Cheese Ball Three Ways

This is another recipe that my sister makes from www.marthastewart.com It is always a favorite with our family. The recipe makes a ton, so she has frozen it and used it for two separate parties weeks apart! They are very festive looking too!

Ingredients

Base Recipe:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 packages cream cheese (8 ounces each)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
5 dashes hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Cheddar and Cranberry:
8 ounces sharp orange cheddar cheese, finely shredded
2 tablespoons store-bought chutney
3/4 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
Water crackers, for serving

Roquefort and Walnut:
6 ounces Roquefort cheese
1 shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 teaspoons brandy (optional)
1 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
Vegetable chips (such as Terra Chips Sweets & Beets), for serving

Goat Cheese and Scallions:
8 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
1/3 cup fresh curly-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 English cucumber, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices, for serving

Directions
Put butter, cream cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until combined. Divide equally among 3 medium bowls.

Stir cheddar cheese and chutney with base mixture in the first bowl. Form into a ball. If not using immediately, refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Roll cheese ball in cranberries to coat before serving. Serve with crackers.

Stir blue cheese and shallot with base mixture in second bowl; add brandy, if desired. Form into a ball. If not using immediately, refrigerate up to 3 days; freeze up to 1 month. Roll in walnuts to coat before serving. Serve with chips.

Stir goat cheese and scallions with base mixture in remaining bowl. Form into a ball. If not using immediately, refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Roll in parsley to coat before serving. Serve with cucumber slices.

Cauliflower Gratin

Best side dish ever! My sister Krista made this for one of the sides at Thanksgiving and it is awesome! Didn't miss the mashed potatoes one bit (and that is my all-time favorite side). I will be making a couple batches of this for our Christmas Eve dinner this year too! The orignal recipe is from http://www.marthastewart.com/ and can be found by clicking HERE!

Ingredients

1 large head cauliflower, cored and cut into florets
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup grated Parmesan
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, heavy cream, flour, and 3/4 cup grated Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart baking dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake 30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over cauliflower. Dot with butter and bake, uncovered, until topping is golden brown and cauliflower is tender when pierced with a knife, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Thanksgiving "Good Eats Roast Turkey" Recipe

This year my sister Krista suggested that I make the Thanksgiving Day turkey since I have the room in our basement fridge to brine the turkey. We used Alton Brown's, "Good Eats Roast Turkey" recipe. The outcome was a pretty good turkey! It seems like a lot to do, but it is really not hard and worth the work!

Ingredients

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water
For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Directions

2 to 3 days before roasting:
Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:
Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Nutella Hot Chocolate

Simple and delicious!

Ingredients

1 cup of skim milk
1 T of Nutella

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat milk on the stove and stir in Nutella until melted. Bring to a boil and serve immediately. Top with marshmallows if desired.

Smoked Paprika Butter (topping for steaks)

My sister, Krista came across this recipe the other day when searching for "legal" foods while she is on her boring Crohn's diet. We made it to top off a flank steak and it was amazing! The smoked paprika really comes to life when mixed with the butter and garlic! Very easy to make! I even used the pre-made minced garlic to save time and mess. I personally hate getting fresh garlic smell on my fingers so I almost always use the pre-made minced garlic - especially since it is now in a squeeze bottle!

I am not sure where Krista found her original recipe, but the below recipe was adapted from Food & Wine...

Serves 2 to 3

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3/4 teaspoon smoked hot paprika

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Method

In a small saucepan melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook over low heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and keep warm until your steaks are done. You can also make ahead and reheat gently when needed. When steaks are ready, spoon paprika butter over and serve immediately.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Lime and Cilantro

My bootcamp instructor handed out this recipe the other day during one of our "fun" workouts! It was called the junk-yard workout and we got a "treat/healthy snack" for every exercise we completed. If he is handing this out - it has to be healthy :) Tim and I made them this week and the taste was great! I was thinking that the parboil method would be quick, so I didn't boil the potatoes long enough. Our potatoes were medium to large, so I think that for that size, we should have boilded them about 15 - 20 minutes before putting them on the grill. Will definitely be making this again! Was a great side to our steak!

Ingredients

3 sweet potatoes, unpeeled
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
Parcook the potatoes: Place in a pot of water and boil until fork-tender; let cool. Slice each potato lengthwise into eighths.
Preheat a grill to medium or place a cast-iron grill pan over medium heat. Mix 1 tablespoon salt, the lime zest and cayenne in a small bowl.
Brush the potato wedges with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown on all sides (including the skin) and just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter; immediately season with the salt mixture and sprinkle with cilantro.

Original recipe is from Bobby Flay, for Food Network Magazine.
Photograph by Steve Giralt

Ham & Cheese Buns

This looks like the perfect party/tailgate appetizer! Yummy!

2 TBSP dried minced onions
1 TBSP prepared mustard (I used honey dijon)
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 stick melted butter
1 dozen dinner rolls or 2 dozen party rolls (I used King's Hawaiian Sweet rolls - 2 pkgs)
1/2 lb ham
1/2 lb thinly sliced swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 325. In a small mixing bowl, mix onion, mustard, poppy seeds, & melted butter. Leaving the dinner rolls intact, slice them open horizontally so that you have one solid top and one solid bottom. Place the bottom half on a baking sheet. Line bottom half of rolls with cheese slices & ham. Return the top part of the rolls & drizzle butter mixture evenly over top.Cover w/ foil & bake for 20 min. Use a sharp knife to separate the little sandwiches. Serve immediately.

Can be made ahead of time & refrigerated or frozen. Just thaw overnight and add 5 more min onto baking time.

Greek Yogurt Substitutions

I came across this on Pinterest, which is great for recipes by the way (I am collecting several that I would love to try and hopefully get on here some day soon! Anyway, this is a conversion chart for substituting Chobani Greek yogurt in a lot of foods that we might not think of using it. I thought it was a good way to sneak a little extra protein in some dishes and cut the fat!

Click here for a link to their website for recipes!

Avocado Fries With Cilantro Lemon Dipping Sauce

Okay, so this isn't the most healthy recipe out there, but it was delicious. We love avocado, so I just had to try this recipe. I found the recipe on Pinterest (which is a fun, addicting site by the way). I took shortcuts on the dipping sauce and it turned out excellent - it was Alex's favorite part. I used Lemon juice, not fresh from the lemon and my cilantro paste, not fresh cilantro (it was all I had). Another alteration I made which I probably won't do next time, was using Panko vs. plain breadcrumbs - again, I only had Panko on hand. Tim said the breading was a little too thick!

Ingredients:

Avocado Fries

Oil For Frying
2 Avocados
2 Eggs, beaten
1 and 1/3 Cup Bread Crumbs
1 Teaspoon Lemon Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon Lemon Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Cumin

Cilantro Lemon Dipping Sauce
5 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1/2 of Lemon

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, lemon pepper, salt and cumin. Set it aside. Cut the avocados in half and then slice them vertically into 4 inch by 1 inch wedges. Set them aside. Heat the vegetable oil to 335 degrees Fahrenheit in a large frying pan, adding enough oil so that the oil is about 3 to four inches deep. Dredge the avocado slices in the breadcrumb mixture, then in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumb mixture again. Place them in the hot oil and fry them for about 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon or tongs, and set them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Allow them to dry for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a serving tray and serve them immediately with the Cilantro Lemon Dipping Sauce. For the Cilantro Lemon Dipping Sauce, place the mayonnaise, cilantro, and lemon juice in a blender and mix until smooth and creamy in texture.

Recipe and photo are from Adventures in Cooking Blog

Krista's New Diet

My sister Krista has been trying a new diet to help keep her Crohn's in check - so far it has worked. Problem is - no sweets! No flour, no sugar, no chocolate... Anyone that knows Krista, knows that this could be a deal breaker. She did find that Larabars are a really good treat when she craves sweets - but they are expensive and anyone that knows Michael, knows that this could be a deal breaker :) I did some googling and found this article that has links for several recipes for the bars - we are going to try some this weekend!

Homemade Larabar Recipes

More Recipes

Granny's Sweet Potato Casserole

Awhile back I asked my granny for her recipe for her Sweet Potato Casserole. She uses Facebook and has email, so like anyone else, I thought she would just type it up and email it to me or send it in a Facebook message. Nope. She wrote it out on stationary and snail mailed it to me. Of course I lost it for 6 months and just found it, so here it is! Hopefully you enjoy it as much as our family does. FYI - it is not healthy...

Ingredients for potatoes:

1 large can of sweet potatoes
2 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 stick of butter (melted)
1 tsp vanilla
dash salt to taste

Ingredients For Topping:

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 stick of butter (melted)
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain and mash potatoes. Mix all potato mixture ingredients in a greased casserole dish. In a small bowl, mix ingredients for topping. Spread on top of potato mixture. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes.

Grilled Pizza

I have been wanting to try to make grilled pizza for awhile. The fact is - I was scared... I just pictured a screaming match between me and Tim (he mans the grill) because of dough running through the grates and it just wasn't going to be pretty. Well, I read up on the topic on a few of my favorite blogs and finally decided I would follow the instruction of Annie, from Annie's Eats blog. I followed her dough recipe and technique exactly and the pizzas were some of the best pizza I have ever had - I couldn't believe I had actually made them from scratch! I don't think we will ever use refrigerated or packaged mix dough again! It was very easy and my favorite part about the dough recipe is that it makes two batches, so you can freeze one and use the other for another time - maybe tomorrow night! I will say that I used tips from three different parts of her blog to make these little masterpieces, so I will post them all below.

Our toppings of choice tonight were prosciutto, wild mushrooms, goat cheese, Monterrey Jack cheese (we only had part-skim mozzerella and Tim "hates the way it melts") and fresh basil. I actually used Kroger brand pizza sauce as the base, mixed with a little olive oil, Italian seasoning and my basil in a tube to spice it up a little (the tubes of herbs can be found by the fresh herbs).

Annie offers two other recipes in these links below - one a chicken ranch pizza and the other with fresh veggies - both look good and I will have to try them eventually!

Oh and by the way - Tim and I did get into a mini-screaming match because he insisted that I was making them too small - but like I said, I followed her technique exactly and they turned out the perfect size. Moral of the story - don't listen to Tim, listen to Annie! Note on the picture - we made a total of four small pizzas - not pictured the BBQ Chicken pizza we made for the boys!

Pizza Dough Tutorial by Annie

Pizza Dough Recipe by Annie

Grilled Pizza Recipe and more Tips by Annie

4th of July Recipes

We had Tim's family in town for the 4th of July weekend and since the weather was nice and I am supposed to be "resting", I decided to make some easy sides and let Tim do the grilling. Saturday night we had Grilled Boneless, Skinless, Chicken thighs. Nothing to these, just marinated in BBQ sauce over night and grilled them. Sunday night we had burgers with a variety of yummy toppings and they were delicious! My mother-in-law Carol brought her yummy blueberry and peach cobbler and my sister-in-law Lauren brought the most delicious cookies ever from her home-town bakery - The Jasper Bakery.

These two side dishes turned out great. I made the Down Home Beans to go with the Chicken thighs and the Orzo Salad to go with the burgers! Both were a big hit! I changed up the Orzo salad quite a bit - it originally called for flat-leaf parsley as the fresh herb, but I wanted something with more of a kick, so I decided to substitute cilantro and I am glad I did. The only thing I changed with the beans, was to reduce the amount of brown sugar. The original recipe called for 2 cups of brown sugar, but all of the reviews said that 1 cup was plenty!


Orzo, Corn, and Roasted Bell Pepper Salad

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers
1 box uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
4 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, divided
3 ears shucked corn
1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons of cilantro paste
6 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Preparation

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain. Place orzo in a large bowl; drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Cool slightly.
Place corn, red onion and peppers on grill rack or in grill basket coated with cooking spray; grill 5 - 10 minutes or until lightly browned, turning occasionally. Cut kernels from ears of corn; chop red onion and peppers. In a small bowl mix the 3 tablespoons oil, cilantro, cilantro paste and remaining ingredients. When mixed through, combine dressing, grilled vegetables and orzo. Chill before serving.

Adapted from the recipe of Joanne Weir, Cooking Light JULY 2005



Down Home Baked Beans

Ingredients

1 pound bacon
2 (28 ounce) cans baked beans (I bought Bush's Homestyle Beans - 2 of the big cans)
8 ounces of chili sauce (I bought Heinz 12 oz bottle)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 cups packed brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
In a large bowl combine beans, chili sauce, onion, brown sugar and bacon. Pour into a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Adapted from MEANJEANNE, allrecipes.com

Fresh Berry Cobbler

My friend Elizabeth made this and brought it to a dinner party we had recently! It was so good, I made it the very next night just so I could have more! I highly recommend it! The crust is outstanding - different from the typical cobbler! Elizabeth used a mix of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. I just had blueberries and it turned out great too! This is the perfect recipe just as berries are coming into season! Enjoy!



Ingredients

1 cup sugar, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
6 cups fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup self-rising yellow cornmeal mix
1/3 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup milk

Preparation

1. Combine 1/3 cup sugar and 1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch in a small bowl. Combine berries, cornstarch mixture, and lemon rind in a large bowl until well blended; spoon berry mixture into a lightly greased 2-qt. baking dish.
2. Combine flour, cornmeal mix, and remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in butter and milk until blended. Gently spread batter evenly over berry mixture.
3. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of topping comes out clean. Serve warm.

Southern Living AUGUST 2006

Pizza Pasta Salad

I made this for a party at Angelo and Ariel's house a few weeks ago. I think it was a big hit with the kids because of the pepperoni's and cheese. I found the best time-saver for this - Hormel makes mini pepperoni slices. They were perfect to use instead of chopping up a bigger piece of pepperoni. I also put the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, oregano and artichokes into the food processor for a few seconds to "chop" vs. rough chopping them by hand. Next time I think I will add black olives - just because I like them!

Ingredients

Salt and pepper
1 pound short pasta such as bow ties, shells or penne
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
3/4 cup sliced marinated artichoke hearts
8 ounces bocconcini (small fresh mozzarella nuggets), halved (about 18 pieces)
4 ounces pepperoni or salami, diced
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well and spread on an oiled baking sheet to cool. (Don't worry if pasta sticks together. It will come apart when mixed with oil.)
2. Transfer cooled pasta to a large bowl and stir in oil. Add vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, bocconcini, pepperoni, basil and oregano. Toss well and season with salt and pepper.

From - All You MAY 2010

Panzanella

My friends and I recently went out to The Wine Guy wine bar for dinner. Christie had Panzanella salad and it looked so good! Full of my favorite things, so I knew I had to try it at home. The below recipe is adapted from a Barefoot Contessa recipe I found. It turned out great and was a big hit served with burgers at a recent cookout. The bread is the best part!

Ingredients
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small French bread cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 hothouse cucumber unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
16 ozs of Fresh Mozzarella balls, quartered
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped

For the vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons White Balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.
For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.
In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, basil, and mozzarella. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

Orange or Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Ariel sent me this recipe. They sound very light and refreshing and look easy! I think I will make them for Bunco next week!

Ingredients:

1 package of Lemon or Orange Supreme cake mix (Duncan Hines)
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
Granulated sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 350. Mix cake mix, butter, and eggs in a large bowl with spoon or fork until dough forms.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Curry Rice

My mother-in-law Carol gave me this recipe this past weekend - she had used it at Heather's Herbs & Spices-themed shower. I just have to make it to go with the Kabobs we are having this coming weekend at my friend Lyndsey's wedding shower! It was so tasty!

3 pkgs of long grain & wild rice (fast cook)
1/2 cup currants
1 bunch scallions (chopped)
1 red and 1 yellow pepper (chopped)
1/2 cup of honey roasted peanuts

Dressing:

1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup of Canola oil (do not use olive or vegetable oil)
2 tsp curry (or more to taste)
NOTE:  This will make more dressing than needed, but I just like to use the extra as a marinade.
While preparing rice, make dressing. Add a small amount of dressing to the rice while it cools. Once cool, add all ingredients except the peanuts and dressing (that is best added shortly before serving). You may only need to use 1/2 of the dressing, so add a little at a time!

Healthy Snacks

Most of you know that I have been obsessed with bootcamp for about a year now. Our trainer Brian sends out motivational emails daily and a lot of times includes nutrition information, recipes, healthy ideas, etc... I thought I would share a list of his favorite healthy snacks/small meals here. I personally am now addicted to the Breadless PB&J. I think the kids would really like it too! So good and has a ton of protein! Enjoy!

• Breadless PB&J: 6 oz Strawberry Chobani Yogurt (leave the fruit on the bottom and just take the yogurt on top --mixed w/1 Tbsp organic peanut butter)


• 6 oz Yogurt w/1/4 srvg raw nuts and unsweetened coconut


• 4 oz Vanilla Fat free Yogurt and 4 oz cottage cheese blended with 1 srvg. frozen mango. Top with chopped walnuts


• 1/2 can tuna fish with 1/2 cup kidney beans and balsamic vinaigrette


• 1/2 avocado with 1/2 small can of salmon mixed with dijon mustard


• Marinade broccoli, yellow/red pepper and portabello mushrooms in your favorite balsamic vinaigrette. Saute or grill and add to a whole wheat tortilla with roasted red pepper hummus, avocado and salsa.


• Saute 3 cups spinach, chopped red bell pepper and mushrooms in garlic and olive oil. Melt a piece of string cheese or part-skim mozzarella on top.


• Microwave a sweet potato, top with cottage cheese & salsa


• Salad with a tons of veggies and protein of your choice (usually black beans, canned salmon or rotisserie chicken for me).


• Naked Burrito: black beans as a base, grilled marinated veggies, chicken or pork, guacamole and salsa


• Mix together raw almonds, raw pecans, raw walnuts with dried cranberries or dried cherries, and raisins. Add a small amount of mini dark chocolate pieces for a little sweetness.

North Woods Bean Soup

I am pretty sure someone made this for an early meal exchange but I can't remember who! It is a really easy and filling soup. I made it last week and I plan on making it again this week! I used frozen carrots and onions to make it even faster and next time I will use frozen spinach! I also think I will add an extra can of beans to the puree to make it a little thicker next time!

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 cup baby carrots, halved
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
7 ounces turkey kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 (15.8-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (6-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach leaves

Preparation

Heat a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, and kielbasa; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes. Add the broth, Italian seasoning, pepper, and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

Place 2 cups of the soup in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth. Return the pureed mixture to pan. Simmer an additional 5 minutes. Remove soup from heat. Add the spinach, stirring until spinach wilts.

Spinach Chicken Enchiladas

I made these a few weeks ago and they were delicious. I have been craving Mexican food, so I try to make a mexican dish at least once a week! This recipe is a keeper!

Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients

2 (10-ounce) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles
4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves
1 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened and cut into pieces
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 cup cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
10 (6-inch) flour tortillas
Toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado

Preparation

Combine 1 can tomatoes and green chiles, chicken, and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Drain remaining 1 can tomatoes and green chiles, and add liquid to saucepan. Set drained tomatoes and green chiles aside.
Bring chicken mixture to a boil; reduce heat, and cook 10 to 15 minutes. Remove chicken, and strain cooking liquid, reserving 2 1/2 cups liquid and diced tomatoes and green chiles. Cool chicken slightly, and chop.
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in reserved tomato liquid until blended. Add cream cheese, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Spread 1 cup sauce into bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
Press spinach between paper towels to remove excess moisture. Stir together spinach, chicken, half of reserved diced tomatoes and green chiles, cottage cheese, sour cream, and 1 cup cheese blend. Spoon mixture down center of each flour tortilla; roll up. Place, seam side down, in dish. Top with remaining sauce.
Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese, and bake 5 more minutes. Sprinkle with remaining tomatoes and green chiles. Sprinkle with toppings.

Southern Living, SEPTEMBER 1997

Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

Ariel sent this recipe over and says they are super yummy and easy. Can't wait to try them!

2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 (16 oz) jar Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter
3 cups corn flakes
1 (16oz) pkg. of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1) Melt butter over low heat in saucepan
2) In mixing bowl, blend peanut butter and sugar.
3) Add the melted butter and continue to blend.
4) Stir in cereal (I crush it up first) and spread mixture evenly into a 9"
x 13" pan.
5) Spread melted chocolate evenly over peanut butter mixture. Refrigerate
to cool.
6) Let thaw for a couple minutes, then cut into bars. Makes approx. 30
bars.

Store in refrigerator or freezer in a container with wax paper
between layers.

Chicken Cacciatore with Crisp Polenta

My sister and Michael told me about this recipe and they way they described it, we had to try it. We really enjoyed it! It has a completely different taste and is perfect when you want something outside of the norm. I did use regular chicken breasts because our lovely Norwood Kroger did not have the boneless, skinless chicken thighs (oh and I am not a fan of chicken with bones - even if the recipe calls for it). Norwood Kroger also did not have polenta, so I substituted with Country Mush - haha. It worked, but just annoyed me enough to say I wouldn't go back to the Norwood Kroger again! Hate it! Anyway, we liked the meal so much that I am making it again tonight - this time with the boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

Ingredients
Serves 4

3 tablespoons olive oil
8 skinless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds total)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes in juice, broken up with a spoon
1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
2 medium onions, each cut into 8 wedges
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/3 cup pitted green olives, halved
1 tube (16 ounces) plain prepared polenta, sliced into 12 rounds

Directions

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working in two batches, sear chicken, meaty side down, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate (chicken will cook more in step 2).
2. Add mushrooms to pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes (with their juice), wine, onions, garlic, olives, and chicken (with any juices). Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Season stew with salt and pepper.
3. While stew is cooking, heat broiler. On a rimmed baking sheet, brush both sides of polenta slices with remaining oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil, without turning, until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve chicken cacciatore over polenta.

From Everyday Food, October 2008
Marthastewart.com: Chicken Cacciatore with Crisp Polenta - Martha Stewart Recipes

Simply Hummus

Another thing I wanted to try immediately with the new food processor is hummus. I am obsessed with it and my favorite kind is Sabra Hummus. I think I did pretty good to recreate it - thanks to the Cuisinart! I plan on trying variations of it in the future, I saw a recipe the other day for Curry and Black Bean Hummus that both looked good! Stay tuned - I will post if I try them!

Ingredients:

2 cans reduced sodium garbonzo beans (drained, reserve liquid)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper (if you like it to have a little kick)

Directions:

Throw it all into the magical food processor and blend until smooth. Add the reserved liquid from the garbonzo beans if you want to play with the consistency. Serve with veggies or Stacy's Pita Chips, my favorite. So easy, healthy and delicious!

Black Bean & Chicken Tortilla Soup...

...or as Tim called it - CHILI! Whatever, it is not chili! I got a new food processor today and was so excited to try it! This is a recipe I just made up - so I will do my best to put it into measurable amounts! I will definitely make this again when I am not in the mood for chili!

Ingredients:

1 - 2 cups of cooked chicken (I had cooked some in the crockpot - so it ended up being shredded - but diced grilled chicken would be good too)
1 box chicken broth
1 can of petite diced tomatoes with chiles
1 can of stewed tomatoes
2 can of black beans (divided)
1 cup of frozen corn
4 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce (optional - do not use these if you do not like spicy soup, Tim could barely hang)
1 Tbsp of cumin
1 Tbsp of chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Garnishments - all optional, but highly recommended:

6 small CORN tortillas
oil for frying
salt to taste
sour cream
cheese
cilantro
lime

Add both cans of tomatoes an, one can of black beans and the chipotle peppers (if using) to the food processor. Blend until smooth! Transfer mixture to a large pot. Slowly add in chicken broth until mixed throughout. Add in chicken, the other can of black beans (drained and rinsed), the frozen corn, cumin and chili powder . Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 45 min to 1 hour.

To prepare the garnishment, which in my opinion, may have been the best part - slice the corn tortillas in long thin strips longways and then cut in half, so you end up with about 2 inch pieces. Place the oil in a pan and heat until bubbly. Fry the tortillas until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to drain. Make sure to salt them while they are still hot! So yummy!