Asian Wonton Salad with Sesame Dressing

This is a very yummy salad on its own but throw in the dressing  and it is so delicious!  I'm not saying it's the healthiest salad around (fried wontons and all) but it is good.  They served it at a women's conference I went to and we were lucky enough to get the recipe.  The dressing recipe makes more dressing than what I like on the salad so I just save the rest for a salad on another day.  Double this recipe if serving a large group.

Asian Wonton Salad
1 head romaine lettuce
cherry tomatoes
1/2 red onion, sliced in thin strips
1 cucumber, sliced
2-3 cooked chicken breasts, cubed, optional
1/2 package wonton wrappers
oil for frying

Heat about one inch of oil in a skillet to 375 degrees.  Cut wontons into thirds (I like to use a pizza cutter to make it easier).  Fry wontons a few at a time.  Drain on paper towels.  These can be made ahead of time.

Tear lettuce into bite sized chunks and put in a large salad bowl.  Toss with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion.  Add chicken if using.  Top salad with Sesame Dressing and toss together.  Add wonton crisps last and toss to combine.

Sesame Dressing
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil
1-2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 cup sugar
2-4 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Place all ingredients in a jar or container with tight lid.  Shake vigorously until well incorporated.  This can also be made ahead of time.  Store leftovers in fridge.

Homemade Salsa

This is the salsa recipe we make at our house.  It originally came from Tory's Aunt Teresa but my sister-in-law, Wendy, has definitely mastered it.  (If you have anything to add Wendy...feel free!)  It's super easy and super fresh and it gets better with time (if you can leave it alone!)  I use the term "recipe" loosely because it really all depends on the size of tomatoes, onion, and your own personal taste but this is the basic recipe.

Homemade Salsa
For each batch you need:
-About 3-4 medium size tomatoes (Roma or vine ripened tomatoes are the best.  The darker and riper the better!)
-1/3 of a medium purple onion (MUST be purple onion...not yellow or white)
-1-2 jalapeños depending on your taste.  (Again, the darker the better.  The darker ones tend to be hotter, if you can find a dark one that's on the small side that should be pretty hot, sometimes you can smell the heat, too.  If the jalapeños smell really hot then I usually only use half of 1 for a batch.  Leave out seeds for less heat as well.)
-Cilantro, pretty much according to your taste, but don't leave out!  I like to grab about a handful of leaves for mine.  Probably around 1/2 cup.
-Garlic Salt-this pretty much makes all the difference in the recipe!  If at the end it seems like it's missing something...it probably needs more garlic salt.

Cut the tomatoes and onion into small pieces.  Put in food processor bowl.  Add jalapeño.  (I cut the jalapeño separately to make sure it gets diced very fine before I add it to the food processor.)  Place cilantro over the top.  Sprinkle garlic salt over everything.  Pulse until small pieces but do not puree.  Taste.  If you need more garlic salt then stir it in.  If it's too salty do another batch with less and mix them together.  If I'm making a lot I like to do 2-3 batches each separately and then mix them together in a bowl.  I think it turns out better than doing one big giant batch.  If you want it thicker, add a can of tomato sauce at the end.  Adjust seasonings.

Red Bean Veggie Burgers

These veggie burgers are soooo delicious!  They have the best flavor.  Leave nothing out!  You won't be disappointed.  I have substituted a green bell pepper for the red but that's it.  The kidney beans give them a nice red color and the vegetables are simply delicious together.  I usually double the recipe so I can have leftovers.  Leftovers are great reheated.  I love to crumble them over a salad for another meal option.  A single recipe makes about 4 burgers.

Red Bean Veggie Burgers

1 (15oz) can kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 small carrot, shredded
1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tbsp. ketchup
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cooked brown rice

In a food processor* bowl with metal blade, combine first 9 ingredients; process with on/off pulses until coarsly chopped. Do NOT puree or they won't hold their buger shape.  Shape mixture into 4 patties, 1/2 inch thick.  Cook in a skillet lightly greased with olive oil on medium high for about 5-6 minutes on each side or until nicely browned and warmed through.  Do not flip burgers more than once or they could lose their shape.  If they do, just pat them back together.  Place burgers on whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, onion or any other hamburger fixin's you like.

*This can also be done by blending kidney beans in blender on low then putting mashed beans into bowl and adding finely chopped veggies, ketchup and salt. Stir in cooked brown rice.

