Christina's Curried Chicken and Mushroom Spring Rolls

from McCormick

1 tablespoon red curry powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 cups thinly sliced cooked chicken

2 tablespoons oil

1 pound assorted wild mushrooms (such as shiitake, oyster and cremini), sliced (or whatever you have)

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

3 ounces fresh snow peas, cut into thin strips (about 1 cup)

12 round rice paper wrappers (8 1/2-inch)

Asian Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Heat large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add curry powder and garam masala; cook and stir 1 minute or until fragrant. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture to season mushrooms. Sprinkle remaining spice mixture over chicken in medium bowl. Toss to coat well. Set aside. 

2. Heat oil in same skillet on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and reserved spice mixture; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or just until tender. Remove from skillet. Add bell pepper and snow peas to skillet; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until tender-crisp. Remove from skillet. 

3. To assemble Spring Rolls, fill 9-inch pie plate with warm water. Dip 1 rice paper wrapper in water to wet completely. Place on work surface. Blot dry with paper towel. Arrange 1/4 cup of the mushrooms, 2 tablespoons of the vegetable mixture and 2 tablespoons of the chicken in center of the rice paper wrapper. Fold bottom edge of rice paper wrapper over filling ingredients. Fold in sides, then gently roll tightly to enclose filling. Place spring roll on platter or tray. Cover with damp paper towels and plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining rice paper wrappers and filling ingredients to make 12 spring rolls. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Serve with Asian Dipping Sauce.

Asian Dipping Sauce: Mix 1/4 cup water, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in small bowl until well blended. Stir in 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion.

Christina's Penne Rosa

adapted from backtoherroots.com

16 ounces whole wheat penne
1 tablespoon olive oil
10 ounces chicken, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
16 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
2 medium tomatoes (about 1/2 lb.) chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
10 cups fresh spinach
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup plain Greek yogurt or heavy cream
Xanthan gum as needed
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook penne according to package directions. Drain and set aside.


In a large skillet with a lid, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add chicken and cook until all edges are cooked. Add in garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for 2 minutes or until garlic begins to soften.

Add in mushrooms, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, or until mushrooms begin to release their water.

Remove from heat, add in spinach and cover skillet. Let spinach wilt for 2 minutes.

Remove lid and place skillet back over low heat. Add the penne, Greek yogurt or cream, pasta sauce and a few pinches of xanthan gum. Stir until sauce is thickened, mixed well and all pasta and veggies are coated. Heat until just warmed through. Divide into pasta bowls and serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Note: can also make with shrimp or salmon.

Christina's Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

from barefeetinthekitchen.blogspot.com

2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper, finely ground
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, balsamic, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. Add the oil and whisk thoroughly to combine. Continue whisking until the dressing is fully emulsified.

Store in a jar with a lid and refrigerate. Shake well before serving. Enjoy!

Side note: If you choose to make this in the blender (as I like to do for almost every other recipe) this will be a thicker dressing. Still delicious, simply thicker. I prefer the consistency of this particular dressing when whisked by hand.

Christina's Maple Vinaigrette

from Perry's Plate

1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the basil and mustard. Whisk in the vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, and garlic. Slowly pour the oil into the mixture while whisking. Whisk for about 15-20 seconds until mixture has emulsified and thickened slightly. Whisk in salt and pepper, adjusting to suit your tastes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (Makes about 1 1/2 cups of dressing.)

Christina's Pumpkin Pancakes

from Our Best Bites

I made this without the whipped cream because I felt like that was way too much sugar for first thing in the morning, but I think it would be great for a brunch or dessert or something. 

3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups whole wheat flour
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
3/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
2 eggs
2/3 cup pumpkin puree

Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
4 ounces cream cheese (low fat is fine, no fat free)
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whipping cream (heavy or regular) whipped until medium peaks form

Maple syrup for serving

Instructions

Prepare whipped cream by beating cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy.  Take 1/2 of the whipped cream (that you already whipped) and beat it in until smooth.  Add the rest of the whipped cream and use a spatula to gently fold in (do not beat).  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.   

Prepare pancakes.  Whisk together flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.  Make sure to break up any clumps of brown sugar.  In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vanilla, oil, eggs and pumpkin.  Combine wet ingredients with dry and gently combine until mixed.  Do not overmix.

Heat a nonstick griddle to medium heat.  When hot, use butter or nonstick spray to coat the pan.  Drop 1/4 cup pancake batter to form each pancake and cook until edges set (if you wait until they bubble, it might be just a bit too long).  Flip pancakes and cook remaining side.

Serve warm pancakes with a dollop of cream cheese topping and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Makes 12-14 large pancakes.

Christina's Snickerdoodles

from my mom

Makes 3 dozen.

1 C butter (or 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup coconut oil)
1 1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 3/4 C flour
1/4 C sugar
2 TBSP cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat butter to remove air pockets. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and beat well again. Stir together dry ingredients and then add to butter mixture.

Mix together sugar and cinnamon

Roll batter into walnut-sized balls. Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Space 2-3 inches apart on cookie sheet and bake for 1 minutes.

Christina's Tuna Salad

from my mom

5 5 oz. cans tuna, drained and flaked
1 C mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
3/4 C diced celery
2 C shredded carrot
1/3 C chopped sweet pickle (or sweet pickle relish)
1 1/2 TBSP minced or grated onion

Mix it all together. Serve cold on sandwiches or make into tuna melts. So yummy!

Christina's Ranch Dressing

adapted from Our Best Bites

1C mayonnaise
2/3 C buttermilk 

1 TBSP dried chives

2 t parsley  

1/2 t seasoned salt 

1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder

1/4 t black pepper

1/4 t dill

1/4 t dry mustard

Mix it all together and let it sit. Can use a combination of Greek yogurt or regular yogurt and mayo. Can also add canola oil to thin. 

Christina's Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce

from Simply Recipes by Elise

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes (or fresh)

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1 Tbsp minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill

1 to 1 1/4 pounds medium sized cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined (can leave tails on), thaw if frozen

Pinch of salt, more to taste

Pinch black pepper, more to taste

1 Cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.

2 Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, reduce heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the juices thicken a bit.

3 Stir in the herbs, feta cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Place pan in oven and bake, uncovered, until shrimp are cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Add shrimp and cook through.

Serve immediately. Serve over polenta or pasta or with crusty French or Italian loaf bread.

Christina's Lemon and Herb Baked Salmon

Marinate salmon for one hour before baking in:

2 cloves garlic

6 Tbls. EVOO

1 Tbls. lemon juice

1 Tbls. parsley flakes

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. basil

After done basting, wrap salmon loosely in foil along with marination. Make sure the edges are folded up so juices don't come out during baking.

Put in pan and place in cold oven. Set temperature to 400 degrees. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Christina's Tortellini Emilia

from Better Homes and Gardens

1 9 oz package dry cheese tortellini
1 1/2 TBSP finely chopped red onion
1 TBSP finely chopped shallots
1 TBSP butter
1 C half-and-half or cream
1 egg yolk
2 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 C Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated
1/4 C walnut pieces
1 oz prosciutto, ham or bacon, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, cook onion and shallots in hot butter until tender. Stir in cream and bring to just boiling. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, beat egg yolk. Slowly add 1 C hot cream to yolk, beating until combined and then return all to saucepan. Cook and stir over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in Parmesan, sage and pepper.

Transfer 1/2 of tortellini to 9x9 baking dish and top with half of cheese and sauce. Repeat later and top with walnuts and prosciutto. Back 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Christina's Slow Cooker Herbed Beef Stew (or Roast)

1 1/2 pounds cubed beef stew meat (or roast)
4 carrots, sliced
3 potatoes, cubed
2 onions, diced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
1 C water, 2 cubes beef bouillon
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried marjoram

If making stew, toss meat with 1 cup flour. Otherwise, just put everything in the crock pot and mix well. Cover and cook 4-6 hours on high or 10-12 hours on low.

Christina's Marinated Pork Chops

from my mom

3/4 - 1 inch pork chops

1 C soy sauce

1 C water

1 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP brown sugar

1 clove minced garlic

2 green onions, sliced

Mix all marinade ingredients in 9x13 pan. Place pork chops in pan and marinate at least 6 hours. Grill 5-8 minutes per side and serve!

Christina's Pizza Dough

from The Food Network

• 1/4 cup light red or white wine, Fiano di Avellino (or water, in my case)
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 1/2 cups flour

Directions

Place wine, water and yeast in a large bowl and stir until dissolved. Add the honey, salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix well to combine. Add 1 cup of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until it becomes a loose batter. Add 2 more cups of the flour and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, incorporating as much flour as you can with the wooden spoon.

Bring the dough together by hand and turn out onto a floured board or marble surface. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until dough is smooth and firm. Place in a clean, lightly-oiled bowl, using remaining tablespoon of oil and cover with a towel. Let rise in the warmest part of the kitchen for 45 minutes.

For individual pizzas or calzones, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and knead into rounds. For one large pizza, knead into 1 large round. For either, let rest for 15 minutes.

Christina's Blueberry Muffins

from my mom


2 c blueberries
¼ c flour
1 ¼ c white flour
¾ c whole wheat flour
¾ c sugar
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
6 Tbsp butter
¾ c milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ tsp vanilla


Preheat oven to350*. Grease & flour muffin tins. Place blueberries and 1/4 cup flour in small bowl and gently stir. Set aside. Stir dry ingredients including sugar together in large glass bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles small peas. Combine wet ingredients in measuring cup. Stir into flour mixture just till mixed. GENTLY fold in berries. Divide out into muffin tins. Bake 25-30 minutes.

