November 2018 Recipes


November 2018 Recipes
Easy Buckeye Recipe from Margie Orell
Makes 40 buckeyes

2 cups creamy peanut butter (not "natural" peanut butter) 
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar 
12 ounces dark chocolate melting wafers

Combine peanut butter and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until well-combined.  Add brown sugar and vanilla extract. Stir well. Gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined. Scoop into tablespoon-sized balls and roll with the palms of your hand until smooth and round. Place on wax-paper lined cookie sheet and freeze for 15-20 minutes.
While peanut butter balls are chilling, prepare your chocolate according to package instructions. Pour into a deep dish (I use a wide cup). Remove peanut butter balls from freezer, spear the top of each peanut butter ball with a toothpick and, holding the toothpick, dip each buckeye ball into the melted chocolate. Return to cookie sheet and remove toothpick. Use the pads of your fingers to smooth over the toothpick mark. Allow chocolate to harden before eating and enjoying.  Buckeye balls are best kept refrigerated.
Authentic Greek Tzatziki from Margie Orell

½ a large cucumber, unpeeled
1 ½ cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
½  teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill

Grate the cucumber and drain through a fine mesh sieve overnight in the fridge. Combine
the yogurt, garlic, oil, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Transfer the grated cucumber and fresh dill to the yogurt mixture and stir to combine.
Serve chilled with pita bread for dipping.

Zucchini Ravioli from Margie Orell
Makes 8

Extra-virgin olive oil, for baking dish
4 medium zucchini
2 cups ricotta
½ cup finely grated parmesan, plus more for garnish
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup thinly sliced basil, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups marinara
½ cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375° and grease a large baking dish with olive oil.
Make the Noodles: Slice two sides of each zucchini lengthwise to create two flat sides. Using a vegetable peeler, slice each zucchini into thin flat strips, peeling until you reach the center. These are your “noodles.”

Make the Filling: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, egg, and 2 tablespoons basil and season with salt and pepper.

Assemble the Ravioli: Lay two strips of zucchini noodles so that they overlap lengthwise. Lay two more noodles on top, perpendicular to the first strips. You should end up with a “T” shape. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of the zucchini. Bring the ends of the strips together to fold over the center, working one side at a time. Turn the ravioli over and place in the baking dish seam-side down. Repeat with remaining zucchini and filling. Pour marinara around the zucchini and top ravioli with mozzarella. Bake until zucchini noodles are “al dente” and the cheese is melted and starting to brown on top; 25 to 30 minutes. Top with remaining basil and Parmesan and serve.

Spinach Balls from Margie Orell
From Sweet as Honey
Makes 30 balls

6 cups fresh spinach leaves, trimmed and washed
3 cups boiling water
3 eggs
1/2 cup grated cheese (I used Cheddar; use grated parmesan, Colby, or emmental for more cheese flavor)
1/4 cup fresh herbs of your choice parsley, dill or basil, finely chopped (I used cilantro)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim and wash the fresh spinach leaves. Place the leaves
in a large mixing bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover and set aside for 3
minutes. Rinse the spinach with cold tap water. Drain using your hands to squeeze all
the remaining water. You should obtain about 2/3 cup of packed, cooked spinach leaves. (If you are using frozen spinach, defrost and measure this quantity.) Place on a chopping board and finely chop the cooked spinach. Transfer into a mixing bowl. Add eggs, cheese, herbs and panko gluten free crumbs. You can also add salt and pepper if
your cheese is not very salty. I did not add salt.

Combine with a spoon or your hands, until it forms a batter from which you are able to
form balls with your hands, or use a small cookie scoop maker to avoid the mess. If too
moist add slightly more crumbs until easy to roll as a ball with your palms.

Place the balls on a non-stick cookie tray covered with baking paper. Bake at 350
degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden on the top. Serve immediately or cold in
lunchboxes. Serve with dips of your choice like pesto, hummus, or homemade ketchup.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball from Susan Oleson
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, room temperature
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/3 cups spice cake mix, dry
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ cup toffee bits
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup mini chocolate chips or chopped regular-sized chips
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Graham crackers or cookies

Beat together the cream cheese and butter for about 2-3 minutes. Mix in vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, and then add canned pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, and cake mix. Once everything comes together, fold in the toffee bits. If mixture is too wet, add more cake mix one tablespoon at a time. Turn mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and roll mixture into a ball. Wrap it with plastic wrap, sealing all edges of the wrap. Refrigerate at least a few hours. Place chocolate chips in large shallow dish. Gently transfer cheesecake ball to bowl with chocolate chips, and roll ball to coat it with the chips. (I used some toffee bits here also.) To serve, place on platter with graham crackers or ginger snap cookies. (I used chocolate graham crackers.)

Cranberry cake from Susan Oleson
A Taste of Home recipe

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
¾ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 ½ cups fresh cranberries (or frozen, thawed)
2/3 cup chopped pecans

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with sugar until slightly thickened and light in color, about 5 minutes. Add butter and extract and beat 2 minutes. Stir in flour just until combined. Stir in cranberries and pecans. Spread in a greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Can be served with whipped cream or ice cream.

Cranberry Brie Bites from Susan Oleson

I tube crescent dough
8-ounce wheel of Brie cheese
I cup whole berry cranberry sauce
½ cup chopped pecans
Sprigs of rosemary

Grease mini muffin tin (24 mini muffins) with cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll out crescent dough and pinch seams together. Cut dough into 24 squares and place in tin. Cut Brie into 24 pieces and place inside crescent dough. Top with spoonful of cranberry sauce and a sprinkling of pecans. Add a sprig of rosemary. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Fall Harvest Salad from Susan Oleson
From As Easy as Apple Pie

For the salad:
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced into ½ inch cubes
1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
2 cups chopped kale leaves
¼ cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 small apples, diced into ½ inch cubes
3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
For the vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the cubed butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread it out in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until butternut is tender.
Rinse the quinoa and drain. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa with water and bring to a boil uncovered. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy.
Put the chopped kale in a medium bowl with the ½ tablespoon remaining of olive oil. Use your hands to massage the leaves by lightly scrunching them in our hands. Release and repeat until the leaves soften and the color changes a bit.
Prepare the vinaigrette by mixing all the ingredients in a glass jar with a lid and shake will until combined. In a large mixing bowl, add the quinoa, kale, apples, cranberries, pecans, feta cheese, and pumpkin seeds. Pour the dressing, toss and serve.

Italian Skewers from Debbie Bouton

Thread cooked tortellini, cherry tomato, green olives, hard salami (fold in half then in thirds), basil leaf, and a hard cheese on to skewers. Drizzle with balsamic reduction to taste.

Lemon Lavender Pound Cake from Debbie Bouton

I used a Krusteaz box mix for lemon pound cake and I added lavender buds to the cake and icing.

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