Quinoa Pizza bites

Ingredients:

1/2 c. uncooked quinoa

1 large egg

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. fat free shredded mozzarella

1 t. minced garlic

1 T. dried basil

1 t. dried oregano

pinch of salt

pizza sauce for dipping

Directions:

1. Cook your protein-filled quinoa! Boil the quinoa and 1c. water and cover. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes (until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender).

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all of your ingredients (except the pizza sauce) in a mixing bowl until it is well mixed.

3. Lightly spray the bottom of a mini-muffin tin with olive oil spray. Using a Tablespoon, scoop ~1T. into each muffin tin, it should fill almost all of them!

4. Bake them for 15-20 and let cool. Serve them warm with pizza sauce to dip in!

*You can also toss in 1/4 c. diced cherry tomatoes, mini pepperoni slices, diced peppers... 

Potato Casserole

Also known as Funeral Potatoes

Ingredients

32 oz bag of frozen shredded hash browns
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 cups finely crushed corn flakes
2 Tbs butter or margarine melted
 
Directions

1.Grease 9x13 baking dish and preheat oven to 350
2.In large bowl combine soups, sour cream, cheese, onions, and the 1/2 cup of melted butter.
3.Gently fold hash browns into mixture.
4.Pour mixture into pan.
5.Combine crushed corn flakes and the 2 Tbs. of melted butter and sprinkle on top of potato mixture.
6.Bake for 30 minutes.
7.*If wanting to, you can use cubed potatoes instead of hash browns but you will need to increase baking time to 55 minutes.
 
You can also alter this recipe in so many other ways. Some are: Ham/Turkey/Bacon bits added
Different cheese types/flavors
Different Condensed Cream Soups
Green onions instead of white
Chives instead/as well as onions
Adding peppers for color, kick and flavor.
Chips/bread crumbs instead of corn flakes

Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad

1 small boneless skinless chicken breast (1/4 lb./125 g)
1/8 tsp. salt
2 cups torn mixed salad greens(also good with spinach)
1 can (284 mL) mandarin orange segments, drained
1/2 cup diagonally cut snow peas
1 Tbsp. slivered almonds, toasted
1 small carrot, cut into matchlike sticks
Sesame Dressing of your preference

HEAT nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Meanwhile, season chicken with salt. Add chicken to skillet; cook 5 to 7 min. on each side or until chicken is cooked through (170ºF). Slice chicken.

ARRANGE greens on two serving plates; top with chicken, oranges, snow peas, almonds and carrots.

DRIZZLE with dressing just before serving.

Dilled new potato salad

Ingredients
•4 lbs ( 2 kg) small new potatoes
•3/4 cup ( 175 mL) plain low-fat or regular yogurt
•3/4 cup ( 175 mL) light mayonnaise
•1 tbsp ( 15 mL) Dijon mustard
•1-1/4 tsp ( 6 mL) salt
•1/4 tsp ( 1 mL) black pepper
•1/2 cup ( 125 mL) finely chopped red or sweet onion
•1/4 cup ( 50 mL) finely chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp (5 mL) dried dill weed
 
Directions
 
1.Without peeling, cut potatoes into bite-size pieces. Place in a large saucepan, cover with water and add 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil gently, partially covered, until potatoes are just tender when pierced with a skewer, from 20 to 25 minutes. Drain. Place warm potatoes in a large mixing bowl.


2.Meanwhile, whisk yogurt with mayonnaise, Dijon, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir in onion and dill. Pour over warm potatoes. Mix gently to keep from breaking potatoes. Salad can be served right away, but flavor does improve with overnight chilling. Covered and refrigerated, salad will keep for 2 days.

Raspberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons raspberry jam
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 cups torn fresh spinach
2 cups fresh raspberries, divided
4 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted and divided
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
3 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
1 cup seasoned salad croutons

Directions

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, jam and pepper; shake well. In a large salad bowl, gently combine spinach, 1 cup of raspberries, 2 tablespoons almonds and onion. Top with kiwi, croutons and remaining berries and almonds. Drizzle with dressing; serve immediately.

Greek Salad

Ingredients -

1 large Cucumber, chopped
2 Roma (plum) Tomatoes, chopped
1 (5 ounces) jar pitted Kalamata Olives
1 (4 ounces) package Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 Red Onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 (10 ounces) package Romaine Lettuce Leaves
1/2 (10 ounces) package Baby Greens

Vinaigrette Dressing:
6 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Dried Basil
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1 1/2 cups Red Wine Vinegar

Preparation:
Add chopped cucumber, chopped tomato, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, sliced red onion, romain lettuce, and baby greens to large serving bowl.

Vinaigrette Dressing:
In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried basil, Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, and red wine vinegar.

Curried Chicken Salad

Delicious chicken salad with curry powder, for sandwiches, rolls, or luncheon salad. Serve this flavorful salad on buns or bread, or mound it on lettuce leaves for a wonderful luncheon salad.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
•2 chicken breast halves, cooked and chopped or shredded
•1/4 cup finely chopped celery
•4 green onions, thinly sliced
•2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
•2 tablespoons chopped dried cranberries
•1 Granny Smith apple, shredded
•5 to 7 tablespoons mayonnaise, or to taste
•1 teaspoon curry powder, or to taste
•1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, optional
•salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

In a bowl, combine the chopped chicken, chopped celery, green onion, walnuts, cranberries, and apple. Toss to blend. Stir in the mayonnaise, curry powder, and parsley, if using. Add more mayonnaise, as needed, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 3 to 4.

Sweet n' Sour Coleslaw

3/4 cup of mayonnaise
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 tablespoon sugar (or less to taste)
1 tablespoon celery seed
1/2 small head of cabbage
1 carrot grated or chopped in mini processor
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 c. slivered almonds

1/4 c. sunflower seeds
1/4 c. chopped onion
 
This is best prepared by chopping the cabbage in the food processor.

Next, just put the remaining ingredients on top and mix together.
Place in fridge for about an hour before serving.

Chewy Granola Bars

4 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, baking soda, vanilla, butter or margarine, honey and brown sugar. Stir in the 2 cups assorted chocolate chips, raisins, nuts etc.
3. Lightly press mixture into the prepared pan. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes then cut into bars. Let bars cool completely in pan before removing or serving.

I found this on All Recipes and LOVED IT! Made mine with mini Marshmallows, mini chips, and small chunks of graham Wafers...YUM!

Homemade Crackers

2 c Flour
1 t Salt
1/2 t Baking powder
1/4 c Butter
1/2 c Milk
1 ea Large egg

Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into a bowl. Cut in the butter until very fine. Add the milk and egg and mix to make a stiff dough.

Knead thoroughly and then roll the dough very thin.Cut into squares or rounds and place on lightly buttered cookie sheets. Prick the crackers with a fork and then bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until very lightly browned. If desired,crackers may be sprinkled with coarse salt.

SODA CRACKERS.
Follow the basic recipe, but substitute sour milk for sweet milk, omit the baking powder, and add 1/2 teaspoon soda.MMMMM

Homemade French Fries - Deep Fried

1/3 cup white sugar

2 cups cold water
2 large russet potatoes – peeled, and sliced into 1/4 inch strips
6 cups vegetable oil for frying
salt to taste (I usually use seasoning salt for a better flavor, but regular salt works, too!)

DIRECTIONS


In a medium bowl, dissolve the sugar in cold water. Soak potatoes in water mixture for 30 minutes. Remove from water, and dry thoroughly on paper towels.

Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Add potatoes, and cook for 2-3 minutes, yes, the potatoes will NOT be golden brown at this point, don’t worry. Drain on paper towels for at least 5 minutes. Once the fries are thoroughly drained, put them back in the deep fryer for another 3-4 minutes or until golden crispy and light brown. Dump them onto a paper-towel-lined container/counter and QUICKLY salt them to taste. The key is to salt them while the oil is still glistening on the fries, so that the salt adheres to the fries. Allow to drain one minute and then serve.

Tip:If you would like to make fries that can go from the freezer to the fryer just like storebought, simply fry them the first time, allow to drain and cool, place seperately (not touching) on a cookie sheet in the freezer overnight, then once solidly frozen, you can pour them into a gallon size freezer bag and put back in the freezer until you desire to serve them, days, weeks, or even months later. When you pull the fries back out of the freezer, do not thaw, simply fry them for 5-6 minutes in 375 degree oil, then salt and drain as you usually would!

Tex Mex Sweet and Red Potato Salad

From Weight Watchers Turn Around Program Cookbook


1.lb each of Sweet and Red Potatoes
4 tsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
6T fat free mayonnaise
3T chopped fresh cilantro
1tsp grated lemon zest
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp cumin
1/4tsp ground coriander
1/8tsp cayenne

Cut potatoes into cubes. Toss with 2tsp olive oil and roast at 425 for 35-40 minutes. Meanwhile, cook onions in oil in skillet. Combine mayo, cilantro, lemon zest, and seasonings in small bowl. Combine potatoes, onions and sauce, mix well. Serve warm or at room temp. 2 points for 1/2 cup.

Baked French Onion Soup

2 ounces of butter
1 pound of onions, sliced
1/2 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon flour
4 cups beef stock
salt and pepper to taste
2 ounces of Gruyere cheese, grated
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 slices French bread

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onions. Slowly brown the onions. It is important to brown the onions VERY slowly. It takes about an hour to do. Just check them every once in a while. They should end up very soft, golden brown and transparent. Add the garlic after the onions have been cooking for about 45 minutes.

After the onions are cooked, turn up the heat to medium, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute or until the flour is golden brown.

Add the stock, and stir until it boils. Season with salt and pepper and simmer the soup for 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Mix the grated cheese with the mustard and pepper. Spread this on the bread slices and put one slice of bread on the bottom of each onion soup bowl, or put all of the bread in a large soup tureen. Pour the soup in. The bread will rise to the top.

Bake the soup in the oven, uncovered until the bread and cheese mixture is well browned and bubbling.

* at our house, we omit the mustard. It still tastes great, and that way everyone will eat it.

Sweet Potato, Corn and Kale Chowder Recipe

This vegetarian chunky soup filled with carrots, sweet potatoes, tomato, corn, and kale is hearty enough to be a main meal. The cashews add extra protein and thickening power. However, they may be omitted for those with nut allergies. The ingredient list may appear daunting, but this soup is extremely simple to make and does not take long. You do not have to be vegetarian to enjoy this one.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
•1 Tablespoon canola oil
•2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
•1 medium red onion, chopped
•1 rib celery, chopped
•1 red bell pepper, chopped
•1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
•1 sprig fresh thyme, minced
•3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
•1 medium tomato, chopped
•5 cups vegetable broth or water
•1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
•3 cups stemmed and chopped kale leaves
•Salt and ground white pepper, to taste
•Cayenne pepper, to taste
•1 Tablespoon cornstarch
•1 Tablespoon tepid water
•1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
•1/2 cup cashew pieces, optional

Preparation:


Heat oil in a large nonreactive pot over medium-high heat. Saute carrots, red onions, celery, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes 3 minutes. Add thyme and turmeric. Combine well with vegetables. Add tomatoes and broth; simmer 20 minutes.

Add corn, kale, salt, and white pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. Season with cayenne pepper.

Thicken either of two ways: Combine cornstarch with 1 tablespoon tepid water. With soup simmering, stir in cornstarch mixture. Continue to stir and simmer 3 minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

Or, if using cashews, place nuts in a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add cornstarch mixture and 3/4 cup warm soup broth; blend or process to combine. Return mixture to simmering soup, continue to simmer, stirring often, 3 minutes.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Per serving: (with cashew pieces) 162 calories, 35 percent calories from fat, 4 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total fiber, 6 grams total fat, .91 gram saturated fat no cholesterol, 35 milligrams sodium.

Per serving (without cashew pieces) 114 calories, 18 percent calories from fat, 3 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total fiber, 2 grams total fat, .22 gram saturated fat, no cholesterol, 34 milligrams sodium.

Recipe Source: The Whole Foods Market Cookbook by Steve Petusevsky (Clarkson Potter)

Spring Roll Wrappers

Spring roll wrappers can be hard to find if you don't live near an Asian market. This is a recipe for the standard flour and water wrappers used to make Chinese spring rolls. For best results, keep the filling chilled and don't make up the spring rolls until you are ready to deep-fry. Have a cornstarch and water paste on hand to seal the spring roll wrappers after they are filled. These wrappers can be frozen.

