Homemade Ginger Ale

2 cups peeled and chopped fresh ginger (I prefer twice as much ginger...I want it to burn)

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 large bottle of sparkling water

fresh limes 

fresh mint leaves

To make the Ginger syrup:  In a medium size sauce pan, heat the water and ginger until it reaches a low simmer.  Simmer for five minutes.  Remove from the heat and cover.  Let stand for 1 hour.  

After one hour, drain the juices through a fine mesh strainer.  Discard the ginger pieces.  Let cool then place in a jar and refrigerate.

To make the Ginger Ale:  In a tall glass, add 1 part lime juice (about 1/2 lime per glass), 2 parts ginger syrup, and 3 parts sparkling water.  Stir to combine the liquids.  Fill glass with ice.  If desired, add fresh mint.

Adjust to your liking.  

Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

I didn't measure any of my veggies, just filled a pan with them. I add zucchini last

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 stalks celery, finely diced (I didn't have celery, and I used broccoli, green peppers, and zucchini instead)
3 carrots, peeled and diced
Frozen corn
2 Tablespoons fresh minced garlic (omitted this)
2 Cups shredded, cooked chicken breast
2 Cups steamed white rice (omitted this)
16 oz prepared wild rice (I get mine at Trader Joes, LOVE it) (just used 4 cups cooked wild brown rice from the freezer section at costco)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (the only seasoning I used was my trusty borsari)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
______
Cheese Sauce
4 Tablespoons butter
1/4 Cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 Cups chicken broth
2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese (used mexican cheese)

Top with 1 1/2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese (I omitted this, plenty cheesy enough)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat oil into a medium dutch oven or pot over medium heat.  Saute onion, celery and carrots until softened, about 10 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in chicken, both rices, salt, pepper and garlic salt.  Reduce heat to low.
2.  To prepare cheese sauce melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium high heat.  Whisk in flour, salt and pepper then slowly pour in chicken broth whisking continuously.  Whisk until thick and nearly boiling then stir in cheese until melted.  Pour cheese sauce into rice mixture then transfer to a 9×13 inch baking dish. Top with additional cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes (I only did about 15) or until cheese is melted through.  Serve.
8-10 servings

 Soooo good!



http://picky-palate.com/2010/09/13/cheesy-chicken-and-wild-rice-casserole/

Yummy Oatmeal/Flax pancakes

These were a hit with my kids--they're new favorites! Adapted from allrecipes.com...

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup brown sugar (optional)
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)


Mix everything together and drop about 1/4 cup of batter at a time onto a griddle. Cook 1-2 minutes then flip.  I add the chocolate chips while they are on the griddle instead of to the batter.

Serve with real maple syrup.


Brie’s  Egg version

1 1/2 cups quick oats (can use regular but kids prefer texture)
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup brown sugar (optional) 
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt 
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

Chocolate chips

Half version (makes about 10)

3/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/8 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad

Complete Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 large Tortillas (click HERE)
• Shredded cheese, Mexican blend
• Cafe Rio Rice (click HERE)
• Cafe Rio Black Beans (click HERE)
• Cafe Rio Sweet Pork (click HERE)
• Lettuce (NOT iceberg, use leafy green or Romaine)
• Diced tomato, onion, and cilantro (pico de gallo)
• Guacamole (click HERE)
• Sour cream
• Tortilla Strips (click HERE)
• Cotija cheese, crumbled (or you can use Parmesan)
• Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch (click HERE)
• OR Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (click HERE)

Instructions

• Here is how we put it all together: First of all, we bought the aluminum deep-dish pans (they had these at the grocery store, you will know when you see them.. they look JUST like the Cafe Rio tins). Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce and a little scoop of diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). Add guacamole (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) and sour cream. Add crushed tortilla chips, a shake of Parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro ranch or vinaigrette dressing and there you have it! (makes about 6 salads)

This is SOOO yummy. I didn't follow it exactly, and it still turned out great. Instead of coke, I used sparkling water and brown sugar. I didn't do the tortillas, tortilla strips (just used chips), the rice, or the vinaigrette. I also just used avocado instead of the guac, and didn't use the cotija or parmesan, or sour cream. I also sauteed some sliced onions and frozen corn, mmmm. Oh, and I used way less tomato juice in the beans.

Zucchini and Rice skillet

This is a very adaptable recipe. I made it the correct way the first time and it was ok, but I could tell there was potential so I made some changes. 

Olive Oil
Chicken (I used 5 chicken tenders)
1 Zucchini diced
diced onion, maybe 1/2 cup
diced green and red pepper (I think I did 1/3 pepper each)
1/2 of a 15 oz can diced tomatoes and juice
1 can black beans, drained
frozen corn
cooked rice (I used the frozen kind you microwave for 3 min, whole bag)
cheese (I used a mexi blend)
seasoning (the only thing I used was borsari original)

Cook the chicken in the oil, cut it into small pieces. While cutting the chicken, I put the zucchini, peppers, and onions in the pan to saute. Add back in chicken when veggies are almost done. Add in tomatoes, black beans and corn. When veggies are done, add in the rice, mix it all up, turn off the heat and sprinkle some cheese. I add seasoning to the chicken, then to the veggies, then again right before the cheese.

Idea originally from here

Borsari Seasoning

This stuff is awesome. We use it on everything, you should buy it. We've seen the orange ginger one at Whole Foods, but not the others. All 3 rock.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HTG6FG/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details

Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup tamari soy sauce (soy sauce)
• 1 cup water
• fresh grated ginger (about 1 tbsp or to your taste)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water

Directions:

1. Combine 1 cup water, tamari, brown sugar, garlic and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
2. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup of cold water and add to sauce.
3. Stir constantly to allow the sauce to thicken.
4. If the sauce is too thick add a little water or tamari to thin.

