Tag: Recipes

Upside Down Pineapple Oats
Recipes

Upside Down Pineapple Oats

Sarah

It might not have cooled down into fall here during the day, but once it is September, it feels like time to start making hearty, warm breakfasts. Baked oatmeal sounds so good as fall approaches. And it did get down to 45° at night this week.

If you haven’t seen it, I actually wrote an entire cookbook on oats a few years back, Oats Gone Wild. In the “ber” months, we definitely eat a lot of oats.

Oats Gone Wild

Upside Down Pineapple Oats

Ingredients:

  • 3½ Tbsp brown sugar, divided
  • 6 maraschino cherries (see here for naturally dyed ones)
  • 20-ounce can of pineapple slices
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (2 snack tubs worth)
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free if needed)
  • 1½ tso baking powder
  • ¼ tsp fine sea salt
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F, lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch glass baking pan.

Place 6 pineapple rings in the pan, and a cherry in the center of each. If you really like cherries, you can add more between the rings.

Sprinkle with 1½ tablespoons of the brown sugar over the pineapple.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the applesauce, milk, eggs, vanilla, and remaining 2 Tablespoons brown sugar.

Add in the pats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

Stir until combined.

Gently pour over the pineapple, spreading it carefully.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Let cool a bit before slicing. It can be chilled and eaten cold (delicious), or reheated in the microwave for about a minute.

Store tightly covered in the refrigerator, it will last for 4 to 5 days for an easy breakfast.

Serves 6 portions.

~Sarah

Protein Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Recipes

Protein Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Sarah

A high protein dessert/snack, that feels like you are having a dessert – it’s rich and thick! And scream fall baking. It’s almost where I don’t mind having the oven on.

It’s waffling between mid to high 70s and low 80s, but the nights are chilly, dropping into the mid-40s.

Everything is still green, but pumpkin season is here.

Protein Pumpkin Cheesecakes

  • Ingredients:
  • 16 ounces cottage cheese, small curd/4% fat
  • ½ cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup brown sugar, not packed (or favorite sweetener)
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice blend

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°, lightly oil four oven-safe ramekins and place on a rimmed baking sheet.

Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender. Process until smooth.

Divide between the four ramekins.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Let cool on a rack, then chill for the best taste.

Makes four cheesecakes.

Notes:

Use “clean” cottage cheese and yogurt, where they do not contain thickeners/gums/pectins/gelatin, as these will break down in baking and produce a watery cheesecake. I used Daisy cottage cheese and Fage yogurt.

This recipe works with low sugar alternatives, which are a 1:1 ratio to sugar, for a keto-friendly option.

~Sarah

High Protein Cheddar Scones
Recipes

High Protein Cheddar Scones

Sarah

While we follow a keto-ish diet, I don’t demonize wheat. You can still enjoy it, if you find ways to increase the protein (and that for us is the real reason – more protein to fuel muscles with, rather than eating strictly).

The main ingredient of these savory scones is cottage cheese. Be sure to use 4% (whole fat) versus low-fat. And that the brand you buy has a short ingredient list. You don’t want added thickeners, as it will have too much water in the cottage cheese. Same with the cheddar cheese, do not use low-fat. And need it be said, use real heavy (whipping) cream. Not non-fat fake cream. This is a recipe that embraces real ingredients, rather than artificial ones.

The recipe can be halved, but if I am doing all the work, I make double batches and freeze half for later. We also have a larger family to serve.

High Protein Cheddar Scones

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbap baking powder
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 8-ounce cheddar cheese brick, grated (2 cups)
  • 1½ cups heavy cream (whipping cream) + ¼ cup for topping
  • 2 cups 4% cottage cheese, small curd style

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Line a large baking sheet or 2 smaller ones with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Add in the cheese, toss to coat.

Stir in the cream and cottage cheese till mixed in.

Sprinkle a bit of flour on a work surface. Knock out the dough. Cut in half.

Pat each half into a circle, about 7″ across.

Using a bench scraper, cut each circle into 8 wedges.

Transfer to the prepared sheet(s), leaving a bit of room between each wedge.

Brush the remaining heavy cream on top.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the scones are golden on top and look done.

Let it cool a bit before enjoying.

Once cooled, they can be frozen for batch baking. Let thaw covered and enjoy.

Makes 16 scones.

~Sarah

Canned Apple Butter
Homesteading · Preserving · Recipes · Urban Homesteading

Canned Apple Butter

Sarah

Apple butter takes planning – you will need hours to cook it down, but as long as you keep an eye on it, you can get other things done at the same time. I go for a big pot of it so that I can have seven jars for the winter.

I used “seconds” for the apples, which were somewhat small. They were an older variety that easily mushed up under cooking. The key to choosing the right apples is to avoid hard, crisp ones that don’t cook down well. Ugly apples are a good choice.

Apple Butter

Ingredients:

  • 10 pounds of apples
  • 5 cups water
  • 10 cups sugar
  • 5 tsp pumpkin pie or apple pie spice blend
  • ½ cup + 2 Tbsp bottled lemon juice

Directions:

Wash the apples, air dry. Peel apples, quarter them, and discard the cores. Add to a tall pot, preferably a heavy stainless steel stockpot. Add the water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer until the apples are tender. Use a potato masher to finish breaking them up.

Add the sugar, spices, and lemon juice, stirring in.

Let cook over medium heat, stirring periodically to avoid sticking on the bottom. Be very wary of hot apple pulp – if it spits at you, it can and will burn you due to the sugar content. I suggest wearing a mitt.

Let cook for 2 to 4 hours, lowering the temperature as needed, to maintain a gentle low boil. When ready, the well-stirred butter will mound on a spoon – it should be very thick. It will have reduced in volume by about half.

Near the end, take 7 pint jars, place them in a water bath canning kettle, fill the jars and the pot with water, to just over the top of the jars. Bring to a boil.

Place the rings and lids in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer.

Lay out a clean kitchen towel, drain the jars back into the pot, and place the jars on the towel.

Sterilize your funnel, ladle, and air bubble tool in the boiling water.

Ladle in the hot apple butter, leaving a ¼” headspace. Run the air bubble tool through the jar. Add more butter if there is space.

Take a damp paper towel and wipe the rims. Place a lid on, then finger-tighten the ring.

Place in the pot, bring it back up to a boil, and can for 15 minutes. Turn off the burner, take off the pot’s lid, and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Remove the jars and let them cool on a clean kitchen towel. Once cooled. Remove the rings (wash and dry) and check that the lids are sealed and don’t flex when touched.

Mark the date canned on the lid, use within a year for best results.

Makes 7 pint jars.

~Sarah

Bread Machine Cheese Bread
Recipes

Bread Machine Cheese Bread

Sarah

This loaf of bread was a winner – it came out of the bread machine about 30 minutes before the boys got home from school, and 90% of it was eaten by all 3 of them in minutes. It’s got a nice texture, heavier than most bread, but satisfying.

Bread Machine Cheese Bread

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup + 2 Tbsp milk
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 360 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 cup fine shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1½ tsp bread machine yeast

Directions:

If using a Zojirushi bread machine, add the listed ingredients, ensuring the yeast is nestled into the flour on top.

Set the machine for a basic loaf.

When the kneading cycle begins, check the dough to see if it needs more flour.

Once baked, remove it promptly and knock it out. Let it cool on a wire rack before enjoying it.

Store in a plastic bread bag and eat within 24 hours for optimal taste and texture.

If using a regular bread machine, follow the method for adding the ingredients (including using warm water as called for).

Makes a 2-pound loaf.

~Sarah