Garlic Mayonnaise

2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Stir everything together. Yum! Dip for veggies or shrimp.

Oatmeal Cake

Good as a snack or dessert. You can even get by doing it for breakfast, if you wanted.

1 cup of oatmeal (thick rolled or old fashioned) plus 1.5 cups boiling water. Mix and set aside.

Mix:
1/2 C oil (mild-flavored such as canola or walnut)
3/4 C brown sugar
3/4 C white sugar
2 eggs

Sift and add:
1.5 C whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 T cinnamon

Add the oat mixture last and mix. Bake at 350 (in a 9x13" pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray) for 30-35 min.

Optional frosting:
Take half a block of Neufchatel cheese with half a cup of whipping cream. Add powdered sugar to taste. Whip in a stand mixer until very light and fluffy. Frost cake and put in refrigerator to set.


Notes:
This is how the recipe was given to me. When I make it, because I know I can't stay out of it, I use half the oil and 1/2 cup of each of the sugars. I also toss in about 1/2 cup of flax meal. That's how I like it, but you may like it sweeter. I have not tried the frosting, but the cake really is fantastic. It would be perfect for a brunch.

Lefse

3 C potato flakes
1 T sugar
3 C skim milk
1 3/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter (1/2 cup; do not use margarine)

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a medium saucepan heat milk and butter until butter melts and milk is foamy (do not boil). Pour milk mixture over dry ingredients and blend well. Cover with a damp cloth resting on the potato mixture; then cover the bowl. Chill overnight or at least 8 hours.

Blend 1 1/2 cups of flour into the potatoes with a pastry or electric mixer (do not use your hands or the dough will become too warm). Keeping dough cold, roll an ice cream scoop sized bit into a ball. Flatten and dust with flour. Place on a well-floured, cloth covered surface and roll thin using a floured grooved rolling pin, flipping the dough a few times as you roll.

Heat the lefse grill to 500 degrees. Transfer the rolled dough to the grill with a lefse stick. Cook until browned (about 30 seconds); flip and cook the other side (about 15 seconds). Remove the cooked lefse and place between two pieces of cloth where it will continue to cook. Repeat with the remaining dough.

After the lefse is cool it may be kept in a breathable container or frozen for longer term storage. Older lefse may be refreshed by placing it in a microwave oven and heating on high for about 10 seconds.

Makes 15-25 pieces, depending on size.

NOTE: Potato Buds changed their recipe in 2010. Using the newer Potato Buds, adjust amount of potatoes to 2.25 cups.

Butternut Squash and Roasted Garlic Puree

1 large or 2 small butternut squash (4lbs)
20 cloves of garlic (1.5-2 heads)
4 T olive oil, divided
¼ C water
2 leeks, finely chopped
5 C stock (chicken or vegetable)
salt and pepper to taste
2 T finely chopped chives

Preheat oven to 350. Peel, seed and cut squash into 1” slices.

In a large roasting pan, combine squash, garlic and 2 T of the oil. Toss. Pour in the water. Roast, stirring occasionally until the garlic and squash are golden and soft, 50-60 min. Add more water if the squash begins to scorch.

While the squash and garlic are roasting, in a heavy frying pan over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 T of oil. Add leeks and sauté until golden brown, 12-15 min. Set aside.

In a blender, in batches, combine roasted squash, garlic and lees with 1 cup of the stock. Puree until very smooth, about 1 min. Transfer pureed squash to a large saucepan. Stir in remaining 4 cups of stock and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle into warmed bowls and garnish with chives.

4-6 servings


[based on 4 servings]

Calories 386
Calories from Fat 134

Total Fat 14.9g (23%)
Saturated Fat 2.2g (11%)
Cholesterol 0mg (0%)
Sodium 985mg (41%)
Total Carbohydrates 65.3g (22%)
Dietary Fiber 10.2g (41%)
Sugars 12.8g
Protein 7.1g

Vit A 981% Vit C 177%
Calcium 29% Iron 25%
Nutrition Grade A

My Favorite Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce (or to taste)
2 tablespoons Splenda (or sugar or brown sugar)
1 heaping teaspoon fresh chopped garlic (a couple cloves)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 drops tabasco sauce (or to taste)
1/3 cup hot water

Mix everything together and pour over soba noodles or spaghetti noodles. Makes a couple cups (2-3 servings).

Also try:
Add chicken or tofu
Add fresh broccoli
Use brown rice instead of noodles
Add 6 drops of sesame seed oil
Substitute a third of the peanut butter with sesame tahini
Top with fresh scallions and edamame

Chili Stew

3 14 oz. cans spicy chili beans
3 14 oz. cans crushed or diced tomatoes
1 14 oz. can tomato sauce
3 medium-large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 bundle of broccoli, cut into heads
1 tablespoon chili powder (or more to taste)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
hot sauce or tabasco sauce to taste

Put everything except for the broccoli into a crock pot and cook on high for 1 hour. Turn heat to low and cook for 3 hours. Add broccoli and cook for another hour on low.

Makes a ton! About 10 servings or more. (To make less leave out one can of beans and one can of crushed tomatoes.)

Key Lime Bars

Crust:
1 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
2/3 cup fresh Key lime juice (about 2-3 Key limes total)
1 cup sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
2 1/2 tablespoons finely ground graham cracker crumbs (for garnish)

Just before serving top with:
1/4 cup heavy cream, whipped
2 Key limes, thinly sliced into half-moons

1. Make crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a small bowl. Press evenly onto bottom of an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Bake until dry and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. (Leave oven on.)

2. Make filling: Put egg yolks and lime zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on high speed until very thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add condensed milk in a slow, steady stream, mixing constantly. Raise speed to high; mix until thick, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add lime juice; mix until just combined.

3. Spread filling evenly over crust using a spatula. Sprinkle the 2 ½ tablespoons cracker crumbs over top. Bake, rotating dish halfway through, until filling is just set, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight).

4. Cut into 2-by-2-inch bars. Put cream in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the clean whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Garnish bars with whipped cream and a slice of lime. Ungarnished bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.

makes about 16