Caramelized Apple Salad

This dressing was absolutely delicious to me. The one thing I would do differently, though is dice the apples for the salad instead of slicing. As visually appealing as nice thin slices of apple are, they are somewhat harder to eat in a salad. I would definitely do this again. You could put whatever salad veggies you want as long as you keep the bacon, pecans (or other nut) and apple chunks.

This recipe was adapted from Food52.

Caramelized Apple Salad

For the salad:

• 4 handfuls or 1-2 bags lettuce (your preference)
• 1/4 celery root, peeled and cut into matchsticks (I couldn't really taste this with everything else, so it's up to you to put it in or not)
• 1/2 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
• 3/4 cups pecans, toasted (or your preferred nut - make sure to toast them though. Spritz with cooking spray and cook about 5 min in a 350 degree oven.)
• 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled/cut
• 1 green apple, diced

Caramelized Apple Vinaigrette:

• 2 ounces brown sugar
• 3 ounces plus 1 ounce apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 gala apple, peeled, cored and medium diced
• 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 4 ounces olive oil
• 2 ounces canola oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• salt

In a small skillet over medium heat add 3 ounces vinegar and the sugar. Let it reduce until the color turns a dark caramel color and begins to thicken. You will start to see big foamy bubbles on the surface.

Add the apples and garlic and sauté until the apples are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Remove from heat and put in the blender with the oil, 1 ounce of vinegar, thyme, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Blend until the dressing is emulsified. 

Mix all of your salad ingredients together and top with the dressing. Enjoy.

Raw Granola Bars

The interesting thing about these granola bars is you are supposed to eat them directly from the freezer. Not the most convenient of granola bars but man are they good. I've made 3 different batches, all with different kinds of nuts. The cashew bars were a bit too salty for my tastes, so I would make them with the unsalted, or 1/2 salted nuts next time. 

Then I made some with smoked almonds (I would have used regular, but that was what we had at home - still very tasty, though) and another batch with pecans (my favorite kind of nut and thus my favorite bar). 

Long story short, just use whatever nuts you prefer. You could even use mixed nuts if you wanted to.

This recipe was adapted from Shutterbean.

Raw Granola Bars

• 10 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup nuts of your choice
• 1/2 cup raw oats
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• heavy pinch sea salt

Place the dates, cashews, oats, maple syrup, cinnamon and a heavy pinch of sea salt in the food processor. Process for about 30 seconds until you have a dough that resembles oatmeal raisin cookie dough. 

Place parchment paper in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan (I used some spring clips to hold the paper in place - See this picture for reference, if needed). Place the oat mixture in the pan, and spread evening with your hands. Pat the mixture down evenly and then cover with more parchment paper (it was somewhat difficult to pat down with the paper under it, but doable with the clips). 

Put the baking sheet in a freezer for at least 4 hours (overnight works a bit better). When relatively firm, remove from the freezer and cut into about 1.5x4 inch rectangles (you should be able to get 12 bars at this size). I wrapped them up into individual parchment paper

If they are served at room temperature, the squares apparently get too soft and sticky. They remain chewy when they eaten right out of the freezer.

California Roll Salad

I love Japanese food (including edamame) and I love avocados. This salad is a great blend of flavors and the miso vinaigrette tastes just like something you could find in a Japanese restaurant. I would definitely make this again. I was too lazy to cut the nori nicely, so it was not as pretty as it should have been, but it was tasty.

This recipe was adapted from Shutterbean.


California Roll Salad

• brown rice, cooked and cooled (I made 2 cups for 3 people)
• 1 cup shelled frozen edamame, thawed
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• romaine lettuce, chopped (or your preferred lettuce type)
• 1 cucumber, cut into small pieces
• 1 medium size carrot, shredded
• 4 tsp sesame seeds
• 2 sheets nori, chiffonaded
• 1-2 avocados, chopped
• 1 recipe Green Onion-Miso Vinaigrette (recipe below)

In a small bowl, mix the edamame, rice vinegar and honey together, set aside.

Set out your bowls and divide the ingredients evenly among them. Start with the lettuce, then drizzle dressing on top. Add rice, cucumber, carrot shreds, sesame seeds, and avocado to the lettuce. Drizzle more green onion miso dressing, top with nori, and serve. (Feel free to use more or less of the toppings per serving to taste.)

Green Onion-Miso Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup red miso
• 1 cup roughly chopped green onions
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 cup water

Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Chill until ready to use.

Cinnamon Biscuit

As my brother said...dinner was good but then dessert came out. And it was good! I may not make the most  visually appealing food, but it sure does taste delicious. Yummy, moist biscuits with cinnamon and sugar with a hint of vanilla - what could be better? I apologize for the blurry picture, I thought I had a good one...I was wrong. This was the least blurry of the lot.

This recipe was taken from Two Peas & Their Pod.


Cinnamon Biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp dark brown sugar, divided
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1/2 cup cinnamon chips, divided
• 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease an 8 x 8-inch baking pan and set aside.


In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and salt, breaking up any large clumps in the brown sugar. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of the cream and mix just until combined. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a long, thick rectangle (about 8x16). The dough will be firm, yet wet and sticky.


Slice the rectangle into 8 equally-sized squares. Lay four of the squares in the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and half of the cinnamon chips over each square. Place the remaining biscuit dough squares on top and lightly press the edges to seal. Top the biscuits with the remaining cinnamon chips.


Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the biscuits are slightly golden brown on the outside and just cooked through.


Whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup cream, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract. Lightly drizzle the biscuits with this glaze. Serve immediately.

Rieska

This is apparently a bread originally from Finland. In honor of my plans to go there this summer, I decided to make it. And man was it good. My parents actually went back for more after dinner. That never happens. I was very shocked. It's good plain, or with butter or even with jam too. It seems to be very versatile with toppings. It sort of reminds me of a thick oatmeal pancake - delicious.

This recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour.


Rieska

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup barley flour (they said pumpernickel or rye flour, but my dad doesn't like those, so we chose the last option of barley)
• 1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 500° F. Grease a 9" x 13" pan (I used parchment paper as well to more easily get it out of the pan).

In a large bowl, whisk the oats and flours with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.

Work the butter into the dry ingredients until thoroughly distributed. Stir in the buttermilk. The mixture will be very sticky.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and, using wet hands, pat it out so it fills the pan and spread evenly with a spatula (or something similar).

Bake the bread for 15 to 17 minutes, until the top is light golden brown and springs back when gently touched. Remove the bread from the oven (be careful, the pan will be REALLY hot) and cool it on a rack before slicing. (Pulling the bread from the pan bent the bread slightly and made a crease in it, but that's not a big deal - if that happens, just cut along the crease if it bothers you.)

Roast Acorn Squash

Wow...this was much better than I even expected. The combination of sweet and spicy flavors really went well with the squash. Super easy dish to make and tasty. Makes a wonderful side to any meal. Fun to just scoop out of it's own "bowl" with a spoon. (Sorry about the slightly blurry picture. It just did not want to focus for me and that was the best I could get.)

This recipe was taken from Minimally Invasive.


Roast Acorn Squash

• 2 acorn squash
• cayenne pepper, to taste
• kosher salt, to taste
• brown sugar, to taste
• 2-3 Tbsp butter, softened

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash and dry squash, then cut in half lengthwise (with the ribs). Scrape seeds and pulp from squash halves with a spoon. Smear one tablespoon of butter over the orange flesh of each half (no need to be stingy on this), then sprinkle with remaining ingredients. Place in a baking dish with cut sides up and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour, or until soft (I only needed the 45 minutes). The butter and seasonings will pool in each baked half, making a delicious sauce.

Spicy Turkey Meatballs

I love spicy food - not the spicy food like my mouth goes numb, but I like some heat on occasion. These meatballs fit the bill perfectly. I was worried they would turn out too hot, but I pleasantly discovered they weren't. Super easy to make, which is also a big plus to any recipe. And it's easy to alter the heat by adding or leaving out the Sriracha.

This recipe was adapted from Life's Ambrosia.


Spicy Turkey Meatballs

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/2 yellow onion, minced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons sriracha
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients except oil in a bowl. Mix well to combine. Roll into meatballs (I made 21).

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs until browned (I found flipping them the hardest part of this as they were very fragile and wanted to fall apart). Transfer to a baking dish.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 more minutes or until cooked through. Serve immediately.

