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Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | Make Ahead Mondays

April 8, 2013 by Rebecca 15 Comments

Can we have a heart to heart for a moment? I love foods that stink: garlic, feta cheese, olives, braunschweiger, pungent and runny French cheese, onions, and much, much more. And what’s more, I have loved this stanky stuff for as long as I can remember.

Once -when I was a teenager- my mom stopped me as I was on the way out the door to a dance. (And can I get a ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Amen’ of thanks from anyone else who was more than glad to leave those years behind?) She said, “Honey? You may want to consider brushing your teeth or something before you go the dance. You know, since you ate an onion and mustard sandwich and all?”

First of all, it was an onion, mustard and Cheddar sandwich, so there. Second, you’d think my momma would’ve wanted to encourage me to have bad breath since I was so boy crazy. It might’ve made keeping me away from them much easier.

That aside, the point is that stinky food just tastes better, doesn’t it? And today’s recipe combines some of my most loved breath-offenders of all time: roasted garlic and feta cheese.

Everyone knows that feta cheese has an alarming habit of falling off of things. It’s just kind of the way it’s built. That lovely crumbly texture is fine and dandy when it’s in a pilaf, Greek salsa, baked on a pizza, or in spanakopita dip. But you sink your teeth into a sandwich you’ve adorned with the salty, briny, crumbled stuff and it makes like lemmings off a cliff falling off the front, side and anywhere that isn’t already in your mouth. This makes me sad.

Enter my friend Jessica at How Sweet Eats. A month or so ago, she posted Whipped Feta. In one fell swoop, she solved my feta problem and made my breath eternally bad. I almost hopped in my car, drove a couple hours south and kissed her face. She’s probably pretty thankful I didn’t, though, because I decided to spike my whipped feta with a hearty helping of roasted garlic which both makes it even more exciting and even more deadly.

If you’re not already drooling like a teething baby, let me explain what makes this so delicious. Copious amounts of crumbled feta are added to softened cream cheese along with several cloves of buttery roasted garlic.

They’re beaten together mercilessly in the food processor until perfectly smooth.

At this point it’s warm and melty from all the processing. Right then, right there, if you can resist sopping up the inevitable left-behind spread in the food processor bowl with torn hunks of fresh bread, then you’re a far, far stronger person than I am. I am not ashamed to say that when I ran out of bread, I licked the food processor bowl.

People. I’m married. I can do this now just as long as my darling Evil Genius partakes with me. And he does. The man is no fool.

So whaddya do with a big old jar of Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta? Oh darlin’… what don’t you do? I smear it generously on Black Olive Rolls with a handful of greens and call it lunch, apply with abandon to toasted burger rolls before topping with a grilled turkey burger and some baby spinach (Instant Greek Burger! VOILA!), spread it on crackers, serve as dip with vegetables, and top grilled fish with it. Now, given that I’ve only had the stuff handy for about a month, I’m willing to assert that I haven’t even scratched the surface of ways that Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta can be used. How will you use this?

Rebecca

P.S. You’re ahead of the game if you already made your own batch of fantastic homemade feta because it works beautifully here!

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | Make Ahead Mondays

Rating: 51

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | Make Ahead Mondays

The fabulous punch of feta cheese and roasted garlic in a creamy, flavourful spread that is great on sandwiches, burgers, fresh bread, crackers, or as a dip or dolloped into soup.

Adapted from and with grateful thanks to How Sweet Eats who adapted it from the fabulous Ina Garten

Ingredients

8 ounces feta cheese crumbles, brought to room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese (Full fat or 1/3 less fat, according to preference.)
4-8 cloves roasted garlic either purchased or homemade (See this recipe for instructions on roasting garlic.)

Instructions

Fit your food processor with a metal blade and pulse the feta cheese until it is completely broken up into tiny crumbs. It should look like this:

Add the remaining ingredients and process -stopping to scrape down the sides occasionally- until it is completely smooth and creamy, about 4-5 minutes. Scrape into a jar (or jars) with a tight fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/04/08/roasted-garlic-whipped-feta-make-ahead-mondays/

Recipe printed from Foodie With Family | Rebecca Lindamood http://www.foodiewithfamily.com

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Condiments, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: budget friendly, family-friendly, party food, quick and easy

Lemon Cream No-Bake Mini-Cheesecakes

April 4, 2013 by Rebecca 21 Comments

As I type this, spring is actually, kind of, sort of, quite nearly behaving like spring. As in, there’s sunshine and a breeze instead of gunmetal grey skies and a biting wind. Things smell fresh and muddy and I, for one, like it a lot.

I’m feeling sunshiney in the kitchen, too. Our good weather activity level is something just shy of spastic, so I’m breaking out happy, fresh, filling-but-not-heavy recipes.

I’m excited to share a bright and sunny recipe to you today and -oh my goodness- I sure hope it’s as pretty where you live as it is here today. I’m a new member of the Kraft Tastemaker program and this recipe comes together in about five minutes using some of the best loved Kraft products available; Jello instant pudding and Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

Five minutes to creamy, lemony, cheesecake goodness? You want to be all in here, folks.

I use the “1/3 less fat” Philadelphia cream cheese because it’s a better-for-you dessert option. Feel free to choose the fat content of your milk according to your own preference: skim, 1%, 2% or whole milk -or, if you’re so inclined-soy, almond, rice or coconut milk will all work equally well here.

Whip up a batch of these adorable little single-serving size miniature no-bake cheesecakes tonight and save all sorts of time for going to the park with the kids, taking a stroll with your honey, walking the dog, or just generally enjoying the fact that the world seems to be waking back up from it’s winter hibernation. I’d say we’ve all earned a treat!

If you find yourself at my table for brunch one of these days, you’ll probably find these delicious and adorable mini-cheesecakes, along with some other great Kraft brunch recipes. As my boys say, every meal needs a dessert or two to be complete!

Rebecca

Lemon Cream No-Bake Mini-Cheesecakes

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 6 mini-cheesecakes

Serving Size: 1 min-cheesecake

Lemon Cream No-Bake Mini-Cheesecakes

Creamy, dreamy, lemony, no-bake, mini-cheesecakes are as bright and sunshiney a treat as the arrival of Spring!

Ingredients

1 (4 ounce) package 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 box (3.4 ounce size) Jell-O Instant Lemon Pudding
1 1/2 cups of milk
the juice and zest of 1/2 of a lemon
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 individual serving-size pre-made graham cracker crusts ~or~ 6 homemade individual serving size graham cracker crusts.*See Notes
Optional:
Whipped cream and lemon peel for garnish

Instructions

Whisk together the Jell-O Instant Lemon Pudding mix with the milk for 3 minutes, or until completely smooth. Set aside.

Using either a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip the softened cream cheese with the lemon juice and zest, and vanilla extract until it is loose and smooth. Add the lemon pudding to the bowl and mix until everything is evenly combined and smooth. Divide the mixture between the crusts and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

If desired, garnish with a generous amount of whipped cream and some decorate lemon peels.

Notes

*You can, if desired, make one large no-bake cheesecake from this mixture by using one standard graham cracker pie crust; either homemade or purchased.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/04/04/lemon-cream-no-bake-mini-cheesecakes/

Recipe printed from Foodie With Family | Rebecca Lindamood http://www.foodiewithfamily.com

Look for more lemon pudding inspiration!

This post was sponsored by the Kraft Tastemaker Program. All opinions remain, as always, my own.

Filed Under: Desserts, Recipes Tagged With: Desserts, family-friendly, kid friendly, quick and easy, Recipes

Spicy Sweet Pulled Pork Empanadas

April 2, 2013 by Rebecca 4 Comments

It’s time for another installment of “I’m Obsessed with Empanadas”. I’ve made them stuffed with just about everything I can possibly think to stuff in them. The particular empanada recipe I’m sharing today starts with leftover pulled pork. Thi s pulled pork recipe is perfect because it is already spicy enough. If you don’t have any of this kind handy, there’s an easy kludge I’ll share with you, but I do like eliminating work for myself where I can.

…And because I like sweet with spicy, I soaked some golden raisins in rum for a little kick before stirring them into the pork. You could use any variety of raisin you have on hand. The only reason I went with golden ones is that I had an abundance of them. If you’re not a raisin fan, I suppose you could omit them if you’d like, but I think they bring something special to the party.

Rounding out the lineup with the spicy pork and the sweet, rum-soaked raisins is a bit of minced red onion. It adds just enough punch and brightness to make itself known without being overpowering. Now, added to all this is a neat little hand-held, fried package that makes my heart sing.

The longest part of the procedure is soaking the raisins and even that can be hurried a bit if you cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the microwave on HIGH for a minute.

If you have pulled pork and empanada wrappers in the freezer, and raisins, onions, and oil in the pantry, you’re mere moments away from chomping down on crispy, puffy, sweet and spicy pulled pork empanadas. I like to serve them with a side of sour cream that has just a little chopped cilantro and lime juice mixed in for dipping, but they’re equally great nibbled solo or with fresh salsa.

I can’t get enough of the spicy, juicy pork mixed with sweet, slightly rummy raisins and bright crisp-tender onion.

How about you? Are you a fan of empanadas? How about raisins with pork?

XO Rebecca

Spicy Sweet Pulled Pork Empanadas

Rating: 51

Spicy Sweet Pulled Pork Empanadas

Crispy, Spicy Sweet Pulled Pork Empanadas are just moments away when you have pulled pork and empanada wrappers on hand in your freezer. These hand-held meat pies get a little extra kick from minced red onion and raisins soaked in golden or dark rum. Serve these as a blockbuster appetizer or movie night main dish.

Ingredients

2/3 cup seedless raisins
2/3 cup golden or dark rum
3 cups fully cooked pulled or shredded pork *See Notes
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced or pressed
Optional: one chipotle from a can of chipotles in adobo, mashed with a fork
2 10-count packages frozen empanada wrappers (I use Goya Discos)
Enough canola, vegetable, or peanut oil or lard to fill a high-sided pan or skillet with 2-3 inches.

