Homemade Granola Bars

I know I may be on the slow train, but I just recently tried out agave nectar (Xagave) for the first time. It is great. It has a very similar to honey in texture. But the flavor is not as floral. I love using it in drinks and sauces since I don't worry about it not dissolving completely and being grainy like sugar. But I thought I would try it in baking. So I tried them in my favorite Granola Bar recipe.

My sister flew in a couple months ago to help me drive my kiddos to Utah for a family reunion. And of course, our family needs delicious food on our drive. We were both trying to be healthy - our snacks consisted of apples, grapes, carrots, and celery. But we needed something sweet. These granola bars were perfect. They may not be the lowest in calories, but if I am going to have chocolate chips, it is nice to know they are surrounded by oats, wheat germ, seeds, and other delicious ingredients. But don't worry - these taste so much better than you would expect. Plus now the the added agave factor, the glycemic index is much lower!

This recipe is very versatile: add in dried fruit (I totally recommend this!), nuts, candy, other seeds, whatever you think! Also, if needed for allergies, you can omit the peanut butter. Here are two of my variations.

Granola Bars

from my friend, Jenny M.

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup agave (or 1/2 cup honey)

2 t. vanilla

2/3 c. peanut butter

1/2 cup melted butter

3 Cups oats

½ cup sunflower seeds

2 t. sesame seeds

½ cup coconut

1/3 cup wheat germ

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a mixing bowl combine brown sugar, agave, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Stir in remaining ingredients. Press into a greased cookie sheet and bake 20-23 minutes (depending on the chewiness you like). Let cool before cutting and serving.

My Favorite Granola Bars

(White Chocolate Cranberry Bars)

Prepare as above except omit chocolate chips and add in 2/3 c white chocolate chips, 2/3 cup dried cranberries, and 1/2 cup pecans. 

Spaghetti Squash and Chili

Did you think I died? Well, my husband started law school and I have been struggling to adjust to two kids and being a "law school widow." I have had some other major changes in my life and finally am feeling a little more normal.
With a little baby and a potty-training toddler, I don't have a lot of time in the kitchen unfortunately. I try to celebrate my husband being home on the weekends with a little more experimenting in the kitchen.

I saw this idea on Pinterest the other day. It is a super easy and inexpensive meal. You just put your favorite chili recipe on top of Spaghetti Squash. Use this method for easy cooking. My spaghetti squash was pretty big and my husband likes it a little softer, so we microwaved it for about 1 1/2 times what I did in that post. I tossed the Spaghetti squash in butter, salt, and pepper, and then topped with a simple "chili."

Super Simple Chili
1/2 lb ground beef, browned
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can beans (any kind, I used black)
cumin
garlic powder
onion powder
1 small pinch cayenne

Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan, season to taste. Heat until warm.

Roasted Beet Salad

This weekend we went to the local farmers market. I thought I would decide what we were having for dinner on Sunday depending on what looked good at the market. I bought some salad greens, kohlrabi, and beets. I am saving the kohlrabi for dinner tonight - but the salad greens and beets I used in the most delicious salad!
I am a little ashamed to say this was my first experience with fresh beets. My husband loves beets, and after Sunday, so do Lou and me! They were so sweet! It was perfect in the salad - a great balance of sweet, savory, bitter, sour, earthy. Yum!
The farmer I bought the beets from told me the beet greens were edible. I tossed them in with the salad greens. They have a thicker texture than a typical salad green and were slightly bitter. If you don't like this, just keep them out. I only put a few leaves in.

Roasted Beet Salad

Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
about 4 cups Spring Mix
about 1/2 cup Radish Greens
1 bunch Beets, roasted (recipe follows)
1 small onion, caramelized
shaved Parmessan
In the bottom of the salad bowl, mix the salad dressing. Top with salad greens, beets, onions, and Parmesan. Toss. Serve.

Roasted Beets:

1 bunch small beets
2 tsp olive oil
salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel beets and cut in half. Place on sheet of foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, toss. Wrap the beets up tightly in foil. Bake in oven about 30-45 minutes, or until beets are tender. If you poke with a knife and it slips out, it is ready. Set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.

Lemon Vinaigrette:

Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Combine all ingredients in the bottom of the salt bowl. Whisk to combine.

