Chocolate Biscotti
Chocolate Biscotti
These Chocolate Biscotti are a favorite of mine. They are not too sweet but have plenty of chocolate flavor. If you haven’t made your own biscotti before, you should. These crisp, twice baked cookies, are so easy to make. The second bake is where biscotti get their famous crunch. They are baked until pretty dried out but it leaves you with this heavenly crunchy bite that meant to be dipped in coffee.
Chocolate Biscotti
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter, room temperature
2 eggs
3/4 c. chocolate syrup
2 1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. chocolate chips (mini, regular or flavored)
1 c. chopped nuts, optional
3 oz. white chocolate
Grease 2 9×5-inch loaf pans and set aside. Beat sugar and butter together than beat in eggs and syrup. Beat in dry ingredients. Dough will be soft. Stir in chips and nuts. Divide batter in prepared pans and use spatula to spread evenly. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 35 minutes. Tester inserted in center should come out clean. Turn loaves onto rack and cool 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300-degrees. Using a serrated knife cut loaves into 3/4 -inch slices. Place cooling rack on a baking sheet. Place biscotti slices cut side down on cooling rack and bake about 18-19 minutes. Cookies will become harder/crisper as they cool. Cool completely. Melt white chocolate and drizzle over biscotti. Allow to set up. Makes about 2 dozen.
Easy Won Ton Soup
Easy Won Ton Soup
When I was a kid going out for Chinese food with my family was always so special. The food wasn’t at all like the food we made at home. It always seemed so exotic to me. It was brought to the table in covered steel dishes on pedestals. You would take off the lids to see what treasure was in each one. Everything about it seemed magical to me. The first course would always be the Won Ton Soup. Brought in a big bowl, one of my parents would ladle some out to each of us. Such nice memories. I was defrosting my freezer recently and found some won ton wrappers. I decided to use some of them to make Won Ton Soup. I admit it will never be the same as the soup I ate in the Chinese restaurant years ago- but it will always make me think of those happy times with my family.
Easy Won Ton Soup
24 Won ton wrappers
1 c. cooked chicken
1/4 c. minced celery
1 t. soy sauce
1 t. sesame oil
4 c. chicken stock
4 c. fresh spinach
Combine chicken with the celery, soy sauce and sesame oil. Place 1 teaspoon of the chicken mixture in the center of a won ton wrapper. Moisten edges and fold in half to form a triangle. Press edges to seal. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers. Heat stock and add the wrappers and spinach and cook until heat through and spinach is cooked, about 5 minutes. Serves 2-3.
Cranberry Buttermilk Scones
Cranberry Buttermilk Scones
I love scones fresh out of the oven. Don’t get me wrong- I’ll eat them even after a couple of days but there is nothing quite like the taste of fresh baked scones. These scones are crisp on the outside and very tender inside. If you don’t have buttermilk you can add a little lemon juice to regular milk. Perfect for breakfast or a snack. You could also use these as the base for strawberry shortcakes and turn them into a dessert. I normally serve them with berry jam and whipped cream.
Cranberry-Buttermilk Scones
3 c. flour
¼ c. plus 2 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
1 ¼ sticks (10 tablespoons) chilled butter, cubed
3/4 c. dried cranberries
½ c. buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 t. water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour with ¼ c. sugar, baking powder, and salt. Rub in butter with finger tips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cranberries. Combine milk with 2 of the eggs and beat together. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture and stir until dough begins to form into a ball. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 10 stokes until dough holds together. Grease 2 nine inch cake pans. divide dough in half and place one piece in each cake pan. Press dough out evenly. Combine remaining egg with 2 teaspoons water and beat until well mixed. Score top of loaves with sharp knife into 8 wedges each. Brush with egg mixture and sprinkle with reserved sugar. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, turn onto plates and cool right side up. Cut along score marks. Serve warm. Makes 16.
Peanut Soup
Peanut Soup
With a cold spell here I have been making peanut butter sandwiches for the squirrels. I know it sounds silly, but it keeps them out of the bird feeders. Spreading the peanut butter on the bread got me to thinking about peanut soup. It’s a simple soup with a creamy texture and just a hint of heat. You could make it spicier, of course. If your only experience with eating peanut butter is on a sandwich or in cookies you might be surprised at just how good this soup tastes. I have made it with almond butter, but still prefer it made with peanut butter. This is a vegetarian recipe, but you could use chicken stock, if you like. It freezes well, too.
