Sweet Potato Barley Salad

Prep: 20 minutesCook: 20 minutesMicrowave: 5 minutes
ingredients

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• 1 cup regular (not quick-cooking) barley
• 1 cup frozen sweet soybeans (edamame)
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vineger
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 1/2 cup thin red onion wedges

directions

1. Rinse barley in sieve under running water until water runs clear. In medium saucepan bring barley and 3 cups water to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender; drain. Rinse cooked barley in a colander under cold running water until cooled; drain well.

2. Meanwhile, prepare soybeans according to package directions. Scrub sweet potato and pierce several times with fork. Wrap in paper towel. Microwave 5 minutes or until soft when gently pressed. When cool enough to handle, remove skin and dice potato. Makes 8 side-dish servings.

3. For dressing, in small bowl whisk to combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic salt, and black pepper to taste. On serving plates arrange barley, sweet potato, edamame, spinach, raisins, carrots, and onion. Pass dressing

nutrition facts

• Calories276,
• Total Fat (g)10,
• Saturated Fat (g)1,
• Monounsaturated Fat (g)7,
• Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1,
• Sodium (mg)159,
• Carbohydrate (g)43,
• Total Sugar (g)16,
• Fiber (g)7,
• Protein (g)6,
• Vitamin C (DV%)10,
• Calcium (DV%)5,
• Iron (DV%)12,
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

http://www.bhg.com/recipes/

Secret Recipe Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are really yummy and so easy to make!

Prep time: 10 minutes | Bake Time: 16 to 18 minutes

1/2 cup rolled oats, regular or quick (quick if you don't ground)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened- not melted

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon juice

2 eggs

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or chopped dates or raisins)

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place rolled oats in blender or food processor and process until finely ground. Combine ground oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
2. In another bowl, cream butter, sugars, vanilla and lemon juice together using an electric mixer. Add eggs and beat until fluffy.
3. Stir the flour mixture into egg mixture, blending well. add the chocolate chips and nuts to the dough and mix well. Using 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie, scoop round balls with an ice-cream scoop and place 2 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake until cookies are lightly browned. 16-18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cook completely. Store in a sealed container to keep them soft and chewy.

Tip: The lemon juice in this recipe helps to activate the baking soda, producing a softer chewier cookie.

Snow Pudding

Ingredients

• 6 cups clean fresh snow
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the milk, sugar and vanilla until well blended. Carefully stir in the snow. Freeze, or scoop into bowls, and serve immediately.

Couple suggestions from reviewers on AllRecipes:

For better results, mix the sugar and vanilla together first, adding a splash of milk to help combine. THEN go out and retrieve the snow. It melts remarkably fast once it gets inside. Don't premeasure the milk and just dump it in. Instead, add as necessary to make your desired consistency. Because this is the week before Christmas, we have egg nog in the fridge and used it instead of milk and it made the treat creamy and oh so yummy! For those who don't like overly sweet treats, you may want to reduce the sugar and/or vanilla if using egg nog instead of milk. We didn't but then we liked it super sweet. Enjoy!

Add chocolate chips

Freeze the ingredients (minus snow) for about 1/2 hour prior to make it a little slushy

or according to Uncle Bob just get some snow and add chocolate syrup and eat up :)

Cool Dude Drink

Haven't made this yet but sure looks good. Saved it from a Better Homes and Gardens magazine... 2008 issue. Might as well put it on here :)

Prep: 15 min

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cherry juice blend

1 6 oz can frozen lemonade concentrate -thawed

3 11 oz bottles sparkling water with cherry flavor

Crushed ice

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour the cherry juice blend and lemonade concentrate into pitcher; stir until mixed. Cover and chill.
2. Just before serving, pour sparkling water into cherry juice mixture.
3. Fill glasses with ice. Pour the chery juice mixture into glass.

Makes 10 servings.

Four-Bean Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can wax beans, drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can green beans, drained
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 (2 ounce) jar chopped pimientos, drained

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the first six ingredients; mix well. Add remaining ingredients; toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours.

Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup thinly-sliced sun-dried tomatoes

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

4 cups extra wide egg noodles, cooked and drained

1/4 cup shredded Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese (optional)

Thinly-sliced fresh basil leaves (optional)

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
• Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir the soup, water, tomatoes, vinegar and chopped basil in the skillet.
• Return the chicken to the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve the chicken and sauce over the noodles. Sprinkle with the cheese and sliced basil, if desired.

RECIPE TIPS

• Tip: You can substitute 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion for the shallot.

http://www.campbellskitchen.com

Banana Chocolate Walnut Cake

SERVES8

• ACTIVE TIME:30 MIN
• START TO FINISH:2 1/2 HR

FEBRUARY 2008

A great way to use very ripe bananas, this easy-to-make cake incorporates everything you love about banana bread and adds a few more favorites—chocolate, walnuts, and cinnamon—for good measure. (It's also much more tender, with a light, moist crumb.)

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons, melted and cooled
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
• 2/3 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 (3 1/2- to 4-oz) bar 70%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup walnuts (3 oz), toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter a 9-inch square cake pan.
• Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat together softened butter (1 stick) and 3/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in eggs 1 at a time until blended. Beat in bananas, yogurt, and vanilla (mixture will look curdled).
• With mixer at low speed, add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.
• Toss together chocolate, nuts, cinnamon, melted butter, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Spread half of banana batter in cake pan and sprinkle with half of chocolate mixture. Spread remaining batter evenly over filling and sprinkle remaining chocolate mixture on top.
• Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely, right side up.

COOKS' NOTES: Cake can be made 2 days ahead and kept in a airtight container at room temperature.