Asian Kabobs

Adapted from Allrecipes

I actually made these quite a while ago and just found the pics of the skewers on my point-and-shoot camera that I rarely use.  I can't believe that I forgot to post this recipe!  The good news about discovering the pics on my camera is now I really want to make them again...so I most likely will later this week!  Yum!  I can't wait!

Ingredients:

·         ½ cup teriyaki or hoisin sauce

·         ½ cup honey

·         ½ tsp garlic powder

·         ½ pinch ground ginger

·         1 red bell pepper, cut into 2” pieces

·         1/3 large sweet onion, cut into wedges

·         1 cup whole fresh mushrooms

·         1 lb. chicken or beef sirloin, cut into 1” cubes

Directions:

• In a large bowl, mix the first 4 ingredients.  Add the remaining ingredients to marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.
• Preheat grill to med-high heat.
• Discard marinade and thread meat and vegetables onto skewers.
• Lightly oil the grill grate.  Grill approximately 10 minutes, turning as needed or until meat is cooked through.
• Serve with rice.

Cold Sesame Noodles

Adapted from Cooking Light

I have to admit that this had a weird smell to me when I made it.  I think the mixture of the sesame oil and the rice vinegar lingered a bit...  Anyway, it made me worry about the tastiness of the dish.  BUT the noodles ended up being delicious! They had just the right amount of spiciness and I loved all the veggies.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. soba noodles
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 2 Tbs sesame oil
• 2 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tbs honey
• 2 tsp chile paste with garlic
• ½ tsp ginger
• 2 cups skinless, boneless chicken breast, shredded
• 1 medium cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1/3 cup shredded carrots
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 bunch chopped green onions
• 3 Tbs chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Directions:

• Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  Drain and rinse under cold water; drain.
• Combine rice vinegar and the next 5 ingredients (through ginger) in a large bowl and stir with a whisk.  Add noodes, chicken, cucumber, carrots and red bell pepper.  Top with green onions and peanuts.

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken

Adapted from Allrecipes

I wanted something simple to pair with the sweet potato and grilled chicken came to mind.  I just needed to find a marinade for the chicken.  Allrecipes is a handy recipe finder because you can filter by ingredients and key words and then sort by the top rated recipes.  I did this and landed on this simple, tasty recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 Tbs mayonnaise
• 2 Tbs steak sauce (such as A-1)

Directions:

• Preheat the grill for medium heat.
• In a shallow bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise and steak sauce.  Set aside a small amount of the honey mustard mixture to use as a dip later.  Dip the chicken in the remaining sauce to coat.
• Lightly oil the grill grate.  Grill the chicken for 15 minutes, turning occasionally or until juices run clear.  Baste occasionally with the excess sauce during the last 10 minutes.
• Serve with remaining sauce that was set aside.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Adapted from Tried & True Recipes from the Ladies of the Innesbrook Ward Cookbook

I love sweet potato fries.  And the love extends to sweet potatoes in general.  However, I have trouble finding them in grocery stores.  Instead the stores I frequent seem to carry more yams than sweet potatoes.  Anyway, when I happened upon these I immediately remembered this recipe and decided I HAD to make it.  It was delicious!  I substituted green onions for chives since they are a little less spendy and I really enjoyed the switch. 

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean and dried
• 4 sliced Canadian bacon, cut into tiny cubes (or real bacon, cooked and crumbled)
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 Tbs fresh chives, chopped (or green onions, chopped)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Note:  All these ingredients amounts are approximate.  Use more or less of any ingredient to taste.

Directions:

• Poke several holes in each sweet potato with a knife or fork.  Wrap each sweet potato in a paper towel and place in the microwave.  Cook on high until the potatoes are soft in the middle.  (Some microwaves have a potato setting.) For a medium sized potato it will take about 10 minutes.  You can cook them in the oven but it takes much longer.
• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Remove the potatoes from the microwave.  Once they are cool enough to handle, cut in half, and scoop out most of the centers into a small bowl.  Combine the sweet potato to flesh with the sour cream, Canadian bacon, Cheddar cheese, and chives.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Mash together with a fork or spoon.  Stuff the potatoes with the mixture.  Sprinkle with a little more shredded cheese.
• Place stuffed potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet, sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the skin has started to crisp.  Remove from the oven, top with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with more chives (both optional).  Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

Asparagus & Mushroom Quiche

Adapted from Allrecipes

My husband's birthday was yesterday, so I decided to make him a special birthday brunch.  The main feature was this lovely quiche.  The asparagus, mushrooms, onions, Feta and Cheddar in this were superb!  I'm a huge fan of Feta and really thought it added a little something special to this quiche.  Delish!

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. deli ham, diced
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup portobella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup chopped fresh asparagus
• 1 (8 inch) unbaked pie shell
• 1 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• ½ tsp salt
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp parsley
• ½ tsp thyme

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion; cook and stir until translucent.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the portabella mushrooms.  Continue cooking until the mushroom are tender.  Set aside.
• Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Cook asparagus in boiling water until just tender, 1-2 minutes.  Immediately drain and run under cold water to cool.
• Spray a pie tin with cooking spray and place pie shell in tin.  Place the onion and mushroom mixture, asparagus and ham into the bottom of the pie shell.  Sprinkle the Cheddar and Feta cheeses over the vegetables.  In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream salt, pepper, parsley and thyme until smooth.  Pour this mixture over the vegetable and cheese filling.
• Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until firm and lightly browned on top.  Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Adapted from Koyle Family Cookbook, Recipe Submitted by Jill and Dan Baird

This recipe is great for using up some ripe bananas. I added whole wheat flour rather than white flour, just adding a little bit less of it, and they were scrumptious!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (2 cups if using white flour)

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 ripe bananas, mashed well

6 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the dry ingredients together. Mix the wet ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just moistened. Pour into greased muffin tins and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean.

Fajita Pizza

I haven't made a homemade pizza for about 2 months!  I can't believe it!  My husband started bugging me to make one and when I asked him what kind he wanted he said a "mexican one".  So, I decided to do a fajita pizza. 

Ingredients:

• One pizza crust recipe (see Recipe Index)
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• 1-2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
• 1 onion, cut into strips
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 fajita packet and recipe ingredients on back of package
• ½ cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• ½ cup Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/3  cup fresh salsa, divided
• 1 avocado
• 2 Tbs lime juice
• Salt, to taste
• Sour cream

Directions:

• Make pizza crust according to recipe directions.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Bake crust for 10 minutes. 
• In the meantime, heat olive oil in a heavy, large pan over medium heat.  Cook chicken, bell peppers and onions for 5 minutes in oil or until onion is tender.  Add the fajita mix and fajita mix ingredients to pan; mix thoroughly.  Allow the chicken and veggies to absorb the fajita mix for about 5 minutes. 
• When the 10 minutes of baking the crust is complete, remove from oven and add your toppings.  Cover the crust with the Mozzarella and Sharp Cheddar cheese.  Spread the chicken fajita mixture evenly over crust.  Return to oven and cook for 8-10 more minutes. 
• In the meantime, make your guacamole.  Mash avocado with fork.  Add 3-4 Tbs fresh salsa, lime juice and salt to taste.  Mix well.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• When the cooking time for pizza is complete, remove from oven and top evenly with remaining fresh salsa.  (Note:  you may need to soak up extra juices from salsa with paper towels after adding to pizza.) 
• Serve pizza with guacamole and sour cream. 

Note:  I meant to add black beans to the topping and COMPLETELY forgot.  I mustn’t forget next time, although it was still delicious without. 

Pear Feta Cheese Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

Adapted from Allrecipes

I wanted a fun salad to serve with the butternut squash soup.  Besides being scrumptious the salad gave the meal a more summery, fresh feel.  The raspberry vinaigrette was a find.  A bunch of recipes I reviewed before settling on this one called for using raspberry vinegar, which is something I just don't have on hand and am reluctant to buy since I don't know what else I would use it for.  Anyway, the salad was delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 can mandarin oranges
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbs raspberry jam
• 1 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 (10 oz) package of spring lettuce mix
• 1 pear, chopped
• ¼ cup  craisins
• ½ avocado, diced
• ½ cup feta cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:

• Drain oranges, reserving ½ cup juice.  In a jar with tight-fitting lid, combine oil, jam, vinegar and reserved juice.  Shake well.
• In a large salad bowl, toss oranges, lettuce, pear, craisins, avocado, feta and pecans.  Serve with the dressing.

Note:  Peach juice may be used as a substitute for the mandarin orange juices. 

Curried Roasted Pear & Squash Soup

Adapted from Allrecipes

This recipe caught my eye because of the pear.  How would the sweetness pair (pear?  ha, ha!) with the curry and squash?  It was fantastic.  The sweetness was slight, but evident.  I really like curry and had made a curried butternut squash soup before, so I knew I would enjoy this part of the recipe.  I am somewhat assuming this will be my last butternut squash recipe until Fall since I am more in the mood for "Summer" food lately, but this was a great way to end the soup and squash season!

Ingredients:

• 1 (2 lb) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 firm, ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbs butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 tsp ginger
• 1 Tbs curry powder
• 3 ½ cups chicken broth
• ½ cup milk
• Dash cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.  In a large bowl, toss squash, pear and garlic with enough olive oil to lightly coat.  Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.  Roast in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender and golden brown.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, heat butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Sauté onion in butter until soft and translucent (about 10 minutes).  Stir in the ginger and curry powder and sauté  for 1 minute.  Add the roasted squash, pears, and chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Cool slightly before pureeing in batches in a blender.
• Return the soup to the pot over low heat.  Stir in the milk.  Season with a dash of cinnamon and salt and ground black pepper, to taste.  Serve warm.

Serves 4-6

Fruity Curry Chicken Salad

Adapted from Allrecipes

The great thing about this recipe is the flexibility of the ingredients.  It calls for a lot of different kinds of fruit in the salad, but if you don't have some of them on hand it's not a huge deal; just add more of the other kinds of fruit.  This time making the recipe, I used pineapple tidbits, pear and craisins for the fruit.  The addition of curry to the typical chicken salad recipe is fantastic, but you really need to let it sit to let the curry flavor set in.  Serve on your favorite bread, over lettuce for a salad or in a wrap!

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 Golden Delicious apple, diced
• 1 pear, diced
• 1/3 cup craisins
• 1/3 cup seedless green grapes, halved
• 1/3 cup canned pineapple chunks, cut small
• ½ cup toasted pecans or almonds
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp curry powder
• ¼ cup light Miracle Whip
• ½ cup light mayo
• 1 Tbs vinegar

Directions:

Combine all ingredients, mix well.  Allow to sit overnight for flavors to bend.  Serve!

Chili Rubbed Salmon with Red Pepper Salsa

Adapted from Cooking Light

Quick.  Fresh flavor. Lots of veggies.  Feel good at the end of the meal.  Check, check, check, CHECK!  We are all geared up for Spring/Summer meals in our household.  This one hit the spot.  I served with some wild rice on the side.

Ingredients:

Salmon:

• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 (6 oz) skinless salmon fillets
• Cooking spray

Salsa:

• 1 cup prechopped red bell pepper
• ¼ cup chopped tomato
• 2 Tbs prechopped red onion
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 ½ tsp fresh lime juice
• 1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

• To prepare salmon, heat a grill at medium-high heat.  Combine first 5 ingredients; rub evenly over fillets.  Coat grill grate with cooking spray.  Add fillets to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  (Salmon should flake easily with a fork.)
• While fish cooks, prepare salsa.  Combine bell pepper and remaining ingredients.  Serve salsa with fillets.

Chicken Pot Pie

Adapted from A Taste of Richmond Cookbook, Eden Dixon

Sometimes you just can't go wrong when you serve the classics. This chicken pot pie recipe is delicious! I have yet to find a chicken pot pie recipe I like better. I make the pie crust from scratch, but you can also use store bought pie crusts. See pie crust recipe below.

Ingredients:

1 cup potato, diced

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup celery, diced

1 cup chopped carrot

1/3 cup melted butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 pie crusts

Preheat oven to 400. Saute onion, celery, carrots and potatoes in butter for 10 minutes. Add flour to sauteed mixture. stirring well. Cook one minute stirring constantly. Combine broth and milk. Gradually stir into mixture. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly. Stir in salt and pepper. Add chicken and stir well. Pour into casserole dish and top with pie shells. Cut slits to allow steam to escape. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly and cooked through.

Basic Pie Crust:

Recipe from Eden Dixon

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose OR pastry flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup shortening

Ice water to make soft dough

Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening to the size of peas. Gradually add ice water to form a soft dough. Divide into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Shape as desired.

Thai Coconut Red Curry

Adapted from Allrecipes

This was fantastic and super easy to make!  Plus, it tasted so fresh with the veggies and pineapple.  My husband wanted it spicier, so he added red pepper flakes.  The original recipe did not call for it, but I can see how it would definitely add to the recipe for people with a spicier palette.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 Tbs red curry paste
• 1 can lite coconut milk
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
• 1 Tbs and 1 ½ tsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbs brown sugar
• 2 Tbs pineapple juice
• ½ cup pineapple chunks, drained
• ½ red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup white bean sprouts
• 2 Tbs cilantro and/or fresh basil
• Salt, to taste
• Cashew pieces (optional)
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

• Bring rice and water to a boil in a pot.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 25 minutes.
• In a heavy pan or wok, mix in chicken and red curry paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Mix in remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar.  Bring to a boil and cook 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear.
• Mix the red bell pepper and onion into the pan/wok.  Continue cooking 10 minutes until peppers are tender.  Remove from heat and stir in pineapple and salt, to taste.  Serve over cooked rice.  Top with bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, cashew and red pepper flakes. 

Tim's Omelette

My husband makes omelettes a couple of mornings each week (well, when he's not super busy with work).  It's pretty much the only thing that he makes, so I thought it needed to be featured on our food blog!  They are really healthy since they are mostly egg whites and veggies.  A great way to start your day!

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• Splash of skim milk
• ¼ - 1/3 cup cheese (Sharp Cheddar, Mozzarella, Muenster or Feta)
• Diced vegetables (red bell pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, avocado, onions, etc…)
• Deli ham (approximately 1-2 slices)

Serve with:

• Fresh salsa or Tobasco sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Preheat medium sized pan at medium heat for 3-5 minutes, so that pan is warmed and ready to cook.  In a small bowl, beat one full egg and 2 egg whites with a splash of milk.  Grease pan with cooking spray.  Pour egg mixture evenly in pan so that it covers entire bottom in a thin layer. 
• When eggs begin to cook through, start sprinkling cheese on one half of the omelet.  (Eggs should still jiggle somewhat in center, though.)  Add deli ham and vegetables on top of the cheese layer. 
• Continue cooking omelet until egg has completely cooked through.  Then gently fold the omelet in half.  Wait one more minute, ensuring egg is cooked.  Serve with fresh salsa or Tobasco sauce and salt and pepper. 

Chile Verde Pork Enchiladas

Adapted from Allrecipes

This picture doesn't quite do the enchiladas justice; I should have taken a bit more time taking the pic.  However, the taste was fantastic.  The pork tenderloin was SO unbelievably tender.  I highly recommend sticking with the Montery Jack cheese or in a crunch maybe Mozzarella since the mild flavor doesn't overrule the flavor of the pork.  Serve with your favorite Mexican accompaniments (mine are guacamole and black beans). 

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 (16 oz each) jars tomatillo salsa, divided
• 2.5 lbs pork tenderloin
• 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
• 6-8 whole wheat tortillas

Serve with:

• Black beans
• Fresh guacamole

Directions:

• Layer the chopped onion and cilantro into the bottom of a greased slow cooker.  Season the pork with salt and pepper; place atop the chopped onion.  Pour the salsa over the pork.
• Cook on low until the meat falls apart easily, about 8 hours.  Gently remove the pork to a cutting board after cooking 7 hours.  Shred pork and return to crockpot to finish cooking.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  To make enchiladas, take a 9x13” pan and pour a thin layer of salsa on bottom of pan.  Layer about ¼ cup Monterey Jack cheese into center of a whole wheat tortilla.  Top with shredded pork and pork juices (onions& cilantro).  Roll up each side of enchilada and place seam side down in 9x13 pan.  Repeat until all pork has been used.  Pour remaining salsa over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake for 15-20 minutes. 
• Serve with beans and guacamole or your choice of toppings (rice, shredded lettuce, etc…). 

Note:  Can use chile verde pork for other Mexican dishes as well, such as burritos or tacos. 

S'mores Brownies

Adapted from Food Network

I love brownies.  LOVE them.  Tim requested this dish as an alternate to my regular brownie batch.  We hadn't enjoyed this dessert for awhile, so I was only too happy to comply.  So delicious!

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 10 Tbs butter, melted
• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 4 Tbs sugar

For the brownie mix:

• Brownie mix, plus ingredients listed on back of box to make brownies
• About 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 bag of marshmallows

Directions:

• For the crust:  Mix all ingredients together and bake at 325 degrees F. for 20 minutes, until lightly browned.
• For the brownies:  Use your favorite brownie mix and make according to package directions.  Layer on top of your graham cracker crust after baking.  Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the brownies have set and no longer jiggles in the center.  Remove brownies from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips to desired amount.  Then cover entire surface with marshmallows.  Turn on broiler on low on oven and place brownies back in oven for 1-3 minutes until marshmallows are lightly toasted.

Bacon & Butternut Squash Pasta

Adapted from Cooking Light

This was delicious!  It did take some time to prepare, especially since it uses butternut squash, which is always a bit more involved.  But the outcome was SO worth the effort.  I would definitely recommend it for a Sunday meal when you have a little more time to devote to cooking.  I served with a Light Caesar salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (3 cups diced)
• ½ tsp dried rosemary (or 1 ½ tsp fresh)
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ lb bacon
• 1 cup onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• Pinch nutmeg
• 8 oz whole wheat penne, shells, or macaroni
• ¾ cup sharp provolone, shredded
• ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated

Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 425 F.   Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly gresse with cooking spray.

2.      In a large bowl toss squash and rosemary with olive oil to coat.  Season with kosher salt and pepper.  Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.  Roast in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender and golden. 

3.      Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil  Cook pasta according to package directions; drain; set aside.

4.      Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Set aside to drain. Reserve 1 Tbsp. of bacon grease in the skillet. Crumble bacon once cooled.

5.      Sauté shallots and garlic in the reserved bacon grease over medium heat until tender. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the cream, 1/2 cup at a time, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Season with a pinch of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. 

6.      In a large bowl, toss to combine 3/4 of the roasted squash, the cooked pasta, 3/4 of the crumbled bacon, the sauce, and the Provolone and Parmesan (reserving some cheese to sprinkle on top). Pour into a lightly greased 9x9 baking dish. Top with the remaining bacon and squash. Sprinkle with the reserved cheese.

7.      Bake in preheated 425 F oven for 10 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Let set several minutes before serving.

Serves 4.

Cinnamon Syrup

Adapted from Allrecipes

Since it was conference weekend, we needed to have brunch!  However, my husband wasn't feeling too adventurous and just wanted some traditional french toast.  I insisted on making it a little more fun and decided on a homemade syrup.  The cinnamon flavor is the best part of the french toast, so this seemed the perfect compliment to the meal.  And it was!  I really liked the syrup and will most definitely be making it again.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbs flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup water

Directions:

Stir together the white sugar, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small saucepan.  Stir in vanilla extract and water.  Bring to a rolling boil, stirring often.  Boil for about a minute…do not want it to thicken too much or it will become goopy.  Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes before serving.

Southwest Turkey Wraps

Adapted from Allrecipes

This is probably my favorite wrap.  I love the creaminess of the sour cream/yogurt AND I love that it is so easy to prepare.  I often have many of the ingredients on hand.  The taco seasoning makes it very flavorful too.

Ingredients:

• 2 whole wheat tortillas
• ¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• 2 Tbs taco seasoning
• 1/3 cup each of Sharp Cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese
• ½ avocado, sliced
• 4-6 oz. of deli turkey, depending on how much meat you like

Directions:

Mix the sour cream/yogurt with the taco seasoning in a small bowl.  Spread half over the top of each tortilla.  Sprinkle cheese over the sour cream/yogurt mixture.  Layer avocados on half of the tortilla and then cover the entire tortilla with a layer of turkey meat.  Roll the tortilla and cut in half to serve. 
Note:  Next time we make this I think we will add some sliced bell peppers for a little crunch.