Food for the Finicky

Cranberry Orange Tunnel Bundt Cake

2012-10-26T22:21:00.000-04:00

I am happy to announce that I have a new blog, In Good Flavor. It will contain recipes that I love, ones that I have always wanted to try, and newly discovered finds. Unlike Food for the Finicky, the new blog will be more indulgent and adventurous with flavors.

It has been a fun year and if anyone has added any of the recipes from my blog to their own catalog of recipes, I am honored. But due to time constraints, I will not continue to post on this blog. I will focus my attention on the new blog and hope that you will find it pleasing to the palate as well as the eyes.

Thank you all so much for joining me this past year. I leave you with this Cranberry Orange Tunnel Bundt Cake which is also located at In Good Flavor.

Cranberry Orange Tunnel Bundt Cake

Cranberry Cake Layer

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

6 tblsp. butter, room temperature

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sour cream

1 cup whole cranberries

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 cup whole pecan (divided)

red and blue gel food coloring

Generously coat a 12 cup capacity bundt cake pan with cooking spray. Dust with a thin layer of flour. Tap pan to remove excess flour.

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.

Place all of the pecan in food processor and puree until finely ground. Divide in half and set aside.

Place cranberries in the empty food processor and puree. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until smooth and consistency slightly thickens, about one minute. Blend in vanilla and almond extract.

Alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream, starting with a third of the flour, then half of the sour cream, another third of the flour, the remaining sour cream, and ending with flour. Blend in cranberries and half of the ground pecan.

Fill a 1/4 tsp. measuring spoon with 5 parts of red to 1 part of blue food coloring. Blend into batter. Adjust color as needed to obtain your desired shade.

Pour into the prepared bundt cake pan. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degress F.

Orange Cake Layer

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

6 tbsp. butter, room temperature

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/2 of ground pecan from above

grated orange rind from 2 medium oranges ( 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoon grated)

1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

red and yellow food coloring

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until smooth and consistency slightly thickens, about 1 minute. Blend in vanilla extract, almond extract, and grated orange peel.

Fill a 1/4 tsp. measuring spoon with 2 parts yellow to 1 part of red food coloring. Blend into cake batter. Adjust color as needed to obtain your desired shade.

Pour into the bundt cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs when inserted into cake. Allow to cool.

Frost with Cream Cheese Pecan Frosting. Sprinkle cake with chopped pecan. Store refrigerated.

Serving suggestions: microwave slices of cake for 8-10 seconds before serving. I find that the consistency of refrigerated cakes tend to be rigid and microwaving brings them back to their original consistency.

Cream Cheese Pecan Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature (reduced fat is fine)

4 oz. butter, room temperature

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

3 cups powdered sugar

Whisk cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add vanilla and almond extract. Gradually add powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth and creamy.

American Chop Suey

2012-10-10T21:51:00.000-04:00

Who doesn’t remember the lunch room staple of yesteryear, American Chop Suey? At least, that is what we call it here in New England. Made of pasta, tomato sauce, and beef, what is not to like? To me, it is a little taste of nostalgia.

The American Chop Suey of my past always had green pepper. I don’t mind green pepper, but it doesn’t like me. I usually omit it in my cooking, but American Chop Suey just isn’t the same without it. I use only a small quantity to provide a subtle hint of pepper, but not so much that it overpowers the dish. My healthy twist on this dish is hidden veggies and a low glycemic, high fiber macaroni.

American Chop Suey

16 oz. elbow macaroni (I use Dreamfield brand with high fiber and low glycemic index)

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, finely chopped

1/3 of a green pepper, diced

4 oz. mushroom, finely chopped

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomato

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp. sugar

1.5 to 2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

Preheat large saucepan on medium high heat. Add olive oil. Add ground beef and brown using a wooden spatula to break apart into small crumbles. When beef is almost entirely brown, add carrots and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the onion, mushroom, green pepper, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 8 – 10 minutes. Add crushed tomato, tomato sauce, and sugar. Cover and allow to simmer for 15 -20 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Boil pasta according to package direction, but drain when it is al dente (has a slight chew). Do not cook all the way as it will finish cooking in the sauce.

Add pasta to sauce. Transfer to a large oven safe casserole dish or proportion into smaller dishes. Top with desired amount of mozzarella cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and slightly brown.

Pork Meatballs and Rice Soup

2012-09-28T23:07:00.000-04:00

I can usually get children to eat things that they would not typically eat if I incorporate it into rice. Cabbage is hidden in the meatballs and in the broth base of this soup. Although it was not done in this batch, I would sometimes add finely chopped mushroom to the meatballs as well to provide an extra boost of nutrition. To make it easier to eat, I cut up the pork meatballs before serving to young children.

Personally, I like the rice slightly overcooked, to the point where it splits open. It absorbs more liquid and thickens the soup even more. If you don't want to take the rice to this point, feel free to use a full cup of rice in the recipe. This soup makes warm comforting lunch on a crisp fall day.

Pork Meatballs and Rice Soup

3/4 cup uncooked rice

1 cup finely chopped cabbage

1/2 of a large onion, finely chopped onion

1 large carrot finely chopped

2 tsp. soy sauce

5 (14.5 oz.) reduced sodium chicken broth

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

a couple one quarter inch slices of fresh ginger

1 tbsp. olive oil

For Meatballs:

1 lb. ground pork

1/3 cup finely chopped scallion

3/4 tsp. minced ginger

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 cup finely chopped cabbage

1/2 scant tsp. salt

1/2 scant tsp. pepper

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 egg

Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Roll into 1” to 1.25” meatballs. Set aside.

Add oil to a large pan on medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and cabbage. Sauté for two minutes. Stir in rice and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and ginger slices. Stir well. Bring to a boil on high heat, stir, and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add meatballs, stirring gently. Bring to a second boil on high. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 or so minutes. Remove ginger slices before serving.

Candied Apple Skewers

2012-09-17T21:37:00.000-04:00

Here’s the thing. Candied apples are beautiful to look at. They come in a variety of base coatings (semisweet chocolate, white chocolate, caramel, etc.) and a plethora of decorative toppings. Some candied apples are just too beautiful to eat. My problem is that they are not the easiest thing to bite into. I always have to cut mine into slices and half of the candied coating usually falls off during the process.

My Candied Apple Skewers have all of the components of whole candied apple only so much easier to eat. It is smaller than the conventional candied apple therefore you don’t have to feel committed to finishing an oversized snack.

The ones pictured on this post are drizzled with semisweet or white chocolate and covered with sprinkles—ingredients I just happen to have today. But, next time, chocolate with chopped almonds and coconut flakes!

Candied Apple Skewers

1 large unpeeled apple (cored, quartered and cut into 24 chunks)

4 oz. chocolate of choice

half of a lemon

1 cup water

Candied sprinkles or any topping of choice

8 lollipop sticks

1 wooden skewer

Something to stand the apple skewers on (Styrofoam block, or any base that you can poke holes into)

Note:

To make a larger quantity, adjust the chocolate amount according to the number of apples used, 8 oz. chocolate for 2 apples, 12 oz. chocolate for three apples, and so on.

Place water in a small bowl. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Place cut apples into a bowl of lemon water and allow to sit for a minute. Remove apples and dry with a paper towels.

Poke holes through the center of each apple chunk using the wooden skewer (this will allow the lollipop sticks to be inserted easily without splitting the chunks). Insert three apple chunks on each lollipop stick. Set aside.

Place chocolate in a small microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir smooth. If still lumpy after stirring, microwave at 15 seconds intervals until completely melted.

I didn't have a handy base ready, this half a lemon does the job perfectly!

Use a fork or knife to drizzle chocolate onto apples. Shake on candied sprinkles. Stand apple skewers on a base and refrigerate for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, apples can be transferred onto a parchment lined plate. Keep refrigerated. Makes about 8 apple skewers.

Cinnamon Sugar Lavash Chips and Cream Cheese Apple Dip

2012-09-10T19:28:00.000-04:00

It’s been several weeks since my last post. August has been a busy month and I’m sorry to say that I haven’t had the motivation to spend the extra hours in the hot kitchen to tweak recipes and take pictures of food. Luckily, for this blog the end of summer is upon us with fall soon to take its place. When it does, my nesting instinct should also return and with it more motivation to stay in the kitchen.

To get things moving, here is an easy, light snack using lavash and reduced fat cream cheese. Lavash is a soft flatbread. The brand I use, Joseph’s, contains flax and comes in a package of four 9” x 11” inch sheets, each containing 6 grams of fiber, 10 grams of protein, and has only 100 calories. It is not only good for wraps, but also for making chips and pizza.

Cinnamon Sugar Lavash Chips and Cream Cheese Apple Dip

2 sheets of lavash

4 tsp. sugar in the raw
3 rounded tbsp. apple jelly
1/4 scant tsp. ground cinnamon for dip, plus extra to sprinkle on lavash
6 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
2 rounded tbsp. powdered sugar or 3/4 tsp. White Stevia Powder
3 rounded tbsp. peeled and minced apple
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

For dip, place cream cheese, powdered sugar, 1/8 tsp. cinnamon in a small bowl. Place apple jelly in a small ramekin size bowl and microwave for 10 seconds, stir until smooth. Add to cream cheese mixture. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Add minced apple and combine. Place in the refrigerator to set for 20 minutes.

Cut each lavash into 24 triangles using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter. Spray top of lavash with cooking spray. Transfer to cookie sheets in a single layer, greased side down. Spray second side of lavash with cooking spray. Top with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar in the raw. Bake until light brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Allow to cool on a rack or on top of paper towels. Serve with dip.

Cheesy Ham Toast

2012-08-14T22:24:00.000-04:00

The inspiration for this recipe came from Shrimp Toast. But, as you can see from the name of this post, it metamorphosed immensely from conception to end product.

Allow me to explain my thought process. Since shellfish should be avoided by very young children and since most of the older ones that I know don’t like shrimp, it needed to be replaced. Then of course, there is the need to add a healthy element (the broccoli). So, after several recipe revisions in my head and several actual trial runs, I ended up with Cheesy Ham Toast. The shrimp has been replaced by ham and the cheese was added along with egg substitute as the binding agent. The final result has very little resemblance to Shrimp Toast, but tasty nonetheless.

Cheesy Ham Toast

6 slices of Country White bread or any other firm sandwich bread

1 cup coarsely chopped deli honey ham

3/4 cup coarsely chopped cooked broccoli

1/4 cup egg substitute

1.5 cup shredded cheese, divided (I used four cheese pizza blend)

a pinch each of salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper

1 -2 tbsp. olive oil

Place ham, egg substitute, broccoli, salt, pepper, cayenne, and 1/4 cup of cheese in a food processor and pulse (for less than a minute) until mixture is minced, but not pureed.

Place bread slices on a cookie sheet and brush the tops with olive oil. Broil on HIGH until bread turns golden brown, about 1 minute. Remove from oven, turn slices over and brush the tops with olive oil. Broil the second side until golden brown. Remove from oven.

Spread ham mixture on each slice of bread. Top off with the remaining cheese. Broil on LOW for about 7-8 minutes or until cheese bubbles and develop light brown spots.

Cut into wedges and serve.

Banana "Ice Cream" Fakeout

2012-07-31T20:03:00.000-04:00

So, the only problem I have with this recipe is that I didn’t come up with it myself! I saw Rachael Ray make this quick and simple “ice cream” using only bananas and milk, and I had to try it. The consistency is that of soft serve ice cream. It’s ingenious AND healthy to boot!

In my haste to share this recipe, I didn’t invest too much time playing around with it. When I’ve found the opportunity to experiment and come up with additional variations, I will share them with you.

Until then, here’s how to make it.

To get the ice cream into scooping and stacking

consistency, I froze it for about 1 hour.

Banana “Ice Cream” Fakeout

Slightly adapted version of Rachael Ray's

3 bananas, frozen and cut into small chunks

1/4 to1/2 cup milk (I used 1% milk)

1 tbsp. agave nectar (optional, for added sweetness)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Start by pulsing banana in a food processor to break up the chunks.

Puree bananas, adding milk, a little bit at a time, until mixture begins to smooth out. Add vanilla and agave nectar. Continue pureeing, adding more milk if needed, until mixture becomes thick, smooth, and creamy.

Rachael says it should take about 2 minutes to whip. It took me about 5 minutes. I had to use a spoon to break up and redistribute the semi frozen mixture a couple of times when it seized up in the food processor.

The original recipe says to serve immediately, but if the consistency is too soft, I recommend freezing the ice cream for at least one hour to firm it up.

Makes about 3 ½ cups.

Chicken and Mozzarella Bite Kabobs

2012-07-18T21:29:00.000-04:00

Eating things off a skewer is always fun. So, mozzarella sticks and chicken on a skewer is double the fun and double the deliciousness. These baked tasty bites make great treats for the family or for a crowd (this recipe can be easily multiplied).

I recommend taking the time to pre-toast the Panko crumbs to obtain a golden brown finish as the cheese and chicken require a short baking period. If you don’t have the time, skip the skewering and serve with skewers on the side and dig in!

Chicken and Mozzarella Stick Bite Kabobs

4 mozzarella cheese sticks, cut into fifths

1/4 pound boneless chicken breast (slightly more is okay)

3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 1/2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 tbsp. milk

1/8 tsp. salt

a pinch of pepper

20 skewers

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Beat egg and milk to make an egg wash. Set aside. Place flour in a small bowl. Set aside.

Spread Panko crumbs evenly on a cookie sheet. Bake until crumbs are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Stir halfway if Panko begins to brown unevenly. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Place in a small bowl and stir in Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.

Working in batches of 4 or 5 pieces at a time, roll mozzarella in flour, shake off excess, dip into egg wash, and roll in Panko mixture. Place on a plate. Continue to coat all of the cheese. Freeze for 1 hour to prevent oozing during baking.

Meanwhile, cut chicken into 20 small bite size pieces (about 1 inch thick each). Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Use the same dredging process as for the mozzarella, dipping in flour, then egg, then Panko. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Can be chilled while waiting for the cheese. Do not freeze.

Remove mozzarella from freezer after one hour. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Spray top of cheese with cooking spray. Spray top of chicken with cooking spray. Bake both in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 8 minutes. The chicken is done when it becomes white inside; do not over bake.

To serve, work quickly to place one chicken and one mozzarella bite on each skewer. Serve with marinara sauce. Makes 20 skewers.

To double the recipe, use these measurements:

8 mozzarella cheese sticks, cut into fifths

1/2 pound boneless chicken breast (slightly more is okay)

1 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

2 tbsp. milk

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

40 skewers

Instant Oatmeal Cereal Cookies

2012-07-03T21:04:00.001-04:00

I wanted to come up with an oatmeal cookie recipe that is unlike any I have ever seen and offers more nutrition than a traditional recipe. It occurred to me that the perfect solution would be to use a high fiber instant oatmeal cereal as the base. The one I use is cinnamon flavored with a whopping 10 grams of fiber per packet! And, because it is a breakfast cereal, it is also enhanced with minerals and vitamins including folic acid.

When you do the math, this recipe uses 8 packets of oatmeal cereal and produces 36 cookies, resulting in cookies that have over 2 grams of fiber each!

It’s a treat I can feel good about eating and serving to the kids.

Instant Oatmeal Cereal Cookies

8 (1.58 oz.) packets of high fiber cinnamon instant oatmeal cereal

1 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

8 oz. butter, softened

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup egg substitute

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Combine oatmeal cereal, baking powder and flour. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add egg substitute, beating for about 1 minute. It will look lumpy. Add the dry ingredients and blend well using a wooden spoon. Dough will be sticky.

Using a small ice cream scoop (equivalent to one tablespoon), drop batter onto a greased cookie sheet. Spray hands with cooking spray and press dough into 2” to 2.25” wide discs. Bake for 10 minutes. Don’t over bake. Allow to cool on cooling rack. Tends to soften when stored at room temp.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Variation:

The guys in my house prefer the drier version slightly more. For this version, reduce egg substitute to 1/4 cup. Batter will be thick, using hands to incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet is recommended. No need to spray hands to press cookies flat. Bake for 8 minutes. Don’t over bake.

Peanut Buttery Brownie Torte

2012-06-20T20:54:00.001-04:00

This is by no means a healthy dessert, but I’m taking the opportunity to add a little bit of goodness to it anyway (with the addition of banana and ground flaxseed). The banana enables less oil to be used, keeps the brownie moist, and provides just a hint of banana.

You may notice from the recipe that I don’t use a lot of sugar in the frosting as I’m not a fan of super sweet frosting. Add more sugar to suit your own taste.

Peanut Buttery Brownie Torte

1 (18.3 oz) package brownie mix

2 eggs

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup oil

1 medium banana, thoroughly mashed (about 1/3 cup)

2 tbsp. ground flaxseed

4 oz. cream cheese (low fat or regular), room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

8 peanut butter cup candies (miniature size), chopped

Additional oil for prepping cake pans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Oil bottom and sides of three 6-inch cake pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper. Brush top of parchment with additional oil.

Combine brownie mix, water, oil, eggs, banana, and flaxseed. Whisk until well blended, about 50 strokes. Divide batter equally into the three cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Allow to cool.

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and peanut butter until smooth and creamy. Remove brownies from pans and peel off parchment paper. Stack cake layers, spreading frosting and sprinkling peanut butter cups on top of each layer.

Mini Pork Aracini, Asian Style

2012-06-07T21:16:00.002-04:00

Aracini is an Italian fried rice ball often stuffed with cheese, with or without meat. I have put my own little twist and created an Asian version, filled with pork meatballs and no cheese. To keep it on the lighter side, they are baked, not fried.

Aborio rice is commonly used to make aracini, but I find that regular white grain rice works well. All it needs is a little bit of manipulation to bring out the starch to help with binding. My technique is revealed in below.

I decided to make mini aracini mainly because it is easier for little children to handle and eat. I have made 2" - 2.5" inch wide ones in the past that turned out really nice. Just a word of caution, since there is no cheese to bind the rice layer, it might have a tendency to break apart when bitten into if the layer is too thick. Don't go too thick on the rice.

We enjoy the aracinis as is, but if you must have sauce, a tasty ginger dipping sauce recipe is included below. Since the ginger sauce might be a little on the exotic side for a lot of children, the sweeter duck sauce is a good alternative. The little ones I feed prefer the aracini without sauce.

Mini Pork Aracini, Asian Style

8 oz. ground pork

1/3 cup minced button mushrooms

1 tbsp. flaxseed meal

1/4 cup chopped scallion

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. minced ginger

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 cup uncooked rice

2 cups water

2 eggs

1cup panko crumbs

Boil water in a heavy bottom small saucepan. Add rice and lower heat to medium low. Give rice a stir for about 10 seconds. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and allow rice to sit for 5 minutes. To bring out the starchiness, use a rubber spatula to stir rice and gently press as you stir until it becomes sticky, should take about 1 minute. Spread on a cookie sheet to cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Add panko crumbs and bake for 3-4 minutes until panko turns light brown. Remove from oven and stir crumbs around using a spatula. Set aside.

For the pork filling, place first nine ingredients in a medium bowl. Add one egg, slightly beaten. Thoroughly combine all ingredients.

Slightly beat the second egg and add to cooled rice. Thoroughly blend. Scoop about a rounded tablespoon of rice into your palm and form a ball. Hollow out the ball using a finger to create a well. To prevent sticking, wet hands with water before handling rice. Fill well with about 1 teaspoon of the pork filling. Pack the rice around the pork filling. Set aside. Repeat steps for the remainder rice balls.

Roll each aracini in panko crumbs. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Coat aracinis with a generous layer of cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees oven for 25 minutes or until pork is no longer pink when cut into. Makes about 24, approx. 1.5” to 1.75” arancinis.

Ginger Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

2 tsp. grated ginger

1 tsp. sesame oil

2 tbsp. finely chopped scallion, greens only

1 tbsp. super fine sugar

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well until sugar is well incorporated. Allow to rest 15 – 20 minutes before serving.

Banana Tempura

2012-05-29T19:59:00.000-04:00

It is amazing how sweet banana gets when it is heated. For this reason, it makes a terrific dessert.

Tempura dishes are traditionally deep fried, but I make this by using the shallow frying method. I have to admit, I’m not sure if my method really shaves off the calories, but it makes me feel a little better about frying. If you choose to deep fry, set the oil temperature to 175 degrees F and fry bananas about 1 minute or until the batter is golden and crispy.

Whether shallow frying or deep frying, there will be a bit of oil splatter. I find that using a saucepan or a skillet with deep sides helps reduce the mess. Don’t let the splattering deter you. It will be worth the effort!

Banana Tempura

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. sugar

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup chilled club soda

3 large bananas

canola oil

Whisk the first five ingredients just until smooth, don’t over mix. Set aside.

Peel and slice bananas to 1/4 - 1/3 inch thick. Heat a medium size skillet with deep sides on medium to medium high heat. Add 1/8 inch of oil to skillet.

Working in small batches, dip a few banana slices in batter. Add to hot oil, one at a time. Be careful not to let the batter touch as the bananas will stick to each other. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip over and cook until the second side is golden and crispy, about 1 minute.

Transfer to paper towel line plate and gently pat dry. Transfer again to a serving dish. Do not let the bananas sit on the paper towel as they may stick. Serve plain or with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Skillet Tricolor Pearl Couscous and Ham

2012-05-15T20:27:00.000-04:00

Tricolor Pearl Coucous is larger than regular couscous and is such a pretty pasta. It makes a perfect base for a deliciously colorful dish. I tested this recipe out this week. I am happy to report that it got six out of seven thumbs up from a group of two teenagers and five toddlers and preschoolers.

Hope you’ll give it a try!

Tricolor Pearl Couscous

Skillet Tricolor Pearl Couscous and Ham

1 cup Tricolor Pearl Couscous

2.5 cups water, divided

1/4 lb. thick sliced deli ham

2 tbsp. finely chopped chives

1/2 cup finely diced carrots

1/2 cup minced onion

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Prep the carrots first as it requires the longest cooking time. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a covered medium skillet. Add finely diced carrots and boil gently for about 8 minutes. Remove carrots from skillet and discard any liquid.

While carrots are cooking, finely mince the onion, garlic and chop the chives. Finely dice the ham.

Reheat skillet on medium heat. Add olive oil to pan and stir in onion and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add couscous and garlic, stirring frequently for 3 minutes. Add 1.5 cup water, salt, and pepper. Allow to come to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in chives and ham. Cover and continue to simmer until couscous is soft and all the water has been absorbed, about 5 additional minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese. Serve.

Mashed Potato Sticks

2012-04-30T21:28:00.001-04:00

I don’t know about anybody else, but my leftover mashed potato usually ends up in the trash after it sits in the fridge for a few days. Immediately throwing it out would save time and effort, but guilt often gets the best of me. Storing the potato first (prior to it meeting its destiny in the bottom of my trash bin) makes me feel as if I put in genuine effort to avoid wastefulness.

Well, waste no more! I finally discovered a simple, perfect solution to leftover mashed potato—turn it into potato sticks. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, very much like French fries. Best served hot straight from the oven.

And, do kids like them? Well…they taste a lot like French fries…need I say more?

Mashed Potato Sticks

I recommend using creamy mashed potato, not smashed potato for this recipe

for every 1 cup of prepared mashed potato add the following

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. golden flaxseed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Blend all ingredients thoroughly. Spoon into a plastic bag and twist opening closed. Cut a 1/2" to 3/4" slit in one corner of bag. Pipe strips of potato (about 6 – 8 inches long) onto a greased cookie sheet. Cover potato strips with a light coat of cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes or until bottom of potato is golden brown. Turn potato sticks over and bake an additional 5-7 minutes. Serve hot.

Note: Wider strips of potato require longer cooking time.

Refrigerated potato strips are best served reheated in the oven for a couple minutes.

Funky Monkey (Peanut Butter and Fruit Sandwich)

2012-04-24T23:13:00.000-04:00

I originally designed this sandwich for toddlers and preschoolers; the bread was pressed flat and fruit cut thin in order for little mouths to bite into it. For older children and adults like myself who enjoy a peanut butter sandwich every now and then, generous use of ingredients is encouraged—slather on thicker layers, go bigger on the fruit slices, and no need to flatten the bread. It will only make the sandwich fuller and more decadent!

Made with whole wheat bread, sprinkled with flaxseed meal, and drizzled with honey, this is a well rounded, healthy sandwich for lunch or dinner. Finished with a toast to the outside and layered with peanut butter and fruit on the inside, this sandwich is a nice balance of warm versus cold and sweet versus salty.

The recipe below is for the kid version of Funky Monkey (seen in the foreground of the picture); just go bigger and taller for the adult version (in the background).

Funky Monkey (Grilled Peanut Butter & Fruit Sandwich)

3 slices of whole wheat or high fiber bread

1 tbsp. peanut butter

1 tbsp. light cream cheese

1 tsp. honey

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. flaxseed meal

1 small banana, thinly sliced

2 medium strawberries, thinly sliced

2 tsp. butter or margarine, melted

Stack the slices of bread in between two plates. Press firmly down on plates and hold for about 30 seconds to flatten bread. Gently separate bread layers.

Heat a large skillet on medium to medium high. Brush one side of each bread slices with butter. Place, butter-side-down in skillet and grill till golden brown. Remove 2 slices and place on a plate (these will be the outer bread layers). Butter the other side of the remaining slice and grill until golden brown (this will be the middle layer of the sandwich). Transfer to plate.

To assemble: Using one of the outer bread layers, spread peanut butter on the grilled side. Sprinkle with flaxseed and add bananas.

Place the middle bread layer (grilled on both sides) over banana. Spread cream cheese on top, add strawberries, drizzle with honey, and cover with the last piece of bread, grilled-side-down.

Reheat skillet, butter one side of the sandwich, and grill until golden brown. Butter the other side, flip over, and grill. Enjoy!

Shaped Pork Egg Rolls

2012-04-12T22:13:00.002-04:00

These egg rolls are unique in that they are not formed into rolls, but cut into shapes. If you want a child to try a food, cutting it into shapes perks their curiosity. These are best eaten, hot and crispy, straight out of the oven. And yes! the wontons are baked and are just as delicious as fried ones.

As always, feel free to toss in a tablespoon or so of flaxseed meal for added nutrition.

The egg rolls will fly off the plate—you won’t be able to make them fast enough! What's great about this recipe is that it could easily be doubled, tripled, quatrupled...you get the idea.

Shaped Pork Egg Rolls

1/2 lb. ground pork

3/4 cup finely chopped cabbage

1 cup finely chopped bean sprouts

2 tbsp. finely chopped scallion

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. soy sauce

1/4 tsp. ginger powder

1 egg, beaten and divided

1 package wonton wrappers (about 48 count)

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place first nine ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Add half of the beaten egg into the bowl and thoroughly combine. Reserve the remaining egg. To assemble egg roll, brush a wonton with the reserved egg and place a teaspoon of the pork filling in the center. Cover with a second wonton. Make a tight seal by pressing down on the wonton around the filling and pressing out air bubbles. Use a biscuit or cookie cutter to cut shapes. Place on a cookie sheet with egg roll bottom-site-up. Repeat until all wontons are used.

Coat the top of egg rolls with a layer of cooking spray. Turn over, cooking-spray-side-down and repeat spray.

Bake on middle rack for 10 minutes. Move cookie sheet to top rack and bake for an additional 3 minutes or until the top turns golden brown. Makes about 2 dozen egg rolls.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. My family’s favorite recipe is below. It is an adaptation of a recipe my husband found in The New York Times years ago.

Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)

1 tsp. chili garlic sauce (adjust to suit your preferred level of heat)

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tbsp. sugar

2/3 cup warm water

1 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

5 tbsp. fish sauce

Combine all ingredients, stirring to dissolve sugar. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Fruited Bread Basket

2012-03-30T20:36:00.001-04:00

This is more of a method than an exact recipe…a completely edible fruity bread basket. I use a can of refrigerated pizza crust, but any pizza, bread, or pie dough will do. This basket is berry themed, but any combination of fruit can be used. Let the florist in you shine!

I make two (approx. 7 inches wide) bread baskets from one can of pizza crust that has been cut into strips and twisted. This is not an exact science; make one, two or several smaller baskets. Just keep in mind, the larger baskets require longer strips of dough which are a little more difficult to handle than shorter ones.

Fruited Bread Basket

1 13.8 ounce can of refrigerated pizza crust

1 tbsp. butter, melted

1 tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon (or more if you’d like more cinnamon flavor)

cut up fruit of your choosing
a few sprigs of herbs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove pizza dough from can and unroll on a flat work surface. Gently stretch and shape dough into a rectangle as best as possible. Use a pizza cutter or a knife to cut nine strips along the length of the dough. Strips should roughly be 3/4” x 12”. Cut six of the nine strips in half.

For the bottom of the basket:

Take one of the half pieces and twist to create a spiral (I hold an end in each hand and twist the ends in opposite directions). The dough will stretch as you work with it. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat four more times, placing the new spirals underneath the previous ones. Make sure they come in contact.

Use a pizza cutter to cut and taper the sides (wider on top, narrow on bottom).

For the handle:

Twist one of the longer strips and attach handle to the top of the basket. Note: the longer the handle, the more fruit can be added to the arrangement.

Repeat steps for the second basket. There should be unused strips which could be used as replacement pieces if needed.

Combine sugar and cinnamon. Brush the melted butter onto the baskets and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. Bake on upper half of oven for about 18 minutes or until golden brown. Check oven at the 12 minute mark. If the baskets bake unevenly, cover the dark areas with foil to prevent over browning. Allow to cool. Decorate with fruit and herbs. Makes 2 (approx. 7 inch wide) baskets.

Dinner Cupcake

2012-03-22T20:43:00.011-04:00

Here is a fun way to serve barbecue chicken and mashed potato—in the form of a cupcake. It not only looks pretty, but also allows me to hide vegetables; in this version I tossed in mushrooms and onion. There is an array of vegetables that would work well…broccoli, cauliflower, corn, and spinach to name a few. It’s a great way to use leftovers!

My group of little kids love this presentation.

Dinner Cupcake

1 cup finely diced mushrooms (I like button or baby bellas)

1/2 cup finely diced onion

1 1/2 cup finely diced cooked chicken

about 2 cups mashed potato

1/3 cup honey barbecue sauce

1 heaping teaspoon flour

1/8 tsp. salt

dash of pepper

olive oil

water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Preheat a medium size skillet on medium heat. Coat bottom of skillet with olive oil. Add mushrooms, onion, salt and pepper. Cook until tender, about 8 - 10 minutes adding a splash of water if the content sticks to skillet. Reduce heat to medium low. Sprinkle flour over mixture, stir for about 1 minute. Add barbecue sauce and water. Stir to combine. Blend in chicken and remove from heat.

Place six paper muffin cups on a small cookie sheet (filled cupcakes will be hard to remove if placed in muffin tins). Distribute filling equally among each cup. Handle gently to help muffin cups retain their shape. Scoop mashed potato into a plastic bag, twist the opening closed, and cut a half inch opening off the tip of one corner. Squeeze about 1/3 cup of potato through the half inch opening in a swirling motion over the chicken filling in each cupcake. Bake 8 – 10 minutes.

Cheddar Crackers

2012-03-08T21:10:00.003-05:00

Why make your own crackers when you can easily buy them at the store? I can give you seven good reasons: flour, cheese, butter, flaxseed, water, salt and pepper. That’s it! They are all natural ingredients that we can pronounce. By making it at home, you can control the amount of salt as well as fiber by using wheat flour and/or adding flax. It’s actually not as intimidating as it seems. I have only recently attempted to make crackers and love how simple it is. I promise, you won’t have a hard time finding taste testers!

I got this recipe from HomeCooking in Montana who cited Savory Seasoning as her source. When trying out a recipe, I like to cut it in half whenever possible to avoid waste in the event that it does not turn out right or it doesn’t suit my taste. I followed the cracker recipe (mostly) as written, but cut the ingredients in half and added flaxseed (of course). The crackers are supposed to taste like Cheez It or Goldfish. To, me it tastes more like the former. Either way, it is very appetizing.

In these photos I used ½ to ¾ inch fondant molds that can be found in a kitchen or craft store. They make cute little perfectly sized crackers for young children, but they are time consuming to mold. Using slightly larger molds, a pastry or pizza wheel, or cutting freehand will save time. As Ellie from Home Cooking in Montana recommends, chill the dough before cutting out shapes, and chill it again just before baking if the dough has been worked on a while to allow for maximum cracker puffiness.

This is a perfect recipe to make with the kids on a rainy day.

Cheddar Crackers

(Adapted Home Cooking in Montana. My version is half the original recipe.)

1/2 cup all purpose or wheat flour (I used all purpose)

1/4 heaping tsp. salt

2-3 tsp. golden flaxseed meal (optional)

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

4 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (I like to use freshly grated)

about 2 tbsp. cold water

Pulse the flour, salt and pepper, then add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add grated cheese a little at a time until the mixture again resembles coarse meal.

Slowly add 1½ tablespoon water while pulsing. If the mixture does not come together, add a little more until it forms into a ball. This process will take about a minute or two.

Place dough in a plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours. Place dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper and roll out to 1/8” thickness, the desired thickness for maximum puffiness and crispiness. Use molds, a pastry or pizza wheel, or knife to cut out shapes. Transfer cutouts onto a greased cookie sheet. Chill in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

Place cookie sheet on the top or second-down-from-the-top shelf of a preheated 350 degrees F oven. The bottom of the crackers will brown too quickly on the lower shelves. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crackers are golden brown. Place crackers on paper towels to cool. Makes about 5 to 6 ounces of crackers.

Crazy Cake Cupcakes

2012-02-28T20:28:00.000-05:00

There is a type of cake called Crazy Cake or Wacky Cake. It does not contain butter or eggs and gets its leavening from chemical reactions between the baking soda and vinegar. If you have ever had one, you know that it is absolutely moist and delicious and that you would never know there was anything different about it.

What I love about this type of cake is that it’s so simple to prepare. My twist on it is the addition of avocado. Although avocado contains fat, the majority of it is in the form of monounsaturated fat (the good fat). Avocado is also heart-healthy, a good source of fiber, and is rich in vitamins.

And, no exaggeration, you can’t taste the avocado in this cupcake, and I mean not even a hint of it!

This is a quick, no fuss, feel-good-about-eating cupcake for any occasion. I top it with a ganache or a dusting of powdered sugar. To keep my ganache on the lighter side, I use milk instead of the more commonly used heavy cream.

Crazy Cake Cupcakes

1 1/2 cup flour

2 tbsp. flaxseed meal

1 tbsp. Stevia Powder

1/2 cup sugar (if you want to omit Stevia, use 1 cup sugar)

1/2 to 2/3 medium avocado, well mashed with fork

3 tbsp. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tbsp. vinegar

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup cold water

Ganache:

¼ cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 scant tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Use a whisk to blend. Make three holes in mixture. Put oil in one hole, vanilla in the second, and vinegar in the third. Add water and avocado. Blend using a whisk (about 50 strokes). Line a muffin tin with baking liners or coat with cooking spray. Fill each cup 2/3 full with batter. Bake about 16 - 18 minutes. Allow to cool.

To make the ganache, place chocolate chips and milk in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds. Stir until smooth. If needed, microwave for an additional 10 seconds and stir. Spread over top of the cupcakes. Store ganache topped cupcakes in the refrigerator.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Baked Coconut Chicken Tenders

2012-02-13T20:35:00.003-05:00

I love coconut, but I know many little kids who do. The only other person in my household who liked coconut was my daughter, but somehow she has grown out of favor with it over the years. However, the entire family does like to eat coconut shrimp and coconut chicken. In my attempt to also share my love of coconut with the daycare children, I came up with my version of coconut chicken for them.

The one thing that I discovered about kids and chicken is if it looks like nuggets or chicken strips, but appears a little odd, many of the children will be reluctant to even try them. There will be THE LOOK, the one that clearly says, “Ewww! I’m not going to eat THAT!” My strategy is to make the chicken look as much as possible like the ubiquitous nuggets and strips in order to entice them to try it.

My secret to achieving this is to alter the look of the coconut. Shredded coconut usually gives the chicken a bristly look, one that children would not associate with nuggets. To remedy this, I fine-chop the coconut in the food processor, resolving the bristly appearance.

To provide additional goodness, I added flaxseed for fiber, lignans (antioxidants) and Omega-3s and almonds for healthy fats, vitamin E, potassium and magnesium. Why not, right? Just make sure that no one has nut allergies before serving.

These baked tenders actually look as if they were fried. My secret is to toast the coconut and panko crumbs first to give the tenders an absolutely delicious golden brown finish without frying and without drying out the chicken. The result, baked coconut chicken that looks good enough for all kids, big and small, to enjoy!

I tested this recipe a couple of times with my group of one, two and three year olds. Although some of the kids embraced it, others were not impressed. Even with the mildly favorable results with the youngest of children, I decided to post this recipe because it was a hit with the older kids and adults and actually won over non-coconut lovers.

Baked Coconut Chicken Tenders

2 lbs. chicken tenters (about 14 pcs)

1 1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

2/3 cup panko crumbs

1/3 cup slivered almonds

2 tbsp. flaxseed meal

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 eggs + 2 tbsp. water

Pinch of salt and pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake coconut and panko separately on greased cookie sheets. Panko crumbs will take about 4 minutes to become golden brown and the coconut about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye as they will brown quickly. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Place coconut and almonds in food processor and grind until crumbly.

Combine coconut, panko, and almonds on a plate. On another plate, combine flour, flaxseed meal, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Beat eggs and water, a pinch of salt and pepper to make an egg wash in a third plate.

toasted coconut

coconut and panko crumb mixture

To assemble chicken, dip each piece first in the flour mixture, then egg mixture, then coconut mixture. Placed on a greased cookie sheet. Generously spray the top of the tenderloins with cooking spray. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning over after 12 minutes. Smaller pieces of tenderloin might be done around 20 minutes while the larger pieces might require a couple of additional minutes. To test for doneness, make a small slit in the thickest part of the chicken; it should no longer be pink.

Serve with heated apricot preserve, sweet and sour sauce, or a sauce of your choosing.

Banana Peaches and Cream Pancake

2012-02-01T07:05:00.006-05:00

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Start the family's morning right with delicious and fruit packed pancakes. The banana and peaches make them perfectly moist. I freeze leftovers for a quick, convenient breakfast at a later time.

Banana Peaches and Cream Pancake

1 cup flour

2 tbsp. golden flaxseed

1 tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1 ¼ tsp. baking powder

1 egg slightly beaten

1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp. vegetable oil

15 oz. can peach slices in 100% juice, drained and pureed (use only 3/4 cup of the puree)

1 ripe medium banana, pureed

Combine dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients until blended, be careful not to over mix. Preheat a large skillet on medium heat. Spray skillet with cooking spray. For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup batter to skillet, spreading in circular motion with a spoon. Leave a couple inches of space between each pancake. Allow the bottom to turn lightly brown and top to slightly bubble, turn over pancake and cook for an additional 1 -2 minutes. Repeat until all of the batter is used up. Makes about ten 4-5 inch pancakes.

Topping options:

My favorite topping is margarine, light whipped cream and a dusting of powdered sugar. Or, serve with heated (to liquefy) peach preserves and light whipped cream. Or, use your own creativity and have fun with the topping!

Garbanzo Bean Crust Pizza with Turkey Pepperoni

2012-01-20T18:45:00.016-05:00

My teenage kids were the first set of guinea pigs for this creation. My son was reluctant to try it declaring, “No, it looks like hummus!” when he saw the uncooked batter. But, immediately after taking the first bite of the pizza, both he and his sister asked for more. The only problem, there were no more! I made only a small sample batch to avoid waste in the event it didn’t go well. Delighted by the kids’ enthusiasm, I immediately whipped up a new batch from scratch. My husband, who can be harder to feed than the daycare children because he is acutely aware that my creations tend to have secret ingredients that are good for him, also gave the pizza a thumbs up.

I had a good feeling the little daycare children would like the pizza as well. My feelings were confirmed; the kids loved it. They devoured it like they would any other pizza.

Now, why bother with garbanzo bean flour? Per serving, it contains 5 times more fiber and twice as much protein as regular all purpose flour. This is such an easy switch with big rewards.

For the topping, turkey pepperoni is a great choice at 70% less fat than regular pepperoni (at least that’s what the packaging claims) and has only 70 calories for 17 slices compared to 140 calories for 14 slices of regular pepperoni. So, when you must have something salty, chewy, and meaty on your pizza, reach for the turkey pepperoni!

In this recipe, I used a small quantity of regular flour because it really balances the flavor of the bean flour. It definitely makes a big difference in taste, but feel free to leave it out for a gluten free crust.

Garbanzo Bean Crust Pizza with Turkey Pepperoni

Pizza Dough:

1 cup garbanzo bean flour

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. flaxseed

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 cup water

Topping:

1 cup shredded pizza cheese

1 cup pizza sauce

about 3 oz. turkey pepperoni

Thoroughly combine all dough ingredients in a medium bowl. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Dough should be the consistency of pancake batter.

Preheat skillet on medium heat. Move skillet off heat and spray skillet with cooking spray. Add 1/4 cup batter. Swirl pan in circular motion or use a spoon to spread batter to 1/8 inch thickness. Place back on heat and cook until golden brown on bottom, about 2-3 minutes. Spray cooking spray on the top of the crust. Turn crust over and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Makes about eitght 5-inch individual crusts. Crusts can be made ahead of time an frozen for convenience.

Layer each crust with about 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce, 2 tablespoons cheese, and 5-6 pepperoni. Place pizzas on a greased cooking sheet and broil on high for about 2 minutes or until cheese becomes slightly golden and bubbly.

Strawberry Applesauce Granita

2012-01-09T18:50:00.059-05:00

A granita is a semi frozen dessert that very much resembles a sorbet. I was inspired by Melissa D’Arabian who made Applesauce Granita with Maple Yogurt. She has many wonderful recipes. I made her granita, which consisted of applesauce and lemon juice, and although it may appeal to adults, the children were not enthusiastic about it. So…it was back to the drawing board for me.

I loved the simplicity of Melissa’s recipe, liked her used of applesauce, and wanted incorporate it into my version. After several trials and flavor combinations, fresh strawberry and applesauce was decidedly the winning pairing. It was much better received by the kids than its predecessor. To keep the granita low sugar, I also used unsweetened applesauce, but added Stevia powder as my sweetener. You could, of course, use the sweetener of your choice.

This granita is so full of goodness that it doesn't do it justice to call it a dessert—it is good anytime. It is a deliciously simple, healthy, and refreshing treat that you will feel good giving to the kids.

Strawberry Applesauce Granita

2 cups fresh strawberries, halved

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp. Stevia powder

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

6 oz. vanilla yogurt

Puree all ingredients except yogurt in a food processor or a blender.

Place in a shallow container, cover and freeze for 1 hour. Remove from freezer and scrape the frozen areas of the granita using a fork. The center may be soft, return to the freezer for 1 hour and scrape again. Repeat as necessary. Serve with a dollop of vanilla yogurt.

Any unused granita will solidify once again in the freezer after a period of time. To serve, allow to defrost at room temperature for about 10 minutes and fluff with fork.

Slow Cooker Honey Ribs

2012-01-01T00:49:00.008-05:00

I have used this recipe from HMICHAUD at allrecipes.com for years. It is delicious. I made a couple of minor adjustments to the recipe to suit my taste. Those who don’t care for barbeque sauce really like this dish because it doesn't have a BBQ taste, and even better, the kids love it. It is sweet, savory and tender. I usually serve it with rice, but it also goes well with mashed potato, couscous, or polenta.

Slow Cooker Honey Spare Ribs

1 (10.5 oz.) can beef broth

3 tbsp. honey mustard

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup honey barbeque sauce

1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. soy sauce

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 lbs. pork spareribs

Combine all wet ingredients in a bowl. Slice ribs apart and place in slow cooker. Pour sauce over pork. Cook on high for 5 hours or until the meat falls off the bones. Stir the meat halfway through cooking, if possible, so that the top layer of meat is on the bottom. Use a spoon to strain off top layer of fat before serving. Serve with mashed potato, rice polenta, or couscous.

The pork is fall-off-the-bone tender, so watch out for small fragments of bones. To avoid dealing with them, use boneless pork ribs. When making this substitution, cooking time might need to be slightly reduced.

Okay, the plated picture at the top of this post is my “pretty picture” to capture your attention, but when I present the dish to the children, it looks like the below. The pork is shredded and meat juice mixed into the rice. Yum!