Alison Roman's Decidedly Not-Sweet Granola

Cook and food writer Alison Roman has come out with a new cookbook I just can't put down.  It's called Dining In, and it's chocked full of recognizable ingredients combined in some subtly surprising ways.  Recipes are meant to be low-effort (usually) but put-together enough for guests.  Though she lives in NYC these days, Roman's SoCal roots show in her love of fresh produce and the gorgeously sun-drenched photos remind me of summer, or every day I have ever spent in L.A.

As a savory breakfast fan, I got super excited about her recipe for "Decidedly Not-Sweet Granola" in the grains chapter.  She suggests several uses for this: breakfast with yogurt and cucumber, as croutons over salad, and as a snack.  I haven't gotten past the breakfast trick, which has kept me full and satisfied all morning today, and I can't imagine getting sick of it anytime soon.  Plain yogurt + diced cucumbers + this savory granola is her recipe; I added a squirt of lemon over the whole thing, as well.

I also made some adjustments based on what I had in the kitchen, as she encourages.  So, here's the actual recipe:

https://www.tastecooking.com/recipes/decidedly-not-sweet-granola/

I had no nigella seeds and didn't want more sesame seeds, as she suggests, so I threw in a scant 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut.  I also skipped the egg whites, because what am I going to do with three egg yolks?  The result is a finer granola that doesn't clump together, but that's fine by me. Finally, I just used plain old crushed red pepper flakes in place of aleppo. I mean, I got them at the tortilleria down the street, so I don't know if they're aleppo or not. Come to think of it, they look similar.

If you're in the market for a new cookbook that is also a feast for the eyes, get Dining In.  It's lovely in every way.  And make this savory granola for something, even if you're hooked on Pop Tarts for breakfast.  I promise you'll happily find a use for it.

Quick trips: Pittsburgh

I used Pittsburgh as my home base last week for a couple of university appearances, and I will preface this post with the truth: you could spend a lot more time in Pitt doing a lot more super cool things. But here's a little something to get you started while you're buying your opera tickets and looking up all your favorite galleries.

Lawrenceville neighborhood:
Coca Cafe has to-die-for egg sandwiches with kimchi, excellent coffee, and a chill, funky vibe just a few blocks off the Allegheny River. Afterwards, talk a short hilly stroll to enjoy the Art Deco architecture of Arsenal Middle School and the grandiose Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, which kind of transports you back to Victorian Europe. Pints on Penn makes for a break across the street from 19th Century composer Stephen Foster's home, too.

 

Crafton neighborhood:
Authentic family-style Italian-American food is pretty easy to come by in Pittsburgh, but I loved Sarafino's for its raucous close-knit atmosphere, perfectly dressed pasta (the red clam sauce was delish), and a soaked almond creme cake which puts all other cakes to shame. They don't serve alcohol, so make like the locals and come prepared with your own bottle or two (or in one case, a martini shaker and various bottles of brightly-colored liquors). Big Daddy's Donuts is good, too, but be forewarned, they're not actually open 24/7 as some websites might say. They are super fresh.

Some other cools stuff to see:
Andy Warhol Museum
Heinz History Center, with a display of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
Nationality Rooms at University of Pittsburgh, honoring the various origins of Pittsburgh's melting pot

a breakfast sandwich in casserole form

Now you know I like a good, fatty brunch at least as well as I like drinking the night before...this may be the best way to kick off what may be an otherwise sketchy year.  The first time I tried it, I had 2/3 of several bagels that my cat had gnawed on before remembering he prefers meat, and I didn't want to waste the parts of each bagel that had not been tainted with cat spit.  In the process I realized that it very much reminded me of a gooey, cheese breakfast sandwich. Bonus: make it the night before and all you've got to do is sit around and wait in the morning while it cooks.  

Breakfast Sandwich Casserole

Serves 6-8

1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing


8 large eggs


2 cups milk


2 teaspoons grainy mustard

6 kalamata olives, chopped

Kosher salt

Pepper

1 pound day-old everything bagels (3 large), cut into 1-inch pieces 

1 small bunch of kale or other cooking green, stemmed and chopped 



½  pint cherry tomatoes, quartered


1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons minced rosemary


2 scallions, thinly sliced


8 ounces  shredded cheese of your choice

Lightly grease a 2-quart oval baking pan. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, mustard, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in the bagel pieces and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the kale and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and wilted, about 7 minutes. If you had bits of leftover vegetables in the fridge, you could cook those here, too. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, garlic, rosemary and cook until the tomatoes start to soften, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly.

