Fun Fuel

If you're a Jack Johnson fan, when someone mentions pancakes then you probably start humming the tune for Banana Pancakes. Indeed, every time I make pancakes the song is playing in my mind. The lyrics make me smile as I, too, wish we could sleep in and pretend like it's the weekend. Brian can take down a healthy stack of pancakes. I, on the other hand, have never really been enthusiastic about pancakes, the Jack Johnson song aside. The old fashioned recipe laden with white flour, white sugar, milk and even lard seems so unimaginative. Add to that loads of butter and syrup and the whole mess becomes more than a bit unhealthy too. It certainly does not leave you feeling supercharged and ready to take on the day, more like checking out for a long nap...

To my delight and surprise, I recently tried a multigrain pancake recipe from The Runner's World Cookbook that left me feeling very energetic and also at peace with the ingredient list. The good news is that they weren't a flat, rubbery pile of whole wheat either. Thanks to an extensive list of batter and topping ideas in the book I was inspired to try mine twice-baked. I mixed leftover mashed potatoes, thyme and shredded cheddar cheese into the batter and was so happy with the delicious result! I made a giant batch so I could enjoy some hot off the skillet, and then freeze the rest for quick recovery snacks after running. I particularly appreciate those delicious recovery snacks! Both fast and easy, they are a nice alternative to some of the other snack foods available.

Eat the Rainbow

Eat a rainbow of produce each day, that is.  I feel like I've seen that advice in a dozen places recently, so maybe it is the latest catchy phrase in the health and nutrition industry.  Or maybe that advice has been given for many years and is recently enjoying a resurgence?  Either way, the point is that in order to maximize the nutrients in your diet you need to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, and selecting those options in many different hues will supply your body with a greater variety of nutrients.

Ever interested in excelling in all that I do, I took this advice to heart and started with a very colorful vegetable I'd never prepared before: beets.  Beets are an excellent source of phytonutrients that provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification support to your body.  Seemed like a good place to start in my opinion, and since I found an interesting recipe in my new cookbook I was all the more excited.  When I told my sister I was trying out a recipe from the cookbook she gave me, she excitedly asked which recipe.  Her enthusiasm wavered a bit when she heard the recipe that excited my interest was Braised Beets.  Thankfully she responded that as long as I was eager to try it, she was happy for me.  (I certainly have a very excellent sister!)  I braised the beets in my slow cooker with orange zest, freshly squeezed orange juice, rice vinegar, thyme and a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.  I was a little nervous by the vigorous smell of the vinegar, but I was not going to admit defeat even if the beets turned out rubbery and reminiscent of the slimy cold things you can get on a salad bar.

Something interesting I did not know about beets is they have concentric rings that are visible when you slice them across the middle.  Add that to their bright, beautiful color and at least they have visual appeal going for them.  I paired my braised beets with a tasty salad of arugula, walnuts, shaved Locatelli cheese and a fresh orange vinaigrette (how many colors of the rainbow am I up to at this point?!).  Alongside my veggies I served a skewer of grilled chicken.  Overall the chicken was a trusty, dependable sort of element, but the warm beets over the bed of orangey-dressed arugula was delectable! My mouth was so pleasantly surprised by how fresh and delicious each bite turned out to be.  The walnuts added a nutritious crunch and the Locatelli gave a hint of salt- Yum!  If this is what eating the rainbow is all about, count me in.

Magazine Treasures

People who know me know that I love food.  As a result, happy food surprises tend to come my way from time to time.  One such surprise was an issue of Everyday with Rachel Ray that contained an article on Lidia Bastianich.  I really love Lidia.  I have two of her cookbooks and so the opportunity to be inspired by new recipes and ideas made me excited.  In an article devoted to yummy sauces that deviate from the traditional Italian marinara, I found one for Almond Pesto Trapanese.  For most of you, making fresh pesto in February may not seem ideal due to the availability of high-quality fresh ingredients.  In the heart of winter with one cold weather event after another stopping in for a visit, you can't blame a girl for wanting to eat fresh food reminiscent of summer's bounty.   There is something about pesto that livens the senses and brings beautiful character to so many types of dishes.  This pesto is not your run of the mill basil, pine nut, garlic, parmesan, olive oil combo.  Rather than pine nuts, Lidia introduces almonds along with fresh cherry tomatoes.  And while my cherry tomatoes were not fresh from the Farmer's Market and my basil came from the produce section of the grocery store rather than my sister's bountiful summer plants, this sauce was a delightful breath of fresh air.  Despite the chill in the air, as I whirled the ingredients in my food processor my senses were happily transporting me to warm and wonderful.  You can find the pesto recipe here: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/13072_Lidia_Bastianich_s_Almond_Pesto_Trapanese_over_Seared_Chicken/index.html

The article suggests searing chicken breasts and serving the sauce over it, but since I was already so enamored with the sauce I decided pasta would kick up the comfort food rating another notch.  I did incorporate chicken- I poached it, shredded it and then added it in with some lightly sauteing fresh mushrooms and red bell peppers.  I added fresh broccoli florets in with the whole wheat pasta shells during the last minute of cooking and saved some of the pasta water before draining.  After draining, I returned the pasta and broccoli to the pot and stirred in the chicken-mushroom saute followed by the pesto.  It needed just a bit of the cooking water to make it more fluid in the pan.  I topped it off with more sliced basil and freshly grated Locatelli cheese.  Comforting and also refreshing.  A little ray of sunshine on a gray winter day.

  

Cookie Make-over

I'm a runner.  I'm probably not as good as I could be because training tends to be inconsistent no matter how careful my planning is.  One aspect of my training that I take very seriously however, is fuel.  If you put garbage in the tank then your performance is going to suffer.  An avid Runner's World reader, I was excited to read the Baked Goodies article in the February 2014 issue because even though good fuel is extremely important to me, sweet treats satisfy on a deeper level.  Old fashioned oatmeal raisin cookies, so wonderful with their buttery, brown-sugary goodness, seem like a challenging classic to reinvent in a healthy way but I decided to give the Lemony Almond-Oat Cookies a try.   The recipe, along with the other four dessert make-overs in the article, can be found on the Runner's World website: http://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-for-runners/healthy-dessert-makeovers.

The ingredient list certainly has a promising sound to it- oats, almond meal, flaxseed, honey, applesauce!  There is no oil or refined white sugar, and the traditional oatmeal cookie recipe's two sticks of butter is reduced to only three tablespoons. The smell of the batter is quite delicious and since there is no raw egg, it's okay to go ahead and lick the spoon!  Baking the cookies for the recommended 14 minutes resulted in a treat more like a soft granola bar than a cookie.  Even so, you'll find no disappointment here because the taste of the lemon zest, oats, almonds and tart cherries is outstanding.  What a delicious way to eat your daily nutrients and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time.  

Snow Day

Maybe you remember being a kid and the ridiculously frenzied excitement you felt because school was cancelled due to a SNOW day!  What could be better?  Christmas morning maybe.  You raced to the window wide-eyed to get a glimpse of the white wonder that kept you from trudging through another day of classes and could not bundle up fast enough to get outside to play.  Play!  What a wonderful thing.  You played until you were completely spent, and then you came inside for some hot chocolate.  I used to put my wet hat, mittens, scarf, etc on the radiator to dry.  It was nice and toasty for when I got my second wind and headed back out the door for more play time.  At my house snow play almost always meant sledding down our hill, an activity that was absolutely thrilling and tiring at the same time.

Today as I face a snow day, my heart is warm from the fond memories.  I kicked things off with a toasty cup of Earl Grey.  Brian and I then set off on a wintry walk up to Mount Trashmore (yes, a mountain made of trash, turned into a recreational park).  It's fun to explore the neighborhood and see what your immediate world is like all blanketed in white.  The snow makes everything seem so peaceful and quiet.  Along the way we encountered people out shoveling driveways, playing in snow drifts and exploring just like us.  The lake appeared pristine with its layer of ice and frost on top.  Workers were patrolling the park to ensure no one attempted to sled down the hill, a pity.

