bcmom's kitchen

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Mon, 06 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal! This month I got to choose a recipe from Beth's blog It's Good To Be The Cook. Beth lives outside Philadelphia, loves her family, her wonderful (and cute) boyfriend Dave, and her dog Stella. Her posts are so much fun to read. They're not just about the food - though the food is definitely front and center with recipes and loads of mouth-watering pictures.

So I started looking at the recipes - Oh, Beth! So many great recipes. How am I supposed to choose? I love all the spicy stuff and that there's spinach in practically everything. OK, maybe not everything, but a lot. It looks like she's almost as obsessed with fresh spinach as I am. I love it in practically everything! Also, she has all her clipped and saved recipes organized in a binder - something I've thought about/wanted to do for ages, and never got around to it. Yep, I still have boxes of magazine and newspaper clippings, recipes I wanted to try but may never find again. I'm kinda jealous of her organizational skills.

Anyway, I started looking through the recipes, and I wanted to try the Buffalo Chicken Soup, the Black & White Bean Quesadillas w/ Avocado Ranch Dip, the Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Baked Potato, the Chicken and Bean Burritos, and several more, but I finally decided on these Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. And it was a very good decision. These things are yummy!!!

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
slightly adapted from It's Good to Be the Cook

Ingredients:

2 Sweet Potatoes
2 T Olive Oil
1/2 Onion, chopped
1 T Garlic, minced
1 Jalapeno, chopped (seeded for less heat)

just some Spinach
4 or 5 mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen Corn, thawed
1 T Cumin
1 T Chili Powder
a bunch of fresh Spinach (sorry, I didn't measure)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed (1-1/2 cups home-cooked)
1 T Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
1 cup (or less) Cheddar or Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese
Parsley Flakes & Paprika for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Wash potatoes and pierce a few holes or slices in the top. Pat dry and place on foil or a baking sheet in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes, checking at the 1 hour mark. They will be cooked when they can be easily pierced with a fork. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add the onions and saute for 3 minutes then add the garlic, jalapeno and mushrooms and saute another 3 minutes or so. Now, add the corn and saute for another 3 minutes and then stir in the seasonings. Let that saute for a bout a minute and then add the spinach and saute until it’s just cooked and wilted. Season with the salt and pepper. Turn heat to low.
Add cream cheese to skillet and stir until it is melted. Stir in the yogurt and beans.
Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, scoop out most of the potato with a spoon, and add it to the skillet. Stir to combine, and taste and add seasoning if necessary.
Evenly spoon the filling back into the sweet potato boats and top with shredded cheese.
Turn the oven to broil and slide the potatoes back in until the cheese is just lightly browned and bubbly, about 3 minutes.
Garnish with a shake of Paprika and Parsley and serve immediately!

I didn't actually pay attention to how long I sauteed the onions, garlic, peppers, etc. Just added the onion to the skillet, cooked it a bit, then started adding all the other ingredients. It's basically what looks good to you. It does look good, doesn't it? Oh, and I only used 1/2 of the jalapeno because I thought the whole thing would make it too spicy for my husband, but it didn't turn out spicy at all, so I'd suggest sticking with the whole thing. Or using the pickled ones like Beth did in hers.

Onions, garlic, jalapeno, mushrooms and corn

And then I added the cream cheese - the heat from the skillet melted it very nicely - and the yogurt and beans. Doesn't this look yummy? For some reason, I didn't taste it, but it certainly smelled amazing. I'm thinking this mixture right here would be perfect for something. I'm not sure what yet - over pasta? With some pasta mixed in? Spread over tortilla chips, topped with shredded cheese and baked like nachos? Yeah, there's something... I should've tasted it, though, because I forgot to add the salt and pepper like I was supposed to.

Creamy!

My potatoes were so done that I had to be careful not to scoop all of the flesh out of them, leaving nothing but the peel behind.

Sweet potatoes scooped out

I put as much filling as I could into the scooped out potato skins, and I had some left over, so I saved that for later. It was great warmed up and wrapped in a tortilla and also just scooped up with tortilla chips. This is good filling! I added some salt right before I sprinkled the cheese on - because I forgot to taste and add it earlier.

Ready to go under the broiler

The filling is already hot, so it doesn't take long to melt the cheese under the broiler, and they're ready to eat.

Ready to eat!

These things are really filling. We had one potato half with some salad, and that was enough! That means we got to enjoy them for another meal. I just put them into a Corningware dish and baked them, with the lid on, for 20 to 30 minutes at 350°. Perfect! My husband just ate the filling both times and threw the potato skin away. I ate the skin, and I liked it much better after it was baked. It kind of crisped up a bit. I'm thinking that next time I make these I'm going to bake them until the cheese is melted and browned, instead of broiling. Either that or scoop absolutely all of the potato out of the skins, mix the filling, and put it into some kind of baking dish to broil and melt the cheese.

So many yummy flavors. I am definitely making these again! And trying some of those other recipes from Beth's blog. Be sure to check it out for yourself.

Snickerdoodle Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:09:00 +0000

I love Snickerdoodles. I don't make them very often, but I love them, so when I found this recipe for Snickerdoodle Bars, I knew I had to make them. And since I needed something to take for a potluck, it was the perfect time to try them.

Snickerdoodle Bars
slightly adapted from The Recipe Critic

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/3 cups flour
1-1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cinnamon Filling:

1 T sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 Tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Spray or grease bottom only of a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
In large bowl, beat butter on high until creamy. Beat in sugars. Gradually beat eggs and vanilla into sugar mixture until combined.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. On low speed, beat in dry ingredients until combined.
Heat the oven to 350°.
Spoon half of the batter into pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the cinnamon filling mixture on top, and drop the rest of the batter by teaspoons on top of the cinnamon filling mixture.
Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown or until toothpick inserted comes clean.
Let cool for an hour and then drizzle the glaze over the bars.

OK, the recipe means use an electric mixer, and I'll probably do that next time. This time I wasn't paying attention - and my husband was on the phone - so I ended up just mixing the batter up with a wooden spoon. It turned out fine, but I'll probably try the mixer next time just to see if it makes a difference. If nothing else, it will save my arm! The only other thing I changed is that I cut the sugar down just a bit, using 1 cup granulated instead of 1-1/4 cups. Yes, I know, cookies or bars are supposed to be sweet, but they don't always have to be so sweet.

Anyway, the batter is quite thick, so it takes a bit to spread it in the bottom of the pan and to drop it over the cinnamon filling - but it's worth it! (and maybe using a mixer will whip it up better and make it easier to spread? maybe) These are so yummy. You get the sweet cookie and cinnamon goodness of Snickerdoodles in a soft bar. The cinnamon sugar is just in the middle instead of on the outside, and the glaze adds just a little something extra.

I took these to share today, and I think they were a hit. I did manage to bring a couple home, but they didn't last long. Guess I'll have to make some more. Soon.

Homemade Pita Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 03:28:00 +0000

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and I've been making it quite often. It's really easy, and the way I make it is even easier than the original recipe because I just throw the ingredients into my breadmaker and let it make the dough. I love these pitas for sandwiches.

