Recipe Notes

Original recipe in http://www.recipeamerica.com/

Ingredients (serves 8)

Main Ingredients	Actual
1 head broccoli
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small red bell (sweet) pepper	I used half of a large pepper
1/3 cup thinly sliced leek	white part only
1/2 tsp dried thyme	I used about 4 key limes, which are smaller.
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Steps

1	Wash & trim the broccoli.
2	Cut the flores so they have a 1" stem and are about 1" across.
3	In a 10" round pie plate, arrange the florets in the center with the stems around the outside.
4	Sprinkle the broccoli with 2 Tbsp of water.
5	Cover and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
6	Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes.
7	Uncover and drizzle with olive oil.
8	Sprinkle the peppers, leeks, and thyme over the top.
9	Re-cover and microwave on high for 1 minute.
10	Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes.
11	Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Recipe Notes

Original recipe in http://www.tostitos.com/recipe.php

Ingredients (serves 8)

Main Ingredients	Actual
2 ripe avocados
3 sliced green onions
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup sour cream
2 limes for juice and zest	I used about 4 key limes, which are smaller.
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar salsa (size not mentioned)	I used a little over a cup of salsa.
1 bag tortilla chips	We have some guacamole chips that are very delicious.

Steps

1	Peel and mash avocados and sprinkle with lime juice; season with salt and pepper.
2	Place as a layer on the bottom of a 9" pie plate.
3	Mix sour cream with lime juice and zest, and chopped green onions.
4	Spoon mixture over avocado layer.
5	Add a layer of black beans.
6	Add a layer of salsa.
7	Sprinkle top with shredded cheese.

Recipe Notes

Original recipe on the Safeway package of yellow split peas.

Ingredients (serves 12)

Main Ingredients	Actual
2 Tbsp olive oil	I used canola oil.
2 onions	finely chopped
2 carrots	finely chopped
2 celery stalks	finely chopped
1 kg (2 lb) ham hocks (about 3)	I used 2 pork hocks
750 g ham steak
4 bay leaves
3 L (12 cups) water	Next time, I will try using only 10 cups of water and see if that thickens the soup a little. Also I may try using a vegetable broth instead of water to improve the flavor a bit.
500 g yellow split peas
5 mL	dried thyme

Steps

1	Chop the onions, carrots, celery, and ham steak into small pieces.
2	In a large soup pot, heat the canola oil over a high heat.
3	Saute onions, carrots, and celery for about 6 minutes.
4	Add pork hocks, chopped ham, bay leaves and water.
5	Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered for 2 - 2.5 hours.
6	Remove pork hocks and bones.
7	Shred meat from pork hocks into small pieces and return to stock. Discard bones.
8	Add split peas and thyme.
9	Simmer, uncovered for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
10	Remove bay leaves.

Here are a few photos:

Recipe Notes

Original recipe in http://www.spinachrecipes.org/baked-creamed-spinach.html

Ingredients (serves 4) (I halved the original recipe which called for two pounds of spinach)

Main Ingredients	Actual
2 lb fresh spinach	1 lb fresh spinach
1.5 cups milk	0.75 cups 1% milk
1 cup chedder cheese, grated	1 cup cheddar cheese, grated (I like cheese, so decided not to halve this item)
2 tbsp butter	1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour	1 tbsp flour
1 teaspoon salt	omit
pinch of pepper	pinch of pepper
pinch of nutmeg	pinch of nutmeg

Steps

1	Trim and wash the spinach. This took awhile to cut off all the stems from the spinach leaves.
2	Place in a large pot with water still on the leaves.
3	Cover and cook until wilted.
4	Allow to cool, then squeeze out the excess water.
5	In a saucepan, melt the butter; then add the flour.
6	Whisk and gently cook for 3 - 4 minutes.
7	Add milk and bring to a boil.
8	Add the pepper and nutmeg.
9	Cook for about 5 - 6 minutes, stirring often.
10	Add the spinach and 1/2 cup cheese to the sauce. Mix thoroughly.
11	Spoon into a baking dish, then top with 1/2 cup of cheese.
12	Bake covered at 375 F (190 C) for 20 minutes.
13	Serve as desired.

Here are a few photos: