Time Out

I stole the title of this post from another blog I like whose author is taking a time out from blogging because life is just crazy for her....well, I'm feeling that way myself and so I am also taking a time out. I will be participating in Tuesdays with Dorie (except for tomorrow) so I don't get the boot, but other than that I don't know how often I'll be on here........just to let you know!

TWD- Perfection Pound Cake

I never realized how much time I spent on the internet in Iowa! Since we have moved- and life has been truly busy- I am finding it extremely difficult just to return basic emails. Hopefully we will get in a routine soon and I will post more frequently. This week's recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie is Traditional Madelines chosen by Tara of Smells Like Home. Because this recipe calls for a specific pan most people don't own, we were given the alternate option of baking one of the previous recipes we didn't complete. So, I reviewed the completed recipes and compiled a list of the ones I hadn't made and submitted it to my grandfather to choose this weeks selection. He tried to convince me to make all 8 of them, but settled on Perfection Pound Cake with the chocolate marbled option. My father was quite upset I made a loaf pound cake insisting they are supposed to be circular....and that HIS mother's pound cake is and always will be the perfect recipe (of course). Overall, though, it's a great recipe and I didn't hear a single complaint once the first bites were eaten!

Check out the TWD blogroll to see what everyone else chose this week....it should be quite a variety.
Perfection Pound Cake

2 cups all purpose or 2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

Getting ready: center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325F. Butter a 9 x 5 in loaf pan and place on an insulated baking sheet or two regular baking sheets stacked on top of one another.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Working with a stand mixer, perferably fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy, a full 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater and reduce the mixer speed to medium. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 to 2 minutes after each egg goes in. As you're working, scrape down the bowl and beater often. Mix in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it is incorporated- don't overmix. In fact, you might want to fold in the remaining flour, or even all of it, by hand with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.......***marbled option- melt and cool 4 oz of bittersweet chocolate. once the batter is mixed, remove half and mix in the chocolate. drop the chocolate and plain batters into the pan by alternating large spoonfuls. then, run a knife through the batter in a zig zag patter (6-8 zigs or zags) to marble it......put the cake in the oven to bake and check on it after 45 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with a foil tent. Bake for a total of 70-75 minutes. The cake is properly baked when a thin knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven, transfer the pan to a rack and let rest for 30 minutes.
Run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan and turn the cake out, then turn it right side up on the rack and cool to room temperature.

TWD- Florida pie

OK, better late than never.....here it is! We are in Nashville, but staying at my parents until we can find a place to live in the part of town we want to live in. I would LOVE to live a life that allows us to have one car, bike to work, walk to the grocery, etc. In order to do this, there is only one part of town to live in and it's actually very hard to get a place. I'm like the Craiglist queen at this point....I could probably be an apartment matchmaker because I've read the descriptions so many times. You need a 2 bedroom with w/d hookups, A/C, a fenced in backyard, and a jacuzzi tub? Well, there's a great place for you on 21st Ave! just kidding......

This week's recipe was chosen by Diane of Dianes Dishes (you should check hers out specifically because it's a stunner). I have never in my life made a pie...not even the no-bake kind from Jello.....so this was actually a little intimidating to me even though the recipe itself is simple. My coconut cream didn't thicken as much as it should have and I'm guess it's becuase I used these beautiful, but very large, organic coconut flakes. Also, I left it in the freezer overnight because that's what Dorie said and it now just seems like a frozen mess. I'm going to defrost it a little in the fridge before taking it to my grandparents house tonight. But first, I'm going to hunt around Tuesdays with Dorie and see how everyone else did!
Florida Pie

1 9-inch graham cracker crust (page 235), fully baked and cooled, or a store-bought crust
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
4 large eggs, seperated
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh Key (or regular) lime juice (from about 5 regular limes)
1/4 cup of sugar

Getting Ready:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment of a silicone mat.

Put the cream and 1 cup of the coconut in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the cream is reduced by half and the mixture is slightly thickened. Scrape the coconut cream into a bowl and set it aside while you prepare the lime filling.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl beat the egg yolks at high speed until thick and pale. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the condensed milk. Still on low, add half of the lime juice. When it is incorporated, add the reaming juice, again mixing until it is blended. Spread the coconut cream in the bottom of the graham cracker crust, and pour over the lime filling.

