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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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!

Dinner Tonight: Must LOVE Bourbon

Today, I didn't want to spend hours in the kitchen, but wanted something yummy, so I decided to do Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker, with a Bourbon BBQ sauce, topped with Blue Cheese Cole Slaw with a side of Brussel Sprouts.

The pork was easy - 4lb pork tenderloin, spice rub, broth to cover the bottom of the pot, 10 hours (6 hours on high, 4 hours on low) in the crock pot. Take out the pork, shred it with a fork. Drain the remaining juices from crock pot. Put the meat back in the crock pot and pour the below BBQ sauce in, stir to cover the meat. Let it simmer on high another 30 min to an hour. Delicious. I made an extra batch of the sauce to pour over our open faced sandwiches.

I just knew I would love this sauce because it had bourbon in it... I must warn those people that just kinda like Bourbon - this sauce will be too strong for you! Even after cooking it down, you can taste the Bourbon. Love it!!! NOTE: Just use the part of the recipe to make the sauce, the ribs look good too though..

Bourbon BBQ Babyback Ribs

To serve the pulled pork, I split a slider bun, topped with meat, then this Blue Cheese Cole Slaw, and more Bourbon BBQ sauce.

For the side tonight, I made these Brussell sprouts. My friend Mindy was telling me that the recipe was out on the web and I had to try them. They are from a very high-scale recipe here in Cincinnati (BOCA) and are awesome. Well worth the wait (they take about 3 hours to cook). If you are looking for something healthy, it won't be these... There are only three ingredients, the sprouts, butter and salt.

Colorful Quick Quinoa Grecian Salad

Holly brought this over for a side with our burgers the other night - great choice! Very light and very good for you! We have made this several times and I really like making extra dressing, so it doesn't dry out. The quinoa really absorbs the liquid. I use 4TBSP's of olive oil and 4TBSP's of vinegar. I couldn't find the sherry vinegar (could find sherry wine) - I use the Rice Vinegar flavored with basil and oregano.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh mint
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup thinly sliced radicchio
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped English cucumber
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 tablespoon minced shallots

Preparation

Place quinoa in a large bowl; cover with water. Let stand 5 minutes; rinse well, and drain.
Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan; stir in quinoa. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Uncover; fluff with a fork. Cool to room temperature.
Combine olive oil and next 5 ingredients (through sea salt) in a large bowl. Add cooled quinoa, tomatoes, and the remaining ingredients; toss well.

Margee Berry, White Salmon, WA, Cooking Light, APRIL 2006

Squash-Rice Casserole

I made this the other night, trying to find a recipe to work a few veggies in, hoping the kids would like them smothered in cheese. It worked and we liked it a lot too! I changed it slightly. I used 2 zucchini, 2 yellow squash, and a red bell pepper instead of just zucchini.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients
8 cups sliced zucchini (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain; partially mash with a potato masher. Combine zucchini mixture, rice, sour cream, cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and eggs in a bowl; stir gently. Spoon zucchini mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Preheat broiler.
Broil 1 minute or until lightly browned.

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2000

Beer Cheese Fondue Mac N' Cheese

For Evan's birthday party - I wanted to make some mac n' cheese, but also wanted to use the ingredients I already had in the kitchen, so I improvised. Trader Joe's has an awesome product - Beer Cheese Fondue in a pouch. You just squeeze it into your fondue pot and heat it and it is good to go - very easy. Well, I had 2 pouches leftover from Christmas, so I decided to try it for the Mac N' Cheese. Here is what I used to make the BIG batch for his party:



Ingredients:



3 bags of cavatappi noodles (I used Krogers private selection brand)

1 pint of half and half

1 stick of butter, divided

2 bags of sharp cheddar cheese (4 cups)

2 pouches of Trader Joe's Beer Cheese Fondue

salt and pepper to taste



Preparation:



Make pasta according to directions, drain and put in the baking pan - add entire stick of butter - reserving 2 TBSP for the sauce. Stir noodles so that they do not stick. To make the cheese sauce, mix 2 TBSP of butter, 1 bag of sharp cheddar cheese, 2 pouches of Trader Joe's Beer Cheese Fondue and the pint of half and half. Add the half and half slowly as the cheese melts. Once the cheese sauce has completely melted, pour it over the noodles and mix well. Bake covered at 375 for 2 hours. During the last 15 minutes of baking, sprinkle remaining bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top. If you make this recipe for a smaller crowd, I would adjust baking time accordingly.

Thanksgiving Recipes

I haven't posted in awhile - we have all been busy! These are some recipes from our Thanksgiving meal at Krista's house - all were really good!

Sausage, Apple, and Fennel Corn Bread Dressing

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)

Ingredients

Corn bread:

1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Stuffing:
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 ounces lean, low-sodium smoked turkey sausage, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups diced Granny Smith apple (about 1 large)
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced fennel bulb
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

To prepare corn bread, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, canola oil, and 1 egg in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 16 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan; cool completely.
Reduce oven temperature to 375°.

To prepare stuffing, heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add onion and bay leaf; cook 8 minutes or until onion starts to brown, stirring occasionally. Add apple, celery, and fennel; cook 5 minutes. Add garlic and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper); cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf. Cool to room temperature.
Crumble corn bread into a large bowl. Add sausage mixture to bowl; toss to combine. Add broth and 2 eggs; toss to combine. Spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until top is crisp and golden brown.

Laura Martin, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2006

Mixed Apple Salad over Greens

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup apple mixture and 1 cup greens)

Ingredients

Dressing:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon olive oil
Dash of salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
2 cups chopped Granny Smith apple
2 cups chopped Cameo or Braeburn apple
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled blue cheese
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
4 cups mixed salad greens

Preparation

To prepare dressing, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
To prepare salad, combine apples, cheese, and bacon. Drizzle dressing over apple mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve over greens.

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2002

Two-Cheese Squash Casserole

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

4 pounds yellow squash, sliced
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs, divided
1 1/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Preparation

Cook squash in boiling water to cover in a large skillet 8 to 10 minutes or just until tender. Drain well; gently press between paper towels.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until tender. Remove skillet from heat; stir in squash, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and next 7 ingredients. Spoon into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir together melted butter, remaining 1 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and garlic salt. Sprinkle mixture evenly over top of casserole.
Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until set.

Southern Living, MAY 2004

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:
2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8 ounce box isn't quite 2 cups)
2 1/2 cup (about 10-ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
4 tablespoon (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Black Bean Salad

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

Dressing
1 small clove garlic
Pinch salt, plus 2 teaspoons
Juice 1 1/2 limes (about 3 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small hass avocado, halved, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and stems

Directions
Make the dressing: Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with a pinch of the salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Whisk the garlic paste, lime juice, salt and chili powder together in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream.
For the salad: Cook the corn, bell pepper, and onions in the olive oil until beginning to brown over medium-high heat in a skillet. Toss in the black beans and cook until warm. Add the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and gently fold in the tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. Serve.

Copyright (c) 2004 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.

Asparagus Salad

1 bunch of asparagus, cleaned and cut
4 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp white sugar
2 tsp olive oil

1. Boil asparagus for 1 minute.
2. Drain asparagus in collander and run under cold water (to hold the green color).
3. Set asparagus aside (run under cold water a periodically).
4. Mix sauce until sugar is dissolved.
5. Toss asparagus with sauce and cool in refridgerator.

Note: If you usually eat a bunch of asparagus between two people, then double, triple, etc... for the amount of people you expect.

Bourbon-Mashed Sweet Potatoes

In the quest to find vegetables Alex will eat, I thought I would try these mashed sweet potatoes. I had to improvise a little because I didn't have all of the ingredients, so I used half and half instead of the heavy cream, honey instead of the molasses and Southern Comfort instead of Bourbon. They still turned out really yummy and I will definitely make them again - they were very easy!

Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 3/4 to 2 pounds sweet potatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake until tender and starting to ooze sugary syrup, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on their size. Remove from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle.
Cut a slit down each potato and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Discard the skins. Add the cream, bourbon, brown sugar, molasses, and salt and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Cover to keep warm, or gently reheat before serving.

Orzo Pasta Salad with Pesto and Tomatoes

I haven't posted anything in a week because I was so sick last week, with no appetite! However, I was craving a pasta salad last night and decided to try something new. I made this up, so you could try this and add other things that sound good to you!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of Orzo (I used whole wheat orzo)
Juice from two lemons
1 tsp lemon zest
2 T prepared pesto
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/2 - 3/4 cup of feta cheese(I used reduced fat feta)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil for garnish

Directions

Prepare the orzo according to directions. Whisk lemon juice, lemon zest, pesto, salt, pepper and olive oil together in a small bowl. Combine the pasta and "dressing" in a large bowl. Add in feta and tomatoes and top with fresh basil. Best if chilled for a couple of hours before serving.

Apple Slaw

YIELD: 8 servings

Vinaigrette:

1/3 c packed brown sugar
1/3 c cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs veg oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp bl pepper

Slaw:

2 1/2 c chopped Pink lady or other sweet apple
1 (12 oz) pkg broccoli slaw
1 (3 oz) pkg dried tart cherries
2 Tbs sunflower seed kernels

1. To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk
2. To prepare slaw, combing apple, broc slaw, and dried cherries. Drizzle with vinaigrette; toss well to combine. Sprinkle with sunflower sees (I really dont measure theses just sprinkle them on); chill for up to 3 hours

Orzo with Spinach and Feta

We made this last night to go with the Pan-Seared Scallops with Tomatoes and Pesto. The only thing that I will add next time is something red for a little color - we put the leftover tomatoes from the scallops recipe in with the leftover orzo and ate it cold the next day and I actually liked it better cold.

Yield 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

5 cups water
2 cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
5 cups coarsely chopped spinach
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add orzo. Cook 10 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain.

Combine pasta, spinach, and feta in a large bowl. Combine oil and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle lemon mixture over pasta mixture; toss well to coat.

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 1999