Spinach and Feta Pasta

If you have extra fresh spinach, this is such a simple recipe that is tasty and pretty healthy. We had an abundance of spinach from our garden so I was thrilled to find this.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/05/spinach-and-feta-pasta/

Key Lime Cupcakes

A lady from our ward made these for a party and they were voted best dessert of the night.

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk both flours in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then next 3 ingredients (batter may look curdled). Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Spoon scant 1/3 cup batter in each liner.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool.

FROSTING

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread over cupcakes.

Garnish as desired.

Yields 12 cupcakes.

Gingery Greens

If Satchel had his way, we would eat this every day. He LOVES these greens. The recipe is from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.

Directions

1 pound kale, collards, or other greens

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons peeled and minced or grated fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Wash the greens in several changes of water, if needed. Remove any stem thicker than ¼ inch diameter.

Steam or boil in medium saucepan over one inch of water for 10 minutes or more, till soft. Drain and rinse, and chop if you like.

Heat oil in large non-stick sauté pan, add garlic and cook for one minute—do not brown.

Add greens and cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes.

Add ginger and cook another minute.

Add soy sauce and sesame oil and remove from heat.

Neua Nam Tok (Vietnamese Grilled Beef Salad)

This recipe comes from Mark Bittman’s The Best Recipes in the World. It is so delicious. It will be an excellent recipe for summer. I think I'll grow a pot of mint just for this salad!

Ingredients

1 to 1 ½ pounds strip steak, about 1 inch thick

salt to taste

1 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste

¼ cup nam pla (fish sauce)

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 garlic clove, minced

2 shallots, sliced

2 small fresh chiles, preferably Thai, stemmed, seeded and minced, or 2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

2 teaspoons sugar

roughly 4 cups red or green leaf lettuce, chopped

1 cucumber, peeled if necessary, cut in half lengthwise, seeded and sliced

1 cup fresh mint leaves

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Preheat a grill or broiler. Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper, then grill for about 4 minutes per side (or until it’s as cooked as you want it). Remove from the heat and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, shallots, chiles and sugar. Cut the steak into ¼-inch slices and immediately toss the steak with the dressing.

Place the lettuce, cucumber, mint and cilantro on a plate and top with the steak and dressing. Serve immediately.

Chicken Tacos

This is a good recipe for chicken tacos that are a little different than what we usually make. It comes from Cook's Country.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

salt and pepper

Directions

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chipotle and cook about 30 seconds. Stir in orange juice, Worcestershire, and ½ cup cilantro. Bring mixture to a boil and then add chicken. Cover the skillet and simmer over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue to simmer until the chicken is done (160 degrees), about 5 to 10 minutes more.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover it with foil to keep it warm and let it rest.

Increase heat to medium-high and cook until liquid is reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and whisk in mustard.

Using two forks, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to skillet. Add remaining cilantro and stir everything until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with tortillas and all your favorite taco toppings.

Granola

We like this with yogurt and a little milk. It makes a lot, so I cut the recipe in half if I'm not going to give any away.

10 c old fashioned rolled oats


2c whole wheat flour


2c wheat germ


2c coconut


1.5- 2c chopped pecans and sliced almonds


Mix above ingredients in large bowl.

4T vanilla


1/2c water


2c honey


1c (or less) oil


Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl, add to dry ingredients and combine well. Spread in shallow pans. Stir gently every 20 minutes or so while baking. Bake at 250 until deep golden and almost dry, approximately 2 hours. Remove, let cool. Store tightly covered (in the refrigerator if you have room).

Raspberry Pinwheels

This recipe was in the Christmas issue of Real Simple a couple years ago. I made some this past Christmas.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 8-ounce bar cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar or coarse sanding sugar

Directions

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour, mixing until just incorporated.
2. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and gently knead it 2 to 3 times, just to bring it together. Form the dough into two 1-inch-thick squares. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll one of the dough squares into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle. Spread half the jam over the dough. Cut the dough crosswise into thirds, making three 9-by-4-inch rectangles. Starting from a long side of each rectangle, roll into logs. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.
4. Heat oven to 350° F. Slice the logs into 1-inch pieces and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 1½ inches apart. Brush with the egg and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
5. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Hoppin' John

Hoppin' John is a recipe from the South. It's traditionally eaten at New Year's. Matt ate a lot of black-eyed peas on his mission in Portugal, so he wanted to try this American version. It's really good! A tasty variation on beans and rice.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large ham hock
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 pound black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and rinsed
• 1 quart chicken stock
• Bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
• Salt, black pepper, and cayenne
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
• 3 cups steamed white rice

Directions

Heat oil in a large soup pot, add the ham hock and sear on all sides for 4 minutes. Add the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic, cook for 4 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas, stock, bay leaves, thyme, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the peas are creamy and tender, stir occasionally. If the liquid evaporates, add more water or stock. Adjust seasonings, and garnish with green onions. Serve over rice.

Tomatillo Chicken

Ingredients

2 pounds tomatillos (husks removed), washed and halved

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces (wings reserved for another use)

coarse salt and ground pepper

2 jalapenos, chopped

1/2 medium white onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 can (15 ounces) hominy (optional), drained

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

In a food processor, puree tomatillos; set aside. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot, skin side down. Cook until browned on one side, 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add jalapenos and onion to pot and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatillo puree and hominy, if using; season with salt and pepper. Nestle chicken, skin side up, in sauce. Cover pot; simmer until chicken is cooked through, 22 to 25 minutes. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

[Note: We made this with both bone-in chicken and breasts, and they were equally good. (Matt loves "real" chicken; I prefer the ease of boneless/skinless.) It is soooo good and makes the best burritos ever. Also, we did include the hominy and it really adds to the recipe.]

Moroccan Lamb Kebabs with Couscous

Matt found and made this recipe. It is delicious. I've never really eaten much lamb, but it makes really good kebabs! Couscous is the perfect side.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 pounds well-trimmed boneless leg of lamb, cut into 2-inch cubes

• 16 12-inch-long metal skewers
• 32 whole dried apricots (preferably Mediterranean), soaked in boiling water 5 minutes, drained
• 4 red onions, each cut into 8 chunks

[Note: We did not use the apricots the recipe calls for--we had the red onion with red and green bell peppers instead.]

Directions

Whisk first 9 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Transfer 1/2 cup marinade to small bowl; cover, chill, and reserve as basting sauce. Add lamb to remaining marinade in medium bowl; toss to coat. Marinate 2 hours at room temperature or cover and refrigerate overnight.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Remove lamb from marinade. Thread lamb cubes onto 8 skewers, dividing equally. Thread apricots and onion chunks alternately on remaining 8 skewers. Brush all skewers with some of reserved 1/2 cup marinade. Sprinkle onion-apricot skewers with salt and pepper. Grill onion-apricot skewers until onions soften and begin to brown, occasionally turning and basting with marinade and moving skewers to cooler part of barbecue if necessary to keep apricots from burning, about 10 minutes. Grill lamb to desired doneness, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes for medium-rare.

Chicken Pot Pie

We had a dinner worth sharing the other night. Chicken pot pie from the "Our Best Bites" blog. It is really good and really easy. We did not have the individual pies (as pictured), but the regular pie kind was excellent--and good leftovers too. Go here for the recipe.

Butternut and Ham Bisque

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 butternut squash (peeled and diced about 5 cups)
1 cup peeled, diced all-purpose potatoes
5 cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt
black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup light or heavy cream
1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham

Procedure:
1. Melt butter in large pot. Stir in onion and rosemary. Cover the pan and cook the onion over moderate heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute.
2. Add the squash, potatoes, chicken stock, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, cook for 20 minutes or until vegetables are very soft. Remove pan from heat.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the soup solids and a ladleful of broth to the food processor. Puree the vegetables, then stir them back into the broth. Stir in the pepper, the cream, and the ham, and heat for several minutes before serving.

So yummy! All of my boys love this soup!