Bake the pie for 12 minutes. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes, then freeze the pie for at least 1 hour.

To Finish the Pie with Meringue:

Put the 4 egg whites and the sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, whisking all the while, until the whites are hot to the touch. Transfer the whites to a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer in a large bowl, and beat the whites at high speed until they reach room temperature and hold firm peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the remaining 1/2 cup coconut into the meringue.

Spread the meringue over the top of the pie, and run the pie under the broiler until the top of the meringue is golden brown. (Or, if you've got a blowtorch, you can use it to brown the meringue.) Return the pie to the freezer for another 30 minutes or for up to 3 hours before serving.

Quinoa lentil stew

Today's clean-out-the-pantry dish really ended up being spectacular....oh, wait! First I have to mention I am officially finished with my Iowa State University dietetics career! I took my last final today and am not looking back! Vanderbilt University Dietetic Internship, here I come! (ok, I'm not actually that enthusiastic about it....it would be much nicer if the educational road ended here and I could just get a job.......). All in all, though, Iowa has treated us well and I have nothing to complain about....in fact, it's going to be difficult to live in a place with traffic and commutes and deadbolts on the door. I can't remember the last time I locked my car door (or drove over 40 mph)....... Back to dinner....I wanted to use some of the lentils and quinoa I have, so I located a recipe fittingly called lentil quinoa stew. This really is a fantastically flavorful and simple stew. I roasted some cauliflower that complimented the stew perfectly.

Vanessa's Lentil Quinoa Stew
La Dolce Vegan

1 small onion, chopped
1 T olive oil
1 celery stalk, diced (I didn't have this)
1 small carrot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup dry red lentils
1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, diced (I used ~1/2 cup canned diced tomato)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (didn't have this)
1 T apple cider vinegar

IN a medium saucepan on medium heat, saute the onions in oil until translucent. Add the celery, carrots, and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add the stock, lentils, quinoa, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are tender. In a food processor or with a hand blender, blend half of the soup until smooth (be careful when blending hot liquids!). Return to pot, stir in the tomatoes, cilantro, and vinegar, reheat and serve. Makes 2 large or 4 small servings (Luke and I ate the entire pot tonight, so if you are serving it to others, definitely double or triple the recipe.)

Cranberry-Orange Nut Bread

I'm in the using-up-what-is-in-my-kitchen-before-moving phase this week and have made literally four dozen bean balls, a triple batch of chickpea cutlets, and lots of bread....all of which I have already posted about and would bore you to tears. However, this morning as I took inventory of my shelves and fridge, I decided the next ingredients to go would be the single orange, handful of dried cranberries, and bottom of the bag chopped walnuts.....lucky for me, Veganomicon (I think I actually have a crush on this book) supplied me with this lovely recipe for cranberry-orange nut loaf. I had to make a few changes (some voluntary and others necessary) so my product is not flawless as I suspect the true recipe would be. I used agave and whole wheat flour (voluntary) and had to sub apple sauce and dried cranberries (necessary). I would recommend using the original recipe to get a real sense of how delicious this can be....not that my version isn't delicious, because it totally is and I guess somewhat healthier with the applesauce instead of oil and half the sugar amount in agave instead of granulated. I do prefer morning muffins and breads that aren't like cupcakes...I don't like to eat really sweet things in the morning....I save that for night time (you know, cause at the end of the day all I can think about is dessert!)

Cranberry-Orange Nut Loaf

Veganomicon p 228 (buy the book!!!)

Makes 1 loaf
Time: 1 hour 20 minutes, not including cooling time

1/2 cup soy milk (skim)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup canola oil (applesauce-equal measure)
1 cup sugar (1/2 cup agave nectar)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour (1 cup ea. whole wheat and unbleached white)
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 T grated orange zest
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
(I used dried and not nearly enough, but fresh would be better)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat to 325F. Lightly grease a 9x5 in pan.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the milk, OJ, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and allspice. Mix until just smooth. The batter will be thicker than a normal cake batter, so don't be alarmed. Fold in the orange zest, cranberries, and walnuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake for about 1 hour. Let the bread cool for about 15 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. Flip it right side up to cool further.

TWD- Peanut Butter Torte........or not

I really was going to participate in Tuesdays with Dorie this week, but when I actually read the recipe (Peanut Butter Torte chosen by Elizabeth at Ugg Smell Food) , these were my thoughts:
1. I don't have most of these ingredients which means I have to buy them which means I have to spend money which means I can't.
2. The crust is made by using almost an entire package of oreos......because I read an article once (probably in a completely unreliable and unscientific magazine) that said oreos are the worst food ever, I can't bring myself to eat them. There are some really good organic "healthier" versions but they are expensive which means more money which means I can't. **disclaimer: Oreos are not actually the worst food ever and I'm not endorsing that statement. I prefer to live based on the "there are no "good" or "bad" foods" philosophy- this is just one exception.
3. The torte is gigantic which means I would want to make a smaller version which means I would need mini springform pans which means I would have to buy them which means I can't.
4. Finally, this has been a long week preceeded by a very long semester and the last thing I need is another decadent and delicious looking dessert in my kitchen right now...I don't think I can emotionally or physically handle it!

So, if you are still reading (which means you are a loyal reader and I thank you), head over to the Tuesdays with Dorie site and check out what the other members made! oh, and I HAVE to participate next week....my membership depends on it!

Studying from Scratch

In case you are wondering.....yes, we are still eating even though my posts have been few and far between lately. There is a lot going on and I'm really fine tuning my time management skills between finals, packing, cleaning, and trying to let the fact that we are leaving the midwest after three years sink in! I'm looking forward to making this weeks Tuesdays with Dorie tomorrow and hopefully I'll get something else posted before we head south.

Challah is seriously the greatest bread ever

It's great to be married to someone who loves to eat because I can justify making all sorts of things "for him." Really, I just make whatever I want and he benefits! I hadn't made challah in a very long time.....so long, in fact, that I don't think I've ever blogged about it......so tonight was the night. Last year, Luke and I started a cholesterol free experiment to see if we could get his LDL down and his HDL up. Challah is egg bread and just in case you aren't aware, one egg yolk contains almost one day's worth of cholesterol (not that the literature supports the random 220mg/day recommendation, but that's for another post). In order to accommodate him, our great friend in Nashville discovered this very low cholesterol (if any) challah recipe that uses egg whites. I have to say it's way better than the original and I don't think I'll ever use any other.
(low-to-no cholesterol) Challah

Yield: 16 servings

1 cup raisins (optional...I opted out)
1 cup boiling water
1 3/8 tsp salt (this is basically 1 1/2 tsp so don't sweat it!)
1 T sugar
4 egg whites
1/4 cup honey (I use agave nectar)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 T rapid-rise yeast
3-1/3 (to 3 5/8) cups flour, divided
2 tsp corn flour (optional)

egg wash (optional)
1 egg white
1 T water
sesame seeds- if desired (I totally desire these....but I forgot=()

Place raisins in medium bowl and pour boiling water over (this is not the 1 cup from the ingredients list). Let plump 2 minutes and drain. Blot dry and allow to cool.

In large mixing bowl of stand mixer (or just large bowl) mix warm water, salt, sugar, honey, & sprinkle with yeast. Beat in egg whites, canola oil, and 3 cups flour. If using an electric mixer, attach dough hook and knead with mixer (or by hand) for 8-10 minutes til dough is soft and elastic and leaves the side of the bowl. Of the dough is sticky, add small amounts of flour til dough is soft and no longer sticks (this actually took a significant amount of extra flour for me- maybe 1/2 cup? and the dough will be just a little sticky...just a little). Sprinkle work surface with flour and let dough rest on surface for 10 minutes. Knead or press in raisins as evenly as possible, folding dough over raisins to tuck them in.

Cover the dough with a damp clean towel. Let dough rest for 20 minutes.

To for loaves....work on baking sheet covered in foil or parchment and sprinkled with corn meal or sprayed with oil. For a traditional braid, divide dough into three equal parts. Lengthen parts into "logs" and braid. Pinch the ends together and tuck under. In a small bowl, mix together and water for egg wash. Generously brush bread with egg wash. Allow to rise covered 30-40 minutes. Brish again and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.

Bake 30-35 minutes on 375F. (I check the internal temp and take the bread out at about 190F. The outside should brown nicely!)....also, this time I double the recipe and then split it into two loaves and it worked perfectly.
Just to say......we really like to have random dishes. When Luke sold his work at art shows, we would often grab a plate or bowl or cup to add to our collection or he would barter with a fellow artist. Today at the design center, they were selling student/teacher work and these are the four cups I picked up. It was very exciting because they were dirt cheap and the exact same thing we'd have to over-spend on at a show or store. It's so fun to drink tea or wine out of these cups!! Now, if Luke can just avoid breaking them........

TWD-Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake and Happy Birthday Bekka!

Today is one of my best friends birthday.....Happy Birthday Bekks! Rebekka is an amazing friend and overall unique and very talented person.....head over to her blog, maplesugar, and wish her a happy birthday too! (oh, and this picture is totally photoshopped for those of you out there it's not obvious to...photoshop is the most amazing thing to people like me who are design/computer illiterate)

So, are you wondering where the pictures are?? Well, unfortunately I have to sit this week out. We are finishing up the semester and getting ready to move, so making the delicious (but strange sounding) cake just wasn't in the cards. I do, however, have a big confession to make......until today, I never actually had the Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook. This whole time, I have been using a library book and just renewing it and renewing it and renewing it and then returning it and immediately checking it out again and then renewing it and so on. Since we are leaving Iowa in 2 weeks and that means leaving the library as well, I actually purchased the book and it came today!

Head over to the Tuesdays with Dorie blogroll and see what all the talented bloggers have created this week......

Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake

About 16 moist, plump dried Mission or Kadota figs, stemmed

1 c. medium-grain polenta or yellow cornmeal

½ c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 c. ricotta

1/3 c. tepid water

¾ c. sugar

¾ c. honey (if you’re a real honey lover, use a full-flavored honey such as chestnut, pine, or buckwheat)

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 large eggs

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10 ½-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

Check that the figs are, indeed, moist and plump. If they are the least bit hard, toss them into a small pan of boiling water and steep for a minute, then drain and pat dry. If the figs are large (bigger than a bite), snip them in half.

Whisk the polenta, flour, baking powder, and salt together.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the ricotta and water together on low speed until very smooth. With the mixer at medium speed, add the sugar, honey, and lemon zest and beat until light. Beat in the melted butter, then add the eggs one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are fully incorporated. You’ll have a sleek, smooth, pourable batter.

Pour about one third of the batter into the pan and scatter over the figs. Pour in the rest of the batter, smooth the top with a rubber spatula, if necessary, and dot the batter evenly with the chilled bits of butter.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The cake should be honey brown and pulling away just a little from the sides of the panm, and the butter will have left light-colored circles in the top. Transfer the cake to a rack and remove the sides of the pan after about 5 minutes. Cool to warm, or cool completely.

Carrot Spice Muffins

I sort of overdid it with the carrot shredding on Tuesday and was left with quite a bit of the orange stuff.....and you know what they always say...when life gives you shredded carrots, make carrot muffins! These muffins are delicious and a recipe I've had for a while. Unfortunately, I have no idea where the recipe came from, so I can't give due credit. On another note, I've never been a very big jelly/jam/preserves person and I suppose it's just becuase I tend to be a minimalist about eating. I'm choosing to use the word minimalist instead of flavorless, but that's what luke would actually call it. I forget to add salt and pepper to most dishes too. I'm just a plain jane ....well, not any more. I found the most amazing (and ridiculously expensive compared to Bama Grape) ginger and orange marmalade from St. Dalfour. I'm addicted....
Carrot Spice Muffins

dry ingredients:
1 3/4 c mixture of whole wheat and unbleached flours
1/4 c natural sugar (I ommited this this time and they were totally delicious)
1 T ground flax seed
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
wet ingredients:
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup soy (or plain) yogurt
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup shredded carrots (about 3)

Preheat oven to 400F.Spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray or use muffin liners. Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the liquid ingredients. Add the liquid to the dry and mix just long enough to combine. Add the carrots (and some raisins if you want) and stir to combine. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups- it will be very thick. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins

.