Foodbuzz

Breads

Guilt Free French Toast

 

Sunday, September 11th, 2011

french toast recipe

Restaurant French toast is a heavy way to start your day.  You can bet it’s been made with a dense or buttery bread, whole milk or cream, eggs, sugar, and fried in a generous amount of butter or oil…then topped with syrup and more butter.  Yikes!  Here’s a way to enjoy this weekend breakfast treat without downing so many calories.  This recipe still offers the key components, but will leave you feeling ready to take on the day (as opposed to ready to fall onto the couch).  For more color and flavor, top it off with whatever chopped fruit happens to be in season.

Healthy French Toast

Print This Recipe

Number of Servings: 2

    Ingredients

  • 1 cup 1% Milk
  • 2 whole Large Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tablespoon Sugar
  • 1 pinch Kosher salt
  • 4 pieces 100% Whole Grain Bread
  • 2 teaspoons Butter
  • 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
  • 1 cup Blueberries

    Directions

  • 1 Make custard.

    In a shallow bowl or large rimmed plate, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, salt, and sugar. Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat.

  • 2 Dip bread and cook.

    Place one piece of bread in the custard and turn several times until bread is lightly soaked. Add butter to the skillet then place the bread in the pan too. Repeat with remaining slices of bread. Cook the French toast for 3-4 minutes per side, checking the bottom periodically to make sure it doesn't burn.

  • 3 Plate and serve.

    Place two pieces of French toast on each plate. Top with 1 Tbsp maple syrup and 1/2 cup berries or chopped fruit of your choice. Enjoy!

Print This Shopping List

  • No Department

    • 2 teaspoons Butter

  • Baking

    • 1 tablespoon Sugar
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

  • Condiments

    • 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup

  • Dairy

    • 1 cup 1% Milk
    • 2 whole Large Eggs

  • Fruit

    • 1 cup Blueberries

  • Grains

    • 4 pieces 100% Whole Grain Bread

  • Pantry

    • 1 pinch Kosher salt

french toast recipe

Today is the 10 year anniversary of September 11th.  My heart and best thoughts go to the families of those who perished in the attacks, as well as to every family who has lost a loved one in the decade-long war we’ve been fighting ever since.  May peace soon prevail.

Weekend Blueberry Muffins

 

Saturday, August 20th, 2011

healthy blueberry muffins

Nothing starts your weekend off on the right foot like waking up to warm blueberry muffins, especially if they’re a healthy version that won’t undo your week of good eating habits.  These can be made with frozen blueberries in the winter, but this time of year, go for fresh.  And feel free to use different berries or chopped in-season fruit if you’d like (just don’t add more than 1.5 total cups of fruit or your muffins might be mushy).  Enjoy!

Healthy Blueberry Muffins

Print This Recipe

Number of Servings: 12

    Ingredients

  • 1 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1 cup White Whole Wheat Flour
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ cup Canola Oil
  • ½ cup Orange Juice
  • 1 cup Blueberries, fresh or frozen
  • ½ cup Plain Nonfat Yogurt
  • 2 whole Large Eggs
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • ½ cup Sugar

    Directions

  • 1 Preheat oven.

    Preheat oven to 375. Grease a nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray or a little oil and set aside.

  • 2 Mix dry ingredients.

    Stir together dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

  • 3 Blend all ingredients.

    In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, yogurt, and orange juice. Stir in 1/3 of the dry ingredients at a time until everything is incorporated. Gently fold in the blueberries (if using frozen, toss the blueberries in 1 Tbsp flour before adding).

  • 4 Bake.

    Using an ice scream scoop or measuring cup, place an even amount of batter in each greased muffin cup. Sprinkle a tiny bit of sugar on top of each muffin, then place in oven and bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove muffins to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm!

Print This Shopping List

  • Baking

    • 1 cup All Purpose Flour
    • 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
    • ½ cup Sugar
    • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
    • 1 cup White Whole Wheat Flour

  • Beverages

    • ½ cup Orange Juice

  • Dairy

    • 2 whole Large Eggs
    • ½ cup Plain Nonfat Yogurt

  • Fruit

    • 1 cup Blueberries

  • Oils

    • ¼ cup Canola Oil

  • Pantry

    • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

healthy blueberry muffins

healthy blueberry muffins

Healthy Zucchini Bread

 

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

healthy zucchini bread

Zucchini’s abound during summertime, and it’s often a challenge to figure out what to do with it all, especially if you have an overflowing garden.  You can always make zucchini bread, but traditional recipes are usually high in fat, sugar, and calories, and should really be called zucchini “cake” rather than “bread.”  Here’s a lightened version, that’s every bit as tasty as the original.

Healthy Zucchini Bread

Print This Recipe

Number of Servings: 24

    Ingredients

  • 2 cups Zucchini, shredded
  • ¼ cup Canola Oil
  • ½ cup Vanilla Soymilk
  • 3 whole Large Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 1/3 cup Sugar
  • 1 cup Plain lowfat yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • ½ cup Walnuts, chopped
  • 3 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

    Directions

  • 1 Drain the zucchini.

    Preheat oven to 350 and grease 2 loaf pans with nonstick spray. After shredding your zucchini, mix the shreds with 1/4 tsp salt and place in a fine-meshed colander over the sink. Let sit for about 15 minutes, squeezing excess water out with your fingers every 5 minutes.

  • 2 Blend wet ingredients.

    In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

  • 3 Blend dry ingredients.

    In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and walnuts.

  • 4 Combine ingredients and bake.

    Gently stir dry ingredients into the wet. Give the zucchini shreds a final squeeze then fold them into the batter. Pour half the batter into each loaf pan. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. If top is browning too much, turn oven down to 325 for remaining bake time (baking may take a bit longer).

Print This Shopping List

  • Baking

    • 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
    • 1/3 cup Sugar
    • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
    • 3 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

  • Dairy

    • 3 whole Large Eggs

  • Dairy Alternatives

    • ½ cup Vanilla Soymilk

  • Nuts

    • ½ cup Walnuts

  • Oils

    • ¼ cup Canola Oil

  • Pantry

    • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

  • Spices

    • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon

  • Vegetables

    • 2 cups Zucchini

  • dairy

    • 1 cup Plain lowfat yogurt

Grilled Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich

 

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

chocolate peanut butter

Not many things are tastier than a grilled cheese sandwich….except maybe a grilled chocolate peanut butter and banana sandwich!  As you may know, I am a huge fan of this chocolate peanut butter (you can currently get 20% off your online order of this stuff, by the way).  I use it on toast, mix it into frozen yogurt, dip strawberries in it, and occasionally just stick my finger into the jar (can’t help myself).  Most recently, I made a grilled peanut butter sandwich with banana slices, which was HEAVENLY.

Simply lather some peanut butter on one side each of two slices of bread.  Slice up some bananas and put them in between, then very lightly butter the non-peanut butter sides of the bread.  Place into a skillet or grill pan over medium-low heat and let cook until the bread is golden brown on both sides. (Resist the temptation to turn up the heat, you’ll end up with burnt bread).  Let cool 1-2 minutes then cut in half and dig in.

chocolate peanut butter

RANDOMLY PICKED WINNER OF LAST WEEK’S POPCORN GIVEAWAY IS….

Waheeda, whose favorite movie was Pride and Prejudice.  Congrats!

Thank you to everyone who entered!  Stay tuned for our next giveaway!

Banana Yogurt Bread

 

Monday, March 21st, 2011

healthy banana breadThis moist banana loaf, invented by my friend Shelley, is kind of like a cross between cake and bread pudding.  It’s not-too-sweet and tangy flavor are perfect when you’re craving a warm baked good but don’t want to indulge in a real decadent dessert.  Delicious served warm, with another dollop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey on top.

Note: This loaf offers a different consistency than traditional banana bread.  If you’re looking for the texture and flavor of regular banana bread, try this healthy recipe instead.

Banana Yogurt Bread

Print This Recipe

Number of Servings: 0

    Ingredients

  • ¼ cup Canola Oil
  • 1 cup Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt
  • 1 Large Eggs, beaten
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • ½ cup Sugar
  • 3 whole Bananas, medium sized, very ripe
  • 1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

    Directions

  • 1 Mix wet ingredients.

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mash bananas with a fork or masher in a large mixing bowl. Add oil, egg, sugar, and vanilla and whisk until combined.

  • 2 Combine dry ingredients.

    In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, then slowly add them to the wet and stir until just combined.

  • 3 Bake and cool.

    Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. Bread may not look quite done in the middle, but take it out anyway. Let cool completely in the pan, then remove and slice.

Print This Shopping List

  • Baking

    • 1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
    • 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
    • ½ cup Sugar
    • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

  • Dairy

    • 1 Large Eggs
    • 1 cup Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt

  • Oils

    • ¼ cup Canola Oil

  • Pantry

    • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

  • produce

    • 3 whole Bananas

Healthy Double Chocolate Muffins

 

Sunday, March 13th, 2011

chocolate muffin recipeSometimes I wake up craving something sweet, but don’t want to indulge in something that will make me feel like I swallowed a bowling ball for breakfast.  These muffins are the perfect solution: they’re chocolaty and moist, yet light and not-too-sweet.  Add any kind of berries, dried fruit, or nuts for some extra pizazz.

Double Chocolate Muffins

Print This Recipe

Number of Servings: 12

    Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup Canola Oil
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • ½ cup Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Instant coffee granules
  • 1 cup Organic Strawberries, chopped
  • 2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
  • ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 cup Lowfat Buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder, good quality
  • ½ cup Mini chocolate chips

    Directions

  • 1 Mix wet ingredients.

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with muffin cups and spray with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, and instant coffee.

  • 2 Mix dry ingredients.

    In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda, and salt. Mix half of the dry ingredients into the wet, then stir in half the buttermilk. Do this again with remaining ingredients and stir until just combined (don't over-stir). Gently fold in chopped berries and chocolate chips.

  • 3 Bake muffins.

    Pour equal amount of batter into each of the 12 muffin cups and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into a muffin. Let cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes then remove muffins to a cooling rack. Serve warm with a dollop of Greek yogurt and honey, or with a little butter.

Print This Shopping List

  • Baking

    • ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • ½ cup Sugar
    • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
    • 2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
    • ¼ cup cocoa powder

  • Coffee

    • 1 tablespoon Instant coffee granules

  • Dairy

    • 2 Large Eggs
    • 1 cup Lowfat Buttermilk

  • Fruit

    • 1 cup Organic Strawberries

  • Oils

    • 1/3 cup Canola Oil

  • Pantry

    • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

  • baking

    • ½ cup Mini chocolate chips

chocolate muffin recipe

Need a cool beverage to accompany your muffins?  Try this homemade blended coffee.

Pumpkin Muffins on Christmas Morning

 

Friday, December 24th, 2010

pumpkin muffinsWhen you wake up on Christmas morning wanting to fill your belly with something other than candy canes, whip up these pumpkin muffins.  They’ll fill your house with sweet holiday smells, and start your day off healthfully and deliciously.

Pumpkin Muffins

Print This Recipe

Number of Servings: 14

    Ingredients

  • ¼ cup Canola Oil
  • 1 cup Canned Pumpkin
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ¾ cups Light Brown Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 cup Wheat Bran
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 cup Lowfat Buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp Rolled Oats

    Directions

  • 1 Mix wet ingredients.

    Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, brown sugar (leave 2 Tbsp of the sugar aside for the topping), oil, vanilla, and eggs until smooth.

  • 2 Mix dry ingredients.

