California Waldorf Salad

California Waldorf Salad     Serves 4

1/3 cup	nonfat plain yogurt or sour cream
1/3 cup	mayonnaise
2 tablespoons	fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon	grated lime zest
2 teaspoons	curry powder
1/2 teaspoon	honey or sugar
1/2 cup	thinly sliced Earthbound Farm Organic celery
1/2 cup	Earthbound Farm Organic Raisins
3/4 cup	halved Earthbound Farm Organic seedless grapes (red or green)
1	unpeeled Earthbound Farm Organic apple (cut into 1/3-inch dice, about 1 cup)
1/2 cup	toasted pecans or walnuts
5 ounces	Earthbound Farm Organic Baby Spinach or Spring Mix (about 6 cups)

Directions   Place the yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, zest, curry and honey in a small bowl, and whisk to combine.  Place the celery, raisins, grapes, apple and nuts in a large bowl. Add about half of the yogurt dressing and stir to combine.  Just before serving, add the spinach and toss to combine. Add more dressing if needed.

A big "Thank You" to Kathy Lynch of Carmel/Chico California for sharing this recipe.

What'cha got in those potholders?

It's been quite a while since I've added any recipes or posts to this blog. I'd honestly sort of forgotten it existed as it was set up as a way for my daughters and friends and I to share recipes. Recently a couple of gals have asked me to help them learn some cooking skills which has led to quite a bit of musing on what that might look like. I'm honored to be asked to share the little bit of knowledge I have - and cooking and hospitality are passions in this household so it only makes sense! 

Let 'er Spill!

What do you WISH you knew how to cook? What is the cooking technique or recipe that is the most frustrating for you? Let's bounce some ideas around!

Remember...if it's not worthy of getting your apron dirty, then it's not worth your time!

Michelle's Pumpkin Hummus

Bring a bit of fall into your kitchen with this yummy spread. It's great with sliced pears or apples, as well as crackers or on a yummy slice of nut bread!

Michelle’s Pumpkin Hummus

(Ingredients are approximate)

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed.

2 tablespoons cashews or mild nuts

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

¼ - ½ cup maple syrup

1-2 tablespoons molasses

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon vanilla

Salt to taste

Puree nuts, add wet ingredients until smooth, add spices, taste and adjust. Better the next day. 

Thank you to Michelle Domeika for sharing this recipe with me!

Corn/Black Bean Salad

This is an "abouta" recipe....all measurements are approximate!

Basic recipe:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup or a couple of ears of corn - I prefer fresh or frozen
Some chopped green or red onions - about a quarter cup
About a half of a finely minced jalapeno pepper
1/2 of a medium/large red bell pepper, diced
lots of cilantro, stemmed and chopped
1-2 teaspoons cumin
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 lime

fun add-ins:
olives
tomatoes
basil
jicama
more -other beans to make more of a main dish
roasted chicken

Steamed Green Beans

Original Recipe Yield 4 servings
Ingredients

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or use a mix of rice vinegar and balsamic!)
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions

Set a steamer basket insert into a large saucepan and fill with water to a level just below the steamer. Bring to a boil. Add green beans, and steam to your desired degree of tenderness, or about 5 minutes.
Once the beans have cooked, transfer them to a serving bowl. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, white wine vinegar, and Parmesan cheese. Let stand for 10 minutes. Remove garlic slices and garnish with parsley before serving.

Lemon Pepper Chicken Bake

Lemon Pepper Chicken Bake

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest (substitute lemon pepper)
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme (substitute Italian Seasoning)

1. Preheat oven to 375 f
2. Combine soy sauce, melted butter, lemon juice, honey, pepper, seasoning.
3. Lightly coat baking dish with non-stick spray
4. Arrange frozen chicken in dish (I lightly flour and pan sauté first)
5. Spoon mixture over, cover loosely with foil, bake 25 min.
6. Turn each piece over, baste well, and continue to cook until done.

I use the flash frozen chicken breast tenders so ignore where it says “4 chicken breasts”. I generally allow 3 pieces per person and the sauce recipe above is adequate for 9 pieces. Last night I used the entire bag of chicken and tripled the sauce recipe.

I dust the chicken pieces in flour and quickly brown them a bit in some oil, and then transfer to a baking dish coated with PAM. (I know, higher in fat and calories, but it tastes a lot better!)

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