Spinach Salad with Pears and Gorgonzola

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee, 2008 (modified Arugula to Spinach)

Prep Time: 15 min

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can pear halves, drained and sliced, reserve 2 tablespoons juice
2 tablespoons olive oil and vinegar dressing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups baby spinach
4 tablespoons Gorgonzola, crumbled
4 tablespoons glazed pecans

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons reserved pear juice and olive oil and vinegar dressing. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add arugula and toss to coat.

Divide dressed spinach among 4 chilled salad plates. Top each salad with 4 pear slices, Gorgonzola, and pecans. Serve immediately.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_275782_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html?oc=linkback

Peach Cobbler

Recipe courtesy Kristina Williamson, Schooner Ellida, Rockland, Maine

Prep Time: 20 min; Cook Time: 30 min
Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
Cobbler filling:

4 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches (blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds to remove the skins)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon flour

Cobbler crust:

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon brown sugar, for topping
Whipped cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Generously butter a 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. Place the sliced peaches in the dish and sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and flour. Mix gently and spread evenly again. Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile combine all dry ingredients for cobbler crust in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers, to make the texture like coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk and stir to form a soft dough.

Remove fruit from oven and drop rounded spoonfuls of dough on top. Sprinkle with last tablespoon of brown sugar and return to oven. Bake until fruit is bubbly and crust topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_19651_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html?oc=linkback

GARLIC SNACK MIX (Similar to Gardetto's)

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. Butter or margarine, melted (butter/olive oil combo)
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
3/4 tsp. onion powder
2-3 shakes Tabasco sauce, to taste (optional)
1 tsp. sugar (only if using Tabasco)
4 cups (total) Rice, Wheat, and/or Corn Chex
1 cup peanuts
1 cup pretzels

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In small bowl, stir together butter, Worcestershire, seasonings, Tabasco, and sugar. In large mixing bowl, combine cereal, peanuts, and pretzels. Drizzle seasoned butter over cereal mixture, stirring to coat well. Transfer to large roasting/baking dish and bake for 75-90 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until almost completely dry but not over-browned. Allow to cool completely, stirring once or twice to air dry, and store in airtight bag/container.

NOTE: If mixture doesn't seem completely dry after cooling, pop it back into
a 250-degree oven for another 15 minutes or so and then cool again.

Substitutes: bagel chips, mini breadsticks, or any other "munchy" ingredient cup for cup as you wish. Just make sure you have 6 cups total.

Honey-Mustard Pretzel Snacks

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup margarine or butter
• 1/4 cup honey mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• several dashes bottled hot pepper sauce
• 10 cups small pretzels

Directions 1. Melt margarine or butter in a small saucepan. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in honey mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and hot pepper sauce. Place pretzels in a foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
2. Pour mustard mixture over pretzels; toss gently to coat. Bake in a 300 degree F oven for 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Spread on foil; cool. Store in an airtight container. Makes 15 (2/3 cup) servings.

From the Test Kitchen

• Prepare, bake, and cool the pretzel snack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Honey Mustard Recipe

Original recipe makes 6 tablespoons

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  1 tablespoon prepared mustard

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

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Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, and lemon juice. Store covered in the refrigerator.