Almond Squares

1 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup almond paste
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 ounces sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter in a large mixing bowl; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk (reserve egg white), almond paste, and flavoring; beat until well blended. Stir in flour.

Spread mixture in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan. Beat egg white (at room temperature) until foamy; brush over entire surface of dough, and sprinkle with almonds. Bake for 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool thoroughly, and cut into 2 inch squares. Store in airtight containers.

Coconut Macaroons

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
5 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, coconut and salt. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla using your hands until well blended. Use an ice cream scoop to drop dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be a little smaller than a golf ball.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until coconut is toasted.

Key Lime Pie Tarts

1 23 oz jar Private Selection Key Lime Filling (found at Smith's)

2 eggs

1/2 C sweetened condensed milk

1 pre-made graham cracker crust

whipped cream

lime zest

12 foil cupcake liners

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill muffin pan with 12 foil liners. Divide the graham cracker pie crust among baking cups. Press to bottom and slightly up sides of cup. Beat together key lime fruit filling, sweetened condensed milk, and eggs until well mixed. Fill the cups to the top. Bake 25 minutes. Top with piped whipped cream and lime zest.

Virgin Pina Colada Drink

20 oz can crushed pineapple, pureed
1 can frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 can coconut milk
1 can cream of coconut

Mix together!

Apple Ginger Sparkler

adapted from Martha Stewart

2 2 L bottles of club soda
2 apple juice concentrates (frozen section)
1 1/2 C ginger syrup*

Let the apple concentrate thaw, then mix all three ingredients together.  Makes a little over a gallon and a half.

*Ginger Syrup

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 six-inch piece fresh ginger, finely diced
• Place sugar, ginger, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook about 1 hour, until ginger flavor is quite strong. Let cool; strain before using. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to a week.

Stuffed mini peppers

5 jalapenos
10- 12 sweet mini peppers
1/2 lb bacon
1/2 can black beans
half cup of frozen corn, defrosted
half cup of rice, cooked
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
a dash or five cumin

Cook the bacon most of the way, then dice into small pieces.  Cut the peppers in half and remove veins and seeds.  Grease a cooking sheet, and lay the peppers on the tray open side up (jalapenos in the middle so they get the brunt of heat from the broiler).  Mix together the remaining ingredients, then fill peppers to slightly heaping with the filling.  Broil  on hi in the oven with rack on the 3rd setting down from the top, for around 5 minutes.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Pakrika

Cut the rough ends off the brussels sprouts and cut them in half.  Throw them in a baggie with some olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika to taste, and moosh it all around until the brussels sprouts are evenly coated. Then lay them out on a pan and bake at 400 for 10 mins. Take them out, turn them over and throw it back in for another 8 mins or so.

Landon's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 C chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375ºF.

Combine shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in egg. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into shortening mixture until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet on a cooling rack. Remove cookies to rack to cool completely.

Mom's Hamburger Stroganoff

1 1/2 lb hamburger
1/2 C chopped onion
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup (or homemade substitute!)
4 C dry egg noodles
1/4 C butter
1 C sour cream

Heat water to boiling; pour in noodles.  Cook until tender (approx 10 minutes).

Brown hamburger and onion, draining off fat.  Stir in flour, salt, garlic, pepper and mushrooms; cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly  Stir in soup; heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
Drain noodles; mix with butter.
Stir sour cream into meat mixture; heat thoroughly.
Serve over hot noodles.

Curried Chicken and Quinoa

1 - 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
1 small onion, diced
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 zucchini, diced
1-2 peppers, green or red, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon curry powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon chile powder
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook and stir for 2 minutes; add quinoa and cook and stir until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.
Pour broth into the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add chicken, broccoli, peppers, curry and chile powders; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add zucchini, cook an additional 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Peach Lemonade

1 cup of lemon juice (6 to 8 lemons, depending on size)

1 29 oz can sliced peaches in JUICE

4 to 4 1/2 C water

3/4 C sugar

Juice the lemons.  Throw entire can of peaches, juice and all, into the blender.  Puree until smooth.  Add sugar.  Puree until smooth.  Add lemon juice.  Puree until smooth.  Put cold water in pitcher.  Add lemon/peach/sugar mixture and stir together.  Serve.

Makes about 2 quarts.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

1-2 C. chicken, cooked and shredded
4-5 green onions, diced
1 4 oz can diced green chilis
1 can worth of cream of chicken substitute
1/2 C sour cream
Cheddar cheese, grated
5 tortillas

Mix half the cream of chicken soup with the sour cream, green onions, chilis and chicken.  Fill tortillas with chicken mixture and grated cheese.  Spray baking dish with cooking spray.  Place tortillas in baking dish.  Spread remaining cream of chicken soup over the top of the enchilidas, then top with grated cheese.  Cover with foil; bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Chicken Fajitas with Spicy Avocado Sauce

Chicken Fajitas with Spicy Avocado Sauce
adjusted from The DASH Diet Cookbook

Sauce
1 large avocado, pitted, peeled and cut into fourths
1/2 C plain greek yogurt
1/4 C water
Juice of 1 lemon
1 small jalapeno pepper
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Fajitas
4 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch thick strips
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 white onion, cut into 1/2 inch slivers
2 large garlic cloves, minced
8 tortillas

For the sauce, place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  Set aside.
For the fajitas, season the chicken with salt, pepper, cumin and half the oregano.  Heat oil over medium high heat, then add chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes.  Add the bell peppers, onion, garlic and remaining oregano.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, then cook a few more minutes, until veggies are soft.  Warm tortillas.  Scoop chicken and veggie mixture into each tortilla and drizzle with avocado sauce.  Fold the tortilla over and serve.

Mediterranean Bowl

Mediterranean Bowl
adjusted from The DASH Diet Cookbook

1 cup uncooked whole wheat couscous
1 1/4 C water
1 (16 oz) can artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
1/2 C rinsed black olives, halved
3/4 C chopped roasted red pepper
1/2 C feta cheese
1 C grape tomatoes, chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Pinch crushed red pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch black pepper

Boil water, add the couscous, stir and turn off the heat.  Cover pot with lid and let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with fork.
Meanwhile, combine all ingredients except for couscous and mix thoroughly.  Refrigerate 15 minutes or so, then fold in couscous.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Cauliflower Carrot Soup

Cauliflower Carrot Soup
adjusted from The DASH Diet Cookbook

1 large head of cauliflower, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 small white onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
a pinch or two crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp dried basil

Fill large pot with water and bring to a boil.  Add chopped cauliflower, cover pot and let boil for 6 to 8 minutes, or until cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork.  Strain cauliflower and discard water.
Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and carrot.  Saute until onion is translucent.
  Add cauliflower.  Transfer a ladleful of veggies to a blender.  Add 1 cup of broth and blend on low to combine, then on high until smooth.  Transfer blended veggies to another pot and repeat process until all veggies are blended.
Heat the blended veggies over medium-high heat.  Add salt, pepper, red pepper and basil.  Bring to a boil and serve hot.