Lemon Basil Salad Dressing

My own recipe - i don't measure anything so you kind of have to do this by taste. It is roughly a basil caesar with mayo instead of eggs.

Leaves off a bunch of basil (or more if you like)
1 - 2 cloves of garlic
juice from 1 lemon (this will be pretty lemony but it is how i usually  make it, you can use less)
1 - 2 T organic mayo (it makes a big difference on the flavor to have organic but whatever you have will work - or you can use egg yolks which is more traditional)
Olive oil as needed (approx 1/8 of a c.)
a bit of salt (wait until the end and add to taste)

This needs to be made in a blender or a little hand mixer to blend the basil in. Add the lemon juice, garlic, basil and mayo and blend together. Slowly add the olive oil - this is the emulsion and should thicken the dressing. Add salt to taste (it really doesn't need much but a tiny bit brings out all the flavors)

Serve! We use this recipe most traditionally with grilled romaine and grilled baguette. Last night we had it with mixed greens from the garden. But it tastes great on chicken too.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Poblano White Chili

Rachel made this for us last week and it was delicious! She chose to just put it all in a crock pot instead of cooking the chicken, poblanos and onions separately and it worked great. I think she ended up cooking it for about 4 hours on high.

Serves 8
In a modern twist on a game-day classic, cauliflower turns into the surprisingly creamy base for this white
bean and chicken chili with mild poblano peppers. Serve sprinkled with sliced green onions and shredded
mild cheddar or monterey jack.
Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) bag dried 365 Everyday Value® Organic Cannellini Beans, picked through
2 tablespoons expeller-pressed canola oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
2 or 3 poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 (16-ounce) bag 365 Everyday Value® Sweet White Corn
1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small florets
1/2 cup lowfat sour cream
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
Method
Arrange beans in a large bowl, cover by 2 inches with water and set aside to let soak for 8 hours, or
overnight; drain well.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat oil in a large, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook,
turning occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes; transfer to a plate and set aside. Add onions to pot
and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in cumin and chili powder and cook 2 minutes more.

To the pot, add beans, chicken and its accumulated juices, broth, peppers, corn and cauliflower and bring
to a boil. Cover pot snugly with foil and then a tight-fitting lid and cook in the oven, stirring halfway
through, until beans and cauliflower are both fall-apart tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir in sour cream and salt,
ladle into bowls and serve.

Nutrition
Per serving: 430 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 60mg cholesterol, 810mg sodium ,
55g total carbohydrate (12g dietary fiber, 10g sugar), 31g protein

From the Whole Foods website:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=3229

Mildred's Peanut Butter Cookies

This is from my Grandma's recipe box that Lara and I turned into a book.

1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 c. butter (can use shortening or a mix of the two)
2 eggs
1 c. peanut butter
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder

No other instructions included on the recipe card!

From experience (and deduction) the following instructions can be followed:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Cream the sugar and butter. Add the eggs and peanut butter.
Slowly add the dry ingredients.

Refrigerate for an hour (part of tradition, but I have made them successfully without this step)

Roll into balls. Flatten with a fork. Sprinkle with sugar if you are so inclined.

Bake from 9 - 12 minutes depending on chewy/crispy requirements.

Enjoy!

Eunice's Sugar Cookies

This recipe is from the cookbook Lara and I made from my Grandma's recipe file. A classic sugar cookie - simple and delicious.

1/2 c margarine

1/2 c butter (i used 1 c butter and it was fine)

1 c sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla (I just realized this could read 1 T - take your pick!)

"sift" dry ingredients (I have never done this)

2 c flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar (or 1 tsp. baking powder)

The instructions on the recipe card said:

"Form into balls and flatten out with a fork. Sprinkle with sugar."

For those of you who like a little bit more detail (like the temperature and time to cook!) we have figured out the following:

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 - 12 minutes (10 will be chewy, with light brown edges - 12 and more will be crispier).

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and vanilla.

Put all dry ingredients in a bowl. Sift if you are so inclined. I use a fork to just work through the mixture.

Slowly mix in the dry to the wet.

Put in the refrigerator for about an hour.

NOW, you can form into balls and flatten with a fork. Sprinkle with sugar. If you like, I also sprinkle in cinnamon.

Creamy Leek-Potato Soup

Creamy Leek-Potato Soup
Serves 4 to 6.   Published March 1, 2010.   From Cook's Illustrated.

A garnish is essential to add texture and flavor to this soup. We like fried leeks, crisp bacon bits, a dollop
of sour cream, or freshly chopped chives. The soup can also be garnished with garlic chips or garlic
croutons.

Ingredients
4 Medium leeks, white and light-green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and sliced thin (about 4
cups), dark green parts halved, washed, and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 Cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 Cups water
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 Medium onion, chopped medium (about 1 cup)
Table salt
1 Small russet potato (about 6 ounces), peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 Bay leaf
1 (4-inch) sprig fresh thyme or tarragon
1 Large slice high-quality sandwich bread, lightly toasted and torn into 1/2-inch pieces.
Ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Bring dark-green leek pieces, broth, and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce
heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
2. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much
liquid as possible; set aside. Discard solids in strainer and rinse out sauce pan.
3. Melt butter in now-empty saucepan over medium-low heat. When butter foams, stir in sliced
leeks, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until
vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.
4. Increase heat to high, stir in reserved broth, potato, bay leaf, and herb sprig and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Add toasted bread and simmer until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down,
about 5 minutes.
6. Remove and discard bay leaf and herb sprig. Transfer half of soup to blender and process until
smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and repeat with remaining soup.
7. Return soup to saucepan and bring to simmer; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with
garnish