Mix results - waffles that glued my waffle iron shut, a enchilada sauce that didn't want to thicken, excessive streusel on a french toast bake, nearly overpowering rosemary in the soup. Despite my complaints, everything still tasted good and nothing got tossed.
Basic Yogurt Waffles (The Vegetarian Family by Neva Atlas)
A unique recipe that doesn't use eggs or oil. By using Greek yogurt, I can incorporate some protein and the flaxseed adds my omega-3's. This is based off her Basic Yogurt Pancake recipe and I did find that the batter thickened significantly the longer it sat. A bit more milk at the beginning would have been good. I also had the unusual problem of my waffles gluing my waffle iron shut by the last three. Not cool. Still, I would make these again, increasing liquid quantities for the thicker Greek yogurt.
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds (optional) (I added)
1 1/2 c yogurt
1 c low-fat milk or rice milk (If using Greek yogurt, increase to 1 1/4 cup milk, or decrease yogurt)
2 tbsp butter
1) combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and flaxseed (if using) in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the yogurt and milk. Stir with a whisk until batter is just smooth; it should have an easy to pour consistency, but not too thin. Add more milk as needed. Don't over beat.
2) Cook and serve.
Butternut Squash, Bean and Cheese Enchiladas (How Sweet It Is Blog)
You should really click on the link and check out this gals pictures. Absolutely fantastic!
These were just a tiny bit putzier than I anticipated, but that was my fault for doing three things at once: these enchiladas, a Crumb Top Apple pie, and prepping a soup to make the next day. Otherwise these are pretty simple. I did
4 cups cubed (1/2-inch), uncooked butternut squash
1/2 sweet onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons freshly chopped sage + more for topping
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup beans (chickpeas, cannellinis, black, etc) (I used 1 can rinsed/drained black beans)
1 tablespoon brown butter (Skipped)
2 1/2 cups freshly gratedfontina cheese (I used Monteray Jack)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 cup milk
8 whole wheat tortillas
1/2 sweet onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons freshly chopped sage + more for topping
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup beans (chickpeas, cannellinis, black, etc) (I used 1 can rinsed/drained black beans)
2 1/2 cups freshly grated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 cup milk
8 whole wheat tortillas
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spritz a 9x13 dish with nonstick spray.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions, garlic and sage, cooking for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened. Toss in squash, salt, pepper and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, stirring well to coat. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes. You don't want to overcook the squash because it will be mushy, so cook until it's slightly tough but you can bite through a few pieces. Make sure to taste 2-3 pieces! Once finished, stir in beans and mix well. Remove squash and bean mixture, placing in a large bowl and drizzle with brown butter, then toss with 1/2 cup fontina. Set aside.
In the small skillet, raise the heat to medium-high and add butter. Once sizzling add in the flour and whisk for 2-3 minutes until a golden, nutty roux forms. Pour in stock and milk, whisking again until bubbly and slightly thick. Reduce heat to low and stir in 1 cup of fontina, stirring until combined. Add in remaining nutmeg and taste to season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Spoon about 1/3 cup of sauce into the bottom of the baking dish, then spoon a few spoonfuls of the squash mixture in the center of each tortilla, rolling up tightly. Place all the rolled tortillas carefully into the dish, then cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and some extra chopped sage. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and melted. Serve immediately!
Streusel-Topped French Toast Casserole (Ckng Light Dec 2012)
This...was not my favorite. Good sourdough bread is next to impossible to find up here and what passed for sourdough bread was merely a boule shaped loafed labeled as such. The "fruit compote" was underwhleming. Now to be fair, I did omit the golden raisins as I don't like plumped-up raisins. I won't describe why. Cranberries are fine - and personally, I think the whole cider bit could have been omitted and the cranberries just sprinkled between the layers. I also thought the streusel topping could have been easily halved, and I like crumb topping, but I found myself scrapping off extra and shoving it to the side of my plate. The bread on the bottom was nicely soaked through, while the bread on the top had dried bits. In other baked french toast recipes, they call to flip the bread at some point. I should have done that here.
Still, despite my gripes, if you need a smaller make-ahead breakfast for company, this would fit the bill. A 9" pie-size is a bit more doable than a 9x13 pan in some cases.
1. Bring cider to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook until reduced to 2/3 cup (about 4 minutes). Add cranberries and raisins; let stand 10 minutes.
2. Combine milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and eggs, stirring with a whisk.
3. Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray. Line bottom of dish with half of bread in a single layer. Pour half of egg mixture over bread; let stand 1 minute. Spread cranberry mixture over bread. Top with remaining bread; pour remaining egg mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. Combine remaining 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, flour, oats, walnuts, and brown sugar in a small bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 350°.
6. Uncover bread mixture and flour mixture. Sprinkle flour mixture evenly over bread mixture. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 wedges.
Canard Roti (Roast duck!) (Mastering the Art of French Cooking - Julia Child)
I loosely followed Julia's directions, because really, I can't help not futzing with a recipe. My duck was also a solid pound heavier than her largest weight/time recommendation so we had a bit of guesswork going on here as well.
Basically, take one duck (6lbs in this case).
Rinse. Dry thoroughly. Season. I stuffed the cavity with carrots, celery and onion. We drizzled olive oil on the top of the skin and seasoned with salt and pepper. Prick the skin along the lower part of the breast and thighs to allow the fat to drain out.
Bake 15 minutes at 425*. Reduce heat to 350* and continue till juices run mostly clear.
I pulled the duck out after 1hr 45min and let stand. The breasts were perfectly done. the underside...not so much. The next time (and there will be a next time, I do love duck!) I will roast for 15min upside down at 425*, then 15min breast side up at 425*, then reduce heat and continue baking for another hour and a half.
Julia had one flipping the duck on it's sides and roasting, but I didn't have a way to do that and I really didn't want to be futzing with a hot duck. Perhaps a different roasting pan? Hm, must contemplate this.
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup (Vegetarian Slowcooker by Judith Finlayson)
Lunches for the week. I was disappointed at how liquidy this was - I have to remember to note in the recipe to decrease veggi stock by one cup. The apples will give off plenty of liquid to make up for it. And 2 tsp crushed rosemary was way to much for my tastebuds. Almost over powering rather than complimentary. Also made note to decrease. This fed two of us for one week for lunches.
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves, chopped
2 tsp 1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled (or 1 tbsp fresh, chopped)
1/2 tsp black pepper
5 cups vegetable broth
2 tart apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled and chopped
1 butternut squash (about 2 1/2 lbs) peeled and cubed
1 cup Swiss Cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, optional
**Please Note: Author prefers to saute ingredients before slow cooking. I've modified to my preference of chop and dump.
1) Combine onion through butternut squash in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 3 hrs or low for 6 hours.
2) Puree soup using an immersion blender. Season to taste and serve.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions, garlic and sage, cooking for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened. Toss in squash, salt, pepper and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, stirring well to coat. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes. You don't want to overcook the squash because it will be mushy, so cook until it's slightly tough but you can bite through a few pieces. Make sure to taste 2-3 pieces! Once finished, stir in beans and mix well. Remove squash and bean mixture, placing in a large bowl and drizzle with brown butter, then toss with 1/2 cup fontina. Set aside.
In the small skillet, raise the heat to medium-high and add butter. Once sizzling add in the flour and whisk for 2-3 minutes until a golden, nutty roux forms. Pour in stock and milk, whisking again until bubbly and slightly thick. Reduce heat to low and stir in 1 cup of fontina, stirring until combined. Add in remaining nutmeg and taste to season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Spoon about 1/3 cup of sauce into the bottom of the baking dish, then spoon a few spoonfuls of the squash mixture in the center of each tortilla, rolling up tightly. Place all the rolled tortillas carefully into the dish, then cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and some extra chopped sage. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and melted. Serve immediately!
Streusel-Topped French Toast Casserole (Ckng Light Dec 2012)
This...was not my favorite. Good sourdough bread is next to impossible to find up here and what passed for sourdough bread was merely a boule shaped loafed labeled as such. The "fruit compote" was underwhleming. Now to be fair, I did omit the golden raisins as I don't like plumped-up raisins. I won't describe why. Cranberries are fine - and personally, I think the whole cider bit could have been omitted and the cranberries just sprinkled between the layers. I also thought the streusel topping could have been easily halved, and I like crumb topping, but I found myself scrapping off extra and shoving it to the side of my plate. The bread on the bottom was nicely soaked through, while the bread on the top had dried bits. In other baked french toast recipes, they call to flip the bread at some point. I should have done that here.
Still, despite my gripes, if you need a smaller make-ahead breakfast for company, this would fit the bill. A 9" pie-size is a bit more doable than a 9x13 pan in some cases.
 |
| Photo from CookingLight.com |
- 1 cup unfiltered apple cider
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
-
1/4 cup golden raisins - 1 cup fat-free milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- Cooking spray
- 8 (1 1/2-ounce) slices sourdough bread, crusts removed
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1. Bring cider to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook until reduced to 2/3 cup (about 4 minutes). Add cranberries and raisins; let stand 10 minutes.
2. Combine milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and eggs, stirring with a whisk.
3. Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray. Line bottom of dish with half of bread in a single layer. Pour half of egg mixture over bread; let stand 1 minute. Spread cranberry mixture over bread. Top with remaining bread; pour remaining egg mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. Combine remaining 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, flour, oats, walnuts, and brown sugar in a small bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 350°.
6. Uncover bread mixture and flour mixture. Sprinkle flour mixture evenly over bread mixture. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 wedges.
Canard Roti (Roast duck!) (Mastering the Art of French Cooking - Julia Child)
I loosely followed Julia's directions, because really, I can't help not futzing with a recipe. My duck was also a solid pound heavier than her largest weight/time recommendation so we had a bit of guesswork going on here as well.
Basically, take one duck (6lbs in this case).
Rinse. Dry thoroughly. Season. I stuffed the cavity with carrots, celery and onion. We drizzled olive oil on the top of the skin and seasoned with salt and pepper. Prick the skin along the lower part of the breast and thighs to allow the fat to drain out.
Bake 15 minutes at 425*. Reduce heat to 350* and continue till juices run mostly clear.
I pulled the duck out after 1hr 45min and let stand. The breasts were perfectly done. the underside...not so much. The next time (and there will be a next time, I do love duck!) I will roast for 15min upside down at 425*, then 15min breast side up at 425*, then reduce heat and continue baking for another hour and a half.
Julia had one flipping the duck on it's sides and roasting, but I didn't have a way to do that and I really didn't want to be futzing with a hot duck. Perhaps a different roasting pan? Hm, must contemplate this.
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup (Vegetarian Slowcooker by Judith Finlayson)
Lunches for the week. I was disappointed at how liquidy this was - I have to remember to note in the recipe to decrease veggi stock by one cup. The apples will give off plenty of liquid to make up for it. And 2 tsp crushed rosemary was way to much for my tastebuds. Almost over powering rather than complimentary. Also made note to decrease. This fed two of us for one week for lunches.
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
5 cups vegetable broth
2 tart apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled and chopped
1 butternut squash (about 2 1/2 lbs) peeled and cubed
1 cup Swiss Cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, optional
**Please Note: Author prefers to saute ingredients before slow cooking. I've modified to my preference of chop and dump.
1) Combine onion through butternut squash in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 3 hrs or low for 6 hours.
2) Puree soup using an immersion blender. Season to taste and serve.
1 comment:
All the recipes SOUND great, even the ones that didn't work so well. LOL
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