Tag Archives: bake

Fiber-tastic Granola

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Here’s hoping this experiment goes well! I had all this stuff on hand, and the oat and wheat bran have been hanging out in my freezer for several months. I tried both of them and they weren’t rancid or smelly. The freezer is the best place for these kind of ingredients with fat (healthy of course) because it can go bad quickly. This really is full of fiber, minerals, vitamins, protein, omega-3, and nutrients. I pulled a few ideas from a couple of different recipes, so I can’t credit any one source.
Verdict: Yum! My husband tried some of this and he didn’t recoil! I gave some to a friend and she declared it “tasted wonderful”. I have had it for breakfast the past few days and I can tell you, this will keep you full for several hours – that’s the fiber doing it’s job. I enjoy this with almond milk and a small handful of raisins. It’s hearty, filling, nutty, slightly sweet – near perfect in my opinion. Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Fiber-tastic Granola – 
  • 4 cups rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup raw almonds, chopped
  • 1/4 cup oat bran
  • 1/4 cup wheat bran
  • 1/4 cup flax meal (I ground up golden flax seeds for this)
  • ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • *suggested additions after baking: 1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit, chia seeds
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Line two baking sheets with lightly oiled (or non-stick) foil.
2. Toss all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then combine your liquid ingredients in a smaller bowl. Combine the wet and dry together with a rubber spatula then spread the granola evenly over the two baking sheets.
3. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Halfway through baking, stir the granola and spread out evenly again.
4. Place baking sheets on cooling racks – be sure to cool completely before storing in airtight containers. It’s best to store it in the fridge for a longer shelf life – about 7-10 days.

Lemon-Drenched Lemon Cake

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I promised M I would make him this a long time ago, so I decided it was best to make good on that promise. Besides, he’s been giving me many guilt-trips these past few days about wanting something sweet. I hope he appreciates this! 🙂 I love lemon zest and the step where you have to rub the zest and sugar together – it smells amazing! While it’s baking is smells buttery and sweet…swoon!

Verdict: I thought it best to cut this recipe in half so the extra loaf wouldn’t tempt me! The crumb is dense, but when I bit into it; it was like a cloud 😉 It’s so light and airy – totally unexpected. It was sweet, lemony (of course) and the texture is so unique. It’s great – if you love lemon, try this!

Lemon-Drenched Lemon Cake – adapted from Joy the Baker 

Cake:

  • 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2-1/2 tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 2-1/3 cups sugar
  • 1-1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 6 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • zest of 2 lemons, finely grated
  • 1 stick, plus 7 tbsp unsalted butter (15 tbsp total), melted and cooled

Syrup:

  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • juice of two lemons
Directions:
  1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9×5-inch loaf pans, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Even if the pans are nonstick, it’s a good idea to butter and flour them.
  2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. Put the sugar and the lemon zest in a large bowl, working with your fingers, rub them together until the sugar is moist and thoroughly imbued with the fragrance of lemon.
  4. Add the eggs and whisk them into the sugar, beating until they are thoroughly incorporated. Whisk in the extract, then whisk in the cream. Continuing with the whisk, or switching to a large rubber spatula, gently stir in the dry ingredients in 3 or 4 additions; the batter will be smooth and thick. Finish by folding in the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions. Pour the batter into the pans, smoothing with a rubber spatula.
  5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. As soon as the cake goes into the oven, make the syrup. After about 30 minutes in the oven, check the cakes for color- if they are browning too quickly, cover them lightly with foil tents.
  6. Stir the water and sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar melts, then bring to a boil. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl and let cool.
  7. When the cakes test done, transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before unmolding them and turning them right side up on the rack. Place the rack over a baking sheet lined with wax paper and, using a thin skewer, cake tester or thin-bladed sharp knife, poke holes all over the cakes. Brush the cakes all over with the syrup, working slowly so that the cakes sop it up. Leave the cakes on the rack to cool to room temperature.

French Bread

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Maybe I enjoy making things more difficult, or it may just be the fact that I love making as much from scratch as possible. I enjoy learning new techniques as well as avoiding buying more over-priced foods from Publix, (the money saving makes it even more rewarding for me). I needed to make these for meatball sandwiches, so hopefully they’ll hold up well to the sauce, cheese and of course – the meatballs. This dough was hard to work with because it was so sticky.
Verdict: These were really good with a nice tight crumb so they held up well to the meatball subs we used these for. They have a nice chewy crust too – overall a great choice for future sandwiches. Before adding the meatballs, I hollowed out the bread to make room for easier handling and eating. All the bread guts went into a freezer bag to be used for bread crumbs – waste not, want not! Thanks for reading, enjoy!
French Bread – adapted from The Sisters’ Cafe
  • 2 ¼ c. warm water
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp yeast
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 5 ½ -6 cups flour-stirred before measured

First dissolve sugar and yeast in the warm water. Let this proof—or sit for a few minutes until it bubbles. Then add salt, oil and 3 cups of flour and beat well (At this point I switch to my dough/kneading attachment on my mixer) Add in 2 1/2 -3 more cups of flour. The dough should clean off the sides of the bowl and not be too sticky. Knead for a few minutes. Leave the dough in the mixer to rest for 10 minutes and then stir it down (turn on your mixer for 10 seconds) and then allow to rest another 10 minutes. Repeat for a total of 5 times. Then turn dough onto a floured surface and knead it 2 or 3 times to coat with flour. Divide into 2 equal parts. Roll each part into a 9×13 rectangle. Roll dough up, starting from long edge of loaf to seal. Arrange seam side down on large baking sheet that’s been sprinkled with corn meal, allowing room for both loaves. Repeat with second part of dough. With a sharp knife, cut 3 gashes at an angle on the top of each. Cover lightly; allow to rise 30 minutes. Brush entire surface with egg wash (one egg beaten slightly with 1 Tbsp of water). If desired, sprinkle with sesame seads. Bake for 30 minutes at 375. Cool on racks

Meatball Sandwiches

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I haven’t made meatball subs since December, and that recipe was really good. I do enjoy trying new recipes, and M mentioned that he’d like the meatballs to be smaller to make the subs easier to eat and less messy. These are baked in a mini muffin tin, so they’ll all be nice and uniform in size. The sauce couldn’t be easier – I basically ignored it for two hours and it just reduced down into a rich marinara. Be sure to keep the heat at low in case you’re anything like me and completely forget it for about 40 minutes! I went next door to share some granola with my neighbor and ended up talking for quite some time 😉

Verdict: The sauce was great but the meatballs were lacking in flavor. The meatballs I made for the subs back in December were much more flavorful. These can be tweaked more to suit our tastes, but what made me want to try these in the first place was that they are baked.

Meatball Subs – adapted from CookEatLove
Basic Tomato Sauce:
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 2 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 6-8 leaves fresh basil leaves
  • 3-6 cloves garlic roasted
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • drizzle with olive oil, 5 tbs
  • finally, just before serving add 2 tbs of butter to bring layers of flavor to the sauce.
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add crushed tomatoes and raw quarted onions (big chunks). Add  basil, garlic, salt and pepper. When the garlic is done roasting add this as well.  Let the sauce come to a boil, lower heat to low and stir occasionally until desired thickness. Drizzle with olive oil part way through the simmering to taste (I usually simmer for a couple of hours).  Remove the big chunks of onion and just before serving add the butter.
Meatballs: (makes 30)
  • 1.25 pounds ground lean beef (roughly, does not have to be exact, just about those combinations)
  • 1 pound ground pork *see above note
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
  • 1  tablespoons chopped basil
  • 1/2 clove of minced garlic
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs (I used hamburger buns toasted in the oven then grated in the food processor)
  • lukewarm water just to moisten a little more

*bread crumbs for rolling the meatballs in before putting them in the muffin tray is optional – if you decide to, just make extra from the ones you used for the meat mixture

Pre-heat oven to 400.  Combine beef,  pork in a large bowl. Add eggs, cheese, basil, garlic and salt and pepper. Using your hands, blend ingredients together. Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add water, a bit at a time until the mixture is quite moist. Using your hands, shape the meatballs into rounds  and place the meatballs in individual, miniature muffin tin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

To Assemble:

*6-8 hoagie buns

*fresh mozzarella cheese

Finally, when you are assembling the meatball subs, use a nice crispier hoagie to absorb some of the tomato sauce.  I dig out a small well in the lower part of the bun to let the saucy meatballs sit. I placed mozzarella cheese in the bottom of the hollowed out rolls, place the meatballs on top and then add sauce and cheese . Sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese and then broil the sub so that the cheese is bubbly.  Finally eat.

Basic Baked Eggs

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I knew I would need a heartier breakfast for gym mornings, and I figure the extra calories and fat are ok as long as I’m working hard. Lately I’ve been getting headaches, probably from not having any caffeine or refined sugar these past few days. Thankfully they’re minor headaches and I expect my body to come to terms with the new eating habits soon.

Protein and complex carbs are always good choices pre workout – so I’ve read anyway. I’m no dietician, but it makes sense to me 😉 I’m using some of the leftover roasted veggies that I made the other day to make this even more balanced and substantial. This recipe is for one serving, but it’s easily doubled, tripled, ect.

