Banana "Soft Serve"

This is pretty incredible.....I could hardly believe it the first time I tried it. The consistency is exactly like soft serve. And you can't beat the nutritional value!

Next time you buy bananas, cut some up into chunks and store in your freezer. When you get a craving for sweets, pop some of the chunks into your blender (I definitely need a better one).

Start processing them. At first, they will go into tiny pieces.

The next part takes a little more effort (at least it does in my lame blender). As you blend, you'll have to frequently stop and use a spatula to push the bananas down into the blades. Keep at it, and eventually get something surprisingly similar to soft serve ice cream (banana flavored, of course).

It's very creamy and smooth. It's great with a little strawberry or chocolate sauce on it too!

Fast Enchilada Sauce

O.K. So made this last night and its so easy I may not ever buy enchilada sauce again, because I generally have all this stuff on hand - I double the batch because I dip my tortillas in the sauce and I mix the chicken in a little sauce...then I add a little sour cream to the rest of the sauce and dump it over the top and top with more cheese....I've decided this would make the best cheese enchiladas. I've also decided this would make a great canning recipe - yum!!

Makes 2 1/2 cups and only takes 15 minutes
1tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp chili powder
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp sugar
2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce
1/2 c. water
pepper

Heat the oil in a 12 inch skiller over med heat until shimmering. Add the onion and salt and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, garlic, cumin, and sugar/ Cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in the tomota sauce and the water. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Karley

Brussels Sprouts (yes, you read that right)

I did not grow up eating Brussels Sprouts. In fact, I lived in Virginia where they like to say they are in "the South," and I never ate them there. My children ate Brussels Sprouts at their babysitter's house. She told the kids (they were still real young), that it was broccoli balls. And they like them!

Well, we move back to Utah, and my husband occasionally buys frozen Brussels Sprouts. And there they sit because, well, I have no clue what to do with them! I search the internet for recipes, but I never try them. So they still sit in my freezer! (I think I even through them out one time...)

Anyway, I got my first "basket" of produce from the co-op yesterday and there were 12 little Brussels Sprouts in there. What in the world was I going to do with them? So I searched one more time and found this recipe and turns out my whole family loved them! (They went well with the meatloaf, too! In fact, I heated up a can of green beans in case the sprouts didn't go over very well... Brussels Sprouts were gone before the green beans!)

So here it is:

Brussels Sprouts (I'd say 2-3 per person)

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Parmesan cheese (for the springtime and they suggested like Gouda for winter time, so your taste/mood of cheese)

Wash and halve the Brussels Sprouts. Toss them in the olive oil (or I just poured some in my fry pan and then sprayed the tops of them after I placed them cut-side down in the hot pan).

*Don't get the pan too hot or the outside will cook faster than the inside, and that wouldn't taste very good.

Sprinkle sale and pepper on the oiled sprouts.

Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. The cut side will be a nice crusty brown color.

Sprinkle cheese on and serve immediately. These are best warm.

These are fabulous, and my kids asked me to make them another time!

It was a winner dinner day!

And we topped it off with homemade Key Lime Pie.

Slow Cooker Meatloaf

I have never had much luck with meatloaf and I am nearly 40 years old. I know, what could possibly be so hard about making meatloaf? Mine was NEVER completely cooked! I always followed the recipe to a T, but for some reason, it just didn't click.

However, I stumbled across a recipe (and now I can't find it), and I will never bake a meatloaf in the conventional oven again!

This is what I made today:

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground turkey

2 eggs

2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce

1 onion chopped

1 cup quick oats

Mix it all together and form into a loaf in your slow cooker/crock pot (whatever you call it).

Spread some of your favorite barbecue sauce on top.

Cook on HIGH power 3-4 hours, or LOW power 6-8 hours.

Mine cooker has a timer and goes to "Keep Warm" after the timer goes off (very nice when you go to church for 3 hours). When we came home, I spread another layer of barbecue sauce on top (used Famous Dave's Sweet and Zesty).

HINT: I read (and now I believe it) that if you let your meatloaf sit for 15 minutes after it's done cooking, it will be easier to cook.

slow cooked mac 'n cheese

I saw this recipe in my taste of home slow cooker book a while ago. I posted it on my food blog fearsfood.blogspot.com a couple of months ago.  Went back to make it again this week because it is my favorite home-made mac 'n cheese that I've found so far, and it is also low fat.  Soo good.  I like it sprinkled with a bit of pepper.

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 can reduced-fat evaporated milk (12 oz)
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
• 1/3 cup egg substitute
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 8 ounces reduced-fat Velveeta, cubed
• 2 cups (8 oz) shredded dharp cheddar cheese, divided

Directions

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. While macaroni is cooking: Reserve 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in the macaroni

2. Transfer to a 3-quart slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Cover and cook on low for 2 3/4 hours to 3 hours or until center is set, stirring once. Sprinkle with remaining sharp cheddar cheese.

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

This is in my crockpot as we speak! Okay, so I did have to change a few things a little...

I did use chicken breast strips. I used white cooking wine instead of rice wine vinegar. And i used red pepper instead of red pepper flakes, but my house smells so good!

The best part is, I finished work at about noon. I got lunch for the kids, and then I threw everything together. Even on low, dinner will be ready by 4:30-5:00! I just have to steam rice and decide on a vegetable or fruit!

LOVE MY CROCKPOT!!!

Prepared by Karen Peterson

http://365daysofcrockpot.blogspot.com

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (don't use chicken breasts)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp canola oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup cashews

Combine flour and pepper in resealable food storage bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Add cashews and stir. Server over rice.

http://www.abc4.com:80/content/about_4/gtu/recipes/story/Slow-Cooker-Cashew-Chicken/Ua08KOkIUUS14duCCwX9YA.cspx?rss=691

Black Bean Soup

so this is TGI Fridays recipes out of one of my very favorite cookbooks - its called topsecret restaurant recipes 2. Yes, I have both and love both, but if I could only buy one it would be this one. Warning, its not the prettiest to look at - but yum its delicious

2 TBSP Vegetable oil
3/4 c. diced white onion - I use yellow if I don't have white
3/4 c. diced celery
1/2 c. diced carrot
1/4 c. diced green bell pepper
2 tbsp minced garlic
4 15oz cans black beans
4 c. chicken broth
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp liquis hickory smoke

Can garnish with shredded cheddar / monterey jack cheese blend / chopped green onion

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan over med / low heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic to the oil and simmer slowly (sweat) for 15 minutes or until the onions are practically clear. Keep the heat low enough the veggies don't brown. While you cook the veggies, pour the canned beans into a strainer and rinse them under cold water. Measure 3 cups of the drained and rinsed beans into a food processor with 1 cup of the chicken broth. Puree on high speed until smooth. When the veggies are ready, pour the pureed beans, the whole beans, the rest of the chicken broth, and every other ingredient in the list, into the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until soup has thickened and all the ingredients are tender. Serve the soup topped with a couple tablespoons of the cheese blend and a teaspoon or so of chopped green onion. Makes 6 1 cup servings

Karley

Coconut Curried Vegetables and Noodles

If you have ever tried Noodles and Company's Bangkok Curry, you'll love this. I've had it for lunch for two days now and have just enough sauce left for one more day. Yum!

INGREDIENTS

Rice Noodles (or udon)

1 c broccoli florets

1 c carrots (julienne cut)

1/2 c green onions, sliced

1/2 c red pepper (diced)

1 c fresh sliced mushrooms

1 T fresh ginger (peeled and chopped)

1 T Thai curry paste (red or green)

1 can light coconut milk

1 T teriyaki sauce

1/2 c sweet chili sauce (less if you are sensitive to spiciness)

DIRECTIONS

Cook noodles while vegetables are steaming (all except the green onions). When noodles are done, drain them and use the pan to mix and heat the sauce (ginger, curry paste, coconut milk, coconut milk, teriyaki, and sweet chili sauce). Combine and enjoy!

Enchiladas and Scones

I found and tried two really yummy recipes this week. Success!

The first was Easy Chicken Enchiladas from Allrecipes. Loved them. It's nice to have a new way to make enchiladas. Here's a picture of the leftovers:

INGREDIENTS

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (I used light)

1 cup salsa

2 c chopped cooked chicken

1 can pinto or black beans, drained

6" flour tortillas

2 c shredded cheese

mild enchilada sauce

DIRECTIONS

1.Preheat oven to 350^

2. After you have cooked your chicken, add the cream cheese, salsa, and beans. Stir over medium heat until the cream cheese has melted and everything is blended.

3. Fill your tortillas with this mixture and place them in a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with enchilada sauce and cheese. Cover pan with aluminum foil.

4. Bake for 30 min. Enjoy!

The next recipe I tried were scones (also from Allrecipes). They were a perfect Sunday morning treat. The texture is similar to a buttermilk biscuit and they are lightly sweet and delicious.

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 c all purpose flour

4 t baking powder

1/4 c white sugar

1/8 t salt

5 T butter (I used salted)

1/2 c dried fruit (like craisins) cut into small bits

1/2 c milk

1/2 c sour cream

1 egg & 1 T milk to brush on the tops

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400^

2. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or mixer.

3. Cut in the butter. (Or, grate frozen butter into the bowl and then mix a bit with your hands)

4. Add dried fruit, milk, and sour cream. Mix until blended, but don't overwork the dough.

5. The dough will be very sticky. Drop large spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and flatten lightly.

6. Brush the tops with the egg/milk mixture.

7. Bake for 10-15 minutes in the preheated oven. They will be lightly golden brown when done. And they will be delicious!

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pudding in the Mix

Mmmmmm......love these. They have the perfect texture and the vanilla taste is awesome. I got this recipe from a friend long ago and hadn't made them myself until last weekend. Needless to say, I never got around to taking a picture before they were all gobbled up!

3/4 c shortening

3/4 c butter

3/4 c sugar

1 1/2 c brown sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

4 1/2 c flour

1 3 oz. box vanilla pudding

3 c chocolate chips

Bake at 350 for 8 min. They should look underdone. Enjoy! They will not be as flat as other chocolate chip cookies....I flattened some of mine prior to cooking and decided I liked them better when I just left them to do their own thing.

Smothered Chicken (Outback style)

Mmmmmm......yummy. This one has so many flavors going on, and they're all totally delicious together. I found it on a blog called "or so she says". Check it out. It's full of recipes and crafty things and, basically, all the things I love. I must give credit for this photo, I took it from their blog so that you could have a peek at how yummy it looks:

Smothered Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Garlic powder and seasoned salt to taste

1 T. vegetable oil

8 oz. button mushrooms, cut in half or quarters

1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese blend

½ c. chopped green onions

½ c. real bacon bits (real bacon works best and tastes the best)

½ c. tomatoes

1 bottle BBQ sauce

Flatten chicken breasts to ¼ in. thick (or just cut chicken breasts in half horizontally). Sprinkle with seasonings. In a skillet, brown chicken in oil for 4 min., or until mostly cooked through (you could also grill them if that is easier) In a separate pan saute cut up bacon until crispy. Drain the excess grease. Add mushrooms to the bacon and cook until mushrooms are soft. Place chicken breasts on a cookie sheet or in a 9x13 pan. Squeeze a generous amount of bbq sauce on top of each chicken breast. Top the chicken with the mushroom and bacon mixture. Sprinkle the cheese all over the tops of the chicken breasts. Cover and cook until chicken is done and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. When chicken is finished, top the chicken breasts with the fresh tomatoes and green onions. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes and honey mustard sauce.

Honey Mustard Sauce

1 c. mayo (can use fat free or low fat)

3/4 c. Dijon mustard

¼-1/2 c. honey

1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper (I left that out, for the kiddos)

2 T. Lime juice

1 tsp. Ginger powder

Mix. Add extra honey or lime for desired flavor

Posted by Tamara

Chicken and Broccoli Braid

Last night I made the yummiest dinner braid! And the kids asked for seconds! Hubby ate about 1/3 (the leftovers after the 5 kids & I ate).

I made my own Buttery Soft Crescent Rolls found on recipezaar.com, then followed the recipe for the Chicken and Broccoli Braid from one of the Pampered Chef (R) Season's Best Recipe Books (but the recipe is not on their website, so for copyright purposes I did not post it. Oh, I do have to say I used 3 chicken breasts as it says in the recipe. The recipe also calls for 1 cup of broccoli and some red pepper and their Dill spice. I used a whole bag of broccoli stir-fry vegetables and then some other spice, I think it was Jamaican rub, or something like that! You have to be creative sometimes!

Anyway, it's a big braid, fills a whole cookie sheet, but it is so yummy! It would be great for serving company!

County Fair Cookies (best ever sugar cookie)

I had so many requests for this on Facebook so I decided to post it here, too.

County Fair Cookies

2 c sugar

1 c shortening (butter but NOT margarine)

2 eggs

1/2 c sour cream (or buttermilk - and I've been known to use sour milk, but milk doesn't go bad in my house, so that's usually not an option!)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg

5 c flour

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, beating well after each. Add sour cream and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Starting with 4 1/2 cups of flour, continue to add flour until dough no longer sticks to the bowl but is still malleable.

Roll to desired thickness. Cut out shapes. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Make that 8-10 minutes! I copied the recipe exactly as my mother had emailed it to me and well, they don't turn out if they're not baked long enough!

Decorate as desired.

Merry Christmas!

Maple Pumpkin Pie recipe

Maple Pumpkin Pie recipe

I haven't tried this yet, but I think this is the recipe I'm going to use! I'll let you know how it turns out!

Chicken Pot Pie Pockets

I decided to try something new (and I didn't think about taking pictures, sorry). I was in the mood for homemade bread and chicken pot pie. So I decided to marry the two!

The shell:

My favorite homemade wheat bread dough.

The filling:

1 26-oz. can cream of chicken soup

1/2 package of frozen mixed vegetables

Easy, huh?

I make bread dough one loaf at a time (because that's how big my food processor is, yes, I use my food processor). Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Roll each ball out thin and cut in half, you may have semi-circles or triangles, we ended up with both because my kids were helping me.

Place approximately 1/2 cup of filling in each and fold dough over and pinch shut to prevent too much spillage.

We ended up with 16 "pockets" on two cookie sheets.

Cover and let rise for about 25 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes (check the bottoms of the pockets to make sure the dough is cooked. I was following my bread recipe which said to bake for 25 minutes and I had to put the pockets back in for another 10-15 minutes to bake the bottoms.

These were a huge hit with my kids, my brother AND my husband!

I hope you like them, too!

Hawaiian Haystacks

These are so good that although I just posted it on my blog, I'm coming to post it on this one too. YUM!!

These come from a ward cookbook that I have. I chose them this week because I was flipping though the cookbook and had yum written on the page. I did remember it being tasty. It didn't disappoint today. The other great thing about it was that it was super easy. I put my rice in the rice cooker, put me precooked chicken in the microwave, heated my gravy, chopped my bell pepper and celery together in the food processor and luckily had tomatoes left over from yesterday's tacos. It took very little effort today. Never a bad thing in my book.
Not sure it is the prettiest food to look at, but it sure is tasty.



Ingredients

• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup chicken broth
  
• 1 can (9 1/2 oz.) chow mein noodles
• 2 c. chicken, cooked and cubed
  
• 1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained
• 4 cups cooked rice
• 1 c. celery, chopped
• 1/2 c. green onion, chopped
• 1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
  
• 1/2 c. almonds, slivered (optional)
• 1 c. cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 c. coconut (optional)
• 1 bottle sweet and sour sauce
  

Directions:

Mix soup and broth to make gravy. Heat and keep warm. Layer on individual plates in the following order: Rice, chowmein noodles, chicken, gravy, veggies, fruit, cheese, almonds, coconut, and sweet and sour sauce. Serves 6 to 8.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

I found this recipe at http://www.goodlifeeats.com/. Yum. I like it.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

1 cup old fashioned oats, not quick cook
1 Tbs whole flax seeds, optional
2 1/2 Tbs brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp butter, softened
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup milk

Topping:
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tsp butter, softened
1 Tbs brown sugar

(I skipped the topping to cut down on sugar and fat content)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the oats through salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir well. In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, butter, pumpkin, and milk. Whisk thoroughly. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oats. Stir until combined. Pour into small square baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Tandoori Chicken and Naan

Tandoori Chicken

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
Juice from 1 lemon
1 Tbs oil
2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (2-3 lbs)

1. In a shallow glass dish, combine yogurt, lemon juice, and oil; blend well. Add all remaining ingredients except chicken breast halves; blend well. Add chicken; turn to coat. Cover; refrigerate 30-60 minutes to marinate.
2. Line 15X10X1 inch baking pan with foil; spray foil with nonstick cooking spray. Remove chicken from marinade; place in foil-lined pan. Discard any marinade.
3. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender and juices run clear, turning once.
I had rather large chicken breast halves, so I cut them in half. I figures they would cook faster, and get more marinade on them. It worked very well. Most were done in 10 min. I checked them with a thermometer. If there were up to 159 I took them out. They were perfect. Soft enough to cut with a fork and very yummy! Everyone loved them. Nice Indian flavor.
We served them with the following Naan -the recipe is from allrecipes

Naan
Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)

Directions

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
• Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
• At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

We did not make them on a grill - we made them on a cast iron skillet. Delicious!!


If you like the flavor of the tandoori chicken, you may like to try the following - it is a Pakistani recipe, but the flavor is similar, just using beef, and I'm always looking for a recipe using beef that is tasty. It is from Sparkrecipes.

Keema

Ingredients
1.5 lbs lean ground sirloin
1 cup chopped onions
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup diced potatoes
1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon, tumeric, ginger
1 tbsp curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Brown ground sirloin in pan with onions until browned.
Add tomatoes, peas, potatoes and spices along with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 25 mintues.
Add water if it becomes too thick. It should have the consistency of chili.
Serve over brown rice or whole wheat couscous.

Number of Servings: 6

whole grain waffles and blueberry sauce.

We just had this for breakfast and it was so good I'm here posting it already. Both recipes come from allrecipes.com. Yum. The waffles flavor was way better than I expected for a whole grain waffle. What I really liked about them was their texture - nice and crispy on the outside, nice and soft on the inside. (even the one I burned was soft on the inside - that's amazing.) I can't say enough good things about the sauce. It was amazing. I did sub out 1/4 cup of the sugar for splenda with no problems.

Whole grain waffles

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 3/4 cups skim milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup flax seed meal
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Beat in whole wheat pastry flour, flax seed meal, wheat germ, all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until batter is smooth.
2. Preheat a waffle iron, and coat with cooking spray. Pour batter into waffle iron in batches, and cook until crisp and golden brown.

Blueberry Sauce

• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup orange juice
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, 1/4 cup of water, orange juice, and sugar. Stir gently, and bring to a boil.
2. In a cup or small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Gently stir the cornstarch mixture into the blueberries so as not to mash the berries. Simmer gently until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract and cinnamon. Thin sauce with water if it is too thick for your liking.

Wheat Berries carbona

I'm publishing this as a different way to use your wheat. :) Enjoy!
I was a bit afraid of this meal because it used wheat, but everyone ate it, and even had seconds. I was still thinking it wasn't going to be good as left overs, but low and behold it was still good. I couldn't find canadian bacon at the store that week, and I wasn't searching, so I just used diced ham.


2 cups whole wheat berries or whole grain rye
1 tsp salt
6 cups water
3 Tbs olive oil, divided
2 onions, finely chopped
8 oz canadian back bacon, slivered
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste.

1. In a pressure cooker, combine wheat berries, salt, water and 1 Tbs of the oil. Lock the lid in place and bring cooker up to full pressure over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, just to maintain even pressure, and cook for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and release pressure quickly. THe wheat berries should be tender. If not, return to full pressure and cook for 3 to 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and release pressure quickly. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and bacon; Saute until onions are golden brown. Add peas and heat through. Stir in cream and cooked wheat berries, stirring to coat.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook just until heated through. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.