Double Chocolate Walnut Biscotti

Recipe from Epicurious.com

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Lebanese Stuffed Squash (Kousa Mahshi)

4 med yellow squash (cleaned out, like a pumpkin)
1 lb lean ground beef  (or lamb)
1 med onion - chopped
about 4 T olive oil
2 T pine nuts
1/2 c. brown rice
4 - 5 med tomatoes - chopped
1 T tomato paste
1 sm can chicken stock
Cumin, allspice, cinnamon, salt, & pepper (to taste).  My Aunties would add some dried mint to this as well.  I used way less cinnamon than the other spices.  These amounts will depend on your palate. 

In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it glistens.  Add pine nuts.  Toast them to golden brown.  Remove from pan into a bowl.  Add the ground beef into this bowl.
Add the onions and tomatoes to the dutch oven.  Cook over medium heat until the onions are transparent.   Take 1/2 of this mixture and add it into the bowl with the meat & pine nuts. 
Into the meat mixture, add the rice and seasonings.  Now you can spoon this stuffing into the squash, being careful to not make them too tightly packed, as the rice will expand.
Add chicken stock, some salt & pepper and also the tomato paste into the sauce left in the dutch oven.  Cook a few mintues until the tomato paste is well blended.  Place the squash back into the dutch oven.  If you have extra filling, add it back into the pan as well. 
Cover and cook over medium heat until the ground beef is cooked thoroughly... about 1 hour.   After about 30 mins, flip the squash.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are a soft, "cake-like" consistency.  They didn't get crispy.  Awesome flavor!

1 c. pumpkin
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. veg oil
1 egg
1 t. milk
1 T. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
2 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. walnuts


Combine 1st 6 ingredients, then add the dry into the mix.  Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased (I used Pam) cookie sheets.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 10 - 12 mins.   Makes approx 5 dozen.

Apple Crisp

2 c. flour
2 c. rolled oats
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. butter

(**I like to 1 and 1/2 the above ingredients to make more of the "crisp" mixture.  That's the best part :) ** )

1/2 c. sugar
2 t cinnamon
6-8 large apples (peeled, cored, sliced)

Mix together the 1st 6 ingredients.  Then, mix together the apples, white sugar, & cinnamon in a separate bowl.  Put 1/2 of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Next, layer in the apple mixture.  Finally, crumble the remaining 1/2 of the oatmeal mixture over the apples. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 50 mins. 

Cheesy Potato Soup

This can't be a bit healthy - lol


I do buy the 2% Milk Velveeta and 1% milk for it. I always double this recipe. We aren't "1 cup of soup" type people. LOL It's even better the next day.

4 c. chicken broth
4-5 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 medium onion, diced


1 c. margarine
1/3 c. flour
3 1/2 c. milk
1 lb Velveeta

2 separate pots -

1st one -

Bring the broth to a boil and add the chopped veggies. Cook til tender.

2nd pot -

Melt margarine over medium heat. Add in flour slowly, then the milk. Cook til thick, stirring constantly (very important). Add in the Velveeta and stir til melted.


Add the veggie mixture into the milk mixture slowly to temper them together. If you don't, it will curdle.

Banana Nut Bread

Combine:

3 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

Then add:
4 ripe bananas (large ones)
2 eggs
1/2 c. veg oil
1 t. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts

Batter will be VERY thick. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake @ 350 degrees for 55-60 mins or until toothpick comes out clean.
_____________________________________________________________________

Tonight I substituted (pictured below) apple sauce for oil and 2 1/2 cups whole wheat + 1 cup white flour and egg beaters for eggs. Going for a more "healthful" version. It tastes pretty good. I tried this with Splenda before, and it did not turn out well. YUM!!