    In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, wheat bran (available in the bulk bins of the grocery store), baking soda and powder, spices (leaving aside 1/2 tsp cinnamon for the topping), and salt. After combining, add half the dry ingredients to the wet, then add half the buttermilk. Repeat until dry ingredients and buttermilk are mixed in (mix until just combined; don't over-stir).

  • 3 Make topping.

    In a small bowl, mix together the oats, remaining 2 tbsp brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Place paper muffin cups in a muffin tin. Spray cups and top of muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Using an ice cream scoop or measuring cup, scoop enough batter into each up so the cups are almost full. Sprinkle a little of the oat-sugar mixture on top of each muffin.

  • 4 Bake.

    Bake muffins for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when you poke one of the muffins. Let cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin, then remove muffins to a cooling rack and cool another 10 minutes before digging in.

Print This Shopping List

  • Baking

    • 2 cups All Purpose Flour
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • ¾ cups Light Brown Sugar
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • 1 cup Wheat Bran

  • Cereal

    • 2 tbsp Rolled Oats

  • Dairy

    • 2 Large Eggs
    • 1 cup Lowfat Buttermilk

  • Oils

    • ¼ cup Canola Oil

  • Pantry

    • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

  • Spices

    • 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

  • Vegetables

    • 1 cup Canned Pumpkin

Healthy (Moist, Rich, Delicious) Banana Bread

 

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

banana bread moist
Question: Do you have a healthy banana bread recipe you can share?  I’ve tried a few but find the healthy recipes often turn out pretty dry. Please help!

Answer: There’s nothing quite as comforting as a warm slice of homemade banana bread, but it’s hard to make healthy banana bread moist.  This recipe will give you all the satisfaction of the real deal, but with fewer calories and less fat.

Amelia’s Banana Bread

2 large very ripe bananas, well-mashed with a fork or whisk

More…

Father’s Day Brunch Ideas

 

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

easy brunch ideas

Father’s Day calls for some major leisure time with Dad.  A delicious, no-stress brunch is a great start to the day.  Here are some easy food & beverage ideas:

Beverages

  1. Bloody mary bar: tomato juice, vodka, worcestshire sauce, Tabasco, limes, olives, celery, horseradish, ice, cups.
  2. Mimosas: pitcher of OJ (or fruit puree…below I have mango puree with fresh mint) + champagne.
  3. Coffee bar: fresh brewed coffee, warmed milk or cream, flavored syrups, cinnamon, cocoa powder.
  4. Smoothie bar: fresh juices, milk, ice, frozen fruit, yogurt + a blender.

Eats

  1. Egg-stuffed bread: This amazing breakfast item can be served warm or at room temperature, and is even great leftover, just heat in the toaster oven.  See recipe below photos.
  2. Pancakes: Heat up the griddle and whip up a few batches, then keep warm in the oven on low (200) until ready to serve.  Bonus: you can also use the griddle for bacon.
  3. Yogurt & Granola: Buy a couple flavors of granola and serve alongside yogurt with fresh fruit so people can make their own parfaits.  If you’re feeling ambitious, make your own Maple Pecan granola.
  4. Frittata: Great served warm or at room temperature (which is key, because you don’t want to be slaving over omelets on a hot stove while your guests are relaxing).  Try this Chard & Salami Frittata from Bon Appetit.
  5. Muffins or quick bread.  My favorite muffins to serve are Raspberry Corn Muffins, as they’re a nice change of pace and a crowd-pleaser, as is my banana bread.
  6. Caprese Salad: Layer thick slices of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and plenty of basil leaves and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt & pepper.
  7. Big Fruit Platter: Pile 3-4 types of ripe & colorful fruit on a platter and let guests nibble away. (Stick to 3-4 kinds so it looks clean and pretty even after it starts to be eaten).

Egg-filled Bread

More…

Warm Chicken Sandwiches and Butternut Squash Gratin

 

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Who doesn’t love a warm sandwich on crusty bread with gooey cheese seeping out the sides?  Here’s a great easy recipe from Bon Appetit.  I like using a smoked cheese here — like smoked gouda or provolone — and you can easily substitute oven roasted turkey breast for shredded chicken.  After prepping the ingredients, all you do is assemble:

then wrap each sandwich in foil:

More…

Croutons

 

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

At any given moment, I have a few almost-empty bags of bread in my fridge.  I don’t like to throw out the heels, but I don’t like to eat them either.  So, I store them in a big Ziploc in the freezer until I have enough to turn them into croutons.  It’s an easy way to turn leftover, odd-sized, or stale bread into a delicious accompaniment to soup, salads, or cheese platters.

HOMEMADE CROUTONS

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2.  Line a baking sheet with foil.

3. Tear up random pieces of bread — can be different kinds — and place on baking sheet.

4.  Toss bread with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle of salt, pepper, dried rosemary or thyme, and grated Parmesan cheese.

(Or, just olive oil, salt & pepper)

5.  Bake for 7-10 minutes or until crisp but still bite-able.

Want to pair your croutons with homemade soup? Try one of these recipes.

Herb Bread

 

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

Not everyone’s up for bread-making, but if you are, here’s a delicious loaf:

1 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp sea or kosher salt (1 tsp if using table salt)
3 cups bread flour
1 1/4 cups wheat bran (or use 1 cup oat bran, whole wheat flour, or rye flour)
1 Tbsp dried Rosemary & Thyme, or other herbs of choice (or 2-3 Tbsp fresh finely chopped herbs)
1 packet active yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.  When everything is combined (and your arm is tired!), remove dough to a floured surface and knead for about 5 min.  Return to bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and place in a warm spot for 1-2 hrs or until dough as doubled in size. 
       Punch down (really, sock it to the dough) then reshape into a 9 x 5 loaf pan, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Cover with towel and let rise again for an hour.  Bake at 425 for 10 min, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for additional 30 min, or until loaf sounds hollow when you knock on the top.  Let bread cool directly on cooling rack for an hour before slicing (or at least 20 min if you are dying to sink your teeth into a hot piece with butter).
    Note: you can also do this in a mixer or food processor with the dough hook attachment — the machine will do the mixing and kneading for you.  Just let it rise right in the bowl and put in loaf pan for 2nd rise.

Enjoy!

How Can I Tell if a Product is REALLY Whole Grain?

 

Friday, January 15th, 2010

Figuring out whether your bread, pasta, cereal, etc is really whole grain can be tough, because there are so many terms & words used on packaging to make you think a product is healthy, even if it’s not.  Here are some of the most common terms defined, to help you make an informed decision about what products to buy:

100% Whole Grain
  • No refined grains or refined flour was used
  • Means product has fiber, which helps lower cholesterol and slows digestion so that you stay full for longer, and end up eating less.
  • If something is 100% whole grain, it should have at least 3 grams of fiber per 100 calories.
  • Note: there may be other grains used in addition to wheat, like oats, oat bran, spelt, flax, rye, or barley flour.  These are all “whole grains.” 
  • This is a good sign. Buy products that say this.
100% Whole Wheat
  • Made with only whole wheat flour, no refined flours
  • If you read the ingredients list, you should see that the ONLY flours listed are stone-ground whole wheat, 100% whole wheat, or whole wheat.
  • When buying bread, look for “100% whole wheat” on the label

Wheat
  • This means nothing, because ALL bread (except gluten-free) is wheat bread.  What you want is whole wheat. 
  • If you read the ingredients list and see “enriched wheat flour,” or “unbleached wheat flour,” or “fortified wheat flour” — don’t be fooled, these are not whole grains!
High Fiber
  • Has at least 5 grams of fiber and less than 3 grams of fat per serving
  • Good because fiber helps fill you up, and keep you fuller for longer

Good Source of Fiber
  • Has 2.5-4.9 grams of fiber per serving
  • May or may not be 100% whole grain, but if the ingredients are all whole grains, then it is
More Fiber or Added Fiber
  • Has at least 2.5 grams more fiber per serving than the regular version of the food
  • Watch out! — many products that have tons of fiber (like 10-25 grams/serving) have all sorts of unnatural additives to make them higher in fiber — and these added fibers do not have the same beneficial effects on health as naturally occurring fiber — so just be aware of this if you choose to buy these products.
  • Good clues that a product is high in synthetic fiber (not the naturally-occurring kind):
    • If the product is white, like a “country white bread” but has fiber — clearly the product is not whole grain because it’s white & refined, so you know the fiber is from an additive, not from the grain itself
    • If the product is not the type of food that would normally have fiber (a grain, fruit, or vegetable) — like a Pop Tart, candy, beverage, or yogurt.
Made with Whole Grains
  • There might be whole grains in the product, but the product is not 100% whole grain
  • This is a company’s try at getting you to believe their product is completely whole grain, even though it’s not

Let me know if you have other specific questions about fiber or whole grains and I’d be happy to answer! 
* picture from www.applepiepatispate.com website

    Raspberry Corn Muffins

     

    Thursday, January 14th, 2010


    A tasty twist on an old staple.  With real corn kernels & fresh raspberries — they’re not only healthier, but such a treat!

    1 1/2 cups cornmeal

    1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or white whole wheat flour)

    2 tsp baking powder

    1 tsp baking soda

    1 tsp Kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp table or sea salt)

    1/4 cup canola oil

    2 eggs (or 1 egg + 2 egg whites)

    1/2 cup sugar

    1 tsp vanilla

    1 cup low-fat buttermilk

    1 cup frozen corn kernels (not thawed)

    1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (not thawed)

    Preheat oven to 375.  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin cups and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Whisk together oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and soda, and salt.  Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the wet, then pour in some buttermilk, and continue alternating until the buttermilk is gone and there’s just a little bit of the flour mixture left.  Toss corn and raspberries with the remaining flour (this is so they don’t sink to the bottom of the muffin cups), then add to the batter and gently fold in.  Scoop batter into the muffin cups, (sprinkle each filled cup with a little more sugar if desired–this creates a yummy crust) and bake for about 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on a cooling rack, then enjoy!

    Oatmeal Molasses Bread

     

    Sunday, December 6th, 2009

    Making your own bread sounds hard, but it’s not.  In fact, it’s the perfect activity for a weekend when you’re catching up on stuff around the house.  This is my favorite bread recipe of the moment, given to me by my friend Kathy, and based on the recipe by the Hell’s Backbone Grill in Utah.

    Oatmeal Molasses Bread
    1 cup organic rolled oats
    2 cups hot water
    2 Tablespoons melted butter
    1/2 cup tablespoons molasses
    1 teaspoon sugar
    2 teaspoons salt
    1 tablespoon dry yeast
    1/2 cup lukewarm water
    5 1/2 cups bread flour

    Pour the hot water over the oats and in a large bread bowl and let stand for 15 min.  Add melted butter, salt and molasses (1/2 cup).  In separate bowl, add 1 tablespoon yeast to 1/2 cup lukewarm water with the tsp of sugar.  Let the yeast get foamy and then add to the oats mixture.  Mix in flour until tacky but not sticky texture.  Knead dough well for about 10 minutes or so.  If on the dry side, knead on oiled surface.  If too sticky, add more flour.

    Oil the bowl and top of dough, cover with damp kitchen towel.  Let rise in warm place for two hours or until doubled in size.  Punch down and shape into loaves (2 regular size) and place in buttered pan.  Let rest for at least another 30 minutes or until doubled in size. 

    Bake in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook another 35 minutes or so until done – sound hollow when tapped (although I use 350 degree oven and it is just fine).  Remove from pan and cool on rack or towel.

    Enjoy!