DIY power bars Shelling out tons of money on your favorite granola bars each week? You might want to think about making your own. Power Hungry: The Ultimate Energy Bar Cookbook hit shelves earlier this month. Why spend any time to make a DIY version when you can just grab one at the store? “Even more important is the ingredient control issue,” says Saulsbury. Not ready to ditch your favorite bar just yet? FRIEND BARS (Compare to Kind Bars) Before you start making plans to substitute your favorite brand of agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup for the syrups listed here, hear me out: It will not work. 1 1/2 cups chopped assorted raw or toasted nuts and/or seeds (e.g., cashews, sunflower seeds, green pumpkin seeds, peanuts, or pecans) 1/3 cup crisp brown rice cereal 1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (e.g., raisins, apricots, berries, or dates) 1/3 cup organic light corn syrup or brown rice syrup 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt (optional) 1. 1. 1.
Virginia Willis' Cola-glazed Wings Image Credit: Jaden Hair This is a recipe that I return to time and time again -- it's a friends and family favorite, and the entire plate gets devoured every time. That makes me a happy cook! Instead of deep frying wings (though I love that, too), it's more convenient to bake or grill them. I'm always perplexed on what to do with a big vat of oil after deep frying. Grilling the wings gives them a nicely charred flavor and crisp bits that will delight any barbecue lover. The recipe is from my friend Virginia Willis' cookbook Bon Appetit, Y'all: Three Generations of Southern Cooking. Virginia Willis' Cola-glazed Wings Servings: 4 as appetizer Ingredients:1 cup colaJuice of 2 limes1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar1 jalapeno, finely minced (discard the seeds)2 pounds chicken wings1/4 teaspoon coarse saltFreshly ground black pepper Directions:To make the glaze: In a small sauce pan, bring the soda, lime juice, brown sugar and the minced jalapeno to a boil over high heat.
Herb and Citrus Oven Roasted Chicken Herb and Citrus Oven Roasted Chicken We don’t go out to eat often. There’s nothing more I love than gaining a little cooking inspiration and having someone else whisk away the dishes. But, because my hubby (and sometimes, even I) thinks the food I make is just as good as the grub we get at restaurants, we tend to enjoy the majority of our meals at home. No complaints here – cooking is what makes my heart beat after all! This roasted chicken is simply not helping my case… Not to mention – making this meal probably cost me a whole $8. The chicken turns out citrusy, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth good. You can also switch up the seasonings to a spicy mix and toss in lemons and limes instead of oranges. However you dish up this delicious meal, though, you’re gonna love it. It’s even better if you let it marinade in the olive oil mixture overnight! Once the chicken has baked, remove the pieces to a serving platter. Print Save Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil 4 cloves of garlic, minced Directions:
Raspberry Chia Jam - the most delicious and healthiest jam ever! | Pure Ella The credit for this delicious natural homemade jam really goes to my daughter. The other day when we were picking fresh raspberries from our bushes in the side of the house, picking some to go to the basket, some to go into the mouth… all the while talking about unicorns and fairies (you know, the usual stuff moms and their 5 year-old-daughters talk about)… In between all that important stuff, she looked down into her little basket and exclaimed that we have so much! Yes, I said, what should we do with them? “Mommy, can we make jam?” How can you say no to that little request that is so simple, delicious and precious all at the same time… So we went off to our kitchen – and we made Jam! Here’s the thing, I don’t really make jam. So you’re wondering : How to make a Chia Jam? {no refined sugar, no artificial anything} Ingredients : Directions: Rinse and strain the raspberries and puree with sugar in a blender. This jam will keep well in the fridge for about 5 days (if it lasts that long).
Make Your Own Ice Cream in Five Minutes Photo Credit: Sarah Fernandez I have such fond memories of making homemade ice cream in the summer when we were kids. We used to go pick fresh strawberries and blackberries and then come home and pull out the electric machine and load in the ingredients. Photo Credit: Sarah Fernandez Ingredients:1/2 cup whole milk or cream (you can use 1 or 2% milk, but you will get some crystalization due to the water content)1 tbsp sugar1 tsp vanilla extract6 tbsp Kosher salt2 cups ice Supplies:1 quart size zip top bag 1 sandwich size zip top bag Step 1: In the sandwich size zip top bag (if you can get the higher quality bags, I think it would be easier than with the store brand ones I bought) combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla extract and seal the bag tightly. Step 2: Now for the fun part! Carolina shakes it til she makes it. It should take about five minutes before the ice cream begins to form, but may take a little longer if you have some slow shakers. Then just serve and enjoy.
