Fast Herbed Potatoes

Need a potato side dish in a hurry? It is possible to have something ready in 10 minutes or less, using just 4 ingredients.

Ingredients:

Potatoes, sliced and cubed to whatever size you want
Butter--approximately 2 Tbsp.
Herbs of your choice (I used thyme and basil)
salt & pepper--a dash of each, optional

Simply cube the potatoes to the size you desire, keeping in mind that the smaller the potatoes are sliced, the faster they will cook up.  Melt the butter and pour over the top of the cubed potatoes, adding the herbs and salt/pepper at this time also. Stir the potatoes to coat with the butter/herb mixture, then place the bowl of potatoes into the microwave and cook them for 5-10 minutes, stirring once, about halfway through. (As different microwaves cook at different levels, you will need to check and see if your potatoes need to cook a little longer.)

Summer Squash Pizza

Let me start out by saying that I am not a fan of anything in the squash family. I want to like squash and I am doing what I can to convince myself I like squash. And since I grow summer squash in the garden for certain family members who DO like squash, it's definitely on the menu at this time of the year. I have discovered 2 ways in which I can handle eating squash...one of those ways is roasted on the grill. The second way, which I am going to show in this post, is disguised as pizza! This is a fast, easy and healthy snack!

Ingredients:

Summer squash, sliced into 1/4" thickness
salt
pepper
pizza sauce
mozzarella cheese
pizza toppings (optional--mini pepperoni, for example)

Baking Temp: Broil (550 degrees)
Baking Time: 5 minutes

Start out by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray the paper with non-stick spray. I then sprinkle both salt and pepper on top of the sprayed parchment paper (I use freshly-grated Himalayan salt and freshly ground peppercorns, but basic salt and pepper will work just as well). Next, slice the squash into 1/4" thick round slices and lay them on top of the parchment paper. For the side that is facing up, give it a quick spray of non-stick spray, followed by salt and pepper.

At this point, you want to place the pan in your preheated oven and allow the squash to bake for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, remove the pan from the oven flip the squash, and bake it for 2 more minutes, allowing it to get a little tender.

Once the 2 minutes is up, it's time to turn the squash slices into pizza! Simply take your favorite pizza sauce (I make my own--a can of tomato sauce, some salt, Italian seasonings, garlic powder, and grated Parmesan cheese), and place dollops on top of each slice of squash:

Next, add cheese (and any other topping you desire):

Pop the tray of pizzas back into the oven for 1 minute. If you like the cheese to be bubbly and a little darker brown on top, allow it to bake for an additional 10-30 seconds.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately while they are nice and warm. They really are pretty good! Hope you enjoy them, too!

Peach Crepes

About once a week I like to make breakfast for dinner, but sometimes I get tired of the same old things. Often it'll be pancakes, which fulfills any cravings for sweet. Other nights it'll be bacon and eggs, which satisfies the desire for something more salty. Tonight I wanted the best of both worlds--a dinner that was both savory and sweet. I made scrambled eggs and bacon for the "salt" factor, but...enter peach crepes for the "sweet" and it's darn near perfection! Using just 2 fresh peaches combined with 4 other ingredients, makes the yummiest filling ever for a basic crepe recipe! Below you will find the recipe for both the crepes and the filling. Don't wait to try this one!

Crepe Recipe:

1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. flour
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. cooking oil

Peach Filling:

2 fresh peaches (skin removed), diced
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sour cream
5 Tbsp. brown sugar
3/4 tsp. nutmeg

**Crepes are not difficult to make, but they take a while to make a number of them. They can be made ahead of time and frozen, with wax paper between each crepe, if you prefer. When serving a larger number of crepes, I will often set the oven to the "warm" setting and allow the crepes to sit in there on a cookie sheet until ready to serve.

Start out by prepping the peach filling as this takes the most time. Peel the peaches, then dice into small pieces. Place them in a bowl along with the softened cream cheese, sour cream, brown sugar and nutmeg. Simply stir all the ingredients until they are well combined. Set the mixture aside and begin to work on the crepes.

For the crepes, preheat a small skillet on the stovetop. Make sure that it's either non-stick or that you use a non-stick spray for best results. As the skillet is warming, combine all the ingredients and mix well, trying to make the batter as smooth as possible. Many recipes call for just 2 tablespoons of batter in the bottom of the pan, but that doesn't make for a very large or filling crepe. So I use closer to 1/4 c. of batter. Lift and tilt the pan as you add the batter so that the bottom of the pan is covered by the crepe. Allow it to cook over med/low heat until it is lightly browned. Flip the crepe and cook it for another minute or two. Remove from the pan and then repeat the above steps until no batter remains.

While your crepes are cooking, you can add the filling to the finished crepe. Simply spoon the peach mixture onto 1/4 of the crepe, then fold the crepe in half and in half again so that your crepe is now triangular in shape. Place filled crepes into a warm oven until all crepes are finished and ready to be served.

Dust with a little confectioner's sugar and serve with just a bit of syrup if you so desire. Enjoy--I guarantee you will! (Everyone in my family raved over them!)

20-Minute Granola

I love granola and have my favorite granola recipe posted here. That recipe is a little more time-consuming and I wanted something I could whip up quickly in its place.  That's why I was excited to come up with another great-tasting granola recipe, but one that is done in almost half the time and using ingredients you are sure to have in your pantry. This isn't the healthiest granola, but it sure tastes good! It's sweet and crunchy and hard to stop eating, so you may want to double the recipe right off the bat!

Ingredients:

3 1/2 c. rolled oats
1/3 c. butter, melted
1/3 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt

Oven Temp: 350 degrees
Baking Time: 20 minutes

In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients, stirring well. Add the oats to this mixture, stirring until all the oats have a light coating.  Place on a cookie sheet or 9x13" pan and bake. After 10 minutes, be sure to stir the granola.  Keep an eye on it at this point--I stirred it two more times, in 5-minute increments. Depending on how your oven bakes, this would be easy to accidentally burn if you aren't careful. Once the granola is a nice golden brown, remove it from the oven. Stir it again so that the granola doesn't stick to the pan.  The granola will get crunchier as it cools.  Serve dry or with milk, or use it to top a bowl of yogurt (along with fresh berries) like we did!  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

If you like peanut butter cookies, then you have to try this recipe!  Super simple and super tasty!! I made these the other night for our dinner guests and almost as soon as I brought the pan out, it was emptied--they are THAT GOOD!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. butter (one stick), softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. M&M's (or chocolate chips or whatever you want with your PB cookie!)

Oven Temperature: 350 degrees
Baking Time: 20 minutes

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well, until a smooth but thick dough forms.  (If your dough is crumbly, go ahead and add a bit more peanut butter.) Gently stir in your M&M's or other add-in.  Place dough into an ungreased 9x13" pan.  You'll need to use your hand to press the dough down and spread it evenly throughout the pan.

Go ahead and bake it. The longer it bakes, the crispier the bar will be, but that also means it will be more crumbly.  I found that 20 minutes exactly was perfect for a nice cookie texture that wasn't falling apart when it cooled.

Allow the bars to cool for about 5 minutes before slicing into squares.  Serve when they have cooled almost completely so that they won't fall apart in your hand. (Or else risk it and eat it with a fork--it tastes just as good! ;))

Bagels

Last week I made bagels for the first time in my life.  I can't believe I waited so long to make them--they were so easy (as most bread things are) and tasted far superior to the ones you buy! That particular day I was in the mood for cinnamon sugar bagels, so that's what we had.  But I am anxious to try making all kinds of varieties--plain, poppy seed, sesame seed, onion, cheese...the list goes on!  Do yourself a favor and make these bagels.  You won't be disappointed!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. warm water
2 T yeast
3 T sugar
1 T salt
4 1/2 c. flour
Any toppings that you intend to use, such as cinnamon or sesame seeds, etc.

Add'l Ingredients:

At least 8 cups of water for boiling the bagels before baking
1 egg white + 1 T water, mixed to together, for an egg wash so you can then add whatever toppings you like.

Oven Temperature: 350 degrees
Baking Time: 35 minutes

In a glass measuring cup, combine the yeast, sugar, and water together and stir. Allow the mixture to stand for 3 minutes.

In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine the flour and salt, mixing well.  Once the yeast has been activated, go ahead and add it to the bowl.  Mix until combined, then knead for 5 minutes.

Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover, and allow the dough to rise until doubled.

Punch down the dough.  If you are making cinnamon bagels, I added about 2 T of cinnamon to my dough and kneaded it in by hand at this point.

Divide the dough into 8 or 10 balls and allow them to rest for 5 minutes. (I always gently cover any bread dough that I work with, with a layer of plastic wrap to help retain the moisture. Don't press it down on top of the dough though--you don't want it to stick!)

After 5 minutes, it's time to shape the bagels.  Have a little flour nearby in case you need it. Using your thumbs, poke a hole in the center of the dough ball and stretch the ball into a bagel shape. Be fairly liberal in your stretching (not to the point that you tear the dough, of course), as the bagel will continue to rise and potentially close the center hole as it expands.  Try to make at least a 1 1/2" hole.  Place shaped bagels onto a baking sheet to rest (covered) for 10 minutes.

At this point you will want to have your large pot of water boiling--it's time to give your bagels a quick bath! They'll need to cook for about 45 seconds total and you will want to turn them halfway through that time period.  I used a pair of tongs to turn the bagels mid-boil, as well as to remove them from the water.  You'll also want to be prepared for when the bagels come out of the water. I set a couple of drying racks on 2 extra cookie sheets--that way the water (and eventual egg wash) could drip and drain as necessary.  Before baking, I transferred them to my favorite cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Now that your bagels have been boiled, it's time to use that egg wash.  Brush a generous coating of egg wash on top of each bagel and then sprinkle on whatever topping you are wanting to use.  This is when I added cinnamon sugar to the tops of my bagels.

Finally, it's time to bake the bagels.  As mentioned earlier, I used parchment paper to avoid any unnecessary drama of bagels sticking to my cookie sheets.  It worked wonderfully.  Halfway through the baking time, go ahead and rotate the bagels on the tray. Don't flip them over (unless you want all your toppings on the baking sheet instead of the bagels), simply lift and turn them a bit to ensure they aren't sticking to the pan and to allow the bottoms of the bagels a better opportunity to evenly bake.

Eventually they will be ready and your family will descend on the bagels like they've never eaten anything quite like them before. They were absolutely delicious, although if you can at all hold off on eating them until they are comfortably warm rather than burn-your-mouth-hot, you'll probably enjoy them even more! ;) Happy baking and even happier eating!

Chicken Salad

Today I wanted to make some chicken salad to put into the whole wheat flatbread I made the other day. Talk about a delicious combo! Chicken salad is so easy to make and it's nice to make as much as you want or need.  And you can add a variety of tasty things to it to suit your desires. This particular time I added celery and onion for crunch, a chopped up apple for a taste of sweet, and added a few peanuts for extra crunch and flavor just prior to serving. But you can change it up by including a different variety of apple or grapes, cashews or almonds, or go for the nothing-added version if that's what you prefer.  Have fun playing around with this recipe--you just can't go wrong!

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or whatever chicken you have on hand)
Mayonnaise
Celery, chopped (optional)
Onions, chopped (optional, or may use onion powder in place of fresh)
Apple, chopped (or grapes, or whatever fruit you wish)
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
Nuts--any variety. **Note that you do not want to add the nuts to the chicken salad mixture unless you don't plan on having leftovers. The nuts have a tendency to get soft if they sit in the mixture for any length of time. It doesn't change the flavor, but I prefer them crunchy.

Start out by cooking your chicken. I usually boil a large pot of the boneless skinless variety on the stove.

Once the chicken is cooked through, you'll want to shred it. Up until recently, I used the 2-fork shredding method. Then my friend told me about this brilliant idea: place the cooked chicken (or any kind of boneless meat you may be working with for a particular recipe) in your stand mixer bowl and use the cookie paddle attachment to shred the chicken.  It works PERFECTLY and you don't have to wait for the chicken to cool down a bit before you can work with it!

Once the chicken is shredded, you can go ahead and start adding whatever you want to it. I tossed in my veggies and fruit first.

Next, add the mayo and whatever spices you are using.

Finally, serve it up on your favorite bread (or serve without bread!). Go ahead and add some lettuce or spinach if you want to sneak in some extra veggies.