Robison Yum

Yes you should eat chocolate

2012-02-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

Read Dr Weil's article to enjoy dark chocolate guilt free

Jenny's Roasted Veggies

2012-02-23T13:23:00.002-07:00

I love these veggies! I can't get enough of them. I find myself making a special trip to the grocery store when I run out. So easy and, so healthy, and so yummy.

Ingredients:
Cauliflower chopped
Red Potatoes sliced
Tomatoes sliced
Cabbage (purple or green) chopped
Any other veggies you may want to roast.
Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Balsamic Vinegar OR cajun steak seasoning.
Olive Oil

Preheat Oven to 450
Toss veggies in olive oil and lay flat on pan
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, balsamic vinegar and lots of parmesan cheese.
Variation - instead of balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with cajun seasoning and parm cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes.

sweet-and-spicy mini meatloaves

2012-02-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

I made this tonight and we all really liked it. I served it with twice baked potatoes and green beans. This is a great recipe because it is healthier than regular meatloaf (half ground turkey plus wheat bread and carrots/onions) and because it cooks much quicker. I made 1 1/2 of this recipe and it fed the family plus leftovers.

2 slices whole wheat bread

1/2 small onion

1 medium carrot

1/2 lb lean ground turkey

1/2 lb lean ground beef

1 lg egg

1/2 tsp curry powder

salt and pepper

1 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp apricot jam

Preheat oven to 375. Pulse bread in food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl. Add onion and carrot to food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to the bowl. Add meats, egg, curry powder and salt and pepper. Mix by hand. Shape into 4 oblong meatloaves on a foil-lined baking sheet. Mix ketchup and jam in a small bowl and brush over the meatloaves. Bake until cooked through - about 20 minutes. (I baked for 25 just to be safe but don't overcook)

Best ever chocolate cake

2012-02-06T20:33:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe on Pinterest.
(I changed the coffee to orange juice with 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder added)

BLACK MAGIC CAKE (BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER!)

INGREDIENTS

- 1 3/4 c all purpose flour

- 2 c sugar

- 3/4 c cocoa powder

- 2 tsp baking soda

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1 tsp salt

- 2 eggs

- 1 c strong black coffee, cooled

- 1 c buttermilk

- 1/2 c vegetable oil

- 1 tsp real vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

- 1/2 c margarine, softened

- 2 oz melted unsweetened chocolate, cooled

- 3 c powdered sugar

- 3 Tbsp milk

- 2 tsp real vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer.

2. Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.

3. Beat at medium speed for two minutes. Batter will be thin.

4. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13 pan or two 9 inch cake pans.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes for a 9x13, or 30-35 minutes for layer pans.

6. Combine frosting ingredients and mix with a hand or stand mixer. Spread frosting on cooled cakes.

Soft Sugar Cookies w/ Almond Icing

2012-02-06T12:29:00.002-07:00

Very yummy but not so good for the diet. Don't over cook. They will be soft and delicious.

Cookies:

1-1/2 c sugar
1 c butter, softened
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract (or any other flavor)
4-1/2 c AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

Cream sugar, butter, and eggs until smooth. Add flavorings. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Once combined, add to wet ingredients until combined.

Chill dough for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 350.

Divide chilled dough in half. Roll out dough into a 1/4-inch thick circle. Using cookie cutters, cut out shapes and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Continue to roll out all dough until it has all been used (or eaten).

Bake 6-8 minutes. Let cool on pan for a few minutes to complete the cooking. Transfer to wire rack.

Cool completely before frosting.

Icing:

1/2 c butter, softened
3 c powdered sugar
1/4 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 – 1 tsp almond extract (or any other flavoring)

Beat all ingredients and keep firm but spreadable. Add more powdered sugar if needed.

S'mores popcorn

2012-02-05T10:42:00.004-07:00

I made this last night for the super bowl party today:

Ingredients:
1.5 bags of popped popcorn
half a box of golden grahams
half to 3/4 bag of mini marshmallows
1 bag of semi sweet chocolate ships (melted in the microwave)

Mix all the ingredients except the chocolate together.
Drizzle the chocolate over the mixture.
Wait for chocolate to harden.

YUM!
http://www.nestofposies-blog.com/2011/07/smores-popcorn.html

Chicken Taco Bowls

2012-02-02T15:10:00.001-07:00

This is the easiest recipe ever and it was a hit with the whole family. Yummy leftovers too.

Just dump the following in a crock pot and stir...

1 1/2 lbs chicken breast
2 cups salsa
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp taco seasoning (or cumin and chili powder)
1 can black beans, drained
1 clove garlic, minced

After 8 hrs on low shred chicken with 2 forks. It will just fall apart. Serve in a bowl over rice and top with grated cheese, cilantro, avocado and sour cream.

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

2012-01-24T17:59:00.001-07:00

This has a really yummy sweet and spicy sauce. I made it tonight and served it over brown rice. I think it's a keeper for sure. I would suggest organizing and cutting the vegetables before you start because this cooks quickly. I was chopping and stirring and finding ingredients all with a screaming Jack at my feet and it was no fun!

A delicious and colorful Chinese dish. Serve over rice on a large platter.

SAUCE:

1/2 c. ketchup
4 tsp. soya sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 c. chicken broth

THE REST:

2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 whole boneless chicken breasts, skinned & cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/4 c. oil
2 to 3 tbsp. minced fresh ginger root
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 sm. onion, chopped
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1 inch triangles
2 carrots, sliced diagonally & thinly
2 c. snow peas
1 1/2 c. cashews

Combine sauce ingredients and set aside. In a bowl, combine cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add chicken and toss. Heat wok or frying pan to highest heat. Add oil. Heat to hot, not smoking. Add chicken, ginger, garlic and onion. Stir until chicken is opaque. Add peppers and carrots. Stir 2 to 3 minutes. Add peas and sauce. Cook until it comes to a boil. Add cashews and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Taco Bar Carne Asada and Chipotle Turkey

2012-01-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

We had a double birthday gathering today and did a pot luck taco bar. I made two kinds of meat that turned out perfect. Here are the recipes:

Authentic Crock Pot Carne Asada
thanks to Cheeky Kitchen

ingredients:

1 (3-5 pound) cut of cheap beef
flap, london broil, flank or roast all work beautifully
1/2 cup limeade
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup oil
1 onion
4-5 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno
2 tablespoons Knorr Mexican beef boullion (granulated)
1 (7 ounce) can Embasa Salsa Verde Green
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder

directions:

Early in the morning, place your meat in a large crockpot. In a blender, combine limeade, vinegar, oil, onion, clovers, jalapeno, boullion, salsa, cumin, and chili powder. Blend until well pureed. Pour the sauce over your meat, making sure it's well coated (the meat doesn't have to be entirely submerged, just nicely coated with the sauce). Cover crockpot with a lid, and cook all day on low heat. After allowing the meat to cook 8-10 hours, shred the meat, then return it to the crockpot. Stir it in the pan juices and allow it to continue cooking until it's ready to be served. Spoon over corn tortillas, top with grated cheese, homemade salsa or pico de gallo, and sour cream. Es Muy Bien!

Chipotle Turkey Taco Filling
thanks to Rachel Ray

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast, the average weight of 1 package
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1 rounded tablespoons chili powder, a rounded palmful
Salt
1/2 cup water

Directions

In a small skillet preheated over medium high heat, add oil and turkey breast meat. Brown meat 2 or 3 minutes, then add onions and garlic. Cook onions and meat together for another 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in chipotles, chili powder and tomato sauce. Season your filling with salt to your taste. Stir 1/2 cup water into your filling. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until ready to serve.

Naughty black peppercorn currant sauce

2011-12-19T16:11:00.002-07:00

We serve this with our annual Christmas prime rib and the family loves it.
It's from Joelle's friend - Chef Doughty

1 can beef broth (low sodium, if possible)
1 can chicken broth (low sodium, if possible)
1 ½ cups dry white wine
2 cups heavy cream
1 ½ tablespoons very coarsely ground fresh pepper
¼ cup currants (or chopped raisins)
1 tablespoon cornstarch1 tablespoon water

In medium saucepan combine both broths and wine. Simmer over medium heat until the amount of liquid is reduced by half. Add cream and pepper and continue to simmer until mixture begins to thicken slightly. In small cup combine water and cornstarch and whisk into existing sauce. Continue to simmer for a minute or two and then remove from heat and add currants.

Turkey Meatballs

2011-12-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a recipe for one of our family favorites. All of the kids love these meatballs. I honestly have not followed the entire recipe. I make the meatballs as per the recipe but I make my own sauce by sautéing onions and garlic and adding canned tomatoes and italian spices. Then I puree it in the vitamix and pour it into a crock pot. I make it stretch by adding 1 or 2 jars of my favorite store bought spaghetti sauce. One other thing I change is I make the meatballs really big and bake them in the oven first for about 20 minutes then let them finish in the crock pot with the sauce.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic (4 smashed, 1 minced)
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 small piece parmesan rind (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound 93% lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for topping
1 slice stale whole-wheat bread, crust trimmed, bread chopped
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
12 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juice, 2 cups water, 1/4cup basil, the parmesan rind, if using, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes. Discard the parmesan rind, if used.

Chop the remaining 1/4cup basil, then mix with the turkey, parsley, bread, ricotta, parmesan, egg white, minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl using your hands. Form into 4 large or 12 small meatballs; add to the sauce and simmer, turning, until cooked through, 6 minutes for small meatballs and 12 minutes for large.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water as the label directs. Drain and return to the pot. Toss with some of the sauce, then divide among bowls. Top the spaghetti with the meatballs, the remaining sauce and more parsley and parmesan.

