26 posts tagged “food”

VEGAN BANANA CAKE

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup vegan butter (I like Earth Balance), softened
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 medium bananas
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1 and 1/2 cup wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup instant oats
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• (soy milk, if batter is too dry)

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8 inch square pan (I used a glass one).
2. Cream sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.
3. Add bananas, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
4. Add flour, oats, cornmeal, and baking powder. Mix. Add soy milk if batter is too dry.
5. Pour mixture into the pan . . . and then bake for 35 to 40 minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry).
6. Let cool completely before frosting (also, I cut mine in half to make a layer cake).

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

What you'll need . . .

• 6 tablespoons vegan butter (Earth Balance)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups vegan confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup soy milk (or your favorite non-dairy substitute -- I think it'd be interesting to try coconut milk)

Method . . .

1. Cream the butter and vanilla together with an electric mixer on low to medium speed.
2. In a separate (large) bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder with a whisk.
3. Add dry ingredients to the wet until fully integrated. Slowly add the soy milk to the mix until you have reached the desired consistency. (I found that I thought I'd added too much milk . . . because the frosting was dense and heavy . . . but actually I needed to add a few more splashes, and it turned out fine. Just add the milk s-l-o-w-l-y.)
4. Spread onto cake -- and I added some walnuts to my middle layer.
   

Have a lovely Tuesday!

Our V-Day feast was a big success! We visited Wegmans Friday night (which, by the way, is my absolute FAVORITE time to go there) to get all our supplies. My husband eats fish, so he picked up a huge helping of fresh scallops and shrimp in the seafood section. I grabbed some brie and strawberry/plum jam nearby. Then we made our way to the bakery -- where we selected a hearty loaf of organic sourdough (I, um, snuck a pink and white half moon cookie into the cart as well).

Anyway, for my own main course, I first picked up some pre-made pasta and alfredo sauce. It'd be easy, I thought. But after browsing around some more (and getting supplies for our vegan chocolate pie -- which I'll highlight in a future post), my husband noticed I was in a funk. Just a weird, bad mood.

We took back the pasta.
And the sauce.
And then I stood there . . . confused.

A few minutes later, we traveled by the international foods section and some udon noodles caught my eye. SUMMER ROLLS! That's IT! Then I vowed to take only a few more minutes (because at that point, we'd been at the store for nearly an hour) to get some carrots, sprouts, tofu, basil, hoisin sauce, etc.) . . . and we were on our way.




VEGAN SUMMER ROLLS
(Makes approximately 10 rolls)

What you'll need . . .

• 1 package udon noodles (see photo below)
• 1 package spring roll/ rice paper wrappers
  
• Bean sprouts or regular sprouts
• 2 to 3 carrots, shaved
• 1/2 block tofu, pressed and cut into small-ish rectangles
• 10 basil leaves
• Splash sesame oil (optional)
• Splash low sodium soy sauce (optional)
• Sesame seeds (we used some black sesame seeds that we picked up at an Asian food market in Ithaca)
• Hoisin sauce

Method . . .

1. Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil. Cook udon noodles until soft -- about 7 or 8 minutes (but keep checking to make sure they aren't TOO done). Drain and pour cold water over them to cool.
2. This part is optional, but in a small bowl, mix carrot shavings with sesame oil, soy sauce, and sesame seeds.
3. Lay out all ingredients and fill a large bowl (large enough to fit the rice paper) with hot water. You may need to dump and refill with hot water during the process (it gets cool quickly).
   
4. Also lay out a clean kitchen towel. This is where you'll assemble everything.
5. Dip in one piece of rice paper at a time -- keep in water for about 15 - 20 seconds (this really is trail and error if you're a first-timer).
6. Transfer softened rice paper to kitchen towel (it may tear a bit, but that's OK) and add ingredients into the middle of the circle in this order: udon noodles, sprouts, carrot mixture, tofu, and basil leaf.
7. Roll rice paper tightly around filling and then fold over the top and bottoms.
8. Put finished summer rolls on plate and, when ready to eat, serve with the hoisin sauce.

 

Happy Valentine's Day! As you can see, I'm still stuck on Friday the 13th -- but today my husband and I plan to spend hours cooking and baking our V-Day feast! So here's a quick recipe for extremely healthy cookies -- full of oats, blackberries, walnuts.

AND they're vegan.

FUNKY BLACK MAGIC COOKIES

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup Earth Balance (or other butter sub.)
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1-1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
  
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 cup wheat pastry flour
• 3 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups oats
• 1/3 cup crushed walnuts
• 1/3 cup frozen blackberries

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together Earth Balance (or other butter sub.) and brown sugar until fluffy.
3. Add applesauce, ginger powder, and orange juice -- beat until well combined.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the wheat pastry flour, cocoa powder, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet -- mix until well combined.
6. Add oats 1/2 cup at a time while mixing on low speed.
7. Mix in crushed walnuts and frozen blackberries. You may wish to run the blackberries through a food processor to make the pieces a bit smaller (or not).
8. On a baking sheet (preferably prepared with a piece of wax paper) drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart.
9. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes -- rotating pan halfway through.
10. Cool and enjoy!
    

What I am about to share with you all is HANDS-DOWN my favorite recipe of all time. To me, there's nothing more satisfying than making something I previously thought could be "great" ONLY if purchased in a bakery. Bagels, at least I thought, would never, EVER turn out well at home. They'd be too soft or chewy . . . but after much investigation, that's absolutely not the case.

So let's get to it . . .



BAGELS! GLORIOUS & HOMEMADE BAGELS!
(Modified from a recipe in Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook)

What you'll need (to make 10 healthy bagels) . . .

• 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1-2/3 cups warm water
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1-1/2 cups wheat pastry flour
• 1-1/2 tablespoons table salt
• Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse salt, rye seeds, etc., etc. (whatever you'd like to top 'em with!)
  
• Vegetable oil (for bowl)
• Plastic wrap
• Parchment paper (I don't think this is absolutely necessary, but it definitely helps)

Method . . .

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the yeast and water. Let stand fo 5 minutes (until foamy).
2. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with the dough hook and -- with the mixer on low speed -- add the sugar, molasses, flours, and salt. I actually forgot to add the salt, and they still turned out beautifully. Knead for about 1 minute (until a slightly tacky -- but not sticky -- dough forms). You may need to add more flour or water depending on what you find. If so -- just add in 1 tablespoon amounts.
3. Continue to knead dough for about 5 more minutes -- then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with oiled plastic wrap.
4. Let rise in a warm place for 2 hours (until doubled in bulk).
5. Divide dough into 10 equal pieces. Cover with a damp kitchen towel (the book reminds us to make sure the towel is CLEAN, which I find hilarious). Let rest for about 20 minutes.
6. Line two unrimmed baking sheets (no worries -- mine were rimmed, so I don't know the benefit of using the unrimmed sheets) with parchment paper and lightly brush with oil; set aside.
7. With lightly oiled hands, roll each piece of dough into a 6-inch rope. Form a circle around your hand and then press the two ends (rather, roll them) together to seal. There really isn't a great way to explain how to fasten them together -- so go with your gut!
8. Place the bagels 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Cover with a piece of oiled plastic wrap (I used the same one from earlier in the process), and let rest until puffed (about 20 minutes).

And now the fun part . . .

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 C) -- with racks in the upper and lower thirds.
2. Fill a large stockpot (the wider the better, Martha notes) with water and bring to a boil.
3. Gently drop bagels into the water (as many as will comfortably fit without touching each other). After 30 seconds, use a slotted spoon to gently flip the bagels over -- simmer for yet another 30 seconds. (NOTE: I only boiled 2 at a time.)
4. Then, using the slotted spoon again, return the bagels to the parchment-lined sheets. Top them with the seeds or salt -- you must do this when the bagels are still wet so everything sticks to them. Also, I was somewhat anal and used a paper towel to wipe up the extra water that dropped onto my baking sheet.
5. When you've finished this process with all to-be bagels, immediately place sheets in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes and then rotate the sheets and reduce the temperature to  350 degrees F (176-ish degrees C). Bake until golden brown (about 10 minutes -- but mine only took 8).
6. THEN use a spatula (I just made my husband do this part, as he seems to be impervious to heat) and flip bagels over. Continue baking for another 5 minutes -- or until the back-sides are golden brown as well.
7. Transfer bagels to wire rack to cool! Then toast and enjoy with some eggs (or just a generous topping of butter, Nutells, peanut butter, etc.)!

