Tomato Butter

Tomatoes+Butter

I found a recipe flipping through Food Magazine and decided to make it that very night.  Luckily we had all the ingredients (minus the thyme leaves) and were planning on making corn on the cob (which the recipe says it pairs best with).  Unfortunately I am posting this after the fact and corn on the cob is no longer in season, but this quick simple recipe is a good one to keep in the books to impress guests.

Seed and quarter 2 plum tomatoes (I used one large roma tomato)

Toss with 2t oil, 1/2 t salt, and 1 garlic clove.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Let cool

Puree with one stick of softened butter.

= tomato butter

Easiest Anyfruit Cake

Easiest Strawberry Cake

peach version on the left

I was inspired by the Great British Bake Off which recently debuted in America.  After running across a great strawberry cake recipe, I knew I had to whip it up since I can still find great fresh berries.  I had all the other needed ingredients as it is a fairly simple vanilla batter.  I realize I could have replaced the strawberries with another fruit or even frozen, but I have always been a fan of fresh strawberries and had a hankering for them after gawking over the picture on onceuponachef.com where I found the recipe (although it was originally published in Martha Stewart).  I made a second cake using fresh farmers market peaches and brought it to the cooking club.  Since the fruit shrinks a bit while cooking I recommend packing the top with more fruit than you think is possible.

I followed the recipe exactly (using almond milk of course)

prebake

prebake

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk (low fat is fine)
• About 3/4 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Instructions

postbake

postbake

Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch deep dish pie pan or 9-inch square cake pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, and beat on low speed until smooth. (Note: the batter will be very thick.)

Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula (if you use a square cake pan, the batter will only come about 3/4-inch up the sides of the pan — that’s ok). Arrange the strawberries on top, cut side down, so that they completely cover the batter (the recipe calls for approximately 3/4 pound of strawberries; use more or less if necessary). Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the strawberries.

Bake for ten minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F and bake until the cake is lightly golden and a tester comes out clean, about an hour. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack. Serve with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Note: Cake can be stored at room temperature for several days, loosely covered.

best with whip!

 

The Perfect Crepe

I have been working diligently attempting to make an easy and healthy crepe for breakfast.  I went a step further attempting a breakfast on the go method.. here’s what I found.  A basic crepe needs only three things FLOUR-EGGS-MILK (similar to making pasta).  That made testing more fun switching  ingredients easily. I found that altering the type of milk and eggs did not affect the crepe’s cooking.  That means feel free to use whole milk, eggs, and white flour, or as a lighter option you can use egg whites, whole wheat flour, and unsweetened almond milk for a crepe clocking in at only 50 calories.  I did a test run with coconut flour which failed miserably (sorry for those gluten free folks)

Crepe Folding: I used to fold in both sides to the center, but found that folding in half both directions resulted in the best filling holder.

Crepe Cooking: I have always stuck with the same format.  I lift a hot greased 10” skillet and swirl while pouring 1/4 cup batter.  I cook about 2 minutes on the first side and only a minute on the latter.

Storing and Reheating: I found they do not change texture when reheated so I enjoy making the whole batch and before filling and eating.  I even tested filling a day early and packing to reheat the next day which works very well.

Filling: For dessert I always default to berries with whipped cream, cinnamon and sugar, make syrup, powdered sugar, and chocolate chips.  For a more savory crepe I find any sort of cheese with mushrooms, herbs, spinach or sun dried tomatoes works best.

Ingredients (Makes about 6 crepes)

3/4C Milk

1/2C Flour

3 eggs

pinch of salt

Whisk together all ingredients to form a loose batter.

Heat and grease a 10″ skillet several minuted before adding batter.

Pour 1/4C batter onto pan while simultaneously swirling the pan with alternate pan until thinly coated.

Cook 2 minutes or until first side is golden brown and releases easily from the pan.

Repeat the process until all crepes are made and fill.

another batch of crepes

practice crepe stack

 

 

my favorite folding technique

my idea of the most beautifully plated crepe

Quick Homemade Ketchup

Condiments can be inexpensive but also loaded with unnecessary ingredients, preservatives, and high fructose corn syrup.  I thought it would be a fun challenge to make my own ketchup with simple spices I had in my pantry.  Although there are many methods and I am sure using fresh tomatoes would taste best, I went for a more convenient route while still considering it homemade.  I also attempted at mustard, but that is much trickier as the temperature of the water mixed in with the mustard powder created a chemical reaction that creates the spice level #fail.

Ingredients

• 6oz tomato paste
• 2T apple cider vinegar
• 1/4t dry mustard
• 1/3C water
• 1/4t cinnamon
• 1/4t salt
• pinch of allspice
• 1/8t cayenne pepper

Simply combine and refrigerate overnight for the flavors to develop.

ketchup with baked wedges

Now as far as pairing the ketchup with something interesting, I chose polenta fries.  I also decided to make a semi-homemade version using a tube of polenta as opposed to a box of cornmeal which just eliminates one step to the process.  Simply cut the log’s cross-section then slice into 8 wedges before placing on a baking sheet for 20 minutes in a 450 degree oven flipping halfway through.  I also sautéed them in a coating of olive oil in a frying pan and found that method much more appetizing.

ketchup and pan seared fries

Whole Foods Shrimp Dip

This dip was inspired by the fact that I had cooked shrimp in my freezer and I found it did not taste great when eaten as the main ingredients to a dish so I opted to hide it in a dip.  There are not many recipes out there for a shrimp dip, but I was pleased by what Whole Foods had to offer.

I halved the recipe since I was short on shrimp but I loved the medley of flavors with acidity from lemons, a kick from hot sauce, and bits of shrimp strewn throughout.  I also liked that it kept in my fridge well for a few days and only tasted better the more it rested.

Ingredients

•1/2 pound cooked, peeled shrimp

•4 green onions, roughly chopped

•8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, at room temperature

•1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

•1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce

•1/2 lemon, zest and juice of

•1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Simply place in a food processor until shrimp is chopped.  Stir and place in container in the refrigerator.

Here is the link for the Whole Foods recipe… gotta give credit where credit is due!

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/quick-and-easy-shrimp-dip

Skinny Pumpkin Bars

This is a simple recipe that can be used without needing too many kitchen appliances and is actually pretty light with the addition of unsweetened almond milk, pumpkin, and coconut oil.  Sweet and simple with the addition of cinnamon sugar to the top makes this a great bar cake for a crowd.  Nutritionally about 140calories per 1X1 in slice

Ingredients

•2 cups flour

•1/2 – 3/4 cup sugar

•2 teaspoons baking powder

•1/2 teaspoon baking soda

•2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix or 1 tsp each cinnamon & ginger and 1/2 tsp each nutmeg & allspice and a pinch of clove

•pinch of mineral salt

•1- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

•1/3 cup water or unsweetened almond milk (at room temp)

•1/3 cup coconut oil (melted), or vegetable oil of choice 

•1 can (15oz) 100% pumpkin puree

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium size bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. In a small bowl, combine oil, sugar, water/milk and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture along with the pumpkin puree and mix well. Don’t over mix but be sure there is no flour clumps. Mine was very thick.  Taste batter adjusting flavor or sweetness to your liking. Pour batter into a lightly greased loaf pan. Bake for 55 – 60 minutes. I used an 8X8 pan and cooked about 30 minutes.  

Once done, remove from oven, let cool slightly before serving. Let cool completely before storing.

and a Happy New Year with Donuts

I know it is a few days past the new year and I also know most parole start posting more healthy recipes this time of year, but I happen to have an influx of treats to share.  To kick off the new year, I treated everyone to Klinger’s Krispy Kreme’s.  Although I have posted this before, I love this so I am posting with some new pictures with a powdered sugar frosting.  Cheers to a great new year and more sweets recipes to come!

Prepped biscuit dough

Simply cut out the centers of a canned biscuit dough with the cap from the oil container.

Puffing and bubbling

Heat oil until hot but not smoking so the donuts bubble around the edges

Puffed and golden

Flip when puffed and golden *Careful because if the oil is too hot middle will not cook and outside will burn

Roll in cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar to serve!

Powdered and ready to serve

Simple Dill Pickle

Loving this time of year where there are so many fresh fruits and veggies at the farmers market, but sometimes I get overambitious and buy more than I can eat.  Cucumbers are so tasty when in season, but they are not a vegetable that sautés or freezes well at all.  That left me with another option… PICKLING.  I was inspired after refusing to buy an artisanal jar of pickles for $7 and knew I could cut a few cuke’s and mix with a few ingredients for a lot less.  I had success after reading up on refrigerator dill pickles on all recipes.com.  Note these are not shelf stable as I do not have the proper canning jars, but they last several days in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

• 1.5C Water
• 1/2c white vinegar
• 1t sugar
• 1t sea salt
• 2 small slicer cuke’s or one large
• fresh dill
• peppercorns

Directions

1. Stir water, vinegar, sugar, and sea salt together in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil; remove from heat and cool completely.
2. Combine cucumber spears, garlic cloves, and fresh dill in a large glass or plastic container. Pour cooled vinegar mixture over cucumber mixture.

Apple a day 3- Overnight Apple Oats And Ch-Ch-Ch- Chia

Ch-Ch-Ch Chia

Today there was an article in the paper all about the health benefits of chia seeds.  Well that is for you to look up, but what I like about them is they can be used as a glue in recipes and even replace eggs (when adding with water) in many recipes.  They are great for energy and nutrients, so why not start the day off with some.  There is no need to fall into the traps of retailers who are selling “chia pods” for $3.29 each and mamma Chia sells beverages for a whopping $4.99.  Just buy a bag and add a tablespoon here or there to a salad, batter, or smoothie because they have such a mild flavor. Oh and yes they are the same little seeds we spread on the garfield statue in the early 2000s!

Overnight Oats

I have heard about the overnight oats craze for a while but never actually gotten into it as I am not usually a big oatmeal fan and I never used to have milk around… until I found almond milk.  Although greek yogurt is so tasty and my usual go-to, it is expensive and one container does not last me through the week.  I took the same ideas as my previous breakfast by adding fruits (both dried and fresh/frozen)and, ground flax(now chia), and spices to the “base”.  I love this because the flavor can change depending on what is in your kitchen and it is so simple to just grab-and-go literally.  I also love that as long as you have the oats, milk and chia, the rest is up to your taste or what is in season at the time.

After my research, I have found these essential elements.  Double the liquid to the oats and chia seeds are necessary as they act as a “gluing” agent when sitting overnight in the fridge. This shows a before and after letting the chia seeds work their magic overnight.  Top Row: Before and after resting. Bottom row: stirred before and after heating (this can be eaten cold or warmed up in a microwave.

• 1/2 C oats
• 1 C Almond milk (vanilla unsweetened)
• 1T Chia seeds
• Cinnamon, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and dried fruit are optional add ins I prefer.

 

 

 

These are a few flavor combinations.  Top row: added berries and coconut.  bottom fresh peach which was really good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course I had to try an apple variety and decided they are my favorite add-in.  The applesauce added volume and flavor where the real apples added a nice crispness.  I microwaved the oats then added the apples at the last second so they were as fresh as possible.  The top row was a granny smith and the bottom was a fresh one from the farmers market which was my personal favorite.