Monday, April 30, 2007

Chicken and Bulgar Salad

2 T. plus 1 t. olive oil
1 T. plus 1 t. honey
3/4 t. ground cumin, separated
5 garlic cloves
1/4 c. chopped cilantro stems
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, split and pounded to 1/2 inch thick (I used 2)
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 c. bulgar
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
3/4 c. drained canned chickpeas
1/4 c. dried apricots, quartered
2 T. almonds, chopped

1. Make marinade: stir 1/2 t. oil, 1 t. honey, 1/2 t. cumin, 4 cloves minced garlic, the cilantro stems, and lime zest. Place chicken in a non-reactive baking dish; rub with the marinade. Cover; refrigerate 2 hours (or overnight).
2. Cook onion and remaining garlic in 1/2 t. oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until soft, about 5 min. Stir in bulgar. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cover; simmer over low heat until liquid has been absorbed, 10-15 min. Let stand 5 min.
3. Pat chicken dry; grill in a grill pan over medium-high heat until cooked through, 4-5 min. per side.
4. Make dressing: whisk lime juice, remaining tablespoon honey, 1/4 t. cumin, 1/4 t. salt, and the remaining 2 T. oil.
5. Toss bulgur with the dressing. Chop chicken and add to bulgar mixture. Add apricots, chickpeas, and nuts. Stir and Enjoy.

6 servings

Per serving:
341 calories
13 g. fat, 27 mg cholesterol
45 g. carbohydrate
326 mg. sodium
9 g. fiber, 15 g. protein

Notes: Ben and I have really, really enjoyed this - we've had it twice in the past 2 weeks. If you want to cut down on fat you could only add 1 T. oil in the dressing - I did this and felt it still tasted great. Also, you can not add the nuts - but we liked them in it.

Wheat Pizza Crust

Makes three crusts

3 c. hot water
2 T. honey
3 c. whole wheat flour.

Mix the above to a paste.

Add:
1 T. instant yeast
1 T. salt

Add more wheat flour, half-cup at a time, until the mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. This is about 2.5 to 3.5 cups.

Knead for 10 minutes.

Add 1 T. dough enhancer (if you have it).

Knead 2 more minutes.

Place baking stone in oven and pre-heat to 500 degrees. Roll crusts to desired shapes and sizes. Add favorite toppings and bake on stone for seven minutes.

Pizza crusts can be baked for three minutes and then frozen for later use. They can store up to two months. Thaw for one hour before adding toppings and baking.

Also, you can add garlic, basil, and/or oregano into the water/honey/flour mix to make a more flavorful dough.

Note: These are great. We'll make all three at one time, eat one, and freeze the other two. They really do freeze well. Chuck likes his with red sauce and pepperoni and cheese; no surprise. I like to do fresh pesto sauce with mushrooms, tomatoes, and pine nuts, but of course anything will work. The wheat is really great. You can find the enhancer at Bosch stores in Utah; I've never seen it anywhere else.

Butternut Squash Lasagne

Serves: 6 main dish serving or 12 side-dish servings
You can make the squash-sauce up to three days ahead, then assemble and bake.
If you want it to fit into a 9x13 pan, you'll need to one-and-a-half this recipe.

3 pounds butternut squash (about 9 1/2 cups), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dices
3 T. vegetable oil
Coarse kosher salt
4 cups low-fat milk (I used 1%)
2 large sprigs fresh rosemary
1 T. minced garlic
2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
4 T. flour
9 no-boil lasagne sheets (7x3.5"; use fresh ones if you can find them)
1 1/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 t. salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.

In a large bowl, toss the diced squash with the oil until well coated. Spread in a single layer on the baking sheets. Roast for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the coarse salt to taste. Stir the squash and roast for 10 to 15 more minutes, or until tender and beginning to turn golden brown.
While the squash is roasting, heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the rosemary and cook for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a large pitcher or measuring cup.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the garlic over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for three minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the warm milk mixture in a steady stream, stirring until smooth. Return the pan to medium-low or low heat and cook about 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Add the squash, salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine. (At this point, the mix can be refrigerated in a bowl with plastic wrap directly on the surface.)

When ready to bake, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish (or 9x9 if doing recipe as is).

Pour 1 c. of the squash-sauce mixture in the bottom of the dish (it will not cover completely). Cover with three lasagne sheets, making sure they are not touching each other. Spread half of the remaining sauce over the paste and sprinkle with 1/2 c. Parmesan. Repeat with another layer of pasta, then the remaining sauce, then another 1/2 c. Parmesan, and finally a layer of pasta on top.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream and salt until stiff peaks form. Spread evenly over the top pasta layer, making sure to cover the pasta completely. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Cover tightly with easy-release/no-stick aluminum foil and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, then bake for 10 more minutes, or until the top is bubbling and golden. Let the lasagne stand five minutes before serving.

Notes: This was really good. I took it to a ward lasagne bake-off and won "Most Creative." But some cautions: it was super labor intensive. It took about three-and-a-half hours, start to finish. A lot of that time was dicing the squash and waiting for my milk sauce to thicken. Not sure what I did wrong there. Everything else I did as written. It tastes just like a sweet pasta, certainly not your normal lasagne. I do recommend it however. Oh yeah, I didn't have the easy-release foil, so I sprayed mine with Pam. It worked okay. And sorry the picture isn't that appetizing!

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Ham and Cheese Ziti

Prep Time:15 min
Start to Finish:40 min
Makes:6 servings

2 1/2 cups uncooked ziti pasta (9 ounces)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cups shredded Colby cheese (8 ounces)
4 ounces sliced cooked deli ham, cut into thin strips
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

2. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over low heat. Cook garlic in butter 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Stir in flour and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Gradually stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in mustard and Colby cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.

3. Stir pasta and ham into cheese sauce. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 480 (Calories from Fat 225 ); Total Fat 25 g (Saturated Fat 15 g); Cholesterol 80 mg; Sodium 860 mg; Total Carbohydrate 42 g (Dietary Fiber 2 g); Protein 24 g Percent Daily

Note: Again, I stole this off BettyCrocker.com, but I really love this dish. We make it with ham, without ham, with turkey, with cheddar cheese instead of the colby, and often I leave out the Parm cheese. This is pretty quick to make and even with a family of three, I don't usually have leftovers.

Luscious Mandarin Orange Cake

I admit I stole this off BettyCrocker.com but I love this cake and I don't even like cake! Everyone who eats this loves it too. You can also add the oranges or cherries to the topping for a little extra fun. It keesp in the fridge for several days so you can make it ahead if you need to. I put this in kids cause Laney loves it too!

Prep Time:10 min
Start to Finish:1 hr 50 min
Makes:20 servings

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired
1 can (11 oz) mandarin orange segments, undrained
4 eggs
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 box (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
1/2 to 1 teaspoon grated orange peel, if desired
1 cup frozen (thawed) whipped topping

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan, or lightly spray.
2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, oil, walnuts, orange segments, and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour into pan.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
4. To make pineapple frosting, stir together pineapple, dry pudding mix and orange peel. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spread on cake. Store tightly covered in refrigerator.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 33 to 38 minutes.


Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 220 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g, Trans Fat 1/2g); Cholesterol 40mg; Sodium 250mg; Total Carbohydrate 33g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 22g); Protein 2g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 4%; Vitamin C 6%; Calcium 4%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 Fat Carbohydrate

Coconut Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Combine coconut milk, butter, and egg; stir well. Add coconut milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until smooth.

Pour about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet. Cook 3 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 2 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.

Note from erin: These were really tasty. Emily and I both tried them: she without the coconut extract and me with. She didn't think hers had a very strong coconut flavor, but mine did for sure. It's still not overwhelming, but really good. They don't get as fluffy as regular pancakes, so maybe next time I'll try adding a little more baking powder.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Apricot Ginger 3 Bean Salad

I'm putting this under healthy and kids since Ellie really liked it. Enjoy!

1 lb. string beans, trimmed an dcut into 1 inch pieces
1 (15 oz.) can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 Tbsp. canola oil
3 Tbsp. Apple cider vinegar
1/4 c Apricot preserve
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. grated ginger
2 scallions, sliced
Salt to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil and then add the string beans. Cook for 3-4 minutes and then drain immediately and run under cold water or put in ice water bath. Allow to cool completely.

