Cranberry-Almond-Orange Caramel Corn

Oh my, this is good. We had to make a second batch because we kept eating it as it came out of the oven!

12 cups popped popcorn (1/2 c. kernels)
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup whole almonds
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup light-color corn syrup
2 Tbsp. orange juice
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 275. In a very large bowl combine the popped popcorn, cranberries, and almonds; set aside.

In a 2-qt. saucepan cook and stir the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup over medium heat until butter is melted. Stir in orange juice. Bring to boiling over medium heat. Boil at a moderate, steady rate for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and baking soda (mixture will foam up).

Pour the syrup mixture over the popcorn mixture in bowl; stir to coat well. Transfer to a cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring twice. Transfer caramel corn to a large sheet of greased heavy foil; cool.

Makes 20 (1/2 cup) servings.

Campbell's Chicken and Rice Casserole

1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
2 cups fresh or frozen vegetables
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


1.Stir the soup, water, rice, vegetables and onion powder in a 12 x 8 inch shallow baking dish.
2.Top with chicken. Season chicken as desired. Cover.
3.Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes or until done. Top with cheese.

Byerly's Wild Rice Soup

6 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked wild rice
1/2 cup finely grated carrots
1/3 cup minced ham
3 tablespoons chopped slivered almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup half and half
2 tablespoons dry sherry, (optional)
snipped fresh parsley or chives

In large saucepan, melt margarine; saute onion until tender. Blend in flour; gradually add broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil; boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in rice, carrots, ham, almonds and salt; simmer about 5 minutes. Blend in half and half and sherry; heat to serving temperature. Garnish with snipped parsley or chives.
Amount: 6 cups.

Tip: One-half cup uncooked wild rice=1 1/2 to 2 cups, cooked.

Barley Risotto with Root Veggies and Kale

This recipe is from the cool website Grill-A-Chef, by Chef Joshua whom I recently "met" when he appeared on "Chopped" in my living room. :)

1 qt. stock (chicken or veggie)
1 cup pearl barley
3/4 cups of root veggies 1/2" dice (carrot, sweet potato, celery root, turnip,
1/2 of a diced onion
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 cup of kale, sliced (tightly packed)
2 tbsps butter (or extra virgin olive oil)
1/4 cup grated hard cheese

1. Over medium high heat bring the stock to a simmer. Drop in the barley and boil it until the ends just start to burst and it is chewy, but cooked. This should take around 20 minutes but may take up to 30 depending on your barley.
2. Strain the barley, reserving the stock.
3. Heat a 6-8 qt. stock or sauce pot over medium heat, add enough vegetable oil to coat and drop in your root veggies with a few tbsps of stock to moisten. Toss every few minutes until they're just about fork tender. about 6-8 minutes.
4. Add in the onion and sliced garlic, cooking for another two minutes.
5. Add the barley and kale and mix it well. Put in enough stock to barely submerge the entire lot. Set the heat to medium high.
6. As this starts to boil, stir it well. Wait until it reduces such that you can only see bubbles peeking out the edges of the pan (see pic) This may take several minutes, so be patient.
7. Add the butter (or oil) and cheese and stir it in, continuing to cook until the liquid is almost gone. Like a good pasta it should be saucy, but not wet. When you put it on a plate it should hold a firm mound without leaking puddles of liquid - - - that's the goal anyway.

Salmon with Lentils & Orange-Basil Dressing

2 1/4 cups water
1 cup brown lentils
salt and pepper
4 6-oz. salmon fillets
1-2 navel oranges
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
2 medium shallots, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400. In 2-qt saucepan, combine water, lentils, and 1/2 tsp. salt; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, spray 13x9 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange salmon in prepared dish, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast salmon 15-20 minutes or just until opaque throughout.

While salmon is roasting, prepare orange-basil dressing: From oranges, grate 1 tsp. peel and squeeze 1/3 cup juice. In small bowl, whisk orange peel and juice with mustard, 2 Tbsp. oil, salt and pepper. Stir in basil.

In non stick 10-inch skillet, heat remaining 1 tsp. oil over medium heat. Add shallots and cook 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in lentils. Remove skillet from heat; stir in parsley and half of dressing (about 1/4 cup).

Spread lentil mixture on platter. Arrange salmon on top of lentils and drizzle with remaining dressing.