Layered Turkey Cranberry Enchiladas

This is a great way to use leftovers! Don't get rid of your extra cranberry sauce.

I made this recipe last week, even though I didn't have any Thanksgiving leftovers yet. It was pretty great! The mix of the sweet, earthy cranberry sauce with the enchilada sauce was quite new and I liked it. Give is a shot.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. turkey breast tenderloin, cut in bite-size strips
• 1 16-oz. pkg. frozen sweet peppers and onions stir-fry vegetables
• 1 10-oz. can enchilada sauce
• 1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
• 9 6-inch corn tortillas, halved (*I used whole wheat flour just b/c it's what I had on hand)
  
• 1 8 oz. pkg. Mexican blend shredded cheese (2 cups)
• Lime wedges (optional)
• Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Directions

1. Position oven rack toward top of oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In extra-large skillet cook turkey in 1 tablespoon hot cooking oil over medium heat 4 minutes or until no longer pink. Add frozen vegetables, enchilada sauce, and cranberry sauces. Bring to boiling. Sprinkle salt and pepper.

2. In 2-quart baking dish layer one-third of the tortillas, then one-third of the cheese. Use a slotted spoon to layer half the turkey-vegetable mixture. Layer one-third tortillas, one-third cheese, remaining turkey-vegetables (with slotted spoon), and remaining tortillas. Spoon on remaining sauce from skillet; sprinkle remaining cheese. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut in squares. Serve with lime and cilantro. Serves 4.

Are you still looking for a great stuffing recipe?

Introducing:

Awesome Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. cubed whole wheat bread
3 3/4 c. cubed sourdough bread
1 pound ground turkey sausage
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 1/2 tsp. dried sage
1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
3/4 cup turkey stock
4 Tbl melted butter

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spread the cubed break in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated over, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubest o a large bowl.

2. In a large skillet, cook the suasage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook stirring for 2 minutes to blend flavors.

3. Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries, parsley. Drizzle with turkey stock and melted butter and mix lightly. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes stirring once or twice.

Notes:

*This stuffing is meant to be much more dry than your typical stuffing. The bread should almost have the consistency of a cruton.

*All the reviews on this recipe recommend using fresh herbs over dried. And several people recommended using Jimmy Dean sausage that is flavored with sage.

*If you want to read more reviews and tips, follow THIS LINK to where the original recipe is posted.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon common granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
frozen blueberries (however much you want)

additional oil for frying

Oil a frying pan or griddle. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in one bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg, then add the milk and the 2 tablespoons of oil. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together, well enough to eliminate dry spots but no more. Add frozen blueberries to the batter and gently mix.

Heat the frying pan to medium temperature. Pour a pancake. The pancake will bubble. When the bubbling settles down and the edges are slightly dry, flip the pancake. When the pancake looks done, remove it and start another one.

Serve with syrup and butter, although it does taste pretty good by itself.

Harvest Soup Bowl and Stuffed Pumpkin Dinner

My neighbor served these at her son's baptism luncheon on Saturday. They were delicious and looked great too.

Harvest Soup

2 c water

6 c chopped potatoes

1 c chopped celery

1 1/2 c chopped carrots

1/2 c chopped onion

2 tsp parsley

1 tsp salt

dash pepper

2 tsp chicken bouillon

____________________

3 c milk

4 T flour

1 lb Velveeta cheese

Add vegetables and seasonings to water and gently simmer on LOW heat until tender. Do not drain. Heat milk/flour in saucepan to boiling point, but do not let boil. Add cheese and stir constantly until cheese is entirely melted. Add vegetables and heat through. Fill bread bowls.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Remove seeds from a 10" round pumpkin.
Rub the inside with 2 Tbsp. butter and 1/2 tsp. ginger.
Rub the outside of the pumpkin with vegetable oil.
Bake it alone with the top on for 30 minutes at 350.
Brown 1 lb. hamburger and 2 lbs. sausage.
Sauté 1/2 cup chopped celery and 1 chopped onion.

Stir 1 cup of brown sugar into 2 Tbsp. orange juice and mix with 4 cups of Pepperidge Farm seasoned stuffing or croutons of your choice.
Fold the stuffing, meat, and vegetables together and salt and pepper to taste.
Fill pumpkin. Bake 30 minutes at 350 uncovered.
To serve, scoop pumpkin squash out with meat mixture.

Shredded Pork Chili

Friday was our ward chili party and I signed up for chili not realizing it was a cook-off until the reminder email came in. Panic! I remembered that Laura made a successful batch of pumpkin chili last year, so I called for instructions. Knowing I was in a time crunch, she suggested I try what once won her a chili cook-off prize--Bear Creek's 'Darn Good' Chili mix, with added corn. Laura thinks they have altered the mix since she won with it, and not for the better. So, I decided to improvise.
I stuck a smallish 1.5 lb. pork roast (comes in a 3 pack at Costco) into our crockpot on high with one large onion, diced. About 4 hours later the pork was ready to shred with a fork. In a large pot I mixed the Bear Creek chili according to the package directions also adding 2 cans of diced tomatoes undrained, and about 2 cups frozen sweet corn. After simmering for 30 minutes, I added it to the crockpot with the pork, a little garlic, some salt & pepper, and let it simmer for another 30 minutes.
It was excellent with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese. Carter really liked it and he is my pickiest culinary critic.

Apple Maple Turkey Burgers

This is a great recipe. I was so impressed. I hope you like it!!

APPLE MAPLE TURKEY BURGERS WITH MAPLE-DIJON SAUCE

For Maple-Dijon Sauce:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons real maple syrup

For Burgers:
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast
1/4 cup real bacon bits
1/2 cup chunky applesauce
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Hamburger Buns
Hamburger condiments

Set up grill for direct cooking over medium heat. Oil grate when ready to start cooking.

For Maple-Dijon Sauce: In a small bowl, stir to combine mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup; set aside.

For Turkey Burgers: In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients for burgers. Wet hands to prevent sticking and shape into 4 patties. **The meat mixture ends up a little wet and sticky so refrigerate the meat for a while so they don't fall apart on the grill.**

Place burgers on hot oiled grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side or until done.

Serve on buns with traditional burger condiments and a dollop of maple-Dijon sauce.

Note - Indoor: Prepare burgers as directed. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot add burgers and cook 5 to 7 minutes per side or until done.

**I cooked these inside on the stovetop grill pan. Be careful to keep the heat medium-low because the sugars in the turkey meat mixture carmelize and can burn pretty easily.

(The picture is from a different recipe that has some cranberry sauce on it.)

Cookie Sheet Advent Calendars

This looks like a fun way for the kids to count the days until Christmas.

Since these cookie sheets are not magnetic, I assume the white grid must be. Any ideas what it may be made of? Sheet metal painted white?

Since the cute magnets all look like they are made of things you get at Robert's, maybe they have magnetic sheets there too. I'll check it out.

Tortellini & Fresh Basil

Few ingredients + little cook time AND delicious outcome? I'll take it.
My dear friend made this delicious meal while I visited her this summer-
and she finally posted the recipe for me, so I will now pass it along to you...

Tortellini & Fresh Basil
1 pound ripe tomatoes (seeded & chopped)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup olive oil
3 TB balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 (9 ounce) packages refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Combine first 7 ingredients in a serving bowl. Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain. Add tortellini to tomato mixture, and toss well. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve warm or chilled. Yield 4 main-dish servings.

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine

Being a cheese lover, this dish really hits the spot. I love the color as it's cooking. The recipe as it is makes quite a large casserole so I usually half the recipe. I hope you like it!!

Fresh spinach, chicken, and a combination of cheeses make this dish comforting enough for the last days of winter yet fresh enough for the first days of spring. You also can cook the pasta mixture in individual eight-ounce ramekins; bake for 15 minutes.

1 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking spray
3 cups thinly sliced mushrooms (**Not a mushroom fan, I cut this down to about 1 cup)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (16-ounce) carton 2% low-fat cottage cheese
4 cups hot cooked penne (about 8 ounces uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
2 cups shredded roasted skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup, undiluted

Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add spinach, oregano, and black pepper; sauté 3 minutes or just until spinach wilts.

Place cottage cheese in a food processor; process until very smooth. Combine spinach mixture, cottage cheese, pasta, chicken, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, milk, and soup in a large bowl. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

CALORIES 345 (25% from fat); FAT 9.7g (sat 5.1g,mono 3.1g,poly 1g); IRON 2mg; CHOLESTEROL 56mg; CALCIUM 275mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.9g; SODIUM 532mg; PROTEIN 31.7g; FIBER 2.1g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2006

BYU Mint Brownies!

I just found this link on the Alumni website for the delicious BYU mint brownies. Remember how good they are?

MAKES ONE 9-BY-13 PAN OF BROWNIES.
PREP AND COOK: 90 min. COOL: 1 hr.

1 c. margarine
1/2 c. cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts
12 oz. chocolate icing (The website says, "Use your own icing recipe or purchase some chocolate frosting. You can also search the Internet for chocolate icing recipes.")

MINT ICING

5 Tbsp. margarine
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

1. Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

2. Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.

Quick Chicken and Corn Chowder

Hi guys!

I'm finally back from my summer travels and all set up in my new house, which means I can start cooking and contributing to this website again! Here is what I made for dinner tonight. It turned out great so I wanted to share. The recipe was quick and easy and turns out it's healthy too. Enjoy!!

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (**I omit, not big on spicy)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breast halves)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernals (about 3 ears)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn

1. Melt the butter in a large soup pan over medium heat.
2. Add onion, celery, and jalapeno; cook for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.
3. Add flour, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4. Whisk in milk until incorporated.
5. Add remaining ingredients.
6. Bring to a boil, cook(boil) until think, stirring almost constantly so it doesn't burn and stick to the pan (about 5 minutes).
   
   **It thickens up nicely if you let it boil long enough. Once done, I let it simmer while I put together the rest of dinner. Topped with some cheese and served with cornbread. Delicious!

Yield: 6 servings (about 1 cup each)

CALORIES 257 (28% from fat); FAT 8.1g (sat 4.4g, mono 2.4g, poly 0.8g); IRON 0.4mg, CHOLESTEROL 52mg, CALCIUM 165mg, CARBOHYDRATE 28.6g; SODIUM 668mg; PROTEIN 19.1g, FIBER 1.9g.

Cooking Light, December 2001

Cheese Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups shredded colby-jack cheese

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter (I used salted)

Whisk together dry ingredients, then stir in cheese.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk, and butter together. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir with a spoon to combine.
Bake in greased muffin tins at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Makes 12.

These have a different texture than an average muffin—crispy around the outside and airy and extremely cheesy on the inside. Though they’re tasty at room temperature, warm is definitely best.

Strawberry Coconut Cheesecake

Since we have the Coconut Creme Coffee Mate on hand for smoothies, I find myself implementing it into other recipes. I made this easy, no-bake cheesecake the other night. Give it a try!

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp. grnaulated sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
Mix the above together and press in the bottom of a springform pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove and cool.

1 8 oz. package softened cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tub whipped topping
2-3 Tbsp. Coconut Creme Coffee Mate
Mix the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, coffee mate and continue mixing. Fold in the whipped topping.

Top crust with sliced strawberries. Spread cream cheese mixture over berries and crust. Top with more sliced strawberries. Refeigerate at least 1 hr. To make it really pretty you can drizzle white chocolate over strawberries and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Mexican Caesar Salad

This salad recipe serves approx. 4 (with plenty of dressing leftover)

Cilantro Pepita Dressing:

2 medium Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded

1/3 cup roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

12 ounces salad oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

5 tablespoons grated Cotija cheese (see note)

2 small bunches cilantro, stemmed

1 1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup water

Salad:

2 corn tortillas

Vegetable oil

1 large head romaine lettuce, rinsed and spun dry

1/3 cup finely grated Cotija cheese

Roasted red bell pepper, peeled and cut into julienne strips

1/2 cup pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)

Directions:
Place all dressing ingredients except cilantro, mayonnaise and water in a blender or food processor. Blend approximately 10 seconds, and then add cilantro little by little until blended smooth. Place mayonnaise and water in a large stainless steel bowl, and mix with a wire whip until smooth. Add the blended ingredients to the mayonnaise mixture, and mix thoroughly. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate. Will keep for three days. Yields 1 quart.

To assemble salad: Cut corn tortillas into matchstick-size strips. Heat oil in sauté pan; fry tortilla strips until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Tear romaine into bite-size pieces. Place greens on salad plates and ladle approximately 2 ounces of cilantro pepita dressing on each salad. Sprinkle each dish with Cotija cheese and tortilla strips. Arrange four red pepper strips like spokes on the top of each salad, and garnish with whole pepitas.

Note: Cotija cheese is a hard cheese, similar to Parmesan. It is available at some grocery stores and most Mexican markets.

As you can see in the picture above, we made tacos with the same ingredients above and added taco meat. They were delicious and I would highly recommend making them as well. This recipe comes from the restaurant El Torito's.

"C is for Cookie, That's good enough for me"

My second batch of these cookies has been devoured by all my little C's this week! It's the Blue Bonnet that does the trick. My neighbor gave me the recipe and I would always do all butter despite her telling me to use Blue Bonnet. Well, I decided to do both a couple of weeks ago and the results were awesome. Go figure.

1 cup butter
1 cup Blue Bonnet
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
4 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp. vanilla
4 cups chocolate chips

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes

addicting competition

78 words

Speedtest

This is what Jim considers "game night" with me. He still has my 78 words beat... Maybe I should put laundry and dishes on hold for the evening to improve my skills.

Go ahead and click on the green letters, if you're ready to waste a few minutes of your day away, too...

What do you think this bouquet costs?

Did you guess $159? That doesn't include shipping, mind you. If you need it in a larger size, the price goes up to $209, if you pick it up yourself. It's cute, but I still find that amazing. Click here to see all the arrangements available on the web site.

Wolfgang Puck's Butternut Squash Soup

On our trip to San Francisco we had some yummy things that I looked up the recipes for. I had this twice on the trip. It was so delicious!

Wolfgang Puck's Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients

3 C Butternut Squash, Chopped
1/2 C Orange Juice
1/3 C Dark Brown Sugar
1 Cinnamon Stick
1/4 C Sweet Butter
1 C Leek, Chopped
1/2 C Onion, Chopped
1 Granny Smith Apple, Chopped
4 C Chicken Stock
1/3 C Heavy Cream (Optional)
Salt
Freshly Ground White Pepper
1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 C Butternut Squash, Diced
1/4 C Sage Leaves
1/8 C Italian Parsley
1/2 C Canola Oil
6 Sage Leaves

Directions

In a large bowl, toss 3 cups of butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into large chunks. Add 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, and 1 cinnamon stick. Pour into roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 1 hour or until tender. Discard cinnamon stick, drain and set juice aside.

In a heavy bottom stock pot place 1/4 cup sweet butter, 1 cup leeks, white part only - rough chopped, 1/2 cup onion and 1 granny smith apple - peeled, cored and chopped. Cook slowly over a medium flame, stirring frequently until very tender. Do not allow to color. Add 4 C chicken stock or vegetable bouillon. Bring to a low boil. Add squash, but not the squash juice. Cook for five minutes and add the optional 1/3 cup heavy cream and simmer for about 5 minutes. Cool and puree with a hand blender till very smooth.

In a non-stick saute pan, over a high flame place 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. When it begins to smoke, add 1 cup of butternut squash, diced into small pieces. Stir until slightly colored. Add the reserved "juice" from the squash that was made earlier. Cook until all the liquid evaporates and the squash is lightly glazed. Reserve in a warm place.

Place 1/4 cup sage leaves, 1/8 cup Italian parsley and 1/2 cup Canola oil in a blender with a few ice cubes. Blend at high speed till very smooth. Pour into a cup and refrigerate.

In a small pan with a little peanut oil, fry 6 large sage leaves till crispy and drain on paper towels.

Ladle squash soup puree into six warm bowls. Sprinkle glazed, diced squash evenly over bowls, and drizzle about one teaspoon sage oil over each, and lay one sage leaf on each soup. Serve immediately.

Salmon and Asparagus Frittata

1 pound thin asparagus, tough ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch diagonal pieces

8 large eggs

3 ounces cream cheese, diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, julienned

2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup chopped yellow onions

1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese

Capers, preferably whole caperberries with stem, for garnish, if desired

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus until crisp-tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Drain asparagus and immediately plunge into an ice-water bath. Chill completely, remove asparagus from the ice water and pat dry.

Whisk together eggs, cream cheese, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. (The cream cheese will remain in pieces.) Stir in the smoked salmon, dill, and blanched asparagus.
In a 12-inch, nonstick, ovenproof skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and pour the beaten egg mixture over the onions. Cover and cook until the bottom and sides are set but not too brown, about 15 minutes.

Uncover the frittata and bake for about 13 minutes. Remove the frittata from the oven and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake for an additional 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the eggs are cooked through. Allow frittata to rest for 3 to 5 minutes, before unmolding.

To remove the frittata from the skillet, run a heatproof rubber spatula around the edges of the frittata to loosen it from the pan. Gently slip the frittata from the skillet to a large plate or serving dish. Slice frittata into wedges and serve with capers if desired.

Darin and I loved this. Great as leftovers the next day too. I did not have any luck "unmolding" it. So we just served it straight from the pan. Oh well. Also, I used salmon fillets instead of smoked salmon. I substituted dried dill for fresh dill. And used parmesean cheese instead of asiago, and finally omitted the capers.

Carnival

 

Isaac's school holds it's annual fundraiser called Carnival. I compare it to my elementary fundraiser Bronco Days when I was Isaac's age. I thought it was so awesome. Now I wonder if it was that great or if I was just too young to know better.

Sweet-Potato Ravioli With Sage Butter Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

Ravioli

2 1-pound red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)

2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar2

tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, room temperature

1 12-ounce package wonton wrappers

1 large egg, beaten to blend

Fried shallots and sauce

1 cup vegetable oil

4 large shallots, cut crosswise into thin rounds, separated into rings

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter

8 large fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

PreparationFor ravioli: Preheat oven to 400°F. Oil rimmed baking sheet. Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise; place cut side down on baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 35 minutes; cool. Scoop potato pulp out of skins into small bowl. Spoon 11/3 cups pulp into medium bowl. (Reserve any remaining potato pulp for another use.) Add sugar and butter; mash well. Season filling with salt and pepper.

Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place wonton wrappers on work surface. Using pastry brush, brush wrappers with beaten egg. Place 1/2 tablespoon sweet-potato filling in center of each. Fold each wrapper diagonally over filling, forming triangle. Seal edges. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet. Let stand at room temperature while preparing fried shallots and sauce. (Can be made up to 5 days ahead. Freeze, then cover and keep frozen. Do not thaw before cooking.)

For fried shallots and sauce: Heat vegetable oil in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, fry shallots until crisp and dark brown, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer shallots to paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Cook butter in large pot over medium heat until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add sage and red pepper.

Meanwhile, working in batches, cook ravioli in pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well. Add ravioli to pot with butter sauce; toss to coat. Transfer to plates, drizzling any sauce from pot over ravioli. Top with fried shallots and pine nuts; serve immediately.

**Both times we've made this recipe, we have made our own ravioli dough. But we have a pasta maker, so it's not that difficult. The wonton wrappers are probably easier, but I just can't promise it's the same delicious result. Also we have reduced the amount of oil and butter in the sauce. Delicious every time Darin makes it!!

Chicken Wings

Mexican Lasagna

I made this on Monday for our neighbor dinner exchange, and Christine enjoyed the leftovers yesterday and asked for the recipe. It originally came from Annee's roommate Liz Markos. Sorry I don't have any pictures! You'll have to use your imagination.


Mexican Lasagna

1lb ground beef
1 17oz can whole kernel corn, drained
1c + 7 oz salsa
1 7oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar & monterey jack cheese, mixed
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 16 oz carton cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp oregano
10 corn tortillas
can sliced black olives for garnish
crushed up tortilla chips for garnish

Brown meat & drain. Add corn, tomato sauce, salsa & taco mix. Simmer, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl combine cottage cheese, eggs, & oregano. Line bottom of greased 13x9 inch baking dish with 5 tortillas, overlapping edges. Top with half of the meat mixture. Spoon cottage cheese mixture over meat. Arrange 5 tortillas over cheese mixture. Spread remaining meat mixture over all and top with shredded cheese. Sprinkle black sliced olives on top. (I also added crunched up tortilla chips.)

Bake @375 for 30 minutes or until cheese melts & casserole bubbles. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream, shredded lettuce, black olives (sliced) and additional salsa if desired. (I also added avocados.)

If life gives you lemons, make LEMON CHEESECAKE BARS

We made these today and they are yummy!

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

for the crust:

8 graham crackers (each 2 1/2 by 5 inches)

2 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. butter, melted

for the filling:

2 bars (8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 c. sugar

2 large eggs

finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (2-3 tsp. zest & 3 tbsp. juice)

1. Make the crust. Pre-heat oven to 325. Line bottom and sides of an 8" square bake pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Crimp overhang under rim of pan.

2. Crush crackers and mix with sugar, add melted butter until moistened.

3. Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and pat gently. Bake until beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes. While crust is baking, make filling.

4.Make the filling: mix cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, eggs, zest and juice; blend until smooth.

5. Pour mixture onto hot crust in pan; smooth top. Return to oven, and bake until set, 30-35 minutes.

6. Cool completely in pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; chill until firm. Use foil overhang to pull cheesecake from pan. With spatula remove from foil and cut into bars.

Carrot Cupcakes

Here is my favorite recipe for Carrot Cake. These are so delicious -- sweet, moist and flavorful. The cream cheese frosting puts it over the edge! I puree the carrots very finely so they are not crunchy or overwhelming in the cupcake. I promise even non-carrot-cake-lovers will like this recipe!! (If you can get them to try it...)

Ingredients

Makes 2 eight-inch layers or 24 cupcakes

• Butter, for pans
• 4 medium carrots
• 1 cup golden raisins (I omit)
• 1 cup walnut pieces (I grind them very small so non-nut people won't notice)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 eight-by-two-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment; butter, and dust with flour. (Or line cupcake pan with cupcake liners)
2. Grate carrots in food processor; measure 2 cups, and transfer to medium bowl. Allow to sit in the bowl for 10 minutes while you work. Drain the excess juice off the carrots, pressing against the colander to ensure all the excess moisture is gone.
3. Add raisins, walnuts, applesauce, and lemon juice and zest to carrots.
4. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Gradually add in oil and eggs; process until smooth, scraping sides. Add carrot mixture; pulse.
5. Pour into pans; bake cake for about 40 minutes, until tester inserted in middle comes out clean. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes for 16-20 minutes.

Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

• 2 sticks cream cheese (16 oz)
• 1 stick butter
• 1.5 t vanilla
• approx 5 cups powdered sugar

**This recipe makes more than enough to frost the cupcakes, just enough for the cake. Consider reducing if making the cupcakes.

Cauliflower Soup

In an effort to try to include more (and different) vegetables in my diet, I tried various cauliflower soup recipes. I have settled on this one as my favorite. Although it's not QUITE as good as the Wisconsin Cauliflower soup at Zupus, I'm hoping it's a nutritional superior since it has less cheese.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced (maybe a little less) 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 carrots, chopped 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth 1 head cauliflower, chopped

1 cup milk 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon dry sherry

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and carrots and cook 5 minutes more. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in cauliflower, cover, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
2.	Puree in batches in a blender or food processor, or in the pot using an immersion blender. Return to low heat and stir in milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and sherry. Heat through. Add cheese to taste.

After the final heat through I let the soup sit for a bit to thicken before eating. Then I add a little cheese and peas to my portion - but I add peas to ALMOST everything :-) The final product has an orange tint from the carrots but they don't overpower the taste.

Enjoy!

Wild Rice Pilaf

2 C low-sodium Chicken broth

2 bay leaves

8 sprigs thyme

1 C wild rice, rinsed and drained

3 Tbs unsalted butter

2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine

1 Onion, minced

Salt

1 1/2 C long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained

2 1/4 C water

3/4 C dried cranberries

3/4 C pecans, toasted and chopped coarse

2 Tbs minced fresh parsley

Pepper

1. bring broth, bay leaves, and 4 sprigs of the thyme to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the drained wild rice and return to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the wild rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid, 35-40 minutes. Drain the rice and discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Return the wild rice to the pot and cover to keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, and 1 1/2 Tsp salt. Cook until the veggies are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the drained white rice. Cook until the edges begin to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the water, cranberries, and remaining 4 thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 17 minutes. Transfer the pot to a cold burner or trivet and let the rice stand for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and discard the thyme sprigs.

3. Combine the cooked wild rice and white rice, toasted pecans, and parsley in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I typically don't put much effort into side dishes, because I don't have time for sides and a main dish with all my little ankle biting helpers. But when all I had to do was squirt a little EVOO and lemon onto some salmon, I decided to break open the cook book and this is what I found. It is from the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (which Jimmy gave me for my birthday and I'm loving). I had to do a little altering with just the ingredients I had on hand, and I thought it still turned out yummy! (of course most meals do on fast Sunday...) So I used a box of Uncle Ben's wild rice and cooked the rice to the box directions (without the seasoning), and used ground thyme and omitted the pecans...

Buttermilk Breakfast

Rachel Zackrison's buttermilk waffle recipe has become a hit at our home. They can be made into waffles or pancakes.
2 c. flour

2 T. sugar

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

2 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. milk

2 eggs

1/4 c. butter, melted (i think they're a bit greasy, so I cut back a smidgen on the butter here)

Combine the dry ingredients. Combine the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together until moist. It'll still be thick and a little lumpy. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes giving the buttermilk and baking soda time to mix and react. It'll be a little bubbly and frothy when the time is up.

A delicious syrup to top 'em is:
1 c sugar

½ buttermilk

¼ c butter

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

Heat sugar, buttermilk, and butter to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and baking soda (it will foam up then calm down). Stir well.

But on Saturday, we all had our choice of toppings, as we are working on cleaning out the fridge before we move next week. Daddy prefers good ol' maple, James loves the buttermilk and Sissy is a girl after my own heart: strawberries 'n whipped cream. Anna takes what she can get and gobbles it down. Yummm.

Oatmeal pancakes

My kids devour these pancakes and I love how healthy they are.

4 egg whites
3 T oil
3 c. buttermilk
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 T baking powder
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. oats

#1 Beat egg whites in mixing bowl
#2 mix in oil and buttermilk
#3 add next four dry ingredients
#4 stir in oatmeal in the end - I use a hand mixer to do all the mixing
#5 bake on hot griddle *oats seem to sink to bottom of batter so I scoop deep in mixing bowl when ladling out batter onto griddle.

Thai Chicken Pizza

Our family loves this pizza. I have to give my sister Tricia credit for the recipe. Just a few notes: I usually buy the double package of Boboli pizza crusts from Costco and use them. Also, go easy on the peanut sauce. It's kind of spicy.

14-16 in. Pizza crust, pre-baked
Peanut Sauce (in oriental food section)
1/2 small onion, diced
1/4 C. cilantro, chopped
1 small carrot, grated
1 C. snow peas, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
shredded mozzarella cheese
Toss vegetables and cilantro with sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Spread peanut sauce (approx. 1/4 C.) onto pre-baked pizza crust. Spread chicken on peanut sauce, veggies over the chicken, then top with mozzarella cheese. Bake 500 degrees 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Triple Berry Shortcakes

My appreciative taste testers.
Ingredients:
dessert cups
strawberry glaze
strawberries & blueberries
whipped cream
topped with a blackberry

We Have Been Released from SPAM Prison

Hormel Foods first produced SPAM luncheon meat in 1937 in Austin, Minnesota.
The ingredients of SPAM:
* chopped pork shoulder meat with ham meat added
* salt (for binding, flavor, and firmness)
* water (to help in mixing)
* sugar (for flavor)
* sodium nitrite (for color and as a preservative)

And here are some other interesting SPAM-related facts to consider:
* In the United States, 3.8 cans of SPAM are consumed every second.
* Hawaiians eat an average of four cans of SPAM per person per year (this is the highest SPAM consumption rate per capita in the world).
* Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia eats a SPAM and mayonnaise sandwich three times a week.
* Nikita Krushchev credited SPAM with the survival of the WW2 Russian army. Quoting Krushchev: "Without SPAM, we wouldn't have been able to feed our army."

SPAM Cupcakes

Created by Estelle Schmidt, National "Best SPAM Recipe" Competition 2000 Grand Prize Winner.

Ingredients:
For cupcakes:
* 2 (12-ounce) cans of SPAM
* 3 eggs, slightly beaten
* 2/3 cup quick cooking oatmeal
* 3/4 cup milk
For glaze:
* 1/3 cup brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
* 2 tablespoons white vinegar
* 1 tablespoon water
For topping:
* 4 cups prepared instant mashed potatoes
* Fresh chives or parsley (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
1. Prepare cupcakes: grate SPAM into a large bowl.
2. Add eggs, oatmeal and milk; mix well.
3. Lightly spray a regular size muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Fill each muffin tin two-thirds full with SPAM mixture.
5. Prepare glaze: combine all glaze ingredients in a small bowl.
6. Heat 20-30 seconds in microwave until sugar is melted.
7. Lightly spoon glaze mixture over SPAM.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until mixture is set.
9. Meanwhile, for topping: prepare 4 cups of instant mashed potatoes.
10. Remove cupcakes from oven and top each serving with instant potatoes.
11. Heat broiler.Return muffin tin to oven. Broil 1-2 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.
12. If desired, garnish with fresh chives or parsley.
Makes 12 servings.

Asparagus Soup

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cups diced and peeled red pototaoes
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup "lite" coconut milk
2 cups 1/2 inch pieces trimmed asparagus
Ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 chopped green onions
Melt butter and oil over medium heat. Add onion and 1/4 tsp. of salt, stirring often, until golden. Stir in curry powder, ginger, lemon zest and potatoes, stir, and simmer about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, coconut milk and aparagus. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, partially cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Puree the soup in a blender (in batches) until smooth. Season with remaining salt and pepper.
Whisk sour cream, lemon juice and green onions in a small bowl and garnish with a swirl of it.

Piña Colada Recipe

I just bought this juice Dole Juice - Chilled Juices - Piña Colada last night and mixed it with Coffee Mate Coconut Creme, a banana, frozen strawberries and ice. It made delicious smoothies! I guess this is a new addition to the Dole Juices.

Janie's Berrylicious Pies

Very Berry Pie
1 bag (16 ozs) frozen boysenberries
1 bag (8 ozs) frozen blueberries
1 bag (8 ozs) frozen raspberries
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cornstarch
Pastry for two 2-crust pies
Thaw all berries; pour berries and all juice in mixing bowl. In separate bowl, mix sugar, salt, and cornstarch; pour on top of berries. Mix well with rubber spatula. Fill crusts, add top crusts, and bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 2 pies.