Instructions

Put the raisins in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the rum over the top and cover with plastic wrap. Let the raisins soak in the rum for at least an hour or overnight. **See Notes.

If there is any rum that has not been absorbed by the raisins, pour it off carefully. Toss the raisins with the shredded pork, minced onion, garlic, and chipotle (if using) until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

Lightly roll out each empanada wrapper (just to thin it out a bit) and place about 2 tablespoons of the filling slightly off center. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling and crimp the edges with a fork. If desired, you can fold and crimp the edges decoratively as well.

Heat your oil to 350°F. Line a plate with several thicknesses of paper towels. Carefully lower only as many empanadas into the oil as can fit with quite a bit of extra room for them to move about as they fry and expand. Fry the empanadas for 3-4 minutes, turning about halfway through frying, or until they are a deep golden brown. Remember that they will continue to darken when they are removed from the oil. Transfer the cooked empanadas to the paper towel lined plate and let cool slightly before serving.

Serve with fresh salsa or sour cream with cilantro stirred into it.

Notes

*I use this recipe because it is already spicy. If you don't have leftovers of a spicy pork, you can crush one chipotle from a can of chipotles in adobo and stir it into the pork to approximate the spice and flavour levels.

**If you're in a big hurry for empanadas (and who can blame you?) put the plastic wrapped covered bowl into the microwave and microwave on HIGH for 1-2 minutes, or until the raisins have plumped and absorbed much of the rum. Pour off any excess rum and proceed as directed above.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/04/02/spicy-sweet-pulled-pork-empanadas/

Recipe printed from Foodie With Family | Rebecca Lindamood http://www.foodiewithfamily.com

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Main Dish, Meat Tagged With: budget friendly, family-friendly, Frugal Food, kid friendly, party food, quick and easy, quick meal

Peanut Butter Molasses Ginger Chews

March 27, 2013 by Rebecca 15 Comments

Cookies are the instant gratification fix of the food world. You mix things together, you scoop, you bake and you iiiiiiinhale them. Or at least that’s what I do. This recipe was developed at the request of my dear-ole-dad who asked me to find a road-tested peanut butter and molasses cookie recipe for him. I couldn’t. So I did what any self-respected recipe developer would do.

I made one up. Then I tested it like I was doing a recipe for a company, because people, this is my DAD we’re talking about. I don’t give him lousy recipes. Something about owing my life -in part- to him, blah blah blah.

I put everything my dad loves in a cookie into one little chewy, crispy package: peanut butter, molasses, and ginger. And Dad specifically asked that I make it “not-cakey”. He said, “Crispy and chewy are both fine, but if I want cake, I’ll eat cake.”

Understood.

The addition of peanut oil to this recipe helps it to spread while it bakes. This does double duty- it prevents cakiness and it adds a bit of crispiness to the edges. I call these “The Incredible Morphing Cookies” because when they come out of the oven, they’re domed and puffy and soft.

As they sit on the cooling racks, they deflate a bit. When they’re completely cooled, they become crisp. When you transfer them to a cookie jar and let them rest overnight, they remain crisp at the edges and soften to chewy inside. Every single stage is delicious. I highly recommend eating a couple at each point. You know, for scientific reasons.

Peanut Butter Molasses Ginger Chews

Rating: 51

Peanut Butter Molasses Ginger Chews

These crisp-yet-chewy cookies are full of good stuff: peanut butter, molasses, white whole wheat flour, ginger, butter and more. They are simple, fast and taste like Mary Jane candies!

Ingredients

2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup peanut oil (or vegetable or canola oil)
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat.

Cream together the sugar, peanut butter, butter, oil, molasses and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl until smooth.

Sift the flours, baking soda, ginger and salt together then add to the peanut butter mixture. Beat on low or stir in the flour until it is well mixed and even.

Use a small cookie scoop or a teaspoon to scoop the cookie dough into mounds that are about 2 teaspoons worth of dough. Roll the dough into balls and roll the balls in the extra sugar to coat completely.

Place the sugar coated cookie dough balls in 5 rows of 4 (using an extra cookie sheet if necessary to make sure you have at least 2 inches between each cookie dough ball.)

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are set in the center and firm at the edges.

Let the cookies cool on the pans for 2 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Store at room temperature in a cookie jar or other airtight container.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/03/27/peanut-butter-molasses-ginger-chews/

Recipe printed from Foodie With Family | Rebecca Lindamood http://www.foodiewithfamily.com

Filed Under: Cookies, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: budget friendly, cookies, dessert, family-friendly, kid friendly, quick and easy, seasonal, Vegetarian

Slow-Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken | Make Ahead Mondays

March 25, 2013 by Rebecca 21 Comments

That is a sandwich you need in your life right now. Luckily, it takes little time to accomplish such a sandwich even though the Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken is made in the slow-cooker. Before I go any further, I’d like to thank Kalyn from Kalyn’s Kitchen for her original recipe that inspired my version you’re seeing here today.

Now, let’s get into what makes this chicken so very good. I am a chicken breast lover in a dark meat chicken loving household. Most often, I use chicken thighs because it seems to be a happy medium and it’s usually far less expensive per pound. This chicken, however, starts with boneless, skinless chicken breast. Mrawrrrrrrrr.

Although all by itself, boneless, skinless chicken breast tends to cook more quickly than dark meat chicken, it gets a boost here by being trimmed, cut in thirds lengthwise and then in half crosswise. What this does for us to reduce the cooking time even further. You start it cooking on HIGH for an hour then drop it to low for the remaining two hours. That’s right. Three hours to slow-cooked perfection. That means that you might even be able to squeeze this in on a week night.

Cutting the chicken thusly serves another purpose, too, though. It sets it up for shredding more quickly and into more manageable bite sized pieces. See? This is the chicken straight from the slow-cooker.

And two forks and five minutes later…

As for the sauce, there’s nothing complicated to it. I drop all the ingredients in the blender (including the onion and garlic) and whizz ’til smooth. If you’re blender-averse (or blender-less) you can chop the onions and garlic separately then whisk it into the liquid ingredients before adding to the slow-cooker. When you take the chicken out of the slow-cooker, simply pour the sauce into a saucepan and reduce it over high heat until it’s thick. You return the chicken to the slow-cooker while it’s reducing, then pour the thickened, reduced sauce over the chicken and toss. Fast and fabulous is hard to beat.

This recipe also holds the distinction of being something every one of our family members loved. My kids like spicy foods, so we went with the high end of the Sriracha. If you have more delicate taste buds in your crew, reduce that down, but don’t omit it; it delivers such flavour, the chicken would be lost without it.

So why is this a Make Ahead Monday recipe? Because this recipe feeds my hungry horde two full meals! It’s hard to believe that six little boneless, skinless chicken breasts could stretch like that, but it does. And you could easily increase it to the point where you’ve filled your slow-cooker. In that case, it might take just a wee bit longer to cook, but the end game remains the same: tasty honey tinged gently spicy barbecue shredded chicken for topping salads, pizzas, sandwiches, and more.

Speaking of sandwiches, I chose to serve the chicken on toasted whole wheat buns with a simple salad of cucumber ribbons (just cut a cucumber in quarters lengthwise and use a vegetable peeler to cut the ribbons) and fresh cilantro leaves. That was topped -in turn- with a runny-yolked fried egg.

It’s eye-roll-into-the-back-of-your-head good. Really. Just look at that. I can’t help myself around runny yolked eggs. I get weak in the knees with joy. I lose control of my better senses; I lick the plate in front of my children.

So today, YES, please today, make yourself a batch of this chicken and divide it into meal sized portions. You’ll be so glad you did!

XO,

Rebecca

Slow-Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken | Make Ahead Mondays

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours, 10 minutes

Slow-Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken | Make Ahead Mondays

Gentle sweetness from honey brings out the best of the tasty heat from Sriracha in this great Slow-Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken. Pile the chicken high on sandwiches topped with a cucumber, cilantro salad, and a fried egg ~or~ on a tossed salad, in tacos or on a chicken fajita or barbecue pizza. Leftovers store beautifully in individual portions in the freezer.

Adapted from and with thanks to Kalyn's Kitchen

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

3/4 cup ketchup
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped (*See Notes)
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped (*See Notes)
1/2 cup honey
1-3 tablespoons of Sriracha, depending on your heat tolerance
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

For the Chicken:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed of visible fat
salt and pepper to taste, but don't add until the sauce has been reduced.

For the Sandwiches:

1 English cucumber, cut in quarters lengthwise then into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
fresh cilantro leaves, to taste
1 fried egg per sandwich
1 whole wheat sandwich bun per sandwich

Instructions

Cut the chicken breast into three strips lengthwise, then cut once crosswise. This will reduce each chicken breast into 6 pieces for faster cooking and shredding when it is done. Lay all of these in the bottom of a slow-cooker crock.

Place all of the sauce ingredients in a blender, fix the lid in place, and blend on HIGH until smooth. Pour this over the chicken in the slow-cooker. Put the slow-cooker lid in place and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. At that time, reduce the heat to LOW and cook for another 2 hours or until you can pick up a large piece of chicken with the tongs and break it in half easily by pressing it against the side of the slow-cooker crock.

Use tongs to transfer all of the chicken to a cutting board. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and place it over medium high heat to reduce, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. While it reduces, use two forks to shred the chicken and return the shredded chicken to the slow-cooker on the Keep Warm setting or off, but either way, put the lid on to keep the chicken warm and prevent it from drying out.

When the sauce is reduced, pour it over the chicken and use the tongs to toss to coat it with sauce. Taste the chicken and adjust with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot on a toasted whole wheat sandwich bun topped with cucumber ribbons, cilantro leaves and a fried egg, cold on salads, tucked into tacos or baked on pizzas.

Leftovers can be frozen in individual meal-sized portions in airtight containers.

Notes

*If you do not have a blender, finely chop the onions and garlic and whisk them into the liquid sauce ingredients before pouring over the chicken in the slow-cooker.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/03/25/slow-cooker-honey-sriracha-barbecue-chicken-make-ahead-mondays/

Recipe printed from Foodie With Family | Rebecca Lindamood http://www.foodiewithfamily.com

Filed Under: Chicken and other Poultry, Happy Healthy and Wise, Make Ahead Mondays, Meat, Rebecca, Recipes, slow-cooker Tagged With: budget friendly, family-friendly, Frugal Food, kid friendly, party food, quick and easy, Snacks, Super Bowl

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Energy Bars | Make Ahead Mondays

March 18, 2013 by Rebecca 11 Comments

Time again for Tasty Penance wherein I apologize for all the fattening recipes I give you by offering a super healthy one that still tastes great. I present to you: Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Energy Bars! They taste ever so much like a proper oatmeal raisin cookie but they are good for you. How good for you? They’re made entirely of dates, raisins, almonds, oats, cinnamon, vanilla and a wee pinch of salt. This is the home version of the fancy-pants energy bars (Cliff, Lara, etc…) for which you almost need a second mortgage if you want to eat them regularly.

Since they are essentially dried fruit and nuts with just a little bit of this and that thrown in, they are -if eaten in large amounts- very caloric which would seem to defeat the whole Tasty Penance idea, right? The saving grace here is that it doesn’t take a huge energy bar to deliver that pick-me-up and burst of power you want. Dried fruits and nuts eaten together are very filling. Additionally, the carbohydrates from the fruit give you a quick blast of energy while the protein from the nuts make you stay satisfied longer. So a small energy bar gives you a lot of bang for your caloric buck. Besides that, we’re talking iron, calcium, tannins, beta-carotene, potassium, maganese, magnesium, copper, lutein and FIBER all in one tasty little package.

Since these are little powerhouses of nutrition, they make a great mid morning or afternoon snack. Pop one or two in your kids’ or loved ones’ lunches. Deliver some to a friend who just had a baby or a shut-in. Stuff a couple in your mail carrier or UPS person’s hand. I guarantee smiles of surprise and contentment.

Some Tips for Energy Bar Success:

Because dates can vary widely in their moisture content (depending on age, proper storage and other extenuating circumstances) use the amount of nut butter called for as a starting point. Don’t feel obliged to stop at two tablespoons if the mixture isn’t clumping. Be patient, add more little by little until the mixture holds together without crumbling when squeezed in your hand.
When pressing the mixture into the pan, really push down as hard as you can without breaking the pan. Pay some extra attention around the edges, being sure to press them as firmly as you did the center so the edges don’t crumble when removed from the pan. You can use your hands, a little roller or the edge of a sturdy (not glass) cup to do the job, just do press down.

Taste the mixture as you go along and adjust with more cinnamon, more vanilla, more of whatever you like personally. Since there are no ‘dangerous’ ingredients in this, you can taste to your heart’s content and make it exactly what you want it to be.
If you want these to be truly raw in the ‘raw, living foods’ sense, don’t toast the oats before grinding them. Personally, I prefer the taste of toasted oats, but it’s strictly optional.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Energy Bars | Make Ahead Mondays

Rating: 41

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Energy Bars | Make Ahead Mondays

These tasty little morsels made of dates, raisins, almonds, toasted oats, cinnamon, and vanilla taste just like oatmeal cookies, but deliver a serious nutritional punch while providing energy to get done what you need to do.

Ingredients

2 cups pitted dates
2 cups raisins
2 tablespoons nut butter (Peanut butter, sunflower butter, cashew butter, almond butter, etc...)
1 1/2 cups raw or toasted almonds
3/4 cup raw or toasted quick or rolled oats (*See Notes)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Line a 9-inch x 13-inch straight sided pan with a piece of parchment paper so that the paper hangs over the long edges. Set aside.

Add the almonds and oats to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Fix the lid in place and pulse until the mixture inside resembles fresh bread crumbs.

Add in the cinnamon and salt and pulse a couple of times to combine. Pour this into a large mixing bowl.

Add half of the dates, half of the raisins and about half of the vanilla extract and process until a paste forms and clumps together in the workbowl. Open the food processor and add in 1 tablespoon of the nut butter and half of the ground nuts and oats. Replace the lid and process until evenly combined. Scrape into the prepared pan.

Repeat with the remaining dates, raisins, vanilla, nut butter and nuts/oats.

When all of the ingredients have been thus processed, wet your hands and use them to press the mixture as evenly over the bottom of the pan as possible. Fold the excess parchment over the bars to cover them and use something flat and heavy to press down firmly on the mixture until it is smooth.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before moving onto the slicing.

To slice:

Use the excess parchment paper like a sling to transfer the now-firm bars from the pan to a large cutting board.

Cut into desired size (I prefer to cut 9 rows of 6 squares) and store in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container. An unrefrigerated bar will be good for 48 hours, covered, at room temperature.

Notes

*To toast oats, pour the oats into a dry, heavy-bottomed frying pan large enough to hold the oats in a single layer. Place the pan over medium-high heat stirring occasionally until they smell nutty and are golden brown. Pour into a bowl or onto a plate until cool enough to handle comfortably. Voila! Toasted oats!

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/03/18/oatmeal-raisin-cookie-energy-bars-make-ahead-mondays/

Recipe printed from Foodie With Family | Rebecca Lindamood http://www.foodiewithfamily.com

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Happy Healthy and Wise, Make Ahead Mondays, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: Breakfast, family-friendly, kid friendly, quick and easy, seasonal, Snacks, Vegetarian

The Friday Fifteen: March 15, 2013

March 15, 2013 by Rebecca 12 Comments

It’s Friday the 15th! And I have the Friday Fifteen today! This is all too tidy, so I’m putting -at my father’s suggestion- sixteen links into this post. I clearly have an authority problem.

See that picture up top? That is one of my newly favourite dishes ever, ever, ever. I tasted one at Rick Bayless’s Frontera at Chicago’s O’Hare airport and almost wept with joy. Yes. I loved airport food. I loved it so much that I made my own. If you haven’t tried it yet, you’d best do it soon. You’ll regret the time you’ve lost not eating it if you don’t.

There’s been so much great stuff out there this week for Saint Patrick’s Day… You KNOW how I feel about corned beef, so it figures largely in this week’s roundup. And colcannon? Forget it. How could you go wrong with mashed potatoes, greens, onions, butter and cheese?

Main Dish Madness:

Favourite Slow Cooker Recipes by Add A Pinch. Dear Robyn has collected her favourite slow-cooker recipes from her site. Can I just personally put in a word for every single one of the recipes she included? Her Balsamic Roast Beef and Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas are on our regular rotation around here. Oh, and BONUS! She’s giving away a most fabulous slow cooker. Get on over there and enter, people!

Corned Beef Poutine with Guinness Gravy by Closet Cooking. My word. French fries, corned beef, Guinness gravy, melted cheese. Mercy. I’d probably just have to sit alone eating this so I wouldn’t have to talk to anyone thereby ruining the joy of the experience.

Baked Tilapia with Pecan Rosemary Topping by Cookin’ Canuck. I am a fish nut and this tilapia looks beyond tempting with its sweet, spicy, crunchy, nutty topping.

How to Make your Own Corned Beef by Black Girl Chef’s Whites. Yes, yes, yes. This is how I feed my corned beef habit at less than a billion dollars per pound and it’s so easy and so gratifyingly delicious. Try it out. Now, you won’t have it done in time for St. Pat’s, but who cares? Corned beef is for the year round!

Appetizing Appetizers and Snacks:

Chipotle-Cheddar Broiled Avocados by Eating Well. Oooooooh yeaaaaaaaah. I’ll take five. Make it six. We wouldn’t want to leave that poor avocado half hanging, would we?

Ricotta Crostini Party by Honestly Yum. This tray full of thin, crispy crostini topped with ricotta cheese and all sorts of lovely toppings actually makes me angry. Angry because I’d have to employ strategy to prioritize which one to eat first to ensure I get my favourites. Radishes, smoked salmon with dill, honey with blueberries or nuts, strawberries with aged balsamic vinegar, cucumbers and herbs? Holy man. I’d have to lock myself in the closet and eat them all by myself.

Reuben Style Potato Skins by Simple Comfort Food. Hubba hubba! Potato + Corned Beef + Sauerkraut + Swiss Cheese= Happy, happy me. This is happening.

Deadly Desserts:

Chocolate Pretzel Nachos by Gimme Some Oven Are you even kidding me? Would you look at those? Pretzel chips topped with chocolate chips, a fudgy sauce, mini marshmallows and SPRINKLES! GAH! I about died when I saw these. My kids begged for me to make them. They’re on the docket for this Saturday’s nacho-fest.

Nutella Peanut Butter Chewies by Seeded at the Table. These cookies made me do a double take. No flour? Nutella, peanut butter, powdered sugar, egg and vanilla. Hey, these are gluten-free! And boy do they ever look good! Nikki says they’re crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I can’t wait to give these a whirl for myself!

Classic Shamrock Shake by The Naptime Chef. There are not words to describe my obsession with Shamrock Shakes. Oh, and I’m pretty sure I mentioned once or fifteen times that I gave up frozen treats for Lent so you know that means I won’t have one from The Golden Arches this year. I will, however, have every single ingredient in my pantry/fridge that I need to make this on Easter Sunday.Woot woot!

Chocolate Amaretto Crepe Cake by Sprinkle Bakes. This take on a classic French dessert is sure to be a head turner. We are talking about a visually stunning dish that tastes equal to its looks; layer upon layer of whisper thin crepes filled with a chocolate amaretto ganache then frosted. When you cut into it, you have so many layers of lusciousness that it can be overwhelming in a good way!

Beautiful Beverages

Homemade Bailey’s Irish Cream by Averie Cooks. Make your own Irish Cream in a blender. Okay. If you insist. I’d be happy to. Thank you. Mwah!

Cool Gadgets

Magimix by Robot-Coupe. This is my only recommended gadget this week. I received one for review and have been putting this thing to the grindstone for several weeks. If you want to buy a food processor, do yourself a favour and save up until you can get this one. I’ve paid my own money for other big name food processors and been terribly disappointed by the shoddy, lightweight construction and anemic power behind them. This one is heavy and serious. I LOVE that it doesn’t hop around on the counter while I’m using it. I adore that it blitzes whatever the heck I put in it in record time. I can’t get over how sharp those French blades are. I used the commercial equivalent of it when I worked in restaurant kitchens and loved it then and love it even more now. I know the reputation of the company and I know how great their customer service is and can recommend it without reservation. (Note: I am not compensated for this post or the review. This is NOT an affiliate link. I seriously believe this is the best food processor you can possibly get outside of a commercial kitchen and it’s well worth the money.)

Books, books, books!

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. There’s no getting around it, this book made me weep the ugly cry and jagged sobs. So why am I recommending it? Because I think it is one of the best books in the last decade. Because I think it is crucial to know how very fortunate and blessed American women are. Because Khaled Hosseini is a masterful story teller who pulls you into the story so effectively that you are willing to join humanitarian or missions groups just to go help people around the world. Get it on Kindle:

…Or in paperback. It’s hard to beat a used copy for a penny plus three dollars in shipping!

Or go to your library and get on the waiting list for it for free, but do read it. And when your sons and daughters are old enough, have them read it, too. It’s that important.

A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind at the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and Many Waters by Madeleine L’Engle. It’s hard for me to explain just how much these junior fantasy books mean to me. I read them first when I was about thirteen years old; they were gifts from my Aunt Molly. They transported me completely to the world of the O’Keefe children that I almost could’ve sworn that I was the red-headed, awkward, hot-tempered, glasses-wearing Meg O’Keefe. Madeleine L’Engle is widely considered to be a children’s author, but I’ve reread these books several times as an adult and gotten something new and deep from them on each reading. In fact, my best friend of years-upon-years and I had a discussion over the phone about Charles Wallace’s farandolae and mitochondria and how it’s a metaphor for what society is experiencing with perpetual childhood. Don’t let that scare you off of the books, though… Give them to your favourite tween or teen or read them yourself and see what I mean. And if you haven’t read them yet, do yourself a favour and start one on a dark and stormy night while snuggled under your quilt. Oh what fun!

Magnificent Movies

Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki. Yes, this is an animated film. This acclaimed and award winning fantasy is about Chihiro, a young girl trapped in a world of traditional Japanese spirits. Despite her fears, she perseveres in order to help save her parents who have undergone a mysterious transformation. Miyazaki has an unparalleled ability to use silence and quiet to fill the spaces that would normally be filled with chatter taking a film that could’ve been merely good and making it great. All of my kids (ages 6-15) love this movie and I can happily recommend it to that age group and above. I do suggest that if you have kids who are particularly susceptible to tension in movies, you may want to preview it. Personally, I put this movie firmly in my top-five-films-of-all-time list. It is heartwarming, magical, sweet, cautionary and redemptive all at the same time. Don’t just take my word for it, though, look at the other reviews for it!

Filed Under: Friday Fifteen: Link Love Tagged With: family-friendly, seasonal, Snacks

Reuben Egg Rolls and Thousand Island Dipping Sauce

March 13, 2013 by Rebecca 18 Comments

A couple of months ago, my little sister sent me a hilarious exchange from NPR’s Sandwich Monday about Reuben Egg Rolls. I’m pretty sure I haven’t mentioned it here before, but I am straight up obsessed with Reuben sandwiches. As in perilously close to having named one of my children Reuben obsessed. My husband was thinking more clearly and steered me away from it by asking something like, “Would you name one of them Monte Cristo?” Well no, I’m not THAT crazy.

But I remain bonkers over Reubens. There’s something borderline mystically perfect about the crispy rye bread, salty corned beef, briny sauerkraut and creamy Thousand Island dressing that makes me lose all willpower. This particular little sister who sent me the link is just as wacky over Reubens as I am, so I sent her a text: “You know I’m going to have to make these right?” Her response was, “YESSSSS. It worked!”

…And work it did. I finely chopped some leftover baked corned beef, rinsed and chopped sauerkraut, shredded Swiss cheese, and just a pinch or two of caraway seeds to mimic the rye bread. Like Hackney’s in Chicago (the restaurant featured on Sandwich Monday) I decided to leave the Thousand Island as a dipping sauce. Homemade, of course!

I deep fried (duh) but they could’ve been baked, too. Baking would have robbed them of some of that shatteringly crisp egg roll wrapper exterior that I love so dearly, but if your fear of the deep-fryer is standing between you and a batch of Reuben Egg Rolls, I’m advising you to bake them. I’ve included instructions for both cooking methods in the recipe.

I posted a picture of the finished product to Instagram and within two minutes had a triumphant text from my sister that read, “YOU DID IT!” Oh, I surely did. And I’m making a batch to share with her when she comes to visit at the end of the month… She and I will sit and lose ourselves on a platter of Reuben Egg Rolls.

I highly suggest you make far more corned beef than you think you’ll need for Saint Patrick’s Day this coming weekend when all the world is Irish. You might even consider skipping the whole boiled dinner and going straight to these egg rolls for your Saint Pat’s feast. I guarantee you won’t get many objections.

Rebecca

P.S. My husband ate these happily with the Thousand Island dipping sauce, but insisted I tell you all that he really enjoyed them with wasabi, horseradish, spicy brown mustard, and Mae Ploy, just not all at the same time.

Reuben Egg Rolls and Thousand Island Dipping Sauce

Rating: 51

Reuben Egg Rolls and Thousand Island Dipping Sauce

This irresistible twist on the classic Reuben sandwich features shatteringly crisp egg roll wrappers stuffed with salty corned beef, briny sauerkraut, nutty Swiss cheese and a pinch or two of caraway seed to mimic rye bread. Dunk in homemade Thousand Island Dip or serve with horseradish, wasabi, or spicy brown mustard.

The recipe includes instructions for deep frying or baking the egg rolls.

Ingredients

For the Reuben Egg Rolls:

24-36 egg roll wrappers (not won ton sized)
1 1/2 to 2 pounds leftover baked or thickly sliced deli corned beef
1 packed cup sauerkraut (preferably not canned)
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon caraway seed (optional)
2-3 inches of peanut, canola or vegetable oil or shortening in a high-sided, heavy-bottomed pan

For the Thousand Island Dressing:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup minced sweet onion
3 tablespoons ketchup
a pinch of cayenne pepper

Instructions

To Prepare the Thousand Island Dipping Sauce:

Use a fork or whisk to combine all of the dressing ingredients. Scrape into a container with a tight fitting lid and let it rest in the refrigerator while you prepare the egg rolls.

To Prepare the Reuben Egg Rolls:

Place the sauerkraut in a colander and rinse over the sink. Squeeze as much excess liquid from the sauerkraut as you can, then transfer it to a cutting board and coarsely chop it so the largest pieces are 1/4-inch big. Put this in a large mixing bowl.

Coarsely chop the corned beef so that the largest pieces are no bigger than 1/4-inch. Transfer the corned beef to the mixing bowl with the chopped sauerkraut, add the shredded Swiss cheese and the caraway seed (if using.) Use your hands to toss the ingredients together so that everything is evenly combined.

Set the mixing bowl next to a clean cutting board that is set up with a small bowl with fresh water in it (for moistening the egg roll wrapper edges) and your pile of egg roll wrappers. On the other side of the cutting board, you should have a clean pan to hold your rolled-but-not-yet-cooked egg rolls.

Place a single egg roll wrapper with one point facing toward you and one away. Dip your finger in the bowl of water and moisten the two edges farthest away from you. Scoop 1/4-cup of the corned beef filling onto the egg roll wrapper just slightly closer to you than the center of the wrapper. You can use your hands to slightly compress the filling together if you find it is too loose. Lift the tip of the wrapper closest to you and fold it up and over the filling. Use this to help compress the filling but do it gently so you don't spring a leak in your wrapper. Fold the points on either edge toward the center like an envelope, then -using your hands to tuck in the edges as you go-, roll the egg roll away from you until the whole thing is a tight cylinder. Try to avoid holes in the wrapper as they can cause leaking melted cheese and therefore splattering during the frying process. Gently press the final edge to help seal it and lay it on the clean pan you prepared for it. Repeat until the filling is used up.

You will get anywhere between 24 and 36 egg rolls depending on how consistent you are with filling the wrappers and how much snacking you do of the filling while you roll them.

To Deep Fry the Reuben Egg Rolls (Preferred Method):

Bring the frying oil to 350°F. (*See Notes) When it reaches temperature, carefully lower as many egg rolls into the oil as you can fit without overcrowding the pan. The egg rolls should be able to move around the pan as they cook. Cook the egg rolls for about 3 minutes, flipping once or twice with tongs during the cooking, or until they are golden brown. Keep in mind they will darken somewhat when removed from the oil, so don't cook them until they're dark golden brown. You may find some of them don't want to stay flipped when you flip them which would prevent one side from cooking to crispy perfection. If this happens, use the tongs to hold the uncooked side in the oil for a few seconds to help the process.

Transfer the cooked egg rolls to a pan lined with several layers of paper towels. Let rest for at least a minute before serving with Thousand Island Dip or the dressing or sauce of your choice.. While these are definitely best hot, they are also good at room temperature.

To Bake the Reuben Egg Rolls:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray both sides of the finished egg rolls with non-stick cooking spray and lay them -not touching- on a baking sheet. Bake until the wrappers are golden brown and the Swiss cheese is melted inside. While these are definitely best hot, they are also good at room temperature.

Leftovers can be frozen on a sheet pan then transferred to a freezer bag and reheated in a 350°F oven until heated through.

Notes

*If you have a deep fryer you can definitely use it for this recipe, just set the oil temperature to 350°F and fry when it comes to temperature!

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/03/13/reuben-egg-rolls-and-thousand-island-dipping-sauce/

Recipe printed from Foodie With Family | Rebecca Lindamood http://www.foodiewithfamily.com