Tandoori Chicken Bites

Ingredients:
 3 large chicken breasts
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 Tbsp garam masala
1 1/2 Tbsp paprika, divided

Directions:
Cut the chicken breasts into small chunks, yielding about 40 pieces. Place the chicken pieces in a large zip top bag.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bag with 1/2 Tbsp paprika.  Close the bag tightly and smoosh it around to mix the ingredients.  Place the bag in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours to marinate.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray.  wipe the marinade from the chicken pieces and place them in a bowl.  sprinkle the last tablespoon of paprika and a pinch more of salt over the chicken pieces.  Toss to coat.  *The extra paprika here just helps the red color, you an skip it if desired.  A little extra salt definitely helps, though.

Place the chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet, spaced out so they don't touch.  Bake for 15 minutes in the fully preheated oven.  Take the sheet out, turn each piece of chicken over, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Serve warm with Naan bread, yogurt sauce, and cucumbers.

Baked Ziti with Spinach and Sausage

Ingredients:
1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausages
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 28-ounce can diced peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup pesto
10 ounces ziti or penne pasta (about 3 cups), freshly cooked
4 cups or handfuls of baby spinach leaves
6 ounces grated or cube mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook sausage, onion, and garlic until sausage is cooked through. 
Add tomatoes with juices.
Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Add pesto.
Season sauce with salt and pepper.
**You can prepare up to this point a day ahead and refrigerate**

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly oil 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish.
Combine pasta, spinach, mozzarella, and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl.
Stir in warm hot tomato mixture.
Place in prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese over top.
Bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 minutes.

-Inspired by Epicurious, from www.yourhomebasedmom.com

Zucchini Bread

From Smitten Kitchen

Yield: 2 loaves or approximately 24 muffins

3 eggs
1 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all­purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips or a combination thereof (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans, liberally. (See those pictures of the cakes inside their non­stick pans? Yup, they’re pretty much hanging out in there for the time being.) Alternately, line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla.
Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit, if using.
Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.
Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will bake far more quickly, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. 

Quinoa Meatloaf

If you aren't comfortable replacing all of your ground beef with quinoa, I would highly recommend this recipe for meatloaf...it's about 2/3 beef and 1/3 quinoa and most people can't even tell it's not all meat. This recipe makes a medium sized loaf. 

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa (I have used leftover quinoa from Quinoa Taco night) or 1/2 cup dry quinoa if it's uncooked

3/4 of a pound of ground beef (or ground turkey)

1 tsp Olive Oil

1 onion, chopped (I used red, and only half)

2 cloves garlic, chopped (I used more like 5 cloves)

2 TBSP ketchup

2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1 egg (forgot this... ha!)

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Topping: 2 TBSP packed brown sugar, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp water

Directions:

If your quinoa is not already cooked, then measure out 1/2 cup dry quinoa and 1 cup water into a small pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 12-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a pan, heat the Olive Oil over medium-high heat and add the onions. Stir and cook for a few minutes, or until they are softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

Mix up the topping in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the uncooked meat, the cooled quinoa, the cooked onions and garlic, and all other remaining ingredients. It is best if you can mix this all together with your hands.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with tinfoil. Fill with the mixture and pour the topping over the entire meatloaf. (Or do as I did and use a cookie sheet and form a loaf mound... this gets you more of the yummy meatloaf edges.)

Bake for 50 minutes, making sure the meat is no longer pink and totally cooked. I like to pour a little of the grease out when I remove it from the oven. Let it cool a little before serving because it will be very hot.

Best Cheese Ball Ever

This is a Christmas tradition for my family (recipe courtesy of Kori Leary)

2 - 8oz. Cream Cheese                                 
1/2 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese                 
1 tsp. Chopped Chives (optional-I omit)     
1 tsp. Garlic Salt  
1 tsp. Parsley (I use dried)                                       
1 - 5oz. Old English Kraft Spread
1 Tb. Miracle Whip
1/2 tsp. Onion, grated (with juice)
1 tsp. Lemon Juice 

Mix all ingredients together. If mixture does not seem stiff enough to roll, can chill it in the refrigerator for an hour before rolling in nuts. Roll in chopped nuts (I prefer finely chopped pecans) to form a cheese ball.  Can chill overnight. We love it served with Chicken and a Biscuit crackers.

One Hour Rolls (delicious)

2 T. yeast
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c.warm water
1/2 c. melted butter
4 1/2 c. flour sifted
2 eggs
combine yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add warm water and stir until dissolved. Add flour, butter and eggs. Let rise until double (about one hour). Form into rolls (I prefer cloverleaf) and place in a greased pan. Let rise 5 minutes more. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 425 degrees. (recipe from Erin Harding)

Homemade Almond Toffee

2 C butter.
2 C sugar.
1/4 tsp salt.
2 C chocolate chips.
1 C chopped almonds.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Combine butter, sugar and salt. Melt and bring to boil, stirring occasionally, until it turns to caramel color (be sure not to wait too long or the bottom will burn).

Pour mixture on cookie sheet and spread evenly. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and once melted spread evenly.  Sprinkle chopped almonds and let it cool.

Break up into pieces when fully cooled off. (If you like a lot of almonds, you can spread the cookie sheet with almonds before you spread the toffee mixture.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Mix together:

3 C. flour                                 2 C. sugar            

½ C. cocoa                               1 tsp. salt                 2 tsp. soda

Add:

2/3 C. oil                                 2 C. water                 2 Tb. vinegar                      2 tsp. vanilla

          Fill cupcake papers 2/3 full of above mixture

Filling:

1 lg. pkg. cream cheese            1 egg

1/3 C. sugar                                      ¼ tsp. salt

Mix together until fluffy then add 1 pkg. chocolate chips. 

          Drop one heaping teaspoonful of cream cheese mixture into each cupcake.  Bake for 25 min. at 350.  

**After they cool from baking, I refrigerate them over night and serve them cool the next day. I like them better this way! Refrigerate to keep fresh because of the cream cheese.