Basic Granola Base

BASIC GRANOLA
*this is a really basic granola that uses stuff a person usually has, you can add anything to it
*it is adapted from Alton Brown's recipe

4 1/3 cups rolled oats
1 2/3 cups shredded sweet coconut
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.
Add  raisins, chocolate, etc...

If you want to add nuts you can adjust the oatmeal and coconut to accommodate them.  For example if you wanted to add 1 C of pecans then use 4 C of oats and 1 C of coconut.  Add the nuts before cooking the granola.

Seven Layer Dip

SEVEN LAYER DIP

Refried Beans
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Cheese
Tomato
Green Onion, thinly sliced
Olives, chopped fine

Layer in order staring from beans in a pan.  Serve with tortilla chips...

Baked Oatmeal with Cranberries

BAKED OATMEAL

3 C of rolled oats (if you want to use this as real baked oatmeal...also add 1/2 C of applesauce along with the butter)
or
4 C of rolled oats if you intend for this to be a cereal
1/2 C brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 C milk
2 eggs
1/4 C butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 C dried cranberries

Combine dry ingredients.  Combine wet ingredients and then combine all the ingredients :)  Bake in a 9x13 for about 35-40 minutes (for normal) or 25-35 minutes (for more cereal like) at 350.

Steel Cut Oats

I am playing around with steel cut oats.  They are less processed than rolled oats or instant oatmeal and have a lower glycemic index.
I don't know a whole lot about steel cut oats other than they are prepared by being cut into pieces.  They have a more golden color and to me the look kind of like they are cut up wheat or rice.  Of course one of the things that drew me it was the fact that they are sometimes called Irish Oats :)
They take longer to cook and you can pre-soak them.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

1 can pineapple chunks, drained
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp oil
1 1/4 C water
2 C carrots, sliced lengthwise into sticks
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 C brown sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 C ketchup
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 C chicken, diced and cooked
1 C green pepper, sliced in strips

Saute onion in oil.  Add water, carrots and bouillon cubes.  Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Combine sugar, cornstarch and ginger.  Add ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce and stir into vegetables.  Cook mixture until clear and thick.  Add chicken, pepper and pineapple.  Simmer for 5 more minutes.

Okay, sometimes I just make this and leave the chicken out completely.  Just fill it up with peppers and it is so good over rice.  I don't even miss the chicken but my Asian side does protest the whole time I do it!

Thai Linguine

THAI LINGUINE
1 can (14oz) chicken broth/vegetable broth
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/2 C peanut butter
1 Tbsp oil
2 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp grated ginger
1 onion, thinly sliced
8 oz linguine, cooked

In a skillet heat oil and add garlic and ginger.  Add onions and saute.  Remove from skillet.  Mix together broth, soy sauce, water, cornstarch and pepper.  Blend in peanut butter.  Add mixture into the skillet.  Cook and stir until thick and bubbly and add onions/garlic back into the sauce.  Serve over noodles.

You can add chicken to this meal if you want to make it more a chicken linguine...

Ground Beef Stroganoff

GROUND BEEF STROGANOFF

1/2 C onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/4 lb ground beef
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1 C mushrooms, sliced
1 can cream of mushroom
1 C sour cream
Cooked noodles or rice

Brown meat, drain.  Saute onion, garlic, beef with a tiny bit of butter.  Stir in flour, seasonings and saute until onions are tender.  Add mushrooms and soup and simmer.  Add sour cream and heat but don't boil.  You can add milk to thin the sauce if it needs it.  Season more to taste if you want (I always do)
Serve over noodle or rice.

FLEXITARIAN

There is a wikipedia on flexitarians.  They have changed it to semi-vegetarianism.  The wiki on flexitarians used to have have more information/history about the word "flexitarian."  I think it is important (did I mention I was from Austin) so here is a brief history that is often left out of the discussion.

There was a small restaurant in Austin, Texas called the Acorn Cafe (26th & Guadeloupe).  A reporter from the Austin American Statesman was doing an interview/review of the restaurant.  The owner Helga Morath referred to her food as "flexitarian fare."  The reporter Linda Anthony quoted Morath in her article.  This was in 1992 (Oct 17) and the word has continued to been used down in Austin since that time. Over time it has become more and more popular.  In 2003 the word was voted the most useful word for the year by the American Dialect Society defined as a vegetarian who occasionally eats meat.

More commonly (especially in Austin) I heard it to describe someone who tried to eat less meat for various reasons that were usually health and financial related.

The Best Banana Bread

THE BEST BANANA BREAD
*from my SIL Patti - this really is the best banana bread, I don't always make it because it is full of sugar and butter :)

2 C sugar
4 Tbsp sour cream
3 bananas
2 C flour
1/2 C butter
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
nuts (optional)

Mix wet ingredients.  Add dry and combine.  Bake at 350 degree for about 50 minutes.

Hamburger Carrot Soup

HAMBURGER CARROT SOUP
*one of Grandma's best soups

1/2 lb ground beef (I usually use 1/8 lb)
2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cups tomato juice
1 cup water
2 cans cream of celery soup
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp marjoram
1 tsp sugar
1/2 garlic salt

Brown meat and drain.  Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Simmer until vegetables are tender.
Note - you do need to stir this more often, it can burn on the bottom

Sour Cream Enchiladas

SOUR CREAM ENCHILADAS

2 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 - 1 1/2 C sour cream
1 onion, chopped
1 can diced chilies
3 handful (about 3 cups) shredded sharp cheddar
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp oregano
cilantro (I probably use about 1-2 Tbsp)
1 can green enchilada sauce
tortillas

Note - obviously by my directions this is a forgiving recipe, use any amount you want :) It makes a lot.

Combine soup, sour cream, onion, cheese, oregano, cilantro and chilies.  Mix and then add beans.  Fold/mix again to make filling.  Place filling in tortillas and roll them up.  Place in a greased pan (I use a 9x13 and a 2qt pan)  Combine enchilada sauce with a little cheese and cilantro (I also put sour cream in sometimes to make the sauce a little creamier).  Cover the tortillas with the sauce and bake for about 30 minutes at 350.

Garlic Chive Butter

GARLIC CHIVE BUTTER

1/2 C butter, softened
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fine chopped chives

Cream together ingredients.  Store in the refrigerator a few hours before serving.

Perfect Chocolate Cake

PERFECT CHOCOLATE CAKE
I got this recipes off allrecipes.com and it got rave review from everyone who ate it so this is an exact copy....

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•  
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
•  
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9 inch round cake pans. Stir together the cocoa and boiling water from the first set of ingredients. Set aside to cool. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the cocoa mixture. Mix only until combined. Divide evenly between the three prepared pans, and spread the batter out flat.
3. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool cakes on a wire rack.
4. In a medium bowl, whip the heavy cream and vanilla. When the cream becomes thick, add the confectioners' sugar and continue to whip until stiff but not too grainy. Divide into three parts and spread onto two of the cooled layers. Stack the layers onto a nice plate, putting the two creamed ones on the bottom. Place the plain layer on the top. If there is a hump on the top of the cake, trim it off with a long serrated knife. Frost the sides with the chocolate buttercream frosting.
5. To make the frosting, beat the remaining ingredients, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and cocoa until light and fluffy, about 7 to 10 minutes. Frost sides of the cake, leaving a ridge that sticks up over the top edge. Spread the remaining cream filling over the top of the cake

• I doubled the buttercream frosting (or 2 1/2 the recipe) and add a little milk to make it less stiff.  When I made the whipped cream filling I made  less and then mashed up strawberry oreos and folded them into it.  I covered the entire cake in buttercream.  I also found that the layers needed to cook much longer.

Snickerdoodle Muffins

SNICKERDOODLE MUFFINS

Cream:
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs

Sift into a separate bowl:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pour out 1 cup milk in a pourable container.
Alternatively add the flour mix and the milk to the creamed mixture, beating well each time.
Spoon into greased muffin tin up to 2/3 full - they'll puff up huge.
Bake at 350º for 20 - 25 minutes. Check at 15, and when the toothpick comes out clean, you're set.
Immediately take out of the pan. Melt about a stick of butter (margarine is ok) in a bowl, and add into another bowl 1/2 cup sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dip the tops of the muffins in butter and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve warm.
Can be made ahead and frozen