Hobbit Pie (Makes 3 pies)

3 sets of pastry for a two crust pie
6 Tbs oil
3 lbs mushrooms (I used baby bella)
4 cups diced onions
Salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup flour
1 cup white wine
½ cup finely chopped parsley
2 cups cottage cheese
3 cups grated cheddar
4 eggs

Line the bottoms of three pie plates with pastry.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Cook the onions until soft (about 5 mins). Add mushrooms and cook until they give off liquid.

Turn up the heat and add the wine. Cook for about a minute then add the flour. Remove from heat and add the cheeses. Stir well and taste. Adjust seasoning. Add the eggs and put in to the prepared pie shells.

Cover with a lovely lattice top.

Cool to room temperature if freezing.

To bake, preheat oven to 375’ and bake 40 to 50 mins or until crust is golden.

If frozen, defrost completely before baking.

~Michele Decoteau – Jan 2008/Dec 2009

Macaroon Kiss Cookies

(from the Hershey’s chocolate classics cookbook)
Makes 24 large cookies, or more if you reduce the size

1/3 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 teaspoons orange juice
1 ¼ cup unsifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
5 cups (14-ounce package) flaked coconut
24 Hershey’s kiss chocolates, unwrapped

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk, almond extract and orange juice; beat well. Combinge flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in 3 cups of the coconut. Cover tightly; chill 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.

Divide dough into 24 balls, roll in remaining coconut. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; immediately press chocolate kiss on top of each cookie (I place on cookie and let the bottom melt, then push them in a bit so they stay on the cookie.) Let the chocolate cool completely before packing up cookies. These freeze well.

Mushroom Calzones

Adapted From both:
• 1,001 Low-fat Vegetarian Recipes by Sue Spitler
• Michele Decoteau’s March 2009 Casserole Club recipe

Ingredients

16 oz (2 cups) sliced or chopped mushrooms
½ c. chopped onion
2 T minced garlic
1 t. basil (dried)
1c. ricotta cheese
1 c. mozzarella cheese
2 T. parmesan cheese (I may have forgotten this in casserole club but I'm including here b/c I recommend it)
¼ c. sour cream

1 package dry hot roll mix (16 oz.)
1 ¼ c. very hot water (120 degrees)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Skim milk, to glaze

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Spray skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic and basil to skillet. Cook, covered over medium heat until mushrooms have wilted, about 5 minutes. Cook, uncovered until vegetables are tender, 5-8 minutes.

2. Mix sautéed vegetables, cheeses and sour cream; season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Make hot roll mix according to package directions for pizza, using 1 ¼ c. hot water and 1 T. olive oil. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Flatten 1 piece of dough on floured surface into 6-7-inch circle. Spoon about 2/3 c. mushroom mixture onto dough. Fold in half. Press edges of dough together and pinch. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

4. Brush tops of calzones with milk. Bake calzones at 375 degrees until browned 15-20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 5 minutes before serving.

NOTE: If freezing, bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes, allow to cool completely, then place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper in freezer. Freeze completely, then place in labeled freezer bags. To bake from frozen, glaze with milk and bake on lightly greased cookie sheet in preheated 375 oven for about 40 minutes, or until golden.

Cappuccino Bites

1/3 c butter, softened
1 c packed brown sugar
2/3 c baking cocoa
1 T instant coffee
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 egg
1/3 c vanilla yogurt
11/2 c flour
1/3 c sugar

Cream butter then blend in brown sugar, cocoa, coffee, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix in egg whites and yogurt. Blend in flour. Place sugar in a small bowl. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls into sugar. Roll into one-inch balls. Arrange two inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Makes 21/2 dozen - 3 dozen.

Apple Crisp

INGREDIENTS
Fruit Mixture:
7 apples - I used 2 macoun, 2 Cortland, and 3 Granny Smith
2 T lemon juice
1/4 C granulated sugar
1/8 C all-purpose flour
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg

Topping:
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C light brown sugar, packed
1/2 C oats
1 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 C butter

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Peel, core, and cut the apples into slices. Place apples in a large bowl and toss with rest of Fruit Mixture ingredients.

Combine Topping Ingredients. Most recipes I’ve read say to cut the butter into the mix, but I’ve always softened it in the microwave till mushy and stirred it all together.

Spread the topping (it will be chunky/crumbly) as evenly as possible on top of the apples.

Bake uncovered in oven for 30-45 minutes – until top is lightly browned and fruit is bubbly.

Note, this is also good with chopped, fresh cranberries tossed in the Fruit Mixture.

Toasted Coconut Creme Pie

This pie may also be made with a chocolate graham cracker crust, which sounds great. I took the easy way out and purchased deep dish ready-made pie crusts after making this one from scratch, which was too labor intensive for me.

Coconut Cream Pie Crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
4 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Filling
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon coconut extract

Topping
2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/4 cups chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon coconut extract

For crust: Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle 4 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Process just until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic. Chill 1 hour. Roll out dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to 14-inch round. Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Fold overhang under. Crimp edges decoratively. Pierce bottom of crust all over with fork. Freeze crust 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep frozen.) Preheat oven to 375°F. Line crust with aluminum foil. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 20 minutes. Remove weights and foil. Bake until golden and set, about 10 minutes. Cool. (Crust can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature.)

For filling: Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, egg yolk, and flour in medium bowl. Bring milk and coconut to simmer in medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add hot milk mixture to egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return to same saucepan; cook until pastry cream thickens and boils, stirring constantly, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in vanilla and coconut extracts. Transfer pastry cream to medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface to prevent formation of skin. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Transfer filling to crust. Cover; chill overnight.

For topping: Toast coconut in heavy small skillet over medium heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Cool completely. Using electric mixer, beat cream, sugar, and coconut extract in medium bowl until peaks form. Spread whipped cream all over top of filling. Sprinkle evenly with toasted coconut. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Serve cold.

Pumpkin Maple Pie

Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel Topping

Recipe makes two pies

Pie Crust

From Cooks Illustrated

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons sugar

12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 1/4-inch slices

1/2 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening , cut into 4 pieces

1/4 cup vodka , cold

1/4 cup cold water

Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Pumpkin Maple Pie Filling

From Moosewood Restaurant Celebrations Cookbook

32 ounces pumpkin puree

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

5 eggs

2 cups milk, half-and-half or evaporated skim milk

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine all ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Pour into prepared pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 55-65 minutes. Add Streusel topping half way through baking.

Streusel Topping

8 Tablespoons Butter

1 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup flour

Mix sugar and flour together. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.

Aunt Pat's Cranberry Pie

At the intersection of pie, cake, and the abundance of fall harvest in New England is Aunt Pat's Cranberry Pie. This is not really a pie and not really a cake but a dessert that fully celebrates our state berry. Combining tart cranberries, flavorful walnuts and a luscious moist cake, this simple pie is the perfect antidote to the array of sweets and chocolate of the season.

Combine 2 cups of cranberries, 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts with 1/2 cup sugar. Put this in a generously greased pie plate or round cake pan depending on which side of the pie and cake debate your preferences lie.

In a separate bowl, combine 2 eggs, a pinch of salt, 1 cup unbleached flour, and 1 stick of melted margarine. A note from Aunt Pat reminds us to learn from her mistakes and not to substitute butter. Oh the mystery....

Pour the batter a top the cranberries and nuts. I like to mix things up, as you well know, and tend to stir this batter into the berries a bit to better combine. Sprinkle the top with a touch of sugar to make a crispier top.

Bake in a 350' oven for 40-50 minutes or until a cake tester, or a toothpick in my hands, comes out clean. This dessert needs to cool before serving. If you absolutely cannot wait, you will find that there is a sugar syrup on the bottom. This will reabsorb into the cake as it cools.

Serve with good friends and a really good vanilla ice cream.

For the swap, I would slide the frozen pie in to a preheated oven and plan to wait about an hour or even a bit longer before it is done baking.

Breton Apple Pie

Summary:
A gateau Breton is a specialty of Brittany; this nontraditional version adds a cooked-apple filling between 2 layers of dough with a cakelike texture.
You'll need a 10-inch round cake pan, 2 inches deep, and two 10-inch or larger cardboard disks or tart bottoms.
Keep the Breton loosely covered with plastic wrap at room temperature if you are serving it the day it is baked. Wrap well and freeze for longer storage. Defrost and bring to room temperature before serving.
Serve with sweetened whipped cream.
Makes one 10-inch pie, about 12 servings

Ingredients:
For the filling
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 pounds golden delicious apples, peeled, cut in half and cored; cut each half into 6 wedges
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the dough
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the cake pan
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large egg yolks, plus an egg wash of 1 large egg beaten with a pinch of salt
• 2 3/4 cups flour (spoon flour into a dry-measure cup and level off)

Directions:
For the filling: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pan that has a tight-fitting cover, such as an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven. Add the apples and sprinkle them with the sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook, covered, for about 10 minutes, checking them and stirring occasionally, until they are swimming in liquid. Uncover and cook for about 10 minutes, so the liquid evaporates; stir occasionally to keep the apples from sticking or scorching. (Most of the apples will disintegrate while the filling is cooking, making it like a chunky applesauce.) Remove from the heat and let cool while you make the dough.

For the dough: Set an oven rack on the lowest level of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Use a little butter to grease a 10-inch round cake pan. Cut a round of parchment or wax paper to fit in the bottom, then butter the paper. Have ready two 10-inch cardboard rounds or tart bottoms.

Combine the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of a mixer. Beat at medium speed for 5 minutes, until the mixture is very light and aerated. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to incorporate the flour.

Place half of the dough in the bottom of the prepared pan. Use your fingertips to press the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan and about 1 inch up the sides. Spread the cooled filling over the dough.

Flour the remaining dough lightly on both sides and press it into a 10-inch disk (use a cardboard or tart pan bottom as a guide). Run a long-bladed knife or spatula under the dough to keep it from sticking. Invert the dough onto a separate floured cardboard and slide it onto the filling.

Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash. Use the tines of a fork to trace a lattice pattern on the top. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the dough is nicely colored and baked through. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then invert, unmold and turn right side up again (it's good to use one of the cardboard disks or tart bottom for this). Let cool completely.

To serve, slide the Breton pie onto a platter and cut it into wedges at the table.

Recipe Source:
Adapted from "The Modern Baker," by Nick Malgieri (DK Publishing, 2008).

NOTE - one time I forgot to bake this on the lowest rack in the oven and the bottom was undercooked, so it's pretty important to bake it on the lowest rack.

Shredded BBQ Pork Tenderloin Subs

Ingredients
Pork Tenderloin - approximately 3.5 pounds
1/2 cup water
Salt & Pepper
BBQ Sauce

BBQ Sauce
½ cup ketchup
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar (I used dark brown)

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Defrost pork (which may take more than one night). Place pork in crock pot and add ½ cup water. Salt and pepper the pork. Place on high for the first hour and then on low for another 8 hours. Check to see if the meat is done or flakes when probed with a fork. If so, drain liquid and shred the pork. Add desired amount of BBQ sauce and cook on low for another hour. Place the shredded BBQ pork in the sub roll and enjoy!

Mexican Chicken Stew

loaded with fiber and antioxidants!


1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up bite sized
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
2tsp olive oil
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled, cut bite size
1 yellow pepper, cut up bite size (yellow peppers are pricey, but you need the special taste)
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups water
1 can (28 0z) diced tomatoes un drained
2 1/2 tbsp salt-free chili powder blend
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup frozen corn
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped Fresh cilantro (makes the dish so don't skip it)

1. sprinkle chicken with flour, toss to coat. Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in a nonstick Dutch oven. Add chicken, saute 5 min. until cooked thru. remove

2. Heat remaining 1/2 tsp in oil. Add Sweet potatoes, pepper and onion. Cover and cook 7 minutes, stirring often, until lightly colored.

3. Add water, tomatoes, chili powder, garlic and oregano. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes until vegetables are almost tender.

4. Add corn and beans. Simmer 2 min. until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Broccoli, Pepperoni and Three Cheese Calzones

Broccoli, Pepperoni and Three Cheese Calzones

Original Recipe Yield 6 servings (though mine only made 4 because I used a store bought pizza dough - I kept the filling size the same based on measurements below)

Ingredients

* 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
* 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 heads fresh broccoli
* 2/3 cup shredded provolone cheese
* 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 cup diced pepperoni
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 tablespoon water
* 2 tablespoons cornmeal

Directions

1. In a large bowl, proof the yeast by blending it with 1/4 cup of the warm water. Let stand until it bubbles.
2. In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Blend in the one tablespoon of olive oil by rubbing the mixture between the palms of your hands. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Add proofed yeast mixture and work in by hand. Gradually add the remaining warm water. Blend well and gather into a ball.
3. Place one teaspoon of olive oil on a wooden board. Knead dough on board until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.
4. Meanwhile, prepare calzone filling: separate the broccoli tops from the stalks. Soak in cool water with 1 teaspoon salt for 15 minutes. Rinse in cool water. Cook in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well and chop into small pieces. Place in large bowl with provolone cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic, pepperoni, olive oil, salt, and ground black pepper.
5. Punch down dough and knead for one minute. Divide into six equal pieces. On a floured board, roll each section into a 8x10 inch rectangle.
6. In a small bowl combine the beaten egg and water. On the long side of the dough, place 2/3 cup filling in a strip one inch away from the edges of the dough. Flatten the filling with a spoon. Brush egg mixture over edges of dough. Fold the dough over the filling. Fold edges under 1/4 inch. Seal edges.
7. Sprinkle two 12x16 inch baking pans with cornmeal. Place three calzones on each baking pan. Brush remaining egg mixture on top of calzones. Prick tops of calzones with toothpick, making holes 1/2 inch apart on top of dough.
8. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F (190 degrees C) oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.

Carrot Ginger Soup

2lbs Carrots, cleaned (or peeled), cut into 1 inch pieces
4 cups stock or water
1 -2 onions, chopped
oil
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt
Simmer the carrots in the water until tender. Saute the onions in the oil until soft, add garlic and ginger. Cook until unbelievably fragrant. Take the carrots and their liquid and the onions to the food processor. Puree the onions adding carrot water as needed. Add the carrots and remaining liquid and puree until everything is smooth. Return to pan if needed to warm everything up. Salt to taste.

This soup is amazing on those days you feel a cold coming on. It also freezes beautifully.

Spinach, Pesto, and Cheese Lasagna

Ingredients
3 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 7-ounce package prepared pesto
4 cups bottled chunky pasta sauce
12 no-boil lasagna noodles from one 8-ounce package
2 cups grated Fontina cheese (I added an additional about 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella too)

Preparation
Blend ricotta and Parmesan in medium bowl. Season cheeses with salt and pepper; stir in egg. Blend spinach and pesto in another medium bowl.
Brush 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish with oil. Spread 1 cup pasta sauce in prepared dish. Arrange 3 noodles side by side atop sauce. Spread 1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese mixture over in thin layer. Drop 1/3 of spinach mixture over by spoonfuls. Repeat layering with sauce, noodles, ricotta cheese mixture and spinach mixture 2 more times. Top with remaining 3 noodles and 1 cup sauce.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover lasagna with foil. Bake 35 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with Fontina cheese. Bake lasagna until heated through, sauce bubbles and cheese on top is melted, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes.

Harvest Pot Pie

1 medium, or 2 small onions, chopped
Oil
2 carrots, diced
2-3 medium potatoes, diced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp basil
1 cup chopped red pepper
1 heaping cup of sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup peas
2 Tbls butter
2 Tbls flour
1 tsp mustard
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Crust for one pie

Saute onion in oil until soft - about 3-5 minutes in a large frying pan. Add potatoes and carrots, cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring often. Add peppers, seasoning, mushrooms, peas and corn. Cook for 5-8 minutes more or until carrots are soft. Remove from heat then put into casserole dish. In a separate pan, melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook for a minute or two. Add mustard and slowly whisk in milk until blended. Cook until thickened. Add cheese, remove from heat and stir until smooth. Pour over veggies and poke if needed to get sauce to cover everything. Cover with crust. Cut slits and bake at 375' for about 30-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Serve with beets and apple sauce.

Goat Cheese, Pear and Leek Tart

The Washington Post, October 8, 2008

Summary:
This is a signature dish of Locke Modern Country Store owner Juliet Mackay-Smith, who came up with it when she was a caterer.The dough portion of this recipe makes more than you'll need for the tart. Use two-thirds of the dough to cover a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Wrap the remaining dough well and freeze for up to 1 month.
8 to 12 servings

Ingredients:

For the crust
3 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
8 ounces (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

For the filling
4 leeks, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
10 ounces goat cheese
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese (do not use nonfat)
1 large firm pear, such as red or Anjou
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
For the crust: Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl; mix well. Use a pastry cutter or cool hands (I used a food processor) to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal.

Combine the egg yolk and water in a measuring cup. Add to the flour-butter mixture a tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together. (You might not need all of the liquid).

Divide the dough into thirds; shape two-thirds of it into a disk, then wrap in plastic wrap; chill for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight. (The remaining dough can be wrapped well and frozen for up to 1 month.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Press the chilled dough into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, making sure it is even on the bottom and the sides. Trim/even off the top of the sides as necessary. Place a round of parchment paper or aluminum foil on the crust and fill with pie weights (can use dried beans as pie weights). Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the paper or foil and weights; bake for 2 to 5 minutes, until lightly golden. Let cool slightly.

For the filling: Remove the tough green tops and root ends from the leeks, leaving the white shanks and tender green portions. Slice those in half lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-rounds. Submerge the cut leeks in water and let them stand for a few minutes to remove any sand. Skim the leeks from the top of the bowl with a strainer, being careful not to disturb the sandy water, and drain.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, for five to 10 minutes, until they are tender and starting to brown. Add the white wine and heavy cream, stirring to mix well; cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, for 5 to 10 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half. The reduced mixture should show tracks from the spoon in the bottom of the pan when stirred; the texture should resemble that of loose custard. Remove from the heat and add the goat and cream cheeses, stirring just until melted and smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

While the mixture is cooling, peel and core the pear. Cut it into 1/4-inch dice (about 3/4 cup) and fold into the cooled mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the mixture in the pre-baked pie shell, filling to 1/8 inch from the top of the shell. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes; the crust will be lightly browned but the top of the tart will not have much color; that is okay.

Let the tart cool and set for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 whole butternut squash
6 cups water
1 large onion, chopped
fresh ginger, grated or chopped (about 1 inch)
10 baby carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery hearts, chopped
2 granny smith apples (optional) peeled, cored and chopped
3 Tablespoons butter (I use unsalted)
1 teaspoon salt
ground pepper, to taste
½ cup cashew butter
sage, fresh or dried

Peel and chop squash into similar sized pieces. Put in big pot with water and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature so the water doesn’t boil over. Boil until squash is very soft. Leave in hot water.

Meanwhile, melt butter in another large pot. Cook onions, ginger, carrots, celery and apples over medium heat until very soft. I usually add some squash liquid so these ingredients get very soft but not dry.

Drain squash but reserve the water. Put squash into the pot with the onions. Add salt, pepper, cashew butter and sage and blend. An immersion blender is best, but you can use a regular blender (take care because of the heat.) Adjust seasoning if necessary. The "soup" will be very thick. I add all the reserved squash water to thin it out. You can use water, vegetable or chicken stock to thin it out. This soup keeps well for a while.

Alternatively, you can reserve half of the onion carrot mixture if you want chunks in your soup (add after blending.)

French Lentil Soup

I added a few ingredients suggested by other reviewers, which I believe made the soup much tastier. First, I carmelized the onions with a couple strips of bacon, then continued with the other directions. I also added a few herbs to taste - bay leaves, thyme and cumin. Very hearty and satisfying in this unseasonably cold weather!

Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra–virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery stalks plus chopped celery leaves for garnish
1 cup chopped carrots2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups (or more) vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups lentils, rinsed, drained
1 14 1/2–ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Directions
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium–high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, lentils, and tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium–low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.Transfer 2 cups soup (mostly solids) to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to soup in pan; thin soup with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls, if too thick. Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of vinegar, if desired. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with celery leaves.

Bon AppétitDecember 20062006-11-28 10:51:37.0

Pork Cutlets and apples

Serves 4

8 pork cutlets
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

Salt and pepper the cutlets and pan fry them about 3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from pan. While the pan is still hot, add stock, vinegar, sugar and mustard. Reduce by about a third.

Serve sauce over cutlets with warm apple slices.

Apples – slice 3 apples and cook gently with ¼ cup water and ¼ cup brown sugar.
Serve with rice or noodles or roasted green beans.

Winter Squash Galette

Adapted From Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Yeasted Tart Dough with Olive Oil -recipe below (or can use Galette Dough)
2.5 lbs winter squash (I used butternut squash)
1 small head garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
1 T olive oil, plus a little extra for the squash
1 yellow onion, finely diced
12 fresh sage leaves, chopped (or 2 t dried)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (I used Reggianito Parmasan)
3/4 C Fontina cheese (I added this; it's not in Deborah Madison’s original recipe)
1/4 C Feta cheese (I added this; it's not in Deborah Madison’s original recipe)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 egg, beaten

Yeasted Tart Dough with Olive Oil:
2 t active dry yeast (ends up being one packet/envelope of Fleischmann's)
½ t sugar
½ cup warm water
3 T olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/8 t salt
1 ¾ cups flour, as needed (I used equal portions all-purpose white flour and white whole wheat unbleached since I didn’t have whole wheat pastry flour)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water in a medium bowl and let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes. Add the oil, egg, and salt, then stir in the flour. When the dough is too stiff to work with a spoon, turn it onto the counter and knead until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Add more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking. Set the dough in an oiled bowl, turn it over to coat, cover with a damp towel, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes to an hour. (For individual tarts, divide it into 6 pieces, shape into balls, and let rest under damp towel for 15 minutes before rolling them out.)

Cut the squash in half, scrape out the seeds, and brush the cut surfaces with oil. Stuff the garlic into the cavities and place the squash cut side down on the sheet pan. Bake until flesh is tender, around 40 minutes. Scoop out the squash and squeeze the garlic cloves. Mash them together with a fork until fairly smooth, leaving some texture.

Warm 1 T olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sage and cook until soft and beginning to color, about 12 minutes. Add this to the squash along with the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roll out the dough (pretty thin) into 14 inch circle and spread filling over it, leaving a border of 2 inches or more. Pleat the dough around the filling, then brush the edges with beaten egg. Bake until crust is golden, about 25 minutes.

If freezing, bake only about 5 minutes to set dough. Let cool, then wrap in parchment. Place on baking sheet to freeze. Once firm, place either in freezer bag or wrap in plastic wrap and back into freezer. To bake from frozen, thaw then bake at 375 degrees until crust is golden.

Mexican casserole

Makes 5 large servings.

24 oz ricotta cheese (I used semi-skimmed)
2 cups cooked rice (I used brown rice)
½ teaspoon salt
ground pepper, optional
1 half red onion, chopped
1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles
1 15.5 oz can black beans
5 large flour tortillas
8 oz monterey jack cheese (freshly shredded is better)

Serve with:
Salsa or chopped tomatoes
Sour cream
Chopped avocado or guacamole

1. Cook rice and let cool slightly.
2. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.
3. Combine rice with ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, raw red onion and green chiles.
Divide filling into 5 equal parts.
4. Place filling in the middle of tortillas. Roll up and put seam side down in pan. (You can tuck ends under, but it’s not necessary.)
5. Cover with can of beans, including bean liquid.
6. Cover evenly with shredded cheese.
7. Grease aluminum foil and cover casserole.
8. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 15-30 more minutes (depending how browned you want the cheese.)
9. Serve with toppings, it would be bland without salsa.
10. If frozen, defrost completely before baking.

Roasted Butternut Squash Sauce

Serves 8

1 butternut, about 1.5 lbs, peel and cut in to 1 inch dice
5-6 cloves of garlic
Olive Oil

1 cup half and half
salt

Sage
Walnuts

3 lbs ravioli

Preheat oven to 375'. Place the squash and garlic on a baking sheet and coat lightly with oil. Roast about 45 minutes. Cool. Puree with half and half. Salt to taste.

Meanwhile, cook pasta. Reserve about a cup of pasta cooking water.

To serve - thin pasta sauce with reserved water as necessary. Sprinkle sage and walnuts over the pasta and sauce.

For Casserole club - every got a full recipe of sauce and 1.5 lbs ravioli. The remaining sauce can be used on any pasta or thinned to make soup.

Marcaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower

from "Real Simple" magazine
The original recipes has you make your own bread crumbs, I used panko bread crumbs instead.
Hopefully, this will freeze well despite having sour cream in the dish.

to reheat: defrost, cover with foil, and bake at 350 until warm. I added a bit of milk as it seemed a bit dry.

This might help some kids eat cauliflower! (although Owen picked it all out)

Ingredients

12 ounces elbow macaroni
1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1 onion finely chopped
1 1/2 cp grated extra-sharp cheddar (6 ounces)
1 1/2 cups reduced fat sour cream
1/2 cup 1 percent milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
panko bread crumbs

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Cook pasta according to the package directions, adding the cauliflower during the last 3 minutes of cooking time, drain.

2. Return the pasta pot to medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, just until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in the pasta, cauliflower, cheese, sour cream, milk and mustard.

4. Transfer to a shallow 3 quart baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Pan-Seared Tilapia with Chile Lime Butter

This was taken from Epicurious.com
Ingredients:
Chile Lime Butter:
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 Tb. finely chopped shallot
1 tsp. finely grated fresh lime zest
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. minced fresh Thai or serrano chile (preferably red) including seeds
1/2 tsp. salt
For Fish:
6 (5-6 oz) pieces skinless tilapia fillet or farm raised striped bass fillets with skin
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tb. vegetable oil
2 Tb. flour

Make chile lime butter:
Stir together butter, shallot, lime zest, lime juice, chile, and salt in bowl. This works best with semi-melted butter.

Prepare fish:
If using striped bass, score skin in 3 or 4 places with a thin sharp knife to prevent fish from curling. Pat fish dry and sprinkle with salt and dredge in flour. Heat 1 Tb. of oil in 12 in. nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until just smoking, then saute 3 pieces of fish, turning over once with a spatula, until golden and just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes, and transfer to plate. Saute remaining fish in same manner.

Serve each piece of fish with a dollop of chile lime butter. Also included Uncle Ben's Ready rice ready in 90 seconds.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Spinach Pie

1 package of frozen spinach, defrosted with the water squeezed out
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup feta cheese (more if you like it a lot)
3 eggs
1 cup milk
10 cherry tomatoes (or lovely grape tomatoes)
1 pie crust (yours or the store's)

Spread crumbled feta across the bottom of the pie crust. Combine spinach and onions then spread evenly over the cheese. Whisk the eggs and milk together and carefully pour over the spinach. Cut each cherry tomato in half and artfully arrange with the cut side up across the top of the pie.

Bake for about 45 minutes in a preheated 350' oven. Be sure to put a pan under the pie as it may overflow.

If frozen: Defrost completely and warm gently in the oven or individual slices can be heated in the microwave.

Easy Slow Cooker French Dip

Got this from Allrecipes (surprise, surprise)
:)
The version I gave you was scaled down to serve 5 instead of 9.
(recipe below serves 9)
I also added a couple of things to the meal you received; 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce, 1 tbsp minced garlic and 1 tsp thyme.
Before serving, thinly cut the meat then return it to the crock pot for half and hour to allow the meat to take in a little more juice.
Lastly, if you have cheese on hand you may want to add it to the bread before toasting. Just an idea.
Enjoy!


INGREDIENTS

* 4 pounds rump roast
* 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
* 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
* 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
* 6 French rolls
* 2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Trim excess fat from the rump roast, and place in a slow cooker. Add the beef broth, onion soup and beer. Cook on Low setting for 7 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Split French rolls, and spread with butter. Bake 10 minutes, or until heated through.
4. Slice the meat on the diagonal, and place on the rolls. Serve the sauce for dipping.

Thai Beef With Chiles Over Coconut Rice

Serves 6 ~ Prep Time: 15 minutes ~ Total Time: 25 minutes.
From Everyday Food – September 2009

Ingredients
1 ¼ cups jasmine rice
1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk
coarse salt
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. fish sauce
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 long hot peppers or red jalapeno chiles, seeded and sliced into 2-inch matchsticks
1 ¼ pounds ground beef sirloin
1 cup loosely packed torn fresh basil leaves

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk, ¾ cup water, and ½ tsp. salt. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes.

2. When rice is almost done, combine fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl; set aside. Heat a cast-iron skillet or wok over high heat. Add oil and heat; add garlic and half the chiles. Cook, stirring constantly, 15 seconds. Add beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until completely browned, about 4 minutes. Add soy mixture and cook 30 seconds. Add basil and remaining chiles and stir to combine. Serve beef over coconut rice with lime wedges.

Notes:
You may substitute turkey, lamb, pork or chicken.
If you prefer, you can also serve Thai beef with steamed plain rice instead of coconut rice.

Salisbury Steak Deluxe

Sorry this is about two months late!!
Have to say, this recipe is super, super easy. There is one very important key to remember though...the sauce gets it's unique flavor from the combination of horse radish and, here's the key...the scrapings from the pan that the meat is browned in. There have been times that I almost burnt the meat and the sauce ended up with the best flavor (in my opinion). So, after you've browned (or almost blackened) the meat, take the patties out and drain off the grease. Then then let the sauce (+ water) simmer for a few minutes. I use a wisk to get everything blended well then put the patties back in before serving.
Good luck :)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, combine the soup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and horseradish; blend well. Set aside. In another bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add bread crumbs, onion, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup of the soup mixture. Add beef and mix well. Shape into six patties.
2. In a large skillet, brown the patties in oil; drain. Combine remaining soup mixture with water; pour over patties. Cover and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes or until meat is done. Remove patties to a serving platter; spoon sauce over meat. Sprinkle with parsley.

Ratatouille

I used Martha Stewart's recipe for this month.
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/ratatouille

Of course I made some minor changes.
I used some of my own eggplant, Hansel Eggplant - they are the little round circles of eggplant.
I used lots of different colored peppers including yellow banana from my own garden.
The yellow squash from my gardened ended up too seedy to use, so I added extra eggplant and tomatoes. I used Kusa squash instead of zucchini which is similar in texture but has an amazing lemony smell.

Add the fresh basil just before serving.

Pesto Pizza

Basic Pizza Dough recipe

Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook
Note: I like this dough because you don’t roll it, you just stretch it by hand

Makes enough dough for one 14-inch or two 9-inch pizzas
Active time: 30 minutes, start to finish: 1 ¾ hours (includes rising)

1 (1/4-ounce) package (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading and dredging
½ cup whole wheat flour (or can use regular white flour instead)
¾ cup warm water (105 – 115 degrees F) - divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons olive oil

Make the dough and let it rise:
1. Stir together yeast, 1 tablespoon flour, sugar/honey, and ¼ cup warm water in a measuring cup and let stand until surface appears creamy, about 5 minutes. (You must use yeast that is not old.)

