Roasted Squash with Buttered Pine Nuts & Feta
Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 lb delicata and/or acorn squash
- 4 oz block of feta
- Garlic (7 cloves)
- 2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ lemon (juice)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 450 F.
- Trim stems of squash and cut in half through their root ends. Use a spoon to scoop out seeds and stringy bits. Cut each squash crosswise into 1-inch-thick wedges. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Lightly smash 7 garlic cloves. Add five of them to the baking sheet, leaving them in their skins. Peel the remaining 2 garlic cloves and set aside.
- Drizzle the squash and garlic with 3 tbsp of olive oil. Season with 2 tsp of salt and lots of pepper. Arrange the pieces of squash cut side down. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Using tongs, flip the squash and return to the over for another 10-15 minutes. Squash should be tender and deeply charred on both sides.
- While squash is cooking, heat 4 tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Add ⅓ cup pine nuts, stirring often, turn heat to low. Once the sauce begins to golden, grate the remaining 2 garlic cloves directly into the saucepan. Remove from heat and set aside, giving it one more good stir.
- Cut the feta into ¼-inch-thick slices and crumble over the cooked squash. Remove the cooked garlic cloves from the baking sheet, and spoon the pine nut sauce over everything.
- Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle lemon juice, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Tamara’s Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 8–12 potatoes
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp garlic salt
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 8 oz sour cream
- Parmesan cheese to taste
- Paprika to taste
- Butter to taste
Instructions:
- Peel and boil potatoes until just tender.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Drain water and mash the potatoes, add garlic powder, salt, cream cheese, and sour cream. Mix well.
- Add potatoes to a 9×13 baking dish, place slices of butter evenly over the top of the potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika and parmesan.
- Bake for 1 hour.
Felicia’s Greek Lemon Chicken & Rice
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- 1 lb chicken pieces
- Salt & pepper
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp oregano
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 2 heads of garlic, tops cut off
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large oven-safe pan.
- Cook chicken in oil until golden (4-5 mins), set aside.
- Add onion to pan, cook until golden.
- Add chopped garlic and rice to the pan. Cook 1-2 mins.
- Add broth and let simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Mix in oregano and lemon juice, add the chicken and garlic heads with cut side up.
- Cover pan and roast in oven until rice is cooked and garlic is soft and golden (about 30-45 mins)
- Squeeze garlic cloves out of heads and mix in.

Tonja’s Slow-Roasted Artichoke & Sundried Tomato Chicken
Ingredients:
- 4 large chicken breasts
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes
- ½ cup marinated artichoke hearts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup broth
- Salt & pepper
- Optional: 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- On a stovetop, heat olive oil over medium heat in dutch oven.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, both sides.
- Add to heated oil, brown on each side (approx. 3 minutes each)
- Add broth, tomatoes and artichokes.
- Cover with lid, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Transfer to serving dish, add parmesan cheese if desired.
Choctaw Persimmon Cake (Chahta ukof palvska champali)
Ingredients:
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp softened butter
- 1 cup persimmon purée (6-8 persimmons, not too soft, blended)
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Pour into a well greased and floured bread pan.
- Bake for about 40 minutes.

Cranberry Brie Bites
Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour, for dusting the dough and cutting board
- 8 oz crescent dough sheet (or crescent rolls)
- 8 0z wheel of brie cheese
- 1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce (not jellied)
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F degrees. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Spread a little flour out onto your counter. Then roll out crescent dough sheet. If using crescent rolls, pinch the seams together to make one long sheet.
- Cut crescent roll dough into 24 equal-sized squares. Place squares into muffin tin slots.
- Cut brie into small pieces and place inside the crescent dough squares. Top with a generous spoonful of cranberry sauce, and a little sprig of rosemary.
- Bake until the crescent dough is a light golden brown (about 15 minutes). Then serve warm!
Feel-Better Chicken & Rice Soup
Ingredients:
- ¾ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- ⅓ cup jasmine rice, rinsed
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 2″ piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- 2 small sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½”-thick rounds
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- ½ bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
- Bring chicken, rice, garlic, ginger, and 5 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add a big pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until rice has swelled and chicken is firm, 10–12 minutes.
- Add potatoes to pan and cook over medium-low heat, still uncovered and stirring occasionally, until soup is thickened and potatoes and rice are tender, 15–20 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to a bowl and shred with 2 forks, then return to pot. Stir in lemon juice and soy sauce; taste soup and season with salt if needed.
- Divide soup among bowls. Top with cilantro and lots of black pepper.
Marry Me Chicken
Ingredients:
- 3 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts sliced into thin cutlets
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- ⅓ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves
Instructions:
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour and shake off any excess.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil and melt the butter on medium heat. Swirl pan to coat with oil and butter evenly.
- Brown the chicken (do not overcrowd and work in batches if needed) for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer onto a plate, cover, and set aside.
- Saute the garlic for a minute or until it’s fragrant. Add the chicken stock, and deglaze the pan, scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Adjust the heat to medium-low, and add the heavy cream and the parmesan cheese to the skillet. Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple of minutes, then season with chili flakes, thyme, and oregano.
- Season with salt and pepper to your taste, add the sundried tomatoes then put the chicken back in the sauce and let the sauce simmer and thicken for a few more minutes.
- Garnish with chopped fresh basil leaves and serve warm over pasta or rice.