Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 to 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup cooking oil or melted butter

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. Add the 1 tablespoon butter to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a 9 x 1 1/2-inch round baking pan. Place in a 400 degree oven about 3 minutes or until butter melts. Remove pan from oven; swirl butter in pan to coat bottom and sides of pan.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine eggs, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Pour batter into hot skillet or pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Double Corn Bread: Prepare as above, except fold 1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed, into batter.

Green Chile Corn Bread: Prepare as above, except fold 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese and one 4-ounce can diced green chile peppers, drained, into the batter.

Courtesy: Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook, 75th Anniversary Edition

Chocolate Strawberry Pie

Again, courtesy of Cooking Light (my favorite!!)

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (omit if using Oreo cookies)

2 teaspoons canola oil (increase to 4 if using Oreo cookies)

Cooking spray

6 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened 

1/3 cup powdered sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

2 tablespoons seedless strawberry fruit spread

1 tablespoon Chambord (raspberry-flavored liqueur)

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 pound small strawberries, hulled and cut in half 

1. Place chocolate wafers or Oreo cookies in a food processor, and process until finely ground. Place the chopped chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 45 seconds or until chocolate melts, stirring every 15 seconds. Add melted chocolate and oil to processor; process until well combined. Gently press the mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate or removable-bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray. Place in freezer 15 minutes or until set. 

2. Place cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Carefully spread over bottom of crust. Place fruit spread in a large microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 10 seconds or until softened. Add Chambord and juice; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add berry halves; toss to combine. Arrange berry halves over pie. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Salmon with Pesto Mayo

Ingredients:

• 4 5- to 6-ounce fresh or froze skinless salmon filets (I've actually made this every time with skin-on salmon filets)
• 2 tbsp crumbled firm-textured bread
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 3 tbsp purchased or homemade basil pesto
• 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. Place crumbled bread in a shallow baking pan. Broil 4 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until bread crumbs are lightly toasted, stirring once. Set bread crumbs aside.
2. Measure thickness of fish. Place fish on the greased unheated rack of broiler pan, tucking under any thin edges. Broil 4 inches from heat for 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. (If fillets are 1 inch thick, turn once halfway through broiling.)
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together mayonnaise and pest; set aside. Combine toasted bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Spoon mayonnaise mixture over fillets. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Broil 1 to 2 minutes more or until crumbs are lightly browned.

Courtesty: Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook, 75th Anniversary Edition

Green Monsters.... Ahhh!!!!!!

Ingredients

• 6 oz pineapple flavored coconut water 
• 1/2 c. fresh pineapple, cored and cubed
• 2 kiwi, peeled and cubed
• 1 and 1/2 bananas, peeled and sliced 
• 2 handfuls spinach 
• 1 handful of romaine lettuce 

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until reaches liquid form.  Makes about 2 10 oz Green Monster smoothies.... refrigerate to cool or bottle and freeze for whenever!  Yum!!

Southwestern Chicken Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp chopped onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) reduced sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups fresh or frozen corn
• 1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 16 baked tortilla chips scoops, crumbled
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. In a Dutch oven, saute chicken in oil until no longer pink. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. In the same pan, saute onion and jalapeno pepper until tender. Add garlic and saute; cook 1 minute longer.
2. Stir in the broth, corn, beans, lime juice, salt, hot pepper sauce, pepper, and reserved chicken; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
3. Stir in cilantro. Top each serving with crumbled tortilla chips and cheese. Yield: 8 serving (2 quarts).

Courtesy: Taste of Home

Danielle's Granola

This is the recipe that I have been working on perfecting... its getting close. It is certainly a base granola recipe; one could add coconut, dried fruit, or whatever. It yields a ton of granola for cheap, which I think is awesome.

Ingredients:

1 bag honey roasted sliced almonds (found in the salad dressing isle of Target... I think that they are called Almond Pazazz)

6 c. old fashioned oats (bought in bulk for cheap!!)

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. and a bit more of honey

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, honey, vegetable oil, and cinnamon. Microwave on high for 2 minutes (or until boiling). Stir in vanilla. Add oats and almonds; tossing to coat.

3. Spread oat mixture on a large baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir with a spatula. Reduce oven temperature to 325-340 degrees (sorry for the temperature range, it varies depending upon how golden the mixture appears) and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool; stirring occasionally to break it up.

Potato, Mushroom, and Leek Croquettes, with greens and shallot vinaigrette

Serves 4, 2 patties each

Ingredients:

• 8 oz coursely chopped Yukon gold potato
• 4 oz sliced cremini mushrooms
• 4 oz sliced button mushrooms
• 1/2 c. chopped leek
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• cooking spray
• 1/2 c. (2 oz) shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1/4 c. (1 oz) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 large egg white
• 2 tsp water
• 1/2 c. panko
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

1. Place potato in a pan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 8 minutes or until tender. Drain. Press potato through a ricer or food mill (we used a blender and it worked just fine).

2. Place mushrooms, leek, and thyme in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add mushroom mixture; cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mixture to potato (stirring well if used a blender for the potato). Add Gruyere, 2 tbsp. Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, pepper, egg yolk; stir until blended. Shape mixture into 8 (2-inch) round patties.

3. Place flour in a shallow dish. Combine egg white and 2 tsp. water in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Combine remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano and panko in a shallow dish. Dredge patties in flour. Dip in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture. Heat a large non-stick skillet overt medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add patties; cook 4 min. on each side or until golden.

Greens and Shallot Vinaigrette

Combine 2 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp sherry vinegar, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and 1/8 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Add 6 c. of salad green and 1 sliced shallot to bowl; toss gently.

My vegetarian ways pulled me to this recipe and it did not disappoint. Even Pat, without vegetarian ways, loved these little patties! Enjoy!