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Filtering by Tag: bread

banana date bread

Andrea

banana date bread-6.jpg

I'll admit...I've shared this recipe before. It was a long, long, time ago, way back in the first few months of Bella Eats' existence. I claimed then that this was the best quick bread I'd made...ever. And now, 2 years and many loaves later, I'm sticking to that statement. This recipe is at the tippy top of my list of favorites, loved so much that the old photographs just didn't do it justice. And so, when the baking urge hit me mid-afternoon last week (as it does most afternoons these days) I decided to capture new images of this old friend.

I love the melded scents of banana and cinnamon punctuated by sweet dates, which take on an almost caramel flavor. Diced apple keeps the bread wonderfully moist while adding its own, very subtle, sweetness. Made without oil, with whole wheat flour, and sweetened naturally, it is not absurd to have several slices of the loaf in one sitting without feeling guilty. Add a smear of almond butter to a thick slab and you have quite the hearty and filling breakfast or afternoon snack, while a quick zap in the microwave and a thin sliver of butter make for a lovely not-too-sweet dessert.

Happy Friday, Friends!

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If you've been around since the beginning and already added this recipe to your repertoire, you might notice that I've made a small change in the ingredients. Instead of the 1/2 cup of applesauce previously present, I've substituted non-fat Greek yogurt. I've found that the overall texture is improved and the bread has a better, more shapely, rise. 

This loaf freezes quite well for up to 3 months if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and again in foil. 

Banana Date Bread

makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

  • 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/2 cup fat free, vanilla, Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup peeled, chopped, tart apple
  • 6 medjool dates, chopped
  • 1-1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the bananas, yogurt, sugar, egg, apple, and dates. 
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.  
  5. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of bread comes clean. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and cool on rack completely before slicing.
banana date bread-5.jpg
categories baking, bread, breakfast
tags baked, banana, bread, date, naturally sweet, oil-free, quick bread, whole wheat flour

truly, I do

Andrea

The mosquitoes are out in full force, covering my skin with pink welts each time I venture into our overgrown garden. My hair frizzes to twice its volume as soon as I consider stepping outside. I can’t walk down the block without tiny beads of sweat popping up on the back of my neck, yet my office is frigid enough to require a sweater. Spring seems to have moved on early this year, leaving in her wake an abrasive and demanding Summer.

But, despite all of this personal discomfort, I love this time of year. Truly, I do.

I love the thunderstorms that sweep in like clockwork each afternoon, lending the sky an ominous tone and the air an electric buzz. I love the booths at the farmer’s market, the tables full of greens and berries and cucumbers and beets. I love that the water is warm enough to take the dogs swimming at the reservoir, and that those trips are the perfect opportunity for a picnic. I love drinking Moscow Mules on the back deck while watching fireflies glow in the trees, and the smell of sun screen and citronella and bug spray made sweeter by the intoxicating aroma of freshly-mown grass and trampled mint.

Those are all compelling arguments, I know, but what I love most about this Almost-Summer time of year is the local Virginia fruit. Those few days where I find myself wandering between tidy rows of strawberries, or ducking under tree branches dripping with both rainwater and cherries, are worth every welt on my itchy legs. Filling our basket with blueberries and melons at Charlottesville's City Market makes the sweltering heat just bearable as we make our way between stalls. And folding homegrown raspberries into whipped buttercream...oh my. There aren't many discomforts that fresh raspberry buttercream can't fix.

But today, let's focus on those cherries. Ten-year-old Andrea would probably tell you that they are her favorite fruit...ever...for their appearance at the grocery store was always perfectly timed with the end of school and the beginning of Summer vacation. My momma, a teacher and just as excited for the break, would plan day trips to Florida’s fresh water springs for my friends and me. A bag full of sweet cherries was always packed as part of our lunch. After a few hours of swimming and snorkeling and sharks’ tooth hunting the dark-skinned globes would come out of the cooler, icy cold and immediately covered in tiny beads of condensation.

We’d find a spot in the grass, out of the shade of our claimed pavilion. The spring water was frigid, and the sun felt good on our skin as we spread a blanket and chose our places for the competition that was sure to follow. Small hands reached into the Ziplock bag, pulling out handfuls of tangled fruit to place in cross-legged laps. One-by-one, plucked from the mass by rubbery stems, the cherries were popped into eager mouths.  Rolled around and around the tongue, the pit was picked clean before being spat from juice-stained lips across the sun-soaked lawn.

Oh, summer.

I won't deny that my adult days have seen the occasional cherry-pit-spitting contest.  Yes, I do that.  But 28-year-old Andrea has also learned how to bake and how to make jam, and that cherries pair well with savory partners as well as sweet.  Take this dish, for instance, a variation on the classic tomato and basil bread salad.  In it, sweet cherries are paired with the tang of  balsamic vinegar and spicy arugula, all held together by a base of crisped bread and a topping of creamy chevre.  It is a very adult meal, a lovely, rustic dinner for two on the back deck that is complimented nicely by an effervescent vinho verde.

Just be sure to save some of those whole cherries for dessert...you never know when your inner child will demand a little friendly competition.

Bread Salad with Cherries, Arugula and Goat Cheese

from A Homemade Life, by Molly Wizenberg makes 4 first-course servings, or a meal for 2 Ingredients
  • 6 oz rustic bread, preferably a day old (I used a whole wheat baguette)
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 pound cherries, halved and pitted (I used sweet cherries, and a cherry pitter was SO handy)
  • 1/8 tsp pressed or crushed garlic
  • balsamic vinegar
  • salt
  • arugula
  • fresh chevre, coarsely crumbled
  • black pepper
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Trim crust from bread, and discard the crust.  Tear the bread into rough, bite-size pieces (you should have about 4 cups, total).  Dump the bread onto a rimmed baking sheet, and drizzle it with olive oil.  Toss to coat. Bake until crispy and golden in spots, shaking the pan once, 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, put about one-third of the cherries in a small bowl and mash them lightly with a fork to release their juices.
  4. When the bread is nicely toasted, turn it into a large bowl. While it is still hot, add the crushed garlic and toss well.  Set the bowl aside to cool for a minute or two, then add all of the cherries, both mashed and halved, and toss. Add 2 tsp balsamic vinegar and toss again. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch or two of salt and toss again.
  5. Taste, and adjust the vinegar, oil and salt as needed.  The bread and cherries should taste good on their own. When you're satisfied with the flavor, add about 2 handfuls of arugula and toss one last time.  Finish with a generous amount of crumbled goat cheese and a few grinds of the pepper mill, and serve.
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categories local, salad
tags arugula, bread, cherry, chevre, local, salad, spring valley orchard

a lovely ending

Andrea

Last week, while sharing lunch with a friend, standing in line at the post office, answering phones at work, passing a stranger on the sidewalk, Charlottesville folks were discussing snow. Big snow...at least for our little city. The forecasters were predicting another huge storm, rumored to rival the December 19th event that pushed its way into the #4 slot on Charlottesville’s list of historic snowfall totals. It was all very exciting, and a tad bit scary. We were warned of the heaviness of this snow, expected to be so much wetter than the last accumulation. We were told to prepare for power outages and potential roof collapse, to be ready to spend days in our homes and to have the supplies required to get us through that time.

The city was a flurry of activity (ahem...pun intended) as residents scrambled to buy stores out of their supply of milk, eggs, and toilet paper. Snow shovels were a hot commodity, with those shops that managed to receive shipments putting a one-shovel-per-customer limit on purchases. We bought ice melt and candles, bread and cans of tuna, charcoal for our grill and meat and potatoes to place over the flame should we lose power and the use of our oven. We settled in, prepared for the worst, ready to weather the storm.

In the end we wound up with nearly 15 inches of snow, 10 inches less than predicted after sleet clinked against our windows and prevented substantial accumulation for most of Friday night. We were lucky enough to lose power only once, and then for only an hour. Although the city did a fine job of clearing primary roads during and after the storm, we still chose to remain at home, warm and cozy, for the entire weekend.

Brian and I have become quite adept at preparing for long periods of isolation in our house. We stock up on the necessities already mentioned, along with certain items that help to keep us entertained and pass the time - wine, multiple disks of Entourage, magazines and books, baking supplies. The last is the most important for me, as I take comfort in the fact that even if the sky were to dump 48 inches of snow across our lawn and we were to lose power for 7 full days, I could still make bread and cookies in our Big Green Egg. Also, I really like to bake, and the thought of three, uninterrupted days to do so makes me very, very happy.

And so, along with the necessary non-perishables and paper goods, my grocery bags contained milk and eggs, flour and yeast as I left the market Thursday afternoon. I browsed through my cookbooks that evening, imagining each one of my mixing bowls tucked into various corners of the kitchen, plastic wrap stretched tight across their tops, plump balls of dough slowly rising within. Brian requested something sweet, a dessert-ish bread to smear soft butter across as an after-dinner snack. Not one to ever pass on the suggestion of something sweet, I dove right into thoughts of a bread swirled with cinnamon and sugar, laced with figs and walnuts, the crumb sweetened by a touch of honey.

The loaf I was hoping for emerged from the oven just as the snow started to lighten Saturday evening. The intoxicating mélange of fresh-baked bread, sultry cinnamon, earthy walnuts and syrupy figs will forever bring to mind the vision of a silver-cloaked sun setting behind frosty trees, their limbs glimmering with a mask of tiny diamonds. A lovely ending, indeed.

Cinnamon Fig Walnut Bread

adapted from The Bread Baker's Apprentice, by Peter Reinhart, with inspiration from Tara of Seven Spoons

makes two 1-1/2 pound loaves

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup buttermilk (or whole milk), at room temperature
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 3-1/2 cups unbleached bread flour, plus extra
  • 1-1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp instant yeast
  • 1-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 large egg, slightly beaten
  • 2 tbsp vegetable shortening, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup water, at room temperature
  • 1 cup dried figs, chopped
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1/2 cup turbinado sugar (for cinnamon sugar swirl)
  • 2 tbsp ground cinnamon (for cinnamon sugar swirl)
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted
Method
  1. Dissolve the honey in the buttermilk by heating both over low heat.  Allow to cool to room temperature.
  2. Sift together the flour, salt, yeast and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.  Add the egg, shortening, buttermilk mixture and water. Stir together with a large spoon (or mix on low speed in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment) until the ingredients come together and form a ball.  Adjust with flour and water if the dough seems too sticky or too dry and stiff.
  3. Sprinkle flour on a counter and transfer the dough to the counter.  Knead (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook).  The dough should be soft and pliable, tacky but not sticky.  Add flour as you knead (or mix), if necessary to achieve this texture. Knead by hand for approximately 10 minutes (or by machine for 6 to 8 minutes). Sprinkle in the figs and walnuts during the final 2 minutes of kneading (or mixing) to distribute them evenly. If you are kneading with a mixer, you'll want to finish kneading by hand to avoid crushing the figs and walnuts, and to be sure to distribute them evenly.
  4. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
  5. Mix together the 1/2 cup turbinado sugar and 2 tbsp ground cinnamon.  Set aside.
  6. Butter two 4x8 loaf pans.
  7. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces.  On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece into a 5x8 rectangle. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough, leaving a small border around the edge of the dough.
  8. Starting at the short end, carefully roll the dough into a tight log*, sealing the seam as best you can. Tuck the ends up towards the seam, sealing as best you can. Place the log in a buttered loaf pan, seam-side down. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Spray the tops of the loaves with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Place in a warm, draft-free location to proof for 60 to 90 minutes.
  9. Preheat the oven to 350* with the rack in the middle of the oven. Uncover the loaves and brush the tops with melted butter.  Sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar.
  10. Bake the loaves for 20 minutes. Rotate the loaf pans 180 degrees and continue baking for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the loaves are golden brown on top and lightly golden on the sides and bottom. They should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.
  11. Immediately remove the loaves from their pans and cool on a rack for at least an hour before slicing and serving.
*I'm guessing that my loaf pulled apart along the swirl because it wasn't rolled tightly enough. It is still perfectly textured and delicious, the slices just don't hold together well as you bite into them.

The landscape during and after a winter storm is an amazing sight, always changing, different from one minute to the next. Every few hours I piled on layers of warmth, tucked my jeans into my boots, forced a hat over unruly hair, and trudged outside in the swirling snow to capture some of the magic.

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categories baking, bread
tags bread, cinnamon, figs, walnuts

the best of summer

Andrea

After asking you all what your favorite summer produce is (as part of the Saucy Mama Giveaway - see bottom of post) Brian and I had a discussion to sort out our favorites. I didn’t realize what a tough decision it would be to make! There are so many options, and I feel that my mind changes every few weeks as a new fruit or vegetable ripens into its season. We settled on tomatoes and peaches as our top two, and an entertaining debate ensued. In the end Brian’s number one was tomatoes and mine was peaches, and although the results are questionable (peaches and tomatoes are at their peak right now which brings up the issue of bias...) we each appreciated the merits of the other’s argument. peach bread merge 3 I’ll spare you the tomato argument today - it will have its place in the weeks to come, I promise. Instead, lets focus on peaches. Those perfect, plump, juicy globes with all the colors of the sunset splattered across their fuzzy skin. I love them - absolutely and with all the fervor deserved after waiting ten months for their reappearance in my daily diet. In their season, allowed to ripen on the tree and consumed within a couple of days of picking, fresh summer peaches are nothing like the bland, grainy imposters that fill bins in the supermarket during the off-season months. peach bread merge 2 The peaches themselves played strongly into my final decision. Those flavorful bites - sweet with a little bit of tart - that result in juice running down your arms to your elbows are pretty hard to beat. But the clincher, that final argument that sealed peaches firmly into the number one position on my summer produce scale, was their procurement. The actual act of wandering the orchard, ducking into the dappled shade provided by row after row of trees, finding the perfect peach and picking it with my own hands. Brian and I have been to Chiles Peach Orchard three times already in the six weekends that pick-your-own peaches have been available, coming home with 25 pounds after each visit. Peaches01 What does one (or in this case, two) do with 75 pounds of fresh peaches? Many wonderful things, dear readers. You’ve already heard about one, the slow-rise peach pancakes that graced our table one Sunday breakfast. There have been peaches in smoothies, oatmeal and on top of cereal. They’ve been baked in the folds of buttery pastry, grilled to perfection on the grill and simmered with blackberry puree’ to form the most delicious jam. I’ve even frozen half-a-dozen quarts for future cobblers and milkshakes during the off-season. I hope to share all of these recipes with you, but for now, I leave you with my newest addiction - Peach Bread. peach bread merge 5 I’ve made variations of this recipe several times in the last few weeks, tweaking a bit each time until declaring this final version my favorite. It is based loosely on a recipe of my momma’s, with a bit of influence from Molly’s banana bread in A Homemade Life and a lot of gut instinct. Dense and moist with an almost cake-like crumb, this bread has all the flavors of a classic peach cobbler. I love it icy cold, taken straight from the fridge and paired with a cup of coffee for breakfast, but it is also delicious for dessert after being warmed briefly and topped with french vanilla ice cream. Peach Bread2 Peach Bread makes 1 loaf Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt (I used 0% fat Oikos Greek yogurt)
  • 2 cups peaches (about 2 large peaches), peeled and diced
  • 1 large peach, peeled and sliced thinly (for top of bread)
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup dried ginger, chopped finely (optional)
Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 350*.  Spray  a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray.
  2. Cream the butter .  Gradually add sugar and mix to combine well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in yogurt and diced peaches.
  3. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon together in medium bowl.  Add ginger, if using.  Add the wet mixture to the dry, stirring until just blended.
  4. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan.  Place peach slices across top of batter, in decorative pattern.  Bake at 350* for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  5. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on wire rack.  Remove loaf from pan and let cool completely before slicing.
Peach Bread4 peach bread merge 1

Saucy Mama Giveaway!

Congrats to Shelby of La Belle Vegan and Rose of On A Lobster Placemat for being the winning commenters picked by Random.org!  Send me an email at bellaeats@gmail.com with your full name and address so that I can get your Lime Chipotle Marinade out to you.  Congrats ladies!
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categories baking, bread, recipes
tags bread, ginger, peaches

for the ages

Andrea

A long time ago I owned a bread machine.  With that machine I made my husband (then boyfriend) batches of everything bagels on a bi-weekly basis.  It was so easy to dump all of the ingredients in, leave the machine unattended for 3-1/2 hours, then boil and bake the bagel dough until golden brown.  Well, three years ago we bought a house.  A very small house with a kitchen that lacks any kind of storage space, especially space for a clunky bread machine.  So, three years ago Brian stopped getting homemade bagels for breakfast and instead made do with bagels from the local shop, sliced then frozen then thawed when desired.  And, for three years he's been asking me to start making homemade bagels again. bagels 1 I agreed to get rid of the bread machine not only because we had zero space for it, but also because I thought it would be a way to force myself to learn how to bake yeast breads from scratch.  It seemed like a great idea since I already loved to bake cookies and muffins and quick breads - Brian even bought me a beautiful book to help in my endeavors. Unfortunately, the arrival of that book in our house coincided with my first semester of graduate school, which means that nary a loaf nor bagel was baked as I studied the affect of wind on structures and built teeny, tiny models of buildings at all hours of the night.  Although I've been out of school for a full year now, I've just recently begun tackling yeast breads.  And two weeks ago, much to Brian's delight, I tackled bagels. bagels merge 1 It really wasn't a difficult task, making bagels from scratch, especially with Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice as my tutor.  Yes it was handy to have the bread machine take care of all of the mixing and kneading and resting and kneading again, without my having to keep an eye on a clock.  However, with a little forethought and a a stand mixer (I'm sure you could make these with a handheld mixer and a lot of elbow grease, but I'm not that brave) the bagels can be started Saturday evening and baked up just in time for Sunday morning breakfast.  And they are delicious - so much better than the bread machine bagels of our past.  The overnight fermentation process adds a great flavor that you just can't match in 3-1/2 hours. bagels 4 Now, I'm not from New York or Philadelphia or any other city whose residents claim that they have the *best* bagel.  I didn't grow up eating bagels every week so don't have the kind of nostalgia associated with them that so many other people have.  I don't claim to have had the best bagel of my life when I was growing up in such-and-such city, and certainly haven't spent my life trying to find one that compares.  So, while I can't personally claim that this bagel will match the bagel of your past, I do trust Peter Reinhart when he claims that this is a bagel for the ages. bagels 2 This recipe produces a bagel with a chewy exterior, soft interior and endless possibilities for toppings.  I froze ours in gallon-size bags once they had cooled, and simply microwaved them for 30 seconds before slicing and toasting when we were ready to eat them.  The flavor and texture were still perfect. Before typing out the [rather lengthy] recipe, I did a quick search to see if I could find a link online.  Luckily, Smitten Kitchen came through. For Peter Reinhart's bagel recipe, from The Bread Baker's Apprentice, click here. bagels 3
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categories baking, bread, breakfast
tags bagels, bread, bread baker's apprentice

sunday mornings

Andrea

The Sunday mornings of my childhood were lazily spent at the farm table in our kitchen under a classic stained glass lamp that still hangs in the exact same spot, over the exact same table.  The pantry door would be swung open wide, the small t.v. hidden inside providing the morning soundtrack - Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt.  I'd fish through the stack of papers on the table until the Sunday comics surfaced, and after devouring those would peruse the classified ads, always looking for the perfect pet pony or a yorkshire terrier for my momma. cinn-2 The smells that accompanied these mornings were varied but always indulgent.  Sometimes we'd have flakey buttermilk biscuits with sliced ham and provolone, or my daddy would fry up eggs that we'd sop up with buttered toast alongside lil' smokies or pan-fried bacon.  And some mornings there were cinnamon rolls or even better, orange danishes.  Popped from a can, baked for 15-18 minutes and then slathered with glaze - those Sunday breakfasts were my favorites. cinn-merge-1 These days, now that I'm all grown up (some might argue with the truth of that, even me...) Sunday mornings are still somewhat lazy and indulgent. Saturdays are started early, sometimes with a long run, and always (during the season) with a trip to the farmer's market for breakfast and the week's produce before embarking on the day's agenda full of errands, chores and projects.  Saturdays are busy and productive, the perfect justification for the extra 30 minutes in bed on Sunday mornings and the indulgent breakfasts that typically follow once my feet hit the floor. cinn 6 And even better than my extra 30 minutes in bed is the fact that Brian typically requires an extra 2 hours in bed on Sundays, leaving me with the kitchen all to myself.  This is my baking time.  I wake up to a quiet house and kick the dogs out to the back yard to ensure that it remains quiet.  I clean up any leftover dishes from the night before while going through breakfast ideas in my head.  This is the time when new pancake, biscuit and scone recipes are realized.  This is the time when I finally get to try out a recipe I've had bookmarked for quite some time, one that takes me right back to my childhood even though the lamp, reading material and soundtrack have changed. cinn 8 These cinnamon rolls were delicious, certainly a step up from the canned variety although they take about 3 times as long to prepare.  I substituted spelt flour for some of the all-purpose and loved the extra flavor that the whole grains provided.  I've become a big fan of spelt flour lately, experimenting with Wiggs' cookies from on high (post to come soon) and these biscuits, with fabulous results.  I've noted my other substitutions below.   cinn merge 3 The original Cook's Illustrated recipe can be found here, via Leite's Culinaria.  I made a few exceptions [I can't help it!].  
  • I used 1 cup of spelt flour and 1-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.  
  • I substituted turbinado sugar for all of the sugar in the dough (but still used confectioner's for the glaze)
  • I used 3/4 tsp baking soda rather than 1/2 tsp
cinn 14
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categories baking, breakfast
tags baked, bread, breakfast, cinnamon, cinnamon rolls

biscuit fear? conquered.

Andrea

I am a big fan of bread.  Such a big fan, in fact, that sometimes I will choose to have an extra piece after dinner in lieu of a second pour of wine, or even dessert.  In the last year or so I started dabbling with bread baking, lots of quick fruit breads, a few loaves of whole wheat, some scones, even some fabulous dinner rolls at Thanksgiving.  But biscuits have always frightened me, just a bit.  I’ve heard horror stories of folks attempting to make biscuits and ending up instead with pancakes, or worse, hockey pucks. cheddar-1 Because of this fear I am always amazed when I come across a really fabulous biscuit.  Mother’s in New Orleans bakes one of my favorites, so good that Brian and I stop by the restaurant on our way out of the city to load up on the black ham variety to eat on the plane ride home.  (The unbelievable ham they produce has something to do with that stop as well...the last time we were there we bought a cooler just so we could bring a few pounds of it home with us.)  And then there are the cheddar biscuits at Red Lobster, a restaurant I haven’t been to since I was a teenager.  Even after my 10+ year absence from the establishment the memory of those golden lumps is still crystal clear. cheddar-2 When Foodbuzz contacted me a few weeks ago to find out if I would like to sample some Kerrygold products (yes!) all I could think about was cheddar biscuits.  After the chives popped up in the garden my intent was set - cheesy, chive-y buttermilk biscuits would be gracing our breakfast table, and hopefully they would be soft and flakey as well.  I decided that even if I failed at the texture, the power of delicious Irish cheese and fresh chives would carry them. cheddar-3 I found this recipe at Thibeault’s Table via Tastespotting.  It was easy enough, delicious, and though my batch didn’t turn out as beautifully as the photos accompanying the recipe, they weren’t pancakes or hockey pucks which relieved me greatly.  I was amazed by their lightness...prior to this experience my most recent biscuit-like endeavor was of the hearty oat variety (recipe will come, I’m still perfecting it) which, compared to these, sit like bricks in your belly.   cheddar-4 My technique needs some work.  The recipe didn’t call for a specific amount of cheese so I guessed, which may be the reason why my biscuits didn’t puff up quite as beautifully as the example.  Or it could be the fact that a bit of time passed before the ingredients pulled from the fridge were incorporated into a batter and then stuck in the oven...the problem with photographing as you go.  But the flavor was great, and Brian has requested that they be added to the permanent rotation for indulgent weekend breakfasts.  It seems like I will have plenty of opportunity to perfect the consistency. cheddar-5 And I have to say, the Kerrygold Dubliner cheese was excellent.  So good that the first block I bought was consumed with a loaf of crusty bread before ever making it into the biscuits it was intended for.  The Pure Irish Butter is also delicious, although I think it may be too soft for this recipe.  My batter was very sticky, which may have also contributed to the lack of puffiness.  But spread across the top of a fresh-from-the-oven biscuit?  Perfect. cheddar-6 Cheese + Chive Buttermilk Biscuits recipe modified from Thibeault's Table Ingredients:
  • 2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon of baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup butter (I used Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter, unsalted), cut into 1/2" cubes
  • 1 cup shredded cheese (I used Kerrygold Dubliner)
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh chives
  • 1 cup of buttermilk
Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 450*.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
  3. Using pastry blender or fingers, cut-in the butter until the dry mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.  Add the cheese and chives and mix well.
  4. Stir in milk and mix with fork until a loose batter forms.  Gently pat the ingredients together but do not over-handle.  
  5. On a lightly floured board, pat out dough until you get a 1/2" to 3/4" disk.  Cut with biscuit cutters (I used a jar lid, a glass would work too) and place on prepared baking sheet.
  6. Bake at 450* for 15-18 minutes.
cheddar-7 Oh yes, it was a weekend filled with indulgent breakfasts.  Is that bacon on my plate?!?  What?!?   I"ll be sharing another breakfast with you this week, but it is of the sweet variety and involves oatmeal.  Get excited, because it is fabulous.  :)  And its healthier than eggs, bacon and biscuits, so who wouldn't be excited? I hope you're all having a great week!
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categories baking, breakfast
tags biscuit, bread, butter, buttermilk, cheddar, chives

NOLA love...

Andrea

Yesterday was Mardi Gras!  I've mentioned my love for New Orleans several times before, my hubb and I even got married there!  I've been reminiscing about all of our wonderful visits to our favorite city, and am craving a trip back.  Man...that would be a heck of a food blog post!!!  But until then, a little trip down memory lane bourbon street... our favorite breakfast spot, Mother's. nola-1 our favorite musicians (who played at our wedding!!!). nola-2 our favorite late night coffee and beignets, cafe du monde. nola-3 at our favorite jazz bar, fritzel's. nola-4 on our favorite day, at broussard's. wedding-21 I had big plans for this week, different NOLA-inspired recipes every day.  Some gumbo, red beans, muffalettas and bananas foster.  I have fallen WAY short of that goal, but do have a bit of the Big Easy to share with you from dinner tonight...  But first, breakfast. My oats this morning were tasty, but a little dry.  And not too filling, surprisingly.  I was starving just 3 hours later. Breakfast:  ultra-textured oats [398 cal] 090225-b1
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 cup water, pinch of salt
  • 1/2 mashed banana
  • 1 tsp ground flax
  • 2 tbsp wheatberries
  • 2 dried figs, chopped
  • 1 tbsp TJ's natural crunchy PB
090225-b2 Lunch:  a lovely salad and 3 Back To Nature multigrain flax crackers [400 cal] 090225-l1
  • spinach
  • broccoli
  • red bell pepper
  • cucumber
  • wheatberries
  • chickpeas
  • poppyseed dressing
Snacks:  an orange and a slice of banana date bread.  Also, 2 Jolly Rancher cherry lollipops and 2 squares of dark chocolate...I was CRAVING sugar today! Bad healthy food blogger. 090225-s1 I had my board meeting after work, so knew that dinner would be late.  I packed this bar in case of emergency, and needed it at 7:30.  It was pretty good...reminded me a lot of the Clif Nectar Cacao bars. 090225-s2 When I pulled in my driveway at 8:30 and climbed out of the car, I could smell dinner cooking.  Seriously.  From the driveway.  And it wasn't being cooked outside on the grill, it was inside my kitchen.  I don't know if that speaks more of the amazing aroma of gumbo or the crappy quality of my windows but either way, I couldn't wait to get inside and dig in!!! Dinner:  GUMBO!!!!!  On rice, with a glass of cabernet. 090225-d2 I've debated whether or not to share this recipe.  It was really delicious, but my hubb and I have had better.  My stepfather makes an amazing gumbo that he has adapted over many years of experimenting with many different recipes.  This one was from Paul Prudhomme, the father of the blackening method and owner/chef of one of our favorite NOLA restaurants, K-Pauls. 090225-d4 I've decided not to share, because its not right yet.  The roux was a deep chocolate brown, just like Chef Paul specifies, but we've learned that we like gumbos with more of a milk chocolate hue.  And it was thick...much thicker than the last Chef Paul gumbo we tried.  We're soupy gumbo folks, and will be working to perfect a recipe that reflects that texture.  So now we have an excuse to make gumbo more often, because I'm determined that by the time I write about our anniversary on April 28th, I will have a gumbo recipe to share with you all. And now I'm off to read more of Molly's book.  Its really wonderful so far, just like her blog.  I'll give a full review when I'm finished! G'night!
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categories breakfast, dinner, lunch
tags bread, gumbo, new orleans, oats, salad

busy lady

Andrea

Alrighty, another quick post tonight guys.  I'm sorry!  I sit on the board for a local non-profit organization and have TONS of reading to do tonight before a board meeting tomorrow night.  I know how I'm spending my lunch break tomorrow!  My food today was all prepared in a rush.  Remember me mentioning that my poor hubb had to work late last night?  Well, I got a phone call from him at 5:30am asking me to pick him up from the office.  5:30am!!!  And then he had to be right back there at 7:30am!!!  Which means I had to be ready at 7:20, and I of course went back to sleep after picking him up so had very little time to get things together this morning. Breakfast:  1 slice banana date bread, 1/2 cup Fage 0% with 1 banana and 1 tsp honey (I saved the other piece of bread for dessert) [no cals today guys...I'm too tired to log it all!  :( ] 090224-b1 Have I mentioned how much I love this bread?  Because I do.  I. Love. This. Bread. 090224-b2 Lunch:  my hubb made me a wrap!  He's so sweet, even in his deliriously tired state.  I also ate a large orange, which I forgot to get a picture of in my rush. 090224-l1
  • dijon mustard
  • smoked turkey
  • spinach
  • red bell pepper
  • cucumber
  • pepper jack cheese
  • whole wheat tortilla
090224-l2 Snack:  1 slice banana date bread. [143 cal...I remember from yesterday.  :)  ] Exercise:  4-mile run with Kelly.  Same route as last Thursday, nice and hilly.  It felt pretty good, but my legs were a bit stiff and heavy with soreness from yoga last night.  That's what I get for taking the weekend off from running and a week off from yoga.  :( Dinner:  Mediterranean Pasta.  This was really good, and I'll definitely post a recipe sometime but I'm going to work on it first.  We didn't get home until 8:00 and I was just throwing stuff in the pan that sounded good together...  Sometimes the best recipes are made that way! 090224-d1
  • brown rice spaghetti
  • artichoke hearts
  • sun dried tomatoes
  • spinach
  • chickpeas
  • parmesan broth (onion, garlic, chicken broth, parm. cheese)
  • 1 tbsp part-skim mozzerella
090224-d2 Dessert:  I made these cookies to send to two generous blogger bake sale buyers...so I of course sampled the dough.  Probably a whole cookie's worth...I have absolutely no self control when it comes to cookie dough.  None. Ok, gotta run read!  G'night!
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categories breakfast, dinner, lunch
tags artichoke, bread, fage, mediterranean, pasta, running, wrap

a seasonal dinner

Andrea

Good evening, lovelies!  Have you all hopped over to Meghann's blog to check out the Blogger Bake Sale?  There are some amazing-looking baked treats up for sale, and all proceeds go to a wonderful cause, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Bidding ends at midnight for Day 1 so be sure to get over there and place your bids before your favorite items get snatched up!  I've got two items up for sale, chocolate chip cookies and my own banana apple bread. This morning I woke up feeling really yucky.  I was nauseous and light-headed, and would have put-off work for a few hours had I not had so much to do at the office.  I dragged myself up, took a shower, made my breakfast then went straight back to bed.  After about 30 minutes I felt a little bit better and got moving again, and my hubb  brought me a glass of OJ to get something in my stomach.  I wound up packing up my breakfast and taking it to the office with me, eating it once my stomach felt not-so-flippy. Breakfast: 8oz of OJ, a toasted ezekiel muffin with TJ's crunchy peanut butter and sliced apples. [446 cal] 090209-b1 My hubb was such a sweetie and made me this gorgeous salad for lunch, complete with homemade vinaigrette!  He even took pictures...can you believe him?!?  I also was craving some soup, so I ran across the street to Revolutionary Soup for their Spicy Senegalese Peanut Tofu soup...YUM.  I must learn how to make this. Lunch:  fresh salad and spicy peanut tofu soup, along with a small whole wheat roll. [salad = 200 cal, soup = ???, whole wheat roll = ???] 090209-l1 My salad had:
  • baby greens
  • spinach
  • cucumber
  • yellow bell pepper
  • dried cranberries
  • slivered almonds
  • 3 tbsp roasted garlic hummus
  • homemade balsamic vinaigrette
Sadly, my stomach got all weird again about halfway through my salad so I couldn't finish it.  :(  I had a couple of iffy hours where I was willing time to go by so that I could go home and lay down.  I decided to eat a granola bar to settle my tum around 5:00, and it actually helped quite a bit.  But not enough for me to feel up for yoga at 6pm...I'm so sad that I missed it. Afternoon Snacks:  A Quaker True Delights bar while at work, a dried fig while cooking dinner. [162 cal] 090209-s1 090209-s2 When we got home I knew I wanted something warm and comforting.  Luckily I had some soup on the menu...  This weekend I managed to fit in 2 long hot baths, complete with bubbles, vino and the latest Bon Appetit magazine.  I also had the February 2008 issue of BA, which I hadn't had a chance to read last year because I was deeply entrenched in my graduate studies.  I held on to all of my neglected foodie magazines so that I could read them this year, during their intended month to take advantage of the seasonal recipes always featured.  I read about yukon gold potatoes, kale, meyer lemons and leeks.  My reading left me craving a hearty winter soup...and a lemon drop martini.  I fulfilled the first craving tonight, the second will probably wait until the weekend.  :) 090209-d5 090209-d1 Tonight's dinner isn't a recipe from BA, unfortunately...it probably would have turned out a bit better if it had been.  It was good, the flavors were spot-on, but the texture of the soup was a bit, well, gluey.  For lack of a better descriptor.  I believe the reason for the extra thick creaminess was my use of yukon golds, which in hindsight I think would be better suited to a chunky soup than a pureed soup.  Lesson learned.  I will definitely try this recipe again, just with a different type of potato. Dinner:  potato leek soup with kale and hearty oat biscuits. [437 cal] 090209-d3 Potato Leek Soup with Kale 226 calories, 7.4g fat, 1g sat fat, 37.5 carbs, 4.9g fiber, 9.2g protein makes 4 servings Ingredients:
  • 2 medium leeks, chopped finely
  • 1/2 large onion, about 1 cup chopped
  • 2 ribs of celery, chopped
  • 3 potatoes (next time, I'll use russet)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cups of veggie broth
  • 4 cups chopped kale, loosely packed
  • salt + pepper
Method:
  1. Heat oil on medium.  Add leeks, onion, celery and potatoes, stir to coat with oil.  When veggies start sizzling, lower heat and cover pot.  Let the veggies sweat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally , until veggies are tender.
  2. Add veggie broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat back down to simmer and cover.  Let simmer for about 20 minutes until potatoes are starting to fall apart.
  3. Puree' soup in a blender until smooth and creamy.  Pour back in soup pot and keep warm on low heat.  Season with salt + pepper.
  4. Place chopped kale in large saucepan and cover with water.  Boil for 5 minutes, until kale is bright green and tender. Drain kale and add to soup.
090209-d2 I also made some hearty oat biscuits with the addition of sharp white cheddar cheese and scallions.  Again, flavors were great, but the texture was off.  The dough was wetter than normal...I'm thinking that in my slightly hazy/ill state I mis-measured something.  I'm going to hold off on sharing the recipe this time because I really want to work on perfecting it and I don't want to mis-lead you. 090209-d4 Dessert:  more beautiful grapes. [110 cal] 090209-d6 Alrighty, I'm feeling much better now but am ready for bed.  I really want to get up in the morning for my run so that I can keep my evening free for yoga, although that means I'll only be getting about 5.5 hours of sleep.  :(  There are not enough hours in a day!!!  How many hours of sleep do you get a night?  I feel really lucky if I get 7, but I'm usually closer to 6.  Not good... G'night!
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categories baking, breakfast, dinner, lunch, soup
tags bread, ezekiel, kale, leeks, oats, potato, salad, soup

the way food should taste

Andrea

Last night the hubb and I indulged ourselves with a decadent dinner at a local French tapas restaurant, Zinc.  We'd never been before, but heard from a friend that their food was delicious and we should really try it out.  We weren't disappointed.  We ordered 4 small dishes to share, along with 2 desserts (we were at a French restaurant...who can resist?!?).  The first to come out was a roasted beet salad.  Beautiful roasted beets tossed with gorgonzola and red onion in a tasty French vinaegrette over baby mesclun greens.  Delicious for sure, but easy enough to replicate at home.  Second up was the Endive Gratin, perfectly ripe endives smothered in a bechamel sauce and baked.  Good in concept, not remarkable in reality.  Third, Grouper with a Lemon Caper Beurre Blanc...oh.my.goodness.  Thats all I have to say about that.  And forth, Croque Madame.  At this point in the meal I almost melted under the table.  Yum.  For dessert, a Lavender Crème Brûlée and a Poached Pear filled with Mascarpone and smothered with Chocolate Sauce. Does anybody else hear angel's singing?!?  Both desserts were delicious, and I was excited to try the crème brûlée because I've been thinking about incorporating lavender into some of my baked goods.  It was lovely and subtle...just like lavender.  :)   Our personal favorite was absolutely the Croque Madame.  While thoroughly enjoying his cheesey, eggy, hammy, doughy dish, the hubb looked at me and said "why don't we cook like this at home more often?".  To which I replied "because its not very good for you, all the cheese, cream etc."  to which he nodded and said "yes but, its the way food should taste!".  :)   I woke up this morning still on a high from our decadent meal and feeling inspired to make crêpes for breakfast.   090118-b1 I received this little crêpe pan, along with a crêpe-making lesson, from my stepfather for Christmas many years ago.  Surprisingly, it hadn't been used in a few years and I decided that this was the morning to take it out of retirement. 090118-b2 Crêpes are really quite easy to make and can be filled with either savory or sweet combinations.  We chose sweet this morning.  I'm inspired now to make one of my dinner crêpe recipes soon though...  I used this Alton Brown recipe for the batter. Breakfast: 2 french crêpes filled with PB & Co Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter and beautiful sliced strawberries. 090118-b4 090118-b5 After my lovely french breakfast I went to my favorite Vinyasa Yoga class at Studio 206.  Class was fabulous as usual, and I left feeling all gushy and dreamy.  :) Lunch:  the last of the leftover roasted squash + potatoes on bulgur, along with 3 Back to Nature Multigrain Flax flatbread crackers. 090118-l1 The Back To Nature crackers are REALLY tasty...this was my first time trying them and I'll be buying them again. For dinner tonight we went over to our friend Amy's house where she had whipped up a fabulous pot roast.  We brought some homemade veggie soup (similar to this post) that my hubb made along with some hearty oat biscuits that I made.  At the end of the evening we traded leftovers so that we'll all have some variety instead of eating the same thing for days.  It worked out quite well! Dinner:  1 small bowl of pot roast, 1 small bowl of veggie soup, 2 hearty oat biscuits. 090118-d3 I used Erica's recipe for the hearty oat biscuits, but made a few modifications. Hearty Oat Biscuits Ingredients:
  • 2 cups of rolled oats
  • 2 cups of white whole wheat flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • I'll add 1/2 tsp salt next time too
  • 4 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 cups soymilk
Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 450*.
  2. Grind oats in food processor.  Add the flour and baking powder and pulse for 10 seconds.
  3. In separate bowl, dissolve the honey in the vegetable oil.  Add the milk and whisk to combine.
  4. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir with a fork until a soft dough forms.
  5. Drop biscuits on a greased cookie sheet.  You should get 8-10 palm-sized biscuits.
  6. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
090118-d2 090118-d1 This recipe is really great and so fast to whip up.  Like I mentioned above, next time I will add a bit of salt.  I also think that adding rosemary or chives would be really tasty, and maybe a bit of sharp cheese.   Alrighty, I'm exhausted and have to work tomorrow.  :(  So sad.  I hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
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categories baking, breakfast, dinner, lunch
tags biscuits, bread, crepes, french, oatmeal

food on the table

Andrea

Oh, I'm glad today is over.  Things are slooooooowwwww in landscape design world right now.  It seems that with a faltering economy there aren't a whole lot of people who want to throw money at creating beautiful outdoor spaces.  I guess they are more worried about keeping food on the table, etc.  And because things are slow in the office, that's what I spend significant amounts of my day thinking about too, food on the table.  Not that I'm worried about my job security, although I probably should be, I just like to think about food.  On my table.  And what fun new recipe I'm going to try that will get said food onto said table. But before I jump to the dinner recipe I thought about all day and then crafted when I got home, lets start with breakfast. Breakfast:  Oats!  And Vanilla Honey Chamomile Tea.  This was a typical bowl of oats that I l.o.v.e. I'm in a bit of a rut with my oats, but I don't mind at all.  :)
  • 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup water, pinch of salt, splash of vanilla and sprinkling of cinnamon
  • 1 small mashed banana
  • 1 tsp ground flax seeds
  • 1 spoonful of natural peanut butter (I used up all of my almond butter!  But must thin out other condiments before replacing...)
090113-b1 Lunch:  Veggie Wrap with
  • 2 tbsp roasted garlic hummus
  • 1/2 cup of roasted spaghetti squash
  • red bell pepper
  • baby spinach
090113-l1 This combo was FABULOUS!  I will definitely be repeating tomorrow...sorry in advance!  I also had a navel orange (the one whose zest graced my bread last night) with 1/2 cup of Fage 0%. 090113-l2 Snacks:  C'mon...did you expect any different?  How could I resist this bread?!?  I nibbled on 2 slices throughout the day.  I think this is my favorite bread that I've made so far on the blog. Fav-or-ite. 090113-s2 Last week I saw this recipe for Chicken Pot Pie with Cornmeal Crust on Running With Food.  I love Jen's blog because not only is her photography gorgeous and her writing entertaining...the girl can cook!  Her recipes are the kind of down-home, simple comfort food that we crave regularly in our household. After freezing for most of the day at my drafty desk in a slightly boring job (these days anyway), comfort food was exactly what I needed. Dinner:  Chicken Pot Pie with Cornmeal Crust [recipe here] with a side of Collard Greens, and a glass of cabernet. 090113-d2 090113-d1 The pot pie recipe is deliciously easy and I followed it nearly to a tee.  One step that Jen forgot to mention is when to cook the chicken.  I chopped it up and tossed it in the saucepan with the veggies to sauté for 5-7 minutes before adding the Cream of Mushroom soup mixture.  I also added fresh parsley to the filling.  After the filling simmered for about 10 minutes, I added one tablespoon of cornstarch (dissolved in 2 tbsp cold water) to help the mixture to thicken up a bit. 090113-d3 I dropped dollops of cornmeal batter across the top of the filling to make "biscuits", and baked the dish for 20 minutes at 425*. 090113-d5 090113-d7 While the pot pie was baking, I quickly prepared the collard greens by removing the stems and rinsing the leaves.  I then sautéed some garlic in olive oil in a big soup pan. Once the garlic was fragrant, I added the damp collards to the pot and covered it.  I let the collards steam for 5-7 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. 090113-d4 090113-d8 Dinner was EXCELLENT!!!  This pot pie recipe is definitely a keeper.  I was hoping to be able to try Jen's stuffed acorn squash recipe with the leftover pot pie, but there isn't much left!!!  My hubb REALLY liked it.  :) I hope you've all had a great day and evening!  I was able to do a little baking tonight for a friend's birthday, which I will share with you tomorrow.  Not my own recipe, but VeggieGirl's Fig Blondies!  They are sure to be a hit, the last VeggieGirl recipe I tried was amazing.  Goodnight!
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categories breakfast, dinner, lunch
tags bread, chicken pot pie, collard greens, cornmeal, oats, wrap

a sweet potato kind of day

Andrea

You're going to say it isn't possible...but it is.  I found another use for the cranberry ketchup.  :)  Today at work I was fretting a bit about the fact that the batch of cranberry ketchup (CK) I made last month is nearing its 4-week birthday.  Now I don't know for sure that it will go bad on its 28th day in existence, but that was the rough estimate I was given when I asked sweet Erin of Care to Eat for the recipe, and I didn't want to take any chances of wasting a single drop.  I was also thinking about baking because, well, I think about baking a lot.  The two thoughts eventually converged and I began to think about ways I could incorporate the CK into a baked good other than simply smearing it across the top (which is an excellent way to use it, don't get me wrong).   090112-bread-6 I've loved the different swirl breads I've seen pop up over the holidays, but have never attempted one myself.  I thought about banana bread with a cranberry swirl...yummy for sure, but I had no overly ripe bananas on my counter.  Cinnamon bread with a cranberry swirl?  I couldn't find or come up with a plain cinnamon bread recipe to modify.  Sweet potato bread with a cranberry swirl?  Now we're talking, I just happened to have a baked sweet potato sitting on the top shelf of my fridge.  But wait...Sweet Potato Apple Bread with a Cranberry Swirl?  Ding Ding Ding! 090112-bread-11 090112-bread-2 I started with the recipe I came up with for BSI: SWEET POTATO a couple of months ago.  This batter is a bit thicker than typical bread or cake batters, so I wasn't really sure how to incorporate the cranberry swirl in.  The hubb helped me wing it...we just cut 6 slots in the top of the bread batter in the short direction of the pan, then pulled a knife across the long direction.  As you can see, it looked like a big mess.  At this point I wasn't sure what I was going to get after it spent 50 minutes in the oven.  I'm still a very novice baker and am definitely learning by doing, or actually learning by taking plenty of chances that often result in big messes. 090112-bread-3 I was pleasantly surprised when I peaked in the oven after 45 minutes and all seemed well.  And the smell...oh. my. goodness.  It took me right back to the holidays.  I gave the bread an additional 5 minutes to set up then pulled it, placing it on a rack in the pan to cool for 10 minutes.  It fell a bit after sitting, I'm sure the cranberry goo contracted as it cooled and lost air bubbles, causing the bread to cave in a bit.  I was absolutely terrified to flip the pan and release the loaf. 090112-bread-4 Another pleasant surprise...it released perfectly. 090112-bread-5 After letting the loaf cool on the rack without its pan for 40 minutes, I couldn't resist slicing it to see how successful our swirling method had been. 090112-bread-7 I wouldn't call it a swirl, per se, but the CK added a lovely touch to the sweet potato apple bread, both visually and orally.  I will DEFINITELY be making this recipe every year, along with the cranberry ketchup.  :) 090112-bread-8 Sweet Potato Apple Bread with a Cranberry Swirl Ingredients:
  • 1 medium baked sweet potato, mashed (about 1-1/2 cups) 
  • 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp apple sauce
  • zest from 1 orange
  • 1 cup peeled, chopped tart apple (pink lady, granny smith, etc.) 
  • 1-1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup of cranberry ketchup* or other cranberry preserves
Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 350*.  In a small bowl, mash the potato and add the brown sugar, applesauce, orange zest and egg.  Mix well.
  2. Add the chopped apple to the wet mixture.
  3. In a larger bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently fold together.
  5. Pour batter into greased loaf pan.  Smooth top of batter, than cut 1/2-inch deep slits in batter across short direction of pan.  Pour cranberry ketchup of preserves into slits, then drag a knife across long direction of pan to pull preserves through batter.  Do not overwork.
  6. Bake for 50-55 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
*  If you would like the recipe for cranberry ketchup, please send me an email.  The recipe is directly from a cookbook and I am not comfortable with publishing it on the blog.  Thanks!  Oh!  The hubb and I did have dinner tonight too.  And it was a lovely dinner, it just got overshadowed by dessert as so many great meals do (in my world anyway). Dinner:  Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Veggies.  It doesn't need much of an explanation, the pictures speak for themselves.  Although I do want to say that the tenderloins are from our favorite local pig farmer, Babes In The Wood.  So so so good. 090112-d1 090112-d2 090112-d3 I hope you all had a fabulous Monday!
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categories baking, dinner
tags apple, bread, cranberry, roasted pork, roasted veggies, sweet potato

trader joe's and daily eats recap

Andrea

Hello!!!  So so so sorry I've been m.i.a. the last couple of days...  Monday night I was at work late trying to prepare for my project meeting in Raleigh on Tuesday, and Tuesday I drove 4 hours each way to Raleigh and back so was completely exhausted by the time I got home at 9pm.  I have LOTS of catch-up to do, but before I get into my eats I wanted to report about My First Trader Joe's Experience!!! I stopped at a brand new store in Richmond on my way home from Raleigh.  I'm excited because this store is right next to a huge shopping area that we visit every now and then only about 50 minutes from our house, so I think we'll be able to make Trader Joe's stops every couple of months at least!  The store was a lot smaller than I expected, and I didn't realize that they carry mostly Trader Joe's brand, which explains the smaller store. You all gave me such GREAT suggestions and I was able to get most of them!  I didn't get any frozen stuff because I had a bit of a drive ahead of me and knew it would probably thaw, but I did stock up on wine and non-perishables, and a couple of cold things 'cause I bought a TJ's cold bag!  Here's my loot... tj-1
  • brown rice pasta
  • canned beans
  • canned soup (organic split pea, veggie chili and lentil veggie)
  • cranberry apple butter
  • pumpking butter (!!!)
  • edamame hummus (!!!)
  • fat free balsamic dressing
  • multigrain tortilla chips
  • dark chocolate covered candy cane joe joe's (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
  • soyaki sauce
  • sweet chile sauce
  • twigs, flakes and clusters cereal
  • pomegranate and blueberry flakes and clusters cereal (!!!)
  • soy sauce
  • crunchy peanut butter
  • harvest grains mix
  • pumpkin spice granola (!!!)
  • korma simmer sauce
  • masala simmer sauce
tj-21 Not pictured:
  • pizza sauce
  • vodka sauce
  • active dry yeast
  • cranberries
  • hearts of palm
  • vino!!!
I'm so excited to try out all of these new products!  Especially since I've been reading about most of them on your blogs for months now!  I broke into the dark chocolate covered candy cane joe joe's on my way home from Richmond...oh. my. goodness.  Those beauties are little pieces of heaven in cookie form.  I don't have a picture since I was driving and it was dark, but I'm sure I'll be featuring them in the next week!  :) Now to back track a little, all the way to Sunday night.  My hubb was kind enough to make an AWESOME meal while I was working on my BSI: GINGER round-up post. Sunday Dinner:  Homemade Chicken Veggie Soup with Homemade Veggie Broth...YUM!!!  I'll post the recipe in a separate post later today, this post will get way too long if I include all my recipes too!  I also made whole wheat bread for the very first time without a bread machine!!!  I'm quite proud because the loaves turned out beautifully. 081207-d7 081207-d8 081207-d6 I made two loaves, so I sliced one and put it in the freezer for later. 081207-d9 Sunday Dessert:  Becca's award-winning Ancho Ginger Applesauce!  :) 081207-d10 Snacks:  I of course snacked on some of the baked goods I made throughout the day. I think I wound up eating two of VeggieGirl's Pear Pistachio Ginger Blondies and one of Jessica's Chocolate Gingerbread Bars.  No pics...sorry!  I need to get better about my baked good / snack consumption...I've been going a little overboard.  :( Monday Breakfast:  Toasted Ezekiel Cinn Raisin Muffin w/ 1 tbsp almond butter and sliced banana, the rest of the banana on the side. 081208-b1 Monday Lunch:  1/2 a leftover enchi-rito and a spinach salad with yellow bell pepper, cucumber and lite ranch dressing. 081208-l2 081208-l1 Snacks Monday:  My lunch calories were a little light (surprising I know, but the enchirito really isn't bad for you!) so I was hungry for this beautiful pear a couple of hours later.  I also grabbed one of the chocolate gingerbread bars that I brought into the office to share with my co-workers. 081208-s1 081208-s3 And because I was in the office until about 8:30, I ate 1/2 of this Clif Builder's Bar at 6:30 to keep myself from eating more choco. gingerbread bars... (iphone pic, sorry!) 081208-s2 Monday Dinner:  My hubb came to the rescue again with a fabulous quiche!!! I'll post this recipe later too...it was SO YUMMY!  And I was starving by the time I got home so I had 1/4 of it, along with a glass of chardonnay (no pic...). 081208-d2 And for dessert a molasses clove cookie (see what I mean about the sweets!?!?!?) 081208-d3 We're almost there!!!  Thanks for hangin' in there for this LONG post!  :) Tuesday Breakfast:  Toasted Ezekiel Cinn Raisin Muffin with 2 tbsp PB...I wanted to make sure I wouldn't get hungry on my drive and be tempted by a Starbucks baked goodie!  Also, a banana.   081209-b1 I managed to get PB all over myself while driving.  It was dark and I had no idea until the sun came up...pathetic.  :P Tuesday Morning Snack:  I stopped at Starbucks for a grande non-fat chai latte about halfway through my morning drive. 081209-s1 Tuesday Lunch:  We all went out to a fantastic Vietnamese restaurant where I ordered grilled tofu on lemongrass vermicelli noodles.  It was AMAZING but I have no pictures because it was definitely not appropriate to pull out my iphone with the entire team of architects and engineers present.  It was sooooo good though... Tuesday Afternoon Snack:  My hubb was so sweet and made me a very special trail mix to snack on during my long drive...he even took the pictures for me so that the note stayed a surprise.  He's the best!!!  :)  I had a handful of the mix on my way home. 081209-s2 Tuesday Evening Snack:  One glorious dark chocolate covered joe joe... 081209-s3 Tuesday Dinner:  Leftover quiche and a spinach salad with hearts of palm, red bell pepper, cucumber and lite ranch dressing.  And a much-needed glass of cabernet after my long day. 081209-d1 081209-d2 Whew!!!  Thanks for sticking with me!  I'll be back later tonight to post today's eats and the two dinner recipes I promised.  I feel so out of the blog loop because I haven't read any since Sunday!!!  I hope to get caught up tonight...  Have a great day!  :)
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categories baking, breakfast, dinner, lunch
tags bread, ezekiel muffin, quiche, salad, soup, trader joe's

oh the weather outside is frightful...

Andrea

What a dreary, rainy day we had. Yuck. I made the best of it with a fabulous Vinyasa Yoga class, a little baking, some Christmas decorating and an awesome turkey noodle soup made by my dear hubby. All in all, it was a great way to end a lovely four day weekend. Breakfast: A cookie! (I know, slap my hand!!!) along with a banana and almond butter. 081130-b1 I had a quick snack before yoga because I was STARVING. Apparently cookies for breakfast aren't the most filling of choices. Lesson learned. Snack: Blueberry Clif ZBar. 081130-s1 Yoga was amazing as always, my muscles and joints felt all squishy afterwards.  Love it! Lunch:  Leftover roasted veggies, a handful of Kashi crackers and about 1 oz of aged gouda. 081130-l1 I caught up on some blogs, then decided it was time to finally make the maple banana cornbread recipe from Sweet and Natural.  I've been dying to try this!!! 081130-bread-3 081130-bread-4 081130-bread-2 Soooooooo good!  I had two slices for my afternoon "snack" while decorating our Christmas tree.  Both hubby and I were very impressed.  I think I overcooked it a bit, it didn't seem done at 30 minutes so I left it in for an extra 5 and it turned out a bit drier than I expected.  Totally my fault for not trusting the recipe.  :( But still so yummy...I can't wait to share it with the co-workers! Dinner:  Brian made turkey noodle soup with fresh stock made from our smoked Thanksgiving turkey carcass.  I can't even describe how good it was.  The stock was perfectly smokey, and he added the leftover turkey meat, celery, onion, carrot, potato, fresh sage and my favorite brown rice curly-cue pasta.  YUMMMMMM!!!!!!  I had this bowl, plus another about 1/2 its size.  And a small glass of wine. 081130-d1 081130-d2 After dinner we finished decorating the Christmas tree.  I <3 <3 <3 our tree.  A few years ago we decided to stop cutting down live trees 'cause we felt bad, and thought it was time to find ourselves a good artificial tree.  We thought "hey, if its fake...lets make it REALLY fake" and decided on a fabulous silver tree.  Very retro, and I adore it.  :) We have mostly white and silver ornaments (which we had long before the silver tree...just coincidence). 081130-xmas-1 081130-xmas-2 But we also have the obligatory ornaments that you collect from childhood.  You can learn a lot about young Andrea from these ornaments... 081130-xmas-3 Like...I played soccer.  I loved Winnie the Pooh.  I wanted to be a magician.  I played the saxophone.  I liked penguins.  I am a Florida Gator.  You get the idea... All Finished! 081130-xmas-4 And look, my hubby sneaked something under the tree!  Presents for moi!!!  :) 081130-xmas-5 Anyway, sorry for getting a bit off-subject.  But it does help to explain my current mood and why I am now craving an after-dinner snack of eggnog... What is your holiday must-have treat??? 
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categories baking, breakfast, dinner, lunch
tags bread, soup, veggies, yoga

pumpkin cranberry bread - BSI!!!

Andrea

First of all, thank you all for being so supportive!  You are all so great, I really appreciate your kind thoughts and suggestions for ways to work with phyllo dough!  I meant to post a question asking if anyone had any suggestions, but I was so tired last night when I posted that I completely forgot.  Thanks for offering some up anyway!  :)  I guess I no longer see it as a complete disaster because I still like the original concept, I just need to execute it in a better way.  The flavors were great together, so I'm not ready to give up on it yet!  Now, just to be clear, I didn't rush on to do a second BSI just because my first failed.  I would have just submitted the first but I've been wanting to try and "healthify" a classic favorite of mine and Brian's for awhile now and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  Thank you Lindsay for choosing pumpkin!!! I give you... Pumpkin Cranberry Bread!!! bsib-11 This has been a favorite in our household for a few years now.  As soon as the leaves start to change and the air cools down I am ready for this bread.  It has become a classic fall recipe for me and, until last night, has been listed under my "dessert" recipe folder rather than "breakfast" or "bread" because of its high sugar and fat content.  I've been inspired by the recipes on sweet + natural, and have really wanted to try and "healthify" this classic favorite of mine for awhile now. I replaced all of the sugar in the original recipe with a combination of Fruit Sweet and applesauce.  Fruit Sweet (FS) is an all-natural sweetener made from concentrated pear and pineapple juices.  The ratio I use (recommended by the company, Wax Orchards) is to substitute 2/3 FS for the amount of sugar in the recipe.  They recommend to reduce all other liquids by 1/3 the amount of FS used.  bsib-5 I removed all added fat from the recipe, turning 4 eggs into 4 egg whites and completely eliminating the vegetable oil required, figuring the added liquid from the FS and the applesauce would keep the bread moist enough.  I also replaced the all-purpose flour with white whole wheat flour (WWWF). The result?  I think these numbers speak for themselves... Original (per one slice of bread) calories: 253  total fat: 5.6g  sat fat: .6g  carbs: 48.5g  fiber: 1.6g  sugar: 30.9g  protein: 3.8g "Healthified" (per one slice of bread) calories: 116  total fat: .4g  sat fat: 0g  carbs: 25.7g  fiber: 3.5g  sugar: 10.1g  protein: 3.6g bsib-9 Pumpkin Cranberry Bread NOTE:  this recipe is for 2 loaves of bread Ingredients:
  • 2 cups pureed pumpkin
  • 3/4 cup applesauce
  • 1-1/4 cups Fruit Sweet
  • 4 egg whites
  • 4 cups WWWF (I think this should be reduced to 3-3.5 cups, the dough was a bit too dry)
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
Steps:
  1. Preheat oven to 350*.  Grease two standard-size loaf pans.
  2. Blend together the pumpkin, applesauce, Fruit Sweet and egg whites.
  3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and spices.
  4. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold together until blended.  Do not overmix!
  5. Chop cranberries and fold them into the dough.
  6. Pour dough into loaf pans and bake at 350* for 45-50 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before releasing.  Cool on rack out of pans for 20 minutes before slicing.
bsib-1 bsib-2 bsib-3 bsib-6 bsib-8 bsib-10 I am beyond pleased with the result.  The bread is sooooo good, and so much better for you than the original!!!  Its not too sweet, and the cranberries add a wonderful tartness.  Brian also loved the flavor, but we both felt like the bread is a bit too dense.  The flour amount in the recipe is pretty high, so I think I will try reducing it to 3-3.5 cups next time I make it.  Does anybody know if whole wheat pastry flour might be fluffier than WWWF? For breakfast this morning I had two pieces of my new bread smeared with almond butter.  Yummy combo! 081123-b2 Paired with a cup of plain Oikos topped with fresh raspberries and sliced almonds. 081123-b3 081123-b1 And now I am off to yoga!  I'm sorry I haven't commented on blogs in the last day or so...I promise I've been reading!!!  Its been a whirlwind of activity around here getting ready for our Turkey Day guests, so I've been struggling just to get my posts uploaded.  I'm hoping to have some catch-up time tonight! Enjoy your Sunday!!!  I can't wait to see all of the BSI entries tonight!  :)
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categories baking, breakfast
tags BSI, bread, cranberry, pumpkin

green potage and oatmeal bread

Andrea

Mmmmmmmm potage.  One of my favorite cold, rainy night dinners.  Its basically a creamy soup made by simmering veggies (and sometimes meat) together until they break down enough to puree' them together in a blender.  Brian helped me tonight...he's kinda become our dedicated potage chef.  He used and slightly modified a recipe from one of our soup cookbooks, Soup: A Way of Life by Barbara Kafka.  It turned out perfectly. 081114-d11 Green Potage makes (4) 1-1/2 cup servings 180 calories, 3.4g fat, 1.8g sat. fat, 35g carbs, 4.3g fiber, 4.5g protein in one serving Ingredients:
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 cups mashing potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 5 cups veggie broth
  • 1/2 medium head of broccoli, stems peeled and cut into coins, tops into florets
  • 4 tsp kosher salt (less if using a commercial veggie broth)
  • ground pepper to taste
Steps:
  1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Stir in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until wilted and translucent.
  2. Stir in the potatoes and stock.  Bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.  Stir in the broccoli.  Cover.  Simmer until the potatoes and broccoli are completely tender, about 10 more minutes.
  3. Strain the soup and reserve the liquid.  In a food processor or blender, puree' the vegetables with a little of the reserved liquid.  Whisk the puree' into the remaining liquid and return to the saucepan.
  4. Add salt + pepper and heat through.
081114-d9 My task tonight was to try out the Oatmeal Whole Wheat Quick Bread recipe I found on Itzy's Kitchen.  I was really impressed with how easy and fast this recipe was.  And, it was really good!  VERY filling.  I made a couple of small modifications. 081114-d3 Oatmeal Bread yield 1 loaf, 12 slices 198 calories, 4.5g fat, .4g sat fat, 35.1g carbs, 4.2f fiber, 5.7g protein in one slice Ingredients:
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 cups hemp milk
Steps:
  1. Preheat oven to 450*.
  2. Grind oatmeal in a blender.  In a large bowl, combine oatmeal, flour and baking powder.
  3. In a separate bowl, dissolve honey in vegetable oil then stir in the milk.
  4. Combine both mixtures and stir until a soft dough is formed.  Move dough into a greased loaf pan.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
If I had more honey, I would have used the 4 tbsp recommended in the Itzy's Kitchen recipe.  My bread was really good, but it could have been a bit more sweet.  Unfortunately I ran out after 3 tbsp so I just worked with what I had!  I will definitely be making this recipe again. 081114-d1 081114-d41 Dinner was sooooooo good. Exactly what I wanted at the end of this dreary day.  The potage and bread are both really filling.  I had about 1-1/2 cups of soup and 1-1/2 slices of the bread paired with a small glass of wine, and am now completely stuffed!!! 081114-d10 A little backtrack to my afternoon snacking.  Lunch only stuck with me for a couple of hours....it was just veggies.  I realized when I was starving at 2:30 that I hadn't had much protein today, but sadly didn't have anything to supplement with at work.  So, I had my apple and slice of banana apple bread for a snack with a cup of green tea, which held me over for another couple of hours.   On Friday afternoons my office always gets a bottle of wine, cheese and crackers to celebrate the end of another week.  Today we were also celebrating my big drawing submittal yesterday, which was nice.  I had a small glass of wine, about a 1oz piece of really yummy white cheddar and a couple of water table crackers. No pictures, I still haven't gotten comfortable enough to clue my co-workers in to what I'm doing.  I think that's best for now though. Tomorrow starts another week of training and blogging!!!  I wasn't very good this week, I was so busy that my workouts and home cooking suffered.  I hope to find a way to better balance things because the busy weeks will keep happening and if I want to get to my goal weight I need to stay on top of my exercise and good eats. I am now totally pooped out and ready for bed, so no BSI cooking tonight.  I did spend about an hour working out my recipe though, so I'm all ready to prepare it tomorrow!
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categories baking, dinner
tags bread, soup, vegetarian

banana apple bread

Andrea

banana-3 Last night I tried out a new recipe. My inspiration came from several sources, the first being Jenna at Eat,Live,Run with her whole wheat banana bread recipe. I made this bread a couple of weeks ago with one alteration inspired by my mother's banana bread recipe, which uses a peeled, chopped granny smith apple. I was really happy with how it turned out, and decided to continue to make a few changes to make it my own. Banana Apple Bread Yields 1 loaf—12 slices 106 calories, .4g fat, 0g sat fat, 24.6g carbs, 13.2g sugar, 2.2g protein per slice Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1-1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp apple sauce
  • 2 very ripe bananas
  • 1 cup peeled, chopped tart apple (pink lady, granny smith, etc.)
Steps:
  1. Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, mash the bananas and add the brown sugar, applesauce and egg. Mix well.
  2. Add the chopped apple to the wet mixture.
  3. In a larger bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently fold together.
  4. Pour batter into prepared nonstick (or greased) loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes.
  5. Let cool for 5 minutes in the loaf pan then release and cool on rack for 10 more minutes before slicing.
081113-banana-1 081113-banana-2 081113-banana-4 I am extremely happy with the results!!!  The bread is super-moist, and the chunks of apple are wonderful little surprises.  The white whole wheat flour made it fluffier than the whole wheat flour version (for a great explanation of WWWF see sweetandnatural).  Yay baking!!!  
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categories baking
tags apple, banana, bread