Spelt Granola

5.8.14 013I don’t how I’ve never seen these before, but I just this last week saw these Shiloh Farms Spelt Flakes sitting on the shelf at the health food store. I never would have even notice them if they hadn’t been marked down to $2.00 a bag. I assume some were nearing the expiration date and they were trying to clear them out. Well, my bargain eye caught sight of the red clearance marker and I thought, “That looks like oats.” My next thought process was, “That’s spelt. Caleb can eat spelt. I could make him granola.” Well, I’m sure you can guess what I did next. I bought every sale bag on the shelf.

Today I pulled them out and made spelt granola. I used the regular granola recipe that I normally make for my husband and daughter, except that I substituted these spelt flakes for the oats. I also omitted the coconut for him since he reacts to that as well as oats.

I of course had to sample it when it was done. It is quite good. I think the spelt flakes are a little bit denser than regular oats and the flavor is not quite as nutty as oats, but it is quite delicious.

I’m happy to say that my boy had his first bite of granola today. It makes my heart happy to see him get to enjoy something that the rest of the family eats regularly and that he has never even gotten to try before now. He is in the unfortunate position of having reacted to oats since the first bite of his big sister’s cherrio at about 8 months old. I’m so glad to have found these spelt flakesBob’s Red Mill also makes Rolled Spelt Flakes too. (Note: These are affiliate links.) I’ll definitely be buying these again.

Note: Affiliate links are present in this post. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, I will earn a few pennies. See my full Disclosure/Disclaimer here.

Enjoying his first bite of spelt granola EVER!

Enjoying his first bite of spelt granola EVER!

Homemade Brown Sugar

Sugary goodness Sugary goodness

Do you all know how to make brown sugar? I didn’t know how simple it was until I caught a snippet of a Martha Stewart episode a few years ago. I’ve been making it ever since. It’s nice to be able to make up a new batch when you are a 1/2 cup short on a recipe. All you need is two ingredients – some white sugar and molasses. Take a couple of cups of white sugar and drizzle in a couple of tablespoons of blackstrap molasses (affiliate link – Disclosures here). Stir until well mixed. It’s actually easier if you use your fingers to combine the molasses and granulated sugar. You will end up with the softest, moistest brown sugar. For darker brown sugar simply add more molasses. For lighter add less. For best results store in an airtight container so it doesn’t dry out. It’s wonderful! And if you use real blackstrap molasses (the best contains at least 20% iron) you’ll be adding some great iron and minerals to your diet. Enjoy!

 

Just two ingredients. Can't get much simpler than that. Just two ingredients. Can’t get much simpler than that.

 

Stirring the molasses in. Stirring the molasses in.

5-Minute Individual Pizzas

4.3.14 072So, I have a quick meal theme going on lately. I often make these for lunch. Here’s what you need….

Ingredient List:
flour tortillas
pasta sauce
motzarella cheese
other toppings (optional)

Directions: 
Prepare your tortillas by spreading a bit of pasta sauce on and sprinkling some cheese. Add other toppings of your choice. Heat some olive oil or butter in a skillet and add each tortilla and cook just until the bottom is browned and crispy. If the cheese isn’t fully melted I usually transfer it to the toaster over for a minute or two. Slice and enjoy.

 

With bacon added. Mmm.

With bacon added. Mmm.

3-Ingredient, 10-Minute Broccoli Salmon Casserole

Everything in the pan before water is added.

Everything in the pan before water is added.

4.8.14 014I had about 10 minutes to throw this together last night. It’s a quick and easy oven dish. You need a little lead time as it took about 1.5 hours to cook. But it is a super simple and quick dish. But, best of all is that you basically need only three ingredients – 1 can of salmon, frozen broccoli, and brown rice.

Here’s what you do….

Drizzle a some olive oil in the bottom of a large casserole dish. Pour in 3 cups of uncooked brown rice and add some salt and pepper. Add a few handfuls of frozen broccoli (or whatever other veggie you have in the freezer). Open a can of salmon, drain and reserve the juice, remove the bones and crumble the salmon meat over the rice and broccoli. Drizzle the reserved juice over the mix and add 7 cups of water. Cover with alluminum foil and cook on 375 degrees for 1.5 hours or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

10 Minute Jambalaya Rice and Sausage

4.3.14 104So, at 3:30 this afternoon we got home from being out all day and I realized that I had forgotten to thaw out the meat I had planned for dinner. Oops.

Thankfully, we were just returning from Costco so I had some bulk Italian sausage in my cart. Enter my rescue meal plan.

So, I carried all the groceries up 2 flights of steps, quickly put them away, sent the big kids off to “quiet time,” got the baby to sleep and threw dinner together while I could. It turned out quite good and was very easy and quick. 10 minutes of prep, and 40 minutes simmering on the stove and dinner was done. A great one pot meal.

Here’s what I did….

In a large saucepan (I used my 5 quart cast iron Dutch Oven – affiliate link – Disclosures here) add about 2 tbls. of fat (use whatever you have on hand – I use some bacon grease) and measure in 3 cups of brown rice. Saute the rice for about 3-4 minutes until it’s starting to get toasty and all the kernels are coated with oil. Add 7-8 homemade chicken bullion cubes (3-4 if using store bought bullion cubes). Next, use your kitchen shears and remove the casings on 1 pound of sweet Italian sausage cut the sausage up into 1-inch chunks with the shears directly into the pan. Throw in about 2-3 cups of frozen veggies (I used mixed vegetables). Toss in some salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cajun seasoning if you have it. Pour 8 cups of water over the mix. Stir. Cover the pot with the lid and 40 minutes later you’ll have dinner.

Note: Be sure to turn the heat off while there is still a little liquid left in the pan. Let it sit covered for 10 or 15 minutes and the rice will absorb the rest of the water. This will keep the rice on the bottom of the pan from burning.

 

Everything in the pot.

Everything in the pot.

 

Pour 8 cups of water over and simmer for 40 minutes.

Pour 8 cups of water and simmer for 40 minutes.

 

All done and delicious.

All done and delicious.

It was good. We ate it up.

And this could easily be modified to be a crock pot meal by reducing the amount of water by one cup and cooking on low about 6 hours. Happy eating!

Cast Iron Waffles

3.12.14 027Not actually cast iron waffles, but my new favorite waffle maker (affiliate link). I had a regular electric belgian waffle maker that I used until we moved this fall. The handle had broken off, the rubber feet had all melted and the non-stick stuff was all scratched up on the inside. So I decided that it had served 7 good years and threw it out. This one was patiently sitting in the cabinet just waiting to be pulled out. I had received it as a birthday present and hadn’t really figured out how to use. Well, the time had come.

3.12.14 031At first I didn’t like it, but as my friend said the other day – “It’s cast iron. You just have to get to know it.” And she’s absolutely right. Now, that I know this lovely little cast iron waffle maker I think it’s so much better than my other one was. It’s seasoning up better and better with each use. It makes perfectly round beautiful waffles that come right out. You should all click the affiliate links above and buy one. I’ll earn .02 cents or something from Amazon which I’ll probably put toward some more cast iron. Are there more cast iron pieces that I don’t have yet? Surely there are. I’d better find some. Here’s the list of what I’ve got. Let me know if there’s some thing that I don’t have so that I can add it to my wish list. 🙂 (Read Disclosures/Disclaimers here.)

If you decide to try this little gem of a waffle maker here are some tips to help your waffles come out nicely.

How to get great waffles with a cast iron waffle maker:
1. Heat the waffle iron till hot on both sides before using.
2. Just before pouring the first batch of batter in (turn the burner off if gas) and spray on the top and bottom plates with a bit of cooking oil. Note: this is only needed for the first waffle of the batch. You do not need to spray oil before cooking the next waffle.
3. Cook for a couple of minutes on one side (time will vary depending on your burner heat and batter thickness – you’ll get a feel for it), then using a hot pad flip the waffle iron over to cook on the other side. The second side is usually done a little faster than the first side.
4. Remove by lifting up one plate of the waffle iron and gently pulling the waffle out with a fork along the edges if it doesn’t fall out on it’s own.
5. Don’t wash when you are done. Simply let it cool completely, brush off any stray crumbs and store in your cabinet until next time. If you scrub with soap or water you will loose your seasoning. If some waffles get stuck on at any point, scrub off with a dry brush and spray with cooking oil as directed above before pouring more batter in.

Ahhh. They are so good! But one of the best parts is that I’ll never have to buy another waffle iron again. 🙂 With proper care this one will last forever.

Family Favorite: Chicken Spaghetti

3.9.14 003I grew up enjoying this dish. My dad’s mom used to make it for us. The recipe she handed down was made with Velveeta cheese, so I endeavored to invent a real food version. Scroll down through our Family Favorites to find the ingredients and directions on how to make it. It’s tastes the same as her recipe, plus with this new version you will get all the nutritional benefits of the real food ingredients. Eat up!
And just for fun, here’s some photos of some silly kids enjoying their Sunday dinner. 🙂

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Sugar-free and Allergy Friendly Apple Cobbler

140128_0003The inspiration for this recipe is from a recipe I found on Yummly. Since I’m not good at making pies, I made it one night in substitute for an apple pie. It turned out really good. I’ve realized since that I’m a cobbler girl and not a pie girl. And that’s okay with me. I’ll leave the apple pies to my mother-in-law and I’ll stick with cobblers. To me pies feel like work, and they never turn out right for me anyway, but cobblers…. they feel easy and fast. So, I made this recipe few more times and as I do with all my recipes after I’ve interalized it, I start tweaking it and making it my own – adding my own flair.

Well in this case, the flair was removing an ingredient. Sugar. I was avoiding sugar over the holidays (great time for that right?) and needed a sugar free dessert for myself. So, I made this without sugar, and guess what. It was really good. Keep reading to find out what to do. But, I’ll give you a hint first… The key to this recipe is the cream.

Sugar-Free Apple Cobbler: 

This recipe is free of sugar, eggs, wheat, corn and nuts.

Ingredient List: apples, butter, white spelt flour, cinnamon, cloves, salt, heavy cream, baking powder.

First, grease a casserole dish, cake pan or pie plate with butter.

Peel, slice and chop 4 large apples. Choose a sweet, red variety like Fuji or Braeburn. No Granny Smith’s here please.

Sprinkle 2 tsp. cinnamon, a dash of cloves and 1/2 tsp. of salt over the apples and stir to coat.

Next, melt half a stick of butter in a large (cast-iron if you have it) skillet. Toss in the apple and begin to saute them over medium heat in the butter.

Sprinkle 2 tbls. of white spelt flour over the apples and stir until all the flour is combined with the butter and apple juices. This will make a roux which will thicken your cobber base.

After a few minutes of cooking pour 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream over the apples stirring and simmering until thickened. Remove from heat. The sweetness of the cream combined with the apple juices adds just enough sweet to make this naturally sweet and delicious without needing sugar. (Note: if you wanted it a little sweeter you could substitute 1/2 of apple juice for 1/2 cup of the cream.)

Now, for the topping. This is basically like making homemade biscuits.

In a large mixing bowl add 3 cups white spelt flour (you could use any flour of your choice here, but I think baked goods come out particularly well with this spelt flour), 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt. Stir to combine and then cut in 1/2 stick of butter using a pastry blender. Pour in 1 cup of heavy cream and stir quickly until it all just starts to come together adding a dash more cream if the mixture is too dry. Try to avoid overmixing. The cream here too adds a touch of sweetness so that you don’t need to add sugar to the pastry.

140128_0000Spoon your apple mixture into your greased casserole dish. Now, using a large spoon or cookie scoop add dollops of the dough. Don’t worry about filling in every space with dough as it will rise as it cooks and all the nooks and crannies will get filled in.

Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes or until your biscuit topping is golden. Serve with whipped cream if desired. It’s delicious! Enjoy!

Note: If you are diabetic and trying to avoid sugar, the fat (cream and butter) in this recipe will help you metabolize the carbs from the apples and dough.

Chocolate Quinoa Custard

140127_0000This recipe is gluten, dairy, nut and sugar free. This recipe contains eggs.

I’ve been making this for breakfast lately. It’s delicious, filling and high in protein. Try it!

Start with 2 cups quinoa. Soak overnight. Drain and rinse. Add enough water to a saucepan to cover the quinoa by about 1/2 inch. Simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed, the quinoa is transparent and the little curly tendrils can be seen on the side of each grain. Cool.

Next stir the following into your cooled cooked quinoa.
2 tbls. cocoa powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cloves

Mixture unset before it goes into the oven.

Mixture unset before it goes into the oven.

In a separate bowl combine
2 cups milk (substitute: goat, almond or coconut milk)
6 egg yolks (or 3 whole eggs)
1/2 cup maple syrup (or 3/4 cup honey)
1 tsp. vanilla

Add the liquid mixture to the quinoa mixture and stir to combine well. Pour into a greased casserole dish and cook at 350 for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the mixture is set.

It is best served warm. Add some extra maple syrup to taste and pour some cream over the top. It’s delicious!

140114_0000 fix

For leftovers you can reheat it with a little bit of milk or cream over the stove.

Got 10 minutes? Homemade Tortilla Chips anyone?

Homemade flour tortilla chips.

Homemade flour tortilla chips.

I don’t buy regular tortilla chips because my children react to the oils that they are made with. So, necessity being the mother of invention, here is the 10 minute method to making your own using the oil of your choice. The key here is being able to coat the tortillas in oil quickly without having to take the time to fry them first.

Start with a package of your favorite fajita (small) tortillas (flour, corn or some other alternative grain). Coat a dinner plate in the oil of your choice (I like olive oil). Remove six of the tortillas and follow these steps. Don’t try to make sense of them by reading it. Just do it and it will flow. It’s really not hard.

Dinner plate coated in olive oil.

Dinner plate coated in olive oil.

1. Take one tortilla and lay it down in the oil.
2. Pick it up and place another tortilla up against the oily side.
3. With the two tortillas stuck together, lay them both down in the plate of oil on one of the dry sides.
4. Pick up the two tortillas again placing a third tortilla up against the side you just oiled.
5. Lay the three tortillas down together again on one of the dry sides.
6. Continue adding a new tortilla to the newly oiled side of your stack until you have used all six of your tortillas.You should now have a stack of six oily tortillas. So, step seven is….

7. Using kitchen shears (or a cutting board and serrated knife) cut your tortillas into quarters.
8. Arrange your triangles on a 12×18″ jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.
9. Sprinkle with salt.
10. Bake on 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Since every oven is different, start checking at the 8 minute mark and again at the 9 minute mark to be sure that they don’t burn. They will go from not browned to burned if you aren’t careful.

Eat up! We enjoyed this with Black-Eyed Pea Salsa on New Year’s Day. These also make yummy nachos as pictured below.

Nachos made with homemade tortilla chips.

Nachos made with homemade tortilla chips.

Black-Eyed Pea Salsa – Happy New Year!

Photo taken from Jan 2014 issue of Family Circle Magazine

Photo taken from Jan 2014 issue of Family Circle Magazine

I remember my grandmother making black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. She said it was good luck. I don’t think she really believed that. But, that is the superstition. Maybe her mother, Maggie followed this tradition and that is why she did it. Whatever the reason, I like eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day because it makes me think of my “Nanny.”

This year I found a recipe in a Family Circle magazine that appeals to my Texas roots and sounded like an interesting way to spice up a New Year’s tradition. I had hoped to link to the recipe on their website, but I couldn’t find it there. So, here it is taken from their magazine pages (January 2014 issue). Of course the measurements are theirs as I rarely measure anything. 🙂

1 – 15 oz. can black-eyed peas (rinsed and drained)
Note: I used dried peas, soaked, cooked and drained.
1 1/2 cups freshly diced tomatoes
1 cup sliced scallions
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 minced garlic clove
3 tbls. fresh lime juice
1 tbl. olive oil
1/2 tsp. each cumin and salt

Happy New Year to you!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

11.28.12 042Need a good idea for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning? Try these delcious pumpkin cimmamon rolls. Make a double batch! They’re that good.

The base for this recipe comes from King Arthur Flour. I added pumpkin and milk in place of some of the liquid.

Recipe:
2 eggs
1 cup warm milk
1 cup of canned or pureed pumpkin
2 tbls. sugar
1 tbs. dry yeast
2 tbl. butter, softened (or oil)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbl. salt
3 cups of all purpose flour

Blend eggs, pumpkin and warm milk so that total mixture equals 2 cups. Add more milk of more liquid is needed. Add the sugar, yeast and oil. When active, add the whole wheat flour and salt. Then stir in the all purpose flour until the mix pulls away from sides of the bowl.

Sprinkle more flour on a clean surface and knead for a few minutes. Let the dough rest while you grease a bowl. Continue kneading until the dough is no longer sticky. Put the dough in the greased bowl and cover letting it rise until a finger poked in to the center bounces back.

Filling:
1 stick butter (at room temperature)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Roll it out…
Roll the dough out into a large rectangle. Spread the butter all around leaving 1 inch around the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar. Roll the dough up into a long roll starting with the long edge. Butter and sugar your baking pan or cast iron skillett and cut into 1 inch slices. Place them in the prepared cake pan with a little space between them so that there is room to expand. Cover and let them rise for 1 hour.

Baking:
Place the pan in a cold oven and turn the temperature to 400 degrees for 15 minutes so that the rolls can finish their final rise. Then turn the temp down to 350 degrees for a bout 20 minutes. Check at this point and if the sugar seems to be getting too brown reduce the temperature to 325 and cook for 10 minutes more.

Turning Out:
Loosen the buns while hot and cover the pan with an updside down large plate. Invert the plate and baking pan to flip the buns out.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving Morning!

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