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  • Penne with Mango Chile Sauce

    Ingredients

    1 (16 ounce) package dry penne pasta
    3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    1 mango – peeled, seeded and diced
    2 red onions, cut into strips
    1 small fresh red chile pepper, diced
    1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
    1/2 cup red wine
    1 bay leaf
    2 whole cloves
    1/2 cinnamon stick
    salt to taste
    2 tablespoons honey
    1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
    1 (4 ounce) can pitted black olives

    Directions

    Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta, and cook for 9 to 13 minutes or until al dente; drain.

    Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and stir in mango, red onions, and chile pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until onions are tender. Mix in tomatoes and wine. Stir in the bay leaf, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

    Remove bay leaf, cloves, and cinnamon stick from the mango mixture. Season with salt. Mix in honey and red wine vinegar. Serve over cooked pasta with cilantro and olives.

  • How To Make B.L.T. Salad with Basil Mayo Dressing

    Ingredients

    1/2 pound bacon
    1/2 cup mayonnaise
    2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
    4 slices French bread, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon ground black pepper
    1 tablespoon canola oil
    1 pound romaine lettuce – rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
    1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

    Directions

    Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside, reserving 2 tablespoons of the drippings.

    In a small bowl, whisk together the reserved bacon drippings, mayonnaise, vinegar and basil and let dressing stand, covered, at room temperature.

    In a large skillet over medium heat, toss the bread pieces with the salt and pepper. Drizzle with the oil, continue tossing and cook over medium-low heat until golden brown.

    In a large bowl mix together the romaine, tomatoes, bacon and croutons. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.

  • Fiery Pepper Chicken

    Ingredients

    1 teaspoon Chinese cooking wine
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 pound boneless chicken, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
    1/4 cup cornstarch, or as needed
    3 cups peanut oil for frying
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
    2 green onions, julienned
    2 long, green chilies – cut into 1/2-inch pieces
    2 cups dried chilies, chopped
    2 tablespoons Szechuan peppercorns
    2 teaspoons soy sauce
    2 teaspoons Chinese cooking wine
    1/2 teaspoon white sugar
    1/2 teaspoon salt

    Directions

    Stir together 1 teaspoon cooking wine and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl; add the chicken and stir to coat. Allow to marinate 2 to 3 minutes. Place the marinated chicken in a large, sealable plastic bag with the cornstarch and shake to coat.

    Heat the peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Fry the chicken in the oil until it begins to crisp around the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the oil, discarding the rest.

    Reheat the reserved oil in the wok over medium-high heat; cook and stir the garlic, ginger, and green onions in the oil until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the green chilies, crushed dried chilies, and Szechuan peppercorns; continue frying about 20 seconds more. Return the chicken to the wok; stir in the soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cooking wine, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until thoroughly combined. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

  • Springtime Tossed Salad Recipe

    Ingredients

    1/2 cup raspberry juice or cranberry-raspberry juice
    3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    8 ounces spring mix salad greens
    2 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained
    1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
    1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

    Directions

    In a small bowl, whisk together the raspberry juice, vinegar and oil. Cover and refrigerate. In a large bowl, combine the salad mix, mandarin oranges and blue cheese. Pour dressing over salad mixture; toss to coat. Add pecans; toss to coat. Serve immediately.