Fruit Pancakes and Fig Compote

I love fruit pancakes, and they are a great way to use fruit that is getting a little soft.  Right now in Turkey it is fig season.   Fresh figs should almost look too soft to eat.  Stay away from the firm ones.  The ones that are starting to split at the bottom and have a tiny glistening drop emerging from the star shaped fissure are perfectly ripe.  But, since they often get ripe all at the same time, you may have too many and they can get mushy on you.  While I love a soft fig, mushy is not my thing! Also in Turkey it is difficult to get maple syrup, so I am always looking for alternatives.
This morning made fig and peach pancakes with a fig compote.  For the pancakes, follow your own favorite recipe whatever that may be and throw in any fruit that is slightly soft. 
Fresh Fig Compote
1-1 1/2 cups of over-ripe figs (they are the sweetest)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4  cup of water
Roughly chop soft over-ripened figs, put in saucepan with lemon juice and water.  Boil down while pancakes are cooking.  If needed add more water, or boil down longer to desired consistency.  I like my chunky, but you could mash it if you would like it smoother. 
Drizzle anywhere you please…pancakes, yogurt, ice-cream—use your imagination!

-Jules

Apple & Bacon Salad

 

I'm trying to add a few more salads into the rotation because they are usually pretty quick to make and for summer, salads just seem right. This was a very hearty and tasty salad that was approved by everyone. John said he thought the avocados were a bit odd in it and I think my girls were just going to eat the bacon until I encouraged them to taste a bit more! I think some dehydrated cranberries would be good in this too!

-Amanda

Apple and Bacon Salad

1/2 head of lettuce

2 handfuls of fresh spinach

1 package of bacon

1 avocado

1 large apple, chopped

1 cup of slivered, freshly toasted almonds

1/2 a cucumber, sliced

1/4 purple onion

homemade honey mustard dressing (see below)

Cut bacon into bite size pieces and cook until crispy. Chop lettuce and spinach into bite size pieces. Wash and dry thoroughly. Add to a very large salad bowl. Add diced apple, avocado, toasted almonds, chopped cucumber, thinly sliced onion and drained bacon. Toss. Serve with honey mustard dressing. Made enough for two adult portions. 

Honey Mustard Dressing
(these are NOT exact amounts, I just eye balled it!!)

1 tsp mustard (I got to use my homemade mustard!)

2 tsp honey

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup avocado oil

1/4 cup olive oil (If you don't have avocado oil, just use olive oil)

1 grated garlic clove

salt and pepper

pinch of dried herb such as thyme, tarragon or oregano (optional)

In a small bowl, whisk honey and mustard together. Drizzle oils in slowly whisking continuously. Add rice wine vinegar, garlic and salt. If it is too thick and the flavor is good, add a bit of water. Otherwise adjust oil and vinegar until you get the acidity level that is good for you.

Tex-Mex Stuffed Bell Peppers and Fruit Salad

A few days ago I made Taco Mini Muffins. When I made the meal, I doubled the taco meat & veggie mixture for a meal later in the week. That was tonight. I turned the taco meat into Tex-Mex Stuffed Bell Peppers, and they were very delicious! I served them alongside a simple fruit salad with a yogurt dressing.
-Amanda

Tex-Mex Stuffed Bell Peppers

1 recipe of the taco meat & veggie mixture from my Taco Mini Muffins.
2/3 cup wheat couscous
3/4 cup of chicken or beef stock (or water.)
4 small bell peppers
2 oz of your favorite Mexican cheese, grated

In a small pot, bring stock to a boil. Add couscous and stir. Turn off heat, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Add couscous to taco meat mixture and stir. Cut the tops off your bell peppers. If the bottoms are very crooked, you may want to cut of a very small amount to make them level so they will stand up. Stuff each bell pepper with 1/4 of the taco/couscous mixture. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 for 30 minutes. Top each bell pepper with some of the grated cheese and broil until cheese is melted. Serves 4.

Fruit Salad with Yogurt Dressing

1 banana
1 orange
8-10 strawberries
1 cup of grapes (I did green and red
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh grated giner

Peel and chop banana. Peel and segment one orange and cut each slice in half. Cut strawberries into fourths. Cut grapes in half. Place all fruit into a mixing bowl. In another small bowl, mix the yogurt, vanilla, honey, cinnamon and ginger. Pour over fruit. Serve chilled.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Popsicles

I made these popsicles today for my twins. They were a huge hit! They especially loved the "clean up" fun after wards! Read here for more details!
-Amanda

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Popsicles

1 banana
6-8 strawberries
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup whole milk

Blend in a magic bullet or blender. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for a few hours. Makes about 4.

