Peanut Butter Brownies with Chocolate Frosting

This recipe originated with my grandmother. It is certainly a fan favorite and very rich.

Peanut Butter Brownies
1 1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder (3t will make a 9x13 plus an 8x8)
1/2 t. salt
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
4 eggs
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 c. hot water

Mix all ingredients together. Bake in ungreased 9x13 (it will be very shallow) at 350* for 40 minutes. Cool and frost. Cover and refrigerate (or even freeze).

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 lb. confectioner's sugar
< 1/2 c. milk

Cream all ingredients except milk. Add milk and continue whipping until desired consistency. You may not use all the milk. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Dressing

Thanksgiving elicits a lot of food memories for most people.  Along with the traditional dishes, my family Thanksgiving meals usually involved a few specialties.

• sweet potato casserole (seeing as how NC is the leading producer of the crop in the US) 
• dressing
• deviled eggs
• Jello salad

In today's post, I'm sharing my grandmother's Dressing recipe.  Of course, she gave me this recipe as an ingredient list.  As the one chosen to carry on this tradition in our family, I've taken liberty and modified a little bit.  I do have to confess that I never measure the seasonings, so I'm going based on approximations.  You may have to adjust.  Without further ado...

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 small onion, diced
2. 2 ribs celery, diced
3. 1/2 sweet red bell pepper, diced
4. 1 can cream of chicken soup
5. 1 can cream of mushroom soup
6. 1 cup chicken broth (usually from bouillon)
7. 2 sticks butter, divided
8. 16 oz herb stuffing (Pepperidge farm cubed variety)
9. 1 t Sage
10. 1 t Mrs. Dash
11. 1/2 t Black Pepper
12. 1 t Basil
13. 1 t Parsley
14. 1/4 t Celery Seed
15. Salt, as needed

Directions:
Dice vegetables about 1/2 inch or smaller. Cover and microwave until tender.  Mix together soups, 1 stick of melted butter, broth and seasonings. Add vegetables and stuffing. Add salt and adjust other seasonings to taste, but remember that you're going to add another stick of salted butter in just a minute. You want this mixture to be fairly moist, so add some water if needed. I don't think I've ever added more than about 1/4 of a cup. Put mixture in 9x13 dish (no need to grease).  Cut remaining stick of butter into small cubes and press gently into top of mixture. Bake at 350* until golden brown. Freezes well, after baking (if it lasts that long).

Honey Mustard Chicken and Rice Bake

Inspiration from this recipe.

2.5c water
1.5c brown rice
1T butter
1t salt
~4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
6T dijon mustard
3T maple syrup
1t salt
.5t pepper

Combine chicken and following ingredients in a Ziploc bag for marination (preferably the morning you plan to make this dish, but you can also do it while the oven is preheating).  Preheat oven to 375*.  Boil, water, butter and salt.  Pour over rice in 8in baking dish.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Bake for 30 minutes then add chicken on top. Pour remaining marinade over chicken.  Bake for an additional 30 minutes.

If you decide to use breasts (THIGHS ARE BETTER!), then put them in with only 20-25 minutes of bake time remaining.

Pumpkin Cranberry Bars/Cake

Original recipe here with substitution guidance from here.

Ingredients

• 15oz can pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar 
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 4 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup cranberries (mine were frozen)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray an 9x13 baking dish with non stick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
4. Pour the oatmeal mixture into the dish and spread evenly.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until golden and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Skillet Bow Tie Lasagna

Skillet Bow Tie Lasagna

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic close, minced

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1.5 cups water

1 can (6 oz) tom paste

1 Tbl dried parsley flakes

2 t dried oregano

1 t salt

2.5 cups uncooked bow tie pasta

3/4 cup small-curd cottage cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, cook beef, onion, and garlic over med heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.

Add the tomatoes, water, tom paste, parsley, oregano, and salt; mix well.

Stir in pasta; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring once. Combine cheeses, drop by rounded tbl onto pasta mixture. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Copied from Heather in case she ever takes her post down.  

Japanese Restaurant Style Ginger Dressing

Don't miss this one.  I don't even know how long it would keep in the fridge.  It hasn't lasted that long around here.  It is a nice dressing to use on a Kale & Apple salad because it breaks down the tough leaves nicely.

Original here.

Ingredients
4 carrots, peeled
½ white onion
¼ cup chopped ginger
2 tablespoons white miso paste
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons dark toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Instructions
Throw everything in a high speed blender/food processor and blend until smooth.  Really it won't be that smooth, unless your equipment is amazing.  It will still be a little chunky like the restaurant dressing.

Hints

• Store extra ginger in your freezer.
• Miso paste is a fermented soy product.  You could probably use a little soy sauce in its place or just skip altogether like I did.  Having the miso would probably have rounded out the flavors really nicely.
• Don't skip chopping the ginger.  It needs to start off smaller to be well dispersed.  

Hamburger Buns 2

Ahhh... These buns are much better than the previous recipe I used.  They taste better and are easier.  Win-win!  I'll be playing with a few details, but there is no going back to the old recipe.

Original recipe (& reviews) here.

Buns
3/4 to 1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
*For best results (a smooth, slightly soft dough), use the smaller amount of water in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate); and something in between the rest of the time.

Topping
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions
Place bun ingredients into bread machine in order specified by manufacturer and start the dough cycle (or do it by hand or in your mixer with a 1-2 hr rise). Upon completion, gently deflate the dough and divide into 8 pieces (perfect size for 1/3lb Bubba Burgers; make more if you like smaller burgers).  Shape each piece into a round ball by pinching the bottom.  Place on a parchment paper covered (or lightly greased) baking sheet. Allow to relax for a minute or two and then flatten with the palm/heed of your hand so that they are at least 3" in diameter.  Cover and let rise for 1 hour, or until noticeably puffy.  Brush buns with half of melted butter.  Bake at 375* for 15-18 minutes.  Brush with remaining butter for a soft crust.  Cool buns on a rack.

Intended future modifications:

• Try this as a sandwich bread loaf as some commenters suggested. 
• Try brushing with water after baking.  Or at least unsalted butter.  The greasiness/griminess was unpleasant in the hand, even though the taste was wonderful.  
• Try decreasing sugar or replacing with honey.
• Replace some of the flour with whole wheat. 
• Try an egg wash (white + 1/4 c. water; add extra yolk to dough) with sesame seeds.

Black Bean Soup 2

I finally found a black bean soup that I love and that I can consistently reproduce.

Saute together until fully cooked:
1T olive oil
1 lg onion,c hopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped

Add:
2T chili powder
1T ground cumin
1/4t black pepper
1T+ salt (adjust to taste, esp if you use salted broth)
4c unsalted broth
2 cans* black beans

Puree** and add:
2 cans black beans
28oz can tomatoes (diced or crushed or whole, whatever is cheaper)

Cook until flavors have combined and everything is heated through.

Remove from heat and add:
2T lime juice
15oz can coconut milk

Serve with cilantro.

*If you are using beans cooked from dry (much cheaper), 1 can is a scant 2 cups cooked. Recipe uses approximately 1.5lb dry beans.

**When I use dried beans and crushed tomatoes, I skip the pureeing.  Canned beans usually have chemicals added so that they retain their shape and firmness.  You don't have that with dried beans and I often find they are falling apart by the time I'm cooking them to my preferred doneness.

Hummus

If you don't love hummus, perhaps it is because you haven't had good, homemade hummus.  Now is your chance!

If you find the chickpea (garbanzo) measurements annoying, I'm sorry.  This recipe has been customized for one of my pots and my food processor size (7c).

Ingredients:
1 1/8c Dried Chickpeas (equiv of 1.5 cans)
1/4c Tahini (I hear you can use Peanut Butter in a pinch)
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped/minced
1/2c Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
2T Olive Oil
2T Dried Parsley
1/2t Crushed Red Pepper
1/2t Black Pepper
1 1/2 - 2t Salt

Directions:
Cover chickpeas with water and simmer until tender (approx 90 minutes).  Drain, reserving a bit of liquid.  Place all ingredients in food processor and puree.  Add reserved liquid to achieve desired consistency.

Uses:
Vegetable Dip
Sandwich Spread

Hot Cereal

I mentioned that I've been eating a lot of non-oatmeal hot cereal lately.  I have a new recipe you might like to try.  It is a very high fiber recipe.  I've been eating it while on an elimination diet where I'm not eating gluten (and a bunch of other things).  Oatmeal is technically gluten free, but there is a high risk of cross contamination and oatmeal has another protein that can affect people with gluten sensitivity. 

