Super Fudge Brownies*

Ingredients:

6 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate

1 cup salted butter, softened (or Earth Balance) 

4 large eggs

2 cups white sugar

1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

pinch salt

1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Yield: 16 brownies (2 inch squares)

Directions: 

1. Pre-heat oven to 300F. Grease an 8x8 inch baking pan.

2. Combine unsweetened baking chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan. Melt over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until pieces are almost melted. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.

3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs until light yellow in color- about 5 minutes. Add sugar and blend on low until thoroughly combined.

4. Add vanilla and melted chocolate to the egg and sugar mixture. Blend on low speed until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add flour and pinch salt. Mix thoroughly.

5. Pour batter into greased pan. Smooth surface with a spatula and sprinkle uniformly with chocolate chips. Bake on the center rack of oven for 45-55 minutes. The batter should be set and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Do not over-bake.

6. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. To cut brownies, dip a sharp knife in hot water and wipe dry. Use warm knife to slice brownies. Serve chilled.

http://frankiesfoods.blogspot.com/2011/02/mrsfields-superfudgebrownies-and.html?m=1

Classic Thai Mango Sticky Rice Dessert

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Thai Sweet Rice (also called 'sticky rice' OR 'glutinous rice', available at Asian food stores
• 1-2 ripe mangos, cut into bite-size pieces (for more on mangos, see below)
• 4-5 Tbsp. palm sugar OR brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 can good-quality (thick) coconut milk
• water (for boiling or steaming the rice)

Directions:

1. Soak the rice in 1 cup water for 20-30 minutes, OR up to 4 hours.
2. Do not drain the rice. Simply add 3/4 cup (more) water, plus 1/4 can coconut milk, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1 Tbsp. brown sugar. Stir this into the rice.
3. Bring to a gentle boil, then partially cover with a lid (leaving some room for steam to escape). Reduce heat to medium-low (#2.5 on the dial).
4. Simmer in this way for 20 minutes, or until the coconut-water has been absorbed by the rice. Turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the burner with the lid on tight. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. (For step-by-step instructions (with pictures) on how to do this, see: How to Cook Sticky Rice.)
5. To make the sauce, warm (do not boil) the rest of the can of coconut milk over medium-low heat (5 minutes). Add 3 Tbsp. sugar, stirring to dissolve.
6. Taste-test the sauce for sweetness, adding more sugar if desired. (note that it will taste less sweet when added to the rice).
7. To assemble, place a few 'mounds' of sticky rice in each serving bowl. Top with slices of the mango, then pour sauce over. It should look like an English pudding with custard sauce, with the mounds of rice swimming in sauce.

OR, here's another method that results in even more coconut-ty flavor (optional): Add scoops of rice (portion out 1 scoop per person) directly to the sauce pot and stir over low heat, gently breaking apart large lumps, but leaving smaller lumps/chunks). Now add the mango pieces and gently stir until everything is warmed through. Portion out into serving bowls, making sure everyone has equal amounts of rice, mango, and plenty of sauce. ENJOY!

http://thaifood.about.com/od/thaidesserts/r/mangoricepuddin.htm

Baked Margarita Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large Roma tomato, finely chopped
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. each salt & pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a large knife or a cleaver, slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise down the middle. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and center strings. Drizzle the two halves with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

Place the squash, open side down on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes. 

Remove from the oven, check to see if the squash is soft and easily comes up with a fork into a spaghetti like texture. If it’s too hard to remove, cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, scrape and fluff the stringy squash with a fork. Leave the squash in the skin. 

Turn the oven up to broil. Add the tomatoes and fresh basil into the squash, stir and top with the mozzarella cheese. Place in the broiler for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving the squash.

Simply The Best You...Healthy and Happy 

Chicken Roll Ups

Ingredents:

• 6 oz cooked chicken breast, chopped
• 1 can crescent rolls
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. 
2. Mix together milk, soup and cheese - set aside. 
3. Separate crescent rolls into 8 triangles. 
4. Top the large part of the crescent triangle with the chopped chicken. 
5. Top each crescent roll with 1 tsp of soup mixture. Roll crescent rolls up.
6. Spread approximately 1/3 cup of soup mixture in bottom of 9x13 dish. Place crescent rolls in dish. Pour remaining soup mixture over crescent rolls.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

http://www.plainchicken.com/2009/03/chicken-roll-ups.html

Oreo Cream Cheese Cookies

makes about 3-4 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup mini dark chocolate chips
• 2 cups Oreo crumbles

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375, line a cookie sheet with parchment.  
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, cream together butter and cream cheese until thoroughly combined.
3. Add sugar and vanilla, mix well.
4. Add flour one cup at a time and mix on low just until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
5. Pour Oreo crumbles into a bowl.  Scoop dough out and roll into roughly 1.5'' balls, then roll in cookie crumbles, coating thoroughly.  Be sure to cover the dough balls really well in crumbs, as this is what holds the cookie together while baking.  Space cookies about 1-2'' apart on sheet.  Bake on center rack about 14-15 minutes and allow to cool on sheet several minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

http://www.bakestravaganza.com/2012/03/oreo-cream-cheese-cookies.html?spref=fb

APPLE PIE BAKED IN APPLE

Ingredients:

• 5-6 Granny Smith apples (make sure they can stand on their own)
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• pie crust (homemade or pre-made)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375F.

2) Cut off the top of 4 apples off and discard. Remove the inside of each apple with a spoon or melon baller very carefully, as to not puncture the peel.

If you’re a skilled interior apple excavator, salvage as much as you can so you can use it for Step 2. I, on the other hand, am not skilled so I just had to throw my interior apples away and chop up additional apples for filling.

3) Remove skin from remaining apple(s) and slice very thinly. These apple pieces will give you the additional filling needed to fill the four apples you are baking.

Mix sliced apples with sugars and cinnamon in a bowl. If you prefer more or less cinnamon make adjustments as desired. Same goes for the sugar.

Scoop sliced apples into hollow apples.

4) Roll out pie crust and slice into 1/4 inch strips. You can also add a strip of pastry inside the top of the apple almost like a liner to add a little more texture/sweetness to the pie.

Cover the top of the apple in a lattice pattern with pie crust strips.

5) Place apples in an 8×8 pan. Add just enough water to the cover the bottom of the pan.

Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and sliced apples are soft.

Makes 4 baked apple pies (in the apple).

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 4-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2  (8oz) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease. Melt butter and chocolate together. Stir until combined and very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and food coloring.
3. Add chocolate mixture and stir until smooth.
4. Add flour and salt and stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
5. Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
6. To prepare cheesecake mixture, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
7. Drop in dollops onto prepared brownie batter.
8. Gently swirl two batters with a butter knife.
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set.
10. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.
11. Cool in the pan completely before slicing and serving, either at room temperature or chilled.

http://eatatallies.com/2011/02/red-velvet-cheesecake-brownies/