Candied Coconut Sweet Potatoes

Recipe by Our Best Bites.

4 C mashed Sweet potatoes (4 med sweet potatoes or abt 2 large sized cans)
6 Tbs Sugar
4-6 Tbs butter (no margarine), softened or melted
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (eyeball it)
1 t vanilla

Topping:

1 C brown sugar
1 C sweetened coconut flakes
6 Tbs melted butter

Note: You can make these up to a day or two ahead of time, just keep them well covered in the fridge and don’t put the topping on until just before baking.If using fresh sweet potatoes, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick each sweet potato with a fork and place on foil in the oven. Cook for 40-60 minutes or until tender.
Once they’ve cooled enough to handle, slice in half and scoop out the insides into a mixing bowl. Or peel, cut into squares and boil about 20 minutes until they're soft enough to mash.

To the mixing bowl add in sugar, butter, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla. Your butter should be soft enough to blend up easily so nuke it in the microwave before you add it to the bowl if you need to.
You could mash it all up by hand, but an electric mixer works great. I don’t like it completely pureed, so I mix it just until everything is incorporated but there are still some sweet potatoes in larger chunks.
Spread this mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 pan.
For the topping, combine brown sugar and coconut and then pour melted butter over and combine. Mmm…
Take a pinch of the buttery-sugary mixture and put it in your mouth. Chew. Swallow. Then sprinkle the rest evenly over the sweet potatoes in the pan.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40-50 minutes. It will be more or less depending on the size of dish you use, whether you double the topping, etc. But the top should be nice and browned and bubbly so just keep an eye on it.

Mac & Cheese

Sauce

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
14 ounces cheddar cheese, preferably Flagship, grated (about 3 1/2 cups)
2 ounces Jack cheese, preferably Just Jack, grated (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder


Directions

1. Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour. Continue whisking and cooking for 2 minutes.
2. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, salt, chile powder, and garlic powder. Stir until cheese has melted and all ingredients are well incorporated, about 3 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days.
3. To reheat sauce, place in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.


Butter or vegetable oil, for baking dish
6 ounces penne (4 C. uncooked macaroni)
1 batch Cheese Sauce
1 ounce cheddar cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
1 ounce Gruyere cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or oil and 8-inch baking dish; set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook penne, according to package direction, for 2 minutes less than recommended on the package. Rinse pasta in cold water; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together cooked pasta and sauce gently but thoroughly. Pour pasta into prepared baking dish; sprinkle with cheeses and chile powder. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Lentil Tacos

Ingredients

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup salsa
12 taco shells
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons fat free sour cream
Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly.
Stir in salsa. Spoon about 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.
Footnotes

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (2 tacos) equals 364 calories, 11 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 17 mg cholesterol, 815 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrate, 9 g fiber, 22 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2-1/2 lean meat, 2 starch, 1-1/2 fat.

White Chicken Chili

1 lb. chicken breast, cut into small pieces (or 1 jar of canned chicken)
1 Tbsp. oil
small onion, diced
about 6 garlic cloves, minced

Cook those together in a pot on your stove top. Then add:

1 can diced green chilis
2 15 oz. cans white beans, undrained (pinto, navy, etc.)
4 C. chicken broth (I used less b/c I like thicker soups)
1 tsp. chicken bouillon
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Simmer those together for about 1/2 hour. When you're ready to eat, add:

1 C. sour cream
3 C. monterey jack cheese, shredded

Heat through and serve.

Top with:
dallop of sour cream
fresh cilantro
chopped tomatoes
crushed tortilla chips

Roast

This is an adaptation from Paula Deen. While it's a roast recipe, it's also good with pork chops. Mmmmmm.

hunk of meat
salt
pepper
garlic powder
onion
garlic
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 C. red/marsala cooking wine
2 Tbsp. beef bouillon (or 2 cubes)
3/4 C. water
1 bay leaf

season the meat all over with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sear it in a hot pan, getting all the sides nice and golden. Then transfer to slow cooker or roasting pan, depending on your method of cooking.

combine soup, wine, boullion and water. Pour over the meat. Add bay leaf.

Cook for 7ish hours in slow cooker or 2-3 hours in oven (though I don't know what temp. since that's not how I make it.)

The gravy from this is crazy good, so you'll want to be sure to serve it with some mashed or roasted potatoes and carrots.

Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 T olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 C diced carrots (about 2 med carrots)
3/4 C diced celery (about 2 ribs)
1 C diced onion (about 1 sm-med onion)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 3.5oz can green chilies
2 cans low-sodium beef broth
1 t kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t dry oregano leaves
1 bay leaf
Optional Toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese, chopped cilantro, etc.

Place a large stock pot on the stove-top and set to medium-high heat. When pan is warm, add olive oil. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes.

Add in the black beans, chilies, and beef broth. Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf.

Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf from soup.

Place soup in a blender. (You could use an immersion blender in place of this step) Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper in the lid to let heat escape. Place a paper towel over the hole to avoid splatters.

Puree soup until completely smooth. Optionally you could pulse until a semi-chunky soup is achieved. Squeeze in the juice from one lime and pulse to combine.

Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings. Serve with extra lime wedges. Makes about 8 C soup.

Nutritional Information (1 C soup, w/o toppings):
125 calories, 2g fat, 8g fiber
2 Weight Watchers points
South Beach Diet Phase 2 (eat carrots sparingly)

Canned Vegetable Soup

I want to try this and thought I should add the recipe before I lose it...

In the bottom of a quart jar put:

1/2 tsp. salt
1 bullion cube
dash of accent
dash of garlic
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
little pepper
1 heaping Tbsp. barley

Layer celery, onion, potato, carrots until full. Fill with water. Pressure cook at 15 lbs. for 40 min. (This is correct for our high altitude)

Canned Salsa

Not to brag, but I pretty much mastered this on my very first attempt. Delish! It's time consuming so make sure your day is pretty open if you're going to do this. And you might as well make a lot of it while you're at it, but it's definitely worth the time.

I cut this recipe in about half and ended up with 10 1/2 pint jars. It took two large pots to cook it.

Assume that all the ingredients are either chopped or run through the food processor, depending on your preference. Me? I prefer the ease and the texture from the food processor.

10 qt. tomatoes, peeled and squeezed of excess juice and seeds
5 bell peppers
5 jalapeno peppers (with seeds)
2 yellow peppers (I omitted)
1 red pepper (I omitted)
2 long annaheim peppers (I used 3)
2 C. celery chopped (I omitted)
4 med. onions
1-2 bunches of cilantro
8 tomatillos
6 cloves of garlic or 1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. paprika
1 C. white vinegar
1/4 C. salt
3 Tbsp. white sugar
2 Tbsp. black pepper
4 tsp. cumin

Combine all the ingredients and cook for about 3 hours or until it's the consistency you like. (Mine took about 1 1/2 hours and was actually pretty thick)

Bottle cold pack for 25 min. (This is correct time for our high altitude)

Korean BBQ Beef

Yep, another one from my new favorite site. It's similar to the orange Thai beef skewers, but still worth posting on its own.

1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak, cut against the grain into thin (about 1/4″) slices
1/2 c. rice wine or pear juice (1 4 oz. bottle of pear juice from the baby food aisle is perfect and cheap)
1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce (regular soy sauce makes it taste vaguely like beef jerky)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. (1/2 for us) Sriracha chili sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
Combine wine or pear juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, chili sauce, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add sliced steak. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. Preheat the grill. While the grill is heating, thread the steak pieces onto bamboo skewers (I just cooked mine in a grill basket.) Cook over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, being careful not to let the meat get too cooked. Serve immediately; serves 4-6.

Orange Thai Beef Skewers

I keep thinking I'm just putting my favorite recipes here, but so far I have loved everything I've tried from OurBestBites.com. Getting sick of hearing about them yet? Try their recipes and you'll understand. So far this is my absolute favorite.

1 orange
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 T honey
1T sesame oil
1 t ground ginger
1 t coriander
4 cloves garlic
2-4 t Sriracha chili sauce*

1 1/2 lb flank steak (I used milanesa, which is already cut super thin)

*Sriracha is a really great hot chili sauce that can easily be found in most grocery stores in the Asian foods section. It has a rooster on the bottle- you can't miss it! If you have to substitute, you could easily add cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or plain ol' hot sauce to the marinade.

Grab a bowl for your marinade. Zest your orange and add all of the zest to the bowl. Then cut the orange in half and add all of the juice as well. You should have at least 1/4 C orange juice and anything more than that is just fine. To the orange mixture, add soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, ginger, coriander, and garlic. Then add Sriracha to your liking. I've found that once these are marinaded and cooked, the spice mellows quite a bit. I add 2t Sriracha and it's mild enough that my toddler gobbles them up. It's not even really spicey, just flavorful. So if you like heat, I'd do more like 3-4 teaspoons of Sriracha. Whisk the marinade so everything is combined.

Take the flank steak and slice it across the grain into about 1/4" slices.

When you're ready to get cookin' preheat your grill. Then take your skewers (pre-soaked if you're using wood/bamboo ones) and thread on the strips of meat, just like you're stitching.Place them on the grill. These cook really fast. Overcooked flank steak will be tough and chewy, so don't over do it! They should only take about 3-4 minutes on each side. Flip half way through.

Now these don't only cook fast, they cool fast. So get the rest of your meal all ready, set the table, gather the kids, etc. Grill these up at the last minute so you can serve them hot off the grill, literally.

I usually make this with scallion rice. I cook 1C dry rice in 2C water and when it's done I hit it with a couple pats of butter, a big handful of sliced green onions and a splash of lime juice. With lots of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

Nachitoches Meat Pies

Another big winner from OurBestBites.com. I made a double batch but only put half of it in pie crust and the other half in pizza dough, calzone style. We had the pizza dough tonight and loved it. The others are still in the freezer.

1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2+ tsp. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (it’s the cheapest, best, and widely available)
Tabasco sauce to taste (start with about 1/4 tsp.)
1 can beef broth
Pie Crust, tripled
1 egg
1/4 c. cold water

In a large skillet, brown ground beef and ground pork, breaking the meat into small pieces. When it’s about halfway cooked, drain excess fat (if necessary) and then add green and red peppers, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent. Add 2 tsp. Tony’s and 1/4 tsp. Tabasco. Add beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Cook for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with additional Tony’s and Tabasco if necessary, keeping in mind that the seasonings will mellow in the pie. You can refrigerate this mixture for 3-4 days before baking the pies.
Prepare pie crust and roll the entire ball onto a floured surface. For large (meal-sized) pies, I use a bowl that’s about 6″ across the top; I just invert the bowl onto the dough and trace a knife around it to cut the dough. Put meat in the middle of the dough, fold over and crimp the edges.

Preheat oven to 400 and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Place prepared pies onto your baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and cold water and brush over the pies.

Bake 25-30 min. or until golden brown.

FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: You could do this one of two ways; you can freeze them unbaked and just add the egg wash and bake them for an extra 15-20 minutes, or you can bake them and heat them up in the oven or microwave, whatever suits your needs better.

Brazilian Lemonade (Limeade)

Another win from OurBestBites.com. Can you tell I've fallen in love with their site?

4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they’re the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)
1 c. sugar
6 c. cold water
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.

Wash limes thoroughly with soap (I just use hand-dishwashing soap or regular hand soap); you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you’re using the WHOLE lime, baby. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.

Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.

Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you’ll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk; DO NOT leave this step out unless you will die of a horrible sweetened condensed milk allergy because this is the secret ingredient! You may want to taste test it at this point; I used giant, thick-skinned limes tonight and didn’t test it and it came out a little bitter. If it’s bitter, just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk.
Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so don’t make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the sweetened condensed milk in advance). Serves 4, although I can pretty much guarantee you that people will want more; I usually plan on 1 1/2 servings at LEAST per person.

Roasted Eggplant Spread

Finally a way I actually like to eat eggplant!

Recipe lightly adapted from Ina Garten (taken from OurBestBites.com)

1 medium eggplant
2 red bell peppers
1 medium red onion
3-4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste or pureed oven-roasted tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400 and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside. Chop eggplant, peppers, and onion into 1″ cubes. Smash the garlic. Toss together the vegetables and then drizzle them in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat the vegetables and then spread them over the prepared baking sheet. Place the pan in the oven and roast the vegetables for 20 minutes. Flip/stir the vegetables with a spatula and then roast for another 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and browning. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Place the roasted vegetables along with the tomato paste or roasted tomatoes into a blender or food processor and pulse until the desired consistency is reached. Serve warm with slices of sourdough bread, pita chips, flatbread, or Rosemary Focaccia. You can also toss this sauce with hot pasta for a light vegetarian meal.

Chicken Cattciatore

I didn't make this, but I ate it and it was delish! It comes from Our Best Bites

1 lb. chicken breasts or chicken breasts and thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 c. white flour
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and either crushed or halved
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 c. white wine (you can also use apple or white grape juice mixed with 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar)
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. salt (omit if using cooking wine; you may shrivel up and die if you add the salt in addition to cooking wine because cooking wine is treated with salt to make it undrinkable)
1 bay leaf
1 c. sliced mushrooms (or more if you love them. Mushrooms are divine in this dish!)
1 green bell pepper, chopped

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onions and garlic and stir frequently until onions are tender and garlic is fragrant. Remove with a slotted spoon (this is why you need to keep the onion and garlic pieces big), shake off excess oil (you don’t have to go crazy here, a little olive oil never killed anyone!), and transfer to your blender. Increase heat to medium-high.

In a large Ziploc bag, combine flour, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. black pepper. Add chicken pieces, seal bag, and shake to coat pieces with flour. Dump the entire bag into the hot pan and stir quickly to prevent pieces from sticking together. Saute until chicken is golden. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

While chicken is draining, add wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, thyme, and marjoram to the onions and garlic in the blender. Blend until smooth. Place chicken and bay leaf in your slow cooker and then pour the sauce over the chicken. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 3.5-4 hours. When you have about 1/2 hour to go, add the mushrooms and the chopped green pepper. Cook until mushrooms and pepper are tender. Remove bay leaf and serve over pasta.

Green Bean "Salad"

This comes from Better Homes & Gardens. I liked having a different way to prepare beans and thought it was pretty good.

1 med. sweet onion, sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. green beans, trimmed
1 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced
2 peaches or nectarines
1 Tbsp. lime juice

In a skillet cook onions in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or just until beginning to soften. Add green beans, rosemary, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes more or ntil beans are crisp-tender. Remove from heat and toss in peach slices and lime juice. Serve hot or cold.

The recipe also suggested serving this with melons, plums or other fruit in place of peaches.

Suggestion #2 was to add white beans and pasta to make this more of a main dish.

Blueberry Ice Cream Pie

OK ladies and gents, this recipe is a big winner! There's cooking and cooling and thawing and freezing involved, so though it's not difficult, it is time consuming. It's a recipe to make the day before you need it, but it is definitely worth the wait! Seriously, every bite just made me long for picnics and barbeques and hot summer days.

It comes from Better Homes & Gardens, but I adapted it a bit.

The Crust
1 1/2 C. slivered almonds
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. In food processor blend almonds, brown sugar and salt until coarsely ground. Transfer to bowl and stir in melted butter. Dump into 9-inch pie plate and press onto bottom and sides. Bake 8-12 min. until lightly golden. Don't overbrown or the flavor will be off. Cool completely. (You can stick it in the freezer to make it extra cool)

The Blueberry Sauce
3 C. rinsed blueberries
1/3 C. sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated lemon zest (I doubled this and loved it!)
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbsp. water

In large skillet combine blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and salt, stirring well with spoon. Add zest, lemon juice, water and nutmeg.

Cook and stir over medium heat until blueberries begin to pop, give off juce and come to full simmer. Simmer, stirring gently for another minute until sauce is lightly thickened and cornstarch is well cooked.

Set aside to cool. Refrigerate until sauce is completely chilled, otherwise it'll melt your pie.

The Ice Cream
1 Qt. vanilla ice cream.
Blueberry sauce (they said just 3/4 C., but I didn't notice that so I used it all, and I don't know what you're supposed to do with the rest of it, though I guess having some on hand would make the whole process much faster for next time.)

Transfer ie cream to mixing bowl and let stand in fridge about 30 min. or until softened. Sppon half ice cream into prepared crust. Spread in even layer and top with chilled blueberry sauce. Spoon on remaining ice cream and spread to edges.

Cover surface of pie with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours (I only made it 1 hour before digging in).

The Cream
I made this then thought it was gross so I didn't put it on the pie, I threw it down the drain. Maybe I'll give it another try next time.
1/2 C. sour cream
1/2 C. heavy cream
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 C. fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried.

To serve, mix the cream, sour cream, and sugar in mixing bowl just until thickened to spreading consistency. Spread over pie. Top with fresh blueberries. If you have leftover sauce, heat and serve on the side.

Thai Chicken Tacos

This was a good way to use up some cabbage. It comes from Better Homes & Gardens. For the most part, it was well received by the family.

1 lime halved (about 1 Tbsp. lime juice)
1 lb. boneless, skinless Chicken breast cut into 1/2-3/4 inch pieces
1/4 C. chopped cilantro
1 large shallot finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (I used oyster sauce. Hoisin sauce would work too)
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2-1 tsp. crushed red pepper. (I used less than 1/2 because of the kid factor, but there was no heat in the end.)
1/2 tsp. hot chili sauce (I used sweet chili sauce)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
corn tortillas (flour would be easier to get down my kids)
1 recipe cabbage slaw.

Toss together:
2 C. shredded napa cabbage
1/2 C. shredded carrot
1/2 C. sliced green onions
1/4 C. chopped cilantro
1/4 C. chopped peanuts (optional)
1/4 C. rice vinegar -- not allowed by my family :(

Combine lime juice with chicken, cilantro, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, pepper and chili sauce in a bowl or bag. Marinate at least 1 hour.

In large skillet cook chicken mixture in hot oil until cooked, about 5 min.

To serve, layer two tortillas. Top with chicken and cabbage slaw.

We liked sour cream on top. I think tomatoes would also be a nice addition.

Dal Makhani Recipe for Dummies

I ate the Trader Joe's version of this and loved it. I haven't tried this recipe, but it looks good and simple, and I didn't want to forget what it was called, so here you go.


THE DAL
- Black Urad Dal (Black Lentils)
- Rajma (Kidney Beans)

II - THE MAKHANI
- Yoghurt
- Double Cream/Fresh White Butter

III - THE SPICES
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Green Chillies
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Red Chilli Powder
- Cumin Seeds



Cooking the Dal
The idea here is to just simplify the steps. You can check out the various recipes below to get the specific amount and time.

The Soak
You've got to soak the Kidney Beans (Rajma) and the Dal for atleast 6-8 hours. Best done overnight.

The Cook
The cooking is generally done with a pressure cooker. Add a little salt and water,mix both the beans and the dal and pressure cook for about 20 minutes, till the dal is soft.

You can also add the yoghurt and some cream while cooking the dal.

Your DaL is ready

Preparing the Makhani Gravy
Well anyone familiar with Indian cooking will not find this too difficult.

- Start with heating the oil and add cumin and garlic - till this gets a bit brown
- Add the onions and fry till golden brown
- Add the other spices - chillies, garam masala, other spices, tomatoes, salt
- Lastly add the dal to this gravy
- You can add water as needed based on how thick you want the gravy
- Garnish with Cream and Coriander
- Add Butter to this delicious dish

Your Yummy Delicious Dal Makhani is ready to serve

Bubble Up Pizza Casserole

I found this while browsing for new recipes. I honestly didn't think I'd like it but decided to give it a shot since it had good reviews. My kids LOVED it and I thought it was pretty good too. Definitely one we'll have again.

Ingredients:
• 1 pound sausage
• 1 onion, chopped
• 16 oz tomato sauce (or pizza sauce, then exclude the seasonings)
• 1/2 t basil
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 t italian seasoning
• pepperoni slices (optional)
• 15 oz refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
• 1 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• veggie topping of your choice (green pepper, olives, mushrooms)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Brown meat and add onion, tomato sauce, basil, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Add veggies and pepperoni. Add quartered biscuits and stir gently until they are covered with sauce. Spoon mixture into 9 x 13 dish coated with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes or until biscuits are done. Let stand 5 moinutes before serving.
Servings: 6-8
Time to Prepare: 15 minutes plus cook time
Nutritional Information: Weight Watchers points: 8 servings-5.5 points, 6 servings-7.3 points

Cinnamon Rolls

I always get rave reviews on this one, so I thought I'd share it. The dough also makes awesome dinner rolls, but I figure as long as you've gone to the work of making it, you may as well make a dessert out of it!

1 T. yeast
1 1/2 C. warm water
2/3 C. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 C. shortening
2 eggs
1 C. warm mashed potatoes (I prepare a cup of instant potatoes and use that)
7-7 1/2 C. flour

3/4 C. butter (at room temp.)
cinnamon
brown sugar
pecans (optional)
1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
4 oz. cream cheese, sometimes I take it up to 6 oz. (at room temp.)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

Dissolve yeast in the warm water. Stir in sugar, salt, shortening, eggs, potatoes, and 4 C. of flour. Mix until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead for about 5 minutes in an electric mixer. Place in greased bowl, turn to coat dough lightly in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise.

When dough is double in size (1-2 hours), punch down and roll out to about size of large cookie sheet. Melt 1/4 C. margarine and brush onto dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon, brown sugar and pecans. As far as amounts go, I don't measure so I have no idea. Put it on thick though, then add a little more.

Roll up and slice into 1-2" thick rolls. Place on greased cookie sheet and let rise until edges of rolls are all pressing up against each other. (This usually makes 18-24 rolls for me)

Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes. You want them to look brown on top or they'll end up doughy in the middle.

After rolls get out, mix 1/2 C. butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla and 1/2 tsp. salt until smooth. Spread on warm (not hot) cinnamon rolls.

Coconut Chicken Fingers

This one was a big winner at our house. We served it with roated red potatoes. Delish!

Recipe by Our Best Bites

12 chicken tenders (ya know, more or less...)
1-2 eggs (start with one and crack another if it runs out)
1/2 C flour
1 C sweetened coconut flakes
1 C panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 tsp curry powder (didn't have any, but ginger took it's place wonderfully)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (you can leave this out if you want to skip the spice for the kiddos)

preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Give coconut a rough chop so it's about the same size as the panko pieces


Combine it with Panko and spices in a shallow dish. Mix well to distribute all of the spices.


Place the flour in another shallow dish, and the egg in another. Give the egg a quick beating.

Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge in flour...


then dip in egg...


And then finally coat in the coconut Panko mixture. Press in with your fingers to make sure the entire thing is well coated.


Place chicken tenders on a foil-lined baking sheet (for easy clean up!) that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake in your 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear. Try not to overcook them because chicken tenders go from perfect to overcooked really fast! If your tenders are on the small side, they could even be done in about 15 minutes so keep an eye on them. If they're big they can take more like 25. The coconut will be nice and golden and the panko crisp, but light in color still.

Gyros

Flat bread (you can buy it or make your own. I think navajo taco bread would work well, or scones, or naan)
Roast--pork, beef or lamb
Feta cheese
Tomatoes
Onions (optional)

Roast some sort of meat in the slow cooker. I did pork, but it was rather fatty so I think I'll do beef next time.


Sauce
1 c. yogurt
1/4 C mayo
1/4 C sour cream
1 lemon, juiced
salt & pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 packet italian seasoning mix
1/2 cucumber--grated. Squeeze excess water out.

Mix with a wisk and refrigerate until ready.


Place meat, sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, onion and Feta cheese in flatbead and enjoy!

Chili Relleno Casserole

This is a great way to use up those peppers from Bountiful Baskets. I've tried several different versions of this and this one is by far my favorite. Much more filling and much more flavorful. If anyone has other ways to use the chilis, I'd love to hear it. Also, I discovered freshly made corn tortillas at Harmons. They're soooo much better than the regular ones you find in grocery stores, so I recommend trying those. If your kids don't like spicy, they can easily remove the peppers from their portion after it's all cooked.

*4-8 hot peppers, roasted, skinned, seeds removed
several corn tortillas (10ish), torn into 1-inch strips
1/2 lb. each Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese
2 to 3 tomatoes, sliced
8 to 10 eggs
1 tsp. each: salt, pepper, ground cumin and garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion salt

Preheat oven to 350°F; grease 9 x 13 pan. Cut chilies in half; lay out flat on bottom of pan. Cover chilies with half the tortillas, half tomatoes and half cheeses. Repeat for second layer. Beat eggs and spices; pour on top. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake 40 minutes, uncovered, until knife inserted comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

*To roast peppers, just place them on a pan on the highest rack in your oven and turn the broiler on. Let them cook until the skins char and bubble. You may want to turn them over so it does that on both sides. Then cool in a paper bag. The skins should easily come off, and if it doesn't, just leave it on.

Pistachio Pesto

1 Cup packed spinach
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup shelled pistachio nuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, quartered
12 oz dried pasta, cooked and drained
Cooked chicken or shrimp optional

Put the spinach, oil, nuts, cheese, salt, and garlic in food processor. Process until smooth. Toss with pasta (and chicken or shrimp) and serve. Makes 6 cups.


Nutritional per cup: 361 calories; 10g protein; 16g fat (3g sat. fat); 44g carbs; 2g fiber; 60 mg calcium; 2mg iron; 253mg sodium.