Mango-Lime Salsa

This is our absolute favorite salsa recipe.  We esp. love it on Hawaiian hamburgers, fish or shrimp tacos, or just with chips!

1 ripe mango, pitted, peeled, and diced*
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup lossely packed, roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
Salt
1 Tbsp oil

In a small bowl, combine the mango, tomatoes, onion, scallions, cilantro, orange and lime juices, and Tabasco.  Toss gently to combine.  Season with salt to taste.  Drizzle with the oil and gently toss again.

*We have replaced the mango with fresh peaches and a mix of fresh pineapple and mandarin oranges.

Roasted Veggie Enchilada

1 large red pepper, chopped, seeds removed
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium yellow squash, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups red enchilada sauce
9-10 small corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Mix everything up to the tortillas and only half of the enchilada sauce. Put in a 9x9 pan. Lay tortillas on top and cover with enchilada sauce. Put cheese on top and bake at 400 for 30ish min.

*I couldn't find the actual instruction so this is just what I did. And for cooking I just kept my eye on it.
*David LOVED these
*mine had more liquid than it looks like in the last picture but it was still really good

Caramel Brownies

1 bag Kraft Caramels
2/3 c evaporated milk
1 package German Chocolate Cake Mix
3/4 c melted butter
1 c nuts
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips (don't do more...it really it's better)

Combine caramels and 1/3 (not half) of evaporated milk in a double boiler. Melt

Combine dry cake mix, butter, remaining evaporated milk, and nuts in a bowl. Stir until dough hold together. Press half of dough into greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 6 min at 350 degrees.
Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over dough. Pour melted caramel on top of chocolate chips and spread all over. crumble the other half of dough on top. Bake for 15-18 min. Cool slightly then chill for 30 min.

*You can either spread the chocolate chips once they've melted before you put the caramel on top but if you don't there are little chunks of chocolate :) yum
*Start melting the caramel first so they will be done right when the bottom part comes out of the oven.
*you MUST chill them in the fridge for 30 min because if you don't they will not set. But don't do leave them in there too much because they will get too hard.

Best Cheesecake Ever!!!

Crust-
1/2 c butter (I always soften it)
28-30 single graham crackers (single=half a normal rectangle or two little rectangles)
crush crackers and mix together; press into 9" pie plate

Filling-
2-8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese (Philadelphia tastes the best with this)
3/4 c sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 eggs
Mix till there are no lumps. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 min until center is firm.

Topping-
1 1/2 pt sour cream
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 Tbsp vanilla
spread on hot pie. bake at 425 degrees for 5 min. refrigerate for a couple of hours (I usually make it the night before.

*This is a family recipe, my uncle came up with it, so don't share it! It's just a Gonda family rule haha
*Covering just the crust with foil makes it so the crust doesn't burn and if you don't it will definitely burn.
*The filling usually takes longer than 20-25 min so just keep checking it.
*this turns out a little different but delicious every time :)
*this tastes delicious with any type of berry on top

BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded BBQ chicken
1 avocado, chopped
2 tablespoons White Cheddar cheese, shredded
2-4 tablespoons BBQ sauce
2 scallions, chopped
cilantro for garnish

1. In a large bowl, toss together the quinoa, corn, black beans, chicken and avocado. Season with salt and pepper
2. Transfer mixture onto a bowl and top with shredded cheese, BBQ sauce, scallions and cilantro. Serve warm or at room temperature

*I'm not a fan of quinoa but this is delicious! I ran out of time to make bbq chicken and just used normal chicken and it was still really good.
*I think it tastes better warm

Tomato Basil Chicken

4 servings

• 2 chicken breasts 
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
• 2 tsp minced fresh garlic
• 4 Tbsp cold butter
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano cheese, for garnish
• pasta 

Season chicken breast with salt and pepper (not too much). Heat oil up in pan and start water for pasta. Cook pasta. When oil is hot add the chicken and cook about 4-5 min on each side. When the chicken is cooked through take it out and add the tomatoes, basil, butter, and garlic to pan; it says to add more salt and pepper if you'd like but i didn't and it turned out fine. Stir together and let sit till pasta is done (on the lowest setting). Cut the chicken into strips and put back in pan; stir and enjoy!

Ham, Sweet Potato, and White Bean Soup with Bacon (Crockpot)

**Good, easy, healthy soup for a cold wintry day :)

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Yield: Serves 8

(Mel's note)  If you want to up the smoky flavor of this delicious soup, sub in smoked paprika for the regular. I've made this soup twice and the dry beans cooked perfectly tender without being presoaked, however, several people commented in this recipe that their beans weren't quite tender (especially those that live at high altitude) after slow cooking all day, so if that concerns you, soak the beans in cool water overnight before using in the recipe. A recipe like this yields the perfect style of ham for this recipe; however, if you don't have any leftover ham, your neighborhood deli is a great place to buy - have them slice the ham thick so the dices of ham are chunky rather than thin. PS: this cooked and cooled soup freezes magnificently.

Ingredients:

   (Sheri's notes in parenthesis with *)

• 1/2 cup diced yellow or white onion (*I used half a yellow onion, probably 1/2 cup it calls for (cooked this with ham), but I also added almost a TB minced dried onion too)
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed (*mine were large cloves)
• 2 cups cooked, diced ham (see Mel's note above)  (*I used a breakfast ham, sliced & cubed, and cooked in skillet beforehand with onions)
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced  (*I scrubbed mine clean, didn't peel.."that's where all the vitamins are" :) )
• 1 pound dry white beans, like Great Northern, rinsed (see Mel's note above)  (*I did soak mine overnight, but would probably work fine without soak (just didn't want to risk beans not being done))
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika (see Mel's note above)  (*I used regular paprika but now have smoked and want to try it with that too)




1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth (*I used 2 cans then 4 cups water with 4 bouillon cubes to equal 8)
• 4-6 slices bacon or turkey bacon, diced  (Good with or without bacon)

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients except the bacon in a 5-quart slow cooker and cook on low for 8-9 hours (see the note about presoaking the dry beans).
Carefully puree 1/2 to 3/4 of the soup in a blender (hot soups like to expand in the blender so only fill the blender halfway and process in batches, if needed). I don't love the idea of pureeing ham, call me crazy, so I tried my best to scoop out ladles of soup to blend that were free of ham. Alternately, you could use an immersion blender and get in there with it and go to town (leaving the soup with as much texture as you desire).
Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
Cook the bacon in a hot skillet until crisp; drain on paper towels. Serve the soup with crumbled bacon on top.
1. Sheri's note: puree soup, stir, and turn crockpot off.  It's good to let it sit, cool, and thicken for an hour if you have the time to do it.

Morning Glory Muffins

**A mildly sweet, carrot cake-like muffin.  NO REFINED SUGAR (unless it's in your applesauce)!

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe (she calls them "Healthy Applesauce Carrot Muffins")

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce  (I use homemade bottled applesauce)
• 3/4 cup finely shredded carrots (about 2-3 medium carrots)
• 1/2 cup raisins and/or chopped nuts (optional, but very good..I like raisins in my carrot cake :) )

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners (or I prefer to just lightly spray a nonstick muffin tin).
2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
3. Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter, honey, applesauce, egg, and vanilla.
4. Stir ingredients together until just combined and there are still some spots of flour remaining.
5. Fold in the shredded carrots just until combined (don't overmix or the muffins will be dense).
6. Distribute the batter evenly among the muffin liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
7. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. These muffins freeze wonderfully and keep well if covered at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Healthy Oat Muffins (2 varieties)

Mel's Kitchen Cafe's Healthy Applesauce Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled/old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce  (*I use homemade bottled applesauce)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted  (*I prefer butter in this recipe)
• 1/3 cup sugar   (*I like to use brown sugar instead, generally only loosely packed)
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins, optional
• walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or grease the muffin cups. Set aside..
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the oatmeal, applesauce, milk, egg, vanilla, butter and sugar. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt (and cranberries or raisins if using). Make a well in the center and pour in the applesauce mixture. Stir until just combined (don't overmix or the muffins will be dense and dry). The muffin batter texture might be a bit different (wetter?) than other muffin batters but no fear, carry on!
4. Distribute the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake or the muffins will be dry.
5. Remove the muffins to a rack to cool completely. Once cool, I place 6-9 muffins in a large freezer ziploc bag, suck all the air out (oh yes I do) and seal the bag, then freeze, pulling them out one by one to stick in lunches or warm slightly for a snack.   (Good recipe to double because these muffins freeze well.)

Natty's Hearty Oatmeal Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk*
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (dark brown good)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 TB oil (canola, olive, or coconut; *I have usually used olive oil in this recipe)
• 1/2 cup flour  (whole wheat works well)
• 1/2 cup wheat germ  (*I have replaced a couple TB with ground flaxseed before; I have also substituted oat bran, which seems to work just as well.)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips, raisins, blueberries, bananas, and/or nuts (any additions you want; all optional)  (*My favorite additions are raisins or chocolate chips with walnuts or pecans.)

Directions

1. Mix buttermilk and oatmeal. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to soften oats.
2. Add brown sugar, vanilla, egg, and oil to oatmeal mixture.  Mix well.
3. Add mixed dry ingredients (flour, wheat germ, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon).  Stir until mixed.
4. Let batter sit 10 minutes.  Grease muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Makes about 12 muffins.

*Can make own buttermilk by pouring 1 TB white vinegar (or lemon juice) in 1 cup measuring cup, filling the rest of the way with milk, pouring into dish, and letting it stand 5 minutes.  Plain yogurt is also supposed to be a good substitute, but I've never tried it in this recipe.

**These recipes are very similar in composition and flavor.  We really like both of them.  :)

Blender Waffles/Pancakes

Source: http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2007/12/tuesday-recipes-wafflespancakes.html

My family really liked these waffles! I made my own buttermilk (about 3 T. vinegar with milk added to make 1 3/4 cup milk per batch). I also subbed 1/3 cup water + 2 T. ground flax for the egg. I made 2 batches to feed our family and soaked it overnight.  I used 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup millet and 1/2 cup brown rice (my favorite) for one batch; I used 3/4 cup each brown rice and millet for the other batch (still delicious).

Blender Waffles/Pancakes

Amount:  4 (4-5 waffles) or 20-24 pancakes

1. Place in blender; blend at highest speed for 3 minutes.
1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups buttermilk or kefir (or non-dairy alternative)2 Tbls olive oil 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
1 1/2 cups brown rice or uncooked rolled oats (or other grain variations, see below) 2/3 cup grain = 1 cup flour or 1 1/2 cups grain =2 cups flour

The batter should always swirl about a vortex in the blender. If it doesn’t, slowly add more liquid until the hole reappears. This is the secret to light and tender waffles. Batter for pancakes may be thicker, but keep batter relatively thin and keep it churning.

2. Cover blender; let stand at room temperature overnight or 12-24 hours.

3. Preheat waffle iron at highest temperature, or griddle on medium high.

4. Just before baking, add and reblend on highest speed for 1 minute:
1 egg, optional additional liquid (if batter needs thinning for vortex or churning)

5. Blend in thoroughly, but briefly (assisted with rubber spatula, if needed):
2 tsp baking powder 
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt, to taste
6. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron, sprayed with olive oil. Bake about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes in waffle iron until crispy.

GRAIN VARIATIONS

brown rice or millet – equal parts of each grain
kamut, spelt, wheat - kamut is a favorite! Combining with kamut and oats is our favorite!
buckwheat – reduce to 1 cup (4 servings). It expands.
barley -hulled, not pearled. Reduce to 1 cup (for 4 servings). It expands
Quinoa - Thoroughly rinse quinoa in strainer the night before 1-2 minutes; let stand in bowl of water overnight; drain and rinse about 1 more minute. This removes bitter flavor. Batter will be very thin. Fill waffle iron almost completely to the edges.
Oats - uncooked rolled oats or oat groats
I use oats in combination with other grains. I use 1/2 cup (in recipe for 4) oats, and 1 cup kamut, or half and half in serving 2.
Other additions - throw in some flax seeds!