Belgian Waffles with Salted Caramel Sauce

We have a new favorite breakfast...

Salted Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

3 1/2 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp fleur de sel salt

In a heavy medium saucepan stir the water and sugar until dissolved. Increase heat and boil without stirring until the syrup is a golden amber color, 8-10 minutes. (You can wet the sides of the pan with a pastry brush and swirl pan if it starts to burn.) Add heavy cream and stir over low heat (mixture will boil and sieze, but keep until it is all blended again). Remove from heat, and add butter and fleur de sel. Pour sauce into a serving pitcher or bowl and set aside to cool. You can make this a day ahead and keep in the fridge. Warm slightly before serving.

Waffles

1 3/4 cup flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 2/3 skim milk

2 large eggs

6 Tbsp melted butter, slightly cooled

Whisk all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Add milk mixture to dry mixture in large bowl and whisk until batter is smooth.

Heat Belgian waffle iron. Spray lightly with cooking spray and pour about 1/2 cup batter over each waffle section. Close waffle iron and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Serve waffles with fruit and caramel sauce. Yum!

Roasted Beets!

This is for Robin and Eleanor...who made me suddenly love beets!

Roasted Beets

3 large beets
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 Tbsp raspberry vinegar
juice of half an orange

Preheat oven to 400F. Peel beets, like you'd peel a potato, and cut into halves, then quarters. Put cut up beets on rimmed baking sheet, then toss with olive oil, thyme, and salt. Roast for about 40 minutes, or until tender but not too soft. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with raspberry vinegar and orange juice. Serve warm or chill to use in a salad. (adapted from Barefoot in Paris)

Leslie's Baby Shower

When we moved to California from New Jersey I put the kids in gymnastics classes at Encore. Their favorite teacher was Leslie Haws. Now, 10 years later, she is my neighbor and great friend! I had a shower for her fifth baby on Saturday and loved meeting her other friends and family. This is going to be a lucky little boy!

As promised, here is one of the recipes from the shower...but of course, no picture...

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Salad:

2 large bunches baby spinach

3 kiwi, peeled and cut up

2 cups strawberries, sliced

1 can mandarin oranges, chilled

1 1/2 cups almonds, caramelized in 3/4 cup sugar

Dressing:

2/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp salt

1 clove minced garlic

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Blend all dressing ingredients with an imersion blender just until emulsified.

Toss all ingredients, then add dressing just before serving. You can put the caramelized almonds in a dish to the side of the salad in case you have anyone with nut allergies.

Scrumptious Speedy Suppers...

Dayna's Mediterranean Chicken

A few weeks ago I taught a class for our Stake Women's Conference on "Speedy Suppers". I probably sounded more like an infomercial for my favorite gadgets that make my life easier, but I also brought 3 dishes so people could sample the food and I gave everyone a packet with 4 complete quick and easy menus.

Roasted Carrots

I am the first to admit that I often do things the hard way so my husband thought it was ironic that I titled the class "Scrumptious Speedy Suppers" and went to bed at 4am after preparing everything! In my defense I must say that the recipes really were speedy but I had to make enough for over 100 people, so that's what took so long. And as long as they are scrumptious...that's the most important part!

A few of my favorite gadgets and quick cookbooks

Things I can't cook without:

Cuisinart Smart Stick Chopper/Grinder/Processor

Smartfork

Microplane

Mandoline

Sea Salt Grinder

Silicone Tipped Tongs

Silpat Pan Liners

and don't forget to keep your pantry stocked for the dreaded "stop by"!

Tempting Toffee Bars

These amazing treats are like Seven -Layer Bars or Hello Dolly's but instead of butterscotch chips, they have two kinds of toffee bits, and instead of making a crumb crust, you just melt the butter right in the baking dish in the oven, then layer everything in order. So quick and easy!

Toffee Cookie Bars

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cups toffee bits
1 1/4 cups English toffee bits or crushed English Toffee Bars
1 cup semisweet (or milk chocolate) chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1/4 cup coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Place butter in 9 x 13 baking dish and melt for 4 minute or until butter melts. Layer graham cracker crumbs and all other ingredients in order in baking dish over butter. Press firmly. Bake at 325 F for 25 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely in dish, then cut into 24 bars. We like them best cold, but they do not need to be refrigerated.

Ann Louise Gittleman is a Genius

A few years ago I discovered a brilliant woman by the name of Ann Louise Gittleman. Her basic health philosophy is that if your liver is clean, your body will be able to use what you eat more efficiently and you will be healthier and feel better. So, she developed a two week "Fat Flush" plan to cleanse and detoxify your liver, and in the process you lose weight because your liver is fully functioning. Here is one of my favorite recipes, adapted a little.

Zucchini and Beef Delight

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium green pepper, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 small zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

1 lb leanest ground beef

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp ground turmeric

14 1/2 oz can fire-roasted, no salt added tomatoes, diced

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 cup halved grape tomatoes
chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Heat broth in large, non-stick skillet. Saute onion, pepper, garlic, and zucchini until soft. Transfer vegges to plate and set aside. In same skillet, brown ground beef with seasonings. When beef is cooked through, add cooked veggies, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste to skillet. Heat through and add grape tomatoes and fresh herbs before serving. Makes 4 servings.

So, here's the problem. Every few months when I start to feel a little pudgy or my size 2's are a little snugger than I like, I do the Fat Flush program and usually lose a pound a day for 10 days. This has never failed me until last week. At first I was really disappointed, but then I realized it just means I have a really clean liver, right?

This One Tasted Good!

I have been trying lots of different recipes over the past week, and this was one of Dave's favorites. Looks good, huh?
Cashew French Toast
8 slices no salt, sprouted grain bread
1/4 cup unsalted cashews
1 cup water
1 Tbsp real maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp cinnamon
dash turmeric
In food processor, blend cashews with 1/4 cup water. Add remaining 3/4 cup water and the rest of the ingredients except the bread. Process until very smooth.
Transfer to shallow dish and dip bread in mixture to coat both sides well. Cook on an electric griddle until browned on both sides. Serve with maple syrup and sliced apples and strawberries. Enjoy!

Yum

These are my favorite Valentine's Cookies. Heavenly chocolate ganache slathered between two rich, buttery shortbread hearts. What's not to love? Let me know if you want the recipe and I can email it to you.