Cherry, Pecan & Tarragon Chicken Salad (No Mayo)

No fancy pictures today....just awesome FOOD! We made this chicken salad today with the leftover ingredients from my last post, Cherry, Pecan & Tarragon Brussel Sprouts W/Madeira Wine Reduction.



I must say it was FABULOUS. My kids said the only problem was that I didn't make more! That made me one happy mama. So happy in fact, that I had to share this amazingly simple recipe. Best of

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Cherry & Pecan Brussel Sprouts With A Tarragon & Madeira Wine Reduction (GAPS, Paleo Options, Vegan)

If you happen to be one of those people who automatically turns your nose up at the mere mention of Brussels sprouts...prepare to be charmed! These are not the bitter, soggy, overcooked Brussels sprouts that your grandma used to make (no offense to grandma intended...I mean, I like them so mine must have done something right).



Here again, you may notice the continued obsession

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Spicy Meatballs in a Tomato, White Wine & Chilli Sauce

Spicy Meatballs in a Tomato, White Wine & Chilli Sauce

These meatballs are delicious and spicy, comfort food at its best!

Serves 4

Prep time:  10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the meatballs

450g/1 lb lean minced beef

1 onion, finely sliced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp paprika

Flour, for dredging

For the sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded & finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, peeled & finely chopped

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp chilli flakes

300ml/ ½ pint white wine

To serve

Spaghetti, linguini or tagliatelle, cooked as per packet instructions

Freshly grated parmesan

Method

1.  For the meatballs, place all the meatball ingredients into a bowl and mix together with your hands.  Shapes the mixture into golfball-sized balls and then dredge with flour.

2.  For the sauce, heat the oil in a large frying pan and then fry the onions on a medium heat until they have softened but have not coloured.

3.  Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.  Then add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil.  Reduce the volume of wine to nearly half.

4.  Add the meatballs, cover and cook for 12-15 minutes turning occasionally.  Make sure the meatballs are cooked through but not over cooked.

5.  To serve, add the cooked pasta and stir through, place on to serving plates and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

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2012 New Years Resolution

Allrecipes.com has partnered with HealthyWomen.org to start the year with healthy recipes to keep our New Year's resolutions.  As an allrecipes allstar  we were asked to share a healthy change that we are making in 2012.  The change I'm making is I've created a list of healthy foods and I'm trying to add them to what I eat each month.  What I realized, now that January is coming to an end,  it's an effort to add all the right foods to my diet.  In red is all the food I was able to cross of my list.  Next month I'll try to add even more.  One other change I've made is that I've promised myself to exercise at least 30 minutes each day.  That's not hard for me as I'm an early riser and start my days on our treadmill watching the Ellen show (DVR).  It's a great way to start my day as Ellen makes me laugh and dance (that's not easy to do on a treadmill!)  My husband and I also got snowshoes which is a great workout on the weekends.  So far I've exercised everyday of January, only 336 days to go! Here is the list:

                                                                     

The  Healthiest Foods

Vegetables

    Asparagus

    Avocados

    Beets

    Bell peppers (red, yellow, orange & green)

    Broccoli

    Brussels sprouts

    Cabbage

    Carrots

    Cauliflower

    Celery

    Cucumbers

    Garlic

    Green beans

    Green peas

    Kale

    Leeks

    Mushrooms

    Olives

    Onions

    Potatoes

    Romaine lettuce

    Spinach

    Spring Greens

    Squash

    Sweet potatoes

    Tomatoes

    zucchini

Seafood

    Cod

    Halibut

    Shrimp

    Tuna

 Fruits

    Apples

    Apricots (dried)

    Bananas

    Blueberries

    Melon

    Cranberries

    Grapefruit

    Grapes

    Kiwifruit

    Lemon/Limes

    Oranges

    Pears

    Pineapple

    Prunes

    Raisins

    Raspberries

    Strawberries

 Eggs & Low-Fat Dairy

    Cheese
    Eggs

    Milk
    Yogurt

 Beans & Legumes

    Black beans

    Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

    Kidney beans

    Lima beans

    Navy beans

    Pinto beans

 Poultry & Lean Meats

    Beef

    Chicken/Turkey

 Nuts, Seeds & Oils

    Almonds

    Cashews

    Olive oil, extra virgin

    Peanuts

    Sesame seeds

    Sunflower seeds

    Walnuts

 Grains

    Brown rice

    Oats

    Whole wheat

Other

    Water
     Chocolate : )

 Spices:

 turmeric

 cumin

 Cayenne pepper

 Garlic

 Cilantro

 Parsley

 Oregano

 Paprika

 Curry

 Basil

 Vanilla

 Cinnamon

 Nutmeg

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Lunar New Year 2563

The year of Golden Rabbit or 2562 in Chinese calendar ended and the year of Water Dragon has begun.

Didn't want to lost the moment where many Chinese were happily welcoming the new year with colorful ornaments, delicious delicacies, and also the smoky temples, I decided to visit the famous Jakarta China Town again!
If last year I visited this place by myself, this time I brought along my

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Tagliatelle with Chilli, Lemon & Basil

Tagliatelle with chilli, lemon & basil

A delicious and very simple pasta, a perfect mid week meal! 

Serves 1

Prep time:  5 minutes

Cooking time: 5-10 minutes

Ingredients

For the basil paste

1 handful of fresh basil

1 tsp freshly grated parmesan

1 tbsp olive oil

Season to taste

For the tagliatelle

1 tbsp olive oil

1 red chilli, deseeded & finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled & finely chopped

½ lemon, juice only

1 handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped

Tagliatelle, cooked as per packet instructions

Method

1.  Place all the basil paste ingredients into a small food processor and blend until smooth.

2.  For the tagliatelle, place the oil into a large pan and gently fry the chilli and garlic for 1-2 minutes.

3.  Add the lemon juice, basil leaves and tagliatelle, stir until fully coated.

4.  To serve, place the pasta onto a serving plate and top with the basil paste.  Enjoy!

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Cocoa Cherry Biscuits W/ Meyer Lemon Marmalade (Grain & Dairy Free)

Ah Valentine's: It's blissfully edging it's way closer. I can feel it's pull, like gravity; irresistible....drawing me in. If Christmas is all 'sugar plums dancing in my head', then Valentines is all chocolate, cherries and Meyer lemons dancing pretty much everywhere. In the past, I was all about the chocolate and cherries. Somehow lately though, Meyer lemons have taken up permanent

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Tuna Noodle Casserole

My family loves tuna noodle casserole and this is the recipe they like best.

1 8 oz pkg. wide egg noodles
1 Tablespoon butter
1 large celery stalk, chopped
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 - 6.4 oz pkg. of Sta-kist premium chunk light tuna in a no drain pkg. (I like to use Starkist Albacore White Tuna)
3 Tablespoons butter
4 slices white bread, crust removed (I put it in a food processor or just break up bread into pieces)

1. Prepare noodles as label directs.
2. Meanwhile, in large saucepan over medium heat, in butter sauté celery and onion until tender. (use a large enough saucepan to hold the whole casserole)
3. Preheat oven to 350. Into vegetables in saucepan, stir in soup, milk and mayo. Drain noodles; add with tuna to the saucepan and toss to coat. Spoon mixture into deep 2 qt casserole.
4. In saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Tear bread into small pieces and toss with melted butter. Sprinkle bread crumbs over noodle mixture. (can also melt butter in microwave and toss with bread) Bake casserole 30 minutes or until hot.

Hint You can use a 13 oz can of turn drained instead of pkg. tuna and instead of bread crumbs you can use potato chips crumbled on top. You can also add 1 cup shredded cheddar if you have it in the refrigerator. Serves 6

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The Confessions Of A Valentine Junkie

Confession #1

I was the girl in grade school who romantically envisioned that her carefully decorated, home made paper bag Valentine holder would be brimming full of sweet somethings from admirers...secret and known, teachers, friends and the like. Alas, as fate would have it, there was no bag small enough to make mine seem full.



Confession #2

I was the day-dreaming high

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Raspberry White Tea & Peach Rooibos Jams

Guest Post On Mommypotamus!



Heather over at Mommypotamus, has invited me to come share a recipe on her blog. So head on over to Mommypotamus to check out some of these amazing pectin free, honey sweetened jam recipes, sweetened with fruit and honey. There's also a few ideas for valentine gifts. Get the recipe HERE



While your over there, you should take a look around. Heather has an

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Chinese Chilli Bean Beef Stew

Chinese Chilli Bean Beef Stew

A delightful melt in the mouth beef stew with a kick, delicious! 

Serves 4

Prep time:  10 minutes

Cooking time: 2 hours

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2.5cm/1inch fresh root ginger, peeled and finely sliced

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 onion, sliced

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thick slices

1kg/2 ¼ lb braising beef

1 litre/ 1 ¾ pints vegetable stock

2 tbsp chilli bean paste

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce

2 tsp brown sugar

2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water

To serve

2 spring onions, chopped

1 small handful of fresh coriander, chopped

Jasmine rice, cooked as per packet instructions

Method

1.  Place all the ingredients except the cornflour mixture into a large pan or wok and bring to the boil.

2.  Cover the pan and reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 hours.

3.  Add the cornflour mixture to the stew and mix through.

4.  Serve with jasmine rice and garnish with the spring onions and coriander.  Enjoy!

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Bacon, Avocado,Tomato Pasta

What's for lunch?

