Sweet Potato Fries

(copied directly from source)

Ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes, washed
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a baking sheet in the oven.

On a cutting board, slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Slice each half into 6 wedges. Place wedges in a large bowl, add canola oil, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to coat.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Place the fries onto the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the fries and bake for another 15 minutes until brown and crispy. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Source: Sandra's Money Saving Meals, Food Network

The first time I made these I had them with the Black Bean Burgers, both recipes are from same episode. 

They were crispy on the outside and nice and soft and the inside. I think next time I make them I will toss them in brown sugar also.

Black Bean Burgers

(copied directly from source)

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 4 hamburger rolls

Optional Toppings:

• 1 tomato, sliced
• 4 small Romaine lettuce leaves, or any other type you have on hand
• 1/4 cup ketchup

Directions

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-low heat.

In a food processor, pulse onion and garlic until finely chopped. Add 1 can black beans, cilantro, parsley, egg, and red pepper flakes and pulse to combine.

Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl, add the remaining can of black beans and the bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and mix until well combined.

Reserve 1/3 of the black bean mixture for Round 2 Recipe. Divide remaining mixture into 4 portions and form into patties. Place on hot oiled grill over medium-low heat and cook about 6 minutes a side or until heated through. Toast hamburger buns on a grill. Place a burger on the bottom of each bun. Top with lettuce, tomato and ketchup. Cover the burgers with the top of the bun and serve.

Source: Sandra's Money Saving Meals, Food Network

I made these because my parents like to go out with no food in the house. I only had to buy cilantro, the beans, and sweet potato (see above). Only cost me $2.50 after my green saving bag. Go Green!

They were very good! Definitely needed some crunch on it like lettuce, but I did not have any. By mistake I put 2 tbs. of parsley, I think it just off set the cilantro taste which sometimes can be very strong. I put mayo on mine for some more moisture but they were not dry. I did it on an indoor grill pan.

The Heat Is On Sandwich

Ingredients

• 2 tbs. The Heat Is On peanut butter
• 2 slices white bread (any variety is fine)
• 2 tbs. pineapple preserves
• 6 pz. ( 1 small cutlet) grilled chicken breast cut into 1/2-inch strips

Directions

1. Spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread and the pineapple preserves on the other.
2. Lay the chicken on the peanut butter and top with the other slice of bread, preserves side down. Slice in half diagonally.

Source: Personal Library: The Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook, Quirk Books, 2005.

I made this sandwich a lot last year when I was on my peanut butter kick. This is one of my favorites too! Instead of pineapple preserves I just used pineapple rings or crushed pineapple.  Grilling the pineapple rings would be extra good! Last year I used left over grilled chicken, this time I used those prepackaged turkey cutlets by Purdue.

Stuffed Shells with Ricotta and Spinach

This is not a complete recipe. My sister and I made it for my mom's birthday because she mentioned she wanted them a few weeks ago. It is really easy to make, especially with two people stuffing the shells. I do not have a recipe for the tomato sauce you use with it, either use jarred or use your own recipe, essentially all it is is can of crushed tomato, can of tomato paste, fresh garlic, salt, pepper, fresh garlic.

Ingredients

• jumbo shells
• ricotta cheese
• mozzarella cheese
• parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• nutmeg
• frozen spinach
• garlic powder
• Italian seasoning

Directions

1. Heat the jarred sauce or make your own homemade sauce.
2. Boil a large pot of water for jumbo shells.
3. Takes frozen spinach and boil in medium pot, drain.
4. Mix together the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, spinach, Italian seasoning, pinch of nutmeg, and garlic powder in a very large bowl.
5. Lay a layer of tomato sauce on a bottom of a baking pan and begin to stuff the shells with the ricotta mixture. (For easy stuffing slightly pinch the two ends of the shells)
6. Add more tomato sauce when baking pan is filled with stuffed shells.
7. Either serve right away or refrigerate and heat through in oven when want to serve.

Source: sister's head

Fruit-Cup Shortcake

Ingredients

• 15 oz can fruit cocktail
• 16 oz can chocolate syrup
• 2/3 cup canned light whipped cream
• 11 oz pound cake

Directions

1. Hack off a slice of pound cake and put it on a small plate. 
2. Drizzle on some of the chocolate syrup.
3. Plop on some fruit cocktail.
4. Squirt on some whipped cream.

Source: Personal Library: A Man, A Can, A Plan, Rodale, 2002.

This hardly counts as a recipe but we had everything in the house and I like updating my blog with recipes so why not. I only made one serving thought, my mother had left over fruit cocktail. It was good, so simple but I would not have thought of it on my own.

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients 

• 3 whole chicken breasts, boned, skinned and halved
• 1 egg beatened with table spoon water
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/e parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup lemon
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

1. Coat chicken breasts with egg, then coat well with bread crumbs and cheese combined.
2. In large skillet, brown chicken on both sides in oil. Add chicken broth and simmer 15 minutes, until chicken is done.
3. Blend flour and lemon juice. Stir into skillet and cook stirring until thickened and smooth.
4. Add parsley. Serve over hot cooked pasta, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Source: back of the Colonia Flavored Italian Bread Crumbs

My roommate Matt made this first at school and I was lucky enough to taste it and it was delicious! I made it for my parents. It was the first meal I made since I was home after my junior year, they loved it too! I served it with linguine and we poured the chicken broth, lemon juice, flour mixture into the pasta. I added capers to it, I am not crazy about capers, next I will leave the out.

Goji Berry Brownies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of goji berries
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup non-dairy milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup apple sauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees, and grease and flour an 8 x 8 baking dish. In a small bowl, soak goji berries in boiling water for two minutes, then drain. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until blended.
2. Pour batter into prepared baking dish, and bake about 25 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and enjoy.

Source

This recipe is from the vegan bakery Sweet Avenue Bake Shop in East Rutherford. I never heard of goji berries so I tried this recipe and made it for Mother's Day also. The batter was very thin and liquid like, I do not know if I did something wrong. I tried one and they are different but good, I do not think my family will like them because they are not very adventurous with food like I am. Also, the link above lead to what goji berries are, they seem very healthy. I wonder what else I can do with them! I got them at Whole Food in Paramus. 

Correction: I made them a second time for Christian's birthday because he loved them. The batter came out how it is supposed to because I used cocoa powder. The cooking time also is never right! Last time it took 50 minutes, it seems like it will be the same thing this time.

November 2009- I gave this recipe to my friend Bethany from Ramapo because she is vegan and she wanted to share a vegan dessert with her family. She said they were very fudgey and they "were a hit!"

Aunt Terry's Coffee Cake

Ingredients

For the crumbs:

• 3 sticks of butter
• 1.5 cups of brown sugar
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tsp. of cinnamon

For the cake:

• 1 stick of butter
• 8 oz. of cream cheese
• 1 1/4 cups of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups of sifted flour
• 1 tsp. of baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. of baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. of salt
• 1/4 cup of milk

Directions

1. For the crumbs, cream brown sugar and butter. Blend in flour and cinnamon.
2. For the cake, cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Combine flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
3. Add flour and mix with milk, mixing well.
4. Pour in greased-floured 13 x 9 pan.
5. Crumble over the crumbs over batter, bake in preheated oven 350 degrees fahrenheit 35 - 40 minutes until golden brown.

Source- secretary at work

I tried this once already because the secretary at work made it and let me taste it, it is delicious! By mistake I used regular sugar for the crumbs and not brown sugar, I had to start all over and get more butter that cost me 5 dollars! I made this for coffee hour at my church for Mother's Day because my sister signed up and I offered to make this.

Three-Bean Salad

Ingredients

• 1 can 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cans red kidney beans, drained
• 2 cans yellow waxed beans, drained
• 2 cans cut green beans, drained
• 1 cup non-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 small onion, chopped

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt; mix well. Dump in the remaining ingredients and toss until well combined. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Source

I made this Mother's Day because we had a BBQ and my mom loves three-bean salad. It was very good. Definitely make again!

Bird Birthday Cake

Ingredients

• vegetable oil or shortening
• 1 cup birdseed
• 1/2 cup honey
• peanut butter
• sunflower seeds (unsalted)

Directions

1. Wash out an empty 6 ounce can (a tuna can works well) and an empty 3 ounce can. Grease the cans with oil or shortening.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the birdseed and honey and cook over medium heat while stirring. When the honey starts to boil, cook about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. The honey should darken slightly.
3. Remove from heat, and spoon the birdseed mixture into the cans. Refrigerate until the mixture hardens, about two hours.
4. With a can opener, remove the bottoms from the cans. Gently press the cakes out onto a plate.
5. Stack the smaller cake on top of the larger cake cake piece. Decorate the cake with peanut butter and sunflower seeds.

"This little cake is strictly for the birds, not people"

Source: Personal Library: The Secret Life of Food, Hyperion Books for Children, 2002

I made this for my mom for Mother's Day. I made multiple cakes and will give them to her. She loves feeding her birds so I figured a cake would be fun!