Tasty Tuesday

Okra is in season.  um num num.  My family loves the stuff!!

FRIED OKRA

 Okra

Salt to taste

Corn meal

Butter (about 1/3 -1/2 cup)

Okra bloom

Okra plant

 

 

 

 

 

Slice okra and place in a bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and let sit for about 5 minutes.  Melt butter in a  skillet.  Add some cornmeal to the okra and stir.  Okra should be lightly coated. Add more cornmeal if needed.  Add the okra to the skillet and cook on med-high heat. 

 

Best way to get my kids to eat okra!

 

 

Tasty Tuesday

For some crazy reason, I decided to try my hand at donuts.  I looked at different recipes and ruled out ingredients I didn't have or didn't want to mess with (like yeast).  After scouring the Internet for recipes, I came across "Joy the Baker".  Here is her recipe:

Old Fashioned Doughnuts

With Chocolate Glaze

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour     1/3 cup granulated sugar

(I used 1/2c whole wheat and 3/4c white flour)     1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream               

1 teaspoon baking soda     1 large egg             

                              1/4 teaspoon nutmeg      1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

                      Pinch of salt      vegetable oil for frying

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and sugar.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together yogurt (I used sour cream), egg, and melted butter.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together until well incorporated.  The dough will take some smooshing and squishing to gather into a ball.  It will be like a slightly more moist biscuit dough.  Wrap bowl in plastic wrap and place in fridge to rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile.....

Time to make:

Chocolate Glaze

1 1/2 cups powder sugar

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 table spoons milk or water

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract.

In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and cocoa powder.  Slowly stir in milk and vanilla extract.  Whisk until silky and smooth.  You can add a touch more milk if needed to make this glaze more dippable.

Times up! Back to doughnut making.



Place a candy/fry thermometer in a medium saucepan.  Pour oil into the pan until it is about 2-inches deep.  Heat oil over medium-low heat.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough to a 1/2 thickness.  Cut doughnuts with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter, and cut a hole with a smaller circle cutter.

I forgot to show the smaller circle cutter. oops.

When oil reaches 360 degrees F, fry 2 or 3 doughnuts at a time for about 1 minute on each side.  Doughnuts will be golden brown.

Carefully pull out, drain, and let rest

on paper towel.

Dip doughnuts in Chocolate Glaze and let rest to harden slightly. (If you can wait that long!!)

Doughnuts are best served the day they're made, but I had some doughnuts the next day.  They were just as good as the first day and they were not even warm.  Either I was hungry, or they were that good.  They must have been good, because everyone else ate them too.

Here is the link to Joy the Baker:

http://joythebaker.com/2011/09/old-fashioned-doughnuts-with-chocolate-glaze/

Tasty Tuesday

I am still trying to figure out the menu tabs, so please be patient.  I am going to add Menu Monday and post my menu for the week.  One of my goals is to be able to link the menu to a recipe.  The brain power that this requires of me might have to wait for the kids to go back to school in a couple of weeks.  But meanwhile, I bring you......

Banana Muffins

INGREDIENTS

     1 cup whole wheat flour      2 eggs                                

      1 cup white flour      1 c. mashed, banana

       1 tsp baking soda      (about 2 cups)          

                                         1/2 tsp salt      1/3 cup buttermilk (see subsitution)

                  1/2 cup butter      1 cup of cinnamon chips

      1 cup granulated sugar      (or 1 cup chocolate chips)

(you can add 1/2 chopped nuts...if you are one of "those people") lol

I love having help in the kitchen.

Speedo is smiling because she had
 just liked her fingers when I told
her not to do that!

Preheat oven to 400*.  Mix together both flours, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  Cream butter and gradually add sugar.  Mix well.  Add eggs and bananas; blend thoroughly.  (If you do not have buttermilk, you can substitute 1/3 cup milk and 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar.  This will curdle the milk a bit.)  Slowly and alternately, mix in flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.  Stir in cinnamon chips (or chocolate chips)  then pour batter into muffin tin lined with cupcake papers.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Continue checking with a toothpick until toothpick comes out clean.

Speedo and I decided to do an experiment in flavor.  We mixed half the

batter with chocolate chips and the other half with cinnamon chips. 

The cinnamon chips won the taste test!!  The cinnamon muffins were

 gone the 1st day, and it took 3 days for the chocolate muffins to finish.

Do the taste test challenge and

let us know what you think!!

Tasty Tuesday

Chewy Lime Sugar Cookies

This delicious recipe brought to you by My Baking Addiction

http://www.mybakingaddiction.com

INGREDIENTS:

     2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour     1 egg                                      

   1 tsp baking soda     1/2 tsp vanilla        

                 1/2 tsp baking powder     Zest of 1 large lime, finely minced

       1/2 tsp salt     3 tbsp lime juice

                       1 cup butter, softened     1/2 cup unsweetened toasted coconut

              1 1/2 cups white sugar     1/2 cup sugar for rolling cookies

To toast the coconut:
Preheat oven to 350*.  Spread coconut out on a cookie sheet.  Bake 5-10 minutes, stirring once or twice.  Don't forget to allow the coconut to cool before adding into the recipe. 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350*.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  (I don't usually use parchment paper when I bake cookies, so I thought I would give it a try.  I couldn't really tell a difference in the way the cookies baked, but clean up was really easy!)

2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

3.  Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and very fluffy.

4.  Beat in egg, vanilla extract, lime juice and lime zest.

5.  Gradually blend in the dry ingredients and toasted coconut.  ( I crumbled the coconut into little pieces before I put it into the mixture.  That way, you don't finish eating your cookie and still have a mouth full of coconut when your done.  It's a texture thing...)

6.  Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in sugar.  If the mixture sticks to your hand, you may want to add a tablespoon or two of flour to your mixture. This will make the balling process easier.  Place on lined cookie sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.

7.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

8.  Let stand on cookie sheet 2 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack. 

I think these are one of my favorites.  Who am I kidding?.... I have never met a cookie I didn't like.

Tasty Tuesday

Healthy Fruit Crisp

5 cups of fruit (apples, peaches, pears, cherries, blueberries or a combination of all)

(as you can see, we used apples)

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Stir the fruit together with brown sugar and place in a (9x9) baking dish

Make your Crumb Topping:

1 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup chopped nuts or coconut flakes (optional)

Mix together oats, sugar, flour and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter. Add nuts or coconut.

  Sprinkle on top of the fruit mixture.  Bake at 375* for 30-35 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is golden brown. 

It's hard to tell that this one is cooked, but when you make it, it is much easier to tell when it is done.  Plus, it makes your house smell so good!

I added a subscribe option.  You can have the post go straight  to your email. Thanks for the idea, Lisa. ~I miss you too!! 

Tasty Tuesday

Are you wondering what to do with all that basil when your plant is in full swing?  Make Pesto!! 

Pesto



2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

3 Tbs pine nuts or walnuts

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

Place basil leaves in small batches in food processor and whip until well chopped (do about 3/4 cup at a time).  Add about 1/3 of the nuts and garlic, blend again.  Add about 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese; blend while slowly adding about 1/3 of the olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides of container.  Repeat until all remaining ingredients have been added.  Process pesto until it forms a thick smooth paste.  Serve over pasta.

(Basil pesto will keep in the frig for about one week, or in freeze for a few months.)  Adidas loves to use half a jar on a bowl of pasta.  She is my carbivore.



Mojito

(to beat the Houston Heat)

Ingredients

mint leaves, limeade, water and ice

(sorry, no exact measurements)

Pick a hand full of mint leaves.

Rinse

crush mint leaves

Add about 2 tablespoons of limeade and mix together.

Add to a glass of water, stir and taste.
Add limeade a little at a time, if needed.
Another option is to add the lime/mint mixture to 7-up
or Club Soda, if you like the bubbly.

Add ice and enjoy.

My kids love these.  They don't mind all the mint floating around in their drink.  You can strain out the leaves as you add it to the glass of water.  Mr. Wonderful prefers some rum in his mojito.  (no surprise there! lol)

Tasty Tuesday

Chocolate Cloud Cookies

Ingredients

3 cups flour     2 eggs

 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa     2 teaspoons vanilla     

                    1/2 teaspoon baking soda     12 ounces mini chocolate chips

                                                  1 cup sugar     8 ounces mini marshmallows, frozen

1 cup brown sugar, packed firm                                              

1 cup softened butter                             

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Keep marshmallows frozen until ready to use. (They thaw quickly.)  Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda.  Set aside.  Combine sugars and blend in butter.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Add flour mixture and chocolate chips.  Blend at low speed.  Batter will be stiff.  Place a tablespoon of dough in your hand and roll into a ball.  Press 3 marshmallows into the middle of the ball.  Wrap the dough around the marshmallows to enclose them.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes.

The marshmallows are so cute poking out. 
Hello there, little yummy goodness!

Let cool on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes before moving to wire wrack.
They will stay together better.

Recipe from a cookbook called "Capitol Cookies" 
My niece, Emily is not a nut lover unlike her mom.  I looked high and low to find the perfect recipe that didn't have nuts.  What better than a chocolate cookie filled with yummy goo.  This is the cookie for Washington State, which is where she lives.  I hope you enjoy them. 

Tasty Tuesday

Mom is Great! She Gives Us Breakfast Cake!

from Heavenly Homemakers

http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/mom-is-great-she-gives-us-breakfast-cake

1 cup butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups whole rolled oats
¾ cup honey
2 eggs
1 t. sea salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla
1 cup raisins, chocolate chips or other dried fruit  (we used cinnamon chips)

Stir together butter, buttermilk, flour and oats in a glass bowl. Cover with a cloth and allow the grains to soak on your counter overnight or for at least 8 hours.
Stir in honey, eggs, salt, baking soda and vanilla.(It does take a bit of work to mix in the remaining ingredients, but with a hand mixer and a little patience, it wasn't to bad.)  Fold in raisins, chocolate chips or dried fruit. Pour into a buttered 9×9 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

This is soooo yummy!!  I had 2 pieces.

Tasty Tuesday

Happy Belated Father's Day.

Mr. Wonderful got breakfast in bed.  We made him pancakes and bacon.  Somehow, you can never go wrong when you put bacon beside anything!

Jasper Atkins Pancakes

(The semi-healthy version)

   1/2 c whole wheat flour    2 tbs coconut oil

 1/2 white flour    1 egg  

2 tbs baking powder     3/4 c milk   

    2 tbs (100% pure) maple syrup 

Mix dry ingredients.  Add oil.

Cut in oil with a pasty blender or fork.  Add all other
ingredients and mix with spoon.

Pour into skillet and cook until bubbles start to form.

Flip.

And serve.
(mangos,bacon, and warm maple syrup)

I would have taken a picture of him enjoying it, but I thought he wouldn't appreciate that.  Hope everyone had a great Father's Day.

Tasty Tuesday

GIANT BREAKFAST COOKIES

from Heavenly homemakers

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, melted    

3/4 cup honey  

2 eggs    

1 tsp. salt     

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

 2 cups whole wheat flour

 2 cups whole rolled oats

1 cup raisins or chocolate chips

Melt and cool butter.  In a glass bowl, stir together flour, oats, butter and cultured buttermilk.  Add a bit more buttermilk than the 1/2 cup the recipe calls for if the grains are not all moistened.  Cover and let the grains soak overnight.  Stir in the remaining ingredients in the morning and bake.

Confession:  I am not one to plan ahead!!  So, if you are like me, this is how you make it...

Melt butter in a glass bowl and let cool.
  Add flour, oats, and buttermilk.  Mix well. 
Let set while you mix the rest of the ingredients.

Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Add oatmeal mixture to bowl and mix with hand mixer.

Fold in raisins and/or chocolate chips.





Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet.

Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes.  Allow to cool 3-4 minutes on cookie sheet
before removing cookies to cool on a wire rack.

YUM!! Enjoy with milk.

Come to find out, one of my kids doesn't like the chocolate chips in anything baked. She said it made them taste like dark chocolate. huh! 

Click here for a printable recipe 

  http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/giant-breakfast-cookies