Tomato Dumplings +-

From: CrazyCraftyCousins

Tomato Stew

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 - 1 cup carrots, choped
• 2 tabelspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon. salt
• 4 tabelspoons olive oil
• 2 bay leaf
• 2 (15 oz) cans  diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 large zucchihi, chopped
• Optional: shredded chicken

Dumplings

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tabelspoons butter
• 1 C. milk
• 3 Tbs. parsley  (dried or fresh)

Saute *veggies, except for zucchini and tomatoes, in butter until almost tender. Add remaining ingredients and let it simmer. Combine dumpling ingredients. Add the zucchini, give it a good mix and drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough onto tomato mixture. Cover and cook on simmer approximately 20 minutes, or until dumplings are cooked through.

*Veggie amounts are approximate.  Use as much, and whatever veggies you wish.

Serves 4-6 

Dirty Rice ✔+

From: Our Best Bites

• 3/4 pound ground pork sausage (mild or spicy, depending on your preferences)
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 stalks celery, minced
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cups long-grain white rice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 10 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt-based Cajun or Creole Seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s; you may want more or less depending on how hot you want your rice to be)
• Kosher salt to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon, but again, this will largely be to taste)
• 4 cups beef broth (high elevations may need up to 1/4 cup more)
• Optional: 1/2 cup chopped green onions

Preheat a large skillet (with sides) over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until it is about halfway browned. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and green pepper and cook until the sausage is cooked and the vegetables are tender and fragrant.

Add the rice and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the Tabasco, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper and stir until combined. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the moisture is absorbed (again, higher elevations may take as long as 45 minutes). Season to taste with salt and Tabasco sauce. If desired, toss with green onions before serving. 

10-12 servings

Blackened Chicken and Cilantro Lime Quinoa +-

From: Sarcastic Cooking

• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• ½ Teaspoon of Paprika
• ¼ Teaspoon of Salt
• ¼ Teaspoon of Pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon of Onion Powder
• ¼ Teaspoon of Cumin
• 1 Teaspoon of Olive Oil
• 2 Cups of Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 1 Cup of Quinoa
• Juice and Zest from One Lime
• A Dash of Salt and Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons of Cilantro, chopped
• 1 avocado
• 2 Tablespoons Plain Greek Yogurt

Combine all the dry seasonings in a small bowl. Mix them together and then season both sides of each chicken breast.

Add the teaspoon of olive oil to a large pan or skillet. Heat the olive oil for a minute over medium/high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook for seven minutes on each side with the lid on.

Add the chicken stock and quinoa to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium/low heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes with the lid on, until all the stock has been absorbed.

After the chicken breasts have cooked all the way through, remove them from the pan and let them rest for seven minutes before slicing them.

Add the warm quinoa to a large bowl. Toss in the lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper, and chopped cilantro. Mix to combine.

For the sauce, place the flesh from an avocado along with two tablespoons of Greek yogurt in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Serve the sliced chicken breast on top of the quinoa, and avocado sauce over the entire dish.

Mango Quinoa Salad +-

From: Our Best Bites

• 2 cups cooked quinoa at room temperature, or chilled
• 1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium mango, peeled and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 6 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• kosher salt
• freshly cracked black pepper
• Optional: Sliced, peppered Chicken

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl.  Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro.  In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice.  Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad.  Toss to combine and add salt and pepper to taste.  Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Strawberry Sparkle Cake +

From: Pioneer Woman

Angel Food Cake

• Angle Food Cake
• 15 whole Egg Whites, At Room Temperature
• 1 teaspoon Cream Of Tartar
• 1-1/2 cup Plus 2 Tablespoons Sugar, Sifted Three Times
• 1 cup Cake Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla

Filling

• 1 package (3 Oz.) Strawberry Jello
• 2-1/2 cups Boiling Water
• 1 package (1 Pound) Frozen Sliced Strawberries

Icing

• 1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine cake flour and salt and sift together five times. Set aside.

Beat egg whites until frothy (lots of bubbles but still liquidy and loose.) Add cream of tartar and beat on high until stiff.

With mixer on medium-low, slowly sprinkle in sifted sugar as it mixes in.

Remove bowl from mixer and fold in sifted flour gently until it's all combine. Sprinkle vanilla into the bowl and fold gently.

Spoon batter into tube pan---make sure there's no grease or butter in there! Smooth the top and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer stuck all the way to the bottom comes out clean. (Don't open the oven while it's baking!)

Carefully remove the cake from the oven and immediately invert it on a bottle. Let it cool completely while hanging upside down. Once totally cool, remove it from the pan.

To make the filling, sprinkle the jello powder into a bowl and pour in 2 1/2 cups of boiling water. Stir to dissolve, then add the bag of frozen sliced strawberries. Stir to cool the mixture and set it aside.

Turn the cake upside down so that the end that was stuck to the bottom of the pan is now facing up. With a serrated knife, carefully cut the top 1-inch of cake from the top. Remove it and lay it beside the cake. Next, with a small paring knife, make two concentric cuts in the cake: one cut is 1 inch from the outside rim, the other cut is 1 inch from the inside rim. (Be careful not to cut all the way through to the bottom of the cake! Leave about an inch from the bottom.)

Tear out a trench in between the two cuts and save the torn cake pieces for another use.

By now, the strawberry mixture should be cool and somewhat gelatinous. IMPORTANT: If mixture is not thick, stick it in the freezer for 15 minutes or until it thickens and sets. Carefully spoon the mixture into the trench in the cake, filling it all the way to the top and ever-so-slightly above to allow for a little settling. Place the top of the cake back on top, lining it up just right.

Refrigerate cake for a couple of hours (or you can stick it in the freezer for an hour or so if you're in a hurry!)

To serve, whip together the cream and sugar until stiff. Spread all over the cake. Cut into slices and serve!, festive, fresh, fabulous cake!

Optional: Garnish with fresh strawberries. 

Baked Eggy Custard ✔+

From: Betty Crocker

• 3 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• dash of salt
• 2 1/2 cups very warm milk (120° F to 130° F)
• Ground Nutmeg

Heat oven to 350°F.

In medium bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt with wire whisk or fork. Gradually stir in milk. Pour into six 6-ounce custard cups. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Place cups in 13x9-inch pan on oven rack. Pour very hot water into pan to within 1/2 inch of tops of cups 

Bake about 45 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Remove cups from water. 

Eat it warm, or chilled