Marzipan Bars

Nicole thinks this recipe is from the depression or something because obviously there is no real "marzipan" in here.. the only remotely almond part is in the frosting.

Next time I make these I might put a little almond in the red & green part too, because that's the part that has the texture of marzipan, what with the rice flour and all... although the original way is pretty good too.

1 c. + 2 Tbsp. butter (2 sticks and some change)
1 c. flour
1/4 + 2/3 c. sugar
raspberry jam
2 eggs
2/3 c. rice flour
1/2 tsp. salt
red & green food coloring
1 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. warm milk

1. Cream together 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, flour and 1/4 c. sugar. Press into bottom of ungreased 8x8 pan, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool, spread with a layer of raspberry jam.

2. Beat together 1/2 c. butter, 2/3 c. sugar, and eggs until fluffy. Add in rice flour and salt. Beat well and separate into 2 bowls. Color one red and the other green. Drop small spoonfuls of each color alternately on shortbread base (like a checkerboard pattern?) Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Cool completely.

3. Frosting: 2 T. butter, almond flavoring, powdered sugar and milk. Beat together and spread over the top of cooled bars.

Seeds in Your Teeth Dressing

1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1 T. soy sauce

Shake these together in a screw-top jar until mixed. Then add:

2 T. sesame seeds
1 T. poppy seeds
2 T. minced red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 c. vegetable oil

Shake all ingredients together. This is really good on a salad of spinach, oranges and feta.

Chicken Enchiladas

OK, I can't find this brilliant recipe I saw in Taste of Home mag on Taste of Home's website, because they have a million chicken enchilada recipes... of course, right? So even though I haven't tried it yet, here it is. It stuck out to me because it has few ingredients, and it doesn't have anything gross in it like canned soup or "enchilada sauce" from a can. Why do enchilada recipes have those nasty ingredients? And then also the process always seems time-consuming, whereas this one sounds quick & easy.

I am planning to use corn tortillas for this recipe so I hope they won't get too weird and crunchy and torn, like corn tortillas are wont to do.

"Easy" Enchiladas

Ingredients
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 8-oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
8 flour tortillas (8") (Again, I'm thinking of using 6" corn tortillas, so I'll do 10-12)
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (I'm straining some plain yogurt for this very purpose)
1 cup salsa (I'll use the salsa I made today out of my last-hurrah tomatoes and peppers)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 2 1/4 oz. can sliced black olives, drained

Directions
In a small bowl, combine chicken and cream cheese. Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up tightly. Place seam side down in a greased 9x13 baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine yogurt and salsa. Spread over tortillas. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and olives. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serves 8.

OR.......

Try this green chile enchilada recipe. I would use TJ's salsa verde instead of doing that whole tomatillo process, which would make it a whole lot easier, and still probably taste awesome. I love this blog!

Frugal Gourmet

So I've been on this frugality kick.

My friend loaned me The Tightwad Gazette and it has been Most inspiring. I highly recommend getting it from the library or at a garage sale, in the true spirit of tightwaddery. But in any case, read it. There are some good ideas [and recipes] in there.

In honor of my new kick, I'm going to put some budget (but still yummy and healthy) recipes up here. Stay tuned.....