Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Always a holiday favorite. This recipe makes 2 loafs so you can keep one for yourself and give the other one away. Or in our case....eat both :-)

2 cups sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin (one 15oz can is a scant 2 cups so if you want the full 2 cups you'll have to buy the bigger can)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup fat-free vanilla pudding
4 large egg whites
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

_{Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2004}

Parmesan Garlic Cauliflower

Sometimes I can't be bothered to cook a real dinner from scratch. Tonight was one of those nights. We had an Indian feast, but I could hardly call it cooking. I bought samosas from the grocery store, tikka masala sauce in a jar, and fresh naan bread. Oh, I made rice. And the other thing I made was this delicious cauliflower. It isn't Indian by any stretch, but it went well with the meal with a small adaptation. I've made it the original way as well. Cauliflower is cheap, in season, healthy, and delicious. You can't go wrong. Here's my version of the original recipe, posted by Shellery on Allrecipes.com.

2-3 cloves minced garlic
olive oil
1 large head cauliflower, separated into florets
grated Parmesan cheese to taste
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place the garlic and cauliflower into a large resealable bag. Add enough olive oil to coat the cauliflower lightly.

Bake in casserole dish or roasting pan for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Preheat the broiler. Top with Parmesan cheese and parsley and broil for 3-5 minutes until golden brown.

*To serve with Indian food, just leave out the Parmesan and parsley. No need to broil.

Mary Margaret Mushrooms

Kenneth used 3.5 pounds of mushrooms for this recipe and only used one bottle of wine.  Next time I'm going to try making these in a crock pot.

4 lbs. fresh, cleaned mushrooms
1 pound butter
1 quart burgundy wine
1 1/2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dill seed
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups boiling water
4 beef bullion cubes
4 chicken bullion cubes
2 teapoons salt - added at the end if needed

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and simmer, covered
for 5 - 6 hours. Uncover and continkue cooking until liquid
barely covers the mushrooms.

Serve in a chafing dish with toothpicks, or serve over steak.
These freeze really well.

Recipe says 12 - 16 servings.

Homemade Applesauce

I've been an absentee blogger lately, but I had to stop what I was doing and add this recipe. It is fantastic! The only time-consuming part is peeling the apples, then you just throw everything in the oven and ignore it for awhile. The recipe is adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I made it to use up a bag of apples we had and immediately ate it warm for dessert after dinner. It has a great autumn flavor.

Zest and juice of 1 large naval orange
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
7 apples, I used some local British ones
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large knob of unsalted butter, about the size of a walnut
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel, quarter, and core the apples and toss them into a nonreactive Dutch oven or enameled iron pot. (I used a ceramic casserole dish). Add the zest and juice of the orange and lemon half. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Cut the butter in 2 or 3 pieces and add to the pot. Cover with a lid or foil. Bake for one hour, or until all the apples are soft. Mash with a fork. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: the Barefoot Contessa's recipe calls for about twice as much butter, but I didn't think it was necessary.

Tiramisu

There is some discussion on whether we should "soak" the ladyfingers or just "dip" like the recipe says. Those ladies were so thirsty though, I don't see how 2 cups of espresso would ever be enough for a "dip". We ended up doubling the espresso mixture.

2 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 pound (40g) mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon Meyers Rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups espresso coffee (Kimbo is my brand of choice)
2 tablespoons Frangelico liqueur
2 tablespoons Tia Mari liqueur
2 7-ounce (200 g) packages plain ladyfingers, soft or dried
7 ounces (200 g) semisweet chocolate, grated (we used bittersweet Scharffen Berger)

1. Place the egg yolks and sugar in a 5-quart mixer. Beat them together on medium speed until well blended, pale in color and slightly thickened
2. Add the mascarpone and beat until smooth. Reduce the speed, add the rum and vanilla and blend until well mixed.
   
3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold half of the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.
   
4. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the espresso, Frangelico and Tia Maria.
5. Dip the ladyfingers in to the espresso mixture and use them to line the bottom and sides of a 9 x 9-inch casserole dish (we used a 13 x 9-inch dish).
6. Place half of the Mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers.
7. Sprinkle half of the chocolate evenly over the first layer of the tiramisu.
   
8. Repeat with the dipped ladyfingers, the remainder of the masecarpone mixture, and the remainder of the chocolate to finish.
   
9. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
   

Creamy Spinach Lasagna

A delicious and semi-healthy lasagna. It's a good way to get Kenneth to eat his greens.... ;-) You can cut down on the prep time by starting the milk mixture at the same time that you start browning the onions.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 cups chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce, divided
Cooking spray
12 cooked lasagna noodles, divided
3-4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook 10 minutes or until onion is browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and spinach. Add desired amount of salt and pepper to mixture. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 3 minutes or until spinach is tender. Set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, milk, salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a small saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add 2 cups milk mixture to spinach mixture. Cover remaining milk mixture, and set aside.

Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over sauce; top with half of spinach mixture. Top with 3 lasagna noodles, 1 cup marinara sauce, and 1 1/2 to 2 cups of cheese. Layer 3 more lasagna noodles, remaining spinach mixture, and remaining 3 lasagna noodles. Top with remaining marinara sauce. Pour reserved milk mixture over the top, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until lasagna is browned on top.

Serves 6-8

Italian Meatloaf with Fresh Basil and Provolone

Meatloaf gets a bad rap, but it's really quite a delicious dish. This recipe fancies up the traditional meatloaf with some Italian flavor. Serve with mashed potatoes and a green and you'll be good to go!

1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
1/2 + 1/3 cup ketchup
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
2 large egg whites
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground round
Cooking spray

Combine boiling water and tomatoes in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain tomatoes; finely chop.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, breadcrumbs, and the next 6 ingredients (breadcrumbs through beef) in a large bowl. Add tomatoes to meat mixture. Shape meat mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray or put meat mixture into a loaf pan. Spread 1/3 cup ketchup over meat loaf. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 6 (2 slices per person)

Spaghetti and Meatballs

A simple and quick recipe that is sure to please! There is nothing fancy here. Just a good classic meatball and sauce. I use a lot of garlic in this recipe, so if you're not a big fan of garlic, feel free to use fewer cloves in both the meatballs and sauce.

1 pound spaghetti
Salt, for past water

Meatballs:
1 pound ground sirloin
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper

Sauce:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup beef stock or broth
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
~10 large fresh basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced
~ 1-2 tsp salt (optional)

Heat a medium pot over moderate heat and add the olive oil, crushed pepper, garlic and onion. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, salt, and basil. Simmer for at least 10 minutes (I prefer to simmer for close to an hour).

While the sauce simmers, preheat the oven to 425 and place a large pot of water on to boil for the spaghetti.

Mix the beef, Worcestershire, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands. The mixture should be moist, but if it seems too moist, add more bread crumbs. Form 1 1/2 inch sized meatballs and place on a cookie sheet lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake the balls for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until they are no longer pink. Serve with pasta and sauce!

Serves 4 (makes about 12 meatballs)

Tandoori Chicken

I love this dish because it's easy to make. The only hard part is remembering that it takes 8 hours to marinade. Christy, I think you will really like this dish because it incorporates your favorite spice...CUMIN!

3/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 teaspoon coarsely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Dash of ground nutmeg
4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray

Place first 3 ingredients in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add yogurt and the next 8 ingredients (yogurt through nutmeg); pulse 4 times or until blended. Make 3 diagonal cuts 1/4 inch deep across top of each chicken breast half.

Combine chicken and yogurt mixture in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

Prepare grill or broiler. Remove chicken breast from bag; discard marinade. Place chicken on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done (160 degrees).

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half)
Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2002

Spicy Red Beans and Rice

I've only had Cajun food on a few occasions, so I don't know how true this dish is to traditional red beans and rice, but I thought it was pretty tasty. It takes a long time to make and serves a lot of people, but it's worth the effort!

1 lb dried red kidney beans
3 bacon slices, chopped
1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 pound salt pork, quartered
5 garlic cloves
2 large celery ribs, sliced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (32 oz) container chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
Hot cooked rice

Place beans in a dutch oven and cover with water 2 inches above beans. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Cover and remove the beans from heat and let stand 1 hour. Drain.

Saute bacon in dutch oven over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add sausage and salt pork. Saute 5 minutes or until sausage is golden brown. Add garlic and next 3 ingredients. Saute 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in beans, broth, 1 cup water, and next 3 ingredients. Bring to a boil and boil 15 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours or until beans are tender. Remove salt pork before serving. Serve over rice.

Makes ~6 servings.

Sautéed Chicken with Chardonnay Sauce

This is another Cooking Light gem that can easily be made on a weeknight. My favorite wine to use for this recipe is Barefoot Chardonnay. The sauce is thin so it's best served over a bed of rice that will prevent you from wasting a drop!

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and flour. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add mushrooms and shallots to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; add stock. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 1 cup (about 10 minutes). Cut remaining 1 tablespoon butter into small pieces. Remove pan from heat. Add butter, stirring until butter melts. Spoon sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

CALORIES 288 (26% from fat); FAT 8.2g (sat 3.5g,mono 3g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 41.2g; CHOLESTEROL 115mg; CALCIUM 33mg; SODIUM 309mg; FIBER 0.6g; IRON 1.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 5.8g Cooking Light, APRIL 2005

15 Minute Halibut with Avocado Salsa

This dish from the World's Healthiest Foods' site is super easy and delicious. Since it's just the two of us we buy fish for two, but make the whole salsa recipe because it's so yummy. My experience has been that you have to cook the fish a bit longer than the recipe suggests.

4 6oz halibut steaks or filets
¼ cup minced scallion
1-2 tsp finely minced jalapeno
6 medium cloves garlic, pressed
1 + ¼ cup TBS fresh lemon juice
3 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 medium ripe but firm avocado diced in ¼ inch cubes
salt and black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except halibut and 1 TBS lemon juice and set aside.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat for about 2-3 minutes.
Rub halibut with 1TBS lemon juice and season with a little salt and black pepper. Place in hot pan. Cook for about 3 minutes and turn. Cook for another 3 minutes and remove from pan.
Place on plate, and top with salsa.

Red Snapper with Ginger-Lime Butter

This fish is the perfect entrée to ring in the spring. It's very fresh and takes no time to make, a perfect combination! Even though the recipe serves 4, Todd and I tend to eat all of the butter between the two of us, so make sure to judge your love of butter before preparing this zesty topping!

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon minced seeded jalapeño pepper
2 teaspoons grated lime rind
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (6-ounce) red snapper or other firm white fish fillets
Salt and pepper to season the fish
Cooking spray
Lime wedges

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Stir in salt. Cover and chill.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of fish with salt and black pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Top each fillet with the butter and serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4.

Baked Risotto with Asparagus, Spinach, and Parmesan

I made this side dish for the first time last night and it was amazing! It was easy to make and and you just put the pot into the oven after you're done with cooking the dish on the stove. Very simple!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
5 oz package of fresh spinach
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
~1 1/2 cups grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups (1-inch) diagonally sliced asparagus

Preheat oven to 400°.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes or until tender. Add rice; stir well. Stir in spinach, broth, salt, and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer; cook 7 minutes. Stir in 1 cup cheese.

Cover dutch oven and bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Stir in asparagus; sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Cover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until liquid is almost absorbed.

4 servings

Ziti Baked with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Smoked Gouda

Kenneth and I made this for the first time last night. It was very easy so I think I'm going to add this to one of our week night dinners. I love dishes that you finish cooking in the oven...it gives me time to clean up the kitchen (I make such a mess and have yet mastered the clean-as-you-go method).

Substitute smoked cheddar for the Gouda, if you like.

8 ounces uncooked ziti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 (10-ounce) can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes (such as Rotel Bold Italian)
4 cups baby spinach
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded, smoked Gouda cheese, divided
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach to pan; cook 30 seconds or until spinach wilts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add pasta and 3/4 cup cheese to tomato mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Yield: 5 servings
CALORIES 382(30% from fat); FAT 12.7g (sat 5.7g,mono 4.6g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 17g; CHOLESTEROL 33mg; CALCIUM 334mg; SODIUM 977mg; FIBER 4.3g; IRON 4.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 52.3g Cooking Light, MARCH 2004

Linguine with Asparagus, Parmesan and Bacon

This recipe came my way via my friend Mariah. All I needed to know was that she was serving me a dish that included bacon and I was in.

3 cups (1-inch) sliced asparagus (about 1 pound)
1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated linguine
5 bacon slices (uncooked)
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper object2=">
1/2 cup (2 ounces) preshredded Parmesan cheese
Shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan, crumble and set aside. Reserve 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Add onion, garlic, and oregano to drippings in the pan; sauté 4 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Add tomatoes; cook 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil.

While the tomato mixture is coming to a boil, cook asparagus and pasta according to pasta package directions. Drain.

Once the tomato mixture comes to a boil, stir in butter, salt, and pepper; remove from heat. Place asparagus mixture in a large bowl; add tomato mixture. Top with crumbled bacon and shredded cheese. Garnish with shaved Parmesan, if desired.

Serves 4.

Sacred Cow Stew

This recipe comes from Barbara Hanlon. We call it Sacred Cow stew because Barbara wanted to make it with beef instead of lamb and the butcher harshly reminder her that cows are sacred in India.

Lamb curry is a classic dish from northern India and the most popular of all curries. You can vary by substituting other ingredients in place of the lamb and adjusting the cooking time. For example, use an equal quantity of beef or veal, a 3-pound skinned and cut chicken, 1 1/2 pounds shelled and deveined shrimp, or 1 1/4 pounds mixed vegetables, such as cauliflower, potatoes, and carrots.

Cooking spray
2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
5 whole cloves
3 cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons Garam Masala
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups finely chopped plum tomato (about 1/2 pound)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
4 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add lamb, and cook for 5 minutes on all sides or until browned. Remove lamb from pan.

Heat the oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 4 ingredients (onion through cinnamon); cook for 4 minutes or until onion is browned. Stir in coriander and next 6 ingredients (coriander through garlic); cook 1 minute. Add lamb, tomato, water, and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until the lamb is tender. Stir in 1/4 cup cilantro. Serve over rice; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup lamb mixture and 1 cup rice)

CALORIES 457 (22% from fat); FAT 11.2g (sat 3.5g,mono 4g,poly 1.8g); PROTEIN 40.4g; CHOLESTEROL 112mg; CALCIUM 70mg; SODIUM 477mg; FIBER 4.5g; IRON 5.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.8g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2001

Pumpkin Bars

My friend Kristen made these bars for dessert the other day, and in between me scarfing down the first and second bars, I asked her to forward the recipe to me immediately. I unfortunately ate a pumpkin loaf from Starbucks (it's really just a slice) everyday for two weeks while studying for my first year law school exams, so I think I know a little something about pumpkin bars. Kristen's bars are delicious! And, unlike the Starbucks "loaf," they are fat and calorie free ;-)

Bar/Cake Ingredients
4 eggs
1 ½ cup sugar
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 can pumpkin (15-16 oz.)
2 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon

Set out cream cheese and butter for icing (to get them to room temperature) while you make the cake portion.

Mix eggs and sugar with a mixer. Add oil and pumpkin. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Grease jelly roll pan (deep cookie sheet) and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely before icing.

Icing Ingredients
3-4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 bar) at room temperature
¼-1/3 c. butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk or cream

Cream together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Add powdered sugar. Add milk or cream until desired consistency.

Herbed Basmati Rice

This is my go-to rice. It's simple, flavorful, and can be served with a wide variety of cuisines.

