Pad Thai Pizza

brought by Cheryl Clark
original recipe from Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1 prepared crust
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
• 1 tablespoon Thai chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/3 cup bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup chopped salted peanuts
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions

• Warm up pizza crust.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the peanut butter, teriyaki sauce,
• chili sauce and honey. Place chicken in another small bowl; add half
• of the peanut butter mixture and toss to coat.
• Spread remaining peanut butter mixture over crust; top with chicken
• and cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
• Sprinkle with remaining ingredients. Yield: 6 pieces.

Fragrant Chickpea Curry (Christmas Curry)

brought by Lacey Christensen

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 2 cubes vegetable bouillon
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 (19 ounce) cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• 1-1 1/2 medium yams, peeled and diced in larger chunks
• 1-2 pears, peeled and cubed
• salt to taste
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions: 

1. Place water, bouillon cubes, and raisins in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, and simmer until bouillon cubes dissolve.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add cinnamon, cloves, cayenne, turmeric, coriander, and cumin; cook for about 3 minutes until fragrant, stirring constantly.
3. Stir garbanzo beans, yams, and pear into onions; pour in hot vegetable stock and raisins. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables have softened and the sauce has thickened, about 1 hour.
4. Season to taste with salt and stir in chopped cilantro, if desired, before serving.

Spaghetti Carbonara

brought by Sarah Shore

A perfect backup meal that is delicious with a fresh green salad.  Try to not make more than you’ll need – its only weakness is that it does not reheat well as leftovers.

8 oz. spaghetti

2-3 T. butter

2 eggs

about 1/3 c. Parmesan cheese

meat – ham, bacon, pepperoni

Cook pasta in generously salted water according to package directions.  Drain and place back in stockpot.

With the stockpot back on the still warm burner, add butter to hot pasta and stir until melted.  Break eggs into the pasta and stir until pasta is evenly coated.  Sprinkle in Parmesan cheese and turn burner to low.  Stir until egg begins to cook; add in chopped meat.  Continue mixing just until egg is no longer slimy; do not overcook or pasta will be too dry.

If you use bacon, cook the meat first and save some of the drippings; use the bacon drippings instead of butter and you can use less salt in your pasta water.

Serves: 2-3 people

Vanilla Crepes

brought by Christy Evans
recipe from Christina Sorenson

1 1/2 cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons vanilla extract (I actually use 1 1/2)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together the milk, egg yolks and vanilla. Stir in the flour, sugar, salt and melted buter until well blended.

Heat a crepe pan over medium heat until hot. Coat with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Pour about 1/2 cup of bater into the pan and tip to spread the batter to the edges. When bubbles form on the top adn the edges are dry, flip over adn cook until lighly browned on the other side and edges are golden. Repeat with remaining batter.

Fill crepes with your favorite fruit, cream, caramel or evenice cream of cheese to serve.

*For a fun twist called my Monte Cristo crepes--fill crepes (once cooked) with turkey, ham and swiss cheese and warm them on a griddle or grill until cheese is melted and outside of crepe is a bit golden brown. Then sprinkle a light dusting of powdered sugar and spread raspberry preserves across the top. Or serve preserves on the side for dipping.

Herbed Risotto

brought by Christy Evans

Ingredients

1 ½  tbs. unsalted butter

1 small onion, diced

¾ cup Arborio rice

2 cups hot chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Pound mushrooms, sliced

½ tbs olive oil

1 large ripe tomato, dices

¼ cup heavy cream   

1/8 cup chopped basil

1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary

1tbs grated parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Sauté the onion until tender.  Add the rice.  Cook for one minute, stirring constantly.  Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper.  Cook, covered until the rice is tender on the outside and chewy inside.  While the rice is cooking sauté the mushrooms in olive oil.  When the rice is done, fold in the mushrooms, tomatoes, cream, basil, rosemary, and cheese.  

Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies

brought by Kristen Marshall

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Mexican cocoa powder (or substitute by adding 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon to unsweetened cocoa powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons sweet butter, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons margarine
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Generous pinch ground black pepper
• Generous pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup dulce de leche, optional
• 1/4 cup almonds, finely chopped, optional

Directions

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly with a whisk and set aside. Combine the sugars in a small bowl and mix well with your fingers pressing out any lumps. (Combine in a food processor if lumps are stubborn.)

In a medium mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter and margarine until creamy. Add sugar mixture, cinnamon, peppers, and vanilla. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute. Beat in the egg white and until the mixture is smooth. Stop the mixer. Add the flour mixture, beating on the lowest speed, just until incorporated. Gather the dough together with your hands and form it into a neat log, 9 to 10 inches long by 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Fold or twist ends of the paper without pinching or flatting the log. Refrigerate at least 45 minutes, or until needed.

Put the oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Use a sharp knife to slice rounds of chilled dough, a scant 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the cookies, 1-inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back about halfway through. Cookies will puff and crackle on top, and then begin to settle down slightly when done.

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and use a metal spatulato transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing or stacking. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 2 months.

To spice things up, after the cookies are baked, let them cool on a wire rack, drizzle with dulce de leche and sprinkle chopped almonds on top.

Cinnamon Gumdrops

brought by Kristen Marshall

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

3/4 cup water

1 package (1-3/4 oz) fruit pectin (or you can try substituting unflavored gelatin for a less fruity sweet taste)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp cinnamon oil (but I think you need at least 1/2 tsp)

red food coloring

Prepare ban by coving it with aluminum foil and spraying it with nonstick cooking spray or prepare shape molds with cooking spray and set aside. Combine the sugar and the corn syrup in a large heavy-botomed saucepan over medium heat.. Stir constantly until mixture is vigorously boiling, about 8-10 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the candy reaches 280 degrees (soft crack stage). While you are waiting for he the candy to reach the proper temperature, mix the water, pectin and baking soda in medium saucepan. Place over high heat and cook to boiling point. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Once sugar/corn syrup mixture is at the soft crack stage, place the pectin mixture back on high heat. Stream the sugar mixture into the pectin mixture slowly, while stirring. Continue to cook the candy, while stirring constantly, for an additional minute. REmove form the heat, and stir in food coloring and flavoring. Pour into prepared pan and let set until firm. Cut with sharp knife or cookie cutters, and roll pieces in granulated sugar.