Roasted Butternut squash

Picture and Recipe from Whole foods Market

 

 

 

Ingredients: 

• 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Method: 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Halve the squash lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out and discard seeds.

If desired, peel with a vegetable peeler or cut into big chunks and keep steady on the cutting board while cutting off the peel with a knife.

Cut into 1-inch cubes. Transfer to a large, rimmed baking sheet. Toss with oil, salt and pepper and spread out in a single layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until just tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Nutritional Info: 

Per Serving:150 calories (30 from fat), 3.5g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 300mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 3g protein

Raw Melissa's No Bake Cookies

My mom made and brought these babies to Powell.
And I was hooked.

No Bake Cookies

4 cups oats

6 TB cocoa powder

1/2-3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup almond butter

3/4 cup agave or honey

1 TB vanilla

Combine all dry ingredients.  Incorporate wet and mix with hands.  Place on a cookie sheet with wax paper, freeze or refrigerate for a bit.  Place them in a ziploc bag in refrigerator and enjoy!

{ Pumpkin Spice Scones }

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Scones

Submitted by Mal

(makes 8 scones)

2 cups flour

7 TB sugar

1 TB baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree

3 TB heavy cream

1 egg

6 TB cold butter, cubed

Plain Glaze

1 cup + 1 TB powdered sugar

2  TB heavy cream (or more, depending on how runny you want it)

Spiced Drizzle

1 cup + 3 TB powdered sugar

2  TB heavy cream (or more)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

pinch ground ginger

pinch ground cloves

Preheat oven to 425.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a food processor combine all the dry ingredients for the scones.  Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture is like the texture of corn meal.

In a separate bowl mix pumpkin, egg and heavy cream.  Add the flour mixture until just combined.  Put the dough on a floured surface and gently knead a few times until the dough becomes one.  Flatten the ball into a circle 1" thick.  Use a pizza cutter and cut to your specifications.

Place scones on baking sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes.  Or until golden brown.  Let scones cool on a cooling rack completely.

When scones are cool, combine the plain glaze and spread on scone.  Combine the spiced drizzle, add to plastic bag and snip corner.  Drizzle on top.  Let harden and enjoy!

{ Crockpot Apple Sauce }

 Submitted by Chelsey

Ingredients:

8 medium apples

1 strips of lemon peel - use a vegetable peeler

          2 tsp fresh lemon juice

          3 inch cinnamon stick

          4tsp Honey

Directions:

1.  Peel, core and chop the apples.

2.  Add the honey, lemon peel, lemon juice and cinnamon stick.

3.  Set crock pot to low and cook for 6 hours. Stir apples occasionally, apples will slowly become a delicious applesauce. Remove cinnamon stick and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth or if you prefer a chunky sauce, leave sauce intact. (I used a whisk, which gave the sauce a nice chunky consistency.)

4.  Can and process as you would other recipes or keep refrigerated up to 3 weeks.

{ Easy Hearth Bread }

Submitted by Mal

King Arthur Flour Hearth Bread

(its also called 'the easiest loaf of bread you'll ever bake')

(this makes 2 loaves, when I make it I make the whole recipe, then freeze one loaf)

1 tablespoon (1 packet) active dry yeast 

1 tablespoon sugar 

1 tablespoon salt

 2 cups warm water (not over 110°F)

 5 1/2 to 6 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 

cornmeal 

boiling water 

 To mix: Mix together the first four ingredients. Let this stand until the yeast, sugar and salt are dissolved. Gradually add the flour to the liquid and mix thoroughly until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface to knead. (This may be a little messy, but don't give up!) 

 Knead It: Fold the far edge of the dough back over on itself towards you. Press into the dough with the heels of your hands and push away. After each push, rotate the dough 90°. Repeat this process in a rhythmic, rocking motion for 5 minutes, sprinkling only enough flour on your kneading surface to prevent sticking. Let the dough rest while you scrape out and grease the mixing bowl. Knead the dough again for 2 to 3 minutes. 

 Let It Rise: Return the dough to the bowl and turn it over once to grease the top. Cover with a damp towel and keep warm until the dough doubles in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours. Shape it: Punch down the dough with your fist and briefly knead out any air bubbles. Cut the dough in half and shape into two Italian- or French-style loaves. Place the loaves on a cookie sheet generously sprinkled with cornmeal. Let the loaves rest for 5 minutes.

 Bake it: Lightly slash the tops of the loaves 3 or more times diagonally and brush them with cold water. Place on rack in a cold oven with a roasting pan full of boiling water on the oven bottom. Bake at 400°F for 35 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and sounds hollow to the touch. For a lighter, crustier bread, let your shaped loaves rise for 45 minutes. Preheat the oven and roasting pan with water to 500°F for 15 minutes. Brush the loaves with cold water, place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 400°F and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool and devour!

{ Homemade Mushroom Soup }

Homemade Mushroom Soup

Submitted by Mal

serves 2

(I recommend doubling, this barely serves 2)

2 cups mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped 

(or if you don't want to finely chop the mushrooms, you can just add the entire soup to a blender at the end to soup-ify it)

1 Tb olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1 Tb butter

1 Tb chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme

1-2 bay leaves

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 cup chicken stock

1 Tb flour dissolved in 1 Tb water

salt to taste

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

dash of nutmeg

ground black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil.  Add butter and light saute garlic on medium heat until golden.  Add mushrooms, thyme, bay leaf and worcestershire sauce.  Cook over medium for 5 minutes, or until the moisture from the mushrooms disappears.  Add chicken broth, stir and reduce heat.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Add diluted flour and stir constantly allowing the mixture to thicken.  Season with salt and nutmeg.  Add milk and cream, bring to a simmer and turn heat off.  Enjoy!

Healthy Flourless Cake

I made this for my Mom's birthday, she is eating very healthy but, still wanted a yummy treat without eating the no no's that are part of her diet and life. Don't let the ingredients scare you! This is a yummy cake!!

Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake
Adapted from a recipe at LowCarbFriends

Makes a 9" one layer cake

Ingredients:
1-15 ounce can of unseasoned black beans
OR 1 1/2 cup cooked beans, any color
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter OR unrefined coconut oil
3/4 cup erythritol + 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract

OR 1/2 cup honey + 1 teaspoon pure stevia extract

OR 1 1/4 cup Splenda (using Splenda is not recommended)
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon water (omit if using honey)

Mint Chocolate variation:
2 teaspoons mint extract (in place of 2 teaspoons vanilla)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9" cake pan with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray, or just grease it with a thin layer of butter. Dust cocoa all over the inside of the pan, tapping to evenly distribute. Cut a round of parchment paper and line the bottom of the pan, then spray the parchment lightly.

Drain and rinse beans in a strainer or colander. Shake off excess water. Place beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla, stevia (if using) and salt into blender. Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied. No lumps! Whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat butter with sweetener (erythritol or honey) until light and fluffy. Add remaining two eggs, beating for a minute after each addition. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder and water (if using), and beat the batter on high for one minute, until smooth. Scrape batter into pan and smooth the top. Grip pan firmly by the edges and rap it on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done with the top is rounded and firm to the touch. After 10 minutes, turn out cake from pan, and flip over again on to a cooling rack. Let cool until cake reaches room temperature, then cover in plastic wrap or with cake dome (I use an overturned plastic chip bowl). For BEST flavor, let cake sit over night. I promise this cake will not have a hint of beaniness after letting it sit for eight hours! If you are stacking this cake, level the top with a long serrated knife, shaving off layers until it is flat and even. Frost immediately before serving

And this frosting ...

Honey-Cinnamon Frosting:
¼ cup unsalted grass-fed butter
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup honey
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Make the Frosting: Take your room temperature butter & cream cheese & beat them in an electric mixer on medium-high speed (that would be a 7 on my Kitchen Aid). Add your honey & cinnamon to the mixture. A pinch of salt is lovely to add. Taste to see if you need more honey then written. 

Cordon Blue Pasta with a twist!!

