Fried Goat Cheese, Bacon, Pumpkin Wontons, from Sue

(I know...I was shocked too!!!!)

1 can of pumpkin
1/4 medium onion, finely diced
1/2 package bacon (I used nitrate/nitrite free bacon)
goat cheese (not sure about how much, this should be to taste
salt
pepper
cinnamon
nutmeg
cloves
McCormick rotisserie chicken seasoning
tumeric
sage
1 package wonton wrappers
Hearts of romaine leaves

cook bacon until crispy, set aside keeping the fat in the pan and saute onions in fat until translucent.
Crush bacon into little pieces and mix with onions in separate bowl.
Drain MOST of bacon grease from pan and set aside.
Add pumpkin to frying pan and saute until hot.
Add spices and let cook for a minute
Add goat cheese, stir until it blends
Add a little more bacon grease if mixture gets dry.
Add bacon and onions to mixture and let everything blend.

Let mixture cool in a bowl.

When mixture is cool enough, start making wontons:
Spoon small (like, kid's spoonful) of mixture into middle of wonton wrapper. Fold over on the diagonal making a triangle shape. Seal edges with water or egg whites (we usually use egg whites, but because I made these w/ the kids I used water). Place on floured plate until ready to fry.

When you finish making the wontons heat up a sautee pan 1/3 full of olive oil until it start smoking (HOT!!!). Fry up wontons a few at a time until brown and crispy (you'll probably have to turn them over once) and place them on a paper towel covered plate to cool.
Roll one or two into a lettuce leaf (romaine) and munch away!

Yum.

Chicken Salad Ideas, by Carolyn and Sue

Basically, put chicken, celery, and nuts (I like walnuts, but pick your fave) through a food processor, add mayo and salt and pepper to taste. You can also add broth, but since you're using leftover rotisserie (and don't have broth due to cooking the chicken), it isn't necessary. It's easy and deeeee-lish.
I meant to say that you can throw so many things in chicken salad, so that is my basic recipe, but you could add:

-Sue's cranberries
-apples
-raisins
-grapes
-shredded carrot
-onion
-fancy mustard
-whatever spice you like... a little curry, some garlic, whatever you fancy

Toss It In An Oven and See What Happens, by Sue

I think I'm going to throw leftover flank steak, rotisserie chicken, cheese, tomatoes, avocado and black beans into a glass dish and then toss it in the oven for a while and see what happens.

(I couldn't resist!!)

Basil Oil & Avocado Bruschetta, from Sue

Basil oil & Avocado Bruschetta:

mix olive oil w/ fresh minced basil, salt, pepper, blue cheese. Spread over slices of toasted french baguette. Mash avocado on top and serve. YUMMMYYY!!

Black Beans and Mango with Rice, an idea from Sue

Black Beans and Mango w/ Rice.

Ingredients:

Garlic, Onions, Olive Oil, Chicken Stock, White Wine, Mango, Mushrooms, Fresh Basil, Fresh Sage, Can of Goya Frijoles Negros, Jasmine Rice.

Preheat Olive Oil in skillet and add Garlic & Onions. Cook until soft. Add splash of White Wine, Mango and Mushrooms and cover ingredients w/ Chicken Stock. Boil down for a few minutes. Tear Basil and Sage leaves into little pieces and add to mixture. Simmer for a few more minutes. Drain can of beans. Add beans to mixture. In the mean time cook Jasmine Rice.

When mixture is no longer liquidy it is ready to serve. Put some rice in a bowl and spoon beans on top. Enjoy!!!

Chicken Legs in Apple-Peach Gravy, from Sue

I made chicken legs in an apple/peach gravy w/ morels;
Ingredients:

garlic, onions, leeks, olive oil, Kosher salt, apple, dried apricot, potatoes, chicken stock, bay leaf, celery flakes, sherry vinegar, sugar, cornstarch.

First I grilled the chick legs to seal in the juice (I don't know if this was actually necessary, but I did it anyway. The more dishes I dirty, the more proficient I feel)

In a large saute pan cook the garlic/onions/leeks in olive oil w/ a little Kosher salt. Add stock and bay leaf and simmer. Add the rest of the ingredients except the sugar. Let simmer until the apples start to get soft. Place sauce and chick legs in large pan and place in oven set to 375*. Cook until chick is done. Remove chick from pan and strain remaining liquid (arrange the solid pieces on serving plate) reserving it in a sauce pan. Place taters in a pan and bake a little while longer until done (you may want to broil them for a couple of minutes so they get crispy). In the mean time heat up sauce and slowly add corn starch (that has already been diluted in icewater) until you reach the gravy consistency you desire. Add sugar if you need it and then drizzle over chick & everything else.

Tribal Ratatouille, an idea from Sue

You could always use the squash, zuch's, and peppers in a tribal sacrificial dance if they go bad.....Just smother them over your body, start screaming "Ratatouille" and dance in front of your gas stove.

(Seriously, how could this NOT get posted?)

Suggested by Sue - Kimbap

Kimbap

Suggested by Sue - Chapche (Mixed Vegies with Beef)

Chapche (Mixed Vegies with Beef)

Gimbap, from Sue

Gimbap

*These should look like sushi rolls using the same seaweed, rice and rolling technique, but the ingredients are different*

Ingredients:

*This serves 2 people but gives you an idea about what it is and how to make it*

• 4 sheets Sushi Seaweed
• Steamed rice for 2 people
• 4 Takuwon strips http://www.easterndragon.co.nz/2430.htm
• meat the same preparation as in the Japchae
• 1 cucumber
• 3 stalks of spinach
• 1/5 a carrot
• 3 eggs
• Some sesame oil
• Some salt

Preparation (It will take about 15 minutes)

1. Cut the carrots into long thin slices. (I need 6 sticks.)
2. Rinse the spinach and parboil it in boiled water. (For 1 minute)
3. Put the spinach into a bowl. Add 2 sprinkles of salt and 1 dash of sesame oil on spinach then mix it well.
4. Beat one egg in a bowl. Fry the egg in a pan and make the egg stick by rolling it. (It is better if you can make it thin.) Do the same with rest of the eggs.
5. Cook the carrots, with a little oil.
6. Slice cucumber to sushi length like Carrots.
7. Put all the ingredients on one plate. It makes it easy to roll.
8. Add 2 dashes of sesame oil and 2 sprinkles of salt on the rice. Mix it well.
9. During the process of no 4 and 5 use the same pan, don't rinse or wash it.

Making (It will take about 10 minutes)

1. Place one sheet of seaweed on the bamboo mat.
2. Put the rice on the sheet. You need to spread it thinly.
3. Put carrot stick, meat, takuwon, egg stick (all one each), and some spinach in the middle of the rice.
4. Roll it.

Japchae, from Sue

I realize that there are no measurements, but everyone makes it differently so I figure a little trial & error never hurt. I got this from my MIL who is a great cook.

Japchae

Ingredients:

Shiitake mushroom

Spinach

Carrots

Garlic

Meat

Soba sauce (see below)

Sesame Oil

Olive Oil

Cane Sugar

Yellow Onions

Soy Sauce

Preparation:

Chop Shiitake into slivers w/out the stem

Parboil Spinach and rinse in cold water

Finely julienne carrots

Mince 6 cloves of garlic w/ a little water

Finely shred meat into long pieces

Mix meat, garlic, sesame oil, olive oil, soba sauce and cane sugar.

Soak Glass vermicelli noodles overnight and add a little Soy Sauce for color.

Slice 1 yellow onion thinly

Slice Spinach

Fry meat mixture

Add Mushrooms when meat is half cooked

Add a little Olive Oil to frying pan

Take meat and put it on a plate

Fry Carrots and Onions w/ a little Olive Oil

Add Spinach after a couple of minutes (keep separate in pan)

Top Meat w/ Spinach

Top w/ Carrots & Onions

Fry glass noodles in a little oil

Add water sparingly (when noodles stick or get crispy)

Mix everything together

SOBA SAUCE

Chicken Stock

Water (same amount as stock)

1 Carrot

1 clove garlic

1 piece of ginger (size of a clove of garlic)

1 tablespoon of Bonito Flakes

1/2 Yellow Onion

Bring everything to a boil and simmer for 30 mins.

Sieve and keep broth (discard ingredients).

Lasts 2 days in fridge.

Spinach salad from Sue

Here's a great spinach salad idea (one of the only salads I'll eat):

Put grape tomato halves in the salad and drizzle w/ Italian dressing (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, basil and a little salt). Sprinkle pine nuts over salad. Surround plate w/ little toast squares smeared w/ goat cheese and topped w/ a drop of honey.

Ponzu baked chicken from Sue

I made Ponzu baked chicken thighs (skin on bone in) w/ polenta, roasted potatoes, and zucchini/yellow squash melange.

Here's the chicken marinade:

Olive Oil, Soy Sauce, Ponzu Sauce, Garlic, Onions, oregano, paprika, bay leaf, tarragon. pepper (I don't add extra salt to anything when I use Soy Sauce).

I fried the Polenta in bacon fat w/ more garlic & onions. The potatoes roasted in the same pan as the chicken, and the zucchini/yellow squash was sauteed in olive oil.