Jack's recipes

Grain-free waffles

2012-01-17T06:46:00.000-08:00

This grain-free recipe was found on the fast Paleo site at fastpaleo.com

Last Christmas we bought a nice Belgium waffle maker. We experimented with a number of recipes to make the perfect waffle. In September of 2011 I decided to go grain-free based on a number of articles I read that caused me to believe the grains that we are now eating are no longer healthy. I found this Paleo recipe for a grain-free waffle. The texture is a little spongy because of the coconut flour used, but it fills a need for waffles on a Sunday morning. We topped our waffles with fresh cut up strawberries and a little powdered sugar.

Ingredients:

2 whole eggs
1 Tbsp coconut milk
1 tsp melted coconut oil
1 and 1/2 Tbsp sifted coconut flour
1 Tbsp xylitol or pinch of stevia
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/16 sea salt
dash grain-free baking powder

Grease your waffles iron. Let it warm up for about 3 minutes.

Whisk together the eggs, coconut milk and melted oil or butter in a small bowl.

Sift all the dry ingredients in the liquid ingredients and whisk slowly and lightly until smooth.

After the waffle iron is warm, pour your batter into the center of the waffle iron and spread the batter out slightly. No need to spread all the way. Press the other half of the waffle iron down gently and let cook for 4-5 minutes

Carefully move a small spatula underneath the waffle to loosen. Serve with your favorite topping.

Grain-free pancakes

2012-01-17T06:26:00.000-08:00

In my quest to live a grain-free, gluten-free lifestyle, I'm always on the look for new ways of preparing meals without all the grains. Yesterday I found this recipe on the internet and was anxious to make it for breakfast for Tim and I. They tasted great.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp flaxseed

1 tbsp coconut flour

4 tbsp almond milk

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tbsp stevia/sweetner

Mix together the ingredients and cook in a skillet.

This recipe makes one serving, around 3-4 pancakes.

Rolo stuffed cookies

2012-01-12T06:36:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from Kristin

From Kristin's blog - madcitygirl

"These are my new favorite cookies. They are extraordinarily easy and tasty. Basically cookies from a cake box mix—which is sort of like cheating, but doesn’t bother me in the least. My friend Julie introduced me these delectable nuggets when she brought a couple dozen to the Dailymile Holiday Lights Run social in early December. I enjoyed more than my fair share—the gooey caramel filling kept drawing me back for more. And when I learned just how easy they are to make—man, that was the clincher. I experimented a bit by rolling the dough balls in sugar before baking (some I rolled in granulated, others in powdered sugar), which was a nice finishing touch, but certainly not necessary. If you like chocolate and cake, and have limited time on your hands for baking, this recipe is for you."

Ingredients

1 package of fudge marble cake mix
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
~26 individually wrapped Rolo candies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line cookie sheet with parchment paper (or just Pam spray).

2. In a large bowl, combine yellow part of cake mix, eggs, and oil, stirring to combine.

3. Slowly stir in the entire package of chocolate mix to form marbled cookie dough. (Be careful not to stir too much or you will lose the marble effect.)

4. Roll dough into balls (somewhere around 26 or so depending on how big you make the balls).

5. Shape each dough ball around 1 piece of candy and place on parchment paper.

6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm.

7. Cool on paper for 10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and completely cool on rack.

Perfect bowl of popcorn

2012-01-12T06:31:00.000-08:00

Throw away the bags of microwave popcorn, which is unhealthy, and go back to making popcorn the way your mom and dad made it when you were a kid. This is a recipe for the perfect bowl of popcorn.

Cook time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp canola, peanut or grapeseed oil (high smoke point oil)
1/3 cup of high quality popcorn kernels
1 3-quart covered saucepan
2 Tbsp or more (to taste) of butter
Salt to taste

METHOD

1 Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan on medium high heat. If you add salt to the oil in the pan before popping, the salt will be well distributed throughout the popcorn.

2 Put 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan.

3 When the kernels pop, add the rest of the 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds. This method first heats the oil to the right temperature, then waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the heat, they all pop at about the same time.

4 Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping. Once the popping starts in earnest, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner. Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release (the popcorn will be drier and crisper). Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and dump the popcorn immediately into a bowl.

5 Salt to taste.

Homemade laundry detergents

2012-01-12T04:57:00.000-08:00

Conventional laundry detergent typically contains a list of chemicals and many have not been proven safe. Most detergents contain sulfates, petroleum distillates and phenols, as well as artificial fragrances and dyes.

There are natural, homemade options for laundry detergent, stain treatment and even fabric softener. Most of the natural options work as well or better than the conventional alternatives and offer substantial savings.

Powdered Laundry Detergent:

You need:

1 cup Washing Soda (available in the laundry section of most stores)
1 cup Borax (available in the laundry section of most stores)
1 bar of natural bar soap (I use homemade soap or Dr. Bronner’s bar soap, which is available in the natural/organic section at many grocery stores)

How to Make:

Using a fine cheese grater or a small food processor, grate the bar soap until it is a fine powder (make sure it is not an overly moisturizing soap, or this will just make a big clump of soap)
Mix the grated bar soap with 1 cup of Washing Soda, and 1 cup of borax until evenly mixed.
Store in a 1 quart mason jar or similar sized container and use 1-4 tablespoons per load, depending on how dirty the clothes are.

I typically use 1 tablespoon per load for most clothes, though I have used up to 4 tablespoons on clothes that were muddy or stained.

Liquid Laundry Detergent:

I use this laundry soap 90% of the time and it works really well. One batch lasts months and it is very simple to make.

You need:

1 cup Washing Soda (available in the laundry section of most stores)
1 cup Borax (available in the laundry section of most stores)
1 bar of natural bar soap (I use homemade soap or Dr. Bronner’s bar soap, which is available in the natural/organic section at many grocery stores)
A large 5-gallon plastic bucket with lid (the bakery section of most stores have these from the icing they use and will usually give you one if you ask)
Gallon jugs (or other container) for storing the laundry soap

How to Make:

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 quarts of water over medium high heat.
While it is heating, grate in the bar soap using a cheese grater.
Stir until soap has dissolved completely.
In the 5-gallon bucket, put 4 gallons of hot (not boiling) water and add the 1 cup of washing soda and borax and stir until dissolved.
Pour the dissolved soap mixture into the bucket and stir well until soap is mixed in.
Put the lid on the bucket and leave overnight. This will allow the soap to cool and gel.
After 24 hours, remove the lid, stir well (I use an immersion blender to make sure it is well mixed) and pour into clean, gallon size jugs for use.
Use 1/2 cup per load.

I have used both of the above recipes on cloth diapers and delicate fabrics without a problem.

Homemade Oxy clean

2012-01-12T04:53:00.000-08:00

Homemade Oxy Clean

I found the idea for this recipe on Pinterest and it works really well!

You Need:

2 parts water
1 part Hydrogen Peroxide
1 part baking soda

How to Make:

Pre-mix the ingredients and store in a dark colored opaque spray bottle for pre-treating stains (I just pour back into the hydrogen peroxide bottle and put a spray top on)
For entire loads that need extra cleaning or brightening, just add 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1/4 cup of baking soda to the wash load and let soak for 30 minutes before running through the full cycle.

Gluten-free pizza

2012-01-10T06:15:00.000-08:00

In my quest to eat more healthy, I found this pizza recipe on comfybelly.com. The crust is made from almond flour and Parmesan cheese. I didn't have a 11 x 7 inch tart pan that is called for in the recipe, instead I used a regular size pan and just made sure when I spread the dough out it was only 11 x 7 inches. Make sure you cook the crust so it's golden color. If you under bake the crust, your pizza will be soggy. I added mushrooms, onions and ground turkey. This recipe will never replace a real tasting pizza made with flour and yeast, but it's a great substitute. (I used a picture from the comfybelly site until I can get my own picture posted).

Pizza Tart

Tart Crust Ingredients (used to fill an 11 inches x 7 inches tart pan)

1 cup of almond flour
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons of water
1/4 teaspoon of dried basil
1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano

Tart Filling Ingredients

3/4 cup of thick pizza sauce (tomato sauce seasoned with herbs and olive oil)
3/4 cup of your favorite pizza cheese for the top (grated)
about 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil, oregano, and garlic powder sprinkled on top
I used some ground turkey, onions and mushrooms on the top

Method

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Add the almond flour, cheese, basil, oregano and water to a food processor or blender, and process for several seconds, or until it starts to crumble or clump together a bit. It should be soft and sticky. If not, add a bit more water.
Cut out parchment paper to place on bottom of pan.
Scoop or pour the crumble crust mixture into your tart pan.
Spread the mixture out evenly, and then use your fingers to press the tart into the shape of the pan.
Bake the tart for about 12 minutes, or until it is just starting to turn yellow on top and on the edges.
Take the tart out of the oven and spread the pizza sauce evenly across the crust. Then add the grated cheese, and finally sprinkle the oregano, basil and garlic powder on top.
Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
Place the tart back in the oven, and bake for about 12 minutes, or until the cheese is just starting to brown.
Cool, slice, and store any leftovers in the refrigerator for another day. Reheat slices at 350 degrees F for about 7 minutes.

Turkey lettuce wrap tacos

2012-01-09T04:22:00.000-08:00

Turkey Lettuce Wrap Tacos with Chiles, Cumin, Cilantro, Lime and Tomato-Avocado Salsa

(Makes about 8 tacos.)

For tacos:
1 T olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic (I used minced garlic from a jar, but fresh garlic would be even better)
1-2 T diced green chiles (I used about half of a 4 oz. jar of diced green chiles, recipe called for fresh chiles which would be a bit hotter)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground chipotle chile powder (recipe called for cayenne)
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 large bunch cilantro, finely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups chopped cilantro. I used 1 cup in tacos and 1/4 cup in salsa. Use more or less cilantro to taste.)
2 T fresh lime juice
2 large heads romaine lettuce (or use iceberg, Boston lettuce, or butter lettuce)

Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan then add minced garlic and diced green chiles and saute about 1 minute. (I used a non-stick pan. If you use fresh garlic and chiles, I'd cook them a bit longer.) Add cumin and ground chipotle or cayenne and cook about 1 minute more. Then add turkey and salt and cook over medium-high heat, breaking apart with the back of the turner as it cooks. Cook about 5 minutes, or until turkey is starting to brown.

While turkey cooks, thinly slice green onions and set aside, then wash cilantro, spin dry or dry with paper towels, and finely chop cilantro. Cut off root end of lettuce, discard tough outer leaves, and wash lettuce and spin dry in salad spinner or dry with paper towels.

When turkey is lightly browned, add sliced green onions and cook about 2 minutes. Turn off heat, then stir in 1 cup chopped cilantro and 2 T lime juice.

For salsa:
2 medium avocados, diced
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T olive oil (optional)
sea salt to taste

Peel and dice avocado, place in glass or plastic bowl and toss with lime juice. Stir in chopped tomato, chopped cilantro, and olive oil, season to taste with salt.

To assemble tacos:
Spoon 2-3 large spoonfuls of turkey mixture into each piece of lettuce. (I used the inner more folded pieces of lettuce and saved the flatter outer pieces for using in salad.) Top meat mixture with salsa. You could also eat this mixture inside whole wheat tortillas or pitas, or even corn tortillas if you're not a South Beach dieter.

This printable recipe from KalynsKitchen.com.

Stuffed zuchini

2012-01-09T04:18:00.000-08:00

Meat, Tomato, and Mozzarella Stuffed Zucchini Cups
(Makes 6-8 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

2 large zucchini or yellow squash, about 12 inches long
2 tsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil (may need more, depending on your pan)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 green pepper, finely chopped
2 T finely minced fresh garlic
1 lb. ground beef (10% fat or less)
12 oz. ground turkey (10% fat or less)
(use any combination of ground meat you'd like, but use low-fat ground meat for the South Beach Diet.)
1-2 tsp. Spike seasoning (optional but recommended)
2 C flavorful tomato-basil pasta sauce
2 cups low-fat mozzarella or other mild white cheese (I used low-fat blend of six cheeses called Italian blend.)

Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Chop onion and green pepper. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a non-stick pan, then saute onion and pepper for 3-4 minutes, until just starting to soften. Add minced garlic and saute about 1 minute more, being careful not to brown the garlic. Remove the onion, pepper, and garlic mixture to a bowl.

Add 2 tsp. more olive oil to the pan. Crumble in the ground beef and ground turkey, season with Spike seasoning, and cook over medium heat until the meat is well browned. Tilt pan to see if there is any extra fat, and remove with a spoon if there is, then stir cooked vegetables and garlic back into the meat. Add tomato sauce and simmer until the mixture has thickened and liquid has cooked off, about 10 minutes, then turn off heat.

While meat cools, cut zucchini into 2 inch thick slices, discarding ends. Use a sharp spoon or melon baller to hollow out a cup in each zucchini slice, leaving just over 1/4 inch of zucchini flesh. Be careful not to get too close to the skin or the cups will leak liquid when they cook.

Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray and stand up zucchini cups, open end up. Stir 1 1/2 cups grated cheese into the cooled meat mixture (it doesn't need to be completely cool), then spoon the meat-cheese mixture into zucchini cups, pressing down with the spoon and mounding it up a little over the top of the zucchini.

Bake zucchini cups for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and use remaining cheese to top each one with a generous pinch of cheese. Put back in oven and bake 10-15 minutes more, until zucchini is slightly soft when pierced with a fork and cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Homemade ricotta cheese

2012-01-08T13:32:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from the book, "Homemade Cheese" by Janel Hurst

This recipe is for a whole-milk ricotta which originates from Italy. It is rich and creamy. Since this cheese keeps in the refrigerator for one week, I usually will usually cut the recipe down 1/2. Ricotta is used in lasagna and other pasta dishes. Add a sweeter to make a perfect filling for crepes.

Ingredients:

1 gallon whole cow milk

1/2 cup apple-cider vinegar

1 Tbl non-iodized salt

Place milk in a large cooking pot over medium-low heat. Stir often to avoid any scorching. Bring the milk up to 190 degrees and remove from heat. Stir and add the vinegar. Tiny bits of curd will form. Pour the curds into a cheesecloth lined colander. Drain for about 30 minutes. Add the salt, working it gently into the curds. If you want a creamier texture, stir in 2-3 tablespoons of cream.

