A salad of green apple, prunes, celery and green onion tossed with an orange yogurt dressing and served on a bed of kale with wedges of hard-cooked egg and garnished with roasted sunflower seeds and alfalfa sprouts.

California Harvest Salad

1/2 cup unflavored nonfat yogurt
3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups green apples, diced
1/2 cup prunes, chopped
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1/3 cup green onion, sliced
4 each Kale leaves
6 Large Chino Valley fresh eggs, hard-cooked, quartered
2 tablespoons roasted sunflower seeds, garnish
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts, garnish

    Mix yogurt, orange juice concentrate and salt to blend.
    Add remaining ingredients except eggs, kale, sunflower seeds and alfalfa sprouts and toss well.
    Line serving plates with kale leaves and garnish with 6 egg quarters. Mound salad mixture in center.
    Garnish with sunflower seeds and alfalfa sprouts.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe provided courtesy of Chino Valley Ranchers.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 shallot, cut into thin slices
1/2 large acorn squash (about 18 ounces), peeled, halved, seeds removed, cut into 1 inch wedges
2 cloves garlic
2 spring thyme
4 cups wild arugula
1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
Method
Preheat oven to 350F.
Toss acorn squash with 1 tablespoon oil, garlic cloves, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
Place contents of bowl on baking sheet and put in center rack of oven. Cook until squash is tender and edges begin to caramelize, approx 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and set aside.
To make vinaigrette: place vinegar in small mixing bowl; while whisking, slowly pour in remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to emulsify. Add shallots and season to taste.
To assemble: In large mixing bowl, toss arugula with vinaigrette and pomegranate seeds.
Place arugula on four serving plates, divide the squash among the plates and tuck them in between the leaves. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts.
Nutrition Facts:
Calories 140
Total fat 8g
Saturated fat 1g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 220mg
Total carb 17g
Dietary fiber 5g
Sugar 4g
Protein 2g

I'm the appetizer man :D The most difficult part was finding a summer appetizer without pepper or any spice in it but I finally found it.

Stuffed Squash Blossom Bruschetta

" Squash blossoms have a subtle squash flavor and are very cute and feminine to use in a party like this "

Ingredients:
16 (1/2-ounce) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette
Cooking spray
2 garlic cloves, halved
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese $
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots (about 1 small)
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 large squash blossoms (about 3 cups)

Preparation

Prepare grill or grill pan.
-Place bread on grill rack or grill pan coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from grill. Rub cut sides of garlic over one side of each bread slice. Set aside.
-Preheat oven to 350°.
-Spoon ricotta onto several layers of heavy-duty paper towels; spread to 1/2-inch thickness. Cover with additional paper towels; let stand 15 minutes. Scrape into a bowl using a rubber spatula. Stir in Parmesan and next 4 ingredients . Gently spoon about 1 tablespoon ricotta mixture into each blossom. Gently press edges of blossoms to seal in cheese.
-Place stuffed blossoms in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Top each bread slice with 1 squash blossom; serve immediately.

http://img4-2.myrecipes.timeinc.net/i/recipes/ck/05/06/bruschetta-ck-1065505-x.jpg

First of all, thank you for keeping me!

It is hard to find desserts without chocolate. For a party with a bunch of young lady's, I don't want the dessert to be too heavy, so I have made for you Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting!

Enjoy!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

    8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
    ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
    ½ cup molasses
    1 egg
    ½ teaspoon vanilla
    ½ cup boiling water
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1½ cups all-purpose flour
    2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    1 teaspoon ground ginger
    1 teaspoon ground cloves
    1 teaspoon dried lemon zest
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    * * * * Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting * * * *
    8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
    1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
    ½ teaspoon vanilla
    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    2 teaspoons dried lemon zest
    1 teaspoon ground green cardamom

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease 12 standard-size muffin cups or line them with paper cups. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses, egg, and vanilla. In a small bowl, stir together the boiling water and the baking soda until dissolved. Stir the baking soda water into the molasses mixture.

2. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, lemon zest, and salt into a small bowl. Whisk the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until the batter is combined.

3. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of one or two of the cupcakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

4. While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting. Cream together the cream cheese and the sugar in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and cardamom and beat until fluffy and smooth. Chill the frosting in the refrigerator until ready to use.

5. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan. Place the cupcakes on a rack to cool for 30 minutes. Spread the cream cheese frosting generously over the cooled cupcakes.

Makes 12 cupcakes

REMEMBER TO PUT TITLES EVERYONE

Roasted Acorn Squash, Pomegranate and Arugula Salad

sorry bout that there is my dish name

Hello Jillain (lawers daughter)

I know Meat so this wouldnt be a problem.

so I made a Colorado Rack of Lamb with RainBow tomatos, Meatballs (no pepper) and BBQ sauce for the Lamb. I also put in Bacon sauce for the Meatballs (no pepper in the sauce)

Ingredents

Lamb
2 meatballs (not Snooki and Deena from the Jersey shore)
Ranbow Tomatos
BBQ sauce
Bacon Sauce

Directions

1. Start searing the Lamb to get it running

2. Get the Rainbow Tomatos ready

3. make the Bacon Sauce and the BBQ Sauce

4. Start cooking the lamb for Med-Rare

5. Start cooking the Meatballs

6. Put the Lamb on the plate

7. Pour the BBQ Sauce on the Lamb

8. Put the Rainbow Tomatos on the plate

9. Put the Meatballs on the plate.

10. Pour the Bacon Sauce on the Meatballs

11. Serve it to the butiful Girl.

And finally I also give you Coke Zero to wash all the meat away and it will have 0% fat.

Ok enjoy your entree Jillain and Call me ok?

Team 2 - SOUP

For my dish I have made one of my favorite soups, Chilled Gazpacho.
***Gazpacho Shots in Cucumber Cannons** (pictured here: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/gazpacho-shots-cucumber-cannons-10000001193359/ )

Ingredients

    English or seedless cucumbers
    3 large tomatoes, quartered and seeded
    2 shallots, minced
    1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro
    3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    2 cups vegetable or tomato juice
    Chopped cucumber

Preparation

Peel cucumbers and cut into 2-inch pieces. Scoop out insides, leaving 1/4 inch on the bottom, to create a cup. Set aside.
   
Combine tomatoes and the next 4 ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until blended but not smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Add vegetable juice, stirring until well blended. Cover and chill thoroughly before serving.

Pour gazpacho into cucumber cups, and sprinkle with chopped cucumber.

For my appetizer, I wanted to combine something that is savory and sweet and is also easy to pick up and eat. So I made:

Chicken, Pear & Gorgonzola Tarts

Ingredients:
8 bacon strips
1-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup finely chopped cooked chicken breast
1/3 cup pear nectar
1/4 cup finely chopped dried pears
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
2 teaspoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 packages (1.9 ounces each) frozen miniature phyllo tart shells
1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Directions:
1. Place bacon in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; broil 4 in. from the heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until crisp.
2. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over bacon.
3. Broil 1 minute longer or until bacon is glazed and bubbly. Drain on paper towels. Cool slightly and crumble.
4. In a small skillet, combine the chicken, pear nectar, pears, preserves, butter, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until thickened.
5. Spoon about 1 teaspoonful of filling into each tart shell; place tarts on a baking sheet.
6. Sprinkle with bacon and cheese.
7. Bake at 350° for 5-7 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm.

Picture:
http://hostedmedia.reimanpub.com/TOH/Images/Photos/37/exps41864_TH1443682D43C.jpg

I want something simple, and easy to cook, that teens like.

