Sugared Nuts

Since I posted my banana bread recipe this morning and that is often a gift, I thought I would throw out an extra freebie today which aslo work really well as a gift. My sugared pecans are definitely a family favorite and a great homemade gift. This recipe works well with almonds, walnuts and pecans. It also doubles very easily and takes very little time to make.

Sugared Nuts
1 egg white
5 c. whole walnuts, almonds or pecans
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. salt.

Whisk egg white with 1 tsp. water until bubbly. Toss nuts with egg white to coat. Combine sugar, salt and spices and toss with coated nuts until all covered. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet which has been covered with a Silpat or wax paper. Bake in a 325 oven for 20 minutes. Cool on a piece of wax paper and then break into pieces.

Super Moist Banana Nut Bread

Here is a recipe that I have literally been making for 20 years. It is an adaptation from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book - one of my favorite all inclusive cookbooks. Through the years I have adjusted the recipe and put my own spin on it. This banana bread is often a hostess gift and has been given as part of Christmas presents in past years. The riper the bananas the better the bread. I have also found that the finer you make the banana mash, the moister the bread is. I feel very strongly about letting people know that their are nuts in a product, hence the nutty sugar topping. It is the best part of the bread! You can also add 1/4 c. ground flax seeds to bump up the fiber content. The recipe recommends that you let it sit and cool for a day but ours never make it. It is super yummy warm out of the oven. Hope you enjoy!

Super Moist Banana Nut Bread

1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all purpose flour (can use 2 c. all purpose flour and no wheat)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
2 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts or pecans (reserve 2 tbsp. for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 1 lg. or 2 regular size loaf pans. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture.

Combine eggs, banana, oil and sugar. Dump all at once into flour mixture. Stir until just moistened. Add nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Tap on counter to evenly distribute batter. Sprinkle top with sugar, nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg and then another layer of sugar. (this is my secret topping).

Bake for 55 - 60 minutes for the large pan and 40 - 45 for the smaller pans or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove to a baking rack.

Meat and Veggie Lasagna

Here is a crowd pleaser that yields two meals to even my big eaters! This veggie and meat lasagna is process like many of my other recipes. You can put in whatever veggies you want and use whatever meat you want or no meat at all. I use the noodles that you don't need to boil to speed up the process. You can also vary this recipe by using half red sauce and half Alfredo or bechalmel. Alternate the layers for a beautiful lasagna.

Meat and Veggie Lasagna
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage (pork or turkey)
1 lg. onion diced
1 zucchini diced
1 green and/or red pepper diced
1 box frozen chopped spinach (defrosted and wrung through a towel)
3 c. low fat mozzarella cheese
1 lg. 32 oz. container of Ricotta cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 tbsp. pepper
2 jars tomato sauce or 1 jar tomato and 1 jar Alfredo.
2 lbs. lasagna noodles (oven ready) or whole wheat (you have to boil these)

Brown and drain meat - add veggies (except spinach) and seasonings and cook until the veggies are softened. Cool slightly - mix ricotta, 2 c. mozzarella, eggs, spinach, 1 c. tomato sauce and meat mixture. Mix until well combined. Begin layering in a large rectangular pan (10 x 15) or two (9 x 13) pans.
Start with sauce, then noodles, then cheese/meat mixture. Repeat process until at the top of the pan. Do an additional layer of sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Uncover and sprinkle reserved mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake for an additional 15 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Rainbow Chili (Vegetarian option)

I probably have a half a dozen chili recipes and yet I created another one last night. Chili has always been a big hit in our house - especially to those kids who "don't like beans." I have converted many a non-beaner with this basic recipe. Soups, stews and other hearty one pot meals are great avenues to stretch the palates of opinionated eaters. It is important to chop your vegetables in a uniform way so that nothing really "sticks"out. Also, serving this over rice or noodles, not only stretches the recipe but also gives the kids a familiar taste to pair with the new one. Check out this chili recipe and let me know what you think.

Rainbow Chili

1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey (can be omitted for vegetarian)

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 lg. onion chopped

1/2 green pepper chopped

1/2 red pepper chopped

1/2 zucchini chopped

1 carrot chopped

1 stalk of celery chopped

1 lg. clove of garlic minced

1 tsp. general steak seasoning (McCormick would work)

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 tbsp. tomato paste

1 14 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can of navy beans (white beans) NOT rinsed

2 c. beef or vegetable stock (chicken broth will also work)

1 tsp. chocolate chips (my secret ingredient)

Heat olive oil in large pot and brown the beef until very dark. Add vegetables and cook for 5 minutes or until starting to get tender. Add all spices and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for one minutes stirring constantly. Add tomato paste - cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, beans and stock. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes once it comes to a boil. Check seasoning - add chocolate chips before serving but stir in so that they are completely melted.

Serve over rice or noodles.

The most important thing about this recipe is the method. You can switch up the meat, veggies, spices and beans but please follow the method for perfect chili every time.

