Acorn Squash and Pear Soup

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2 medium acorn squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 medium firm pears, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 carton (48 ounces) chicken broth

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients; toss to coat. Transfer to a greased shallow roasting pan. Roast at 375° for 1-1/4 hours or until squash is tender, stirring occasionally.

Cool slightly. In a food processor, process squash mixture with broth in batches until smooth. Transfer to a Dutch oven; heat through, stirring occasionally.

Comments:
I halved this one as well because we're just two people here. We can only eat so much. Anyway, the worst part of this recipe is the squash. Holy hell, those are a pain in the ass to peel and chop up! Once that hurdle is cleared it's easy sailing. The house smelled heavenly as the mixture roasted. I took it out a little shy of the 1 1/4 time as it was beginning to get kind of crispy on the edges. It's got a sweet overtone from the pears but overall it's really good. I did add a few good grinds of black pepper to my bowl and I cooked up some crusty rolls for dipping.

Sloppy Joes

From Eating Well



Ingredients:
12 ounces 90%-lean ground beef
1 large onion, finely diced
2 cups finely chopped cremini mushrooms, (about 4 ounces)
5 plum tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup chili sauce, such as Heinz
1/4 cup ketchup
8 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted if desired

Directions:
Crumble beef into a large nonstick skillet; cook over medium heat until it starts to sizzle, about 1 minute. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables are soft and the moisture has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes and flour; stir to combine. Stir in water, vinegar, chili sauce and ketchup and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the onion is very tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve warm on buns.

Comments:
A different spin on sloppy joes, and I've got to say these are MUCH better than the usual ground beef + prefab spice packet deal. I didn't even mind the mushrooms. Much. I'm still working on actually liking them. I think I went a little crazy with the chili sauce and it burned a little, but it was still good. Leftovers were great with tortilla chips too!

Brunch Strata

From Taste of Home


(not the best photo, I know...)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
3 small zucchini, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
12 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups cubed day-old bread
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and ham; cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain and pat dry.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and cream until smooth. Gradually beat in eggs. Stir in the remaining ingredients and vegetable mixture.

Transfer to two greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dishes. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Comments:
I halved this recipe because, good gracious, I don't need that many leftovers! Once again, a good deal of prep work, but yielding a satisfactory result. I do think it needs... something. I'm not altogether sure what that might be. Adam voted for more meat. I'm thinking it just needs a flavor boost with some herbs or something.

Mama's Meat Loaf

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (1-ounce) slice white bread, torn into small pieces
1 1/2 pounds ground round
Vegetable cooking spray
1/3 cup ketchup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing to moisten bread. Crumble meat over onion mixture, and stir just until blended. Pack mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Spread ketchup over top of loaf. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until meat loaf registers 160°. Let loaf stand in pan 10 minutes.

Remove meat loaf from pan; cut loaf into 6 slices.

Comments:
I obviously opted to turn these into individual sized meat loaves rather than one big loaf. This cut the cooking time in about half. That was nice, but I think if I do that again the future I'll pre-cook the onions and peppers a little. They were still mighty crunchy. Other than that, I'd deem this a success. Pretty standard meatloaf, but tasty just the same.

Caramelized Onion Quiche

From Southern Living



Ingredients:
1 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
3 large sweet onions, sliced (about 1 1/2 lb.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 cooked bacon slices, crumbled
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Gruyere cheese
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Unroll piecrusts; stack on a lightly greased surface. Roll stacked piecrusts into a 12-inch circle. Fit piecrust into a 10-inch deep-dish tart pan with removable bottom; press into fluted edges. Trim off excess piecrust along edges. Line piecrust with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place pan on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Remove weights and foil, and bake 8 more minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet on a wire rack (about 15 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

2. Meanwhile, cook onions in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 15 to 20 minutes or until onions are caramel colored. Remove from heat, and stir in parsley and bacon. Place half of onion mixture in tart shell, and top with half of cheese; repeat with remaining onion mixture and cheese.

3. Whisk together half-and-half and next 4 ingredients; pour over cheese.

4. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until set. Cool on baking sheet on a wire rack 15 minutes before serving.

Comments:
I used Pioneer Woman's perfect pie crust again to make this. I firmly believe this is only the reason I was finally able to make a quiche that turned out right. I have terrible, horrible, no good, very bad luck with quiche so I was very proud of myself! Things set up nicely and it was delicious.

Adam Cooks: Ham and Cheddar Brunch Strata

From Crock-Pot Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes



Ingredients:
8 oz French bread, torn in small pieces
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups diced ham
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions, divided
4 large eggs
1 cup half & half or whole milk
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp ground red pepper

Directions:
1. Coat slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Cut parchment paper to fit bottom of stoneware and press into place. Spray paper lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Layer in following order: bread, 1 1/2 cups cheese, ham, and all but 2 tbsp green onions.

3. Whisk eggs, half & half, Worcestershire sauce, and red pepper in small bowl. Pour evenly over layered ingredients in slow cooker. Cover; cook on low 3 1/2 hours or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Turn off heat. Sprinkle evenly with reserved cheese and green onions. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes or until cheese has melted.

4. To serve, run a knife or spatula around the outer edges, lifting bottom slightly. Invert onto plate and peel off paper. Invert again onto serving plate.

Comments:
Adam made this so I can't speak of ease of preparation, but it tasted good. We skipped the inverting it part and just served it out of the slow cooker. Worked fine.

Adam Cooks: Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fettuccine
3 (4-ounce) links sweet Italian turkey sausage
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups sliced onions
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups lower-sodium marinara sauce
1/2 ounce pecorino cheese, grated (about 2 tablespoons packed)
8 basil leaves, torn

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. Remove casing from sausages. Shape sausages into 12 (1-inch) balls. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add meatballs to pan; cook 7 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove the meatballs from pan. Add onions, red pepper, and garlic to pan; sauté for 2 minutes. Return meatballs and add marinara sauce to pan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes or until meatballs are done. Add pasta to sauce mixture; toss well. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Comments:
Adam made this so I can't speak to the preparation part. The eating part was good. Nice switch up from your ordinary everyday beef meatballs.

Gyro Meatloaf

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds ground lamb or ground beef
1 cup refrigerated tzatziki sauce

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Crumble lamb over mixture and mix well. Shape into a loaf and place in a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until no pink remains and a thermometer reads 160°. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with tzatziki sauce.

Comments:
This was really good. I used beef and skipped the tzatziki, but the meatloaf had really good flavors. I'm a sucker for spinach hidden inside of something else and the oregano just makes the whole house smell wonderful.

Cheesy Potato Soup

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chopped red potato (about 1 pound)
1 1/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Directions:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring onion mixture constantly. Add potato, milk, broth, and 1/2 cup water to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese and ground red pepper; cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Top each serving evenly with 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped green onions.

Comments:
This was... ok. It takes a whole lot longer than 10 minutes to get the potatoes cooked though. I let it go more than 20 and there were still some that were questionable. I added a lot of black pepper to mine and we both added some extra cheese on top. Adam suggested adding bacon or ham to the base for some additional flavor. Might try this again, but I'd definitely tinker with the recipe.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

From Weight Watchers



Ingredients:
1 medium uncooked onion(s), chopped
1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
2 pound(s) uncooked broccoli, tough ends removed, stems and florets chopped
4 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth, or vegetable broth
1 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Directions:
Combine onion and garlic in a 2-quart saucepan with 1/4 cup of water. Simmer until onion is soft, about 10 minutes; spoon vegetables into a large pot.

Add broccoli and broth to pot; bring to a boil over high heat. Once soup boils, reduce heat and simmer until broccoli is soft but still green, about 8 minutes. Do not cover pot while broccoli is cooking or it will turn gray.

Remove soup from heat; puree until smooth in batches in a blender (be careful not to splatter hot liquid) or puree in pot using an immersion blender. Add evaporated milk and hot pepper sauce to soup; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Comments:
I read some of the reviews on this recipe before making it so I also made some adjustments to the original recipe. I added some cornstarch to thicken it. Added cheese. Added a bunch of Penzey's "Mural of Flavor" spice blend. It was ok, but still not the best. I'm not really a cream of broccoli fan anyway, but I don't know that I'd try this again.

Adam Cooks: Cheeseburger Quiche

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground beef
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 unbaked pie shell (9 inches)

Directions:
In a skillet, brown ground beef and onion; drain and set aside. In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, milk, oregano, salt and pepper; beat in eggs. Stir in beef mixture and 1 cup cheese. Pour into pie shell.

Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Allow to stand 5 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 servings.

Comments:
Given my history with ugly, unphotogenic (but tasty!) quiches, Adam decided to take a crack at it (get it? Crack. Bcause there are eggs. Ha. Ok sorry, back to the topic at hand) and see how his success would compare to mine. He used the second half of the totally awesome pie crust he made last week for the flat apple pie. It did take signficantly longer than the recipe says, but eventually it set up pretty well. It was pretty tasty, but seemed to be missing... something. Maybe bacon? Maybe pickles? We couldn't quite put our finger on it. Still, good stuff, and much prettier in a picture than any quiche I've made. :-)

Pantry Pasta

From The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond via FoodNetwork



Ingredients:
1/2 whole red onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1/3 cup chicken stock or white wine
1/3 cup assorted olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1 whole jar artichoke hearts, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces pasta, cooked al dente and drained
2 to 3 tablespoons jarred pesto
1/2 cup fork-chunked feta
3 tablespoons dry-toasted pine nuts

Directions:
Add the onions into a skillet with the olive oil over medium heat. Saute for a few minutes, and then add in the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, olives, artichoke hearts and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to combine with the sauce. Mix in the pesto. Toss in the feta and top with the pine nuts.

Comments:
I don't know that I've ever made anything from The Pioneer Woman that I haven't totally loved. I caught this recipe on her new(ish) show on the Food Network and I knew it was right up my alley. A local Italian restaurant makes a version of this and I love it and this is what I always get at Stone Cellar as well. Olives and tomatoes and artichokes and pasta = Heaven! I did leave out the pesto since I'm not particularly a fan. I also used some Garden Delight Ronzoni in an effort to up the healthy components. I'm not sure about the two servings thing though - this makes a whole lot, and unlike Ree, I don't live on a working ranch and chase cows around all day.

Nice 'N' Easy Italian Chicken

From Crock-Pot Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes



Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 26oz jar pasta sauce
hot cooked spaghetti

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except pasta in slow cooker. Cover; cook on low 6-8 hours or until chicken is tender. Serve over spaghetti.

Comments:
Not much out there that's easier to make than this. This is the classic "throw some stuff in the crockpot and forget about it" meal. It turned out really well. I did use a red pepper rather than the green since I think green peppers tend to overpower everything else in the dish. It does make a lot for just two people so I ended up freezing a bunch. We'll see how it tastes when it's thawed.

Oven-Fried Pork Chops and Parmesan Potato Wedges

From Cooking Light (pork) and Crockpot Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes (potatoes)



For the pork

Ingredients:
2 cups panko or other coarse bread crumbs
1 1-oz. packet onion soup mix
1 teaspoon paprika
Pepper
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons flour
6 6-oz. boneless pork chops, trimmed of excess fat
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:
Arrange a rack in bottom third of oven. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix bread crumbs with soup mix, paprika and pepper in a shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, combine mustard and 2 Tbsp. water. Spread flour on a plate. Dredge pork chops in flour. Coat both sides of each pork chop with mustard mixture, and then dredge in bread crumbs to coat well. Place chops on prepared baking sheet.

Drizzle 1 Tbsp. melted butter over each chop. Bake until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes, turning chops over halfway through cooking time for even browning. Let chops rest for 10 minutes before serving.

For the potatoes

Ingredients:
2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp butter, cut into 1/8-inch pieces
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Layer potatoes, onion, oregano, salt, pepper, and butter in slow cooker. Cover; cook on HIGH 4 hours. Transfer potatoes to serving platter and sprinkle with cheese.

Comments:
The pork was good. Even with sub-par meat the breading was pretty good. I even ate all of mine, which is impressive since I don't really like pork all that much. On the other hand, the potatoes were iffy. Potatoes in the crockpot generally end up all mushy and despite the high cooking temp and the deceivingly delicious picture in the cookbook, they ended up, well, kind of mushy. Still ok tasting, but not something I'd make again.

Polish Sausage and Veggies

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
4 cups cubed peeled potatoes (about 2-1/2 pounds)
1 pound smoked Polish sausage or smoked kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup julienned sweet yellow pepper
1/2 cup julienned sweet red pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the potatoes, sausage, onion, peppers and Cajun seasoning in oil and butter for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Comments:
This was really good (and easy!) I added some leftover broccoli for additional vegetable action. We also had no Cajun seasoning so I used some of the 33rd & Galena spice from Penzey's Kind Heart Gift Set. Honestly couldn't even taste it so I added a bunch of pepper to my serving. I heart pepper!

