Granola Bark

granola bark from my friend's blog

http://daisiesareagirlsbestfriend.blogspot.com/2007/10/good-food-friday-on-monday.html

Franks Red Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip

from the Franks Red Hot web site.

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing
1/2 cup any flavor FRANK'S® REDHOT® Sauce
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cans (9.75 oz. each) SWANSON® White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

DIRECTIONS:

1.HEAT oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth.
2.MIX in salad dressing, Frank's RedHot Sauce and cheese. Stir in chicken.
3.BAKE 20 min. or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or vegetables.

Tips
1.Microwave Directions: Prepare as above. Place in microwave-safe dish. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 5 min. until hot, stirring halfway through cooking.
2.Tips: You may substitute 2 cups shredded cooked chicken.
3.Slow Cooker Method: Combine ingredients as directed above. Place mixture into small slow cooker. Cover pot. Heat on HIGH setting for 1 1/2 hours until hot and bubbly or on LOW setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir.
4.Tailgating Tip: Prepare dip ahead and place in heavy disposable foil pan. Place pan on grill and heat dip until hot and bubbly.

Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

Clipped from a Pillsbury ad:

1 box (19.5 oz) brownie mix
1/4 c butter
4 oz cream cheese (1/2 package)
1 egg
1 c powdered sugar
1 c peanut butter


heat oven to 350

combine brownie mix, melted butter, cream cheese, and egg, whisk 50 strokes w/ spoon until well-blended (will be sticky)

drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet, 2" apart, make about 24 cookies. smooth out edges of batter.

in another bowl, mix powdered sugar and peanut butter. with hands, roll spoonfuls of peanut butter mixture into balls and place one ball in the center of each ball of dough.

bake 10-14 min or until edges are set. cool on cookie sheets at least 30 min if being frosted.

if desired, frost with ready-to-spread frosting

Some sort of chocolate loaf

I was looking for recipes for some bread/cake stuff that we had when we were in Greece. It was a really mild chocolate flavor and was really dense and moist. I would eat a few pieces at breakfast, then swipe a few more pieces to take with me for the day. I have looked all over for a recipe, so if this sounds like anything you've ever had before, let me know! I THINK this might be one of my attempts at making it. Not sure. Again, I didn't label it, so I'll have to make it and see how it turns out!

Sift together:
2 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 t soda
1/2 c cocoa
1 c sugar
1/2 t salt

in a small bowl, combine:
1 egg
1/3 c butter
1 1/4 c sour milk (add 1 T vinegar to room temp milk, let sit 5 min)
combine until just blended
put in sprayed 9x5 loaf pan, bake 1 hour @ 350

California Rangers

This recipe comes from my great grandma, Jessie Van Curen. It's like a sweet, crunchy oatmeal cookie (thanks to the coconut and corn flakes, respectively). Sometimes I toss in a few chocolate chips.

1 c shortening (I use butter)
1 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 T milk
2 eggs, unbeaten
1 t vanilla
3/4 t soda
2 c fllour
1/2 t salt
2 c oats
2 c corn flakes
1 c coconut or nuts (or both, but I only use coconut)

The dough will be really hard to mix!

bake @ 350 until golden brown (10 min)

Wheat Bread

I didn't label this recipe when I wrote it down. I think it's for wheat bread. Guess I'll just have to make it and see what it turns out to be!

1 1/2 t yeast (1 envelope)
vegetable oil (I'd probably use olive oil)
2 T honey
1 t salt
2 c warm water
4 c wheat flour
3 c flour
egg white

mix yeast, honey, salt, and water

combine flours in another bowl, stir 2 c flour into liquid, mix, add 3 more cups flour, knead in as much more flour as necessary for soft dough, knead 8-10 min.

let rise 1 1/2 h, punch down, knead out bubbles, divide into 4 pieces.

let rise 45 min, bake @ 350 40-50 min with a pan of water on the lower shelf

Whole wheat choc chip cookies

Stolen from my friend Gina's blog!

1 1/4 c raw sugar
1 c butter (soft)
1 t vanilla
1 egg
2 c wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
12 oz choc chips

Bake @ 375 for 8-10 min

Wheat Oatmeal Honey Bread

2 c whole wheat flour
5-5/2 c all purpose flour, divided
1 c quick oats
2pk (1/4 oz each) active dry yeast
1 t salt
1 c warm water (120-130 degrees)
1 c warm sour milk* (120-130 degrees)
*to sour milk, place 1 T vinegar in a measuring cup, add milk to equal 1 c.
1/2 c honey
1/3 c butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
TOPPING:
1 egg white
1 T water
1/4 c quick oats

In a mixing bowl, combine whole wheat flour, 2 c all purpose flour, oats, yeast, salt. Stir in water, milk, honey, and butter, beat until smooth. Beat in eggs. Add enough remaining all-purpose flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 min. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down, shape into 2 loaves. Place in greased 9x5x3" loaf pan, cover & let rise until doubled, about 45 min, beat egg white & water, brush over loaves. Sprinkle w/ oats. Bake @ 375 for 40-45 min or until golden. Remove from pans & cool on wire racks.

Wagon Wheel cookies

From a coupon insert for Enova oil in the Sunday paper, then found online. I use cocoa powder instead of choc. squares.

Chocolate Wagon Wheel Cookies

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (not chips), melted and cooled
2 ½ cups flour, sifted
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup Enova brand oil
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten or 1 cup liquid egg substitute
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

With a double boiler, melt the chocolate and cool to room temperature. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder.

Mix together the Enova oil, chocolate and sugar; mix well to fully incorporate ingredients. One at a time, blend in eggs or egg substitute to the chocolate, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and then stir the dry ingredients into the chocolate.

Cover and place mixture in refrigerator to chill for several hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F. Portion dough into pieces and shape into 1-½ inch balls. Roll each dough ball in powdered sugar and place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Yield: 40 servings (serving size: 1 cookie)

CALORIES 120; FAT 5 g (sat 1 g; mono 1.5 g; poly 1.5 g); PROTEIN 1 g; CHOLESTEROL 20 mg; SODIUM 60 mg; FIBER <1>

Peanut Blossom Cookies

From a newspaper that cites www.landolakes.com as the source. Since I have a baby at home, I'm just copying and pasting from the site:

1/2		cup sugar
1/2		cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2		cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1/2		cup peanut butter
1		LAND O LAKES® All-Natural Egg
1		teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4		teaspoon salt
1 3/4		cups all-purpose flour
1		teaspoon baking soda
1/4		cup sugar
48		milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped

Heat oven to 375°F. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, butter and peanut butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and salt; continue beating until well mixed. Add flour and baking soda. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. (If dough is too soft, refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes.) Roll balls in 1/4 cup sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until very lightly golden brown. Immediately press 1 chocolate kiss in center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks.

Ingredient Substitution Index

Nutrition Facts (1 cookie): Calories: 100, Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 70mg, Carbohydrates: 12g, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Protein: 2g

Agave Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

Instead of copying the entire recipe to my blog, I thought I'd post the link to the recipe I found, thus giving credit to the creator.

On second thought, maybe I should copy and paste the recipe anyway just in case the link ever stops working. This one looks so good and I don't want to lose it!

http://www.cookiemadness.net/?p=2761

Small Batch Agave Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

1/2 cup all purpose flour or white whole wheat flour (2 25 oz)
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg or egg substitute
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
6 tablespoons agave nectar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons quick cooking oats, divided**
1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 6 muffin tins with flour-added cooking spray or line them with paper liners.

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Using a fork, lightly beat the oil and egg together in a medium bowl. Beat in the vanilla, ricotta cheese and agave nectar. Mix in the oats, then slowly add the flour mixture. When flour mixture is almost but not quite mixed in, add the chocolate chips and stir until flour disappears.

Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups and bake for 25 minutes.

Cool on a rack and remove from pan.

**If you don’t have quick oats, you can pulse old fashioned oats in the blender and sue those instead. Also, if you are short on agave or don’t want to use it sparingly, you could try using 3 tablespoons agave & 3 tablespoons of maple syrup. It would change the flavor of the muffins, but I think it would still be good.

***I had to use whole fat ricotta, but next time I’d use low fat or part skim.

(Raisin) Scones

Wow, as I've started collecting recipes that sound good to me, I realize that I have really unhealthy tastes! Or maybe it's just that I tend to see more recipes for baked goods than I do for healthy meals.

I also sometimes automatically substitute ingredients--in this case I'd replace the raisins with chocolate chips or take them out completely, which is why I put Raisin in parentheses. I got this from the Parade magazine that came in the Sunday paper.

(Raisin) Scones
Instead of spending money at a bakery each morning, make breakfast scones at home. These light treats are ready in 30 minutes flat and freeze well.

1 lg egg
1/2 c milk
2 c. all purpose flour
2 1/2 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
6 T. cold butter, cut into bits
(3/4 c. raisins)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Whisk egg & milk together in one bowl and the flour, sugar, baking powder, & salt in another.

2. Drop the butter into the flour and, using your fingers, cut and rub until the mixture is pebbly. Pour in the milk and egg. Mix with a fork until the dough is evenly moist. (Add the raisins and give the very sticky dough a few more stirs.)

3. Spoon a dozen mounds of dough onto a foil-lined baking sheet & bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown. Cool for a few min. Serve warm w/ butter or jam, or a little of each.

Melt-in-your-mouth Strawberry Muffins

I got this recipe from a Stonyfield Farms yogurt lid, but I haven't tried it yet. I'm considering replacing the strawberries with chocolate chips (I know I'm terrible!) because I tend to like to keep my fruit and my baked goods separate.

1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 t baking soda
2 eggs
1 c. Stonyfield Farm yogurt
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 t. vanilla
1 c chopped strawberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and baking soda. In another bowl, mix eggs, yogurt, butter, and vanilla. Toss strawberries into the flour mixture, then pour yogurt mixture into flour mixture and stir. Spoon batter into greased muffin tin, bake for 20-25 min, or until the tops are golden brown. Yield: 12 muffins.

Simplest Loaf Cake

I got this recipe out of the Parade magazine that comes in the Sunday paper. I haven't tried it, but I'd like to, so I'm going to post it here and then throw away the paper copy (since it will get lost in my "drawer-'o-recipes" anyway! (And of course I'll substitute some of the ingredients with healthier choices).

Serve this easy cake plain, with ice cream and berries, or toast it and spread it with jam.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 flavorless oil, such as canola

1) Preheat oven to 350 and generously butter an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan (6 cup capacity). In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

2) Whisk the eggs, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla together until well blended. Add the dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Finally, pour in the oil and use the whisk to gently but thoroughly fold it into the batter.

3) Put the batter in the loaf pan and bake 50-55 min, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 min, then unmold and cool to room temp right side up.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Back when I was in high school, I used to make Cinnamon Rolls from scratch on Christmas morning. I had an extra packet of yeast from when I made King Cake for Mardi Gras, so I decided to mix up a batch of Cinnamon Rolls for Chris.

I made the dough, rolled it up, sliced it into individual rolls, then froze the dough. Last night I took a few out and put them in a baking dish in the oven (oven wasn't on, but I wanted to put them in an enclosed space) to thaw and rise. This morning we had a pan full of puffy rolls, which I then put in the toaster oven to bake. They turned out well...probably could have used a bit more cinnamon and sugar, but I think next time I'll just try to roll the dough out thinner and that way I should be able to fit more "stuffing" in them.

I got this recipe from Cooks.com, and it was very good!
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,174,150187-253196,00.html

HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS

4 1/4 to 4 3/4 c. all-purpose flour 1 pkg. active dry yeast 1 1/4 c. milk 1/4 c. granulated sugar 1/4 c. butter 1 tsp. salt 2 eggs 6 tbsp. butter, softened 1/2 c. packed brown sugar 2 tsp. ground cinnamon Step 1: In a large mixer bowl combine 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour and yeast. Heat the milk, granulated sugar, the 1/4 cup butter and salt just until mixture is warm (120 to 130 degrees) and the butter is almost melted, stirring constantly. Step 2: Add milk mixture to flour mixture; add eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds; scrape sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. (Dough will be soft.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Step 3: Place dough in a lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours). (The dough is ready for shaping when you can lightly and quickly press two fingers 1/2 inch into dough and indentation remains.) Step 4: Punch dough down. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half; shape each half into a smooth ball. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. Step 5: On lightly floured surface roll half the dough to 12x8 inches. Spread with 3 tablespoons softened butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle half over rectangle. Roll up from a short side. Seal edges. Make a second roll with remaining dough, butter and sugar mixture. Step 6: Slice each dough roll into 8 pieces. Arrange slices, cut side down, in a greased 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Cover; let rise until nearly double (about 30 minutes). Step 7: Bake rolls in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Invert at once onto a wire rack. Cool slightly. Drizzle rolls with Maple Nut Glaze or Powdered Sugar Glaze. Serve warm. Makes 16 rolls. POWDERED SUGAR GLAZE: Combine 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk (about 3 to 4 teaspoons) for drizzling consistency. FREEZING AND REHEATING: Bake and cool rolls as directed, do not glaze. Wrap in moisture and vapor proof wrap. Seal, label, and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat in a conventional oven, wrap frozen rolls in foil. Place in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until warm. Drizzle with your choice of glaze. To reheat in a microwave oven, wrap 2 of the frozen rolls in microwave-safe paper towels. Micro-cook on 100% power (high) for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until warm. Drizzle with glaze.

Tzatziki Sauce

I actually went looking for this recipe for Tzatziki on the Stonyfield Farms web site. Stonyfield Farms makes ORGANIC yogurt and it's the only kind of yogurt I buy.

If I may get up on my soapbox for a moment--Yes, organic products, including yogurt, are more expensive than non-organic products, but if we continue to spend a little more money for a better-quality product, the prices WILL come down! So think about it, and consider choosing organic next time you make a food purchase. Even if it's ONE ITEM, it still adds up. We're all in this together!

Tzatziki Sauce

A classic, creamy dip often served with traditional Greek dishes.
Try it with cut vegetables and pita wedges.

Ingredients:

1 cup Plain Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt
2 cucumbers
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbs. white vinegar
2 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Peel, seed, and coarsely grate cucumbers. Drain and combine with garlic, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend in the yogurt. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then serve.

From our Oikos Organic kitchen.

Noodles and Spinach with Tofu

I got this recipe from the newspaper (written by Dawn Lewandowski) a long time ago and still haven't made it.

1 lb whole wheat spaghetti, cooked
1 lb frozen or fresh steamed spinach
1 to 1 1/2 lb firm tofu, in 3/4 inch cubes
2 to 4 T sesame oil
2 to 4 T tamari or soy sauce
2 to 4 t minced garlic
2 T peanut butter
2 T tahini (ground sesame)
2 t sesame seeds

For the sauce:
Pour a Tablespoon or two of sesame oil into a large frying pan or work over medium heat. Add a Tablespoon or two of tamari, a teaspoon or two of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, and 1 tablespoon tahini. Stir until mixed to a thick consistency, about 30 sec.

Immediately add tofu and stir to coat. Stir intermittently, allowing tofu to brown before stirring. When tofu is browned sufficiently, remove tofu from pan and set aside, covering to keep warm.

Repeat the sauce process above, being perhaps a bit more liberal with oil and tamari. Add cooked spaghetti and mix through. Add spinach and mix again. Heat and taste test for flavor. Add tofu when spaghetti is hot. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sesame seeds. Toss and serve.

(You may use peanut butter rather than sesame oil, omit tahini, add more peanut butter and peanuts, or use only the sesame products. Works well with broccoli and other vegetables as well.)

I think this is a good place to post recipes

I have tons of recipes that are clipped from newspapers, written on index cards, or printed from web sites. I keep them all in the same place, so I know where they are, but since they're on paper of all different shapes and sizes, I always have to sift through them to find what I want.

I also have some recipes that I'd like to try, but not right away, so I have newspaper clippings with recipes I've never tried before just sitting around, always in my way.

So I decided to take a page from my friend Gina's book and post some recipes online. I don't have enough recipes, nor am I a good enough cook, to devote an entire blog to cooking and recipes, but I thought I'd just tag the posts as "recipe" posts, then I'll always know where to find them when I need them. If you find the recipes helpful, that's cool, too!

Warning--not all of my recipes are healthy, but I usually substitute some of the not-so-healthy ingredients for healthier options.