Oatmeal Cream Cheese Bars

Below is a recipe from Anne Burrell that I found on Foodnetwork.com that I have in the oven right now!  I think it looks like a really easy bar cookie recipe.  I made it exactly like she says except I used 1/2 chocolate chips and 1/2 butterscotch chips and forgot to buy a lemon, so I didn't put any lemon juice or zest in!
Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pea-sized pieces, plus more for pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (11-ounce) bag butterscotch chips
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 inch pan.

In a food processor add the flour, oats and brown sugar and pulse to combine. Add the 2 sticks of butter, the cinnamon and the butterscotch chips. Pulse, pulse, pulse until the mixture forms clumps when pressed between your fingers. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer, reserve the other half. Bake in the preheated oven just until slightly golden and set, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Beat together the cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon zest and juice and vanilla in an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle, or with an electric hand mixer until no lumps of cream cheese remain. Spread evenly over the baked and cooled oatmeal mixture. Sprinkle the remaining half of the oatmeal mixture over the cream cheese. Bake until the top is golden, about 40 minutes.

Cool and chill before cutting. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and using the foil handles, transfer the bars to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares with a sharp knife and serve.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

I made this meal on Ash Wednesday.  I love a good stuffed pepper...whether it has meat in it or not!

Preheat oven to 400 then cut 3 red peppers in half and dig out the ribs.  Put the red peppers in a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil.  Roast the peppers until they are ALMOST soft. 

While the peppers are roasting, make 1 bag of yellow rice and add 1 can rinsed and drained black beans..  I found this at Wal-Mart, so I think you can get it anywhere.  It has lots of good seasonings in it and is really easy!  After the rice is done, I added some salsa verde (maybe 1/2 cup) and about a cup of cheddar cheese. 

Once the peppers are almost done, take them out.  Mine filled with water a little bit, so I poured the water out, then filled the peppers with the rice mixture.  I had about a cup or so left after I filled all of the peppers.  I topped with rice with some more cheddar and put them back in the oven until the cheese was melted. 

When we ate them, I topped mine with a little more salsa and some sour cream, but they are good plain too.  A very delicious lenten meal!

Vegetable Lasagna

My son told me this was VERY good, so I must have done well! 

For the veggies:

I sliced 2 zucchini lengthwise about 1/4in thick into 8 slices.  I put them on a baking sheet, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper and broiled them until they were soft and starting to brown. 

In a mixing bowl, I combined 3/4 of a container of ricotta cheese, 1 box frozen spinach (with all the liguid squeezed out), 1/2c mozzarella, 1/2c parmesan, 1 egg, salt and pepper, and about 1/4c heavy cream.

I layered in an 8x8 (or 9x9, not sure) Pyrex dish:

1. Enough sauce to put a thin layer on the bottom of  the pan (I just used a jar of marinara)
2. 2 lasagna noodles (the Barilla "homestyle" noodles are no cook, shorter, and flat, so they work perfect)
3. 1/2 of the spinach mixture
4. 4 zucchini
5. a couple spoonfuls of marinara, then a handful or so of mozzarella
6. Layer 2 more noodles, then repeat the vegetable layers
7. Top with 2 more noodles and the remaining Marinara, and 2 handfuls of Mozzarella

Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until cheese is browned.

Southwest Soup

I've made many delicious things since my last post, but honestly, I've just been too lazy to type them in!  I have a soup on the stove simmering right now and it was sooo easy, so I guess I have time to type!

I browned 1 pound of ground beef then sauteed 1 chopped onion and 2 cloves garlic with it.  I added in the following:

1 can chili beans (with sauce)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
2c frozen corn
1 26oz carton beef stock
1 packet taco seasoning

I brought all this to a boil and am going to simmer for about 20 minutes, then just let sit until we're ready to eat!

Baked Apple & Raisin Oatmeal

I've seen this recipe in my Amish cookbook many times and wanted to make it, and decided today was the day!  It was pretty good, but the kids thought it was a little scary looking!

Saute 1 chopped apple in 3T butter.  Add 1 1/2c old fashioned oats and cook for 3-5 minutes until they don't stick together and are dry.  Then add:

3/4c water
1 beaten egg
2T brown sugar
1tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp salt

Cook for about 5 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed.  Mine were kind of sticky looking, so I added some milk to make them creamier.  The flavor was very good, but maybe not the most attractive breakfast!

Harvest Grain and Nut Pancakes

This is my take on the Harvest Grain and Nut pancakes at IHOP.  I was a little unsure about this, but I had them the last time I was at IHOP and they were delicious!  Here's my version:

Blend in a food processor:
1/2c whole oats (not instant)
1/2c whole what flour
scant 3/4c white flour
1/2c walnuts

I put this in my Large Batter Bowl and added:
1T brown sugar
1T baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

I mixed this together, then added the wet ingredients:
1c milk
1/4 oil
1/2tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Mix and fry on a griddle!.

Creamy Dill Sauce

My daughter and I made a dill sauce for our salmon earlier this week.  We mixed all of the following together:

Equal parts mayo and sour cream
salt and pepper
about 1T lemon juice
as much dill weed as you like....I just kept adding more until it looked right, so I'm not sure how much it was - probably at least a tablespoon

Today I tried to make a healthier version and I think it tastes just as good!  I mixed together:

1 small container greek yogurt
salt and pepper
lemon juice
dill weed
a few shakes of garlic powder (you could also add garlic)

I think it needed the garlic to cut the sharp flavor of the yogurt, but still very good!