Honey Ginger Vinegar and Persian Lime

Wonderful new olive oil and balsamic, almost seized by security at John Wayne. New pepper grinder as well. All from my wonderful chef mom Judi!

Old School Bakers One Bowl Brownies

These were super quick brownies if you have old fashioned bakers squares on hand

what you need

4 oz.  BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate

3/4 cup  butter or margarine (i used some organic shortening)

2 cups  sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp.  vanilla

1 cup  flour

1 cup  coarsely chopped PLANTERS Pecans

make it

HEAT oven to 350°F.

LINE 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Spray foil with cooking spray.

MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and nuts; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.

I don't have a microwave so I used the old school method of melting the shortening and chocolate over the stove.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool completely. Use foil handles to remove brownies from pan before cutting to serve.

VARIATIONS

Prepare as directed, using one of the following options: Super Chunk Brownies: Stir 8 oz. BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped, and 1/2 cup raisins into prepared batter before pouring into prepared pan and baking as directed. Cake-Like Brownies: Stir in 1/2 cup milk along with the eggs and vanilla, and increase the flour to 1-1/2 cups. Extra-Thick Brownies: Spread prepared batter into 9-inch square pan. Bake 50 min. Cool, then cut to serve. Makes 16 servings. Extra-Fudgy Brownies: Use 4 eggs.

Sweet-n-sour Turkey Meatballs (in a crock pot!)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine turkey, garlic and herb seasoning, egg white and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Mix well and shape mixture into about 32 meatballs. Place meatballs in bottom of slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, whisk together tomato sauce, broth, chili sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and thyme. Pour mixture over meatballs.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Serve half of the Meatballs with Mashed Red Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli. Refrigerate the other half for Turkey-Stuffed Zucchini Boats later in the week.

Yields 8 servings, 4 for Turkey Meatballs plus 4 more for other recipes like Robins Cheddar-Potato Soup

Mashed Red Potatoes:

8 medium red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (skin on)

6 whole cloves garlic

1 cup light sour cream

4 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Salt and ground black pepper

Place potatoes and garlic cloves in a large saucepan and pour over enough water to cover. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil 8 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and return potatoes and garlic cloves to pan. Mash in sour cream until desired consistency. Fold in chives. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Yield: 8 servings, 4 for Turkey Meatballs plus 4 more for other recipes like Robins Cheddar-Potato Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ease of preparation: easy

Steamed Broccoli:

2 cups broccoli florets

2 tablespoons water

Salt and pepper

Lemon wedges

In a microwaveable bowl, add broccoli florets and water. Cover and cook in microwave 2 to 3 minutes, or until crisp tender. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with lemon, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Ease of preparation: easy

Best Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Heat oven to 350°F.

1. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening and granulated sugar until creamy.

2. Add egg, water and vanilla; beat well.

3. Add combined oats, flour, salt and baking soda; mix well. Add any extras you prefer (raisins,
nuts, chocolate chips, etc.).

4. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

5. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Heirloom Nitro Tomato Soup

Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri

There were a few errors on the posted recipe online so I am making those adjustments here. If you follow the below link to the Food Network there is a video of Guy making this soup. This is a great, easy all purpose soup.

Ingredients

• 8 cups seeded and diced heirloom tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced onions 
• 1/4 cup diced carrots (should really be 2 carrots)
• 1/4 cup diced celery (should be 2 celery stalks)
• 5 jalapeno chilies  seeded and chopped (or less, depending on how hot or you could use more mild peppers like red or green peppers)
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic cloves
• Olive oil, as needed
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper, divided
• 4 T unsalted butter 
• 2 T cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup ground cumin
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 pint heavy cream
• Special equipment: Dutch oven

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Put the prepared vegetables and the garlic on a baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil. Season them with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper. Roast them until the vegetables have begun to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven and set aside.

Start preparing a roux in the Dutch oven by melting the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and stir constantly for 5 minutes. Immediately add the vegetable mixture and any extra juices to the roux. Stir until incorporated. Season with the cumin and remaining salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Stir the cilantro and cream into the vegetable mixture and warm it over low heat. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Transfer the soup to a serving bowl and enjoy! (Chefs Note: Do not return to a boil once the cream has been incorporated.)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_478124_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html 

Slow Cooker Chipotle-Lime Chicken Thighs Jamaican Rice and Peas

Copyright 2006, Robin Miller, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

3 hr 0 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup sliced onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 4 pounds skinless chicken thighs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce with 1 teaspoon sauce from can
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions

Arrange onion, celery and carrots in bottom of slow cooker. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and arrange over vegetables.

In a medium bowl, whisk together tomato sauce, lime juice, chipotle chiles with sauce, and garlic. Pour mixture over chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Serve half of the thighs with this meal (topped with diced avocado and cilantro and garnished with lime wedges) and reserve remaining thighs for another meal.

Jamaican Rice and Peas:

• 2 cups instant white rice
• 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 (15-ounce) can red beans, drained
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk, water, beans, thyme, and lime zest. Set pan over high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 5 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Fold in scallions and season to taste with salt and pepper.

French country chicken with mushroom sauce (heart healthy)

Dietitian's tip:These boneless, skinless chicken breasts are sauteed and topped with a creamy mushroom sauce. Serve over whole-wheat spaghetti or fettuccini with a steamed broccoli-carrot blend on the side.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each 4 ounces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1/4 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose (plain) flour
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions

Place the chicken breasts between wax paper and pound with a mallet to flatten. Cut each piece in half lengthwise. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.

In a small frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute for about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and wine until all the lumps are gone. Add the flour mixture to the shallots and mushrooms. Stir in the chicken stock and cook over medium-high heat. Stir until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the rosemary.

In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until no longer pink or until a thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 170 F, about 5 minutes.

To serve, transfer 2 chicken breast halves onto each plate. Spoon mushroom sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.

Nutritional analysis per serving

Serving size: 2 chicken breast halves
Calories	239	Sodium	98 mg
Total fat	9 g	Total carbohydrate	6 g
Saturated fat	1 g	Dietary fiber	0.5 g
Monounsaturated fat	5 g	Protein	28 g