Pumpkin Stew with Chilies and Cheese from Peru

~This is a Peruvian recipe!~

Servings: about 6
Time: over 2.5 hours

* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 4 medium Serrano peppers, finely chopped
* 1 tbsp safflower oil
* 2 lbs pumpkin or winter squash, peeled and cubed
* 2 medium white potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 1/4 cup half-and-half
* 1 cup queso blanco or feta
* salt & pepper, to taste


1. Saute onion, garlic & chiles in oil.

2. Add pumpkin & potatoes, plus a little water if necessary. Cover & cook over low heat until the pumpkin & potatoes are tender.

3. Add the half-and-half & cheese. Heat through.

4. Add salt & pepper. Garnish with additional cheese if desired.

Fried Plantains

Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4

* 2 ripe plantains
* 1/2 cup of oil
* salt (optional)


1. Peel the plantains & cut diagonally in 1/4- inch thick slices.

2. Deep fry the plantains until golden brown. Sprinkle a little salt for flavor. Serve immediately.

Arroz con Maiz

A recipe from the Dominican Republic.

Time: 35 Mins
Servings: 8

* 4 cups rice
* 1/2 cup of sweet corn
* 1 cube bullion of vegetable stock
* 1/2 cup of pineapple cut into small cubes
* 5 cups water of boiling water
* 5 spoons of oil
* Salt

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the corn, vegetable stock cube & pineapple. Stir until the cube has dissolved. Add the rice & mix well. When everything is well mixed add the boiling water. Salt to taste.

2. Stir regularly to avoid excessive sticking. When all the water has evaporated, cover with a tight fitting lid & simmer on very low heat. Wait 15 minutes & uncover. Stir, add the remaining oil & cover again. Wait another 5 minutes. Try the rice, it should be firm but tender inside.

3. If necessary, cover and leave another 5 minutes on very low heat.

Apple Berry Crisp from Greenland

A modified recipe from Greenland!

servings: about 8-12

* 7 oz. blueberries
* 3-4 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced
* 3.5 oz. butter (or a little less, if you prefer)
* 6.76 fl. oz. flour
* 3.38 fl. oz. brown sugar
* chopped nuts (we used walnuts)
* 6.76 fl. oz. whipping cream & 1 tub crème fraiche 18%... or just use some Coolwhip
* Seeds from 1 stick of vanilla


1. Put all the slices of apple into a dish & sprinkle with most of the berries.

2. Rub the butter into the flour, which has already been mixed with the brown sugar. Sprinkle this crumble mixture onto the apples & berries. Top with the flaked nuts.

3. Put the dish into a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) & bake until the top is crisp & golden & the filling is bubbling slightly – approx. 30 minutes.

4. Take the dish out of the oven & let it stand.

5. Serve with a mixture of whipped cream, crème fraiche & vanilla.

Super-easy Peach Crisp

Servings: 3-4
Time: 20 min

*2 cans (15.25 oz each) sliced peaches, drained
*2 packages (1.6 oz each) cinnamon instant oatmeal, uncooked
*1/3 cup flour
*1/2 cup chopped walnuts
*1/3 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put peaches into a lightly buttered 2-quart baking dish.
2. In a separate bowl, mix oatmeal, flour, & nuts. Stir in butter. Sprinkle mixture over the peaches.
3. Bake for 15 min or until golden brown.

Note: Good with ice cream!

Curry Pumpkin Soup

~special thanks to Jen for this recipe!~

*1/2 stick butter
*1.5 large white onions
*2 tbsp lime juice
* plus or minus 1/4 cup masaman or panang curry paste
*kosher salt & pepper
*bay leaves (Jen says: "we didn’t use these")
*1/2 cup brown sugar
*1/2 cup white wine
*1 can coconut milk
*2 cups milk
*2 small cans (or 1 large can) pumpkin puree
*1/2 cup black rum
*3 cups vegetable stock
*optional: parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, etc (to taste)

1. Sauté onions in butter.
2. Add curry paste, lime juice, bay leaf, optional ingredients & brown sugar. Stir 1 minute.
3. Add white wine, coconut milk & milk.
4. Simmer on medium heat about 20 minutes to reduce.
5. Meanwhile, combine pumpkin, stock & rum in a medium saucepan until warm & uniform in texture. Add to other ingredients.
6. Reduce for 20-30 more minutes by simmering.

(Jen says: "Recipe says to add honey or sugar, salt & herbs, garlic if needed to taste- but I have not tried those.")

Pear with Vanilla Almond Dip

Prep time: less than 5 min!
Servings: 1

*1/8 tsp almond extract
*1/4 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
*dash of nutmeg
*pear, sliced

1. Stir the almond extract & the nutmeg into the yogurt.
2. Serve with the sliced pear.


Note: This is unbelievably delicious. I can't explain it.

Banana Bread

Makes one 9-inch loaf.

Ingredients:
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
* 1/4 cup butter
* 3 ripe bananas, peeled & mashed
* 1 egg
* 2 cups flour
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp baking soda
* dash of vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease 9-inch loaf pan and line with wax paper.

3. Cream the sugars & butter together in a large mixing bowl.

4. Add the bananas & mix.

5. Add the egg, dry ingredients, & vanilla. Mix.

6. Pour the batter into the pan & bake for 50 minutes, or until brown. A knife inserted into the center will come out clean when done.

7. Remove from pan and cool on a rack for 10 minutes.

Avgolemono

This is a quick version of a Greek classic. I like to serve it with spanakopita (that I bought from the frozen section of the grocery store) and a salad. I have to be careful when I add the lemon juice to this soup because the taste of the lemon quickly becomes overpowering for some people (i.e. my husband).
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Time: 10 min!
Servings: 6

* 7 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
* 1 cup orzo pasta
* 3 eggs
* juice of 1 lemon
* 1 tbsp cold water
* salt & black pepper

1. Put the stock into a large pan & bring to a boil.
2. Add the orzo and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Beat the eggs until frothy, then add the lemon juice & the tablespoon of cold water. Slowly stir in a ladelful of the hot stock, then add one or two more.
4. Take the pan of stock off the heat. Slowly add the egg mixture to the pan. DO NOT LET THE SOUP BOIL ONCE THE EGGS HAVE BEEN ADDED OR IT WILL CURDLE.
5. Season with salt & pepper.

Tip: Be sure you use good quality stock. The stock will make or break this recipe.

Chilled Strawberry Soup

This soup is quick to make and tastes like really yummy, fruity yogurt. My little sister loves it-- I first made it for her when she was still in middle school. It's a very light soup and makes me think of summertime. I always make it with sandwiches and serve it as part of a light lunch.
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Time: 15 min!
Servings: 8

* 1 peach, peeled & sliced
* 1 nectarine, peeled & sliced
* 2 cups strawberries, sliced
* 2 (8 oz) cartons strawberry yogurt
* 1 tbsp sugar
* 2 tbsp lemon juice
* fresh mint leaves

1. Put peach, nectarine, strawberry slices, yogurt, sugar, and lemon juice in blender. Process until smooth.

2. Cover and refrigerate. Spoon into soup bowls and garnish with mint.

Note: to make this recipe vegan, use soy yogurt!