3 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced

3 granny smith apples, peeled and sliced

Rub 2 T butter in bottom of 9×13. Alternate potatoes & apples layering on an angle (like if you spread out a deck of cards). You can usually fit 3 rows across the pan.

melt 4T butter with 3 T flour

then add:

3/4 c maple syrup

1/4 c brown sugar

cook until thick and pour over apples/potatoes

Bake at 400 for 30 min covered. Remove cover and bake another 10-15 minutes.

Lentil/Sausage Bake1/2 cup dry lentils
1 cup leftover sausage
1 lb spinach,
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
1 cup crumbled feta cheeseBoil lentils in water for 45 mins. until tender. Drain. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Wilt spinach in the same pan. Combine with lentils and spread in greased baking dish. Pour a little chicken broth over top, maybe 3/4 cup. Top with crumbled feta. Bake covered for 20 mins. then uncovered for 15 mins. Serve with pasta.Tom thought it would be good with a little tomato sauce instead of the chicken broth. He also added hot sauce to his.

Kale and Walnut Salad

3 large bunches of Green Kale, washed
6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
½ tsp. sea salt

For Walnuts:
3 cups of chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
Large pinch of sea salt

1. Remove stems from kale and rip leaves into small pieces.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add kale for about 30 seconds, then drain out the water and place kale immediately in cold water to stop from cooking.
3. Squeeze the kale in your hands to drain out all the water, then loosen up the leaves again and place in large bowl.
4. Combine oil, maple syrup and salt and mix well. Then pour over kale and toss.
5. To prepare nuts, toss chopped walnuts with the oil, maple syrup and salt. Place nuts on a tray lined with parchment paper and toast in over/toaster oven at 325 ° F. until nuts are a golden color inside.
6. Add walnuts to kale, toss and serve.

Chicken Curry (This is a regular lunch and/or dinner at our house. Somehow it turns out slightly different every time we make it. It has only been bad once. That was the time Vincent thought he would add a teaspoon of every type of curry we had in the spice drawer: eight different curries in one dish was NOT a good idea. (The original recipe comes from The Kids’ Multicultural Cookbook: Food and Fun Around the World by Deanna F. Cook)

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1-3 tablespoons curry powder (depending on how spicy you like it)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups canned coconut milk
• Optional: raisins, chopped apple
• Garnish: chopped nuts

Brown chicken and onion in oil for about 5-7 minutes. Remove from pan. Melt butter and add garlic and curry powder. Cook for about a minute. Add coconut milk and raisins or apples, if using. Return chicken to pan, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve over rice, garnished with chopped nuts, if desired. Serves 4.

Filipino Chicken Adobo This recipe comes from the March/April 2012 edition of Cook’s Illustrated magazine.

• 8 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2-3 pounds)
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 8 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 scallion, sliced thin

Toss chicken with soy sauce and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. Reserving soy sauce, transfer chicken to skillet, skin-side down. Over medium high heat brown chicken for about 7-10 minutes. While chicken is browning, whisk remaining ingredients (except scallion). Add mixture to chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook, uncovered, until chicken is done – about 15 more minutes. Remove chicken, discard bay leaves and thicken sauce over medium high heat for about 5-7 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken, garnish with scallion. Serve with rice.