Cali-Schetta

1/2 baguette, cut into 1/2-in slices on the diagonal
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic close, peeled, plus 1 clove peeled and finely chopped
2 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Heat oven to 350F. Lightly brush both sides of baguette slices with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Toast in oven for 4 minutes per side. Remove from oven and rub with 1 side of whole garlic. Cool.

2. Mix chopped garlic, tomatoes, onion, avocado, cheese, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

3. Top each baguette slice with 1/4 cup tomato mix and serve.

Ice Cream Cake Roll

3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
Salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp confectioner's sugar
3 cups mint chip ice cream, softened
Chocolate syrup

1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease 15x10 jelly roll pan. Line with waxed paper. Grease paper.

2. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. In separate bowl, beat eggs until very light yellow. Add sugar, continue beating. Add vanilla.

3. Fold flour mixture into egg mixture. Pour into pan. Bake for 12 minutes or until cake springs back.

4. Dust a clean kitchen towel with confectioner's sugar. Turn cake out onto towel. Roll up towel and cake. Cool completely.

5. Unroll. Spread with softened ice cream to within 1 inch from edges. Reroll cake without towel. Wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze at least 4 hours. If frozen overnight, let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving. Drizzle with chocolate syrup before serving.

Chili-Lime Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic puree (or 3 minced garlic cloves)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1. Mix all ingredients (minus chicken) in a bowl. Trim chicken and make several small slits crosswise along the top. Place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour in marinade. Let sit in fridge for 4-8 hours.

2. When ready go BBQ, spray the grate with Pam, then turn on the grill and preheat to medium-high. Place chicken on grill top-side down. Cook for 5 minutes and rotate 45 degrees to get a nice cross-hatch pattern. Cook for 5 more minutes, then flip the chicken. Cook for another 5-10 until chicken is done.

Berry Shortcake

16 oz strawberries, halved

12 oz blueberries

6 oz raspberries

1 tsp grated orange zest

1 tbsp Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

1. Heat oven to 425F. Toss berries, zest, orange liqueur, and 1/4 cup sugar. Let sit for 30 min, tossing occassionally.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir in 1 1/2 cup heavy cream using a fork.

3. Drop 8 large mounds of dough onto greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp sugar. Bake 15-18 min. Cool.

4. Beat 1 cup cream and remaining sugar until peaks form.

5. Slice biscuits in half. Layer bottom half with berry mixture and whipped cream. Top with second half of biscuit.

Potato-Egg Mash-up

This is one of my favorite breakfast foods if we have leftover potatoes. It's easy, yummy, and quick. Almost all ingredients are to a "that looks about right" amount.

Potato-Egg Mess
2 eggs (or one egg per person)
Leftover potatoes to suit
Summer sausage, diced, to suit (I do about 1 slice per egg)
Salt and Pepper to taste
A smidge of oil

1. Heat skillet over medium. Add eggs and scramble.
2. Add potato, sausage, and oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook until potatoes and sausage are heated through and potatoes are just slightly brown.
4. Enjoy!

Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 cups flour

1. Mix butter and sugar together until creamy.
2. Add 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix thoroughly.
3. Sprinkle remaining flour onto clean surface, turn out dough, knead until dough cracks. Move dough to foil-lined baking sheet. Pat out and cut into squares. Alternately, you can roll out the dough and use cookie cutters. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
4. Bake at 275F for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

Custard Pie

1 pie crust
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups scalded milk
Nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Put pie crust in pie pan. Make sure there are no holes or the filling will run through.
2. Mix eggs, sugar, and vanilla in bowl. Add scalded milk slowly while stirring (too fast and you'll cook your eggs).
3. Pour mixture into pie crust. You may want to reserve a cup of the mix and pour it in after you place the pie in the oven so it doesn't spill. Sprinkle top with nutmeg.
4. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Let cool completely before serving.