Chewy Baked Oatmeal

So, I've been obsessing a bit about Baked Oatmeal lately - 4 pans in one week and I am finally happy with the recipe. This was popular at the school I used to work at but I never really found a recipe I was 100% happy with. After some trial and error, I finally tweaked the recipe to what I think is the best baked oatmeal ever! My hubby and kids love it - they haven't complained yet and that is all we have been eating for breakfast for a week! I have also tested it among some friends and family. We prefer lots of tasty chunks but feel free to omit anything your family is not fond of. Let me know what you think!

Baked Oatmeal
Makes 6 servings
4 1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1 1/2 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 c. brown sugar + 1 tbsp to sprinkle on top
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. sweetened coconut
1/2 c. chopped nuts (we prefer pecans)
1/3 c. mini chocolate chips
1/2 c. butter (1 stick melted)
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 glass pan. In a large bowl, mix oatmeal, baking powder, brown sugar, spices, raisins, coconut, nuts and chocolate chips. Mix butter, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl. Combine until just moistened. Spread into greased pan and sprinkle brown sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Bake for 35 minutes until edges are just starting to brown.
Serve immediately or later.

This is a chewier version of baked oatmeal. It is a cross between a baked oatmeal and granola. My family eats it both ways - dry - kind of like a granola snack and warm with milk. I would love to hear how your family likes it. Enjoy!

"Souper" Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

I am a huge fan of soups - they comfort you when you are sick, warm you up when you are cold and have a great flexiblity that can tailor to what you have in your kitchen. My mom used to make fabulous soups - making homemade broth and simmering it all day. In my chaotic life, I rarely have time to babysit a pot of soup all day - hence a quick and yummy soup that will comfort, warm and fill you up in about 1/2 hour.

"Souper" Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp - Lawry's salt free seasoning or any kind of salt free seasoning mix
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
2-3 chicken breasts, thawed and cubed (you can also use 2c. leftover cooked chicken)
1/2 bag of regular egg noodles
8 cups of chicken broth or stock
4 cups water


In a large pot, heat olive oil and cook the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, all seasoning, and bay leaf for about 7 minutes or until tender. Add chicken stock and water and bring to a boil. Add diced chicken and simmer for 4 minutes.* Add noodles, boil for 2 minutes then put a lid on the pot and take it off of the heat. Allow to sit covered for 5 minutes and the soup should be done.

*If you prefer, you can lower the heat and cook the chicken breasts whole, in about 10 minutes. Then pull them from the pot, dice them and add them back in.

Just a side note - you can add a variety of other vegetables in the first step - green beans, zucchini, turnips or corn work well. You could also add a bag of frozen mixed veggies (ie - corn, green beans, carrots, peas).


Hope you enjoy my "Souper" Easy Chicken Noodle Soup. Soups are a great way to "sneak" veggies into kids. The flavorful broth gives the veggies a chicken flavor and they slide right down with the noodles. Another easy way to sneak more nutrients is to finely chop baby spinach and fresh parsley and put it in at the end of cooking. These "herbs" add flavor and nutrients!

Meatloaf Muffins and Spinach with Bacon and Onions

Thought I would start out with a new version of an oldie but goodie. When I first met my husband I was a strict "no meatloaf" kind of girl. Then I tried his family recipe and I was hooked! We have altered it so that it would cook much quicker but the base recipe is still the same. This is not one of my signature "lots-of-veggie" dishes but you can amp that up with the sides. Please notice the sides in this picture are different than the sides I've listed here for you (In the picture are mixed veggies and roasted root vegetables--recipe to come later).
Let me know what you think!


Meatloaf Muffins - recipe makes 12 muffins

1lb ground beef- do not substitute turkey!

1 medium onion chopped

1/2 sleeve of saltine crackers broken into small pieces

1 egg

1/4 c. milk

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Heat oven to 425. Mix all ingredients together by hand (kids love to help with this part). If mixture seems a little dry, add a splash of milk. Spray muffin pan with non-stick spray. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop mounds into a muffin tin. Apply topping - see recipe below.

Topping

1 c. ketchup

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. ground mustard

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste


Mix all ingredients together - it should be fairly thick - spoon over tops of meatloaf muffins. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until topping is bubbling.


Possible Side Dish - Spinach with Bacon and Onion

This base recipe works well with any green veggie - green beans (canned, frozen or fresh), halved Brussel sprouts, or asparagus. My students as well as my boys all love this recipe. It is a great way to introduce new vegetables in a favorite flavoring - bacon!

1 tbsp. olive oil

4 slices bacon - can be pork or turkey - sliced into thin strips

1 small onion - sliced thin

1 clove garlic - chopped fine

salt and pepper to taste

red pepper flake or hot sauce (optional)

2 cups green vegetable - 1 box of frozen chopped spinach (squeeze out the excess water), or 1 bag fresh baby spinach


In a non-stick pan, put olive oil and bacon - slowly bring to a medium high temperature. This will render out the fat from the bacon. When bacon is crispy, remove from the pan and place on a paper towel to drain. Drain all but 2 tbsp. of drippings. Add onions and garlic and cook for two minutes. Add spinach and seasonings. Cook for 5 - 8 minutes until veggies are slightly browned. Remove from pan and sprinkle rendered bacon on top.