Plum Crumble

• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 4 tablespoons cold 365 Everyday Value® Unsalted Butter, cut into cubes
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 20 365 Everyday Value® Organic Vanilla or Lemon Wafers
• 1 1/2 pound pounds plums (about 6), pitted and chopped 

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, use your hands to mash together the almonds, butter, cinnamon and wafers until well combined but still fairly coarse. Arrange plums in a (9 in) pie dish, and top with almond mixture, pressing it together in handfuls, and then scattering it in large pieces over the top. Bake until plums are tender and juicy and almond mixture is golden, 45 to 50 minutes. (To avoid burning, tent with foil during baking, if needed.) Serve warm or at room temperature. 

 

Serves 6 to 8.

 

VERDICT:  I had high hopes for this--I thought the cookie in the crumble topping might be a genius idea, and it smelled great--but it was middling.  I might try the topping again on a different fruit as an experiment, but most likely a toss. 

Roasted Nectarine and Basil Ice Pops

1 1/4 pounds nectarines (4 to 5), halved
1 cup plus 2 T. (9 fl oz) simple syrup
3 leafy sprigs basil, each about 6 inches long
2 T. (1 fl oz) freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the nectarines cut side down on a cookie sheet, then roast until the skins and flesh have softened, about  20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

While the nectarines cook, combine the simple syrup and basil in a small saucepan.  Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Turn off the heat and let rest while the leaves steep.  Be careful not to simmer the mixture too long, because the simple syrup evaporates quickly, reducing the amount of liquid remaining.  You want 1 c. of liquid to work with.  Let cool.

Once the nectarines are cool enough to touch, remove and discard the the pits and whiz the nectarines, skins and all, in a food processor, though feel free to leave the puree somewhat chunky.  You should have about 2 cups of puree.

Strain out the basil, squeezing it over the simple syrup to extract as much liquid as possible, and discard.  Transfer the nectarines to a bowl or measuring pitcher with a pouring spout and add the syrup and lemon juice.  Stir until the mixture is well-incorporated and taste.  The flavor of basil should be solidly present against a sweet and wholesome nectarine backdrop.

Pour the mixture into your ice pop molds, leaving a little bit of room at the top for the mixture to expand.  Insert sticks and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours.  Unmold and transfer to plastic bags for storage or serve at once.

Yield: 6; 70 calories.

VERDICT:  I like the simplicity of the ingredient list, but wasn't overwhelmed by the result.  It may be my own fault--I didn't end up with enough nectarine, so had to guess on the simple syrup--but toss, nonetheless.

Corn and Black Bean Salad

• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1 large)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Dash of salt

Combine corn, bell pepper, onions, cilantro, and beans in a medium bowl.

Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle vinegar mixture over corn mixture; toss well. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

Serves 10 (1/2 c.); 74 calories.

VERDICT:  I used up some leftover corn-on-the-cob instead of raw corn and part of a white onion instead of green.  We ate some of it with corn chips and I had leftovers plain for lunch.  Superfast, healthy and good.  Keep!

Rhubarb Graham Muffins

1 1/4 cup finely crushed graham crackers (1 sleeve of crackers)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup chopped rhubarb
1/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups.

Whisk together cracker crumbs, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the egg, buttermilk and oil. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Fold in rhubarb and coconut.  Fill muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 30 minutes.

Yield: 12 muffins; 184 calories.

VERDICT:  I was intrigued by the graham cracker base of these muffins, but it didn't end up being interesting enough to save them.  They're not terrible, but the rhubarb wasn't as prominent as I'd like and the coconut a little stringy.  Toss.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

• 2/3 cup (10 2/3 tablespoons) butter
• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon butterscotch flavor or vanilla-butternut flavor, optional
• 3 large eggs
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
• 2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chocolate chips; or a combination of different flavored chips, or chips and nuts

*Use 1 teaspoon salt if you use unsalted butter.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.

Melt the butter, and stir in the brown sugar. Add the salt, vanilla, and flavor, stirring until well combined.

Allow the mixture to cool slightly (if it's very hot to the touch), then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl midway through this process.

Add the baking powder, espresso powder, and flour, stirring to combine.

Stir in the chips or other additions of your choice.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it to the edges with a wet spatula (or your wet fingers). Smooth the top as best you can.

Bake the bars for 30 to 32 minutes, until they've risen, and their top is shiny and golden. A cake tester inserted into the center won't come out clean; in fact, the center of the very middle of the pan may look quite molten when you dig into it. But so long as no wet batter is showing farther out towards the edges, the bars are done. As they cool, the center will solidify.

Remove the bars from the oven, and use a heatproof spatula to press down the risen edges; this will make bars with flat, rather than humped tops. Let the bars cool completely before cutting; overnight is best. Once bars are cool, wrap airtight. Store wrapped bars at room temperature for a couple of days.

Yield: 2 dozen bars.

VERDICT:  I'm not so sure about these.  They taste good and were easy enough to put together (no mixer!), but they really were molten in the center.  Even after cooling completely, they still seem a little raw in the middle.  Toss.

Frozen Yogurt Ice Pops with Blackberries

• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups plain
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 cups fresh blackberries 

Rinse the lemon, then peel it. (This recipe uses only the peel, so save the lemon for a different use.) 

 

Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved. 

 

Add the lemon peel, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve, then refrigerate until chilled.

Add the yogurt and honey to the chilled syrup and stir until thoroughly combined. Put a bit of the yogurt mixture into each of the molds, to a height of about 3/4 inch. Freeze until the mixture begins to set, about 40 minutes.

If the blackberries are big, cut them in half. Divide the blackberries among the molds, then pour in the remaining yogurt mixture, dividing it evenly among the molds.

If using conventional molds, snap on the lid and freeze until solid, 3 to 4 hours. If using glasses or other unconventional molds, freeze until the pops are beginning to set (45 minutes to 1 hour), then insert the sticks and freeze until solid, 3 to 4 hours. If using an instant ice pop maker, gently fold the blackberries into the yogurt prior to filling the molds and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Serves 8-10.

VERDICT:  I pureed the blackberries with a little powdered sugar, as the recipe suggested I could, then swirled the puree into the yogurt mixture.  These genuinely taste like a treat, while being fairly good for you.  Keep! 

Sunflower Seed Pesto

• 1/2 cup raw shelled sunflower seeds
• 1 small garlic clove
• 2 cups (packed) arugula leaves
• 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt 

Rinse sunflower seeds, put in a small bowl or jar, and add cold water to cover seeds by 1 inch. Cover; soak overnight at room temperature. Drain and rinse seeds. 

 

Purée sunflower seeds, garlic, arugula, basil, oil, honey, and lemon zest and juice until smooth. Season with salt. Thin pesto with water if too thick. 

 

Serves 8; 70 calories.

VERDICT:  I wanted to like this--it was really easy to make--but it has a bitter edge from the arugula that I found unpleasant.  It also turned a sludgy brown after any amount of time in the refrigerator.  Toss.