Oatmeal Date Bars
I wouldn’t go so far as to call these granola bars, but they are pretty similar. The dough is made from oats, flour, nuts, brown sugar and butter. There is also the option of making a vegan version with applesauce and olive oil in place of the butter. Both variations are good. Between the dough you add a layer of dates, although you can use any dried fruit you like or happen to have on hand. I have made these with fig jam, raisins and dried cranberries. Once cooked and cooled, you cut them into squares. They keep for days, but can also be frozen. Great for road trips, picnics, boxed lunches, breakfast or just snacking.
Oatmeal Date Bars
4 c. rolled oats
2 c. flour (you can use whole wheat pastry flour, or spelt flour)
½ c. brown sugar or ¼ c. honey
1 c. pecans, chopped
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 ½ c. butter, melted or 1 c. applesauce and ½ c. olive oil
2 t. vanilla
½ c. water
2 c. pitted dates, chopped- or 2 c. any dried fruit
Zest of 1 lemon
1 t. cinnamon
Non-stick cooking spray
Heat oven to 350. Spray a 9×13-inch pan, set aside. Combine oats, flour, sugar, nuts, soda, salt. Pour in butter and vanilla, stir until well mixed and set aside. Heat together water with dates, zest and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Simmer two minutes and remove from heat to cool a little. Press half of the oatmeal mixture in bottom of prepared pan. Spread the date mixture over the oatmeal mix and then top with the remaining oat mix. Press down firmly. Bake until golden on the top, 35-45 minutes. Cut once cool. Makes 24 bars.
Noodles and Eggs
This is a very nostalgic dish for me. My mom made it for us when we were kids. My Busha, her mother made it, too. The recipe is pretty simple. Cooked egg noodles are heated in butter then beaten eggs are added and cooked with the noodles. Salt and pepper finish the dish. You can add extras for fun, like diced ham, cooked, crumbled bacon or a handful of cheese. I often top with chives or green onions.
My guess is the recipe came about when my grandmother was low on eggs and had breakfast to make. You can get by with an egg per person. My mom always said an egg per person and one for the pan.
I just love it, no matter how many eggs I have on hand. You can use almost any kind of cooked noodle. I have used farfalle, shell pasta and spaghetti.
So here is the family recipe you might want to try sometime.
Noodles and Eggs
1 T. butter or oil
8 oz. cooked noodles- any pasta you like is fine
8 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat butter in large skillet and add noodles, cooking until heated through. Beat eggs in bowl and add to hot noodle mixture, stirring until eggs are cooked and dish no longer looks wet. Season to taste and serve. Serves 6-8.
Variations: Add diced cooked ham, bacon or Canadian bacon with the noodles. Other options add 1 c. chopped tomato or chopped up cooked veggies. You can add 1-2 c. shredded cheese just after you add the eggs. Sometimes I top with fresh chives, green onions or herbs.
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 boxed stuff in the store is often full of way too much sugar for my taste. The base for granola is toasted oats, but after that you can get creative. I use plenty of nuts and seeds, sometimes coconut, and finish it off with an assortment of dried fruits. You can use what ever nuts, seeds and dried fruits you have around.
I prefer my granola less sweet than most commercial brands. By making my own, I get to control what, and how much, sweeteners to add. For my granola, I use honey to sweeten it. You can more or less, to suit your taste. You could add some maple syrup, too.
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. Great to take along when hiking or going to the park. I actually like to sprinkle granola on ice cream, too.
Homemade 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, strawberries, blueberries etc. Cut up larger pieces.
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.
Finnish Nisu Bread
I wanted to share one of my favorite bread recipes. I seem to bake bread more often in winter. This wonderful recipe came from the Finn grandmother of two good friends. I think of her every time I make this bread. She was a sweet and loving woman.
Nisu is a soft, slightly sweet bread, made special with the addition of cardamom.
Cardamom is a spice that has a rich, sweet flavor and fragrance. You can purchase it whole, in pods, or ground. Cardamom is often used in baked goods and adds a nice flavor to frosting and glazes. It is also used to flavor coffee. Cardamom is a little pricey. The good news is a little goes a long way. If you buy ground cardamom, you can store it in the freezer to keep it fresh longer.
This bread is lovely just toasted, and makes great French toast. It is also a nice sandwich bread. The recipe makes three loaves, so you can leave one out and freeze or share the other two.
Nisu
½ c. warm water
2 packages active dry yeast
2 c. milk
½ c. sugar
2-3 t. ground cardamom
1 t. salt
6 T. butter
6-7 c. flour, preferably bread flour
2 eggs
Dissolve yeast in water and set aside. Place milk in large bowl and add the sugar, cardamom, salt and butter. Heat in microwave until liquid is very warm. Butter might not be completely melted. Stir mixture until sugar is dissolved. Place 2 cups of flour in a mixing bowl and add the milk mixture, eggs and yeast mixture. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add 1 cup more of the flour and beat 2 minutes more. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until dough is firm and smooth, about 10 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and turn dough to coat. Cover with a towel and allow to rest until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch dough down and divide into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into a loaf and place in greased 9×5 inch bread pans. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden and loaf sounds hollow when tapped lightly. Makes 3 loaves.
Homemade Vegetable Soup Base
I have made a lot of stuff from scratch- could I make my own soup base? I could, and I did! Not soup stock, but the stuff in jars that you just mix with water for instant broth. I wanted a no-meat soup base for when I was cooking meat-free.
I made a vegetable soup base that is a mixture of vegetables, both fresh and dried, herbs, mushrooms, nutritional yeast, spices and salt. There is pretty good amount of salt, but I wanted to be able to store it in the fridge and be safe.
It worked out that every teaspoonful of the finished base has less than 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Not great, but a lot less than bouillon cubes.
If you want to make yours with less salt or no salt- you’ll have to freeze the mixture in ice cube trays and take it out of the freezer as needed. Sort of like your own bouillon cubes.
The nice part is, I can now make a vegetable soup easily and I know exactly what is in it. It can also be added to chicken or other meat-based stocks, in place of the salt, to add extra flavor.
Homemade Vegetable Soup Base
4 carrots, peeled and cubed
3 celery ribs, washed and cubed
1 large sweet onion, peeled and cubed
3 green onions, washed and cut up
1 c. sun- dried tomatoes, soaked in water 30 minutes, and drained
1 c. dried mushrooms, soaked in water 10 minutes and drained
1 c. chopped cabbage
1 c. parsley, chopped
1/2 c. chopped sweet pepper
1/4 c. nutritional yeast, optional
2 T. turmeric
8 oz. salt- I used sea salt and used a scale to weigh it. It’s around a cup but will differ if you are using a coarse salt
Combine all ingredients, except the salt, in a food processor and blend until smooth. I have a decent size Cuisinart and still had to do this in batches. Combine in a bowl with the salt and stir well to blend. Store in a clean jar in the fridge until ready to use. I ended up with about 5 cups of soup base. To use, add about 1 teaspoonful to a cup of hot water for vegetable broth. Use less or more according to your taste. Use in place of salt in other soups, stews and sauces.
Orange and Oatmeal Scones
I love fresh scones, still warm from the oven. Since it is citrus season, I decided to make scones with some seasonal orange flavor. These scones have a nice, crunchy outside and crumbly, tender middle.
The orange juice and orange zest gives them a wonderful flavor. The oatmeal gives them a lovely texture and the raisins add just a bit if sweetness. A very nice combination.
These are great served warm, topped with sweet butter and jam. They are perfect for breakfast or brunch.
You can also use these scones as the base for a berry shortcake. Split, topped with sweetened berries and some whipped cream, they turn into a simple and tasty dessert.
Orange and Oatmeal Scones
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup very cold, unsalted butter – cut into chunks
1 egg
1/2 cup orange juice
2 t. grated orange peel
1 cup raisins – plumped and well dried
Glaze
milk, sugar, orange zest
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (double two sheets if you have them – one inside the other). Preheat oven to 425 F. In a large bowl, place flour, oatmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and mix together. Cut or rub in butter to make a mealy mixture. Stir in egg and orange juice. Add orange peel and raisins. Mix to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead for a few minutes. Roll or pat out into a thickness of 1/2 inch. Using a serrated cookie cutter cut into disks or rounds. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar and orange zest. Bake until nicely browned – about 14 minutes. Makes about 24.
Ham and Cheese Strata
I really love this dish when I have company coming over. It is easy to make and always goes over well. Since it is assembled ahead of time you can make it the day before and then just bake it when you want it.
What is a strata? The simple answer is that it just means layers. Strata is a dish that can be made so many ways with all sorts of ingredients. In this strata you make sandwiches, top them with a mixture of egg and milk and then bake it up. I used rye bread, ham and Swiss cheese, but you can use different bread, cheese and meats (or even no meat) to make any number of combinations. I have made a Reuben strata with corned beef, Swiss, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing.
Ham and Cheese Strata
12 slices bread, crusts removed, if desired – I used rye
6 slices cheese – I used Swiss
1/4 c. diced green onions
1/2 c. chopped sweet pepper
2 c. diced cooked ham or turkey ham
3 eggs
2 c. milk
1 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
Place six slices of bread on bottom of 2-quart oblong casserole. Top each slice of bread with a slice of cheese. Top cheese with the onions, peppers and ham. Top with remaining bread and cut each “sandwich” in half diagonally. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over sandwiches. Cover dish and let stand several hours or overnight in the fridge. Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until puffed and set. Serves 6.
Wine and Tequila Punch
I would never have thought that combining tequila and wine would taste so good, but it really is a great drink for parties. I had a request for this recipe, and I am going to share it with you, the best that I can.
I normally am pretty good about measuring ingredients and writing things down, but a friend actually made it.
My friend Sue, is a very good cook. She has great instincts when it comes to flavors. She is also lovingly known as the Queen of Substitutions. She will start with a recipe and then just add what she has on hand. Often things work out, sometimes, not.
This is one of those times when things worked out very well, indeed. She was watching TV and saw a recipe for a tequila and wine punch. She had the tequila and wine, but not quite all of the other ingredients, so she kind of made it up as she went along. The end result was a drink that was not too sweet and very refreshing. She used bottled margarita mix, but I included a recipe to make your own.
So here is the recipe.
Wine and Tequila Punch
1 1/2 c. tequila
1/2 bottle of wine, use what you have on hand, Sue did
1 c. margarita mix*
1 c. orange juice
1 or 2 oranges, sliced thin
ice
In pitcher, combine tequila with wine, mix, juice and oranges. Add lots of ice, stir and serve.
Margarita Mix
You can make your own margarita mix. Combine 1 cup of water and one cup of sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring to help dissolve the sugar. Add 2/3 cup each of lemon juice and lime juice- fresh squeezed preferred. Store in fridge until ready to use.
Coffee and Spice Rubbed Pork Roast
Since so many people are making a pork roast of some sort for the New Year, I thought I would re-post this recipe. I’ve had several requests for it in the last few days.
It is really good- with a rich blend of spices and coffee. The spice rub would be great on lamb or beef. The rub can also be used on pork chops or ribs.
I am thinking of trying it on duck soon. Enjoy and Happy New Year!!
Coffee and Spice Rub
¼ c. ground coffee
¼ c. brown sugar
2 T. paprika
2 t. each cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, salt and ginger
1 t. allspice
½ t. cinnamon
Combine all ingredients and stir to mix well. Store in a cool place, preferably in the refrigerator. Rub can be used on roasts or on chops, steaks and smaller cuts of meat. If using on chops that are being pan fried watch carefully as the sugar in the recipe could burn.
