Get Your Grub On

I have had recipes that several different people have asked for so I thought I would post them and share them with everyone. If you have a favorite easy recipe you want to share with me I would love it.
Melissa's Cookies (friend from college, these cookies are famous)
Bake at 400 for 5-6 minutes

1 lb butter
2 c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar

4 eggs
tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
2 tsp soda
2 tsp baking powder
4 1/2 c. flour
3 c. quaker oats
12 oz chocolate chips
one king size hershey almond bar chopped up and added to the dough

My Favorite Salsa (often requested by my brother Tyler)
1 small jalepino pepper
5 lg. roma tomatoes
1 c. fresh cilantro
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
1/3-1/2 cup red onion

Chop up everything as small as you can then add to the food processor and chop together until it is the chunkiness you like in a salsa. I usually double or triple the recipe because it goes fast.

Autumn Soup
1 lb ground hamburger (or ground turkey is also really good)
1 c. onion
1 c. carrots
1 c. potatoes
4 c. water (or I use chicken stock)
1 c. celery
1 28 oz. can of stew tomatoes cut up
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp basil
bay leaf
chop up all ingredients and put in pot to cook until veggies, mostly potatoes, are cooked through.

Oriental Cashew Chicken
cube chicken and marinate in the following:
3 Tb chicken broth
3 Tb soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
shake of garlic salt
1 egg white

marinate for 30 minutes and cook. Add 1/2-1 cup cashews and sliced green onions toward the end. Serve over rice.

Mom's Banana Bread
cook at 350 45-50 minutes

1/3 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
combine
mix dry ingredients and alternate with 1 cup mashed bananas
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt

my mom usually adds 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. I have made it with frozen raspberries and that is really good too!

Creamy Lowfat Pesto
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 cups fresh basil leaves, stems and buds discarded
1 oz parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup), grated
1/4 c part-skim ricotta cheese
1 shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
-Toast the garlic cloves in a small skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan occasionally until the color of the cloves deepens slightly--about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate, cool, peel, and mince.
-Place the basil leaves in a big ziplock bag. Pound the bag with a meat pounder or a rolling pin until all of the leaves are bruised. (This step helps to release even more of the basil's flavor.)
-Process the garlic, basil, cheeses, shallot, oil, and 1/2 tsp salt in a food processor (or 3 cup food chopper) until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
-This is enough to coat about 1 pound of pasta.
-We LOVE this on whole wheat pasta with grilled chicken breasts that have been marinated in balsamic vinaigrette (any brand will do but we love Newman's Own), grilled, cooled slightly, and cut into strips.
I roasted some yellow squash, some red onion, a red bell pepper, and a zuchinni and tossed that with it and some grilled chicken (marinated in balsamic vinagrette dressing). To roast the veggies, cut into chunks, toss with some olive oil and salt, spread on a cookie sheet and stick them under the broiler. Keep a close eye on them and turn them often.