Soft Christmas Cookies

Ingredients

• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup margarine, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully absorbed. Cover dough, and chill for 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. On a clean floured surface, roll out small portions of chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are barely brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Curried Mango Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 tablespoons curry paste
• 1/2 cup mango chutney
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook the onion and garlic in the butter until the onions are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes; add the chicken and cook about 30 seconds while stirring. Stir in the curry paste until the chicken is evenly coated. Pour the chutney and tomatoes into the pan; continue to cook until the chicken breasts is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 10 minutes.

Sloppy Joes II

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 3 teaspoons brown sugar
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper; drain off liquids.
2. Stir in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for double-crust pie
• 6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch pan.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a large rectangle, about 24 by 16 inches. Cut into 6 square pieces. Place an apple on each pastry square with the cored opening facing upward. Cut butter into 8 pieces. Place 1 piece of butter in the opening of each apple; reserve remaining butter for sauce. Divide brown sugar between apples, poking some inside each cored opening and the rest around the base of each apple. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the apples.
3. With slightly wet fingertips, bring one corner of pastry square up to the top of the apple, then bring the opposite corner to the top and press together. Bring up the two remaining corners, and seal. Slightly pinch the dough at the sides to completely seal in the apple. Repeat with the remaining apples. Place in prepared baking dish.
4. In a saucepan, combine water, white sugar, vanilla extract and reserved butter. Place over medium heat, and bring to a boil in a large saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved. Carefully pour over dumplings.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Place each apple dumpling in a dessert bowl, and spoon some sauce over the top.

Pesto Pasta with Chicken

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

crushed red pepper flakes to taste

1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into strips

1/2 cup pesto sauce

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until tender, then stir in chicken. Season with red pepper flakes. Cook until chicken is golden, and cooked through.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. Toss to coat evenly.