BLACK BEAN SALSA (Shana)

1 can shoepeg corn
2 cans black beans, drain and rinse
1 small red onion, diced
1 lg tomato, diced
1c. cilantro, chopped
1t cumin
1T evoo
juice of 1 lime

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir.  Let set in fridge overnight before serving.

ROASTED EGGPLANT DIP (Parade)

This is a great healthy dip recipe (for a change) that can be used with pita chips, crackers, or veggies. It only has 70 calories per serving!

2 firm eggplant
2T olive oil
2t garlic
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 small onion, chopped
3T fresh basil, chopped
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400* Set the eggplants on a baking sheet lined with foil.  Prick a few times with knife.  Roast 45-50min. Let cool and halve the eggplants.  Scoop out the insides.  Put in blender or food processor with olive oil and onion.  Puree.  Add remaining ingredients and pulse to blend.  Chill and serve.

ROASTED SHRIMP WITH FETA (Barefoot Contessa)

4T good olive oil
1 1/2c med-diced fennel
1T minced garlic
1/2 c dry white wine
1 can diced tomatoes
2t tomato paste
1t oregano
1T Pernod liquor (or Sambucca or Anisette)
1t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 1/4 lbs shrimp (~24)
5oz feta cheese
1c bread crumbs (panko or other)
3T fresh parsley, minced
1t lemon zest
juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 400*  In a 12in skillet, over med-high heat, heat 2T olive oil.  Add fennel and saute for 8-10 min.  Add garlic and cook 1 min.  Add wine and boil for 2-3 min to reduce.  Add tomatoes (with liquid), tomato paste, oregano, Pernod, salt , and pepper.  Simmer over med-low for 10 min.

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley, lemon zest, and 2T olive oil. Arrange shrimp in a layer over top of tomato mixture.  Sprinkle feta evenly over top.  Top with bread crumb mixture.  Bake for 15 min.  Remove from oven and top with lemon juice.

Can be served with crusty bread or over linguine, if desired.

VEGETABLE CHEESE STRATA (Betty Crocker)

Perfect for brunch or even a one-pot dinner.  It reheats well, too.

8 slices bread
diced veggies of your choice (peppers, onions, tomatoes, spinach, etc)
6oz deli ham, diced
2c shredded cheddar cheese
8 eggs
4c milk
1t salt
1t ground mustard
1/4t pepper

Cut bread into strips and arrange in the bottom of a 9X13 pan.  Top with veggies and ham.  Sprinkle with cheese. Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour into pan.  Cover and refrigerate overnight (4-24hrs).
Bake in a 325* oven for 1hr 15min.  Cover for first half of cooking time.

**For an 8X8 pan reduce bread to 4-5 slices, eggs to 5, and milk to 2 1/2 cups.

CHICKEN PARMIGIANA (Betty Crocker)

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 egg
2T water
2/3 c bread crumbs
1/3 c parmesan cheese
2 lbs chicken breasts
1/4 c olive oil
2 c shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350*
Pound chicken breasts to equal thickness and cut into palm-size pieces.  In one bowl combine egg and water.  In a second bowl combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Dip chicken into egg and then bread crumbs to coat. Heat oil in a large skillet over med heat.  Cook chicken 2 1/2 min on each side.  Place chicken in a baking dish, overlapping if necessary.  Top each with a spoonful of spaghetti sauce and a mound of mozzarella cheese.  Bake uncovered for 25-30 min.

**NOTE: I usually serve this with Celentano's Cheese Manicotti /without sauce (sold in the freezer section).  You can put the manicotti in the same pan with the chicken.  Put sauce underneath and then top it with sauce and mozzarella cheese.  It bakes at the same temp for the same amount of time.

PANKO-CRUSTED SALMON (Barefoot Contessa)

We decided to make this for dinner at the last minute because we wanted to try out a new cookbook and were planning to have salmon. In less than 20 minutes we were feasting on a delicious and beautiful meal that could have easily been served in an upscale restaurant. We even impressed ourselves!

4 (6oz) salmon fillets)
2/3 c panko
2T fresh parsely, minced
1T lemon zest
salt and pepper
2T good olive oil
2T dijon mustard
2T canola oil

Preheat oven to 425*.  In a small bowl mix panko, parsley, lemon zest, s&p, and olive oil.  Stir to combine. Heat canola oil in a 12in cast iron skillet or other heavy duty pan over med-high heat.  Spread dijon mustard on the top of salmon fillets.  Top generously with panko mixture and press down.  Sear salmon in skillet for 3-4min.  Place pan in oven for 5-7 min.  Remove from oven.  Cover with foil and let rest for 5-10min.  (Can top with fresh lemon juice when serving.)

LONDON BROIL MARINADE (Lynn Cowan)

This has been a favorite recipe in our family for 20 years.  Every time we serve it, someone asks for the recipe.  It can serve a family or a crowd.  It's perfect for a picnic or a nice dinner.  And the leftovers are wonderful.  The ingredients can be easily kept on hand.  Most grocery stores sell their london broil 'buy one get one free' every 6 weeks, so that's a great time to put one in the freezer.  If we are making it for guests we keep them whole, for our own use we cut them in half to make two large squares- just the right size for our family (though leftovers are delicious, too!)

2 1/2-3 lb london broil
2T minced onion powder
1t dry mustard
1/4t black pepper
1t sugar
1/3c soy sauce
1/3c oil
3T red wine vinegar
2T Major Grey's mild chutney
1t minced garlic

Prick the meat with a fork on both sides and place in a ziploc bag.  Add the marinade ingredients to the bag and squeeze to combine.  Seal and place in the refrigerator for 48hours.  On a grill, sear both sides of the meat over high flame for 3min.  Cook for 7min on each side and allow meat to rest on a plate.  The reserve marinade can be microwaved to use to top meat.  Slice into strips and serve as is or in sandwiches.  Leftovers can be eaten warm or cold.