Mango Sticky Rice

I looked everywhere for this recipe this week to make for my book club (Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet) even though I think it's more of a Thai recipe than Chinese or Japanese.

I didn't find the recipe and considered making moon cakes instead but had no idea where to get lotus seed paste for the filling and thought you probably needed a mold ..... so served unimaginative marble cheesecake & fortune cookies instead.

I stumbled across it today (isn't that always the way) and am posting it here - mostly for my own benefit, so I can find it gain when I want it!

We love to serve it as dessert on the days I make Thai Lettuce Wraps for dinner.

Oh summer we miss you, hurry back!

Mango Sticky Rice (makes 6 servings)

1 cup glutinous (sweet) rice (available at Asian markets.)
1 can light coconut milk
raw shredded coconut
water
salt
1 - 2 mangoes; diced


Place 1 cup rice in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add 1 cup of cold water and let soak for 30 minutes to soften.

Make the coconut sauce. Whisk together 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/2 cup of coconut milk. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and set aside.

Cook the rice, adding 3/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of raw shredded coconut. Stir, then bring to a simmer over medium heat, turn down the heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes.

Slice or dice the mango.

After 15 minutes the rice should be soft and sticky - cooked and not crunchy. With a fork, stir in the coconut sauce in two additions. (Pour half and stir it in, then repeat.) Do this while rice is hot, so it really soaks in. It will look kind of soupy, but as it sits it will really tighten up. Let rice sit covered for 15 minutes.

Toast some shredded coconut (in a dry pan) until it's a light nutty brown.To serve, scoop the rice into a mound in the center of a plate. Spoon mango around it & top with toasted coconut. Can be served hot, room temp or cold.

March 20th - 26th

So this week ended up with a few days of take out and one day of leftovers ... not much in the recipe department, but enjoy what's there.

SUNDAY - Sweet & Sour Chicken. White Rice. Steamed Green Beans.

We tried this recipe from my sister in law, Lacey. We thought it was good and everyone ate it (making it an instant inductee to the regular rotation.) The only thing was I thought it was very, very sweet. Next time we'll cut the sugar in half - or even less than half.

4-6 Chicken Breasts
2 eggs
Cornstarch

Beat eggs together in bowl
Dip each chicken breast in egg
Put Cornstarch in a plastic bag or on a plate and coat chicken
In a frying pan with some veggie oil, brown each chicken breast...only until the coating is golden.

Sauce:
1 1/2 C Vinegar
3/4 C Ketchup
3TBS Soy sauce
2 1/4 C Sugar
Dash of Salt
In a sauce pan bring ingredients to a boil and then simmer until sauce becomes slightly syrupy.
Place Chicken in a baking dish (9x13)
Pour Sauce over Chicken
Bake at 350 Degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.

MONDAY - Leftovers.

Em was home sick throwing up and my stomach felt queasy all day. I didn't feel like eating OR cooking, so I gave the other kids some left over chicken I had in the fridge and served it with corn & cucumber slices. Rick usually gets his own dinner on Mondays (we usually have pasta on Monday's & he hates pasta) so it was quick & easy. Then I left the laundry in piles all over the basement floor, and all the mess everywhere else & went to bed. Sometimes it just has to be that way!

TUESDAY - Ham & Potato Soup. Rolls.

Potato Soup
 
4 potatoes, cubed
1 T butter
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
4 T flour
1/2 lb chopped ham
1 1/2 cups corn

In a deep pot, saute celery, onion and salt in 1 T butter until the onion is clear and soft. Add potatoes and water to cover. Boil and cook 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. In a separate pan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Add the flour and stir until creamy. Remove from heat. Slowly add the milk while stirring. Return to heat until thickened. Add to boiled potatoes. Return to a boil and cook until desired consistency. (I sometimes add a little extra milk.) Add ham and corn and heat through. Serve with french bread

WEDNESDAY - Spinach, Green Onion & Smoked Gouda Quiche. Spinach Salad.

CRUST

6 TBSP butter, softened

2 TBSP 1% milk

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg yolk

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

FILLING

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 cup thinly sliced green onions

3 cups fresh baby spinach

1 cup 1% milk

3/4 cup grated smoked Gouda cheese

3/4 tsp salt

dash of grated nutmeg

3 large eggs

I actually don't have the method to this recipe - but you know what to do.
I usually make my pastry in my Cuisinart food processor with the dough blade. I usually also wrap it in plastic & pop it in the fridge for about 1/2 an hour before rolling it out.


Bake about 45 minutes at 350, until firm.

THURSDAY

Em has swimming until 6pm on Thursdays and book club was at my house tonight ... so we had sandwiches. I actually love a good sandwich and we eat them for dinner once a week in summer. My only issue is that Emily & Jane won't eat them. They just have the fillings on plate and then the bread separately. I know. It's weird.

What are some of your favorite sandwiches?

FRIDAY

Pizza Dough

1 ½ cups warm water

2 TBS sugar

1 TBSP yeast 

3 cups flour

½ tsp salt

• Mix yeast, water & sugar & wait 5 mins. Add flour & let mixer run for 10 mins (with dough hook.) Roll out into a rectangular shape & cut into strips with pizza cutter
• Melt 1/3 cup butter in bottom of 9 X 13” pan & place in dough strips
• Brush with melted butter & sprinkle with seasoned salt & Parmesan cheese
• Allow to rise for 30 mins.
• Bake 15-20 mins at 350F

Pizza Sauce

1 large (30oz) can crushed tomatoes

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp garlic (minced or powder)

1 Tbsp parsley

1 Tbsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

SATURDAY

Sorry - no recipe again.

Emily swam in the junior Olympics all day .. it was great to be there with her and we are so proud of her accomplishment to have qualified to go. Rebekah had play rehearsal all day but the rest of us went to cheer her on & show our support.

We ended up coming home LATE ... with little kids who needed to go right to bed and me to get bek & myself to the YW General Broadcast, so we stopped at Fairway for pizza. yep, pizza a second night in a row. Fairway pizza is very yummy and it was right on the way home.

I really need to be better at anticipating these kind of nights and making something in advance. (In my defense, the swim coach had assured us we'd be finished by 1pm and I did think I'd be home in time to make dinner!)

Dinner this week.

It's the time of year when I tend to plan meals a week or two at a time - then switch days around as needed. This usually happens in spring (not that we are quite there yet - it snowed this morning) and because the weather in NY is notoriously un-predictable and if I plan for soup & rolls weeks in advance it will undoubtedly be 75 degrees that day!

Also, Corinne requested I be better about putting the recipes on here, and I might be able to manage that better a week at a time.

March 6th - 12th

SUNDAY

Yogurt Parmesan Chicken. Pear & Gorgonzola Salad.

This chicken is a family staple. It's easy, and everyone likes it. I especially love that Rick and the kids can whip it up on a Sunday afternoon while I am taking a nap (that certainly adds to the deliciousness.)

Yogurt Parmesan Chicken

2 C crushed Ritz crackers
3 Tbs Parmesan cheese
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp seasoned salt

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8oz plain yogurt (I use Greek)
1/4 C melted butter

Combine cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt and seasoned salt in large large Ziploc bag. Set aside.
Coat each piece of chicken in yogurt, then toss in crumb mixture. (I slice the breasts into strips - about 4 per breast).
Arrange chicken in 9x13 pan and drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until tender.

See the post below this for the Salad recipe.

MONDAY

Linguine with Lemon & Olive Oil.

Super fast, super yummy and super easy. What more could you ask for? We ate this with leftover salad from last night. I followed the basic recipe from smitten kitchen but doubled the ingredients for the sauce (with 1 1/2 lbs linguine) used all the zest from 3 lemons and didn't add any reserved water (it seemed wet enough.) I also added a very scant amount of Parmesan cheese to the finished dish (I've decided that I should try and reduce the MASS amounts of cheese we consume around here!)

We love lemons and this was so yummy & lemony. Mmmmm.

1 pound linguine

Salt

3 lemons

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil , plus additional for serving

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup), plus additional for serving

Ground black pepper

Small handful fresh basil leaves, shredded

Cook linguine or spaghetti in well-salted water to your al dente tastes in a large, wide-bottomed pot. (You’ll have fewer dishes to wash if you use this pot to assemble the dish as well.)

While pasta is cooking, zest lemons until you have a little shy of a tablespoon of zest. Juice lemons — you’ll have anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 cup lemon juice.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups of pasta cooking water. Dry out your pot, then boil the olive oil, cream, zest and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water together for two minutes over high heat. Return pasta to pot and stir until coated. Add the cheese and 1/4 cup lemon juice and toss, toss, toss everything together. Add more pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, if you’d like your dish a little looser. Quickly taste a strand of pasta and see if you want to add the remaining lemon juice (we did). Stir in basil or arugula and season generously with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, drizzling individual portions with a bit of extra olive oil and sprinkling with extra Parmesan. cheese.

TUESDAY

Bronzed Sea Bass with Lemon Shallot Butter

From the Pioneer Woman

• 6 ounces, weight (to 7 Ounces) Piece Of Sea Bass, With Or Without The Skin On
• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Medium-sized Shallot, Minced
• 1 whole Lemon, Zested And Juiced
• 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• Kosher Salt And Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season both sides of the fish generously with salt and pepper.

Heat canola oil in a medium-sized oven-safe pan over high heat for a few minutes to let the oil get nice and hot.

Once the oil has heated up for a couple of minutes, drop the sea bass into place and let it sit there untouched for two minutes. (Don’t overcrowd the pan, as this will kill our ability to create a tasty crust on the fish.) Sear over high heat for 2 minutes, then transfer the pan into the 375-degree oven WITHOUT FLIPPING THE FISH OVER. Set the timer to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, begin making the lemon shallot butter sauce. Melting the butter over a medium-high heat. Add in the minced shallot and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes.

When the shallots have become a little softer, squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon. Whisk together and reduce the heat to medium until you’ve got an incredible-smelling sauce. (Skipping the shallots in this process will make a super-simple lemon butter sauce.)

Once the fish has been in the oven for 8 minutes, remove it and let it rest for a moment before serving. Take this time to remove the pin bones if your butcher didn’t do it for you.

This exact method will work well with halibut, salmon, or any other thick fish. Great results every time.

WEDNESDAY

Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Quesadillas

Also from the Pioneer Woman Cooks. I like recipes that can be somewhat individualized, since there are so many varied tastes (AKA picky eaters) in our family. Rick, Jacob & I will eat these just this way. Emily & Jane will have it without the pineapple and Bek will eat hers sans chicken. Everyone is happy & I don't have to work hard to do it. You're welcome family!

• 8 whole Flour Tortillas
• Butter Or Margarine
• 2 cups Grilled Pineapple, Sliced
• 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
• Cilantro
• 3 Tablespoons Barbecue Sauce

Preparation Instructions

(To grill pineapple: cut wedges, stick on skewers, and grill over low heat. Cut into slices.)

(To pound chicken, place inside a Ziploc bag and pound with a mallet or large can to flatten to uniform thickness.)

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and Cajun spice (or cumin/cayenne, etc.) Drizzle olive oil on a grill pan and grill on both sides until done, brushing with barbecue sauce. Set aside and slice into very thin slices.

Warm griddle over medium heat and put sizzling butter or margarine in the pan. Slightly warm and toast tortillas on both sides, then remove from griddle and set aside.

To assemble, sprinkle four browned tortillas with grated Monterey Jack. Arrange chicken slices evenly over the surface. Add pineapple slices and jalapeno slices. Sprinkle on cilantro. If desired, drizzle extra barbecue sauce over the top. Add second browned tortilla on top of each one. (You’ll have four complete quesadillas at this point.)

Add to oven to warm, or back to skillet to warm, until cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Serve with sour cream, pico de gallo, and lime wedges.

THURSDAY

Jacob was having his 24 hour EEG. I wasn't sure how late we'd be so didn't plan dinner. A friend actually made us pasta, bread sticks & broccoli. The bread sticks were wonderful, so I asked for the recipe. Emily LOVED these &has big plans to try making them herself soon.

Bread sticks.

Makes about 20-25 bread sticks.

1 ½ cups warm water

1 tablespoon instant yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

3 ½ cups flour (I usually use a combination of unbleached all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour but use whatever you have on hand!)

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter, melted (for the baking sheet)

Mix all ingredients (except melted butter) in a large bowl or electric mixer and knead for three minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread melted butter onto an 11X17-inch baking sheet. Roll out the bread stick dough about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and cut into strips with a pizza cutter. Twist slightly if desired and place about 1/2-inch apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic salt, herbs of choice (I vary this depending on my mood but it usually consists of rosemary, basil, or thyme in some form and crushed finely) and Parmesan cheese. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes. Bake 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown.

FRIDAY

Homemade Pizza

I often make my own dough, but sometimes we just buy it from our local pizza store (they sell rounds of dough for $2.)

The kids love to roll their own and add their own toppings. My favorite is tomato slices, fresh mozzarella and snipped fresh basil. Or my other favorite is fresh mozzarella covered with

thick slices of portobello mushrooms & and chunks of crumbled blue cheese. Mmmmm.

If you want to make your own dough, I love this one.

Emily has been into making pizza dough lately and uses her own preferred recipe. She makes it entirely herself. Honestly. I am usually not even in the kitchen at all and she does a great job! It's a decent pizza dough although a little too "fluffy" for me. I prefer my pizza crust thin and a little crispy on the bottom ... but the kid is making dinner for me, so what can I say?

 Emily's Pizza Dough

1 cup warm water

1 Tbsp yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon oil

3 cups flour

Pour warm water into a bowl. Sprinkle yeast in and let sit for five minutes. Add salt, sugar and oil and 1 ½ cup flour. Mix then add remaining flour and knead well.

* The munchkin prefers to knead this by hand, but I'm sure 5 - 10 minutes in an electric mixer would be easier. The we usually let it rise for about 30 minutes, or while we go to Lacrosse practice, or swimming, or whatever else we have going on that afternoon! When we get back to it, we punch it down & roll it out ... you know how to do the rest.

SATURDAY

We ate out. We were out late running errands & generally cramming everything that we need to do as a family into the one day we are all home .... we ended up at the pet store to get our "Millie" supplies around dinner time. It was right by a Red Lobster....

I've never eaten there before, so we thought we'd try something new. It was OK and even Bek & Em (my non-fish eaters) enjoyed their meal.

Pear & Gorgonzola Salad

This is my new favorite salad.

I happened upon it when I was bouncing around blogs looking for ideas for a primary lesson I was working on. Yummy!

It is SUPER delicious. I made it for dinner this week - then had it for lunch the next 2 days - then went to Trader Joes to get more salad greens & pears (there was still dressing left & I didn't want it to go to waste.) Seriously, I could eat this for dinner every night.

Here's the recipe.

fresh spring mix salad greens

fresh pears, thinly sliced

toasted pecans

crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Creamy Honey Dijon Dressing

1/2 cup good dijon mustard

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

2 TBSP sugar

1-1 1/2 cups oil

Mix all ingredients except oil in the blender or food processor. blend until combined. slowly add oil in a slow steady stream until emulsified. serve on the side of the salad.

 

I found it here.

Cook Books

A couple of months ago we cleaned out our storage room. I had a ton of cook books stored in there - which was silly, because they were completely inaccessible. I sorted through them, and got rid of almost all of them. All the recipes I use regularly I have on my computer, or in my binder and I get most of the new one's I try from friends, blogs or online searches. I don't think that's unusual anymore, I think the day of the cook book is drawing to a close.

That said - despite a thorough purging of my cook books, I purchased these last Spring

I saw them in Australia on our trip in 2007 - but figured I'd wait until they came out in the US, so I wouldn't have to do the metric conversions every time. Then I kind of forgot about them. I was delighted when I stumbled across them again, and bought them instantly.

 I feel the same way about cook books as I do knitting or sewing pattern books - I just can't justify the purchase if there's only one thing in there that I like. I need to like and want to make most of the items in the book to warrant buying the collection. I don't need to love them all, but most of them.

I use these ALL THE TIME.

Donna Hay is probably my all time favorite! I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the fact that she's Australian and her food really takes me home - or if it's just so darn good that anyone would love it. Probably both.

If you're only going to get one - get the salads & vegetables. Everything in there is to die for. My favorite has got to be the white bean, roasted tomato & chick pea salad. I'm not kidding TO DIE FOR!!

I also give high praise to the kids book. While being pretty basic food, it has a good selection with easy to read & follow directions. Emily loves this & can make most things on her own. I also don't think it's a bad start for Em, learning your way around the kitchen with Donna Hay!

April & May Recipes

Chicken Gyros

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4" strips
2 Tbsp. finely chopped dill
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 large onion, thinly sliced
a few tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper


Place everything in a gallon-size freezer bag to let it marinate. Let the chicken marinate anywhere from 1/2 hour to overnight. (I usually let it marinate for 2-3 hours.)

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil. Saute the chicken and onions until chicken is cooked through.

To serve--place some of the chicken on the pita, top with tzatziki and a little fresh lemon juice. Fold up and enjoy!


Tzatziki (Yogurt Dill Sauce)

1 large container Greek Yogurt
1/2 seedless cucumber, grated and drained (see note and picture below)
2-3 Tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1-2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
a drizzle of olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper--to taste

Combine all the ingredients and chill for several hours to allow flavors to meld.
Yields about 2 1/2 cups.



Chicken & Lentil Hot Pot

2 tbs olive oil
6 chicken thigh fillets (900g), trimmed and sliced into 3
1 large onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced on the diagonal
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
3 cups (750ml) chicken stock
1 cup (200g) brown or green lentils, rinsed well
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2-3 sprigs of fresh marjoram
2 cups baby spinach

Heat 1 tbs oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium-high heat. Season chicken and sear in batches for 1 minute or until golden. Remove from pan. Set aside.

Add remaining oil and onion to the pan and fry for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, celery and carrot, and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir in stock and 2 cups of cold water. Return chicken to pan with lentils and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 15 minutes skimming off excess oil.

Add the potatoes, tomatoes and marjoram. Cook for a further 20 minutes or until lentils are soft. Remove from heat, stir in the spinach and season to taste.
Serve with crusty bread (serves 6.)

Pacific Ribs
8 lean country-style pork spare ribs
3/4 cup (6oz) tomato juice
2 Tbsp dried minced onion
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 Tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
dash ground cloves

Trim excess fat from ribs & place half of them in slow cooker. In medium bowl, stir all remaining ingredients. Pour half over ribs in slow cooker, than add other ribs and pour rest of sauce over them.

Cook for 5 1/2 hours o high, or on low for 10 - 11 hours - until very tender.

If desired, transfer ribs to foil lined cookie sheet and arrange in a single layer. Bast with cooking liquid and broil 6" from heat source for 3 - 5 minutes, or until just browned. Baste again before serving.


Slow Cooker Lasagne

1 pound lean ground beef (7% fat)
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
15 ounces canned tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 ½ cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
6 dry no-bake lasagna noodles
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, breaking up meat as it cooks, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Then spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a 5-quart slow cooker. Break 3 lasagna sheets in half and arrange over beef mixture; top with half of ricotta mixture. Repeat with another layer and finish with remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Remove cover, and turn off heat. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese over beef mixture. Cover and set aside until cheese melts and lasagna firms up; about 10 minutes.

Yields 6 servings. This is a weight watchers recipe, points value – 8.

January Recipes

I thought I'd try a slightly different format, and list the recipes by week, which might make them a little easier to find, if you're looking for just one. Some of these have been featured before (since part of the function of a monthly menu is to repeat), but I'll list them again, so you don't have to scroll through old posts.
Here you go.

WEEK ONE

Roasted Chicken. Roast potatoes. Asparagus.

Back when I had time to read magazines, I had a subscription to Martha Stewart Living. I loved her 101 series, and learned a lot from them. In fact, when I moved to NY I recycled all the magazines, but ripped out the 101 sections & those little perforated pages that were called "What to Have for Dinner" - those were great. I think I may still have a bunch of them - a main meal, a side dish a dessert. Anyway, this is her Roast Chicken 101 with directions lifted directly from Martha's website. I've been making my roast chicken like this since 1997 with ne'r a bad one. The other 101 posts are great too, check them out here.

How to Truss a Chicken
Trussing helps the chicken keep its shape and cook more evenly during roasting. Although traditional trussing involves tying the whole body of the chicken together, it is much easier just to tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

Serves 4 (will feed my family of 6)

• 1 six-pound roasting chicken
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium onions, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
• 1 lemon
• 3 large cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat

Directions

1. Let chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.
2. In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan, place onion slices in two rows, touching. Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times. This softens the lemon and allows the juice to flow more freely. Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork. Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity. Place chicken in pan, on onion slices. Cut about 18 inches of kitchen twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.
3. Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, and roast until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours. When chicken seems done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, then the thigh. The breast temperature should read 180 degrees.and the thigh 190 degrees.
4. Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle. Meanwhile, pour the pan drippings into a shallow bowl or fat separator, and leave onions in the pan. Leave any brown baked-on bits in the bottom of the roasting pan, and remove and discard any blackened bits. Using a large spoon or fat separator, skim off and discard as much fat as possible. Pour the remaining drippings and the juices that have collected under the resting chicken back into the roasting pan. Place on the stove over medium-high heat to cook, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, raise heat to high, and, using a wooden spoon, stir up and combine the brown bits with the stock until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Strain the gravy into a small bowl, pressing on onions to extract any liquid. Discard onions, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of cold butter until melted and incorporated. Untie the legs, and remove and discard garlic, thyme, and lemon. Carve, and serve gravy on the side.

Instructions & photo's via MarthaStewart.com

Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

Here's my favorite tomato soup in the whole world. I could eat this every day! I like it left chunky, the kids like it pureed. For the grilled cheese, I like to use Trader Joe's Tuscan Pane with thick slices of mozzarella. I brush the outside of the bread with canola oil, and then grill on low heat. Crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside - nothing better or more comforting in this frigid weather we are having. If you don't live near a Trader Joe's, I think a good ciabatta would be delicious.

Erin’s Hearty Cream of Tomato Soup

1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
1 ½ C minced onion
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
½ tsp salt
1 tsp dill (or more to taste)
lots of freshly ground black pepper
1 12oz can crushed concentrated tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbs maple syrup
½ cup heavy cream (more or less to taste)
2 medium sized fresh tomatoes, diced small

Heat olive oil & butter in a duct oven or kettle. Add onion, garlic, salt, dill and black pepper. Stir over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

Add canned tomatoes, chicken broth, maple syrup. Cover & simmer over low heat for 20 – 30 minutes. With mixer, blend until smooth, or leave chunky.

About 5 minutes before serving whisk in heavy cream and stir in diced fresh tomatoes. Serve hot, topped with freshly minced herbs.

Baked Mac-n-Cheese

4 cups pasta elbows (I also like mini penne, which I just discovered)
1/2 cup butter, divided
6 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. salt
5 cups milk
4 cups shredded cheese
4 Tbsp. dry bread crumbs
4Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375. Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Cook pasta and drain.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter (less 2 Tbsp.) whisk in flour, mustard and salt. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.
In dish, combine sauce with macaroni. In a small bowl, melt 2 Tbsp. of butter. Combine with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over top of macaroni.

Bake for 17-20 minutes or until top crust is golden. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.


WEEK TWO

Roast Turkey. Yams. Green Beans. (Pumpkin Pie)

Turkey & Barley Soup. Wholewheat rolls.

Broiled Salmon. Wild Rice. Edemame.

This is another one I don't really have a recipe for. I place the salmon in a baking dish, lightly brush with canola oil, and sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning over it. Pop it under the broiler for about 15 minutes. I usually use a mix for the wild rice - one from Trader Joe's, or the "Near East" brand. If I've recently been to my favorite store in Brooklyn, or Whole Foods, I might make my own mix. I just use a long grain rice, with the wild rice mixed in (about 2/3 long grain - 1/3 wild) and toss in a few spices. The Edemame I just heat, and toss with butter & some kosher salt. I figure that the butter & salt are on the outside of the pod, and don't really make it into our mouths in large doses, so it's OK.

Chickpea Curry. Rice. Naan. Cucumber Salad.

CHICKPEA CURRY

2 Tbl oil (I use olive)
2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp chopped fresh ginger (I usually grate it)
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 Tbl ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp salt

2 - 150z cans chickpea's rinsed well
1 - 16oz can tomato sauce
1/2 c. chopped onions (I leave them out - Rebekah hates them!!)
Chopped fresh cilantro for top.

* Heat oil in saucepan, add onion (or not) & cumin and saute. Add
turmeric, coriander, paprika, salt and ginger. Stir for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce & stir for 1 minute. Add chickpeas and 3/4 cup water. Stir and bring to a
boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve over rice, sprinkled with chopped
fresh cilantro. Cook the rice, and chop the cilantro while the curry is
simmering, the whole meal will take 25 minutes or so to cook.

Serve over steamed brown rice, with naan (I buy naan at our local Indian Restaurant.)

CUCUMBER SALAD
Peel and seed two cucumbers. Dice. Mix in 2 Tbsp. plain yogurt, a dash of lemon juice, salt & pepper.

Beef & Bok Choy Hot Pot

2 1/4 cups water
3/4 cup low-salt beef broth
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/4 cups chopped green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cups thinly sliced bok choy
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrot
2 cups hot cooked wide rice noodles

Combine first 6 ingredients, stirring with a whisk; set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add beef, browning on all sides. Add broth mixture, green onions, garlic, and ginger; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until beef is tender. Stir in bok choy and carrot, and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Serve beef mixture over noodles.

Topped Baked Potatoes.
Just bake several potatoes (enough for your family.) Then I prepare dishes of different toppings - shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped fresh chives, chili, steamed broccoli, etc. to make a "baked potato bar." Each person puts together what they would like. Super easy, super quick!


WEEK THREE

Yogurt Parmesan Chicken. Steamed Green Beans. Sunday Corn. (Lime Chiffon Pie)

Yogurt Parmesan Chicken.
2 Cups crushed Ritz crackers
3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp seasoned salt
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8oz plain yogurt
1/4 cup melted butter

Combine cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt & seasoned salt and set aside (I like to do it in a gallon sized ziplock bag.) Place chicken breasts & yogurt in a bowl, mix to coat (I like to cut each breast in 1/2 lengthwise, to make the pieces smaller. This prevents them from being a little dry, and are better sized for my little people.) Dip each yogurt covered piece of chicken in the cracker crumbs and coat completely. Arrange in a 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle chicken with melted butter (I leave off the butter.) Bake in oven at 350F for 45 minutes, or until tender.


Golden Winter Soup

Serves 8

2 Tbs butter
5 cups (1/2 inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 cups (1/2 inch) cubed peeled russet potato (about 12 oz)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cup sliced leek (about 2 medium)
4 cups fat free, less sodium chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half

12 oz baguette, cut into 16 slices
3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded Gruyere cheese
3 Tbs chopped chives

Melt butter in a large Dutch Oven over medium high
heat. Add squash, potato, salt and pepper to pan; saute three min.
Add leek; saute 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat
and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally.
Place half of potato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of
blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender.
Place a clean towel over blender opening (to prevent splatters). Blend
until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with
remaining potato mixture. Stir in half-and-half. Cover and keep warm.

Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle
evenly with cheese. Broil bread slices 2 min or until golden. Ladle
1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with about 1 tsp
chives. Serve 2 bread slices with each serving. Garnish with freshly
ground black pepper, if desired.


Chicken Enchilada's. Rice.



WEEK FOUR

Lamb Stew. Crescent Rolls. (Lemon Meringue Pie.)

Lentil Soup. Wholewheat bread.

Thai Ginger Salmon. Wild Rice. Edemame.


White Bean Chicken Chili. Cornbread.

CHILI

1 large onion, chopped
3 tsp. cumin
3 15oz. cans white beans
½ tsp. oregano
5 cups chicken broth
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 cup sour cream
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (1/2 lb.)

Bring onion, beans, and broth to a boil, reduce to simmer for 10 min.
Add chicken, simmer another 20 minutes.
Add spices and garlic, simmer another 30 minutes.
Just before serving, add sour cream and shredded cheese.
Stir to melt, then serve. Very good the second day, too. Freezes well.

CORN BREAD

1 1/4 cups flour
3/4c. cornmeal
4 Tbl sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c. milk
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbl safflower oil

Sift dry ingredients. Add milk, egg and oil. Beat well, and bake in an 8” greased pan 400F, for 30 - 40 minutes.

November recipes

photo & recipe from the amazing Cafe Johnsonia

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Fresh Sage

2 butternut squashes
1 onion
2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith
2 Tbsp. fresh sage
heavy cream (I used 2 cups, but less is fine)
chicken stock (probably a quart--depending on how thick you want the soup)

Cut the butternut squashes in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Line a
cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place
the butternut squashes cut side down on the foil. Roast at 400
degrees for about an hour--maybe less. A knife tip should easily go
through the squash when it's ready.

Let the squash cool for a few minutes. Remove the skin, or turn the
squash over and scoop out the flesh.

You can do one of two things next:
1. Saute the apples and onion in a couple tablespoons of butter
until everything is soft.
2. You could also roast the apples and the onions with the squash.

Now, some grocery stores sell peeled and cut butternut squash. That eliminates roasting them whole. In that case, toss everything with a little olive oil and roast in a 400 degree oven until everything is soft. You could also peel and cube the squash yourself, though roasting it whole is much quicker and easier, in my opinion.

Me? I peel and core the apples and chop them into large chunks. I also roughly chop the onions. It all gets pureed at the end, so it doesn't matter much about how big or small the pieces are.

Once the squash has cooled a bit, I place the squash, the sauteed/roasted apples and onions in my blender or food processor. Add a little chicken stock at this point to thin it out. You will probably have to work in batches.

Pour all of the puree into a large pan and thin it out a bit with more chicken stock. Bring it to a simmer and right before you serve it, add some cream and the fresh sage. Season with salt and pepper. (You may not need salt if the chicken stock is salty.)

I'm not sure exactly how much this makes, but it's enough for a crowd.

My Note; I peel the squash with a sturdy veggie peeler and then cube it (like when I make pumpkin soup.) I use 1 butternut squash, 1/2 an onion, 2 apples and add 2 whole cloves of garlic. I toss it all in olive oil & then roast in a 9x13 pan.



Creamy Italian Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
¼ cup water
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 4oz can mushrooms

Place chicken in crock pot. Combine salad dressing and water & pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Add cream cheese, undiluted soup and mushrooms and cook for 1 hour more or longer – until chicken juices run clear. Serve over rice or noodles.

WHITE BEAN AND CHICKEN CHILI

1 large onion, chopped

3 tsp. cumin

3 15oz. cans white beans

½ tsp. oregano

5 cups chicken broth

6-8 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups cooked chicken, shredded

1 cup sour cream

3 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (1/2 lb.)

Bring onion, beans, and broth to a boil, reduce to simmer for 10 min.

Add chicken, simmer another 20 minutes.

Add spices and garlic, simmer another 30 minutes.

Just before serving, add sour cream and shredded cheese.

Stir to melt, then serve.

Very good the second day, too. Freezes well.

October Recipes

Beef and Bok Choy Hot Pot
from Cooking Light

2 1/4 cups water
3/4 cup low-salt beef broth
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/4 cups chopped green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cups thinly sliced bok choy
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrot
2 cups hot cooked wide rice noodles

Combine first 6 ingredients, stirring with a whisk; set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add beef, browning on all sides. Add broth mixture, green onions, garlic, and ginger; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until beef is tender. Stir in bok choy and carrot, and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Serve beef mixture over noodles.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups beef mixture and 1/2 cup noodles)


BLACK BEAN CHILI
from THE GREENS COOK BOOK by Deborah Madison and Edward Espe Brown - again, I got it from Margo.

2 cups black beans, soaked overnight
1 bay leaf
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
4 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 or 3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium yellow onions, diced into 1/4 inch squares
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 lbs ripe or canned tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped; juice reserved
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped chipotle chili
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Rinse the black beans well, drain, and place in a pot. Cover them generously with water and let them soak overnight. Next day, drain the beans, cover them with fresh water by a couple of inches, and bring them to a boil with the bay leaf. Lower the heat and let the beans simmer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Heat the oil in a large skillet, and sauté the onions over medium heat until they soften. Add the garlic, salt, and ground herbs and chili powder, and cook another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, their juice, and about 1 teaspoon of the chipotle chili. Simmer everything together for 15 minutes, and then add this mixture to the beans, and if necessary, enough water so the beans are covered by at least 1 inch. Continue to cook the beans slowly until they are soft, and hour or longer (could be several hours). Keep an eye on the water level and add more, if needed, to keep the beans amply covered.
When the beans are cooked, taste them and add more chipotle chili if desired. Season to taste with vinegar, additional salt if needed, and the chopped cilantro. Serves 6.

Margo's Note: for garnishes we use cilantro, diced sweet red bell pepper, feta cheese, and olives. Chopped hot chilis are on the table in a separate bowl for those who want them.


CHICKPEA CURRY
(from my dear friend Margo, who has known me since I was but a babe.)

2 Tbl olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chopped fresh ginger (I usually grate it)
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 Tbl ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 - 150z cans chickpea's rinsed well
1 - 16oz can tomato sauce
1/2 c. chopped onions
Chopped fresh cilantro for top.

* Heat oil in saucepan, add onion & cumin and saute. Add turmeric, coriander, paprika, salt and ginger. Stir for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce & stir for 1 minute. Add chickpeas and 3/4 cup water. Stir and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve over rice, sprinkled with chopped fresh cilantro. Cook the rice, and chop the cilantro while the curry is simmering, the whole meal will take 25 minutes or so to cook.


CHICK PEA AND PUMPKIN SOUP (MOROCCO)
from NORTH AFRICA The Vegetarian Table, by Kitty Morse (but I got it from Margo.)

1 pound Mediterranean, butternut, or acorn squash, or sugar pumpkin
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
3 cups vegetable broth
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, liquid drained and reserved
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
12 fresh cilantro sprigs, minced

Last time I made this I added cumin (Margo's note.)

Preheat the oven to 375. Place squash in an ovenproof dish and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until tender, 50 minutes to an hour. Let cool, then peel and seed the squash and scoop the pulp from the shell. Set the pulp aside.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium high heat, heat the oil and cook the onion, stirring occasionally until tender (6 to 8 minutes).
In a blender or food processor, puree, in batches if necessary, the squash, onion, broth, reserved liquid from the chick peas, and half the chick peas. Return the puree to the pan. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Heat the soup and add the remaining whole chick peas. Before serving, sprinkle with minced cilantro.


Chicken Curry

2 - 3 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded (I usually poach or cook in crock-pot - any other way you like.)
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C onions, diced
1/2 C. green pepper (Capsicum), diced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp thyme
28 oz can stewed tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste

Saute onions & green pepper in olive oil. Add spices & cook 2 minutes. Mix in canned tomatoes (& juice) and shredded chicken. Simmer for 20 mins. Serve over rice. Serves 6.

Note; I like to have peanuts, golden raisins & coconut on the table for people to add if they like. As a time saver I like to cook a whole lot of chicken all at once, then shred it all & freeze in smaller batches. It makes meals like this, enchiladas, Hawaiian chicken, etc a snap.

Erin’s Hearty Cream of Tomato Soup

1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
1 ½ C minced onion
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
½ tsp salt
1 tsp dill (or more to taste)
lots of freshly ground black pepper
1 12oz can crushed concentrated tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbs maple syrup
½ cup heavy cream (more or less to taste)
2 medium sized fresh tomatoes, diced small

Heat olive oil & butter in a duct oven or kettle. Add onion, garlic, salt, dill and black pepper. Stir over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

Add canned tomatoes, chicken broth, maple syrup. Cover & simmer over low heat for 20 – 30 minutes. With mixer, blend until smooth, or leave chunky.

About 5 minutes before serving whisk in heavy cream and stir in diced fresh tomatoes. Serve hot, topped with freshly minced herbs.


Honey Baked Chicken

1/3 C. Butter, melted
1/3 C. Honey
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp curry powder

Arrange chicken in shallow baking pan. Combine ingredients & pour over. Bake at 350F for 1 hr, basting occasionally.

Note; I usually use split breasts (bone in, skin on) for us and a few drumsticks for the kiddos. The baking time may vary, depending on the type of chicken pieces you're using. Check on it, and take out when internal temp is 165F.

Lentil Soup
adapted from The Joy of Cooking

I swiped this right from Lindsey's blog. If you don't regularly visit her blog, you really, really should. I haven't tried it yet, but if Lindsey says it's good - it is. So, I'm abandoning my usual lentil soup recipe & going with this one this month.

1 lb. lentils, picked over and rinsed well
8-10 cups water, chicken, or vegetable broth (more or less depending on your preferred thickness)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3-4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" pieces
3-4 stalks of celery, rinsed well and cut into 1/4 " pieces
1 large or 2 small onions, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves
1, 28 oz. can whole plum tomatoes plus juice, chopped
1/2-1 tsp. dried thyme
1-2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot. Add the vegetables and cook on medium heat until tender, but not browned. Add the lentils, water, tomatoes, and dried thyme. Simmer for about 30-40 minutes, stirring often to prevent the bottom from burning.

Before serving, add balsamic vinegar. Taste and add more salt if needed, and pepper, to taste.

Makes enough for 8-10 people. Serve with warm bread (or biscuits) and salad.

Pumpkin Walnut Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
600g pumpkin, peeled and diced (use a whole good sized sugar pumpkin)
4 cups water (thin it with a little more water if needed)
2 vegetable stock cubes
4 tsp tomato paste
4 Tbsp chopped walnuts

Pour oil into soup pot and saute onion and garlic over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add all other ingredients, bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender. Blend or process until smooth. Soup can be made a day ahead, and frozen for 2 months.

My Note; I've been making this soup for years, and it is one of of my favorites. It always tastes so "earthy" to me - perfect for this time of year, and really couldn't be easier.

Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef (I use ground turkey.)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pkg mild taco seasoning
16oz can corn
16oz can small red beans (can use kidney, or other pone you like.)
16oz can stewed chopped tomatoes
16 oz can of tomato sauce
tortilla chips
grated cheese

Brown meat in heavy saucepan, drain off fat. Saute onions, add to ground turkey / beef. Stir in taco seasoning, corn, kidney beans and tomato. Simmer for 20 – 30 minutes. Serve topped with tortilla chips and grated cheese.

My Note; This is the super-easiest recipe I have. I feel like it's a night off from cooking when we make this.


Yogurt Parmesan Chicken

2 C. crushed Ritz crackers
3 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
2 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp seasoned salt

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8oz plain yogurt
1/4 cup melted butter

Combine 1st 4 ingredients & set aside. Dip each piece of chicken in yogurt, then in cracker mixture. Arrange chicken pieces in 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle chicken with melted butter. Bake in 350 oven for 45 minutes, or until coked through. Serves 8.

My Note: I cut the breast into strips about 2-3 inches wide, otherwise the center of a whole breast can be bland, because there's not enough crumb mixture. I usually use the fat free Ritz, but have also used the whole wheat and they are both fine. I use garlic powder - and only 1tsp of it, instead of garlic salt. I find it's too salty if I use the garlic salt.