Per serving: Calories 547; Fat 9 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 46 mg; Sodium 938 mg; Carbohydrate 81 g; Fiber 15 g; Protein 41 g

Here's how Joelle modifies this recipe:

Bake the meatballs in the oven at 400 for about 20 minutes until done and slightly browned. While the meatballs are baking, make and cook the sauce on the stovetop, adding one or two extra cans of pre-made spagetti sauce, if desired. When the meatballs are done, combine with sauce in a crockpot and cook on low or high (depending on timing) until time to serve.

White bean spread

2011-12-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite snack.
(from Canadian Living's Family Cookbook)

2 Tbs olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
1 can (19 oz) white kidney beans
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbs tahini
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce

Mix all ingredients together until smooth in food processor or blender

Stir in and garnish with 3 Tbs chopped fresh coriander.

Now - here's how I made it last night:

left out the cumin
fresh lemon juice - so much better than bottled
didn't have fresh coriander

Yum!I love it with these crackers

La Panzanella - you can get them at Costco

The best window cleaner

2011-11-20T16:09:00.001-07:00

This is a different kind of recipe - and it works great.

Make a great all-purpose window cleaner by combining 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap or detergent, and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Shake to blend and spray on your windows!

From Care 2 make a difference

Chocolate cherry bombs

2011-11-16T12:12:00.001-07:00

This Jello recipe looks fun - I think I'll try it

WHAT YOU NEED
1/3 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Cherry Flavor Gelatin
1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk
2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped
14 maraschino cherries with stems, drained

MAKE IT
1 ADD boiling water to gelatin mix in medium bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved.
2 MICROWAVE evaporated milk and chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until chocolate is melted and mixture is blended, stirring each minute. Add to gelatin; whisk until blended.
3 POUR into 14 (3 oz.) paper cups sprayed with cooking spray. Refrigerate 15 min.4TOP with cherries, pressing in slightly to stick. Refrigerate 20 min. or until firm. Unmold to serve.

Perfect oatmeal

2011-11-15T15:59:00.001-07:00

I'm not an oatmeal fan - but I like this!

I just read today that it is highly alkaline - something heath experts are saying is very good. It also has omega-3 fatty acids as well as 109% of the daily value for manganese.

Perfect Oatmeal
(from WH Foods)

Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups water
dash salt
1 cup regular rolled oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 TBS flaxseeds
1 TBS blackstrap molasses
1 cup milk or dairy-free milk alternative

Directions:
Combine the water and salt in a small saucepan and turn the heat to high.When the water boils, turn the heat to low, add oatmeal, and cook, stirring, until the water is just absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add cinnamon, cranberries, walnuts, and flaxseeds. Stir, cover the pan, and turn off heat. Let set for 5 minutes. Serve with milk and molasses.Serves 2

More yummy tilapia - Balsamic baked

2011-11-12T17:49:00.001-07:00

Balsamic baked tilapia

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, halved and sliced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

2 (8 ounce) fillets tilapia fillets

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

4 cups mixed salad greens

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and red pepper in the oil until onion is tender and golden, and peppers are slightly soft, about 10 minutes. Stir balsamic vinegar into the vegetables; season with salt and pepper.
3.	Rub tilapia filets with 2 teaspoons olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place fillets in a small baking dish, and top with the balsamic onion mixture. Sprinkle fish evenly with blue cheese.
4.	Bake in preheated oven until fish flakes easily. Serve atop salad greens. From Allrecipes

Cauliflower Soup

2011-11-02T07:30:00.001-06:00

I made this last night and Reid loved it - so he posted the recipe. But I modified to make it lighter - I only used a few TBS of butter, just a drizzle of cream (didn't have half and half) and no sour cream at all. Also I only used 1 quart chicken broth because it seemed like too much liquid. It still tasted great!

Ingredients:
1 stick Butter, Divided
½ whole Onion, Finely Diced
1 whole Carrot Finely Diced
1 stalk Celery, Finely Diced
1 whole (to 2 Whole) Cauliflower Heads (roughly Chopped)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Or Dried Parsley (chopped)
2 quarts Low-sodium Chicken Broth Or Stock
6 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
2 cups Whole Milk
1 cup Half-and-half
2 teaspoons To 4 Teaspoons Salt, To Taste
1 cup (heaping) Sour Cream, Room Temperature

Preparation Instructions: In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.Serve immediately.

Homemade Ranch

2011-11-01T15:01:00.002-06:00

Store bought ranch is never as good as from scratch. Here is my made up recipe that always tastes super fresh, and it is much healthier too.

Ranch Dressing and Dip

3/4 Cups Sour Cream

3/4 Cups Mayo

1/4 Cup of purple onion (a chunk with the skin off)

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/2 Cup fresh herbs, such as cilantro, mint, dill, and/or parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Blend up in your blender until smooth. Do less lemon juice if you want to make it a dip.

Other things I have used to make up this recipe. Greek yogurt, or cream cheese in place of either the mayo or sour cream. A piece of a red bell pepper instead of the purple onion.

Yummy tilapia

2011-10-27T08:11:00.003-06:00

Reid and I are determined to eat healthier. We actually do quite well but we need to work even harder. We are getting kind of old and creaky :(

So I searched tilapia recipes on Allrecipes (my favorite food site). I picked this one and modified to match the ingredients I had on hand. It was delicious!

Here's the original link

Easy Tilapia

Rated:

Submitted By: Elizabeth

Photo By: jocemalyn

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ready In: 30 Minutes

Servings: 2

"This is a delicious fish dish made with capers, tomatoes, butter, and white wine. This recipe uses tilapia fillets, but goes great with any type of fish you like."

INGREDIENTS:

2 (3 ounce) fillets tilapia fillets

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 lemon, halved

1/2 cup white wine

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

3 tablespoons capers

1 cup asparagus spears, trimmed and cut

in half

3 tablespoons butter (I left this out)

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Drizzle fillets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place fillets in skillet and sprinkle with half of the lemon over. Cook for 3 minutes per side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Transfer fillets to a plate, and keep warm.
2.	Add wine, remaining 1/2 lemon, tomatoes, capers, and salt and pepper to the skillet. Increase heat to medium high and boil for 2 minutes to burn off alcohol. Reduce heat to low and return fillets to the pan along with the asparagus. Cover and simmer 2 minutes more, then transfer fish and asparagus to a serving dish and keep warm.
3.	Again, increase heat to medium high and whisk in butter, and boil to desired consistency. Spoon sauce over fish, and serve.

My changes:

I DIDN'T USE THE BUTTER - WHY WOULD YOU NEED THAT EXTRA FAT????

Also, I didn't have capers or asparagus so I left them out. I put in some chopped fresh basil for extra flavor and served the fish with a half of one of my garden's huge Hubbard squashes - cooked in the microwave with a little butter and brown sugar. Yum!

Halloween Cookies

2011-10-19T16:34:00.003-06:00

I make these two cookie recipes every Halloween.

Kind of Scary - Finger Cookies
(original recipe from Canadian Living)

1 cup butter softened

1 cup icing sugar

1 egg

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla

2 ¾ cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt (I cut this to 1/4 tsp)

¾ cup whole blanched almonds (or ½ cup sliced almonds)

1 tube red decorator gel

In a bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond extractand vanilla. Beat in flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in food coloring ifdesired. (For a flesh color add about 2 drops red, 1 drop yellow and just atrace of green. It’s also fun to make the fingers green).
Cover dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 325. Lightly grease baking sheets.
Working with 1 quarter of the dough at a time, roll aheaping teaspoon into a finger shape. Press almond firmly into 1 end for anail. Press in center to create a knuckle shape. Make slashes to form knuckle(the tip of a peeler works well).
Bake 20-25 minutes or until they just start to brown. Letcool for 3 minutes.
Lift up almond, squeeze red decorator gel unto nail bed andpress almond back into place, so gel oozes out from underneath. Let cool onracks.
Makes about 60 cookies.

Peppery Ginger Spiderwebs (be brave - these taste fabulous)

(original recipe from Martha Stewart)

6 cups flour

1 tsp soda

½ tsp baking soda

½ lb butter

4 tsp ginger

4 tsp cinnamon

1 cup brown sugar

1 ½ tsp cloves

1 tsp pepper

½ tsp salt

2 lg eggs

1 ½ cups molasses

Whisk together flour, soda, and baking soda. Mix butter andsugar until fluffy. Mix in ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and salt. Beat ineggs and molasses. Add flour and mix to combine. Chill 1 hour. Roll ¼ inchthink. Bake 350 for 8-10 minutes. Decorate as desired.

To make Halloween spiderwebs pipe white frosting in a spiralthen pull a toothpick through the frosting from center out to edge 5 times like5 spokes on a wheel.

Chocolate covered cherry cookies

2011-10-17T17:51:00.003-06:00

I made these Sunday and they were a huge hit.
(from allrecipes.com)

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

Rated:

Submitted By: Barbara Hart

Photo By: SHARRYN

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Ready In: 30 Minutes

Servings: 15

"My five brothers and I lost our mother when we were young, so we started cooking at an early age. Being successful in the kitchen is easy with tried-and-true recipes like this."

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, 1/4 teaspoon salt, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture.
2.	Drain cherries, reserving 1-1/2 teaspoons juice. Pat cherries dry. Shape 1 tablespoon of dough around each cherry. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on wire racks.
3.	For frosting, in a saucepan, heat chocolate chips and milk until chips are melted; stir until smooth. Remove from the heat. Add reserved cherry juice and remaining salt. Frost cookies.

A few modifications:

I didn't have any sweetened condensed milk so I used half and half. The frosting was a little runny - so when I do it again I'll cut back the amount a little. Also added some almond extract to the dough.
And I didn't put cherries on the top.

Here's a picture of mine:

A hot cocoa find

2011-10-14T15:03:00.001-06:00

Chewy the cat, is showing you our new find from Costco - Starbucks Hot Cocoa Classic.

I'm extremely picky about chocolate flavors and I love this one.

Most sweetened cocoa mixes are way too sweet for me. This one is just about perfect. However, I do cut back slightly on the recommended 2 tablespoons of cocoa mix and I add a small spoonful of my Sharffen Berger cocoa.

It's quite dark so if you like it more like milk chocolate, just add less cocoa mix.

Starbucks caramel apple cider

2011-10-14T14:56:00.002-06:00

The perfect warm drink for fall days - and it's so simple!

Just warm up apple cider or juice. If desired, spice it up with cinnamon and cloves (or cinnamon syrup). Then squirt whipped cream on the top and drizzle with caramel syrup.

This is almost as good as my hot cocoa (but not quite).

Pumpkin Cake

2011-10-14T14:46:00.000-06:00

I made this on the weekend - soooo good!

It's nice and moist and uses oil rather than butter - making it slightly healthier.

I sprinkled it with powdered sugar instead of frosting and served it with good quality vanilla ice cream (Tillamook Old Fashioned Vanilla) and caramel sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups white sugar

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups canned pumpkin

4 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 12x18 inch pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
2.	In a large bowl combine sugar and oil. Blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread batter into prepared 12x18 inch pan.
3.	Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Simple squash soup

2011-10-14T14:38:00.000-06:00

I made this recipe (from Lisa) yesterday and it is incredibly simple and absolutely delicious!

Butternut Squash Soup

Prep Time:: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time:: --
Cook Time:: 40 min

Level:: Intermediate

Serves:: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 (2 to 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
Nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Serve.

Apple cake squares

2011-10-07T08:30:00.000-06:00

I'm loving the fresh fall apples right now.

I just might have to try this recipe tonight:

It's from Dr Weil's newsletter

Apple Cake Squares

Description

The bonus of this cake is that it's fast to make. It's a moist cake with a mellow cinnamon-apple taste. You can serve it for dessert or you can wrap slices up to take to school or to the office.Food as MedicineIn large studies conducted in the United Kingdom, Finland and the Netherlands, eating at least two apples per week was found to lower incidence of asthma and type 2 diabetes, and promote overall lung health. Apples' protective effects are likely due to their high concentration of anti-inflammatory flavonoids such as quercitin and catechin.

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons softened butter or Spectrum Spread
2 eggs
2 cups apples, peeled, cored, finely shredded
1/4 cup finely chopped dates
1/4cup confectioners' sugar

GARNISH (Optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix the flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl and stir thoroughly.
Cream the sugar and butter together in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs and whisk until smooth. Stir in the shredded apples and dates until they are completely distributed throughout.
Slowly stir in the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly into the batter.
Spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, or grease it with 1/4 teaspoon of butter and pour in the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes.
Put the confectioners' sugar in a sifter and dust it over the cooled cake a few times until all the sugar is gone. If you want to garnish, mix the walnuts with the maple syrup and drizzle over individual serving plates. Cut the Apple Cake into 9 squares and arrange each one on top of a decorated plate and serve.

Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

2011-09-28T08:53:00.001-06:00

I made 2 loaves of this yesterday and it is great! Next time I will play around w/ the proportions and try more whole wheat flour and see what happens.

1 package (2 1/4 tsp.) yeast

2 T. unsulpured molasses

1 T. honey

2 cups warm water

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1 cup rolled oats

4 T. butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 1/4 tsp. salt

in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cups warm water, the yeast, molasses and honey. stir briefly, and then allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes. add the flours, oats, and butter, and stir to mix (i used a whisk). the dough will look rough and shaggy. cover with a towel, and let stand for 30 minutes.

attach the bowl and bread hook to the mixer. add the salt, and mix on medium speed for 6 minutes. the dough should come together around the hook and slap around the sides of the bowl without sticking. (sprinkle 1-2 more tablespoons of flour down the sides of the bowl if dough is sticking.)

place dough in a greased bowl and let rise 1 hour. when dough has doubled in size, shape it in your hands and place in a greased loaf pan, seam side down, and press it gently into the corners of the pan. cover with a towel, and let rise again for about 1 hour. while it's rising preheat oven to 400 degrees. when dough has finished its second rise, bake for about 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. the loaf is ready when top and bottom crusts are nicely browned, and sounds hollow when thumped on top. remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting, so that the crumb has time to set.

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

2011-09-27T12:24:00.001-06:00

I made this yesterday and it was YUMMY!! Very moist and lemony but not too sweet.

For the Loaf:

1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed

For the Lemon Syrup:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar

For the Lemon Glaze:

1 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.
Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.
To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Yields: 1-9x5 loaf

Note:

This recipe will also yield about 12 standard muffins or 36 miniature muffins, baking time adjusted.
It could be doubled and baked in a well-greased and floured bundt pan, baking time adjusted.
This recipe could also be baked in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round, to create a thin cake (approx. 1 1/2 inches tall), baking time adjusted.

Bran flax seed muffins

2011-09-24T09:40:00.000-06:00

(from allrecipes.com)

These taste fantastic and they get wonderfully nutritious flax seed into our bodies.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup ground flax seed
3/4 cup oat bran
1 cup brown sugar (I cut way back on this - to about 1/2 cup and I added an extra egg)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup skim milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups shredded carrots
2 apples, peeled, shredded
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup chopped mixed nuts

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, flax seed, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the milk, eggs, vanilla and oil; mix until just blended. Stir in the carrots, apples, raisins and nuts. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.
3. Bake at 350 F (175 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Gingerbread in the fall - perfect!

2011-09-23T08:46:00.000-06:00

It's fall.

The air feels clean and cool this morning.

And I found a gingerbread cake recipe in my email - perfect!

Grandmother’s Soft Gingerbread Cake
(Serves twelve to sixteen)
from Daily Candy

Ingredients for the cake:

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. sugar
1 c. dark molasses
1 c. vegetable oil
3 lg. eggs 1 c. boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and lightly flour a 9-inch-round springform baking pan.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon.
3. In a mixing bowl with electric beaters (or by hand with a whisk), beat together the sugar, molasses, oil, and eggs until well blended and smooth, 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until blended, scraping the bowl once or twice.
5. Add the boiling water and beat just until smooth. The batter should be thin. Don’t overmix or the cake will be tough.
6. Pour batter into the prepared pan and place on a baking sheet to catch drips.
7. Bake in the center of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 50-55 minutes.
8. Let cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before removing the pan sides.

For the whipped cream:

1 c. heavy cream
2 tsp. sugar½ tsp.
vanilla extract
Freshly grated nutmeg

1. In a mixing bowl with electric beaters (or by hand with a whisk), whip together the cream, sugar, and vanilla till soft peaks form.
2. Cut the cake into wedges. Transfer to dessert plates and put a dollop of whipped cream and a few sprinkles of nutmeg on top.

Adapted from The Cakebread Cellars American Harvest Cookbook, available online at amazon.com, $23.

Stuffed Peppers

2011-09-16T17:15:00.002-06:00

I used to make these all the time for Grandma (Barbara). I forgot all about them until Jeane brought over some gorgeous huge peppers from the farmer's market. They were a huge hit and the kids asked why we don't have these more often. (I doubled this and it was plenty for our family plus leftovers for the next day).

2 large green peppers
3/4 lb ground beef
1/3 cup chopped onion
7.5 oz can petit diced tomatoes (small can)
1/3 cup uncooked rice
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Halve peppers lengthwise, removing stem ends, seeds and membranes. Immerse peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes. Sprinkle insides with salt and invert on paper towels to drain well.

In a skillet cook meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain fat. Stir in undrained tomatoes, uncooked rice, worcestershire, basil, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15-18 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in 1/4 cup of the cheese. Fill peppers with meat mixture. Place in a baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

*This can be frozen in individual servings.

Easy Yummy Beef Stroganoff

2011-09-16T17:00:00.000-06:00

We have very crazy Sunday mornings now. John has High Council meetings starting very early and a lot of Sundays I have early meetings too. This is a "just throw it all in and let it cook" recipe that I thought would be worth a try. I am used to browning meat first so I was skeptical. After letting it cook all day the meat was very tender and the flavor was great. Definitely a keeper.

2-3 pounds stew meat (or a 3-pound chuck roast, cubed)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 medium yellow onion, diced

¼ teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ cups beef broth or stock

1 tablespoon ketchup

1/3 cup flour

6-7 tablespoons apple juice or water

4-8 ounces sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup light or regular sour cream

Place the stew meat, salt, pepper and onion in the slow cooker. Stir to distribute the seasonings and onion. In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, Worcestershrie sauce, beef broth and ketchup. Pour over the meat. Cook for 7-9 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. About 30 minutes before serving, combine the flour and apple juice in a small bowl, whisking vigorously to combine well. The roux should be thick but still pourable so add a tablespoon of apple juice or water at a time to thin, if needed. Pour the flour mixture into the slow cooker, whisking quickly to mix in the roux with the stew meat and juices and to avoid lumps. Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir in ½ cup sour cream right before serving. Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes.

*Freezable Meal: The leftovers of the stroganoff can be frozen. I store the leftovers in a freezer-safe container and then thaw in the refrigerator (usually takes about a day) and reheat over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

Two olive oil cakes

2011-09-16T08:12:00.000-06:00

I just read my email from Daily Tip from Dr Weil. It has a recipe for lemon olive oil cake.

I like the idea of using healthy olive oil rather than butter - but how will it taste?

Then I remembered that my son and daughter in la, Reid and Lisa, make a delicious walnut olive oil cake. So I'll share both.

(Someone try the lemon cake and let us know how it tastes.)

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Description

A True Food Kitchen restaurant exclusive! While you might be hesitant to use olive oil in a dessert recipe, such fears are groundless. Olive oil gives this cake a unique flavor and richness that is balanced out by a little sweetness and the light freshness of lemons. Hesitate no more!

Watch a video with chef Michael Stebner:How to Make Lemon Olive Oil Cake.

Food as Medicine
Compounds known as limonins in the cells of citrus fruits have been shown to help reduce the risk of cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon.

