Here is a new one I made last week. Unbelievably good as a side, but I think it would make a nice entree served over rice or orzo, too. Grilled Ratatouille Source: Rachel Ray Magazine 3 large tomatoes, halved crosswise 2 bell peppers, quartered 2 zucchini, thickly sliced lengthwise 1 eggplant, thickly sliced lengthwise 1 onion, thickly sliced crosswise 1 head garlic, halved crosswise 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar Preheat a grill to medium-high. On a large baking sheet, arrange the tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, onion and garlic in a single layer. Brush with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the vegetables to the grill and cook, turning once, until just tender and slightly charred, about 5 minutes for the tomatoes, 8 minutes for the peppers, zucchini and eggplant and 10 minutes for the onions and garlic. Return to the baking sheet and let stand until cool enough to handle. Chop the peppers, zucchini, eggplant and onions into ½-inch pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Squeeze out the garlic cloves, finely chop and add to the bowl. Working over the bowl, slip off and discard the tomato skins and remove the cores, then crush the tomatoes with your hands and add to the bowl. Add the olives and vinegar, season with salt and pepper and toss. 1/28/10 This is incredible! I subbed a carrot for the eggplant. Could easily sub black olives for the kalamata. I also grilled them on my cast iron stove-top grill pan. Worked well.

Here's my avorite recipe, I've made it many times. Siam Restaurant's General Tso's Chicken 1/2 cup cornstarch 1/4 cup water 11/2teaspoons minced garlic 11/2 teaspoons minced gingerroot 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup cup white vinegar 1/4 cup sherry 11/2 cups hot chicken broth 1 teaspoon MSG(monosodium gluconate), optional 3 lbs. deboned dark chicken meat, cut into large chunks 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 teaspoon white pepper 1 egg About 1 cup cornstarch 1 cup vegetable oil, plus more for stir-frying 2 cups diced green onion 16 small dried hot peppers To make sauce, mix 1/2 cup cornstarch and the water together. Add garlic, ginger, sugar, 1/2 cup soy sauce, the vinegar and wine. Add chicken broth and MSG, if desired, and stir until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until needed. In seperate bowl, mix chicken, 1/4 cup soy sauce and the white pepper. Stir in the egg. Add about 1 cup cornstarch, until chicken is coated evenly. Add 1 cup oil to seperate pieces. Divide chicken into small quantities and deep-fry @ 350 until crispy. Drain on paper towel. Place a small amout of oil in a wok and heat until wok is hot. Add green onions and peppers and stir-fry briefly. Stir sauce and add to wok. Place chicken in sauce and cook until sauce thickens, adding water or cornstarch as needed for the right consistency. Serve with rice. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Nancy

Finally getting back to this thread! LOL! Here's the recipe as written.....and made by me for a lot of years. But in recent years I have modifyed it. You will notice that it is basically 3 cups of nuts and 3 cups of fruit...plus 1/2 cup raisins. So I make up the 3 cups of nuts out of pecans, walnuts and hazel nuts....I don't particularly like Brazil nuts and I love hazel nuts! And I don't like marischino cherries at all.....so I make up my 3 cups of fruit with candied pineapple, cut up pieces of dried apricots....some candied peel and candied cherries and dried cranberrys.....and of course the raisins....got to have raisins!! Then proceed as directed Fruit cake....makes 1 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf 1 1/2 c. shelled whole brazil nuts 1 1/2 walnut halves ( I use 3/4 c walnuts and 3/4 c. pecans) 1 c. pitted dates. 1 c. candied orange peel ( I also, substitute some candied pineapple for some of the orange peel) 1/2 c red marischino cherries, drained a long time!! 1/2 c green marischino cherries...NOT the mint flavored kind!! also drained 1/2 white sultana raisins 3/4 c sifted flour 3/4 c. sugar 1/2 t. baking powder 1/2 t. salt 3 eggs 1 t. vanilla Mix fruit and nuts. mix dry ingredients and sift over the fruit and nuts, tossing to coat evenly. Beat eggs until light and fluffy, add vanilla, and add to the fruit mix, tossing to mix but gently!! Butter a loaf pan ( actually you should have done this before you started!) line it with parchment and butter the parchment. Place mixture in pan, pressing down to eliminate air bubbles and bake 300deg. for 1/1/2 to 1 3/4 hrs....test with a toothpick. I soak with brandy and wrap in cheese cloth and foil and a plastic bag and store in the refrig. for at least a month. Keeps for years as long as you replenish the brandy from time to time to keep it from molding! Of course you can save some of the nut halves to decorate the top before baking if you want to be fancy schmancy. Enjoy!! Linda

There are good fats, like natural oils. I use a lot of oils, like walnut, seseme, macadamia, olive, other nut oils. I don't use certain oils after much research, but that is up to you. I have type 2 diabetes that is controlled by diet, for 14 yr. now. There are bad fats, like in red meat, etc., that would end up clogging his system, etc. A good oil would be in canned salmon, make patties, a loaf, salmon spread (like tuna), and most salmon that is canned is wild salmon, so free of mercury and lead. Maybe his metabolism is fast also. I know it is hard to balance the blood sugars, and keep the fats down. Darlene