Almond Milk Butter

This recipe is incredibly easy, just takes a little bit of patience and trust.  It may seem like the almonds won't ever turn to butter in your food processor, but keep blending and they will eventually smooth out. You can either leave it as straight almond butter, or if you like to eat as much as I do and want to stretch it out, you can go to the next step and add almond milk.  Both ways are delicious!!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almonds (Or any amount you want, really.  Just use equal parts milk)
• 2 cups almond milk

 Preparation:

• If almonds are not roasted, put them in a dry saute pan over medium-high heat.  Toast until you can start to smell the almonds and they become light brown in color.  Or you can put them on a sheet tray and bake in the oven at 425 degrees F until you can smell them.  Just make sure to keep an eye on them so that they don't burn!

• Pour the almonds into your food processor and turn on.  The almonds will quickly turn to a cornmeal-like texture and begin to stick on the sides of the bowl.  Scrape down the bowl as necessary and keep blending.  After 5-8 minutes, depending on your food processor, they will begin to clump together and eventually turn into butter.

• Measure out your almond milk and slowly pour into the food processor as it is blending.

• This will seem pretty thin at first, but it thickens as it cools in the refrigerator.

I love dipping apples in this and I bet bananas would be delicious as well!  I, too often, eat this just with a spoon right out of the container :)

Romesco Sauce

This sauce can be used for just about anything.  I originally made it to top baby artichokes, like the dish I had at a tapas restaurant.  I found, though, that it was also delicious with the chicken I made with the meal.  I would imagine it could be tossed with pasta or eaten with shrimp and seafood.  A delicious, light sauce!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1-inch thick slice of crusty bread, torn into pieces
• 1/2 cup blanched almonds, chopped or slivered
• 5-6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 15-oz can of crushed or whole tomatoes, including the juice
• 1 8-oz jar of roasted red bell peppers, drained
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Preparation:

•  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, saute the bread and almonds, stirring often, until they just begin to brown.  Add the garlic and saute another 1-2 minutes, stirring once or twice.

• Place the contents of the saute pan in a food processor with the remaining ingredients - salt, tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, smoked paprika and vinegar.  Puree until smooth.  Spread the sauce out on a rimmed sheet pan and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges begin to caramelize.  Allow to cool and scrape into a container to store.

Speltberry Salad

I love throwing recipes like this together because you can really pick and choose whatever ingredients you want or have around the house.  You can tailor the dressing any way you would like as well - whatever flavors work for you!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked speltberries (You can use any grain you have - wheatberries, rice, couscous, quinoa, etc.  The speltberries make this gluten free, but it is just as good with anything else)
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 1/3 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 2/3 cup craisins
• A few handfuls spring lettuce mix
• Juice from one lemon
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Dried basil
• Dried tarragon

Preparation:

• Cook the speltberries according to the package.  Mine simmered in water for 90 minutes.  After cooked, rinse under cool water to bring to room temperature and remove some of the starchy liquid left behind

• Add in all the ingredients that you have chosen to use.  I think that red bell pepper would have been great in this, but I didn't have any.  Also feta cheese would have been delicious!
• Add the liquids to all your ingredients and stir to combine.  If you want, some olive oil can be added to the dressing.

Blackberry Cobbler Bars

Ingredients


Crust and Topping

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, chilled

 Fruit Filling

• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup flour
• pinch salt
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 16-oz packages frozen blackberries, thawed and drained

Preparation:

• To make the crust and topping, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan
• Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.  Cut the butter into 1/2 inch pieces and add to the flour mixture.  Mix together with hands, while breaking up the butter into small pieces.  Mix until butter is evenly distributed but mixture is still crumbly.  (This can also be done in a food processor if it has a large enough capacity).

• Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to use as the topping.  Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan.  Bake 12-15 minutes.  Cool for at least 10 minutes.

• To make the filling, whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then add the sugar, sour cream, flour, salt, lemon zest, and almond extract.  Gently fold in the berries and spoon the mixture over the crust.  Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture evenly over the filling.  Bake 45-55 minutes.

• Cool at least 1 hour before cutting into bars, or scoop out of the pan to serve cobbler-style.

White Chocolate Coconut Blondies

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces white chocolate chips
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 5 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.   Spray the sides and bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.
• Put the white chocolate and butter in a saucepan and melt together over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth.  

• Turn off the heat and add the sugars.  Whisk until completely combined.  Remove from burner and let cool slightly (I transferred to a big bowl).
• Add eggs, one at a time, and whisk until combined.  Add the vanilla.

• Sprinkle the flour, salt, and coconut over the chocolate mixture.  Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour and coconut into the chocolate until combined, but not over-mixed.

• Pour the batter into the pan and place in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.  A toothpick inserted into the center of the blondies should come out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 cup (4 oz) pre-shredded 4-cheese 2% Mexican blend, divided
• 1/3 cup fat free milk
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp ground red pepper
• 1 (14 3/4-oz) can cream-style corn
• 1 8.5-oz box corn muffin mix
• 1 4-oz can chopped green chiles, drained
• Cooking spray
• 1 10-oz can red enchilada sauce
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
• 1/2 cup fat free sour cream

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist.  Pour mixture into a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until set.  Pierce entire surface liberally with a work and pour enchilada sauce over top.
4. Top with chicken.
5. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese melts.
6. Remove from oven; let stand for 5 minutes.  Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tbsp sour cream.

Notes:
I did not have a can of creamed corn at home, so I used frozen corn (about 16 oz) that I already had in the freezer.  I used a larger 7-oz container of green chiles (not drained) to make up for the moisture.  We also added some black beans to the top with the chicken to make it a little more substantial.

Raw cornbread, corn, green chile mixture

Baked cornbread with enchilada sauce on top

Chicken added

Plus some beans

And cheese, of course

Finished product.  We don't cut slices, just scoop!

Simple Slow Cooker Applesauce

This is a super easy recipe that just needs to be thrown together and it cooks itself.  It lasts for a week or two in the fridge and can easily be frozen as well (if you get overzealous and make a double batch... it's been known to happen).  My boyfriend swears by Musselman's Chunky Applesauce, but it is nowhere to be found out West and he can't get enough of this homemade stuff!

~3 lbs. apples
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar (or Splenda, Truvia, etc.) or to your taste

I peel the apples (but you certainly don't have to), core them, and cut them into 8 pieces.  Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker and set it to low.  Let cook for 8 hours.  When the applesauce is done cooking, you can mash it up to whatever consistency you like!

Note:  For this recipe I used half gala and half granny smith apples.  I have used fuji in the past and that turned out well also.  The grocery store usually has a 3-lb. bag of one type of apples on sale, which makes the decision easy :)

This would also be really good as a dessert - served warm over ice cream or with whipped cream on top!