Pumpkin Carrot Bars with Orange Icing

I can't wait for every October for two reasons: 1) Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, 2) I can't wait to make these sweet treats!

2 cups of flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely shredded carrots (about 1-2 large carrots)
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 -2 Tbsp orange juice
walnut or pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, orange peel, baking soda, and salt. Set the flour mixture aside.

In a medium bowl combine eggs and brown sugar. Stir in pumpkin, oil, milk, and vanilla. Then stir in carrots and chopped nuts. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until combined. Spread batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

For Orange Icing:
In a mixing bowl combine powdered sugar and enough orange juice to make an icing that is easy to drizzle.

Spread with icing; cut into triangles or bars. Top each piece with a walnut or pecan half.

Valentine's Day Feast featuring a 3-Cheese Fondue

Our Valentine's Day feast. It was a lot of work to prepare, but fun to enjoy this hands on meal together.

 

Our menu, except I forgot to add the fondue to the main course! :-(

To start, a mixed greens salad with sliced apples, spicy candied pecans and blue cheese.




Ben's signature NY strip steaks...cooked to a medium rare perfection!

Let the cheesy fondue fun begin!

3-Cheese Fondue

About 4 servings

½ Tbsp butter

½ Tbsp flour
½ cup white wine
½ tsp Dijon mustard
3-4 oz Gruyere cheese, grated
3-4 oz sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
3-4 oz Swiss cheese, grated
½ Tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter and whisk in flour. Stir constantly to prevent burning. Slowly whisk in wine. Add mustard. Add cheese and stir until melted. Stir in lemon juice.

Before transferring to a fondue pot, rub a raw garlic clove on the inside of the pot.

Enjoy with your favorite steamed veggies and cubed bread.

Check out my NY Strip Steak Hash recipe that I made with the leftovers for breakfast the next morning!

Kung Pao Chicken

In the spirit of Chinese New Year, I decided to make this spicy Asian dish. I always enjoy a trip to the Asian market because there are so many different things to check out (and they have cheap veggies!). On this visit, I had to pick up the dried red chilies for this dish. You can also pick up some fortune cookies for a fun, festive dessert.

新年快乐！

For Chicken Marinade:

2 ½ tsp soy sauce

1 tsp corn starch

½ tsp sesame oil

 

1 lb chicken breasts, cubed

 

For Sauce:

1 ½ Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp chicken broth

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

 

3 Tbsp oil

½ cup diced red bell pepper

½ cup diced yellow onion

10 dried red chilies

1 Tbsp fresh cracked black pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

4 green onions, sliced

¼ cup peanuts

 

In a small bowl , whisk together ingredients for the chicken marinade. Marinate chicken cubes in sauce for at least 30 minutes.

 

In a separate small bowl, whisk together ingredients for the sauce; set aside.

 

In a large frying pan over high heat, add oil and cook chicken until almost done and all sides are browned. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

 

In the same frying pan, sauté peppers and onions for about 3-4 minutes. Add dried chilies, pepper, garlic and ginger. Sauté for about 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Mix in sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Add chicken, green onions and peanuts, turn heat to low and mix together. Continue to cook until chicken is cooked all the way through.

 

Serve over rice.

 

Chicken Top Ramen Salad

I’ve been on a cabbage kick, preparing it in different ways - cooked and raw. Here’s a little spin on the traditional top ramen salad where I’ve fancied it up a bit by adding some additional veggies and colors. This is even good the next day, so I like to bring it to work for lunch. The dressing marinates into the cabbage similar to a coleslaw.

 

Chicken:
2 chicken breasts
Italian dressing

Salad:

1 head napa cabbage, shredded
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled into ribbons
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup slivered almonds
1 package of chicken flavored ramen noodles, crumbled

Dressing:

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 package of chicken ramen seasoning

Marinate chicken in Italian dressing, overnight preferred or for at least 30 minutes. Grill chicken over medium high heat, for about 4-6 minutes per side depending on thickness. Grill until cooked all the way through and no longer pink in the middle. Let rest before slicing.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for salad; set aside.

In a small bowl, add ingredients for dressing and whisk together. Drizzle over salad and toss.

Serve salad with sliced chicken on top.

Homemade Granola with Nuts and Dried Fruit


When my parents come to visit, it means we’re going to cook and eat…A LOT. Among the many things we cooked that week, we made a batch of homemade granola with toasted nuts and dried fruit. For breakfast every morning, my husband and I eat yogurt topped with fresh fruit and granola, so it was nice to create a batch of granola with the combination of flavors that we love. 


Mom & Larry making granola.



Whisk syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and oil.

Fold in oats until coated.

Spread mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Press down until mixture is compact and then it is ready to bake.

Serve over yogurt and fresh fruit.

1/3 cup maple syrup or agave nectar

1/3 cup brown sugar

4 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp salt
½ cup vegetable oil
5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup almonds, roughly chopped
½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried cherries  

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk syrup or nectar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Whisk in oil. Fold in oats and nuts until well coated.

Spread a thin layer of the mixture to the baking sheet. Press mixture down until compact. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. Rotate rack half way through.

Remove from oven and let cool completely for about 1 hour. Break granola into desired pieces. Stir in dried fruit. Store into an airtight container.

Try these variations to create your perfect flavor combination:

·         Add dried apples
·         Add shredded coconut
·         Add 2 Tbsp orange zest
·         Add dried mango or pineapple for a tropical flare
·         Try a variety of nuts like hazelnuts or macadamias

Pumpkin Carrot Bars with Orange Icing

I make this treat every Halloween season and bring some to the neighbors and friends. It's easy and so good! Don't skip on the orange zest, it makes the dessert even more delicious.



2 cups of flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely shredded carrots (about 1-2 large carrots)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 -2 Tbsp orange juice
walnut halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, orange peel, baking soda, and salt. Set the flour mixture aside.

In a medium bowl combine eggs and brown sugar. Stir in pumpkin, oil, milk, and vanilla. Then stir in carrots and chopped walnuts. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until combined. Spread batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Spread with Orange Icing; cut into triangles or bars. Top each piece with a walnut half.

For Orange Icing:
In a mixing bowl combine powdered sugar and enough of orange juice to make an icing that is easy to drizzle.