Ingredients

4 lemons, zested and juiced
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 eggs
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups evaporated cane sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder

Instructions

Combine zest, juice and olive oil in a small bowl.
In the mixer combine eggs & salt. Mix on medium for 2 minutes. Slowly add the sugar and continue to mix until pale and thickened.
Turn mixer to low and slowly sift in the flour and baking powder, followed by the olive oil mixture. Do not over mix at this point; just incorporate the ingredients.
Pour this mixture into a cake pan or muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes for cupcakes and 35 minutes for large cakes. Poke with a toothpick to check for doneness.
Serve with Greek yogurt and fresh strawberries.

Walnut Orange Cake

(great with chocolate gelato)

1 ½ C chopped walnuts
1 C all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
4 eggs
1 ½ sugar
grated zest and juice of 1 orange (about ½ C juice)
½ olive oil
powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat to 350 degrees. Spray 9 inch spring form pan with oil
Place the walnuts in a food processor and process until finely ground, almost to the consistency of bread crumbs. In a bowl, combine the ground walnuts, flour, and baking powder.
Place the eggs in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until frothy. Slowly add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light, thick, and lemon colored. Slowly add the walnut-flour mixture, beating continuously. Then, with the mixer on low speed, add the orange zest and juice and the loive oil and mix until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-60 min. Se the pan on a rack to cool.
Remove the pan sides and transfer the cake to a transportable serving platter. Dust the top with powdered sugar, creating a decorative pattern if desired. Serve at room temp, cut into wedges.

Jer's favorite pizza

2011-09-14T22:35:00.002-06:00

He got it in Las Vegas.

Just look at all that basil - yum!

Healthy yummy cabbage soup

2011-09-14T15:20:00.001-06:00

I made this for lunch yesterday and we had it again today - it was that good!

Country Cabbage Soup (from allrecipes)

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds ground beef
2 (28 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 medium head cabbage, shredded
2 large onions, chopped
6 celery ribs, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the tomatoes, cabbage, onions and celery; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper.

I added some fresh Kale from my garden to make it even healthier.

Birthdays are fun

2011-09-13T17:35:00.001-06:00

This is such a cute pictures of Henry (or is it James? - they are identical twins) helping Dad and Sister blow out candles on their birthday cake. I just had to share it.

Chocolate and potatoes are good for you?!

2011-09-08T07:42:00.003-06:00

I know - they probably weren't talking about potato chips.

This is from Dr Weil's Weekly Bulletin:

Chocolate and Your Heart
The latest news about chocolate is encouraging: an analysis of several studies involving data on more than 100,000 people suggested that those who reported eating chocolate regularly lowered their risk of heart disease by more than one-third. That may be cause for celebration among chocolaholics, but of course, there's a catch to it: the studies involved were all observational - that is, they all looked at chocolate consumption and health as reported by participants. The analysis didn't directly compare those who ate a set amount of chocolate per week with those who consumed a placebo (in this case, a chocolate look-alike and taste-alike), as would be required in a clinical trial to investigate chocolate's effects on the heart. What's more, the studies included reports of consuming chocolate in all its forms - dark, milk, in drinks, cookies and desserts. And it didn't specify how much chocolate study participants ate. Still, if the analysis has any merit, people who eat lots of chocolate regularly may find that they have healthier hearts than those who don't. The analysis, from England's University of Cambridge, was published August 29 in BMJ online.

My take? Chocolate is a source of polyphenols (the same type of antioxidants found in red wine). Stearic acid, the fat it contains, doesn't affect cholesterol levels, and studies have shown that flavonoids in dark chocolate help reduce the stickiness of platelets, cells that play an important role in blood clotting. As a result, blood takes longer to clot, reducing the danger of coronary artery blockages. Chocolate's polyphenols also appear to boost levels of HDL (the "good" cholesterol) and lower LDL (the "bad" cholesterol), at least in the lab. I recommend consuming good-quality dark chocolate that is at least 70 percent cocoa as a healthy snack, as long as you don't go overboard. An ounce or two a few times a week is good for you.

Eating Potatoes Can Help Lower Blood Pressure
Of course, the potatoes in question can't be French fries or chips or loaded with butter, cheese or all the other high calorie trimmings that sometimes come with spuds. But if you're partial to potatoes and enjoy eating them steamed or boiled, in moderation, they could be good for your blood pressure, even if you're already taking medication for hypertension. Researchers performing a small study (only 18 participants, mostly overweight or obese) at the University of Scranton reported the results of eating six to eight purple potatoes twice a day. After a month, average diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) among the study group dropped 4.3 percent while average systolic pressure (the top number) fell 3.5 percent. Researcher Joe Vinson, Ph.D., noted that plain potatoes are not particularly fattening (a single one contains about 110 calories), and they're loaded with beneficial phytonutrients, which may be responsible for the blood-pressure lowering effect seen in his study. In a statement he noted that earlier research showed that potatoes contain a substance similar to ACE inhibitors, a group of blood pressure drugs.

Peanut butter ice cream topping

2011-08-26T11:40:00.000-06:00

This is good!

It's from Karma Farrer - a fellow West Indies missionary.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Topping

(yield: 2 3/4 cups)

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 Tablespoons butter or margarine

pinch salt
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup evaporated milk

Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt in 1½ qt. microwavable baking dish.
Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes or until mixture boils, stirring twice. Add
peanut butter; stir until smooth. Stir in evaporated milk. Serve warm over ice cream.
Cover and store in refrigerator. Reheat in microwave.

Note: Can use creamy peanut butter and add peanuts, or use chunky peanut butter and
you may not want additional peanuts. In place of corn syrup in Trinidad, you could use
Gold Syrup. This can also be used as a sauce for cake or other desserts.

5 beauty-juice drinks

2011-08-26T06:35:00.000-06:00

This is to balance out all the chocolate recipes I've been posting lately.

From today's Daily Candy email:

Super Eight
Loaded with chlorophyll, enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids, the veggies-only juice is a serious feast.
1 kale leaf
1 collard leaf
1 celery stalk
1 carrot
½ red pepper
1 tomato
1 broccoli floret
1 handful parsley

Brighten Up
Do away with dull skin glass by antioxidant-packed glass.
4 carrots
1 handful parsley
1 handful spinach
½ apple

All Clear
Calm irritated skin with a swig of a bromelain-rich, anti-inflammatory cooler.
1 c. pineapple
½ cucumber
½ apple

Beat the Sweets
Stave off the sugar munchies with a satisfying sip packed with vitamin C and a little zing.
4 carrots
½ apple
Ginger to taste

Mrs. Clean
The fruit-and-veg liquid powerhouse not only flushes toxins from your system but curbs salt cravings as well. Pick the variation that’s right for you based on your personal taste and experience in the juicing department.

Level One
4 celery stalks
1/3 cucumber
1 bunch parsley
1 apple
1 lemon
Ginger to taste

Level Two
4 celery stalks
1 bunch parsley
2 handfuls spinach
2 carrots
1 apple
1 bunch cilantro
1 lemon
Ginger to taste

Level Three
4 celery stalks
1 bunch parsley
2 handfuls spinach
1/3 cucumber
2 carrots
1 beet
1 kale leaf
1 lemon
Ginger to taste

Let me know if you try any of these

Chocolate German pancakes

2011-08-23T16:12:00.002-06:00

We've been making what we call "German Pancakes" in our family forever - and I just now found out they're also known as Dutch babies.

Here's our original recipe:

German Pancakes

1 cup milk
1 cup flour
6 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 Tbs butter.

Mix all ingredients except for butter in blender. Preheat oven to 450. Put butter in a glass pie pan or casserole dish and put in oven until butter melts. Then pour in batter and bake until it puffs up and is golden - 15-20 minutes. We like to drizzle it with fresh lemon juice and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Now here's the chocolate version from marthastewart.com

Chocolate Dutch Baby

3/4 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a blender, combine milk, eggs, flour, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, and granulated sugar. Blend until foamy, 1 minute. In a large cast-iron skillet (I think a glass dish would work), melt butter over medium. Pour batter into skillet and immediately transfer to oven. Bake until puffed and set, 20 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.

Someone try this and let me know how it tastes!

Ok - I tried this recipe and it's delicious.

Here's my pictures:

5 minute ice cream

2011-08-21T17:42:00.000-06:00

Yes really!

And it is the best ice cream ever!

You can get the recipe and see a video here.

You need a good strong blender like a vitamix. Just add a package of frozen fruit (12-14 oz), 1/2 cup or less of sugar, and 2/3 cup cream, yogurt, coconut milk or soy milk (I'm going to try out skim milk soon). Then just blend until relatively smooth. It will be soft serve but you can freeze it for a few hours if you like firmer ice cream.

Here's the flavors we've tried:

Mango - fabulous (reminds me of the 4 mango trees we had in our yard during our mission)

Cherry with a drop of almond extract - my husbands absolute favorite. It's unbelievable with hot fudge sauce - tastes like a chocolate covered cherry.

Apricot - cream is great and I tried using plain yogurt and less sugar to make it tart. Loved it!

Chocolate banana - delicious. I just added 3 TBS of good quality cocoa powder.

That's all for now but I have fresh pineapple chunks in the freezer to try that flavor next.

Caprese parfaits

2011-08-20T13:03:00.001-06:00

Isn't this a wonderful idea?

It's from one of my favorite food blogs: Apron Strings

Caprese Parfaits

A pint or so of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
A cup or so of basil, chiffonaded
16 ounces or so of fresh mozzarella, sliced and then cut into wedges
1/2 cup or so prepared pesto (optional; also fine with olive oil alone)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

If you’re using the pesto, add a few tablespoons of olive oil to make it more pourable. Aside from that, my only advice is to layer in the order of tomatoes – mozzarella – basil and then drizzle a bit of pesto, if using. If not, this is where a touch of olive oil comes in for each layer. Repeat until glasses are full. Top with the prettiest tendrils of your chiffonade.

Turmeric - the spice that may prevent Alzheimers

2011-08-19T11:25:00.006-06:00

This article caught my eye today. I think we need to use more Turmeric (curcumin).

A few quotes:

In India, the smell of turmeric, the bright yellow spice used in curries, fills almost every restaurant and home. Indians eat turmeric because they like it, but rapidly growing evidence indicates that the spice is giving them much more than flavor. Thousands of years ago, Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine recognized turmeric as a healing agent for everything from flatulence to liver disease. Now research demonstrates that properties of this zesty spice may be useful for lowering rates of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers, and also for treating breast cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease and possibly cystic fibrosis. But even newer and especially exciting research concerns the relationship between turmeric and Alzheimer’s disease.

There is yet more good news about curcumin’s power to prevent and even fight Alzheimer’s disease. Elevated cholesterol is thought to be involved in the development of Alzheimer’s—and studies demonstrate that curcumin reduces cholesterol. In one study, healthy volunteers took 500 mg of curcumin supplements every day for one week. Result: Reduced levels of total cholesterol and also lipid peroxides (markers of free radical damage to fats).

I encourage all my patients, especially those over age 50, to consume one or two teaspoons a day of turmeric.

How to use Turmeric?
Curry is the most popular use. I'll search out some recipes

I just found this Time Magazine article: Can Turmeric Relieve Pain? One Doctor's Opinion

Bottom line? Yes it works.

Fat free, low cal salad dressing

2011-08-19T09:11:00.000-06:00

Heres a recipe for salad dressing from my Dr Weil newsletter today.

Someone try it out and let us know if it is good.

Tomato Red Pepper Salad Dressing

Description
This rosy, zesty salad dressing is great on a bed of leafy greens, sliced cucumbers and fresh mozzarella cheese. It is virtually fat free and therefore very low in calories. It also keeps well in the refrigerator for at least a week.

Ingredients
1 small (6 ounce) can of tomato paste
1 whole roasted red pepper or pimento from a jar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil

Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender container. Blend until well mixed.

Almost instant molten chocolate cake

2011-08-17T20:42:00.010-06:00

You can make a warm chocolate cake in less than 5 mins and only mess up one small dish - yes!

Whisk 1/4 cup flour, 5 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons milk, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and a dash each of vanilla extract and salt in a large mug until smooth. Microwave until puffed, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with more cocoa powder. (From Food Network Magazine, April 2011, p.93)

Yay Reid for posting this!

He and Jamie were painting the exercise room and I wanted to make them a treat. I had just reorganized my magazine clippings into a file and came across this very quick and easy warm chocolate cake. I doubled the recipe and it made enough for all three of us.

Diane

PS - I've heard you can add some chocolate chips or a spoon full of peanut butter to the middle of the cake, before microwaving. Maybe you could try it with a mini version of your favorite chocolate bar (Mounds in the middle....yummy).

Yes Joelle - it's delicious! Using good quality cocoa of course (Sharffen Berger for me). Watch that you don't over cook it. Mine was a tiny bit too firm.

Spicy beanburgers

2011-08-17T08:49:00.001-06:00

Someone try this recipe from the Boden blog - and let us know how it tastes.

Serves 2
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 small, hot red chilli, finely chopped
100g (4oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 x 400g (14oz) tin cannellini beans
50g (2oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chopped
Fresh coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve
Burger buns
Salad
Herby low-fat yoghurt
Dressing

Step one
Heat the oil in a small pan and cook the onion, garlic and chilli for 5 minutes until softened. Squeeze the excess moisture out of the spinach and place in a large bowl. (To get the maximum amount of water out of the spinach, place it in a tea towel and twist into a tight ball.)

Step two
Mash the beans well and mix them with the spinach, breadcrumbs, cumin and coriander. Add the onion mixture and mix well. Season to taste and with slightly wet hands, shape into 4 round burgers and pat them dry with kitchen paper.

Step three
Grill, or spray with oil and shallow fry, for a few minutes on each side until crisp and golden. Serve in burger buns, served with salad and low-fat yoghurt mixed with fresh chopped herbs, if liked.

Double quick dinner rolls and buns

2011-08-15T18:51:00.001-06:00

I've had this little cookbook for about 35 years. The price sticker says $2.50! It has some great bread recipes.

One of my favorite recipes from the book is:

Double Quick Dinner Rolls (and buns)

I was also able to find the recipe on the Betty Crocker website

2 1/4 cups all-purpose or unbleached flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package regular or quick active dry yeast
1 cup very warm water (120°F to 130°F)
2 tablespoons shortening (I use oil)
1 egg

Mix 1 1/4 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast in large bowl. Add water, shortening and egg; beat with spoon until smooth. Stir in remaining flour until smooth. Scrape batter from side of bowl. Cover and let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until double.

Grease 12 regular-size muffin cups. Stir down batter by beating about 25 strokes. Spoon into muffin cups. Let rise 20 to 30 minutes or until batter rounds over tops of cups.

Heat oven to 400ºF. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Hamburger buns variation

Increase flour to 2 3/4 cups. After stirring down batter, turn unto floured surface. Divide into 12 equal parts (24 for slider buns). Shape each part into a smooth ball with lightly greased fingers. Place about 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet. Beat 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water slightly; brush over buns. Sprinkle with finely chopped onion, sesame seed, or poppy seed (egg wash and topping is optional). Bake as directed for rolls.

Also be sure to see our recipes for Well done burgers done well and Burger sauce.

Best Burger Sauce

2011-08-15T18:31:00.001-06:00

This recipe is from Allrecipes - my favorite online recipe website.

Jeremy made this sauce for our Sunday night slider bar.

Best Burger Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon white vinegar
hot sauce to taste
seasoned pepper to taste

1. Whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, onion, garlic, and vinegar in a bowl. Season with hot sauce and seasoned pepper to taste. Cover and chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Also see our recipes for Well done burgers done well and Double quick dinner rolls and buns.

Well done burgers, done well

2011-08-15T18:27:00.001-06:00

Our Sunday dinner this week was a success - I created a slider bar with beef burgers, veggie patties, crab cakes, and sliced steak. Everyone brought salads to share.

We do have a little family controversy - full size burgers or sliders?

I like sliders because you can try 2 or 3 different kinds. But a few of my sons think it's too hard to build a burger full of toppings on tiny little buns.

Either way - this hamburger recipe is fabulous.

It's from America's Test Kitchen

Well Done Burgers, Done Well

Serves 4
(I doubled this, plus I served 8 small veggie patties, 2 crabcakes, and one strip loin steak - and we perfectly fed 8 adults and 10 children)

1 large slice high-quality white sandwich bread , crust removed and discarded, bread chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons whole milk
3/4 teaspoon table salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 medium clove garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons steak sauce , such as A-1
1 1/2 pounds 80 percent lean ground chuck
Vegetable oil for cooking grate
Hamburger buns or rolls

Mash bread and milk in large bowl with fork until homogeneous (you
should have about 1/4 cup). Stir in salt, pepper, garlic, and steak sauce.

Break up beef into small pieces over bread mixture. Using fork or hands, lightly
mix together until mixture forms cohesive mass. Divide meat into 4 equal portions (for burgers - 8 or more for sliders).

Gently toss one portion of meat back and forth between hands to form loose ball.
Gently flatten into 3/4-inch-thick patty that measures about 4 1/2 inches in
diameter (or smaller for sliders). Press center of patty down with fingertips until it is about 1/2 inch
thick, creating a slight depression in each patty. Repeat with remaining portions of
meat.

Cooking instructions (adjust if making sliders):

Grill burgers on hot side of grill, uncovered, until well seared on
first side, 2 to 4 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, flip burgers and continue
grilling, about 3 minutes for medium-well or 4 minutes for well-done. Distribute
equal portions of cheese (if using) on burgers about 2 minutes before they reach
desired doneness, covering burgers with disposable aluminum pan to melt cheese.
While burgers grill, toast buns on cooler side of grill, rotating buns as necessary to
toast evenly. Serve burgers on toasted buns

Also be sure to see our recipes for burger sauce and homemade buns.

Fage Yogurt at Costco

2011-08-13T12:09:00.004-06:00

We love the Fage Greek yogurt at Costco. You get 35 oz for $4.99. One of the best surprises of this creamy yogurt is that it is FAT-FREE and has 23 grams of PROTIEN in just one serving! That is more than is in a serving of turkey.

It tastes best with lots of honey on top and almonds too. I also found these sliced bagged almonds at costco that are perfect for going on top! Yum!

--- Lisa

Gourmandise is great!

2011-08-12T16:56:00.002-06:00

I enjoyed a lunch from Gourmandise yesterday and it was delicious.

I tried two of their quiches: Spinach, Leek, and Feta Quiche; Roasted Red Pepper with Goat cheese and Fresh Basil. I've been to France many times, but I have to say (sorry French friends) - these were the best quiches I've ever tasted. They were higher (thicker?) than any I've tasted before and surprisingly light.

I also had their Strawberry Poppyseed Salad and their Mango Raspberry Tart - perfect!

Gourmandise is located in downtown Salt Lake City at 250 South 300 East.

A tip - I hear Gourmandise breakfast is incredible.
And they have chocolate croissants (aka Pain au Chocolat) - one of our favorite French treats.

Dirty dozen and Clean fifteen

2011-08-09T15:45:00.001-06:00

When to buy organic?

Consider this list that's been floating around the internet - I'm not sure of the original source.

The Dirty Dozen

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines (imported)
7. Grapes (imported)
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens

The Clean 15

1. Onions
2. Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

Favorite bread, favorite cheese

2011-08-08T21:21:00.006-06:00

We traveled through Europe this summer and I feel in love with German rye bread in Berlin.

I've searched and searched for a good authentic rye here in Utah - no luck until today at Whole Foods Market. I found Crumb Brothers old world rye bread - it's delicious.

We also visited France this summer (and many times before). My absolute favorite French cheese is a goat cheese called Bucherondine. I keep an eye out for it any time I see a good cheese display and today I finally found it - also at Whole Foods Market. It's slightly firmer than the grocery store goat cheese and has more bite. I love it!

So dinner tonight was simple - a couple of salads from Whole Foods served with fabulous bread and cheese.

Perfect!

Green Bean Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

2011-08-07T20:08:00.001-06:00

1 lb green beans
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1 sweet yellow pepper, thinly sliced
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
½ cup Buttermilk Dill Dressing (recipe below)
In a pot of boiling water, cook beans for 1 minute; drain and rinse under cold water. Drain and pat dry.
In salad bowl, toss together beans, parsley, onion, yellow pepper, and bacon.
Add dressing and toss (makes 6 servings)

Buttermilk Dill Dressing
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup light mayonaise
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
⅓ cup chopped fresh dill
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

In bowl or large measuring cup, combine all ingredients and mix well. Makes 1 ⅔ cups.

Mini chocolate cheesecakes

2011-08-07T18:40:00.003-06:00

(not my picture - I forgot to take one)

This is one of my entertaining staples - I just made them for our grandson's 12th birthday party

12 creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies or 24 vanilla wafer cookies
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa (use good quality for better flavor)
2 tablespoons flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350ºF. Line 24 medium standard sized muffin cups with paper baking cups.
Split sandwich cookies in half. Place 1 cookie half, middle side up, in each cup. Or place 1 wafer cookie, flat side down, in each cup.
In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in sour cream and sugar.
Beat in cocoa, eggs (1 at a time), and vanilla until fluffy.
Divide evenly among cups (cups will be almost full).
Bake cheesecakes 15 to 20 minutes or until centers are firm. Cool 15 minutes (cheesecake centers will sink while cooling).
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour longer before serving.
If desired, garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls or berries.

Ruth's hoisin-chicken salad rolls

2011-08-05T14:30:00.003-06:00

Ruth sent this recipe - from Chatelaine Magazine (Canadian)

Easy Hoisin-Chicken Salad Rolls: 1/4 c hoisin sauce, 2 tsp dark sesame oil, 2 c shredded cooked chicken (I used leftovers from roast chicken), 1 red pepper sliced, 8 lettuce leaves, 4 gr onions cut into 4" strips, 1 med cuc sliced into 4" strips, 8 rice paper wraps. Stir hoisin with sesame oil. Fill pie pan with warm water. Lay a damp kitchen towel on counter. Line up ingredients. Dip rice paper in water (I tried this and ended up just putting rice rounds in between damp dishtowels for about 1 -2 minutes to soften instead of dipping in water). AnyHOOO! dip rice round in water till softened, about 30 seconds. Lay softened round on damp towel. Lay lettuce on bottom and fill with other ingredients, then droozle (RuthE word) oil and sesame on top and roll the wrap the best you can. Enjoy!

Made Jo's pancake mix

2011-08-05T13:59:00.004-06:00

To modify the pancake mix - I replaced 1/2 cup of the oatmeal with flax and sesame seeds and put them in the vitamix to grind. I changed 1 cup of the white flour to whole wheat.

Served it with fresh apricot sauce - there's no need for syrup at all.

Waikiki meatballs

2011-08-04T23:59:00.005-06:00

An old family favorite (from my mission blog)

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

2/3 cup crushed saltine cracker

crumbs

1/3 cup minced onion

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 (15 ounce) can pineapple

chunks - drained, with juice

reserved

1/3 cup white vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/3 cup chopped green bell

pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large bowl, combine ground beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, milk, ginger and salt. Shape mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls into meatballs.
2.	Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place meatballs in skillet and cook until evenly brown, and meat is no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
3.	In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, brown sugar, reserved pineapple juice, vinegar and soy sauce. Mix until smooth, then pour into the skillet with meatballs. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green pepper and pineapple chunks. Heat through.

Naan and crockpot chicken tikka masala

2011-08-04T09:46:00.003-06:00

From my mission:

Here is what I cooked for the new elders last Tuesday night

Garlic Naan

* 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
* 1 cup warm water
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 3 tablespoons milk
* 1 egg, beaten
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 4 1/2 cups bread flour
* 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
* 1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
2. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
4. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

and

Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala

1.5 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast diced into large cubes
1 tablespoon dijon mustard (my substitution for mustard seed oil)
2 ounces milk
5 ounces natural yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 small can of tomato sauce
5 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 can chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garam masala*
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Whisk together all of the ingredients minus chicken in your crockpot. Then mix in diced chicken. If you want to marinate at this point, place mixture into the fridge to marinate for 24 hours. It may not be safe to leave chicken which has previously been frozen for longer than 24 hours, but fresh chicken should be left to marinate for 48 hours for best results. If you do not wish to leave the chicken to marinate, simply continue to the next step. Turn the crockpot on low until the chicken is cooked throughout. Most people serve over Basmati rice.

They liked it!

Perfect diet cheat

2011-08-04T09:44:00.003-06:00

From my mission blog

For dessert last night we had coconut ice cream with hot chocolate sauce.

I made the sauce with equal parts good quality cocoa powder, water, and sugar, boiled for a minute or two, with just a splash of milk added at the end to cut the darkness.

I put the leftovers in a jar in the fridge.

This afternoon my energy was low so I took a spoon, dipped it in the jar and had just a taste (actually 3 tastes)

It was the perfect chocolate energy pick me up with minimal calories and fat and just loaded with all those good cocoa antioxidants

Made up soup

2011-08-04T09:37:00.003-06:00

Another post from my mission: I make this all the time and it's yummy.

This was the best soup I have ever made. I just make up vegetable soups depending on what is around. Here is what is in this one:

Saute onions (2 small or one lg) and pressed garlic (plenty - 3 or 4 cloves) for a few minutes. Add seasonings - a couple of large pinches of dried basil and oregano plus some hot pepper flakes. Saute a little more and throw in cubed pumpkin (or squash), sliced carrots and sliced cabbage. I would add green beans here but I didn't have any - stir fry a minute. Add a can of chopped tomatoes and enough chicken broth to cover the vegetables and give enough liquid. Cook until the veggies are tender then add a can of white beans (drained and rinsed) and a couple handfuls of chopped greens. I also added some leftover cooked chicken breast. Cook until greens wilt.

Spanish hot chocolate

2011-08-04T09:19:00.005-06:00

This is from our mission, posted Feb 28, 2009.

We had Elder Vinas, first counselor in our area presidency, staying with us.

He told me about the the thick, rich hot chocolate he loves from his home in Spain so I found a recipe and made it today.

It was yummy!

It's almost like drinking warm chocolate pudding. Actually - it is best for dipping churros in - or in our case, european break and fruit.

Here's a recipe so you can try it

Serves 6

1/2 cup (55 g) unsweetened powdered cocoa (must be good quality)
1 cup (200 g) sugar
7 tsp (25 g) cornstarch (cornflour)
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
4 cups (1 l) milk

1 Mix the cocoa and sugar together.
2 Dissolve the cornstarch (cornflour) in the water and combine with the cocoa-sugar mixture in a medium-sized saucepan. Stir this until it is a smooth paste.
3 Begin heating this mixture, continuously stirring it with a whisk. Gradually pour in the milk. Continue stirring as you bring it to a simmer.
4Simmer, stirring often, for about 10 minutes. The cocoa is ready when it thickens and is glossy and smooth.

The consistency of the finished product should resemble chocolate pudding that didn't quite set. If you halve this recipe, you'll get just the right amount for two large mug-fulls. This cocoa is especially fantastic when you dip churros into it (a churro is a sugary, deep-fried, doughnut-like stick, and if anyone wants to send out a recipe, I'd be most grateful).

There are other recipes you can find in the internet that use melted chocolate

Give it a try and tell me what you think!

Try this cocoa variation if you dare!

2011-08-04T04:28:00.005-06:00

A recipe from my mission in the Caribbean (posted March 19, 2008 in Trinidad)

My hot chocolate recipes have been evolving lately. Here is what I had this morning and it was great:

1 cup soy milk (or regular milk)
fresh juice from one small orange (mine was actually a 'portugal' - a tangerine like fruit that is in season here in Trinidad right now)
2 heaping teaspoons good quality cocoa powder
1 tsp raw sugar (adjust this according to taste and the sweetness of the soy milk)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp (or less) cayenne pepper
light whipped cream for topping

Heat milk and OJ in microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Combine hot milk and the other ingredients except for whipped cream in a blender (or better yet - vitamix) and blend until frothy. Top with cream and, for a special occasion, shaved chocolate.

Why try this???

Cinnamon, Cayenne, and Cocoa (3 C's?) are supposed to be very good for you. Of course you can leave out, decrease, or increase the Cayenne according to you tolerance.

So try it!

I want this key lime frozen yogurt!

2011-08-04T04:23:00.004-06:00

Someone please perfect this recipe from a blog called Coconut and Lime

Ingredients:
4 cups plain greek style 2% yogurt*
3/4 cup sugar
zest of 2 key limes
1 tablespoon key lime juice

Directions:
Mix together all of the ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a ice cream maker and churn until thick, about 30 minutes. Freeze in a freeze safer container or serve immediately for a more "soft serve" style treat.

*I've heard you can make greek-style yogurt-which is thick like sour cream- by straining a double amount of regular yogurt overnight but I haven't tried it. You could also use full fat greek style yogurt here but 2% makes an extremely rich and creamy frozen yogurt and has a fraction of the total fat content.

Grapefruit Gelato in Five Minutes: Your New Favorite Summer Dessert Recipe

2011-08-04T03:58:00.003-06:00

I've always wanted to try this recipe by Donna from Apron Strings - one of my favorite food blogs.

