Soaps.com - MESSAGE BOARDS

Salmon Croustades

Ingredients:
24 slices light party rye or 1/2 inch-thick baugette slices
1 large ripe avocado, halved, seeded and peeled
3 tbsp capers, drained
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 to 6 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon (lox-style)
1 cup loosely packed arugula leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced quatered red onion
Fresh ground pepper

Preheat boiler. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a 17 x 14 inch ungreased baking sheet. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes per side or until lightly toasted.

In a small bowl mash avocado. Stir in capers and lemon juice. Spread avacodo mixture on one side of each bread slice(about 1 rounded tsp per slice). Layer salmon, arugula and onion slices over avacodo mixture. Sprinkle with pepper. Serve at once

Apple Martinis

Ingredients
1 orange, cut into wedges
Sugar
3 cups gin or vodka
3/4 cup frozen apple juice concenerate, thawed
1/3 cup dry vermouth
Ice Cubes
Fresh Orange Peel Twist (optional)

Rub orange wedges around the rims of 12 martini glasses. Dip rims into a dish of sugar to coat the rim; set aside.

In pitcher combine vodka, apple juice concentrate, and vermouth. Place ice cubes in a martini shaker. for each drink add 1/3 cup of the syrup mixture; shake. Strain into one of the prepared martini glasses. If desired, garnish with orange peel twists.

Cranberry Cheesecake Shake

Ingredients
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk
2 cups vanilla ice-cream
1/2 of a 16-ounce can jellied cranberry sauce
1 cup fresh cranberries
Sugared Cranberries (optional)

Place cream cheese and milk in a blender container. Cover and blend until combined. Add ice-cream, cranberry sauce, and the 1 cup cranberries. Cover and blend until nearly smooth, stopping to scrape down sides if necessary. serve immediately. If desired, garnish with sugared cranberries.

Note; For sugared cranberries, freeze whole fresh cranberries, roll in suagr until coated.

Pumpkin Black Bean Bake

Ingredients:
1 lb gound beef
2 cups 1/2 inch pieces peeled pumpkin or winter squash
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 15-oz black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 4-oz diced green chiles
1/2 cup lower-sodium beef broth
1 3-oz pkg. cream cheese softened.
1 8-1/2-oz pkg corn muffing mix
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup pumpkin puree, or canned pumpkin
Jalepeno-Olive Relish( optional)

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large skillet cook ground beef, pumpkin and onion over medium heat until meat is browned and onion is tender, breaking up ground beef with spoon; drain fat. Stir in black beans, corn, chiles and salt. Heat through. Stir in broth and cream cheese until blended. Transfer mixture to a 2-1/2 quart baking dish.

In a medium bowl stir in together corn muffin mix, egg, milk, pumpkin puree until just combined. Spoon over beef mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into topper comes out clean. Serve with Jalepeno-Olive Relish.

Tip: Always remember to wear plastic or rubber gloves when working with hot chile peppers. They contain oils in them that can burn the skin, and eyes.

Here's another really easy yummy recipe!

2 Cups Cooked White Rice (I like real rice better than minute rice, but you can use either one)
1 can cream of celery soup (mixed with a little milk)
1 - 4 oz. can diced green chiles
1 ½ cups sour cream
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and fresh black pepper

Preheat oven to 350

Mix all ingredients, ending with shredded sharp cheddar cheese sprinkled on top

Bake in sprayed baking dish for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

(The original recipe called for two cans of chiles, but I'm a big baby, so I only used one! HA!)

We had this tonight with boring grilled chicken breasts. Not real pretty, but good!

Tropical Fruit Smoothie

Ingredients
1 6-ounce carton apricot-mango, orange-mango, pina colda or pineapple fat-free yogurt with artifical sweetner
1 cup fat-free milk
1 cup sliced fresh banana
1 cup fresh mango or refergiated mango slices
1 cup small ice-cubes, or crushed ice
Slice mango, lime wedges, or pineapple wedges(optional)

In a blender, combine yogurt, milk, banana and the 1 cup mango. cover and blend until smooth. If desired garnish with additional mango slices, or lime or pineapple wedges.

Chipotle Apple Pecan Cake

3 cups al-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground chipotle pepper
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1-1/2 cups cooking oil
1-3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
3 large(1-1/4 lb) sweet-tart apples peeled, cored and diced (3 cups)
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Spicy Caramel Glaze( see below)

preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly coat 10-inch fluted tube pan with cooking spray; lightly sprinkle with flour. Set aside. In a bowl combine the 3 cups flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, chiplote, ginger, white pepper, salt, and cloves; set aside.

In a mixing bowl beat oil and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and as much flour mixture as you can. Stir in remaining flour mixture, apples, and pecans. Spoon batter into pan.

Bake 1-1/4 hours, until wooden toothpick inserted near centre comes out clean. Meanwhile, prepare Spicy Caramel Glaze. Cook cake in pan 10 min; invert on rack. place rack over baking sheet. Drizzle warm cake with Spicy Caramel Glaze, respooning glaze that drips on baking sheet over cake. Cool completely before serving.

Spicy Caramel Glaze: In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup packaged brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup whipping cream, and 1/2 tsp, ground chipotle pepper. Bring to boiling, stirring in occasionally. Boil gently 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla. let stand 1-1/4 hours until slightly thickened. drizzle over warm cake.

Pumpkin, Chickpea, Red Lentil Stew

Ingredients
1 pound pie pumpkin or winter squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 medium carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 chopped onion(1 large)
1 cup red lentils(rinsed and drained)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Plain non-fat yogurt(optional)

In a 3-1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker, combine pumpkin, chickpeas, carrots, onion, lentils, tomato paste, ginger, lime juice, cumin, salt, tumeric and pepper. Pour broth over all in cooker.

Cover and cook on low heat seeting for 8-10 hours or on high-heat seeting for 4 to 5 hours. Top each serving with peanuts, cilantro and if desired, yogurt.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup oil
1-3/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
3 ripe banana
1/2 cup chocolate chip
1/2 cup peanut butter chip

Preheat oven at 350 F, and grease 2 bread pans. Mix eggs, oil and sugar. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon then mix well. add vanilla, banana, chocolate, and peanut butter chips. Stir with a spoon. Place an even amount in each pan and bake 25-30 minuts or until golden brown.

Notes: Use really ripe bananasand squish with hands leaving some banana pieces bite sized.

Beer Bread Quick and easy and so good.

3 1/2 cups of self-rising flour
1/3 cup of sugar
12 oz. can of warm beer
1 egg at room temp.

Blend all ingredients as listed.

Variations:

Add 2 cups shredded cheese for cheese bread
or
Add 2 cups chopped, sauteed vegtables
or
Add chopped herbs - your choice for herb bread

Pour into well-oiled bread loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for l hour.

Magic Brew

1 8-oz. carton of vanilla yogurt
1 cup of orange juice
4 cups of orange soda.

Combine yogurt, orange juice and 2 cups of the orange soda in blender container with lid. Blend on high speed 'til combined.

Pour mixture into two (2) ice cube trays. Cover with plastic and freeze for 6 hours or overnight.

Just before serving, remove frozen cubes from one (1) tray and put in blender. Add one (1) cup orange soda and blend on high speed 'til slushy. Pour in six glasses. Repeat with remaining frozen cubes and orange soda. Makes about 12 (1/2 cup) servings.

Chicken Asparagus Mushroom Bake Recipe

•1 Tbs. Butter
•1 Tbs. olive oil
•2 boneless chicken breast {cut into bite size peices
•2 cloves garlic minced
•1 cup {Large can Mushroom peices}
•2 cups sliced aspargus
•black pepper to taste
•1 pkg. cornbread stuffing{^ oz}
•1/4 cup dry white wine Optional
•1 can {41 1/2 oz chicken broth
•1 can {101/2 oz}cream asparagus or cream of chicken soup {Undiluted

1.PREHEAT OVEN 350 heat butter and oil in skillet untill butter is melted
2.Cook chicken and Garlic 3 minutes over medium high heat untill CHICKEN is no longer pink add mushrooms cook and stir 2 minutes Add Asparagus cook stir 5 minutes or untill crisp tender season.
3.put in a 2 1/2 Quart casserole top with stuffing mix Add wine to skillet coo and stir 1 minute over medium high heat scrape up any brown bits from bottom of skillet add broth and soup coo stir till well blended pour into casserole mix. BAKE 35 MINUTES OR UNTIL LIGHT BROWN