Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

 This past weekend we went to a friend's house and I helped her make this salad to serve for dinner. She invited a few guests over and we had fun chopping and roasting veggies together in the kitchen.  The weather has finally turned a little bit cooler and this salad was the perfect introduction to fall.  It features all those delicious veggies that beg to be used this time of year- butternut squash, parsnips, turnips and carrots.  The veggies are roasted in the oven with some shallots and then mixed with a delicious vinaigrette.
  
This salad was a definite favorite at dinner.  It is a nice side dish and is so delicious!
Here is the recipe for Roasted Root Vegetable Salad 

Avocado Frog Dip and Potato Mice

   My kids like to look at cookbooks almost as much as I do.  Well, maybe not quite as much, but they do enjoy flipping through and marking recipes that they want us to make together.   A week ago, my 7-year old daughter marked quite a few recipes in this Mom and Me Cookbook and she asked  if we could get the ingredients and make them for dinner.  

The first thing she wanted to make was this Avocado Frog Dip.  It is a basic guacamole dip and my girls had lots of fun making it with me.   It was quite easy.  We took turns cutting and scooping out the avocado, mashing it and stirring in a few other ingredients.  Then my girls wanted to get a pretty tray and arrange all the veggie dippers and make the face.

 I thought it turned out great.  My kids aren't huge fans of avocado, but they ate this with the veggie dippers because "It's good for me" and "I know it's healthy".   They said it, not me! They actually both ended up liking it more than they originally thought they would and we had fun putting it together.  We made the dip while the potatoes were baking in the microwave.

 Here is the recipe for Avocado Frog Dip
* We used plain Greek Yogurt instead of sour cream

   To complete our meal, we made these Potato Mice.  We baked them in the microwave, so that the prep time wouldn't be quite as long.  Our potatoes were pretty small, so we didn't use as much butter or milk as the recipe called for.  We just used a little bit of each, and mashed it together until the texture was perfect.   These were tasty as well and the girls were very proud of the dinner they helped me make. 

 Here is the recipe for Potato Mice
* We used mozzarella cheese to top our mice
* We baked our potatoes in the microwave (minus the oil brushed on the skins of course!)


 

Veggie Burger

   I found this recipe in a magazine.  I tore it out and of course, could not, for the life of me, remember what magazine I tore it out of.  Luckily for me, this recipe is all over the internet, so I felt okay about not remembering the specific magazine where I found this in the first place.  I had never heard of The Counter, but from what I've gathered it is a burger place.  There were lots of rave reviews about this Veggie Burger and now I know the reason why.  

I really like how easy this recipe is and the fact that it contains wholesome ingredients. Sometimes Veggie Burgers are full of fillers and wierd things, but not these ones!  The flavor and texture are wonderful.  I made these the day before I cooked them and they were delicious.  My friend who came over for lunch to enjoy these with me, liked them so much that she made them for her family as well.  

Veggie Burger from The Counter

 recipe by executive chef Marc Boussarie

2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, small dice

3 each garlic cloves, minced

2 carrots, grated

1 yellow squash, grated

1 green zucchini, grated

1 ½ cups rolled oats, (instant is fine)

¼ cup cooked black beans

2 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1, In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until almost smoking, Add the onions and lower the heat to medium. Mix and then add the garlic. Cook until tender and soft.

2, Add the carrots, squash and zucchini and season. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until soft and hot. Add the black beans, egg, paprika, parsley and oats.

3, Take off heat and mix. Place in a bowl and let rest for 1 to 2 hours.  (or overnight)

4, Form veggie patties to desired size and place in flour to lightly coat.

5, Place a large skillet on the stove on medium high heat,  add olive oil, and when hot place patties. Flip the burger when golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes and cook the other side the same.

    

Colorful Lentil Salad with Rainbow Chard

The swiss chard in my garden is still doing really well and I wanted to make something really delicious with the bunch I picked recently. I wanted to use lentils and found a beautiful picture of a dish that combined the 2 ingredients I had been thinking about. I served this on the same night that we had the Panko Crusted Salmon. I think that salmon and lentils really compliment each other and these 2 dishes definitely made for a great dinner. We also had a fennel/celery salad.

If you can't find Pomegranate Molasses anywhere or it is too expensive, don't forget that you can make it yourself- Here is the post when I first made it a couple of years ago.

Here is the recipe for Colorful Lentil Salad
* I didn't use the sundried tomatoes
* I sauteed my swiss chard (stems included) with the onions and bell peppers, adding it after the onions and bell peppers had softened a bit
* I used less olive oil for the dressing and the sauteing
* I used a little bit of red wine vinegar instead of steeping liquid in the dressing

Grilled Baby Bok Choy

I saw these cute little Baby Bok Choy's at Trader Joes a couple of weeks ago and remembered a fun recipe I had seen recently, so I bought these little guys immediately. I have an indoor grill that I can use anytime of year and that is what I used to grill these. They only take a few minutes on each side to become nice and tender and then you drizzle a delicious vinaigrette over top. My kids decided this was a dish that did not require silverware and happily ate these with their fingers. If you spot Baby Bok Choy at a local farmers market or grocery store, buy them and give this recipe a try!

Here is the recipe for Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Asian Sesame Vinaigrette from Aggie's Kitchen

Eggland's Best Brinner & Giveaway!

A few weeks ago I received an email from Eggland's Best Eggs, asking me if I was interested in hosting a Brinner. What is Brinner? Well, it's something that we have all done before- it's Breakfast for Dinner or simply some combination of Breakfast and Dinner.

Of course, I said yes. I had some family members coming to town for a visit and I knew that would be the perfect time to have the Brinner. The hardest part was narrowing down the menu, but we finally picked out a really great one.

Since eggs were the star of the show, I decided that eggs should be an ingredient in each part of our menu. We had Avocado Deviled Eggs (pictured above), Garden Turkey Meatballs, Summer Squash Bacon & Mozzarella Quiche, Sweet Potato & Chile Hash w/ a Fried Egg, and a flourless Chocolate Cake for dessert (which has a surprising secret ingredient).


I had lots of help prepping the food, thanks to the family members I had visiting, so we were able to put it together quickly. A couple of friends came over and we enjoyed all of the dishes.

The Avocado Deviled Eggs were a nice twist on a familiar favorite. Just imagine guacamole as the filling for your Deviled Eggs. I used Eggland's Hard-Cooked Peeled Eggs to make them. My kids also really love these eggs as a snack.

The Garden Turkey Meatballs were really delicious. I finished them off in a really tasty pizza sauce.

The quiche recipe was one that my sister spotted in Cooking Light and she prepared it. You would never know that is was a light recipe because it was so delicious-definitely a crowd favorite!

The hash was really great too. I threw in a couple of extra veggies that I had on hand just for fun. It was spicy and yummy.

The Flourless Chocolate Cake contains a surprise ingredient that really just can't even be guessed. It was delicious. Dense and fudgy.

I used Eggland's Best eggs in all of these recipes.

Now, as part of the Brinner experience, Eggland’s Best provided me with a fun giveaway for you, my readers.

The giveaway includes:

• 2 free EB dozen coupons (any variety- classic, cage-free, organic)
• 1 free EB Hard-Cooked and Peeled Eggs coupon
• 4 EB ramekins
• 1 EB apron
• 1 EB whisk
• 1 EB spatula
• 1 EB egg timer
• 1 EB Eco bag
• 1 EB plush egg

All you have to do to enter the giveaway, is leave a comment on this post.

If you want to tell me your favorite way to prepare eggs, go for it. Please also feel free to share a link to your favorite egg recipe if you would like.

You have until 12:00 am EST on Monday, July 11th to enter this giveaway.

Hopefully you will try some of these recipes soon too and have your own Breakfast for Dinner party. Brinner can't be beat!


Here is the recipe for Avocado Deviled Eggs

Here is the recipe for Garden Turkey Meatballs

Here is the recipe for Summer Squash, Bacon, and Mozzarella Quiche from Cooking Light

Here is the recipe for Sweet Potato & Chile Hash with a Fried Egg from Fine Cooking
* I used nonfat Greek Yogurt to make the chile mayo
* I used less oil- only 2 or 3 Tablespoons
* I added diced zucchini to the hash
* I cooked the yolk in my eggs all the way through

Here is the recipe for Flourless Chocolate Cake



*This giveaway is open to US residents/addresses only, age 18 and older-No PO Boxes.
The winner will be chosen randomly.
All the opinions stated above are my own. I was provided with VIP coupons and a giftcard to help purchase the items necessary to make these dishes. I was also provided with a package similar to the one available in the giveaway.

Southern Egg Rolls

I know I've said this before, but you need to know that I am not a true Southerner. Therefore, I cannot be held accountable for things that I say or make that have the word "Southern" in front of them.
I did find this recipe on a blog that is written by a real Southerner, so, well, so, that is that.

I saw this recipe a couple of days before New Year's and loved this twist on the traditional black eyed peas and collard greens, that people eat around here on New Year's to bring good luck for the coming year.

I love anything that isn't traditional and adds a little flair to the ordinary, so I decided to make these on New Year's Day.
They are so good that I think you should make them any day.

I decided to bake these egg rolls because I have baked egg rolls before and you can still get a nice crunchy shell, without all the extra fat. Plus, being a true non-Southerner, I don't fry things.

I am here to tell you that these little guys taste great baked. And with a few changes.
But, if you feel like frying them, I'm sure they taste really yummy that way too.
They also tasted great the next day, cold, straight out of the refrigerator.


Recipe for Southern Egg Rolls
* I used less bacon than called for
* I added a large red bell pepper to the onion and cooked them together
* I used a combination of monterey jack & mozzarella cheese and used 1 1/2 cups instead of 2 cups


* this recipe calls for frying the egg rolls, but I have made egg rolls in the past and decided to bake them instead.
preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Prepare the egg rolls as you would for frying, but lay them on the prepared baking sheet, folded side down.
Spray the tops with cooking spray.
Bake for about 18 minutes or until the outside is golden brown and crispy.

Roasted Salmon Nicoise Platter

I don't watch much tv, but for some reason one day, I happened to see The Barefoot Contessa prepare this dish.
Originally, I was just going to use the recipe for the salmon since we love fish and eat it all the time, but then I saw some cool looking purple potatoes at the store and decided I would go ahead and do the whole platter.
When Ina made this dish she was preparing for 12 people, so I only prepared 1/3 of the recipe.

I found fresh wild sockeye salmon at the fish counter and was really excited about it. The salmon was amazing! Best salmon I have tasted. It was soo good.
I reduced the oil in the marinade and the vinaigrette because I always do that when I make a vinaigrette or marinade and I don't feel that it takes away from the overall results.

My kids really liked this meal. I served it on the platter and everyone was able to take what they wanted using a pair of tongs. 1 of my kids didn't appreciate the watercress because it was "spicy".
This was a hit. Very delicious.

Recipe for Roasted Salmon Nicoise Platter
*I omitted the green olives
* I reduced the amount of oil in the vinaigrette and marinade
* I used red wine vinegar in the vinaigrette because I had it on hand

Baked Egg Rolls

I should've posted about these sooner because I can't remember why exactly we made them!
I do remember that they were delicious and fairly easy, so my family really enjoyed them.

I always like it when you can make something at home that is usually considered unhealthy and it can be healthy and light. These have the wonderful crisp outside that you want from an egg roll and also a delicious filling. I preferred them without any dipping sauce.



Recipe for Baked Egg Rolls
* I used lean (94% lean) ground turkey instead of ground turkey breast

Snacks

(Pictured above is one that I discovered a couple of months ago, when I realized I liked avocado again. Hard boiled egg with yolk removed, filled with chopped avocado-drenched in lemon juice, then sprinkled with salt and pepper.)


Snacks.
They are essential to my life, mostly because I have small kids, but I enjoy snacks too.

It can be hard to make sure that you are getting healthy snacks, especially since media and school and everything else is so saturated with unhealthy choices. I make sure that I have a fridge stocked with fruits and veggies, that can be easily accessed. I cut up tons of fresh veggies and put them on a platter (pictured below-jicama, carrots, cucumber, celery, red yellow orange & green bell pepper, avocado, cherry tomatoes) and let my kids eat away. Whatever is leftover, I put in a plastic bag in the fridge and then on other days of the week when they are begging for snacks, there are already veggies ready to go. I also make plates filled with cut strawberries/ other berries, kiwi, mandarin oranges, grapes or whatever other fruit I have on hand for my kids to snack on.

When my kids beg for snacks, I tell them to choose a fruit, veggie or a protein (nuts, egg, beans) or a combination of those choices.

Once or twice a week I bake a snack/treat, which is special. It could be cookies or something like that, but it is a special treat and my kids know they aren't going to be eating cookies every day of the week. I stay away from prepackaged snacks.

Below I listed a few snack ideas that we eat on a regular basis. What are your favorite healthy snacks?


frozen blueberries
hard boiled eggs filled with guac/salsa mix, hummus, or refried beans
green pepper half filled with refried beans/salsa, - dip carrots/veggies and baked chips in it
cut up veggies
dill pickles
cheese cubes (My daughter loves Mini Babybels)
olives
garbanzo beans or other beans, eaten with fingers
hard boiled eggs
ants on a log
cut up fruit
mini pitas stuffed with hummus, veggies or pb&j/h
nuts
dried fruit
small cup of soup
scrambled or fried egg
healthy muffin
toast
apple half filled with nut butter
no sugar added applesauce (We like Mott's Healthy Harvest flavors)
air-popped popcorn or low-fat popcorn choices
hummus
tortilla roll-up with refried beans and a little sprinkle of cheese
low-fat cottage cheese
yogurt (my kids like Stonyfield yokids yogurt tubes, but we only have these once a week or less)
granola
smoothie

Summer Veggie Salsa

First of all the winner of the TERRA Chip giveaway- comment #21- Gabrielle, who says they eat TERRA Chips with hummus. yummy!

Here are the results-

True Random Number Generator
Min: 1
Max: 29
Result: 21
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Now on to today's recipe. I saw this recipe for Summer Veggie Salsa on Playing House
and all the veggies just looked so delicious. I added some chopped jicama and green bell pepper just because I was cutting them up anyway and I love the crunch that jicama gives to things.
I made a great big bowl of this salsa and it was really great with baked tortilla chips.

I also topped salad greens with this salsa and loved it that way. This was so fresh and delicious.
I am going to make it again while it is still nice and hot outside.


Recipe for Summer Veggie Salsa
* I added some jicama and green bell pepper
* I used cherry tomatoes

Spicy Sesame Eggplant

I love eggplant.
When I was up visiting my sister a couple weeks ago in DC, she made the most delicious stir-fry where she roasted the eggplant before mixing it with the other vegetables.
The marinade she used on the eggplant was so delicious.
I was hoping I could recreate it somehow.

I found a couple of beautiful baby eggplants recently and wanted to roast them. I found a recipe that was pretty close to the marinade- I just added a couple Tbls of soy sauce.

The eggplant is good enough to eat right off the baking sheet, but I did make sure that some of it ended up on top of quinoa, where is was joined by some blanched broccoli.
I didn't have any sesame seeds, so those were left off, but this was still very tasty.



Recipe for Spicy Sesame Eggplant
*I added a couple Tbls of soy sauce
* I reduced the amount of chili paste by a bit to make this ok for my kids

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Are you convinced that roasting vegetables is the best way to prepare them?
I definitely am. Roasting vegetables is one of my favorite things. It makes the plain and ordinary veggies really shine. Like broccoli.

Check out this post over at Aggie's Kitchen for more convincing (if needed) and a basic recipe.

Simple Roasted Asparagus

I have mentioned before that any vegetable is delicious when you roast it in the oven. It really is true.
I have roasted asparagus in the oven quite a few times and decided to roast some for our Easter dinner since it is in season right now and very affordable.
Plus my 5-yr old daughter has decided that asparagus is her favorite vegetable and so we have to have it at least once a week.

Preparing asparagus this way couldn't be easier. It does take a few more minutes than steaming or blanching, but you won't end up with limp, soggy asparagus if you leave it in the oven for an extra minute as opposed to the other ways of preparing it.
The texture is better because it still has a little bit of crispness to it, but it is completely tender at the same time.
You could also use other seasonings, like garlic, chili flakes or other herbs if you wanted to.

There were a few people at Easter dinner who hadn't tried asparagus this way who were quite intrigued by the method since it produced such delicious results.


Roasted Asparagus by Mary Ann
1 lb asparagus, rinsed and woody stems removed
1 Tbls olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
1/2 lemon

Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Place asparagus on baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
Roast in oven for 12-14 minutes, or until asparagus stems are tender when poked with a fork.
Squeeze lemon juice over asparagus and serve.

2 Thanksgiving Sides- Autumn Hash and Vegetable Trio with Orange-Thyme Dressing

I love roasting vegetables. I truly believe that any vegetable can taste delicious if you roast it in the oven with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. It's true for brussel sprouts, parsnips, beets, cauliflower, etc. I could give millions of examples.
I saw a couple of recipes in the Thanksgiving issues of food magazines and these 2 side dishes really looked delicious. I decided to try both of them and see if they would be a great addition at a Thanksgiving dinner. Both of these would be great for a special occasion, but I also think they would be great anytime. Delicious.

