Almond and Chickpea Burgers with Chipotle Mayo

I pulled this recipe out of a Women's Health Magazine. Can't wait to test it out!

Hands-On Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes

2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 cup slivered almonds (2 oz)
1 can (19 oz) Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
Pinch salt
1 large egg
4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp minced chipotle pepper in adobo, or to taste
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 beefsteak tomato, coarsely chopped
4 whole-wheat pitas (6-inch)

Preparation

1. In a small pan of boiling water, cook garlic for 3 minutes to soften. When cool enough to handle, peel, transfer to a large bowl, and mash with a fork.

2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, toast almonds for 3 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer to a food processor or blender. Pulse on and off to grind almonds into a fine meal (be careful not to turn them into a paste).

3. Add chickpeas to garlic; mash with a potato masher or fork until no whole chickpeas remain. Add almond meal, parsley, cumin, coriander, and salt to taste. Stir to blend.

4. Add egg and mix well. Shape the mixture into 4 patties. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until browned and crisp on the outside and heated through about 5 minutes per side.

5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, blend mayonnaise and chipotle pepper. Spread each burger with 1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle mayonnaise.

6. Divide half the lettuce and tomato evenly among bottom halves of pitas, add a burger, then top each with remaining lettuce and tomato.

Makes 4 Servings.

Thanksgiving

I didn't do any cooking for the Thanksgiving holiday this year but my best friend Brook sure did cook up a storm. The food was amazing! I definitely ate my fair share.

- Turkey that soaked in brine then stuffed with rosemary, onions, apples and rubbed with butter.
- Wild rice and goat cheese stuffing - gluten free
- Mashed potatoes with sour cream and Williams Sonoma gravy
- Pancetta brussel sprouts, a personal favorite
- Spicy pumpkin pie with bourbon whipped topping

Good Food, Good Friends, Plenty of Wine and 5 Really Good Puppies...Can't ask for a better holiday.

Horseradish Bacon Dip

My sister-n-law makes this every year around the holidays.

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
2 tbsp horseradish, I like to add more to taste
2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Blend all the above (except chives), pour into a bowl; stir in chives. Refrigerate for 1 hour and server with crackers.

Cheesy Piggies in a Blanket

Throwing a holiday party? Serve these as a quick and easy appetizer.
- recipe came from People Magazine.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Makes: 8 servings

What You Need
1 pkg. (8oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/4 cup A.1 Original Steak Sauce
2 Kraft Singles, quartered
1 pkg. (16 oz) Oscar Mayer Selects Premium Beef Franks
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1/4 cup Bull's-Eye Original Barbecue Sauce
1/4 cup Kraft Real Mayo Mayonnaise
4 tsp. Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 tsp. yellow mustard

Make It
HEAT oven to 350F. SEPARATE crescent dough into 8 triangles. Brush with steak sauce; top with Singles pieces. Place 1 frank on wide end of each dough triangle; roll up. Place, seam-sides down, on baking sheet. Brush with egg; sprinkle with poppy seed. BAKE 10 to 12 min. or until golden brown. Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients. SERVE franks with sauce.

Striped Delight

I pulled this out of People magazine. This is similar to a layered dessert my mom used to make. Can't wait to try this version.

Prep Time: 20 minutes + refrigerating
Makes: 24 servings

What you need
39 Oreo Cookies, finely crushed
6 tbsp. butter, melted
1 pkg. (8oz) Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. cold milk
1 tub (12oz) cool whip whipped topping, thawed and divided
2 pkg. (3.9 oz each) Jell-o Chocolate instant pudding
3 1/4 cups cold milk

Make it
MIX cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch dish. Refrigerate until ready to use. WHISK next 3 ingredients in medium bowl until blended. Stir in 1 1/4 cups Cool Whip; spread over crust. BEAT pudding mixes and 3 1/4 cups milk with whisk 2 min.; pour over cream cheese layer. Let stand 5 min. or until thickened; top with remaining Cool Whip. REFRIGERATE 4 hours.

Pantry Raid - Smoked Salmon Pasta

This pantry raid turned out better than expected. Something I will make again and add too.

Ingredients:

Package of Smoked Salmon

8oz. Cream Cheese

1 Can of Evaporated Milk

5 oz block of Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp of butter

Dill to taste

Sea Salt to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste

2 cups pasta

Wish I had: fresh spinach or peas to add....

1. Chop salmon and mix with cream cheese (I had this already done and left over from a dinner party I threw, had it as a cracker spread).

2. Saute minced garlic in a sauce pan with butter.

3. Add canned milk.

4. Add cream cheese and salmon mixture.

5. Add cheese.

6. Wish I had added fresh spinach or peas.

7. Add salt, pepper and dill to taste

8. Cook pasta al dente.

9. Sauce should be a thick consistent like that of Alfredo sauce.

10. Add pasta to sauce.

Serve warm with a side salad (you have to have something healthy to balance this out).

Beyond Easy Quiche

12 slices of cooked bacon, chopped

1 cup shredded cheese

1/3 cup onions, diced

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 cup bisquick

Mix eggs, bisquick, milk, salt and pepper, set aside. Place the rest of the ingredients in a lightly greased 9" pan (use the one with high sides). Pour liquid mixture over top. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

I didn't have bacon or onions so I substituted with sliced cherry tomatoes and fresh garlic. The cheese I used for this one was swiss. So easy to mix it up with different ingredients. You can use spinach and mushrooms etc..

Serve with a simple salad.

Sweet Onion Potatoes Au Gratin

This recipe was in People Magazine this month. I haven't tested it out, but definitely plan too.

Sweet Onion Potatoes Au Gratin

Serves: 4

2 tbsp. butter

1 large or 2 medium sweet onions, such as Vidalia, thinly sliced

Salt and Pepper

1/2 tsp. ground thyme or dried if ground isn't available

1 bay leaf, fresh or dried

2 lbs. baby Yukon Gold Potatoes or fingerling potatoes

1/2 to 2/3 cup cream

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/2 lb. grated Gruyere or other swiss cheese

1. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat.

2. Add onions. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Cook until very soft, sweet and lightly caramelized, about 20 minutes.

3. Remove bay leaf.

4. While onions cook, place potatoes in pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, salt the water, and cook until tender, 12-15 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to pot.

5. Mash the potatoes with cream, season with salt and pepper, and mix in the Parmigiano cheese.

6. Preheat broiler. Arrange the potatoes in individual gratin dishes or a shallow casserole dish. Top with onions and Gruyere cheese.

7. Brown gratin under hot broiler until bubbly, about 2 minutes.

Bourride Setoise

Serves 6

4 pounds whole monkfish, or 1 1/2 pounds boned monkfish tails

3 carrots

1 onion

2 celery stalks

2 small leeks

1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced

couple sprigs of thyme

1 large bay leaf

1 strip of orange zest

5 or 6 peppercorns

2 cups white wine

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Aioli (see recipe)

Toasted Bread

If you are getting the whole fish, have the head cut off and peel and trip the tail.

Rinse the monkfish tails and cut into 3 inch pieces. Refrigerate.

Cut 2 carrots into thick slices. Slice the onion and celery stalks. Separate the green from the white part of the leeks; reserve the white part and roughly chop the green.

Add all sliced vegetable to a heavy pot. Add the monkfish head and bones, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, orange zest and peppercorns. Add the wine along with 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the aioli. Cut the remaining carrot into a fine julienne. Cut the white part of the leeks into a fine julienne.

Strain the fish stock trough a fine mesh sieve. Pour 3 cups into a pot and add the julienned vegetables, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.

Add the pieces of monkfish to the stock and poach for 8 minutes. Remove the fish with a slotted spoon and keep warm.

Slowly add a ladle of hot broth into about half of the aioli, beating constantly. Return this mixture to the pan and heat gently, stirring all the time, until it thickens slightly. It should be like thin custard. Don't let it boil or it will curdle. Return the monkfish to the pot and simmer for 2 minutes, just to warm.