Broccoli Salad

BROCCOLI SALAD

Salad ingredients: 

1 head broccoli (cut into bite size pieces – tops only) 

1 cup white or golden raisins 

1 cup crushed CRISP bacon 

½ cup sunflower nuts/seeds 

½ cup red onion – chopped fine 

Dressing: 

1 cup mayonnaise (regular or low-fat version)

 2 tablespoons vinegar 

¼ cup sugar

Mix the three ingredients thoroughly, and incorporate the mixture with the salad ingredients. 

Refrigerate salad after preparing and before serving

Janice's Flourless Chocolate Cookies

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE COOKIES   Janice  8/2017

1 ½ cups Powdered Sugar

1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Pinch Salt

1 or 2 Egg Whites at room temperature

1 tsp. Vanilla

½ cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

½ cup Toasted Pecans finely chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 355 degrees.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. (not greased)

In large bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.

Add vanilla, egg white, and whisk/mix till you get a (very) thick/stiff but moist batter. If batter seems too thick, add another egg white.

Fold in chocolate chips. Fold in pecans. (Dough is stiff).

Scoop batter onto prepared baking sheet.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes or till tops are glossy and they begin to crack. (I baked about 16 minutes in my oven).

Let cookies cool completely before removing them from baking sheet with a spatula.

Store in airtight container for up to 3 days.

Makes 12 good size cookies.

NOTES: I also made a batch using dark chocolate cocoa. Different texture and took longer to bake (about 20 minutes). Still good, but chewier and flatter.

Good way to use left over egg whites that you have in the frig.

Good for friends who can’t digest flour.

Great cookies. Light as air. Crunchy.

Italian Bolognese with Tagliatelle

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 celery stalk, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped (3/4 cup)

fresh basil (2-3 leaves, finely chopped)

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Meat:  choices -

*          1 pound ground Italian sausage - or

*          1 pound ground chicken - or

*          1 pound ground turkey - or

*          combination of sausage and other ground meat

3-4 Tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup whole milk (or half and half)

1 can (14.5 ounces) finely diced tomatoes in juices, pureed

1 pound pasta:  tagliatelle, fettucine, or pappardelle

Freshly ground Parmesan and tiny pinch of nutmeg for serving

1.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Swirl in oil.  Add onion, celery and carrots; season with salt/pepper.  Cook, stirring until softened - 5 to 7 minutes. 

Add meat.  Cook, breaking into bite-size pieces, until no longer pink - 3-4 minutes.  Stir in tomato paste, cook 2 minutes.  Add wine, boil until almost evaporated, 1-2 minutes.  Add milk and tomatoes; reduce heat and simmer until thickened, 12-15 minutes. 

2.  Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water.  Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water.  Return pasta to pot.  Add sauce, then pasta water a little at a time, until sauce evenly coats pasta.  (May need very little pasta water, if any.)  Drizzle with a little olive oil and top with finely chopped basil or celery leaves, cheese, and pinch of nutmeg.  Serve.  This freezes nicely.  It's easy to double the recipe and freeze it as a casserole. 

Enjoy!