Making brown sugar

Recently, I started making a recipe of apple crisp only to find my cupboard bare of brown sugar.  I didn't have time to run out to the store, so instead I decided to try making my own.  After all, brown sugar is just regular sugar and molasses--both of which I had.  It ended up being so simple and it turned out great.  It took a bit of whisking until the molasses really spread throughout the sugar, so don't panic if you start out wondering whether the two will mix properly.

1 cup granulated sugar
1 scant Tbsp molasses

Whisk together until mixed well.

Chicken and Spinach with White Wine Sauce

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz pasta
16 oz chicken breast, cooked and sliced
6 oz fresh spinach
1/3 cup Parmesan, grated

Fill a large pot with water and place over medium-high heat to boil.  Once water boils, add pasta and cook to desired tenderness.  Meanwhile, pour olive oil in a separate pan over medium heat.  Add garlic, pepper flakes, and thyme and stir for about a minute. Stir in butter and once melted add the flour.  Gradually add wine, using a whisk to work the liquid and flour mixture together.  Add bay leaves, salt and pepper.  Bring wine to a boil and let simmer until sauce starts to thicken. The sauce does not need to get too thick, but a slight thickness will help it coat the noodles.  By now, the noodles should be about done cooking.  Drain the noodles and add them to the pan with the wine sauce.  Toss to coat noodles.  Add sliced chicken and fresh spinach to the pan.  Cover the pan and let it sit a couple minutes until the spinach wilts.  Toss together and serve with Parmesan on top. Serves 4.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

My journey with brussel sprouts started about a year ago when my neighbor brought me a large stalk of them she had purchased at the farmers market and couldn't finish off. At the time, I had no idea what to do with them. Enter Google. :)  So many recipes I found seemed to want to cover them with sugar or a creamy sauce, but I really wanted something that would show off their actual flavor (since I didn't know what that was).  I decided to stick with a more basic recipe and just roast them...and they were fantastic!  I was delighted to see them back out at the farmers market last week.  Whether you buy them by the stalk or pre-cut, I hope you enjoy them as much as me.  Don't be afraid to let the outer leaves get nice and dark.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cut large sprouts in halves or quarters.  Toss in a bowl with olive oil, sea salt, and fresh cracked pepper.  Spread onto a baking sheet.  Bake about 10 minutes or until you see the outer leaves start to turn dark and crispy, giving the pan a toss every few minutes to turn some of the sprouts over.

Hip Paddies

This recipe comes from my husband's aunt and I was in love at first bite. Others must experience this phenomenon as well because these bars disappear quickly wherever I bring them!  It can be a bit tricky to spread the first layer of dough in the pan but as you spread the dough it will warm up and stick to the pan instead of clumping together.

Chocolate:

1 can sw. condensed milk

2 Tbsp butter

1 cup chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Dough:

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp soda

1 1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Heat sweetened condensed milk, butter and chocolate chips until all chocolate chips are melted.  Add vanilla and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and brown sugar; add egg and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Press 2/3 of dough mixture in greased 9 x 13 pan.  Pour chocolate mixture on top.  Sprinkle on remaining dough mixture in clumps.  Add 1/2 cup nuts if desired.  Bake for 25 minutes. 

Stuffed Portabellas

This is a great recipe that is very adaptable to your tastes and creativity!  If you don't want to make homemade bruschetta (see my recipe here), try the pre-made mix from Trader Joe's.

2 large portabella mushrooms
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup raw spinach, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup bruschetta
1/3 cup mozzarella
salt and pepper to taste



Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove stems from mushrooms and brush with a dry cloth to clean.  In a frying pan, saute spinach with garlic and a bit of olive oil.  Once spinach is wilted, transfer to a bowl and mix in the ricotta cheese, salt and pepper.  Lay mushroom caps upside down on a baking sheet and fill with cheese/spinach mixture.  Top with bruschetta and mozzarella.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Frozen Yogurt

Who doesn't love a little frozen treat at the end of a hot summer day?  This recipe for frozen yogurt is spectacular. I found the recipe on EatingWell but opted to decrease the sugar a bit since the fruit adds so much sweetness on its own.  If you are planning ahead, it sets up nicely after freezing for a few hours but you can certainly still eat it right away if you can't bear to wait!  You can buy fruit in a frozen package, but I think it is most flavorful if you chop up fresh fruit and freeze it yourself.  I used peaches in the batch below.  Be patient if it seems to jam up in your blender/food processor, if you help it along by mixing it around it a few times it will blend nicely.

16 oz fruit, chopped and frozen
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Mix ingredients in blender or food processor. Store in freezer. Serves 4.

Mickey Oreos

Alright, so this isn't exactly a recipe...but it is food related and too cute not to share.  My sister had a Mickey themed party for her one year old so I volunteered to make some Mickey Oreos.  I dipped mini Oreos in chocolate and attached them to a big Oreo. I threw them in the fridge for a bit to help the chocolate firm up nicely. Then I dipped the big Oreo in red chocolate (Candy Melts from a craft store) and finished them off with a couple sprinkles for his buttons.