Panko-Crusted Salmon

Are you all loving Pinterest as much as I am? I love finding new ideas, crafts, and especially - recipes! I found this recipe for Panko-Crusted Salmon from Annie's Eats there. It is delicious and easy. Plus, it is done in about 20 minutes! We have made it twice since my mom has been here. It is probably my favorite Salmon recipe I have made!

Panko-Crusted Salmon

from Annie's Eats

2/3 cup panko
2 tbsp. finely minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. lemon zest
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
3-4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
4 (6-8 oz.) salmon fillets, skin on
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. In a small bowl, combine the panko, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss with a fork until the crumbs are evenly coated; set aside.
Place the salmon fillets skin side down on a work surface. Generously brush the top of each fillet with the mustard and then season with salt and pepper. Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard on each fillet to help the panko adhere.
Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet. When the oil is hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3-4 minutes without turning to brown the skin. (If you don’t want to eat the skin, this step also helps the skin stick to the pan so the fillets can be easily removed without the skin later on.)
Transfer the pan to the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, until the salmon is almost cooked through and the panko is browned. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let rest 5-10 minutes. Serve warm with fresh lemon wedges.

South of the Border Turkey Burger

Last night was burger night. This is a treat at our house. We don't have burgers for dinner too often. My little girl was so excited! Mostly because she thought fries always accompany burgers... so I whipped up some quick fries to go along with the carrot sticks. It was a big hit. Lou ate almost her whole burger, and AC said it was his favorite burger I have ever made.
This is a really simple and delicious recipe.  Plus it is ready to go in less than 30 minutes. And if you don't like spicy stuff - no worries, this isn't hot at all. Actually, I would have liked a little kick; next time I will probably put half a seeded, diced jalapeno in.

South of the Border Turkey Burger

1 1/4 lb ground turkey
1 small can diced green chiles
2 green onions, sliced thinly
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt
pepper

Preheat frying pan over medium high heat with a thin layer of olive oil. In a bowl, combine all ingredients until evenly distributed through meat but careful to not overmix. Divide into four patties. Cook until center of burger reaches about 170-175 degrees. Let rest about 5-10 minutes. Top with Cilantro Lime Mayo (see recipe below) and your favorite toppings. I think avocados are a must with these!

Cilantro Lime Mayo

1/4 cup mayo (I use fat free cause I can't tell a difference in taste)
2-4 Tbsp cilantro, chopped fine
1 green onion
pinch garlic powder
1 tsp lime juice (or more to taste)
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Stir ingredients together. Adjust seasoning to taste. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Tip:
To test the burgers for seasoning, take a small pinch of the meat and fry it up. It only takes a minute or two to cook and it well worth it to adjust salt, heat, etc.

Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

We finally started a cooking club here in Lincoln. Really, it's just an excuse to eat delicious food and have the girls get together. We had a blast. I hosted the first month so I did a simple theme "Favorite Foods." The only problem is I don't really have a "favorite" main dish... so I called Hannah and she told me hers, I cheated and made her favorite dish. It was quite delicious. (And just between you and me, it is healthy!)

Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

recipe from my sister, Hannah
1 1/2 tsp canola oil
6 slices white bread (crusts removed, torn small pieces)
1/2 c skim milk
2 lbs ground turkey
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp italian seasoning
salt & pepper
1 egg white

For the stuffing:
2 lbs frozen spinach
1 tbsp olive oil
3 green onions (green tops only, chopped)
1 egg white pepper
1/3 c freshly grated Romano cheese
1/2 c toasted pine nuts

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. (Make sure the foil hangs over the edge an inch or two...) Spray foil with cooking spray.
In a bowl, mash the bread with the milk until milk is fully absorbed. Squeeze bread to eliminate excess milk.
In another bowl, combine turkey, mustard, oregano, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add the soaked bread and egg white and mix until creamy, 2-3 minutes. Spread in prepared pan to make an even later. Cover the pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.
To make stuffing, cook the spinach according to the package and squeeze our excess moisture. Place spinach and green onion in frying pan and cook over medium-high heat until spinach is dry and fluffy. (About 5 minutes...) Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Add egg and season generously with pepper.
Spread spinach stuffing evenly over turkey, leaving a 1-inch border of the turkey. Add toasted pine nuts on top. Sprinkle cheese evenly over stuffing and pine nuts.
Lifting the foil along the long side facing you, roll up the meat and stuffing like a jelly roll, pushing it forward a bit at a time and lifting the foil away, until a long log has formed. Pat the log gently to compact it. Brush with the remaining 1 tsp canola oil and center it on the pan. Cook loaf for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Let rest for 15 minutes. Cut meat into 8-10 slices and serve over spicy tomato sauce.
*If you want to see step by step pictures see Hannah's post.


Spicy Tomato Sauce
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 c. finely chopped yellow onion
1 clove garlic, minced
28 oz. can whole tomatoes & juice
28 oz. can chopped tomatoes & juice
2 c tomato sauce
Stir together spices. Set aside. Warm olive oil in deep pan. Add onion and saute until they begin to soften. Stir in garlic. Add tomatoes. Break apart whole tomatoes. Stir in spice mixture. Raise heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer at least 20 minutes. Remove from heat and use immediately, or let cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.

What's in Season - March

I love spring. I not usually one of those people who wishes away winter - but after having a week of temperatures in the 60's and going to the park, I am ready to be done with snow, un-plowed roads, and putting on coats. Motherhood of a toddler makes you desire a little bit better weather. But soon spring will be here.
Luckily I can make it seem a little more spring-like with the foods I make.

image via

I am making it a goal to make something with fennel this month. I have not cooked with it much and want to. Any suggestions? Do you prefer it raw or cooked?
 

What's in Season in March:

Artichokes
Endive
Escarole
Fennel
Spinach
Rutabaga
Turnips
Apples
Grapefruit
Oranges
Passion fruit
Tangerines, tangelos, other mandarin oranges

Also, if you want to see what's locally in season, check out this easy to use map

Smoothies

So today is my birthday and I am taking it easy - no work, no big events, just relaxing at home. I think I might whip up some creme brulee for tonight. We shall see how it goes.
For my birthday I decided to share with you one of my favorite breakfasts - smoothies! (I also have these for lunch, dinner, or a snack!) It is freezing here, so this helps me remember the warm days of summer.
This is more of a method than a recipe so pay attention to the tips at the bottom.

Smoothies

1 cup ice
2 cups frozen fruit (store bought or leftovers from the summer)
1 cup yogurt - any flavor
splash of lime/orange/lemon juice (optional)
2-4 cups fruit juice


Place ice, fruit, ice, lime juice, and enough fruit juice to come almost to top of fruit in the blender.

Blend until smooth, Add remaining fruit juice if needed to thin out the smoothie. Makes about 6 cups.
The smoothie I have pictured has peaches, strawberries, blueberries, strawberry yogurt, and grape juice.

Tips:

• Put the food in the blender in the order I listed. It makes blending easier because the ice doesn't just float and avoid the blades. 
• I like my smoothies a little thicker - add more juice or even milk if you want to.
• I like my smoothies to have something tart - so that's why I add lime juice - use your judgment. 
• Try many combinations:
• Peaches, Mangoes, Strawberries with orange juice
• Strawberries, peaches, with lemonade and limeade
• Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries with your favorite juice
• Pineapple, bananas, strawberries, with pineapple juice
• Peaches, Strawberries, Bananas with peach juice
• Taste before serving it up - depending on the ripeness of your fruit you may need to add sugar or something a little tart to cut the sweet.
• Experiment!

Broiled Grapefruit

I love grapefruit and this time of year they are delicious. I was introduced to this way of eating grapefruit by one of my best friends when we were in high school. I didn't really like grapefruit at all, but this converted me. (I like it without sugar now too).
This is really simple to make too!

Broiled Grapefruit

serves 2
1 grapefruit (I prefer pink over yellow)
2 Tbsp brown sugar

1. Cut grapefruit in half, remove seeds if visible.
2. Sprinkle each half with 1 Tbsp (give or take depending on your preference)
3. Place under preheated broiler for 1-3 minutes or until sugar has dissolved and started to caramelize (I could have gone a little longer). Eat!

Asian Chicken Salad

My husband and I are taking our last finals for the semester, and for me they are my last ever! Hoorah!! But as exciting as that is, we are a little stressed in our house. I only have one more final left so I am a little more relaxed than my husband who has 3 Law finals left. I have been trying to have meals planned out and the shopping done in advance so dinner is not something I have to worry about. Last night we had an Asian Chicken Salad. Done in about 15 minutes - it is a healthy and fast meal for us.

Asian Chicken Salad

2 small chicken breasts
Red bell pepper
Green onion
Shredded carrots
Chow mein noodles
Rice Wine Viniagrette (recipe follows)

Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger. Saute over medium to medium high heat until center of thickest portion reaches 160 degrees. Let rest a few minutes before slicing. Toss ingredients remaining ingredients with dressing and top with chicken.

Rice Wine Vinaigrette
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp green onion, chopped fine
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp ground fresh ginger
pinch red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil

Blend first 6 ingredients together. While whisking, stream in oil until desired consistency.

Corn Chowder

One great thing about cold weather is I have a good excuse to make soup. I love soup. I even make it in the summer. But it is a bit more comforting in the winter - but must be accompanied by big fuzzy socks.
This corn chowder is from my old roommate Monica. I love it because of the surprising flavors of rosemary and cayenne. Yum! And the original recipe calls for half and half - but I use milk to cut some calories. But really I can't taste much of a difference.

Corn Chowder
2 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped celery
3 Tbsp butter
7½ cup corn (divided)
2 tsp fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
¼ tsp cayenne
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup half and half
1 bell pepper, sauteed
salt and pepper


In a large pot sauté onion, carrots, and celery in butter until onions are translucent and veggies are starting to get soft. Add 5½ cups of the corn, rosemary, cayenne. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add chicken stock, bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 30 minutes. In batches, puree in a blender. Return to pot. Add milk (or half and half for richer taste), remaining corn, and bell pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tips:

For the corn I think frozen is best. Fresh is great, but hard to find the majority of the year.

Whole Wheat Penne with Swiss Chard

I recieved some swiss chard from our produce co-op. I was really excited to try it out. I have never had anything with swiss chard before. I made up this recipe hoping that it was like other dark leafy greens. I was pleasantly surprised at the end result (hope you like the surprise ingredient). I was especially surprised at my husband's response. He hates cooked spinach but loved this pasta. Plus, I felt so healthy eating it - hardly any fat in the recipe, dark leafy greens, whole wheat penne - can't get much better than that!

Whole Wheat Penne with Swiss Chard

1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bundle or 3-4 large leaves of swiss chard
1/4 c cranberry juice (this is the unexpected ingredient)
2 cans diced tomatoes
salt and pepper
1 lb whole wheat penne
1/2 c fresh Parmesan

Saute onions in a large pan with some cooking spray (if you don't want to do this, just use a teaspoon to a tablespoon of olive oil - I was trying to be on the light side). Meanwhile, boil you penne (or other pasta of your choice). Once onions are translucent, add the garlic. Saute until fragrant. Meanwhile, remove swiss chard greens from the stems and run through your beloved salad spinner. Add chard to your pan with the cranberry juice and season with salt and pepper. When chard starts to wilt, add the tomatoes.  Toss in cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Tips:
- cook your pasta in really salty water (I hear it should taste like the ocean). If you try and salt it after it tastes like salt on pasta rather than flavorful pasta.
- When seasoning the chard, use a little less than you think. The Parmesan can be a little salty - taste and season after adding the cheese.

Barley and Kale Soup

It sure was rainy here yesterday. A perfect day for soup. I hope it rains again so you can enjoy this. Mmm. Although, it's good enough to eat even if the weather is nice. I love this soup because it is full of flavor, but I also feel so healthy - beans, kale, barley! Can't get any better or better for you!

Barley and Kale Soup
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3/4 cup regular pearl barley, rinses and drained
1 15-16 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup dry white wine (if you don't have or don't want to use this, just add another cup of stock)
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
6 cups roughly chopped fresh kale leaves
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 tbsp lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

In a large stock pot, bring the stock to a boil. Add barley. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
Add garbanzo beans, undrained tomatoes, wine, garlic, thyme, and fennel seeds to dutch oven. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. over and simmer for 20 minutes. Add kale and crushed red pepper. Cook, uncovered, about 15 minutes or until kale and spelt are tender, stirring occasionally.
Stir in lemon juice. If desired, season to taste with black pepper. Remove thyme sprigs before serving. If desired, sprinkle individual servings with parsley.

Pork Tenderloin Two Ways

I love getting my pork from Costco - it's generally cheaper and when you buy the tenderloin, you get two in a package. That means, I get to try out two recipes at once. Plus, pork tenderloin is very lean and low fat.

These are my two simple Pork Tenderloin recipes.

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup honey

Bake pork tenderloin at 325 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, or until internal temperature is 145 degrees. Meanwhile, combine vinegar and honey in a small pot, simmer until reduced by half. Remove pork from the oven, brush with reduced vinegar. Place under broiler until sauce is bubbly and starting to caramelize. Remove, turn, brush with vinegar, and repeat. When finished, remove from oven and let rest 7-10 minutes before cutting. Drizzle with remaining vinegar if desired.

 

Apricot Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin
1 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup dijon mustard

Bake pork tenderloin at 325 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, or until internal temperature is 145 degrees. Meanwhile, preserves and mustard in a small bowl, microwave until liquid, about 2 minutes. Remove pork from the oven, brush with preserve mixture. Place under broiler until sauce is bubbly and starting to caramelize. Remove, turn, brush with sauce, and repeat. When finished, remove from oven and let rest 7-10 minutes before cutting. Drizzle with remaining sauce if desired.

Popcorn Day

Today is National Popcorn Day. Make everyone in the office go crazy by popping some for your snack. Or, for dessert tonight make caramel popcorn or kettle corn.
Because you can't really make a dinner out of popcorn (although my family would applaud me if I did), we are having this: Popcorn Chicken!

And just for fun - everything is finger food: raw broccoli with ranch for dipping, creole sweet potato fries, and of course - popcorn chicken. Kids love that right?

For the menu:
Popcorn Chicken - I used this technique for the chicken, only cut the chicken into smaller, cube peices. They cooked for about 6-8 minutes.

Sweet Potato Fries - My tip, cook them almost all the way, remove from oven. Put chicken in. Then put the sweet potato fries back in under broil. unless you are one of those lucky people who has two ovens. Then I am jealous.

Sweet Potato Fries 

(serves 4)
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into a julienne, cut to the size you like
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-3 Tbsp Creole Seasoning (recipe follows), or more to taste

Mix all ingredients in large bowl, toss until evenly coated. Place a metal cooling rack on top of a jelly roll pan. Place potatoes evenly over cooling rack. (This gives an even heat distribution so one side isn't soggy and the other is crispy). Bake a 400 degrees until almost all the way soft. (for my size, it was 20-25 min) Turn oven to Broil, remove the fries once they have gotten crispy slightly browned. Mmm.

Creole Seasoning 

Thanks Emeril
2 1/2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried thyme

Combine all ingredients. Use for recipe, and reserve the rest for delicious things like shrimp, chicken, or more fries.

Spaghetti Squash

Thanks for being patient while I took a little break from blogging to be with my family. They have now all flown back home and our Christmas decorations are down. Seeing my family off was bittersweet - but it is nice to be back on a schedule.

Awhile ago I took some great pictures of spaghetti squash but filed them away improperly and now I can't find them. So, thanks to google images for this one.

I love spaghetti squash and if you are looking for some help with your new years resolution to eat healthier, cut carbs, or eat more vegetables, this is a great item to add to your pantry. Plus, its way easy to cook. Here are the two ways:
1. Stab the squash with a sharp knife all over. Place in microwave for 20 minutes (may vary depending on microwave and size of your squash). Remove. Cut in half. Remove seeds. Take a fork to the flesh and peel spaghetti strings out.

2. Cut squash in half, remove the seeds. Place flesh side down in microwave safe dish with about 1/4- 1/2 inch deep water in dish. Microwave for 10 minutes or until desired done-ness. Take a fork to the flesh and peel spaghetti strings out.

You can use this to replace pasta, or put a little butter, salt and pepper. It is also great with Parmesan or fresh parsley.