Here's the recipe: http://cjzp.blogspot.com/2008/12/just-in-time-for-holiday-breakfast.html
FWIW I did not make the healthy version this time. :-)
Showing posts with label breakfast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breakfast. Show all posts
Monday, January 16, 2012
Breakfast baking
Here's the recipe: http://cjzp.blogspot.com/2008/12/just-in-time-for-holiday-breakfast.html
FWIW I did not make the healthy version this time. :-)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
One idea for leftover cranberry sauce
We didn't get around to making anything with cranberries for Thanksgiving, but my friend bestowed a bag (12 ounces) of fresh cranberries upon me.
I roasted them in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes until they started to shrivel up. Then into the food processor with the juice and zest of one orange and probably about 1/4 cup of brown sugar. The resulting paste was stirred into a sweetened, butter-enhanced biscuit dough to make cranberry-orange scones. They were delicious, but they looked like raw hamburger. Next time I would reduce the fruit:dough ratio. Then they would likely rise better and not look so meat-y.
I think that this idea would work with leftover cranberry sauce, too. Just be careful that the resulting dough isn't too wet.
Could also use the sauce in a coffee cake!
I roasted them in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes until they started to shrivel up. Then into the food processor with the juice and zest of one orange and probably about 1/4 cup of brown sugar. The resulting paste was stirred into a sweetened, butter-enhanced biscuit dough to make cranberry-orange scones. They were delicious, but they looked like raw hamburger. Next time I would reduce the fruit:dough ratio. Then they would likely rise better and not look so meat-y.
I think that this idea would work with leftover cranberry sauce, too. Just be careful that the resulting dough isn't too wet.
Could also use the sauce in a coffee cake!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
No Accounting for Taste
This morning Z asked if she could have 'doubled eggs' for breakfast. Last night we had sliced hard-boiled eggs on the salad, and there were two extras that she helped me peel and knew were in the fridge. She sliced them, popped the yolks into a bowl, watched me add the condiments, then attacked them with a fork. Then she announced that she was going to fill the white parts and lick the moosh out of them because she doesn't like the white and only wants the moosh. I suggested she eat the moosh with a spoon instead and let me take the whites for lunch. Happiness for all except J who had to leave the table. It was too early for him to watch and smell Z eating 'doubled' egg moosh for breakfast.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Eating Philadelphia Day By Day
Day 1: Arrival. From the taxi we saw a sign, “Down Home Diner Open Tonight” That looked perfect. It turned out to be even better than expected. The diner specializes in bacon. The owner smokes it himself, and it is cooked to crispy perfection. We lucked into ordering entrees that included bacon, but it was a tipoff that the server’s t-shirt said “I heart bacon”.
Day 2 (Saturday): First investigation of the Reading Terminal Market. Faithful readers may recall my descriptions of Westside Market in Cleveland. Reading Terminal Market is like that, but bigger. Lots of vendors of fresh food, cheese, meats, produce, and fish alongside stalls proffering food prepared from local sources. It was amazing. There is a large corner of Pennsylvania Dutch vendors selling crafts, baked goods, and everything that can be pickled. Nice!
The transition to Eastern time wasn’t kind, and it was mid-morning there before I made it over for breakfast. This is offered to help explain why I selected a Reuben sandwich from Herschel’s Eastside Deli for my brunch. The meat was sliced in front of me, approximately ¼ inch thick slices that were barely held together by remaining connective tissue. It glistened with gelatinous juice. I ordered it with everything which included Russian dressing. Usually I prefer my sandwiches without the dressing, but I wanted to experience this in its original form. My chosen rye bread (choice of pumpernickel or rye) was spread with the dressing and then layered with swiss cheese, the meat, and sauerkraut, and then put into a sandwich press griddle. The press didn’t flatten it out much, and it was hard to eat. It was the kind of sandwich that you can’t put down and then pick up again successfully. Best Reuben I have ever had. This may spoil me for other Reubens for a long time.
We also visited the Flying Monkey Bakery. They offered many varieties of brownies, too many choices in fact. But, luck was on my side. They offered a variety pack of brownie edge bites for $2. That’s a great value because I could taste several different brownies, and I really like edges. I didn’t actually eat any at that moment, but into the bag they went for later.
After that I didn’t need to eat again until dinner, and I wanted some vegetables, so I visited Nanee’s Kitchen. Nanee is from the Peshawar region of Pakistan and serves freshly-made Indian and Pakistani food. I tried the spinach paneer with nan and dal and felt like I had balanced out the meat-fest of brunch. The food was well-flavored, spiced but not hot, and the nan was fresh and crusty and chewy. I used to think that I didn’t like Indian food, but I am learning that I just needed more experience with good food and a greater variety.
Day 3: Back to the market, but it is Sunday morning, so not all of the vendors were open. We wound up back at the Down Home Diner with a lot of local Philadelphians. I had a breakfast burrito and shared a side of bacon. Good stuff, all. Very friendly server, Zach, provided local tips and color, but wasn’t really attentive about refilling coffee. That night we visited Delilah’s Southern Comfort. We had heard that the mac and cheese was something to talk about. I had a chicken platter – fried chicken, cornbread, and mac and cheese. I can report that it was good, but I can make it just as well. The cornbread, however, was exceptional. Slightly sweet and creamy, not dry at all.
Day 4 (Monday): With the giant APHA Conference across the street, breakfast was tough at the market. There were lots of people. I wound up getting an egg bagel from Spataro’s. It was fine, but nothing special. Coffee was from Old City Coffee, and I didn’t actually like it much. I had café au lait, and it was too hot to drink for about 20 minutes and the coffee itself was very bitter. I won’t go there again. Lunch a the market made breakfast look empty. My only chance to get food in a short time was to head back to Nanee’s Kitchen where I had a lamb kebab in nan. The meat was tender and well-cooked. There were two sauces, one was yogurt-based, and the other was a little sweet and garlicky. It was a good sandwich especially for $6. Monday evening we had our Utah social at McGillin’s Olde Ale House. It’s the oldest continuously operated tavern in Philadelphia. Our food was nothing too special, except for the meatballs in gravy (red sauce) were really good. The best thing that I tried was actually Original Sin Hard Cider. It was fruity and smooth, not sharp at all, but not cloyingly sweet either.
Day 5 (Tuesday): We slept in a bit and then went on a cheesesteak quest. This is a food item which engenders much passion in Philadelphia. Many outlets purport to be the home of ‘original’ or ‘best’ cheesesteaks, but it seems to come down to three contenders: Pat’s, Geno’s, and Jim’s. I’m proud to say that Scarlett and I stepped up to the plate and tried them all. It was a lot of walking but totally worth it. First stop was Jim’s Steaks in the 400 block of South Street (1.3 miles from our starting point). We split one that they helpfully cut in two for us and then set off to the south and Pat's King of Steaks. Pat's is famous, and supposedly the place where the sandwich was invented. There is a memorial of where part of Rocky was filmed. They were less polite, and not interested in helping the customer unless the order was properly given. Whatever. It wasn't all that. At Pat's we also enjoyed a birch beer which tastes like root beer, smells a bit of cream soda, and is more red than brown. For anyone counting, it is 0.8 miles from Jim's to Pat's. Geno's is literally across a weird intersection from Pat's. At Geno's we split our third cheesesteak of the day and then walked back to the convention center (1.6 miles -- fyi google maps estimates 36 minutes, and we did it in about that even with a diaper changing stop).
The verdict? We liked Jim's best - onions were in large, recognizable pieces, and the bread was chewy but not hard. Also, the politeness and indoor seating went a long way in our book. Oh, and we walked almost 4 miles.
No need for much dinner that night -- salad with felafel from a middle eastern vendor back at the market.
Day 6 (Wednesday): The Pennsylvania Dutch were back at the market, and I enjoyed an apple dumpling for breakfast (along with a bite of Scarlett's pickle and cinnamon roll, but not at the same time). Lunch was a tuna melt which was good with fries which were not at another Amish vendor. Quinn wasn't too impressed.
Day 2 (Saturday): First investigation of the Reading Terminal Market. Faithful readers may recall my descriptions of Westside Market in Cleveland. Reading Terminal Market is like that, but bigger. Lots of vendors of fresh food, cheese, meats, produce, and fish alongside stalls proffering food prepared from local sources. It was amazing. There is a large corner of Pennsylvania Dutch vendors selling crafts, baked goods, and everything that can be pickled. Nice!
The transition to Eastern time wasn’t kind, and it was mid-morning there before I made it over for breakfast. This is offered to help explain why I selected a Reuben sandwich from Herschel’s Eastside Deli for my brunch. The meat was sliced in front of me, approximately ¼ inch thick slices that were barely held together by remaining connective tissue. It glistened with gelatinous juice. I ordered it with everything which included Russian dressing. Usually I prefer my sandwiches without the dressing, but I wanted to experience this in its original form. My chosen rye bread (choice of pumpernickel or rye) was spread with the dressing and then layered with swiss cheese, the meat, and sauerkraut, and then put into a sandwich press griddle. The press didn’t flatten it out much, and it was hard to eat. It was the kind of sandwich that you can’t put down and then pick up again successfully. Best Reuben I have ever had. This may spoil me for other Reubens for a long time.
We also visited the Flying Monkey Bakery. They offered many varieties of brownies, too many choices in fact. But, luck was on my side. They offered a variety pack of brownie edge bites for $2. That’s a great value because I could taste several different brownies, and I really like edges. I didn’t actually eat any at that moment, but into the bag they went for later.
After that I didn’t need to eat again until dinner, and I wanted some vegetables, so I visited Nanee’s Kitchen. Nanee is from the Peshawar region of Pakistan and serves freshly-made Indian and Pakistani food. I tried the spinach paneer with nan and dal and felt like I had balanced out the meat-fest of brunch. The food was well-flavored, spiced but not hot, and the nan was fresh and crusty and chewy. I used to think that I didn’t like Indian food, but I am learning that I just needed more experience with good food and a greater variety.
Day 3: Back to the market, but it is Sunday morning, so not all of the vendors were open. We wound up back at the Down Home Diner with a lot of local Philadelphians. I had a breakfast burrito and shared a side of bacon. Good stuff, all. Very friendly server, Zach, provided local tips and color, but wasn’t really attentive about refilling coffee. That night we visited Delilah’s Southern Comfort. We had heard that the mac and cheese was something to talk about. I had a chicken platter – fried chicken, cornbread, and mac and cheese. I can report that it was good, but I can make it just as well. The cornbread, however, was exceptional. Slightly sweet and creamy, not dry at all.
Day 4 (Monday): With the giant APHA Conference across the street, breakfast was tough at the market. There were lots of people. I wound up getting an egg bagel from Spataro’s. It was fine, but nothing special. Coffee was from Old City Coffee, and I didn’t actually like it much. I had café au lait, and it was too hot to drink for about 20 minutes and the coffee itself was very bitter. I won’t go there again. Lunch a the market made breakfast look empty. My only chance to get food in a short time was to head back to Nanee’s Kitchen where I had a lamb kebab in nan. The meat was tender and well-cooked. There were two sauces, one was yogurt-based, and the other was a little sweet and garlicky. It was a good sandwich especially for $6. Monday evening we had our Utah social at McGillin’s Olde Ale House. It’s the oldest continuously operated tavern in Philadelphia. Our food was nothing too special, except for the meatballs in gravy (red sauce) were really good. The best thing that I tried was actually Original Sin Hard Cider. It was fruity and smooth, not sharp at all, but not cloyingly sweet either.
Day 5 (Tuesday): We slept in a bit and then went on a cheesesteak quest. This is a food item which engenders much passion in Philadelphia. Many outlets purport to be the home of ‘original’ or ‘best’ cheesesteaks, but it seems to come down to three contenders: Pat’s, Geno’s, and Jim’s. I’m proud to say that Scarlett and I stepped up to the plate and tried them all. It was a lot of walking but totally worth it. First stop was Jim’s Steaks in the 400 block of South Street (1.3 miles from our starting point). We split one that they helpfully cut in two for us and then set off to the south and Pat's King of Steaks. Pat's is famous, and supposedly the place where the sandwich was invented. There is a memorial of where part of Rocky was filmed. They were less polite, and not interested in helping the customer unless the order was properly given. Whatever. It wasn't all that. At Pat's we also enjoyed a birch beer which tastes like root beer, smells a bit of cream soda, and is more red than brown. For anyone counting, it is 0.8 miles from Jim's to Pat's. Geno's is literally across a weird intersection from Pat's. At Geno's we split our third cheesesteak of the day and then walked back to the convention center (1.6 miles -- fyi google maps estimates 36 minutes, and we did it in about that even with a diaper changing stop).
The verdict? We liked Jim's best - onions were in large, recognizable pieces, and the bread was chewy but not hard. Also, the politeness and indoor seating went a long way in our book. Oh, and we walked almost 4 miles.
No need for much dinner that night -- salad with felafel from a middle eastern vendor back at the market.
Day 6 (Wednesday): The Pennsylvania Dutch were back at the market, and I enjoyed an apple dumpling for breakfast (along with a bite of Scarlett's pickle and cinnamon roll, but not at the same time). Lunch was a tuna melt which was good with fries which were not at another Amish vendor. Quinn wasn't too impressed.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Streamlined Muffins
So I modified a bit from the last post about Elizabeth Street Sourdough Muffins and can report good success.
Changes: Instead of the double-refresh, I just scooped out 1/2 cup of the batter and saved it as the future starter and used the rest as my base. Then added 1 cup of oatmeal in the morning, when I added the other ingredients to the batter; used partially rehydrated dried apples (~1/2 cup) and walnuts (~1/2 cup). I came out with 12 nicely-sized muffins all of which are now gone.
Changes: Instead of the double-refresh, I just scooped out 1/2 cup of the batter and saved it as the future starter and used the rest as my base. Then added 1 cup of oatmeal in the morning, when I added the other ingredients to the batter; used partially rehydrated dried apples (~1/2 cup) and walnuts (~1/2 cup). I came out with 12 nicely-sized muffins all of which are now gone.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Elizabeth Street Sourdough Muffins
So Erin came to visit a few weeks ago bearing a jar of active sourdough starter and instructions. Her original source was GEM Cultures, Inc. out of Lakewood, WA, and this recipe is originally from their instructional pamphlet, but with significant modifications. Improvements in my mind, but you might disagree.
Elizabeth Street Sourdough Muffins
In the morning before you want to make muffins, refresh the starter by combining ½ cup fresh starter, 1 ¼ cups of warm non-chlorinated water (I use from the Brita pitcher and microwave for about 1 minute), and 1 ½ cups of flour in a relatively large bowl. Cover with a plate and set this in a warmish spot for the day or several hours until it is bubbly.
In the evening before you want to make the muffins: Combine ½ cup fresh starter (removed from your refreshing above), 1 ¼ cups of warm non-chlorinated water (I use from the Brita pitcher and microwave for about 1 minute), 1 ½ cups of flour and 1 cup of regular rolled oats in a relatively large bowl. Cover and set in a warmish place for overnight. Grease your muffin tins. Seriously, the paper liners do not work. When I made this it made for 2 dozen smallish muffins, but in a regular muffin tin, not a mini-one.
Combine these dry ingredients in a separate small bowl: ¼ cup flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 T baking powder. The next step could be done in the morning or evening. Combine these wet ingredients in another separate small bowl: 3 T maple syrup, and 2T fat (not solid). If you plan to mix in nuts or raisins (up to 1 cup in total), get them out now so that you don’t forget. Go to bed.
In the morning, get up and turn on the oven to 400oF. (Now’s a good time to get the coffee going, too.) Beat an egg into the wet ingredients bowl. If you plan to add blueberries (1 cup) to the muffins, get them out of the freezer and toss them with some of the dry ingredients bowl. Dump the wet ingredients (if your fat in the wet ingredients turned into a solid overnight, then you need to re-liquify it and re-think the measuring the next before idea) into the sourdough batter (which should be a little bubbly) and mix a little. Sprinkle the dry ingredients into the batter and mix only enough to eliminate dry spots. Gently fold in the frozen blueberries. You don’t want to overmix because it makes the muffins tough.
Scoop the batter into the muffin tins. Bake for about 20-25 minutes while you shower.
Enjoy hot muffins for breakfast and bask in the adulation of your family.
These are pretty smallish muffins, and I find that eating 3 (with butter and maple syrup) kept me full until lunch. It is a rare breakfast that can claim that.
When I did them with raisins and pecans I didn’t need the maple syrup, but I had also used the dust from 2 boxes of Raisin Bran instead of the 1 cup of oats, so there was more sugar in the batter.
Chocolate chips would also be a good addition, instead of blueberries, but maybe with dried cherries and/or almonds.
In case you are wondering, I did this with 100% whole wheat flour.
Elizabeth Street Sourdough Muffins
In the morning before you want to make muffins, refresh the starter by combining ½ cup fresh starter, 1 ¼ cups of warm non-chlorinated water (I use from the Brita pitcher and microwave for about 1 minute), and 1 ½ cups of flour in a relatively large bowl. Cover with a plate and set this in a warmish spot for the day or several hours until it is bubbly.
In the evening before you want to make the muffins: Combine ½ cup fresh starter (removed from your refreshing above), 1 ¼ cups of warm non-chlorinated water (I use from the Brita pitcher and microwave for about 1 minute), 1 ½ cups of flour and 1 cup of regular rolled oats in a relatively large bowl. Cover and set in a warmish place for overnight. Grease your muffin tins. Seriously, the paper liners do not work. When I made this it made for 2 dozen smallish muffins, but in a regular muffin tin, not a mini-one.
Combine these dry ingredients in a separate small bowl: ¼ cup flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 T baking powder. The next step could be done in the morning or evening. Combine these wet ingredients in another separate small bowl: 3 T maple syrup, and 2T fat (not solid). If you plan to mix in nuts or raisins (up to 1 cup in total), get them out now so that you don’t forget. Go to bed.
In the morning, get up and turn on the oven to 400oF. (Now’s a good time to get the coffee going, too.) Beat an egg into the wet ingredients bowl. If you plan to add blueberries (1 cup) to the muffins, get them out of the freezer and toss them with some of the dry ingredients bowl. Dump the wet ingredients (if your fat in the wet ingredients turned into a solid overnight, then you need to re-liquify it and re-think the measuring the next before idea) into the sourdough batter (which should be a little bubbly) and mix a little. Sprinkle the dry ingredients into the batter and mix only enough to eliminate dry spots. Gently fold in the frozen blueberries. You don’t want to overmix because it makes the muffins tough.
Scoop the batter into the muffin tins. Bake for about 20-25 minutes while you shower.
Enjoy hot muffins for breakfast and bask in the adulation of your family.
These are pretty smallish muffins, and I find that eating 3 (with butter and maple syrup) kept me full until lunch. It is a rare breakfast that can claim that.
When I did them with raisins and pecans I didn’t need the maple syrup, but I had also used the dust from 2 boxes of Raisin Bran instead of the 1 cup of oats, so there was more sugar in the batter.
Chocolate chips would also be a good addition, instead of blueberries, but maybe with dried cherries and/or almonds.
In case you are wondering, I did this with 100% whole wheat flour.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sourdough Baking
I have made three attempts at baking with sourdough and results have been mixed.
Sourdough pancakes were enjoyed by all, but I think that they were a little tough -- maybe too much mixing and therefore over-developed gluten?
Sourdough bread was tastily sour, but it failed to rise much and was a bit flat for my liking. Also, it seriously needed salt. The taste was flat, too.
Sourdough bran muffins were good, but I didn't taste the sour at all. I used the dust from 2 boxes of Raisin Bran as the "1 cup of bran, any kind", and I used brown sugar instead of honey so that I could measure it the night before. I put in lots of extra raisins and nuts. The recipe stated that the yield was 6 plain muffins or 8 with raisins and nuts, but I must have the wrong size muffin tin because I got 15. Oh yeah, I should have greased the tins instead of using papers because the muffins stuck.
Sourdough pancakes were enjoyed by all, but I think that they were a little tough -- maybe too much mixing and therefore over-developed gluten?
Sourdough bread was tastily sour, but it failed to rise much and was a bit flat for my liking. Also, it seriously needed salt. The taste was flat, too.
Sourdough bran muffins were good, but I didn't taste the sour at all. I used the dust from 2 boxes of Raisin Bran as the "1 cup of bran, any kind", and I used brown sugar instead of honey so that I could measure it the night before. I put in lots of extra raisins and nuts. The recipe stated that the yield was 6 plain muffins or 8 with raisins and nuts, but I must have the wrong size muffin tin because I got 15. Oh yeah, I should have greased the tins instead of using papers because the muffins stuck.
Monday, April 27, 2009
A Good Trade
My friend Jen called the other day to ask me to take some tomato starts off her hands. She is an enthusiastic seed-saver and starter whose green thumb has exceeded the capacity of both her dining room and her garden plot (which includes part of her neighbor's yard!). I, of course, agreed, and will happily serve as the adoptive family to any other extra veggie plants.
Jen is even more into sustainability/organic/heirloom than I am. To illustrate this point, I submit a short list of the varieties she gifted me: Sheboygan, Matt's Wild Cherry, Golden Nugget, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Amish Paste, Black Plum, Camp Joy Cherry, Speckled Roman, and some special tomatillo. Links are not necessarily her source but are included for illustration.
Never heard of them? Me either except for Speckled Roman which she gave us last year and produced massive quantities of beautiful, huge, red and orange fruits that I made into great salsa. I guess I had read about Amish Paste, but I have no experience with them.
Now, we won't plant these guys until probably Memorial Day as our last frost tends to be in early June in our garden, and we are too lazy to run up and cover every night and uncover every morning. Before then we also plan to acquire some: Cherokee Purple, Pineapple, and some red slicing tomato -- maybe Abe Lincoln or Brandywine (although it is more pink). I may also do a Sweet 100 in a pot at the house because Z likes them so much. Jen gave us several cherry-sized tomatoes, we we really like the pear ones, too, so we'll just see about space. :-)
Want to learn more about heirloom varieties and saving seeds? Try Seed Saver's Exchange.
What about the trade? I brought over some sweet potato biscuits (Flying Biscuit cookbook - they will be blogged later) and about 1/4 of a blueberry pie that Z and I made on Saturday. Frozen blueberries make excellent pie, and they are a good value at Costco all year round.
Jen is even more into sustainability/organic/heirloom than I am. To illustrate this point, I submit a short list of the varieties she gifted me: Sheboygan, Matt's Wild Cherry, Golden Nugget, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Amish Paste, Black Plum, Camp Joy Cherry, Speckled Roman, and some special tomatillo. Links are not necessarily her source but are included for illustration.
Never heard of them? Me either except for Speckled Roman which she gave us last year and produced massive quantities of beautiful, huge, red and orange fruits that I made into great salsa. I guess I had read about Amish Paste, but I have no experience with them.
Now, we won't plant these guys until probably Memorial Day as our last frost tends to be in early June in our garden, and we are too lazy to run up and cover every night and uncover every morning. Before then we also plan to acquire some: Cherokee Purple, Pineapple, and some red slicing tomato -- maybe Abe Lincoln or Brandywine (although it is more pink). I may also do a Sweet 100 in a pot at the house because Z likes them so much. Jen gave us several cherry-sized tomatoes, we we really like the pear ones, too, so we'll just see about space. :-)
Want to learn more about heirloom varieties and saving seeds? Try Seed Saver's Exchange.
What about the trade? I brought over some sweet potato biscuits (Flying Biscuit cookbook - they will be blogged later) and about 1/4 of a blueberry pie that Z and I made on Saturday. Frozen blueberries make excellent pie, and they are a good value at Costco all year round.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
An Exciting Afternoon and Breakfast for Dinner
I had the funny experience today of being evacuated from my office at the U thanks to a gas leak. The strangest part is that my home is closer to the site of the leak than my office, so I had to transit the evacuation zone to get home. I planned on taking the bus and boarded one, but they were on completely unknown detour. Seriously, the driver said that her instructions were to stay off the radio and get the bus downtown. That is not where I wanted to go, and when she turned south out of Research Park, I bailed out and started walking. Good physical activity for me - thank goodness it is all downhill - and in case you are wondering, even a pregnant lady can walk from the Ortho Center back to our house in about 1/2 hour even taking a crazy wide route through main campus because the straight route was blocked. I'm also glad that I had my hat as it started to snow when I walked past the Huntsman Center. BTW, I could still smell gas in the air even though the break had happened more than 2 hours previously. It apparently took them a long time to get the lines capped off! At one point the power was out at our house, but by the time I got home it was back.
Our usual Tuesday evening has us at the gym and Z at Team Tots, the fabulous and FREE childcare available for student parents on Tuesday and Thursday evenings while they exercise. But all of campus is closed until tomorrow, so instead J went to a meeting of the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance. He has just accepted some officer position (I forget which).
I don't know if this happens in your house, but I like breakfast for dinner, especially pancakes or waffles. J not so much. He'll eat eggs for dinner, but waffles is across some line. So I took advantage and made waffles for dinner while he went to his meeting! Not even special waffles. Just regular old Bisquick waffles - I know I know you are shocked that I even have Bisquick in the house. It's really for camping, but hey I like it sometimes!!
Our usual Tuesday evening has us at the gym and Z at Team Tots, the fabulous and FREE childcare available for student parents on Tuesday and Thursday evenings while they exercise. But all of campus is closed until tomorrow, so instead J went to a meeting of the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance. He has just accepted some officer position (I forget which).
I don't know if this happens in your house, but I like breakfast for dinner, especially pancakes or waffles. J not so much. He'll eat eggs for dinner, but waffles is across some line. So I took advantage and made waffles for dinner while he went to his meeting! Not even special waffles. Just regular old Bisquick waffles - I know I know you are shocked that I even have Bisquick in the house. It's really for camping, but hey I like it sometimes!!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
We call it "special bread"
I have mentioned The Flying Biscuit Cafe Cookbook before. I have the original edition which is now out of print and used copies are selling for shocking amounts of $$ on Amazon.com. Recently I found the new edition at the library, and now this version is saved in my Amazon cart for the next time I decide to spend money. In the meantime, I shamelessly admit to scanning some of the recipes.
Here's the first one I made. They call it a cross between a scone and a cookie.
Organic Oatmeal Biscuits (Flying Biscuit Cafe Cookbook by Delia Champion, p. 22)
2 cups organic rolled oats (no reason to use organic if you don't want to)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces (I'll admit to using salted butter)
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar (I used light)
1 3/4 t double-acting baking powder
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 cup whole milk (I used 2% with no apparent harm, and actually I used more than 1/2 cup - it was probably 2/3 to almost 3/4 of a cup instead. Start with the 1/2 and add more as needed until the dough comes together. Out here in the desert I often use more liquid than baking recipes suggest. This recipe was created for Atlanta - I'm pretty sure that my flour and oats are drier than theirs!)
1. In a food processor, coarsely chop oats and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Pulse flour, butter, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor (no need to rinse the bowl) until mixture becomes a coarse meal.
3. Add milk and blend until mixture just forms a sticky dough. Add oat mixture and knead 3-4 times until just barely mixed. Do not over mix (this makes for a tough final product).
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface (my note - haven't you already done that so that you could knead in step 3? I think yes...) Halve dough and pat each into a 6x3 inch rectangle. ** Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (2-12 hours).
5. Preheat oven to 375F. Cut loaves into 24 1/2 inch thick slices. Bake on a large, un-greased sheet pan in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes.
** May I suggest that before allowing the dough to firm up, you press some chopped pecans into one surface or sprinkle the surface with cinnamon sugar? I tried both with yummy results.
Would also be nice with blueberry sauce or possibly even whipped cream, but then it is looking more like dessert.
These are surprisingly filling, and you will likely find yourself with leftovers. I froze the leftovers wrapped tightly in plastic and then placed in an air-tight container, and they survived the freezing very well.
Here's the first one I made. They call it a cross between a scone and a cookie.
Organic Oatmeal Biscuits (Flying Biscuit Cafe Cookbook by Delia Champion, p. 22)
2 cups organic rolled oats (no reason to use organic if you don't want to)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces (I'll admit to using salted butter)
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar (I used light)
1 3/4 t double-acting baking powder
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 cup whole milk (I used 2% with no apparent harm, and actually I used more than 1/2 cup - it was probably 2/3 to almost 3/4 of a cup instead. Start with the 1/2 and add more as needed until the dough comes together. Out here in the desert I often use more liquid than baking recipes suggest. This recipe was created for Atlanta - I'm pretty sure that my flour and oats are drier than theirs!)
1. In a food processor, coarsely chop oats and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Pulse flour, butter, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor (no need to rinse the bowl) until mixture becomes a coarse meal.
3. Add milk and blend until mixture just forms a sticky dough. Add oat mixture and knead 3-4 times until just barely mixed. Do not over mix (this makes for a tough final product).
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface (my note - haven't you already done that so that you could knead in step 3? I think yes...) Halve dough and pat each into a 6x3 inch rectangle. ** Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (2-12 hours).
5. Preheat oven to 375F. Cut loaves into 24 1/2 inch thick slices. Bake on a large, un-greased sheet pan in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes.
** May I suggest that before allowing the dough to firm up, you press some chopped pecans into one surface or sprinkle the surface with cinnamon sugar? I tried both with yummy results.
Would also be nice with blueberry sauce or possibly even whipped cream, but then it is looking more like dessert.
These are surprisingly filling, and you will likely find yourself with leftovers. I froze the leftovers wrapped tightly in plastic and then placed in an air-tight container, and they survived the freezing very well.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Best Waffles
One upside to these waffles could also be construed as a downside - you have to decide the night before that you are going to make them and then prep the batter after dinner. That's the hard part. OK, that and the fact that they take longer to cook than regular waffles.
I follow the recipe from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham, 13th Edition (1990).
Raised Waffles
1/2 cup warm water - works better if you remove the chlorine by using Brita (or similar) pitcher water warmed in the microwave.
1 package dry yeast (those of us who use yeast frequently are more likely to have it in a jar. 2 1/4 teaspoons is the same as a package, but if you use de-chlorinated water then 2 t is plenty.)
2 cups warm milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup melted butter (can use only 1/4 cup with no ill results)
1 t salt
1 t sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 t baking soda
1) Get a large mixing bowl and add the yeast. Stir in the water and let it stand while you prepare the rest.
2) Put the milk in a saucepan on the stove and add the butter and sugar and salt. Warm slowly so that the milk doesn't scald and the butter melts. Make sure that you can stick your finger in the milk before you add it to the yeast-y water or you will kill the yeast.
3) Add the flour to the water and yeast mixture that has been waiting for you.
4) Carefully add the milk mixture and whisk away to get rid of lumps.
5) Cover your bowl with a dinner plate and let stand on the counter overnight. It is a good idea to check for bubbles in the batter before you go to bed to make sure that you didn't kill the yeast. If there aren't bubbles, add another 1 t of yeast and consider a backup plan for breakfast.
In the morning...
1) Preheat your waffle iron.
2) Mix the eggs and baking soda into your batter which will have increased considerably overnight. Whisk it well.
3) The batter is very thin - be careful not to use too much for your waffle iron or it will make a mess.
4) These take a pretty long time to cook, so rather than relying on a timer or a beeper on your waffle iron, watch for the steam to cease. Then they are done.
I follow the recipe from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham, 13th Edition (1990).
Raised Waffles
1/2 cup warm water - works better if you remove the chlorine by using Brita (or similar) pitcher water warmed in the microwave.
1 package dry yeast (those of us who use yeast frequently are more likely to have it in a jar. 2 1/4 teaspoons is the same as a package, but if you use de-chlorinated water then 2 t is plenty.)
2 cups warm milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup melted butter (can use only 1/4 cup with no ill results)
1 t salt
1 t sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 t baking soda
1) Get a large mixing bowl and add the yeast. Stir in the water and let it stand while you prepare the rest.
2) Put the milk in a saucepan on the stove and add the butter and sugar and salt. Warm slowly so that the milk doesn't scald and the butter melts. Make sure that you can stick your finger in the milk before you add it to the yeast-y water or you will kill the yeast.
3) Add the flour to the water and yeast mixture that has been waiting for you.
4) Carefully add the milk mixture and whisk away to get rid of lumps.
5) Cover your bowl with a dinner plate and let stand on the counter overnight. It is a good idea to check for bubbles in the batter before you go to bed to make sure that you didn't kill the yeast. If there aren't bubbles, add another 1 t of yeast and consider a backup plan for breakfast.
In the morning...
1) Preheat your waffle iron.
2) Mix the eggs and baking soda into your batter which will have increased considerably overnight. Whisk it well.
3) The batter is very thin - be careful not to use too much for your waffle iron or it will make a mess.
4) These take a pretty long time to cook, so rather than relying on a timer or a beeper on your waffle iron, watch for the steam to cease. Then they are done.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Where have the mountains gone?
When people ask about living in SLC we tell them lots of great things, the people, the mountains, the recreational opportunities, the cost of living... When they say "But what don't you like?" the answer is always the same. It's not what you might think we lefties would say. We answer that the air quality in winter is the worst thing about life in SLC. It's especially bad this week. Bad enough that one awakens with a headache and kids are kept inside despite the fact that it gets into the 40's in the daytime and the sun is shining. We can't see the mountains from our house. At some points in the daytime, I can't see downtown from my house. That is distressing as it is only 11 blocks away.
To counter my completely blah feeling this morning (a little post inauguration let down mixed with the lousy air I expect) I made comfort food for breakfast. No one else was up (translation = no one to complain about my weird breakfast). I made wheat cereal with peaches. Cooked with 1/2 cup of milk and about the same of water. The peaches are special. I dehydrated them this summer, and when chopped and re-moistened in cooked cereal they tasted like sunshine. I mistakenly added my usual amount of sugar to the finished cereal before tasting it, and, thanks to the fruit, it was too sweet! Usually I include about 1/4 cup of raisins, and they don't impart as much sweetness. It was a nice way to start the day even if it makes for a goopy pan to wash.
To counter my completely blah feeling this morning (a little post inauguration let down mixed with the lousy air I expect) I made comfort food for breakfast. No one else was up (translation = no one to complain about my weird breakfast). I made wheat cereal with peaches. Cooked with 1/2 cup of milk and about the same of water. The peaches are special. I dehydrated them this summer, and when chopped and re-moistened in cooked cereal they tasted like sunshine. I mistakenly added my usual amount of sugar to the finished cereal before tasting it, and, thanks to the fruit, it was too sweet! Usually I include about 1/4 cup of raisins, and they don't impart as much sweetness. It was a nice way to start the day even if it makes for a goopy pan to wash.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
MMM Coffee Cake
So I went today to Vosen's Bread Paradise to get one of their coffee cakes for our Easter breakfast tomorrow. Many other people had the same idea, and so there were no more to be had. Instead I made what I call "Aunt Becky's coffee cake" for our breakfast tomorrow. I give you the recipe for your own enjoyment. Annotations in ( ) are hers. Those in { } are mine.
Dear Christy,
There must be an easier way to send this recipe, but I don't know how so I will just type it in. Hope you enjoy it.
Sour Cream Coffee cake
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cuos all-purpose flour
1tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans ( I leave this out) {I don't leave this out, nuts are yummy, and a good source of protein and fat to help this breakfast stick with you a little bit longer and have a bit more nutritional value}
1Tsp plus 1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon Heat oven to 325
1. Cream butter and 2 cups sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Fold in sour cream and vanilla. Mix flour,baking powder and salt: fold into batter.
2. Spread 1/3 of batter in greased and floured 8-inch spring form pan. {The batter is really thick. It doesn't just pour, you need to scrape it. Some will likely wind up on your fingers, the most efficient scraping tool, and it is up to you if you clean them by licking. I can report that the batter, practically a dough, really, tastes like a good cookie dough.} Combine cinnamon and sugar and nuts if using and sprinkle 3/4 of the mixture over the batter. Spoon remaining batter into pan and top with cinnamon mixture. Bake until toothpick come out almost clean about an hour and a half. This can be baked in a 10 inch springform pan , increase oven temperature to 350 and cooking time to 50 to 60 minutes. {I did bake this in a springform pan, because I have one, but I think that you could just as easily use a round cake pan or even a square pan of the appropriate size. Springform makes for nicer presentation, but it shouldn't stop you from trying this if you don't have one.} Note to my non-coffee drinking readers, the coffee is optional, and it is merely a name. :-)
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