Easy Sautéed Spinach

Ingredients:

• 1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (10 oz.) bag spinach leaves
• 1 1/2 t. garlic salt
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat
2. Add the spinach to the skillet and cover; allow to cook for 5 minutes
3. Stir in the garlic salt and cover again for another 5 minutes; remove from heat
4. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

Sautéed Spinach with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lb. mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed and sliced
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
• 1 t. fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. 1 pound baby spinach, rinsed but not dried
2. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy skillet, and add the mushrooms
3. Cook, stirring, until seared and beginning to sweat, about five minutes
4. Turn the heat to medium, and add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper
5. Stir together for another minute or two until the mushrooms are tender
6. Add the spinach, and stir until wilted, about two minutes
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat

Sautéed Spinach with Toasted Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 lbs. baby spinach
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 garlic clove in a 12-inch straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat, until garlic is golden, about 3 minutes
2. Add a quarter of the spinach, and cook just until it wilts, about 2 minutes
3. Transfer to a colander; drain
4. Repeat with remaining oil, garlic, and spinach
5. Transfer spinach to a bowl
6. Season with salt and pepper
7. Squeeze lemon over spinach, and top with pine nuts

Cake Pops

Ingredients:

• 1 cake mix of your choice
• 1 can of frosting of your choice
• 1 bag candy melts or chocolate bark
• Sucker sticks
• Styrofoam block

Directions:

1. Bake and cool one 13×9 cake, according to package directions.
2. After cake has cooled smash cake and mix in 1 can of frosting.
3. Then refrigerate mixture for about 6 hours
4. Remove mixture from fridge and form into balls
5. After forming all balls insert a sucker stick into each ball
6. Then refrigerate again for at least an hour
7. While cake pops are in the fridge melt your candy melts or chocolate
8. Remove cake pops from fridge when ready to start dipping
9. Dip the cake ball into the melted chocolate
10. After the cake ball is covered insert the stick into a Styrofoam block to allow the chocolate coating to harden
11. After the chocolate has set they are ready to enjoy!

“How to Make Cake Pops | EHow.com.” EHow | How to Videos, Articles & More – Trusted Advice for the Curious Life | EHow.com. Web. 29 Mar. 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/how_4505389_make-cake-pops.html>.

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 medium Hass avocados, pitted and sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 English (seedless) cucumber, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, chopped
• A few drops hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Arrange vegetables on platter
2. Mix lemon and garlic, hot sauce and salt. Stream in extra-virgin olive oil while whisking dressing
3. Pour lemon dressing over the salad and serve

Ray, Rachael. 30-minute Get Real Meals: Eat Healthy without Going to Extremes. New York: Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2005. 8. Print.

Corned Beef and Sprouts

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 3-lb. piece corned beef brisket (with spice packet, if included)
• 1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 3 inch piecescarrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
• 1 12-ounce bottle amber ale
• 3/4 lb. Brussel sprouts
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 2 T. whole-grain mustard
• 1 T. fresh tarragon, chopped

Directions:

1. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, place the beef, the contents of the spice packet (if included), carrots, and ale
2. Cook, covered, until the beef is tender, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours
3. Ten minutes before serving, thinly slice the Brussels sprouts
4. Transfer the beef from the slow cooker to a cutting board; if the slow cooker is on the low setting, turn it to high
5. Add the Brussels sprouts to the carrots and liquid in the slow cooker
6. Cook, covered, until the Brussels sprouts are tender, 4 to 6 minutes
7. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the sour cream, mustard, and tarragon
8. Slice the beef
9. Serve with the vegetables and sour cream sauce

Quessenberry, , Sara. “Ale-Braised Corned Beef, Brussels Sprouts, and Carrots Recipe | Real Simple Recipes.” Real Simple – Recipes, Organizing, Beauty, Fashion, Holidays. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. <http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/ale-braised-corned-beef-recipe-00000000029794/index.html>.

Simply Delicious Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

• 2 (14 oz. cans) artichokes (packed in water)
• 2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 c. low fat mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Drain artichokes and coarsely chop
2. Combine chopped artichokes, Parmesan, and mayonnaise into a glass microwaveable dish
3. Microwave on high heat for 5 minutes
4. Stop about every minute to stir
5. Add fresh ground pepper and salt to taste
6. Serve with freshly sliced crunchy bread

Almost No-Knead Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (15 ounces), plus additional for dusting work surface
• 1/4 t. instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 1/2 t. table salt
• 3/4 c. plus 2 tablespoons water (7 oz.), at room temperature
• 1/4 c. plus 2 tablespoons mild-flavored lager (3 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions:

1. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.
2. Lay 12- by 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

“No-Knead Bread 2.0.” Cooks Illustrated Jan.-Feb. 2008: 18-20. Print.

New England Clam Chowder

Ingredients:

• 4 (6 1/2 oz.) cans minced clams with juice
• 1/2 lb. salt pork or bacon, diced
• 1 c. onion, chopped
• 10-12 red potatoes, cubed
• 3 c. chicken broth
• 3 1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 4 c. half and half cream or milk
• 6-8 T. cornstarch
• Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

Directions:

1. Cut clams into bite-sized
2. In skillet, sauté salt pork or bacon and onion until golden brown then drain
3. Put into slow cooker with clams
4. Add red potatoes, chicken broth, salt and pepper
5. Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours or until vegetables are tender.
6. During the last hour of cooking, combine 1 cup of milk with the cornstarch
7. Add cornstarch mixture and the remaining milk and stir well
8. Cook for last hour and then enjoy

Bagels with  lox

Directions:

• Bagels halved and toasted
• Cream Cheese
• Tomatoes, thinly sliced
• Lox (cured salmon fillet)
• Red onion, thinly sliced
• Capers
• Lemon wedges

Ideas of how to top bagel:

1. Apply about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of cream cheese to bagels
2. Then place sliced tomatoes to bagels
3. Salt and pepper tomatoes
4. Add as much lox to each bagel as you desire
5. Top with red onions and capers
6. Then finish off by squeezing fresh lemon juice on top

Quick pasta sauce ideas

• Fresh pressed garlic, a little olive oil and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes
• Fresh chopped tomatoes, sliced black olives, fresh pressed garlic and a little olive oil
• Grated lemon zest, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a little cream or milk
• Butter, Parmesan cheese, fresh ground black pepper and a touch of cream or milk
• Thawed frozen peas, strips of deli or smoked ham, and a little cream or milk
• Chopped fresh basil, fresh pressed garlic and tomatoes sautéed in a little olive oil
• A can of tuna drained, add in some capers, fresh ground black pepper and chopped fresh parsley

*The Dinner Doctor, Rodale; 2003

Swedish pancakes

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 2 c. milk
• 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 T. sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 T butter, melted
• Lingonberry jam
• Powdered sugar
• Lemon wedges

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs with a wire whisk
2. Mix in milk
3. Beat in flour, sugar and salt until smooth
4. Stir in melted butter.
5. For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle and cook over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes.
6. With a spatula, turn the pancakes and cook until golden brown, about 1/2 minute
7. If not serving immediately keep pancakes warm