Favorite Recipes

It's that time again: to bring out the big guns and creative faculties for the Royal Foodie Joust over at the forum presided over by Jenn the Left Over Queen . Peter at Kalofogas was the first place winner of July's joust and chose seafood, cilantro (coriander), and sesame as the three ingredients on which this month's battle is based. I vacillated over ideas for 3 weeks before settling. I still have many tricks up my sleeve, but you can submit only one entry. Which is perfectly reasonable, because like I said...I have many tricks up my sleeve. The only sure thing was my ... Read Full Story

The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book: 745 Scrumptious Recipes That Start with Refrigerated Cookie Dough, Cake Mix, Brownie Mix or Ready-to-Eat Cereal Imagine a warm kitchen with the aromas of vanilla, cinnamon and fragrant fresh butter. On the counter was a cooling rack is loaded with fresh from the oven delights filled with chocolate chips and crunchy pecans. Ah, lure the old comfort cookies. Shortcut again all cookies in the oven with an assortment of home baked cookies, all those with refrigerated cookie dough, cake mix or brownie mix. As an added bonus, more than 150 No-Bake Cookie ideas. Some recipes are quick and easy, ... Read Full Story

According to my husband, these are like the Asian version of a burrito. I have had them at P. F. Chang's before , but I thought they were a little heavy on the garlic. So, I found a couple of recipes, combined them, and added some of my own ingredients. This recipe takes a little time to prep, so try to do all the chopping ahead, especially if you are making it for dinner guests. They have a distinct, sweet Asian flavor and make a very nice presentation. They are also low in calories and carbs. You can increase the red pepper flakes if ... Read Full Story

Corn Chowder in the Crock Pot I’m a sucker for corn chowder. I’ll admit it - there’s something about the warm creaminess of it that makes it one of my favorite winter comfort foods. BUT… what makes corn chowder so delicious is often loads of cream and tons of butter. It was hard to imagine a delicious tasting chowder that would also be low in calories. That’s what makes this recipe such a find. Amazingly, it has no actual cream and just 1 tablespoon of butter for 7 servings. Throw the ingredients in your slow cooker in the morning and you’ll have some steaming ... Read Full Story

Fall is here, and this year I wanted to roast pumpkin seeds. Last year was the first time I had ever carved pumpkins, and loved having fresh roasted pumpkin seeds. When I ran out of pumpkin seeds, I tried roasting melon seeds. Not as satisfying as pumpkin seeds, but still worth a try. So, this autumn I decided not to waste the first pumpkin as a Jack O' Lantern, and tried making pickled pumpkin. The first pumpkin turned out to be too big, but I didn't realize this until I had enough pumpkin cut up for one batch of pickled pumpkin -- just a ... Read Full Story

Photo © [S Khalsa] Pumpkins and winter squash are autumn traditions in America. These are foods early Americans depended on for survival, and which are still enjoyed widely today. Carving Jack-O-Lanterns , baking fresh pumpkin pie, or using squash in vegetable dishes, such as subji for langar , all produce a quantity of seeds which can be roasted for a tasty snack. Try this recipe for curried pumpkin seeds seasoned with the flavors of Punjab in Northern India. Read Full Story

Cherie' rolling out the dough... Yesterday, was spent at my friend and neighbor’s home. Cherie’s is not only one of my dearest friends, but she’s also an awesome baker (I swear that’s not the reason I love her!) She and her mother, Marilynn, bake their delicious rolls to sell to neighbors and friends. Then they send every bit of the money to a school and orphanage in Kenya. Their tireless efforts have helped to feed, clothe and educate some of the world’s neediest children. They are women who are the best examples of resourcefulness, hard work and a whole lot of heart. Cherie’ was ... Read Full Story