Archive for High Five Recipes
Whole Wheat Pie Crust
Posted by: | Comments
Making pie crusts has never come easy to me. In fact, if you recall…I put out an all call many months ago and used YOUR recipes to put together the free ebook, For the Love of Pie!
Since that time, I have discovered a delicious and healthy way to make whole wheat pie crust! I am SO excited!
The secret ingredient is Tropical Tradition’s Palm Shortening. We all know to stay away from regular shortening (like crisco) right? I’ve tried making pie crusts with butter, and that works too (especially in these Mini Apple Pies). But, since I tried using Palm Shortening from Tropical Traditions, I feel like my days of frustration with pie crust may be over. When I tried making a whole wheat crust with Organic Palm Shortening, it formed perfectly. It rolled out like a dream. I could be heard shouting out Whooops and Woohoos from my kitchen for miles around. I’m telling you, this from the lady who never could make a pie crust.
Here’s how you make the crust…
Whole Wheat Pie Crust
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup Palm Shortening (or butter)
4-5 Tablespoons cold water
I found this recipe to work best in my food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can cut the shortening into the flour with a pastry blender. If you’re interested in soaking the flour in this recipe to break down the phytates, substitute cultured buttermilk for cold water, cover and let dough sit overnight or at least 12 hours.
Place flour, salt and shortening in food processor. Blend until shortening is cut throughout the flour and the mixture resembles crumbs.
Admire the crumbs…
Begin adding water and processing (or stirring). If your dough looks like this, it doesn’t have enough water in it yet…
Add little bits of water until your dough will form a nice round ball.
Roll out your dough on a well floured surface. Fold it in half.
Then fold it in half again.
Place your dough in your pie dish with the folded corner in the center.
Unfold the dough, shape it into the dish and make the edges pretty.
Here’s a little video tutorial I made that will maybe (hopefully) give you an idea about how I shape my pie crust. There are all kinds of different ways to make it pretty…this is just the way my grandma taught me.
Poke your dough a few times with a fork to keep it from poofing up in the oven.
Bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Mmmm…pretty dutch apple pie! (I just used this Mini Apple Pie filling and crumb topping recipe with the crust for this pie…in case you feel like you must try it right NOW!) I must say, a glass of milk helps this pie go down real nice.
Gratituesday: Creamy Orange Cooler
Posted by: | Comments
Today, Gratituesday meets High Five Recipes. I can’t help it. I have discovered a new recipe that I truly am so grateful for! (The fact that it only has five healthy ingredients and is SUPER easy to make is just an added bonus!
Over the weekend when I was nursing a sinus infection, I found myself without an appetite. But, I knew I needed to keep some good foods going in so that my body would have something to work with to fight the infection.
Something made me think of a recipe I had tried years ago (like before Asa was even born)…and suddenly it sounded SO GOOD. I got out my old recipe book, made several tweaks to the concoction and guzzled it down!!! If I hadn’t been sick and out of energy, I would have done a dance around my kitchen! Maybe I had been hungrier than I thought…or maybe this was just exactly what I needed. Either way, I made another batch the next day!
Creamy Orange Cooler
Juice of 3 medium oranges
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons real maple syrup (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
a handful of ice cubes (optional)
Squeeze juice from the oranges and pour into a blender with remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth (or until ice is crushed if added).
This drink is so easy to whip up. The buttermilk mixed with the sweet citrus creates an amazingly tangy taste that is SO refreshing!
I also love that this is a new way to get down some cultured buttermilk! (Learn how easy it is to make your own buttermilk here!) I have a hard time drinking the raw, cultured buttermilk by itself, but in this mixture…I could just drink it straight from the blender!
And yes, I know dairy products aren’t great when you have a sinus infection…but I didn’t care. ;) I needed something that would go down easily and satisfy my insides. It did exactly that.
And THAT is why I had to share this with you on Gratituesday. I love how God has given us so many delicious foods, and I love that He is our healer!
What are you thankful for this Gratituesday? Write about it on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for!
If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday,
please copy and paste the following link into your post! Thanks!
Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!
High Five Recipes: Layered Cheesy Salsa Enchiladas
Posted by: | Comments
This recipe could NOT get any easier, especially if I already have a big batch of homemade tortillas in my fridge ready to go.
These enchiladas can also be made with corn tortillas if you have a gluten intolerance or if you just like corn tortillas better.
Layered Cheesy Salsa Enchiladas
1 pound ground beef
sea salt to taste
2 cups salsa
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (I use raw white cheddar)
8 whole wheat flour tortillas (or corn tortillas)
Brown meat. Stir in salsa and 1/2 cup of cheese.
Lay 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread half of meat mixture over tortillas. Layer again with the 4 remaining tortillas. Spread remaining meat mixture over tortillas. Top with 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake uncovered at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.
This dish freezes easily too, making it a great make ahead meal!
Freezing Instructions: Cover dish well and freeze. Thaw and bake as directed above. Or, if the enchiladas are frozen, bake in a 250° oven for one hour, then at 350° for another 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
I have several more High Five Recipes up my sleeve (not literally of course, but wouldn’t that be fun to see?). Oh, and actually if you haven’t already, you should go read the story of my sleeves because, well it’s always fun to read about sleeves.
——————————————
This post is linked to Frugal Fridays.
High Five Recipes: Easy Butterscotch Bars
Posted by: | Comments
Last week as I was quickly stirring up these Butterscotch Bars to bake and take to a homeschool event, I started counting up the ingredients. Five! Five ingredients! Yay! Another High Five Recipe!
I am so excited that these bars taste so good using sucanat and whole wheat. I had made them years ago using brown sugar and white flour and love that you can’t even tell a difference using the healthier ingredients!
Better yet, these bars can be stirred up and thrown into the oven in just a few minutes. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Easy Butterscotch Bars
1 cup melted butter
1 3/4 cups sucanat
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Stir melted butter and sucanat together. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in flour and mix until well combined. Pour batter into a 9×13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.
These bars are gooey, rich and better made not very often because I like them waaaayyyy too much.
Way too much.
———————————————–
Be sure to join us for The little Green Project next week! Read about it here!
———————————————–
This post is linked to Works for me Wednesday, being hosted today by Rocks in my Dryer.
High Five Recipes: Cream Scalloped Potatoes
Posted by: | Comments
Had I not tasted these potatoes myself (when my friend’s mom made them) and realized that I had just bitten into a bite of comfort food heaven, I would not have believed that these three little ingredients all by themselves could actually create such a wonderful side dish.
All of the other scalloped potatoes I’ve ever made have required quite a bit of work: prepare potatoes…make a white sauce…layer the potatoes with the sauce…cook covered for a specific amount of time…then uncovered for another specific amount of time.
But this potato recipe? Scrub and slice potatoes. Sprinkle with salt. Pour cream over potatoes. Bake. Stir every once in a while. Eat. Try to be nice and share. No really Laura…please pass the potatoes.
Cream Scalloped Potatoes
4-5 medium potatoes
1 1/2 cups cream
sea salt to taste
Scrub potatoes and cut into very thin slices. Spread into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt. Pour cream over potatoes.
Bake uncovered at 300° for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, pulling dish out and stirring occasionally. Serve when potatoes are tender and cream has thickened.
The starch from the potatoes naturally thickens the cream into it’s own white sauce! SO simple!
Now, you’re welcome to throw in some onion or even sliced carrots into this dish if you want more flavor. I personally love it with just a generous amount of salt.
This potato dish is inexpensive, healthy and takes very little time to prepare. And it tastes like comfort food heaven. What more could we ask for?
——————————————–
This post is linked to Ultimate Recipe Swap.
Special Valentines Day Treats: Peanut Butter Truffles and Chocolate Caramel Truffles
Posted by: | CommentsI have always loved the idea of making truffles, yet it always seemed so daunting to me. Truffles sound so…gourmet or something. I finally decided that this year for Valentine’s Day I was going to give truffles a try.
I learned that not only are truffles easy to make…they are quite an inexpensive Valentine’s Day treat. Do you KNOW how much truffles cost at the store? Yeah, a lot more than homemade ones. Not only are the homemade truffles less expensive, these treats don’t have high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils in them!
This first recipe is SO easy to make! Try this one first if you want to prove to yourself that you can make truffles.
Peanut Butter Truffles
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 T. butter
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (I used homemade peanut butter)
1/4 cup organic, unbleached powdered sugar (optional)
In a saucepan stir together chocolate chips, cream and butter over medium heat.
About the time the chocolate chips are almost melted,
add peanut butter and stir until smooth.
Spread mixture into a pie pan and chill for about two hours.
Lick the pan while you wait for truffles to chill because…
well…do I actually need to give you a reason?
Roll mixture into 1 inch balls.
Dip in unbleached powdered sugar.
Place on parchment paper and chill until set.
This next truffle recipe takes a little more time to make, but it is SO WORTH IT.
Chocolate Caramel Truffles
1 cup sugar (I used sucanat)
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi-sweet)
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 t. sea salt
In a saucepan, cook and melt sugar, stirring with a fork.
It will clump up at first while it melts, but it will melt if you keep stirring and heating.
(Trust me, use a fork. A spoon doesn’t work.)
Remove melted sugar from heat and stir in cream.
Pouring in the cream will immediately create a crazy big blob thing of caramel,
so take it back to the stove and heat and stir until it melts.
It will seem to take forever but don’t worry,
it really will melt eventually (about 15 minutes).
See, it finally melted. Now you have caramel.
Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips, vanilla and salt.
Pour mixture into a pie pan and chill for about two hours.
Roll mixture into 1 inch balls and chill on parchment paper until set.
You can dip your truffles in a bit of cocoa powder if you want them to look pretty. They look pretty without the cocoa though, because hello? Chocolate and caramel all rolled into a ball? How could that not be pretty?
Place your truffles into little Valentine muffin papers and you’re all set!
I will present these truffles to Matt on Valentine’s Day, at which time we will have a conversation about whether caramel is pronounced Kare-uh-mel or Car-ml. He will say that he is pretty sure that it is Kare-uh-mel because there’s an “a” in the middle, and I will just sit there eating his truffles.
How do you say caramel, by the way?
(It may seem like Matt and I argue over word pronunciation often, but really we don’t. Just KYOOPON vs. KOOPON and the occasional Kare-a-mel vs. Car-ml. And if those two marital issues are among our biggest, I’d say we’ll have a pretty great Valentine’s day.)
———————————————-
This post is linked to Frugal Friday and Finer Things Friday.
High Five Recipes: Chicken Fried Steak Strips
Posted by: | Comments 
I do almost all of the cooking around here…not because Matt can’t or won’t cook. I just really, really love to cook and have more time to be in our kitchen.
However, ever since Matt started working at a restaurant, he’s been quite a bit more interested in learning about food preparation…and guess what? My husband has a really great cooking tip for you today.
Yes indeed, this nugget of Chicken Fried Steak Strip wisdom is brought to you by the Heavenly Homemaker’s Husband! (Maybe you knew this tip already, but I didn’t.)
Here’s what he shared with me the last time I made these Chicken Fried Steak Strips:
If you keep dipping the meat in the flour and then in the milk and then back in the flour and then back in the milk and then back in the flour and then back in the…
It will make an extra yummy, extra crispy coating on the outside of the strip.
My strips were good, but I had just been single dipping. Following Matt’s advice, I am now double and even triple dipping. Now, they are Oh My Goodness Amazing. All thanks to my husband. I love that man. You will too after you try his double/triple dipping advice. But you can’t have him. He’s mine.
Chicken Fried Steak Strips
1 pound beef cube steak
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 t. garlic powder
3/4 cup milk
oil for frying (I usually use palm shortening for this from Tropical Traditions)
Cut cube steak into 1 inch strips. In a bowl, stir together flour and garlic powder. Pour milk into a separate bowl. Heat oil in a skillet (350° for electric skillet or medium heat on the stove top).
Dip beef strip in milk, then in flour mixture. Dip, repeat. Dip, repeat. Dip, repeat. (More or less is fine.) Place strip in oil. Cook for about 7 minutes on each side. (Salt to taste.)
So let’s review: The more you dip, the better the strip. You’ve gotta try it!
———————————————-
Read a great tip about Preparing Ahead and Flash Freezing your Chicken Fried Steak Strips here!
———————————————
This post is linked to Kelly the Kitchen Kop for Katie’s Spring Cleaning Carnival.
High Five Recipes: Super Simple Burritos
Posted by: | Comments
All this time, I thought burritos was spelled “b-u-r-r-i-t-o-e-s”. Duh, I know. Spelling is not my gift. (You’ve probably figured that out by now.) I had “burritoes” typed in this recipe, but it just didn’t look right.
So, I did a swag search for “burritoes” and you know what it asked me?
“Did you mean burritos?”
Well, that answered my question. But sheesh, it’s like the computer is mocking me when it does that, you know?
Super Simple Meat and Cheese Burritos
1 pound ground beef, venison or turkey
sea salt to taste
3/4 cup shredded cheese (I use raw white cheddar)
1 cup salsa
10-12 whole wheat tortillas
Brown meat in a large pan. Salt to taste. Remove from heat and stir in salsa and shredded cheese. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons onto a tortilla and wrap.
To Freeze: Lay burritos barely touching in a 9×13 freezer safe dish. If you are freezing more than one layer of burritos, place wax paper or parchment paper between the layers to prevent them from sticking together.
To Re-Heat: Place burritos on a baking sheet. If burritos are thawed, warm in the oven for about 15 minutes until heated through and through. If burritos are frozen, leave them in the oven for about 30 minutes. They might get a little crispy on the outside, but yum!
Super Simple Bean and Cheese Burritos
3 cups cooked black or pinto beans
1 cup salsa
3/4 cups shredded cheese
sea salt to taste
8-10 whole wheat tortillas
Mix beans, salsa, cheese and salt. Wrap 2-3 tablespoons in each tortilla. Freeze and reheat as above.
Not flavorful enough for ya? Add any one or more of the following (which will mean that this recipe will no longer be a High Five Recipe…but who’s counting?):
- 3 Tablespoons chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 cup chopped olives
- 1/2 cup cooked sweet corn
Or, make the ingredients go a little farther by stirring in 1 cup cooked brown rice.
Why This is One of My Very Favorite Recipes:
- Everyone in my family loves them. The boys cheer when I make them.
- They are SO easy to make!
- They freeze VERY well. In fact, instead of making them just before serving time, I much prefer to make a triple batch of these, freeze them and have them ready to go for a quick meal.
- When I have them made ahead of time, they are the EASIEST lunch to serve: Heat…eat…done.
- They are very low in cost, especially if you use beans.
- They are good and healthy.
- They are a PERFECT item to take to someone who has just had a baby or a surgery or a whatever. The recipient can warm them up as they need them. I take these to people ALL the time!
- They keep my children full for longer than ten minutes.
- Last but not least, I now know how to spell them correctly. ;)
Now let’s take a vote. Which High Five Recipe would you like to see next? Cream Scalloped Potatoes…or Chicken Fried Steak Strips?
———————————————————–
This posted is linked to Frugal Friday.
High Five Recipes: Cheddar Ranch Burgers
Posted by: | Comments
Now that the busy-ness of the holiday season is over and it’s a new year, I’ve been excited to experiment with new simple and healthy recipes to share! I’ve been spending some time working up more High Five Recipes for us because a simple, healthy recipe with only five (0r fewer) ingredients?! Perfect!
These Cheddar Ranch Burgers are SO easy to stir together and cook up for a quick lunch or dinner. My kids (even the ones who usually don’t like meat as much) devour these! Such a fun variation to regular hamburgers!
Cheddar Ranch Burgers
2 pounds hamburger meat (beef, venison or turkey)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese ( I use Landmark raw white cheddar)
2 Tablespoons ranch dressing mix (or 1/2 package ranch dressing pouch)
Whole wheat hamburger buns (optional)
Stir all ingredients together in a bowl. Shape burger into 8-10 patties. Fry in a skillet until cooked through and through.
These are the bunless burgers. Really, they are delicious with or without a bun! This is great, since I’m often behind in keeping up with making our homemade buns.
Be sure to try making this Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix to use in your Cheddar Ranch Burgers…SO healthy and easy!
I’ve got several more High Five Recipes in the works! I’ll try to share one every two weeks or so!
Question: Are you a ranch lover…or not? I’ve visited with several people lately that just don’t like ranch dressing. What is that about?
Do you think I could get away with feeding them these burgers and just call them something else? ;)
———————————————————-
This post is linked to Works for me Wednesday.
[print_link]
High Five Recipes: Super Simple Chip Dip
Posted by: | Comments
Here is a VERY easy recipe to put together for a quick lunch or snack. OR, double the recipe to take to a party when you’ve been asked to bring a finger food.
Super Simple Chip Dip
1/2 pound hamburger meat
1 cup salsa
1 cup sour cream or kreme fresh
Tortilla chips (We like Kettle brand, which is made with organic corn)
Brown hamburger meat. Stir in salsa and sour cream or kreme fresh. Serve with chips. (See? Simple.)
What kinds of High Five Recipes are you interested in seeing more of? Main dishes? Side dishes? Desserts?
——————————————————
This post is linked to BooMama’s Diptacular!! Check it out for all KINDS of great dip recipes!
