Social media comes a wide array of delicious recipes

Today we start out with a pasta dish that is so easy you won't believe it and wind up with a super rich chocolate dessert recipe. All of the recipes today are from friends who have shared them on their Facebook pages. I must have friends who love recipes and love to cook, because most of the recipes I have tried lately have all come from Facebook. I hope you enjoy these, and I am sure there will be more to come.

Tomato Basil Pasta

This is a one-pot meal with no stirring and no straining of the pasta. Place all ingredients into one large pot, including the uncooked pasta. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer just until pasta is al dente. The starch leaches out of the pasta and makes a rich, warm sauce for the pasta. The other ingredients cook right along with the pasta. Zesty red pepper-flavored tomatoes add a nice zip to the pasta.

12 ounces linguine pasta

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes with liquid

1 large sweet onion, cut in julienne strips

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

2 large sprigs basil, chopped

4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (regular broth and not low sodium)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Parmesan cheese for garnish

* Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, in a large stock pot. Pour in vegetable broth. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with oil.

* Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so.

* Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated, leaving about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot.

* Season to taste with salt and pepper, stirring pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.

Salted Toffee-Chocolate Squares

There are many variations to this recipe; some use saltines, some graham crackers and this one uses Club crackers. I like the change from pecans to almonds and toffee. It is a fun recipe to play around with and get it just the way you and your family enjoy it most. These are delicious adding coconut to the sprinklings. These freeze well.

52 Keebler Club Crackers, rectangle buttery crackers, about a 1/2 a package

1 bag (8 ounces) toffee bits

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped toasted natural almonds

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup butter

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon coarse salt

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place Club crackers in a single layer on sheet; edges touching. Sprinkle toffee bits and almonds over crackers.

* In a small saucepan, bring sugar, butter and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer, swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is syrupy, 2 minutes. Immediately pour over crackers.

* Bake until sugar topping is bubbling, 12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips and salt over crackers.

* Let cool on a baking sheet on a wire rack. Using a sharp knife cut into 2-inch squares.

Blueberry Monkey Bread

This recipe has a nice addition of blueberry pie filling, which would pave the way for other flavors as well. Apple pie filling may be another option. Give it a try.

4 cans Pillsbury biscuits

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 can blueberry pie filling

1 stick butter

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 ounces cream cheese

3 tablespoons fat free half & half (or milk)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

* Unroll biscuits and cut into quarters. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, softened butter, and cinnamon until crumbly. Add quartered biscuits and toss gently to coat.

* In a medium saucepan, mix 1 can blueberry pie filling and 1 stick of butter. Bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour blueberry sauce over biscuit mixture and stir gently to combine.

* Pour biscuits and sauce into a greased 6-cup Bundt pan. Place the Bundt pan on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

* While bread is baking, prepare icing by mixing powdered sugar, cream cheese, half & half, and lemon juice until smooth.

* Remove bread from oven and cool 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Drizzle with icing; serve warm.

Garlic and Lemon Chicken with Green Beans and Potatoes

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 lemons; 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 pound trimmed green beans

8 small red potatoes, quartered

4 chicken breasts, bones in, with skin, about 3 1/4 pounds

* Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.

* In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices.

* Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, arrange the potatoes along the inside edge of the dish or skillet on top of the green beans.

* Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken. Roast for 50 minutes.

* Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet. Place the beans and potatoes back in oven for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender.

* Place a chicken breast on each of 4 serving plates; divide the green beans and potatoes equally. Serve warm.

Sweet Corn Fritters

2 ears fresh corn (2 cups kernels) or 1 can drained sweet corn

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

4 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

* Remove husks and silk from corn. With a sharp knife, slice the kernels off each cob into a bowl; you should have about 2 cups kernels. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder.

* Make a "well" in the center of the flour mixture. Crack the egg and pour the milk into the well. Briefly whisk with a fork and then whisk into the flour until just combined. With a spatula, fold in corn kernels.

* Heat a nonstick skillet over medium/low with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add tablespoon butter. When the oil is hot, spoon batter into skillet to make 2 inch fritters. Cook 3 minutes until the sides of each fritter begin to cook, then flip and cook another 3 minutes.

* Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Add more oil if necessary before making more batches.

Chocolate Suicide

This recipe is quite over-the-top with very rich ingredients, making it one of those super sweet, one bite desserts. It includes store-purchased cookie dough on bottom in any flavor, such as chocolate chip or peanut butter, Oreo cookies, arranged over the cookie dough and brownie batter, poured over the top. You may wish to serve each piece topped with ice cream and chocolate syrup on the top.

* Press the cookie dough onto the bottom of a baking dish.

* Line Oreo cookies side-by-side on top of the cookie dough.

* Cover the cookies with prepared brownie mix, smoothing out evenly. Bake until brownies are done.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at news@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.