To use the rub: several hours before cooking, or even the day before, place the roast in a shallow pan and sprinkle heavily with the rub. Use your hands to spread it evenly and cover completely. Place plastic wrap on clean surface and transfer roast to the wrap. Fold plastic wrap to cover roast , using more plastic wrap as needed so meat is sealed well. Return to fridge for at least a couple of hours, or overnight. When ready to cook, bring roast out and allow to stand 30 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and place roast in a roasting pan on a wire rack.
For the pork roast allow about 20 minutes per pound. Larger roasts need a little less time per pound. You want an internal temp of 145. Check with a thermometer, to be sure. You don’t want to overcook the pork. When the roast is finished- remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes, or a little longer, before slicing.
10 Easy Appetizers
The won ton appetizers pictured here are from left to right- Crab Rangoons, Sesame Spinach Triangles and Honey Ginger Chicken Won Tons.
If you are looking to serve appetizers for New Year’s Eve, or for other parties, here are some easy ones that your guests will love.
Some can be made ahead of time, saving you time the day of the party.
Sesame Spinach Triangles
oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
12 oz. fresh spinach, cooked, chopped and drained or 1 (10 oz.) box frozen spinach, thawed, cooked and drained
1/2 c. chopped water chestnuts
2 T. oyster sauce
2 t. sesame oil
1 t. hot sauce
won ton wrappers
Heat oil in skillet and cook onion until tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients, except won ton wrappers. Adjust seasonings, if needed. Allow mixture to cool. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of a won ton wrapper. Moisten edges with a little water and fold over to form a triangle. Press to seal edges. Place filled triangles in 375 degree oil and fry for about 2 minutes or until golden.
Honey Ginger Chicken Won Tons
1 c. cooked diced chicken- I used thighs
1/4 c. minced celery
1/4 c. mayo
2 T. honey
2 T. dried minced onion
1 T. hoisen sauce
1 t. fresh grated ginger
salt and hot sauce to taste
won ton wrappers
Combine all ingredients, except the wrappers, and mix well. Place 2 teaspoons of filling in the center of each won ton wrapper. Moisten edges with a little water. Fold in 2 corners to meet in the middle. Starting at one of the remaining corners fold up and over and form into a roll. Press to seal edges. Fry in hot oil ( 375 degrees) for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.
Crab Rangoons
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (6 ounce) can crab meat, drained and flaked
2 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
won ton wrappers
Combine all filling ingredients and chill until ready to use. Place 2 teaspoons of filling onto the center of each wonton skin. Moisten the edges with water and bring 2 corners together. Bring the other 2 corners up and press all together to seal. Press all seams to seal. It should look like a little bundle. Fry in hot oil until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.
Hot Crab Dip
8 oz. crab meat or faux crab, if you prefer
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. mayo
1 T. chopped chives or green onion, optional
1 heaping teaspoon horseradish
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t. hot pepper sauce, or to taste
Combine all ingredients in ovenproof bowl and mix until smooth. Bake in a 300-degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. You can also heat mixture in microwave for 90 seconds or until hot. You can mix the ingredients ahead of time and chill until ready to heat and serve. Serve with crackers, crusty breads or veggies. You can also spoon mixture into hollowed out tomatoes and broil until crab dip is hot and bubbly.
Pineapple Glazed Chicken Wings
12 chicken wings, cut into 2 pieces, save tips for another use
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (or jar) of pineapple chunks, drained, reserving liquid- I used a pint jar- if using store bought use the 20 oz. can.
salt and pepper
Sauce:
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
3 T. ketchup
3 T. sherry
2 T. soy sauce
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. red pepper flakes
reserved pineapple juice
3 T. cornstarch
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place wings in pan and season with salt and pepper. Bake chicken wings in roasting pan for 30 minutes. Add the onions and pineapple chunks to the pan with the chicken wings and return to the oven for 30 minutes longer. While chicken is cooking combine the first seven sauce ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil. Check baking pan for any juices- Spoon them out and add to the sauce. Combine pineapple juice and cornstarch in small bowl, stirring until smooth and add to the sauce. Return to boil and stir until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Pour hot sauce over chicken and return to the oven to bake 20-30 minutes longer or until wings look nicely glazed and sauce has started to brown. Makes 24.
Brie “Truffles”
8 oz. brie, room temperature- I remove the rind from the brie for a smoother texture.
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 stick ( 4 0z.) butter, softened
2 c. fresh pumpernickel bread crumbs*
In food processor combine cheeses with butter until smooth. Chill mixture 30 minutes or longer. With a small cookie scoop or teaspoon form mixture into small balls. Place crumbs in a bowl and roll the balls of cheese in the crumbs to coat. Place in small paper cups and chill until ready to serve. Makes 3-4 dozen.
* To make the crumbs just place torn
Caramelized Onions “Toasts”
2 lbs. Onions, chopped
3 T. oil
1 t. salt
2 T. brown sugar
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
Dash red hot pepper sauce
Paprika
Sauté onions in oil with salt over low heat for 25-30 minutes. Onions should begin to caramelize and brown without burning. Add remaining ingredients and cook slowly another 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings, if needed and serve warm with crusty bread, crackers or smoked meats. Keeps in fridge for a couple of weeks or can be frozen. To make the toasts I placed a little of the onions on Wheat crackers and topped with squares of sliced Swiss cheese. Placed in a 400 degree oven until the cheese melted.
Brie with Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
2 c. basil leaves
3 T. Pine nuts, walnuts or pecans
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
3 T. Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
½ c. sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in water and chilled overnight
1 T. oil
1 t. oregano
small wheel of Brie 1-2#
Combine first five ingredients in a blender or processor until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain tomatoes and chop coarsely. Combine with remaining oil and oregano and season to taste. Split Brie horizontally into 3 pieces. Spread
One layer with pesto and top with a piece of Brie. Spread with tomato mixture and top with remaining Brie. Wrap and chill overnight. Serve at room temperature or warm slightly. I warmed it wrapped in foil at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.Wanted it to brown a bit. Goes best with crusty breads.
Caponata
2 small eggplants, unpeeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, about 5-6 cups
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 c. olive oil, or a little more
4 celery ribs, sliced
2 sweet peppers, seeded and chopped
1 heaping tablespoon chopped garlic
3 tomatoes, chopped- or 1 (14.5) can diced tomatoes- undrained
1 c. sliced black olives
3-4 T. red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste*
Soak eggplant in salted water for at least 15 minutes. Rinse, drain and pat dry. Set aside. Meanwhile in skillet cook onion in 2 tablespoons of the oil until tender. Add the celery and cook until the celery is tender-crisp. Place mixture in a mixing bowl and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons more of the oil and cook the peppers until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes and cook 1 minute longer. Add this mixture to onion mixture and return skillet to the heat. Add remaining oil to skillet and cook eggplant until golden brown and tender. You may have to do this in 2 batches. Add remaining ingredients to bowl while eggplant is cooking. When eggplant is done add it to the bowl and mix well., Season to taste. Serve with crusty breads cold, hot or at room temperature. Serves 10-12.
* While I don’t have any herbs listed in the ingredients I often add oregano and basil or an Italian or Tuscan seasoning blend. I also like to add capers.
Mushroom Spread
½ lb. mushrooms, trimmed, washed and chopped
2 T. butter or oil
1 medium onion, chopped
½ t. salt
Fresh ground pepper
Dash of nutmeg
1 t. lemon juice
2 t. flour
½ c. sour cream or strained yogurt
½-1 t. dill weed
Sauté onions and mushrooms in butter or oil for 4 minutes. Add seasonings, lemon juice and flour and cook 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream or yogurt and dill. Serve with pumpernickel bread, crackers or in mini cream puff shells.
