Whole cranberry sauce

4 cups water
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
4 tbsp vanilla extract
4 tsp salt
2 tsp coriander
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp almond extract
1 bag cranberries (12 cups)

Bring water and sugar to a boil. Some people like up to 4 cups sugar, but I like it more tart. Add other spices to create a "swich licour." You can leave out whatever spices you want, it's just to make the flavor more interesting. Add the berries to the boiling water. Pull out any that look freakish. Bring it to a boil again and cook it for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cranberries have their own thickening agent (pectin, I think) to turn it into jelly as it cools. Makes something like 8 cups of sauce, enough for a really big party. It also makes the house smell really nice when you're cooking it.

Chicken Gyros

I got this recipe here. Big E declared that the chicken "was the best chicken I've ever had!" and the last two times we've had this, that's almost all he's eaten.  

Ingredients:

Tzatziki sauce:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 Tablespoons)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

To assemble: Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

Instructions:
Shred the cucumber or chop in food processor. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips. Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Greek Pita Pizzas

Pita is really cheap here (27 cents for 10).  So I've been looking for recipes that use them.  Here's one that we had tonight that I'll be making again. It got it and the picture from this website. 

2 Tbsp oil (more for brushing)

4, 8-inch whole wheat pitas

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp. fresh chopped oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1/2 small red onion sliced thin

½ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped (or sliced black olives)

¾ cup grape tomatoes, halved (or other chopped)

½ cup hummus

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ cup crumbled feta

Tzatziki sauce (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 475˚F and brush both sides of the pita with a little olive oil. Arrange the pita on a baking sheet and bake 5 minutes or until light golden. (I found that they didn't turn very golden at all, and got extra crunchy, so next time I might cut this time down by a minute or two.)

2. While the pitas are cooking, combine the vinegar with 2 Tbsp of oil and oregano and bit of salt and pepper. Whisk to blend and add the onion, olives and tomatoes to the bowl and toss to coat with the dressing.

3. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the hummus over each pita and top with mozzarella. Layer each pita with a quarter of the vegetable mixture and top with the feta.

4. Bake until the cheese melts and the vegetables are soft, about 6-8 minutes. Top with tzatziki sauce if desired.

Slow-roasted Tomato, Cucumber, and Hummus Sandwich

Recipe and Image From: http://www.ahintofhoney.com/2011/07/slow-roasted-tomato-cucumber-and-hummus.html

Slow-roasted Tomato, Cucumber, and Hummus Sandwich

INGREDIENTS
whole wheat or multi-grain bread, toasted
hummus

carrot, grated

red onion, thinly sliced

sprouts

slow-roasted tomatoes (recipe below) or tomato, thinly sliced and seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
cucumber, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS
1. Spread hummus over two slices of bread. On one slice layer grated carrots, red onion, sprouts, tomatoes, and cucumber. Top with the second slice of bread and serve.

Slow-roasted Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS
cherry, grape, or small Roma tomatoes, halved
whole cloves of garlic, unpeeled
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh herbs (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 225 F. Arrange tomato halves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with just enough olive oil to make the tomatoes glisten. Sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper and herbs, if using.

2. Bake in preheated oven for about 3 hours (depending on the size of the tomatoes), until the tomatoes are shriveled and almost dry (with a little juice still left inside). Use right away or cool and store in the refrigerator covered in a little olive oil.

(Sow-roasted tomatoes adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Creamy Shrimp Rolls

Recipe and Image from http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/creamy-shrimp-rolls-00000000000684/index.html

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 10m| Total Time: 10m

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  mayonnaise
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 1/2  pounds  cooked medium shrimp, cut in half crosswise
• 2  stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4  cup  sliced chives (optional)
• 4  hot dog buns
• 1  small head butter lettuce, torn into pieces
• 1  5-ounce bag potato chips

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2. Fold in the shrimp, celery, and chives, if desired.
3. Line the buns with the lettuce and fill with the shrimp mixture. Serve with the potato chips.

By Sara Quessenberry and Kate Merker , August, 2008

Shrimp and Sausage with Polenta

Recipe from http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/shrimp-with-polenta-00100000076771/index.html

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 20m| Total Time: 20m

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons  olive oil
• 1/2  pound  andouille sausage, sliced
• 1  pound  peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 1  bell pepper, sliced
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4  tablespoons  unsalted butter
• 1  cup  instant polenta (just use cornmeal)
• 1/2  teaspoon  chopped fresh oregano

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp, bell pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until the shrimp are opaque, 3 to 4 minutes more. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and cook until melted.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Whisk in the polenta and cook, whisking, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Serve with the shrimp mixture and sprinkle with the oregano.

By Sue Li , March, 2012

Creamed Polenta with White Beans and Spinach

Recipe and Image from http://www.makeandtakes.com/creamed-polenta-with-white-beans-and-spinach

Creamed Polenta with White Beans and Spinach

adapted from delightful delicacies
makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

For polenta:
4 cups water, plus more if necessary (can use 2 cups milk for part of the water)
1 cup instant polenta* (just use corn meal)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. butter, or olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
2-4 Tbsp.  heavy cream

For white beans:
2 cups cooked (or canned) white beans, drained
1-2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbsp. chopped black olives (about 8 large)
1 Tbsp. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds (optional)
1/4 tsp. each: dried rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano
red pepper flakes, to taste
salt and pepper
2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped (kale, chard, or collards)
Water

Heather's note: THIS NEEDS BACON! Crumble some on top and you'll be happy you did.

Instructions:

For polenta:
Bring the water (and any milk, if using) to a simmer in a 3 quart saucepan or pot. Add the salt and slowly whisk in the polenta. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until it has thickened and starts coming away from the side. (If you like a thinner, soupier polenta, add more water or extra milk.)

Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the butter, nutritional yeast or cheese, coconut or heavy cream, and taste. Add more salt if needed. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm until ready to serve.

For beans:
Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the onion. Cook over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, or until the onion starts to turn golden. Add the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fennel seeds, and dried herbs. Continue cooking for a few minutes until onions are completely cooked and the flavors have melded. Add the beans and bring to a simmer. If the skillet is too dry, add a little water. Right before serving, remove the skillet from the heat and add the spinach. (You don’t want to overcook the spinach, just wilt it. If you’re using another heartier green, then cook for a few minutes until the greens are tender.)

To serve:
Spoon some of the polenta into a shallow bowl. Top with the beans and spinach. Serve hot.

Rice and mushroom casserole

Image and recipe from http://www.everyday-reading.com/2011/11/vegetarian-recipe-9-rice-and-mushroom.html

Rice and Mushroom Casserole

(adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

Serves 6

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice

1 TB olive oil

8 ounces mushrooms (brown or white) cleaned and roughly chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves minced garlic

1 bunch spinach or chard, roughly chopped (if using chard, separate the stems from the leaves and chop the stems like onions)

2 eggs

1 cup crumbled queso fresco (you could use another semi-soft cheese like feta or even fresh mozzarella or goat cheese)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon salt (if you're using feta, you may want to skip the salt entirely)

1/2 tsp pepper  

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Put both rices in a medium saucepan with 2 1/2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover and reduce heat to low. Let cook about 45 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease a baking dish (somewhere in the 9x9 range is a good size. I use an oval pan that's about 6 x 12).

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil. Add mushrooms and stir every few minutes until the mushrooms have released their liquid and are slightly brown. Add onions (and chard stems if using them) and cook for another 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Stir in the garlic, cook for 1 more minute and remove pan from heat.Add spinach or chard leaves and cook 2-4 minutes until wilted. 

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, queso fresco, sour cream, salt (if you're using it) and pepper.

Add the cooked rice and the mushroom/onion mix and stir until well combined. Spread half of this mixture into prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese over the rice mixture and then pour the rest of the rice mixture on top of that. 

Sprinkle with remaining cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese and finish it off with the Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes more.

Serve hot. 

Savory Mustard Chicken Thighs

Recipe and photo from here: http://www.wittyinthecity.com/2011/08/man-pleasing-chicken/

preheat your oven to 450ºF

mix together:
1/2 cup of dijon mustard, 
1/4 cup of maple syrup, 
1 tablespoon of rice/rice wine vinegar. 

Salt and pepper 1.5 lbs chicken thighs

Then pour the mustard/syrup mix over the chicken in a foil-lined baking dish

Put the chicken thighs into the oven, and let them bake for 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165ºF. Baste the tops of the chicken with more sauce half way through.

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Plate the chicken, making sure to spoon some extra sauce over the top. Sprinkle over some fresh rosemary.

We served this with some seasoned brown rice and vegetables.

Pinto Beans and Rice

1 (1 lb) bag dried pinto bean
1/3 cup picante sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon garlic , minced (kind in jar is okay)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3 bay leaves
1 cup cooked white rice (we found that it needs about twice this much.  So I cook 1 cup of uncooked rice.  Brown rice also works)

Rinse beans in colander.  Put in a crock pot (or large pot).  Cover with water, plus about 2 inches over top of beans. Add all ingredients, except rice.

Cook on high in crock pot about 4 hours til tender. (Crockpots vary greatly on cooking times. It could take much longer in yours, so the first time allow longer to cook and then you will know how long cooking time will be in the future.).

(Add water if necessary) May also cook on low overnight.
Add rice and cook until rice is warm.

Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients
1 cup black beans 
1 Tbsp olive oil 
2 garlic cloves, crushed 
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes 
1 tsp ground cumin 
Salt/Pepper

1 cup brown rice 

Directions
Cook beans either by soaking overnight (which I never remember to do) or by the hot soak method.  

