Spinach Tortellini Salad

Salad Ingredients (the amount depends on the size of salad you want):

Baby Spinach
*Cheese tortellini (I like the tri-color for color)
*Bacon
Canned mandarin oranges

*Cook cheese tortellini according to the directions, after draining rinse with cool water, drain well. Cook bacon, drain on paper towel, break or cut into pieces once the bacon is cool.

Salad Dressing:
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. vinegar (I use red wine)

Combine sugar and vinegar in sauce pan on stove. bring to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar. remove from stove add:

1/4 c. salad oil (I use Extra Virgin LIGHT Olive Oil)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. paprika
1 T. grated onion
1 T. toasted sesame seeds

Stir well with spoon (I've found using a metal spoon blends the oil and sugar better). Assemble salad (add the bacon in after the dressing is mixed into the salad). Stir dressing well before dressing the salad. Mix dressing in just before serving. THe dressing should be cool before putting it on the salad.

Sukiyaki

Being Fruitful

I am most excited about this. I've wanted a garden for a long time. My family had one growing up and my job was to weed the garden, but I never really learned how to garden. I still don't really know how to, but I know I could learn. In the mean time, I bought this basil plant for $2.99. They day I brought it home I plucked off every leaf to use in a recipe. You are looking at my plant two weeks later, every leaf grown back in and then some. A plutheray of basil without the cost.

Mexican Frittata

1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach (thawed and water rung out)
1 c. cottage cheese
*1-1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I use the Mexican shredded blend from Costco)
1/2 c. Fresh chopped cilantro/and or parsley (as much or as little as you like)
9 eggs
2-4 T. Milk
1 T. cumin
salt and pepper
(makes a little more than 1 dozen)

*The original recipe called for 3/4 c. Cheddar and 3/4 c. fresh Parmesan cheese. If I have both than I do that. You can really use whatever combination of cheese you like or have.

Preheat 350. Combine first four ingredients into a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cumin and salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over cheese mixture and stir together until everything is well combine. Grease muffin pans and fill 3/4 full with egg mixture. Cook for 20-30 minutes until the egg frittata's are lightly golden brown on top. Remove from muffin tin and serve with any of the following: salsa, sour cream or black bean dip.

I use to have a problem getting the egg muffins out of the muffin tins (even if I greased). I bought nice muffin pans and haven't had a problem. I hope you don't either. I also play with different ingredients. You can saute up and onion and add it to the mixture. Cooked ham or bacon. Lightly sauteed bell peppers, etc.

I like to make a big batch at the beginning of the week and have enough to last me several days by reheating for breakfast.

Butternut Squash Soup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

1 med. to large butternut squash (about 3 1/2 lbs) halved and seeded. I brush the squash with EVOO and season with salt and pepper before baking.

Place cut side down on an oiled baking sheet. Bake until the squash can easily be pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Let cool, then scoop the pulp from the squash skin and discard the skin. Melt or heat in a soup pot, over medium to low heat:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Add and cook, stirring, until tender but not browned, 5-10 minutes:

2 large leeks (white part only) cleaned thoroughly and chopped.
4 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger (if you are not a big ginger fan start with less)

Stir in the squash along with:

4 c. chicken broth (My favorite chicken broth is the Knorr's large size bouillon cubes. I just use these to make the broth in a separate pot to add to the soup.

Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and breaking up the squash with a spoon, for 20 minutes. Puree the mixture in batches in the Food processor or blender and return to the soup pot. Add more chicken broth until you have it to the consistency that you would like. I usually don't add more chicken broth, I like my soup more thick and hearty.

You can garnish with fresh parsley, cilantro, croutons or toasted squash seeds (all optional).

~Joy of Cooking

Veggie Burgers

**Saute in 1/4 c. of Canola Oil

2 oz. grated carrots
4 oz. minced yellow onion
1 oz. minced jalapeno
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp salt
2 tsp oregano
1 T. basil

**I triple the amount of above to the amount below or you will feel there are no veggies in your veggie burger. I have a diet scale that let's me measure the ounces. Next time I make these I will take not as to how many carrots, etc it takes to make so many ounces. I also use my FP to chop my carrots and jalapeno's.

When Sauteed let cool.

Puree the following in a food processor

3 c. cooked garbanzo beans (drained of water). I have only used canned garbanzo beans that I drained and rinsed.
1 1/2 c. cooked rice (I use only Japanese white rice that I spoon straight out of my rice cooker. I think the sticky and hot rice is what keeps everything stuck together.
1/4 c. sesame seeds
1 c. oats
1 T. cornmeal
1 T. whole wheat flour

In a mixing bowl combine the puree to the sauteed vegetables. Add 4 oz thawed and drained frozen chopped spinach. Mix well. Form flat patties and fry lightly in canola oil until golden brown on both sides. I like to eat the plain with fresh avocado and tomato's on top. Or serve in a toasted pita or open face, toasted bread with sprouts, avocado, cheese and tomatoes.

The veggie burger batter can be frozen in a bag or as patties. Thaw in the refrigerator and then form the pattie when ready to cook, if the patties weren't formed previous to freezing. I would think you would need to lay wax paper in between each patty before freezing to prevent them from sticking.