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Posts tagged ‘cinnamon’

Sep 16

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Snack Time: Fall Flavored Popcorn

I’ve been feeling especially fall-like lately, craving cozy sweaters, hot cups of chai tea, pumpkin muffins, and fresh crispy apples.  Accounts from my family and Facebook friends tell me the weather had definitely cooled down for awhile back in Michigan, with highs of only 65.  Here in, VA though, it’s still hot and humid, with a highs near 92.  I don’t think I’ll be reaching for that sweater anytime soon! I shouldn’t really complain though, I like warm weather, and this only means that the winter here will be much more mild, with an average January low of 28 F (which just so happens to be the average January high in MI).

Ninety degree weather or not, all this cool weather  talk has me craving fall flavors, and it’s September after all!  So I thought I would compromise, and make something snacky that reminds me of fall, but won’t over heat me either…

Popcorn!

I’m a big fan of snacking.  I typically eat 3 snacks a day, mid-morning, afternoon, and evening.  Yes, I eat something 1 or 2 hours before bed, because I absolutely cannot sleep on an empty stomach!  Snacking often gets a bad rap, but the key is in choosing the right food, and home popped popcorn is a great choice.  It is low in calories and full of fiber, so it keeps you satisfied.

If you have never popped your own popcorn before I urge you to give it a try! While I’m sure there are some decent microwave varieties out there, nothing beats being able to completely control your salt content and toppings.  Plus doing it yourself is fun!  Here’s how…

In a deep pot, heat 3 tablespoons of Canola oil over medium to high heat.  After a few minutes add just a couple of popcorn kernals.  Once these kernels pop, add 3/4 cup of kernels to the pot and cover.  Shake the pan back and forth every once and awhile. Turn the heat off or remove from the heat completly, once the popping sounds start to slow down (couple of seconds between pops).  Don’t let it burn! This whole process shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes.

Transfer you popcorn to your favorite big bowl, (pop in your movie!) and get ready to be creative!  I was feeling fall like, so I sprinkled mine with some cinnamon sugar, and a pinch of salt.  Cinnamon always reminds me of fall.  If you like kettle corn you have to give this a try!

or try these topping ideas:

- Cheese! Sprinkle with some freshly grated parmesan.

- I’ve heard good things about nutritional yeast (I have yet to try it, but hear it has a cheesy taste!)

- Taco seasoning gives a bit of a kick

- as does Paprika

- garlic powder is good if you’re a garlic lover like me… don’t add too much though!

- or try the basic but delicious salt and black pepper

 

Are you ready to give it a try? Have any other topping ideas? Are you as excited for fall as I am? I’m already dreaming up lots of good pumpkin recipes to share! Can’t wait!

 

Popcorn on FoodistaPopcorn

Jun 21

Father’s Day Strawberry Shortcake

Happy Belated Father’s Day to all the wonderful dad’s out there!

I happened to be lucky enough to have the weekend off and was able to go back to my hometown, Portage to see my parents and wish my dad a happy Father’s Day.  Before leaving Saturday morning, I got up a little early and made some whole grain honey biscuits to bring with me (recipe below).

On my way home, I stopped and picked up some of the very last strawberries of the season.  They were nice and ripe and perfect for shortcake.

To prepare the strawberries for shortcake, start by removing the stems and slicing into a bowl.  Add some water, not too much, just enough to cover about 1/3 to 1/2 of the berries.  Sprinkle in sugar to taste.  I added a little more than I meant to, but hey, it is dessert after all!  Smash the berries just a little to release some of the juices.


Strawberries this good deserve homemade whipped cream.  So instead of picking up some cool whip, I grabbed a pint (2 cups) of heavy whipping cream.  Making homemade whipped cream is actually quite simple, takes 5 minutes with an electric beater, and tastes 100 times better than anything you can purchase.

Start by placing your beaters and a glass bowl in the freezer for about 5 minutes.  The colder these are, the better this will work.  When ready, pour the cream in the bowl and using your hand mixer, whip until the creams just begins to thicken.  At this point, add in 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 tsp pure vanilla extract.  It is helpful to have these pre-measured.  Continue to whip until you have soft peaks (when you dip the beaters in and back out a peak will form and start to fall over on itself).  Make the whipped cream right before you are ready to eat it for best results.

To prepare the shortcakes, place a biscuit in a bowl, or on a plate, and break it into a few large pieces, top with strawberries and juice, the whipped cream, then more stawberries.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of the end product because we were too busy devouring our treat, which we enjoyed for Father’s Day breakfast!  Blueberries made an excellent addition!

Honey Whole Grain Buttermilk Biscuits

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour*

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

2-1/2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter

3 Tbsps honey

1 large egg

3/4 cup buttermilk, plus a little extra**

Sugar and cinnamon for topping

*you can use regular whole wheat flour here if you would like

**Buttermilk substitute: add 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar to just under 1 cup of milk, let sit 5 minutes


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter.  Cut the butter into chucks first to make this task easier.  The flour mixture should look crumbly.

4. In a small bowl combine the honey, egg and 3/4 cup buttermilk  Add to dry ingredients just until moistened.

5. Pour onto a lightly floured surface and work it until it all comes together.  Press it lightly into a 9 x9 inch square.

