Long time no see...

Wow, only four recipes in the last six months---I guess it's proof that I've been busy lately. But I am officially moved into my new house, with its gorgeous kitchen, and I am ready for chopping, dicing, sauteing, and lots of other fun stuff. Stay tuned, I expect to be posting quite a bit more.

Bread Machine Naan

2 cups bread flour or plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried yeast
4 tbs milk
1 tbs vegetable oil
2 tbs natural yoghurt
1 egg

1. Add ingredients to breadmaker in the order recommended by your breadmaker manual (mine stipulates all the wet ingredients first, then the dry, then the dried yeast last).

2. Set machine to the "Dough" cycle and press start.


3. Preheat the oven and a baking tray to 220'C/ 425'F.


4. When the machine is finished, remove the dough and cut into three pieces. Roll each out into a tear drop shape about 1/2" thick, and place onto the hot baking tray.



5. Bake until puffed up and golden on the top, about 10-15 minutes. Remove and brush with melted butter or a mixture of melted butter and crushed garlic or herbs, if desired.

Recipe courtesy of http://simple-living-simple-cooking.blogspot.com

Low-Carb Barbeque Sauce

Leon, this one's for you.

Makes 4 cups.

1 tsp. canola or olive Oil
1 cup minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bouillon cubes
1/2 cup hot water
3 6-oz cans tomato paste
1 cup granular Splenda
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 tbsp. Hickory flavor Liquid Smoke
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp. Tabasco sauce, more to taste

1. Place oil in large saucepan. Add onions and garlic, and saute over medium heat until translucent.

2. Mix the bouillon cubes and hot water until partially dissolved. Add bouillon mixture and all remaining ingredients to the saucepan. Stir well using a wire whisk.

3. Simmer uncovered 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently. Refrigerate overnight in a non-metallic container, sauce is best if prepared a day before using. May be refrigerated for up to a week.

Note: This recipe is fantastic. My dad made it for ribs the other day, and it is officially my favorite sauce in the world--suitable for vegetarians to carnivores, no-carb diets to all-carb diets. Yum.

Recipe courtesy of diabetesforums.com

Janet Nelson's Persimmon Cookies

1/2 c butter
1 c sugar (I use less)
1 egg
1 c of persimmmon pulp (see note)
1 1/2 c nuts
1 1/4 c cran-raisins
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp each - cinnamon
ground cloves
nutmeg
often I add orange peel

1. Add the baking soda to the persimmon pulp and set aside for at least 5 minutes

2. Cream the butter, sugar, egg. Add the pulp and mix.

3. Gently stir in the flour mixture (with spices etc). Add the nuts and cran-raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls (it spreads) on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Note: The type of persimmon used to make these cookies is called Hachiya, and they are kind of pointy at the bottom. (There are other varities of this fruit, so make sure that's the kind you have.) Make sure the persimmon is ripe/soft and just scoop the pulp out with a spoon. 1 cup equals about two big fruits.

These cookies freeze exceptionally well, so make a bunch when persimmons are in season, and you can have healthy cookies all year.

Cheese Enchilada Chowder

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
10 oz. frozen corn (or more if you like)
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped bell pepper (whichever color you like...I have used fresh or frozen)
1 large can enchilada sauce
1 can cream of chicken
2 c. milk
cheese

1. Combine all ingredients in crock pot, except for cheese. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4. Add cheese to individual servings. Also, I like a dollop of sour cream.

Serve with chips & guacamole, cornbread, whatever. Can also add a can of chickpeas for extra protein.

Recipe from Telestial Kitchen.

Jeanne's Easy Lemon Cookies

1 package lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/3 cup powdered sugar for decoration


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil and lemon extract until well blended. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into a bowl with the powdered sugar. Roll them around until they are lightly covered. Once sugared, put them on an ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 6-9 minutes. The bottoms will be light brown, and the insides are chewy.

Note: These cookies freeze exceptionally well. I recommend making a double batch and freezing half for potlucks and things like that.

