Real Snow Sno-Cones

During our toddler's holiday party one of the teachers mentioned that they would be focused on snow related projects this coming week, due of course to the two weeks of snow that has accumulated. One project in particular caught my attention - Sno-cones. To that I say, "good timing" and, more importantly, "YUM!"

Our toddler has experienced sno-cones a couple of times in her short life. Once at the farmers market when she was about a year old. It was very hot that day and we all needed a refreshing treat. So, one sno-cone split three ways was just the ticket we needed to finish our shopping. The second was much more recent. A couple of weeks ago the circus came to Indy and my darling hubby took his little girl - mama was confined to the house at the time and had to miss the outing :( - and they had a terrific time. Her souvenir was a large cup in the shape of a white Bengal tiger that once held the sno-cone she and her Papi shared.

As the discussion with the teachers continued my mama bear brain kicked in and I couldn't help but think of all of the awful things that are probably in sno-cone flavorings - red dye this number, blue dye that number, high frictose corn syrup, and goodness knows what else. So, I left thinking that I could improve on the original by improving the taste while also making something more natural.

The next morning, I woke early thinking about sno-cone flavoring syrup and pancakes. So, I decided to combine my efforts. The pancakes were a slight twist on the Joy of Cooking's multi-grain pancake recipe (twist added to accommodate the contents of my pantry), a terrific pancake if you ever run across the recipe and happen to be in the mood for pancakes.

When I was little, my mother often made her own pancake syrup by making a simple syrup and adding vanilla. Were you talking to her, my friend Dina would tell you a very funny story from my early cooking efforts in which I ruined the syrup. I assure you, and her, that I've improved my technique over the years. So, I checked my stash of frozen berries and settled on raspberries.

My recipe for raspberry syrup is below. You can substitute any flavor berry you want in the recipe. I suppose you could also attempt a peach flavored syrup or something similar by cutting your fruit in small pieces and cooking it in the syrup,  but berries are by far the easiest and frozen berries make this treat available all year long. In addition to pancakes and sno-cones, you can top ice cream or other treats with the syrup.

The syrup turned out well. I made it a bit sweeter this time given the dual purpose, but you can easily cut the sugar by 1/2 cup. We had it first on our pancakes - a delish combo if I do say so myself - and even better when my darling hubby procured some fresh snow for us from the fresh batch that fell overnight. The trick to making a sno-cone, as my hubby explained to me, is packing down the snow since the crystals are much smaller than the shaved ice used in the traditional approach. And, I have to say, he's absolutely right! So, give this a try with your family. For obvious environmental reasons, I wouldn't advocate eating tons of snow from outside your backdoor, but if you happen to possess a sno-cone machine and are looking for a more natural way to flavor them, this might be an approach that you want to adopt.

Homemade Raspberry Syrup
Combine the following in a heavy bottom sauce pan

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

Bring sugar and water to a low boil without stirring. You can swirl the pan a couple of times if needed, but do not stir with a spoon or other implement. When the syrup has come to a low boil, add one 8-10 oz. package frozen raspberries without syrup - thawed or still frozen, either is fine. Stir to combine. Allow the syrup to come to a boil a second time and allow to boil for approximately 5 minutes so that syrup forms and fruit infuses its flavor into the syrup.

Remove syrup from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Syrup is very hot and will cause a bad burn if it touches your skin.

Once syrup has cooled for 10 minutes, pour syrup through a strainer set over a heat proof bowl or a large  heat proof glass measuring cup. Push any remaining syrup through the fruit in the strainer to separate all syrup from the fruit pulp. Discard pulp. Allow syrup to continue to cool to room temperature. Transfer syrup to a squeeze bottle - I used a left over aguave syrup squeeze bottle. Any other clean squeeze bottle will work.


Real Snow Sno-cone

• 1 Dixie type cup for each sno-cone
• 1 bowl freshly fallen snow (metal is best for retaining the chill on the snow)
• 1 small ice cream or baking scoop for filling the cups
• 1 small metal spoon for packing the snow into the cup
• Sno-cone syrup in squeeze bottle

Fill a cup with scoops of snow until full. Using the small metal spoon, pack down the snow as much as possible. Top with a bit of syrup and carefully work snow around with spoon to distribute syrup. Add more snow to fill cup to the top. Pack again with the spoon and top with syrup. Serve.

Chicken Liver Spread

When I lived in Washington, D.C. one of my favorite weekly activities was to have Sunday brunch with friends and/or family. Whether at one of the many restaurants that offers a brunch menu or a friends house or entertaining at my own place, brunch was a weekly staple. This was also the time that I became a great lover of pate.


Now I'll be the first to admit that there are some really, really bad examples of pate out there and, unfortunately, I've tried a few myself. But, when it's done well, there's nothing better than a little pate spread thinly on a slice of crispy bread or a delicate cracker. A glass of Champagne or Prosecco only heightens the experience! 


At this time, I'm the only person in my household who likes pate. My wonderful hubby who typically loves most everything I make, even when I don't like how it turned out, won't even try it. My toddler tasted a small bite and hasn't yet come back for more - though I haven't quite given up on her. 


I have called this Chicken Liver Spread as I did not put it in a terrine nor did I seal it in a vessel with chicken fat, so we'll call it what it is - a spread. This recipe makes a rather large batch, so either find a few friends to share the goodness with you or plan to eat a lot of it quickly! I thought the results of this recipe were quite good. However, I still feel like something is needed to round out the flavor profile. If you give this recipe a try and have a suggestion, please let me know. When I discover the hidden ingredient needed to take this to the next level, I'll repost as Chicken Liver Spread II. Cheers!


Lisa's Chicken Spread I

• 1/2 a large onion, small dice
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 lb Chicken Livers, rinsed, drained and cleaned
• 1 small golden delicious apple, small dice
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tbsp ground thyme
• 1 tsp rubbed sage
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 1-2 good squirts of dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp bacon drippings
• 2 hard boiled eggs, shell removed
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet with high sides, melt butter. Add onion, apple, thyme, parsley, sage and garlic to the skillet stirring to combine. Allow to cook over medium heat, stirring often, until onion is translucent but no color has formed. 

Add well-drained livers to the pan and stir to incorporate. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste and stir. Continue stirring often to ensure all livers are cooked through and no burnt spots develop. When livers are no longer pink, remove skillet from the heat and stir in bacon drippings.

Spoon skillet contents into the bowl of a food process that has been fitted with a chopping blade. Add egg and dijon mustard and pulse 10 times. Taste mixture for seasoning and adjust by adding more salt and pepper or dijon. Pulse again. When you're happy with the results, move the pate to a storage container. Allow the pate to cure overnight in the fridge. 

Serve the next day with toast points or crackers along side fresh fruit and good cheeses or cured meats. I had Rosemary Potato bread on hand and it was delish with this recipe!

Note:  The flavor of the pate is best if you allow it to come to just below room temperature before serving.

Cheesy Turkey Pot Pie & Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifle for a Cold Winter's Night

We had a lot of turkey leftover from Thanksgiving even though I only roasted half of the bird on Thursday. This happened because, we, okay I, quickly found myself to be burnt out on turkey and leftovers this year. 


However, today we're in the midst of our first snow of the season, so I set out some of the turkey this morning to thaw with the intent of making something to warm our tummies this evening. At first I thought I'd throw together a quick soup and maybe offer turkey, cucumber and avocado sandwiches on the side, but my toddler would likely deconstruct the sandwiches and not eat anything except the bread. Moving on from that idea, I put the quandry in the back of my mind and checked in throughout the day. Late this afternoon the idea of making a pot pie appeared. 


This idea had many advantages. First, my hubby LOVES pot pie, I think it's one of his favorite comfort foods. Second, our toddler LOVES cheese. When you ask her what she wants to eat, 9 times out of 10, the answer is "cheese". Now, that cheese can take many forms - cottage cheese, grilled cheese, cheese and crackers, string cheese, etc., but consistently the answer is cheese. So, I considered adding cheese to the traditional creamy sauce in the hopes that everyone would be happy. Finally, to make myself happy, puff pastry could serve as the topper so I wouldn't have to make pastry from scratch. I love to cook and baking for me entails cookies, cupcakes and the occasional cake, but I don't make pastry crust. So, I thought my idea was an all around winner.


The filling for the pot pie came together more quickly than I'd imagined. In fact, my toddler asked for a taste of the sauce when she came home and immediately wanted her own serving in a small dish to enjoy while waiting for the finished product to come from the oven.


We don't have dessert every night at our house, but today I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand to make some version of trifle. The great thing about trifle, aside from the fact that it's yummy, is that you can really make any variation you want by changing up the flavor or type of cake and pairing it with a variety of puddings. You can even add other ingredients like cherry pie filling or berries to further expand your options. Whipped cream is typically a part of a trifle as it helps to have at least three layers in a trifle. In my case though, I went with some lite Cool Whip that I happened to have on hand.


The results of both dishes turned out better than expected. The pot pie was warm and comforting while the trifle was a bit like a holiday dessert and allowed us to end dinner on a sweet note. Let me know if you give either recipe a try.


Cheese Turkey Pot Pie

• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 3 Tbsp AP flour + more for dusting when rolling out pastry
• 1 medium onion, small dice
• 2 large celery stalk, small dice
• 2 large carrots, small dice
• 1 cup frozen baby lima beans, thawed
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 large or 2 small Yukon gold potatoes, microwaved for 5 minutes for large, 3 minutes for small, then cut into small dice
• 2 cups cooked turkey, shredded
• 2 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• ½ tsp celery salt
• 1 tsp Thyme, dried, ground
• 1 tsp Marjoram, dried, crumbled in hand before adding to pot
• 1 tsp parsley, dried, crumbled in hand before adding to pot
• 1 sheet puff pastry

Prepare all vegetables by washing and cutting in similar sizes. Shred the turkey and set aside.

In a heavy bottom dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Once foam has subsided from butter, stir in 3 Tbsp AP flour and stir to combine. Cook flour mixture until it takes on a slightly golden color, being careful not to allow to brown or burn.  Add the fresh vegetables (except for potato) and dried herbs, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Allow vegetables to cook until softened, but not browned.

Add the broth and milk and stir with a whisk to create the white sauce. Continue stirring over heat until the sauce thickens. When thick, add shredded cheese a little at a time whisking to incorporate each addition and allowing each to melt before adding the next. Add thawed vegetables, potato and turkey and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. If sauce is too thick, add a bit of broth or milk, stirring after each addition until you achieve the thickness you want.

Pour contents of the dutch oven into two 8 x 8 baking dishes that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Top each pot pie with a square of puff pastry. Pastry should cover the entire contents of the pie, but not hang over the edge of the pan.

Cover one pot pie with plastic wrap and foil and store in the freezer for up to a month. Remove from freezer when time to bake and place directly into a hot oven.

Bake the remaining pot pie in a XXX degree oven until pastry is golden and has risen. Remove from oven and allow pot pie to cool for 15 minutes before serving so that turkey filling has a chance to set.  Cut pastry into six equal portions and serve.

Pumpkin Cheescake Trifle

For the cake layers of the trifle, mix together in a large bowl with a whisk until combined and smooth:

• 1 Duncan Hines Classic Yellow cake mix
• 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp low fat plain yogurt
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 whole egg
• Equivalent of 2 eggs in egg white product (e.g., Egg Beaters Just Whites)

Prepare a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray and then pour in mixture. Bake cake according to package directions until done. Set aside to cool.

For the pumpkin cheesecake layers:

• 1 small package Jello Instant Pudding, Cheesecake flavor
• 1 ¾ cup of 2% milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground all spice
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg (or ¼ ground)
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger (or ½ tsp ground)
• ¼ cup good quality maple syrup
• 1 15 oz can prepared pumpkin – not pie filling
• 15 oz tub or 2 8 oz tubs Lite Cool Whip – French vanilla if you can find it! – use ½ of the tub in the cheesecake layer and reserve the other half to build the trifle below

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Mixture will thicken as it sets. Place covered in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

To assemble the trifle:

Line a clear serving bowl – or trifle bowl if you have it – with a layer of cake. Add a layer of pumpkin cheesecake mousse then top with a layer of cool whip. Continue building layers of cake, cheesecake and cool whip until bowl is full – ending with layer of cool whip. Dust top with a little cinnamon and sugar mixture or crushed ginger snaps.

Allow trifle to set for at least 2 hours, but not more than 6 hours, before serving. Scoop trifle into bowls and serve.

Sunday Night Marinara Sauce with Double Basil

Need a quick and easy Sunday night dinner? Try my fast and easy marinara sauce that is made mostly from pantry staples. This is my go to recipe as it's fast, delish and has consistently been a hit with our toddler! 


When I make this sauce, I always make a large batch as it freezes very well and can be used as is intended or you can add chicken stock and veggies and make it into a quick soup. I often pull a container of this out of the freezer in the morning so that we can have a fresh batch of pasta for dinner that night. Either way, it's a good pantry, freezer, table item that my family loves.


One quick note about the basil in this recipe... I have tried to grow basil at home, but to no avail. So, I typically bought a bunch from the produce section of my local grocery. However, I often found that I was unable to use all of the basil in just one recipe or that my needs would change as the week progressed, so I had to change my menu to accommodate our schedule. Both situations used to result in my once lovely, fragrant basil turning grey and sticky in the bottom of my produce drawer. So, I've started drying my leftover basil on a paper towel on a corner of my kitchen counter. It only takes a few days, then I store it in a small zip style baggie in my pantry until I need it. 


