I made banana bread today with all healthy ingredients; I call it ridiculous because substituted everything except the bananas, baking soda, and salt and was convinced it wouldn't come out well. It all started because while I like the idea of Clif bars, I feel like they're so expensive and they give me heart burn. Dried fruit can also be expensive, but bananas and apple sauce are not. So, this is my banana bread with 1/2 serving of fruit and whole grains per muffin (I got 16 muffins). You can add chocolate chips and/or walnuts. When I made this for Katie & Matt, I used ganache chunks - so it was like have pieces of truffle baked into them.
I have listed the recipe with the substitutions I made and the real recipe in parentheses.
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (all purpose flour)
3/4 c sucanat (brown sugar)
2 extra large eggs minus one egg yolk (2 eggs)
1/2 cup apple sauce (butter)
4 medium overripe bananas (2.33 cups mashed bananas)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Optional:
1/4 cup ground golden flax seed
1/4-1/2 cup whole dry oats
Mix everything except flour and soda, then add those two. If you're adding flax and oats, stir those in after the batter is all mixed. Pour into greased/sprayed loaf pan or muffin pan. Bake at 350 until knife comes out mostly clean (the banana might leave a smudge and the chocolate definitely will). This was about 25 minutes for muffins and I think 45 for a loaf.
I thought they would be too healthy tasting and that they would need to be buttered but I thought they were good. Katie asked for the recipe.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Cheddar (Bacon) Drop Biscuits
I think the bacon is optional. Normally, my homemade biscuits are like rocks. These came out perfectly. Just be careful with the buttermilk - you may not need the entire amount. I never have buttermilk around, so I do the substitution: 1 tbsp. lemon juice plus enough milk to equal 3/4 cup, then let it sit for 5 minutes.
2 cups flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour) spooned lightly in cup and levelled with knife
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (optional)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup water
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Stir with whisk. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheese and bacon. Add buttermilk and water, stirring until just moist. Drop dough (approximately 2 level tablespoons) 1 inch apart on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 11 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
2 cups flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour) spooned lightly in cup and levelled with knife
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (optional)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup water
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Stir with whisk. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheese and bacon. Add buttermilk and water, stirring until just moist. Drop dough (approximately 2 level tablespoons) 1 inch apart on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 11 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Kale with Bacon and Onions
I found this recipe in an issue of Cooking Light and I've only changed it a little. It is SO GOOD. Ben likes it, too. The bacon doesn't add that much, for me, but Ben probably wouldn't eat it so readily if it did not feature bacon.
2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 bunch of kale, chopped, about 10 cups, divided
1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
1/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper, divided
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or big pasta pot over med/high heat. Add onion to pot and saute for 5 minutes or until onion is tender and begins to brown. Add 5 cups kale, 1/4 cup chicken broth, half the salt, and half the peppers to pot. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add remaining kale, broth, salt and peppers to pot. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with bacon.
2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 bunch of kale, chopped, about 10 cups, divided
1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
1/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper, divided
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or big pasta pot over med/high heat. Add onion to pot and saute for 5 minutes or until onion is tender and begins to brown. Add 5 cups kale, 1/4 cup chicken broth, half the salt, and half the peppers to pot. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add remaining kale, broth, salt and peppers to pot. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with bacon.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Artichoke Quiche hors d'oeuvre
I'm pretty sure I originally got this recipe from Candace's friends Peter and Anne about 5 years ago when I visited for Thanksgiving. I've made this twice this holiday season to bring to functions and everyone has said how much they like it.
14oz can artichoke* (water packed) - drained
4 eggs
2 cups grated cheddar
1/4 c. bread crumbs
dash tobasco
2 T parsley**
1/2 t. oregano
salt & pepper
Bake in a square pan 30 min at 325-350F
*One time I used artichoke bottoms and chopped them up. Another time I used quartered artichoke hearts, which are pretty big pieces, but no one seemed to mind.
**I didn't have any parsley so I substituted with basil.
14oz can artichoke* (water packed) - drained
4 eggs
2 cups grated cheddar
1/4 c. bread crumbs
dash tobasco
2 T parsley**
1/2 t. oregano
salt & pepper
Bake in a square pan 30 min at 325-350F
*One time I used artichoke bottoms and chopped them up. Another time I used quartered artichoke hearts, which are pretty big pieces, but no one seemed to mind.
**I didn't have any parsley so I substituted with basil.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Potato & Leek Soup with Butternut Squash!
I had this soup earlier this week at a professors house. It was so delicious I had to ask for the recipe. She hasn't sent it yet, but I couldn't wait any longer. I had potatoes, leeks, and butternut squash and they weren't getting any younger. So I went at it myself, no recipe. I thought I would need a lot of cream and whatnot to reach the level of deliciousness experiences at my professors house, but before I even got that far, it was amazed at how tasty my own version was. Maybe it was the homemade stock, maybe it was the extra amount of leeks that I cooked until they were sweet. Whatever the reason, I couldn't stop eating this straight from the pot. I got so full just standing there. I cooked the squash a few days before, cut in half, seeds scooped, face down in about an inch of water. I saved the water - poured it right into the storage container with the squash.
10 medium leeks, white and light green only, sliced thin
6-10 fist sized white potatoes, baked and skins peeled and cut up
2 medium-large butternut squash
3 cups stock, vegetable or poultry
3 cups water or more stock/broth
salt and pepper to taste
Melt one tablespoon of margarine in a big pot. Add two tablespoons of oil. Add leeks and sprinkle with salt. Stir until soft. Add stock and potatoes and stir. Add cooked squash. Stir. Spoon the contents of the pot into your blender in as many shifts as necessary. Add as much water to the blender as you need to keep it moving. Return blended soup to pot and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, season, reduce heat or turn off. It's ready to go.
Taste what you have. I thought it was delicious without more salt and pepper, but of course delicious with some added. Add more squash if you like. I had some baby spinach that was on its way out, so I threw it into the blender raw with the other stuff and my soup was a beautiful green color. The spinach was barely cooked and you couldn't taste it. I felt even healthier.
I ate this with some delicious Italian bread from Tops.
10 medium leeks, white and light green only, sliced thin
6-10 fist sized white potatoes, baked and skins peeled and cut up
2 medium-large butternut squash
3 cups stock, vegetable or poultry
3 cups water or more stock/broth
salt and pepper to taste
Melt one tablespoon of margarine in a big pot. Add two tablespoons of oil. Add leeks and sprinkle with salt. Stir until soft. Add stock and potatoes and stir. Add cooked squash. Stir. Spoon the contents of the pot into your blender in as many shifts as necessary. Add as much water to the blender as you need to keep it moving. Return blended soup to pot and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, season, reduce heat or turn off. It's ready to go.
Taste what you have. I thought it was delicious without more salt and pepper, but of course delicious with some added. Add more squash if you like. I had some baby spinach that was on its way out, so I threw it into the blender raw with the other stuff and my soup was a beautiful green color. The spinach was barely cooked and you couldn't taste it. I felt even healthier.
I ate this with some delicious Italian bread from Tops.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Cranberry Sauce
Jonathan and I made this on Friday and it was so much better than the cranberry sauce from the can. Wendy made her own for the Fractivus dinner, and she added lemon rind and candied ginger - it was so delicious.
But here is the recipe Jonathan and I followed:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 cups fresh cranberries
Put the water and sugar into a small saucepan on medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring it to a boil and then boil for 5 minutes. Add the cranberries and bring it back up to a boil. Gently boil for 4 to 5 minutes for a thin, gravy-like consistency, or for 12 to 15 minutes if you want to pour it into a mold. Go for somewhere in between if you want it thick but not molded. If you do use a mold, make sure to chill it for a while.
But here is the recipe Jonathan and I followed:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 cups fresh cranberries
Put the water and sugar into a small saucepan on medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring it to a boil and then boil for 5 minutes. Add the cranberries and bring it back up to a boil. Gently boil for 4 to 5 minutes for a thin, gravy-like consistency, or for 12 to 15 minutes if you want to pour it into a mold. Go for somewhere in between if you want it thick but not molded. If you do use a mold, make sure to chill it for a while.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce
This recipe is from Everyday Italian. We made it last night. It's spicy and cheesy, totally yummy. Giada rated this as "intermediate" - I would agree. It's not that complex, but it is time consuming.
12 ounces (1 box) jumbo pasta shells (approximately 36 shells)
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, diced (I used a 4 oz. package)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes (be careful!)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 jars of marinara sauce (about 52 oz.)
2 (15-ounce) containers ricotta cheese
1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (or 3 tsp. dried parsley)
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves (or 3 tsp. dried basil)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves (I used 1 tsp. dried oregano instead)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Partially cook the pasta shells in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly tender but still quite firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. You will continue cooking the shells in the oven after they have been stuffed. Using a slotted spoon, drain pasta shells and place on waxed paper, spreading them out so that they don't stick together and allow to cool.
Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring often.
In a medium bowl, stir the ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolks, basil, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spoon 1 1/4 cups of the sauce over the prepared baking dish (I needed to use two 9x13 pans to fit all the shells, so I poured that amount in the bottom of each pan). Fill the cooked shells with the cheese mixture, about 1 1/2 tablespoons per shell. Arrange the shells in the prepared dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with the mozzarella.
Bake in the lower third of your oven until the filling is heated through and the top is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
12 ounces (1 box) jumbo pasta shells (approximately 36 shells)
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, diced (I used a 4 oz. package)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes (be careful!)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 jars of marinara sauce (about 52 oz.)
2 (15-ounce) containers ricotta cheese
1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (or 3 tsp. dried parsley)
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves (or 3 tsp. dried basil)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves (I used 1 tsp. dried oregano instead)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Partially cook the pasta shells in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly tender but still quite firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. You will continue cooking the shells in the oven after they have been stuffed. Using a slotted spoon, drain pasta shells and place on waxed paper, spreading them out so that they don't stick together and allow to cool.
Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring often.
In a medium bowl, stir the ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolks, basil, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spoon 1 1/4 cups of the sauce over the prepared baking dish (I needed to use two 9x13 pans to fit all the shells, so I poured that amount in the bottom of each pan). Fill the cooked shells with the cheese mixture, about 1 1/2 tablespoons per shell. Arrange the shells in the prepared dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with the mozzarella.
Bake in the lower third of your oven until the filling is heated through and the top is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
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