Sweet Chili the kids love

3 cloves garlic
2 T oil
1# ground turkey or chicken
1 red/green pepper chopped
2 x 15 oz cans of beans (e.g. pinto and kidney)
1/2 onion chopped 
1 large can chopped tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1/3 c brown sugar
1.5 T Wildtree Taco Seasoning Blend (or... 1 t chili pepper + 1 t oregano + 1 t cumin + 1 t salt + 1/2 t pepper)
1 t Better N Buillon Chicken
2 c water

sizzle garlic in oil in dutch oven.  cook ground meat.  add chopped onions and peppers.  saute until meat is done.  add beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, taco seasoning, BNB, 2 c water.  bring to boil, reduce to simmer 30+ mins.

Fast Asian Noodles

Thai Rice Noodles (12 oz)
1/4c rice or white vinegar
2 T hot sauce (we omit, replace with some chinese seasoning)
2 T sugar
2 T grapeseed oil
12 med shrimp
3 stalks scallions
2 eggs, scrambled
1/2 c tofu cubed and soaked in soy (or just some soy sauce)
2 c mung bean sprouts
1/4 c peanuts (we omit, replace with sesame oil)

Boil noodles to half done (4 mins), rinse in cold water immediately and toss with oil
Make sauce from vinegar, hot sauce/chinese seasoning, sugar, oil - nuke until sugar dissolves
Heat oil in wok and quickly cook scrambled eggs.  Add scallions, then shrimp til cooked, then tofu (or just soy sauce).
Add noodles to hot pan and pour sauce over.  Stir fry 4-5 mins.
Heat off.  Add hot sesame oil, sprouts, lemon slices.

Creamy Crockpot Hot Cocoa

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups whipping cream
• 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 6 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups of milk chocolate chips

Instructions:

Stir together the whipping cream, milk, vanilla, and chocolate chips in a crockpot.

Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until mixture is hot and chocolate chips are melted. Stir again before serving. Garnish as desired.

Awesome BEAN Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

 I learned about cooking Bean Cookies: make sure your beans are done and soft (if you buy a can from the store then you won’t have to worry about this.  I made mine from a bag of dried white beans).  Make sure you rinse your beans until the water is clear (even if you use canned beans).   Mash or puree them until they are the consistency of creamed butter – too dry?  Add some extra water. 

After you make the recipe and are putting the dough on the cookie sheet, make sure you press the cookies down.  They don’t melt into nice circles like chocolate chip cookies with butter, so you have to press them down with a fork.  The form they take on the sheet before baking is about what you get when they are cooked.  Now the recipe:

3/4 Cup White Beans (mashed or puree)                       

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar (Agave, molasses)

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar (Xylitol, Stevia)

1 Egg 

1 tsp Vanilla 

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour (grind some wheat berries!)

3 Cups Rolled Oats (use more of your food storage!)

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Cup Raisins (opt)

Preheat oven to 350.  Beat mashed white beans, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth and creamy.  Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and mix together.  Add to bean and sugar mixture; mix well.  Drop onto greased cookie sheet.  Press with fork.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Yield: 25 large cookies

Opt: Nuts, coconut, raisins, and/or chocolate chips may be added with dry ingredients

Amish Chicken Noodle Casserole + frozen vegs

Burgers + Fries + Salad

Homemade Pizzas (spinach/mushroom/goat cheese... green pepper/onion ... cheese ...) + salad

Wildtree Hearty Morning Granola Bars

SERVINGS: 10 INGREDIENTS: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoon honey 1/3 cup brown sugar 3 cups Wildtree Hearty Morning Granola, prepared

PREPARATION: Combine butter, honey and brown sugar in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Take off heat and stir in Wildtree Hearty Morning Granola until well coated. Press into an 8x8 or 9x9 inch square pan lined with foil or plastic wrap. Let the granola cool in the fridge for 1 hour or until cool to the touch. Cut into squares or rectangles and serve. The bars can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Calories 240; Fat 8 g; Saturated Fat 2.5 g; Carb 35 g; Fiber 5 g; Protein 7 g; Chol 10 mg; Sodium 0 mg

White Soda Scones [Rachel Allen]

MAKES ABOUT 12 SCONES / VEGETARIAN
This has to be one of the fastest and most delicious scones you can make. The dough is just perfect for children to play around with, even if it does then get heavy from overhandling. You should see some of the creations that my sons make; dinosaurs are their favorites! This is the soda bread mixture we make at the Ballymaloe Cookery School, and there are countless variations you can experiment with from this basic recipe.
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Sift the flour, salt and baking soda into a large bowl, and rub the mixture with your fingertips to incorporate some air. Make a well in the center and pour in most of the buttermilk. Using one hand, with your fingers open and stiff, mix in a full circle, bringing the flour and liquid together, adding more liquid if necessary. The dough should be quite soft, but not too sticky.
Turn it out onto a floured surface, and do not knead it but gently bring it into one ball. Flatten it slightly to a height of about 11/2 inches. Cut the dough into squares or whatever shape you like. Put the scones onto a baking sheet, pop into the hot oven and cook for 10–15 minutes (depending on the size). Have a look at them after 10 minutes; if they are deep golden brown, then turn down
the heat to 400°F (200°C) for the remainder of the time. When cooked they should sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.

HERB SCONES
Add 1–2 tbsp of chopped fresh thyme, rosemary, parsley, chives, marjoram, savory or sage to the flour before you pour in the buttermilk. For even more flavor, you could sprinkle the tops with grated Cheddar cheese before they go into the oven.
PESTO SCONES
Add 1–2 tbsp basil pesto to the buttermilk before mixing with the flour. These are also delicious with chopped olives mixed in with the flour.
CRISPY BACON AND PARMESAN SCONES
Add about 1/3 cup chopped cooked crispy bacon, a good pinch of cayenne pepper and 2 oz finely grated Parmesan cheese to the flour at the start, then brush the tops of the raw scones with beaten egg or leftover buttermilk and sprinkle with more grated Parmesan cheese.
SWEET SCONES
Add 2 tbsp superfine sugar to the dry ingredients. Also, put 1 egg into a
measuring cup, lightly beat and add buttermilk or sour milk to make 13/4 c. This makes the dough slightly richer. In addition, you could add any of the following ingredients to the flour at the start of the recipe: 4 oz golden raisins (or currants) and 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; 4 oz chopped chocolate; or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and an extra 2 tbsp sugar. Then brush the tops with beaten egg and dip into 1/4 c (2 oz) granulated sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Easiest Lemon Cookies [Rachel Allen]

MAKES ABOUT 25 / VEGETARIAN

These are incredibly simple and gorgeous cookies. Do make sure that the butter you use is nice and soft. The cookies can be cut into any kind of shape, such as hearts for Valentine’s Day, numbers for a birthday party or little holly leaves or Christmas trees during the festive season.

11/2 c (6 oz) all-purpose flour
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
8 tbsp (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 c (2 oz) superfine sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Put the flour and lemon zest into a mixing bowl, rub in the soft butter, add the sugar and bring the whole mixture together to form a stiff dough. Do not add any water.

Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1/4 inch and cut into shapes. Transfer carefully to a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 6–10 minutes until they are pale golden. Cool on a wire rack.

HANDY TIP
I quite often roll out this dough between two sheets of plastic wrap, as I do for pastry. Chill the slightly flattened piece of dough before rolling out and then
the butter does not stick to the plastic.

Macaroni and Cheese [Rachel Allen]

SERVES 6–8 / VEGETARIAN
Macaroni and cheese must be the ultimate cure-all for adults and children alike. You can
also add small pieces of cooked ham or bacon to the sauce. Macaroni and cheese can be made in advance and then reheated when you are ready to serve.
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
3/4 c (3 oz) all-purpose flour
33/4 c boiling milk
1–2 tsp Dijon mustard
8 oz cheese (Cheddar, or, even better, half Cheddar and half
Gruyère), grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
11 oz elbow macaroni
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the chopped onion and cook gently until soft. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute, then gradually add the milk, whisking all the time, and the mustard. Whisk in three-quarters of the cheese and allow to melt into the sauce, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water with a teaspoon of salt, until just soft. Drain, then toss into the cheese sauce and transfer to a gratin dish about 10 inches square. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and pop under a broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese on top, or if you wish, put this aside for later. To reheat, put the dish in an oven preheated to 400°F (200°C) for about 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

Chocolate Meringue Cookies

3 egg whites
1 c 10x sugar
1/2 c saltines
1 c saltines
1 c chocolate chips (melted)

beat egg whites tp stoff mpt dru  Add in sugar, spoon in saltines, add chocolate.  Cook 12 mins at 340 on greased cookie sheets.

Liquado - Mexican smoothie

Serves 1
1 med banana or papaya or melon or peaches or berries
1/2 c plain yogurt
1/2 c pineapple juice
1 T brown sugar or honey
1 T fresh squeezed lime or lemon juice
3-4 ice cubes

Vitamix Ice Cream

Yield: 3 1/2 cups (840 mL)
Speed: Variable to High
Time: 30 to 60 seconds

Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) skim, 1% or 2% milk
1 pound (450 g) frozen unsweetened strawberries
1/3-1/2 cup (66-100 g) sugar or other sweetener to taste
1/2 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

Directions
1. Place all ingredients into the Vita-Mix container in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Variable 1.
3. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
4. Use the tamper to press ingredients into the blades while processing. In about 30 to 60 seconds, the sound of the motor will change and four mounds should form in the mixture. Stop machine. Do not overmix or melting will occur. Serve immediately.

Note: If mixture has the consistency of a milkshake, firm it up by quickly adding a cup of frozen ice cubes. Process until smooth.

Chocolate Sponge Cake Cut Outs

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Butter or cooking spray
6 eggs, separated
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (baking cocoa)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling of your choice (see options list)

Lightly grease or spray 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch jelly roll pan. Line bottom with waxed paper. Grease again. Set aside.

Beating Eggs: In large mixing bowl at high speed, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add 1/3 cup of the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are glossy and stand in soft peaks. To test, rub just a bit of the egg white-sugar mixture between thumb and forefinger to feel if sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

In small mixing bowl at high speed, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually beat in remaining 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla until blended. In small bowl, stir together cocoa, flour and salt. Sprinkle over reserved beaten whites. Add beaten yolk mixture. Gently, but thoroughly, fold yolk and cocoa mixtures into whites. Pour into prepared pan. Gently spread evenly.

Bake in preheated 400° F oven until top of cake springs back when lightly touched with finger, about 10 to 12 minutes. With spatula, loosen cake from sides of pan. Turn out cake by inverting pan over wire rack. Carefully pull waxed paper off bottom of cake. Cool completely.

Using cookie cutters, cut shapes from cooled cake, making sure there are at least 2 of each shape. Spread or top one side of a cake shape with filling ingredients. Cover it with another cake piece of the same shape to make a sandwich. Repeat until all shapes are used.

Tips for beating egg whites:
• When you’re going to beat egg whites, take the eggs out of the refrigerator and carefully separate the yolks and whites (see the next tip). Then, let the whites sit at room temperature about 20 minutes. Warming the whites just enough to take the chill off helps the whites beat up to the best volume.

• Both fat and salt make it hard for egg whites to beat up well. Use an egg separator or a funnel to carefully separate egg whites and yolks so that no fat from the yolk gets into the whites. Use a clean glass or metal bowl for beating because plastic bowls can absorb fat and hold it in their pores. Add salt to the recipe’s dry ingredients or to the yolks, not to the whites.

• Be sure to use the amount of cream of tartar, vinegar or lemon juice called for in the ingredient list. These are all acids. Acids help egg whites to hold air.

• Sugar helps prevent overbeating in egg whites and helps make the foam stable. It’s important to add the sugar slowly, about 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time.

• Test egg whites to see if they’re beaten just right to make a dish puff. Turn off the mixer and tilt the bowl a little. If the egg whites slip and slide, beat a little more and test again. Stop beating when the beaten whites stop slipping and sliding. Don’t let beaten egg whites sit too long. If you do, the air will escape and some of the whites will turn liquid again.

• Try not to overbeat egg whites. Beating too much causes the whites to lose air so a recipe won’t puff as it should. Overbeaten whites also form dry, brittle clumps that don’t mix well with other ingredients.

• When baking, preheat the oven. Use the right size baking dish or pan for the recipe. It’s easier for air-filled whites to climb up a rough surface than a slick one. So, don’t grease the dish unless you also dust (sprinkle) it with a dry ingredient, like sugar, nuts, corn meal or bread crumbs. Place the baking dish on a rack in the lower third of the oven. All these things help the air bubbles to expand and make the recipe rise in volume.

Tips for beating egg yolks:
• It’s hard to overbeat egg yolks. It takes about 3 to 5 minutes of beating with an electric mixer on high speed to beat yolks enough for most recipes. Stop beating when the yolks are thick and they turn a pale lemon-yellow color. Turn off the mixer and lift the beaters a little. If the yolks flow back into the bowl in ribbons, they’re done.
For fillings, choose foods the family likes. Possibilities include:
• ricotta and/or mascarpone cheese and chopped fresh fruit, chopped Maraschino cherries or dried fruit bits
• softened cream cheese or whipped cream cheese and fruit preserves, jam or jelly
• fruit butter, such as apple butter
• fruit-flavored yogurt
• peanut butter and sliced bananas
• softened ice cream and chopped nuts
• softened sherbet or frozen yogurt
• marshmallow fluff with mini chocolate morsels

Cherry Tomato Corn Salad*****

Ingredients:

1/4 cup minced fresh basil 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons lime juice 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 cups frozen corn, thawed 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 1 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber

Directions:

1.	In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the basil, oil, lime juice, sugar, salt and pepper; shake well. In a large bowl, combine the corn, tomatoes and cucumber. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving.

Crunchy Chicken Strips

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
2-1/2 cups crushed bite-size cheddar fish-shaped crackers or pretzels
2/3 cup bottled buttermilk ranch salad dressing
1 lb. chicken breast tenderloins
Bottled buttermilk ranch salad dressing

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a 1510x1-inch baking pan with foil; lightly coat foil with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a shallow dish place the crushed crackers. In another shallow dish
place the ranch dressing. Dip chicken tenderloins into the dressing,
allowing excess to drip off; dip into cracker crumbs to coat. Arrange
chicken in prepared pan.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170
degrees F). If desired, serve with additional ranch dressing. Makes 4
servings

Egg Drop Soup Recipe

Homemade chicken stock is the best for this. Also, if you can't locate any of the mushroom types indicated in the recipe, crimini (aka: baby bellas) will do just fine. Or, you can just leave them out all together.

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 cups of chicken stock*
• 1 tablespoon of corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce*
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper
• 3/4 cup of straw, enoki, or sliced shitaki mushrooms

*If cooking gluten-free, use gluten-free stock and gluten-free soy sauce.

Method

1 Reserve 1/2 cup of the stock and mix with the cornstarch until dissolved.

2 Place the chicken stock, ginger, soy sauce, green onions, mushrooms and white pepper in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch and stock mixture and stir. Reduce heat to a simmer.

3 Slowly pour in the beaten eggs while stirring the soup. The egg will spread out into ribbons. Turn off the heat and garnish with a few more chopped green onions. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Blueberry Popsicles

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
3 tablespoons blueberry jam

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds or freeze in an air-tight container 3-4 hours or until firm.

Mediterranean Chicken*****

6 - 8 boneless chicken breasts
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 - 6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup ripe olives, pitted and sliced
1/3 cup dry red wine
2 - 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 tsp. dried oregano
2/3 cup Feta or goat cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet and add garlic and chicken. Simmer until chicken juices are no longer pink. Add parsley, olives, red wine, diced tomatoes and oregano. Simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. Sprinkle with Feta or goat cheese and allow cheese to melt, Serve with rice or pasta. We had this over the past weekend and it was just great. It even passed the Jungle Boys test (our 7 and 9 year olds liked it).

The Skinny: Feta and goat cheese are lower in fat than most cheese and the little bit of oil is olive oil which is better for you than other oils. You could cut out the olives but they really do add flavor, color and texture to this dish. We used whole wheat pasta which is supposed to be good for you.