December 16, 2024

Apple Spice Baked Oatmeal

January 1, 2016 by

Baked Oatmeal Dish

Happy New Year, everyone!  For me, the new year is a time to reflect on change, on growth, and on being grateful for all that you have.  If you haven’t heard, we are coming to the end of Girlfriends Coffee Hour.  I hope that in the years we’ve been sharing recipes here at At Home With GCH, you’ve seen something you might want to try; that you’ve experimented a bit in your kitchen and gone outside your comfort zone; and that you thought about cooking as a way to serve God by using the time and talents He gave you.  I have certainly enjoyed challenging myself to come up with new recipes each week to introduce to you, and getting to chat a bit with some of you in the comments section.  Even though GCH is ending, my cooking (and blogging) will continue, and I hope you will find me on Facebook to chat about food and share recipes with me!

For my last entry here on At Home With GCH, I present to you:  Apple Spice Baked Oatmeal!  As usual, I read over several recipes, made a few changes, and came up with something to call my own.  This was easy to make, and serves 6-8 for a hearty breakfast.  You can also make it the night before and reheat portions in the microwave.  This is a great way to start your day (or your year).  Bon apetit, my friends, and God Bless!

Apple Spice Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

  • coconut oil or butter for greasing your baking dish
  • 2 apples, chopped (no need to peel)
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup nuts, divided – Try walnuts or pecans.  I used whole almonds and let the kids crush them with my meat mallet!
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 stick butter, melted
  • vanilla yogurt, to serve

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325*F.  Grease your baking dish – mine was an oval dish, but you can use a deep 8″ or 9″ Pyrex.
  2. Spread the chopped apples in the bottom of your dish.
  3. Mix together the oats, sugar, 1/2 cup nuts, raisins, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and vanilla.  Stir in the oat mixture, then stir in the melted butter.
  5. Pour the oat mixture over the apples and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts.   Bake for about 45 minutes.  You want the oatmeal to be set and the top a bit golden and crusty.  Serve warm, with a big spoonful of vanilla yogurt on top.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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Turkey Tortilla Soup

December 29, 2015 by

A fitting final recipe contribution, I think.  When looking back through the past three years of healthy but oh-so-yummy recipes I’ve had the joy to blog here on At Home with GCH, soup recipes seemed to be my most often written.  (Makes sense, since my husband Robert loves soup more than anything!)  If you would like to review any of the others, just type ‘SoupPalooza’ into our search bar on the GCH homepage.

Now this recipe is one I have never made…but I know that many of you are fans of Chicken Tortilla Soup.   I switched it up  because I had a nice batch of homemade turkey stock…and some leftover turkey, too.  (This recipe could just as easily be made with traditional chicken and chicken broth or stock.)  And for those of you who like things spicy…simply add the whole can of chipotle in adobo sauce or a little finely-diced jalapeno tossed in when sauteeing the veggies.  Enjoy!

tkytortillasoup

Turkey Tortilla Soup

2 T olive oil
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 or 2 stalks celery, diced
1 red AND 1 green bell pepper, diced
1 medium zucchini, small dice
3 T chopped garlic
1 to 2 chipotle in adobo sauce, chopped (from a can)*
1 can chunky-diced tomatoes, 28 ounces
1 can tomato paste
1 can diced green chiles
5 cups turkey stock (homemade, or boxed)
2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)
2 cans black beans
2-3 cups shredded leftover turkey
garnishes:
2 cups corn tortilla chips, broken up into large pieces
1 cup shredded Monterey or pepper Jack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 red raw onion, chopped
1 ripe avocado, diced and dressed with the juice of 1/2 lemon

  • heat the olive oil in a medium stockpot over medium heat
  • add the onion, celery, zucchini, and diced peppers; cook, stirring occasionally ‘til softened and just beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes
  • add the chopped garlic, and seasonings, and cook for an additional 1 minute, stirring constantly
  • stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, green chiles, and stock; scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any cooked-on bits
  • bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, ‘til the broth has reduced by about a third…20 to 30 minutes
  • add in the corn, beans, and shredded turkey; continue to gently simmer ‘til heated through
  • carefully taste and add s&p if needed
  • turn heat off, and let sit for 15 minutes or so; prep garnishes while you wait
  • serve soup with garnishes alongside

 ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Ham Pate

December 18, 2015 by

ham pate

There are some things that you eat as a child that will always be welcome on your plate.  For instance, I love the green bean casserole – you know, that one with cream of mushroom soup and french-fried onions?  I know in my brain that it’s kind of gross, but my tongue, my heart, and my memory all enjoy it so much!  This recipe for Ham Pate is in that category.

When I was a kid, my Dad brought home a canned ham from work every year around Christmas.  I don’t know whether his boss gave it to him or if a client sent it to him – but you know the kind – not the best for eating…packed in a weird jelly…would last in a nuclear bunker for 50 years?  So my Mom, never one to waste food, made this recipe.  She used a hand-cranked meat grinder and mixed up a huge batch of this stuff.  It’s great on crackers, between two slices of bread, or just with a fork.  Low brow?  Yes, but definitely worth a try (especially if you have leftover holiday ham)!

Ham Pate

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ham
  • 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 4 to 6 ounces whipped cream cheese
  • 3 teaspoons prepared horseradish
  • 4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
  • squeeze of lemon
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Blend the ham in a food processor until broken down a lot.  Blend in all of the other ingredients.  Taste for seasoning.  You may want to add more pickle relish, if you like it sweeter, or more lemon and salt if you like it more savory.  You can also add plain yogurt if you like it creamier.  Eat it on a fork, spoon it on a cracker, and adjust to suit your tastes.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

December 15, 2015 by

Cookies…such a lovely tradition of giving during the Christmas holidays.  There are cookies to make for exchanges. There are cookies to make to fill tins and baskets that are given to friends and loved ones.  There are cookies to make for the cookie monsters in your own home!

2013-12-15 23.12.46

Chocolate Chip cookies seem to be a big-time favorite; how about at your house?  My recipe for Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies starts off with making a basic mix. This is a great recipe to double (even triple!) so that you can make a batch AND have the basic mix ready to quickly throw together another batch!  Or perhaps you could take the second batch and put into a large Mason jar and gift someone with it! And we (the grandkids and I) have been known to leave out the chocolate chips (oh!no!) and substitute another mix-in such as mini M&M’s or some chopped nuts.   Here are a couple of recipes I found on the web for various types of mix-ins; some of these are so interesting!   Have fun!

relish.com – Chocolate Chip Cookies 7 ways
FoodNetwork.com – 10 mix-ins to update your Chocolate Chip cookies
huffingtonpost.com – 12 ways to make your Chocolate Chip cookies even better

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie MIX
(makes approximately 4 cups; enough for 4 dozen cookies)

ingredients:
2+1/4 cups good quality all-purpose gluten-free flour blend
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup coconut sugar (or table sugar)
12 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

directions:
place all ingredients (EXCEPT for the chocolate chips) into a large bowl and whisk together well.  if using immediately, pour in the chocolate chips. if not, pour the mix into a storage jar and add the chocolate chips right on top; seal well.

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

2013-12-15 21.25.04

ingredients:
1 batch of above GF Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
8 tablespoons butter (unsalted), room temperature
2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
1+1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (NOT imitation, please!)

directions:

  • preheat oven to 325.  line two (2) large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside
  • using a hand or stand mixer, beat together the room temperature butter and eggs ‘til thoroughly incorporated; stir in the vanilla
  • pour 4 cups (or one batch) of the Cookie Mix into a very large bowl. by hand, stir in the liquid ingredients to thoroughly blend
    add the chocolate chips (or mix-in of your choice); stir ‘til evenly distributed
  • drop balls of dough (approximately 1+1/4″) onto the prepared baking sheets.  place the baking sheets (one at a time) into the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up
  • after the chill time, put cookies (one sheet at a time) into the oven
  • bake for 12-14 minutes (depending on the size of your dough balls) or ‘til the bottoms are beginning to brown
  • remove from the oven. (I carefully lift the parchment from the cookie sheet directly onto a cooling rack—works beautifully!)
    when cookies are thoroughly cooled, store in an airtight tin or jar.  whether you and your loved ones eat ’em or share ’em…enjoy!

*To make these cookies dairy-free, simply substitute 1 stick of butter-flavor shortening for the 8 tablespoons of butter; and purchase chocolate chips with no milk or milk products.  I use the Ghiradelli or the Enjoy Life brands.

 ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

Merry Christmas from Mr. hayden and I!

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Korean Beansprout Soup (Kong Namul Guk)

December 11, 2015 by

kong namul guk

One of the best parts of winter is enjoying all the warming soups, stews, and other comfort foods.  This Korean Beansprout Soup (Kong Namul Guk) is just what the doctor ordered if you’r sick, or just what your tummy ordered if you’re not!

Some recipes call for an anchovy and seaweed broth, but I prefer this soup with a beef broth.  You can either use canned or homemade beef broth, or my favorite – bone broth.  Serve this soup with a scoop of cooked rice for a traditional Korean breakfast, or any time you need to warm up.

Korean Beansprout Soup (Kong Namul Guk)

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 4 ounces beef, sliced fine into small pieces (or you can chop up a leftover hamburger – not traditional, but it’s delicious!)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups beef broth, bone broth, or other broth of your choice
  • 8 ounces beansprouts
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • cooked rice, green onions, sesame seeds, dried chili pepper flakes to serve

Directions:

  1. In a large pot with a lid, heat the sesame oil and add the meat, stirring to cook through.  (If you are using leftover cooked beef, just sauté quickly.)  Add the minced garlic and stir for a minute or two – don’t let it burn!
  2. Add the broth.  Bring it to a simmer.
  3. Wash and sort through the bean sprouts – get rid of any that are discolored or mushy.   Add to the broth and cook, covered, for about ten minutes.
  4. Add soy sauce and taste for salt.  Serve with rice, green onions, sesame seeds, and chili pepper flakes, if desired.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

 

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Apricot Lamb Roast

December 8, 2015 by

Oh!  If only there were a way to share with you the aroma that filled the house when this was cooking away in the CrockPot…delectable! (But there is not…so…if you want to smell it you will just have to make this meal yourself!)  My husband loves lamb!  It is a bit of an indulgence, but he deserves it!  This is a super-easy meal to put together, too!  I served it with this Sweet Potato – Spinach Mash.  This meal fit well into our healthy but oh-so-yummy POV also.  Full of protein, low-carb…and delish!  And if apricots are not your thing, this is equally delicious made with dried figs…soooo good!  Enjoy!

CrockPot Apricot Lamb Roast

2015-04-06 20.16.16

ingredients:
3-4# boneless lamb roast
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons spicy mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup (or more) dried apricots (or dried figs)
1 medium sweet onion, cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup pitted green olives
2-4 teaspoons cornstarch (or your favorite gravy thickener)
1/2 – 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (optional)

directions:

  • use a small CrockPot (I used my 2-quart insert); turn it on and put the lid on to begin warming it up
  • add the onions, olives, and apricots to the bottom of the insert
  • in a small bowl, combine mustard, honey, garlic, the spices, lemon zest, and lemon juice; stir with a spoon to form a paste
  • rub this on all sides of the lamb roast; place into the CrockPot liner on top of the fruit and veggies
  • cover and cook on low for 8 hours (you can check it with a meat thermometer, if you’d like, but I usually cook ‘til it’s very tender and falling apart)
  • remove the meat; slice, and keep warm
  • skim off (and discard) as much fat as you can (just use a small ladle)
  • using an immersion blender right in the CrockPot liner, puree the fruit and veggies into a smooth sauce
  • you can add the cornstarch to thicken as you puree, and/or a bit of sour cream

NOTE: the juices can be served as a simple au jus spooned over the meat, or you could even make a quick gravy!

♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Roasted Potato and Cabbage Salad

December 4, 2015 by

potato cabbage salad

I found this delicious recipe here and I’m so glad I did!  This Roasted Potato and Cabbage Salad makes use of winter veggies to create a hearty and healthy side dish.  Next time I make this, I plan to add either raisins or another dried fruit, maybe diced apricots; I think a bit of added sweetness would set off the herbs and cabbage wonderfully.  Eat this with eggs cooked to your liking for a light supper.

Roasted Potato and Cabbage Salad
(recipe courtesy of www.eyecandypopper.com)

Ingredients:

  • 8 small potatoes (use different colors!)
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 or two tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1/2 head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • handful of almonds, crushed or chopped coarsely (I used pumpkin seeds)
  • fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450*F.  Wash potatoes and sweet potato, slice thickly, and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil.  Line a pan with parchment paper and bake for about 25 minutes.  Take care they don’t burn!
  2. While the potatoes bake, prepare the dressing:  in a resealable container, shake together the mustard, vinegar, tahini, maple syrup, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
  3. Slice the cabbage and onion very thinly.  Put them in a large bowl and toss with the dressing.
  4. When the potatoes are roasted, remove from the oven and let cool 5-10 minutes, then toss into the salad.  Top salad with almonds and cilantro (and next time I’m adding dried fruit here too!)

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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Thanksgiving Leftovers – Stuffing with Baked Eggs

December 1, 2015 by

Sometimes eating Thanksgiving leftovers can be just as enjoyable as the original meal…AND without all the work!  Do you agree?  Dana shared some great ideas with us for the leftover turkey (click here to see her post).  And, with leftovers, you can get a little more creative and imaginative than with the original, traditional meal sometimes.

This Stuffing with Baked Eggs is a VERY simple way to use some of the leftover stuffing.  Here is a link to a recipe for Cornbread Stuffing  that I shared a couple of weeks ago.

And who doesn’t like a nice runny egg? (Ok, maybe someone…but you know!)  The eggs just add a richness to the stuffing.  So tasty and comforting!  I simply baked this in an ovenproof skillet…but it would be so cute baked in individual ramekins, don’t you think?  Oh…I would love to hear of y.o.u.r. favorite way to serve the Thanksgiving leftovers!  Enjoy!

2015-11-23 20.22.29

Leftover Stuffing with Baked Eggs

ingredients:
4-5 cups (or more!) leftover stuffing
2 tablespoons butter
chicken stock
4-6 eggs (2 per customer!)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

directions:

  • preheat oven to 400
  • over medium-high heat melt butter in a large OVENPROOF saute pan/skillet
  • when pan is hot, crumble the stuffing into the pan and gently press down into a thick patty (if the stuffing is dry, add some of the chicken stock around the edges to help steam it)
  • cook for 5 minutes or so to crisp up the underside of the stuffing and warm it through
  • turn heat off and gently break the eggs right onto the top of the stuffing patty (be sure to keep them separated)
  • season the eggs generously with s&p
  • place ovenproof skillet into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or so…but JUST ’til the egg whites have firmed up keeping the yolks slightly runny
  • remove from oven and sprinkle the cheese over top
  • allow to sit for 5 minutes or so before serving.

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥ 

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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Thankful for Turkey!

November 27, 2015 by

Chinese-Chicken-Salad-Resize

Hi Ladies,

I’m sitting here with a belly full of food.  I bet when you read this, you will still have lots of food in your refrigerator from yesterday!  Thanksgiving is such a lovely day to spend with family and friends, eating turkey (and lots of other good foods) and enjoying some time together.  And then comes the day after …

So you don’t want to make a whole new meal, but you probably don’t want to eat exactly the same thing you did on Thanksgiving for three or four or five days afterward as you eat up your leftovers.  I made a list of links to recipes  on our website that you can make with leftover turkey.  I know – that was so thoughtful of me!  ;- }

See if there’s anything you like down here, or share in the comments your family’s leftover turkey preparation of choice.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful for Turkey!

Turkey Veggie Soup

Turkey Fajitas Salad

Tom Kha Gai

Grilled Chicken (Turkey) Supper Salad

Pineapple Chicken (or Turkey) Salad

Curry Chicken (or Turkey) Stew

Chicken (0r Turkey) Enchiladas

Chinese Chicken (or Turkey) Salad

{That should take care of at least a dinner or two, right?}

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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Gingerbread Cupcakes

November 24, 2015 by

2014-11-30 20.38.40

For our family’s Thanksgiving Feast (as the grandchildren call it!), we always divvy up of the different dishes that make up our spread.  This year, Robert and I are hosting the Feast at our home, so mine is the turkey to prepare (I always use Alton Brown’s Brined Turkey recipe), along with gluten-free gravy and the stuffing (see my recipe I shared here a couple of weeks ago).   My daughter, Kassia and her mother-in-law Mary Ann are divvy-ing up the sides and salads!  And we each are making a dessert…these spicy-sweet Gingerbread Mini-Cupcakes are my contribution.  Oh, they are so darling!  And just the perfect mouthful (and I mean FULL).  <Of course you certainly could make these in a standard cupcake size, too!>

For those of you who are just beginning to follow the path of gluten-free baking, try this recipe.  When I first made these cupcakes, I used a ‘gf all-purpose flour blend.’ You can pick up a box in the gluten-free section of almost any grocery store. However, if you have a pantry filled with jars of different gluten-free flours, I used ** 1/2 cup brown rice flour, 1/4 cup tapioca flour, 1/4 cup potato starch, 1/4 cup hazelnut flour).  Note that these cupcakes are dairy-free if you prepare them with coconut oil…and of course no whipped cream!

This is a quick recipe to pull together…and the mini-cupcakes only take 10-12 minutes to bake.  We will have ours with Spiced Whipped Cream (see the recipe  here).  But they are equally yummy with a cream cheese frosting or a simple buttercream frosting, too.  Enjoy!

2014-11-29 22.51.34

Mini Gingerbread Cupcakes

ingredients:
1+1/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour blend **(see above)
1+1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature (I used coconut oil)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water

directions:

  • set out the butter (or coconut oil) and egg to come to room temperature
  • fill muffin/cupcake tins with liners (mini = 30; regular = 12)
  • preheat oven to 350
  • mix flour(s) and spices together in a small bowl
  • with mixer, cream together butter (or coconut oil) and sugar
  • add egg, then molasses; beating ‘til nice and creamy
  • microwave the water in a measuring cup ‘til boiling; remove and <carefully> stir in the baking soda; set aside to cool slightly
  • add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl, and blend for about 1 minute ‘til it all comes together
  • continue to blend while pouring in the water; beat for an additional minute or so (batter will seem thin but it very quickly thickens up)
  • fill lined cupcake tins about 3/4 full with batter
  • bake minis for 10-12 minutes (regular-sized for 20 minutes), or ‘til firm to the touch and slightly browned
  • take pan from oven and immediately remove cupcakes to a cooling rack
  • once completely cool, frost as desired

 ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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