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Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Not going to lie...I have forgotten how to blog.

But, this recipe was worth jotting down really quickly, because I do love a good muffin. And these ones might even be worthy of the label "healthy" (depending on your crowd). Muffin win.

Adapted from King Arthur Flour 100% Whole Wheat Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread

4 large eggs

1 c. vegetable oil

2/3 c. honey

2/3 c. brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. whole wheat flour

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini (about 1 1/2 large)
2 c. chocolate chips
1 c. chopped roasted almonds, optional
2-4 T. raw sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F; prepare 24 muffin cups with muffin liners.
2. In mixer bowl, beat eggs, honey, oil, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon until well combined.
4. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until evenly combined.
5. Add in the zucchini, chocolate chips and chopped nuts and mix until just combined.
6. Scoop in heaping 1/4 c. spoonfuls (I use my 1/4 c. ice cream scoop) into muffin liners. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with a little bit of raw sugar.
7. Bake for 25-28 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Cool for 10 minutes before turning muffins onto a cooling rack. Cool muffins completely.

Yield: 24 muffins

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

My new favorite crave: Chicken Basil Havarti Sandwhich

Ingredients:
Sour Dough French Bread
Bacon Blue Cheese Lite House Dressing and Dip
Havarti cheese
Left over or fresh grilled chicken (I used left over costco rotiserry chicken meat. Mmmm.)
Sliced Tomato
A few leafs of fresh basil
Sliced avacodo
Either lettuce, or green sprouts
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Butter one side of the bread place on heated skillet. Smear Light house dressing on the other side of the bread and layer ingredients in the order listed above, and bite in and enjoy. Mmmmm. It's so good. I've had it twice already this week.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Hoisin Sauce and Easy Meal Nirvana, Or...A Lot of Build Up for One Silly Little Sauce

I know, coming back to a blog that you haven't touched in years can send the few readers who may have linked a subscription up years ago into a serious moment of head scratching, thinking, "what blog is this again?" But I had a food moment in my kitchen tonight that was a virtual Davis kitchen breakthrough, and for my own recipe file, this one is getting blogged about.

This week, when I thought and planned out menus, I was experiencing some serious recipe doldrums. I couldn't think of a single thing to cook that I hadn't already made at least once (probably twice) in the last month. But some beautiful bibb lettuce at the grocery store called to me, and the doldrums crumbled away as memories of Asian Lettuce Wraps emerged from a deep, deep slumber. The recipe is from my favorite foodie friend Lynnette's blog. I like to say that I've had exactly two cooking experiences in my life: cooking before I knew Lynnette, and cooking after I knew her. That's just the way it is. Anyhow...

I was a few ingredients short for dinner, so Briggy and I took a quick walk to the corner market to pick up scallions and hoisin sauce. I love the corner market by my house, but the supply of Chinese ingredients was limited to soy sauce, low sodium soy sauce and teriyaki sauce (perhaps that's not Chinese?). Fortunately, a quick search for hoisin sauces on my phone promised me that I could make it on my own, that it would be easy peasy, and that I'd like it better than store bought hoisin. Plus, all the needed ingredients were at home in my own kitchen. Hmmm...I don't have to spend $4.50 on a 7 ounce bottle of sauce? Maybe I will buy that ridiculously expensive organic, humanely processed ground chicken after all!

Ring me up, Briggy. I'm sold!

Yes, yes, that's the breakthrough I was talking about. But, not just the sauce--the combination of the whole meal. It was so easy, that I was done with the main dish before the rice had even cooked. I promise. Little lie: I had made peanut sauce for dinner the night before.

Super Easy Breakthrough Hoisin Sauce
Adapted from a "hoisin sauce recipe" google search. (Oh, alright, food.com.)

Ingredients:
1/2 c. soy sauce
2-3 T. peanut butter, creamy
1 T. honey
2 T. molasses
1 T. white vinegar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion flakes
1 T. plus 1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. sriracha sauce
black pepper to taste

Blend all the ingredients together until the sauce is well emulsified. Give the sauce a taste and adjust according to your desires. I upped the honey after first adding about a teaspoon, but I like it sweet. You can definitely add more sriracha if the eaters in your home can handle a little more heat.

Add to your favorite Chinese dish. Refrigerate leftover sauce. Enjoy!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

French Bread

A warm loaf of french bread is always a welcome sight at the dinner table. And this one is so easy, you might just find yourself making it weekly. The leftover loaf makes delicious french toast in the morning, or sandwiches in the afternoon, or snacks after school...

(Adapted from an old ward cookbook.)

Ingredients:

6 c. bread flour (AP flour if you don't have bread flour)

2 1/2 c. water

1/3 c. oil

3 T. sugar

2 T. yeast

1 T. salt

In the bowl of your mixer, combine water, sugar and yeast.

Bread making hint one: Make sure your water is hot enough to activate the yeast, but not too hot. I go for about 110º, which, in my kitchen, is hot tap water + 20 seconds in the microwave. And I always measure—though I may forget the salt, or do a major over rise, I don't sit around frustrated, waiting for my dough to rise anymore. And Christmas is coming, and this makes a great stocking stuffer.

Let the yeast mixture get happy in the bowl for about 5 minutes. You'll know it's really happy when it looks like this.

Add 3 c. of the flour, and mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add the oil and salt and mix until well combined. Add the remaining 3 c. of flour and mix until the dough reaches an even consistency. This is a fairly wet dough, but I usually add another 1/2 c. of flour and then set my mixer on mix on medium-low speed for about 8 minutes.

With dough hook still on and dough in the mixer, set a timer for 10 minutes. Let the dough rise in the bowl, and when the timer beeps, turn on the mixer for just a few seconds to punch down the dough. Repeat this step 5 more times, at 10 minute intervals, for a total rise/punch series of one hour.

After the last 10 minutes, without punching the dough down, gently remove the dough hook and transfer the dough to a floured surface. With floured fingers, tenderly push the dough into a long rectangle and using a knife or bench scraper, divide the dough in half.

Bread making hint two: If your kids want to pool their money in and buy you a Christmas gift, here's a little kitchen tool that I wish I hadn't waited so long to bring home to my kitchen. It's my number two kitchen tool when making bread, right next to my KitchenAid.

Bread making hint three: Four years ago, at the recommendation of this baker, I bought a box of 1000 parchment papers. I cut them in half a few at a time, keep them with my trays, and use them ALL the time. I can't imagine living without them. It was kind of a painful $40 investment, but now, knowing how much I love and use them, I can tell you I would easily pay twice that price to keep having them around. If you live in Connecticut, you can find them here. If you don't live in Connecticut, I've got no help for you, but find them if you can.

Form each portion of dough into a long rectangle and roll into a loaf shape. Place the loaves seam side down, side by side on a parchment lined baking sheet. Using your bench scraper or knife, cut slits into the top of the loaf. If you like to get fancy, you can brush the loaves with an egg wash or butter, but I'm pretty utilitarian, and I just pop it into the oven at 400º for about 25 minutes, until dark golden brown. You might think it's getting too dark, but it's not. Most likely, light golden brown will be underbaked.

To boost our protein a little, I often add up to 3 cups of whole wheat flour, substitute honey for the sugar, and then eat an extra piece because it's so healthy!

French Bread

Ingredients:

6 c. bread flour

2 1/2 c. water

1/3 c. oil

3 T. sugar

2 T. yeast

1 T. salt

In the bowl of your mixer, combine water, sugar and yeast. Let the yeast mixture get happy in the bowl for about 5 minutes. Add 3 c. of the flour, and mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add the oil and salt and mix until well combined. Add the remaining 3 c. of flour and mix until the dough reaches an even consistency. This is a fairly wet dough, but I usually add another 1/2 c. of flour and then set my mixer on mix on medium-low speed for about 8 minutes.

Form each half into a long rectangle and roll into a loaf shape. Place the loaves seam side down, side by side on a parchment lined baking sheet. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut slits into the top of the loaf. If you like to get fancy, you can brush the loaves with an egg wash or butter, but I'm pretty utilitarian, and I just pop it into the oven at 400º for about 25 minutes, until dark golden brown. You might think it's getting too dark, but it's not. Most likely, light golden brown will be under baked.

To boost our protein a little, I often add up to 3 cups of whole wheat flour, substitute honey for the sugar, and then eat an extra piece because it's so healthy!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Big Ole Cinnamon Roll

My Minnesota brother, Drew, emailed me a few weeks ago saying that he needed a "dang good" recipe for cinnamon rolls. So, I sent him this one, which I found in an old Edgemont 14th Ward cookbook. I've been using and adapting for the last few years. It's not perfected--but cinnamon rolls can be far from perfect and still be enjoyed, right?

Drew even sent me a picture of their rolls (see above). Since he supplied the picture, and the recipe is all typed out, I thought I'd share it with you.

1/2 c. butter

2 c. milk

1/2 c. warm water (at least 110°)

1/2 c. sugar

2 Tb. yeast

2 eggs

3 cups bread flour

3 cups all purpose flour plus up to 1 cup extra flour to get a smooth dough consistency

(If you don't have bread flour, all purpose will work fine. but you should make the investment. It's changed my bread making life.)

1 Tb. salt

Microwave butter and milk for 2 minutes in a glass measuring cup.

Mix water, sugar and yeast and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs until foamy with whisk attachment.

Switch to the dough hook and add salt to butter and milk. Add cooled butter mixture to eggs, then add the yeast mixture. With mixer on low speed, add flour 1 cup at a time until you reach a smooth, elastic consistency. Knead with mixer on low for about 6-8 minutes. Cover with a wet tea towel until doubled in size (about an hour). Punch dough down and let it rise again (another 45min-hour). Roll dough onto a generously floured dish towel (a tea towel works great and is the perfect size). Spread 1/2 c. melted butter over dough (I sometimes cut back, but I usually regret doing so). Sprinkle with 1 cup sugar and 1/4 c. cinnamon. Roll into a tight log starting at one long end and working towards the other. Cut into slices with string or with a knife. Put into prepared pans and let rise until double. I usually get about (4) 8" round pans out of this. Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes.

Frosting:

4 T. butter

4 oz. cream cheese

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c. milk

P.S. Drew emailed me again after making a second batch and said that they actually double the frosting recipe (these rolls are huge), obviously, doubling the goodness. Not a bad idea. Looks like he added some chopped walnuts with the sugar and cinnamon which could only improve the cinnamon roll experience.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

A Davis Household Favorite--Multigrain Bread, 10 Pictures Included!

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

And posted, f i n a l l y, for Jess.

This recipe is pretty time intensive. So, I like to start it in the morning on a busy house work day, like laundry day, or the day after laundry day (which is sit-around-and-recover-from-laundry day ~~reading~~ hanging out on facebook). Either way--start to finish, you're looking at at least 4 hours, with plenty of opportunities to squeeze in life between steps. Also, a great activity when your kid stays home "sick" but you know they aren't really sick (notice my helper, Whitney, in the pictures).

Makes 4 loaves of multigrain bread. If you've got a mixer with less than 5 quart capacity, I'd recommend splitting the recipe in half and making 2 loaves.

2.5 cups seven-grain hot cereal mix (I buy mine in the bulk foods section at Whole Foods)

5 cups boiling water

6 cups bread flour (you can use ap but bread flour is better)

3 cups whole wheat flour

1/3 cup sugar or 1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup canola oil

2 T. yeast

2 T. salt

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (optional)

1. Add the boiling water to the cereal mix in the bowl of your mixer. If your house is quite cool, you may want to do this step in a warm oven. Stir occasionally, and let sit about 1 hour, or until the mixture reaches no less than 105°. If your water gets cooler than 105°, you will have trouble activating your yeast. But, if it doesn't soak for about an hour, your grain won't soften enough. It's not nearly as tricky as I'm making it sound. If you don't like getting technical, just go an hour with your mixture sitting in the warmest place in your kitchen and it will be fine (probably).

2. While cereal mixture sits, combine your flours in a separate bowl. Once the cereal mixture has cooled (to no less than 105°, remember), stir in the sugar (or honey), yeast, and oil. With dough hook attached, turn your mixer on to low speed and add in flours one cup at a time. Knead on low 2 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 20 minutes for autolyse to take place (enzymatic breakdown of flour cells before the salt is added which adds lift, tenderness and gluten enhancement to your dough. If you want to get more technical than that, may I direct you to google?).

3. Add the salt, knead on low speed (I set my mixer on 2) until the dough clears the sides of the bowl, about 8 minutes. If the dough seems really sticky, add a few additional tablespoons of flour.

Cover the dough with a damp dish towel and allow to rise until doubled in size (about an hour).

4. Spray 4 loaf pans (8 1/2 x 5 1/2) with vegetable oil spray. Punch down your dough and turn it onto a floured work surface. Form the dough into a ball, then divide into 4 even portions.

Pound each portion into a flat, rectangular shape. Starting at a short end, roll the dough tightly into a log, sealing at the seam by pinching the dough between your fingers.

5. Lightly wet the top of each loaf and roll in oats to coat them evenly. Place oat tops up, seam sides down into your bread pans. Cover loosely with a slightly dampened towel, and allow to rise until almost double in size (approx. 45 minutes) or until the loaves are "peeking" above the pan. Don't forget to turn your oven on about mid-rise, to 350°.

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until loaves are nicely browned and an irresistible bread smell has permeated your entire home. Cool on a wire rack.

These loaves freeze well, and I PROMISE, they are worth all the work. This recipe is not worth being intimidated by. Give it a try. I think you'll be glad that you did.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Paremesan-Roasted Butternut Squash- My new favorite dish.

This is SERIOUSLY the best thing I've tasted since my Momma's terriyaki salmon. But, how could it not be delicious when its cooked in cream and drowned in Parmesan cheese?

This little side dish doesn't have to be a side dish at all since its so rich. We had it with a chicken salad and homemade whole wheat bread. Mmmmm. . . I'm telling you de-li-CIOUS. I can't wait to make it again.

Parmesan-Roasted Butternut Squash

21/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
¾ cup heavy cream
3 sage leaves (I didn’t have leaves, just powder and I just used about 1/3 teaspoon)
2/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiono

Preheat Oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Toss squash with cream, sage, 1 tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper in a 2-quart shallow baking dish (I used a three-quart and it worked great). Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Stir in half of cheese and sprinkle remainder on top. Roast, uncovered, until squash is tender and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving (cream will thicken).