Sometimes I just look in the refrigerator to see 

what I can pull together for lunch.

 Today I found 1/2 of a tomato, 1/2 of an avocado, 

a few pieces of bacon, and a little leftover grated cheese. 

 All I needed to do was cook a little pasta, and

 Chop those few ingredients.

The rest of the ingredients I usually have on hand

 are: fresh basil from my garden, garlic, lemon juice, 

olive oil and s&p. Toss it all together.

Lunch is being served on the patio!

You don't need to follow the recipe exactly. 

It's just a guide. Use what you have. 

Just add your ingredients and toss.

B-A-T Pasta

2 C uncooked pasta, bow ties

4 slices bacon, cooked crisp

1/2 avocado, cubed

1/2 tomato, cubed

1/2 C shredded Italian cheese,

(Parmesan, Romano, Asiago or a combo)

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4-1/2 C fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 T lemon juice

Generous amount of salt and pepper to taste

Cook and drain the pasta. Rinse under cold water.

Put into a medium bowl, add other ingredients.

Toss to combine. Two large servings.

Enjoy!

"Ask not what you can do for your country. 
Ask what's for lunch." ... Orson Welles

This is similar to my Spinach Pasta Salad with Asiago Cheese
Links: Designs By Gollum

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You can now check out my recipe for Caramelized Onion and Peppered Bacon Flatbread on  Pillsbury.com along with the other 99 finalist recipes.  The Flatbread would make a great appetizer for your super bowl party!

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Peppered Lamb Breakfast Sausage

This is a simple yet flavorful breakfast sausage recipe. Best of all it's fresh and free of additives or chemicals. Try it alone or thrown into your morning omelette I also like to eat it crumpled over a nice wild field salad . Enjoy!









Peppered Lamb Breakfast Sausage






Ingredients:



1 1/2 pounds ground organic lamb meat


1 tsp teaspoons coarse sea salt

1/2 tsp teaspoons

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Fiesta Chowder

I haven't post a new recipe because I haven't made anything worth posting.  I made a chili that was way too hot, a fish dish that was just bland tasting and homemade pizza that only my husband would love (because he'll eat anything).  So, I'm going to re post this recipe because it's worth posting again.  After all, it's cold here in Wisconsin and you can never have enough soup recipes.  I really love this soup!  All the Mexican flavors I love in a bowl.  The recipe comes from the "Southern Living,  Our Readers Top Rated Recipes" cookbook.  The list of ingredients is long, but it comes together very quickly.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 package (1.4 ounce) fajita seasoning mix, divided
3-4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can (15 1/4 ounce) whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 can (15 ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounce) Mexican-style diced tomatoes
1 can (4.5 ounce) chopped green chilies
3 cups water  (I used chicken broth for more flavor)
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice (I only use 1/2 cup)
1 (2 1/4 ounce) can sliced black olives (optional) (I added)
1 can (10 3/4 ounce) condensed nacho cheese soup
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I used 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions:
In a large Dutch oven sauté onion 5 minutes until soft, add garlic and sauté 1 minute more.  Add chicken and cook, stirring often, 4 minutes or until browned. Stir in flour and fajita seasoning and cook 2 minutes.  Add corn, beans, tomatoes, chiles, broth, rice, and black olives.

Bring mixture to a boil; then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove lid, and stir in nacho cheese soup, chopped cilantro, and lime juice.  Use chicken broth or water if chowder becomes too thick.   Serves 8

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Walkabout Soup

This is a creamy onion soup that's like the

Walkabout soup served at the Outback.
Perfect soup for a winter day.

It's very easy to prepare. You'll need:

beef bouillon cubes, onions, flour, salt, pepper, 

cream, and shredded cheese. 

It's been in my recipe basket for over 15 years.

 If you can boil water

and slice an onion, you can make this soup.

Bring 8 cups of water and 8 bouillon cubes to a boil.

 Add the onions salt and pepper.
Simmer covered for 1 hour.

 Then gradually whisk in the flour.

The lumps will dissolve with an additional
 30 minutes of cooking.

Whisk until smooth.

Add the cream.

 Whisk to blend

 Stir in the cheese.

Let simmer another 5-10 minutes.

Serve!

My grandchildren loved this soup.
 Just remember to call it

Walkabout Soup and don't mention the onions.

Walkabout Soup

8 C water

8 beef bouillon cubes

3 onions, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 t salt

1 t pepper

3/4 C flour

1 C heavy cream

1 C shredded cheddar cheese

Bring the water and bouillon cubes to a boil.
Stir until dissolved. Add onions, salt and pepper. 

Cover and simmer for 1 hour. 

While stirring, slowly whisk in the flour.
Simmer covered for another 30 minutes,
whisking occasionally. Lumps will dissolve after
 additional  cooking Stir in the cream  then add
the cheese. Simmer another 5-10 minutes. 

Serve with a little cheese sprinkled on top, if desired.

8 servings/200calories

Enjoy!

Links: Between Naps On The Porch,
Designs By Gollum

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Another beautiful escape; Jatiluhur Lake, West Java.

For many of us who spent our primary school in Indonesia, we must have learned about 'the biggest dam or the biggest hydro-power in Indonesia' name Jatiluhur nearby Purwakarta, West Java.

For many of us who live in Jakarta or Bandung or both and spend many-many times travelling through Purbalenyi toll highway, must be familiar with this exit signage. See the picture below.



After about 30

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Baked Cranberry Oatmeal

This is a warm crumbly oatmeal that's good to serve

 on a cold morning.  In South Florida that's 

anything below 60F!

 Flavored with brown sugar, cinnamon and fresh cranberries.

 Combine the dry ingredients.

 Melt the butter in the baking dish to grease the pan,

then pour into the wet ingredients.

 Whisk in the vanilla.

 Combine with the dry ingredients and stir in the cranberries.

 I made half the recipe and used an 8" square pan.

 Bake for 30-40 minutes. Cut unto squares and serve.

 Top with warm cream if desired.

If you have leftovers, you can reheat them in the

microwave during the week.

Baked Cranberry Oatmeal

9X13 pan has 6-8 servings

3 C oatmeal

1 C brown sugar

2 t cinnamon

2 t baking powder

pinch salt

combine in a large bowl

in another bowl combine:

2 eggs

1 C milk

1 stick butter, melted

2 t vanilla

whisk together and combine with the

dry ingredients. Stir in

1 C fresh cranberries

Pour into the buttered 9X13 pan

and bake @350 for 30-40 minutes

Cut into large squares and serve with

warm cream if desired.

Enjoy!

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Carrot Bread with Cream Cheese Icing

"First step is always the hardest"hhhm, sometimes I have to agree.Some of the 'first things' were happenning this week.First day of school and work after 2 weeks of beautiful holiday, and all of us struggled with 'wake up' time in the morning. It was hard!First time driving again through the busy-crowded-chaos Jakarta traffic, after 2 weeks break (my husband was the driver during the holiday),

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Homemade Biscotti

Biscotti are a twice-baked Italian dipping cookie. 

They are wonderful with a latte or cappuccino. 

Perfect for dipping into your favorite coffee.

 The recipe is similar to mandelbrot or Mandlel Bread 

which dates back to early European cultures and 

is a popular Jewish treat. Mandel means almonds in

 German, so they traditionally have

 almonds and almond extract.

 Beat sugar and oil in an electric mixer 

until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.

 Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated.

 Gradually add the flour. 

Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.

 Add the toasted almonds. Toasting brings out

 the flavor. I used the toaster oven and bake 

 for 5 minutes at 350 until fragrant and golden. 

You can easily add your own touches.  

 I used 1/2C almonds and 1/2C

mini chocolate chips. 

Spray a large (12X18) sheet pan.

 Pour the batter evenly on the pan.

 Bake in a 350 oven.

 Until golden, about 20 minutes.

 Remove from oven and let cool for 7 minutes.

 Turn out onto a cutting board.

 Slice lengthwise down the middle, 

then cut across into 1/2-to 3/4-inch strips

 You can also cut lengthwise into thirds 

to make smaller pieces.

 At this point I store some in the freezer before

 the second baking. When I want to serve them I 

remove from the freezer and let sit at room 

temperature for about 5 minutes then bake on a 

cookie sheet at 350 until toasted, about 8 minutes.

 Return the cookies to the sheet pan and return to 

the 350 oven and bake for 6 minutes then flip. 

and bake the other side for another 6 minutes. 

 Serve for coffee.

Store extra cookies in a large jar.

Biscotti

Almond or Chocolate Chip

1 C sugar

1 C  vegetable oil 

4 eggs

1-1/2 C flour

2 t vanilla extract

1 t almond extract

1 C toasted almonds

(or 1 C mini chocolate chips or

half of each)

Beat sugar and oil with a mixer until dissolved.

Add eggs one at a time, beating until well mixed.

Gradually add the flour. Stir in the extracts.

Stir in the almonds or mini chips.

Spread onto a sprayed baking sheet (12X18)

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until lightly golden. 

Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 7 minutes. 

Turn onto a cutting board and cut in half lengthwise, 

then cut across into 1/2" to 3/4" strips.

 Return cookies to the sheet pan and return to

oven to bake another 6 minutes, flip and bake 

the other side for another 6 minutes, until golden.

Enjoy! 

Links: Designs By Gollum

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