Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Bars

Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Bars
BY BETTY CROCKER

Base and Topping
2 1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats 1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar 1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup butter, softened
Filling
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated) 1/4 cup peanut butter 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 (6-oz.) pkg. (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts
1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2 In large bowl, combine all base and topping ingredients; mix at low speed until crumbly. Reserve 2 cups of crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture in bottom of sprayed pan to form base.
3 In small bowl, combine condensed milk, peanut butter and vanilla; mix until well blended. Pour mixture evenly over base. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and peanuts. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over top; press down gently.
4 Bake at 350°F. for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Center will not be set. Cool 1 hour 15 minutes or until completely cooled. Cut into bars.

Mushroom and beef stew

Stewing steak
Mushroom
Bouquet garni
Red wine
Carrot
2 Chicken stock cube
1 veg stock cube
Roasted garlic and Parsley stock pot
Chuck in slowcooker

To die For Blueberry Muffins

"These muffins are extra large and yummy with the sugary-cinnamon crumb topping. I usually double the recipe and fill the muffin cups just to the top edge for a wonderful extra-generously-sized deli style muffin. Add extra blueberries too, if you want!" - Colleen

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

 1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
3. To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Rosehip syrup

Rosehips are the fruits of the wild rose and should be a deep red colour, with the flower stamens drying at the top. Look in hedgerows and thickets from now until the end of October, but watch for the sharp thorns! 

Use them to make rosehip syrup, jams, or infuse to make a rosehip tea. 

Per teaspoon12 calories; 0g fat. Will keep for 6 months in a cool place.

Ingredients

• 700g (1lb 7oz) fresh rosehips
• 600g (1¼lb) granulated sugar
• 1-2tsp rose water, optional
• 2-3tsp lemon juice, optional

Method

1. Wash the rosehips, removing any damaged fruit and carefully snip the calyx (the enlarged tube just below the sepals) off each. Put the hips in a pan and cover with water, then simmer for 20 mins until soft.
2. Strain into a bowl through a fine sieve and return the pulp to the pan, adding about the same amount of water and repeat for a second and third extraction. Strain all the fluid through muslin in the sieve this time.
3. Measure the 'juice' into a clean pan and add the sugar. Add the rose water and lemon juice to taste, if using, and simmer for a further 20-25 mins, until syrupy, removing the froth with a large metal spoon.
4. Pour into sterilised bottles and seal when cold. Use the syrup as a drink, made up with water, or serve on pancakes, or with thick yogurt or ice cream.

 

Creamy Curry

This makes a large pan full of delicious, creamy curry.
Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 heaped tsp each of turmeric, coriander, ground cinnamon, and cumin
2 tsp of garam masala curry powder
1 small turnip, diced
1 large parsnip, diced
1 sweet potato, diced
8 new potatoes, quartered
a handful of French beans, chopped
1 courgette, diced
½ red pepper, diced
1 red chilli (to taste), chopped
½ small cauliflower, diced
2 x 400ml tins coconut milk
80g sultanas
80g ground almonds
Method

Fry the onion garlic in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the turmeric, coriander, ground cinnamon, cumin, and garam masala curry powder. Stir well and add more oil if required.

Now add the vegetables. Stir well and cook covered for 5 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Finally add the sultanas and ground almonds, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Carry on simmering for another 15 minutes.

Notes

Serve with basmati rice or chips! Delicious!

Zoë's Vegetarian Chili, Slow Cooker or Crockpot Recipe

 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked kidney beans, with 6 cups cooking liquid
• OR: 3 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed, plus 6 cups water or stock
• 1 cup bulgar or cracked wheat
• One 6 oz can unsalted tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Optional: 1 can crushed or chopped tomatoes
• Optional: Hot sauce to taste
• Optional: 1 medium red onion, peeled, quartered and diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 cup brown lentils

• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced small
• 1 jalapeno peppers, halved, seeded, and minced - approx. 1 Tbsp ((add another for more heat)
• 1 - 2 Tbsp fresh ginger (2 - 4 thin slices) peeled & minced, OR 1 tsp dried
• 2 - 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (approx. 1 Tbsp)
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder to make it mild, 1 tsp to make it hot, more to make it fiery
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 2 tsp each: paprika, gr. cumin, coriander

• 1 tsp each: dried thyme, basil, oregano
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 c. minced parsley or cilantro
• 2 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos, or low sodium soy sauce
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Cooking Kidney beans:

1. 1 cup dried dark red kidney beans
2. Soak 4 hours in hot water, or overnight
3. Drain, rinse, add 6 cups unsalted water
4. Bring to a boil, skim foam, cover and simmer 2 hours

Chili Directions:

1. Add bulgar & tomato paste to lentils and kidney beans + cooking liquid or water
2. Add bay leaf and cinnamon stick
3. Return to boil, cover and simmer
4. Preheat sauté pan or frying pan on medium-low and add oil
5. Prep veggies
6. Sauté minced garlic, ginger and jalapeno on medium heat for 5 minutes
7. Add remaining veggies and sauté 5 more minutes
8. Add remaining spices, sauté another five minutes
9. Transfer the veggies to the bean + bulgar mix, cook another 30 minutes
10. Add corn, parsley or cilantro, and braggs or soy sauce to taste
11. Cook for a few more minutes and serve

Slow Cooker or Crockpot Chili Directions:

1. Turn an 8 - 10 qt crockpot on high
2. Add cooked beans, cooking liquid or water, bulgar or cracked wheat, lentils, tomato paste, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick to the crockpot
3. After sautéing the veggies & spices, transfer them to the slow cooker
4. Reduce crockpot heat to low, cover and cook 4 - 6 hrs
5. Add corn, minced parsley or cilantro, Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce to taste. Cover and cook for another 1/2 hr on high heat.

Cooking Tips

Vegetarian chili is a great vegan meal by itself, or with salad and cornbread. Good with sour cream or parmesan cheese - non-dairy or dairy. You can also use black beans in this recipe, or a mixture of red chili beans & black beans, as pictured.

Note: If you're going to soak and cook beans, it's worth making extra, to freeze in small amounts for future meals (think soup).

Yummy Vegan Chocolate cake

ingredients

Makes: 36 cupcakes or 1 x 23cm (9in) cake

420g plain flour

400g muscovado/ dark brown sugar

6Tbsp cocoa powder

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

500ml water

200ml sunflower oil

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 180°C

method

Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and stir together

Make a well in the centre and add the remaining  ingredients.

Mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into cupcake cakes or a greased and lined tin

Bake – 20 mins for cupcakes or 1 hour for cake

As you can see the cake is very easy to bake – it’s also moist and delicious so why not give it a try!

Happy Baking