Carrot Oatmeal Muffins

Carrot Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rolled oats1 cup all purpose flour1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour1 1/2 cups sugar1 tablespoon baking powder1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs + 1 large egg white
3/4 cup oil
2 cups grated carrot
Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full and bake for approx. 20 minutes. They are done when a knife inserted comes out clean, and tops spring back when lightly touched.

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

3/4 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and oil. Stir in grated carrots. Add to dry ingredients and stir until combined.

Serve warm.

Bacon and Corn Pancakes

Bacon and Corn Pancakes

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2/3 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup canned corn
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
warm maple syrup, for serving

In a medium skillet, cook the bacon pieces until they begin to brown. Add the onion and continue to cook until the bacon is crisp and the onion is softened. Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the bacon mixture for topping the pancakes upon serving- and set it aside.


While the bacon is cooking, combine the flour, chives, baking powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the milk, egg and oil, just until moistened. Stir in the bacon mixture, corn and cheese. The mixture will be thick. If you'd like the griddle cakes to be slightly thinner than those pictured, add a little more milk to thin out the batter.


Heat and grease a large skillet. Pour a heaping 1/4-cup of the batter into the skillet and cook until it is golden brown- 3 to 4 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve stacks of pancakes topped with a sprinkle of the reserved bacon/onion and a good dose of warm maple syrup.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients:

2 lbs. sweet potatoes

1 Tbsp. salt (for cooking water)

2 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling and shaping

1 egg

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into large, similarly sized chunks. Put sweet potatoes pieces in a large pot and cover with water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Cook until tender. Drain thoroughly and return sweet potato chunks to the empty, hot pot. Shake them a bit to help further evaporate excess water in them.

Mash potatoes thoroughly. (I actually used my submersion blender to make sure there were no lumps.) But a large fork or potato masher work, too.

Stir in flour 1/2 cup at a time, until a dough forms. You may or may not need the final 1/2 cup. The dough will be very soft.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop a spoonful of the dough into the boiling water, stir, and let cook until it floats to the surface and then let it cook another 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to remove dumpling sample. If it held together, proceed with the recipe without adding the egg. If it fell apart, stir in the egg - at first the dough will pull apart and all may seem lost. Keep stirring: The dough will come back together. If the addition of the egg made the dough terribly wet, stir in up to another 1/2 cup flour.

Divide dough into four even sections. Working with one at a time, dump dough onto a well floured surface and roll into a 1-inch-thick snake. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces and place on a floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cook dumplings, as described for the sample above, in salted water, being careful not to crowd the pot. Work in batches and keep cooked gnocchi tossed in a bit of butter in a warm oven while you cook the remaining gnocchi. Serve with butter and Parmesan, browned butter and sage, or your favorite pasta sauce.

Blackberry Sourdough Scones

Blackberry Sourdough Scones

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour ( see tip above)
2 C Fresh or frozen Blackberries
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold butter- sliced into 8 pieces
1 cup sourdough starter
1/3 cup milk plus more if necessary)
lemon zest of one lemon
3-4 tablespoons, for brushing, optional
¼ cup sugar, for sprinkling on top, optional

Line a 8 inch cake pan with plastic wrap and fill with 2 Cups blackberries. If your berries are very tender, freeze before hand, this way they will hold their shape a little better.

In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar and lemon zest. Pulse in cold butter until mix resembles course sand. In a small bowl mix milk and sourdough starter ( or sour cream or yogurt) together. Add starter mixture to the food processor and pulse until it just forms a ball ( just a few times) adding a little more milk only if necessary. Dough should be heavy and thick. Don't over work.

Spread the dough over the blackberries and press down gently, into all the corners. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer over night, or for 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove from freezer, remove saran, invert on cutting board. Let sit 15-20 minutes or longer until thawed enough to cut. Cut into 8 equal size pie shape wedges. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar (optional). Place on parchment lined baking sheet, and bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve warm.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
1 (15 oz.) can corn
1 large green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium tomato, diced
1 cup scallions, sliced

1 cup  avocado, diced
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder

Cook quinoa as directed on package.  Once the quinoa is completely cooked, fluff the quinoa with a fork and set it aside to cool.

Drain the black beans and the corn in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water.  Pat dry with a paper towel, and pour the beans and corn into a large bowl.  Add chopped green bell pepper, diced tomato sliced scallions, diced avocado, and chopped cilantro.  

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, black pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder.  Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss well.  

Add the cooled quinoa to the salad and toss well, making sure that the salad is evenly coated with the dressing.  Season to taste with additional black pepper, garlic powder, or chili powder. 

Refrigerate and serve cold.

Graham Crackers

Graham Crackers

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter, chilled & cubed

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


In a food processor or mixer combine the first 6 ingredients.


Add cubed and chilled butter to the mix and pulse/mix until it resembles coarse meal.


Add honey and water and continue to mix until it all combines.


Remove and shape the dough into a flat disk and place between two pieces of parchment paper.


Roll dough out until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into crackers or shapes.


Place cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.


Cool and serve.

Pull-Apart Cheesy Bread

Pull-Apart Cheesy Bread

Ingredients:

1 loaf (round is preferable) sourdough bread

1 pound mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup finely diced green onion, with tops

2-3 tsp garlic salt and pepper

1 tbls red pepper flakes

Cut the bread lengthwise and width wise - without cutting through the bottom crust.  

Place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  

Insert cheese between cuts.  

Combine butter, onion, garlic salt and pepper.  

Drizzle over bread. 

Sprinkle red pepper flakes over bread.

Wrap in foil; place on a baking sheet.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  

Unwrap.  Bake 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serve hot.