And here’s what you can do with those caramelized onions. Note the blurriness in this photo I think comes from my hunger to eat, rather than photograph my dinner.
And by the way this was totally worth standing over a boiling pot of sweet potato and beets! I chose cous cous because it cooks super fast. Once that was done I simply added my cooked, chopped sweet potatoes and beets and my prepared caramelized onions, salt and pepper and it really didn’t need anything else.
Let’s face it, I am a hungry photographer who doesn’t have the time or the patience nor the talent to photograph food.
Although I admire good food photography I hate waiting for 27 close up shots to load before I can read the recipe.
So just trust me, with simple recipes you really can’t go wrong. And if you have the talent be my guest and post your delicious looking photos.
Simple balsamic caramelized onion relish
4 onions, sliced thin
3T brown sugar
3T balsamic vinegar
Alternatively, and simpler yet, try 1/3 cup of Fox Hollow Farm Mustard mmmmm
Roast in baking dish for 1 hour until golden-dark brown and caramelized. Add to salad, top on sandwiches, serve on toasted baguette. Enjoy!
Chocolate milk and banana shake
So simple, makes an equally great breakfast or late night snack
Start by freezing a peeled banana and an ice cube tray of chocolate milk (regular, soy, rice-it’s all good)
Once the first two ingredients are frozen you can blend them with a splash of milk- flavored or not, dairy or not. Just enough to blend.
That’s it, now make sure you refill your ice tray and freeze more bananas for when the cravings come!
Here is a 2 ingredient recipe that is sure to satisfy on a summer evening.
Blend frozen bananas (peel and freeze ahead of time)
and a splash of whatever type of milk you like, maybe even chocolate milk
Blend until soft serve consistency.
You would think it would take like mashed icey bananas but it is so smooth and creamy, with just two ingredients, what have you got to lose?
MMM Muffins, savory sundried tomato muffins.
This recipe comes courtesy of http://bowllicking.com/2012/04/02/sun-dried-tomato-and-basil-muffins/
I didn’t have almond meal nor almonds but whole wheat pastry flour worked just fine.
Granola Bars
I have been meaning to make some granola bars so I can stop buying them at the store. My friend gave me this recipe that I adapted a bit. I think I have a problem following recipes…
Ingredients:
2 cups oats
1 cup nuts
1 cup seeds
1 cup mixed dried fruit
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup honey
I bought a container of mixed nuts, seeds and dried fruit as well as some chocolate covered sunflower seeds which worked perfectly. I mixed those with the almond butter, brown sugar and honey mixture. I think I could have done without the brown sugar. I pressed the mixture into a 9x13 pan and let it chill before I cut it into bars.
Try these or some variation, you really can’t mess it up. When you are mixing your wet and dry ingredients you can always add more or less of one or the other. Dates are also excellent for keeping everything together.
Kale Chips!
A simple snack, packed with nutrition that will keep you coming back for more.
Start by ripping the kale leaves from the thick stem and ripping the leaves into large bite size pieces. Rince them in a collandar and pat them dry.
Spread the kale out on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray and also spray another thin layer of cooking spray on top of the kale as well
Season how you wish and bake at 400 for just a few minutes until the edged start to crisp and brown. 5-10 minutes.
When done, kale chips should be crispy and delicious, enjoy.
Mug cake!
This is something that has always intrigued me but it was the few ingredients and a jar of chocolate peanut butter that inspired me to actually make it.
In truth this tastes maybe less like a cake and more like a quick bread but still really delicious for dessert or breakfast-I tried both. But a lot of the other mug cake recipes out there are actually cake ingredients, makes sense, but if I am going to make a cake, I’ll make a cake but I’d rather not take out all the ingredients for just one serving.
Start with a peeled ripe banana in microwave save mug. Mash it with a fork until it becomes a smooth puree. (easier than one might think, great step for kids to do)
Add in 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or in my case chocolate peanut butter. If you do not have a chocolate peanut butter or nutella you can use 2 tablespoons of cocoa power.
Next if you choose, mix in chocolate chips, nuts or dried fruit.
Mix ingredients together and microwave for 2 1/2 minutes. Wait for it to cool before removing from the microwave. Put your knife in the center of the cake, if it comes out clean it is done.
What other cake can you get a full serving of fruit?
Enjoy
Fruit smoothies are a great way to get in fruit when the selection or price in winter can be prohibitive. Recently I made a smoothie using cranberries which I had bought for just $1 a bag that I had frozen. I added it to some other frozen berries with some fruit and yogurt and I am hooked! It’s not really tart as you might imagine. It’s delicious, affordable and good for you!
Jingle balls
This is another recipe to add more fruits to your holiday season. Have fun with the ingredients you choose, there are a lot of possibilities to explore.
Start with dried fruit, 1 cup (dates and figs work great because they are sticky when you bite into them.) You can also choose to add some raisins or craisens to the dates or figs as well.
Chop your dried fruit either by hand or if you have a hand chopper or food processor
Then pick your favorite nuts, ¾ cup pistachios, almonds, walnuts, you choose. (unsalted nuts are best)
Now chop your nuts either with a hand chopper or food processors until they are almost ground to a gritty powder
Add the nuts and the dried fruit in a mixing bowl and reserve ¼ cup of the ground nuts for later
Drizzle with honey and mix with a spoon until all the ingredients are will incorporated. Maple syrup will work as well
Now prepare to get a little sticky by picking up a small spoonful and rolling them into bite size balls.
You also have a variety of topping choices to roll your jingle balls in to finish them, you can choose the reserved ground nuts, coconut flakes or cocoa powder. You may also choose to zest an orange or lemon in with your topping for added flavor.
These bite size snacks make excellent appetizers or desserts and are full of fiber, heart healthy fats and even iron. With all the possible flavor combinations this treat is sure to please everyone.
