Experiments

Lately, I have been having so much fun cooking just for me (and for Vivian, but he doesn't really care).  For many years, I've been cooking for other people and loving it, but I had to cook things that I thought that other people would like, and couldn't take many risks.  Now that I have many more hours at home and for the moment, have complete freedom to experiment, I've been pushing the boundaries and having fun.  I  made my first crackers, some pretty (but kind of dry) muffins,

peanut butter muffins                                              olive oil crackers

 and these fabulous pancakes!

I guess you could say that I've been making a lot of carbs lately, including more beautiful bread: 

 The pancakes are based on a recipe I found on another blog and I just added the quinoa/oat mixture (which I had made for breakfast).  Yum!

 

Oatmeal (and quinoa) Pancakes

Makes about 16 pancakes

3/4 cup oat flour (pulse 3/4 cup rolled oats into a blender until finely ground)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

.........................
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly 

1 1/4 cups vanilla soy milk
1 cup cooked oatmeal or *oat/quinoa mix
1 tablespoon honey
2 large eggs

1. Whisk the oat flour, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the butter, milk, cooked oatmeal, honey and eggs together until thoroughly combined. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a light hand is important for tender pancakes; the batter should be slightly thick with a holey surface. Take care not to over-mix.

2. Heat a 10-inch non-stick pan over medium heat until water sizzles when splashed onto the pan. Spray with Pam. Working quickly, dollop 1/4-cup mounds of batter onto the pan, 3 at a time. Once bubbles have begun to form on the top side of the pancake, flip the pancake and cook until the bottom is dark golden-brown, about 5 minutes total. Continue with the rest of the batter.

3. Serve the pancakes hot, straight from the skillet or keep them warm in a low oven.

* Make oat/quinoa mix:  Bring 2 cups of water to a simmer, add 1/2 cup of rolled oats, 1/2 cup quinoa and a pinch of salt to a boil and simmer covered on very low heat for 12 min. Off heat, add 1/2 cup soy milk, 1/4 cup raisins, 1 packet stevia, and 2 tsp. honey.  Let sit a while...

Best Bread Ever

Luckily, when you start making bread from scratch, it tends to gets better and better.  I've been trying various recipes for about the past three years and have been getting a feel for what works and what just flops.  My non-picky husband will eat any bread-like thing that I put in front of him, so nothing has gone to waist over the years.  Today, though, I just made my beast bread ever and I may only make this bread from now on...

Favorite No-Knead Peasant Bread

(you'll need a large cast iron pot with a lid)

3 cups warm water
1 1/2 packets yeast (1 1/2 Tbs.)
1 1/2 Tbs. kosher salt
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cups whole wheat bread flour
5 1/2 cups white flour

(cornmeal for parchment)

In a large plastic bucket with a lid, mix water with yeast.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until moistened.  Cover with the lid lightly and let sit at room temp. for 2 hours.  Use the dough now or put in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Prepare a piece of parchment paper about 9" wide and sprinkle it with a little cornmeal.  Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour; then reach in and pull out 1/2 of dough, cutting it off with a serrated knife.  Use your floured hands to tuck the dough under itself tightly to make a smooth surface on top.  Set the ball on the parchment and let sit for 1 hour.  Put your covered, cast iron pot in the oven and let preheat to 450 degrees.

Use a serrated knife to cut 3 slits in the top of your dough, at a diagonal.  When the oven is hot, take out the pan and place the dough, still sitting on the parchment into the pot and cover it.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more.  Lift the beautiful bread out of the pot and let cool completely on a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Amazing Chia Seeds

So, I'd never heard of chia seeds until about a month ago, when I read about them on a health blog and decided to order some on Amazon.  There were so many glowing reviews that I just had to try them.  Here is how they are described on Amazon:

 

regeneration

Yippie!  I sold my first collage yesterday at Regeneration:

They got hung up on Thursday night and I sold one on Sunday...i couldn't be more thrilled.

Curried Butternut Squash and Chickpeas

1 pealed butternut squash, cut into 3/4" pieces
1 can chickpeas, rinsed
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. curry powder
pinch of chili power

1 vidalia onion chopped
1 Tbs. minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. red curry paste
1/2 tsp. cumin
4 tsp. soy sauce
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 can coconut milk (full fat is healthy for you)

rice or rice noodles
.....................
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Toss squash and chickpeas with oil, curry, and chili powder.  Roast on foil for 30 minutes.  In a large skillet saute onion in oil 5 minutes, then add ginger and garlic for one minute.  Add paste, cumin, soy sauce, brown sugar, and salt.  Cook one minute, then add roasted veggies and coconut milk.  Serve with rice or rice noodles.

Pumpkin Barley Stew

1/2 cup pearled barley

 1 can pumpkin

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 onion, diced

2 cups chicken broth and 3 cups water (or some combination)

1/4 tsp. each: curry powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, dried ginger

2 Tbs. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt or to taste

2 small yukon gold potatoes, diced

.....................................................

In a small pot, boil barley in plenty of water for 40 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, heat oil and saute onion and carrots for about 5 minutes, covering for the first 3 minutes.  Add spices and stir for 1 minute.  Add broth, water, and canned pumpkin; bring to a low simmer.  When barley has cooked for 40 min., drain it and add to soup pot.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add potatoes, brown sugar and salt and simmer for 10 minutes.  Adjust seasonings and enjoy!

New Collages February 2011

www.shopRegeneration.com

Here are some recent collages that I will be selling at a lovely and local shop called Regeneration 

@ 20 Birch St. Roslindale, MA 02131

www.shopRegeneration.com