Gingerbread Waffles/Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour (wheat flour works great in these)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (leave this out if you don't have it - not worth a trip to the store :)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 large eggs (I usually do 2 eggs and 3 egg whites)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled (or veg oil)
1 cup whole milk (I use skim milk)
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for serving (I use Greek yogurt in the batter and as a topping, too)
3 tablespoons unsulfured molasses

Mix dry ingredients together; mix wet ingredients together. Use in your waffle iron or on your pancake griddle.

Top with a dollop of sweetened sour cream/Greek yogurt and some lingonberry jam or leftover cranberry sauce. Also super good with maple syrup, or any other berry jam variety (we're partial to the little bite the yogurt and tart berries give to the spicy sweet pancakes).

*Great way to use up that extra bit of molasses and cranberry sauce from the holidays. :)
- Robyn

Gateau au Chocolat

Serves 10-12

3/4 c. superfine sugar, plus some for sprinkling
10 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 c. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 t. vanilla extract
5 eggs, separated
1/4 c. flour, sifted
pinch of salt
confectioner's sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter a 9 1/2" springform pan, then sprinkle the pan with a little sugar and tap out the excess.

2. Set aside 3 T. of the sugar for the egg whites later. Place the chocolate, butter and remaining sugar in a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat until the chocolate and butter have melted and the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract and let the mixture cool slightly.

3. Beat the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture, beating each in well, then stir in the flour.

4. In a clean grease free bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites slowly until they are frothy. Increase the speed, add the salt and continue beating until soft peaks form. Sprinkle over the reserved sugar and beat until the whites are stiff and glossy. Beat one-third of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whites.

5. Carefully pour the mixture into the pan and tap the pan gently to release any air bubbles.

6. Bake the cake for about 35-45 minutes until well risen and the top springs back when touched lightly with a fingertip. (If the cake appears to rise unevenly, rotate after 20-25 minutes.) Transfer the cake to a wire rack, remove the side of the pan and let cool completely. Remove the pan base. Dust the cake with confectioner's sugar and transfer to a serving plate.

Chicken Marinade

Grilled Chicken Marinade

1 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. oil

water

lemon

garlic

Marinate chicken in marinade all day. Grill - sear on each side, then turn to low - grill 10 min. Slice across grain and serve on a bed of Caesar salad. - Monet

Favorite Chicken Casserole

Favorite Chicken Casserole

1 cups chicken breast, cooked and diced

1 cup rice, cooked according to package directions

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup milk

1 cup celery, chopped

2 cans cream of celery soup

1/4 c. melted butter

1 T. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pour into prepared dish and cover with foil. Bake at 400 for 1 hour. Let stand for a few minutes as casserole will be HOT! Serve with a salad and crusty bread.

Summer Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad

1 bunch of purple grapes

1 bunch of green grapes

watermelon

cantaloupe

honeydew melon

1 small can of lemonade concentrate

Wash and destem grapes. Place in a large bowl. Using a melon baller, ball large pieces of watermelon and put them in the bowl with grapes. Add to that smaller pieces of balled cantaloupe and honeydew. Mix together. Top with can of lemonade concentrate (do not dilute-it will mix with the juices from the melon and be perfect). Stir and chill well - about an hour or more. Serve.

Dutch Babies

1/4 c. butter

5 eggs

1 c. flour

1 c. milk

1 lemon

1/2 c. powdered sugar

syrup









Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In 9 x 13" baking pan, melt butter in heating oven. In a blender, whisk eggs for 1 minute on high. Add milk and blend. Slowly add flour until well blended. Remove pan from oven and pour batter from blender promptly. Bake for 20 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces and serve while still hot, with powdered sugar sprinkled on top, squeeze a slice of lemon over sugar and top with syrup.
 

Yummy Strawberry Dessert

When I asked Audrey for a copy of her recipe, this was her reply: "Of course :) I doubled the recipe we had last night. The recipe below is not doubled so use a pie pan size."


Yummy Strawberry Dessert - use a hand mixer it beats the eggs better -

3 egg whites

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup white sugar

...17 Ritz crackers or soda crackers (I used Ritz)

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts (I used pecans) measure before chopping

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat eggs with powder until stiff, slowly add sugar. Put soda crackers in a ziploc and roll with a rolling pin until crushed to a powder. Fold in rest of ingredients to egg mixture. Pour into pie pan. Bake at 325 (on convect if you have it) for 35 minutes. Cool for 1 hour before adding topping.

Topping:

1/4 pint heavy cream (1/2 cup)

1/4 cup powder sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

grated chocolate

chopped strawberries

Whip cream until stiff. Blend in sugar and vanilla. Spread over pie crust. Put strawberries on top with grated chocolate.

SERVE!!!!!

Turkey Vegetable Soup

1/2 c. butter
4 medium onions, chopped
1/4 c. flour
2-3 t. curry powder
6 c. chicken broth
1 c. thinly sliced carrots
1 c. sliced celery
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 t. sage or poultry seasoning
4 c. cubed cooked turkey
3 c. half & half
1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach
1-2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Melt butter in large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour and curry powder and cook 2-3 minutes. Add borth, carrots, celery, parsley and sage (or poulty seasoning) and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add turkey, half & half, and spinach. Cover and continue to simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 12 servings. Can be frozen.

- Carol

* Easy Greek Gyros

2 lbs. petite sirloin steak or beef roast
1/2 c. lemon juice
salt & pepper

1/2 c. oil

Marinate meat in above ingredients for at least a couple of hours to overnight. Grill and slice into thin pieces. for a roast: Cook in a Crock pot with lemon & oil until shreddable.

Sauce
2 c. plain yogurt
1/2 c. mayo
1/2 c. sour cream
2 lemons, juiced
salt & pepper
1 t. garlic powder or fresh garlic
1 packet Italian Seasoning mix
1 large cucumber, peeled & grated

Gyros

thin tortillas

lettuce, torn

tomatoes, sliced

onions, can be grilled with steak or served fresh

Mix sauce ingredients together. Serve on thin tortillas with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, steak & TONS of sauce.

- Carol

Applebee's Chicken Fajita Wraps

Marinade
2 c. water
1/3 c. soy sauce
3 T. sugar
2 T. salt
2 T. white vinegar
1 1/2 t. ground cayenne pepper
2 t. paprika
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. ground black pepper
4 chicken breast fillets

Mexi-ranch dipping sauce
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 T. minced onion
1 T. buttermilk
1 T. white vinegar
2 t. minced fresh cilantro
1 t. canned green chile pepper
3/4 t. paprika
1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
pinch dried dill weed
pinch cumin
pinch cayenne pepper

Pico de Gallo (Salsa)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/3 c. diced red onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 t. lime juice
2 t. minced fresh cilantro
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper

Wraps
4 large flour tortillas
1 c. Fancy shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. fancy shredded Monterrey jack cheese
4 c. shredded iceberg lettuce

Combine all marinade ingredients and marinade chicken for 2 hours. Grill chicken until cooked through and slice into strips.

Combine all pico de gallo ingredients, then cover and chill.

For each roll-up begin by laying a large flour tortilla in a large skillet over low heat. Sprinkle about 1/2 c. of the combined cheese over the surface of the tortilla while it heats up in the pan. When the cheese begins to melt, remove the tortilla from the pan. Sprinkle about 1 cup of shredded lettuce in a strip across the center of the tortilla, followed by about 3 T. of pico de gallo. Slice one grilled chicken breast into bite-size chunks and arrange the chicken on the lettuce. Fold the ends of the tortilla over the filling, then roll the tortilla from the bottom. Make a diagonal cut across the center of the roll-up and serve with a small dish of the dipping sauce on the side.

- Carol

Southwest Chicken Salad with Lime Dressing

Salad

4 chicken breasts

2 heads romaine lettuce, torn

3-4 chopped tomatoes
green onion, sliced (optional)

2 cups Caribbean-style black beans

3 cups rice (Jasmine rice)
1/2 cup salsa
4 avocado slices

Rub for Chicken

Mexican Oregano, chili powder, cumin and a few cilantro sprigs

Dressing

2 T. lite seasoned rice vinegar

4 T. canola oil

2 fresh-squeezed limes w/ some pulp

1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

1 T. finely chopped green chilies

1 1/2 T. sugar

1 t. salt

1 finely minced green onion

Season chicken with oregano, chili powder and cumin and cook on the grill. Toss romaine, tomatoes, onion and arrange on four plates. Add salsa to rice and warm in the microwave. Top each salad with a portion of rice and a portion of the beans. Slice chicken into thin strips and place on top of salad. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and avocado slices. Puree dressing in the blender and drizzle on top right before serving.

Note: Double or triple the dressing, it's that good!

- Carol