I post recipes here the way that I make them, so of course you should feel free to adapt these to what your family likes! To make this blog user-friendly, I put tags for each major ingredient of each recipe, as well as for type of dish, and ethnicity, so you can go to the list on the side here (scroll down) and search for specific things. If you like a recipe, please comment! If you have a yummy adaptation, please leave that in the comments as well!
We like muffins for breakfast. Or rather, the kids like muffins, and I like making them the night
before so that they are ready for breakfast and I don't have to make
anything right when I wake up! Since we're eating them for breakfast though, I try to have them be on the healthier side. It's not a 'health food' by any means, but it's definitely not the cakey 'muffins' they have at grocery store bakeries. I also like that these are not too sticky, so they're easy to pack for a snack or a lunch and they won't stick together.
2 c rolled oats (I threw them in the food processor and pulsed them a few times so they were chopped a bit. This isn't vital, but un-chopped rolled oats can be a bit chewey)
2 c applesauce
1/2 c honey
1 c oil
3 c flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 Tbs cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
Put the oats in a large bowl with the applesauce, honey, and oil and mix. Let sit for a few minutes to soften the oats. Add dry ingredients and mix just until blended. If it seems too thick, add 1/2 c water. (Depending on what kind of applesauce you have or whether you chop the oats it might affect the consistency.)
Bake at 375 for about 18 minutes for standard muffins or about 9 minutes for mini muffins.
I'm really not sure where the name comes from, since there is no tea in it, but my brother (who lived in Ukraine for a while) said they do make something similar over there, so perhaps it really is Russian! We make this when we have sore throats. It's soothing and has some immune-boosting properties and it just tastes good!
The original recipe had sugar, but I've substituted honey, as well as increasing the lemon and orange juices...so my version is not as sweet but is more healthy. I have included both here for you, depending on whether you are looking for something healthy or just a sweet treat.
(original)
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups lemon juice
4 cups orange juice
6 cups water
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
In a large saucepan (4+ qt), combine the 2 c water with the sugar, and boil for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.
(my version)
2 cups water
1 cup honey
1 cup lemon juice
6+ cups orange juice (I usually put in an entire can, reconstituted)
4ish c water (the water + orange juice should be 10 cups, give or take)
2 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp almond extract
You can dissolve and boil the honey and water first, or you can just dump everything in at once and bring it to a nice simmer. Honey will dissolve much faster and more easily than sugar does. ☺
Cinnamon rolls from scratch are time-consuming. They are super awesome, but time consuming. With the understanding that you'll be in the kitchen for a couple of hours, I totally recommend these. Twice a year a general churchwide conference is streamed on internet, and there is a two-hour session on Saturday morning (and several more over the weekend as well). During the Saturday morning session one day a few years ago, I thought "hey, I've gotta stay in this room for the next two hours, might as well cook something..." and so I did. And now it is a tradition that during Saturday morning conference, I make cinnamon rolls. I usually make a massive batch, and freeze some, and then I have easy rolls ready for another day a couple of weeks later.
CINNAMON ROLLS makes 20ish rolls, depending how big you make them
(I usually triple this, and freeze about one batch worth)
1 1/4 c warm water
3 Tbs yeast
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c oil
Mix in a bowl until dissolved. Cover with a towel and put in a warm place for 15 minutes.
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp salt
5 1/4 c flour
Mix and add to above. Knead for 5 minutes.
Roll out with a rolling pin. (If you make a double or triple batch, you'll have to do half at a time.) Spread about 1/3c melted butter (per batch) over it and sprinkle with a ton of cinnamon and sugar. Roll up dough into a log. Slice and place into pans (I prefer to use a cake pan instead of a cookie sheet--it keeps the edges soft when the touch the edges and each other), let rest and rise for about 10 minutes, then bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes. (If you're going to freeze some, cut them, but don't let them rise--place them on a large pan with spaces between them, and put them into the freezer. After about an hour, when they are fully frozen, take them out and put them in a large container or bag to store in the freezer.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is my method for cutting cinnamon rolls. I've seen other people use scissors, and if you've got a method that works for you go for it, but this is what I do. Cut a piece of thread or dental floss that's about 20 inches long.
Lay it flat against the counter, and gently slide it under the end of the long roll.
Bring the thread up and cross it over and pull it snugly across itself to cut the dough.
Viola!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (I double this to go with the triple batch of rolls)
4 oz cream cheese (soft)
1/4 c butter (soft)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar
Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add vanilla and mix. Blend in powdered sugar. (if you want to save a portion of this to freeze with some rolls, put it in a ziplock baggie and just stick it in the freezer...when you're ready to use it, just squeeze it around in the bag a bit, and then cut off a little corner of the bag and use it to pipe the frosting onto the warm rolls.)
And with that frosting, we always end up with a few of these
thanks kids
This started as a basic biscuit recipe, but what isn't better with cheese?! We were shooting for something similar Red Lobster's "Cheddar Bay Biscuits." (I have looked at several knockoff recipes, and it's the after-cooking butter mix that seems to be the secret ingredient.) I have tried grating the cheese and also cutting it into cubes. As the photo shows, the cubes will melt and make little holes in the biscuits... I usually prefer grated cheese, but the bigger cubes do make a stronger cheese flavor, so experiment and see what you like. This recipe is good for plain biscuits too.
3 c white flour (with the cheese this recipe is not very wheat flour friendly)
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cream of tartar (you can technically skip this, but if you have it do use it, it helps with fluffiness)
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c lard or room temperature butter (or you can substitute in part bacon grease, but if you do that be sure to add it with the liquid part)
1 1/2 c milk or buttermilk (or milk with 1Tbs of lemon juice in it)
1 egg (optional)
1 - 1 1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated or chopped into little cubes
OPTIONAL
For that really Red Lobster touch, melt 2 Tbs butter and put in 1-3 tsp garlic powder and 3/4-1 tsp dried oregano. (I like lots of garlic and not much oregano, adjust for your tastes.) Use a pastry brush to put it on the biscuits as soon as they come out of the oven, OR take them out a couple of minutes before they are done cooking and brush it on and then put them back in for the last few min.
Preheat oven to 450.
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Cut in the solid fat (lard or butter) until all is consistently crumbly.
Add liquid ingredients all at once, and stir with a fork just until moistened.
Stir in cheese.
Put in blobs on a baking sheet (just like cookies). If you have parchment paper that is really nice because otherwise the cheese will often melt out and stick to the pan.
Bake at 450 for 10ish minutes.
There is a cheese biscuit version of this recipe as well...this is the plain versionYou can make them with plain white flour of course, but I like putting in a little wheat because it makes them heartier.
3 c flour (I usually do 2 white 1 wheat)
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cream of tartar (you can technically skip this, but if you have it do use it, it helps with fluffiness)
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c lard or room temperature butter (or you can substitute in part bacon grease, but if you do that be sure to add it with the liquid part)
*1 1/2 c milk or buttermilk (or milk with 1Tbs of lemon juice in it)
1 egg (optional)
Preheat oven to 450.
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Cut in the solid fat (lard or butter) until all is consistently crumbly.
Add liquid ingredients all at once, and stir with a fork just until moistened.
*Put in blobs on a baking sheet (just like cookies). If you have parchment paper that is really nice because the cheese can melt out and stick to the pan.
Bake at 450 for 10ish minutes.
*If you prefer to do rolled and cut out biscuits instead of drop biscuits, reduce the milk to 1c, roll out the dough 3/4 inch thick and cut out in rounds, and bake for 12-15 minutes...otherwise the recipe is the same.
I got this recipe from a friend, and the frosting was great but the cookie part came out really dry and hard when I made it. So I'll include that original cookie recipe at the bottom (in case you like hard/dry oreos), but the main recipe here is adapted from a different recipe I had before.
Makes about 32-36 cookies (so 16-18 finished oreos)
Chocolate cookies:
3/4 c butter
1 c + 2 Tbs sugar
2 regular eggs (only 1 if extra large)
1 t vanilla
2 c flour
1/2 c cocoa powder (add with sugar or flour)
Whip butter, add sugar gradually, whipping frequently. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add flour and cocoa and mix well. It will probably seem a bit dry, but keep mixing and it should moisten up. Dough will probably be a bit sticky. You can chill it, but it will probably be firm enough to just roll out right away. Use plenty of flour (I use a pastry brush to brush off excess flour so the cookies stay brown rather than white). Roll 1/4 inch thick and cut into 2 inch rounds. Bake at 350 for 10ish minutes.
Cream filling:
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 c powdered sugar
Whip together until light and very fluffy. Pipe onto one cookie and put another on top.
Alternately, use a little cream cheese in place of (or in addition to) the butter. The batch in the photo I made part plain frosting, then added some strawberry cream cheese to the other half and made strawberry oreos, which is why the ones on the left are pink. They were fantastic. ☺
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original chocolate cookies:
1/2 c soft butter
1/2 c confectioners sugar
1/2 c cocoa powder (dark is best)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 c flour
Cream butter until fluffy, add the sugar and mix well. Add the cocoa and vanilla and mix well.
Work in the flour until dough is soft but not too sticky. Knead lightly and chill for 40 minutes.
Dust chilled dough lightly with flour, then roll out 1/4 inch thick between two pieces of wax paper. Cut into 2 inch rounds. Bake at 350 for 10-12 min. Cool.
My husband called these 'blondies' because they look like brownies, only they're blond... They are sortof naughty, because they start with a cake mix...I very rarely bake with premade mixes like that. But these are so yummy, and worth the exception. (Or, if you're resourceful, you could probably figure out how to make a from-scratch 'cake mix' and use that!) Since cake mixes come in gluten-free varieties, this recipe can easily be adapted for that.
Base layer:
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
2 eggs
Mix together. It will be pretty thick, like cookie dough. Press it evenly across the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.
Top layer (frosting):
8 oz (on package) soft cream cheese
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
3ish cups powdered sugar (a little more if it seems thin)
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and eggs and mix well. Gradually add the powdered sugar. It should be about the consistency of frosting--very easily spreadable, but not thin enough to pour. Spread it over the base layer in the pan.
I got this from a cookbook compiled from ladies at church, but I've modified it quite a bit since then. The original recipe was huge, so I've adapted it to serve about 6 people. This has some 'western' ingredients, and we like them so we just do it this way...however I'm sure it would be good with olives, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, or whatever you like best in an omelet. I didn't include a photo because the truth is this one isn't very pretty...the eggs especially end up looking quite weird. But it tastes great! It's convenient to be able to put it in before we go to bed, and then have a hearty breakfast waiting for us when we get up. We like to do it for Christmas morning.
2 cups of cubed potatoes (I like using red or gold, with the thin skins, or else peel them. Cut to about 1cm cubes. The original recipe called for using a bag of hash browns, if you do, we like 'country style' best)
1/2-3/4 lb pre-cooked meat (cubed leftover ham, sausage, etc)*
1 medium onion (about 1/2-3/4 c) chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped (about 3/4-1c, I often use frozen strips chopped up)
1-1 1/2 c grated monterey jack cheese
8 eggs
2/3 c milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
*the original recipe calls for ham. This last time we didn't have any though, so I used sausage and it was really good. The spiciness did permeate all the other foods, so the other flavors were not as clear...but it was still good!
I used a 4 qt crockpot
Chop all the ingredients. Place a layer of potatoes on the bottom of the crockpot, followed by a layer of meat then onions, peppers, and cheese. Repeat the layering process two or three more times, ending with a layer of cheese.
In a separate container, beat the eggs, add the milk, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture around over everything in the crockpot, cover, and turn on low. Cook about 8-10 hours (we find it always gets done in the lesser time).
I encountered this idea at a local cafe. It's very simple, and really good! They served the rolls plain, or you could get it sliced in half and get it as a sandwich filled with ham, melted cheese, peppers, onions, and other veggies. It's a nice food for taking on picnics and sack lunches, because the whole sandwich is rolled into the bun before it's baked--nothing slides apart en route!
Use your favorite roll recipe (not a sweet roll, just a regular dinner roll)
Roll out the dough as though you were going to make cinnamon rolls, but instead of putting in butter and cinnamon and sugar, put in cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, spinach, bits of ham or bacon, or whatever other savory thing strikes your fancy.
I did ham, spinach, and mozzarella in these ones.
Try turkey with cranberry, beef with swiss, or all kinds of veggie combinations!
This recipe is made with dried fruit filling. I got the original recipe from an old issue of "Taste of Home" and it said to use dried apricots. But I didn't have any apricots, and I did have a bulk-sized bag of cranberries, so I made it with cranberry filling instead. It was amazing! I took it to a church ladies function and got lots of compliments on it.
this was the photo from the magazine
this was mine...not quite a pretty, but still awesome!
Preparation time--the actual work is about 20 minutes, but the rise times will add another hour plus, and the cook time is 20-25 minutes.
Yield: 3 braids
BREAD
1 c water
1/2 c butter
3/4 c sugar
5 1/2 or 6 c flour (I used about 1 1/2 c wheat, and needed the lesser amount of flour)
3 packages dry yeast (1 package = 2 1/4 tsp, so that's 6 3/4 tsp needed)
1 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
In a mixing bowl, blend the sugar, yeast, salt, and 3 c flour. Set aside. Put the butter and water in a saucepan and heat just until the butter melts (120-130*). (Be sure it doesn't get too hot or you'll kill the yeast!) Add butter mixture to flour mixture and beat just until moistened. Add eggs, beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 30-40 min (Mine took much longer than that, partly because I have a cold Alaskan kitchen, and partly because I think I killed part of the yeast by having my water/butter a little too hot.)
While it rises, make the filling.
FILLING
2 1/4 c chopped dried fruit (craisins don’t need to be chopped since they’re already small)
1/2 c water
(for the cranberries I also added about 1/2tsp of almond extract and 1/2tsp of orange extract)
1 1/2 c packed brown sugar
Put the dried fruit and water in a saucepan (and the extracts if you're doing those). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until water is absorbed and fruit is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a food processor; add brown sugar. Cover and process till smooth. (My food processor is a little one and would't fit everything, so I just put in the fruit, processed that, then dumped it back into the pan and mixed in the sugar with a fork.) Set aside.
When the dough has doubled, punch it down and divide into thirds. On greased baking sheets, roll out each portion into a 12in x 8in rectangle (I rolled a little, but mostly just mooshed it out with my fingers, it was easier because the sides of the pan kept getting in the way of my rolling pin handles!) Spread filling down the center of each rectangle. On each long side, cut 1 inch wide strips about 2 inches into the center. (I actually did the cutting first and put on the filling afterwards, it seemed less messy.) Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across the filling. Pinch ends to seal. (Rather than pinching the ends, I just folded the two end strips straight up inside the loaves on both ends, and then did the alternating down the sides.) Cover and let rise for 30 min.
Bake at 375* for 20-25minutes or until golden brown. Remove pans to wire racks to cool. Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over braids.
GLAZE
1 cup confectioners sugar
1-2 Tbs milk
1/2 tsp vanilla (a little orange or almond would be good here too, though I didn't do it)
Latkes are a Hanukkah food (although we make them for most Jewish holidays, simply because I don't know many Jewish recipes). Traditionally they are served with applesauce or sour cream, but my family seems to prefer them with salt, ketchup, or barbecue sauce...oh well, so much for tradition eh?
5 large potatoes (washed and trimmed, but they don't need to be peeled unless you want to)
1 bunch of green onions, chopped (I skip these half the time, just because I forget)
1/4 c flour
3 eggs, beaten
Over the sink, grate the potatoes into a colander. Press out as much of the potato water as possible. Place the grated potatoes in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir into a thick 'batter' (it's not really much of a batter, but it will all get sticky and clump together).
Over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet (cast iron is best), heat about 1/4c oil until hot. Drop in scoops of batter and flatten with a pancake flipper. Fry on each side until golden.
Drain latkes on a plate lined with paper towel. Serve warm.
These are somewhere between a biscuit and a cookie...they're a bit sweet, but definitely have a bready aspect to them. I got the recipe from epicurean.com, where they were recommended to serve with Stovies. I've copied the recipe here just as it is on the site, but added some notes of my own.
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups shortening (I use room-temperature butter or lard. If you do use butter it comes out a little salty, so either use unsalted butter or skip the salt!)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups bran flakes (I didn't have any, so I left them out...I honestly didn't notice them on the recipe until I had already started mixing ingredients... I'm sure you could do some extra oats, but it also worked fine to just skip this ingredient.)
Directions:
Add soda to boiling water and let stand until cool. Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, bran flakes, rolled oats and sugar. Cut in shortening; add water and soda. Roll out thin on a floured board. Bake in hot oven until golden brown. (I just lightly greased a cookie sheet and smooshed the dough around on it until it was pretty thin. It spread a bit as it cooked and ended up filling the pan, but it had not reached all the corners before I put it in. I baked at 400* for about 10ish min...I didn't set a timer, I just left the oven light on and kept an eye on them as I cooked other things...)
I stumbled across a Lebanese cookbook on the "new arrivals" shelf at our library, and as I started flipping through it I realized that all my life I'd been craving Lebanese food, and I'd never even known it! Most of this recipe is just copied straight from that cookbook, however I have added a couple of notes of my own as well. These are a bit labor-intensive, but they are fun, and they are yummy. If you're not into spinach, try stuffing them with cheese, sausage or other spiced meat, or a combination.
Preparation time: Dough--5 min, plus 1 hr 15 min rising Filling--10 min (do it while the dough is rising) Putting it together--an hour Bake time--18-20 min They are time and labor-intensive, however they keep well in the fridge or freezer, are good cool or cold, and reheat well too.
BASIC DOUGH
1 cup + 1 Tbs lukewarm water
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1/4 tsp sugar
3 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
3 Tbs olive oil
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Mix well. Set aside for several minutes, allowing the yeast to proof (foam). Combine the flour and salt in a separate bowl.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the yeast mixture into the well, followed by the olive oil. Using one hand, quickly mix and knead the ingredients to form the dough. (If the dough seems sticky, which it probably will, sprinkle in a little more flour.)
Use both hands to lift the dough out of the bowl and tuck and shape it into a ball. Sprinkle flour around the sides and bottom of the bowl, then set the ball back in. Sprinkle the top of the dough with some more flour. Cover the bowl with a dish and set it aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour 15 min.
FILLING
2 lbs frozen chopped spinach (thawed, drained, and squeezed dry) (I use 3 10oz boxes, but you can also fill it out with some shredded zucchini or other mild vegetable)
1-1 1/2 cups chopped onion (chopped little)
1 Tbs salt (yes that's a tablespoon)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/3-1/2 c olive oil
1/3-3/4 c lemon juice
1 Tbs lemon zest if available
Squeeze the thawed spinach over a colander with small perforations. It is very important to make sure that all the moisture has been hand-squeezed out of the spinach, otherwise the filling will be wet and the pastries may open while baking.
In a bowl, combine the spinach and onion. Just before you are ready to fill the pastries, add the salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest, and mix well. (Mixing the salt with the onions at the last minute prevents the onions from producing additional moisture in the filling.) [The original recipe calls for 1/3 c olive oil and 3/4 c lemon juice, however I find that is a little tangier than I like. So I prefer to make it closer to 1/2c of each. It's still tangy.]
Once the dough has risen, roll out half the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 1/8" thickness. [It will be around 16" across. If you make it thinner/bigger, it still works, however you will end up with more dough than filling...when that happens to me I grab a little cheese or whatever to fill up the leftovers. Also, use as little flour as you can to do the job. If you get too much flour, the dough will not stick closed very well.] Gently hold the rolled-out dough by the edges and lift it about 2 inches off the counter (this will allow any contraction in the dough to occur before cutting). Cut the dough into 3 inch rounds with a cookie cutter; make one cut directly next to another to maximize the number of rounds.
Preheat the oven to 450*F. Foil-line a baking sheet, lightly brush it with olive oil, set it within reach.
Pick up one dough circle at a time and hold it stickier-side up in your hand. Put about 2 Tbs of filling into the middle of the round (this will probably seem like too much filling, but you want it stuffed so they will be plump once they are baked). Use a fork [or one of your fingers] to push the filling inside as you close up the dough. Be sure to keep all the edges free of filling, or they will not stick together. Form a triangle by raising three sides of the dough up and over the filling until they meet in the center. Press them closed.
[this video is made by the guy who wrote the cookbook, showing how he stuffs and closes the puffs]
Pinch each seam closed, securing the filling inside the triangle. Remember to keep the seams free of filling. Repinch the seams so that the pastry will not open while baking. Reshape the pastry into a triangle as needed, and place it on the greased foil-lined baking sheet. Fill and close the remaining dough rounds in the same manner, and place them on the baking sheet about 1/4 inch apart. Repeat with the second half of the dough.
Dip a pastry brush in a few tablespoons of olive oil and generously dab the tops and sides of each triangle puff. Place the tray in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes.
Traditionally, spinach puffs are served at room temperature. Our family likes them a little warmer than that, but as I said before, they are also pretty good straight from the fridge.
* To prepare ahead, you can keep them in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer for a few weeks. Freeze uncovered on a baking sheet, then transfer to an air-tight bag or container. Reheat thawed puffs at 350* for 5-7 minutes.
I got this recipe from my aunt. Of course it can be adapted (some of our adaptations are mentioned at the bottom). I like it chunky and fresh, (and I can it that way--just put it raw in the jar) but it doesn't develop a thick sauce that way. If you like a thick sauce, you'll need to simmer it on the stove a while. I can't give you any specific directions for that though, because, as I said, I don't do it. ☺
makes about 3-4 cups of salsa (I usually 6x it or more for canning)
3 med/large tomatoes
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 sweet pepper (bell, any color)
1 hot pepper (I use jalapenos, but if you like it hot use something hotter or use more of them)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbs something acidic (apple cider vinegar or lime juice is what we usually use, but lemon juice or other vinegar would work also)
cilantro, if desired
Chop it all up--I like my tomato, onion, and bell pepper chunks bigger and my garlic and hot pepper minced into oblivion...do what you like.
Toss all the veggies into a big bowl, and then sprinkle the spices and vinegar/juice over the top. Mix mix mix! Yum yum yum!
If you're canning it, put it straight into the jars, and process following the directions for tomatoes (it is acidic enough to process in a waterbath or steam canner, you don't need a pressure cooker).
Some of our favorite variations Lime/garlic/cilantro ~ Use lime juice instead of vinegar, double the garlic, put in a bunch of cilantro. Spicy ~ Use a habanaro pepper instead of jalapeno, or use 2-3 jalapenos instead of just one. Cilantro will add kick as well if you like that flavor. Southwest ~ add a (drained) can of corn and a (drained) can of black beans to the recipe above.
I took the simple GF cookies and tweaked them... I wanted to try using honey instead of sugar, but then they were too runny. So I swapped out the egg for baking powder, but it was still too runny...so I added cocoa. (This was not my first attempt at using honey in this recipe, it was just the first attempt that actually turned out as anything other than a pile of goo!) I decided to name them stardrops because the dark cookie with the glittery sugar reminds me of the nighttime sky. They're really pretty.
Makes about 3 dozen
1 cup peanut butter 3/4 cup honey 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 cup cocoa
Blend together, then put in the fridge for about an hour to chill. It is very soft and sticky, so it needs to chill or you'll never be able to roll it into balls. Honestly, I betcha you could put in 1/3-1/2 cup shredded zucchini. If you're into that. It would help them be not quite so sticky. ☺ I haven't tried it though. After it chills, roll it into little balls (work fast, because as it warms it will soften and increase in stickiness again!), then roll each ball in a bowl with sugar, and place it on a greased cookie sheet. (I tried doing some without the sugar, and they stuck really badly, so while you can do it that way, I don't recommend it.) Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. They will be extremely soft when they first come out, just let them sit a couple of minutes and then you'll be able to get them off the pan. ☺
My friend gave me this recipe--I think she invented it but I'm not certain. In any case, as she pointed out, it's just intended to be a simple cookie recipe, but it also happens to be gluten-free. And dairy free.Cool! 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup sugar 1 egg
Mix together. Roll into balls and put on a greased cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a cup in sugar and then press down on the top of each ball to flatten it a bit (I use a tupperware cup, thus the double circle in each cookie ☺) Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.
You can also add in all sorts of other things, nuts, chocolate chips, oatmeal...whatever you like. You may need to bake them as bar cookies or change the cook time if you do those things.
Here is one rendition I've done: Egg, peanut butter, sugar 1/2 cup rolled oats (which i ground in the food processor so it was more like flour than oatmeal) 1/2 cup applesauce about 1/3-1/2 c chocolate chips. I put it in a 9x9 pan and baked it at 350 for 25min. It could have gone a little longer probably--it was really mushy when it was hot (I ate it out of a bowl rather than as a bar)
I invented these as a good snack for my son to take to school. He loves muffins, but isn't so much into veggies...so I decided to put his veggies into muffins so that he would have something healthy and conveniently portable (and yummy!) all in one. I usually make them as mini-muffins, and a batch rarely lasts 24 hours. He has taken them as a class snack as well and said that everybody liked them. There are two ways to make these muffins--one is with grated veggies (carrots or zucchini), and the other is with pureed veggies, such as squash or even baby food. There are a couple of other changes to make up for the textural differences between those two options, so read the recipe carefully! (Using the pureed veggies makes it an egg-free recipe.) The veggie taste is masked by the stronger gingerbread flavor, so you can use pretty much whatever veggies you want. I have done it with carrots, mixed veggies, and squash, but I'd love to hear about your experiences with other veggies! As a note--this is a pretty potent gingerbread. We like it that way. However if you like a milder flavor, just use half the amount of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
mix 1 1/2-2 c grated carrots or other veggie 2 eggs OR 7-8oz pureed veggies (carrots, pumpkin, squash, etc) 2 tsp vinegar
add 1/2 c oil 1/3 c molasses 2/3 c white sugar 1 tsp vanilla
mix well add 2 c flour (I use whole wheat, as you can't tell in the gingerbread flavor) 1 tsp baking powder 2 tsp baking soda 2 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp cloves 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
Bake at 350 for about 20-25 min for regular size muffins (10 min for mini-muffins)
I realized recently that one of my favorite things at a Mexican restaurant is the rice and beans that they serve on the side--especially when they have melted cheese and that little bit of lettuce and tomato and sour cream. So I played around a bit and came up with this. I like the contrast of hot and cold, as well as different textures. Rice + beans makes a complete protein so it is filling as well as delicious. Think of it as being like a taco salad...only without the taco bowl! We have been on an extra-tight budget since being laid off, so one thing I have done is figured out ways to use my WIC vouchers more effectively, to make entire meals rather than just compliment them. This salad is one of those meals. (I know there is some variance between states, but ingredients marked with * can be purchased with WIC vouchers in Alaska.)
serves 2
*2-3 cups cooked white and/or brown rice (1ish cups dry) *1 can beans (I like black beans) (alternately use about 1 1/2-2 cups cooked beans which is about 3/4c dry) *1 can diced tomatoes OR 1 largeish fresh tomato *2/3 cup grated cheese *1- 1 1/2 cups chopped lettuce Sour cream, ranch, or other creamy dressing
a note on lettuce--I like the crunch and texture of iceburg lettuce, but you could use a leaf lettuce as well, or some other kind of greens if you prefer.
This can be prepared two different ways--one is to prepare all the parts and then let people put them together at the table. The other is to put the plates together as you prepare them. For a la carte serving: Cook rice. Heat beans, then drain. Chop up tomato, or drain/rinse canned diced tomato (if using canned, heat tomatoes, if using fresh, keep them cold). Grate cheese and chop lettuce. Serve everything in little bowls. For prepared plates: Cook rice then divide and portion onto plates or wide bowls. Drain and rinse beans, then layer over rice. Sprinkle on grated cheese. If using canned tomatoes, drain and rinse, then layer over rice/beans/cheese, then put the whole thing in the oven or microwave until heated through. If using fresh tomato, then heat plates before adding tomato. Then top warm mixture with cold lettuce (fresh tomato if applicable), and dressing.
If you want to use this as a packed lunch, it does reheat really well. Just use two containers--one for the hot parts and one for the cold parts. Heat the hot parts, then add on the cold parts...voila, easy meal on the go!
"reese-grit" Rice cereal, a recipe my husband brought home from Norway. I admit I wasn't thinking it sounded very appetizing, but it's really quite good. It's traditionally served with butter and cardamom, but cinnamon or cinnamon-sugar is good too and may be a more familiar taste for some.
1 cup short grain rice (other white rice will do, but short grain is best) 1 1/2-2 cups water 1 cup milk butter cardamom, cinnamon, or cinnamon-sugar
Put water and rice in a saucepan and simmer until water is dissolved (or nearly so). Add milk and keep simmering until all is soft and liquid is gone. Keep a good eye on it so that it doesn't boil over or burn to the bottom of the pan! Serve hot with butter and cardamom or cinnamon.
This is the only way I've ever really liked rhubarb. I have a tendency to eat it for breakfast, but it's also good a la mode. The original recipe is made with just rhubarb, but I've found that substituting in as much as half strawberries (and cutting the sugar down by 1/3c per cup of strawberries) is also really yummy. Makes 9x13 pan
1/3 cups brown sugar 1 cup flour 1 cup softened or melted butter 3 cups rolled oats Mix together. Press half of the mixture into a 9x13 pan, reserve the other half for the top. (I often do closer to 2/3 in the bottom of the pan, as the under layer gets the juices soaked in and is better than the top in my opinion.)
6 cups finely chopped rhubarb 3 Tbs flour 1 cup white sugar Mix flour and sugar together. Coat rhubarb by shaking them all together in a covered bowl (or just dump them all into a really big bowl and stir a lot). Put filling in pan on top of under-crust. Cover with remaining crust mixture. Bake 1 hour at 350.
