Blueberry Oat Bars

I just have to squeeze this summer recipe in before summer ends. I've had it for ages, made it half a dozen times, and shared it with friends and family at least that many times as well. These bars are quite versatile; you can eat them for/with breakfast, as a fresh dessert, or a midday snack. I like to make a batch and then cut them into individual bars and freeze them, then take them out whenever I need them.

Blueberry Oat Bars

Ingredients:

1¾ cups oats, uncooked

1½ cups flour

¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed 

½ cup chopped walnuts 

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

¾ cup butter, melted

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

½ cup sugar

3 Tbsp. water

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Heat oven to 350° F. Grease 11x7 inch baking dish. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add butter, mixing until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture, press remaining mixture onto bottom of prepared baking dish. Bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine blueberries, sugar and 2 Tbsp. water in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, simmer 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Combine remaining 1 Tbsp. water, cornstarch and lemon juice; mix well. Gradually stir into blueberry mixture. Cook and stir until thickened. Spread over partially baked base to within ¼ inch of edge. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture and press topping down into blueberry filling slightly. 

Bake 18-20 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Cool on wire rack and cut into bars.

Nothing to it! These bars are super simple to make, especially since the topping and the crust are the same. On a side note, I've made these with frozen blueberries a bunch of times, when blueberries just weren't in season and/or too expensive and I've actually had better luck with the frozen ones. They always seem to have just the right balance of sweet and tart. Sometimes with the fresh ones you don't know what you're getting.

Source: Unknown.

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

I love breakfast for dinner, and this recipe is a great way to do that. In fact, you could have it for lunch, too. A slice of this quiche can be paired with a plate of fruit, or is complemented well by a side of salad greens with a light vinaigrette dressing. I've made it twice in the last month, can't get enough of it. Hope you like it as much as I do.

Spinach Mushroom Quiche

Ingredients:
6 slices of bacon
5 eggs 
1 cup whipping cream
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 cups chopped mushrooms
½ cup chopped onions
¾ cup shredded Swiss cheese
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 9-inch deep dish, uncooked pie crust

Directions: Preheat oven to 400° F. Cook bacon in skillet, pat dry to remove excess grease, crumble and set aside. In a large bowl, whip together eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in bacon, spinach, mushrooms, onions, Swiss cheese and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese. Pour into pie crust and sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese on top. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.

Ok, so here's my two cents. First, I used vegan bacon both times I've made this, and it worked great, so if you're going the vegetarian route, you won't get left out (it rhymes). Second, I make the pie crust from scratch, it definitely adds a great texture and flavor that way, but is obviously a little more time consuming, especially if you're not that practiced at making your own yet. (I use the Betty Crocker Pie Crust recipe). Third, the cooking time on this can very a bit depending on your oven, mine took a little longer the first time than the second time (different oven).

Source: The main inspiration for this recipe is http://allrecipes.com/recipe/belle-and-chrons-spinach-and-mushroom-quiche/detail.aspx, but I've changed it up a bit to firm up the texture, among other things.

Kale Chips

As you probably already know, kale is REALLY good for you. It's like THE superfood of all superfoods. Full of vitamins and nutrients and....yeah, you know all about this. But who wants to sit there and munch on a bunch of kale? Sure, you can put it in a salad, and I do, but it's a little bit bitter (there's a tongue twister for your keyboard), so it's tough to eat a lot of it at once. Well, what if I told you that you CAN eat a bunch of it, and enjoy each bite? Ok, so now you're listening. Here's the answer.

KALE CHIPS! They're great! And so, so easy to make. It literally takes less than 10 minutes of actual prep time. Here's how:

Kale Chips

Ingredients:
1 bunch of kale
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Remove the stems from the kale and tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. In a bowl, toss the kale pieces with the olive oil and salt. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake until crisp and the edges start to brown (but not burn), about 20 minutes. Let cool before eating. Store leftovers in an airtight container. 

See how easy that was? Told ya!

A couple tips to ensure success with this recipe. Make sure you use the curly kale. A lot of grocery stores will have a few different kinds (including baby kale, dino kale) but curly kale is sweeter and milder, thus making it a good choice for this recipe. You'll know it when you see it, because it will be...you guessed it, curly! Also, the cooking time is approximate; you should check the kale often because it can brown very quickly. I checked mine every couple minutes towards the end of the cooking time and did a taste test as well.

Finally, get creative with this recipe. I love the simplicity of the salt and oil seasoning, but there are so many ways you can add some extra flavor, too. Try tossing it with a little parmesan cheese before putting it in the oven, or adding a pinch of cayenne pepper. The possibilities are endless!

Sources: Food Network Magazine September 2012, http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-kale-chips

Cheddar Biscuits

Everybody loves those scrumptious biscuits that are served at Red Lobster tables, including me. However, I haven't indulged in quite some time because, as much as I desire those cheddar mounds of delight, I'm not fond of the rest of their menu. So I've had to go without...until now. I've finally found a recipe that replicates the Cheddar Bay biscuits very well. I decided to try the recipe because it's the first one that I've found that doesn't use Bisquik; it's a "from scratch" recipe. I got it from this food blog, Food & Whine. And it's great. The only alteration I made from the original recipe is to substitute buttermilk for the regular milk for a better texture.

Cheddar Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour (unbleached or regular)
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 cup butter, cold, cut into chunks
2 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
1 heaping cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 - 2/3 cups buttermilk

3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes or 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400° F.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and garlic powder. Whisk together to combine thoroughly. Add chunks of butter. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut butter into flour until it is coarse, pea-sized (doesn't need to be fine). Add oil, grated cheddar cheese and butter milk. Stir together. Keep adding milk a bit at a time, just until the dough is moistened and no longer dry and powdery. (Shouldn't be sticky, just moist enough to hold together).
Drop approximately 1/4 cup portions of the dough onto an un-greased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop or large spoon.
Bake for 15-17 minutes. While biscuits are baking, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small bowl. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and the parsley.
When biscuits come out of the oven, use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. Serve warm.

Makes one dozen biscuits.

Pecan Squares

Okay, so I've been a very neglectful Sugar Plum Fairy Godmother; I haven't shared any recipes lately. Not since Thanksgiving, actually. So I'm sorry that you didn't get any Christmas recipes or winter dishes. Here's a very belated seasonal recipe that I actually discovered while Christmas shopping last year. At one of the stores I visited, there was a table of baked goods on sale for charity that had been homemade by the retailer's employees. Everyone knows that Christmas shopping can make you very hungry, so I chose a hefty looking pecan square and made my donation. It was so good that I bought two more! And hunted down the staff member who had made them to get the recipe! She told me that she had gotten the recipe from Ina Garten on the Food Network website, but with one change regarding the honey and brown sugar, which I agree with and have already altered for you in the recipe I've published below. She also told me she couldn't tell me how much butter was in the recipe because then I'd never make it. She was almost right.

When I saw the recipe, I was SHOCKED at the amount of butter AND sugar! You will be too, I'm sure. I don't claim to cook or bake low calorie or healthy food (just natural), but even I initially couldn't reconcile the idea of cooking something that could actually bring me a little closer to cardiac arrest. But those sneaky little pecan squares just wouldn't get out of my head...they were so good!! So I decided it was Christmas and I could be a little naughty just this once. To my delight, after baking them I did discover that they were not nearly as heart attack-inducing as I had originally thought. Here's the catch...the recipe that I've published below was taken straight from the Food Network website, with the exception of the one small adjustment I mentioned earlier. That recipe, as is, makes over 50 squares! I couldn't give them away fast enough, there were so many. Once I realized how many squares the recipe made, the amount of butter and sugar didn't seem nearly as awful. In hindsight, you could easily halve the recipe and make it in a 13"x9" pan and it would still make about 30 squares.

Pecan Squares

Ingredients

Crust:
• 1 ¼ pounds unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 3 extra-large eggs
• ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Topping:
• 1 pound unsalted butter
• ½ cup good honey
• 3 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 pounds pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light, approximately 3 minutes. Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the batter with the mixer on low speed until just combined. Press the dough evenly into an ungreased 18 by 12 by 1-inch baking sheet, making an edge around the outside. It will be very sticky; sprinkle the dough and your hands lightly with flour. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is set but not browned. Allow to cool.
For the topping, combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, and zests in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat until the butter is melted, using a wooden spoon to stir. Raise the heat and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and pecans. Pour over the crust, trying not to get the filling between the crust and the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into bars and serve.

One more tip that I'll pass along to you...I used orange clover honey when I made the squares, but I wouldn't do it again. Between the honey and the orange and lemon zest, the citrus flavor was stronger than I would have liked. Stick to a high quality, preferably local honey for better results.

Fried Cabbage: Thanksgiving Recipes Part 2

This is a classic dish that always makes an appearance at our family holiday dinners. I must admit that it doesn't sound appetizing, but if you are brave enough to try it, you may find that you can't live without it; I certainly can't. It's very easy to make, which also helps to make it a winner during the holidays.

Fried Cabbage

1 head of white cabbage (also called green cabbage)
1/2 cup of natural shortening*
2/3 cup of sugar
1-2 oz. sliced jalapenos

Add shortening to large skillet. Slice large chunks of cabbage and add to skillet, then add sugar and jalapenos. Cover and cook on medium high until shortening has melted, then cook on medium low heat for one hour, stirring frequently.

This recipe is an estimate of the way my mother and I make it because there isn't actually an official recipe, we just add the ingredients "by eye." You can play around with the quantities to get it just the way you like it. My mother actually makes it a little differently than I do; she uses bacon grease instead of shortening, and adds several pieces of cooked bacon to the ingredients prior to cooking it. This is my vegetarian version of her recipe.

*(Natural shortening that does not contain hydrogenated oils can be found at most health food/natural food markets.)

Peppermint Chocolate Bundt Cake: Thanksgiving Recipes Part 1

I cannot believe it's already well into December and yet I am just getting around to blogging Thanksgiving recipes! Time flies...but that's alright because this cake is great for Christmas fare as well.

I actually made this cake twice in one week, once for the holiday potluck at work and also for the family Thanksgiving feast. The first one did not turn out well, thanks to being baked for an extra hour because I dozed off on the couch while it was in the oven. Surprisingly it was edible, though not recommendable, being dry and a little tough around the edges. The second one turned out much better, though I still managed to overcook it a little. The recipe calls for the "knife test" to determine the proper baking time, but in this case I would recommend following your instincts instead. I baked it for the required 70 minutes, but the knife came out not quite clean so I left it in for another ten, which I think dried it out just a little. It most likely cooks a little more while cooling in the bundt pan anyway, so I think that makes the knife test mute.

Peppermint Chocolate Bundt Cake

3 cups cake flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup cocoa
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup milk
¼ cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. peppermint extract
2-1oz. squares baking chocolate, melted and cooled
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add milk, vegetable oil, sour cream, chocolate, vanilla and peppermint extract. Mix, then add flour mixture. Mix well and stir in chocolate chips.

Pour into 10 inch Bundt pan. Bake for 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.


Glaze

1 cup chocolate chips
½ cup whipping cream
½ tsp. peppermint extract

Combine first two ingredients in a saucepan, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until chocolate chips melt. Remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract. Let stand 15 minutes; drizzle glaze over cake. Let cake stand 1 hour before serving.


I have no recommendations or changes for this recipe, as this is already the tested/altered version. The original recipe was from a friend, and hers is quite delicious, but calls for things like instant cake and pudding mixes, as well as candy with artificial coloring. Since I prefer to cook with more natural ingredients, I took her recipe and several others and combined them to create this one, which I've made several times, and tweaked to achieve good results.