chicken in a creamy sun-dried tomato and wine sauce, served over pasta

this is from a magazine i found in a dr's office. it's really really good.

3 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips
2 tbs all-purpose flour
1 lb dried pasta
2 shallots, minced
1/2 cup white wine (i use chicken broth)
2/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, chopped (i usually use the ones in a bag, not oil-packed)
3 tbs chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper

bring large quantity of salted water to a boil in a stockpot.

melt butter and oil in large skillet. toss chicken strips in flour and sear over med-high heat until golden brown and just cooked. transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate.

add pasta to boiling water. add shallots to skillet and saute over medium heat for 1 minute. stir wine, cream, tomatoes, and basil into the skillet, scraping up bits of chicken. bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the sauce thickens.

return chicken to skillet to heat through. salt and pepper to taste.

when pasta is al dente, drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water to add to sauce if it needs more liquid, or for added richness, add more cream. serve sauce over cooked pasta.

peanut butter whoopie pies

from martha stewart. fun to make and yummy to eat.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, not dutch-process
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


filling:
2/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
Coarse salt, optional

preheat the oven to 375 degrees. sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl; set aside.
put butter, shortening, and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. add egg; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. mix in half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla. mix in remaining flour mixture.

drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. let cool on sheets on wire racks 10 minutes. transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.
make filling: put peanut butter and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. mix on high speed until smooth. reduce mixer speed to low. add confectioners' sugar; mix until combined. raise speed to high, and mix until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. season with salt, if desired.
assemble cookies: spread 1 scant tablespoon filling on the bottom of 1 cookie. sandwich with another cookie. repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

frozen chocolate bananas

i found this in cookie magazine. afton absolutely begs for these.

2 ripe but firm bananas
6 oz dark chocolate, chopped or semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 cup granola, chopped pecans and walnuts, or sprinkles (optional)

line a baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment paper.
cut the bananas in half and insert a popsicle stick into each half. place them on the baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
meanwhile, melt the chocolate with the oil in a pyrex measuring cup in the microwave (check every 30 seconds). stir until smooth
roll each banana half in the chocolate, then quickly sprinkle with your topping, if using.
freeze until the chocolate sets, 30 minutes.
serve or freeze in an airtight container for up to a week.

alton brown's basic waffle recipe

"these are the best waffles" said the girls. from alton brown.

4 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 1 cup
4 3/4 ounces whole-wheat flour, approximately 1 cup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 whole eggs, beaten
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
16 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
vegetable spray, for waffle iron

directions
preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.
in a medium bowl whisk together the flours, soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. in another bowl beat together eggs and melted butter, and then add the buttermilk. add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. allow to rest for 5 minutes.
ladle the recommended amount of waffle batter onto the iron according to the manufacturer's recommendations. close iron top and cook until the waffle is golden on both sides and is easily removed from iron. serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.

ellie's black bean dip

this is a delicious black bean dip from ellie krieger, the healthy cooking lady on the food network.

ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon seeded and minced jalapeño pepper
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon water
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

cooking instructions
heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. stir in the garlic and jalapeño and cook for 1 minute.
place the beans in a food processor. add the onion mixture and the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

Recipe provided courtesy of Ellie Krieger. © 2008-2009 In Balance, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

spinach with cilantro cashew dressing

this is from the moosewood cookbook, i think.

8 cups fresh spinach, loosely packed (about 5 oz)
1 large tomato, cut into wedges
1/4 cup canola or other vegetable oil
3 tbs fresh lime juice
2 small garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp salt, more to taste
2 tbs toasted coarsely chopped cashews

stem and rinse the spinach. spin or gently pat it dry. tear the large leaves into smaller pieces and leave the small leaves whole.
arrange the spinach in a serving bowl and top it with the tomato wedges. combine the oil, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, salt and cashews in a blender and puree until smooth.
just before services, pour on the dressing, and toss well.

salmon and green bean salad

this is one of my favorite salads. the recipe is from a light cooking pasta cookbook. kara requested this, so here you are sister.

1 can (61/4 oz) salmon (i usually use any leftover salmon from dinner)
8 oz pasta shells
3/4 cup green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
2/3 cup finely chopped carrots

dressing:
1/2 cup nonfat cottage cheese
3 tbs plain nonfat yogurt
1 1/2 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs fresh dill
2 tsp grated onion
1 tsp prepared mustard

flake the salmon

cook pasta. add green beans to pasta for the last 2-3 minutes. drain and rinse pasta and beans under cold water.

in a food processor or blender...combine cottage cheese, yogurt, lemon juice, dill, onion and mustard. process til smooth.

combine pasta, beans, salmon and carrots.

pour dressing over pasta mixture and gently stir to combine.
(i usually add a bit of salt to taste)