DATE NUT BREAD WITH LEMON

This absolutely delicious bread reminds me of my husbands mother, as I remember her making a fabulous date bread, and also a really remarkable prune bread!
When I sat down to enjoy a piece of this, I wanted to put it on a beautiful plate and honor, appreciate and commemorate Mothers all over the world! For me, it has been a day of quiet celebration and deep thanks.

DATE NUT BREAD WITH LEMON

8 ounces chopped pitted dates
3/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Heat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a loaf pan.
Combine dates and 3/4 cup boiling water in medium bowl. Let stand until just cool, about 15 minutes.
Mix flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into small bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar, then egg, lemon juice and lemon peel. Mix in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately wih date mixture in 2 additions. Stir in pecan. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake bread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cut around pan sides, turn bread out onto rack. Cool completely.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, November, 1998
www.epicurious.com › recipes & menus‎

BAKED FISH WITH PAPRIKA LEMON BUTTER and HERB CRUSTED COD WITH CAULIFLOWER MASH

I made Baked Fish with Paprika Lemon Butter for a busy week night dinner - cooking quickly between my daughters horse riding lesson and my book club meeting. I mixed the butter and spices in advance, and due to the brief cooking time, dinner was on the table in no time. The Herb Crusted Cod with Cauliflower Mash was also perfect when we were pressed for time.

BAKED FISH WITH PAPRIKA LEMON BUTTER

3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cod fillets
lemon wedges to serve

Heat oven to 400F. Spray a 13 by 9 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine 3 tablespoons of butter, sweet paprika, 1 tablespoon parsley, lemon juice, lemon peel, salt and ground pepper in a small bowl and stir to blend. Spread seasoned butter mixture over both sides of fish fillets. Sprinkle each with additional salt and pepper. Transfer fish to prepared dish. Bake fish until just opaque in center, about 10 minutes. Transfer fish to a platter, sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, garnish with lemon wedges and serve.
Enjoy!

HERB CRUSTED COD WITH CAULIFLOWER MASH

1 cauliflower, cut into florets
2 ounces semisoft cheese with garlic and herbs
4 to 5 cod fillets
1 egg
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Place cauliflower in a pot, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.
Drain cauliflower, and mash. Stir in cheese, season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. In a shallow dish, beat egg. In another shallow dish combine bread crumbs and dill, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Dip fish pieces into egg, then into bread crumb mixture. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the fish, cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until fish is golden brown and flakes easily with a fork. Drain on paper towels. Serve with cauliflower mash.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, September 2013
www.bhg.com/recipes/‎

EDAMAME SALAD and BLACK BEAN AND QUINOA SALAD and LIMA BEAN AND SPINACH SALAD

Lovely, healthy side salads - perfect for the seasonal transition.

EDAMAME SALAD

1 12 ounce bag of frozen edamame
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons shredded basil leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook the edamame according to package directions. Drain and cool.
Place the cooled edamame in a bowl, add cranberries, feta cheese, basil, olive oil and pepper. Gently stir to combine. Serve chilled.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from About You Magazine, July 2013
www.aymag.com/Recipes/‎

BLACK BEAN AND QUINOA SALAD

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
1 can (15 ounces) corn, drained
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon pickled jalapeños, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 limes, juiced
2 chipotles in adobo sauce, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the quinoa in water for 15 to 20 minutes. Mix the quinoa, black beans, corn, red pepper, jalapeño, green onion and cilantro in a large bowl. Mix the olive oil, lime juice, chipotle, cumin, coriander, hot sauce and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Toss the salad in the dressing.
Enjoy!

LIMA BEAN AND SPINACH SALAD
SALAT IZ FASOLI I SHPINATA

1 cup frozen lima beans
10 ounces fresh spinach
3/4 cup walnut pieces
3 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
pinch of dried red pepper flakes
fresh lemon juice to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook lima beans in a pot of boiling water, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Drain the beans, place in a bowl. Cook the spinach in boiling, salted water until cooked through. Cool until manageable, then squeeze the spinach to remove any excess water.
Combine the spinach, walnuts, garlic, vinegar and olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth.
Gently stir the spinach mixture into the beans along with the parsley, coriander, and dried red pepper flakes. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from "Please to the Table, the Russia Cookbook", Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

After taking time in the morning to exercise, shower, and meet a friend for lunch, I had 20 minutes until an appointment. I ran home, threw a load of laundry in the washing machine and mixed the filling for the Chicken Enchiladas. Later, while enjoying a glass of wine and a chatting with a friend who had stopped by for a quick visit, I rolled the filling into the tortillas and popped the dish in the oven - just in time to put dinner on the table for my husband and kids, before I ran out to a committee meeting.
Perfect dinner for a busy, busy day!

