Red Lentil Soup ("Mercemek")

This is an awesome Turkish recipe that my neighbor gave to me!  It's awesome!  And hopefully our new little one will love it when we bring him home!

Ingredients:
2 cups red lentils
1 chopped onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups vegetable broth (or chicken)
2 cups water
1 cubed potato
1 chopped carrot
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper

Directions:
1.  In large pot, saute red lentils and onion in olive oil.
2.  Add broth, water, and rest of ingredients to pot.  Bring to a boil, turn heat down, and simmer for about 45 minutes or until lentils are soft.
3.  Puree soup with hand blender or stand blender.
4.  Pour into serving bowls and add a splash of lemon juice to each bowl.

Mona's Awesome Chicken Stuff :)

Another great recipe!

Depending on how much your making you need at least 2-3 cans of cream of mushroom soup (or cream soup).  Prehaeat oven to 325.  Sprinkle salt and garlic on thawed chicken breasts.  Heat frying pan, add oil and place 4 to 6 chicken breasts (I used boneless) in pan.  Brown the chicken til you no longer have raw meat on the outside of the chicken. 
Remove chicken from pan and and add 1 cup of onion, fry for a few minutes, then add 1 cup of white wine (you do not have to do this, but I think it gives it a richer flavor, so if you don't have the wine you can skip this).  Stir in pan and let this simmer for about 7 mins.  You're also trying to pick up all the flavor of the chicken that has been left in the pan.  Next add your cream soup along w/about 1-2 Cups chicken broth (or water, but better flavor w/broth) depending on how many cans of soup your using and how thick you would like your gravy.  Mix soup in w/mixture and allow to simmer.  Place chicken in baking pan and pour mixture over chicken.  Bake at least 30 minutes, covered.  Serve over pasta, rice or potatoes. 

Karen's Potato Salad

This was the yummiest potato salad I've ever had!

Here are the ingredients:

1 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
2 T white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt (good Kosher or sea salt is best!)
1 tsp sugar
pepper to taste and generous amount of parsley
onion, finely chopped
celery, chopped to preference
potatoes - reds or whites chopped to prefer size

I usually make enough that I need a double batch of the dressing!

Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes

Ingredients:

8 oz semisweet mini chocolate chips
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
12 small Peppermint Patties

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.  Place chocolate and butter in medium bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir.  Repeat with 20 second intervals in the microwave, stirring after each, until fully melted.  Whisk together.

2.  Whisk in sugar and salt until mixture is smooth; whisk in eggs to combine.  Gently whisk in flour and cocoa just until smooth (do not overmix).

3.  Spoon 1 Tbsp of batter into each lined cup.  Place 1 peppermint patty into each dollop of batter, gently pressing into batter.  Top with 2 more Tbsp of batter, covering patty completely.  Smooth batter if needed.  Bake, rotating tin halfway through baking time until a cake tester inserted half-way into centers comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before removing cupcakes.