Banana Nut Baked Oatmeal

Wow...if you love banana nut bread and oatmeal this is the perfect dish for you. Super delicious and wonderfully filling. Plus it is super easy to make. I'm sure you could put in the nut of your preference, so I use pecans because they are my nut of choice.

This recipe is adapted from Budget Bytes.


Banana Nut Baked Oatmeal

• 1.5 cups (about 3 large) mashed bananas
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 2 cups milk
• 2.5 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Begin preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Mash the bananas well with a fork (the riper they are the easier to mash). Measure the bananas to make sure you have about 1.5 cups.

Whisk the mashed bananas together with the brown sugar, eggs, salt, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Next whisk in the milk, then stir in the oats. Roughly chop/break the pecans and stir them in as well.

Spray the inside of a glass baking dish (8x8 inch or similar size) with non-stick spray. Pour in the oat mixture. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until the center is solid and the edges are slightly golden brown.

Serve warm or refrigerate and enjoy cold! Can eat with maple syrup or milk (or a combination of both is good, too).

Swiss Chard and Meatball Soup

I LOVE this soup. I've made it several times and each time it comes out just a tiny bit different - sometimes the meatballs are mild and sometimes they pack some kick. Either way, it's so comforting and yummy. 


The original recipe uses white beans, but I find it's great without them. It's also pretty simple to make.

This recipe was adapted from Kitchen Culinaire. Feel free to try theirs if you want the white beans.


Swiss Chard and Meatball Soup

Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground turkey (ground pork also works as well, if you prefer)
• 1/4 teaspoon red chilli flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• dash of cayenne and ancho chili powder (use more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
• 2 tablespoons minced yellow onion (I probably use more, but be careful not to use too much our your meatballs will be harder to form)
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Soup:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium leek, sliced and cleaned well of any grit or dirt
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bunch of swiss chard, tough stems removed and sliced into thin ribbons (about 6 cups)
• 6 cups (1 49.5 oz can) chicken stock/broth
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

To make the meatballs place the turkey meat in a medium bowl and add the minced onion, and parsley.  Add the spices to the ground meat, onion and parsley. Season with some more salt and pepper, if desired and mix gently. Form into meatballs (I scoop out portions with a very full Tablespoon then roll with my hands gently to keep them together). Set aside.


In a medium soup pot heat the olive oil and add the sliced leeks. Sauté leeks over low heat until soft and fragrant but take care not to allow the leeks to brown. Once the leeks are cooked down, add the minced garlic and sauté for a minute or so before adding the sliced swiss chard. Cook the mixture until the chard is wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. 


Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper to taste and bring to a simmer. Add the meatballs (With the pot I use, most of the meatballs poke above the liquid a tiny bit, so I usually put them all in, turn them all over immediately, cover the pot, and cook in the simmering soup for 13 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. Check and adjust seasonings. Serve hot!

Chicken & Rice

I bet you wouldn't guess that this is actually mostly cauliflower. It ended up looking like stuffing and it tasted great! I went back for seconds. Don't mind the messy plate in the picture...I almost forgot to take a picture of it at all!

I do admit I cheated a little for this recipe and I just bought a roasted chicken from Los Pollos (a local Mexican chicken restaurant). It went perfectly. If you feel up to actually making your chicken, just season it with spices that are similar to the spices in the rice.


This recipe was adapted from Perry's Plate.


Chicken & Rice

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 green onions, chopped (optional alternative - 1 medium onion, diced and sauteed for 10 minutes prior to the celery being cooked)
• 1 cup celery, finely diced
• 1 head cauliflower, trimmed
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 1-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken (I just shredded the whole chicken)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• chopped fresh cilantro (I don't care for cilantro much so I only put in a tiny amount- if you like cilantro, feel free to use as much as you desire)
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• salsa, to top 

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add celery to skillet and saute for 5 minutes, until tender.

Meanwhile, place cauliflower in a food processor with the "S" blade and process until it becomes the texture of rice. (If you don't have a large food processor, I recommend doing this in 2 batches rather than trying to fit it all in at once.) Add cauliflower to skillet, cover and cook 5-10 minutes, until tender. (At about the 5 minute mark I was planning on putting in the green onions, but forgot to do so.)

Mix chilies and chicken into skillet, then stir in salt, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cilantro, and lime juice.

Serve, topping with salsa if desired.

Makes about 4-5 servings.