Whole Grain Pancakes with Wild Blueberry-Maple Syrup

This was the cover photo recipe of Bon Appetit, February 2008, and it looked AMAZING.

1 C plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 C frozen wild blueberries
2 C whole grain complete pancake and waffle mix (the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen used Kodiak Cakes® brand)
2 C buttermilk
6 tablespoons wheat germ
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

Boil 1 cup syrup and blueberries in heavy medium saucepan until reduced to generous 1 cup, about 13 minutes. Cool to lukewarm.

Meanwhile, combine pancake mix, next 4 ingredients and 2 tablespoons blueberry sryup in meduim bowl and whisk to blend (batter will be thick).

Melt 1 tablespoon butter on griddle or in 2 large nonstick skillets over medium heat. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto griddle or skillets and quickly spread with back of spoon into 3- to 4-inch rounds. Cook pancakes until brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Repeat with remaining butter at batter. Serve with syrup.

Chicken Stir-Fry

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp garlic, minced and divided
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp cooking oil, divided (I used PAM Canola Oil)
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
2 colorful peppers (I used orange and yellow)
1 cup thinly sliced carrots (I used 2 carrots)
1 cup sliced celery (1/2 inch pieces) (Didn't use - I almost never have celery)
2 cups broccoli
2 small zucchini
Rice

1. Cut chicken into 1/2-in. strips; place in a resealable plastic bag. Combine broth, soy sauce, 1 Tbsp garlic, and ginger; add to bag and shake well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Stir cornstarch into reserved marinade, set aside.
2. In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of oil; stir-fry chicken until no longer pink, about 3-5 minutes. Remove chicken (keeping any juices in the pan) and keep warm.
3. Add remaining oil (if desired); stir-fry onion and 1 Tbsp garlic first, then peppers, then broccoli, celery, carrots, and finally zucchini (goal is crisp-tender veggies). Add reserved marinade. Return chicken to pan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
3. Serve over rice.

Adapted from allrecipes.com and Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.

Try #1 - March 30, 2010
This was great! I combined two recipes, and added some extra vegetables. The chicken was very moist from the marinade, and the extra juices left after cooking the chicken seasoned the onions really nicely. I will definitely make this again - it is labor-intensive, but I cut the vegetables ahead of time so when evening came I just had to throw everything in.

Tzatziki

From Prevention magazine, April 2010

1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1/2 cucumber (grated and squeezed to remove extra liquid)
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp chopped dill or mint or a combination.

Mix together!

Try #1 - June 2010
Delicious!!!

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

I saw this recipe in Prevention magazine (Apr. 2010) and decided to try it because it looked simpler (and maybe healthier?) than the recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. However, the recipe from Better Homes and Gardens was really good, so if this doesn't match up, I'll be returning to that one. :)

2 lbs all-purpose potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese (5 oz)
3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Set oven rack to top position.
2. Layer potatoes and cheese in a well-oiled 8in. x 8in. baking dish, ending with cheese on top. Season each potato layer with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
3. Pour in milk. Drizzle oil over potatoes and cheese.
4. Bake on top rack of oven until bubbly and golden, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Try #1 - March 31, 2010
This was good - definitely not as creamy as the BH&G recipe, but still good. I did, however, probably use almost double the amount of cheese it called for, so it was kind of greasy (but also delicious)... so not sure if it's actually any healthier than the creamy version. :) But it was definitely easier to make, so that's a plus. The fresh ground pepper also made it really good.

