Thai Honey Peanut Chicken

I didn't think this had a strong peanut butter or honey flavor, but it was good. We served it over the fat Udon noodles my husband loves. Quick and easy sauce for your stir-fry. We added some vegetables too.

1 pound Chicken, In Chunks

¼ cups Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
1 teaspoon Minced Garlic (approximately 1 Large Clove)
1 Tablespoon Natural Peanut Butter (heaping Tablespoon Even Better)
½ teaspoons Curry Powder
1 teaspoon Sriracha (optional)

Mix ingredients and marinate chicken for 2-3 hours.

Cook chicken in the sauce over medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes or until chicken is done. Reduce heat to medium-low and add precooked veggies if desired. Serve topped with sesame seeds.

To thicken sauce if needed: reduce heat to medium-low and add a cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water).

Substitutions: replace chicken with tofu; replace peanut butter with tahini or another nut butter; if using regular peanut butter (i.e. Skippy) instead of natural peanut butter, reduce honey by 1 tablespoon.

Source: thepioneerwoman.com

Palmiers and Cinnamon Palmiers

I made these for my mom's birthday after watching Ina Garten make them on her show. They are really easy and use puff pastry-- which is both something my mom likes and something my sister can eat. Ina's recipe is vegan as long as you use vegan puff pastry like Pepperidge Farms (the "good" ones may have butter in them). I also made a non-vegan version that involved butter and cinnamon--but with vegan margarine it could be vegan too. The left on in the picture is the non-vegan one and it didn't keep its scrolls as tight. Both were very tasty.

Palmiers

2 cups granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine the sugar and kosher salt. Pour 1 cup of the sugar/salt mixture on a flat surface such as wooden board or marble. Unfold each sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar and pour 1/2 cup of the sugar mixture on top, spreading it evenly on the puff pastry. This is not about sprinkling, it's about an even covering of sugar. With a rolling pin, roll the dough until it's 13 by 13-inches square and the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom. Fold the sides of the square towards the center so they go halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Then fold 1 half over the other half as though closing a book. You will have 6 layers. Slice the dough into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Place the second sheet of pastry on the sugared board, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar mixture, and continue as above. (There will be quite a bit of sugar left over on the board.) Slice and arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment.

Bake the cookies for 6 minutes until caramelized and brown on the bottom, then turn with a spatula and bake another 3 to 5 minutes, until caramelized on the other side. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.


Source: Ina Garten

Cinnamon Palmiers



1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 lb puff pastry (1 sheet store bought)
1 egg, beaten

Preheat an oven to 400F.
Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until it forms a paste.

Roll the pastry dough into a large rectangle, about 15-inches by 12-inches. Using a pastry brush or spoon, spread the cinnamon sugar paste in a thin, even layer over the dough. Starting at the long ends of the rectangle, loosely roll each side inward until they meet in the middle. To hold difficult pastry together, brush it with the egg, if needed.

Slice the pastry crosswise into 1/4-inch palmiers – they’ll look like little scrolls - and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 12-15 minutes, until they puff and turn golden brown. Remove them from the baking sheet and serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: about.com

Buttered Toffee Popcorn

I never really think of making caramel corn, but this looked really good. And guess what....it is. Fairly easy to make and makes a great gift for the holidays.

Buttered Toffee Popcorn

*Note: you want about 18 cups of popped corn. I've found that about 1/4 cup of unpopped kernels yields about 5 1/2 to 6 cups popped corn. While the recipe calls for 3/4 cup unpopped kernels, be sure to only add it a bit at a time in shifts according to your popcorn popper so the kernels don't burn.


*Makes about 18 cups of toffee popcorn (that seems like a lot, but trust me, it goes fast!)

3/4 cup unpopped popcorn kernels, white or yellow
2 sticks butter
2 1/4 cups light brown sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2-3 cups roasted, salted peanuts

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Grease two large rimmed baking sheets and set aside.

Pop the popcorn kernels, in shifts if needed to ensure your popcorn popper doesn't burn the popcorn, and place the popcorn in a large bowl, sifting through to remove the unpopped kernels.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When melted add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil while stirring. Once the mixture starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, for 3 minutes. The mixture will be slightly thickened. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the vanilla and baking soda. The mixture will bubble so be careful.

Pour the caramel over the popcorn and mix slightly. Add the peanuts and mix well but gently (so you don't break apart the popcorn) until the popcorn is evenly coated and the peanuts are distributed through the mixture.

Turn the popcorn out onto the baking sheets, spreading into an even layer. Bake the popcorn for one hour, stirring and tossing every 20 minutes. Move the bottom tray to the upper rack and vice versa each time you stir. The popcorn will deepen in color and harden a bit as the caramel bakes and sets. Cool the popcorn to room temperature. Store in an airtight container. I've found the popcorn will keep, stored tightly, for 1-2 weeks.

Source: My Kitchen Cafe

Virgin Buttermilk Pancakes

I gave out the recipe for these pancakes 2 years ago and never tried them. I finally did and they are super good. The olive oil can only be found at the Queen Creek Olive Mill or online. Whole Foods carries them, but I don't think they have all the fancy flavors. It's worth the trip down anyway. You could also try putting a split vanilla bean in olive oil and warm it to infuse it. I make rosemary olive oil that way. Anyway, it's worth a try because the pancakes are yummy.

Virgin Buttermilk Pancakes

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup QCOM Vanilla Bean Olive Oil
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt

Preheat skillet or griddle to med-high. Combine all wet ingredients in blender, pulse once. Then add rest of the ingredients in blender, purée until smooth. Pour 1-2 oz. of batter onto griddle. Cook until top are full of bubbles and bottom is golden grown, flip and brown other side. Remove and finish with favorite toppings.

*Try substituting Queen Creek Olive Mill Blood Orange Olive Oil, Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, Mexican Lime Olive Oil, or Chocolate Extra Virgin Olive Oil for unique and tasty pancakes.

Green Chile Beef Empanadas

What can you do with leftover shredded beef from our shredded green chile beef burritos? Make empanadas. It's a really easy way to use up your shredded beef leftovers--of course you can make the shredded beef just for this recipe too. It's a recipe from Robin Miller of Food Network. Yum, yum, yum.

Green Chile Beef Empanadas

2 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crusts

2 cups cooked shredded beef
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Unroll pie crusts onto a flat surface. Top each quadrant of crust with 1/2 cup of beef, 1/4 cup of cheese and about a tablespoon of chiles, making even layers and spreading ingredients to within 1/2-inch of the edges. Top with second pie crust. Using a pastry cutter or sharp knife, make an X across the circle, making 4 equal sections. Pinch around the edges with a fork to seal.

Transfer empanadas to a baking sheet and make small slits in the top of each one to allow steam to escape during cooking. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

Chile Con Queso

I don't make queso dip very often, because it's too easy too eat way too much. But it sure is good. This recipe is from EatingWell.com and is less fat and calories than the typical dip....but not a diet food by any means. It is quite tasty. A little more work than velveeta, but I think it is worth it.

Chile Con Queso

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup pale ale, or other light-colored beer
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk, divided
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 3/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar, preferably orange
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained, or 1 1/4 cups drained petite-diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
1/4 cup sliced scallions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add beer and cook until reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup milk and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add to the pan and cook, stirring vigorously, until bubbling and thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add cheese and cook, stirring, until melted. Stir in drained tomatoes, lime juice, salt, chili powder and cayenne (if using). Serve warm, garnished with scallions and cilantro.

Vegan Zucchini Cake

This recipe is very similar to my "family" recipe. It's vegan, but it does't have any weird ingredients. The banana that replaces the egg does give it a hint of banana flavor, but it is still really good. I opted for no nuts or chocolate chips.

Zucchini Cake

2 1/2 cups grated, peeled, fresh zucchini

2 ripe bananas, mashed well
1 cup canola oil
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cups ground walnuts (optional)
1 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

In medium sized mixing bowl, combine zuchini, bananas, oil, and vanilla. Stir well or beat with electric mixer if you want to be fancy. In large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except chocolate. Add wet mixture to dry, mix well and add chocolate chips. Pour into lightly greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes, until toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean. Let cool upright 15 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack. Allow to cool 30 minutes before tasting.
 
Source: Post Punk Kitchen

Hamburger Buddy

I haven't really had a lot of Hamburger Helper in my life, but I imagine this is much better---and better for you. Ok, the name is pretty lame, but it's good.

Hamburger Buddy

3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled

2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
10 ounces white mushrooms, large ones cut in half
1 large onion, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound 90%-lean ground beef
2 teaspoons dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups water
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth, divided
8 ounces whole-wheat elbow noodles, (2 cups)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or chives for garnish

Fit a food processor with the steel blade attachment. With the motor running, drop garlic through the feed tube and process until minced, then add carrots and mushrooms and process until finely chopped. Turn it off, add onion, and pulse until roughly chopped.

Cook beef in a large straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped vegetables, thyme, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften and the mushrooms release their juices, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in water, 1 1/2 cups broth, noodles and Worcestershire sauce; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Whisk flour with the remaining 1/4 cup broth in a small bowl until smooth; stir into the hamburger mixture. Stir in the sour cream. Simmer, stirring often, until the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley (or chives), if desired
 
Source: Eating Well

Spicy Orange Habenero Salsa

Our habenero plant is very fruitful right now. I can tolerate a little spice, but these guys can be hot. We tried to find a recipe that would highlight the spice without knocking us out. This salsa was very good. It was definitely spicy, but it was a good burn. If you don't have a lot of time--or access to fresh tomatillos--there are definitely shortcuts you can take. I have seen canned tomatillos and mandarin oranges if you want a quicker salsa.

Spicy Orange Habenero Salsa



1 pound tomatillos
3 to 4 habanero peppers
2 oranges
6 green onions, sliced
salt
lime juice

In an ungreased iron skillet, roast half of the tomatillos in their husks for about 10 minutes, turning often; remove from pan and cool. When cool, place them in a blender, and set aside. Meanwhile remove husks from remaining tomatillos and rinse them and dice fine, and place them in a bowl.

Roast the habaneros over low heat, turning often, about 5 to 7 minutes, or until they begin to char; remove from pan. Stem and remove seeds of habaneros (wear gloves), and add to blender; purée. Squeeze one of the oranges over a sieve placed over the bowl with the tomatillos (to catch any stray seeds). Add the pepper/tomatillo purée and mix well. Peel the remaining orange; remove pith; remove seeds (if desired); dice fine, and add to the bowl along with the chopped green onions. Season to taste with salt and lime juice and allow to stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving to develop flavor.

Source: Clay's Kitchen

Tadka Dal

I do like Indian food, but we often buy the premade packets of sauce from the Asian market. Indian food can involve a lot of spices, some that are hard to find. My husband definitely had to hit the Asian market for this recipe. He even had to go to an Indian market for the last ingredient. It wasn't a terribly hard recipe--especially since we got to use the pressure cooker. The directions on this recipe were a little confusing on the pressure cooker part. Ours doesn't do a whistling thing like is described. So we waited until the cooker started going and let it cook for a while. It was definitely mushy when it was done. It's supposed to be mushy. The recipe that I linked has some links that describe some of the weirder ingredients. If you are adventurous enough to make this, you will probably need it.

1 cup Toor or Tuvar Daal --mine was actually labeled Moong

1 large tomato cut into cubes
1 tsp ginger paste (we just used minced ginger)
1 tsp garlic paste (we used minced garlic)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp vegetable/ sunflower/ canola cooking oil
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3 tbsps melted ghee (clarified butter)
1 tsp Paanch Phoran (see recipe below)
10 curry leaves
2 slit green chillies (optional but preferred)
1/2 tsp asafetida powder
 
Thoroughly wash the Daal and put into a pressure cooker. Add 2 cups of water to it. Now add the chopped tomato, ginger, garlic pastes, salt to taste, 1 tbsp of cooking oil and turmeric powder to it. Stir well.


Cover the pressure cooker and set on the stove at a high flame. After the first 'whistle'/ pressure release, reduce the flame to simmer and cook for 2 more 'whistles'/ pressure releases. Turn off the fire and release the pressure from the cooker. Now open the pressure cooker and stir the boiled lentils well to blend into a smooth soup-like consistency. If it is too thick, add some warm water and stir till the consistency is right. Heat the Daal through again. It shoudl be piping hot before you carry out the next step in the recipe.

Heat the ghee on a medium flame, in a small pan till hot. Now add the Paanch Phoran and fry till spluttering stops. Add the curry leaves and green chillies and cook till spluttering stops. Turn off the fire and add the asafetida powder. Stir to mix well and add this tempering mix to the boiled lentil mixture. It will sizzle and might splutter a bit, so be careful when you do this. Stir well.

Serve with plain boiled rice.

Source: about.com

Sunflower Seed Crusted Tilapia

When I first tasted this recipe, I thought it need more flavor. After another bite, I decided I really liked it anyway. I didn't squeeze lemon juice on the fish at the end. I think that would have been what it needed. It's very light and healthy and easy to make. The original recipe called for orange roughy, but tilapia is cheap and easy to find. Plus I like it. So use whatever fish you like :)

Sunflower Seed Crusted Tilapia

2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3 tablespoons unsalted sunflower seed kernels
4 tilapia filets
Cooking spray
Lemon slices (optional)

Preheat oven to 475°. Place a jelly-roll pan in oven while preheating. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk until foamy. Combine panko and sunflower seed kernels in a shallow dish. Dip fillets in egg white mixture; dredge in panko mixture. Place fish on a wire rack; let stand 10 minutes.

Remove jelly-roll pan from oven; coat pan with cooking spray. Coat fish with cooking spray; place on pan. Bake at 475° for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with lemon slices, if desired.

Source: Cooking Light

Italian Limoncello Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

My husband picked this out for his birthday cake. I think the booze was the clincher. Luckily, we already had limoncello. The cake was super fluffy and nice and lemony. The cream cheese frosting had the texture of cream cheese, but the lemon was definitely the predominant flavor. Not a bad thing, but it was definitely a lemon cake. I used 2 round cake pans since I don't have 2 square ones and it worked fine. Note: after a few days the frosting gets kind of rubbery, so eat it fast.

Italian Limoncello Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

1 box of white cake mix
Oil and eggs as directed on the package
Water as directed on package except for 1/4 cup (replace with limoncello)
¼ cup of limoncello liquor
Grease two square 8x8 pans.

Mix the cake batter according to package directions, except replace ¼ cup of the water with ¼ cup of limoncello. Bake the cake until the top springs back when touched, or a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Invert the two cake layers onto a cooling rack.

Limoncello cream cheese frosting:
1 package of Jello instant lemon pudding mix (I used the small box)
1 block of cream cheeses, 8 ounces
½ cup of milk
1 ounce limoncello

Allow the cream cheese to sit on the counter to soften. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix on high speed about 2 minutes, or until creamy and smooth. Turn one cooled cake layer onto a plate. Spread half the frosting mixture on top of the layer. Put the second layer on top of the first, and cover the top but not the sides with frosting. Add some sprinkles if you desire.

Before serving, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

Source: Examiner.com

Spicy Mint Beef

I watched Giada make Thai food this weekend and it looked so good we had to make it. So I sent my husband to the Asian market. It was a little spicy, a little minty, and very yummy.

Spicy Mint Beef

3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Thai chiles, such as prik kee noo, or 3 serrano chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced*
1 pound flank steak, very thinly sliced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
1/4 cup fish sauce*
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce*
2 tablespoons black soy sauce*
1 tablespoon chili paste in soy bean oil*
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh Thai basil leaves*
1 cup whole fresh mint leaves
*Can be found at specialty Asian markets

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chiles and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the steak and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the shallots and bell pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the fish sauce, sweet soy sauce, black soy sauce and chili paste. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and cook, stirring frequently until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil and mint until wilted. Transfer to a serving dish and serve over steamed rice.

Black and White Bean DIp

This dip is pretty easy to make. The hardest thing is chopping a couple of tomatoes. It's yummy and it's very party friendly. You can add some peppers if you like it a little spicy.

Black and White Bean Dip


1 can of black beans
1 can of white beans (I used Great Northern beans)
1 can of corn
1 7oz can of (Herdez) salsa verde
2 cups of shredded Colby Jack cheese
4-6 chopped roma tomatoes (squeeze liquid out of tomatoes before chopping)
garlic salt to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)
Avocado (optional, didn't use)

Rinse and drain both cans of beans. Also drain the can of corn. Make sure to squeeze liquid out of tomatoes before chopping so the dip doesn’t turn runny. Put everything (except for the avocado) in a bowl and mix together. Spray a shallow baking dish with nonstick spray before spooning in the bean mixture. Sprinkle a little cheese on top and pop into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and it is all warm and bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with diced avocado and serve with tortilla chips.
 
Source: My Kitchen Cafe

Alton Brown's Taco Seasoning

This recipe came from a current episode of Good Eats. I couldn't find it on the Food Network website so if you missed the episode here it is. I think this is a good seasoning mix. It might be a little bit salty. Next time I might try it with a little less salt.

Taco Seasoning

2 T chili powder
1 T cumin
2 tsp corn starch
2 tsp salt
1&1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne

Cuban Sandwiches

I was inspired by this Cuban sandwich that I had at The Deli in Queen Creek. It was soooooo good. So I found this recipe to try my own version. We took a few liberties: used bolili rolls, used good deli ham, used a pork roast, used regular olive oil and used a slow cooker to cook the roast. They were pretty awesome. Warm and crunchy, yum. Authentic enough for my taste.

Cuban Sandwiches

Cuban bread or (Substitute French bread if you must, but NOT a baguette!)

Butter, softened
1 pound ham sliced (Use a good quality ham.)
1 pound lechón asado (roasted Cuban pork) sliced (Follow the lechón asado link or see the following recipe)
1/2 pound Swiss cheese, sliced (Use a mild Swiss -- we like Baby Swiss -- it has only a few holes.)
Sliced dill pickles (dill "Sandwich Stackers" work great)
Yellow mustard (optional)
Mayonnaise (NEVER!!)

To make four generous sandwiches:


Preheat a pancake griddle or large fry pan. Cut the bread into sections about 8 inches long. Cut these in half and spread butter on both halves (inside). Make each sandwich with the ingredients in this order: pickles, roasted pork, ham, and cheese. Be generous!

NOTE: Most people use a sweet cured ham (jamón dulce) or bolo ham for Cuban sandwiches. If you can find these hams in your area, great. Otherwise, look for a slightly sweet, soft textured ham with a mild taste. You don't want the flavor of the ham to overpower the rest of the ingredients! Also, never use shaved ham or pork in a Cuban sandwich!

Place the sandwich on the hot griddle (fry pan) sprayed with a little "Pam" or lightly greased. Place a heavy iron skillet or bacon press on top of the sandwich to flatten. (You really want to smash the sandwich, compressing the bread to about 1/3 its original size!)

Grill the sandwiches for two to three minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden. Make sure your griddle or fry pan is not TOO HOT! Otherwise, the crust will burn before the cheese melts. Slice the sandwich in half diagonally and serve.

Lechon Asado (Roast Pork)
One "fresh ham" with bone in (or have your butcher butterfly it for you!) and skin on.

You can also use a small pork roast with a good layer of fat on it. A pork shoulder is nice!

Mojo Marinade
20 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups sour orange juice
(If you can't get sour orange juice in your area, use two parts orange to one part lemon and one part lime)
1 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 cups Spanish olive oil Mash the garlic and salt together with a mortar and pestle.
Add dried oregano, onion, and the sour orange to the mash and mix thoroughly.

Heat oil in small sauce pan, add the mash to the oil and whisk. Pierce pork as many times as you can with a sharp knife or fork.

Pour garlic mixture (save a little for roasting) over pork, cover and let sit in refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.

Oven
Place the pork fattest side up in an open roasting pan. Place pan in oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F. Spoon extra marinade over the roast occasionally as it cooks. Using a meat thermometer, roast should be removed from the oven when the temperature reaches 155 degrees F.
Immediately cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. The roast will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat. A perfectly cooked pork roast will be pale white in the middle and the juices will run clear.

Grill
Use a covered grill, such as the Webber kettle or a covered gas grill. Bank the coals to each side, leaving an empty space beneath your ham. If using a gas grill, use front and rear burners only. The idea is to cook with indirect heat.

Spoon extra marinade over the roast occasionally as it cooks. If not using a gas grill, add charcoal to the sides as needed to maintain roasting temperature. Using a meat thermometer, roast should be removed from the grill when the temperature reaches 155 degrees F.

Immediately cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. The roast will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat. A perfectly cooked pork roast will be pale white in the middle and the juices will run clear.

Stovetop
Place ham in a large Dutch oven, or a covered stock pan -- whatever you have that the pork will fit in. Add about one cup of marinade to the pan. Bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to low, cover and cook until completely done. Add additional marinade as needed to keep at least one inch of liquid in bottom of pan -- otherwise the roast will burn.

Serves: Servings based on the size of your ham. Allow about 1/4 to 1/2 pound per person, depending on side dishes

Source: Three Guys From Miami

Gnocchi with Chicken Sausage, Bell Pepper, and Fennel

Gnocchi are so good. Little pillowy dumplings. I have yet to make them from scratch, but you can find them at most grocery stores these days. They cook really quick--2 to 3 minutes in boiling water. The sausage can be any sausage you prefer. I think ours was Italian chicken sausage. We also skipped the fennel cause my husband doesn't like it. It wasn't missed. Pretty easy recipe and very good.

Gnocchi with Chicken Sausage, Bell Pepper, and Fennel

1 (16-ounce) package vacuum-packed gnocchi

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
6 ounces basil, pine nut, and chicken sausage (such as Gerhard's), casing removed and sliced
1 cup thinly sliced fennel
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Asiago cheese
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cook the gnocchi according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the gnocchi in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Keep gnocchi warm.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Remove sausage from skillet using a slotted spoon.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add fennel, bell pepper, and onion to pan; cook 13 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add sausage, gnocchi, cheese, black pepper, and reserved cooking liquid to pan; cook 1 minute or until cheese melts, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in parsley.

Source: Cooking Light

Cashew Chicken

Another easy, healthy Asian dish. The sauce is good, but it needed more for the leftovers. Otherwise, no complaints. Tasty.

Cashew Chicken

1&1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
3 T soy sauce
1 T ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, shredded (2 cups)
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cups cashews, toasted and chopped
3 cups quinoa or rice (used brown rice)

Combine chicken, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a shallow dish; cover and let marinate for at least 30 minutes up to 8 hours. Spray large wok or skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium-high heat. Add chicken and marinade and saute for 5 minutes or until tender. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add carrots, broccoli and onion to same skillet and saute for 5 minutes or until crips-tender. Add chicken back to pan and add broth. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cashews and cook 2 more minutes or until thorouhly heated. Serve over quinoa or rice.

Source: Clean Eating magazine

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is not really sweet and sour. It has the elements-- the chicken, the peppers, the pineapple-- but it's missing the sauce. It is still really good and good for you. So maybe it just needs a different name.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 T raw honey (or regular)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/4 tsp crushed pepper flake
1&1/4 lb chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
12 sprigs cilantro
1&1/2 cups cooked brown rice

In small bowl whisk together soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger and pepper flakes. Place chicken in a large shallow dish. Pour mixture over chicken, toss. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes up to 8 hours.

Heat a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken and marinade and saute' for 5 minutes or until vegetables are slightly tender. Add pineapple and cook 2 more minutes. Sprinkle with cilatro and serve over rice.

Source: Clean Eating magazine

Broccoli-Cheese Chowder

Nothing like a steaming bowl of chowder when it is 110 degrees outside. At least it doesn't heat up the house. The directions for this tell you to mash with a fork. I used my immersion blender. It's awesome. Of course, it looked a lot like split pea soup when I was done. We added a little ham to it, but it isn't necessary.
The soup is yummy and creamy without having a bunch of fatty cream in it.

Broccoli-Cheese Chowder

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces broccoli crowns, (see Ingredient Note), cut into 1-inch pieces, stems and florets separated
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/8 teaspoon salt

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until the onion and celery soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add potato and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

Add broth and broccoli stems; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in florets; simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes more. Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a bowl and mash; return to the pan.

Stir in Cheddar and sour cream; cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted and the chowder is heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.
 
Source: Eating Well