Mediterranean Chicken

This main dish is fool proof and oh, so tasty. It will elevate your dinner!  

6 chicken breasts (or thighs)

2/3 cup olive oil

2/3 cup red wine vinegar 

1 cup pitted prunes, diced

1/4 cup capers with a bit if the brine

1 bay leaf

2 Tb Italian seasoning (a mix of oregano, sage, rosemary)

2/3 cup green olives, halved

5 cloves garlic, minced

Put all contents in a bag and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put all contents of bag in 9x13 pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes. 

Note: your young kids may scoff at the appearance of the final dish (cooked prunes and olives doesn’t make the cleanest looking dish). But if they can muster the strength to try it, they will enjoy it! I have three boy who will attest to such an outcome :)

Persimmon Bread

Got persimmons and don’t know what to do? Make this bread! Unbelievably good. 

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1-2 tsp vanilla

1 cup puréed persimmon (about 4, soft & ripe)

1 1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

*3-4 thinly sliced persimmon 

1. Cream the butter and sugar together. Mix in eggs, then vanilla. 

2. Mix in the persimmon purée. 

3. If desired, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together separately; add to the wet mixture. (Another method to use is putting the flour on top of the wet mixture and then adding the rest of the dry ingredients to that flour pile, then mixing. This helps save a dish and doesn’t mess up the bread.)

4. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40-50 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure the bread is baked through. 

*optional: add slices of persimmon to top of bread for a festive look. 

Dairy Free Rice Pudding

This delicious dairy alternative is warm and creamy.  
Just what you need for a cozy dessert.


1 can full-fat coconut milk (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 1/2 cups coconut water*
1 cup white rice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
optional:
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp orange zest


1. combine coconut milk, coconut water, rice, syrup, and vanilla in a pot and bring to a boil.  Make sure you stir often to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
2. Turn down the heat to low and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.** Continue stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
3. Remove pot from heat and add a pinch of salt to taste and more maple syrup if needed to achieve desired flavor.  Add other flavorings here if you'd like.
4. Let pudding cool a bit to thicken. Chill or serve warm. Enjoy!

*you can also use the same amount of unsweetened nut milk of your choice if you'd rather.
**pudding thickens considerably after being taken off the heat.  Consider this when you are deciding when to finish simmering.

Cinnamon pull aparts

Using homemade dough makes these pull-aparts a special treat. So easy. Time involved: about 1.5 hours. 

3-1/4 to 3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 packet yeast (or about a Tablespoon)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup butter OR margarine
1 large egg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed, light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter 
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons milk

Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, dry yeast and salt in a large mixer bowl and stir until blended.

Combine milk, water and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 15 second increments until very warm but not hot to the touch (120° to 130°F. Butter won’t melt completely).

Add to flour mixture with egg. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally.

Add 1.5 cups flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally.

Stir in just enough remaining flour so that the dough will form into a ball.

Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic and dough springs back when lightly pressed with 2 fingers, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Cover with a towel; let rest for 10 minutes. For filling, combine sugars and cinnamon in a shallow bowl

Cut dough into 36 pieces.

Dip each piece into the melted butter and then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place in fluted tube pan that has been generously sprayed with cooking spray.

Sprinkle pecans in between each layer of dough balls.

Combine any remaining butter and sugar and drizzle over rolls.

Cover with towel; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Bake in preheated 375ºF oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.

Cool 5 minutes in pan, then invert on serving plate.

Prepare the Frosting: In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk, beating until well combined. Gradually add more milk, one teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle icing over warm pull-apart bread. Serve immediately.

Recipe taken from mybakingaddiction.com with minor adjustments made. Perfect recipe!

Halva Icing

This recipe hails from a dessert called Tahini Chocolate Icebox Cake from Fine Cooking magazine. It yielded a chewy overly-sweet loaf-like thing that was not impressive. However, the dessert was made partially using a tahini/whipped cream concoction that was absolutely delicious. 

The mixture of tahini with whipped cream and sugar reminded me of halva and I think it would be a tasty icing for a chocolate cake.

A note: Because this uses a whipping cream base instead of butter, a cake iced with this will be light and fluffy but need to stay fairly cool so it doesn't melt off. Keep the cake in the fridge until ready to serve.

3 cups heavy cream, cold

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup well-stirred tahini

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

Chill the bowl of a stand mixer and the whisk attachment in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Remove from fridge, add the cream to the bowl and whip on medium speed until just thickened, about 1 minute.

Add the confectioners' sugar, tahini, vanilla, and salt, and whip the cream on medium-high speed until it hold stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. 

Keep refrigerated until ready to ice your favorite chocolate cake. Enjoy!

Healthy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Just the taste of fall you need and kids love ‘em!

3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

4 Tbsp milk

2/3 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Dash of cloves

Dash of ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup flour, wheat or white will do

1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 tsp baking soda

6 oz. chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 

2. Mix the wet ingredients together. Then add sugar, salt, and spices. 

3. Mix in dry ingredients. 

4. Scoop dough onto ungreased cookie sheet. Using a cookie scoop is preferred. However, if you want the cookies to look more flat, flatten them before baking as they will keep their shape very well while baking.

5. Bake for 10 minutes, then let set for 5 more.  

Enjoy! You can freeze these as well with excellent results. 

Fruit Leather

This recipe calls for apricots but can be applied to other fruits as well. 

2 cups apricots, pitted and diced

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees F, or oven’s lowest setting. 

2.  Place all ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves. 

3. Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. 

4. Using a 11x17 pan lines with a Silpat, pour the mixture into the pan and spread with a spatula (or a cake frosted works great) to get the desired thickness of your fruit leather. 

5. Place in oven for 4-6 hours, until the leather is no longer sticky. Keep the oven propped open with a wooden spoon. 

6.  Remove from oven and allow to cool. Place on wax paper and roll up. Cut into smaller pieces with kitchen scissors or a aerated knife. 

Roasted Beets

I cannot believe I am posting this recipe because my 10 year old self disliked beets to the core. I still wasn’t a fan of them until tonight when I picked up the CSA box and there were 6 beets staring at me. This recipe made me enjoy beets. You’ve got to try it!

6 beets (gold or red or a mix), peeled and cut into 1inch cubes

2 Tb Olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tb rosemary 

Salt to taste

Pepper, freshly ground to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

2. Place oil in large bowl. Wash, peel and cut beets. Place beets in bowl and stir to coat with oil. 

3. Mince garlic and add to bowl. Strip rosemary branches of herb and add to bowl. Mix everything well. Add salt and pepper. 

4. Place on baking sheet and put in oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes, turning at least once for good browning. 

5. After removing from oven, add additional salt as needed. Enjoy!

Horchata

Horchata from scratch. Enough said.

7 cups water
1 1/3 cup long grain white rice
2-3 Mexican cinnamon sticks, broken up
2/3 cups granulated sugar, or to taste
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup milk, any kind

Combine rice and cinnamon sticks with 5 cups of water in a blender and coarsely grind. Transfer to a large bowl and soak at room temperature for 3 - 8 hours.

Puree the rice mixture in a blender (in batches, if necessary) until smooth. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine sieve at least twice. Mix in the sugar, the remaining 2 cups water, and milk. Transfer to a pitcher and chill.

Stir horchata well before serving. Pour over ice for the perfect summer treat.

Makes approximately 2 quarts.

Black Sesame Pear Sweet Loaf

This dense sweet bread is the perfect companion to a cup of tea on Sunday afternoon. I made this recipe using a mix of black sesame seeds and nigella seeds which are like black sesame seeds but perhaps less sweet. TR and I picked up a packet of them in Ireland and found ourselves wondering what to do with them. This loaf was the delicious answer.

1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour
1 cup almond meal or almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons + 1/2 cup black sesame seeds
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 medium firm but ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Preheat the oven to 325℉. Butter one large or two smaller loaf pans. Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, the almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 2 tablespoons sesame seeds in a medium bowl. Grind the remaining 1/2 cup of sesame seeds in a spice grinder or a food processor to form a thick paste.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Add sesame paste and beat until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and egg yolk, beating until pale and fluffy. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in three installments, alternating with the buttermilk in two installments. Toss the pear with 2 tablespoons flour and fold into the batter.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean: approx 1 hour, 40 minutes for a larger loaf pan, or 50 minutes for smaller pans.

Adapted from www.bonappetit.com

Doro Wat (National Dish of Ethiopia)

This spicy dish is a new favorite at our house. Serve with homemade Injera if you're feeling ambitious or basmati rice if you're not. Typically this dish is served very hot using a spice called berbere. You can make this on your own (google a recipe) or can be bought at specialty grocery stores. I picked some up at our local food co-op. This recipe is medium spicy but feel free to increase or reduce the berbere as you see fit.

Also, this recipe calls for Tej, a traditional Ethiopian honey wine. I imagine this is also available at specialty stores but you can do as I did and substitute 1/2 cup white wine with 1 ts honey mixed in. If you're using cooking wine, reduce the overall salt in the recipe to compensate.

Finally, the recipe I altered called for double the cooking times you'll see below. If you have time, you may want to simmer everything longer, but I found that the times listed below were adequate to create the flavor and texture this recipe is going for.


2.5-3 lbs chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces or 3 chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tb lemon juice
5 Tb butter
2 Tb olive oil
2 cups yellow onions finely minced (almost a puree) in a food processor
1 Tb minced garlic
1 Tb minced ginger
1/4 cup berbere
1 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 ts salt
1/2 cup Tej or honey wine
4 hard boiled eggs, shells removed, pierced all over with a fork

1) Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and soak with the lemon juice. Let it sit at room temperature while you prepare the rest of the food.

2) Heat two tablespoons of butter and the olive oil in a dutch oven style pot. Add the onions and saute, covered, over low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Add the garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon butter and continue to saute, covered for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

4) Add the berere and 2 remaining tablespoons of butter and saute, covered for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5) Add the chicken pieces, chicken stock, salt, and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6) Add the boiled eggs and simmer on low heat, covered, for another 7 minutes.

Serve warm with injera or rice.

Pfeffernusse

2 1/4 c flour
1/2 ts baking soda
1/4 ts salt
2 Tb lebkuchengewurz (see below)
1/2 ts finely ground white pepper
1/4 c almond meal (not almond flour)
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c honey
1/4 c molasses
5 Tb unsalted butter
3 Tb milk or cream
1 large egg

For the glaze:
2 1/2 c powdered sugar
3-4 Tb hot milk
anise oil

almond extract

vanilla

For the lebkuchengewurz: Traditional German gingerbread spice
1 1/2 Tb ground cinnamon
2 ts ground cloves
1/2 ts ground allspice
1/2 ts ground coriander
1/2 ts ground green cardamom
1/2 ts ground ginger
1/2 ts ground star anise
1/4 ts ground mace
1/4 ts ground nutmeg

Mix the spices together and pour into a jar. You'll have some leftover after making this pfeffernusse recipe.


1) In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, lebkuchengewurz, white pepper, and almond meal. Set aside.

2) Combine the brown sugar, honey, molasses, butter, and cream or milk in a medium saucepan and heat, stirring frequently until melted and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool for five minutes. Stir in the flour mixture. Once incorporated, stir in the egg until thoroughly combined. The dough will have a glossy sheen and be very sticky.

3) Turn the dough out onto plastic wrap, pat into a square and wrap tightly. Refrigerate at least overnight or up to two days. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP! The cookies will be a sticky mess if you try to roll them without chilling.

4) Preheat over to 350 degrees. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and immediately cut into two equal halves. Put one half back in the fridge. Cut the second piece into two more equal halves and roll each half into a strand about 3/4 inch thick. Slice the stands into seven pieces each and roll each piece into a ball. Work quickly while the dough is still chilled. Repeat with the half of the dough left in the fridge for a total of 28 cookies.

5) Place the cookies on baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

6) To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, milk (more for thinner glaze, less for thicker, what ever you prefer) and anise oil, almond extract and vanilla to taste (start small, a little anise goes a long way).

7) Dip each cookie in the glaze and set on wire rack to harden.

Enjoy!

Quickles

Homemade pickles that are great alone or paired with a sandwich!

1 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp salt

1 tsp crushed red peppers

1 tsp thyme

2 cucumbers, sliced

Place all ingredients in a jar and shake lightly to thoroughly mix.  Let sit for at least an hour. These keep for two weeks and get better with age. Easy and quick! 

Recipe from CSJ