Rice Cooker Shrimp, Broccoli and Rice

Prep ahead then minor work for cooking. Good meal for when have a newborn around. Substitute favorite veggies as desired.

• 1-3 c rice (more for leftovers to make fried rice, less to have a single meal)
• head of broccoli
• frozen shrimp
• fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 1 carrot
• minced garlic
• soy sauce
• optional: red pepper flakes, ginger

1. Place rice in rice cooker.
2. Prep broccoli and place in steamer basket for the rice cooker.
3. Chop carrot. Slice mushrooms.
4. 30 min before wanting to serve dinner, add water to rice cooker and half the carrot. Set to cook.
5. 12 min before it's done (about 7-8 minutes in to cooking for my rice cooker), add the remaining carrot to the rice. Add the shrimp and mushrooms on top of the broccoli and place steamer on rice cooker.
6. When done, garnish the shrimp and broccoli with garlic and soy sauce to taste. Serve with the rice mixture.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler

The annual strawberry festival got MM and he came home with 14 pounds of strawberries! They need to be used up quickly, so made strawberry muffins (with 1.5 cups) and then this (using 3 cups). Put the cream cheese on 3/4 of it only so that Mom could have some cheese-free servings.

5/1/22 Made this for bbq and it went down well. DBD's favorite dessert of many.

• 1/4 c butter
  
• 1 c flour
• 1/2 c sugar
• 2 t powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 c milk
• 1 t vanilla
• 3 c strawberries, halved
• 1/2 package cream cheese (4 oz)

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
2. Place butter in 9x13 pan and place in oven (OR melt butter and pour in pan).
3. Mix flour through vanilla in a small bowl.
4. Pour into 9x13 pan over the butter.
5. Arrange strawberries in dish.
6. Cut cream cheese into small pieces over strawberries.
7. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.

Vegan Soft Serve

Really does turn out amazingly like real soft serve. I froze the bananas last night and then made the dessert at 6:30 pm and ate it at 8:30. Delicious!

• 3 bananas
• 2 T cocoa powder
• 1 t vanilla

1. Slice the bananas. Put in container and freeze for minimum 2 hours (overnight is ok).
2. Blend until smooth - at least 5 minutes. Or use a food processor if you have one for faster results. Using a blender will require pushing down the bananas every few pulses.
3. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and blend until combined.
4. Scoop back into container and place back in freezer.
5. Enjoy within a few hours.

NOTES

This supposedly needs to be eaten immediately as it will not freeze well.

Instead of cocoa powder+ vanilla, try oreo cookies or strawberries or chocolate chips or mint leaves.

Apricot Almond Loaf

XP wanted a bread with almonds so threw this in the bread machine just after breakfast. Didn't toast the almonds. Based on Sour Cherry Almond Loaf recipe from 300 Best Canadian Bread Machine Recipes.

• 1 1/3 c warm milk
• 1/2 t almond extract
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 t salt
• 2 T maple syrup
• 2 T canola oil
• 3 3/4 c flour (all purpose or bread*)
• 1 1/4 t yeast
• 2/3 c chopped apricots
• 2/3 c slivered almonds [toasted]

1. Place dough ingredients (not the apricots and almonds) in bread machine. Set to 2 lb Sweet Cycle, dark. 
2. At sound of beep, add the apricots and almonds.

NOTE

For toasting the almonds, set on baking sheet at 350F for 10 min. Remove when lightly browned. They'll continue to darken as they cool.

Variations

Use other dried fruits: blueberries, cranberries, apples, raisins, sour cherries

Date Nut Swirl Loaf/Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Made this sweet bread to have as an easy afternoon snack. XP loves dates and raisins so I put both in. Stored in the fridge to keep it from molding. I give it about 3 *s but XP would probably give it 4 or 5. Based on Cinnamon Walnut Swirl Loaf from 300 Best Canadian Bread Machine Recipes.
2018-2022 Been making this has a cinnamon raisin loaf for ages. Reduced sugar to 1 T brown sugar so not overly sweet. Stronger with ceylon cinnamon than regular. Chopped almonds usually.
Jan '23 Baked 2 loaves at once - one with pecans, the other nut free. One in bread pan, one free form.

• 1 c warm milk
  
• 1 egg
• 3/4 t salt
• 3 T sugar
• 2 T butter, room temp
• 3 c flour (all purpose or bread)
• 1.25 t yeast

Filling

• 4 oz dates, chopped [or raisins]
• 2 T brown sugar [1 T for less sweet version]
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts [or almonds, pumpkin seeds, pecans]

1. Place dough ingredients in bread machine and set to Dough Cycle.
2. Remove dough to lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10-15 min.
3. Roll out to 16x8 rectangle...or preferably 20x8 for even more raisins.
4. Spread filling to within half an inch of the edges. Roll short end tightly.
5. Place in greased 9x5 loaf pan. Cover and let rise for 30-45 min.
6. Poke several holes through the risen dough.
7. Bake at 350F for 40-50 min or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom.

Calzones

These freeze well. The juice from the tomato steams the raw broccoli.
9/18/16 Made these again. Half the dough into 6, the other half into 8 small ones. Dipped in pasta sauce for a meal.

Dough

• 1.5 c milk, warm
• 1.5 t salt
• 2 T sugar
• 3 T olive oil
• 3 2/3 c bread flour (or all purpose)
• 1 t yeast

1. Place ingredients in bread machine and set to Dough cycle.
2. Prepare filling (see below).
3. Divide dough into 10 pieces. Roll dough to 6" circles. 
4. Place filling in middle and fold over.
5. Bake on cookie sheet at 375F for 20-25 minutes (or until done - when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom). (If making 3" size, bake for 15-20 min.)
6. Serve with marinara sauce.

Filling

• broccoli florets, tomato, feta, parmesan, fresh basil
• mushroom, zucchini, mozzarella, sausage
• apple, ricotta, walnuts, almonds
• spinach, ricotta, peas, garlic
• ham, cheese

Chocolate Pudding

This was a craving about a month ago and I caved in a bakery and bought a cup. It was terrible. Very grainy in texture. I don't have the craving anymore but still have a healthy appreciation for chocolate pudding so tried my hand at this recipe today. It turned out nice and smooth. It was a little too sweet for me so I would reduce the sugar slightly next time.

1/31/22 Served this in 4 ramekins of unequal portions. It is incredibly filling. BDs liked it at first but XBD said it was too chocolatey. They split theirs over 2 days.

• 1/2 c sugar (or less)
• 3 T cocoa (may be heaping)
• 1/4 c cornstarch
• 1/8 t salt
• 2 3/4 c milk
• 2 T butter, room temp
• 1 t vanilla (or almond) extract

1. In a saucepan, sift together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt.
2. Over medium-low heat, add milk. Stir constantly. Bring to boil until mixture thickens (should stick to back of spoon). 
3. Remove from heat and add butter and extract.
4. Cool. Eat warm, refrigerate until chilled or freeze in popsicle molds.

Zucchini Feta Patties

The ground quinoa and walnuts in place of breadcrumbs intrigued me. I used a tiny sprig of French tarragon, and then added dried rosemary which is when I discovered the jar of dried tarragon. The combination was very tasty! XP had a few bites of each but wasn't overly enthralled (I did sell them to her as "cakes").

• 1/2 c uncooked quinoa
• 1/4 c chopped walnuts
• 2 zucchini (medium sized, about 4.5 c)
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 t minced garlic
• 3 T fresh tarragon (or parsley or rosemary)
• 1/2 t black pepper
• 1/4 t salt
• 3 oz feta (~2/3 c)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 T olive oil

1. Place quinoa in mini food processor and pulse for 1 min until finely ground.
2. Add walnuts and process until smooth.
3. Grate zucchini. Sprinkle with 1/4 t salt. Toss well. Place in strainer and let drain for 10 minutes.
4. Combine zucchini, garlic, parsley, pepper, 1/4 t salt, cheese, and eggs. 
5. Sprinkle quinoa mixture over mixture. Stir well.
6. Grease the pan with 1 T oil. Add four 1/4c-1/3c mounds of batter, flattening to 3" cakes. Cook ~4 min on each side until browned. Repeat for remaining batches batch.
7. Serve immediately.