Yes. The process is rather involved -- but it's also easy and well worth the effort.

<3

Work is still a bit crazy, which is, again, why I've not been posting so much. And I haven't forgotten about the blog showcase. I've got some cool sites to share with you all! I *promise* to do that soon. Now to today's recipe . . . people out there who frequent this site know I'm addicted to everything chocolate-peanut butter. And for those of you new to METHOD -- you'll learn fast. I made these peanut butter whoopie pies at 10PM last Wednesday on a whim. I've not had much time for baking these days, so when I get the urge, I go for it.

I've also not baked anything exclusively vegan in a WHILE -- and these turned out wonderfully with a little Ener-G Egg Replacer! My favorite part? The peanut butter center. Oh, and I think the pies taste best straight from the fridge.

(A bit from the book now . . .)

The origins of the whoopie pie remain a mystery, but many believe that the cookie, a specialty of Pennsylvania Dutch country and parts of New England, was created when leftover cake batter was baked, iced, and sandwiched as a treat for children.

PEANUT BUTTER WHOOPIE PIES (VEGAN)
Adapted from a recipe in Martha Stewart's COOKIES book. To get the original recipe, go here.

For the pies . . .

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance (or your favorite butter substitute)
  
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
  
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• Ener-G Egg Replacement for 1 large egg (I also imagine that 1/4 cup applesauce would do the trick)
  
• 1 cup regular soy milk
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the filling . . .

• 2/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance (or other butter substitute)
  
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Method . . .

1. Make cookies: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder into a small bowl; set aside.
2. Put Earth Balance (butter sub.) and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add Ener-G (or other egg replacement); mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half the flour mixture, then the soy milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.
3. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.
4. Make filling: Put peanut butter and Earth Balance (butter sub.) in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add confectioners' sugar; mix until combined. Raise speed to high, and mix until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Season with salt, if desired.
5. Assemble cookies: Spread 1 scant tablespoon filling (or more!) on the bottom of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Before I go, I thought I'd share embroidery project #2, which is turning out quite well. (Bye!)

 

I've been working now for 12 days straight . . . but I still found some time to squeeze in this month's challenge last Saturday. First, I had never, EVER made anything like tuiles before -- so that aspect of the challenge was incredibly exciting for me. And despite their amateurish thickness (Yes -- I've notice that everyone else's are much thinner and crispier), they tasted amazing . . . looked pretty . . . and I think I'll most definitely make them again.

I didn't muse over the whole process before beginning -- so when I had finally whisked together the paste/dough and put it in the refrigerator to cool, I went mad searching around the house for some type of stencil material. As you can see in my photos, I didn't find anything that actually worked (I tried a piece of card stock, several cookie cutters, etc., etc.). To make them look fancy, I used a bit of pink food coloring and -- when they were RIGHT out of the oven -- lightly pressed our potato masher into them to make a design.


A few broke while being tranfered from baking sheet to rolling pin . . .


While others simply basked in the morning sun . . . (I certainly wish MY Saturday had been so restful!)


I paired them with a rich ricotta chocolate mousse (another new recipe for me -- see below).




What You'll Need . . .

Yields: 20 small butterflies/6 large (butterflies are just an example)
Preparation time batter 10 minutes, waiting time 30 minutes, baking time: 5-10 minutes per batch

• 65 grams / ¼ cup / 2.3 ounces softened butter (not melted but soft)
• 60 grams / ½ cup / 2.1 ounces sifted confectioner’s sugar
• 1 sachet vanilla sugar (7 grams or substitute with a dash of vanilla extract)
• 2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork)
• 65 grams / 1/2 cup / 2.3 ounces sifted all purpose flour (I mixed in 1/8 cup coconut flour)
• (I added some sesame seeds)
  
• 1 table spoon cocoa powder/or food coloring of choice
• Butter/spray to grease baking sheet

Method . . .

Oven: 180C / 350F

Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) and cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template such as the butterfly. Press the stencil on the baking sheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes. Mix a small part of the batter with the cocoa and a few drops of warm water until evenly colored. Use this colored batter in a paper piping bag and proceed to pipe decorations on the wings and body of the butterfly.

Bake butterflies in a preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from baking sheet and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time or maybe put them in the oven to warm them up again. (Haven’t tried that). Or: place a baking sheet toward the front of the warm oven, leaving the door half open. The warmth will keep the cookies malleable.

If you don’t want to do stencil shapes, you might want to transfer the batter into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe the desired shapes and bake. Shape immediately after baking using for instance a rolling pin, a broom handle, cups, cones . . .




RICOTTA CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

What you'll need . . .

• 6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
• 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup soy milk (or regular milk)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  

Method . . .

 

1. Place chopped chocolate in a 2-cup glass measure or small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on 70% power (medium-high) for 1 minute; stir. Microwave on 70% power for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until chocolate is melted, stirring every 15 seconds.
   
2. In a food processor bowl combine cheese, soy milk, and vanilla. Cover and process until combined. Add melted chocolate while food processor is running. Process until well combined. Spoon into demitasse cups or small bowls. Serve immediately, or cover and chill for up to 24 hours. If desired, garnish with fresh berries and mint leaves.

{January is Tuile Month for DB!}
This month’s challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux. Please visit the Daring Bakers Blogroll to check out more masterful creations!

 

To break habit, I baked without chocolate OR peanut butter last night . . . and the results were both interesting and delicious. I started out my quest just trying to make basic sugar cookies (I planned to later cover them with a thick white frosting). I followed Martha Stewart's "Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies" recipe and quickly discovered, however, that I didn't have any lemons or lemon juice on hand.

That part is kind of important, as the description of the cookies includes: "The crunchy coating gives way to a soft cookie with bright, lemony flavor in each bite."

We also don't have any orange juice (we're going away for the holidays tomorrow, don't judge!), which was my second option. Hmmm. Would lime work? Maybe . . . and we had some left over from yesterday's Charred Chili Relleno dish . . . so I gave it a whirl and also replaced half the flour with coconut flour.

Instead of frosting, I thought it'd be neat to make a glaze . . . so I taste-tested several versions before settling with what's pictured above -- a secret, extra-spicy glaze. Of course, I'll give you the secret recipe.

Just keep reading!




COCONUT-LIME SUGAR COOKIES
(a twist on the traditional . . . a new holiday favorite)

What you'll need . . .

• 1-1/2 cups wheat pastry flour
• 1-1/2 cups coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt (you may use less -- a coworker gave me the idea to use more salt . . . it's wonderful!)
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature (or Earth Balance)
• 2 large eggs (or your favorite egg replacement -- I think applesauce would work well for this recipe)
• More fine sugar for dusting

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. Put sugars and lime juice in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
3. Mix on medium speed for 30 seconds and then add the butter -- mix until pale and fluffy (about 1 minute).
4. Mix in eggs -- one at a time -- and then reduce speed to low so you can gradually (and that's important, GRADUALLY) mix in the flour mixture.
5. Scoop large-ish dough balls using a 2-inch ice cream scoop. Roll balls in sugar and then drop onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets (you don't have to line them, but I did for once), spacing three inches apart.
6. Flatten cookies slightly . . . and then transfer to the oven.
7. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes (mine took 17), rotating sheets halfway through.
8. Let cookies cool completely on wire racks and then top with glaze.

SECRET SPICY GLAZE

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup vegan powdered sugar (or regular will do)
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 6-8 teaspoons water (which you'll add slowly until you reach your desired consistency)
• 2 teaspoons honey (or I imagine maple syrup or agave nectar would work)
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• A pinch or two cayenne pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (or omit this part)

Method . . .

1. In a medium bowl, use a fork to mix together powdered sugar, lime juice, and water. Note: As mentioned above, you'll wanted to gradually add the water until mixture is a thin glaze (but not TOO thin . . . it's up to you).
2. Add honey (or substitute), which thickens it a bit . . .
3. Then add all other ingredients.
4. When cookies are completely cool, glaze them. I found it was helpful to put some parchment paper underneath my cooling rack to catch the drips. Glaze will harden in about half an hour (depending on how thick you applied it).

 

Blog Showcase :: 2009 ::




Do you read Method? I want to read YOUR blog (or view your website) -- and I'm hosting a Blog Showcase on Monday, Jan. 5, 2009. Simply visit THIS POST to find out how you can be included on the list. ALL sites will be featured (of course, this is a PG-ish rated blog, so keep that in mind).

Have a lovely day & don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!

Cooking with Canned Goods Day #2: Today's recipe makes use of a large can of whole peeled tomatoes. It's also a mix between a pizza crust recipe on the back of my flour box and one from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. Basically, I crave pizza every day. So, when I discovered that we didn't have any cheese in the house last Tuesday, I got creative.

I must apologize in advance, though, as this 16-step process is rather labor intensive. I suppose it isn't terribly difficult, there's just a lot going on all at one time. Oh, vegans: the egg is completely optional (it was added at my husband's request).

Enjoy it! <3




SPINACH & TOMATO FOCACCIA

What you'll need . . .

For the bread:

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (115 degrees F)
• 3 cups white or wheat flour (or a mix)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon rosemary

For the topping:

• 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/4 cup Olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Garlic, minced (however much you'd like to add)
• Spinach (fresh, but if you don't have any, you can just make a tomato focaccia)
• 1 egg (again, optional)
• Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast to taste

Method . . .

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Roast the tomatoes: First take canned tomatoes and slice them into thin rounds. Divide between two baking sheets, drizzle oil & salt on top.
3. Bake until tomatoes begin to shrivel and juice on the pan has reduced, about 45 minutes.
4. In the meantime, start making the dough: Dissolve yeast in warm water and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt, olive oil, rosemary, and then another cup of flour.
6. Then knead in the remaining flour for five minutes -- you may need to add more water depending, but you should have a smooth, elastic dough.
7. Spray a medium-sized bowl with nonstick cooking spray (or use your hand to coat it with oil) -- set dough in and turn to fully coat.
8. Cover and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 15 minutes.
9. When the tomatoes are done -- take them out of the oven to cool. Then generously brush another rimmed baking sheet with oil and set aside.
10. Increase oven temp. to 425 degrees F.
11. Take dough and place onto oiled baking sheet. Start flattening out & flip so that both sides are coated with oil.
12. Using lightly oiled hands, keep spreading the dough evenly, making sure it completely fills the sheet. The dough should be dimpled (from pressing with your fingertips) and full of bubbles.
13. Cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and let rise for 15 minutes.
14. Arrange tomatoes atop the dough. Add spinach, garlic, parmesan/nutritional yeast, etc.
15. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes -- rotating sheet halfway through.
16. Then add egg (if you wish) and bake for another 5 minutes or until the egg has set. If you bread begins to brown, cover with aluminum foil.

Blog Showcase :: 2009 ::




Do you read Method? I want to read YOUR blog (or view your website) -- and I'm hosting a Blog Showcase on Monday, Jan. 5, 2009. Simply visit THIS POST to find out how you can be included on the list. ALL sites will be featured (of course, this is a PG-ish rated blog, so keep that in mind).

Have a lovely day & don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!

As promised, today's recipe makes use of canned goods -- spinach and white beans, specifically. Even I was a bit wary as I opened the can of green slop . . . but this soup really does taste good. And it's worth a try -- as I believe the total cost for the meal (which serves four to five) came in around $3.50.

It has a great texture and color -- just make sure you rinse the spinach to get rid of that canned flavor.

(This next part is directly from the Popeye website)

Super Spinach Nutrition
It’s no wonder Popeye always received superhuman strength after eating spinach; it’s packed with nutrition:

• Popeye Canned Spinach is a great source of vitamin C and beta carotene—both potent antioxidants that can fight cancer and boost immunity.
• Canned spinach also contains calcium, iron, fiber, and vitamins A and K.
• Lutein, an antioxidant that helps to prevent cancer and age-related macular degeneration, is also found in canned spinach.
• You’ll also find folate in canned spinach. Folate is known to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and birth defects.
• Researchers have shown that at least 13 flavonoids in spinach may work to slow cell division in cancer.

SPINACH-WHITE BEAN SOUP

What you'll need . . .

• 27 ounce can of spinach
• 13 ounce can white beans
• 2 cups milk (I used soy)
• 1 tablespoon butter (I used Earth Balance)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (light on sodium -- this just gives the soup some flavor)
• 2 teaspoons powdered garlic
• Pepper (to taste)
• Parmesan cheese (to taste, and only if you want it/have it or use nutritional yeast)
  
• A blender or food processor

Method . . .

1. Lightly rinse spinach and beans.
2. Throw all ingredients (except garlic powder, pepper, and parmesan) into a large stock pot and cook on medium heat until butter has melted.
3. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth & fully incorporated.
4. Pour back into pot & add garlic powder, cheese, and pepper. Heat until warm and slightly bubbly.
5. Serve with more pepper.
   

Blog Showcase :: 2009 ::




Do you read Method? I want to read YOUR blog (or view your website) -- and I'm hosting a Blog Showcase on Monday, Jan. 5, 2009. Simply visit THIS POST to find out how you can be included on the list. ALL sites will be featured (of course, this is a PG-ish rated blog, so keep that in mind).

Have a lovely day & don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!

One of the main reasons I bake is because I crave sweets almost constantly. So, when a craving for peanut butter & chocolate (the most common of all) consumed me Sunday night, I made these cookies. They're a bit juvenile, so I think they're perfect for kids (and me) -- still a bit healthier than the usual, store-bought cut & bake kind, but with all the flavor.

And who wants all THIS in their cookie (from Nestle's Ultimates - Peanut Butter Lovers)?

SUGAR, BLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), PEANUT BUTTER FLAVORED MORSELS (SUGAR, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL AND PALM OILS, MILK AND NONFAT MILK, PEANUTS, PEANUT FLOUR, AND 2% OR LESS OF SOY LECITHIN, SALT, HYDROGENATED PALM OIL, ARTIFICIAL VANILLA FLAVORS), MARGARINE (PALM OIL, WATER, SUNFLOWER OIL, HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, SALT, VEGETABLE MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN, SODIUM BENZOATE, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, BETA CAROTENE COLOR, VITAMIN A PALMITATE ADDED), PEANUT BUTTER (PEANUTS, DEXTROSE, HYDROGENATED RAPESEED AND COTTONSEED OILS, SALT), WATER, EGGS, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, MOLASSES, SALT, CORNSTARCH, PEANUT BUTTER PASTE (PEANUTS, PEANUT FLOUR, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL OIL, SALT, HYDROGENATED PALM OIL), BAKING SODA, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, VANILLA EXTRACT, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES AND POLYSORBATE 60, VANILLIN - AN ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR

Not me, that's for sure. Convenient? Yes. Scary? Also yes.



PEANUT BUTTER CANDY COOKIES

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup extra crunchy peanut butter (I used a natural variety from Wegmans)
• 1 cup butter or Earth Balance (at room temp.)
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• m&ms
  
• Reece's peanut butter cups (I used some of the trees)

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream together peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time & then stir in the vanilla.
4. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder & gently fold these ingredients into the wet mixture.
5. Then mix in however many m&ms and Reece's peanut butter cups (cut into chunks the size of the m&ms) you want. I used about 3/4 cups m&ms and 4 Reece's trees.
6. Take heaping tablespoons of dough and roll between your palms to make 2-inch balls (& spread them 2 inches apart on a nonstick baking sheet).
7. Press each cookie with the tines of a fork.
8. Bake for 10 minutes & then transfer to a rack to cool.
9. Enjoy immediately.

Want to give these treats as gifts?

• Earlier this week, Marie over at Make and Takes posted instructions on how to fashion Cookie Dough Log Rolls that are absolutely perfect for gift-giving. The best part, as Marie describes, is that "They can be put in the fridge for a few days or frozen to pull out and bake up later. Yum! Homemade cookies anytime!"

• I also recently caught Paula Dean's "Cookie Swap" episode on the Food Network. David Bromstad (from HGTV's Color Splash) was a guest. Anyway, if you want to bake these up and give the finished product as a gift -- try to catch that episode, or follow these instructions: Get pretty take-out containers (you can find them at A.C. Moore and other craft stores, as well as online. Ribbon. Vellum. And other decorative accents. GO WILD. The only technical part is that you'll need to cut vellum sheets to serve as moisture barriers between the layers of cookies. Otherwise, it's all art.

Blog Showcase :: 2009 ::




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