key lime cake, chocolate chip cookies, quinoa salad & cheddar jalapeno muffins = birthday picnic

i made the cake!
photo below. i added a layer of lime curd instead of frosting and frosting in the other layer.
the lime curd was great. i had extra whipped cream and frosting and an extra cake layer so please note the extra, sloppy cake in the background.
it tasted great.

it was a smashing success. one person told me to become a professional baker, and many others ate this cake even when they were not looking to eat a bunch of sugary stuff.

i served them at a picnic with these chocolate chip cookies from Joy of Cooking. a recipe from the 40s. it is, in my humble opinion, the best chocolate chip cookie out there.

and this quinoa salad which was yuuuuummy. it also got gobbled up.

but the biggest hit overall were these muffins. do not go another week without making these muffins. they were a huge hit.

tada!

it's foggy here in new york which means i'm happy snappy. i love fog and miss it so much. every foggy day here is a good for me.

herman

once, i had a lavender cat who had thumbs named herman.
he was a scaredy-cat from a shelter and my other cat terrorized him. until he wouldn't come out from under the bed. i hope he found a good home. i took him back to the shelter when i was certain there was no hope.

i find the balance between remaining positive enough to be a constructive (ish) person and the draw of acknowledging reality as i see it (grim, dim, salabim) completely exhausting.

i don't like anything too positive - it feels like someone is spitting in my face by denying reality.

but sometimes i hear myself and think, oh JUST SHUT UP! everyone knows how shitty the world is and we're all just trying to GET OUT OF BED WITHOUT THROWING UP.

i already feel a little better. it's this pretending to be thankful and happy and brave and upbeat...it is fucking depleting. i am all of those things sometimes. but certainly not always.

so anyway, now i'm going to go make muffins. these muffins. don't those look yummy? my husband loves cheese. and spicy things. and it's his birthday picnic tomorrow. i'm also making a key lime cake. not pie, cake. i think it will be good.

everything is better with cake. i hope my husband likes it and has fun. our life is challenging these days and we don't get much down time. i'm hoping he sees how much i love him in this cake.

food = love. duh.

i'm really tired. i bet tomorrow i will see rainbows where i now see drizzle. because tomorrow is another day.

quinoa pancakes & a hangover, in my opinion

i was a party girl before i was a mom.

last night i ventured out to columbia university campus to congratulate a good friend of mine who just finished classes in her grad program for writing there. i hung out with a bunch of writers and poets and drank wine with her and her family. it was awesome.

but oops- i forgot to eat much yesterday and stayed out until 2:30am. i felt like i was 30 again. (see? some people would say 25 or even 20...not me. 30.) i even shared a cigarette with friends. it was like sex. it was incredible. and i do NOT miss smoking. blech.

i got to see my friend and her family and her writer friends and another friend who lives in south korea and i haven't seen in a few years. it was just a great night. a warm night in nyc full of energy and smart (young) people.

i feel like shheeeeeeeeeiiit today. my husband had to work so i took care of my son and if i may say so, i did a fantastic job given how crappy i feel.

part of the fantastic part was making quinoa pancakes. it seemed like a great idea. and they turned out well.

make some quinoa, and follow this recipe. couldn't be simpler. i used agave syrup instead of maple or sugar (lower on glycemic index), omitted the ground flax seed because i don't have any, and added one very ripe, mashed banana. they are so yummy my son gobbled them up as did i! i will make more and freeze them. no need to serve them with syrup, in my opinion.

i said, in my opinion.

Quinoa Pancakes

by Rachel Gurk on March 11, 2011 · 19 comments

I’m a big breakfast person. Well, I am now that I am a stay at home mom. I usually have two eggs, toast, fruit, juice and coffee. I’ll probably switch to egg whites (or at least 1 of each) when I’m done nursing and have to watch my calories more closely. Sometimes I’ll have oatmeal with ground flax, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen blueberries and toasted walnuts. So yummy. Lately I’ve been on an egg kick though. It is important for me to eat a big breakfast because sometimes I don’t get a chance to eat lunch until about 3pm. So when I came across this recipe, I tore it out because I knew it would be a good way to add protein to my breakfast. Also, it came with freezing instructions, helpful for hubby to grab as he is running out the door in the morning. My mom came to visit and made a version of these, and they were really good! I stuck a little closer to the recipe than she did. 

Quinoa Pancakes
adapted from Everyday Food magazine
1 cup cooked quinoa or brown rice (I used quinoa)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white (I used the pourable variety of egg whites)
1/2 tsp course salt
1 Tbsp  unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet
1/4 cup low fat milk (I used skim)
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup (I think my mom used white sugar but I gotta say the maple syrup is really tasty in this recipe)
2 Tbsp ground flax seed (optional, this wasn’t in the original recipe–I added it)
1) In medium bowl, whisk together quinoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg white, butter, milk, and syrup until smooth. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and whisk to combine.
2) Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with butter and heat over medium-high (I did medium). Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls (I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup) into skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on top, 2 minutes. Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside, 2 minutes. Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more melted butter and remaining batter (I skipped the wiping and skipped adding more butter–I was using a nonstick skillet. I’m sure the butter would have made it taste better, but it wasn’t necessary with the type of pan I was using). Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit or preserves if desired. Makes about 12. (I doubled the entire recipe because I wanted to freeze some).
Freezing directions: Freeze cakes between sheets of waxed paper in sip-top bags, up to 1 month. Reheat in toaster.

Verdict: These are really, really good. They are different from your typical pancake because there is a little bit of a crunch from the quinoa. The pure maple syrup gives the pancakes a really nice flavor. I wasn’t sure how reheating them in the toaster would go, I was thinking that maybe the microwave would be better. However, I heated three of these in my toaster oven this morning, and wow! It was like they were fresh off the skillet because they were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Delicious.
Husband’s take: He used the toaster oven for these and he really liked them. However, he just told me “I prefer IHOP with chocolate chips and strawberries and whipped cream.” That’s my healthy hubby! No really, he is a bit of a health nut. When he wants to be. Aren’t we all?
Changes I would make: Next time I make these I’m going to try them with whole wheat flour, or maybe half whole wheat and half all purpose.
Difficulty: Easy. Just make sure you remember to make the quinoa in advance.

shakshuka with feta

as usual, i was perusing the Times Dining & Wine section and found this recipe for shakshuka. i'd never heard of it and it sounded simple and delicious. it was! i followed the recipe exactly and it turned out very well. oh, except i baked the eggs for about 15 mins because they jiggled too much at 7 and 10 minutes for my taste. then i burned my hand on the pan when i took it out of the oven. don't do that.

we ate it with truffle mushroom ravioli which was a little too heavy, next time i'll pair it with a vegetable or salad and it'll be perfect. this is a great recipe for brunch if you want impress people and have an easy time cooking.

celery potato soup & chocolate caramel tart

today we are eating healthily and need some comfort. so when i saw this recipe in the Times for celery potato soup with leeks and garlic i thought, that would be perfect. and it is. very easy to make, very delicious to eat.

i didn't bother with the bouquet garni, but threw in fresh thyme from our garden on the stem. i blended it with a hand immersion blender, didn't strain a thing, added some kosher salt, walnut oil and chives, also from our garden, and it was perfecto.

i bought a pre-made crust from the store and tried my hand for the first time at making caramel, which is surprisingly easy, as long as you know what you're doing a bit. this chocolate caramel tart from Saveur looks amazing. a friend once got a mini version for a dessert with sea salt on top and i could barely stop licking my fingers after eating it. the caramel in the pre-made crust is cooling overnight in the fridge. i will make the ganache in the morning, chill it again, add sea salt and serve it when friends come over tomorrow night. recipes this simple make me happy.

you do not need a candy thermometer to make caramel. it should boil for approx. 20-25 mins and turn the color of a copper penny but do not boil it so long it starts to smoke. (which mine totally did right before we whisked it off the heat.) that means it's burning and burnt caramel is no good, apparently. i tasted ours and it's fucking delicious so i'm not worried.

i'm really looking forward to tasting the completed tart and looking like a baking wizard.

that's right...WIZARD.

3 things you can do to help your life and health

1. cook!

According to Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, the number one thing you can do to change the food system in the US and to help you and your family eat better is to cook! He has a new book out called, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation.

Well, we already cook all the time. It's hard to keep getting inspired, but I think this is one of the best things the internet can be used for. I just made this dish with artichokes, peas, and orzo over the weekend and it was delicious. It was too time intensive for my current schedule with a baby, but the end result was delicious and it fed over 6 people for a picnic, along with a sundry of other items we had.

I also can't rave enough about this garlicky broccoli recipe from the Times as well. I make it at least once a week and because of it, my husband and I eat a lot more broccoli. It's super easy to make and is just incredibly yummy.

2. stop using plastic bottles for water!

they cost too much and are a huge detriment to the planet. buy a reusable bottle and fill it up at the tap. tap water also has fluoride in it which will help prevent cavities for you and your children- not true of filtered and bottled water! Eating Well magazine suggests this Takeya bottle is a good one. I also use Camelbak bottles which are light and easy to use and BPA free.

3. grow your own herbs and food.

we grow our own herbs and some food each year. depending on where you live (climate, i mean), you can grow a bunch of different stuff. you don't need a lot of room, but you do need sun. and water. we have a patio and this year i've already planted our herbs. we will scale back the food we grow because i have a young child and don't have much time to dedicate to watering, but i'm still looking forward to fresh herbs all summer long. plus, i will freeze them so we have fresh herbs until the following spring as well. this way you know there are no harmful chemicals on your food and once established, your garden will save you some money on expensive things like fresh herbs.

my favorite things to grow are low maintenance, high-yield like tomatoes, especially cherry tomatoes, herbs, hot peppers (thai), zucchini, lettuces. this year we are doing herbs and maybe one tomato plant and that's it. we also have a fig tree and two blueberry bushes that i hope will produce a lot of berries this year!

yay, spring!

The Artichoke

i tend not to capitalize my typed words because a) i like the appearance of lower case letters better; and b) one of my shift keys is broken. but i will capitalize The Artichoke because it's one of my favorite foods.

so when i saw THIS in today's NY Times (again, respect), i thought, well, i'll pay homage to one of my all time favorite foods. the smell of a steaming Artichoke in my home continues to be one of the most comforting olfactory experiences in my life. the taste of the leaves and heart (it has a heart!) with melted butter, mayo, or a vinaigrette is so delicious i often have to do it in silence to bask in the joy.

my mother told me that her mother would serve artichokes when one of her children would bring home a date to see if they were sophisticated enough to know how to properly eat one. i hadn't realized, until then, that it was used as a weapon in class warfare. thanks, granny! 

now that spring is here, i see some of the tasty treats in our near future. i may even make 4 for me and my husband so i can really luxuriate in its wonder.

Soup weather

With Fall comes a change in diet. I'm watching what I eat in an attempt to be more healthy for the 800th time. And that combined with dropping temps means soup.

Tonight, after a good day, I made split pea soup from Saved By Soup. It's super yummy and was so easy I can't believe it. Here's the recipe:

2 tsp canola or corn oil
1 medium-sized onion, chopped finely
2 medium-sized carrots, cut in half lengthwise, and sliced 1/2" thick
1 rib celery, trimmed and finely chopped
2 cups split peas, rinsed and picked over
4 cups defatted chicken or vegetable broth, preferably homemade
2 cups cold water
salt, pepper
(i added some chopped organic ham)

heat the oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. add onions, carrots and celery, stirring, until vegetables begin to soften, about 2 to 3 mins. add the split peas, broth and water and bring to a boil. partially cover the saucepan, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until soup is thick, about 45 minutes. season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

sooooo easy and yum!

i'll try more from this cookbook and let you know how they are.

a smoother smoothie

i'm OBSESSED with the smoothies i've been making.

i've decided to start adding whey protein powder to them after hearing about it from friends and reading about it online to make a smoothie more of a meal. it really works. i'm able to go much longer after having a smoothie before eating again if i add the protein powder.

i bought blue bonnet's chocolate flavored whey protein and add 1 scoop of that per person. today i made one with lots of frozen cherries (a great combo with the chocolate), a Tbs of unsweetened cocoa per person, 1 banana, about 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries, some cold water and a few Tbs of flax seed (sometimes i add honey and cinnamon too but not today). DELICIOUS.

i have to stop myself from making them more than once/day. that's how good it is. but it's super chocolatey. i hear the vanilla flavor is good too. but seriously, this is good shit.

i'm already looking forward to one tomorrow. mmmm...chocolate whey powder.

paleo chocolate pudding with coconut milk whipped cream

drooooooool

Chocolate Paleo Pudding with Coconut Whip Cream
2 ripe avocado
2 ripe banana
4 medjool dates, pits removed
1/2 cup cacao powder
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut milk
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
Instructions:
Place all ingredients into a bowl of a food processor.  Process until all ingredients are smooth and well incorporated.
Transfer pudding to bowls of choice and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Top pudding with Coconut Whip Cream and fresh fruit or on it’s own.
Makes about 3 to 4 servings of pudding.

Baking! My favorites and some tips.

So, my husband tells me his co-worker has read this and wants to learn how to bake! Are you out there? Here are a few cookbooks I would recommend starting out with:
If you don't already have The Joy of Cooking there are some fantastic, classic recipes in it. In particular, if you really want to impress people make their chocolate chip cookies. It's an old recipe and is perfect and needs no adjustment. The really important part, depending on how you like your cookies, is to take them out the SECOND they brown around the edges. I prefer mine chewy in the middle and slightly crispy on the outside. Choosing when to remove them from the oven is always something that makes me second guess myself. However, regardless, they always get rave reviews. I recently made some for a friend who had a party, there were some left over on the counter and even though I made a chocolate bourbon bundt cake expressly for the party, the cookies stole the show. You can't mess with perfection. (See recipes below)


All things baked continue to bake once out of the oven while in the pan on the cooling rack. (Must have a cooling rack or two - the top of the oven is too hot to cool things properly.) So pulling your cookies, cupcakes, cake, scones whatever out of the oven the second they appear done is crucial.

Also, do not fudge amounts of ingredients in baking. And do not mix up the order in which they are added. Baking is like a science experiment. It must be executed exactly as the recipe reads - and then you will come off like a master chef. It's amazing to me how few people bake (because I enjoy it so) and how impressed they are with a decent product. The reason people don't bake is the same reason they don't garden - it takes time and patience and attention to detail. If you give it those, you're golden (and so are your cookies! hooo!).

Now that I've spoken like I know what I'm talking about here are some recipes and cookbooks to try out. Use pans that are light colored, not dark, as they reflect heat better and don't burn your goods. Have liquid and solid appropriate measuring cups. What else... have toothpicks. And buy the best ingredients you can. It makes a big difference. The difference between Nestle chocolate chips and Ghirardelli is huge.

Ok - I love Cupcakes! by, Elinor Klivans - the recipes are good and not hard to make. The yellow cupcakes are wonderful and easy peasy. The chocolate buttercream is my one of my favorites.

I also have and really like King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking which is huge and basically the bible of baking with whole grains. It can be intimidating because there are so many options, but that's my issue.

I also use epicurious.com a lot to get inspired by ingredients or seasonal desserts. That's where I found the Chocolate Whiskey Bundt Cake recipe (EASY!) that I've used several times. This is a huge hit with people who claim not to be "cake people". Served with fresh whipped cream and either fresh raspberries or strawberries and a little powdered sugar sprinkled on top through a sieve you look like a great baker. It's also fucking delicious. And did I mention that it's easy? You do need a bundt pan, however. This cake doesn't reek of booze - the whiskey flavor is light and does not overpower the chocolate cake.


These Bourbon Balls, however, will knock your socks off. I recommend making them at least 3 days in advance and keeping them in tupperware. They are great around the holidays.
Bourbon Balls
Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon edible gold powder if desired
2 cups vanilla-wafer crumbs (from about 55 cookies)
1/2 cup pecans, toasted, cooled, and chopped fine
1/3 cup bourbon
3 tablespoons honey
print a shopping list for this recipe

Preparation

In a small bowl sift together cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar and whisk in gold powder until combined well.

In a bowl stir together wafer crumbs and pecans. In a small bowl whisk together bourbon, remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, and honey and pour into crumb mixture, stirring with a fork until combined well. Form teaspoons of mixture into balls and roll, 4 at a time, in cocoa mixture. Bourbon balls may be kept, in layers separated by wax paper in an airtight container lined with wax paper, in a cool dry place 1 week.


This is the JOC Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Joy of Cooking

Preheat the oven to 375. Grease or line 2 cookie sheets.

Whisk together:
1 cup plus 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

Beat in a large bowl until well-blended:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

Add and beat until well combined:
1 large egg
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Stir in the flour mixture until well-blended and smooth. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips (I added an extra 1/2 cup).

Drop the dough by heaping teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies are just slightly colored on top and the edges are brown, about 8 - 10 minutes. Let stand briefly, then remove to a rack to cool.

Makes about 36 cookies.


And this is a "low-fat" (har har) recipe for yellow cake with chocolate frosting. This is the basic cake that the most finicky eaters will love. And for whatever reason, it is hard to beat in my opinion. Fancy cakes can be wonderful, but for me a well-baked classic will beat it taste-wise every time.


Magic Yellow Birthday cake

(Adapted from cooking light)

½ cup of butter, melted

1 cup of fat free sour cream

1 ¼ cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 large eggs

2 cups of unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup low fat buttermilk

To start making the birthday magic, get out your favorite cake pans and lightly spray them with cooking spray. I personally love my spring form pans. If you aren’t using a spring form pan, then lightly dust them with a tiny bit of flour on the bottom. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a lovely bowl, mix the butter and sour cream together till creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix with a mixer on medium speed for about 2 -5 minutes. (Depending how much you are into this!) Add the eggs one at a time, and mix well till you have sunshine in a bowl.

In a different bowl, put the flour, baking soda, powder and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add the dry mix to the wet mix, about a half of cup at a time, alternating with ¼ cup of the buttermilk, till the batter is just blended together well. Don’t over mix at this point or you will have interesting bumps in your cake tops.

Pour the batter into the cake pans and tap them a few times on the counter to coax the air bubbles out. Tuck them in the oven on the middle rack for about 30 minutes till a toothpick comes out clean. (I usually can tell when the cake is done by gently touching the middle of the cake. If it feels set up, it is done.) Cool them on a cake rack for about 10 minutes then remove them for the pan. Let them nap on the cooling rack to get ready for their birthday dress of frosting.


Chocolate cream cheese frosting

½ cup (4 ounces) of fat free cream cheese

¼ cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/3 cup of dutch processed cocoa

1 tablespoon of milk

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 to 3 cups of powdered sugar,

Plop the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and drizzle the butter over it. Beat with your mixer at a high speed till fluffy and inviting. Here’s the tricky part, sprinkle in the cocoa powder, then the milk, over the creamy mix and blend on LOW till the cocoa powder is safely mixed in. Beat faster till well blended. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, with the blender on low again. After two cups of powdered sugar, taste it and see what you think. I like it at this sweetness, but you may like more sugar. When you have it at the perfect sweetness, whip it up good with the blender till you can’t stand it any more, and you have to lick the beaters! Frost your cake or whatever you have in mind and enjoy!

Nutritional information if divided into 18 pieces (ha!); calories 291,  fat 8 grams, fiber 1 gram, sodium 285 mg



And last, but certainly NOT least. Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins. These. Are. Amazing. And suuuuuper easy to make. Another recipe that wows people all the time. Great for kids who won't eat bananas also.


I hope this is helpful and interesting! Find what you love and make it over and over. It's fun and you become very popular in the process. Happy baking!

My favorite Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I just made my favorite grilled cheese sandwich and thought I'd share it with all of you.

Two slices, soft whole wheat bread
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, sliced
2 Tbs unsalted butter
1 fry pan with lid

Put frying pan on med-high heat... put in 1 Tbs of the butter and let melt completely.
While that is heating put the sandwich together. After butter is melted, put sandwich in pan with lid and leave on med-high for 2 mins. Then turn down the heat to low-med & cook for about 2 mins or until that side is a nice, toasted brown. Flip sandwich, add 1 Tbs butter and cook on med-low heat (turn it up a notch) for 3 mins or until bread is toasted brown. Cheese should be oozing out the sides of the sandwich.

When the sandwich is cooked, put on a small plate and cut in half. Serve immediately.

It's simple. And it's pefect.