Bless Her Heart

Banana Bread with Ginger (Gluten Free)

We had an eentsy weentsy little cold snap here in Central Texas over the weekend. It was enough to get soups cooking on the stovetop and quick-breads baking in the oven. Here's a hearty little banana bread...pretty simple but with enough goodness in it that you'll feel guilt-free about nibbling at it, no matter the hour. I did add chocolate chips to the latest loaf as an extra treat, but the consensus around here was that it didn't really need them. Do with that what you will...

*If you do not need or desire this recipe to be gluten free, simply replace the gluten free flour with all purpose flour, or 1 cup all purpose flour + 1/2 cup whole wheat flour.

Banana Bread with Ginger (Gluten Free)

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

Grease a 4 1/2" x 8 1/2" loaf pan

Dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cups gluten free flour (I use Cup 4 Cup)

2/3 cup gluten free rolled oats (NOT the quick kind)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground caradamom

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:

1/3 cup molasses

1/3 cup hot water

1 tsbp fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1/3 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of softened butter

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas 

1/3 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (optional)

In a small bowl, mix the molasses, ginger and hot water, and set aside to steep.

Mix the flour and the rest of the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl.  

In a larger bowl, beat the sugar and butter until creamy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Mix in the banana, yogurt and vanilla.  Mix in the molasses/ginger mixture that has been steeping. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients.  Stir until the batter is moist, but don't overbeat it. Fold in the (optional) chocolate chips.

Spoon into the loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour and 5 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when you test in the center.

Soup Swap...Just when I thought it couldn't get any better.... The taking care of each other model.

As I've mentioned in the past, there is a fantastic group of soupie ladies that I swap soup with 2-3 times a year. Some combination of the same group of women has been getting together to swap soup, and soup stories since January of 2008.  A few years ago, our group transformed into vegetarian soup swappers, not that we're all vegetarian, but the soups for our swaps are. I've participated in a few different types of food swaps, and our soup group is my favorite format, which is why I will move mountains to participate each time it rolls around.  Each swapper brings 6 quarts of soup.  Everyone draws a number from a hat, and this is the choosing order. We have a 'telling of the soup' period at the beginning where each member tells the ingredients, the history of her soup, anything that is good to know, any mishaps in the kitchen....generally there is quite a bit of laughter during the telling of the soup. Then depending on the number drawn, each group member takes turns going to the table and choosing a soup.  If you bring less than 6 quarts, then you're 'out' after how ever many rounds equals the numbers of quarts of soup you brought. If you are an overachiever (ahem) and bring more than 6 quarts, you keep going until you've exhausted your rounds. So if you bring 9 quarts, then you leave with 9 different quarts of soup.  As a little extra, we usually bring appetizers to nosh on and drinks to drink while we're swapping.  It has a very comfortable, hilarious, sister-vibe going on...

What made this swap different for us than our previous swaps, is that we each donated a quart of our soup right off the bat, pre-swap to our dear friend Amy and her family. Amy's husband (also a dear friend) is having surgery today and will be in recovery for some time.  We all new the parameters of what his diet will look like for the near future, and adjusted our soup recipes accordingly.  It felt so good to know that at the end of the swap, Amy was leaving with a cooler full of soup to nourish her family in the coming weeks. We had all taken our worry for our dear friend, and channeled into creating this beautiful collection of homemade soups for her family.  Knowing that each time she reaches for a quart of soup, she knows that we are here, thinking of them, sending them loving care...well...it's just a beautiful thing.  

It got us thinking....what a great way to shift our model just a bit to more directly care for our community. Wouldn't it be wonderful to do something similar and integrate it into a baby shower? This way, a mama would have 12-15 quarts of soup that she could freeze, and call on when she's exhausted, sleep deprived, sick, or just plain overwhelmed. Or what about moving houses? Job loss? Extended illness?  There are countless needs that a freezer full of delicious, homemade soup could help ease the burdens of.  I'm envisioning having a stand alone freezer some day, that we could all throw a quart in at each swap...and when these major life events come up, we can draw on the soup bank...knowing that we're all carrying one another, one quart of soup at a time. <3

Swap-a-licious...

I've been participating in a Ladies Soup Swap with a group of fantastically hilarious soupies for several years.  A couple of years ago it became a swap of the vegetarian variety, which fits in nicely with the types of soups I choose to make and eat. The way the swap works is that you make and bring 6 quarts of one kind of soup to the swap.  Everyone picks a number and then in order of those numbers, you take the soups one by one until they're all gone. So, you come with 6 quarts of one kind of soup and you leave with six different soups. It's so hard to choose, because you'd really love to leave with one of everything.  With that in mind, for this swap I made two different batches of soup, one Red Lentil with Coconut Milk and Moghul Garam Masala and the other a Mulligatawny.  I brought 12 quarts of soup, thinking I would get to leave with one of everything, but this particular swap had 21 (22?) participants, so I still left feeling like I missed out on some great selections (Surabhi's Sambar and Anne Marie's Tortilla soup WITH toppings thank you very much, come to mind). I thought I'd take a picture of the 12 soups I did come home with, when I (or someone in my house) consumes them. Honestly, they're really too pretty not to share.  In some cases, I'm not sure whose soup I picked, I just couldn't pass them up because of the color, or the story that was associated with it during 'the telling of the soup'....but I hope you'll still get a sense of the beauty and the variety of the score that I came home with. And thus begins the 12 days of soup posts....

Soup 1: Amy's Tom Kha

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She's eleven.....

~ 30 Days with a Grateful Heart - Day 21 ~

~ 30 Days with a Grateful Heart - Day 16 ~

Father's Day Frittata...

Knowing that The Man would be working at least part of the day, I wanted to pick something simple for brunch so that I didn't spend all morning in the kitchen cooking.  I love being in the kitchen, but not when time with family is at a premium, as I knew it would be today.  In addition to this, The Man and I do Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet a couple of times of year as a cleanse of sorts, and we happen to be in the tail end of that, so I knew I wouldn't be baking any sweets. A frittata seemed like an obvious choice.  It's a favorite around here, and it's super simple. I picked up some leeks, bell pepper and shisto peppers yesterday at the farmers' market to accompany the basil from our herb garden and the beautiful Sungold and cherry tomatoes that the girl brought home from her time at Farm Camp. It seems like anything savory can be added to a frittata without fail...so far.

Father's Day Frittata

Serves 4-8

Preheat Oven Broiler

1 cup leeks, chopped and washed

1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced

3 fresh shisto or serrano (not too hot) peppers, seeded and minced

Fresh basil, 1 tbsp minced, and several leaves for topping

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided in half

1 tsp canola oil

1 tbsp butter

12 eggs

1/2 cup cream

6 cherry and/or Sungold tomatoes, halved

salt and pepper to taste

Add canola oil to 12" cast iron skillet, or non-stick skillet that can withstand broiler heat. Heat oil over medium heat and add leeks, green bell pepper and shisto peppers. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sautee until tender (about 5 minutes).  While the veggies are sauteeing, whisk the eggs and cream in a medium bowl. Add a bit of salt and pepper and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.  

When the veggies are done sauteeing, add the butter.  Once the butter has melted, add the egg/cream mixture.  Stir slowly for the next 2 minutes or so, scraping down the sides to make sure the eggs aren't getting baked to the sides of the skillet.  Mix in the minced basil and allow to cook on low/medium heat without stirring for about a minute.  While it is cooking, add whole basil leaves and tomato halves to the top. Sprinkle the second 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese across the top.

Remove from stove top and place in broiler for 3-5 minutes, checking frequently to make sure that you get a nice golden (not burnt) color on the top. When the top is a nice golden color, remove from the oven and let sit for 5-6 minutes, so it can firm up in the middle. Once firm, slice and serve.

 

 

 

Dear Brussels Sprouts Lovers: You were right, I was wrong...

