Nutty Chipotle Chicken / Black Bean Corn Salad / Apple Upside Down Cake

Nutty Chipotle Chicken with Ginger Chili Vinaigrette

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast
¼ cup green onion, chopped
1 cup honey roasted macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
½ cup fresh orange sections
2 tbs corn oil

Roast chicken breasts in a 350 degree oven for 20 - 30 minutes, or until done. Cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces. In a medium salad bowl, combine chicken, green onion, nuts, orange sections, and bell pepper. Serve with Ginger Chili Vinaigrette.

Ginger Chili Vinaigrette
½ tsp fresh ginger, minced
¾ tsp Chipotle pepper, chopped
¼ tsp onion, chopped
¼ garlic, chopped
1½ tsp pimientos, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
2 egg yolks
¼ cup tarragon vinegar
¼ cup fresh orange juice
½ cup corn oil

In a blender, combine ginger, Chipotle pepper, onion, garlic, pimientos, a pinch of salt and pepper, parsley, egg yolks, vinegar and orange juice. Blend well. Slowly add oil, blend well. Chill before serving.



Black Bean Salad in Bell Pepper Cups
2 15oz cans black beans, drained, rinsed
1 11oz can corn kernels, drained
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
¼ cup red onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh basil, chopped
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp pepper
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup light olive oil
5-6 red (or green) bell peppers
In a bowl, combine the black beans, corn, red pepper, green onions, red onions, garlic and basil. In a small bowl, combine the salt, sugar, pepper, wine vinegar and olive oil. Whisk until well mixed. Pour over the black bean mixture and toss. Spoon mixture into bell peppers.



Caramelized Apple Upside-down Cake
1 tbs unsalted butter
½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg
small apples, thinly sliced
Cake
6 tbs unsalted butter, soften
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 tbs cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup milk
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Lightly butter the sides of a 9 inch cake pan. Combine the butter, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small saucepan. Boil for 30 seconds. Pour mixture into cake pan and spread evenly. Place apples all over and press down slightly in mixture.
To make the cake, beat the butter and sugar in a mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until very smooth and fluffy. Sprinkle in flour, cornmeal, baki8ng powder and salt. Beat 10 seconds. Pour in the milk and beat until the batter is evenly moistened. Spoon the batter over the apples and smooth the top.
Bake 50 minutes, or until done. Run a knife around the outer edge of the cake to loosen. Place a plate over the cake, and then flip it over to invert the cake onto the plate. Let the cake cool completely before serving