Orange-Nut Bread

2 cups flour (you may use all or half whole wheat if you wish)
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
zest of one orange
¾ cup walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts or almonds, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
¾ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Oven at 325. Grease or spay a loaf pan. In a bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and zest. Add nuts and stir until evenly distributed. Mix together wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Make a well and add the melted butter, eggs, orange juice and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake about 50-60 minutes, until the top is brown and firm and the sides are pulling away from the pan. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Oatmeal Carrot Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
1 egg
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup oil
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 toddler sized jar baby food (about 3/4 cup pureed carrots)

Oven at 350. Combine dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl and add to dry. Mix until moistened, being careful not to over mix. Bake 15-18 minutes in muffin cups. Makes 12 muffins.

Sweet Potato Bread

1 2/3 cup flour
1 ½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
½ c oil
½ c water
1 c mashed sweet potato
2 eggs
½ c chopped nuts (optional)

Oven at 325. Stir all dry ingredients together. Add oil, water, potatoes, and eggs. Mix well. Stir in nuts. Spoon in a greased loaf pan. Bake 75-90 minutes until bread pulls away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Grapefruit Pecan Quick Bread

1-2 large pink grapefruit (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 tablespoon grated grapefruit rind
2 cups all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour or a combination of the two
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped pecans

cooking spray
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon water

Coat an 8 1/2 x 4 ½ inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Peel and section grapefruit over a bowl, reserving juice and membranes. Set sections aside.
Squeeze membranes to extract juice and discard membranes. Place sections and juice in a food processor and pulse 3 times. Set aside 1 and 1/4 cups mixture and reserve remaining grapefruit mixture for another use.

Combine rind, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine grapefruit mixture, oil, vanilla and egg. Stir well. Add to grapefruit mixture dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Stir in pecans.

Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Combine powdered sugar and water and stir well with a wire whisk. Drizzle over bread and let cool in the pan 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan and let cool completely on wire rack before serving.

**Note-This bread freezes well. If you are freezing it, do not cover with the sugar and water mixture. The sugar mixture adds a lot of sweetness to an otherwise slightly sour bread; I would not omit it!

3 Bean Vegetarian Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced (1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups water (or broth)
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles (or a 4oz can of diced chilis)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and salt and pepper. Cook, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and continue cooking, partially covered, 20 minutes longer. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Breakfast Cookies

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup (1 small jar) strained carrot baby food (or sub in any other pureed, mild veggie like squash or pumpkin)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup bran cereal flakes
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant and chopped

Oven at 350 degrees F.

Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine butter, oil and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg, carrot puree and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, raisins and walnuts and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

**Note-These cookies are so tasty! I also love that you have a quick breakfast to go. These cookies freeze well and can be defrosted quickly in the microwave.

Mexican Casserole with Cornbread Topping

1 cup onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons dry taco seasoning mix**
1 (15-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
4 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
1 package of cornbread mix, prepared as directed on box.

Saute pepper and onion in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Open can of tomatoes and discard 2 tablespoons of the liquid. Add taco seasoning mix (and salt if using), tomatoes with remaining liquid, and beans. Mix lightly. Let simmer about 5 minutes. If too watery, mix 1 tablespoon of corn starch with one tablespoon of water. Add to mixture and let bubble 1-2 minutes to thicken. Spoon mixture into 9x12-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Pour prepared cornbread mix over the top. Spread to cover. Bake at 375ºF for 18-25 minutes or until cornbread is done.
Serves 4 to 6.

**Note-if using homemade taco seasoning, add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt along with the seasoning.
**Note-this can be made ahead and frozen, except for the cornbread mixture. Thaw completely in the fridge overnight and then cook as directed.

New Baby Spaghettie Casserole

8oz spaghetti, cooked to al dente or just under
1/2 cup each onions, bell pepper, carrots and celery, all in small dice
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can tomatoes, undrained
1 can creamed soup
1 can Cheddar Cheese Soup
Approximately 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Oven at 350. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, taking care not to cook past al dente. Saute onions, pepper, carrots and celery about 5 minutes. As they are sauteing sprinkle with chili powder and salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and saute about 5 minutes more to fully soften vegetables. Mix together the two cans of soup and add to the veggie mixture. When pasta is done, add to the vegetables, stirring to combine. Transfer to a casserole dish and bake, covered, about 30 minutes. Take out and sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 5 minutes more, until cheese is melted.

**Note-this was a dish someone from our church made for us when we had our second child. We had a lot of it, but it was one of our favorite dishes we received. It is a dish we will always associate with the birth of our baby. I have altered it a bit to suit my tastes and cooking style more. Enjoy!
**Note-you could also double this recipe and freeze half of it. In that case, take extra care not to over cook the noodles as they might get a bit more mushy in the freezer. If you are making double, do not use 2 cans of cheddar cheese soup, instead just use 2 additional cans of a creamed soup of your choice.

Turkey Divan

1 package of frozen broccoli, thawed
Left over turkey slices/pieces
1 can creamed soup (your choice of flavor)
1/3 c milk
8oz shredded cheddar cheese

Oven at 450. Arrange thawed broccoli in a shallow baking dish. Top w/ turkey. Blend soup with milk and pour over turkey. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until heated through, about 15 minutes.

**Note-this is a very easy and very yummy dish (what's not to love about creamed soup, turkey and cheese?). Although it isn't the healthiest, I have included it for sentimental reasons as well as it is a perfect way to use up left over turkey from the holidays.
**Note-This dish would freeze well. Do not defrost the broccoli and lower the amount of milk to 1/4 cup. Assemble in a disposable pan. When ready to use, thaw completely in the fridge and bake as directed.

Family Meatballs

1 lb Ground turkey
2 Eggs
1 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1/2 Cup Parmesan & Romano Grated Cheese Blend
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Tbsp Parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, each

Wash your hands really well because you'll be doing all the mixing by hand. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mash them up in your hands, working all the ingredients into each other really well, like a meatloaf**.

This recipe makes about 20 regular sized meatballs. To do this, I score the mixture into 4 equal pieces and then make 5 meatballs out of each quarter.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.**

**Note-this is my mother's recipe modified to my cooking techniques and tastes. It was one of those that she was "famous" for. You could always count on my mother's meatballs to be delicious. Even though my family eats about 95% vegetarian, this is one recipe my husband is not willing to give up!
**I prefer to mix up all the ingredients, sans meat, with a whisk in a large bowl then add the meat and work it into the egg mixture. I find this cuts down on the amount of handling you are giving to your meat, working it less.
**I bake these uncovered for 30 minutes, then take them out and cover them with my favorite sauce for the last 15 minutes.
**Although I haven't tried, I think you could probably make a double batch of these and freeze half. Use half of the half in spaghetti and meatballs one night and the other half in meatball subs one night.

Stuffed Shells

12 ounces (1 box) jumbo pasta shells (approximately 40 shells)
2 jars tomato sauce**

**If freezing half the recipe, only use one jar of tomato sauce.

For the stuffing
2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and shredded
2 scallions, chopped
2 cups (16 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat, part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch grated nutmeg

Oven at 350. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shells, and partially cook 6 to 7 minutes — they should have started to become tender but will still be firm to the bite. Drain in a colander, Let cool. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the zucchini and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring every now and then, until tender and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add scallions during the final 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and add spinach. Mix in ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg, and stir to combine.

Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of two** 9-x-13-inch baking dishes. Fill the cooked shells with the cheese mixture, about 1-2 tablespoon per shell, and arrange the shells side by side in a single layer in the prepared dishes. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, cover with aluminum foil, and bake until the filling is heated through 25 to 30 minutes. Last 5-10 minutes, take out and cover with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

**Note, this recipe makes enough for 2. I recommend making one of the pans a disposable foil pan. Spray it with non-stick spray and fill with shells. Cover with plastic wrap then foil. Carefully (so as not to tip the shells) transfer to the freezer. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge. Uncover foil and plastic wrap. Pour a jar of sauce over shells and recover with foil only. Bake as above.

Mexican Hotdish Casserole

4-oz can diced green chilies (w/ juice)
2 cups shredded cheese
2 cans (14 oz each) diced tomatoes w/ juice
1 onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
2 cups uncooked rice
2 packages taco seasoning
3 cups chicken (or equivalent in beans, which would be about one can)
2 cups chicken broth

Fritos and 2 cups additional cheese for topping

Oven at 350. Spray a 6 quart pan w/ spray. Combine all ingredients in pan and mix together. Cover w/ foil double thick foil and back for 90 minutes. When done, take it out, sprinkle w/ fritos and additional cheese and return uncovered for 10 minutes. Let sit for 10 more minutes to firm up.

**Note-this is a pretty easy and mindless recipe/meal. This is something you could make on a busy day, stick it in the oven and forget about it til dinner.
**This makes a large amount of food. I would recommend taking half of it and freezing it for use at a later time.

Manicotti

Makes 2 entrees, 4 servings each

1 24 oz container of cottage cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ c shredded mozzarella cheese
½ c shredded Parmesan
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper
1 8oz box manicotti (12-14 shells) uncooked
6 cups marinara (red) sauce

1. Mix cheeses, seasoning, and egg together. With fingers or spoon fill each shell.
2. Spread ½ c of sauce on bottom of each baking dish (if freezing-use a disposable 8x8 foil baking dish). Place 6-7 manicotti in each dish. Pour remaining 2 ½ cups sauce over each pan.
3. If freezing, wrap with plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze.
4. If not freezing, skip to step 2 below.

To cook one entree:

1. Thaw in fridge or bake straight from freezer.
2. Oven at 350.
3. Remove plastic wrap and replace foil. If thawed, bake 45 minutes, if frozen 1 hour. Remove foil and continue to bake until noodles are tender.

Asparagus and Potato Fritata

Makes 3 entrees, 4-6 servings each

2 lbs fresh asparagus, cleaned, ends snapped off, and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
2 lbs potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces and boiled til soft (about 10 minutes)
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

On hand for each entree:

6 eggs
½ c cream or milk
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
½ c grated Parmesan cheese

1. Boil asparagus 2-3 minutes in water (You can add it the last few minutes with the potatoes)
2. Cook onion in skillet about 5 minutes, until soft, adding garlic last minute or two.
3. Divide mixture among 3 freezer bags, freeze. (If not freezing, skip this step and jump down to step 2 below)

To cook one entree:

1. Thaw completely.
2. Oven at 425.
3. Pour filling into a greased 8x8 dish.
4. Mix egg mixture and pour over top. Bake 30 minutes or until cooked through and top is golden brown.

**Note-you may substitute any variety of veggies for the asparagus

Mexi-Stuffed Peppers

Makes 6 peppers

1 diced onion
1 can black beans
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 cup corn
1 cup rice (cooked)
1 tablespoon taco seasoning

On hand for cooking entree:
6 peppers
Cheese

1. Cook onion and garlic in skillet along with taco seasoning. Stir in rice, corn and beans. Divide among freezer bags as needed (ie, If you want to feed 2 people then divide among 3 bags, etc.)
2. Freeze bags until further use. (If not freezing, skip to step 2 below.)

To cook entree

1. Completely thaw in fridge.
2. Oven at 350.
3. Wash peppers, cut off tops, scoop out insides. Fill each pepper with mixture. Cook on a greased baking sheet 35 minutes or until filling
4. After 35 minutes, top with cheese and put back in oven until cheese is melted-3-5 minutes