Sesame Chicken Strips

1 c. mayonnaise
2 tsp. dried minced onion
2 tsp. ground mustard
1 c. crushed butter-flavor crackers (about 25 crackers)
1/2 c. sesame seeds
8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (2 pounds)

Sauce:
1 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. honey

In a bowl, combine mayo, onion, & mustard. In another bowl, combine crumbs and sesame seeds. Cut chicken into strips lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips. Dip strips into mayonnaise mixture, the in the cracker mixture. Place in a single layer on a lrg greased baking sheet (I don't grease my baking stones). Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 - 18 minutes or until juices run clear. Combine sauce ingredients and serve w/ chicken strips. Yields 10-12 servings.

Grilled Vegetable Ratatouille

1 large head garlic, top sliced off to expose tips of garlic cloves

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 large, ripe tomatoes (about 3/4 pound), halved

1 small eggplant (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices

1 large zucchini (about 1/2 pound), trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices

1 large yellow squash (about 1/2 pound), trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices

1 small red onion (about 1/2 pound), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rings

1 medium red bell pepper, stem, seeds and ribs removed, cut in half lengthwise

1 medium yellow bell pepper, stem, seeds and ribs removed, cut in half lengthwise

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

3 tablespoons freshly minced basil leaves

2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley leaves

1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves

Freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish

Preheat the grill.

Before preparing the vegetables, roast the garlic. Rub 1 teaspoon of the oil and a pinch of the salt and pepper onto the cut side of the garlic. Wrap in foil and place on the grill. Roast until soft and starting to caramelize, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes. Remove from the grill and let sit until cool enough to handle. Squeeze the pulp from the garlic skins and set aside.

Rub 2 teaspoons of the oil and a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper on the tomatoes. Place on the grill away from the direct heat (or on the upper rack) and grill until tender and starting to char, about 6 minutes, depending upon the heat. (The longer the tomatoes stay on the grill, the smokier flavor they will obtain.) Remove from the heat and, when cool, remove the skin and roughly chop.

In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, zucchini, squash, onions and bell peppers, and toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Grill, turning, until marked by the grill and tender, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove with tongs and let cool. Dice into 1/2-inch pieces.

In the bottom of a large bowl, mash the roasted garlic and 1 teaspoon of oil to make a paste. Drizzle in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and the vinegar, and whisk to combine. Add the chopped vegetables, tomatoes and the herbs, and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature, garnished with Parmesan. (The ratatouille can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight to allow the flavors to further develop.)

Serve atop grilled bread.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 40-45 minutes

Ease of preparation: Easy

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Food of Love Productions, 2007

Perfect Popcorn

Making popcorn from scratch can be tricky. Not only do you want as many kernels as possible to pop, but you also want to keep the kernels from burning at the bottom of the pan. Until my mother showed me her way of cooking popcorn, I usually took the easy way out and used (gasp!) microwave popcorn, which by the way, is not that good for you.

Mom's method of making popcorn not only pops almost every kernel, it also prevents the kernels from burning. She took it off of a Jiffy Popcorn box, she thinks. Here's how it goes:

• 3 Tbsp canola, peanut or grapeseed oil (high smoke point oil)
• 1/3 cup of high quality popcorn kernels
• 1 3-quart covered saucepan
• 2 Tbsp or more (to taste) of butter
• Salt to taste

1 Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan on medium high heat.

2 Put 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan.

3 When the kernels pop, add the rest of the 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds. (Count out loud; it's fun to do with kids.) This method first heats the oil to the right temperature, then waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the heat, they all pop at about the same time.

4 Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once the popping starts in earnest, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner. Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release (the popcorn will be drier and crisper). Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and dump the popcorn immediately into a wide bowl.

With this technique, nearly all of the kernels pop (I counted 4 unpopped kernels in my last batch), and nothing burns.

5 If you are adding butter, you can easily melt it by placing the butter in the now empty, but hot pan.

6 Salt to taste.

Makes 2 quarts, a nice amount for two people, or for one hungry one.

Additional tips: From the comments section

a If you add salt to the oil in the pan before popping, when the popcorn pops, the salt will be well distributed throughout the popcorn.

b Fun toppings for the popcorn - Spanish smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, cayenne powder, chili pepper, curry powder, cumin, grated Parmesan cheese.

Zucchini 'Crab' Cakes

Zucchini 'Crab' Cakes

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon Old Bay SeasoningTM
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, egg, and butter or margarine. Stir in seasoned crumbs, minced onion, and seasoning. Mix well.
2. Shape mixture into patties. Dredge in flour.
3. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Fry patties in oil until golden brown on both sides.


reviews to note:
I live in Maryland, and these definitely do not taste like a real crab cake, although they did remind me somewhat of the frozen grocery store kind. A reasonable facsimile for vegetarians. Due to previous complaints of sogginess, I squeezed the zucchini after grating it, and used commercial dried (canned) bread crumbs because they are denser than fresh bread crumbs (the recipe didn't specify which type to use). Also, "seasoned" bread crumbs were noted in the body, although seasoned was not specified in the ingredients list, which caused some confusion. As a Maryland crab cake afficionado, I would not recommend you use seasoned bread crumbs as the seasonings would detract from the Old Bay. I'll make these again, but next time I will increase the dried bread crumbs to 1 1/8 cups to help counteract the sogginess and increase the Old Bay to 1 1/2 tsp. to enhance the flavor.

using a potato ricer to squeeze out the water from the spinach. I tried his idea with the zucchini and I can't tell you how well it worked.

I made a double batch of these (to freeze for later use), and baked them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. 400 degree oven, turning once after 12 - 15 minutes then baking an additional 12-15 minutes. The results were great. Less oil absorbed than with pan frying, and the "crab" cakes came out crispy and golden, with a lot less mess and work.

salt/drain the zucchini first. To avoid the raw zucchini/onion taste, saute the squeezed zucchini and onion for a few minutes before forming cakes.

Three Bean Salad

Three Bean Salad

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can green beans, drained and rinsed
4 green onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced

1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a bowl, gently mix the garbanzo beans, kidney beans, green beans, green onions, and celery. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, honey, mustard, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Pour dressing over the salad, and toss gently to coat. Cover, refrigerate at least 2 hours, and gently toss before serving.

Greek Pasta with Tomatoes and White Beans

Greek Pasta with Tomatoes and White Beans

2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
10 ounces fresh spinach, washed and chopped
8 ounces penne pasta
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes and beans in a large non-stick skillet. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Add spinach to the sauce; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly.
4. Serve sauce over pasta, and sprinkle with feta.

Coffee Playdough

Coffee Playdough

(mix the following, after play it can be stored in a zip-lock bag):

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 cup used coffee grounds
• 1/2 cup cool coffee (more or less depending on how wet/dry the grounds are)