Cinnamon Bun Muffins using coconut flour

2012-01-08T13:15:00.000-08:00

I found this on the healthy recipe site, http://comfybelly.com/

CINNAMON BUN MUFFINS (USING COCONUT FLOUR)

Muffin Ingredients (makes about 8 muffins)

1/2 cup of coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
4 eggs
1/3 cup of yogurt
1/2 cup of honey (or other sweetener)

Cinnamon Topping Ingredients

2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons of honey (or other sweetener)
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted (ghee or coconut oil will work too)
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts (optional; or other nut)

Method

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
For the muffins, combine all the dry in ingredients and blend well.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a mixer to blend (get rid of any clumps of flour), or blend well by hand.
Fill muffin or cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way with batter.
Drip the cinnamon topping over the top of each muffin. Some of it will sink into the muffin batter. You can use a toothpick to poke the topping into the batter, to get more of the topping to spread into the batter.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Cool and enjoy! Store for a few days at room temperature (covered) or keep in the refrigerator for a week or so.

Chocolate chip banana cake

2012-01-08T13:05:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from the cookbook " The gluten-free almond flour cookbook". This cake is so good, that even my non gluten- free friends loved it. Perfect recipe to use over-ripe bananas. If you want a simple banana cake, eliminate the chocolate.

Ingredients:

3 cups blanched almond flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

1/4 cup agave nectar

3 large eggs

1 tbl vanilla extract

1 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate

1 cup (2-3) mashed very ripe bananas

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch cake pan with grapeseed oil and dust with almond floor.

In large bowl, combine the almond four, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil, agave nectar, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Fold in the chocolate and bananas. Scoop the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cook in the pan for 1 hour, then serve.

Grain free

2012-01-05T09:53:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from http://www.ticklemysweettooth.com/blog/?p=267. Candice is a professional baker who loves to make low carb foods. This is one of her recipes. If you're following a grain-free diet, this is a great addition to your recipe box. I'm printing the recipe exactly as written on her blog. Next time I will add a little onion or some bacon. This is a recipe that you can add flavors to enhance the sandwich.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter(plus 1-3 teaspoons for frying)

2 Tablespoons water

2 large eggs

2 Tablespoons Coconut Flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

dash of salt

dash of garlic powder(optional)

1 oz cheddar cheese, cut in thin slice/slices(or whatever cheese you want to use)

Instructions:

Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in microwave. Mix in your water and eggs using a fork.
Add coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and garlic salt(if using). Mix until completly smooth.

Pour into a small square plastic, microwave safe, dish. Cook on high in microwave for about 2 minutes, until fully cooked. Let cool a few minutes then flip out and slice length wise in half.

Melt 1-3 teaspoons of butter in a frying pan. when half is melted I kind of dip the bottom slice of ‘bread’ in it then place on counter for a second. Then when rest of butter is melted I place top of bread face down, layer on cheese, then place top other slice on(butter dipped side facing up).
Fry until golden brown and cheese is melted.

Nutritional information for whole recipe(1 sandwich) and using 1.5 teaspoons butter for frying:

Energy   474 kcal
Carbohydrate, Total 10.63 g
Sugars, total    1.93 g
Fiber, total dietary    6.08 g
Protein   22.74 g
Total lipid (fat)   37.75 g
NET CARBS: 4.55 g

Cevapcici - serbien meat dish

2012-01-05T06:52:00.000-08:00

These three recipes were found in the Milwaukee Journal in December of 2010.

Erica's CevapciciMakes about 2 pounds or 20 small cevapcici

1 pound finely ground beef

½ pound finely ground pork

½ pound finely ground lamb

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon baking soda

Finely chopped onions

In large bowl, thoroughly mix together all ingredients except onions with your hands. Shape mixture into small cylinders about 1 inch in diameter and 2 inches long.

Grill over medium heat about 8 minutes on each side or until well done. Serve with finely chopped onions on a roll.

Susan's Cevapcici (Cevaps)Makes 6 servings

2 ¼ pounds ground pork

1 ½ pound lean ground beef

¾ pound ground lamb

2 egg whites

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper

¾ teaspoon paprika

Finely chopped onions for garnish

Preheat a grill to medium-low.

In a large bowl, combine meats and egg white. Add garlic, salt, baking soda, black pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika. Mix well using your hands, and form into finger-length sausages about ¾ inch thick.

Lightly oil the grilling surface. Grill sausages until cooked through, turning as needed, about 4 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the middle. (Place sausages carefully on grill so they don't slip through.)

To serve: Place cevapcici on a serving platter that has been lined with chopped onions.

David and Mladen's CevapciciMakes about 4 pounds

3 pounds ground beef (use 85% lean; see note)

1 pound finely ground lean lamb (use butt)

1 tablespoon salt

½ tablespoons black pepper

½ tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon seltzer water (must have CO2)

2 to 3 small cloves garlic (do not mince)

2 medium onions, cut into discs

Pita or flat bread

Chopped onion

In a nonreactive dish (plastic, ceramic, stainless steel), mix meats together with salt, pepper, baking soda and seltzer. Cover mixture with crushed garlic and onion disks. Wrap tightly and refrigerate at least 12 hours; however, 24 hours is best.

When ready to prepare, remove from refrigerate two hours before grilling.

Remove all the onion and garlic and discard. Mix meats again to incorporate flavors.

Roll up cevapcici by hand. They should be between ½ and ¾ inch in diameter and 2 ½ to 3 inches long. Formed cevapcici should be tight and uniform in thickness. You should get 18 to 20 cevapcici per pound of meat.

Let rest at least 30 minutes

To prepare: Heat grill to between medium and medium-high. Grill until cevapcici is firm and bounces a little off the grill plate when dropped from about 8 to 12 inches.

Roll frequently. No traces of well-done or crispy bits should be on cevapcici.

Put pieces of pita or flat bread over the meat for just a minute or two to warm before removing from the grill.

Serve 5 to 10 cevapcici per person with the bread, onions or kajmak. Kajmak is a mixture of feta and cream cheeses beaten with butter until fluffy.

Note: Beef that is 80% lean can be used, but be careful when grilling, as you can get flames.

Hungarian goulash

2012-01-05T06:43:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on Saveur website. "The recipe for this hearty, savory soup comes from Katalin Bánfalvi, author Carolyn Bánfalvi's mother-in-law, who lives in the village of Bõny, in northwestern Hungary. Hungarian sweet paprika confers a singularly deep, rich color and flavor." What I liked about this goulash is that it used potatoes instead of noodles which makes this a gluten-free meal.

4 tbsp. sunflower or canola oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 1⁄2 lbs. beef chuck, trimmed
   and cut into 1⁄2" cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground
   black pepper, to taste
1⁄4 cup sweet paprika
2 tsp. dried marjoram
2 tsp. caraway seeds
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, cut into 1⁄2" cubes
2 medium parsnips, cut into 1⁄2" cubes
1 1⁄2 lbs. medium new potatoes, peeled
   and cut into 1⁄2" cubes
1 tomato, cored and chopped
1 Italian frying pepper, chopped

1. Heat oil in a 5-qt. dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, stirring only once or twice, until the meat is lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in paprika, marjoram, caraway, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add carrots, parsnips, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Simmer, covered, until the beef is nearly tender, about 40 minutes.

2. Add potatoes and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and peppers; cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with rye bread, if you like.

SERVES 4 – 6

Slow cooker round steak

2012-01-04T06:36:00.000-08:00

This is an easy meal to make in the morning before work and come home to a meal ready to serve. It was tender and tasty in a rich tasting gravy with vegetables.

Ingredients:

3 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 onion, chopped
6 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces
2 pounds boneless round steak
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup water

Directions:

Place the potatoes, onion, and carrots in slow cooker. Cut steak into six pieces, then place the meat on top of vegetables. In a mixing bowl, combine the soup mix, soup, and water; pour over beef.
Cover, and cook on Low for 7 to 10 hours.

Healthier General Tso’s Chicken

2011-12-31T05:22:00.000-08:00

Lately Tim has been ordering General Tso's Chicken when we go out for Asian food. I found a recipe for this dish on Martha Stewart's site and modified it to be more healthy. Normally the chicken is coated in the egg white/cornstarch mixture and deep fried till golden brown. This version is pan fried in a drizzle of oil until crisp and tender.

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups snow peas, trimmed and halved diagonally
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons low salt soy sauce
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Chicken and Coating:

• 2 large egg whites
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound chicken, cut into bite-size pieces

1. For sauce: Mix together water and cornstarch until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Set aside.
2. For chicken: Whisk together egg whites, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Stir in chicken.
3. To cook: Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add a small amount of oil. Add half of chicken to pan,
dripping off excess coating. Cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pan, add more oil if necessary and repeat with remaining chicken. Set the chicken aside.
4. Add sauce to skillet and cook until snow peas are tender and sauce is thickened. Add chicken (and any
collected juices) to skillet. Toss to coat.
5. Serve with rice.
Serves: 4

Grain free almond bread

2011-12-30T08:59:00.000-08:00

Here is the recipe for the almond bread which is a healthy alternative to gluten-free bread. Unfortunately it is only 2 inches high. It keeps well wrapped up in the refrigerator. Hope you like it.

Almond Bread

4 1/2 cups almond meal
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
5 eggs
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1.) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2.) In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
3.) In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and add the remaining wet ingredients.
4.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix thoroughly.
5.) Transfer the mixture to a 5x9-inch standard loaf pan, lightly oiled (a spray oil makes it easy).
6.) Bake for 60+ minutes or until a skewer/knife inserted in the bread comes out clean. I cook my for only 50 minutes.
7.) Cool and slice.

2011-12-30T08:18:00.000-08:00

Doesn't this cake look delicious? The recipe and picture come from the http://www.healthyindulgences.net site. Another great dessert that doesn't use dairy, flour or sugar. If you're carb counting, the results are at the end of the recipe. Enjoy this healthy alternative versus a cake that uses flour.

The best part about this cake is that it's totally budget-friendly. It's basically beans, eggs, and cocoa. That gives you no excuse to not try it, ya hear?
Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake
Adapted from a recipe at LowCarbFriends

Makes a 9" one layer cake

Ingredients:
1-15 ounce can of unseasoned black beans
OR 1 1/2 cup cooked beans, any color
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter OR unrefined coconut oil
3/4 cup erythritol + 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract

OR 1/2 cup honey + 1 teaspoon pure stevia extract

OR 1 1/4 cup Splenda (using Splenda is not recommended)
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon water (omit if using honey)

Mint Chocolate variation:
2 teaspoons mint extract (in place of 2 teaspoons vanilla)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9" cake pan with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray, or just grease it with a thin layer of butter. Dust cocoa all over the inside of the pan, tapping to evenly distribute. Cut a round of parchment paper and line the bottom of the pan, then spray the parchment lightly.

Drain and rinse beans in a strainer or colander. Shake off excess water. Place beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla, stevia (if using) and salt into blender. Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied. No lumps! Whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat butter with sweetener (erythritol or honey) until light and fluffy. Add remaining two eggs, beating for a minute after each addition. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder and water (if using), and beat the batter on high for one minute, until smooth. Scrape batter into pan and smooth the top. Grip pan firmly by the edges and rap it on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done with the top is rounded and firm to the touch. After 10 minutes, turn out cake from pan, and flip over again on to a cooling rack. Let cool until cake reaches room temperature, then cover in plastic wrap or with cake dome (I use an overturned plastic chip bowl). For BEST flavor, let cake sit over night. I promise this cake will not have a hint of beaniness after letting it sit for eight hours! If you are stacking this cake, level the top with a long serrated knife, shaving off layers until it is flat and even. Frost immediately before serving
~57.6g net carbs for the whole cake using erythritol/stevia.
~5.7g net carbs per 1/10th
~125.6g net carbs for the whole cake using honey/stevia.
~12.56g net carbs per 1/10th

Vanilla bean cake - gluten free

2011-12-30T07:26:00.000-08:00

Great recipe from http://www.thespunkycoconut.com I used her picture since it captured the moistness of the vanilla cake. Love the idea that it uses white beans as its main ingredient.

Vanilla Bean Cake:

Add to food processor:

2 cups cooked white beans, room temperature, so they don't cook the eggs (I made mine myself by soaking dry white beans overnight. In the morning I rinsed them well, and cooked them.)

6 eggs

3/4 tsp vanilla liquid stevia (do not measure over the batter, just in case it spills out)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup honey

Puree well.

Add:

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

1/3 cup coconut flour, sifted

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp baking powder (Grain-free Baking Powder Recipe)

Puree well.

Pour into springform pan, lined with unbleached parchment paper on the bottom, and greased all around.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. (I like to check to see if it's done by inserting a knife into the middle. If it's comes out mostly clean, it's done.) Bake for about 22 minutes for cupcakes.

Frosting:

Melt over double boiler:

1.5 bars of 3.2 oz dark chocolate (about 3/4 cup of chocolate chips)

3/4 cup coconut milk

When the chocolate has just barely melted, remove from heat.

Add:

2 tbsp honey

10 drops liquid stevia

2 to 4 tbsp coconut flour, sifted.

Refrigerate until the frosting has cooled, about 15 minutes. (You know it's ready when it is the texture of frosting.)

When the cake has cooled fully, top the cake with the frosting.

Apple walnut dressing - gluten free

2011-12-30T06:05:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on one of my gluten-free sites. When I printed it out to use on a different date, I forgot which site I found it on. I'm sorry, at this time, I can't give credit to the author. Tim and I enjoyed this bread free alternative to regular stuffing.

Apple Walnut Dressing

4 tablespoons butter
1 crisp, tart apple
2 large stalks celery
1 medium onion
1 cup shelled walnuts
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
3/4 teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

Start the butter melting in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.

Quarter the apple and trim out the core, whack each quarter into two pieces (making eighths), and drop them in your food processor with the S-blade in place. Whack each stalk of celery into 4-5 big chunks, and throw them in, too. Quarter the onion, peel, and throw it in, and then dump in the walnuts. Pulse the food processor until everything’s a medium consistency.

Dump this mixture, along with the mushrooms, into the butter in the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and saute everything for a minute or two, stirring. Then cover it, and let it cook for 10 minutes, uncovering every 3 minutes or so to stir the whole thing again.

Stir in the salt and poultry seasoning, let it cook for another minute or two, and serve.

6-8 servings. Assuming 6, each will have 9 grams of carbohydrate and 3 grams of fiber, for a usable carb count of 6 grams.

Nutella cookies

2011-12-30T04:26:00.000-08:00

I love the taste of Nutella and have been looking for a cookie recipe uses it. The Today show is sponsoring a Home Chef Challenge for viewers to enter their best recipes. This is a recipe that Barbara Giacometti submitted, and won.

Recipe: Chocolate Nutella cookies

Barbara Giacometti, Home Chef Challenge winner

Ingredients

1 cup plus 1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter unsalted (one stick)
1/2 cup regular sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon hazelnut extract (If you cannot find Hazelnut extract, increase your vanilla by only 1/2 teaspoon)
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup Nutella
1/4 cup of flour spread in a plate, for coating hands so your mixture won’t stick to your hands. (Lightly pat your hands in the flour and dust away before handling your cookie dough).

Preparation

Into your bowl sift together all your dry ingredients. Set aside.

Into another bowl of an electric mixer (or you can use a hand mixer, but hold on to the bowl), cream together you butter and sugars, add your extract. Add your dry ingredients a little at a time. Add about half way, add your milk. Continue with the rest of your dry ingredients. Add your Nutella last. It will come together like a thick paste. Cover with your plastic wrap. Place in your refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

Remove your bowl from the refrigerator. Preheat your oven at 325. Place some flour into your plate. Coat your hands with flour. Shape your cookies. Spoon some of your mixture (about 2 inches) into your hand and shape into a ball. Place on parchment lined baking sheet 2 inches apart.

Using a bottom of a drinking glass, dip the bottom into the flour and dust off the access. Flatten your cookie dough on your baking sheet. Your cookies should not stick to the bottom of your glass. If it does, gently peel it away and place back on your pan. You can dust away the access flour, or simply turn your cookie over on the baking sheet to the darker side.

Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes. I took them out right at 10 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool.

Wild Rice and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

2011-11-18T06:19:00.001-08:00

I love squash. And so I’ve been loading up on many varieties at the farmers’ market. Recently, I came across a great recipe for Wild Rice and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash. I found the recipe online atLunds and Byerlys, a Minneapolis specialty gourmet grocery chain. I modified the recipe a bit since I didn’t have the recommended Lunds and Byerlys special seasonings on hand. I think it still turned out great and the bowls looked beautiful. The meal was delicious, filling, and also seemed quite healthy. Always a bonus.

Ingredients

1 (1 lb.) acorn squash, halved, seeds removed

1 tbsp. olive oil

8 oz. bulk Italian sausage

2 tsp. Italian herb seasoning

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 tsp. minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1 cup cooked wild rice

1 1/2 cups shredded provolone and mozzarella, divided

Directions

Arrange squash halves cut side down in 13X9 microwavable baking dish; add ¼ cup water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, using multiple sheets if necessary. With a knife, make 4 steam vents in plastic wrap. Microwave (HIGH) until tender (15-20 minutes).

While squash is cooking, heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Sauté sausage, Italian herb seasoning, red pepper, onion and garlic until sausage is no longer pink and onions are tender (8-10 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in spinach, wild rice and 1 cup provolone/mozzarella.

When squash is tender, carefully remove plastic wrap, starting from side farthest from you. Using tongs, transfer cooked squash to cutting board; discard water.

Place a tablespoon of butter in bottoms of each squash half. Mound sausage mixture into halves. Return to 13X9 dish, cover with foil and bake in preheated 350F oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese over tops, return to oven and bake until cheese melts (5-8 minutes).

Amount: 4 servings

Bacon, Rosemary, and Tomato Pasta

2011-11-18T06:14:00.001-08:00

From Kristin -

I’m always lured in by recipes with the ingredient “bacon” in their title. So was the case with the following recipe for Bacon, Rosemary, and Tomato Pasta from food writer Melissa Clark. It was the perfect way to enjoy the last of the season’s tomato bounty. I must say, I am in love with this recipe. For it’s simplicity, seasonality, freshness, color, and flavor. In fact, Larry and I have made this dish for dinner twice in the past week. Can’t get enough. Must be the bacon.

Bacon, Rosemary, and Tomato Pasta (from Melissa Clark for Design*Sponge)

8 ounces pasta, shape of choice (I used Casarecce)
3 ounces bacon, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large, bushy sprig of fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 very large tomatoes (or 3 medium, a mix of yellow and red is nice), cored and chopped
balsamic vinegar (optional)
soft herbs if you want this to look pretty

Cook the pasta in a large pot of heavily salted water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the grease in the pan (if it looks really greasy, spoon some out; you just need a thin layer, enough to sauté the garlic without burning).

Add the rosemary, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to the skillet and cook until garlic is lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and let the sauce simmer until the pasta is cooked. Season aggressively with more salt and black pepper. If it tastes flat, add a few drops of vinegar.

Drain the pasta and top with the sauce. Sprinkle with the bacon and herbs if you like.

Tortellini with Butternut Squash, mushrroms and Fontina

2011-11-18T06:09:00.001-08:00

Here’s a new recipe I tried last night. Fantastic. And so easy to prepare. For the pasta, I used two packages of RP’s four cheese Tortelloni that I picked up at Saturday’s farmers’ market. If you love squash and mushrooms, I think you’ll enjoy this meal. I found the recipe in a recent issue of Real Simple, which is always a good source for easy weeknight meals.

Tortellini With Butternut Squash, Mushrooms, and Fontina (from Real Simple)

1 small butternut squash (2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound button or cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and halved if large
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
2 ounces fontina or Gruyere, grated (1/2 cup), plus more for serving

Heat oven to 450° F. On 2 rimmed baking sheets, toss the squash and mushrooms with the sage, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once and rotating pans halfway through, until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain the tortellini and return to the pot. Add the vegetables, fontina, ¼ cup of the cooking water, and ½ teaspoon salt and toss gently to coat (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry). Sprinkle with additional fontina.

Spiced Pumpkin Cake

2011-11-18T06:06:00.001-08:00

From Kristin:

This past weekend I made a Spiced Pumpkin Cake from a recipe I found in Real Simple magazine sometime last fall. The cake is unbelievably delicious and received rave reviews from my parents (who were in town visiting on Sunday) and co-workers. It’s moist and flavorful. Perfect with coffee or cider. I loved making it as a bundt cake, but I’m sure the batter would also work great for cupcakes or bread. The lemon/sugar icing is a nice finishing touch, but certainly not necessary. Actually, I may have enjoyed the cake better without icing. It stands alone very well. I followed the directions to a T—whole milk and all. I also mixed up my own pumpkin pie spice, because the stuff in stores is ridiculously expensive. This cake is well worth your time.

Spiced Pumpkin Cake (from Real Simple; serves 12)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the pan
5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (1 1⁄2 cups)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Heat oven to 350° F. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the pumpkin puree, milk, and molasses (the mixture may appear curdled). Reduce the mixer speed to low; gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just combined (do not overmix).

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over the cake. Let set before serving.

Butternut Squash Coconut Curry Soup

2011-11-18T06:03:00.001-08:00

From Kristin:

This is another one of the great soup recipes I discovered this fall. The recipe also comes from the Madison CSA cookbook. I love how hearty winter squash is paired with Asian ingredients to create a velvety soup with warm, mellow flavors. The taste reminds me of my favorite Thai dishes like Tom Ka Gai soup and Squash Curry. I’ve discovered there’s nothing more comforting than curling up with a big bowl of this soup on a crisp, fall day.

Butternut Squash Coconut Curry Soup (From Deb Boehm, Deb and Lola’s Restaurant; Makes 4 servings)

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup chopped lemongrass
2 citrus/kaffir lime leaves
1/2 cup bottled fish sauce
sugar to taste (start with 1 tablespoon)
juice of 1/2 lime

Heat oil in saucepan; add onions and garlic. Saute until lightly browned. Add stock, squash, and jalapeno; simmer until squash is tender, 10-15 minutes. Add coconut milk, lemongrass, lime leaves, fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer (do not boil) 10-12 minutes. Puree and strain through fine mesh strainer. Add lime juice and adjust to taste with sugar and lime juice. Makes 4 servings.

Pumpkin and Hazelnut Biscotti

2011-11-18T05:58:00.001-08:00

A post from Kristin:

I love making biscotti. There’s just something about how perfectly those crunchy morsels pair with coffee. I also like how biscotti is a bit off the beaten path, and not too sweet, either. Over the years, I’ve tried recipes for Oatmeal Raisin, Pistachio Cherry, and Hazelnut Cinnamon Chip. This time I experimented with fall flavors, using a recipe from Edible Madison (Winter 2010), a quarterly publication designed to celebrate the abundance of local foods in Southern Wisconsin. Although subtle, I liked the pumpkin and hazelnut flavors. My all-time favorite is still Oatmeal Raisin, but these are a great option to celebrate fall. They’d also make an awesome Thanksgiving dinner host/hostess gift.

Pumpkin and Hazelnut Biscotti (recipe from Macon Luhning, featured in Edible Madison, Winter 2010, Makes around 20-30 biscotti)

1 cup roasted and pureed pumpkin (pie pumpkin or butternut squash)
4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla
3 eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup toasted and crushed hazelnuts

Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. Cut butter into pats and mix on speed 3 (medium speed) in a counter top mixer until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and pumpkin puree and mix on speed 2 (low speed) until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix on speed 2 until incorporated. Add half of the eggs and mix until incorporated. Add second 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Add second half of eggs and mix until just incorporated. Add remaining flour mixture and mix until just incorporated (do not over mix). Add hazelnuts and mix until incorporated. On a floured work surface roll mixture into a log and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Press log flat (about 3/4 inch tall) and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 370 degrees. Brush biscotti with an egg wash and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cut biscotti into 3/4-inch slices and place on a cookie sheet. Bake biscotti for 70 minutes. Makes around 20-30 biscotti.

Celeriac Potato Green Chili Soup

2011-11-18T05:54:00.001-08:00

Recipe from Kristin-

Another new favorite from the Madison CSA cookbook. This one is a nice spin on a classic potato soup—rich and hearty with a touch of heat from roasted Poblano chiles. It’s just the kind of soup I plan to lean on all winter long for warmth and comfort. Plus, it was fun to experiment with celeriac, an ingredient I had never before cooked with.

Celeriac Potato Green Chili Soup (from Deb Boehm, Deb and Lola’s Restaurant; Makes 4 servings)

1 large onion, sliced
2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 medium bub celeriac, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
3 large baking potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
4 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped Poblano or Anaheim chiles
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Sweat onions in butter or oil over low heat until onion is completely cooked but not yet caramelized (15 minutes). Add celeriac and thyme; cook, stirring frequently, 5-10 minutes. Add potatoes, milk, and chiles; simmer until potatoes and celeriac are cooked through. Blend smooth in food processor. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, and rice wine vinegar.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Balls

2011-10-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

Quick gluten-free dessert.

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese,softened
¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup finely chopped nuts, toasted (I used walnuts)

With an electric mixer at medium speed beat together all ingredients except nuts until creamy and well mixed. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Shape chilled mixture into small balls (about 1 tablespoon each). Roll balls in nuts. Serve well chilled.

Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake

2011-10-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

This is a great gluten free dessert. I've served it a couple of times to friends and they had no idea it was made with garbanzo beans and no flour.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
4 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar fordusting

DIRECTIONS:1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch round cake pan.2. Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute, until chocolate is melted and smooth. If you have a powerful microwave, reduce the power to 50 percent.3. Combine the beans and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the sugar and the baking powder, and pulse to blend. Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan.4. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Fleisher's Chicken rub

2011-08-18T06:04:00.000-07:00

This recipes is from the book, The butcher's guide to well raised meat by Joshua and Jessica Applestone.

This is also a great spice for ribs, roasts, chops and fish.

Makes 2 cups

1/3 cup coarse salt
1/3 cup dried sage
1/3 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup onion flakes
1/4 cup paprika
3 T dried thyme
3 T freshly ground pepper
3 T dried oregano
1 T cayenne

In a large bowl, mix the ingredients. Rub the dried herbs between your palms to crush them as you add to the mixture. This rub will keep in an airtight container for 6 months. Shake or mix well before using.

Wheat free biscotti

2011-08-11T06:04:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from Wheatbellyblog.com

Ingredients:

2 cups almond meal
½ cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup cocoa powder (undutched)
½ cup dark chocolate chips
Sweetener equivalent to ½ cup sugar
½ cup ricotta cheese, room temperature (replace with coconut milk if lactose intolerant)
4 tablespoons butter, melted (replace with coconut oil if lactose intolerant)
2 large eggs
¼ cup milk, unsweetened almond milk, or soy milk
¼ cup almond, peanut, or sunflower seed butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Mix almond meal, walnuts, sweetener, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips in bowl. Mix in ricotta, butter, eggs, milk, and nut butter and blend by hand thoroughly.

Pour mix onto baking pan lined with parchment paper or greased with coconut oil or other oil. Shape into loaf approximately 1 inch deep and 3½ to 4 inches in width. Place in oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Remove loaf and allow to cool 15 minutes. Slice into approximately ¾-inch widths and lay each biscotto on its side on baking pan. Put back in oven for 10 minutes.

Remove pan and flip biscotti over. Place back in oven and bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove and cool.

Optional: For a little dark chocolate “icing”:

Melt 3-4 oz semisweet or dark chocolate in microwave (in 15 second increments until melted) or in metal bowl placed in heated water. Stir in 1-2 teaspoons butter.

Dip each biscotti into melted chocolate mix or drizzle chocolate mixture over top of each biscotto.

Mr. B's Crab Cakes

2011-01-21T07:31:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe in the Milwaukee's Lifestyle Magazine, January 2011 edition. I"m a big fan of all the Bartolotta restaurants in the Milwaukee area. Each restaurant is on the top 30 best restaurants in the metro Milwaukee area. So when I saw this recipe, I knew it had to be good, and it was.

The Bartolotta crab cake recipe didn't include a recipe for a sauce to dip the crab cakes into so we had to do some research and experiment with some sauces. Tim and I made 5 different sauces. Out of those 5, two we thought complimented the crab cakes better than the others. We've included those recipes in this posting.

Crab cakes can be served as an appetizer or as a main meal. When we tried this recipe, we used it as a main meal. We served it with a coleslaw, spicy baked sweet potato fries and a bowl of clam chowder.

Mr. B’s Crab Cakes
1 pound lump crab meat
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Place crab meat in medium bowl (check for shells). Combine the rest of the ingredients, except bread crumbs, in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour mixture over crab meat. Add bread crumbs by sprinkling over this mixture. Gently combine. Form into cakes. Dust with bread crumbs to help prevent sticking during cooking. Lightly sauté in olive oil or butter until golden brown and hot all the way through. Finish in the oven if necessary. Makes seven-to-eight 3-ounce cakes.

Mustard Sauce

1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp butter or margarine
1 minced shallot
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 oz white wine
1/4 tsp kosher salt

In a sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic to the oil and fry till the shallots are tender. Add wine to the shallots and allow it to thicken for about 25-30 seconds. Add mustard and salt to the saucepan and bring to a boil for about 1/2 a minute. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter into the sauce. Serve with crab cakes.

Remoulade dipping sauce

1/4 cub mayonnaise
1/4 hot pepper sauce (Franks)
1 tbsp dijon mustard

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Whisk with a hand blender and serve with crab cakes. You can adjust the ingredients according to your own taste.

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

2011-01-09T05:23:00.001-08:00

A middle cream cheese layer makes these a change — for the better — from the usual lemon squares.

Ingredients

4 eggs
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp powdered sugar

Cheesecake Layer:
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg

Base:
30 lemon social tea cookies
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

Line 13- x 9-inch metal cake pan with parchment paper or grease.

Base: In food processor, crush cookies to make 2 cups ; pulse in butter until moistened. Press into prepared pan. Bake in center of 325°F (160°C) oven until firm, about 12 minutes. Let cool on rack.

Cheesecake Layer: In bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar until smooth; beat in egg. Spread over base. Set aside.

In bowl, beat eggs with sugar until thickened. Beat in lemon rind and juice, flour and baking powder until smooth; pour over cheese layer. Bake in center of 325°F (160°C) oven until edges are set and brown, 35 minutes. Let cool on rack

Chunky monkey pancakes

2011-01-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

These chocolate and banana pancakes are a delicious breakfast treat.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large banana, diced
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate
chips
1/4 cup chopped pecans
cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set bowl aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the skim milk, melted butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, being careful not to over mix the batter. Gently fold in the banana, chocolate chips, and nuts.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Snicker surprise peanut butter cookies

2011-01-05T13:48:00.001-08:00

This recipe was on a couple of the quilt blogs I read. With so many people adding this cookie to their holiday mix I thought I'd give them a try. The best advice I can give is, don't over cook. The first time I made them I had the temperature at 350 (cookies came out dry). I then saw a couple of other recipes that had a 300 degree oven temperature and the cookies came out perfect.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
24 Snickers miniature candy bars

Directions:

Prep Time: 20 mins Total Time: 35 mins

Preheat oven to 300°F. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, mix together butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and combine thoroughly. Then mix in flour mixture. Cover and chill dough 2-3 hours. To form cookie, scoop a tablespoon of chilled dough and flatten. Place a miniature Snickers in the center and form the dough into a ball around the Snickers. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-20 minutes. Cool cookies on a rack. Optional: Decorate cookies with powdered sugar or drizzled melted chocolate or both.

Toffee Bars

2011-01-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

This recipes is from Ruth Burrus of Zionsville, Indiana.
These shortbread bars have the taste of toffee without the hassle of making candy. They're an attractive addition to a cookie tray.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 (1.55 ounce) bars milk chocolate
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Gradually add flour and salt, beating until smooth. Press into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 17-19 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately place chocolate bars on top; return to the oven for 1 minute. Spread melted chocolate over bars; sprinkle with pecans.

Pesto cream cheese spread.

2011-01-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

Here is an easy and quick recipes that was given to me by a friend in Rockford. Use your favorite sundried tomato pesto if you can’t find the Tex-A- France brand.

Ingredients:

1-12 oz. container Whipped Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1-7 oz. container Tex-A-France Sundried Tomato Pesto

Directions:

Place cream cheese and pesto in a bowl and mix until incorporated.
Pour spread into a serving bowl. Serve with baguette slices.

Black and White Cheesecake Squares

2011-01-03T06:23:00.000-08:00

Found this recipe in Martha Stewart Living April 2009

Makes 24.

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line dish with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both long sides, then spray parchment.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Cream butter and granulated sugar with a mixer until smooth. Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla, and beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture. Increase speed to medium; beat until incorporated. Reserve 1 cup of dough; cover, and refrigerate. Press remaining dough into bottom of prepared dish. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake until base is set and edges are puffed, about 25 minutes. Let cool in dish on a wire rack.

Mix cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and remaining egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread over cooled base; crumble reserved dough on top. Bake until filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in dish on wire rack, then lift out using overhang. Cut into 24 squares. Squares will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

Chocolate walnut pecan pie

2011-01-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

Chocolate walnut pecan pie

Recipe from Laurie Watson in the 2010 Thanksgiving issue of Penzeys Spices.

Tim loves to experiment with different desserts. He found this in the 2010 Thanksgiving issue of Penzey Spices. It recipe was submitted by Laurie Watson. This is a very rich tasting dessert. Not for someone who is trying to lose a couple of pounds.

Prep time – 15 minutes plus crust making/chilling time of 45 minutes.
Baking time p 40-50 minutes

Ingredients

One singe pie crust shell or use the pie crust recipe
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup walnuts
4 eggs
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
¼ cup bourbon
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ - ½ ground nutmeg
8 oz. bittersweet baking chocolate broken/chopped into ½ inch chunks (too small and they disappear, too big and there isn’t enough in each bite.

Toast the pecans and walnuts for 10 minutes in the oven. While they are toasting, in a mixing bowl combine the eggs, corn syrup, honey, sugars, butter, bourbon, vanilla, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix until smooth. Fold in the nuts and chocolate. Pour into an unbaked pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Pie Crust –

½ cup butter ( 1 stick)
1 cup flour
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
1-3 tablespoons milk

If you are making the crust: The butter should not be rock hard cold, but not completely softened either – somewhere in between. Cut the butter into pieced. Work the flour, sugar, and salt in by hand or with a pastry cutter, then switch to a spoon to mix in just enough milk so that it holds together. Pat into a disc, cover in plastic wrap and chill for a least 30 minutes before rolling.

2011-01-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

Classis spaghetti and meatballs for a crowd
Serves 12

This recipe was found in the Cook’s Illustrated Magazine – November – December 2010

Ingredients:

Meatballs

2 ¼ cups (6 oz) panko bread crumbs
1 ½ cups buttermilk (see note)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
6 ounces sliced prosciutto, chopped fine
3 oz parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 ½ cups)
6 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 ½ teaspoons powdered gelatin, dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water.
Table salt and ground black pepper

Sauce

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups grated onion from 1-2 onions (see note)
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press ( 2 tablespoons)
½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoons dried oregano
6 cups bottled Campbell’s tomato juice (favorite brand from staff at Cook’s Illustrated)
3 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
6 tablespoons dry white wine
Table salt and pepper to taste
3 pounds spaghetti
½ cup fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley flakes
Granulated sugar
Grated parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:

Meatballs

1.Place wire tacks in 2 foiled line rimmed baking sheets (if making entire recipe). Heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine bread crumbs and buttermilk in large bowl and let sit, mashing occasionally with fork until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes.

2.Add eggs, beef, pork, prosciutto, parmesan, parsley, garlic, gelatin mixture, 1 ½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoons pepper to bread crumb mixture. Using hands, gently mix until thoroughly combined. Lightly form about ¼ cup mixture into 2-inch round meatballs. Approximately 40 meatballs.

3.Spray wire racks with nonstick cooking spray and add meatballs. Roast until browned, about 30 minutes.

Sauce

1.While meatballs roast, heat olive oil over medium heat in large dutch oven. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally until softened and golden around edges, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano; cook stirring frequently until fragrant. Stir in tomato juice, crushed tomatoes, win, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

2.Remove meatballs from oven and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees. Gently add meatballs to sauce, cover pot and place in oven. Cook until meatballs are firm and sauce has thickened, about one hour.

3.Meanwhile bring 10 quarts water to boil. Add pasta and 2 tablespoons salt, cook until al dente.

To serve

Stir basil and parsley into sauce and adjust seasoning with sugar, salt and pepper. Toss pasta with 1 ½ sauce until lightly coated. Serve pasta, passing meatballs, remaining sauce and grated parmesan separately.

Note: One cup of plain yogurt thinned with ½ cup milk can be substituted for the buttermilk. Grate the onion on the large holdes of a box grater. The ingredients in this recipe can be reduced by two-thirds to serve 4.

Making the most of salt.

2011-01-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

Making the most of salt – from Cook’s Illustrated – November – December Issue

Types of Salt – What distinguishes one salt from another is texture, shape and mineral content. These qualities can affect how a salt tastes as well as how it interacts with other foods.

Table salt (common salt)- Tiny, shaped crystals

How to use – dissolves easily , making it ideal for most applications, both sweet and savory. Avoid iodized which can impart a subtle chemical flavor.

Kosher Salt -Course-grain does not contain additives

How to use – top choice for seasoning meat. The large grains cling well to the meats surface.

Sea Salt - Product of seawater evaporation. Yields irregular shapped, mineral rich flakes.

How to use – don’t cook with pricey sea salt; mixed into food, it doesn’t taste any different than table salt. Instead, use it as a finishing salt where it delicate crunch stand out. When buying, look for brands boasting large, flaky crystals.

Good uses for salt

1. Dulling the bitter edge – salt works to block the bitterness in food thus enhancing other less prominent foods. Adding 1/8 teaspoon to coffee grounds (every 72 ounces) reduced the perceived bitterness.

2. Tender scrambled eggs – salt keeps egg proteins from bonding to each oether and producing a weaker protein chain. Add 1/8 teaspoon of table salt for every 2 eggs just prior to cooking.

3. Deep cleaning cast iron – The abrasive quality of kosher salt makes it a perfect clenser for rusty cast iron. Warm ¼ inch vegetable oil in pan 5 minutes, remove from heat and add ¼ cup kosher salt. Scrub salt into pan with paper towels until debris loosens. Rinse well and repeat if necessary.

4. Making garlic paste – sprinkle kosher salt over minced garlic and use the side of a knife to reduce the chopped garlic to a fine paste.

5. Greener green beans – adding salt to the cooking water seasons the green beans and helps them retain their bright color. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of salt for every quart of water.

Salting Meat (best choice for meats that are already juicy or well marbled)
Salting helps proteins retain their own natural juices. When salt is applied to raw meat, juices inside that meat are drawn to the surface. The salt then dissolves in the exuded liquid, forming a brine that is eventually reabsorbed by the meat. Preferred salt – kosher

Brining Meat (adds moisture making it the best choice for lean proteins)
Use table salt. Works faster than salting, can make lean cuts such as chicken breast or pork tenderloin juicer than salting since it adds, verus merely retains, moisture.

Wheat-free pumpkin bread

2010-12-26T04:52:00.000-08:00

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2010

Wheat-free pumpkin bread
Try this recipe for a wheat-free, gluten-free yet healthy "bread." Unlike many gluten-free foods that send blood sugar skyward, this will not.

Ingredients:
2 cups ground almond meal (Buy it from Trader Joe's--70% cheaper than other grocery stores.)
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup sour cream (full-fat, of course)
15 oz canned pumpkin (Trader Joe's is bisphenol A-free)
2 medium to large eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg or allspice
Dash of salt
Choice of non-nutritive sweetener (I used 3 teaspoons Trader Joe's stevia extract powder, the one mixed with lactose. Two tablespoons of Truvia, 1/2 teaspoon of the more concentrated stevia extract, or 1/2 cup Splenda are other choices. You can taste the mixed batter to gauge sweetness if in doubt.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking pan (e.g., 10 x 6 inch). The pan should be big enough so that the mix will not be more than 2 inches deep, else it will require much longer to bake. (If you have only smaller pans, you will need to cook longer while the pan is covered with aluminum foil.)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in large bowl. Pour mix into greased baking pan.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 30 minutes or until inserted toothpick or knife comes out dry.

Serve with cream cheese or as is.

Salmon Panzanella

2010-12-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

This is a healthy recipe that I found in Eating Well magazine.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/salmon_panzanella.html

This traditional Italian bread salad is full of tomatoes and cucumber and gets a protein boost with the addition of grilled salmon.

4 servings, 2 cups salad & 3 ounces salmon each | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

8 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 thick slices day-old whole-grain bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (see Tip)
2 large tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium cucumber, peeled (if desired), seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 pound center-cut salmon, skinned (see Tip) and cut into 4 portions
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

Preheat grill to high or use broiler in oven. Whisk olives, vinegar, capers and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in oil until combined. Add bread, tomatoes, cucumber, onion and basil.
Oil the grill rack. Season both sides of salmon with salt and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Grill the salmon until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Divide the salad among 4 plates and top each with a piece of salmon.

Tips & Notes

Tips: If using fresh bread, you can grill the bread slices along with the salmon and then cut them into cubes. Alternatively, cut bread into cubes, place on a baking sheet and bake at 300°F until dry.
How to skin a salmon fillet: Place salmon fillet on a clean cutting board, skin-side down. Starting at the tail end, slip the blade of a long knife between the fish flesh and the skin, holding down firmly with your other hand. Gently push the blade along at a 30° angle, separating the fillet from the skin without cutting through either.

Gluten free pumpkin pancakes

2010-12-19T14:45:00.000-08:00

For health reasons, I'm starting to add more wheat-free recipes to the blog. We made a couple of adjustments to the original recipe to cut down on sugar. We also use sugar free pancake syrup to make sure to make this a great diabetic/heart healthy recipe.

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 Tbsp sugar or sugar substitute
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup of pureed pumpkin
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Flour (made of, garbanzo flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, sorghum flour and fava flour)
1/4 cup Buckwheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2 pinches of nutmeg
1 cup of organic whole milk ( I used skim)

In a mixing bowl whisk together the egg, sugar, and vanilla, until foamy. Add the melted butter and pureed pumpkin and stir together.

Sift together the flours, baking powder, and spices then add them to the pumpkin mixture. Pour the milk over the mixture and whisk together just until it’s smooth. Add more milk if you like your pancakes thinner. Cook pancakes on hot griddle until golden brown. Serve immediately with your choice of maple syrup.

Homemade lip balm

2010-12-12T05:13:00.000-08:00

The best part of making your own body - care products is being able to customize them to your own preferences. In the recipe provided below, feel free to add any essential oil or combination of your choice. If minty freshness is your thing, go for peppermint or spearmint essential oil. If you prefer a floral fragrance, consider a few drops of lavender (which naturally contains antiviral, antiseptic and antibacterial properties, perfect for healing lip infections and keeping others at bay). Want a kiss of spice? Spring for cinnamon or clove oil. There really is no wrong way to go about scenting your balm. From the website of Ashley English.

Lips of Bliss Balm

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. natural beeswax, grated
2 tbsp. coconut oil
5–10 drops essential oil of choice
1/2 tsp. honey or glycerin-based food-grade flavor extracts, such as almond, orange, lemon, etc. (optional)

Directions:

1. Place grated beeswax into a heatproof glass dish (one with a spout and handle is ideal). Add coconut oil to the container (the oil will be solid at room temperature).

2. Add 1 1/2 cups water to a small/medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil and place glass dish with beeswax and coconut oil into the middle of the pot. The beeswax and coconut oil will begin to warm and melt; give the liquid a stir with a metal spoon to fully incorporate the two ingredients.

3. Once melted, remove the glass container from the pot and set on a kitchen cloth or trivet. Turn the heat off on your stove.

4. Add essential oil of choice and flavoring agent, if you’re using one. Stir with the metal spoon to distribute evenly.

5. Pour mixture into your container of choice; cover with a lid.

6. Allow to fully cool. Mixture will be solid at room temperature.

7. Makes enough for one 2-ounce container. For larger batches, simply multiply ingredients by the amount of 2-ounce jars you wish to make.

Wheat-free pie crust

2010-12-09T10:16:00.000-08:00

Today starts the new label for non-wheat items. This recipe is from Tim's cardiologist, Dr William Davis

From the blog of Dr. William Davis – Tim’s cardiologist

I’ve been working on wheat-free yet healthy recipes these past two months.

You can buy wheat-free, gluten-free foods at the store, of course. But the majority of these products are unhealthy because cornstarch, rice starch, potato starch, or tapioca starch are commonly used in place of wheat. Recall that these are among the few foods that increase blood glucose higher than even wheat.

Here’s a simple recipe for wheat-free pie crust that works best for cheesecake, pumpkin pie, and cream pies, but not for berry or other fruit pies like apple.

You will need:
 
1½ cups ground pecans
6 tablespoons melted butter or melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 medium egg
2 tablespoons Truvia™ or ½ teaspoon stevia extract or ½ cup Splenda®

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in bowl. Pour mixture into pie pan and press onto bottom and sides.

Fill pie crust with desired filling. You can fill it with your favorite cheesecake recipe (e.g., Neufchatel or cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and stevia; add pumpkin for pumpkin cheesecake) and bake, usually at 350 degrees F for one hour.

Yes, the butter provokes insulin and artificial sweeteners can trigger appetite. But, for the holidays, a slice or two of pie made with this crust will not increase blood sugar nor trigger the uncontrolled impulse eating that wheat crust will trigger.

Chewy Almond Peanut Butter Granola Bars

2010-12-06T04:53:00.000-08:00

Makes 12 bars

Ingredients

½ c. old-fashioned oats
½ c. dried cranberries
½ c. sliced almonds
¼ c. all natural peanut butter
¼ c. all natural almond butter
½ c. brown sugar
½ t. cinnamon
3 T. vegetable or canola oil
1 T. water
¼ t. salt
1 egg white

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees, line an 8 x 8 baking pan with two strips of parchment paper, allowing a 2 inch over hang for all sides.

2. In a large bowl combine oats, cranberries and almonds

3. Over low heat, combine almond and peanut butters, brown sugar, oil, salt, water and cinnamon in a small saucepan until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

4. Whisk egg white into the cooled peanut butter mixture until combined.

5. Fold peanut butter mixture into oats mixture and combine until moistened.

6. Pour into prepared pan, spreading and smoothing mixture evenly

7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, cool for 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and cool completely. Cut into 12 bars

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

2010-12-06T04:47:00.000-08:00

Adapted by Central Market Cooks
Serves 16

Ingredients

3 cups flour
2 cups blueberries
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 egg white
8 ounces (1 cup) lemon yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla

Lemon Glaze

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon hot water

1. Toss 2 tablespoons of the flour with the blueberries in a small bowl to coat evenly. Mix the remaining flour with the baking powder and baking soda.

2. Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy.

3. Beat in eggs and egg white one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the flour mixture alternately with the yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing well after each addition. Fold in blueberries and vanilla.

4. Spoon into a 10-inch tube pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Remove to a cake plate.

5. For glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and hot water in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Drizzle over the warm cake. Cut the cake with a serrated knife to serve.

Hummingbird Cake

2010-12-04T13:07:00.000-08:00

This recipe came from a friend from Rockford who get it from a Southern Living cookbook. She said this is the most requested recipe in Southern Living magazine history. A must try cake.

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups chopped bananas
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Preparation

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not beat.) Stir in vanilla, pineapple, 1 cup pecans, and bananas.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not beat.) Stir in vanilla, pineapple, 1 cup pecans, and bananas.

Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake; sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans on top. Store in refrigerator.

Vanilla extract

2010-11-30T16:08:00.000-08:00

How to Make Vanilla Extract

Commercial vanilla extract usually has simple syrup (sugar water) added to the extract to give it a sweet aftertaste. You can do this if you want, but if you are using the vanilla for baking, there really is no need.

INGREDIENTS

3 vanilla beans
1 cup vodka
glass or mason jar with tight fitting lid

METHOD

1 Use kitchen scissors or a sharp paring knife to cut lengthwise down each vanilla bean, splitting them in half, leaving an inch at the end connected.

2 Put vanilla beans in a glass jar or bottle with a tight fitting lid (mason jars work well). Cover completely with the vodka.

3 Give the bottle a good shake every once in a while. Store in a dark, cool place for 2 months or longer.
Lasts for years. You can keep topping it off with vodka once in a while as you use it, just remember to give it a good shake.
You can also make vanilla sugar by putting a split vanilla bean into a jar of white, granulated sugar. Great way to infuse the sugar with vanilla flavor for baking.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

2010-11-30T16:05:00.000-08:00

This is from the Milwaukee Journal Blog - November 30, 2010
Homemade Chicken Nuggets
Makes 3 - 4 servings

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
About 1/3 cup flour
1 egg
4 tablespoons water
About 1/3 to 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper

Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch strips or 2-inch pieces to suit your preferred size and shape.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Put the flour and breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls. Whisk the egg and water together in a small bowl.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge (dip/coat/pat) each chicken piece in flour, then dip in the egg mixture and press into the breadcrumbs to coat on all sides. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes (or until cooked through), flipping the nuggets after 10 minutes.

Serve with ketchup, barbecue sauce, honey, honey mustard, ranch dressing or your favorite dipping sauce.

Turkey and quinoa meatloaf

2010-11-20T13:06:00.000-08:00

For the past couple of years, Tim and I have been vegetarians. Recently we've realized that we're eating too many carbs and not enough protein. We've decided to include lean meats into our diet. This recipe was made with the leanest turkey we could buy. What makes this recipe a little different is that quinoa is added to the recipe instead of bread crumbs. The quinoa is much nuttier than breadcrumbs and improves the flavor and texture of the meatloaf.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon water

DIRECTIONS:

1.Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2.Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3.Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute; remove from heat to cool.

4.Stir the turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, tomato paste, hot sauce, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet. Combine the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Rub the paste over the top of the meatloaf.

5.Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Let the meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

2010-11-20T12:56:00.000-08:00

Succulent pork loin chops are paired with slices of tart apple cooked in a sauce of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Found at allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

4 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced
3 tablespoons pecans (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.Preheat oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Place a medium dish in the oven to warm.

2.Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and place in hot pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, or until done. Transfer to the warm dish, and keep warm in the preheated oven.

3.In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter to skillet, and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops. Keep warm in the preheated oven.

4.Continue cooking sauce uncovered in skillet, until thickened slightly. Spoon sauce over apples and chops. Sprinkle with pecans.

Oven baked pork chops

2010-11-20T12:51:00.000-08:00

These pork chops will melt in your mouth. They are very good and easy to assemble. They are first sauteed in butter, then baked in a creamy mushroom sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

4 (1 1/4 inch thick) pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream
of mushroom soup

DIRECTIONS:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.Season pork chops with salt and pepper to taste. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute the pork chops in the butter for about 5 minutes per side.

3.In a separate medium bowl, combine the milk, water and soup. Place the pork chops in a 9x13 inch baking dish and pour the soup mixture over the chops.

4.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.

White cheese chicken lasagna

2010-11-20T12:29:00.000-08:00

A nice change from tomato based lasagnas. This is a creamy white lasagna made with spinach and chicken.

INGREDIENTS:
9 lasagna noodles
1/2 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
4 cups shredded mozzarella
cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan
cheese, divided
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black
pepper
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
meat
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen
chopped spinach, thawed and
drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
cheese for topping

DIRECTIONS:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water.

2.Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and salt, and simmer until bubbly. Mix in the broth and milk, and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with the basil, oregano, and ground black pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside.

3.Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer with 1/3 of the noodles, the ricotta, and the chicken. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken, and layer with 1/3 of the sauce mixture, spinach, and the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange remaining noodles over cheese, and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

4.Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

Crispy breaded pan fried pork chops

2010-10-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

For Father's Day this year, I bought Tim the Cook's Illustrated magazine. If you haven't heard about this magazine,it is dedicated to developing foolproof recipes. It is tests and retests recipes 20, 30, sometimes 50 times until they can offer recipes that will work every time you make it.

Today we tried the breaded pork chops. Cook's Illustrated came up with some great solutions to make the coating stick to the pork chop and provide a crispy coating on the outside and juicy and tender in the inside.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup buttermilk
2 T dijon mustard
1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed (about 1 t.)
3 cups cornflakes
table salt and pepper
8 center cut boneless pork chops 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick
2/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Place 1/3 cup cornstarch in shallow dish or pie plate. In second shallow dish, whisk buttermilk, mustard, and garlic until combined. Process cornflakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 1/3 cup cornstarch in food processor until cornflakes are finely ground, about 10 seconds. Transfer cornflakes mixture to third shallow dish.

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. With sharp knife, cut 1/16 inch deep slits in both sides of chops, spaced 1/2 inch apart, in crosshatch pattern. Season pork chops liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge 1 pork chop in cornstarch; shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with buttermilk mixture; let excess drip off. Coat with cornflakes mixture; gently pat off excess. Transfer coated chop to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and repeat with remaining chops. Let coated chops stand 10 minutes.

3. Heat 1/3 cup oil in 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Place 4 chops in skillet and co0k until golden brown and crispy, 2-5 minutes. Carefully flip chops and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, crispy and center of chops registers 140 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 2-5 minutes longer. Transfer chops to paper towel lined plate and let drain 30 seconds on each side (do not leave on longer or the heat will steam the crust and make it soggy). Transfer to clean wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet in oven to keep warm.

Crispy Pan fried pork chops with Latin spice rub
Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, 3/4 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes in small bowl. Follow recipe above omitting ground pepper and coating chops with spice rub after seasoning with salt in step 2.

Maple Salmon

2010-09-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

Found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. It was so good that I didn't need to make any changes. The great maple flavor comes from using real maple syrup. Don't use the fake stuff.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound salmon

DIRECTIONS:

1.In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.

2.Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once. Keeping the salmon in the marinate longer does not improve the flavor.

3.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

4.Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake salmon uncovered 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.

Blueberry oat bars

2010-09-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

Oats add crunch to the tasty crust and crumbly topping of these fruity bars from Deena Hubler of Jasper, Indiana. These make a nice healthy snack. I cut them and freeze them.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old fashion oats (less processed)
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup cold butter
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, combine flour, oats, 1 cup sugar and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 2 cups for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan; set aside.

2. In a saucepan, combine blueberries, cornstarch, lemon juice and remaining sugar. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over the crust. Sprinkle with the reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting.

Low sugar strawberry rhubarb crunch

2010-09-06T17:34:00.000-07:00

Tim found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. It is a great rhubarb recipe because it doesn't use a lot of sugar like most rhubarb recipes call for.

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.In a medium bowl, stir together the rhubarb, strawberries and honey. Transfer to a shallow baking dish. In the same bowl, stir together the oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix in the butter until crumbly, and spread over the top of the fruit.

3.Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until rhubarb is tender and the topping is toasted. Serve warm.

Rhubarb Cake

2010-09-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

We have an unlimited supply of fresh rhubarb each year so Tim and I will try to find new recipes to try. Found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. It was submitted by Biena Schlabach.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter (no substitutes),
softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb

STREUSEL TOPPING:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted

VANILLA SAUCE:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1.In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating just until moistened. Fold in the rhubarb. Pour into a greased 9-in. square baking dish.

2.Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

3.For sauce, melt butter in a saucepan. Add sugar and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Serve with cake.

Crabmeat Spread

2010-09-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

I love checking out old cookbooks for new recipes to try. I needed a new appetizer to try for an outdoor concert we were attending. I found this recipe in an old 1970's Las Vegas Cookbook and thought I'd try it. It was easy to make and got great reviews.

8 oz. cream cheese
1 T. mayo
1/4 t. garlic
1/2 t. chopped onion
1 bottle cocktail sauce
1 can flaked crabmeat
parsley

Mix first 4 ingredients well and spread on tray or plate. Pour cocktail sauce to cover. Drain crabmeat. Sprinkle crabmeat over sauce. Sprinkle parsley over top.

Shrimp dip

2010-09-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

While living in Nevada, I came upon some old cookbooks from the 1970's. This recipe is from Theresa Hayes. This is a quick appetizer that taste really good.

2 (5oz) cans of baby shrimp
1/2 cup Mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 small onion, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse shrimp under cold water in a colander. Press out extra water. Place shrimp in bowl and break up with fingers. Separately mix remaining ingredients and add to shrimp. Chill 4-6 hours.

Shrimp Panzanella

2010-05-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

Found this recipe in Eating Well May/June 2010. The recipe is by Nancy Baggett.

We tried this recipe on Saturday night with a nice glass of wine. Colorful, healthy and taste great. This will be a great addition to my summer recipes. Great to make ahead and eat at a picnic.

