Author Archives: deliciousonadollar

About deliciousonadollar

Hi! I'm Carolyn, the author of this blog, cook, amateur photographer and retired healthcare professional. I have been cooking since I was a teenager when I first began to cook with my mother. I have loved cooking ever since! Upon entering the healthcare profession, I was introduced to foods & nutrition, and the relationship between the foods we eat and health. As the saying goes, "You are what you eat". Not entirely, of course, since heredity and lifestyle also play a very big role. However, this blog will concentrate on the food part. In addition to cooking I am an avid ballroom dancer. I have been dancing for over 6 years, and thus far "dance fever" is as strong as ever. I take private and group lessons, and dance 4-5 times a week. I am also an amateur ballroom competitor, having competed last year in Las Vegas. I received some publicity recently when I wrote a letter to the editor of Cooking Light magazine entitled "Lessons Learned". It was in response to his request for feed-back from readers about what they know about cooking. He liked it enough to have it posted on the Cooking Light daily Blog. I live in the Northeast, and I am the mother of three children, who are grown and no longer live at home. I still enjoy cooking as much as ever, but these days I cook for just my husband and myself. I take many opportunities to cook and bake for others, especially for bake sales and other fund raisers. My hope in writing this blog is that I can share my passion for cooking, and my experience in the kitchen with you. I want to inspire you to try some new foods and some new ways of preparing them. I firmly believe that preparing delicious, nutritious foods for those you love is one of the most important things you can do. Bon Appetit!

Roast Tomato Bruschetta

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Appetizers, Carolyn's Originals and tagged with Appetizer, basil, bruschetta, French bread baguette, fresh tomatoes, recipe, vegan, vegetarian July 16, 2014

Roast Tomato Bruschetta

It’s a fact that the majority of foods that we love and that I prepare here at home make their way to the pages of this blog. However, there are some recipes that I make over and over again and somehow never think to share them with you. Usually that’s because they are so simple, I don’t view them as a “recipe’, but they are non-the-less-good in spite of it.

A few weeks ago I shared a picture on Facebook of an appetizer that I was making to bring to a family picnic, and almost instantly I was getting questions about what it was, and requests for the recipe. All it consisted of was roast tomatoes, coarsely chopped then mixed with some diced shallots, olive oil, and chopped basil. Spread this mixture on some toasted whole-wheat baguette slices, and you have yourself one delicious appetizer, an accompaniment to a salad, or a little extra something to round out a meal.

I make this using whatever kind of tomatoes I have in abundance, but my favorite is to use small heirloom varieties. I like the mixture of colors. The tomatoes can be roasted in the oven on a cookie sheet, or on the grill if you already have it heated up. One quick way to do this on the grill is to thread the tomatoes on skewers (6-8/skewer) and lay them on the grill, turning every 2 – 3 minutes until the tomatoes start to crack and begin to look charred. Then bring them into the kitchen, chop them up, add the remaining ingredients, and its done!

ROAST TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

Yield: Make about 2 cups

I get the dressing ready before roasting the tomatoes.

Ingredients:

2 cups cherry tomatoes, or any variety of tomatoes you desire
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 small shallot, chopped (or finely minced red onion)
1 whole wheat French bread baguette, sliced
1 garlic clove, halved

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*F. or heat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Thread tomatoes evenly on 4 skewers; lay on a cookie sheet and brush all over with 2 teaspoon olive oil. If using grill, brush tomatoes with oil and lay on grill . Turn the skewers several times for even roasting, and when the tomatoes start to crack and look charred ( about 5 minutes on the grill) remove from heat.

Roasting the tomatoes on skewers.

3. Remove tomatoes from skewers; chop coarsely. Place tomatoes, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, basil, and shallot in a small bowl, stirring to combine.

4. Brush bread slices evenly with some olive oil, Grill for about 30 seconds on each side or until toasted.

Toasting the bread.

Rub cut sides of garlic over one side of bread slices, top evenly with tomato mixture.

Once you try this, you will want it with every meal. 🙂

SOURCE: Carolyn’s Creations

Tortellini and Broccoli Salad

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Carolyn's Originals, Quick Meals, Salads and tagged with bacon, Broccoli, dinner salad, recipe, salad, tortellini, vegetarian July 14, 2014

Tortellini and Broccoli Salad with Bacon

There’s a certain kind of math that goes on in my head every time I stare into my refrigerator and try to decide what to make for dinner.

It goes something like this: 6 eggs, 1/2 bag of cheese tortellini, part of a head of broccoli, 1 stick of butter, some leftover chicken soup, a block of cream cheese, 4 slices of bacon, and half a loaf of Italian bread.

There’s also a strange correlation at work–the less time I have and the hungrier I am, the harder it is to process all this math. Let’s see, if I scramble the eggs and mix them with warm garlicy broccoli, and sprinkle toasted bread crumbs over the top, would that work?

Oh, wait–how about if I cook the tortellini, mix it with broccoli, and treat the mixture like macaroni salad with a mayonnaise dressing. Top if off with a sprinkle of bacon? Yes, now is there enough mayonnaise? Do I have a lemon? And what’s this?—one romaine heart hiding at the back of the crisper drawer! Perfect, I’ll serve the salad on a bed of romaine. Whew! That was a tough one.

I’m wishing you the same kind of success when this happens to you. 🙂

TORTELLINI AND BROCCOLI SALAD

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 0z. refrigerated cheese tortellini
4 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
Romaine lettuce or spring greens mix
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (vegetarians can omit bacon)

Directions:

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Add broccoli florets in the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Drain, and rinse with cold water to stop cooking action. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients, i.e.. mayonnaise through salt. Pour this over the tortellini and broccoli, and mix well to coat evenly.

3. On a large platter or serving dish, arrange the salad greens, Spoon the tortellini salad on top. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and serve.

This salad is good slightly warm or at room temperature, or thoroughly chilled. Try it on a warm day when you want a quick, cold meal.

SOURCE: Another of my own creations!

(Less is More) Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bread, Rolls, Breakfast and tagged with Blueberries, breakfast, food, pan conversions, quick breads, recipe, zucchini July 11, 2014

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

This is an experiment in cutting back, using less, leaving out, and just generally leaving things alone. You know that when I cook I try to cut back on ingredients that are unhealthy or not good for us, but when it comes to the “good” stuff, well…..that’s another story. My philosophy is usually “more is better”.

Today’s baking session went something like this. I made Blueberry Zucchini Bread, without adding bacon, without lemon zest, without ginger, without crumb topping, without coconut, without chocolate chips. Oh, the more I mention, the more I want to put into this luscious breakfast bread. I keep telling myself, “no, just let it be what it is”. So, Ok, I added blueberries to zucchini bread, but you know, a green veggie is kind of boring, and blueberries are so pretty, and good for us, (antioxidants and all). You’ll be so glad I did all this for you. The resulting bread is just right for breakfast, not too sweet, yet moist with tons of flavor.

Many zucchini bread recipes in my cookbooks seem to call for 1 cup or more of oil, and are also too sweet for my taste, so thinking that the moisture added to this recipe by the zucchini and blueberries would compensate, I reduced the amount of oil to 2/3 cup, and used only 1 cup of sugar instead of two cups as the original recipe called for. Thus you have less is more. Less of the unhealthy and unnecessary ingredients and more of the healthy ingredients that are better for you.

Picky eaters at your house? I’ll bet they’ll be scarfing down this one!

BLUEBERRY ZUCCHINI BREAD

Yield: 2 loaves, 8″ x 4″ see accompanying conversion list for other size loaves

Ingredients:

3 cups flour ( I used 1 1/2 cup white whole wheat, and 1 1/2 cups all purpose white flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 pint fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Lightly grease loaf pans. See conversion list for pan sizes.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.

Mix together the dry ingredients.

In another bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar.

3. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture and combine until well blended.

Add dry ingredients to egg mixture.

Stir in zucchini, then gently fold in blueberries.

Stir in zucchini, then blueberries. Batter will be thick.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Note: if using small pans, set them on a baking sheet for stability in and out of the oven.

Pour batter into loaf pans set on a baking sheet.

4. Bake at 350*F. for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

5. Cool in pans for about 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Wrap in foil to freeze if desired.

These rise nice and high.

Perfect for breakfast.

Notes from my kitchen: Many times quick breads can be baked in different sizes than the recipe calls for. These are some alternate size pans for when a recipe is based on 2 1/2 – 3 cups of flour. Keep in mind that baking times will vary, so use a cake tester, and rely on color and your sense of smell.

1 ( 9 x 5) loaf pan

12 muffins

2 ( 8 x 4) loaves

4 (6 x 3 x 2-inch) mini loaf pans

1 tube or decorative mold pan

SOURCE: I made some major changes to a basic recipe for zucchini bread that was in my files.

Tomato Pie

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Side Dish and tagged with cheddar cheese, pie crust, recipe, roast garlic, Roast Tomatoes, side dish, vegetarian July 8, 2014

Tomato Pie

Sometimes a recipe will contain ingredients that make you wonder how such diverse items could possibly go together and taste good. Such is the case with this recipe. This is a dish that I find unusual and out of the ordinary, not because of what the ingredients are, but the way in which they are put together.

Let’s take the tomatoes— not at all unusual in a sandwich with mayonnaise, or even with a slice of cheese. But how about if the tomatoes get combined with mayonnaise and cheese in a piecrust? Add some roast garlic to this combination and top the whole thing off with crumbled Ritz crackers. This is not a dessert pie, but a side dish. And let me tell you it is wow-worthy!

Sorry I couldn’t cut a piece for a photo.

I believe this dish may be southern in origin, one that is popular at pot-luck get-togethers. So I made it recently to bring to an end-of-the-year pot-luck picnic. First came the questions: “what is this?” Then sounds of delight, ” wow, this is so good, who made it?”, “may I have the recipe?” I’ll admit, I was doubtful that I would like it, but after one taste I was hooked. I encourage you to give it a try, with a small suggestion. When fresh tomatoes become plentiful, you may want to use them, and roast them as the recipe directs, to decrease their juiciness. But when fresh tomatoes are not available, good quality canned ones are great also, as that is what I used in making it for the first time, and what the recipe actually calls for.

We are going to a pot-luck picnic supper.

TOMATO PIE

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 ( 9-inch) piecrust – store-bought or make your own favorite recipe for single crust pie
1 (28-ounce) can peeled whole tomatoes, preferable San Marzano, drained, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large garlic cloves, unpeeled (use 3-4 if you really like garlic)
1/4 cup olive oil ( I thought this was a more than needed)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, plus more for garnish ( or use 1 teaspoon dried)
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar ( about 4 ounces)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup crumbled Ritz crackers

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*F. On a lightly floured surface, roll piecrust dough into a 1/4-inch-thick, 11-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate; trim any excess dough and crimp edge. Note: use a standard pie dish, not a deep-dish one.

Prepare pie shell for single crust pie.

Line pastry bottom with a round of parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights.

Fill with dried beans or pie weights prior to blind baking.

Bake until edge is golden brown but bottom is still pale, 15 – 20 minutes. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

Baked pie shell.

2. Reduce heat to 350*F. Arrange tomatoes and garlic in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle evenly with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme. Roast tomatoes until slightly shriveled and starting to brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pan.

Roast tomatoes and garlic cloves on a baking sheet.

3. Meanwhile in a medium bowl, combine Cheddar, mayonnaise, pepper, and salt. Set aside.

Mix together mayonnaise and shredded cheese.

4. Squeeze roasted garlic from its skin onto piecrust. Using an offset spatula or your fingers, spread the garlic paste evenly to cover bottom of piecrust. Layer tomatoes on top of the garlic paste. Spread the cheese-mayonnaise mixture over the tomatoes.

Spread cheese mixture over tomatoes in pie shell.

Sprinkle top with crushed Ritz crackers.

Top with crushed Ritz crackers.

Bake until cheese is bubbly and pie top is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Garnish with a sprig of thyme, if desired.

Sorry I couldn’t cut a piece for a photo.

SOURCE: Country Living Magazine

Shrimp and Avocado Chopped Salad

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Salads and tagged with avocado, chopped salad, dinner entree, Low calorie, recipe, Shrimp July 7, 2014

Shrimp and Avocado Chopped Salad

Chop, Chop, Chopped! This is not about the T.V. show Chopped, but about a salad. Where salads are concerned, “chopped” is the new buzz-word.

“Tossed” is the word most often associated with putting a great salad together. A very enjoyable jumble of greens and vegetables comes out of this technique. Then there’s the “composed” salad, a thoughtful work of art; leaves placed just so on the plate form a base, with slivers of vegetables, fruits, nuts and other delightful ingredients carefully arranged over them, with the dressing drizzled on like splatters of paint.

But the “chopped” salad is perhaps the most satisfying creation that can come out of a salad bowl. All it takes is a sharp knife and you can cut lettuces, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, avocado, chicken, shrimp—anything you want—into a mixture of delectable morsels. Coat it all with dressing and the whole thing becomes infused with flavor. When you take a bite, the full impact of a chopped salad hits you: each forkful has a snippet of all the ingredients. You get the perfect bite every time.

So get out your knife and cutting board for this crazy-good summer salad that features two favorites; shrimp and avocado. Healthy fats (avocado) and protein (shrimp) insures that you will be satisfied and all for less than 400 calories / serving.

The shrimp can be cooked outdoors on the grill, for an added smoky flavor that plays well with the bacon. To me, this is the perfect meal to eat outside on the deck on a warm summer evening. If calories are not a concern, you might want to add a warm crunchy roll or rustic bread with this salad.

SHRIMP AND AVOCADO CHOPPED SALAD

Yield: serves 4

Ingredients:

Dressing:

5 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoons chopped fresh dill ( or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed)
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Puree the dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Set aside while you prepare the salad.

Shrimp and Salad:

1 pound raw shrimp ( 21 – 25 per pound), peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
3/4 cup finely chopped red cabbage
3/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup assorted cherry tomatoes chopped
1 avocado, peeled and diced
2 slices crispy cooked bacon, diced

1. Preheat grill to medium or heat a grill pan over medium heat.

2. Toss shrimp with 2 teaspoons oil, lime zest, salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

3. Grill the shrimp, turning once, until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes, total. Transfer to a cutting board. Chop the shrimp into bite-size pieces.

4. Combine lettuce, cabbage, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, avocado and bacon in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and dressing; toss to coat. Season with pepper to taste.

Each serving is about 2 1/2 cups, 398 calories.

SOURCE: Eating Well

Thoughts on July 4th.

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Uncategorized and tagged with celebrations, Fourth of July, Holiday, journaling July 4, 2014

The skies are cloudy today with thunderstorms threatening–not a nice day for outdoor cookouts and picnics, parades, and neighborhood gatherings. Hopefully the weekend will give us some nicer weather.

But let’s not forget what today is all about. The anniversary of the birth of this country, the Declaration of Independence, freedom to be who we are and who we want to be. The weather shouldn’t have even the smallest impact on all those reasons to celebrate, so celebrate we will. Whether it’s just you with one special person, or with a whole host of family and friends, I hope you have a bang-up, knock-em-down, light-up-the-sky kind of day and weekend.

As for me, I see some shopping in my near future, maybe a nice seafood dinner at the shore, and if the sun makes an appearance, some grilling on the back deck–cooking up something new to share with you.

Have a wonderful weekend, folks!

Berry Smoothie Pie

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Desserts, Pies, Pastry and tagged with cookie crumb crust, cool dessert, Greek yogurt, pie, recipe, strawberries, strawberry gelatin, summer pie July 3, 2014

Berry Smoothie Pie

Looking for a quick-to-make dessert for the weekend? This one is it!

Smoothies are the “in” drink now-a-days. They can contain just about any combination of ingredients that are compatible and taste good together. All vegetables, all fruits, some yogurt, grains or seeds; the possibilities are endless. Most of us enjoy a smoothie because it’s cool and refreshing and if made with some thought to ingredients, can be quite nutritious.

One of my favorite kinds of smoothie is made with strawberries, yogurt and almond milk with an occasional banana added for thickness. Today’s recipe for Berry Smoothie Pie grew out of my love of strawberry smoothies. Wanting to capture all the luscious flavor of fresh strawberries, but without the added sugar, I started with strawberry sugar-free gelatin. I dissolved it in cranberry juice, then added a small cup of strawberry blended Greek yogurt, and lots of sliced strawberries. I blended this all in the blender and poured it into a cookie crumb pie crust; let it chill until set, then served it with a dollop of low-fat whipped topping. I must say this pie is “berry, berry good”. It’s quick and easy to make, cuts cleanly, it’s cool and refreshing and tastes great. What more can you ask of a summertime desert?

BERRY SMOOTHIE PIE

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 package sugar-free strawberry gelatin ( raspberry would be good, too)
1/3 cup low-cal, low-sugar, cranberry juice
3/4 cup ( 6-oz.) low-fat Greek yogurt ( strawberry or raspberry)
3 cups chopped berries ( strawberries or raspberries)
1 (9-inch) graham cracker or sugar cookie crust
Fat-free whipped topping

Directions:

1. In a small microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle gelatin over juice, let stand 1 minute. Microwave on high 40 seconds. Stir, and let stand 1 minute for gelatin to completely dissolve.

2. In a blender container, combine gelatin mixture, yogurt and berries. Process until blended and smooth.

Pour into crust and chill 4 hours. Serve with whipped topping.

SOURCE: This is a major revision of an old recipe from Taste of Home.

Texas Corn Casserole

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Side Dish and tagged with baked dish, corn, cornbread, recipe, side dish, vegetable, vegetarian July 2, 2014

Texas Corn Casserole

Things in Texas are big! That’s what we always hear isn’t it? The state is big, people live big, and they eat big!

This corn casserole is well named for Texas. It’s big in every way. The recipe makes a 9″ x 13″ casserole, but the flavor is fantastic.

Sweet with corn, savory with peppers and scallions and spicy with seasoning. Oh, Yeah!

I made this recently to take to a large gathering that included people of all ages from 2 year olds to folks in their eighties. Not one person had anything but compliments to say about it. A young boy came up to me and said, ” I really liked your cornbread. Could you give the recipe to my dad?” Wow, that made me feel so good! I know something about children who are picky eaters, so when a youngster likes a particular food that is somewhat out of their “comfort zone”, I know it’s a keeper.

There’s just a little bit of sweetness to this that the corn and corn bread contribute, but enough variety in flavors to make it really interesting. The recipe calls for Creole seasoning which I didn’t have, so I used Cajun seasoning instead, putting in only 1 teaspoon. The resulting spiciness was apparent, but not too much, for my taste and the children’s. You can adjust the spice/heat level to your liking, but do try this unique cornbread casserole. It’s great to bring to a pot-luck picnic, or as a side dish to a summer meal.

TEXAS CORN CASSEROLE

Yield: Make about 10 to 12 servings, or more if cut smaller

Uses convenience foods for fast preparation.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
1 ( 14 1/2-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (7-ounce) box corn bread mix
6 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1/2 green pepper, seeded and diced
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, plus more to sprinkle on top

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle top with Creole seasoning. Bake casserole until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Golden brown on top, moist inside.

So Good!

SOURCE: Country Living Magazine

Linguine, with Garlicky Kale and White Beans

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Main Dish, Quick Meals and tagged with beans, dinner entree, healthy, kale, meatless meal, Pasta, quick meal, vegan, vegetarian June 30, 2014

Linguine with Kale and White Beans

This dish gets its flavor from lots of garlic. Ya gotta love garlic!! It makes the most bitter greens taste divine. As it cooks and becomes sweeter, so do the greens lose their bitterness, and become silky and tender. Pasta, greens and beans—typically an Italian-style meal. All you need to think you’d “died and gone to heaven” is some Parmesan cheese dusted over the top, some crusty, toasted bread and a glass of white wine. SIGH!

Extremely easy to make with only five ingredients, and taking only about 30 minutes to prepare, this is a dish to put on the table when you’re in a hurry, but you want your family to be well fed on a healthy meal. I used fresh leaf kale in my preparation, but you could speed up the process by using packaged prechopped kale, found in the produce department of most supermarkets. Other than the kale, you probably have everything else to prepare this dish already in your cupboard.

I like the fact that only 1/2 pound of pasta makes 4 generous servings, because of the addition of the healthy kale and beans. Calories are low/serving (381); and the whole nutritional profile of this dish is impressive: Fat, 11.8 g; Protein, 13 g; Carb, 58 g; Fiber, 5 g; Cholesterol, O g; Iron, 4 mg; Sodium, 34 mg.; Calcium, 121 mg.

LINGUINE WITH GARLICKY KALE AND WHITE BEANS

Yield: Makes 4 servings of about 1 3/4 cups (calories: 381)

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked linguine
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh garlic
1/2 cup water
6 cups chopped kale (about 8 oz.)
1 ( 15-ounce) can unsalted cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
grated Parmesan cheese at the table (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

2. Heat oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. When garlic begins to sizzle, add 1/2 cup water and the kale; cover and cook 5 minutes or until kale is tender, stirring occasionally.

Cook the kale with garlic and a little water.

3. Add beans, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and salt; cook 1 minute or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Add beans and cook to warm through.

Add drained pasta and 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid to pan; toss to coat. Add the remaining cooking liquid if needed to liquify further. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper over the pasta. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan if desired.

SOURCE: Cooking Light

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Desserts and tagged with Blueberries, crumb bars, dessert, fruit dessert, fruits, recipe June 27, 2014

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Summertime desserts seem to fall into three major categories: cool, frozen concoctions, no-bake pies and such, and fresh fruit delights. Today’s recipe falls into the latter group.

Right about now I’m seeing blueberries appearing at the supermarket that are coming to us from California. It’s still too early for East Coast berries to make their appearance, but blueberries hold up fairly well and those arriving here from the West coast are looking good. Although I missed making these bars for Memorial Day, they are good anytime at all, and perhaps for July 4th. The reason I say that is because with their blue color from the berries and light crumb topping, they have a patriotic color theme, and they certainly speak of summer.

These bars are ridiculously good. They are the sort that will make you want to eat the whole pan, and then moan at how good they were. Having tried the recipe as written using blueberries, I would feel confident in changing up the fruit and using a different berry, or in the fall, using sliced apples with brown sugar instead of granulated. This is just what I love, a really good recipe that lets you try it different ways and never lets you down. Whooo-Hoo!

From my experience with making these bars, I have two suggestions: use a little more than half the dough mixture for the bottom layer, the bars will cut better and the berries won’t leak through to the bottom. Also, if your berries are a little tart, you may want to add an additional tablespoon of sugar to the berries.

BLUEBERRY CRUMB BARS

Yield: 15 servings

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour, or half white flour, and half whole wheat
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
a pinch of cinnamon
1 cup shortening or butter
1 egg
3 teaspoons cornstarch
4 cups fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Use a fork or pastry cutter to cut in the shortening (or butter). Mix in the egg–dough will be crumbly.

Stir egg into dry ingredients.

Pat half of it into the bottom of the prepared pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the cornstarch and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Gently stir in the blueberries. Sprinkle the berry mixture evenly over the crust.

Layer berries over bottom crust.

Crumble the remaining dough over the berries.

Top with remaining crumbs.

4. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, till the top is lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

SOURCE: All recipes.com

Delicious on a Dollar

Devoted to the preparation of healthy & economical foods that taste fabulous!

Author Archives: deliciousonadollar

About deliciousonadollar

Roast Tomato Bruschetta

Tortellini and Broccoli Salad

(Less is More) Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Tomato Pie

Shrimp and Avocado Chopped Salad

Thoughts on July 4th.

Texas Corn Casserole

Linguine, with Garlicky Kale and White Beans

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this:

Rate this:

Share this: