Quinoa Tebbouleh

So because of my recent diagnosis, I have been on extremely strict diet. The thing I find the most frustrating is there are so many contradicting methods out there and I can’t seem to find many recipes that I can follow. Which means I’m eating the same thing. Over, and over, and over again. I’m one of those people who need something new all the time. Otherwise I’ll just forget to eat. There’s nothing worth looking forward to.
So I’m going to try to start posting more, writing up some of the recipes, and meals that I’ve used in hopes that it will help other people out there besides me.
Today we’re starting with Quinoa Tebbouleh.
When I started looking at Tebbouleh it was one of those Hmmm. This just sounds wrong. But I was so wrong it’s like a glorious explosion of flavor in your mouth. And after plain quinoa, and plain salad, and plain turnips, this was such an abnormal treat. Here’s what I used.
1-2 cups uncooked quinoa (use according to your quinoa preferences).
4 cups fresh parsley (chopped)
3/4 cups fresh mint leaves (chopped without the stems, I mean you could use them if you want to add chewiness).
2 cups (about) chopped cherry tomatoes (or if you prefer I think adding some sun-dried tomatoes would go great)
1 cucumber (cubed)
1 red onion (chopped)
1/2 – 1 cup lemon juice
4 Tablespoons (roughly) oil (veggie, olive, coconut).
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Cook quinoa as directed (and if you want you can use sprouted quinoa or regular I preferred regular in this one), if you haven’t already chop all the goods up now would be the time (while you’re cooking the quinoa that is) and mix together in a nice big bowl. I let my quinoa cool for a little while just because (I prepped my salad a good four hours before I was even going eat it).
And that’s it. How easy could it get? And the combination of flavors! Yum.
A few other things you can add that I can’t eat would be goat cheese, mozzarella, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, sun-dried tomatoes, sunflower seeds, the one thing you wont need is any kind of dressing.
This is a new personal favorite. Enjoy!

Peppermint Topped Brownies

I’ve been on a huge peppermint kick the last week or so and the is something I haven’t made in a long time but am cracking open the recipe book to do. Get ready to indulge! These brownies have three decadent layers: moist brownie, chocolate ganache, and a beautiful layer of peppermint candy. If you don’t love peppermint, try topping the ganache with nuts, marshmallows, or coconut. Makes 25 Brownies.

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoon butter, plus more for pan
• 6 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate, broken into large chunks
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 80 hard, round, red-and-white peppermint swirl candies (17 oz.; see Notes)
• 1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup whipping cream

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9- by 13-in. baking pan. In a medium saucepan, stir butter and bittersweet chocolate over very low heat with a heatproof rubber spatula until just melted (do not let simmer or boil). Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Slowly pour chocolate-butter mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Into a separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, then whisk together. With a clean rubber spatula, gently fold flour mixture into egg mixture until just combined.
3. Spread batter evenly in the baking pan. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until brownies are firm, beginning to pull away from sides of pan, and a toothpick inserted in center emerges with only a few crumbs clinging to it. Let brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 300°. Line a level, rimmed 11 1/2- by 16-in. baking sheet with parchment. With a pencil, draw a grid of 1 3/4-in. squares on parchment (5 rows of 8), leaving about a 1-in. border, and turn parchment over. Place a mint in the center of each square. Bake 15 to 25 minutes, or until completely melted into 1 large sheet, but remove before candy begins to turn yellow. Immediately score peppermint squares with a pizza cutter, using pencil lines as your guide. If scored lines don’t hold, rescore quickly. Let candy cool completely. Gently break into squares along score lines. Arrange, bake, and score remaining 40 candies the same way (you’ll have extra squares; pick the prettiest).
5. In the top of a double boiler or a metal bowl set over simmering water, combine chopped semisweet chocolate and whipping cream. Cook, stirring often, until melted and blended. Remove from heat and let ganache cool until just warm.
6. Pour ganache over cooled brownies in pan and allow to set until firm, about 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour in the refrigerator.
7. Place peppermint squares bottom side up on ganache, leaving enough room between squares to cut brownies. Cut brownies into squares along edges of peppermint tops, wiping knife clean between cuts. Remove brownies from pan, discard (or eat) scraps, and return brownies to pan. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure wrap does not touch peppermint, and refrigerate 3 hours (to soften candy a bit). Serve slightly chilled.

• More toppings to try. Why stop at peppermint? Try these other embellishments for our rich, soft brownies. Be generous with amounts, and chill brownies so that the topping sets.
• Coconut and Macadamia: Sprinkle shredded toasted coconut and chopped toasted macadamia nuts over the just-warm ganache layer.
• Crushed Toffee: Sprinkle crushed toffee bits over the just-warm ganache layer.
• Double Peanut: Warm up natural-style peanut butter (creamy or chunky) and spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate until peanut butter is firm; top with ganache and chopped peanuts.
• Raspberry: Spread raspberry jam over cooled brownies and top with ganache.
• Rocky Road: Preheat broiler. Spread half of the just-warm ganache over cooled brownies, then top with mini marshmallows and chopped walnuts. Broil brownies for about 1 minute, or until marshmallows are toasted and beginning to melt together. Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining ganache.
• White Chocolate Swirl: Spoon dollops of melted white chocolate over the just-warm ganache layer and make marbled swirls using a toothpick or a knife.

Note: You can make the brownies with ganache 3 days ahead, cover with plastic wrap (making sure it does not touch ganache), and chill. The tops can be made up to a week ahead and stored airtight at room temperature. Look for hard, round peppermint swirl candies, also called starlight mints, with bright red color.  Keep an eye on the candies as they melt; some brands don’t spread as quickly or as thinly as others. You may want to make a test batch using 12 mints arranged in 3 rows of 4 to determine whether you’ll need to adjust your oven’s temperature or space the candies closer together.

It seems a crime to add this… Oh well. Be informed.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 260
• Calories from fat: 48%
• Protein: 2.7g
• Fat: 14g
• Saturated fat: 8.3g
• Carbohydrate: 34g
• Fiber: 1.3g
• Sodium: 100mg
• Cholesterol: 51mg

Sparkling Ginger Stars

These cookies almost seem to twinkle when you sprinkle heavy sugar on top before baking.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 (3.25-oz.) jar coarse sparkling sugar

Preparation

• Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir until blended.
• Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add brown sugar, beating well. Beat in molasses, egg yolk, lemon rind, grated ginger, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture; beat just until blended.
• Shape dough into a ball, and divide in half. Flatten each half into a round disk; wrap each in plastic wrap, and chill 2 1/2 hours until firm.
• Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out dough, 1 section at a time, to 1/4″ thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into star shapes, using a 4″ cookie cutter. Place 1/2″ apart on prepared baking sheets.
• Whisk together 1 egg and whipping cream; brush egg wash lightly over cookies. Sprinkle heavily with sparkling sugar.
• Bake at 325° for 17 minutes or until cookies are puffed and slightly darker around edges. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheets; remove with parchment paper to wire racks to cool completely.

Baked Eggs

Great for making a lot of hard-boiled eggs for Easter or a party, but also great for just everyday hard-boiled eggs since they turn out creamier.

Step 1: Put the oven racks in the center of the oven.

Step 2: Place the eggs parallel to the racks (extra-large eggs work better since they stay on a little safer). Or another possibility is placing them in cupcake pan.

Step 3: Put a baking sheet on the bottom rack in the oven in case one breaks. Then you’ll have some ‘fried eggs’ on your hands. But better than all over the bottom of the oven.

Step 4: Bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

Step 5: When they are done, remove them and place in a bowl of ice water. Just be careful, they will be hot…

Step 6: Peel the eggs as soon as they are cool enough for you to handle. Then put them back into the bowl of ice water to chill. If you aren’t going to be eating the eggs right away I wouldn’t recommend pealing them until you’re ready. Helps stay fresher longer.

And tadda! This method is a lifesaver for me, I can never seem to cook them to the perfection. This way isn’t to runny, or overcooked. Makes me so happy.

Maple Date Bars

Two layers of crumbly oatmeal topping sandwich a layer of sweet dates in these super moist bars. Makes 20 bars.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups finely chopped pitted dates (about 12 ounces)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
• 1 cup regular oats
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray

Preparation

• Combine dates, water, and maple syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; cook 12 minutes or until most liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. (Mixture will look like jam.) Stir in rind; cool completely.
• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Beat sugar and butter with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture (mixture will be crumbly). Press 2 cups flour mixture into bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Spread date mixture over flour mixture. Sprinkle with remaining flour mixture. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 162
• Calories from fat: 28%
• Fat: 5g
• Saturated fat: 2.3g
• Monounsaturated fat: 2g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.3g
• Protein: 1.6g
• Carbohydrate: 29.5g
• Fiber: 1.8g
• Cholesterol: 12mg
• Iron: 0.7mg
• Sodium: 78mg
• Calcium: 14mg

Forced downtime, Apple Crisp.

So. I have strep throat. Which means I have been quarantined in my apartment (by my fiance), with no actual human contact.
Yay me, forced downtime.
So what do I do when I’m sick and going stir crazy?
I bake of course…
Today I had a craving for Apple Crisp to calm my antsy-ness, and thankfully had everything my contagious self needed.
And let me tell you this is one easy simple no nonsense recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 cups sliced or diced apples
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 3/4 cup oatmeal
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine the first three ingredients and place in a greased 8×8 baking dish.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients and sprinkle over the top of the apple mixture.
3. Bake 30 minutes at 350. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream, or drizzled with caramel or honey. Refrigerate leftovers.
   As far as quantities made, I’d say one, but that’s probably not healthy (or fair) so off the top of my head, I’d say two decent sized servings. If there’s more than four people expected in participating I’d seriously consider at least doubling.

Breakfast anyone? I give my permission if that’s what you were waiting on.

And although I’m sitting here in apple crisp heaven with a little sugar sticking to my fingers and could potentially forget everything else in the world, I need to know one thing.

Who the heck named this delicious thing “apple crisp” when it’s really not even crispy?  It’s soft, sweet, and perfectly chunky in a wonderful butter/sugar way.  And it’s just chunky enough for easy crust snatching when you happen to casually walk by the pan for the third time.  Which we both know really means the seventh time.

Two Layer Varamel Pecan Bars

Caramel lovers rejoice! A crunchy brown sugar base holds a gooey layer of caramel topped with chopped pecans. Makes 20 bars.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
• 40 small soft caramel candies
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Beat the first 4 ingredients with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Add flour to sugar mixture, stirring until well-blended. (Mixture will be crumbly.) Firmly press mixture into bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes.
• While crust is baking, combine milk and caramel candies in a medium sauce-pan. Place over low heat; cook until candies melt, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla; remove from heat.
• Remove the crust from oven. Pour the caramel mixture evenly over hot crust. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Note: Try cutting the panful into four equal strips, using firm pressure with a large, heavy knife. After removing the strips, cut each crosswise into five pieces.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 123
• Calories from fat: 34%
• Fat: 4.7g
• Saturated fat: 2.6g
• Monounsaturated fat: 1.5g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.4g
• Protein: 1.4g
• Carbohydrate: 19.6g
• Fiber: 0.4g
• Cholesterol: 7mg
• Iron: 0.3mg
• Sodium: 94mg
• Calcium: 29mg

Brownie Cookies

You’ll love how these scrumptious double-chocolate cookies are similar in texture to thick and fudgy brownies. Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 (1-oz.) unsweetened chocolate baking squares, chopped
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate morsels, divided
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups chopped pecans, toasted

Preparation

1. Combine butter, unsweetened chocolate, and 1 1/2 cups chocolate morsels in a large heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter and chocolate melt; cool.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer. Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture, beating well. Add chocolate mixture; beat well. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups chocolate morsels and pecans.
4. Drop dough by 2 tablespoonfuls 1 inch apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
5. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Molasses Spice Cookies

For centuries Southerners have treasured their jars of molasses—the cooked-down sugar cane mixture that is thick, brown, sticky and sharp with tangy flavor. From the hills of Tennessee to the plains of Georgia, the syrup was a table condiment for drizzling on biscuits and pancakes, or stirring into desserts. Still a treat today, the strong, sweet flavor of molasses balances well with a team of spices in these soft, chewy cookies crusted with sugar. Makes 3 dozen.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 cup sparkling sugar

Preparation

1. Beat shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup granulated sugar, beating well. Add egg and molasses; beat well.
2. Combine flour and next 8 ingredients, stirring well. Add one-fourth of flour mixture at a time to shortening mixture, beating at low speed after each addition until blended. Cover and chill 1 hour.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and roll in sparkling sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
4. Bake at 375° for 9 to 11 minutes. (Tops will crack.) Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Found in one of my favorite recipe books

Mudslide Cookies

Get your milk ready! A dash of coffee intensifies the luscious flavor of cocoa powder and three types of chocolate. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and rich and delicious all the way around is how readers rate these brownie-like cookies. Need we say more? Makes 30 cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Place butter, bittersweet chocolate, and unsweetened chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until smooth. Combine coffee granules and 1 tablespoon hot water, stirring until granules dissolve. Stir coffee and vanilla into chocolate mixture.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Combine sugar, egg substitute, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed 6 minutes or until thick and pale. Gently stir 1/4 of egg mixture into chocolate mixture; stir chocolate mixture into remaining egg mixture. Stir in flour mixture, nuts, and chocolate chips.
• Cover baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets; with moist hands, gently press dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Note: When the cookies are done, they’ll be cracked on top and still moist in the center

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 142
• Calories from fat: 29%
• Fat: 4.7g
• Saturated fat: 2g
• Monounsaturated fat: 1g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 1.1g
• Protein: 2.5g
• Carbohydrate: 25.2g
• Fiber: 1.3g
• Cholesterol: 16mg
• Iron: 1.1mg
• Sodium: 59mg
• Calcium: 29mg

By Debbie Calhoun, myrecipes,com