Carrot Veggie Marinade

Carrot Veggie Marinade from Pam
(This is great to sprinkle on a salad or into sandwiches or eat alone. Prepare the night before)

2 lbs. sliced carrots
2 sliced onions
1 sliced green, red or yellow pepper
1 cup celery
1 can tomato soup
3/4 c. vinegar
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 tsp. worstershire sauce
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt

Steam veggies about 6 mins. Combine remaining ingredients and cook in saucepan about 8 mins. Marinate veggies in sauce overnight. Eat cold or warm.

Tasty Tortilla Chips

Tasty Tortilla Chips

from Pam

Place fresh corn tortillas on the oven rack in 300 degree F oven. Bake for 25 mins. then sprinkle sparingly fresh grated parmesan or pizza blend cheese on top. Bake another 5 mins. and remove.

New Orleans Beans

New Orleans Beans from Pam

Believe it or not, we eat beans almost every day. Each week

it's a new pot of some kind or other. Here's a new taste we really enjoyed this week out of a Whole Foods booklet.

(small red beans are a version of the kidney bean. In New Orleans, served over rice on Mondays to rebalance those who enjoyed the weekend too much.)

Combine 4 cups cooked beans with:

4 T. soy sauce or Bragss Liquid Aminos

2 tsp. basil

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. oregano

dash of cayenne (optional)

2 minced garlic cloves

Simmer 10 mins.

Add 4 chopped tomatoes (or canned)

2 T. olive oil

Simmer another min and serve with cooked brown rice. (we had whole wheat ciabatta instead) YUM!

Fall Colors Salad

From: Rochelle

I LOVED the colors in this salad. I know when something has this much color, it has GOT to be good for me! Austin and I had a little debate on whether we liked this one hot or cold, so you might need to decide that one for yourself. I think it tasted best fresh and semi-warm, right after I cooked the squash and mixed it with everything else. The dressing adds I nice complement of tastes to all of the vegetables.

Fall Colors Salad

2 C	Roasted Banana Squash, Cubed
1/2 C	Red Bell Pepper- Cubed
1 Can	Corn-drained
1 Can	Black Beans- drained

Carefully combine in a medium sized bowl.

Dressing:

Adapted from Oh She Glows- Long Weekend Grilled Salad

3 T	Olive Oil
1/4 C	Fresh Lime or Lemon Juice
2 T	Balsamic Vinegar
2 Cloves	Garlic- Minced
2 T	Cilantro
1 t	Agave nectar
1 t	Dijon Mustard
	Salt & Pepper to Taste

Place all ingredients in a small jar and shake to mix. Pour over salad and mix to coat. Can be served hot or cold. 

French White Beans

French White Beans

These beans have a more refined taste. Subtle with a wonderful touch of fresh rosemary and basil. We ate it as a thick soup then later in the week we pureed them to use as hummus.

4 cups uncooked white beans (or use canned beans & skip steps 1 & 2, adding the 3 ingredients in step 2)

1. Bring beans to boil in plenty of water, about 12 cups. Boil for only 3 mins., then set aside with lid on for at least 2 1/2 hrs. After soaking, rinse, rinse, rinse the beans in cool water and and rinse and scrub the pot. This method reduces hard-to-digest complex sugars by 80%. This is called a power soak. Overnight soaking methods don't remove the complex sugars as well as this short method.

2. Fill pot with fresh water about 3 inches above the beans, add the following ingredients, bring to a boil for 15 mins., then reduce to medium-low, and cover. Simmer gently until the water is absorbed and the beans are tender, 2 1/2 - 3 hrs. Don't boil beans furiously: they will burst their jackets and become mushy. Stir often. Make sure the water hasn't evaporated.

*If using a pressure cooker, cook on second red ring for 12 mins. and use natural release to cool down.

1 onion

3 bay leaves

optional:2 cloves garlic

3. When the beans are 30-45 mins. from being done, add the following:

2 tablespoons freshly minced rosemary (if you don't have any, hunt your neighborhood - someone will have a bush!)

2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil

4. When beans are thoroughly cooked (a bean is done when you can mash it with a fork), add:

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

5. Serve with any of the following:

a dollop of plain yoghurt

parmesan cheese

balsamic vinegar

freshly ground pepper

fresh parsley, basil, cilantro or rosemary

German Red Cabbage

This recipe came from a dear old German friend - Hilda Scheffler. The tastes are so vivid, it satisfies the adventurous appetite! Enjoy! Pam

German Red Cabbage

(great as a side dish or tossed into salads)

1 medium head red cabbage, cored and sliced

2 large tart apples, peeled and sliced

1 medium sweet onion, sliced and separated into rings

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon salt

6 whole peppercorns

2 whole allspice

2 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons cold water

Directions

In a large pot, toss cabbage, apples and onion. Add water, vinegar, sugar, butter and salt. Place the peppercorns, allspice, cloves and bay leaf on a double thickness of cheesecloth (or in a square of nylon); bring up corners of cloth and stir with kitchen string to form a bag. Add to pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/4 hours.

Discard spice bag. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir in cabbage mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.

Honey Mustard Chicken and Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin

From: Rochelle

I mentioned on my personal blog that this meal would probably put my foods teachers off because it does not meet the "color appeal" aspect of making meals look "pretty". BUT, it was what sounded good, and it was delish, SO . . I had to share. : ) This made a perfect Sunday dinner.

Honey-Mustard Crock-pot Chicken


3-5 Chicken breasts
1 C Honey Dijon Mustard Dressing (I made my own but you can buy it : )
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 C Water

Mix together the Honey Dijon Mustard Dressing, Cream of chicken soup, and water in a small bowl. Place the chicken breasts in the crock-pot and pour the mixture over the chicken. Cook on high for 6 hours.

*We served ours with cooked barley. I just threw it in my rice cooker and it turned out great. 2 parts water to 1 part barley. I also added some chicken broth to the water so it added a nice flavor.



Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin
Adapted from a william-sanoma cooking class

1 head of cauliflower (about 3 lbs.) chopped into small pieces and cored
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt and Pepper
2 Tbs. Smart Balance (Butter)
2 Tbs. Flour
1 C Warm Milk (I used soy milk mixed with 1 t cornstarch)
1 C Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
Breadcrumbs (Optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Lay out the cauliflower pieces on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the cauliflower for about 10-15 min, stirring every 5 minutes until it is crisp-tender and starting to brown on the edges.

While the cauliflower is cooking, start on the sauce. In a saucepan, over low het, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and stir constantly until it makes a paste. Cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk while whisking to help it absorb. If you pour in the milk too fast your sauce will be clumpy. Simmer until the mixture thickens, about 2 mins. Add the cayenne pepper and nutmeg and season with salt. Then add the cheese and stir until it is a smooth sauce.

Take the cauliflower from the oven and put it in a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower and coat. Sprinkle an even coat of breadcrumbs on top (optional). Bake until it is bubbly and the top is browned, about 20 min. Let cool about 5 min before serving.

Serves about 6.

*This recipe was Austin's favorite! He wanted more of this than of the chicken!

Creamy Cajun Rice

From: Rochelle

So the other night, I was in the mood for some sort of comfort food. Something warm, but had a bite to it. I made the recipe up and thought I would share. I really liked it. Hopefully someone out there will to.

Cream Cajun Rice

2 C	Brown Rice-Cooked
2 Cloves	Garlic-Minced
2 T	Cajun Seasoning
1/4 C	Dried Onions
1 Can	Cream of  Chicken Soup
1 C	Water
2 T	Worcestershire sauce
1 T	Mustard
	Salt & Pepper
1	Sweet Red Bell Pepper- diced
1 C	Frozen Spinach
4 Strips	Turkey Bacon

1. Cook rice in a rice cooker or on the stove. 

2. In a separate pan, cook turkey bacon until it is starting to brown and crispy. Remove. 

3. In the same pan, saute the garlic and add the seasonings and onions to toast them and bring out the flavor. 

4. Add cream of chicken soup, water, Worcestershire sauce, Mustard, salt and pepper. 

5. While sauce is simmering, cook the frozen spinach in the microwave until cooked and warm. Drain.

6. Add spinach,  bell pepper, and crumbled turkey bacon into the sauce. 

7. Mix rice with sauce and veggies. Can bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 mins with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top or eat right away. 

Spaetzel with Thyme-Browned Butter

From: Rochelle

Austin found this recipe in our "Williams-Sonoma" new American Cooking cookbook. We had never heard of Spaetzel before, but it is a German dumpling-like noodle. We made a few adaptions, but it turned out really good! Both Austin and I said that it seemed like something you would get at a fancy restaurant. Perhaps Valentine's dinner? ; )

Spaetzle with Thyme-Browned Butter


2 C All purpose flour
2 Eggs
1/2 C Cream
1/4 C Milk
2 T Parsley
2 T Thyme
1/4 t Salt
1/4 t Ground Pepper
1/8 t Nutmeg
1/2 C Unsalted Butter

1. In a bowl, stir together the flour, eggs, cream, milk, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, the teaspoon of the thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Beat until the dough is smooth and elastic.

2. Fill and large pot three-fourths full of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer.

3. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of the dough and press it through a colander or ricer directly into the simmering water. (You bascially need something with big holes that the batter and drip through. ) Simmer until the dough pieces remain floating on the surface, about 2 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon, draining well, put into a serving dish, cover, and place in a low oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining dough. The spaetzle may be kept warm in a low oven for 10-15 minutes before serving.

4. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the remaining thyme. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, just until the butter turns from yellow to medium brown, about 7 minutes. (Be careful. If cooked too long, the butter may burn, but if not cooked long enough, it will lack the nutty flavor characteristic of brown butter. )

5. Drizzle the spaetzle with the thyme-brown butter, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and toss to mix. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately.

 In case anyone was wondering. . . . we coated the asparagus with salt, pepper, olive oil, and a little bit a thyme and roasted them under the broiler.  SO good!

Carrot Souffle

From: Haley

I found this recipe over the summer and fell in love with it. I made it again today for a Christmas party that I'm going to and thought I'd take some pictures and share the goodness! It is wonderful as a side dish, a not-so-sweet dessert, or a midnight snack :)

Carrot Souffle

2 pounds carrots, chopped

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup white sugar

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile in a blender combine the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon and eggs. Blenderize for a minute or two until smooth.

Once carrots are cooked, drain them and gradually add the cooked carrots to

the mixture in the blender. Blenderize until you have added all the carrots and it is smooth.

Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan and bake for 30 minutes.

This dish is best after it has cooled completely, and then can be reheated and served warm or cold.