Chicken Marsala

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp dried marjoram, crushed
1/8 tsp salt
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (about 8 oz)
1/4 cup sliced green onions (2)
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry Marsala or dry sherry
Hot cooked pasta, such as angel hair or linguine (optional)

1. In a shallow bowl stir together flour, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Place each chicken breast half between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound chicken lightly to about 1/4 inch thick. Remove plastic wrap. Lightly coat chicken pieces on both sides with flour mixture, shake off excess.
2. In a large skillet cook mushrooms and green onion in 1 Tbsp hot butter over medium-high heat until tender; remove from skillet. In the same skillet cook chicken in the remaining 2 Tbsp hot butter for 5 to 6 minutes, turning to brown evenly.
3. Remove chicken from skillet. Return mushrooms and green onion to skillet. Carefully add broth and Marsala to skillet. Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Season sauce to taste with additional salt and pepper. To serve, spoon mixture over chicken. If desired, serve over pasta.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

Try #1 - June 7, 2010
Soooo good! Delicious flavors, and easy to make!
A few changes: I used 3 chicken breasts (fit perfectly in the skillet), one medium onion instead of green onions, and added a little parsley at the end.

Black Beans and Couscous

Yummy lunch! Abby liked it too!

Black beans
Frozen corn
Fresh cilantro
A little cumin
Whole wheat couscous
Avocado
Tomato
Plain Yogurt

Mix and heat beans, corn, cilantro, and cumin on the stovetop. Serve over couscous and top with avocado, tomato, and yogurt.

Salmon Patties

From allrecipes.com

1 (14.75 ounce) can canned salmon
1 egg
1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil

1.Drain and reserve liquid from salmon. Mix egg, onion, bread crumbs and salmon together.
2.Make into patties. If mixture is too dry to form into patties, add reserved liquid from salmon.
3.In a frying pan, heat olive oil. Place patties in pan. Brown on each side, turning gently. Drain on paper towels and serve.

Mango Salsa

I saw this on Food Network's "Ultimate Recipe Showdown," and it looked delicious! He served it with grilled shrimp and scallops. Also great with a mild white fish.

1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (Trader Joe's sells frozen pomegranate seeds)
1 medium mango, peeled and flesh diced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
2 scallions, green part only, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon diced Vidalia onion
10 mint leaves, chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon mirin*
Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper

*Note: If you don't have mirin (a sweet rice wine from Japan), you can just use dry sherry or sweet marsala. Or you can dissolve a small amount of sugar in a little white wine or sherry, perhaps a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar to 1/4 cup wine wine. Or, try apple juice.

Click for Full Recipe

Try #1 - March 28, 2010
Very fresh tasting, although a little too onion-y - I forgot to follow the directions about only including the green part of the scallions, and the "sweet" onion I used (yellow sweet onion) wasn't very sweet at all. I used marsala cooking wine instead of the mirin, and that was fine. I also used 1 1/2 limes instead of 2 - and next time I think one lime would be enough. And, since I didn't want to pay for fresh mint leaves, I used our dried crushed mint. The pomegranate seeds were fun but probably not absolutely necessary.

I served this with a white fish and brown rice. The white fish was totally tasteless, so this flavorful salsa was perfect with it. It was also really good with the brown rice.

Whole Grain Pancakes

From cooks.com

3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs, separated
3 Tbsp oil
1 3/4 cup milk

Blend the first 7 ingredients together. Whip egg whites until stiff. Blend together milk, oil and egg (yolks) together. Add to flour mixture, then fold in egg whites. Cook on greased griddle.

Try #1 - August 21, 2010
These were hearty pancakes. Not so fluffy, but definitely a "whole grain" flavor. Maybe not my favorite pancake of all time, but I'd make them again.

Tortilla Soup

From Nutrition Action, Jan/Feb 2010

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 chili peppers, more to taste, thinly sliced
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups corn, from 2-3 cobs or thawed from frozen
2 cups cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, cubed
1/4 red onion, diced
2 limes (1/2 lime for juice, 1 1/2 limes cut into 12 wedges)
1 cup cilantro leaves
2 oz. unsalted tortilla chips

In a large pot over high heat, bring the broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low. Gently simmer the chicken (well below a boil) until it's fully cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside. Stir the garlic, chilies, salt, and corn into the broth.

Gently toss together the tomatoes, avocado, onions, and juice of half the lime. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat, add it to the broth, and stir in the cilantro.

Garnish the soup with the avocado mixture and the chips. Serve with lime wedges. Makes 12 cups.

Note: For the most tender chicken, keep the burner low enough so that all you see are the occasional "lazy bubbles" gurgling up from the bottom of the pot.

Greek Lentil Stew

From Nutrition Action, Jan/Feb 2010

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
12 cloves garlic, minced
8 scallions, chopped
1 6oz. can tomato paste
1 tsp dried mint
1 tsp dried oregano
2 cups red lentils, rinsed and picked over
7 cups water
1 cup orange juice
8 sprigs dill, minced
6 oz. baby spinach
1 1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly squeezed lemon juice

In a large pot, heat the oil and saute the garlic and scallions for 2 minutes on medium heat. Add the tomato paste and dried herbs and cook, stirring often, for 2 more minutes.

Add the lentils, water, and orange juice and bring to a boil. Simmer until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes. Stir in the dill and spinach and simmer for another 2 minutes. Season with up to 1 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Makes 12 cups.

Note: If you use another kind of lentil, you may need to increase the cooking time.

Whole Wheat Waffles

This is a GREAT recipe - waffles turn out light and fluffy, and really flavorful. The whole wheat gives them a distinct (and delicious!) flavor.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda (omit if using regular milk)
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (if using regular milk, omit the baking soda)
1/3 cup melted butter or vegetable oil

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and butter or oil. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients, stirring just till combined.

Cook the waffles as directed in the instructions that came with your waffle iron.

(Adapted from King Arthur's Flour website)

Try #1 - March 20, 2010
DELICIOUS!!!! Light and fluffy! I used vegetable oil for the first go.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Quick dressing, serves 2-4:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
Dash of oregano
Even smaller dash of fresh ground pepper
Pinch of salt

Mix well, pour over salad greens.

Or toss with Baird pasta!

Italian Seasoning

2 tsp basil
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp marjoram
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp rosemary
2 tsp thyme

Mix together.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes (I used a beef roast)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon paprika
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth (I didn't have any beef broth, so I just used water)
1/2 cup red wine (I used 1/3 cup white cooking wine)
3 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped (didn't have any celery)

Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, wine, potatoes, carrots, and celery.

Cover, and cook on low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on high setting for 4 to 6 hours.

Source: Let's Eat!

Try #1 - March 15, 2010 (actually try #2 - I made this a couple of months ago)
1. I really like this recipe because the gravy makes itself in the crockpot!
2. When doing a big chunk of meat, the flour/salt/pepper (and maybe garlic and paprika) should be rubbed into the meat. All other ingredients can be poured around the base of the meat.
3. Peasant bread is a perfect addition to this meal - soaks up the juices nicely!

Cheese Pie

Another one of my favorite recipes from home. Sounds like breakfast, but we actually used to have it for dinner. Would also make a good lunch. Yummy comfort food. Thanks, Mom!

1/2 lb bacon, cooked
1 cup Swiss cheese
1/3 cup onion, chopped
2 cups milk
1 cup Bisquick
4 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Layer bacon, cheese, and onions in a pie pan.
2. Blend milk, Bisquick, eggs, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour into pie pan over bacon, cheese, and onions.
3. Bake in at 400 degrees (or a little less?) for about 30 minutes, or until pie is firm and beginning to brown on top.

Chicken Curry Salad

I made this for Abby's dedication picnic last summer, and don't remember where I got the recipe... but it was good!

2 quarts chicken breast, cooked and coarsely cut (2 1/2 to 3 lbs uncooked)
1 can (20 oz) water chestnuts, diced
2 lbs seedless grapes
2 cups celery, sliced
2-3 cups slivered almonds, toasted, divided
3 cups mayonnaise
1 Tbsp curry powder
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Boston or bib lettuce
1 can (1 lb 13 oz) pineapple chunks

Mix chicken with water chestnuts, grapes, celery, and add 1 1/2 to 2 cups almonds. In separate bowl, mix the mayo with curry powder, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Combine mayo and chicken mixture, chill for several hours. Spoon into nests of Boston or bibb lettuce. Sprinkle with remaining toasted almonds and garnish with pineapple chunks. Makes 12 generous servings.

Can also serve with warm naan.

Pork Chops with Onions and Apples

From allrecipes.com

2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 bone-in center cut pork chops (1 inch thick) (I used pork loin chops)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped (I used Granny Smith, unpeeled; second time I used Fuji)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar (probably only need 1 Tbsp, if any)

1. In a small bowl, combine the pepper, salt and garlic powder. Rub over pork chops. Grill chops, covered, over medium heat for 7-9 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F and juices run clear.
2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute onions and apples in butter until tender. Add brown sugar; cook until thickened and bubbly. Serve with the pork chops.

Try #1 - March 14, 2010
YUM YUM YUM! This recipe is a keeper! We served it with a side of butternut squash.

Notes:
1. The pork was nice and tender and juicy - it was a fairly fatty cut, so maybe that helped...
2. There was no "sauce" in the apples and onions after cooking them (not sure where it would come from - the butter? juices in the apple?), so there was no "thickening or bubbling" after adding the brown sugar... but that was not a problem at all. Still tasted great!

Try #2 - April 1, 2010
Still yum yum yum. Used a Fuji apple this time, and served with a side of brown rice and salad. I'm thinking the brown sugar isn't really necessary to add to the apples - the onions and apples are pretty sweet on their own.

Baked Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce

From Angela's blog

"A simple, but tasty dinner dish with lots of serving options. We chose pasta, but I think a crusty loaf would be better to soak up all the flavorful juices!" ~Angela

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (or 4 tsp dried parsley)
1 Tbsp minced fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried dill)
1 to 1 1/4 pounds medium sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (can leave tails on), thaw if frozen
Pinch of salt, more to taste
Pinch black pepper, more to taste
3 ounces feta cheese (about 2/3 cup, crumbled)

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.
2. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, reduce heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the juices thicken a bit.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in the herbs, shrimp, feta cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Place pan in oven and bake, uncovered, until shrimp are cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.

Serve immediately. Serve with crusty French or Italian loaf bread, pasta, or rice.

Try #1 - April 6, 2010
Very good, but really only enough for one night (maybe 1/2 a leftover). We served it with peasant bread. The flavors were good - next time I might add more feta (I used half a 6 oz container of Trader Joe's feta, next time I might just add the whole thing...). I used dried parsley and dill (that's all I had), but it would nice to try it with fresh parsley.

I'm also not sure if any of our skillets are oven-safe, so I transferred it to a glass baking dish before baking.

Sally Lunn Bread

"A sweet bread - makes yummy French toast!" ~Melissa


3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup sugar (can be reduced to 2 Tbsp)
1 1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
4 Tbsp butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp yeast

Bake on sweet or basic cycle, medium loaf, light crust setting.

Try #1 - March 12, 2010
Came out great, except the crust came out too dark. Next time I will bake it on the light crust setting. We used the bread for French toast, like Melissa suggested, and it was delicious!

Cilantro Cream Sauce

From Angela's blog

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon sour cream or plain yogurt
1 (7 ounce) can tomatillo salsa (regular salsa ok too)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon celery salt (regular salt ok too)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (about one cup)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (I used lemon juice)

Combine everything in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Place in a serving bowl.

Homemade Tortilla Chips

Great use for extra tortillas: make your own tortilla chips!

To fry:
1. Cut tortillas into triangles.
2. Fry in hot oil in skillet.
3. Take out, place on paper towel, pat excess oil off.
4. Add some salt, and voila!

To bake:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Brush vegetable or olive oil on both sides of triangle pieces (or spray both sides with cooking spray). Sprinkle with salt.
3. Arrange on cookie sheet, one layer thick, and bake for 6-7 minutes.

Black Beans with Cilantro

Had some extra cilantro (ok, a lot of extra cilantro) from making enchiladas last night, so decided to try a new twist on our old standby of beans and rice.

8 ounces dry black beans
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup frozen corn (optional)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (or more!)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
Brown rice

1. Rinse and soak beans overnight. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 hour, or until beans are soft.
2. Add onion and garlic, cook until softened.
3. Add corn if desired, cook for another 5 minutes or so.
4. Season with cilantro, cayenne pepper, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Serve over brown rice.

Note: These beans would go well as a side to chicken enchiladas.

(Adapted from allrecipes.com "Best Black Beans")

Homemade Flour Tortillas

From allrecipes.com

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons lard (can substitute butter, margarine, or vegetable shortening)
1 1/2 cups water

1. Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the lard with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
2. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly; flip and continue cooking about 10 seconds more. Place the cooked tortilla on a plate (or a tortilla warmer, if you have one); continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.

Try #1 - March 11, 2010
I meant to halve this recipe, but accidentally added the full amount of water, so I had to go back and add more of the other ingredients. The dough turned out fine anyway. I used butter and vegetable oil (about equal parts). Made 19 tortillas. It's fine to stack them up on a plate after taking them out of the skillet - I think it keeps them more pliable. Next time I really will halve the recipe - 10 tortillas is all I need for a meal (I'm making enchiladas tonight), and it's kind of a pain to roll out/cook the tortillas (smoky house!). It's easy enough to make the dough each time and just make what you need.

Also, I needed A LOT of extra flour to roll out the dough and keep it from sticking to my fingers, the rolling pin, and the rolling surface.

This little project reminded me of marathon tortilla making in Karaganda - good times! :)

Great use for extra tortillas: make your own tortilla chips!

Try #2 - June 17, 2010
Ran out of white flour, so ended up using about half whole wheat flour... turned out just fine! Still soft and delicious. Heat in between medium and medium-high works best - doesn't smoke up the house.

Try #3 - July 1, 2010
Used all whole wheat flour this time.

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup bread flour
2/3 tsp salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey (can be reduced to 3 Tbsp)
1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Bake on whole wheat cycle (5 hours in my machine), 1 pound loaf. (I did large setting the first time, will try medium next time. Also should bake on light crust setting, as medium turned out too dark.)

Source: allrecipes.com

Try #1 - March 8, 2010
I tweaked this recipe based reviewer comments, and the fact that I only had 1/4 cup bread flour left. :) We'll see how it turns out!

Update: FAIL!!
The bread didn't mix, because the paddle fell off! So, we woke up to a wonderful smelling house, but a disastrous looking "bread". Sadly we had to toss it. :( But, the delicious aroma makes me want to give it another go sometime in the future.



Try #2 - April 16, 2010
I'm so glad I tried this recipe again! This bread is delicious - tastes just like Franz's "Whole Wheat with Pockets of Honey" bread, in my opinion. The consistency and taste would make it a good sandwich bread.

To try to prevent the paddle from coming off again, I heated the honey for 30 seconds in the microwave (to make it less viscous) and mixed the warm water with it before adding it to the dry ingredients. Although I don't know if the honey was the cause of the failure last time (the paddle wasn't completely clean, which may have been the problem), I think I would do this again, since the bread came out great!

The only change I would make next time is to use the "light crust" setting - the crust turned out a little too dark.

Homemade Granola

This was really fun to make with Abby!

4 cups rolled oats, uncooked
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 - 1 cup nuts, chopped (could include sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, etc.)
1/4 cup honey, warmed to liquid
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dried fruit, if desired

Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.In a glass measure, warm honey until it is no longer viscous. Add oil and butter and stir.

Drizzle the honey mixture over the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Evenly spread the mixture on a large baking sheet. Bake until golden and crunchy, 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  (20 minutes works best for me - see notes below!)

Source: Let's Eat!

Note: Use leftover granola for peanut butter energy bites!

Try #1 - March 31, 2010
FAIL!!! I burned the granola! Luckily I halved the recipe this time, so it wasn't as much waste as it could've been... but maybe that's why it burned. 20 minutes was too long... next time maybe 15 minutes would do it. Note: Watch carefully! I was reading a story to Abby and relying on the timer... bad idea. :) Also, I just read on another blog that it might be a good idea to add the nuts a little later, so they toast but don't burn.

The fun part was that Abby was able to help!

Try #2 - April 7, 2010
This time I made the full recipe, and added some craisins we had in the pantry. It still didn't need the full time, however - 15 minutes is about right. (Well, to be fair, I did the first 6 minutes at 375 degrees by mistake, oops...). The granola was a little overdone, but not burned and certainly edible. The craisins were the most overdone - I would probably add them in later the next time. The walnuts seemed fine.

Try #3 - April 21, 2010
Perfection! Halved the recipe and used peanuts and flax seeds. Took just over 10 minutes. No burnt taste whatsoever!

Try #?? - June 10, 2012
I've made this recipe many many times, and yesterday I think it came out the best ever.  I think I finally got the right amount of time for baking it.  I have my new baby to thank, since I had to leave the granola alone to focus on her.  So, magic baking time: 10 minutes, then stir, then 10 more minutes = 20 minutes to perfect granola!

Also, here is a new photo of William, now about the same age (a little bit older) as Abby when I started making granola with her!

Try #?? - May 13, 2015
And here's my "baby" Lucy, making granola for the first time!

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (Bread Machine)

From www.recipezaar.com

1 3/8 cups whole wheat flour (3/8 cup = 6 Tbsp)
3/4 cup bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup water
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place ingredients in bread pan fitted with kneading paddle. Select Dough/Pizza Dough cycle. When completed, deflate dough and use to make your favorite pizza.

Try #1 - March 6, 2010
Placed ingredients in order listed in my bread maker manual - dry first, then wet, then yeast into yeast dispenser. Decided not to add Italian seasoning this time.

Dough came out great! Needed hardly any extra flour to roll it out. Turned out a funny shape, but baked and rose well. I didn't prebake the crust, and it turned out fine. I did it on 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Next time I think I will try adding the seasoning, to give the crust a little more flavor. A fairly thin crust (but not super thin), just the way we like it.

Try #2 - March 19, 2010
Added the Italian seasoning this time - definitely an improvement.

Pumpkin Enchiladas

From Angela's blog

½ rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded
6 scallions, thinly sliced
1 can black beans (or 1 ½ cups cooked)
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 cups pumpkin puree (or 1 15oz. can)
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeno chile, quartered (remove ribs and seeds for less heat, if desired)
1 tsp. chili powder
8 corn tortillas (6-inch) (I can usually get at least 10 tortillas filled)
1 ½ cup (6 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, beans and scallions. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.
2. In a blender, puree the pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 2 ½ cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper until smooth (hold the top firmly as the blender will be quite full).
3. Pour 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dish.
4. Lay the tortillas on a work surface; mound the chicken mixture on half of each tortillas, dividing evenly. Roll up each tortillas into a tight log; place seam side down over the sauce in the baking dish.
5. Pour the remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with the cheese. Place the dish on a baking sheet; bake until the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbling; 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Try #1 - November 7, 2010
This was pretty good. I made a few changes based on what I had - fresh pumpkin, regular onion instead of scallions (next time I would try to use scallions or else saute the onions a bit first - they didn't cook very much and were a bit too strong for my taste), 1/2 a green pepper instead of jalapeno, and 8 homemade flour tortillas. The pumpkin mixture was interesting - the spices changed it from sweet to savory. I did feel like something was missing though... I think the jalapeno (or diced green chiles) would definitely give it a good kick, and perhaps next time I would add cheese (or sour cream or yogurt) to the chicken filling.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cooked small chicken breasts, shredded (or the equivalent amount from a whole roasted chicken) - I used 3 large chicken breasts
1 4oz. can diced green chilies - I used a 7 ounce can
1 cup chunky salsa, divided
4 oz. cream cheese
1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup total Cheddar and Monteray Jack cheeses, divided
8-10 tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 350. Heat large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add chicken, green chilies, 1/4 cup of the salsa, cream cheese, cilantro and cumin; mix well. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese; mix well.
2. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture on each tortillas; roll up. Place, seam-side down, in 13x 9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining 3/4 cup salsa and remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
3. Bake 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

Source: Let's Eat!

Try #1 - March 11, 2010
YUMMY!!! I made my own tortillas, too, since I forgot to get them from the grocery store... so delicious! I will definitely be making this recipe again.

I shredded the chicken breasts this way: Boil chicken, let cool, cut breasts in half, then pull apart with your fingers.

Note: Black beans with cilantro would be good as a side to this dish.

Shrimp Spaghettini with Vegetables

From Whitney's blog

1/2 lb whole wheat spaghetti
Shrimp (about 20), thawed (rinse with cold water to thaw)
1 small head of fresh broccoli
1 carrot
2 stalks celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Olive oil & garlic salt

Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
Salt
Pepper
Dash of Italian seasoning
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk

Read all directions first - #1-3 kind of need to be started at the same time. Sauce can be done last (or started after everything else is well underway).

1. Cook spaghetti. Drain when done. Return to pot. Toss with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Set aside.
2. In skillet put butter, shrimp, onion, bell pepper, Italian seasonings and 1 Tbsp minced garlic. Cook until shrimp turns pink. Add to spaghetti noodles.
3. Meanwhile, steam broccoli, carrots and celery. When done, add to the pot with the spaghetti, shrimp and veggies.
4. To make sauce: Saute butter, garlic and spices (I just used the same pan that I steamed the veggies in). Add flour and salt, stir for about a minute. Slowly add milk over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Pour into pot with other ingredients and mix well.

Try #1 - March 5, 2010
Really creamy and delicious! I forgot to add salt, though, which it needed. We will definitely make this again!

Peasant Bread

"A yummy, moist, chewy white bread with a crispy crust!" ~Melissa

Our first ever foray into the art (or science?) of breadmaking, using my brand new birthday bread maker. DELICIOUS! Thanks for the recipe, Melissa!

3 cups bread flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup water
2 tsp yeast

Bake on basic cycle, medium loaf.

Vegetarian Moroccan Stew

Tried the Moroccan dish again tonight, with some significant changes:

3 russet potatoes, diced
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 carrots, cut in whatever shape you'd like
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup dried fruit (apricots and raisins)
2 cans garbanzo beans, drained
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk
1/2 cup orange juice
Salt to taste
Whole wheat couscous

1. Place potatoes and carrots in a large stockpot (I used our kazan). Add peppers and dried fruit. Add garbanzo beans. Drizzle soy sauce and sprinkle curry powder over beans; toss with beans until coated. Add coconut milk and orange juice around the edge of the pot, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Add salt to taste.
(Alternate: Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook 4-6 hours.)
2. Serve over cooked couscous.

Turkey Meatballs

I love meatballs... but I hate making them. They usually fall apart in the pan as I try to turn and brown them... so I usually don't bother. But, I found the secret to great, non-frustrating meatballs: the oven! Baking the meatballs is way easier, especially since we usually use ground turkey (which I think falls apart more easily in the skillet) instead of ground beef.

Here's a delicious meatball recipe (actually an adaptation of Shirley's 20-minute meatloaf recipe):

1 to 1 1/4 pound ground turkey (or beef)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 egg
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs (I like to use Italian style)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine ingredients, shape into meatballs. Bake on a cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes. (Note: I baked them for 15 minutes tonight, and it was too long. I'll go for less time next time.)