Peanut Soup
2 c. chopped onions
1 T. oil
cayenne pepper to taste
1 t. grated fresh ginger
1 c. chopped carrots
1 c. chopped sweet potatoes
1 c. chopped white potatoes
5 c. vegetable stock or water
1 c. tomato sauce
1 c. smooth peanut butter
1 T. sugar, optional
1 c. chopped green onions
Sauté onions in oil until tender. Add seasonings and carrots and sauté 3 minutes more. Add potatoes and stock and simmer until vegetables are tender. Puree soup in blender in batches until smooth. Return to pot and add tomato sauce and peanut butter. Add sugar if soup is not sweet enough. Warm gently and serve with green onions on top. Serves 6-8.Peanut
Gluten Free Sweet Potato Muffins
Gluten Free Sweet Potato Muffins
When a family member was diagnosed with Celiac disease eight years ago the selection of gluten free foods was pretty limited. Happily, today going gluten free is much easier. I buy a gluten free flour at Costco that can be used in any recipe that calls for all purpose flour. Gluten free flour is available in many grocery stores, too. It seems to bake, or at least brown, a little faster so you have to keep an eye on what you use it in. It doesn’t get much easier than that. In this recipe you could also just use all purpose flour if that is what you prefer. Just increase baking time 3-5 minutes. The muffins are moist and not too sweet. They are great for breakfast, snacks or even as a dessert. They also freeze well so you can make a batch and freeze the extras for later. Wonderful for busy days when you don’t have time to make them.
Sweet Potato Muffins- Gluten Free
4 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 c. oil
1 c. sugar
2 c. cooked sweet potatoes
1 3/4 c. gluten-free flour
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
Blend together in large bowl eggs, sugar, sweet potatoes and oil and set aside. In another bowl combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and stir until well blended. Pour into paper-lined muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until muffins spring bake when touched lightly. Makes 30-36.
Bean and Barley Soup
Bean and Barley Soup
With really cold weather I can’t seem to get enough soup. I have been known to have a bowl of soup for breakfast. Why not? This soup is one I have been making for a long time. While the recipe calls for either smoked pork hocks or smoked turkey this would be a great place to use that ham bone leftover from the holidays. The combination of smoky flavor, pinto beans, barley and green beans works so well together. This is one of those soups that tastes even better the next day. It freezes well, too.
Bean and Barley Soup
8 oz. dry pinto beans, rinsed
1 T. oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots chopped fine
2 ribs celery, chopped fine
1 lb. Spare ribs or 1 lb. turkey drumstick or thigh
1 lb. ham hock or 1 lb. smoked turkey drumstick or wing
1 qt. chicken stock
2 qts. Vegetable stock or water
1 c. barley
½ lb. green beans, cut
salt and pepper to taste
1 T. parsley
Place beans in saucepan with water and boil 5 minutes. Set aside to soak 1 hour. Drain. Meanwhile cook vegetables and garlic in oil in large kettle. Add meats and stocks and bring to a boil. Stir in pinto beans. Cover and simmer on top of the stove for 1 hour. Or, if pan is ovenproof place in 350-degree oven and cook 1 hour. Stir in barley and beans and cook 1 hour more. Remove from heat and remove meat. Remove any meat from bones, shred and return to soup. Stir in parsley and adjust seasonings. Serves 8-10.
Focaccia with Herbs
Focaccia with Herbs
Focaccia is a tasty Italian flatbread that can be enjoyed as is, or can be topped with cheese, meats and vegetables, like pizza. I made this one with my own pizza seasoning blend of herbs but you can play around with other flavors.
Focaccia with Herbs
4-4 1/2 c. flour
1 packet quick-rising yeast
1 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1 3/4 c. hot water
2 T. olive oil
1½ T. Pizza Seasoning*
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c. minced shallots
In a medium bowl combine 2 cups of the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add hot water and stir until a smooth batter forms. Stir in the remaining ingredients and enough flour to form a sticky, soft dough. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel and allow to rise for about 30 minutes. Dough should double. Punch dough down and place on work surface. Cover with the bowl and allow to rest 10 minutes. Grease a jellyroll pan. With oiled fingers press dough into the pan. Dough will have imprints from your fingers. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before cutting. Makes 1 loaf.
Pizza Seasoning
3 T. basil
2 T. oregano
1 T. fennel seeds
1 T. crushed red pepper flakes
1 T. dried minced onion
Combine all ingredients and store in a cool, dry place. Use to flavor sauces, breads and more.
1 t. minced garlic
Honeymoon Soup
Honeymoon Soup
Part of creating new recipes is coming up with names for them. The silly name for this soup stems from something I made when I was a kid. I was making a sandwich with Swiss cheese on toasted rye bread. I put one slice of cheese on the bread and then proceeded to pile up all this lettuce on the sandwich. What can I say? I really like a lot of lettuce on my sandwiches. I cut it in half and was sort of struggling to eat it without the lettuce tumbling everywhere when my father came in the kitchen. He said I had made a honeymoon sandwich, lettuce alone. Get it? Let us alone. It took a second before I got it. My dad was the king of puns. The name stuck. I make lettuce soup from time time. Mostly when I have a lot of lettuce I need to use up. The lettuce actually adds nice flavor to the soup. For this one I decided to add the other elements of my sandwich by topping the soup with some shredded Swiss cheese and fresh rye bread croutons. The combination was really nice- kind of light and satisfying at the same time. Hope you’ll try it.
Honeymoon Soup
6 c. stock- I used chicken, but vegetable or beef stock would work, too
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
6 c. shredded Romaine lettuce- you can use other lettuces – I often use Spring Mix
2 T. butter or oil
3-4 slices rye bread, cubed
1 c, shredded Swiss cheese- or whatever cheese you prefer
Heat stock and simmer carrots in stock until tender. While carrots are cooking heat butter or oil in a skillet and toast the bread cubes in the skillet. Stir often so they don’t burn. You end up with nice rye croutons. You can just set them aside and add to the soup at room temperature. I prefer to warm them in the skillet right before serving.
Back to the soup- once the carrots are tender add the lettuce to the stock. It will wilt down a lot and cook quickly. Allow about 3-4 minutes for the lettuce to wilt down. Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls. Top with some shredded cheese and then the croutons. Serves 3-4.
Honeymoon Soup- undressed
Ready to serve
Homemade Granola
Homemade Granola
One of the advantages of making stuff from scratch is that you get to control what goes in it. This is really true for granola. The base is toasted oats but after that you can get creative. I use plenty of nuts and seeds and finish it off with an assortment of dried fruits. I prefer my granola less sweet than most commercial brands so I also get to control what and how much sweeteners to add. I know granola is most often thought of as a breakfast food, but it makes a great snack and sprinkled on yogurt it can also be a tasty choice for lunch.
Granola
3 c. rolled oats
1/4 -1/2 c. each of any of the following to equal 1-2 c. total
Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, wheat germ, peanuts, pecans, almonds, hazel nuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, coconut… you get the idea. Don’t forget to chop up any big pieces.
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. orange peel
1/2 t. nutmeg
pinch of salt, optional
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. honey- or add a little more if you like a sweeter granola
2 t. vanilla
Dried fruit to equal 1 -1 1/2 cups. Some choices could include: raisins, dried cranberries, cherries, pineapple, dates, figs, apricots, bananas, blueberries etc.
In large bowl combine oats with seeds and nuts and toss well with seasonings. Heat together oil, honey and vanilla and pour over oat mixture, tossing to coat evenly. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes. Halfway through the baking time stir mixture so the edges won’t burn. Remove from oven and return to large bowl. Toss with the dried fruit and allow to cool before storing in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Use in 1 month or store in freezer or fridge to keep longer. Makes 5-7 cups.
Creamy Vegetable Soup
Creamy Vegetable Soup
I must admit, for all the soups I make, this is one of my favorites. The blend of vegetables, seasonings and half and half work so well together. It is also an easy way to eat more veggies. With the colder weather I find myself eating soup almost every day. I made a batch of this soup for an event I did a while back. It was a big event so I had made a lot of it. I had a request for the recipe but I had to make another batch and scale down the amounts to something more reasonable.
Creamy Vegetable Soup
3 T. oil
2 onions, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
3-4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium cauliflower, chopped
6 c. stock- I used chicken, but you could use vegetable
1 qt. tomatoes- I used home canned but you could use 1 (28 oz.) can
2 T. Tuscan seasoning* recipe follows
¼ c. hot sauce- or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
2 c. half and half or milk**
In large pot heat oil and cook onions until tender. Add carrots and celery and cook a few minutes longer. Add remaining vegetables, stock, and seasonings and simmer, covered for an hour or longer. Puree soup in blender in batches until smooth or use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Return to pot and add the half and half and warm up. Adjust seasonings and serve. Makes a lot of soup – but freezes well.
*Tuscan Seasoning
½ c. dried basil
½ c. dried oregano
½ c. dried marjoram
3 T. dried minced onion
2 T. dried minced garlic
2 T. dried rosemary
2 T. dried parsley
1 t. crushed red pepper
Combine all ingredients and store in an air tight container. Use this blend in tomato sauce or other Italian dishes. Also, you can add to vinegar and oil with a little salt, if desired, to make a quick salad dressing.
** You could use almond milk, coconut milk or rice milk instead.
