Old-Fashioned Blueberry Crumble (or any fruit crumble)

It was time to make another desert, and this Old-Fashioned Blueberry Crumble did not disappoint. I've been waiting to make this recipe for a while, but did not have any small dishes. I found these cute white ones at IKEA a week ago. They worked out perfectly, but make sure what you use is oven safe. I made enough for 4 servings likes the recipe, but left two uncooked in the refrigerator. I did not put the topping on them yet as I'm afraid it may get too soggy. 

Here is the recipe...again from Eating Well. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen fruit, such as blueberries, peaches, plums
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons whole-wheat or all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds, or pecans
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Combine fruit with granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and orange juice. Divide among four 6-ounce ovenproof ramekins. Combine oats, nuts, brown sugar, the remaining 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Drizzle with oil and stir to combine. Sprinkle over the fruit mixture. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet.
3. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 252 calories; 11 g fat (1 g sat, 7 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 5 g fiber; 1 mg sodium; 179 mg potassium.

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 fruit, 1 other carbohydrate, 2 fat

HUBBY RATING: 10 out of 10 finger-lickens

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan Sandwiches

Used our new gas grill to make this. No picture, but it was good. We'll make it again. 

Servings 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large eggplant, (1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds), cut into 12 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• Canola or olive oil cooking spray
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan, or Asiago cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 4 small pieces focaccia bread, or rustic Italian bread
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 ounces baby spinach
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided

PREPARATION

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Place eggplant rounds on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Coat both sides lightly with cooking spray. Combine Parmesan (or Asiago) and mozzarella in a small bowl. Brush both sides of focaccia (or bread) with oil.
3. Place spinach in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and punch several holes in the wrap. Microwave on High until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Combine tomatoes and 2 tablespoons basil in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave until bubbling, about 2 minutes.
4. Place all your ingredients on the baking sheet with the eggplant and take it to the grill. Grill the eggplant slices until brown and soft on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Grill the bread until toasted, about 1 minute per side. Return the eggplant and bread to the baking sheet. Reduce grill heat to medium.
5. Place 1 eggplant round on top of each slice of bread. Layer 1 tablespoon tomatoes, 1 tablespoon wilted spinach and 1 tablespoon cheese on each slice of eggplant. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, spinach and cheese. Sprinkle each stack with some of the remaining basil. Place the baking sheet on the grill, close the lid and grill until the eggplant stack is hot and the cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 291 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 12 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrates; 12 g protein; 9 g fiber; 756 mg sodium; 526 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (38% daily value), Vitamin C (23% dv), Calcium (22% dv), Potassium (15% dv).

2 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1/2 fat

Honey Mustard Turkey Burgers

Tim and I have made this many times. I think we got the recipe from one of my low sodium cookbooks.


Mix together equal parts honey and stone-ground mustard. Work 3/4 of the mixture into the ground turkey eventually forming into individual patties. Grill or cook in a pan. Top cooked burgers with remaining honey and mustard mixture.  Fix burger to taste.

Tim tops his burger similar to a normal burger with onion, tomatoes, cheese, pickles, etc.
I like mine with some sliced avocado.

Bruschetta

When I make this, I don't actually do much measuring. You can just eyeball it and it comes out great. If you really like garlic, add more. 

8oz tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped small.

3.oz pitted black olives chopped to same size as toms.

1 fat clove of garlic

4fl. oz of olive oil. ( 1/2 cup) I usually don't use all this.

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspn grain mustard

1tablespoon chopped fresh parsley and/ or basil - can be fresh or 1/2 tspn dried basil.

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Chop toms and olives.
2. In bowl put crushed garlic, salt, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and a good seasoning of black pepper and whisk thoroughly.
3. About 1/2 hr before serving whisk then add the toms, olives and chopped parsley and or basil. Let sit at room temp before using.
4. Can be stored in 'fridge but allow to sit at room temp before serving.



We also eat this warm on bread by toasting it in the oven or toaster oven. You can add a bit of cheese as well, but really is not needed.


Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to take a picture.

HUBBY RATING: 10 out of 10

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

INCREDIBLE!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. rubbarb

2 pints strawberries

2 frozen pie crusts

1/2 c of sugar

1/4 c of cornstarch (I didn't use quite this much.)

PROCEDURE

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

 2. Defrost pie crusts. Place one pie crust upside down on saran wrap. 

3. Chop rubbarb. Half and destem strawberries.

4. Mix rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl until fruit in well coated.

5. Mound the mixture in the pie crust. 

6. Flatten the other pie crust onto the saran wrap. Place on top of mixture. Fold edge of top crust under crust. 

7. Use a fork to press the edges together. Do not cut entirely through the pastry. (You can also flute edges. I don't know how to do it, and my mom said it is too hard to explain in an e-mail.)

8. Use a sharp knife to cut v's or slits into the top crust in order to let steam escape.

9. Mix an egg with a tablespoon of milk. Brush the mixture overtop the top crust.

10. Place in over. Bake at 400 F 10-15 minutes. Bake at 375 F for the remaining time. After 30 minutes at 375, check to make sure the edges are not getting to brown. If they are wrap the edge in foil. I believe my pie took about 50 minutes total to bake. 

HUBBY RATING: 10 out of 10

"One of the best fruit pies I have ever had."

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are one of my favorite type of cookies. Now I couldn't remember if I had ever made these from scratch. I thought I had, but couldn't remember what recipe I may have used. So, I broke out the trusty Joy of Cooking. I couldn't be happier with the choice. They turned out to be have the perfect amount of chewiness.

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 2 cookie sheets.

Whisk together:

1  3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Beat in a large bowl until well blended:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/4 c sugar

1 1/2 c packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2  1/2 tsp. vanilla

Stir in the flour mixture. Stir in:

3 1/2 c of old-fashioned rolled oats

1 c of chocolate chips

Shape the dough into generous 1 1/2 in. balls and place about 2 in. apart on the cookie sheets. Flatten the balls into 1/2 in. thick rounds. Bake 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies are slightly brown all over, 12 to 14 minutes. Let stand briefly, then remover to a rack to cool. 

HUBBY RATING: 10 out of 10

"But not as good as the pie."

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans

O.K. another recipe from Eating Well. I can't help it. Everything on their site looks so good.
I was looking for a vegetarian dish since I felt like a lot of our dinners involved meat lately. This meal was appealing, because you can throw it all in a pan and it cooks up quickly. I never had chard before. It had a similar taste to cooked spinach, but a bit stronger with more texture.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi, (see Tip)
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 cups chopped chard leaves, (about 1 small bunch) or spinach
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
• 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• 
  
  

  PREPARATION

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.  (After reading other people's comments about this recipe, I decided to boil the gnocchi instead and then add when the mixture is simmering. No regrets.)
  2. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

  TIPS & NOTES

  • Tip: Look for shelf-stable gnocchi near other pasta in the Italian section of most supermarkets.

  NUTRITION

  Per serving: 325 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 8 mg cholesterol; 55 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein; 6 g fiber; 616 mg sodium; 360 mg potassium.
  Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (50% daily value), Vitamin C (40% dv), Calcium & Iron (19% dv).
  3 Carbohydrate Serving
  Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 1 fat
  
  
  HUBBY RATING: 8 out of 10

Shrimp Tacos with Fresh Tomato Salsa

As I'm sure you notice, the presentation of this tacos is a little strange. Well the recipe tells you to put the corn tortillas in the oven for 10 minutes. Well, I may have gotten a bad batch or maybe it was the directions, but they were so dried out and gross. As I looked frantically around the house for something else to use, I remembered we had some spinach flatbreads. They served their purpose, but next go round I will get better tortillas and will not put them in the oven. Click here to see a better picture.

ingredients

• 8 6-inch corn tortillas
• 1 recipe Fresh Tomato Salsa
• 8 oz. fresh green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 1 tsp. Jamaican jerk seasoning (Used a Southwestern seasoning instead)
• 1 lb. medium to large shrimp peeled and deveined (I used the precooked frozen kind)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap tortillas in heavy foil. Heat in preheated oven 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare Fresh Tomato Salsa; set aside.  (I would not put them in the oven.)
2. In a bowl toss beans with 1/2 teaspoon jerk seasoning. In another bowl toss shrimp with remaining 1/2 teaspoon seasoning. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green beans; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add shrimp to skillet; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes more or until shrimp turn opaque.
3. To serve, fill each warm tortilla with about 1/3 cup shrimp and green bean mixture. Serve with salsa. Makes 4 servings (2 tortillas each plus 2/3 cup salsa)
4. Fresh Tomato Salsa: In bowl combine 1 1/2 cups chopped, seeded tomato; 1 cup chopped, seeded cucumber; 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions; 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro; 3 Tbsp. lime juice; and 1/4 tsp. salt.

HUBBY RATING: 6 out of 10

"Not a whole lot of flavor."

Cucumber Salad and Sangria

For Fourth of July, I made Cucumber Salad using cucumbers from our garden.  I left the leftovers and made another batch the next day. We only had red onions which turned out o.k. but a bit too strong for my taste.
Here is a picture of the second time.

Serves 6 Recipe from Recipeezaar

Ingredients

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup sugar (I include all of it.)
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed (I used fresh baby dill.)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 large cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. 
   
   

   1

   In a mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, sugar, vinegar, dill, salt and pepper.
2. 
   
   

   2

   In a separate large mixing bowl, toss together cucumbers and onions.
3. 
   
   

   3

   Pour sour cream mixture over top and mix together.
4. 
   
   

   4

   Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

I also made Sangria.Unfortunately I did not take a picture. Over the past couple of years I've played around with different sangrias but I stuck to a traditional Sangria for the 4th. 

I used Shiraz, triple sec, and fresh lime, lemon, and orange juice as well as the fruit. I soaked the oranges in some triple sec overnight and poured it all in with the Shiraz and lemon, lime, and orange wedges. It is best served cold.


HUBBY RATING: Both a 10 out of 10