Cooking
Cranberry Bread-A Christmas Favorite
When the holiday parties begin and you need a sweet and healthy treat to bring to any event or to give as a hostess gift, this Cranberry Bread recipe (page 153 in the Baby Bear Stew Cookbook) is a wonderful recipe to try. There is extra protein added with the cottage cheese and the cranberries, orange rind and lemon rind provide antioxidants and fiber.
Ingredients
½ cup butter (I used ¼ cup butter and ¼ cup coconut oil)
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
2 Tablespoons grated orange rind
2 teaspoons lemon rind
¼ cup orange juice
3 cups flour (I used ½ whole wheat flour)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cup cranberries cut up
1 cup golden raisins chopped
½ cup chopped walnuts…
Favorite Baby Bear Stew Recipes
To give you a taste of the easy gourmet recipes in the cookbook here is one that is delicious and nutritious. On page 104 of the cookbook is a recipe for Poached Chicken Breasts with Ala (Ala was the trademark for cracked Bulgur Wheat but you can use Quinoa for a gluten free option) was created by my mom, Roz, and served with cooked asparagus and a light tossed salad with mandarin oranges and avocado. When you remember that this dish was cooked and served back in the 80s and 90s you get a glimpse of how ahead of the times the cooks in our family were with regards to health conscious cooking. There is a family tree in the beginning of the cookbook so that you can see the connections and where each recipe originated. There are fun anecdotal comments throughout the book as well.
Poached Chicken Breasts with Ala (Bulgur Wheat)
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts with bone
2½ cups canned chicken broth
¼ cup white wine
4 slices lemon
½ cup chopped celery
¾ cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon fine herbs
½ cup chopped mushrooms
¼ cup chopped jicama
¼ cup shredded carrot
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon dill weed
¼ teaspoon oregano
1 cup Ala (bulgur wheat or quinoa)…
Creamy Yam Bake with a Healthy Twist
If I was asked to choose one of my favorite dishes at any Thanksgiving table, it would be the sweet potato or yam dish. I actually have never tasted a sweet potato casserole that I do not like. Since the recipe I usually make tastes as much like a dessert as a dinner side dish, I decided to try a new recipe this year that was a bit healthier. I adapted a recipe that was given to me by my sister’s SIL (sister-in-law) and the end result was delicious and nutritious.
Ingredients
8 yams or sweet potatoes
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 Tablespoon grated orange rind
1 cup greek yogurt honey flavored
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions
1. Wash and wrap yams in foil, sealing tightly on ends. Place in 400 degree oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, until soft and tender to touch. I place my yams on a baking sheet with sides in case they leak a bit from the sealed ends of the foil-this helps prevent a sticky mess in the bottom of your oven).
2. Remove from oven and allow to cool until easy to handle-30-60 minutes.
3. Peel yams by making a slit in the skin length-wise. The yam flesh should slide right out into your medium sized mixing bowl.
4. Mash yams slightly with a potato masher while adding the yogurt, tahini, ginger and orange rind. You can continue mashing by hand or whip in kitchen aid until fluffy. Transfer to ovenproof serving dish and heat for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. While yams are baking, toast your chopped pecans in toaster oven for 3-5 minutes watching very carefully because they get done very quickly.
6. Sprinkle toasted pecans on top of yams and serve.…
Quick Quinoa Medley Meal
I am so grateful for the beauty that surrounds me every day. I am blessed to live in a town that bursts forth with all my favorite colors every October and November. On these cooler Fall nights, when you feel like a warm meal, it is fun to be creative with what you have in the refrigerator. A few nights ago, I decided to try a warm Quinoa meal that you can make with almost any vegetables and add meat if you want to. Here is the Quinoa medley I whipped up and both my husband, Rick, and I thought it was delicious.