I've spent my entire life loathing brussels sprouts. Every five years or so, I try a new recipe that someone 'highly recommended' but to no avail. They always end up bitter, soggy and too damned cabbagy. The Man and I would swallow down one, maybe two and our severe dislike would be reaffirmed and shelved for another five years.  I've been giving away the brussels sprouts that have been coming in our weekly produce delivery all month....but then a couple of things happened.  First, I kept hearing references to Paul Qui's brussels sprouts recipe at Uchiko.  I was captivated by his talents through the entire season of Top Chef, and was intrigued that so many of my friends, self-declared brussels sprouts haters, seemed to be swayed by the relative simplicity of the recipe at Uchiko.  Then, when we were in North Carolina, we were served a dish of hot, roasted brussels sprouts at my brother-in-law's house.  Our hostess that night, Erica, guided us to seek out the little crispy bits around the edges of the sprouts.  "That's the good stuff, right there...you don't know what you're missing!"  My interest was piqued, and I sought out a crispy-leaved sprout and popped it in my mouth.  I was converted that very second.  Didn't even take a moment to consider or think it over.  It was done.  I am a brussels sprouts lover. A brussels sprouts craver even.  I've realized that like most things, I just needed to leave them alone a bit and let them do their thing.  The simpler the treatment, the yummier the results.  A little salt, pepper and enough slow heat to caramalize the edges of the sprouts is really all you need. I've made them three times since we've been back, and I think I'll make them again tonight for with dinner.  I have a lifetime of sprout hate to make up for. 

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

(Adapted from watching Erica in the kitchen)

Preheat oven to 385 degrees

Trim the brussels sprouts and remove any yellow, damaged or discolored leaves.

Toss with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper

Place in a baking dish in a single layer

Bake for 30-45 minutes, removing from the oven every 10 minutes or so to turn the sprouts for even roasting. This can be achieved by simply shaking the baking dish. When they're ready the outermost leaves should be crispy and the sprouts should be tender but not mushy in the middle. Test with a knife at 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and add more salt and pepper to taste.

 

:: 30 Days with a Grateful Heart - Day 12 ::

Day 12 - Time in the Kitchen...

This time of year, when I spend more time in the kitchen cooking and baking for those that I love is so fulfilling to me.  I find myself counting down the days until our winter break, not because I'm tired of work, but because my mind is swirling with all of the things I want to make in the kitchen while we're home for the holidays. I'm grateful that my mama instilled a love of creating beautiful food in me at a young age, and I love that there is always more to learn.

PS.  This is a White Peony Tea GInger Cranberry bark inspired by the winter issue of Imbibe Magazine.  I made this batch for a holiday party. It's super incredibly yummy. If they grant me permission, I'll post the recipe here.

PPS. Today is a double post day.  Lots of gratitudes stacking up around here. :)

Gingerbread Stout Cake

This recipe creates a full-flavored, moist gingerbread cake that pairs perfectly with a cup of Irish Coffee, black tea or a glass of milk. Adapted from America's Test Kitchen.

Gingerbread Stout Cake

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Pre-grease and flour a 12 cup bundt cake pan

Cake:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

16 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp ground ginger

2 tsp groung cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

5 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger

3/4 cup full flavored (not light) molasses

3/4 cup guinness stout

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter until just bubbling.  Add the ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and pepper.  Cook for one minute on low heat, stirring continually.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and freshly grated ginger until thoroughly combined and a little frothy. Mix in melted butter mixture.  Make sure it is cool enough to not cook the eggs mixture.  Add molasses and the stout and mix thoroughly. Gradually add the flour mixture in batches, mixing after each addition.

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Tap the pan around the edges to release any air bubbles.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in pan on a wire rack for 20-25 minutes.  Turn out on the wire rack and allow to cool completely before glazing.

Glaze:

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup ginger ale

1 1/4 tsp ground ginger powder

Place confectioner's sugar in a medium bowl.  With a fork, mix in the powdered ginger.  Gradually mix in the ginger ale until the icing reaches the consistency you would like for drizzling.  Using a large spoon, drizzle the icing along the top of the cake.  

 

Blueberry Buttermilk Bundts

Blueberry Buttermilk (Mini) Bundts

Recipe makes 5 mini (5") bundt cakes or one large 12" bundt cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pans and set aside.

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

 

1 ½ cups of sugar

1 cup softened butter

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp lemon extract

1 1/3 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup sour cream

 

2 tbsp lemon zest 

1 ½ cup of blueberries

1 tsp flour

 

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter.  Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the extracts. Beat until light and fluffy. 

Add half of the flour mixture, half of the buttermilk and all of the sour cream. Mix until smooth.

Add the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk, mix until smooth.

In a small bowl toss the blueberries, lemon zest and flour. Fold this mixture into the cake batter.

For the mini bundt cakes, bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  For a 12" bundt cake, bake for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  In both cases, allow the cakes to cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. 

 

 

Spicy Skillet Roasted Cauliflower

Spicy Skillet Roasted Cauliflower 

 Warning: This makes for some spicy cauliflower.  You can certainly alter the amount of red chiles and Sriracha to match your personal taste.  

Preheat oven to 500 degrees

 

Ingredients:

6 cups Cauliflower Florets (1"- 1 1/2" in size)

2 tbs minced garlic

3 tbs olive oil

2 tbs lemon juice

1/2 tsp Sriracha

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp salt

black pepper to taste

3 tbs crumbled cotija cheese or grated parmesan

 

Coat the bottom of a large cast iron skillet or baking dish with a bit of the olive oil.  

In a small bowl, whisk together the remainder of the olive oil, lemon juice, and Sriracha. Toss the cauliflower florets with this sauce and then arrange them in a single layer in the skillet.  Sprinkle with the crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper.  

Place the skillet on the top rack of the very hot oven.  Bake for 15 -20 minutes, removing from the oven and turning cauliflower every 5 minutes or so to roast evenly. 

When the cauliflower is nicely browned and cooked to your liking, remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese.  Serve warm.

Mrs. Medford's Ginger Creams

Last month we ran away to the beach with one of my besties and her family for a weekend. While the kids were playing cards she whipped out a bag of cookies that her mother had made for them. They were dark and gingery, but light and spongy rather than a typical crunchy Ginger Snap.  Over the course of the next twenty minutes, we devoured them...leaving the kids to pinch the crumbs and fallen icing from the bottom of the bag.  These cookies have haunted me since our little trip away.  I'm a total sucker for a good cookie, but ginger cookies especially. So, I crossed my fingers and called up Jenny to ask her if she thought that her mother might share the recipe.  Not only did her mama oblige, but emailed the recipe within the hour. I know lots of folks who for whatever reason don't share their recipes, so I'm always grateful when people do decide to pass them on. Mrs. Medford not only makes a damn fine cookie, but gives in other ways as well.  She is an accomplished gardener and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. She contributes to their Mr. Smarty Plants column, appearing as a guest on the Wild Flower Hour on KLBJ Radio as well as on Central Texas Gardener on KLRU TV. I love that she shares her knowledge so generously...and lucky for us, she's shared her Ginger Cream Cookie Recipe. The world is a better place now that more people can make these cookies. :)

Mrs. Medford's Ginger Creams

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

 

Ginger Cream Cookies

Wet Ingredients:

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup water

Dry ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tsp ground ginger powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix the shortening and sugar until creamy, then add the egg and mix.  On medium speed, mix in the molasses.  Mix until smooth.  Add water and mix.

In a medium bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just incorporated.

Chill for one hour in the refrigerator.

Drop by teaspoon, a full 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet (I used a parchment lining). Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove immediately from baking sheet and allow to cool completely before frosting.  Frost with Vanilla Butter Frosting (recipe below)

Vanilla Butter Frosting

3 tbsp soft margarine 

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp milk

In a medium bowl, adding one ingredient at a time, mix with a small whisk until smooth.