Roasted Beet and Fruit Salad

This salad is perfect without dressing, but if you must, use a vinaigrette of your choice.

  86 Grams Leaf Lettuce                                                 56 Grams Beets, Roasted & Peeled

  71 Grams Mandarin Oranges                                         15 Grams Goat Cheese, Crumbled

  70 Grams Strawberries                                                            

To Roast the Beets:  Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut off the stems and put cut side down in an oven safe pan with about 1/2 inch of water.  Roast for 40 to 45 minutes until fork tender.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

While the beets cool:  Wash and spin dry the salad greens and put in a bowl.  Drain mandarin oranges and put on top of lettuce.  Wash and spin strawberries, cut into pieces and put on top of salad.  The beets should be cool enough to handle.  Slip them out of their skins and cut them into pieces.  Put on top of salad.  Top with goat cheese.

Memorial Day

Thank you to those who have served and their families.

Mini Mixed Berry Cheesecakes

I made these with all raspberries, but you can mix any variety of berries.  Fresh or frozen, either way.  The recipe calls for semisweet chocolate, but you can also use dark or milk chocolate or let it off entirely.

Crust:                                                                                   3 Large Eggs

  1 Box Phyllo Dough                                                              3/4 Cup sugar

  1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, melted                                            1/2 Tsp vanilla

Filling:                                                                               Topping:

  24 Ounce Cream Cheese, softened                                        2 Oz semisweet chocolate

  16 Oz Frozen Mixed Berries, thawed                                     2 Tbl butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Crust:  Place a sheet of phyllo on a cutting board, coat with melted butter.  Repeat until you have 5 sheets stacked together.   Cut into six pieces and press into 6 spaces on a cupcake pan.  Repeat until 28 cups have a crust.  Cover with a damp towel and set aside.

Cake:  Drain berries and puree, set aside. Prepare filling using an electric mixer. Beat cream cheese on low until smooth, then add eggs one at a time. Next add sugar slowly until mixture becomes creamy. Add vanilla and thoroughly combine.  Add berries and mix well.  Put 1/2 cup of cheesecake mixture in each cup.  Bake cheesecake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Cool in pan about 15 minutes then remove to a cooling rack.  Refrigerate until completely cool.

Topping:  In a small sauce pan melt dark chocolate and butter together until smooth and creamy.   Drizzle melted chocolate over top of cheesecake. Chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Per Serving: 172 Cal (71% from Fat, 7% from Protein, 22% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 14 g Tot Fat; 9 g Sat Fat; 4 g Mono Fat; 10 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 7 g Sugar; 29 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 91 mg Sodium

Vanilla Ice Cream

Break out your ice cream freezer, summer is HERE!  Dad shared his recipe with me, so I am sharing it with you.  Whip up some homemade ice cream this weekend to kick off the season right.  Did you make vanilla sugar?  Add it to this recipe to intensify the flavor.

  6 Eggs                                                                                      2 Can Condensed Milk

  2 C Sugar                                                                                 1 Tbl Vanilla

  Pinch Salt                                                                                 Milk

Use a six quart ice cream freezer.  Beat eggs well.  Add sugar, condensed milk, vanilla and salt.  Pour mixture into freezer can and add milk until can is 2/3 full.  Freeze.

Chocolate Creme Brulee

This made my hubby stand in the kitchen and announce he was the luckiest hubby in the world....I like to make him smile.  The photo is pre-caramelizing.

  2 Cups Half & Half                                                               1/3 Cup Sugar

  3 Inch Cinnamon Stick                                                           1 Tsp Vanilla

  4 Ounce Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped                                1/8 Tsp Salt

  5 Large Egg Yolks, Lightly Beaten                                          2 Tbl Sugar

                                                                                                 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a heavy small saucepan, heat half-and-half and cinnamon stick over medium heat just until bubbly. Remove from heat; remove cinnamon stick. Add chocolate to cream. Let stand 5 minutes; whisk until smooth and set  aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, the vanilla and salt. Whisk until combined. Slowly whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.  Place six 5- to 6-ounce ungreased casseroles, souffle dishes, or 6-ounce custard cups in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or pan. Divide custard mixture mixture evenly among the souffle dishes. Place baking dish on oven rack. Pour enough boiling water into the baking dish to reach halfway up the sides of the casseroles.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the centers comes out clean. Carefully remove casseroles from water; cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.  Sprinkle sugar evenly atop custards and caramelize sugar with a culinary torch or broil* 4 to 5 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes until sugar is melted and lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Per Serving: 338 Cal (62% from Fat, 11% from Protein, 27% from Carb); 10 g Protein; 25 g Tot Fat; 14 g Sat Fat; 8 g Mono Fat;  25 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; 16 g Sugar; 127 mg Calcium; 4 mg Iron; 165 mg Sodium

Spring Garlic Risotto

Spring Garlic (aka green garlic) looks like an oversized spring onion.  It is much milder in flavor than traditional garlic and the entire stalk can be used, just like a spring onion.  I used mine in the recipe below and served it with chicken marinated in lime juice and Caribbean Jerk Seasoning from McCormick.

2 stalks Green garlic,washed and roots trimmed
6 cups chicken stock
2 T butter - unsalted
1 T. Olive oil
3/4 t. Salt
3 oz. Asiago cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
Ground white pepper to taste (Can use black pepper)

Cut the tender white and light green part of the garlic into thin rounds and 

set aside.  Coarsely chop the remaining green garlic stems and put them in a 

large pot with the stock; bring the broth to a boil.  Turn off the heat, 

then cover and steep for about ten minutes. Remove the lid to make risotto, but

keep it hot, not boiling on medium low heat.

Melt butter with olive oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over medium heat.  Add 

the garlic and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add the rice and salt, 

stirring until the rice turns milky and barely begins to toast.  Add broth, 1 cup 

at a time to rice and sauté, stirring until the broth is absorbed each time. 

Immediately after adding the last broth, stir in the cheese and season to taste. 

Orange Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

I made these recently for my hubby to take on a road trip.  I thought they would be better than rest stop food.  They were a big hit.

  1 Cup all-purpose flour                         1 large egg

  1/4 Tsp table salt                                  1 Stick unsalted butter, room temp

  1/4 Tsp ground cinnamon                      1 Cup packed light-brown sugar

  1/2 Tsp baking powder                          1 1/2 Cup old-fashioned oats                                 

  1/2 Tsp baking soda                              3/4 Cup dried cranberries                                 

  1/2 Tbl orange extract                                                              

  1 1/2 Tbl milk                                                                         

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar.  Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low, gradually add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated fully.  Add orange extract and milk, beat well. Add the flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Remove bowl from the electric mixer, and stir in the oats and  cranberries.

Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets set aside. Scoop about 1 tbl of mixture and place on cookie sheet 1.5 to 2 inches apart.  Repeat with the remaining dough.   Bake until golden, about 16 minutes. Remove from oven; transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Spicy Chicken and Bok Choy

This is a great dish that isn't really all that spicy.  Served with black rice, or any rice of your choice, it is a complete meal.

  8 Ounce Chicken Breast                                                          2 Clove Garlic, minced

  1 Lb Bok Choy                                                                        1 Tbl Teriyaki Sauce

  1 Tbl Vegetable Oil                                                                  1 Tbl Soy Sauce

  1 Tbl Sesame Oil                                                                     1 Tbl Brown Sugar

  1/4 Cup Water                                                                         1/8 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper

  1 Tsp Ginger Root, Grated                                                      

Cut chicken into bite sized cubes.  Trim off the ends of the bok choy and chop, keeping the white parts separate from the green as they will need to cook longer. Rinse and spin or pat dry. Set aside.

In a small bowl or cup, stir together the vegetable oil and sesame oil. In a separate larger bowl, stir together the water, ginger,  garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Set this aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.  Sautee in a skillet until cooked.  Put in a small container, cover with foil to keep warm and set aside.  Add the bok choy stems first; stir fry for a few minutes or until the pieces start to turn a pale green. When stems are almost cooked, add the leaves; cook and stir until leaves are wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the bok choy to a serving dish.  Put chicken on top of Bok Choy.  Pour the sauce into the skillet or wok, and set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Pour over the bok choy and toss  lightly to coat.

Tirimisu

If you do not have a food processor to make superfine sugar or access to purchase it, you can substitute powdered sugar in this recipe only.

  1 1/4 Cups Coffee, strong and sweet               1 Lb Mascarpone Cheese

  7 Tbl Vanilla Flavored Syrup                           2 Tbl Brandy

  4 Egg Yolks                                                   4 Doz Ladyfingers

  3 Tbl Superfine Sugar                                     1 Tbl Cocoa Powder

  

***Superfine sugar can be made by putting granulated sugar in a food processor and processing until powdery.

In shallow dish, mix coffee with 2 T of the vanilla syrup.  In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar together until pale.  Add Mascarpone, one large spoonful at a time, mixing gently to keep the mixture light and airy.  Add remaining vanilla syrup and mix gently.  Dip about half of the ladyfingers into the coffee mixture and use to line the bottom of a 10 inch spring form pan.  Spoon half the Mascarpone mixture on top and sprinkle with half the cocoa powder.  Repeat layers, ending with a sprinkle of cocoa powder on top.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  When ready to serve, release the spring form and serve sliced from the metal base.

Spinach Salad - you choose the options

This salad is great with any kind of berry.  Spinach can be used by itself or add other greens.  You can also add nuts, if you like, or even toasted pine nuts.  Serve with steak, chicken, or by itself.  The options are almost endless.

  1 Tbl sesame seeds                                                               1/4 Cup distilled white vinegar

  2 Tbl poppy seeds                                                                 1/4 Tsp paprika

  1/2 Cup white sugar                                                              12 Ounce Fresh Spinach

  1/4 Cup olive oil                                                                    1 Qt berries
  1/4 cup canola oil

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar and paprika. Cover, and chill for one hour.  In a large bowl, combine the spinach and berries.  Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before  serving.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Orange Chicken

I used the birds eye mix of frozen Broccoli, Carrots, Beans and Water Chestnuts.  The nutrition below is just for the broccoli.  Use whatever vegetables you like.  

  12 Ounce Frozen Vegetables                                                   1/4 Cup Orange Marmalade

  10 Ounce Chicken Breast, Boneless,                                        3 Tbl Teriyaki Sauce

  -Skinless                                                                                  1.5 Tsp Dry Mustard

  1 Cups Chicken Stock                                                              1/2 Cup Brown Rice, Uncooked

  1 Cup Orange Juice                                                                

Put the frozen vegetables in the bottom of a 4 quart slow cooker.  Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and put on top.  In a small bowl, combine chicken broth, orange juice, orange marmalade, teriyaki sauce, dry mustard and rice. Pour over vegetable-chicken  mixture in cooker.  Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

Per Serving: 299 Cal (9% from Fat, 32% from Protein, 59% from Carb); 24 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 45 g  Carb; 4 g Fiber; 15 g Sugar; 83 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 592 mg Sodium

Spinach Pesto

This is a great use for spring spinach and a nice change from (or addition to) marinara sauce.

  12 ounces washed, torn spinach leaves                                   1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

  2 garlic cloves, halved                                                           1/3 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

  4 Tbl pine nuts                                                                      1/8 Tsp salt

  1 Tsp dried leaf basil, crumbled

Place a few spinach leaves, garlic, pine nuts, basil and a little oil in blender or food processor container. Cover and puree until leaves begin to look crushed. Continue adding spinach leaves a few at a time with small amounts of oil to blender, using a rubber spatula to help to combine pureed mixture. Add Parmesan cheese and salt. Cover and process until spinach pesto mixture is  smooth.

Bourbon Birthday Cake

This cake is wonderful - birthday or non.  Beware - I put a lid on it for transport and the fumes were intoxicating.

  2 ¼ Cup All Purpose Flour                                                      1 Cup Pecans, Chopped

  2 ¼ Tsp Baking Powder                                                          6 Ounce Mini Chocolate Chips

  ½ Tsp Salt                                                                        Hot Buttered Bourbon Glaze

  1 Cup Butter                                                                          2 Tbl Butter, Melted

  2 Cup Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed                                         1 Cup powdered sugar

  4 Large Eggs                                                                          4 Tablespoon Bourbon

  ½ Cup Bourbon                                                                      1/2 Tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 325F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and put into a mixing bowl. Stir in the brown sugar until well blended.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, until just blended.  Add flour mixture and Bourbon stirring well after each addition. Pour batter into the prepared. Sprinkle evenly with pecans and chocolate chips. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until center of the cake is firm and edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Put on a wire rack and start making the glaze.

For the glaze:  Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Blend well with a wooden spoon. Drizzle over the cake.

Asparagus Quiche

This week's CSA delivery included Asparagus, so I made this quiche.  I used light Jarlsburg cheese to reduce the calorie/fat count, but it tasted just as good.

  9 Inch Pie Shell, Unbaked                                                       3 Large eggs, beaten

  8 Ounce Asparagus                                                                1 Cup Half & Half

  1 Tsp Green Onion, minced                                                     1/2 Tsp salt

  1 Tbl All Purpose Flour                                                           1/4 Tsp basil + 1/4 tsp Oregano

  8 Ounce Jarlsburg                                                                   1/8 Tsp cayenne pepper

Bake crust at 425 for 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Steam the asparagus spears until crisp-tender.  Set aside three spears for garnish; cut the remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces. Combine the asparagus pieces and onions; add flour and toss. Pour into crust; sprinkle with cheese. Whisk together eggs, cream,  salt, basil and cayenne, pour over asparagus mixture.  Bake at 325 for 35 minutes. Split the reserved asparagus spears lengthwise  and arrange, cut side down, in a wheel pattern on top of filling. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Venison Chili

This recipe calls for canned venison.  No canned venison?  Use frozen venison and beef broth.  No venison at all?  Just use beef.

  1.5 Lb Venison, Canned                                        4 Tsp Cumin

  1 Tbl canola oil                                                     1/2 Tsp salt

  1 Tsp Onion Powder                                             1/2 Tsp black pepper

  1/2 Cup Celery, Chopped                                       2 Cups Venison Liquid

  3 Clove garlic, minced                                           2-14.5 Oz Diced Tomatoes, undrained

  1 Chili Pepper, Diced                                            1.5 Cups Sweet Pepper, cut into strips

  1 Tbl dried oregano                                               15 Ounce Black Beans, rinsed and drained      

  4 Tsp Hot Paprika                                                                    

Three pint jars of canned venison is about 1.5 pounds.  Drain the venison, reserving the canning fluid.  Add enough water to the fluid to make 2 cups.

In a 6 quart pot,  heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion powder, celery, garlic, chile pepper, dried oregano, chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender (mixture will be dry). Add reserved fluid; bring to boiling. Boil gently about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add meat and undrained tomatoes. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until meat is heated through.  Stir in sweet peppers and black beans.   Return to simmering. Cover and cook for 15 minutes more.

Modified Eugene Throw

I recently completed a new afghan.  The pattern was from naturallycaron.com and it was titled Eugene Throw.  I didn't make it as written.  It was shorter than I like my afghans, so where the pattern says to repeat rows 5-52 two more times, I repeated three.  I then did 5-33 and I did finish off.  I did not do the edging the recommended.  Since the end stitches were done after the turn, the edges of the afghan were quite nice.  You can find the pattern by clicking here.

So find your crochet hook, increase the yarn by 10% if doing the modifications above, and have at it.

Asparagus with Parmesan

This is the last recipe my wonderful spouse used for Mother's Day.  The Asparagus was cooked perfectly and the Parmesan crumbs added a nice balance.

  1/2 Cup Panko                                                                        1/4 Tsp Salt

  2 Tbl Butter, Melted                                                                Pinch Pepper

  3 Tbl Parsley, Chopped                                                           2 Lb Asparagus

  1/4 Cup Parmesan, Grated                                                      

Combine bread crumbs, butter, parsley, cheese, salt and pepper in a medium bowl, toss to combine.  Steam the asparagus until crisp/tender - 2 to 3 minutes on high in a microwave.  Place steamed asparagus in a single layer on a tray and sprinkle with the bread crumb mixture.  Bake in a 400 degree (375 for convection) oven until bread crumbs are browned, about 15 minutes.

Cilantro Lime Marinade

My wonderful husband made this marinade to use on Mother's Day.  2 hours is a good starting point, but longer is better to let it soak.

  3 Small Limes, Juiced                                                              1/2 Tsp chili powder

  1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil                                                             2 Tsp sugar

  1 Clove garlic                                                                          1/2 Tsp red pepper flakes

  1 Tbl fresh cilantro                                                                  salt and pepper

  1/2 Tsp cumin                                                                         

Toss all the ingredients into a mini food processor and pulse until combined.  Marinate meat for at least 2 hours.

Coconut Cheesecake with Pomegranate Gel

Every year, my husband makes me dinner for Mother's Day.  Some years, his mother joins us, so I make a dessert as my gift to her.  This year, it was this cheesecake.  If you cannot find Ground Coconut, you can use sweetened flaked coconut in the food processor.  In place of coconut extract, you may use vanilla, but the cake will not have as nice of a coconut flavor.

  Crust:                                                                     1/4 Tsp Coconut Extract

  2 Cup Ground Coconut                                              1/8 Tsp salt

  8 Graham Crackers, broken                                       5 Large Eggs

  1/4 Cup sugar                                                           Gel:

  1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, diced                                   4 Tsp water

  Filling:                                                                     1 Packet unflavored gelatin

  32 Ounce Cream Cheese                                           1 Cup Pomegranate Juice

  2/3 Cup sugar                                                            5 Tbl Sugar

  15 Ounce Cream Of Coconut                                                 

Crust:  Preheat oven to 350F. Blend all ingredients in processor until finely ground and sticking together, 1 to 2 minutes. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of a 9-inch-diameter spring form pan.  Bake crust until golden, 14 to 15 minutes. Cool crust on rack.   Increase oven temperature to 425F.

Filling:  Blend cream cheese in processor until smooth, scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Add sugar and blend thoroughly, scraping sides often.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add coconut extract, and salt, blend until just moistened.  Add cream of coconut, mix until blended. Pour filling into crust.  Bake cheesecake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250F. Bake until center is softly set, about 1 hour 35 minutes longer.  Turn off oven. Keeping door closed, cool cake in oven 1 hour. Refrigerate cake, uncovered, at least 12 hours or overnight.

Gel:  Place water in small cup; sprinkle gelatin over.  Pour pomegranate juice into small saucepan. Mix in sugar. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves and bubbles form at edge of pan. Add gelatin mixture and stir 1 minute to dissolve. Cool 10 minutes; pour into center of cheesecake. Rotate and tilt cake until glaze is spread evenly over top. Chill cake to set glaze, at least 1 hour.

Bananas Foster Cheesecake

One friend said her favorite dessert of all time was bananas foster, another asked for a banana cheesecake.  I figured that marrying the two was a nifty idea.  

  3 Cups Vanilla Wafers, Crushed                              1 Tbl Cake Flour

  6 Tbl Stick Butter, Melted                                         2 Tbl Coconut Rum

  1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar                                     1 Tsp Banana Extract

  1 Tsp Cinnamon                                                      3 Large Eggs

  24 Ounce Cream Cheese, NOT Low Fat                  2 Cups Banana, Mashed

  1/2 Cup Sugar                                                         3/4 Cup Smuckers Caramel Ice Cream Syrup

  1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar                                                     

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the first four ingredients in a bowl.  Press into the bottom of a 10 inch spring form pan.  Bake  for 10 minutes.  Remove and set aside to cool.

Blend the cream cheese on low speed, scraping the sides often.  Add the white sugar slowly, beat until creamy.  Add the remaining brown sugar, beat until creamy.  Add the flour, rum and banana extract and mix until blended.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until well blended after each addition.  Fold in the bananas.  Pour into the crust.  Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until almost  set.  Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.  Run a knife around the sides of the cake.  When cool, top with Caramel Syrup.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Coffe Cake with Walnuts and Pears

You can make this with fresh pears or well drained canned pears. 

  3 Cup all-purpose flour                                                           2 Cup sugar

  1 Tsp baking soda                                                                    3 Large Eggs

  1 Tsp ground cinnamon                                                           2 Tsp vanilla extract

  1/4 Tsp salt                                                                              1 Cup Pecans, Chopped

  1 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened                                        3 Cup Pears, Peeled And Sliced

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9-x-13-inch cake pan.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.  In the bowl of a standing mixer or with a hand-held mixer at low to medium speed, cream the butter and the sugar together, until the mixture is light yellow and holds soft peaks. With the mixer running, add the eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next one. Add the vanilla extract and chopped nuts. Fold in dry ingredients just until moistened then fold the diced pears into the batter and spread the batter into the prepared cake pan. Smooth the top of the batter in the pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake on a rack for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan. Serve at room temperature.

Spicy Chicken Dip

Thanks to my friend Denise, I was introduced to Frank's Red Hot Extra Hot.  For those of you who prefer less spice, feel free to use regular Frank's Red Hot.

  2 Chicken Breast, cooked and shredded                                 12 Ounce Cheddar Cheese, shredded

  8 Oz Cream Cheese                                                             6 Oz Frank’s Red Hot Extra Hot

                                                                                                 

Pre Heat Oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients and spread evenly in a greased pan.  Bake for 35 minutes and serve with crackers.

Salad time is here again

This is a simple, yet satisfying, recipe.  Filled with fruit and vegetables and just a little nut, it is quite filling as well.  The dressing is very tangy, but a nice contrast to the bitter endive. 

  3 Tbl Red Wine Vinegar                                  3 Cups Apple, Peeled And Wedged

  2 Tbl Apple Juice                                            2 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  1 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil                             6 Tbl Walnuts, Chopped

  1 Tbl Light Brown Sugar                                 3 Cup Baby Spinach

  2 Tsp Dijon Mustard                                       3 Cup Boston Lettuce, Torn

  1/8 Tsp Salt                                                    3 Cup Curly Endive, Torn

  Pepper, to taste                                              4 Ounce Cheddar, Cubed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Whisk together vinegar, apple juice, 1 tablespoon oil, brown sugar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl, refrigerate up to two weeks.  Toss prepared apples with remaining olive oil in a bowl.  Spread evenly on a baking sheet. and roast, turning once or twice, until the apples are soft and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.   While the apples are roasting, toast walnuts in a small skillet ntil fragrant, about 5 minutes, let cool.  Just before serving, combine spinach, lettuce and endive in a large bowl; toss gently to mix. Divide the greens among 6 plates, drizzle with dressing and top with cheese, roasted apples and walnuts. Serve immediately.

Body of Proof

If you have not yet seen ABC's new series, Body of Proof, you must check it out.  It follows Megan Hunt, now a Philadelphia Medical examiner, formerly a neurosurgeon.  The stories are well written, the cast is well done and the chemistry is out of this world.  So, tune in to ABC's (or set you DVR) for 10 pm EST.  Missed the first few?  Find them online at ABC.