Tag Archives: honey

Honey Wheat Pizza Crust

Honey Wheat Pizza Dough

Friday night pizza night is my favorite! Growing up this tradition is what my family always did. We would rent movies, order pop, and pizza from our favorite local shop. After we made our movie selection at First Row Video, we would head home and enjoy the night relaxing and laughing in the presence of each others company.

I still love practicing this tradition 30 years later. Even though some things changed such as the movie is generally a netflix selection. Also, now I’ve added the tradition of making the pizza from scratch vs ordering it as take out.

I love this recipe because it makes two doughs which allows for a back up homemade pizza dough to stuff in the freezer and always have on hand.

This recipe yields: 2 Pizza doughs

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon honey

3 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 Tablespoon of olive oil

Directions:

1. Place the first 3 ingredients in a small vessel. I usually use a small glass measuring pitcher. Let the yeast proof for about 5 minutes.

2. Place the remainder of the ingredients in a stand mixer with dough hook and turn the mix on low speed and mix the flour mixture together.

3. Add yeast mixture and oil to dry ingredients and knead with dough hook for 6-8 minutes and work up to medium speed. Once dough forms a ball, Place the dough on lightly floured surface to knead by hand for 30 seconds.

4. Place the dough ball in a canola sprayed glass bowl to allow to double in size (about 60 to 90 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap.

5. Once the dough has doubled in size place it in the refrigerator to ferment for at least 48 hours.

6. Take bowl with dough out of refrigerator to come to room temperature for at least two hours before baking. Please keep plastic cover over dough.

7. Once the time has elasped, Preheat oven to 500 degrees

8. Roll out into deep dish pan or flat pizza stone.

9. Place the toppings to your liking on the dough and bake the pizza for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy.

Mashup Nut Butter Bars

Recipe yields 3 dozen bars

It’s been too hot for the oven in Pittsburgh these last few weeks in July. Yet I have not turned on the air conditioning in the house. In turn, I know I have been taking it easy with the baking. These bars are super easy. Plus soft but crunchy with a blend of two different nut/seed butters. Plus an extra bonus of a wide variety of seeds and nuts to pack in the protein.

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cup of Cheerios (I used the pumpkin flavored ones)

2 3/4 cup of Brown rice cereal

1/4 cup of sliced almonds

1 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup of peptia seeds

1/4 cup milled flaxseed

1/4 cup of quinoa, uncooked

1/4 cup dried mixed fruit ( I used a variety of blueberry and cranberry)

1 1/2 cup of local honey

1 Cup Smooth Cashew Butter

1 Cup Smooth Sunflower Butter

Line a 1/2 sheet pan with parchment paper, make sure to place the parchment over the sides to make for easy removal of the bars. Set aside.
Mix the first 7 ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
In the meantime mix together the nut/seed butters and honey in a medium microwavable safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second and stir. Continue to microwave and stir in 30 second intervals until smooth and creamy. The mixture should appear melted.
Add the melted nut butter mixture over top of the dry ingredients and incorporate thoroughly with a rubber spatula.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared half sheet pan. A nice trick to this is to spray your spatula with nonstick cooking spray. Another pearl of wisdom, you can also use wax paper to push the bars down into the pan to make the even.
Place bars in the refrigerator covered and allow the bars to set overnight.
After the bars have hardened overnight in the refrigerator cut in to three dozen bars. For optimal results and extended shelflife, store the bars in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Sweet & Salty Whole Grain Bars

I planned a very big trip this weekend. I went to Georgia to pick up my baby girl Lucy. My second cousin breeds Labs and I have wanted one of her’s for years.

I am starting a new chapter in my life, and I am looking forward to the road ahead with her. She already has stolen my heart.

I made these bars to take on my adventure to Georgia. I never like to go anywhere empty handed. These tasty treats turned out delicious. Even my Cousin said they taste really good for looking like bird food. 😂

Yields:

24 bars

Ingredients:

9 by 13 glass Pyrex pan

Parchment paper

3/4 cup honey

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 1/4 steel oats

1 cup pretzels pieces (crumbs)

1 1/3 cup Millet

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups Puffed barley cereal

Pre directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Parchment paper line 9 by 13 glass pan. Set aside

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix the honey and peanut butter. Microwave in 30 second intervals. Until the batter is very smooth and easy to mix. It only took me 1 minute to reach the consistency I was going for.

2. In a separate bowl while the peanut butter softens. Place all the remaining ingredients into a medium bowl mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the honey/peanut butter blend. Stir until combine.

3. Pour the batter into the parchment paper lined baking dish. Spread the batter evenly. I like to use another piece of parchment paper to do this.

4. Place in preheated oven for 17-20 minutes.

5. Remove from oven allow to cool and cover place in refrigerator over night with lid.

6. In the morning remove the bars using the parchment. Place them on a cutting board. Cut into 24 bars using sharp knife. Place in snack size ziplock bags or place back in the glass dish and store in refrigerator.

Enjoy

Creamed Cinnamon Honey Roasted Pecans

My team at work for Christmas gifted me a lovely bag of North Carolina Local Gems.

I couldn’t wait to open the Creamed Cinnamon Honey! I made some Carmellized Banana Pecan French Toast with it this morning to coincide.

This is a tasty way to utilize local ingredients for a delicious snack or gift. The finished product reminded my husband ,and I of a fancier version of Cracker Jack’s since that is the texture they portrayed.

Ingredients:

1 pound of raw pecan halfs

1/4 cup creamed Honey with cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place raw pecans on the baking pan. Place the pecans on the sheet in the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 6-8 minutes.

2. In the meantime place a two quart sauce pan on low medium heat and melt the creamed honey. Once the timer has elsapsed on the pecans place the pecans in the sauce pan with the honey. Allow the pecans and honey to merry. Use mini spatula to incorporate the honey throughout. Allow the ingredients to heat for 6 minutes on low.

3. Pour the pecans on wax paper and allow them to cool. The pecans will remain tacky. Allow for them to cool on the wax for about 1 hour then place in ziplock sealable container. That is if they make it past the cooling part! 😉

Quick Cornbread

I was cleaning out the freezer and came across chili. Yes! This will be perfect for dinner tonight. Which also allowed me to mix up this cornbread for two in a flash. You will find that this cornbread is slightly sweet and very moist.

The secret to good cornbread is buttermilk! Plus a good cast-iron skillet.

My husband and I picked up this beauty of a cast iron at a local flea market.

This recipe uses an 8 inch cast-iron skillet.

This recipe yields 8-10 small slices of cornbread.

Ingredients :

1 tablespoon of canola oil

1/2 cup of low-fat Buttermilk

1 cup of self rising cornmeal mix

1 tsp baking powder

1 large egg (lightly beaten)

1/4 cup honey

Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Place cornmeal mix and baking powder and salt in a small to medium bowl. Mix with spoon.

3. In the center of the dry ingredients form a well. Place buttermilk, honey, canola oil in center and mix thoroughly with spatula.

4. Spray your cast-iron skillet with cooking spray and pour in the wet batter. Bake on 450 for 12 minutes.

Enjoy!

No bake peanut butter puffed brown rice granola bars

Tomorrow is our dietetic intern and my mentee’s last day at our facility. I cannot believe another dietetic intern group is graduating. Yikes ! Times flys!! I wanted to celebrate with a nice nutrition dense snack filled with peanut butter, slivered almonds, oats and brown puffed rice to get us through another busy Friday!

This recipe yields 12 to 16 bars

Ingredients:
1.5 cups of whole grain puffed rice
1 cup of old fashioned oats
1/2 cup of instant quick oats
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp vanilla high quality
1 cup of peanut butter or almond bitter
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup local honey
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips semi sweet
Cooking spray

1. Foil line and cooking spray a 8 by 8 inch baking dish. Set aside.

2. Place oats, almonds, chocolate chips,& puffed rice in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. In a microwavable safe glass dish portion out the peanut butter,honey, and sugar.

Microwave on high for one minute. Mix with spatula to combined.

Place the peanut butter batter back in the microwave for another minute. Remove from microwave and mix and vanilla.

Pour the hot liquid batter over the dry ingredients.

Using a spatula fold the ingredients together until well incorporated and no signs of dry residue.

Pour the combined batter into the cooking sprayed baking dish and press with spatula to form even top to the bars

Cover with plastic wrap and let the bars refrigerate overnight. Remove from pan using the foil to lift.

Cut into bars.

Enjoy ! They don’t last long …. They go quickly!

Heath No Bake Granola Bars

We had a lunch and learn today and I always try to make a special treat for my co-workers. I made these bars in a pinch at 9:45 last night. This has to be the easiest, quickest bar I have ever made! The honey flavor really shines through!

This recipe yields 18 bars

Ingredients:
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup unpack brown sugar
1 cup of quick oats
1 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup of crispy rice cereal preferably brown rice
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 TB chopped Heath Candy bar

Directions:

1. Line 8x 8″ glass or metal dish with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray to coat the foil to prevent sticking.

2. Place on medium heat a 2 quart sauce pan, add canola oil, honey, and brown sugar.

3. Heat liquid mixture until bubbles appear then reduce heat to low and cook for 2 additional minutes.

3. While the liquid mixture cooks combine dry ingredients ( except for Heath Chips) into a large bowl.

4. Remove liquid mixture from heat and add vanilla. Stir honey mixture into dry ingredients using spatula.

5. Press the batter into the pan evenly.

6. Sprinkle the Heath chips evenly on top of the bars and press the chips down with a spatula.

7. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to overnight. Remove from the pan. Cut into 18 bars.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Dark Chocolate Cake!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

We have zucchini coming out of our ears! And we don’t want it to go to waste! Just recently I found this recipe in FN Magazine and I have been etching to try it. I did do some modifications to add some of my own touches of course. PS it goes well with ice cream…..

Cake Ingredients:
1 medium Zucchini ( remove excess water)
1 1/2 cups AP flour, plus 1 TB
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 oz dark chocolate chopped finely
2 oz of semi sweet chocolate chopped finely
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup unsweetened coco powder
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla

Topping
1 tsp canola oil
1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate
1 tsp honey

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray pan with cooking spray and sprinkle/dust pan with flour.

2. Chop chocolate finely.