Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond Clusters - Costco Copy-Cat - Make your own and save some money!

Dark Chocolate Almond Cherry Clusters

We bought these at Costco and loved them. They are very easy to make yourself. I like portioning them out with a mini cookie scoop, they look professionally made that way.

I think these are best with tart dried cherries, otherwise known as pie cherries. I find lightly sweetened dried tart cherries at Costco. Costco usually has the roasted whole almonds too.

I love using Lakanto's new sugar-free dark chocolate, which was formulated by my amazing mom. It really is the best, plus it's healthy!

Enjoy the benefits of the antioxidants and protein packed in these little babies.


Almond Cherry Clusters Recipe:

16 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate (like a 72%)
8 to 10 ounces dry-roasted whole almonds (salted is o.k.)
8 to 10 ounces dried TART cherries


Method:

Melt and temper the chocolate.
Stir in the almonds and cherries.
Drop by Tablespoonfuls onto parchment or silicone lined cookie sheets.
Cool in the fridge, in front of a fan, or outside if its cool.
Store airtight once set up.

Makes 2 cookie sheetfuls.


Note: To save money, alter the ratio of almonds to the cherries, to cut costs.
ie. 16-oz chocolate, 12-oz almonds, 8-oz cherries, works well.



Enjoy!

Leila.

Broccoli Stem Salad - A delicious unique salad recipe - Easy to make and very good for you

Flaked Broccoli Stem Salad

Finally a great use for those broccoli stems you don't know what to do with. When you are preparing broccoli, reserve the stems for this salad. It's yummy.

I had this salad at my parents house in 2005. It's another of my mom's creations. It is very high in fiber and makes a great lunch or side. The texture is great, and there is an array of complimentary flavors, like sweet, tangy, savory... YUM.

Look on this blog for the recipe for Dad's Dressing. It is very easy to make and is preferred for this salad.


FLAKED BROCCOLI STEM SALAD RECIPE:

1 pound raw broccoli stems, peeled and flaked into 1 1/2-inch lengths (can use a sharp vegie peeler)
1/2 to 2/3 c. cubed roma tomatoes, or 2 to 4 T. flavored sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Pitted black olives, to taste

Dad's Dressing, to taste

Garnish: Pine nuts, "Crispy Walnuts", or Spicy Seasoned Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)


Method:

Mix up the salad to taste, toss with "Dad's dressing", and garnish as desired.
Serve immediately.



Note:

See the recipe for "Crispy Soaked Almonds", to see how to make in advance the Crispy walnuts. the process is the same. Our method makes walnuts have a much better taste and texture!

Enjoy,

Leila

Red & Green Italian Salad - A delicious hearty Italian salad with an easy homemade dressing

Red & Green Italian Salad

This is a hearty beautiful salad and can make a meal by itself. It is something different to take on a picnic or pot-luck.

This is an easy recipe to adjust for specific diets like paleo, low-carb, vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free. Use gluten-free pasta or omit the pasta altogether if you want to. Omit the cheese if you avoid dairy.


RED & GREEN ITALIAN SALAD Recipe:

Salad Ingredients:

1 can jumbo pitted black olives
2 c. cooked gluten-free large shell macaroni, or other shape if desired
1 4-ounce jar pimentos with juice, sliced into strips
4 to 5 small zucchini, sliced thick
1 quart lightly steamed broccoli, cut into uniform bite-sized pieces
1 quart lightly steamed cauliflower, cut into uniform bite-sized pieces
1 medium red onion, sliced in rings
1 to 2 dozen small mushrooms, stemmed and sliced in half

Dressing ingredients:

1/2 c. good olive oil, or more
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1 to 2 garlic cloves, well smashed
1/2 to 1 t. sweet paprika
1 t. fennel seed (soaked in water to soften, then drained)
1 t. dried oregano
BioSalt, to taste (recipe on this blog)
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Mozzarella or Jack cheese, cubed, optional

Garnish:

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional


Method:

In a large bowl, toss the salad ingredients together.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the salad dressing ingredients together. Season it well.

Pour the well-mixed dressing over the salad ingredients and toss together thoroughly.

Marinate 1 hour.

Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese, if desired.


Note: You can serve this salad on a bed of lettuce.


Enjoy,

Leila

Best Old Fashioned Fruit Ice Cream

Here is another family favorite summer recipe... The BEST ice cream ever!

This old fashioned ice cream is the ultimate warm weather comfort food. The variety of fruit flavors are balanced perfectly in this ice cream. There is great texture from the generous chunks of fruit and the fresh citrus brightens it up beautifully. Then there is the perfect amount of rich whipping cream to make it truly decadent. You will love it! We use one of those old-fashioned ice cream makers that use rock salt and allow you to make a large batch. I like to make this ice cream for family birthday parties, other holidays, and summer Sunday dinners...