Sloppy Jose Supper

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 package (8-1/2 ounces) corn bread/muffin mix
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1-1/4 cups salsa
2 tablespoons chili sauce
2/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
sour cream

Directions:
Prepare and bake corn bread according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, red pepper, onion and celery over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the garlic, chipotle pepper, chili powder and cumin; cook 1 minute longer.

Stir in salsa and chili sauce; simmer for 3-5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Cut corn bread into nine squares; save four pieces for another use. Top each square of remaining corn bread with 2/3 cup beef mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese. Dollop with sour cream.

Comments:
This was good, but it made us both sick. Not sure if it was bad meat, bad something, but I just threw out the leftovers because neither of us wanted to risk it.

Gemelli with Fennel and Hot Sausage

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
3/4 pound hot italian sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large bulb fennel, cut into strips
1 large onion, sliced
3 carrots, sliced on an angle
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound gemelli pasta
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°. On a baking sheet, toss the sausage, fennel, onion and carrots with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl.

3. Add the sausage-vegetable mixture to the pasta. Add the reserved pasta cooking water to the baking sheet, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to the pasta mixture. Toss in the parsley; season with salt and pepper

Comments:
I subbed some celery for the fennel since neither of us dig the anise flavor. It worked out fine. It's a teensy bit spicy for me, but Adam liked it. I used some Creste di Gallo pasta we got for Christmas since I didn't have gemelli and I thought it was a neat shape. Looks like little Stegosauruses. But that might just be me...

Tacoritos

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 pound ground beef
1/4 pound bulk pork sausage
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1/4 cup refried beans
2 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:
In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in chili powder and garlic salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef, sausage and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in refried beans; heat through.

Spread 1/4 cup sauce in a greased 8-in. baking dish. Spread 1 tablespoon sauce over each tortilla; place 2/3 cup meat mixture down the center of each. Top each with 1/4 cup cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in prepared dish. Pour remaining sauce over the top; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Comments:
I'm not sure these are so much tacoritos as they are tachiladas. It's quite obviously an enchilada sauce we're making here and if you forget to fold the bottom... enchiladas. So there you go. Mexican food according to Martha.

Anyway, pretty simple assembly and quick baking time. Adam really liked these and I didn't mind them.

Mango Chicken with Plum Sauce

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 pound fresh snow peas, trimmed
2 large carrots, sliced diagonally
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 medium sweet red pepper, sliced
1 can (4 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound finely chopped cooked chicken breast (about 3 cups)
2 medium mangoes, peeled and mashed
1/2 cup plum sauce
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt; stir in broth and teriyaki sauce until smooth. Cook and stir until thickened. Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry the snow peas, carrots, zucchini, onion, pepper and water chestnuts in oil until crisp-tender. Add the chicken, mangoes and broth mixture; heat through. Stir in plum sauce. Serve with rice. Sprinkle with almonds.

Comments:
This dish perfectly represents the difference between my food preferences and Adam's. I'd eat this every day. Seriously. Adam? He said it was ok and he'd like to have it again...in a year.

Anyway, left out the water chestnuts because they're on Adam's "hell no" food list. Also didn't add the almonds because... ok, because I forgot. Stir-fries require mad multi-tasking skillz and I failed on that one. Oh well. It was fine without them. I used my rice cooker for the first time in ages. I love it! I wish I didn't have to make 4 cups of rice to use it... but when I do it's the best rice ever. Do they make smaller rice cookers? I should google that later...

Adirondack Red Wing Burgers

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery with leafy tops, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey or chicken
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
4 sandwich-size english muffins, toasted
4 deli slices cheddar cheese
1/4 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/4 cup pickle relish

Directions:
1. In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Reserve the skillet. Mix the turkey, dill and poultry seasoning into the vegetable mixture; season with salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties.

2. In the reserved skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO over medium heat. Add the patties and cook, turning once, until firm, about 12 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the butter to the skillet to melt, then stir in the hot sauce. Add the patties to the sauce, turning to coat. Top each with some of the blue cheese and a cheddar slice. Tent with foil, turn off the heat and let stand until the cheese is melted.

3. Top each muffin bottom with some lettuce, a patty, some relish and a muffin top.

Comments:
Relatively easy, although I always seem to burn the first side of a turkey burger. Nice flavor, but Adam didn't like the English muffin bun - too dry.