Mix the grated ginger, Garam Masala, ground coriander, chili powder, cumin, garlic, salt, cardamom and peppercorns in a bowl.  Add the yogurt and tomato paste and mix well.  Add the chicken and mix to coat.  Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

Heat the butter and oil in a large, deep skillet.  Add the onions and cook on medium-high until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Turn the heat up to high and add the chicken and the marinade.  Stir constantly for 5 minutes or so until the ingredients are fully incorporated together and bubbling.  Lower the heat to medium and add the water and bay leaves.  Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the cream and cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Taste and add salt to your taste.

Serve with spiced rice:

Spiced Rice
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups water
5 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
1 TBS vegetable oil
1 TBS salt

Heat the oil, cloves, bay leaf, salt and cinnamon in a pot.  Add the rice and stir to coat.  Add water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and cover for 20 minutes.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don’t trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it’s completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.

Drizzle 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.

See Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

Cream:
24oz Mascarpone Cheese at room temperature
2 Lemons, zested and juiced
2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tbs heavy cream

Using a paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone cheese, sugar and zest together. Add the lemon juice and cream quickly, being careful to not overbeat the mixture.

Fruit:
Hull and slice 2 pints of fresh strawberries
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh raspberries

Using a large bowl or trifle bowl, start with a layer of the pound cake.
The cream will be thick, so drop large dollops across the surface and use a rubber spatula to spread it across the cake.
Layer the fruit generously
Continue with the layers until you have run out of ingredients, or bowls.
(I recommend using more bowls if you run out of space in the first bowl before you run out of ingredients!)
Serve with the blueberry sauce from the pound cake recipe that you already made!
If you are serving adults only, and want to skip the blueberry sauce, drizzle the poundcake with something yummy like Starbucks Cream Liquor or Tripple Sec to keep the cake moist.

Baby Spinach
Chicken Tenders

Tzatziki Sauce

1/2 Hot House Cucumber, grated
1 C Greek yogurt
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 tsp chopped garlic
1 T freshly chopped dill
1 T freshly chopped chives
salt and pepper to taste

Relish
1/2 Hot House Cucumber, chopped
1/2 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 T freshly chopped dill
1 T freshly chopped chives
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients for the relish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

In a freezer bag, marinate the chicken tenders in 3/4 c of the sauce for at least 2 hours.
Remove from the marinade and grill for 2-3 minutes per side. Slice and serve.

Build the salad with the baby spinach first, then the relish, then the sliced chicken.
Top with the sauce as desired.

2 cans of chick peas, drained

Cake:
16 oz mascarpone cheese (room temperature)
16 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBS fresh orange zest
2 tsp orange juice
4 large eggs (room temperature)

(To turn this into a standard cheesecake, simply use vanilla extract and lemon juice instead of orange. Experiment with different types of extracts like almond or peppermint too!)

Wrap a 9 inch spring form pan in aluminum foil and preheat the oven to 350.

In a food processor, grind the almonds, crackers and sugar into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and continue to grind until the butter is well incorporated. Pour the crumbs into thespring form pan and press across the bottom and 1 inch up the sides. Bake the crust for 13 to 15 minutes. Cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325.
In a stand mixer, cream the mascarpone, cream cheese and sugar together, scraping down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Add the extract, zest and juice and continue to mix until well incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time mixing until the yellows just disappear. Scrape down the bowl one more time and mix for a few seconds more.
Pour the mixture into the cooled crust and place it in a large roasting pan on a rack in the middle of the oven. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of thespring form pan. (This water bath helps ensure even heat distribution)
Bake for 1 hour, 10 minutes. The cake will still move slightly in the middle but will become firm as it cools. Remove the cake from the water bath and cool for 1 hour at room temperature beforetransferring to the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
Top with additional orange zest when serving.

(this makes a huge pot that our family of 3 can eat on for several days, but the recipe can be easily reduced without compromise)

Cube and boil the potatoes until they are fork tender. Drain and set aside.
(To keep from messing up the kitchen too much) Wipe out the potato pot and fry the chopped bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon, reserving the drippings and to them add the butter and garlic. (I didn’t promise healthy, but it sure is yummy!) Add the flour and whisk until well combined and thick.
Have all of your liquids ready to go at one time. Working quickly, whisk in the broth, milk, cream and beer. Run your whisk or spoon around the edges of the pot to make sure you have pulled up all of the flour. Once all the liquid is incorporated, whisk in the sour cream and paprika.
Bring the mixture to a boil and check the consistency. If it is still too thick, add more broth until it is the consistency you like for your potato soup. Once the soup begins to boil, lower the heat and add the cheese, stirring to melt it into the soup.
Finish it off with the salt and pepper, snipped chives and crispy bacon.
(It tastes even better after a night in the fridge!)

In a large skillet lightly coat the bottom with olive oil, heat and then brown the sausage, onion and garlic together for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and add the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the spinach and turn to coat. Cook until the spinach is wilted and the broth has evaporated.
In a large pasta pot, boil the shells in batches and let them cool in a casserole dish.
In a large bowl, cube the cream cheese and add 3/4c Parmesan cheese and the torn basil.
Pour the sausage mixture over the cheese and begin stirring to melt the cheeses and incorporate through.
Move the shells to a plate or board and dry out the casserole dish. Stuff the cheese mixture into the shells and line up in the casserole dish (they will be packed in a standard 9×11 pan.)
Spread any remaining stuffing around the shells in the pan. Top with mozzarella, the tomato sauce and the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan.
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Let it rest for about 5 minutes and then serve immediately.

In a large stock pot, cover the chicken with water. Add salt and pepper and cover with a lid. Boil the chicken until done – about 30 minutes.
Drain the chicken and set aside to cool before pulling it apart.
In the same pot, heat the olive oil and add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Saute 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
On a floured surface, roll out each biscuit until about 1/8 inch in thickness. Cut lengthwise in half and then across. (you should be able to get 8 to 10 dumplings from each biscuit) Re-flour your surface often to ensure each dumpling is coated with flour. The flour makes the broth thick later on!
Pull the chicken apart and chop as needed, discarding any fatty or tough pieces.
Add the chicken to boiling stock
Stir in the cream of chicken soup
Slow drop in 3 to 4 dumplings at a time. Once all of the dumplings are in, cover (and resist the urge to stir) and just leave it alone for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, open the lid and stir the dumplings around gently. Cover the pot and let them cook for another 10 minutes.

You can serve immediately or let it cool and refrigerate. To heat it up for the next day, pour it into a crock pot and reheat it for about 2 hours on medium before serving.