Roasted Potatoes

Use any combo of 'taters suitable for baking that you like. Here's a combo we like:

Ingredients:
3 cups raw, cubed Red-Skinned Potatoes
3 cups raw, cubed Sweet Potatoes
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Basil (dried works well)
1 Tablespoon Rosemary (fresh is wonderful, finely chopped, of course)
1-2 teaspoons of Olive Oil (a healthy splash)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Cube the 'taters into about 1/2"-3/4" cubes. (Think homefries.)
3. Dump all the 'taters into a large bowl- with a lid, if possible.
4. Add olive oil to the taters and mix to evenly coat all of your 'taters
   (if you're using a bowl with lid, place the lid on the bowl and shake it up).
5. Add the herbs and salt. Replace lid, if you have one, and again, mix/shake well.
6. Spread the 'taters onto a baking sheet in a single layer.
7. Cook them for about 30 minutes, turning them over once or twice during cooking.

Tuscan Pasta

(You can add 1 pound of cooked chicken cut into strips to this if you'd like meat in there.)

Ingredients:
6 oz. Penne or Rotini Pasta (half a box)
1 can (15 oz) Great Northern Beans
1/2 cup Roasted Red Peppers, chopped
1 C Baby Spinach, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon finely chopped Rosemary, preferably fresh
1 teaspoon broth
Fresh Parmesan cheese
1 lb. of chicken, if desired.

Directions:

1. If using chicken, cook the chicken and cut it into thin strips. Set aside.
2. Cook pasta according to directions.
3. Heat the broth in a large skillet. Add the beans, vegetables, and spices. Cook 3-5 minutes or until the spinach begins to wilt a little.
4. Toss with pasta (and add the chicken if you're using it).
5. Top with Parmesan cheese.

If you're using a box of pasta and you'd prefer to cook the entire box, just double the rest of the ingredients for a larger meal.

Key Lime Meltaway Cookies

I found this recipe on Tastespotting (my very favorite recipe site), which linked to The Taste Space, who credited Smitten Kitchen, who adapted the recipe from Martha Stewart... *whew*!
My adaptation- I used less powdered sugar when coating the cookies at the end.

Key Lime Meltaways - makes 4-5 dozen

Ingredients:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
Grated zest of 4 tiny or 2 large key limes
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (a.k.a. 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

 Directions:

1. In a large bowl using an electric mixer (or you can use an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), cream butter and 1/3 cup sugar until fluffy. 
2. Add lime zest, juice, and vanilla; beat until fluffeh.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt. 
4. Add to butter mixture, and beat on low speed until combined.
5. Between two pieces of parchment paper, shape/roll dough into two 1 1/4-inch-diameter logs. Chill at least 1 hour.
6. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. 
7. Place remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a resealable plastic bag. 
8. Remove parchment from logs; slice dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds on baking sheets, spaced 1 inch apart.
9. Bake cookies until barely golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool slightly, just three or four minutes. 
10. While still warm, place cookies in the sugar-filled bag; toss to coat. If too much sugar seems to be sticking to your cookies (it happened to me), place your cookies face-down in the sugar and pat them lightly, then shake off the excess, instead of tossing them around in the bag. Bake or freeze remaining dough.

Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. You can also make lots and lots and store the logs in the freezer for a month or two so you can make these any time :)

Veggie Chili in the Crock Pot

This is super easy and, of course, good for you too!

Ingredients:
1 Jalapeño Pepper - finely chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper - chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper - chopped
1 Small Yellow Onion - chopped
(you can add more bell peppers if you want!)
1 15oz can of Corn - drained
1 20oz can of Diced Tomatoes & Chilis - drained
1 can Black Beans,
1 can Garbanzo Beans
1 cab Kidney Beans
8 oz. Vegetarian Baked Beans
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Chili Powder < careful, it's hot!
1 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper < it's hot, too!
1 Tbsp Oregano
1 Tbsp Basil
1 Tbsp Parsley

Directions:
Drain and rinse beans, if needed.
Dump everything into the crockpot and cook on high for about 4 hours.



I have only cooked with canned beans and don't know much about using dried beans. If you have some tips, please post them in the comments! Thanks :)

Mediterranean Cous Cous

I served this with Spiced Curry Shrimp and Mediterranean Kale and it was wonderful together.

Mediterranean Cous Cous

Ingredents:
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp ground Cumin
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 cup water or vegetarian broth (I used the reserved liquid from the steamer when my kale was done cooking)
2/3 cup Cous Cous
2 Tbsp Parsley
2 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and cubed (um... if you don't have tomatoes handy, you can do what I did and throw in a few tablespooons of salsa!!!)
Lemon Juice
Pine Nuts

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil and add cumin. Stir for a few minutes, then add salt and broth (or water) and bring that to a boil. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in the cous cous and cover the pot tightly. Let stand off any heat for 5 minutes.
3. Remove cover and fluff cous cous with a fork. 
4. Add parsley, tomatoes (or salsa!) and a couple of squirts of lemon juice. 
5. Add some pine nuts... You can decide how crunchy you want it to be. I added lots because I enjoy lots of flavor and texture :)

Prep from start to finish: About 7 minutes. Nice and quick! Easy, too!

Spiced Curry Shrimp

Not vegetarian obviously.....
I served this with Mediterranean Cous Cous and Mediterranean Kale.
This makes a marvelous meal (for about 3 people, when served with side dishes)

Spiced Curry Shrimp

Ingredients:
2 lbs Medium Frozen Shrimp, deveined
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Cumin
1 tsp Curry
1 1/2 tsp paprika
3 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cloves minced Garlic
1/2 cup water
lemon juice
crapload of chopped up cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil and cayenne, cumin, and paprika in a skillet big enough to fit all deez shrimps. I had the heat on Med.
2. When it heats up, add the shrimps (you can pull off the tails if you like, or leave them on- but this dish is pretty messy to have to pull them off by hand. However, I've heard leaving them on adds a flavor... so it's up to you) and the garlic and stir it for a few minutes.
3.  Add a couple of squirts of lemon juice. Stir for a minute or so-just go by how your shrimp are looking. You don't want them getting over done and rubbery.
4. Then add in the water.
5. Now turn the heat up to 6-7 (Med-High) and stir it and let it bubble rapidly until most of the liquid has evaporated away. It only took maybe 5 minutes or so. I also added in a little more cumin and a lot more cayenne since I wanted them spicy! I tasted a couple as i went along...
6. When most of the liquid is gone, add in the chopped cilantro and toss it all together.
7. You can also use some cilantro as a garnish.

Time that it took me to begin preparing the entire meal until it was served: 1 hour.

Awesome Quiche(s)!

A few months ago, we thought a quiche might be fun to make. WE WERE RIGHT! We just started throwing in all the veggies we could think of, and different cheeses, too. Therefore, I don't think we've ever made it the exact same way twice- so use this is merely a guide :)

If you're serving dinner for 6, with a side salad and some side dishes, this should do you about right.

Ingredients:
2 Deep Dish Pie Crusts from the freezer section at the grocery
1 container of Egg Beaters' All Whites Egg Whites
5-6 eggs
1/2 cup Skim Milk
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 of a medium sized Onion (or... a Leek!)
1 Red or Yellow Bell Pepper
1 package sliced Mushrooms
4-6 Roma Tomatoes (or sub in some cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes)
1 package of chopped frozen Spinach (the kind that looks like a brick) OR a few handfuls of chopped fresh baby spinach
Salt, to taste
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese (I used mild cheddar from Trader Joe's- fantastic)
1 package of diced up ham bits from the deli section (omit for the vegetarian version..... obviously)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
Stick the bottoms of the pie crusts with a fork a few times. Then put them into the oven and cook them for 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile....
Chop onion/leeks, bell pepper, and tomatoes into small pieces. Saute in skillet with olive oil a few minutes. Add in mushrooms. Keep sauteeing until tender.

If using frozen spinach, defrost spinach. Squeeze excess water out of spinach.
Dump 3/4 container of egg whites into a big bowl. Add eggs. Add milk. Whisk together.
Add the sauteed onion, pepper, tomato, and mushrooms. Add spinach. Stir again.
If desired, add a little salt, to taste.
Dump in ham bits and stir together.
Add cheese and stir to combine..
When all the ingredients are mixed up, use a deep spoon and spoon the mixture into the pie shells.
Bake for 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Quiche is done when it has risen a bit and the middle is solid.

If you like, you can take the quiche out a few minutes before it's done and sprinkle some shredded cheese on top and cook it another 10 minutes. We aren't huge fans of that though... odd.... considering John's cheese obsession and all.

Prep time: 30 minutes. Cook time: 35-45 minutes.