PEANUT BUTTER PRETZEL BITES

Peanut Better Pretzel Bites

from www.sweetpeaskitchen.com

Tori and I made these in October 2014.  It was almost Halloween so we didn't really need more goodies, but it was very easy and fun and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 T softened butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar

bite size pretzels
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside

In a bowl, beat peanut butter and butter until combined. add sugars and beat.  You should be able to roll the mixture into balls without sticking to your hands.  If needed add more powdered sugar until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll. Roll the mixture into small balls, Sandwich the balls between two pretzels and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Don't use too much as your goal is making a one-bite treat. Place in freezer for 30 minutes.

While that is chilling, melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water. When melted smooth, dip each pretzel bite halfway into the melted chocolate and place on prepared baking sheet. chill in fridge or freezer until chocolate is set.

Eat!

STUFFED PEPPERS SOUP

From www.willcookforsmiles.com



One:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
3 T olive oil
1 large tomato, peeled and diced (I used a can of petite diced tomatoes)
1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 yellow bell pepper, 1/2 green bell pepper (diced). I got a pack of mini peppers and chopped those all up, no green pepper but it was very good)
3 cups beef broth
2 T tomato paste
1 tsp dry basil
1/2 tsp dry oregano
salt and pepper

Rice to mix in if you are going to eat it all at one sitting, or put a big spoon of rice in the bowl and pour soup over if you are planning leftovers the next day.

Two:

Heat up oil, add onion, tomato and peppers (canned tomatoes later if using those). saute for a few minutes.
Add Ground beef , cook until beef is done.
Add broth and tomato paste.
Add basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
Cook about 15 minutes, covered.

So quick and hearty.  We had cornbread baked in my 8" cast iron skillet and home made applesauce.  Perfect for a Fall day when you remember how good soup can be.

I made this one night when Tori was visiting.  We also made peanut butter pretzel bites (look under desserts) so that might explain why Tori didn't eat too much of it.

                                                  Early November at our house in 2014

CIOPPINO from James Beard

1 sea bass or striped bass
1 lb shrimp
1 quart clams or mussels
1/4 lb dried mushrooms
1 West Coast crab or lobster

3 or 4 tomatoes
1 green pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 T chopped parsley
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 pint red wine
Salt, pepper

Cut raw fish into serving size pieces. shell shrimp, clean and steam clams and save the liquid. Soak the mushrooms in cold water. break crab apart. peel and chop tomatoes and chop green pepper.

Place olive oil in deep pot; when hot, add onion garlic, parsley, mushrooms and green pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and paste, wine and liquid from clams. Salt and pepper to taste. cover and simmer 30 min. add cut up fish, shrimp and crab, and cook until done. Serve with red wine and garlic bread.

Zucchini Pesto

Recipe from Bon Appetit


1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup nuts, toasted or raw
2 garlic cloves
3 small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup freshly grated parmeson cheese
1/2 cup + 2 T olive oil

Blend basil, nuts and garlic in processor. Add zucchini, cheese and green onion. process until coarsely chopped. Add oil. process until finely chopped. salt and pepper.

serve along side fish or chicken

or

serve with assorted raw vegetables.

I made on Walker's 24th birthday with Wild Salmon, jasmine rice, grilled zucchini.

Curried Coconut Chicken

CURRIED COCONUT CHICKEN

Only five ingredients:

3 T butter, melted
1 cup flaked coconut
2 tsp curry powder
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (or 12 chicken tenders)
                  1/4 tsp salt
1 cup apricot preserves, warmed

1.  Place butter in a shallow bowl.  In another shallow bowl, combine coconut and curry powder.  Dip chicken in butter, then coat with coconut mixture.

2.  Place in greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish; sprinkle with salt. Bake, uncovered at 350. (30 min for breast halves, 20 min for tenders)

3.  warm preserves in a gravy boat.

serve with jasmine rice and a vegetable.

5 ingredient Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

3 (15 oz) CANS BLACK BEANS, with liquid
about 2.5 cups salsa, homemade or store bought
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish
2 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced

Stir all ingredients together in a medium saucepan.  simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally

I used my immersion blender to make a smoother soup.

Serve soup warm topped with additional fresh cilantro as garnish.

Could serve with rice; top with cheese, hard boiled egg yolk.

I made this 4/25/14 and we loved it.

If you make a curry dish the night before, you will have leftover rice to go with this, and use half a bunch of cilantro on the curry and the other half on the bean soup.

We ate it vegetarian, but if you had leftover chicken or roast beef it would be good in it too.

White chicken chili

5-ingredient Easy White chicken chili

15 minutes start to finish

ingredients:
6 cups chicken broth
4 cups cooked shredded chicken
2 (15 oz) cans white beans, drained
2 cups salsa verde

opt: 2 tsp cumin

Add chicken broth, shredded chicken, beans in a medium saucepan and stir to combine.  heat until boiling, then reduce and simmer 5 min.

Serve warm with toppings:

shredded cheese
sour cream
diced avocado
crumbled tortilla chips

We like it with cornbread.

Serves 2-3