Megan Bitsoff's 3 Course Meal!

Salad:

• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• One bunch of green onions, chopped
• Cucumber, striped and chopped
• Italian lettuce
• Feta
• Dry Italian ZESTY dressing (in a packet)
• Mix with EVOO and balsamic vinegar

Carrot Ginger Soup

• 2 T butter
• 2 onions, chopped fine
• 1/4 c minced crystallized ginger
• 1 T grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• salt and pepper
• 1 t sugar
• 2 lbs. of carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 4 c. water
• 1.5 c carrot juice
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 t cider vinegar
• chopped chives
• sour cream

Directions

1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, crystallized ginger, fresh ginger, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and sugar; cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened but not browned, 5-7 minutes
2. Increase heat to high; add carrots, water, 3/4 cup carrot juice, thyme sprigs, and baking soda and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until carrots are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Discard thyme sprigs. Working in batches, process soup in blender until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Return soup to clean pot and stir in vinegar and remaining 3/4 cup carrot juice.  (Soup can be refrigerated up to 4 days.)  Return to simmer over medium heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sprinkle of chives and dollop of sour cream.

Chocolate Mousse:

• 6 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocalate, chopped course
• 4 T butter
• pinch salt
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2 T strong coffee
• 4 large eggs, seperated
• 2 T sugar
• 1/2 c chilled heavy cream, plus more for serving
• Chocolate Covered coffee bean (Fresh and Easy; I'll save everyone the trip of going to 10 different places!)
• Strawberries for garnish

1. Melt the chocolate in an uncovered Pyrex measuring cup microwaved at 50 percent power for 3 minutes, stirring once at the 2-minute mark. Whisk the butter into the melted chocolate, 1 tablespoon at at time. Stir in the salt, vanilla, and coffee until completely incorporated. Whisk in the yolks, one at a time, making sure that each is fully incorporated before adding the next. 
2. Stir the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl set over a saucepan of hot water until slightly warm, 1 to 2 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan. Beat with an electric mixer set at medium speed until soft peaks form. Raise the mixer speed to high and slowly add the sugar; beat to soft peaks. Whisk a quarter of the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whites.
3. Whip the cream to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mousse. Spoon portions of the mousse into 6 or 8 individual serving dishes or goblets. Cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to blend, at least 2 hours. (The mousse may be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.) Serve with additional whipped cream, chocolate covered coffee beans, and strawberry.

Peanut Butter Bread

Peanut Butter Bread (shared by Michelle)

Ingredients:
2/3 cup peanut butter (I used a natural crunchy peanut butter)
1 1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Mix together the milk and peanut butter with a mixer.  Add the dry ingredients.  Pour into a greased 8x4 inch loaf pan (I used a small square baking pan and cooked about 30 minutes).  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes (30 minutes if using a different pan).  Allow to cool in pan for about 20 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

ENJOY!

Bits's Delicious Brownies

BITS's DELICIOUS BROWNIES (shared by Megan Bitsoff)

Here are my very special ingredients:

Buy Betty Crocker brownie mix with chocolate icing.

Spoon some dollops of peanut butter into the brownie mix and marbalize by swirling it around with your knife.

Bake. Ice. Eat more than you should! ;)

Bolognese Lasagna

Trader Joe's Bolognese Lasagna: (shared by Courtney)

Ingredients

1/2 Box "no boil" lasagna noodles 

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 Jar Trader Joes Alfredo Sauce  

1 jar Trader Joes Bolognese Meat sauce   

1 lb Trader Joes Uncooked Sweet Italian Chicken sausage   

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the casing from all the sausage links; place sausage in a large skillet and pan fry until done. Add bolognese sauce to pan; mix and warm through. Set aside. Spread thin layer of Alfredo sauce on the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish. Top with a (single)layer of lasagna noodles. Spread a thin layer of meat sauce on top of the noodles, top with a thin drizzle of Alfredo sauce, parmesan cheese on top with another layer of noodles. Keep layering in the same sequence until all of the ingredients have been used, making sure that the final top layer cheese. Bake for 45 minutes until bubbly.

*Serves six

PLEASE NOTE:  Courtney made a few modifications to the recipe above--> "I like it really cheesy so I use a bag and a half of the Quattro farmarggio cheese mix. Instead of bolognese sauce I use the three cheese marinara and I also add sautéed spinach and mushrooms to the chicken sausage before layering"