This particular version of my recipe, therefore, makes use of my home dried basil. This addition makes for a well rounded tasting sauce with deep basil undertones complimented by the spike of flavor from the fresh basil I had on hand!


Let me know if you try this recipe and what adjustments you make to it in your kitchen.


Lisa's Quick & Easy Sunday Night Spaghetti Sauce

• 1 large onion, small dice
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• Small bunch of fresh basil, torn
• Salt / Pepper to taste
• 2 large cans good Italian crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
• Dried Red pepper flakes to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar (if needed)
• Your favorite spaghetti or pasta, cooked
• Grated fresh Parmesan cheese 

In a large heavy bottom sauce pot over medium heat, add olive oil. When oil has heated, add onion and dried basil (jar or basil you have dried yourself). Stir and add a pinch of salt so that the onion releases it's juices and you season the first layer of ingredients. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent.

Add the two cans of crushed tomatoes and the dried pepper flakes and black pepper along with another pinch of salt. Allow sauce to cook until it comes to a simmer. Taste sauce at this point to determine if sugar is needed. If needed, add sugar, stir and taste again to determine if additional seasoning is needed with sugar, salt or pepper.

Allow sauce to continue to cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom of the pot. Add fresh basil, stir and taste for final seasoning. Allow sauce to sit for 5 minutes before serving so the flavors meld.


Serve over freshly cooked pasta of your choice with grated Parmesan cheese on top.


~Enjoy!

The Chili, Cheese & Potato Casserole Experiment

I have always loved chili. Having grown up in close proximity to Ohio, my mom always added a bit of cinnamon to her chili. I've experimented over the years with different approaches in my own kitchen and my newest approach is to combine different types of chili powders with dried and fresh herbs; including:  ancho chili powder, good ol' MacCormicks chili powder, dried marjoram, dried oregano, dried thyme, fresh cilantro, etc.. 


Because I make chili throughout the season, I am often looking for a way to turn chili leftovers into something interesting. Right now I have a plethera of potatoes, compliments of a bag of russets my mom left behind from her last visit, as well as chili and all of the 'fixins'. In the past I would have just added baking potatoes to my store list and not given it a second thought. However, I'm trying to do a better job of managing our grocery budget, so I was looking for a way to use what I have on hand. The resulting recipe is below. 


I did a bit of an internet search and didn't find anything like this out there. However, if you have a similar recipe, please share it. I'd love to see another example :)


The Results
I started out making the casserole as I thought it would work, but ended up making a few modifications along the way. First, I only had enough of the sour cream and cheese mixture for one layer, so it became the middle layer in the casserole rather than half in the middle and half on top. Second, I didn't cover the casserole and by the time I removed it from the oven to add the cheese layer (based on when the potatoes were fork tender), the chili was hot, but looked a little dry and was starting to turn dark as if it would eventually burn. So, I incorporated the foil technique. Other than those two changes, the casserole was really pretty good. I'm not sure it will completely replace chili over baked potatoes with cheese and sour cream in our house, but it gives me another viable option for when I don't have bakers on hand.


A note about the side dish...
I ended up serving this along side a salad made with butter lettuce, matchstick carrots and a fresh pear diced into large chunks. I dressed this simple seasonal salad with a mixture of apple cider vinegar, apple cider, EVOO, salt and pepper and a bit of honey to round out the flavors. The salad was excellent and may have just become one of my go to staples for fall and winter!


Chili, Cheese, Potato Casserole

• 3 cups left over chili
• 4 medium/small potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/3" slices (I needed 26 slices to cover my casserole and fill in the "holes" between the slices)
• 8 oz light sour cream
• 8 oz grated cheese, divided (your choice, I used a 2% mixture of jack and cheddar)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup green onions, sliced
• 1 tsp Kosher salt, 1/2 tsp if using table salt
• Pepper to taste, prefer fresh ground

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 


Spray an 8x8 casserole with non-stick cooking spray, layer potatoes on the bottom of casserole dish. Use left over potato slices to fill in the gaps between the bottom layer so that none of the cheese mixture can seep through to the bottom of the casserole dish. Set aside.


In a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream, half the grated cheese, melted butter and the green onions. Spread the mixture across the top of the potato layer ensuring the mixture covers all of the potatoes, including the corners. Next, add the chili layer and spread to ensure chili covers the cheese mixture. Cover casserole with foil.


Place casserole in hot oven and allow to bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and add the remainder of the grated cheese. Return the casserole to the oven and allow to remain baking uncovered for 15 minutes. 


Serve with a fresh green salad. 


~Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Sauce

I've found tons of late harvest tomatoes this fall and can't resist bringing them home. I found some Mexican orange tomatoes @ Adrian's Orchard while shopping for cider and our toddler loved eating them out of hand. 


Since I had an abundance of tomatoes of various sizes and colors (red and orange, grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes), I decided to roast them all together to make a fresh tomato sauce. 


I have to admit that I didn't come up with this concept. Ina Garten roasts veggies all of the time on her Barefoot Contessa show. It's also her favorite way to cook shrimp, a technique that I haven't yet tried, but it does appeal to me and the results looked delish on her show.


Here's the technique. Keep in mind that this really isn't a "recipe" per say in that it can be used on nearly any amount of tomatoes you have on hand. If you have larger tomatoes - like Romas - simply cut them in half before putting them on the baking sheet. Also, the end product of the roasting is very different from a sundried tomato, much more juicy and much more versatile!


How to Oven Roast Tomatoes
Preheat your oven to 350.


Wash tomatoes and blot dry with a paper towel or kitchen towel. If you have larger size tomatoes - such as Roma or small slicing tomatoes - cut them in half after drying.


Place tomatoes on a baking sheet. You want one that has a lip or rim around the edge. A baking dish would work too. The only criteria is that you don't want to crowd the sheet so that plenty of heat can surround each tomato. If you have too many tomatoes, place half on a second sheet. You can roast up to two pans at the same time on separate racks in your oven.


Drizzle good extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper. I use Meijer's organic EVOO as it's a pretty good quality for a good price, along with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. The salt and pepper should be to taste. You only need enough olive oil to make sure each tomato has a little oil to draw the heat while they're in the oven.


Place tomatoes in the oven. If you have two sheets, place them on separate racks. Allow to cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until tomatoes being to pop and look a bit wilted or wrinkled.




My Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce
Place roasted tomatoes in the blender - if you have a large batch of tomatoes, you may have to process it in batches - along with juices that have collected on the sheet. Add a large handful of freshly torn basil - you can do this to taste, but we LOVE basil so I use a lot. Puree tomatoes and basil in the blender on the highest speed until sauce forms and there are no large chunks of tomatoes or basil left. If you need a little liquid to make the mixture move in the blender, you can add more EVOO, a little water or even some good white wine or stock.


Serve over freshly cooked pasta or allow to cool in the blender and store in the fridge for up to a week.


Enjoy!

Beans, Greens & Barley Soup

I bought some kale earlier this week while on my post vacation farmer's market / local farm stand shopping spree. My family is REALLY bad about eating greens, mostly because I'm REALLY bad about buying and cooking them. It's not that we don't like them, it's just that I kind of forget and that I don't have many recipes for them in my repertoire. 


However, I've decided to turn over a new leaf - pun intended! - and work them into our diet more often. This is my first attempt. Beans and greens is a traditional Italian side dish or soup - it's one of those dishes that can take many forms. Since I have also been looking for new ways to include new grains in our diet as well, I've added barley to the mix. 


The recipe as written is vegetarian, but you can use chicken stock if you prefer and even render some bacon before you saute the veggies. You can even use a different green if you have them on hand or don't happen to like kale; spinach would work well here too, but you'll have to adjust the cooking time to the green you choose. It's up to you! This approach is rather forgiving and pretty flexible. 


Lisa's Beans, Greens & Barley Soup

• 1/2 16 oz bag of dried Great Northern or Cannellini beans, prepared according to package directions and drained*
• 1/2 cup of dried whole barley, prepared according to package directions
• 3 medium organic carrots, scrubbed and diced small
• 2 stalks of organic celery, scrubbed and diced small
• 1 large onion, small dice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 box of organic vegetable stock
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 15/16 oz can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes (organic) with juice
• 1 large bunch of kale, washed, stems removed and coarsely chopped
• 64 oz of water
• 1 tsp onion powder (not onion salt)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small bunch of fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• grated parmesan
• good EVOO

*Note:  Once the beans are al dente (i.e., have begun to soften, but are not yet cooked through), add about 1/2 tsp of kosher salt or to taste. If you do not add some salt to the beans at this point, your beans will be bland in the midst of your flavorful soup.

In a large heavy bottom soup pot set over medium heat, saute onion, carrot and celery in the olive oil. When onion is translucent add the garlic and continue cooking until fragrant being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add the kale and stir to incorporate them into the onion/carrot/celery mixture. Once the kale has begun to wilt add the tomatoes, beans, barley and stock and stir to incorporate. Allow soup to cook for 30 minutes over medium heat being careful not to let the pot boil over. 


After 30 minutes begin to test the kale for doneness. The kale should be wilted and much softer to the chew. You don't want to cook the life out of it, but kale is rather hearty so you want it to be digestible and easy to chew. Cook for more time if needed to reach the correct consistency. Before serving taste and adjust the seasoning. 


Ladle into soup bowls, drizzle with good olive oil and sprinkle with grated parmesan and a little extra fresh ground pepper. Serve with good crusty bread and a glass of red wine. Enjoy!

Simple Summer Pizza

We took a late summer vacation to Nashville, TN where we attended the wedding of a family friend and enjoyed some much needed down time. We had a great time, but are happy to be home. 


Returning from a trip always finds me standing in front of the fridge and the freezer thinking, "what should I make?" since road trips nearly always equal too much fast food and travel in general typically means we're trying all of the local food fare which rarely includes mega doses of fresh organic produce and meat. 


Since I am still on vacation, I decided to visit some of my local food sources today to see what I could pick up mid-week. First, was a much needed visit to "the tomato lady" on Southport road. The summer that I was on maternity leave I spent a lot of time driving around to all of the local farm stands trying tomatoes hoping for something like what my dad grew in WV. I finally found one source that far exceeds the taste of the rest and can tell you that no one else's tomatoes compare. Since it was later in the day, I was left to gather the few tomatoes that were left, all of them smaller in size, along with my regular intake of cherry tomatoes.


Next, I made my way to Copelands which is a small farm store near our house. I was able to procure a yummy looking red and yellow pepper. I had hoped for a zucchini or two, but alas due to the shortage of rain there was not a summer squash to be found.


So, I headed home thinking about what I should make to get us back on the veggie track. I remembered that I had a pizza crust stashed in the fridge (one of those handy items I keep for emergencies) and some organic Monteray Jack cheese. I put them all together and came up with a surprisingly good veggie pizza that we enjoyed tonight for dinner. Below is the recipe with a couple of updates that I think will improve the outcomes for you.


Simple Summer Tomato and Pepper Pizza
1 pizza crust of your choice (I used a ready made Pillsbury crust in a tube)
EVOO
salt and pepper to taste
5 or 6 small tomatoes sliced thin - 1/8" or less
2 small red/yellow/orange peppers sliced thin - same as the tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh basil, torn
3/4 cup shredded Monteray Jack cheese 


Place oven racks as follows; the first on the lowest possible level and the second about 3/4 of the way to the top rack. Preheat oven based on pizza crust directions. 


Coat the pan you are using with a thin film of EVOO. Spread the crust on the pan to cover surface and top crust with a little more EVOO. Sprinkle crust with salt and pepper to taste. Place crust in the oven and bake on the bottom rack for half of the recommended time. Remove crust from the oven and cover the edge of the crust with foil to keep it from burning during the next phase.


Top pizza crust with tomato slices until surface is completely covered. Do not overlap. You may have a few small areas between the edges of the slices where they come together, but basically you want as much surface area covered as possible with tomato slices. Follow with peppers using the same method. Top veggies with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. 


Turn the oven to broil and place the pizza on the top rack. Allow tomatoes and peppers to cook under the broiler, checking often, until they begin to look cooked through and have gained some color - a few burnt edges on the veggies are to be expected. 


Remove pizza from the oven and top with the basil and cheese taking care to be sure both are evenly distributed across the top of the pizza. Remove foil from pizza crust edges. 


Place the pizza back in the oven and rotate so that the side of the pizza that was to the back of the oven is now in front. Allow pizza to finish baking for the recommended amount of time. Pizza is done when crust is golden on the bottom and cheese is melted.


Slice and serve.

Ham, Egg and Cheese in a Pita Pocket

Like most houses with children, breakfast has become a staple, at least for our toddler. Eggs have become a favorite since she LOVES them and they work well for really any meal of the day as well as snacks. So, eggs and breakfast foods have taken on a new meaning in recent months. 


Hubby and I both LOVE breakfast as well - could be that's where baby gets it? - and even had our wedding in the early morning (9:30) so that we could have a champagne brunch reception with the full monty of Belgium waffle station, carving station, omelet station and tons of fresh breakfast breads, salads, etc. It was fantastic!


Knowing the important role that breakfasts plays in our life, I'm always looking for new, fun and interesting breakfast dishes. I recently found some mini-pita pockets in the freezer that I'd purchased, stashed away and apparently forgotten about. So, I pulled them out and have been attempting to find new ways to use them. 


I came across the packet of pitas on the counter this afternoon just before looking in the fridge for something to make for a quick lunch. I really wanted a ham and egg sandwich, so I thought why not see what happens when I use a pita instead of bread, toast or an English muffin. 


