Spanish-Style Chicke

Ingredients

• 1 3- to 3-1/2-pound broiler-fryer chicken, cut-up
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 28-ounce can whole Italian-style tomatoes, cut up
• 4 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (4 cups)
• 1 medium onion, sliced (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup halved pitted ripe olives
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons capers (optional)
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
• 2 teaspoons snipped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions

1. Remove skin from chicken. In a large plastic bag combine flour, salt, and ground red pepper. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time; shake to coat. In a 4-quart Dutch oven heat oil. Cook chicken in hot oil over medium heat about 10 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, turning to brown evenly.

2. Add undrained tomatoes, potatoes, onion, olives, wine, capers (if using), dried basil and dried oregano (if using), and garlic to Dutch oven. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 35 to 45 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Remove chicken to a serving dish; cover and keep warm.

3. In a small bowl combine the water and cornstarch; add to potato mixture in Dutch oven. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in fresh basil and oregano (if using). Pour thickened mixture over chicken in dish. If desired, garnish with a sprig of fresh basil or oregano. Makes 6 servings.

Pepper Chicken

Pepper Chicken:
"Broiler chicken 1 Kg
Jeera ½ Teaspoon
Garlic 2 Flakes
Pepper A Handful
Ginger 3 Piece
Butter 150 Gms
Vinegar 2 Teaspoon
Coriander 1 Teaspoon


Roast all the masala and grind it with salt and vinegar. Mix it with 5 gms of butter. Apply on chicken pieces. Keep aside for ½ an hour. Grill chicken till half done. Sprinkle powdered pepper and smear butter. Grill again till fully cooked. Serve hot with sliced onions."

Madras Chicken Crockpot Recipes - Healthy Chicken Thighs Slow Cooker Entree Recipes

Madras Chicken Crockpot Recipes - Healthy Chicken Thighs Slow Cooker Entree Recipes: "This simple recipe cooks for hours and is full of nutrition and good taste.
INGREDIENTS:

* 3 onions, chopped
* 4 cloves garlic
* 4 apples, peeled and cut into chunks
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon curry powder
* 1/2 cup mango chutney
* 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
* 3 cups hot cooked couscous

PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients in a 4-5 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours until chicken is thoroughly cooked and onions are tender. Stir well and serve over couscous.

Calories: 600
Fat: 29 grams
Sodium: 320 mg
Vitamin C: 25% DV
Vitamin A: 64% DV
Niacin: 82% DV"

Chicken Amaretto Recipe - Home Cooking

Chicken Amaretto Recipe - Home Cooking: "Chicken Amaretto Recipe

Ingredients
5 boned chicken breasts
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp butter
1-1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1-1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 can (6-1/4 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tsp paprika
1 cup amaretto liqueur

Instructions
Mix the can of frozen orange juice with a half can of water.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine flour, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic salt. Coat chicken with this mixture. Heat oil and butter in skillet and saute chicken until brown. Remove and put in casserole. To skillet drippings, add mustard, orange juice and amaretto. Increase heat and boil, stirring constantly, until thick.

Pour sauce over chicken and bake, covered, for 45 minutes.

This dish can be frozen and reheated later.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings"

kerala and International dishes

kerala and International dishes: "Diabetic Recipes(Low Cal Breakfast & Brunch Recipes)

Blueberry Almond Coffee Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup Splenda Granular
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup low fat milk
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 large egg white
1 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons Splenda Granular

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. Beat together butter, 1 cup Splenda Granular, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in whole eggs one at a time. Alternately add flour mixture and milk in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix well. Fold in berries.
4. Spoon batter into baking dish. Lightly beat egg white with fork. Add remaining 3 tablespoons Splenda® Granular and sliced almonds. Stir until almonds are lightly coated. Spoon topping over batter.
5. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack approximately 10 minutes."

kerala and International dishes

kerala and International dishes: "Brisket with Stone Ground Mustard

Brisket Ingredients:
1 (3-pound) beef brisket
6 cups water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves

Sauce Ingredients:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup country-style Dijon mustard
1/2 cup currant jelly
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Prepration

1. Place brisket in 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven; add water. Add all remaining brisket ingredients; bring to a full boil. Cover; cook over medium-low heat until brisket is fork tender (2 1/2 to 3 hours). Remove bay leaves. Place brisket and vegetables on serving platter; reserve 1 1/2 cups broth.
2. Place 1 1/2 cups reserved broth in same pan; stir in flour with wire whisk. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth and bubbly (2 to 3 minutes). Stir in all remaining sauce ingredients. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened (4 to 5 minutes). Serve over carved brisket and vegetables."

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Fresh Tomato Sauce: "Fresh Tomato Sauce
A robust fresh tomato sauce with onion, garlic, basil, and oregano that can used as a base for many dishes. Just add cooked italian sausage or beef to make an excellent meat sauce.
Ingredients:

• 10 medium tomatoes
• 2 ounces olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
Method:

Makes about 1 quart. Remove the core from the tomatoes. Plunge the tomatoes in boiling water for 5-10 seconds. Allow to cool. Peel each tomato. Place a colander over a bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds over the colander. Reserve the liquid and the tomato pulp and set aside. Discard the seeds. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until just soft. Dice the tomato pulp and add to the pan. Add the reserved liquid, basil, and oregano. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring frequently. Check seasonings. Refrigerate or freeze.
Notes:


Number of servings: 1 quart"

Ham and Sausage Jambalaya

Ham and Sausage Jambalaya: "Ham and Sausage Jambalaya
This jambalaya recipe contains both kielbasa sausage (smoked Polish sausage) and ham, along with rice, tomatoes, green pepper, and celery, and is seasoned with hot pepper sauce, thyme, bay leaf, and allspice.
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 1/2 pounds kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz.) tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 pound cooked ham, cut into cubes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (Tabasco)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
Method:

In a large saucepot or Dutch oven heat oil. Add kielbasa, onion, green pepper, celery and garlic; cook 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, ham, bay leaf, pepper sauce, thyme, and allspice; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Add rice. Cover; simmer 15 minutes. If necessary, add more broth or water and simmer until rice is tender. Remove bay leaf. Serve with additional pepper sauce, if desired.
Notes:


Number of"

Harvest Chicken Chowder

Harvest Chicken Chowder: "Harvest Chicken Chowder
This chowder is full of chicken and vegetables (potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms and corn) in a flour-thickened liquid of chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and whipping cream.
Ingredients:

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
• 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup water
• Garnish:
• Parsley sprigs
•
Method:

In a 4-5 quart pot, bring first seven ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until carrots are tender. Stir in diced chicken, mushrooms and corn. Cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes until chicken is done, stirring often. Stir in soup, bacon and cream. Heat through. In a small bowl, stir together flour and water until smooth. Stir into pot. Heat over low heat"

Spicy White Chicken Chili

Spicy White Chicken Chili: "Spicy White Chicken Chili
Great northern beans are cooked in chicken broth, then combined with seasonings of cumin, cloves and ground red pepper. Diced, cooked chicken and chopped green chilies are added to this 'white' chili.
Ingredients:

• 1 lb. dry Great Northern beans
• 8 Cups chicken broth
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 2, 4 oz. cans chopped green chilies
• 2 t. ground cumin
• 1/4 t. ground cloves
• 1/4 t. cayenne pepper
• 4 Cups diced, cooked chicken
• Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Sour cream
Method:

Combine beans, broth, garlic, and half of the onions in large pot and bring to boil. Cover and simmer about 3 hours until beans are tender. In a skillet, cook remaining onions in oil until tender; add chilies and seasonings. Combine and add to bean mixture. Add chicken. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes more. Serve with grated Monterey Jack cheese and sour cream for toppers.
Notes:

Great alternative to traditional chili. I use more cayenne for an extra kick. Can also be served with crushed tortilla chips on top.

Number of servings: 6-8

Submitted By: Sharon Jaymes
View all recipes by this user >>>"

Vanilla ice cream

Vanilla ice cream

Ingredients
6 vanilla pods
625ml/1 pint whole milk
50g/2oz skimmed milk powder
120g/4½oz unrefined caster sugar
10 whole coffee beans
6 medium egg yolks

Method
1. Place the vanilla pods on a chopping board and run a small, sharp knife along the length of each pod, cutting it in half. Use the knife to scrape out the seeds. Put the seeds into the whisking bowl of an electric mixer and add the empty pods to the milk.
2. Pour the milk and vanilla pods into a casserole of at least 1.5 litre/2¾ pints capacity. Add the milk powder, a couple of teaspoons of the sugar and the coffee beans. Place the casserole on a medium heat and bring the milk to the boil. As soon as it boils, turn the heat down and allow the milk to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add the egg yolks to the vanilla seeds in the whisking bowl, along with the remaining sugar. Turn the machine to full speed and beat until the mixture whitens and increases in volume - about 10 minutes.
4. Place the casserole back on a medium heat and return the liquid to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low, then immediately pour this liquid very gently, pods and all, on to the egg mixture while still beating. Return this mixture to the casserole and place on a low heat. Stir continuously, preferably with a flat-bottomed wooden spoon. Do not boil. The custard is ready when a line drawn along the back of the wooden spoon retains its shape.
5. Have ready a bowl large enough to fit the mixture in and sit it in a larger bowl containing ice and a little cold water. When the custard is ready, pour it into the bowl and continue stirring for a few minutes until it is cold. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve. At this point the custard can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Make sure that it is thoroughly mixed so that the vanilla seeds that have fallen to the bottom are evenly distributed.
6. Churn the custard in your ice cream machine and place in the freezer, with some clingfilm pressed on to the surface of the ice cream. Leave in the freezer for 2 hours before serving.

Eggnog custard

Ingredients
150ml/¼ pint single cream
150ml/¼pint milk
2 egg, yolks only
1 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
large pinch of grated nutmeg
1 tbsp rum

Method
1. Stir the cream and milk together in a saucepan and bring almost to boiling point, then remove from the heat.
2. With a wooden spoon, beat the yolks, cornflour and sugar in a bowl. Do not use a whisk as it will make the custard frothy.
3. Pour the hot cream into the custard, stirring steadily, then return the liquid to the pan and add the nutmeg. Stir on a gentle heat until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum. Serve warm.

Note: This may be made ahead, up to a day in advance, and stored in the fridge. To prevent a skin from forming, sprinkle with golden caster sugar. To serve, stir in the sugar. Alternatively just cover the custard with cling film.

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 egg whites
• 3 cups packed coarsely grated peeled carrots (about 6 medium)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• Frosting:
• 8 ounces Neufch¿tel cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.

2. Prepare cake: Stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in bowl.

3. Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, applesauce and vegetable oil in large bowl. Beat 1 minute with electric mixer. Add egg whites; beat 1 minute. Stir in flour mixture. Stir in carrots and walnuts. Turn into pan.

4. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan on wire rack.

5. Prepare frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, rind and vanilla in deep medium-size bowl for 1 minute. Beat in confectioners¿ sugar, 1 cup at a time, until good spreading consistency, adding additional confectioners¿ sugar if needed. Spread frosting over top of cake in pan.

Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

Ingredients

• 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup shelled pistachio nuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 8 squares (8 ounces total) white chocolate
• 2 teaspoons solid vegetable shortening
• Red and green nonpareils, for garnish

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In another large bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fully blended. On low speed, add nuts and chocolate chips. Gradually beat in flour mixture until a stiff dough forms.

4. Shape dough into 2 logs, each 10 inches long. Place on ungreased baking sheet; flatten each log to 3 inches wide. Bake at 325¿ for 35 minutes until set and tops are slightly cracked. Transfer logs to wire racks; cool 15 minutes.

5. With serrated knife, cut logs into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place on baking sheet, cut sides down. Bake at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes. Cool biscotti completely on wire racks.

6. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the white chocolate and shortening. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Allow to cool slightly. Dip one end of each biscotti into melted chocolate and sprinkle with read and green nonpareils. Place on waxed-paper-lined baking sheets until chocolate is set. Makes 36 cookies

Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe

Ingredients
Chicken(wings & bones) - 1 lb
Allpurpose flour(Maida) - 1 1/2 tbsp
Egg - 1 no
Butter - 2 tsp
Pepper powder - 3/4 tsp
Sugar - A pinch
Ajinomotto - A pinch
Salt - As reqd

Preparation Method

1)Make Chicken Stock with 4 cups of water. This is done by cooking chicken in a Pressure Cooker for 1 whistle. Strain and keep aside.

2)Shread flesh from wings and saute in 1 tsp butter and keep aside.

For Roux:
1)In a shallow pan, add butter.

2)Add maida and saute well.

3)Remove from fire before the colour changes.

4)Mix the roux to the stock.

5)Add sugar, salt and pepper.

6)Bring to a boil.

7)Reduce the flame to low medium.

8)Beat the egg with little salt and pepper.

9)Pour the beaten egg mix into the soup through a strainer.

10)Add ajinomotto.

11)Remove from fire.

12)Garnish with shredded chicken in each bowl before seving.

Tips:
1) You may add more roux to make the soup thicker.

2) Vary the amount of salt and pepper to taste.

Chocoberry Milk Chiller

1 cup lowfat chocolate milk
4 tablespoons chocolate syrup, divided use
2 tablespoons raspberry syrup
Multi-colored sprinkles (optional)
Fresh or frozen raspberries (optional garnish)

1. Stir 2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup and 2 tablespoonsof raspberry syrup into chocolate milk and mix thoroughly. Chill mixture in freezer for 5 minutes.
2. While mixture is chilling, dip 2 glasses upside down into sprinkles to coat edges, if desired. Drizzle remaining chocolate syrup on inside and bottom of glasses.
3. Pull mixture out of the freezer. Pour into chocolate drizzled glasses. Garnish with raspberries, if desired.

Makes 2 servings

Marinade for Flank Steak and Portabello Mushrooms

Sunshine. Spring. Month of May close at hand = COOKOUTS!

Flank steak is my favorite steak (after filet mignon bien sure). It's that one piece of meat that just makes it impossible for me to become a vegetarian. And I owe it all to my mom.

Since I can remember, my mom has been fixing this steak, usually on Sundays (so a fitting day to blog about it). I can still remember how my dad would cut this steak up into bite-size pieces for a very little moi (about 4-5 years old). Now I find myself cutting the meat for my children exactly like my dad did for three decades ago (!!yikes!).

Flank steak isn't an expensive cut. This makes it ideal for feeding a family of five during the lean years of the late 70's and early 80's. Those were the years when filet mignon really was for the just the French!

But marinate this less sophisticated steak in the right marinade, and it transforms from tough and chewy to cut with butter knife fantastique! This is so true that I've never really been able to order steak out in American steak houses because no other steak measures up to my Mom's.

Cooking it on the grill is the best way to eat this but before we had a gas grill my mother would broil it in the oven in cooler months. Since living in France, I can say that I, too, use this method from late Oct-March. Broiling is fine but firing up the grill is definitely the best way to heat up this recipe. And since the sun’s shining, spring is in full bloom and chilly winter afternoons are a thing of the past, then today’s the day to start thinking about firing up the barbie and trying new recipes for the Great Outdoors.

For the perfect American Sunday meal mom would add corn, on the cob when in season, hot dinner rolls, fresh green beans cooked à la West Virginian (for a long time in boiling water and with bacon slices) and a crsip Iceburg mixed salad. American dressings au choix. That is a meal we can all enjoy.

The exciting thing about the following marinade is that you can also use it for chicken. My mother has been saying for over 30-some years (each time we sit down to this meal) that you can marinate chicken with it but we have yet to try it.

And I just found out that this marinade works wonders with portabello mushrooms! Yes, I got my vegetarian kick going and thought I’d try the “vegetarian meat substitute”. If there are any vegetarians still reading this article at this point you can get that special "flank steak" flavor without the beef (this goes for any other mushroom fans out there reading this entry) just marinate one hour and grill. Then melt from the pleasure of succulent mushrooms that could replace beef anywhere (well, almost). Tomorrow, I'll get a great leftovers recipe for this steak, providing you can scrap up enough pieces.

