Blueberry-Lemon Spelt Scones

   



We've started a new tradition in our house. Saturday mornings are now spent in the kitchen baking, just my three year old and I. He has so much fun helping with the measuring and stirring, plus it gets him special one-on-one time with me. And I really enjoy sharing with Beckett this hobby I've only recently come to love myself. It's crazy to me that I used to not even like to bake only a couple years ago, and now I keep five different types of flour on hand.

Currently my favorite flour to bake with is spelt. I wanted to give making scones a try, and set out to find a spelt scone recipe. The one I found was originally for raspberry scones, but I altered it slightly to include blueberries and lemon juice and zest. These were so wonderful and fluffy, and I thought the accent of lemon flavor really made these. Sweetened by agave, they are just lightly sweet.

This recipe called for scooping the batter in individual mounds, as opposed to shaping it into a large round and cutting into triangles. Since this was my first time making scones, I just went ahead with the method they instructed. The directions said to scoop 12 mounds of 1/3 cup each. Mine were slightly less than 1/3 cup and I only got 8. Since my alterations shouldn't have affected the amount of dough in any way, I'm not sure why I got less, but having less scones at my disposal is probably a good thing. Especially ones as fantastic as these were. 

   

Blueberry-Lemon Spelt Scones

adapted from Food & Wine, Erin McKenna

yields 8 scones

2 cups spelt flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup canola oil, plus extra for brushing (I use a canola and olive oil blend)

1/3 cup agave

2 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup hot water

1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk the spelt with baking powder and salt. Next stir in the oil, agave, lemon juice and zest and vanilla. Stir in the hot water and then the blueberries.

Using a 1/3 measuring cup, scoop the batter into 8 mounds, placing them on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush the tops with oil.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Let the baking sheet cool completely on a cooling rack before removing scones.  

Cinnamon-Raisin Oats with Bananas and Walnuts

I'll be honest, I wasn't really crazy about steel cut oats the first time I tried them. They were okay, but they sure didn't seem worth the long preparation time. Especially as I could have my regular quick-cooking oats in under two minutes. But there are plenty of other things I didn't really get the big deal about at first that now are constant staples in my home, like quinoa and greek yogurt. I don't give up on food easily (not to mention I still had a good sized package of the steel cut oats), so I tried several cooking methods and add-ins before finding how I liked it best.

My version is mostly adapted from a Irish Oatmeal Brulee recipe (although you won't catch me caramelizing sugar on top of my breakfast). Even so, it is plenty sweet, thanks to the maple syrup and golden raisins. In my experimenting, I discovered that I preferred a combination of water and milk versus using all of one or the other, and that I actually favored coconut milk (beverage) over 2% milk. And I love how simmering the oats with a cinnamon stick infuses so much flavor than a sprinkle of the ground stuff. 

This version does take longer than other ways I tried- by the time all is said and done, this takes about 45 minutes to prepare. I'll stick with my quick cooking oats for busy weekdays, but this is perfect for lazy weekend mornings.  

Cinnamon-Raisin Oats with Bananas and Walnuts
adapted from Irish Oatmeal Brulee, Taste of Home Magazine, April and May 2011
4 servings (although I think it is more like 3 servings)

Bananas and toasted walnuts are a wonderful compliment, but feel free to use different fruit or nuts as a topping. Or enjoy it just as it is.

2 cups water
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk beverage
1 cup of steel-cut oats (also called Irish oatmeal or Scottish oats)
1 cinnamon stick
kosher salt
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
1-2 bananas, sliced

In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring water and milk to a boil. Add oats, cinnamon stick and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until thick and creamy, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Discard cinnamon stick. Stir in maple syrup and raisins. Cover and let sit for 3 minutes, then uncover and let sit for 5 additional minutes.

Divide into serving bowls and top with banana slices and walnuts.

Spring Carrot Teacakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

During the recent time I spent out of the kitchen, I found myself itching to bake. Which amuses me, because when I started this blog not quite two years ago, I didn't even enjoy baking. I think because it was too messy (I have tidiness issues), too exact of a science (I like to play with recipes), but mostly because I just was wasn't a fan of sweets. I can tolerate a counter covered in flour now, and I've actually come to like sweets, unfortunately, more than I used to. My biggest problem now with baking is that I often try to make substitutions to make them a little better for us and then sometimes wind up with a ruined baked good. Nothing worse than a severely under sweetened or overly dense treat.

Because of this, I was excited to receive a copy of Green Market Baking Book: 100 Delicious Recipes for Naturally Sweet and Savory Treats, a lovely cookbook that embraces the concept of eating locally, seasonally and healthfully, and is composed of baked good recipes without the use of refined sugar or artificial sweeteners, many that are dairy-free, vegan or gluten-free. Normally a cookbook without photos of finished products -there are none, just charming illustrations of produce scattered throughout- would greatly disappoint me, but even without, I found myself wanting to try just about every recipe in the book.

First, I made a Honey Whole Wheat Ginger Cake that we loved (warm, for breakfast with coffee or as an afternoon snack with tea), that I somehow never got to photographing. After that, I decided on these carrot tea cakes. Now I probably love carrot cake more than the average person, but anyone who tried these agreed they were wonderful. They are absolutely delicious, and the "frosting," which is a simple maple and vanilla spiked cream cheese spread, really makes them awesome.

And these are only the first two recipes from the book. I have so many more I'm planning on trying.

Spring Carrot Teacakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
from Green Market Baking Book by Laura C. Martin
makes 12 (I halved this recipe and still got 9)

for the cakes:
4 eggs
1 cup maple syrup, preferably Grade B
1 1/4 cups light olive oil
1/2 cup sour cream (I substituted non-fat greek yogurt)
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup spelt flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
3 cup grated carrots
1 cup chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans (I used walnuts)

for the frosting:
12 oz cream cheese (I used the 1/3 less fat kind)
 1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325.

Beat the eggs until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix the maple syrup, oil, sour cream or yogurt, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Add the syrup mixture to the eggs and beat for another minute.

Sift the flours, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the carrots and nuts.

Pour into cupcake liners in a muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (mine took at least 5 minutes longer). 

To make the frosting:
Beat ingredients together until fluffy and spreadable. Use a generous dollop on top of each teacake.

Strawberry Waffles

Before we became parents, Sunday mornings usually consisted of sleeping in and more often than not, going out for a late brunch, where I would order something containing eggs and potatoes and lots of cheese (and a Bloody Mary). These days, sleeping until 7:30 is late, Sunday morning breakfast is most often made by Sage, and the menu is dictated by our three year old. Pancakes and waffles are what he prefers, and since he's pretty darn cute, he usually gets his way.

We are heading into our peak strawberry season here in Florida, so I've been buying plenty as Beckett loves them. I thought a strawberry waffle would be fun thing to try. The recipe I went with was for plain waffle with a strawberry syrup, but we altered it to have the strawberries inside. Thanks to separating the eggs and folding in the beaten whites, these are super light with a perfectly crisp outside. They were so delicious, we were kicking ourselves for only making a half batch. Beckett was so crazy for these, Sage and I hardly got any. Since he doesn't usually have a huge appetite, we weren't complaining, but next time we'll make more!

Strawberry Waffles
adapted from Food Network, Emeril Lagasse
makes 5 (7 inch) waffles- half recipe

The only thing I would do differently next time (besides doubling this!) is instead of slicing the strawberries, I will chop them into small pieces, so they will be more throughout.

The original recipe called for whole milk. In it's place, I used vanilla coconut milk and omitted the vanilla extract. If you wish to use plain milk, just add 1/4 tsp vanilla along with the milk and melted butter.

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, separated
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 cup vanilla coconut milk
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup sliced strawberries (next time I'll use about 1/2 cup chopped)
nonstick spray, if needed for iron
maple syrup, for serving

Preheat waffle iron. Next stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl.

In a seperate larger bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar together until sugar is dissolved, using a fork. Add milk and melted butter and whisk until combined. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.

In a third bowl, beat egg whites using a mixer until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Fold strawberries into batter, then fold in beaten egg whites, being careful not to over mix.

If neccesary, spray iron with cooking spray and pour enough batter to just cover iron. (Use a spoon to scoop strawberries from bottom of bowl if they settle.) Cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve immediately, topped with maple syrup, if desired.

Quinoa Pancakes

Like most children, my son has a great love for pancakes and waffles. He would eat them everyday if someone was willing to cook them for him each morning. Several months back, I came across a recipe for a pancake made with quinoa, and when he requested pancakes the other day, I decided to give it a try.

I used a little less quinoa, which I prepared using apple juice for a little extra flavor, and added a few tablespoons of whole wheat flour and a touch of cinnamon. I, honestly, expected these to be dense and was very pleasantly surprised how fluffy and light they were. I'm not really that much a pancake kind of gal myself, but I think I enjoyed them as much as Beckett did. His I topped with a drizzle of maple syrup, but for mine, I went with all natural, juice-sweetened strawberry preserves, which I thought tasted even better.

If you have leftover quinoa, these would take hardly any more time than making pancakes from a mix. And if you don't, quinoa takes under 15 minutes to prepare, so you can have it cooking while you get your other ingredients out and ready. And really, what are a few extra minutes anyways when you get to start your morning with the benefits of this ridiculously nutritious, super food?



Quinoa Pancakes
adapted from Food Everyday, November 2010
makes about 10 (3 inch) pancakes

I didn't want to use additional butter to grease my griddle, so I tried both cooking spray and Smart Balance, and preferred the results of the latter. I also found cooking at medium heat instead of medium-high worked better for me.

3/4 cup cooked quinoa
3/4 unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 large egg, plus 1 egg white
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup low-fat milk
2 tbsp pure maple syrup, plus extra for serving, if desired
butter, spread or cooking spray, for griddle
fresh fruit or preserves/jam, for serving, if desired

In a medium bowl, stir together cooked quinoa, flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg white, butter, milk and syrup until smooth. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and whisk to combine.

Lightly butter a nonstick griddle or skillet and heat over medium-high. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons onto griddle. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside, another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more butter and remaining batter, reducing heat to medium if overbrowning.

Serve with maple syrup and/or fruit or preserves.

Cranberry Almond Bread

I've had a bit of a bad attitude lately. I'm not sure if it's due to crazy hormones, the lack of wine in my life or the fact some days spent in the company of a two year old can be rough. Maybe it's a combination of all three. I try to be the sunshiney, "puppies and rainbows" variety of person, and I don't like being a grump (which by the way, is a much nicer word for how I've felt some days). To snap myself out of it, I decided to bake something wonderful that was a little indulgent and undeniably fall.

Inspired by the first fresh cranberries I've come across this year, I found just the recipe I was looking for at Good Things Catered- a cranberry nut bread flavored with orange and cinnamon. I tend to healthify my baked goods, cutting the sugar way back, using mostly wheat flour, subbing applesauce for oil, etc. but this time I stuck to the recipe. I didn't want to risk it being too dense or not sweet enough. The only real changes I made were slightly increasing the orange zest and using almonds instead of walnuts, because that was what I had.

Very easy to put together, this recipe results in a bread that is lightly sweet yet gloriously tart, perfect for breakfast, dessert or with your afternoon tea. (Tea that might not be quite as satisfying as a post kid-bedtime glass of red wine, but still nonetheless, very good.) Was this bread attitude adjusting? Definitely.

Cranberry Almond Bread, yields one loaf

adapted slightly from Good Things Catered's Simply Delicious Cranberry Nut Bread

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)

2 1/2 tbsp orange zest (from a medium sized navel orange)

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups plus 2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries

1/2 cup sliced almond pieces (or chopped walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease loaf pan

In a large bowl, add sugars and oil, and mix until well combined. Mixing while incorporating, add milk, eggs, zest and vanilla. Mix to combine well.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Fold dry ingredients into wet, until halfway combined. Fold in cranberries and nuts, until batter is just combined. Spoon into loaf pan, and tap to release air pockets.

Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. (Mine took much longer, an hour and five minutes.) Remove from oven, and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Turn loaf onto wire rack, and let cool completely before slicing. (Truthfully, I found this impossible, and cut and sampled mine while it was still slightly warm.)

Baked Eggs with Spinach and Mushrooms

In our house, Sage is the weekend breakfast cook. Not that I can't make it, it just happens to be one of his jobs, like mowing the lawn and fixing stuff. But for Father's Day, I wanted to let him sleep in and make him a nice breakfast. A while back I saw a recipe for baked eggs on Florida Coastal Cooking. I've been wanting to try them and this seemed like a nice time to do so.

I love spinach and mushroom when paired with cream cheese and eggs, so that's what I went with. But you could make it whatever veggies you have on hand- this would be a great way to use any leftover grilled or roasted vegetables. (Provided you actually have leftover vegetables. We never do.) Personally, I'm a fan of using the entire egg, but Sage prefers mostly whites with a touch of yolk. Since it was his day, I used 1 full egg and 3 whites, and found in this particular dish, I didn't miss the yolks.

Sage really enjoyed his breakfast- especially the pocket of cream cheese in the middle- but felt there was a little too much spinach in it. That would never be a problem for me, so I'd say adjust the amount you use according to your preference.

Baked Eggs with Spinach and Mushrooms

adapted from Florida Coastal Cooking

serves 2

olive oil mister/cooking spray

1/2 small onion, diced

4 oz. button or cremini mushrooms, coarsley chopped

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

1 garlic cloved, minced

3-5 cups spinach leaves, stems removed and roughly chopped or torn

1/4 cup Neufchatel Cheese, divided

3 egg whites

1 full egg

Preheat oven to 375.

Mist a medium saute pan with olive oil and heat over medium. Add onion and cook for a couple minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute and then add desired amount of spinach to pan, and continue cooking until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.

Spoon mixture evenly into two ramakins that have been misted with olive oil or cooking spray. Top each one with 2 tbsp cream cheese and season with extra salt and pepper. Wisk the whole egg together with the whites and pour over cream cheese.

Place ramakins on a baking sheet and baked for 20-30 minutes or until eggs are set.

Spinach, Mushroom and Tomato Strata

Unlike my husband, who eats within the first 5 minutes of waking up, I have a very hard time eating breakfast in the mornings. I know it's bad, but I just can't eat so early. Which is a shame because I do enjoy so many breakfast foods.

This is why brunch is perfect for me- by kicking the meal back to a later time slot, upping the indulgence level of the food served, and making it acceptable (if not encouraged) to drink an adult beverage, I am all for it.

One of my favorite dishes to make for family brunch get togethers is a strata. I love the convenience of assembling it the night before and then just popping it in to the oven for about an hour in the morning. Torn out from an unidentified cooking magazine several years ago, this recipe was originally for a Ham and Spinach Strata. I'm not a ham eater, but it was such a wonderful base recipe that I've just always adapted it to suit those who will be joining us. I've made several different versions, but this one, with Spinach, Mushrooms and Tomato, is the one I make most often and always is my favorite.

A funny thing happened when I went to make this the night before Easter. Earlier in the day, before going grocery shopping, I skimmed over the ingredients and set the recipe aside. When it was time to prepare it, the recipe was no where to be found. So I wracked my brain and was able to correctly recall the quantities. I did find the magazine page a few days later (on top of the fridge...because that's logical, right?)

Easter morning, I got this into the oven much later than I intended on. Two things happened- in a rush to leave the house, I didn't cook it quite as long as I would've liked, and I also only took three pictures, none of which were good. Take my word that despite the picture, this is always delicious, (even if you slightly under cook it.)

Spinach, Mushroom and Tomato Strata
Besides switching up the vegetable combinations and/or adding in meat, other changes you can make are to substitute French or Italian bread for the croissants and using a different cheese.

3 or 4 large day-old bakery croissants, cut into 3/4 inch cubes (6 cups)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
5 oz. baby spinach leaves
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 1/2 cups egg substitute or 6 large eggs
1 cup reduced fat milk
1 1/4 cup half-and-half
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp dried basil

Spray a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and saute for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the mushroom and tomato, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, add spinach and stir frequently until spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Scatter half of the croissant cubes into the bottom of the casserole. Top with the sauteed vegetables and half of the cheese. Next layer the remaining croissant cubes and finish with the remaining cheese.

In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, half-and-half, milk, mustard, salt, pepper and basil until just blended. Pour evenly over the the casserole. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Heat to 375. Bake uncovered strata for 50-60 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Artichoke, Sun Dried Tomato and Mushroom Quiche with Quick and Easy Crust

Sage is always mentioning how much he likes quiche, so you'd think I'd have made him one before. But I never have. In fact, I've never made a quiche at all. I've thought about it many times, but I never have a pie crust on hand,or had the desire to make one from scratch. I know there's many crustless quiches out there, but I like the crust part.

Then I found a ridiculously quick and easy crust on RecipeZaar that left me with no excuse not to whip one up. It seemed almost too easy to be good, but it really was. Was it as perfectly flaky and light as the real deal? No, of course not. But you certainally would not think it was a press-in-pan-and-fill recipe that takes less than 5 minutes. I see many more quiches in our future, now that I can whip one up easily anytime I want.

Quick and Easy Quiche Crust, from RecipeZaar

1 cup flour (you can use a mix of all purpose and wheat, but I was out of wheat)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup ice water

1. In a medium bowl, stir flour and salt together.

2. In a seperate bowl, whisk together oil and ice water, to thicken. Pour water/oil into the bowl of flour, and mix with a fork. (I used my hands to mix it completely.)

3. Press into 9 inch pie pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

At this point you can fill it however you wish, but here is what I used and it was delicious!

1 tsp olive oil

1 small shallot, minced

4 oz. mushrooms, coarsely chopped (I would actually suggest using 8 oz.)

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained well and coarsely chopped

6 ready-to-eat sun dried tomato halves, chopped

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp dried)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (or other cheese of your choice)

3 large eggs

1/2 cup 2% milk

Heat oil in small saute pan over medium heat. Saute shallot for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Saute until moisture is released. Set aside.

Fill unbaked crust with artichoke, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms and shallot. Top with basil and cheese.

Beat eggs and milk together. Pour over vegetables.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until set in center and puffed and golden.

Week 5: NE Patriots vs. Denver Broncos: Western (or Denver) Sandwiches

This Sunday was not a good day for sports in our house. Our beloved Red Sox's post season was ended after being swept in the ALDS. A blown save in the 9th inning of Game 3 wasn't very easy to take. Then the Patriots lost in overtime. That loss was a little easier to stomach, but still, if you know my husband and his love for New England sports teams, you know it was sad day.

It did began very nice, lounging around the house with the family and a late brunch. The Patriots were playing the Broncos, and the food most associated with Denver is the Western Sandwich, which is a Denver Omelette, served on toasted, buttered white bread or a roll, with ketchup. It is believed that the onions were used by westward-bound pioneers to mask the flavor of eggs gone bad. The omelette also contains green peppers, ham and salt and pepper. It was tempting to top this with cheese and omit the ham (I really don't care for ham) but I wanted to make it authentic. Since biting into chunks of cubed ham wasn't something I could handle, we chose to use thin sliced deli meat, chopped. Even with the ham, these were good! I had some French rolls in the freezer, so that's what we used and served them roasted potatoes. I have no idea what they actually ate with their sandwiches; I just like breakfast potatoes!

I don't think its neccesary to give directions on how to make a basic omelette, so I'll just share what we used. This will yield 4 sandwiches: 5 eggs beaten with 1/4 cup of milk, 1/2 green pepper, 1/2 onion, 3/4 cup chopped deli ham slices, salt and pepper, 4 toasted rolls (or 8 slices of bread), butter, and ketchup. You can either make individual omelettes or one large one, divided in four pieces.