Thai Chicken in Curry (Gai goh-lae)
This reminds me of Mommy’s curry. The Philippines and south Thailand had influences of Malaysian culture. My mom would add wedges of potatoes and a medium onion.
2 tablepoons vegetable oil
2-3 pounds chicken thighs (can remove skin)
3 tablespoons red curry paste plus 1 tablespoon of curry
1 teaspoon each of ground cumin,
coriander, cinnamon, and curry.
1 ½ cups light, unsweetened coconut milk
1 can of chicken broth
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nampla or patis)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon palm or brown sugar

Heat oil in a 3-quart pot, medium high heat. Braise chicken pieces in two batches, until both sides are golden browned. Transfer into a bowl. Remove extra drippings. Reduce heat to medium. Add paste and curry, ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon and curry. Cook 2 minutes until paste is soft. Return chicken and juices to pot. Add the coconut milk, broth. Bring to a gentle, simmering boil until the chicken is tender and cooked, 15-20 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar. Remove from heat. Serve over rice or rice noodles. Serves 6-8

When my daughter came to the table for this, she happily declared it would help clear her sinuses. Well, acccording to Whole Foods, that capsaicin in pepper clears passages and is a preventative for stomach ulcers. Believe it or not, this hot stuff kills bacteria and stimulates stomach cells to secrete protective juices. Peppers also increase thermogenesis and oxygen consumption. Those long words mean you burn calories!

Honey Pineapple Pork Roast
I found this recipe on a lean Boston Butt Roast, a tender cut of pork.
3 to 3 1/2 lb pork loin
½ cup each honey and soy sauce
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 garlic cloves minced or as my mom or Emeril says, mascerated!

Combine all ingredients and pour over pork. Let loin marinate for 2 hours or overnight in refrigerator. Remove from marinade 1 to 2 hours before grilling. Heat the remaining marinade in a saucepan and bring to a boil; reserve for basting. Grill pork over indirect, medium-low fire for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the internal temperature is 155 degrees. Baste meat with marinade during last 5 to 10 minutes grilling. Serves 4-6

Pineapples have enzymes to help with digestion of proteins. Hey, it's also a symbol from my daddy's homeland. Aloha!

I love meat. But it seems older folks aren't eating as much protein as they need. A study from Purdue University indicates that inadequate protein intake weakens skeletal muscles. So let's look at tasty ways with protein.

Chicken Salad
You can use leftover chicken. Mix and set on a bed of lettuce leaves or over crostini bread. Yum!

2 cups Cubed cooked chicken breasts (approximately 2)
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup diced dried cranberries
1/4 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons chopped red onion
1/4 teaspoon salt to taste
1/4teaspoon ground pepper
Mix together well.

My husband's sister served this to us, and I begged for the recipe. It takes 20 minutes to prep. But you don't have to mix the crust. You can chop and refrigerate ingredients ahead of time.

Ham and Crescent Pie
8 ounce can of crescent rolls
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, cut into 1/2inch cubes
2 cups lower salt ham, diced into 1/2inch cubes
2 Tablespoons chopped, green pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles. Place 5 into a 9inch pie plate and pressing them together to form a crust. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and pour onto crust. Roll out remaining rolls and cut into 1/2inch strips. With strips form a lattice top. Press edges together with fork to seal.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 50-60 minutes until golden brown.

Caramel Walnuts and Raspberry Salad

Time shaver: Use raspberry vinaigrette bottled dressing.

Lay a non-stick sheet of aluminum foil on a heatproof surface, dull side up.
Over medium high heat, in small frying pan, combine and cook:
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup large, walnut pieces.
Shake and tilt until nuts are coated with melted, caramelized sugar, 4 to 5 minutes.
Pour quickly onto foil and let cool 15 minutes.
Discard foil, put candy in a zipper locked plastic bag, close and hit gently with a flat mallet to break into small pieces.
In a wide shallow bowl, whisk:
¼ cup raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 Tablespoon canola mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Add:
1 bag of salad greens (your preference)
1 cup raspberries, rinsed and drained
1 cup of crumbled feta cheese.
Mix and season to taste with salt.

Raspberries possess almost 50% higher antioxidant activity than strawberries, three times that of kiwis, and ten times the antioxidant activity of tomatoes, shows research conducted in the Netherlands and published in the journal BioFactors.

Mandarin Orange Salad

Combine in large salad bowl:
1 head romaine lettuce, leaves pulled, rinsed, and somewhat dried
1 small can of mandarin oranges, drained
I red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup dried cranberries

In small mixing bowl, whisk together:
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons orange juice
Slowly mix in ½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon unrefined sea salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste.
Pour over the salad, mix, and enjoy.

“You are the salt of the earth.” Jesus said. Salt is an essential ingredient in and for the body and it can be metabolized in its unrefined state. At the cellular level unrefined sea salt is an alkalizing mop that cleanses waste and moves fluids in our bodies. Standard table salt. refined and bleached with chemicals, making it less effective in the body. But unrefined sea salt--with its 80 minerals-- works as God intended for our benefit. Naturally foods taste better with a pinch of unrefined, natural sea salt. Read more at the Cure Zone.

Veggie Pasta Salad

The first English language published salad book was John Evelyn's "Acetaria"(1699; 1982) . Evelyn defined salad or "sallet"as "a particular Composition of certain Crude and fresh herbs, such as usually are, or may safely be eaten with some Acetous Juice, Oyl, Salt, &c., to give them a grateful Gust and Vehicle." Enjoy the gust and vehicle of these healthy ingredients!
1 pound (16 oz) rotini or shell pasta (try whole wheat varieties)
1 bottle (8 oz) Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
4-5 cups chopped assorted vegetables: carrots, red onion, and green bell pepper.
1 cup grape sized tomatoes or chopped tomatoes
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut in tiny chunks
Cook pasta in lightly salted water for 8 minutes (14 minutes, for whole wheat); rinse with cold water and drain.
In a large bowl, combine pasta, salad dressing, cheese and seasoning.
Toss in vegetables.
Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or more.
Stir again before serving. Makes 8-10 servings.
*Read the labels of dressing bottles. Look for canola or olive oil, high in mood-elevating, heart healthy, stomach satiating Omega-3 fatty acids.

California Fruit Salad

Except for the avocados you may cut the fruit up to six hours ahead, cover & chill.

3 tablespoons toasted almond slivers.
4 oranges, half pound each
2 ruby red grapefruit, peeled
2 firm-ripe avocadoes (1 lb total)
Large leaves of butter, green or red-leaf lettuce
1 firm-ripe papaya peeled, seeded, and sliced
2 cups red or black seedless grapes rinsed.
Poppy seed dressing

Cut the peel and white membrane from oranges and grapefruit.
Over a bowl to catch citrus juices and segments, cut between membranes to release the fruit from the segments.
Peel, pit, and slice the avocadoes, coating the slices with citrus juices.
Line a large platter with the large lettuce leaves.
Arrange oranges, grapefruit, avocadoes, papaya, and grapes on the leaves.
Sprinkle with almonds.
Moisten with a little poppy seed dressing.
Leave bottle out for guests to add more. Provide salt and pepper for taste.
8 to 10 servings

Wow! An avocado contains 731 calories and over 30 grams of mono-saturated fat. Yet a sliver of avocado in the daily diet has benefits that far outweigh the calories and fat.Mono-saturated fats of avocados contain oleic acid, found to improve fat levels in the body and help control diabetes. With avocados as their primary source of fat in the diet, diabetes sufferers can lower their triglycerides by up to 20%. In addition to being helpful to those with diabetes, the mono-saturated fats in avocados help lower cholesterol. As for fiber, there are 10 grams per avocado. Avocados contain 30% more potassium than a banana.
If you still fret about fat, then shop for Florida-grown avocados. They contain about 2/3 the calories and half the fat of California-grown variety. Also, stick with those harvested between November and March; they contain 1/3 the fat of those picked earlier in the growing season.

Snickerdoodles

Who created "snickerdoodles"? The Pennsylvania Dutch? New England Yankee colonists? The earliest recorded recipes with that moniker were from the Midwest, the heart of America. Crisp on the outside, yet inwardly moist, enjoy this cream of tartar delight.

1 cup soft shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 T sugar
2 T cinnamon*
Heat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Beat together thoroughly sugar, shortening and eggs.
In another bowl blend flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt.
Lightly stir dry mix into shortening mixture.
Roll balls in a mixture of 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.
Place 2 inches apart on two greased baking sheets.
Bake 8-10 minutes. Cookies will puff up at first and then flatten out.
Yields 5 dozen 2-inch cookies

*Cinnamon not only taste good, it also contains divine health benefits such as: Anti-Clotting and Anti-Microbial actions, Blood Sugar Control, it boosts Brain Function, its calcium and fiber protect against Heart Disease and improve Colon Health. It's scent makes it an aphrodisiac!

Graham Cracker Brownies (two sizes)
You get the party size and personal pan size!
Honey Maid Original Graham Crackers are recommended.

For a 9 x 13 pan mix together:
4 cups of crushed graham crackers
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cans Sweetened Condensed Milk (1 regular and 1 light)
About 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Spread in the bottom of a greased pan.
Bake 350 degrees F (175 degrees F) for 25-30 minutes.
Cut and remove from pan while still warm. Cool on rack before storing.

For a 9-inch square pan mix together:
2 cups of crushed graham crackers
1 cup chocolate chips
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
About 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp of vanilla
Spread into the bottom of a greased pan.
Bake 350 for 25-30 minutes. Cut and remove from pan while still warm.
Cool cookies on rack before storing.

Walnuts are one of the best plant sources of protein. They are rich in fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, and antioxidants such as Vitamin E. Nuts in general are also high in plant sterols and fat - but mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (omega 3 fatty acids-God's good fats) that have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol. Walnuts have significantly higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids, as compared to other nuts.--from www.Healthcastle.com

Hello Dolly Bars

This was the name my mom-in- law called these cookies. I think their showiness would capture any tycoon or pauper's heart.

Melt 1/2 cup of margarine
Add 2 cups of crushed graham crackers
Press into an 9 x 13 inch pan. Sprinkle over that:
1 cup flaked coconut
6 oz package chocolate chips
6 oz package butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
Next pour over
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 30 minutes.
Cool on a rack, then cut into bars.

No Bake Cocoa Cookies

A recipe that's way better than a mud pie, and you don't use an oven!
Place in saucepan and boil for two minutes:
1/2 stick margarine
2 cups sugar (use less refined turbinado sugar to give it a molasses taste)
1/2 cup milk

Next add:
2 cups quick oats
4 tb. cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
Bring to a boil for about 30 seconds.
Remove from heat and add 1 cup coconut.
Stir until fudge consistency. Drop tablespoons of mix onto wax paper.
Cool and enjoy!

Turtle Bars

Can we even begin to figure how this dessert got tied to a turtle. Maybe its the ooey gooey chew that makes you want to slow down and you chow down each morsel.
Combine together:
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups quick oats
dash of salt
Then add: 3/4 cup margarine, mixing until crumbly
Reserve 3/4 cup of the mixture.
Press the rest onto the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan.
Bake 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Next sprinkle over the crust the following:
1 package chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans.
Combine the following:
1 small jar caramel ice cream topping
1/4 cup unbleached flour
Drizzle over the chips and nuts. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
Bake at 375 degrees F( 190 degrees ) for 20 minutes. Before cutting, cool thoroughly to set chocolate.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

So the story is that the U.S. had some frosty relations with the Russians, so the country of origin for tea or wedding cakes changed to Mexico. But these buttery, nutty confections may have had Middle Eastern beginnings. In any event, bake to let them melt crunch against your taste buds.
Cream together:
1 cup butter
4 T sugar
Then add:
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
Mix well. Then add 1 cup chopped walnuts. Roll into small balls the size of a small walnut. Bake 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 12 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar while still warm. Makes 3 dozen.