Grilled Chipotle Chorizo Chicken Sausage & Shrimp Kabobs

For the skewers
1 (12 ounce) package al fresco® Chipotle Chorizo Chicken Sausage, sliced on the bias 1/2 inch thick
1 pound shrimp, deveined
1 cup pineapple, fresh, 1-inch chunks
1/2 large green pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 large red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 large orange pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small zucchini, cut 1/2 diameter slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lime rind grated - & reserved for final garnish

Lime Marinade
2 limes, fresh, juice both, grate one
1 jalapeno pepper, fresh, seeded and cut into chunks
5 cloves garlic, fresh
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons turbinado sugar

Saffron Couscous
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 ounces Israeli couscous
1/2 cup white onion, diced 1/4 inch
1 teaspoon saffron
1/2 cup white wine
3 1/4 cups boiling water
Directions

Lime Marinade: Combine all ingredients in food processor. Puree until fine. Set aside.
Saffron Couscous: Coat a medium sauce pan with olive oil and saute the Israeli couscous and white onion over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the Saffron, saute for an additional 2 minutes. Lower the heat and add the white wine. Slowly add the boiling water. Cover and cook for 12 minutes or until couscous is light and fluffy.
Combine olive oil, green, red, & orange peppers. Coat vegetables well and pre-grill for 5-7 minutes.
Assemble skewers; slide one piece al fresco Chipotle Chorizo Chicken Sausage onto skewer, followed by pineapple, green pepper, shrimp, orange pepper, zucchini, and red pepper. Repeat pattern until skewer is full. Marinate in lime marinade, refrigerated for 1 hour.
Grill over a medium high flame, use a pastry brush to baste skewers with any free lime marinade. Grill 5 - 7 minutes per side or until shrimp turn opaque in color.

I made a Carrot Apple and Ginger Soup

Ingredients:

    1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + more for garnish
    1 small onion, diced (1 cup diced onion)
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
    1 large apple
    1.5 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped (~5 cups)
    4 cups vegetable broth (I used full sodium)
    pinch of nutmeg
    Kosher salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, add 1 tbsp olive oil over low-medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and ginger and cook for another couple minutes on low. Add chopped apple and carrots and cook for a few minutes more.

2. Add the vegetable broth, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender.

3. Carefully transfer this mixture into a blender (or you can use an immersion blender probably), add a pinch of nutmeg, and blend until smooth. You might need to do this in 2 batches depending on the size of your blender. You don’t want the soup more than halfway full or it might explode through the top. Make sure to allow steam to escape through the top of the blender lid too.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can also thin the soup out a bit with more broth. Serve and garnish with freshly ground pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. It goes lovely with fresh bread and Earth Balance. Makes 5 delicious cups!

Ok so, Matthew929 has been off for 9 days because he went on a trip but tbh, i have NO clue when he is coming back. So critiques will be posted tomro and results will be up either tomro or monday if he hasnt posted by then we know what happens.

koolmanmadden- I like this salad. I feel like this is something i would order. The yogurt and the orange juice idea was great! I feel like you could have gone a little bit further though!  But it was still good!

Realchance- I LOVE this dish! The ingredients are amazing together and the acorn squash completes it! You did fantastic this week!

Tuninho- The thing about your dishes is that they never stop improving. Sometimes bruschetta is hard to make good but you did an outstanding job here.

epstar-59- This totally makes up for last week. Gingerbread can go well with so many things but Cream Cheese frosting tops it all!

jman96- Yet another good dish!You have grown so much between season 1 and now its crazy! You still have yet to give a bad dish!

Topher- Although i am a fan of Gazpacho, i feel like you could have gone even further with this dish. A tad simple for me.

rstar2468 This is not your best at all. The pear throws everything off. It could have been much better.

DanielvkEasily your best challenge to date. You dish really shined tonight. Be proud this was an amazing week for you!

Kizza- This is good but definetly not great. Soup is difficult to make fantastic but although i did like your dish you probally could have done more.

Thanks :D

kool- i liked it! it mixed very well

real- AMAZING! your best dish to date! in  my opinion!

tun- that dish surprised me here in a very good way!

epstar- i'm a huge fan of gingerbread! you made it work very well!

jman- great dish!

topher- it was alright, too simple like cam said

rstar- idk what happened but this was one of your worst dishes yet to date sorry :(

daniel- huge improvement! this was amazing!

kizza- i thought it was great! it mixed very well!