Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Chia Peanut Banana Bread Scones


All hail 3 day weekends! I hope you had a safe and fun Memorial weekend!  I wouldn't characterize myself as patriotic, but I do have boundless respect for those who have passed.  Thank you for putting it on the line and may your sacrifice not be in vain. Let there be peace.

While most scrambles to the beach, we posted up dog-sitting in Southern  VA. It's for family friends and besides... it's dog-sitting! Her name is Mimi and she's a 14 year old long haired dachshund. I love it when she bustles around on those quick, tiny paws! You can tell she's only giving us that second-hand loving though. Her attention fades away slowly and her eyes return to the front door, waiting for mom and pops to come home. 



Then we have our little testament to man's "best friend"... that's right. We brought Autumn with us for the weekend. It just didn't seem right to leave her at home when we are just an hour down the road. The only mistake we made was swinging by my brother's house. He locked up his kitty but you can't lock up the scent. Autumn slid right back into her old, defensive ways- hissing and swatting at EVERYTHING. She even went Wolverine on my hand as I tried to give her treats. In short. This confirms our conspiracy she was once a secret agent for hire and old habits die hard.

Fortunately, things calmed down once we reached Stafford. The weekend was incredibly relaxing and heart warming. We took a 2 hour hike Prince William Forest Park. Danced at the local gym. Visited my bro. Watched movies including Let the Bullets Fly and Underworld Awakening. Baked some healthy cinnamon buns for Mike's parents. Chilled with our boy David and his family who were conveniently around the corner. Autumn was a little angel and slept blissfully on my chest every night.



The best part, aside from being with Mike, was sleeping. Usually I have a hard time falling asleep. My body may be weary but my brain is restless or my legs are ancey. It's very frustrating and runs in the family. I have to be physically exhausted to fall asleep before 1am, hence the need to do cardio every other day. For some magical reason though, that guest bed put me right to peaceful slumber.

To tie us through the week, I made these Chia Peanut Banana Scones. These are not your traditional scones because they are not loaded up with sugar. They are based on The Kitchn's version. I simply used what was available in our kitchen at the time, like Greek yogurt, peanuts, and chia seeds. It's a very easy recipe and next time I'll use flax seed as well! Instead of all-purpose, whole wheat flour is incorporated for additional nutrition. The glaze is from a previous banana bread recipe. This is a breakfast scone you can much without the guilt.


Chia Peanut Banana Bread Scones
modified from The Kitchn

2 very ripe bananas (about 8 oz or 1 cup once mashed)
2-4 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 cup (4 oz) plain greek yogurt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
4 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz) cane sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons (2 oz) unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped peanuts or almonds (optional)
1 tablespoon flaxseed (optional)

1/3 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk

Mash the bananas, chia seeds, and then add enough milk to make one total cup (if necessary). Stir in the yogurt and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Cut the butter into several pieces. Work it into the dry ingredients using a fork, pastry cutter, or your finger tips until there are no pieces of butter larger than a pea.

Pour the banana-yogurt mixture into the bowl with the flour and stir just enough to incorporate all of the flour. Fold in the peanuts, if using. This will make a fairly wet dough.

Line a dinner plate with a piece of wax paper and turn the dough out on top. Pat it into a disk about 1-inch thick and cover with another piece of wax paper. Freeze the scone dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Peel off the top layer of wax paper and invert the scones onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Peel off the second layer of wax paper. Slice the scones into eight wedges and pull them apart a little to give them some room to expand. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the scones are firm to the touch and turning golden-brown on the edges. Cool completely and cut apart any scones that baked together with a sharp knife.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Chocolate Chunk Coconut Pancakes with Bananas and Smashed Raspberries


Smashed Raspberry Chocolate Chunk pancakes. They seduced me the moment I laid eyes on them. They're by Joy the Baker, what a surprise, and screamed awesome. By Sunday, I knew exactly what to do with the left over raspberries. It was time.


Gazing into the fridge, I decided to put my own teensie twist on these luscious pancakes. There was no buttermilk, a ton of ripening bananas (a batch of banana scones are baking right now), and leftover unsweetened coconut milk. Sounded like magic in the making.

 

I substituted the 1 cup of buttermilk with half reduced coconut milk and soured milk (milk + cream of tartar). While the pancakes sizzled, I topped them with slices of banana. This is a great trick because they nestle into the batter and when you flip them, they become slightly caramelized and browned. Add just a handful of chocolate chips- you don't want to make it sickeningly sweet for breakfast.



The result was heavenly. The pancakes were light and soft, not super big and fluffy. The batter was slightly sweet and I loved the gentle flavor of real coconut, not some form of extract. You simply cannot go wrong with fresh banana and coconut! The occasional pocket of chocolate was a gooey surprise.


And the coolest part is you don't need syrup! That's where the raspberries come in. Don't sprinkle them on top- that would be too easy. Smash them in a bowl! You'll be surprised how much juice comes out. Add some in between the pancakes as you stack them on the plate. It will be a delicious hot mess of fruit.


Fruity pancakes on the back porch with pristine weather. Mike made delicious egg scramble with veggies. Autumn got to splay out and work on her tan. What a perfect Sunday!



Chocolate Chunk Coconut Pancakes with Bananas and Smashed Raspberries
slightly modified from Joy the Baker

makes about 10-12 small pancakes, serves 2-3

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, reduced to 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
a small handful of dark chocolate chunks (optional)
1 banana, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
butter for skillet

In a small sauce pan, bring coconut milk to boil. Lower to a simmer and let it cook till reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes.  Set aside and let it cool down to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon . Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together milk and cream of tartar. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Whisk in melted butter, egg, cooled reduced coconut milk, and vanilla extract.

Add the dry ingredients, all at once to the wet ingredients. Whisk to combine. If there are a few lumps in the mixture, that’s totally fine. Stir in chocolate chips. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes while the skillet heats.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Place a heat-proof plate in the oven to help keep cooked pancakes warm.

Over medium-low heat, add about 1/2 tablespoon of butter to the non-stick skillet. Add 2 tablespoon of batter to the pan for each pancake. Add a few slices of banana on top, I did about 3 per pancake. Cook until browned, flip once and cook on the other side until golden brown and cooked through. Place cooked pancakes on the plate in the oven until all of the pancakes are cooked and ready to serve.

To serve, smash raspberries in a small bowl. Place a few smashed raspberries on a plate. Top with three or four small pancakes and more raspberries. Serve warm.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Vegan White Bean Sweet Potato Burger



Staples are meals that are ingrained into a family's culture. Growing up, I could predict dinner fairly accurately. We didn't stray far from the play book: boiled eggs and potatoes, sardine  frittata, roasted ribs and peppers, black eyed peas with onion and codfish, vegetable soup, etc. Exotic meals meant hunan chicken and pizza. Sunday lunch after church was Olive Garden, Silver Diner, or Red Lobster. Frisky, no? As Mike and I grow together, we are trying to figure out our own staples.


These White Bean and Sweet Potato burgers made the list the moment they came out of the oven. I have made this recipe at least 3 times now and each time it's a win. We were so impressed, I even made them for his mother!


The combination of ingredients surprised me. It's drained white beans, a roasted sweet potato, tahini, lemon-pepper seasoning, dash of whole wheat flour, panko, and maple syrup. What the hell? Look I don't know how this all comes together, but it just does. Believe me. We added cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper since we love things with heat. If you cannot find cannelloni beans, substitute with any white bean. I found them for 75cents a can at Harris Teeter!

Note: cook the sweet potato a day-ahead! Wrap it in aluminum foil and back at 375 for an hour to an hour and half, until the skin peels off easily.

You can pan fry the burgers or bake them. We opted to bake them at 350 for 20 minutes (don't flip) in order to keep it healthy. I added extra panko to the mix to thicken, about 1/2 cup. It should still be sticky and moist, but you should still be able to roll it into a ball. Then, I coated it in some more panko crumbs to give it a little breading. Place the ball onto some parchment paper and flatten with your hand into a circle. Ready to bake!


And don't be stingy on the dressings. We used red onions, mixed lettuce, and fresh avacodo. I stuck with some spicy brown mustard while Mike used a little bbq sauce. Seriously, I cannot think of anything that couldn't be paired with this burger. 

Eating healthy never tasted so good!

For the recipe, check out kblog's Happy Healthy Life! It has a ton of great recipes and they're all vegan.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Mike's Oreo Birthday Cake



Hooray for being a cougar! I'm teasing but it's true. The boyfriend is a little younger... 1 year and 8 months to be exact. It's not a significant difference but we still like to joke about it. He tricked me because of his scruff and the mature way he carries himself. Then we exchanged email addys and I groaned seeing the last 2 digits of his birth year.  Love is love. For Halloween, he may dress up as a pool boy and I'll dress up like a desperate house wife with cat ears. Get it? Booooo!

Long story short. Happy Birthday amor! It was a joyous occasion celebrated with friends and family. We got down like we usually do with laughter, food, bachata, video games, and hugs. You can see his love and kindness reflected in the people that come together. His existent makes this world a better place. You're the best, babe!



I have vowed to make a new version of an Oreo Cake for his birthday every year and thus this divine Chocolate Cake with Oreo Frosting from Baker's Royale was born. It's chocolate cake coated in crumbled oreo buttercream, topped with rich ganache.

The cake was incredible. Yet another win for David Lebovtiz! I wanted it be special, so this was the first time using Valrhona French Chocolate. Holy sweet mother of jesus. Pricey? Maybe a touch. It's no Hershey's. Worth it? Yes. A million times yes. I used the 66% cocoa, Caraibe chocolate and had a difficult time not eating it from the bag. There is such a difference when using quality ingredients. If you're local, you can find a wide variety of Valrhona chocolates at La Cuisine in Old Town Alexandria and the staff is very helpful.

The one thing I didn't care for was the frosting. It was too buttery for my taste  and I kept adding crumbled oreo bits. That's just me- don't let it deter you.


As part of his gift, we stayed one night at the Shenandoah Crossing resort in Gordonsville, VA. It's not even 2 hours away from Northern VA! What caught my eye was the crazy lodging accommodations. This over-sized tee-pee tent is called a yurt. It is shaped in a circle with the only private room being the bathroom. We had a full-sized kitchen, living room, and bedroom all in one shared space.


The resort specializes in horse back riding and has it's own farm. We wandered aimlessly on a path that took us to a lake covered in lily pads; stumbled upon a picturesque tree swing; bought fresh chicken eggs; and enjoyed the peaceful vistas.


And of course. I wanted a piece of the farm life. 

I don't think the feeling was mutual. 



We hope to come back sometime with a group of friends to take full advantage of the facility. Our second day was cut short due to rainy weather which was fine by us. It was nice to spend the afternoon in our own home, unwinding, and playing chess with Autumn.


And remember, go to Baker's Royale for this recipe!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Breakfast Oatmeal Cookies


It's a beautiful, warm Saturday afternoon in Virginia. I love days like this. Woke up late, ate cereal on the back porch, ran some errands, swung by Target where Mike got some shirts (rawr!), and tortured myself by visiting Petco where the Animal Allies were in full effect. If it were possible to adopt all of the puppies and kitties. Sigh. Now it's time to do a quick post and hang out with our new foster, Chloe (post to follow), before hitting the track. 


We had the urge for cookies the other night but there were not enough chocolate chips  for decadence. So. I went the opposite direction and opted for healthy... oatmeal! Now, just because it's an oatmeal cookie recipe does NOT innately make it healthy. This recipe from Nourishing Roots was so simple and light,  I used the cookies as breakfast. Look at the ingredient list: oatmeal, flour, raisins, ground almonds, maple syrup, milk, and spices. All the sweetness comes from the maple syrup. If you need it sweeter, THEN incorporate chocolate chips, but don't go crazy. Dust lightly with confectioners sugar!


The recipe recommends buckwheat flour, which I don't have, so I substituted with whole wheat and a tablespoon of ground flax seed. I also added chia seeds for a vitamin boost! I don't have safflower oil (a vegetable oil low in saturated fat) which didn't seem to effect how they came out of the oven.


These cookies are like having a teensy bowl of oatmeal. They are not crunchy and hard- they're pretty softy and very satisfying. If you want a relatively healthy breakfast on the go, I highly recommend! Put the poptart down and eat oatmeal!

Have a great weekend and happy mother's day to all you mommy's out there! *big hugs*

Recipe from Nourishing Roots and can be found here!

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Iced Honey Marscapone and Almond Cake with Fig Salad

 

April is a very special month in my universe. It marks the birth of my mother and novio. It goes without saying I want to make everything perfect because I love them both completely. Mom helped make me the person I am today in reflection of her own spirit- stubborn, feisty, silly, and compassionate. Mike is the soul I wish to inflict this personality on forever ever. Happy Birthday to my favorite Tauruses!

Prior cake's for mom include a rose covered, chocolate almond cake, key lime cheesecake, and tiramisu cake. This year, I decided to try something I have never made before: dacquoise. New fancy baking vocabulary! You basically beat the heck out of egg whites and fold in some ground almonds (kind of like macarons but not as difficult). Pour the mix into a piping bag, and draw the cake (trace a circle first on some parchment paper) and fill it in. A few minutes in the oven and voila, yummy layers of fragrant meringue. It creates a dainty, nutty, thin layer of flavor. You can pair it with mousse, fruit, cake, etc. Just do a quick image search and you'll see how versatile this meringue mix can be! Zoe Bake's has a few nice pictures if you need a technique reference



The recipe that seduced me into trying dacquoise is from Gourmet Recipes and titled, "Iced Honey Marscapone and Almond Cake with Fig Salad." This had mom written all over it. Marscapone is in tiramisu, one of her favorites, and she is a die hard fig fanatic like the rest of my family. Mike has lovingly titled figs, "alien fruit." 


Note, the figs are not actually IN the cake, they are soaked in amaretto and used to decorate the top. 


A few lessons were learned. First, trace the circles about an inch or two smaller than the pan you plan on using. As the dacqoise cooks, it spreads out a little bit. You want the mousse marscapone to encase the cake. See how you can see the cake layers in my version? It's pure aesthetics so just a heads up. 


Also. Figs are seasonal. I really did not think that far ahead and spent a good chunk of the afternoon scouring northern VA for some fresh figs. With the creamy texture of the cake, I really wanted the softness of the fruit. I had to settle on some dried figs from Whole Foods, where the cashier was nice enough not to charge me. Even though they were dried, the figs truly did compliment the almond.


Overall, it was not difficult to create and a welcome change of pace to the table.  Everybody loved it was not an overly sweet cake.  There are minimal ingredients which makes it even more unique.  Simple and delicious. I was really happy with the end result and thrilled to see mom enjoying the flavors. She's so beautiful.

For the recipe, see Gourmet Recipe

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Tomorrow (May 4) is The Cupcake Social!


On May 4th, be there or be square! This is a happy hour to raise money for breast cancer research! Come for a drink at the beautiful DC hot spot, Blackbyrd, located on the corner of 14th and U, between 5:30pm-8pm. If you make a donation, in any monetary amount, you get a free cupcake and are entered into a raffle for some kick ass prizes! Bakeries that have so generously donated include:

Alexandria Cupcake
Baked & Wired
BakeShop
Bittersweet
Confections
Giant's Bakery of Hayfield
Mom's Office
Occasionally Cake

We are also happy to announce that Shana Logic has donated 3 fun necklaces for the raffle! We were so touched by their immediate and enthusiastic response. 

Thanks to Lunching in DMV for always being so supportive and Avant9ard for the beautiful artwork and encouragement. You guys are the best. Love and appreciate you both! Also, thanks to Constance at Blackbyrd for being so kind and Red 23 for finding the location.

So please. Come out and show some support! It would mean a lot.