This fresh-tasting panzanella (Italian bread-and-tomato salad) is made with shrimp, olives and plenty of herbs. You’ll need olives packed in flavorful brine to make the dressing.

4 servings

Ingredients

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
4 cups 1/2-inch crusty multigrain bread cubes, preferably day-old
1 pound coarsely chopped peeled cooked shrimp
4 large ripe but firm tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 large green, red and/or yellow bell peppers, diced
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup sliced pitted Kalamata olives, plus 1/4 cup olive brine
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 cups mixed salad greens

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Mash garlic into the oil with a fork to infuse it with flavor; discard the garlic. Stir bread cubes into the oil until lightly coated. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes, until very crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

Combine shrimp, tomatoes, bell peppers, parsley, chives, olives and olive brine, vinegar, thyme and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Season with pepper. Let stand for at least 10 minutes to blend the flavors. (I let it blend for 2 hours)
Toss the croutons with the shrimp mixture and serve the salad over greens.

Carrot cake

2010-04-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

This is adaptation of several carrot cake recipes that Tim found on the internet.

INGREDIENTS:
3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups shredded carrots
1 cup flaked coconut (optional, Tim hates coconut so he didn't use)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice pureed
1 cup raisins (optional)

Frosting:
1 8oz cream cheese softened
1/4 cup butter softened
1 cup confectionery sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans

DIRECTIONS:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 9 inch round pans.

2.In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

3.In a large bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture and mix well.

4.In a medium bowl, combine shredded carrots, coconut, walnuts, pineapple and raisins.

5.Using a large wooden spoon or a very heavy whisk, add carrot mixture to batter and fold in well.

6. Pour into prepared pans, and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for around 40 minutes. Check with toothpick.

7. Make cream cheese frosting and frost only top and in between layer. Not sides. If you want to frost entire cake, then double the amount of frosting.

Jamie's Cranberry Spinach Salad

2010-04-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

I needed a spinach salad to go with one of the meals I was cooking. Found this recipe from Jamie Hensley on allrecipes. com.

"Spinach, toasted almonds and bits of dried cranberries are tossed together in a bowl and dressed with a sweet and tangy vinegar and oil dressing full of sesame and poppy seeds."

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered
1 pound spinach, rinsed and torn into bite size pieces
1 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons minced onion
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

1.In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook and stir almonds in butter until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and let cool.

2.In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the toasted almonds and cranberries.

3.In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil. Toss with spinach just before serving.

Chocolate Mocha Dessert

2010-04-25T11:05:00.001-07:00

Tim found this recipe in The Best Cook on the Block Cookbook, volume 3. The recipe is by Terry Sullivan.

This is a chocolate and coffee flavored frozen dessert that is something like Tiramisu. Use a glass serving bowl to show off the layers.

Ingredients:

1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1/4 cup water
1 T light corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
Whites of 2 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup light brown sugar
1 T instant coffee powder (not freeze dried)
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup ground walnuts
2 T creme de cocoa
Whipped cream for garnish

In small saucepan, combine chocolate pieces, water and corn syrup. Heat mixture over very low heat stirring with wooden spoon until chocolate is melted.

Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt. Transfer to large mixing bowl and cool.

In another bowl (not plastic) beat egg whites until frothy. Add sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until mixture is stiff.

Stir 1/3 of egg mixture into chocolate mixture and then fold in remaining egg white mixture.

In chilled bowl, beat cream until it holds soft peaks. While beating, add brown sugar and then coffee powder and almond extract. Continue beating until mixture holds stiff peaks.

Have walnuts and creme de cocoa ready. Spread 1/3 of chocolate mixture in bottom of 1 1/2 quart serving bowl. Sprinkle with half of walnuts and half of creme de cocoa. Top with half of cream mixture. Repeat layers ending with layer of chocolate mixture.

Cover bowl and freeze dessert at least 6 hours. Served garnished with whipped cream. Makes 6-8 servings.

Sugar Free Margarita

2010-04-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

I love margaritas but hate the high sugar content. I found this substitute on the internet. Using fresh lime juice is essential in this great tasting recipe.

Ingredients:

1 jigger (1.5 oz) tequila
2 Tablespoons (1 oz) lime juice - bottled more convenient, fresh tastes a lot better
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) water
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1 Tablespoon's worth artificial sweetener (I like to use liquid, carb-free types)
Ice - small handful
Margarita salt or kosher salt

Preparation:

Wet the rim of the glass and dip into a small plate of salt.

Combine all ingredients. You can either serve it over ice or strained into the glass, or blended in a blender.

Mexican rice

2010-04-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

This is a great side dish to use with tacos or other Mexican meals. Rice is sauteed with salt, cumin and onion, then simmered with tomato sauce and chicken broth.

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:

1.Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin.

2.Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork

Shrimp Tacos

2010-04-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of southwest cooking. Having lived in Nevada for a couple of years I found this recipe in one of the local magazines.

The combination of spices in this recipe can make the shrimp a little spicy, however the coolness of the cilantro-lime sour cream balances out the flavor nicely. If you do want to tone it down a little bit, you can cut the amount of chili powder in half and omit the cayenne pepper. I served with a Mexican and rice sugar free Margaritas (both recipes on this site)

Serves 2

Ingredients:

20 medium peeled shrimp
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 flour tortillas
oil for frying
shredded lettuce
diced tomatoes
sliced avocado
cilantro lime sour cream (recipe follows)

In a bowl whisk together olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper (if using). Add in shrimp and toss to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for one hour to give the flavors a chance to blend.

Cook shrimp in a skillet on medium heat until pink and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and cover to keep warm.

Use enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of a small pan, about 2 tablespoons. Heat over medium-high heat. Cook tortillas one at a time until soft, about 30 seconds on each side. Fold over to make a taco shell. As you cook each tortilla, place them on paper towels to absorb any of the oil left over.

Spoon 5 shrimp into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, avocado and cilantro-lime sour cream.

Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream

You will need:

1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon cumin
juice and zest from one lime
salt to taste

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl.

Strawberry Pie

2010-04-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

Last week Tim made this pie for our special Saturday night meal. Strawberries have been in abundance in the stores so he decided to try this pie recipe which he found on allrecipes.com. He made some changes and added a brown sugar oatmeal topping. We'll have to make this again when the Wisconsin strawberries are in season.

INGREDIENTS:
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
1 stick of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place a drip pan on lowest shelf to catch pie juices.

2.To Make Topping: In a medium bowl, mix one stick of softened butter,brown sugar, oatmeal, flour and cinnamon. Set aside.

3.Place cleaned strawberries in a deep bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, and cornstarch. Gently coat berries with this mixture; be careful not to crush berries. Use only enough of the mixture to coat strawberries and discard the extra.

4.Pour berries into prepared pie crust mounding them in the middle; mounding is necessary as the berries will sink as they bake. Cover berries with crumb topping and top crumbs with about 15 pea-sized blobs of butter. Wrap edges of pie crust with foil to prevent burning.

5.Bake pie in preheated oven for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake for an additional 40 minutes. When there are 10 minutes left of baking, sprinkle a little extra sugar over crumb topping and then finish baking.

Mom K's Carrot Cale

2010-04-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

This is Mom K's no frosting carrot cake. Tim has experimented to reduce the amount of oil in the cake but each time he does, the cake loses it's moistness. So he decided just to keep it as is.

Ingredients

1 1/2 C oil
2 C sugar (1 dark brown, 1 white)
3 C flour
4 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp allspice
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C Milk
2 C grated carrots (about 8 large)
1 C nuts (optional)

Mix wet with dry. Bake in form pan for around 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Avocado Shrimp Ceviche-Estillo Sarita

2010-02-23T16:08:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from Cafe Luna Antigua. What makes this recipe interesting is that the shrimp is marinated in lime juice to cook, then mixed with tomato, cilantro, onion and a special sauce. You can save a couple of whole shrimps to dangle on the edge of the tumbler for a special presentation. The lime and the cilantro are the key, and of course fresh shrimp. We served this meal with fresh warm pita bread. Delicious summer time meal.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 pounds large shrimp - peeled, deveined
and chopped
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
5 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 white onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro ( I love cilantro so used more)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
2 (4 ounce) packets saltine crackers (I used fresh warm pita bread instead)

Directions:

1. Place the shrimp and lime juice into a large bowl, and stir to coat. Let stand for about 5 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque. The lime juice will cook them. Mix in the tomatoes, onion, and cilantro until coated with lime juice; cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or longer.

2. Remove from the refrigerator, and mix in the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, salt and pepper. You could leave out the hot sauce and put on the table and let people add their own when serving.

3. Serve in glass tumblers and top with avocado pieces. Set out extra Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, lime wedges and hot sauce for people to individualize their dish.

Bourbon Pecan Chicken

2010-02-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

Tim and I tried this on Saturday night. Fantastic! This is the write up on Allrecipes that got me to try the recipe, "Chicken breasts are coated in a pecan breading, and fried in a skillet. Then a rich bourbon sauce is poured over them before serving. This is a fabulous recipe that my Mother gave me from a upscale restaurant in New York. It is to die for. ENJOY!!" Tim and I agree this is a quick and simple recipe that taste great.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Ready In: 30 Minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast
halves
1/4 cup clarified butter, melted
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 2/3 tablespoons bourbon whiskey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut
into small cubes
1/2 cup sliced green onions

Directions:
1. Stir together the pecans, bread crumbs, and 2 tablespoons of clarified butter. Spread the mixture out on a plate. Press the chicken breasts into the mixture to coat on both sides. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of clarified butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the coated chicken breasts in the pan, and fry on both sides until nicely browned and chicken meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes per side.

2. In a small saucepan, whisk together the Dijon mustard, brown sugar, bourbon, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, then remove from the burner, and whisk in the 3/4 cup of unsalted butter one piece at a time. Do not return to the heat.

3. Arrange the chicken breasts on a large serving plate. Pour the sauce over the chicken, and sprinkle with green onion.

Planet Burgers (Vegetarian)

2010-01-28T15:14:00.000-08:00

Recreated from the Good Earth restaurant in Cupertino, California by Diana McAnulty's search for a veggie burger her kids would devour! Adapted from Vegetarian Times magazine.

9 -12 burgers

Ingredients

* 3 cups cooked brown rice
* 12 ounces cooked chickpeas, mashed
* 1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
* 4 ounces cooked red beans, mashed (or adzuki beans)
* 1 medium carrot, shredded (1/2 cup)
* 1/2 cup ground almonds (or almond flour or breadcrumbs)
* 1/2 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
* 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced (or 3 large tbls.dried)
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

1. Stir all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Shape into large patties.

2.Coat a skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium high heat.

3.Cook the patties 4-5 minutes per side, or until browned on outside and cooked through on the inside. Use a wide spatula to flip the burgers, they can be fragile.

4. Place in burger buns, or on bread. Use your favorite condiments.

5. Enjoy!

If you prefer not to use as burgers they can be used as a meat in wraps, chilli, spaghetti sauce etc.

Three grain Tabouli

2010-01-03T15:01:00.000-08:00

I found this healthy recipe in the May/June 2009, Clean Eating Magazine. From the recipe - Millet and kasha give a more chewier texture and more substantial bite to this refreshing Lebanese grain salad, while shrimp pumps up the protein.

I found the millet, bulgar and kasha at Whole Foods.

This recipes makes 6 cups.

Ingredients

1/4 cup millet
1/4 cup roasted while buckwheat groats (Kasha)
1/2 cup fine bulgar
1/2 cup mint leaves, coarsely chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped, about 1 cup
1 medium tomato, diced
8 0z. cooked shrimp
juice of 1-2 large lemons, about 5 tbs.
2 tsp lemon zest
3 tbs low sodium chicken broth
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Heat millet in a nonstick saucepan over medium high heat until it begins to brown and pop, about 5-10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water and bring to a simmer, covered. Simmer for 8 minutes. Set aside. In another pot, bring 1/2 cup water to boil over high heat. Add kasha, lower heat to medium, cover and cook for around 6 minutes until kasha becomes soft and more than doubles in size. Set aside. While millet and kasha are cooking, soak bulgar in 1 1/2 cups warm water for 10 minutes in a separate bowl. Drain.

In a large bowl, blend all 3 grains together, then add mint, onions, parsley and tomato and gently mix. Cut each shrimp in half and mix into grain mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice, zest, broth, oil and salt. Pour over grain mixture; toss and serve.

Pumpkin seed trail mix

2010-01-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from my daughter, Kristin's blog. This recipe came from Martha Stewart Living.

Pumpkin Seed Trail Mix

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt
1/2 cup large unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup whole almonds (toasted)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup candied ginger (cut into 1/4-inch pieces)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine raw pumpkin seeds and olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with coarse salt. Toss to combine. Spread in a single layer. Toast, stirring halfway through, until golden, about 8 minutes. Place toasted pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes, almonds, dried cranberries, and candied ginger in a bowl. Mix to combine. Divide among jars, containers, or bags. Trail mix can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Makes 3 1/2 cups.

Multi- Grain Waffles

2010-01-01T16:48:00.000-08:00

From EatingWell: Spring 2003, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004)

Traditional waffles are a butter-laden, high-carb indulgence, but they make the transition to good fats and smart carbs beautifully, yielding crisp, nutty-tasting waffles with all the sweet pleasure of the original. The batter can also be used for pancakes.

Ingredients

* 2 cups buttermilk
* 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
* 2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
* 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ, or cornmeal
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
* 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Mix buttermilk and oats in a medium bowl; let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat germ (or cornmeal), baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. Stir eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla into the oat mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; mix with a rubber spatula just until moistened.
4. Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray and preheat. Spoon in enough batter to cover three-fourths of the surface (about 2/3 cup for an 8-by-8-inch waffle iron). Cook until waffles are crisp and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

* Make Ahead Tip: Wrap any leftovers individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat in a toaster or toaster oven.

Broccoli Salad

2010-01-01T16:20:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe in the early summer Penzeys Spice catalog. Instead of using raisins, I used craisins. I like the flavor of craisins and they add a nice color with the green broccoli. This is a great salad anytime of the year.

Ingredients

1 large head fresh broccoli, Steams discarded, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup raisins or craisins
1/4 cup diced onions
1 T Italian salad dressing base (Penzey spice)
1 T water
1 cup mayonnaise
2 T vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
8 slices bacon, crisply fried
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Combine the broccoli, raisins or craisins, and onion in a serving bowl. In a small bowl, mix together the Italian Dressing base and water. Let stand 5 minutes and then add the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar and whisk to combine. Pour over the broccoli mix. Refrigerate 3-4 hours or longer to soften the raw broccoli and blend the flavors. This can be made a day ahead. When ready to serve, crumble the bacon on top and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Shake on ground pepper.

Serves 6-8

Oatmeal cheesecake banana split

2009-12-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

Vegetarian Times magazine held a contest this year from up and coming student chefs. This recipe by Kathleen Wilcox from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, N.Y. won the best dessert. You don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy this great tasting dessert. This recipe is in the January 2010 magazine.

Serves 6

Ingredients

2/3 cup rolled oats
1 2/3 cups low-fat milk
4 oz low fat cream cheese softened
4 oz reduced fat sour cream
1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup fresh raspberries
2 bananas, halved lengthwise, each half cut into 3 pieces
2 Tbs. light brown sugar
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds (optional)

1. Coat 6 8 0z. ramekins or ovenproof dishes with cooking spray, and set aside.

2. Combine oats, milk, and pinch of salt in saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook 6-8 minutes or until oats are creamy. Divide oatmeal among prepared ramekins and cool.

3. Preheat oven to broil. Beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth with electric mixer until smooth. Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Stir in raspberries.

4. Top oatmeal in each ramekin with 2 bananas. Sprinkle 1 tsp. brown sugar over banana slices. Broil 3 - 5 minutes or until brown sugar is bubbly. Top with cream cheese mixture; sprinkle with almonds.

Middle Eastern Spice Mix

2009-12-20T11:07:00.000-08:00

Makes 2/3 cup.

2 T freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 T ground cumin
1 T ground coriander
1 T salt
1 1/2 t ground cardamon

3/4 t ground cloves

Cajun Spice Mix

2009-12-20T10:47:00.000-08:00

Easy spice mix to make at home. This recipe makes 2/3 cup.

2 T paprika
2 T freshly ground black pepper
1 T garlic powder
2 t red pepper flakes
2 t dried thyme
2 t dried oregano
2 t onion powder
1/8 t ground red pepper (or more to taste)

Cranberry-Nut Mini loaves with flaxseeds

2009-11-23T16:28:00.000-08:00

Found this recipe in the Fall 2003 Eating Well Magazine. It was also mentioned as a healthy bread on realage.com If you like cranberry bread you'll love this more healthy version.

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
* 2 oranges
* Orange juice, if needed
* 1/3 cup flaxseeds meal (crushed seeds)
* 1 cup whole-wheat flour
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 large egg
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup canola oil
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, or pecans (2 ounces), divided

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat three 6-by-3-inch mini-loaf pans (2-cup capacity) with cooking spray.
2. Pulse cranberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Grate orange zest to measure 2 tablespoons. Squeeze juice, adding orange juice, if necessary, to measure 3/4 cup.
3. Add flaxseed, whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk to blend.
4. Whisk egg, sugar, oil, vanilla and the orange zest and juice in a medium bowl. Add to the flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in cranberries and 1/4 cup nuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the loaves with the remaining 1/4 cup nuts. Place the pans on a baking sheet.
5. Bake the loaves until the tops are golden and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen edges and turn the loaves out onto the rack to cool completely before slicing or wrapping.

Tips & Notes

* Make Ahead Tip: Store well wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. | Equipment: Three 6-by-3-inch mini-loaf pans

* Ingredient Note: Renowned for their nutritional benefits--fiber, lignans (phytochemicals associated with reduced risk of cancer) and omega-3 fatty acids--flaxseeds also contribute a delicious nutty taste to baked goods.
* Flaxseeds can be found in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets and in natural-foods stores. The seeds must be ground for your body to take advantage of the nutrients. Ground seeds are highly perishable, so grind them just before using. Store whole flaxseeds in the refrigerator or freezer.

Apple Cinnamon Couscous

2009-11-23T14:29:00.000-08:00

While sitting in the doctor's office waiting for my mom, I started reading the magazine, Diabetes Forecast. In the issue I found a great healthy breakfast called Apple Cinnamon Couscous. My mom's nurse was kind enough to make a copy of the recipe for me so I could try it at home. This is a great healthy alternative to breakfast cereal. Instead of using cherries I used craisin. Agave nectar use to be hard to find but now I've been seeing in the baking section of the grocery store. It looks like honey but it is from the Agave plant. What makes it a special sweetener is that it is a low glycemic.

8 servings
Serving size: ½ cup
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 18 minutes

Ingredients

1½ cups fat-free milk
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
1½ tsp. cinnamon
1 cup couscous
1 small apple with peel, grated
¼ cup roughly chopped dried cherries
¼ cup unsweetened apple juice
2 Tbsp. toasted chopped walnuts

1. In a saucepan, bring the milk, agave nectar, and cinnamon to a boil. Add the couscous, cover, and turn off the heat. Let the couscous rest and absorb the milk.
2. When the couscous has absorbed the milk, add the grated apple, dried cherries, apple juice, and walnuts.

Vanilla extract

2009-10-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

For the last 6 years I’ve been making my own vanilla extract. It is so easy to make and it gives me control of the taste of the extract. I prefer a stronger vanilla taste in my baking. The store varieties are expensive and I’m not all together sure what “extra” ingredients are added to their vanilla making process. Commercial vanilla extract usually add simple syrup (sugar water) to their extract to give it a sweet aftertaste. You can do this if you want, but if you are using the vanilla for baking, there really is no need.

Decide what type of vanilla bean you would like to use for your vanilla and buy the best quality . These are the most popular:

Madagascar – Regarded as the world’s best for great vanilla flavor. Dark, full bodied, and rummy with a hint of tobacco. Perfect for recipes if you need a vanilla to stand up to powerful flavors that might overshadow it. This is the one I use.

Bourbon – Fruity You can use this for everything.

Mexico – This vanilla is sweet, smooth and creamy. Perfect for hot chocolate, liquors, creams, and cakes.

Tonga – More of a delicate flavor. I think it would be great for savory dishes, ice creams, and cakes.

Tahiti – Floral, with hints of licorice. Great for fruit compotes, jams, and maybe spice rubs.

Ingredients:
2 Cups (16 oz.) vodka
6 Vanilla Beans ( This is the basic recipe. I will usually put in a couple of more)

You can easily cut this recipe in half and use 3 vanilla beans and 1 cup of vodka.

You can use any kind of bottle you want, but I do recommend glass.

1 Use kitchen scissors or a sharp paring knife to cut lengthwise down each vanilla bean, splitting them in half, leaving an inch at the end connected.

2 Put vanilla beans in a glass jar or bottle with a tight fitting lid (mason jars work well). Cover completely with the vodka.

3 Give the bottle a good shake every once in a while. Store in a dark, cool place for 8 weeks or longer. The darker it gets the stronger the extract is.

After 8 weeks the vanilla extract has the nice amber color. After this time I will usually pour the vanilla extract into small amber colored bottles, add a vanilla bean and store in my cupboard. By adding the extra vanilla bean, the extract will keep on gaining flavor. Add a little more vodka when it is halfway used up to replenish your supply of vanilla. It will dilute it for a while but will regain strength quickly.

Your homemade vanilla extract makes great gifts.

You can also make vanilla sugar by putting a split vanilla bean into a jar of white, granulated sugar. Great way to infuse the sugar with vanilla flavor for baking.

Salmon Burgers

2009-08-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in the Milwaukee Journal. So far, this is the best recipe we have found for salmon burgers.

1 lb of fresh Salmon cut into pieces (to simplify I used can salmon)
2 shallots, peeled and minced (use onions if shallots are not available)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbl lemon juice
2 Tbl finely chopped fresh dill
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt to taste
3 Tbl of mayonnaise
1 cup of fresh bread crumbs or panko crumbs

In food processor, coarsely chop half of the salmon and set aside. Combine remaining salmon with shallots. Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, dill, cayenne pepper, salt, mayonnaise and panko in food processor and pulse until well combined, Add reserved chopped salmon and pulse just to combine. Form into 4 equal patties.

Preheat barbecue for medium-high heat grilling. Cook burgers 3-4 minutes on each side or until just cooked through center and golden brown. Or heat some olive oil in a large pan and saute burgers in oil for 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through.

Chicken Florentine Casserole

2009-04-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe we found in an old cook book. We changed the recipe a little to use fresher ingredients. The original recipe called for cans of spinach, we used fresh spinach. The recipe also called for baked chicken breasts to be used in the casserole. On first try this made a dry chicken so the second time we decided to saute cut up chicken breasts which made a more tender chicken.

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves cut up
1/4 cup butter
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 oz. fresh spinach leaves cut up.
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2/3 cup fried bacon bits
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, mix in the garlic, lemon juice, cream of mushroom soup, Italian seasoning, half-and-half, and Parmesan cheese and fresh spinach. Spray a frying pan lightly with olive oil or PAM. Sauté cut up chicken breasts until cooked. Mix half of cooked chicken into sauce reserving remaining cooked chicken. Arrange half of sauce mixture into the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking dish. Arrange remaining chicken over sauce mixture. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with bacon bits, and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in the 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Ultimate Vegan Lasagna

2009-04-22T05:23:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in Vegetarian Times Issue: February 1, 2009 p.54. One of the differences between Vegans and Vegetarians is that Vegans do not eat dairy products. So you will not see daily products in this recipe. For Tim and I, we made changes to this recipe using products that were in our house. We used regular cream cheese instead of the vegan. For the speedy red sauce we used a bottle of our favorite spaghetti sauce. We used regular mozzarella cheese. Great healthy lasagna!

Serves 8

Ingredient List

Filling

* 2 tsp. olive oil
* 2 medium onions, chopped (2 cups)
* 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
* 1 10-oz. bag fresh baby spinach
* 2 12-oz. pkgs. firm tofu, drained
* 1 8-oz. pkg. vegan cream cheese
* ½ cup chopped fresh basil
* ¼ cup nutritional yeast

Lasagna

* 5 ½ cups Speedy Red Sauce
* 12 uncooked whole-wheat lasagna noodles
* 12 oz. vegan Italian sausage links, cut into thin rounds, or soy sausage crumbles, broken apart
* 1 cup shredded mozzarella flavor rice or soy cheese (3 oz.)

Directions
1. To make Filling: Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic in oil 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden. Add spinach, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until wilted. Transfer spinach mixture to bowl of food processor. Add tofu, cream cheese, basil, and nutritional yeast, and purée until mixture is thick and smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

2. Spread one-quarter of Speedy Red Sauce recipe on bottom of 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Cover with one-third of noodles (4 or 5 noodles), then half of Filling, and ladle on another one-quarter of sauce. Repeat layer of noodles and remaining Filling. Spread sausage evenly over top, and top with one-quarter of sauce. Finish with final layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

3. Cover lasagna with foil, and bake 30 minutes, or until bubbling hot. Uncover, and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, or until noodles are tender and topping is melted. Remove from oven, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Triple Nut Chocolate Tart

2009-04-21T12:39:00.001-07:00

Tim found this recipe in the November/December 2008 Vegetarian Times magazine. The pie taste so much better the next day. One change Tim would make. Instead of making the crust from scratch he would use a Pillsbury crust that you find in the dairy section of the store.

Ingredients:

Crust

* 1 cup pastry flour
* ½ cup cornmeal
* 2 Tbs. sugar
* ¼ tsp. salt
* ½ cup vegan margarine (1 stick)
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract

or use an already prepared pie crust from your favorite store.

Filling

* 3 cups mixed walnuts, pecans, and almonds (1 cup each), coarsely chopped
* ¼ cup vegan margarine (½ stick)
* 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped or in chips
* 2 Tbs. pastry flour
* ¼ tsp. salt
* ½ cup maple syrup
* 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions
1. To make Crust: Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in bowl.
Rub margarine into flour mixture with fingers until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle in vanilla, and stir. Add 1 to 2 Tbs. cold water until dough clumps together loosely. Press dough into pie dish or tart pan until sides and bottom are covered. Chill in freezer 30 minutes.

2. To make Filling: Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread nuts on baking sheet,
and bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned.

3. Melt margarine and chocolate in saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Sprinkle in flour and salt, and stir until smooth. Stir in maple syrup and vanilla. Stir in nuts.

4. Spread nut mixture in piecrust. Bake 25 minutes, or until crust is golden and filling is firm. Cool on wire rack at least 20 minutes before serving.

Vegetarian Moussaka

2009-04-21T12:32:00.001-07:00

This a great vegetarian recipe by Anne Buchanan at Allrecipes. Prep time is around 45 minutes. Cook time around one hour and 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 eggplant, thinly sliced
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 large zucchini, thinly sliced
* 2 potatoes, thinly sliced
* 1 onion, sliced
* 1 clove garlic, chopped
* 1 tablespoon white vinegar
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
* 1/2 (14.5 ounce) can lentils, drained, juice reserved
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
*
* 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 1/4 cups milk
* black pepper to taste
* 1 pinch ground nutmeg
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown eggplant and zucchini slices on both sides; drain. Adding more oil if necessary, brown potato slices; drain.

Saute onion and garlic until lightly browned. Pour in vinegar and reduce. Stir in tomatoes, lentils, 1/2 the juice from lentils, oregano and parsley. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes.

In a 9x13 inch casserole dish layer eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, onions and feta. Pour tomato mixture over vegetables; repeat layering, finishing with a layer of eggplant and zucchini. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine butter, flour and milk. Bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly until thick and smooth. Season with pepper and add nutmeg. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes, and stir in beaten egg. Pour sauce over vegetables and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 25 to 30 minutes.

Light oat bread

2009-04-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

I found another great bread recipe that makes great sandwiches. Last week I ran out of homemade bread and substituted store bought bread for Tim's sandwiches. He noticed right away that it wasn't his normal sandwich. I think I've spoiled him so now he only eats bread that I make at home. To cut down on my time I use the bread machine and have it do all the kneading. After the bread has risen (around one hour and 20 minutes) I take the dough out and put it into a bread pan to rise until doubled. Preheat oven to 375 and cook the bread for around 30 minutes or until nice and golden brown. Once cooled I slice the bread up and put it into the freezer.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 1/4 cups water
* 2 tablespoons margarine
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup rolled oats
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

DIRECTIONS

1. Add ingredients to bread machine pan in order recommended by your manufacturer. Use dough cycle which is around one hour and 20 minutes.

2. Punch dough down and put into greased bread pan. Grease top of dough and place plastic wrap over dough to cover. When dough doubles in size bake in 375 degree oven until golden brown.

Tim's homemade pizza

2009-04-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday night Tim made the best at home pizza I’ve ever tasted. He found the recipe on allrecipes.com. What he usually likes to do is go through all the recipe reviews and make adjustments that fit more to our tastes. Even though it took a lot of planning (had to make the dough the day before) and had to kneed the dough for 10 minutes,it was well worth it.

The crust was thin and tasty. It was not like so many pizza crusts that taste like cardboard. My favorite pizza is a simple margarita type with no sauce, but plenty of tomatoes, fresh basil and cheese. This is the pizza that Tim made. We both had to agree, this is a keeper in our house!

To make this pizza work out, you will need a pizza stone.

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup cold water
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups bread flour
1 cup all purpose flour

6 ounces low moisture mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
Parmesan and asiago to sprinkle on top
1/2 cup no salt added canned crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or garlic and Italian seasoning
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes to proof. Stir in salt and cold water, then stir in the flour about 1 cup at a time. When the dough is together enough to remove from the bowl, knead on a floured surface until smooth, about 10 minutes. Divide into two pieces, and form each one into a tight ball. Coat the dough balls with olive oil, and refrigerate in a sealed container for at least 16 hours. Be sure to use a big enough container to allow the dough to rise. Remove the dough from the refrigerator one hour prior to using.

2. Preheat the oven, with a pizza stone on the lowest rack, to 550 degrees F. Lightly dust a pizza peel with flour.

3. Using one ball of dough at a time, lightly dust the dough with flour, and stretch gradually until it is about 14 inches in diameter, or about as big around as the pizza stone. Place on the floured peel. Place thin slices of mozzarella over the crust, then grind a liberal amount of black pepper over it. Sprinkle with dried oregano. Randomly arrange crushed tomatoes, leaving some empty areas. Drizzle olive oil over the top.

4. With a quick back and forth jerk, make sure the dough will release from the peel easily. Place the tip of the peel at the back of the preheated pizza stone, and remove peel so that the pizza is left on the stone.

5. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the crust begins to brown. Remove from the oven by sliding the peel beneath the pizza. Sprinkle basil leaves randomly over the pizza. Cut into wedges and serve.

Granola

2009-04-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

A great granola recipe from the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.
Homemade Granola
(pg. 116-117); makes about 6 cups

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
4 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup sesame seeds
3/4 cup chopped pecans or the nut of your choice
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped dried apricots, or dried cranberries (or a combination)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a high-sided cookie sheet or a lasagna pan with parchment paper, oil, butter, or a large silicone mat.
2. Mix honey, maple syrup, oil, water, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt in a large measuring cup.
3. In a large bowl, combine the liquid mixture with the dry ingredients, except for the dried fruit, and mix until everything is coated with the honey mixture. Spread the mixture evenly over the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the granola is golden brown. Baking time will vary, depending on the depth of the granola in the cookie sheet or pan.
4. After the baking is complete, add the dried fruit.
5. Allow to cool, store in jars, and use in Aunt Melissa’s Granola Bread (pg. 114).

Butternut squash risotto.

2009-02-02T17:25:00.000-08:00

In my basement I have a storage closet where I store extra can goods etc. I also store different varieties of squash. Yesterday I took out a butternut squash to use. I had no idea how to use it so I got onto the computer and found a recipe for a butternut risotto.

If you have ever made risotto before you know it takes a while to cook. A lot of stirring..... The directions on this recipe said it would be ready in 45 minutes. It took well over an hour before the arborio rice absorbed all the stock.

The recipe called for chicken stock, we used vegetable stock. The recipe comes from Allrecipes and was submitted by MSCHEF. Great tasting risotto with a lot of flavor. This would be a great recipe to cook on a weekend night when you have more time to cook.

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed butternut squash
2 T butter
1/2 onion minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups hot chicken stock or vegetable broth
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place squash cubes into a steamer basket in a saucepan. Add water, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow to steam until the squash is tender (10 to 15 minutes), then drain, and mash in a bowl with a fork.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir for 2 minutes until the onion begins to soften, then stir in the rice. Continue cooking and stirring until the rice is glossy from the butter, and the onion begins to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes more.
Pour in the white wine; cook, stirring constantly, until it has evaporated. Stir in the mashed squash and 1/3 of the hot chicken stock; reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir until the chicken stock has been absorbed by the rice, 5 to 7 minutes. Add half of the remaining chicken stock, and continue stirring until it has been absorbed. Finally, pour in the remaining stock, and continue stirring until the risotto is creamy. Finish by stirring in the Parmesan cheese, and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Spicy Sweet potato and coconut soup

2009-02-02T17:05:00.000-08:00

One of the good ideas of having Tim cook on Saturday nights is that he will pick recipes that I might pass over. This is one recipe that I would not have given a second thought and I would have missed out on an incredibly delicious soup.

Tim found this recipe on Allrecipes. It was submitted by Lynn. He made the soup exactly as stated but the second time we modified the recipe by putting the cooked sweet potatoes in a food processor before adding to the soup. I didn't care for the chunky sweet potatoes floating in the soup the first time. I felt food processing the potatoes blended the flavors better.

Ingredients:
11/2 pounds orange fleshed sweet potatoes
1 T vegetable oil
1 onion chopped
1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger root, thinly sliced
1 T red or green curry paste
1 (15 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
3 Cups vegetable broth
3 1/2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t. sea salt
1 T sesame oil
1/2 Cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the sweet potatoes directly on the rack and bake until tender enough to easily pierce with a fork, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and hear for 1 minute, then whisk in the coconut milk and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Remove the skins from the sweet potatoes and cut into bite size chunks. Add to the soup and cook for 5 more minutes so they can soak up the flavor. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of sesame oil and a little bit of cilantro.

Grandma K's Poticia

2009-01-24T10:38:00.000-08:00

Potica (paw teet zah) is a Slovenian Nut Bread made with walnuts.

Last week while over at his mother's house, Tim acquired the potica recipe that his grandmother use to make when he was younger.

Through our 30 years of marriage I've tried almost every potica recipe. According to Tim, none of them tasted like the potica that his grandmother made.

Last weekend Tim tried the recipe. Since this was his first attempt at a yeast bread, he said next time he would make some changed in rolling up the dough with the filling in.

This is a two day bread. Once you make the dough it needs to go into the refrigerator over night and can be finished the following morning.

Ingredients:

4 C flour
3 T sugar
1 1/2 t salt
1 stick plus 1 T butter
1 cake compressed yeast or 1 dry package
1/4 C lukewarm water
3 egg yolks beater
1 C half and half or 1/2 C of half and half and 1/2 C sour cream (scalded and cooled)

Filling:

1 C milk scalded
1 pound of ground walnuts
1 stick of butter
1 C sugar
rind of 1/2 lemon, grated
1/2 t cinnamon
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Directions:

Mix flour, with sugar and salt. Cut in 1 stick of butter until all butter is absorbed. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and let stand until it foams. Mix egg yolks and cream; add foaming yeast. Gradually add this mixture to flour mixture; beat until it gets too heavy to beat. Stir with wooden spoon until dough doesn't stick to bowl and all flour is absorbed. Place dough on floured board and knead until smooth. Place in bowl, grease top, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Next morning remove from refrigerator 1/2 hour before rolling out. Place dough on well floured cloth and roll as thin as possible into a rectangle about 18 by 24 inches. Spread with filling starting with 24 inch end, roll up jellyroll fashion pulling dough slightly. Cut roll in 3. Seal ends and place in greased 9 x 5 loaf pans and cover with cloth. Let rise 1 1/2 - 2 hours in warm place.

Bake in 325 oven for around one hours. Remove from oven, brush with 1 tsp. butter. After 15 minutes remove from pans.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

2009-01-13T11:04:00.000-08:00

In our quest to use more quinoa in our diet, I found this recipe on Allrecipes. com. It was submitted by SYNEVA B. I modified the recipe to fit our tastes.

Quinoa is a gluten free complete protein that contains all nine essential amino acids. Fast-cooking with a nutty texture, quinoa makes a delicious substitute for just about any grain in your pantry. Substitute quinoa to boost the protein profile in dishes like tabbouleh and couscous. Use it as a side dish, instead of rice or potatoes.

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 cup quinoa

1 pinch salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 tomatoes, diced

1 cucumber, diced and seeded

2 bunches green onions, diced

2 carrots, grated

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1.	In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature; fluff with a fork.
2.	Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, carrots and parsley. Stir in cooled quinoa.

Dried Cherry Scones

2009-01-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

From Kristin's blog at madcitygirl.com

Last week, I tried my first recipe in the The Culinary Institute of America’s Breakfasts & Brunches, a somewhat recent addition to my cookbook library. As a scone fanatic, I opted to try the recipe for Dried Cherry Scones. The recipe was easy and straightforward, but I think it’s important to point out that you’ll need parchment paper, and the dough requires at least 2 hours of freezer time before baking. Sometimes I don’t realize these fine print details before I go at it.

The scones were excellent, certainly among the best I’ve made. And I’ve tried more than a few scone recipes. They had the perfect consistency and texture; dry, yet still soft and flavorful. Most of all, I enjoyed the sugar glaze on top. Definitely a great addition to any scone recipe. I actually enjoyed these scones so much that I made the recipe twice last week alone. Following is the recipe. Enjoy!

Dried Cherry Scones (makes 10 scones)
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 cup dried cherries
2 cups heavy cream

Sugar glaze (optional)
2 tbsp. milk
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Instructions
1. Cut two 10-inch circles of parchment paper. Use one to line a 10-inch round cake pan. Reserve the second piece.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together into a mixing bowl. Add the dried cherries and toss them together with the dry ingredients until evenly distributed. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
3. Add the cream to the flour mixture and stir by hand just until the batter is evenly moistened.
4. Place the dough in the lined cake pan and press into an even layer. Cover the dough with the second parchment paper circle. Freeze the dough until very firm, at least 2 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it lightly with cooking spray or lining it with parchment paper.
6. Thaw the dough for 5 minutes at room temperature; turn it out of the cake pan onto a cutting board. Cut the dough into 10 equal wedges and place the individual wedges on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake the scones on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
8. Mix the milk and confectioners’ sugar together to make a glaze, if desired, and spoon over the scones while they are still warm. Serve scones warm or at room temperature. Serve baked scones the same day they are made or freeze for up to 4 weeks.

Your tastes might favor just a bit more in flavor

2009-01-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

Your tastes might favor just a bit more in flavor

This article was in the Milwaukee Journal January 11, 2009.
By SHIRLEY O. CORRIHER
We all want our food to be delicious. Here are some easy ways to make basic home-cooked dinners taste wonderful.
Taste and flavor
We use the terms “taste” and “ flavor” interchangeably, but actually they are different. Taste refers to the five tastes that trigger receptors in our mouth: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (pronounced oo-MOM-ee).
Flavor, by contrast, means the whole experience — aroma, texture, mouth feel, temperature, color — all the things that influence our perception of foods.
These five tastes are basic to our being and are very powerful. All animals (including humans) are born with taste receptors that contribute to our survival, guiding us to what we should or should not eat. Sweet indicates energy-giving carbohydrates. Salty indicates life-sustaining minerals. Umami indicates life-giving proteins. Bitterness warns of toxicity — all natural toxins are bitter. Sour may indicate onset of spoilage — proceed with caution.
For hundreds of years, good cooks have instinctively added a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar to send our salty and sweet taste receptors zinging. Adding three of these basic tastes (salty, sweet and umami) can be easy and can be a major step toward delicious dishes. You do not need much; just a small amount can produce a major influence on flavors.
Salty
Realize that some salt is essential to our survival. Many of Napoleon’s soldiers died on the march back from Russia simply because they did not have enough salt in their diet for their wounds to heal.
Salt has complex indirect influences on flavor. Pastry chefs have always said, “add a pinch of salt to desserts to bring out the sweetness.”
Gary Beauchamp, director of Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia illustrates the interplay between salt and sweetness. Beauchamp shows a diagram representing bitterness in a dish. When sugar is added, the bitterness drops significantly so that sweetness and bitterness are about equal in strength.
Then, he adds a little salt. The bitterness drops to almost nothing and there is only sweetness left.
To experience this, taste tonic water, which has both bitter quinine and sweetness to moderate it. Pour out two samples of the tonic water. Taste one plain; to the second sample, add a pinch of salt. Amazingly, bitterness is dramatically reduced and the sample is almost like sugar water!
When you think about salt reducing bitterness, you have probably experienced it many times. You have seen people put salt on grapefruit to reduce bitterness.
Sweet
Sugar has complex indirect influences on flavor, too.
Researchers at the University of Nottingham in England can analyze the gases present in the nasal cavity. They gave test subjects gum with mint and sugar and asked them to chew until the flavor was gone. When subjects reported the flavor gone, in fact there was still mint in their nasal cavity. They were then given sugar and the mint flavor returned.
A friend from the UK said that as children when their gum ran out of flavor, they rolled it in the family sugar dish and it was like new.
As little as ½ teaspoon of sugar in a dish can make an amazing taste difference.
Umami
Adding a food that triggers umami receptors can make a dish sensational.
Umami is described as everything from meaty, savory, to essence, “yummy,” “tasty,” delicious, perfect ripeness — a perfection in taste that sends one into a state of ecstasy.
The umami taste is produced by a number of naturally occurring compounds — salts of glutamic acid (glutamates) and nucleotides. Nucleotides are composed of a small piece of protein and a non-protein part. Both glutamates and nucleotides are small, flavorful molecules, not huge proteins.
Synergism
The important thing to know about umami is that umamitaste- producing compounds have a magnifying effect on each other. A mixture of 50% glutamate and 50% umami nucleotide produces eight times as much flavor as either of the umami compounds alone. In their book “The Fifth Taste,” Anna and David Kasabian give an excellent list — The Umami Pantry — of things that you can keep on hand in the pantry or refrigerator to give a shot of umami to dishes. These are: Worcestershire, soy sauce (naturally fermented), Asian fish sauce, Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese, dried shiitake mushrooms and canned tomatoes. (I would include ketchup, which is concentrated sweetened tomatoes.) For maximum flavor, use both a glutamate and a nucleotide source of umami.