Quick & Easy Alfredo Sauce

Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce   Rated: Submitted By: DAWN CARTER Photo By: sarah Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 5 Minutes Ready In: 10 Minutes Servings: 4 "Cream cheese is the secret to this quick Alfredo sauce." INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup butter 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 cups milk 6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce (continued) 2 of 2 DIRECTIONS: 1. Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve.

Chef Garvin!

Sharria just sent in an announcement that Chef Garvin will be coming to the Cooking Channel in April!

Learn more about the highly acclaimed chef here: www.chefgarvin.com.

Hijab Swap & Tea Social

Hijab Swap & Tea Social!
I'd like to plan one this spring. Who's in?

Cooking Club Related Stuff

The Collective Vessel is a cooking group comprised of sisters 

who have a passion for food and camaraderie! 

Meeting Months*:

• February-Safa B.
• April -Open 
• June-Faizah 
• August- Fatma
• October -Sharria
• December- Safa S.

*subject to change 

*including 1 Ramadhaan iftar & 1 Group trip to a restaurant

Each member takes a turn hosting at her home. Members are to submit their recipes to our administrator or make a printout and bring it the club meeting. Members must either bring a dish or dessert (if you are the designated dessert person)  Be prepared to discuss your dish in detail. Don't forget your beneficial ayah or hadeeth.

We welcome all guests (accompanied by a club member) who are interested in our club, just make sure to tell the hostess first. We love kids too, but a babysitter is preferredl, lol!

Feel free to add on!

Unusual Food of the Day!

Cold Cut Pie
Here's the history behind this food:

During Lent & the 40 days of fasting, this cold cut pie was made by the Italian women on Good Friday, as an abundance of meat & richness that was abstained during Lent. It was prepared, cooked, and chilled on Good Friday, but could not be cut & eaten before noon on Easter Saturday. Although some people serve it on Easter Sunday. Many Easter dishes were made in advance so the local Priest could come and Bless the prepared foods for the Feast of Easter.
My thoughts:
Unusual recipe, unusual ritual......This food is clearly not worth the trouble.

Do you Cook on the Weekend?

I dont like it, but I do it.

Deceptively Delicious

I know "some little person"  who really dislikes vegetables. While I hate to seem like the bad mom by forcing him to eat his carrots, ya can't help but to  feel so guilty for hiding them in his food. Thanks for adding to my moral dilemma Jessica Seinfeld.

While at Staples, we stumbled upon this little gem that has helped us keep Mr. Persnickety healthy (or somewhat close to it) without having to deal with his whining and complaining.

Here's one of my favorite recipes from the book:

Sweet Potato Pancakes
Sweet potato puree both sweetens and boosts the nutrition of this simple, quick breakfast
Servings: Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sweet potato puree
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (optional)
• 1 cup pancake mix
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
• Pure maple syrup , for serving

Directions

In a large bowl, mix the water, sweet potato puree, and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, if using. Add the pancake mix and stir just to combine—the batter should be lumpy.

Coat a griddle or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil, and spoon the batter onto the griddle or pan, using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.

Cook until bubbles form on top of the pancakes and the batter is set, 2 to 3 minutes. Then use a spatula to flip the pancakes and cook them until golden brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes.

Baby its Cold Outside!

This traditional dish, sometimes called Italian wedding soup, successfully marries the flavors of meats and greens. The spoon-size turkey meatballs in this version make it a real kid-pleaser and hearty enough to be a satisfying supper.

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound ground turkey
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup finely minced onion
• 1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 cup orzo or pastina
• 1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach, washed, trimmed, and torn into bite-size pieces

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the ground turkey, water, egg, onion, bread crumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper to taste. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls.
2. In a large pot, combine the broth and carrots and bring them to a simmer. Add the orzo and let it cook for 5 minutes (pastina takes 2 minutes), stirring frequently.
3. Add the meatballs and simmer them in the broth for 10 minutes. Then stir in the spinach and simmer it until it's wilted, about 1 minute. Serves 6 to 8.

Unusual Food of the Day

Maple Bacon Lollipops

Weekend Recipe

Butternut Squash Enchiladas

Rated: Submitted By: AllrecipesElizabeth Photo By: LR2010 Prep Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 30 Minutes Servings: 4

"Tender butternut squash cubes are combined with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, sandwiched between crispy tortilla shells, then covered with enchilada sauce and a sprinkle of cheese in this restaurant recreation."

INGREDIENTS:

8 (5 inch) corn tortillas 1/2 unpeeled butternut squash, seeded 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 onion, chopped 2 cups chopped fresh spinach

4 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 1 cup enchilada sauce 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional) 1/4 cup sour cream, for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2.	Lay the tortillas flat onto a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Meanwhile, place the butternut squash half into a microwave-safe dish cut-side-down, and pour in the water. Cook in the microwave until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and dice; place into a mixing bowl and set aside.
3.	Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Continue cooking until the spinach wilts. Gently fold the spinach mixture into the diced butternut squash.
4.	Arrange four crispy tortillas on the baking sheet. Divide the squash mixture among the tortillas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of goat cheese over each tortilla, then top with the remaining tortillas. Pour the enchilada sauce over top, and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of cotija cheese.
5.	Bake in the preheated oven until hot, about 10 minutes. Garnish each enchilada with chopped cilantro leaves and a dollop of sour cream to serve.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2011 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 12/11/2011

Unusual Food of the Day!

This is not a joke.
Canned Creamed Possum. Any takers?

Shelf Life

Ever go to make a sandwich and notice your slice has a little mold? Do you throw the whole loaf out or pick out the slices that look "safe"? Chances are, the bread has reached its shelf life.  Although eating moldy bread can make ya sick, Im sure youve been guilty of saving the "good" slices, lol!

I stumbled upon these shelf life tips I thought I'd share:

General Shelf Lives For Common Items: 
 Flour unopened: up to 12 months. Opened: 6-8 months. 
 Sugar unopened: 2 years. Sugars do not spoil but eventually may change flavor. 
 Brown sugar unopened: 4 months. 
 Confectioners sugar unopened: 18 months. 
 Solid shortening unopened: 8 months. Opened: 3 months. 
 Cocoa unopened: indefinitely. Opened: 1 year. 
 Whole spices: 2-4 years. Whether or not opened. 
 Ground spices: 2-3 years. Whether or not opened. 
 Paprika, red pepper and chili powder: 2 years 
 Baking soda unopened: 18 months. Opened: 6 months. 
 Baking powder unopened: 6 months. Opened: 3 months. 
 Cornstarch: 18 months. Whether or not opened. 
 Dry pasta made without eggs unopened: 2 years. Opened: 1 year. 
 Dry egg noodles unopened: 2 years. Opened: 1-2 months. 
 Salad dressing unopened: 10-12 months. Opened: 3 months if refrigerated. 
 Honey: 1 year. Whether or not opened. 
 Ground, canned coffee unopened: 2 years. Opened: 2 weeks, if refrigerated. 
 Jams, jellies and preserves unopened: 1 year. Opened: 6 months if refrigerated. 
 Peanut butter unopened: 6-9 months. Opened: 2-3 months.