Puttanesca Sauce

 1 cup diced onions

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1 Tablespoon olive oil

5 1/2 to 6 cups  chopped fresh or undrained canned tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

 1 1/2 Tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

10 large calamata olives, pitted and chopped (about 3 Tablespoons)

2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

          Combine the onions, garlic, and onion in a saucepan, cover, and saute for about 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally.  While the onions cook, chop the tomatoes--you can chop or crush canned tomatoes right in the can. Add the tomatoes to the saucepan.  Stir in the oregano, red pepper flakes, capers, olives, and parsley. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes, or a little longer.  Serve over cooked pasta with grated parmesan cheese.

TIM'S NOTES:  I buy the canned tomatoes already diced.  No mess, no fuss.  I think the 26 ounce can is about 3 cups, so you will need 2 cans.  I like to eat this with a hearty pasta like penne, but it would be good with bow ties, or rotini...a bigger pasta.  Also, if you can get whole pitted calamata olives it will save you a lot of time and frustration. The sauce is naturally gluten free, but to be totally gluten free, serve with gluten free pasta.

                                                           Cheese Chowder

1/2 cup coarsely shredded carrot

1/2 cup chopped celery

3/4 cup boiling water

14 cup chopped onion

3 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 1 3/4 cups hot water

1 1/2 cups sharp process American Cheese

          In a small saucepan, cook carrots and celery in boiling water until tender.  Do not drain.

           In a larger sauce pan, cook onion in butter until just tender.  Stir in flour.  Gradually add milk.  Stir and cook until thick.  Add broth, cheese and vegetables (with cooking liquid).  Stir over low heat until cheese melts.  Snip parsley atop.  Makes six servings.  

TIM'S NOTES:  This was one of my favorite soups when I was in college.  We used to get it for lunch at the Food Service once in awhile.  Unfortunately, one semester, I had a class over the noon hour and I wasn't able to eat lunch.  However, when I saw Cheese chowder on the menu, I would skip class! This recipe is close in taste to the Cheese Chowder I used to get at the University of Montana.

I do not use American Cheese in this recipe.  I use sharp cheddar. To make it gluten free, I use potato starch to thicken instead of flour. Use whatever kind of milk you want, but it is really good with whole milk (3.5% milkfat).

Chocolate Chip Cookies

(1/2 #) 1 pound butter

(1 c.) 2 cups brown sugar

(3/4 c.) 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

(1T.) 2 Tablespoons vanilla

(2) 3 eggs

(3 c.) 6 cups flour

(3/4 t.) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

(3/4 t.) 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

(12 oz) 12 ounces chocolate chips

(1 c.) 2 cups chopped nuts

          Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla.  Mix well. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add slowly to egg mixture.  Mix in chocolate chips and nuts. Roll into balls.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies look done, but DO NOT BROWN!!! These are albino chocolate chip cookies.

TIM'S NOTES: In the first school I taught at, I made these cookies for all my high school students' birthdays.  In the three years I was there, I made over 700 chocolate chip cookies. This is the recipe I used. This recipe works well if you cut it in half.  The half recipe is in parenthesis. If you cut the recipe in half, you will find you can't use 1 1/2 eggs, so use 2 instead. It will make them moister. Only use real butter and real vanilla. I did not add the nuts, either.  They can be optional. When making half a recipe, I use one 12 ounce package of chocolate chips. When making a whole recipe, I use two packages.  I like chocolate. Another thing I remember about this recipe is when creaming the butter and sugars, beat until it no longer tastes grainy.  I used to use semi sweet chocolate chips for these cookies, but I find the older I get, the more I like milk chocalte.  Milk chocolate chips would also work. 

Southwestern Chicken

1/2 cup taco sauce
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons lime juice
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 Tablespoons butter
6 Tablespoons plain yogurt or sour cream
6 lime slices (optional)
chopped cilantro

Mix taco sauce, mustard and lime juice in a large bowl.  Add chicken and turn to coat both sides.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Melt butter in large skillet. Remove chicken from marinade and brown in skillet for 5-8 minutes on each side. Add marinade and cook for 5 more minutes. or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a warm platter, and continue cooking marinade until thickened. Pour over chicken.  Top each serving with 1 Tablespoon plain yogurt or sour cream, and garnish with lime and cilantro if desired.

TIM'S NOTES: I don't know if you've noticed, but chicken breast halves these days are pretty big and thick. (At least the ones I bought.) In my 10 inch cast iron skillet, I could fit four chicken breasts. If you have an extra large pan, you might be able to do all six.  If not, this recipe works with four just fine.  The other problem I had was that the breasts were too thick on one end.  I barely got them cooked through in 5-8 minutes on each side (plus the extra 5 with the added marinade). I think next time, I might butterfly the breasts a bit, or at least the thick part.  You might not be able to get all the breasts in the pan at the same time!  In this case, I would cook them through completely (and the 5-8 minutes per side would probably be enough) in batches, and remove to a platter.  The extra marinade could then be added to the pan and cooked until thickened, which didn't seem to take very long.

Make sure when you buy the taco sauce that it is indeed taco sauce and not some sort of salsa with vegetable chunks.  You want a smooth sauce.  You can vary the heat in this dish by buying the appropriate taco sauce: mild, medium, or hot.  I chose the medium, and it seemed about right.  There was a little heat, but it didn't overwhelm the flavor of the dish.