Ingredients
1 cup dry quinoa which yields 3 cups cooked (cook as directed on box)
2 cups butternut squash peeled and cubed (1 medium or ½ large squash)
2 cup brussel sprouts trimmed and cut in half if large
4 cups power greens chopped a bit (any combination of kale, chard, spinach)
4 cloves garlic smashed
½ cup chopped cilantro
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon Season pepper
1 teaspoon garam masala seasoning
1 chicken breast cooked and cubed
Cook Quinoa as directed on package to yield 3 cups. Set aside while preparing vegetables and chicken. Toss butternut squash and brussel sprouts in 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt pepper and Garam Masala. Place foil on cookie sheet and spread vegetables out in a single layer and roast at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes until fork tender. Set aside. Saute garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add power greens and stir until tender and cooked through about 5 minutes. Toss together quinoa, sautéed power greens, roasted vegetables and ½ cup chopped cilantro. Add cooked, cubed chicken and stir until combined. Serve warm with hummus and pita bread and a nice green salad. It is also …
Read MorePumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
I absolutely love the changing colors of the leaves on the trees in our town. The crisp evenings and cool mornings are ushering in the feelings of Fall-even though we had such a LOOONG Indian Summer. Brewing up a cup of coffee or tea for sipping along with a warm Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie makes a chilly afternoon or a cold night so much warmer. (Click the link to get the recipe and try the gluten free style or the original recipe) I absolutely LOVE pumpkin spice lattes but the ones you buy at the coffee shops are full of sugar and other ingredients that are not very healthy. So I decided to experiment with making one at home.
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte
My first try I used
1 cup of my normal delicious House Blend Peet’s coffee
1/3 cup of hot and frothy almond milk
1/4 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon of honey
I brew my coffee in a French Press and froth my almond milk with a battery operated whip. Combine all ingredients and enjoy.
My next try I bought some Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spiced coffee grounds and brewed up a cup and added ⅓ cup of hot and frothy almond milk and a dash of cinnamon.
My third try was an idea inspired by Bekah who was brewing up a cup of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Rooibos herbal blend tea. I took one Starbucks Via instant coffee and poured 8 ounces of boiling hot water into my cup and placed one tea bag in my cup as well. After about 5 minutes, I removed the tea bag, added 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and 1/3 cup hot almond milk. Yummy, the best by far.
Today was the ultimate….
Take 1 cup of your …
Carrot Cake with a Healthy Fall Twist
It has only been a few months since I realized how delicious carrot cake is! It is quite an interesting concept- carrots in a cake?? Who ever thought of that!? Now, you may be wondering how carrot cake can have a “healthy” twist- “just because there are carrots in it doesn’t make it healthy.” Well, you would be absolutely right! But, what would you say if I told you this recipe takes out 75% of the oil amount- decreasing the calories by 1,560 and the fat amount by 126 grams- and replacing the oil with PUMPKIN! Yes, pumpkin! Not only does substituting the pumpkin for the oil make this cake a lot healthier, it also makes it so moist that I don’t think you will ever go back to using the full oil amount. Feeling a little iffy about this pumpkin switch…I guess you will just have to bake it (and eat it, of course) to believe it 🙂 But, this has become my husband’s favorite dessert, even with knowing the healthy substitute!!
What You Need:
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Sugar
4 Eggs
2 Cups Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 TBS Cinnamon
3/4 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Oil
1 cup + 1/4 cup Pumpkin
2 cups Grated Carrots
FROSTING
1/4 cup Butter
1/2 stick (1/2 cup) Cream Cheese
Scant 2 cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 TBS Milk (Add more as needed)
The How-To:
1. Add all the ingredients except for the carrots into a kitchen aid bowl and mix. [Take out your butter and cream cheese to soften for the frosting]
2. Grate carrots. [If you have a newer Kitchen Aid, I would highly recommend this grater attachment! We received it as a wedding gift and have loved using it for grating cheese, carrots and …
Read MoreGluten Free Pumpkin Scones
Pumpkins are everywhere! Pumpkin yummy treats are everywhere as well. Since I absolutely LOVE everything FALL including everything that tastes or smells of pumpkin, I decided to write about a few of my new pumpkin obsessions. I started by baking a batch of Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies this week. I love to bake pumpkin scones and this season I am working on a Gluten Free Pumpkin Scone recipe. I made this one a few days ago and delivered a batch to a precious friend who is recovering from surgery. I will post the recipe I tried and modify it in the near future. (The first batch was a bit too crumbly)
Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones
Ingredients
¾ cup gluten free oat flour
¾ cup almond meal flour
¼ cup coconut flour
2 cups oats
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoons pumpkin pie spice ( my favorite is from Trader Joe’s)
(you can use 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon cloves and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg)
1 Tablespoon butter softened
⅓ cup coconut oil melted
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 Tablespoon fresh grated orange rind
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar (to sprinkle on top of scones before you bake them)
Mix oat flour, almond meal, coconut flour, oats, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. Combine butter and coconut oil and add to dry ingredients. Cut in until mixture is crumbly. Mix maple syrup, pumpkin, grated ginger, grated orange peel and egg together and fold into mixture in large bowl. Do not handle dough very much so scones will be light and not tough. Form into circles about 3 inch biscuit shape. Makes 8 or 9 scones. (You can also shape …
Read MoreAll Things Pumpkin-Harvest Snacks
Sweet treats abound during this time of year, so I thought it would be nice to share an easy Harvest Snack Mix idea that is savory and sweet and fun to have around when friends stop by for a visit. I gathered up all the ingredients at my favorite store-Trader Joe’s. I mixed up a batch and already took a few bags full to friends.
