Sweet Potato Fries

These are the only "fries" we make at our house. It's one of the few ways that I can get my boys to eat sweet potatoes. Serve them up with some fry sauce.

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatos, sliced into fries

2 T. olive oil

1 t. seasoning salt

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Coat fries in olive oil and toss them in the seasonings

3. Bake for 10 min., flip & bake for another 20 min. or until done. If you want them a little crispy, place them under the broiler for a minute after they've finished baking.

Mexican Corn and Bean Soup

This soup is so easy: a can of this, a can of that. It's really good too. It's perfect for a night when you don't feel like cooking and/or don't have time to cook. Sometimes I put cooked chicken pieces in it. I like to serve the soup with tortilla chips and corn bread.

Mexican Corn and Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (or sometimes I use taco seasoning)
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
• 3 lime slices

Preparation
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, cumin, garlic, and oregano; sauté 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in corn, pepper, broth, beans, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Serve with lime slices.

Yield
3 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cups soup and 1 lime slice)

Iceberg Lettuce with Carrot Ginger Soy Dressing with Cilantro and Red Thai Chiles

This is the type of salad that you'd have at a Japanese hibachi grill. It would be a good accompaniment to any Asian entree.

2 medium carrots, peeled, ends trimmed and sliced
2-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 shallots, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon superfine sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 large head Iceberg lettuce, quartered and cored
Freshly chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish
1 large red Thai chile, seeded, deveined and thinly sliced, for garnish

Combine the carrots, ginger, shallots, soy sauce, vinegar, water, sugar, and vegetable oil in a blender and puree until dressing becomes a slightly thick sauce. Season with the salt.

Break the Iceberg wedges a bit to open them up and pour the dressing over top. Finish with cilantro and chile.

Fattoush

This is a fabulous Lebanese pita salad.

Ingredients:
1 pita, toasted
1 head romaine, chopped
4 tomatoes, cubed
1 cucumber, cubed
8 scallions, sliced
4 T. fresh parsley
1 T. fresh mint
2 T. fresh cilantro
Feta (optional)

Dressing:
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice

Baked Beans

This was one of the sides for the banquet. Super easy, & super yummy!

Ingredients:
2 cans baked beans
1 can great northern beans
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
6 slices bacon
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. honey mustard
1/2 can diced tomatoes

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a crock pot & cook on HIGH for 6 hrs.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

We had our Blue & Gold banquet last night, and this was the main dish that we made.

Dry Rub:
5 lb. pork roast
3 T. paprika
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. garlic powder
1/2 t. dry mustard
2 T. salt

BBQ Sauce:
1 c. ketchup
1 c. white vinegar
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. molasses
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. Tabasco

Directions:
1. Marinade pork in the dry rub overnight.
2. Bake the roast in 1/2 c. water & 1/2 c. sauce at 250 degrees for 4-5 hrs, or in your crock pot on LOW for 6-8 hrs.
3. Combine all ingredients for sauce & simmer 30-45 minutes, until thickened.
4. Pull pork & simmer in sauce for 1 more hour.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

So I have to give it to the America's Test Kitchen again. I am not someone who typically likes pancakes (too doughy, too spongy, etc.). But these pancakes are awesome! Even Nathan (who hates pancakes), liked these.

Ingredients:
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 large egg
3 T. butter, melted
2 c. buttermilk
1 c. blueberries

Directions:
1. Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Add wet to dry & whisk until it is just incorporated. Don't overmix, or your pancakes will be tough.
2. Heat a oiled skillet over medium heat. Spread the batter, then top with a few blueberries. Cook 2-3 minutes. Flip. Then cook another 2 minutes.

**If you don't have fresh blueberries, you can use frozen. Just rinse them until the water runs clear & dry them on a paper towel.**

Note: These can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to a week. Defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hrs & heat in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes.

Yummy Oatmeal

So I don't even like hot cereal that much, but I love this recipe! Thanks sis!

Ingredients:
1 c. 7-grain cereal
1 c. water
1 c. milk
1 apple, diced
1/4 c. raisins
1 T. butter
2 T. brown sugar
Vanilla Yogurt
1 banana

Directions:
1. Combine cereal, water & milk in a saucepan & simmer until all the liquid is absorbed.
2. In a separate pan, saute apple & raisin in butter & brown sugar until apple is tender.
3. Serve cereal with apple mixture on top & vanilla yogurt w/banana on the side.

**This made just enough for Nathan, Tyler & I**

Shrimp Pad Thai

I figured since I steal all your recipes I ought to contribute so here is our favorite pad thai recipe... It is from the weight watchers "take-out tonight!" cookbook.

1/4 pond rice-stick noodles

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 scallions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon hot chili sauce

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 cups bean sprouts

3 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

1. Place the noodles in a large bowl and add enough hot water to cover; let stand until noddles are soft, about 10 minutes. Drain, transfer the noodles to a large bowl of cold water to cool, and drain again. Set aside.

2. Heat a large non stick skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in the oil, then add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are just opaque in the center, about 3 minutes. Add the scallions and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the egg whites, stirring gently, until they begin to set, about 30 seconds. Add the fish sauce, sugar, chili sauce, and soy sauce; cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 30 seconds. Add drained noodles and the bean sprouts; cook, tossing gently, until mixed and heated through, 2-3 minutes longer. Sprinkle with the peanuts and cilantro.

Makes 4 Servings.

Per serving (1 cup):

243 Cal

4g Fat

1g Sat Fat

67mg Chol

1,001mg Sod

36g Carb

3g Fib

15g Prot

56mg Calc

Points: 5

Super Moist Chocolate Cake

This is the moistest chocolate cake I've ever made, and it's super easy! The secret is to pull it out of the oven before it's over done (when a few crumbs stick to an inserted toothpick).

Ingredients:
2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/4 c. sugar
3/4 t. baking soda
3/4 c. cocoa powder
1 1/4 c. water
1 c. mayonnaise
1 T. vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease an 8-inch cake pan. (This only makes one cake, so if you want a layer cake, you need to double the recipe)
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar & baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk the cocoa & water together. Whisk in the mayo & vanilla. Stir the mayo mixture into the flour mixture.
3. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

**This recipe is from the America's Test Kitchen "Family Cookbook"**

Orange French Toast with Orange Apple Syrup

We made this for breakfast this morning. It's perfect for a cold winter morning!

Toast:
4 eggs
1/2 c. OJ
1/4 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
6-8 slices bread

Syrup:
3/4 c. OJ
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 apple, diced
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ginger
1 orange, cut into segments

Directions for Syrup:
Cook OJ & sugar on medium heat until bubbly. Add the apple, cinnamon & ginger. Cook until apple is tender & syrup is thickened. Stir in orange segments off the heat.

**You can soak the french toast the night before and bake it as a strata. 400 degrees until golden brown. (I haven't done it this way for a long time, so I can't remember how long it takes)**

Sweet and Spicy Chinese Cabbage Salad

Sweet and Spicy Chinese Cabbage Salad Recipe
Ingredients
4 cups chopped or shredded fresh cabbage
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup diced spring onions (white and light green parts only)
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp. granulated white sugar
1-3 tsp. sweet red Thai chili sauce (more or less, depending on how spicy you like your food)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
Directions
Place the cabbage, carrots, red peppers and spring onions in a large salad bowl. Toss until vegetables are well-mixed.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
Pour over the cabbage salad, and toss again to coat the salad evenly with the dressing.
Refrigerate this salad until you are ready to serve it.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Per serving (based on 6): 151 calories, 12 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 414 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 1 g protein, 80% vitamin A, 68% vitamin C, 3% calcium, 3% iron

We were looking for an Asian salad to go with gyoza. If you aren't familar with gyoza, it is an asian dumpling. (Misty will have to post Dave's family recipe, it is FABULOUS!!) This salad has a great kick to it and Greg and I both loved it.