Orange-Citrus Vinaigrette

    1 Tbsp. lemon juice
    2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
    ½ tsp. salt
    Freshly ground black pepper
    1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
    1-2 Tbsp. diced red onion
    ¼ cup orange juice

     Mix all together and serve on bed of lettuce, red onions, tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers.

Healthy Sweet Potato Fries (by Mommypotamus)

2 sweet potatoes, peeled, and cut into strips
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil, warmed up to liquify it
salt and pepper to taste

Line a cookie sheet or baking dish with aluminum foil and then place the sweet potato strips onto the foil.
Pour the liquid coconut oil over the sweet potatoes and use hands to mix it all evenly together.  Then sprinkle
salt and pepper and make sure all sweet potatoes are spread out in a single layer so that they can cook
evenly.  Place in oven on top rack for 30-40 minutes.  Done.

Variation:
Add cinnamon or chipotle pepper to spice it up!

Healthy Chocolate Cookie Dough (by Chocolate Covered Katie)

 1/4 cup cashews
2/3 cup pitted dates (no extra sugar added)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1 tblsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Grind it all up in your food processor or vitamix until it forms into a ball of dough.  Eat it as is by the spoonful or smear it onto crackers or bread. 

Quinoa and Black Beans

I just made this dish last night and it was delicious!  I ate the leftovers for lunch today and added fresh avocados and it was even better.  I imagine you could also add some queso fresco for those of you who are cheese lovers!

Rated: Submitted By: 3LIONCUBS Photo By: Dianne Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 35 Minutes Ready In: 50 Minutes Servings: 10

"Whether you're trying quinoa for the first time or just trying a new recipe for quinoa, this mixture of quinoa, black beans, corn, and spices will make this dish a new favorite."

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth 1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper salt and pepper to taste 1 cup frozen corn kernels 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1.	Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2.	Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3.	Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Pesto Crescent Twists w/Feta Spread

Twists:
2(8oz) cans refridgerated crescent rolls
1/2c prepared pesto
2tbsp finely chopped walnuts

Spread:
1/4c sour cream
4oz crumbled feta cheese
1(3oz) pkg cream cheese softened
2tsp olive oil
1tsp prepared pesto

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheet or use large bar pan. Unroll 1 can of dough onto wax paper or cutting board, firmly press perforations to seal. Press or roll to form 13x7 inch rectangle. In small bowl combine pesto and walnuts, mix well and spread over dough.

2. Unroll second can of dough. Firmly press perforations to seal. Press or roll out to 13x7 inch rectangle. Carefully place on top of first rectangle, sandwiching the filling in the middle.

3. Cut in half lengthwise to make two 7x6 1/2 inch rectangles, then cut each rectangle into 8 strips each. I find this easiest with a pizza cutter so as not to drag or tear the dough. "twist" each strip tightly and place on cookie sheet.

4. Bake at 375 for 14-19 minutes or until golden brown.

5. Meanwhile, in medium bowl or small food processor, combine sour cream, feta, and cream cheese. Mix until well blended and smooth. Place in serving bowl. Drizzle olive oil and pesto over spread. I like to use a knife to swirl this into the top so it looks pretty.

6. Serve warm twists alongside spread. Any leftover spread is really good on other types of warm bread, and can be saved in the fridge for about a week.

Yumm!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1 tsp hot pepper sauce, plus more as needed
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
pita bread, broiled till lightly browned, baked tortilla strips, carrots
and celery sticks, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Squeeze all excess liquid from spinach, mix with sour cream, Parmesan,
1/2 cup of the mozzarella, the cream cheese, garlic, pepper and hot
sauce. Mix until just blended. Add artichokes and mix again. Place in a
1-quart baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella. Bake until bubbly,
about 30 minutes. Serve with carrot and celery sticks or baked tortilla
strips or pita bread chips.

Black Bean Salsa

Here is a recipe stolen from an Abilene coffee shop. Enjoy!

1 can corn (i like the gold & white)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 bunch green onions
Juice of a small lime or 1/2 a biggin'
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Put it all together and serve with chips and sour cream. You can add cilantro, too, as the original recipe called for. It's my fall-back party food.

Elegant Artichoke Cups

This is a Pampered Chef Recipe

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
24 square wonton wrappers
1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic pressed
Additional grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly brush wonton wrappers with vegetable oil and press them into mini-muffin pan (oil side down). Bake 6 minutes or just until edges of wrappers are light brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
Meanwhile combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Fill each wonton cup with 1 tbsp artichoke mixture, sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Bake 8 minutes or until edges of wontons are golden brown and cheese begins to melt.

Easy Florentine Rolls

4 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tblsp. olive oil
1 6 oz. pkg. fresh baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil (I just used dried basil)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 13 oz. pkg. refrigerated pizza dough
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tblsp. toasted pine nuts
1 tblsp. butter, melted
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease twelve 2 1/2 inch muffin cups; set aside. In a large skillet, cook green onions and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until tender. Add spinach and basil; cook and stir over medium heat just until wilted. Drain off excess liquid. Stir in salt and pepper. Set aside.
On a well-floured surface, unroll pizza dough and shape into a 12x8 inch rectangle. Brush surface of dough with the remaining olive oil. Spread spinach mixture to within 1 inch of the edges of dough. Sprinkle with feta cheese and pine nuts. Starting with one of the long sides, roll dough into a spiral.
Slice roll into 12 pieces. Place cut side up in prepared muffin cups. Brush with butter and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Carefully remove from cups and serve warm. Makes 12 rolls.

Tip: I made these for the Pampered Chef party last weekend, and I would use more baby spinach leaves and cheese, because you could taste more of the pizza dough then the rest of the ingredients! Other than that, they were pretty good!

FYI- this was an award-winning recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine!

Mom's Easy Sausage Balls

8 oz. extra sharp cheese (cracker barrel brand)
1 lb. sausage (breakfast sausage works best)
2 C Bisquick

Combine well. Drop and shape on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 til brown (approx. 12 min.). Can be frozen and then baked.

Goldfish Yummies

3 pgg. (6 oz. each) of goldfish crackers
1 envelope Ranch dressing mix
3 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2/3 cup vegetable oil

Put goldfish in a large bowl. Whisk together rest of ingredients in a second bowl and drizzle over crackers, tossing to coat. Transfer to 2 ungreased large baking pans (15x10x1) Bake at 250 for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Yield: 2 1/2 quarts.

Chicken Roll-Ups

1 can crescent rolls
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
italian bread crumbs

Mix onions, chicken and cream cheese together. Spread crescent rolls flat and try to make them as a square. Put 1 tblsp. of the mixture into each roll. Fold and close so that the mixture will not leak out when baked. Place stuffed rolls on a cookie sheet with tucked sides down. Dip each roll-up in melted butter and roll in bread crumbs. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Tortilla Roll-ups

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 tsp. taco seasoning
1/3 cup picante sauce
12 flour tortillas

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add taco seasoning and picante sauce. Mix well. Spread on each tortilla. Roll tortilla tightly. Place seam side down and chill for 2 hours. Cut into slices.