The Recipe:  Ham, Egg and Cheese in a Pita Pocket
Toast 1 mini pita pocket (I used our toaster oven, but I think a regular toaster will work for this as well, or you could do it in the oven) and then cut it in half down the middle to make two pockets of the same size. Use a teaspoon or your fingers (it may be warm) to open the pocket. this will ensure that as the bread cools the pocket stays open.


Add to each pocket one quarter of a slice of deli cheese. If you use a larger pita, you can probably adjust to 1/2 a slide per pocket. I used Provalone as that's what I had on hand, but really any cheese you like would work here, including cream cheese. Adding the cheese at this point will allow it to begin to melt in the warm pita pocket. If you use cream cheese you may want to let the pita cool a bit before spooning it into the pocket.


Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat. While skillet is heating up, in a small bowl or measuring cup, beat one egg with the following:
2 tbsp milk (I used 2%)
few dashes of hot sauce (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)


I use a fork for this, it seems to break down the organic egg yolks better sometimes. I whip the egg until it's light and frothy to ensure that the eggs are fluffy when cooked.


Add to the preheated skillet 1/2 tsp unsalted butter. Swirl skillet to melt the butter and then pour in your egg mixture. My hubby, and a few TV chefs, swear that the way to get fluffy scrambled eggs is to continually stir them around the pan as the eggs set. So, I use a heat resistant spatula and stir the eggs until they're set and no longer runny. Cook yours to the desired doneness.


Cool the eggs on a plate while you brown in the same skillet two slices of deli ham. I use the low sodium, very low in fat kind and it worked well in this preparation. You could probably easily sub bacon in this dish as well as canadian bacon, although with the thicker cuts you may have to chop it a bit to make it fit in the pita pocket so that the eggs fit on top and don't spill.


Remove the ham to the same plate as the eggs and begin to assemble your sandwich. fold the ham into a triangle and insert point down into the pita. Then use your fingers to open it so that it resembles a funnel. Using a teaspoon, scoop the eggs into the funnel. Top with a bit of parsley and enjoy!


The Results:  
The results of my efforts were tasty and since I had mini pita pockets on hand, they were really cute as well. As our toddler gets a bit older and begins to eat her sandwiches together instead of deconstructed (she even licks the mustard off the bread before eating the bread sometimes), this is the kind of thing I think she will enjoy. For now, it made a yummy lunch for mommy. I added a bowl of fresh fruit to complete the meal and was happily satisfied.


Let me know if you try this recipe, or a variation of it, in your kitchen. 


Enjoy!

Sunrise Smoothie

I made the smoothie below to go along with the Ham, Egg and Cheese Pita Pocket. Make it according to the directions below for two servings, or cut the recipe in half for one 10 oz serving. 


The Recipe:  Sunrise Smoothie
1 cup good OJ (We use Simply Orange)
1 large banana
1/2 cup yogurt (preferably organic)
1/2 Orange Smoothie mix packet (you can generally find these in the produce section of your supermarket, there's one for strawberry and another for banana too)
2 cups crushed ice


Place all ingredients in blender in order given and process until thick and frothy and there are no large chunks of ice. Serve in a tall glass.


The Results:  
The end product was even better than I expected. It was cold, thick, creamy and not too sweet or too much of any one flavor. I've been looking for a way to cut the sweetness of OJ - which our toddler LOVES - without giving it that watered down taste that comes from cutting it with just water alone. I also like the idea that it has some protein from the yogurt and vitamin C from the OJ - extra vitamin C is always needed at our house! Finally, the banana adds some much needed potassium, which is good for your BP and heart muscle. 


And, for the REALLY important part, it paired well with the egg pita pockets by cutting the richness of the cheese without detracting from the flavor of the sandwich. It was also a nice compliment to the fruit salad.


Enjoy!

Postings will resume....

I am happy to say that though the comments feature was not enabled, multiple individuals have let me know that they read this blog on a regular basis. I've adjusted the settings to allow comments by both followers and those who have not registered as a follower. 


Therefore, the postings will resume immediately!


~Hugs

Hello..... is there anybody out there?

Alright my foodie friends, I'm calling each of you out! 


I started this blog because some of you, who will remain nameless, encouraged me to do so. To date, I've posted quite a few recipes and have a couple of posts in wait, but have had only 1 comment from a brave soul who visits this blog! 


So I have a request.... If you follow this blog or just stop by on occasion to see what's new, please leave a little note to let me know you've been here. It's very lonely when you feel as though you're writing to yourself. Besides, I already know what's cookin' in my kitchen, what worked and what didn't by the time I tell you all about it :p


Hugs!

Apple, Raisin, Barley Salad

Recently, I found myself wanting a side dish that would give us something different and was based preferably on a grain, instead of pasta or just greens/veggies since I was a bit burnt out on green salad and have been trying to be more selective about our carb consumption. We'd recently dined at Ruby Tuesdays, which has in our humble opinion the best (freshness, variety) salad bar in Indy. Ruby Tuesdays always has Waldorf Salad on their salad bar and, though I sometimes make it at home in the fall, I always get a spoonful or two when I go there.  


Thinking about Waldorf Salad and our toddler's recent discovery of apples led me to the pantry where I discovered a jar of barley. There are two types of barley, one is pearl barley and is basically the equivalent of white rice - nothing wrong with either of them - but, the whole grain type has more nutrients, so that's what I buy. I thought I could make a summer version of Waldorf Salad using apples and raisins (two of our baby's favorites). I did some research and found out that I was on to something as there are quite a few barley salad recipes out there, even some with apples. I also learned that most of the apple barley recipes used a warm weather friendly dressing of apple juice and honey. That sounded just like what I'd been looking for. After reading several recipes I came up with my own version.


The Recipe:  Apple, Raisin, Barley Salad


Prepare barley:
1 cup barley
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup water
1/2 small onion diced
1 tbsp butter, unsalted
1/2 tsp salt (kosher)


In a medium sauce pan over medium low heat, melt butter, add onion and salt. Stir to coat the onion with the butter and allow it to cook until slightly golden in color. Add raw barley that you've rinsed in a strainer and stir to coat with butter and distribute the onion. Allow barley to cook in the butter for 2-5 minutes being careful not to burn. If the butter solids begin to scorch, add liquids even if your barley has only been in the butter a couple of minutes. It's better to cut this step short than to have your cooked barley taste bitter or burnt in your final product.


Add liquids to the barley onion mixture and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Allow barley to cook until al dente (approximately 20 minutes). Set aside in a bowl or on a platter to cool.


While barley is cooking, chop into medium dice:
1.5 medium apples (I used Braeburn)
4 stalks celery
Handful fresh parsley
10 fresh mint leaves


In a large bowl combine: 
1 cup apple juice 
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


Add apples, celery and herbs to the dressing along with 1 cup matchstick carrots and 1 cup raisins (I prefer golden as they're less sweet and don't dry out like dark raisins). Stir to combine all ingredients.


