Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Posted in Holidays, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on November 8, 2011| 1 Comment »

It’s not too early to plan your menu for the Thanksgiving holidays, especially if you are having overnight guests. These pumpkin muffins have a lot going for them: a moist, subtle-pumpkin-flavored cake with a little cream cheese surprise tucked in the center and topped with a nutty, crunchy streusel. All that deliciousness, plus you can do the preparations the night before and quickly throw them together the next morning. Your guests will wake up to the smell of freshly-baked muffins! A word of caution, though, with food coming out of the kitchen like this, your guests may never want to go home!

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
Adapted from a recipe found on Pumpkin Nook

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ounces cream cheese, cut into 12 cubes

Streusel Topping Ingredients:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and put paper liners into a 12-cup muffin pan.
2. In a bowl, combine egg, milk, pumpkin, oil and mix well.
3. In a another bowl mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, and spices.
4. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. The batter will be lumpy.
5. Fill each muffin cup about 1/2 full of batter.
6. Place one cube of cream cheese on top of each muffin cup of batter.
7. Add remaining batter on top of the cream cheese, distributing the batter evenly.
8. Combine streusel topping ingredients, mixing well. Sprinkle over the muffins.
9. Bake for 18-22 minutes until golden brown.
10. Serve warm.

Makes 12 muffins.

Linnell’s Notes:
1. Do not over mix the batter when incorporating dry into wet ingredients. Too much stirring overdevelops the gluten in the flour, resulting in rubbery and dense muffins.

2. If you like nice, crusty muffins (tops and sides), forgo the paper liners and grease the muffin tins thoroughly, even the top surface.

3. For the best flavor, use butter instead of margarine when making the streusel topping and use freshly ground nutmeg if you can!

4. To do ahead for Thanksgiving morning: prepare the wet, dry, and streusel ingredients in separate bowls. Cover and refrigerate. Cut the cream cheese into cubes and place in airtight container and refrigerate. As soon as you get up the next morning, heat the oven and then proceed with the recipe directions.

5. Watch the muffins towards the end of the baking time. Muffins are baked in a hot oven to get “crunchy” tops, but muffins topped with streusel can also burn easily.

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Wild Mushroom and Prosciutto Lasagne

Posted in In The Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 1, 2011| 1 Comment »

Tempting layers of sautéed wild mushrooms, thin slices of Italian prosciutto, and wide ribbons of pasta smothered with a béchamel sauce beckon you. Can you resist? From the cookbook Good Friends, Great Dinners by Susan Costner comes this flavor-packed lasagne recipe. Although it does contain Italian tomatoes, prosciutto, and grated Parmesan cheese, it’s a refreshing change from the run-of-the-mill tomato sauce, beef, and ricotta cheese lasagne we so often have. Invite some friends over and pair this lasagne with a fresh autumn salad and a good bottle of wine – enjoy a great dinner with great friends!

Wild Mushroom and Prosciutto Lasagne
Adapted from a recipe by Susan Costner

Basic Ingredients:
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 pounds fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
14.5 ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound box lasagne noodles
6 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
1/4 pound Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Béchamel Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rapid boil with 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta strips one at a time, until all are in the pot. Bring to a boil again and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and immediately rinse each pasta strip under cold running water to prevent sticking. Lay them out on paper towels to drain.

3. Soak the dried porcini mushrooms for at least 30 minutes in 2 cups of warm water. With a slotted spoon, carefully remove the reconstituted mushrooms from the water. Reserve the water. Rinse the mushrooms thoroughly and chop them coarsely. Set aside. Pour the mushroom-soaking liquid through a small sieve lined with paper towels into a bowl and set aside.

4. Coarsely chop the fresh mushrooms by hand (the food processor extracts too much liquid).

5. In a large skillet, heat the oil and 1/4 cup butter; then add the fresh mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until all the liquid has been released and has evaporated.

6. Add the porcini, onion, tomatoes, and parsley to the skillet. Pour in the mushroom-soaking liquid. Partially cover the pan and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the flour gradually and stir for 3 to 5 minutes over low heat. Slowly stir in the milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and smooth, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with nutmeg and salt.

8. Liberally butter an 8½ X 10½-inch lasagne pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a slightly overlapping layer of pasta strips. Spread a third of the mushroom mixture over the pasta, top with one quarter of the béchamel sauce and a sprinkling of the Parmesan cheese. Cover with slices of the proscuitto and repeat the sequence two more times. Cover with one last layer of pasta, top with the remaining béchamel sauce and Parmesan, and dot with the 2 tablespoons of butter, cut into small pieces.

9. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown on top. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6*

Linnell’s Notes:
1. I purchase thinly sliced prosciutto at Costco. Each piece is separated by a piece of paper so that the thin slices of meat do not stick together. This is a time-saver when you are assembling the lasagne!

2. When I’m feeling lazy, I purchase bags of prewashed and presliced baby bella mushrooms and coarse chop them.

3. I lay out the cooked and rinsed noodles on a paper towel-lined baking pan. Each layer of noodles is separated by paper towels. To keep the top layer from drying out, it is covered with a damp towel.

4. *I use a 9-inch by 13-inch Pyrex pan every time I make this and it is always filled to the brim. It makes a lot more than the 6 servings stated in the recipe!

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Caramel Corn

Posted in About me, Gift Ideas, Holidays, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on October 25, 2011| 5 Comments »

The sweet scent of caramel corn permeates my kitchen and transports me back in time. As a young child I remember shopping with my mom at Valley Fair Mall. Back in those days it was an outdoor mall anchored by big stores called the Emporium and Joseph Magnin. While walking from store to store, we would always pass a little caramel corn shop and be seduced by the smell wafting out of the door. My sister and I would beg our mom to stop and buy us some. Having a sweet tooth of her own, my mom usually consented. Carrying a cardboard carton bearing a capital “K”  filled to the brim with the most delicately-coated, buttery- sweet, caramel popcorn imaginable, my sister and I would lag behind mom while grabbing handfuls of the treat and stuffing our faces. Valley Fair is now an enclosed mall and the Emporium and Joseph Magnin stores are long gone, as is the little caramel corn shop whose name I can no longer remember. I make my own caramel corn now and it seems fitting that this great recipe came from my sister. With butter, brown sugar, and its secret ingredient – Mrs. Butterworth’s Original Syrup – it’s almost as good as the caramel corn of my youth!

Caramel Corn
Adapted from a recipe from my sister Nancy

Ingredients:
12 cups popped popcorn
1 cube butter
1/4 cup Mrs. Butterworth’s Original Syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups Wheat Chex
1 cup cocktail peanuts

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Put popped popcorn, Wheat Chex, and peanuts in a large bowl and toss to mix. Set aside.

4. Using a medium-large saucepan with high sides, melt the butter, syrup, and sugar on medium heat until bubbles form on the side of the pot. Heat for 5 minutes longer. DO NOT OVERCOOK!

5. Remove pot from heat and stir in salt and baking soda. The mixture will get foamy.

6. Pour caramel foam over popcorn mixture and quickly stir to coat evenly.

7. Spread mixture onto the two baking sheets.

8. Bake for one hour, stirring the caramel corn every 15 minutes.

9. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

10. Store in an airtight container.

Linnell’s Notes:

1. Be very careful with the hot caramel. Being hot and sticky, it can cause a bad burn! One time I accidentally got some on my knuckle and ended up with a pretty significant burn blister.

2. If you do not want to add the cereal or the nuts, use 15 cups of popped popcorn instead. Also, any type of Chex-type cereal can be substituted for the Wheat Chex.

3. Containers of this caramel corn make great gifts. When my husband and I were poor college students we often made several big batches of this caramel corn, packaged it in cute containers and gave them away as Christmas gifts.

ENJOY!!

Read Full Post »

Friday’s Fresh Five! (10/14/11)

Posted in About me, Health, Helping Others, inspiration, Photography, Recipes, Travel, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 14, 2011| 1 Comment »

Going to scenic Monterey, California, was no longer an option. Undeniably, I was coming down with some poorly-timed illness and my hopes of tagging along on one of my husband’s business trips were swallowed along with an Advil. Allowing myself only a half-hour-long pity-party, I decided to spin the situation into a positive one. I could prevent a few pesky pounds of weight gain by not dining out at all those wonderful seafood restaurants, right? And I considered the perk of being housebound as a gift of much desired reading time. Plus, I rationalized that nobody could oversee the recovery from Xylitol poisoning of Romeo, my neurotic dog, better than his mommy. Disappointment evaporated into gratitude.

