Granola "Bars"

This is an Alton Brown recipe that we've wanted to do FOREVER. I have been moving us away from processed foods for years, so I thought making our own granola would be kind of awesome.

However, I'm not sure how to actually get this to be granola bars. Ours fell apart after I cut them into squares, so we just ended up with granola. However, it's delicious.

Alton Brown's Granola Bars

8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup
3 ounces sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup
1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup
6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F.
Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine.

Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Notes: When it says press down, press down HARD. We used a smaller baking dish and I put all my weight into pushing down, and ours still did not retain the shape. However, we made a couple of changes to the recipe - we used different dried fruit (raisins, apricots and dried apples that I ran through the food processor) and we also used more than he says in the recipe. This may have contributed to the change in consistency. Maybe if you stick with just one cup, it would help.

Pestos

For two years or more, my pesto has been an ongoing topic of discussion between Joanna and I. I claim it is way better than any storebought pesto (which it is).

So, thanks to a comment from Jo on my other blog prompting me to post this, here it is, ripped completely from Rachael Ray's original Thirty Minute Meals (p. 46, if you must know):

Classic Basil Pesto

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 lb. grated Parmesan cheese
3 oz pine nuts (a handful)
2 cloves garlic, popped from skin
1 bunch basil (40-50 leaves)

Heat garlic and oil in microwave for 20 seconds.

Pulse all ingredients in food processor until paste forms.

Serve pestos at room temperature over hot pasta. A little goes a long way. Definitely don't dole it out like you would tomato-based sauce. I use about a tablespoon for a whole plate of pasta. Just mix it up well.

If you're tempted to buy basil in the produce section, trust me, just skip that and buy a basil plant in the garden section. Gives you all the leaves you need for cheaper, and you can plant the plant to boot.

To change it up a bit, use half the amount of basil leaves and replace it with a handful of sun-dried tomatoes. This is actually my favorite way of doing it.

Beefy Cheese Cups

This is another one from my mom's cookbook and Dave's favorite use of a muffin tin. Yum. Meat muffins.


1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup cheese crackers, crushed
2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 Tablespoon finely chopped bell pepper
2 Tablespoons chili sauce
2 drops Tabasco sauce
1/3 cup skim milk
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in bowl.

Grease muffin pan (8-muffin capacity) and divide meat into the eight cups.

Bake 40 minutes.

Couscous with Feta and Spinach

This is a side dish inspired by a super expensive by-the-pound dish we saw at Central Market's deli. We happened to have all ingredients around so I threw it together last night.

Couscous with Feta and Spinach

1 c. uncooked couscous
2 tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
salt
1 1/2 c. boiling water
A few handfuls of green leafy spinach leaves, chopped coarsely
3/4 c. feta

Put the oil and a little salt into a pan and heat up. Add the couscous and let it brown for about three minutes in the oil, stirring often to avoid burning.

Add the boiling water and take off the heat. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes to absorb all the water. Mix in the spinach and feta (to taste - we LOVE cheese and so we put in about 3/4 c. but it's up to you). Add more salt to taste. Serve. Makes about 3 servings. Easily doubled.

Added note: We actually used lemon salt for this - we picked up a packet at IKEA and it's really good in small doses, and the flavor was perfect for this dish. However, regular salt will do nicely, though we always use kosher salt! We also plan to use some basil next time in place of some of the spinach.

Barbeque Pork Ribs

This is my mom's recipe. I don't think she made it up herself, but who knows? Well, Mom does so maybe she can answer that question. These are the reason I always pick up a rack or two of baby back ribs when they're on sale and the reason our grill always has a layer of goo on the bottom. (Although I usually cut the recipe in half when it's just for us ... for some reason I always make a full amount of the sauce, though. Don't know why ... )


4 pounds baby back pork ribs
2 jars (9 oz total) strained baby food peaches
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
dash o' pepper


Rub the ribs with salt and pepper.

Cook bony side up on coals (or medium-low heat) for 20 minutes.

While that's going on, mix together the rest of the ingredients to make a sauce.

Flip the ribs and baste with sauce.

Repeat flipping and basting every 10 minutes for the next 40 minutes or so until they are done cooking.