A great filling is the Pork Spring Rolls recipe found here.
Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
•1 cup all-purpose flour
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•3/4 cup water* (see note below)
•cooking spray, as needed

1. In a large bowl, stir the salt into the flour. Mix the water into the flour to form a batter. Cover and let rest for 1 hour.
2. Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray and heat on medium low heat.
3. Turn the heat down to low and add a heaping tablespoon of the batter to the middle of the pan. Quickly spread the batter out evenly to form a circle 5 - 6 inches in diameter. Continue smoothing out the batter as the skin cooks.
4. Cook the skin briefly, until it is cooked on the bottom and the edges curl slightly. Take care not to overcook. Remove carefully and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use as called for in the recipe.

*The amount of water needed will depend partly on factors such as the age and dryness of the flour, the altitude you are cooking at, etc. The batter should be well mixed and fairly thick, but still thin enough to drop off the back of a wooden spoon.

Fruit/Meat Pie in a Jar

So I have to admit that I got this recipe from my cousin in California. It is such a cute and simple idea! I posted the pictures she got from Best Bites, as her pies turned out way cuter than mine...Thanks Naomi!! The recipe also comes from Best bites, which you can find here:


http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/09/single-serving-pie-in-jar.html

Okay, so here are the directions:

What you need:
4 half-pint jars, but short and squatty instead of tall and skinny


Step 1: Pie Dough
1 1/4c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c.+ 1 Tbsp. butter-flavored shortening
Ice water (probably about 1/4 c.)

1. Combine flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Add shortening in small cubes.
2. Cut in shortening (room temperature) until you get pieces that are about pea-sized.
3. Now, this is where it gets a little tricky, but don't be scared. Start sprinkling the ice water by about a tablespoon at a time over the flour/shortening mixture.
4. Very, very gently, turn the dough with your fingers so it gets exposed to the water. You're NOT mixing, just trying to moisten all of the flour/shortening mixture. Gradually, all of the flour mixture will be moistened. Gently pat the dough into a ball (it should come together easily but not be sticky).
5. Wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until you're ready to use.

Step 2: Make a topper and line the jar

1. Roll out a small handful of dough. This is just for the tops of your pies, so eyeball about that much. Grab the ring part of your jar and use that as your cookie cutter. Brilliant, right? Cut out the tops and set aside.
2. Use the rest of the dough to line the jars. The great part is that there's no rolling required! Just take little pieces and press them in. Make sure it's pressed all the way up to the top of the jar, or pretty close to it.

Step 3: Fill 'er up
You'll need about 1/2 C filling for each jar. You can use any filling your little pie-craving heart desires, even (gasp) canned!

Here's the basic recipe (for 4 pies)
2 C prepared fruit (pitted, diced, peeled, etc.)
2 T sugar- brown or white (use more or less depending on sweetness of fruit)
2 T flour- (again, more if your fruit is super juicy like cherries, less if it's pretty dry)
1 T butter (divided between the pies)
Seasonings/flavorings- cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and almond extract, citrus zest etc)

When your filling is all combined, divide it between the jars and dot a pat of butter on top (about 1/4 T)

Step 4: Top it off
Make sure your "lid" has a vent so steam can escape. You can use a knife to make a couple of slits or a tiny cookie cutter to make it decorative.

When your topper is ready, slip it onto the top of the pie. It will be large enough that the outside edge goes up the side of the dough-covered jar a bit. Then use your finger, or a fork, to press the 2 pieces of dough together to seal.

Another option is to do a crumb topping:
Crumb Topping (for 4 pies)
2 T brown sugar
2 T flour
1 T oats
1/8 T cinnamon
2 T cold butter
Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter. Add oats and stir to combine.

Step 5: Freeze 'em!

Ready for this? When your pies are all done and topped, place metal lids back on and seal them tight. Then pop these little cuties in the freezer. There they will stay until you find yourself having an insatiable craving for home-baked goodness. You'll be reaching for the crumbs at the bottom of the Keebler box when suddenly your eyes will light up because you remember you have THESE sitting in your freezer.
Or when you have unexpected guests in need of impressing, or a friend needing to be cheered up, or it's Thursday...I can think of a million reasons why one should have a constant supply of fresh pie in the freezer.

Step 6: Bake 'em

Preheat oven to 375. Remove the metal lids and place frozen glass jars directly on a baking sheet. *If you're worried about the frozen jars breaking in a hot oven, all I can say it that many never have had a jar broken. If you're really worried you can always let them sit at room temp for a bit, but really they should be fine. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the middles are bubbly. If you're baking them fresh and not frozen they take about 45 minutes.

Depending on your filling you can pop them right out of the jar and onto a plate or just eat them right out of the jar. There's something way more fun about eating it right out of the jar...

You can use this set up for something like Chicken pot pies, or meat pies as well.

Fresh Salsa

1/2 onion, finely diced
2 cloves Garlic, diced
2 Tbsp lime juice
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp Louisianna hot sauce
2 fresh Jalapeno peppers, chopped and seeded
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp salt
4-5 tomatos, seedd and chopped

1. In a blender, pulse the tomatos, onions, jalapeo pepers, and cilantro to desired consistancy.

2. Transfer salsa to a bowl and add:
* 3 green onions, diced
* 1 red pepper, diced
* 1 green pepper, diced

3. Stir together, and let sit for 3-4 hours.

Serve or can within 24 hrs.

Funeral Potatos

Ingredients

32 oz bag hash browns
2 (10 3/4oz) cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
1/2 cup melted marg/butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups finely crushed corn flakes/ripple chips
2 Tbsp melted marg/butter

Directions

1. Grease 9x13 baking dish and preheat oven to 350 F


2. In large bowl, combine soups, sour cream, cheese, onions, 1/2 cup melted marg.


3. Gently fold in hash browns.


4. Pour into pan, and level out top with spoon.


5. Combine crushed corn flakes and 2 tbsp melted marg. Sprinkle on top of mixture.


6. bake for 30 minutes. remove foil for last few minutes to crisp top of flakes.

* You can use cubed potatoes in place of hash browns. Just increase cooking time to 55 minutes.

Won ton Soup

Picture to come tonight after I make them again.

1 lb Ground Pork
1/4 lb Fresh Shrimp meat
1 egg
1 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/5 tsp pepper

1. Mix all ingredients thoroughly for 3 minutes.
2. Place 1/2 - 1 tsp of meat filling into one wrapper, then fold wrapper diagonally and squeeze lightly to form a round shaped dumpling. Repeat for all won tons.
3. Fill sauce pan with half pot of water. Add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil and bring to full boil. Place won tons in water, and boil for 5 minutes or until won ton floats on top of water.
4. Spoon out won tons and serve over chicken soup. Add chopped green onions if desired.

Pork Spring Rolls

1 lb ground pork
1 (4 ounce) package rice vermicelli, soaked in cold water for 15 min, drain and chop
1 egg
1 green onion, minced
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/4 cup finely grated carrots
1/4 cup finely grated cabbage (optional)
4 large Shitake mushrooms, diced(may use white mushrooms as substitute)
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
A few “swigs” of soya sauce
Pepper
20 spring roll wrappers (I like the fresh ones over the frozen ones)
oil (for frying)

Combine all ingredients except wraps and oil in a bowl. On a damp tea towel, place a wrap, and fill with a couple of tablespoons of the pork mixture in a sausage like shape at one end of the wrap. Fold sides in, then begin rolling spring roll at the mixture side. Seal roll by moistening edge with milk or egg.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Fry rolls, turning frequently until cooked through and golden, about 5-7 minutes. Drain on paper towels, and serve with Spring Roll Sauce (Nuoc Mam). Keep warm in heated oven.

Ground chicken may be substituted for the pork, and chopped shrimp may also be added for a special flavor combination.

Sauce:
1 minced chili peppers
1 clove of minced garlic
4-5 tbsp of sugar
2/3 cup water
1 tbsp of very finely shredded carrots
1 1/2 tbsp of fresh lime juice
5 tbsp of fish sauce

Boil water with sugar; allow it to cool. Combine garlic, peppers, and add to mixture. Stir in the fish sauce and carrots.