Green Gazpacho

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/green-gazpacho.html

Lasts a few days in the frig.

The toasted almonds are important.

Avocado and olive oil on top are optional.


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INGREDIENTS
8 ounces seedless green grapes, plus more for garnish
3 scallions, roughly chopped (Red onions okay)
1 1/2 English cucumbers, peeled and cut into chunks
1 clove garlic
1 small bunch fresh parsley, leaves only
1/2 avocado, cut into chunks
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (Canola okay)
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (rice vinegar okay)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper (Seasoned pepper okay)
1/4 cup ice water
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish
Toasted bread, for serving.


DIRECTIONS
Combine the grapes, scallions, cucumber, garlic, parsley and avocado in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the olive oil and white wine vinegar and pulse again until blended. Add the ice water and pulse again. Add more water if it is not at your desired consistency.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve chilled, topped with toasted almonds and toasted bread on the side, if desired. Can be made 24 hours in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator.

Made two times.  First just for us, then a bunch for Andrew's gathering.  Ppl liked it.

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstalls: Dahl

http://www.welovethisbook.com/features/hugh-fearnley-whittingstalls-dahl

It's going to be eaten this week in France, along with curried vegetables and rice on a 5:2 fasting day!

Made the soup as part of dinner tonight, I misremembered some of the items so it was a little different.

I rinsed the lentil that I had (about one cup) and put in pot with about 2 cups of water and turned the heat on. Added some vegetable broth paste.

In another pot I put a diced onion and cooked that with a little canola oil until it turned color, then added the cumin seeds. Added tumeric then combined the two pots.

Added some parsley right when serving the dish.

The soup had a great flavor, but the lentils probably should have cooked a bit longer.

I was going to take a photo of the left overs, but realized at the end of the meal that I hadn't turned the burner off so so the beans were too dried out and were tossed.


The other part of the meal was:
grilled chicken
grilled zucchini
grilled corn on the cob
Salad: lettuce, diced tomato and cucumber, black olives, goats cheese, red onion, oil and vinegar

8-Week Cholesterol Cure: Oat Bran Muffins

Had my cholesterol tested this week. The ratio was barely okay but the total numbers were high. Have been reading The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure for ideas and today had my first serving of hot oat bran for breakfast. Following the package the servings were way too large, I think I only had half. (served with blueberries and NF milk). Was very good and didn't take that long to make. I like oatmeal so can easily make this switch to help lower my numbers.

The author of the book though doesn't like hot cereal so instead he makes muffins. In reading it sounded like his basic recipe was too dry so I made some changes. I didn't have (1/4 c) dates or raisins so I added three bananas, I added a little vanilla and almond extract, a put in 3 egg whites instead of 2. But other than that was the http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=637203 same recipe.

2.25 c oat bran
.25 c nuts
.25 c dates (I used 3-bananas)
1 T baking powder
.25 c brown sugar
1.25 c NF milk
2 egg whites (I used 3-egg whites)
2 T oil
(added a little vanilla and almond extract)

I mixed in a food processor.

Baked around 15 minutes at 425 degrees

Was supposed to make 12 muffins, but with my additions somehow it came to 24 muffins!  I'd expect a few more as the volume of the bananas was more than the dates but it's really a mystery to me what happened.  Since I ended up with so many, to add variety after the batter was in the cupcake tin: to six muffins I added 5-blueberries, to six muffins I added 3-chocolate chips, to twelve I added a few pecans.

Mr Kowalski says to have three of his muffins everyday (along with other things), since I have 24 muffins though I guess I'm supposed to have 6 of them to get the recommended amount of oat bran!  The first one I had was delicious, I can vary the taste with different fruit so will be doable.  If I can get some dates or raisin, I'll wait until it's a little cooler this evening to make an batch that follows the basic recipe exactly so I can see how many muffins I end up with.

It was easy to have my cholesterol tested without going to the doctor's lab.  Our local store has a man come by every other month from http://fingerstick.com  It's less expensive than Minute Clinic thru CVS.  This is one thing that is not available in MA.

In a few weeks I'll go to regular doctor for my check-up... hopefully the numbers will be lower then!

To Think About: Entropy, bureaucracy and the fight for great

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2014/03/entropy-bureaucracy-and-the-fight-for-great.html

Green Chile Spinach Quiche

From: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Green-Chile-Spinach-Quiche/Detail.aspx?scale=8&ismetric=0

"You can add other meats or veggies to suite your taste, and this quiche can be baked with or without pie shells. My whole family (ages 65 to 1) love this quiche! Sometimes I add a small package of chopped ham to the recipe."

For One Pie (6-8 servings)

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 (8 ounce) packageshredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

• 1 cup small curd cottage cheese
• 1/2 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl until smooth. Whisk in the flour mixture until no lumps remain. Stir in the Colby-Monterey Jack cheese, cottage cheese, spinach, green chiles, and melted butter until evenly blended. Divide the mixture between the pie crusts.
3. Bake the quiches in the preheated oven for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking until the quiches are lightly browned and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve with refried beans and salsa!

Thanksgiving Recipes to Scan

  From:

http://www.flylady.net/d/br/2013/11/17/free-thanksgiving-menu-mailer/

flylady Free_Thanksgiving-menu flylady.pdf

I add apples and apricots to the Muzzie's fabulous stuffing

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Mama's Old Fashioned Bread Dressing

1/4 t black pepper

1/2 t dried thyme

1/2 c minced parsley

1 T chopped fresh sage

1 lb stale whole wheat bread, in 1/2 inch cubes

2 1/4 c veg broth

1/2 c egg whires (from 4 large eggs)

2 c unpeeled diced apple

3/4 c celery

1 c diced bell pepper

2 c quartered mushrooms

1 1/2 c diced onions

Mama's Jello

1 lar cherry jello

1 c walnuts

1 can fruit cocktail

1 can pineapple chunks

1 apple

1 banana

1 orange

Minced Pie

1 box minced meat

1 crust

1 apple

(Whipped cream)

Pecan Pie

1 crust

3/4 c dark corn syrup

3/4 c dark brwn sugar firmly packed

1 t maple syrup

1 1/2 c pecan halves unbroken

2 1/2 c pecans coarsely chopped

1 t vanilla

1 1/2 T orange juice

3 eggs at room temp

4 T softened salted butter

heavy cream

Waldorf Salad

1 c raisins

1 c chopped walnuts

1 apple yogurt

2 green apples

1 c green grapes cut in half

2 red apples

Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast with Leeks and Cornbread stuffing by Tyler Florence - food network 

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/oven-roasted-turkey-breast-with-leeks-and-cornbread-stuffing-recipe-1943398

• Level: Easy
• Total: 1 hr 20 min

• Prep: 30 min
• Cook: 50 min

• Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

4 whole leeks, white part only, roots trimmed and cut into rings

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups crumbled cornbread, store-bought

1 cup chicken stock

2 Boneless Turkey breasts

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Fill a large bowl with water and add the leeks, swish around with your hands to get the sand out from in between the layers. In a large saute pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil. Add the leeks, sprinkle with the thyme, salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, turning every now and then, until the leeks are softened but not colored. Remove the leeks from heat to cool.
3. In a large bowl combine the leeks, cornbread, and chicken stock and season with salt and pepper.
4. Use a sharp, thin knife to cut down the length of the turkey cutting the breast parallel to the board, almost in half just stopping short of the outside edge. Open out the 2 halves as if you were opening a book. Now you've got a large piece of meat that will cook evenly and is thin enough to roll. Place 2 cups of the stuffing inside each of the breasts and then fold the turkey back over.
5. Place the remaining stuffing in a small baking dish and cook alongside the turkey.
6. Tie in 4 places with kitchen twine and season with salt and pepper.
7. Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter and olive oil in a roasting pan over medium-high heat. Put the turkey in the roasting pan and sear all over. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for about 25 minutes (internal temperature should reach 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). Take the turkey out of the oven and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut crosswise into slices.

Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta by Giada De Laurentis Food Network

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/brussels-sprouts-with-pancetta-recipe-1941791

• Level: Easy
• Total: 30 min

• Prep: 10 min
• Cook: 20 min

• Yield: 4 servings
• Nutrition Info

Ingredients

Deselect All

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 ounces paper-thin slices pancetta, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth

1. Partially cook the Brussels sprouts in a large pot of boiling salted water, about 4 minutes. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until beginning to crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts to the same skillet and saute until heated through and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the broth and simmer until the broth reduces just enough to coat the Brussels sprouts, about 3 minutes. Serve.

Good Eats Roast Turkey

Level: Easy

• Total: 9 hr 45 min

• Prep: 15 min
• Inactive: 7 hr
• Cook: 2 hr 30 min

• Yield: 10 to 12 servings

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe-1950271

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the Brine:

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 gallon vegetable stock

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger

1 gallon heavily iced water

For the Aromatics:

1 red apple, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

1 cinnamon stick

1 cup water

4 sprigs rosemary

6 leaves sage

Canola oil

1. Two to three days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F. 
2. Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate. 
3. The night before or early on the day you'd like to eat: Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
4. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine. 
5. Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels. 
6. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil. 
7. Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Stuffed Mushrooms

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/stuffed-mushrooms-recipe-1941818

• Level: Easy
• Total: 35 min

• Prep: 10 min
• Cook: 25 min

• Yield: 28 mushrooms
• Nutrition Info

1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

28 large (2 1/2-inch-diameter) white mushrooms, stemmed

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Stir the bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano, garlic, parsley, mint, salt and pepper, to taste, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl to blend.
3. Drizzle a heavy large baking sheet with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, to coat. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on the baking sheet, cavity side up. Drizzle remaining oil over the filling in each mushroom. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes. Serve.

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

1 Hr(s) 15 Min(s) (incl. refrigerating)

15 Min(s) Prep

1 Hr(s) Cook

Take pumpkin pie a step further with this Turtle Pumpkin Pie recipe. Airy COOL WHIP, drizzled caramel and chopped pecans top this Turtle Pumpkin Pie.

 

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping, divided

 

1 ready-to-use graham cracker crumb crust (6 oz.)

 

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. chopped PLANTERS Pecans, divided

 

2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

 

1 cup cold milk

 

1 cup canned pumpkin

 

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

 

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

 

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

Pour 1/4 cup caramel topping onto bottom of pie crust; sprinkle with 1/2 cup nuts.

2

Beat next 5 ingredients  milk, pudding mixes, pumplin and spices in large bowl with whisk until blended. Stir in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP; spoon into crust.

3

Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Top with remaining COOL WHIP, caramel topping and nuts just before serving.

10 servings