Butter Steamed Green Beans by Geisel Nye

Serve 4-6

Ingredients:

1 16 oz pkg of frozen whole Green Beans

¼ Cup Unsalted Butter

Salt & Pepper

¼ Cup toasted walnut, pecans or almonds (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat butter in small pan over medium heat. Once butter is melted the foamy milk solids will begin to toast. The melted butter will darken and look like the color of maple syrup. This takes about 7 minutes.

2. Place frozen green beans in a microwave safe casserole dish with a lid. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and cover with lid. Steam green beans in microwave on high for 5 minutes.

3. Add brown butter to green beans tossing to coat. Place lid on casserole and microwave for another 2 minutes on high or until green beans are done to your liking.

Here's a great video on youtube I found that reminds you how to brown the butter:

Sweet Potato Casserole

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 large 40 oz can Sweet Potatoes, drained and mashed

¼ Cup Sugar

½ tsp Vanilla

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

¼ tsp Salt

2 Eggs, beaten

¼ Cup Milk

Topping:

½ Cup All-Purpose

2 Tbls Brown Sugar

2 Tbls Unsalted Butter, melted

¼ Cup Pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients until well blended.

3. Butter and 9X9 baking dish or 1 Qt casserole dish. Pour sweet potato mixture into prepared dish.

4. In a medium size bowl add topping ingredients and mix with a fork until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly on top of sweet potatoes and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and sides of the pan are bubbly.

Here's a different version of sweet potato casserole:
(You can adjust your sweet potato casserole to your family needs...
gluten-free, sugar free, low calorie, etc.)

Roast Chicken Gravy by Geisel Nye

Ingredients:

Roast Chicken pan drippings

2-4 Tbls All-Purpose Flour

2 Cups Chicken Broth, heated to warm

½ tsp Thyme or whatever herbs you like (rosemary, tarragon, flat leaf parsley, sage) or a combination of all.

1 Tbls Lemon juice

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Carefully lift foil from jelly roll pan and add drippings to medium size sauce pan.

2. Turn heat to medium and add 2 Tbls of flour and cook about 1 minute. Depending amount of pan drippings, you may need to adjust and add more flour 1 Tbls at a time. You want it to look like a dry paste before adding warm chicken broth.

3. Add warmed chicken broth slowly whisking to combine until smooth. Turn heat to high, boil and thicken.
Note: adding warm broth it ensures a lump free gravy.

4. Add thyme or whatever herbs you like and lemon juice. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper.

In this Youtube video I found it reminds you about the basics to use pan drippings to make delicious gravy:

Roast Chicken Breast by Geisel Nye

4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

4 whole bone-in, skin on, Chicken breasts

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees

2. Rinse chicken breast and trim off excess fat but make sure you keep enough to cover breasts as they roast. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.

3. Line a jelly roll (10x15) pan with heavy duty foil. Place chicken breasts skin side up on pan making sure no pieces are touching. Drizzle chicken with olive oil and sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper all over the top of chicken.

4. Roast chicken uncovered in 425 degree oven for 45 minutes or until chicken registers to 165 degrees internal temp. Depending on the size of the chicken breasts you may need to increase your cooking time 5 minutes. The chicken should look golden brown and internal juices should be clear. The skin acts as a baster to ensure a nice juicy piece of chicken. The skin may be peeled off and discarded before serving to your guests.

5. Allow chicken to rest, covered for 10 minutes before serving.

6. Chicken may be served with gravy, bbq sauce, honey mustard sauce or cooled and served as chicken salad.

EASY Strawberry Lemonade by Geisel Nye

Yield: 1 Gallon

Ingredients:

Countrytime Lemonade (or pink lemonade)

2 Cups frozen or fresh Strawberries

½ Cup Sugar

Directions:

1. In a blender combine strawberries and sugar and puree until smooth. Make sure the strawberries are thawed before blending.

2. Mix lemonade according to package directions in a gallon size pitcher. Add strawberry puree and stir to combine.

Note: Strawberry puree can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 1 month.

Snickerdoodles

Yield: 60 cookies

Ingredients:

3 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour

½ tsp Baking Soda

½ tsp Cream of Tartar

1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened

2 Cups Sugar

2 Eggs

¼ Cup Milk

1 Tbls Vanilla

Topping

3 Tbls Sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (Substitute a bowl and heavy duty electric hand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and light in color. 

3. Add eggs, milk and vanilla and combine until creamy and no streaks remain.

4. Gently add dry ingredients and thoroughly combine dough.  Be careful not to OVERMIX.

5. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for 1-2 hours.  Dough can also be placed in a plastic tub and refrigerated for 2 weeks or frozen for 2 months.

6. When ready to bake preheat oven to 375 and line pans with parchment paper.  Combine cinnamon and sugar in small bowl.  Scoop cookies out with a medium size scoop to ensure cookies will all be the same size. Roll cookies to coat in sugar mixture and place on parchment lined cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.

7. Gently press down cookies to flatten slightly and bake for 8-12 minutes or until cookies are cooked through.  Test one cookie first and adjust baking time as needed.

