Simple For Recipe: November 2017

Wednesday 29 November 2017

Blueberry Streusel Tart

A decadent and dinner party-worthy dessert which combines erythritol-sweetened cookie crust, almond-einkorn streusel, stevia blueberry jam and blueberries. It is easy to whip up for any family gathering.

Streusel	Tart
70 g Butter, cubed 80 g Einkorn flour 50 g Almond, chopped 2 tbsp Coconut sugar	1/2 Nori Black Sesame Seed Cookie Dough 3 tbsp Stevia sweetened blueberry jam 250 g 250 g Blueberries, fresh or frozen (don't need to be defrosted) 1 tsp Powdered stevia sugar, optional

Mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Using fingertips, rub in butter until pea-size clumps form. Refrigerate while preparing the tart.
Roll out the cookie dough on a lightly floured surface and line a 21cm fluted tart tins with removable bases. Trim the edges. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Line tart shell with baking paper, fill with beans and bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove paper and beans, then bake for a further 10 minutes or until pastry is dry and golden. Cool.
Spread the jam onto the tart shell, then fill with blueberries. Sprinkle the streusel over the berries. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbly. Dust with powdered stevia sugar if using.

Labels: Einkorn, Fruit, Nuts and Seeds, Pastries and Pies

Saturday 25 November 2017

Cornmeal Buttermilk Biscuits

Did you all survive Thanksgiving? Have you started your Christmas shopping? We went out Friday to pick up a few things and it was sooooo crazy. I figured it would be busy, but it was SO busy. That's okay though, because I scored some good deals. Now, I just want to relax and enjoy some warm biscuits covered in honey.

I originally posted this recipe back in 2012 and it is so good that I figured you all needed to see it again :) Here is my original post:

Back in the day, my Grandma Parker loved to copy down recipes from T.V.

I don't know if T.V. was different back then, but I am wondering how in the world did she write down all those ingredients so fast?

I tried it the other day and thank goodness for my DVR. I had to click pause and rewind so many times and there weren't even that many ingredients to write down.

Luckily I got them all right, because these Corn Biscuits turned out SO GOOD!

They are crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. The cornmeal is soaked in buttermilk for 10 minutes, so your biscuits don't end up too grainy. The texture is perfect and the flavor is just right, not to sweet. They taste like cornbread, but in biscuit form and when drizzled with honey, you might find yourself eating one too many.

Cornmeal Buttermilk Biscuits

adapted from: Cooks Country
(Printable Recipe)

1 c. cornmeal

1 1/4 c. buttermilk

2 Tbl. honey

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 Tbl. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbl.) unsalted butter, cut into chunks

Whisk together the cornmeal, buttermilk and honey. Let rest for 10 minutes to soften the cornmeal. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a food processor. Add the cold cubed butter and pulse until it resembles coarse sand. If you don't have a food processor you can either use a pastry cutter or your hands to cut in the butter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold together using a rubber scraper until no streaks of flour remain. Lightly flour board. Knead dough a few times and pat out into a 9'' circle, 3/4'' thick. Cut out biscuits using a 2 1/2'' cutter. Transfer biscuits to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes, until they just start to rise. Lower temperature to 400 degrees and bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden and risen. Yield: 12 biscuits.

Jenn's Notes: I added extra buttermilk, because the dough seemed a little dry and I ended up with a fairly sticky dough. I don't know if that is why my biscuits ended up so moist, but that is how I will make them from now on, because I loved them.

Labels: bread

Wednesday 22 November 2017

Tandoori Spiced Baked Chicken

This whole roasted chicken seasoned liberally with Indian tandoori masala and fresh herbs turns out crisp, juicy, and absolutely delicious. A perfect meal for feeding family and friends.


1,5 kg Whole chicken, trimmed, washed, dried 30 g Butter, cut into small pieces 1 tbsp Olive oil 20 Sage leaves 3-4 Rosemary sprigs Salt 1 tbsp Tandoori masala spice mix 2 Red onions, cut into wedges 1 kg Hokkaido pumpkin, chopped

Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Trim and rinse chicken. Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towel.
Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a large roasting pan. Tie legs with kitchen string and tuck wings under. Separate the skin by running your fingers between the skin and breast meat very gently. This helps the skin get crisp. Distribute 8 sage leaves and the butter under the skin.
Brush the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and tandoori spice mix. Place the rosemary and sage leaves in the chicken cavity.
Place pan on the lowest oven shelf. Bake chicken for 11/4 hours unil golden brown. After chicken has roasted for 40 minutes, add pumpkins and onion wedges and continue to bake, turning vegetables during cooking until juices run clear when chicken thigh is pierced with a skewer (cover chicken with foil if over-browning).

Labels: Poultry, pumpkin

Saturday 18 November 2017

No-Bake Chocolate Malt Pie

Thanksgiving is only a few days away . . . are you all ready? This year I am in charge of the Sweet Potato Casserole (my fave) and a dessert. I'm either going to make Banana Cream Pie or Pumpkin Pie Cake. I've already purchased all my groceries, so whatever I decide to make, I'll be good to go.

If you are in charge of pie and want a super easy and extremely delicious pie, then you should totally make this No-Bake Chocolate Malt Pie. I have always been a fan of the chocolate malt flavor and adding it to a pie was such a great idea.

This pie actually has double the chocolate malt flavor. It has chocolate malt mix and crushed up Whopper candies. Their is no mistaking the flavor of this pie. The crushed up Whoppers are crunchy at first, but if you refrigerate the pie overnight, they soften right up and you are left with a pillowy chocolate malt pie on top of a store-bought OREO pie crust.

You should be able to find the chocolate malt powder down the cereal/breakfast aisle of your local grocery store.

You might also like:

Banana Pudding Milkshake with Chocolate Malt Whipped Cream

Chocolate Malt Cupcakes with Chocolate Malt Frosting

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

No-Bake Pumpkin Turtle Pie

No-Bake Chocolate Malt Pie
adapted from: Gooseberry Patch
(Printable Recipe)

1 (6 oz.) store-bought OREO pie crust
1 (3.3 oz.) pkg. instant white chocolate pudding mix
2 Tbl. chocolate malt powder
1 c. milk
1 (8 oz.) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 1/2 c. malted milk balls, crushed and divided (Whoppers)

Mix together dry pudding mix and malt powder. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Fold in the thawed whipped topping and 1 1/4 cups crushed malted milk balls and spread into crust. Garnish with remaining crushed candy. Refrigerate until ready to serve. I like to let mine sit overnight, so the candy softens up. I also like to use some canned whipped cream to make some swirls on top just before serving.

Labels: Dessert, pie

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Sweet Potato Soup with Moroccan spiced Chickpeas

A thick and smooth sweet potato soup with crisp Moroccan spiced chickpeas to make this vegetarian winter warmer extra delicious and flavourful. You can easily veganize this soup serving it with coconut or soya yoghurt instead of Greek yoghurt.

Soup	Moroccan Spiced Chickpeas
1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp Cumin powder 2 Brown onions, finely chopped 2 Garlic cloves, crushed 1-2 tsp Harissa paste, to taste 800 g Sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 5cm pieces 1000 ml Vegetable broth Greek yoghurt, to serve Coriander leaves, to serve (optional)	2 tsp Extra virgin olive oil 400 g Cooked chickpeas, rinsed, drained, patted dry 2 tsp Moroccan spice mix Sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add cumin. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and harissa. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until aromatic. Add in chopped sweet potatoes. Cook, stirring, for a minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 220C/410F. Pat the chickpeas dry with paper towel. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Combine the oil and Moroccan spice mix in a small bowl. Toss the chickpeas with the spice and season with salt. Spread the chickpeas, in a single layer, on the prepared tray. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Divide soup among bowls. Top with yoghurt and chickpea mixture and sprinkle with coriander, if using.

Labels: Gluten Free, Legumes, Potato, Soups

Monday 13 November 2017

Fudge Ribbon Cake PLUS a Giveaway

Today, I'm sharing a super impressive and delicious cake recipe with you to help you get excited for the latest Eggland's Best Delivers Sweepstakes. From now until December 22, 2017, EB is calling on fans across the U.S. to enter their city to win a visit from the EB Better Egg Truck.

Fans can enter once per day, and share on Facebook or Twitter for an additional bonus entry. One lucky fan will also be selected at random from the winning city to receive an exclusive Better Brunch from the EB Better Egg Food Truck for them and their closest friends. How fun is that!! Check out Eggland's Best website to find out more information on how to enter and for the official rules.

Eggland's Best (EB) is the #1 branded egg in the U.S. and is an excellent source of vitamins D, B12, E, B5 and Riboflavin. These amazing EB eggs have 6 times MORE vitamin D, more than double the omega-3, 10 times more vitamin E and 25 percent less saturated fat than ordinary eggs. Independent testing has also confirmed that EB eggs stay fresher longer than ordinary eggs. Now, if that isn't enough to convince you to pick EB eggs over ordinary eggs, then click HERE for more superior nutrition information.

Click on the links down below if you would like to follow Eggland's Best:
Eggland's Best Website
Eggland's Best Facebook
Eggland's Best Twitter
Eggland's Best Pinterest
Eggland's Best Instagram

Now, onto this DIVINE cake. I got this recipe from my friend and it's seriously amazing. No one will ever know how easy this impressive cake is to make. It starts out with a cake mix, then you prepare the cheesecake layer and spread it over the cake batter. When it bakes, the cheesecake layer sinks to the bottom and the chocolate cake rises to the top. The texture of this cake is fantastic. You have soft cake mixed with dense cheesecake and when it's topped with a rich silky smooth chocolate glaze, you will be in heaven. Seriously, make this ASAP.

Meanwhile, make sure to enter my giveaway using the Rafflecopter down below. Giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only. Giveaway winner will be contacted via email and must respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You might also like:

Chocolate Whoopie Pie Cake

Strawberry Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars

Almond Joy Poke Cake

No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Fudge Ribbon Cake
(Printable Recipe)

Cake Layer:
1 (15.25 oz.) Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 1/4 c. water
1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil
3 large Eggland's Best eggs

Cheesecake Layer
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbl. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 Tbl. cornstarch
1 large Eggland's Best egg
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze
2 Tbl. unsalted butter
2 Tbl. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 Tbl. milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a large 12-cup bundt pan; set aside. For the cake layer: Combine dry cake mix, water, oil and eggs and whisk until smooth and well combined. Pour into prepared bundt pan and spread batter out evenly.

For the cheesecake layer: Combine cream cheese, butter and cornstarch and beat until creamy. Add the egg, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla and mix until smooth and creamy. Spoon cream cheese mixture around the center of bundt pan, making sure to leave a border of chocolate cake mix around the edges. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert to a cooling rack and cool completely. When cool, prepare the glaze.

For the chocolate glaze: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder. Remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Add just enough milk to reach desired glaze consistency. Pour over top of cake. Allow glaze to set, then slice and serve. Store leftover cake in the refrigerator.

Jenn's Notes: You can use any flavor of cake mix, just make sure to prepare it according to the package directions.

This post has been sponsored by Eggland's Best. All thoughts and reviews are my own. The EB nutrition value, sweepstakes information and giveaway prize was provided by Eggland's Best.

Labels: cake, Dessert

Apricot Tart

Apricot Tart
Source: Maida Heatter's Pies & Tarts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 91.

Okay, so I had major difficulties with the crust portion of this recipe (Rich Flan Pastry) and ended up abandoning it altogether and used my go-to crust recipe which is NOT a Maida Heatter recipe. Confessions aside, this is delicious!

The recipe covers 4 1/2 pages in the book and is a bit daunting. However, a lot of it involves the typical details of a Maida Heatter recipe (being very specific about how to do everything), so after you have done many of these tasks a few times, it becomes old hat.

The filling, divine enough to eat as a breakfast treat, can be made days ahead and refrigerated. I made this three days before baking the tart and stored it in the refrigerator.

Filling

12 ounces dried apricots
2 cups water
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
Optional: 1 TBS. rum, cognac or kirsch (I used kirsch)
Optional: 2 TBS thinly sliced toasted almonds (I did not use)

Soak the apricots overnight in the water.
Place the soaked apricots and water in a heavy saucepan. Add the sugar and mix.
Over high heat, stir the mixture until it comes to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Uncover, raise the heat to high again. Stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken and the apricots fall apart. This will take a while (almost 20 minutes for me). You can also slice the apricots as you do it with your spoon.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and almond extracts and the optional liquor and almonds.

Pastry

I will not go into detail about the Rich Flan Pastry recipe. It was too sticky and fragile for me to use it. I thought it was because she says not to refrigerate it - I find that very odd. So, perhaps I handled the pastry too much. Anyway, here is a great pastry recipe that is not only fool-proof but also very delicious. Sorry Maida!

*2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
* 1/2 cup ice water

Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When ready to use, roll out on a floured board. Line a pie pan (or tart pan) with half the dough and set aside the remainder to use as a top crust.

Glaze (applied to top of tart before baking)

Beat together:
1 egg yolk
1 tsp water

Apricot Glaze (applied after baking and tart has cooled)

1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tsp water

Bring the mixture to a boil and brush over the top of the tart.

Baking

Preheat the oven to 375 and butter a 9 1/2 x 3/4 inch flan ring. Place the flan ring on an ungreased cookie sheet. Adjust your oven racks with the bottom rack one third from the bottom and the second rack in the center of the oven.

Spoon the apricot mixture into the pastry shell. Cover with the other half of the pastry. Pinch the two crusts together around the perimeter with your fingers. Cut off the dough that rises over the top of the pan. Cut some slits along the top of the crust. Apply the glaze with a pastry brush.

The additional dough can be used for decorative strips or other embellishments (I have a little dough cutter that cuts in the shape of leaves - really cute!)

Bake on the bottom rack for 30 minutes at 375. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 and move the tart to the center rack. Bake an additional 20-30 minutes until the top is browned slightly.

After baking, carefully remove the tart from the flan ring and allow to cool.

Brush with apricot glaze. Serve with vanilla ice cream!

Wednesday 8 November 2017

Vegan Roast Pumpkin and Black Rice Salad with Pine Nuts

This vegan, gluten free salad, made with black forbidden rice, hokkaido pumpkin, red onions, parsley, Romaine lettuce, pine nuts and pomegranate seeds, has a unique mellow-sweet taste. The rich nutty, earthy flavour of black rice pairs really well with the bright acidity of white balsamic vinaigrette. If you can't find forbidden rice, use wild rice instead.

180 g Black rice, rinsed
1,5 kg Hokkaido pumpkin, deseeded, cut into thin wedges
1-2 Red onion, cut into wedges
4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 tbsp White balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Maple syrup
1 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Romaine lettuce
Parsley leaves
Seeds of 1/2 pomegranate
45 g Pine nuts, toasted

Cook the rice in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 30 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Refresh under cold running water.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200C/180C fan forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place pumpkin wedges on the prepared tray. Add onion wedges to trays.
Combine 2 tbsp of olive oil, 1/2 tbsp of white balsamic vinegar and 2 tsp of maple syrup in a small bowl. Drizzle over pumpkin and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes or until caramelised.
Place lemon juice, Dijon and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and the remaining 1 teaspoon of maple syrup in a bowl. Season. Whisk to combine.
Combine rice, romaine lettuce, parsley, onion, half the pomegranate and pine nuts in a large bowl. Drizzle with half the dressing. Toss to combine. Arrange half the pumpkin on a platter. Top with half the rice mixture. Drizzle with half the remaining dressing. Repeat with remaining pumpkin, rice mixture and dressing. Sprinkle with remaining pomegranate and pine nuts.

Labels: Fruit, Nuts and Seeds, Pasta Rice and Dumplings, pumpkin, Salads

Sunday 5 November 2017

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili {with hominy}

Happy November :)

This is my 3rd white chicken chili recipe on the blog. Each recipe is slightly different and equally as delicious. My original version has cream cheese in it and black beans (this is my Mom's favorite), my second version has white beans and sour cream stirred into the chili. This new version also has white beans along with hominy and cream of chicken soup. The flavor is outstanding. I had this at a work luncheon on Halloween and had to have the recipe to share with all of you.

It's so simple. You throw everything in the slow cooker and let it go.

It is a pretty brothy chili and you can always add less broth, if you prefer. If you top it with cheese and sour cream then it becomes a creamy bowl of deliciousness.

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili {with hominy}
adapted from: Ruth Ann and Shanelle
(Printable Recipe)

1 Lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 (15.5 oz.) cans great northern beans, drained
1 (15.5 oz.) can hominy, drained
1/2 large onion, diced (around 3/4 - 1 cup)
2 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth (I use low-sodium)
2 Tbl. taco seasoning, plus more, if needed
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
juice of 1 lime
2 Tbl. chopped fresh cilantro

For serving (optional):
Fritos
shredded cheese
sour cream
cornbread
chopped green onions

Place chicken in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Top with beans, hominy and diced onion. In a medium bowl, combine chicken broth, taco seasoning, green chiles, cream of chicken soup and lime juice. Pour into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker along with the chopped cilantro. Stir to combine. Taste and add a little more taco seasoning, if needed. Serve with desired toppings. Serves: 5-6.

Labels: chicken, Main Dishes, Soup

Pumpkin Rocks

Pumpkin Rocks
Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 86.

It is the season for pumpkin flavored desserts. In the past, I had tried Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Gingerbread, and Joan's Pumpkin Loaf. All of them are wonderful. I think this is the first time I have tried pumpkin cookies.

Pumpkin Rocks, despite the name, are soft, chewy cookies (the name comes from the fact that they resemble rocks). They are not too sweet. The pumpkin flavor is delicate. The lemon glaze is optional (the cookies are great on their own) but the tartness of the lemon helps enhance them. If using the glaze, be sure to have it ready as soon as the cookies come out of the oven. This recipes makes about 48 cookies.

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1 lb canned pumpkin (about 1 3/4 cups or 15 oz. can)
1 cup raisins
2 cups walnuts, in small or medium pieces

Preheat the oven to 375 and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice. Sifting is great but whisking it all together works equally well.

Cream the butter and beat in both sugars. Add the eggs one at a time and then the pumpkin.

Add the flour mixture on low speed, beating until mixed.

Stir in the raisins and the nuts.


Use a rounded tablespoon (I use an ice-cream scoop) and place the cookies on the parchment paper. The cookies do not spread during baking so it is okay to put them fairly close together. Bake for about 16-18 minutes, until the tops bounce back when lightly pressed. Rotate the pans halfway during baking for even browning.

While the cookies are baking, prepare the glaze.

2 TBS. butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
Pinch of salt
2 TBS. lemon juice
1 TBS. milk


Mix the ingredients together. The consistency should be like soft whipped cream. You can add more milk or lemon juice to adjust, if needed.

As the cookies come out of the oven, brush them with glaze. Transfer to a baking rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Labels: cookies

Simple For Recipe