Pesto Recipe

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups packed fresh basil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup walnuts
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic, peeled

In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients; cover and process until blended. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.

Pour a thin layer of olive oil over pesto before freezing to keep from turning brown.

Pesto...

Recipe to follow.....

Fruit mix

We have still been eating lots of trail mix just nothing different or exciting. Here is something a bit different. We were in need of a little change.

Dried mangoes, strawberries, and blueberries mixed with raisins and dark chocolate chips.

And of course here is Toby always making things easier for me. Here's a little look at how I take some of my photos these days. We will get back to a real light box once we move and are no longer living out of boxes in one small room.

Strawberry banana muffins

I had wanted to make blueberry muffins but blueberries were $6 a pint so strawberries it is.

Here is Toby waiting to make trouble when I turn my back.

Makes 16 muffins. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups mashed banana
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3 egg whites
1/4 cup soy milk
1 cup strawberries chopped


Mix together dry ingredients. In a seperate bowl mix together banana, vanilla, egg whites, and the egg. Combined 2 mixtures until smooth. Fold in strawberries. Scoop batter into lined muffin pans.

Bake 16 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Place on wire rack to cool.






These are very dense muffins and not very sweet at all. Perfect for breakfast.

Roasted garlic hummus and pita chips

Pita chips

Preheat oven 400 degrees, cut up pita bread into triangles. Brush with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Spread pita chips on parchment lined baking sheet, bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Roasted garlic hummus

1 cup chickpeas

1 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

6-8 roasted garlic cloves

2 tablespoons sesame paste (tahini)

Hand mash chickpeas. Add juice from lemon, oil, garlic, sesame paste. Mix well. Garnish with tomato, cucumber, and olives.

Roasted garlic salsa

Pearl onions, jalapenos, plum tomatoes, lime, cilantro, and roasted garlic.

I can't wait till I grow my own cilantro and tomatoes, maybe I better add some serrano or jalapeno seeds to the pile.

Roasted garlic

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Cut the tops off 3-6 heads of garlic, exposing as many cloves as possible. Pour 1/4 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil over the top. Salt and pepper.

Cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour, or until golden brown.

Let cool, squeeze each clove out into a jar, pour oil in and store in your fridge.

Coming soon, roasted garlic hummus, and roasted garlic salsa.

Chocolate chip cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2 ¾ cups of flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
2 ½ tsp vanilla extract ( 1 more than on the bag)
2 large eggs

½ cup chocolate chips
¼ - ½ cup nuts (optional)
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients together. Add eggs, vanilla, and butter mix well. Line baking sheets with parchment. Scoop cookie dough by the TBS on to baking sheets about 1 ½ -2 inches apart. Bake 11-13 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Makes about 3 dozen.

Trail mix #3

I make a new trail mix, with different ingredients each week. We eat a lot of trail mix and this is the only thing I can think to do so we don't get sick of eating it.

This week we have sunflower seeds, raisins, cashews, almonds, brazil nuts and dried mango.

Chili and corn bread

Tropical trail mix

This weeks trail mix.

almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate chips, banana chips, and dried pineapple. (I chopped up the pineapple into smaller chunks.)

Potato leek soup

click image to enlarge.

Cast iron pizza

The best pizza I have ever had. Hands down. Better than take-out pizza. The crust comes out slightly sweet and crispy.

This recipe makes 2 pizzas, serves 4-6.
Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 15 minutes

Dough:

1 cup warm water

2 tsp. light brown sugar

1 packet dry yeast

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. olive oil

To make dough, dissolve brown sugar and yeast in 1 cup warm water. Let sit about 5 minutes until bubbly. Add whole wheat flour, half all purpose flour and salt, stir until combine. Knead dough, adding remaining half of all purpose flour. Oil separate bowl, coat dough with oil. Cover, and let rise in warm spot until it doubles in size (about 45 minutes).

Preheat oven 475°F. Oil the sides and bottoms of 2 cast iron skillets ( I used a 12" and a 10"). Stretch dough over bottom and half way up sides of skillets. Add sauce, cheese and your favorite toppings.

Bake for 15 minutes as low in your oven as possible. Let sit a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Quick and easy spinach pie

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

5 cloves garlic
2 -9oz. bags baby spinach
1 -8oz. block of feta
1 -17.3oz. puff pastry sheets

Thaw puff pastry sheets. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.


Mince garlic and saute in pan with olive oil.

Steam spinach in a large pot with 1/4-1/2 cup water. Drain spinach. Mix together spinach, garlic and crumbled feta.

Cut pastry sheets into 18-3 inch squares. Place a spoonful of filling on each square, then fold over into a triangle and press edges with a fork. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!