Healthy Strawberry Crisp

Since strawberries are in season right now, this is a low calorie recipe that you can make that will satisfy your sweet tooth. The recipe only has 10 ingredients and you probably already have most of them in your pantry already. The topping is crunchy with cinnamon and oats, which goes great with the coconut sugar sweetened strawberries. It is a great after dinner dessert or snack at any time.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 tablespoons arrowroot flour or AP flour, divided

1 cup old fashioned oats

2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or canola oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a paper towel and rub grapeseed oil or canola oil in four-1/2 cup ramekins. In a small bowl, mix the strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of flour until blended. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix, oats, the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt together until combined.

In a separate small bowl, whisk oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and almond extract. Pour the liquid mixture into the oat mixture and stir with a fork until incorporated well. 

Divide the strawberry mixture evenly among the ramekins and divide the oat mixture evenly on top of the strawberries.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes until the strawberries are bubbling and the topping is golden brown and crisp. 

Remove from oven the cool for about 30 minutes on a wire rack. Enjoy!

 

Veggie Italian Meatballs w/Marinara Sauce

These Veggie meatballs are made with brown lentils and mushrooms which gives it the texture to make you think you are eating meat. The flavors of onion, garlic, Italian breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and fresh basil makes them pillowy soft and so delicious.
The marinara sauce is so easy it only has 6 ingredients and perfect with the veggie meatballs!
Servings: about 12 to 14 golf-ball size meatballs.

Meatball ingredients:

1 cup cooked brown lentils
1 cup yellow onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup cremini mushrooms chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated
1/2 tsp salt + pepper (each)

Marinara Sauce ingredients:

1 28 ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
7 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 fresh basil leaves

Meatball instructions:

1. To cook dry lentils (skip this step if using canned lentils): Cook 1/2 cup lentils on stove top, using 1 1/2 cups water. Be sure to use a large enough saucepan as the lentils will double or triple in size. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer until they are tender. About 15-20 minutes. Drain if needed and measure out 1 cup cooked lentils for the recipe.

2. Meanwhile, chop yellow onion, garlic and cremini mushrooms. Heat 2  tbsp olive oil in a skillet on medium heat, add chopped veggies to pan and sauté until soft. About 5 minutes.

3. Once vegetables are soft and lentils are cooked, add to food processor along with breadcrumbs, fresh basil, egg, grated cheese and salt + pepper.  Pulse ingredients until combined. Use a spatula to scrape down sides as needed. You'll want the mixture to be well-combined, very mushy and sticky. 

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet with extra-virgin olive oil. Use a two tablespoon ice cream scope to form golf-ball size meatballs. Place on greased baking sheet.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Rotate the pan every 10 minutes. The longer you leave them in the oven, the crispier the outside will become.

 Marinara Sauce Instructions:

1. Pour tomatoes into a large bowl and crush with hands. Pour 1 cup water into can and slosh it around to get tomato juices. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet (do not use a deep pot) over medium heat, heat the oil with crushed red pepper flakes. When it is hot, add garlic.

3. As soon as garlic is sizzling (do not let it brown), add the tomatoes, then the reserved tomato water. Add salt and stir.

4. Place basil leaves on top of sauce and let them wilt, then submerge in sauce. Simmer sauce until thickened and oil on surface is a deep orange, about 15 minutes. While the sauce is simmering add each meatball to the sauce and make sure they are next to each other and drench the sauce over the meatballs. Simmer for an additional 15 or 20 minutes. Enjoy!

No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie

I love no-bake pies and this peanut butter pie is so easy to make. If you love peanut butter and chocolate without the guilt, you need to try this recipe. The crust has a crunch to it from the almond meal and together the cocoa powder and maple syrup has just the right amount of sweetness. The peanut butter filling with the chocolate topping makes you think you are eating a peanut butter cup candy bar. Did I also say, without the guilt! This is definitely a delicious recipe to serve your family or on a special occasion.

Crust:

1 1/2 cups almond meal or almond flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons Kerry Gold Butter, melted
Pinch of salt

Filling:

1 cup creamy all-natural peanut butter

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup melted coconut oil (use refine coconut oil for no flavor)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Topping:

1/2 cup Ghirardelli 60% dark chocolate chips, melted

1. Have a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom ready to use and set aside.

2. To prepare the crust, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and mix into a dough. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the tart pan and set aside. Take a paper towel and wipe out the food processor.

3. To prepare the filling, combine the ingredients in your food processor, and mix until completely smooth and silky. You may have to stop and scrape down the sides a few times to get the batter very smooth and evenly mixed. Pour the filling over the top of the crust, and use a spatula to smooth the top. Place the pie in the freezer to set until firm, about 4 hours.

4.  When the pie is firm, make the topping. Put the chocolate chips in a glass bowl and put in microwave for 30 seconds and take out and stir. Return to microwave for 30 seconds more and take out and stir. The chips should be completely melted. Take an offset icing spatula and drizzle the melted chocolate all over the pie. It should solidify quickly, just as soon as it touches the cold pie. Allow the pie to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, to make it easier to slice. Store remaining pie in the refrigerator for up to one week. Enjoy!

 

One Bowl Chocolate Cocoa Chunk Cookies

I love chocolate chip cookies and so does my family. So, I decided to make these delicious almost healthy chocolate cocoa chunk cookies. My husband and son both like Espresso, so I found a dark chocolate espresso bar (72% cacao) that the coffee flavor brings out the taste of the chocolate. It really made the cookies taste delicious. Though, you can use whatever type of chocolate you like from milk chocolate to dark chocolate.
What I love about this recipe is that it's all made in one bowl. Let me explain! Take a large bowl and first add all of the wet ingredients and then you add the dry ingredients and all you do is use a wooded spoon or spatula to mix. It is an easy recipe and hardly any clean-up!

Makes about 18 cookies.

Ingredients:

Wet ingredients:

1 large egg (room temperature)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup unpacked brown sugar
1/3 cup cane sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups oat flour
4 - 5 teaspoons whole milk or half & half (if needed to moisten batter)
1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate espresso bar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, add the wet ingredients, egg, oil, peanut butter, brown sugar, cane sugar, and vanilla, whisk together until combined and smooth.

Next, put a paper towel down on your work surface and take a sifter and add your dry ingredients to the sifter and sift the dry ingredients onto the paper towel and put into the wet ingredients and mix until combined. If the dough is dry, start adding two teaspoons of the milk at a time until the dough is moist enough to form balls but not sticky.

Add the chopped chocolate into the batter. Now, take a tablespoon ice cream scope and shape the batter into balls and place on the cookie sheet about two inches apart. Gently press down on each ball with your fingers to form a disc that is about 1/2-inch thick.

Bake 11-12 minutes until the cookies puff up. They don't spread much.

Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to cooling rack. Enjoy with a cup of coffee, tea, or milk!

Healthy Dog Treat Cookies

These healthy dog treats are good enough for humans to eat. You could add in some chocolate chips or your favorite dried fruit.

Now for your dog, you can add in about ¼ cup parsley, that would help freshen your dog’s breath or substitute dried mint for half the parsley. Don’t hesitate to adjust the size of the treat to accommodate a very small or very large dog. Baking them a few minutes more or less, as needed.

Ingredients:

·  1 cup peanut butter

·  1/2 cup honey

·  1 cup flour

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. and  line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut butter and honey. Mix in the flour, then form a ball and roll out on a floured work surface.

Using a rolling pin, roll out into a 9” inch circle and using a 3 to 4 inch dog bone cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place on a lined cookie sheet. Reroll dough pieces until all dough is used up.

Bake for 7 to 9 minutes and watch cookies they will tend to get brown very quickly. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes on cookie sheet and then remove to cooling rack.

Hope your dog enjoys or maybe you! Our dog, Dolce can't wait to try one!

 

 

I mailed some dog treats to my sister, Kimberly in Virginia for her dog, Zoey. As you can see, her dog is enjoying them, too.

 

 

 

 

 

Pita Piata (Italian Nut Rolls)

Pita Piata is an Italian traditional dessert, usually served during the Christmas holidays. This recipe is easy to make, because of the few ingredients and yeast isn't used in this dough. The raisins are soaked in your favorite sweet red wine for 10 hours or overnight. Also, the dough is flavored with red wine which gives it a pleasing scent, as it is baked in the oven. Once the rolls are baked you can drizzle orange blossom honey or agave nectar over the top and then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar to complete this tasty dessert.

Ingredients for the dough:

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup sweet red wine
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup half and half

Ingredients for the filling:

12 oz. box raisins
1 cup sweet red wine or more to cover the raisins
1 cup walnuts (measured after finely chopped)

Ingredients for the topping:

Orange blossom honey or agave nectar (for drizzling)
1/4 cup sugar
1 or 2 tablespoons cinnamon (your preference)

Utensils needed:

2 cookie sheet pans lined with parchment paper.
Rolling cutter with a zig zag edge. You can order here.
Small glass dish and sifter.
Small glass dish for additional canola oil ( 1/2 cup) and a basting brush.
Round wood toothpicks.

Directions:

In a medium bowl, soak the raisins in wine for 10 hours or overnight, covered it with plastic wrap and leave on counter. When it is time to mix the dough ingredients, drain the wine from the raisins and reserve for the cup of wine that is needed for the dough.

In a food processor, finely chop the walnuts and reserve in a medium bowl, covered with plastic wrap and leave on counter.

In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar with a fork and set aside. If you don't have a sifter cup like the one above. You can use a small sifter that sits on a small glass bowl like this below.

Mix all the dough ingredients together in a standing mixer bowl and attach a dough hook to the mixer. Combine the ingredients on low and continue to run the mixer on medium speed and if needed add more flour a little at a time until it is not sticky. Remove dough from mixer and put on a floured work surface and shape into a round ball. Put the dough ball on a plate the cover with a kitchen towel.
Take a knife and slice a portion of the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out on a floured work surface, flipping it over a few times and shape into a rectangle approximately 10''x12'' and 1/8" inch thick.

Brush oil on the rolled out dough. Be very generous with the oil.
Next, sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Sprinkle next layer with the chopped nuts.
Sprinkle last layer with the raisins. 

Take the rolling cutter and cut a strip 2" inches wide. Fold over the edges to trap the stuffing inside, and roll the stuffed strip into a rose shape and secure with a toothpick. Place the rosette on a lined cookie sheet and start the process over again with another portion of dough until all the rosettes are made.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and bake until golden brown. About 25 to 30 minutes. Check the rosettes after the first 15 minutes and just turn the cookie sheet around in the oven for even baking.

When done, remove from oven and immediately, drizzle honey or agave nectar over the rosettes and sprinkle on more cinnamon mixture. After they have cooled a little, place the rosettes on cooling rack. Enjoy!

Mini Maple Pumpkin Muffins

 

 

Fall is around the corner, it's time to start baking with pumpkin. This is a simple recipe for the season. It has all the flavors for Fall, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and of course pumpkin. I used maple syrup for the sugar in the batter, which has a higher concentration of minerals like manganese and zinc in it. Also, the maple syrup had more of a caramel flavor, which made  a tasty little muffin!

 

Ingredients

 

For the muffins:

 

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking power

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

 

For the cinnamon sugar topping:

 

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

 

Directions

 

Preheat oven 350 degrees F and line 2 mini muffin pans with 24 liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.

In a larger bowl, whisk the oil, maple syrup, and pumpkin.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.

Use a small scoop and divide among the lined muffin pans.

 

Bake 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes on rack. Remove muffins from pan and sat on cooling rack.

 

Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl. Remove the paper liners from each muffin and dip the top of the muffin in the melted butter and then dip in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 



Chocolate Cake for Two

 

This cake is made in one bowl which makes it simple to make and it tastes rich and decadent. Especially, since I added some delicious chocolate icing. It makes a perfect after dinner dessert for two.

 

Ingredients for cake:

 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup seedless raspberry (or other berry) jam

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon white sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and lightly flour a 6-inch springform pan.

In a medium bowl (large enough to hold all the batter), melt the butter in the microwave in short pulses.

Once the butter is melted, stir in the chocolate chips. Stir the chocolate constantly until it melts completely into the butter. Next, add the jam and sugar and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. It's ok if some of the jam doesn't melt into the batter. Add the egg and stir in very well. Finally, sprinkle the flour, baking powder and salt over the batter and stir just until well-combine.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake 44-46 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with only moist crumbs clinging to it. Remove from oven and let sit for 8 minutes and remove from pan and cool on rack.

 

Ingredients for frosting:

 

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

 

Directions:

 

In a medium bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Stir in cocoa. With hand beaters, alternately add powdered sugar and milk beating on medium speed to spreading consistency. Add more milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 1 cup of frosting. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 



Shortbread Cookies

 

 

My husband and I have friends that visited Scotland and brought back some Walkers Scottish shortbread cookies. My husband just loved them and ask if I could make him some cookies. So, I looked on the back of the cookie box for the ingredients of flour, sugar, butter and salt. Of course, I had all those ingredients and it seemed pretty easy to whip up the batter to make the cookies.

My first try they came out a little bland, they needed some vanilla extract for more flavor. So, the second time I made them, my husband was pleased, he said, "they tasted just like Walkers cookies and they were buttery and crisp."

 

Ingredients:

 

3/4 pound unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons raw sugar, for sprinkling

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla.

 

Add the sifted flour and salt to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together.

 

Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

 

 

 

 

Roll the dough 1/2 inch thick and cut with a 3-inch round cookie cutter. Place the cookies on a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with raw sugar.

 

 

 

 

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until edges begin to brown. Allow to cool on rack to room temperature. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 





Italian Easter Bread

Easter bread was always a family tradition that my mother made during the Easter holiday. My mother used a spice called anise seed that gave the bread a slight liquorice flavor that made the house smell like the holidays. This bread can be very versatile, you could make toast with melted butter on it or French toast with real maple syrup. This recipe is easy and very forgiving for first time bread makers.

Ingredients:

1 package Rapid Rise (instant) yeast (about 2-1/4 teaspoons)
1-1/4 cups whole milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup white sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour (approximate)
1 teaspoon anise seed
1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon of water

Directions:

In a small saucepan, warm the milk and butter together, just until butter melts.
In a large mixer bowl, combine yeast, salt, eggs, and sugar. Add the warm (not hot - it will kill the yeast) milk and butter. Add about half the flour and the anise seed and beat until smooth with dough hook. Slowly add the remaining flour to form a stiff dough. Don't worry about how much flour it ends up being, just keep adding until dough is not sticky anymore. Knead until smooth with either dough hook attachment or turn out on floured board and knead. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in the oven, but do not turn oven on. Just turn the oven light on and it will double in size, about an hour.
Punch dough down, divide into 6 pieces. Roll each piece to form a 2 inch thick rope about 12 inches long and taking two pieces, twist to form a "braid", pinching the ends.
Place on three baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cover and let rise until double, about an hour again.
Brush each bread with beaten egg wash. Bake 350 degrees F until golden about 20 minutes. Cool on rack. Enjoy!

Chicken Thighs with Red Chard

I did a change up from spinach to using red chard with a red pepper, a Cubanelle pepper and a Vidalia onion that brought out a flavorful taste to the chicken thighs. This is an easy recipe that you could serve with brown rice or whole grain pasta or a side salad.


