3 Tips for Finding a Good Recipe

Cookbooks galore. 

Internet recipe sites.

Food blogs. 

Pinterest.

Sometimes it can be overwhelming to find a good recipe. 

Here are my Top 3 Tips for Finding a Good Recipe:

1. Look for ingredients your family enjoys.
2. Look for ingredients you regularly cook with, but perhaps are used in a different way.
3. Look for strong reviews or comments of people who have actually made the recipe with success. 

When I look at recipes online, I go by these three item all the time.  If there are recipes that use ingredients we don’t regularly have on hand, or ingredients that we don’t like, that’s not going to be a recipe for us. 

I might initially find a recipe that looks appealing based on a photo, but if the comments only consist of “oh, that looks great!” – and the ingredient list doesn’t match up to what we would typically cook with, I am hesitant to give it a try. 

What about you, how do you find a good recipe? 

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Baklava Kosher Dessert Ideas for Your Party

Its festive time again, if you are wondering what must you gift your loved one, then I have a perfect idea. Why not just make some perfect dessert and pack them on glossy paper and present them to your loved one. It's a know fact that whatever may the occasion be Baklava dessert is a much loved dessert at all times. Make this time a bit different, Chocolates are fun but are an usual gift so if you want to give a surprise then try your hand with some Mediterranean dessert this time.

You can find Baklava in any of the bakery or sweet shop but will it not be fun to try your hands on some of its Recipe and bring a big smile on your loved ones face. Kosher Desserts are a great gift for people of all ages you can add your won flavors and deconstruct it to make it more appealing. If you are not too confident about your cooking skills then it is advisable to go in for the basic recipe and then move on to the more tempting and complicated ones. There are different kind of baklava the ones which you see in shops are mostly made by professionals and are made in Baklava factory which follows a strict recipe.

Gourmet Baklava Pastries and Greek Baklava are one of the baklava which are most cherished , not only does it melt in the mouth due to its fine layer pastries but also had added health benefits due to nuts and dry fruits. Due to its mind blowing taste it is fast moving and is getting quite popular throughout the world. Baklava was traditionally a Middle East and Mediterranean dessert but now is getting more and more popular in the west with every passing day. You can also find it recipes in various recipe books and famous websites.

Baklava is so tempting that it's very difficult to control at one piece. Baklava may be light and fluffy but is loaded with calories. Though it is also regarded as healthy as it has loads of dry fruits which helps in increasing the good cholesterol.

If you are a dieting freak and are conscious about calories then you can use sugar free instead of sugar. Because of its increasing popularity , baklava is now available in various supermarkets in various packaging especially during festive seasons. If you are not so lucky to find it in your supermarket then you need not get depressed as you can now order it online and it will get delivered right at your door steps.

If you are fond of cooking then you can also add a special dimension to the traditional Baklava recipe by adding fruits and flavors of your choice to make it more tempting. And if you are trying your hands on baklava for the first time, bear in mind that this dessert needs lots of patience and practice therefore make sure you try it over and over again until you attain perfection. Once you have mastered the skill of preparing baklava then you can very proudly present them to your friends and make your parties even more memorable.

The Baklava Factory is certified kosher by the Rabbinical Council of California. Online, you can purchase products and enjoy sweet Baklava pastry dessert. Find out more on Kosher Dessert .

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Blackberry Oat Muffins {SRC}

These Blackberry Oat Muffins are extra special, and pretty enough to serve to guests!

I found them over on Emily’s blog – Life on Food – my assignment for this month’s Secret Recipe Club. 

Emily has lived in 4 states – ranging from the corn fields of the mid-west to the hot south, and now resides in the north east.  And, she has some amazing looking recipe on her blog: Texas Roadhouse Dinner Rolls, Sweet Potato Hash with Brussels Sprouts & Bacon, Carrot Cake Pancakes, and Crockpot Herbed Garlic Chicken (which uses my favorite spices!). 

I ended up choosing these blackberry oat muffins, and we really enjoyed them.

In true Finding Joy in My Kitchen fashion, we made some healthy substitutions:

• Used whole wheat flour rather than all purpose
• Reduced the sugar by 1/2 C. 
• Used applesauce in place of Greek yogurt. 
• Reduced the amount of butter. 

The result was a delicious muffin. 

Blackberry Oat Muffins – Adapted from Emily @ Life on Food

Ingredients

• 2 C whole wheat flour
• 3/4 C Old Fashioned Oats
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 C unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 C milk
• 2 T butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 6 oz. fresh blackberries

Directions

In a large bowl mix together 2 C whole wheat flour with 3/4 C oats.  Add in a pinch of salt, 1/2 C brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, and 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon.  Stir well. 

Add in 1 C unsweetened applesauce, 1 egg, 1 tsp. vanilla extract. 

Stir in 2 T melted butter and then up to 1/2 C milk, until you have a thick, but batter-like batter. 

Chop up your blackberries into coarse pieces.  I sliced each berry into 2-3 sections.

Toss those berries into the batter. 

Carefully fold the berries in until just combined. 

Scoop into muffin tins that have been lightly greased.  They will fill about 12 regular muffin tins, or 6 jumbo muffins. 

If desired, sprinkle the top with coarse sugar. 

Bake at 350 for 20-23 minutes until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. 

Cool for 2-3 minutes in the pan.  Then, remove the muffins and allow them to cool on a cooling rack. 

Serve slightly warm, or at room temperature. 

Enjoy! 

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Menu Plan–April 28

We finally have hit spring – I think.  No more snow in the forecast, and we officially grilled Friday night for the first time this season. 

Last week’s menu was filled with new recipes: Chicken Fajitas, Cheesy Bacon Lentils, Creamy Cauliflower Rice and Sweet Potato Kale Chicken Patties.

We had one new recipe (stuffed shells) that we didn’t get around to making, and had quick spaghetti instead. 

Our new favorite recipe goes to the Cheesy Bacon Lentils.  Yum-o. 

Coming in second place – Cauliflower Rice. 

This week, we’re going back to some simpler meals – but trying one newbie too. 

Sunday
Berry Baked Oatmeal
Lazy Sunday Casserole, green veggies

To do: Nothing!

Monday
Granola
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Wraps, steamed broccoli

To do: Make rice or sweet potato puree

Tuesday
Granola with blueberries
Zucchini, Carrot & Black Bean Rice, or Healthy Mac & Cheese

To do: Thaw beef strips

Wednesday

Whole Wheat Waffles, berry sauce
Philly Cheesesteak Melts, steamed veggies

To do: Thaw chicken

Thursday
Granola and yogurt with berry sauce
Crockpot Baked Potatoes, Island Chicken

To do: Soak lentils

Friday
Veggie Scramble
Lentil Joe’s {new}, homemade whole wheat buns

Saturday
TBD
Grilling, Mediterranean Veggie Packets {new}, and Potato Packets

Find more great menus at OrgJunkie’s Menu Plan Monday!

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Weekly Recap

In case you missed it – this week we shared recipes for:

DIY Hamburger Helper – Italian Style.  An easy skillet dish filled with Italian sausage, veggies and of course, topped with cheese!  Get the recipe here. 

Kitchen Tip – Keeping Homemade Bread Soft.  Without preservatives, the shelf-life of homemade bread is very short.  We’ve found a secret though, to keeping it fresh! 

Ingredient Spotlight – Bacon & Potatoes!  Some delicious links were shared this week, including Bacon Ranch Potato Salad, Cheesy Potato Popper Wraps, & Cheddar Bacon Potatoes.  Check out the rest of the recipes here. 

Vegetables with Alfredo Sauce. A simple meal, but extremely flavorful.  Love that the Alfredo is made from beans!  No kidding.  Go check out that recipe here. 

Weekly Stats

Most Viewed: Caramel Apple Cheesecake Crumble Bars
Most Pinned: Sweet Potato Corn Bread
Most Shared: Parmesan Chicken Bake
Most Liked: Keeping Homemade Bread Fresh

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Friday Favorite Finds #156

Spring might finally be here… we had 4 more inches of snow on Monday, but since then the sun has been shining & temps are rising!  I have a whole bunch of delicious eats to share with you today --

{Note: All images are from the original blogger; please pin the source!}

Homemade Twix Bars – My blogging friend Lara made these amazing looking dessert bars with chocolate & caramel.  I can’t wait to try these out for Bible study in the coming weeks!  Get the recipe here.  Pin the recipe here. 

Black Bean Veggie Wraps – After having dessert first (see bars above), these wraps look like an incredible way to enjoy lunch.  I found them on the Sweet Happy Life blog, and I am so glad that I did.  They are stuffed with zucchini, butternut squash and black beans… yum!  Get the recipe here.  Pin the recipe here. 

Banana Split Bars – I love the idea of a banana split, but, I have allergies to raw bananas.  Anyone else?  Darn oral allergy syndrome.  But, these bars overcome that limitation because the bananas are cooked into a delicious bar and have all the goodness of a banana split, including chocolate & cherries (although, I’ll have to leave out the nuts)!  Get the recipe here.  Pin the recipe here.

Homemade Frozen Pizza.  The bloggers at Love and Olive Oil posted a brilliant idea – make your own frozen pizza.  I love this because we all know there are “those nights” where a frozen pizza would come in handy.  I’ll feel much better about tossing one of these homemade pizzas into the oven!  Get the recipe here.  Pin the recipe here. 

If you were featured, feel free to grab the button below!

What did you find this week?

Please link up to a post containing your list of recipes to try -- do not link up individual recipes, or recipes that you’ve already made, your links will be deleted.   Be sure to leave a link back here to Finding Joy in My Kitchen.

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Vegetables with Alfredo Sauce

Looking for a way to increase your vegetable consumption?  How about veggies smothered in Alfredo sauce? 

Arguably, this might minimize the health benefits of the vegetables, right? 

Not with this Alfredo sauce. 

The base: Great White Northern (or Cannellini) Beans. 

Seriously. 

Give it a try. 

Vegetables with Alfredo Sauce – Adapted from Finding Joy in My Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 C whole wheat penne pasta
• 1 (14 oz) can Great White Northern or Cannellini Beans, drained
• 3 medium bell peppers, red, orange or yellow, diced
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 6 stalks of asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 C milk
• 1/4 C Parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Begin by boiling the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside. 

Meanwhile, sauté the bell peppers, mushrooms, asparagus and garlic in a skillet until crisp tender – about 10 minutes.  If you normally need to use some olive oil to sauté, do that here. 

Using a blender, puree your rinsed white beans, adding up to 1/4 C milk to help create a smooth sauce.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Pour the sauce over the cooked and drained pasta.  Add 1/4 C Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. 

Stir well until the sauce covers all the pasta. 

Pour the veggies into the pasta mixture and stir to combine. 

Serve warm, topped with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. 

You could easily add cooked, diced chicken or Italian sausage to this dinner! 

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Ingredient Spotlight: Potatoes & Bacon

Thanks for joining us again for the Ingredient Spotlight!  Are you enjoying this feature?  Tiffany and I love seeing all the amazing recipes you share.  Recipe inspiration is always welcome here. 

After a delicious quinoa week last week, we are on to a double feature this time: Potatoes & Bacon. 

Here are our favorite recipes using potatoes & bacon:

Baked Potato Dip with Potato Dippers.  A cream-cheesy sauce stuffed with spinach, bacon, broccoli and peppers, served atop a crunch homemade potato chip!

Zuppa Tuscana Soup.  A knock-off of Olive Garden’s version, this creamy soup combines bacon and potato with spinach and Italian sausage in a delicious soup that even freezes well. 

Baked Potato Pizza.  Use leftover mashed potatoes as the “sauce” on this pizza and top it with your favorite potato toppings – including bacon! 

Chicken Cheddar & Potatoes.  A simple skillet dish with fantastic flavor – brought about by the one and only, bacon. 

I’m sure you have lots of ways to pair up bacon & potatoes – so bring on the recipes!  I can’t wait to see them. 

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Kitchen Tip: Keeping Homemade Bread Fresh

Homemade bread is the best, isn’t it? 

There is nothing better than pulling a loaf from the oven – the aroma overwhelmingly delicious. 

Like this Wheat Buttermilk Bread.
Or, this Wheat, Oat & Honey Loaf. 

But, if you don’t eat the entire loaf in one day, the bread just isn’t the same two days later. 

Without all the dough conditioners and preservatives, homemade bread has a very sort shelf life, especially when it comes to texture. 

Since we have not purchased bread in more than 5 years, we’ve tried just about everything to keep bread fresh: storing it cut-side down on a plate, in the microwave, in a bag, in Tupperware… you name it, we’ve tried it. 

Keeping Bread Fresh

Here’s what we’ve discovered: the freezer is your best friend. 

Freezing your bread preserves the texture of your bread and keeps it incredibly moist for weeks. 

Here’s what we do:

1) Bake bread, enjoy it fresh on day one.

2) Slice the entire loaf. 

3) Place slices into a freezer-safe plastic bag. 

4) Freeze.  You can keep your bread in the freezer for a few months. 

5) Simply remove slices as you need them. 

6) Thaw on a plate and use as you need. 

What do you do to keep homemade bread fresh? 

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