Lemon Rice

Lemonade
Rice

In a rice cooker, pour in the desired amount of rice.  Replace water with lemonade and pour in the appropriate amount of juice.  Let the rice cook.  If the rice does not have a strong enough flavor of lemon after it is cooked, add freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste.  If desired, add lemon zest too.

Orange Poppy Seed Drops

1 C. Sugar

3/4 C. Softened Butter

2 Eggs

2 1/2 C. Flour

1 T. Orange Juice

1 T. Poppy Seeds

1/2 t. Baking Soda

1/2 t. Ground Ginger

2 t. orange peel

FROSTING:

1 C. Powdered Sugar

3-4 t. Orange Juice

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes

Ginger Orange Marinade

1 C. Orange Juice

1/4 C. Soy Sauce

1/2 C. Diced Ginger Root

1T. Minced Garlic

1/3 C. Cooking Oil

1T. Orange Zest

1/2 C. Sugar

Cut Chicken Breast into thin pieces and marinate for 8 hours.

Feta Salad Caprese

Feta Cheese, Crumbled
Cherry Tomatoes, halfed
Roma Tomatoes, cubed
Grape Tomatoes, halfed if needed
Basalmic Vinegar
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Pesto Sauce
Sea Salt
Black Pepper

Put cheese and tomatoes together in bowl. Mix Basalmic Vinegar and EVOO together. Pour on top of salad, and mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle pesto sauce over top of salad. Serve and enjoy. (Great with toasted bread).

Japanese Salad

2 cups cooked chicken
2 Tbsp toasted almonds
1/2 head cabbage, shredded (I used a bag of already shredded cabbage)
2 green onions
2 packages Ramen noodles, crushed
2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

Mix together and pour dressing over top.


Dressing
2 Ramen Seasoning packets
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup oil
3 Tbsp vinegar
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Mix together in container with a tight fitting lid.  Pour over cabbage mixture.  Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado & Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette

From the Kitchen of Alesha Whitney

Ingredients

2 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 ears fresh corn, cooked, cooled and kernels cut off the cob
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced shallots (you'll need one medium shallot)
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest (be sure to zest the limes before juicing them)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more to garnish
2 Hass avocados, diced

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except avocados in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. Right before serving, add avocados and mix gently, being careful not to mash avocados. Garnish with a few sprigs of freshly chopped cilantro if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Super Moist Low Fat Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 18.25 oz Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix
• 1.4 oz sugar free, fat free, instant chocolate pudding
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 1/3 cups water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

Combine pumpkin puree and water in a large bowl; mix to combine. Add chocolate pudding mix and mix well.

Add chocolate cake mix and beat 2 minutes.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake about 25 - 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes.


For the glaze, make your favorite butter cream icing, but add a little more milk to make it a bit more runny. Drizzle the icing on the cupcakes in a random pattern.

Here is my favorite butter cream icing recipe:

1 box powdered sugar
1 cube butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup milk

Whip together until frosting consistency. Add more milk to taste.

For chocolate frosting alternative, add 2-3 heaping tbsp powered cocoa to above ingredient list.