Blackberry Cranberry Granola Bars

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
 1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda 1/8 (generous) tsp salt
1/2 cup of almond granola
1/2 cup butter, softened and cut into small squares
3/4 cup Blackberry Jam 1/3 cup dried cranberries

 Preheat oven to 350º. Spray an 8 inch square pan with cooking spray and set aside. Combine the brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and almond granola, stirring to combine. Drop the butter into the flour mixture and rub with your fingers to form a crumble. Press about 2 cups of the mixture into the prepared pan and spread the jam over the top. Sprinkle the dried cranberries over the jam and then sprinkle with the remaining crumble mixture, gently pressing the crumble into the top of the jam. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the bars are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Allow the bars to cool before cutting into squares.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

 1 teaspoon olive oil
 1 tablespoon minced shallot
 5 teaspoons hoisin sauce
 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
 1 pound of ground turkey
 6 thinly sliced green onions
 3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
 1 cup matchstick-cut cucumbers
 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
 2 cups Thia thin rice noodles
 8 Bibb lettuce leaves



 Preparation Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon olive to pan; swirl to coat. Add 1/3 cup green onions; saute 1 minute. Add ground turkey; saute until browned, stirring occasionally. Add in hoison sauce, crushed red pepper and lime juice. Continue to simmer. In separate pan add soy sauce, ginger, cucumbers, carrots, and remaining green onions.sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat Prepare 2 cups of thin rice noodles as directed on box. Spoon 1/4 cup of meat and vegies into each lettuce leaf. Top with about 1/2 cup meat mixture. Enjoy!

Peach and Pear Turnover

Peach and Pear Turnover

What do you do when you get up on a Saturday with nothing in the house but some plums and peaches and some phyllo dough? I create...and holy toledo did it turn out good!!

 I started by cutting up the peach and the plum, adding them to a pan over medium heat. Once the juices started to form, I added in just a little sugar. Stirring, adding sugar to taste until the fruit just begins to caramelize. In the meantime- I got out 4 sheets of phyllo dough. Buttering each piece with a very thin layer of butter, folding in half and adding to a glass baking dish which has been covered in a thin layer of butter. When the fruit is done caramelizing set in the center of the dough. Folding into a burrito like package Top with a little more butter spread across the top and sprinkle with sugar!

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, then put on a little more melted butter and sugar, bake another 5 minutes- turning the heat up to 400 degrees until golden brown.

 Enjoy- it is truly delicious!

Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

Heirloom Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart Ingredients

2- 3 large heirloom tomato ( I used half an orange, half a yellow and half a red heirloom tomato)
12 sheets frozen phyllo dough, defrosted
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 ounces rindless goat cheese, crumbled
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs - basil, chives, and parsley

 Directions

1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

 2. Core and slice the tomatoes into 1/8 thick chunks, discarding the end slices. (The tomatoes should be cut on the thin side so their juices can evaporate during baking before they have a chance to make the crust soggy.) Place the tomato rounds on paper towels. Cover with another layer of paper towels and let stand to drain excess juices while preparing the phyllo crust.

 3. Place a phyllo sheet on the baking sheet. Brush the phyllo with olive oil. Brush remaining phyllo sheets.. Fold over the four sides of the phyllo stack to make a 1-inch-wide border. Sprinkle the area inside the border with the Parmesan. Top with the tomato slices, overlapping the slices as needed.

4. Sprinkle with the goat cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the herbs and add more Parmesan on top…

 5. Bake until the phyllo is crisp and deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly or to room temperature. cut into rectangles and serve!