Mango-and-Avocado Salsa

Mango-and-Avocado Salsa


***Susan's Note: I use 2 TBS of diced green chiles instead of the habanero. I used a canned sliced mango instead of a fresh one, and I didn't have cilantro so I used parsley. YUM on grilled chicken!

This salsa goes well with grilled or broiled chicken, pork, seafood, or beef.
Makes 3 cups

1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced medium
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced medium
1 small red onion, diced small
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 to 1 habanero chile (stem and seeds removed), minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions

In a bowl, combine all ingredients.

Rice 'N Peach Salad

Rice 'n Peach Salad

****Susan's Note: Do not expect this to have a "peachy" flavor. It is yummy and sweet and perfect for grill-out suppers. Yum!


Prep Time: 20 min Total Time: 20 min Makes: 10 servings, about 1/2 cup each

1-1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1 can (11 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained or 1-1/2 cups corn cut from the cob
1 cup PLANTERS Almonds, toasted and salted, chopped
1 cup fresh peas or frozen peas, thawed
2 peaches (or nectarines), peeled, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup KRAFT CATALINA Dressing
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or fresh parsley
Make It

MIX all ingredients in large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Barbecue Chicken with Mustard Glaze AND Honey Brushed Chicken Thighs

Barbecue Chicken with Mustard Glaze

****Susan's Note: Made this with boneless chicken thighs, and it was DELICIOUS. I would not hesitate to make it again. I served it with Rice N Peach Salad, Marinated Tomatoes in Balsamic Vinagrette, and cooked broccoli. Also, if you'd rather not grill, there is a similar excellent recipe called Honey Brushed Chicken Thighs.

An assortment of spices mixed with common condiments makes a thick, tangy-sweet glaze with a hint of smokiness. Grilled summer squash makes a light, fresh side. Cut 2 zucchini and 1 yellow squash lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Brush with 2 teaspoons olive oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Grill 3 minutes on each side or until tender.

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
8 (6-ounce) skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
Cooking spray

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Combine ketchup and next 3 ingredients (through mustard) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

2. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Rub spice mixture evenly over chicken thighs. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 12 minutes. Turn chicken over. Brush with half of ketchup mixture; cook 12 minutes. Turn chicken over. Brush with remaining ketchup mixture; cook 2 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 chicken thighs)

CALORIES 226 ; FAT 5.5g (sat 1.4g,mono 1.7g,poly 1.4g); CHOLESTEROL 115mg; CALCIUM 28mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.4g; SODIUM 651mg; PROTEIN 27.7g; FIBER 0.4g; IRON 1.9mg

Emeril's Panzanella (Bread Salad)

Panzanella

***Susan's Note: I had some old rolls in the freezer so I decided to make this for dinner, along with grilled chicken and corn on the cob. I added some cucumbers and a little bit of leafy greens - YUM! I also like this recipe for Panzanella - if your bread isn't stale enough.

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003

Ingredients
4 large vine ripened tomatoes, cut into large cubes or wedges
1/2 pound stale country-style Italian bread, crusts removed and cubed (about 8 cups)
1 1/4 cups thinly sliced red onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup Italian extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch fresh basil, stems removed, washed and spun dry, turn into pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, bread, and onions.

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar and oil. Pour the dressing over the bread salad and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. Add the basil and salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to combine. Serve.

Asian Salmon

Asian Salmon

***Susan's Note: I slightly modifed this Allrecipes.com recipe. My husband loved it and I thought it was really tasty. I served it with brown rice with dill and boiled asparagus with lemon zest, butter, salt, pepper. Yum!

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:
2 salmon filets
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced onion (I used chopped fresh scallions)
1 tablespoon sesame oil (I used walnut oil)

Directions:
1. Make several shallow slashes in the skinless side of the salmon filets. Place filets skin-side down in a glass baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, pepper, onion and sesame oil. Pour the liquid over the salmon, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove cover from salmon, and bake in the marinating dish for about 15 minutes, then broil for about 5 minutes. (Fish should be flaked with a fork.)

Banana Pineapple Bread

Pineapple Banana Bread

***Susan's note: I made this because I had extra bananas in the house and we were going away, so I needed to get rid of them. My sister and her family loved this bread - I put it in a 9 x 13 pan because we didn't have 2 loaf pans and it cooked in about 45-50 min.

Ready In: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Servings: 32

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained (I used pineapple chunks, drained and pureed)
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 bananas)

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. In another bowl, beat the eggs, oil and vanilla; add pineapple and bananas. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pans.
2. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

2 tart apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 pint fresh strawberries, chopped
2 medium Kiwi fruit, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons apricot jam
dash of cinnamon
one large bag of cinnamon pita chips (or use this recipe to make your own)

In a large bowl, toss the chopped apples with the lemon juice to keep apples from browning. Add the chopped strawberries and kiwi. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the brown sugar, strawberry jelly and cinnamon. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Pour Apple Salsa into a serving bowl.

