Quick and Easy Recipe Variety

Pumpkin Bread or Muffinsw

1 c Brown Rice Flour
1 c Almond Meal Flour (you choose your own flour types and ratios)
2 t cinnamon
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
½ t nutmeg ( I used ½-1 t, pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of nutmeg)
½ t salt
2-3 T. EVOO ( or oil of your choice)
1/4 c Suconat or brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ¼- 1 ½ c pumpkin
½ c water
¼ c molasses
1 t vanilla
Walnuts, pecans, toasted pumpkin seeds (your choice)
Chocolate Chips or Carob, or Naked
350 deg. 45 min to 1 hr depending on oven. (time varies for muffins, small loaves, thick loaves, etc.)
It is possible to change the sweeteners, I have tried using more Suconat, and no molasses, or twice as much molasses, and no Suconat. For eggs, I usually use the whole eggs, but have done it with egg whites. Have not tried egg substitutes

Alisha’s Granola

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup shredded coconut
¼ cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds or both
½ cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil

Heat oven to 350
Bake it 30-40 minutes

Take granola out and add 2 cups dried fruit:
Craisins, raisin, and cherries


Dillon’s Buttermilk Wheat

1 ¼ cups buttermilk
½ cup warm water
¼ cup honey
in container with honey ¼ cup add 2 Tablespoons canola oil (so honey won’t stick and bread will have a better texture)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 ½ cups wheat flour
½ cups bread flour
1 cup Quaker Regular Oats
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons yeast ( may use more yeast)

Mix wet, add yeast, add flour ( do not let salt and yeast together)

Rise one hour punch down, knead, rerise

Makes one loaf
375 Farenheit


NEW YORK TIMES BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons

(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)

Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods.

Italian Cannellini Bean Soup

Serves 8 Prep Time 20-30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes

2 Tablespoons EVOO
1-2 Pounds Hot Italian Sausage
3-4 cloves garlic crushed
1 medium red onion, diced
30 ounces (2 cans Cannellini Beans) OR
1-1 ½ cups dried soaked,cooked(yields 3-4 ½ cups)
6 cups any broth (or water)
1 large can crushed tomatoes with basil
1-1 ½ cups carrots sliced
1-1 ½ cups green beans sliced
1-1 ½ cups mushrooms sliced
1-1 ½ cups green peas, (can use frozen)
1-1 ½ red pepper diced
1 hot pepper Optional (jalapeno, Anaheim, etc.)
½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 large bunch spinach
Orzo Pasta

Soak dried beans overnight, rinse, and simmer till done.
Saute EVOO, garlic, onion till soft, add Hot Italian Sausage.
In a large soup pot add cooked sausage, onions, garlic, and all drippings. Add broth, beans, canned tomatoes, and all veggies. Heat thoroughly.

Boil orzo according to directions.

Serve in bowls layered with plenty of spinach, scoops of hot orzo, and ladled with hot soup on top.

Serve with Italian buttered bread.

Banana Pumpkin Bread Loaf
(or muffins)

makes one loaf or 12 muffins (I usually double)

1 small can or ½ large can Pumpkin
2 cups mashed bananas
¾ cup prunes
½ cup sugar (any kind)
2 cups whole wheat flour (flour variations can be anything: oat flour, rice flour, dry hot cereal, parts of each or one cup flour and one cup whole oats)
¾ cup ground flaxseed
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
½ teaspoon Almond (if desired)
½ teaspoon Orange Flavoring (if desired)

Mix prunes to a puree (works best in blender) using eggs, flavorings, and a bit of water as liquid to process. Put prune mixture into a mixing bowl, add bananas, pumpkin and sugar. Mix well. Add dry ingredients (flour, soda, powder, and spices). Mix well.
Bake 375 F
About 12-14 minutes for muffins and about 45-60 for loaf.

French Dip Sandwiches


1 3-4lb chuck roast (or any kind of roast works)

1/2 cup soy sauce
water

1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
3-4 peppercorns
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder

Sandwich Rolls

Place roast in crock pot. Combine soy sauce and next
5 ingredients; pour over roast. Add water until roast
is almost covered.

Cook on low 6-7 hrs until very tender. Remove roast
and shred meat with forks. Serve on rolls. I
usually strain some broth for dipping or adding to
shredded meat if on the dry side.

Mediterranean Chicken
From: Houston Chronicle


8 chicken thighs, skin on or off*
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, julienne, drained except for 1 tablespoon of oil
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions
1 Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy, ovenproof skillet or a Dutch oven. Add the chicken and brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove from pan. Preheat oven to 350.
2 Add the onion and garlic to the pan where the chicken cooked, draining off fat if you have too much, and sauté until the onion is translucent.
3 Add the remaining ingredients to the pan, including the chicken you previously set aside. Bake for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. If it starts to dry out, cover the pan with foil or a lid.

*Unfortunately, this recipe is pricy, but very quick to put together and yummy! The only change I made was using chicken breasts instead of thighs. The chicken breast came out too dry, though.


LASAGNA


1 pkg lasagna noodles
1 lg jar spaghetti sauce
1 lg cottage cheese
1 lb hamburger
mozzarella/cheddar cheese-grated
1 8oz tomato sauce

Line botom of 9x13 pan with uncooked noodles. Break up uncooked hamburger on top of noodles-season with minced onion, salt, pepper, etc. pour tomato sauce and 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce on meat. Add another layer of noodles top with cottage cheese. Spread rest of spag sauce, top with cheese. Cover with foil cook 375 for 1 hour.

Spinach Orzo Salad

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked orzo pasta
1 (10 ounce) package baby spinach leaves, finely chopped
1/2 pound crumbled feta cheese
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo according to directions. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in spinach, feta, onion, pine nuts, basil and white pepper. Toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Refrigerate and serve cold.

My Favorite Peanut Sauce
Super easy, super flavorful and great over rice noodles or with Asian spring rolls.

½ c. pnut butter
1 c. coconut milk
2 Tbl. minced ginger
3 Tbl. chopped cilantro
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbl sweet Asian chili sauce
2 Tbl Tamari or Soy Sauce
2 Tbl lime juice

Warm up all of the sauce ingredients over low heat on the stove. It helps to start with warming up the peanut butter first and then mix in the other ingredients. Serve at room temp with Asian spring rolls or boil up some rice noodles and serve the sauce over the top of them. The sauce keeps for a few days in the fridge.