Orecchiette Pasta with Chicken in a Creamy Rosemary Lemon Sauce Last weekend I was craving pasta like a mad woman. Nothing else would have satisfied me other than a steaming hot plate of Italian noodles with some sort of creamy sauce poured all over and in it. So I headed over to Trader Joe's and began wandering around their dried pasta section when my eyes fell upon a package of orecchiette pasta. I'd never had orecchiette before, but always thought it'd be great for saucy pasta dishes since they're basically like little scoop-bowls. So I picked up a package, came home, and decided to make a creamy rosemary lemon sauce for it (one of my co-workers had brought in several dozens of lemons to work from their lemon tree and I had smuggled a few back home). Also, last week I hosted a giveaway of my friend Amanda Steinhoff's pirate novel, Lily and the Golden Lute, and I am happy to announce that the winner is..... Congratulations Jessica! Ingredients: 3 Garlic Cloves, minced 1 Large Chicken Breast, cut into 1-inch cubes Juice from 1 Lemon 2/3 Cup Milk
. rice krispie energy bites . - . running with spoons . Happy Monday, friends! What do you say we start this week off on a sweet note? Any objections? No? Excellent! These aren’t your average RKTs though. You guys know how obsessed I am with this combo right now, but I have to admit that even I was kind of skeptical when it came to using it in one of my most beloved treats – there’s just no messing with the classics. Second, I decided to throw in some protein powder, both to improve the nutritional profile and because I really need to work my way through the big tub that’s sitting in my pantry. The fact that these take all of 10 minutes to throw together, require no messy baking, and give me a ridiculous amount of energy is jut icing on the cake – I’ve already deemed them staple-worthy material. . rice krispie energy bites . Ingredients 4 cups crispy rice cereal (I used Erewhon) 1/2 cup almond butter (or peanut butter) 1/4 cup honey 1/3 cup protein powder Optional: chocolate for melting Instructions
LaSaGnA TiMpAnO I went to see tUnE-yArDs on Monday night with some friends, and as always we wanted to cook a meal that somehow related to the show we were heading to. Sometimes this is hard to do, but other times it seems to come naturally. Finding culinary inspiration in Merrill's lyrics seemed like it would be tough, but my sister knew what she wanted to make without hesitation. "How about something layered, because of all the vocal and instrument layering in the music?" Start by making a lasagna crust. Finally got it together. Now it's easy, just start building the layers! Alfredo sauce with some salami goes first. After 3 alfredo layers, I switched to pesto. A cheese only layer, just for fun. Tomato sauce is last. It's important to press things down as you go. In my opinion, it can't be lasagna without at least a little ricotta! I painted on some alfredo at the end as a glue. All sealed up. After baking. The flip is always a scary moment. Unveiling. A thing of beauty. Cutting is another tense event. Glorious!
Lemon Potato Chicken This is one of my favorite recipes that my mom makes back home. My parents grow their own Greek oregano and it just has such a wonderful and aromatic taste to it. I started growing an herb garden out on my patio here and believe it or not I got cilantro seedlings to sprout at the end of November! The weather here is wonderfully convenient for gardening, but at the cost of the loveliness of the fall season. In the photo I have a sprig of thyme on the right and oregano on the left. Ingredients: 2 Ibs Chicken pieces (thighs, breasts, drumsticks) 5 large Potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges Juice from 1 Lemon 2 Tbsp Thyme 2 Tbsp Oregano 1/2 cup Olive oil 1 Medium Onion, chopped into chunks Salt Pepper Water Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Flourless Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies | Vegan & Gluten-Free | The Healthy Family and Home I continue to be amazed at the flourless, grain-free and gluten-free desserts I have made lately. First, the Vegan Flourless Zucchini Brownies, the Flourless Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies, the Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies and now these Flourless Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies. My brain just can’t comprehend how you can get a dessert that is moist and crumbly like a regular flour-filled dessert, but have absolutely no flour at all. It’s like you mix everything up thinking, “there is no way this is going to come out like a brownie/cookie/etc” and while it bakes, something magical happens, because it does! It really does! I did a search and found a couple of traditional peanut butter swirl brownies and found lists containing these ingredients: Let me re-emphasize a few ingredients…1 POUND of butter, 6 eggs, 2 1/4 CUPS of sugar and 1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour. 5 Fast Facts About Peanuts (Peanut Butter): 5 Fast Facts About Maple Syrup: 5 Fast Facts About Flax Seeds: Ingredients For the brownie
Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread Recipe Kids can be frustratingly picky eaters. They can also have highly entertaining quirks. My niece used to ask for pepperoni pizza and then proceed to discard all of the pepperoni. Un-Pepperoni Pizza. But when you wrap pepperoni pizza into a fun, savory, pull-apart style bread, it’s no longer “icky” pepperoni pizza. I’ve had these Pizza Bites bookmarked for ages, so when I finally found an excuse to make them, I wanted to take it in a slightly different direction: a savory monkey bread. A very light coating of garlicky butter-covered pepperoni pizza bites, piled into a bundt cake pan, makes for a very fun Pepperoni Pizza. Or Pepperoni Un-Pizza. You can take the long route and make your favorite pizza dough and marinara sauce, or the short route and pick up your favorite pizza dough and red sauce from the store. Ingredients Instructions Heat garlic and butter over medium heat just until the garlic begins to brown. Wrap the dough around the pepperoni and cheese, pinching well to seal. Notes
One Pan Roasted Honey Orange Chicken and Potatoes - Jo Cooks One Pan Roasted Honey Orange Chicken and Potatoes with incredible flavors, simple to prepare, everything you want in a hearty and comforting meal. Since it’s officially December and it’s baking season for me, this is probably the last savory dish, well maybe not savory but the last “dinner” dish you’ll be seeing for a while. With that being the case, I thought I should give you something that truly represents my style of cooking and what I’m all about when it comes to simple but incredibly flavorful meals. This is where this one pan roasted honey orange chicken and potatoes sheet pan dinner comes into play. Now that’s a mouthful, literally and figuratively. Now let’s talk about these baby potatoes a bit. The combination of honey with the chili garlic sauce is so good, and don’t be afraid to add more if you need to. Check out the video! If you guys love this recipe, and most importantly make it yourselves, please let us know. Print One Pan Roasted Honey Orange Chicken and Potatoes Optional
Magic in the Middle Cookies Recipe 4 DOUGH: Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and 1/4 cup of peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk, beating to combine, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well FILLING: In a small bowl, stir together the 3/4 cup of peanut butter and confectioners sugar until smooth. With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls. FORM COOKIES: Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough. Roll each rounded cookie in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass, and use it to flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick. Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they're set and you can smell chocolate.