Krista’s Creamy Caramel Apple Dip

(Far right in picture)

½ Cup butter

8 oz. Cream cheese

¾ cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and mix well. Better if made a few hours ahead to let flavor meld.

Serve with sliced green apples.

Sweet Potato Fries with Marshmallow Dip

(on left)

Sweet Potato Fries- Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Nonstick cooking spray

3 large sweet potatoes

1 T extra virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

6 T. (¾ stick) unsalted butter

¾ cup marshmallow cream

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup toasted pecans, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. On sheet, toss sweet potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Arranged in a single layer and bake until tender and golden brown about, 40 minutes, flipping once.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat butter over medium, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown and most of the foam has subsided, about eight minutes. Immediately pour into a small bowl and let cool slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk together marshmallow cream and sour cream, then stir in brown butter and salt to taste. Serve sweet potato fries warm with sauce and sprinkle with the pecans, if desired.

Flafels & Shawarma's

By Joan Nathan

YIELD: Yield: About 20 balls

INGREDIENTS

·         1 cup dried chickpeas (or canned, reduced sodium)

·         1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)

·         2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

·         2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper

·         4 cloves of garlic

·         1 teaspoon cumin

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         4-6 tablespoons flour

·         Soybean or vegetable oil for frying

·         Chopped tomato for garnish

·         Diced onion for garnish

·         Diced green bell pepper for garnish

·         Tahina sauce by FOOD BABE (below)

·         Pita bread

PREPARATION

1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.

2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.

3. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.

4. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts, or use a falafel scoop, available in Middle-Eastern markets.

5. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Stuff half a pita with falafel balls, chopped tomatoes, purple onion, green pepper, pickled beets, pepperoncini,cucumbers, and chopped lettuce or cabbage. Drizzle with Tihini Sauce.

Food Babe's Tahini Dressing

Serves: 10
Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Ingredients

• Juice of one large lemon
• 1 garlic clove minced
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup raw tahini
• 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 tbsp and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 and ½ tsp tamari soy sauce
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp hempseed oil or olive oil
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp raw sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Combine lemon juice, garlic and water into a blender and puree for 15 - 30 seconds
2. Add all remaining ingredients and puree again until smooth

Notes

Stays fresh in the fridge for one week. ***Please buy all organic ingredients if possible***

Sweet Potato Crisps

Recipe inspired by Epicurious

Ingredients:

1 sweet potatoes

2 eggs

½ cup Parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon rosemary

1/8  teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. Set a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Spray rack with non-stick spray. Finely grate sweet potatoes.  To the grated sweet potatoes, add the eggs, cheese, pepper, salt,  and rosemary. Mix until combined. Scoop out potato mixture and set on wire rack. About 3 Tbsp. worth.  Press sweet potato mixture as thin as possible. Repeat until potatoes are gone. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are dark around the edges and crispy. Makes about 15.

Coconut Rice

Serves 6

1 1/2 c Jasmine Rice
2 c milk
1 c water
1 tsp coconut extract
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp garlic diced
3/4 tsp salt

First rinse the rice with cold water until the water is clear and not white. Put the rinsed rice in a medium pan and combine with the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then turn to low. Cover and cook for 25-35 minutes. Stir rice every 10 minutes. Rice is done when liquid is absorbed  and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let cool. Serve and enjoy!

Homemade Yogurt

1 gallon milk,

1 C. plain yogurt,

 8 pint jars,

1 Cooler, Cooking

Thermometer to 200 degrees,

2 or more Gal. water

Instructions: 1. Heat milk to 185-190 degrees.  (about 25-30 min oin med.)  Cool to 122-130 degrees. 

2.  Mix 1 C. Milk and 1 C. Yogurt in small bowl. 

3.  Blend.  Mix with rest of milk. 

4.  Pour into Pint Jars and put lids back on and tighten

5.  Heat 2 gal. water to 130 degrees. 

6. Pour water into cooler and add pint jars make sure jars are covered in water (at least 2” deep)

7. Let sit undisturbed for 4-5 hours.

8. Drain in cheese cloth for 10 min to remove whey.

9. Refrigerate until cold and enjoy!

You can stir in anything to flavor--vanilla, jams, honey, berries, be creative!

Coconut Rice

from Our Best Bites

 

2 c. white or Jasmine rice

1 can coconut milk (13.6 oz)

2 c. water

1 tsp. Kosher salt

Splash of white vinegar (optional, but it helps with the texture)

2-3 tsp. white sugar

Handful of chopped green onions, plus chopped green onion tops for garnish (we're using the whole animal here...)

Black pepper to taste

Combine rice, coconut milk, water, salt, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil  Turn heat to low and cover for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Allow to stand 5 minutes.  Add green onions, black pepper (if desired), and additional salt if necessary.  Serve with any Asian or tropical-inspired food.

****Note--how to make coconut milk.  You drain the coconut water from the coconut and set aside. Break open the coconut. Score the raw coconut from the shells and scoop it out. You can leave the brown part on or use a peeler to remove it. It doesn't matter. Put 1/2 of the coconut in the blender with 2 cups of coconut water or plain water (if you're turning the entire coconut into milk the coconut water won't be enough). Blend until smooth. Pour into a cheese cloth lined bowl. Ring out the coconut in the cheese cloth to strain out the milk. (You can repeat this process up to two times) When finished you can dry out the remains of coconut in the cheese cloth and add them to recipes in place of flour or as an accent. You can also make smoothies with coconut milk--Enjoy!

Apple Sweet Potatoes

By Linda Evans

2 sweet potatoes--peel and cut, then steam until tender

3 apples--peel and cut into chunks--steam until soft, drain

Sauce:
3/4 c brown sugar
2 T. corn starch
1/4 c butter
1 c water
dash of salt
     Cook until slightly thick.

Place the sweet potatoes and apples in to bottom of an 8x8 pan. Pour sauce over the top. Bake uncovered 350 degrees until warm and bubbly.  (Double for a 9x13 pan)

Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots

2	pounds carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices (12 to 14 medium)
1/2	teaspoon salt, if desired
2/3	cup packed brown sugar
1/4	cup butter or margarine
1	teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2	teaspoon salt

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Total Time: 25 Min

1. Heat 1 inch water to boiling in 3-quart saucepan. Add carrots and, if desired, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer covered 12 to 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.
2. While carrots are cooking, heat brown sugar, butter, orange peel and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is bubbly. Be careful not to overcook or the mixture will taste scorched. Remove from heat.
3. Drain carrots. Stir carrots into brown sugar mixture. Cook over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and gently, until carrots are glazed and hot. 

Roasted Asparagus

Preparing Asparagus for cooking

You can either cut off a couple of inches of the stalk or, preferably, you can simply bend each spear until it breaks at its natural breaking point. Using the breaking method will make sure that you end up with nice tender spears of asparagus without any waste.

Quick Roasted Asparagus

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Dump asparagus spears on baking tray
3. Drizzle with plenty of olive oil
4. Toss asparagus spears to coat in olive oil
5. Spread them out on baking tray evenly
6. Sprinkle sea salt (or kosher salt) on asparagus
7. Grind pepper over asparagus
8. Sprinkle bits of chopped garlic over asparagus
9. Stick in the oven and cook for about 10-15 minutes

I usually let them cook until the asparagus is sizzling in the oil and there's a bit of browning. If you like yours a little crisper, you can take them out after they've turned bright green.
Once they are out of the oven, you can squeeze some lemon on them or shred some Parmesan cheese over them or sprinkled some balsamic vinaigrette or Caesar dressing.

Easy Fruit Dip

Fruit Dip
1 carton cool whip
1 small pkg instant vanilla pudding
1/2 can orange juice concentrate


Make pudding according to package directions. Mix pudding and remaining ingredients together. Chill in fridge before serving.

Sweet Potatoes

 This is swiped from "My Favorites". I thought I'd add this in the spirit of the fall season.  I love this recipe and make it each year for Thanksgiving and sometime just for dessert! These are fabulous.
      4 cups sweet potatoes, baked and mashed
      2 eggs, beaten
      1/2 tsp salt
      1 tsp cinnamon
      1 cube butter or margarine, melted
      3/4 cup brown sugar
      3/4 cup white sugar
Mix thoroughly and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes
Topping:
      2 cups crushed Corn Flakes
      1 cube butter or margarine, melted
      1 cup chopped pecans
      1/2 cup coconut
      1 cup brown sugar
      1 cup flour
Mix topping ingredients, spread over sweet potatoes, bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Whiti Chili

1 T Oil
2 medium onions chopped (1 c)
     Saute until onions are tender
Add:
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups chicken broth
2 T chopped cilantro or 1/2 tsp ground coriande4r
2 T lime juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1 can (11 oz) whole corn drained
1 can (15-16 oz) great northern beans, drained
1 can (15-16 oz) butter beans, drained
     Heat until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
Add:
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (optional)
Serve with chopped avocados, tomatoes, olives, shredded cheese, green onions, tortilla chips, and sour cream for sprinkling over chili.

Fabulous Spanish Rice

This is great alone or in Burritos


Fry together in skillet
1 c. white rice
4 Tbs. Veggie oil


Add:
½ C chopped onion
2 tomatoes chopped
2 Tbs. Cilantro
2 c. Chicken broth
1 clove garlic

Stir till boils. Reduce to simmer cook covered for 14 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with fork then cover for 5 minutes.