BIZZY BAKES

When I first came across this recipe, I thought it would have chunks of apple inside of the muffin but the apple referred to the apple sauce.  For the future, I think, I would put in either pieces of apple or another fruit.  A small amount of nuts would work as well. My granddaughter loves this muffin and she completely finishes it.  It is a joy to see her eat something I made for her. Carrot Apple Muffins Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon  baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1 cup grated carrots 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/4 cup Rice Milk 1/4 cup canola  oil 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract Method: Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour a 12-cup standard muffin tin or use muffin papers. Set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda ...

Pastrami cures the ills of the  world.  Give it to the enemy and he will convert to your side.  Recently, I have made a few dishes with pastrami and they became instantaneous successes.  I have a feeling, no matter what was with the pastrami, had no significance other than to showcase the meat. This is the kind of recipe, you can add other items to.  Celery would give it a crunch.  Pasta would turn it into a meal.  The pastrami will  be the star, no matter what one adds. Pastrami and Greens Ingredients: 1/2 pound sliced pastrami (sliced pieces into about 1/2 inch pieces) 1 bag romaine lettuce 2 carrots (shredded) 1 small red onion, sliced thin Dressing: 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon 1/4 cup hot sauce 1/8 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon onion powder Method: In a large bowl. place romaine, carrots, celery and green onions. ...

I thought Asian Cole Slaw sound different and yummy but now I am not sure.  The soy sauce turns it brownish so it looks like it has been sitting around for months.  The flavor  is good especially with peanut butter in the mix.  Unfortunately, people don't gravitate toward it. I would like to use this sauce again on something else.  It would be great with noodles or chicken or broccoli. Asian Cole Slaw Ingredients: 3 tablespoons Mirin 3 tablespoons  oil 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic 3 cups thinly sliced green cabbage 1/2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced 1 carrots, shredded 1/2 teaspoon chopped cilantro Method: In a medium bowl, mix the Mirin, oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. In a large bowl, mix the green cabbage, red bell pepper, carrot, and cilantro. Toss with the peanut butter mixtur...

The choice of dish for Eating With Ellie is a shrimp pad thai, something I can't have, being kosher.  I subbed in turkey to make the dish work and the turkey was a good fit.  Thanks to Glennis  for selecting this. I had some cute problems making this dish.  I bought a bag of shredded cole slaw and when I went to get the components of the recipe, I discovered the cabbage was bad.  As a result,  I made a tiny faux salad to show you how it looked with slaw.  Then I made my own meal without the cole slaw and that is the other dish. Without the slaw When I had put it all together, I thought to myself, this would be better warm rather than as a cold salad.  I took the bowl and put it into the microwave for about a minute.  It was delicious.  I would make this  as a main course, a little heavier on the protein, served hot. Ellie mentions, in the beginning of her book, Weeknight Wonders, that she gets these recipes to be under th...

The first time, I went through Ellie's book, "Weeknight Wonders", this soup was on my list of first choices for our cooking group, Eating with Ellie .  It sounded so right and so healthy.  Go to our site for more information. This is a blended soup and mine was rather thick and lumpy.  I added some more broth but it remained thick.  I thought about it and this made it more into a meal than a course and I left it bumpy and lumpy.  It was not a mistake.   It is another easy recipe. Toast the cashew, mix the ingredients, blend them together and cook them. Top with carrots and cashews. A snap....... Sarah selected this soup for the group and I give three cheers for her good taste in soup. Savory Carrot Cashew Soup is a soup, I think you would enjoy, so give it a try. Whimsy Wednesday                   Waste Not Want Not Wednesday           Lou Lou Girls    ...

I did make cauliflower rice once before and I remember it was good but it obviously did not make a strong impression, long term,  I ventured into it again, optimistic and excited, to find my hubby doesn't like cauliflower.  All these years and that never surfaced.  Perhaps, at times, he is overly polite but this time, he made himself clear and pushed the cauliflower rice to the side and left it there. I am still glad that I made it and will make it for company in the future.  I made a version of fried rice, making a stir fry and adding pieces of eggs.  I loved it but I love cauliflower and often make it for myself for lunch and eat it with a little bit of butter and Parmesan. Cauliflower "Rice" Stir Fry (adapted from Whole Living ) Ingredients: 3 cups cauliflower florets 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 sliced red onion, divided 1/4 cup Vegetable Broth 1tablespoon minced fresh ginger 1 thinly sliced small red bell pepper 1/4 tea...

This is Catch-Up week for the Wednesday with Donna Hay group.  This was quite a challenge for ma since there were many recipes I missed.  I did not belong to the group when it first started so there are a whole bunch of exciting recipes that preceded my participation.  Then in the two years, I have been cooking Donna Hay recipes, there were various times, I had to take a short leave and missed a number of additional recipes.   I was so confused with all the possibilities and this might seem a strange choice but I am fussy about carrots.  I don't like them in soup but in some salads, I find they add a nice crunch.  The dressing for this carrot recipe hit the spot. I did sub in red pepper in place of the spicier chili pepper out of respect to hubby who likes a "quiet" food - no snap, crackle or pop.  Despite the lack of the chili pepper, the dressing was delicious and the very thin carrots could be eaten by my one year old granddaughter.   Si...

I don't make corn in any form enough.  Corn is a favorite in our house and when I think of it, I make corn fritters or a delicious corn casserole.  The best is fresh corn, straight from the garden, hardly cooked at all.  The natural sweetness of the corn shines in the fresh picked vegetable. When we had our garden, corn was our favorite crop.  When it was in season, it was nightly a  treat, for us.  I would have the water boiling before it was picked and shucked.  What a delight. Now, it has become an afterthought after the more healthy vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach.  This recipe inspired me to get out that corn and enjoy. Curried Corn Soup Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil 1 red onion, thin sliced 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 1 large carrot, finely chopped 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped 1 1/2 tea...

I don't think this tastes like cabbage.   We didn't expect to love this but we did.  I shouldn't be surprised since I was brought up on a sweet and peppery cabbage and noodle dish which has always been a favorite.  I don't love cole slaw but I do like it and I really enjoy stuffed cabbage.  I think, other people's taste is getting to me.  Bottom line - people took a piece with trepidation and then took another with enthusiasm. Cabbage Kugel - adapted from Culinary Kosher Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 bag shredded cabbage 1 carrot, shredded 1 very large onion, diced salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon sugar 3 eggs, slightly beaten  1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup potato starch  Method: Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook for about ten minutes until soft and golden. Add shredded carrot and shredded cabbage.  Mix together and cook for an additional ten minutes. Add ...

When I make salads, I tend to stay away from macaroni salad, cole slaw and potato salad.  Maybe, that is because, they are the only salads, other than tossed salads, I had - growing up.  I can't say that I don't like them.  I usually do.   With all the new style salads with fruits and vegetables that were not popular when I was a child, I am inspired to be more creative.  I do like cabbage so cole slaw does show its head at times but rarely potato salad and almost never, macaroni salad. This is a hearty salad and despite my hesitation, it is really good. Mom's Potato Salad Ingredients: 4 medium potatoes, peeled 2/3 cup mayonnaise  (I tend to cut down on mayo and use less than this.) 1/2 cup frozen pea  2/3 cup shredded carrots 6 hard boiled eggs 3 half and half pickles 1/4 cup Dijon mustard salt and pepper to taste Method: Peel potatoes and cut in halves Place in a large pot filled with boiling water. Cook for about ...

Usually when I am looking for a recipe, I check out Epicurious, Allrecipes, Food Network, Eating Well of any of those generalized and wonderful sites.  In reality, it is a lot more fun to check blogs that are new to me.  Not only do I get a new recipe, I get a new blog to view and possibly a new online friend. This time, I came across, Gimme some Oven  , written by an upbeat blogger Ali who wants to make cooking easy, healthy and delicious.  She not only enjoys cooking, she enjoys people and puts the two together.  She sounds delightful and I think you might like to meet her. Potato Soup Ingredients: 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup diced  yellow onion 1/4 cup gluten-free flour 2 cups vegetable stock 2 cups milk, warmed 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled  and diced 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 cup sour cream salt and pepper to taste 2 handfuls of baby spinach, sliced 1 shredded carrot Method: Place butter in a large soup pot .   Ad...

This week,  for Eating with Ellie , I got to choose the recipe and I couldn't resist these Japanese Style Savory Vegetable Pancakes with Chicken.  I am not sure why she calls them vegetable pancakes with chicken.  Once there is chicken, we no longer consider them vegetable or at least, I don't. I loved these.  The taste and the texture were pleasing.  they were good with or without the sauce which was easy to make. I did sub in chicken for the shrimp which is not kosher, therefore not allowed for us.  I cut two cutlets into small pieces (one half inch) and browned them in a little olive oil.  I added them to the rest of the ingredients at the end. Japanese Style Savory Vegetable Pancakes with Chicken - adapted ingredients. This has 2 chicken cutlets 1 bag of shredded cabbage 4 large scallions, chopped 2 medium carrots, shredded eggs gluten-free flour low sodium soy sauce toasted sesame oil oil for cooking the pancakes For the sauce:...

I found this wonderful recipe on Bon Appetit , a blog, not the magazine.,  Go take a look and see for yourself. I knew it would be a hit and even though, I was missing some of the ingredients, I went ahead and put it together. What a success!!!! It was easy to make and delicious to eat. For the original recipe, go to the source and get all the details. Of course, it doesn't hurt that this is a recipe, originally from Nigella Lawson, one of my favorites. What I like about her is the way she writes her books, with cute phrases, hints and interesting pieces of information.  It is like reading a novel with fantastic recipes included. This recipe is from a few years ago and I see that she has a new recipe for this salad that looks interesting too.  It is on Food Network. Peanut Butter Noodle Salad adapted from Nigella Lawson Ingredients: Dressing  2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon sesame Oil 1 teaspoon garlic flavore...

Not too long ago, I made a soup that featured parsnips and we loved it so much that I decided to make another one using a different recipe.  This time, I called upon Martha Stewart for my resource and we liked this one also but I don't think quite as much as my first one which used coconut milk. Smooth Parsnip and Apple Soup   adapted from Martha Stewar t 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 prepared sliced leeks 4 parsnips, trimmed, peeled, and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces 3 carrots, sliced 1/2 onion that was left over, sliced 2 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 medium baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 cups vegetable broth Salt and pepper Method: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add leeks. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add parsnips, apples, potato, carrots, broth, and 4 cups water.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, 20 to...

I know that I have posted a number of stir fries (or  frys) recently but the seasoning in this one was different and we liked it.  I also added extra cashews.  Could not resist them after they were toasted.  Instead of asparagus, I used a combination of extra veggies, I had on hand, green beans, red bell pepper, broccoli and carrots.   We don't use oyster sauce so I added more soy sauce to take its place.  The same applies to fish sauce.  You can find the original recipe here . Chicken Stir Fry 1/2 cup raw cashews 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons oil 1/2 cup  low-sodium vegetable broth 2 cups vegetables of choice 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 cup chopped basil 1/4 cup chopped chives Freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 350°.  Spread the cashews in ...