6. Using a glass (I used a wine glass) or a sharp cookie cutter press into circles.  The sharper your object is the higher and fluffier your biscuits will be.

7. Brush the tops with buttermilk, and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutritional Benifits

Whole grains! from the whole wheat flours

Fiber! from the whole grains and the fruit

Calcium! from the cream

Antioxidants! from the fruit

Vitamin C! from the strawberries

You can still make healthy choices and enjoy dessert.  Yes, this recipe does have saturated fat from the whipped cream, but in moderation that is okay.  The nutrition facts for cool whip don’t look so bad at first, no fat, not much sugar.  But after looking at the list of ingredients, I prefer the homemade stuff! Taste better too!  The first 3 ingredients in the cool whip are water, corn syrup, and hydrogenated vegetable oil (trans fat).

Food should be enjoyable!



Jun 1

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Memorial Day Morning Glory Muffins

This Memorial weekend was not a very exciting one for me.  I worked and volunteered, missing all the great sunny weather.  On Memorial Day, I had about 6 free hours in the afternoon to myself.  I had hoped to spend the afternoon basking in the sun, but the weather had different plans for me.  So, I settled down to do some serious dietetic internship research.  About an hour into this, a big storm rolled through, and I suddenly had this huge desire to bake something.  What is it about rain, that makes me want to dig out my apron and grab the flour?

I wanted a nice treat, I was thinking blueberry muffins maybe? Nah, their crumbly topping is too sweet.  Then, it came to me, MORNING GLORY MUFFINS!  These muffins allow me to fulfill my nagging urge to bake, while serving as a healthy breakfast or snack.  They are full of good-for-you ingredients like carrots, raisins, apples, walnuts, whole-wheat flour, and cinnamon!

Typically, morning glory muffins call for coconut, but I’ve never liked it, so I replaced it with extra carrots.  I cheated a little too, and purchased the pre-shredded kind.  And okay, I admit it, I may have added far to many.  I couldn’t help it.  I didn’t want to waste what “little” was left in the bag, so I used the whole 10 ounces.

I modified this recipe from this one at honey & jam.

1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour

3/4 cup old fashioned oats

3/4 cups packed brown sugar

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and grated*

1 large tart apple, peeled, cored, and grated

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

3 large eggs

2/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Lightly line muffin tin with papers and spray insides of the papers.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the carrots, apple, nuts, and raisins. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, applesauce, vanilla, and orange juice. Add to the flour mixture, and stir just until evenly moistened.

Divide batter into the prepared pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool for 5 minutes in their pan, then finish cooling on a wire rack.

*I probably added close to 3 cups of carrots

Nutritional Benefits:

Whole Grains! White whole wheat flour provides the same benefits as regular whole wheat flour.  Old fashioned oats are considered a whole grain.

Vitamins and Minerals! Carrots are high in beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A, which is great for healthy eyes.  Carrots are also a good source of Vitamin C.

Healthy Fats! Applesauce replaces what would traditionally be vegetable oil, to reduce the calorie and fat content of these muffins.  The only fats here are from the walnuts.  Walnuts are high in the healthy unsaturated fats and omega 3′s.

Fiber! All of these ingredients contribute to a high fiber muffin, for example, apples and raisins are great sources of fiber.

May 14

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A Perfect Day for Baking Bread

I love to bake and I am a big fan of King Arthur flour.  Yesterday they posted this walnut whole wheat bread recipe on their facebook page.

With the icky weather I decided it would be a perfect day to bake a loaf of bread, drink some hot tea, and get some things done around the apartment.

I was pretty excited about it, until I looked a bit closer at the recipe. Instant yeast it said; 2 teaspoons. Instant yeast? What is that? I’ve made a decent amount of yeast bread, but have never used instant yeast. I keep on hand fast acting active dry yeast.

I already had my hopes up to make bread, so I began searching the KA site for a different recipe. I decided on this vermont whole wheat oatmeal honey bread recipe.

Knowing that yeast takes a while to make and that I still had to go to work later, I quickly mixed the first few ingredients together: Boiling water, oatmeal, butter, honey, cinnamon, sugar. I hoped the bread wouldn’t be too sweet and went to add the instant yeast.

Wait.

Instant yeast?

Ohh…..

*Sigh* In my rushing to find a new recipe I didn’t read the ingredients as closely as I should have.  So, I grabbed my umbrella threw on my coat and headed to the store…. then another store. Apparently, you can’t buy instant yeast in this town. At least, not where I was shopping. I thought about going to the local food co-op but was too frustrated, and drove home instead.

I didn’t want to waste my ingredients, so I though I might as well experiment with my active dry yeast.  This is when I realized that the recipe called for mostly white all purpose flour. Bummer. I wanted a 100% whole wheat bread. I could have just used the whole wheat flour, and I thought about it.  However since I was already changing the recipe, I chose not to and baked the bread according to the recipe.

Hmm…

it’s a little ugly. It’s a little dense. It’s not as tall as I wanted it.

But… served with a glass of wine, it was delicious.

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