Best Brownies without flour

I made these brownies for a friend who has stopped eating flour.  I received so many great complements on them.

Brownie Ingredients:
2 cups cooked quinoa, loosely packed
1/3 cup milk
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 9x13 pan.

Combine the milk, eggs and vanilla in the blender or food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the cooked quinoa and the butter and puree until completely smooth. Stop the machine as needed to scrape the sides and make sure everything is well mixed. This will be a thick and creamy consistency once the quinoa is pureed. (You should not see any little beads of quinoa in the pureed mixture.) Whisk together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and add the contents from the blender. Stir until well combined.

Put the batter in the cake pan and bake on a center oven rack for 28-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool.  I just let it cool in the pan.  I also frosted them with a basic frosting recipe which I will have to post at a later time.

News

So since I started this blog I became a Vegetarian.  I am trying my best to become a Vegan but needless to say it is a hard challenge to manage.  But I have not eaten any meat products since August 17th of 2013.  I will still keep posting recipes on here but without the meat.  Any of the recipes can have meat incorporated into them.  I will try to say which ones I would add if I cooked it with meat but all the pictures will be meat free.  I will also try to be more diligent about getting new posts on here sooner.

Pasta with artichokes

This one was super simple.

I box of thin spaghetti
3TBS olive oil
1 can olives
1 small jar artichokes drained (about 1.5 cups)
1 can diced tomatoes drained (about 1.5 cups)
1 small jar capers (about 1/4 cup)

I cooked a box of thin spaghetti then when it was done I put it back in the pan with some olive oil so it wouldn't become clumped together.  I then added a can of olives drained. I small jar of artichokes drained. I can of diced tomatoes drained.  And last I added a small jar of capers.  This was wonderful and super healthy.

7 Layer Dip

This dip recipe is a hug hit.

This is how it is layered in the pan

1 can re-fried beans mixed with 1 package taco seasoning
2-3 cups guacamole (I make mine with just avocados, lemon juice, onion, and tomatoes)
2 cups sour cream
1-2 cups shredded cheese
2 large tomatoes diced
1-2 cans of large olives sliced or buy the pre-sliced or diced olives.
6 scallions sliced up

I mix the re-fried beans and taco seasoning together then spread it in a 9x13 pan.  I then make my guacamole and spread it on top of the beans, I am not even sure how much I use of everything because I go off of taste.  I am sure there are some great guacamole recipes on Pinterest or Google it.  Then I spread the sour cream, be careful not to press too hard or it will mix with the guacamole.  Then I sprinkle on the cheese, tomatoes, olives and scallions.  I serve this with either crackers or chips.

Best Brownies Ever

Best Brownies Ever

Ingredients:

1 cup of Butter melted (I use unsalted)

1/2 cup of Cocoa (I used unsweetened)
2 cups of All Purpose Flour
2 cups of Sugar
4 Eggs

4 teaspoons of Vanilla

1 cup of Chopped Nuts (optional)

Directions:  I literally just put everything in the bowl and mix together and I have never had an issue.  This batter will be thicker than regular boxed brownies.   Then

Bake 20-25 minutes @350 F or until done. I would check at it at 20 minutes.

Wait only about 10 minutes to frost brownies.

Frost them while they are warm (not hot). 

 

 

The Chocolate Icing Recipe:

To make while the brownies bake

1/4 cup of softened Butter

1/4 cup of Evaporated canned Milk (regular milk is fine)

1/4 cup of unsweetened Cocoa

3 cups of Powdered Sugar

Dash of Salt

Mix all together and frost as desired. 

 

 

chicken salad

1-1.5 LB of cooked shredded chicken
2- tomatoes diced
1- can black beans drained and rinsed
1- can corn drained
1-avocado diced and mixed with about a TB lime juice so it doesn't turn brown.
1/2 cup salsa

I cut the tops off of my tomatoes and squeezed out the seeds so this would not end up soggy.  I also just cut my avocado in the shell and poured the lime juice on top and let it sit while I shredded the chicken.

Mix all your ingredients together in a bowl,  it helps to add the avocado last so it doesn't get mushy and and you still have chunks in your salad.  You can eat this plain, over rice, over lettuce, or in a tortilla shell.  This is an easy and fast go to meal.  

Portabella stuffed mushrooms

4-large portabella mushrooms
3-tomatoes chopped
1-med onion chopped
1-2TBS of garlic
2-TBS olive oil
salt and pepper
optional:
cumin
basil
cheese

Preheat oven to 400*.  Take the stem off your mushrooms and scoop out the inside of the mushrooms.  Then wipe them with a damp cloth to clean them.  Place mushrooms in a baking dish with a little bit of a side.  Saute onion in pan with a little bit of olive oil until it is slightly brown.  Add garlic, tomatoes, and your other seasonings (this one really depends on our taste) cook for about 5 minutes.  Place mixture in the mushrooms and bake for 20 minutes.  You can add cheese to the mushroom when they are done if you like.

Fries with cheese, bacon, ranch onion....

These fries were amazing, not at all good for you but they were good.

3-4 potatoes, depending on how many fries you want to make
2-cups shredded cheese
1-pkg real bacon bits
3-green onions chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper
Ranch (you can make your own or use the bottle stuff)

Wash and cut your potatoes to the size of fries you want.  Place your fries on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper them to taste.  Bake until done.  We made steak fries so did take longer to bake.  It took about 40 minutes at 400* oven.   After the fries are done add your cheese, bacon, onions, and ranch.  You need to put the cheese on quick so it will melt for you.  These were a hit in my house,  I made two trays of fries and we didn't have any left over. 

Our ranch dressing that we make is 1 cup mayo, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 milk, and one package dry ranch mix.

Taco Spaghetti

This next one that I made was a HUGE hit with my kids and they were licking their plates when they were done.

1-16oz package of thin spaghetti noodles
1-lb of ground beef or ground turkey
1-28oz can of petite diced tomatoes
1- 14oz can of tomato sauce
3-4 cups of shredded cheese (which ever cheese you prefer, I used sharp cheddar and mozzarella)
1-11oz bag of Doritos
1-pkg taco seasoning (if you make your own it would be about 1/4 cup)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup water

First start your water for your pasta and start browning your meat.  When your pasta water is boiling then add pasta and only cook it until it is almost done (still has some bite to it)  I followed the package directions and cut off about 2 minutes. When your pasta is almost done drain it and put it in the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking pan.  When the meat is browned drain any grease and add your tomatoes, tomato sauce,water,  taco seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Let it cook together for about 10 minutes.  DO NOT DRAIN YOUR DICED TOMATOES!   After you have let your meat mixture cook for 10 minutes pour it on top of the pasta then put your shredded cheese on top and crunch up your Doritos and place them on the very top.  Put in 350* oven for about 20 minutes and then serve.

easiest chicken and rice

We tried this chicken and rice dish that I found on http://www.darlingdoodlesdesign.com/2012/04/forgotten-chicken.html

This is the easiest and very good recipe.

1-can cream of chicken soup
1-can cream of celery soup
1-cup water
1-cup instant rice (we used brown rice to make this a little healthier)
1-pkg onion soup mix
1-1.5 lbs of chicken breasts

Mix the soups, water and rice together and pour into the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Place your chicken on top (no need to cook, put it on raw). Then sprinkle with the onion soup mix. Place aluminum foil on top and place in a 250* to 275* oven and bake for three hours. 

This really was so quick and I didn't have to sit and watch it.  I got to get other things done around the house while this cooked.  My kids really enjoyed this meal as well.

Brodcoli Salad

Broccoli Salad that I served with my spinach stuffed chicken breasts was better than the one we had at a restaurant.  Here is the recipe:
 2- heads of raw broccoli
1- cup mayo
5-oz of slivered almonds
5-oz of craisins
1/2-LB bacon
1/2- cup of sugar
2-TBS white wine vinegar
1- medium red onion
cook bacon until crispy (I did mine in a 450* degree oven for about 20 min, I put the bacon in a cold oven and on a cold cookie sheet and it worked perfect).  Cut broccoli into bite size pieces and put in large bowl.  Cut red onion into little pieces and put in the bowl with the broccoli.  Crumble bacon and add to bowl with broccoli, add craisins and almonds as well.  In a separate bowl mix vinegar and sugar until sugar is dissolved then add the mayo  and mix will, then pour over broccoli and mix everything together.  We ate this right away because I made it late but you can also refrigerate for a little bit before serving.

Here is a picture of the salad

Here it is on the plate with the spinach and cheese stuffed chicken.

Spinach and Cheese stuffed chicken breasts

We made spinach and cheese stuffed chicken breasts that were amazing.  My kids devoured them so I know that they were good.  Here is the recipe:

4- boneless skinless chicken breasts
1- 15 oz of ricotta cheese
1- 15 oz spinach
1 1/2 -cups egg beaters or egg whites
1- 24oz jar marinara sauce
1- cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2- cup Parmesan cheese
4- slices of preferred cheese
Mix ricotta cheese, spinach, 3 TBS of egg beaters and 1/4 Parmesan cheese in a bowl.  Have two separate bowls one for the remaining egg beaters and one for the Italian bread crumbs mixed with 1/4 Parmesan cheese.   I washed and dried my chicken breast and made a slit in the side to make a pocket for the spinach/cheese mixture.  After I stuffed the chicken breasts I dipped in the bowl of egg beaters then into the Parmesan/Italian bread crumb bowl and put coated chicken in a 9x13 greased pan.  Then I topped with the jar of marinara sauce and baked at 425* for about 45 min, until chicken was done.  When they were done I added a slice of cheese to the top and just let it melt. I did have some left over ricotta cheese mixture, it depends on how much you stuff your chicken breasts and how big your chicken breasts are as well.

Here is a picture of them in the pan. The bottom picture is on the plate with the broccoli salad.

 

 

Wonderfuly light cake

I tried this cake last night and it was wonderful.

1-lemon flavored boxed cake mix
1-20 oz bottle of Sprite

Mix cake mix and sprite together and put in a 9x13 greased pan and bake at 350* for 30 min.

Warning this cake is very moist and will stick to your knife when cutting it.  I would suggest spraying your knife with pam to help with this problem.

You can serve this cake with:
whip cream
Fresh berries


Here is a picture of the cake in the pan.

Here is a picture of the cake with whip cream and berries.

White Bean Chicken Chili

Here is a wonderful recipe that we often make in the winter since it is so quick and easy.

4-15 oz cans white beans (whatever you prefer)
2-15. oz cans white corn
1-15 oz can re-fried beans
1-15 oz can diced tomatoes
1-7 oz can green chilies
1-32 oz container chicken broth
1- rotisserie chicken

Open all the can and just dump into a large pot.  You don't drain anything.  The chicken is the hardest part.  You can take the skin off the chicken if you want but if not just take all the meat off of the bones and break or cut into bite size pieces and add to pot.  Heat on Medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes.

You can serve this with:
cheese
cilantro
sliced limes
tortilla chips
tortillas
sour cream

Here is a picture of the soup without all the stuff I add to mine to show what it does look like.

Juice box robots

We also made juice box robots for my sons treats. We used hot glue to put them together.

We used two mini candy bars for the head, two starburst for the neck, air heads for the arms (I would have used laffy taffy but I couldn't find any), then rolos for the legs (they are sitting down because they kept falling over when I glued them to the bottom.

Here is what they looked like when finished.

cake batter rice crispy treats.

I made cake batter rice crispy treats for my sons class treat at school and they were amazing.  Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 40 regular sized-marshmallows
• 1/3 cup yellow cake mix (the dry cake mix, not prepared into a batter!)
• 6 cups crispy rice cereal
• 1 (1.75 oz.) container of sprinkles

Method:

Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat and add marshmallows. Stir until they begin to melt, adding in (dry) cake mix one spoonful at a time so its combined. I measured out my cereal into a bowl and poured half the sprinkles in with the cereal and added to melted marshmallows (doing this will have the colors from the sprinkles run a little bit but tons easier to get out of the pan when the rice crispy treats are still warm. Press into a baking dish (any size will do, I used a 9x13) and top with how ever many sprinkles you like. Let sit for about 30 minutes before cutting.

here is what mine looked like.  This pan is a huge pan and took 3 batches of rice crispy treats to fill it for my sons class.  I did get 30 treats from it though.

something new

I am going to post about food, crafts and other things I make.  I want to be able to have a log of what I have been doing so this seemed the best way to keep track.