Serve with a big bowl of Cinnamon Pita Chips.

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro Lime Mayo

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro Lime Mayo

***Susan's Note: I made these last night for my husband and parents (and my dad is not a "spicy" guy) and we all loved it. I made a few changes - I used regular corn tortillas instead of baked, I used less hot sauce (about 1 TBSP or less of Frank's red hot), and I used Potato Rolls, not Kaiser. Also, I pounded the chicken breasts to flatten them a little bit and I only marinated them for 1/2 hour.

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

Mayo:
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced

Chicken:
1/4 cup egg substitute
3 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 1/2 ounces baked tortilla chips (about 6 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Remaining ingredients:
4 (2-ounce) Kaiser rolls, split
12 (1/8-inch-thick) red onion slices
4 lettuce leaves

1. To prepare mayo, combine the first 4 ingredients.

2. To prepare chicken, combine egg substitute, hot sauce, oregano, and salt in a large zip-top plastic bag. Cut chicken breast halves in half horizontally to form 4 cutlets. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours or up to 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.

3. Place tortilla chips in a food processor; process 1 minute or until ground. Place ground chips in a shallow dish.

4. Working with one cutlet at a time, remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Coat chicken completely in chips. Set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken and chips.

5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned and done. Spread mayo evenly over cut sides of rolls. Layer bottom half of each roll with 3 onion slices, 1 lettuce leaf, and 1 chicken cutlet; top with top halves of rolls.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

CALORIES 419 (28% from fat); FAT 13.2g (sat 1.7g,mono 6.1g,poly 3.4g); IRON 3.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 49mg; CALCIUM 101mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.8g; SODIUM 759mg; PROTEIN 28.1g; FIBER 2.6g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2008

Avocado Feta Salsa

Avocado Feta Salsa

Make this salsa shortly before serving for best results. Avoid refrigerating it--the texture of the tomatoes will soften.

Makes 8 appetizer servings
Ingredients

* 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
* 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 avocados, chopped
* Assorted tortilla chips

Preparation

Stir together first 9 ingredients. Gently stir in avocado just before serving. Serve with assorted tortilla chips.

Roasted Butternut Squash

Roasted Butternut Squash

***Susan's Note: My family LOVES this recipe. You can eat the squash all by itself and be satisfied. I buy the packaged, already sliced squash at Wegmans, available year round!****

From Woman's Day | December 4, 2007

* Active Time: 3 minutes
* Total Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

o 2 Tbsp butter
o 2 lbs fresh butternut squash chunks
o 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
o 1/2 tsp salt
o 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 400ºF. You’ll need a rimmed baking pan lined with nonstick foil.

2. Put butter in pan. Place in oven until melted. Remove pan from oven and add remaining ingredients. Toss to coat and spread into an even layer.

3. Roast 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once or twice, until squash is tender. Transfer to serving bowl.

* Print This
*
*

Roasted Butternut Squash

Photo: Laura Moss

* Nutrition Facts
* Yield 6 servings
* Amount Per Serving
* Calories 115
* Total Fat 4g
* Saturated Fat 3g
* Cholesterol 11mg
* Sodium 241mg
* Total Carbohydrates 21g
* Dietary Fiber 2g
* Protein 2g

Wild Mushroom Stuffed Turkey Breast with Cranberry Coulis

Wild Mushroom Stuffed Turkey Breast with Cranberry Coulis

Wild Mushroom Stuffed Turkey Breast with Cranberry Coulis
Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min

Serves: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 leek, cleaned and sliced
* 1 rib celery, diced
* 2 cups sliced wild cultivated mushrooms (chanterelles, porcinis, creminis, etc.)
* 2 teaspoons herbs de Provence
* 2 tablespoon shallots, chopped
* 1 cup chicken stock
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 cups toasted bread crumbs
* 1/2 boneless turkey breast, about 2 1/2 pounds
* Cranberry Coulis, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat a large saute pan, add butter, and add the leeks and celery. Saute for 3 minutes and add the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes and add the herbs and shallots, cooking for 2 more minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, and pour over the bread crumbs in a mixing bowl. Mix well and cool.

Butterfly the turkey breast open with a sharp boning knife. Using a meat mallet, pound the meat to expand it and make it of an even thickness. Spoon the stuffing lengthwise across the breast and roll up, tucking in the meat at each end. Tie the roulade with butchers' twine.

Season with salt and pepper, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a thermometer reads 150 degrees in the center. Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes before removing the twine and slicing. Serve with Cranberry Coulis.
Cranberry Coulis:

* 1 (12 ounce) bag cranberries
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Place the ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until the cranberries have burst, about 20 minutes and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth, season, and reserve.

Kim's Turkey Chili - YUM

Turkey Chili

**Susan's note: This calls for cooked turkey (hello day after Thanksgiving!) but you can just cook up some ground turkey meat and use it.

Ingredients

* 2 cups chopped onion
* 4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
* 1 cup chopped green pepper
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 2 (35 oz) cans stewed tomatoes, crushed
* 2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, drained
* 2 Tbsp tomato paste
* 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock
* 2 Tbsp chili powder (or up to 4 Tbsp if you like it really hot)
* 1 Tbsp ground cumin
* 1 Tbsp dried hot red pepper flakes
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 Tbsp salt, plus more if desired to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 3 to 4 cups of shredded, cooked turkey meat
* Sugar

* Shredded cheddar cheese, chopped red onion, sour cream for optional garnish.

Method

1 In a large, 8-quart, thick-bottom pot, cook the onion and green pepper over medium high heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for a minute or two more. Add a bit more olive oil if needed.

2 Add tomatoes, tomato paste, stock. beans, oregano, salt, pepper, and cooked turkey meat. Bring mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for an hour.

3 Salt to taste. Add 1 to 3 teaspoons of sugar to take the edge of the acidity of the tomatoes if desired.

The chili may be made in advance and chilled for 2 days, or frozen for 2 months.

Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped red onion, and or sour cream. Serve alone, over rice, or with corn bread.

Makes about 12 cups. Serves 8.

Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup (Cooking Light)

Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup

****SUSAN's Note: Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!****

f the broccoli florets are large, break into smaller pieces at the stalk instead of chopping them; they'll cook more quickly. Count on having dinner on the table in about 40 minutes, and serve this soup the moment it's done for the best results. In fact, if you wait, you'll find it gets thicker with time. If you have leftovers, you will want to thin the soup with a little chicken broth or milk to the desired consistency.
Yield

10 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Ingredients

* Cooking spray
* 2 cups chopped onion
* 1 cup presliced mushrooms
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 1.1 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup)
* 4 cups 1% low-fat milk
* 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
* 4 ounces uncooked vermicelli, broken into 2-inch pieces
* 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded light processed cheese (such as Velveeta Light)
* 4 cups (1-inch) cubed cooked chicken breast
* 3 cups small broccoli florets (8 ounces)
* 1 cup half-and-half
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 3/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium; add butter to mushroom mixture, stirring until butter melts. Sprinkle mushroom mixture with flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Gradually add milk and broth, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Add pasta to pan; cook 10 minutes. Add cheese to pan, and stir until cheese melts. Add chicken and remaining ingredients to pan; cook 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender and soup is thoroughly heated.
Nutritional Information

Calories:
317
Fat:
12.3g (sat 6.8g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.9g)
Protein:
27.5g
Carbohydrate:
23.8g
Fiber:
1.9g
Cholesterol:
74mg
Iron:
1.6mg
Sodium:
723mg
Calcium:
179mg

Molten Chocolate Cakes

Molten Chocolate Cakes


**Susan's Note: After eating at Kitchen 233 and having this for dessert, I tried making these for the first time. YUM. I would also like to try this yummy-looking chocolate chip version.

Prep Time:
15 min
Total Time:
30 min
Makes:
8 servings, one half molten cake each
What You Need
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (I used vanilla ice cream)

PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Butter four 3/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes. Place on baking sheet.

MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Blend in eggs and egg yolks with wire whisk. Stir in flour. Divide batter among prepared custard cups.

BAKE 13 to 14 min. or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 min. Carefully run small knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert dishes. Serve immediately, topped with whipped topping.

Calories
290
Total fat
19 g
Saturated fat
10 g
Cholesterol
135 mg
Sodium
105 mg
Carbohydrate
29 g
Dietary fiber
1 g
Sugars
21 g
Protein
4 g
Vitamin A
10 %DV
Vitamin C
0 %DV
Calcium
2 %DV
Iron
8 %DV

Chicken & White Bean Soup with Spinach & Parmesan (Thanks CZ!)

Rocco DiSpirito's Chicken & White Bean Soup with Spinach & Parmesan
"To make soups and stews low-fat, skip the sauteing step. Instead, bring all the ingredients to a simmer together -- and serve." Makes 4 servings. From Fitness Magazine, Oct. 2008

Shopping List
FRESH: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts; basil; baby spinach; Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
STAPLES: Crushed red pepper; low-sodium chicken broth; salt and pepper
PACKAGED: Pasta sauce; cannellini beans

Ingredients
3 14-ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons tomato-and-basil pasta sauce
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
Salt and pepper
6 ounces prewashed baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
In a Dutch oven, bring chicken broth, pasta sauce, cannellini beans, and crushed red pepper to a simmer. Turn heat to low.
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper; add to broth. Gently poach chicken, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. (The broth should barely simmer.)
Stir in baby spinach. Continue cooking soup until spinach is wilted and chicken is just cooked through, about 2 minutes more.
Stir in basil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls, and top with grated cheese.

Parmesan Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Parmesan Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Ingredients

Serves 4

* 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
* 1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* Grated zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 4 bone-in chicken breast halves (about 3 pounds)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, mix parsley, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and zest. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
2. Divide parsley mixture into four mounds. Carefully loosen chicken skin with fingers; tuck parsley mixture under skin. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan.
3. Bake until skin is crispy, chicken is cooked through, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees, about 30 minutes.

Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes

Magnolia’s Vanilla Cupcakes
Recipe from: More From Magnolia
by Allysa Torey, Photographs Zeva Oelbaum
Cookbook Heaven at Recipelink.com

Everyone is always asking us which is the most popular cupcake at the bakery. Most people are surprised that it is what we call the vanilla vanilla - the vanilla cupcake with the vanilla icing (and the most popular color for the icing is pink).

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes (depending on the size of your cupcake papers and muffin tins)

* 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
* 2 cups sugar
* 4 large eggs, at room temperature
* 1 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream Icing (recipe follows) or Chocolate Buttercream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
3. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
5. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. At the bakery we ice the cupcakes with either Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.

Note: If you would like to make a layer cake instead of cupcakes, divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans and bake the layers for 30-40 minutes.





Magnolia's Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Recipe from: More From Magnolia
by Allysa Torey, Photographs Zeva Oelbaum
Cookbook Heaven at Recipelink.com

The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners’ sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.

Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes*

* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
* 6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
* 1/2 cup milk
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

*Note:
If you are icing a 3-layer cake, use the following recipe proportions:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
8 to 10 cups confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Magnolia Bakery Peanut Butter Heath Bar Blondies

***Susan's Note: On Tuesday, I visited The Magnolia Bakery at 69th and Columbus in New York City. It was my first visit, and it was "out of this world" - I had heard of their cookbooks, and they were mentioned in the movie The Devil Wears Prada. I sampled their yellow cake with yellow icing (yum) and cupcakes, and the blondies below. Wow.

Magnolia Bakery Peanut Butter Heath Bar Blondies

Blondies:
1 1/2 C. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 C. smooth peanut butter
2 1/2 C. granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 T. vanilla extract
3 C. self-rising flour

Topping:
1 C. peanut butter chips
3 T. heavy cream
4 coarsely chopped Health bars or chocolate covered toffee bars (about 1 cup)
1/2 C. finely chopped unsalted peanuts

Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease and flour a 12 x 18-inch jellyroll pan.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and the peanut butter until fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract and mix well. Add the flour and beat until well incorporated. Spread the batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of pan comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool to room temperature.

To prepare the topping: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the peanut butter chips and the cream, stirring until smooth. Drizzle the peanut butter mixture decoratively over the cooled blondies. Sprinkle the Heath Bars and the peanuts on top.

Allow to cool to room temperature, or overnight, before cutting and serving. Makes 24 three-inch blondies.

Source: The Magnolia Bakery

Orecchiette Pasta with Roasted Broccoli and Walnuts

Orecchiette with Roasted Broccoli and Walnuts

From Real Simple February 2009
See another good Orecchiette recipe here.

**Susan's note: A yummy weeknight dinner.

Serves 4
Total Time 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS
12 oz orecchiette or other short pasta (3 cups)
1 bunch broccoli (1 1/2 lbs), cut into small florets
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 TBS unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated Parm (1 oz)

Heat oven to 400. Cook pasta according to package. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.

Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli, walnuts, oil, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Roast, tossing once, until the broccoli is tender, 18-20 minutes.

Toss pasta with broccoli mixture, butter, and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water (Add more water if the pasta seems dry). Sprinkle with the Parm before serving.

Slow Cooker Sausage, Peppers, & Onions

***Susan's Note: I made this in the crock pot today with sweet turkey sausage instead of the "hot Italian sausage" that's listed - yum! I used red and orange peppers, potato rolls and topped with shredded mozzarella.

4-5 lbs hot italian sausages
1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce (I used Francesco Rinaldi Tomato Basil)
1 large onion, sliced thin (Vidalia preferred)
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, sliced
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar (I used light)
Rolls, split open
Provolone cheese, sliced (optional)

1. Combine ingredients (not rolls and cheese) in CrockPot. Cook on Low 8-10 hours or HIGH 4 to 6 hours.

2. Place mixture on rolls, top with cheese if desired.