As we made our way back we observed a fair share of folks attempting to cruise around in vehicles. There's nothing like a good layer of ice and snow on the road to test drivers whose skills are mediocre in the best of conditions.  All that walking worked up an appetite and consequently, a good nap.  When we came to, we decided to tackle our own driveway so when our glorious snow day came to an end we'd be able to join the ranks of vehicles sliding around on the ice.  Shoveling was hard work but we managed to sneak in some fun.  The light, feathery snow was not really great for making snowballs but we tried anyway.  I laid back in the snow to make a snow angel, one of my favorite snow activities.  It's an easy vantage point for appreciating the stillness.

After an active day out in the snow, a body begs for something warm and comforting for dinner.  A steaming pot of Power Potato Chowder, a recipe I clipped out of a fitness-type magazine many years ago, was just the ticket.  Potatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, broccoli, cannellini beans, onions, garlic, lean baked ham and fresh parsley.  Mmmm...definitely a powerhouse of ingredients to recharge your batteries and keep winter's chill at bay.  

Savory Bread Pudding

There is something intensely satisfying about a savory bread pudding.  While it bears some similarity to a breakfast casserole, this dish makes a sophisticated dinner when paired with a mixed greens salad and full-bodied glass of wine.  The bread takes the spotlight here, so selecting something with strong flavors and a nice sturdy construction is important.  I generally opt for the multi-grain seeded bread full of delicious things like pumpkin and sunflower seeds that I found at Whole Foods, mmm.  Today a trip to Whole Foods was not on the agenda however, so I decided to branch out and try something new.  I bought two demi loaves- one with an assortment of seeds like sesame and poppyseed, and one with asiago cheese.  I decided to try a mix of the two.  My taste buds were not disappointed!  Aside from the amazing bread that takes center stage, the remaining ingredients are fairly humble.  Your favorite ham, diced into bite-sized pieces, cheddar cheese, milk, sliced green onions, a bit of chicken broth, a dash of black pepper and eggs.  One of the secrets is toasting the bread cubes prior to mixing with the wet ingredients as it helps them maintain their shape.  When the final dish comes out of the oven the top should be golden and crisp. Such a simple weeknight meal, yet it feels very special.

Pretzelicious

I do not have a lot of experience making breads from scratch, but with an Oktoberfest party on the calendar, I thought what better dish to bring than pretzel bread?!  It seems to be all the rage right now- restaurants are advertising nearly every type of sandwich imaginable on pretzel bread- but honestly it has always been a special favorite of mine. The only problem: I don't know how to make it.  Small problem.  That is what the internet is for, right?  I asked the internet...and it led me to a tasty recipe called Mike's Signature Pretzel Bread (http://twobites.wordpress.com/2007/07/13/signature-pretzel-bread/).  I read several other recipes as well, comparing notes and ingredients, but settled on Mike's.  The ingredient list was not intimidating and the process seemed straightforward enough.  

It didn't occur to me until I was well into the process that I should snap some photos along the way.  After allowing the yeast to activate and mixing in the flour, the dough gets to rest for 30 minutes.  The next stage is kneading the dough (I did it by hand) until it becomes elastic and satiny, and then it gets to rest for one hour.  I was excited to see how large my little ball of dough grew as it rested!

The dough grew so large it raised the towel in the center!

The risen dough unveiled.

I giggled when I read the next step in the instructions: gently degas the dough.  Hehe! After my chuckle I wondered if there was some special technique to degassing the dough, but it sort of naturally happened when I slid the dough out of the bowl.  When shaping the dough, I opted for a  traditional bread round, but you can make any shape your heart desires.  The next step is where the real fun begins.  It's like trying that baking soda volcano science experiment all over again!  The bread rounds take a quick dip in a baking soda bath.

One bread round bathing in the baking soda water.

(If you like playing with gas, this really is the recipe for you.)  After their bath, the dough gets a nice sprinkling of kosher salt before heading into the oven to bake.

Oven-ready dough marked with an X on top and dusted with kosher salt.

Although I enjoyed watching the yeast come alive, kneading the dough until it was shiny and elastic, watching it rise, and playing with gases, I believe my favorite part is the amazing aroma that started drifting through the house as the pretzel bread baked in the oven.  Yum!  I was also pleasantly surprised with how good the bread tasted.  It had the perfect texture- like a big soft pretzel inside and deliciously salty crust outside.  I'm grateful it turned out well and that my friends at the Oktoberfest party were enthusiastic about eating it.  It was a delightful accompaniment to the grilled brats and stew.  It's definitely something to make again, and maybe next time experiment with different shapes.  Maybe perfectly sized "hot dog" rolls for my brats.  Mmmm....

Finished pretzel bread.

A Nod to Greece

While summer produce was at its height, I was fortunate to receive some plump yellow squash from my neighbor.  Though there are many delightful ways to make squash, I was drawn to a recipe for Greek Stuffed Zucchini in my Moosewood Restaurant New Classics cookbook.  I know the difference between zucchini and yellow squash, but hey roll with what you've got, and when it comes down to it the two are incredibly similar. The squash gets roasted in the oven with a bit of sherry to soften it up a bit.  Meanwhile an aromatic cinnamon tomato sauce is prepared to accompany the stuffed squash.  I've never made this type of tomato sauce and was a bit skeptical at first, but the fragrance and incredible taste won me over quickly.  The filling for the squash is toasted walnuts, golden raisins, brown rice, feta, onion, garlic and fresh parsley.  What a winning combination!  Hats off to the cooks at Moosewood for coming up with this delicious meal.  And now that summer has passed, I will enjoy fall and all its warm soups and pumpkin-spiced things, but part of me will be keeping track of the time and looking forward to another fresh squash harvest.

Drop me a line if you'd like more details about making this dish.

Grainy Casserole

Casserole.  The word brings images to mind of a woman dressed like June Cleaver in the 1950's wearing pearls and a fancy apron, waltzing around the kitchen as she whips up a tasty dish for her husband and children.  With that in mind, you may be disappointed to learn that during my casserole-making experience today I was wearing jeans and a Beatles t-shirt.  No pearls.  No fancy apron, well I have one, but forgot to pull it out of the pantry! Despite my less than classical attire, making the dish had a similar feeling of comfort, like a peaceful time gone by when folks still said things like, "Golly gee whiz!"

Making this casserole is fairly simple, but it tastes great and leaves you feeling very satisfied.  Modify the cream of mushroom soup and sour cream additions to suit your dietary considerations.  I love the flavor of the roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup. It smells wonderful as the casserole is bubbling away in the oven. You'll know it's done when the cheese reaches your favorite level of crispness, or gooeyness if that is what you prefer.  I like crispy cheese and will certainly fight you for a corner piece of most baked things!!

Comfort and Warmth

One of my favorite things about fall is soup.  When the temperature starts to dip down, soup warms you from the inside.  It's such a comforting feeling.  One of my go-to favorites is lentil soup.  I love it.  As a kid I really loved it when my parents would put on a pot of lentil soup because the aroma wafted around the house.  I could not wait until dinner time so I could dig in and enjoy!

I came across a recipe for Lentil and Broccoli Soup in my cookbook, Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen. As many of you know, I am huge fan of Lidia Matticchio Bastianich.  I am always pleased with the results when I make a recipe from one of her books or TV shows.  I'm happy to report that my experience with this soup was no less wonderful.  Something unique in the recipe, cooking the peeled and diced broccoli stalks with the lentils, is such a wonderful way to use up all of the broccoli parts and add delicious flavor to the soup.  I will make that addition to lentil soup from here on out.  The broccoli florets go in nearer the end of cooking so they remain a brighter green for serving.  In addition to the recipe ingredients of lentils, potatoes and broccoli, I added shredded carrots and some diced black forest ham.  Having the delicious aroma drifting around the house made me feel cozy and warm.