Category Archives: Vegetarian

Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Blondies

 My husband and I went to the strip district last weekend and I was surprised to see Meyer Lemons for a decent price! I had to pick some up. The first item to make to come to mind was a blondie aka nonchocolate brownie. This is definitely a spring time refreshing dessert despite the snow we encountered this lovely April morning. 

Pre directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Foil line an 8 by 8 glass baking dish. Spray with cooking spray. Set aside. 

Recipe yields 9 Blondies 

Batter Ingredients: 

8 TB of canola oil

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup AP flour

1/4 tsp kosher salt

6 TB egg substitute or 4 large egg whites

1/2 a Meyer lemon zested (1tsp) and 1/2 lemon juiced (1tb)

1 TB poppyseeds (optional)
Lemon glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 Meyer lemon juiced and zested (the other half)

1. Place the canola oil, zest, sugar and salt into a medium mixing bowl.  

2. Mix to incorporate. Add egg substitute and use a whisk to incorporate but do not over mix. 

   

3. Add lemon juice and poppyseeds and mix in with whisk.

  
4. Add flour and mix until no dry residue remains. 

5. Pour batter into prepared dish and bake for  23- 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out of the center clean. 
  
6. Allow to cool to room temperature before glazing. 

7. Place all glaze ingredients in small bowl whisk until no lumps remain.  

 

8. Remove blondie from pan using sides of foil and pour glaze over top to cover. 

9. Cut into 9 squares and enjoy! 

  

Bran Muffins with Orange Zest

 

 Our neighbor brought us over some of his homemade jelly. He prepares the jelly from his Peach Plum Trees. He mentioned this is a tree his family used to have where he grew up in Mariland. I was trying to think of a good muffin to try the jelly on. This bran recipe came to mind. I cannot wait for them to come out of the oven and enjoy with some coffee!

Yields 19 muffins

Predirections:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prep standard size muffin tins with either silicone muffin liner or paper liners and spray with cook my spray. Set aside.

Ingredients:

1 1/8 cup AP flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup all brain original cereal
1 1/2 cups buttermilk plus two TB 
1/2 cup water
2 TB fresh orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
9 prunes
1 small apple grated (about a half of a cup)
1 tsp ground cinnamon 
1 tsp baking powder
1 TB maple surup
 6 TB egg white substitute 
1/2 cup raw sugar plus some to sprinkle

Directions: 

1. Place bran cereal, orange juice, orange zest, egg substitute, and buttermilk in large bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes to soak.
  
2. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder, wheat germ in a separate medium bowl. Set aside. 
  
3. In the food processor add prunes, shredded apple and water. Food process for 3 minutes.   

4. Add puréed prune mix to buttermilk batter.   
 

5. Mix to incorporate & fold in flour mixture. Fold in dry ingredients until no dry residue remains.

   

6. Use a size 16 scoop to portion out into muffin tins evenly.  Sprinkle with raw sugar before placing in the oven.

 

7. Bake for 30 to 33 minutes at 375.

 

  
 
Please note they do shrink after they come out of the oven. Please let them cool for 5 minutes in pan and remove to wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy! 

Rhubarb Buckwheat Popovers

  

Yesterday my husband and I went downtown to the strip district, bottom line my favorite place to bike and market shop in the warmer months. One of my favorite kitchen stores had a popover pan half off. Yahtzee only $10.99!  I was so excited, I’ve been wanting a popover pan for 2 years. Today, I had to make something with it! Savory or sweet decisions, decisions. I debated for a while but after pruning the brushes and doing yard work yesterday I noticed my rhubarb plants were starting to grow. They reminded me I have a few frozen bags of rhubarb in the freezer. 

Yields mini 10 popovers

Ingredents:

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup AP flour

1 cup skim milk

2 large eggs

1 tsp blood orange zest

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 

1/4 cup kosher salt

1/2 Cup raw sugar plus 1 tsp

1 cup of fresh rhubarb or frozen (thawed and excess water removed) 

Pre directions

Preheat oven to 375. Cooking spray 10 of the 12 popover vessels. 

Place tsp of raw sugar with rhubarb and toss to coat and set aside.

Directions:

1. Whisk skim milk, orange zest, vanilla, and eggs together to fully incorporate.

2. Add buckwheat, flour, salt, sugar. Whisk to fully incorporate. 

  

3. Place batter evenly amongst 10 popover vessels pre cooking sprayed with Pam or alternative. Top batter  with rhubarb 1 to 2 TB. Bake at 375 for 30 to 32 minutes. 

Remove from oven and enjoy! 

   Dust with powder sugar if you desire or homemade rhubarb jam.

  

 

Crunchy Peanut Butter Oat Bars

 

Today we had our Quarterly NST meeting and I had to come up with a quick snack for our 12:00 o’clock meeting to fuel the team. I love these diverse bars. You can add whatever you have on hand. They are quick to make but quick to be gone as well. Bonus they are no bake.

Yields: 18 bars

Ingredients:

1.5 cups 100% quick oats

1.5 cups brown puffed rice

1/4 cup raw sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp Mexican vanilla extract 

1/8 kosher salt

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 TB milled flaxseed 

Pre directions: foil line a 9 by 13 and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

Directions:

1. Place puffed rice, oats, peanuts, flaxseed

 and mini chocolate chips in a medium bowl. 

 

 2. In a seperate large bowl add peanut butters, honey and raw sugar. Microwave for 1 minute and stir about half way through and continue to heat mixture.  

 

  

3. Add the vanilla and stir. Add in dry ingredients.  Stir to combine.

 

4. Once throughly mixed pour mixture into the foil lined pan. 

  

5. Spread evenly into pan with spatula.

6. Cover and let set overnight in refrigerator to set. 

 

  

7. Lift bars out of the pan by foil and set on cuting board and cut into 18 bars. 

 Enjoy! 

Peanut butter Pretzel Brownies with Caramel Drizzle

 

I’ve been dreaming up these for a while.  What’s not to love about the combo of peanut butter, chocolate, caramel, and something salty like pretzels. I found a few recipes that had similar ideas but used a brownie box mix (no thank you). These will have you salivating while they bake. The house will smell amazing! 

This recipe yields 16 brownies

Caramel Drizzle Ingredients : (there will be 1 cup remaining for another baking adventure) the good news is the sauce refrigerated well.

1 cups of brown sugar

 2.5  TB unsalted butter 

1/4 cup and 1 tb of heavy cream 

1 tsp of pure vanilla 

Peanut Butter Swirl Ingredients:

1/2 cup Crunchy Peanut butter

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 TB butter (unsalted and softened)

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Brownie Batter Ingredients:

3 large eggs

3/4 cup Whole Wheat Pastry flour

1 cup  crushed pretzels (10-12 pretzel rods)

1 cup raw sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 oz of semi sweet (46% cacao) guittard chocolate chips (about one cup or half the bag)

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup of canola oil 

4 TB unsalted butter

Predirections:

Line an 9 by 9 inch baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray to coat well and prevent sticking. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Directions:

  1. Food process 10 to 12 pretzel rods. Pulse the pretzels until you reach desired consistency. You will want some large chunks but mostly small pieces. Set aside in small vessel.

2. In as standing mixer place all the peanut butter swirl ingredients together. Using paddle attachment beat on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Set aside.

  

3. Microwave the chocolate and butter together in a microwaveable safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals stir after each interval.  Continue until there are no sign of unmelted chunks and this consistency is smooth and glossy.

4. Add canola oil to melted chocolate and stir. Using the food processor (honestly why dirty another bowl). ***Make sure to swap out the metal blade for the plastic blade. **Pour melted chocolate chocolate mixture, vanilla, eggs, sugar, salt, baking soda, & flour into to food processor.  

 


5. Pulse to mix ingredients together. Do not just turn on the food processor use the pulse mechanism.  

6.Scrap down sides occasionally using rubber spatula. Pulse until all ingredients are incorporated and no dry residue remains.

 

7. Fold in pretzel crumbs. Or just pulse 3 to  4 times.  

 

8. Pour batter into prepared 9 by 9 dish. Using a rubber spatula to remove all residue from processor.

  

9. Spread batter out evenly in pan. And add peanut butter in globs evenly in about 5 -6 different areas (as pictured below).

10. Using a knif swirl peanut butter, try not to over mix or your design will not turn out as planned.

  

11. Bake for 22-24 minutes and rotate pan half way and bake for another 22-24 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Total bake time 44-48 minutes. 

  

In the meantime prepare the caramel sauce.Place the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a heavy 2 quart nonstick saucepan. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking it as it begins to melt. Just keep whisking and as it continues to cook, the sugar will melt back down. Keep cooking until temperature reaches 350 degrees. Once temperature reached add butter, once the butter is melted gently pour in the heavy cream and whisk until combined. Remove from heat and add in the vanilla, stir to incorporate. Allow sauce cool for 10 minutes off heat and this will provide time for the sauce to thicken.  

Let brownies cool on wire rack prior to drizzling the caramel. Place caramel in Wilton squeeze bottle and drizzle until your heart is content.  

   

Fyi these will bring everyone to the kitchen. My husband hovered over me until he could have one (until I snapped enough photos). 

Enjoy!


Chocolate Cookies with Mint M&M’s

 

What better way to celebrate the month of March and welcome spring with some green! These can be a very versitile cookies. Prior to baking you can top them off with just about anything your heart desires. I ran out of mint M&M’s (since my husband found my stash) so I had to use some butterscotch chips at one point.

 

This recipe yields 54 cookies using a size 60 scoop.

Pre directions: preheat oven to 350 degrees and paperline two half sheet pans with parchment paper.

 

Ingredients:

2 cups of Ap flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa

2 large eggs

1 cup raw sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 stick unsalted butter (softened to room temp)

3/4 cup vegetable shorten

2 tsp pure high quality vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

162 Mint M&M’s

Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Cream butter, shorten, and both sugars in stand mixer on medium to medium high speed.

2. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time. Beat after each addition. Set aside.

3. In a seperate bowl whisk together both flours, cocoa, salt, and soda.

 

4. Gently add flour mixture to creamed batter and mix on low to incorporate.

 

5. Once everything is well mixed and without dry residue remove paddle attachment and scoop cookies onto the pan by using #60 scoop. Sccop evenly 12 cookies to a 1/2 sheet pan.

6. Spray bottom of drinking glass with cooking spray to flatten the cookie slightly. 

  

 

7. Place 3 M&M’s to a cookie and press slightly to prevent the candy from falling out of place

  

 

8. Bake for 9 minutes on 350 degrees. Allow cookie to cool for 1 minute on tray and then remove to wire rack to cool the remainder of the way.

 

Enjoy !

 

 

Garlic Turnip Fries in the Actifry



garlic turnip. fries



Generally I eat turnips raw but recently tried them in the oven. Now I am hooked, so if I like them baked in the oven, I know I will love them in my actifry.

Ingredients;

  • 2 medium turnips cut into strips like fries (no need to peal)
  • 1/4 tsp sandwich sprinkle (a mixture of salt, garlic,tell lichen pepper, basil,oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram)
  • 1/2 tsp pasta sprinkle (a blend of oregano, basil,thyme and garlic
  • 1/4 to 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
  • 4 whole garlic cloves 

Directions

  1. Cut turnips into even strips.
  2. Place in cooking sprayed actifry vessel and lightly spray strips with cooking spray and sprinkle with seasonings.
  3. Set timer for 30 minutes. 

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

bananas rarely go bad at this house! I eat one daily and if they start to get too ripe, I freeze them for banana “ice cream”. My husband made the comment those bananas look like banana bread bananas so I took that literally and started baking. 

Ingredients

  • 4 medium bananas (pealed and mashed)
  • 1 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup Ap flour
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
  • 2 TB ground flax seed 
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
  • 2/3 cup raw sugar or brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts chopped (optional)

Directions 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray with cooking spray 4 mini bread loaf pans. Set aside.
  2. Mash bananas in a large bowl until almost puréed consistency. 
  3. Add oil, peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla. 
  4. Add one egg at a time.
  5. Mix after each addition until incorporated. I used the fork I used to mash the bananas.
  6. In a separate bowl whisk flours, salt, baking powder, flaxseed until mixed throughout. 
  7. Add dry ingredients to wet.
  8. Mix to fully incorporate. Make sure no dry residue remains. 
  9. If you are going to add the additional peanuts now is the time. Fold them gently into the batter. 
  10. Place in prepared bread tins and spread batter evenly. Each vessel of the pampered chef stone mini bread loaf pan allows for scan 2 cups of batter.
  11. Shake pan to settle the bread in the pan. 
  12. Place in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until tooth comes out clean.


Apple Coffeecake

An apple a day keeps the doctor away! But  unfortunately I don’t count the ones in baked goods. I did try and cut some of the extra sugar that the original recipe called for. 

This recipe makes 4 servings 

Pre-directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cooking spray an 8 by 8 oven safe  glass dish. Set aside. 

Ingredient 

1/2 cup Ap flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 TB raw sugar 

3/8 tsp baking soda 

1/4 tsp kosher sat

1 tsp ground Vietniemesse cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 cup canola oil

1/4 cup puréed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) or unsweetened applesauce 

1 large egg

1 extra extra large apple (I used jonnygold but use what you have) about two cups (diced & cored but not peeled) the peel is where the nutrition is and fiber! 

1/4 cup canned pecans chopped 

Cooking spray

8 by 8 baking dish 

Directions:

  1. Place flours, candied pecans, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, allspice, 1/2 tsp cinnomon, 1/2 cup raw sugar in large bowl. Mix to fully incorporate all the dry ingredients.

2. In a separate small bowl mix oil, pumpkin, and eggs to incorporate.

3. Add wet ingredients  into dry, along with apples. Mix until no dry ingredients remain. The batter will be chunky.

4.  Place in cooking sprayed pan and spread batter evenly. And sprinkle with remain 1 1/2 TB of raw sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

5. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees! Or until tooth pick comes out clean.

Most of all enjoy!

Mickey Mouse Buttermilk Wheat Pancakes

We had my nephew over this weekend and we just returned from Disney and thought what better way to celebrate the weekend? Then with Mickey Mouse pancakes! max also loves spiderman and I couldn’t believe we found a Mickey Mouse hat with spiderman.

8 Mickey Mouse pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup ap flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry  flour

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup dried blueberries

2 cups buttermilk 

1/8 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

Directions:


Mix both flours, salt, soda, baking powder, & sugar in large bowl.


Wearing the Mickey Mouse ears helps. 

Set aside.

In a medium size bowl whisk eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk.

Add wet ingredient into dry and mix to incorporate.

Fold in dried blueberries. 

Heat griddle pan to medium to medium low temp.

Spray griddle with cooking spray and place pancakes as you desire onto preheated pan.



Allow to heat until you see bubbles form and flip accordingly. The second side does not take as long as the first.

Enjoy!