Healthy Macaroni and Cheese

From Shirley Pauole

7 oz (1 1/2 c) dried multigrain or whole grain rotini pasta
1 1/2 c broccoli florets, finely chopped carrots, or green beans, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 c finely chopped onion
4 tsp olive oil
1 - 6.5 oz pkg light semisoft cheese with garlic and herb
1 2/3 c fat free milk
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 c reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
2 oz (1/2 c) Asiago, gruyere or Manchego cheese, shredded
1/2 c crumbled whole wheat baguette or panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)

In a medium saucepan cook the pasta according to package directions.  Add broccoli, carrots, aor beans during the last 3 minutes of cooking.  Drain pasta mixture.  Return to pan;  keep warm.  Meanwhile, cook onion in 2 tsp of the oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender.  Remove pan from heat.  Add semisoft cheese; stir until cheese is melted and combined.  IN a medium bowl whisk together milk and flour until smooth.  Add all at once to onion mixture.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Reduce heat to low.  Stir in cheddar and Asiago cheeses until cheese are melted.  Add cooked pasta mixture; stir to coat.  Transfer pasta mixture to a 9x13.  In a small bowl combine baguette crumbles and remaining 2 tsp oil;  sprinkle on pasta mixture.  Bake uncovered 10 - 15 minutes at 425.

Jap Chae

From Susi Capellaris

Adapted from Mary Ostyn's Cookbook Family Feasts for $75 a Week

16 oz Asian vermicelli (sweet potato starc noodles)
1 tub firm/extra firm tofu - sliced and left to dry in between towels or paper towels for 15 minutes (may substitute browned ground beef)
6 - 8 cloves garlic
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 bunches green onions, sliced
8 - 10 mushrooms, sliced thinly
2 c fresh spinach


Sauce:
1/2 c soy sauce
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp sugar
4 tsp sesame seeds


Combine sauce ingredients and pour over tofu or beef in small casserole dish.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Cook noodles in boiling salted water until soft, 8 - 10 minutes.  Then add mushrooms and spinach, cook 3 minutes.  Toss vegetables, protein and sauce, and pasta togheter.  May be served cold or hot.  May add any number of fresh veggies.

Lemon Chicken Stirfry

This is a recipe my mom made when we were growing up. I don't really measure a lot, so I'll just estimate and you can change it to suit your tastes.

Lemon Chicken Stirfry

2 cups sliced celery

2 cups thinly sliced carrots

3 cups chopped broccoli

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 cup lemon juice (I usually end up adding more)

1/2 cup water

garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste

Fry chicken with 1 tablespoon margarine in electric skillet (medium heat). Remove from skillet when cooked through. Saute celery with about a tablespoon of margarine in electric skillet while you chop the other vegetables. (My mom added green onions with the celery, but I don't like them.) Add carrots, chicken, broccoli, lemon juice, water, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to celery. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, until carrots and broccoli are tender. Stir occasionally while simmering, adding more water/lemon juice and seasonings as needed.

Serve with rice. We use plain white rice, but my mom always served it with chicken flavored rice. Enjoy!

Yummy Salad

From Eleni Franklin

Romaine lettuce hearts (3)

1/2 C Feta Cheese

2 C Pecans

2 Granny Smith apples

1/2 C dried cranberries

Prepare Pecans (2 C)

1/2 C sugar

3T water

1t salt

1/2t cayenne pepper

Bring to boil (2 minutes). Add pecans & stir a couple of times. Put on cookie sheet (separate as much as possible). Bake at 350 for 12-13 minutes.

Dressing - blend in blender until smooth & refrigerate

1-3 garlic cloves

2 spring onions

1t salt

1t sugar

1/2t curry

1/2t black pepper

1/4 C Balsamic vinegar

1/4 rice vinegar

1/2 olive oil

Tear apart lettuce leaves. Toss in cheese, apples & cranberries. Drizzle dressing. Last minute, toss prepared pecans on top.

SPANAKOPITA (Spinach Pie)

By Eleni Franklin

1 # filo (about 12 - 15 sheets)

2 packages (10 oz ea) frozen spinach or 1# fresh

2 sticks butter, melted

1 # onions, finely chopped

1/2 C chopped parsley

1/2 C chopped dill

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

6 eggs, beaten

1 # cheese; feta (crumbled finely), hoop, or cottage (I combine all three)

PREPARATION:

Thaw spinach; squeeze out all excess liquid. Lightly sauté onion.  Add onion, parsley, dill, salt, pepper, cheese(s) & eggs to spinach. Mix thoroughly. Lightly brush bottom of 9"x13" (or 15") pan with melted butter. Lay gently 7 (approx.) sheets of filo, brushing w/melted butter between each layer. Pour in spinach mixture & spread evenly. Place remaining 7 layers of filo on top, brushing with melted butter between layers.

Tuck in all edges. Brush top generously with butter. Score top sheet (2 1/2" x 2").  Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes until golden brown.   Remove from oven & cool 1/2 hr. Cut into serving pieces.  YIELD: 20 servings

Those Very Special Sugar Cookies

By Roz Brown

*Winner of the Best Tasting Cookie*

This recipe makes about 8 dozen (I don't know how to cut it down so I freeze the dough, eat the cookies, and hence, my beautiful womanly shape!)

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar (and maybe a sprinkle more)
4 eggs, well beaten
2-4 tablespoons milk, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (and a drip more)
5 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

The Cookie
in large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. beat in eggs, 2 tablespoons of the milk and vanilla until smooth.
in large bow, mix flour, baking powder and salt until light and thoroughly combined. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture. If dough seems dry, add another tablespoon or two of milk. Gather dough into a ball and divide into eight parts. Wrap each part in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. The dough may also be frozen and thawed in the refrigerator.
When read to bake, remove dough from refrigerator one package at a time. Preheat oven to 350F. For rounded sugar cookies, pinch off about a teaspoon worth and press down. For cookie cutter, with floured rolling pin, roll one package of dough at a time to about 1/8 inch thick on a generously floured surface. The trick is to work with cold dough.

The Streusel (topping)
This recipe will top about 3 dozen teaspoon sized sugar cookies
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (and a dash more)
for additional flavor 1/4 teaspoon allspice
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and press about 3/4 teaspoon onto each cookie. I sprinkled just an added touch more of cinnamon onto each cookie before putting into oven.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until edges are crisp and browned. Cool on baking sheet 3 minutes then to wire rack.

Short on time or don't want to make up 8 dozen cookies? I'm sure any sugar cookie recipe will do, and I've even made them using the Pillsbury cookie dough roll.

Reindeer Poop

By Stacey Lehn

*Most Unique Cookie Award*

Melted chocolate flavored candy melts

spooned on top of almond slices.  Bag and
present with poem:

I came wide awake when I heard Santa call,
"Dash away, Dash away, Dash away all".
Grabbing my robe, I ran out to the lawn,
But reindeer and Santa were already gone.
So with my shovel I started to scoop,
look what I found..
.....gourmet REINDEER POOP!

Frosted Lemon Butter Cookies

By Tina Stevens

1 c butter

1/2 c powdered sugar
2/3 c cornstarch
1 c flour

Cream butter and sugar. Stir in cornstarch and flour. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes. Cool. Combine frosting ingredients. Spread on cooled cookies. Yield: 2 1/2 dozen.

Frosting:
1/4 c butter
2 T lemon Juice
2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Salena Thomas

1 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar
1 c butter flavored Crisco
2 eggs
12 - 24 oz chips of choice
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 c flour
1 c chopped nuts of choice (opt)

Cream Crisco and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and flavoring.  Add dry ingredients and blend thoroughly.  Mix in chips and nuts.  Shape into walnut shaped balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly with palm of hand.  Bake at 350 for 9 - 10 minutes or until slightly golden.  Let stand on cookie sheets for several minutes before removing to cooling rack.  Makes 3 dozen.
To make extra special dip half the cookie into melted chip of flavor.  I dipped these in melted peanut butter chips and drizzled melted chocolate over the top.

Rolled Baklava

By Eleni Franklin

1 lb fillo

1 1/2 c melted butter
4 c chopped nuts (1 1/2 lb un-chopped) walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc
4 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp vanilla

Remove 3 fillo at a time and place on a flat surface.  Brush each generously with melted butter, arranging one fillo on top of the other.  Combine nuts, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla.  Sprinkle a few tablespoons of nut mixture evenly over 2/3 of the top buttered fillo.  Starting with the filled edge, roll loosely in a jelly-roll fashion to make a long roll.  Place in greased baking pan.  Continue filling pans with nut rolls using 3 well-buttered fillo for each roll.  (6 rolls per batch, 9 - 10 slices per roll).  *Cut each roll in 1 1/2 inch diagonal slices, leaving the rolls intact.  Brush tops with melted butter.   Bake 325 for 25 - 30 minutes until golden.  Cool.  Pour warm syrup over rolls in pan.  Let stand 1 hour.

Syrup:
3 c sugar
1 1/2 c water
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 c honey
Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice.  Boil 10 minutes.  Slowly add honey and simmer 5 minutes.

Chocolate-Cherry Squares

By Shirley Pauole

1 c flour

1/3 c butter
1/2 c light brown sugar (packed)
1/2 c chopped nuts
Filling (recipe below)
red candied cherries, halved

Heat oven to 350.  In a large mixer bowl combine flour, butter and brown sugar.  Blend on low speed to form fine crumbs (abt 2 - 3 minutes).  Stir in nuts.  Reserve 3/4 c crumb mixture for topping;  pat remaining crumbs into ungreased square pan.  Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c cocoa
1/4 c milk
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 c red, chopped candy cherries

In a small mixer bowl combine cream cheese and sugar.  Beat until fluffy.  Add cocoa, milk, egg and flavoring; beat until smooth.  Fold in cherries.  Spread filling over warm crust.  Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture and garnish with cherry halves.  Return to oven; bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool; cut into squares.  Store covered in fridge.  Makes about 3 dozen squares.

Peanut Clusters

By Minerva Gural

Semi Sweet Chocolate

Salted Peanuts

Melt chocolate for one minute in microwave.  Stir and microwave in 15 second intervals stirring until chocolate is melted and smooth.  Mix in peanuts.  Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and allow to set.

Susan's Sugar Cookies

By Susan Young

3/4 c butter, softened (no subs!)

3/4 c shortening
2 c sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
5 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt

Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Blend in flour, baking powder and salt.  Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours (or overnight).
Heat oven to 400.  Roll dough 1/8" thick on lightly floured board.  Cut into desired shapes.  Sprinkle with colored sugar (non if youplan to frost the cookies).  Place on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 6 - 8 minutes until edges are very lighly brown.  Makes 8 dozen 3" cookies.

Cake Mix Cookies

By Jocelyn Denyer

1 box cake mix (any flavor)

2 eggs
1/3 c oil

Mix together ingredients.  Scoop by about 1" balls onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 - 12 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

Variations:
Chocolate mint:  Using chocolate cake mix, once the cookies have colled for 5 minutes, top with Hershey's Mint Truffle Kiss.
Lemon Crinckles:  Using lemon cake mix, roll cookie ballinto granulated or powdered sugar before placing on a cookie sheet to bake.

Add ins:  chocolate chips, nuts, crasins, etc...

Chocolate Mint Truffle Cookies

By Joni Page

*Prettiest Cookie Award*

1/4 c butter

1 c semisweet chocolate chips, divided

1 egg

1/3 c sugar

1/3 c packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp mint extract

1 c flour

1/3 c cocoa

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 pkg (4.6 oz) Andes mints, chopped and divided

2 tsp shortening, divided

1/2 c white or vanilla chips

In a small microwaveable bowl melt butter and 1/2 c chocolate chips until melted and smooth.  Cool slightly.  Stir in egg, sugar, and extracts.  Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  Stir into chocolate mixture.  Stir in 3/4 c chopped Andes mints.  Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 8 - 10 minutes or until tops appear slightly dry.  Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

In a small microwaveable bowl melt 1 tsp shortening, remaining chocolate chips and andes mints.  Stir until smooth.

In another small bowl melt 1 tsp shortening and vanilla chips until smooth.

Dip half of the cookies in melted chocolate mixture;  dip remaining cookies in melted vanilla chips.  Immediately sprinkle with toppings of chopped nuts, crushed candy canes, sprinkles, etc.  Let stand until set.