Fold the vegetables and shredded cheeses into the bagel mixture, then transfer to the prepared baking pan. You could cook this now, or you could cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to cook in the morning.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Cover the baking pan with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 35 minutes more, or until the top is puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (cooking times will be longer if you pull this directly out of the fridge before baking). Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Melvin, who made this meal possible with his
fine bagel-hunting skills. 

Trying the Trends: Peanut Butter Powder

This stuff made a big splash a while back, but I was too cheap to buy it until I saw a marked-down jar at Ross.  Hey, you can't say I'm not honest with you. Why did I get it? a) I fucking love peanut butter b) I am ambivalent about smoothies with spinach in them and c) I FUCKING LOVE PEANUT BUTTER!!!!! Let's get to work.


Quick PB-banana smoothie for one
Place in your blender or Vitamix, in this order:
1 banana, broken up a bit
1 tablespoon PB powder
2 tablespoons yogurt, any flave (if unsweetened, throw in a teaspoon or so of honey, too)
handful spinach leaves
1/4 cup almond milk
dash cinnamon
3-4 ice cubes
This was not only totally delicious, but it kept me full until lunch time, all by itself.  If you want something heartier, you could throw in a couple tablespoons of rolled oats, too.


I also stirred some into plain, Greek yogurt (1 tablespoon powder in 1 cup yogurt) and added granola, nuts, and berries one morning for breakfast. Also delish, though a bit pasty and not very sweet.


I added it to some breakfast muffins to pump up the protein content, thereby helping me last until lunch when I'm eating breakfast on the road:

Peanut Butter-Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
15 oz. canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 cup brownsugar
2 tablespoons peanut butter powder

2 tablespoons flax seeds
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
Combine all wet ingredients in a mixing bowl: yogurt, eggs, pumpkin, and sugar. Add all remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly. Pour into muffin cups and bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Finally, some brownies, adapted from skinnytaste.com:

2 eggs
1 cup PB2
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp water
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a nonstick 9 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, making sure there are no clumps. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool, then cut into 12 bars.

I guess the bonus of using the powder for baking instead of the real thing is the lack of fat? The brownie recipe calls for enough PB2 that you might not want to use up that much of the jar on an unnecessary dessert item (then again, maybe it makes you feel less terrible about eating said dessert.  I never do, so I can't relate). But the bottom line for me is that this stuff is delish and I will buy it again when it's on sale.  Because I am very cheap.

Trying the Trends: Sweet Potato Toast

I am not on any special diet and I love carbs, so I'm not afraid of toast, either.  But I do know that sweet potatoes are good for you, and they're reasonably tasty, but I run out of ideas for them. So, when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I thought it was worth a try with the sad, lonely sweet potato I have had in my cupboard for over a month (don't judge). Bonus: it involves cooking a food without heating up the entire kitchen by turning on the oven.

I simply cut the potato into slices by cutting off the pointy ends and cutting lengthwise. Any scraps you have from the ends all around can be steamed and frozen or cooked into any number of veggie dishes. I didn't peel mine.

Then you pop slices into the toaster just like it's bread, although it's going to take longer to cook.  My "toast" was firm-tender after two cycles on "8".  I buttered mine and sprinkled cinnamon and brown sugar on top.  It was OK.  I was reasonably full when I added a small dish of yogurt on the side. I'm not going to do it again, because I love bagels too much.  There they are at the bottom.

Migas for Joe!

A certain evil genius flute repair tech I know is, like me, a big fan of migas. It's basically a pile of eggs, cheese, fried tortillas, and possibly other things you see fit to add, like vegetables or beans. It's traditionally a way to use leftover tortillas that didn't get eaten the day before, and any other leftover scraps you might have in the fridge from last night.  So it has the same function as lasagna or soup--a way to clean up the scraps.

