Almond Roca

1 pound butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup chopped almonds

milk chocolate (the better quality you use the better it will turn out, I used some from Trader Joe's)
finely chopped almonds

Melt butter in large pot, then add sugar.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  When boiling and butter and sugar are blended, add almonds.  Continue boiling until candy reaches hard crack stage (300-310 degrees).  Pour candy onto ungreased cookie sheet and using the back of clean metal spoons, spread thin.  If you use a standard sized cookie sheet, it should spread thin enough to cover the entire surface of the sheet. 

Once candy is cooled, break into smaller chunks.  Then melt chocolate in top of a double boiler and brush one side of candy with melted chocolate then dip in almonds.  Once chocolate is solid, repeat with other side of candy.  When chocolate is totally cooled, break into bite sized pieces and store in sealed container. 

Green Bean Mushroom Medley

8 oz fresh green beans cut into pieces

2 medium carrots cut length wise into strips

1 medium onion cute into ¼ inch slices

8 oz fresh mushrooms slices

¼ c butter

1 tsp salt

½ tsp accent (msg)

¼ tsp garlic salt

1/8 tsp white pepper

Heat 1 inch water to boiling in 2 quart sauce pan.  Add beans and carrots.  Heat to boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until almost tender (about 12 minutes); drain.  Cook and stir onion and mushrooms in butter in 10 inch skillet over medium heat until tender (about 5 minutes), reduce heat.  Cover and cook 3 minutes.  Stir in beans, carrots and spices.  Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

3-4 lb corned beef brisket

2 tbl butter

1 head cabbage cut into wedges

Beef broth

Fresh parsley

Fresh ground pepper

½ onion very coarsely chopped

Melt butter in large skillet.  Brown sides off beef.  Place beef in pan, surrounded by cabbage, onion, and parsley.  Top with parsley and pour beef broth to halfway cover meat.  Cover and cook at 300 for 3-4 hours.  Let meat rest 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Ranch Tilapia Fillets

¾ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 (one ounce) package dry ranch dressing mix

2 ½ tbl olive oil

1 lb tilapia fillets

2 tbl butter

Mix olive oil and dressing mix to form a paste.  Coat fillets in paste and then dredge in bread crumbs.  Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Place filets in skillet and cook for five minutes on each side or until golden brown and easily flaked with a fork.

Crockpot Beef Stew

2 lb beef stew meat

¼ c flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 ½ cup beef broth

1 tbl Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic minced

1 bay leaf

1 tsp paprika

4 carrots sliced

3 potatoes diced

1 onion chopped

4 stalk celery chopped

Put meat in crock pot.  Mix flour, salt and pepper, then pour over meat and stir to coat.  Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix well.  Cover and cook on low 10 hours (high 6).  Stir thoroughly before serving.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

1 lb round beef

1 diced onion

1 can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes

1 ½ -2 cups cooked rice

Garlic salt

Pepper

1 tbl Worcestershire sauce

4 bell peppers cored and seeded

Shredded cheese

Boil bell peppers in cough water to cover for 5 minutes.  Remove from water and invert on paper towels.  Brown hamburger and onion.  Add tomatoes and juices, rice, garlic salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.  Grease a casserole dish to fit peppers.  Place peppers in dish and fill to top with ground beef mixture.  Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Remove cover and top with shredded cheese.  Return to oven for additional 10 minutes.  (I usually layer more shredded cheese in with the filling in the bell peppers, but I like lots of cheese.)