Dinner Party

Last night, a group of my husband's co-workers (including his new boss, who was in town from Atlanta) came over for dinner.  There were seven of us in all, and I made enough food to feed at least 20 people.  Oh well, I'd rather have too much than too little.

I didn't take pictures of anything; I was a bit too busy for that.  The menu included:

• Flatbread pizzas; one with a fresh tomato, sun-dried tomato, pepper bacon, fresh mozzarella, and basil topping... and one with a caramelized onion, gorgonzola, bacon and honey topping.
• Lasagna made with ground turkey, spinach and large portabella mushrooms (half had mushrooms)
• Cream-sauce pasta with onions, garlic, shallots, chicken, baby portabellas and marsala wine
• Italian salad with romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, jumbo black olives, red onion slices and peppercorncini
• Rosemary and olive oil breadsticks
• Homemade tiramisu

The tiramisu is something that I recently discovered to be very easy to make and incredibly delicious.  I could not, for the life of me, find ladyfingers at any local grocery store, so I substituted frozen pound cake; you can't tell the difference!  I'll post the recipe here and will try and remember to take a picture the next time I make it.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz. tub of marscapone cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons of amaretto liquor
• 3/4 cup of strong espresso or very strong coffee
• 1 Sara Lee (or comparable brand) frozen pound cake
• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder

TO ASSEMBLE

1. Start by taking the frozen pound cake and slicing it into 1/4" slices.  Set these slices aside and allow the cake to thaw
2. In medium-sized bowl, combine the marscapone cheese, sugar and amaretto and beat on medium speed until creamy and thoroughly combined
3. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whip the cup of heavy whipping cream on high speed until stiff peaks form; this will take about 3 minutes
4. Gently fold the cheese/sugar/amaretto mixture into the whipped cream
5. In an 8" x 8" glass baking dish, pour the espresso (coffee) and quickly dip each slice of pound cake into the coffee mixture, flipping over so both sides absorb the liquid
6. Once all the coffee is absorbed, place a layer of pound cake slices in the bottom of the baking dish (you might have to "squish" some of the pieces and cut a few in half to make them fit evenly in the dish) and top with 1/2 of the whipped cream/cheese mixture
7. Place another layer of pound cake slices and top with the remaining half of the cream/cheese mixture
8. Dust with unsweetened cocoa powder - I use a mesh tea strainer to do this; simply put a teaspoon of cocoa in the tea strainer and tap the strainer over the top of the cheesecake - voila!  a light, even dusting of cocoa powder!
9. Cover with foil and refrigerate until you're ready to serve

Chicken Tikka Masala

Last Saturday, I took a break from the Thai curries, and decided to make an Indian curry; Chicken Tikka Masala.  There are numerous variations of this recipe, but I wanted to make one that (I thought) the whole family would like.

It turned out to be a bit too spicy for the wee ones, but Jesse and I really liked it.  This recipe serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

FOR CHICKEN:

• 1 lb. chicken breasts (either 3 or 4 breasts)
• 1/4 Teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground coriander seeds
• 1/2 cup plain, lowfat or non-fat yogurt

FOR CURRY:

• 1 large yellow/sweet onion, diced
  
• 1 Tablespoon finely minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
• 32 oz. Hunts(TM) Petite Diced tomatoes
• 3 Tablespoons Garam Masala
• 1 Teaspoon Thai chili powder
• 2 Tablespoons canned (and drained) green chiles
• 1/4 Teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (at room temperature)
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

FOR RICE:

• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 1 Tablespoon Tumeric
• 1 bag (12 oz.) frozen peas
• 4 Tablespoons salted sweet cream butter

TO PREPARE THE CHICKEN:

1. Season the chicken breasts with ground cumin, ground coriander, and salt
2. Coat each chicken breast with plain yogurt
3. Grill over medium heat until cooked through - about 10 minutes
4. Remove from heat, and let sit for 5 minutes
5. Dice cooked chicken into 1" pieces, and set aside

TO PREPARE THE CURRY:

