ROASTED FINGERLING POTATOES WITH FRESH HERBS AND GARLIC

Cook Time: 20 min
Serves: 2 to 4 servings

2 pints fingerling potatoes
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 to 3 sprigs fresh sage
3 sprigs fresh thyme
6 cloves garlic, left unpeeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus for sheet pan
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and place a baking sheet inside to heat.
Add potatoes, rosemary, sage, thyme, and garlic to a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Remove sheet pan from oven, lightly coat with olive oil, and pour potatoes onto pan. Place potatoes in oven and reduce heat to 425 degrees F. Roast for 20 minutes, or until crispy on outside and tender on inside.

JEWEL ROASTED VEGETABLES

Cook Time: 1 hr 40 min
Serves: 6 servings (serving size 1 1/3 cups)

4 medium beets
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds carrots
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
8 large garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Put the beets into a small baking dish and rub them with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cover the dish with foil and put into the oven for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, peel and cut the carrots into 1-inch pieces, trim the Brussels sprouts and halve them lengthwise, and peel the garlic cloves. Put the carrots, Brussels sprouts and garlic cloves into a large baking dish and toss with the remainder of the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
After the beets have been cooking for 30 minutes add the large pan of vegetables to the oven and cook everything for 1 hour more, stirring the vegetable mixture once or twice.
Remove the beets from the oven and transfer them to a cutting board to cool. Stir the thyme into the carrot and Brussels sprouts mixture and let it continue to cook for another 10 minutes while the beets are cooled and cut. When the beets are cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes, peel them and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Remove the other vegetables from the oven, toss with the beets, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL BARS

Each bar is full of peanut flavor and topped with a smooth chocolate icing.

Ingredients

BARS:
3/4 cup butter or margarine - softened
3/4 cup peanut butter - creamy
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar - packed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal - quick oats works better than regular oats
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

ICING:

1/2 cup peanut butter - creamy
2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Directions
In a mixer bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter and sugars until it is nice and creamy.
Add eggs one at a time and blend until each is well incorporated.
Add the vanilla and mix well.
In a medium bowl, combine the four, oatmeal, baking powder and salt.
Slowly add these dry ingredients into the batter until well combined.
Spray the baking pan with a non stick cooking spray and spread the batter into the pan.

Bake at 325° F for 20-25 minutes or just until the bars are slightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow them to cool while making the icing.

In a saucepan, add all of the icing ingredients and melt over a low heat, stirring occasionally.
Spread over the bars and allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.


Prep Time: 20 minutesCook Time: 25 minutesContainer: mixer, saucepan, 15x10 baking panServings: 36

ZESTY CHICKEN WITH SHALLOTS, CAPERS AND OLIVES

This spicy tomato sauce in this dish - redolent of garlic, rosemary, and basil - looks and smells as though you slaved for hours. Be sure not to drain the diced tomatoes; you will need the extra liquid their juice will provide.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1 pound thin-sliced skinless boneless chicken breast
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 shallots, chopped1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
¼ cup dry white wine
pepper flakes to taste
1 (14 ½ ounce) can dried tomatoes, with their juice
5 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped1 tablespoon capers, drained
¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Directions
Sprinkle the chicken with rosemary, salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken until browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side; transfer to a plate.
Add the shallots and garlic to the skillet and cook until the shallots are soft, about 1 minute Stir in the vinegar; continue to cook until the vinegar evaporates, about 30 seconds.
Add the wine, tomatoes, olives, and capers. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the basil. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook about 1 minute longer to heat through.
Serve the chicken over your favorite thin-strand pasta with a tossed green salad on the side.

CREAMY CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP

"Instant wild rice is cooked in chicken broth with shredded chicken, then combined with thickened cream for a quick soup."

INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup of celery, onions and carrots cut up fine
Sauté in large pot with a little olive oil when tender go to step one
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cooked, boneless chicken
breast halves, shredded
(bought at the deli baked chicken breast)



1 (4.5 ounce) package quick
cooking long grain and wild rice with seasoning packet---uncle ben’s
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black
pepper
all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 cups milk 2%


DIRECTIONS:
1.
In a large pot over medium heat, combine broth, water and chicken. Bring just to boiling, then stir in rice, seasoning packet. Cover and remove from heat.
2.
In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons, to form a roux Cook until thickened, 5 minutes. Stir into soup and whisk until smooth.
3.
Stir milk into broth and rice. Cook over medium heat until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.
If it get to thick add more milk.

STREUSEL PEAR PIE

Ingredients

1/2 c. white sugar
2 TBSP. quick-cooking tapioca I use rice krispies
1tsp cinnamon
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
6 cups peeled, sliced, freshBartlett pears (ripe ones)

Streusel:
1/2 cup butter, softened a little
1 cup sifted flour
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 unbaked 9" deep dish pie shell

Preparation
Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Combine Sugar, tapioca and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in lemon juice and pears.. Cut butter into mixture of flour and brown sugar until crumbly. Turn pear mixture into pie shell. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over top and lightly pat down, as pie will be full. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 45-50 minutes. Cool and serve with reduced fat whipped topping or sugar free vanilla ice cream.

2+2+2 PINEAPPLE CREAM CHEESE CAKE

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps. baking soda
20 oz. can crushed pineapple
1 to 1/2 cups pecans (optional)

Put all ingredients in a 9x13 in pan, mix and bake for 40 minutes.

1+1=2 Frosting

1 stick butter
1 8 oz package cream cheese
2 to 3 cups powdered sugar