Rhubarb Pudding Cake

•  3 cups chopped rhubarb
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour (I used half whole wheat--next time I'll use all whole wheat)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup oil or melted butter

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 T cornstarch
• 2/3 cup boiling water (may try milk or cream next time--don't boil it first, try it warmed or cold. That's what Faith Frederichs does for her cake)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8x8 or 7x11 pan and dump in the chopped rhubarb. In a mixing bowl, stir to combine sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Crack egg on top and add milk and oil. Mix to form a wet batter, then spoon over the rhubarb. Stir sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl and then sprinkle on top of the batter. Finally, drizzle the hot water evenly over top of it all. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until browned and cracked on top.

Basic quick pizza dough

1 T instant yeast 

1 tsp brown sugar 

1 1/2 cups water 

1 t salt 

2 T oil 

3 1/2 cups flour 

Mix all together and knead until smooth. Let dough rest for a few minutes to relax the gluten, then stretch or roll to fit a large pizza pan (or two smaller ~12" ones). Preheat oven to 425 or hotter. You can either bake the dough for 5-6 minutes and then add toppings and bake for another ~10 minutes, or do as King Arthur Flour recommends: "Instead of par-baking the crust, consider leaving off the cheese for the first two-thirds of the bake time. This allows liquid from the sauce and toppings to evaporate, concentrating their flavor. Melted cheese can act like a lid, trapping moisture and making dough soggy instead of crisp. After the edges of the pizza begin to brown, remove from the oven, add cheese, and return to the oven to finish baking."

(recipe handwritten in above "Spago's Pizza Dough" in one of our Parma ward cookbooks)

Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

We made these the other day and they turned out so yummy that we had to write the recipe down!

 1 1/2 cups oat flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 

4 tsp baking powder 

1 T poppy seeds

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c oil

1/4 cup applesauce/yogurt/sour cream

1 duck egg/2 small chicken eggs, yolk and white divided

1 1/2 cups milk 

Zest and juice of one lemon

3 T sugar

Mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl, then dump wet ingredients except for egg whites on top. Stir together. Gently fold in unbeaten egg whites until no more streaks. Add a little milk if it's too thick. Cook as any other pancake recipe. 

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

I got this delicious 100% whole wheat recipe from Lindsey O a few years ago. I adapted it to use powdered milk instead of canned milk.


4 Loaves:
5 cups hot water
1 c instant powdered milk
1 1/2 T salt
2/3 c oil
3/4-1 c honey
3 T instant yeast
10-11 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c vital wheat gluten

5 Loaves:
6 cups hot water
1 1/4 cups instant powdered milk
2 T salt
3/4 cup oil
1 cup honey
3 1/2 T instant yeast
13-14 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup vital wheat gluten

Add the first 6 ingredients, plus half the flour and mix well. 

Dump 3 more cups of flour on top of the mixture, and gently stir the vital wheat gluten into the loose flour. Mix again.

Add remaining flour 1 cup at a time, mixing between additions, until if you scoop a bit of dough on your finger it keeps its shape and doesn't gloop down. Knead in mixer (Bosch speed 2) for about 10 minutes or until stretchy and elastic.

Form into loaves and place in greased 9x5 pans. Let rise until the corners of the pan are filled in and the top of the loaf is about 2 inches above the top of the pan (30-45 minutes).

Bake at 350 until golden brown. 

(I like to let the loaves rise in the oven with light on. Then, leaving the loaves in the oven, I turn it on to 350 and set the time for 30 minutes, without waiting for it to preheat.)

Oat Chocolate Chip cookies

These are adapted from the so-called $250 Neiman Marcus cookies (apparently it's not a true story, but the cookies are delicious!). I swapped out some things to make them a)cheaper (shortening is cheaper than butter, right?), and healthier (to me, I don't worry about the fats but I'd like less sugar and more whole grains). The results were delicious!

•  1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
•  1 cup shortening
•  1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
•  1 1/2 cups brown sugar
•  4 eggs
•  2 teaspoon vanilla
•  2 cups all purpose flour
•  2 cups whole wheat flour 
•  5 cups oatmeal, measure then blend into oat flour
•  1 teaspoon salt
•  2 teaspoon baking powder
•  2 teaspoon baking soda
• Chocolate chips
• chopped walnuts, opt.

Cream together butter, shortening, and sugars. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Add flours and oats on top and stir into the flour the salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir into the wet ingredients. Add chocolate chips and walnuts as desired and mix until just combined. Scoop into 1 inch balls on a cookie sheet, about an inch apart, and bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Rhubarb Crisp

5 1/2 c Chopped rhubarb
1/4-1/3 c honey
1 tsp lime zest
2 T lime juice
2 T Berry syrup (or orange juice)
1 T corn starch

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c quick oats
1/2 c brown sugar

Combine rhubarb, honey, zest, lime juice berry syrup, and cornstarch and place in a greased 8*8 pan. Combine topping ingredients and crumble on top. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or until rhubarb is soft.

Masa Cornbread

We always have maseca corn flour on hand, but we always seem to run out of cornmeal. I've tried several recipes using Masa, and today I was finally happy with how it turned out. We like this cornbread served in a bowl with southern beans ladled over the top. Mmmm...

1 1/2 c corn flour (Masa)
1/2 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c milk
1/4 c oil
2 eggs

1-2 T butter

Preheat oven to 425. Put butter in an 8x8 pan and set it in the oven to melt as the oven preheats. Mix dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl, then add wet ingredients and stir. Pour into prepared hot pan and bake for about 20 minutes, until beginning to brown on top. Remove from pan to cool if you want the edges to stay crispy.

Only Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from chocoloatecoveredkatie.com

2 1/3 c oat flour
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t bkg soda
1/2 c coconut (opt)
chocolate chips (couple generous handfuls)
2 t vanilla
1/4 c milk
2 eggs

Mix dry ingredients well. Add wet ingredients and stir to combine. Scoop onto cookie sheet 1-2 inches apart. Bake at 380 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until look almost done, then let cool on pan for 10 minutes before removing to cooling rack. Yield 46 cookies using my small cookie scoop.

Johnny Cakes

The kids wanted a pioneer breakfast, so I kind of made up this recipe for cornmeal pancakes, and we all loved them!

1 cup cornmeal or corn flour (you may have to add a little extra milk if using corn flour)
1 cup flour (I like to use half oat flour, half AP)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together dry ingredients, then whisk in the wet ingredients until smooth. Cook on a hot, buttered skillet or griddle. Makes about 14-16 pancakes using 1/4 cup batter each.

Shakshuka

I can't believe this recipe isn't already on this blog! We love this breakfast that we discovered in Israel a few years ago.

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 medium brown or white onion, peeled and diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium green or red bell pepper, chopped

4 cups ripe diced tomatoes, or 2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp chili powder (mild)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

Pinch of cayenne pepper (or more to taste-- spicy!)

Pinch of sugar (optional, to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

5-6 eggs

1/2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)

See the full post: http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2010/07/summer-2010-travel-blog-shakshuka/

Meatball Soup

I can't believe we don't have this on the blog yet! This is definitely one of my favorite soups, and my kids are warming up to it now. 5th time's a charm. :) I'm always amazed at how much flavor it has.  It's a very hearty, healthy, delicious meal! I got the recipe from my friend Shay, and she calls it Meatball Minestrone, but in our family it's become simply Meatball Soup.

This is a very forgiving soup, you can put pretty much anything in or leave it out if you don't have or don't like it, after the first 5 ingredients.

Cook together:

15-30 Italian style meatballs

6 cups chicken broth

1 can Italian diced or stewed tomatoes (I use regular diced tomatoes)

1 onion, diced

1 T. Italian seasoning

Add some or all of the following ingredients and bring to a boil:

1 sm. bag baby carrots, or 2-3 carrots diced

1 can green beans

1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas)

1 can kidney beans (or black, pinto, navy, whatever), drained and rinsed

1 can corn, drained

1 sm. can mushrooms

Toward the end of cook time, add:

1 cup small pasta* (like Radiatore, but I usually just use macaroni)

1 cup peas, opt.

1 cup sliced zucchini, opt (I use in the summer)

*Pasta: Either add toward the end of the cooking time (following package directions for cook time), or do as I do and cook it separately, then add to soup or just to individual bowls (I like to store leftover pasta separate from the soup so it doesn't soak up the liquid).

Lemon {Poppyseed or Blueberry} Oatmeal Pancakes

For times when I don't have oat flour made up already, these are quick, easy, and delicious!

• 2 1/4 cups quick oats
• 3/4 cup flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 T baking powder
• 3 T poppy seeds (opt)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 T brown sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 T vanilla
• 1 1/2 large lemon (zest + 4 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice)
• 4 T melted coconut oil (or butter or oil)
• 1 cup blueberries (opt, fresh or frozen)

Mix  dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add milk and stir to combine. Add remaining ingredients except blueberries and stir. Let sit 5-10 minutes to thicken up. Fold in blueberries. Cook on a hot skillet. Makes 12-13 pancakes using 1/3 cup batter for each.

Adapted from A Couple Cooks

Melissa's Molasses Cookies

We first got these from one of Andy's coworkers and they taste just like the gingersnaps my best friend's mom made when I was a kid. I googled it ('cause I'm geeky like that) and apparently gingersnaps are supposed to be crunchy and molasses cookies are supposed to be chewy. Either way, they are delicious!

• ½ c. Crisco shortening
• 1 c. margarine, softened to room temperature
• 1 c. white sugar
• 1 c. packed brown sugar
• ½ c. molasses
• 2 eggs
• 4 tsp. baking soda
• 4 ½ c. flour
• 1 tsp.  cloves
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 375°.  Mix shortening, margarine, and sugars together.  Add molasses and eggs and blend together.  Add rest of the ingredients and mix until well blended. Refrigerate dough until firm.  Roll dough into 1” balls between palms and then roll and coat in white sugar.  Place on cookie sheet 1 ½ to 2 inches apart.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Bake shorter for more doughy cookies and longer for more crispy.

Creamy Chicken Chili

(adapted from Lovely Little Kitchen)
This is such an easy, yummy soup. It reminds me of taco soup in it's simplicity--just dump everything in. Then whip up a white sauce and add it and some cream at the end to make it extra creamy!

• 3-4 chicken breasts (I cook from frozen)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 14.5 ounce can chicken broth
• 4.5 ounce can chopped green chiles
• 15 ounce can white corn, drained (or frozen)
• 15.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 15.5 ounce cans beans, drained (I used black beans)

For the roux:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon 
• 1/2 cup cream (or sour cream)

Place chicken in crockpot and dump everything else on top. Cook on high 5-6 hours or on low 8-10. About an hour before serving, melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and stir until bubbly and starts to brown. Gradually stir/whisk in the milk. Stir in bouillon. Slowly pour into crockpot, stirring constantly to combine. Stir in cream. Add salt & pepper to taste. Shred the chicken and return to the pot. Cook for another 30 minutes or so to let the flavors meld. Enjoy!

Bowl-of-Oatmeal Banana Bread

Adapted from this recipe. I reduced the sugar because I don't like banana bread too sweet, and I changed the flour to oats ratio. This is my new favorite banana bread recipe!

• 3 very ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup quick oats 
• 1 cup flour (I usually use half all-purpose, half whole wheat)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mash bananas with brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla (I use my immersion blender for this step). Pour oats and flour on top of wet mixture. Gently stir cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into the flour, then mix all ingredients together until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into a greased loaf pan. I like to sprinkle an extra handful of chocolate chips and some oatmeal on top, and some coconut for a special treat. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Soup

4 cups peeled and diced tomatoes
2 tsp chicken bouillon powder (2 cubes)
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 T sugar
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 T butter, divided
3-4 T flour
2 cups milk
cream, opt

Add tomatoes and seasonings to a large pot and bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook onion in saucepan in 1 T butter until softened, then add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add onions and garlic to tomato mixture. Then make a white sauce: Melt remaining 3 T butter in saucepan and once melted, stir in flour (enough to make a paste, it depends how much was left when you poured the onions and garlic out). Cook for a minute or two, then slowly add and stir in milk. Stir constantly and in between adding milk to avoid lumps. Cook until thickened. Pour into tomato mixture. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add cream, if using--though I thought it was creamy enough without. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: http://www.littledairyontheprairie.com/fresh-creamy-tomato-soup/

Flourless PB Chococolate Chip Muffins

We gobbled these up! They are a great, healthy snack. (Or they would be if you didn't eat them with ice cream, like Andy did!)

• 1 medium ripe banana, peeled
• 1 large egg
• heaping 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 
• 3 T honey
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch salt, optional and to taste
• heaping 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 F. Add all the ingredients except chocolate chips to a blender and blend until combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon by the heaping tablespoon into greased and floured mini-muffin tins. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until nicely domed and spring back when touched. A toothpick should come out with only a few crumbs and no dough. Let cool for 10 minutes for easy removal.

From http://www.averiecooks.com/ 

Zucchini Boats

• 1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed*
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon
• 3 T tomato paste + 1/4 water, or some tomato sauce
• 1 cup diced tomatoes 
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425 F and place the zucchini halves on a cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper for easier cleanup!). Cook for about 5 minutes or until zucchini begins to soften. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 375 F. Meanwhile, brown beef with onions and garlic. Season with Montreal Steak Seasoning (optional) as you cook it. Add Italian seasoning, bouillon, tomato paste, and tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, then mix in the egg (I mix it in last so the mixture cools a bit before I add it. You don't want the egg to cook in the hot mixture!). Spoon mixture into zucchini shells and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the zucchini is tender. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake 5 minutes more. Enjoy!

*If it's a very large zucchini, you can remove some of the flesh to make the boat sides about 1/2 inch thick. Dice up the flesh you removed and add it in with the tomatoes, etc.

Smashed Potatoes

Such a fun, easy and quick way to cook potatoes. If I were doing this for a crowd I would skip the microwave and just bake the potatoes first, then smash and continue with the recipe.

5-6 small potatoes
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Rosemary or other spices as desired


Preheat oven to 400. Pierce potatoes and place on a paper plate, being sure they do not touch. Microwave for 6-7 minutes and check with a fork to see if they are soft. If not, continue to microwave a couple more minutes and check again. When they are fork tender, dump onto a large baking sheet. Using the paper plate, smash each potato. Drizzle with olive oil and desired spices. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the edges look brown and crispy. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes

These are a bit different than my Mom's recipe,  but I like them even better. They are nice and fluffy, and easy to whip up! When I'm low on milk, I substitute powdered milk. To equal 1 cup, mix 1 cup water + 3 T Non-instant powdered milk or 6 T instant (but check the package instructions if you have them, as especially the instant kind varies by brand). Recipe adapted from http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/whole-wheat-blender-pancakes/.

• 1 1/2 cups milk, divided
• 1 cup whole wheat berries
• 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil or melted butter

Place 1 cup milk and the wheat in blender. Blend 2-3 minutes until thick and like mush. Add the rest of the milk (1/2 cup) and the remaining ingredients. Blend for 2-3 more minutes. Cook on a hot griddle. Makes about 18 pancakes if using 1/4 cup per pancake.