Ingredients:

4 to 6 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
Salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 red pepper, sliced
1 Cubanelle pepper, sliced in rings
1 Vidalia onion, sliced
1/2 cup Marcona almonds
2 bunches red chard, rinsed, dried, roughly chopped
1 fresh bay leaf

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil and brown the thighs skin-side down for 4 minutes per side. Season with the paprika on both sides. Then remove the chicken and set aside.
Add the garlic, peppers and onion to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add the almonds, red chard, bay leaf, 1 cup of water and a liberal amount of salt and bring to a simmer. Top with the chicken skin-side up and bake for 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Spring Risotto

This risotto is easy to make and it serves two which is nice for a quick week night dinner. Since it is Spring, I thought asparagus would be a flavorful addition to the recipe. Also, I added a little sweetness with some Medjool dates and to finish, I stirred in a little Chavrie goat cheese that added a mild, tangy taste to the risotto.

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced shallot
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
8 Medjool dates, sliced
1/2 cup asparagus, chopped
4 ounces Chavrie goat cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring chicken stock to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to low and keep hot.
In a medium sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat then add onion and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add rice then stir to coat in butter. Add wine then stir until nearly absorbed by rice. Use a ladle to add 1/2 cup chicken stock to pan and stir continuously until stock is absorbed. Add sliced dates and continue adding stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until nearly absorbed before adding more.
When there is about 3 additions of stock left, add asparagus and continue stirring until all stock is used.
To finish, stir in goat cheese and then add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

 

 

Cherry Almond Scones

Scones are always a nice addition to a breakfast or brunch. These scones are made with frozen pitted cherries that are thawed and drained. This was easier then removing the pits from fresh cherries. I added almond extract to the mix to give the scones a rich almond flavor and I sprinkled some turbinado sugar on top of the dough to give the scones a little extra sweet taste.


Ingredients:

2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour, divided
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup cherries, thawed, halved and drained
2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Topping:

2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
1 tablespoon sliced almonds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Sprinkle cubed butter over flour mixture and use a pastry cutter to cut in evenly until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Place cherries between layers of paper towels and press gently to remove moisture. In a small bowl, combine cherries and 1 tablespoon flour, toss with a fork to coat.
Add cherry mixture to flour mixture, folding in gently.
In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg and almond extract, add to flour mixture and fold in just until moist.

Use a spatula to scrape dough out onto prepared baking sheet, lightly flour hands and pat dough into an 8-inch circle.
With a long sharp knife, score dough into 8 wedges. Put 2 tablespoons of buttermilk in a small bowl and with a pastry brush, spread all over top of dough. Sprinkle dough with turbinado sugar and sliced almonds.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool before slicing into wedges.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and warm before serving. Enjoy!

Yields: 8 scones

Healthy Apple Crisp

 

 

 

 

I was hungry for an apple crisp. So, I had two Fuji apples that I put together a recipe to help out that sweet tooth without being sorry that I ate something sweet and this did the trick! The aroma of the cinnamon and honey in the apple crisp baking in the oven made the whole house smell like the holidays and the taste of the topping and apples together was delicious.

 

Ingredients:

 

 

Filling:

 

2 large Fuji apples, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

 

Topping:

 

1 cup oats (quick or old-fashioned)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon canola oil

3 tablespoons honey

 

Directions:

 

For the filling:

In a medium bowl, mix together apples, lemon juice, cinnamon and honey. In a small bowl, mix water and cornstarch and mix into apple mixture.

Pour the apple mixture into two small 4 1/2 inch pie dishes.

 

For the topping:

In a medium bowl, combine oats, salt, cinnamon.

In a small bowl, combine vanilla, oil, and honey. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. The mixture will be crumbly. 

Sprinkle the topping over the apple mixture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake lightly covered with foil at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until apples are soft and topping golden brown. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Strawberry Tart

Spring is such a beautiful season with all the colorful flowers blooming and the fresh spring vegetables and fruits. One of my favorite fruits are strawberries with their sweet taste and bright red color. This is a perfect time for a strawberry tart made with Mascarpone cheese, which is an Italian cream cheese. This cheese has a slight richer and luscious taste to it then regular cream cheese. The tart recipe is easy and only has 3 parts to it. Here goes:

Crust

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons honey

Filling

8 ounces Mascarpone, at room temperature
2 tablespoons low-fat milk, room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Topping

2 cups strawberries, hulled and halved
1 1/2 tablespoon honey


Directions

For the crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan with nonstick spray.  In a small bowl, whisk together flours, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat butter, and sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, then beat in honey. Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture just until combined.

Use a piece of parchment paper to press dough evenly in the bottom and up the sides of prepared tart pan, then prick dough all over with a fork. Bake for 16 minutes, until crust is golden. Cool completely on wire rack.

For the filling, in a food processor combine Mascarpone, milk, honey, vanilla, and lemon zest and process until fluffy.

To assemble tart, spoon filling into cooled tart shell and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Arrange strawberries over filling in a decorative pattern. Place honey in a small bowl and heat in the microwave until melted, about 10 seconds. Use a pastry brush to brush glaze over strawberries. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Yield - 8 servings

Double Chocolate Mint Cookies

If you love chocolate and mint, you will love this cookie. It taste like the chocolate thin mint cookie, that the girl scouts sale every year, but better. It's an easy recipe with only two tablespoons of butter and it is important to remember to chill the dough until firm about 15 minutes.
The recipe makes 12 large cookies and it is so rich and decadent, only one cookie can satisfy that chocolate craving. This is definitely a keeper recipe that you would want to make again and again!


Ingredients:

6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet (60%) chocolate, chopped
into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup  white sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
one 4.67-ounce package chocolate mint thins, such as Andes, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven 300 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the chocolate and butter in a microwave safe small bowl and microwave for 1 minute and stir until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, 2 tablespoons water, and vanilla.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, fold in the cooled chocolate using a spatula. Mix in the chocolate mint pieces. Chill dough to firm about 15 minutes.

Using a 1/4 cup to measure, drop 6 mounds of batter onto a baking sheet, spacing apart. Bake for 20 minutes and then on the other baking sheet, bake the other 6 mounds of batter for 20 minutes. Bake the cookies until slightly puffed and dry looking with some cracks on top. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer to cooling rack (cookies may deflate slightly as they cool).

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cobbler

How about a decadent chocolate cobbler for two for Valentine's Day!
The recipe is easy to make and you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry already.
Since this dessert is for two, you would need a small dish like a vegetable bowl to bake it in. This cobbler is like a brownie that comes with its own chocolate sauce.
It is rich and mouthwatering and it is perfect for chocolate lovers, and it's Valentine's Day, so enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
4 tablespoons cocoa powder (divided use)
5 tablespoons milk
9 tablespoons sugar (divided use)
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup hot water (microwaved)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a small ceramic dish that has a 1 1/2 cup capacity.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, espresso powder and 2 tablespoons of the cocoa powder. Stir in the milk, 5 tablespoons of sugar, butter, and vanilla. The batter will be very thick. Spread it in an even layer in the baking dish.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 4 tablespoons of sugar and brown sugar, Sprinkle this over the batter.
Pour the hot water on top of everything, but DO NOT STIR.
Bake the cobbler on a small sheet pan to catch any overflows for 35 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Mini Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

These little jewels I made for my grand baby, Callie. She does attempt to eat different foods. So, I thought I would introduce pumpkin to her. She really liked the taste, because she wanted more then one muffin. That was a good sign!
These muffins have very little oil in them and a whole can of pumpkin with nutmeg, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice which makes a delightful combination of flavors and a nice crunch from the toasted pecans.
Fall and pumpkin always seem to go together and these muffins can be a healthy breakfast or afternoon snack.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup unbromated unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup organic evaporated cane sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
15 oz can organic pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons organic canola oil
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans, roasted in small dry pan on medium heat for 5 minutes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a muffin tins with paper liners. This recipe makes 4 dozen mini muffins.

In a medium bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Use a wire whisk to mix together and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix pumpkin puree, oil, egg, and vanilla. With a hand mixer beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Add flour mixture to the wet mixture, then blend on low speed until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in the chopped pecans.

Use a small 1-inch ice cream scoop to put batter into the prepared muffin tins. Fill 3/4 full. Bake 8-10 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Enjoy!