Pecan Cranberry Salad

from Janelle Cluff

8 cups lettuce (red/green)
1 red onion, thinly sliced – to taste
2 crisp red apples, sliced
Toasted pecan, halves
Blue cheese, crumbled (or feta)
Dried cranberries

DRESSING:
¾ c. olive oil
3 Tbsp vinegar
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt/pepper

Cranberry Bliss Bars

Bars:
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup dried cranberries (crasins)
6 oz. white chocolate pieces or chips

Frosting:
4 oz. cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, mixing between eggs. Add vanilla, ginger, and salt. Mix. Add flour and continue mixing. Add dried cranberries and white chocolate. Spread cookie dough in a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until just barely turning brown. Blend frosting ingredients and spread on bars after they have cooled. Top with more cranberries and white chocolate.

Springtime Spinach Salad

1 bag or ¾ bunch baby spinach leaves (washed, de-stemmed and set to dry)
1-2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2/3 cup craisins
¼ cup halved walnuts
1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar object2=">
1 1/2 teaspoons egg white object2=">
1/8 teaspoon salt

Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
¾ cup red wine vinegar
¾ tsp dry mustard
1 ½ tsp salt
½ cup sugar
½ Tbsp dry onion
½ tbsp poppy seeds
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Toss chopped walnuts in a bakng dish with sugar, egg white and salt. Bake at 350 for about 5 minutes. Set on a paper towel to cool. For the dressing, pour ingredients into a cruet, Tupperware or Ziploc bag and shake vigorously until it emulsifies.

Spread spinach leaves over dinner plates and top with poppy seed dressing, craisins sliced strawberries and candied walnuts.

Effortless Spinach Salad

Salad
1 bag fresh spinach
1/2 cup honey roasted sunflower seeds (just the meat, not the shell)
1 large apple, diced
Raspberry vinaigrette to taste

Okay pretty sure you all know how to make a salad by now :) :)

Peanut Soup and Fortune Cookies

Maybe you are like me and missed the Chinese New Year and still really want to try out Theresa's crafty centerpiece. Or maybe you like food with an Asian kick and have a hankering for a good fortune. Here are two recipes worth a try and a quick rice tip too.

Haven't the slightest clue what fortunes to wrap up in your cookies? Go here for the longest list of fortunes I have ever seen- this guys eats a lot of cookies.


Super Simple Peanut Soup with Vegetables
Fortune Cookies

Cook's Illustrated Quick Tip: Rice at the Ready

Making rice is not one of my favorite things. I rarely get it just right.And its takes such a long time. But with some steamed, frozen stir fry veggies, soy sauce and some ready made rice you have got yourself a quick and healthy lunch or dinner.

To have rice at the ready prepare a double batch of rice the next time you make rice. Spread half of the rice on a baking sheet to cool and break up any clumps. Place the cooled rice in a zip lock freezer bag and freeze until the next time you want to make a speedy rice bowl.

Fortune Cookies

by Gale Gand

Ingredients- makes 20 cookies

* 2 egg whites, room temperature
* 6 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup flour, sifted
* 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Cut a stencil out of a plastic lid in the shape of a 3-inch disk. Whip the egg whites until stiff and chill. In a mixer, cream the butter, then add the sugar and continue mixing. Add the flour and blend in, then add the vanilla and blend again. Add the chilled egg whites and mix on low until well incorporated and the batter is smooth. With a small spatula, spread batter through the stencil so it is a circle onto wax paper on a cookie sheet, about 6 per cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until light golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Quickly remove the pan from the oven and one at time place a fortune across the center with a bit hanging out. Fold cookie circle in thirds over fortune with flaps only slightly overlapping each other. Turn over and bring opposing sides together and pinch. Let cool.

Cook's Illustrated Quick Tip: Rice at the Ready

Making rice is not one of my favorite things. I rarely get it just right.And its takes such a long time. But with some steamed, frozen stir fry veggies, soy sauce and some ready made rice you have got yourself a quick and healthy lunch or dinner.

To have rice at the ready prepare a double batch of rice the next time you make rice. Spread half of the rice on a baking sheet to cool and break up any clumps. Place the cooled rice in a zip lock freezer bag and freeze until the next time you want to make a speedy rice bowl.

Super Simple Peanut Soup with Vegetables

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 cup soup and 2/3 cup rice)

From Cooking Light

Ingredients

* 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
* 1 (2.9-ounce) packet peanut salad dressing mix (such as Taste of Thai)
* 4 cups small broccoli florets
* 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
* 1 (12.3-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
* 4 cups hot cooked basmati rice
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Preparation

Combine broth and dressing mix in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Add broccoli, bell pepper, and tofu. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Serve over rice, and garnish each serving with 1 teaspoon cilantro, if desired.

For Your Sweetheart With A Sweet Tooth

Just in case you need a reminder, its Valentine's Day this Saturday. One more excuse to make some sweet treats. I bet you think that's all I cook at my house- don't worry we will get back to real food next week. But for this week, I thought I would resurrect some of my favorite treats that would compliment your candle lit dinner. Need an idea for that? Steak Dinner. Its the one time per year we eat steak in our house and I am not sure why since its so easy:

Steak- Do this last when the table is set, salad is chilling and potatoes are in the oven and just about done. Broil with a pinch of dried rosemary and crushed garlic. And if you would like, add some blue cheese to the tops just before the steaks are done.

Oven Fries- Wash and cut potatoes (3 large potatoes) like this. I like to leave the skin on. In a bowl, stir the cut potatoes with olive oil (2 Tbsp) and salt (1 tsp) and any other seasonings you would like. I like the Spice Hunter All purpose Chef's Shake. Spread some more olive oil (1 Tbsp) on a cookie sheet and spread the potatoes across it. Bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes. make sure to periodically stir/turn the potatoes for even baking.

Green Salad- Don't skimp here. This is the part of dinner that will wipe away the "red meat/large amounts of chocolate V-day guilt". Buy some really nice greens and that dressing that you have been drooling over in the grocery aisle but can't fathom spending $7 for.

Molten Lava Cake- Make a few extra cakes just in case the volcano "explodes" as you try to plate the cake. It does take some practice to plate them without a leak.

Simple Fruit Cobbler- No, its not chocolate- is that a Valentine's Day sin? But I think of this as a warm romantic dish anyway.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies- What is V-Day without sugar cookies? Whether you make them for your hubby, your kids class, your co-workers or to munch on during your chick flick, you are gonna need to make batch of these. Don't forget the pink frosting- Studies show icing tastes way better when its pink.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries- Remember Theresa's post for a Father's Day Bouquet? I will warn you: Your's will not look as perfect as hers but its the thought that counts right?

Easy Chocolate Mousse- Seriously, the easiest dessert you can make from scratch for Valentine's Day.

xoXoxO- Holly

Easy Chocolate Mousse

by Michael Chiarello

Ingredients

13 oz bitter or semisweet chocolate
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and the butter. Heat in the microwave until melted, about 35 seconds depending on your microwave, and stir to melt completely. Whisk in the egg yolks and set aside to cool.

Pour the cream into a chilled bowl of a mixer and beat on medium speed until it starts to thicken. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk until the cream starts to form stiff peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.

Garnish with Whipped Cream, a dusting of cocoa powder, a sprinkle of chocolate shavings and a side of berries.