The first time I tried scones I made them from a popular mix you find in the stores. The results were far from great! The next time I tried them it was from a local bakery, a grab and go, as my future daughter in-law, at the time, and I drove over the hill to Sacramento for a bridal gown fitting. Of course, the highlight was having that special time to get to know her better, but, I have to say, that ginger scone was awesome. Right then and there, it went on my food to bake "bucket list". A year and a half later, wedding past, I dug up a recipe, made a few substitutions and voila, ginger scones, from scratch. They don't compare to store bought package ones!
These would be great for a brunch or even a munch item.
Ginger Scones
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp poppy seeds (optional) I put them in, but next time I'll omit them.
pinch of salt
1 stick cold butter, diced
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup crystallized ginger, cut up
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter, add the egg and milk and ginger pieces. Mix well and form into a 1/2 inch thick disk. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Score the scones into 8 wedges. Brush with a bit of milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool and then slice. Delicious and so worth making it from scratch!
Breakfast "on the run" used to be a given for me years ago. Yes, I punched a time clock for most of the jobs I had..sad, but true! Thinking back, the only job I had where I didn't, was at a government agency. Here, at 3 minutes before "closing time" we all gathered around the back door to the parking lot, like we were caged animals and couldn't leave one second before the clock hit 5:00 pm. Now, employees have freedoms I could only dream about...childcare in house, gyms, restaurants, flexible hours, and the list goes on! Don't get me started!
Anyway, most mornings I would make a mad dash to the car, sometimes with a piece of toast or a hastily prepared chalky tasting protein shake in hand. These oatmeal bars would have been a welcome change to my routine. They are ridiculously easy to make, too!
Makes 16-20 bars
Sugarless Oatmeal Bars
3 very ripe mashed bananas
1/3 cup apple sauce, unsweetened
2 cups regular oats
1/4 cup almond milk, unsweetened
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ALL the ingredients in a bowl and pour into a 8x8 glass pan which has been greased or sprayed with pan spray. Spread evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool thoroughly and cut into squares. Delicious and nice to know you're eating something relatively healthy.
Next time, I may add pecans and/or mini chocolate chips. Less healthy, more decadent!
During the last couple of weeks I've made a commitment to eat other sources of protein instead of meat. That means...beans, beans and more beans! Fortunately I have an arsenal of recipes that I've drawn from over the years and a few I've made up along the way.
I made a large batch of pinto beans one day, ate some plain, sprinkled a few on salads, yet found myself still yearning for more spice and zing. After a bit of experimentation I slathered this pinto bean hummus onto a toasted bagel thin, topped it with a layer of spinach arugula combo and melted reduced fat mozzarella. I know it sounds a bit strange, but don't knock it unless you've tried it.
Pinto beans are a complete source of protein and loaded with fiber. Their origin dates back to the ancient Andes people. The way I look at this is that if the beans have been around that long, my body knows how to digest them, right? Re-fried pinto beans defeat the purpose and don't qualify as "healthy".
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pinto beans, precooked or canned
1 tsp sriracha hot sauce
2 Tbsp non-fat plain yogurt
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
dash of garlic powder
2 Tbsp chopped onions
salt, if needed
Mix all the ingredients in a food processor pulsing until well blended. Use on sandwiches or as a dip for chips or veggies.
Sometimes I get carried away at the Farmer's Market. It's as if I morph into a starving person in the buffet line! All the pretty fruits are displayed beautifully and as you walk by, if the vendor is smart, you'll be offered a sample. That usually clinches the deal. Last week, I walked away with peaches, nectarines, strawberries, butter lettuce, yellow squash, lemon cucumber, large tomatoes, concord grapes and plums. This week as they quickly ripen, I'm looking for ways to "finish" them off! We can't seem to eat them quickly enough!
Even though Summer is hanging on, I feel the crisp Fall air in the mornings and realize I'll soon be making the cobblers, soups and stews of harvest time. But nothing is written in stone in the cooking world, so I baked a peach dumpling cake which was devoured in record time! It's a variation of my pear dumpling cake and if you ask me, the peach cake wins! Try them both and you be the judge.
Ingredients
1/2 Tbsp coconut oil (or butter can be used)
dusting of flour
2-3 peaches, peeled cored and sliced NOTE: Leave 1/3 of the peaches in slices and chop the remainder.
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp cinnamon
a sprinkle of sugar for the top
1 Tbsp chopped nuts (I like pecans) for the topping
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 inch round pan by greasing with coconut oil and dusting with a bit of flour., shaking out the excess. In a bowl blend the eggs, sugar, milk and salt. Add flour and most of the cinnamon into the sugar mixture, blend and then add the chopped peaches. Pour into the pan. Arrange the sliced peaches into a spoked wheel pattern. Sprinkle with sugar, pecans and a bit of cinnamon. Bake for about 55 minutes. Cool and serve. If your grandma ever made peach dumplings as mine did, this is the best and easiest substitute I've found.
As mentioned in the previous post, these power bars are the best I've ever tasted and no baking involved! The inspiration came from a cookbook my almost daughter-in-law loaned me called Super Natural Cooking. It's all about incorporating whole and natural ingredients when cooking. I got a little creative with some of the ingredients where I could, but why change a good thing.
I made the power bars for our recent road trip to the coast and they were the perfect snack instead of the traditional "road trip Cheetos". Chock full of nuts, fruit, ginger bits and chocolate...you'll love them, too! I recommend buying most of the nuts, oats, raisins, etc. in bulk. It's much more inexpensive and you'll have a bunch on hand to whip these up. You'll want a second batch!
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 1/4 cup rolled oats
1 1/4 cup nuts (I used 1/2 c chopped hazelnuts, 1/2 c pecans and 1/4 cup chopped almonds)
1/2 cup oat bran
1 1/2 cup crisp brown rice cereal
1 cup chopped raisins or flavored craisins (I used 1/2 mini chocolate chips and 1/2 cup blueberry craisins)
3 Tbsp chopped crystallized ginger
1 cup brown rice syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup cane sugar (I used vegan cane sugar)
1/2 tsp salt
Grease a 9x13 pan with the coconut oil. In a large bowl combine the next 6 listed ingredients, thru ginger bits. Mix well and set aside. In a small pan add the brown rice syrup, vanilla, sugar and salt. Bring to a slow boil, stirring and reduce heat and cook for about 4 minutes. Add this to the dry oat/nut mixture. Stir until well blended. Pour into the 9x13 pan and press down with moistened (wet) hands or spatula. Cool to room temperature. No baking. When cool, cut into bars. This recipe makes about 16-24 bars. They can be refrigerated for future use or covered and left at room temp as long as it's not too warm. Delicious!!
