Sunday, September 30, 2007

Easy Biscuits



These are not the best biscuits ever but they are some of the easiest to make. They show up on Sundays when there is not much time to bake.

Simple Biscuits

2 Cups Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Milk

Preheat oven to 375f.
Sift dry ingredients together. Add oil and milk. Stir until ingredients are combined.
Do not over stir.

Dough will be slightly sticky, so flour your hands and form into 9 equal portions.
Place dough in a greased 9x9 pan and bake until slightly brown.

http://www.recipedude.com/recipes/simplebiscuits.html

Milk Gravy "A Southern Thing"

Thursday, September 27, 2007

My New Favorite Hummus





1 16-oz. can chilled chickpeas drained, rinsed
3 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
3 teaspoons miced garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Fresh cilantro leaves
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Pinch of sea salt, to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Serve with fresh carrot sticks. It's also fabulous with organic blue corn chips.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Grilled Apples with Cheese & Honey



This recipe is from Eating Well Magazine


Makes 2 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 large or 2 small tart apples, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
2 teaspoons almond or canola oil
1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar
1 ounce sharp Cheddar or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
4 teaspoons honey

Preheat grill or grill pan to medium heat. Toss apple slices with oil and sugar in a large bowl. Grill the apple slices until just tender and lightly marked, turning once, about 6 minutes total. Shave cheese into thin strips with a vegetable peeler. Top the apple slices with a sprinkling of cheese and nuts and drizzle with honey.

For original recipe: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/grilled_apples_with_cheese.html

Monday, September 24, 2007

Late Night Tea



I bought some Rooibos Organic Tea today. It is suppose to have a calming affect. It is considered to be a good bedtime tea. Here is a review from the company website.

RED MELLOW BUSH

Dried in the sun, Red Rooibos, Numi's Red Mellow Bush, undergoes oxidation and is processed like traditional teas. Rooibos has a soothing effect on the central nervous system and is often recommended for people suffering from irritability, headaches, insomnia, nervous tension and mild depression or hypertension. Drinking Rooibos is also known to relieve stomach cramps and colic in infants. Numi introduced Rooibos to the U.S. natural food market in 1999.

Greenbush and Rooibos contain high quantities of powerful anti-oxidants, called flavones, which mimic SOD (super oxide dismutase) activity. SOD activity is the most aggressive natural protection against free radical damage. Furthermore, flavones are inhibitors of allergic mediator release from mast cells and have the ability to stop allergic reactions. The Rooibos plant is also rich in vitamins, such as vitamin C, and minerals.

Watermelon

Granola Bars



2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (I used 7 grain cereal)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Added raisins, butterscotch chips, a few white chocolate chips and some chopped walnuts



Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the oats on a cookie sheet. Place in the oven and toast for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, combine the peanut butter, honey and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved, stirring continuously so as to prevent scorching.

Add the toasted oats to the peanut butter mixture along with the raisins, and butterscotch chips and nuts and stir to combine. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

It's Skyline Time



This is my favorite restaurant food in Indianapolis, Indiana. A friend was in Indianapolis over the weekend and I had her bring me home some Skyline Hot sauce. So even though it is from a can. This will be supper. In our family. It's Skyline Time.

The Story of Skyline Chili.

From a small kitchen in the village of Kastoria, Greece, a fascinated young Nicholas Lambrinides watched as his mother and grandmother prepared authentic Greek dishes. Their recipes had been passed down from generation to generation. These were unique, wonderful dishes that had the power to bring his whole family together.

Nicholas dreamed that one day he would bring these recipes and traditions to America, where he could share them with friends and family. In 1949, his dream came true when Nicholas opened his first restaurant overlooking the skyline of Cincinnati, Ohio and began serving his delicious secret recipes to appreciative customers.

Since then, Skyline Chili's Coneys,
Ways and table-side service have
been enjoyed by generations. Our
Chili continues to be made from
Nicholas's original recipe, using
a secret blend of spices and only
the highest quality ingredients.
Skyline is dedicated to bringing
friends and families together for
an experience like no other and
we will always be devoted to the
American dream of that young
man from a small village
in Greece.

Sourdough bread starter

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Roasted Chicken




Wash Chicken thoroughly
Tuck under the wings
Inside the carcass place half a lemon and one bay leaf. Tie legs together. Kitchen twine works well or dental floss
Coat chicken with olive oil
Cover chicken in a liberal amount of salt and pepper. We used "Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Seasoning" All Natural
Place chicken on a roasting pan.
Fill the bottom of the pan with warm water.
Bake Chicken at 425 for 1 and 1/2 hours. Check at 1 hour and 15 min.
When juices run clear the chicken is done
Remove chicken and let sit for 15 min.

Elegant Orzo with Wilted Spinach and Pine Nuts



1 (16 ounce) package uncooked orzo
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup pine nuts
1 (10 ounce) bag baby spinach
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 (8 ounce) package crumbled feta cheese
1/2 fresh tomato, chopped
salt to taste
Nutrition Info
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. (Firm or slightly undercooked orzo works best for this dish.) Drain, transfer to a mixing bowl, and set aside.
Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat, stirring to blend. Stir in garlic, basil, and red pepper flakes, and reduce heat to medium. Stir in pine nuts and cook until lightly browned. Add spinach, cover, and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.
Toss spinach mixture with orzo pasta. Portion onto serving plates with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of crumbled feta cheese and chopped tomatoes. Allow guests to adjust seasoning with salt, as needed. Enjoy!
Yield: 8 servings

To see original recipe:
http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/allrecipes/75479/elegant-orzo-with-wilted-spinach-and-pine-nuts;_ylt=AvAJh5KRXkQG.A.mJ__k95JIY.Y5

Roasted Asparagus



Wash the asparagus. Snap off the bottoms of the Asparagus. Gently bend the asparagus at the bottom and it will snap at its natural breaking point. This method will help to ensure tender asparagus. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Use about a tablespoon of olive oil and coat the asparagus. Then apply fresh ground pepper and salt to the asparagus. Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes.

For a good step by step visual guide go check out this web site:

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/recipe/101/Roasted-Asparagus-Spears

Fresh Baked Honey Wheat Bread

Blueberry Muffins




Today I made Blueberry Muffins. I used the same recipe as the raspberry muffins and instead used one cup of organic blueberries. These are so yummy.

Fruit Smoothie for Breakfast



This smoothie has peaches, honey dew, and strawberries mixed with apple juice and vanilla yogurt

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Southern Cooking



Fresh Black Eye Peas

Roasted Asparagus Spears

Wash the asparagus. Snap off the bottoms of the Asparagus. Gently bend the asparagus at the bottom and it will snap at its natural breaking point. This method will help to ensure tender asparagus. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Use about a tablespoon of olive oil and coat the asparagus. Then apply fresh ground pepper and salt to the asparagus. Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes.

Cornbread

Apple Pie

"Mock" Hummus




Mock Hummus

1 can (15 ounces) white (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
1 Teaspoon garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons of Tahini

This started as a white bean dip recipe but I added the Tahini which gives the dip a nutty flavor the taste is similar to hummus.
I put the dip into small containers and added a bag of blue corn chips. This is what my children are having for lunch today.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Healthy Lunch Box ideas



Today's Lunch Box included:

Ozark Bottled Water

Horizon Organic Chocolate Reduced Fat Milk

Tart Green Apple Slices

Alessi Rosemary Breadsticks

Hormel All Natural Turkey Slice

Chocolate "Brownie" Cookie

One Mentos Mint

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Popovers





2 eggs
1 cup skim milk
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
1 cup minus 2 Tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously oil up 10 cups in a 12 cup muffin tin and add the greased tin to the oven to get hot.

2. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, milk and melted butter together. Add in flour and salt and whisk until combined but still slightly lumpy. Remove hot muffin tray from oven and pour batter in each cup halfway. Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden brown and puffy. Remove from oven and serve.

Popover Tips "I should have used these"

Bake 30 minutes without opening the oven door. (I know, that heavenly smell makes it so tempting to peak. But no! Step away from the oven!) Then: Bake 10 to 15 minutes more until the popovers are firm and golden brown, piercing the sides of each popover to allow steam to escape during this last phase of baking.

Remove from the oven and let popovers cool briefly (4-5 minutes), again piercing each to allow the steam to escape. Remove from the molds by running a knife around the rim and inverting. Serve immediately while hot and puffy. (To reheat later, space popovers evenly on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for about 5 minutes.)

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Salsa and Guacamole



Salsa

1 large can petite diced tomatoes (drain most of liquid)
red or green onion to taste
about a tsp of minced garlic
juice of a lime
1 tsp cumin ( I leave out )
1/2 bunch of cilantro- chopped fine
chopped jalapenos to taste " We leave this out and it taste great"
pinch of salt

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados, peeled and mashed
Then add tablespoons of the salsa until you achieve the taste you like

Friday, September 14, 2007

Chocolate "Brownie" Cookies



2 cups unbleached bread flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ cups (2 sticks plus 4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temp. (don't microwave!)
2 cups sugar, plus more for dipping
2 large eggs
2 tsps vanilla extract

1. Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Beat butter, sugar, and eggs on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add vanilla, mix to combine.
4. Gradually add flour mixture, and combine on low speed.
5. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
6. Heat oven to 350.
7. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Dip top of each ball into sugar. Place on baking sheets about 1 ½ inches apart.
8. Bake until set, about 8 minutes.
9. Cool on baking sheets for 8 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.


They were very soft and prone to falling apart while they were still hot, but once they cooled the texture was just right.

This is not an original recipe. To see the original go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruthieki/97979776/in/set-1209208/

Healthy Lunch Box ideas


Cooking From Scratch

Today's lunch box included:

Back to Nature 100% Apple Juice

Ozark Bottled Water

A slice of Turkey Crescent Roll Pizza

A small box of seedless rasins

Snack:

Cascadian Farm Organic Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bar

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Turkey Pizza with Crescent Roll Crust



2 pkg. Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 lb.Ground Turkey (cooked)
1 Chicken Sausage (cooked)
1 jar Enrico's All Natural Pizza Sauce
8 oz. Mozzarella cheese
8 oz. Mild Cheddar cheese
1 Vidalia onion chopped
1 Bell pepper chopped

In a medium skillet cook 1/2 of the onion and bell pepper until translucent. Add turkey and sausage (removed from casing) and cook until brown. Drain off fat.
Meanwhile, Pat crescent rolls onto 12 x 16 inch cookie sheet. Pinch perforations to seal. Top with pizza sauce, cooked turkey and chicken sausage and cheese. Top with 1/2 of the uncooked onion and bell pepper. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Fresh Raspberry Muffins




1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped strawberries or frozen fresh fruit

This is not my original recipe it can be found at http://kellishouse.blogspot.com/search?q=strawberry

Chocolate Chip Cookies



1/2 cup rolled oats, ground to a fine powder in a blender
2 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature (resist the urge to microwave)
3/4 cup organic sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (preferably authentic)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups or one standard package of milk chocolate chips

1. Grind the oats in a blender or food processor.

2. Measure the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into the blender jar (or food processor) and pulse to thoroughly combine all the dry ingredients.

3. Cream together the butter and both sugars. Add eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla, stirring well after each addition.

4. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet stuff, and mix until fully combined.

5. Add chocolate chips and stir by hand to evenly incorporate the chocolate.

6. Refrigerate the dough for an hour or overnight.

7. Drop the dough by large spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Leave plenty of room for the cookies to spread as they cook.

8. Bake at 350° F for approximately 16 minutes, or until barely golden and still slightly raw. You'll have to do this in batches, so keep the extra dough in the fridge while the first batch is baking, and make sure the pan is completely cool before you spoon on the next round of dough.

9. Cool the cookies on the pan for five minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before packing the finished cookies into an air-tight jar or sealed zipper baggies.

This is not my origianl recipe. It can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruthieki/94736971/in/set-1209208/