Peanut Macaroons

Ingredients:

1 Cup peanuts, unsalted

1 Egg white

Pinch of salt

¾ Cup superfine sugar

½ Teaspoon vanilla extract

Wax paper

Procedure:

                   Brown the peanuts under the broiler. Crush them. Beat the egg white a pinch of salt. Add the sugar and beat again. Then add the peanuts. Put the wax paper on a baking sheet. Grease it a little. Put small mounds of mixture on the paper. Bake at low heat 250 until the macaroons are golden.

Chackchouka

Ingredients:

3 Green peppers

2 onions

8 Small washed potatoes

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Cayenne pepper

6 Eggs

Procedure:

                 Cut the green peppers in half and remove the seeds. Cut into thin strips. Peel the onions and slice them. Cut tomatoes in half. Heat the oil in a pan add the onions and the green peppers. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and cook over low heat. Add the tomatoes and cook until the green peppers are tender. Break the eggs in a bowl and beat. Pour the eggs into a pan, as soon as they are scrambled, your dish is ready. Serve hot.

Hazelnut Holiday Cookies

Ingredients:

1 Cup butter

1 Cup hazelnut, chopped

1 Cup sugar

2 Teaspoon vanilla

3 Cups flour

Procedure:

               Mix ingredients and roll out ½ inch thick and cut in any shape desired. Bake in moderate oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Vietnamese Salad

Ingredients:

11 Ounces cooked shrimp, peeled

7 Ounces cooked skinned chicken breast

2 Ounces bean sprouts

2 small carrots

½ Cucumber

Coriander leaves

¼ Crushed peanuts

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Pinch of sugar

2 Tablespoon soy sauce

Salt and pepper

Procedure:

               Boil the water, add bean sprouts for a few seconds only. Drain and let cool. Peel the carrots and the cucumber. Grate the carrots. Cut the cucumber into thin slices. Cut the coriander leaves. Mix the lemon juice, sugar, soy sauce, salt and pepper in a bowl (dressing). Arrange the vegetables and coriander on a dish and cover with your dressing. Dice the chicken arrange it with the shrimp on the dish. Garnish with coriander leaves and crushed peanuts.

Danish Julakake

Ingredients:

2 Cups of milk

1 Cake yeast

½ lb. Raisins

1/3 lb. Butter

½ Citron, or less

1 tsp. Cardamon seed, ground

1 tsp. Salt

1 Egg

½ Cup sugar

Flour, to make soft dough

Preparation:

Mix the milk, yeast cake, salt sugar, butter, egg, and flour as you would for ordinary bread. Let rise and knead well on bread board. Add cardamon seeds, citron, and raisins. Lets rise again. Form into two loaves. Let rice in pans and brush over with milk or butter. Bake about ½ hour.

Gallo Pinto

Ingredients:

Butter
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 lb. Cooked beans
2 Cups white rice, cooked
Salt and pepper

Procedure:

In a large frying pan melt the butter and fry the onion until golden and transparent. Add the beans and continue frying. Add the rice and cook over low heat until the mixture is dry.

Shrimp With Rice

Ingredients:

2 1/3 Cup cooked white rice
6 oz. Shelled shrimp
4 Tablespoons oil
½ Cup shelled cooked peas
1 Beaten egg
2 Pinches salt
1 Medium onion, chopped

Procedure:

              Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in pan, add rice, a pinch of salt and stir for 2 minutes. Pour beaten egg over the rice. Stir until the egg is cooked and remove from the stove. Heat the remaining oil in another pan, fry the onion for 1 minute and season with salt. Add the shrimp and peas, stir for a few minutes, add rice. Stir once again.

Porotos Granados

Ingredients:

4 lb. Fresh cranberry beans
2 Cups onions chopped
1 lb. Butternut squash peeled and cubed
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
¼ Cup oil
½ Teaspoon paprika
2 Ears of corn, only kernels
5 Leaves fresh basil
Salt

Procedure:

                In a large saucepan cook the beans in plenty of salted water for one hour or until tender. Drain and reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid. In a frying pan heat the oil, add the paprika, squash, onions and garlic; saute until they are tender. Add this mixture and all other ingredients to the beans. Cook over heat for one hour or until the beans and soft. Add some chicken broth if necessary. Add the corn 5 minutes before serving and cook. Serve with

Old-Fashioned American Shortbread

Ingredients

1 Cup unsalted butter
1 Cup sugar
3 Eggs
½ Teaspoon Caraway seeds
4 Cups sifted flour

Preparation:

               In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the caraway seeds. Blend in the flour, ½ cup at a time, and work the mixture into a smooth dough. The dough will probably be too stiff to use an electric mixture or food processor, and is best kneaded by hand. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of ½ inch. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares and transfer the squares to the baking sheets. Bake for about 15 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients:

½ Cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 Cup dark brown sugar
1/3 Cup sugar
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Cup plus 2 tablespoon sifted flour
½ Teaspoon baking soda
1/3 Teaspoon salt
7 ½ - ounce Package semi-sweet chocolate morsels
¾ Cup walnut, coarsely chopped

Procedure:

 Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets with butter. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugars. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract. Mix well, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the batter. Add the chocolate morsels and the chopped walnuts. Mix well. Drop rounded teaspoonful of the batter onto the baking sheets, about 2-inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies have browned around the edges. Remove from oven.

Cheesecake Bars

Ingredient

Crust And Topping:

1/3 Cup unsalted butter

1/3 Cup light brown sugar
1 Cup sifted flour
½ Cup blanched almonds chopped

Filling:

8-ounce package cream cheese
¼ Cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon
2 Tablespoon heavy cream
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedure:

                     First make the crust and topping. Melt the butter in a saucepan over very low heat. In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, and flour. Add the chopped almonds. Reserving one cup for the topping, press the rest of the mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of the baking pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Leave oven on. Make the filling, in a small bowl, combine the cream cheese with the sugar, lemon juice, cream, and vanilla extract. Pour this mixture into the baked crust. Sprinkle the remaining almond mixture evenly over the filling. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Allow to cool completely, and then cut into 2-inch bars.

Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients

2 (26-ounce) jars of sausage-flavored pasta sauce
1 small yellow onion, chopped
10 ounces ground turkey
10 ounces sausage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 large eggs
3 cups low-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
12 cooked lasagna noodles (boil 14 to 16 to allow for breakage)

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350º F. Prepare two 7- by 11-inch pans by coating them with cooking spray and spreading 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of each.
In a large saucepan, brown the onion, ground turkey, and sausage. Drain any fat, then add 1 jar of pasta sauce and the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then stir in the ricotta, Parmesan, and 2 cups of the mozzarella until thoroughly mixed.
Boil the noodles in salted water until tender, rinse in cold water, and set them aside. When they've cooled, cut each noodle in half lengthwise.
On a tray, lay out a strip of noodle and spread about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture along the entire length. Then spread about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture on top of the cheese. Carefully roll up the noodle and place it, frilled edge up, in one of the prepared pans. Repeat with the remaining noodles.
Pour the remaining sauce over the rolls and garnish the top of each roll with the last cup of mozzarella. Cover each pan with aluminum foil and bake the rolls for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more. Makes 24 servings.

Asian Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey

1 small onion, very finely chopped

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)

1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 teaspoons red chili paste

1 green onion, chopped

1 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Mix together the turkey, onion, egg, panko, parsley, cilantro, sesame oil, sesame seeds, chili paste, and green onion in a large bowl until well combined. Add the salt and pepper, or more to taste. (To test the flavor, cook a teaspoon or two of the mixture in the microwave or a small skillet.)

Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and shape them into patties, gently pressing the center of each to create a slight indentation. This will prevent the patty from bulging in the center, so that you end up with a flat, evenly cooked burger. Refrigerate the patties until the grill is ready.

Prepare a charcoal fire or a gas grill to medium-hot. Wipe the rack with canola oil and lay the burgers on it indentation-side up. Let them cook, without pressing down on them, until the bottoms are well seared, about 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the burgers and continue grilling until they are completely cooked through (the juices will run clear), another 5 to 7 minutes.

Chicken Soup with Mini Meatballs

Ingredients

3/4 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup cold water
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup finely minced onion
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 cups chicken broth
2 large carrots, chopped
1 cup orzo or pastina

1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach, washed, trimmed, and torn into bite-size pieces

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix the ground turkey, water, egg, onion, bread crumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper to taste. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls.
In a large pot, combine the broth and carrots and bring them to a simmer. Add the orzo and let it cook for 5 minutes (pastina takes 2 minutes), stirring frequently.
Add the meatballs and simmer them in the broth for 10 minutes. Then stir in the spinach and simmer it until it's wilted, about 1 minute. Serves 6 to 8.

Moroccan Chicken Kebobs

Ingredients

DRY RUB
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons brown sugar
KEBOBS
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 small red onions, peeled and cut into 1-inch-wide sections
2 bell peppers, cleaned and cut into 1-inch squares
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
12 (10-inch) bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Instructions

I a small bowl, combine the dry rub ingredients and mix well.
Cut the meat into 1 1/2-inch cubes and put them in a gallon-size zip-lock bag with the rub mix. Seal the bag and shake it vigorously until all the chicken is well coated.
Place the onions and peppers in a gallon-size zip-lock bag, add the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Seal the bag and shake it vigorously to coat the vegetables well.
Assemble the kebobs by alternately skewering pieces of chicken, onions, and peppers.
Prepare a charcoal fire or set a gas grill to medium-high, close the lid, and heat until hot -- about 10 to 15 minutes.
Grill the kebobs, turning occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 8 to 10 minutes on a gas grill. Serves 6 to 8.

Beef Taquitos

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing on the taquitos
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 cup salsa, plus more for dipping
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
10 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack
Sour cream

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400º. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook them for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the beef and use a wooden spoon or a spatula to break it up while it cooks, until it is no longer red, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the salsa, the chili powder, and the salt and pepper. Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Place the tortillas on a plate and cover them with damp paper towels. Microwave them until warm and pliable, about 45 seconds. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup of the beef mixture, spreading it to an inch from the edges. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the beef.
Roll up the tortillas and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet with the seam sides down. Brush the taquitos lightly with vegetable oil, then bake them until the filling is heated through and the tortillas are lightly browned, about 8 to 12 minutes. Serve them hot with sour cream and/or salsa. Serves 4 to 6.

Maple Heaven Pear Pie

Ingredients

FILLING
5 1/2 to 6 cups peeled 1/2-inch diced just-ripe pears (about 8 small pears)
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons chopped candied ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
9- or 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie crust or try this Flaky Piecrust
OATMEAL CRUMB TOPPING
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400°. Place the diced pears in a large bowl, sprinkle the cornstarch over them, and stir well. Add the remaining filling ingredients and toss gently, until the mixture is evenly combined.
Turn the filling into the chilled deep-dish pie crust and smooth the top of the fruit. Place the pie on the center oven rack, with a piece of aluminum foil under the dish to catch any drips, and bake for 45 minutes.
Now make the topping. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, and using your hands, rub the ingredients together until you have large crumbs. Refrigerate the topping until you are ready to use it.
After 45 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 375°. Remove the pie from the oven and carefully pour the crumbs in the center of the pie, then spread them evenly. Return the pie to the oven and bake it until the juices bubble thickly around the edge, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pie to a rack to cool for at least 2 hours before serving. Serves 10 to 12.