Best Old Fashioned Fruit Ice Cream Recipe:

3 c. whipping cream
3 c. milk
3 c. sugar
1 t. real vanilla
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 3 oranges
juice of 3 lemons
3 bananas, chopped
1 can crushed pineapple and it's juice AND/OR 1 c. cut up strawberries
pinch sea salt
1/2 t. guar gum, optional


Method:

Premix the guar gum into the sugar, if using and then mix everything together.
Freeze in a large ice cream freezer.


Variation:

1 quart milk
1 pint half-and-half
1 pint whipping cream
2 c. canned milk
4 1/2 c.sugar
3 lemons, juiced
2 cans frozen strawberries
4 bananas, mashed
pinch of sea salt


Enjoy,

Leila.

Winona Mordu's Old Fashioned Whole Wheat Cake (with a reduced sugar variation)

This easy and unique snack cake is very moist and delicious - And much healthier than most other cakes!

The rich pecan topping gives a great twist to a whole wheat cake, keeping it moist and tender inside. The spices in it remind me of a great spice cake, and I like that it is higher in fiber and has more complex carbohydrates than a regular cake made with white flour. Don't let the cream and butter throw you, these fats actually slow down the absorption of the sugars here. Fats also keep cakes moist and tender. Just please do not use hydrogenated shortening! Again, I recommend using salted butter, not unsalted butter for best flavor.

This cake comes from my childhood. My mom made it frequently and I still love it to this day. Who was Winona Mordu? She is the woman my mom got this recipe from, when she was a young woman. The cake has kept her name ever since. Thank you Winona, where ever you are...



Winona Mordu's Whole Wheat Cake Recipe:

CAKE:
3 c. freshly ground whole wheat flour
3/4 c. oil (rice bran oil or liquid deodorized coconut oil)
2 c. dark brown sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
1 c. buttermilk
1 t. sea salt or BioSalt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
2 t. real vanilla extract
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 t. cloves
1/4 t. fresh ground black pepper

TOPPING:
1/4 c. cream
1/4 c. butter
2 c. dark brown sugar
2 T. dark corn syrup
1 c. chopped pecans, or more to taste


Method:

CAKE:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix in a bowl: oil, sugars, eggs, salt, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and spices.
Then add the flour and buttermilk and mix together.
Pour batter into a 9 X 13-inch pan and bake from about 40 to 45 minutes. Check the cake at 30 minutes. Do not over bake the cake.
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool 5 minutes before adding the topping.

TOPPING:
Combine the cream, butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Boil hard 1 minute.
Pour and spread the hot topping over the hot cake
Immediately sprinkle the top with all the chopped pecans it will hold.
Let the cake cool to room temperature before slicing into.

TIP: Toasting the fresh pecans first improves the flavor further.


Reduced Sugar Variation:

CAKE:
Substitute 3 1/4 c. finely ground whole wheat flour for the 3 cup whole wheat flour.
Substitute  1 1/4 c. fructose plus 1/2 c. dark molasses for the dark brown sugar.
Substitute 2 T. cinnamon for the 2 t. cinnamon.

Proceed with the rest of the recipe as directed above.

TOPPING:
Instead of the topping above mix together:
2/3 c. fructose, 2/3 c. sorghum sweetener, 2 T. cream, 3 T. butter.

Cook topping as directed above and top the cake as instructed.


Enjoy!

Leila.

Refreshing Homemade Frozen Fruit Cocktail (2 Variations)

Enjoy this refreshing fruity treat this summer and cool down with style. 

This is a hit at family gatherings and parties. You can vary the fruits to your liking and use what's in season. Just make sure you use ripe sweet fruit for the best results.

I have yet to make this sugar-free. When I do convert this recipe, I will use fresh pineapple chunks instead of canned. I will also use fresh lemon juice and then I will sweeten it with a mixture of erythritol, xylitol, and add a little stevia glycerite to taste.

There are 2 versions below. The first recipe calls for more varieties of fruit and makes a bulk batch. The second recipe is smaller and the ingredients are simplified. Have fun playing with both.

Homemade Fruit Cocktail Recipe:

4 to 6 c. sugar
4 c. water
3 pounds peaches (about 12-15 medium)
3 pounds pears (12-15 medium)
3 pounds seedless grapes
5 bananas, optional
1 can pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved
Maraschino cherries, optional
1 12-ounce can frozen lemonade


Method:

Boil the sugar and water together until syrupy. Let cool!
Cut up the fruit into bite-sized pieces.
To cooked syrup add 1 can unsweetened pineapple juice and 1 12-ounce can frozen lemonade (undiluted). Mix together well.
Pour over fruit and gently mix together.
Freeze in pint-sized freezer bags, about 2 1/2 cups to a bag.


To Serve:

Pull a bag out of the freezer and let soften a bit.
Serve when still a bit frozen with 7-UP (soda) in a serving glass.
Alternately, serve on a lettuce leaf.
Or serve as a dessert with sherbet and 7-UP or Sprite.


Homemade Fruit Cocktail Recipe # 2:

3 pounds peaches (about 12-15 medium)
2 c. sugar
1 pound seedless grapes
1 #21-can crushed pineapple (1 2/3 c.)
2 lemons, juiced (about 1/2 c.)
Maraschino cherries, optional


Method:

Peel peaches and cut into bite-size pieces.
Sprinkle the peaches with the sugar and allow to stand while preparing the rest of the fruits.
Wash and stem the grapes and stir into the peaches along with the remaining ingredients.
Freeze in pint-sized freezer bags, about 2 1/2 cups to a bag.


To Serve:

Pull a bag out of the freezer and let soften a bit.
Serve when still a bit frozen with 7-UP (soda) in a serving glass.
Alternately, serve on a lettuce leaf.
Or serve as a dessert with sherbet and 7-UP or Sprite.


Enjoy,

Leila.

Kettle Turkey Pot Roast (tastes like beef!) - Copy Cat Chuck-A-Rama Recipe

Kettle Turkey Pot Roast

Imagine tender chunks of savory turkey that fool you into thinking you are eating slow simmered roast beef! 

I LOVE this recipe. My family loves this recipe. I think you will love it too.

Chuck-A-Rama does a great job of making their kettle turkey pot roast. Have you had it? It's by the roast beef, you must try it. It tastes like very tender roast beef with yummy carrots and potatoes, swimming in a tasty broth.

I have also had another version of this at a restaurant I can't remember the name of, that was equally delicious. This version version had a delicious thicker gravy and a ton of black pepper - zowie! A bit much for tender mouths. Chuck-A-Rama's Kettle Turkey has a much thinner brothy sauce that is delicious, but makes a lousy gravy, since it just runs off everything.

I decided it was time for me to recreate a version at home that is the best of both worlds. I wanted a thicker gravy-like sauce that wasn't quite so peppery. I wanted the big chunks of tender fall-apart meat. I wanted it to taste beefy, not like turkey. And I wanted lots of carrot and potato chunks too.

I'm thrilled with the results and my family loves it. I created this recipe around 2008,and I have made it when ever I see turkey thighs being sold at my local market. It's great that you do not have to thaw the meat first. This recipe is very forgiving, as you will see with the 2 variations I have listed below the recipe.




Crock Pot Turkey Pot Roast:

1 large onion, diced into cubes
2-3 turkey thighs (about 3 to 4 lbs, frozen)
1 t. seasoned salt, to taste
60 grinds fresh black pepper
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1 envelope dry Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1-2 t. organic beef base
1/4 c. sherry cooking wine, optional
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. Herbs de Province
1 bay leaf, optional
2 3/4 c. water
1 3-ounce package brown gravy mix (or mushroom)
12 carrots, peeled and cut into big chunks
6 to 8 potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, cut into big chunks
4 to 6 ribs celery, cut into big chunks, optional


Method:

Place the cubed onion in the bottom of a large oval shaped crock pot.

Season the frozen or thawed turkey thighs with seasoned salt and pepper. Place in the crock pot on top of the onions.

Add to the crock pot the garlic, onion soup mix, beef base, sherry, Worcestershire, Herbs de Province, bay leaf, and water.

Cover and cook 3 or more hours (until the meat is fall-of-the-bones tender).

Lift meat out of the crock pot and remove skin and bones, leaving big chunks of meat. Set aside.

To the crock pot add the package of brown gravy mix. Stir to combine with the hot liquid remaining in the crock pot.

Add all of the chunked carrots, potatoes, and celery to the crock pot. Toss to coat with the sauce.

Return the boned turkey to the crock pot. Lay the meat on top and gently spoon some of the sauce over top.

Place lid on crock pot and cook another hour or so, until the vegetables are tender.

Add more water as desired. Check for salt before serving.


Alternate Methods:

Alternate Method # 1 (Use this if you want to cook the meat ahead of time, my favorite method):

Right before you go to bed: Place the diced onions in the bottom of the crock pot. Lay the frozen turkey thighs on top. Season the meat with the salt and pepper. Pour in about 1 cup of water and put on the lid. Cook on low while you sleep. In the morning, remove the meat and remove the skin and bones and set aside. Mix the rest of the ingredient listed together, tossing the vegetables well to coat. Lay the big chunks of turkey on top. Spoon sauce over the meat. Cover and cook on lowest setting until the vegetables are tender. Add water as desired. Taste for salt before serving.

Alternate Method # 2 (use this method is you are going to be gone all day):

Dump all of the sauce ingredients and into the crock pot, starting with the water, onion soup mix, brown gravy mix, beef base, sherry, Worcestershire sauce, Herbs de Province, bay leaf, onions, and garlic. Stir well. Season the frozen or thawed turkey thighs with the seasoned salt and pepper and nestle into the sauce, spooning sauce over top. Lay all the vegetable chunks on top. Cover and cook on low until meat is tender. Remove the meat and skin and de-bone. Place back into the crock pot and gently stir before serving.

Moki is hoping for a turkey treat! Please mom???

Moki has been such a good patient boy...

Enjoy, 

Leila