1. Melt 2 Tablespoons of salted sweet cream butter in a medium-sized skillet
2. Add the diced onions, and saute until golden (about 5 minutes)
3. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, as well as 1/2 Teaspoon of salt to the onions and saute 2 minutes
4. Add 3 Tablespoons of Garam Masala spice and 1 Teaspoon Thai chili powder to the saute pan, as well as 2 Tablespoons canned (drained) green chiles.  Stir to coat ingredients with Garam Masala
5. Next, add the petite diced tomatoes and their juices (remove any pieces of tomato that look green/yellow, and discard), and 1/4 Teaspoon white sugar.  Stir to mix ingredients.
6. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally
7. Right before serving, add 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream, diced chicken breast, and 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro to the pan.  Stir to combine.
8. Serve over rice

TO PREPARE THE RICE:

1. Place 2 cups Basmati rice, 1 Tablespoon Tumeric, 4 Tablespoons salted sweet cream butter and 4 cups of water in a rice cooker.  Set to cook and walk away.
2. When rice finishes cooking, open rice cooker and add the frozen green peas, stirring to combine and heat peas.  Let sit 3 minutes until peas are cooked through.

Spoon rice onto each plate, top with curry/chicken mixture and enjoy!

We served this with fresh vegetarian spring rolls and some garlic Indian Naan bread.

Chipotle Taco Salad

For dinner last night, I went out on a limb and made a new recipe for the family.  Yep, that's right; even the kids were guinea pigs with this one.  I figured since they like similar dishes, this one would be ok for them.  I served it with turkey burgers (I didn't take pics of those), made with ground turkey, cottage cheese, lipton onion soup mix, finely diced onions and chopped fresh parsley.  The burgers are always a hit; our family of 5 goes through 12 burgers!

Ok, back to the salad.  As with many dishes I've made lately, this one is also inspired by Cooking Light.  It takes a bit of time to prepare/chop the ingredients, but I think it's well worth it.

FOR THE SALAD:

• 3 stalks/heads of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cups of cherry/sweet tomatoes, rinsed and halved
• 1 1/2 cups of avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup of red onion, sliced very thinly, and cut into 1.5" strips
• 1 can of sweet corn, rinsed
• 1 can of kidney beans (or black beans, if you prefer) rinsed

FOR THE DRESSING:

• 1 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons minced chipotle chiles canned in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon adobe sauce (from the canned chiles)
• juice from one lime
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons chile powder (I used chipotle pepper powder)
• 2 teaspoons cumin

1. Combine all ingredients for the dressing, and use additional lime juice and/or liquid from the canned sweet corn to thin out if desired
2. Add adobo sauce if you'd like the dressing spicier
3. Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing until fully coated

This was more than enough to feed our family, so be prepared for leftovers if you aren't feeding 8 people!

Wild Mushroom Pasta

I found this recipe on the Cooking Light website, and was very excited to try it.  Not only did it get great reviews, but it was a "light" pasta; something I find difficult to comprehend.  We found the exotic mushroom blend at Trader Joe's on Sunday, and threw this together for our Sunday dinner.  It was fantastic!  Next time, we'll try it with Marsala wine instead of the dry white wine, and we'll also add chicken to the mix.  Can't wait until our next "kid-less" opportunity to refine this one!  The original recipe called for farfalle (bow-tie) pasta, but since we prefer whole wheat pastas, we opted to use penne - it worked out great.

• 1 lb. whole wheat penne pasta, cooked
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 12 ounces of exotic mushroom blend
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow/vidalia onion
• 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2/3 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) fresh-grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. In a medium-sized skillet, over medium-high heat, melt butter
2. Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, onion, salt & pepper to the pan and cook 12 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally
3. Add wine, cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally
4. Remove from heat
5. Add whipping cream, cheese, parsley and cooked pasta; stir to combine
6. Garnish with some fresh minced parsley, fresh-ground black pepper, and a pinch of salt
7. Enjoy!

Oriental Chicken Salad

Another "kid-less" week, and we made a couple new menu items.  Tuesday night, we decided to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a nice Oriental Chicken Salad... yeah, not too traditional ;o)

The recipe is very simple, and it turned out great!  Definitely something to make for those nights when you want to feel like you're eating healthy.  I'm pretty sure this won't qualify as a "low calorie" meal, but it does provide a healthy portion of veggies!

