One of JollyCooks favorite dishes is steak, and Summer is the best time to grill. For an easy meal, with a southwestern flavor top your steak with lightly browned sauted onions and green peppers, serve along side a cool salad and plenty of refried beans. I know, maybe too simple but its fabulous, quick, and delicious. Your family will love it too.

Italian Vegetables with Creamy Fettuccine is full of tender broccoli and other garden treats. Try this satisfying dish for a change from meat and pasta combinations.

cook enough fettuccine, cooked, drained and kept warm
1 Tbs olive oil
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup (2 large stalks) diagonally sliced celery
1 large onion, cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 tsp dried basil, crushed
1 1/2 cups (12 fluid-ounce can) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Fat Free Milk
3 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
2 Tbs cornstarch
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup (1 large) thinly sliced red bell pepper strips
1/2 cup loose-pack frozen peas
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, celery, onion, garlic and basil; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in evaporated milk, cheese and pepper; bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, for 5 minutes.
Combine cornstarch and small amount of broth in small bowl; add to skillet. Gradually stir in remaining broth, bell pepper and peas. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and vegetables are tender (do not boil). Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with cheese.

This dish goes great in winter or summer. The fresh rosemary in this dish can be found in most grocers or grown fresh in a windowsill garden. JollyCook doesn’t suggest using dried rosemary unless absolutely necessary.

8 oz Ditalini, Orzo or Alphabets, uncooked
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 lb lean, boneless pork loin, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 13 1/4-oz. cans fat-free, low-sodium beef broth
1 1/2 Tbs minced fresh rosemary or 1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 Tbs lime juice

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or pot until hot. Add pork; cook until no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain well. Toss pork with red and black pepper in a bowl; set aside.
Add 1/4 cup beef broth to pot; add onion and celery, and cook until tender. Add pork, remaining beef broth, rosemary and salt. Bring to a boil. Add pasta and sweet potatoes and boil, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes or until pasta is done. Stir in spinach and lime juice. (Stew will continue to absorb liquid.) Serve immediately.

This homey and comforting tuna casserole is a welcome addition to any weeknight dinner. Round out this quick and easy dinner with a tossed green salad.

1 1/2 cups wide egg noodles, cooked, drained and kept warm
1 Tbs butter or margarine
1 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp dried dill
1 cup Evaporated Milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp Instant Chicken Bouillon
2 (6-oz.) cans tuna, drained
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup    crushed potato chips

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 1-quart casserole.
Melt butter in medium saucepan. Stir in flour and dill; gradually stir in evaporated milk, water and bullion. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Stir in pasta, tuna, peas and pimiento. Spoon into prepared casserole. Sprinkle with chips.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until chips are golden brown. Season with salt and ground black pepper.

This dish is sometimes called the Vietnamese poor mans or working mans dinner. It cooks up in one pan (plus rice) and it can feed a whole family. A nice warm dish for a cold winter or fall evening.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 teaspoons red or yellow curry paste
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 diced medium onion, yellow.
2 cups diced potato (peeled or unpeeled)
1/2 pound mini washed carrots or cut carrot.
1/2 pound fresh green beans
2 cans coconut milk. I don’t recommend using the low calorie or lite version.
6-8 cups cooked rice

Place the peanut or vegetable oil into a large Dutch cooker or sturdy pot, heat to a nice hot temperature and then add the sliced onions. Brown onions until soft and they begin caramelizing slightly. Add diced chicken and stir occasionally until almost cooked. Stir in 2 cans of coconut milk, add the curry paste and stir in thoroughly. Reduce heat and add diced potatoes and carrots and bring to slow rolling boil. Reduce heat again and simmer for 15 minutes, stir in trimmed fresh green beans and cook another 10 minutes or until vegetables are done.
Serve over rice.

Makes 6 Servings
Serving Size: 1 cup sauce over 1 cup rice.

This dish is a favorite of mine. I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine.

3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste
3 cups cooked linguine (about 1 1/2 cups uncooked)
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried basil
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup pitted black olives, quartered
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Thread shrimp onto skewers and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Grill over a medium heat about 3 minutes per side or until white. Remove from skewers and keep warm.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Saute garlic and basil until tender. Add tomatoes, black olives, and shrimp and heat through. Toss all ingredients together and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 Servings
Serving Size: 12 ounces

Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 298
Total fat: 7 grams (21% of calories)
Saturated fat: 2 grams
Cholesterol: 119 mg
Sodium: 459 mg
Carbohydrate: 38 grams (51% of calories)
Protein: 21 grams (28% of calories)
Dietary fiber: 3 grams

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups water
3 Tbs raspberry liqueur or framboise (optional)
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 recipe Raspberry-Chocolate Frosting
1 cup fresh raspberries (optional)

- Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease and lightly flour two 9×1-1/2-inch round baking pans; set aside. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl; set aside.
- Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until well-mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate and vanilla. Add the dry mixture and the water alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition, just until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pans; spread evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans. Cool cake layers thoroughly on racks.
- Place one cake layer, cut side up, on serving plate; spread with half of the raspberry jam. Top with second cake layer, cut side down. Spread with about 2/3 cup Raspberry-Chocolate Frosting.
- Place another cake layer, cut side up, on top of frosting; spread with remaining jam. Top with last cake layer, cut side down.
- Frost top and sides with all but 3/4 cup of the remaining frosting. Pipe remaining frosting on top of cake. If desired, garnish with raspberries. Makes 14 servings.

Servings: 14
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour and 30 minutes

This is a favorite dish in our family, especially in the hard cold winter months. Only 47 days until spring, dish it up tonight and think ‘warm thoughts’ .

2½ to 3 lb. Chicken, cut up
1 Cup Bisquick
2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Paprika
1/8 tsp. Pepper
2 tbsp. Shortening
1 tbsp. Butter
1 can-10½ oz. Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1½ Cups Milk
Dumpling Dough
½ tsp. Parsley Flakes
¼ tsp. Poultry Seasoning

Wash chicken pieces and pat dry. Mix baking mix, salt, paprika, and pepper in a plastic bag and shake 2 or 3 pieces of chicken, coating the chicken thoroughly. Melt shortening and butter in large skillet; brown chicken on all sides. Remove chicken. Drain fat from skillet; stir in soup and milk and add chicken. Cover and simmer bout 1 hour or until thickest pieces are tender. 20 minutes before end of cooking time, prepare Dumpling dough as directed on the Bisquick package, adding parsley flakes and poultry seasoning before mixing in liquid. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto hot chicken. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes; cover and cook 10 minutes longer.

Makes: 4 servings.

Serving size: 1 breast and 1/2 of sauce

This has always been a favorite of JollyCook, and what better day to serve up a good helping of corned beef brisket with cabbage and vegetables. Enjoy the Super Bowl!

3 to 4 lb. Corned Beef Brisket
8 Small Onions or 1 large yellow onion
8 Medium Carrots or 1 pound mini carrots
4 Potatoes, peeled and halved/quartered
1 Medium Green Cabbage, cut into wedges, careful to keep wedges in-tact
Caraway Seed and or seed packet that usually comes with brisket.

Place brisket in large kettle and cover with cold water. Add caraway seed or spice packet. Cover tightly and simmer 3½ hours, or until tender.

Skim fat from liquid. Add onions, carrots, potatoes and turnips. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove meat and place on a warm platter. Add cabbage and simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.

Makes: 8 servings

Carefully pull back the corn husks from each ear taking care to not remove them from the base. Pull off and discard the silks. Rinse the ears under cold running water. Reshape husks around corn to ‘wrap’ them. Then place them into a bowl or sink bath of water for 15-20 minutes to saturate the corn husks and to help keep it moist during grilling. Drain, then wrap tightly in grill suitable aluminum foil.

Place each ear onto grill rack about 4-5 inches above heat source. Rotate 1/4 turn every 4-5 minutes. Grill for 15-20 minutes depending on heat. Test one by checking for doneness by inserting fork, the kernels should be tender.