Anyway.  It is yummy.  Mix up a big batch and enjoy!

1c brown Basmati rice (Basmati really is worth it)
1/2c quinoa
1/2c millet
1/2c buckwheat groats
1/2c sesame seeds
1/2c flaxseed

Use the food processor to partially grind the rice and buckwheat.  Mix all together and store in the fridge or freezer. 

Bring 4c of water to a boil.  Add 1c of the cereal and simmer for 20 minutes.  See my post about oatmeal flavors for some different ideas on how to flavor your cereal. 

Oatmeal Flavors

I've been eating a lot of oatmeal and other hot cereal lately.  I thought I would document some of my favorite flavors and sweetening methods.

Sweetening Methods:

• Mashed bananas
• Dates, chopped (approximately one per serving)
• Fruit juice concentrate (apple or orange)

Of course, you can always use honey, maple syrup or brown sugar.  Over time I have tried to reduce the amount of sugar, especially refined sugar.  You can also gain quite a bit of sweet flavor by spicing your cereal well. In the falling "recipes" be sure to use enough spice!

Favorite Flavors:

• Orange Walnut: Replace 1/4 of water with orange juice concentrate.  Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Serve with walnuts.
• Apple Pecan: Add 1/2c peeled, chopped (sweet) apples per serving.  Reduce water by 1/4.  Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Serve with pecans.
• Cinnamon Raisin:  Add healthy amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Add chopped dates at a rate of 1 per serving.  Stir in raisins after cooking (scant 1/4c per serving).
• Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter: Mash bananas (1/2 per serving) with cocoa powder (1T per serving).  Add after cooking.  Serve with a spoon of crunchy peanut butter.
• Pumpkin Walnut:  Reduce water by 1/4.  Add twice as much pumpkin.  When in season, add 1/4c  (fresh) cranberries per serving.  Add chopped dates at a rate of 1-2 per serving.  Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Serve with walnuts and craisins (if no fresh are available).
• Strawberries and cream:  Replace 1/4 of water with coconut milk.  Add chopped dates at a rate of 1-2 per serving. Stir in 1/4-1/2c chopped strawberries per serving after cooking.

I have to be honest.  Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter is my FAVORITE, but it makes my man gag.  You can't win them all.  More for me.

Soft Flour Tortillas

I went shopping for tortillas last night, but I made the mistake of turning over the package and looking at the ingredient list. Wowsers.  23+ ingredients, depending on how you count them.  Needless to say, I left the store without the tortillas and decided to make my own.

The only problem with my plan is that I'm allergic to pork and the traditional recipe contains lard. Pork shows up in the darndest places.  I scoured the Internet, but most recipes called for vegetable shortening. Ha. The only time I splurge and cook with that load of chemistry is when I make Holly's Cookies.  That happens almost never.

Some recipes call for olive oil, but I kept thinking there was something to the traditional use of a fat that is solid at room temperature. Finally I found a recipe that used coconut oil, which is solid at room temperature, and it worked marvelously.  There are only 4 ingredients and it didn't take long to make.  One of the leftover tortillas even doubled as peanut butter chocolate banana crepe this afternoon.

Check it out.

Written here in case the website ever disappears.

Ingredients:
2c. AP flour
1t salt
4T (1/4c) Coconut Oil (solid)
3/4c warm milk, water or whey

Begin heating cast iron skillet or electric griddle.  Mix flour and salt.  Cut in oil.  Add liquid until it comes together.  Kneed 2 minutes and then rest for 20 (or don't).  Divide into 8 balls.  Roll them out thinly.  Cook about 30 seconds on each side.  Place in a folded towel.

Stuffed Peppers

Original here. 

My version:

Ingredients

• 6 red bell peppers, tops removed and seeded
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped garlic
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 (14-ounce can) tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup diced red and green peppers (you can use the tops)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 lb ground, browned, turkey (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Boil peppers for about 7 minutes, or until they yeild to a squeeze of the tongs.  While water is coming to a boil and peppers are cooking, do the following. 

In a large skillet  (or 2) over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions, mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are golden brown. Add in the zucchini, rice, tomatoes, red and green peppers and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste. Place peppers in muffin trays to keep them upright.  Spoon the vegetable mixture into the peppers. Bake until the peppers are fully cooked, about 15-20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve.

Vegetables for Breakfast

This is going to be a little long.  If you want the recipe, just skip over the blabbing.

