Quinoa, Strawberry Spinach Salad

I'm road testing salad recipes for sack lunches. I'm back to work in about 3 weeks and I need a few more lunch ideas. I like quinoa in salads because it gives a salad a protein boost without adding meat. I used pomegranate molasses in the dressing. Pomegranate molasses is a fancy term for pomegranate juice that has been reduced to a syrup. The stove does all the work, you just have to be nearby to turn off the heat when the juice transforms into a syrup. If you can't find perline sized mozzarella, you can cut up the larger balls into bite sized pieces.

serves 6

Salad
1 pint strawberries sliced
5 ozs spinach leaves
1/3 cup sliced red onion
8 oz Perline Mozzarella(pearl-sized mozzarella balls)
3 cups cooked quinoa
1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Vinaigrette
3-4 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

To make pomegranate molasses
Place 2 cups of pomegranate juice in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Boil until the juice has reduced to about a 1/3 cup(about 20 minutes) and coats the back of a spoon. The molasses will stiffen as it cools. To return to a pourable state, heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss. Whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients together. Dress the salad just before serving. You can place the salad in single serving containers and carry the vinaigrette in separately.

Frozen Yogurt

I love frozen yogurt when I don't make it. Just mixing fruit and yogurt together in an ice-cream machine just didn't do it for me. This one is delicious you won't believe it actually has yogurt in it. I think Greek yogurt and the fat-free sweetened condensed milk are the keys to this creamy frozen yogurt. I made mine with berries but you could use any ripe fruit you have on hand.

Makes 2 pints

4 cups fruit
1 can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
3 cups greek yogurt(I used 1 cup of full fat vanilla honey yogurt and 2 cups fat-free vanilla)

One day before serving, place the fruit and the condensed milk into a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour the puree into a large bowl and whisk in the yogurt. Cover and allow the mixture to chill in the frig for at least a day. Pour the mixture into an ice-cream machine and churn until frozen. Scoop the frozen yogurt into a plastic container with a lid and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours before serving.

Breakfast Foccia

I enjoy cooking with fresh fruit during the summer and berries are my favorite. This is a foccia bread covered with a variety of berries but you could use whatever you had on hand. Peaches, plums, cherries and even apples in the fall would all work well. To kick it up a notch, spread a layer of marscapone cheese (or cream cheese) mixed with some powdered sugar onto the dough before topping with the fruit. I think it would give it a cheese danish effect. I have not tried that yet but added the items to the ingredients list in case you'd like to beat me to it. I think this would be perfect for a last minute brunch or Sunday breakfast offering accompanied with some scrambled eggs and bacon. It literally took me 10 minutes to prep before I placed it in the oven and I know my family will love this.

Serves 8

1 ball of store bought pizza dough(I found mine in the deli section)
1 1/2 cups of fresh fruit(berries, peaches, plums, cheeries)
1 cup of mascarpone or cream cheese softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar plus more for garnish
2 tbsp melted butter
granulated sugar for sprinkling over the fruit

Preheat the oven to 375. Roll out the dough and place it on a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Brush the melted butter over the dough. If adding the mascarpone cheese, mix it with the 1/4 cup powdered sugar and spread onto the dough. Place the fruit on top and sprinkle it with granulated sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool, dust the top with powdered sugar, cut and serve warm

Peanut Butter Picnic Cookies

If I were taking the family on a picnic, these would be a staple in my picnic basket. They are large, which always makes the kids happy, and they are loaded with salted peanuts. They are crispy on the edges but chewy in the center. To make these I doubled my original peanut butter cookie recipe and added chopped peanuts. I used a large cookie scoop which is probably 2 rounded tablespoons of dough.

makes about 5 dozen

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup(2 sticks)softened, unsalted butter
1 3/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
2/3 cup chopped salted peanuts

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large bowl place the butter and sugars, mix with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the peanut butter and the vanilla. Add the baking soda, salt and flour and mix until just combined. Stir in the peanuts. Place some sugar onto a plate. Using a large cookie scoop,scoop balls of dough onto the sugar coated plate. Roll the dough around in the sugar to coat and place onto baking sheets that have been lined with parchment paper or silpats. Press each dough ball flat with the bottom of a large glass. Sprinkle more sugar on the top of each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies just begin to brown at the edges.