2 teaspoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup uncooked basmati rice
1 cup chicken broth (or water for a veggie dish, but the broth makes it more flavorful)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion tops (I omit)
~1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
~ 1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in rice. Add broth, salt and dried herbs and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Makes 4 servings (1/2 cup each)

Spanish Rice

This rice is infinitely better than the boxed Spanish rice you can get at the store. It goes great with with any Mexican/Spanish meal. I find that the amount of broth used should be approximately what your box of rice indicates, so you shouldn't just automatically use 3 cups broth for 1 1/2 cups rice. I say approximately because I use a little less broth than what my box of rice says due to the addition of the tomato sauce.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice, such as Texmati
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery (some grocery stores sell celery by the stalk, so you don't have to buy a bunch)
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon salt
~ 2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups chicken broth (or water, to make it a vegetarian rice)
1 (8 0z.) can tomato sauce

Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the rice until it is golden brown. Add the vegetables and seasonings, and continue to sauté for 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Add the chicken broth and the tomato sauce, bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for the time indicated on your box of rice.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Lentil Vegetable Soup (with Optional Chorizo)

This is a recipe from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook with some tweaks. First, I don't make it vegetarian, but it can be made meatless with vegetable stock and no chorizo. Alberto loves it with chorizo, though, and he says it "tastes just like home" (Madrid, Spain). I also usually make half of the recipe because it makes so much, but you can also freeze half. Once it's all in the pot, you can ignore it for an hour. Simple!

1 pound French green lentils (Puy lentils)
3 large onions, chopped
2-3 leeks, chopped, white part only
3 cloves garlic, minced (when making half, I use 2 cloves)
1/4 cup good regular olive oil (not extra virgin), plus additional for drizzling
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
8 stalks celery, chopped
8 carrots, large dice
3 quarts chicken stock (or vegetable stock, or water with vegetable powder - I like the Marigold brand)
1 big heaping spoonful of tomato paste
*1 link of cooking chorizo, sliced into round coins, then slice in half
a big splash of red wine
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and lentils. If using the chorizo, add it now.

Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for one hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Check the seasonings. Add the red wine and serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan.

*Cooking chorizo is soft, like fresh sausage. It is not a dried link like salami. It is not usually very spicy. Regular chorizo is dried and cured and can be eaten immediately. Cooking chorizo must be cooked before serving. It freezes well, so you can buy a package and just take out as much as you need at one time.

Big Crunchy Salad

This has become a staple dish at our annual IT potluck. It also makes an annual appearance at Brizendine Christmas Eve dinner.

Salad:
1 head Romaine lettuce
1 head Nappa cabbage (I prefer purple cabbage for the color)
1 red pepper
(Chop as much of the above ingredients as is needed for number of people.)

1 package Ramen noodles – chicken flavor
1 small package sliced almonds
1 tbl butter

Crush noodles. In a skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter and brown noodles and almonds. Stir continuously – you may need more butter. Right before mix turns light brown, add chicken flavor packet. Stir a few more minutes until light brown and crunchy.

Dressing:
(Mix together and shake or whisk)
1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 T. black Pepper
1 T garlic powder.

Toss all three together just before serving.

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

Monica Simpson gave this recipe to me. Kenneth and I love this dish. It's easy and very tasty. Give it a try and I'm sure it will become one of your staples. I like to use my little grill pan on the stove instead of firing up the big Weber outside.

1/4 cup Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing, divided
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 pound)
1 tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil leaves

PLACE large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; preheat grill to medium heat. Pour 2 Tbsp. of the dressing over chicken in resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with the dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. to marinate. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade.

GRILL chicken on uncovered side of grill 6 min. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, cheese, basil and remaining 2 Tbsp. dressing.

TURN chicken over; place, cooked-side up, on foil on grill. Top evenly with tomato mixture. Close lid. Grill an additional 8 min. or until chicken is cooked through (170ºF).

Makes 4 servings

Cheese Enchiladas with Chile Con Carne

This recipe is one of my favorites. When I moved to Boston, I moved out of Tex-Mex land and into Seafood and Italian land. This recipe fills the void, and, while it takes time to make (especially if you make your own tortillas), it is certainly worth it. The enchiladas are actually better the next day, after the ingredients have had time to marry. How sweet! I recommend tasting the chili along the way to see if you want to change the flavor (salt and chili powder are typically the two ingredients I need to alter). Lastly, according to Wikipedia, chile con carne is the official dish of Texas.

Chili con carne ingredients
1 pound ground beef
~3 tablespoons chili powder
~1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
~1 tablespoon granulated garlic
~1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
4 tablespoons coarsely chopped sweet white onion
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped red bell pepper
1 (14 oz.) can whole stewed tomatoes
2 cups water

Brown the meat until it is done, then drain the fat. Add all of the seasonings, the onion and pepper, and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and water, and simmer uncovered for approximately 1 hour (more water may be added as needed).

Enchilada Ingredients
1 batch of chile con carne
Vegetable oil (enough to fill a small, tortilla-sized skillet half way with oil)
12 corn tortillas
3-4 cups Cheddar-Jack cheese
1 cup finely chopped onions (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat (you know it's hot enough when you sprinkle a bit of water in the oil and it pops - watch out though!). With tongs, carefully swipe each tortilla through the oil, no more than 2-3 seconds. Drag the tortilla over the side of the skillet, removing the excess oil, and stack the tortillas on a paper towel-covered plate. Then, one by one, dip the tortillas into the chili con carne and stack them again on the plate.

Fill the tortillas with cheese, and if you want, onions. Then, tightly roll up each tortilla. Arrange the enchiladas in a 13x9 glass baking dish and spread the chili over the tortillas. "Sprinkle" with more cheese on top (I prefer to release the cheese floodgates). Bake the enchiladas for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is completely melted. Serve! I typically serve this meal with Spanish Rice.

Baked Scrod with Breadcrumbs

This recipe is a great weeknight recipe because it takes no time to make! You can alter the crumb to butter ratio to suit your taste.

1 pound scrod
~1 cup plain breadcrumbs
~4 tablespoons butter
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lemon
Salt
Pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute, careful not to brown the garlic. Add the breadcrumbs and cook until just toasted/browned.

Wash the fish and pat dry. Place fish in a glass baking dish (coated with cooking spray) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Squeeze desired amount of lemon juice over the fish. Add the toasted breadcrumbs on top of the fish and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Pollo con Mojo de Ajo (Chicken with Garlic Sauce)

A quick and easy meal that's great for weeknights. I really enjoy it with this simple rice and a green. This recipe comes from Cooking Light, which generally recommends using nonstick skillets. I prefer a "stick" skillet in this case because you're making a sauce from the chicken bits leftover in the pan (more flavor!).

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (I love garlic, so I use a couple more)
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro (I leave out because I'm not a big fan of cilantro)
4 lime wedges

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large nonstick/stick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm (I wrap mine in foil).

Melt butter in pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute (do not brown). Add broth; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until broth mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 4 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in lime juice. Serve sauce over chicken; sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

4 servings

Pecan Pralines

I'm not going to lie, I had a minor breakdown the first time I attempted this recipe. The second attempt was an improvement, but still not restaurant quality. The pralines weren't as hard as I wanted them. I think it takes a decent amount of practice to get these right because you have to recognize the point in time when you should stop cooking the praline mixture. In my case, it seemed to be a small window. I'm sure a candy thermometer would help, but I don't have one. So, that being said, good luck!

4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 (14 oz) cans Borden's Eagle Brand condensed milk
2 cups water
4 cups broken pecan pieces

Bring all the ingredients except the pecans to a boil in a 5-6 quart heavy pot. Once boiling, lower the heat to a frisky simmer. Do not stray far from the stove; the mixture will foam over the sides of the pot for the next 20 to 25 minutes. Continue to whisk down the foam with a heavy metal whisk, until the foaming settles and no longer overflows.

Continue to cook at a frisky simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not stop cooking until the praline mixture has solidified enough to make several soft balls. To see if the praline mixture has solidified enough, drop 1/4 teaspoon of the hot candy into a cup of cold water. Let is sit in the water for about 30 seconds, then try to form a soft ball with it. Until you can form a ball, the mixture is not ready. Once ready, add the pecans, stirring them into the candy thoroughly.

On a table, butter a 3-4 foot piece of butcher paper. The candy will be too hot to touch. With one tablespoon, dip into the pot and remove a 1 1/2 to 2 inch patty, then use another spoon to scrape the "ball" of hot candy onto the butcher paper. Leave the balls of candy on the sheet to cool and harden, 30-45 minutes. When the candies are hard enough, pack them individually or together in an air-tight plastic container. They will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.

Makes 36-45 pralines.

Baked Pork Chops with Sauerkraut

Todd's mom introduced me to this dish and I now consider it one of my staples. It goes great with one of everyone's staples: macaroni and cheese:)

4 thin cut boneless pork chops (I usually buy 2 thick ones and cut them myself)
1 (14 oz.) can sauerkraut
Salt
Pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat and add all 4 pork chops, turning about every minute or so, just until all sides are browned (do not cook all the way through).

Coat a 13x9 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place pork chops into dish and cover each chop with some sauerkraut. Put remaining sauerkraut (and liquid) in the dish alongside the chops. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked all the way through.

Chile con Queso

A dish sent from the heavens. Great for game day parties.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet white onion
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper or jalapeño (or a combination)
~ 3 tablespoons teaspoon ground cumin
~1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth (or water, for a veggie dish)
8 ounces Velveeta, cubed
1 cup chopped tomatoes

Using a medium sized pot (~3 qt.), heat the oil and sauté the onion, pepper and dry ingredients for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Add the broth and heat 3 to 4 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken, then add the cheese and tomatoes.

Simmer the queso on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, adjusting thickness to suit your taste by adding water or cheese.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Potato and Leek Soup with Cheddar Toasts

Castle Hill Muffins

Ditalini with Tomatoes, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella

This meal is so simple and delicious that I make it almost once a week. There are a lot of leftovers, which makes my husband happy because he has something to eat when I abandon him for the evening to hang out with friends :) I have found that the type and brand of Mozzarella make a big difference in the consistency of this meal. Mozzarella packaged in water is too soft and turns stringy once added to the pasta. The brand that I have found results in the best consistency is Belgioioso, specifically the Mozzarella in the vacuum-sealed package.

6-8 Roma tomatoes, chopped
Fresh basil, about 10 leaves, sliced into strips
6 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 box of Ditalini (small, tubed shaped pasta; Penne works well too)
8 oz. of fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes

Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you prep the other ingredients.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan or skillet. Add the sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Do not brown the garlic. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. I probably add about 2-3 tablespoons of salt, but you can adjust the salt to your taste. Using the back of a large spoon, slightly smash the tomatoes, creating a sauce-like consistency.

Add the pasta to the boiling water. Continue to simmer the tomato sauce until the pasta is ready. Once the pasta is done cooking, add the basil to the tomato sauce and remove the sauce from the heat. Pour the sauce over the pasta, add the mozzarella, stir and serve.

Serves 4-6

About the Posters

Christy: My favorite cuisines are Tex-Mex and Italian, but I love cooking other cuisines as well. Let me take that back. My favorite cuisines are Tex-Mex, Italian and BBQ, but I leave it up to my husband to do the BBQing. I'm not much of an adventurous eater and would have to politely pass on many of the dishes served up on Iron Chef America (sweetbreads? no thanks), but I think I cook a nice variety of foods. I use approximations in a lot of my recipe posts because I typically don't measure what I'm tossing in the dishes (sorry bakers!). I'm especially generous with cumin, my favorite spice, so watch out for that one. Hope y'all enjoy!

Lyndsay: I am quite the opposite of Christy. I have to follow a recipe to the T. I'm not good at guessing how much a teaspoon of salt is so I'd rather pull out measuring spoons. Guess that makes me a good baker. I find comfort in baking. I love the way the house smells when a loaf of bread is in the oven. And I love putting my cakes in a cake stand on the kitchen table, although Spence ate the last cake I had on the table so I guess I won't be doing that anymore.

Kristy: I think I must be the adventurous eater in the group. I love all types of food, and I'll try anything at least once. My list of weird foods I've eaten includes haggis, smoked reindeer heart, and octopus puff balls. Nevertheless, I keep it more simple in the kitchen. I like weeknight meals to be fast and easy, and I experiment on the weekends. I use the grill pan a lot, and I love the oven because roasting requires no supervision. I'd say that my cooking has a California influence from my years there, but I'm equally comfortable with fancy broiled salmon and my mom's chicken casserole.