 

For the pasta1 box (16oz) Penne Rigate Noodles (use wheat pasta)
3 Chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2-1 C bacon crumbles (decide how much you like bacon)
2 4oz cans of mushrooms
1/2 to 3/4 bag of fresh spinach chopped
1/2 3.5oz package of sun dried tomatoes chopped
one bunch of green onions chopped

For the sauce1/2 c butter (1 cube)
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 C heavy cream
1/2 C milk
1/2 tsp pepper (more if you like spice)
1 C Parmesan cheese (fresh if you can)
2 C mozzarella (you will save 1C for the top)

Directions1- cook chicken (and bacon if not using crumbled from package) and shred
2- preheat oven 350 degrees
3- cook noodles to package directions (drain)
4- while noodles are cooking make sauce; melt butter in medium saucepan over medium/low heat.  add garlic, cream, milk and pepper.  Bring mixture to a simmer. stir often.  Add the Parmesan and simmer 8-10 minutes or until it has thickened and is smooth.  Add 1 C mozzarella and stir until smooth.
5- add drained pasta back into large pan (off stove) pour in sauce, all remaining ingredients and pour into a 9x13 greased pan. 
6- Sprinkle remaining 1 C moz on top and bake 350 degrees for 15-20 min until lightly browned on top.
** the twist is Zach adding the spinach and sun dried tomatoes and any other vegetable you want**

Caulifower pizza crust

This is one of our families favorite recipe right now! I wasn't sure how this would taste but, it is sooo yummy! You can’t tell at all that the crust is made out of cauliflower. It doesn’t taste like “real” pizza crust, but it doesn’t have the flavor or texture of cauliflower either.

Recipe & Pictures from : http://www.recipegirl.com/

Yield: One 9 to 12-inch pizza (feeds 2 people)
Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 18 min

Ingredients:

CRUST:

1/2 LARGE head cauliflower (or 2+ cups shredded cauliflower)
1 large egg
1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic (or fresh garlic)
1/2 teaspoon onion salt

TOPPINGS:

1/2 cup tomato-basil marinara sauce (or pizza sauce)
1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
And whatever over toppings you like

Directions:

Preheat the oven 450 and spray a cookie sheet

Just use a cheese grater to “grate” your cauliflower into very small pieces.

Microwave those cauliflower crumbles for 8 minutes. No water or anything needed.
 Just microwave it for 8 minutes to soften it up, and then let it cool a little bit. .

Mix 1 1/2 cups of the cauliflower crumbles with egg, cheese and spices. (I used mozzarella, but imagine using different varieties of cheeses in the crust! Yum!)

Shape it into a 9 to 12-inch round.

 Bake JUST the crust for 15 minutes

After the crust is cooked top it with desired sauce and toppings.

 Basil marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, Canadian bacon and pineapple (our favorite).

 Broil the pizza 3 to 4 minutes, or until the toppings are hot and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Cut into 6 slices and serve immediately.

Korean Bibimbap

This week I took it upon myself to try new recipes and new foods. First on the menu was Korean Bibimbap.

This dish was light and refreshing. It wasn't bursting with flavor, but it turned out that is exactly what I wanted.

Korean Bibimbap

3 carrots, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced or minced
english cucumber, thinly sliced
3/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
5 ounces spinach
4 green onions, thinly sliced, the green and white parts separated
4 eggs
hot cooked rice
3 TB soy sauce
toasted sesame oil

Heat up olive oil in pan. Add carrots, cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and white parts of green onions. Cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms, cook 4 minutes. Add cucumber and spinach, cook until softened about 3-4 minutes. Stir and coat in soy sauce. Remove vegetables from pan. Heat up olive oil and fry eggs.

Put veggies over rice, place eggs on top. Top with green onions, sesame oil and extra soy sauce.

Recipe via here.

Baked Shrimp Scampi

My MIL got me some non-alcoholic wines to cook with for Christmas. So to test out the white, I made some shrimp scampi to use up a bag of shrimp in our freezer.
I found this recipe on the Food Network website. I subscribed to their magazine for Christmas; really excited about it.

Kevin gave this an A+, which is pretty spectacular. Me, I give it a B.







I served it with roasted green beans, probably my favorite side dish right now.
All you do is preheat the oven to 400.
Drizzle, or drench-you decide, olive oil and kosher salt on the green beans (or asparagus)
Roast for 10-20 minutes. Depends on your taste.

I also served it with my favorite easy homemade foccacia bread.



Baked Shrimp Scampi

1 pound shrimp, in shell-cooked or uncooked
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoons dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1/8 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.

In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined.

Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges.