Asian Mango Coleslaw

3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 a lime, juiced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 cups of green cabbage,shredded
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 baby red bell pepper, sliced
1 mango, nearly ripe, sliced
Sesame seeds, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil together in a small bowl. Whisk until well combined; set aside.

Combine the cabbage together with the carrots, cilantro, green onion, and red bell pepper in a bowl and toss together. Add the sliced mango and sesame seeds then drizzle with the salad dressing. Gently toss to combine. Serve immediately. Enjoy

Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

This smelled so good and tasted soooo good.

Photo from www.ahintofhoney.com

Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

INGREDIENTS
1 cup warm water (100-110 F)
1  tsp. sugar
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (or pinch of each ground garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup bread flour + extra for kneading
1 egg, whisked + 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash
dried rosemary, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 10 minutes to proof.

2. Stir in the salt, rosemary, seasonings, olive oil, and whole wheat flour. Add the bread flour and stir until the dough forms a ball. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth.

3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about1 hour.

4. Punch down the dough and form it into a round loaf. Place it on a cornmeal dusted pizza peel or parchment paper; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, preheat oven (and pizza stone) to 400 F. Once the dough has risen, gently brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with dried rosemary.

6. Bake on preheated stone for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Makes 1 round loaf.

(Adapted from Laura A. and All Recipes)

Raspberry Swirl Sweet Rolls

These were sooo yummy.  We made some for some neighbors and kept some for ourselves that we didn't glaze. I'll be so glad when our sugar challenge is over.  Even without the glaze these were yum.

from www.thecurvycarrot.com

Raspberry Swirl Sweet Rolls

Servings: 16 rolls

Ingredients

For the dough

1 cup milk

2/3 cup sugar

1 and 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

4 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting***I made a boo-boo and ran out of white flour in the middle of this.  I substituted half white and half whole wheat flour, and they still turned out just fine!

For the filling

One 10-ounce package frozen raspberries, not thawed***Try substituting different berries or a mixture of them!

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

For the glaze

3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 and 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

1. For the dough: In a small saucepan, warm the milk over moderately low heat until it’s 95°.

2. Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook and stir in the sugar and yeast.

3. Let stand until the yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the softened butter, eggs, grated lemon zest and sea salt.

5. Add the flour and beat at medium speed until a soft dough forms, about 3 minutes.

6. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is soft and supple, about 10 minutes longer.

7. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands 2 or 3 times.

8. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly buttered bowl.

9. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours.

10. Line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to extend up the short sides. Butter the paper and sides of the pan.

11.Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll it into a 10-by-24-inch rectangle.

12. For the filling: In a medium bowl, toss the frozen raspberries with the sugar and cornstarch.

13. Spread the raspberry filling evenly over the dough. Tightly roll up the dough to form a 24-inch-long log.

14. Working quickly, cut the log into quarters. Cut each quarter into 4 slices and arrange them in the baking pan, cut sides up. Cover the rolls and let them rise in a warm place until they are puffy and have filled the baking pan, about 2 hours.*****I let mine rise for the two hours at room temperature, and then I covered them with plastic wrap at that point and popped them into the refrigerator overnight.  I brought them back up to room temperature the next morning as the oven preheated.

15. Preheat the oven to 425°.

16. Bake the rolls for about 25 minutes, until they are golden and the berries are bubbling. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 30 minutes.

17. For the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar with the butter and heavy cream until the glaze is thick and spreadable.

18. Invert the rolls onto the rack and peel off the parchment paper. Invert the rolls onto a platter. Dollop glaze over each roll and spread with an offset spatula. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pretty Good Rolls

I can make some great whole wheat bread.  It is heavenly.  I cannot however make rolls.  I do not like a heavy roll.  I've never had a whole wheat roll that I thought was even descent. I know- it's a personal preference.  So I am focusing on half and half rolls.  My family really liked these rolls.  They had the yummy nutty flavor of whole wheat without being heavy.  

4 tsp. active dry yeast

1/2 c. warm water

2 c. milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm

3 Tbl. of melted butter, slightly cooled

1/2 c. sugar 

4 cups  whole wheat flour  (up to 1 cup more if needed)

3 cups bread flour

2 whole eggs

2 tsp. salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar; let stand until frothy.  Combine yeast mixture, milk, 1/2 cup sugar and enough flour to make a medium batter (about the consistency of pancake batter).  Beat thoroughly.  Add melted butter, eggs and salt.  Beat well.  Add enough flour to form a soft dough.  You just want it to pull away from the sides and then some.  Sprinkle a small amount of flour onto counter and let dough rest.  Meanwhile, grease a large bowl.  Knead dough until smooth and satiny and put in greased bowl; turn over to grease top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.  Punch down.  Turn out onto a floured board.  Divide into portions for shaping; let rest 10 minutes.  Shape dough into desired forms.  Place on greased baking sheets.  Let rise until doubled.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Baste immediately with butter.  Yield: 5 to 6 dozen.  

Ham and Egg Crepe Squares

from www.framedcooks.com

INGREDIENTS

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups milk

4 large eggs

3 tablespoons melted butter

9 thin slices ham

9 eggs

Chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, milk, four eggs and the melted butter in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. Let rest for 15 minutes.

2. Heat a 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with butter. Add 1/3 cup batter and swirl to completely cover skillet. Cook until underside of crepe is very lightly starting to brown, about 2 minutes.

3. Loosen edge of crepe with spatula and then either using large spatula or your fingers, lift it up and flip it over. Cook another 1-2 minutes and then slide out of skillet onto wax paper. Repeat until all crepes are done. You should have about 9 when you are done.

4. Preheat oven to 350. Place crepes on a rimmed baking sheet (you can fit 3-4 per sheet). Place ham slice in center of crepe and carefully crack egg onto ham. Fold edges of crepe toward center, using the egg white as a kind of glue. Season with salt and pepper and bake until egg white is set, about 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve at once.

Recipe adapted a bit from Everyday Food

Blueberry Coconut Pecan Breakfast Cookies

from www.kumquatblog.com

Blueberry Coconut Pecan Breakfast Cookies

1 1/2       cups gluten-free rolled oats

1             cup unsweetened coconut flakes 

1             tablespoon golden flaxmeal

1/2          teaspoon salt

3/4          cups coarsely chopped pecans

1/2          cup dried blueberries

3             very ripe bananas, mashed

1/4          cup coconut oil, warm enough to be liquid

1             tablespoon agave nectar

1             teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine oats, coconut, flaxmeal, salt, pecans, and blueberries. Stir in bananas, oil, agave nectar and vanilla until well combined.

Press 2 tablespoons of mixture into a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Continue with remaining mixture.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until fragrant and golden. Cool on pan.

Yield: about 15 cookies.

No-Bake Energy Bites

from www.gimmesomeoven.com

No-Bake Energy Bites 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
• 1 cup toasted coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Method:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like.  (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.)  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 20-25 balls.

Ali’s Tip:

Substitution ideas can abound for just about any of these ingredients!  Feel free to substitute in your favorite nut butter (almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.) for the peanut butter.  And you could also add in some wheat germ in place of some or all of the flaxseed.  I would caution, though, against substituting agave nectar for the honey, as the honey’s thickness helps hold things together.

Some other fun substitutions for the chocolate chips (or an addition to them) could include:

• chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, raisins, etc.)
• dried berries (cranberries, cherries, etc.)
• chopped almonds, pecans, or sunflower seeds
• other chips (butterscotch, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, etc.)

Update: Many of you in the comments have asked about substitutions for other ingredients.  The joy of these bites being “no bakes” is that this recipe is super flexible.  If you end up needing to omit one of the dry ingredients (such as coconut or flax), just add in some extra of whatever other dry ingredient is remaining (for example, the oats).  If you feel like your energy bites are too dry, just add in extra honey or peanut butter.  Enjoy!!!

Source: Slightly adapted from Smashed Peas & Carrots.

Chicken Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Rice Bowl with Rumbi Rice

SO happy we found this recipe at Fav Family Recipes.  It was so good.  The coconut rice was delicious and the plethora of crunchy fresh vegetables was divine!  A little of the sauce goes a long way so use it sparingly.

This recipe is for the Chicken Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Rice Bowl with Rumbi Rice. If you don’t like Rumbi rice, of course you can serve it with regular rice, brown rice, or noodles..

(makes about 4 bowls)

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 carrots, peeled and grated
3 celery stalks, washed and sliced
1 zucchini, chopped into small cubes
1 1/2 c. chopped broccoli florets
2 c. chicken, grilled and cut into small cubes (OR you can get the pre-cooked grilled chicken strips at Costco in the deli section. It comes in a 2-pack.. use one of the packages and cut up the chicken into little cubes.. just saute the chicken for a few minutes in a skillet before serving)
*Rumbi Rice (see recipe below)
**Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce (see recipe below)

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, zucchini, and broccoli (pretty much equal parts of said vegetables.. you can add more or less veggies depending on your taste). Saute ONLY until vegetables are crisp tender. About 1-2 minutes tops. Serve over Rumbi rice and top with chicken. Serve with Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce on the side (about 3 Tbsp. per bowl.. you can add more or less depending on your taste).

*Hawaiian Coconut Rice with Red Beans (aka Rumbi Rice)
2 c. long grain white rice
2 1/2 c. water
1 (14oz) can coconut milk (about 1 1/2 c.)
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

Combine all ingredients in a rice cooker. Gently stir it all together so the beans are all mixed. Place the lid on and start the rice cooker. Fluff rice with a fork before serving.

If you don’t have a rice cooker… Combine water, coconut milk, and sugar in a saucepan. Stir in rice and beans. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 to 20 minutes, until rice is tender.

**Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce:
3/4 c. Mr. Yoshida’s teriyaki sauce (found in the grocery store by the BBQ sauces)
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. chili garlic sauce (in the Asian section of the grocery store.. we used the one in the clear plastic jar with the green lid — if you want to make it spicier.. add more of this to the sauce)
1 tsp. fresh ginger
pinch of salt
pinch of brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. cold water

Combine Yoshida’s, soysauce, garlic sauce, ginger, salt, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Combine cornstarch and water and SLOWLY add to sauce for thickening. You want it to be slightly thicker than the Yoshida’s sauce. Allow to simmer for about a minute. Cool to room temperature and serve with your rice bowls. (If you find that the sauce is too thick when it cools, just add a little more Yoshida’s to it)

Potato Nachos

These were so good we will definitely be adding them to our rotation.  All the kids liked them too!

Potato Nachos

6 large potatoes, cut into wedges (I used a combination of sweet potatoes and Yukon)
3 T olive oil
1 egg white
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t paprika
3/4 t kosher salt
1 t lime juice

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

3 cups shredded Colby jack cheese or cheddar

3 green onions, thinly sliced and ends trimmed

Sweet peppers, diced

guacamole

sour cream

salsa

 

Combine the olive oil, egg white, chili powder, paprika, salt and lime juice in a small mixing bowl and whisk until completely combined.  Toss with the potatoes, ensure to evenly coat them, and spread the potatoes out in a single layer on a well-oiled baking sheet.  Bake at 400 for 45 minutes, or until golden brown with a crispy exterior.

Remove from oven and cover with cheese, black beans and green onions.  Place the pan back in the oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese has thoroughly melted.

Garnish nachos with sour cream, guacamole and salsa, sweet peppers..or whatever else you want.

 

Banana Streusel Bread

Photo from Joy of Baking

Banana Streusel Bread 

2 cups all-purpose flour, or whole wheat

1/2 cup  brown sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1 - 5.5 ounce (155 gram) package of Werther's Original Chewy Caramels, coarsely chopped

2 ripe large bananas, mashed

2 large eggs lightly beaten

1/2 cup  unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup yogurt (can use plain, vanilla, or caramel flavored yogurt)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract6

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F  and place the rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) the bottom and sides of an 8-cup loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 inch)  Set aside.
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 2/3 cup of pecans, and half of the chopped caramels. 

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, yogurt, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. Over mixing the batter will yield a tough, rubbery bread.) Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup of pecans and chopped caramels over the top of the batter. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 -60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes one - 9 inch loaf.

recipe adapted from Joy of Baking