Whole Wheat Honey Applesauce Muffins

We needed a snack for a group in a hurry today, these were quick and easy to put together, and delicious.

Whole Wheat Applesauce Spice Muffins
Yields: 12 Muffins 24 mini-muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup unsweetened applesauce


Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease muffin pan or place muffin liners. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a large bowl, set aside. Melt honey in a med bowl.  Whisk in eggs, honey, and applesauce until combined well.  Then fold in flour mixture until flour is just moistened. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until muffins are puffed and golden brown, about 18-20 minutes (13 for minis).  Adapted from this recipe.

Pancakes

We've tried a lot of different pancake recipes, but finally found one we really like.  It's a recipe for "Good Old Fashioned Pancakes," which sounds just about right.

Old Fashioned Pancake Recipe
 
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix together just until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Flip when bubbles begin to pop around the edges and start to look dry. Cook until browned on second side. Serve hot.

Makes 12 pancakes.  

* * * This picture shows Jeremy's version with wheat flour--substituting whole wheat flour for 1/2 cup of the flour, and substituting brown sugar for white. 

Sweet Potato Stuffed Shells

I saw a recipe for butternut squash stuffed pasts shells.  I had sweet potatoes in the house and since the recipe referenced an original version with sweet potato instead, that's what I made.  But I'm sure I'll make it again with butternut squash, because it was very good. I also swapped out the frozen spinach for fresh chard from my garden. 


Sweet Potato Stuffed Shells
1 large sweet potato, (about 2 cups cubed)
6 oz (18-20) jumbo pasta shells
15 oz of ricotta cheese (about 2 cups)
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg
5 large leaves of Swiss chard, about 3-4 cups chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
5-10 sage leaves
olive oil

Peel sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch pieces.  Toss in olive oil and a pinch of salt.  Roast in 425F oven for 15-20 minutes--until easily pierced with a fork. 

Cook jumbo pasta shells according to directions.

Chop Swiss chard into 1/2 inch pieces. Saute in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, until wilted.

In a bowl add ricotta and egg, stir together until smooth.  Add grated cheeses, chard and roasted squash, stir to combine.

Stuff the shells with the mixture and place in a 9x13 baking dish.  Season with salt and pepper.

In a saucepan heat 1/2 cup butter.  Add sage leaves until crisp.  remove leaves and crumble over shells.  Stir butter gently until it begins to brown.  Remove from heat, pour over shells in baking dish.   

Place dish in a 400F oven around 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Honey Ice Cream

I mentioned I was reading Keeping Bees with Ashley English. Well, my boys couldn't help but be excited about all the bee books around, and Jonas found the recipe for Honey Ice Cream in the recipe section of her book. He wouldn't let us forget about it, so this week we made a batch of backyard honey ice cream.



It was absolutely delicious, as homemade ice cream always is. And it is made with only natural ingredients and honey as the only sweetener. I love when food can be so real, and so delicious.



Honey Ice Cream Recipe:
2 cups milk
2/3 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla

  Note: This is a custard-type ice cream which uses eggs, the eggs are heated on the stove top and need to be chilled completely before attempting to freeze into ice cream, so prepare the mixture in the morning, or the night before you want to freeze it.

Heat the milk over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes. Whisk in the honey and salt. Beat the two eggs in a small bowl. Temper the eggs by slowly pouring 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the eggs while quickly stirring. Once they are mixed together you can pour the eggs mixture into the pot of milk without the eggs curdling. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.

Allow mixture to cool completely. Then chill thoroughly, 8-12 hours.

Prepare ice cream freezer. Pour in milk mixture, vanilla and cream. Freeze according to the directions for your ice cream maker.

Ice cream always comes out of the mixer a bit of a soft-serve consistency, if you prefer harder ice cream, transfer to a chilled freezer-proof container and freeze four hours to harden.

Enjoy!

October Bento

Happy First of October!

Peanut butter Pumpkin sandwich.  A ghost egg with nori eyes.  Mozzarella moons.  Sweet pepper pumpkins atop black olive fence posts on a bed of spooky orange carrot sticks.

Mayonnaise Recipe

Homemade Mayonnaise may just be too "out there" for some people. But I really love that feeling of knowing how to do something myself--even if I don't always choose to actually do it myself.

When you make this yourself you can control the type of oil you are using--that's a big bonus.

Homemade mayonnaise would be necessary for making the homemade ranch dressing entirely from scratch. We've also been making a homemade tartar sauce from scratch using mayonnaise--yumm!

This is a Martha recipe and she says:Note: Raw eggs should not be used in food prepared for pregnant women, babies, young children, the elderly, or anyone whose health is compromised.

Alton Brown would say: If you are worried about it just buy pasteurized eggs.

Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe

Makes 1 cup

1 large egg, room temperature
Salt
1/4 cup mild-tasting oil
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon


Wrap the outside and bottom of a 1-quart bowl in a damp towel to secure it in place on the work surface. Combine egg and salt with a large balloon whisk, mixing until foamy and pale. (Or do it in a mixer with the whisk attachment.) Whisking constantly, add oils a few drops at a time, and then in a steady stream as the mixture emulsifies. Add lemon juice; blend briefly. Add additional salt and lemon juice to taste. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Eggs for Breakfast

I thought I'd pass on our favorite ways to eat eggs for breakfast.  Everyone knows about the three ways IHOP serves eggs: scrambled, over-easy, or sunny-side up.  But it's nice to have a little more variety than that. 

My boys love using our eggs to make "cowboy toast."  I've heard this delicious food go by a few other names, but since I'm from Arizona I prefer the nod to The West given by the name cowboy toast.

You're going to need an egg, a slice of bread, butter, and salt and pepper. 

 

Start by cutting a void from your piece of bread.  A circle is the simplest, and you can't use any really crazy cookie cutters, but most basic geometric shapes work pretty well.

Butter a griddle or frying pan, lay down the toast, and crack your egg in the middle.  Season with salt and pepper, wait until the white starts to look milky in the middle, then give it a flip.  Cook to your desired done-ness.  

Meanwhile pop the extra toast shapes in the toaster.  Plate them up with the cowboy toast and eat up before it get's cold!

As for the grown-ups.  We have discovered the joy of soft-boiled eggs.

Smooth, creamy and delicious!  Go ahead-try it.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Dinner in a pumpkin is a longstanding fall tradition from my own childhood. We loved it as kids, what's not to love about baking a pumpkin whole in the oven?! I made it throughout college as well, introducing Jeremy to the tradition, so we've continued to make it every year since.

Pumpkin has a nice mild flavor, like many of the other winter squashes. You'll probably get the most preferred taste by buying a "pie pumpkin" or "sugar pumpkin." These are smaller pumpkins that are bred for flavor (as opposed to size like jack-o-lanterns) and these days can be found in most supermarkets. Look for a big one so your whole family can be fed. I was able to find one with about a 6 inch diameter.

First put the dad and children in charge of cutting a wide lid off the pumpkin, and cleaning out the seeds.

Preheat oven to 350°. Put 2 T. oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat and add 2 cloves minced garlic, and 1 pound ground beef. Brown the beef.

Next I added 1 small green pepper, chopped (mine was red and green) and ¼ C Finely chopped onion. Add remaining ingredients: 1/2 (15oz) can tomato sauce, 2 eggs, beaten, 1/4 C chopped stuffed green olives, 1/3 C raisins.

Add the seasonings 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp white vinegar, 1/2 tsp ground pepper and 1 ½ tsp salt, then cook until green pepper is tender.

Scoop meat mixture into the middle of the pumpkin and place the lid back on. I also added the rest of the can of tomato sauce since there was room.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour, until squash is soft. You should be able to insert a "butter knife" in the squash easily. I place it on baking sheet to catch any dribbles.

The skin takes on a nice dark color. Serve whole on the table for an instant centerpiece.

To serve scoop some squash with the meat mixture. Look at that pretty delicious squash! I love this dish the sweetness of the raisins against the briny tangy-ness of the olives, the hearty addition of the ground beef aside the smooth clean taste of the pumpkin. Give it a try!

Dinner in a Pumpkin

1 large pie pumpkin

2 T. oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 lb ground beef

1 small green pepper
¼ C finely chopped onion
1/2 (15oz) can tomato sauce
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 C chopped stuffed green olives
1/3 C raisins

1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 ½ tsp salt

Cut a wide lid off the pumpkin, and clean out the seeds.

Preheat oven to 350°. Put 2 T. oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat and add 2 cloves minced garlic, and 1 pound ground beef. Brown the beef.

Add 1 small green pepper, chopped and ¼ C Finely chopped onion. Add remaining ingredients and the seasonings, then cook until green pepper is tender.

Scoop meat mixture into the middle of the pumpkin and place the lid back on.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour, until squash is soft. You should be able to insert a "butter knife" in the squash easily.

To serve scoop some squash with the meat mixture. Serves 6

Lemonade Stand Pie

I made a pie this weekend as a part of the "You Want Pies With That?" challenge. The theme for this month a Taste of Summer pie. I decided that nothing reminds me of those idyllic summer days than a good old fashioned lemonade stand. One that is run by a blond little girl wearing gingham and pigtails. And there is a sprinkler running on the lawn behind her. And some other neighborhood kids are playing with sidewalk chalk and jump ropes nearby. . .

So wrapping all those images into one delicious bite. . . here is my Lemonade Stand Pie


This recipe is adapted from Martha.

Wash a lemon and cut crosswise into thin slices using a mandoline. Remove any seeds and discard. Remove peel and pith of 2 more lemons and discard. Slice lemon flesh crosswise into very thin slices. Remove seeds and discard; add to a bowl with other lemon slices. Add 3 cups sugar and toss well to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let mixture stand overnight, stirring occasionally.


The next day, make a double pie crust recipe of your choice, adding in 2 tablespoons lemon zest.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 piece of crust into a 13-inch round. Fit dough into a 10-inch pie plate, pressing it into the edges; refrigerate 15 minutes.

Add 1/8 teaspoon salt and 7 whole eggs to lemon mixture; stir until well combined. Pour into chilled pie crust.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll remaining piece of crust into a 13-inch round. Slice vents liberally into the crust. Place over filling and crimp edges to seal. Brush top of crust with 1 egg white.

Transfer pie to oven and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue until crust is golden brown and shiny, about 30 minutes.


This pie has a lemony custard-like filling that is very powerfully lemon. It's not sour or tart, but simply lemon. And simply delicious to those that are a fan!

Lemonade Stand Pie

3 lemons
3 cups sugar
1/8 tsp salt
7 eggs
double pie crust

Wash a lemon and cut crosswise into thin slices using a mandoline. Remove any seeds and discard.  Remove peel and pith of 2 more lemons and discard (Reserve 2 tablespoons of zest for crust). Slice lemon flesh crosswise into very thin slices. Remove seeds and discard; add to a bowl with other lemon slices. Add 3 cups sugar and toss well to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let mixture stand overnight, stirring occasionally.

The next day, make a double pie crust recipe of your choice, adding in 2 tablespoons lemon zest.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 piece of crust into a 13-inch round. Fit dough into a 10-inch pie plate, pressing it into the edges; refrigerate 15 minutes.

Add 1/8 teaspoon salt and 7 whole eggs to lemon mixture; stir until well combined. Pour into chilled pie crust.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll remaining piece of crust into a 13-inch round. Slice vents liberally into the crust. Place over filling and crimp edges to seal. Brush top of crust with 1 egg white.

Transfer pie to oven and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue until crust is golden brown and shiny, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!