Whole Wheat Brownies

Contributed by Kathleen Pierce
Original Source: 100 Days of Real Food

So...my kids LOVED these. I did not. They were so dry and crumbly I really can't call them brownies. But I thought I would go ahead and post the recipe. I'm going to play with it a bit, and maybe some of you like to tinker with recipes as well!

I suppose it would be prudent of me to wait and tweak the recipe and then report it once it's successful, but, folks, I took a picture! So I must use it. And who knows if there will be any ice cream left by the time I remake the brownies. I think there probably won't be. The kids go to bed in T-minus 5 hours, and then I shall be alone with the remaining dairy delight. There will not be any left.

Here's the recipe with my notes along the way (because I can't keep my mouth shut!):

Ingredients:
3/4 c. whole wheat flour (I used fresh milled white whole wheat)
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa (She recommends Hershey's dark chocolate cocoa. I recommend melting real chocolate. I will use Lindt 70% dark. Lindt is non-GMO; Hershey's is GMO, though I don't think their cocoa powder would have GMO products in it since it is unsweetened and does not have soy.)
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 c. coconut oil
1/2 c. maple syrup or honey (I used honey as I prefer a honey flavor over a maple syrup flavor.)
1 T. vanilla
1 egg (I would use two as I think an additional egg would make it less crumby, less dry - maybe even just an extra egg yolk as the white tends to dry things out.)
1/4 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x9 baking dish. (Did you know you can order a misting thingy that you can fill with your own oil instead of using Pam? If you go to Amazon and search "misto", it will bring up a pretty nifty little gadget. Mine is filled with olive oil.)

2. Whisk together dry ingredients.

3. On stove, melt coconut oil with maple syrup or honey and vanilla. (Here's what I intend to do next time: Melt chocolate with coconut oil. Add honey. Remove from heat and add vanilla - you should always remove from heat before adding vanilla; I don't know why she doesn't!)

4. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Then fold in nuts if you're using them.

5. Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Basic Ice Cream Base/Vanilla Ice Cream

Contributed by Kathleen Pierce
Original Source: Doughmesstic

3 1/2 cups dairy (milk, cream, mixture of both)
3/4 c. sugar
4 egg yolks
1 t. vanilla

Over medium to low heat, heat dairy to hot but not boiling. In the meantime, beat sugar and egg yolks together. Remove dairy from heat and add vanilla. Temper eggs by adding a spoon full of the hot milk into the eggs, beating constantly. Once incorporated, mix the egg mixture into the heated dairy.

Transfer to a clean mixing bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Ice cream maker: After 2 hours, follow directions for your ice cream maker.

By hand: Place in freezer. Every hour as it freezes and until it freezes, take the mixture out of the freezer and, using a handheld mixer, mix the ice cream. This breaks up ice crystals, resulting in a creamier ice cream.

Notes:
1. You can add mix-ins and other flavors after the ice cream is off the stove and mixed together.

2. To make chocolate ice cream, add chocolate chips to dairy mixture while it's on the stove. Allow chocolate to melt and mix it in.

3. For my dairy, I used 2 cups heavy cream and 1 1/2 cups raw milk. Since the milk is heated, I may forego the raw milk next time as the heat takes away some of the nutritional value anyway. If your store carries it, there is an Organic Valley product - Half and Half from pasture-raised cows - that I would like to try.

Easy Blender Salsa

Contributed by Kathleen Pierce
Original Source: (Pinterest! :-)) Mountain Mama Cooks

This salsa, seriously, is so easy! No cooking necessary, though if you have time, some simmering on the stove would serve to meld those wonderful flavors together even more.

Easy Blender Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1- 10 oz can orginal Rotel
• 1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded or not (depends on how spicy you like it)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• small to medium size handful of cilantro, washed
• juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in the base of a food processor or good blender and pulse to combine for 30 seconds or so until all the ingredients are finely chopped and salsa is desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste. Serve with chips or over tacos. (I added in some chunky pieces of onion and some cilantro after blending.)

Taco Seasoning

Contributed by Kathleen Pierce
Original source: Real Food and Health, March 2012 issue

Taco Seasoning Mix

4 T. chili powder
3 T. cumin
3 T. paprika
2 T. onion powder
2 T. garlic powder

Combine all ingredients and shake container to blend. Use two tablespoons to replace a taco seasoning packet. Because this recipe does not include salt, you will then need to salt your dish to taste.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

Contributed by Kathleen Pierce
Original Source: Rhonda Rathbun from high school :-)

Flour Tortillas (makes 12)

Sift together:
4 c. fresh milled white whole wheat flour
2 t. salt

Work in:
3 T. butter
3 T. olive oil

Stir in:
1 c. water

(I combine all of this in my food processor, which makes it a very quick task.)

Use more water if necessary until dough forms a ball. Knead well and divide into 12 equal parts. Roll each into a ball. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Roll out. (If you use oil on the countertop instead of flour, your tortillas remain softer.) I found when rolling that you must get it very thin. To do this, alternate directions and with each direction change, flip the tortilla over.

Fry on ungreased skillet.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Contributed by Kathleen Pierce
Original Source: Allrecipes.com

Cilantro Lime Chicken (Slow Cooker)

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa (or 2 c. homemade salsa)
1 pkg. dry taco seasoning mix (or 2 T. homemade taco seasoning)
1 lime, juiced
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro
3 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breast

Directions:
Place the salsa, taco seasoning, lime juice, and cilantro into a slow cooker and stir to combine. Add the chicken breasts and stir to coat with the salsa mixture. Cover the cooker, set to high and cook until the chicken is very tender, about 4 hours. Shred chicken with forks to serve. (I shredded chicken and returned to crockpot with about an hour of cooking time left.)

Berry Sauce

Contributed by Kathleen PierceOriginal Source: 100 Days of Real Food

Ever since I found the recipe for Berry Sauce on the 100 Days of Real Food blog, I have been scheming about things to put it on because, seriously, it would be good on just about anything.

Berry Sauce

3/4 c. berries
1/4 c. water
1 1/2 - 2 T. maple syrup (I used honey)

Bring all ingredients to a simmer or medium-low heat. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until berries are soft. Then you can strain or use an immersion blender (my preference so that none of it goes to waste).

I really don't follow this recipe, just the concept - basically berries and water and, if you want, sweetener. Add less water if you want a thicker sauce (perfect to mix in homemade yogurt) or thinner if you want a berry syrup (for pancakes).

Swedish Pancakes

Contributed by Kathleen Pierce
Original Source: Childhood...most likely from the version of the day of the BH&G red and white checkered cookbook.

Swedish Pancakes
1 1/4 c. milk
3/4 c. fresh milled white whole wheat flour
1 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt

Beat eggs; stir in milk. Sift together dry ingredients. Add to egg mixture and mix until smooth. Cook on griddle or small saute pan.