Here's her post:

It’s officially the dog days, and you have a summer soiree to attend tomorrow. “What can I bring?” you asked. “Oh, just a little something for dessert,” they replied. But the very thought of baking something in this heat makes you deflate with fatigue. You still want to bring something homecrafted – some kind of ice cream would be great, but you don’t have an ice cream maker. What to do?

You spend a grand total of 5 minutes prepping this mock-gelato, that’s what. And then you’ll make it again and again and again. Really. Because it really is only 4 ingredients, it really does only take 5 to mix it up, you really don’t need an ice cream maker, and, best of all, it really does work.

I know it may sound a little weird, but trust us. We swear it will surprise you. Something about the way that the acid in the citrus combines with the fat in the cream (and yes, you must use cream; we tried it with half & half and it just didn’t work texture-wise, though the flavor was still a total delight) creates a perfect dense, creamy texture that is so akin to ‘real’ gelato, though the technique is very different.

The original called for lemon, which is equally delicious, but there’s something about the subtle tang of the grapefruit here that Donna and I both were tickled by – so creamy & subtly tangy. It’s also incredibly rich. And it truly is amazing how well the texture comes out without churning! The whole thing is a revelation.

FIVE MINUTE GRAPEFRUIT “GELATO”

2 cups regular (NOT heavy) whipping cream
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice (I recommend ruby red)
Zest of said grapefruit, finely grated
1/2 tsp salt

Whisk it all together, pour it into a container and freeze for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight. That’s IT. Yes, really!

Love these bright cupcakes

2011-08-03T16:57:00.000-06:00

They are from Cakeadoodledo in far away Devon, England :(

But we can use them for inspiration

Chocolate Pudding (Vita-Mix)

2011-08-03T09:58:00.001-06:00

This is a personal favorite! I thought somebody would have posted it on here by now but I guess it is up to me. My new favorite way to serve it is over sliced bananas and topped with light whipped cream. (served after the kids are in bed of course - trust me, otherwise you will not be able to fully appreciate every bite and that would be a waste of calories, right?)

2 cups steaming milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

5 tbsp flour

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp butter

2 tbsp GOOD QUALITY cocoa powder (see hot cocoa snob post below)

1 piece of chocolate or a palm full or good chocolate chips

Place hot milk, salt and sugar in vita-mix. Secure lid. Select variable speed #1. Turn machine on and quickly increase to speed #10 then to high. Allow machine to run for 2 minutes. Remove lid plug and add flour, cocoa powder, and chocolate through opening. Replace plug and allow machine to run until mixture settles down and appears to be thickening - about 30 seconds. Drop egg in and run for 1 minute longer. Add butter and vanilla. Stop machine and pour into large bowl or custard cups. Chill and serve.

Here's a few variations, added by mom:

Almond variation
Add 1 cup almonds with butter and vanilla (maybe add some almond extract too)

Banana variation
Add 1 ripe banana with first ingredients, or line serving dishes with banana slices.

Coconut variation
Fold in 1/2 cup shredded coconut when finished.

Breakfast of Champions

2011-08-03T09:52:00.000-06:00

I LOVE that oatmeal is a good carb and I LOVE that peaches and blueberries are in season right now!! This is my breakfast every morning and I don't think I will ever grow tired of it. Oatmeal (regular or steel cut) topped with a half tsp or so of dr. grandma's natural sweetener and then fresh fruit. I top it all off with a little milk and it is perfect and very filling.

Dinner tonight

2011-08-02T20:55:00.002-06:00

Garden salad with blackberries and cheese, garden zucchini with purslane and fresh herbs - and Jamie's roasted cauliflower recipe was fantastic!

Best ever fish tacos

2011-08-02T13:33:00.000-06:00

Jamie, Dad, and I had fish tacos last night and they were amazing. I searched for some recipes and then just used their ideas and made up my own.

Here's how to make the best ever fish tacos:

Fish

Buy Costco's panko breaded tilapia (frozen) and cook according to package (I used the convection option and it was nice and crispy.

Slaw topping

Finely slice 1/2 small head of green cabbage and 1/4 small head of red cabbage (or whatever you have)

Grate a nice big carrot.

Stir together:

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (I used lemon and vinegar)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Toss with slaw

San Diego-style Fish Taco Sauce

Mix together:
1/2 cup reduced fat reduced fat sour cream ( I used Costco's Greek Yogurt instead)
1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise (I used regular)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon capers, minced (I didn't have any)
1 hot pepper of your choice, seeded and minced (jalapeno is delicious, as are the cherry bomb poppers I used in this batch) (I used hot pepper sauce)
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped (I think I forgot to put this in)

Assemble

Warm corn tortillas, cut fish into pieces, top with sauce and slaw.

Roasted Cauliflower

2011-08-02T07:22:00.000-06:00

From Jamie's email titled: Too tired to blog it

Darya Pino, Ph.D: How To Make Cauliflower Taste as Good as French Fries: Roasted Curried Cauliflower

Mediterraneans Abandon Their Famous Diet

2011-08-01T10:46:00.001-06:00

and here's an article from NPR telling what happened (it's sad)

A quote:

"There's no match for the huge marketing efforts and promotion of junk food, and we have to protect our children," said Walter Willet, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, and one of the researchers who helped to popularize the Mediterranean diet in the U.S. back in the early 1990s.

"Children are the object of a huge amount of research on how to seduce them to eat more of foods that are horrible for them and making them fat and giving them obesity, and we know they're going to die prematurely," he said.

Why do grocery store tomatoes taste terrible?

2011-08-01T10:42:00.001-06:00

(and the 'slave' labor behind them.)

Read this - Politics of the Plate: The Price of Tomatoes

A quote: "For the last 50 or more years, tomato breeders have concentrated essentially on one thing and that is yield — they want plants that yield as many or as much as possible," writer Barry Estabrook tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross. "They also want those fruits to be able to stand up to being harvested, packed, artificially turned orange [with ethylene gas] and then shipped away and still be holding together in the supermarket a week or 10 days later."

Let's get our gardens going!

Mobile posting

2011-08-01T10:15:00.001-06:00

I want this to be THE place Robisons share their food info.

Since we all love and use our phone cameras - here's how to set up mobile posting.

There are text and email options. You can read more here.

The text option doesn't work for posting iphone photos because the resolution is too high (250K max) and I can't figure out a way to decrease it for texts, only for emails. But you can send a text only post.

So email is the best method. Here's how:

Open and sign in to Robison Yum. Click on 'Design' - top far right.

Then click on 'Settings' and then 'Email & Mobile'

Scroll down and enter your personal email posting address.

Test it out!

Testing mobile photo

2011-08-01T10:06:00.001-06:00

A small 'cheesecake' bite using greek yogurt and my apricot sauce.

Barbacoa Restaurant

2011-07-31T22:39:00.001-06:00

Jason and I discovered Barbacoa about a month ago and have been a couple times since. Each time, I get the Burrito Soup. Yum! I have the do it "meatless". I love the broth, and how it has hominy in it. I also have them put lots of pico in the soup. So good! Highly recommend it. Jason always gets a burrito. It is not a wet burrito (which I prefer), but Jason says it's really good.

It is just a block away from Blue Lemon

272 E 12300 S # 100, Draper, UT

Kids eat free with a purchase of an adult entree.

Ramen Cabbage Salad

2011-07-31T22:34:00.001-06:00

I don't have a photo of this, I will post one when I make it next time.

Ingredients:
1 bag of shredded cabbage
1 package of chicken ramen
a bunch of chopped green onions

Dressing
1/2 vegetable oil
3T sugar
the seasoning pack from the ramen
splash of soy sauce
3T white vinegar

Easy stuff: Mix the cabbage with crushed ramen, and chopped green onions. Put dressing ingredients in a jar and shake. Poor over salad and serve immediately.

Sometimes I do variations like adding peanut butter to the dressing to make it more "asian", or adding extra veggies (diced carrots, green pepper, red pepper).

Enjoy!

Mountain West Burrito

2011-07-31T21:33:00.001-06:00

http://www.yelp.com/biz/mountain-west-burrito-provo-2

yum.

kind of bland but ingredients make up for the lack of wow

Fresh apricot sauce

2011-07-31T21:24:00.001-06:00

I just had the best dessert ever!

I was looking for something to do with the fresh apricots we picked from our tree yesterday so I paged through my favorite cookbook and found a recipe for Sunrise-Sunset Sauce from Jane Brody's Good Food Gourmet. I made it tonight and had it with berries and Costco's non fat Greek yogurt. It was like eating an incredibly healthy and delicious version of cheesecake.

I'm going to try it on Joelle's oatmeal pancakes tomorrow.

Here's the quick and easy recipe

Sunrise-Sunset Sauce

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 pound fresh apricots, pitted and quartered
2 cups (1 pint) strawberries, hulled and halved
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

Combine sugar and water in large saucepan and simmer 5 minutes.
Add apricots and cook for 15 minutes or until very soft.
Puree mixture in blender or food processor. Transfer puree to the saucepan, and add strawberries and lemon juice. Simmer for 1 minutes until strawberries are tender but still intact.
Cover bowl and cool for 2 hours or longer.

As I was typing this, I realized I didn't follow the recipe correctly. I pureed the cooked apricots, with the strawberries, and lemon juice and didn't cook it any more after that. My version was so good, I don't know if I will change it.

Added later: I made it correctly with the sliced strawberries and it was equally good.

5 minute whole wheat bread

2011-07-31T18:38:00.000-06:00

I really want to try this recipe for easy european style whole wheat bread from the Former Chef blog.

The concept is from the book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Seminary Drink!

2011-07-31T18:23:00.001-06:00

3 cups sugar
4 cups water
1 (12 oz) can of Orange Juice
1 1/2 cups lemon
1 T almond
2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t cloves
all spice (a bit)
4 quarts water

This is the infamous seminary drink. It is great to serve at a winter gathering and is quick to make.

Indian Bread - The recipe Dad used to follow

2011-07-31T18:20:00.000-06:00

2 cups of flour
1 t of baking powder
1/2 t of salt
water

When the 5 J's were young, they loved this!

Creme Fraiche

2011-07-31T18:14:00.000-06:00

A staple in french cuisine, and widely used throughout Europe, creme fraiche is similar to sour cream with a superior full, rich flavor. It can be reduced and thickened without curdling, and can also be whipped like double cream. It is an excellent addition to all sorts of soups and sauces. And any kind of cultured milk product has beneficial bacteria that heals the gut and helps with digestion and nutrient absorption, so eat up! It's good for you!!

To make homemade creme fraiche:

1 pint good-quality cream (raw cream is best, but pasteurized works. Do not use ultrapasteurized.)
1 tablespoon whole-milk buttermilk (not ultrapasteurized, and without additives)

Stir buttermilk into cream in a clean glass jar. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature to culture for 24-48 hours, until thick, slightly sour, and creamy.

Jason's Macaroni and Cheese

2011-07-31T18:12:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:

Half a bag of chopped frozen onions

salt and pepper

2 cloves of garlic (we always guess on the garlic)

2 extra large chicken boulion cubes (1 cube equals 4 costco size cubes

Butter for sauteeing

1 cup flour

3 cups water

2 cans lowfat condensed milk

1/2 pound of cheese cut into cubes

2 bags of macaroni noodles.

Sautee onions, chicken boulion cubes , and garlic in butter. Once sauteed, add condensed milk, 3 cupes of water, and stir in flour to thinken. Add cheese and stir until it melts.

Add cooked macaroni noodles to cheese mixture and stir. Sprinkle paprika on top. Place in a casserole dish and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

It tastes the best when it is slightly crispy on top. Our favorite side dish with this meal is fruit salad. (Submitted by Jenny Moyer)

Augratin Potatoes - Just like the French make it!

2011-07-31T18:06:00.000-06:00

Peel and thinly slice 8-10 potatoes. (We like yukon gold.)
Stir fry potato slices in pastured butter or olive oil until soft, but still slightly firm. Do not overcook, or they will be mushy!
In a buttered casserole dish, spread half the potatoes, and sprinkle with salt and fresh pepper. Cover with a layer of creme fraiche, then a generous amount of shredded gruyere cheese (or any cheese you like). Repeat the three layers once more, ending with the cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, and then reduce to 350, and bake until potatoes are tender, and top is golden. YUMMMMM!!!

European Bread - A favorite of our missionary couples

2011-07-31T18:02:00.000-06:00

Also known as "No-Knead Bread"

(Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery)

Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

Tarte flambée (Flammeküeche) From our trip to the Alsace

2011-07-31T17:35:00.000-06:00

Ingredients to serve 4

500 g (1 lb) bread dough – 2 onions – 60 g (2 ½ oz) smoked bacon (small pieces) – a bit of butter - 20 cl (6 oz) thick crème fraîche – 20 cl (6 oz) fromage blanc (soft white cheese) – 1 tablespoon colza oil – salt, pepper and nutmeg

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 270 °C (thermostat 9 – 520 °F).
• Slice the onions thinly and brown them in a pan with the butter.
• Remove the onions from the pan and fry the bacon in it for a few minutes, without adding fat.
• Mix the cream, the fromage blanc, the onions and the bacon bits. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
• Roll the dough in a thin layer on a baking sheet.
• Cover the dough with the mixture of fromage blanc / onions / bacon and pour a tablespoon of oil over.
• Bake 10 minutes.

Please note: this recipe may be made with grated Swiss cheese, fresh mushrooms or Munster cheese.

Chinese Chicken Salad

2011-07-31T17:33:00.001-06:00

(This was pretty easy and the dressing was super yummy!I prefer the chicken shredded instead of chopped)

For Dressing
4 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp peanut butter
3 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp Asian chili paste
1 1/2 tsp ginger, grated
4 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

In a small bowl, combine, whisk and set aside.

For Salad
2-3 large cooked chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, shredded or chopped into chunks
Sesame seeds, toasted
1 Head Napa cabbage, chopped
1 Head Romaine, chopped
About 10 snap peas, ends snipped and julienned (optional)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and shredded or julienned
3/4 cup peanuts, chopped
1 bunch (about 8) green onions, white and light green parts chopped crosswise

In a really large salad bowl, combine cabbage, romaine, snap peas, cilantro and green onions and toss gently. Sprinkle in the sesame seeds and peanuts. Add the chicken. Pour in the dressing and toss. Serves 4.

Crepes

2011-07-31T17:31:00.001-06:00

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Sauteed Filet Mignon

2011-07-31T17:31:00.000-06:00

(We were really needing a yummy treat on this diet and this was exactly what we were looking for! I bought 2 nice filets (the kids got leftover meatloaf) and served it with smashed cauliflower and green beans)

2 filet mignon steaks
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cut beef broth
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp butter (it's optional justin!!!)

-season the filets generously with salt and pepper. Saute in a heavy skillet over medium high heat with a little oil until steaks are medium/medium rare. Remove and cover to keep warm.
-pour off all but 1 tbsp of the fat, leaving any meat juices in the pan. reduce heat to medium and saute the garlic for 15 seconds. Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Raise heat and reduce to a syrup. Pour in the stock, soy sauce and vinegar. Boil until the sauce just reduces to a syrup. Remove from heat and stir in butter, if you wish (it adds fat but gives the sauce a velvety texture. Taste for salt and pepper. Pour over the filets and serve. This was so yummy!!!

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

2011-07-31T17:30:00.001-06:00

Diet Pancakes???

Rachel says these are better than regular pancakes! The vita mix is perfect for this. Make it extra healthy by cooking them with a little cooking spray instead of butter and serving with just a touch of syrup. I used the nutmeg syurp from Trinidad. They are very filling - yet somehow Rachel still ate 4 of them.

1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
6 eggs
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or 1/4 cup whole wheat and 1/4 cup barley flour)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Pinch of salt
Dash of vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk

Blend or food process first six ingredients on high until smooth. Add milk slowly to reach batter consistency. Cook on a hot, nonstick griddle. Number of pancakes vary by size. Serves 6.

Nutritional Information: (per serving)Calories: 225 Protein: 13 g Fiber: 1.5 g
Carbs: 9 g Fat Total: 15 g Saturated Fat: 3 g

Pannekoeken (Our favorite Dutch Pancakes)

2011-07-31T17:28:00.000-06:00

1 c. flour
1 c. milk
4 eggs
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of salt
Apple pie filling (optional)
Ham and cheese (optional)
Bacon and mushrooms or other desired toppings (optional)
Powdered sugar or syrup (optional)

Heat 2-4 tablespoons butter in 9-inch deep dish pie pan (metal) in preheating oven at 400 degrees.

Mix flour, milk, eggs, nutmeg and salt. Beat lightly, leaving lumps. Pour into hot pie pan. Bake 20 minutes until puffy and brown. Serves 4.

Delicious plain with butter and powdered sugar or syrup.

For apple Pannekoeken, spoon 1 can apple pie filling over batter before baking.

Other options: Sprinkle ham and cheese, bacon and mushrooms or desired topping before baking.

German Pancakes

2011-07-31T17:22:00.000-06:00

Yield 2 9-inch pancakes.

4 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup flour, sifted
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons soft butter

Heat oven to 400°F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans well. Put eggs in blender container, cover and process at “stir” until light yellow in color. Push “mix” button, remove cover and add remaining ingredients; process until smooth. Pour into prepared pans and bake 20 minutes; then reduce heat to 350°F and bake 10 minutes. Slide onto hot plates. Serve with lemon slices, powdered sugar and butter if you follow recipes to the letter, Canadian Maple syrup if you’re grandma or maple syrup and fresh berries if you’re me.

Sour Dough Pancakes

2011-07-31T17:15:00.000-06:00

This assumes that you have some of my starter in the fridge--just waiting to be taken out and fed.

The night before, mix well (to incorporate some air) 1 cup of your sourdough starter with 1½ cups of all purpose flour and 1 cup of warm water (85°-90°). Leave at warm room temperature (70°-85°) overnight, covered well with plastic wrap.

The next morning, return 1 cup of the starter mixture to the fridge.

Then mix the remaining 1½ cups of starter with

1 egg, slightly beaten
1 Tablespoon of sugar (or more if you like)
1 Tablespoon of melted butter
¾ Teaspoon of salt

After you have mixed the previous ingredients, then mix:
½ teaspoon (generous) of baking soda
2 Tablespoons of milk

And then mix everything together.

Try to have your ingredients at room temperature. This will help to make more tender pancakes.

Bake on a 400° griddle. Enjoy!

Key lime bar recipe to try

2011-07-31T16:55:00.001-06:00

Someone try making these key lime bars from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and share how they taste

Baked Brown Rice

2011-07-31T16:49:00.000-06:00

Another favorite from www.melskitchencafe.com. This recipe fooled John. He could not tell that he was eating brown rice.

*Note: This recipe doubles beautifully for a 9X13-inch pan.

*Makes about 3 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 1/2 cups brown rice 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water (if using water, add 1 teaspoon salt)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8X8-inch or 9X9-inch baking pan. Place the rice in the prepared pan and pour in the liquid. Stir to equally distribute the rice. Cover tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for five minutes before removing the aluminum foil and fluffing with a fork. If your rice still has a bit of liquid on the bottom or conversely, if it is dried out, adjust the baking time up or down to make changes. Variations: Before baking, slice one small yellow onion into dices or half moons and caramelize and brown in 1 teaspoon of olive oil until golden and soft (about 10 minutes in a nonstick skillet). Stir onion into rice and broth mixture and bake according to recipe.

After removing rice from the oven and letting it sit for five minutes, remove aluminum foil and stir in the zest and juice from 1 lemon, 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 apple, finely diced.