2. Stir together 1 ¼ cups flour and salt in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture, oil, and remaining ½ cup warm water and stir until smooth. Stir in enough of remaining flour (about ½ cup) so dough comes away from sides of bowl. (The dough will be wetter than other pizza doughs you may have made.)

3. Knead dough on a dry surface with lightly floured hands (reflour hands when dough becomes too sticky) until smooth, soft, and elastic, about 8 minutes (I usually do 5 or 6 minutes.) Form into 1 ball, put on a lightly floured surface, and generously dust with flour. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 ¼ hours.

To shape the dough for baking:
1. Do not punch down dough. Carefully dredge dough in a bowl of flour to coat and transfer to dry work surface. Holding one edge of dough in the air with both hands and letting bottom touch work surface, careully move hands around edge of dough (like turning a steering wheel), allowing weight of dough to stretch round to roughly 10 inches.

2. Lay dough flat on lightly floured work surface and continue to work edges with fingers, stretching it into a 14-inch round.

Pesto recipe
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

Makes about 1 1/3 cups (enough for 3 pizzas)
Active time:15 minutes, start to finish: 15 minutes

3 large garlic cloves (peeled)
½ cup pine nuts
2/3 cup coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

With the food processor running, drop in garlic and finely chop. Stop motor and add nuts, cheese, salt, pepper, and basil, then process until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil, blending until incorporated but not completely smooth.

The pesto keeps, refrigerated, the surface covered with plastic wrap, for up to 1 week.
The pesto can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months. If you are planning to freeze it, omit the cheese when preparing the recipe, then stir it into the thawed sauce before serving.

Pesto pizza
1 pizza dough
1/3 pesto recipe (slightly less than ½ cup)
1 can diced tomatoes, completely drained
shredded cheese – I use half extra sharp cheddar and half mozzarella (it’s better to shred this yourself – if you use pre-shredded cheese, it is dry when you bake the pizza. When you shred it, it melts beautifully.)

Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Spread the pesto on the pizza dough. It will seem like a fairly thin layer of pesto, but you don’t want too much. Distribute the diced tomatoes evenly on top of the pesto. Cover with shredded cheese, less than 8 oz total, but it’s up to you depending on how much cheese you like.

Bake in lowest rack of oven for 10-15 minutes, until dough is fully cooked and cheese is melted.

I pre-baked the dough completely without toppings (pierce dough with fork so it doesn’t bubble up.) Then I covered with pesto, tomatoes and cheese and froze. Bake the frozen pizza at 400 degrees, directly on the oven rack for about 10 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.

grilled lemon chicken with satay dip (Barefoot Contessa)

Grilled Lemon Chicken

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)

2 lbs. boneless chicken breast

Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Pour over chicken breasts in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and marinate over night or for at least 6 hours.

Grill until cooked through- can be put on skewers to make a nice appitizer


Satay Dip

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of dark sesame oil
2/3 cup small diced red onion
1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of good red wine vinegar
1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dry sherry (I didn't use this)
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice (this makes the dip!)

Cook olive oil, sesame oil, red onion, garlic, ginger root, and red pepper flakes in a small pan on medium heat until onion is transparent. Whisk in the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter, ketchup, sherry and lime juice. cook for 1 more minute. Cool and use as a dip

Chicken Fajitas

3 tablespoons lime juice
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil


6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced


1. In a large bowl, combine lime juice, garlic, oregano, hot pepper, salt and oil. Add chicken and toss to coat. cover and marinate for one to two hours.

2. Saute peppers and onions in a bit of olive oil until slightly cooked.

3. Saute chicken until no longer pink (I cook the chicken separate from the veggies and combine them in the end.

4. serve with tortillas, salsa, cheese and sour cream (included in kit)

Tortilla Pie

Ingredients
1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10-oz) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup mild tomato salsa
1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
6 oz pepper Jack cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 (10-inch) corn tortillas (I used 8 small round since I couldn't find large ones)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Accompaniment: sour cream

Directions

1. Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Stir together beans, corn, salsa, tomato sauce, cheese, cilantro, scallions, and cumin in a large bowl.
3. Heat a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until smoking. Brush both sides of each tortilla with oil and fry, turning over once, until puffed and golden in spots, about 1 minute.
4. Put 1 tortilla in a well-oiled 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan, then spread with 1 1/3 cups of filling. Repeat layering twice, then top with remaining tortilla, gently pressing to help layers adhere.
5. Bake until filling is heated through, about 12 minutes. Transfer with a large metal spatula to a platter, then cut pie into wedges with a serrated knife.

Chicken Satay

Serves 8 (each family got a half recipe)

2 lbs chicken breast
½ cup coconut milk
6 cloves garlic
1 T brown sugar
1 T each ground coriander, ground turmeric, and ground cumin
1 t salt
1 t pepper

Mix everything but chicken in a large bag. Pound chicken flat and cut in to strips. Put the strips in to the marinade and refrigerate overnight. Drain and discard excess marinade. Thread onto skewers. Grill uncovered over medium high heat for about 4 minutes each side or until juices run clear.

Sauce:
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup coconut milk
2 green onions chopped
1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
2-3 T lime juice
2 T soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t sugar
1 T minced fresh cilantro
1 t minced fresh ginger

Mix together and serve with grilled chicken.

SESAME NOODLES

Note – you can reduce this recipe. The recipe as is makes enough for 3 separate batches of noodles.

For Sauce:
1/3 cup Sesame paste (tahini)
½ cup Lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 ¾ cups soy sauce (I use Light soy sauce)
1/3 cup Ginger, minced
½ cup Scallions, minced
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup Sugar
1 ¼ cups Sesame oil
¼ - ½ cup Chili oil (I put in less so it wouldn’t be too hot but it’s good when it’s hot.)

Mix sesame paste with the lime juice using a whisk – the sauce will be thick. Add some soy sauce and whisk into the mixture. Add more soy sauce and mix, until all soy sauce is mixed in. (If you mix this way, you’ll avoid having lumps of sesame paste.) Add remaining ingredients and mix together. This sauce keeps in the fridge for a while.

For Noodles:
Fresh Asian noodles (wheat) – two 9-ounce packs (I use NaSoya brand japanese style wide noodles – found in the produce section at Price Chopper or Stop and Shop.) You can also use linguine noodles.
Noodle Sauce, well stirred – 1 ½ cups

Boil noodles. (The fresh ones only take 3 minutes.) Strain and soak with cold water. Let drain for 10 minutes.

Toss with sauce. This seems to be better the second day – the sauce permeates the noodles. Serve at room temperature.

CHILLED AVOCADO CITRUS SOUP

Serves 4-6

1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons salt

4 cups (1 quart) freshly squeezed orange juice (I used OJ not from concentrate)
1 cup (8 ounces) freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt (additional)
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ½ - 3 avocados, cubed
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced (I added 2 cups since I had a lot of mushrooms)
2 cups plum tomatoes, diced without pulp
chopped cilantro – add to dish (optional)

Cover the chopped onion with salt for 20 – 30 minutes. Rinse the salt completely off the onion, drain and squeeze off excess water.

Mix the salt, black pepper, orange juice, lime juice, garlic and sugar. Stir to mix well. Add olive oil and avocado, mushrooms, tomatoes and onion. Stir gently to mix well. Let chill for 1 hour.

Serve with cilantro.

Creamy Corn Chowder

Serves 6

6 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 crushed garlic clove
2 teaspoons cumin
4 cups vegetable stock
2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups of fresh corn (4-5 cobs)
1 can of cream corn
tablespoon of roasted red peppers
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 cup half and half
1 cup cheddar cheese

Saute onions in butter for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and saute one minute more. Add potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add all the corn and peppers. Simmer 10 more minutes. Toss in parsley, cream, and cheese if serving immediately.

If freezing, make soup but hold out cheese. Cool and freeze with cheese separated.

To reheat: defrost and heat up gently. Add cheese and enjoy.

Spinach Calzone

1 ball of pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
1 package frozen spinach
black olives
roasted red peppers
garlic
olive oil
roasted pine nuts
feta cheese

Saute spinach with oil and garlic. Add olives and peppers. Salt to taste. Spread out dough in to a rectangle and spread spinach mixture along the middle. Sprinkle with cheese and pine nuts. Fold over dough to make a log. Bake at 400' for about 15 minutes or until the crust is beautifully browned.

If freezing, bake for about 5 minutes at 400'. Cool, wrap and label. To bake: defrost on cookie sheet, bake at 400' or until crust is hot and crispy.

Chickpea & Sweet Potato Curry

From Williams-Sonoma's Vegetarian Food Made Fast
* I won this book at the Millbury-Sutton Mom's Club End of the Year Banquet! *

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Canola oil
1 small Yellow Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger, chopped
1 Thai or Jalapeno Chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon Curry Powder
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
1 large Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 can (15 oz) Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 can (about 14 fl oz) Coconut Milk, well shaken
1/2 cup (2.5 oz) Frozen Peas
1/2 cup (3 fl oz) Canned Diced Tomatoes, drained
Steamed basmati rice, for serving (optional)

Serves 4

1 - MAKE THE CURRY BASE
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and chile and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I didn't add any salt/pepper -forgot! But still tasted great to me.)

2 - COOK THE VEGETABLES
Add the sweet potato, chickpeas, the coconut milk, and 1 cup (8 fl oz) water to the pan. Raise the heat to medium-high, bring just to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, uncovered, until the sweet potato is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the peas and tomatoes and cook until heated through. Serve in bowls over steamed rice, if desired.

Tip:
When refrigerated, leftovers of this curry will thicken considerably. To reheat, you may need to add a little water or vegetable broth and warm it, covered, over medium heat just until hot.

Pizza On The Grill

Rated: 4.5 out of 5
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Servings: 8

"This is pizza made on a gas grill. The results are great, and plenty of variations would work. The trick is to grill one side of the pizza dough first, then flip and add the toppings." It is also highly recommended to split a large pizza dough in half and work with the two smaller portions, making it easier to flip them over.

Ingredients:
1 ready made pizza crust (I cheated and used Bertucci's)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup tomato sauce
Fresh basil

Directions:
1. Defrost dough to room temperature. (I took it out of the freezer in the morning and let it defrost in the refrigerator until about an hour before cooking and it was fine.)

2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate. Once fully preheated, turn the heat down to low. (I actually added some heavy duty aluminum foil with holes in it to the grill and lightly oiled it. I was afraid that my dough would fall through the grate as it had with some of the reviewers, but after doing it, I’m doubting that that would actually happen with a thick enough dough.)

3. Roll out prepared pizza dough to a size that will fit your grill (or split the dough in half for two smaller pizzas). Place on grill for 5 minutes, or to desired doneness, and flip over. Now add the toppings.

4. Cover the grill and allow to cook over medium/low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Keep a close eye on the pizzas, as they will burn very quickly. Remove from grill and add fresh basil.


ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com
Printed from Allrecipes.com 7/12/2009

Hoisin Pork Roast for the Crock Pot

From Every Day with Rachel Ray

Ingredients:

* Cooking spray
* 1 boneless pork loin roast (about 3 pounds)
* 5 ounces hoisin sauce
* 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
* 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
* 1 tablespoon chili paste (I used Thai Kitchen curry paste)
* 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
* 4 teaspoons cornstarch
* 2 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced on the diagonal
* 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
* 1/2 cup chicken stock


Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray and add the pork roast. In a small bowl, combine the hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, chili paste, rice wine vinegar, chicken stock, soy sauce and sesame oil. Whisk in the cornstarch. Pour the sauce over the pork. Cover the slow cooker and cook the roast until fork-tender and an instant-read thermometer registers 160°, 3 1/2 hours on high heat or 8 hours on low heat. Transfer the pork to a platter, cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Pour the cooking liquid into a bowl and let stand for 10 minutes, then skim any fat from the surface. Slice the pork and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle the scallions and cilantro on top. Serve the Asian sauce on the side.

Freezer Chicken Enchiladas

1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce

1/2 medium onion

3 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

2 tablespoons of chilpotle chili in adobo sauce (from a 7 oz can, more or less according to your taste

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chicken stock (I used homemade)

oil

3 cups shredded chicken

2 cups Colby-jack cheese

10 6-inch corn tortillas

In a food processor, chop the onion, garlic, stock and spices together. Add the chipotle and blend until smooth. Heat a frying pan and add oil. Carefully add the mixture from the food processor and add the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer until this is reduced to about 3.5 cups - takes about 10 minutes.

Remove 3/4 cup of sauce and put it in the fridge. The remainder should be put in a container and frozen.

When cool, combine the 3/4 cup of sauce, 1 cup of cheese and chicken. Warm five tortillas until pliable. Place about a 1/4 cup of chicken/cheese to tortilla and roll. Place seam side down on plate. Repeat with remaining five tortillas.

Put the plate in the freezer for one hour. Then remove enchiladas and double wrap in plastic. Label and store along with remaining one cup of cheese and separate sauce.

To Bake:

Preheat oven to 350'. Defrost enchilada sauce only in microwave. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with spray oil. Arrange frozen enchiladas in a single layer in pan. Spray with cooking oil as well. Bake about 20 minutes. Remove dish from oven and cover enchiladas with 1.5 cups of sauce and bake 10 minutes. Remove dish and add cheese then bake until cheese is melty, about 3-5 minutes.

Serve with remaining sauce and rice.

Optional garnishes: pickled jalapenos, cilantro, or finely shredded lettuce and tomatoes.

And here's the truth of it all... I made the first batch of sauce according to the recipe using and entire can of chipotle in adobo and it was so spicy -I- couldn't talk after tasting it. So, I doubled the batch and left the chipotle out. It was STILL too spicy. In the end, I used one can of chipotle and quadrupled everything else! It is quite mild now - so when you make it, learn from my experience and start small with the chipotle. You can always add more.

Roasted Salmon with Cilantro Yogurt Pesto

Recipe from www.dannon.com


Ingredients:
8 (6 oz.) salmon fillets
2 Tbsp. + 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 cup toasted walnuts
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup Dannon® Plain Yogurt


Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees F.

2. Coat a 13”x9” glass pan with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. oil
on the salmon fillets and place fillets skin side down in the pan.
Lightly season filets with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 30
minutes.

3. While the salmon cooks: In a food processor, process the cilantro,
garlic, walnuts, 1/4 cup olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes until
smooth. Fold in the Dannon® Plain Yogurt.

4. Drizzle cooked salmon with the cilantro pesto and serve.


Yields:
8 servings

Notes:
1. For Casserole Club, I recommend cooking the salmon according to the package directions regarding the cook temp and length of time, however be sure to add the oil, salt and pepper as instructed in the recipe.

2. Add some sauce (about one tablespoon per serving) to the rice provided, sprinkled with a little salt, as a side dish.

Tofu & Broccoli Casserole

Serves 10-12

4 C cooked firm tofu - about 1/4 inch cubes, stir-fried. (Can substitute cooked diced chicken.)
3 boxes frozen broccoli, cooked & drained
2 cans cream of celery soup (or 3 cans cream of chicken)
1 scant C mayonnaise
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t curry powder
1 4-ounce pkg cheddar cheese
(optional) 1 C buttered bread crumbs
1/2 box Rice-a-Roni (broccoli & cheese or chicken flavor) or any of your favorite rices

In bottom of greased, 3 qt. flat casserole, place layer of Rice-a-Roni, spread tofu on top of that, and then well-drained broccoli on top that.
Mix soup, mayo, lemon juice, and curry powder. Pour mixture over broccoli layer.
Scatter cheese over top. Then buttered bread crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees F about 45 min.

Sneaky Chef Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe is a blend of the Joy of Cooking classic and Jen Sumner's adaption.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk (I used soy)
1 cup cauliflower, pureed in food processor or finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (plus 1/4 cup for topping)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 tablespoons wheat germ

Boil and strain 2 cups small shells or elbow macaroni, slightly undercooked. Set aside in a large bowl to combine with sauce. To prepare white sauce, melt butter and oil in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Remove from heat and add milk. Return to heat, add all other ingredients except cheese, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Pour over pasta and mix well. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a deep 1 1/2 quart baking dish and fill with pasta and sauce mixture. Top with remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheddar, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and wheat germ. Bake 30 minutes until breadcrumbs are lightly browned.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos

I got this from Michele D. who got it from Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites :)

5 C peeled cubed sweet potatoes
½ t salt
2 t oil
3 ½ C diced onions
4 large cloves garlic, pressed
1 T minced fresh green chiles
4 t ground cumin
4 t ground coriander
4 ½ C cooked black beans or three cans, drained
2/3 C lightly packed cilantro leaves
2 T lemon juice
1 t salt
8 eight inch flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350.
Place sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with salt and water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Warm the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onions, garlic and chiles. Cover and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Add cumin and coriander and cook 2-3 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
In a food processor, combine black beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt and cooked sweet potatoes and puree until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and add cooked onions and spices.
Lightly oil a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to ¾ cup of filling in the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place seam side down in baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake about 30 minutes, until piping hot. Serve with salsa if desired.

RICOTTA GNOCCHI WITH BROWNED BUTTER AND SAGE SAUCE

From Cook’s Illustrated
Serves 4-6 as first course or 2-3 as main dish

Note from Andrea – I used whole milk ricotta cheese, Price Chopper brand, and did not have to strain or food process the cheese. If you use part-skim cheese, you may need to drain it. I don’t know why they recommend processing it, unless there is some kind of course ricotta cheese that I don’t know about. I doubled this recipe to make sure there is enough gnocchi for 4, and made a single recipe each of the sage butter sauce and tomato-cream sauce. To thaw frozen gnocchi, I would place them flat on a cookie sheet, not overlapping. And read the directions about how to boil them.

We recommend using Calabro whole-milk ricotta, although other brands and part-skim cheese will work in this recipe. When rolling the gnocchi, use just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and work surface; using too much flour will result in tough gnocchi. The gnocchi can be rolled, cut and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. To freeze the uncooked gnocchi, place the baking sheet in the freezer until the gnocchi are firm (about 1 hour), then transfer them to a zipper-lock bag and store them for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen gnocchi overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking as directed. To prevent the gnocchi from cooling too quickly, warm a serving platter or serving bowls in a 200-degree oven. If you prefer, replace the browned butter sauce with Tomato-Cream Sauce (recipe follows).

Gnocchi:
1 (15- or 16-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese (see note above)
2 large slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed and bread torn into quarters (I used Pepperidge Farm hearty white)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt for gnocchi dough and boiling water
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about ½ cup)

Sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon table salt

For the Gnocchi: Line fine-mesh strainer set over the deep container or bowl with 3 paper coffee filters or triple layer of paper towels. Place ricotta in lined strainer, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.

Meanwhile, process bread in food processor until finely ground, about 10 seconds. Spread crumbs on rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and just beginning to turn golden, about 10 minutes, stirring once during baking time. Let cool to room temperature. (You should have about ½ cup crumbs.)

Transfer drained ricotta to food processor and pulse until curds break down into fine, grainy consistency, about eight 1-second pulses. Using rubber spatula, combine ricotta, egg, basil, parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl. Add flour, Parmesan, and bread crumbs; stir until well combined. Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes. Check texture of dough and if too sticky, add more flour if needed.

Lightly dust work surface with flour. With floured hands, roll lemon-sized pieces of dough into ¾-inch-thick rope, rolling from center of dough outward. Cut rope into ¾-inch-long pieces and transfer to parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, dusting work surface with flour as needed.

For the sauce: Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, swirling occasionally, until butter is browned and releases nutty aroma, about 1 ½ minutes. Off heat, add shallot and sage, stirring until shallot is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice and salt; cover to keep warm.

To cook gnocchi: Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Reduce heat so water is simmering, then gently drop half of gnocchi into water and cook until all pieces float to surface. Continue to simmer until gnocchi are cooked through, about 2 minutes longer, adjusting heat to maintain gentle simmer. Using slotted spoon, scoop gnocchi from water, allowing excess water to drain from spoon; transfer gnocchi to skillet with sauce and cover to keep warm. Repeat cooking process with remaining gnocchi. Using rubber spatula, gently toss gnocchi with sauce until uniformly coated. Divide among warmed bowls or serving platter and serve immediately.

Tomato Cream Sauce
Makes about 1 ½ cups, enough for 1 recipe of gnocchi
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1 (14 ½-ounce) can diced tomatoes, pureed in food processor until smooth
¼ teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook until fragrant but not brown, about 20 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, salt, and sugar; simmer until thickened slightly, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in bail and cream. Cover to keep warm.

Simmer, Don’t Boil
Most pasta should be cooked at a full boil, but if gnocchi are cooked at a full boil they can fall apart from the vigorous churning. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat, add the gnocchi, and make sure the water just simmers.

CAMBODIAN VEGETABLE CURRY

Adapted from the Elephant Walk recipe
Makes 6-8 servings

For Paste:
2 stalks Lemongrass – outer part removed – use white inner part (could not find, so used 1 T. lemongrass paste from Price Chopper)
1 large jalepeno, roughly chopped, including seeds
2 shallots, roughly chopped
1 inch of ginger, peeled and grated (I use a zester)
10 garlic cloves
zest from 2 limes
½ teaspoon turmeric
¾ cup water

Blend all ingredients in a food processor except water – I pulse a few times. Gradually add the water until blended. (It won’t be completely smooth. I assume a blender would work also, and maybe it would be smoother, but it doesn’t matter for the final sauce.)

For Sauce:
¼ cup vegetable oil
all of paste
2 cans coconut milk (I used one light and one regular)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt

Heat oil in large pot or wok. Add the paste and cook about a minute over medium heat. Add the coconut milk, sugar and salt and bring to a boil while stirring regularly. I boil for maybe 5 minutes to thicken the sauce a little. Set aside.

Vegetables:
1 large onion, chopped
10 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 half butternut squash, peeled and chopped (I par-boiled the chunks, but you could slice it thinly and not par-boil)
1 can diced tomatoes, thoroughly drained
6 ounces baby spinach

Start rice boiling.

In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and stir fry the onions and mushrooms for a few minutes (depends how soft you like them). If using raw squash, add at this time also.
Add all the curry sauce and tomatoes. (Add the cooked squash at this time.) Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and stir in the spinach. Serve over jasmine rice.
To make less spicy, don’t include jalepeno seeds.

Ideas for different vegetables:
Eggplant, thinly sliced
Baby bok choy, washed and sliced sideways
Green tomatoes, sliced
Green beans, trimmed at both ends
Zucchini, sliced
Green papaya, julienned
(This is also good with chicken or shrimp)

PENNE A LA GRAPPA

Serves 4
(Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated)
3 Tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced
1 bay leaf
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
6 or 7 ounces oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, rinsed, patted dry, and chopped coarse
¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons grappa or dry white wine
2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons crushed tomatoes (from one 28-ounce can, you won’t need whole can)
1 pound pasta (ziti, penne, or fusilli)
½ cup heavy cream
ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is very soft and beginning to turn light gold, 8 to 12 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and sun-dried tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup grappa/wine and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add 2 cups crushed tomatoes and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened (spoon should leave trail when dragged through sauce), 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.
Remove bay leaf from sauce and discard. Stir cream, remaining 2 tablespoons crushed tomatoes, and remaining 2 tablespoons grappa/wine into sauce; season to taste with salt and pepper. Add sauce to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with up to ½ cup pasta cooking water. Stir in basil and serve immediately.
Thaw frozen sauce over low heat on stovetop. Boil pasta until al dente, drain and reserve ½ cup cooking water. Add sauce to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with up to ½ cup pasta cooking water. Serve immediately.

Sloppy BBQ Joes

Quick and Easy!


1lb lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 cup barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Barbecue Sauce)
1 can (15oz) spicy chili beans, undrained (Shaw's brand)
12 sandwich buns, split
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1.In skillet, cook beef and onion over medium high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally,until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.

2. Stir in barbecue sauce and chili beans. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.

3. Spoon mixture into bottom of buns, sprinkle with cheese.

Buffalo Turkey Calzones

1 lb pizza dough (homemade or not)
2 heaping cups of shredded turkey (or chicken)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 heaping cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/3 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
2 tablespoons ranch dressing

Cut pizza dough into four pieces and roll into circles. Mix everything else together until well incorporated. Place about 3/4 a cup of filling onto dough circles. Pull dough over filling forming a half moon shape. Pinch edges to keep filling from leaking out.

To freeze: Pop into the freezer on a cookies sheet. When frozen, put into labeled bags. To bake, put frozen calzones on a foil lined baking sheet, pop into a preheated 400' oven, and bake about 35-40 minutes.

Serve with carrot and celery sticks with blue cheese or ranch dressing or a green salad.

Pineapple Sesame Chicken

This recipe is based on my friend Jeff's delicious meal, with many changes by me.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon red curry powder
2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
vegetable oil
4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 can pineapple chucks in their own juice
1 bag frozen veggies (broccoli, snow peas, red peppers, carrots, etc.)
1 tablespoon sesame oil

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour, sesame seeds, black pepper, five-spice powder, and red curry powder. Place a few pieces of chicken at a time into the bag, and shake to coat. Remove to a platter.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Place chicken into skillet, and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken, and set aside. Drain pineapple (reserve juice).Pour pineapple juice in sauce pan on medium heat. Add 1/2 cup water, teriyaki sauce, sesame oil and remaining flour coating from plastic bag. Bring to a boil, stir with a whisk and reduce (about 15 minutes). Combine chicken, frozen vegetables, pineapple chucks and sauce (toss to mix) into a 9 x 13 pan and cook in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve with rice and Chinese noodles.

Toasted Sesame Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

This is a favorite in our house. It's super quick, easy and healthy!

Ingredients
Assorted veggies
1 lb. chicken breast, cut into small pieces
1/2 bottle Kikkoman Toasted Sesame Quick & Easy Marinade
1 tbsp. sesame oil (you can substitute another oil, but sesame oil gives the chicken extra flavor)
1 1/2 cup rice (any type)

Directions

1. Marinate chicken pieces in marinade (enough to coat them) at least 1/2 hour, but I usually marinate overnight.
2. Saute marinated chicken in sesame oil until cooked through, which should only take a few minutes. Remove chicken and cover to keep warm.
3. Heat another tablespoon of oil (any kind) in skillet, add a few tablespoons of water with the vegetables cover and steam to desired tenderness.
4. Add chicken back to the vegetables and coat with remaining sauce (provided). Remove from heat.
5. Place mixture over rice and enjoy!

Notes: I marinated the chicken in the sauce before freezing them. Also, the Kikkoman Toasted Sesame Marinade is pretty hard to find. I checked Hannaford, Price Chopper and SuperWalmart, but didn't have any luck until I checked at Shaw's. Also, this sauce is extremely versatile and tastes fantastic on salmon, steak and in turkey burgers!

Cheese Enchiladas with Mole Sauce

Serves 8

2 Tablespoons oil
2 medium onions, chopped – about 2 cups
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup chili powder
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
¾ teasp cinnamon
1 15oz can diced tomatoes (pureed would work too for a smoother sauce)
2 cups water
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons peanut butter

16 oz Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
16 8-inch tortillas

To make sauce, sauté onions in oil until soft and golden – about 12 mins over medium heat. Add garlic, chili powders, sugar and cinnamon and cook for about a minute. Add tomatoes, water, cocoa, and peanut butter. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

You will need two 9x13 pans. Preheat oven to 350’. Pour about a cup of mole into the bottom of each 9x13 pan. Take a tortilla and place 2 ½ Tablespoons of cheese along the center of the tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in pan. Reserve about 2/3 cup of cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, placing 8 enchiladas in each pan. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of cheese across each set of enchiladas.

Bake 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts.

Indian Vegetable Curry

This is my own recipe, inspired by wonderful restaurant dishes I've had.

1 medium onion, chopped
12 oz slice mushrooms
1 cup cauliflower (frozen is okay but fresh is better)
1 bag fresh spinach
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup cashew pieces
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 - 2 tablespoons Patak's Mild Curry Paste (from Shaw's)

In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until onions begin to caramelize. Add cauliflower, spinach, cinnamon, beans and tomatoes and cook until spinach begins to wilt, about 5 minutes. Add raisins, cashews and curry paste (1 tbsp is mild, 2 is medium, etc.). Cook, stirring often, on medium low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Serve with rice.

Savory Bread Pudding with Mushrooms and Parmesan Cheese

You can view the complete recipe online at: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/236494

Ingredients
1(1-pound) loaf crusty country-style white bread
1/4 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 large garlic clove, minced
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms (such as crimini, button, portobello, and stemmed shiitake), thinly sliced1
1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery
1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper (I used about 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (I substituted half & half)
8 large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (I used 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Cut bottom crust and short ends off bread and discard. Cut remaining bread with crust into 1-inch cubes (about 10 cups loosely packed). Place cubes in very large bowl. Add oil, thyme, and garlic; toss to coat. Spread cubes out on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and slightly crunchy, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Return toasted bread cubes to same very large bowl.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, celery, and bell pepper. Sauté until soft and juices have evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add sautéed vegetables and parsley to bread cubes.

Whisk heavy cream, eggs, salt, and ground pepper in large bowl. Mix custard into bread and vegetables. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Sprinkle cheese over.

DO AHEAD Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake stuffing uncovered until set and top is golden, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes.


Bon AppétitNovember 20062006-10-30 17:01:35.0

Pasta e Fagioli

Recipe courtesy of my mother-in-law and Rachael Ray with many changes

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 (4 to 6-inch) sprigs rosemary, left intact
* 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves
* 2 dried bay leaves
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 small carrot, finely chopped
* 1 rib celery, finely chopped
* 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
* Coarse salt and pepper
* 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans
* 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce and 1 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
* 1 quart vegetable stock
* 1 1/2 cups ditalini

Directions

Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil. Brown the herb stems, bay leaf, chopped vegetables, and garlic until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomato sauce, and stock to pot and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 30 to 45 minutes. Thyme leaves will separate from stems as soup cooks. Remove herb stems and bay leaf from soup. Let soup rest and begin to cool for a few minutes. Cook pasta separately and add to soup.

Meat and Vegetable Pasties (pronounced with a short /a/)

This recipe is a blend of a few different recipes, from allrecipes.com, and I added ground beef from the family cow to add flavor and make it more filling. I included gravy, as the crust can get dry, and it makes the mixture more moist.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 turnip, peeled and diced, I substituted a rutabaga, as this has more flavor according to mom-in-law
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped
2 tbsp. water
1 cube chicken or vegetable bouillon
1 tsp. dried tarragon
1/2 pound of ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1 package of Pillsbury ready made pie dough (in rolls in refrigerator section)
1 egg, beaten (not provided)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrot, rutabaga, potatoes, and mushrooms. Add water, bouillon cube, tarragon, salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes. Add meat and shut off heat (don't worry about meat not being cooked through, it will finish cooking when baking). Allow filling to cool completely, or the pie dough will fall apart!!

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Roll out each pastry sheet on counter with dusting of flour underneath. I rolled the pastry dough a bit thinner with rolling pin, and cut in half down middle. Place about 3/4 cup of filling in 1/2 circle, and then fold over and pinch edges. Repeat with the last three dough pieces.

4. Place on baking shet, and brush with egg.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until crust is golden brown.