Now don’t think I’m crazy for making my own crackers, although I have to admit that you might have a point. I certainly never aspired to make my own crackers, but this recipe caught my eye because I have always loved Trader Joe’s version. It didn’t seem too complicated and I just had to try it. In the end, it really was quite simple and I was immediately hooked.

I also love that you can bake them off whenever you need/want them. No more opening a box where too many of them are broken and unusable. Additionally, they are a whole lot tastier, healthier and stay fresher longer than store-bought options. I hope you give them a try and you too might be hooked. Also, the variations of add-ins is pretty extensive, be creative and try different combinations. I have added two additional options in the notes section at the end of this post, however these are only guidelines, mix and match as you like.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup raw cane sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk, see notes below
1/4 cup honey

ADD-INS
1/2 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup ground flax seed

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300º.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cane sugar and salt. Next, I add the dates into the dry ingredients. This coats the dates in the flour mixture and prevents them from clumping too much. Then add the buttermilk and honey, stir to combine. Next, add the pumpkin and sunflower seeds, again, stir well to combine. Be aware, as seen below, this is a very wet batter, more liquid than solid. Do not worry, that is as it should be and it will come out beautifully.

Pour the batter into five mini-loaf pans (mine are approximately 3-1/4″ x 6″) that you have sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for about 22 minutes or until golden on top and slightly springy to the touch. When done baking, remove from the loaf pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Then, wrap and freeze them slightly before slicing. When slightly frozen, it will be much easier to cut into very thin slices. I also recommend using a good serrated bread knife to do the slicing, it will cut through the nuts and dried fruit better. I usually get about 18-20 slices out of each loaf. Place the slices on a sheet pan and bake in 300º preheated oven for 15 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes or until crisp and a deep golden brown. Over time, you will get a feel for how brown/crisp you like yours done. Leave them in longer for darker, crisper crackers or pull them out sooner when not too brown if you prefer. If next day they need crisping, just put them on a sheet pan for a few minutes at 300º and they will be fresh and crisp.

Alternatively, you can freeze the loaves for up to two months, just make sure you wrap them tightly. When ready to use, thaw slightly, slice and bake for some yummy fresh crackers.

NOTES
The mini loaf pans are very easy to find. If you live near a Home Goods store, they usually have them for about $10 for a set of 4 or 5. If you don’t have access to that, there is always Amazon, they, as always, have many options to choose from. I do have some silicone loaf pans (red in the photos above) and just a heads up, they do take a little longer to cook than the metal pans. Not a problem, just something to be aware of. Truth be told, I’m not a big fan of them, they tend to expand on the sides a bit and don’t hold there shape as well as the metal pans.

Also, a note on the buttermilk. I actually made my own because I didn’t want to go to the market. Making your own couldn’t be simpler, take 2 cup of milk (I used 2% because that’s what I had on hand) and add 2 Tbs of distilled white vinegar OR 1 Tbs of lemon juice. Mix the two together and let sit for about 10-15 minutes and you’re done! It should look mildly curdled.

Some other flavor variations to try:
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup (70g) dried figs, chopped
1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
1 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary

and another:
1/2 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
1/2 cup figs
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
zest of an orange

I discovered this amazingly refreshing salad on one of my new favorite Instagram accounts, Shred Happens. The story behind this is an incredible one. The gentleman has lost 140 lbs. by changing the way he eats, not depriving himself, but finding ways to make some of his favorite foods much healthier. Honestly, the flavor in all of his recipes is totally over the top delicious and most are pretty darn quick to pull together. You really should check it out.

Here is one of his very satisfying, crunchy salads that will not disappoint. It takes minutes to pull together and is refreshing, clean and absolutely delicious. I have made minor adjustments to his original recipe.

You can serve this as a stand alone salad for lunch, along side a steak, or any other protein, as a wonderful accompaniment.

INGREDIENTS
5-6 persian cucumbers, or 1 English cucumber
1 avocado, cubed
1-2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
2 oz. walnuts, toasted and cooled
1 1/2 oz. feta, crumbled
1 Tbs. za’atar, see notes below
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 lemon, juiced
3-4 Tbs. good olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
First, thinly slice the cucumbers and add them to a bowl. Then, add the next seven ingredients (up to the za’atar) and toss well to combine. Finally, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and again, toss well to combine and serve. That’s it, your done! This will easily keep for a day or two in the fridge, but I think it just may not last that long.

NOTES
As always, you can definitely play with the amounts in this recipe to your preferred taste. Try swapping out the feta for say crumbled goat cheese or a crumbled blue. Also, pecans would be tasty in place of the walnuts. The one thing I would not change is the herbs and the amount of them, the fresh herbs really take this salad to the next level and cutting back on them would be a mistake.

Za’atar is a very popular Middle Eastern spice blend. It is typically made from a combination of dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, toasted sesame seeds and sumac. It has a wonderful earthy, tangy, and nutty flavor. These days, you can usually find it in most larger supermarkets and Trader Joe’s also carries it. If you somehow can’t find it, there are a multitude of recipes online that you could tap.

Absolutely one of the easiest things to make is homemade croutons. You’re in for a real treat compared to the over-processed store bought versions. Try them in your favorite soup, I happen to think that tomato soup screams for them. Also adding them to a salad is a rather obvious choice, especially a caesar salad, where having good croutons is essential and makes a huge difference.

INGREDIENTS
day old bread, sourdough or any other good bread
good olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
First, tear the bread into bite sized pieces. By tearing them, you have more craggy edges that crisp up beautifully, and have lots of texture. Obviously, you certainly could cut the bread into cubes, but they just won’t have the wonderful texture of the torn pieces.

Next, choose a skillet depending on how many croutons you are making. If you are just doing enough for a salad, a small skillet will do. If you’re going to do a whole batch, find a larger pan. Either way, make sure that the croutons are in a single layer and if you have to do them in more than one batch, so be it.

I must say these are so quick, easy, and really best the day of or the day after making them, that I do suggest making them in smaller batches. However, if you do choose to do a large batch, they can be refreshed in a skillet to crisp them back up. When I have leftover bread, I tear it, lay it out on a sheet pan and freeze them. Then, when they are fully frozen, I put them in a container and back into the freezer. If you just throw them all in together, without freezing first, they will freeze together in one big lump. That way I can grab a handful or two when I want them for my salad, toss them in a skillet for a few minutes and I’m done.

Put a small amount of oil in the skillet (you don’t want soggy croutons) on medium-high heat, toss in the bread, in a single layer, add salt and pepper to taste and shake the pan to coat the croutons. If you feel they are too dry, you can add a tad more oil, but do be careful and don’t soak them or they won’t crisp up. Let them be for a few minutes, that will brown them up nicely on one side. When you see them browning, you can shake the pan, stir or turn them to get browning all over. That’s it, easy as can be and your done in five minutes!

NOTES
There are a million ways that you could amp these up. I happen to prefer them simpler, as I’ve noted above, but use your imagination and try different seasonings. An obvious choice would be to add some garlic powder, Italian seasoning, or even za’atar, etc. Another obvious add, would be parmesan cheese. When adding parmesan (or any other cheese you might like), I would add it right when you pull the croutons off the heat. That way you don’t have a melted, cheesy mess in the pan and the cheese will melt into the croutons.

Forget about store bought caesar dressing, this one is pretty darn quick to whip up, less than five minutes, start to finish, and it’s absolutely delicious. The ingredients are common pantry staples, so you most likely won’t even have to go the market before whipping it up. Honestly, you’ll have this done in less time than it takes to run to the market and buy a bottle of dressing. And it will be much healthier since there will be none of the chemicals and stabilizers in commercial dressings. Give it a try, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

INGREDIENTS
1 large garlic clove
1 1/2 tsp (7g) anchovy paste
1 tsp (5g) Worcestershire sauce
1/4 (25g) cup grated parmesan cheese
3-4 Tbs (36-48g) lemon juice
2 egg yolks
1 tsp (5g) Dijon mustard
1/2 cup (103g) olive oil, canola, vegetable, avocado also works
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Place all the ingredients in a mason jar and use an immersion blender to combine everything, just until emulsified. Alternatively, you could use a regular blender, again combining until just emulsified. Test and add more lemon juice or salt and pepper, as needed. Also, if the dressing seems too thick, you can add some water, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your preferred consistency.

NOTES
You may have noticed, I am starting to add the weight equivalents of most ingredients. I find it so much quicker to pull the recipes together. You’re not using measuring cups and measuring spoons and therefore the cleanup is much quicker. I just put the jar on my scale and add the ingredients as I go, it really is easier. There are so many good kitchen scales and the prices are so reasonable, you can get a reliable, easy to use one for under $11. Once you start using it, you’ll wonder why it took so long to try it.

This is an incredibly quick, delicious and healthy recipe, that takes only 30 minutes from start to finish. I found the original recipe on a great website, Shred Happens and have modified it a bit to my taste. Now when you see the list of ingredients, you will be surprised to see cottage cheese there. I thought it was a bit odd too, but wanted to give it a try and I loved it. The cottage cheese not only adds creaminess, but lots of protein, as does the bone broth. Those two ingredients take it to a whole new nurtrional level and honestly you would never know the cottage cheese was in there, unless I told you!

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
pinch of crushed red pepper, to taste
1 Tbs. (16.5g) tomato paste
28 oz. whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
several large basil stems, reserve a few leaves for garnish
1 1/2 cups chicken bone broth
1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan
croutons, optional but highly recommended

DIRECTIONS
First, add the olive oil to a large soup pot and set over medium heat. Add the onion to the olive oil and sauté to soften, for about 5 minutes (don’t let it brown). Next, add the garlic, salt, pepper, dried basil, crushed red pepper, tomato paste, and sauté for a minute or two more.

Next, add the crushed tomatoes, basil sprigs, broth and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Then, take off the heat, add the cottage cheese and using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Alternatively, you could use a regular blender or Vitamix to do the same. Finally, add the parmesan, stir to combine, check for seasoning, add salt and pepper as needed, based on your preferences. Serve with a few croutons and a chiffonade of fresh basil.

NOTES
If you can’t find chicken bone broth, you certainly can use regular chicken broth, it will just have a little less protein and doesn’t compromise taste in the least.

Also, I find the easiest way to crush the whole tomatoes is right in the can with an immersion blender.

Another option to amp this up a bit is to add some yummy, homemade sourdough croutons. Serve with a nice salad or a yummy grilled cheese sandwich for a great lunch or a light dinner.

with burrata, pesto, and pine nuts

Tomato season is nearly over, but I hope you get to try this very simple salad before they are gone. Although it is incredibly simple (dare I say, almost not even a recipe), it really does highlight the freshness and flavor of these gems.

Now to be sure, you can certainly make this with regular tomatoes, but the varied colors and shapes of the heirlooms make for a beautiful platter and presentation. It’s simple, requires no cooking, is a terrific addition to any dinner, takes minutes to put together and is absolute tomato heaven!

I saw this on the cover (her picture is much better than mine!) of this cookbook, by Jennifer Segal, and I had to buy it, just for that picture and recipe. However, there are 100 recipes in her cookbook (and certainly worth the purchase), all delicious and most are quite simple.

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs. heirloom tomatoes, different colors and shapes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 fresh buratta balls, 8-10 oz. each
1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought
1/4 pine nuts, toasted
baby arugula
fresh basil leaves
drizzle extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS
First, line the bottom of your platter with baby arugula. Then cut the tomatoes, some into quarters, some slices, and some uneven chunks. Next, arrange them on your platter, sprinkled with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Cut or tear the burrata in chunks and randomly arrange over the tomatoes. Drizzle the pesto over the top, sprinkle with the pine nuts, add a slight drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.

NOTES
To toast the pine nuts, just add them to a dry skillet, and toast them on medium heat. Please be sure to stay close by, they can burn in an instant. I actually toast all of the pine nuts when I buy them, cool them and put them in a glass jar in the fridge. That way they are at the ready when I want to add a handful to a salad and you’re not toasting them each time you want to use them.

Good, healthy granola bars are always a big hit and these are pretty simple to pull together. They have none of the additives and preservatives that you find in too many store bought versions. A friend was kind enough to share this recipe with me and I have made just a couple of minor modifications.

This makes upwards of 40 bars, depending on how you cut them. So, feel free to half the recipe if you like and the roughly twenty bars might be a more manageable quantity. However, if you are in need of a good bake sale item, these would be a terrific choice since it makes so many.

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter
2 cups (400g) sugar
1/2 cup (170g) honey
3 oz. milk (91g)
5 cups (15oz.) rolled oats
1 1/2 cups flour
3 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3 cups mixed dried fruit & nuts, diced
(I used 1 cup chopped dates, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup almonds, 1/2 cup dried cherries and 1/2 cup sunflower seeds)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350º
First, grease and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Then, add the first four ingredients to a medium saucepan and on medium heat, melt together until fully liquid. Then, combine the next five ingredients in a large bowl. When the melted mixture is done, pour it over the dry ingredients. Stir to fully incorporate and finally, fold in the fruit and nut mixture.

Next, pour the fully combined mixture onto the prepared sheet pan and pat down firmly to condense and pack the ingredients. Put a sheet of wax paper over the mixture and take another sheet pan, put it on top of the wax paper and push down to fully compact the mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown on top. Cool completely and cut into your desired shape.

This does make a whole sheet pans worth, which is about 40+ bars, depending on the size you cut them and they are a bit sticky and chewy, but delicious!

NOTES
The variations for this are endless. You choose the dried fruits that you like, the nuts and almost anything else you want to add. Think chocolate, peanut butter, apricots or sesame seeds. The list is quite long, experiment and have fun with the combinations.

With an overabundance of frozen fruit in the freezer, I decided I needed to clear some space and came up with this insanely simple, yet delicious recipe. You could use fresh fruit, but the frozen is quicker and easier because the fruit is all prepped and ready to go.

This might be the quickest recipe you’ve ever made, it comes together in twenty minutes or less and serves a crowd. It’s a great sauce to have on hand for a quick company worthy dessert. I mainly use it over ice cream, with a sprinkling of toasted, slivered almonds. However, it is equally good for breakfast over some yogurt, with a bit of granola to top it off.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen
1/3- 1/2 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbs. lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
Combine the fruit, sugar, zest and juice in a medium saucepan. Toss to mix in the sugar and zest and cook over medium-low heat, until the fruit is thawed and starts releasing its juices. Stir to fully combine and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. The longer it cooks, the thicker it will get. So, watch the consistency and if you like a thinner sauce, then pull it off the heat on the earlier side. Be aware that it will thicken a little as it cools.

Feel free to use a masher to break down the berries or pureé if you prefer a smoother sauce. Personally, I like some texture, so I mash the berries a bit, but still have some larger pieces.

That’s it, your done! Serve it warm or room temperature, whether for dessert, over ice cream or for breakfast over yogurt, this sauce definitely does not disappoint.

NOTES
The fruit combinations are endless, be creative, toss in what you have, I guarantee it will be delicious. The sugar is a guideline, if you prefer less sweet, go for the 1/3 cup. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, add up to the 1/2 cup, the choice is yours. I tend to go on the lighter side with the sugar, closer to the 1/3 cup, but the full 1/2 cup would certainly be fine too.

I used mostly strawberries, and some blueberries, because that’s what I had. Nectarines or peaches would be tasty as well. The amounts certainly don’t have to be exact. Although this is excellent as written, play with it to find the combination of fruits and the sweetness that you prefer. Let me know how it turns out.

Need an appetizer to bring to a party? This one is always a hit and it’s a cinch to make. It’s refreshing, light, delicious and comes together in no time. No cooking, no fancy equipment, just mix in a bowl, assemble and serve.

INGREDIENTS
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
1 lb. smoked salmon
2 1/2 oz. small capers
fresh dill for garnish
1 large English cucumber, sliced into 1/2″ rounds

DIRECTIONS
First, in a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper and dill. Mix until well combined. Spread the mixture onto the cucumber rounds, then top with a small piece of salmon. Finally, add two or three capers to each cucumber round and top each with a small sprig of dill. That’s it, you’re done! The beauty here is that you can do this several hours before serving and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

NOTES
Personally, I prefer the cucumber base, but other good options are using crostini or a good sturdy cracker. The choice is yours, either way, they will still be delicious. However, if doing the crostini or crackers, be mindful of how far in advance you assemble them. The crackers, if sitting too long, could get a little soggy.

This is a yummy upgrade to the old-fashioned peanut butter cookie that I grew up loving. The secret here is to use extra crunchy peanut butter and a cup of ground, salted peanuts. It elevates these to a whole new level, resulting in a super crunchy and delightfully salty-sweet treat. This recipe was originally published in a Cook’s Illustrated magazine back in 1998 and then featured in a NY Times article in 2009. This version is basically the same, with a minor change or two.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp each, baking soda, baking powder, salt
1 cup roasted, salted peanuts
1/2 lb. butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup extra-crunchy peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350º and place the oven rack in low center position. In a medium bowl, sift together the first four ingredients and set aside. Next, pulse the peanuts in a food processor until the texture of bread crumbs. Don’t over-process the peanuts, because you do want some larger pieces for added texture.

In bowl of electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Then, add the sugars and beat until fluffy, scraping the sides when needed. Next, beat in the peanut butter until fully incorporated, then do the same with the eggs and vanilla. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture. Finally, fold in the ground peanuts, just until incorporated.

When ready to bake, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Drop by large teaspoonful onto the parchment. Then, dip a fork in cold water, press the fork into the dough twice, to make the classic crisscrosses that identify a peanut butter cookie.

Bake the cookies until they are puffed and slightly brown along the edges, about 11 to 12 minutes. They will not look completely baked, not to worry, that is normal. Cool cookies on the sheet pan for about 3 minutes, until set. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
This makes about 4 dozen cookies.

NOTES
For an added touch of saltiness, you could sprinkle a smidge of coarse sea salt on top, such as Maldon. You decide and let me know how you like it.

Also, if you don’t want to cook the whole batch, I have a great tip, maybe you already do this. However, I’m sharing this for all of you that have not tried this. Personally, it has been a game-changer for me. This comes in very handy when I’m baking with the little ones and don’t want to have 3-4 dozen cookies in the house.

So, here it is. I make the cookie batter, cook what I want…maybe just one sheet pan full, for a small get together or just enough for me and my helpers. Then, I scoop out the rest of the dough onto a sheet pan. Put as many on the pan as you can fit, then pop them into the freezer.

Then, after about 30 minutes in the freezer, pull them out, remove from the sheet pan and place them in a zippered plastic bag. Make sure to mark the cookie name, cooking time, and the date. That way, you can pull them out, at a moment’s notice and bake however many you want. I do this with all of my cookie batters. Additionally, it is nice to have a selection of two or three to pick from, in the freezer, at any given time.