March 2019 Recipes

March 2019 Recipes

Savory Sweet Potato Balls from Debbie Bouton

1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled and cut into small chunks

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons almond meal or ground pecans

5/8 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

4 tablespoons thinly sliced spinach leaves

1 medium shallot, minced

6 tablespoons finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Steam sweet potato pieces over medium eat in medium pot until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Allow sweet potatoes to cool slightly, then place them in a food processor. Add olive oil, almond meal, salt, garlic powder, oregano, and thyme and process until smooth. Turn food processor off, and mix in spinach, shallot, and pecans until well distributed.

Using slightly wet hands, round a tablespoonful of batter into a smooth ball, with slightly flat bottom. Drop batter on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before removing from parchment paper and serving. Makes 28 balls.

Lemon Cream Tarts from Debbie Bouton

10-ounce jar of Lemon Curd

1/6 cup sour cream

Tart shells

Whipped cream

Raspberries and mint leaves for decoration

Mix lemon curd and sour cream and fill tart shell with mixture. Top with whipped cream, mint leaf, and a berry.

Italian Chicken from Susan Oleson

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 16-ounce bottle of Girard’s Italian dressing

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

Coat slow cooker with cooking spray. Add chicken to slow cooker. Add rest of ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend together. Pour contents over chicken; flip chicken to cover both sides. Cover and cook on low for about 7 hours, or high for 3-4 hours.   

Rainbow Fruit Salad from Debbie Bouton

1 small fresh pineapple (or ½ large one), cored and cut into small wedges/pieces
1 mango, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 peach, sliced and cut into smaller pieces
1 nectarine, sliced and cut into smaller pieces
½ pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 medium-size package (about 11 ounces) fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon finely chopped or julienned fresh mint leaves

Add all the cut fruit to a large bowl, and if not cold already, chill for about 30 minutes. Pour the Citrus Honey Dressing over it, and sprinkle in the julienned/chopped mint; toss everything together, and serve immediately. (If making slightly ahead, you can just keep the cut fruit in a bowl in the fridge, and when ready to serve, toss with the citrus-honey dressing and the mint, and serve.

Citrus-Honey Dressing:

2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice
½ tablespoon fresh lime juice

Add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until well-combined; use immediately, or keep covered and refrigerated until ready to use. (Best used as soon as possible after being prepared for best flavor.)

Herbed Quinoa Salad from Margie Orell

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons warm water
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
A handful of parsley leaves
Salad:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
8 leaves romaine lettuce
3 carrots, peeled
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup chopped herbs (basil, parsley, green onion)
Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving.

Puree the dressing ingredients until smooth.  Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cook the quinoa according to package directions.  When finished cooking, chill in the refrigerator for a while, even overnight. Shred the lettuce into pieces.  Cut the carrots into small pieces.  Toss the tomatoes, carrots, and chopped herbs together.  Toss the quinoa with the dressing; add the carrots, tomatoes and herb mixture.  When ready to serve, toss with the lettuce.

Flourless Chocolate Cake from Margie Orell

½  cup water
¼  teaspoon sea salt
¾  cup granulated sugar
2 ¼  cups chocolate chips (suggest 60 percent chocolate or darker)
1 cup salted butter
6 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Grease one round cake pan and set aside.  Use greased parchment on the bottom for easier cake removal)
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, salt and sugar.  Stir until completely dissolved.  Set aside. Melt chocolate chips and pour into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into pieces and beat into the chocolate one piece at a time. Mix in the warm water/salt/sugar mixture until completely smooth. Slowly beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Put the cake pan in a larger pan and fill the larger pan with boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of your cake pan.  Be careful not to get water into the cake mixture.
Bake cake in the water bath at 300 degrees F for 45 minutes.  The center will look wet but the edge will look done. Remove the cake from the water bath and let it cool on a wire rack. Chill cake overnight for at least 6 hours. Carefully lift your parchment paper with cake out of its pan.  Put it on a serving plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Orzo Salad from Susan Oleson

8 ounces dried orzo pasta cooked in salted water according to package directions, then cooled

1 ½ cups cucumber, diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained

¼ cup red onion, minced

½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

½ cup red/orange/green peppers, chopped

¼ cup kalamata olives, halved

¼ cup carrots, shaved

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing:

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Place the cooked and cooled orzo pasta with all other salad ingredients in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the pasta mixture and toss to coat.

Rosemary Shortbread Cookies from Susan Oleson

1 cup butter, softened

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced

½ teaspoon sea salt

In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. In a small bowl, combine the flour, rosemary, and salt, and gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape into two 8-inch rolls and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate overnight. Cut into ¼-inch slices and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Cool for one minute before removing from pans to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.