Razz-Ma-Tazz Bars

Pretty little bar cookies that are great for a party or shower...or anytime.  I love the raspberry jam and white chocolate chip combo with the light almond flavor.  Very sweet!  Found this recipe on the back of the Nestle white chocolate chip bag.

Razz-Ma-Tazz Bars
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 (12-ounce) package or 2 cups white chocolate chips, divided
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds


Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and sugar 9-inch-square baking pan.


Melt butter in medium, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Add 1 cup morsels; let stand. Do not stir.


Beat eggs in large mixer bowl until foamy. Add sugar; beat until light lemon colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in morsel-butter mixture. Add flour, salt and almond extract; mix at low speed until combined. Spread 2/3 of batter into prepared pan.


Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Remove from oven to wire rack.


Heat jam in small, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 30 seconds; stir. Spread jam over warm crust. Stir remaining morsels into remaining batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter over jam. Sprinkle with almonds.


Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

B-B-Q Ranch Chopped Salad

It's getting to be salad time!  That means it's too hot to cook!  We've been having plenty of days in the 90s already.  Whew!  I made this up yesterday with what we had on hand in our fridge.  I think the only thing that was missing was tomatoes.  How could I be out of tomatoes?!  I'll definitely be adding those in next time because there will definitely be a next time for this salad.  Great flavor and my kids just inhaled it!  We ate the entire bowl for one meal!  If you're not planning on eating it all in one meal I'd probably suggest doing half the recipe or else putting the dressing just on the salad you're planning to eat right away.  This reminded me of California Pizza Kitchen's B-B-Q Chicken Chopped Salad.  It's one of the only things I've ever had at CPK and after making that soup the other day I've been craving their salad ever since.  This definitely satisfied that craving!  It was great without chicken but you could also add grilled B-B-Q chicken.  Great way to use up some leftovers for the upcoming grilling season!  We added some Honey-Roasted Walnuts for fun.  But those are delicious no matter what!

B-B-Q Ranch Chopped Salad
1/2 head Romaine lettuce
1/2 bag Baby Spinach (or more)
1/3 purple onion, diced into small pieces
1 cucumber, diced into small pieces
2 carrots, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can sweet corn, drained
1/2 cup B-B-Q sauce
1/2 cup Ranch Dressing
Honey-Roasted Walnuts, optional


Rinse, dry, and cut lettuce into 1/8-inch-wide strips.  Cut spinach into 1/8-inch-wide strips.  (I just grab a handful at a time and slice through it all.)  Combine greens with diced onion, cucumber, carrots, beans, and corn...and tomatoes!  In separate bowl mix Ranch dressing with B-B-Q sauce.  Drizzle over salad and mix until coated.  If you need more dressing just mix equal proportions of dressing and sauce.  You might want extra to serve with salad at the table.  Serve with Honey-Roasted Walnuts if desired.

Honey-Roasted Walnuts

My sister Kirsten introduced this delicious method for glazing walnuts to me when she came and stayed with us to help me out for a few weeks during one of my pregnancies.  We ate like kings while she was here!  She's such a good cook. Her husband's a lucky guy...but I'm sure he already knows that ;)

Honey-Roasted Walnuts
Olive Oil
Honey
Walnuts

Heat a small amount of olive oil (depending on how many walnuts you're roasting) in skillet over medium heat.  Add walnuts.  Stir until heated.  They can burn quickly so keep an eye on them!  Drizzle a generous amount of honey over the walnuts and stir for about a minute or so.  Remove from heat.  Use for salads, snacks, or anything your heart desires!

Banana-Orange Topping

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe yet!  We use it all the time!  Maybe that's the problem.  We eat it before I can even get a picture.  Even this one was an afterthought right as we were getting ready to dive in.  It is our favorite topping for pancakes and waffles.  I grew up with this topping.  My mom always made it for us.  It's quick and easy and so much better for you than syrup.  It's also a great way to use up ripe bananas instead of making them into banana bread.

Banana-Orange Topping
1/2 can frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 can water
2 bananas mashed with fork
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat OJ concentrate, water, and bananas in small pan.  Bring to a boil and boil for one minute; stir frequently!  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Serve warm over pancakes or waffles.

White Corn Tortilla Soup

This is a soup like the one they serve at California Pizza Kitchen called Sedona White Corn Tortilla Soup.  I add a can of Great Northern beans to make it a bit more hearty.  They just get blended up with the rest of the soup.  I think this soup is great served with some sweet cornbread crumbled over the top.  Adds a nice contrast to the "kind of" spicy soup.

White Corn Tortilla Soup
3 Tbsp. olive oil
5 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch squares
1 1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
2 Tbsp. minced white onion
1 1/2 tsp. minced jalapeño pepper, optional
1 pound white corn kernels, divided
1 can Great Northern beans, rinsed, drained
1 1/2 pounds chipped, ripe red tomatoes
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 cups water
1 quart chicken broth, or vegetable broth
Optional Garnish:  tortilla chips, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, sour cream, etc.

Over medium-high heat, fry tortilla squares in olive oil until they begin to crisp and turn a golden yellow.  Add garlic, onion and jalapeño; cook 1-2 minutes, until onion becomes translucent.  Add half the corn along with all other ingredients (except garnishes), reserving other half of corn to be added at the end.  Bring the soup to a low, even boil.  Boil for 5 minutes.

Remove soup from heat.  Use a hand-held processor, food processor, or blender to process soup in batches to the consistency of a course puree.

Return the soup to the burner and add the reserved corn.  Bring the soup to a boil once again being extremely carful to avoid scorching or burning.  Serve with garnishes.  Makes 6-8 servings.

Double Delicious Cookie Bars

This is a quick and easy bar cookie!  I believe I got this recipe from my sister Amy.  She made them for me when I visited her in California once and yep...they're good!  The original recipe didn't have coconut in it but I like them even better with!  I think they are also often called Magic Bars.

Double Delicious Cookie Bars
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In 9x13, melt butter in oven.  Sprinkle crumbs evenly over butter.  Pour milk evenly over crumbs.  Top with chips and coconut.  Press down firmly with spoon.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool.  Cut into bars.  Store covered at room temperature.

Mexican Ravioli

This is another quick meal that's easy to put together and pretty tasty...and sometimes that's a really good combination.  It's also a nice change from the usual spaghetti sauce on ravioli.  I always use cheese ravioli because I really don't care for the beef flavored ravioli but use whatever you like best.

Mexican Ravioli
1 bag frozen ravioli
1 can enchilada sauce
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheese, optional
Toppings such as:  green onions, sour cream, sliced olives, shredded cheese, etc.

Cook frozen ravioli as directed on package.  In a large skillet combine enchilada sauce and salsa and heat through.  Drain cooked ravioli and add to sauce mixture, stirring gently to avoid breaking open the ravioli.  Stir in cheese if desired.  Top individual servings with your choice of toppings.

My Favorite Cookie

This is by far my most favorite "chocolate chip" type cookie.  I love all the goodies in them.  Oatmeal, coconut, pecans, chocolate...mmm!  Sometimes I substitute M&Ms for some or all of the chocolate chips.  One of my favorite combos is half M&Ms and half semi-sweet chocolate chips.  A little taste of everything that way.  You can also use butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips...whatever makes your mouth water!  Turn them into YOUR favorite cookie!

My Favorite Cookie
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups dry oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups chocolate chips (and/or M&Ms)
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Cream butter and sugars together.  Add vanilla and eggs.  Beat until creamy.  Add dry ingredients; mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Creamed Potatoes and Peas

This dish is great as a main dish or as a side.  The peas and potatoes with the creamy sauce make it very hearty.  Quick to put together and easy to make vegetarian.  I make my white sauce with almond milk.  You can also use regular milk, canned milk, soy milk, or even...cream!  Whatever makes you happy.  The last time I made it I threw in some bacon bits.  Enjoy!

Creamed Potatoes and Peas
10-12 small red skinned potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
2 cups frozen peas
2 Tbsp. diced onion
1 Tbsp. olive oil (or you can use butter)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 T. flour
1/4 tsp. thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. dill
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Wash potatoes.  Skins can be left on.  Cut larger potatoes in half.  Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water and cook for about 10 minutes.  Add frozen peas and continue to cook 5-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. (Or cook peas separately if you don't have enough room in your pot.)

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saucepan.  Saute onion until tender; add flour, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in milk using a whisk to remove any lumps. Bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Add thyme and dill; cook until thickened and bubbly. Drain potatoes and peas; place in a serving bowl. Pour sauce over and stir to coat. Serve immediately.