Mom’s Famous Donuts

I can already smell them. The scent of freshly baked, homemade donuts. Not like the type you get behind the counter of the place around the corner. The dense, cinnamon-flavored bits of heaven that come straight from the kitchen. These are the donuts that I’ve grown up on since I was able to chew solids. Holidays especially were the days that mom would whip up a batch. Topped with a bit of glaze, cinnamon sugar, or powdered sugar, they beat the pants off of those store-bought donuts!

1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon shortening
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
vegetable oil to fry

Pour enough oil into a skillet (or use a fryer) to about a 3/4″ depth. Heat to 375.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until well-combined. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until about 1/4″ thickness (it really helps if you flour your rolling pin and hands, too.) If you have a tiny round cookie cutter, use that. I don’t, so I use a shot glass turned “right-side” down to cut out small circles. Working in batches, drop about 10 donuts at a time into hot oil. They only take about 3 minutes or so to fry up nicely. You’ll not only be able to tell from the great smell, but the golden color that they develop. Remove the donuts with a slotted spoon and set onto a plate covered with a paper towel. Top however you’d like. This is sure to become a family favorite, but beware – when holidays arrived, they’ll be an expected treat!

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Salmon and Egg Melt

Costco. Oh boy does that place get me every time. And apparently a couple trips ago I felt the irresistible urge to buy a lifetime supply of canned salmon. So I started brainstorming last night on some fun recipes that would use up some of that salmon. I came up with a dish that was not only visually appealing, but quite tasty. Remember to use allergy-friendly substitutes if you need to! And hey, this is one that could be for breakfast, lunch, or a quick and easy dinner.

1 bagel, split
1 6-7 oz can of salmon, drained
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried dill (or substitute fresh, but you will need more)
garlic salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs

Put your bagel on a foil-lined tray and lightly broil. Meanwhile, mix your salmon, mayo, mustard, dill, garlic salt and pepper in a small bowl until just combined. Once your bagel is golden brown, top with your salmon mixture and sprinkle with the cheese. Return to the broiler and cook until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. While this is getting golden and bubbly in the broiler, fry your eggs in a pan until done to your liking. Remove your bagel to a plate, top with the eggs (one on each bagel half), and sprinkle lightly with a bit more dill. Voila! Quick, easy, and delicious!

The layers add great texture, and look gorgeous.

Gluten, Dairy, Egg-Free Bread

Well, I’ve searched the net high and low for bread recipes that would work for my family’s allergies. Every time that I find one, it says something to the effect of “Finally! I found the best”. After playing around with recipes for so long, I now understand why. Gluten-free bread recipes tend to come out extremely dense and heavy. So thick your jaws get a workout chewing on it. Well, now I truly believe that I hit the nail on the head with this one. It all happened because I ran out of a few ingredients and decided to experiment. Even my husband has given it five stars (and that says a LOT, because he has hated each of the gluten-free breads thus far). If you don’t have any sensitivity to eggs or dairy, you can use the real deal. Remember that rice flour is not the easiest type of flour to use, so be sure to follow these directions explicitly. If you do, this makes great sandwich bread, and is perfect for French Toast, too. If you allow it to hang out in your house too long (hard to believe anyone could resist eating it all right away) toast the leftovers and pulse in a food processor for homemade bread crumbs.

1 cup water
1/3 cup non-dairy creamer or almond milk
3 teaspoons Egg Replacer + 4 tablespoons warm water, mixed (or 2 eggs)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups white rice flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons quick rise yeast

Add all of these ingredients IN ORDER listed to your bread machine. I set my machine to the wheat or grain setting. When it’s done, remove the inner container, tip upside down, and gently shake the bread out. Allow it to cool before slicing into it. Yes, I know it’s hard with the smell of fresh bread in the house, but resist temptation!

Baked Chicken Cutlets with a Spinach Topping

Well, this is one of those recipes that you could do so many changes with. Instead of a spinach topping, you could use a mango (or any) chutney. You could use different seasoning in your coatings. My kids are happy eating them sliced into chicken strips. The possibilities are endless!

For the chicken:
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1/2 cup mayo (I used a vegan substitute)
1/2 dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
salt & pepper to taste
2 cups breadcrumbs (I made my own with the gluten-free bread I use)

For the Spinach Topping:
9 oz. fresh or bagged spinach
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat the oven to 450.
Prep a baking sheet with cooking spray. Next, mix the mayo, mustard, salt, pepper, and paprika. To get your chicken started, place chicken breasts, one at a time, between a piece of plastic wrap, give it a few drops of water, and pound it out until about 1/4 inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper. In a shallow dish (I find an 8×8 works just swell), pour in your breadcrumbs. In yet another dish, pour in your mayo mixture. Dip your breasts one at a time into the mayo mix and coat both sides evenly, then go straight into your breadcrumbs. Set them on the baking sheet, being careful to keep them from touching. Pop them into the oven for 10 minutes, then rotate your sheet and bake for another 10 minutes.

For the spinach topping, add just about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and allow it to heat. Then add your garlic and onion. Season with a bit of salt & pepper, then cook until just translucent. I find it easier, and just as healthy and delicious to just cut a few slits in a bag of spinach and microwave it for 2 minutes. If your using a fresh bunch, trim your ends and boil for only 2 minutes until just wilted, then drain the water. Either way, once cooked, add to your onions and mix, then top onto the chicken.

Served with the Brown Rice with Spinach and Tomatoes recipe I posted recently, it’s delicious. The spinach in both dishes really brings it together, and it’s packed with iron.

Mock Minastrone

Is it minestrone? Well….sorta. I used chicken breast instead of beef, and leftover lasagana noodles. The last time I made lasagna I cooked WAY too many, and some broke. But, being thrifty, I didn’t want to throw them away, so I put them in a freezer bag for a rainy day. I was even able to defrost some homemade chicken stock and veggies….double whammy! And BOY, did it pay off! ALL of the girls loved it and asked for more! You could even do this for a lesser time stovetop in a large pot, but the simplicity of the crockpot gets me every time.

1 stalk celery, chopped
1/3 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups tomato sauce*
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 cup frozen, cut green beans (or slice fresh yourself if you prefer)
1 large chicken breast, diced small
1/2 yellow squash, diced
1 cup cannellini beans, drained
1 small bunch spinach, chopped
4-6 lasagna cooked lasagna noodles, chopped**

Saute the onion, garlic, and celery in olive oil until just tender, then transfer to a crockpot. Add the tomatoes, broth, tomato sauce, pepper, oregano, basil, green beans, and chicken to the crockpot. Turn to low for about 6 hours. At this point, add the squash, cannnellini beans, spinach, and cooked noodles and turn to high heat for about 30 minutes.

*TIP – If you don’t have tomato sauce handy, mix a can of tomato paste into 2 cups of hot water.

** If you don’t have leftover cooked pasta of some sort, toss some uncooked pasta about an hour and a half before serving.

Butternut squash is already so sweet and delicious that it really doesn’t need much. So…keep it simple!

1 Butternut Squash, quartered, seeds/strings scraped out
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 400.

Once you’ve scraped out your squash, put it on a greased cookie sheet or pan. Brush it with the olive oil and roast it in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until it’s really tender. Scrape out the flesh of the squash into a bowl and add in the orange juice, honey, and cinnamon, and just lightly mash it with the back of a fork (or a potato masher). That’s it!

If you want to make a great presentation for serving guests, scoop the mashed squash back into the gourd’s skin and serve it on the side of the plate. It’s makes for a vibrant color POW to your table!

Maple-Chocolate Pancake-Cupcakes

So, I tried a similar recipe, and adapted it a bit to suit the tastes and allergens of my girls. BIG hit! It’s like a pancake and cupcake all rolled into one. A fun, quick treat for breakfast on the weekend! I haven’t tried this due to allergy restrictions, but I imagine peanut butter morsels, or even white chocolate morsels would be pretty tasty.

1 cup white rice flour (if you are able to have gluten, you can use regular flour)
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk (if you can’t tolerate dairy, do what I did: 2/3 cup non-dairy substitute & 2/3 teaspoon vinegar)
1 egg (For egg allergies, use a substitute, such as Ener-G)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons melted butter (or your favorite substitute)
Handful of milk chocolate chips (optional)

Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large bowl and use a mixer until just combined. Don’t overmix, as pancake batter can get tough if you mix too long. Gently fold in the chocolate chips if you’re using them.

Grease a cupcake tin. In my house I use a mini tin to make bite-size muffins – perfect for kids! Scoop about a tablespoon into a mini muffin pan, or fill a regular muffin pan about 1/3 full each. The mini pan takes about 11 minutes to bake at 350 degrees. The larger muffins will take about 14 minutes. Once they’ve cooled slightly use a knife to pull these bad boys out, and it couldn’t hurt to serve maple syrup on the side for dipping 🙂

Brown Rice with Spinach and Tomatoes

Served with Citrus Flavored Glazed Chicken Tenderloins and a Sweet Onion & Pineapple Salad

What a fun, healthy side dish. And so easy to customize to your tastes! I used the fast-cooking brown rice to make it quickly for a family of five, and, really, it doesn’t get easier than THAT. You can add more spinach to bulk this up. Why not? It’s such a great source of folic acid, iron, and vitamin K. It really could stand alone as a meal instead of as a side dish. And hey…top it with grilled chicken breast and you have a protein-rich, easy meal. Well, whatever you decide, I’m giving you a base to work from, so….here we go!

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded & chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (9 oz) package fresh spinach, chopped
2 tablespoons basil, chopped
2 cups water
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (omit this if you want to stay vegetarian!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups quick-cook brown rice

Start by heating your oil in a medium pan, and then toss in your onions and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until just turning tender, then stir in your tomato paste AND tomatoes. It’s gonna start smelling fragrant and looking this good already.

Now, you probably bought your spinach in a pre-washed bag (because, well, frankly, that’s easier). It starts out looking huge. Once you chop it, that spinach ends up looking much smaller. But add it with the basil into your pan and mix it around for about 3-5 minutes.

Once you warm it, it loses all of it’s size and is reduced to this.

At this point, add the bouillon, salt/pepper, water, and bring to a slight boil. Toss in your rice, stir, and in five minutes, you get THIS.

Citrus Flavored Glazed Chicken Tenderloins

This is what we’re starting with.

Yes, we’re cooking with Jello-O. I’m fancy that way. And yes, it is awesome. Ten thumbs up from my family tonite, so I guess I did SOMETHING right! Make it lighter by using sugar free Jell-O.

Marinade:
1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup orange juice (pulp-free

About 2 pounds of chicken breast tenderloins, give or take a bit
1 small package of lemon or orange Jello-O
Sesame seeds and poppy seeds

So, since I took the easy route and used chicken breast tenderloins, I just tossed them in a glass bowl and poured in the soy sauce and the OJ. Let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour, but longer is okay. I let mine sit for about 4 hours and it was really well-infused with flavor. Transfer the chicken and about 1 cup of the marinade onto a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with just a bit of the Jell-O. Bake at 350 for only about 10 minutes, and then turn those bad boys over. Sprinkle with just a bit more Jell-O and pop back into the oven for another 10 minutes. Once you take them out, spoon a little bit of that sauce over the top and hit it with a sprinkling of the sesame seeds and poppy seeds.

And this is what we’re ending up with.

Classic Marinara Sauce

Well, it may sound like a lot of ingredients, but it’s so simple. And, if put on really low heat, you could let this simmer away for the afternoon and the flavors will really POP! It’s a great basic marinara sauce that can be served with pasta, polenta, meatballs, or even on a sauteed veggie dish. And it’s ten times better than anything you’ll find in a jar.

1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup finely diced onion
3 clove3 garlic, finely chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
3-4 medium sized tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
handful of freshly chopped basil (substitute dried if you absolutely have to)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as a chardonnay

In a large pot, heat olive oil, then add onion and garlic. Saute until translucent and soft. Add all tomatoes and the tomato paste and heat until bubbly and fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes more until all of your flavors have had a chance to hang out together for a while. Puree (if you have an immersion blender, this is the time to utilize it. If not, do it in batches with a blender)