Crash Hot Potatoes Man, do I love Australia. First, my oldest daughter was conceived there on our honeymoon…and while we’re on the subject, have I ever shared with you that we almost named her “Sydney” as a nod to her point of origin? In the end, I chickened out, though—I thought that might be a little corny, and truth be told, I think she was actually conceived in Brisbane. But I’ll stop there. This is a family-friendly website. Anyway, I just love Australia. They’re so simple, it’s terrifying. For now, though, let’s take a chill pill and make Crash Hot Potatoes! The Cast of Characters: New Potatoes (or other small, round potato), Olive Oil, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, and whatever herb you like. Begin by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make, and cook them until they’re fork-tender. Oh! Next, generously drizzle olive oil on a sheet pan. This will mean the difference between the potatoes sticking and not sticking, so don’t be shy here. Or something. That’s it!
The RD’s “Hot Dish”: Homemade Fruit & Nut Snack Bars | Festival Foods Blog I love snack bars as a quick, grab-and-go option for breakfast or as an easily packed snack for busy days. The tricky part is that they can get expensive if you buy them individually, especially if you eat them often or have a large family. The other tricky part is even though a lot of varieties look healthy, they don’t always offer the best nutrition. (If you’ve ever checked out the NuVal scores, some score similar to candy bars!) The great news is, they’re super easy to make and allow you to choose your favorite nutritious ingredients. This is also a great activity to get kids involved in the kitchen! To get started, place the oats, shredded wheat, walnuts, dried fruit, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped (the fruit should be the size of a dried pea or lentil). Whisk together the eggs, honey, and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Bake about 18 minutes in an oven heated to 350⁰F, or until the edges turn golden brown.
Onion Rings Recipe Ingredients 2 large yellow onions, peeled, sliced into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick ringed slices, rings separated (See How to Slice an Onion)2 cups buttermilk, or 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with 1 cup milkSaltFreshly ground black pepper1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup cornmeal OR 1 cup prepared cornbread flour plus 1/2 cup all-purpose flour2 or 3 cups of grapeseed oil, or other high smoke-point oil such as canola oil or peanut oil Equipment needed: a 5-quart heavy-bottomed dutch oven, tongs, candy thermometer, paper towels, cookie sheets Method 1 Combine the buttermilk (or yogurt and milk) with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl. 2 In a separate bowl combine the flour and cornmeal, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. 3 Add the oil to a largish Dutch oven pan - about 5-quart or 6 quart size. Be very careful whenever handling hot oil. You can test if the oil is ready by moistening a little bit of the flour and dropping it in the pan. Serve hot.
Spicy Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise One bite of this spicy black bean burger with spicy chipotle mayo and creamy avocado and you won't miss the meat! Yes, these were good enough to please even the adult carnivore's in my home (a bit too spicy for my kids). Make no mistake, I love meat, but I also think it's good to give it up at least once a week, so why give Meatless Mondays a shot? Pretty inexpensive to make and really not hard to make. These cook best if frozen so plan to make them ahead and cook as needed. To store them in your freezer, freeze them on wax paper until they set, about 2 hours, then transfer them into containers. Vegetarian, High in Fiber, and Gluten Free if using GF oats (excluding the bun). Ingredients: For the Spicy Chipotle Mayo: Combine mayonnaise and chipotle, set aside. Dry the beans well after washing, extra moisture keep the burgers from sticking. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, cilantro, onion, and garlic, then add oats, then eggs and spices.
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) Monday, August 9, 2010 Before I even get into this addictive little snackity snack, I just want to say thank you for all the wonderful birthday wishes yesterday on Twitter and Facebook. You all are so thoughtful to send a little message of good wishes. I was sitting at the airport waiting for my flight home and everytime a new message came in, my phone would sound a happy little *ping!* They came so fast and furious, it just about sounded like I was having my own little Vegas jackpot moment on my phone! I’ve been traveling nonstop for the past 2 weeks and my body sorta feels a little tired and laggy, so I thought I’d share with you a snack that’s healthy (they’re roasted, not fried), easy (5 minutes hands on time), easy (using canned garbanzo beans), addictive (you might as well double the recipe when you’re making it). The texture of Roasted Chickpeas is surprisingly crispy/crunchy – they make that lovely, loud crunch in your mouth like potato chips. Pat dry with another paper towel.
How to Make Easy 3-Ingredient Energy Bars at Home Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn Previous image Next image Power bars! Make them at home with only three ingredients and a food processor. Prepare for your minds to be blown. Ready? I am a huge fan of chewy, nutty, fruit-filled energy bars of the sort made by Lärabar. I tinkered with ratios a bit, but in the end, I decided to take the most straight-forward path: equal parts dried fruits, nuts, and pitted dates. My favorite is still cherries, almonds, and dates (which are pictured here), but you can swap out the cherries and almonds for any dried fruit or nut. You can also play around with adding other ingredients into the mix: a few tablespoons of chia seeds, a handful of coconut, even some chocolate chips. Making energy bars really is that simple. How to Make Easy 3-Ingredient Energy Bars at Home Makes 8 large bars or 16 small square-shaped bars What You Need Ingredients 1 cup nuts 1 cup dried fruit 1 cup (12-15 whole) pitted dried dates, preferably Medjool Equipment Food processor Plastic wrap or wax paper Sharp knife
Pasta with Tomato, Spinach, Basil, and Brie Recipe Method 1 Heat a large pot of salted water for making the pasta. While the water is heating, prep the ingredients. Once water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente (cooked through, but still a little firm to the bite). 2 While the pasta is cooking, place the garlic, olive oil, chopped tomatoes, chunks of brie (make sure to cut away the white rind!) 3 Once the pasta is done, drain it and place it in the bowl with the cheese and tomatoes.
Baked Asparagus Fries A healthy alternative to french fries baked to crisp perfection right in the oven! I was lying in bed one night, tossing and turning, when I had this sudden craving for french fries. It didn’t matter where it was from – McDonald’s, Jack in the Box, Carl’s Jr – you name it. All I could think about was shoving those crisp fries right into my face. Now I’ve quickly learned that these really are the best kind of “fries” ever. So the next time you have that sudden urge for those greasy fast food french fries, these asparagus fries are sure to fulfill those cravings. A healthy alternative to french fries baked to crisp perfection right in the oven! Ingredients 1 cup Panko* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 pound asparagus, trimmed 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 large eggs, beaten Instructions Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Notes *Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb and can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.
Recipe for egg, spinach and two cheese crustless quiche What's in a name? In the case of this egg, spinach and two cheese crustless quiche, you could call it an egg casserole, breakfast casserole, even a frittata. In our house, we use the generic term "eggy cheesy thing". Crustless quiche -- the dish we make when we're watching what we eat, and don't want the added calories and carbs in a crust -- accommodates mix-ins of leftover cooked pasta, vegetables, beans, or even shredded rotisserie chicken, in any combination. At least once a week, we eat eggy cheesy things for dinner, because I always keep eggs and cheese in the pantry and the dish comes together with a minimum of work. When I have dark leafy greens like spinach in my refrigerator, I like to make this quiche and portion it for a week's worth of breakfasts, so I know I'm eating my vegetables right at the beginning of the day. Egg, spinach and two cheese crustless quiche From the pantry, you'll need: eggs, shredded cheese, olive oil, thyme, fresh black pepper, cooking spray. Serves 5-6.
Oatmeal Brown Bread Amen! I finally found the recipe I have been searching for, and I am so proud that I made it totally from scratch… no KitchenAid mixer involved. My Nanny made the bestest brown bread and though it’s been a long, long time since I’ve had hers, I know that this is what it tasted like. I can recall Saturday night meals with baked beans, scalloped potatoes, maybe a ham, lots of pickles and fresh bread, either white or brown… brown was my favourite. Oatmeal Bread (Brown Bread) from Crosby’s Molasses (2 loaves) 2 tsp sugar2 pkg (4 1/2 tsp) dry active yeast1 cup lukewarm water2 cups rolled oats (quick oats)3 cups boiling water2/3 cup Crosby’s Fancy Molasses4 tsp salt1/4 cup melted butter7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour In a large bowl, soak oats in 3 cups of boiling water. I am so happy I came across this recipe in Crosby’s ‘The Bread Book‘ eBook and that I chose to make it today. I’d like to thank Crosby’s Molasses for sponsoring this post.
Quinoa Pilaf Recipe Have you ever cooked with quinoa? It’s a South American grain-like seed that one prepares in a fashion similar to rice, simmered in water until the liquid is all absorbed. I first started cooking with quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wa) when I lived in San Francisco years ago. The following is a quinoa pilaf recipe based on one given to me by my friend Steve. Do you have a favorite quinoa recipe? Once you've cooked the quinoa as instructed, feel free to improvise a bit on the add-ins. Ingredients Olive oil1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped1 garlic clove, minced1/4 cup pine nuts2 cups quinoa4 cups water1/8 teaspoon pepper1/4 cup chopped fresh mint1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or Thai basil*2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives (or green onions including the greens)1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, choppedSalt and pepper * Best way to chop basil or mint is to chiffonade it by rolling up the leaves like a cigar and slicing crosswise from the end. Method
Gluten-free, Dairy-free Arugula, White Beans, and Roasted Eggplant with Basil Vinaigrette This is a fabulous dish to take to a picnic or to whip up when you have company. Also delicious eaten right off the serving plate like I did last week. I simply roasted the eggplant and added a few tasty toppings to this recipe. For the Dish: 1 eggplant Olive oil Salt and pepper A few handfuls of arugula 2-3 TB pistachios (almonds would also work) 2-3 TB of crumbled goat cheese (omit if dairy-free) ¼ to ½ cup of white beans (I used Great Northern) To roast the eggplant, slice it into ¼ inch pieces, blot between paper towels or clean kitchen towels, and place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Make the basil vinaigrette, based on this recipe. To serve: Place a few handfuls of arugula on a serving dish and top with the eggplant slices and white beans. This post has been linked to Wellness Weekend.