#1 – Are You Rich?
Having a bad day? From Marc and Angel Hack Life comes another great list. This list is a reminder of how the ups and downs in life are a matter of perspective.

10 Reasons You Are Rich
1. You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night.
2. You didn’t go to sleep outside.
3. You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning.
4. You hardly broke a sweat today.
5. You didn’t spend a minute in fear.
6. You have access to clean drinking water.
7. You have access to medical care.
8. You have access to the Internet.
9. You can read.
10. You have the right to vote.

#2 – Glowing, Night Show
A collection of photos titled Red Tide, Blue Surf depict an example of a natural phenomenon called bioluminescence. In these photos tiny red plankton “emit a light blue glow that can be seen in the dark” as a result of chemical reactions taking place in their bodies. Although, this phenomenon occurs in oceans around the world, the beaches of Southern California have been attracting a lot attention of late. In addition to the photos, check out the incredible blue surf in this video:

#3 – Autumn Is Here, Chili Is In The Air
As the weather changes, so do our menus. With football games and crisp autumn air come bowls of piping hot chili! If you are making a big pot of chili and run out of chili powder, mix up a batch of this quick substitute:

1 teaspoon cayenne or red pepper
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoon oregano

#4 – Muscle Myths
From the Huffington Post slideshow on 7 Myths About Your Muscles comes this tidbit of information that may change your workout:

While cardio burns more calories than resistance training during your workout, lifting weights torches more fat overall. In a study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, women who completed an hour-long strength-training workout burned an average of 100 more calories in the 24 hours afterward than those who skipped the weights. The more muscle owned, the more fat burned.

#5 – What Are You Waiting For?
“The greatest weakness of most humans is their hesitancy to tell others how much they love them while they’re alive.” Orlando A. Battista

Tell someone you love them this weekend!

Read Full Post »

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Posted in About me, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 11, 2011| 1 Comment »

Tried-and-true recipes that are handed down from mother to child or shared from friend to friend are the jewels in every woman’s recipe collection. A tattered pink index card holds an all-time favorite sour cream coffee cake recipe of mine, and is a good example of a jewel in my collection. Even though I can’t recall the source of the recipe, the delicious ribbons of nuts, sugar and cinnamon swirling through a moist cake are unforgettable. Coffee cakes just don’t get better than that. That is, until now! From the Grand Central Baking Book comes this easy and well-written recipe that has several great things going for it. One – the recipe is from the Grand Central Bakery, a renowned bakery in the Pacific Northwest. Two – the coffee cake bakes in a 9 by 13-inch pan instead of a deep tube or bundt pan, thus decreasing baking time. Three – this coffee cake offers the versatility of adding a layer of fresh seasonal fruit on top of a delicate, moist cake. Four – a crunchy oat streusel covers the fresh fruit. The author likens it to a fruit crisp on top of a cake. You’ll want to add this “jewel” of a recipe to your own collection!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Recipe from the Grand Central Baking Book

Ingredients:

STREUSEL
½ cup (4 ounces, or 1 stick) cold unsalted butter
½ cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
1 cup (7 ounces) packed light brown sugar
½ cup (2.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
¾ cup (2.75 ounces) rolled oats

COFFEE CAKE
3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (5.25 ounces) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
¾ cup (6 ounces, or  1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (12.75 ounces) sour cream

2 cups diced fresh fruit or berries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.

2. Dice the butter into ¼- to ½-inch cubes, then combine it with the granulated and brown sugars, flour, and salt. Use two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingers to mix the ingredients until crumbly, then mix in the oats. If you’re making the streusel ahead of time, cover and refrigerate it until you’re ready to proceed with the recipe.

3. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a bowl with high sides. Make a well in the center.

4. In another bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, butter, and vanilla together. Pour the mixture into the well, then add the sour cream by evenly distributing large spoonfuls around the edges of the dry ingredients. Gently mix the batter, using a large spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Use big, slow, circular strokes that scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with each motion. Don’t worry if the batter appears slightly lumpy, or if there are streaks of sour cream. The delicate texture of this batter is achieved through minimal mixing. (Some small patches of flour may still be visible; this is okay, as they’ll be absorbed during the baking process.)

5.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Distribute the fruit in an even layer over the batter, then sprinkle evenly with the streusel. Bake for 45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. The streusel should be crunchy and brown, and a skewer inserted in the center should come out clean.

Serve the coffee cake straight from the oven with plenty of fresh, piping hot coffee.

Serves 12

Linnell’s Notes:
I used fresh blueberries that I tossed in a little bit of flour first to prevent them from sinking and turning the batter purple.

This cake stays moist for days – not that it would last that long, but there are only two of us at home to eat it!

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Healthy Homemade Dog Treats

Posted in About me, Gift Ideas, Health, Pets, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 4, 2011| 2 Comments »

Cardboard letters, strung across the fireplace mantle, spelled out a colorful “Happy Birthday!” Green, blue, and purple paw prints cheerfully decorated party hats and balloons. Guests, human and canine, filled the room and doted on the birthday boy who had dried mud on his nose. Buster, my son’s Black Lab puppy, happily celebrated his first birthday last weekend by eating special doggy treats and playing with all his new toys.

Wanting to make treats for all of Buster’s canine guests, I found two recipes online and asked my daughter to help me make them. Using only ingredients safe for human consumption, I figured these healthy dog treats had to be far better than the usual mass-produced ones. The ultimate test, though, was to see if the birthday boy and his canine guests liked these treats. They didn’t just like them, they devoured them! Reward your pet’s unconditional love by making him healthy homemade treats using these easy recipes adapted from Dog Treat Recipes.

Easy Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup peanut butter (smooth only)
1 cup milk

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease or cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, and oatmeal. Thoroughly mix and then add peanut butter and milk. Stir it all together until a dough forms.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough.

4. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Use cookie cutters or a pizza cutter to cut the dough into desired sizes and shapes.

5. Bake treats on prepared baking sheet for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Cool. Store in airtight container.

Note: Depending on desired thickness, these could be rolled out thinner than specified. They puff up during baking due to the baking powder.

Low Fat Carrot Dog Treats

Ingredients:
1 medium ripe banana
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/8 cup water (more, as needed)
1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour (additional will be needed for rolling dough)
1 cup rolled oats

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray or cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Whether you use store-bought shredded carrots or you grate your own, give them a coarse chop first. This will make it easier to cut the dough with the cookie cutters. If you grate your own carrots, wash them first and grate them with the peel on for added nutrition.

3. In a medium bowl, mash up banana and mix in shredded carrots. Add water and applesauce. Stir to combine. Add flour and oats. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

4. Using you hands, knead the mixture until a dough forms. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out dough until it is a 1/2-inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut dough into treats and place on prepared baking sheet.

5. Bake for 25 minutes. For crunchier treats, turn off the oven at the end of the baking time and let cool overnight before storing in an airtight container.

6. Makes about 24 low fat healthy dog treats. They last about 3 weeks if stored in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer.

Note: You may have to add additional flour or liquid to get the right consistency of dough.

“Bone” Appétit!

Read Full Post »

Kate’s Cheese Squares

Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on September 27, 2011| 3 Comments »

The invitation read, “Last names: A-M hearty appetizer, N-Z dessert.” I sighed, put the invitation on my desk and thought, “Appetizers, again.” With a last name that begins with a letter in the first part of the alphabet, I’m pretty much destined to bring appetizers to every group party I’m ever invited to attend. Although, just once, I’d like to bring a dessert, I’m thankful that my situation has caused me to test and build up a pretty nice collection of appetizer recipes!

This recipe for Cheese Squares comes from my friend Kate, who got the recipe from her mother. Kate recently made these for a pre-wedding bash she hosted for her daughter. Helping Kate in the kitchen that evening was my strategy to be closer to the food – someone had to keep an eye on and sample all of the hot appetizers coming out of the oven! Kate outdid herself, as usual, and all her appetizers were delicious, but this one was a standout. If you like cheddar cheese, butter, and cream cheese, you will like these delicate puffs of bread dipped in a frothy mixture of those sinfully rich ingredients and then baked to a delicious, light golden brown.

Cheese Squares

Ingredients:
1/4 pound Tillamook cheddar cheese, grated
1 cube butter
13 ounces cream cheese
2 eggs
Unsliced loaf of bread, such as Challah or 1-inch thick slices of Texas Toast bread

Directions:
1. Cut crust off bread and cut into 1-inch cubes.

2. Melt the first three ingredients in a double boiler. Let cool for a bit.

3. Separate egg whites from the yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff and add to slightly cooled cheese-butter mixture.

4. Dip cubes of bread into the egg white-butter-cheese mixture and place on a greased or parchment-covered baking sheet.

5. Refrigerate cubes overnight. Kate has had the best luck when she quick-freezes the squares on a cookie sheet – both if she wants to cook them right away or if she wants to freeze them for future use. If she’s going to freeze them for future use, she makes sure they are completely frozen on the cookie sheet before placing them in a zip-type plastic bag or else they will stick to the inside of the bag.

6. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.

Linnell’s Notes:
1. Obviously, the better the ingredients, the better the flavor. Buy flavorful bread and good cheese.

2. I made some Cheese Squares several months ago and froze the extra. Surprisingly, when my freezer went out recently and I was forced to bake these, they still tasted good!

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Mini Monkey Breads

Posted in About me, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 20, 2011| 6 Comments »

Neighborhood coffees bring people together who otherwise just wave to each other from their cars. Sharing the three c’s – coffee, cake, and conversation – makes a neighborhood a better one. Putting faces to names and names to homes increases neighborhood awareness and safety. But really, it’s just a nice way to welcome new neighbors and to catch up with familiar ones!

Sweet, pull-apart Monkey Breads are favorites to serve at coffees for three simple reasons: they are easy to make, they serve many guests, and they taste delicious. In anticipation of a neighborhood coffee I’m helping to host in a few months, I “monkeyed” around with my Monkey Bread recipe. With so many people watching their diets these days, I opted to make mini monkey breads and substituted Splenda for sugar with great results! Assembling these little ones took no time at all and the baking time was quick, but the very best thing about these Mini Monkey Breads is that each one has more crispy-crunchy, sweet-cinnamon surface area than you’d get picking apart a regular-sized one! The results weren’t as “mini” as I thought they would be, but that didn’t stop me from devouring a whole one all by myself!

Mini Monkey Breads
Adapted from a recipe by Blue Eyed Bakers

Ingredients:
3 Cans of Pillsbury Grands Buttermilk biscuit dough
1 Cup Splenda
1 T cinnamon
3/4 Cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
1/2 Cup brown sugar
Sweetened condensed milk, optional
1/2 Cup chopped walnuts, optional
1/2 Cup dried fruit – such as raisins, chopped dates, blueberries, optional

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners in each cup of your muffin tin and set tin aside.

2. Remove biscuit dough from the containers and cut each biscuit into six wedges. Roll each wedge into balls.

2. In a large reusable plastic bag or large bowl, combine Splenda and cinnamon. Stir or shake to combine.

3. Place balls into the bag and shake well until all balls are evenly coated with the cinnamon-Splenda mixture. If you are using a bowl gently toss the balls with your hands until evenly coated. Set aside.

4. In a small sauce pan, melt together butter and brown sugar over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved (about 5 minutes).

5. Place a spoonful of the butter-brown sugar mixture into each muffin cup. Take three coated dough balls and put into bottom of cup. If you are adding nuts and dried fruit, this is the time to tuck some in between the balls. Top with two or three balls and a few more nuts and fruit bits. Repeat, filling each muffin cup with remaining dough balls (and fruit and nuts).

6. Pour a spoonful of the butter-brown sugar mixture over each Mini Monkey Bread and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden, puffy, and bubbling.

7. Serve Mini Monkey Breads warm from the oven. If desired they can be topped with ribbons of sweetened condensed milk. They can also be made ahead – cover with foil and reheat in a 300 degree oven, for about 10 minutes.

Makes about 18

Linnell’s Notes:
1. I used Splenda to cut back on sugar, but you could substitute 1 cup white sugar if you prefer.

2. I added the dough balls a handful at a time into the container of cinnamon-Splenda to make sure all surface areas were well-covered. A word of caution: do not let the coated dough balls sit in the plastic bag or bowl too long or else you will have one, big, doughy mass!

