Tomato & Cheese Pie

1 15oz package part-skimmed ricotta cheese

4 lg eggs

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¾ tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

¼ cup 1% milk

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 Cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 lb ripe tomatoes (3 med) thinly sliced

375 F. Beat cheese, eggs, salt, pepper with fork until blended. Stir milk and cornstarch till smooth, whisk into cheese. Stir in basil. Pour into 9 inch glass pie plate. Arrange tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Jane’s Enormous Christmas Fruitcake

1lb butter

2 Cups brown sugar

10 eggs

1 lb almonds

2 tins crushed pineapple (drained but reserve the juice)

1 lb glazed cherries

2 lbs mixed fruit

4 lbs sultana raisins

1 tsp nutmeg

1 ½ tsp cloves

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups flour

Wash raisins. Put all fruit & nuts into huge bowl, dust with flower so that it doesn’t all sink to the bottom. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat. Add pineapple juice and flour and spices. Fold in fruit. Layer loaf pans with at least 2 layers of tin foil and spray. Bake at 225-275 C for 3-3.5 hours.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 12oz can artichoke hearts, chopped

1 16oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained

2 tbsp fat-free (or light or the stuff made with olive oil) mayo

2 WW tortillas

1/2 tbsp margarine

1 onion, chopped (I naturally put in less)

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 can roasted green chilies (I put in 1/2 a jalapeno and that was tasty)

juice of one lemon

2 tbsp no fat cream cheese

Salt and pepper and paprika to taste

Add parmesan if you want to up the taste and points

Bake pitas/tortillas until brown.

Heat butter in a large skillet. Add garlic and onion cook for 5 min. add everything else and cook 5 min until warm.

Eat and enjoy!

It's so good!

Not Your Mama’s Three Bean Salad

1 tps. Grated lemon zest


1 ½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice


1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (use the best you have it enhances the flavor)


½ tsp salt
freshly ground pepper


1 15-oz. can black beans rinsed and drained


1 15-oz. can small white beans, rinsed and drained


1 cup cooked green soybeans (edamame)

1/3 red onion, finely diced


1/3 red bell pepper, finely diced


5-6 large basil leaves, thinly sliced
 (you could use 1 tsp dried basil, but it won’t be as good)

In a medium bowl combine lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, salt and ground pepper.
 Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate for an hour and serve.
 Keeps 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

Scalloped Acron Squash and Spinach

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

10 ounces fresh spinach, washed and stems trimmed

6 cups cubed peeled fresh acorn squash

2 Tablespoons butter

1-1/2 cups onion, sliced thin

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided use

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Blanch spinach about 30 seconds, just until wilted, and remove with a slotted spoon to a colander to thoroughly drain. Then transfer to a large bowl.

Add acorn squash to the same pot of boiling water. Cook about 8 minutes, until tender. Drain thoroughly and add to the spinach in the bowl. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a casserole dish with vegetable oil.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Gently saute onion in the butter until lightly golden and softened. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Whisk in broth gradually and continue cooking, while stirring, about 5 minutes until thickened. Add cream and bring back to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Add 1/4 cup of the Swiss cheese to the spinach and acorn squash. Toss to combine. Spread vegetables evenly in the casserole and top with the sauce. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup Swiss cheese over the top.

Bake 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Broil 3 minutes to lightly brown the top. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 4 servings

Morning Biscuits

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. 
Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes, till golden in colour.

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

3 tsp. baking powder

4-6 tbsp. butter/soy margarine

mix in 1 cup milk

Don't spend too much time mixing this together. Just enough to get a nice batter. Lumpy is good. Plop medium to large spoonfulls of the batter, spaced out on an ungreased cookie sheet (use some sense when doing this -- not too close!). Makes anywhere from 8 medium sized biscuits to 10 or 12 small ones. Bake 12-15 minutes.

Rootbeer Cookies

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup margarine

1 egg

¼ cup buttermilk

1 tsp old fashioned rootbeer soda extract (wine making stores)

1 ¾ cups flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

Combine brown sugar and margarine and mix on high unti light and fluffy. Add egg and continue to mix. Add buttermilk and rootbeer extract. Add soda, salt and flour all at once. Mix till smooth. Preheat overn to 350F. bake 8-10 min on ungreased cookie sheet.

Glaze

2 cups icing sugar

1/3 cup soft margarine

1 ½ tsp rootbeer extract

2 tbsp previously boiled hot water

Cream margarine. Add icing sugar, rootbeer and mix. Add small amount of hot water 1 tbsp at a time.