For the actual "salad" part, I used:

• Toasted almonds
• Toasted ramen noodles
• Romaine lettuce
• Chopped celery
• Shredded carrots
• Snap peas
• Diced cucumber
• Slivered red onions
• Sliced green onions
• Halved cherry tomatoes
• Chopped cilantro

For the chicken, I diced one boneless skinless breast into 1" cubes, and marinated in a mixture of 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1/4 cup white sugar.  Cook the chicken over medium-high heat, adding a bit of marinade to create a glaze.

For the dressing, ingredients are:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• Seasoning packet from a package of oriental-flavored ramen noodles

All the ingredients should be combined/shaken, and drizzled over the prepared salad.

It was definitely something we could make again.  The chicken was the best part; it turned out sweet, salty and very tender.

Mango Sticky Rice

After we had our cashew chicken stir-fry last week, I made mango sticky rice for dessert.  The kids have never had this one before, and were a bit skeptical about how rice could be a dessert. They ended up liking it, though.  Score one for evil step-mom!  This recipe was more than enough for our family of five.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c. of sweet (glutenous) rice
• 1 c. of cold water (to start rice soaking)
• 3/4 c. of cold water (to cook rice)
• 1/2 c. white sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 can (14 oz.) light coconut milk, divided into amounts equaling 1/2 c. and 1/4 c.
• 1 Tbsp. shredded coconut
• 2 Tbsp. toasted shredded coconut (for garnish)
• 1 ripe mango, diced

1. in a heavy-bottomed pan, soak the rice in 1 c. cold water for 30 minutes.
2. meanwhile, whisk together the following ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside

• 1/2 c. white sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. light coconut milk

        3.  After rice has soaked for 30 minutes, add the following ingredients to the pan:

• 3/4 c. water (this is in addition to the water you've used to soak the rice)
• 1 Tbsp. shredded coconut
• 1/4 c. light coconut milk

        4.  Bring these ingredients to a simmer over medium heat

        5.  Reduce heat to low and cover for 20 minutes

        6.  After 20 minutes, uncover rice and stir in the suger/salt/coconut milk mixture

        7.  Cover and let stand for 15 minutes

        8.  Serve with diced fresh mango and toasted shredded coconut

Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

My step-kids love, love, love stir-fry and this is one of their absolute favorites.  We try to use a wide variety of vegetables, but we stay away from bell peppers 'cause I can't handle 'em.  I'm sure it would be fantastic with bell peppers if you'd like to add them in!  The recipe below feeds our family of five.

• 2 1/2 cups of jasmine rice

     CHICKEN & MARINADE

• 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts - diced into 1" cubes
• 3/4 c. light (low-sodium) soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. corn starch

     STIR-FRY VEGETABLES/INGREDIENTS

• 1 head of broccoli, chopped
• 2 handfuls of snap or sugar peas in the pod
• 1 bunch of green onions, sliced
• 2 stalks of celery, sliced
• 1 large handful of shredded carrots
• 1 1/2 cups of roasted, unsalted cashews
• handful of fresh bean sprouts
• 1 - 14 oz. can of pineapple chunks in pineapple juice (not heavy syrup), reserve juice for sauce

     SAUCE INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce
• 3 Tbsp. corn starch
• 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 3/4 c. chicken broth
• Juice from canned pineapple
• 3 tsp. ginger
• 3 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce (light or regular, whichever you prefer)

1. Combine the marinade ingredients and marinade the chicken for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
2. Prepare rice according to directions
3. Combine all the sauce ingredients and set aside
4. Using about 3 Tbsp. of olive or peanut oil in a heated wok, fry the chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
5. When chicken is finished cooking, add the pea pods and broccoli to the wok, and stir-fry for 2 minutes
6. Add remaining vegetables, pineapple and cashews to the wok and stir-fry until heated, but firm.
7. Pour the prepared sauce into the wok, and stir-fry for 5 minutes, until sauce thickens and vegetables are the desired firmness for eating.
8. Serve with cooked rice
9. Apologize, because you can never seem to cook enough of this, and the kids always want more.

Weekend Fare

Since it was just Jesse and me this weekend - no kids - we tried some new things in the kitchen. On Saturday, we bought some fantastic fresh Tuna steak, and decided to do a grill-only meal: bruschetta, broccoli and tuna.  Not only was it an incredibly healthy dinner, it was delicious!

The tuna was pre-seasoned with a mixture of wasabi, honey, oil and lemon, and it was grilled for about 4 minutes on each side.  For the broccoli, a splash of lemon juice along with some lemon-pepper seasoning and about 8 minutes on the grill (indirect heat).  The bruschetta was a simple combination of toasted Italian bread, tomatoes, balsamic, olive oil, basil and fresh-grated parmesan.

Yesterday, I saw a recipe online for homemade soft pretzels.  As a carb-junkie, I decided that we had to make these.  They turned out great, and now we're thinking of different ways to use the pretzel dough as a dinner item.  Somehow, I envision it wrapped around a mixture of chicken and vegetables.  We'll have to wait until the next kid-free weekend before we do some experimenting. There's no way we can risk a meal failure with three growing kids in the house - it would be a disaster!

Lemon-Pepper Pappardelle Pasta

Yesterday, we decided to use the Lemon Pepper Pappardelle pasta we bought a month or so ago at Trader Joe's.

Around 2:00, I splashed a bit of lemon juice and sprinkled a bit of lemon pepper seasoning on two chicken breasts, then put them in the fridge to marinate for a few hours.

Jesse came home after work, and we started making dinner.

It all came together very quickly.

• 1 pkg. Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper Pappardelle pasta
• 2 chicken breasts, seasoned with lemon juice and lemon pepper
• 2 Tbsp. salted butter
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. onion salt
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 5 stalks of asparagus, trimmed of "woody" ends, and sliced on the bias into 1.5" pieces
• 1/2 cup of frozen sweet peas
• 1/2 cup of shredded or matchstick carrots

1. In a saute pan, over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp. butter
2. To the melted butter, whisk in 2 Tbsp. flour and make a roux
3. Slowly add 1 cup of chicken broth, whisking until incorporated into the roux
4. Slowly add 1 cup of 1% or skim milk, whisking until incorporated
5. Stir in garlic powder, onion salt and fresh ground pepper and bring to a slow boil
6. reduce heat to low and stir occassionally
7. After sauce thickens, add frozen peas and carrots and continue stirring occasionally
8. Cook pasta according to package directions.  When 1 minute remains in the pasta cooking time, add asparagus to the water and stir.
9. Drain pasta and asparagus and set aside
10. Over medium heat, grill chicken breasts until cooked through.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then slice into 1" strips.
11. Combine pasta, asparagus and sauce, mixing well to ensure noodles are coated.
12. Spoon pasta and sauce onto plate, and top with the chicken breasts.

Mexican Lasagna

About a year ago, my husband was attending school a few nights a week and I was left to figure out dinner for the family all on my own.

Having about 3 years of real cooking under my belt at that point, I started to branch out and "create" recipes, rather than "follow" them.

The clear winner was the Mexican Lasagna, which I will be making for the family tonight.  It's very simple, but takes a bit of time to assemble.  It can be made ahead and frozen - just remember to thaw it a few hours before you bake it.

One 9x13 pan will feed our family of 5... so I guess it's probably 15 servings or so :-)

• 1 jar of Target brand Archer Farms(TM) Chili Verde Cooking Sauce
• 1 package of Target brand Archer Farms(TM) Whole Wheat Tortillas (you can use any tortillas, but these have a wonderful, sweet flavor, and they really DO make a difference)
• 1 can Green Enchilada sauce - any brand
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can of sweet corn, drained - any brand
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed - any brand
• 1 can of diced green chiles, drained - any brand
• 1 bunch of cilantro, leaves picked and chopped
• 1 bunch of green/spring onions, sliced
• 4 cups of shredded taco or mexican blend cheese
• Crystal Farms(TM) Chipotle Cheddar cheese - found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store by the other brick cheeses *
• 4 diced Roma tomatoes, for garnish
• 1 head of lettuce, shredded / 1 bag of shredded lettuce
• salsa, for garnish
• sour cream, for garnish

1. In a slow cooker, place the chicken breasts, Archer Farms(TM) Chile Verde sauce and Enchilada sauce.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 3 to 4 hours.
2. When chicken is cooked through and tender, remove from sauce and shred on a platter.  This can be done using 2 forks.  Reserve sauce from the slow cooker - you will use it in the lasagna.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
4. Coat the bottom and sides of a deep, 9"x13" baking pan with a few small ladles-full of sauce from the slow cooker
5. Place 2 whole what tortillas in the bottom of the pan, trimming if necessary
6. Top with 1/3 of the shredded chicken, then layer on 1/3 of the black beans, corn, cilantro, green onions and green chiles
7. Next, spoon on 1/3 of the sauce from the slow cooker, and top with 1/3 of the shredded cheese
8. Top with 2 more tortillas and repeat the process, layering as you would a regular lasagna
9. Finish the process with a layer of cheese on top.
10. *If you found the Chipotle Cheddar cheese, use this on the top of the lasagna, in addition to the mexican/taco cheese you used throughout the other layers.  This smoky cheese has great flavor!
11. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes
12. Remove from oven and let stand for about 5 minutes before slicing
13. Serve with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream and salsa

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Pasta

During the weeks that the kids are at the Momster's house, Jesse and I like to be a bit more creative in our cooking than we usually are. The kids are actually GREAT about eating different types of foods, and don't often turn their noses up at anything we put in front of them.  However, there are a few dishes that we make which we will not prepare for the kids.

This Jamaican Jerk Chicken Pasta is one of those dishes.  The pasta has a bit too much spice for my step-daughter and youngest step-son.  So, we enjoy it when they're not with us.

It's been quite a while since we made this dish, and it was every bit as good as we remembered!!

JERK CHICKEN PASTA (serves 4)

• 12 oz. whole grain penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
  
• 4 chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
  
• 2 tsp. Walkers Wood Jerk Paste (can be found online or at some specialty stores).  This flavor makes the pasta, so if you live in central MN, you can pick it up at the Cornerstone Cafe in Monticello for about $8/bottle.  A bottle lasts a LONG time!
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 clove of garlic, pressed
• 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/4 cup sliced portabella mushrooms
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup of 1% or skim milk
• 1/8 cup dry white wine
• 2 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice, PLUS 1 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice (for garnish)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, PLUS 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)
• 1/2 cup frozen sweet peas
• 1/4 cup sliced sundried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh-grated parmesan cheese (for garnish)

1. Marinate chicken breast in 2 tsp. jerk paste for at least an hour
   
2. Saute chicken breasts in 1 tbsp. olive oil, over medium heat, then remove and set aside
3. To the pan, add 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. flour and make a roux
4. Add  garlic, mushrooms and onions.  Stir constantly, until onions and mushrooms have softened - about 2 minutes
5. Add 1 cup chicken stock, 1/4 cup white wine, 2 tbsp. lime juice and 1/2 cup milk, and stir until the mixture has thickened
6. Add cilantro and 1/4 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper to pan, and stir to mix
7. Reduce heat to medium-low and add sundried tomatoes and peas.  Simmer for 5 minutes
8. Return cooked, diced chicken breast to pan and stir to coat with sauce
9. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce mixture and stir to coat
10. Garnish with a bit of fresh cilantro and a light sprinkle of lime juice

RECIPE - Chicken Curry with Coconut

This makes enough for 4 to 5 adults

RICE

1. Prepare 2 cups of white rice (jasmine rice is great for this dish; basmati will work well), according to package directions.

TOASTED COCONUT

1. Toast 1 cup of shredded, sweetened coconut over medium heat in a small saute pan.  Stir constantly to keep from burning - it should take about 5 minutes for the coconut to turn a golden brown.  Remove from heat and set aside.

FRIED CHICKEN

• 1 pkg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced and coated in cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

1. In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, warm the sesame oil and olive oil.
2. Fry cornstarch-coated chicken in the mixture of sesame oil and olive oil.
3. Remove chicken and set aside.

CURRY SAUCE

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 cans of coconut milk
• 2 tsp. red curry paste (more or less, depending on you preference for spicy foods)
• 5 kaffir lime leaves, scored/sliced.  These can be found at a local asian store, and should be removed from the dish before serving, as they are not to be eaten.
• 1 zucchini, julienned
• 1 cup shredded or matchstick cut carrots
• 1 cup frozen sweet peas

1. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, heat the olive oil.
2. Add the onion and stir until soft, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the curry paste, and stir to coat the onions.
4. Add the coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves to the pan and bring to a boil.  Boil for 2 minutes, stirring.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes on low, stirring occasionally.
6. Have a glass of wine 'cause you have the time!
7. While the sauce is thickening, mix the ingredients for the peanut sauce (recipe below).
8. After the curry sauce has thickened, remove the kaffir lime leaves and turn heat back up to medium.
9. Add the cooked chicken, zucchini, peas and carrots to the sauce and cook for 10 minutes.
10. In a large tea cup/small bowl, pack a the cooked white rice.  Turn the cup upside-down on a plate and gently pat the bottom of the cup/bowl, until the rice falls out.
11. Arrange 1/4 of the curry sauce, chicken and vegetable mixture around the rice.
12. Place about 1 tbsp. of the peanut sauce directly on top of the rice.
13. Garnish with toasted coconut, and serve.

PEANUT SAUCE

• 1/4 cup of peanut butter (chunk or creamy will work)
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. chili sauce (cayenne pepper will work well, too, but adjust to 1/8 tsp.)
• 4 tbsp. hot water
• 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. rice wine

1. Stir all ingredients, combining well.
2. Place in a small sauce pan over medium heat and stir until heated through.
3. More water can be used to thin out the sauce, if needed.

RECIPE - Fajita Burritos

This recipe feeds a crowd - about 10 adults.

• 1.5 lbs. of chicken breasts, cut into 1.5" pieces
• World Harbors fajita marinade (also found in the Organic section of the grocery store as Adobo Sauce)
  
• 1 can of Butter Kernel Corn 'N Peppers (gold colored label), drained
  
• 1  can of Rotel Diced tomatoes with Lime Juice and Cilantro, drained with the exception of 1/4 of the liquid
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 orange pepper, 1 red pepper, and 1 yellow pepper sliced into strips measuring 1/4" wide x 2" long
• 1 medium-sized red onion cut in half horizontally, then sliced into wedges about 1/2" wide
• 1 bunch of cilantro, rinsed and picked, then chopped
• 2 cups (dry) white rice (basmati works well), cooked
• Juice from 1 lime
• Sour Cream (for garnish)
• Shredded mexican cheese/taco cheese
• Large burrito-style flour tortillas

1. Marinade the chicken in 1 cup of the World Harbors fajita marinade for at least an hour
2. Cook the rice
3. While rice is cooking, fry the chicken in a large skillet/saute pan over medium heat.
4. After the chicken is cooked, add the peppers and onion slices to the pan, stirring to evenly coat with marinade.  Saute for 10 minutes, until vegetables have softened.
5. Add the Corn 'N Peppers, black beans and Rotel tomatoes (with reserved juice) to the pan.  Cover and turn heat down to low.  Let stand until rice is finished.
6. When rice is finished, empty into a large bowl and toss with cilantro and lime juice.
7. Mix the contents of the saute pan in with the rice, and toss.
8. Warm the tortillas and serve with filling, sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.

RECIPE - Fresh Salsa

* 4 cans of Hunts Petite Diced tomatoes, about half the liquid strained  (I'm picky, and I remove all the "yellow" pieces, as well as the "core" pieces.)

* 1 large white onion, finely diced

* 4 jalapeno peppers, finely diced - seeds and white membranes removed

* 1 bunch of cilantro (large stems removed), chopped

* 2 cloves of garlic, pressed

* 1/4 teaspoon cumin

* 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

* 1 teaspoon sugar

Mix all ingredients together, serve with tortilla chips

*Keeps in the refrigerator for about 5 days in an airtight container.