Note: This is not a sweet sauce, so if you want a sweeter one, add a few more TBS sugar or honey
From here.

Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches raw broccoli, florets only (5 to 6 cups florets)
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped finely
  
• 1/2 cup raisins (one of the rare times that I prefer raisins to craisins)
  
• 10 to 12 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
• 1/2 cup chopped cashews or almonds
  
• 
  
• Dressing:
• 1 cup mayonnaise (we use half mayo, half plain yogurt. Hyrum didn't like the taste of only yogurt)
  
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Preparation:

Separate florets from broccoli stalks and chop into small to medium pieces. Combine salad ingredients; top with dressing mixture (we add it slowly and end up only using about 3/4 of the dressing). Chill and serve.

Adapted from:
http://southernfood.about.com/od/broccolisaladrecipes/r/bl30321h.htm

Raw Brownie

Ingredients:
2 cups whole walnuts (I use half/pieces)
2 ½ cups Medjool dates, pitted (add a few more at a time if needed)
1 cup raw cacao (regular cocoa is fine)
1 cup raw unsalted almonds, roughly chopped (I like half as much, or less)
¼ tsp. sea salt

Directions:
1. Place walnuts in food processor and blend on high until the nuts are finely ground.
2. Add the cacao and salt. Pulse to combine.
3. Add the dates one at a time through the feed tube of the food processor while it is running. What you should end up with is a mix that appears rather like cake crumbs, but that when pressed, will easily stick together (if the mixture does not hold together well, add more dates).
4. In a large bowl (or the pan you plan on putting the brownies in), combine the walnut-cacao mix with the chopped almonds. Press into a lined cake pan or mold. Place in freezer or fridge until ready to serve (it is also easier to cut these when they are very cold). Store in an airtight container.

http://mynewroots.blogspot.com/2011/04/raw-brownie.html

Lemon Cookies

For the cookie (I made 20 cookies with this):

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat until combined. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture.
2. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 1 inch apart. Bake until edges are golden, 12 to 18 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Spread cookies with Lemon Glaze and let set, about 1 hour.

And now for the glaze (this is the original recipe halved, makes the perfect amount):

• 1 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1/6 cup fresh lemon juice

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth.

From Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

Side note: I left off the glaze for Claire, so it wouldn't be messy for her to eat. It tastes kind of like a lemony sugar cookie. But if you can wait a few hours the glaze will be hard and not messy.

Pad Thai

Pre-soak 8 oz of rice noodles.  The noodles are called "rice sticks" at my Asian market. To pre-soak put noodles in a large bowl and cover with room temperature water.  They need to stay there for about 30-45 minutes.  They should be opaque and bendy.  If you bite into them they should be a bit harder than al dente. Drain and rinse when they're ready.

In a wok put:
2-4 T Oil
4 T chopped carrot
4 T coarsely chopped onion
4 T coarsely chopped tomato
4 tsp minced garlic
1 chicken breast

Stir it around until the chicken is cooked through.  Move the ingredients to the side of the wok and add 3-4 beaten eggs.  When they're nearly cooked add up to 3/4 cup of water and all the pre-soaked noodles.  Mix well.

Add:
4 T soy sauce
3-4 tsp sugar
1-2 T chopped green onion
1-2 T bean sprouts (optional)
1/2 T crushed roasted peanuts

Add to taste:
2-4 tsp chili flakes (if you like it spicy...I don't actually add any)
Juice from 1/2-1 lime

Best Yogurt Ever

Buy a tub of plain yogurt (I imagine this would work best with anything other than nonfat).
Pour off any liquid. Cover a large bowl with a clean dishcloth and secure it with a rubber band. Pour the yogurt onto the dishcloth and then cover it with another bowl or plate. Leave it in the fridge overnight. After 12ish hours a lot of liquid will be in the bowl, and you will be left with creamy, wonderful yogurt. Also, the liquid will seep all over the dishcloth, so just be aware.

The best yogurt I've ever tasted is a brand called Noosa. It is to die for. I've replicated the consistency with this "recipe".

What to do next- add vanilla and agave for vanilla yogurt. I like to add vanilla and blueberry jam for amazing blueberry yogurt (like my favorite Noosa). Claire calls it ice cream. Or any kind of jam I'm sure. SO DELICIOUS!

Idea from here

Massamam Curry

In a wok put:
2-4 T oil
4 T shredded carrot
4 T coarsely chopped onion
4 T chopped tomato
4 tsp red chili paste
4 tsp curry powder

Fry until fragrant.  Add a little water if necessary to avoid burning the paste.  Add 1-2 chicken breasts and partially fry.

Add:
3/4 cup water
1.5+ cups coconut milk.
2 carrots, chopped
2 small red potatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, opt
4 T soy sauce
3-5 tsp sugar
lime juice to taste, opt

Simmer, stirring occasionally and uncovered for 1.5-2 hours if possible.

Serves 4

Chili Paste

Blend the following with a mortar and pestle or blender/food processor

2 T green or red chili (red for a red chili paste and vice versa)
1 T Kaffir Lime leaf
1 T Galangal
1 T Lemon Grass
1 T Onion
1 T Garlic
1 T Cumin Powder
1/2 T Soy bean paste or Miso

Blend all ingredients until they are completely crushed and a smooth paste has been created (I started in the mortar and pestle, but the chilis were squirting up into my face - hello burning - so I recommend something else).

This is needed for some of the recipes I learned how to make in Thailand.

Citrus Ginger Smoothie

Orange juice
Frozen strawberries
Frozen pineapple
Fresh lime juice + water or limeade
hunk of fresh ginger
possibly a small piece of banana
possibly a bit of milk

Blend. Adjust to taste. Drink.