Marinated Peppers and Zucchini with Almonds

1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 orange pepper, thinly sliced
1 small zucchini, cut in half, then thinly sliced horizontally
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed or 1/2 cup canned corn kernels, drained
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons lightly toasted sliced almonds

In large nonstick skillet, saute peppers, zucchini and corn over high heat for 2-3 minutes in 1/2 Tablespoon oil. Remove from heat and place in serving bowl.
In separate small bowl, whisk together remaining oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over vegetables and gently toss. Serve garnished with almonds.

Super-Bowl Tomato Soup

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped scallions, green and white parts
28 ounce can whole tomatoes in tomato sauce
3 marinated sun-dried tomato halves, rinsed and chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup low sodium tomato juice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
garlic croutons, if desired for garnish

In large, heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and  scallions and cook until onions are soft; about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes one at a time, holding each over the pot and crushing it through your fingers. Add tomato sauce remaining in can. Add sun-dried tomatoes, basil and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Using immersion blender, food processor or blender, puree soup until it is pulpy to smooth, as preferred. Blend in tomato juice. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with croutons. Another option is to cool soup and refrigerate, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.

Very Berry Whole-Wheat Bread Pudding

For the pudding...
1 cup frozen or fresh cherries, pitted
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 ounces whole-wheat bread, cubed (about 3 cups)
2 eggs
3/4 cup low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
cooking spray

For the topping...
1 ounce sliced almonds
1 teaspoon powdered sugar

For the sauce...
1 pound bag frozen unsweetened mixed berries
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Combine cherries, berries, sugar, and cinnamon in bowl. Stir to coat berries and add bread cubes. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla and salt. Pour egg/milk mixture over berry/bread mixture and stir to coat bread thoroughly. Let mixture stand for 15-30 minutes to combine ingredients and allow the bread to soak up the egg mixture.
Preheat oven to 325 F; spray 9 inch baking dish. Pour pudding mixture into baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and distribute almonds over pudding. Return to oven and bake 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest 10  minutes. Garnish with powdered sugar and serve warm.

For sauce, Thaw berries overnight in refrigerator. Save drained juice and mix with cornstarch. Cook berries over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes. Add juice mixture to berries and heat until thickened. Serve over or alongside pudding.

Caramelized Carrots and Orange Squash

1/2 cup raisins
2/3 cup apple juice
2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally, 1/4 inch pieces
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed, 1/2 inch cubes
1 small acorn squash, seeds removed, peeled and cut into cubes
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 Tablespoons date syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup apricot halves cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 400F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Soak raisins in apple juice. In a large bowl, mix vegetables, oil, syrup, cinnamon and add salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture on baking pan. Bake carrots (the longest to bake) until they are just soft. Add raisins and apricots. Bake 10 minutes more or until carrots are soft enough for a fork to prick through. Serve immediately or, if refrigerating for several hours or more, pour 1/3 cup apple juice over vegetables to keep moist before reheating.

Pineapple, Corn, Mango Salsa

1 cup canned crushed pineapple (with juice drained)
1/2 cup frozen yellow corn, thawed
1/2 medium mango, diced 
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup minced parsley
3 Tablespoons minced red onion 
Salt, cayenne pepper and cumin, to taste

In medium bowl, mix pineapple, mango, corn, tomatoes, parsley and onion. Season with salt, cayenne, and cumin to taste. Serve over grilled fish, chicken or tofu. 

Chicken, Mushroom & Rice Casserole

2 cups rice, cooked (can be brown rice if you do not have wild rice)
1-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and cut into bite size pieces
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 leeks, chopped and rinsed
1 pound mushrooms, rinsed
1 cup dry sherry (or 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups milk (such as 2%)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or 8 ounces sour cream)
1/3 cup flat, loose leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 package frozen french cut green beans
1 package sliced almonds


Grease 9x13" pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with cooked rice and layer cooked, sliced chicken on top.
Add olive oil to large skillet and let heat for 2 minutes. Generously clean leeks and add to skillet. Cook for 5 minutes, until wilted and cooked through. Prepare green beans according to package. Add mushrooms and green beans; cook for additional 3 minutes.
Add sherry, or apple cider vinegar; four, milk, mushroom soup, parmesan cheese and parsley. Stir until well combined. Flavor with salt and pepper as desired. Pour mixture over rice and chicken. Top with sliced almonds. 

I could not find my sour cream, so I substituted the mushroom soup instead and it turned out fine.
Recipe can be made ahead up to 3 days in advance. When ready to eat, preheat oven to 350F and bake for 30 minutes. See original recipe below.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/252661/chicken-mushroom-wild-rice-casserole/

Macadamia Nut Biscotti

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons dark rum
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups salted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

In a mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and rum. Combine flour and baking powder. Add to butter mixture; mix well. Stir in nuts. Divide dough into two equal portions.
On well-floured surface, shape each portion into a log approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 12 inches long. Place on large greased baking sheet. Bake at 325 F oven about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool. Reduce oven heat to 250 F. Cut logs diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on a baking sheet; bake 20-25 minutes or until dried and crisp. Let cool. Store in airtight container. Makes 48.