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In , on June 16, 2014 with No Comments

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins and Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

When you have teenagers (and young adults) who have an endless stomach, you have to have snacks on hand. Trying to make them healthier snacks that are also tasty can sometimes be tough, but I found 2 recipes this weekend that everyone agreed were hits.

The first recipe I tried was Peanut Butter Banana Muffins. Really easy to make with ingredients I already had on hand. Doubling it was easy too, because I knew if they were a hit, I’d have to make more anyway!

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ripe bananas, mashed
6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 10 muffin tins with either muffin cup papers or lightly spraying with vegetable oil.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Mix the banana, peanut butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, and egg together in another bowl.

Mix the wet mixture into the dry and stir until just combined.

Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

 

Next on the snack list was trying my hand at homemade granola. We all love it, but it can get pricey to buy too often, so why not make it? I looked over lots of different recipes online and found one at honestcooking.com that sounded pretty good….and it was super easy and delicious.

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

2 cups oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or other spices as desired (cardamom, nutmeg, etc.)
2-1/2 cups additions:  Dried fruit, seeds, nuts, flax meal, bran cereal, puffed rice cereal, crushed pretzels, chocolate chips…whatever you like. (I used chocolate chips, raisins, and black walnuts)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
6 tablespoons olive oil, canola oil, other oils….or melted butter (I used butter)
1/4 cup honey, maple syrup, or Agave syrup
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on desired thickness, line a square (8×8 or 9×9) or rectangular (9×13) baking dish with parchment paper (aluminum foil works too), then lightly grease the paper with a non-stick cooking spray, oil, or butter. Thicker bars are a little more decadent, if you’re planning on using this as a dessert.

Process 1/3 cup of the oats in a blender or food processor until finely ground.

If necessary, chop up dried fruit and nuts.

Stir together all dry ingredients (oats, ground oats, sugar, salt, cinnamon, fruits/seeds/nuts).

Whisk together wet ingredients (oil/butter, honey, peanut butter, and water).

Mix together wet and dry ingredients and then spread in the pan. Press firmly into the corners and edges so the top is even.

Bake for around 30 minutes or until the top starts to brown. Thicker bars will likely take longer, so you’ll need to watch them, depending on how much batter you’ve spread in what size pan. The edges will become deep golden, and they may feel underdone in the center, but that’s okay. They’ll firm quite nicely as they cool.

Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes, then take them out of the pan using the parchment paper/foil. Let cool completely before cutting.

 

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In , , on June 14, 2014 with No Comments

It’s Jammin’ Time: Strawberry Balsamic Jam….Plus Baking Powder Biscuits!

I’ve been craving strawberry jam all winter, and I finally got my hands on some strawberries yesterday. Going through all the different jam recipes I’ve accumulated, I decided to try a strawberry balsamic one that I’ve seen on a couple of different blogs. Balsamic vinegar really adds sweetness when heated…I use it all the time when I roast veggies, so it made sense that it would add sweetness to the strawberries, and boy did it! I think I’ve found my most favorite strawberry jam recipe 🙂

Strawberry Balsamic Jam

(This recipe is for 1 batch of jam….I doubled it, and it turned out awesome.)

2-1/2 pounds strawberries (about 7 cups), sliced
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon good balsamic vinegar

Rinse and trim strawberries. Toss with lemon juice and then stir in the sugar. Let fruit macerate for about an hour or so until the juices start to run.

Place the berries in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. The strawberries will begin to break down as they heat up. (I used a potato masher to help speed up the breakdown process.)

Keep stirring over moderate heat until the mixture becomes translucent and has a nice rolling boil. Add balsamic vinegar and black pepper. A jell test on a spoon will let you know if the mixture has thickened enough, but this will not set up into a firm jam.

Skim off any foam and ladle into prepared half-pint jars. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Yield:  6 pints

 

 

And what good weekend breakfast is complete without some homemade baking powder biscuits to try out these jams on??

Baking Powder Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cold
3/4 cup milk, cold
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt into mixer bowl with flat beater. Stir dry ingredients about 30 seconds to evenly mix together.

Cut cold butter into cubes and add to the bowl. Combine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs about the size of a pea.

Add milk and combine until the dough starts to cling to the beater. Avoid over-mixing.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat the dough to 1/2-inch to 1-inch thickness. Cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter (or your favorite way). Place on greased cookie sheet and brush with melted butter, if using.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Yield:  Approximately 12 biscuits.

I had to try out both the spiced rhubarb jam (on the left), as well as the strawberry balsamic jam…both are delicious!!

 

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In , on June 9, 2014 with No Comments

Blueberry Vanilla Muffins

Today was a lazy Sunday, and what better time to make some muffins for brunch? I went looking on the Internet for a homemade blueberry muffin recipe, and I found one that sounded good on www.willcookforsmiles.com website. She used both buttermilk and vanilla paste, neither of which I had on hand, so I improvised. The muffins turned out very yummy, and I’ve been told to make these again 🙂

 

 

Here’s the recipe I used:

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 teaspoons good vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons melted butter
1-1/2 cups milk
2 cups blueberries (I used frozen but can use fresh if you have them)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and grease a muffin pan with some baking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg, sugar, melted butter and milk. Stir in the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk together until smooth.

Whisk in the vanilla. Fold in blueberries.

Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full with batter and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until done using toothpick to test. (Mine took about 27 minutes.) Enjoy!

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In on June 1, 2014 with No Comments

Sourdough Bread and Rosemary Chicken

While I had planned to work on more kale today, after picking the first row yesterday and putting 4 quart bags in the freezer, the rain we got overnight put an end to that idea. We ended up with 0.8 inches, but it came fast, and the garden with the kale was completely soaked. It will be a few days before I can get in there without sinking in up to my knees.

So, I decided to spend my day cooking. The sourdough starter needed to be used today anyway, so that was the first task at hand. If you’ve never made homemade sourdough bread, you’re missing out on a delicious treat. It really is easy to get a starter going, and if taken care of, it will last you a long, long time. And with so many yummy recipes to be found on the Internet, you will be sure to find one that you and your family absolutely love.

My starter (and quite a few of my bread recipes) come from Better Homes & Gardens The Complete Guide to Bread Machine Making. These recipes can, of course, be converted to traditional oven baking, but when it’s hot outside (like today—about 85 degrees here in Iowa), I don’t like to heat up the house by baking in the oven, so I get out my well-used bread machine. I’d hate to guess how many loaves this little machine has made (thanks again Mom for the Christmas present from way back!!). I can just add the ingredients, watch for just a short time to make sure the dry-to-wet ingredient ratio is going to work, and then go about my business outside…and when I come back inside, I’m greeted with the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread. I think that’s one of the best smells in the world!

I absolutely love King Arthur flours…perfect to use whether using a bread machine or traditional bread baking. I also use Bob’s Mill products (gluten, wheat germ, etc.). Wonderful products.

BASIC SOURDOUGH STARTER:

1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (or bread machine yeast)
3/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
3 cups warm water (105-115 degrees F)
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons granulated sugar or brown sugar

Directions:

To make starter: Dissolve the yeast in the 3/4 cup warm water. Add the 3 cups warm water. Stir in flour and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer or medium speed just until smooth. Cover with cotton cheesecloth (I use a dish towel, which works just fine). Let stand at room temperature (75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit) for 5 to 10 days, or until mixture has a sour, fermented aroma, stirring 2 to 3 times every day. (A warmer room speeds the process.) When the starter has fermented, transfer to a 2-quart or larger plastic container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate. (Note: I actually leave my starter out in room temperature, or at least I have so far. Will see how it acts this summer…may refrigerate it then. In any case, as I usually bake bread every other day or so, I go through the starter fast enough I haven’t had an issue with leaving it on the counter.)

To use starter: Stir starter thoroughly after removing it from the refrigerator. Measure amount needed; bring to room temperature. (The cold starter should be the consistency of buttermilk or thin pancake batter. If necessary, add water to thin the starter after it is stirred and before measuring.) Use starter in your favorite sourdough recipe.

 

 

****After using your starter, you will need to “feed” it. For every cup of starter used, replenish the remaining starter by stirring in 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup warm water, and 1 teaspoon granulated or brown sugar. Cover; let mixture stand at room temperature for at least 1 day or until bubbly. Refrigerate. If not used within 10 days, stir in 1 teaspoon granulated or brown sugar. Repeat every 10 days unless starter is replenished.

SOURDOUGH WHEAT BREAD

**For 1-1/2-pound loaf (16 slices)

1-1/4 cups sourdough starter
1/4 cup milk or water
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup bread flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
2 tablespoons gluten flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast (or bread machine yeast)

**For 2-pound loaf (22 slices)

1-1/2 cups sourdough starter
2/3 cup milk or water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2-1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/3 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons gluten flour (will be the same amount no matter which size loaf you make)
4 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast (or bread machine yeast)

Select the loaf size. Add the ingredients to your machine according to the manufacturer’s direcgtions. If available, select the whole grain cycle, or select the basic white bread cycle.
Now for the Rosemary Chicken:

I had a package of leg quarters in the freezer, and I was trying to think up something different than the usual BBQ, honey mustard/Panko recipes that I always use. I was surfing the Internet and found a food blog (I’m sorry I don’t remember which one as I looked at many) where they talked about different marinades. Sounded easy enough and I’d been wanting to prune back my rosemary in the garden anyway.

Here’s the marinade I ended up making:

Lemon Rosemary Garlic Marinade

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I only use Bertolli’s as it is actual olive oil…some other brands may not actually be olive oil!)
3-4 gloves of garlic, depending on size of cloves and your preference
2 large springs of fresh rosemary
1/4 cup lemon juice (I used bottled as I was out of lemons…but fresh would be awesome)
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pick off the rosemary leaves and place in bowl. Peel and smash the garlic cloves (smashing releases the yummy garlic flavors better) and add to the bowl. Add in the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and whisk everything togeter until well combined. Taste to see if you need more salt and pepper. Pour over chicken pieces and marinate them covered in the refrigerator at least 4 hours (overnight would be better). Discard marinade. Bake chicken until juices run clear at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Can also grill chicken until done (which would be delicious too).

No picture yet of the chicken, as it’s still marinading…but the marinade was delicious so I’m anxious to get this bird finished so we can eat!

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In , on May 16, 2014 with No Comments

Rainy Days Are Baking Days

Today was a dreary, rainy day, so what better thing to do but do some baking! I’ve been working with sourdough for about a month now, and instead of using my bread machine today, which I almost always do because I never have the time to do otherwise, I decided to break out my baking stone for a round loaf of sourdough bread.

I have a ton of recipes for different types of bread but not too many for sourdough, so I did an Internet search and found a terrific recipe at anoregoncottage.com.

 

easy sourdough artisan bread

Here’s the recipe:

Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread

 

3 cups flour (white whole wheat, whole wheat, unbleached, or a combo)

1 1/4 cup water (may need less if your starter is “wetter”- mine is a 100% hydration starter, fed an equal ratio of flour to water)

3/4 cup active sourdough starter

1 tablespoon honey

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer just until combined and then let sit for 15 minutes.

Using a dough hook, knead for 5 minutes.

Transfer to a medium-sized bowl, lightly coated with oil. Cover with plastic and let rise for 3 hours, turning and folding the dough once or twice.

Remove dough, turn and fold again, and place it back in the bowl, seam-side up. Let rise for another 2 hours.

After the second rise, place a square of parchment on a cookie sheet and gently shape the dough into a ball or oval (using lots of flour, as the dough is moist) and set on the parchment. Make sure there’s a good coating of flour on the top, as this will make slicing the top later easier.

Set an enameled, cast iron dutch oven into a cold oven and turn heat to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (alternately, use a baking stone), and set the timer for 40 minutes.

When the timer goes off, slash the top of the loaf with a serrated knife (in 2 to 3 places), and transfer it to the hot pot by holding the edges of the parchment (or stone).

Replace the hot lid and bake for 12 to 13 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for another 13 to 14 minutes, until golden brown (if using a stone, Gina at Homejoys uses an old roaster lid to cover her loaves to get a similar result!).

Remove to a wire rack to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting.

Makes 1 loaf

After I got the bread going, I was looking for something else to bake, so I decided to pull out my trusty, go-to New York-Style Cheesecake recipe. I first made this cheesecake recipe when Kevin and I first were married over 20 years ago. I had borrowed a bunch of cookbooks from the local library, and I came across this recipe. While I’ve since made hundreds of cheesecakes in lots of different flavors, this one is still one of my most favorites.
ricotta cheesecake
Ricotta Cheesecake

2 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened

1 (16-ounce) container ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups white sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon good vanilla extract

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter (not margarine), melted and cooled

1 pint sour cream

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9- or 10-inch springform pan.

Mix the cream cheese and ricotta cheese together in a mixing bowl until well combined. Stir in the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, cornstarch, and butter. Add the sour cream last and stir. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan.

Place springform pan in larger cake pan (I use my extra-large lasagna pan). Fill pan with boiling water so that it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake in the preheated for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and leave in the over for 1 hour more. (This helps prevent the top from cracking.) Allow cheesecake to cool completely in the refrigerator before serving. Top with your choice of fruit toppings, or enjoy as is!

 
Serves 8.
 
 
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