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.

French Onion Soup w Mushrooms

Sent some to my neighbors and they texted this pic....yum

let simmer.....

4 Tb butter
4 C sliced onion
16 oz. mushrooms sliced
1 1/2 Tb flour
6 C beef broth
1 teas black pepper
1/2 C brandy
1 teas Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce

Saute onion in butter for about 15 minutes until soft.  Then add mushrooms, flour and a small amount of broth to prevent scorching.  Stir until well mixed, then add remainder of ingredients.  Simmer for about 45 minutes.

You can add the dried bread and cheese if you wish, we never get that far....it also takes away the healthy quality of the soup when you add bread and cheese...

Based on a recipe from a "Curves" book

Broiled Salmon with Spinach, Roasted Cauliflower and Red Peppers

A little bit of summer in the middle of gloomy December

• 1/2 large head cauliflower cut into 1 1/2-inch-wide florets (4 cups)
• 2 red bell peppers cut into 1-inch squares
• 2  large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 pound Salmon
• 3 oz baby spinach
• 2 teaspoon Emeril’s Original Essence Seasoning

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 500°F.

Toss in large zip lock bag the following:  cauliflower, bell peppers, garlic olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Spread in a large shallow baking pan (at least 15 by 10 inches) and roast, turning over once or twice, until vegetables are tender and slightly charred, 25 to 30 minutes.

While vegetables roast, rub salmon with favorite seasoning…I used Emeril’s Original Essence Seasoning.

Remove veggies, toss in the spinach to wilt, set oven to broil and broil salmon or grill outside. Served with baked beans.

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 C Dried Cherries
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips, cherries and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.