My Grandma makes the BEST baking powder biscuits I have ever tasted... She calls her recipe "Fool-proof biscuits" because they are so easy that you just can't mess it up! Try them, and you'll never use another biscuit recipe again!
INGREDIENTS
1 tsp. salt
2 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 c. warm water
sugar (at least 2 tbs., more if you like)
butter flavored shortening
DIRECTIONS
Place sugar and yeast in the water, stir till dissolved, and set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients till you have a granulated powder.
Stir in yeast mixture until just moistened.
Form biscuits and drop into a well oiled pan, turning biscuits over so that the tops are oiled (this step creates that golden top).
Walk out of your kitchen, and don't come back for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake biscuits till golden brown.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Cheddar and ....
I love versatile recipes... I have several substitution recipes that are wonderful! This is one of my favorites! Make the cheese sauce and mix in one of the add-ins below, or make up your own!
cheese sauce
melt 2/3 cup butter
add 1/2 of a small onion and cook until soft
add 10 Tbs. of flour and cook until thick
gradually add 6 cups of milk constantly stir
add salt and pepper to taste and cook until smooth and thick like a gravy
then add 1 or 2 lbs of shredded cheddar (we use extra sharp tillamook)
to make mac and cheese: I cook a pound of macaroni till it is about three minutes from al dente and mix the cheese sauce in, add a layer of shredded cheese on top, and bake at 425 for about 30 minutes and then fire up the broiler to brown the top.
to make au gratin potatoes: bake 6 pounds of potatoes, let them cool, then peel and cube them, put a layer of them into a baking dish a and pour some of the sauce over them add more potatoes, more sauce...etc... till all used up ending with potato... top with shredded cheese and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes then fire up the broiler to brown the top.
to make chicken rice casserole: cook 2 cups of brown rice using half the water called for on the package directions. dice and brown about 4 chicken breasts. mix all together with cheese sauce and put in baking dish and add a layer of shredded cheese on top, bake at 425 for about 30 minutes and then fire up the broiler to brown the top.
to make shepard's casserole: cook 1 pound each of sausage and hamburger, add garlic, and other seasonings to taste. Stir in one bag of your favorite frozen mixed vegetables. Mix cheese sauce in and put in a casserole dish, cover with mashed potatoes and bake till top is browned.
cheese sauce
melt 2/3 cup butter
add 1/2 of a small onion and cook until soft
add 10 Tbs. of flour and cook until thick
gradually add 6 cups of milk constantly stir
add salt and pepper to taste and cook until smooth and thick like a gravy
then add 1 or 2 lbs of shredded cheddar (we use extra sharp tillamook)
to make mac and cheese: I cook a pound of macaroni till it is about three minutes from al dente and mix the cheese sauce in, add a layer of shredded cheese on top, and bake at 425 for about 30 minutes and then fire up the broiler to brown the top.
to make au gratin potatoes: bake 6 pounds of potatoes, let them cool, then peel and cube them, put a layer of them into a baking dish a and pour some of the sauce over them add more potatoes, more sauce...etc... till all used up ending with potato... top with shredded cheese and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes then fire up the broiler to brown the top.
to make chicken rice casserole: cook 2 cups of brown rice using half the water called for on the package directions. dice and brown about 4 chicken breasts. mix all together with cheese sauce and put in baking dish and add a layer of shredded cheese on top, bake at 425 for about 30 minutes and then fire up the broiler to brown the top.
to make shepard's casserole: cook 1 pound each of sausage and hamburger, add garlic, and other seasonings to taste. Stir in one bag of your favorite frozen mixed vegetables. Mix cheese sauce in and put in a casserole dish, cover with mashed potatoes and bake till top is browned.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Mediterranean Inspired Quiche
Mediterranean food is my culinary passion... I love the flavors and textures of the region and I really enjoy creating new and exciting recipes to reflect that region... Here is my latest creation... I hope no one else has done it yet!
If you are capable of making that perfect pie crust without it falling apart on you, by all means make one... As for me, I will continue to buy my pie crusts and spend my time making the filling!
As for the cheese, I have used cheddar, mozzerella, feta, and swiss... all with great results.
INGREDIENTS
1 9 inch unbaked deep dish pie crust
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tbs. minced onion
8 ounces pancetta
2 cups fresh chopped spinach, stems removed
4 Kalamata olives, diced
1 cup whipping cream
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice
1 pinch nutmeg
1 Roma tomato, thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS
Brown pancetta and onion in a skillet with half the butter. Add spinach and olives and cook till spinach is just wilted.
Rub remaining butter into the pie crust. Spread pancetta mixture evenly across the bottom of the pie shell.
Combine cream, eggs, cheese, and nutmeg. Pour over pancetta mixture in pie shell. Make sure to poke at the pancetta mixture to get the eggs all in the pie shell.
Place THINLY sliced tomato slices on top of the quiche, making sure the egg doesn't cover the top of them.
Bake quiche in a preheated 425 degrees oven for 10 minutes, then lower heat to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes or until quiche is set.
Let the finished quiche sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.
If you are capable of making that perfect pie crust without it falling apart on you, by all means make one... As for me, I will continue to buy my pie crusts and spend my time making the filling!
As for the cheese, I have used cheddar, mozzerella, feta, and swiss... all with great results.
INGREDIENTS
1 9 inch unbaked deep dish pie crust
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tbs. minced onion
8 ounces pancetta
2 cups fresh chopped spinach, stems removed
4 Kalamata olives, diced
1 cup whipping cream
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice
1 pinch nutmeg
1 Roma tomato, thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS
Brown pancetta and onion in a skillet with half the butter. Add spinach and olives and cook till spinach is just wilted.
Rub remaining butter into the pie crust. Spread pancetta mixture evenly across the bottom of the pie shell.
Combine cream, eggs, cheese, and nutmeg. Pour over pancetta mixture in pie shell. Make sure to poke at the pancetta mixture to get the eggs all in the pie shell.
Place THINLY sliced tomato slices on top of the quiche, making sure the egg doesn't cover the top of them.
Bake quiche in a preheated 425 degrees oven for 10 minutes, then lower heat to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes or until quiche is set.
Let the finished quiche sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Southwest steak and couscous wraps
INGREDIENTS
1 lb beef chunks
olive oil
1 cup dry couscous
2 1/2 cups water
1 bag frozen bell pepper strips
coriander
garlic
red pepper flakes
cumin
tortillas and toppings to taste
DIRECTIONS
cook the beef in the olive oil. Add water and seasonings and bring to boil. Stir in couscous and bell peppers, bring back to a boil and remove from heat. let stand, covered, till couscous has absorbed all the water. Fluff with a fork, and serve on tortillas.
1 lb beef chunks
olive oil
1 cup dry couscous
2 1/2 cups water
1 bag frozen bell pepper strips
coriander
garlic
red pepper flakes
cumin
tortillas and toppings to taste
DIRECTIONS
cook the beef in the olive oil. Add water and seasonings and bring to boil. Stir in couscous and bell peppers, bring back to a boil and remove from heat. let stand, covered, till couscous has absorbed all the water. Fluff with a fork, and serve on tortillas.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Jo Jo Potatoes
I love these!
INGREDIENTS
5 Med. Organic Potatoes
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
1 pkg. Shake and Bake, Extra Crispy
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut potatoes into desired shape, about 1 inch thick in the thickest part, I did wedges.
Put potatoes, olive oil, and vinegar in a large bowl with a tight lid, put
lid on and shake potatoes to coat well.
Open bowl and pour in Shake and Bake mix, replace lid and shake to coat.
Bake on a pizza pan or cookie sheet in preheated oven for 1 hour.
Serve.
INGREDIENTS
5 Med. Organic Potatoes
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
1 pkg. Shake and Bake, Extra Crispy
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut potatoes into desired shape, about 1 inch thick in the thickest part, I did wedges.
Put potatoes, olive oil, and vinegar in a large bowl with a tight lid, put
lid on and shake potatoes to coat well.
Open bowl and pour in Shake and Bake mix, replace lid and shake to coat.
Bake on a pizza pan or cookie sheet in preheated oven for 1 hour.
Serve.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Harvest Beef Roast with Homemade Gravy
I haven't done a roast in SO long! So I decided to do a special Harvest Roast. I just put it in the oven, it smells so good!
INREDIENTS
1 Largish Beef Roast
3 med. organic potatoes
1/2 bag frozen sliced carrots, rinse the ice off them.
2 red apples
1 Large yellow onion
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1 cap full of liquid hickory smoke
2 Tsp. black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut the potatoes, apples, and onion into 2 inch cubes. Toss veggie mixture with flour and put in a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Place roast on top of veggies and sprinkle with remaining ingredients.
3. Tent baking dish with tin foil, and bake in 350 degree oven till meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 155 degrees... I like my roast well done.
4. Take roast out of the oven and remove the roast to a serving platter LET IT REST for about 15 minutes before carving. Stir veggie mixture and remove veggies to a serving bowl. Save the liquid for making your very own brown gravy.
5. Measure your liquid and bring it to a boil in a sauce pan. Add half the drippings amount of flour... so if you measure 2 cups of roast drippings, add 1 cup of flour. reduce heat to medium, and cook till thickened.
Serve.
INREDIENTS
1 Largish Beef Roast
3 med. organic potatoes
1/2 bag frozen sliced carrots, rinse the ice off them.
2 red apples
1 Large yellow onion
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1 cap full of liquid hickory smoke
2 Tsp. black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut the potatoes, apples, and onion into 2 inch cubes. Toss veggie mixture with flour and put in a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Place roast on top of veggies and sprinkle with remaining ingredients.
3. Tent baking dish with tin foil, and bake in 350 degree oven till meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 155 degrees... I like my roast well done.
4. Take roast out of the oven and remove the roast to a serving platter LET IT REST for about 15 minutes before carving. Stir veggie mixture and remove veggies to a serving bowl. Save the liquid for making your very own brown gravy.
5. Measure your liquid and bring it to a boil in a sauce pan. Add half the drippings amount of flour... so if you measure 2 cups of roast drippings, add 1 cup of flour. reduce heat to medium, and cook till thickened.
Serve.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Brie and fruit with melba toast
On a cooking group I have joined, another member posted a recipe for brie and preserves that reminded me of my own brie and fruit recipe that has become a family hit...
INGREDIENTS
1 Brie cheese wheel
2 cups frozen strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup honey
scant handful of nuts, chopped (I have used walnuts, macadamias, almonds, pecans...)
Melba toast
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine strawberries and honey in a small sauce pan and cook till syrupy, remove from heat, stir in half the nuts.
Place cheese wheel flat on a pretty glass baking dish, cover with preserves.
Bake till cheese is soft, remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining nuts.
Serve immediately on Melba toast.
INGREDIENTS
1 Brie cheese wheel
2 cups frozen strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup honey
scant handful of nuts, chopped (I have used walnuts, macadamias, almonds, pecans...)
Melba toast
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine strawberries and honey in a small sauce pan and cook till syrupy, remove from heat, stir in half the nuts.
Place cheese wheel flat on a pretty glass baking dish, cover with preserves.
Bake till cheese is soft, remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining nuts.
Serve immediately on Melba toast.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A Thanksgiving Dinner
We have invited my grandmother over for an early Thanksgiving Dinner tonight... on the menu is:
The Turkey (of course)
Green Bean Casserole
Yum Yams
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Rolls
Cran-Apple Juice
Pecan Pie
Sounds great, huh?!
Ok, now for the breakdown...
The Turkey
We have used Wolfgang Puck's brine and roast turkey recipe for the last 6 years... every year is a success! We don't do the pan gravy or the stock... but you could if you like!
Green Bean Casserole
We use French's recipe for this side dish... doesn't everyone?
Yum Yams
This is a family recipe...
Ingredients
2-3 Sweet Potatoes, cubed
1/2 red apple, diced
1/2 green apple, diced
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 tbs. butter
marshmallows to cover
Directions
Combine all ingredients except for marshmallows. Bake in 350 degree oven till sweet potatoes are tender. Put marshmallows on top, bake till marshmallows are browned and puffed.
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
This one is pretty straightforward... Bake 8-10 potatoes, with skins on. Mash, then add one 16 oz tub of sour cream and 3 tbs. minced fresh garlic.
We use a packet of gravy mix, because I hate making it from scratch.
Stuffing
Stovetop, of course....
Cranberry Sauce, Rolls, Cran-Apple Juice, Pecan Pie
These are store bought... no secret there!
So there you have it! Our fabulous Thanksgiving Dinner. No fuss, no frills, just kicking back with the family and having some good food!
The Turkey (of course)
Green Bean Casserole
Yum Yams
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Rolls
Cran-Apple Juice
Pecan Pie
Sounds great, huh?!
Ok, now for the breakdown...
The Turkey
We have used Wolfgang Puck's brine and roast turkey recipe for the last 6 years... every year is a success! We don't do the pan gravy or the stock... but you could if you like!
Green Bean Casserole
We use French's recipe for this side dish... doesn't everyone?
Yum Yams
This is a family recipe...
Ingredients
2-3 Sweet Potatoes, cubed
1/2 red apple, diced
1/2 green apple, diced
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 tbs. butter
marshmallows to cover
Directions
Combine all ingredients except for marshmallows. Bake in 350 degree oven till sweet potatoes are tender. Put marshmallows on top, bake till marshmallows are browned and puffed.
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
This one is pretty straightforward... Bake 8-10 potatoes, with skins on. Mash, then add one 16 oz tub of sour cream and 3 tbs. minced fresh garlic.
We use a packet of gravy mix, because I hate making it from scratch.
Stuffing
Stovetop, of course....
Cranberry Sauce, Rolls, Cran-Apple Juice, Pecan Pie
These are store bought... no secret there!
So there you have it! Our fabulous Thanksgiving Dinner. No fuss, no frills, just kicking back with the family and having some good food!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Breakfast Smoothie
I love smoothies, and my latest smoothie creation is soooo good, I had to share.
This recipe has it all! Fiber, iron, protein, antioxidants, healthy fats, probiotics from the yogurt... the list goes on! And to top it off, it is SO tasty!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup fresh spinach, stems removed
2 tbs. flax meal
1 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup mandarin oranges
1/4 cup strawberries
1/4 cup blueberries
traditional honey flavored greek yogurt to taste/thickness
DIRECTIONS
Combine fruit and spinach in a food processor and process till VERY liquidy... you don't want bits of spinach in your teeth now, do you? Add flax meal and olive oil in the last minute or so of processing.
When finished processing, add yogurt and pulse a couple of times to get it mixed in.
Pour and serve!
Serves 2 generously.... we like a lot of yogurt in ours.
This recipe has it all! Fiber, iron, protein, antioxidants, healthy fats, probiotics from the yogurt... the list goes on! And to top it off, it is SO tasty!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup fresh spinach, stems removed
2 tbs. flax meal
1 tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup mandarin oranges
1/4 cup strawberries
1/4 cup blueberries
traditional honey flavored greek yogurt to taste/thickness
DIRECTIONS
Combine fruit and spinach in a food processor and process till VERY liquidy... you don't want bits of spinach in your teeth now, do you? Add flax meal and olive oil in the last minute or so of processing.
When finished processing, add yogurt and pulse a couple of times to get it mixed in.
Pour and serve!
Serves 2 generously.... we like a lot of yogurt in ours.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Tomato salad wraps
OH MY GOODNESS!!!! This recipe just popped into my head today... I tried it and WOWZA!!!
INGREDIENTS
3-4 pounds Roma tomatoes, roughly cubed
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs. Mediterranean Seasoning
1/4 cup roasted garlic
1/4 cup brined Kalamata olives, quartered
2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained very well
1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and drained very well
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup crumbled feta
Romaine lettuce leaves
DIRECTIONS
Combine first 9 ingredients, chill for several hours.
Drain juices from salad into a bowl, blend in yogurt.
Stir yogurt mixture and feta into salad.
serve wrapped in Romaine leave.
INGREDIENTS
3-4 pounds Roma tomatoes, roughly cubed
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs. Mediterranean Seasoning
1/4 cup roasted garlic
1/4 cup brined Kalamata olives, quartered
2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained very well
1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and drained very well
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup crumbled feta
Romaine lettuce leaves
DIRECTIONS
Combine first 9 ingredients, chill for several hours.
Drain juices from salad into a bowl, blend in yogurt.
Stir yogurt mixture and feta into salad.
serve wrapped in Romaine leave.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Balsamic Hot Potatoes
mmmmmmmmm... comfort food....
INGREDIENTS
1 pound baby red potatoes halved or quartered, to preference
4 Tbs. really good olive oil
2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup prosciutto (can substitute thinly sliced ham)
Feta cheese, to taste
DIRECTIONS
Toss potatoes with 2 Tbs. olive oil and bake in the oven at 400F till crisp
pan fry the prosciutto with the potatoes and the remaining olive oil till potatoes and prosciutto are just starting to blacken around the edges.
combine potato mixture with balsamic vinegar and top with feta...
ENJOY!!!
INGREDIENTS
1 pound baby red potatoes halved or quartered, to preference
4 Tbs. really good olive oil
2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup prosciutto (can substitute thinly sliced ham)
Feta cheese, to taste
DIRECTIONS
Toss potatoes with 2 Tbs. olive oil and bake in the oven at 400F till crisp
pan fry the prosciutto with the potatoes and the remaining olive oil till potatoes and prosciutto are just starting to blacken around the edges.
combine potato mixture with balsamic vinegar and top with feta...
ENJOY!!!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Mediterranean Pasta
I love pasta! I found some fresh mushroom flavored pasta last week... and my friend just gave me some imported olive oil....I had to experiment.
INGREDIENTS
1 lb fresh pasta (I got mushroom flavored)
1 tbs. sun dried tomato paste
1 cup really good olive oil
1 tsp fresh sweet basil
kalamata olives, sliced
feta cheese
DIRECTIONS
Put olive oil, tomato paste and basil in food processor or blender and blend till smooth.
Cook pasta according to instructions to al dente, drain.
toss pasta with sauce and olives, sprinkle with feta, serve hot...
so simple, so tasty!
INGREDIENTS
1 lb fresh pasta (I got mushroom flavored)
1 tbs. sun dried tomato paste
1 cup really good olive oil
1 tsp fresh sweet basil
kalamata olives, sliced
feta cheese
DIRECTIONS
Put olive oil, tomato paste and basil in food processor or blender and blend till smooth.
Cook pasta according to instructions to al dente, drain.
toss pasta with sauce and olives, sprinkle with feta, serve hot...
so simple, so tasty!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Dump Chicken
A friend of mine listed a whole bunch of dump chicken recipes on a forum that I am on, and I looked them over and found one I liked... then I went to my kitchen to prepare this tasty looking recipe and found that I didn't have some of the ingredients... did I let that stop me? I think you already know the answer! I substituted what I had on hand for some of the ingredients, changed the amounts of some of the ingredients to suit my taste, and added brown sugar to offset the rather large amount of Tabasco sauce I added.... I will list my version of the recipe... It turned out so good! I am positive the original recipe would have been fantastic, but it is amazing what creations you can make when you are missing a few simple ingredients. VIVA LA CREATIVITY!!!
Ingredients
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 bag of frozen bell pepper and onion strips
28 oz can Whole Tomatoes (Chopped and undrained)
4tbs. Worcestershire
splash apple cider vinegar
2 tbs. Mediterranean seasoning
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
lots of Tabasco Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
about 2-3 pounds of chicken legs/wings/thighs
Rice
Directions
Combine all the ingredients except chicken in a crockpot and turn on high. Sear the chicken, if desired, and add chicken to heated mixture in the crockpot. Cook on high till chicken is cooked through.
Make enough rice to serve 6 to 8 people, and ladle dump chicken onto rice beds and serve.
_______________________________________________________
Apparently, according to my wise friend, you can combine the sauce ingredients and raw chicken in a large ziplock bag (or other sealable container) and freeze it, so that when you want to, you can take it out, already prepared, and cook it. Sounds like a real winner to me!
Ingredients
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 bag of frozen bell pepper and onion strips
28 oz can Whole Tomatoes (Chopped and undrained)
4tbs. Worcestershire
splash apple cider vinegar
2 tbs. Mediterranean seasoning
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
lots of Tabasco Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
about 2-3 pounds of chicken legs/wings/thighs
Rice
Directions
Combine all the ingredients except chicken in a crockpot and turn on high. Sear the chicken, if desired, and add chicken to heated mixture in the crockpot. Cook on high till chicken is cooked through.
Make enough rice to serve 6 to 8 people, and ladle dump chicken onto rice beds and serve.
_______________________________________________________
Apparently, according to my wise friend, you can combine the sauce ingredients and raw chicken in a large ziplock bag (or other sealable container) and freeze it, so that when you want to, you can take it out, already prepared, and cook it. Sounds like a real winner to me!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Wastle
It's starting to feel chilly outside, and so it is time for Wastle! I love this warm fall beverage... I love the way my house smells when making it!
Ingredients
The peel of 1 orange
8 cups Pear Apple Juice
6 cups Cranberry Juice Cocktail
2 cups water
3 Tbs. Mulling Spices in a mulling bag or tea infuser
Cinnamon sticks for garnish
Directions
Put all ingredients in your 5-6 quart slow cooker and turn it on warm/low and let it sit overnight. The next morning, fish out the spice bag and orange peel and serve the wastle with a Cinnamon stick for stirring ..... sooooo good! Be sure to remove the Cinnamon stick when you're about half way through your glass of wastle or you will get a rather spicy kick at the bottom of your glass....
Ingredients
The peel of 1 orange
8 cups Pear Apple Juice
6 cups Cranberry Juice Cocktail
2 cups water
3 Tbs. Mulling Spices in a mulling bag or tea infuser
Cinnamon sticks for garnish
Directions
Put all ingredients in your 5-6 quart slow cooker and turn it on warm/low and let it sit overnight. The next morning, fish out the spice bag and orange peel and serve the wastle with a Cinnamon stick for stirring ..... sooooo good! Be sure to remove the Cinnamon stick when you're about half way through your glass of wastle or you will get a rather spicy kick at the bottom of your glass....
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
It's soup in no time!
QUESTION: What is better than a good hot wholesome soup on a chilly day?
ANSWER: Making that good hot wholesome soup in less than 30 minutes!
The great thing about this soup is that it is a guideline for making YOUR favorite soup, not a set in stone recipe.... The best part is that you get to use up all those leftover bits and bobs you have in your freezer, refrigerator, and pantry that you can't seem to use up...
So, what do you do?
First, go take stock of all the things you have in your wares that you haven't seen or used in a while. See that can of beans, or that bag of funny shaped pasta? How about the leftover chicken from last nights dinner? Oh and don't forget those frozen veggies that you bought on a whim because they looked interesting and have been taking up space in your freezer ever since.... just gather together a bunch of those misfit ingredients and come back..... I will wait....
.
.
.
.
Ah, you're back!
Ok now, go and get a big pot, because invariably when you just throw ingredients at a pot and add liquid, you always wish you had a bigger pot, so go get your biggest pot, trust me... go... really.
.
.
.
.
Now that you have your main ingredients, and your biggest pot, go to your kitchen and put those ingredients in your pot, except any pasta you have decided to add.
Now, look in your spice cupboard and decide whether you want your soup to taste french or italian or mexican or japanese... whatever turns your fancy... and pull out the corresponding spices, for example... italian, my favorite... I add garlic, basil, italian seasoning, and sometimes those pine nuts or sun-dried tomatoes, and a teaspoon of lemon or so.... For mexican, I would add chili powder, cumin, and the last 1/2 cup of salsa that has been kicking around my fridge for the last week....
Add water, stock, milk, whatever you like to your concoction to JUST cover the ingredients... you can always add more liquid, it's much more annoying to take out liquid.
Now turn on your stove burner and bring your concoction to a boil. TAKE A SPOON AND, being careful not to burn yourself, TASTE YOUR SOUP!!!!!!!! Adjust seasonings to taste. Add any pasta and cook till pasta is the desired doneness.
Ladle your beautiful new soup into big bowls and serve with a pretty garnish, like a twisted lemon wedge, a sprig of parsley, some crumbled feta, maybe a dollop of sour cream, or crusty bread.
Now for the best part.... ENJOY THE PRAISE!
Oh, and freeze the leftovers, make sure to leave an inch of head space in the container before sealing and freezing as liquids expand when frozen.
__________________________________________________________
For those of you looking for a hard copy recipe....
MINISTRONE al la pantry....
Ingredients
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 bag of frozen mixed italian style veggies
1 large-ish jar of tomato based meat spaghetti sauce
1 cup of mini pasta
garlic, basil, and italian seasoning to taste
Water to cover ingredients
Directions
SEE ABOVE
ANSWER: Making that good hot wholesome soup in less than 30 minutes!
The great thing about this soup is that it is a guideline for making YOUR favorite soup, not a set in stone recipe.... The best part is that you get to use up all those leftover bits and bobs you have in your freezer, refrigerator, and pantry that you can't seem to use up...
So, what do you do?
First, go take stock of all the things you have in your wares that you haven't seen or used in a while. See that can of beans, or that bag of funny shaped pasta? How about the leftover chicken from last nights dinner? Oh and don't forget those frozen veggies that you bought on a whim because they looked interesting and have been taking up space in your freezer ever since.... just gather together a bunch of those misfit ingredients and come back..... I will wait....
.
.
.
.
Ah, you're back!
Ok now, go and get a big pot, because invariably when you just throw ingredients at a pot and add liquid, you always wish you had a bigger pot, so go get your biggest pot, trust me... go... really.
.
.
.
.
Now that you have your main ingredients, and your biggest pot, go to your kitchen and put those ingredients in your pot, except any pasta you have decided to add.
Now, look in your spice cupboard and decide whether you want your soup to taste french or italian or mexican or japanese... whatever turns your fancy... and pull out the corresponding spices, for example... italian, my favorite... I add garlic, basil, italian seasoning, and sometimes those pine nuts or sun-dried tomatoes, and a teaspoon of lemon or so.... For mexican, I would add chili powder, cumin, and the last 1/2 cup of salsa that has been kicking around my fridge for the last week....
Add water, stock, milk, whatever you like to your concoction to JUST cover the ingredients... you can always add more liquid, it's much more annoying to take out liquid.
Now turn on your stove burner and bring your concoction to a boil. TAKE A SPOON AND, being careful not to burn yourself, TASTE YOUR SOUP!!!!!!!! Adjust seasonings to taste. Add any pasta and cook till pasta is the desired doneness.
Ladle your beautiful new soup into big bowls and serve with a pretty garnish, like a twisted lemon wedge, a sprig of parsley, some crumbled feta, maybe a dollop of sour cream, or crusty bread.
Now for the best part.... ENJOY THE PRAISE!
Oh, and freeze the leftovers, make sure to leave an inch of head space in the container before sealing and freezing as liquids expand when frozen.
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For those of you looking for a hard copy recipe....
MINISTRONE al la pantry....
Ingredients
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 bag of frozen mixed italian style veggies
1 large-ish jar of tomato based meat spaghetti sauce
1 cup of mini pasta
garlic, basil, and italian seasoning to taste
Water to cover ingredients
Directions
SEE ABOVE
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Panzanella
I am an Italian food NUT.... I ADORE Italian food!
So when a friend of mine told me about Panzanella, I looked at like a dozen or so recipes online for this new Italian food that I had yet to try.... and I found quite a few tasty varieties, but none that really screamed EAT ME!!!!
So I blended together several of them to make my own version.... and then I added my favorite vinaigrette recipe that I always use.... For some reason I can never be satisfied with a recipe until I tweak it
It is SOOOO GOOOOOOOD!!!!
Ingredients
Salad
1 bag of fresh spinach
4 cups day old French bread cut into 1-inch cubes
6 slices bacon, cooked, drippings reserved
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 Tbs. dried basil
¼ cup parmesan cheese
6-8 roma tomatoes
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cubed
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
3/4 cup red onion, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea Salt
Dressing
3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place a baking sheet in the oven.
In the skillet used for cooking bacon, over moderate heat, add the garlic to the bacon drippings and sauté until it begins to brown, remove from heat. Pour the mixture over the bread cubes in a bowl and toss briskly to coat cubes evenly. Stir in the parmesan cheese and basil. Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a preheated baking sheet, scraping all the seasonings over them. Bake until lightly brown and crunchy on the outside, but still soft on the inside, about 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Chop tomatoes, bacon, olives and onion, combine with mozzarella and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
JUST BEFORE SERVING, blend together the dressing ingredients. Combine the bread with the tomato mixture. Toss salad together with dressing. Serve on a bed of spinach.
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Today, I made this without toasting the bread and without the dressing and pressed it into a 9x13 glass baking dish and baked it for about 20 minutes.... heavenly!
So when a friend of mine told me about Panzanella, I looked at like a dozen or so recipes online for this new Italian food that I had yet to try.... and I found quite a few tasty varieties, but none that really screamed EAT ME!!!!
So I blended together several of them to make my own version.... and then I added my favorite vinaigrette recipe that I always use.... For some reason I can never be satisfied with a recipe until I tweak it
It is SOOOO GOOOOOOOD!!!!
Ingredients
Salad
1 bag of fresh spinach
4 cups day old French bread cut into 1-inch cubes
6 slices bacon, cooked, drippings reserved
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 Tbs. dried basil
¼ cup parmesan cheese
6-8 roma tomatoes
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cubed
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
3/4 cup red onion, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea Salt
Dressing
3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place a baking sheet in the oven.
In the skillet used for cooking bacon, over moderate heat, add the garlic to the bacon drippings and sauté until it begins to brown, remove from heat. Pour the mixture over the bread cubes in a bowl and toss briskly to coat cubes evenly. Stir in the parmesan cheese and basil. Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a preheated baking sheet, scraping all the seasonings over them. Bake until lightly brown and crunchy on the outside, but still soft on the inside, about 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Chop tomatoes, bacon, olives and onion, combine with mozzarella and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
JUST BEFORE SERVING, blend together the dressing ingredients. Combine the bread with the tomato mixture. Toss salad together with dressing. Serve on a bed of spinach.
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Today, I made this without toasting the bread and without the dressing and pressed it into a 9x13 glass baking dish and baked it for about 20 minutes.... heavenly!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Mediterranean "Suddenly Salad"
I love Suddenly Salad, but it has WAY TOO MUCH salt in it to be a good choice for my dietary requirements... so I improvised my own version of this classic picnic standby.... I have added nuts to this also, but really I like it better without the nuts....
Ingredients
1 lb. grilled chicken, cubed
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup sliced olives
1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed... NOT cooked
Powdered Garlic, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 lb. rotini pasta, cooked to al dente and chilled
1/2 cup Crumbled feta cheese
homemade olive oil mayonnaise
Directions
Make the mayonnaise and chill overnight.
Combine all the ingredients EXCEPT feta and drizzle mayonnaise to taste sprinkle with feta just before serving....
Ingredients
1 lb. grilled chicken, cubed
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup sliced olives
1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed... NOT cooked
Powdered Garlic, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 lb. rotini pasta, cooked to al dente and chilled
1/2 cup Crumbled feta cheese
homemade olive oil mayonnaise
Directions
Make the mayonnaise and chill overnight.
Combine all the ingredients EXCEPT feta and drizzle mayonnaise to taste sprinkle with feta just before serving....
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Chicken Bruchetta Bake
As I promised, here is my recipe for one of my most famous potluck meals...
INGREDIENTS
3-4 lbs chicken
1 tbs. olive oil
2-3 tbs. minced garlic
2-3 large tomatoes diced (or one 28 oz can of petite diced tomatoes with the juice)
6 cups of croutons
3-4 tbs. ittalian seasoning
1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese... or more
1 cup of water
DIRECTIONS
Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and thoroughly cook in 1 tbs olive oil and 2-3 cloves of garlic. Combine all the ingredients together with the cooked chicken in a large mixing bowl and mix well, (reserve enough cheese for the topping, the rest is mixed in before baking, I sometimes add another cup of cheese if I am having a cheese craving).
Bake at 375 till cheese is melty (not sure that is a real word)
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There really is NO WAY to mess this one up, unless you forget to add the water, but then you just get some really crunchy bites here and there.... It freezes fantastically, I don't know how long you could freeze it though as my hubby really likes this dish too and it usually doesn't make it more than a day or two.... I have made this with mozzarella when I didn't have cheddar and it is really good that way too.... I guess you could use just about any good melty cheese...
I recently found out that Kraft makes something almost exactly like my recipe, but I have been making this for YEARS before I ever even saw their recipe.... My recipe makes two 9x13 casseroles
INGREDIENTS
3-4 lbs chicken
1 tbs. olive oil
2-3 tbs. minced garlic
2-3 large tomatoes diced (or one 28 oz can of petite diced tomatoes with the juice)
6 cups of croutons
3-4 tbs. ittalian seasoning
1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese... or more
1 cup of water
DIRECTIONS
Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and thoroughly cook in 1 tbs olive oil and 2-3 cloves of garlic. Combine all the ingredients together with the cooked chicken in a large mixing bowl and mix well, (reserve enough cheese for the topping, the rest is mixed in before baking, I sometimes add another cup of cheese if I am having a cheese craving).
Bake at 375 till cheese is melty (not sure that is a real word)
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There really is NO WAY to mess this one up, unless you forget to add the water, but then you just get some really crunchy bites here and there.... It freezes fantastically, I don't know how long you could freeze it though as my hubby really likes this dish too and it usually doesn't make it more than a day or two.... I have made this with mozzarella when I didn't have cheddar and it is really good that way too.... I guess you could use just about any good melty cheese...
I recently found out that Kraft makes something almost exactly like my recipe, but I have been making this for YEARS before I ever even saw their recipe.... My recipe makes two 9x13 casseroles
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
V-8 juice bread
I LOVE THIS BREAD!!!!! It is sooooo good. And with spinach, v-8 juice, and garlic....it is good for you too, in moderation of course...
My 1 1/2 year old son loves this bread toasted with some feta cheese melted on top. I use the leftover bread (if there ever is any) to make croutons for salad or for Chicken Bruchetta Bake (I will post that recipe next week...)
It freezes really well, so you can make up a triple batch and freeze two loaves for later baking, just take the dough out of the freezer the night before you want to use it and let the dough stand at room temperature until completely thawed and allow it to rise for about 1 hour in a warm place after it is completely thawed, then bake as usual.
Ingredients
1 (11 1/2 ounce) can V8 vegetable juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash tabasco sauce
3-4 cups bread flour (you can also sub 1/2 of the white flour with wheat and add 1 tsp wheat germ per cup of wheat flour) IF MAKING BY HAND you will need more flour.
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 teaspoons yeast
about 1 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves (stems removed)
3/4 cup dried tomatoes, chopped to about the size of raisins
FOR BREAD MACHINE BAKERS
1. In the bread machine pan, place all ingredients (except the dried tomatoes) in the order suggested by the manufacturer.
2. Use the'basic' bread setting and'light' crust color, for 1 1/2 lb loaf.
3. When the machine beeps during the kneading cycle, add the dried tomatoes a few at a time until they are kneaded into the dough.
****If you want to make up a double or triple batch for later use, set your machine on "dough" cycle and follow the above instructions through to when you add the tomatoes, then when they are mixed in, take the dough out of the machine and let it rise in a large mixing bowl. Punch the dough down and form into loaves, you will need more flour to make the dough handle well. Wrap extra loaves in saran wrap or freezer paper and freeze. Put the loaf you will bake now in a GLASS loaf baking dish and let it rise till doubled again, bake at 325* for about 1 hour
FOR HAND BAKERS
1. Put yeast and 1 tsp of sugar or honey in a 1/4 cup of warm (NOT HOT) water and set aside to proof.
2. In a large bowl combine all ingredients EXCEPT flour and tomatoes.
3. Add the foamy yeast water, stir well.
4. Add flour, stirring with a large spoon, at about 1 cup at a time till the dough is too hard to stir with the spoon, then get your hands involved. Keep adding flour and kneeding till you have an elastic, but firm dough.
5. Place dough in a large oiled bowl and cover, allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
6. Punch the dough down and kneed in the sun dried tomatoes.
7. Form into loaves, you will need more flour to make the dough handle well. If making extra, wrap extra loaves in saran wrap or freezer paper and freeze.
8. Put the loaf you will bake now in a GLASS loaf baking dish and let it rise till doubled again, bake at 325* for about 1 hour
My 1 1/2 year old son loves this bread toasted with some feta cheese melted on top. I use the leftover bread (if there ever is any) to make croutons for salad or for Chicken Bruchetta Bake (I will post that recipe next week...)
It freezes really well, so you can make up a triple batch and freeze two loaves for later baking, just take the dough out of the freezer the night before you want to use it and let the dough stand at room temperature until completely thawed and allow it to rise for about 1 hour in a warm place after it is completely thawed, then bake as usual.
Ingredients
1 (11 1/2 ounce) can V8 vegetable juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash tabasco sauce
3-4 cups bread flour (you can also sub 1/2 of the white flour with wheat and add 1 tsp wheat germ per cup of wheat flour) IF MAKING BY HAND you will need more flour.
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 teaspoons yeast
about 1 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves (stems removed)
3/4 cup dried tomatoes, chopped to about the size of raisins
FOR BREAD MACHINE BAKERS
1. In the bread machine pan, place all ingredients (except the dried tomatoes) in the order suggested by the manufacturer.
2. Use the'basic' bread setting and'light' crust color, for 1 1/2 lb loaf.
3. When the machine beeps during the kneading cycle, add the dried tomatoes a few at a time until they are kneaded into the dough.
****If you want to make up a double or triple batch for later use, set your machine on "dough" cycle and follow the above instructions through to when you add the tomatoes, then when they are mixed in, take the dough out of the machine and let it rise in a large mixing bowl. Punch the dough down and form into loaves, you will need more flour to make the dough handle well. Wrap extra loaves in saran wrap or freezer paper and freeze. Put the loaf you will bake now in a GLASS loaf baking dish and let it rise till doubled again, bake at 325* for about 1 hour
FOR HAND BAKERS
1. Put yeast and 1 tsp of sugar or honey in a 1/4 cup of warm (NOT HOT) water and set aside to proof.
2. In a large bowl combine all ingredients EXCEPT flour and tomatoes.
3. Add the foamy yeast water, stir well.
4. Add flour, stirring with a large spoon, at about 1 cup at a time till the dough is too hard to stir with the spoon, then get your hands involved. Keep adding flour and kneeding till you have an elastic, but firm dough.
5. Place dough in a large oiled bowl and cover, allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
6. Punch the dough down and kneed in the sun dried tomatoes.
7. Form into loaves, you will need more flour to make the dough handle well. If making extra, wrap extra loaves in saran wrap or freezer paper and freeze.
8. Put the loaf you will bake now in a GLASS loaf baking dish and let it rise till doubled again, bake at 325* for about 1 hour
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Mandarin Salad
I made this salad for a church potluck.... it went so fast, it was gone before I got to it!
Ingredients
Salad
1 bag of fresh spinach
1/2 bag baby greens salad mix
3 mandarin oranges or 1 small can of mandarin oranges in light syrup
1/4 cup blue cheese
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Dressing
3 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1 tbs orange juice
2 tbs pesto (recipe follows)
Toss salad ingredients together and set aside. Put dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend till smooth. Toss dressing with salad just before serving.
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Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tbs pine nuts
1 or 2 large cloves garlic
2 tbs olive oil
Add all but the olive oil to a food processor and chop till fine. Add oil and process till combined.
Pesto freezes well, so you can make lots to use in various recipes.
Ingredients
Salad
1 bag of fresh spinach
1/2 bag baby greens salad mix
3 mandarin oranges or 1 small can of mandarin oranges in light syrup
1/4 cup blue cheese
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Dressing
3 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1 tbs orange juice
2 tbs pesto (recipe follows)
Toss salad ingredients together and set aside. Put dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend till smooth. Toss dressing with salad just before serving.
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Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tbs pine nuts
1 or 2 large cloves garlic
2 tbs olive oil
Add all but the olive oil to a food processor and chop till fine. Add oil and process till combined.
Pesto freezes well, so you can make lots to use in various recipes.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Falafel
Chickpeas are so versatile, they are great protein and they can be made into so many things... hummus, put into soups, top salads, baked with seasoning on them for a snack, and falafel
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups washed chickpeas
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
3 crushed garlic cloves
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup flour
oil for frying
Directions
Soak chickpeas overnight in 10 cups hot water and baking soda. Drain. Grind in a blender or food processor until fine. Add spices and flour.If mixture is too dry, add a few drops of water. Make small balls about the size of meatballs. Heat the oil and deep fry a few balls at a time for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel. Keep warm.
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You can serve the falafel with any sauce you like, but I recently came across a really spectacular sauce in a wonderful book called FRESH FROM THE VEGETARIAN SLOW COOKER by Robin Robertson. She suggests pairing it with toasted French bread, but I think it goes very well with falafel!
Thyme-Scented Duxelles
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
3 medium-size shallots, minced
2 pounds white mushrooms, stems trimmed and wiped clean
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup cream cheese
3 tbs. dry white wine
Directions
1. Place the oil and shallots in a 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and turn the setting to high to soften the shallots while you prepare the mushrooms.
2. Using a food processor or by hand, coarsely chop the mushrooms. Add them to the slow cooker and change the setting to low. Cover and cook until the mushrooms are very soft, 6 to 8 hours.
3. After the mushrooms are cooked, strain the excess mushroom liquid into a bowl and reserve for use in another recipe.
4. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a food processor; add the thyme, salt, and pepper, and pulse to combine. Add the cream cheese and wine and process until blended. Taste to adjust seasoning.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups washed chickpeas
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
3 crushed garlic cloves
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup flour
oil for frying
Directions
Soak chickpeas overnight in 10 cups hot water and baking soda. Drain. Grind in a blender or food processor until fine. Add spices and flour.If mixture is too dry, add a few drops of water. Make small balls about the size of meatballs. Heat the oil and deep fry a few balls at a time for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel. Keep warm.
________________________________________________________
You can serve the falafel with any sauce you like, but I recently came across a really spectacular sauce in a wonderful book called FRESH FROM THE VEGETARIAN SLOW COOKER by Robin Robertson. She suggests pairing it with toasted French bread, but I think it goes very well with falafel!
Thyme-Scented Duxelles
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
3 medium-size shallots, minced
2 pounds white mushrooms, stems trimmed and wiped clean
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup cream cheese
3 tbs. dry white wine
Directions
1. Place the oil and shallots in a 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and turn the setting to high to soften the shallots while you prepare the mushrooms.
2. Using a food processor or by hand, coarsely chop the mushrooms. Add them to the slow cooker and change the setting to low. Cover and cook until the mushrooms are very soft, 6 to 8 hours.
3. After the mushrooms are cooked, strain the excess mushroom liquid into a bowl and reserve for use in another recipe.
4. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a food processor; add the thyme, salt, and pepper, and pulse to combine. Add the cream cheese and wine and process until blended. Taste to adjust seasoning.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Hummus and Pita chips
When looking around for a light snack or a small meal on a hot day, what could be better than chips and dip? Since I am aiming for low/no sodium for heart healthy reasons, I can't dive to the bottom of a bag of Lay's or Pringles.... and ranch or french onion dip is out of the question for similar reasons.... so I scampered into my kitchen to see what I could concoct....
I have frozen pitas from the last time I made a batch.... I can make chips out of those rather easily by cutting them like a pizza into 6 or 8 peices and baking them till crisp in the oven... great, I have chips, but what to dip them in?!
I looked to the Mediterranean cuisine for an answer..... and found several answers, eggplant dip, brucchetta, olive oil, and.... HUMMUS! Yum! that sounds fantastic!
Now to find a recipe that I like, hummus is basically pureed chickpeas (garbanzo beans) flavored in some way, usually with garlic, lemon, and tahini.... but I wanted a more robust flavor so I came up with my own recipe!
Ingredients
Puree the chickpeas in batches, there are a lot of them! After the chickpeas are finished, puree the remaining ingredients together, then stir the mixture into the pureed chickpeas.
Add water to achieve the desired texture.
ENJOY!!!
I have frozen pitas from the last time I made a batch.... I can make chips out of those rather easily by cutting them like a pizza into 6 or 8 peices and baking them till crisp in the oven... great, I have chips, but what to dip them in?!
I looked to the Mediterranean cuisine for an answer..... and found several answers, eggplant dip, brucchetta, olive oil, and.... HUMMUS! Yum! that sounds fantastic!
Now to find a recipe that I like, hummus is basically pureed chickpeas (garbanzo beans) flavored in some way, usually with garlic, lemon, and tahini.... but I wanted a more robust flavor so I came up with my own recipe!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 3 oz, crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cups red pepper flakes
- 1/2 of a 1 lb. bag of chickpeas, soaked and cooked till soft
Puree the chickpeas in batches, there are a lot of them! After the chickpeas are finished, puree the remaining ingredients together, then stir the mixture into the pureed chickpeas.
Add water to achieve the desired texture.
ENJOY!!!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Crockpot Oatmeal
Everyone could use a wholesome breakfast that you can simply grab in a hurry, right? I know I can! This one takes all of 10 minutes to throw together at night and the next morning you have a wholesome, hot, and delicious breakfast that will stick to your ribs till lunchtime! Whoever invented the crock pot was a genius!
INGREDIENTS
2 cups rolled oats
6 cups liquid (can use all or part apple juice, milk or other liquid)
Spices/flavorings to taste
1-2 cups fruit, either dried or fresh, cut
½ cup honey
Throw all the ingredients into your crock pot, if using fresh fruit, add it just before serving in the morning.... Cook on low overnight.
To make this yummy meal pack more of a nutritional punch, you could add a tablespoon or two of flax meal, nutritional yeast, wheat germ.... you get the idea....
By the way, for those of you with children who HATE eating their veggies, this recipe is a great opportunity to add some veggie goodness! Because carrots have a natural sweetness, only use half of the honey called for in the recipe, puree a cup of peeled carrots and add it to the crock pot about 10 minutes before serving... voila, veggies al la secret!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Black Bean Lime Salsa
Everyone needs a snack food from time to time, right? RIGHT!
This is one of my favorites! I found this recipe in the Spring 2008 issue of Clean Eating Magazine (pg. 74). Clean Eating Magazine is chock full of FANTASTIC recipes and great information about food and living a "clean" life. Clean Eating is also one of only two magazines I subscribe to! (The other is The Ensign, a magazine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
I did make some modifications to the recipe, my changes show up in orange next to the original recipe instructions. I love making new recipes, but I always use what I have on hand, rather than being wasteful.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup black beans (cooked or sprouted)
1 tomato, diced
1 lime, cut into small pieces (I used lime juice instead of fresh lime)
½ small onion, diced (I used a red onion)
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup cilantro chopped
½ tsp. cayenne pepper (I used considerably more, didn't measure)
½ tbs. hemp oil (I used olive oil)
½ tbs. flax oil
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. If allowed to sit for a few hours, the ingredients will infuse each other with flavour for an even more delicious mixture.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Fruit Cobbler
Since I have been posting recipes, I have posted no
desserts.... I realized my error a few days ago, and
thought I would post this Berry Cobbler recipe that
I make frequently.
Ingredients:
1 cup dry rolled oats (NOT instant oatmeal)
3 Tbs. flaxseed meal
1 tsp. olive oil
assorted berries/fruit of your choice
1 tbs honey (optional, see recipe)
1/2 cup flour of your choice
Mix oats with flaxseed meal and olive oil. Set aside.
Mix however many berries, apples, pears, whatever you
like that you can fit into a cobbler dish with honey,
IF using tart fruit, and flour.
Put part of the fruit mixture in the dish and top with
crumbled oatmeal mixture, repeat layers till all used,
ending with oat mixture. Bake at 350 F. until the top
is browned.....
SOOOOO GOOOOOOD!!!!
___________________
I use a two quart dish. Use a whole grain flour if
possible as it is more nutritious... whole grain wheat
flour or whole grain rye flour are my favorites.
Most berries are pretty sweet on their own... if they
are not sweet enough, don't eat them till they ripen
a bit. If you are up against a wall and NEED a sugar
fix, you could use a small amount of honey to sweeten
the tart fruit....
Vegetable Soup
This veggie soup is perfect with the Medieval Herb Bread that I listed below. It is great served over brown rice as well!
Ingredients
½ medium onions
2 cloves garlic
1 Anaheim chili
1 medium zucchini
1 medium carrot
2 ripe tomatoes
1 cup cooked beans of your choice
1tsp parsley
1 tsp basil
3 cups water
1. Prepare the vegetables:
Onion: Peel and chop
Garlic: peel and chop finely
Zucchini: Halve lengthwise and cut into thin semicircles
Carrot: Peel, then as for zucchini
Tomatoes: peel and deseed if wished. Chop finely
2. Place the onion, garlic, and chili in a large pan with 1 cup of
water. Bring to a boil, and then boil off almost all the liquid,
stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft .
3. Add the zucchini, carrot and tomato and reduce the heat slightly. Very soon these vegetables will begin to give off liquid, so turn up the heat again and boil it off, stirring constantly, until the vegetables have begun to soften.
4. Add 2 cups of water bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 10 minutes until vegetables have softened but are not mushy.
5. Remove half the vegetables, recover and cook remaining portion for 5 minutes more. Puree the remaining portion, and add it back to the removed portion. Add cooked beans and herbs, reheat, serve
Ingredients
½ medium onions
2 cloves garlic
1 Anaheim chili
1 medium zucchini
1 medium carrot
2 ripe tomatoes
1 cup cooked beans of your choice
1tsp parsley
1 tsp basil
3 cups water
1. Prepare the vegetables:
Onion: Peel and chop
Garlic: peel and chop finely
Zucchini: Halve lengthwise and cut into thin semicircles
Carrot: Peel, then as for zucchini
Tomatoes: peel and deseed if wished. Chop finely
2. Place the onion, garlic, and chili in a large pan with 1 cup of
water. Bring to a boil, and then boil off almost all the liquid,
stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft .
3. Add the zucchini, carrot and tomato and reduce the heat slightly. Very soon these vegetables will begin to give off liquid, so turn up the heat again and boil it off, stirring constantly, until the vegetables have begun to soften.
4. Add 2 cups of water bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 10 minutes until vegetables have softened but are not mushy.
5. Remove half the vegetables, recover and cook remaining portion for 5 minutes more. Puree the remaining portion, and add it back to the removed portion. Add cooked beans and herbs, reheat, serve
Mediteranean Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
Salad
2 cups quinoa
4 cups water
2 cups frozen peas
1 bag frozen sliced bell pepper and onion mix
1/2 cup kalamatta olives
1/2 cup Mediterranean seasoning
Dressing
2 tablespoons Sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 pinch Pepper
1/3 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Boil water. Add quinoa, return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer and cook till all water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and add remaining salad ingredients. Cool completely.
While salad is cooling, wisk together dressing ingredients and set aside till salad is completely cool.
Combine salad with dressing and serve over warm pitas.
Salad
2 cups quinoa
4 cups water
2 cups frozen peas
1 bag frozen sliced bell pepper and onion mix
1/2 cup kalamatta olives
1/2 cup Mediterranean seasoning
Dressing
2 tablespoons Sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 pinch Pepper
1/3 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Boil water. Add quinoa, return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer and cook till all water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and add remaining salad ingredients. Cool completely.
While salad is cooling, wisk together dressing ingredients and set aside till salad is completely cool.
Combine salad with dressing and serve over warm pitas.
Moroccan Grilled Chicken with Bulgur Salad
Ingredients
½ tbs. curry powder
½ tbs. ground ginger
1 tsp Garam Masala
3 chicken breasts
Olive oil
2 eggplant
1tsp olive oil
1 c. bulgur
2 cups water
1 c. cherry tomatoes
2 green onions, chopped
½ cup Mediterranean Seasoning
Dressing
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tbs. olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
Pepper
Directions:
Mix chicken seasonings together, brush chicken with olive oil
and then coat with seasonings, set aside.
Boil water. Meanwhile, slice eggplant into strips, coat with oil and pepper, set aside. Pour boiling water over bulgur, cover and let stand 30 minutes. Drain well, transfer to a large bowl. Stir in tomatoes, onions and Mediterranean Seasoning.
Wisk together dressing ingredients and stir into salad.
Grill or Broil chicken, turning occasionally until cooked through. Grill or Broil eggplant 2-3 minutes on each side till marks form on them.
Stir eggplant into salad.
Whole Wheat Pita Bread
I thought to myself, I have been talking a lot about pitas, and
I haven't posted my recipe... Well that's kinda silly of me!
So here it is....
Ingredients
3/4 cup milk (or 2 1/2 tablespoons of dry milk powder and 3/4
cup water) YOU CAN USE NON-DAIRY MILK (I used almond
milk for this once)
1tbsp olive oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup bread flour
1 tsp sugar OR honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast or bread machine yeast
OPTIONAL ADD-INS:
1 tsp. DRIED herbs/spices (I have found that if you use fresh
herbs, the pitas will be a little soggy after baking)
1/4 cup slivered sundried tomatoes, dried fruits...etc. ..
These don't have to be savory, they can be sweet too, I really
like the cinnamon raisin ones I made once... really great with a
cream cheese/fruit filling
I like to stuff these with lots of different things... some of my
favorites are: barbecued pork, chicken salad, or taboule just
about anything you could imagine on a tortilla works well in a
pita, and then there are regular old lunchmeat sadwiches... . a
perk about pitas (if you never had one before) is that they
don't leak from the bottom, so you can use saucy foods to stuff
them with...
Directions:
1. Mix ingredients as you would for any bread dough OR my
personal favorite, since I have a child who does not like me to
be in the kitchen too long: add ingredients to the bread
machine, select the "dough cycle" and start.
2. After the dough is made, set it aside and cover with a large
bowl. Let it rest for about 10 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into seven equal portions and shape each
into a smooth ball. Now flatten the dough into circles that look
like pita bread you might buy from the store (use your hands,
a rolling pin, or a smooth tall glass). Try to keep from making
some places too thin/thick, you want them to be around 1/4
inch thick. Cover the circles and let them rise for about 30
minutes or until they puff slightly.
4. Place 2 to three dough circles on a lightly greased baking
sheet. Bake in an oven at 450 degrees for about 3 minutes,
turn the dough once, then bake for an additional 3 or 4
minutes, or until the bread is puffed and the tops are beginning
to brown.
5. Remove the pita rounds from the oven and let them cool on
a rack, and repeat with the remaining dough circles. You
should end up with 7 to 10 pita rounds.
6. To serve (just in case you never experienced a pita before)
cut the pita in half and open one side up like an envelope... fill
the inside with the filling of your choice, or just wrap the uncut
pita around the desired filling.
________
As with any breads, pitas freeze well, so I make a double or
triple batch and use enough for one meal and freeze the rest,
they are all ready to eat in convenient single serve portions...
just make sure that they are COMPLETELY cooled off from
the oven before you freeze them or condensation will collect on
them and you will have soggy pitas... when you want one you
can set them out to come to room temp, throw them in the
microwave or warm them up in a dry skillet, no oil needed my
preferred method, especially if they got put in the freezer too
soon...
I haven't posted my recipe... Well that's kinda silly of me!
So here it is....
Ingredients
3/4 cup milk (or 2 1/2 tablespoons of dry milk powder and 3/4
cup water) YOU CAN USE NON-DAIRY MILK (I used almond
milk for this once)
1tbsp olive oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup bread flour
1 tsp sugar OR honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast or bread machine yeast
OPTIONAL ADD-INS:
1 tsp. DRIED herbs/spices (I have found that if you use fresh
herbs, the pitas will be a little soggy after baking)
1/4 cup slivered sundried tomatoes, dried fruits...etc. ..
These don't have to be savory, they can be sweet too, I really
like the cinnamon raisin ones I made once... really great with a
cream cheese/fruit filling
I like to stuff these with lots of different things... some of my
favorites are: barbecued pork, chicken salad, or taboule just
about anything you could imagine on a tortilla works well in a
pita, and then there are regular old lunchmeat sadwiches... . a
perk about pitas (if you never had one before) is that they
don't leak from the bottom, so you can use saucy foods to stuff
them with...
Directions:
1. Mix ingredients as you would for any bread dough OR my
personal favorite, since I have a child who does not like me to
be in the kitchen too long: add ingredients to the bread
machine, select the "dough cycle" and start.
2. After the dough is made, set it aside and cover with a large
bowl. Let it rest for about 10 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into seven equal portions and shape each
into a smooth ball. Now flatten the dough into circles that look
like pita bread you might buy from the store (use your hands,
a rolling pin, or a smooth tall glass). Try to keep from making
some places too thin/thick, you want them to be around 1/4
inch thick. Cover the circles and let them rise for about 30
minutes or until they puff slightly.
4. Place 2 to three dough circles on a lightly greased baking
sheet. Bake in an oven at 450 degrees for about 3 minutes,
turn the dough once, then bake for an additional 3 or 4
minutes, or until the bread is puffed and the tops are beginning
to brown.
5. Remove the pita rounds from the oven and let them cool on
a rack, and repeat with the remaining dough circles. You
should end up with 7 to 10 pita rounds.
6. To serve (just in case you never experienced a pita before)
cut the pita in half and open one side up like an envelope... fill
the inside with the filling of your choice, or just wrap the uncut
pita around the desired filling.
________
As with any breads, pitas freeze well, so I make a double or
triple batch and use enough for one meal and freeze the rest,
they are all ready to eat in convenient single serve portions...
just make sure that they are COMPLETELY cooled off from
the oven before you freeze them or condensation will collect on
them and you will have soggy pitas... when you want one you
can set them out to come to room temp, throw them in the
microwave or warm them up in a dry skillet, no oil needed my
preferred method, especially if they got put in the freezer too
soon...
Chickpea and Spinach Curry
This is really great to serve on warm home-made pita bread
for a light lunch or dinner. It takes a bit of planning though for
those of us who don't eat canned food... If you do eat canned
foods, you can use a 19 oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
instead of soaking the beans overnight.
Ingredients
1 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 tbs. ground ginger
1 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp curry powder (sodium free)
1/2 to 1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2-3 tomatoes, diced, with juices
4 cups fresh spinach, stems removed
1/2 cup water (reserved from cooking beans if not using
canned, otherwise just regular water)
extras (optional)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
thinly sliced lemon wedges
Directions
The night before - put dried garbanzo beans in plenty of water
and cover tightly. Refrigerate overnight.
The next day - drain and rinse beans, boil garbanzo beans until
softened. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid for recipe.
Combine onion, ginger, honey, and curry powder and saute in
oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until onion is
slightly softened (about 3 minutes). Add prepared chickpeas
and tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach
and water and cook just until spinach is slightly wilted.
Serve warm.
for a light lunch or dinner. It takes a bit of planning though for
those of us who don't eat canned food... If you do eat canned
foods, you can use a 19 oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
instead of soaking the beans overnight.
Ingredients
1 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 tbs. ground ginger
1 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp curry powder (sodium free)
1/2 to 1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2-3 tomatoes, diced, with juices
4 cups fresh spinach, stems removed
1/2 cup water (reserved from cooking beans if not using
canned, otherwise just regular water)
extras (optional)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
thinly sliced lemon wedges
Directions
The night before - put dried garbanzo beans in plenty of water
and cover tightly. Refrigerate overnight.
The next day - drain and rinse beans, boil garbanzo beans until
softened. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid for recipe.
Combine onion, ginger, honey, and curry powder and saute in
oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until onion is
slightly softened (about 3 minutes). Add prepared chickpeas
and tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach
and water and cook just until spinach is slightly wilted.
Serve warm.
Caribbean Tilapia and Bell Pepper Risotto
Dinner for two + a baby :)
I wanted to create a recipe that my husband and I could enjoy
together, and being that I love to use what's on hand rather
than go buy some new expensive ingredients from the store, I
searched my freezer.
I found some frozen Tilapia... oh, I can use some Caribbean
seasoning and some lime juice... now what could go with
Tilapia? Well, what do I have in my pantry? OOOOOHHHH, I
have rice, and here in my freezer I have some bell pepper, I
can make that yummy risotto, my son absolutely adores that
risotto and will eat lots of it...
Thus a new family favorite is born!
Caribbean Tilapia
2 Tilapia Filets
1 tbs. Olive Oil
2 tsp. Caribbean spice (from http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/)
2 tbs lime juice
pepper to taste
heat oil on med-high heat in a small skillet, place fish in skillet
and sprinkle with half of the spices and lime juice, fry for about
4-5 minutes, gently turn fish over and sprinkle with remaining
ingredients. Fry till fish flakes easily with a fork.
Bell Pepper Risotto
1 cup Arborio Rice
2 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
1 tbs dried minced onion
1tbs. olive oil
1 bell pepper (color doesn't matter)
or
1/2 bag of frozen bell pepper strips.
place rice, liquid, and onion in a rice cooker (or cook rice, liquid,
and onion according to rice package instructions) , chop and
seed bell pepper and place in the steamer basket of the rice
cooker. Turn on cooker and wait for it to "pop". When rice is
finished, and bell pepper steamed to soft state, puree the bell
pepper with the olive oil in a blender and stir puree into rice.
Serve hot.
I wanted to create a recipe that my husband and I could enjoy
together, and being that I love to use what's on hand rather
than go buy some new expensive ingredients from the store, I
searched my freezer.
I found some frozen Tilapia... oh, I can use some Caribbean
seasoning and some lime juice... now what could go with
Tilapia? Well, what do I have in my pantry? OOOOOHHHH, I
have rice, and here in my freezer I have some bell pepper, I
can make that yummy risotto, my son absolutely adores that
risotto and will eat lots of it...
Thus a new family favorite is born!
Caribbean Tilapia
2 Tilapia Filets
1 tbs. Olive Oil
2 tsp. Caribbean spice (from http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/)
2 tbs lime juice
pepper to taste
heat oil on med-high heat in a small skillet, place fish in skillet
and sprinkle with half of the spices and lime juice, fry for about
4-5 minutes, gently turn fish over and sprinkle with remaining
ingredients. Fry till fish flakes easily with a fork.
Bell Pepper Risotto
1 cup Arborio Rice
2 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
1 tbs dried minced onion
1tbs. olive oil
1 bell pepper (color doesn't matter)
or
1/2 bag of frozen bell pepper strips.
place rice, liquid, and onion in a rice cooker (or cook rice, liquid,
and onion according to rice package instructions) , chop and
seed bell pepper and place in the steamer basket of the rice
cooker. Turn on cooker and wait for it to "pop". When rice is
finished, and bell pepper steamed to soft state, puree the bell
pepper with the olive oil in a blender and stir puree into rice.
Serve hot.
Medieval Herb Bread
This bread is fantastic! It turns out very crusty and has a delicious flavor. I love to serve it with soup.
Ingredients
5 tsp. yeast
2 cups warm water
6 eggs
1 1/4 tsp salt
6 TBS oil
1 1/2 tsp rosemary
2/3 cup parsley
8 cups flour
1 egg for top
Directions
1. Dissolve yeast in water.
2. Combine eggs, salt, oil, herbs and 3 cups flour.
3. Add yeast and mix well.
4. Add more flour to make dough and knead on floured
board for 10 minutes.
5. Place in greased bowl and cover and let rise for 1 1/2 hours
in warm place.
6. Shape into two loaves on cookie sheet.
7. Cover loosely and let rise for 45 minutes.
8. Brush with egg and bake for 50 minutes at 375 degrees F.
This recipe makes two loaves. You can bake them both or you
can prepare the loaves, up to step 7, wrap in plastic wrap, and
freeze one for later.
To bake a frozen loaf, pull the loaf out of the freezer and let it
come to room temperature and rise a bit. Then continue from
step 8.
You could prepare the dough in a bread machine and remove
the dough from the bread machine and bake as directed.
DO NOT BAKE THIS BREAD IN A PAN OR BREAD MACHINE
it needs to be baked on a cookie sheet as directed.
Spinach and Pesto Stuffed Sole
Ingredients:
2 Dover Sole Filets (or other white fish)
2 tbs. olive oil
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tbs. minced fresh garlic
1/2 cup fresh spinach, stems removed
1 or 2 tbs pesto
2 tbs. lime juice
2 tbs. feta cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Spray a 2 quart round baking dish with nonstick cooking
spray.
Heat oil in skillet; saute mushrooms and garlic about 3 minutes
or until tender.
Add spinach and continue cooking about 1 minute or until
spinach is barely wilted. Remove from heat; drain liquid into
prepared baking dish.
Add pesto to drained sauteed vegetables; stir to mix
ingredients.
Divide vegetable mixture evenly between fillets, placing filling
in center of each fillet.
Roll fillet around mixture and place seam-side down in
prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle with lime juice, then feta cheese. Bake 35 minutes or
until fish flakes easily. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
*******
I served this with some brussel sprouts, and it was so
delicious! I will definitely make it again!
This is not an original recipe from me. The original recipe can
be found on SparkPeople.com but, since I modified it, I post it
here the way I made it.
The Kitchen is Open!
I have been listing my favorite recipes on my personal blog at http://choicespirit.blogspot.com/ for some time now, but the page seems to be getting longer and longer...... and I don't know about you, but I hate browsing pages that take forever to load because they have no end, so I have created this blog to post my favorite recipes.... enjoy!
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