Grandma Clara Olsen's Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup melted shortening

2 eggs (unbeaten)

1 cup coconut

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1 1/2 cups flour

4 cups rolled oats

(Add in chocolate chips or raisins, or leave plain)

Mix in order given adding the oats last. Mix well. Shape into balls the size of walnuts. Place on greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake at 300 degrees for 12-15 min. Leave on pan 2 to 3 minutes before removing.

Tall Soldier Biscuits -

From the Raleigh newspaper at Sarah's:

Sarah made these exactly as directed and it made 9 biscuits.  That wasn't enough so she just threw all the ingredients in to make another batch.  They both turned out the same!

Ingredients:  Butter, Self-rising Flour, buttermilk

First, she starts very cold. Mixing bowl, marble rolling pin and 1 stick of butter all go in the freezer overnight. She snaps a blue Latex glove on her right hand so she doesn’t warm the frozen butter. She grates it on the large holes of a box grater, creating long shreds.

She puts 2 1/2 cups of White Lily self-rising flour in the cold mixing bowl, adds the shredded butter and tosses gently with a whisk.

After putting the bowl back in the freezer for 10 minutes, she makes a little well in the flour and pours in 1 cup of buttermilk. Using a wooden spoon, she “fluffs” it, bumping in flour around the edge of the pool, then stirring gently.

She dumps the dough on a floured pastry sheet, then gathers it, shaping it into a mound. She rolls it – gently, in the same direction – with the cold, floured rolling pin. Then she folds it and rolls again, five times, to make pockets of butter. She measures the dough, aiming for between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick.

She uses a floured cutter to cut out the biscuits, pressing straight down. If you twist, it seals the layers so they can’t rise. She places them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, slightly touching so they support each other.

They go into a 475-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. It takes a hot oven to make them rise.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/living/food-drink/article10873631.html#storylink=cpy

Nazareth Village Lentil Soup

Nazareth Village Lentil Soup Recipe
In The Spirit of the First Century

2 cups lentils
4 cups water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 spring onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt (more if desired)
Black pepper to taste

Mix ingredients and simmer on low to moderate heat 1 to 2 hours. Serves 4

Squash Gratin with Poblanos and Cream

I really really love this dish. (I'm a big butternut squash fan.) I don't make it often because it is a bit time consuming. Peeling and cutting squash is always a pain and it's a bit of a process to prepare the poblanos. But I think it's worth the effort. I usually just use milk instead of heavy cream and light sour cream instead of creme fraiche to save on calories. And less cheese. And for some reason I always prepare it as written and then remember it makes a huge amount and my children don't like it. But then I get leftovers for days! So you could easily half the recipe.

Squash Gratin with Poblanos and Cream

• ACTIVE: 45 MIN
• TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS
• SERVINGS: 12

1. 6 large poblanos (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2. 2 large butternut squash (4 pounds total)—peeled, halved, seeded and sliced 1/2 inch thick
3. 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4. 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped thyme
5. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6. 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
7. 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
8. 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped oregano
9. 1/2 cup heavy cream
10. 3/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
11. 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
12. 8 ounces farmer cheese (see Note)
13. Toasted pumpkin seeds, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Roast the poblanos directly over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning, until they are charred all over. Transfer the chiles to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let them cool. Peel, stem and seed the chiles, then cut them into thin strips.
2. Brush the butternut squash with 6 tablespoons of the olive oil and spread it on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes, until the squash is tender, shifting the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Increase the oven temperature to 425°.
3. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the sliced onion, garlic, oregano and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of thyme and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add the poblano strips and cook until they are very tender, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the crème fraîche and season the poblano mixture with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon half of the poblano mixture into a large baking dish and top with half of the butternut squash and half of the Monterey Jack and farmer cheeses. Repeat with the remaining poblano mixture, butternut squash and both cheeses. Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, until the gratin is golden and bubbling. Let the gratin rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with the pumpkin seeds and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The unbaked gratin can be refrigerated overnight. Return to room temperature before baking. NOTES Farmer cheese is a form of cottage cheese that has had the liquid pressed out of it. It's slightly tangy with a dry texture that makes it great for crumbling. Look for it at specialty-food stores or at cheese shops.

Sweet Potato and Lentil Curry

I actually used chickpeas instead of lentils and really liked this dish. I'm sure the lentils would be great too. Great flavors. It was a little spicy for me, but perfect for Ben. So adjust spices according to your heat tolerance (mine is pretty low).

Sweet Potato Lentil Curry

by fANNEtastic food

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Keywords: boil stovetop entree soup/stew gluten-free vegan vegetarian sweet potato

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 cup dry lentils
• 1 large sweet potato, cubed
• 1 (13.5) oz. can coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp. fresh Thai basil, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. Sriracha hot chili sauce
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook lentils in water according to package instructions.

While lentils are cooking, in a separate medium sized pot, add sweet potato, coconut milk, basil, Sriracha, and spices. Bring to a simmer and let simmer until sweet potato is soft and fully cooked (about 15 to 20 minutes depending how large they are cut).

Stir in the chopped green pepper and cooked lentils. Let simmer another few minutes.

Serve hot, as is or over rice.

Thai Butternut Squash Lettuce Wraps

These lettuce wraps are super yummy. The dipping sauce is key. I simplified and bought pre-cubed butternut squash. It says to cook it for 10 minutes in a skillet but I really didn't believe squash could cook that quickly so I roasted mine in the oven for a bit first. 

Thai Butternut Squash Lettuce Wraps

YIELD: SERVES 4

TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES

ingredients:

2 cups cubed butternut squash
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 head of butter lettuce, leaves torn off
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
4 green onions, sliced
1/3 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, torn

thai dipping/drizzling sauce
4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons canned coconut milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons creamy peanut butter (it mixes in easier if it's melted, FYI)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

directions:

Toss the squash with the salt, pepper and chili powder. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the coconut oil. Add the squash and cook until it is fork tender and slightly caramely in color, about 10 minutes. Half way through, drizzle in the honey to help the caramelization process.

Assemble the lettuce wraps by laying a few pieces of sliced red pepper in a butter lettuce leaf. Top it with the squash, then a hefty drizzle of the thai sauce. Add a sprinkling of the onions, peanuts and cilantro.

thai dipping/drizzling sauce
Combine all the ingredients together in a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and whisk until it is combined. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.

Source: www.howsweeteats.com

Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes with Cucumber Raita

I really liked the flavor in this dish. Oliver and Simon gobbled up the raita (I added more cucumber than it called for). The girls just gobbled up the naan. (The naan from Target's bakery section is pretty good.)

Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes
Gourmet, February 2004
1 (1 3/4-lb) head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño, including seeds
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup water
Accompaniment: lemon wedges

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475°F.
Toss cauliflower and potatoes together in a bowl with 3 tablespoons oil, cumin seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and browned in spots and potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, then stir in roasted vegetables. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

Makes 4 side-dish servings.

Cucumber Scallion Raita
1/4 cup finely chopped English (seedless cucumber)
1 thinly sliced scallion
3/4 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix!

Cream Cheese Penguins

Rated: Submitted By: Valerie Cuff Photo By: christapants Prep Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 35 Minutes Servings: 18

"Just imagine a cute display of penguins, made with black olives, carrots and cream cheese! You can add scarves and hats by using fresh red pepper strips, or canned pimentos cut into different shapes. Use frilly toothpicks if you can."

Ingredients:

18 jumbo black olives, pitted 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

18 small black olives 1 carrot

Directions:

1.

Cut a slit from top to bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive. Carefully insert about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese into each olive. Slice the carrot into eighteen 1/4 inch thick rounds; cut a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet. Save the cut out piece and press into center of small olive to form the beak. If necessary cut a small slit into each olive before inserting the beak.

2.

Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. Then, set a small olive onto the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up. Secure with a toothpick.

Tabouleh

This recipe was in the Ladies' Home Journal, March 2014.  The secret is to use a lot of parsley.

3/4 cup dry bulgur wheat
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 scallions, white and green parts, finely sliced
1 1/2 cups minced flat-leaf parsley
1 plum tomato, finely diced
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Lettuce laves, for serving (optional)

Cook bulgur according to package directions to yield 2 cups.  In a large bowl combine cooked bulgur, onion, scallions, parsley and tomato.  In a second bowl whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, lemon zest, and pepper.  Pour dressing over bulgur mixture and toss to coat.  Scoop onto lettuce laves, if desired to eat with hands.
Makes 4 cups.  80 cal., per 1/2 cup serving. 

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients

1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 green pepper diced
1 tsp. rice vinegar
Juice of 3 limes
1 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
3 bay leaves
2 cans black beans
Salt and pepper to taste


Instructions

Heat olive oil in saucepan
Add onion and sauté
Add minced garlic cloves and sauté
Add diced green peppers and sauté as well
Add remaining ingredients
Let simmer on low for 15 minutes
Remove bay leaves

Serve over rice. Top with green onions.

Turkey Meatballs

These are from Bob Harper's "The Skinny Rules" book.  The way mine turn out, there are about 5 meatballs in each serving.  

Turkey Meatballs

Whether you have just a couple of meatballs as a snack or a larger serving for lunch or dinner, wrap them in lettuce instead of a bun.

Makes 4 servings.

Brown rice is a healthy substitute for the usual bread crumbs.

Ingredients

1 lb extra-lean ground turkey

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 c. finely chopped onion

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 c. cooked brown rice, cooled

olive oil spray

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a large mixing bowl and shape into about 30 meatballs 1 inch across.

2.  Spray a large nonstick skillet generously with olive oil.

3. Cook the meatballs for 5-6 min, ,working in batches if your pan is not large enough to fit them all, occasionally moving them around to brown all sides.

Variation: Once all the meatballs are cooked, add a jar of low-sodium marinara sauce to the pan.  Simmer the meatballs in the sauce for 20 minutes.  These sauced meatballs are great by themselves or served over quinoa, farro, or whole-wheat pasta at lunch, or over spaghetti squash or other veggies for dinner.

Nutrition Information per serving:

213 calories, 24g protein, 8g carbs, 9.6g fat

Aji de Gallina: Traditional Peruvian Cuisine

PREP 

1 whole chicken, cooked with salt to taste

• SHRED and reserve broth (about 6 cups)
• Use the rest of the chicken broth to cook potatoes

18 slices (small loaf) of white bread

• Soak shredded bread in 1 cup of milk for at least 15 minutes (won’t hurt to soak longer)
• Add enough water to cover well and blend till smooth

10 red or golden red potatoes. Cooked whole

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 4 cloves of Garlic (pressed)
• ½ cup of parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup of vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. Turmeric
• 2 tsp. of Salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp. Pepper
• 1/4 tsp. Cumin

PREPARATION

1. In a large pan heat oil and sauté onions for about 1 minute (med-high heat)
2. Add garlic and spices (turmeric, salt, pepper, and cumin) cook till onion is translucent (about 5 minutes).
3. Add shredded chicken and stir to coat chicken well and then add enough broth to cover the chicken; bring to a boil.
4. Add bread mixture and bring to a boil again.
5. Reduce heat (med-low) and stir constantly (it will stick if not stirred). Cook for 20 min. adding more broth as needed. Consistency should be thick, but loose.
6. Add parmesan cheese and cook 5 more minutes.

TIP: If you run out of broth and the mixture is too thick, heat some milk and add as needed. 

Serve over sliced potatoes or white rice (or in the Peruvian tradition, both). Garnish with a slice of boiled egg and an olive.

Hidden Valley Crockpot Roast

1 Beef Roast-
1 Pkg. Dried Brown Gravy Mix
1 Pkg. Dried Italian Salad Dressing Mix
1 Pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1/2 Cup Water Or Beef Broth-
 Sliced Mushrooms (optional)
Garlic (optional)
Carrots (optional)
Put sliced mushrooms, small baby carrots and garlic on the bottom of crockpot.
Rub roast beef with Garlic In A Jar-or just sprinkle some garlic powder and pepper over the roast. ***Garlic In A Jar is better though.
Place roast beef in Crockpot.
Put onions and garlic around the roast.
Mix the Dried Brown Gravy Mix, Dried Italian Salad Dressing Mix and Hidden Valley Mix together in a bowl and sprinkle this mixture over the roast.
Pour water or beef broth around the roast-BEEF BROTH IS ALOT BETTER
Cook on low for 7-9 hours…

Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad

1 lb red beets, scrubbed, peeled, and thinly sliced

1 lb yellow beets, scrubbed, peeled, and thinly sliced

6 medium carrots, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp olive oil

seas salt and pepper

3 Tbsp orange juice

1 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar

1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves

3 small Belgian endives, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces

4 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled

1/3 c. chopped toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 450. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss beets and carrots with 1 1/2 Tbsp oil; season with salt a pepper. Roast until tender, 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through. Let cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile,in a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, tarragon, and 1 1/2 tsp oil; season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss endives with half the dressing, then transfer to a serving platter. Toss beets and carrots with remaining dressing and add to platter. Top with goat cheese and pecans.

[EDIT: this recipe works much better if you blanch the beets and carrots ahead of time, otherwise they tend to dry out when they are roasted. Extra amazing if you grill the veggies. This is frequent friend request recipe. If you make it for Dad, replace the goat cheese with anything non-goat.]

Chickenetta (or porketta roast)

I love porketta roast, but it isn't the healthiest of meat choices. I miss the flavor so I finally decided to create a chicken version. Same fennelly goodness of porketta without the guilt.

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp lemon pepper

1 Tbsp fennel seeds

1 Tbsp dill seeds

1 tsp anise seeds

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper

3-4 chicken breasts

2 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped

Mix together everything except sage. Marinate chicken breasts in mixture over night. In the morning, sear chicken and then toss in crockpot with red potatoes, onions, and carrots. Dust with fresh sage. Cook 4-6 hours. 

If you are feeling especially culinary, add some fresh, diced anise to the pot. You can also throw some haricots verts (french green beans) in the pot 30-45 minutes before you are ready to eat. They steam quite nicely and add great color.

Kale Chips

These are one of my favorite snacks. Great when you need something salty to snack on and a healthy alternative to chips. (They do make your house smell a little funky when you bake them, so helpful to burn a candle after.)

1 large bunch kale

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

Cut kale leaves into bite-sized pieces. Toss with olive oil and sea salt until leaves are evenly coated. Bake in 350 oven for 15-20 minutes or until leaves are crispy and edges are just beginning to brown. (These are one of my favs! Great salty snack and something I try to keep on hand.)

Roasted Beet and Carrot Salad

1 lb red beets, scrubbed, peeled, and thinly sliced

1 lb yellow beets, scrubbed, peeled, and thinly sliced

6 medium carrots, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp olive oil

seas salt and pepper

3 Tbsp orange juice

1 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar

1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves

3 small Belgian endives, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces

4 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled

1/3 c. chopped toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 450. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss beets and carrots with 1 1/2 Tbsp oil; season with salt a pepper. Roast until tender, 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through. Let cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile,in a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, tarragon, and 1 1/2 tsp oil; season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss endives with half the dressing, then transfer to a serving platter. Toss beets and carrots with remaining dressing and add to platter. Top with goat cheese and pecans.

Chinese Brussels Sprouts

1 lb Brussels sprouts

1 tsp sesame oil

2 green onions, sliced

1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

1 Tbsp Braggs

Trim Brusssels sprouts, then shred them finely using a large sharp knife or a food processor. Heat the oil and add the sprouts and onions. Stir fry for about 2 minutes without allowing the mixture to brown. Stir in the five-spice powder and Braggs, then cook, stirring, for another 2-3 minutes, until just tender.

Baba Ganoush

(This is a great alternative or addition to serving hummus. It is good with or without the mint.)

2 small eggplants

1 garlic clove, crushed

4 Tbsp tahini

1/4 c. ground almonds

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves

2 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

Broil the eggplant, turing them frequently until the skin is blackened and blistered. Remove the skin, chop the flesh roughly and let drain in a colander. Wait for 30 minutes, then squeeze out as much liquid from the eggplant as possible. Place the eggplant flesh in an blender. Add the garlic, tahini, almonds, lemon juice and cumin. Season, then blend until smooth paste. Chop half the mint and stir in. Spoon into bowl, sprinkle the remaining mint leaves on top and drizzle with live oil. Serve with pita.

Lemon Macaroon Cheesecake Tartlet

Coconut Macaroon Crust

1 1/2 c. shredded coconut

1/2 c. cashew flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 Tbsp date paste

Mix all ingredients together well by hand. Press into 9-inch tart pan. Dehydrate 24-48 hours (I toss it in the oven at 350 for a few minutes or just leave it uncooked). Chill crust in freezer for at least 15 minutes or until ready to fill.

Filling

1 1/2 c. cashews (soaked at least 1 hour)

1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp agave

1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

1/3 c. water

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 vanilla bean, scraped

2 Tbsp lemon zest

Blend all ingredients until very smooth. Fill crust and chill in freezer overnight. Remove pie from pan. Store in freezer. Remove 15-20 minutes prior to serving.