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans green chilies
1 to 2 pounds of cooked chicken breast, diced
20 flour tortillas
1 can enchilada verde sauce
2 cups fiesta blend shredded cheese

Heat oven to 350F.
Mix cream cheese, cream of chicken soup and green chilies with diced chicken in a large bowl. Divide mixture among the tortillas and roll. Place rolled tortillas in a baking dish.
Pour the enchilada verde sauce over the rolled tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese over the top.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the centers of the enchiladas are hot.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Arkansas Living, May 2012
www.aecc.com/arkansas-living-magazine/recipes/‎

OLIVE BALLS

Our family gathered for the final, post Thanksgiving Football game between Arkansas and LSU. I have learned over the years that it inevitably turns into an emotionally charged, quietly passionate few hours, with different family members supporting opposite teams. I'm not personally vested in what is on the screen, but tend to focus on the food while attempting to ignore the mounting hostilities in the room - the guacamole, queso, corn chips and bloody mary's we had this year were delicious, and I brought these Olive Balls as my quick contribution to the appetizers

OLIVE BALLS

1/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
stuffed green olives

Heat oven to 400F.
Blend cheese and butter together. Mix in flour, salt and cayenne pepper. Shape 2 teaspoons of dough around each olive. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Enjoy!

CHICKEN WALDORF SALAD

Superlative, splendid salad, and super snappy.

CHICKEN WALDORF SALAD

DRESSING
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
SALAD
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup walnut pieces
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
mixed salad greens
2 cups thinly sliced celery
4 apples, diced
3 cups grapes, halved
1 tablespoon tarragon, chopped

In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients.
Heat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, microwave honey for 15 seconds. Add walnuts and toss to coat. Spread walnuts in single layer on baking sheet, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring once or twice. Transfer nuts to a wire rack to cool.
In a large bowl, toss the greens, chicken, walnuts, celery, apple, grapes, tarragon and dressing until all ingredients are coated.
Enjoy!

FUDGE PIE

My daughter had been asking for chocolate pie, and had picked out these adorable mini tart shells at the supermarket. After looking through many recipes, I chose this super easy one (the original didn't call for a crust and baked in one 9 inch pie plate).
We had family movie night, and all went to see Life of Pi - I had read the book in book club and was looking forward to viewing it on the big screen. It definitely generated a lot of great discussion, both in the car and once we were home and sitting around the table eating our delicious dessert - a wonderful evening of Pi and pie.

FUDGE PIE

mini Graham cracker tart shells
2 ounces chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350F.
Melt chocolate and butter together, either on the stove top or in the microwave, stirring frequently, until mixture is smooth. Let cool slightly, about 2 minutes.
Whisk in sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla. Whisking until well combined. Pour into tart shells.
Bake about 20 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, March 2012
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/

BANANA PUDDING and QUICK PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

My oldest son was recently scheduled for a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy - it was time to take care of his sleep apnea, and maybe even eliminate the need for speech therapy and chewing with his mouth open (we are still waiting to see results on the latter two). It was very difficult to leave my child in the hands of virtual strangers and to watch him being wheeled away into surgery, even one that is commonplace. I wondered if we were doing the right thing, if everything was going well, and why I hadn't had another cup of coffee before leaving the house at 6am.
Thankfully all went well, and he did great, however he had complained of a sore stomach early in the morning, which I attributed to nerves. Unfortunately it was the flu, which hit both my boys, and was a miserable set back to recovery.
I tried to make the mandatory soft diet interesting and varied, but despite my best efforts he had no appetite and no interest in trying to eat anything, not even this rich, creamy banana pudding, or the soft, sweet pineapple upside down cake drenched in whipped cream. Thankfully he kept his fluids up, and as soon as he was able to eat solid food, his first request was for Eureka Pizza - sausage, light sauce, extra cheese.

BANANA PUDDING

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
pinch of salt
3 cups milk
8 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups vanilla wafers
4 ripe bananas, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Heat oven to 350F. In a large saucepan, combine 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch and salt, stir until blended. Mix in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and boiling, boil 1 minute, then remove from heat. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks, then whisk in about 1/2 cup of hot custard until blended. Pour yolk mixture back into saucepan of custard, cook over medium heat, stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in butter and vanilla until blended.
Place vanilla wafers on bottom of a shallow 2 quart casserole dish. Top with layers of banana slices and custard. Repeat layering, ending with custard.
In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar at low speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar, increase speed to medium and gradually beat in remaining sugar. Beat until egg whites hold stiff peaks.
Spoon meringue over hot custard immediately, making sure that the meringue touches the baking dish on all sides (this prevents it from shrinking).
Transfer to oven and bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Remove pudding from oven and cool 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Oprah Magazine, October 2004
www.oprah.com/food/Banana-Pudding

QUICK PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (15 ounce) can pineapple slices, drained
1 (18 ounce) package yellow cake mix

Heat oven to 350F.
Melt butter in an oven safe skillet. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle over butter in the bottom of the skillet. Arrange 7 pineapple slices over brown sugar.
Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter over pineapple. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove cake and invert onto a large plate.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, January 2013
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/?f=features-food...2

ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH BROCCOLI PUREE

From the moment I read the words "The angel hair pasta soaks up all the sauce and it becomes really creamy." I knew this was a recipe I had to try. It sounded healthy but decadent - perfect.
Although I felt it lacked something in flavor and taste, I still find myself longing for a big bowl of it.
It was an easy recipe to follow, and quick to cook, which was very much appreciated as I was having a wonderful chat with my sister in law in New Zealand, and I was more focused on my conversation than what I was making. Also, the boys both had karate until late - so we needed to walk in the door and sit down for dinner.

ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH BROCCOLI PUREE

3 cups chicken stock
1 head broccoli, including stalk, roughly chopped (about 3 loosely packed cups)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
1 clove garlic
2 egg yolks
salt and black pepper to taste
1 pound angel hair pasta

In a small saucepan over high heat, bring stock to a boil. Add broccoli and cook until stalks are fork-tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Transfer stock and broccoli to a blender (or use an immersion blender), add cheese and garlic. Blend until combined. Adding one egg yolk at a time, pulse until mixture is slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer back to a medium size saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until just pliant - about 30 seconds to one minute - then transfer immediately to the simmering sauce.
Finish cooking pasta in sauce over medium heat until the pasta is al dente and sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes.  Serve with extra Parmesan.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Wall Street Journal, May 2012
online.wsj.com/.../SB1000142405270230391690457737600185884...

EGG SALAD SANDWICH WITH DILL

I know an "egg salad sandwich" recipe must seem a little odd for this time of year - with most magazine, newspaper, television and on-line posts gearing up for the Holidays. As much as I love cooking for an occasion, I also enjoy quiet, plain food. I give my thanks for simple, quick and easy dining - and this sandwich is ideal for an effortless, uncomplicated lunch or dinner.

EGG SALAD SANDWICH WITH DILL

8 hard boiled eggs, peeled
2 tablespoons minced green onion
1/4 cup minced celery
1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups iceberg lettuce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
8 slices of bread of your choice

Chop or grate the eggs. Stir in the onion, celery, mustard, vinegar, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Divide the egg salad among 4 slices of bread, place lettuce on top of egg salad and sprinkle with dill-tarragon mixture. Top with the remaining bread slices. Cut in half and serve.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Morning News, April 2004

CHICKEN FINGERS WITH HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE

My husband and I arrived back in the country, on a Sunday night, at 2am in the morning. Then I cleaned all that day in anticipation of family arriving the day after, so needless to say, I hadn't given dinner much thought. I joked we would be having chicken nuggets, then remembered I had this recipe for chicken fingers - perfect for kids, and yummy enough for adults.
My daughter wanted to help me cook, and once I had cut up the chicken, and set up the bowls with the buttermilk and breadcrumbs, and the cooking sheet, she was able to do the rest.

CHICKEN FINGERS WITH HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut across into 3/4 inch slices
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
salt
pepper
honey mustard sauce (recipe below)

Heat the oven to 400F.
Combine the chicken and buttermilk in a shallow dish, turning the chicken once to coat with the buttermilk. Cover and chill for 15 minutes (I completely missed this step, but the dish still turned out ok).
Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or foil.
Combine breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dip each piece of chicken in the crumbs to fully coat and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until cooked through about 16 minutes. Serve with the mustard sauce.

HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE

1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey

In a small bowl, stir together the mustard and mayonnaise until smooth. Stir in the honey.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from USA Weekend, August, 2012
www.usaweekend.com/section/FOOD