In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, apricot preserve, sugar and ginger. Add the black beans, navy beans, and scallions to the string beans, drizzle with dressing, and toss to coat. Season with salt to taste.

Nutritional Info.: 3/4 cup per serving
Calories: 181
Total Fat: 7 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.4 grams
Carbs: 24 grams
Protein 7 grams
Fiber 6 grams
Sodium 72 mg

Stuffed Red Peppers with Feta

I found this recipe on line and changed it to what I wanted. It turned out great and is Yum-Yum!

1 lb. ground beef of chicken, cooked and drained of fat
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 (10 oz.) bag of fresh spinach
1 zucchini, diced
1 onion diced
1/2 cup bulgar (can find in the grain section of most grocery stores)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt + more for taste
Freshly ground black pepper
3 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, cores and ribs removed
1 (14 1/2 oz) can of stewed tomatoes, chopped
1 (14 1/2 oz) can of diced tomatoes with chilis
1/3 cup feta cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place peppers on cookie sheet, insides up, and lightly salt. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.

In a pan, heat olive oil and saute onion for about 2 minutes. Add zuccini and saute until becoming just tender, but still crunchy (about 3 minutes). Add in bulghur, oregano, and salt and mix stir. Add cans of tomatoes and let simmer for about 2-3 minutes to allow the bulghur to absorb some of the liquid. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Stir in beaten egg. Add in spinach and stir until all has wilted down. Lastly, add in pre-cooked meat and heat through and salt to taste.

Once the peppers are done cooking, drain off any excess liquid and then stuff with vegetable and meat mixture. Once all are stuffed, top with feta cheese and return to oven for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

The filling mixture can be made ahead of time is you want to save time, although you should be able to do it in the time the peppers are cooking.

Nutritional Information: Per Serving of 1 half pepper
Calories 210
Total Fat 6 grams
Saturated Fat 2.5 grams
Carbs 19 grams
Protein 21 grams
Fiber 6 grams
Sodium 400 mg

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Taco Rice Dinner

1 or 2 chicken breasts
3 cups of cooked rice
1 can of tomato sauce
1 tablespoon of Chicken Taco Seasoning
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 can of corn

Sour cream, cheese, other toppings to taste
Tortilla chips


Prepare 3 cups of cooked rice.

Brown the chicken, a couple minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to shred. Saute the peppers. Bring to boil the tomato sauce, seasoning and the shredded chicken. Add the corn, peppers and rice to heat through.

Serve topped with cheese and sour cream etc. and eat with chips. It’s yummy and fun!

Kid Friendly Taco and Rice Casserole

2-4 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
3-6 cups of cooked Minute Rice (must be instant rice)
1 can of chicken broth
1 can of tomato sauce
1 package of Chicken Taco Seasoning
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 can of corn (drained)
Sour cream
Tortilla chips
Cheese

Brown the chicken in a couple Tablespoons of oil. Add broth, tomato sauce and the seasoning, and bring to a boil. Add the corn and peppers (chopped), mix together. Add the rice (enough for right consistency) and mix. Top with cheese and sour cream. Eat with chips. It’s yummy and fun!

So this recipe isn't an exact measurement type of recipe. (I mean 3-6 cups of rice is a huge range!) My husband thinks the more chicken the better so I use 4 chicken breasts, or an equivalent amount of those frozen chicken tenders in a bag. I don't know why it has to be instant rice, or if that's even true. I use half of a package of chicken taco seasoning (too salty?) and use a teaspoon of chicken boullion and no water instead of a can of chicken broth. There is always enough liquid from the rice (maybe I'm doing the rice wrong?) that adding the broth makes the casserole too soupy. Anyway, my family loves this recipe and if my kids eat it, I LOVE it!

Pulled Pork Tacos

1 Pork Shoulder Roast - (3 lbs boneless)
8 Cloves Garlic – minced
2 tsp Ground Coriander
2 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
½ tsp Ground Red Pepper
½-1 cup Beef Broth
Corn Tortillas

Rub the spices into the meat. Place the meat in the crockpot. Add beef broth and cook on high for 6-8 hrs. Remove the meat from the crock pot and shred with two forks. Remove excess fat from the broth with a spoon. Pour the broth into a container. And the meat back to the crock pot and add the broth back to the meat until it is moist and heated through but not soupy.

Next fry the corn tortillas in vegetable oil.

To serve place pork, salsa, shredded lettuce, jack or pepper jack cheese, sliced olives, avocado, and sour cream (if desired) in a corn tortilla.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Really Easy Diced Tomato Chicken Pasta


Chicken Pasta

4 chicken breasts, thawed, sliced into strips, and coated in flour
Some minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
Pasta

Heat 1 Tbsp Olive oil over medium/high heat and cook garlic for 1 minute. Put in chicken and brown on both sides (takes about 3 minutes per side). Pour in tomatoes and seasonings. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Serve over pasta.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Frozen Mango-Cream Cakes


For the crust:
1 ounce macadamia nuts (about 1/4 cup)
3 T. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1 T. unsalted butter

For the mousse:
1/4 c. orange juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 firm but ripe mangoes, peeled
1/2 c. sugar
3 T. lemon juice
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly coat inside of 8 ring molds (each about 2 inches high and 2 3/4 inches in diameter) with cooking spray. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. Make the crust: Pulse macadamia nuts and sugar in a food processor until finely ground. In a bowl, combine nutes, flour, and butter with a fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Spoon a tablespoon into each mold and pressinto the bottom. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool.
3. Make the mousse: Pour OJ into a small saucepan. Sprinkle wiht gelatin, and let stand until softened, about 5 min. Heat over low heat, stirring, until dissolved. Remove from heat.
4. Cut one-quater of one mango into 1/8-inch thick slices for garnish; cover and refrigerate. Coarsely chop remaining mangoes. In a blender, puree chopped mangoes, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. With machine running, add gelatin mixture in a slow, steady stream, and blend until combined. Transfer to a bowl.
5. With a whisk or an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioners' sugar and beat until soft peaks return. Whisk 1/3 of the whipped cream into the mango mixutre. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in remaining whipped cream.
6. Divide mousse among molds, filling 3/4 full. Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours (up to 1 week).
7. When ready to serve, let cakes stand at room temperature for 5 min. Gently push up from bottoms to unmold. Transfer cakes to serving plates; let stand 10 min to soften slightly. Serve with mango slices.

One-Dish Chicken and Kielbasa Rice

2 c. fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/8 t. ground turmeric
8 ounces turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 c. long-grain parboiled rice
2 t. olive oil
8 ounces cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped green pepper
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/4 c. sliced pitted stuffed manzanilla (or green) olives
1 T. minced garlic

Combine the first three ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Cover; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand for 5 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add chicken pieces; cook 2 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add onion and pepper; saute 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in peas, sliced olives, and garlic; saute 1 minutes. Add rice mixture; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.


Whole Grain Bread

1 c. whole wheat flour
2 T. wheat bran
3/4 c. warm whole milk
1/4 c. packed brown sugar, separated into 1 T. and 3 T.
1 1/2 T. yeast
3 T. cornmeal
3 T. old-fashioned oats, plus 2 t. for sprinkling
3 T. flaxseed, plus 1 t. for sprinkling
2 t. salt
2 1/2 to 3 c. bread flour

Stir whole wheat flour, bran, and 1 cup water in bowl. Let stand 30 minutes.

Stir milk and 1 T. brown sugar in a bowl until sugar dissolves. Stir in yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Put whole-wheat flour mixture, milk mixture, remaining 3 T. brown sugar, cornmeal, 3 T. oats, 3 T. flaxseed, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook; mix on medium-low speed until combined. Add 2 1/2 c. bread flour; mix until dough is tacky, but not sticky, about 2 minutes (if dough is too sticky, add more flour, 1 t. at a time). Continue kneading until dough is soft and elastic, about 5 more minutes.

Turn out dough onto a work surface; shape into a loaf about 9 inches long. Using a spray bottle, mist loaf with water; sprinkle top with remaining oats and flaxseed. Coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan and a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray. Transfer loaf to the pan, and cover lightly with the plastic wrap. Let stand until double in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mist oven with water; place loaf in oven. Bake 5 minutes; mist oven again. Continue to bake, rotating pan once, until well browned, about 25-30 minutes. Unmold bread onto a wire rack; return to oven, and bake directly on oven rack 5 more minutes.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Benihana Salad Dressing

For any of you who have ever eaten at Benihana and loved their salad dressing, try this. It's super close.

1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/4 c. oil
2 T. rice wine vinegar (or white)
1 T. water
1 T. chopped ginger root
1 T. celery
1 T. soy sauce
1 1/2 t. tomato paste
1 1/5 t. sugar
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. salt

Puree to death. (Thanks, Mom, for the graphic instructions.)

Baked Oatmeal


Of course I have to publish my favorite breakfast dish, which is becoming one of my all-time favorite dishes.

2 c. uncooked quick-cooking oats (or old-fashioned)
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. raisins
1 T. chopped walnuts
1 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground cloves
1 1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. applesauce
2 T. butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
1 t. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375º.

Combine the first seven ingredients (all dry ingredients) in a medium bowl. Combine the milk, applesauce, butter, egg, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to oat mixture; stir well. Pour oat mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm. Or eat as much as you want, then put the rest in the fridge and eat the next day cold, or reheated with milk added. YUM.

Easy Coconut Rolls

Another easy one from Emily.

1 can sweetened condensed milk (can use fat-free)
1 can coconut milk (can use fat-free)
1 package frozen rolls

Raise the rolls (about 3-4 hours). Mix the milks and pour over the rolls, almost covering them. Bake as directed.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Bagel Pizzas

Chuck and I really love these. I will frequently make mine vegetarian by doing only olives, mushrooms, or just plain cheese.

Use mini bagels (we like the whole wheat ones) and cover with buffalo chicken wing sauce, bbq sauce, or pizza sauce and top with whatever you want. Bake for seven minutes at 400º.

Easy Chili

This is also a favorite in my household growing up. Chuck and I have modified it so that we let it sit in a crockpot on low all day. We think the flavor is slightly stronger this way.

16 oz. tomato sauce
2 cans canned kidney beans
1 lb. burger (we always use the turkey burger)
2 cans canned tomatoes
2 c. onions
1/2 green pepper
1 1/2 T. chili powder
1 T. sugar
1 package chili seasoning (spicy works really well)

Brown the meat, onions, and green pepper. Let sit in crockpot on low all day. Or just put in a stock pot on the stove and let sit for an hour, or until everything is good and warmed.

Pesto Sauce for Pizza

This recipe came from Emily, but I'll publish it anyway.

4 cloves of garlic
2 c. freshly picked basil
1/4 c. nuts (either pine or walnut)
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 c. olive oil

Put all ingredients into blender. Gradually add another 1/4 c. oil. You may need to add water to get the right consistency. When done, add 3 oz. grated parmesan cheese. Top on pizza.

Shortbread

I found this online and really liked it. They're much better than Girl Scout shortbread, but I think that's due to all the butter.

2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. butter, softened
1 t. vanilla
2 T. white sugar

Preheat oven to 350º. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and powdered sugar. Stir in the butter and vanilla until a stiff dough forms. Pat dough into 9” round pans and prick well with a fork. Sprinkle remaining sugar over dough. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden. Cut into wedges while warm. Serves 8.

Bul Koki

Another favorite from home. Our mom learned this is Japan, I think. Maybe Hawaii. Regardless it's really yummy.

3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 t. sesame oil
2 T. sugar
1/2 c. soy sauce
2 T. water
Green onions
Sesame seeds
2-3 lbs. beef, sliced thin

Marinate overnight. Cook on grill or in oven/dehydrator for jerky.

Frozen Key Lime Dessert




I got this recipe from the Daily Universe when I was working at BYU.

1 graham cracker crust
2 c. key lime yogurt
1 container whipped topping
1 T. lime juice
1 packet lime Jell-O

Combine cool whip, yogurt, lime juice, and powdered Jell-O packet and mix well. Spoon into graham cracker crust and freeze approximately one hour (you might need more than this, maybe plan on a couple of hours). Thaw five to 10 minutes prior to serving. Garnish with lime slices if desired.