A Fork In Each Hand

Blackberry-Peach Crisp

Have you had blackberries or peaches yet this summer? I hope so! Have you baked them with some brown sugar and oats? Do that next! For someone like me who has a very prominent sweet tooth, it’s important that I find desserts that satisfy those cravings without making me feel rotten afterward. My mom used to make apple crisp all the time when I was younger and, as a result, I love a good fruit crisp – especially the “crisp” part. I mean, flour, sugar, oatmeal, butter, how can you go wrong? When I came across this recipe for Blackberry-Peach Crisp, I was a little worried that the topping wouldn’t be as sweet and decadent tasting as the good old-fashioned crisps of days past but this dessert did not disappoint.

Fresh blackberries and peaches are mixed with nothing more than fresh orange juice (I used clementine juice!) and vanilla, allowing their natural sweetness to shine through. The fruit mixture is placed in individual ramekins and topped with a gooey coating of whole-wheat flour, oats, brown sugar, canola oil, and honey which melts together to form a crunchy topping. The fruit gets perfectly soft and bubbly as it cooks and is delightfully mildly sweet. This crumb mixture, which is spiced up with cinnamon and nutmeg, isn’t loaded with flour, thank goodness, but instead has a consistancy closer to granola which makes my toes curl. And because this dessert is baked in ramekins, portion control is easy to maintain (only 159 calories a serving!). I could easily make a batch of this crumb topping and eat it with nothing but a spoon and a smile. And maybe some ice cream. I’ll keep this recipe close by to use later in the fall with apples and pears. My mouth waters just thinking about it.

If you like this, also check out Blueberry-Peach Cobbler.

The ingredients:

Combine berries, peaches, juice and vanilla in a bowl and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine whole-wheat flour, oats, brown sugar, canola oil, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg with hands until moist and crumbly.

Spoon fruit mixture into four 4-oz ramekins coated with cooking spray. Scatter crumb mixture evenly over the top of each.

Bake in a 375°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until fruit bubbles and top is golden brown.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Self Magazine

Anadama Bread

Sorry it’s been a couple days since I’ve posted but I’ve been out of town for three days and despite having Internet access, I just didn’t feel like pulling out my computer. You know the feeling. Being disconnected. It kind of feels good. Although with my iPhone on my hip, I wasn’t truly disconnected. Oh well. It was an effort. Anyway, I’ve been on a real reading kick lately (I recently devoured The Age of Miracles, Wild, Gone Girl and Where We Belong – all of which I recommend) and since I’ve decided I need dial down my book collection rather than grow it, I decided to take advantage of my library card and checked out two more books to read yesterday, The Bungalow and The Hypnotist’s Love Story. Reading as much as I have been sometimes disrupts my pattern of cooking but it was in one of my reading fits last weekend that I spontaneously decided I wanted to bake some bread. Next thing I knew, I was up to my elbows in flour, twisting and kneading fresh dough until it was perfectly rounded and fragrant. This particular bread, Anadama Bread, is a bread my aunt often makes for holidays or just because. Of course I think hers tastes better. Just because.

Anadama Bread is a yeast bread made special with the addition of molasses and cornmeal. This bread has the slightest hint of sweetness, but not too much, and is good toasted with jam or just butter. It also freezes easily, just simply slice it ahead of time and seal in a freezer bag. Making bread can be both therapeutic and satisfying. Kneading dough is a good way to de-stress and after watching a mixture of ingredients come together and simply grow, you get a feeling of accomplishment when you pull out the warm, baked bread from the oven and your kitchen – your whole house – smells like a bakery. There is nothing better. When I make bread I kind of get that feeling that Tom Hanks has in Cast Away when he pounds on his chest and proudly proclaims to no one “Look what I have created! I have made fire!” When that bread comes out of the oven perfectly rounded and browned, it’s hard not to be proud and want to show it to someone. Next time, I just might pound on my chest too. Just because.

Read a good book lately? Let me know! 🙂

The ingredients:

Dissolve the yeast and molasses in warm water in a large bowl, and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in melted butter.

Add 3 cups flour, cornmeal, and salt to yeast mixture and stir until blended.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes), adding enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch dough down; let rest 5 minutes.

Roll into a 14 x 7-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Roll up rectangle tightly, starting with a short edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam and ends to seal. Place roll, seam side down, in a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Uncover dough and bake at in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes or until loaf is browned on bottom and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Penne with Vodka Sauce & Vegetables

August 8, 2012
Shannon
0 comments
food, pasta, peas, spinach, tomatoes, vegetarian, zucchini

I’ve noticed a pattern in the food I’ve been eating lately – vegetarian and with zucchini. For someone who didn’t touch zucchini as a kid and grew up eating deer meat and rabbit, this is an interesting revelation. Trust me when I tell you, I prefer my diet much more now. Although I wish I didn’t eat so many carbs, I’m happy that I don’t eat nearly as much as I did when I was a vegetarian and ate pasta constantly. As in every single night. Because things have changed, I look forward to a hearty pasta dish, especially one made with vodka sauce. Penne with Vodka Sauce and Vegetables is a lightened up version of regular pasta in vodka sauce which is hearty enough that you won’t even notice the fact that there is no meat in sight.

Whole-wheat penne is mixed with zucchini, peas, onion and spinach and tossed in a tomato sauce made with vodka and half-and-half. The sauce is creamy and light, given subtle touch of heat from red pepper flake. Add Canadian bacon for an additional flavor boost as per the recipe if you prefer. This recipe makes a ton, making it perfect for a family, guests or tons of leftovers. This will be my lunch and dinner for days but that’s ok. I’m used to eating a lot of pasta.

The ingredients:

Cook penne according to package directions, approximately 11 minutes. Add zucchini and peas during last 3 minutes and stir in spinach. Drain and place back into the pot.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; add vodka and cook 1 minute.