This appetizer was snarfed down in moments on Christmas this year. It didn’t last long enough for all the dinner guests to arrive!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup light whipped cream cheese
• juice of half a lemon
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley & dill
• 1/4 cup capers
• pinch of kosher salt
• 4 oz package wild salmon
• seeded crackers (“everything” flat bread crackers are a good choice)

Directions

1. Mix the first 5 ingredients (cream cheese through salt) together.
2. Cut the salmon into small pieces.
3. Spoon cream cheese mixture onto the crackers and salmon pieces onto the cream cheese mixture.
4. Sprinkle a little extra dill over the salmon and enjoy.

1. 2 lb spinach, chopped (I used frozen – it’s easier because it’s already chopped!)
2. ¼ c minced onion
3. ½ lb feta cheese + ½ lb cottage cheese, mixed together
4. 4 eggs
5. 1 tsp dill
6. pinch parsley & salt
7. 1 stick butter, melted
8. ½ lb phyllo dough, thawed according to directions

Directions:

1. Combine first six ingredients together.
2. Butter 9×13” pan.
3. Place 4 leaves on bottom of pan, buttering each leaf with a basting brush.
4. Place ½ of spinach mixture on leaves.
5. Place 4 buttered leaves on mixture, buttering each leaf with a basting brush.
6. Place remaining mixture and 4 more leaves on top, buttering each leaf with a basting brush.
7. Turn edges of dough toward edge of pan.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until golden brown.

NOTES:

You need to work really quickly with the phyllo dough. This takes a bit of practice.

The above recipe is for a casserole. To make appetizers, instead of using one pan, use two – this will make a thinner spanikopita, which you can cut into small squares.  These are a huge hit at parties!

2-3  cans prepared enchilada sauce OR

• 3 Tbsp plus 1/2 cup oil, divided
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 16 oz chicken stock
• 10 oz tomato puree
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp gound cumin
• salt

Filling/other ingredients:

• 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (I just boil a couple chicken breasts and pull the meat apart with a fork/knife —  you can also used cooked ground chicken, turkey, or beef)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 10 corn tortillas
• 1 c sour cream or Greek yogurt, for garnish
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro or chopped scallions, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sauce:
Easy out: use 2-3 cans prepared sauce, which is still really, really good, instead of homemade sauce.I use 3 cans, but I like them really saucy!
In saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp oil, add flour, and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Add chili powder and cook 30 seconds. Stir in stock, tomato puree, oregano, and cumin, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes until flavors are well-blended. Season to taste with salt.

Enchiladas:
Combine cheese, chicken, and onion for filling. Heat remaining 1/2 C of oil in a skillet until hot. Using tongs, dip in tortillas, one at a time, to soften, and drain on paper towels. Next, dip each tortilla in sauce. On a plate, fill with a generous spoonful of filling and roll up. Place enchilada seam-side down in a baking dish and repeat until all ingredients are used up. Top with remaining sauce. Bake 30 minutes. To serve, top with sour cream and scallions.

Lower fat version: use cooking spray instead of oil in the skillet, and heat to soften the tortillas.

• Add 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernals
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2-3 chopped red peppers
• 1 teaspoonful cumin
• salt and pepper
• 1-2 T olive oil
• juice of 1/2 lime
• fresh thyme and basil (optional)

Toss it all together and serve warm or room temp. Great way to get protein and veggies into a meal. Also great for BBQ’s and potlucks. Enjoy!

• 2 1/2 pounds collard greens, leaves halved lengthwise and stems and center ribs discarded
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

• Stack half of collard leaves and roll into a cigar shape. Cut crosswise into very thin strips (1/8 inch wide) with a sharp knife. Repeat with remaining leaves. Or, if you’re lazy like me, use the food processor.
• Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a heavy 12-inch skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook half of collards, tossing, until just tender and bright green, about 1 minute, and transfer to a serving dish. Cook remaining collards in remaining 2 teaspoons oil in same manner, then toss all of collards with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Alternate:

Sautee a few cloves of garlic in the oil. Delish! And healthy!

• 1 can pumpkin
• 4 cups flour
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cloves
• 2/3 cups cold water
• 4 eggs

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Grease and flour (or spray with Pam for baking) 2 loaf pans (or 1 large loaf pan), or muffin tins.
• Combine in a mixer all of the ingredients except for the eggs.
• When well blended, add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each one.
• Pour into prepared pans.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes for loafs, 20-30 for muffins, depending on size. Check with a toothpick or bamboo skewer, done when it comes out with a few crumbs.

**freezes well**

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups rum (I used light Cruzan rum)
2 dashes grenadine syrup
1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 (6 ounce) can frozen pineapple juice concentrate
3 cups lemon lime carbonated water
1-1/2 cups cold water
1 orange, sliced into rounds
1 lime, sliced into rounds
1 lemon, sliced into rounds

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large punch bowl. Stir in the rum, and grenadine. Float slices of orange, lime and lemon on top. Drink!

We get a lot of potatoes with our organic produce box and I’ve been frying them! The time investment and the nutritional sacrifice of fried potatoes is big, so I insist that they come out right! With a lot of advice from my friend, Mart, who has been successfully practicing the art of the fried potato over many years, they came out crispy and perfect this time.

Ingredients

• 4-5 medium potatoes
• canola oil
• salt
• black pepper
• optional spices: red pepper, cumin, or rosemary.
• optional veggies: chopped onions, bell peppers, kale
• optional cheese: any type that melts

Directions

1. Cut up the potatoes in small 1/2 inch pieces and shake generous amounts of salt, pepper and other spices over them.
2. Fill a large frying pan with canola oil. Leave at least an inch of room between the oil and the top of the side so the oil doesn’t escape the pan.
3. Heat the oil on high heat. Test if the oil is hot enough by tossing in one piece of potato – it should bubble and fry vigorously. If the oil gets smoky, then you’ve waited too long! Be careful and stand back at an arm’s length from the pan as you add the rest of the potatoes to the hot oil. Arrange the potato pieces so that they are all mostly covered by the oil.
4. Monitor the stove temperature so the oil doesn’t boil over, but don’t touch or stir the potatoes. Let them fry as long as it takes to see them browning. This will take awhile – about 25 – 35 min.
5. In the meantime, pre-heat the oven to 350 – 375 and chop 2 onions into large pieces. Toss the onion pieces in olive oil on a baking sheet and put them in the oven.
6. After the potatoes are browned in the skillet, drain the oil and add them to the onions. Bake for 15 min.
7. Sautee the other optional vegetables while the potatoes finish in the oven.
8. Combine the potatoes with other vegetables and/or shredded cheese and serve while hot!