Quick Sweet Potato Bread

Makes two loaves

I just developed this recipe with sweet potato instead of pumpkin since I've had some allergy trouble with pumpkin in the past. These came out absolutely delicious--moist and filled with spice. It is gluten-free but not dairy-free (there is some buttermilk in the baking mix).

1 lb. can sweet potato or butternut squash puree (available at Trader Joe's)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (or Rapadura)
1 cup olive oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
3 cups Pamela's Wheat-Free Baking Mix
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Mix together sweet potato puree, sugar, oil, eggs, and spices in a mixing bowl until well blended.
2. Add baking mix and stir gently until combined. Fold in walnuts.
3. Grease 2 bread pans, line with parchment paper, and then grease the paper inside the pan. Divide bread mixture evenly between the two pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center.

Muffins Instructions: Prepare batter as above. Grease muffin tins and fill 3/4 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean in the center. Makes 17 - 20 muffins.

Mar-A-Lago Turkey Burgers

This recipe was introduced to me by my wonderful mother-in-law, Kay Shipe. The burgers are juicy and highly seasoned; do reduce the seasoning accordingly if you use less than 4 lbs. of turkey. The recipe is from the Mar-A-Largo restaurant in Florida. For the full unedited recipe from Oprah.com, click here. Kate and I made some small changes to the recipe--our version listed below:

Serves 6

4 pounds ground turkey breast
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3 Granny Smith apples , peeled and diced
1 Tbls. plus 1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. Tabasco® chipotle pepper sauce
1 lemon, juiced and grated zest
1/2 bunch parsley , finely chopped
1/4 cup Major Grey's Chutney, pureed*
olive oil, for frying

Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients (except oil). Shape into burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours. (Or cook right away! I've done it several times.)

Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for about 5 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Serve with a side of Major Grey's Chutney.*

*Kate created a fantastic mango chutney to replace the store-bought Major Grey's Chutney. I will get her to post the recipe soon! (hint, hint, if you are reading this, Kate!)

Salmon Cucumber Bites

This is a great gluten-free lunch as the cucumbers serve as a tasty alternative to bread. My kids love this.

1 can wild Alaskan salmon*
mayonnaise
dill relish
1 cucumber
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

1. Drain canned salmon and mix with mayonnaise and dill relish. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
2. Slice cucumber into rounds. Top each round with about 1 Tbls of tuna salad.
3. Wash tomatoes, slice in half, and place one half on top of each salmon cucumber bite.

*A word about ingredients: Wild Alaskan or Wild Pacific salmon is a much safer alternative to tuna or to Atlantic or farm-raised salmon. Unfortunately, tuna and Atlantic salmon have been contaminated by mercury. Farm-raised (often called "Atlantic") salmon is often so poor in quality that the farmers must use food coloring to give the salmon its pink color found in nature.

Corn & Zucchini Fritters

From Martha Stewart Living
Makes about 1 dozen fritters
I wait all year for the corn, zucchini, and tomatoes to come in at the farm just so I can make this recipe! This is the taste of summer!

1 1/2 cups flour*
2 tsp baking powder*
coarse salt* and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp melted butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (about 8 oz)
2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 3 or 4 ears)

Garnish:
peeled and sliced avocado
fresh tomato slices
slices of raw cheddar cheese
bacon, cooked until crisp

1. To remove fresh corn kernels from the ear, first peel the corn and carefully remove the silk. Then cut one end of the ear of corn so that it is flat. Placing the flat end of the corn on your cutting board (or even better, a shallow bowl or pie dish to catch the kernels as they come off), slice the kernels off of the ear, several rows at a time until all the kernels are removed.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, 2 tsp salt* and 1/4 tsp pepper in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the butter, eggs, and milk; add to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Add zucchini and corn, stir until well blended.
3. Lightly grease a griddle with oil or butter, like you would prepare it for making pancakes. Drop about 2 tbsp of batter into the skillet for each fritter, pressing gently with a spatula to flatten (should be the size of pancakes). Cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer onto paper towels to drain. Season with salt and pepper while still hot.
4. Serve fritters as a side dish on their own or as a sandwich, with avacado, bacon, tomato, and cheese in-between two slices.

*A word about ingredients: You can make this recipe Gluten-Free by substituting Pamela's All-Purpose Baking Mix for the flour, baking soda, and salt. I've served the gluten-free version to everyone I know, and they cannot tell the difference.

White Chicken Chili

Serves 4

From my sister, Jayme Metzgar.

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 med. onion, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tbls. olive oil
2 15-oz. cans great northern beans
14.5 oz. chicken broth
2 (4 oz.) cans chopped green chilis
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 cup sour cream

Cut the chicken into bite-size chunks. Heat oil over medium heat in large pot. Saute chicken, onion, and garlic until chicken is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add all of the other ingredients to the pot except cream. Simmer 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream if desired, or serve cream on the side.