Man Soup

(This is named for my husband, who only likes really hearty soup)

1 package dried tortellini
2 cans of vegetable broth
1 cup of water
frozen green beans, french cut
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
boullion to taste
mix of rosemary, oregano, italian seasoning, and a salt-free spice blend (basically I just raided the spice cabinet until the broth smelled good and wasn't too salty.)
This recipe is very adaptable. If you like corn, add it, if you hate garbanzos, leave 'em out, etc. Even the spices are flexible--I think oregano is a keeper though.

1. Bring the water and broth to a boil. While it is heating up, open the chickpeas and rinse them under running water until they stop foaming. Then add them to the broth.
2. While the broth is heating up, add spices and bouillon to taste.
3. When the broth is boiling, add the frozen greenbeans. They heat through really quickly.
4. Bring the broth to a boil again.
5. Add the tortellini and cook to the manufacturer's instructions (mine took about 12 minutes)
6. Serve.
This whole thing takes about 25 minutes, and used just stuff we had in the kitchen. Its very filling, and makes good leftovers--although by the next day, this is way too thick to still qualify as soup. :)

(Another way to do this is to cook the tortellini separately, and add them to each serving, so they don't absorb all the water in the pot before you can eat this as leftovers.)

September Recipes

Potato Chowder

Pasta with Cream Sauce and Sauteed Zuchinni

Hummus with Pita and Baby Carrots and Sliced Bell Peppers

Cauliflower Leek Soup

Cream Cheese Quesadillas

Figs with Port Salut Cheese and Water Crackers

Roasted Corn Chowder

Tortellini Soup (Man Soup)

Fish Sticks with Tartar Sauce

Gyoza Soup

Garlic Lover's White Bean Soup

Crockpot Stuffed Zucchini

Split Pea Soup with Ham

Crockpot Couscous

Lazy Lasagna

Crockpot Veggie Curry

New Tag

Jason and I are in the market for a house, and in honor of that, I added a new tag today: Budget--because that's what we'll have to do if we're paying a mortgage. :)
Also added a bunch of more crockpot recipes to anticipate the cooler weather we'll be having soon. (Yeah, so in California we won't be having that kind of weather for months, but a girl just likes soup, okay!)

Crockpot Curried Vegetables

3 cups coarsely chopped red potatoes
2 cups peeled and coarsely chopped sweet potatoes
1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 (14-oz) can vegetable broth
1 (13.5-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rice
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup dry-roasted cashews

Add the first 9 ingredients to your crockpot; stir the ingredients to mix them up. Pour the broth and coconut milk over the vegetable mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours. Stir in the rice and frozen peas; cover and cook 5 more minutes. Ladle mixture onto individual plates and sprinkle with cashews.

Crockpot Glazed Carrots

1 package fresh baby carrots - (32 oz)
1/2 cup marmalade
1 Tbs water
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs water
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, until carrots are tender.

About 15 minutes before serving, make a paste of the cornstarch and cold water; stir into carrots. Taste and adjust seasonings.

This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.

Green Chile Grits

2 cups regular grits
6 cups water
1/2 tsp paprika, optional
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
4 to 6 ounces chopped mild green chile
1 or more jalapeno chiles -- seeded, chopped fine
1 dash cayenne

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on LOW for 6 to 9 hours or on HIGH 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If cooking on high, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more water if too thick. Similar to polenta, you serve right away or you can refrigerate the mixture in a buttered loaf pan for a few hours or overnight. Unmold, slice (1/2-inch) and fry in butter or a low fat substitute until browned. This recipe yields about 8 servings.

Crockpot Couscous

1 Tbs dried onion flakes
2 carrots chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can garbanzos drained
1 veggie boullion cube
1 Tbs diced garlic
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/4 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups cooked couscous

Put all ingredients except for couscous into the crockpot. I usually spray the crockpot with Pam, so the mixture doesn't stick. Cover and put on the high setting for 3 hours. After 3 hours, stir the mixture, shut off the crockpot, and then add the cooked couscous. Let set for 10 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage

I. Love. Cabbage. No, seriously. I am so excited to try this.

1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbs flour
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
1 medium head red cabbage shredded
1 small onion finely chopped

In your crockpot, combine sugar, flour, salt and pepper. Stir in water and vinegar. Add cabbage and onion and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours

Crockpot Enchiladas

1-3/4 lbs. canned crushed tomatoes in tomato purée
14 ounces chunky style prepared salsa
6 ounces tomato paste
2 lbs. canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 lb. corn kernels, thawed if frozen
1/4 lb. canned diced mild green chilies, drained
1-1/2 Tbs. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
5 corn tortillas
2 ounces olive slices, drained

Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Pour about 1 cup of mixture into the bottom of an electric slow cooker on low heat. Spread evenly and top with 1-1/2 tortillas, cutting to fit pot. Spread 1/3 of remaining tomato mixture over top. Repeat layering process, ending with tomato mixture. Spread top evenly. Sprinkle with olives. Cover and cook about 5 hours. Serve hot. This recipe serves 5 people.

Crockpot Pumpkin Cake

1 cup of pumpkin
4 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbs baking powder
1 cup of oil
1/2 cup of orange juice
2 and 1/4 cups of flour

Grease your crock pot and set it on high.

Cook it for 2 or 2 and 1/2 hours on high.

Crockpot Stuffed Zucchini

1 medium zucchini or summer squash, halved lengthwise, with seeds removed
1 cup tomato sauce
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 cup uncooked brown rice
1 Tbs dried parsley
1 Tbs dried basil
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 Tbs pine nuts, toasted
Fresh parsley (optional)
Fresh basil (optional)
Mozzarella cheese (optional)
Parmesan cheese (optional)

To toast pine nuts, place them in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until golden or about 5 minutes. Place the zucchini halves in the bottom of an oval shaped crockpot. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the tomato sauce and vinegar. In another small bowl, combine the onions, garlic, rice, parsley, basil, pepper, along with 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce-vinegar mixture. Fill the zucchini halves with the rice mixture. Top with the remaining tomato sauce-vinegar mixture. Cover and cook on LOW until the rice is tender, 4 to 6 hours. Garnish with the pine nuts, fresh herbs, and cheese. Makes 2 main dish servings or 4 side dish servings.

Crockpot Baked Apples

4-6 medium baking apples (anything other than red delicious)
Brown sugar or honey or maple syrup
Cinnamon

Carefully remove cores with paring knife and veggie peeler or spoon handle. Do not peel and do not pierce skin on bottom of apple. Mix a little brown sugar and cinnamon and fill apple holes. Or substitute honey or maple sugar.

Place in crockpot at bed time and cook on low through the night (6-8 hours). You'll awaken to a wonderful aroma and hot baked apples for breakfast.

Serve with your favorite granola or wheat toast. This easy crockpot baked apples recipe is one of our favorites in the fall and winter.

Cabbage-Chili Crockpot Soup

3 cups coarsely-chopped cabbage
1 cup chopped onion
3 cups Healthy Choice tomato juice or any reduced-sodium tomato juice
1 can Healthy Request tomato soup - (10 3/4 oz)
1 can kidney beans - (16 oz) -- rinsed, drained
2 tsp chili seasoning mix

In your crockpot, combine cabbage, onion, tomato juice and tomato soup. Add kidney beans and chili seasoning mix. Mix well to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. Mix well before serving.

Crockpot Dumpling Stew

1 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1" chunks
1 package Lipton's onion soup mix
6 cups hot water
2 carrots peeled and shredded
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
1 tomato, peeled and chopped
1 cups biscuit mix (I use Bisquick)
1 Tbs finely chopped parsley
6 Tbs milk

1. In crockpot, sprinkle beef with dry onion soup mix. Pour hot water over meat. Stir in carrots, celery and tomato.

2. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours or until meat is tender. Turn control to high.

3. In a small bowl, combine biscuit mix with parsley. Stir in milk with fork until mixture is moistened. Drop dumpling mixture into crockpot with a teaspoon. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes.

Crockpot Lentil Soup

1 lb small brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 large onions, minced
5 cloves garlic, quartered
4 medium carrots, grated fine
2 1/2 Tbs tomato paste
3 large bay leaves
2 Tbs salt (or 3 beef stock cubes + 1 1/2 tsps salt)
1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 quarts boiling water
3/4 cup olive oil
4 Tbs balsamic vinegar or 3 Tbs red wine vinegar

Put all the ingredients except for olive oil and balsamic vinegar into your crockpot. Cook on low for 7 hours. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar and cook a further 2 hours.

Notes: You can enrich this already delicious soup by making a couple of variations.
Add 1/2 lb of minced bacon, but cut back the olive oil to 1/2 a cup or add 1 lb of sliced sausage, like Kielbasa.

Crockpot French Onion Soup

6 large onions, chopped
1/2 cup butter
60-65 ounces condensed beef broth (undiluted)
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 bay leaves
10 slices French bread, toasted
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Shredded parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, saute onions in butter until crisp-tender. Transfer to an ungreased 5 qt (or larger) crockpot. (I only had a 4 quart, so I made the leftover soup in a regular stove-top pot.) Add broth, Worcestershire, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or until the onions are tender. Discard the bay leaves. Top each serving with French bread and cheeses.

Crockpot Split Pea Soup

2 cups dried split peas
8 cups water
2 chopped onions (or 1/2 cup dried)
6 chopped carrots (in bite size pieces)
6 celery stalks (sliced)
a few bay leaves (I buy wonderful ground bay leaves)
2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste

Cook until peas are tender (you can put in at night and it may be done when you wake up!). Ladle out 1/2 into blender to puree. Add back to soup so broth is thick.

If in a hurry, you can put soup on stove or in oven and it will take about 1- 1/2 hrs. for peas to be tender. If you eat meat, add large slices or chunks of ham, but don't take them out and blend them.

Recipe from crockpotrecipes101.com

Crockpot Chickpea Soup

2 1/2 cups dried garbanzo beans or 3 (15 ounces) cans chickpeas
2 Tbs olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
8 cloves garlic (pressed or minced)
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water or additional vegetable stock
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 tsp pepper (freshly ground is always better)
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes (undrained)
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 ounces grated fresh parmesan cheese (6 Tbs)

1. Soak dried garbanzo beans in water to cover overnight. Rinse and inspect the beans and set aside.

2. In a skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the garlic and onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Put the onion mixture, garbanzo beans, and next 5 ingredients in your crockpot.

3. Simmer in the crockpot for 2 to 4 hours. (I will start this on low in the morning, and turn up the heat when I come home for lunch). To make the soup thicker, blend 4 cups of the soup in a blender, 1 cup at a time (very carefully, this is hot soup!) then place all 4 cups back into the soup. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and let the soup simmer another 15 minutes. (this is the perfect time to throw together a salad). Place the soup in bowls (1 1/2 cups for 6 servings) and sprinkle with parmesan (1 Tbs).

Recipe from crockpotrecipes101.com

Crockpot Tomato Soup

2 Tbs butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped celery
2 14-oz cans tomatoes
6 cups grated cabbage
1 cup green beans, cut into bits
1 1/2 cups sliced carrot
1/4-1/2 cup chili sauce (to spice it up)
1/2 tsp salt
8 cups water
2 Tbs bouillon
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp basil

Melt butter in large pot. Saute onions and celery until soft. Add onions and celery and remaining ingredients to crockpot. Cook all day on low, stirring occasionally if you're at home.

Blockbuster Black Bean Soup

In addition to the 20 minutes of prep time, this recipe also requires 3 hours of cooking, and also time to soak the black beans, described in step 1.

1 lb dry black beans
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1/4 cup lentils
1 28-oz. can peeled and diced tomatoes
2 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs salt
1/2 cup uncooked white rice (or brown rice)
Sour cream
Lime wedge
Cilantro

In a large pot over medium heat, place the beans in three times their volume of water. Bring to a boil and let boil 10 minutes. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 1 hour. Or soak overnight. Either way, drain and rinse before using.

In a crockpot, combine soaked beans and 1 1/2 quarts fresh water. Cook for 3 hours on high. Stir in carrot, celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeno, lentils and tomatoes. Season with chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, red wine vinegar and salt. Cook on low, 2 to 3 hours.

Stir the rice into the crockpot in the last 20 minutes of cooking (if using brown rice add the last 1 hour).

Puree half the soup with a blender or food processor, then pour back into the pot before serving. Serve with lime wedges, sour cream, and cilantro.

Recipe from crockpotrecipes101.com

Crockpot Potato Soup

In addition to the 20 minutes of prep time, this recipe requires 7 hours in the crockpot.

7 cups cubed peeled potatoes
4 cups broth ( reduced-sodium )
1 cup water
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 Tbs dried dill weed
1 12-oz can evaporated milk

1. In a large crockpot, combine first ten ingredients.

2. Cover and cook on high for 7 hours or until the vegetables are tender. Add milk. Stir to blend and heat.

3. Use a hand mixer to blend some of the "chunks" to thicken soup. Fix to preference: to thicken further, use potato flakes, and to thin soup, add regular milk.

Recipe from crockpotrecipes101.com

Melon Sorbet

Serves 4 to 6.

1 pound of juicy, extra-ripe, orange-fleshed melon
1/4 cup mild flavored honey, depending on the sweetness of the melon
1/2 cup whole milk
generous pinch of salt

1. Cut the melon flesh from its rind into a medium bowl and puree with a hand blender. You will need 2 cups of puree.

2. Add the milk, and salt. Now you want to sweeten to taste. If your honey is in a solid or crystallized state you need to dunk the jar in a bowl of warm water until it is liquid again. This way it will mix easily with the rest of the ingredients. Start by blending in 2 tbs. of the honey and taste. If you think the mixture needs to be sweeter, add more honey. Keep in mind you want the honey to bring out and complement the flavor of the melon, not overpower it.

Pour into an ice-cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Recipe from 101cookbooks.com

Best Thai Peanut Sauce Ever (And Some Stuff To Eat With It)

I have it on good authority that this is at least as tasty as anything you've ever had in a restaurant.

1 block tofu, or it's equivalent in chicken
1 red bell pepper, cubed
2 tbs. soy sauce
2 tbs. sesame oil

For the peanut sauce:
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 minced garlic cloves
1 and 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 and 1/2 tbs. brown sugar
1 tbs. lime juice
1 tbs. canola oil
1 and 1/2 tbs. soy sauce
Serve with cooked brown rice and steamed veggies

1. Start the brown rice cooking. Steam some vegetables, like broccoli and carrots, to go with the meal.

2. Cut a block of extra-firm tofu into 1-inch cubes. Put them in a bowl with the cubed bell pepper. Marinate them for 15-20 minutes in a mixture of 2 tbs. soy sauce and 2 tbs. sesame oil.

3. Start the peanut sauce while the tofu marinates. In a food processor, blend until smooth: 3/4 cup coconut milk, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 1/2 tsp. curry powder, 1 1/2 tbs. brown sugar, 1 tbs. fresh lime juice, 1 tbs. canola oil, and 1 1/2 tbs. soy sauce.

4. In a baking dish, pour 1/3 of the peanut sauce mixture over the tofu and red peppers. Spread the mixture in a single layer. Bake 20-25 minutes in a 450-degree oven.

5. Serve the brown rice topped with steamed veggies and baked tofu, with extra peanut sauce as a garnish. Top with crushed peanuts, if you like!

Non-Alcoholic Mint Juliep

Serves: unknown

4-5 mint sprigs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups cold water
3/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 1/2 qt ginger ale
Thinly-sliced lemon slices (for garnish)

Rinse the mint and discard the stems. Place sugar, water lemon juice, pineapple juice in a medium-sized bowl, mix, and stir in the mint leaves. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.

Fill a large pitcher with ice cubes. Strain the liquid over the ice. Add the ginger ale and lemon slices and serve.

Nutty Rice Salad

This is much tastier than the ingredients imply, and it is perfect for lunch on a hot day.

Serves 4

1 cup basmati or brown rice
1 ripe avocado
1 tomato
4 tbs. oil
2tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tbs. soy sauce
pepper to taste

1. Cook rice according to package directions.

2. While the rice is cooking, dice the avocado and tomato.

3. Mix all ingredients together, and serve at room temperature.

Easiest Crockpot Chicken

This dish is super-easy, and will make your whole house smell good. The chicken ends up very moist and with a subtle sweet-and-sour flavor. Plus, it's all from scratch, and only takes 20 minutes of prep time.

1 3-pound whole chicken
1/2 cup broth
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tbs. minced garlic
Serve with cooked rice

1. Remove skin from chicken and empty cavity of giblets. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel, and place inside the slow cooker.

2. In a bowl, stir together the broth, olive oil, honey, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and garlic. Pour mixture over chicken and cover.

3. Cook chicken on low setting for 3 and 1/2 to 4 hours.

4. To make gravy, let the fat separate out from the cooking liquid. Skim off the fat and put two cups of the remaining liquid in a saucepan. Slowly add 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch to thicken, stirring to incorporate the cornstarch. Simmer to condense.

5. Serve with cooked plain rice, topped with gravy.

French-Style Yogurt Cake with Lemon

Serves 8

For the cake:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 and 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 cup canola oil

For the glaze:
Juice from 2 lemons
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and eggs, stirring until well blended. Add the flour, baking powder, and zest, mixing to just combine. Add the oil and stir to incorporate. At first, it will look like a horrible, oily mess, but keep stirring, and it will come together into a smooth batter. Pour and scrape the batter into a buttered 9-inch round cake pan (after buttering, I sometimes line the bottom with a round of wax or parchment paper, and then I butter that too).

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cake feels springy to the touch and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.

Cool cake on a rack for about 20 minutes; then turn it out of the pan to cool completely.

When the cake is thoroughly cooled, combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl and spoon it gently over the cake. The glaze will be thin and will soak in like a syrup.
Serve.

Toni's Cranberry Salsa

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup horseradish
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice
To serve:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
crackers

1. Mix the sauce ingredients together, place in a covered container, and refrigerate overnight or at least four hours (the time allows everything to meld and mellow).

2. When you are ready to serve place the cream cheese on a plate, and pour the salsa over the cream cheese.

Recipe (and photo) from theroastingrambler.blogspot.com

Frozen Yogurt with a Few Variations

Makes about 1 quart.

3 cups strained or Greek yogurt (see below)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

Mix together the yogurt, sugar, and vanilla (if using). Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

To make 1 cup (240g) of strained yogurt, line a mesh strainer with a few layers of cheese cloth. then scrape 16 ounces or 2 cups (480g) of plain whole-milk yogurt into the cheesecloth. Gather the ends and fold them over the yogurt, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours. So, for the above recipe start with and strain 6 cups of yogurt.

Try adding your favorite flavors to this: pureed kiwi, honey, lavender blossoms, rose water, cardamom, olive oil, cinnamon and clove, lemon zest, Nutella, you get the picture.

Recipe from David Lebovitz's book "A Perfect Scoop".

Sweet Potato and Pineapple Casserole

Serves 6

2-3 sweet potatoes, cooked until soft
1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes until smooth. Add the pineapple, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; mix well.

3. Pour into one 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

Broccoli Salad

Serves 8

4 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons dry roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon fat-free mayonnaise

1. Combine the broccoli, onions, raisins, and sunflower seeds.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, orange juice, and mayonnaise until blended. Pour over the broccoli mixture and toss to coat.

Recipe from allrecipes.com

Baked Sweet Onions

Serves 6

6 sweet onions
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/8 teaspoon fresh chopped tarragon


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Peel onions and make two cross cuts on the top of the onion. Place in a clay cooker or casserole dish.

3. Mix together the Balsamic vinegar, honey and tarragon. Pour over onions and marinate for 1 hour.

4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until onions are tender. Serve on matzoh crackers as an appetizer, or as a side dish or topping.

Recipe from allrecipes.com

Cardamom-Spiced Sweet Potatoes

Serves 8

5 pounds sweet potatoes
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork. Bake for 1 hour or until tender; reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).

3. Scoop potato flesh out of skins and place into a mixing bowl. Slowly beat in the butter and cardamom. Whip until potatoes are smooth and fluffy; season with salt and pepper. Keep warm in oven.

Recipe from allrecipes.com

Cauliflower Leek Soup

Serves 12
This recipe is low carb and low calorie.

2 tbs. olive oil
3 tbs. butter
3 whole leeks, washed and cut into 1" pieces
1 large head cauliflower, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 cups vegetable broth
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat, and saute the leeks, cauliflower, and garlic for about 10 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 45 minutes.

2. Remove the soup from heat and blend with a stick blender (optional--I prefer to leave it chunky). Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe from allrecipes.com