Noel Barnhurst - Photographer

It's that time again, time to pay your taxes!  The procrastinator in all of us have the District of Columbia's Emancipation Day to thank for Tax Day falling on a Tuesday this year.  Thank you District of Columbia!!  

We also found a great article on Tax Day Deals - to soften the blow: http://www.examiner.com/pop-culture-in-scottsdale/2012-tax-day-deals-and-freebies-great-deals-available-tuesday-april-17

How many of these guys will you be going through to meet the tax deadline?

Mango Bread with Kashi® Nuggets

Makes 1 loaf plus 6 muffins, or about 2 dozen muffins

Preparation time: 70 minutes (30 minutes active time)

Ingredients

1/2 cup Kashi® 7 Whole Grain Nuggets
1/2 cup fresh organic orange juice
2 teaspoons grated organic lemon or orange zest
2 cups diced fresh mango (or 12 ounces frozen (defrosted) mango or 8 ounces dried mango)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large organic eggs
¾ cup evaporated cane juice crystals
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a loaf pan and line 6 muffin tins with muffin liners.
In a small bowl, mix together the Nuggets, orange juice, and zest. Let soak until softened, about 20 minutes.
If using dried mango, chop into 1/4-inch dice, then cover with 1 1 /2 to 2 cups boiling water. Let soak until tender, 15 minutes, then drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid. (This step is not necessary if using fresh or frozen mango.)
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl if using a hand-held mixer, combine the oil, eggs, cane juice crystals, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until smooth, 1 minute. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Add the Nugget mixture and the mango and mix briefly to combine, stirring up the batter on the bottom.
Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and muffin tins, filling muffins by three-quarters, and bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 minutes for muffins and 45 minutes for the loaf. Place on a cooling rack and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Use a knife to gently separate the edges of the loaf, and invert onto another cooling rack. Cool bread 30 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition Facts

Per slice: 180 calories (63 from fat); 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat); 25 mg cholesterol; 210 mg sodium; 25 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 2 g protein

Recipe Courtesy of Kashi®

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 smoked ham hock, about 1 1/2 lb.
1 lb. green split peas, picked over and rinsed
3 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
Cook the soup
In a fry pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Put the ham hock in the center of a slow cooker and spread the split peas around the ham. Add the onion mixture, the carrots, celery, broth, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the peas are very tender, 4 to 5 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.

Finish the soup
Transfer the ham hock to a platter or cutting board and let cool until it can be handled, about 15 minutes. Using your fingers or a knife and fork, remove the meat from the bone, shredding or cutting the meat into bite-size pieces. Stir the meat back into the soup along with the parsley. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Slow Cooker, by Norman Kolpas (Oxmoor House, 2007).

Recipe Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma.