No-Salt BBQ Sauce, Croque Madam, Cocoa Drop Cookies, Pita-Pizzas and Much More

Honey-Yogurt Banana Split
We're all adults here, right?  So it's OK to start with dessert once in awhile, and end today's post with another dessert.  This one is pretty simple:  split a banana, dollop on some Icelandic Skyr or Greek yogurt, and drizzle with some of your favorite honey.  Try not to drool!  I like the banana chilled, personally.

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash
A Blue Zones recipe that is surprisingly tasty, simple and inexpensive.  Can't find Blood Oranges (sometimes called Moro)?  Juice of any old orange will do just fine. It's the bit of citrus and natural sweet that's the important thing.

1 large Acorn Squash (or 2 small)
1 cup dry Quinoa (or you could use faro, barley, couscous, even amaranth)
4 Green Onions
2 stalks Celery
1/3 cup Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 cup Raisins or dried cranberries
4 Apricots, chopped
1/2 tsp Sage
Juice of half a Blood Orange

Halve, seed and cook the squash.  You can roast it, but a microwave is a lot faster!  Reserve.  Cook the quinoa to package directions.  I use my rice cooker.  Cool and fluff. Chop the green onions and celery.

In a skillet or large diameter pot, saute the green onions and celery until starting to get soft.  Add the dried fruit, pumpkin seeds and sage.  Now add the other ingredients and cook a bit more to marry the flavors.

Stuff the hot squash with the hot filling, and serve.  Or top with a bit of shredded cheese and bake for 20 minutes @ 400F.

Pita-Pizzas

Portion control concept here.  Use whole pita breads as the crusts for individual pizzas.  Dock (poke tiny holes in) the pitas, then broil them for a minute or three to get them a bit more crispy.  If you have a toaster oven these are the perfect meal to make in it.   Top with your favorite items (go easy on the sauce), then broil another 5 more minutes to melt cheeses and meld flavors.  

Cut into quarters and serve. 

Croque Madam
Our Airbnb listing is called Poolside Cabana With Gourmet Flair -- and I'm the Gourmet Flair!  Guests have a dozen or more menu of items they can choose for breakfast each morning.  Consequently I'm always on the lookout for new and interestingly different menu items.  This Season I'm debuting the Croque Madam -- basically a gourmet grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with Hollandaise or Alfredo sauce; and a fried egg.    There are lots of ways to assemble this delight, but this is mine.  Breakfast for Two:

4 slices Multigrain Bread
3 oz. Smoked Gruyere Cheese, sliced or shredded, divided
6 oz Country Ham divided (I buy a 12 oz package of "country ham pieces for seasoning" for $3)
2 Eggs
1 cup Hollandaise Sauce (from scratch, a packet mix or a jar)

Fry the ham (country ham is not cooked, and must be, before being eaten.  You could fry watery old ordinary "Virginia" sandwich ham but it won't taste nearly as good in this dish!  In the same pan, cook the eggs in rings.  Reserve both ham and eggs.

Put the bread in your toaster and toast until nicely browned.  Pre-heat the Broiler. 

On a foil-covered baking sheet, lay down two slices of toast and top equally with ham and then cheese (right side of photo).  Ladle on some of the Hollandaise sauce, then top each with a second piece of toast.  Ladle on more Hollandaise and the remaining cheese (left side of photo).   

Broil for "a few" minutes until the top cheese is melted and browning.  Plate on a schmear of Hollandaise and top each with a fried egg.

The first guests to try the Croque Madam really enjoyed it!

No-Salt BBQ Sauce
We had a "football dinner" with our vegan friends Susan and Patrick.  They'd never tried Jackfruit before.   Patrick has to be pretty much salt-free, so I made this BBQ sauce to go into the Pulled Jackfruit that I made for our dinner.

17 oz container Pomitm No-Salt Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Molasses
Juice of Half an Orange
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1-1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Dry Mustard
1 tsp Garlic Powder or pressed raw garlic
1 tsp Black Pepper

More heat?  Add some Cayenne or other hot pepper.  More sweet?  Add more dark brown sugar. 

Bring to a low boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes to mesh the flavors and slightly thicken.  Want it thicker?  Add a Tbsp of corn starch and 3 Tbsp water whisked together and simmer a few minutes more.

Coca Drop Cookies

If you love dark-not-quite-bitter chocolate like we do, you're gonna love these easy bites.  Great for a Holiday potluck item too!  

2 cups Self Rising Flour

1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
3/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Unsweetened Applesauce

4tsp Vegetable oil
1-1/2 tsp Orange Extract
1 large Egg

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

Stir together the flour and cocoa powder.   In another bowl combine everything else.  Whisk the liquids until smooth (or use a hand mixer).  Add the beaten liquids to the flour and fold to combine into a stiff dough.

Scoop dough by level tablespoonfuls, and roll into balls.  Arrange balls on the baking trays.  The balls don't slump, but you don't want them touching, either.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, then cool on the baking sheets for a couple minute before moving cookies to a cooling rack.   Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

If you're being artsy, dust them with powdered sugar!