spinach brownies

adapted from allrecipes.com

1 (10 ounce) package spinach, rinsed, squeezed dry and chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 onion, chopped and sautéed
1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese (I use swiss/cheddar, or feta)
1 clove garlic, minced (saute with the onion)
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, cayenne, pepper, nutmeg and baking powder. Stir in eggs, milk and butter. Mix in spinach, onion/garlic and cheese.
3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before serving.

thieves pasta

Adapted from 365 Days of Slow Cooking

Serves 4

8 oz penne pasta
8 oz chicken breasts
14 1/2 oz diced tomatoes with juice
8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups frozen spinach (loosely packed)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
4 oz cream cheese
1 Tbsp tapioca
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
feta cheese

Spray sides of slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine chicken, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic, sugar, and red pepper in slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low for 4 hours (until chicken is cooked through). Place spinach in a strainer. Run hot water over it and drain. Add spinach, cream cheese, and tapioca to slow cooker. Stir. Cook for an additional 30 minutes. Add cooked and drained pasta and pine nuts and stir and serve. Salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle some feta cheese on top.

crispy kale

This is salty and crunchy, almost like potato chips. Kale is loaded with vitamins A and C, and has calcium, iron, and fiber. Make this for your kids, mine surprisingly likes it.

6-8 cups chopped fresh kale, washed, dried, and hard stems removed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar (I use lots more vinegar, a couple capfuls)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt

1. Place a rack on the lowest shelf of your oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spread kale out on a sturdy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Toss to coat completely. Sprinkle with salt.
3. Place on the lowest rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and stir so that kale can get crispy all over.
5. Bake another 8 to 12 minutes or until kale is crispy to the touch. Don’t let it brown.
If kale still bends, rather than crackles, when you touch it, it isn't done yet. Return to the oven. Turn down the heat if it is getting too brown. Continue cooking until crispy.
6. Remove from oven and enjoy.

brazilian lemonade

serves 4

2 limes

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

3 cups cold water

ice

Zest the limes then remove the rinds with a knife. Discard rinds. Cut limes into large chunks. In a blender, combine the limes, zest, sweetened condensed milk and water. Blend until well combined, about 15 seconds. Pour mixture through a fine meshed strainer and serve over ice.

roasted broccoli pick up sticks

I’ve made this so many times, I don’t even measure anymore. This is a great way to get kids to eat broccoli.

Makes four side-dish servings or 12-15 cocktail party servings.

Ingredients

1 pound broccoli florets, separated

1 inch-piece fresh ginger root, peeled and diced (I use a microplaner)

1 clove garlic, minced

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne (use just a pinch)

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl. With your hands, mix to combine until broccoli is well coated. Place broccoli on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and into the oven. Roast until fork tender (about 12 minutes). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tip: Buy fresh ginger, peel it, and put it in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. Use a microplaner to grate it in your recipes. You’ll always have fresh ginger since it keeps for months frozen.

slow cooker refried bean chili

Serves 8-10

I usually make this chili when I don’t know what to do with the leftover roast from Sunday dinner. I cut the recipe in half and substitute the shredded roast for the ground beef. The full recipe requires a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker.

2 pounds ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

2 15 ounce cans chili beans with gravy

1 16 ounce jar thick and chunky salsa (your preference of spiciness)

1 16 ounce can refried beans

1 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

2 tablespoons lime juice (I never put this in)

Optional toppings:

Sour cream, shredded cheese, diced green peppers, diced tomatoes, avocados, or corn chips.

In a large skillet cook beef and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat.

In a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker mix the ground beef, chili beans, salsa, refried beans, broth, chili powder, and cumin. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Stir in lime juice at the end of cooking. This thick chili is great in bread bowls.

teriyaki sauce

adapted from allrecipes.com

Once you make this sauce, you’ll never go back to the store bought kind. I like it over rice. It’s strong, so you don’t need a lot. Mix equal parts of the sauce and 7-up to use as a marinade for grilled chicken or pork. Let meat marinate up to 4 hours before grilling.

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

1/2 c. sugar (can be white, brown, or a mixture of both)

1/2 c. soy sauce (use low sodium)

1/4 c. cider vinegar

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Whisk dry ingredients in a small saucepan. Add wet ingredients. Bring to a boil then simmer on medium until thickened, about 4 minutes. Makes 1 cup.

pork tetrazzini

serves 4-6

this is a good recipe to make when you need to clean out the fridge. use whatever vegetables you want - sauteed mushrooms would also be good. chicken or turkey can be used in place of the pork.

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cups cubed cooked pork
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs (i used crushed croutons)
salt and pepper, to taste

preheat oven to 350. cook spaghetti in boiling salted water for 1 minute less than stated on the package directions. drain well and put spaghetti in a greased 8x8 baking dish. in a medium saucepan, saute carrots, celery, and onion in olive oil until onions are translucent. add to spaghetti along with the red bell pepper and peas. spread the vegetables around to evenly distribute. melt butter in the same saucepan. whisk in flour, add garlic powder and red pepper flakes. add chicken broth and milk, whisking to prevent lumps. bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. stir in 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. taste the sauce and adjust seasonings if needed. pour over the spaghetti and vegetables. add the cubed pork. sprinkle remaining cheese and bread crumbs over the top. bake for 45-60 minutes. let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

refrigerator bran muffins

recipe from Marjorie Hinckley's book Small and Simple Things

2 cups boiling water
6 cups kellogg's all-bran cereal (i used raisin bran)
1 cup shortening (i used butter)
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
4 cups buttermilk
5 cups flour (i used half all-purpose, half whole wheat)
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
(i also added 2 teaspoons each of cinnamon and vanilla)

pour boiling water over bran in a large bowl. add shortening. stir till melted, let cool. add other ingredients, stir to mix well. use immediately or cover and put in fridge and bake as desired. keep batter up to 2 weeks.
drop into well-greased muffin pans. bake at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.

irresistible graham cracker cookies

i found this little gem on the back of a box of kroger graham crackers, of all places. notice there are no eggs - i wish i had known about this recipe when i was pregnant and had a serious craving for cookie dough!

1 1/2 cups honey graham cracker crumbs, finely crushed
1/2 cup flour (i used 1/4 cup all-purpose and 1/4 cup whole wheat)
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup flaked coconut (run your knife through a bit so the pieces aren't too big)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. in a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder. in another bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk and butter until smooth. add vanilla extract. add crumb mixture and stir until smooth. add chocolate chips, coconut, and walnuts. cover dough and place in the refrigerator to chill, about 30-60 minutes. drop walnut sized balls of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat. bake 10 minutes. let cool for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

makes 4 dozen