Here's the tagine recipe (which I will probably make either in my crockpot of roast in the oven) Pearl Couscous Tagine (from Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything Vegetarian" cookbook) 2 TBLSP extra virgin olive oil 1 onion chopped (I'll probably use red for color) 2 cloves garlic minced One 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 2 tsp. ground tumeric Two three inch cinnamon sticks 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots, dates or raisins 1 1/2 cups chopped ripe tomato (about 1 pound whole, preferably peeled and seeded, or drained canned ones) 2 cups vegetable stock 1 cup cooked canned chickpeas 2 med. carrots, peeled and cut into bit sized chunks 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized chunks 2 zuchinni, cut into bite sized chunks (I'll probably use yellow summer squash, for the color) Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 cup pearl couscous Note: I'm also probably going to add peeled and diced butternut squash. Put oil in a deep skillet with a lid over med. high heat. Add the onion and cook until it softens, about 5 min. Add the garlic, ginger, and other spices; cook, stirring often until fragrant, about 2 min. Add the dried fruit, tomato, stock, chickpeas, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, etc., and a large pinch of salt and a good amount of pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are just tender. (The dish can be made ahead to this point, cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring it to a simmer before proceeding.) Add the couscous and cook until al dente about 10 min. It should have a stewy consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot or store, covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and then reheat. Notes: sounds like this is like most pasta dishes--tastes best the next day. Since I'm serving this with pasta, I am not going to add the couscous and all that broth--I'll do mine in the crockpot or roast in the oven. Ginger Vinagrette (from the same cookbook) 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped in a blender 1 TBLSP sherry vinegar (I will use rice wine vinegar) 1 TBLSP freshly squeezed lime juice 1 TBLSP water (I might use more sherry vinegar, as it is mild) Salt and freshly ground black pepper (Optional) 1 large shallot, minced (I might use some scallions I have languishing in the fridge) Note: with this vinagrette, I might add just a drop of honey for my taste.

I love beans, peas, dried lentils, so I have recipes that call for those ingredients. I really like this recipe, but I use fresh mango when I can find it and I don't broil because my broiler is on the bottom of the oven so I have to lie on the floor on my stomach to use the broiler! I give it a quick toast in the skillet instead. Poblano, mango and black bean Quesadillas 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 1/2 cups sliced onion 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1 poblano chile, seeded and chopped 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup jarred sliced peeled mango (such as Del Monte SunFresh (I use fresh, it's fine) 1/3 cup cubed peeled avocado 4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas Cooking spray 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese Preheat broiler. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, oregano, salt, pepper, and poblano, and sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add beans; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in mango and avocado. Place flour tortillas on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Arrange about 3/4 cup bean mixture on half of each tortilla, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheddar cheese over bean mixture, and fold tortilla in half. Lightly coat tortillas with cooking spray. Broil 3 minutes or until cheddar cheese melts. Nutritional Information Calories:334 (25% from fat) Fat:9.3g (sat 2.9g,mono 3.5g,poly 0.9g) Protein:13.2g Carbohydrate:54.5g Fiber:7.2g Cholesterol:10mg Iron:3mg Sodium:753mg Calcium:253mg I also like vegetarian chili, this one is from nancybc and your italian sausage could easily be replaced by turkey sausage. Sweet Potato Chili 1 Italian sausage- hot or sweet 2 medium yams or sweet potatoes peeled and cubed 2 onions chopped 2 garlic cloves minced 1 tablespoon chili powder ( I like Gebharts) 1 teaspoon dried oregano ( try the mexican version) 1 teaspoon cumin 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes w/ juice (try the fire roasted) 1 19 oz can red kidney or black beans rinsed and drained salt to taste sugar if needed chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish if you like Remove sausage from casing and brown in a heavy pan for about five minutes. Remove,pat sausage dry and return to pan. Stir onions and seasonings into sausage and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes. Spices will stick but just stir them around and do not add additional oil. Add everything else, bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. This varies but can be 30-45 minutes or so. Taste to decide if the spices are to your liking and adjust if necessary. This freezes well! Then there is this recipe for lentils and mango. I see a mango theme here, LOL. Indian Mango Dal From EatingWell January/February 2010 More than 60 different types of dal (or dhal) are made across India. The basic dish contains lentils or other legumes flavored with aromatics and spices. Here, yellow lentils (toor dal) and mango are cooked in a more traditionally Southern India stylemore souplike. Both ripe and underripe mango will work: less-ripe mango imparts a tart flavor and holds its shape, while riper mango breaks down more during cooking and gives the dish a sweeter taste. Serve over basmati rice or with roasted chicken. 6 servings, about 1 cup each 1 cup yellow lentils 4 cups water 1 teaspoon salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 tablespoon canola oil 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 medium onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 mangoes, peeled and diced 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1.Place lentils in a colander and rinse until the water runs clear. Combine lentils, 4 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and turmeric in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. 2.Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until fragrant and starting to brown, about 30 seconds. Add onion; cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cayenne and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. 3.Stir the garlic mixture and mangoes into the lentils. Return to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes more. Stir in cilantro. Per serving : 186 Calories; 3 g Fat; 2 g Mono; 9 g Protein; 9 g Fiber; 398 mg Sodium; 511 mg Potassium 1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fruit, 1 lean meat, 1/2 fat Stay healthy! Annie

Both of these recipes work well with chicken or turkey cutlets. Just make sure they are pounded thin (cutlets usually are already thin ) and if very large you may have to cut in half. Chicken Francese ( Lots of words but really, really easy) 1/2 Lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves 2 Tsp Grated Parmesan Cheese 4 Tbl finely Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley 1 egg beaten well Flour for dredging 1/4 Cup olive oil 1/4 Cup dry white wine 1 Cup chicken stock 6 Thin Round Slices Of Lemon Seeds Removed 2 Tbl butter Cut the chicken breasts into 6 slices of roughly equal size. Place the slices between sheets of waxed paper, and pound with the smooth side of a mallet until they're thin. Season with salt and pepper. Place cheese and parsley in a wide, shallow bowl. Slowly add the beaten egg, whisking until it's smoothly incorporated. Place the flour on a wide plate. Dip the pounded chicken slices in the egg mixture. Remove, letting excess egg drip back into the bowl. Place each cutlet in the flour, and coat lightly. Remove from flour and hold them in a single layer. Add the olive oil to a saute pan large enough to hold the 6 cutlets in a single layer. Place over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the cutlets. Saute, turning once, until the cutlets are golden on the outside, just cooked on the inside (about 2 minutes per side). Remove the cutlets, and hold them in a single layer. Spill the oil out of the saute pan into a bowl. Return the pan to high heat. Add the white wine, and reduce it to 2 tablespoons. Add the chicken stock and the lemon slices. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove the lemon slices. Keep boiling the sauce until it's reduced to 1/2 cup. Turn heat to very low. Swirl in the butter until the sauce is thickened. Add the reserved chicken pieces, turning them until they are coated in sauce. Divide cutlets among 2 plates, pour remaining sauce over them,sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, and serve immediately. Chicken Piccata - Woodie 4 Chicken breast halves , boned and skinned Salt and Pepper Flour (enough for coating) 3 Tbl butter Juice of 1 lemon 1-1/2 cups chicken broth 1/2 Cup white wine Put a piece of waxed paper on the counter and place chicken on top. Use a meat pounder, the side of a saucer, the unsharpened side of a heavy knife or other object to pound the breast into a thin piece that's uniformly thick (about an inch). Salt and pepper the chicken generously, then coat with flour. Melt butter in a large skillet and brown chicken on both sides. Remove chicken from skillet. Add lemon juice, chicken broth and wine. Boil down until its about one-half cup. Place chicken back in skillet, cover and cook 3 minutes. Remove cover and serve.

I make this when I want a quick, good, easy meat and potatoes dinner. Usually with cubed pork cutlets and served with the milk gravey, corn, mashed taters, and always with homemade applesauce. Salad if there's makins'... one of my favorite comfort dinners of all time. Nancy