I've been following the folks over at Precision Nutrition for a while.  They have some pretty good free courses and I just *love* their blog.  They have a pretty scientific, common sense approach to nutrition.  I highly recommend their free 5-day courses.  The first day of the first course I took started off with 5 questions to ask yourself when you prepare a meal.

1. Are you eating too much food?
2. Are you eating enough protein?
3. Are you eating too many sugars or starches?
4. Are you eating enough vegetables?
5. Are you eating enough healthy fats? 

The course talks about serving sizes and food types to help you answer these questions.  Check it out.  Anyway, I kept thinking about increasing protein and vegetables while decreasing the sugars/starches (but not eliminating them).  I haven't had too much trouble using these questions to improve my lunches, dinners, and snacks, but breakfasts were/are sticky.  

Some of the things I've done to improve the quality of my breakfasts include buying eggs from happy chickens (the kind that see sunlight) as they have more Omega-3 fats, mixing spinach in with my eggs, and having only a small piece of toast.  Oh, and sometimes I eat an extra sausage patty for a bonus protein because I've been KILLING it at the gym lately.  

Recently I found a salad recipe (source: forgotten) that I have been enjoying for/with breakfast.  Check it out.

Grapefruit Salad

• Mixed Greens
• Grapefruit sections (how to prepare)
• Avocado slices
• Red or green onion pieces
• Balsamic Vinaigrette (homemade)

Enjoy!  

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Original is here.

My Version:

1 (2 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch cubes

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1 cup chopped onion

3 cups no-salt-added chicken stock

1T hot curry powder

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk

 

Toppings:

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1/4 cup flaked unsweetened coconut, toasted

2 small Thai red chiles, thinly sliced (optional)

 

Roast squash at 450* with 1T oil and 1/4t salt. Saute onion in remaining oil.  Add squash, stock, remaining salt, and curry powder.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir in lime juice and coconut milk.  Puree with immersion blender. Serve with toppings.

 

I have a similar recipe that doesn't call for roasting the squash.  You just throw it in with the stock and simmer for about 20 minutes.  I'm sure it would be equally tasty.

Anytime Sausage (Sugar Free!)

Who needs Breakfast Sausage?  I vote for Anytime Sausage. 

Original is here.

My version:
1.3 lb ground turkey (not extra lean... you need the fat so it doesn't stick to the pan!)
2t sage
1t salt
1t black pepper
1/8t crushed red pepper
1pinch ground cloves
For sweeter sausage: 1 baby apple, peeled, finely chopped (optional)

The original recipe called for marjoram, but I don't have any.  I'm sure it would add a nice little touch.  I did recently acquire some Italian Seasoning, which is heavy on marjoram and I sprinkled it on top during cooking.  That turned out really nicely.

If you don't want to measure out a bunch of seasoning each time, then make a big batch.  I found that 1t of the mix for every 1/3lb of meat works great. 

Salsa

So... everyone is talking about good bacteria in their yogurt.  You can get similarly awesome bacteria from sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables.  Here I have a recipe for fermented salsa.  It is super tasty and keeps in the fridge for quite a while.  Plus, you can get that good bacteria piled on top of a good tortilla chip!

The recipe is here:  http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2010/10/the-benefits-of-lacto-fermentation-lacto-fermented-salsa-recipe.html.

No need to copy it here, I guess.

P.S. Your grandmother probably grew up eating fermented vegetables.  Ask her about them.

Stir Fry

When I am making stir fry, this is my go-to sauce.  I make a bunch at a time and then keep it in a jar in the fridge.

1/3c sesame oil
2/3c soy sauce

Add spices to taste:
Brown sugar (approx 2 T)
Crushed Red Pepper (approx 1t)
Ginger (approx 1/2t)
Garlic (approx 1t)
Sesame seeds (optional)

Mustard Pretzel Dip

Oh gosh!  My life is complete!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Hot-Mustard-Pretzel-Dip

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup ground mustard
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar - I used brown
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Pretzels

Directions

• In a small saucepan, combine mustard and vinegar; let stand for 30 minutes. Whisk in the sugar and egg yolk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture just begins to simmer and is thickened, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat; whisk in honey. Chill. Serve with pretzels. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 1/2 cup.

Pizza Crust, II

A little different pizza crust recipe... check it out...

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/premium-pizza-crust/detail.aspx