Sit back and enjoy! (Maddie and Izzie Dittlinger.)

Grilled Peaches

Anything say summertime better than grilled fruit? This would work with pineapples too! Ideally serve this with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.
-Amanda

Grilled Peaches

2 ripe peaches
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon
ice cream, if you have it, which I didn't tonight :(

In a flat shallow dish, mix the lime juice, honey and cinnamon. Cut the peaches in half removing the pit. Place peaches cut side down in the marinade. Let sit for 20-30 minutes. Get grill pan (or outdoor grill, even better!) hot and place the peaches cut side down. Cook until the honey starts to caramelize. Serve with ice cream and drizzle remaining marinade over top.

Sticky Lemon Rolls

A couple of weeks ago I was just browsing the internet and I came across a blog called The Kitchn and specifically on this recipe of Sticky Lemon Rolls. When I was asked to bring a dessert to a meeting I have tonight, I was excited to have an excuse to make these. I made them a teeny bit healthier using white wheat flour. I also doubled the recipe so that I'd have an excuse to taste test before going tonight. Here is the recipe as found on The Kitchn.
-Amanda

Sticky Lemon Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
Makes 12 large breakfast rolls

Lemon Roll Dough
1 envelope (0.25 ounces, or 2 1/2 teaspoons) yeast

3/4 cup milk, warmed to about 100°F or warm but not hot on your wrist
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 lemons, zested
2 eggs

Sticky Lemon Filling
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 lemons, zested and juiced *
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft

Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup powdered sugar
1 lemon, zested

In the bowl of a stand mixer sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and let it sit for a couple minutes. With the mixer paddle, stir in the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and one cup of the flour. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Stir in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft yet sticky dough.

Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and pliable.

(If you do not have a stand mixer, stir together the ingredients by hand, then turn the soft dough out onto a lightly floured countertop. Knead the dough by hand (see this video for explicit instructions) for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, pliable, and stretchy.)

Spray the top of the dough with vegetable oil, and turn the dough over so it is coated in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let the dough rise until nearly doubled - about an hour.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the nutmeg and ginger, then work in the lemon zest with the tips of your fingers until the sugar resembles wet, soft sand. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon. (Reserve the juice of the second lemon for the glaze.)

Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking dish with baking spray or butter. On a floured surface pat the dough out into a large yet still thick rectangle — about 10x15 inches. Spread evenly with the softened butter, then pour and spread the lemon-sugar mixture over top. Roll the dough up tightly, starting from the top long end. Cut the long dough roll into 12 even rolls, and place them, cut side up, in the prepared baking dish.

Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rise for an hour or until puffy and nearly doubled. (You can also refrigerate the rolls at this point. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake the rolls, remove the pan from the fridge, and let them rise for an hour.)

Heat the oven to 350°F. Place the risen rolls in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into a center roll reads 190°F.

While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze. In a small food processor (or with a mixer, or a sturdy whisk), whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the lemon juice and blend until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and blend until smooth and creamy.

When the rolls are done, smear them with the cream cheese glaze, and sprinkle the zest of 1 additional lemon over top to garnish. Serve while warm.

Banana Ice Cream

Izzie eating her Banana Ice Cream

Maddie enjoying her Banana Ice Cream.

What a healthy fun treat for the summer! Banana Ice Cream, made with ONE ingredient. Yep, one. Frozen Banana slices. I diced 3 bananas and froze them overnight. Then pulse in food processor until creamy and delicious. They thought they were getting a real treat, and yet, it was just a banana...
-Amanda

Balsamic Roasted Chicken and Nectarines

I needed a quick and easy dinner to prepare tonight. This fit the bill and was delicious to boot! I also had to make some more rice pilaf again because it was so good the a few nights ago. This time around I ended up breaking spaghetti noodles into tiny pieces since I was out of orzo pasta and I used cremini mushrooms instead of button. It's all about flexibility in the kitchen! I used nectarines in this dish, but peaches would work just as well, the nectarines were on sale today. This would be even better if I had marinated the chicken in the balsamic and a boned in chicken breast would add even more flavor (not that it needed it, just thinking ahead to next time I make the dish!)
-Amanda

Balsamic Roasted Chicken and Nectarines

4 chicken breasts
4-6 nectarines (or peaches)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Cut your nectarines in quarters and place in the bottom of a deep casserole dish. I used a stoneware dish. Lay the rosemary sprigs across the fruit. Place chicken breasts on top of the rosemary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top of everything. Place in the middle of the oven and bake uncovered about 20 minutes (longer if using boned in chicken breast.) I used a meat thermometer that beeps when my chicken reaches 165 degrees internal temperature so I don't dry it out at that high oven temp. When serving, drizzle the pan drippings over chicken.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

I saw someone on food network make "healthy" peanut butter oatmeal bars this morning and it kind of annoyed me a bit. I'm sure they were probably healthier than store bought but they weren't healthy. They had 1 stick of butter, 1 cup of sugar + 1/4 cup of honey, chocolate chips, an egg white and finally the peanut butter and oats. Here is my version:

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

2 cups of oatmeal
1 cup of puffed wheat
1 egg
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cups of natural applesauce
1/4 cup of honey
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp dried fruit (I used raisins and blueberries)
1 tbsp sugar (optional)
Nuts would be good too but I didn't have any.

In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add the peanut butter, vanilla, applesauce and honey and whisk until peanut butter is incorporated and mostly smooth. Add oatmeal, puffed wheat and dried fruit. If it seems to wet add some more oats and if it seems to dry add more applesauce. (Sorry, I didn't measure exactly!) Line a 9"x9" baking pan with parchment paper or foil. Spray with cooking spray. Spread the oatmeal mixture in the baking pan and smooth down. Sprinkle the top with sugar. Bake for 30 minutes at 350º or until the edges start to brown. Let cool for 1 hour and cut into cubes or bars. I do have to admit that these come out more like a fruit bread than a granola bar. But they are tasty. I bit off one corner to try and next thing I know I ate an entire bar. Oops!

Banana Bread

I love banana bread. It's one of my favorite non-chocolate sweet things. I think the other favorites would have to be lemon cake and anything apple cinnamon. Okay, yes. I have a sweet tooth. But, there is something about banana bread that is just so wonderful. I had three bananas sitting on my counter that were beyond eating. I don't know how they ripened so fast. One day they looked fine, the next day they looked, eh. Today it was banana bread or the garbage. So, I needed to find a recipe that wasn't complicated and had few ingredients. This is what I found and it was simply delicious:

Banana Bread
Found From THIS recipe.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas*
1 tsp vanilla (not in orginal recipe but I figured it needed it)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (also not in the recipe, but I like nuts in my banana bread)

Preheat oven to 350º F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. (Add vanilla) Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. (Add walnuts and stir) Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. (I did mine for 65 minutes but the bottom center wasn't quite cooked through, another 5-10 minutes would be recommended.)

*I didn't measure my bananas. The three I had were going to have to be enough. (And I think they were.)
-Amanda

Toddler Oatmeal Cookies

Toddler Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup whole wheat
3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup oats (I used minute oats)
1 tbsp baking powder
2.5 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, prunes, apricots, etc)
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar: optional

In a large bowl, combine: wheat flour, wheat germ, oats, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir. Mince fruit. Add to dry ingredients and distribute evenly. In a smaller bowl, mix wet ingredients: applesauce, honey, egg and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and stir until well mixed. Scoop out tablespoon size mounds and flat with thumb. Bake at 375º for 10 min. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Remember, if you child is under one year, they cannot eat honey or egg whites. Refrigerate these cookies because wheat germ spoils easily.
-Amanda

Peanut Butter & Banana Pancakes

Another toddler inspired pancake for my twins. It has two of their favorite things, so they loved them.

Peanut Butter & Banana Pancakes

1 cup flour (I meant to use whole wheat, but had a brain blip and uses AP this go around.)
1/4 cup Peanut Butter
2 ripe bananas
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup milk
cream cheese- to top with

In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork. Add peanut butter and mash more. Add egg and stir until incorporated. Add flour, baking powder, vanilla and milk. Whisk a few times, don't over work the batter though. Cook on griddle. Top with cream cheese.
-Amanda

Healthier Crispie Marshmallow Treats

One of my favorite treats are Kellogg's Rice Kristpies. But, I am looking for healthier snacks to take on my road trip that is coming up at the end of next month. This has sugar in the form of the marshmallows, but it also has dried fruit and puffed whole grains. I thought about adding peanut butter for protein, but decided not to this go around. I'll test these out on the girls and if they get the stamp of approval, I'll make another batch for the trip. Thanks Mom for placing the idea in my head!

Healthier Crispie Marshmallow Treats

2 cups of whole grain puffed rice
2 cups of whole grain puffed wheat
2 cups of whole grain puffed kamut
3 tablespoons of real butter
1 10oz bag of marshmallows
1 cup diced dried fruit
1/2 tsp vanila
1/2 tsp orange extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
cooking spray

Spray a very big bowl with cooking spray, then measure out the various puffed grains. I used 2 cups of each, but you can do whatever mixture of puffed grains you can find. I've never even heard of Kamut, until I saw it in the store! Dice fruit up as small as you can. I sprayed my knife with cooking spray to help the fruit not stick to the blade. I would recommend chopping by hand, because it'll just gum up in a food processor. Add fruit to grains and stir. Spray a brownie pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter. Add marshmallow and stir constantly on medium heat. When just about melted add extracts. You can leave them out or use your own, I was just having fun with the flavors in my cabinet! I thought it would give a more "tropical" feel to the crispie treats. When fully melted, quickly pour marshmallows over puffed grains, scraping down the sides to get it all. Work very quickly and stir. It helps to also spray your spoon with cooking spray. Keep stiring until all the marshmallow is incorporated into the grains and fruit. Then pour the mixture in your brownie pan. Spray your hands and gently pat down the mixture (it should be cool enough to touch by now, but check carefully because freshly melted marshmallows are very hot!) Let stand for at least 15 minutes.

These are the grains I used!

-->>Store no more than two days at room temperature in airtight container. To freeze, place in layers separated by wax paper in airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 weeks. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. <<-- Storage instructions are From Kelloggs Website
-Amanda

Apple Banana Bread

First, let me introduce myself. I'm Karen, or Momma or 'Nana depending on who you are. I also tend to blog as Seren Dippity.

Amanda has been poking me to post something on the Frickin' Chicken since the beginning but I never remember until whatever it is gets half devoured. And if I can't post a pretty photo, I don't wanna post. Today I was craving banana bread. Browsing recipes I found one that met the criteria, namely I already had all the ingredients on hand. And since The Frickin' Chicken is sorely lacking in the dessert category this will be my first post.

Amanda called me on her way to the store tonight and as we were chatting, I mentioned that I had banana bread cooling. Would you believe, thirty minutes later I hear from my back door "I'm here for my banana bread!" Yep. That's my baby girl. So 9:30 at night we are eating banana bread. This is the first time I've tried this variation and we decided it taste more like baked bread pudding. It is very dense and sweet and cinnamony. Cinnamony is a word. Amanda says she'd add nuts or a crumble coffee cake type topping. I think next time I would add a bit less cinnamon. Amanda took some home for the twins, so tomorrow I'm expecting the real review.

Apple Banana Bread

Prepare Apples first:

* 2 large apples
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare the apples by peeling and coring them. Slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Then preheat a medium skillet over a medium heat. Place the butter and brown sugar in the skillet and heat until it starts to bubble. Then add the apples and cinnamon and cook gently until golden and tender. Stir in the vanilla and remove from the heat and allow to cool.

* 2 cups all purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3 ripe mashed bananas

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350F. Make sure the rack is in the center of the oven. Then grease and flour your loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well.

While slowly mixing add in the baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time mixing well.

Add the orange juice and vanilla slowly. Stir in the mashed bananas. Make sure everything is thoroughly mixed together before stirring in the apples you prepared earlier.

Pour the finished batter into the loaf pan you prepared earlier. Bake in the middle of the oven on 350F for around 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Remove from the oven when ready and place on a wire rack to cool for 10-15 minutes. Then remove from the loaf pan and allow to cool for a further 10-15 minutes.

This recipe is modified from one I found on a website called Banana Bread Recipes. Yes, A whole website for just banana bread.

- Karen