Peanut Butter Protein Balls

We have taken a huge liking to these little bad boys. They really are quite tasty and I don't feel terrible having them for breakfast :)

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Bites

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup oats
• ⅔ cup toasted shredded coconut
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips
• ⅓ cup honey
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Roll and compress the mixture into 1 inch rounds and place on parchment paper
3. Refrigerate a few minutes until firm and then transfer to an air tight container.
4. Refrigerate and enjoy for up to one week.

Chicken Flavored Rice-

½ cube butter

2 tsp. chicken bouillon

Minced onion or fresh chopped onion (1/4- 1/2 fresh chopped onion I think is what we usually do)

2/3 cup rice

2 cups water

Salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in small frying pan.  Add dried or fresh minced onion and chicken bouillon.  Sauté.  Pour rice into 9x9” baking dish.  Add sautéed mixture.  Add 2 cups water.  Cover and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees or 325 degrees in glass pan. 

Yogurt

Yogurt

-Gently heat the milk to 180 degrees (which is almost boiling). 

-Take off heat and cool to 105-115 degrees. 

-Once cool, pour in glass jars (I usually use quart jars). Add 2-4 Tblsp of yogurt with live cultures (from a previous batch or yogurt from the store) to each jar.  You can also add the sugar and vanilla now while it's still warm to dissolve it or after it's cultured.  

-Stir well, cover with lid and put in a warm place at 105 degrees for 8-24 hours (It gets tangier with time).  My favorite place to culture the yogurt is my dehydrator. 

-I’m still playing with how to sweeten it,  but right now I add about 1 ½ Tblsp of sugar to a pint of yogurt and a little vanilla.  Or I keep it plain to add to smoothies.

-Refrigerate.

Tomato Soup                                                            

6 Tbls.  Butter

6 Tbls.  Flour

3 C. Tomato Juice

3 C. Whole Milk

2 tsp. Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper to taste.  I like maybe 1/2 tsp.

Melt butter in a 3 quart saucepan on medium heat.  Whisk in flour to make a roux .  Increase heat to med-high.  Whisk until roux transitions from foaming to just bubbly and turns a little tan in color and smells a bit nutty.  (This lowers to thickening power a tad, but improves smoothness and flavor.)  Drizzle in tomato juice with a steady pour while consistently whisking until smooth to keep ingredients at a boil (or close).  Drizzle in milk the same way (doesn’t need to make it to a rapid boil, just boiling.)  Take off heat and whisk in salt and pepper.

Serve with awesome grilled cheese to dip!

Brown Rice

I told Becca I would give this to her the other day, it is the best way that I have tried brown rice. But we do still eat white rice cause its real good :)
But if you are into that healthy awesome brown riceness.... you should try this.

Baked Brown Rice

Yield: Makes about 3 1/2 cups cooked rice

Note: This recipe doubles beautifully for a 9X13-inch pan.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water (if using water, add 1 teaspoon salt)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8X8-inch or 9X9-inch baking pan. Place the rice in the prepared pan and pour in the liquid. Stir to equally distribute the rice. Cover tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
2. Remove from the oven and let sit for five minutes before removing the aluminum foil and fluffing with a fork. If your rice still has a bit of liquid on the bottom or conversely, if it is dried out, adjust the baking time up or down to make changes.

Notes

Variations: Before baking, slice one small yellow onion into dices or half moons and caramelize and brown in 1 teaspoon of olive oil until golden and soft (about 10 minutes in a nonstick skillet). Stir onion into rice and broth mixture and bake according to recipe.

After removing rice from the oven and letting it sit for five minutes, remove aluminum foil and stir in the zest and juice from 1 lemon, 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 apple, finely diced.

San Fran Chops

I haven't ever really like Pork Chops but this one is amazing, we all really like it. Well I guess except for Cora who sometimes doesn't like rice but other than that its a hit :) And it is a slow cooker recipe so yahoo!

San Francisco Chops {Slow Cooker}

Yield: Serves 4-6

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick
• Salt and pepper for seasoning
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• Hot Cooked Rice, for serving

Directions

1. In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is simmering and hot. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side in the hot oil until golden. Transfer the chops to the slow cooker. Add the garlic to the drippings in the skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic and golden (but not burned or it will turn bitter!). Stir in the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chops.
2. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the meat is tender. If using bone-in pork chops, fish out the bones from the slow cooker. Remove the chops from the slow cooker to a shallow pan or plate – they will most likely be falling apart in tenderness at this point. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the chops to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker heat to high and cook for 30 minutes to an hour longer, until the sauce is slightly thickened. If you want a super duper thick sauce, once you remove the chops from the slow cooker, pour the sauce into a pan and place it over medium heat on the stove. Add the cornstarch slurry and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thick. Add the pork and heat through.
3. Serve the tender chops over rice and garnish with green onions, if desired.

Cinnamon Raisin Granola

We got this recipe from a family in China that made it for us and it was like liquid gold there. Getting home a lot of the things we thought were so good there turned out to be not so awesome in comparison, except this one. It is a good one and is often made at out house.
This batch doesn't have any nuts in it and is taste but it is even better with nuts in it.

Cinnamon Raisin Granola
4 cups Old Fashioned Oats (I use quick oats and it is still good)
1 cup shredded coconut (sometimes I go a little heavy on the coconut)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup raisins (I haven't ever made a batch with raisin... so attempt at your own risk :) )
nuts

In a large bowl combine oats and coconut and nuts
In a sauce pan combine brown sugar, oil, honey, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat add vanilla.
Mix oat mixture and sauce until evenly coated then spread in a large shallow baking dish aka cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees from 15-20 minutes stirring every 5 minutes

Cool add raisins and store in an air tight container.

 A few people who enjoy it