3. I made three different types. In one batch I sprinkled dried blueberries and walnuts. Another batch I added chopped dates and walnuts. The third batch had just chopped walnuts. Each type was in a different colored paper liner, so I could easily tell them apart. For better flavor, toast the walnuts in the oven first for about 15 minutes.

4. I used a punch-type can opener and poured squiggles of sweetened condensed milk right out of the can onto the Mini Monkey Breads.

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Corn and Couscous Salad

Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 6, 2011| 2 Comments »

Sweet summer corn is the key ingredient to this salad. Throw in some couscous, sweet onion, spicy curry, fresh red chili, and aromatic cilantro and you have an easy summer salad. Serve this flavorful salad with grilled lamb chops, fresh slices of vine-ripened melon, and a bottle of good wine. Sit back and enjoy your summertime feast. Better yet, invite some friends over to share the meal and enjoy the last days of summer together.

Corn and Couscous Salad
Recipe by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp grainy mustard
1 T white-wine or sherry vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 T extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup couscous
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red chili, minced (optional)
3 C fresh corn kernels (about 4 cobs)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together curry powder, mustard, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. While whisking, slowly drizzle in 3 tablespoons oil; whisk until emulsified. Set aside.

2. Place couscous in a large bowl. Bring 1 cup water to a boil; pour over couscous; stir to combine. Cover with a plate; let steam until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; set aside.

3. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and chili; cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add corn, and cook until bright yellow and just tender, about 2 minutes. Stir corn mixture into couscous. Add curry vinaigrette and cilantro; toss to combine. Serve warm or over at room temperature.

Serves 4.

Linnell’s Notes:
1. I don’t know what size portions Martha serves, but this certainly makes more than four servings. My guess is at least six plus.

2. To make this dish healthier, quinoa could be substituted for the couscous.

3. I used sweet white corn. Each corn cob yielded 1 cup of kernels. Because I had husked four ears of corn, I used 4 cups of kernels in the salad instead of the specified 3. I liked the additional corn in the salad and will make it again with this amount.

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Healthy Cookies!

Posted in Health, In The Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on August 23, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Healthy cookies? Really? Other than a “dieting baker” there may be no greater oxymoron in the world of sugar and flour than the term “healthy cookies.” Since one of my sons is getting married next year, I’ve started watching pesky calories, which in turn, means not a morsel of cookie has passed through my lips in a while. Well, that is until this morning! I whipped up a batch of these soft, yet crunchy, cookies earlier in the day, sampled one and totally enjoyed my wholesome and almost guilt-free treat! Made with cooked quinoa, whole wheat flour, oats, coconut, and a trifecta of seeds – sunflower, sesame, and flax – they are indeed “healthier cookies.”

Healthy Cookies
From Quinoa 365 by Patricia Green & Carolyn Hemming

Ingredients:
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup quinoa
1 cup butter, softened
1-1/3 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
1/3 cup flax (ground or whole seeds)
1/3 cup sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Bring the water and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the covered saucepan on the burner for an additional 6 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Cream the butter with the brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

4. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Add the oats, cooked quinoa, coconut, sunflower seeds, flax and sesame seeds to the flour mixture and stir until well blended. Combine with the butter mixture and stir until well mixed.

5. Roll the dough into 1-1/2-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Flatten each cookie slightly with the palm of your hand.

6. Bake on the center oven rack for 8 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms are light brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet.

7. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Makes 5 dozen.

Linnell’s Notes:
1. Don’t forget to rinse the quinoa before cooking it. This needs to be done to remove the saponin coating on the grains or else they will taste bitter.

2. I only stock steel cut or rolled oats in my pantry, so to make quick-cooking oats, I just put some of the rolled oats into my food processor and whirled them a bit to break down the flakes.

3. Like walnuts and pecans, sesame seeds are more flavorful when they are toasted. Toast some in advance and then put them in the freezer for later use.

4. Cover the cookie sheets with parchment paper to make sure the cookies don’t stick. Don’t forget that parchment paper can be reused. After baking and cooling I wipe the paper down and store them on the baking sheets.

5. To handle the sticky dough, moisten your hands with water first. Re-wet hands as often as needed.

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »