Ginger Orange Pomegranate Relish

Seeds of 2 med pomegranates (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 T finely chopped orange zest
1 T OJ
1/2 T grated fresh ginger
1 T honey
1/2 t salt

gently mix all ingred. together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
This is excellent served over turkey, pork and lamb.

Cranberry Cherry Relish

3 c fresh cranberries
2 c frozen sweet cherries
2 firm bosc or anjou pears, peeled and cubed
1/2 c sugar
pinch of nutmet
pinch of cinnamon

combine all ingred. in a large, heavy saucepan and bring mixture to a simmer over M-H heat.
Stir often to prevent sticking.
Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally until the fruit is tender and the relish has thickened.
40-45 minutes. Let cool. Makes 6 servings

Use with pork, chicken or turkey

Fresh Applesauce

8 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar (less if you prefer, or brown rice syrup or maple syrup)
1/4 t cinnamon

in 2 qt microwave safe bowl, combine apples and water
Cover with vented plastic wrap and micro on high for 12 -14 minutes.
rotate every 4 minutes.
Stir in sugar and cinnamon.
Serves 4.

Can be used as a relish for pork.

Potatoes with Apples and Walnuts

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled cored and diced
1/2 cup brown rice syrup (probably found in health food store or dept. of a grocery store)
1/2 cup maple syrup (always the real thing)
1/2 c butter
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ginger
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t nutmeg
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Bland the sweet potates in boiling water for 5 min. or until slightly tender but not cooked through.
Rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly.
Place the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl with the apples.
In a frying pan, combine remaining ingredients except walnuts. Boil for at least on minute, then add walnuts. Boil for at least another minute.
Pour mixture over potatoes and apples and mix well.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered.
Makes 8 servings.

Sweet Potatoes with Maple-Cider Glaze

3 # Sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise.
4 T butter
6 T maple syrup (spring for the real thing)
1 C apple cider (again, the real thing)
pepper

heat over to 350. Butter 9x13
Arrange potatoes in the pan, drizzle with with syrup and cider. Bake, basting about 3 times in 50 minutes. Sprinkle with pepper.

Soy-Glazed Salmon

My friend had us over for dinner the other night and made this dish. It was REALLY tasty and it reminded me a lot of mom's sauce...so delicious!

Ingredients

Makes 4.

• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine, or water
• 2 pounds salmon fillet
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. with a rack in the center. Make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir brown sugar, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, and white wine until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Cut salmon fillet into 4 equal-size pieces; arrange, skin side down, in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour glaze over the fish, and turn to coat evenly.
3. Bake until fish is opaque but still bright pink inside, basting every few minutes with glaze from baking dish, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

4-5 chicken breasts- cooked and cut up (or you can get a Costco chicken!)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 c. sour cream
2 T Poppy Seeds
6 T melted butter
2 Tubes Ritz crackers- crushed

Mix chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and poppy seed. Crush crackers and add melted butter. Layer pan with 1/2 of cracker mixture. Add chicken mixture. Top with remaining cracker mixture. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
* This is my friend's recipe. When I made it, I cooked the chicken with Lawry's seasoned salt and added a little onion. I also added 2T of grated parmesan cheese to the 1/2 of the ritz cracker mixture that I sprinkled over the top. It was really good.

Chiang Mai Curry Noodles

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 Tablespoons red curry paste or pananeng curry paste
1/2 Pound boneless chicken, cut in big, bite-size chunks or boneless beef, such as tri-tip or flank steak, thinly sliced crosswise into 2-inch strips
2 Cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/4 Cups chicken broth
2 Teaspoons ground tumeric or curry powder
2 Tablespoons dark soy sauce or soy sauce
1 Teaspoon sugar
1 Teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 Pound fresh Chinese-style egg noodles, or 1/2 pound dried Chinese-style egg noodles, angle hair pasta or spaghetti
1/3 Cup coarsely chopped shallots
1/3 Cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 Cup thinly sliced green onions

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and then add the garlic. Toss well and add the red curry paste, mashing and stirring to soften it in the oil, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook 1 to 2 minutes, tossing now and then to brown it evenly and mix it with the curry paste. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, tumeric, soy sauce, sugar and salt and stir well. Bring to a gentle boil and adjust heat to maintain a lively simmer. Cook about 10minutes, until meat is cooked through. Stir in lime juice, remove from heat and cover to keep curry warm while you prepare the noodles.

Cook the noodles in a large pot of rapidly boiling water, until tender but still firm, as little as 2 mintues for fresh noodles and 7 minutes or more for dired. Drain, rise well in cold water, drain again, and divide the noodles among the individual serving bowls. Ladle on hot curry and sprinkle each serving with the shallots, cilantro and green onions. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6

This is taken from a great cookbook I own, called Quick and Easy Thai

Coconut Curry Sauce

Another awesome one from Cheryl:

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, diced (about 3 cups)
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
1/4 cup water
8 ounces cauliflower florets
1 bunch scallions (green parts only), cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
1 recipe Curry-Coconut Sauce (see below)
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
Cooked jasmine rice

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add the chicken and stir-fry until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out the pan. Reduce heat to medium-high, add the remaining oil, and heat for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the green beans and water. Cover partially and cook for 1 minute. Add the cauliflower, cover partially, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Add the scallions and Curry-Coconut Sauce. When it starts to bubble, add the chicken and basil. Stir-fry until warmed through, about 1 minute. Serve immediately over the rice.

Tip: Try using tofu in place of the chicken. And sugar snaps and sweet potatoes make great substitutions for the cauliflower and green beans.

Yield: Makes 4-6 servings

Curry-Coconut Sauce

1½ cups canned light coconut milk
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red peppers flakes
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1½ Tablespoons minced garlic
1½ Tablespoons curry powder
½ cup chopped fresh basil

In a small bowl combine coconut milk, soy sauce, sugar and salt. Place a wok or skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add crushed red pepper flakes, lemon zest, garlic and curry powder and stir fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the coconut milk mixture and bring to a boil. Cook until sauce thickens slightly, 1½ minutes. Add basil. Pour into a bowl.

I found this in Real Simple and have used it several times. I like to use broccoli, carrots and green peppers, in place of green beans.

Choripan

This is a recipe I got from Cheryl. Nate served in Argentina and to celebrate his birthday Cheryl made these sandwiches. They are SUPER yummy. We made them open face, and liked them a lot. A choripán is a popular sandwich in Argentina and Latin American countries. The name comes from the combination of its ingredients: a grilled chorizo (sausage) and a crusty bread.

INGREDIENTS
• 1 avocado, small dice
• 1/2 small red onion, small dice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and small diced
• 2 tablespoons parsley, minced
• 1/2 jalapeño, minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• 6 Italian sausages, no fennel (hot or sweet, as you prefer)
• 6 crusty rolls (ciabatta, Kaiser, Portuguese, etc.)

DIRECTIONS
Prepare the salsa for your choripan by mixing the avocado, onion, garlic, tomato, parsley, jalapeno, lime juice, olive oil, and seasoning. Place in refrigerator while you grill your sausages.

Grill your sausages on your grill, away from direct flame. Open the rolls just before your sausages are ready, and place on the grill to toast up.

When your sausages are ready, slice open lengthwise and lay flat on your open roll. Divide the avo-salsa among the rolls.



Chimichurri

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
8 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 lemon wedge (juice of)
1 tablespoon diced red onion
1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Pulse parsley in processor to chop.
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend.
3. Separate sauce into equal parts.
4. (Use half for basting or marinade).
5. (Use other half for table service).

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

I found this one on a blog, but it is from the Food Network. I have tried it a few times now and it is REALLY yummy. I just use a blender to puree the soup, and then I can make it as smooth or chunky as I like. We always have grilled cheese on the side, and it is perfect for a cold, rainy day.

• 3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
  
• 4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 quart chicken stock or water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.

In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold.