This Fall Pasta Dish is Divine!

Tonight I made Rachel Ray's recipe for Butternut & Parsley Penne with only a couple changes and it was SO good. Rich tasting, but with very little fat (if you forget the cheese like I did!) and easy to tweak to accommodate picky palates.
My changes:
Used caramelized onion instead of scallions
Omitted the chili pepper (hoping my 3-year old would eat this dish)
Forgot to add the cheese - but it honestly wasn't needed!
Added some leftover chicken breast

SO GOOD! Seriously.

Sneaky Peanut Butter & Cocoa Brownies

I don't usually gravitate towards recipes with "hidden" ingredients or call for hard-to-find flours or ingredients. But, when I found this recipe today for Lightened- Up Gluten Free Brownies I was intrigued because it doesn't call for ANY flour at all OR call for anything strange. Well, except for chickpeas...and I've had some lurking in my pantry for awhile...so awesome use for something that no one else in my house will eat!
Oh...but they did for dessert this evening. Heeheehee!
I tweaked this recipe a little and am pleased to say that these brownies received rave reviews from both my 2-yr old and my husband. 

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter & Cocoa Brownies
3/4 c. peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice)
15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. milk
2 eggs
 1 T. vanilla
3/4 c. honey
3/4 c. dried mission figs
1/2 c. dark cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
Combine nut butter, chickpeas, milk, eggs, vanilla & honey in the bowl of a food processor. Puree mixture together. Add figs and pulse until figs are chopped fine and mixed in well. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine cocoa, baking soda, salt & cinnamon. Pour nut/chickpea mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
Spread batter evenly in your prepared dish and bake for 30-35 minutes or until center is set.

Frost while still warm with Vegan Chocolate Ganache (like I did)!

Watch your loved ones devour these brownies and smile knowing you are sneaking in some extra protein into their diets. :)

Chocolate Velvet Dessert

Chocolate Velvet Dessert

1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
2 Tbs  sugar
1/4 c butter, melted

2 c semisweet chocolate chips
6 egg yolks
1  3/4 c  whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

1/2 c butter
3 c powedered sugar
3 Tbs  cocoa
3-4 Tbs milk


Combine first three ingredients until crumbly. Press onto bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9in springform pan.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave or in saucepan on the stove, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool. In mixing bowl combine egg yolks, whipping cream and vanilla. Beat well. Gradually stir 1/3 of the cream mixture into the melted chocolate. Continue adding remaining cream, beating well to combine. Pour into colled crust.

Place pan on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until center is almost set.  Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge to loosen. Cool for an hoour before topping with frosting.

For frosting, beat first four ingredients until combined; Then add milk by tablespoonfuls, beating after each addition until smooth.

Refrigerate after completely assembled. (and we found this to be even richer on day #2...if you can make it last until then!)

DIY Frame Desk Organizer

I saw this idea on Pinterest awhile ago and when I saw this I thought it would the perfect use for some scraps I had leftover from a skirt refashion.

It was really simple.

Here's what you need:

- an old frame with a removable back that can stand on its own
- three (or more) pieces of fabric
- hot glue
- paint (optional)

First off, this was originally a brown frame. I painted it black to match my fabric choice. (Think about the paint/fabric possibilities here!)

I cut three pieces of fabric so they stretched tightly across the back insert piece of the frame. I chose to have three pockets, but you can choose to have more or less. Starting at the top, I hot glued each piece along the bottom and sides, then inserted the back into the frame.

I'm Craving Thanksgiving Dinner Casserole

Imagine Roasted Turkey, Stuffing and Green Bean Casserole all rolled into one. It may sound odd, but the results last night were SO good. This recipe reminds me of "Impossible Pie"s which use a certain "convenience" product...which I don't use, but have fond memories of growing up.

Turkey & Vegetable "Thanksgiving" Casserole 

1 medium onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

16 oz. ground turkey

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1 c. chicken stock

1 c. chopped fresh green beans

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs

1/2 c. skim milk

1 T. light olive oil

1/2 c. fried onions (Durkee)

Preheat oven to 350. Saute onion, carrot and celery in 1 T. butter or oil until slightly softened. Add ground turkey and seasonings. Cook and and stir until meat is browned. Add the chicken stock and green beans and cook until liquid has evaporated and beans are cooked. Remove from the heat and mix in 1 T. of parsley. Turn meat mixture into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. 

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a small small whisk together the eggs, milk,oil and remaining parsley. Mix wet into the dry mixture. Pour evenly over meat mixture. Sprinkle with fried onions. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden.

  

Yum.

Scooby Doo- Where Are You?

 One of my husband's imaginary friends as a child was Daphne - from Scooby-Doo .:) So it is only fitting that our daughter be her for Halloween - especially since it's her dada's favorite holiday and this is probably the last year we will be able to pick her costume. 

 I re-sized a small women's long sleeve t-shirt (from Goodwill for $1.75) to a 2T dress. For the light purple I used and old t-shirt of mine! The bottom of the dress was the bottom hem of my shirt and the ends of her sleeves were cut from the neck of the shirt - giving the edges a finished look that I didn't have to sew! The light green scarf was cut from one of my daughter's old shirts. 

Bonus! The dress doesn't scream costume, so she has a new outfit to wear.

Not bad for $1.75!

Easy Dill Pickles

In our house we go through insane amounts of pickles. Pickles on sandwiches, chopped pickles in salads, pickles eaten while they drip on my kitchen floor (ahem).

Despite the nearly rain-free summer we've had here in Indiana, our local farmer's market still has cucumbers, which means I can have homemade pickles. In the past I've made the kind that mirrors bread starter where you have to feed it floue every day or it dies (you know, the Ziploc baggie full of sludge your 'friends' give you to show how much their friendship means... but DOES produce dang good cake-like bread in the end.)

Anyway, this year I wanted simple. Not only has Indiana been rain-free here, it has been HOT. So the less I have to stand over the stove, the better.


Easy Dill Pickles

Prepare jars for pickles (which means make 'em clean with hot, soapy water). You decide how many jars you're making based on how thin you cut your cukes. The liquid is enough for 2-3 pint jars.

4-6 medium cucumbers    (I judge by how big around I want my pickles)
1 cup white-wine vinegar 
1/4 cup sugar
3 TBS salt
2 cups water
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 

          (smashing tip: place clove on cutting board after peeled; take a wide butcher knife and lay it flat on the clove; pound down with your fist and voila! smashed garlic)

2 sprigs fresh dill per jar

Place dill springs in jars. Set aside.

In medium saucepan combine vinegar, sugar, salt, water and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Cut pickles into desired thickness....we like ours a bit thick. Place inside, leaving 1" head space. Pour liquid over pickles in jars, screw on seals/lids tightly. Let jars stand at room temperature to cool 1 hour. Store in fridge up to 2 weeks.

Red Onion Jam

My new favorite topping for chicken or fish? Red onion jam.

Red Onion Jam

2 Tbs olive oil

3 medium red onions, peeled and thinly sliced

salt and pepper

1/2 c red wine vinegar

1/4 c sugar

Heat oil in saucepan with lid. Add onions, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until soft - about 20 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar; simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered,until thick and jam-like, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to one week.

Slow-Cooked Sausage Ragout

12-oz ground pork sausage

3 medium carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 28-oz cans diced tomatoes with their juice

1 medium onion, diced

2 T. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. fennel seed, crushed

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook sausage until well browned. Place sausage in slow-cooker along with remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. 

* I served the ragout over pan-fried polenta with Parmesan cheese, as in the picture. I froze the leftovers and reheated later to serve with pasta.

12 servings of ragout

134 calories

8.2g carbs

8.4g fat

7g protein

Use-Up-What-Ya-Got Bars

Every several months I tend to have random baking ingredients in only small amounts taking up space in my pantry. This is when I make a layered bar cookie! The beauty of these is you can mix up all kinds of ingredients and there are endless possibilities. Here's what I made this time. I'll call them:

Almond Chocolate Cherry Bars

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

1 c. graham cracker crumbs

1 c. sliced almonds

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. dried cherries

1 c. rolled oats

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

Mix together melted butter and graham crumbs; press onto the bottom of a 9x9-inch cake pan. Mix together almonds, chocolate, cherries & oats; spread evenly over graham crust. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars. 

*Any 3-4 cup combination of nuts, dried fruit, baking chips, coconut - really any cookie addition you can think of, can be used in the "filling".  Just always use at least 1 cup of desired chocolate or baking chips. 

* Easily doubled in a 9x13-inch pan!  

Buffalo-Style Spaghetti

Several weeks ago I made an amazing wing sauce that I used as the base of this recipe, but any good hot sauce could be substituted. Just make sure it's a thicker one. This spaghetti definitely has some heat,but it's a sweet and spicy mix that just...works. If you have a wing lover in your life - this pasta will satisfy.

2 T. light olive oil

1 large sweet Vidalia onion, small diced

2 carrots, small diced

3 cloves garlic

2 c. freshly diced tomatoes, mostly seeded

1 roasted red pepper, small diced (I used jarred)

1/2 c. mild to spicy wing sauce - use your favorite

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

13.25 oz. whole grain spaghetti (I used Dreamfields), cooked according to package

In a large, high-sided skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions and carrots to the pan and gently saute until onions become translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes and peppers to the pan then cook, covered, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down into a sauce. Stir in tihe wing sauce and let simmer uncovered for another 10-15 minutes until vegetables are very tender and sauce is desired thickness. Add parsley and pasta to the pan and toss over low heat then serve. 

* This pasta reheats wonderfully! My husband gladly polished off the leftovers for lunch 2 days in a row! 

8 servings

218 calories

5.1g fat

39.2g carbs 5.3g fiber

6.5 g protein

Cheddar-Ranch Baking Powder Biscuits

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
2 T. butter
1/2 c. light ranch dressing
1/2 c. skim milk
4 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt & parsley in a large bowl. Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form. Add ranch, milk & cheese and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until dough is smooth. Pat or roll dough out to 1/2-inch thickness and cut with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on a lightly greased baking sheet and chill in fridge for 15 minutes. Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes or until golden and wonderfully puffed. Makes about 10 delicious biscuits!

* I made these to go with my Buffalo-Style Spaghetti!

Cookie Crumb Truffles

Cookie Crumb Truffles. 

Doesn't that sound better than Cake Balls? (hint: the right answer is 'yes')

We tend  to have extra cookies and my M.O. is to throw extra chocolate chip or sugar cookies in the freezer and use them as bases for ice cream cakes or in marshmallow treats (yes, that can be your top for the day - add crumbled cookies into your rice krispie treats and you'll never make them any other way).

I digress....

The girl made sprinkle sugar cookies the other week and we had TOO many left over so into the freezer they went. yesterday I had the idea to crumble them up, mix them with homemade icing, ball them, dip them, drizzle them and serve.





Pretty, eh?


So here's the thing (always a thing with inventive cooks). There's no official recipe to follow. This is a gut thing. Here's what I did.

Crumble up cookies into a bowl. 

Make favorite buttercream (or use store-bought). Add to the crumbs a couple scoops at a time, mixing with your hands until it's sticky enough to hold together but not nasty. Make into balls.

Melt white chocolate (I used Ghirardelli white chips) with a little shortening to extend it. Dip balls until covered.  Place on wax paper-lined trays.

I then used a little food coloring int he remaining chocolate to drizzle over the tops.  I let them firm up in the fridge before transferring to serving tray.

(At this point small fingers liked peeling and eating the hardened chocolate drips off the wax paper)

Salmon Rice Salad

May. June. Those are the months I start wanting cool main dishes. No more oven, no more standing over hot skillets. This salad is a huge hit with my family.
 
Salmon Rice Salad

1 can salmon, skin and bones removed
1 cup uncooked rice, prepared according to directions on  package
20 black olives, halved
1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped

Mix all ingredients well in bowl.


Stir together:


2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 c lemon juice
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Pour dressing over mixture until well coated. Chill at least an hour to let flavors meld.

Orange-Zucchini Loaf with Orange Glaze

I LOVE zucchini bread! My inspiration for this recipe can be found here. I chose orange instead of lemon - just because. The use of wheat flour and applesauce make this a healthier loaf than the original. I knocked off about 100 calories and 11g of fat per slice! The texture of this bread is almost like that of a pound cake.

• 1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Juice of 1 orange (or 2 Tablespoons orange juice)
• Zest of 2 oranges
• 1 cup grated zucchini

Please go to NancyCreative for directions! I followed what she did there.

10 slices

168 calories

1.2g fat

34g carbs

4.3g protein

Cream-Filled Ginger Crisps

Get ready to die. This recipe takes a bit of patience but it is well worth it in the end.

Cream-Filled Ginger Crisps

Ginger Crisps

1/2 c sugar
1 stick butter
1/3 c dark corn syrup
3/4 c flour
1/2  tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350*. Line a cookie sheet with foil; Grease foil.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and corn syrup. Cook over low heat until the butter melts. Remove from heat.

Mix the flour and ginger in a bowl. Slowly add the butter mixture, stirring well. Drop mixture by the tablespoon onto prepared sheet. These will spread, so space them 2-3 per sheet.

Bake until bubbly, about 9 minutes. Allow to cool for 30 seconds before carefully peeling them from the foil. I found using my fingers was easier than using a spatula. Stack and allow to harden fully.

Cream Filling

1 c sugar
1/2 c shortening
1/2 c butter
1/2 c milk
3 Tbs flour
1 Tbs vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice

Place all ingredients into the bowl of a standing mixer (or use a hand-held mixer, if preferred). Beat for 10 minutes until fluffy. (be patient...this goes through a weird lumpy/wet stage before smoothing into a whipped cream-like consistency). Refrigerate until ready to assemble cookies.

Scoop a dollop of filling onto a crisp, top with another. Store in fridge until ready to serve.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Cakes

This recipe was the product of needing to use up some leftover sweet potatoes we had last night. There weren't enough to go around a second time (yes, we DO eat leftovers at our house). I had already put together a chicken and red pepper nacho bake. I wanted to keep with the pseudo-Hispanic theme and decided to mix them into a black bean cake. The results were a perfect blend of sweet and spicy.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Cakes

1 can black beans, drained
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered and baked
3 green onions, roots  and tips removed
1 tsp each, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder 

1/2 c whole wheat flour (or other preferred flour/cracker coating)

Blend all ingredients in food processor until to desired smoothness (we liked ours a little chunky). Scoop into 1/4 c balls and dredge in flour. Sprinkle with additional spices as desired (I used cumin and chili powder). Place on greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, flipping at the halfway point.

Serve with lime and sour cream.

Serves: 8
Calories: 157

Total Carbohydrates: 31.9g

Dietary Fiber: 5.6g

Sugars: 0.8g

Protein: 6.7g

Applesauce Oat Cakes

These make a big batch and freeze well! Just pop them in the toaster for a quick, healthy breakfast or snack! Awesome smeared with peanut butter & drizzled with a little honey.

2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 T. baking powder
2 T. honey
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
6 T. natural applesauce
Butter for the pan

Whisk together all the ingredients and let stand 5 minutes. Brush a non-stick pan or griddle with butter and dollop 1/4 c. circles of batter onto the surface. Cook until you see lots of little popped bubbles on the surface.

 Flip and cook for about 1 minute more until cooked through. Remove from pan and place
on a baking sheet.

If you are eating them soon, put in a warm oven while  you continue to make more cakes. If freezing, let cool completely on the baking sheet. Then stack in a large freezer bag with wax paper or parchment between the layers. Recipe will make about 32 small pancakes.

2 Cakes

calories 116

fat 2.5g

total carbs 19g

fiber 1.7g

sugars 4.2g

protein 4.7g

approx using caloriecount

Popcorn w/ Mustard Butter, Black Pepper & Fresh Thyme

 I recently checked out Heidi Swanson's new cook book Super Natural Every Day and made this twist on her popcorn recipe in the Snacks chapter. Microwave popcorn and black pepper instead of popping corn on the stove and adding fresh chives.

3 bags plain- no butter- microwave popcorn
6 T. unsalted butter
2 T. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt - plus more to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. fresh chopped thyme

Melt together the butter, mustard, salt and pepper. Pop the popcorn according to the package directions, being careful not to burn it. Pour 2 bags of the popcorn in a very large mixing bowl and drizzle with 1/2 of the mustard butter. Toss gently. I used two flat wooden spatulas for this step. Add the remaining popcorn and drizzle with remaining butter. Toss again. Sprinkle with thyme, toss and taste for salt.

This stuff is deliciously addictive.

 

Monkey Party!

 My daughter turned 2 last week and we had a monkey-filled day to celebrate!

Monkey Toss!

inspired from Michael's

Not a professional job, but it was fun to make from materials I had around the house. Basically cardboard, sharpies & a glue gun. I found some small plastic balls at the Dollar Store that worked perfectly for this. 

Also a Dollar Store find - I hid these adorable monkeys all over for the birthday girl to find. This game was her favorite part of the day. 

Made a sweet & simple Monkey Cake! 

Chocolate Cake w/ Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting & Peanut Butter Buttercream

and some little monkey cakes too :) 

Happy Birthday to my girl :).