Peanut Butter Bars

Mom made these a few weekends ago and I couldn't stop eating them. Easy, chewy, peanut buttery without being too peanut buttery...yum!  She found the recipe on venividiscrappy.blogspot.com

24 Servings

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2 cups packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (11 1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
Spread into greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut in bars.

Asiago Sweet Potatoes

Another Fresh365online.com recipe, which means it's easy, tasty, and vegetarian. I like it with Asiago, but I've also had good results with Pecorino Romano. I've also used shallots in place of onions when that's all I had, and dried thyme in place of fresh, for the same reason. I do a little less olive oil than the recipe calls for--with all that cheese, you can get away with it.

Asiago Sweet Potatoes

serves 4

4 T olive oil
2 T fresh thyme leaves
2 medium sweet potatoes (or 1 1/2 large), sliced thin
2 small onions, sliced thin
2 c grated Asiago cheese

Preheat oven to 400F. In a casserole dish, drizzle 2 T olive oil, and sprinkle 1 T thyme. Layer sweet potato slices, slightly overlapping, followed by onions. Sprinkle with a handful of Asiago. Repeat, layering sweet potatoes, onion, and Asiago, until no ingredients remain, about 5-7 layers total. Drizzle with 2 T olive oil and sprinkle with 1 T thyme.

Transfer to oven, and bake until potatoes are cooked through, and cheese is brown and bubbling, about 45 minutes.

Jello Cream Squares

Crust:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Cream sugar and butter, add flour and nuts.  Press into 9x13 pan, bake 375 for 10 minutes, cool.

Middle:
1 (3 oz) pkg lemon jello
1 cup hot water
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 pt. whipping cream

Dissolve jello in hot water, cool.  Cream sugar and cheese, add cooled jello gradually to sugar mixture.  Add whipped cream to cheese mixture.  Pour into crust and cool.

Top:
2 (3 oz) pkgs. strawberry jello
3 cups hot water
frozen sliced strawberries

Dissolve jello in hot water and cool.  When middle filling is set, lightly spoon the strawberry mixture over top, and lay in some sliced strawberries.  Chill until set.

Oatmeal Carrot Muffins

These muffins rock.  Our whole family (including Benjamin) devours them.  I modify the recipe a bit: add a grated zucchini and a grated apple (with water pressed out) and a scant 1/3 C ground flaxseed.  I also pass on the white flour and either do all wheat or 1/2 wheat 1/2 spelt.  If your vegetables are big or too watery, add a little more flour or oats.

OATMEAL CARROT MUFFINS

Printed from COOKS.COM

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1/2 c. oil
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. grated carrots
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. flour
1 c. rolled oats
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Nuts, as desired

Combine oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla and carrots. Mix well. In another bowl, combine dry ingredients. Stir into first mixture. Add nuts. Spoon batter into muffin papers in muffin tins. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Vegetable Enchiladas (adapted from Martha Stewart)

2 T olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can (14 1/2 oz) reduced sodium vegetable broth
some canned green chile enchilada sauce, to taste (my addition)
coarse salt and ground pepper
3 cups grated pepper jack cheese (12 oz)
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 box (10 oz) frozen corn kernels, thawed (I used a can, drained)
6 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
16 corn tortillas (6-inch)

Sauce:
In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium.  Add 1 tsp cumin, flour, and tomato paste; cook, whisking, 1 minute.  Whisk in broth and 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5-8 minutes.  (I thought the sauce was too bland, so I added some canned green chile enchilada sauce to this mixture.  I probably used about 2/3-3/4 cup.  You don't want it to be too runny, but it definitely needs a bit more flavor).  Season with salt and pepper, set aside.

Filling:
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups cheese, beans, spinach, corn, the whites of the green onions, and remaining 1 tsp cumin; season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400.  Spray or lightly oil two 8-inch squre baking dishes; set aside.  Stack tortillas, wrap in damp paper towels, microwave on high for 1 minute.  Top each tortilla with a heaping 1/3 cup filling, roll up tightly and arrange, seam side down, in prepared baking dishes.

Dividing evenly, sprinkle enchiladas with remaining 1 cup cheese, and top with sauce.  Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes; serve garnished with green parts of green onions.

some online comments to consider:  some people liked adding chipotle Tabasco sauce, or an enchilada sauce packet to the sauce, or using green chile enchilada sauce instead of this sauce.  Some said to bake and then freeze in portions, but the sauce doesn't warm up nicely.  You could freeze the enchiladas, then thaw them and bake with freshly made sauce.

Greek Couscous Salad from Our Best Bites

2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 1/2 cups whole wheat couscous
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup evoo
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

1.  Place broth, oregano, and basil in a small pot on the stove top.  Bring to a boil.  Add the couscous, cover the pot, and remove from heat.  Let sit for at least 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork.  Cool.

2.  Combine cooled couscous, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives, feta, and parsley.  Set aside.

3.  In a small jar, combine vinaigrette ingredients and shake until combined.  Pour over salad, stir, and then refrigerate 2 hours before serving.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

4.  If desisred, garnish with fresh parsley, extra feta cheese, and lemon slices for squeezing on top.

NOTES:

The recipe called for plain couscous; I used whole wheat.  I didn't have any fresh parsley, so I put in about 1 1/2 T dried into the boiling liquid.  I didn't have any feta, so I used a smaller amount of blue cheese (I liked it a lot, but I'm sure the feta is good, too).  I was in a hurry, so I used 1/2 tsp granulated garlic and thought the dressing turned out just fine.  But generally fresh is best.  I didn't add any more salt and pepper before serving.

Sweet Spinach Salad

Spinach
Granny Smith apple - sliced thinly
Craisins - handful
Almonds (sliced or slivered) - toasted
Bacon - chopped
Cheese (swiss or whatever sounds good) - grated or chopped
Red onion - 1/2 medium, sliced into thin half-moons
Poppy Seed Dressing

Poppy Seed Dressing:
1/3 c white sugar
1/2 c distilled white vinegar
1 tsp dry ground mustard
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 c canola oil

Mix sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt, and poppy seeds in a blender. (I use a mason jar and immersion blender.) With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the oil to emulsify.

Note: The actual dressing recipe calls for 1 tsp grated onion. I left it out because I had onions in the salad. But if you don't want chunks of onion in the salad, I recommend you put it in the dressing for a little kick.

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

1 1/2 C sugar
1/2 C oil
2 1/2 C flour
2 1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 C buttermilk
2 C 100% All-Bran cereal
1 C bran buds
1 c boiling water
2 eggs, beaten

Pour boiling water over All-Bran, then add buds and mix all ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate until baking.  Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Batter keeps 6 weeks in fridge.  Freezes well.

Creamy Caprese Pasta

this recipe comes from howsweeteats.com

1 pound whole wheat pasta (noodles such as penne work best)

1 cup of your favorite pasta/tomato sauce

1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for garnish

4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes

1 pint of grape tomatoes (I cut some in half and left some whole)

1 bunch of fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Boil water and cook pasta according to directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat tomato sauce over low heat in a large saucepan. Once warm, stir in heavy cream and grated parmesan. Once pasta is done cooking, drain and dump into the sauce, mixing to coat and turning off heat. Fold in mozzarella cubes and tomatoes, then chop 3-4 fresh basil leaves and add them in too. Once combined, spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and pour the entire pasta mixture into the dish. Top with fresh mozzarella rounds. Bake for 25 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Top with additional fresh basil and grated cheese. Serve with garlic bread. You can also add in chicken, steak or seafood for some protein.

Comments: 

I used regular penne noodles since some reviewers said they didn't like the texture of the wheat.  Reviewers say to double the sauce and cheese but leave the cream as is.  I doubled the pasta sauce and the mozzarella, but not the cream, parmesan or tomatoes.  And we used Maren and Brent's homemade pasta sauce.  Reviewers also wanted more basil, so I think I did about 1.5 times what it calls for.  Next time I would not use the grilled chicken that we added, but maybe try some Italian sausage for those who don't want vegetarian.  I would also add more mozzarella rounds to the top than what I used.

Reds and Greens Salad

4 cups romaine lettuce pieces (I used more)
4 cups spring mix (I used less)
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pistachio nuts

Mix all and lightly dress with:

Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 t Dijon mustard

My notes:

This recipe is from The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner (bought at Costco awhile back). It says it serves 4 to 6, but that all depends, of course. I like to make a goodly amount, but the family is not eating as large servings as the bag or recipe says. Generally.

The recipe calls for pistachios, but I used toasted slivered almonds. I got the pistachios, but it was a pain trying to remove the paper skins from each nut. I would hold a nut in my fingers and try to twist it and see if the paper would loosen for removal. It sometimes did, sometimes didn't. I didn't know if they would be good or if the paper would get yucky, so I sent the almonds instead. However, in the leftovers I kept for myself I added the pistachios, and they were terrific. So if you've got the time and the patience, they would be good. But I'm sure the almonds were fine, too.

