Craving Ellie-Sesame-Teriyaki Tofu

This week's Craving Ellie recipe was chosen by Jessica, over at Johnstone's Vin Blanc. She chose Sesame-Teriyaki Chicken Thighs. I had every intention of using this teriyaki marinade on chicken, but time got the best of me and I had a block of extra-firm tofu that was in the fridge, so I decided to cut up the tofu and marinate that instead. I cut the tofu into triangles and let it marinate for a couple of hours in the fridge and then I broiled it for 10-15 minutes to let it get nice and crisp.
The marinade was really delicious. I served the tofu alongside some brown rice and broccoli and I gave my kids a choice (I usually do not do this), but there was leftover pot roast, carrots and potatoes in the fridge, so I let my kids chose between the tofu, rice and broccoli and the pot roast leftovers. Much to my surprise, all three of them actually chose the tofu! It was really good. I ate the leftover tofu on top of a salad today. I will definitely make this marinade again. Go check out what the other Ellie's thought about this marinade and go to Jessica's blog for the recipe.

Come back tomorrow for Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Blackberries

Peabody's Chocolate Malted Cupcakes with Chocolate Malted Milk Whipped Cream Frosting

The best chocolate cupcake ever and frosting too!
I love it when people ask me to bake treats for them. I can create something delicious, but then I get to share it, so I don't have to worry about all the calories. My dad asked me to bake some treats for a party at work and I got started first thing in the morning. I have been wanting to make these Chocolate Malted Cupcakes that I saw over at Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, for a really long time. They were on my super long list of things I wanted to bake (Does anyone else do this?)
It just hadn't worked out yet.
This was the perfect opportunity. I made the cupcakes in the morning, then let them cool while I went to a meeting and ran some errands. Then the power went out.
My dad's meeting was cancelled and I had 2 dozen cupcakes, waiting to be frosted and eaten.
A few hours later, the power came back on, so I whipped up the frosting, which is the most delicious frosting I have ever tasted, and set out to give these suckers away.
They didn't last long. I took them to a couple of neighbors and friends and they were gone. I even forgot to save one for my son. He was a little upset. But, I told him not to worry, these will be my go-to chocolate cupcake.
The cupcake is super moist and has the best flavor- the malt is really subtle. The frosting is TO DIE FOR! If you need some cupcakes, these will make you and your friends very happy. Update- I only baked these for 22-23 minutes and they were done, so keep that in mind if you make these!

Go to Peabody's blog to get the recipe- the link is below.

RECIPE HERE

Coming Tomorrow- Craving Ellie- Teriyaki Tofu

Ginger Tea Cake and Grapefruit-Ginger Tea Bread

If you love ginger, in any way, shape, or form, you will love these two quick breads. They are both full of ginger- ground and crystallized. One has grapefruit and the other pumpkin.
I saw the Grapefruit-Ginger Tea Cake in the lastest issue of Vegetarian Times and was intrigued by the thought of combining ginger and grapefruit. It had never crossed my mind as a ingredient combination. The picture in the magazine was of a lovely dark bread with chunks of grapefruit and a beautiful glaze. Mine turned out quite light, but still very delicious.
I decided I wanted to make another Ginger Tea Cake, not really to do a taste test, but just to have 2 options to choose from and something to compare the other tea cake with.
I found a recipe on The Food Network and it included pumpkin. Ginger and pumpkin are a familiar combination to me, so I whipped it up as well.
I already had some crystallized ginger in the pantry, but that stuff can cost a pretty penny. I think that is the key ingredient that really gave both of these breads such a kick, but they would probably still taste good without that ingredient and maybe a little more ground ginger. I made these into mini-loaves and got 4 of the grapefruit-ginger and 3 of the ginger-pumpkin. I reduced the baking time by half to start and then just kept adding a few minutes at a time, until the cakes were done.
Spicy and Delicious!

Ginger Tea Cake from The Food Network
2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree

1/4 cup reduced-fat buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 packed cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

Confectioners' sugar, optional

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
Line a large (4 1/2-inch by 9 1/2-inch) metal loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Sift the flour, baking soda, ginger and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk the pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla in another bowl.
Beat the butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the light brown sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes more. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the pumpkin mixture in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix briefly at medium-low speed to make a smooth batter. Turn off beaters and add the crystallized ginger. Finish folding batter--which will be thick--by hand with a rubber spatula.
Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean and top springs back when lightly pressed, about 55 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 to 15 minutes, then invert pan to release cake onto rack to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired. Serve.

Grapefruit-Ginger Tea Bread from Vegetarian Times January 2009

3/4 cup pecans (3 oz)

2 cups white whole wheat flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 large eggs

6 oz. vanilla nonfat yogurt

1/4 cup milk

3 Tbls. canola oil

2 grapefruit, supremed, segments coarsely chopped, and juice reserved for Glaze

1 Tbls. grapefruit zest

1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger

Glaze:

2/3 cups confectioners sugar

1 Tbls + 1 tsp freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Spread pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 6-7 minutes, stirring once. Cool slightly and chop.

2. Whisk together flour, and next four ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

3. Beat eggs in a separate bowl. Whisk yogurt, milk and oil into the eggs. Stir in grapefruit zest and pieces.

4. Fold egg mixture into flour mixture until just moistened and no lumps remain. Fold in chopped pecans and crystallized ginger. Transfer to prepared pan and bake, 55 to 60 minutes, or until deep brown around edges and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 1 hour or wire rack: remove from pan and cool completely.

5. To make glaze: Whisk together confectioners sugar and 1 Tbls juice in a small bowl. Add remaining 1 tsp juice until a thick, but pourable consistency is reached. Place foil beneath wire rack and drizzle glaze over loaf.

Coming Tomorrow- Peabody's Chocolate Malted Whopper Cupcakes (AMAZING)

Mini Sweet Peppers Stuffed with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Has anyone seen these cute little sweet peppers at Costco? My kids have been gobbling them down by the handfuls. They look kinda tricky, like they might be hot, but they are not. They are so sweet and crunchy. The perfect size for snacking.
As I was watching my daughter down her 10th pepper in a matter of minutes, I thought that these would be really cute as an appetizer or snack stuffed with something yummy.
I always have garbanzo beans and I happen to have some roasted red peppers in the fridge, so I threw this hummus together in a flash. I cut some of the stems off of the peppers and cut out the few little seeds and then spooned some hummus inside, but just grabbing the pepper by the stem and dipping it in the hummus worked well too.
Just furthers the idea that mini makes everything betteR!

Red Pepper Hummus from Cooking Light

1 red bell pepper (I used 1/2 cup of jarred roasted red peppers)

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 (19-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

1 garlic clove, quartered

Preheat broiler. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel. Place bell pepper and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

Coming Tomorrow- Ginger Tea Cake, 2 ways

Zucchini- Cranberry Muffins and Greek Barley and Tofu Salad

Thanks for all the well wishes. I am feeling much better- I hope the flu never comes back! Now on to the food.

When Mary, The Food Librarian, left me a little note on her blog (she knew I had all the frozen cranberries) on her post about these Cranberry-Zucchini Muffins- I quickly wrote them into my schedule. They are so good! I made a couple of changes, like using half whole wheat flour and subbing unsweetened applesauce for the oil. And when I was searching in the freezer for my cranberries, I discovered another bag of them! Yeah! The recipe comes from Martha Stewart. Hopefully you have some frozen cranberries hiding in your freezer!

The Barley recipe came about when I was looking for a quick and healthy lunch that I could make with what I had on hand in the fridge and the pantry. I had never tried barley and tofu together, but I thought it sounded good, so I went ahead with my experiment.
I decided to saute the tofu with some Greek Seasoning (I love it!), to get a crunchy edge on the tofu. I took the other components and mixed the salad together and there you have it- a healthy, fast, lunch! It was really good and my little girls gobbled it up (even the tofu)!

Greek Barley and Tofu Salad by Mary Ann
1 cup instant barley

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

14 oz pkg. extra firm tofu, drained and cubed

1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped

1- 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Greek Seasoning

juice of 1 lemon

Cook the barley according to pkg directions. While the barley is cooking, heat 1 Tbls canola oil in an electric skillet. Add tofu to skillet and season with Greek Seasoning. Cook tofu until golden on all sides, 5-8 minutes. Remove tofu to a separate bowl.

When barley is cooked, transfer to a large bowl. Add cooked tofu, roasted red peppers, garbanzo

beans, and cucumber. Stir to combine. Add lemon juice and stir again.

Sprinkle with feta cheese and season to taste with more greek seasoning or salt and pepper.

Zucchini-Cranberry Muffins from Martha Stewart

Dry:

1 3/4 c flour (I used half whole wheat)

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t salt

Wet:

2 eggs

1 c sugar

1/2 c vegetable oil (I used unsweetened applesauce)

1/2 t vanilla

1 c finely shredded zucchini

Combine dry and wet then add 1/2 cup whole cranberries. (The Food Librarian quartered her cranberries)

As with all muffins, don't overmix.

Bake them at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.

Coming on Monday-Hummus

Craving Ellie- Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip

This week's Craving Ellie recipe was chosen by one of my favorite bloggers, Cathy, who blogs over at The Tortefeasor. Cathy cracks me up. Every single time I go and read her posts, I am seriously laughing. She is so fun and I really enjoyed her pick, Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip. I know that most Ellies made this one for the Superbowl, but we don't watch it and I came down with the flu this weekend. I have been sleeping, taking advil and tylenol, coughing and sleeping some more for the past 5-6 days. Yuck!
But, I still wanted to make this dip, so one day, I drugged up and set to it. Because it was a fairly easy recipe, I didn't feel too horrible after throwing it together and the results at the dinner table were lots of happy faces. We served it with tortilla chips (kind of ruins the whole healthy thing) and carrots & celery sticks. Everyone loved it and it tasted so good and was so easy, that I am sure I will make it again. Hopefully this flu bug will be gone by the beginning of next week, but I will apologize now for the lack of comments I have made. Sitting in front of the computer is not easy for me when I feel like this.
Go and see what the other Ellies thought about this yummy dip, by checking out the Craving Ellie Blogroll!

Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip by Ellie Krieger
Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 cloves garlic
1 (9-ounce) package artichoke hearts, defrosted, rinsed and dried
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, excess liquid squeezed out.
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup (4 ounces) Neufchatel cheese (reduced-fat cream cheese)
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until onions are light golden but not browned. Remove from heat and cool.
In the bowl of a food processor combine artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, Neufchatel, mozzarella and salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Add cooled onion-garlic mixture to the food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
Transfer mixture into an 8-inch glass square baking dish or 9-inch glass pie plate which has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve with pita wedges or crudites

Coming Sometime Soon (Hopefully when the flu is gone) Cranberry-Zucchini Muffins and a Barley-Tofu Salad with a Greek Twist

Individual Baked Pastas with Mini-Meatballs

A couple of weeks ago, Maria posted a recipe for Individual Baked Pastas on her blog, Two Peas and Their Pod. Check out her post to see how she prepared her baked pastas and her method of throwing them together. I took her idea and ran with it.
I decided to make some mini-meatballs out of lean ground turkey and throw them into the pasta. I also made a pasta sauce with the veggies I had in my fridge.
I already had some whole wheat pasta that was cooked, waiting to be used. So, I made the meatballs and sauce, and then threw all the ingredients together and topped them with cheese. I made them in little ramekins and put the leftover meatballs in the freezer. The best thing about this recipe or idea is that you can make it your own by adding whatever veggies you want or using your favorite sauce or cheese. My kids were crazy about this dinner. It is always more fun when you have your own little dish of pasta.

Mini-Meatballs by Mary Ann

16 oz lean ground turkey (I used 93% lean)

1- 10 oz pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg white

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until combined. I like to use my hands to evenly distribute the ingredients. Form into mini- meatballs and place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Watch them closely, though, you don't want them to get tough.

Garden Pasta Sauce by Mary Ann

1 small onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

1 6-oz can tomato sauce

1 Tbls fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 Tbls fresh basil, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

In a large dutch oven, heat 1 Tbls olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, green pepper, and zucchini. Saute for 5-7 minutes, or until tender. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and fresh herbs. Bring to a boil and them reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Season to taste, with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, if necessary.

To assemble baked pasta- combine cooked pasta, sauce and meatballs in a large bowl. You could also add cheese. Or you can add the pasta, sauce and cheese in layers. Spoon into prepared ramekins (you could also use a large 9x13-inch dish) and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Up next- Craving Ellie- Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip

TWD- World Peace Cookies

Jessica, who blogs over at cookbookhabit, chose World Peace Cookies for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe. Go to her blog for the recipe or this post.

I actually made these back in November when I hosted a round of Operations Baking GALS. My son was crazy about them and tried to sneak as many as he could.

These cookies are really popular and man, it would be great if they could really bring about World Peace. I would make them by the millions if I knew that were possible.

This post is short and sweet.

Go see what everyone else thought, by checking out the Tuesday's with Dorie Blogroll.



Up Next- A quick pasta dish

Fun Lunch for Kids- Kung Fu Panda Noodles and Berry Smoothie

My husband loves fast food. I mean, he really loves it. He actually thinks that it tastes good. Me- not so much. I really don't care for it, but occasionally take the kids to meet dad for lunch somewhere. Last time we went to Carls Jr and they gave the kids these cute little take-out containers as their toy. I put them in the car and on the way to the grocery store, I came up with an idea for a cute lunch at home. Kung Fu Panda Noodles. If you have seen the movie, then you know that Po (the Panda) works for his dad serving noodles at their restaurant. Perfect!

I love the fresh Chinese noodles that they have in the refrigerated section, by the tofu and wonton wrappers. They cook up really quickly and taste great with Asian or Thai dishes.

I decided to make a quick peanut sauce, cook up the noodles and some veggies and serve them in the cute little Kung Fu Panda containers. My daughter was looking through a recent Kids cookbook, a Disney themed one, and told me she wanted me to make her the smoothie in the picture. Complete with the pink straw, which has a berry on it. Smoothies are easy, so I complied with her wishes and served up this great lunch. It was fun and an easy way to spruce up an everyday lunch!

Kung Fu Panda Noodles by Mary Ann

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3-4 Tbls reduced sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup water

garlic salt

2 tsp dark sesame oil

3 cups broccoli florets

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 large carrot, thinly sliced

1 cup frozen edamame

2 pkg. fresh chinese noodles

Combine the broccoli, bell pepper, and carrot in a large microwavable bowl. Add a little bit of water. Cover with plastic wrap and steam until veggies are tender.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add edamame and boil for 2 minutes. Add fresh noodles and cook for 3 more minutes. Drain.

In a small glass bowl combine peanut butter and 1 Tbls soy sauce. Heat in the microwave for 20 seconds and stir. Add another Tbls of soy sauce and heat for 20 more seconds. Stir and add water to thin it out a little bit.

Add more soy sauce to taste.

In a large bowl, toss noodles with freshly steamed veggies and peanut sauce. Stir until all noodles are evenly coated and veggies are distributed. Serve in little take-out containers or in a bowl.

Berry Smoothie adapted from Disney Cookbook

1 banana, sliced

1 1/2 cups assorted berries (we used strawberries and blackberries)

6 oz vanilla yogurt

3/4 cup skim milk

drizzle of honey

Combine all ingredients in blender. Serve with a straw, which has a berry through it.

Up Next- Tuesdays with Dorie- World Peace Cookies

Gingerbread Waffles with Lemon Syrup and Lemon Whipped Cream

A couple of months ago, I was in a small pizza cooking contest. A couple of days after the contest, I saw a comment on someone's blog and recognized the lovely lady in the picture. I went and checked out her blog, Real Mom Kitchen.
Laura featured these super delicious waffles, which she found on Rookie Cookie .
I really like making special breakfasts. I guess it is fun to get away with eating something sweet and tasty in the morning. I replaced half the butter in the waffles with unsweetened applesauce, and served them with just a touch of the whipped cream, I guess to make them seem a little better for you.
Gingerbread and Lemon- what a tasty combination! Check out the links below or the link to Rookie Cookie, above, for the recipes.

Gingerbread Waffles with Lemon Whipped Cream

Lemon Syrup

Up Next- a Fun Lunch for Kids

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

Who doesn't love peanut butter? I know there might be someone out there who doesn't but pb never gets old to me.
These muffins are like a pb&j sandwich for breakfast, except better.
I had to make some muffins for a morning get-together and these muffins just looked tasty over at myrecipes. I double a batch and they were ready in a jiffy (ha- I didn't even realize that was kinda a pun because of Jif) My kids loved them and I did too.
I used Marionberry Jam because that is what we had hanging out in the fridge. I am sure almost any flavor of jelly or jam would go great with these.
Perfect for breakfast or a snack.



Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffin from Cooking Light
Don't use a natural-style peanut butter in this recipe; it won't have enough sugar or fat to help the muffins rise.
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (about 3 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup egg substitute
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray
1/4 cup strawberry jam (I used marionberry)

Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugars, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (through vanilla); add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Fill each cup half full with batter. Spoon 1 teaspoon jam into each cup. Spoon remaining batter on top to cover jam. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack.


Up Next- Gingerbread Waffles with Lemon Whipped Cream and Lemon Syrup

Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars and Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

We were having dinner guests and I wanted to make an impressive dessert in half the time. I chose cheesecake bars but couldn't decide which flavor would please everyone, so I made both! When in doubt, make more, right?
I thought that the lemon blueberry would give a nice, light, fruity option and the chocolate-pumpkin would satisfy the chocolate-craving dessert eaters.
As it always does, the vote was split. Half of us liked the lemon better- half liked the chocolate better.
I liked the chocolate-pumpkin version better because it tasted less like cheesecake and more like something very pumpkiny. Isn't that a great description? Anyway, just laugh at me- it is fine.
What is your favorite flavor of cheesecake?

Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars from Martha Stewart
Prep: 25 minutes Total: 5 hours
To create swirls, drag the blade of a paring knife through the chocolate and pumpkin mixtures several times to make a marbled pattern.
Makes 16.
FOR THE CRUST
20 chocolate wafer cookies, (half a 9-ounce package) (I used 1/2 pkg of oreos with some of the creme filling removed)
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING
2 packages bar cream cheese, (8 ounces each)
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside.
In a food processor, blend cookies with sugar until finely ground (you should have about 1 cup crumbs); add butter, and pulse until moistened.
Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and press gently into bottom. Bake until fragrant and slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Place cream cheese in food processor; blend until smooth. Add sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, flour, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; process until combined. Set aside.
Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until melted. Add 1 cup pumpkin mixture; stir to combine. Set aside.
Pour remaining pumpkin mixture into prepared pan. Drop dollops of chocolate mixture onto pumpkin mixture; swirl. Bake until cheesecake is set but jiggles slightly when gently shaken, 40 to 50 minutes.
Cool in pan. Cover; chill until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days). Using overhang, transfer cake to work surface. With a knife dipped in water, cut into 16 squares.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars from Tyler Florence via the Food Network
Prep Time: 25 min Inactive Prep Time: 3 hr 0 min Cook Time: 35 min Level: Easy
Serves: 10 bars
For the base: Butter, for greasing

2 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

9 graham crackers

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
For the filling: 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 eggs

2 lemons, zested and juiced

About 1/2 cup sugar, eyeball it

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
For the base:
Grease the bottom of a 9 by 9-inch baking pan with butter. Then place parchment paper over the top, pressing down at the corners. In a food processor, process the sugar, cinnamon and graham crackers until you have the texture of bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a couple of times to fully incorporate. Pour into the lined baking pan and gently pat down with the base of a glass. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until golden. When done set aside to cool.
For the filling:
Add cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar to the food processor and mix until well combined. It should have a smooth consistency. Pour onto the cooled base and then cover with blueberries. They will sink slightly but should still be half exposed -- as the cake bakes they will sink a little more and break down.
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles. Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating for at least 3 hours. Once set, remove from pan using the parchment lining and slice into 10 rectangular bars. Dust with powdered sugar

Coming Tomorrow- PB&J Muffins

Walnut-Crusted Tilapia and Barley Pilaf

My family loves fish, especially tilapia. I saw this healthy recipe in Family Circle magazine and wanted to try it. I love recipes where the fish is coated in nuts and this one topped it off by adding one of my favorite foods-dark greens. The recipe called for Swiss Chard, but it was too expensive, so I substituted Kale. Funny side note- My hubby guessed what greens we were having! I couldn't believe that he correctly identified kale!
This fish was amazing. I was surprise at how much flavor the quick brushing of dijon mustard/fat-free mayo gave this fish, along with the dried basil and walnuts. It was really delicious. We used Tilapia loin filets from Costco, which are thicker then the typical fish filet. I think that added to the tastiness of the fish. I am so glad my kids love fish.
The barley pilaf is a recipe I remember my mom making when I was growing up. I reduced the amount of butter and it brought back some fun memories of being a kid. You can also add cooked chicken to the barley pilaf and turn it into a main dish.
You have got to try this fish- it was really, really good!

Walnut-Crusted Tilapia adapted from Family Circle Magazine
4 servings
Prep: 15 minutes Bake: 15 minutes Cook: 11 minutes
Ingredients
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon fat-free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 tilapia filets (about 6 ounces each) (I used Tilapia Loin, from Costco)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 bunches kale, stems removed and leaves cut into 1-inch pieces
Directions
1. Heat oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Stir together mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of the mustard. Finely chop walnuts. Brush tilapia with mustard mixture, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon basil and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Press 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts onto one side of each fillet.
3. Place tilapia, walnut-side up, on baking sheet; bake at 425°F for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes. Stir kale and season with salt and pepper. Saute for a few minutes and then cover and cook, until tender, about 6-8 minutes.

Barley Pilaf
1 1/3 cup regular barley
1 cup shredded carrot
4 oz. sliced mushroom
1 onion, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
2 Tbls unsalted butter

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add barley, mushrooms, and shredded carrots, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add chicken broth and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and Cover. Cook for 45 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Coming Tomorrow- Cheesecake Bars, 2 ways

Artichoke Heart and Spinach Gratin

One of my favorite cookbooks is The Vegetable Dishes I can't Live Without by Mollie Katzen. I love vegetables, but sometimes need inspiration on delicious, new ways to serve them. This cookbook is chock full of inventive, delicious ways to serve up all sorts of veggies.
This particular dish reminds me of Spinach-Artichoke Dip, because of its ingredients, but is is fresher tasting and much healthier. The spinach is wilted with onions and garlic and then the artichokes are stirred in. Top it off with bread crumbs and some fresh Parmesan and you have a great main or side dish. Plus, I love how rustic it looked, served in a cast-iron skillet.
It was easy to prepare and very delicious. If you love vegetables or need some new ways to fix them, I recommend checking out this cookbook.



Artichoke Heart & Spinach Gratin adapted from The Vegetables Dishes I can't Live Without by Mollie Katzen
12 oz. artichoke hearts, canned, bottled or frozen (I used bottled)
1 pd. fresh baby spinach leaves
1 Tbls olive oil
1 cup finely minced onion
2 tsps minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt
pepper
1/2 cup coarse bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. If using frozen artichokes, run under tap water to defrost. If using canned or bottled, drain on a paper towel.
3. Rinse spinach and shake off most of the water.
4. Place a large, deep skillet with an ovenproof handle over medium heat. Heat oil and add onion. Saute for 5 minutes.
5. Increase the heat to med-high, add the spinach and cover. Cook, tossing occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until wilted. Remove cover and continue to cook for about 10 minutes or until the liquid released by the spinach mostly evaporates.
6. Turn the heat back to medium and add the garlic. Saute until garlic is fragrant. Stir in salt, pepper and artichoke hearts. Remove from the heat.
7. Smooth the top surface with the back of a spoon and sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top, followed by an even layer of cheese.
8. Bake, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, or until the Parmesan is golden and the bread crumbs have turned golden and crispy. Serve hot or warm.

Coming Tomorrow- Walnut-Crusted Tilapia with Kale and Barley Pilaf