Cilantro Salad Dressing

from: my mom!

Makes 2 cups or 16 - 2 Tablespoon servings. 

3 cloves garlic
1 T ginger
1 bunch cilantro (without stems)
1/2 c lemon juice
1 T vinegar (i used white but you can use whatever you like)
1/2 t cumin
3/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 or 2 T honey
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1/2 c canola oil
1/4 c EVOO

Put all ingredients in food processor or blender and turn that puppy on until you have a smooth salad dressing.

This dressing is so addictive you will find yourself eating more salad just for the dressing.

The following nutrition info is for using this as a salad dressing. 

Nutrition Facts
16 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		116.0
Total Fat		11.3 g
	Saturated Fat	1.6 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	2.5 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	6.8 g
Cholesterol		2.5 mg
Sodium		167.7 mg
Potassium		33.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate		3.4 g
	Dietary Fiber	0.1 g
	Sugars	2.4 g
Protein		1.4 g

Vitamin A	1.4 %
Vitamin B-12	0.7 %
Vitamin B-6	0.9 %
Vitamin C	7.1 %
Vitamin D	0.0 %
Vitamin E	7.8 %
Calcium	4.8 %
Copper	0.9 %
Folate	1.0 %
Iron	1.1 %
Magnesium	0.7 %
Manganese	1.5 %
Niacin	0.3 %
Pantothenic Acid	0.6 %
Phosphorus	2.7 %
Riboflavin	1.3 %
Selenium	1.3 %
Thiamin	0.5 %
Zinc	1.1 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Dark Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

from Amy Claire Kingston, who is my hero!


Ingredients for the cheesecake:
1 1/2 cups crushed oreo cookies (about 18)
1/4 cup margarine, melted
3 (8oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
1 (12oz) package dark chocolate chips, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine cookie crumbs and margarine.

Press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan and set aside.

Combine cream cheese and milk, mixing at medium speed with electric mixer until well blended.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Blend in chocolate and vanilla; pour over crust.

Bake at 300 for 1 hour 10 minutes.

Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing sides of pan.

Spread topping (see below) over top and sides of cheesecake.

Chill.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

Ingredients for Orange-Chocolate Topping:
1/3 cup margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 (6oz) package dark chocolate chips, melted
2 teaspoons orange extract

Melt the chocolate and let it cool slightly. Beat margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Add chocolate and orange extract, mixing until well blended.

NOTE: This cheesecake wields great power. With great power comes great responsibility. Be wise, my friends. Upon serving this cheesecake you will become very popular. After trying this cheesecake, your nemesis is now your friend, your foe is now your confidant. Tread prudently.

Zucchini Bread

From: a hybrid between my mom, my aunt mollie, my BFF beth

2 eggs
1/2 c oil
1 c granulated sugar
1 c grated zucchini
1/2 t lemon juice
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 t salt
1/8 t baking powder
1-1/2 c whole wheat flour (or substitute all purpose flour)
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t baking soda

-Preheat oven to 350

-Grease loaf pan

-In a large bowl, BEAT eggs until light and frothy

-MIX in oil and sugar

-STIR in zucchini, lemon and vanilla

-COMBINE flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, nuts

-STIR into egg mixture

-BAKE 45 minutes

MY NOTES: I combined my friend, beth's, recipe and my mom's - which was already a combination of her own and my aunt mollie's. I have to say, this turned out to be the best zucchini bread I ever wrapped my lips around! I added five more minutes to the bake time but that will vary no matter where you are. I also adjusted many of the measurements bc the original recipes were for two loaves and I only have one loaf pan. So instead of halfing quarter measurements I rounded up or rounded down.

Easy Peezy Dinner ideas

Lately, I've not had the energy to make a proper dinner. It was really hard for me to consider what to eat instead. Here are some options I finally came up with...

BLT
Loaded Potatoes
(with the leftovers of that) loaded hot dogs
Frozen pizza and salad
Spaghetti and frozen garlic bread
Sausages and cous cous (one of my hubs time favorite meals!)

then of course there is the old stand by: PB&J

Hope this helps you figure out what NOT to cook!

Simply Sensational Truffles

From Kraft Foods

2-1/2 pkg. (20 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

decorations: chopped PLANTERS COCKTAIL Peanuts, multi-colored sprinkles

Make It

MELT 8 chocolate squares in double boiler. Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Blend in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until firm.

SHAPE into 36 balls. Place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet.

MELT remaining chocolate. Use fork to dip truffles; return to baking sheet. Decorate, then refrigerate 1 hour.

My Notes: I made these for the holidays and people raved over them. I had leftover chocolate at the end and dipped pretzels then sprinkled red and green sprinkles over them.

Guinness and Onion Soup with Irish Cheddar Crouton

From Michael Chiarello

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves minced garlic
• 8 cups thinly sliced onions
• Gray salt
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups dark beer (recommended: Guinness)
• 6 cups beef stock
• 6 slices country bread cut 1/2-inch thick, toasted
• 1/2 pound Irish Cheddar, sliced thin

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and cook briefly to release aroma. Add onions, season with salt and cook for about 5 minutes stirring often. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are golden brown.

Add the thyme, vinegar, and beer. Reduce beer by half and add the beef stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 more minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Transfer soup to an ovenproof serving dish or individual ovenproof soup bowls. Top with toasted bread slices and sliced Cheddar. Broil until cheese melts and starts to brown slightly. Serve piping hot.

Shepherds Pie with Scallion-Cheese Crust

From Michael Chiarello

Directions

For the filling:

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 pound minced British lamb
• 1 pound minced beef
• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped very small
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms
• 1 level tablespoon tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 level tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 1/2 cups fresh beef stock
• Salt
  
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the crust:

• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup scallions, cleaned and chopped
• 1 cup mature Cheddar, coarsely grated

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or deep saute pan. Brown the lamb and beef. Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon. Add the onions to the pan and saute until the onions are tinged brown at the edges - about 5 minutes. Add the chopped carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, tomato puree, thyme, parsley and cinnamon. Stir and saute for 2 minutes. Next, stir in the flour, which will soak up the juice, then stir in the wine and the beef stock. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. Return the meat to the pan and bring to a boil. Cover, turn down the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes until the lamb is fully cooked.

Peel the potatoes, cut them into large even-sized pieces and place into a pot of cold, salted water. Bring the water to a boil and cook potatoes until they are tender, about 10 minutes. (Potatoes are done when a knife can easily go through.)

When the potatoes are done, drain off the water, return them to the saucepan, cover with a clean tea cloth to absorb the steam and leave them for about 5 minutes. Next, add the butter and mash them to a puree. Season with salt and pepper. When the meat is ready, spoon it into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and level it out with the back of the spoon. After that, spread the mashed potato evenly all over. Sprinkle the scallions on top of the potato, scatter the cheese over the scallions and bake the pie until the top is crusty and golden, about 25 minutes.

MY NOTES: This recipe was AMAZING! But it really took me a long time to make. The cinnamon is awesome.