Magic Bars

Who doesn't love Magic bars, or 7-layer bars, or whatever you call them?  Well, I love them but several years ago, I made them with Reese's PB chips instead of Butterscotch chips because that's what I had available.  I found that I like them better that way, so that has been my twist ever since.  This is such a simple recipe that I only allow myself to make it at Christmas.  Too tempting otherwise.

PB Magic Bars

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup Reese's PB chips
• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 1 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

 Preheat oven to 350.  Melt butter in a small bowl for 1 minute on HIGH in the microwave.  Stir in graham cracker crumbs.  Press into 11 X 7 baking pan.  Pour milk over the crust.  Then evenly sprinkle the chips, nuts and coconut.  Press firmly with a fork.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Cabbage and Sauerkraut

About once a year, I get both cabbage and sauerkraut in the share. When that happens, it is time to make Kapusta soup. Kapusta is the Slavic word for cabbage. In my husband's family, when they say kapusta, they are generally talking about sauerkraut. John's grandmother made a kapusta soup when he was a kid from cabbage, sauerkraut and yellow split peas. This is the recipe I am using today. I wasn't sure of proportions for the sauerkraut, so I thought maybe I could find a recipe online. What I found was that this is a very traditional Ukrainian recipe. The only difference being the addition of fresh cabbage. I think the cabbage adds a freshness and heartiness to the soup, so I completely understand why his grandmother added it. It is cooking now on the stove and smells heavenly.

 Kapusta Soup

•   1-1/2 cups dried yellow split peas
•  water
• 1 large onion*
•  1 stick butter*
•  1/2 large head cabbage*
•  2 1-lb bags homemade sauerkraut*
•  64oz chicken stock

 Soak split peas overnight in water.
 

Peel the onion, cut in half and then slice thinly.  Melt butter in large Dutch Oven; add onions and saute until translucent. While onion is cooking, coarsely chop cabbage. Add the cabbage to  the onions and cook until cabbage wilts.

Add stock, sauerkraut, peas and soaking water.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.

 Simmer until split peas are cooked.

*CSA ingredients 

Cabbage

I always dread when I get cabbage in my CSA share.  Having made stuffed cabbage before, I know how drawn-out the process is.  You basically have to take a whole day to make it.  And getting the balance between meat and rice is such a difficult prospect.  Well, this week, we got one head of cabbage to split between us, so I asked my husband what else I could make with it.  I had thought Kapusta Soup (cabbage, sauerkraut and yellow split peas), but that requires some time as well, and I have a ton of cooking to do this weekend.  I also have to start packing up my apartment and getting things moved. 

My husband, whose family is almost entirely Ukrainian (there is Russian in there as well), has favorite dishes from when he was a child.  I have learned to make many of them, but there are always new ones if I ask.  Today, he asked for Fried Cabbage.  Not only is this a quick, easy dish, but it is also made entirely from CSA products.  It's not often that I actually manage to do that. Oh, and if I didn't mention it, this is probably the tastiest dish I have made in a long while, although it doesn't meet my requirements for protein. It's probably a good thing I cannot eat much of this because of my stomach size (and my guilt over the lack of protein).

Fried Cabbage

•  1/2 large head of cabbage*
• 1 large sweet onion*
• 3/4 lb butter*
• salt, pepper and caraway, to taste

 Remove the big outer leaves of the cabbage.  Wash the cabbage to remove dirt and bugs.  Core the cabbage, removing the big ribs as well. Shred the lettuce.

Just a note here: can you believe this is HALF a head of cabbage?

 Thinly slice the onions.  In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-High heat.  Add onions and cook until they are limp.  Add all of the cabbage and cook, stirring, until the cabbage is cooked, but not mushy.  Season as desired.

*CSA ingredients

Quick Bread

I miss having a bread maker. There is just something wonderful about dumping ingredients into a machine, walking away and a couple hours later opening the machine to a freshly baked loaf of bread. Alas, mine broke several years ago and I haven't really made bread since. Of course, that makes all of this wonderful whole wheat and spelt flour from the shares taunt me. Looking on Pintrest, I found a recipe for Honey Beer Quick Bread. Wouldn't you know; I have a couple bottles of local honey from the shares as well. So, here you go:

Whole Wheat Honey Beer Bread
Adapted from: http://gimmesomeoven.com/honey-beer-bread/

• 3 cups organic whole wheat flour*
• 2 Tbsp. natural sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp.  local honey*
• 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer (I used Bell's Best Brown ale)
• 4 Tbsp. (half stick) butter*, melted

 Method:
(Makes 1 loaf)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″ x 5″ x 3″ inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed. 

Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter.  (Use a pastry brush to spread it around if you’d like.)

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve immediately.

*CSA ingredients

Christmas Cookies!

 Last weekend, I baked Christmas cookies to sell at our Christmas concert and to share with family and friends. Since many of the ingredients were from my CSA shares, I promised to post the recipes.

Chocolate Crinkles

• 1/2 cup light olive oil
• 4 oz pre-melted bittersweet chocolate
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 eggs*
• 2 cups white-wheat flour*
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

 1. In a large bowl, mix oil, chocolate granulated sugar, and vanilla. Stir in eggs none at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours.

2. Heat oven to 35O°F. Grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray.

3. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into powdered sugar; roll around to coat and shape into balls. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.

4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly in the center. Immediately remove to cooling racks.

Note: This recipe produces a cakey cookie. It was suggested that of you substitute cocoa and oil (per back of cocoa container) for the chocolate, they would be more brownie-like.


Russian Tea Cakes (Mexican Wedding Cakes)

• 1 cup butter*, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2-1/4 cup white wheat flour*
• 3/4 cup ground pecans
• 1/4 tsp salt.
• powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 400°F.

2. Mix butter , 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and the vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until setout not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire racks.

5. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar; cool on wire rack. Rollin powdered sugar again.

Note: I had difficulty rolling the cookies when they were warm. I sifted the powdered sugar over the cookies for the 1st coating. When the cookies were cooled, they were easier-to handle for the second coating.


Bisquick(R) No- Roll Sugar Cookies

• 4 cups original Bisquick (R) mix
• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup butter*, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs* 1 cup colored sugars

1. Heat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, stir all ingredients except colored sugar until soft dough forms.

2. Shape dough into balls, about 1 inch in diameter; roll in colored sugar to coat. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls about 2 inches apart. Flatters falls slightly with bottom of glass.

3. Bake 5 to 6 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks to cool.


Peanut Blossoms

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup butter*, softened
•  1 egg*
• 1-1/2 cups Bisquick (R) mix
• Hershey (R) kisses , milk and dark

1. In a large bowl, mix 1/2 granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and egg. Stir in Bisquick (R). Cover; refrigerate at least I hour or until firm.

2. Heat oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, place remaining granulated sugar. Shape dough into I-inch balls; roll in granulated sugar. On ungreased cookie sheets place balls 2 inches apart.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately top each cookie with a candy kiss pressing down firmly so cookie edges crack. Remove to cooling racks.

Note: This dough seems to warm quickly and is best rolled when cold. Consider separating dough into several batches and only remove I batch when rolling. That way the rest of the dough stays cold and saves time.

*CSA Ingredients