Cook rice.  When rice is cooked add all other ingredients and heat through.  

This was originally a slow cooker recipe, so you can put the beans in the slow cooker after soaking and add the other ingredients except the rice.  Cook on high for about 4 hours.  You'll probably need to add some water, but don't add too much, because you'll just be stirring in the cooked rice and you don't want it too soupy.  When beans are cooked, add cooked rice.  

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

Here is a recipe, along with the following few, that we found to use up our food storage before we moved.  


1 large onion, diced small
2-3 tsp. olive oil
1 T minced garlic
1 T Creole Seasoning (recipe below)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt and black pepper to taste (I didn't use salt because the creole seasoning has salt, and I only used a little bit of pepper)
4 cups cooked small red beans (or use 3 cans red beans, rinsed and drained and add 1/2 cup more chicken stock)
3 cups diced lean ham or Louisiana Hot Sausages (dice into pieces about the size of the cooked beans)
3 cups homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. green Tabasco (or use a smaller amount of red Tobasco)
2-3 bay leaves
1 tsp. red wine vinegar

3 cups cooked white rice for serving

If using dried beans, soak overnight and cook on stove until they are fairly soft, or cook in pressure cooker about 25 minutes. Drain beans. If using canned beans, rinse with cold water until no more foam appears, then drain.

Cut ham or sausage into small pieces, about the size of cooked beans.

Heat olive oil in a heavy frying pan, then saute diced onion about 5 minutes, or until onion starts to brown. Add garlic and saute 1 minute, then add Creole Seasoning, dried thyme, and dried oregano and saute 1-2 minutes more.

Put onion mixture into small crockpot. Add cooked beans and diced ham or sausage. Add stock, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, bay leaves, and red wine vinegar, and stir to combine.

Cook on high for 4-8 hours, until the beans are dissolved as much as you prefer. I like this best when the beans are at least 3/4 broken apart and dissolved into the liquid. Canned beans are usually softer and will break apart more quickly.

Serve hot, topped with white rice.

Creole Seasoning

• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Black and Blue Berry Breakfast Cake

Heather made this for us in early July and it was delicious.  A few days ago, Elliott and Ann Nielson gave us some of their blackberries so we thought, "Black AND Blue Berry Cake. . . "  So we added 50% more to the ingredients in the original recipe and cooked it in a 9"x12" pan.

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
1 1/2 c + 1 tablespoon sugar**
1 1/2 egg, room temperature (scramble two eggs together: take out a tablespoon of egg [cook it in the microwave for a snack while you finish the cake])
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 TB baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blackberries

1 cup fresh blueberries

3/4 cup buttermilk

** This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Zest the lemon (put parchment paper over the grater before rubbing the lemon on it, then when you lift off the paper, all the zest comes with it.  No more scraping the grater with a toothpick) Cream butter with lemon zest and 1 1/2 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the berries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the berries.

4. Grease a 9"x12"-inch baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

I don't have an ice cream maker yet, but when I get one, I want to make this.

Ingredients

• FOR THE ICE CREAM:
• 12 ounces, weight Strawberries, Hulled And Sliced
• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• ½ cups Half-and-half
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 pinch Salt
• _____
• FOR THE MIX-INS:
• 4 ounces, weight Strawberries, Hulled And Finley Diced
• 2 teaspoons Sugar
• ¼ cups Bittersweet Chocolate
• 1 teaspoon Heavy Cream
• 3 whole Chocolate Graham Crackers

Preparation Instructions

For the ice cream:
In a blender or food processor puree the strawberries, cream cheese, sour cream, half-and-half, lemon juice, sugar and salt.
Pour ice cream base into your ice cream maker and churn per manufacturer’s instructions, approximately 30 minutes.
While the ice cream is churning, prepare mix-ins if desired.
For the mix-ins:
In a small bowl combine the strawberries and sugar, mix well and place in the freezer
Melt bittersweet chocolate and heavy cream in the microwave in 30 second intervals at 50% power. Stir after each interval. Repeat until melted.
With a spatula cover the chocolate graham crackers with melted chocolate and place in the freezer.
Approximately 5 minutes before ice cream is done, remove strawberry mixture and graham crackers from freezer. Add macerated strawberries to the ice cream while still churning. Roughly chop graham crackers and add to ice cream.

http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2012/05/strawberry-cheesecake-ice-cream/

Homemade salsa

This is from my friend April Young who lives in Katy, TX.

I use my blender to chop everything up, but a food processor is easiest. Be warned, it makes a ton of salsa.

10 roma tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro
1 white onion
2 jalepeno peppers 
1 Anaheim pepper
2/3 can crushed tomatoes
3 Tbsp garlic salt
2 tsp sugar
Juice of 4 limes or to taste

Mix it all together and serve

Sugar cookies with too much butter in them

Make sugar cookies like normal, but put in way too much butter. The edges of the cookies will kind of carmelize. Also a little salt on the top is a good idea.

P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

3 tbs oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup water chestnuts

2/3 cup mushrooms

3 tbs chopped onions

1 tsp minced garlic

4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs rice wine vinegar (we used half rice vinegar and half red wine vinegar)

2 tbs ketchup

1 tbs lemon juice

1/8 tsp sesame oil (we used olive oil)

1 tbs hot mustard (we used dijon)

2 tsp water

1-2 tsp garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs brown sugar

1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar (same as above)

Directions

Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice, and sesame oil. Mis well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve. (This is very runny and so we put it in a pot on the stove and added some cornstarch to thicken it a little and we liked it like that.)

Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well. (We just added this to the special sauce in the beginning.)

Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chile sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps. (We also added the garlic chile paste to the special sauce in the pan all together with everything else.)

Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan. Sauté chicken breasts for 4 to 5 min per side or until done. Remove chicken from the pan and cool. Keep oil in pan and keep hot.

As chicken cools, mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.

Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice wine vinegar together in a small bowl.

When the chicken is cool, mine it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are. With the pan sill on high heat, add another tbs of oil. Add the chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts, and mushrooms to the pan. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and sauté the mixture for a couple of minutes then serve it in the lettuce "cups". Top with Special Sauce.

Peanut Butter Frosting

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Thai Peanut Satay

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/chicken-satay-with-peanut-sauce/

Ingredients
2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Cut Into Bite Size Pieces
_____
FOR THE MARINADE:
4 Tablespoons Low Sodium Soy Sauce
4 Tablespoons Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 teaspoons Cumin
4 teaspoons Coriander
2 teaspoons Turmeric
_____
FOR THE PEANUT SAUCE:
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
⅓ cups Onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Chili Powder
5 Tablespoons MARINADE
¼ cups Brown Sugar, Packed
½ cups Water, Or More If Needed
1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter, Do Not Use Natural Or Low Fat
1 whole Lime, Cut Into Wedges, For Garnish
1 bunch Fresh Cilantro For Garnish, Chopped

Preparation Instructions
1) Combine all marinade ingredients and whisk well to combine. Reserve 5 tablespoons of marinade for the sauce and refrigerate until you’re ready to make the sauce. Set the remaining marinade aside.
Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and skewer*. Skewer your chicken pieces on presoaked (in water) wooden skewers or metal skewers. Pour remaining marinade over chicken skewers being sure to coat thoroughly. (I use gloves, because the turmeric can stain your hands). Marinate chicken in the refrigerator for an hour.
2) For the peanut sauce, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onions for 5-7 minutes. Add chili powder and the reserved 5 tablespoons of marinade, brown sugar, and ½ cup of water. Keep the pan over heat until very hot. Remove from heat and add peanut butter, carefully whisk until completely incorporated. Add additional water if the sauce is too thick. Loosely cover the pan and set aside. To warm the sauce, do so in microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds at a time and stir between. Heat until just warm. If you over heat the sauce, the oil will separate.
3) Preheat grill and cook skewered marinated chicken over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes. Serve chicken with peanut sauce and garnish with cilantro and fresh lime wedges. Makes approximately 32 – 6″skewers for appetizers or 8 dinner size portion skewers.*I like to skewer the chicken first before the marinade is added. It’s much less messy and when you’re entertaining, you won’t have to skewer the meat while you have guests. Again, I recommend using gloves.

Quinoa Burger

I found this on pinterest, but the recipe and photo came from Eating Well, Living Thin. Elliott, who is in the phase of not trying new foods, or old foods that we just haven't had in a while, loved this. And before bed he asked for more.

2 rounded cups cooked quinoa (see note below for cooking instructions)

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or other variety, if you prefer)

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1 medium carrot, finely grated (OR 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed)

3 eggs

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 green onions, including white parts

1 /2 teaspoon Splenda or sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Olive oil for frying

.

To cook quinoa:

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan bring the 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat. Add quinoa and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

.

In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, Splenda, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder.

Heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Mixture will be slightly sticky, so using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick. Fry until golden-brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Makes approx. 10 burgers.

Serve with Tzatziki, or fry sauce, and top with avocado and tomato.

Pumpkin Granola

5 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
¾ tsp. salt

3 tbs ground flax (optional)

1- 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts like walnuts, almonds (I put both in)
1/2 cup honey
½ cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup oil
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 325° F.

In a large bowl, combine oats, spices, salt, flax, and nuts. Mix well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, pumpkin puree, oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into oat mixture and stir until the oats are evenly coated. They will be moist. Evenly spread the mixture onto a large baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and stir. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the granola is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and stir in dried cranberries (I usually just add some when I eat a bowl rather than when I make it). Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.