Traveling Dessert Buffet

A fun selection of treats that can also travel the distance to the party (from top left, clockwise): Peanut Butter Temptations, Brownie Bites, Cream Cheese Brownies, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Cranberry Pecan Cookies, and M&M Cookies. The cookies are the same basic dough as the cookie bars, I just divided it and put M&Ms in one half and cranberries and pecans in the other half.

For traveling, I put everything in plastic containers. The cookies and cookie bars packed the easiest. I used waxed paper between layers of Brownie Bites and the PB Temptations. Waxed paper on top of the Cream Cheese Brownies pulled off the top of the cream cheese, so I only did single layers in shallow containers. Ideally, I would I have just left these guys in the pan and covered it, but I had already cut them up when I realized I couldn't stack them.

Chicken Tikka Masala

MARINADE (or use bottle of Garam Masala Sauce from Albertsons)
1 c. plain yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp ginger, minced

Marinade chicken for at least one hour. I go for half a day. Grill or broil, on skewers if desired, while sauce is cooking. I would double the sauce recipe below if using more than four small boneless skinless chicken breasts.

SAUCE
1 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (or other hot pepper)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1 can tomato sauce, 8 oz.
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped

Melt butter on medium heat. Saute garlic and pepper. Add seasonings. Stir in tomato sauce. Simmer 15 minutes. Stir in cream. Simmer to thicken, about 10 minutes. Add cooked chicken to sauce and simmer for about an hour.

Goes nicely with basmati rice and naan.

Pumpkin Seeds

Every year we cook our pumpkin seeds and then enjoy eating them. This year it seems that we seem to be running into more and more people that have never even had a pumpkin seed so I thought I would share our method of cooking the pumpkin seeds.
Pumpkin Seeds
First, clean the seeds extremely well. A few in a colander under running water works really well but you will still need to pull out anything that doesn't go through the strainer.
Second, boil the seeds in very salty water. The seeds need to boil for about 1/2 an hour to get the salt into the shell. They will be a gray green color when they have boiled long enough. We don't measure the salt, we just dump a lot in.
Last, spread the seeds on a cookie sheet. They do not have to be completely separated. They will dry even if on top of each other. Bake them at 350 degrees stirring them every 15-20 minutes. They are done when they are dry. This usually takes 45 minutes to an hour.

Spaghetti Squash Skillet

1 spaghetti squash
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tbl pesto or (chopped garlic and basil)
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese
mushrooms, sliced
onion, chopped
garlic, minced
1/2 c broth (chicken or veggie)
chicken cut up into small pieces (optional)

Cut squash in half lengthwise, discard seeds. Cook in the microwave for 14-16 minutes, or in the oven on 350 for 30-40 minutes, until tender.
Use blender to combine tomatoes, pesto, garlic, powder, Italian seasoning.
In skillet, cook chicken, if you remembered to unthaw it, in a little olive oil . Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic and saute until tender. Add the tomato blend and broth. Simmer for 5 minutes or until you are done forking out the strands of spaghetti squash. Stir in the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add squash. Mix it all up and serve. I like to sprinkle a little more Parmesan cheese on top of each serving and have it with some bread and salad. Makes 5 good servings, or dinner and lunch for two people.