In a large bowl mix
4 cups of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin “O’s”
2 cups peanut butter pretzels
1 cup pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds
1 cup unsalted roasted almonds
2 cups pumpkin flavored granola
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
Mix together in a bowl and serve.
I bought some clear treat bags and filled them with Harvest Snack Mix, tied them with an orange ribbon and took one bag to a party for a fun hostess gift and dropped the other one off as a surprise for a friend.
It is really nice to have a special treat ready to serve with very little preparation time needed. Take a trip to your local Trader Joe’s, Sprouts or try your local grocery store and see what fun pumpkin flavored snacks you can find to combine for your own creative version of Harvest Snack Mix.
…
Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
Harvest season has come. The leaves are turning colors and although we have had an extraordinarily warm fall season, the nights are getting chilly. Time to start cooking up those fall stews and soups. But for those of us who are avid Giants fans…..it is the postseason and the NLCS is happening this week, so I decided to try out a new veggie burger recipe to have a ballpark style dinner. I adapted a recipe that was on the back of a bag of multicolored quinoa that I bought at Trader Joe’s (my favorite grocery store).
Here is the adapted recipe…
Ingredients for Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
4 cloves garlic
2 shallots (you can use ¼ cup chopped green onions or ½ cup sweet maui onions)
1 red or yellow pepper chopped fine
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped fine (1 cup) because I LOVE cilantro
2 cups homemade black beans smashed a bit-recipe below (you can use 1-15 oz can)
3 cups cooked quinoa (cook as directed on back of package)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups quinoa flakes (oatmeal or oat bran can also be used-original recipe used bread crumbs)
2 teaspoons Trader Joe’s every day seasoning
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tsp salt
Saute garlic, red or yellow pepper and shallots in 1 TBS olive oil. Mix all remaining ingredients and stir in sauted veggies. Mix well and shape into 8 patties and fry in pan with 1 TBS olive oil 2-3 minutes each side. Serve on whole wheat buns with lettuce, tomato, avocado, sliced red onion and Mango Salsa (recipe below). You can also layer a bed of spinach with the mango salsa onto a plate and place the burger, tomato, and avocado on top.
Homemade Black Beans
2-3 cups dry black beans (1 Pound)…
Read MoreApple Date Bars
We are settling into the Fall season and the leaves are beginning to turn beautiful colors. Hopefully by now I have made my annual trip up to Placerville to celebrate the beginning of Harvest time by spending a day at Apple Hill. I love the smells, the sights, the tastes and the sounds. Every one of my senses gets a dose of Autumn when I spend a day on Apple Hill. If you have never been up to Apple Hill it is a must-do adventure. Take the whole family and spend the day. Saturdays and Sundays are really crowded so if possible go early in the season. I typically buy bushels of apples for my annual Apple Butter making day with my good friend Sally. This year, in addition to my apple butter making endeavor, I am going to try to bake many new apple treats that I modify to make healthier options-some even gluten-free. Here is my first try (for a gluten free option, use almond meal flour combined with gluten free rice flour or quinoa flour)
1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
¾ cup coconut sugar (brown sugar)
¾ cup honey
¼ cup butter softened
¼ cup coconut oil
1 egg
2 egg whites
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups chopped granny smith apples (2 medium apples)
1 ½ cups chopped red apples (2 medium apples)
1 cup chopped pitted dates
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl combine sugar, honey, butter and coconut oil and beat …