Mexican Rice (recipe by Geisel Nye)

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

2 Cups Long Grain or Basmati Rice

½ Cup or 1 stick of Unsalted Butter

2 pks Sazon Goya Seasoning Coriander & Annatto

4 Cups of Low Sodium Chicken Broth

1 Cup of Pico De Gallo

Directions:

1. In a medium size pot with a lid, melt butter over medium high heat. Add rice and seasoning packets. 

2. Toast rice for about 5 minutes until golden brown and nutty smelling.

3. Turn heat up to high and add 4 cups of chicken broth.  Place lid on pot and let rice come to a full boil.  DO NOT LIFT LID. DO NOT NEED TO STIR.

4. Once rice has come to a full boil reduce heat to low and set a timer for 20 minutes. 

5. Once timer goes off, fluff the rice with a fork and serve as is or add 1 cup of chopped fresh green onions, cilantro, or pico de gallo.

Guacamole (recipe by Geisel Nye)

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

5 Ripe Avocados

2 Limes, juiced

2-3 Cups of Pico de Gallo

Directions:

1. Slice avocados in half around the pit and separate. Remove seed and discard.  Cut slits in avocado in cross hatch sections.  Turn avocado skin inside out and scrape off chunks of cubed avocado into mixing bowl.

2. Squeeze fresh lime juice on avocados and roughly mash the ripe avocados.  Fold in Pico de Gallo until thoroughly combined.

3. Taste and season as desired with salt and pepper.  Cover with plastic wrap directly over the top of guacamole and refrigerate an hour before serving.

Pico de Gallo (recipe by Geisel Nye)

Yield: 2 Cups

Ingredients:

4 Ripe Tomatoes, chopped (Substitute 1 large carton of grape tomatoes)

¼ of 1 large Red Onion, chopped

1 Jalapeno, minced

¼ of one bunch of cilantro, chopped

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Lime, juiced

½ tsp salt, adjust to taste

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients together. Toss thoroughly.  Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Fajitas (recipe by Geisel Nye)

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

Marinade (Mojo)

1 Orange, juiced or ¾ of a cup of orange juice from a bottle

2 Limes, juiced or ½ Cup of lime juice from a bottle

4 Tbls of Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1-3 Chipotle Chilies in adobo sauce (depending on how hot you want it)

3 Tbls Cilantro, roughly chopped

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Salt

1 Whole Flank Steak, cut into thirds (Can Substitute with Chicken)

2 Red Bell Peppers

2 Green Peppers

1 Large Purple Onion, or whatever onions you like

12 Flour Tortillas

Directions:

1. In a blender combine all marinade ingredients, puree until smooth. 

2. Place Flank Steak (or Chicken) in a large gallon size zip lock plastic bag.  Pour marinade over meat and seal bag shut. 

3. Massage bag gently to make sure meat is well coated.  Place bag on a dish incase it leaks, and refrigerate for 2-4 hours for steak (refrigerate for 15 minutes for chicken)

4. In a large, lightly oiled fry pan, preheat on high.  Drain meat and season with salt and pepper,  grill meat for 7 minutes on each side or until done to your liking.  Depending on the size of your pan you may need to do this in batches. (Can also be grilled on an outdoor grill over high heat)

5. Transfer meat to a cutting board and allow to rest 10 minutes.  A MUST or you will be mopping up all that yummy juice off your counter.

6. While meat is resting, slice peppers and onions and toss to coat with olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.

7. In same grill pan, grill onions and peppers until just barely limp about 7 minutes.

8. While peppers and onions are cooking, heat up flour tortillas in a microwave 1 minute, covered with damp tea towel.

9. Once meat has fully rested slice ACROSS THE GRAIN in thin long slices.

10. Enjoy eating these with: Pico de Gallo, cilantro, cooked peppers, cheese, sour cream and guacamole.

Filipino Fruit Salad

The Filipino Fruit Salad is a staple dessert to most Filipino parties. The usual ingredients are canned fruit cocktail, condensed milk and Nestle cream. However, I don't suggest using Nestle cream. It curdles and the liquid separates. I use the refrigerated Heavy Cream (the same one used in making whipped cream). To cut the sweetness of the condensed milk and to give it a thick and creamy consistency, use cream cheese. The fresh apples provides texture to the soft fruit and gives it a necessary crunch.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 6 pound can or 10 cups Tropical Fruit Cocktail
• 2 cans mandarin oranges
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 Granny Smith apples, cubed
• 1/2 cup plain cream cheese
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, cubed
• 1/4 cup Maraschino Cherry Halves (optional)
• Shredded Coconut/Macapuno (optional)

1 Drain the Fruit Cocktail thoroughly.

2  Whip the condensed milk, heavy cream and cream cheese together. Make sure it's well blended. (You may omit the cream cheese and just add more cheddar cheese to cut the sweetness of the condensed milk if desired.)

3 Add in the drained fruit cocktail and cheddar cheese.

4 Peel and cube the apples one at a time, putting the apples directly into the salad as they are cut. (To prevent browning of the cut apples, immediately integrate it in the cream mixture or soak in a lemon ice water solution ‘til mixed.

5 Garnish with cherries. (You can add some Macapuno or soft shredded coconut meat, if desired.)

6 Refrigerate and serve cold.