Recipe Exchange in Septemper

The following recipes were brought to Sept.’s exchange. These were all recipes that had not been tried before so you can see for yourself if you think they are a hit!

Go to allrecipes.com for the following recipes (read the reviewers’ comments, they help!):
Curried Carrot Soup
Chocolate Lovers Favorite Cake
Go to Kraft.com for Triple Layer PB brownies
Go to Betty Crocker.com for Raspberry Lemon Fruit Dip
(although Strawberry cream cheese was used in the one we tasted today)
Go to the Food Network site to check out Lemon Garlic Chickpea dip
Go to Marthastewart.com for Chocolate Graham Cracker cupcakes with toasted Marshmallow

The following recipes were brought:

Quick Pasta Sauce
1 ½ lbs. sweet Italian sausage
½ to 1 cup chopped onion
¼ tsp. garlic powder
2 (15oz.) cans tomato sauce
2 (14 ½ oz.) cans stewed tomatoes
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
Brown sausage and onion, drain. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.

Rice Balls (from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld)
(can be made meatless, for directions on purees ask either Laura Martin or Robin Bringhurst, who have the cookbook)
½ cup short grain brown rice (or 1 cup leftover cooked rice)
nonstick cooking spray
3 tsp. olive oil
1/4 lb. chicken cutlets rinsed and dried
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup sweet potato puree
1/4 cup shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup lowfat (1%) buttermilk
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup spinach or broccoli or butternut squash puree
1 1/2 cups whole wheat cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs

1. Cook brown rice as directed on package.
2. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 tsp. oil. Sprinkle the chicken with ¼ tsp. salt and the pepper, and cook until no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
3. Cut the chicken into chunks and place in a food processor or blender. Add the sweet potato puree, cheese, 1 tsp. salt, and the buttermilk and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the cooked rice. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and place them on a sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil.
4. In a shallow bowl beat the egg and vegetable puree with a fork. Put the crumbs in a bowl. One at a time, dip the rice balls in the egg mixture, then roll them in the crumbs to make an even coating.
5. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Add the rice balls and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally and spraying with cooking spray, until browned and crisp all over. Serve warm.