Garlic-Roasted Chicken

Anyone else need a good cleanse as you kick off 2012. Garlic is one of the best things to cleanse, build up your immune system & prevent illness. If only I didn't have to avoid the human population for 48 hours after consumption, but it's worth the benefits. Dr. Weil eats 2 raw cloves {gag} everyday as part of his routine.

{Taken from Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast book}:: "Roasting softens and mellows garlic, turning it into a mild, delicious spread for crusty bread. Leftover chicken can be used in dishes like chicken enchiladas. The garlic tops serve as a rack for the chicken. Garlic bottoms are flipped halfway through to soak up juices." And wow...that garlic is SO good spread over fresh bread.

This chicken was moist, full of flavor & EASY! Enjoy.

Serve with your favorite sides. I served it with Sauteed Broccoli Rabe.

Serves 4-6; Prep: 10minutes; Total time: 1 hour, 10minutes

Ingredients:
4 heads of garlic (see I wasn't messing around)
8 sprigs of fresh oregano (I used dried b/c I didn't have fresh)
2 whole chicken breasts (3.5lbs) rinsed and patted dry
2T olive oil
Coarse Salt & Fresh ground pepper.

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the tops from garlic heads, reserving the bottoms; arrange the tops, cut sides down, in the center of an 11-by-17-inch roasting pan. Place 1 sprig of the oregano over each garlic top, and arrange the chicken breasts over the garlic.
2. Place the reserved garlic bottoms, cut sides up, next to the chicken in the pan. Drizzle the chicken and garlic bottoms with the olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; place the remaining 4 sprigs of oregano on top.
3. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes; turn the garlic bottoms cut sides down, and rotate the pan. Continue roasting the chicken until the skin is browned, the juices run clear, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees, about 30 minutes more.
4. Pour the pan juices into a measuring cup; skim the fat from the top. Serve the juices with chicken and roasted garlic.

Gluten Free Banana Bread by B.Walker

Our family is super picky about bread, so if my sister says this is good - it must be good!

4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup agave( this is a great all natural sweetener) also good with honey if you don't have agave.
2 eggs
3 ripe banana
1-3/4 cups Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup organic dark chocolate chip (OPTIONAL- I dont like it, but some do)

Beat together butter, agave, eggs and banana. Add remaining ingredients and mix together. Pour into a large greased loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 1 hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. If cooking mini loafs cook for only 30-35 min.

Brianne's G-free Pumpkin Cheesecake

CRUST

* 1 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs, from Midel brand gluten free gingersnaps
* 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted( I might try less butter next time because the crust didnt get very crunchy)
* 1 tablespoon sugar

FILLING
* 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
* 3 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (not imitation vanilla)
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
* pecan halves, for garnishing

Directions

1.FOR CRUST: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap outside of a 9-inch diameter springform pan with foil to catch drips. Place Midel brand gingershaps into a 1-gallon plastic freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin. Measure out the 1 1/2 cups and combine them with the butter and sugar in a bowl. Press mixture into bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of the springorm pan. Bake crust about 5 minutes until slightly darkened. Set aside. Maintain oven temperature.
2.FOR FILLING: Blend the room temperature cream cheese and sugar in a food pocessor or heavy duty mixer until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and spices. Mix or Process until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl for a nice homogenous mixture. Pour the filling into the crust.

3.Bake cheesecake until the center is set (doesn't slosh around AT ALL in the middle when the pan is wiggled) and edges begin to crack, about 1 hour and 5 minutes. ( I cooked them in mini pumpkin cheesecake molds and so it only took about 16 minutes to bake.) Cool in the springform pan on a rack. Chill uncovered until cold, at least 6 hours. (Can be made a day ahead, cover and keep it chilled, but don't make it any more than a day in advance.).
4.Run a knife around between the crust and side pan sides; remove sides. Arrange pecans decoratively on cake.
5. Great served alone or with whipped cream or vanilla bean icecream.
6. This recipe makes a ton of filling. I had a lot of filling left over so i made a small cheesecake along with 12 mini cheesecakes.