Chocolate chip quinoa cookies

Attention!!! Grandchildren approved!

Recipe: Chocolate chip quinoa cookies

"Must Have Been Something I Ate" by Peggy Kotsopoulos

Ingredients
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup uncooked quinoa flakes (or oatmeal flakes)
1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
2 tablespoons almond butter
4 large VERY RIPE bananas
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Pinch sea salt

These cookies are SOOO GOOD! The are jam-packed with protein, fiber, stress-busting B-vitamins, energizing goodness and deliciousness! They're also gluten-free and will kick your cravings to the curb.

To prepare the cookies:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas in bowl with a fork and add vanilla, almond butter and coconut sugar. Add quinoa, oatmeal, coconut and pinch of salt. Mix until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and drop batter on to cooking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Makes about 25 cookies that look more like muffin-tops and are chewy.

Daughter sent this with these recommendations:  "I substituted gluten free oats for the quinoa flakes, applesauce for the coconut sugar and I am sure used way more than 1/2 cup of choc chips, it just didn't look like enough for me ;)"

Side to die for

I love, love, love avocados, but it never occured to me to cook them let alone FRY them. This recipe is Awesome!!

Avocado Fries

Courtesy of Karly at "Buns in My Oven""

Avocado Fries recipe from Dine & Dish
2 firm-ripe avocados, sliced into 1/2 inch thick wedges
canola oil for frying
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups panko


Pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches in a medium skillet. Heat oil to 375 degrees.


Pour the flour and salt into a shallow dish. Add the eggs to another shallow dish, and the panko crumbs to a third dish.


Dredge the avocado wedges in the flour, then the eggs, and finally the panko. Fry in batches for 30 to 60 seconds, turning over halfway through. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Place on a baking sheet in a 200 degree oven to keep warm while frying the rest of the avocados. Season with more salt to taste.

tried it loved it

today is a perfect day for this recipe, copied it from one of my favorite blogs The Pioneer Woman

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

Prep Time: 45 Minutes | Cook Time: 30 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken

1 stick 1/2 Cup Butter

16 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Sliced

¼ cups Dry White Wine

Kosher Salt And Pepper

¼ cups Flour

2 cups Chicken Broth (reserved From Chicken Or Canned)

1-½ cup Whole Milk

¼ cups (additional) Dry White Wine

1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 cup Whole Black Olives, Chopped

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Or To Taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Extra Cheese, For Sprinkling

1 pound Thin Spaghetti

Preparation Instructions

Place chicken in a pot of water and boil on medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool slightly. Keep broth in pot.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Throw in mushrooms, add 1/4 cup white wine, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until liquid has totally evaporated. Remove mushrooms from skillet. Set aside.

Bring broth to a boil. Break spaghetti into thirds (shorter pieces). Add spaghetti pieces to boiling broth and cook. Drain when al dente. Remove meat from bones and shred until you have 2-plus cups of shredded chicken.

Return large skillet to medium-low heat. Add 6 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle flour over butter, whisking to combine. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Pour in 2 cups broth and whisk to combine. Pour in milk, additional 1/4 cup wine, salt and pepper to taste, then cook and bubble until thick. Turn off heat, add Parmesan cheese, and stir.

Add mushrooms, chicken, and chopped olives. Stir to combine and check seasonings. Add cooked spaghetti and stir.

Turn into a 9 x 13 casserole pan. Bake at 350 degrees or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with salad and warm, crusty bread.

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Caramelized Onions

I fell in food love with this at the Skylark Hidden Cafe in Bellingham. Since they wouldn't give me the recipe I found this one and it is pretty darn good too, even if I had to cook it myself.

1 large butternut squash (about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds)
1 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
3 medium-to-large yellow onions, sliced into rings
pinch of sugar
1 pound lasagna noodles (regular, no boil or refrigerated)
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
2 cups 2% milk, heated in the microwave 1-2 minutes until warm, but not boiling
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel butternut squash, slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut into 1-inch chunks. Toss 
squash with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. Spread out in an even layer on a 
half sheet pan or a Mario Batali pizza pan if you have one (the Batali pan 
is an excellent tool for roasting vegetables). Roast 35-45 minutes, turning once or twice, until 
butternut squash is browned and fork-tender. Remove from oven and turn the oven temperature 
down to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and 
saute 1-2 minutes until the onions start to soften. Add the pinch of sugar and reduce heat to 
medium-low. Continue cooking onions until they become very soft and golden brown, stirring 
occasionally, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

If you're using regular lasagna noodles, prepare them according to package directions. Drain, 
but do not rinse.

In a 3 quart saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes. Add the milk all at once, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Let the sauce cook about 5 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon. Transfer the butternut squash to a food processor. Add the ricotta cheese and nutmeg. Process until smooth. 
To assemble the lasagna, spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place about 1/4 cup of the white sauce on the bottom of the pan. Top with enough lasagna noodles to cover (it doesn't matter if you have to cut the noodles to fit). Top with half of the caramelized onions, then half of the butternut squash mixture and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Top with another layer of sauce, then the noodles, the remaining caramelized onions, butternut squash mixture and the rest of the Parmesan cheese. Finish off with a layer of noodles, the rest of the sauce and the mozzarella  cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes. Allow the lasagna to rest at least 20 minutes (30 minutes is even better) before serving.

Serves 10.

Per serving: 441 calories, 22 g fat (11 g saturated), 83 mg cholesterol, 41 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 22 g protein, 131% Vitamin A, 24% Vitamin C, 54% calcium, 14 % iron

Read more at Suite101: Butternut Squash Lasagna: A vegetarian lasagna recipe that's worthy 
of serving to company.link to original recipe

Little Pies

I came across this recipe and am going to try it. I think the G-kids will really enjoy having their own pie for thanksgiving, on second thought the adults will probably like it too. If you try it let me know the results, I'll post  the comments from my family.  see the recipe here

Spinach, Mushroom, Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Great make ahead breakfast, just put in the oven 55 minutes before your meal.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups seasoned croutons
1 pound pork sausage
4 eggs
2 1/4 cup milk
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
fresh spinach leaves (good size handfull)
8 oz. fresh mushrooms chopped to desired size
half medium onion chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions:

Spread croutons in greased 9x13 baking pan. Brown sausage in a medium skillet, remove when browned and reserve a tiny bit of drippings and saute the onions and mushrooms.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and mustard. Stir in the cheeses and the soup. Spread spinach leaves over the croutons, top with the sausage and mushrooms. Pour egg mixture over all. Refridgerate overnight.

In the morning - preheat oven to 325 degrees F

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until set and lightly browned. Serve hot.

White Chili

This is delicious! Even my diehard traditional (red) chili loving men loved this. My shortcuts are in ( ).

White Chili

2  1/2 to 3 pounds chicken breasts about 3 whole breasts (1 large rotiserrie chicken, cut up or shred)
6 cups chicken broth, homemade, canned  (boxed)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped, about 2 C
8 large garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
3 or 4 red or green 3 inch chilies finely chopped (canned chopped green chilies)
1 T ground cumin
1 T died oregano preferable Mexican
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 pound small white beans, great northern, navy or other, covered and soaked overnight. (minimum of 2 cans any white beans)
Coarse sea salt
Tabasco or other bottled hot sauce
3 to 4 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
Tomato salsa (deli fire roasted salsa)
Lime wedges (lime juice)

In a 5 to 6 quart pot cook the chicken in the broth. remove the chicken from the broth and cube or shred. Reserve broth in another container. Using the same pot, warm the olive oil and saute the onion until almost borown and add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds or so.
Add the chilies, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, beans and reserved broth. If using dried beans, simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours til beans are tender (canned beans? - continue to next step)
Stir in the chicken and simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference with salt and hot sauce.
Just before serving stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
Serve in deep or flat bowls with side dishes of grated cheese, sour cream, salsa, and lime. (We also like white corn tortilla chips with this)

Serves 6 to 8 (3 to 4 of my men)

Before adding the cheese this can be refridgerated for several days (not in my house) or frozen for up to 6 months.

Holiday Eggnog Bread

4 3/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. sugar
4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
2 beaten eggs
2 3/4 c. eggnog
1/2 c. cooking oil
3/4 c. chopped pecans
3/4 c. snipped dried apricots ( or cranberries???)

icing:
2/3 c. sifted powdered sugar
2-3 t. eggnog

Stir together : flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and 1/2 t. salt in a large mixing bowl. Combine eggs, eggnog and oil; add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in pecans and dried fruit. Pour into two greased 8x4x2 loaf pans.
Bake : 350 oven 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. (Cover with foil after 40 minutes id bread browns too quickly.) Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool on racks. Wrap, store overnight in fridge.

Icing
Stir together the powdered sugar and 2 - 3 teaspoons of eggnog to make an icing of drizzling consistancy. Drizzle over the bread. Makes 2 loaves.