NEWEST RECIPE ADDED 3/25 **Spring-is-coming-soon Salad**
Granola
French Bread
The Butler's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Whole Wheat Citrus Oat Scones
Baked Oatmeal
Black Bean Salsa
Sweet and Spicy Salmon
Zucchini and Fresh Herb Fritters
Dipping Spices with Olive Oil
HERE IT IS ***Spring-is-coming-soon-salad (totally made up while cleaning the fridge)***
* a handful of fresh spinach
* a handful of fresh sliced mushrooms
* one seedless "cutie" orange, peeled and sectioned
* a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* a couple big ol' spoonfuls of black beans leftover from the black bean enchiladas that were last night's dinner
*wave some olive oil over it
* drizzle with local honey
* squeeze the juice of a half a lemon on top
* grind some pepper over it
* serve with a side of hummus and wheat thins so you can crunch at will
Be sure to eat it when your are home alone. Unless your Butler is a better sport than mine.
It's a party in your mouth.
Granola (recipe from my sister Trina)
4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (raw, unsalted)
1/4 cup canola oil1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (raw, unsalted)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup peanut butter
Mix canola oil, honey and peanut butter in the bowl of your mixer with the wisk attachment. Change to the paddle attachment and gently mix the rest of the ingredients into the honey mixture.
Place in a roasting pan (I sprayed the pan with PAM). Bake at 350 for 10 or 15 minutes until golden brown. I removed mine at 10 minutes and mixed it, then put it in for 5 more minutes.
Add 1/2 cup raisins (golden sure looks pretty), or dried cherries ... or both :)
French Bread
2 pkgs active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 T salt
1 T melted butter
7 cups all purpose flour
1 T salt
1 T melted butter
7 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cornmeal
1 egg white
1 T cold water
Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add salt, butter, and flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to speed 2 and mix about 1 minute, or until well blended. Knead on speed 2 about 2 minutes longer. Dough will be sticky.
Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
1 egg white
1 T cold water
Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add salt, butter, and flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to speed 2 and mix about 1 minute, or until well blended. Knead on speed 2 about 2 minutes longer. Dough will be sticky.
Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
Punch dough down and divide in half. Roll each half into 12x15" rectangle. Roll dough tightly, from longest side, tapering ends if desired. Place loaves on greased baking sheets that have been dusted with cornmeal (I use parchment paper on my baking sheet). Cover and let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until doubled again.
With a sharp knife, make 4 diagonal cuts on top of each loaf. Bake at 450 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Beat egg white and water together with a fork. Brush each loaf with egg mixture. Return to oven and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer. Remove from baking sheets immediately and cool on wire racks.
Yield: 2 loaves, 15 slices each loaf.
The Butler's Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 T vanilla (yes, 2 T vanilla)
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 t soda
1 t salt
1 12 oz pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips (minus one small handful to make sure they taste good)Stir in remaining ingredients. Dough will be drier than you are used to.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased SHINY baking pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool slightly before removing from the baking sheet to cool on wire racks.
These cookies turn out puffier and softer than the traditional recipe. Enjoy!
Whole Wheat Citrus Oat Scones
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 2 T freshly grated orange zest
- 1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup buttermilk, plus a little extra to brush the top of the scones.
- 1 T brown sugar
- 1 T granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Add 1/2 cup oats and the orange zest. Toss ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
Combine 1/3 cup granulated sugar and the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed for about 7 minutes to cream butter. The mixture will become smooth and pale in color and will increase slightly in volume. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add egg and continue mixing until egg is incorporated into butter.
Add dry ingredients and buttermilk to the bowl of creamed butter, alternating between the wet and dry. Mix until combined.
Using a spatula, scrape the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. Coat your hands with flour and pat the dough into a 4x8 rectangle about 1 inch thick. Using a flour bench scraper or knife, divide the dough into 6 equal triangles. Place scones on the prepared baking sheet and brush with a little buttermilk.
Mix the last 5 ingredients together and sprinkle on the tops of the scones. Bake on center rack of oven for 20-25 minutes or until scones are golden brown. Let scones cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes (okay, that cooling thing did not happen for us. We were hungry :)
Makes 6 scones.
And if you have skipped church to watch the Wimbledon finals, you may want to serve these with a bowl of strawberries.
Baked Oatmeal (from Jody)
Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the following:
2 1/2 C rolled oatmeal
1/2 C steel cut oats
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C brown sugar
Mix with a wire whisk and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients:
1 beaten egg
2 C milk
1/3 C applesauce
1/4 C vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently till combined.
Place mixture into a 9×11 baking pan that has been sprayed with PAM (I use glass). Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and gently fold in 2 cups of fresh fruit or 1/2 C of nuts, or both, or neither. Just stir gently if you don’t add anything.
Place back in the oven for 20 more minutes.
Spoon into bowls and add milk if desired.
OR … After the oatmeal cools, place it in a lidded container and store it in the refrigerator.
Spoon out desired amount and heat in the microwave, add milk if desired and enjoy.
I NEVER add milk to mine. Never. I think it would defeat the whole “this tastes just like a warm oatmeal cookie” sort of idea.
Which would bring me back to the peanut butter toast that I ate every morning for about 15 years.
Black Bean Salsa (or Black Bean Salad if you wish)
[We like this best with tortilla chips to use as a salsa]
- 3 -15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups frozen corn, thawed and drained
- 2 large tomatoes, diced
- 1 large green pepper, diced
- 1 large red and/or yellow pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 T rice vinegar
- 2 T apple cider vinegar
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 t cumin
- 1 t coriander
- 1/2 t crushed red pepper or pinch of cayenne
- pinch of salt
Sweet and Spicy Salmon (Cooking Light recipe)
Sweet, spicy, salty, sour—just four ingredients hit all the flavor notes in the sauce for this top-rated dish. Chinese-style hot mustard has a sharp bite similar to that of wasabi. If you don't have it on hand, use Dijon mustard or 1 teaspoon of a dry mustard such as Coleman's.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet)
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons Chinese-style hot mustard
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
- Cooking spray
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Place fish on a foil-lined jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes. Remove from oven.
Preheat broiler.
Brush sugar mixture evenly over salmon; broil 3 inches from heat 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
2 pounds green or golden (I had no idea there WAS a golden) zucchini, coarsely grated
2 eggs, beaten
1 bunch scallions, including an inch of the greens, thinly sliced (I used plain old white onion)
1 cup dried bread crumbs
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 T chopped marjoram or basil
1 t chopped mint
Olive oil as needed
Lightly salt the zucchini and set it aside in a colander to drain for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients together except the oil and pepper. Quickly rinse the squash, squeeze out the excess water, then stir it into the batter. Taste for salt and season with pepper.
Film two large skillets with olive oil. (I do not believe in extra washing so I used one pan and did the deed twice) When hot, drop in the batter -- 1/4 cup makes a fritter about 3 1/2 inches across -- and cook over medium heat until golden on the bottom. Turn carefully and cook the second side.
Serve hot.
Dipping Spices with Olive Oil
I found this online and I think it is from the Carrabba's menu.
1 T basil
1 T parsley
1 T minced garlic
1 t thyme
1 t oregano
1 t crushed black pepper
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t chopped rosemary
1/4 t crushed red pepper
about 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
extra virgin olive oil
Put all the first 10 ingredients in your food processor (I use my Ninja). Run that thing for a few seconds till stuff is all mixed and chopped up. Scrape it all out into a glass container for storage.
I put mine in the fridge and just leave it there until it is all used up.
Put a good 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture in your individual dipping bowls (we use our own so we can double dip as we please) and add a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Voila!!
Note: Here is an interesting tidbit about olive oil. You likely know this already but I didn't know it until someone told me, and then when the Butler asked the question I knew the answer. "Why do we use Extra Virgin Olive Oil?" Well, because olive oil comes from multiple pressing of the olives. The first press is the most virginest ... if I may. The last one is the least virginest. And the most bitter. So if you are eating the olive oil in it's raw form ... say, for dipping oil or in a salad dressing ... you should use the extra virgin because it has the smoothest, least offensive taste. If you are cooking with it, you can use the cheap stuff. And ... just so you know ... olive oil has a low burn temp, so frying with it is not recommended. Although I do it on low, and use the cheap stuff.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Place fish on a foil-lined jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes. Remove from oven.
Preheat broiler.
Brush sugar mixture evenly over salmon; broil 3 inches from heat 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Zucchini and Fresh Herb Fritters (from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)
Salt and freshly milled pepper2 pounds green or golden (I had no idea there WAS a golden) zucchini, coarsely grated
2 eggs, beaten
1 bunch scallions, including an inch of the greens, thinly sliced (I used plain old white onion)
1 cup dried bread crumbs
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 T chopped marjoram or basil
1 t chopped mint
Olive oil as needed
Lightly salt the zucchini and set it aside in a colander to drain for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients together except the oil and pepper. Quickly rinse the squash, squeeze out the excess water, then stir it into the batter. Taste for salt and season with pepper.
Film two large skillets with olive oil. (I do not believe in extra washing so I used one pan and did the deed twice) When hot, drop in the batter -- 1/4 cup makes a fritter about 3 1/2 inches across -- and cook over medium heat until golden on the bottom. Turn carefully and cook the second side.
Serve hot.
Dipping Spices with Olive Oil
I found this online and I think it is from the Carrabba's menu.
1 T basil
1 T parsley
1 T minced garlic
1 t thyme
1 t oregano
1 t crushed black pepper
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t chopped rosemary
1/4 t crushed red pepper
about 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
extra virgin olive oil
Put all the first 10 ingredients in your food processor (I use my Ninja). Run that thing for a few seconds till stuff is all mixed and chopped up. Scrape it all out into a glass container for storage.
I put mine in the fridge and just leave it there until it is all used up.
Put a good 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture in your individual dipping bowls (we use our own so we can double dip as we please) and add a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Voila!!
Note: Here is an interesting tidbit about olive oil. You likely know this already but I didn't know it until someone told me, and then when the Butler asked the question I knew the answer. "Why do we use Extra Virgin Olive Oil?" Well, because olive oil comes from multiple pressing of the olives. The first press is the most virginest ... if I may. The last one is the least virginest. And the most bitter. So if you are eating the olive oil in it's raw form ... say, for dipping oil or in a salad dressing ... you should use the extra virgin because it has the smoothest, least offensive taste. If you are cooking with it, you can use the cheap stuff. And ... just so you know ... olive oil has a low burn temp, so frying with it is not recommended. Although I do it on low, and use the cheap stuff.
