eat me, delicious

Plum Sour Cream Kuchen

2009-07-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

Ever since I heard the word kuchen, I've wanted to make one. Though apparently kuchen is just the German word for cake - so really, I've already made many kuchens! But I still love how it sounds. I randomly came across this plum sour cream kuchen on a blog somewhere and since I have the cookbook it came from (The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book) and it looked pretty easy, I decided to make it for a simple dessert at a family dinner. Plus it uses one of my favourite fruits! And speaking of plums, I was just reading about how "one relatively inexpensive plum contains about the same amount of antioxidants as a handful of more expensive blueberries." (Source)

This kuchen would be great as an afternoon snack, breakfast, anything really. It was wonderfully dense and moist - I should've taken a picture of a slice of it to show you the gorgeous inside. And I love how the plums look on top. You could easily use whatever fruit you want, or even omit the fruit. This cake would make a great base for all sorts of experimentation. Maybe add some earl grey tea leaves or chocolate chunks or a caramel swirl.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Strawberry Cream Cake
Applesauce Spice Bars
Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Pound Cake
Sweetened Condensed Milk Cake

Plum Sour Cream Kuchen
Adapted from The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book

I used a 9 inch springform pan so only used 3 plums, but if you want to use a 10 inch pan, you could fit 4 plums. If you want you can put a glaze of apricot jam on top but I opted not to.

3 large plums (about 3/4 lb)
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp grated orange rind
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (Ashley note: I used 300 g.)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Grease and flour 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

Pit plums and cut into 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick slices. In bowl, toss together plums, brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter with granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in orange rind and vanilla. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In small bowl, stir sour cream with oil. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of wet ingredients. Scrape into prepared pan; smooth top. Arrange plums in concentric circles on top, leaving about 1/2 inch (1 cm) between circles.

Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. (Ashley note: Check at 1 hour.) Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove side of pan. (Make-ahead: Let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap (or put in a plastic container) and store at room temperature for up to 24 hours or freeze in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)

Mushroom Pecan Burger

2009-07-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

I just started my summer job yesterday, and after a month off from work and school, it's taking some time to get back into things. I have to get organized with optimizing my time so and I have to figure out how to stop feeling so tired once I leave work.

One of my least favourite home cooked meals is burgers. I really don't like most commercial veggie burgers (though I have recently discovered the Sol Cuisine ones and those are good, and there are some sun dried tomato basil ones that are good too). But I think the real reason that I don't like home cooked burgers is because I have no idea how to create a good burger - like I don't know what condiments to add and in what combination to make it delicious.Whatever I put on there (usually trying to be healthy) it never turns out awesome.

BUT when it comes to homemade veggie burgers like this mushroom pecan burger, there's no way I'd turn it down. I liked eating this burger patty on salad and just on the side of whatever else (like with rice and vegetables). I think I only ate it burger style once, and even then it was good because the patty is just so flavourful and delicious. The patties don't stick together incredibly well but I don't mind because the taste is so awesome.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Mushroom Crescents
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms in Mustard Wine Sauce
Walnut and Mushroom Nut Roast

Mushroom Pecan Burger
Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook

Yields 10 to 12 burgers

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 red onion, diced
1 tsp salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp thyme leaves (or 2 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp red chile flakes
6 cups sliced button mushrooms
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1 1/2 cups grated carrot (about 2 carrots)
1 cup pecans, roasted and finely ground
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (Ashley note: I used ~2 pieces whole wheat bread to make my own breadcrumbs.)
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and saute onion. Turn upt he heat and add the garlic, mushrooms, salt, thyme and chile flakes. Stir and saute until the mushrooms have released their jucies and the pan begins to dry out. Deglaze the pan with balsamic vinegar. Let the liquid evaporate, turn the mushrooms out into a large bowl and let cool.

2. Add the brown rice and grated carrot to the mushrooms. In a food processor, pulse the mixturei n two or more batches until well combined but still coarse in texture. Return to the bowl and add all of the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly and season to taste. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight. Shape into patties and saute until golden brown on both sides. (Ashley note: I baked mine at about 375F. I can't remember for how long, maybe 10 minutes each side.)

Croissant Pockets with Apricots and Brie

2009-07-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

I'm so very tired right now. We just got back from my cousin's wedding (yaey congratulations!) and we were taking care of my brother's dog this weekend (who I tried to get a good picture of but she wouldn't sit still for the camera), which resulted in us not getting much sleep. So it's a good thing I wrote this post yesterday because there's no way I could get anything too coherent out right now.

I made croissants for the first time a few months ago. I baked up half the dough into croissants, and saved the other half for future delicious adventures, like this one! I'm really glad I saved some of this dough as these croissant pockets, filled with apricots, brandy, brown sugar, walnuts and Brie cheese were extremely yummy. It's a good thing that I halved this recipe because I could've easily sat there eating one after another of these. My only complaint was that the apricot pieces were too big (when quartered) so I'd recommend dicing them. And I ended up with extra apricot/nut mixture, but maybe that's just me. If you're looking for motivation to try making croissants for the first time, these are it! And if you have some extra croissant dough, you really must try this out. I have a bit of extra croissant dough in the freezer which I should use up soon. I'm thinking of making cinnamon twists with it.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Caramelized Apple Danish Braid
Mushroom Crescents
Caramelized Onion, Sage and Cheddar Muffins
Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits

Croissant Pockets with Apricots and Brie
Slightly adapted from Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More

My adaptations were to not dust the pockets with powdered sugar after cooling, and to chop the apricots more finely.

9 ounces dried apricots, diced (1 full cup)
1 cup water
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 to 2 tbsp brandy
1/2 cup toasted broken walnuts
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
6 tbsp light brown sugar

1/2 recipe dough for Flaky Croissants
8 ounces ripe Brie cheese, cold, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices, 3 inches long
1 large egg lightly beaten with 1 tsp water, for egg wash
1/4 cup milk, for brushing pockets

Make the filling:
1. In a small saucepan, combine the apricots and water. Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a little liquid remains.

2. Return the liquid to the pan and add the granulated sugar and 1 to 2 tablespoons of brandy. Over medium-low heat, cook the liquid until the sugar is melted and the alcohol is evaporated. Remove from the heat and add the apricots to the pan. Stir gently to coat the fruit with the syrup. Set aside to cool. Combine the walnuts with the cooled apricot mixture.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the soft butter and brown sugar with a wooden spoon, stirring until a smooth paste is formed. Set aside.

Shape the dough:
4. On a lightly floured, cold work surface, using a dough scraper, cut the dough in half. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into a 10 x 12 inch rectangle, keeping the 12 inch side parallel to the edge of the work surface. Pierce the surface of the dough several times with a fork to prevent shrinkage. Using a pastry cutter or a pizza wheel, cut the dough into eight pieces.

5. Working with one piece of dough at a time, gently reshape the dough into a 3 x 5 inch rectangle. Spread a generous teaspoon of the brown sugar/butter mixture in a strip down the center of the 3 inch side of the rectangle. Place a slightly full tablespoon of the apricot/nut mixture over the brown sugar/butter strip. Place a slice of cheese over the apricot mixture. Do not overfill.

6. Brush the far edge of the dough with egg wash. Bring the opposite edge over the filling to enclose it, then overlap it with the egg-washed edge. Gently pinch the seam, leaving the sides open, and place the pocket seam side down on a parchment lined baking pan. Repeat with the remaining dough. Brush the tops and sides of the croissants lightly with milk and place in a warmish spot to rise until almost doubled, 45 to 60 minutes. Brush the croissants again with the milk 2 or 3 times during rising time.

Bake the pockets:
7. Fifteen minutes before baking, position the racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 400F. Gently brush the tops of the pastries with the egg wash, working from the bottom of the pocket upward. Do not drip the egg wash onto the baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350F and continue to bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. To ensure even browning, toward the end of baking time, rotate the pans top to bottom and front to back.

8. Remove from the oven and place on racks to cool. Loosen the pastries on the pan and cool for 20 minutes. Note: If any of the filling has run out of the ends of the pockets, take a small spatula and slide it back into the pockets.

Storage: Store in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving. These pastries may be frozen.

Sesame Beets

2009-07-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

I love beets. I could eat a bowl of beets everyday. I prefer them boiled to roasted but I like them either way. It seems as though my love for beets is causing me to rhyme. So, moving on! Beets are delicious. Really nothing not to love about them. I know I don't post recipes with beets that often but we do eat them fairly often. I usually just roast them with other vegetables or simple boil them and slice them up.

Here's Abby with a salad I made with these beets. (The salad had mixed greens, tofu, raw chayote and beets.)

This is a really simple recipe to dress up beets a bit. Nothing too crazy, but it's a nice change, and you can do what I did and add them to a salad. The natural beet juice and light sesame dressing can take the place of your regular dressing. Though I've started to eat my salad without dressing anyway. At first it was hard but you get used to it. Just like eating raw vegetables without dip. One thing I haven't done with beets yet is bake with them. I really want to try these double dark chocolate beet muffins. Oh and I forgot about these beet & carrot latkes, yum! Ooo and this maple-roasted pear salad (with beet dressing!) and this beet pesto. Wow I didn't realize I had all these beet recipes saved - I must get busy with beets!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Beet, Barley & Black Bean Soup
Asian Beet and Tofu Salad
Caribbean Roasted Vegetables
Maple Mustard Glazed Potatoes and String Beans

Sesame Beets
Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites

Ashley note: The dressing isn't too strong so next time I might add more lemon or vinegar.

1 pound beets
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp minced onions or scallions
1 tsp sugar
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Trim the leaf stems of the beets to about an inch (if your beets come with leaves, save the leaves for cooking), scrub the beets, and place them in a pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes, until tender and easily pierced with a sharp knife. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool enough to handle. Remove and discard the skins, which should slip off easilyu, and slice the beets into a bowl. Toss with the lemon juice, vinegar, sesame seeds, onions or scallions, and sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill thoroughly for about 30 minutse and serve.

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits

2009-06-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

I made these a while ago during my biscuit/scone phase. Well the biscuit/scone phase never really passes, I just figure I should eat healthier baked goods sometimes! These are basic buttermilk biscuits - though perhaps the instructions make them more complicated than they should be? But I guess this is to try and ensure flakey biscuits. I thought mine could have been flakier though, but that could be my own fault not the recipe's. They are however super buttery, and definitely tasty and comforting fresh out of the oven. Sadly, as with most biscuits, once they cool down they lose some of their magic. I like this recipe, but it's the first buttermilk biscuit I've tried so I'm going to try a few more before deciding which one's best!

Next week I start my summer job (which will hopefully be my part time during school job as well) so I will have less time for food blogging, but more time for making money! Money to buy delicious food and ingredients and I guess pay for important things too like school and our mortgage.

We got this basket full of goodies from a fancy grocery store (that my boyfriend's mom had won). As you can see, Abby has claimed it as her own. She likes chewing on it and sitting in it, but mostly she likes chewing on it.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Baking Powder Biscuits
Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits
Apricot Orange Scones
Caramelized Onion, Sage and Cheddar Muffins

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits
Method slightly adapted from Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More

I've omitted the step with the pastry cloth and pastry sleeve for the rolling pin as I don't have those. I just worked on a floured counter top.

Makes 12 small biscuits.

3 1/3 cup all purpose flour, spooned in and leveled, plus additional for kneading and dusting (Ashley note: I used 472 g flour.)
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, plus 2 tbsp melted
1 2/3 cups buttermilk

1. Position the rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 400F. Have ready a large, ungreased cookie sheet.

2. In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Shave the chilled butter into 1/8 inch slices using a dough scraper or a sharp knife. Add the butter to the dry ingredients, one third at a time, rubbing it between your fingertips to form flake like pieces. Work gently and quickly so the butter doe snot become too warm. You should have both large and small pieces.

4. Add the buttermilk, pouring it around the edges of the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, push the mixture toward the center, working your way around the bowl to blend the buttermilk with the flakes. The mixture will be soft and resemble large curds of cottage cheese. Let stand for 2 or 3 minutes while you prepare the rolling surface.

5. Sprinkle a pastry board or other flat surface generously with flour, about 2 tablespoons. Empty the dough onto the board. The dough will be sticky. With the help of a dough scraper, lift the dough four or five times to coat it with flour. With floured hands, gently knead the dough six or eight times, or just until it forms a "skin" (thin layer of flour on the surface). It's okay if larger particles of butter are visible. Do not overwork the dough or your biscuits will not be tender. When the dough is ready, slide aside and clean the work surface.

6. Place the dough on the flat surface and pat it lightly with floured hands, shaping it into a rectangle. Roll the dough into a 10 x 14 inch rectangle, with the 10 inch side parallel to the edge of the counter. Fold the dough into thirds, like a business letter. To do this, lift the far side of the pastry cloth up and fold the top third of the dough over on itself. Press the dough to align the edges as best you can. Lift the lower edge of the dough and flip the bottom third of the dough over on itself, keeping the edges as best you can. You will now have there layers of dough. Press the top gently with your hands, then roll the dough into a 5 x 15 inch strip, with a thickness of a generous 1/2 inch.

7. Cut the dough into 12 rectangles and place on the cookie sheet inverted, about 1 1/2 inches apart. (Ashley note: This is my easy way of cutting biscuits. I hate rerolling dough. The recipe suggests you use a 2 1/4 inch round cutter.)

8. Brush the tops with the melted butter and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the biscuits from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before loosening with a thin metal spatula. Serve the biscuits warm. If baking ahead, warm the biscuits for a few minutes in a 300F oven.

Spicy Indian Chickpeas/Chana Masala

2009-06-28T08:39:00.001-07:00

As I've mentioned before, I'm not the biggest fan of beans, though I try to eat them at least somewhat regularly. Indian cooking has really helped with that as there are so many yummy spices and things added to them to make them so very delicious, like in this dish. What's also helped with my bean eating are the dishes that Lisa (of Lisa's Kitchen) makes! This is one that she suggested I try when I was looking to cook more Indian food, and I've defnitely fallen in love with it. It's intensely flavoured, for the most part uses pantry staples (assuming mustard seeds, cumin seeds and cardamom pods are pantry staples for you of course ;) ), and most importantly makes me look forward to eating beans. It definitely falls into the category of dishes to make again and again. I've also recently purchased a few Indian cookbooks (660 Curries, Indian in 6, and 5 Spices, 50 Dishes) so expect more Indian recipes from me!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Chickpea Cutlets with Mustard Sauce
Middle Eastern Chickpea Soup
Curried Sweet Potato Soup
Artichoke Rotini Pasta

Spicy Indian Chickpeas/Chana Masala
Adapted from Lisa's Kitchen

My adaptations were to make it less spicy, use less lemon, and not add the cinnamon stick.

1 1/4 cups of dried chickpeas
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
5 green or black cardamom pods
2 bay leaves

1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1/2 - 1 tablespoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
1 teaspoon of turmeric

2 finely chopped hot red and green chilies
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 - 2 inch piece of ginger, grated or finely chopped

2 medium-large tomatoes, finely diced
juice from half of one small lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon of garam masala

Soak the chickpeas overnight in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 - 2 hours or until the chickpeas are buttersoft. Drain well and set aside.

Heat the butter and oil in a large pot. When hot, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Stir and fry until the mustard seeds begin to pop and the cumin seeds begin to brown.

Throw in the onions, and stir and fry until they begin to brown. Add the ground coriander, ground cumin, cayenne and turmeric to the pan and stir until the onions are well coated with the spices - about 1 minute. Then, add the fresh chilies, garlic and ginger. Stir and fry for a few minutes.

Next, add the tomatoes, half of the lemon juice and cook to thicken, about 10 minutes. Put the chickpeas into the tomato mixture, add the salt, some black pepper, half of the parsley, the remaining lemon juice and the garam masala. Cook for about 10 minutes to blend the flavours, adding a bit of water if necessary. The chickpeas should be fairly dry.

Remove the bay leaves if you are using whole ones, and the cinnamon stick. Stir in the remaining parsley and serve hot.

Brown Sugar-Apple Cheesecake

2009-06-25T10:09:00.001-07:00

Not surprisingly, this cheesecake was extremely delicious. But I have yet to meet a cheesecake I didn't like! Well there was the Godiva chocolate cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory but I think I still ate that. (Which made me think I didn't like chocolate cheesecake but then I made this rich chocolate cheesecake that convinced me otherwise.) Anyway, this cheesecake is really creamy and luscious. It's like apple pie in cheesecake form, and since I'm not a big fruit pie person I would definitely go for this over apple pie any day! I will definitely be making it again.

The recipe suggests you cut the apples into eighths but I found the slices too fat (they weren't able to soften enough) so I'd just suggest slicing the apples a bit thinner. And to make it look prettier, I'd put additional apple slices on top of the cheesecake next time like Confections of a Foodie Bride. Also, make sure not to over bake the crust. I always want to bake it for longer than it says but this time it resulted in a super hard crust which I couldn't cut through very easily. I took this cake to serve at Easter dinner with my boyfriend's family (an indication of how far behind I am in posting food I've made!) and the slices ended up a mess because I couldn't get the crust to go with it. Once I got it home I was able to figure things out and chop through the hard crust though.

Abby loves sleeping behind the computer monitor. And yes we have our monitor propped up on the yellow pages!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Cinnamon-Apple Scones
Lemon Cheesecake
Apple Pie with Brown Sugar Streusel Topping
Applesauce Spice Bars

Brown Sugar-Apple Cheesecake
Baking: From My Home to Yours

I went for the gingersnap crust (instead of graham crackers), added the optional cinnamon, and used apple juice instead of apple cider.

For the Crust:
30 gingersnaps
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

For the Apples:
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
3 large Golden Delicious or Fuji apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
2 tbsp (packed) light brown sugar

For the Filling:
1 1/2 pounds (three 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
6 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp apple cider (Ashley note: I used apple juice.)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy cream

To Make the Crust:
Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan. (Ashley note: I think my springform pan is 9 inches.)

Put the gingersnaps in a food processor and whir until you have crumbs; you should have a scant 2 cups. (If you are using graham cracker crumbs, just put them in the food processor.) Pulse in the sugar and cinnamon, if you're using it, then pour over the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are moistened. Turn the crumbs into the springform pan and, using your fingertips, firmly press them evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan as far as they'll go. Put the pan in the freezer while you preheat the oven. (The crust can be covered and frozen for up to 2 months.)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the pan from the freezer and wrap the bottom tightly in aluminum foil, going up the sides. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the crust is set and lightly browned. Transfer to a rack to cool while you make the apples and the filling. Leave the oven at 350 degrees F.

To Make the Apples:
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the foam subsides, toss in half of the apple slices and cook, turning once, until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the apples with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and cook them, turning, just until coated, another minute or so. Scrape the apples onto a plate, wipe out the skillet and repeat with the remaining apples. Let the apples cool while you make the filling.

Getting Ready to Bake:
Have a roasting pan large enough to hold the springform pan at hand. Put a kettle of water on to boil.

To Make the Filling:
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium speed, scraping down the bowl often, for about 4 minutes, or until it is velvety smooth. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes. Beat in the cider, vanilla, and cinnamon. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in. Finally, beat in the sour cream and heavy cream, beating just until the batter is smooth.

Pour about one third of the batter into the baked crust. Drain the apples by lifting them off the plate with a slotted spoon or spatula, and spoon them into the pan. Cover with the remaining batter and, if needed, jiggle the pan to even the top. Place the springform pan in the roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 30 to 45 minutes (Ashley note: I baked mine for 2 hours.), covering the cake loosely with a foil tent at the 45-minute mark. The cake will rise evenly and crack around the edges, and it should be fully set except, possibly, in the very center--if the center shimmies, that's just fine. Gently transfer the cake, still in the pan, to a cooling rack and let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it for at least 6 hours; overnight would be better.

Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the crust, open the pan's latch and release and remove the sides.

Maple Mustard Glazed Potatoes and String Beans

2009-06-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

I think I've mentioned before about how I rarely cook potatoes because I find them to be void of much nutritional value and they just fill you up. I'd rather eat sweet potatoes or whole wheat pasta or something else. But my boyfriend loves loves potatoes so sometimes I have to be nice right? Well these potatoes turned out to be extremely delicious and perfect and we've already made them twice (which is saying a lot to have made them twice before I even post about them given how I usually like to try new recipes). My boyfriend said the potatoes were like the ones you get at Korean restaurants (though I've never been so don't know). I just know that the maple-garlic-Dijon dressing is super tasty. The second time we made them the potatoes weren't cooked enough because we cut them too big, so make sure that they're 1 inch pieces. Oh and this is super easy to make.

Edit: Okay so it was my belief that potatoes aren't that healthy for various reasons, but as Daily Spud pointed out, they do have some good attributes so I thought I'd just point those out. This information is for a baked (not boiled) with skin potato found on this Nutrition Facts website. Of your daily requirements, a baked potato gives you 48% of your Vitamin C, 46% of your potassium, 21% of your folate, 18% of your iron.. and the list goes on. Check it out. Plus potatoes apparently have more fibre than pasta (mind you I think they're comparing this to white pasta). Thanks Daily Spud for spurring me to look into this further!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Pasta with Pesto, New Potatoes and Green Beans
Warm Vegetable Salad with Sesame-Maple Dressing
French Barley Salad
Santa Fe Pasta Salad

Maple Mustard Glazed Potatoes and String Beans
Adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance

2 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes, halved (about 1 inch pieces)
1/2 pound string beans, halved, ends cut off and discarded
1 yellow onion, thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F.

Place the vegetables in a 9x13 inch casserole dish. In a mixing bowl, stir together all the other ingredeints until the mustard is dissolved. Pour over the vegetables and mix until everything is coated. Cover with fiol and place in oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and toss everything; use a spoon to drip the sauce over the veggies. Turn oven down to 350F, and cook for 25 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven, toss again, cook for 25 more minutes uncovered.

Black-Bottom Cupcakes

2009-06-21T09:39:00.001-07:00

I'm sure this recipe is familiar to many of you, and comes from one of my favourite food bloggers (and one of the first food blogs I ever read) - David Lebovitz. Seriously you must go check out his blog if you haven't. He's really awesome and hilarious. As for these cupcakes, they are very rich and moist. Chocolatey and cream cheese-y. What else is there to say? These would be great if you want to make cupcakes and have to carry them somewhere, as they don't require icing that could stick to things and get messed up. Oh and I'm still in search of a good cream cheese brownie recipe, so if you have one let me know. =)

If this sounds good, you might like:
Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Rich Chocolate Cheesecake
Cheesecake Pops
Chocolate Mousse Layer Cake

Black-Bottom Cupcakes
The Great Book of Chocolate

Ashley note: I halved the recipe and used 116 g flour, 95 g brown sugar, and 35 g granulated sugar.

Yield: 12 full-size or approximately 30 mini cupcakes

For the filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, regular or reduced fat, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

For the cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup unflavored vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the filling:
Beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate pieces. Set aside.

Make the cupcakes:
1. Adjust the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 12-cup muffin tin, or line the tin with paper muffin cups.

2. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.

3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, stirring until just smooth. Stir any longer and you will over mix the batter and end up with less-than-tender cupcakes.

4. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Spoon a few tablespoons of the filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. This will fill the cups almost completely, which is fine. (Ashley note: I would recommend creating a little well and putting the filling into it, otherwise the cream cheese sits on top as it did with mine. However you might like it sitting on top.)

5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown and the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed. These moist treats will keep well unrefrigerated for 2 to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.

Coconut Crème Brûlée

2009-06-19T09:34:00.001-07:00

First off I want to mention Caitlin's Operation Beautiful. It's about "ending fat talk one anonymous post-it at a time" by "leaving positive messages on the mirrors of public restrooms" like "you are beautiful". How awesome is that? Check out her post to see all of the wonderful notes people have left, and some of their experiences. I want to go leave some notes around too now. I love the positive impact the blog world can have!! Okay now onto the food.

Usually I post about things in the approximate order I've made them, unless there's some particular reason to post about it sooner (like taking advantage of strawberry season, a blog event, or in this case a request from a friend). I made this coconut crème brûlée for a potluck we hosted a couple of weekends ago. Originally I wanted to make this rootbeer float cake but due to the hot weather, thought a cold dessert might be better.

This crème brûlée was rich and creamy (well okay what crème brûlé isn't?) with a hint of coconut. I'd like to try making crème brûlée (I'm getting tired of copy/pasting that!) with all coconut milk (and no cream) for even more coconut flavour next time! I can never get enough coconut. And I've been dying to make earl grey crème brûlée, but I know not everyone loves the flavour of earl grey so I haven't made that one yet. Maybe white chocolate earl grey crème brûlée, mmmm. I know some people think crème brûlée is difficult to make but it's really not. In fact it's one of the easiest desserts to make I think, provided you have some whisking skills!

And now for a photo of Abby, reaching up to get one of her new toys. I love how her little back feet look - it reminds me of puss 'n boots for some reason.

If this sounds good, you might like:
Creamy Coconut Cake
Coconut Cream Pie
Coconut Madeleines
Coconut Shortbread

Coconut Crème Brûlée
Adapted from Caprial's Desserts

I think my ramekin cups are 6 ounces so I got about 10 ramekins out of this recipe. I also found the suggested 1 tbsp of sugar on top too much so scaled it back to 1/2 tbsp.

2 1/4 cups heavy cream
400 mL can (1 3/4 cup) coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
8 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 to 1 cup superfine sugar

Preheat the oven to 300F.

Place the cream, coconut milk and vanilla in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Slowly whisk 1 to 1/2 cups of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture to temper it, or bring it up to the same temperature. Whisk in the remaining cream,a nd then strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Skim any foam from the surface.

Divide the custard among six 8 ounce ramekins. Set the ramekins in a shallow roasting pan, and fill the pan with enough hot water to reach about haflway up the sides of the remakins. Carefully set the pan in the oven and bake just until set, about 1 hour. To tell if the custards are set, gently shake one; if it moves as one mass, it is done. Remove the ramekins from the water bath. let cool until tepid, the refrigerate until well chilled, about 4 hours (overnight is even better if you have time).

To serve, sprinkle each custard with 1/2 tbsp of superfine sugar. Using a propane torch (or th ebroiler), caramelized the sugar. Serve immediately.

Fried Rice with Scallions, Edamame and Tofu

2009-06-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

I've seen people participating in Taste & Create and been intrigued, but this is my first time participating! I was really excited and eager to see who my partner would be so I could start poring over all their recipes to pick one. I was paired with Natalie of What's for Supper? and while going over her recipes found that we've made a lot of the same things - namely Dorie Greenspan (from Baking: From My Home to Yours) and Martha Stewart recipes! She's also working her way through The Food You Crave (with a blog event called Craving Ellie in my Belly), and I had just taken this book out of the library - perfect!

I settled on this recipe for fried rice because it had lots of ingredients I love (and had on hand) plus I love fried rice. Natalie made a few changes with the recipe but I decided to stick to the original. I loved the combination of the ingredients - red pepper, edamame, brown rice, corn, green onions, tofu, ginger, eggs. The fried rice was yummy but to make it again I'd do a few modifications - more ginger and garlic, more vegetables, add onion, and add the green onions at the end (as I find you can never taste them if they're too cooked). And I got to use our new wok for the first time! I can't believe I've been going this long attempting to stir fry things in a frying pan. Thanks Natalie for inspiring me to try out this cookbook - now I'm going to have to buy it!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Sunflower Rice Bowl
Wild Rice Almond Cherry Pilaf
Soba Noodles with Zucchini Ribbons
Lemon Miso Tofu and Eggplant

Fried Rice with Scallions, Edamame and Tofu
The Food You Crave

Ashley note: Make sure you have all your ingredients prepared before you start as things will go quickly! Also, it's much better to use day old rice for fried rice because fresh rice will be too sticky/wet. You can easily make this vegan by omitting the eggs and adding extra tofu.

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp canola oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp)
4 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
1 tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
4 cups cooked brown rice
3/4 cup seeded and finely diced red bell pepper
3/4 cup frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions and drained
1/2 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels
6 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 large eggs, beaten
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the garlic, scallions, and ginger and cook, stirring, until softened and aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the rice, red pepper, edamame, corn and tofu and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 5 minutes.

make a 3 inch well in the center of the rice mixture. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, then add the eggs and cook until nearly fully scrambled. Stir the eggs into the rice mixture, then add the soy sauce and incorporate thoroughly. Serve hot.

Roast Banana-Pumpkin Breakfast Bread

2009-06-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

I discovered this recipe for roast banana-pumpkin breakfast bread a few years ago on 101 Cookbooks, a while before I had a blog. And over the years I've thought about making it - roasted bananas, rum soaked raisins, coconut milk, pumpkin seeds. It sounded like such a unique and delicious combination of flavours but I was always missing an ingredient. The cookbook the recipe comes from also really interests me but it doesn't seem to be in print anymore - Southwestern Vegetarian. Anyone have this cookbook? I'm just curious if it's as good as it sounds. Regardless I think it's time that I try and track it down!

Well how did this magical banana bread that I'd built up in my head turn out? It was good, but not as good as I had hoped. I thought roasting the bananas would impart something special but it just tasted like regular banana bread. You can taste the rum in the raisins which was a nice touch. If you love banana bread a lot I think it's one worth trying out, just for something a little different.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Banana Crunch Muffins
Mom's Banana Apple Bread
Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins

Roast Banana-Pumpkin Breakfast Bread
Southwestern Vegetarian (found on 101 Cookbooks)

Makes 1 loaf

3/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup Myer's dark rum
2 ripe bananas, unpeeled
2 cups cake flour (Ashley note: I weighed 247 grams.)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a small saucepan, combine the raisins and rum. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and let stand for 1 hour. Strain the plumped raisins and set aside; discard any remaining liquid.

Place the bananas on a cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, or until the skins are black and they have started to seep. Remove from the oven , set aside, and let cool.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Turn the machine to low and add 1 egg. Mix until completely incorporated and then add the second egg. Mix again until completely incorporated.

Meanwhile, squeeze the flesh of the bananas out of the skins and into a small mixing bowl. Add the coconut milk and vanilla and mash together. Add half of the banana mixture to the electric mixer bowl and blend thoroughly on low speed. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add the remaining banana mixture, blend thoroughly, and add the remaining flour mixture; mix just enough to thoroughly blend the ingredients. Fold the pumpkin seeds and reserved raisins into the batter and pour it into a lightly greased 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.

Bake in the oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack, slice, and serve warm. Alternately, sprinkle with the powdered sugar and glaze briefly under a preheated broiler.

Monster Cookies

2009-06-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

Many many years ago, my cousin introduced me to monster cookies. They were extremely addictive and I remember getting the recipe from her and trying to make them myself. They didn't taste as good though. Ten plus years later, I've attempted monster cookies again! It seems as though all the monster cookie recipes out there are basically the same, but some use flour and some don't. For the add ins, I chose M&M's and Skor/toffee bits. On the topic of M&M's, they are one of my most favourite things to have in a cookie but I don't really like them on their own - Smarties are much better. Anyway, so you can add whatever you want to these - chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc. I made two batches, one with Skor bits and one without, and while the ones with the Skor bits were really sweet because the Skor bits melted into the cookie, they were the superior batch. You take a bite and think oh it's so sweet! Thinking you don't want more. But then you have another bite, and another. I ate a lot of them and then had to give the rest away.

Abby think she owns our computer chair - well, she thinks she owns everything!

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies
Peanut Butter Squares with Milk Chocolate and Oats
Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters
Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Monster Cookies
Adapted from Paula Deen

Makes 3 dozen

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
12 ounces creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
2 cups M&M's
1 cup Skor/toffee bits
2 tsp baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick cooking oats (not instant)
1/2 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the M&M's, Skor/toffee bits, baking soda, oats, and flour. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring towire racks to cool.

Strawberry Lemon Sunflower Seed Muffins

2009-06-11T14:45:00.001-07:00

I made these muffins a while ago when I bought a huge thing of strawberries that turned out to not be really great (which, as some of you might remember, is when I also made the chocolate strawberry loaf). I don't often add berries to muffins because I find they make them so wet, and that's exactly what happened with the first batch I attempted of these. The second batch I used less soy milk and it balanced out a lot better. The taste was delicious, and I especially loved the crunch of the sunflower seeds.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Whole Wheat Orange Spice Muffins
Chocolate Strawberry Loaf
Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake
Applesauce-Oat Bran Muffins

Strawberry Lemon Sunflower Seed Muffins
Greatly adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance

If you can't get light spelt flour, use light whole wheat flour or another kind of flour. You can use all whole wheat flour instead but the muffin will be a bit denser.

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup light spelt flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup soy milk
6 ounces low fat vanilla yogurt (use soy yogurt to make vegan)
2 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup chopped strawberries
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a twelve muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bolw, sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, oil, soy milk, yogurt, vanilla and lemon zest. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry; halfway through mixing fold in the strawberries and sunflower seeds.

Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Spaghetti with Spinach Cream Sauce

2009-06-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

This is another successful recipe I've made from New Vegetarian Cuisine. Admittedly the recipe calls for low fat or reduced fat ricotta cheese but I really can't stand low fat cheese. The taste is so muted and bland and I always end up adding more so I may as well just eat the real thing and enjoy it! I modified this recipe to add in extra vegetables (zucchini and asparagus) and less pasta. Which reminds me that I should go buy some more asparagus while it's around - and corn! Mmmm. Oh and I should mention that this is not your typical heavy cream sauce - it's a lighter version made with skim milk and ricotta cheese.

When I saw Abby like this it took a second to realize where her head was.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Asparagus and Feta Pasta
Spinach Artichoke Heart Dip
Black Bean Chilaquile
Spinach Balls

Spaghetti with Spinach Cream Sauce
Adapted from New Vegetarian Cuisine

Serves 3-4.

1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
1 cup skim milk, divided
2 tsp oil
1/2 cup diced onions
1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 zucchini, sliced into half moons
15 asparagus spears, cut into 1-2" pieces
1 1/2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
7 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
Salt to taste

1. In a food processor, blend the ricotta, lemon peel, nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of the milk.

2. In a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the oil. Stir in the onions; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the ricotta mixture, spinach, Parmesan and the remaining milk. Cook, stirring constantly, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook the psaghetti for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain, Place ina serving bowl. Add the spinach sauce; toss to mix.

Strawberry Cream Cake

2009-06-06T22:19:00.001-07:00

I mentioned before that I made my boyfriend two cakes for his birthday - one was chocolate mousse layer cake and the other was this strawberry cream cake. I was convinced that I'd like the chocolate mousse cake better because I don't usually like baking with fruit (waste of fruit! I like eating it fresh) and I also don't like the sourness and mush that fruit can add to baked goods. BUT, this cake was outstanding. I must make it at least once a year, maybe more. It is absolutely worth sacrificing some delicious strawberries for.

The cake that's used is like a sponge cake, that is then layered with a strawberry sugar filling in the middle and halved strawberries around the edge, then on top of that goes the most amazing whipped cream concoction in existence - and the layers continue like so. The whipped cream is mixed with cream cheese, which is really brilliant. If you haven't tried this before you must, whether it's with this cake or another or just on top of something else or just in a bowl even. And on top of that, the cake is pretty easy to make.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Raspberry and White Chocolate Pie
Creamy Coconut Cake
Lemon Cheesecake
Perfect Party Cake

Strawberry Cream Cake
Cook's Illustrated May/June 2006 (found on Simply Recipes)

Cake
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs (2 whole and 3 separated), room temperature
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 Tbsp water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Strawberry Filling
2 pounds fresh strawberries (medium or large, about 2 quarts), washed, dried, and stemmed
4-6 Tbsp sugar
Pinch table salt

Whipped Cream
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon table salt
2 cups heavy cream

Bake the cake:
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour round 9 by 2-inch cake pan or 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. In a large bowl, by hand, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and all but 3 Tbsp of the sugar in mixing bowl. Whisk in 2 whole eggs and 3 yolks (reserving whites), butter, water, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.

2. Using a mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat remaining 3 egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. With machine running, gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form, 60 to 90 seconds. Stir one-third of whites into batter to lighten. Add the remaining whites and gently fold into batter until no white streaks remain. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert cake onto greased wire rack; peel off and discard parchment. Invert cake again; cool completely, about 2 hours.

Strawberry filling:
3. Cut in half 24 of best-looking berries and reserve. Slice or quarter remaining berries; toss with 4 to 6 tablespoons sugar (depending on sweetness of berries) in medium bowl and let sit 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The sugar will macerate the strawberries, making them soft, and generating liquid. Strain the juices from berries and reserve (you should have about 1/2 cup). Put the strawberries in a bowl and use a potato masher to mash them; set aside.

In small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer reserved juices until syrupy and reduced to about 3 tablespoons, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour reduced syrup over macerated berries, add pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Set aside until cake is cooled.

Whipped cream:
4. When cake has cooled, place cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Reduce speed to low and add heavy cream in slow, steady stream; when almost fully combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes more, scraping bowl as needed (you should have about 4 1/2 cups).

Assemble the cake:
5. Using large serrated knife, slice cake into three even layers. Place bottom layer on cardboard round or cake plate and arrange ring of 12-20 strawberry halves, cut sides down and stem ends facing out, around perimeter of cake layer. Pour one half of puréed berry mixture (about 3/4 cup) in center, then spread to cover any exposed cake. Gently spread about one-third of whipped cream (about 1 1/2 cups) over berry layer, leaving 1/2-inch border from edge. Place middle cake layer on top and press down gently (whipped cream layer should become flush with cake edge). Repeat with 12-20 additional strawberry halves, remaining berry mixture, and half of remaining whipped cream; gently press last cake layer on top. Spread remaining whipped cream over top; decorate with remaining cut strawberries.

Serve immediately, or keep chilled. If the whipped cream warms to room temperature it will be harder to keep stable while cutting. Serves 8 to 10.

Cinnamon Apple Scones

2009-06-04T18:01:00.001-07:00

It's hard for me to think about writing about these scones when it is so insanely hot out!! Okay not as hot as I'm sure it is in other places in the world, and not as humid - but it's hot for me! And my very furry cat. But anyway. The scones. Supremely extraordinarily awesome. These are the best scones I've ever made. And my boyfriend's favourite scones (and he doesn't like scones). They're definitely best on the first day, and of course best minutes out of the oven. Perfect soft moist insides, crumbly edges (oh how I love crumbly edges on biscuits/scones/muffins), flakey edges. Just really awesome. They are a bit of a pain to make - well not really, just more of a pain than regular scones - but definitely worth it. And I have to mention that it's important to peel the apples (I usually don't peel fruits/vegetables when recipes say to) otherwise you get strange chewy pieces.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Apricot Orange Scones
Baking Powder Biscuits
Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits
Orange Cream Cheese Muffins

Cinnamon Apple Scones
Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More

Makes 12 scones

1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
2 cups cake flour, spooned in and leveled
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, spooned in and leveled, plus additional
for kneading and rolling
6 tbsp sugar
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and chilled
1 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk

Finishing
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large egg beaten with 1 tsp water, for egg wash

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 375F. Have ready a large, ungreased cookie sheet.

2. Place the apple in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse 8 to 10 times, or until the apples are chopped into 1/4 inch pieces.

3. Combine the cake and all purpose flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, or until the mixture forms pea-size bits. Blend in the apple.

4. Whisk together the cream, egg and egg yolk. Remove the paddle attachment and replace with the dough hook. Add the egg/cream mixture to the flour mixture and blend on low speed JUST until a dough is formed.

5. Sprinkle a pastry board or other flat surface with about 2 tablespoons of flour. Empty the dough onto the board with the aid of a palm-size plastic bowl scraper or a rubber spatula. Dust the dough lightly with flour. With floured hands, knea six to eight times to form a "skin", then press it into a square about 8 inches. With the aid of a dough scraper, move the dough aside and clean the work surface.

6. Lay a pastry cloth on the surface and fit a rolling pin with a pastry sleeve. Rub an additional 2 tablespoons of flour into the pastry cloth and sleeve.

7. Place the dough on the cloth and roll into a 10x12 inch rectangle, with the 10 inch side parallel to the edge of the counter. Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter. To do this, lift the far side of the pastry cloth and fold the top third of the dough over onto itself. Press the dough to align the edges as best you can. Lift the lower edge of the pastry cloth and flip the bottom third of the dough over on itself. You will now have three layers of dough. Press the top gently with your hands, then roll into a 5 x 15 inch strip.

8. Using a 2 1/4 inch straight sided cookie cutter dipped in flour, cut straight down into the dough, without twisting the cutter, making six rounds across and two down. Be sure to dip the cutter in flour before cutting each round. When placing on the cookie sheet, invert each scone, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Brush the tops with the egg wash, then sprinkle with the sugar/cinnamon mixture.

9. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before loosening with a thin, metal spatula. Serve the scones warm. If baking ahead, warm the scones in a 300F oven.

Caramel Walnut Chocolate Chunk Granola

2009-06-02T08:03:00.000-07:00

My friend, who I frequently talk to about food and am trying to encourage to start a food blog, was telling me about this very delicious sounding caramel walnut chocolate chunk granola in a cookbook she has (The New Whole Grain Cookbook). How could I not immediately want to make it after hearing the recipe name?? She very kindly typed it out and sent it to me. I made it, and ate it and ate it and ate it. It was very addictive. Crunchy and sweet with yummy chocolate bits. The walnuts can be replaced with your favourite nut - I might try pecans next time. I usually eat my granola with yogurt or milk but this granola I just ate out of a bowl. It's a perfect snacky type granola.

If this sounds good, you might like:
Low-Fat Winter Fruit Granola
Sunny Jungle Bars
Banana Crunch Muffins
No Fail Granola

Caramel Walnut Chocolate Chunk Granola
The New Whole Grain Cookbook

Makes about 9 cups.

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup walnuts, broken into large pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, sliced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chunks (about 4 ounces)

Line 2 large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, and spray the parchment with vegetable oil spray. Preheat the oven to 300F. In a large bowl, mix the oats, nuts, and salt. In a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together the water and sugar. Over high heat, bring to a boil, moving the pan to keep it mixed, rather than stirring. Cook until the syrup turns a medium amber, then take it off the heat and add the butter carefully - it will foam and bubble. Stir in the butter with a heat-safe spatula, and then stir in the vanilla. Scrape into the oat mixture and stir immediately. The caramel mixture will start to harden and clump, but it will melt while baking and disperse.

Scrape the oat mixture onto the prepared pans, and spread it out into rough chunks. Bake for 15 minutes, then stir well. The caramel will be liquefied and soaking into the oats more evenly. Bake for 15 minutes more.

Remove to cooling racks. When cool, break the granola into chunks, mix with the chocolate chunks, and store in jars or zipper-top bags.

Baked Seitan

2009-05-31T12:03:00.001-07:00

Surprisingly, though I've been a vegetarian for about 6 years, I've never eaten or made seitan (or tempeh for that matter). Tempeh and seitan are not often found in grocery stores around here, and while I have now found tempeh (and will try it soon) I still haven't seen seitan. I think I found it at an Asian grocery store but it was reeeeally spongey and honestly I was a bit scared. But now that I have this recipe for baked seitan, I don't care about finding it in grocery stores. I am totally in love with it - it's truly awesome, and easy to make. It's just like really good homemade veggie sausages, and the texture is wonderfully chewy. It does have a strong flavour though so if you add it to another dish it will effect the flavour (versus plain regular seitan).

How can I resist this fluffiness??

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Chickpea Cutlets with Mustard Sauce
Lemon Miso Tofu and Eggplant
Matthew's Delicious Tofu
Asian Beet and Tofu Salad
Spaghetti and Beanballs with Onion & Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce

Baked Seitan
Adapted from here

My only modifications were to use less cayenne and less oil, and to use steak sauce instead of vegan Worcestershire sauce.

1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cumin
1-2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp allspice
2 tsp garlic powder

3/4 cups water
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp steak sauce

Preheat oven to 325F.

In a large mixing bowl mix dry ingredients. Mix the rest of the ingredients (liquid ingredients) in a smaller mixing bowl. Whisk well until mixed.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well, then knead for a minute or two.. it doesn't need long.

Form into a log (6-8" long), wrap tightly in foil, twisting ends. Bake for 90 minutes. When done baking, unwrap and leave out to cool all the way. Then wrap it foil or plastic and refrigerate. Slice to use as desired.

Oatmeal Bread

2009-05-29T10:07:00.001-07:00

I recently bought Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I thought it would be a great way for me to ease into bread making without having to do any of that horrid kneading that I hate. Well since I made this bread I've actually made some other breads and I'm warming up to the idea of kneading - though my wrists get sore so maybe I'm doing something wrong. I now understand what a gluten cloak is (after watching this video with Danielle Forestier and Julia Child). And I'm even thinking of tackling some of the recipes in Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice. I was telling my family that I think I may have been bitten by the bread bug and they were looking at me like I was crazy (they've never heard of being "bitten by a bread bug").

Anyway, of course I'll be posting about those other breads I made but today I'm talking about this oatmeal bread! Quite good for a no knead bread. It's very soft and has a fluffy inside - not cake fluffy but bread fluffy. The bread tastes like it already has butter on it and the crust is chewy. I wish it had a greater portion of whole grain but it does have oat bran, wheat bran and oats. I halved the recipe and it made 2 small loaves in 8x4 pans. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong because it seems like either the dough isn't rising like it's supposed to, or there isn't as much dough as there's supposed to be. But it is super easy to make and tastes yummy.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Golden Cinnamon Loaf
Soft Pretzels
bill's Coconut Bread
Pecan Honey Sticky Buns

Oatmeal Bread
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Makes three 1 1/2 pound loaves.

1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tbsp granulated yeast (1 1/2 packets)
1 tbsp salt
1/4 cup neutral-tasting oil, plus more for greasing the pan
1/2 cup oat bran
1/3 cup wheat bran
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
4 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1. Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast and salt with the water, milk maple syrup, and oil in a 5 quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.

2. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients without kneading, using a spoon, a 14 cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy duty stand mixer (with dough hook). If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

3. Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 8 days.

5. On baking day, lightly grease a 9x4x3 inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1 1/2 pound (cantaloupe size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.

6. Elongate the ball into an oval and place it into the prepared pan. Allow to rest and rise for 1 hour and 20 minutes (or just 40 minutes if you're using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).

7. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350F, with an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.

8. Place the loaf on a rack near the center of the oven. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until deeply browned and firm.

9. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.

New Cookbook Release: Sweet Freedom

2009-05-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

As I'm sure many of you know, the wonderful Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs has just released her first cookbook Sweet Freedom! Sweet Freedom is a baking book that doesn't use wheat, eggs or refined sugar - but believe me that you won't feel like anything is missing. Ricki's recipes have really opened my eyes to this world of delicious healthier baking that makes me not even miss baking with eggs, dairy and wheat (and I think you guys know how much I love baking!) I'm already seriously addicted to the orange raisin tea cakes and the cocoa nibbles.

Chocolate shortbread.

The recipes are divided up into Breakfast Baking, Cookies Bars and Squares, Cakes Cupcakes Toppings and Frostings, Cheesecakes Pies and Baked Puddings, and Raw and No Bake Treats. The recipes are coded to indicate which are corn free, gluten free (or gluten free option), nut free (or nut free option), and soy free (or soy free option). Ricki also included a section on the ingredients she uses, including some awesome tips on how to convert conventional recipes to wheat free, dairy free and refined sugar free. And one thing I also love about the book is the amazing index - honestly so many cookbooks don't take the time to prepare a careful index or sometimes list things incorrectly or just not at all. But Ricki's is superb - you can look up both ingredients (like coconut oil) and categories (like cookies and bars).

Pecan coconut chews (raw).

You can check out some of the yummy recipes from this book that I had the opportunity to try while helping Ricki test the recipes here - including the previously mentioned addictive orange raisin tea biscuits, old fashioned spice cake, peanut butter cookies, sunshine breakfast loaf (oh how I love that one), and crispy fruit chews. I wanted to try out a couple more recipes for this post so I made the chocolate shortbread and the pecan coconut chews (tried both the raw and baked versions). The chocolate shortbread cookies were sandy, as promised, and quite addictive. The pecan coconut chews were good both raw and baked, but on the first day that they're baked OH WOW. Delicious crispy edges and nice soft insides. I can't wait to work my way through all of the recipes.

Pecan coconut chews (baked).

I thought it would be fun to ask Ricki a few questions and share them with you guys. Check out Shellyfish, Vegyogini and VeganBaking.net for more interview questions and stuff about the book. Check out Ricki's page to see how you can order the book (Amazon.com, through the publishing company, or as an e-book). Alright, on with the interview!

What inspired you to start creating baked goods made without wheat, dairy and refined sugars?

I've been a baker all my life (well, since age 6), and when I had to change my diet because of health issues about ten years ago, I just couldn't imagine giving up baking. I had done some catering in my 30s and after studying nutrition, I began to create new recipes for baked goods I could still eat. When I shared these with cooking class participants, people began to ask me if my desserts were for sale anywhere in the city. That led me to start my bakery, Bake It Healthy, which I ran for 3 years. By the time I wrote the book, I already had quite a number of the recipes completed because I'd been selling them through Bake It Healthy. All I had to do with those was convert them for the home baker. But it wasn’t until the company closed and customers still kept asking me if I’d bake a birthday cake for them, or supply treats for a baby shower or anniversary party, even though I wasn’t technically doing catering any more, that I realized there was a real need for this type of recipe. I wanted all those people to be able to reproduce the desserts in their own homes.

What are your five must make items from your cookbook and why?

Ooh! Like any proud mother, I love all my "babies," but I'd say these are the ones of which I'm most fond:

Chocolate Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies--my "go-to" cookie because it's foolproof, easy, fudgy and chocolately (and how can you beat "chocolate"??). And it's a hit with vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike!

Easiest Almond Cookies--another quick and easy cookie, that has the advantage of being gluten-free (and grain-free), too!

Orange Raisin Tea Cakes: a quick and simple scone-like cake that was a big hit with the cookbook testers. They're perfect for breakfast or afternoon snack.

Sweet Harvest Muffins: this was one of the first recipes I created, and it was the best selling muffin at Bake It Healthy. Moist, chocolatey and containing three types of hidden vegetables--it's a great way to start your day.

Raw Fig and Cherry Bars--these are a great raw bar that offer a high calcium and protein content. They are the perfect take-along energy bar or snack.

What's your favourite ingredient to work with?

I am inclined to say agave nectar, because it's sweeter than sugar, natural, and has a very mild flavor that goes with anything. I love baking with it. But coconut milk has become a close second these days... it adds richness and creaminess, yet is cholesterol free and considered a "healthy" form of fat.

What's your favourite type of thing to bake (ex. muffins, cookies, cakes, etc)?

As I'm always saying on my blog, I'm basically a lazy cook--so bars, brownies or cakes are a big favorite. Just mix once, pour, bake and cut--easy and quick!

What's your husband's favourite thing for you to bake?

My husband loves coconut, so he's a fan of coconut cream pie. I hadn't perfected the pie in time for the cookbook, but the whipped cream topping did make it into the book! He also loves the Coconut Macaroons.

How do you go about creating recipes? Do you have base recipes that you modify or just start throwing things together?

If there's a recipe from my files or old cookbooks that I used to love and wish I could eat now, then I'll go about adapting it with natural sweeteners and alternative flours. The rest of the time, though, I just play with ideas or may create a recipe based on something I ate in a restaurant or heard about on a radio show, for instance. Recently, for example, a friend of mine who lives in Ecuador emailed and I remembered that she enjoyed coffee with cinnamon in it. So I created a muffin with those two flavors.

Is there going to be another baking book coming? ;)

I'd love to do an entirely gluten-free baking book, or perhaps one that uses only stevia, which would be great for anyone with diabetes or candida. I've got lots of ideas for different types of recipes--just not enough time!

Thanks Ricki!
Check out how you can order the book here. (And I definitely do recommend you check it out!)

Asparagus and Feta Pasta

2009-05-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

I think this is the first recipe I'm posting from New Vegetarian Cuisine. I bought this book some time ago but never got around to trying out any recipes. I've started cooking out of it more though and while not all the recipes are keepers, some of them are. And the thing I like about the cookbook is that most of the recipes are healthy, relatively easy to make, and use easy to find ingredients.

This is one of my new favourite dishes, so please don't be put off by the less than stellar photo of it! The "sauce" has so much flavour (and I say "sauce" because it's not really saucey but it does coat the pasta). It's made of a delicious combination of sun dried tomatoes, feta, parsley, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, capers, oregano and pepper. You can easily sub in broccoli or any other vegetable for the asparagus (though asparagus is a favourite of mine so I won't be subbing anything in until asparagus goes out of season!), and you can use whatever pasta you want, though I'd recommend something that can catch this type of sauce well like spaghetti, fettucine or the suggested cavatelli. I'm submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights, being hosted this week by I'm a Food Blog.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Pasta with Creamy Spinach Walnut Sauce
Santa Fe Pasta Salad
Artichoke Rotini Pasta
Soba Noodles with Zucchini Ribbons

My Abby. <3

Asparagus and Feta Pasta
Adapted from New Vegetarian Cuisine

The original recipe calls for more pasta and less asparagus but I like my dishes more heavy on the veggies so I adjusted it as such.

Serves 3-4

10 sun dried tomatoes
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 ounces feta cheese
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp black pepper
9 oz whole wheat spaghetti
20 thin asparagus spears, cut into 2" pieces

1. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes and water. Let stand for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the soaking liquid.

2. Transfer the tomatoes to a food processor. Add the parsley and process until coarsely chopped.

3. Crumble the feta into a large serving bowl; drizzle with the vinegar and oil. Sprinkle with the capers, oregano and pepper. Stir in the tomato mixture.

4. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the asparagus in the last minute to parboil it. Drain.

5. Transfer the pasta and asparagus to the serving bowl. Toss with the tomato mixture and the rserved tomato soaking liquid; mix well.

Chocolate Mousse Layer Cake

2009-05-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

I finished my last final today! Yaey. Well I don't have much more to say about that, so here is some yummy cake.

This cake was one of the two birthday cakes I made for my boyfriend. And it was definitely one of the more stressful cakes I've made because it involves layers of mousse in between cake (I was worried about the mousse deflating, which I think it did) and then the layered cake/mousse/cake/mousse is frozen, then you put a layer of hot chocolate ganache on top (and let it cool again). I was freaking out about the hot ganache melting the mousse, the mousse deflating, and to top that off I put the chocolate ganache on right before we were about to walk out the door (with the cake), not allowing the ganache to firm up with an immediate refrigeration. My boyfriend proved his love to me (or to the cake?) by keeping the windows open (it was cold out) to try and keep the cake cool, because he knew how worried I was about it on the 20 minute drive to drop it off in his brother's fridge.

Well, despite all of my freak outs, the cake was really awesome. Maybe the mousse was supposed to be lighter, but I loved the texture the way it was. In the photo of the unsliced cake, the ganache looks weird and clumpy because it's hot (and maybe I messed something up there), but it set up quite nice once refrigerated. Overall a really really good chocolate cake. Oh and did I mention that it has 17 ounces of chocolate?

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Chocolate Volcanoes
Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
German Chocolate Cake
Rich Chocolate Cheesecake

Chocolate Mousse Layer Cake
Adapted from The Cake Book

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
1 3/4 cups (212 g) all purpose flour
1 2/3 cups (332 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (28 g) natural (not Dutch processed) cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (121 g) sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup safflower or corn oil
3/4 cup ice cold water

Chocolate Mousse Filling
9 ounces (255 g) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp instant coffee powder
pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream

Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Classic Whipped Cream
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tbsp (21 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Make the cake:
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x3 inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, and grease the paper. Dust the paper and the sides of the pan with flour and tap out the excess.

2. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine, and set aside.

3. In another medium bowl, whisk together the eggs until blended. Whisk in the sour cream and vanilla extract until blended. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix the melted butter and oil together at low speed. Add the cold water and mix to blend. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix at medium-low speed for 1 minute. Add the egg mixture and mix for another minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

5. Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set the pan on a wire rack and cool the cake for 20 minutes.

6. Invert the cake onto the rack. Reinvert the cake and cool completely.

Make the chocolate mousse filling:
7. Place the chocolate in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground. (Leave the chocolate in the processor.)

8. In a small saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, coffee powder, and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. With the food processor running, pour the hot milk through the feed tube, and process until the chocolate is completely melted. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the vanilla extract, and process until blended. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.

9. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the ehavy cream at high speed until soft peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold one-third of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining cream until completely blended. (The mousse should be used immediately.)

Assemble the cake:
10. Using a long serrated knife, trim off the domed top of the cake so taht the cake is perfectly level; reserve the tirmmings. Cut the cake horizontally into 2 layers.

11. Place one of the cake layers in the bottom of a 9x3 inch springform pan. Scrape half of the chocolate mousse over the cake layer and spread it into an even layer. Top with the other layer. Scrape over the remaining mousse and spread it into an even layer.

12. Cover the top of the pan with plastic wrap or foil and freeze the cake for at least 3 hours, until firm.

Make the whipped cream:
13. In the chilled bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, whip the cream at high speed just until it begins to thicken. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until soft peaks form. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate.

Make the bittersweet chocolate glaze.
14. Place the chocolate in the bowl of a food processor and process just until finely ground. (Leave the chocolate in the processor.)

15. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate to the pan. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the glaze is smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer the glaze to a small bowl. Let the glaze cool for about 10 minutes before using.

Glaze and garnish the cake:
16. Remove the cake from the freezer. Run a sharp thin-bladed knife under hot water and wipe it dry. Run the knife between the cake and the side of the pan to release the cake; reheat the knife as necessary. Remove the side of the pan. Using a small offset metal spatula, smooth the mousse of the sides of the cake.

17. Place the cake on a wire rack and set the rack over a baking sheet. Pour the warm glaze over the top of the cake and use the offset metal spatula to smooth it evenly over the top and sides. (Ashley note: I found it hard to "ice" so I just spread it and dripped it down the sides.) Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour (to thaw) before serving.

18. About 30 minutes before serving, remove the cake from the refrigerator. Cut the cake into wedges and serve with the whipped cream.

Baking Powder Biscuits

2009-05-18T13:34:00.001-07:00

Thank you all so much for your many suggestions for bean and lentil recipes! I will definitely try some of them out and hopefully my love for beans/lentils will grow a bit more. I shouldn't be spending much time to update my blog considering that my finals are just about to start, but food blogs are a good break from studying evaporation systems, filtration systems, and the cheese making process (admittedly the last one is more interesting).

I'm going through a little biscuit/scone obsession over here. I haven't made too many biscuits and I'm starting off slow with some baking powder biscuits and some buttermilk biscuits (that I'll be posting about soon). There are many yummy biscuits and savoury bread-like things out there that I want to try like quick and easy ricotta cheese biscuits, sun dried tomato cottage cheese muffins, cheddar and dill beer bread rolls, and three cheese and beer bread. I really haven't explored the world of savoury baked goods enough! This baking powder biscuit is really simple but I'm sure you could fancy it up by adding herbs, cheeses, or small bits of sauteed vegetables. I think I overworked my dough a bit but I'm sure I'll improve on that in my many biscuit adventures to come.

Random Abby picture.

If this sounds, you might also like:
Caramelized Onion, Sage & Cheddar Muffins
Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits
Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits
Whole Wheat Cheddar Scones

Baking Powder Biscuits
The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book

Makes 12 biscuits

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
3/4 cup milk

Line large rimless baking sheet with parchment paper or dust with flour; set aside.

In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Using pastry blender, cut in butter until crumbly. Pour all but 2 tbsp of the milk over top, stirring with fork to form soft ragged dough.

Turn out onto floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead gently until dough comes together. Pat or roll out to 1/2 inch (1 cm) thickness. Using 2 1/4 inch (5.5 cm) floured cutter, cut out rounds. Place on prepared pan. Gather up scraps and repat dough; cut out more rounds, pressing remaining scraps into final (cook's) biscuit.

Brush tops with remaining milk. Bake in centre of 400F oven until golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to rack; let cool.

Spinach Artichoke Heart Dip

2009-05-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that I really don't like beans? And have I mentioned that I try to eat them a couple of times a week? This is partly due to the fact that they're a good protein source and also because they're good for you. I actually like beans in a few different recipes like hummus and refried beans. They're also okay if they're mixed in small amounts with other delicious things like tomatoes, corn and avocado. Or smothered in cheese! Though of course that's kind of defeating the purpose of eating them. Anyway - can anyone help me here? Got a good (and relatively healthy) bean recipe? I'm the least creative cook and am dying to find some ways I can actually enjoy eating beans.

This dip is actually a pretty good way to eat beans though. And it's even better when you crumble some feta on top and bake it. ;) I bet it would also make a good sandwich or wrap spread, and now I'm regretting not trying it. The garlic is quite strong if you eat the dip raw, so if you don't love garlic you might want to cut back on it a bit.

Edit: For some reason I forgot that there are some bean/legume recipes I really like - Indian dishes! Lisa of Lisa's Kitchen kindly provided me with a list of some of her favourite Indian dishes that I want to work my way through. So far I've tried her chana masala which was super tasty (and will be blogged about soon).

Some of you asked what kind of cracker I had the dip on. They're Mary's Gone Crackers (in Canada I think they're just called Mary's Crackers, box looks the same though).

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Artichoke Rotini Pasta
Hummus
Pan Fried Onion Dip
Cheddar Ale Dip

Spinach Artichoke Heart Dip
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites

I used 1 tbsp dried basil instead of 2 tbsp fresh.

Makes 3 cups

5 oz fresh spinach, rinsed and stemmed (Ashley note: I used 1/2 a package of frozen spinach.)
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans (15 oz can, drained and rinsed)
1 cup chopped green onions
1 tbsp dried basil
2 to 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, to taste
5 to 6 artichoke hearts or bottoms, minced (15 oz can)
salt and ground black pepper to taste

If using fresh spinach: Using just the water clinging to the leaves after rinsing, steam the spinach until just wilted, 2 or 3 minutes. If using frozen spinach: Thaw and squeeze out the water.

In a food processor, puree the spinach, garlic, beans, scallions, basil and 3 tbsp of the lemon juice until very smooth. Fold in the minced artichoke heats and add more lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.