Multigrain Cheerios Snack Mix

From Eat Better America.

My two-year old helped me make this snack mix, and I swear we ate half of it right after it was done cooling.  It's that yummy.  Plus it's extremely easy to make, which is always a plus!

Prep: 15 min / Total time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 cups

1 egg white
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cups Multigrain Cheerios cereal
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Heat oven to 300F.  Lightly grease cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, beat egg white on high speed until foamy; beat in salt.  Gradually beat in brown sugar until thick and glossy.  Gently stir in cinnamon, cereal, and pecans until completely coated.  Spread as thinly as possible on cookie sheet.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until set.  Immediately remove from hot cookie sheet to a cold cookie sheet or large pan.  Cool completely, about 30 minutes.  Break into pieces.  Store in airtight container.

Notes:
- Next time I may either leave the salt out or cut it in half.  It's not that the snack was overly salty--I just try to cut out salt whenever possible.
- Not sure what to do with that leftover egg yolk?  Head over to "The Chewy" and make Alton Brown's delicious chocolate chip cookies.

Spaghetti Squash & Cheese

From Better Recipes.

Matt has always claimed to dislike spaghetti squash.  Until we tried this recipe.  He liked it enough to say that I should make it again sometime.

Serves 4-6.

1 medium spaghetti squash
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt
Black pepper

Cut the squash in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds.  Rub the inside of the squash with olive oil.  Place the squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet.  Bake in 350F oven about 30 minutes or until tender; let cool.

Use a fork to rake out the stringy squash pulp into a large bowl.  Add cheese, nuts, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Transfer squash mixture to a greased baking dish.  Bake for 25-30 minutes more or until heated through.

Notes:
- There's usually a sticker with cooking directions attached the the squash sold at grocery stores.  I didn't want to wait for it to cook in the oven and cooked it in the microwave (per sticker instructions) instead without the oil.
- I was in a hurry and didn't let my squash cool (I handled it with an oven mitt while I scraped out the inside).  No problems.

Quick Fettuccine Cacciatore

From Kraft Food & Family (Spring 2006).

Prep: 10 min / Cook: 15 min
Serves: 4-6

8 oz fettuccine, uncooked
2 tsp. vegetable or canola oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
1 cup sliced green or red bell peppers
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup Italian dressing
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Cook pasta as directed on package.  Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.  Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink.  Add peppers; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in tomatoes, mushrooms, and dressing.  Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Toss pasta with chicken mixture.  Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Notes:
- I chose to use no-salt added tomatoes and pureed them slightly.

Cauliflower "Mac 'n Cheese"

Adapted from People (13 June 2011, page 118).

I'm on a mission to find yummy recipes using vegetables my husband doesn't think he likes.  This recipe was on the back of another recipe given to him by a friend at school.  We agreed that this way of eating cauliflower is delicious (though possibly not super healthful).  My two-year old gobbled it down, as well.

Serves 6 to 8.

8 cups cauliflower florets (about 2 heads)

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

2 Tbs. flour

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/4 tsp. table salt

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400F.  Toss florets in oil on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper.  Roast until fork-tender and lightly browned, about 25 minutes.  Remove pan from oven.  Reduce oven to 350F.

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in milk.  SImmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, 2 to 4 minutes.  Whisk in half-and-half and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and stir in 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and all but 2 Tbs. of the cheese.  Stir over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

Place cauliflower in an 8x8" glass baking dish or four 10-oz ramekins.  Pour cheese sauce on top.  Sprinkle with 2 Tbs. cheese.  Bake until sauce is bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.

Notes:

- My picture is deceiving when it comes to the sauce.  The original recipe indicates that 1 head of cauliflower will give you 8 cups of florets, but the ones at my grocery store only gave me about 4 cups.  By the time I realized that, it was a bit late to halve the sauce.  Oh well.  Still good, just had too much sauce.

Turkey Breast with Jalapeno-Peach Jam

Adapted from Weber's Big Book of Grilling.

Paste
2 Tbs. black peppercorns
2 Tbs. cumin seed
2 Tbs. chili powder
2 Tbs. dried oregano
2 Tbs. dried sage
2 tsp. granulated garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1 bone-in turkey breast, about 8 lbs.

Jam
3 firm ripe peaches, peeled and finely chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup apricot or peach preserves
1/3 cup peach juice
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Canola oil
Kosher salt

Crush the peppercorns and cumin seed, then combine with the remaining paste ingredients.

Coat the turkey breast with the paste.  Place in a large, resealable bag, press the air out of the bag, and seal tightly.  Refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the peaches, preserves, juice, sugar, and vinegar.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring often, until the peaches are cooked and then liquid has thickened, 30 to 40 minutes.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then pour into a food processor and process until smooth.  Add the jalapenos and cilantro.  Cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate.  (The jam may be made up to three day sin advance.  Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Follow the cooking instructions listed on the package of your turkey breast.  It will be about 3 1/4 hours at 325 F for an 8 lb. turkey.  A meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part should read 170 F.  RecipeTips.com has a pretty good guide for how long to cook a turkey using various methods and temperatures.

Allow turkey to rest for 20 minutes prior to slicing.  Serve warm with jam.

Notes:
- I'm not sure a resealable plastic bag large enough to accommodate the turkey exists, so I'l be honest: I used a clean, plain plastic, 13-gallon trash bag and tied a knot in it, then set it in a casserole dish, just in case.
- The jam ingredients were doubled in the original recipe, but it makes a TON, so I've cut it.
- The recipe also calls for mesquite wood chunks or chips, which I purchased but forgot to use.  Rather disappointing.  I've read that you can use them in the oven, but since I didn't actually try it, I'll just give you the link on how to do it.
- Technically this is a grilling recipe, but we decided to make it in the oven when we realized how long it would take to cook an 8 lb. bone-in turkey breast on the grill (we couldn't find 4-5 lb.-breasts as the original recipe called for).  If you opt to try it on the trill (I'm sure it would be delicious!), then follow these instructions:

"Prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium heat (350-450 F).
"Follow the grill's instructions for using wood chunks (soaked for at least 30 minutes).  Lightly coat the turkey with canola oil and season with salt.  Brush the cooking grates clean.  Grill the turkey breast, skin side up, over indirect medium heat, with the lid closed, until the internal temperature reaches 165 F, 1 to 1 1/2 hours (remember, this is for a 4-5 lb. turkey).  Remove from the grill and let rest for 20 minutes before slicing (the internal temperature will rise 5-10 degrees during this time."

Avocado Fries

From Circle B Kitchen, adapted from Sunset Magazine.

I know, this sounds like one of the strangest things ever, but it is so good!  The panko coating is nice and crunchy, while the avocado insides get all soft and creamy.

Canola oil for frying

1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups panko
2 firm-ripe medium or 3 small avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced into 1/2" wedges
Grated parmesan for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 200F.  In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2" oil until it registers 375F on a deep-fry thermometer.

Meanwhile, mix flour with 1/2 tsp. salt in a shallow bowl.  Put eggs and panko in separate shallow bowls.

Sprinkle avocado slices with the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt.  Dip each slice in flour, shaking off excess.  Dip in egg and then panko to coat.  Set on plates in a single layer.

Fry a quarter of avocado slices at a time until deep golden, 30 to 60 seconds.  Transfer slices to a plate lined with paper towels.  Keep warm in oven while cooking remaining avocados.  Sprinkle with salt and a little grated parmesan.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:
- These do not make good leftovers, even if you crisp them up in the toaster oven.  They take on an unappealing, somewhat fishy flavor.  And I like fish.  So you want to make only the amount you plan on eating, and then toss the rest.
- Try mixing together ranch dressing and salsa for a yummy dipping sauce!

Southwest Rub

Good for red meat, pork, poultry, seafood, and vegetables.

Adapted from Weber's On the Grill.

Yield: about 1/4 cup

2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. granulated garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper