Licorice Wands

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 6 ounces almond bark, chopped
• 24 licorice twists (like twizzlers)
• candy sprinkles (or other small candy decorations)

Recipe

• 1 place candy coating in 2 cup microwavable measuring cup.
• 2 microwave uncovered on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted.
• 3 dip half of each licorice twist into melted candy coating.
• 4 sprinkle with candy decorations.
• 5 place on waxed paper and let stand about 20 minutes or until coating is firm.

Obas Shoyu Chicken

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 12 boneless chicken thighs (or a mix of boneless thighs and breasts)
• 2 cups soy sauce
• 2 cups water
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1 small chopped onion
• 1 cup sugar

Recipe

• 1 put the soy sauce, water, garlic, onion, and sugar in a large pot.
• 2 heat slowly so the sugar dissolves.
• 3 if it is sour then add more sugar, too salty then add more water.
• 4 if the sauce tastes good then throw in the chicken and simmer about 45 minutes.
• 5 the liquid ingredients should thicken to a very good sauce.
• 6 serve over rice.

Peach Pan Seared Chicken With A Bit Of Spice

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup flour (to dredge the chicken in)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 peach, preserve
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can sliced peaches in juice, drained, but reserve 1/4 cup of the juice for the sauce. rough chop the peaches
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 onion, cut in half and then thin sliced (small)
• 1 cup wine (dry)
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (add more accordingly to taste)
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 1/2 cups cooked jasmine rice (use any brand, slow cooking, bagged, boxed or boil in bags. just use your favorite)
• chicken broth, to cook the rice in (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped scallion (about 3, green and parts)
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (you can toast them if you want)
• 1 teaspoon butter
• salt
• pepper

Recipe

• 1 chicken -- in a large baggie add the flour salt and pepper and dredge the chicken in it.
• 2 mix the ginger, pepper and peach preserves to use as a sauce for the chicken as it cooks.
• 3 in a large saute pan add the butter and oil and bring to medium heat. add the chicken and cook on medium heat. as it cooks, brush with the peach preserve mixture on each side a couple of times per side until golden brown. it should take about 4-5 minutes per side is all. once done remove and transfer to a dish and cover with aluminum foil. they will continue to cook once removed.
• 4 rice -- cook the rice according to directions. once finished, garnish with the scallions, cilantro, salt, pepper and butter and mix to combine. cover and set to the side.
• 5 sauce -- in the pan you grilled the chicken in, lets make the sauce. there should be enough oil from the drippings, but you can add just a little more if necessary. now, add the garlic, onion and red pepper flakes and cook 1-2 minutes until lightly soft. then add the wine and brandy to deglaze the pan. add the broth and peaches including the juice. add the butter and let reduce 5 minutes on medium high until slightly thickened and the sauce reduces. add the cilantro at the very end. any additional salt and pepper if needed.
• 6 slice each chicken breast and serve over the rice with a nice heaping of the peach sauce.
• 7 a nice salad on the side and you got a great dinner.

Margaret's Beef Stew

Total Time: 6 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 6 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 tablespoons oleo (margarine or butter)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup catsup (ketchup)
• 3 cups boiling water
• 1 lb stewing beef, cubed
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 -5 carrots, scrubbed and sliced
• 3 -4 potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• 1/4 cup barley
• salt and pepper, to taste

Recipe

• 1 combine oleo and flour in a pot with a heavy bottom over low heat, or a crockpot on low.
• 2 add catsup and boiling water.
• 3 add beef, onions, vegetables, and barley.
• 4 bring to boil and simmer until beef is tender or,
• 5 in crockpot, simmer all day on low.

Margi's Curried Chicken Thighs

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1/2 cup red lentil
• 4 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 2 cups vegetable stock (can also use chicken broth or stock)
• 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 8 ounces frozen spinach
• 1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped fresh)

Recipe

• 1 rinse lentils. put in a large saucepan with curry, coriander, cumin seeds and stock.
• 2 bring to a boil; lower heat. cover and simmer 10 minutes.
• 3 add chicken and spinach. recover and simmer gently for 40 mins, or until chicken has cooked.
• 4 stir in the chopped cilantro and season to taste.
• 5 serve over rice. garnish with fresh cilantro.

Low-fat Meaty Lasagna

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chunked
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms or 1 lb mushroom
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes with juice
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup minced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/4 lbs lean ground turkey, 93% lean
• 2 cups 2% low-fat milk, divided
• 2 cups fat-free chicken broth, divided
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup minced fresh basil
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles, no-boil variety (barilla recommended)

Recipe

• 1 meat sauce:.
• 2 place the carrots, mushrooms and garlic in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped - 10 pulses or so. transfer to a bowl.
• 3 add tomatoes with juice to the food processor and pulse till smooth - about 5 pulses. set aside.
• 4 in a large dutch oven or equivalent, combine 1 teaspoon olive oil, minced onion, salt and pepper. cover and cook over medium heat until onion is soft, 3-4 minutes. add the carrot/mushroom/garlic mixture and cook, uncovered, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 5-7 minutes. increase heat to medium-high and cook another 3-5 minutes or until liquid evaporates.
• 5 stir in the tomato paste and cook until it begins to brown, 2 minutes or so. stir in the turkey and 1 cup of milk. cook, using a spoon to break up meat, until most of the milk has evaporated, 5-7 minutes.
• 6 stir in the tomatoes, 1 cup of broth and the bay leaf. bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened and most of the liquid has evaporated, 45-60 minutes.
• 7 remove from heat, discard bay leaf and stir in the basil. add more salt and pepper if needed.
• 8 bechamel ( sauce):.
• 9 whisk the remaining 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of broth and flour together in a medium saucepan until smooth. bring the mix to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil and the parmesan cheese.
• 10 heat oven to 425f and adjust rack to upper-middle position.
• 11 spread 2 cups of the meat sauce in a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. lay 3 noodles atop sauce. repeat layers 3 more times, ending with noodles. spread sauce evenly on the top layer of noodles, leaving a 1-inch border around the sides.
• 12 bake until lasagna is bubbling around the edges and the top is beginning to brown, 25-30 minutes. cool on wire rack for 20 minutes before serving.
• 13 make ahead: the meat sauce and sauce can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days. reheat both before assembling lasagna.

Pesto Artichoke Chicken Over Rice

Total Time: 5 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 5 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cups converted rice or 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts
• 1 (10 ounce) jar classico traditional basil pesto
• 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• salt
• pepper

Recipe

• 1 place rice in crockpot and add the broth.
• 2 rinse chicken and pat dry; cut into bite-size pieces.
• 3 place chicken on rice and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• 4 add artichoke hearts.
• 5 pour pesto over chicken and artichokes, then spoon cream of chicken soup over the top.
• 6 cover and cook for 4 - 6 hours. check rice and stir about an hour before cooking is complete to avoid "mushy" rice.