Food goodness

Made these for a work party -- they were great, but a little flat. Maybe a little more flour next time? But they looked pretty and tasted excellent. 2 1/2 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 cup unsalted butter, sliced 1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt 1 cup caramel squares, cut into 1/4's For rolling the cookies: 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon Sea salt, for sprinkling on top of cookies 1. In a medium bowl, Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. 2. To brown the butter, heat a thick-bottomed skillet on medium heat. Add the sliced butter, whisking frequently. Continue to cook the butter until melted. The butter will start to foam and browned specks will begin to form at the bottom of the pan. The butter shoul

ha! right? This recipe (their title, not mine) was in the Sun back in July and it sounded perfect for a special occasion breakfast. K & T made these this weekend, though it wasn't even a special occasion. I just had the puff pastry dough burning a hole in my freezer and I thought about these every Sunday morning that went by for weeks. We marveled at the gooeyness. We exclaimed over the cinnamon nutty-toastiness. We were then an hour late to an actual special occasion (kid birthday party) and felt like we had a secret. I'm not even going to pretend this is a healthy recipe. Butter or cooking spray for (pans) 1/2 C chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted and cooled [We used 1 C walnuts, toasted in the toaster oven] 1/2 C sugar 1 1/2 t ground cinnamon 1 t finely grated orange zest [lemon worked great] 1/4 t salt 1 package all-butter puff pastry, defrosted Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prep: Butter or spray a 12 cup muffin tin. Mix: In a small bowl toss together nuts

Green condiment of delight. Like hari chutney or Afghani chatney or most any herb pesto, chimichurri makes many foods taste like a very special treat. It's great on a steak (traditional in South American cuisine) and I like it on fish, potatoes, sandwiches, mixed into hummus, etc. I make a batch, use a portion of it right away and freeze the rest into cubes and add it to various soups and stews or even guac. Say it: "chimichurri." Nice. Now go make it. 1 bunch cilantro (about a C) - mostly just the leaves but you'll blend it, so don't be too perfect about it 1 bunch parsley (about a C) - ditto 1 clove garlic, minced 2 T olive oil 1-2 chiles/jalepenos (seeds removed) 1 t salt 2 T lime juice a little water to get the blender going Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Pulse to blend everything into a smooth, gorgeous, Elphaba-green sauce.

I've been experimenting with this and have found a few different ways to make it. I find I generally prefer red quinoa to the plain stuff, too, because it seems to hold its texture better when you let it sit a few days. Blueberry quinoa : Heat 1c frozen blueberries with a little bit of maple syrup, agave, or water until it's boiling. Remove from heat and stir in 2c cooked quinoa, plus a generous splash of something creamy -- milk or half and half. Serve with plain yogurt and chopped nuts on top, plus a drizzle of something sweet if desired. Coconut quinoa : Cook quinoa with coconut milk instead of water (using the same proportions). Sprinkle with that really good flaked coconut, nuts, chopped fruit, etc. Quinoa with nut butter : Pretty much what it sounds like. You can use the coconut-milk-cooked stuff for some creaminess, or stir in a little milk too. Sliced banana on top. I also want to try this breakfast grain salad but haven't yet. Mm, grains.

I was looking for a way to use up some leftover salmon, and this fit the bill. I also did it with some of the precooked packaged salmon from Trader Joe's, and it worked well that time too. Cakes: 1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, or one package of TJ's cooked salmon 1/4 c panko [recipe calls for 2 (6-inch) pita rounds or 3 slices firm white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces] 1/4 cup + a little more greek yogurt [recipe calls for mayo] 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/4 teaspoon cayenne good shake of Old Bay 1 t grated lemon zest salt & pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil Sauce: 1 t grated lemon zest chopped dill [optional, but a good idea] 3/4 cup plain yogurt [recipe called for whole-milk; I used 2% Greek] 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Mix cake ingredients together & form small-ish patties (mine made 8). Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.  Cook salmon cakes, turning

Based on this recipe . 2 heads or 1 package (10 oz.) frozen broccoli florets several scallions, white and green parts chopped  6 large eggs 1/2 cup half-and-half (can use fat-free) salt & pepper dash of red pepper & nutmeg  3/4 c (3 oz.) shredded cheese (I used a mixture of cheddar & gruyere)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the pie dish. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli; cook 1 minute. Drain well; transfer to a cutting board, and blot dry with paper towels. Chop coarsely. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, and spices. Stir in broccoli, scallions and cheese. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

YUM. I never would have put this combination together if I hadn't been perusing this cookbook , trying to figure out more things to do with quinoa. The original recipe calls for pancetta, which I left out but which would probably be delicious. It also wanted you to cook the fennel and I have no idea why, because it adds nice crunchiness when it's raw. And there was also some nonsense about putting a lemon in the fennel water that seemed entirely unnecessary. (All that said, I really like this cookbook and am using it more than any other these days, and you can get it on Amazon right now for one (1) cent. Just one penny! Plus shipping, but still! You should buy it.) Also, I just bought some red quinoa at TJ's, and I think it tasted the same but looked prettier than regular quinoa. Vinaigrette: 3 T frozen orange juice concentrate 2 T red wine vinegar 1 T balsamic vinegar 3 T olive oil 1+ T spicy mustard salt and pepper to taste Salad: 3+ c cooked quinoa 1

Adapted from: PBS Parents With a store-bought crust (I like TJ's), this comes together really quickly.  The original recipe called for salt in the fruit mixture (with the sugar and flour).  I tried that the first time I made this (last week) and I really didn't like it.  I still had some rhubarb from the farm share and the second pie crust from the package, so I decided to try again without the salt, and I like it so much better without the salt.  I used the graham crackers with the sugar on top (maybe they're cinnamon-sugar?) from Trader Joe's, and it was really good.  The graham crackers on the bottom help absorb any liquid that comes out of the fruit, keeping the crust crisp and adding an interesting flavor you wouldn't necessarily expect.  Obviously we liked this recipe, as this is the second batch in 2 weeks.  Ingredients 1/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon allspice 3 cups strawberries, stems removed and cut into 1-in

From: Skinny Ms . This was very quick to throw together in the crockpot.  I only used 1 can of diced tomatoes with juice (I missed the "2" part, apparently).  The final dish had a lot of liquid in it, which is fine because you can spoon it over rice or pasta, or soak it up with some tasty bread.  However, I think that this dish would probably also have enough liquid if you drained some or all of the liquid out of the tomatoes, too.   I thought this dish had a lot of flavor - very tasty! Ingredients 4-6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 40 ounces) , fresh or frozen 2 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes 1 medium onion thinly sliced (Not chopped) 4 garlic cloves ( I sliced them thinly) 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (for gluten-free use White Balsamic Vinegar which doesn't have caramel coloring) 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 tsp each: dried oregano, basil, and rosemary 1/2 tsp thyme ground black pepper and salt to taste Directions Pour the olive oil on bottom of slow c

I am putting this on here because the flavors were amazing, though I will have to try again before I get the chicken right. My chicken was a little dry. I removed the cooked chicken to shred it. I mixed up the very thick sauce and added a little water to improve the texture. I added the chicken back into the sauce and combined everything together, It made delicious chicken quesadillas. Source: Rubies and Radishes  by way of Our Life in Food  by way of friend and fellow lover of slow cookers, Michele. Butter 1 medium onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 lbs chicken (Recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Mine turned out kind of dry, so I might try thighs next time.) Kosher salt and black pepper 1 28 oz or 2 16 oz cans, fire-roasted tomatoes (note that this is a big can) 5 dried New Mexico chiles, stems and seeds removed and chopped into small pieces (I used a can of green chiles) 1/4 cup almond butter (oh yum -- so expensive and so delicious) 2.5 oz dark

This is good in enchiladas, tacos, burritos, etc. 1 3-4 lb pork butt 4-6 citrus fruits, juiced - I like to use juice of a grapefruit, two oranges and a lime 1 t cumin 1 t chili powder 1 t onion powder 1/2 t garlic powder 1/2 t oregano 1/4 t cayenne 1/2 t salt 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper Trim most of fat from pork cut but leave a little for flavor and cooking moisture. Juice the citrus and pour into the ceramic vessel of slow cooker. Mix spices together uniformly in a small bowl. Use fingers to pat the spice rub all over the pork until completely used up. Set pork in citrus juice in slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours on low. Shred pork and toss with liquid.

Annie's got this one just right. I adjusted her version very slightly to simplify the tomato step. 1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes 2 tbsp. olive oil ¼ cup minced onion 1 tbsp. tomato paste 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ tsp. red pepper flakes ½ tsp. table salt ¼ to 1/3 cup vodka ½ cup heavy cream ¼ cup reserved pasta water, if needed 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil leaves Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving 16 oz. dried pasta Boil water for pasta. Cook according to taste/directions. Pulse tomatoes and liquid in blender three or four times. (The quickest of button pushes) Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and mix just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and salt. Remove the pan from the heat and add the vodka. Return the pan to the he

We had this on pasta, but you could stick it on eggs or spread it on bread or eat it straight out of the container... Ingredients: 4 or 5 red bell peppers 4 cloves garlic salt & pepper dash of red pepper flakes 2 T red wine vinegar or similar Heat your toaster oven to broil and roast the red peppers, turning occasionally when the skin starts to pucker and brown. After about 20 minutes, take them out and seal them in a lidded glass dish or a plastic bag. Let steam for 15 minutes. Take them out of the bag and score each one with a knife to let out steam and extra water. After they're cool, peel and seed the peppers. Put everything into a cup and use your immersion blender to puree. Eat!

I love me some muesli. This recipe was a good starting place... I made some modifications below. Warning: It makes a TON -- J & I both ate it for breakfast several days in a row.    The recipe thinks it only lasts 2 or 3 days, but I may or may not have eaten it an entire week after I made it and it was still fine. 3 cups whole milk (I used low-fat) 2 cups plain whole yogurt (I used some of TJ's vanana yogurt) 1 cup apple, skin on, grated (2 apples) 3/4 cup yellow raisins (I added some dried cranberries too) 1 ripe banana, sliced (I skipped because I thought it would make the muesli go bad too quickly) 9 tbsp cracked wheat or bulgar wheat (I used bulgar. warning: do not toast this... I stuck it in the toaster because I'd already mixed it with the next two ingredients, but it burned a bit.) 9 tbsp rolled oats, toasted 9 tbsp wheat germ, toasted 1/4 cup honey (I skipped because the yogurt was sweet... but I do think this mixture needs a little sweetness to it or

From: Gina's Skinny Recipes I served this with the Salsa Verde Chicken and it was quite delicious.  Would also be good with fish or grilled chicken.  Maybe pork, too? 1 mango, peeled and diced 1 avocado, peeled and diced 1 plum tomato, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 jalepeño, seeded and diced 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tbsp fresh lime juice 1/4 cup chopped red onion 1 tbsp olive oil salt and fresh pepper to taste Combine all the ingredients and let it marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving

From: Gina's Skinny Recipes Recipes with 2 ingredients are about all I have time for these days.  I took this to a pot-luck at work today and everyone really liked it.  We had leftovers for dinner in the form of quesadillas.  I took her advice and tried Archer Farms brand from Target and we liked it. Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs raw skinless chicken tenders 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp oregano 1/8 tsp ground cumin salt, to taste 16 oz roasted salsa verde Ingredients: Season chicken with garlic powder, oregano, cumin and salt and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Cover with salsa verde, cover and cook HIGH 2 hours. Remove chicken, shred with 2 forks. Remove 2/3 cup of liquid from the slow cooker, and discard (unless you want it over rice). Place shredded chicken back into the crock pot with remaining salsa, adjust seasoning to taste if needed and keep warm. Makes about 3 cups.

H. and I are both kind of in love with Dinner: A Love Story , and we've made two recipes over the last few weeks that have floated our respective boats: avgolemono soup and quick-ish coq au vin . Game-changers!

Adapted lightly from this recipe , which is genius. 1 1/4 c all-purpose flour 1/2 c white sugar 1/4 c cocoa powder 2 t baking powder 1/2 t salt 1/3 c canola oil 1 egg 1/3 c milk (I used skim) 1 t vanilla 1/2 c plain yogurt (fat-free works fine) 1 c cherries, cut in half (I used those jarred morello cherries from TJ's) 1/2 c chocolate chips (more! I used chunks, and they were good.) Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly oil a 12 cup muffin tin. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, mix the oil, egg, milk and vanilla together. Pour the wet into the dry and use a wooden spoon or spatula to gently stir everything together. Fold in the yogurt, cherries and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes clean. Let sit in the tin for 5 minutes and then use a knife to loosen the muffins, remove from tin and let cool

You guys, I really love mushrooms. Sometimes I don't even recognize myself anymore... A variation on this recipe . One package boneless, skinless chicken breast 2T paprika 1 medium onion, diced 16 oz. pkg. of sliced, mixed baby bella and white mushrooms (you could even use more than this. mushrooms for everyone) 1/3 c white wine, sherry or vermouth 1/2 c stock (I used veg, could be anything) 2T tomato paste 1/4 c plain, nonfat Greek yogurt 1/4 c light sour cream (you could probably skip this, but it would be sad) 8 oz. egg noodles a bit of chopped parsley Heat a skillet with some olive oil and cut the chicken with scissors directly into it. (Fewer gross chicken dishes!) Sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper, mix, and saute until cooked through. Remove from the pan and throw into a bowl. Saute the onions and mushrooms, with a bit more oil if necessary, until everything gets nice and brown, about five minutes. Remove from the pan and throw into the same bowl as

adapted from:  Skinnytaste Ok, so I looked at this recipe and then made a lazy version with different veg that I needed to use up from the CSA box.  So, basically I just baked one med-size spaghetti squash, scooped out the strand, put that in a bowl.  Then I chopped up some portobello caps and roasted those in the oven, and then added that to the squash.  Then I made a cheese sauce - didn't measure, just roux, milk, shredded cheese, pinch of aleppo pepper, a couple of twists of TJ's spice blend with sea salt, black pepper, onion and garlic.  Then I chopped up some baby swiss chard, threw it into the cheese sauce to wilt for a few minutes, and then I added the cheese sauce to the squash and mushrooms, and stirred the whole thing together.  That's where I stopped, but the original calls for baking the whole thing with some parmesan on top.  I'm sure that's even more delicious, but I didn't have the time or energy for that.  Anyway, here's the original recip

I didn't have the right ingredients for the skinny artichoke dip , so I tried Alton Brown 's instead, with some significant alterations. 1 package thawed, chopped frozen spinach 1 can artichoke hearts, chopped 6 ounces light cream cheese 1/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream (I used light sour cream) 1/4 cup light mayonnaise some amount of shredded cheese (I used Parm and Romano)  1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon salt a few grinds of black pepper Preheat oven to 350. Put spinach and artichokes in a colander and squeeze out as much water as possible. Put cream cheese into an 8x8 baking dish. Microwave for a minute or two, until soft. Stir in all other ingredients. Sprinkle a bit more cheese on the top and bake until it's all bubbly and hot, about 20 minutes.