Red Curry Lentils

Well, hello there! How are you all doing? I'm doing well, and I'm not going to make any excuses for being away from my blog for so long. Instead, I will get right to one of the recent recipe gems that I've found.

What are your comfort foods? Pot roast? Chicken & dumplings? Apple pie? Would you believe lentils are one of mine? Doesn't seem to matter what the recipe, they always warm me up, fill me up, and make me happy. MMMM!!

My most recent lentil recipe find is one from www.pinchofyum.com. My granddaughter Moo has given this her seal of approval!

Red Curry Lentils
Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients
•1½ cups lentils, rinsed and picked over
•½ large onion, diced
•2 tablespoons butter
•2 tablespoons red curry paste
•½ tablespoon garam masala
•1 teaspoon curry powder
•½ teaspoon turmeric
•1 teaspoon sugar
•1 teaspoon minced garlic
•1 teaspoon minced ginger
•a few good shakes of cayenne pepper
•1 14 ounce can tomato puree
•¼ cup coconut milk or cream
•cilantro for garnishing
•rice for serving

Instructions
1.Cook the lentils according to directions. Drain and set aside.
2.Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute for a few minutes until fragrant and golden. Add all the spices (curry paste, garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, cayenne, sugar, garlic, ginger) and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce; stir and simmer until smooth.
3.Add the lentils and the cream. Stir to combine and simmer for another 15-20 minutes (the longer, the better)! Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

Lime and Coconut Chicken

Do you "Pin"? I'm addicted to Pinterest! I've got I think about 800 recipes that I'd like to try, but don't have all that time!!! I tried one today, with granddaughter "Rye" joining me for dinner. O.M.G.!!!! We both went nuts over it!!! I made a few changes, due to her little 6 year old taste buds, and because I didn't have coriander on hand. And at the end, I totally spaced out adding the cilantro to it, which I love, and I have on hand, but it was soooo good even without it!!!

This recipe is originally from http://chaosinthekitchen.com, and it will go into my normal rotation! I've indicated the changes I made, in parentheses.

Lime and Coconut Chicken

serves 4, prep 10 minutes, marinade up to 2 hours, cook 15 min, adapted from Fine Cooking, Winter 2006
•2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
•3 tbsp oil
•zest of 1 lime (used about 1 T. lime juice in the bottle)
•1 tsp ground cumin
•1 1/2 tsp ground coriander (omitted because I didn't have it)
•1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (used regular table salt)
•2 tbsp sugar
•2 tsp curry powder
•1/2 cup coconut milk (had 6 oz. remaining from a different recipe, so added the additional 2 ounces when I cooked the marinade)
•pinch cayenne
•1 small fresh hot chili, such as Thai or Serrano, minced (optional) (didn't use, due to tiny taste buds!!!)
•1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (spaced it out!)
•Fresh limes, cut into wedges (didn't use)

1.Trim fat from chicken breasts. Starting on thick side of the breasts slice the chicken breasts almost in half, then open each like a book.
2.Place each open breast between two pieces of plastic wrap, wax paper or inside a large, open, Ziploc bag.
3.Using a small heavy pan, bottle or smooth meat mallet lightly pound out each breast into even thickness.
4.Mix all remaining ingredients except fresh cilantro and limes.
5.Add chicken and marinade to a large bowl or ziploc bag and chill in the refrigerator for up to two hours.
6.Your chicken doesn’t take long to cook so you can use this time to get your dishes prepped and ready.
7.Once you are ready to cook the chicken, remove each breast from the marinade.
8.Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Boil continuously for at least 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
9.In a heavy skillet or grill pan, heat a splash of oil over high heat.
10.Cook the chicken in batches to prevent over crowding the pan.
11.Place the breasts in the hot pan and cook without turning for a couple minutes
12.Flip the breasts over and cook until the other side is golden, it shouldn’t take long depending on the thickness of your chicken.
13.Place cooked breasts on a plate in a warm oven or under foil while cooking the remaining chicken.
14.Sprinkle with fresh lime juice and cilantro. Serve with sauce on the side.

If you typically have these ingredients on hand this is a quick, cheap main dish to throw together. It would be delicious on the grill or as kabobs as well.

Rosemary Honey Chicken with Cashews

Eleven weeks into my healthy lifestyle, and as of Monday, I'm down 15.8 lbs. Normally by this time I'm ready to give up, but my goal of 56.5 lbs. by my 50th birthday is exactly the motivation I need. I really want this to happen, and if I don't do it now, then it's not going to happen. And no one but me can make it happen. So, I've buckled down and I've been working hard at it. Most of the time!!! I occasionally "slip", but I don't focus on those times. I put the quotation marks on the word "slip", because I do allow myself a "cheat" every now and then. Last week was my daughter's birthday, and the grandkiddos and I made her a brownie pizza. And I had a piece and a half. And it was fantastic! But that was 6 days ago, and I've been on course since.

When I allow myself those "cheats", I really do treat myself. My mindset is that since those foods are treats, to be indulged in only every now and then, I'm going to make them the tastiest treats that I possibly can. I love ice cream, and I used to have it in my freezer all the time. I've had ice cream on two occasions since I began my journey back in March. I indulged both times. I got my absolute favorite flavor of my favorite brand. Haagen Dazs Dulce de Leche. MMMMM! And I savored each bite. And I ate two servings at each sitting (finished the container each time). But both times, it's satisfied my sweet tooth for weeks on end. So, I consider those indulgences an investment of sorts.

Okay, so on to what I've been cooking lately!!! This recipe is from www.skinnymommy.com, and it was very good. I think next time I won't use the flour, though, because I could taste it with almost every bite.

The entire recipe as I prepared it was 32 original Weight Watchers points, so each of the 4 servings was 8 points total.

Rosemary Honey Chicken with Cashews
adapted from www.skinnymommy.com

1 lb chicken breasst meat, cut into cubes
Flour
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 T Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp Rosemary, diced (I used dried, about 1/4 t., crushing it between my fingers as I let it fall into the bowl)
1/2 cup of cashews (I measured 1/2 cup of the halved and whole ones, then chopped them)
Dash of cayenne

Preheat the oven to 400. Sprinkle flour onto a plate and dip the chicken into it, shaking off the excess and sprinkle with Salt and Pepper. Place the chicken in a baking dish, making sure it is spaced out. Bake for 15 minutes.

While the chicken is baking, mix together the garlic, balsamic, honey and rosemary. Remove the chicken from the baking dish, stirring it into the honey/vinegar mixture, stirring to coat each piece. Return the chicken to the baking dish, return it to the oven and bake for 5 minutes more, stirring a few times to be sure every piece is glazed evenly. Add in the cashews and tossing, and bake 5 minutes more. If you really like the flavor of rosemary add a few more fresh sprigs and serve.

Curry Chicken Salad Sandwiches

My daughter and I are taking the grandkids to the zoo tomorrow! I'm so excited!! I myself love the zoo, but to see how much those 3 kids love it is even better!

We're packing our lunches, and it was when I went looking for this recipe that I realized I've never posted it before. It's not very healthy, unless you change the mayo to lite, or I'm wondering maybe it could be replaced w/ plain greek yogurt. I'm not sure if I'm daring enough to try that, though, since this recipe is so yummy as it is!!! I think I'll splurge a little on my calories tomorrow.

I got it from a woman I used to attend church with.


Curry Chicken Salad

1 medium onion, quartered, then sliced

about 3 T. olive oil (divided)

about 3 T. curry powder (divided)

1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast meat, chopped or cut into small bite sized pieces

about 3/4 cup mayo, more or less for personal preference

1/2 to 3/4 cups red grapes, cut in half

about 3/4 of an average sized tart apple, cut into small bite sized pieces

a small handful of chopped walnuts, if you wish

a loaf of GOOD bread

Saute onion slices in 1 T. olive oil, with 1 T. curry powder added to it. Remove from pan, let cool. In the same pan, add another 1 T. olive oil, half of the chicken and another 1 T. curry powder. Remove from pan, allow to cool. Add last 1 T. of olive oil, other half of chicken, and last 1 T. curry powder, and saute that as well. Remove from pan, allow to cool. (If your pan is big enough, you don't have to split the chicken in half, but the pan I used was smallish.)

When chicken and onion are cool, mix together along with mayonnaise. At this point, I taste a bite, to check to see if it needs more curry. Then add grapes, apples, and walnuts. Stir to combine. Add more mayo if needed.

Serve on bread.

Garlic and Red Pepper Pasta

I think summer is upon us! It's near 90 degrees today, then sun is out, and barely a cloud in the sky. Yay, summer!!! I've anxiously been awaiting its arrival for how many months now?!? It's good to have it back again!

This recipe was quick, easy, light, and tasty! Seriously, is there anything better than pasta, garlic, red pepper flakes, and Parm? MMMMM! Delish!

I used "real" butter, so I adjusted the points to 8 in my case. Worth. Every. Bite.

Garlic and Red Pepper Pasta
from eat-yourself-skinny.com

Servings: 6 Serving Size: 1 cup Calories: 301 Fat: 15 g Carbs: 6.8 g Fiber: 0.8 g Protein: 4.3 g Old Points: 7.1 pts Points+: 5 pts

1 box of spaghetti
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
3/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. light butter
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 pinches red pepper flakes
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Boil water and cook pasta per box instructions until al dente. Meanwhile, saute olive oil, butter, garlic and red bell pepper on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and allow to simmer until ready to toss.

Drain pasta and immediately toss with Parmesan cheese. Add the sauteed garlic sauce, sprinkle some extra Parmesan cheese on top and garnish with some fresh parsley.

Spanish-Style Paprika Shrimp

It's been a while since I've posted, I think a week, and the last recipe I posted was a Mexican-inspired shrimp dish too!

This recipe is fantastic! It's adapted from www.mylifetime.com, Cook Yourself Thin.

Spanish-Style Paprika Shrimp

Serves 2 as a first course

Calories per serving: 195; WW original points 5 (add 1 pt for each 1/4 cup of rice, if serving)

1 T. olive oil
1/4 t. smoked paprika
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 t. salt
1 t. dried Italian seasonings
pinch of cayenne
1 1/2 T. lemon juice

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add paprika and garlic, and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly so the garlic and paprika don't burn.

Raise heat to medium-high, add the shrimp, and saute for about 3 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink and are opaque.

Transfer shrimp to a warm serving dish, and toss with salt, Italian seasonings, cayenne, and lemon juice. Serve over rice if desired.

Spinach Stuffed Shells

Who doesn't like stuffed pasta shells! It's been years since I've made them, and in my hunt for low fat, low calorie recipes, I found this recipe. I made the sauce and cooked the shells last night, so that when I got home from work today, all I had to do was mix the spinach/cheese mixture and stuff 'em and then throw them in the oven. They'll be done in about 5 minutes, and they SMELL FANTASTIC!!!

This is adapted from yet another new-to-me site, www.skinnymom.com. It makes 10 servings - TEN SERVINGS!!! I'll be doing some freezing tonight!

First, the sauce:

Skinny Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Serves 10

•1 pound lean ground sirloin
•1 onion, chopped
•1 green pepper, chopped
•1 tbsp minced onion
•2 6 ounce cans tomato paste
•1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
•1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
•1 tbsp Italian seasoning
•2 basil leaves
•2 tablespoons Splenda granulated sweetener
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon garlic powder

1.In a large skillet, brown lean ground sirloin for 4-5 minutes.
2.Add chopped onion, green pepper, and garlic and continue cooking meat until no longer pink and the onions and peppers start to soften.
3.Next, add tomato paste, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes to meat and onions. Add in 1/4 cup water and stir sauce.
4.Add garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and Splenda to sauce and stir until well mixed.
5.Add in basil leaves and turn heat down to low. Cover and let simmer for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with pasta immediately or

freeze or refrigerate for later.

Nutrition Info Per Serving: Calories: 165.9, Fat: 4.9g, Carbohydrates:19g, Fiber: 3.5g, Sugars: 9g, Protein: 13.3g; WW Points 3



.... and now the shells:

Spinach Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce

Serves 10

•1 box Barilla Jumbo Shells Pasta
•1 10 oz bag frozen spinach
•16 ounces Fat Free Ricotta Cheese
•1 tsp salt
•1 tsp pepper
•1 tsp garlic powder
•1/2 cup Tbsp reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
•1 Tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, grated
•10 Servings Skinny Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Directions:
1.Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2.Add pasta shells to boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes until almost al dente.
3.Drain pasta shells and spread pasta shells onto a sheet of wax paper to dry.
4.Place spinach in microwave and cook for 5-6 minutes
as directed on package.
5.Drain spinach and make sure to remove all of the moisture from spinach until it is dry.
6.In a medium sized bowl, mix spinach, fat-free ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup of the mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
7.Using a 9×13 casserole dish, spoon a small amount of Skinny Spaghetti and Meat Sauce to cover the bottom of dish.
8.Next, fill pasta shells with spinach mixture by using a spoon to place mixture inside each pasta shell.
9.Place filled pasta shells face up into casserole dish.
10.Top filled pasta shells with Skinny Spaghetti Meat Sauce and sprinkle reduced-fat Mozzarella cheese on top.
11.Heat pasta shells in oven for 15-20 minutes and serve hot.

Nutrition Info (3 stuffed shells with meat sauce): Calories: 323.4, Fat: 7.2g, Carbohydrates: 48.1g, Protein: 22g, Fiber: 5.1g, Sugars: 11.3g; WW Points 7

Ginger Beef and Broccoli

I've been on an Asian dinner kick lately. Filipino Adobo Chicken; Red Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp; Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce; and tonight, it was Ginger Beef and Broccoli. This time, it's from a Yahoo Group that I belong to, called LowFatGoodCooking. And yes, it's good cooking!!

Ginger Beef and Broccoli

Prep time 20 minutes, cooking time about 10 minutes
Makes 4 servings

1 lb. sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1 T. chopped fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 T. soy sauce
2 t. cornstarch
3 T. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
4 c. small broccoli florets
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. rice vinegar
1/4 c. ketchup
1/2 c. beef stock

Place the steak in a bowl. Add the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and cornstarch and toss to coat. Marinate the beef 20 to 30 minutes. Heat 2 T. of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the beef and stir-fry until nicely colored, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan. Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add the onion and broccoli and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Return the beef to the pan and heat through. Spoon onto a platter and serve.

per serving: about 306 calories; 27.4 g protein; 14.5 g fat (2.4 g saturated); 16.2 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber; 54 mg cholesterol; 1158 mg sodium

7 WW Points (original Points plan)

Filipino Adobo Chicken

And yet another fantastic find from www.skinnytaste.com!!! My six year old granddaughter "Rye" and I had this for lunch yesterday. She devoured the chicken quite quickly (granted, she is definitely a carnivore!). She wasn't sure she wanted the sauce on the rice, so she had butter on hers instead. We started the meal off with a very colorful salad.

Here's this fantastic find: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/11/filipino-adobo-chicken.html


Filipino Adobo Chicken
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

8 chicken legs on the bone (skin removed)
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 small head of garlic, crushed
6 ground peppercorns
4 bay leaves
1 jalapeño, chopped (optional)


Marinate chicken in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, jalapeño and pepper, for at least an hour (overnight is ideal). Add chicken, 1/2 cup water, bay leaves and marinade into a deep nonstick skillet and cook on medium-low heat. Cover and cook until the meat is tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the cover and cook an additional 15 minutes, until the sauce reduces. Discard bay leaves and serve over rice.

Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce

I'm gonna rename this recipe to: OMG, THIS IS INCREDIBLE! Another great one from www.skinnytaste.com! I like fish, but lately I've had a hard time finding recipes that are both healthy and GOOD. This one fits the bill!

For those of you that don't like curry, or have never tried it, this would probably be a great recipe to start with. I urge you (no, I BEG you!) to give it a try! I think some of you would be very surprised by it. You may even become addicted to curries, like I am!

I'm thinking this recipe would be good w/ chicken, too.

Here we go: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/04/broiled-tilapia-with-thai-coconut-curry.html?showComment=1333070739546#c5342031372644975872

Chicken Curry

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Indian food????!!! MMMM! There's an Indian restaurant right around the corner from me that has a lunch buffet daily for $9.95, and I go there often! I even sometimes go there during dinner hours and order an entree. My favorite in Palak Paneer, which is a spinach curry dish with Indian cottage cheese. I haven't made that yet, but I do have a recipe.

I've tried a couple other recipes for Chicken Curry, one of which starts off the same way my curry chicken salad sandwiches (I see I haven't posted that recipe yet) do, and it is very good, but this new recipe is ooooh, sooooo much better!!!!

I have no clue where I got the recipe. I'd saved it under "Recipes from Miscellaneous Sources", so I haven't a clue. There were a few additional ingredients, but I left them out. (Edited 3/17/12: found my source - it's www.beckyhiggins.com - a blog I found while browsing some blogs. She's got some great looking recipes!!!)


Chicken Curry

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 to 3 pieces)
2 T. curry powder
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
2 T. olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. (14 oz. can) low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 t. salt (I didn't add nearly that much, it really didn't need all of it)
1/4 t. black pepper
cooked white rice

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 1" pieces and place in bowl. Sprinkle with curry and cinnamon, toss, and set aside. Heat 1 T. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Heat remaining oil in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add broth, cream, salt, and pepper. Return onion to skillet. Heat until chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. (For more curry flavor, add more curry powder at this time.)

Serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings

Taco Pasta

Updated on 3/15/12 right after lunch!!!

This ended up being great as a leftover. I didn't have cheddar cheese after all (what???!? I'm a cheesehead by heritage, how does that happen?!?!?), and I didn't add the pepper flakes to what I took to work for lunch. I guess the pasta and beef have since absorbed more of the flavor, and it was quite good.

I have, since posting it last night, found a variation of the same recipe that does add shredded sharp cheddar and, instead of the tomatoes with chilies, it calls for salsa. So, next time I make it, that will be my experiment.

Overall, I do like the recipe.


* * * * * * * * * * * *

3-14-12

This one is going to be an experiment for me. I love any Mexican-inspired food, so I was excited to find this recipe, but I was a little disappointed by it.

I made it per the recipe, and since I like things a little on the spicy side, I added red pepper flakes. It's still missing something - I'm thinking it's cheddar cheese. I'll add some to the leftovers that I take for lunch tomorrow, and will post an update tomorrow.


Taco Pasta
from www.fakeginger.com

1 pound ground beef or turkey
8 ounce small dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
4 tablespoon taco seasoning
3 ounce cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saute pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.

I've challenged myself.....

.... to start cooking more at home, and to start trying new recipes once again. I've already posted the Hamburger Noodle Bake recipe, that I tried on 2-26-12.

Because I live by myself, sometimes I cook for my daughter and her family. This past Saturday, 3/3/12, I went to their house, enlisted the help of 8 year old Moo and 6 year old Rye. They chopped pistachios; they measured garlic; they measured sugar; they grated orange rind; they measured raisins. And then they were my go-fers as I cooked the dish.

I'd give this one 3 stars out of 4. The rice was very good, but the chicken was just so-so. Nothing spectacular there. I'll make it again, but I'll either leave the chicken out totally, or I'll cut it in small bite sized pieces. I'll only use about half the onions - their flavor was very overpowering. And I'll probably omit the raisins and the pistachios.

The recipe?

Shireen Palow, or Afghan Orange Rice with Chicken
from myrecipes.com, originally from Cooking Light

Shireen Palow (Afghan Orange Rice with Chicken)

Shireen palow soaks up sweet flavors from orange rind, caramelized onions, and sugar. Use a heavy chef's knife or cleaver to cut the chicken breasts in half.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 thighs or 1 breast piece, 3/4 cup rice mixture, and 1 tablespoon pistachios)

2 chicken breast halves, skinned and cut in half (about 1 pound)
4 chicken thighs, skinned (about 1 pound) – I actually used 2 # of chicken breast, since none of us is especially fond of dark meat
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 cups vertically sliced onion
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
2 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups uncooked basmati rice
2 tablespoons raisins
6 tablespoons chopped pistachios

Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove chicken from pan; cover and keep warm.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add saffron and garlic, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar and rind; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, broth, rice, and raisins; bring to a boil. Add chicken, nestling into rice mixture. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with pistachios.

Barbecued Indonesian Chicken

I made this one for the 4th of July, too, and again, a big hit! Also found in cafemom's recipe group. I baked it in the oven, because the weather was yucky.


serves about 5 - 6

1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
juice of 1 lime

10 - 12 pieces of bone-in, skinless chicken

In a bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Place chicken in a resealable bag(s) and add the marinade. Refrigerate for 4 - 6 hours or even overnight.

Heat a grill to medium high. Remove chicken from marinade and grill for about 20 - 30 minutes or until the juices run clear and the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the grill and serve.

Note: If using mostly breast pieces, double the marinade.

Philippine Pansit

PHILIPPINE PANSIT
from www.cooks.com

2 tbsp. oil
1 med. onion
1 garlic clove (opt.)
1 c. green beans cut French style or 1 can French style green beans
2 carrots, cut in thin strips
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 c. mushrooms, chopped
1 c. cold chopped chicken
1/4 c. soy sauce (or to taste)
1 pkg. vermicelli spaghetti, cooked & drained
2 or 3 hard boiled eggs

In a skillet, cook in oil the onions and garlic until onions look clear. Add green beans, carrots, celery, mushrooms and chicken. Stir until vegetables are tender crisp. mix with spaghetti. Add soy sauce, slice eggs and Accent to taste.

Salsa, Mexican Style

3 roma tomatoes, blanched and peeled
2 to 3 jalepenos
1 to 2 garlic cloves
onion, to taste
cilantro, to taste
salt, to taste

Boil water in large pot. When almost boiling add all ingredients. Let water come to a boil. Boil for 10 (ten) minutes. Take out of water and immediately place in blender/food processor. Remove all or some of the jalepenos, depending on the desired heat. Add salt to remaining cooked ingredients and blend to consistency you like (add some of the used water to thin out).