Chocolate Rice Krispie Bars - Chocolate WIth Francois

Things have been a little crazy around here lately, I will share more once we know how it all shakes out. Needless to say, I was thrilled with this month's Chocolate With Francois recipe. Rice Krispie Treats, seriously? Way too easy for Francois. Of course, he just had to add an element to differentiate his from those Rice Krispie Treats we all know and love. His recipe calls for the Rice Krispie treats to be shaped into round spheres.

I made a half recipe, took the easy way out and used a 9 x 9 glass pan. Sometimes regular Rice Krispie Treats seem too sweet. You know when it's so sweet your teeth hurt? The cocoa in these seems to cut the sweetness making these delicious.



Thanks to Linda of Diva Weigh for choosing this month's recipe. You can find the recipe on her blog!

I am linking this to Foodie Friday, Full Plate Thursday and Sweet Tooth Friday!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies - Cookie Carnival

Since things have been a bit crazy around my house lately, I was thrilled when I saw one of the recipes for this month's Cookie Carnival was to make cookies using a cake mix. I am not sure why I've never made cookies using a cake mix. Do you love cake mix? I do, I am one of those people who loves to lick the bowl, raw eggs and all! I did some searching on the Duncan Hines website and found this recipe.

If you like cake mix, give these cookies a try! They're delicious and too easy to make!


Cake Mix Cookies
1 box any flavor Duncan Hines cake mix (I used Devils Food)
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
(I added 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips)

Add 1/2 cup oil and two eggs to one box of cake mix. Add chips, nuts, and flavorings if desired.
Drop by teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

This is my entry for this month's Cookie Carnival and I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday.

Rhubarb BBQ Sauce

Being from Kansas City, I always have one of Kansas City's many famous barbeque sauces in my fridge. Until this summer, I'd never made barbeque sauce from scratch. How about a non traditional barbeque sauce for my first try? This rhubarb barbeque sauce is delicious. It's a little on the sweet side, so it's not made for burgers or hot dogs but is perfect with pulled pork or chicken.





Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home

1 cup chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
2/3 cup water
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup ketchup
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup (I used molasses)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring rhubarb and water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Remove from the heat; cool slightly.
Place rhubarb in a blender or food processor; cover and process until smooth. Set aside.
In the same saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; saute 1 minute longer. Add the remaining ingredients.
Whisk in rhubarb puree until blended. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 2-1/3 cups.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday and Full Plate Thursday!

Rosemary Butternut Squash Soup - Secret Recipe Club

I don't know about you but I can't believe it's Secret Recipe Club time again. Another month has flown by. Fall is in the air here in Nebraska and the pumpkin farms are open for business.

When I received my Secret Recipe Club assigned blogger for the month, I clicked over on her site and read she'd just attended a Minnesota Twins game. Was she from Minnesota like my husband? I clicked around and found out she's not from Minnesota, she lives right here in Omaha.

Sarah of Biking and Baking is a med student and follows a plant based diet. Browsing through Sarah's recipes was a real learning experience for me. I ran across ingredients I wasn't familiar with like hemp seeds and lucuma powder. Lucuma powder is a raw, organic low glycemic sweetner.

I wanted to try and make one of Sarah's recipes without making too many substitutions. Sarah's Rosemary Butternut Squash soup was the perfect recipe. I had a Butternut Squash in the pantry from my CSA bag and Agave Nectar on the shelf. I used vegetable broth and no milk in my version. I'd intended to top mine with roasted pecans but forgot them in the oven and I didn't think burnt pecans were a good topping.

We love butternut squash soup at our house. Sarah's recipe is more savory than the recipes I normally follow. I love the addition of the smoky paprika, it adds a nice smoky touch to the soup. Thanks Sarah for a wonderful recipe for a fall soup!



Rosemary Butternut Soup
1 butternut squash
3 sprigs rosemary
olive oil
salt and pepper
2-3 cloves garlic
onion
1.5 cup coconut milk (Sarah used the So Delicious drinkable kind, if you didn't have this she suggests soy or almond milk). I omitted the milk.
1.5 cup veggie broth
1 bay leaf
cinnamon
smoked paprika
cumin
oregano
basil
drizzle agave
1/3 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Slice squash in half, scoop out seeds. Peel garlic, rough chop onion. Place squash, onion, and garlic on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt, and pepper. Bake until squash is soft, about 1 hour. You will need to remove the onion and garlic about half way through cooking time.
Place veggie broth, milk, an bay leaf in a stock pot. Bring to a simmer. Place onion and garlic in pot. Scoop squash flesh out of shell and place in pot. Whiz up with an immersion blender. Add a drizzle of agave and about a teaspoon of paprika, cinnamon, and cumin. Add about 2 teaspoons of dried basil and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano. Simmer together for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning/sweetness.
Toast pecans. Serve soup with a sprinkle of pecans:).

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday!

Pickled Green Beans

The CSA we joined this year has enabled us so many delicious fresh vegetables. As I see the morning temps begin to drop, I am reminded fresh vegetable season is drawing to a close. In order to be able to enjoy them a little longer, I froze and picked as many of the vegies as I could. One of my favorites was the pickled beans. These are perfect on a salad or even better in a spicy Bloody Mary.



Pickled Green Beans
Adapted from several recipes on the internet

½ lb string beans, trimmed (or as much will fit in a medium-sized jar)
1 c white vinegar
1 c water
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 T pickling spice
2 t sugar
½ t kosher salt
dash red pepper flakes
(Most of the original recipes called for dill weed. I didn't have any, so I just left it out)

1) Place string beans upright in a glass jar. Trim any ends that reach the top of the jar. Pack the jar tightly.

2) Combine all other ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl (or large measuring cup). Microwave for 90 seconds. Stir. Microwave for another 90 seconds.

3) Pour mixture into jar, leaving ½ inch of space at the top. After you pour in the brine, if the jar's not full, add water and vinegar until it is. Screw on the lid.

4) Let cool to room temperature. Shake to distribute seeds and spices. Refrigerate.

5) Beans are ready after four days, and will last a month in the fridge.

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday!

Let Us Never Forget!

Bobby Flay's Pickled Onions

A few weeks ago, my CSA included several sweet onions. Although onions have a good shelf life, I still didn't think I could use all of them before they went bad. Searching for things to make with them and being on a roll of pickling veggies, I ran across this recipe for pickled onions.

The reviews I read said these were pretty tart, so I cut back just a bit on the red wine vinegar. This recipe is easy, fun to make and perfect for burgers or salads.





Bobby Flay's Pickled Onions
2 large red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used sweet onions)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar
6 whole black peppercorns
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Garnish: 2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme

Directions

Saute the onions over low heat in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until soft. Place the vinegar, 1/4 cup of olive oil, sugar, peppercorns and thyme in a large noncorrosive saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the onions to the hot liquid and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the onions to steep for at least 2 hours or overnight. (if storing overnight, place in a bowl and cover.) When ready to serve, drain the liquid and top with thyme.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday and Full Plate Thursday.