Friday, February 4, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Simple meal plans: Follow the Book #3
Red Taters and Green Grannies
From Simply in Season
(Which is the primary cookbook source for meal plans for a while...)
Here's the low down...
From Simply in Season
(Which is the primary cookbook source for meal plans for a while...)
Here's the low down...
Wash your taters and grannies.
(Granny Smiths, that is)
(Granny Smiths, that is)
Julienne the taters and thinly slice the grannies.
Chop an onion and saute in a little oil.
I am experimenting with coconut oil. It sure smells nice and it doesn't smoke.
I am experimenting with coconut oil. It sure smells nice and it doesn't smoke.
Add the taters and grannies to the pan. Stir them and saute for a bit.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Add a tiny bit of water to the pan to prevent sticking.
Cover and let cook for about 15 minutes til tender.
Put 1/2 to a cup of sharp cheddar on top.
Place under the broiler til bubbly.
A note about this SIS recipe. It was good. Comfort food. We liked the tartness of the apples with the potatoes. Once again, it needed a tiny bit of oomph. I think if I'd used extra sharp cheddar that would have done the trick. I'm really happy with the recipe but will remember to use a sharper, better cheese next time.
We ate this with pan-fried lemon pepper salmon and homemade bread.
Yum. Yum. Yum.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Muff! Muff!
Clara has turned into a muffin fiend! She loves muffins and asks for them every day. It started a few weeks ago when we had lots of bananas and made banana muffins.
When they were gone she kept asking for them, so we made up some pumpkin/carrot muffins with lots of flax seed. We finished those last Tuesday. Last Thursday, she was asking for muffins (muff!) and pointing to the cabinet where they usually live. So I said, "They are all gone (insert lip quivering, tears forming in the corners of her eyes...), but we can make more! Would you like to help Mama make more?" Instant excitement! This kid loves to cook. "Ape-eee! Ape-eee!" (translates: apron)
My fridge and cupboards were getting a little bare. I was holding out on grocery shopping until Saturday when I'd be in town anyway so I wouldn't have to drive there twice. So, again, we made up our own recipe. Ohhh, my. I don't know why I've always been wary of doing this with quick breads. I rarely use recipes when cooking anything else. I guess I've never felt sure enough about leavening and the wet to dry ratio to feel confident winging it, but today we did (after I glanced at a couple recipes for ideas) and these new "muffs" are sooo delicious! So if you've ever been afraid of disregarding a recipe and throwing in whatever you feel like, don't! Be creative and enjoy the results!
Here's what we did, using up bits and pieces of what I had in the house:
Mix in a bowl:
1 c white whole wheat flour
1/2 c ground oats (I grind them in my food processor and keep them on hand for adding to bread, pancakes, making PB balls with etc.)
1/2 c ground flax seeds (these I buy whole and grind in a coffee grinder)
1/4 c rolled oats
1/4 c untoasted wheat germ
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
a couple shakes of ginger
Add and stir to coat:
2 large carrots, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
3/4 c walnuts - toasted and pulsed in food processor until fine (Clara can't have chunks of nuts yet, too choke-y)
1/4 c raisins, chopped into small pieces
Mix in another bowl (or a liquid measuring cup if, like me, you try to use as few dishes as possible while baking):
1/2 c yogurt
1/4 c each oil, applesauce, honey and brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
Add to dry ingredients, mix together and spoon into paper lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until done (I didn't really keep track). Makes 1 dozen regular muffins and 1 dozen mini muffins.
She loved them! They smelled amazing while they were baking (I think a large part of that was due to the walnut meal getting all toasty) and didn't disappoint when they came out. I think creative muffins will definitely be a regular in our house from now on.
 |
| Getting the tins ready. |
My fridge and cupboards were getting a little bare. I was holding out on grocery shopping until Saturday when I'd be in town anyway so I wouldn't have to drive there twice. So, again, we made up our own recipe. Ohhh, my. I don't know why I've always been wary of doing this with quick breads. I rarely use recipes when cooking anything else. I guess I've never felt sure enough about leavening and the wet to dry ratio to feel confident winging it, but today we did (after I glanced at a couple recipes for ideas) and these new "muffs" are sooo delicious! So if you've ever been afraid of disregarding a recipe and throwing in whatever you feel like, don't! Be creative and enjoy the results!
 |
| Inspecting the batter. |
Here's what we did, using up bits and pieces of what I had in the house:
Mix in a bowl:
1 c white whole wheat flour
1/2 c ground oats (I grind them in my food processor and keep them on hand for adding to bread, pancakes, making PB balls with etc.)
1/2 c ground flax seeds (these I buy whole and grind in a coffee grinder)
1/4 c rolled oats
1/4 c untoasted wheat germ
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
a couple shakes of ginger
Add and stir to coat:
2 large carrots, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
3/4 c walnuts - toasted and pulsed in food processor until fine (Clara can't have chunks of nuts yet, too choke-y)
1/4 c raisins, chopped into small pieces
Mix in another bowl (or a liquid measuring cup if, like me, you try to use as few dishes as possible while baking):
1/2 c yogurt
1/4 c each oil, applesauce, honey and brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
Add to dry ingredients, mix together and spoon into paper lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until done (I didn't really keep track). Makes 1 dozen regular muffins and 1 dozen mini muffins.
She loved them! They smelled amazing while they were baking (I think a large part of that was due to the walnut meal getting all toasty) and didn't disappoint when they came out. I think creative muffins will definitely be a regular in our house from now on.
Simple meal plans: Follow the Book #2
Sweet Potato Black Bean burritos were next up from Simply in Season. The hardest thing about this recipe is peeling the sweet potatoes. Not a job I particularly enjoy, but a good peeler makes it go faster, for sure. Or you can ask the company who offers to help to do the job while you chop the onions. That works, too.
I enjoyed these burritos. I love sweet potatoes. I love black beans. I must say, however, that this recipe lacked a certain "umph." The burritos were tasty, but just a little dull. I was thinking that some jalapenos or chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (do chipotle peppers come any other way?) would jazz them up a bit. I am a big fan of jazzy food.
Soooo, I am linking to a recipe adapted from another of my favorite cookbooks, the Moosefood Low Fat Cookbook, because I think it sounds a little more like what I was hoping the SIS recipe would be. Here's their version of Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos.
Also, I did use some enchilada sauce on top with a bit of sharp cheddar melted over it. We ate these with our most favorite in the world kale salad, which I think I could happily eat every day.
Next up: Red Taters and Green Grannies
I enjoyed these burritos. I love sweet potatoes. I love black beans. I must say, however, that this recipe lacked a certain "umph." The burritos were tasty, but just a little dull. I was thinking that some jalapenos or chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (do chipotle peppers come any other way?) would jazz them up a bit. I am a big fan of jazzy food.
Soooo, I am linking to a recipe adapted from another of my favorite cookbooks, the Moosefood Low Fat Cookbook, because I think it sounds a little more like what I was hoping the SIS recipe would be. Here's their version of Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos.
Also, I did use some enchilada sauce on top with a bit of sharp cheddar melted over it. We ate these with our most favorite in the world kale salad, which I think I could happily eat every day.
Next up: Red Taters and Green Grannies
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