Chipotle Shrimp with Mango Sauce

Recipe adapted from Lois Ellen Frank

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus marinating time

Cook Time: 2 to 3 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes, plus marinating time

Directions

1. Make the shrimp: In a large mixing bowl, combine the shrimp with ½ cup of the olive oil and garlic and toss. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or, preferably, overnight.

2. While the shrimp is marinating, make the mango sauce: In a blender, purée the mango, honey, lime juice and salt until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Makes 2 cups.

3. Remove the shrimp from the refrigerator and discard the garlic. In a separate bowl, mix together the chipotle chile, salt and pepper. Combine the spice mixture with the shrimp and toss to coat.

4. In a very large cast-iron skillet or sauté pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil until it's hot but not smoking. Add the shrimp and cook in a single layer until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and transfer to a platter with the mango sauce and garnish with chives before serving.

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Pineapple Upside Down Granola Bars

Upside-Down Pineapple Granola Bars
Upside-Down Pineapple Granola Bars Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
Yield: 12 granola bars
Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus cooling time
Cook Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes, plus cooling time
Ingredients
2¼ cups old-fashioned oats 1 cup chopped mixed raw nuts and seeds (such as almonds and sunflower seeds)
½ cup palm sugar 2 egg whites (¼ cup egg whites)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
¾ cup dried raisins, cranberries or cherries (I prefer cranberries)
⅓ cup cacao nibs
7 to 9 dried pineapple rings (it's OK if they aren't whole)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325°.
Line an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, letting the paper slightly hang over opposite edges, and spray with cooking oil.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats and nut mixture. Pour onto an unlined baking sheet tray and roast until lightly toasted, 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes.
3. While the oat mixture is cooling, in a large bowl, whisk together the palm sugar, egg whites, vanilla and salt. Add the cooled oat mixture to the sugar mixture, along with the dried cherries and cacao nibs, and stir well to combine. Line the prepared baking pan with the pineapple rings and pack the oat-cherry mixture on top.
4. Bake the granola mixture in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 275° and bake until the edges are golden, another 30 to 40 minutes. Cool the bars completely and invert onto a cutting board. For best results, let the baked granola rest for a few hours or overnight, uncovered. Cut into bars or break apart into chunks, and individually wrap in plastic or store in a Ziploc bag for up to 2 weeks.

*****The beauty of this recipe is that you can swap out the fruit-and-nut combination as you like, using dried cranberries or raisins for cherries, cashews for almonds and flax seeds or buckwheat groats for sunflower seeds. Get creative, but don't, however, skip the pineapple rings: Their tropical flavor and stunning look set these bars apart from the rest. Palm sugar, a natural and unrefined sweetener, is perfect for its subtle flavor, as well as its honey-meets-sugar texture to help bind the ingredients together.
But if you can't get your hands on it, you can substitute it with a quarter cup of honey and a quarter cup of granulated sugar. No cacao nibs? Use chopped dark chocolate instead. For the pineapple rings, look for the thin, unsweetened kind sold in bulk at health food stores and Trader Joe's; stay away from the syrup-soaked and candied ones.
Right before baking, pack your oatmeal mixture well so the bars hold together. For prime packing, lay a sheet of parchment paper over the top and press down hard with flattened hands. (Don't forget to remove the sheet before the tray hits the oven.)

Pear & Gorgonzola Salad

SERVES 4
Ingredients

* 1 cup walnut halves, toasted
* 4-6 cups torn salad greens, , trimmed washed & dried
* 1/2 cup vinaigrette
* 2 pears, peeled,cored & sliced
* 1/4 lb gorgonzola (You may substitute with Blue or roquefort cheese)

Vinaigrette

* 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 3/4 cup virgin olive oil
* 2 teaspoons shallots, finely minced
* pepper

Directions
To make Vinaigrette------------------.
2.Mix vinegar, salt, mustard in a blender or food processor.
3.Very slowly pour in the oil while processor is on.
4.Process until an emulsion forms.
5.Taste and adjust seasoning.
6.Add shallots& pepper.
7.Best to make it fresh but may be stored for a few days in the fridge.


---Salad-----------------------.
9.Toss greens with most of the vinaigrette.
10.Divide among 4 plates.
11.Decorate with pear slices and crumbled cheese.
12.Coarsely chop the walnuts and put on top of salad.
13.Drizzle the last of the vinaigrette over top.

Watermelon Granita

Puree 4 cups of 1/2 inch cubes seedless watermelon, 1/2 cup splenda, and 2 tablespoons of lime juice in a blender. Pour into a 9x13 inch dish and place in freezer. Stir with a fork every 30 mins until mixture is slushy, up to 2.5 hrs. Spoon mixture into glass and enjoy! Add a shot of vodka to your drink if you like!

Baked Apples

4 Gala or Fuji Apples

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons Splenda

2 Tablespoons toasted walnuts

½ Cup sugar free apple juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wash apples and core them leaving the bottom still attached. Add ¼ cup apple juice to the bottom of a lipped baking pan. In a small bowl mix together nutmeg, cinnamon, Splenda, walnuts and remaining ¼ cup apple juice. Fill middle of each apple with mixture and place in baking pan. Cover with foil and bake for 25- 30 minutes, until apples are soft. When serving apples, spoon baking juices over them.

Tripple Decker Citrus Pops

Prep Time: about 30 minutes, plus about 4 1/4 hours freezing time. Notes: You will need 8 popsicle molds (1/3- to 1/2-cup capacity), available at cookware and hardware stores.

Ingredients
1 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice (from 2 to 3 blood oranges)
1 cup freshly squeezed tangerine juice (from 3 to 4 large tangerines)
1 cup freshly squeezed white grapefruit juice (from 1 to 2 grapefruit)
About 1/4 to 1/2 cup Splenda
1 to 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Preparation
1. Taste the blood orange juice. Add 2 tbsp. sugar and 1 tsp. lemon juice and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Taste again to see if it has the right sweetness and tartness for you, bearing in mind that, when frozen, the juice will taste more subdued; add up to 1 tbsp. sugar and 1 tsp. lemon juice if needed. Repeat with tangerine and grapefruit juices, using the same range of sugar and lemon juice for each.
2. Fill each of 8 popsicle molds (see Notes) 1/3 full with blood orange juice and freeze, making sure they're level and upright, until firm to the touch, about 45 minutes.
3. Fill each mold 1/3 more with tangerine juice and freeze just until firm to the touch, another 45 minutes. Carefully insert sticks, leaving 1 1/2 to 2 inches of each sticking out. Freeze until sticks feel solidly anchored, about 45 minutes.
4. Fill each mold to top with grapefruit juice, cover, and freeze 2 hours or overnight.
5. To unmold, run warm water over the individual molds just until popsicles release from sides, 5 to 15 seconds.

Mint Melon Pops

Makes 6 servings

From Real Simple Magazine

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cantaloupe chunks
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 1/2 cups honeydew chunks
1 tablespoon thawed limeade concentrate
2 mint leaves

Preparation
Puree 1 1/2 cups cantaloupe chunks and 1 tablespoon orange juice in a blender. Divide the mixture between pop molds or 3-ounce paper cups. Freeze until the top becomes firm, 30 minutes. Rinse the blender, then puree 1 1/2 cups honeydew chunks, 1 tablespoon thawed limeade concentrate, and 2 mint leaves. Remove the molds from freezer and top with the honeydew mixture. Cover and freeze.