Ricotta Bruschetta

I sort of made this up to use up the last of the basil from my garden. Boy, was it good. So I'm going to make it again using store bought pesto instead of the basil leaves.

1 good loaf of crusty bread (unsliced) and then sliced lengthwise into 2 pieces (like a large sandwich)
olive oil
fresh or jarred minced garlic
ricotta cheese (part skim) - about 1 cup
basil leaves -about a cup
2 or 3 tomatoes
grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 as you put the bruschetta together. After slicing the bread lengthwise, put the pieces face up on a cookie sheet. Put some olive oil in a bowl and add the minced garlic. Brush the bread with the garlic and oil. Spread a layer of ricotta cheese. Put the basil leaves all over the bread or use pesto. Thinly slice the tomatoes and lay on top of the basil. Add the grated cheese and pop in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Add a salad and this is a whole meal.

Rachael and Cari Make a Turkey Burger

I found a recipe for a turkey burger in Rachael Ray's September 2008 magazine. I modified it just a little, and they came out tasting fantastic. This recipe yielded 6 small burgers (Rachael's original was for 8 servings).

You will need:
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup diced onions (Rachael's recipe called for scallions, but I couldn't find them)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Dash poultry seasoning
1 tbsp hamburger/grill seasoning
Sharp cheddar cheese
Spicy mustard
Package English muffins (I used the light, whole-grain version)
2 apples, cored and sliced
Spring mix lettuce (I bought the kind in a bag)
Cranberry sauce if desired

Mix the ground turkey with the onions and parsley, then add the poultry seasoning and grill seasoning. Shape into six small patties. You can use a grill pan or an outside grill to cook the patties--I used my George Foreman grill. While that is working, toast the English muffins. Spread mustard and cranberry sauce on the toasted muffins. Top with apple slice and spring mix lettuce. Add turkey burger and melted cheddar cheese.

My husband didn't like the cranberry sauce, and he didn't want the apple on his burger. We also ate the rest of the apple slices on the side, so if you're not going to do that, you only need one apple. It was wonderful, and I'll definitely make this again! (I'm not much of a cook, so this is saying a lot.)

Fiesta Chicken (from Katie Lipinski)

Thank goodness Katie gave me this recipe because it is so easy and has become a family favorite.

In your crockpot, put a bag of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or enough to fit to capacity, a packet of taco seasoning mix and a jar of salsa.

Cook on high for 5 hours. After 5 hours, break up the chicken with 2 forks or whatever method you want. It falls apart pretty easily. Turn the crockpot to low and add 1 can of black beans (drained somewhat) and 1 can corn or about the same amount fresh or frozen and some grated cheese - about 1 and 1/2 cups.

Cook for a while longer until ingredients are blended and heated through. You only need about 1/2 hour but leave on for longer if you like.

I use my own blend of spices to avoid the sodium in the taco mix- chili powder, onion powder, cayenne, garlic and cumin.

You can eat this with tortilla chips, over rice (I like brown rice), in a tortilla or just plain. It's very tasty.

Beth's Banana Bread

3 ripe bananas
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 c sugar
1/3 c vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Blend all of the ingredients together thoroughly. Pour into large greased loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes to an hour or until toothpick comes out clean from the middle. Taste great warm with a little butter!

Easy cheesy dip

Ingredients

1 can Hormel chili
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix chili and cream cheese together until well blended. Pour into 9"x9" casserole dish. Sprinkle cheddar on top. Cover with aluminum foil and back for 10 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

Serve with nacho chips (I prefer to eat it with organic blue corn chips and to have a side of salsa and sour cream too!)

Peanut Butter Bars

Recipe Courtesy of Monica Knooihuizen

1/3 box of graham crackers (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 c butter (2 sticks)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c peanut butter
3 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 12 oz bag chocolate chips

Crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs. One third of a box is usually one wrapped package. Mix in the cinnamon and set aside. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and add vanilla and peanut butter and mix well. Add the powdered sugar and graham crackers. Stir until well combined; it will be a stiff dough. Pat the mixture into an ungreased 9x13 pan. Melt the chocolate chips on very low heat in a really heavy saucepan, or spread evenly in a glass pie plate and microwave at 30 seconds at a time, stirring after 30 seconds, until melted. Spread the melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for 1 hour before cutting.