Homemade Cliff Bars (no bake!)

1 and 1/4 cups crisp rice cereal (I just had Cinnamon Life cereal on hand)
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats (I just used rolled oats - in food processor, it is the same)
2 tablespoons ground flax seed (I used whole Chia Seed)
1/4 cup finely chopped dried fruit (e.g., raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, etc.)
1/4 cup finely chopped nuts or seeds
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine the rice cereal, oats, flax seed meal, dried fruit, and nuts in a large bowl.  I combined in food processor and chopped.

Combine the syrup and peanut butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until melted and well-blended (alternatively microwave in small microwave-safe bowl 30-60 seconds until melted). Stir in vanilla and cinnamon until blended.

Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring until coated (use a wooden spoon at first, then get your hands in it. It will be sticky, but this way you can really coat everything. Just scrape off your hands when you're done). Press mixture firmly into an 8-inch square pan (sprayed with nonstick cooking spray) using a large square of wax paper (really tamp it down). Cool in pan on a wire rack and chill at least 30 minutes to help it set. Cut into 12 bars. (Wrap bars tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator).

Baked Beans with Sausage and Collard Greens

Ingredients

    1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce, (I used Sweet Baby Rays)

    1/2 cup light beer (or water)

    2 tablespoons ketchup

    1 tablespoon molasses optional

    1/4 teas chili power, cumin, thyme, garlic, smoked paprika and pepper, to taste

    1 tablespoon olive oil

    1 medium onion, chopped

    4 cups chopped collard greens or kale, (about 10 ounces), tough stems removed

    1# cooked sausage

    2 15-ounce cans great northern, black beans or navy beans, rinsed

Preparation

    Whisk barbecue sauce, molasses, beer, ketchup and spices in a medium bowl.

    Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and collard greens and cook, stirring occasionally, until the collards are wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sausage and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes more.

    Reduce heat to medium-low; add beans and the sauce mixture to the pan. Gently stir to combine, cover and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

or

just tossed it all in a sprayed baking dish and baked it at 375 for about 20 minutes. It carmelizes things a bit...

Cinnamon-Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

Craving a cookie without guilt..this did it, but I ate 3 so far...

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup pitted prunes or dates
• 1 cup walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or rhubarb sauce
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chia seed optional
• 1/4 cup mini chic chips optional
 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

Put prunes, nuts and sugar into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. In a large bowl, whisk together egg, vanilla, baking soda, applesauce and oil. Stir in prune mixture then add oats, flour, cinnamon and salt and stir until just combined.

Drop dough by the spoonful onto prepared baking sheets. Moisten your fingertips with a bit of water then gently press down each cookie to make a round shape. Bake until cooked through and deep golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and set aside to let cool.  Makes 24

Nutritional Info Per Cookie: 113 calories, 6g total fat, 14g carbohydrate, 7g sugar, 2g protein (without chia and chic chips)

Obtained from:  http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/cinnamon-walnut-oatmeal-cookies

Banana Bread

   

 

    1 cups all-purpose flour
    1 cups whole wheat flour
    3/4 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 cup sugar
    1/4 cup butter, softened
    2 large eggs
    1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
    1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1/2 cup chopped walnuts optional
    1/2 C chocolate chips optional
    Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture and nuts; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack

Eggplant Parmesan

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch slices

3 T sea salt

1/4 C seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 C olive oil

2 C cottage cheese

1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

1 C shredded Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1 C chopped fresh basil (2T dried)

8 C pasta sauce below or you can use your favorite

Speghetti Sauce with Chunky Veggies

3 cans diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1 teas dried oregano

2 teas dried basil

1 T minced garlic

½ teas black pepper

½ teas thyme

½ teas rosemary

½ teas marjoram

1 C diced celery

½ C diced green pepper

1 C diced onion

1 C sliced mushroom

Simmer together until vegetables are soft, salt to taste if needed….

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant slices with salt. Place slices in a colander, and place a dish underneath the colander to capture liquid that will sweat out of the eggplant. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix the cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix in egg and basil.

3.  Rinse the eggplant in cold water until all salt is removed. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Dredge egg plant in bread crumbs and place one layer in the pan, brown each side. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices, using additional oil if necessary.

4.  In a large oblong baking dish, evenly spread 2 cups of spaghetti sauce. Arrange a single layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce. Top the eggplant with 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layering process until all the eggplant and cheese mixture is used. Pour remaining sauce on top of layers, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

5.  Bake 30 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbly.

New York Strip Steak with Mushroom & Leek Gravy

I'm trying to remember a dish I made for company over the Christmas break.  I wanted to make steak, but that is difficult for 13 people.  Therefore, I came up with baking the steak covered in gravy.  It turned out and I want to remember what I did.  I may have to tweak the recipe when I try to do it again instead of from memory.....so anyway, here are my memories of something probably really good :D

no pictures yet either

New York strip steaks for each person

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 pounds mushrooms sliced

2 large leeks, sliced thin (or 2 C onion)

Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh thyme or more

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup dry red wine

4 Cups beef broth

2 Tablespoons or less corn starch as needed to thicken

Beef Base or bouillon

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saute pan or electric fry pan with a medium-high heat. Sprinkle the steaks all over with salt and pepper. Put the steaks in the pan and  brown all sides completely. Remove the steaks to a baking dish with tongs and cover loosely with a tent of aluminum foil to keep the meat warm while you make the sauce.

Turn the pan back on medium-high heat and add 1/4 cup olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and leeks, stirring, about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Then add the thyme and garlic, and season as desired with salt and pepper. Stir a few more times to cook the garlic.  Reduce the heat, add the wine, and simmer until almost evaporated. Add 2 C of the broth and cook that down until reduced by about one-half.  Thicken by adding corn starch to remaining 2 C broth and stir mixture into pan until the right consistency. Season with beef base (or bouillon), salt and pepper to taste.  Pour thick gravy over the steaks.

Bake at 350 until meat thermometer reads desired temperature….I took it to 160 degrees.

Serve with garlic mashed potatoes.