I don't like running out of salad dressing and having to make more, so I doubled the recipe. Don't know if there were many leftovers or not.

I wasn't sure I wanted a strong olive oil taste, so I put in half olive oil and half corn oil. It seemed a little tart to me, so I added a spoonful of sugar and then I liked it better.

I REALLY liked this.

Roasted Asparagus Soup with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Parmesan Croutons

A delicious recipe I found on the Food Network website.  I get lots of compliments on it every time I make it.

4 slices bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks, rinsed well and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Roasted asparagus, chopped, about 4 cups
1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup diced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (opt.)
Grated pecorino romano on top (opt.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Arrange bread cubes on prepared baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.  Sprinkle cubes with parmesan cheese.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

While the croutons are baking, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add leeks and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, or until soft.  Add bay leaves and thyme and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant.  Add asparagus, potato and broth and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium, partially cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until potato is fork tender.  Remove bay leaves, and using an immersion blender, or a regular blender working in batches, puree soup until smooth.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with sun-dried tomatoes and croutons.

My notes:
-Prepping the asparagus is the hard, time-consuming part.  Once that's done, the rest is fast and easy.  But who has 4 cups of roasted chopped asparagus on hand, I ask you?  I roast my asparagus with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  You can do this ahead of time and refrigerate it until you need it.
-I tried this recipe once when I didn't have fresh asparagus, so I used frozen asparagus and roasting that.  It took less time because I didn't scrape off scales.  I got fewer compliments on the soup.  I won't do it again.
-For the croutons, I nix the cooking spray and use olive oil instead.  Also, I use way more parmesan.  And I usually use yummy Pugliese or other bread, because the better the bread, the better the croutons.
-If you break the bay leaves in half, and crush the thyme with your fingers, you get more herbal essence.
-This recipe says it makes 4 servings.  That is true, if you are skimpy and no one dreams of having seconds.  Long story short, I would 1 1/2 times the recipe for 4 real servings.  But of course, if you're going to all this work and it's as delicious as I say it is, then you should just double or triple it and have leftovers.

The end.

Smoked Turkey Salad from The Silver Palate Cookbook

This we also served at Matt and Jess's open house. Takes a bit of time to chop the cheese (of course, we made a huge amount).

Again, quoting right from the book:

This meat-cheese-and-fruit salad, with its nutty, sherry-flavored drssing, is a complete meal. Arrange individual servings on lettuce-lined plates, accompanied by black or whole-wheat bread and a glass of white wine or beer.

1 1/2 pounds smoked turkey (or cooked, lightly smoked ham or chicken), skinned
and cut into 2-inch julienne
3/4 pound Jarlsberg cheese, cut into similar julienne
2 cups seedless green or red grapes, washed and patted dry (and if they are
really bit, I would cut them in half)
1 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cups Sherry Mayonnaise (recipe follows)
salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons water-packed green peppercorns, drained (I don't think
I was able to find these. At least it doesn't ring a bell. I wonder
how capers would taste here?)

Combine the turkey, Jarlsberg cheese, grapes, and celery in a mixing bowl.

Add the Sherry Mayonnaise and toss gently but well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss again. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Arrange the salad in serving portions and sprinkle with the green peppercorns to taste.

6 portions


Sherry Mayonnaise
This richly flavored mayonnaise complements combinations like the Smoked Turkey Salad, but it is also delicious on such simple fare as a chicken sandwich on white bread. We have also served it as a dip for crudites with great success.

1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon prepared Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
2 cups corn oil

Combine the whole egg, egg yolks, mustard, and vinegar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Process for 1 minute.

With the motor still running, dribble in the oil in a slow steady stream.

When oil is completely incorporated, shut off machine, scrape down sides of bowl, taste mayonnaise and correct seasoning. Transfer to storage container, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.

2 1/2 cups

Note: When I first made this, locating sherry vinegar required a trip to a specialty store. If you use another kind of vinegar, it might be good, but it will not be the same as you remember.

White Bean and Ham Salad from Matt & Jess's open house

This recipe is from The Silver Palate Cookbook and I will write it as it is written there:

Serve this charcuterie salad with tart cornishons and whole wheat or black bread. A wonderful autumn or winter lunch, perfect on a picnic. A good dark beer would be especially appropriate here. (Well, maybe you don't need that piece of information, but maybe we get outside viewers to our blog who would like to know that.)

1 pound Great Northern or other dried white beans
salt, to taste
1 to 2 cups Garlic-Mustard dressing
1 medium purple onion, peeled and sliced paper-thin
1 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 pound cooked ham, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
salt and freshly-ground blac pepper, to taste
1 cup best-quality imported black olives (Kalamata or Alfonso) (garnish)

Rinse and sort through the beans, discarding any pebbles, and soak them overnight in water that covers them by at least 3 inches.

Drain beans and transfer them to a kettle. Add cold water to cover the beans by at least 1 inch. Set over moderate heat. Bring to boil, skimming off any scum that may form, and cook beans until tender, about 40 minutes, salting to taste after 30 minutes. Cooking times will vary. It is important not to overcook the beans.

Drain beans, transfer them immediately to a mixing bowl, and pour 1 cup of the garlic-mustard dressing over the still-hot beans.

Add the onion, parsley and ham, season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss again. Cover and refrigerate.

To serve, allow salad to return to room temperature. Toss again, correct seasoning (add more dressing if you like), and garnish with the black olives.

6 to 8 portions


Garlic-Mustard Dressing

1 egg
1/3 cup prepared Dijon mustard
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 cups best-quality imported olive oil

Combine the egg, mustard and vinegar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Season to tastse with the salt and pepper and process for 1 minute.

With the motor still running, drop the garlic cloves tshrough the feed tube. Then begin dribbling in the olive oil in a slow steady stream. (But if you have a Cuisinart, you can just fill up the plunger that lives in the top of the lid -- it has a tiny hole and will let the oil drizzle in at an appropriate speed. I LOVE this feature.)

When all the oil is incorporated, shut off motor, taste, and correct seasoning (the dressing should be very garlicky).

Transfer to storage container and refrigerate until ready to use.

3 cups


Notes: It took me considerably longer than 40 minutes to get the beans tender. Old beans take longer that fresher beans, and I'm sure they cook quicker at low altitude levels than they do here in the mountains. I would look around the web for ideas about how to get your beans cooked just right. You don't want them to be mushy, but you DEFINITELY don't want them to be not soft. If you try to make them al dente, let me assure you you will regret it and probably during the night.

You may be able to find cornishons in a well-stocked grocery store. They are perfect with this, but in a pinch I'd go with a good dill pickle.

I can't remember what kinds of olives I used. You should be able to find Kalamata in a good grocery store. It's worth your while to develop a taste for imported olives. When Emma was two (she of the "May I have some more quiche and tabouleh, please?" fame) and I don't know how long before or after, I used to get some prepared yummies at a now-defunct place called The Upper Place on Foothill. Was it in the tabouleh that I first had my first really good olive? I wanted to spit it out, it was so foreign to our bland American Black Pearls or whatever. But I kept trying them and eventually learned that they are really yummy. But there is a learning curve here. There are brined olives and others that I think are kept in salt for a long time. The latter are the really pungent ones.

We really need to work on overcoming our food biases. We went to a Mediterranean restaurant with Joyce and Merrill a couple of months ago, and I assured everyone they would love the baba ganoush. But Merrill (and I didn't know he was so provincial) said that what was "smoky" to me was "burnt-tasting" to him. Imagine! How could ANYbody not love my precious baba?

I probably used the whole second cup of dressing.

Slow-Baked Caramelized Tomatoes

This is a great, easy thing to do if you've got extra tomatoes lying around.  It's best with fresh-from-the-garden summertime tomatoes, but it also is a nice thing to do if you end up with some less-than-stellar tomatoes that you don't know what else to do with.  They keep well in the fridge, so if you don't eat them all, you can chop some up and add them to some hot pasta and toss with a little fresh basil, parsley, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic...you get the picture.

4 large tomatoes, halved
3 cloves garlic, minced (not pressed)
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Place tomato halves cut-side up in a large non-stick baking dish in a single layer, with plenty of space around each one.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Combine all ingredients in small bowl; remove dish from oven, and using a spoon or pastry brush, coat tomatoes with mixture.  Return to oven and bake until very soft and caramelized, almost collapsed--approx. 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Credit: Crescent Dragonwagon's "Passionate Vegetarian" cookbook, page 816-817

Vegetarian Chili

Here, as requested, is the low-fat vegetarian chili I made recently, as well as I can recall.

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 med onion, diced

1 lg green bell pepper

4 small anaheim peppers

2 cans black beans

1 can red beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can tomato sauce

2 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 qt bottled tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

Using a 6 qt pot, saute onion in olive oil until translucent. Dice peppers and add to onions. When peppers are softened, add drained and rinsed beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, and garlic powder. Add bottled tomatoes, and turn up the heat until bubbly. Turn down and simmer for a while. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes:

I use Sherol's home bottled tomatoes. They are like crushed tomatoes and are very, very liquidy. So I didn't add any additional liquid. If you don't have bottled tomatoes, then use two cans of diced or crushed tomatoes and add liquid as necessary. I would use tomato juice, chicken broth, or water.

I also use peppers from Sherol's garden. They have been preserved by blackening the skin (propane torch or broiler oven) on all sides, then put in a plastic bag while hot to sweat off the skins. Remove the skins, roll individually in saran wrap, and freeze. If you want the nice smokiness that this adds, you can blacken and skin your peppers before adding them to your chili. If you don't want to go to all that effort, then try a little liquid smoke. Or use store-bought canned green chilies. A nice way to add smokey flavor and some heat is to use a canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced.

Sugar Cookies

These are the sugar cookies we make for Christmas each year. I believe Mom got the recipe from Doris Hodgkinson a million years ago.


Ingredients

3 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream


Directions

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and sugar together. Add egg, vanilla, and sour cream. Mix in dry ingredients. Chill dough for 2 hours.

Flour your counter, rolling pin, and cookie cutters sufficiently to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll the dough out to an approximate 1/4 inch thickness. Use a sparingly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-12 minutes.


Whenever I make these, I always hear Mom's warning in my head, "Don't roll them too thin!" I prefer them thick and soft, myself.

Scotcheroos

1 c corn syrup

1 c granulated sugar

1 c peanut butter

6 c rice crispy cereal

1/2 pkg chocolate chips

1/2 pkg butterscotch chips

Combine corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter in a sauce pan over medium low heat. Once peanut butter is melted and sugar is dissolved into a homogenous mixture, pour over rice crispies in a large mixing bowl. Spray a 9x13 pan with Pam. Put crispy mixture in pan and press down lightly. Using your melting method of choice (double boiler, microwave, etc.) melt your chocolate chips and butter scotch chips together and combine until smooth. Spread over the crispies. Let chocolate mixture cool until set before you cut out your bars.

Note: I actually prefer to use a large baking sheet w/ a lip instead of a 9x13 pan. It makes a thinner bar, and I like the ratio of less crispy to the chocolate topping better. The only tweak you have to make is use a full bag of chocolate chips and a full bag of butterscotch chips, or you won't have enough to cover the entire top.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

This recipe won LDS Living's cookie recipe contest several months ago. I tried it recently and regretted not making a double batch. A single recipe makes 2-3 dozen small cookies.

Ingredients:

½ cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoons baking soda
1-½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cups powdered sugar


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Southwestern Taco Salad

I found this recipe online and tweaked it to suit myself and turn it into a taco salad. Here's the original recipe. Below, I'll tell you the changes I made.

Salad:

• Romaine lettuce
• Handful of grape tomatoes
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 small baby bell peppers – red, yellow or orange, diced
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 1/2 cup sweet frozen corn, thawed
• 1 tbsp raw or toasted pumpkin seeds
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 tbsp cotija cheese
• 1 handful of tortilla strips for salads
• Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (recipe below) to taste

In a large salad bowl add chopped lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, avocado, bell peppers, black beans, corn, tortilla strips, pumpkin seeds and cotija cheese. Top the salad with the vinaigrette to taste and serve. Enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar OR red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp oregano

Use am immersion blender or a regular blender to blend the dressing. Let the flavors mingle for at least 30 minutes before using.

I omit the pumpkin seeds and the cotija (substituting jack or cheddar or something). This makes a great salad that can stand alone but I like to turn it into a taco salad for a complete meal. Chips on the bottom of your plate, then taco meat (or my black bean/quinoa taco filling, recipe below) and this salad on top.

Vegetarian Taco Filling

1 med onion
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 can black beans, drained

1 can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic salt
dash pepper

Dice onion and saute in oil in saucepan. Add cup quinoa and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, simmer 15 minutes. Add beans and tomatoes. Stir. Add spices. Add water if too thick.