Any way you cut it, this steak and its marinade is for you.

Read the recipe by clicking on the link below.

Continue reading "Marinade for Flank Steak and Portabello Mushrooms" »

Salads, Summer Salads

Making your own salad dressing can be easy and, in most cases, healthier for you.All it takes is some creativeness and a blender or a whisk. Brand dressings come in all colors and flavors helping the lettuce scene look appealing. The drawback to bottled stuff is that most of them have less than healthy fillers like thickeners and, they use sugar as a cheap filler.

If you are watching your weight, then you may want to pay attention to hidden sugar in foods. Sugar itself isn’t fattening, per se but when you eat sugar with meals, the sugar goes directly into the bloodstream satiating the cells first. The other food that you have consumed doesn’t get much of a chance at satisfying cellular needs, thus it is stored since it doesn’t need to be used. That translates into fat for you and me.

Therefore, it makes sense to try and make your own salad dressings whenever you can. Living in France, unfortunately, has it’s downsides, they are very uncreative when it comes to salad dressings; they always use a vinaigrette-based sauce. And they put everything under the sun in this dressing, then call it a salad. The grocery store has very little to offer besides vinaigrette, light vinaigrette, and vinaigrette with herbs.

From a health standpoint, the French are right. Using cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, lemon juice or vinegar, they benefit a maximum from whole ingredients. No additives, no preservatives, no unwanted extras.

Since I am a salad fanatic, I have searched hi and low for homemade salad dressings. I have had to ‘invent’ a few and play around with others, but I found dressings that help move beyond the old stand-by.

Below are a few fun dressings that I have concocted. Other simple options can be simply opening a can of salsa and pouring it over the salad. Salsa is low in calories and fat-free.

Creamy Avocado Dressing

Don’t panic, avocados have a fair amount of fat in them but its almost all monounsaturated meaning it can be broken down easily by our bodies. Also, raw avocados have their own ‘fat fighter’ enzymes that help digest fats into fatty acids.

• 1 avocado
• 1 cup or 250 ml yogurt, low fat OK
• juice from one lemon or 3 tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon cumin or chili powder
• up to ¼ cup water
• salt and pepper to taste

Peel and coarsely chop avocado. Place all ingredients except water in blender. Blend until smooth thinning with water to desired consistency. Keeps for up to a week in refrigerator. Yields: 1 ½ cups.

Fresh Tomato and Basil Dressing

Use home grown tomatoes when possible. They transform this dressing!

• 2 large, ripe tomatoes (seeds removed, peeling optional)
• 15 large leaves, fresh basil
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Begin by placing basil and bit of olive oil in blender; with blender on add garlic. Add tomatoes and olive oil. Pulse until slightly chunky. Keep for up to a week in refrigerator. Yields: 2 cups.

Creamy Cucumber dressing with Dill

A classic but always a winner.

• 1 cucumber peeled and seeded
• ½ cup or 125g low-fat yogurt or sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons dried dill
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Coarsely chop half cucumber and pulse in blender with remaining ingredients. Finely chop by hand remaining cucumber half. Stir into sauce. Keeps for up to one week in refrigerator. Yields: 1 ½ cups.

Southwest Dressing

This is great with grilled chicken or turkey salad.

• 1cup or 250 ml salsa of your choice
• ½ avocado
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• a couple of pitted black olives
• 1 teaspoon honey
• salt and pepper to taste

Place avocado, olive oil and half the salsa and honey in blender. Blend until almost smooth. Stir in chopped black olives and remaining salsa. Salt and pepper as needed. Keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator. Yields: 1 ½ cups.

Tangy Orange-Lime Dressing

A citrus treat that goes well with chicken and turkey.

• 1 cup or 250 ml orange juice
• juice from 1 lime or 3 tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tarragon
• salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend. Keeps for a week in the refrigerator.