Move over tomatoes...

Two weeks ago, I had coffee with a friend and she kindly brought it to my attention that I haven't written anything since January.  JANUARY! oh my.  Obviously I knew it had been way too long, however, I didn't think that anyone would notice.  I guess I was wrong.

It's finally summertime- which means I am spending time at my favorite place, with my favorite people.  And my favorite dog, who sits on the rug in the kitchen when ever we bake.

I haven't posted since January, but I promise I have been doing other things.  Other important things!  I finished up my final semester of formal graduate school at the university, applied to countless jobs, accepted a job at a middle school and even managed to walk across the stage at graduation. Not to mention packing up my little apartment and saying goodbye to my favorite city that had become home after six years (more on this later).  After five months of craziness, I finally have some time to hang out in the kitchen and try new recipes.

Last evening, my mom pulled a bunch of rhubarb out of the fridge and said "we have got to do something with this!" My initial thought was that we should bake something (duh!), however, last week I made two batches of strawberry rhubarb crisp and I wanted to try something entirely different.  I visited one of my favorite food blogs..naturallyella.com, as I knew she would have seasonal recipes featuring rhubarb.  A recipe titled "rhubarb salsa" caught my attention and I knew that was what I wanted to make.  I absolutely love salsa with fruit, whether pineapple, cranberry or peach salsa, but hadn't ever made it myself.  In fact, I hadn't ever made salsa.  Rhubarb salsa may seem like an odd concept to you...it was even an odd idea to my mom, who is usually very open to trying new and unique recipes.  Despite her slight hesitation, we decided to try it.  Great discoveries are often preceded by hesitation, as was the case in this situation.  Let's just say that three days later, my mom wanted to try this recipe again and make a double batch.  This salsa may not have tomatoes in it, but I promise you won't miss them!

Chipotle Rhubarb Salsa (naturallyella.com)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
4 cups rhubarb, diced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins (I used regular)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper

Instructions
1. In a larger pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and saute until the onions become translucent, 4-5 minutes.  Stir in rhubarb and continue to cook until rhubarb softens.

2. Add remaining ingredients.  Start with 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle and add more if desired.  Stir and bring salsa to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Cook for 15-20 minutes.

3. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired; adjust brown sugar if salsa is too tart.  Serve warm or store in refrigerator for up to one week.

Sweet Potato Muffins

Last Saturday, I went to cycling class with my father and then made a stop at the small natural food grocery store to grab something healthy to eat before going out for coffee because I forgot my post workout snack at home.  Sometimes, mistakes lead to good great discoveries, such as the sweet potato, raisin muffin I purchased that morning to split with my dad.  We've been through this whole "I am extremely choosy about the types of muffins I eat and never end up eating a muffin that isn't homemade because only about .8% of muffins in the world are truly muffins" thing a million times before.  To my surprise, the sweet potato muffin had grated potatoes in it rather than a potato puree and was packed full of organic raisins and spices.  Just the way I like it!  After eating this muffin, I did what I usually do after consuming a delicious baked good.  First, I told my mother about this muffin.  Then, I began searching for a recipe online.  After multiple searches, I found a recipe that was low on sugar, contained grated sweet potatoes, and had whole grains.  I really like this recipe, however, I did reduce the sugar slightly and add additional spices.

Sweet Potato Muffins (www.easypeasyorganic.com)
Ingredients
2 free-range eggs, preferably organic
1/2 c olive oil (light or extra virgin are fine)
1 tsp vanilla
1 c rapadura sugar (I used 1/2 cup brown sugar and 3 TBSP honey)
3 c grated (raw) sweet potato
1 c ground cashews or almonds
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon (I used 2 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp Penzey's Baking Spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 c wholemeal (or wholewheat) flour (I used a combination of whole wheat, spelt and buckwheat flour)
Directions1. Preheat the oven to 320 degree and line muffin tins with papers 
2. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse enough cashews to yield 1 cup of group cashews (1.5 cups of cashews whole cashews make approximately 1 cup of ground cashews)
3. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, oil and vanilla. Then add the sugar and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the sweet potato and cashews and mix again.
4. Add the baking powder, cinnamon, salt and flour and mix to combine. 

5. Spoon the batter into the muffin papers - so that each is about 2/3 full. Put the muffin tins into the oven for about 25-30 min, or until the tops of the muffins are golden and ever-so-slightly crispy - and when a skewer inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Ground Cashews

T showing off his potato grating skills

These won't last long around here...

I am here.

Yikes. I haven't written for over three months.  I have been consumed by graduate school, studying for my licensing exam, working, more graduate school, off season workout sessions and dare I say, more graduate school?  Don't get me wrong, I love being a student and know that I am in the right place, however, school does not leave time for much else these days.  I finished up the fall semester and I am finally back in my favorite place on earth: home. Over the course of the last four month, I have pinned, book marked and emailed countless recipes to my mother that I have wanted to try but have not found the time to do so. My mom and I were home by ourselves for the weekend and on Saturday I finally had the chance to bake.  After spending too much time figuring out which of the millions of recipes I had saved, I decided to try a recipe for gluten free spiced chocolate chunk cookies.  These cookies required basic ingredients (you can substitute different gluten free flours, I used oat flour instead of quinoa flour) and came together in just a few minutes.  I was concerned that they did not have any form of leavening agents, however, the cookies are similar to a shortbread and were just fine without baking powder or soda!  After mixing the cookie dough, the dough must be chilled for one hour; I put them outside in the ten degree weather for about 40 minutes. The fresh orange zest and spices pair wonderfully with the chocolate chunks and create a flavorful dough.  I will summarize these cookies with the following: my mother, who I would consider a cookie connoisseur, gave these cookies a 9.5 out of 10. 

Gluten Free Orange Spiced Chocolate Chunk Cookies (www.mydarlinglemonthyme.com)

Wet Ingredients

115g soft butter

¾ cup (150g) muscovado or soft brown sugar

Pinch fine sea salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

The finely grated zest of 1 small orange

1 large free-range egg, lightly whisked

Dry Ingredients

¾ cup (90g) fine brown rice flour

½ cup (60g) quinoa flour (I used oat flour)

½ cup (55g) almond meal

¼ cup (25g) tapioca or cornflour (corn starch)

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch ground cloves

Pinch ground nutmeg

125g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Place the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and orange zest in a medium bowl and beat with an electric beater until light and fluffy. Gradually add the egg a little at a time, whisking well between additions. Add the almond meal, and then sift over the remaining flours and spices. Mix to form a soft dough before stirring through the chopped chocolate. Cover and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 2 baking trays or line with baking paper.

Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls, flatten slightly and place on trays. Dust your hands with extra rice flour if the dough is sticking. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Remove from oven, cool on trays briefly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Not ready to say goodbye.

On my run this morning, I noticed that the trees are beginning to turn a beautiful golden color and the sidewalk is dabbled with crisp, fallen leaves.  I have a fond affection for fall but I am not ready to say goodbye to summer just yet.  Pintrest is plastered with autumn recipes...everything pumpkin and apple related.  Don't get me wrong, I cannot wait to make a trip to the apple orchard next weekend and start wearing my thick scarves but its just so hard to wish away the warm sunshine.  Before I start baking spiced muffins, pumpkin scones and squash soup, I just had to bake one more batch of a summery type muffin: whole wheat banana muffins.  This is actually the third fourth batch that has been baked around here over the course of the past month and after these are devoured, it will be time to say goodbye and move on to autumn.

Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (www.wishfulchef.com)

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (use pastry flour if available)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
1 egg
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (I substituted canola oil in one batch and it worked just fine!)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I use at least 60% cacao)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground flax seeds. In a smaller bowl, mix the egg, coconut oil, yogurt and vanilla, then stir in mashed banana. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and transfer to wire racks.

Pineapple Coconut Yogurt Cake

For the past few weeks, I have been dying to bake something using Greek Yogurt.  Maybe it's because I follow Chobani Greek Yogurt on Pintrest and every recipe they post looks intriguing.  I eat Greek yogurt almost every single day, however, I hadn't tried the pineapple flavor prior to this cake.  Fresh pineapple is indeed my favorite fruit...I'm not sure what on earth took me sooooo long to try it. 

I made this cake on Sunday evening and enjoyed it with a friend and T after our 34 mile bike ride.  It was the perfect way to end the weekend.  Serve the cake with extra yogurt on top...and you won't be disappointed.  I made a few substitutions to make this cake healthier; see my notes in parentheses.

PINEAPPLE COCONUT YOGURT CAKE (original recipe from www.heathersdish.com, adaptions made)

• 1 cup Chobani 2% pineapple Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (I used 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup agave nectar)
• 3 whole eggs
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup unbleached pastry flour)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla.  Gently fold in the flour, baking soda and salt.  Pour into a greased 8-inch round pan.  Sprinkle the top with shredded coconut.  Bake at 350 for 45-50***minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Let cool completely before devouring.  Serve with extra yogurt on top.

****As you can see in the pictures, I used a 9 inch tart pan instead of an 8 inch round pan (simply because I love the delicate edges that form when using a tart pan) and reduced the baking time to 30 minutes.  The cake was fully done baking at 29 minutes...I cannot imagine it taking the entire 45-50 minutes as suggested in the original recipe. Watch the cake closely after 25 minutes!

Thursday Morning Muffins.

I just looked at the date of my last post and almost fell out of my chair.  APRIL 29TH? And now it is the middle of JUNE? What has happened?  I guess when I look back, quite a bit has happened.  Let me tell you.
I finished up my master's degree. No, I'm not done with school yet, nor am I am school psychologist, I have two more years of school left...but I'm making progress.
I started working as a barista at a local coffee shop; I am enjoying learning about the art of making coffee and sometimes wonder why I don't work as a barista full time. Don't worry Mom, I'm not quitting school.
I watched T run a PR in the Madison Half Marathon (1:14:39) and couldn't have been more excited for him.
I canoed down the black river and survived an encounter with a water snake.
I completed one of my summer courses, one more to go.
I competed in my first triathlon of the season last weekend and was thrilled to race with some good friends.
So, here we are,in the middle of June.  I guess it is time for a post.

This morning started off with a 4.5 mile run in the sunshine and my legs actually felt great, which was surprising, as I have been struggling to get into a good running rhythm lately.  After my run,  C came over and we made muffins.  You all know how I feel about muffins- if you don't, read THIS POST and you will soon know how picky I am about my muffins.  Thank goodness C is a true friend and wasn't upset with the recipe I picked.  I was thrilled that it contained whole grains, flax, fruit, veggies, was low fat and low sugar, however, of course I had to make some changes to make this recipe even better. Oh, I must not forget the BEST PART of these muffins.   I was able to use some of the homemade whole wheat flour that a dear friend Rae made and gave me as a gift.  I have the best friends ever.

Homemade whole wheat flour from Rae

We whipped these up while catching up over a warm cup of coffee.  Let's just say I am really enjoying this week off in between my summer classes....and look forward to having the remainder of my summers off as a school psychologist.


Healthy Apple Cinnamon Wheat Bran Muffins (adapted from kneadtocook.com)

3/4 c unbleached, all purpose flour
3/4 c of whole wheat flour
3/4 c of flaxseed meal
3/4 c of wheat bran
3/4 c of brown sugar
2 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
2.5 tsp of ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
3/4 c of almond milk (you can use low or non fat milk as well)
2 eggs, room temperature

1 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 c of Non Fat apple cinnamon flavored Chobani  Greek Yogurt
2  c of shredded carrots
1 shredded apple
1/2 c of chopped walnuts 

Crumble Topping:
1 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP oats
1/2 TBSP cold butter
Mix together using a pastry cutter or a fork to get a crumbly mixture

Preheat oven to 350.  Line your muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the flours, wheat bran, flaxseed, baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices and brown sugar.   Then add eggs, milk, vanilla and Chobani.   Add the carrots, apples and walnuts, stirring just until combine.   Scoop the mixture into your muffin pans, 3/4 of the way filled and top with crumble mixture. Bake for 20-22 minutes for regular sized muffins.  Insert toothpick and if it comes out clean, they’re done.  If not, bake for an additional 2-3 minutes and repeat the toothpick test.  Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes and then serve.  

Healthy Sweet Potatoes

Sometimes there isn't much to say about a recipe other than oh my goodness, please try this. That is the case with these healthy version of twice baked potatoes, which are make using sweet potatoes (so you get your daily intake of beta carotene, vitamin C, and potassium), chick peas (added protein), and spinach (so you get your iron and fiber!).  Sometimes Most of the time twice baked potato recipes frighten me, due to the overwhelming amount of butter, sour cream, cream cheese, more butter and more cheese they contain.  I usually stay far, far away from them....but not these guys.  Just looking at the pictures is making my mouth water.  I think I will make these again this week. 


P.s. If you are like me, you are wondering what wine to drink with these...they pair well Naked Grape chardonnay :) 

Healthy Sweet Potato Skins (http://pinchofyum.com)

Ingredients

2 medium or large sweet potatoes

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, minced

1 bag fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup light sour cream

2 ounces light cream cheese

1 cup chickpeas

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Bake sweet potatoes at 350 for 45-60 minutes, or until fork tender.

2. Cut sweet potatoes in half and let cool for 5-10 minutes. While sweet potatoes are cooling, saute the shallots with the

butter over medium heat until translucent. Add fresh spinach and heat for 2-3 minutes, until spinach has cooked down.

Set aside.

3. Scrape the sweet potato out of the peel, leaving a thin layer inside with the peel so that it can stand up on its own.

4. Mash the sweet potato with the cream cheese and sour cream. Stir in chickpeas, spinach, and salt and pepper.

5. Coat potato skins with a drizzle of oil and bake for about 5 minutes to get a crispier outside. Remove from oven and fill each skin with the sweet potato mixture and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake again for 10-15 minutes, or

until cheese is melted and filling is heated through.

Banana Almond Smoothie

The recipe I am about to share with you will change your life. Okay, that might be a bit extreme, but I am pretty sure my life has significantly improved since I discovered (and have since perfected) this smoothie.  Last fall, I attemped a raw diet  and stumbled upon a banana almond smoothie during the process. This smoothie called for almond butter and my Mother helped me make homemade almond butter solely to use in this smoothie.  It was OUT OF THIS WORLD.

Fast forward from last fall to two weeks ago.

My training is beginning to increase (my first outdoor triathlon of the season is in eight weeks!) and am deperately trying to increase my protein intake.  A simple way I have gone about this is to make smoothies with protein powder.   To be honest, I am still not entirely sure how I feel about protein powder- I have heard both good and bad things about it....but what I do know is that I DO NOT use the standard serving size, which is TWO scoops or 56 grams of protein. I only use one scoop (23 grams of protein).  I plan to continue my research on protein powder, but while I do that, I need to share this recipe with you.  I ended up modifying the original banana almond smoothie and replaced the almond butter with vanilla protein powder.  I like almond butter, however, my graduate school budget doesn't support purchasing a jar of it for $12 and making it isn't exactly budget friendly either when almonds are $7.99 per pound.  After trying many different ingredients in this smoothie, I have perfected it.  The best part?  No measuring is involved.  As you can see in the pictures, I drink my smoothies out of a mug, with a straw.  I don't know why, but I love drinking everything, including water, out of old coffee mugs.  Everything tastes better this way, I swear.

I splurged on almond extract from the local coOp,
it was definitely worth the money.

Banana-Almond-Flax Smoothie
Ingredients
1 frozen banana - I cut up a bunch of frozen bananas at the beginning of the week and place them in a container in my freezer.  The broken up banana is easier for my blender from 1972 to to handle)
1 Spoonful whole flax seed
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
A splash of almond extract
Almond Milk- I use the unsweetened vanilla flavor, only 40 calories in 8 oz.
A small handful of oats- if I had to guess, I would estimate 3 tablespoons

Blend all ingredients in blended until smooth. Pour into a coffee mug, find a straw and enjoy!

HEAVEN IN A MUG.

Homework? I think I'll bake a cake instead.

Sunday was a fantastic day.  It began with my first bike ride of the season, a 24 mile ride with a group of 8 people from the Triathlon Club.  It was a bit chilly cruising along at 20 MPH in the 52 degree weather and I will definitely be investing in a long sleeve cycling jersey this week.  Despite the chilly temperature, it was SO nice to get outside and ride-I reached my tipping point this week in cycling class and just cannot ride inside anymore this season.  After my ride, I spent the day doing homework at my favorite coffee shop.  I returned home and really just did not want to do more homework. The sun was shinning, buds were forming in the trees outside my window and I felt like celebrating.  What did I do? I baked a wholesome carrot cake and wrote a blog post. This cake is in loaf form-perfect for small households like mine. Baking this cake was definitely one of the best choices I have made lately.

  

Spelt Flour Carrot Cake (www.anjasfood4thought.com)
3/4 cup whole wheat or whole spelt floour
1/4 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup butter, roughly chopped
1/3 cup palm sugar (substitute: 1/3 cup brown sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons molasses)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup coarse grated carrots
1/3 cup chopped almonds or walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup cream cheese
3 tablespoons maple syrup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 175C/375F. Line medium-sized loaf pan with parchment paper.In a medium bowl, cover oats with boiling water. Place the butter on top of the oat water mixture so it will melt. Let stand for about 10 minutes to soak.In another bowl, combine flour salt and baking powder. Set aside. Whisk the eggs lightly, then add the palm sugar and beat until mixture is fluffy. Add the egg mixture to the oat mixture and stir until combined. Now combine wet and dry ingredients. Fold in grated carrots and chopped almonds. Transfer batter to prepared loaf tin. Bake for 40 minutes or until bakje tester comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then take out. Let cool completetely on wire racks. Just before serving, combine cream cheese and maple syrup until smooth. Apply frosting evenly on top of the cake. 
NOTE: As I was mixing up this cake batter, I came to the realization that it was missing something.  I quickly realized that carrot cakes normally have spices in them and this recipe did not. I quickly sampled the batter and knew I wanted to add spices, as I love spices.  I added a few teaspoons of cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg and allspice, along with a teaspoon of vanilla. 

When I woke up last Monday, there was a strange fog hanging over the ground. I think it was due to the combination of left over patches of snow on the ground, the 65 degree weather and the humidity.  I might be wrong, who knows. As soon as I looked outside, I threw on my rubber garden boots, grabbed my camera and went to take spontaneous photographs.

  I may or may not have been in my pajamas...sometimes photographic moments only last a short while and require your immediate attention, even if you are still in your pj's.