Lime Refrigerator Cookies

My mom made refrigerator cookies a lot. The dough could be prepared in advance, then was wrapped in waxed paper and rolled into a log shape, finally it was kept in the frig until you were ready to make cookies. You could make all or just a few depending on your needs. This recipe is updated with the addition of lime juice and zest but really you could substitute lemon or orange for the lime if desired. These cookies are made without eggs so they are perfect for anyone with an egg allergy. I made these for a St. Patrick's Day luncheon, they were a big hit.

makes about 36

For Cookies
3 sticks(1 1/2 cups) butter softened
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp grated lime zest
4 tbsp lime juice
3 cups flour

For Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp lime juice
zest of 2 limes

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the lime juice and zest, beat to combine. Add the flour and mix on the low setting until flour is just combined, then turn up the speed until flour is all combined. Spoon the dough onto a large piece of wax paper and roll into a log shape. Twist the ends of the waxed paper and store in the refrigerator of 1 hour or until ready to use. Preheat the oven to 350. Unwrap the dough and cut into slices 1/4 inch thick. Place the cookie slices onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a slipat about 1 inch apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until cookies are just puffed and barely golden. Whisk the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl. Spoon a small amount and spread over each cooled cookie.

Chicken Sausage, Artichoke and Spinach Lasagna

While the flavors are not traditional for lasagna the method is. A traditional lasagna does not have a ricotta filling. Instead it has a cheese sauce, similar to what you might find in a homemade mac and cheese. This recipe combines the old with the new to give a modern twist to a classic. This recipe takes a bit of time, perfect for a slow Sunday. You can also split this recipe into 2 smaller baking dishes. One can be enjoyed on the day it is made and the other can be frozen for the future.

Serves 12

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves minced garlic
1 pound sweet chicken italian sausage
salt and pepper
2 12oz jars of artichoke hearts, drained
2 cups ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozarella cheese
1 pound fresh lasagna noodles
1 beaten egg
3 tbsp chopped parsely
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
4 tbsp butter or Smart Balance
1/2 cup flour
2 cups 1% milk
2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
nutmeg

To make the filling
Heat the oil the oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken sausage,casings removed. Cook, breaking up the sausage with a spoon. Add the onion and the garlic. Continue to cook until onion is translucent. Place the artichokes and spinach in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the veggies are in small pieces. Add them to the skillet and cook a few minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and set aside.
To make the sauce
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and whisk until combined. Cook for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste. While whisking, add the milk and stock. Continue whisking until no more lumps remain. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of nutmeg. Cook until the mixture thickens, coating the back of a spoon and just begins to boil. Turn off the heat and whisk in the parmesan cheese. Set aside.
To make ricotta filling
Mix together the ricotta, egg, parsley, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
To assemble
Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon a small amount of sauce onto the bottom of the baking dish(just enough to cover the bottom). Lay enough noodles on the bottom of the baking dish to cover.(You might have to cut some to fit, overlap them if necessary)Spoon a third of the meat filling onto the noodles, follow with a third of the ricotta. Lay on another layer of noodles. Spoon a small amount of sauce over the noodles, just to cover, repeat with the meat and ricotta fillings. Repeat one more time, finishing with a final layer of noodles. Pour the remaining sauce over the top layer of noodles and top with the mozarella. Cover with a layer of foil. Bake for 35 minutes covered. Remove the foil and continue to bake 10-15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Slow Cooker Sesame Orange Chicken

I often find recipes on the net that sound good but I'm either not excited about the ingredients or I can't find them. The later was true of this recipe. It called for a honey bbq sauce which I could not find. This is a Chinese recipe and I just couldn't justify adding bbq sauce to it. So out it went and I went hunting in my pantry and the condiment section of my frig.
Serves 4-6

4 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
3/4 cup flour
zest and juice of 2 large oranges
1/2 cup orange sauce(I found this in the oriental foods section at the grocery store. You can use 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate instead)
1/2 cup orange marmalade or apricot jam
1/3 cup ponzu or soy sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 tsp of chili garlic sauce(add this if you like heat)
2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water(optional)
sliced green onions and sesame seeds for garnish

Place the flour in a large zip lock bag. Add the chicken, seal the bag and toss to coat. Remove the chicken from the bag and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker insert. Mix all the next 7 ingredients in a bowl and pour it over the chicken. Cook 3 hours on low and 3 hours on high. Serve over rice, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.