At Our Table

Favorite Recipes to Share with the People You Love

by Roxie Kelley, Shelly Reeves Smith

Price: $24.99
ISBN-13: 978-0-7407-8346-3
ISBN-10: 0-7407-8346-7
Format: Hardcover
Size: 8 x 10 in.
Page Count: 176 pages

A beautifully illustrated cookbook, At Our Table offers 125 simple and delicious recipes that emphasize how the experience of gathering for meals can energize us and help us recognize the richness and fullness of our lives. Recipes for appetizers, main dishes, sides, salads, breads, and desserts are offered along with timeless tips for cooking and kitchen preparation. Roxie’s popular conversational writing style and Shelly’s engaging illustrations bring it all together.

Friends and family will enjoy recipes such as:

• Kelly’s Tutti Fruity Dip
• Pork Tenderloin with Ginger Glaze
• Honey Whole Wheat Bread
• Cranberry-Orange Coffeecake
• And many more delectable dishes

Roxie and Shelley, friends and business partners for more than 30 years, have sold 150,000 books in their cookbook series.  In At Our Table, they invite all of us to return to the table and savor time with family and friends along with real comfort food.

Makes 4 1/2 dozen cookies

Seriously, these cookies do melt in your mouth. I usually divide the dough in half and bake half without pecans. And the other half is baked with a pecan half pressed into the center of the top of each cookie. Either way, they are luscious!

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup pecan halves (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla and mix well.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Whisk to mix well. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend well. Add the coconut and mix well again. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours to make handling easier.

Place the powdered sugar on a dinner plate or a large sheet of waxed paper. Using a 1½-inch cookie scoop, scoop out the dough and gently roll each scoop of dough to completely cover it with the powdered sugar. Transfer each scoop to an ungreased baking sheet, placing them at least 2 inches apart. If you like, press a pecan half into the center of half of the cookies. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until set but not brown.

Serves 6-8

This slaw comes together very quickly, and I love the sweet/tart blend of flavors. The recipe is from one of my most special friends, Cheryl Castle. In fact, I believe Cheryl is the most thoughtful friend I have. She is the kind of person who not only thinks of her friends often but also follows through with random acts of kindness and generosity.

1 (1-pound) bag cabbage and carrot slaw mix
1/2 cup mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup halved seedless red grapes

Dressing
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon minced onion
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Pour the dressing over the slaw mixture and toss. Chill before serving.

My daughter, Brooke, prepared these tacos for us one evening this summer. They were so light and delicious! Brooke loves to experiment with recipes containing fresh fruit, so she combined some of her favorites to create the salsa served with these tacos. You can substitute grilled chicken for the fish if you like for an equally tasty meal.

1–2 pounds tilapia fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1–2 teaspoons sea salt

Cilantro Cream
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Avocado-Orange Salsa
2–3 medium oranges, peeled and diced (no white pith, please!)
2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
Grated peel and juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon sea salt

4–6 large flour tortillas
1 cup shredded lettuce

Brush both sides of the tilapia with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Combine the cumin, chili powder, pepper, and salt in a small dish and then sprinkle evenly over both sides of each fillet. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish to the skillet and cook until lightly browned and flaking easily with a fork, about 3 minutes per side. Separate into bite-size pieces.

To prepare the Cilantro Cream, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and blend until smooth.

To prepare the Avocado-Orange Salsa, combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir gently.

Assemble by spreading each tortilla with the Cilantro Cream, topping it with some of the fish and the Avocado-Orange Salsa, and finishing with the lettuce.