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SPICY ROASTED ORCHARD FRUIT PIES

(You can vary the fall fruit for these easy, free-form pies according to what's available in your area.)

~Submitted by Larry Holmes, Ontario, Canada

?? package (14 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
1 tablespoon cold water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
?? teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder (or cinnamon)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 Spartan or Ida Red apple
2 firm, ripe peaches
2 firm, ripe black-skinned plums
1 firm, ripe Bosc pear
icing sugar

Preheat oven to 400?° F. Have ready a large baking sheet. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch square. Cut out four 5 ??-inch circles from pastry. Put pastry circles on baking sheet. Whisk together egg and water in a small bowl, then brush pastry evenly with some of the egg mixture. Bake pastry circles for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown and puffy. Remove baking sheet from the oven, then set aside. Increase oven temperature to 425?° F.

Whisk together sugar, lemon juice and five-spice powder in a large bowl. Brush a 13x9-inch baking dish with some of the melted butter. Whisk remaining butter into sugar mixture.

Remove core from apple, then cut apple into 12 wedges, dropping fruit into brown-sugar mixture as you work. Spoon apple mixture into the prepared dish, then bake, uncovered for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut each peach into 6 wedges, removing pits. Cut each plum into 4 wedges, removing pits. Remove core from pear, then cut pear into 8 wedges. Add peaches, plums and pear into apple mixture, stirring gently to coat with sugar mixture, then bake for a further 12 to 15 minutes, stirring once, until fruit is tender but not broken up. Remove dish from the oven, turn oven off and return baking sheet with pastry circles to oven for about 2 minutes to freshen and crisp them up.

Using tongs or slotted spoon, divide fruit among 4 shallow bowls, then drizzle evenly with juices remaining in baking dish. Top each portion with a pastry top, then sift icing sugar over each piece of pastry and serve at once.

Makes 4 servings.




KIELBASA HOAGIES

~Submitted by Angelique, TX

INGREDIENTS:
1 package kielbasa sausage
4 hoagie rolls
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced
mustard
cooking oil

PREPARATION:
Cut each length of kielbasa in half, and then slice each half lengthwise. Place in medium to hot skillet so that the pieces are lying flat and fry (adding a small amount of oil if needed) for ten minutes, flipping occasionally. Remove from pan and place sliced onion and peppers in pan. Saute over medium heat for ten minutes (again, using oil if needed). Remove from pan. Cut hoagie rolls lengthwise, and place flat in skillet about two minutes to toast bread. Put mustard, sausage, and vegetables on hoagies and enjoy.

Servings: 4
Preparation time: 25 minutes




EGGPLANTS IN A SPICE-HONEY SAUCE

~Submitted by Nancy, NM

Serve this as an appetizer with bread or pita bread. Serves 4.

2 medium-large eggplants
Olive oil
salt
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 inches fresh gingerroot, grated or cut into pieces, and the juice squeezed
out in a garlic press.
1 and 1/2 tsp ground cumin
large pinch of cayenne or ground chili pepper, to taste
4-6 TB honey
juice of one lemon
2/3 cup water

Cut the eggplant into rounds about 1/3" thick. Do not peel them. Dip them in olive oil, turning them over, and cook on a griddle or under the broiler, turning them over once, until they are lightly browned. They do not need to be soft, as they will cook further in the sauce.

In a wide saucepan or skillet, fry the garlic in 2 TB of the oil for seconds only, stirring, then take off the heat. Add the ginger, cumin, and cayenne or chili pepper, honey, lemon juice, and water. Put in the eggplant slices and cook over low heat - either in batches, so that they are in one layer, or together, rearranging them so that each slice gets some time in the sauce. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the slices are soft and have absorbed the sauce. Add a little water if necessary.

Enjoy!




PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

~Submitted by Joyce, IL

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter

Combine sugar and milk in saucepan, mix well. Bring contents to boil, turn heat down slightly, and stirring constantly, boil gently for exactly 3 min. Remove from heat, stir in peanut butter and pour immediately into buttered dish.

If you cook this too long or boil it too hard, it will get hard and brittle and you may not even get it out of the pan, it sets up so fast!




THICK LENTIL STEW

~Submitted by Jessica, Corfu, Greece

1 (12 oz.) pkg. or 1 3/4 c. lentils
1/4 c. bacon, diced
2 lg. onions, diced
2 lg. carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 1/2 qt. water
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. ham hocks
1 lg. Russet potato

Wash lentils and drain well. In a 6-8 quart kettle, cook bacon over medium-high heat until lightly browned, stir occasionally. Add onion, carrots, celery and cook, stirring until onion is limp. Add water, spices, ham and lentils. Cover and simmer about 1 hour or until ham is tender. Remove pan from heat. Lift out ham, set aside until cool enough to handle, pull meat from bone and shred. Add to kettle. Shred potato and add to lentils. Stirring frequently, bring to boiling, simmer covered for 15 minutes.




DOUBLE DELICIOUS COOKIE BARS

~Submitted by Margo, SW CO

350*
Makes 24-36 bars
-- these are very rich!!!--
-- very kid friendly to make - they can do it all almost!--

1/2 c (1 stick) margarine or butter
1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
1 (14-oz) can Eagle Brand Sweetened condensed Milk
(NOT evaporated milk)
1 c (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c (6 oz) peanut butter flavored chips

Preheat oven to 350*.

In 13x9" baking pan, melt butter in oven sprinkle crumbs evenly over butter. Pour Eagle Brand evenly over crumbs Top with chips; press down firmly with spoon.

Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool.

Cut into bars.

Store covered at room temperature.

**for perfectly cut bars: Line entire pan with a sheet of aluminum foil first. when bars are baked, cool; lift up edges of foil to remove from pan. Cut into individual squares. Lift off foil.

From: Eagle Brand Condensed Milk site




IMPOSSIBLE MEXICAN PIE

~Submitted by Ann, FL

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 envelope (1 1/4 ounces) taco seasoning mix
1 can (4 1/2 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup Bisquick
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
Salsa, if desired
Sour cream, if desired

Heat oven to 400?°. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Cook ground beef and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in seasoning mix (dry). Spoon into pie plate; top with chilies. Stir milk, eggs and baking mix until blended. Pour into pie plate. Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer. Cool 5 minutes. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Increase first bake time to about 28 min.

1 Serving: 310 calories (170 calories from fat); 19 g fat (8 g saturated); 130 mg cholesterol; 630 mg sodium; 14 g carbohydrate (1 g dietary fiber); 22 g protein.

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For Two...

CHICKEN NUGGETS

~Submitted by Jean, Syracuse, NY

Ingredients:
4 to 5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (1 pound), cut in 1x1x1/2-inch pieces (about 24 pieces)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 large egg, beaten, or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup prepared barbecue sauce or Dijon and honey mustard barbecue sauce

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet with non-stick pan spray.

Sprinkle the nugget with salt and pepper. Dip them in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes; turn them and bake 5 minutes longer, to a light golden brown.

Serve hot with barbecue sauce for dipping.

Recipe makes four servings.

Serving Size: 6 nuggets plus 1 rounded tablespoon of sauce

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 220; Fat: 5g; Cholesterol: 122mg; Sodium: 649mg;
Carbohydrates: 12g; Protein: 29g; Fiber: 1g
Exchanges: 1 Starch, 4 Very Lean Meat; Points 5