Maurice - Maple Bars

Thanks to butterwithasideofbread.com

Ingredients

2 cups canola oil

¼ cup butter, soft

¼ cup brown sugar

3 tbsp milk

1 tbsp corn syrup

2 tsp maple extract

2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Pour 2 cups canola oil into a large (9” or so) saucepan, and heat it to 350F – the low side of medium.

In a medium (7” or so) saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar. Whisk in the milk, and heat for a few minutes on medium, until the ingredients are fully melted and mixed, stirring often. Remove from the heat and add the corn syrup, maple extract and ½ cup of the powdered sugar. Mix the powdered sugar in completely. Continue adding ½ cup powdered sugar at a time, mixing it in completely before adding the next. The glaze should begin to thicken as it cools. Add 1-2 tsp more milk if needed.

Check the temperature of the oil. Set out a couple of paper towels to receive the hot bars when they come out of the oil. Prepare 2 biscuits by stretching them into an oblong shape. They will shrink back in the oil, so make them longer than you want. Put two bars into the oil. At the right temperature, they will take 2 minutes to turn golden brown on the underside. Turn them for 2 minutes more to cook the other side. Remove from the oil and set them on the paper towel to cool for a moment. Start two more bars.

Check that the glaze is thick enough that it won’t run off the bar. Spoon enough glaze onto the bar to cover the top. When the glaze has set, spoon more glaze onto each bar.

Candace-Chicken Verde Mac and Cheese

Chicken Verde Mac & Cheese
From The How To Mom

2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped into bite size pieces (about 3 cups)
2 c elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat)
1 (10 oz) can green enchilada sauce
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles 
3/4 c sour cream
8 oz monterey jack cheese, shredded

Directions:
1. Cook macaroni as directed.
2. In large saute pan, combine chicken, enchilada sauce and desired amount of chiles, let simmer 5-10 minutes
3. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Then add half of the cheese and stir til combined and melted.
4. Pour pasta into 9x13 dish. Top with chicken mixture and stir to combine.
5. Top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. 

Candace-Black Bean Lentil Chili

Black Bean and Lentil Chili

3 T. olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 large carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 T. chili powder
1 T. paprika
1 t. chipotle chili powder
1 t. allspice
1/2 t. cumin
1 bay leaf
5 – 6 C. vegetable or chicken broth
2 C. lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 29 oz. can tomato sauce
1 29 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 C. frozen sweet corn kernels
12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, diced
1 – 2 t. Tabasco sauce
1 T. honey
salt and pepper to taste

Toppings
Tabasco Sauce
sour cream
avocado, cubed
shredded cheddar cheese
a squeeze of lime
cilantro leaves

In a large heavy pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil, then the onion, celery and carrots. Sauté until the onions have softened, then add the garlic and continue to cook for just one minute. Add the spices next through the bay leaf. Cook for about two more minutes to get them fragrant.

Add the broth (start with 5 cups first, you may need an additional cup later to thin the sauce out), lentils and tomato sauce and raise the heat to high, bringing the broth to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 30 minutes to get the lentils tender.

Add the black beans, corn, red peppers, Tabasco and honey and continue to cook for about 20 more minutes. Add the extra cup of broth, if needed.

Serve in bowls with the toppings of your choice.



Notes:

I use the jarred roasted red peppers for a few reasons. The roasted pepper adds a nice sweet and smokey flavor that you don’t get from a fresh pepper and it’s so much easier to use the jarred instead of making it yourself. If you want to roast your own…that would be delicious. I add the pepper at the end because I think it would become too mushy if it were cooked all the way through.
If you are using canned broth, don’t use salt until the dish is completely done, then give it a taste. Even if using low salt broth, you may not even need any additional.
This makes enough chili for 8 to 12 servings (depending on your serving size). This is great days later and freezes well too.

Muffin Tin Pancakes-Candace

How To Make Muffin Tin Pancakes

June 5, 2013 
by KarenH • 9 Comments
I love breakfast food. I can easily eat eggs for breakfast or dinner, and I am happy as a clam.  My kids are the same way about pancakes. They will eat them any time I take them to IHOP my husband makes them.
When I read Anissa’s post, How to Make a Puff Pancake That Will Get You Laid, I immediately thought, now there is a pancake that I want to make!  However.  I have two young children that may get in the way of any well planned romantic interlude, let alone a spontaneous romp.  So in the normal that is my life, I decided to try making these
Super Easy Muffin Tin Pancakes.

I can easily distract the children with the variety of tasty mix-ins to sneak upstairs for a little alone time with the huz.  I found this fun idea on Pinterest, but unlike many of the ideas that fill my crazy theme boards, this is an idea I actually tried.
I used a variety of fresh blueberries, chocolate chips, and even stirred in a little maple syrup in our muffin pancakes. I was a little disappointed the tops of the muffins didn’t really brown, but the texture was typical for a pancake, and the flavors were spot on with the kids. The chocolate chip muffins disappeared first, which should not be surprising, given any kid’s desire to eat candy for breakfast.

This idea would definitely be good when you have a bunch of hungry mouths to feed all at once, like a sleepover, a fun brunch side item, or even making them in advance as a quick reheat, grab and go breakfast. We will definitely be making them again, and since we always shoot for the mediocre here at Aiming Low, feel free to use the premade pancake mix of your choosing.  No judgement.  I swear!  But, just in case you were overcome by the intense need to overachieve one weekend morning, I am including my husband’s recipe for homemade pancakes.
Make these fun pancake muffins with a side of this Brown Sugared Bacon, and I bet you can easily distract your husband, as well as the children, and sneak off for a well deserved nap.

What’s your favorite type of pancake?

Easy Muffin Tin Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups of flour
3 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon of sugar
1 1/4 Cups of milk
1 large egg
3 Tablespoons of canola oil
Assorted mix-in ingredients like fresh blueberries or chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. In large bowl combine dry ingredients
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add milk, egg, and oil
4. Stir to combine thoroughly
5. Spray muffin tin with baking spray
6. Fill each muffin cup about halfway up with pancake batter
7. Add in preferred mix-in
8. Cover mix-in with little more pancake batter
9. Bake in oven 20-25 minutes or until done

Kale, White Bean, Potato Soup-Candace

Yield
Makes 7 cups
Serves 6
Add to Shopping List
Ingredients
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves torn into small pieces (4 cups)
1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, drained and rinsed

Directions
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, and carrot until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add potatoes and 4 cups water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Mash half the contents of the pot until slightly thickened.

Add kale and beans and continue cooking until kale is tender, 6 to 8 minutes more.

 Drizzle with oil before serving.

Baked Broccoli Qunioa Bake-Candace

One 10 oz can condensed Cream of Broccoli soup (or mushroom), low-sodium if you prefer (*see note for gluten free)


2 tablespoons milk

1 1/4 cups reduced fat shredded cheese (cheddar, colby-jack, etc)



1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Dash freshly grated nutmeg

.
2 cups cooked broccoli

1 1/2 cups  COOKED quinoa (see note)

Feshly grated Parmesan cheese

.
To cook quinoa:

3/4 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

.
Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve until water runs clear.  In a small saucepan combine the quinoa, water, and salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for 18-20 minutes, or until fluffy and the white ring/tail is visible.  Fluff with a fork.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a shallow (8×8 in or 5-6 cups) casserole dish – or individual ramekins – with vegetable cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine the soup,  milk, shredded cheese,  pepper, and nutmeg until well mixed. Stir in the quinoa and broccoli.
Spoon mixture into prepared casserole.  Sprinkle on a couple tablespoons of Parmesan and bake for 35-40 minutes (20-25 minutes for ramekins) or until bubbly on the edges and golden.  Makes 8 generous 1/2-cup servings.

Per Serving: Calories 199,  Protein 10 g; Fat 9 g; NET Carbs 14 g; Fiber 2 g; Sugar 1 g; Sodium 297 mg

*NOTE FOR GLUTEN FREE…Progresso makes a Creamy Mushroom Soup that is gluten free…or  here is a recipe for a Cream of Anything Soup.  Haven’t tried it, (a comment-er  below did and loved it…) but it’s been a big hit on a Celiac/Gluten Free forum.)

.

Condensed “Cream of Anything” Soup

1 cup cold milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper

Instructions
In a small saucepan, whisk milk and cornstarch till well blended.
Stir in butter, bouillon, salt, and pepper.
Heat to a boil, stirring frequently. Simmer on low for one minute more to thicken.
Use in recipes to replace one can of cream of anything soup.

CONDENSED CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP:
Stir in a drained 4 ounce can of mushroom pieces to the recipe above.
Use in recipes in place of one can of Cream of Mushroom Soup.

CONDENSED CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP:
Stir in 1/2 cup cooked chicken pieces to the recipe above.
Use in recipes in place of one can of Cream of Chicken Soup.

CONDENSED CREAM OF CELERY SOUP
Stir in 1/2 cup sautéed chopped celery to the recipe above.
Use in recipes in place of one can of Cream of Celery Soup.

Korean Beef-Candace

Korean Beef
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (depending on how spicy you like it)
salt and pepper
1 bunch green onions, diced
Rice, cooked
Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown hamburger with garlic in the sesame oil. Drain most of the fat and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper and red peppers. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over steamed rice and top with green onions.