French Toast Cubes with Salted Honey Custard
1 year ago
Good thing, where have you gone?!
I'm so sorry it's been so long since my last post, but I have a very good excuse: I had a baby! Our adorable little Lionel was born a whole 15 days late, on a picturesque snowstorm day at the end of January AND as you can imagine life's been a bit of a whirlwind since then, and we're still over the moon with joy!
I do still manage to find time to cook and bake and explore new recipes and I am writing notes and compiling little gems for new posts, but finding the time to sit down and properly edit them and put a new post together is next to impossible nowadays... To add insult to injury my computer has died! So, with all those obstacles in mind I'm currently working on a mini series of posts which I will try to create via the Blogger iPhone app with iPhone photos as well. We shall see how that works out... As as designer I'm usually pretty picky with my layout and photos, but desperate times call for desperate measures (and worse comes to worse I can fix up those posts to my liking when I get a new computer in September!).
My lil' guy is breastfeeding around the clock and it has become apparent that wholesome healthy home cooking from quality ingredients has never been more important to me! I have to be sure to eat well on a daily basis in order to produce enough nourishing milk for my baby to thrive on. In the 'rookie parent' early days once my partner went back to work, it was especially challenging to find time to prepare food some days, and I was starving!!! Well, with my handy little iPhone I surfed from the sofa while nursing and with a little research and some trial and error compiled this rather successful cookie recipe which doubles as a great pro-lactation snack. It's full of ingredients to keep both new mommas (and dads) going on those tough days... Grandparents and other visitors seem to like them a lot too!
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| What an adorable sous-chef! |
Marion's Good Thing, Energy-on-the-go Cookies
(why yes, they make great lactation cookies!) - with oatmeal, raisins, coconut, seeds and more!)
Yield: around 4 dozen
INGREDIENTS
(although not specified I use organic ingredients as much as possible!)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose or wholewheat flour
(I like to mix them - you can play with mixes like spelt, whole wheat, all purpose etc),
(I like to mix them - you can play with mixes like spelt, whole wheat, all purpose etc),
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature & 1/2 cup coconut oil
(or 1 full cup butter/coconut oil)
• 2 tbsp coconut manna (optional)
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar (or 1/2 cup honey)
• 3/4 cup raw cane or granulated sugar
• 3 large free range eggs
• 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
• 5 tbsp of Flaxseed meal, 2 tbsp of Chia seeds, both soaked in a bit of water
(they'll absorb a good 1/4-1/3 cup)
(they'll absorb a good 1/4-1/3 cup)
• 3 tbsp of unhulled sesame seeds
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups raisins (or combo of raisins, dried cranberries, other fruit (chopped dried apricots) etc)
• 5 tbsp husked pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
With an electric mixer (or with a strong mixing arm!), cream butter, coconut oil (+manna) and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in wet flax/chia mix and then sesame seeds. Add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Add oats, raisins, coconut and pumpkin seeds; quickly mixing in each ingredient until just combined.
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| I am very lucky to have a great "friend of the family" source for farm fresh eggs - I only ever buy free range! :) |
Drop heaping tbsp or desired size measures of dough, 1 inch apart, onto baking sheets. Flatten slightly.
Bake until cookies have spread slightly and are golden brown and soft to the touch, around 10-12 minutes. Cool a few minutes on sheets; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Please note:
While many of the ingredients of these cookies have been chosen for their milk enriching and galactogogue qualities these are indeed cookies that can happily be shared with the whole family!
ALSO: Think you won't eat 4 dozen? You can drop as many as you like on a cookie sheet but instead of putting them in the oven pop them in the freezer. Once frozen, remove from sheet and store in the freezer in a ziplock or airtight container. It won't be long until you're cooking them up again (but you probably have to add a few minutes to the cooking time).
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| Handy freezer cookies! |
The King of Condiments: Dethroned!
Last year I was a preserving MACHINE. This year I'm nearly 7 months pregnant so that does take the wind out of my sails a bit... However, one recipe that I concocted last year with great success and that I will certainly be making again this year is Fruit Ketchup. It's somewhat of a home cooking staple here in Quebec and I'm not quite sure if the rest of the world might be familiar with it. To describe it a bit more (well, fruit ketchup kind of describes itself to a certain extent) it's sweet and tangy with a bit of a pickle edge. It's a condiment that goes great on hot dogs, hamburgers, meat-loaf, a regional speciality here in Quebec called Tourtière and many more things I'm sure...
Ketchup aux fruits
• 12 plum tomatoes chopped (about 8 cups)
• 1 bunch of rhubarb diced (about 4 cups)
• 1 red pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 apples, peeled & chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 pears peeled & chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 pints of strawberries (about 3 cups)
• 4 peaches peeled & chopped (about 3 cups)
(you can vary the fruit a bit, but it's best to keep the ratio similar)
• 2 onions minced (about 3 cups)
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/4 cup pickling spices:
here's my homemade mix for this recipe:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp juniper berries
1 tsp dill seed
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves
a few pieces cinnamon sticks
1 tsp coriander seeds
Put all of the chopped fruit and vegetables, cider vinegar and brown sugar into a large pot with a thick bottom. Tie pickling spices into a little bundle with a piece of cheesecloth and add to pot.
Bring to a boil on medium-high heat, then simmer on medium-low, stirring intermittently for about two to three hours. Ingredients will release juice at first and then start to reduce. Once it has reduced by half to two thirds and the desired consistency has been reach, remove from heat and let cool.
Using a jar funnel, pour fruit ketchup into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/4" head space. Skim any foam from the top with a non metallic utensil. Wipe any spills the edges of rim with clean paper towel, apply heated sealing disk pressing the centre and then screw the meal band on - fingertip tight.
Process in hot water bath for 20 minutes and let water cool 5-10 minutes before removing to a quiet place to cool undisturbed. Let cool overnight and check seals before storing in a cool dark place. Use within six months to a year.
Makes enough to fill a good 5 x 500ml (mason style) jars or about 10 x 250ml (jam style) jars.
"Blessed relief for Mother and the other women in the household!"- Heinz slogan when it introduced its commercial version of ketchup in 1876.
And now I'm back with Arrainak!
Okay so summer may have seemed to have speed by and days may be getting shorter... Fall MAY creeping up upon us but I think there's still time for me to share with you one of my favourite BBQ recipes, one that converts quite happily into a baked autumn-hearty meal.
One of the first of my cherished Basque family recipes that I plan to share with you, it's a traditional coastal fish (arrainak) recipe that my dad made growing up and which I adore!
It is as simple as it is good and is one of my all time favourites.
Dorade à la Donostia
(or as it was known in my household - "Dad's Dorade")
1 fresh dorade (sometime called a sea bream) about 2-3 pounds in weight, cleaned and gutted
(* I've also made the recipe quite successfully with mackerel, but keep in mind that it yield a stronger fishy flavour...)
• 1/4 olive oil
• 4-5 garlic cloves slice into approx. 1/4 inch slices
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• juice of half a lemon
• salt & Piment d'Espelette
Rinse fish in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.
Preheat oven or BBQ to 400 F. Rub fish with olive oil and place in BBQ roasting pan and cook in BBQ for about 20 minutes (or more for a larger fish). If cooking in an oven, line a pan with baking parchment place olive oil rubbed fish and bake in oven for 20 minutes (again more time for a larger fish, add maybe 5 minutes per half pound).
Meanwhile in a small saucepan on stove top, place red wine vinegar and bring to boil. Reduce by about half and remove from heat.
While vinegar is reducing carefully heat olive oil and garlic in small frying pan on medium heat until bubbling. Stir intermittently and watch carefully and remove from heat as soon as they are nice and golden, being ever so careful not to burn the garlic (remove from oil into small dish if you want to be sure to stop the cooking process - reserve the oil for the next step though)!
Once olive oil and garlic had cooled slightly, whisk in vinegar reduction along with lemon juice, salt to taste and add healthy 1/2-1 tsp of Piment D'Esplette.
Serve fish with a generous spoonful of delectable garlic "vinaigrette".
Dig in and enjoy!
"It's okay to eat fish because they don't have any feelings."
- Kurt Cobain
When life give you lemons...
WOW it's HOT out.
After a bit of a brief blogging hiatus I'm back in action and and thankfully SO IS SUMMER! Warm weather is in full swing and sunny skies are upon us and so is BBQ season! So while I'm busy preparing some great summer recipes to share with you here's an easy refreshing drink for you to make and kick back with after a long day's work. You can even slip a little alcohol in and turn it into a cocktail if you like. ;)
LEMONS. Any one of you who knows me well enough, knows how much I love lemons and how my pantry is never quite complete without a healthy supply of happy yellow citrus. There is no end of use for this versatile fruit from a wedge in a drink, some lemon juice to bring out the flavour in a great dish such as a nice pan-fried fish or even a couple of slices in a hot cup of water as a morning eye-opener or as a nice after dinner digestive. I even save my discarded lemon half-rinds to use as a great cutting board scrubber (add some sea salt, turn rind inside out and scrub away!) or I pop them into the hot water when we're doing dishes and they not only smell great but the lemon oil helps cut grease! If only I lived in a warmer climate I would definitely have a lemon tree in my yard...
Classic Summertime Lemonade
Serves 3-4 (you'll need a small pitcher ~ around 1 litre)
ingredients
ingredients
• 2-3 juicy lemons (about 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice)
• 1/2 cup sugar or other sweetener (I happened to have some maple sugar on hand - yum! Maple syrup, honey or a simple sugar syrup would work nicely too)
• 2.5 - 3 cups filtered water
• a good handful of ice cubes, plus more to serve
Squeeze every last drop out of those lemons and pour the juice into a small pitcher (you can strain it if you like, but it's totally not necessary...) Add sugar/sweetener and stir to dissolve and then stir in filtered water. Taste. I like my lemonade a bit on the sour side and not too sweet. You may want to add more water or sweetener to taste.
Aim for a basic breakdown of 1.5 parts lemon juice, 1 part sugar and 6-8 part water plus ice.
(MY SECRET is to make it a bit on the sweet side and add fresh ice cubes to each glass prior to serving...) Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint or some raspberries (if you want to be fancy) and serve.
Hope you enjoy it!
Squeeze every last drop out of those lemons and pour the juice into a small pitcher (you can strain it if you like, but it's totally not necessary...) Add sugar/sweetener and stir to dissolve and then stir in filtered water. Taste. I like my lemonade a bit on the sour side and not too sweet. You may want to add more water or sweetener to taste.
Aim for a basic breakdown of 1.5 parts lemon juice, 1 part sugar and 6-8 part water plus ice.
(MY SECRET is to make it a bit on the sweet side and add fresh ice cubes to each glass prior to serving...) Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint or some raspberries (if you want to be fancy) and serve.
Hope you enjoy it!
"I believe that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade...
And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party."
– Ron White
Itadakimasu: Okonomiyaki for me and you!
Ever since the catastrophic events in Japan last week, both the country itself and the welfare of the kind-hearted Japanese people has been weighing quite heavily on my mind... I sincerely hope that things over there will soon take a turn for the better and that the cleanup, reconstruction and healing can soon begin. My thoughts are with the Japanese people, daily.
If you have not already done so I highly recommend you donate whatever sum you may be able to spare to a reputable aid organization such as Care or Medicins San Frontieres, International Rescue Committee (each rated A, A and A+ respectively by the American Institute of Philanthropy). Better yet, if you have some time and the resources, why not organize or participate in a fundraiser? There are plenty of artists who will be donating 100% of the proceeds from specially created artwork to disaster aid in Japan.
In the spring of 2008 I was fortunate enough to embark upon the most memorable journey to Japan. Having already had a longstanding interest in Japanese culture I was eager to soak in all the new adventures my trip would have to offer, and thanks to the warm hospitality of everyone I met over there and due to the tremendously benevolent nature of my wonderful friend (and tour guide) Chie Manabe, my trip was a wealth of new experiences, both culinary and otherwise!
In the modern western world, when I say Japanese food most people seem to think of sushi and teriyaki as it is the type of food that's been most widely embraced here, and this is especially so here in Montreal. However, as I soon discovered with the aid of of the lovely Chie, these items are just the tip of the iceberg of culinary delights that Japan has to offer.
While Okonomiyaki originates from the Kansai or Hiroshima areas of Japan and is a popular food across the country, it is especially popular in Osaka where my plane landed. So where did Chie and Noriko wisk me off to after they met me at the airport? To an Okonomiyaki restaurant of course!
I had eaten Okonomiyaki a few times prior to my trip, but eating Okonomiyaki in Japan is whole different experience, especially since most restaurants prepare these savoury pancakes right in front of you in a hotplate or grill built into the table. The best part is that once they mix up the ingredients in a bowl and assemble the pancake, they hand the spatula over to you and it is up to you to oversee the cooking!
The recipe below is a simplified version with a thin egg batter base, but in order to enjoy this treat you will have to source out the topping mentioned below from an asian grocer because Okonomiyaki is not Okonomiyaki without Okonomi sauce at the very least! That and the famous Kewpie mayonnaise... it's a mouth-watering delight and if you're like most people, after trying this for the first time you may likely find yourself having very strong cravings for this dish which referred to by some as "Osaka soul food."
Okonomiyaki
Serves two hungry people (4 medium sized pancakes)
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup flour - Easy blend, or Okonomiyaki flour (which has yam startch in it to help binding) work better than regular - but I used 1/2 easy blend, 1/4 cup regular and it works great
• 3/4 cup water
• 8-9 cabbage leaves, washed, spine removed and chopped into thin 1-2" strips (about 4 cups)
• 2 green onions sliced thinly on the diagonal
• 1/4 cup Tenkasu or Panko (optional) crumbs
(Rice Crispies could work too!)
• about 1/8 cup minced pickled ginger
• 4 slices bacon cut in half
• 1 tsp vegetable or canola oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
other fun stuff you can add:
• 1 tin salad or cocktail shrimp or 1 tin canned crab meat
• 1 cup chopped oyster mushroom or octopus
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots or other veggie
• kimchi
• AND whatever ever else you want to try, let me know what works for you!
condiments for serving:
Okonomi sauce
Kewpie mayonnaise
Katsuboshi (Bonito) flakes (optional but recommended)
Aonori flakes (optional)
In a large bowl, whisk together flour and water. Lightly whisk eggs in and stir in cabbage, green onions, Tenkasu if using, and pickled ginger. Lightly stir in any other ingredients except bacon.
Heat large pan on medium-high heat until hot, add half the blended oils, heat slightly then spoon out the batter into pan making thick pancake like shapes about 3-4 inches in diametre, using 1/4 of the batter each (or alternatively if you like you can make one large pancake using half of the batter, but this will fill the whole pan).
Pat down with spatula and then spread two bacon half-slices across each pancake. Cook covered about 3 minutes then turn carefully using two spatulas.
Then cook uncovered another 5 minutes or so, then turn again to check bacon well browned. Cook another 2-3 minutes if needed then serve, or place on plate or sheet in prewarmed over (about 200 degrees is fine) until next batch is ready (unless you're using an electric griddle, you'll probably only fit two pancakes per round).
To serve place Okonomiyaki on plate and drizzle with Okonomi sauce in one direction, Kewpie mayonnaise in the other (diagonal) direction and top with Katsuboshi and Aonoari flakes.
Itadakimasu!!! Lick you lips and dig in!
A note on Japanese cuisine:
Discovering cuisine from other countries has never been more easy than it is nowadays. Tons of blog posts, websites and videos are out there to help to whet your appetite for any type of food you may want to explore. I find the Youtube channel Cooking With Dog to be both informative and entertaining.
“Every time you eat something new, you add 75 days to your life.”
- Japanese Proverb
Happy New Year! Bonne Année!
The holiday madness is finally winding down and life is quickly getting back to the normal daily routine. It was a very busy December for me because along with my normal pre-Christmas baking routine of cookies, granola and caramel popcorn I was busily hand-making gifts for people this year - which is a fun, inexpensive and really thoughtful way to go about gift giving, especially when you can find the time. So as I am working from home these days, I made the time to get crafty and now before I know it, the holiday season has come and gone!
So here we are a whole new year imbibed with that feeling that life is full of possibilities, but perhaps we are also feeling a bit overfilled of food from all that holiday eating. That brings me to one of my favourite recipes: my home made granola. I like to give this granola out during the holidays to those people who I know will appreciate it because after the overindulging season is done and everyone's making New Year's resolutions (many of which include "get fit" aspirations) this home made granola is a great start to any morning, and especially to an active day. I've had some people exclaim that they think it's not worth the bother to make granola at home, but I tell them that this way I am sure of every quality ingredient that goes in it (I have some nut allergies, so I can also be sure of not having any allergic reactions) and I am know that it is low fat, with no preservatives. It's also a less expensive alternative by at least 30%-50% depending on what ingredients you use, so when you're on a budget and every cent counts this granola is a smart and healthy alternative.
Marion's Naturally Sweetened Organic Granola
before
• 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (un-roasted, but pre-roasted options are also be available from some brands such as Milanaise)
the mix
• 4 1/2 cups "extra thick" organic rolled oats (I love "Bob's Red Mill")
• 1/2 cup unsalted organic pumpkin seeds
• 3/4 cup whole unsalted roasted almonds, coarsely chopped (or raw almonds if you like, it's a question of preference. I find that pre-roasted (but no salted!) almonds have more flavour and taste slightly smoky...)
• 1/4 cup ground organic flax seed meal
• 1/2 cup organic sunflower seeds
• (optional) 1/4 to 1/2 cup of any other seeds or nuts you may wish to add
the coating
• 1 cup organic apple cider
• 1/3 cup real maple syrup
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp premium unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp coarse sea-salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Heat oven to 300°. Place coconut on parchment or silicon-mat lined cookie sheet, and toast until light golden, about 3-5 minutes. WATCH THEM. If you're not careful they'll burn before you know it.
(alternatively, if you can find them pre toasted from a brands such as Milanaise you can skip this whole step) Once toasted, remove from oven an set aside to cool.
Reduce oven temperature to 200°.
In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, chopped almonds, ground flax seeds, and sunflower seeds.
In a small saucepan boil cider reducing the liquid to about 1/2 cup, somewhere from 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile, combine maple syrup, canola oil, and vanilla extract in a measuring cup, as well as cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cocoa powder in a seperate small bowl. Add wet mix to the cider, stir well and then dry mix to reduced juice and mix until all combined. Remove from heat and pour liquid over oat mixture. Mix until evenly coated.
Divide the coated oat mixture between cookie sheets on parchment/silicon mat and bake about 45-55 minutes at about 200F, stirring every 15-20 minutes. If using silicon mats you may want to raise the temperature ever so slightly or increase the cooking time because they brown the granola slower. (Also, if you double the recipe as I often do, be sure to switch cookie sheets every time you stir to ensure even cooking). The goal is to have the oat mix loose humidity and crisp up slowly without browning too much. Once golden and crispy remove from oven and let cool.
Once thoroughly cool, add toasted coconut and any other ingredients such as dried fruit you may wish to add (or such things can be added when serving granola too).
Store in an airtight container and consume within 2-3 weeks.
I like to eat my granola like this: I add a sprinkling of hemp and chia seeds, and an assortment of dried or fresh fruit + a good dollop of organic yogurt and a small spoonful of jam for extra sweetness!
MAKES 6-7 CUPS
"If wishes and buts were clusters of nuts, we'd all have a bowl of granola."
- (from the tv series) Strangers with Candy
It all comes out in the squash
Oh NO, here we are – it's nearly winter.
It's that time of year where the weather's getting colder and we're all slowing down a bit and becoming more sedentary (at least I am – BUT I'm trying to change that)... So maybe you're craving comfort foods, and eating a bit more, and maybe that heavier eating (and perhaps a few extra pounds) has you feeling kind of blah.
So why not trade your traditional spaghetti bolognese in for something a little lighter and healthier, but just as tasty (if not more!). We're a little squash-crazy at my house and this is the best use of spaghetti squash I've found to date!
Spaghetti Squash Bolognese
• 1 spaghetti squash, about 3-4 lbs
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 large onion, minced
• 2-3 carrots, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
(if you have it – I rarely have it around... it's part of the classic soffritto but you can do without in a pinch)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced (not traditional in spag-bol, but I love garlic in everything so...)
(if you have it – I rarely have it around... it's part of the classic soffritto but you can do without in a pinch)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced (not traditional in spag-bol, but I love garlic in everything so...)
• a few pieces of pancetta or any cured jambon, chopped into small pieces (optional)
• around 650g of mixed ground meat (I used a mix of lean ground beef and pork but I think it'd be fun to try a leaner choice of ground turkey next time, vegetarians could use tofu or soy ground meat substitute)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk (I used goat's milk<3)
• freshly grated nutmeg*
• 1/2 cup white wine (or red wine, or broth)
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (sodium free if you can!)
• seasoning of your choice (salt, pepper, fresh oregano & basil, Piment d'Espelette, etc)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut spaghetti squash in half, remove seeds, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt & pepper. Place on baking sheet with cut side facing up and cook for about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Pour a couple of tablespoons olive oil into a large frying pan and add a dab of butter. Add minced onion, carrots, and celery over medium-high heat stirring often for a few minutes. Then add the minced garlic and continue cooking until onions are translucent, about another 4-5 minutes.
Add ground meat and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon until meat has started cooked through but not browned and reduce heat to medium and add about 1/2 cup milk and some freshly grated nutmeg. Stir to incorporate and allow meat to absorb the liquid. Then add 1/2 cup white wine (or red wine or broth) to deglaze the pan and simmer until meat has absorbed some of the liquid.
Add a can of diced or crushed tomatoes and increase heat, cover with a splatter shield and bring to a good simmer for about 5-10 minutes until it starts to reduce, then lower heat and simmer 20-30 minutes until thick, stirring often. (If you have the time you can just simmer on medium for a good hour instead of increasing and then decreasing the heat. This lets the flavours deepen a bit more.) Season to taste (salt, pepper, fresh oregano & basil, Piment d'Espelette) before serving.
Remove squash from oven and let cool slightly. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh of each squash with a fork into strands (from near the skin inward) and place into a large bowl.
To serve, place generous portion of "spaghetti" in bowl and top with bolognese sauce and freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese.
Serves 4 (or 2, with mighty good leftovers for lunch).
For years I guess you could say I felt sort of meh about nutmeg, that is until I bought some a little package of whole nutmeg nuts and tried freshly grating it — whoa — what a difference it makes, I think I could say that as a spice it's a whole other experience!
It would seem that fragrant oils are much better preserved when the nut is whole and so the lovely aroma it produces once grated is a welcome addition to home made oatmeal, lattes, eggnog, custards, bechamel sauce, pasta and more... about a million times better that the pre-ground stuff.
No need to purchase a nutmeg grater however. Any fine, sharp grater should work fine, just watch those fingers one you approach the end of the nut! Also, be sure to keep those nutmeg nuts in an airtight container for freshness.
No need to purchase a nutmeg grater however. Any fine, sharp grater should work fine, just watch those fingers one you approach the end of the nut! Also, be sure to keep those nutmeg nuts in an airtight container for freshness.
"Yé pas assez épicé ton spagat, Linda..."
- Elvis Gratton
There's more than one way to skin a... banana.
I've been closing in on the tail end of a cold and find myself craving still more comfort food (they DO to say feed a cold you know...). So when I stumbled across a sad brown banana going to waste in the fruit bowl, as well as a couple frozen ones in the freezer AND a tub of yogurt about to go off, I decided to devise a recipe to create a healthy, moist banana bread that would incorporate them all.
I must say I am pleased with the results. :)
Banana Bread (with yogurt and other good stuff)• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 2/3 cup brown or raw sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3)
• 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
• 1 cup plain organic yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups flour (You could use a mix if you like. I used 1 cup organic spelt, 1/2 cup unbleached organic)
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
optional:
• 1 cup chopped walnuts / 1 cup chocolate chips (or half a cup of each!)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar (you may be tempted, but try not to eat it...) and add eggs, beating well.
Mash the bananas, then add them along with vanilla and yogurt and stir until well blended.
Incorporate dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and then add wet mixture and stir until incorporated. Stir in nuts or chocolate chips if you like.
Pour into appropriate sized pan*: 1 large buttered loaf pan
(a 5" x 9" or a 4" x 11", or two mini ones) or 12 very full muffin tins (wouldn't it be funny if they made a baker's dozen muffin pan?).
*I have decided that I am REALLY not a fan of glass loaf pans. I personally think it's best to avoid them because for me they have never yielded good results when making banana bread. If you must use one try decreasing the temperature by 25 degrees and increasing the cooking time by 10-15 minutes.
Bake approximately 1 hour on the middle rack (out of 4 racks chose the 2nd one down) in oven, until you can insert a skewer and it comes out clean. Bake 20-25 minutes for muffins. Let cool, remove from pan (run a knife along the edges) and serve.
"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."
- Groucho Marx
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