Summer Salad

Romaine lettuce - however much you will eat!
Strawberries, sliced
Grapes, halved

Dressing:
1/2 C mayo
2 Tbsp vinegar
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C milk
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Next time I will throw in some carmelized pecans or toasted almonds.
Yummy!

Vegetable-Beef Soup

This is the most delicious homemade vegetable-beef soup that I’ve ever tasted. I adjusted another recipe a lot for what I had and the fact that I can’t serve chunky tomato things to my family. The broth turned out to be SO good, so I would recommend pureeing the tomatoes and onions, even if you don’t mind the chunks. It makes a huge batch and for me that’s fine cause I could eat this every day. If you leave out the potatoes I think you could freeze this well. Just add the potatoes when you reheat it. The original recipe called for celery and peas, but I couldn’t get either one. Also, keep in mind that my onions are very small, but strong.

Brown one kilo diced beef (roast) with one chopped onion and ½ chopped green pepper. When beef is nearly browned, add 5 cloves minced garlic. Brown completely and add 8 cups beef broth. Puree 3 tomatoes and 3 small onions in blender, adding a bit of water if needed. Add to soup with 2-3 Tbsp tomato paste, 2 Tbsp sugar and pepper and salt to taste. Simmer for 1-2 hours. Add 1 cup chopped fresh green beans, 1 cup diced carrots, 1 ½ - 2 cups finely diced cabbage, 1 ½ cups diced potatoes, 1 small can corn, 1 small can kidney or white beans. Simmer 20-30 minutes, or until vegetables are done. Add salt if needed. Serve with biscuits or cornbread.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

(i got all these recipes from allrecipes.com, but i thought i'd put them on here anyway. here goes...)

1 (16 oz) package pound cake mix
3 eggs
2 T. butter, melted
4 t. pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 (8 oz) softened cream cheese
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1/2 t. salt
1 c. chopped pecans (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 15x10 in. jelly roll pan with non-stick spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, on low speed, combine cake mix, 1 egg, margarine, and 2 t. pumpkin pie spice until crumbly. Press onto bottom of prepared pan.
3. In another large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, then remaining two eggs, pumpkin, remaining 2 t. pumpkin pie spice, and salt; mix well. Pour over crust; sprinkle with pecans.
4. Bake 30-45 min., or until set.
5. Cool, then chill in refrigerator. Cut into squares. Store covered in refrigerator.

these bars are phenomenal. they remind me a bit of those pumpkin things they used to sell at jim's bakery. yum!

Unbelievable Chicken

1/4 c. vinegar
3 T. prepared mustard
3 cloves minced garlic
1 lime, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
ground black pepper to taste
6 T. olive oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast
Directions:
1. In a large glass bowl, mix the vinegar, mustard, garlic, lime juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Place chicken in mixture. Cover, and marinate 8 hours, or overnight. (I marinated it over 24 hours and it was great)
2. Preheat an outdoor grill on high heat.
3. Grill 6 to 8 minutes per side, until juices run clear. Baste during grilling, then discard marinade.

Indian Stir-Fried Shrimp in Cream Sauce (Bhagari Jhinga)

1 T. tomato paste
1/2 t. salt
1 t. white sugar
1 t. garam masala
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
3 T. chopped, fresh cilantro
1 fresh jalapeno, chopped
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 c. coconut milk
3 T. vegetable oil
1 t. black mustard seed
3 cloves minced garlic
1 1/4 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 T. cornstarch
1 T. cold water

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, stir together tomato paste, salt, sugar, garam masala, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lemon juice, and coconut milk. Set coconut sauce aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and cook until they begin to pop. Immediately stir in garlic, and cook until garlic begins to brown. Add shrimp, and cook until shrimp is opaque; this should only take a minute or two. Pour the coconut sauce over the shrimp; cook until the sauce begins to simmer. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and water; stir into the sauce, and continue cooking until thick. Serve over rice.