Ashleys African Peanut Soup

   Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
3 cups sliced carrots
4 cups chicken broth or more as needed
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup brown rice1 cup crunchy peanut butter

   1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and brown the chicken breasts on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Place the chicken breasts into a slow cooker. Cook the onion, red bell peppers and garlic in the hot skillet until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes, transfer the cooked vegetables into the slow cooker.
   2. Stir the crushed tomatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, chicken broth, curry powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, cinnamon and black pepper into the slow cooker. Set the cooker to High and cook for 5 to 6 hours or cook on Low for 10 hours. Stir in additional chicken broth throughout the cooking time if needed.
   3. Mix in the brown rice 3 hours before serving and mix in the peanut butter at least 1 hour before serving. Shred chicken meat and serve hot.

Portuguese Steamed Clams

   Ingredients
5 pounds clams in shell, scrubbed1
1/2 pounds chorizo, sliced into chunks
1 large onion, cut into thin wedges
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups white wine
1/4 cup olive oil

   1. Wash clams well in a sink of cold water. Discard any clams that are already opened.
   2. In a large stock pot with a tight fitting lid, place the cleaned clams. Add the sausage, onion, tomatoes and wine. Cover and set over high heat. Steam until all the clams open up. Be sure to shake the pan often to insure even heat.
   3. Drizzle olive oil over the cooked clams. Evenly divide all the ingredients into warm soup plates. Divide the broth into side cups for dipping.

Old Charleston Style Shrimp Grits

   Ingredients
1 cup coarsely ground grits
3 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups half and half
2 pounds uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper or to taste
1 lemon juiced
1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
5 slices bacon
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

   1. Bring water, grits and salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan with a lid. Stir in half and half and simmer until grits are thickened and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
   2. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and cayenne pepper, drizzle with lemon juice. Set aside in a bowl.
   3. Place andouille sausage slices in a large skillet over medium heat, fry sausage until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
   4. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Retain bacon drippings in skillet. Transfer bacon slices to paper towels, let cool and crumble.
   5. Cook and stir green, red and yellow bell peppers, onion and garlic in the bacon drippings until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.
   6. Stir shrimp and cooked vegetables into the andouille sausage and mix to combine.
   7. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stir in flour to make a smooth paste. Turn heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is medium brown in color, 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully, mixture burns easily.
   8. Pour the butter-flour mixture into the skillet with andouille sausage, shrimp and vegetables. Place the skillet over medium heat and pour in chicken broth, bacon and Worcestershire sauce, cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens and the shrimp become opaque and bright pink, about 8 minutes.
   9. Just before serving, mix sharp Cheddar cheese into grits until melted and grits are creamy and light yellow. Serve shrimp mixture over cheese grits.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich Garlic Mayo

   Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound beef round steak, cut into thin strips
2 green bell peppers, cut into 1/4 inch strips
2 onions, sliced into rings
salt and pepper to taste
4 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise and toasted
1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano

   1. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and minced garlic. Cover and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
   2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute beef until lightly browned. Stir in green pepper and onion and season with salt and pepper. Saute until vegetables are tender and remove from heat.
   3. Spread each bun generously with garlic mayonnaise. Divide beef mixture into the buns. Top with shredded cheese and sprinkle with oregano. Place sandwiches on a baking pan.
   4. Heat sandwiches in preheated oven, until cheese is melted or slightly browned.

Strawberry Ice Cream

   Ingredients
1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
3/4 cup white sugar
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light corn syrup

   1. Place the berries into the container of a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and set aside.
   2. Heat 1 1/4 cups of the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to bubble at the edge of the pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, remaining 1/4 cup cream and corn syrup. Gradually pour the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about 5 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Strain custard into the berry puree through a sieve, mix and refrigerate until chilled.
   3. Fill an ice cream maker with the mixture and freeze.

Beer and Brown Sugar Steak Marinade

   Ingredients
2 (16 ounce) beef sirloin steaks
1/4 cup dark beer
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

   1. Preheat grill for high heat.
   2. Use a fork to poke holes all over the surface of the steaks and place steaks in a large baking dish. In a bowl, mix together beer, teriyaki sauce and brown sugar. Pour sauce over steaks and let sit about  5 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 the seasoned salt, pepper and garlic powder, set aside for 10 minutes. Turn steaks over, sprinkle with remaining seasoned salt, pepper and garlic powder and continue marinating for 10 more minutes.
   3. Remove steaks from marinade. Pour marinade into a small saucepan, bring to a boil and cook for several minutes.
   4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill steaks for 7 minutes per side or to desired doneness. During the last few minutes of grilling, baste steaks with boiled marinade to enhance the flavor and ensure juiciness.

Cincinnati Style Chili

   Ingredients
8 ounces spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (12 ounce) package frozen burger style crumbles
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 cup kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

   1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Saute onion until tender. Mix in burger style crumbles and garlic, cook until the crumbles have browned.
   2. Stir in tomato sauce, water, chopped tomatoes, vinegar, chili powder, cinnamon, paprika, allspice, light brown sugar, cocoa and hot sauce. Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture begins to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes until sauce thickens.
   3. While the sauce is thickening, bring a large pot of salted water to boil, place spaghetti in the water and bring it to a boil again. Cook until al dente. Drain well.
   4. Stir beans into the chili and mix lightly.
   5. Spoon cooked spaghetti into bowls and top with chili. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.

Knoephla Soup

   INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small onion, grated
3 cups milk
1-1/2 quarts water
6 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
   KNOEPHLA
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
5 to 6 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

   In a large skillet, melt butter, cook potatoes and onion for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Add milk, heat through but do not boil. Set aside. In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, bring water and bouillon to a boil. Meanwhile, combine knoephla ingredients to form a stiff dough. Roll into a 1/2-in. rope. Cut into 1/4-in. pieces and drop into boiling broth. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the potato mixture, heat through.