Chocolate Cherry Berry Smoothie, Banana Spelt Muffins, Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

Cheryl tried this smoothie recipe and loved it. A healthy alternative to a chocolate shake. This came from Blendtec, the Orem company where Kyle works.

Chocolate Cherry Berry Smoothie 

10 oz. vanilla coconut milk
2 c. spinach leaves
1 banana
2 ½ T. cacao or cocoa powder
¾ c. frozen blueberries
¾ c. frozen cherries

Add ingredients to blender jar in order listed and secure lid. Blend until smooth, then serve.

Note: Use a ripe banana to add a little more natural sweetness to the smoothie. As the banana ripens, the enzyme amylase begins to break down starch which leads to the formation of sucrose, aka table sugar.

Nutrition info per serving:
Servings 2
Serving Size 12 fl oz
Calories 200
Fat 4.5 g
Saturated Fat 4 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 45 mg
Carbohydrates 41 g
Fiber 8 g
Sugar 25 g
Protein 5 g

Cheryl made these Banana Spelt muffins and liked how they turned out.

She added three handfuls of oats to the mix.

Banana Spelt Muffins
1 egg
¼ c. butter or coconut butter, softened
3 ripe bananas
¾ c. granulated sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1½ c. wholegrain spelt flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
½ t. salt

Preheat oven to 375°F. Add first 5 ingredients to blender jar and secure lid. Press “Pulse” 4-6 times. Add dry ingredients to jar and secure lid. Press “Pulse” 4-6 times until dry ingredients are barely incorporated. Pour batter into a greased muffin tin or a tin lined with paper cups. Bake 15-18 minutes until done.

For a little spice, try adding ¼ teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.

For a little crunch, try adding ¾ C walnuts to the first addition of ingredients. As the wet ingredients blend and the blender blade mashes the bananas, the walnuts will be chopped.

Note: All-purpose flour may be used in place of wholegrain spelt flour.

Nutrition Info:
Servings 12
Serving Size 1 muffin
Calories 170
Fat 4.5 g
Saturated Fat 2.5 g
Cholesterol 30 mg
Sodium 260 mg
Carbohydrates 29 g
Fiber 2 g
Sugar 16 g
Protein 2 g

by Cheryl, Barbara's daughter

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup 1 celery root, peeled and cubed 1 large parsnip, peeled and thickly sliced 1 large carrot, peeled and thickly sliced 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed 1 medium onion, thickly sliced 4 garlic cloves, peeled 3 T. olive oil 5-6 C chicken or vegetable broth 1 ½ t. white wine vinegar 1/16 t. cayenne pepper Salt and pepper to taste  Preheat oven to 400°F.  Add prepared vegetables, onion and garlic to 9x13-inch pan and drizzle with olive oil.  Toss vegetables in olive oil and bake for 45 minutes until roasted and tender.  Add 3 cups of broth to blender jar and roasted vegetables and secure lid.  Select “Smoothies”.  Pour remaining broth into large saucepan and add pureed soup. Taste and adjust salt as necessary and add black pepper, if desired and serve warm. For a creamy touch, try adding ½ cup of half and half or full-fat coconut milk before serving or garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream.  Serve with a sprinkling of paprika, cumin or fresh herbs of your choice. Nutrition info per serving: Servings 9 Serving Size 1 cup Calories 100 Fat 4.5 g Saturated Fat 0.5 g Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 380 mg Carbohydrates 13 g Fiber 2 g Sugar 4 g Protein 2 g

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott

Green and Red Lentil Enchiladas, Chickpea Strawberry Mango Salad

First of all:
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY 5th to Jason & Morgan!

Jason, Kinley and Morgan
August 2010 — Island Park, ID

Now, on to this post. I really liked the quesadilla and sauce recipe I posted earlier, so decided to check out the cookbook from our library and see if there were any more recipes that sounded good. These enchiladas were fast and easy. The green enchilada sauce made these spicy enough for Ian and I, even without the jalapeño. Scott would have liked more spicy.

Green and Red Lentil Enchiladas
1/4 c. chopped onions
2 T. chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (optional)
1 c. red lentils, rinsed
3 c. of water or vegetable broth, or combination of the two
8-10 corn tortillas
30 oz. green enchilada sauce
1 can sliced olives
grated cheese
sour cream
salsa
chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 350. Bring water or broth, and one-third of enchilada sauce, to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add lentils, onion and jalepeno and cook until lentils approximately 15-20 minutes. Liquid should be absorbed completely and lentils should be tender. Stir in chopped cilantro and set aside.
Meanwhile, wrap 8-10 corn tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for approximately 30 seconds to soften. Pour another cup of green enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish. Put several spoonfuls of the lentil mixture into each corn tortilla and roll, placing the tortilla seamside down in the prepared pan. Repeat until your pan is full and your lentils are gone. Pour remaining cup of green enchilada sauce over rolled tortillas, and top with cheese of your liking, (or grated carrots) and sliced olives. Bake enchiladas for 20-25 minutes. Top with sour cream, salsa and cilantro, if desired.

This was the first recipe I tried in this cookbook. It was divine. Scott was sold by the crunchy nuts, and Ian loved the fruit. I think it will be especially good in the summer, but loved it so much it's made it onto our menu plan two times this winter. The dressing makes this sweet salad even sweeter. The change Scott wanted to make was the beans, as he's not a fan of chickpeas/garbonzo beans. I decided to try the white beans I've cooked up from our food storage/dry pack canning. I usually do a crock pot full of each of the black, pinto and white beans we store, cook and freeze into "can" quantities. (I've included more info on white beans at the bottom of this post. ) Finally, I'd like to try the Pumpkin Spice—Roasted Chickpeas, but haven't yet. I tend to just do the things everyone will eat, and pumpkin (along with chickpeas) would get a "no" rating by Scott.

Chickpea Strawberry Mango Salad
8 cups romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 batch Pumpkin Spice–Roasted Chickpeas (recipe below) 
or 1 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 mango, peeled and cut into chunks
2 c. strawberries, washed and sliced
1⁄2 c. dried cranberries
1⁄2 c. roasted almonds, roughly chopped
1⁄4 c. fresh mint, chopped
1 batch Cinnamon Vinaigrette  (recipe below) 

Place lettuce in individual serving dishes and top with 1⁄4 of the chickpeas, mango chunks, strawberry slices, cranberries, almonds and mint. Dress with Cinnamon Vinaigrette.

Cinnamon Vinaigrette
1 t. Dijon mustard
3 T. apple cider vinegar
3 T. lemon juice
1/3 c. agave nectar or pure maple syrup
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. ground ginger
½ t. salt
¼ c. canola oil
Whisk together all ingredients except oil in a medium bowl. Slowly add oil while whisking, until dressing has emulsified. Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Makes 1 cup.

Pumpkin Spice Roasted Chickpeas
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted dry
2 T. maple syrup
1 t. canola oil (or oil of your choice)
1 t. apple cider vinegar
1/8 t. salt
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. ginger
3/4 t. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350.  Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl until evenly coated.
Spread chickpeas on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake for 25 minutes.  Stir chickpeas every ten minutes to ensure even crisping.


by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott
_________________________________

Information on white beans from this post.

Cannellini, Great Northern and Navy are three popular types of white beans. What's the difference between them?

Cannellini beans are large and have that traditional kidney shape. With a slightly nutty taste and mild earthiness, they have a relatively thin skin and tender, creamy flesh. They hold their shape well and are one of the best white beans for salads and ragouts.

Great Northern beans are smaller than cannellinis and and suitable for any number of uses: salads, soups, stews, ragouts, purees. Their texture is slightly grainy, with a nutty, dense flavor. Popular in North America, Great Northerns look like white baby lima beans.

Navy beans are small and oval and cook relatively quickly (which, as Aliza Green notes in The Bean Bible, has made them popular with commercial baked bean manufacturers). Known as Boston beans, the white coco, pea beans or alubias chicas, Navy beans are perfect for dishes that don't need the full bean shape to shine: purees, soups, stews and baked beans.

It's great to know the differences between the three and it's worth paying more attention to them when you're using dried beans. Truthfully though, when we use canned white beans, we use these three almost interchangeably.

Recipe: Italian Cabbage And White Bean Soup
Recipe: Squid, White Bean And Arugula Salad
Recipe: Tuscan White Bean Stew 

by Dee, wife of Barbara's son Scott

Granola Oat Bars

 

The Ayer Family — December 2011


"These are wonderful for a quick breakfast, 
part of a lunch or a snack. These are so yummy."

Granola Oat Bars

1/2 c. raw cashews
2 T. coconut oil
2 T. honey
1 c. fresh Medjool dates
1-1/2 c. thick oats
Add-ins: See list below

Put cashews, melted coconut oil, honey, and pitted dates in a food processor. Blend until it begins to hold together. Add oats and blend to the desired consistency. Pour contents into a bowl and add additional items as desired. It is easiest to mix this together with clean hands.

Place mixture in an 8x8" pan and press it down with your hands or the back of a metal spatula. Cut them into eight even pieces. Put the pan in the FREEZER and allow to harden.

Remove and put into individual snack bags. I have found that it is best to keep them in the freezer until you are going to use them. We have left them out for days at a time and they are still good. These are wonderful for a quick breakfast, part of a lunch or a snack. These are so yummy.

Optional add-ins: raisins, dried cranberries, dried fruit, nuts (walnut, pecan, almond, sunflower, pistachios, etc.), dark chocolate, unsweetened coconut, millet, chia seeds, whatever you can think of that would be tasty. You can use dried dates in this recipe but they need to be soaked beforehand.

Cheryl’s favorite combinations: 

*Coconut, Pecan, Dark Chocolate chunks 

*Craisin, Almond, Sunflower, Millet

Pumpkin Spice Oat Bars (aka Ginger)

CHERYL’S FAVORITE
1/2 c. raw cashews
2 T. coconut oil
1 T. honey
1-2 T. molasses

1/4 t. ground ginger or 1 t. fresh grated ginger
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1 c. fresh Medjool dates
1-1/2 c. thick oats
1/2 c. crystalized ginger, cut into pieces

Put cashews, melted coconut oil, honey, molasses, spices, and pitted dates in a food processor. Blend until it begins to hold together. Add oats and blend to the desired consistency. Pour contents into a bowl and add the crystallized ginger and any additional items as desired. If it is too wet, add more oats. It is easiest to mix this together with clean hands.

Place mixture in an 8x8" pan and press it down with your hands or the back of a metal spatula. Cut them into eight even pieces. Put the pan in the FREEZER and allow to harden. Remove and put into individual snack bags. I have found that it is best to keep them in the freezer until you are going to use them. We have left them out for days at a time and they are still good. 

by Cheryl, Barbara's daughter

Apricot Raisin Hot Cross Buns

Stephanie's 16th birthday (thanks Jannet!)

Today is Stephanie's birthday, so I asked her to share some 'foodie' thoughts with us. Happy Birthday Stephanie!! 

"Foods? I love so many! Favorite restaraunts are Big Bowl (Thai food) in Reston, Colors (a wide variety of flavors from around the world) in Hilton Head, and Tropical Smoothie. You can't go wrong with any of their smoothies; I think I have tried almost all of them. I love anything pasta and am really excited to eat Italian for two weeks in April. It's only 10 a.m. and you have me thinking about dinner. I think I will have to make alfredo tonight.... I love pies instead of cake, but Brittany is in love with cupcakes. I gave her a cookbook from Georgetown Cupcakes (D.C. Cupcakes on TV) and she has made the best cupcakes I have ever tasted. I would not be surprised if she makes some for my birthday. The kids have given up bringing me breakfast in bed; the few times they tried they had to honestly con me back into it after my run and shower."

 "I tried a new recipe yesterday that turned out great. Here it is:

Apricot Raisin Hot Cross Buns

4 - 4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 c. warm water (110 degrees F)

1/8 t. sugar

3/4 c. milk

1/2 c. (stick) butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 eggs

1/2 c. finely snipped dried apricots

1/2 c. raisins, coarsely chopped

1 egg white, beaten

1 T. water

Dried apricots cut into strips (optional)

1. In a large mixing bowl place 2 c. of the flour; set aside. In a small bowl combine the yeast, warm water, and 1/8 t. sugar. Stir until yeast is dissolved; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir the milk, butter, 1/3 c. sugar, and salt until warm (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F) and butter almost melts. Add to flour mixture along with the yeast mixture and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in snipped apricots, raisins, and as much of the remaining flour as you can with a wooden spoon.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft (not sticky) dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape dough in a ball. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 1-1/2 hours).

3. Punch dough down. Turn out onto a floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Grease two baking sheets; set aside. Divide dough into 20 portions; shape each into a smooth ball. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Cover; let rise until nearly double (45 to 60 minutes).

 4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Make a crisscross slash across top of each bun with a sharp knife or scissors. In a small cup combine beaten egg white and water. Brush mixture over buns. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking. Top with apricot strips. Serve warm. Store remaining buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. To reheat, place 1 or 2 buns at a time on a microwave-safe plate and heat 15 to 20 seconds. Makes 20 buns.

by Stephanie, wife of Barbara's son Brandon

Chocolate Pudding, Tapioca Pudding

A few years ago, our friends the Kammeyers gave us a family cookbook for a gift. We've used some of the recipes, but the most frequently used are for the comfort foods. After having Matt's Chocolate Pudding—topped with Dreyer's Natural Vanilla Bean Ice Cream—with James and Kathleen one Sunday evening, we were hooked. We really try not to have it too many Sunday evenings, but sometimes we 'cave'. We also shared it with the Ayers to celebrate our anniversary at the cabin after our last Island Park reunion. (Again, I cheated and scanned the recipes! You can click on the images and get a bigger view if you want to try them.)

One of Dee's favorite treats is Tapioca Pudding made by Dad. We'll have to get Dad's recipe, as his is always perfect. In the meantime, she uses the one from Kathleen's mom in the cookbook.

 What is your favorite comfort food? 

Christmas morning breakfast

Our traditional Christmas brunch consists of cinnamon rolls (Sedro Woolley cookbook, page 42!), ham & cheese omelettes (Scott's the chef), and Orange Julius (from Mom's cookbook, recopied below). This year we celebrated Christmas a little early as we had all in our family together last weekend here in Oregon. It was a bit hard, as Ian came down with croup and we tried to keep him quarantined from all, especially the babies. Despite the difficulties of that and a small house, it was nice to spend time together.

You can also click here to go to a Cinnamon Roll recipe posted before. It's modified by the infamous Sunday School teacher and cinnamon rolls (and scones and more) teacher/baker Karen Christianson. (I decided to cheat by scanning the recipe instead of typing, as I'm not sure anyone checks this blog anyway! You can get bigger picture by clicking on the scanned recipe.)

ORANGE JULIUS
1/2 (12 oz.) can (1/3 c.) frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. (or less) sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
5 or 6 ice cubes  (or more)

Combine all ingredients in blender; cover and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately. Makes about 3 cups.

Scott learned how to perfect his omelette skills by watching a segment by Julia Child on David Letterman way back when. I tried to find it on YouTube, but wasn't successful. If you go to this link, you can hear her saying she'd make omelettes for a dinner party of 300. Yowza! I did find a hilarious bit with the two of them making hamburgers. It involves a blow torch and you won't want to miss it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas Day update:

Kyle called us with a recipe for Mint Hot Chocolate made in the blender. We are going to sip it sitting by the fireplace this evening. Merry Christmas!

Mint Hot Chocolate

6-8 T. Nestlé hot chocolate mix
3 c. warm water
1-2 candy canes

Put all ingredients in blender. If you have a Blendtec, use the "soup" cycle. He said it will come out perfectly smooth, and the perfect temperature.

by Barbara's son Scott, and his wife Dee

Mom's Christmas candy, part 2

Mom is famous for her plates of Christmas Candy. 

Those on the list of recipients look forward to them each year. 

I asked Mom what here favorites are, and she 

mentioned the chocolates with cream fondant filling.

CREAM FONDANT

4 c. sugar
3 T. white Karo syrup
Pinch of salt
1/2 c. milk
1 c. whipping cream
2/3 sq. butter

different flavorings/colors

Put all ingredients, except butter, together and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Wipe sides of pan with pastry brush dipping in water. After starts to boil turn down to 2 then gradually back up to 3 to finish cooking. Cook to 236° or soft ball stage. Pour on cold buttered platter or marble. When cool, beat until candy loses its gloss and becomes creamy and thick. Mold the butter in with hands. Candy may be used immediately or stored in refrigerator. This is a basic fondant. Any flavoring or color may be added while beating or molded in as needed. Flavors to use: vanilla, maple, cherry, orange, lemon, mint or wintergreen. Tint accordingly. This makes good centers for chocolates. To make this recipe into fudge, make as above except add 3 (1 oz.) squares of baking chocolate after sugar is dissolved. You may add a few drops of peppermint flavoring to this to have a chocolate mint candy. Fondant can be formed into balls and decorated as desired. Knead in raisins, dates, figs or candied fruit before forming into balls. (for more of Mom's candy, click here.)