White Bean & Kale Soup

Adapted from The Family Circle Cookbook
Serves 8

My kids insisted that I put this in "Kid's Favorites." May God bless you with children that will eat kale. They really do love this soup, though. I've tried kale in other recipes, and for some reason, it just tastes especially good with the combination of flavors in this soup.

2 15-oz. cans navy beans (or other white beans), drained and rinsed
3 stalks celery, diced
2 medium-sized carrots, pared and sliced
1 medium-sized onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 ounces bacon, diced
46 ounces chicken broth (Imagine Organics is the best--see links)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 bunch fresh kale, washed, stems removed, and coarsely chopped*
1/2 cup small shell pasta*
Grated Parmesan cheese*

1. Heat bacon in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook until fat begins to render. Add celery, carrot, onion, and garlic and cook stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Add all but 1 cup of beans, chicken broth, and pepper.
2. Mash the reserved cup of beans and add it to the soup. Add kale. Bring to boiling over high heat. Lower heat; simmer 10 minutes or until all ingredients are heated through and kale is tender.
3. Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions; drain. Stir pasta into soup. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

*Notes on these ingredients:
1) Buy organic kale if possible. All dark, leafy greens soak up nitrates from the soil. Organic soil will have far less nitrates than soil that has been treated with chemical fertilizers. Nitrates attack the intenstinal system; the FDA warns pregnant or nursing women and infants to avoid nitrates.
2) You may use rice pasta for those who are gluten intolerant. Tinkyada makes small shell rice pasta.
3) Those with dairy allergies can simply eliminate sprinkling the Parmesan on their soup.

Hot Dog Casserole

Serves 4-6

1 package "uncured" hotdogs (no nitrates)
6 potatoes
1 16-oz. package of Imagine Organic Creamy Potato Leek Soup
salt & pepper to taste
(grated cheese-optional)

1. Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Boil until you can prick it through with a fork.
2. Slice hotdogs into bite-sized rounds.
3. Mix all ingredients together in a 9x13 casserole.
4. Bake at 350 until bubbly, 20 - 30 minutes.

Southwestern Corn Chowder

A great summer soup.

4 ounces bacon (5 or 6 slices), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 fresh small poblano chile, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice
coarse sea salt
1/2 t ground cumin
freshly ground black pepper
pinch of red chile pepper flakes
1 c dry white wine
1 lb yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
5 c chicken stock
3 c fresh corn kernels, about 6 ears
1 c heavy cream
note from Christy: it also calls for 1/4 c fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish, but it can be done without it

1. In a lrg pot or soup pan, add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes.
2. Cook onions until softened, 4 min. Add carrot, celery, and chile pepper and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 t salt, the cumin, 1/4 t black pepper, and the red pepper flakes. Raise heat to high; add wine. Cook until most liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add potatoes and stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Stir in corn and cream; cook until corn is tender (do not let cream boil), about 5 minutes more. (If you want to add the cilantro, add it here.) Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with reserved bacon pieces.

Apricot-Dijon Chicken

From Martha Stewart Living
Serves 4

8 chicken thighs
salt and black pepper
1 12 ounce jar of apricot jam
2 T honey
2 T dijon mustard

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse chicken and transfer to baking dish. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Bring apricot jam, honey, and mustard to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer until thickened and reduced by half. (15 min.) Spoon apricot mix over the chicken; spread evenly with a spoon.
Bake chicken, basting with sauce from bottom of the dish every 10 minutes until juices run clear when chicken is pricked. (About 30 minutes.)

Pizza Hamburgers

Serves 4

1 lb. ground beef
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
fresh grated mozzarella cheese
fresh grated mild or medium cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven 425. Mix all ingredients except sauce. Add half the tomato sauce to the meat mixture. Make hamburgers and form little craters (like a dish to hold the sauce), and put the rest of the sauce into the craters of the hamburgers. Cook hamburgers 20 minutes, add cheese on top of each burger and cook another 5 min.
(Serve with baby green beans.)

Variations:
1. Red Wine Vinegar - Lessen tomato sauce to 6 oz. and add 1/8 cup of red wine vinegar to the meat when mixing in the sauce. Add 1/2 tsp. basil and pepper to taste.
2. Gluten-Free - Replace 1/2 c. bread crumbs with 1/4 c. corn meal.
3. Dairy-Free - Do not melt cheese on the burger.

Green Chile Chicken Nachos

Adapted from 365 More Ways to Cook Chicken
Serves 6-8

A Shipe family favorite! Make a lot so you can have left-overs.

4 tbls. olive oil
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 tbls. yellow cornmeal
4 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup chopped scallions
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 cups drained canned tomatillos
2 (2-ounce) cans chopped green chiles
salt to taste
1 bunch chopped cilantro
tortilla chips
4 cups shredded lettuce
sour cream

1. In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken chunks and cook, stirring, until golden, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle cornmeal, chili powder, and cumin over chicken and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add salt to taste. Stir in broth, tomatillos, and chiles. Simmer, stirring often and mashing tomatillos, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and green onions and simmer 30 seconds.
2. Serve green chili chicken onto individual plates on top of tortilla chips. Top with shredded lettuce and sour cream.