The first recipe comes from Bon Appetit and I thought it looked beautiful with all the different colors and I loved that they included the beet greens, mixing them in with the oven-roasted vegetables. The original recipe calls for potatoes, sweet potatos, yams, baby golden beets, and butternut squash. I changed it a little bit and decided to use red potatoes, butternut squash, golden and red beets. The fresh herbs it uses are oregano, Italian parsley, and rosemary.

I couldn't find baby beets, so I just used normal sized beets and cut them into small pieces.
This was really delicious and a great way to get more vegetables on the table!

Recipe for Potato and Autumn Vegetable Hash



The second recipe I found in Ladies Home Journal. It combines acorn squash, carrots, and beets. It also has a fabulous dressing that combines thyme (one of my fave herbs) and orange juice/zest. Delicious! The thyme and orange really go great together and make these vegetables taste amazing.

Spice up your thanksgiving table by adding some delicious color and nutrition with roasted vegetables!


Recipe for Vegetable Trio with Orange-Thyme Dressing

Recipe for Potato and Autumn Vegetable Hash

Roasted Beets with Feta, Sunflower Seeds,and Spinach

I remember seeing this post featuring red and golden beets on one of my favorite blogs- The Food Librarian. I have linked to Mary's blog a million times because she always makes such delicious food.

I grew up eating red beets and the greens, but had never tried golden beets before and actually hadn't seen them anywhere, until just the other day.
Of course, I bought them and went home and immediately roasted them. I washed the beets, wrapped them in foil (separately- so the red beets wouldn't bleed too much) and roasted them at 400 degrees for about an hour. I checked them at that point with a fork and they were tender, so I took them out.
I let them cool for a couple of minutes and then peeled them. The skin comes right off. I sliced them and tasted a golden beet for the first time. Delicious! Beets really do taste like candy, in my opinion.

Later we had them with dinner on top of a bed of spinach, sprinkled with feta and sunflower seeds. I was going to dress this salad with balsamic or red wine vinegar and olive oil, but it really tasted great with just these few components, so we ate it this way.
Absolutely delicious. I think golden beets are a little bit milder in flavor than red ones, but they are both really yummy.
I know I say this all the time, but I think I have a new favorite food.

Basic How-to for Roasting Beets

One Year Ago-Dorie's Biscotti

Sauteed Rainbow Chard and Beet Greens

Do you love dark greens as much as I do?
I think I could eat them for every meal and be happy. Kale, Swiss Chard, Spinach, Beet Greens, etc. I love them all.
My grandpa grew beets growing up and what I remember most isn't the actual beets. It was eating the dark, leafy greens and the purple-y ribs. My mom would steam them and they were delicious.
I know a lot of people throw away the greens on top of their beets- The Horror! Don't do it! They are soo delicious.

I found some beautiful rainbow chard, as well as red and golden beets. I was so excited to saute them for dinner!

When I cook swiss chard and beet greens I always cook the ribs and stems. They become quite tender and are very tasty.

Plus, how can you not like eating something that tastes good and looks so beautiful?
I also use this techique to saute spinach, but I don't cover it because it wilts very quickly.
I saute kale too, but always remove the kale from the stems.

Sauteed Rainbow Chard and Beet Greens by Mary Ann
1 Tbls olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch Rainbow Chard, rinsed well and chopped- including stems and ribs
a couple bunches Beet Greens, rinsed and chopped-including stems and ribs
chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large saute pan or electric frying pan over medium-high heat.
Add onion and cook for a few minutes.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
When onion and garlic are translucent, add your greens and stems.
Using tongs, toss the greens with the onions and garlic, until nicely mixed.
Add enough chicken broth to cover bottom of the pan and cover.
Reduce heat to medium and let greens cook for about 5 minutes.
Stir and check to see if stems and ribs are tender and greens are wilted.
If not, cook a little longer and check every few minutes until ready.
Make sure you do not over cook.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.


One Year Ago-Homemade Happy Meal-Mini Sliders on Whole Wheat Buns and Oven Fries

Weekly Lunchbox- Chunky Chicken Salad Sdwh, Sliced Veggies w/Dip, Pesto Pasta, Chocolate Sdwh Cookies- and Spicy Bulgur Salad w/ Nectarines

Some people couldn't decide between peanut butter frosting and marshmallow so they took both.

This week's lunchbox takes most of it's recipes from Todd English. There was an article on Parents.com that featured this Chunky Chicken Salad- which got a double thumbs up from my son, Pesto Pasta Salad, Veggies and Frenchy Dip, and Chocolate Sandwich Cookies. I made them throughout the week and since there was a cookie recipe, I decided to compare a recent Chocolate Sandwich Cookie from Cooking Light. I didn't make either of the frostings that went with the cookies because I had just enough leftover marshmallow frosting from Cupcake Hero and some Peanut Butter Frosting from some cupcakes a week ago. The Cooking Light Cookies were like giant cake cookies that went great with the marshmallow frosting and Todd English's cookies were very chocolately and dark, like a brownie, but they were impossible to roll out I ended up rolling them into balls and smooshing them down a little. The last salad was very delicious and used our last nectarine from the backyard. (The pic is awful because I forgot to take a pic until there was no natural light, sorry!)


Todd English Sandwich Cookies above, Cooking Light Cookies below

Chunky Chicken Salad Sandwich From Todd English, on Parents.com
6 oz. leftover skinless chicken breast or rotisserie chicken, cut into small chunks
1/4 cucumber, diced
2 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste
4 slices whole wheat bread
2 tsp. soft butter (optional)

Step 1: In a bowl, mix all ingredients except bread and butter. Toast bread or, to grill, spread one side of each slice with butter. Spoon half the chicken salad onto a slice of toast or bread, butter side down. Top with another piece of toast or bread, butter side up. Repeat. If grilling, place in a skillet on low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Cut in half.

Sliced Veggies and Frenchy Ketchup Dip from Todd English, Parents.com
For kids over age 4, pack raw veggies with 1/4 cup of this delicious dip. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup ketchup and 1/4 cup light mayonnaise. Stir in 2 Tbs. diced pickles.

Pesto Pasta Salad from Todd English taken from Parents.com
1 lb. orzo pasta
2 cups basil, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
5 pitted black olives
2 large, ripe tomatoes, diced

Step 1: Cook orzo according to the package directions. Drain and place in a bowl with very cold water and a few drops of olive oil so it cools fast. Drain again.
Step 2: In a food processor, pulse basil, cheese, remaining oil, garlic, and olives until mixed.
Step 3: In a large bowl, stir together pasta, basil mixture, and tomatoes.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies from Todd English, taken from Parents.com
Makes: 20 cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup plus 3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
3 Tbs. water
Instructions:
Step 1: Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and mix together. Gradually mix in cocoa powder and flour. Stir in water.
Step 2: Form dough into a flattened disk; chill for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Preheat oven to 325?F. Carefully place dough on parchment paper; roll out to approximately 1/4" thick. Cut into circles using a 1 1/4" round cookie cutter. Place on cookie sheets. Bake about 5 to 8 minutes, until the cookies are firm at the edges and no longer doughy in the middle. Cool completely. Spread cream cheese frosting (see recipe below) on the cookie bottoms; assemble to form a sandwich cookie.

Cream Cheese Frosting
In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup low-fat cream cheese, 1 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and 6 Tbs. softened butter. Mix well.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Marshmallow Cream Filling from Cooking Light

Cookies:

1 cup sugar

5 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)

5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup fat-free buttermilk

Cooking spray

Filling:

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)

3/4 cup cold water, divided

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup light-colored corn syrup

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. To prepare cookies, combine 1 cup sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and eggs; beat until combined. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, 1 teaspoon salt, baking powder, and baking soda; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until set. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
4. To prepare filling, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water in a large bowl; set aside. Combine remaining 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar, syrup, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 244°. Remove from heat. Gradually pour hot sugar syrup into softened gelatin mixture, beating with a mixer at low speed, then at high speed until thick (about 6 minutes), scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; beat until well blended.
5. Quickly spread about 2 tablespoons filling over bottom side of 1 cookie; top with another cookie. Repeat procedure with remaining filling and cookies.

Spicy Bulgur Salad with Nectarines from the Top 100 Recipes for a healthy Lunchbox by Nicola Graimes

1/2 cup bulgur wheat

scant 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 Tbls olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 ripe nectarine, halved, pitted and sliced

3 Tbls pinenuts, toasted

2 Tbls chopped cilantro

pepper

1. Put the bulgur in a saucepan with the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the stock is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let hte pan stand 5 minutes with the lid on.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet and fry the garlic for 1 minute, then add the spices and cook another

minute. Remove from the heat, add the bulgur, and stir to coat it in the spices. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

3. Stir in the nectarine, pine nuts, and cilantro. Season with pepper.

Can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days.