Blueberry Crumb Cake

Ingredients for the streusel:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

For the cake:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel:
Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside. 

For the cake:
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers, crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

Blackberry Peaches and Cream Crumb Bars

FOR THE SHORTBREAD:

• 2 sticks Unsalted Butter, Cut Into Small Chunks
• ¼ cups Brown Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 2 cups Flour

 FOR THE FILLING:

• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• ½ cups Blackberry Jelly ( I used my homemade seedless blackberry jelly, but any seedless jelly would probably be ok here…)
• 3  Large Peaches, Pitted And Thinly Sliced
• 12 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Softened
• ¼ cups Sour Cream
• ½ cups Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Flour
• 2  Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla

FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING:

• 1 cup Flour
• ¼ cups Sugar
• ¼ cups Brown Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Ginger
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted

• 1. For the shortbread crust: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with foil, then grease the foil on all sides. Set the dish aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until it begins to soften, about 30 seconds. Add sugar and salt and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the flour and beat on low speed until incorporated then increase to high speed and beat until a cohesive dough is formed. Using your fingers, press the dough into the baking dish and bake for 20 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. When it’s done remove it from the oven and start the next step.
  2. For the filling: Brush shortbread crust with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Spread blackberry jam evenly over the crust, then layer with sliced peaches. To make the cream layer, put the cream cheese and sour cream in a bowl and beat on high speed until smooth. Add sugar and 1 tablespoon flour and beat another 30 seconds. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth and thoroughly combined. Pour cheesecake mixture over peach slices. Set aside.
  3. For the topping: In a small bowl, combine flour, sugars, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Pour melted butter over all of it and use your fingers to mix everything together until coarse crumbles form. Sprinkle over the top of the cheesecake layer. Bake again at 350 F for 30 minutes or until crumbles are golden brown and center is set

Creamy Lemon Pasta with Spinach & Tomatoes

 Ingredients:

1-1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup heavy cream ( I used half and half)
1 lemon, zested and juice reserved
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 pound rotini pasta
3 ounces fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to box directions.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the cream, the lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until it starts to thicken, stirring frequently.

Drain the pasta and place it back into the pot. Add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta.

Take the pot off heat and add the spinach, Parmesan, and tomatoes. Toss well until the spinach has wilted. Season to taste, and serve hot.  (Would be great with diced chicken added as well!)

Sweet Asian Glazed Salmon

4 Salmon fillets
½ tsp lemon pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 c soy sauce
½ c brown sugar
¼ c oil

1. Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat grill for medium heat.
4. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Rice Bake

2 cups white long grain rice
2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
One 15-ounce can mild green enchilada sauce
One 4-ounce can sliced black olives
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Roasted Ground Cumin
One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Cook rice according to package directions.

3. Place chicken, enchilada sauce, olives, tomatoes, sour cream, salt, pepper and cumin into a large bowl, mixing to combine. Pour cooked rice into prepared baking dish and layer beans on top of rice. Pour chicken mixture over rice and top evenly with cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until cheese is melted and rice is hot.

Quinoa Patties

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups quinoa cooked in chicken broth, cooled to room temperature
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (I used 1 T dried parsley)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (I used ½ tsp granulated garlic)
• 1 cup finely crushed saltine or Ritz crackers or bread crumbs, plus more if needed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil for frying (plus more in needed)

Directions

1. Combine the quinoa, eggs, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the parsley, cheese and garlic. Add the cracker or bread crumbs. Stir the mixture until combined. If the mixture seems overly wet, add a tablespoon or two more of cracker or bread crumbs. If it seems too dry, add a tablespoon or two of water or broth. Let it stand for about five minutes so the liquid can be somewhat absorbed. Take small handfuls of the mixture and form into little patties, about 1-inch thick, yielding about 11 or 12 patties.
2. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until it is hot. Add a single layer of patties (about half of them if you are using a 12-inch skillet) and cook until the bottoms are well-browned, about 5-7 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning (or increase heat if the patties aren't browning well). Flip the patties and cook about 5 minutes more until the second side is golden brown. Remove from the skillet and repeat with the remaining patties (adding a bit more olive oil, if needed). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes

1-2 tbsp oil

1/4 t garlic powder

½ t salt

Black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425. Add diced sweet potatoes to a large bowl. Add oil and seasonings. Stir to coat sweet potatoes.  Pour onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Turn sweet potatoes after half way through cooking time.

Summer Corn Salad

- 4 ears corn, cooked
- 2 avocados, diced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 an english cucumber, finely diced, skin on
- 1/3  C. crumbled feta
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced

Cilantro Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
- 6 tbsp. olive oil

Cook corn.  Cut the kernels off the cob with a large knife.  Chop the avocados, cherry tomatoes, english cucumber, and red onion, then add to the bowl.  Gently fold in feta.  For the vinaigrette, combine the first 5 ingredients, then add the cilantro and the olive oil. Shake it up.  Gently mix all the salad ingredients together. When ready to serve, add the dressing and stir to combine.

Fresh Green Bean Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh green beans, ends trimmed if desired
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2-3 lemons)
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 4 ounces feta cheese
• 6-8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Cook green beans until tender, 5-10 minutes. While they cook, prepare a large bowl with an ice water bath. Immediately drain the beans into a colander (or scoop them out with a slotted spoon) and place the drained beans in the ice water for a few minutes to stop the cooking. This will keep them bright green and perfectly tender.
2. Drain the beans and pat them dry. Toss them in a bowl with the tomatoes.
3. For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the green beans and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and chill for at least an hour or up to 3 hours before ready to serve.
4. Stir in the feta cheese and bacon right before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

1 T butter

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 c carrots, chopped

2 cups roughly chopped baby bella mushrooms

2 stalks celery, chopped

½ t poultry seasoning

1 (12 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

8 cups chicken broth

1 cup wild rice

2-3 cups boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and cubed

½ t kosher salt

¼ t freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, celery, seasonings and sauté until onion is translucent.  Add artichoke hearts and chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat.  Add rice and chicken, reduce heat, cover and simmer 50-60 minutes or until rice is tender. 

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups half-and-half
1 stalk celery, diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 carrot, shredded
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper
16 ounces potato gnocchi
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)

Directions
Saute the onion, celery, onion, garlic, carrot in oil over medium heat until onion is translucent.
Add chicken, chicken stock, half and half, salt and pepper, thyme. Heat to boiling, then add gnocchi.
Gently boil for 4 minutes, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Add spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted.
(Heat to boiling and add cornstarch dissolved in 1-2 Tbsp water at this point if you want a thicker soup.).
Ladle into bowls and serve!

Grandma’s French Bread

2 ¼ c. warm water

2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp oil
5 ½ -6 cups flour-stirred before measured

First dissolve sugar and yeast in the warm water. Let this proof—or sit for a few minutes until it bubbles. Then add salt, oil and 3 cups of flour and beat well (At this point I switch to my dough/kneading attachment on my Bosch mixer) Add in 2 1/2 -3 more cups of flour. The dough should clean off the sides of the bowl and not be too sticky. Knead for a few minutes. Leave the dough in the mixer to rest for 10 minutes and then stir it down (turn on your mixer for 10 seconds) and then allow to rest another 10 minutes. Repeat for a total of 5 times. Then turn dough onto a floured surface and knead it 2 or 3 times to coat with flour. Divide into 2 equal parts. Roll each part into a 9×13 rectangle. Roll dough up, starting from long edge of loaf to seal. Arrange seam side down on large baking sheet that’s been sprinkled with corn meal, allowing room for both loaves. Repeat with second part of dough. With a sharp knife, cut 3 gashes at an angle on the top of each. Cover lightly; allow to rise 30 minutes. Brush entire surface with egg wash (one egg beaten slightly with 1 Tbsp of water). If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 30 minutes at 375. Cool on racks
NOTE: For a crustier loaf, a pan of hot water may be set on bottom of oven while bread is baking.

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups mashed bananas (about 3)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2. Beat sugar, eggs, and oil in large bowl at medium speed until combined. Beat in banana and vanilla at low speed. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; beat into banana mixture at low speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

3 Spoon batter into muffin tin. Bake 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Overnight Maple Brown Sugar Steel Cut Oats

 1-1/2 cups milk 

1-1/2 cups water

1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats

¼ c brown sugar

¼ c maple syrup

3 tablespoons butter, cut into 5-6 pieces

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Coat inside of 3-1/2 quart (or larger) slow cooker with cooking spray. Add all ingredients to slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on low for approx. 7-8 hours. We like to eat ours topped with chopped walnuts and raisins. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Favorite Saturday Morning Whole Wheat Waffles

( I usually double the recipe and put leftovers in the freezer for the kids to eat on all week.)

 

1 ¾ c milk

3 large eggs, separated

½ c oil

1 t vanilla

2 T brown sugar

1 ½ c whole wheat flour

½ c cornstarch

2 T cornmeal

1 T baking powder

1 t salt

  In a large mixing bowl combine wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Cook on waffle iron. Enjoy!

White Chocolate Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

Ingredients:

1 bag of pretzels (16-18 oz bag)

2/3 cup oil

1/3 cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

1.     Whisk together oil, sugar, and cinnamon. 

2.    Pour pretzels into a microwave safe bowl and pour oil mixture in.  Stir until coated.

3.    Microwave for 1 minute, remove and stir.  Microwave 45 seconds more. Watch them carefully and make sure they don’t start to burn. 

4.    Spread pretzels evenly onto two cookie sheets covered in parchment paper.

5.    While still warm, sprinkle cinnamon sugar generously. 

6.   Melt white chocolate (on low heat, be careful not to burn) and drizzle over cooled pretzels. 

7.    Store in an airtight container.

Makes a great snack, party treat, or gift for friends and neighbors!

Glen’s Favorite Protein Smoothie

- ¾ c milk

- ¼ c your favorite granola

- 1 banana

- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (about 2 tablespoons)

- 1 large handful of fresh baby spinach leaves

- 1 c ice cubes

Add all ingredients into to the blender and mix until smooth. Enjoy!

Cottage Cheese Salsa

-       1 c frozen corn, thawed

-       1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

-       2 c cottage cheese

-       1 avacado, peeled, pitted and diced

-       1 large tomato, diced

-       1 + cups of your favorite salsa

-       Tortilla chips

Mix all ingredients and serve with tortilla chips.