Vegetable and grain salad is filling and delicious. This recipe uses wild rice for its grain ingredient. Other grains will work well in this recipe also.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups/375 mL water
1 tsp/5 mL freshly-ground Sea Salt
1/2 cup/125 mL wild rice blend
3 tbsp/45 mL Citrus Cilantro Grapeseed Oil
1-1/2 tbsp/25 mL white wine vinegar
1 tbsp/15 mL water
1 tsp/5 mL Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp/1.2 mL Onion & Garlic Pepper
1 cup/250 mL coarsely-chopped fresh broccoli
1 cup/250 mL seeded and chopped tomato
1/4 cup/60 mL diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup/60 mL shredded carrot
2 tbsp/30 mL diced onion
2 cups/500 mL torn lettuce leaves

Cooking Directions

In medium saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil; add rice blend. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender and water is absorbed; cool slightly. In large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, water, Italian seasoning and Onion & Garlic Pepper. Add broccoli; toss to coat with dressing. Add rice, tomato, green pepper, carrots and onion; toss gently. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Makes 6 servings.

Need a bridal shower gift? Make it personal (ARA) - Looking for an affordable bridal shower gift with a personal touch? A spice gift basket can fit any budget and makes an ideal personal gift for every cook. With just a little thought and a few supplies, you can assemble a personalized basket. With Internet and mail-order shopping, it's possible to buy everything you need without leaving the house.

 Begin with a basket or any other useful kitchen container, such as a mixing bowl, cake pan, serving dish or colander. Vintage items you pick up at a second-hand store or garage sale can be charming. Line the container with a pretty cloth napkin, a colorful dishtowel or even a piece of fabric cut with pinking shears, or use tissue paper if you prefer. Add bottles or packets of spices, herbs, seasonings and other ingredients.

With the wide variety of seasonings and accessories available, the possibilities are endless. Just use your imagination and you can spice up your gift-giving with personal and original gifts. For more tips and suggestions for specific gift baskets made with spices, seasonings, mixes and cooking accessories go to www.frontiercoop.com/giftbaskets.

Homemade Salsa Recipe

Make this easy salsa, put it in a pretty jar, add a bag of pita chips and add a note, “To Be Opened Immediately” to get any party going. If you want to share the recipe, type it on colored paper and tie to the jar of salsa.

Ingredients

1-1/2 to 2 lbs plum tomatoes
1-1/2 tbspn fresh cilantro, minced
2 tbspn fresh lime juice (bottled juice will alter taste)
1 onion, large
2 jalapeno chile peppers*, seeded and chopped
salt to taste

Directions

Seed and dice the tomatoes. Place in a medium bowl and grate the onion on top.
Peel, seed, and mince the jalapeno peppers and add to the bowl. Add the lime juice and cilantro or coriander. Or ty a different flavor by adding 2 minced cloves garlic** instead. Stir in the salt, refrigerate covered, for a few hours or overnight before serving.

Hint:
*When peeling jalapeno peppers wear rubber gloves to keep your hands from burning from handling the peppers.

*This salsa is wonderful on a buttered toasted English muffin.
*Instead of catsup for your hamburger, try this salsa instead. Also good with franks on a bun.

Recipe used with permission from the Hot and Spicy food site at BellaOnline.

Visit Watkins for herbs, spices, flavorings and cooking oils.

Recommended Reading

The Diva Runs Out of Thyme (A Domestic Diva Mystery)
by Krista Davis

Sophie Winston’s long-time rival got away with stealing Sophie’s husband, but Sophie is determined not to let her steal the coveted Stupendous Stuffing Shakedown prize. As Sophie is searching for that just right turkey to stuff, she finds a body. When the police finds Sophie’s name and photo in the victim’s car they come looking for her. Sophie wants to win that contest but she has prove her innocence. Can she do both? Check this Diva in the first of the Domestic Diva Mystery novels. The Diva Runs Out of Thyme (A Domestic Diva Mystery)

Favorite foods without the extra calories

(ARA) - During the colder season, our hunger instincts can emerge causing us to seek out the cozy foods we knew and loved as children. These days those same foods impact our waistlines, rack up thousands of calories and are high in fat. You can still nestle up with your favorite foods this winter without sacrificing flavor and compromising diet by making a few easy modifications.

"People think the words 'delicious' and 'healthy' can't be used in the same sentence, and I can hardly blame them since so many foods billed as 'good-for-you' are so disappointing in flavor and taste," says registered dietician Ellie Krieger, a New York Times best-selling author and Food Network host. "Food is such a joyful part of life. In my world, there is no fear or guilt about it, only pleasure and balance."

  Children and adults alike crave foods like creamy macaroni and cheese, French fries and juicy hamburgers. Traditionally prepared, these tasty dishes are very high in calories and fat. The average side of fries contains approximately 430 calories and 22 grams of fat, while a portion of boxed mac and cheese can have more than 300 calories and 12 grams of fat.

Krieger's philosophy allows us to enjoy foods that we love, while focusing on moderation and simple adjustments that make them both nutritious and delicious. There are adjustments that can take high-fat foods and turn them into healthy, guilt-free indulgences.

One of Krieger's healthy cooking tools is T-fal's Actifry, a convenient, non-stick appliance that automatically cooks meals using no more than 1 tablespoon of heart-healthy oil to create a range of foods from golden French fries to decadent desserts. The Actifry creates healthier versions of staple meals, including mac and cheese, stir-fry, pasta and risotto by cutting out the fat and eliminating or reducing the use of oil.

Just 1 tablespoon of oil makes four servings of crispy French fries with the Actifry. To preserve the fiber and nutrients in the fries, Krieger suggests leaving the skin on and adding low-or-no calorie flavorings such as paprika, pepper or sea salt.

"It is about finding that sweet spot where healthy and delicious meet. With the right tools you can get both and the Actifry can help bring it all to your table with ease."

"We desire foods that are familiar and satisfy our immediate craving," Krieger explains. "Learning how to keep fat in check and promote healthy alternatives without giving up taste is important to improving our overall quality of life."

While the cold of winter may cause us to retreat and fall victim to some of our food cravings, Krieger believes healthy variations are easily achievable and easy to do.

"You can have it all - food that is bursting with flavor that delights your taste buds and benefits the rest of your body."

Ellie Krieger shares her lower-fat and delicious recipe for Macaroni and Cheese. For more information and recipes, visit T-falUSA.com.

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

8 ounces (2 cups) uncooked elbow macaroni
3/4 cup milk, divided
2/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
1/2 cup pureed winter squash, thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions:

Cook the macaroni "pasta al dente" according to the package directions. Drain.

Place 1/2 cup of milk, cheddar cheese, squash, Parmesan cheese, salt and the dry mustard into the Actifry pan and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Cook for five minutes, until the mixture is hot and the cheese is melted. Add the cooked macaroni and cook two minutes more. Add the remainder of the milk (1/4 of a cup) and cook for another two minutes.

Serves four
300 calories, 7 grams total fat per serving

Courtesy of ARAcontent

These nutty brownies are tasty and moist. They are perfect for snacking and makes a great dessert for a large crowd.

Ingredients

8 tbsp/120 mL unsalted butter
1 cup/250 mL all-purpose flour
1/4 cup/60 mL Baking Cocoa
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Baking Powder
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL salt
8 oz/225 g bittersweet chocolate
1 1/4 cups/310 mL sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp/5 mL Original Double-Strength Vanilla
1 cup/250 mL walnuts (optional)

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C degrees. Brush a 9-inch/23-cm square baking pan with butter. Line bottom and two sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch/5-cm overhand on the two sides. Butter paper, and set pan aside. In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Melt together butter and chocolate. Add in sugar and eggs mix to combine. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened. Transfer batter to baking pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 40 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using paper overhand, lift brownies out of pan; transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Serves 16

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