Spring's favorite Vinaigrette

1/3 Cup Olive Oil
3 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar
1 1/2 tsp honey
1 1/2 tsp mustard
1 Clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
Ground Pepper to taste

Pear Salad with sugared pecans and blue cheese

This is one of my favorite salads.  The comination of pears, pecans, blue cheese and tangy vinaigrette, marries perfectly. 

1 head of lettuce

3 pears

sprinkling of blue cheese to put on individually as desired (kids don't like)

1 avacado sliced

about 3 green onions chopped up fine

Croutons 

1/2 Cup pecans

Brown Sugar

Butter

I combine the lettuce, onions, and dressing in a big bowl.  Then as I am serving I add avacados, pecans, blue cheese if desired, and croutons to each individual salad. 

For the pecans:

Place pecans, a TBSP of butter, and sprinkling of brown sugar in a pan and stir on medium high until carmelized and toasted.  Set aside to cool.

For Dressing:

1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar

1 1/2 Tsp honey

1 1/2 tsp mustard

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

Natural Peanut Butter Tip

You know what a pain it is to stir natural peanut butter in a jar.  This peanut butter comes with the oil at the top because it separates.   It is so hard to get it evenly mixed and oil inevitably escapes the jar.  Using a knife, I scrape all of it out of the jar and place in a bowl and mix with a whisk, or in a mixer with the whisk attachment.  When all mixed, I pour it back in the jar.  Then refrigerate.  So much easier and then there are no chunks at the bottom that you can't use because the oil didn't incorporate. 

Peanut Butter Sensations

The key to good cookies is either to stir them by hand or barely mix in the mixer.  We want them light and airy instead of heavy and dense.  I got this peanut butter cookie recipe from Fine Cooking many years ago, and have since tweaked it to make it healthier, and it is still the only peanut butter cookie recipe you'll ever want.


Makes about 2 dozen cookies

2 Cups white wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 Sticks butter softened
3/4 Cup natural creamy peanut butter
1 Cup Brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg

Cream together the butter, peanut butter, and sugar in a bowl.  Add vanilla and egg and mix until incorporated.  In another bowl stir the dry ingredients together, then fold into the wet mixture, or if using a mixer, barely mix in. 

Form into balls and if desired may add chocolate chips.  We do half and half.  Some want choc chips, some don't. 

Kids love to help put the fork design onto these cookies.  A fun activity.   Barely press.

Bake at 350 about 10 minutes, until the edges are light brown.                 YUM!

My favorite waffles

I have tried lots and lots of waffle recipes, but I keep coming back to my own for the flavor.  Other recipes give it more lift, but use lots of eggs, white flour, and baking powder to achieve it, and they don't taste as good as mine.  So, I try to cook mine a little longer to give them some crispness.  If you con't cook them long enough they will be soggy, due to the weight of all wheat flour.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Waffles
2 1/2 Cups white wheat flour
1/3 Cup honey or agave nectar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 beaten eggs
1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil
Buttermilk

Add all dry ingredients just incorporating, barely stirring.  Then fold in eggs and buttermilk.  Add enough buttermilk until desired consistency

When they are done we like to put an olive oil/butter spread on it, then pure maple syrup, some strawberries, and a dollop of whipped cream. 

The Best Granola....

....is always homemade!  I love making granola because it smells up my house like when I make homemade bread. 

Good granola uses lots of nuts and unsweetened coconut.  I add dried fruit separately as desired.  I never add it to the jar because it changes texture. 


3 Cups old fashioned rolled oats
3 Cups unsweetened coconut
Nut medley:  sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and a few cashews
1/3 Cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 Cup honey ( may use more, I use less because my almond milk is sweet)


Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  In a separate small bowl mix the oil and honey together and pour over dry ingredients.  Some people cook the oil and honey together to create a syrup.  I don't do this because I don't want to heat the oil so high it creates trans fats.  Instead I mix it and then pour over dry ingredients and massage it together using my hands, until it is  incorporated well.  Then I spread onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until desired color is achieved.  Should be light brown.  The longer the cooking, the crunchier the granola.  I don't like it too soft. 

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

This soup is lick the bowl good.  You'll swear there is cheese in it, because of the rich flavor, but no, there isn't.   This soup turned me on to leeks, oh, now, how I love leeks.

Serves my family, about 6 servings

1 pound leeks, about 4 medium
3 TBSP grapeseed oil
Pinch salt
about 3 medium size potatoes
1 quart vegetable broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup buttermilk
ground pepper, and salt to taste
chopped chives for garnish

Clean leeks well, removing sand.  Cut off  the dark green part and discard.  Chop up the leeks well and throw in a pot with grapeseed oil.  Cook on high for 5 minutes while stirring.  Turn to medium low and cook about 20 minutes, until soft.

Add the potatoes and the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce to medium and cook until potatoes are tender.

Turn off the heat and puree about 1/3 of it in a blender.  Add it back to soup and add cream, buttermilk, pepper, and salt to taste.  Serve with chopped green onions as garnish