When the barley is cool, add it to the salad bowl and stir to combine. Chill for at least 30 minutes and serve.




The Results:  
This was a good salad and a great side dish for both pork chops - which we had the first night - and glazed salmon - which we had later in the week. The salad keeps beautifully in the fridge and is great for an on the go snack or to take to work for lunch as it doesn't have to be refrigerated. Like many things at our house these days, it didn't pass the toddler test, but mama and papi really liked it!

Will she or won't she?

Lately I've been experiencing some of the same frustrations that the mom's of toddlers world over experience.... I spend a lot of time planning, shopping for and preparing wholesome meals for our family only to have my toddler eat a couple of bites of some things and say "no thank you" (she's so polite) to others. 


I recently noticed on her day care daily report that they had fish and she ate "all" of the serving. Hmmmm..... went my mommy brain, maybe that's something I can work with.  I bought a few wild Alaskan salmon filets from Farm Fresh and have had them in the freezer just waiting for the day when I would be inspired to make them for my hubby and baby. Well, my little ruby colored friends of Omega 3 goodness, today's the day!


I generally like salmon, I especially like wild pacific salmon, and can eat it in most any preparation and enjoy it. However, I REALLY like salmon when it's brushed with a glaze that's on the sweeter side. I love the way the sweetness in the glaze compliments the rich salmon flavor and any sweet charred bits are just a bonus.


Keeping in mind that my daughter LOVES OJ - no, I mean REALLY as in she would skip almost any other drink in lieu of OJ - I decided on a maple/OJ glaze with hints of other asian flavors - ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce, mirin and came up with a reasonable recipe. 




The Recipe:  Orange and Maple Glazed Salmon:   Fish that Even a Toddler will Enjoy (I hope)


1 cup good OJ - I used Simply Orange
1/2 cup good grade maple syrup
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1 tsp minced ginger - I use the type in a jar and it works just fine!


Preheat grill on high 10 to 15 minutes (gas grill) or until coals are white.


Meanwhile measure all ingredients into a small sauce pan and place over medium heat. Cook stirring every so often until the mixture has reduced by half - watch it carefully as the maple syrup contains a great deal of sugar and it can boil over or begin to scorch - but before it turns to a carmel mess. This will take approximately 10 minutes.


Transfer 1/2 of mixture to a small bowl and keep the remaining amount in the sauce pan, you will need it later. In the meantime, prepare fish by:


2 salmon filets approximately 6-8" long
Salt / Pepper to taste
Smear each filet with the glaze that you've set aside above


Once your grill grates are very hot clean and oil them using a wad of paper toweling dipped in vegetable oil. Grill salmon skin side down for 4-5 minutes with grill hood closed. 


When salmon flakes easily and is just done in the middle, remove from the grill and brush with the remaining glaze. Allow salmon to rest for five minutes brush for a final time with the reserved glaze. I recommend using one brush or spoon on the raw salmon and then a clean one when the fish comes off the grill in order to avoid any contamination issues.


Serve with apple, raisin, barley salad.


The Results:  
Though she did not eat here small serving, my toddler did try it. In fact, I think she chewed her bites just long enough to get the taste of the glaze and then politely gave the chewed mess back to her father. Hubby and I really liked it though. The fish was cooked perfectly - thanks to my friend who recommended the grill technique I described above - and the slightly sweet, slightly salty glaze was a good compliment to the Salmon flavor. The glaze also set up well on the fillets and didn't remain too sticky, but instead sort of melded with the top layers of the fish and created a yummy fusion. In all, I think that this will become my go to Salmon recipe until I come across something that's even more yummy! Enjoy and please let me know if you try this recipe at your house!


~Hugs,
Lisa

Be back soon! I promise

Hi all. This is just a short post to say that I haven't forgotten about the blog, I've just been rather ill. So, as soon as I'm feeling better it'll be more watch out kitchen here I come!

Stay tuned!

Ranch Scalloped Potatoes

Continuing with my trend of quick, easy foods, last night I needed a side dish to go along with the Cook Yourself Thin Oven-baked Crispy Chicken Tenders that I made earlier in the week. The chicken tenders from this recipe were really quite good and one package of tenders made enough for leftovers for another night. 


In addition, because the sauce that accompanies the chicken tender's recipe didn't appeal to me (I'm a tarter sauce on my fish only kinda' girl), I opted instead to whip up a package of ranch dip with a little buttermilk and some yogurt (to replace the mayo in the recipe from the package). 


So, here I am a couple of days later with a tub full of ranch dip and no way to use it up. Until now! Because I had plenty of potatoes on hand, I decided to combine them with the leftover ranch dip for a new twist on the basic potato side dish. 


The final menu consisted of the chicken tenders (warmed gently in the oven so as not to make the crust soggy or over bake the chicken), fresh corn on the cob and, of course, the potatoes.


The Results
The results of my experiment were tasty. The potatoes were nicely flavored, while the Corn Flake crust was light and crispy. Cheese would be a nice addition to this if you want to try it. I would recommend Monteray Jack or even Swiss, but would stay away from stronger flavored cheeses, such as sharp cheddar.


The Yukon Gold potatoes took much longer to cook than I expected. Next time I will add one cup of liquid to the original recipe in an effort to improve the cooking time. This can take the form of veggie or chicken broth, white wine, milk or even, in a pinch, water. You can choose which type of liquid you want to use based on taste preferences or what you have available. 


The type of potatoes may also effect cooking time. Therefore, if you choose to use a different type of potato, e.g., Russets, you will want to check the potatoes in your casserole between 30 and 45 minutes into the baking. Finally, you could also likely use this as a way to dress up leftover baked potatoes. The cooking time will obviously be cut dramatically in this approach.




Recipe:  Ranch Scalloped Potatoes


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and adjust rack to be lower 1/3 of oven.


In a small bowl combine the following:

• 1 - 1 oz packet of Ranch Dip / Dressing (I use Concord Farms Classic Ranch Dip as it has no MSG and very few ingredients)
• 1 cup low fat buttermilk
• 1/2 cup low fat organic yogurt
• 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice

Mix ingredients until the dip / dressing comes together. Use up to 1/4 for some other use or save it for a salad the next day. Use the remaining quantity (appx 3 cups) in the following manner.

For the scalloped potatoes you will need:

• 3 large Yukon Gold Potatoes - washed / scrubbed and cut into 1/3" thick slices (I used my trusty mandolin)
• ~2 cups ranch flavored dip / dressing
• 1.5 cups Corn Flakes
• 1.5 tbsp Butter, unsalted, room temp, organic

Spray a small, but deep, casserole dish with cooking spray. Arrange potato slices around the circumference of the dish, including the middle, to cover the entire bottom of the dish. Using a tablespoon (the type from your silverware drawer, not a measuring spoon) ladle on enough ranch dip to create a thin layer across the potatoes. Add another layer of potatoes to cover the first and cover with dip. Continue layering potatoes and dip, creating a thin layer of ranch between each layer of potatoes. I came out with three full layers and only the ends of my potatoes left over to fill my casserole. Set aside.

In a large freezer bag, add Corn Flakes and using your hands, crush until the crumbs are about the size of a pea. Add the softened butter to the bag and work it into the crumbs. Pour the crumbs over the potatoes in the casserole and smooth to form an even layer.

Cover the casserole with foil or a lid and place in the oven for 60 minutes. Remove foil and allow to cook for 90 additional minutes. Your casserole is done when a fork can be easily inserted into the potatoes with no resistance and the top is golden brown and crispy.

Enjoy!

~Hugs, Lisa

Chocolate, Banana, PB Bliss!

I was craving something chocolately, sweet and creamy and didn't have the inclination to make a baked treat from scratch, nor did I want to dirty up my kitchen to the level that baking usually requires. I tried to ignore my hunger pangs and my craving, but to no avail. So, I finally found myself in the kitchen starring forelornely in the pantry and fridge. I turned around and saw my blender, which thanks to my mom and dad has recently found its way from the top shelf of our pantry to the kitchen counter where it can be more readily used. 


I've been making plenty of smoothies lately. My wonderful daughter loves fruit and she's still teething, so something on the cold side often settles multiple issues for us. Likewise, my darling hubby and I have been indulging in smoothies made from yogurt, fruit and juice or milk in an effort to also eat more healthfully. Therefore, I decided that I could probably concoct something in my blender that would settle my craving, fill me up and be more healthy than the triple layer chocolate cake with chocolate icing from Shapiros that I had requested of my hubby as a pick up treat for me on the way home from work. 


The results were amazing! Creamy, smooth, tons of flavor, sweet, cold, chocolately, decadent.... you get the idea. This has to be my new favorite smoothie, I can see having it for breakfast, lunch or a snack. I'll be working on other variations as well to see if I can continue to lighten it up calorie wise, but as it is it's pretty darn good and hubby and baby both agreed!




Recipe:  Chocolate, Banana, PB Bliss Smoothie (Serves 2)


Place the following in your blender:

• 1 cup plain low fat yogurt, organic if available
• 1 cup low fat milk, organic if available
• 1/4 cup Hershey's Lite Syrup (the kind you use to make chocolate milk)
• 2 very ripe bananas (don't let this gross you out, they're sweet and you'll never know they had spots)
• 1 cup ice 
• 1/4 cup natural PB (we use Smuckers)

Blend all ingredients on High speed until mixture is homogeneous. Serve in 2 glasses and savor the yum!


~Hugs,
Lisa

Sunday, Sunday.... Easy Peasy Veggies and Pasta

Most people know by now that our house has been under some level of stress for the past few weeks. The affects have been numerous, but one of the most visible is in our meals. Since I haven't felt well, I frankly haven't been up to cooking as much as I have in the past. This led me to finding and developing some easier dishes/menus than I may have previously enjoyed making.


Today was "one of those days" and I didn't feel up to doing much in the kitchen. However, with a hungry toddler dancing around my feet, I felt it necessary to make an attempt to feed the family around lunch time from our own kitchen. Fortunately, an assisted trip to the grocery store earlier in the week meant that I had tons of veggies and some fresh pasta (three cheese tortelloni to be exact) on hand. By combining them I came up with a very easy, stove top, pasta dish that satisfied the adults while providing one of the toddler's favorite ingredients (anything pasta).


Recipe:  Easy Peasy Stove Top Veggies and Pasta


Place a large pot of cold water over high heat and cover to help it come to a boil more quickly. 


Meanwhile, chop the following ingredients into pieces that are approximately the same size:

• 1 small onion or a large shallot
• 1/2 Green Bell Pepper
• 1/2 Yellow, Orange or Red Bell Pepper
• 1/2 a large (14oz) of Marinated Artichoke Hearts
• 1/4 cup Marinated Sundried Tomatoes
• 2 small ripe fresh tomatoes (I used Campari tomatoes)

Place a large skillet with deep sides over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Allow oil to heat with the skillet until the oil shimmers, then add the onion and bell pepper along with a pinch of kosher salt. Stir to cover with the oil and allow to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the onion/pepper mixture cooks, mince 1 garlic clove, or more to taste. Then add it to the skillet along with 2 cups washed fresh baby spinach leaves (organic if you can get it) and another pinch of kosher salt. Stir all ingredients to combine and place a lid on the skillet to help the spinach wilt. 

Once the spinach has begun to wilt, remove the lid and add the artichoke heats, sundried tomatoes and fresh tomatoes to the mixture and stir to combine. 

Next add 1/2 cup vegetable broth - if you don't have or want to use vegetable broth, substitute white wine, red wine, chicken broth or water - along with the contents of 1 14/15 oz can of Garbanzo Beans that have been rinsed and drained.  

When sauce is done - i.e., spinach wilted and the other ingredients have come together, add the contents of two small packages of cheese tortelloni to the boiling pot of water along with 2 tbsp of kosher salt. Cook according to package directions (fresh pasta cooks much more quickly than dried, so this is fast).

When pasta is done, drain and add it to your sauce. Stir to combine and taste for seasoning adjusting if necessary.

Serve in warmed pasta bowls with fresh parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. You can add bread or another side dish, but I intended this to be an all inclusive dish and we skipped the garlic bread for once and didn't miss it at all - well, at least I only thought about it a couple of times :p   Enjoy!


~Hugs,
Lisa

The Magic Cookie Bar Experiment

I recently found a cooking show that is beginning to spawn new ideas in my kitchen, it's Lifetime's Cook Yourself Thin. For obvious reasons this show appealed to me. The premise of the show is that if you follow their approach you will lose a dress size (sorry guys, I haven't seen any men on the show yet, so it's dress size for now) in 6 weeks.


At first I was just watching to see if they had any interesting recipes, then I caught onto their basic approach and realized that it's a lot like what I do in the kitchen on a regular basis:  trade out one or more original ingredient for a substitute that's either more appealing to me or fits with our family's food needs. My own results in making substitutions have not arguably produced the same effect on my waistline, but have resolved some allergy issues, made way for a toddler to eat at our table and accommodated a variety of eating approaches that we've tried over the years (going vegetarian, detoxes, cost containment, etc.). If you want to check out some of the Cook Yourself Thin recipes, recipes from each episode are available here. In addition, they have a cookbook that is available online now.


One of the Cook Yourself Thin recipes that caught my eye on a night when I was craving something sweet and satisfying was the Dessert Calzone. This is a very simple recipe that uses low fat Ricotta as the filling along with an egg, some sugar and other goodies. The hosts of the show use low fat Ricotta in a number of their other recipes as well as a way to boost the protein while controlling the fat and calories. This was an idea that I thought I could apply in my own kitchen. So, the adventure to substitute low fat Ricotta begins.


Enter Magic Cookie Bars
You may remember these from your childhood (especially if you grew up in the US). My mother would make a large tray of these every year for Thanksgiving dinner at my Grandmother's house. My mother's family is quite large (she's one of seven), so when you got everyone (grandma, grandpa, their kids, their kids spouses, their grandkids, great grandkids and a girl/boyfriend or two) in her little house the total count of guests was nearing 60 or 70. So, it was a big to-do with a turkey, a ham and tons of side dishes and an entire chest freezer topped with a table cloth and desserts. In fact, it was common for every surface in Grandma's kitchen to be covered with dishes from everyone's contributions. So, Magic Cookie Bars hold a special place in my heart and on my palate. Here's the original Eagle Brand recipe in case you want to reminisce along with me.


The Experiment
I had nearly all of the ingredients on hand yesterday with the exception of low fat Ricotta (of course) and butterscotch chips. The butterscotch chips are my own twist on the original recipe, which calls for only chocolate chips, but I promise you that this addition makes all of the difference in the world and takes the original yummy product to a new level of satisfaction on the tongue! So, I decided to grab some Ricotta and butterscotch chips and give my new approach a try.


The Results
The results were very good in that the cookie bars came together as intended, looked and smelled delish and cut like they should. My darling hubby liked the new recipe as the addition of the Ricotta and reduction in Sweetened Condensed Milk makes for a final product that is a bit more creamy and a little less sweet. I would have liked a bit more sweetness, but realized later on that I only had two reasonable sized squares and felt much more satisfied and didn't have the urge to go back for more later (as is the usual case for me).


So, maybe there's something to the use of low fat Ricotta as a substitute ingredient in terms of creating a more satisfying product! I'll continue to look for opportunities to test this ingredient in some of my and my family's favorite recipes in the future. Stay Tuned!


Please Note:  The following are my earlier changes to the original Magic Cookie Bar recipe:


One, I cut the amount of butter in the crust significantly. The original recipe calls for an entire stick of butter. Even before watching a number of Cook Yourself Thin recipes, I would have cut this amount at least in half. Luckily, there happened to be a recipe on the back of the Nabisco Graham Cracker box that included a Graham Cracker crust and called for a mere 2 Tablespoons of butter. I decided to give that amount a try and it worked as well as the original, especially once the bars had been allowed to set-up in the fridge overnight.


Two, sweetened and unsweetened Shredded Coconut are both available at my grocery store. Since my darling hubby prefers the unsweetened version, I mix a bag of each (they're the same size) in a large freezer storage bag and use it from the pantry when I need shredded coconut. The results of this earlier experiment have been quite good and I've used it on my coconut cupcakes, my Easter cake and now this recipe all with the same results. As time goes on, the combined coconut does become a bit more dry, so use the combined version fresh from each bag when you make something that is topped with the coconut and not then cooked - like sprinkled on top of cupcakes or a cake - and use the rest of it later in a recipe like this one where the coconut is baked or cooked in some way. This way you maximize your coconut investment and use all that you have on hand.


Three, the original recipe calls for nuts. Since we have a toddler who is not yet at the age to where she can eat nuts, I didn't include them. If you want nuts, include them. My mother always used Walnuts (a good choice given the Omega-3 content), but I would probably use Pecans (toasted lightly in a 350 oven for about 5-7 minutes before adding them to the uncooked bars) or even Macadamia nuts! I did in turn increase the amount of coconut in my recipe since I wasn't using the nuts and the top of the bars looked a bit naked without the additional ingredients. You could also increase the amount of chips, if you prefer, to make up for the lack of nuts. If you take this approach, use butterscotch or mix dark, milk or white chips together to create your own; peanut butter chips would probably be a delicious addition to this recipe as well.


Finally, I have substituted fat free Sweetened Condensed Milk in this recipe since the product first became available in the 80's. I have never had anything but success with this substitution and cannot taste the difference between the full-fat version and the fat free even tasting it on a spoon right from the can - yes, my sister and I both have been known to turn to a spoonful of this magic ingredient at various times!




Recipe:  My NEW Magic Cookie Bar Recipe


Step 1:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees


Step 2:  In the bowl of a food processor place 8 Graham Crackers (full cracker) and pulsed until cracker crumbs are the consistency of sand


Step 3:  Meanwhile, in micro safe bowl, melt 2 Tbsp unsalted organic butter in the microwave.


Note:  You probably want to do this in increments of 20 seconds or so as butter has been known to "pop" at around the 28-30 second mark in my microwave and it makes a terrible mess that's difficult to clean.


Step 4:  Add melted butter to the cracker crumbs in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse the processor a few times to incorporate the butter. When the cracker crumbs look like slightly wet sand, you're done.


Step 5:  Prepare a 9x9 baking dish - I used my Pampered Chef stoneware pan - by spraying it with cooking spray.


Step 6:  Pour Graham Cracker crumb mixture out onto the bottom of the pan and spread using your hand or a measuring cup. You want an even layer of crumbs covering the bottom of your baking dish.


Step 7:  In a medium sized mixing bowl add the following and mix with a whisk or a spoon until well combined:

• 3/4 cup of low fat Ricotta Cheese
• 1/2 can of a 14 oz fat free Sweetened Condensed Milk (I didn't measure this, just eyeball it)
• 1 large free range, organic egg
• 1/2 Tbsp Vanilla extract

Step 8:  Pour Ricotta mixture over Graham Cracker crust and spread to create an even layer across the pan. I left a bit of an "edge" to my crust, but am not sure this is necessary as the Ricotta mixture sets up when baked.


Step 9:  Cover Ricotta mixture with 1 cup Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips (I used dark chocolate, but Colin said he thought milk chocolate might be even better), 1 cup of Butterscotch Chips and 2 cups of shredded coconut.


Step 10 (optional):  Scatter 1 cup of chopped nuts over the pan.


Step 11:  Place cookie bars in the oven and bake for ~25 minutes, check after 15 and adjust cooking time based on your oven (some are a bit hotter, some a bit less). The cookie bars have finished baking when the coconut layer is golden and you can "smell" the Graham Cracker crust.


Step 12:  Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before you cut into bars.


Note:  If you serve this as soon as the pan is cool, the crust will still be a bit crumbly. If you place the cooled pan in the fridge overnight, the crust will set and you will have clean bars that cut easily and retain their shape.


Step 13:  Serve with milk or coffee. This is a simple kid-friendly recipe, but if you want to dress it up drizzle the plate with chocolate sauce and add a beautiful ripe strawberry (sliced and fanned) or a trio of raspberries.


Enjoy!


Hugs ~Lisa