Christina's Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies

adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup coconut oil, heated until barely melted then cooled1 ½ cups white sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of two large (three small) limes
3 tbsp lime juice
1 cup coconut
½ cup sugar for rolling cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. If you haven't already toasted your coconut just put a layer of coconut on a cookie sheet and bake it at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes. Watch out. It goes from white to burnt really quick if you aren't watching closely.
2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and very fluffy.
4. Beat in egg, vanilla extract, lime juice and lime zest.
5. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients and toasted coconut.
6. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in sugar. Place on lined cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. I made mine too big and they ran together. These do spread quite a bit.
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned.
8. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Fantastic served with cream cheese frosting with the zest of a lime or two.

Christina's Tomato, Kale and Quinoa Salad

adapted from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

Serves 8

Quinoa:
2 cups quinoa
3 ½ cups water
pinch sea salt

Salad:
2 large heirloom tomatoes, diced (about 3 to 4 cups)

1 cup finely diced walla walla onion (or other variety of sweet onion or substitute green onion)

1/2 bunch kale, finely chopped

1 cup chopped basil leaves

feta cheese to taste 

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Soaking quinoa overnight in a bowl of water, then drain the next day. To cook the quinoa, rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under running water. Drain well. Place quinoa into a 2-quart pot, add water and salt; cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let cool completely before using. 

To assemble the salad, place the cooled quinoa into a large bowl and fluff with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and gently toss together. Serve.

Christina's Cherry Tomato Pasta

from macheesmo.com

1 pound pasta (I like whole wheat spaghetti.)

2 pints (1 quart) ripe cherry tomatoes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 Cup fresh basil, chopped (or can use dried)
Salt and pepper
Optional spice add-ins: Red pepper flakes, dried marjoram, dried oregano, all to taste.

Parmesan cheese for grating

Dice up the onion and garlic and then heat up the biggest wide pan you have or a dutch oven. Add your oil to the pan and get it hot over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic and get them cooking for a few minutes.

Wash all your cherry tomatoes and throw them in. Don’t worry about peeling them or coring them. After the tomatoes begin to pop and wilt, turn the heat down to medium, add any extra spices you like (including salt and pepper and the basil if you are using dried) and let this simmer and reduce until it forms a pretty solid paste, about 25 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, begin boiling salted water for the pasta and cook pasta according to package directions.

As your pasta cooks, add your white wine to the tomatoes and use the liquid to scrape up any little bits that are in the pan. Also add the chopped basil if you are using fresh. Stir this all together and turn the heat down to low on the sauce. The white wine should evaporate pretty quickly. When the pasta is ready, drain (or simply add pasta to the sauce if it's quite thick) and serve.

Christina's Grilled Mozzarella Sandwiches

from marthastewart.com

• 1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into 4 equal pieces about 3-inches by 4-inches
• 8 1/2-inch thick firm white sandwich bread
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, leaves
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• A grating of nutmeg
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Marinara sauce for dipping

Directions

1. Place the mozzarella on 4 slices of the bread. Cover with the remaining slices to form sandwiches. Trim the crusts off to make perfect 4-inch squares.
2. In a wide shallow bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the cream, thyme leaves, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk until well blended.
3. In a 10 to 12-inch nonstick saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook until the sizzling subsides. Dip 2 of the sandwiches into the egg mixture, turning to coat, place in the pan, and cook until golden brown on the first side, about 2 minutes. Flip over and brown on the other side. Transfer the sandwiches to individual plates and repeat the process with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, and 2 sandwiches. Cut in half, and serve immediately with a side of marinara sauce.

Christina's Overnight Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole

from Our Best Bites

6-8 slices bread
about 1/4 C softened butter (just for buttering the bread slices)
4 C grated cheese (Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, Cheddar or some combination)
12 oz pork sausage, browned and drained if necessary
1 4 oz or 7 oz can green chiles
6 eggs
2 C milk
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard

Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread. Place bread butter side down in a 9×13 baking dish. I usually need 6 pieces of bread, plus 1 cut in half to finish up the bottom row. You just want the bottom of the pan covered with no big gaps.

Grate your cheese and sprinkle it evenly over the top of the bread.  Spread the browned sausage on top of that, and top with the green chiles.

In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk eggs. Add milk and then seasonings and whisk to combine well.  Slowly stir the egg mixture while you pour it evenly on top of the assembled casserole. You’ll want to keep stirring or else the spices will all gather in one spot and drop onto one single piece of casserole.

Cover well and place in the refridgerator overnight.

In the morning preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Pop the casserole in there and bake (uncovered) for 50-60 minutes. You’ll want the center to be set and the outside edges to be golden brown. It’s important to let it cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into it or it will just fall apart.