Here’s my entry in to the Del Monte Chili Cook off—a bit non-traditional but it really is delicious and healthy! If you like it, how about a nice vote please….recipe is at the link location: http://delmontechili.com/?p=recipe&id=678

…..click it and love it! Thanks

Check this out friends. Trying to eat better (in spite of the sweets I post) and this is a great snack or meal. Kids love the sweetness of the grapes and let’s face it, lettuce wraps are fun..it’s fun to play with your food!

This recipe is an entry in to the weekly Better Recipes contest and I would love an easy quick vote today or every day through Sunday–no registration–and my fellow competitors/recipe creators have some amazing ideas to share too–check them out.

http://healthy.betterrecipes.com/power-up-grape-and-pistachio-quinoa-snack-wraps.html

The US High Bush Blueberry Council challenged me to make a blueberry recipe for Christmas.  Have been intrigued with the idea of making a Pavlova for a very long time because of my love for meringue cookies at Christmas time so I thought–how about adding some lovely blueberries and one of my favorite holiday treats, Meyer lemon to the mix–my wonderful friends from the West and South send me them in the mail–that means the world to me.  This is an impressive yet very very easy dessert that you can make ahead of time and assemble when you are ready to serve.  Although it takes some time, it is not active time so you can get a lot of other holiday “business” taken care of while it cooks and rests.

Ingredients:

5 large eggs, at room temperature
1/8th teaspoon salt
1 cup plus two tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 oz chopped white chocolate
1 cups frozen High Bush blueberries
2 Meyer lemons (or regular lemons) zested & juiced
Sweetened whipped cream
Confectioner’s sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.

Draw a 9” circle on a piece of parchment paper with a pencil (I used a small plate), turn the paper over and place on a baking sheet.  Set aside.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (save the yolks for making shortbread cookies for Santa!) and beat the whites and salt on high speed until the mixture is stiff and holds a firm peak.

With the mixer on high, slowly pour in the sugar and beat until whites are thick and glossy.

By hand, fold in vanilla extract, vinegar, cornstarch and white chocolate until mixture is well blended and streak free.

Spoon mixture on to the prepared baking sheet in a circle and form a peak in the center.

Mixture will be very thick, like marshmallow cream.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours.  Turn off oven and allow pavlova to sit in the oven until oven is cool.

Meanwhile, combine blueberries, Meyer lemon zest and juice in a small saucepan.  Over low heat, simmer blueberries until they are bright red and syrupy, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add remaining two tablespoons sugar to mixture and continue to simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.  Taste blueberry syrup and add a bit more sugar if necessary as tartness varies in both blueberries and Meyer lemons.  Set syrup aside to cool

When ready for dessert, gently carve the top few inches off of the top of the pavlova (a serrated steak knife works well).

Fill the center with the blueberry mixture, drizzling some over the edge of the pavlova.  Top blueberries with whipped cream and place cut out top over whipped cream and crown with a bit more berries.

Your friends and family will be so impressed!  This dessert is light and sweet yet satisfying and is a great way to incorporate nutrient rich blueberries in to the dead of Winter!

For more fabulous blueberry recipes, go to littlebluedynamos.com

Happy Holidays!

Admit it, resistance to these rolls would be futile!  But that’s ok when these delicious rolls are made from hearty and healthy whole grain flours and products from Hodgson Mill!  I have been challenged by this wonderful company, Hodgson Mill,  to create a holiday recipe for their blogger contest entitled “Have A Grain Holiday” so instead of making cookies or cake, a pie or something sweet, made rolls.

Now don’t get all worked up and say “But I can’t bake bread, never mind rolls!  They are too hard…and I don’t know how to use yeast!”  Well guess what….below are step by step instruction with photos to go with them to make these delicious treats…….so relax and give it a try!

These are much more than dinner rolls.  Slightly sweet with a touch of molasses, these rolls are perfect for a celebratory dinner,  hot out of the oven,  for the holiday buffet (no one will know or care that they are eating healthy whole grains),  for lunch for using up leftover turkey or slices or holiday roast in a sandwich and the next day for a light breakfast–see what I made for myself this morning below!  Also super fabulous for a holiday brunch with a little maple butter (softened butter mixed with a few tablespoons pure maple syrup) served right next to them….the possibilities are endless!   They are sitting on my kitchen counter, all wrapped up, as I baked them yesterday….what do you think…..try making little French toast with them on Wednesday when I have time for a proper breakfast?  How about bread pudding end of the week if they last that long, which is highly unlikely as my Mom says they reminder her of her Mother’s oatmeal rolls growing up!

So without further delay, here’s the recipe and step by step how to guide:

First, assemble your ingredients:

2 cups cold water
1 cup old fashioned oats, plus one tablespoon for sprinkling
1/3 cup warm (100-110 degrees F)
1 package Hodgson Mill Yeast (great for whole grains!)
1/3 cup molasses
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour
2-3 cups Hodgson Mill All Purpose flour
1 tablespoon milk for brushing (optional if keeping recipe veg/vegan)

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil and add oats.

Cook and stir for 2 minute until oats are softened.

Remove from the heat; cool to lukewarm (I put mine outside for a quick cool down as it was 34 degrees!)

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with a drop of the molasses.

Allow to become foamy and active in a warm place, about 10 minutes.

To the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, in a food processor with the plastic kneading blade attached or in a large bowl, add the oat mixture, olive oil, molasses, salt and Hodgeson Mill Whole Wheat Flour and 1 1/2 cups of the Hodgeson Mill white flour; beat until smooth.

Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Continue to beat/process slowly until surface of dough is soft and elastic adding more flour little by little until dough is no longer sticky.

Knead about 3-4 minutes on low speed or turn dough on to a floured surface and knead by hand until ball of dough is smooth and elastic, about 7-9 minutes.

Place dough in a large bowl that has been lightly coated with cooking spray or additional olive oil (or just wash out the one you were using before) cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1.5 hours.  This picture is of the dough before it has doubled in size….it literally does double in size–just be sure it is in a warm spot, out of drafts or the yeast will not be happy.

When doubled in size, punch dough down and allow to rest, covered for 10 minutes.

Spray or butter two 9” x 13” casserole dishes (preferably clear glass so you can see what is going on when they are baking) and set aside.

Shape dough into 30-two inch balls.

Tops of rolls will be smooth if you flatten the ball, and then pull the edges together like a purse, placing the gathered sided down in the prepared pan, 15 to a pan.

This is what the bottom of the roll will look like:

And this is the top of the roll:

Cover pans with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (you can preheat the oven and put them on top, that would work) until doubled, about 45 minutes.   Brush tops of risen rolls lightly with milk and sprinkle with oats–this part is optional if you are making them vegetarian/vegan.

This is what they look like before the rise in the pan:

And this is what they look like after the rise:

See how they are touching and have again nearly doubled in size?

Bake at 350° in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. If you have an instant read thermometer and are nervous that they are not cooked through, the internal temperature of the roll in the middle of the pan needs to be about 195 degrees F and they will be perfect.

Yield: 30 rolls
This is what I had for breakfast…..toasted oatmeal rolls with goat cheese and holiday spiced pear and cranberry jam….so delicious!  These rolls also make excellent egg sandwiches with cheese and bacon.

And what about using them for the leftover roast or turkey sandwiches I mentioned earlier?  How about a beef and horseradish sauce sandwich with lettuce and cheddar?  Oh yes….that’s the ticket!

So, just when you thought this blog post couldn’t get more delicious or interesting, there’s more!  Hodgson Mill is sponsoring a sweepstakes on their blog–the winner gets a great prize package filled with a ton of their wholesome baking ingredients and they are giving away 50–yes 50 of them so your chances are really good.  And they are drawing the winners on the 10th of December, just in time for holiday baking!  Here’s the link:

http://www.hodgsonmill.com/win-a-grain-holiday/

But wait, there’s more!  Last but not least, I am offering $25.00 worth of Hodgson Mill products to give away too!  Simply comment below before Friday, November 30th at 9:00 what you would make with delicious whole grain Hodgson Mill products, share my giveaway on Facebook and/or Tweet it for more entries and you might just win!  I will have the fabulous Lily draw the name out of a hat as usual!  And because the people at Hodgson Mill are in the holiday spirit, here’s the link to a printable $1.00 off coupon too!

http://www.hodgsonmill.com/grain-holiday-coupon/

Good luck to all and please, let me know if you make these yummy rolls!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve Friends! First, let me thank you for your ongoing support as always for my crazy cooking contests and voting requests–I appreciate your support more than you can ever know…..It means the world to me.  Second, you know that I need more votes please….this one goes on for a bit (daily through December 21) but is an easy click and vote. 

Below is the recipe for my contest entry–check out the easy techniques for making a pretty impressive pie! And here is the link if you would vote please…..https://apps.facebook.com/diamond-nuts-recipe/contests/295699/voteable_entries/61754691

Chocolate Almond Brickle Coconut Cream Pie
For the almond brickle:
½ cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons salted butter
½ cup chopped Diamond Sliced Almonds
Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter and almonds.  Cook over medium high heat stirring constantly until the bubbling mixture turns golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Pour onto prepared sheet and spread out.  Allow to cool completely.  When cool, break into large pieces and chop coarsely in food processor.   Set aside.
For the crust:
25 chocolate wafer cookies (to yield 1 ½ cups)
1/3 melted butter
½ cup Diamond Sliced Almonds
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Combine all ingredients in food processor.  Pulse until a fine crumb forms.  Press firmly into a 10” pie plate.  Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before filling.
For the filling:
1 cups heavy cream
½ cup half and half
1 ½ cup coconut milk
¼ teaspoon coconut extract
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs plus two egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
In a large microwave safe bowl, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream, half and half, coconut milk, coconut extract, cocoa powder and cornstarch.  Stir in sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and salt.
In the microwave on 100% power, cook custard mixture for 7-10 minutes, depending on the strength of your microwave, pausing to stir the custard at 5 minutes and every 30 seconds thereafter until very thick.  Cover custard with buttered plastic wrap and refrigerate until cooled.
For the topping:
1 cup whipping cream
3-4 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, to taste
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup toasted coconut
¼ cup Diamond Sliced Almonds
When ready to assemble pie, whip cream with confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract.  Sprinkle bottom of crust with processed brickle and fill crust with custard.  Top pie decoratively with toasted coconut, whipped cream and Diamond Sliced Almonds.  Serves 8

The nice people at Hodgson Mill reached out to me a little while back and invited me to take part in a food blogger recipe competition.  The object of the competition is to create a healthy pizza using their whole grain/organic flours and grains and of course, you know me, I jumped right on that.  We love pizza here in the Lufkin house–pizza for us is nearly a weekly treat–I make it to use up leftover odds and ends in the fridge that otherwise might go in to a soup, to make sure everyone here is getting in their veggies and calcium and also this summer to use up our abundant herbs and tomatoes from our outside pots.  It’s fun to make, economical and who doesn’t like pizza?

Anyway, in thinking about using Hodgeson Mill Whole Wheat Flour in my crust (I had to use at least 50% whole wheat) I wanted to make sure that my toppings were meaty and had a strong flavor to hold up to the heartiness of the crust and mushrooms fit that bill…lots of mushrooms…and I paired the mushrooms with a good hit of Marsala wine to add some savory sweetness to the dish.   Throw in some chicken, cheese and proscuitto and what do you get?  Hearty Chicken Mushroom Marsala Pizza!

There are a few easy steps to this recipe so have taken some pictures along the way to help you visually if you don’t make pizza often.

Hearty Chicken Mushroom Marsala Pizza

For the Crust:

1 pk. Hodgson Mill Dry Active Yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F or cooler)
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cup Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour
1 ½ cup Hodgson Mill Organic White Flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 tbsp olive oil

For the topping:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut to ¾” pieces
1 cup Marsala
1/2 cup diced shallots
16 oz sliced button mushrooms
8 oz log goat cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons Hodgson Mill Old Fashioned Corn Meal for sprinkling
6 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, torn in to large pieces
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 500 degrees and place pizza stone on middle rack of oven If not using a stone, wait to preheat oven.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine Hodgson Mill Dry Active Yeast, warm water and sugar.  Whisk to combine.  Mixture will become frothy and bubbly very quickly.

Add both Hodgson Mills flours, salt, granulated garlic and olive oil and knead slowly for about 10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.

Remove from dough from bowl, coat bowl with olive oil, replace dough and cover tightly with plastic wrap.

Allow to rise in a warm place (mine is on my preheating stove) for about an hour or until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat two tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat until shimmering.  Add chicken, season with salt and pepper to taste and brown chicken until cooked through.

Remove chicken from pan, deglaze with Marsala, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove browned bits.

Add shallots and mushrooms, reduce heat to medium low, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook mushrooms until Marsala is evaporated, about 10 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and set aside.

If not using a pizza stone, preheat oven to 500 degrees F.  Place a large baking sheet upside down in the oven.

Sprinkle pizza peel with Hodgson Mill cornmeal.  Shape pizza dough to a 12” circle (or two smaller pizzas) and place on prepared peel (if you don’t have a pizza peel, you can use the back of a baking sheet).  Break goat cheese in to ½ inch or so chunks and sprinkle on crust.  Add cooked mushrooms and chicken.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, tear prosciutto in to large piece and place randomly on pizza.  Bake for 7 more minutes.

Remove from oven, allow to rest 5 minutes and garnish with chopped parsley.  Slice and serve!

And now, for the giveaway!!!  Simply leave a comment on my blog in the comments section telling me what you might make with Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Flour and any of their other delicious and healthy products-here’s there site if you want more info on their products–they are available locally in nearly all grocery stores: http://www.hodgsonmill.com/

and you will be entered to win a $25.00 Hodgson Mill Gift Pack—US only please….

for another entry, share this giveaway on Facebook….and for another, please Tweet it!

That’s three entries all together—each a separate comment please–some of my more blog/tech savvy friends use a random generator to pick a name but I will put all of the entries in to a hat and have our favorite 11 year old, the fabulous Lily, pick the winner in a week.  Enter by noon on the 24th please!

And of course, there’s a catch….this pizza entry is going to require VOTES—I know…shocking, huh?  As soon as the recipe goes live on the Hodgson Mill site I will update you on the voting……Thanks a million for your support and if you make this recipe, please let me know what you think!

UPDATE:  Here’s the voting link for my pizza–if you have a sec, would you mind?  Simple click and vote, no registration!

https://www.facebook.com/HodgsonMillinc?sk=app_197602066931325

Here’s a link to the form–print it out and enter something–it’s so fun!!!  http://www.topsfieldfair.org/handbook/2012/foodentry.pdf

Taste of Autumn Bundt Cake

For the Filling:

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup Vermont maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons Cape Cod whole berry cranberry sauce
1/3 cup dried Cape Cod cranberries, chopped

For the Cake:

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
3/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 cup butternut squash or pumpkin puree
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Topping:

1/2 cup Macintosh, Granny Smith or other tart New England apple sauce
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoons apple brandy
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup New England hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup dried Cape Cod cranberries chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bundt pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt and set aside.

In a medium bowl prepare the filling. Beat together cream cheese, egg, cornstarch and maple syrup. Add brown sugar, butter, salt and cinnamon, cranberries and cranberry sauce until combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at time until blended. Beat in squash, sour cream and vanilla until well combined. Beat in the flour mixture until just combined.

Spoon one half of the batter into the pan. Spoon filling on top of batter in a ring but do not allow filling to touch the edge of the pan. Top with remaining batter.  Bake for 60 minutes.

Remove from oven and place on cooling rack for 15 minutes. Turn out on to rack to cool completely.

When cake is cool, place on serving plate. Combine apple sauce, confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon, brandy, heavy cream and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over cake and sprinkle with hazelnuts and cranberries.

Here’s some deliciousness to add to your day.  Yes, it’s another contest and I would love a vote if you would so here’s the recipe and let me know what you think if you make it…believe me, it’s bacon-y goodness.

Here’s the link to the contest–it’s another Facebook only (sorry Kate Lufkin and the three other people out there who are not on FB) for voting:  Voting Link for contest

here’s the recipe!

Bacon Mushroom Marsala Bites

4 oz bacon, diced
1/4 cup shallots, finely chopped
6 oz sliced button mushrooms, chopped
6 oz sliced crimini mushrooms, chopped
1/3 cup marsala wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/3 cup cottage cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
Salt & pepper to taste
36 mini phyllo shells
Fresh chive segments for garnish

In a large saute pan over medium heat, brown bacon until crispy.  Removed crisped meat with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Add shallots to the pan and cook until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes.

Lower the heat to medium low and add chopped mushrooms to the pan, stirring to coat with bacon drippings.  Cook until mushrooms are soft, have released most of their liquid and the pan is nearly dry.  Add Marsala and rosemary to the pan and cook again until pan is nearly dry.  Add cottage cheese and heavy cream and continue to cook until cottage cheese is broken down and mixture is creamy.

Remove from heat and stir in chives and reserved bacon.  Heat shells in a 350F oven for 8-10 minutes to crisp.  Fill shells with a scant tablespoon of mushroom mixture.  Top with a fresh chive segment if desired.  Enjoy!

When I have an idea, I often do a rough version first and always write it down.  Often, I don’t give the recipe away (even if someone asks for it), or publish it anywhere, just in case there is a contest out there that it might fit and that’s what happened here.  My hand written version was rough, I didn’t write down how much of anything, just the idea and basic ingredients and this is what it came out to after much tweaking:

You should have seen me, laying on my side lawn like some kind of doofus, taking close up pictures of potato salad but for those of you who know me, that should not come as much of a surprise.

All-American Caprese Grilled Potato Salad

2 pounds red, white and blue (purple) baby or fingerling potatoes, washed and dried
10 cups cold water
4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
2/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, julienned (not oil packed)
2 cups seeded and diced fresh Roma tomatoes
1 cup – 1/2” diced fresh mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice clean potatoes in to 1/3” slices on the diagonal, ensuring that potatoes are large enough not to slip through grill grates.

In a large pot or Dutch oven add water and 2 teaspoons of salt.  Add sliced potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil potatoes until partially cooked through and nearly fork tender.  Drain and immediately rinse potatoes in cold water to stop the cooking process.  Allow to drain thoroughly, patting potatoes dry with a towel if necessary.

Pour potatoes in to a large bowl and gently toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and one teaspoon kosher salt.

Preheat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to high.  Reduce heat to medium and grill seasoned potatoes until cooked all the way through, tender and marked by the grill, turning once.  Remove from grill and allow to cool to room temperature.  Potatoes will cool quickly if spread out on a sheet pan after grilling.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine sun dried tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil and remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.  Gently add grilled potatoes to the bowl and toss to combine.  Add basil and re-season with salt and black pepper to taste.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Well,  my potato salad was chosen as a finalist in the contest, Reser’s America’s Best Potato Salad Challenge and I am thrilled.  The judging process was rigorous!  There were 606 entries, they were narrowed down to 30, each dish prepared by chefs and then a judging panel rated them on taste, creativity and appearance.

Here’s what you can do for me.  In exchange for my nifty recipe above.  Would you go to this link: http://www.resers.com/special-offers/campaigns and vote for my recipe please?  The top five finalists, based on the qualifications above, coupled with the amount of votes, get to go to a cook off in Las Vegas and compete.  Having never been to Vegas, I would LOVE to go and cook this salad for the judges.  It is a facebook only contest so if you are not on FB, you have to sit this one out.  Voting is daily through the end of  August and then we wait until September 17th for the cook off contestants to be announced!  Thank you to all of you for your support–I really appreciate it!