Penzey favorite

I bought a sampler pack from Penzey's with a gift card that my children gave me for Christmas. I've found a favorite. I use the Rocky Mountain seasoning on pork chops or chicken breasts and pan-grill them. Easy-cheesy and I love the taste. I also like the Salad Elegant seasoning used like this too. It is also very good on hamburgers. I haven't been eating a lot of pasta lately but they would probably be very good on that with a little olive oil...

Artichoke Chicken

We made this last night, and it was the best meal I've ever made with so few ingredients.

Artichoke Cream Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small jar of marinated artichoke hearts (6 oz or so)
5 tbsp butter
Flour
1 c. milk
4 c. prepared instant white rice

Serves 4 (or 2 with leftovers for lunch, which is generally how we roll) from The Best of Mr. Food - Quick and Easy Recipes - Volume 2.

Put the chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap and go to town on them with a mallet (Christopher's weapon of choice) or a meat tenderizer (which we don't own). Pound them out until they're good and tender. On a plate or in a small casserole dish, put some flour. I added some salt, pepper, and ground oregano to my flour for some added flavor. Dredge the chicken on both sides, generously, with flour.

Melt 2 tbsps. butter in a large saucepan (you can use a large skillet, but ours is not big enough, so I use our pan that looks sort of like this - I find this helps with splatter as well). Put the chicken in and let it cook for about five minutes on each side on a medium-high heat. Don't move the chicken a lot or turn it over much, because you want to let the flour cook up nice and crispy and really stick to the chicken. Add more butter if you need it.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, begin melting the rest of your butter. Add three tablespoons of flour, and cook those together for a little bit. Then, slowly add the marinade from the jar of artichoke hearts and the milk. Stir together and let it cook until it gets bubbly and thickens, stirring occassionally to keep it from sticking. It should have the consistency of white gravy, pretty much. Add the artichokes and let it sit for a few minutes, and then serve over the chicken and over the white rice.

This was AWESOME. I couldn't wait to go home and eat the leftovers for lunch with Chris today. I would make this weekly - all we really had to buy special was the small jar of artichoke hearts, which I believe cost $1.50, and the meal fed us for two meals.

My go-to quick lunch

My inaugural post for the website! Until recently, we have not had a dishwasher (living on a university campus will do that for you) and we had a meal plan, so cooking wasn't big for us. Now that we live in an off-campus apartment, we've started cooking a lot more.

That said, I don't like to mess with much for my lunches. I want something that I don't have to do much with besides heat up, but I don't do processed food lunches.

Jamie's Lunch Pasta

Cook up a bunch of penne pasta. I use whole grain, and half a box lasts me for about three meals, with fairly reasonable portions. Generally, I cook it and then just put all of it in the fridge.

The night before, I put about a third of the penne into a microwave safe container, put in a big handful of leafy spinach, and a combination of these ingredients:

leftover chicken breast, cut into pieces
sundried tomatoes
pine nuts
blue cheese
feta cheese
shaved parmesan cheese
olives
etc.

The key to this is that you can put in whatever, and provide a little variety each day with little to no effort.

In the morning, I put a little olive oil and some kosher salt in with it, seal it up, and bring it to work. A minute in the microwave heats the pasta and the oil, wilts the spinach leaves, and melts the cheese, giving you a cheesy olive oil sauce to mix up with it.

Easiest lunch I've ever made.

Mesquite Lime Chicken

serves 6

Found this one off the McCormick website.


1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons McCormick® Grill Mates® Mesquite Seasoning
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Mix lime juice, Mesquite Seasoning, oil and honey in small bowl. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well.

Refrigerate 15 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade.

Grill over medium heat 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, turning frequently.

Caesar-Style Steak Sandwiches

serves four

My dad gave me a lifetime membership to a cooking club. I get the magazine every month and find at least one tip and recipe that I want to try. This month, we're trying this one. (Yes, we do grill during the winter. Doesn't everyone?)


1 1/2 lb. beef sirloin steak (about 1 1/2 inches thick)
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 baguette, halved horizontally, cut crosswise into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup refrigerated Caesar salad dressing
1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese*
8 romaine lettuce heart leaves
8 tomato slices

Heat grill. Sprinkle steak with pepper. Grill, covered, over medium-high heat or coals 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare, turning once. Remove steak; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 5 minutes before thinly slicing.

Meanwhile, brush cut sides of baguette with oil. Grill, covered, 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Brush cut sides of bread with dressing; top bottom pieces with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, steak and remaining bread.

Roasted Paprika Chicken

serves four

Another Everyday Food recipe to try. I tend to stick with either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or whole chickens when cooking. I thought I'd stretch my limits a little :)


1 tablespoon sweet paprika
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces


Preheat oven to 475 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a small bowl, combine paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet; rub with spice mixture. Roast on upper rack, basting with pan drippings once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a breast (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.

When chicken is done, transfer to a plate, and loosely tent with aluminum foil (reserve baking sheet with drippings).

Rotini and Cheese with Broccoli and Ham

serves six

Because you just can't have enough variations on macaroni and cheese. I have in my notes to make sure you whisk in the spices before you stir in the cheese* because as I recall, if you don't you end up with tongue-burning clumps of spices in your pasta. Which is no good if you're trying to convince your two-year-old to just try a bite.


4 quarts water
2 cups uncooked rotini (about 8 ounces corkscrew pasta)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free milk
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) cubed light processed cheese (such as Velveeta Light)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chopped reduced-fat ham

Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add pasta; cook 5 minutes. Add broccoli; cook an additional 5 minutes or until pasta is done; drain.

While pasta cooks, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a medium saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat; stir in cheese and next 4 ingredients* (cheese through pepper). Combine pasta mixture, cheese sauce, and ham.

Cheese Delight Chicken

This is another recipe from Joanna's and my childhood. It was a favorite of mine because after it was cooked and eaten, the spilled coating in the bottom of the dish could be scooped out with a fork and eaten as a cheesy crunchy treat! Mom and I would partake without fail. I don't recall Joanna or Dad being very interested in our greasy little piece of heaven.

Ingredients
Boneless chicken breasts
1 clove garlic
1/2 c. oil
1 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt

Steps

1. Add garlic to oil and let stand for 20 mins.
2. Preheat oven to 350
3. Remove garlic from oil.
4. Mix bread crumbs, cheeses, pepper and salt.
5. Dip chicken in oil, then crumb mixture. Place in a large shallow baking pan: tucking sides under to form meat roll.
   
6. Pour remaining oil over chicken pieces.
7. Bake uncovered for about 45 mins or until done.
   

Skillet Pizza Caserole

Been meaning to add this one for a few weeks now. We are having it tonight, so it seemed apropos. We both love this recipe. It is one of the few that Jenny can count on me cleaning out the leftovers.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 c. marinara sauce
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
1 (10 oz.) package refrigerated pizza dough
1 Tbs. grated Parmesan

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 425. Cook beef in ovenproof or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Drain and return to skillet.
2. Add marinara sauce; mix well. Sprinkle mozzarella over top.
3. Unroll pizza dough and spread over mixture in skillet. Trim any excess with scissors.
4. Sprinkle top of dough with Parmesan. Bake in skillet until crust is brown, about 15 mins. Remove from oven and let stand about 5 mins.
   

Grilled Greek Chicken Kebabs with Mint-Feta Sauce

serves four

At some point during my freshman year at LSU, my best friend Stacy took me to a Greek-Lebanese Cafe. I had never had Greek food in my life, but was too embarrassed to refuse. Thank goodness. Now I love hummus and gyros and pita and feta and all manner of Greek flavors. We've had these Greek kebabs before and they were delicious!

I made the mint sauce this time and it was SUPER minty. We were not fans. Next time we'll stick with a more traditional tzatziki sauce.


1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into twenty-four 1-inch pieces
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into sixteen 1-inch pieces
1/2 small red onion, quartered, layers separated
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 cup fresh mint leaves


In a resealable plastic bag, combine chicken, zucchini, onion, oil, oregano, and 2 tablespoons vinegar; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and teaspoon pepper. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to overnight).

Heat grill or grill pan to medium. Soak eight 6-inch wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes.

Onto each skewer, alternately thread 3 pieces of chicken with 2 of zucchini and 2 of onion (see below). Grill skewers, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes.

Meanwhile, make dipping sauce: In a food processor, blend feta, yogurt, mint, and remaining tablespoon vinegar until smooth. Serve kebabs with dipping sauce.

French Toast Apple Bake

serves six or so

In our Sunday School class, we take turns bringing in breakfast for the class. I like things we can make ahead. After our first experience with the Breakfast Pizza, we decided that trying to prepare everything the morning of just creates too much stress (and yelling). Today was our turn again so we made this. It has absolutely no redeeming qualities ... which means that of course it was delicious.

Side note: Putting a cookie sheet underneath the pan to catch overflow while cooking is a good idea. Letting it overflow and THEN putting a cookie sheet on the bottom rack of your oven results in an oven fire :) Just so you know. (And just in case you're in the kitchen taking the kids out of their high chairs and you look over and see flames in your oven, FIRST turn off the oven (DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR) and then unfasten the kids as fast as possible and shove them in the living room to go yell for Daddy. And once the fire is out and cleaned up ... put some bowls of vinegar around your house and in your oven to absorb the smoke smell.)

3/4 C butter, melted
1 C brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon (more, if your palate pleases)
2 (21 oz) cans apple pie filling
15 to 18 slices white bread
8 eggs
1 3/4 to 2 C milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Syrup (for later)


Grease/Pam/Butter a 9X13 baking dish

Pour butter into the dish and then sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon into the dish.

Top with the apple pie filling.

In a mixing bowl whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla

Layer the bread slices on top of the apple pie filling, pressing down firmly so that they get all nice and smooshed down onto the apple pie/butter mixture. You can alternate layers of bread with pouring the egg mixture so that every layer is thoroughly saturated. Make sure that you pour SLOWLY, so as to avoid spillovers

Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

Uncover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Drizzle with syrup and put in the broiler for a few minutes to caramelize.

Italian Pot Pies

serves four

Another one from Everyday Food. We're giving this a try tonight to see how it goes. It sounded interesting ...

Oh yum! The biscuit topping was so good. And the flavors in the meat were delicious as well. This one joins the regular rotation for sure!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound ground beef sirloin, thawed if frozen
2 cups homemade or best-quality store-bought tomato sauce
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup whole milk


Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce; bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat mixture has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, Parmesan, baking powder, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; make a well in center, and add butter and milk. Stir just until dough comes together.

Spoon meat mixture into four 8-ounce ramekins; mound dough on top. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake until topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in topping comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.

Honey Chicken Skewers

serves four

These were on the same page as the Teriyaki Burgers in the Real Simple magazine. They sounded good as well so on the menu they went.


1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts


Place twenty 8-inch wooden skewers in water to soak. Heat grill to medium-high. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, honey, and Worcestershire sauce; set aside.

Slice the chicken lengthwise into twenty 1/2-inch-thick strips. Thread each strip onto a wooden skewer. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Lightly oil the grill. Cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes, basting with the ketchup mixture during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Quick Grilled Chicken

serves six

This is off the McCormick website. We grill chicken this way quite a bit. It gives the chicken a great flavor, but it's not overwhelmingly taco-flavored. I'll grill more than we can eat to have extra chicken leftover for salad or sandwiches or casseroles. Yum.


1 package McCormick® Taco Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves


Mix Seasoning Mix, oil, water, lemon juice and vinegar in small bowl. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well.

Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade.

Broil or grill over medium-high heat 6 to 7 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through, turning frequently.

Teriyaki-Glazed Burgers

serves four

One from Real Simple magazine. I just needed something for dinner that used ground beef, but wasn't meatloaf or some homemade form of Hamburger Helper. Oh, and if it broke out of the Italian theme I've got going lately, all the better. We did not serve ours on English muffins. The kids and I ate ours without buns and Dave used slices of bread. I also didn't trouble with the tomatoes or cucumber. Instead I heated up some leftover fries from Chik Fil A and called it good. We just bought a cheap jar of Kroger brand teriyaki sauce.

Results: The flavor wasn't very teriyaki. If I make these again (and I might since I have most of a bottle of teriyaki sauce left), I think I'd mix in some teriyaki sauce with the meat when forming the patties. We liked the flavor, there just wasn't enough of it :)


1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Kosher salt and pepper
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
4 English muffins, split
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
3 Kirby cucumbers, cut into spears

Heat grill to medium-high. Form the beef into four 1/2-inch-thick patties and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Grill the burgers to the desired doneness, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium, basting with the teriyaki sauce during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Grill the English muffins until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Sandwich the burgers in the muffins. Serve with the tomatoes and cucumbers.