They're especially good stuffed with tuna salad, avocado and sprouts, but pretty much anything would be good in them. I especially like that the dough can be stored in the fridge, and I can have fresh-baked pitas in no time.

Homemade Pita Bread
from the Kitchn

Ingredients:

1 cup water
2 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp. yeast

Directions:

Add ingredients to breadmaker in order given and use Dough setting to mix and raise the dough.
When the dough is ready, deflate it and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and gently flatten each piece into a thick disk. At this point you can roll and bake the pitas as instructed or refrigerate the pita dough until it is needed. You can also bake one or two pitas at a time, saving the rest of the dough in the fridge. The dough will keep refrigerated for about a week, then just bring to room temperature and roll and bake as directed.
Sprinkle the pieces you'll be baking with a little flour and then cover them with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap until you're ready to bake them.

Using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces into a circle 8-9 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick. Lift and turn the dough frequently as you roll to make sure the dough isn't sticking to your counter. Sprinkle with a little extra flour if its starting to stick. If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
While shaping the pitas, heat the oven to 450°. Put your baking stone, cast iron skillet, or large baking sheet into the oven to preheat at the same time. (I use my cast iron skillet)
Once the oven and baking sheet are hot, place the rolled-out pitas directly on the baking stone or baking sheets (as many as will fit), and bake for about 4 minutes. Carry the pita flat on the palm of your hand and then flip it over into the skillet. The pita will start to puff up after a minute or two and is done when it has fully ballooned.
Remove pita from oven and cover with a clean dishtowel while cooking any remaining pitas.

Enjoy!

Pitas can also be cooked on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet, but I don't really like doing that. My house gets all smoky! (the one in the picture was baked in the oven - look how it puffed!) If you want to try cooking yours on the stove, visit the original recipe.

The last time I made pita I used my sourdough starter. What I love about using the starter is - no packaged yeast! And it's fun. I'm not sure if I'll use the starter to make pita from now on or not, but they turned out great.

Sourdough Pita

Ingredients:

1 cup starter
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 to 2 cups unbleached flour

Directions:

Mix starter, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. Let sit several hours or overnight, until bubbly.
Mix in salt and oil, then stir in 1 cup flour. Mix in as much of the remaining flour as you can, and then turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface.
Add a little oil to the mixing bowl and place dough in bowl, turning to coat it with the oil. Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and let rise several hours or until doubled in bulk.
When the dough is ready, deflate it (punch it down) and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and gently flatten each piece into a thick disk. At this point you can roll and bake the pitas as instructed or refrigerate the pita dough until it is needed. You can also bake one or two pitas at a time, saving the rest of the dough in the fridge. The dough will keep refrigerated for about a week, then just bring to room temperature and roll and bake as directed..
Sprinkle the pieces you'll be baking with a little flour and then cover them with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap until you're ready to bake them.
Using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces into a circle 8-9 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick. Lift and turn the dough frequently as you roll to make sure the dough isn't sticking to your counter. Sprinkle with a little extra flour if its starting to stick. If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
While shaping the pitas, heat the oven to 450°. Put your baking stone, cast iron skillet, or large baking sheet into the oven to preheat at the same time. (I use my cast iron skillet)
Once the oven and baking sheet are hot, place the rolled-out pitas directly on the baking stone or baking sheets (as many as will fit), and bake for about 4 minutes. Carry the pita flat on the palm of your hand and then flip it over into the skillet. The pita will start to puff up after a minute or two and is done when it has fully ballooned.
Remove pita from oven and cover with a clean dishtowel while cooking any remaining pitas.

or place on wire rack to cool, I guess...

Some additional noted from the kitchn:

Storing the Pitas: Pitas are best when eaten immediately after cooking. Leftover pitas will keep in an airtight bag for several days and can be eaten as they are or warmed in a toaster oven. Baked pitas can also be frozen with wax paper between the layers for up to three months.

Storing the Dough: Once it has risen, the pita dough can be kept refrigerated until it is needed. You can also bake one or two pitas at a time, saving the rest of the dough in the fridge. The dough will keep refrigerated for about a week.

Pitas That Won't Puff: Sometimes you get pitas that won't puff. The problem is usually that the oven or the skillet aren't hot enough. Make sure both are thoroughly pre-heated before cooking. Even pitas that don't puff are still delicious and can be used wraps or torn into pieces for dipping in hummus.

Whole Lotta Fermentation Going On

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 03:45:00 +0000

I started my sourdough starter again on Sunday. Now it looks like this:

I started Sunday by mixing 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (instead of my usual unbleached white flour) with 1/2 cup water. I covered it with a cloth and stirred it occasionally. The next day I added another 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water, and stirred occasionally. And the next day I did the same thing. Today I poured out 1 cup of the mixture and added 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour - and stirred occasionally. It's happy stuff, and it smells good, though not really 'sour' yet, so I'm going to keep working on it.

Also, I'm making sauerkraut for the first time ever. It looks pretty. I hope it turns out good, but I'll have to wait a week or two to find out.

Simple Sauerkraut
from Healthilinguist

Ingredients:

1 medium cabbage, cored & shredded (save outer leaves)
1 T unrefined sea salt

Directions:

Toss cabbage & salt together in a large mixing bowl, “massaging” as you toss … squeezing the cabbage and salt together, kneading it thoroughly. This will help break up the cellular structure of the cabbage.
Let sit for several minutes so the cabbage becomes limp and begins to release juice.
Pack the cabbage a little at a time into jar, crock or fermenter as tightly as you can, pushing down on the cabbage and eliminating air bubbles. The liquid should rise above the cabbage.
Continue packing the cabbage until it is completely submerged by the liquid brine.
Cover with one of the reserved cabbage leaves and press down so the leaf is also submerged
Screw on the lid tightly and allow it to sit at room temperature, undisturbed, for at least seven days. It will bubble and pop and you may want to check on it to release some of the air, ensuring you keep the cabbage submerged when you replace the lid.

Now, I just need patience.

Rice Pudding Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal! This month I got to choose a recipe from Kate's blog Food Babbles. What a great blog! She pulls together her love of food, family, photography and writing into one very enjoyable place to visit. I especially love the pictures of those adorable daughters of hers, but oh, the recipes! The hardest part of any Secret Recipe Club assignment is choosing a recipe.

I thought about making these Zucchini Chocolate Chip Pancakes and the Lemon Biscotti, just to name a couple. I probably will make them in the future because they look so good, but I chose to make Rice Pudding Muffins this time. They just sounded like comfort food, and I guess that's what I was in the mood for. Isn't that how everyone decides what to cook or bake?

Rice Pudding Muffins
adapted from Food Babbles

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups cooked white rice (Basmati)
4 T unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour (part white whole wheat)
1 T baking powder
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix rice and butter. If rice is just cooked and still hot, you can use the hot rice to melt the butter, otherwise melt it in the microwave. Stir in yogurt and brown sugar and let sit for 10 minutes.
Mix in egg, milk and vanilla.
Mix flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt and stir into rice mixture just until incorporated. Do not over mix. Fold in raisins.
Fill greased muffin pan or muffin liners 3/4 full. Bake at 400° for 22-25 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 12 muffins

I never thought of putting rice in muffins. It really adds a nice texture. These muffins are really moist and have a very nice subtle flavor. I put raisins in only half of them because my husband thinks he doesn't like raisins. I think the raisins are very important, and he likes the muffins just fine without them. He said he still likes my banana muffins best, but he really likes these, too.

I used yogurt instead of the heavy cream in Kate's recipe - because that's what I had. I also used brown sugar because I think it adds a nice flavor to things, but cut it down a bit so the muffins wouldn't be too sweet - and they aren't. Of the 1-1/2 cups flour, I used 1/2 cup white whole wheat because I like whole wheat flour in my muffins, but I think a traditional whole wheat would be too heavy and dense.

Kate's recipe said to use muffin liners, but I usually like my muffins without them so I tried them both ways - with and without the liners. I like them better without because the bottom of the muffin gets browned, and I think it adds to the flavor of a muffin. They are good either way.

Homemade Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 02:55:00 +0000

I have a couple other recipes for homemade salsa, but decided I better save this one too when I saw it on facebook today. It looks really easy and good.

Homemade Salsa

Chop 5-6 Roma tomatoes,1 small onion and 1/2 cup fresh Cilantro. Mince 2 seeded Serrano or Jalapeño peppers and 1 clove of garlic. Add 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything together and let sit overnight for flavors to meld.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 21:52:00 +0000

I had some chicken breasts in the fridge and some sweet potatoes in the pantry, so I went looking for a recipe. I found this one which also included cabbage - and I had some of that in the fridge, too!

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew
adapted from Weight Watchers

Ingredients

2 tsp cooking oil
1 lb. boneless skinless breast, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne
5 cups cabbage, chopped
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1⁄4-inch chunks
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 cup frozen green peas
1 T cornstarch

Instructions

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until beginning to brown.
Add the cabbage, onion, garlic and seasonings. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage and onion are just tender. Stir in the sweet potatoes, broth, and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes, longer if you want your sweet potatoes really soft. Stir in the peas and heat through.
Combine the cornstarch with about 1⁄4 cup water in a small bowl until smooth. Add the mixture to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens, about 3 minutes.

Notes

If you like, substitute a teaspoon of dried thyme, or use 1 T chopped fresh oregano or thyme. If you use fresh herbs, add them when you add the peas.

I made this a day early and then added 1/2 cup of water when I reheated it, because it was really thick. I'm not entirely convinced the cornstarch is needed for thickening because I cooked mine long enough that the sweet potatoes got really soft and thickened the stew on their own. I will probably leave that step out next time. I also may have used more than just the 1 cup of peas, too - their green color against the orange of the sweet potatoes is really pretty.

This was a really easy and tasty soup recipe, great for a potluck. Everybody really seemed to like it and there wasn't much left, so I'm sure I'll be making it again. A nice slice of wholegrain sourdough bread is the perfect complement.

Beef Noodle Bowl

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 02:42:00 +0000

I found this recipe in one of my old Food & Family magazines from Kraft. My biggest question is - "Why haven't I made this before?" Since I found the recipe, I've made it twice with beef and once with chicken. This is going to be a regular recipe around here.

Beef Noodle Bowl
adapted from Kraft Recipes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground ginger
8 oz. beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
8 oz. fettuccine or linguine, uncooked
3 cups broccoli florets
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 small onion, sliced

Directions:

Mix salad dressing, soy sauce, brown sugar and ginger. Add sliced steak and marinate 30 minutes or longer.
Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding vegetables to the boiling water for the last 2 min.
Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Remove meat from marinade and add to skillet. Begin cooking and then add onions; cook until meat is browned on all sides and onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining marinade; cook 2 min. or until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.
When pasta is cooked, add a ladle or two of pasta water to the meat mixture. Drain pasta mixture and add to meat mixture in skillet; toss to coat.
Serve with garnish of red pepper flakes and/or cilantro, if desired.

Makes 4 servings, 2 cups each

This is really easy and tastes really good. It is best with steak and fresh vegetables, but I used boneless chicken thighs and frozen broccoli once, and that was pretty good, too. You could probably adapt the recipe to use whatever vegetables you have or want to use - though carrots and broccoli are pretty much perfect.

with chicken

I always set a bit of the pasta water aside to add to any leftovers - whatever looks good - because pasta tends to absorb liquid when it sits, and a little extra is welcome when it's time to heat it back up. Of course, last time I made it, my husband was here, and there weren't any leftovers. I guess he likes it too!

I really like to sprinkle a few red pepper flakes on top and cilantro if I have it. The Kraft recipe says to sprinkle with dry roasted peanuts, which I haven't tried, but it does sound good - so maybe next time.

Chicken Apple & Cheese Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:00:00 +0000

My Secret Recipe Club assignment this month was to choose a recipe from Aly's blog Cooking in Stilettos. Why is it that everybody but me can come up with such creative blog names? Don't you love that one? There are plenty of great-looking and creative recipes on her blog, and I had a very hard time picking just one!

I thought about Bourbon Molasses Baked Chicken (except that I don't have any of that Bourbon Molasses Mustard - wonder if I could make something similar?) Update: I found this recipe in my local paper for a Honey Bourbon Jalapeno Mustard, which might work.

Honey Bourbon Jalapeno Mustard

1/4 cup bourbon

1 cup water

3/4 cup whole yellow mustard seeds

3/4 cup whole brown mustard seeds

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 to 3/4 cup honey (range depends on your desire for a sweeter mustard)

1-1/4 tsp. fine salt

1 to 2 jalapenos, chopped (leave in seeds and ribs for a spicier mustard)

In a medium bowl, combine bourbon, water and mustard seeds. Let soak at least 4 hours up to overnight.

In a food processor or powerful blender, add mustard seed mixture, vinegar, honey, salt and jalapenos. Blend until very smooth (you will still see seed hulls). You may add more water or vinegar to thin, if needed.

Pack into a clean glass jar. Leave at room temperature for several days if you want mustard to mellow, otherwise store in the refrigerator 3 to 4 weeks.
Makes about 3-1/2 cups

And next time I have apple cider in the house, somebody remind me to make this Bourbon Cider Twist! I am also actually going to make tortillas next time I need some. Yes, I've been planning to do that for ages, but this recipe for the Easiest Ever Homemade Tortillas has me convinced. And there are more, but I had to choose, didn't I? Well, at least for this post. I can always go back....

I ended up modifying the recipe for Apple Cheddar Chicken Muffins, not because it didn't look perfect the way it was, but because I had to substitute some of the ingredients. I substituted 1/2 cup of white wheat flour for part of the white flour, used broccoli instead of arugula, a Braeburn apple instead of Granny Smith, and used a 3-cheese mix instead of Cheddar. Of course, Aly did say to think of this muffin recipe as your “Leftover Muffin Canvas” - so I just did what I was supposed to do!

Chicken Apple & Cheese Muffins
from Cooking in Stilettos Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
2-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika (I used Hot Hungarian Paprika)
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup shredded cheese, divided
2 green onions, finely sliced
1 cup apple, peeled and chopped (I used Braeburn)
1 cup broccoli, finely chopped (frozen is ok)
1-1/2 to 2 cups cooked chicken, finely chopped

Directions

Set aside 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese.
In a large bowl, beat eggs, then mix in oil and milk.
Measure flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, thyme and paprika into bowl on top of wet ingredients. Mix dry ingredients together and then stir into wet ingredients, just until combined.
Fold in the chicken, apple, onions, broccoli and remaining cheese.
Heat the oven to 350º F.
Lightly spray the muffin pans with a non-stick coating spray or lightly grease with butter.
Fill muffin tins about 3/4 full; top each muffin with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
Bake until golden, about 25 to 35 minutes, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin is clean.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool, and enjoy!

18 muffins

These muffins are great! They make a really nice change from sandwiches. You get your meat, cheese, bread and veggies all in one easy-to-grab package. My husband really enjoyed having them in his lunches. I also sent some to college with my son because he has some long days when he has no time to get anything to eat. He can throw some of these into his bag in the morning and have a handy snack to tide him over until the day is over and he has time to get to the dining hall or back to his dorm. I'm already thinking of variations - because I will be making these again. I'm thinking something with cornmeal and zucchini would be good.

Crock Pot Beef Carnitas Tacos

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 05:33:00 +0000

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and so far I've made it twice. In the last couple of weeks. It's that good!

Not only is it good, but it's so easy to make. All you do is mix spices together - chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, etc. - and rub them on a flank steak. Place the steak in the bottom of your crock pot, put chopped onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno on top, and cook it for 8 hours. After 8 hours, you take the steak out, shred it with two forks, and return it to the crockpot. You can either serve it then or keep it warm in the crock pot until you're ready to eat. Serve with corn tortillas, salsa, avocado, cilantro and lime.

Crock Pot Beef Carnitas
from eat, live, run

Ingredients

2 lbs flank steak
spice rub:

2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

Directions:

Mix together all spices in a small bowl. Place steak in the bottom of your crock pot and rub the spices all over your flank steak.
Cover the steak with the chopped onions, bell peppers and jalapeno pepper. Turn heat on LOW and cook for 8 hours.
After 8 hours, remove meat from crock pot, shred with two forks, and return to crock pot. You can either serve as is or keep the shredded meat warm in the crock pot until you're ready to eat.
To serve, heat your corn tortillas in a skillet on the stove. Spoon some carnitas on a tortilla then top with salsa, avocado, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

You can prepare this the day before - rub the spices on the steak, chop the onion and peppers, and throw everything into the crock pot. Then it's easy to just pull it out of the fridge the next morning and start it cooking. Another option is to prepare everything, let it cook overnight, and then it's ready to shred when you get up in the morning. Also, your house will smell amazing when you get up.

The meat is seasoned so nicely and is even good cold, but the leftovers also heat up nicely. I put enough meat for two tacos into one half of a large skillet and two corn tortillas in the other side and heat on medium heat until the meat is warmed through and the tortillas are warm.

The first time I made this, I followed the recipe, using 1 green pepper, 1 red pepper, and 1 jalapeno. The second time I just pulled some diced green peppers out of the fridge and didn't worry about the red one. I don't even know how many peppers I had diced - just put the onion, frozen green peppers, several pieces of frozen hot peppers, and a clove of garlic into my food processor and chopped them up good. It turned out really good.

Raspberry Swirl Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 04:23:00 +0000

I stumbled across this recipe for raspberry rolls with cream cheese icing a while back, and I started thinking about how I could make some raspberry rolls. I had some frozen raspberries, so I figured I'd make my own raspberry filling recipe and use my regular cinnamon roll dough. That ought to work, right?

Except that I didn't know how much 1/2 a tube of raspberry filling was (as called for in the roll recipe), and I didn't know how impossible it would be to roll the dough and cut it into rolls when I used all my filling. So, I improvised and made Raspberry Swirl Bread instead of raspberry rolls.

Raspberry Swirl Bread

For Basic Sweet Dough:

1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 to 4-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast (2-1/4 tsp.)

Put all ingredients into breadmaker and use the dough setting. When dough is ready, prepare as directed below.

Or, if you don't have a breadmaker or simply enjoy the feel of working with the dough: In a large mixing bowl combine 1-1/2 cups of the flour and the yeast; set aside. In a saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, butter or margarine, and salt till mixture is warm (120° to 130°) and butter or margarine is almost melted. Add to flour mixture along with eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. Let rise once.

While dough rises, prepare filling.

Raspberry Filling

1 16 ounce package frozen raspberries (not packed in syrup)
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 T lemon juice
4 T cornstarch dissolved in 1/3 cup of water

In a saucepan combine the raspberries, water, sugar, and lemon juice.
Bring to boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the raspberries have broken down.
Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/3 cup of water and mix into the raspberry mixture.
Bring the mixture back to a boil and simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and cool completely, stirring every once in a while.

Once dough has risen, punch it down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each half into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Spread half of the filling on each rectangle. Starting from one of the long sides, roll up very carefully and pinch edges to seal. Using a large spatula to help support the dough, lift rolled dough into greased 13x9 baking dish.
Cover and let rise in a warm place till nearly double (about 30 minutes). Cut several diagonal slashes in each loaf.
Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 35 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or till golden brown.
Allow to cool slightly and drizzle with icing.

FOR ICING: Melt 1 T butter in small mixing bowl; stir in 1/4 tsp. vanilla, 1 cup powdered sugar, and enough milk to make a smooth icing of drizzling consistency (3-4 tsp). Drizzle over bread. Serve warm or cool.

The first time I made this, I didn't bake it long enough. I was meaning to bake rolls, so I followed my cinnamon roll recipe and baked it 25 minutes like that recipe said. The bread was nicely browned. It looked good and smelled good, but the next morning when I cut into it, I found that it was all doughy inside.. I ended up slicing it and baking it again - so it got all toasty. It was good, but not exactly right. It didn't go to waste, but I had to try it again. Covering it with foil for the first 30-35 minutes of baking keeps it from getting too brown while it bakes. This time it turned out beautifully. Such a great combination of sweet dough, raspberries, and gooey icing. Really yummy.

Even Weasley had to check it out!

Next time I'm thinking about trying to lay one rectangle of dough on the bottom of the baking dish then spreading the filling on top, adding some pieces of cream cheese, and then topping with the other rectangle of dough. And cut slits in the top before baking.

Mediterranean Marinated Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:38:00 +0000

Going through things for packing, sorting, tossing, etc. I found this Kraft foods calendar from (I don't know what year it's from), and I tore out just one page because the recipe looked so good. I've been going through my Kraft Food & Family magazines and saving all the recipes I want to keep in my Kraft Recipe Box, so I can recycle the magazines instead of packing them. I figured I could do the same with this recipe, but it's not there. So, I'm typing it up here. I even took a picture of the picture. It just looks so good.

Mediterranean Marinated Cheese
from Kraft Foods

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Kraft Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3 small sprigs fresh rosemary, stems removed
6 sprigs fresh thyme, cut into pieces
1 tsp. black peppercorns
Peel of 1 lemon, cut into thin strips

Directions:

Cube cream cheese into about 36 pieces. Place in 9-inch pie plate.
Add remaining ingredients; toss lightly. Cover
Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Serve with crackers, crusty bread or pita chips

Makes 18 servings, 2 pieces each.

Only 2 pieces each?

Crock Pot Tex-Mex Chicken and Dumplings

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 17:00:00 +0000

I'm excited to be joining the Secret Recipe Club this month! My assignment was to choose a recipe from Jenna's Cooking Journey, and I had a really hard time choosing because she had so many great looking recipes to choose from. Jenna didn't start cooking until college, but she's certainly been busy since then and become quite a good cook if all the recipes and pictures on her blog are any indication. She lives in Wyoming with her husband, who helps her eat all those delicious creations.

Cranberry Vanilla Coffee Cake and Reuben Burgers were two of the recipes that caught my eye, but I finally decided to make Crock Pot Tex-Mex Chicken and Dumplings.

I made a few changes, mainly because I didn't have the exact ingredients, but I think the overall taste was pretty much the same. I am definitely planning to make this again, because it was so good!

Crock Pot Tex-Mex Chicken and Dumplings
adapted from Jenna's Cooking Journey

Ingredients:
Stew

2 boneless chicken breasts
1 tub Knorr® Homestyle Stock - Chicken, dissolved in 3-1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup carrots (about 2 small carrots), peeled and shredded
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 can diced tomatoes w/ green chiles
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
juice from one lime
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup water

Dumplings

1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 heaping T. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups milk
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 T. cilantro

Directions

Cook chicken breasts for 2-4 hours on low.
Pull chicken breasts out of crockpot and shred chicken.
Place all other ingredients for the stew portion of the recipe in the crockpot, and then put the chicken back in and mix well. Cook on high for 2-4 hours.
Mix all the ingredients together for the dumplings until the ingredients form a batter.
Drop tablespoons of batter into the stew mixture and cook for approximately an hour on high until dumpling dough is cooked.
To serve, spoon into bowls and garnish with cilantro and/or sliced green onions, if desired.

Jenna's recipe called for a carton of chicken broth, which I did not have and wasn't sure exactly how much chicken broth is in one of those cartons, but I substituted what I had - a tub of the Knorr® Homestyle Stock, and that worked just fine. Ordinarily I would have pulled some chicken broth out of the freezer, but I'm out right now. I substituted Red Gold petite diced tomatoes with lime and cilantro for the Rotel in the original recipe and frozen corn kernels for the Mexicorn.

Because my husband doesn't like things too spicy, I just used one jalapeno in the whole recipe - 1/2 in the stew and 1/2 in the dumplings. It was still very nice and flavorful, even for me, and I love spicy! I loved the veggies in this, and the carrots added just the right touch of color. I probably had more carrots than I was supposed to because I didn't measure, just peeled and grated two carrots and threw them in.

onions, garlic, celery, carrots, cilantro, chopped and ready

The only thing I wasn't too sure about was the dumplings. The batter was much thinner than any dumpling batter I'd every used, not that I've really made dumplings that much in my life... Also, there seemed to be more batter than I could use. I covered the top of the stew with spoonfuls of batter, and I still had quite a bit left. Was it my fault for using milk instead of fat free half-and-half - what is that, anyway? Maybe should have done some research first.

Now that I look closer at the picture on Jenna's recipe, I'm thinking that I should have just gone ahead and used all the batter and let it go down into the stew more and thicken it. But I didn't. It thickened up quite a bit when I reheated the leftovers, and it was wonderful. So next time I'm just using all the batter,

or maybe trying a different recipe for the dumplings, perhaps something from this page of Corn Meal Dumplings recipes, with a thicker batter that uses more corn meal, adding the jalapeno and cilantro, of course. I especially loved the little bits of jalapeno in the dumplings. So good!

Chicken and Black Bean Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 05:16:00 +0000

Chicken, black beans and cilantro. On a pizza. What's not to love about this?

Chicken and Black Bean Pizza
Inspired by this Pillsbury Bake-off recipe

Ingredients:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
garlic powder
pizza crust for 1 pizza
1/2 cup thick & chunky salsa
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 t. cumin
chopped onion
green or red pepper strips
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Sprinkle chicken breast with garlic powder and broil for 15-18 minutes, or until done, turning halfway. (or cook on your George Foreman Grill)
When cool, dice chicken.
In medium bowl, combine salsa, chicken, black beans, cilantro and cumin; mix well.
Bake pizza crust for 5-7 minutes; remove from oven and spread bean and salsa mix evenly over pizza crust.
Top with onion, pepper strips, and cheese.
Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted.
To serve, garnish with sour cream and guacamole (or avocado).

Makes one pizza.

I like to use a pizza crust I make in my bread machine, but you can also use a packaged crust mix or a pre-made crust you can find in the store. My bread machine recipe makes enough dough for 2 pizzas so I just double the recipe. One chicken breast also seems to be enough for two pizzas.

The ingredients can be varied to suit your own tastes. Mushrooms and green onions are really good on this.

Rhubarb Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 21:59:00 +0000

I was going to make Rhubarb Muffins, but then thought I'd try something different. So I searched Pinterest for Rhubarb Bread recipes. There were several that looked delicious, but I settled on this one from Hoot-n-Nanny. The oatmeal on top was what sold me. I cut down the sugar and oil just a bit and used some white whole wheat flour.

Rhubarb Bread
adapted from Hoot-n-Nanny

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup soured milk *
2-1/2 cups flour (part whole wheat)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups chopped rhubarb

Topping:

3 T. butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup rolled oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°. While oven heats, place butter for topping in an oven-proof mixing bowl and place it in the oven to melt.
In a large bowl, mix together egg, oil and 1 cup brown sugar. Stir in soured milk and vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking soda and cinnamon and stir into sugar mixture until combined. Fold in rhubarb. Pour batter into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans.
Remove bowl with melted butter from the oven and add the rest of topping ingredients. Sprinkle over the unbaked loaves.
Bake in a preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack 10 minutes then remove from pans.

* to make soured milk, put 1 T vinegar or lemon juice into measuring cup; add milk to make 1 cup, stirring to combine, and let sit for a few minutes at room temperature.

I used 1-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour and 1 cup unbleached flour. I buy the Wheat Montana Prairie Gold flour at Walmart. It's made from hard white spring wheat and finely ground so it's lighter than traditional whole wheat flour but still has all the whole grain benefits. I think traditional whole wheat flour would add a bit more flavor and texture to this, but I'd probably switch the measurements and use only 1 cup of whole wheat and 1-1/2 cups unbleached. I might add a tablespoon of ground flaxseed for flavor, too.

Other than that, I don't think I'd change a thing about this bread. It's really good, and I especially like the brown sugar and oat mixture on the top. It kind of bakes down into the bread in places and gives it a kinda of crunchy/gooey bite, and it's yummy. It does make the bread a bit crumbly, so it's best to use a plate when eating this - or stand over the kitchen sink, so you don't make a mess.

I suppose you could put butter on this, but so far I've just been slicing it and eating it. Or there was another recipe on Pinterest that included a recipe for Honey Rhubarb Butter - which would probably be great on this and other things too. I may just need to pull another package of rhubarb out of the freezer...

Update: I had to make the Honey Rhubarb Butter. I used 1 package of frozen rhubarb (2 cups, mostly thawed), 2 T water, about 3 T raw honey, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. cloves. I cooked the rhubarb and water until mushy then stirred in the honey and spices. I did not blend it because it didn't seem to need any blending. It's really good on the rhubarb bread, and I think it will be really good on other things like toast and biscuits. I'm thinking I'll cut the cloves in half and only use 1/4 teaspoon next time, because they're a bit strong - not bad, really; I just think I'll like it better with less.

Puffed Oven Pancake with Banana Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 04:55:00 +0000

I made this for breakfast Saturday morning. It was yummy! But so rich.

Puffed Oven Pancake with Brown Sugar Banana Sauce
adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

Ingredients:
Pancake:

2 T butter
3 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 t salt

Banana Sauce:

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 medium bananas, sliced
2 T rum

Directions:

Place butter in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet. Place in a 400° oven for 3 to 5 minutes or till butter melts.
In a medium mixing bowl use a wire whisk to beat eggs. Add flour, milk, and salt. Beat till mixture is smooth.
Pour into the hot skillet and bake 20-25 minutes or till puffed and well browned.
For brown sugar-banana sauce, in a small saucepan combine the 1/2 cup butter and the brown sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until melted. Add bananas; cook about 2 minutes or until heated through, stirring gently. Carefully stir in rum; heat through.
To serve, spoon sauce over pancake. If desired, sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream. Serve warm.

Like I said, this was very good but very, very rich. I want to try it again but cut down the butter and only use 1/2 of what it calls for. Also, I think I could use a teaspoon of vanilla instead of the rum. (I used spiced rum) Yes, the rum was good, but it seems to be more of a dessert than a breakfast. The original recipe said you could use 2 T of apple juice, but I didn't notice that until now. Of course, I didn't have any apple juice. I wonder how orange/pineapple juice would have worked? I may just try that next time!

This made a lot of sauce, probably enough for two pancakes. I poured all of the sauce onto the uncut pancake for picture purposes, but next time I'll just cut and serve the pancake and let everybody spoon the banana sauce on top. And, yes, this sauce would be good on other things, like waffles and pancakes. And ice cream.

I used my regular recipe for the Puffed Oven Pancake, which is pretty much the same as the Better Homes & Gardens recipe, just with one less egg and less flour, mostly because I wanted to bake it in my cast iron skillet, which is a 10-inch and not a 12-inch.

Coconut Lemon Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 02:41:00 +0000

When I was posting that last recipe for Cranberry Coconut Pecan Bars, I was planning to link to this recipe. That's when I realized that I never posted it here. I have it on my old recipe site, but since I never use that one anymore, I really need to get all the recipes copied over here. I thought I had, but I guess I got distracted by new recipes before I brought all my old favorites over.

Anyway, these Coconut Lemon Bars are some of my favorites. I'm going to have to make them again soon, because I don't have any pictures, but trust me - they're good.

Coconut Lemon Bars

Ingredients:
Crust:

2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4cup brown sugar

Filling:

3 eggs, well beaten
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
2 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon rind

Directions:

Mix flour, butter, and 1/4 cup brown sugar together and press firmly into a greased 13 x 9 inch pan.
Bake 10 minutes @ 350°.
Mix the eggs, 2 cups brown sugar, and salt thoroughly, then stir in the coconut, walnuts, lemon juice, and lemon rind.
Spread evenly over partially cooked bottom layer.
Bake about 25 minutes until lightly browned.

Cut bars when cool - Makes 24

Looking at the recipe card, I see that the original recipe called for raisins - 1/2 cup raisins stirred in with the coconut, walnuts and lemon juice. My mom never used the raisins, so I've never used the raisins. That, and nobody here seems to like raisins except me. But now I'm thinking maybe raisins next time... Probably I will split this into two separate pans and put raisins in one of them, just to see how it turns out.

Cranberry Coconut Pecan Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 22:21:00 +0000

The Food section of our newspaper recently held a Holiday Cookie Contest and published the winning recipes along with several runners-up. There are some really good looking cookies here, but the ones that caught my eye were these Cranberry Coconut Pecan Bars. (can you guess why? yep, it's the cranberries!)

I just had to make these today. My whole kitchen smelled amazing, and then I was required to taste them, right? So good! The perfect combination of crunchy and chewy, sweet and tart - I'm in love!

I pretty much followed the recipe, only cutting down the sugar just a bit, but there are a couple other changes I will make next time (there will be a next time!) and those changes are reflected here.

Cranberry Coconut Pecan Bars

Ingredients:

Crust:

1-1/4 cups flour (part whole wheat)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup finely chopped dried cranberries

Filling:

2 lightly beaten eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cranberry juice (or orange juice)
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup chopped dried cranberries
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Glaze

½ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cranberry juice (or orange juice)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Prepare crust by stirring together flour, sugar and salt in medium bowl. Mix in melted butter and then stir in pecans and cranberries. Press mixture onto bottom of ungreased 13-by-9-inch pan. . Bake in preheated oven 10 to 15 minutes or until light brown around the edges. Leave oven on.
While crust bakes, in bowl, beat together eggs, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cranberry juice, the orange peel and vanilla. Stir in pecans, cranberries and coconut. Pour over hot crust and spread evenly.
Return to oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes more. Remove to a wire rack and let cool slightly (about 10 to 15 minutes) in pan. Cut into bars while warm.
While bars cool, mix together powered sugar and 1 tablespoon cranberry juice. Add more sugar and juice as needed to achieve drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cut bars.

Makes 24

The original recipe called for cutting the butter for the crust into the flour and sugar until it resembles course crumbs. A lot of bar cookie recipes seem to be written that way, but when I make my mom's Coconut Lemon Bars, I always just melt the butter and mix it in. It's much easier and works just fine - so I will be making this crust that way from now on. I used 1/4 cup whole wheat flour in the crust and brown sugar instead of granulated for more flavor - cut down from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup. I think even 1/2 cup whole wheat or even half whole wheat and half unbleached flour would be fine.

The original recipe called for mixing the eggs, sugar, juice, orange peel, and vanilla for the filling, pouring that over the hot crust, and then sprinkling it with the pecans, cranberries and coconut. That worked fine, but next time I'm just going to mix the pecans, cranberries and coconut in and then spread the whole thing over the crust - again like those lemon bars. It will be less messy and easier to spread evenly. It will still bake up just fine. I used the cranberry juice this time because I had some in the fridge (cranberry apple, actually), but I think this would be great using some fresh-squeezed orange juice. You're already using the orange for the peel or the zest, why not squeeze it and use the juice too?

Ready to bake

Also, the original recipe says that it makes 30-35, but I can't imagine anyone actually cutting them that way. That would be 5 one way and 6 the other or 5 one way and 7 the other. I have a hard enough time getting things even when I can first cut down the middle. Cutting them into 24 pieces makes very nice-sized bars - and I still couldn't stop at just one.

For more cookie recipes, be sure to check out the Holiday Cookie Contest.

Rhubarb Raspberry Crisp

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:59:00 +0000

I've never tried rhubarb and raspberries together. Why? I don't know, but for some reason the idea popped into my head the other day - probably because I was thinking about what I have in my freezer and need to start using.

So I went looking for a 'raspberry rhubarb dessert' and this is what I found.

Rhubarb Raspberry Crisp

Ingredients:

2 cups cut rhubarb
2 cups raspberries, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (or pecans)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into chunks

Directions:

In a shallow 2- to 3-quart baking dish, combine rhubarb, raspberries, granulated sugar, and cornstarch and mix gently to coat.
In a large bowl, mix oats, flour, nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. With your fingers or a pastry blender, rub or cut butter into oat mixture until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle evenly over rhubarb and raspberry mixture.
Bake in a 350° regular oven until topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling, about 45 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

original recipe

As noted, I used frozen rhubarb and raspberries, mostly thawed and undrained, but this would of course be great with fresh fruit, too. I only used half the raspberries the original recipe called for and cut the sugar in the fruit down from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup because I want to taste the tartness of the rhubarb. I think it turned out great. A nice dollop of vanilla ice cream would be great on top, but it was yummy just by itself.

Rhubarb and raspberries go very well together.

Cinnamon and Honey for Good Health

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 04:57:00 +0000

This is more a health post than a recipe post, but it involves items we all have in our kitchens, and besides - I need to save this someplace!

I copied this from Facebook:

Honey is the only food on the planet that will not spoil or rot. What it will do is what some call 'turning to sugar'. In reality, honey is always honey. However, when left in a cool dark place for a long time it will "crystallize". When this happens loosen the lid, boil some water and sit the honey container in the hot water, but turn off the heat and let it liquefy naturally. It is then as good as it ever was. Never boil honey or put it in a microwave. This will kill the enzymes in the honey.

Cinnamon and Honey

Bet the drug companies won't like this one getting around. Facts on Honey and Cinnamon: It is found that a mixture of honey and Cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a 'Ram Ban' (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without side effects for any kind of diseases. Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, when it is taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm even diabetic patients. Researched by western scientists:

HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply it on bread instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also, those who have already had an attack, when they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as one ages the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and the veins.

ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients may take daily (morning and night) one cup of hot water with two tablespoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. When taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week (out of the 200 people so treated) practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain -- and within a month, most all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis now started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.

CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water given to a cholesterol patient was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, when taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and, clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from its root.

GAS: According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that when Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles (where DNA is contained) to fight bacterial and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food is eaten relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals

INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural 'Ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Use four teaspoons of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of boiling water to make a tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans increase and even a 100 year old will start performing the chores of a 20-year-old.

RASPY OR SORE THROAT: When throat has a tickle or is raspy, take one tablespoon of honey and sip until gone. Repeat every three hours until throat is without symptoms.

PIMPLES: Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it off the next morning with warm water. When done daily for two weeks, it removes all pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS: Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin Infections.

WEIGHT LOSS: Daily in the morning one half hour before
breakfast and on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. When taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

CANCER: Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder three times a day for one month.

FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, even when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, when taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M., the vitality of the body increases within a week.

BAD BREATH: People of South America, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water first thing in the morning so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restores hearing. Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it!

You might want to share this information with a friend, kinfolks and loved ones. Everyone needs healthy help information ~ what they do with it is up to them. You may also want to share this with your email buddies... They deserve to be healthy too!

I think it's time for some cinnamon and honey. I do not want to get this cold!

Ricki's Spicy Slaw

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:42:00 +0000

My friend Ricki shared this recipe on facebook - and he just kept talking about it. It seemed that he was making this stuff all the time and eating it just as quickly as he could make it. Of course I had to try it, right? I'm so glad I did. This stuff is amazing! I've made it several times so far...

Ricki's Spicy Slaw

Ingredients:

1/2 medium head of Green Cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup fresh Cilantro, finely chopped
1 large Tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup Red Onion, finely chopped
3 Green Onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup of Claussen Kosher Dill Pickle juice
1.5 Claussen Kosher Dill Pickles, finely chopped
2 - 4 Pickled Pepperoncinis, finely chopped
1/4 cup of Ranch Dressing
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Garlic Salt
1 tsp Onion Powder
2 dashes (or more, to taste/burn) Cayenne Powder
1 - 2 Serrano Peppers, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in large mixing bowl
After mixing thoroughly, let it sit for an hour or so (if you can!) and let the flavors blend. Then mix it again, each time, before eating.

So many great flavors all blended together!

A few notes: I've never measured the cilantro; just washed and chopped up a bunch. I used regular, ordinary, yellow onion, and I used the dill pickles I had on hand, in my case Vlasic, and I'm not sure if it is supposed to be 1.5 pickle spears or 1.5 whole dills - so I just used 1 really big whole dill pickle each time. I, of course, used 2 peppers each time (sometimes jalapenos because that's what I had) and 4 Pepperoncinis. Even with those the slaw isn't overly spicy, just very nice and flavorful.

With all the ingredients and chopping involved, I supposed you could use a food processor, but I love my knife and cutting board, so I just chop everything that way. It really doesn't take too long, and you get to enjoy all the lovely aromas as you do it!

Did I say that I really love this stuff? No wonder Ricki was making it and talking about it so much. Try it - you'll talk too!

How to Cook Your Holiday Dinner without an Oven

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 05:13:00 +0000

Two days before Thanksgiving my oven quit. Definitely not good timing - as if any time is a good time for the oven to quit.

I had plans for Wednesday, plans that involved lots of baking. I was going to cook the turkey in my roaster oven while I used the oven to bake pies and rolls. Without a working oven, those plans changed. Thankfully I had already baked a pie on Tuesday afternoon, before the oven quit, so I only had two more to bake. And the rolls, and - well, the oven plays a very important part in fixing any big family dinner. How do you cook everything without an oven?

Use the roaster oven! Yep, that's right, those pies and rolls can be baked in the roaster oven. It's not just for turkeys and big pots of chili. Preheat the roaster with the rack, then place the unbaked pie on the rack and bake. Do not remove the lid to check it, because that will let the heat out - at least until the designated baking time is up. I found that my pies needed more time in the roaster than in the regular oven, so next time I will just bake them longer before I check on them.

German Chocolate Pie

You may also need to adjust your baking times, but try the regular recipe time first. An advantage to knowing you can bake in your roaster oven? You can use it in the summer time when you want to bake, and you don't want to heat up your whole kitchen!

I baked my pies and my turkey in the roaster oven. It took longer because I couldn't do it all at the same time - one pie at a time and then the turkey - but I did get it done. Instead of baking the rolls on Wednesday like I'd planned, I mixed them up and formed them into rolls after letting them raise the first time, and then I covered them and refrigerated them overnight. The next day I pulled them out of the fridge and let them warm up and raise (about 1-1/2 hours), and then I baked them in the roaster oven.

Use crock pots! Another option for cooking that holiday dinner without an oven is to use crock pots - in addition to the roaster oven. I bought a triple crock pot last year, and that thing really came in handy. I mixed up my dressing, and instead of baking it in the oven like I would normally have done, I greased a crock pot (actually I needed 2 of them), spooned the uncooked dressing in, and cooked it on high for about 4 hours. It turned out great. Same thing with my sweet potatoes. I boiled them first, then peeled and sliced them, and layered them into another greased crock with a butter and brown sugar syrup. Again, normally I would have put the sweet potatoes into a casserole dish and baked them, but they turned out just fine in the crock pot. Yummy!

The mashed potatoes were, of course, boiled on top of the stove, and I made the gravy on the stove, too - as usual. I warmed the turkey in the roaster oven the same way I would have done it in the oven - put some of the sliced turkey in a 13x9 cake pan, add some broth to keep it moist, cover with foil. The hardest part was getting the pan of turkey out of the roaster oven without burning myself when it was time to eat, but I managed.

Yes, it would have been easier to cook Thanksgiving dinner if I'd had the use of my oven, but everything still turned out great. It just took a little extra planning and time.

Cornbread - Sweet or Not?

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 05:39:00 +0000

I usually just use the cornbread recipe in my cookbook, and it's not bad, but the other day I went searching online for a 'buttermilk' cornbread recipe, because I had some soured milk I wanted to use. I used some for waffles, and I needed a recipe to use the rest.

I found this recipe - I used a bit less sugar and used whole wheat flour, also didn't follow the original directions, because this made more sense to me.

Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (or soured milk)
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place butter in 9 or 10-inch cast iron skillet and put the skillet into the oven. Preheat oven, with skillet, to 375°
In medium bowl, lightly beat eggs; stir in sugar and buttermilk
Measure cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt into bowl; Using measuring spoon, lightly mix dry ingredients together without mixing them into the liquid ingredients, then mix the dry ingredients into the liquid until well blended
Remove skillet from oven and mix melted butter into batter
Pour batter into the hot buttered skillet; bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

My husband said he liked this cornbread better than the usual cornbread, so I definitely need to keep this recipe.

Tonight I thought I'd try something a bit different and made this Southern Cornbread recipe.

Southern Cornbread

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp butter
1 egg (optional)
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
2 cups cornmeal OR 1 1/2 cups cornmeal and 1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tbsp sugar (optional)

Directions:

Place butter in 9 or 10-inch cast iron skillet and put the skillet into the oven. Preheat oven, with skillet, to 400°
In medium bowl, lightly beat egg; stir in buttermilk
Measure cornmeal, flour, baking soda, salt and sugar into bowl; Using measuring spoon, lightly mix dry ingredients together without mixing them into the liquid ingredients, then mix the dry ingredients into the liquid until well blended
Remove skillet from oven and mix melted butter into batter
Pour batter into the hot buttered skillet; bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the bread rest for 10-30 minutes in the skillet before cutting it into wedges and serving

I used 1-1/2 cups cornmeal and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. I also used the egg and the 2 Tablespoons sugar. I liked it, especially in my soup. It is definitely not sweet, so I'm sure my husband will still prefer the other recipe. It's also quite crumbly - good when you're putting it in soup, but not so great if you just want to eat cornbread with butter. Now, cornbread with butter and molasses that you eat with a fork - it works quite well for that.

How do you like your cornbread? Sweet or not?

Pizza Crust

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 02:49:00 +0000

This is the pizza crust recipe from the cookbook that came with my first bread machine.

Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

1 cup water
2 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour
2-1/4 tsp. yeast

Directions:

Put all ingredients into bread maker in the order given; use Dough cycle.
When dough is ready, divide in half and let rest for 10 minutes. Then roll or pat each half into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place on prepared pizza pans; cover and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.
Bake each crust in preheated 400° oven 5-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Remove from oven and spread with favorite pizza toppings. return to oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese and toppings are melted and bubbling.

I found this next recipe on Pinterest and used it last time I made pizza, because I couldn't find the bread machine cookbook. I just used my bread machine with these ingredients. I liked this one a lot, so I'm trying to compare the two recipes to see what the difference is. It looks like - more water, more flour, more salt.

Basic Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cups warm water
2 T olive oil
1½ tsp. salt
4 cups bread flour
2¼ tsp. yeast

Follow above directions, or click on the recipe name for the original recipe directions and tips.

Update: I loved this crust fresh, but froze half of it as suggested in the recipe. I did like she said, "Freeze the dough until it is ready to be used. The day you plan to use the dough, transfer it to the refrigerator in the morning to thaw in time for dinner that evening." and, "Before making the pizza, take the dough out of the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes to take off the chill." - and it just wasn't very good at all. Maybe if I get a pizza stone? I really need to get one. But, for now, as easy as the dough is to make in the bread machine, there's really no reason not to make it fresh - except that I don't always need to make two pizzas.

I've also been experimenting with using my sourdough starter:

Sourdough Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

1cup starter
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup unbleached flour

Mix and allow to sit until active and bubbly. Then stir in:

1 T olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Add to make a soft dough:

1 to 1-1/2 cups unbleached flour

Use additional flour for kneading.

Directions:

After mixing and kneading, let rise 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Punch down and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Then roll or pat each half into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place on prepared pizza pans; cover and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.
Bake each crust in preheated 400° oven 5-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Remove from oven and spread with favorite pizza toppings. return to oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese and toppings are melted and bubbling.

Now to figure out which recipe I like best. Right now I'm thinking the middle one - the one I found on Pinterest, but I also like the sourdough recipe. I just have to remember to start in plenty of time for that one, or dinner is late. Like tonight.

Israeli Cucumber and Tomato Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Anna Hagen) — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 04:04:00 +0000

I found this recipe in the Food section of my newspaper. I'm not sure why this is called Israeli salad - they probably told me in the article that the recipe came with, but I didn't read that. What I do know is that I knew I had to try it the minute I read the recipe. So many yummy flavors all in one salad! So far I've made it twice.

Israeli Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Ingredients

1 cucumber, cut into small dice
4 to 5 Roma tomatoes, cut into small dice
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, diced
Juice of 1 lemon
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place cucumber, tomato, onion, cilantro and avocado in a medium bowl. Add lemon juice, olive oil and salt & pepper to taste. Toss gently to combine.

To prepare ahead: You can prepare the salad early in the day. cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Of course, it's salad - so feel free to vary the ingredients to suit your taste - more cucumber, more tomato - more avocado!

So yummy.

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