Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

1 can (or 2 cups fresh) pumpkin puree
1 2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray two 9x5x3 loaf pans with cooking spray, set aside.

Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, milk, vanilla, and eggs in a mixing bowl and mix well to combine. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and baking powder. Stir well with a whisk. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Gently fold in the cranberries and nuts. Divide batter between the two loaf pans.

Bake in a 350º oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in pans on a rack for about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the bread from the pans and allow to cool completely before slicing.

Cheeseburger Soup

an Erika original

1 small/medium onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme
4 Cups chicken broth
2 potatoes, diced
1 stalk celery, finely sliced
1 cup baby carrots, cut into "little wheels"
4 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 tsp. worchestershire sauce
4 leftover Mini Cheddar Meatloaves, crumbled
1/2 Cup milk
2 ozs. Velveeta cheese
1 cold leftover baked potato, peeled and shredded on a box grater
black pepper to taste
parsley to garnish

Combine diced onion, carrot, and celery in a nonstick saucepot with about 2 teaspoons olive oil. Cook over medium low heat, until onions are translucent and veggies are fragrant. Add bay leaf and thyme. Cook for another few minutes. Add chicken broth, potatoes, celery slices, baby carrots and button mushrooms. Cover and cook over medium heat until it starts to boil. Turn down heat to low and continue to cook covered, for about 15 minutes. Add worchestershire and meatloaf pieces. Stir to combine. Add milk and velveeta. Stir until cheese is melted and thoroughly combined. Finally, add potato shreds and black pepper to taste. Cover, and cook for another 10 mintues or until nicely thickened. Sprinkle with parsley before serving if desired. Makes about 6 main course servings.

Cheddar Meat Loaves

from Taste of Home (I think)
Serving Size : 8

1 whole egg
3/4 cup milk
4 ounces cheddar cheese -- shredded
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup onion -- chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons mustard
4 dashes worcestershire sauce

Beat eggs and milk.
Stir in cheese, oats, onion, and salt. Add beef and mix well.
Shape into 8 loaves and place in a greased 9x13 pan.
Combine ketchup, sugar,worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Spoon over loaves. Bake uncovered at 350º for 45 minutes.
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 310 Calories; 22g Fat (62.5% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 90mg Cholesterol; 688mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 3 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Michael's Fennel Spice Rub

1 cup fennel seeds
3 Tablespoons coriander seeds
2 Tablespoons white peppercorns
3 Tablespoons sea salt (preferrably grey) ** I tend to agree, grey salt is a great splurge.

In a saucepan over med-low heat, toast the fennel, coriander, and peppercorns. Toss them frequently, and toast until golden brown and fragrant. Pour onto a plate to cool completely.

Combine toasted seeds with sea salt in a blender and grind. If making a half recipe, you can use a spice grinder. When using the blender, make sure to pause and shake the jar a few times to evenly distribute the ingredients.

Fennel spice rub will keep for about 6 months tightly sealed in a spice jar. (But I bet it won't last that long)

Vegetable Biryani

Vegetable Biryani
Recipe By : Martha Stewart

1/2 tsp saffron -- crumbled
1/4 cup nonfat milk
1 1/2 cups basmati rice -- soaked in cold water 10 minutes and drained
3 Tbsp canola oil
2 large onions -- thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 cinnamon stick -- broken into 4 pieces
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
3 plum tomatoes (about 1/2lb) peeled -- seeded, and chopped
6 oz green beans -- cut into thirds (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 head cauliflower -- cut into florets (about 2 cups)
2 carrots -- cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas -- drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
2 oz cashews -- (about 1/2 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine saffron and milk in a small bowl; set aside. Place rice in a medium saucepan with 1 1/2 cups cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until rice has absorbed all the water, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook, stirring, until golden brown and slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove half the onions from pan, and reserve. Add remaining tablespoon oil along with the spices, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

3. Pour 1 cup water into pan; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add green beans, cauliflower, carrots, chickpeas, and salt; reduce heat to a simmer and cover pan. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Add peas, and cook until bright green, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

4. Place one-third of the rice in a 3 1/2 quart heavy-bottom casserole or baking dish with a tight-fitting lid. Drizzle half the saffron milk over rice. Using a slotted spoon, transfer half the vegetable mixture to the casserole, leaving liquid behind. Place one-third of rice on top; drizzle with remaining saffron milk. Repeat with remaining vegetables and rice. Spread reserved onions over the top; sprinkle with cashews.

5. Cover, and bake until casserole is heated through and aromatic, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool slightly before serving.

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken
Recipe By : Always in the Kitchen (Dawna)
Serving Size : 4

4 skinless raw chicken breasts
1 teaspoon tandoori paste
14 1/2 oz / 398 ml can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 bay leaves
1 inch ginger root -- peeled
3 large cloves garlic
1 medium onion -- roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons natural cashew butter (unsalted)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cream or half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
cilantro to garnish optional

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Rub tandoori paste evenly on the skinless chicken pieces and let them rest in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Prepare and measure out all ingredients ahead of time: this is not a chop-as-you-go endeavour. Use little bowls or plates to get organized. Items that are added at the same time can be put in the same bowl.

Ginger, garlic and onions can be finely ground together in a blender or food processor. You want them very finely minced, but not completely pureed. Scrape down the sides as necessary, to ensure a smooth texture. Remove to a bowl, so they're ready to add when needed. Puree the tomatoes separately, and put them in a separate bowl.

Heat the butter in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the bay leaves, the onion/ginger/garlic paste, and fry until golden brown and all water has evaporated. Stir as needed during the process so it doesn't burn. Add the tomato puree, chile powder, salt and sugar, and fry until the water has all evaporated and the oil separates out into shiny droplets. This can take up to 10 minutes, so be patient and stir a lot. The mixture will be quite thick, almost dry.

Add the cashew paste and continue to fry another few seconds, and then add the milk and water slowly, stirring the whole time, and raise the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. The sauce should be thick and almost custard-y in texture. You can always add more water later, if needed.

When the sauce has come to a boil, turn off the burner. Slide the tandoori-rubbed chicken into the pan, and spoon the sauce over each piece. Cover and bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes (boneless) or 45 minutes (for bone-in chicken). Remove the chicken carefully from the sauce. Remove bones if necessary, and chop the chicken meat into large bite-sized pieces. Return the chicken to the pan and stir into the sauce.

Over medium heat, add the cream and garam masala, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro, if you like.

Description: "An Indian favourite - easily made, but with a rather long list of ingredients. Still, it comes together quite quickly, and isn't as much work as it looks to be.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 180 Calories; 15g Fat (72.1% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 24mg Cholesterol; 329mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 3 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Broccoli Tortellini Salad

Broccoli Tortellini Salad
Serving Size: 6

1 cup Ragú Chunky Gardenstyle Super Vegetable Primavera Pasta Sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini -- cooked and drained
1 medium red bell pepper -- diced
1/2 cup diced Provolone cheese
1/2 cup black olives, sliced

To prepare dressing, thoroughly combine pasta sauce, olive oil, vinegar, parsley, basil, salt and pepper in a small bowl; set aside.
In a medium saucepan, lightly cook broccoli in boiling water, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. In a large bowl, combine broccoli with tortellini, red bell pepper and Provolone. Add dressing; toss to coat well. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 318 Calories; 14g Fat (39.7% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 59mg Cholesterol; 396mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
Nutr. Assoc. : 471 0 0 0 0 0 2358 25005 0 1198

Caramel Frosted Chocolate Chip Zucchini Sheet Cake

* Exported from MasterCook *
Caramel Frosted Chocolate Chip Zucchini Sheet Cake

Recipe By :valchemist- CLBBS
erving Size : 24

3/4 c butter -- softened
2 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 c flour
1 1/2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips (or more)
Caramel Frosting:
1/2 c butter
1 c brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

Cream butter, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs in bowl. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and stir until combined.
Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips. Spread in greased 15 x 10 inch jellly roll pan. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.
For the frosting: Bring butter, brown sugar, and milk to a boil in saucepan. Boil for 3 minutes. Stir in confectioners' sugar. Spread over cake (this is the type of frosting that hardens, so you shouldn't take your time in the spreading step).

Pork Carnitas

From Cooking Light

Trim the pork well to remove excess fat. Refrigerating the cooked pork overnight allows the solidified fat to rise to the top, so it's easy to remove.


2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 garlic cloves, peeled
2 1/4 pounds boneless Boston butt pork roast, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large Dutch oven; pour broth over pork mixture. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until pork is very tender.
Transfer pork mixture to a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, and cool to room temperature. Cover and chill for 8 hours or overnight.
Skim the solidified fat from surface; discard fat. Let pork stand at room temperature 30 minutes to soften. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 8 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Remove from heat; stir in juice. Yield: 3 1/2 cups (serving size: about 1/3 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 154(52% from fat); FAT 8.9g (sat 3.2g,mono 3.9g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 15.5g; CHOLESTEROL 52mg; CALCIUM 25mg; SODIUM 363mg; FIBER 0.5g; IRON 1.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.3gJulianna Grimes Bottcher

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2006
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