Fruity Flax Cookies

Good Grains Fruit Cookies

Healthy, but yummy, flax seed cookies


Servings:approx. 4 dozen
Prep time:15 mins.
Cook time:15 mins./batch
Total time:30 mins.


Ingredients:
1&1/2 cups mixed, dried fruits ( apples, apricots, peaches, pears raisins, cherries, cranberries, blueberries)Of your choice.
1/3 c. ground flax seeds
1 cup milk
2-1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 teasp.baking powder
1 1/2 teasp. ground cinnamon, or ginger
1/2 teasp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg



Directions:
1. Position oven racks in top and bottom thirds of oven and preheat to 375 degrees.Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

2. Chop dried fruit if using large pieces; stir fruit and flax seeds into milk and set aside.
In bowl, combine oats,flour, baking powder,cinnamon & salt. In large bowl, using an electric mixer,beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until creamy.
Using wooden spoon, stir in oat mixture alternately with milk mixture, making three additions of dry ingredients and two of milk.

3. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto prepared baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart, and slightly flatten.
Bake for about 15 mins.,rotating pans halfway, or until golden along the edges, yet soft in the center.
Let cool for 3 mins; transfer cookies to rack and cool.
***Let baking sheets cool and repeat with remaining batter.
**Baked cookies can be layered between waxed or parchemnt paper in airtight container and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.

Gajar-Santre Ka Shorba

Gajar-Santre Ka Shorba (Carrots blended with orange juice)


Carrots blended with orange juice
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
500 g (1.1 lb) Carrots (gajar), cut into small cubes
4 cups (1 litre) 32 fl oz Orange (santra) juice
5 tsp (25 g) Butter
1 cup (120 g) 4 oz Onions, chopped
Salt to taste 1 tsp (2 g) White pepper (safed mirch) powder
2 1/2 tbsp (30 g) 1 oz Sugar
1/2 cup (100 ml) 3 1/2 fl oz Cream



Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a pan; add onions and saute till transparent. Add the carrots and saute for a minute. Add the remaining ingredients except cream and cook on low heat till the carrot is tender.

2. Remove from heat and then strain through a muslin cloth.

3. Reheat the strained soup and stir in the cream. Remove from heat, pour into individual soup bowls and serve hot.

Homemade ice cream

No, it's not healthy, but if I tweak the recipe, it can be. I'm going to use honey or agave in place of sugar, maybe Silk (The green organic one of course -- thank you so much to Eden Foods for inciting the Silk boycott! UGH!) and I'm going to add peanut butter for flavor. How did I happen on this? I have a kiddo sleepover coming up and wanted a fun practical craft. Voila'... homemade ice cream :) The original recipe:


What you'll need:

* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1/2 cup milk or half & half
* 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
* 6 tablespoons salt
* 1 pint-size plastic food storage bag (e.g., Ziploc)
* 1 gallon-size plastic food storage bag
* Ice cubes

How to make it:

1. Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the salt. Seal the bag.
2. Put milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it.
3. Place the small bag inside the large one, and seal it again carefully.
4. Shake until the mixture is ice cream, which takes about 5 minutes.
5. Wipe off the top of the small bag, then open it carefully. Enjoy!

A 1/2 cup milk will make about 1 scoop of ice cream, so double the recipe if you want more.

Portobello Napoleons

Just received this from Nonnie... sounds delicious!

Portobello Napoleons

Ingredients:
2 c balsamic vinegar
6 baby portobello mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
6 slices Mozzarella cheese 1/2" thick & round
1 Roma tomato, sliced
6 fresh basil leaves
1/4 c pine nuts

Note: Ideally your tomatoes, cheese and cooked mushrooms should be about the same diameter. This way it layers up pretty. Bottom to top: brown, cream, red, green, gold.



Directions:
Pour vinegar into a saucepan and cook over high heat until reduced by half. Set aside to cool.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.

Brush mushrooms with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill for 2-3 mins on each side, or until tender.

Remove from the grill and top each mushroom with a slice of mozzarella, a slice of tomato and a basil leaf.

Sprinkle with pine nuts and drizzle with the balsamic glaze.

No Bake Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate Cookies

1 stick oleo, 2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup cocoa

Place in pan, boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Add 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Mix until peanut butter dissolves. Add 3 cups oatmeal. Spoon onto wax paper and let cool.

Keep in mind this is a method recipe. Nutella, coconut, granola, chow mein noodles, craisins, etc can all be added.

Nutella Crumb Cake

Something Sweet used this for World Nutella Day last year. I think I'm going to try it for potluck :)


Ingredients:
2¼ cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
¼-½ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
14 oz. Nutella
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.

Stir together flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda in mixing bowl. Add Nutella and butter, beating until crumbly. Remove 1 cup of crumbs for topping.

Add milk, eggs, and vanilla, beating on low until combined. Continue to beat on medium speed for three minutes. Pour into an ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips, then the crumb topping.

Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Let cool before cutting. Enjoy at room temperature or cooled.

Homemade Lemon Curd

Lemon Curd (microwave easy and can be frozen)

Servings: 1 1/2 cups
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min


Ingredients:
6 Tbsp. butter
3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp grated lemon rind (1 medium)
1/4 cup lemon juice (one medium)
3 eggs, beaten


Directions:
Place butter in a large glass measure or bowl. Microwave on high for 10 seconds (see note) or until butter is soft but not melted. Stir or whisk in sugar, lemon rind and juice. Add eggs and blend well. Cover with waxed paper and microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring every minute.

Port mixture into sterilized container, cover and let cool. Curd thickens upon standing. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

For immediate use: refrigerate up to 1 week.

Longer storage: Place in freezer container, leaving 1-inch head space (I use plastic style bathroom cups so I can thaw just what I want to use and allow about 1/2 inch space). When frozen, consider a vacuum sealing method of extending life up to 3 months to ward off ice crystals.

Variations: For honey base curd, substitute 1/2 c. honey for the sugar. Cook as directed. For Lime or Orange Curd substitute appropriate fruit and juice and proceed as directed.

Note: In microwaves of less than 600 watts, increase cooking times about 15 percent.

Honey Date Muffins

Honey Date Muffins from scratch

1 1/2 cups baking mix
1 Tbs instant vanilla pudding mix
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup dates, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F.. Grease muffin pan.(12 cup size) or line with paper liners. Use cooking spray and spray liners.

Combine all dry ingredients, Add butter and mix well. MIxture should be crumbly. Add milk, egg, honey and chopped dates into mixture.Stir well. Spoon into muffin pan, 3/4 full. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with butter or margarine. Toasted pecans or even walnuts would be a nice addition to this muffin. It takes 5 minutes to prepare. This is a 1970's recipe. Double recipe to make and bake 24 muffins.

Baked Butternut Squash

Lotsa squash sitting on my counter. Usually I just bake it and mash it w butter, salt and pepper. But this time, after using one of them to make squash fries, I'm going to try 2 different recipes:


BUTTERNUT SQUASH BAKE

2 c. cooked, mashed butternut squash
1/3 c. honey
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 c. orange juice
1/3 c. nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 c. chopped pecans
2 tbsp. melted butter

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart oven- proof casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. (Test by inserting a knife into the squash - it is set when knife comes out clean.



Or another version:

2 cups mashed butternut squash
2 cups flavored bread crumbs, gluten free
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup chopped onions
2 egg beaters
1/4 teaspoon salt
a pinch of black pepper
a teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons oil


Bake the squash at 350 degrees for an hour.
Remove from oven and cut squash on a large plate or serving dish.
Scoop out the pits and remove squash meat from shell
Mash the squash (or use half the squash and kept the other for a vegetable stew)
Place squash in a large bowl.
Add crumbs, soup, and onions and stir well.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir.
Grease a one quart casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Looks delicious. Thinking of serving it on a plate by flipping it out, turning the pan upside down on the plate.

Lemon Pepper Tempeh Bites

Lemon Pepper Tempeh Bites

Total time: 8-10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 loaf of French bread*
olive oil
1 head of romaine lettuce, shredded
1 cucumber, shaved paper thin
vegenaise (vegan mayo)
1 box of lemon pepper marinated tempeh strips (these are the kind I used: http://www.tofurky.com/tempehproducts/marinated_strips.html)
1-2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced very small(optional)

*whole wheat French bread works wonderfully for this



Directions:
Cut the loaf of French bread into thin diagonal slices. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon olive oil onto each slice. Toast the slices in the oven or toaster oven until lightly browned. Once the slices are toasted, spread a generous amount of vegenaise onto each slice.

Top each slice of bread with a few shreds of romaine and 1-2 shaved pieces of cucumber. Cut the tempeh strips into small, 1/2 inch pieces and arrange 2-3 pieces on top of each appetizer. If using diced tomato, arrange a few dices on top of the tempeh to add color.