I like to scramble my eggs along with a bunch of vegetables and some black beans, if I have them, and pour the whole mess over the fried tortillas, which have been smothered in (green, please) chile. But there are many variations, depending on how you like your eggs, what leftovers you have in your fridge, and just how soft you like your tortillas.  It has been hard work, but I tested many recipes for you Joe, and here are the two variations I like best:

Here's the basic idea (for one), using scrambled eggs:

2 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil
Butter
1 tablespoon diced bell pepper
1 tablespoon diced onion
1 tablespoon diced tomato
2 eggs + a little milk

salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, fry corn tortillas in hot vegetable oil until crispy. Drain. Remove oil from heat, Cut tortillas into bite-sized pieces. In butter, saute bell peppers and onion until soft. Add tomatoes. Beat eggs well with the milk and some salt and pepper. Add eggs to sauteed vegetables. Add tortilla chips. Scramble until eggs are done.

Now, to this you could add some leftover black beans or cooked, crumbled/shredded meat of any kind (throw those in with the eggs), something spicy (sliced serrano or jalapeno to sub for some of the bell pepper, or hot sauce added at the end), and of course, many people (me) are going to insist on cheese. Slice, crumble, or shred whatever you like--pepper jack, queso fesco, cheddar, etc.--and stir it in near the end of cooking time, when eggs are still a little wet but close to done.  I also like to season with fresh chopped cilantro and serve with a lime wedge, but you can do what you want. 

For a vegan version, simply swap out the eggs for a block of soft tofu and a sprinkle or two of nooch (nutritional yeast), break it all up with your hands until it looks scrambled egg-like, and toss it in when you would add the eggs. Obvs., you can't have the cheese either, unless you eat that horrible Daiya shit.)



And here's one using fried eggs and bread.  Its roots are Spanish. This one is much fussier and probably better suited to a purposeful meal with friends and family, so this recipe serves 4-6. I think it's nice with chorizo, but that's optional:

For the fried peppers:
Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch julienne
2 Anaheim chiles, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch julienne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the migas:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium yellow onions, diced
4 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
5 ounces chorizo, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 5-inch links)
1 tablespoon Sazon seasoning
3 cubed day-old bread
Salt and freshly ground pepper
olive oil or butter
6 large eggs

To make the peppers:
Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large frying pan over high heat until drops of water sizzle. Quickly fry the pepper strips in small batches until the skins begin to blister and brown slightly, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Season well with salt and pepper.

To make the migas:
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan and add the onions. Cover and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Uncover, add the garlic, and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the chorizo and cook until it gives off most of its oil, about 3 minutes. Add the sazon and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the bread, making sure they absorb all the juices from the pan, and cook until the mixture is lightly toasted, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into an ovenproof dishe and garnish with the peppers, tucking them in and around the breadcrumb mixture. Keep in a warm oven while you cook the eggs, or, if made ahead, reheat in a 250°F oven just before you cook the eggs.

To cook the eggs, heat 1/8 inch of oil over high heat to the smoking point. Break 1 egg into the hot oil. Season with salt and pepper. Working very quickly, fold in the edge of the egg white with a heat-resistant rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Then spoon some of the hot oil over the egg so that it puffs up and crisps around the edges. All of this must be done in a matter of seconds so that the yolk remains soft. Using a slotted spoon, remove the egg and place it on top of a hot migas. Repeat for each serving. To serve, dived the bread mixture among six plates, then top each with an egg. 

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

I honestly have nothing to add to this Pioneer Woman recipe for Tex-Mex (Austin) migas, It's kind of like what your mom would make--you went out and bought all the ingredients just for this dish, cut everything up nice and pretty, and made it look super special for guests.  It's good, though, if missing the spirit of the original. Gimme Some Oven's is even more ornamental, but she has way pretty photos.




Of course, those of you who have been reading for a while may remember a lazy-girl migas, as my friend Jess calls it, I lovingly prescribed for a hangover back in December 2010. The big shortcut is that you just use leftover tortilla chips. I actually do this a lot, and I always save the broken up bits at the bottom of the bag in anticipation of my next hangover. Er...




[PS--migas or chilaquiles?  After reading enough that I thought I understood this to be a regional difference, it turns out it's not that cut and dried. I'm chocking it up to semantics, and I think this recipe for chilaquiles for a group by Rick Bayless is pretty spot on, too.]

Baked Oatmeal Squares

A wee bit healthier than chocolate chip cookies, but dessert-y enough to round out a properly indulgent coffee break, Swedish-style (If you don't already know and love the Swedish tradition known as fika, read about it.  It will make you want to move there.), these baked oatmeal squares can be justified anytime of day.  And they're pretty easy to make.

Baked Oatmeal Squares

1 1/2 cups old fashioned (not instant) rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup dried fruit or chocolate chips
1/4 cup seeds (i.e., sunflower, pumpkin, flax, sesame)

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups skim milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Pour wet into dry. Stir to combine.
Pour into a 9×9 baking dish either coated in cooking spray or lined with parchment. Bake for 40 minutes. Cut into squares. Eat with strong coffee in the middle of the day. 

The variation pictured below includes pecans, chocolate chips, a combination of millet, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds, and a little coconut. 

Thanksgiving afterglow: leftover heaven

The meal was great the first time, but the leftovers are a gift that keep on giving.  Get creative in your snacking this weekend, and if you're lucky enough to still have some leftovers by Monday, you can pack a blissful reminder of your holiday break to eat as your sad desk lunch.

Mashed Potato Biscuits: These work well as English muffin-type breakfast food, slathered with cranberry sauce. If you really want a window into my dark soul, I like to split one apart, melt thin slices of sharp white cheddar on each half in the toaster oven, and then slather with cranberry sauce.  Delicious.

Mixed Roasted Potatoes: You know how I love breakfast, right?  Warm these back up in the oven or toaster oven (never the microwave--they are sad and soggy beyond words when you do that) and serve underneath eggs cooked to your liking with cooked greens and a little curry ketchup on the side.

Braised Radishes with Orange: You're not going to have any leftovers of this.  Have you tried them?  They're insane.  But if you do, sprinkle with red chili flakes and toss with pasta and steamed broccoli.  Throw some pine nuts on top if you want to get all fancy about it.

Wasabi Green Beans: These work in any kind of stir fry or Thai curry; just throw them in to any Asian-inspired recipe that calls for green beans. In fact, throw in the leftovers from the stuffed squash and you've got the meal in minutes!

Cheesy baked potato soup

Serves 4

2 tablespoons butter

1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

4 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes (or a combination of russet and sweet)

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream or Greek style plain yogurt

2 teaspoons salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 green onions, finely chopped

2 slices crisp bacon or Morningstar Breakfast Strips, crumbled (optional)

Heat the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; when it foams, add the onion.  Sauté  until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add salt, garlic and chopped potato and sauté another 3 or 4 minutes, stirring constantly to keep potato from sticking.  Add 2 cups of the vegetable broth, stir, cover and bring to a boil.  Once boil begins, lower to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes, until potato is soft enough to mash. 

Mash the potato mixture in the pan with a hand masher or use an immersion blender to create creamy mashed potatoes. Add the other 2 cups of broth, sour cream and cheese and stir to incorporate.  Cover  and lower heat to medium-low until cheese is melted into soup, about 5 minutes.  Add black pepper to taste.  Garnish with chopped green onion and bacon, if desired (you can also top with additional cheese and sour cream if you have it). 

Chicken Vatapa

Serves 6

1 teaspoon canola oil

½ cup finely chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon peeled, grated fresh ginger (purchase ready-to-go in the produce section of Safeway on 3rd Ave.)

1 jalapeno pepper, minced (remove seeds for milder flavoring)

1 cup water

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice

1 (12 oz.) can light beer

¼ cup dry-roasted peanuts

3 cups cooked chicken or turkey

½ cup coconut milk

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon lime juice

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno and sauté 2 minutes or until onion is soft.  Stir in water, tomatoes in their juice, and beer.  Bring to boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. 

Place peanuts in a spice or coffee grinder (or a good old-fashioned nut grinder) and process until finely ground.  Add ground peanuts, chicken, and coconut milk to Dutch oven, stirring to combine.  Increase heat to medium.  Bring mixture to a simmer and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in parsley, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. 

Getting Lowdown for breakfast

A couple of weekends ago, I had a trip planned to Denver on a Sunday to enjoy brunch and a concert.  I knew it was a risk, as Denverites like their brunches almost as much as New Orleansians, but I decided to pop in to City O City, a hipster vegetarian place with an amazing breakfast menu and the quirky slogan, "breakfast all day". It was packed and there was an hour wait.  No, I said, I am too hungry for that shit.  So we wandered (well, drove) over to Lowdown, and I had the best tacos of my life.  I'm not exaggerating.  The beers were also fantastic--the grapefruity IPA, the toasty, chocolaty rye porter...I don't think I'll ever go anywhere else for brunch in Denver.  The tacos, by the way, charmingly called "Soooo I'll Call You... (yes, the brunch items all have snarky, youthful titles implying that the diner is a sexpot who is always hung over on the weekends), are pictured below:

I ate one of them before I took the picture because I was so excited when I saw them. But I cannot just go down to Denver willy-nilly and eat tacos and drink beer whenever I want!, so I have also painstakingly recreated the deliciousness, which is actually quite easy to do, below. (Seriously, though, go to Lowdown.  The Cuban was really good, too.)

Best Breakfast Tacos Ever
(copied from Lowdown’s Soooo I’ll Call You...)

Serves 4

Warm flour tortillas
1 pound chorizo without casings
½ pound bacon
8 eggs
½ cup milk
Salt and black pepper to taste

For the pico de gallo:
Four plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
¼ small red onion, finely chopped
¼ packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Lime wedges, crumbled queso fresco, and crema* for serving


Combine the eggs, milk, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.  Whisk thoroughly and set aside.

In a large frying pan, cook the bacon until crisp over medium-low heat.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.  When cool enough, crumble into small(ish) pieces.

Pour out the grease and increase to medium heat.  Add the chorizo, chopping into fine pieces with a wooden spoon as you cook.  When chorizo is thoroughly cooked,  move to one side in the pan and add the egg mixture to the other side.  Working quickly and tilting the pan to keep eggs separate from chorizo, scramble the eggs, getting them a little bit dry.  Mix the eggs and chorizo together and add the crumbled bacon.

To assemble, place some egg and meat filling in the center of a warm tortilla, top with pico and cheese, drizzle crema on top, and squeeze some lime over the top.


* crema can be faked with sour cream or plain yogurt and a little milk added to make it runny like a sauce. 

My version at home. 

Recipe for roasted spiced apples and weekend favorites

Thanks to an odd spring season that seemed to zap pests while sparing the blossoms, our apple tree is more prolific than it has been in the decade we've lived here. And so, we are burdened with the delicious problem of figuring out what to do with the results.  In lieu of starting up an "apple project" to mimic my zucchini project (which I hope you're not sick of yet), I'll just share my favorite universal recipe for apples along with clever ideas from some of my favorite blogs.  These roasted apples will keep, frozen or in the refrigerator, and can be stirred into oatmeal or your morning yogurt and granola, eaten on their own or as an ice cream topping, or even used as pie filling.

Happy weekend!

Roasted Spiced Apples

2 pounds apples, cored and chopped into approx. 1-inch cubes
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Prepare two baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.

Combine apples and all remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to coat.  Spread out evenly in single layers onto the prepared baking sheets and place in the oven.  Roast, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning, for 25 minutes or until golden.

Some other great apple ideas from around the web...

These apple and cheddar scones from Smitten Kitchen are to die for...

Heidi Swanson's Black Pepper Cauliflower Salad over at 101 Cookbooks combines cauliflower florets with a warm black pepper and red onion vinaigrette, and tossed with nuts, apples, olives, and a bit of feta. Amazing.

These Caramelized Apple German Pancakes over at I Heart Eating (hey, so do I!) are the best excuse ever to stop everything you're doing and stage a big, piggy brunch. And they're so beautiful I swiped their photo:

The Zucchini Project: Peanut Butter Zucchini Bread

I told myself I wasn't going to resort to hiding my zucchini in baked goods for this project, but this recipe is just too good to pass up.  Heavily adapted from http://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/.  Lizzy, you are a genius.

Peanut Butter Zucchini Bread with Brown Sugar Streusel

Serves 12

3/4 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons softened butter

Mix together the peanut butter, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, zucchini and peanut butter chips in a bowl. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir thoroughly to combine into a smooth batter.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and softened butter. Mix until the streusel is crumbly.

Grease and flour two loaf pans. Split the batter between the two pans. Divide the streusel topping between the two loaf pans, sprinkling the streusel on top. Conversely, you could grease two medium muffin pans (to make 24 muffins) and top with equal amounts of streusel. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 5 minutes, or start checking after 45 minutes if making muffins.

A Month of Smoothies: Week 4

This is the end of my month long experiment with smoothies.  It has been a fun adventure to start off the days, and as you can see from these recipes, you can basically toss in any combination of liquid, fruit, vegetables, and ice or yogurt to get your morning started.  Add some nuts, seeds, and/or oats and you've pumped up the calories a bit in a healthy way, which will keep you fuller for longer.  And if the green color freaks you out, just add more red berries.  Red berries are always the answer.

Coconut-Kale Smoothie

1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup chopped kale (Steaming or blanching this and keeping it in the fridge works well if you don't love the raw kale taste)


Blueberry Pie Smoothie

1 can (14 oz) light coconut milk
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 bananas
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup pecans (chopped)
2 tbsps maple pure syrup
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsps shredded coconut

Pina Colada Smoothie

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 cup light coconut milk
1 bananas
1/4 cup ice cubes
2 teaspoons honey

Oatmeal Pumpkin Smoothie

1/4 cup pumpkin (canned, not pie filling)
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp maple syrup
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup greek yogurt (plain)
3/4 cup coconut milk

A Month of Smoothies: Week 3

This week's smoothies are brought to you (partially) by the power of coconut milk, which I sometimes have leftover after making a small batch of curry.  Actually, these drinks are turning out to be a great way to use up produce and other odds and ends in the kitchen.

If you find yourself using a lot of bananas in your smoothies, as I have been trying to do, you can slice and freeze the ripe ones and store them in sandwich baggies in the freezer until you're ready to use them.  If you do this and there is also ice in the recipe, you can leave out the ice.  And of course, add water whenever they turn out thicker than you want.

  

Pink Power Smoothie

1/2 cup chopped kale

1/2 cup raspberries 

1/2 cup strawberries 

1/2 cup chopped pineapple 

1 small banana 

1/4 cup almond milk 

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Banana-Kale Smoothie

1 banana

1/2 cup chopped kale 

1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt 

1/4 cup skim milk 

2 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce 

1 1/2 tablespoons chia seeds 

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup crushed ice

Green Tropical Smoothie 

3/4 cup light coconut milk
6 oz fat free Greek yogurt
3/4 cup fresh pineapple, cubed
1 ripe medium banana
1 cup spinach
2 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut
1 1/4 cups ice


Coconut-Mango-Carrot Smoothie

1 cup sliced carrots
1 mango, sliced
1 (6 ounce) tub Vanilla Greek yogurt
1 cup coconut drink
2 Tablespoons honey
2 cups ice cubes

A Month of Smoothies: Week 2

Did you like any of last week's smoothie recipes?  I've got some kale and an overripe avocado sitting around, so here's hoping some of these will work...

Raspberry-Avocado Smoothie

1 avocado, peeled and pitted
3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup raspberry juice
1/2 cup frozen raspberries (not thawed)


Green Smoothie

2 ripe medium bananas
1 ripe pear or apple, peeled if desired, chopped
2 cups chopped kale leaves, tough stems removed
1/2 cup cold orange juice
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup ice cubes
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed


Banana Spice Smoothie

2 ripe bananas
2 cups vanilla kefir
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 cup ice cubes

Cucumber-Kale Smoothie

2 cups spinach and kale

1 frozen banana 

1 frozen cucumber 

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 tablespoon chia seeds

A Month of Smoothies: Week 1

I just turned 40 last week, and I don't feel so good.  I think it's probably just all the beer and cocktails I've been drinking for the past two weeks; nevertheless, now seems like a good time to try to pack more fruits and veggies into the old, crumbling shell that carries my organs.  So, I know all those smoothie pinners on Pinterest get really annoying with their otherworldly fitness glow, but I promise that when I take you on this month long journey to find palatable smoothies with me, I will not be a douchebag about it.  I'll post four recipes that seem non-disgusting every Monday morning this month. And I'm pretty sure you can put booze in these, if you need to.

Green Tea, Blueberry, and Banana

3 Tbsp water
1 green tea bag
2 tsp honey
1½ c frozen blueberries
½ med banana
¾ c calcium fortified light vanilla soy milk


1. Microwave water on high until steaming hot in a small bowl. Add tea bag and allow to brew 3 minutes. Remove tea bag. Stir honey into tea until it dissolves.

2. Combine berries, banana, and milk in a blender with ice crushing ability.

3. Add tea to blender. Blend ingredients on ice crush or highest setting until smooth.

For remaining smoothie recipes, simply combine ingredients in the order listed in a high-speed blender. I'm using a Vitamix.

Fruit and Oat Smoothie 

1 cup quartered strawberries
1 sliced banana
1/4 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon maple syrup


Ginger Peach Smoothie

2 handfuls baby spinach
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 cups frozen sliced peaches
2 teaspoons honey
1 1/4 cups water




Avocado Pear Smoothie

1 ripe Hass avocado
1/2 cup silken tofu drained
1 cup pear or apple juice
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups ice

This is not me. She seems like a douchebag. 

Cake: it's what's for breakfast

Remember that Bill Cosby sketch from the 80s, "Dad is great, for breakfast we eat chocolate cake"?  I never thought that sounded so irresponsible.  I mean, is it any worse than doughnuts?  However, one can make that cake a little healthier so that there is at least some redeeming nutritional content.  I present to you: Blueberry Breakfast Cake.  Enjoy it slowly, with lots of coffee, while lingering over the newspaper just a little longer than you think you should.

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Serves 12

1 ½ cups buttermilk
½ cup steel-cut oats
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
½ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
¼ cup chopped pecans, optional

Combine buttermilk and oats; cover and refrigerate 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg, stirring vigorously until fluffy.  Add the oat mixture, flours, flax seeds, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix into a smooth dough.  Gently fold in the blueberries (this is easier if they’re frozen) and pecans if using.

Pour batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with butter or cooking spray.  Bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack before cutting.

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins with Chia Seeds

Hey, it's actually been a while since I posted a muffin recipe! I love the lightness of lemon and blueberry in baked goods--it always reminds me of spring--but don't love the thought of eating pure white flour and sugar in the morning.  I have tried to add a little more of the good stuff (in the form of whole grain flour and chia seeds, in this case) to this recipe without making these hockey-puck heavy, and of course, yogurt is always a great substitute for oil or butter.  See what you think, and get creative with alternative flours (rice, spelt, etc.) if you have them on hand.

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Makes 12

1/3 cup milk
8 oz. Greek honey yogurt
1 egg
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

Beat together all wet ingredients (milk through lemon juice) in a large mixing bowl. Add all dry ingredients and combine thoroughly, gently folding in the blueberries at the end.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups and bake 16-18 minutes or until golden on top. Cool 5 minutes or so before removing from pan.


And some other muffin recipes for your baking pleasure...
Basic Breakfast Muffin Batter
Chocolate-Rhubarb Muffins
Cranberry Sauce Muffins
Island Muffins
Lemon-Tahini Muffins
Smitten Kitchen's Pumpkin Muffins

Breakfast for dinner: souped-up hash browns

It's cold outside, and I think we can all agree that low temps lead to comfort food cravings.  I have had a hankering for hash browns, something I ate very little of in my youth, but which covers all the comfort bases of starchy, salty, and greasy.  These incorporate some other vegetables for a little less guilt (though I don't think you should feel bad about eating potatoes--they're full of nutrients). As described below, I like to serves these topped with my favorite oven-roasted Brussels Sprouts and a fried egg on top and liberal dashes of hot sauce. And if the patties don't stay together for you in the skillet, just fry it up loose like a hash--it's delicious either way (exhibit B, below).

Mixed Veggie Hash browns

Serves 4

2 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 medium rutabaga, peeled
1 medium carrot, peeled
1 egg, beaten
Canola or peanut oil for frying
Salt and black pepper to taste

Roughly chop all veggies and pulse in a food processor until you have a fine dice or shredded look.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine shredded veggies with the egg and salt and pepper taste.  The mixture will be wet and loose.

Heat about a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Drop tablespoonfuls of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten into thin patties.  Fry until golden, about 5 minutes, then carefully flip and fry another 2-3 minutes or until golden on both sides.

These can be eaten on their own, served with a dollop or sour cream or plain yogurt, or they can be topped with steamed vegetables (Brussels sprouts, broccoli, something green) and topped with a fried egg.

Your Food New Year's Resolutions Made Easy

January blogs, magazines, and newspapers are littered with self-help style recipes and exercises tips.  I could scoff, but after the gluttony that was late November through December, I feel the same way: it's time to simplify, clean up, and get back to normal.  It's also time to go back to working long days without breaks in the middle of the week now that the holidays are over, which makes cooking those halo-bequeathing meals a little more challenging.  So, here's my plan for making separate ingredients ahead and adding various flavors quickly and easily throughout the week.  I can knock out these basics on a Saturday afternoon if I multi-task and stay focused by not drinking too many work beers. I'd love to see some of your ideas/favorites to have on hand, too--add to the comment section, please!

Goal: Eat healthy, filling breakfasts with a minimum of time in the morning.

Make-ahead fixes: 

• Keep at least 6 hard-boiled eggs in the fridge--just peel and season in the in the morning.
• Keep fresh or frozen fruit on hand (freeze fresh fruit by laying out on a baking sheet in a single layer and placing in the freezer at least 4 hours; then toss in a zip-top bag and keep frozen until ready to use).  You can use these in smoothies or as stir-ins for your yogurt or oatmeal.
• Make overnight steel-cut oats. All you have to do is dump everything into a container before bed, give it a stir, and it's ready in the morning.  
• And of course, revisit my "Cook, freeze, and pack it for later: breakfasts" post for more healthy recipes you can make ahead.  I always have breakfast burritos and muffins in my freezer.

Always have in the pantry: multi-grain bread for toast, mustard and capers for the eggs, nuts and seeds to stir in to oatmeal and yogurt, Greek yogurt

My favorite way to start the day!

Goal: Eat more fiber

Make-ahead fixes:

• Make a big pot of beans with minimal seasoning: black beans, garbanzos, pintos, mung beans, and lentils are particularly versatile and fiber-rich.  Freeze portions (for two people, I usually freeze 1 cup servings) in small zip-top bags and you can toss them straight into stir fries, soups, or just serve with seasoned rice and hot sauce. Keep a small amount in the refrigerator for up to a week to toss into salads. 
• Make a big pot of grains to replace white rice in your recipes (though you can also do this with white rice). Quick-cooking quinoa, bulgar, millet, and couscous can be "cooked" overnight by soaking in equal parts grain and water, so those don't need to be cooked far in advance.  But wheat berries, farro, barley, and the like all freeze beautifully as described in the bean method above.  
• Keep plenty of fresh and frozen veggies on hand.  Freeze fresh veggies by blanching them in boiling water for about 30 seconds to a minute and spreading out on a tray as described above with fruit. 
• Single portions of grains, beans, and veggies can be combined in a bowl and heated quickly in the microwave, then seasoned to taste, for a quick, filling, and very healthy lunch or dinner.  In fact, you can even pop the frozen stuff in a container the night before, refrigerate until you head to work the next morning, and then everything will be thawed and ready to eat as a cold salad by lunchtime.  Hot or cold, you can toss everything with a dressing below for a really brainless meal when you're exhausted...

Farro with asparagus, almonds, feta, and Mustard and Caper Vinaigrette.
The farro and asparagus were frozen and reheated together in the bowl. 

Goal: Use less salt without sacrificing flavor

Solution: Make dressings!  These may have originally been intended as salad dressings, but they can be used over veggies and pasta, beans and rice (or other grain), and just about anything else you can think of. These are some of my favorites right now--they'll all keep a couple of weeks in the refrigerator:

Tahini-Lemon Dressing: whisk together

1/2 garlic clove, smashed and minced

1 scant tablespoon tahini (for a milder flavor, use almond butter)

zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and black pepper to taste

I love this on steamed potatoes, green beans, and kalamata olives.

Mustard and Caper Vinaigrette: whisk together 

1 garlic clove, smashed and minced

1 teaspoon capers, chopped

1 teaspoon mustard

pinch sugar (optional)

4 tablespoons vinegar

6 tablespoons olive oil

salt and black pepper to taste

This keeps for weeks on the countertop; refrigerating makes it gloppy. Different vinegars will give a different level of acidity, with apple cider being the most intense I ever want, and balsamic being the mildest, so experiment. This is clearly a standard salad dressing, but it is also delicious on hot foods.  I like it on pasta with steamed broccoli.

Miso-Ginger Dressing: blend in a food processor

1/4 cup peanut oil 

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons mild or sweet miso, like yellow or white

Juice of 1/2 lime

2 medium carrots, roughly chopped

1 inchlong piece fresh ginger, chopped OR 1 heaping teaspoon minced ginger form the jar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Obviously, this works well in stir-fries, but it's also surprisingly perfect over steamed greens like kale or collards, along with a little hot sauce on the side. 

"Ranch" Dressing: whisk together

1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup milk (any kind will do)
½ teaspoon dried summer savory
½ teaspoon dried dill
¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon dried onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

If you're from the Midwest like me, you already know that Ranch dressing is not only a salad condiment, but a replacement for sour cream, a dip, and a general salve for life.  

Dinner tonight: quinoa, frozen Sante Fe veggie blend, 

and Tahini-Lemon Dressing