Verdict: I worked out for two hours after having this breakfast, and it made a huge difference in my stamina, reaction time and my overall “good” feeling. I wasn’t sluggish or tired and I felt great. After my workouts I eat an apple  and 1/4 cup of raw walnuts to refuel so I’m not starving until lunch time. During the day I have more energy, I’m never starving and my body just works better – I’m loving it! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Baked Eggs –

  • 1 egg
  • butter for greasing the ramekin
  • small amounts of roasted veggies, grape tomatoes, spinach, ham, herbs, cheese – whatever you would like
  • kosher salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, lightly grease your ramekin.
2. Place a few TBSP of your preferred add ins, crack and egg and drop it on top. Bake in the oven 10 – 15 minutes or until just set – if it looks fully cooked in the oven, it will be over cooked later.
3. Serve with fresh fruit and whole grain toast, enjoy!

Brioche Buns

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Yum – hamburgers with caramelized onions, chipotle Gouda, avocado, and tomato…so good. Up until today, I have never caramelized onions before, but it couldn’t be easier. If you have 15 minutes, onion and olive oil – you’re golden! Just be sure to stir them around every once in a while so they brown evenly. My house smells amazing and I am going to have to make these every time we make hamburgers now – for the smell alone! 😉 Oh, and if that wasn’t enough to make these burgers special, I made brioche buns. These are light, fluffy and slightly sweet buns enriched with eggs, butter and sweetened with honey. The dough is pretty sticky but so light and pillow soft. These burgers had so many flavors going on – sweet, salty, savory and spicy. I am so hooked on caramelized onions now, I’m going to have to find more ways to use them. Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Brioche Buns  –  adapted from Home Cooking in Montana
  • 2/3 cup warm milk
  • 1/3 cup warm water
  • 3 TBS honey
  • 2 ex-large eggs, room temp.
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 2 cups bread flour(+ more, if needed)
  • 1 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 TBS unsalted butter, softened
Topping:
  • 1 egg yolk, for brushing( you can mix the yolk with a bit of water, if you like)
Directions:
1. In the bowl of a mixer add the flours(3 cups first), yeast and the salt. Whisk to combine and add the sliced soft butter.
2. In a glass measuring cup, combine milk, warm water, eggs and honey. Whisk to combine and add it all to the dry ingredients.
3. Place a kneading hook and turn on mixer. Mix on low scraping the sides of the bowl to incorporate all the flour. Increase the speed to medium. Knead for 8 minutes…the dough should be tacky and look pretty sticky. If you feel the dough is sticking to the sides too much add 1 TBS of flour at a time until the dough gathers around the hook and slaps around the sides of the bowl. It may still stick a bit to the sides, but not overly. Don’t be tempted to add too much flour or the buns will be dry.~ I probably added another couple of tablespoonfuls of extra flour.
4. Continue kneading for an additional 2 more minutes… for a total of 10 minutes.
5. Scrape the sticky dough that clings to the sides of the mixer bowl and then form all of the dough in a ball. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until at least doubled in bulk and is nice and puffy… 1 to 2 hours.
6. Plop the soft dough unto a floured countertop… sprinkle a bit of flour on top as well. Using a dough scraper, divide dough into 8-10 equal parts. With floured hands form balls and place on lightly oiled parchment-lined baking sheet. Arrange 2 to 3 inches apart on baking sheet as they will rise some more.
7. Flatten the balls down a bit( to about 1 1/2-2 inches or so) and brush with egg yolk. Cover loosely( with oiled plastic wrap) and let buns rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours… or until nicely puffed.
8. Pre-heat oven to 400 deg. F with rack in center. Bake, turning sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 10-15 minutes(depending on the size of the bread buns…mine took about 11 minutes.)

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

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Quick Post: This bread is so moist and rich and no one would ever know that there is zucchini in it unless you told them 😉 Sneaky, right? My kids love it, too. M on the other hand wont touch it because he knows there is zucchini…oh well, more for me! The original recipe calls for this to be baked in a 9×5 inch pan, but I wanted to make a taller loaf, so I baked it in a smaller 8×4 inch loaf pan. That’s why mine doesn’t have a dome on top – it baked completely flat because it couldn’t rise higher than the loaf pan. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread – adapted from Inspired Taste

  • 1 1/2 cup shredded raw zucchini
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (45 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules (*I used espresso powder)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup  light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions –

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a loaf pan (8×4 or 9×5) with nonstick cooking oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt, then set aside.

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer beat the oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla extract and coffee granules for about 2 minutes.

Add the shredded zucchini to the dry ingredients and then in batches add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; use a spatula to incorporate everything until just mixed.  Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake in the oven for 55 – 65 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted in the bread and then be removed clean.  Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Chicken Enchiladas – His Fave…

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Out of all the dinners I can think of, this has to be his most requested. I don’t understand why, I mean – they are really good – but it’s chicken. Not beef…weird. He doesn’t even want to try any other kind of enchilada – which bums me out because I love variety and trying out new recipes. Like, I would love to make cheese enchiladas…I haven’t had those in years! Anyway, these are more work than my average dinner, but they are so good. This time I’ve roasted my chicken instead of picking up a rotisserie chicken at Sam’s. I figured I could use the practice because Fall is around the corner and I love roasted chicken.

See the extra toasty bits on the tortillas? That is my favorite part – for some reason it’s sweeter there, and the salty/sweet combo is my fave! These turned out to be a little spicier than I remember – but I didn’t remove any of the seeds or ribs from the jalapenos I used. I used 10 medium sized flour tortillas,  so this could easily serve 6 to 8 people. I suppose you could halve the recipe, but he leftovers are just as good especially if you warm them up in the oven. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa – adapted from Food Network

Tomatillo Salsa:
  • 1 pound tomatillos, husked
  • 1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 jalapenos
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
Enchiladas:
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup AP flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock, store bought
  • Chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1 roasted chicken (about 3 pounds), boned, meat shredded
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 large flour tortillas
  • 1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Enchiladas:

Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized – this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn’t burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish. Take a large baking dishand smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. Warm up the tortillas in the microwave. Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it then place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish with cilantro and tomato.

Parmesan Baked Tilapia

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Quick Post: This dinner couldn’t be easier, and it was so tasty. I modified this a little with the addition of lemon zest for the butter/cheese mixture. Mine cooked perfectly in 10 minutes plus the 2 minute broiler time. Watch your fish carefully and adjust the cook time as necessary. I had one really small piece of fish that I added to the baking sheet 5 minutes into the cooking and it came out perfectly. We enjoyed this meal with a green salad, but you could serve it with rice, pasta or steamed veggies. Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Parmesan Baked Tilapia – adapted from How Sweet Eats
  • 4 tilapia filets
  • 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup grated/shredded parmesan cheese
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • zest of one lemon
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • lemon slices for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pat tilapia dry (if frozen, it should be thawed first) with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Lay on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray and bake for 10-12 minutes. While fish is baking, mix butter with garlic, lemon zest and parmesan cheese.

Remove fish from oven and gently flip. Spread about 1/2 tablespoons of butter mixture on the fish, and heat the broiler in your oven. Set fish under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes, or until cheese gets golden and bubbly.

Serve with lemon.

Oatmeal Wheat Bread

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Mmm…these smell wonderful while baking – but don’t all breads? That smell will never get old to me – it’s always so comforting. Anyway, this is another brand new recipe for us to try; and I spent a lot of time finding it so hopefully it tastes as good as it looks. This makes two 8×4 inch loaves, so once they’re completely cool I’ll wrap and freeze one. I have found that freezing and thawing bread doesn’t affect the taste or texture at all – I love that.

Verdict: This loaf is so good. Not too wheaty and not at all bitter from the wheat flour. It has a nice texture and chew and it’s my favorite mostly whole wheat loaf I have made so far. I love the dark crust of this bread and the texture of the toasted oats on top. I hope my family enjoys it as much as I do because I’m always looking for more ways to give them foods with more nutrition and fiber. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Oatmeal Wheat Bread – adapted from Epicurious

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking) plus additional for topping
  • 1/2 cup warm water (105-115°F)
  • 2 tablespoons active dry yeast (from 3 packages)
  • 1/2 cup mild honey
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 cups white whole-wheat flour
  • About 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • Vegetable oil for oiling bowl and loaf pans
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Heat milk in a 4-cup measuring cup and stir in oats. Let stand, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Add water, melted butter and honey – stir to combine. Set aside to cool to about 105 degrees before adding to the flour mixture.

Stir together whole-wheat flour, unbleached flour, yeast, salt  in a standing mixer bowl. Add oat mixture, stirring with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Using your dough hook, knead adding more  flour a tablespoon at a time (if needed – I used 5 more TBSP) to keep from sticking, until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic – about 5 to 7 minutes (dough will be slightly sticky). Form dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Lightly grease loaf pans. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times to remove air. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a loaf, then place 1 loaf in each pan, seam side down, tucking ends gently to fit. Cover loaf pans loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly brush tops of loaves with some of egg wash and sprinkle with oats, then bake until bread is golden and loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom, 35 to 40 minutes. (Remove 1 loaf from pan to test for doneness. Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen.)

Remove bread from pans and transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.