BIZZY BAKES

What is it about peanut butter that improves a dish?  I am not a big fan of peanuts but I do love peanut butter.  I was glad that separate peanuts were not included in the recipe.  The peanut butter did its job and even hubby who supposedly hates peanut butter (and loves peanuts) gave a top rating to this dish.  Halfway through, he asked what was in it and I cringed a little but he accepted the peanut butter with grace. Peanut Noodles   (adapted from AllRecipes magazine) Ingredients: 8 ounces Gluten-free spaghetti 1 bunch green onions, sliced 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon  ginger 1/3 cup peanut butter (smooth) 1/4 cup GF soy sauce 1/4 cup hot water 1 tablespoon GF vinegar 1 teaspoon white sugar  (This can be omitted for a healthier result) 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Method: Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until done. Drain. Meanwhile, combine oil and onions in a small skillet. Saute over low heat ...

Broccoli is a favorite food in our home. It is rewarding to eat food, we enjoy and know we are getting health benefits from it. It is high in fiber, calcium rich and has Vitamins A and C. It is a fighter of cancer and other health hazards. It seems to me that the vegetables from the cabbage family such as broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy are quite a variety and from all of these, broccoli wins in the benefits department. Broccoli is another versatile vegetable. Broccoli does beautifully in a stir fry. It is delicious plain or with a little garlic and butter. I make a kugel out of it, sometimes mixing in cauliflower. I think broccoli is pretty and I love to steam it and add it to a salad. I make a mean broccoli cheese soup. I decided to make it simple although, just his week, I used broccoli in a number of dishes including a pasta dish, a salad and a stir fry. There is something about roasting vegetables that make them better than with any sauce. Double Sesame Broccoli...

This recipe from allrecipes.com intrigued me with the unusual combination of ingredients. Maple syrup and peanut butter are new to me but they sounded as if they would "mate" well. Actually, I think the cookie would be better without the maple syrup and I am a big fan of maple flavor. Whatever the reason, it did not appeal to me.  It might very well be perfect for you though. Peanut Butter Maple Cookies (adapted) Ingredients: 1 cup margarine, softened 1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth 1 cup sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 egg beaters 1 tablespoon maple syrup 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups gluten-free flour 3/4 cup GF oats 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt Method: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in syrup and vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the...

Summer is almost over and I am cramming in some delicious salads which can be served alone for lunch. This was a totally refreshing salad thanks to the cantelope.  Everything blended together and there was a subtle sweet taste.  Hubby had a gluten-free bagel with it but I ate it alone and it was enough. School will be starting soon so time together is a priority.  No matter how much I have to do, in the summer, it is still leisurely compared to the work year.  This dish goes along with the attitude. Melon-Goat Cheese Salad Ingredients : 3 cups romaine lettuce, cut into small pieces 1/2 cup cantelope, cut into small pieces 3 tablespoons dried cranberries 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced 2 - 3 ounces aged goat cheese, crumbled 1 teaspoon  honey 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon basil, chopped 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper Place romaine, cantelope, cranberries, red onion and goat cheese in large bowl.   Sprinkle lemon juice and honey mixture o...

This week the Wednesday With Donna Hay group had a real treat.  We made Apple, Date and Cinnamon Muffins with Maple Oats.  Hubby is already asking me to make them again and I just made a batch.  The maple syrup added a nice touch and made these really classy.  The oats worked well in the batter.  Apples and dates are a winning combination.  This is a fabulous muffin. I am enjoying cooking Donna Hay recipes.  They have turned out well across the board, are easy to make and have ingredients, usually in my cupboard.  If you like Donna, join us in our weekly endeavors. Check out the other Donna cooks and see what they have made. Gaye Sarah and Margaret , You can find the recipe here. Linked to:  Fresh Foods Wednesdays What's Cooking Wednesday Wonderfully Creative Wednesdays Allergy Free Wednesday Whimsy Wednesday Creative Munster Showcase Your Talent Thursday Full Plate Thursdays

When Allrecipes came out with a new magazine, about a year ago, I was excited to see what it was going to be like and immediately subscribed.  I was not disappointed.  I have found several dishes to make in each edition. When I look for a recipe online, I tend to end up in Allrecipes despite the plethora of sites with tons of recipes.  I am not sure if it is because they have such a great variety of recipes or that their recipes tend to be doable.  I am not sure that there is a time, I could not fine, what I was looking for. This month, one of the themes was zucchini and each zucchini dish looked better than the one before.  I plan to make almost every one of them, particulalry the zucchini cornbread casserole and the stuffed zucchini. There were several topics of interest and the one that was the most fun was, "A Day at the Fair", with its Deep Fried Oreos, Fried Cheese Curds, and Funnel Cakes, just as starters.  OK, you know, I don't usually fr...

It is time to plan the week and post at Menu Plan Mondays where you will find many cooks posting their plans for the week.  Last week, we barbecued almost every night and this week, we want to make up for all that meat with veggies and fish.  When I make the Italian Sausage Soup, I plan to cut down on the amount of sausage,busing enough to give it flavor. Sunday - leftovers For Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I decided to use recipes from the Allrecipes magazine which I enjoy very much.     All images are from Bing Images. Monday - Zucchini Pancakes with Roasted Tomatoes Tuesday -  Italian Sausage Soup with Oat Muffins Wednesday - Peanut Noodles                                                                             Thursday - Thai Salmon Frida...

I saw this on The Happy Whisk ,  Made me chuckle.

I know, we are not alone in having an abundance of tomatoes from our garden.  Many of us have this terrific problem.  For a foodie, this is a challenge and what we do with the tomatoes is the game.  Since we are doing on side dishes from Ina Garten, this month, what better crop to use than tomatoes. I chose this roasted tomato because of our love for roasted vegetables.  It would seem than any roasted vegetable is better than the original.  With some balsamic and something sweet added, this was a joy to eat. Roasted Tomatoes  (adapted from Ina Garten ) Ingredients: 4 large round tomatoes, sliced 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon basil leaves, chopped 2 teaspoons sugar 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper olive oil cooking spray Method: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with  balsamic vinegar.  Sprinkle the gar...

I don't usually make potato salad.  I don't really like it very much.   I do eat it when served and it is fine but I don't elaborate on its wonderful qualities.  For the past few weeks, hubby has been asking for potato salad for the Sabbath and I have been making it. I admit to giving the dish very little thought and simply looking in my refrigerator to find something to add to the boiled and chopped potatoes.  I haven't even tasted it until today.  I liked what I tasted today and decided to share it with you. This is an easy potato salad to make but it seems to have nice flavors to it. Spinach Potato Salad Ingredients: 4 medium large potatoes, rough chopped 2 eggs, grated 2 - 3 cups spinach, rough chopped 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 teaspoon fresh chives,chopped 1 teaspoon dijon mustard 2 teaspoons sweet relish Method: Mix mayonnaise, mustard, relish and chives together in a small bowl. Place potatoes in a medium bowl.  Add the spi...

It wasn't that long ago that I discovered sweet red pepper dip.  It was so good that I did not even try to recreate it.  I usually buy a container every two weeks and add it to a variety of dishes.  This particular dish was supposed to be spinach stuffed zucchini until I saw that two of the zucchini did not look good enough to use whole. We were going to my daughter's later in the day and I was bringing a side dish.  Fortunately, they are healthy eaters and vegetables were the way to go.  I made stuffed zucchini not that long ago and it was a great success so I decided to take that path. When I disapproved of the zucchini, I had to come up with a different recipes using both zucchini and spinach. This is what I ended up doing. Red Pepper Veggies Ingredients: 1 pound spinach 2 zucchini, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 1 yellow pepper, chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil 2/3 cup red pepper dip Method: Heat oil in large skillet. Add chopped onion a...

This is a great snack or a side dish for dinner or lunch. It is easy to make, needs little in terms of ingredients and it is scrumptious. I took it out of the oven and started popping these, in my mouth. They can become addictive. I am not a chip person although I like all kinds of chips and could easily start munching on them. I choose not to. On the other hand, I finally realized, I like savory snacks more than sweet ones. I love chocolate and could indulge with ease but if I grab a cracker, I can happily stop there. These chickpeas are terrific to satisfy that desire to snack. I hope you give these a try. Roasted Chick peas Ingredients: 1 container of marinated chickpeas (16 ounce) olive oil spray salt and pepper to taste Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a cookie sheet, place chickpeas. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, lightly. Spray with olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, shaking pan, twice. I like ...

There is something very special about making dishes in separate servings.  I think, the food looks better.  It is a lot easier to take a small dish rather than cutting something up. Of course, there is the "Cute" element.  The minute, something becomes a mini, it also seems to become cute.   The smaller the better.....  The name for this dish is based on "Cute" or perhaps, plain ole silliness.  As a result, we now have these little delightful dishes of cheese, spinach and eggs.  Spinach is a last minute addition but as far as I am concerned, it is a star of the dish. A side on minis.....I think, almost anything can be turned into a miniature of the original.  We already have in the mainstream, tarts, cupcakes, ice cream cups and the likes.  I have indulged in mini-meatloaves, mac and cheese, lasagnas and I think, you get the idea. Have fun.  Be creative.  Make minis. Spinni Minis Ingredien...

Since I bought two rolls of polenta, I want to use them but I want to do something, I know we will like, with them. Since, we are vegetable aficionados, I decided vegetables of some kind, had to be involved. "Eating Well" comes through time and again with good, solid, healthy recipes so that is where I turned for an idea. With a name like, "Polenta and Vegetable Bake", I couldn't go wrong. If you have not made polenta or bought the rolls, I suggest you give them a try. They are versatile and I have a feeling, as I am more comfortable cooking with polenta, my imagination is going to be the drive that determines the recipes. Polenta and Vegetable Bake (adapted from Eating Well) Ingredients: 2 tablespoon olive oil 3 cups broccoli florets 1 small zucchini, finely diced 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or oregano or cilantro 4 slices prepared polenta 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese, divided Method: ...

This is truly one of those dishes that resulted from what I could find in the kitchen.  I took a long look and realized that both hubby and I brought home zucchini, leaving me with 8 of them.  I had bought the cole slaw mix to make cole slaw but didn't get to doing it so I threw it into the mix. I scoured the refrigerator and found part of all three dips and I had no plans for them so in they went.  The rest  of the ingredients are usually in the house.  Putting all this together ended up with a great flavored dish despite how random, my choices were. Zucchini Cabbage Kugel Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 zucchini, shredded 1 large onion, diced 1 bag coleslaw mix 1 tablespoon fresh basil 3 eggs 1/4 cup dill dip 1/4 cup spinach dip 1/4 cup red pepper dip Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium sized skillet. Add onions and cook for ten minutes, stirring every once in the while. In large bowl, mix zucchini, sautee...