About a month ago I purchased "Super Foods RX." I have really enjoyed trying to implement the super foods. I have always told Andrea that I am looking for a good breakfast "cookie" - well this bran muffin comes pretty close (I don't have time to eat breakfast at home so I always need something that I can take "to go"). I make two dozen and then freeze them in batches of six - works great! I hope someone tries them and actually likes them :).
PS: Love all the new recipes - can't wait to go grocery shopping!
Orange Bran Flax Muffins
Yields 24 muffins
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup natural bran
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 oranges, washed, quartered, and seeded
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 canola oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups raisins (can substituted white chocolate chips)
In a large bowl combine the oat bran, flour, flaxseed, natural bran, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a blender or food processor, combine the oranges, brown sugar, buttermilk, canola oil, eggs and baking soda. Blend well. Pour the orange mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix until well blended. Stir in the raisins. Fill paper lined muffin tins almost to the top. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Cool in tins 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Chocolate Stout Cake
Alright (sorry about my foodie friends absence), I made this last year for St. Patrick's Day weekend and it is pretty amazing. It was requested again this year by my in-laws. Last year I was a little wimpy and just made a sheet cake, but this year I went big and made my first three layer cake. I know it is a little industrious but well worth it! It to is from Epicurous (after you look at the ingredients you'll know why I only make it once a year).
Cake
2 cups stout (such as Guinness)
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
4 cups all purpose flour
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sour cream
Icing
2 cups whipping cream
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper. Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.
For icing:
Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours.
Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake.
Cake
2 cups stout (such as Guinness)
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
4 cups all purpose flour
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sour cream
Icing
2 cups whipping cream
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper. Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.
For icing:
Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours.
Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Ginger Chicken and Sesame Rice
After a rather scary piece of crystalized ginger at a shady Chinese buffet last year, I was certain that I did not like ginger. Wrong. It is quite tasty in the right circumstances, such as the following recipe.
Ginger Chicken with Snow Pea Salad (from the South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Meals cookbook)
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes
1 pound snow peas, strings removed
1 T plus 2 t canola oil, divided
1 T plus 1 t low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 scallions, sliced
2 t dark sesame oil
Combine 2 teaspoons of the canola oil, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, and ginger in a shallow bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat.
Heat remaining canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden and no longer pink inside, 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and slice.
Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. While chicken is cooking, boil snow peas for 2 minutes and drain.
Combine snow peas, scallions, sesame oil, and remaining 1 teaspoon of soy sauce in a mixing bowl; toss together. Serve pea salad with chicken.
Note: I usually just add the chicken to the bowl of peas, etc., toss it all up, and serve from there. Also, last time I made it I scrambling 2 eggs with a dash of soy sauce and added it to the final product. Delicious!
Sesame Brown Rice (from the William-Sonoma Essentials of Healthful Cooking book)
1 cup medium-grain brown rice
Kosher salt
2 t sesame seeds
1 t Asian sesame oil
1 T thinly sliced green onion tops
In a saucepan over high heat, bring 2 3/4 cups water to a boil. Add the rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir once, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, without stirring, until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender, 35-45 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small, dry frying pan over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds until they are fragrant and have taken on color, about 2 minutes. Pour the seeds onto a plate and set aside.
Carefully lift the cover of the saucepan so that no condensation drips into the rice. Drizzle the sesame oil evenly over the top and sprinkle on half of the sesame seeds. Gently fluff the rice with a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon.
Spoon the rice into a warmed serving dish. Sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds and the green onion and serve at once.
Ginger Chicken with Snow Pea Salad (from the South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Meals cookbook)
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes
1 pound snow peas, strings removed
1 T plus 2 t canola oil, divided
1 T plus 1 t low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 scallions, sliced
2 t dark sesame oil
Combine 2 teaspoons of the canola oil, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, and ginger in a shallow bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat.
Heat remaining canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden and no longer pink inside, 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and slice.
Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. While chicken is cooking, boil snow peas for 2 minutes and drain.
Combine snow peas, scallions, sesame oil, and remaining 1 teaspoon of soy sauce in a mixing bowl; toss together. Serve pea salad with chicken.
Note: I usually just add the chicken to the bowl of peas, etc., toss it all up, and serve from there. Also, last time I made it I scrambling 2 eggs with a dash of soy sauce and added it to the final product. Delicious!
Sesame Brown Rice (from the William-Sonoma Essentials of Healthful Cooking book)
1 cup medium-grain brown rice
Kosher salt
2 t sesame seeds
1 t Asian sesame oil
1 T thinly sliced green onion tops
In a saucepan over high heat, bring 2 3/4 cups water to a boil. Add the rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir once, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, without stirring, until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender, 35-45 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small, dry frying pan over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds until they are fragrant and have taken on color, about 2 minutes. Pour the seeds onto a plate and set aside.
Carefully lift the cover of the saucepan so that no condensation drips into the rice. Drizzle the sesame oil evenly over the top and sprinkle on half of the sesame seeds. Gently fluff the rice with a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon.
Spoon the rice into a warmed serving dish. Sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds and the green onion and serve at once.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Cuban-Style Grilled Flank Steak
For Telfer. And any other grill-masters on this list.
2 pounds flank steak
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T cumin
2 T grill seasoning
1 lime
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
Put the flank steak in a shallow dish and drizzle with 2 T extra-virgin olive oil to coat. Mix grill seasoning with cumin in a small dish; add the zest of the lime and mix together with your fingers. Rub the mixture over the steak evenly.
Grill the steak on a hot grill or grill pan and cook 4-5 minutes for medium rare, 10 minutes for medium well. Turn and cook an additional 3 minutes for medium rare, 5-7 for medium well. Remove from heat and let sit five minutes to allow juices to redistribute.
While steak is grilling, saute sliced onions in a skillet with 1 T extra-virgin olive oil.
Very thinly slice the cooked steak on an angle, working against the grain, and pile meat onto a serving platter. Cut the lime that you zested into wedges and squeeze the juice over the meat, then top with the sauteed onions. Serve with rice and black beans, if desired.
Note: While the flank steak is superb and my favorite, this recipe also works for chicken and, for those veggie lovers out there, grilled portabello mushrooms (if you eat that kind of gross thing...). Also, we have started grilling up some peppers and cherry tomatoes with the onions and serving the whole slew of veggies over the meat. Delicious.
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray. Again.
2 pounds flank steak
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T cumin
2 T grill seasoning
1 lime
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
Put the flank steak in a shallow dish and drizzle with 2 T extra-virgin olive oil to coat. Mix grill seasoning with cumin in a small dish; add the zest of the lime and mix together with your fingers. Rub the mixture over the steak evenly.
Grill the steak on a hot grill or grill pan and cook 4-5 minutes for medium rare, 10 minutes for medium well. Turn and cook an additional 3 minutes for medium rare, 5-7 for medium well. Remove from heat and let sit five minutes to allow juices to redistribute.
While steak is grilling, saute sliced onions in a skillet with 1 T extra-virgin olive oil.
Very thinly slice the cooked steak on an angle, working against the grain, and pile meat onto a serving platter. Cut the lime that you zested into wedges and squeeze the juice over the meat, then top with the sauteed onions. Serve with rice and black beans, if desired.
Note: While the flank steak is superb and my favorite, this recipe also works for chicken and, for those veggie lovers out there, grilled portabello mushrooms (if you eat that kind of gross thing...). Also, we have started grilling up some peppers and cherry tomatoes with the onions and serving the whole slew of veggies over the meat. Delicious.
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray. Again.
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