Sesame Peanut Sauce for noodles

* was looking for a lighter Peanut Sauce for noodles as others have been very heavy & just not too good. This one is amazing!!! Everyone raved. Nice & light. Tastes great both hot & cold! For the dinner that night I added some thawed frozen broccoli & chicken from the roaster in the fridge.Will use often!

Sesame Peanut Sauce

Find it here: Cook yourself Thin Cookbook

Ingredients:

2tbs rice vinegar
1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c peanut butter
2 tbs grated ginger
1 tbs dark sesame oil
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 c hot water

Whisk all these together in a bowl. Pour over cooked noodles & toss all with 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds & add in veggies and/or meat of your choice & toss once more. Let sit a few minutes to thicken

Anadama Bread

*super yummy bread! Great warm!

Anadama Bread

Find it here:http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/anadama-bread/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place 1/2 cup water and cornmeal in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until mixture thickens; about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter or margarine and molasses. Let cool to lukewarm.
2. In a small mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Let sit until creamy; about 10 minutes.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled cornmeal mixture with the yeast mixture; stir until well blended. Add 2 cups of the flour and the salt; mix well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
4. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
6. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a loaf. Place the loaf in a lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
7. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 145 | Total Fat: 1.9g | Cholesterol: 4mg

Mascarpone Chocolate Toffee Bars

* amazing! It is unreal what adding the cheese does to the chocolate. Imp. to let the dough remain soft & not get too crispy & my serving sizes were very small, as I consider it to be rich. YUM!

Mascarpone Chocolate Toffee Bars

Find it here:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/mascarpone-chocolate-toffee-bars-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 pound refrigerated sugar cookie dough (recommended: Pillsbury)
• 2 (1.4-ounces) chocolate-toffee candy bars, coarsely chopped, divided (recommended: Skor)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (recommended: Ghirardelli)
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted * see Cook's Note

Directions

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 7 by 10 3/4-inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay a 6 by 18-inch piece of parchment paper in the pan, allowing the excess paper to overhang the sides. Spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the cookie dough, 1/2 of the chopped chocolate-toffee candy pieces and vanilla extract. Using damp fingers, gently press the dough into the prepared pan. Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. Cool for 15 minutes.

Place the chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted. Cool the chocolate mixture for 10 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese until the mixture is smooth. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate-toffee candy pieces and sliced almonds over the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until the chocolate layer is firm.

Peel off the parchment paper and cut into 1 1/2 by 2-inch bars. Serve at room temperature.

*Cook's Note: To toast almonds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Scotch Broth

* made for Burns Nicht & it is the best I have had. Kids & Bob loved as well. As I don't do lamb, I subbed in Beef stock & used thin beef sliced & diced. YUMMY!

Scotch Broth

Find it here: sadly, I can not recall as I have had it for quite some time!

Ingredients

• 250g/8oz carrots, peeled, diced
• 250g/8oz turnips, diced
• 2 onions, peeled, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 leek, white part only, sliced
• 75-125g/3-4oz pearl barley
• 125g/4oz dried peas, soaked in water for 4-5 hours, drained
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2.3litres/4 pints lamb or mutton stock
• 85g/3oz kale, chopped (optional)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method

1. Heat all of the ingredients, except the kale, in a large saucepan until boiling.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for a 2-3 hours, or until the peas and pearl barley are soft.
3. Stir in the kale and cook for a further 10-12 minutes, or until the kale is tender. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Overnight Cinnamon Buns

* Wanted to try these as they were recommended on a friend's blog & when we had a day's notice on an upcoming snow storm, the timing was perfect. Alton does not disappoint! Obviously more work than popping open a can, but when the kiddos beg for more & one states they are not only better than said canned rolls, but ups the ante to "they are even better than the ones at Disney World" , well who am I to argue?! I did use 2 cups white all purpose & 2 cups wheat all purpose flour & only used half the icing. Wonderful!

Overnight Cinnamon Buns

Find it here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/overnight-cinnamon-rolls-recipe/index.html

ingredients

Dough:
4 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 large whole egg, room temperature
2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted, approximately 6 tablespoons
6 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
20 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 cups, plus additional for dusting
1 package instant dry yeast, approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Vegetable oil or cooking spray

Filling:
8 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 cup packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
3/4-ounce unsalted butter, melted, approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons

Icing:
2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened, approximately 1/4 cup
3 tablespoons milk
5 1/2 ounces powdered sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups

For the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add approximately 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough, add more flour if necessary; the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. Knead on low speed 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to use.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the 3/4-ounce of melted butter, leaving 1/2-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls; yielding 12 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.

Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30 minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

When the oven is ready, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature reaches 190°F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 30 minutes.

While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing by whisking the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.

Rosemary-Merlot Roast & Garlic Roasted Potatoes

A variation on the recipe from the cooking light dinner tonight cook book . Actually the only variation was the cut of meat... I used the chuck roast I had instead of the flank steak. It was all VERY delicious :o) Both kids had no issue with the meat and the potatoes are similar to what I've made on other occasions.

Rosemary Merlot Roast & Garlic Roasted Potato

Find it here: Cooking Light Dinner Tonight book ( Pg 230 )

Roast~

Ingredients:

1c finely chopped onion

3/4c low sodium beef broth

3/4c merlot

1 tbs chopped rosemary

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp italian spices

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 ( 1lb) flank steak, trimmed

cooking spray

1 tbs tomato paste

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Directions:

1. Prep grill or broiler

2. Combine 1st 7 ingr. in a lg. zip-lock bag. Add steak;seal bag. Marinate in fridge for 20 min, turning once. Remove Steak from bag, reserve marinade.

3. Place steak on grill or broil ( coated with cooking spray) ; cook 6 min on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand for 5 min. Cut diagonally across the grain into thin slices;keep warm.

4. while the steak cooks, combine the reserved marinade with tomato paste & mustard in med saucepan on med-high heat. Stir w/ a whisk;bring to boil & cook until reduced to 1c (@7 min.). Serve sauce w/ steak.

Potatoes~

Ingredients:

1 tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp Italian spices

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 minced garlic cloves

1 1/2 lbs quartered, small red potatoes

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees.

2. Combine all ingr. on a jelly roll pan coated w/ cooking spray.

3. Bake for 25 mins or until tender, stirring every 10 min.

Chicken Milanese

I made some tweeks to the Chicken Milanese recipe from Cooking Light magazine for a dinner Colin & even Emma labeled as Awesome. The recipe called for breadcrumbs & I subbed in panko.

This particular recipe paired with parmesan-browned butter orzo. It called for chicken stock, but I had vegetable stock. All in all it was very tasty.

Chicken Milanese

Find it here: Cooking Light Magazine

Chicken Dish:

Create a healthy kid-friendly meal by slicing the chicken into "fingers" and serving over a colorful salad.

Total: 40 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon minced shallots
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• Dash of sugar
• 2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cups packed spring mix salad greens
• 2 lemon wedges

Preparation

1. Combine juice, vinegar, shallots, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and sugar; let stand 15 minutes.

2. Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet.

3. Combine breadcrumbs and cheese in a shallow dish. Place flour in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Sprinkle chicken with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Dredge chicken in flour; dip in egg white. Dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place chicken on a wire rack; let stand 5 minutes.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes. Turn chicken over; cook 2 minutes or until browned and done.

5. Add 2 teaspoons oil and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to shallot mixture; stir with a whisk. Add greens; toss gently. Place 1 chicken breast half and 1 cup salad on each of 2 plates. Serve with lemon wedges.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

402

Fat:

15.4g (sat 3g,mono 9g,poly 1.8g)

Protein:

45.9g

Carbohydrate:

17.7g

Fiber:

1.4g

Cholesterol:

102mg

Iron:

2.2mg

Sodium:

539mg

Calcium:

80mg