Blackberry Coffee Cake

Blackberry Filling

1 1/4

cups frozen (thawed and well drained) blackberries

1/2

cup finely chopped pecans

3

tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2

teaspoons ground cinnamon 

 

Coffee Cake

2 1/4

cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1

teaspoon baking powder

1/2

teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4

cups granulated sugar

1

cup butter or margarine, softened

1

teaspoon vanilla

2

eggs

1

container (8 ounces) sour cream 

 

Powdered Sugar Glaze

1 1/2

cups powdered sugar

3

to 4 teaspoons water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and side of 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan with shortening; lightly flour.
2. In small bowl, mix all Blackberry Filling ingredients; set aside.
3. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in flour mixture alternately with sour cream on low speed.
4. Spread one-third of the batter in pan; sprinkle with half of the filling. Spoon another one-third of the batter by tablespoonfuls over filling; sprinkle with remaining filling. Spoon remaining batter over filling; spread evenly.
5. Bake coffee cake 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir all Powdered Sugar Glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over cooled coffee cake.

Makes 16 servings

Mini Omelet Muffins

You Will Need:

• Muffin Pan (a pan that makes larger muffins works best!)
• 6 Eggs (beaten and seasoned with ¼ tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper)
• Mix-Ins (you can really choose anything you want here, but for a more healthy option, choose less meat and cheese, and go for more veggies!)
  
  -Diced Ham or Bacon
  -Carrots
  -Tomatoes
  -Onions
  -Spinach
  -Bell Pepper
  -Shredded cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and generously grease the bottoms and sides of your muffin pan to ensure a stick-free removal once the omelets are done baking.

2. Make sure your eggs are beaten and you’ve added the salt and pepper.

3. Fill the bottoms of your muffin pan (about 1/3 of each individual tin) with the different mix-ins you chose. Try some ingredients by themselves or make a bunch of different, yummy combinations. It’s really up to you :)

4. Then fill the tins with your eggs. The omelets will puff up a little when you bake them, so make sure to leave just a tiny bit of space at the top of each tin.  Stir each mixture slightly to combine your eggs with the ingredients.

5. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until you can poke the centers with a knife and it comes out clean (or almost clean).

Let them cool a bit before eating them, but once they’re done, go ahead and chow down… Or, save them for later!  You can eat them warm or cold, at home, on the go, at breakfast, for lunch, or even at dinner. They’re a yummy, healthy choice for any time of the day.

S'MORES Pancakes

 

S'MORES Pnacakes - compliments of The SPOONFUL.  My whole childhood life - I LOVE marshmallows.   You would think I would've grown up and given up this obsession as an adult, but I don't think I ever did.  Now - it just seems I'm allowed to indulge in them whenever I choose.  Which well - let's just keep it a secret as to how much. 

These pancakes are a MUST have this Saturday morning in my household.

What you'll need

• Your favorite pancake recipe
• Chocolate chips (optional)
• Jumbo marshmallows
• Chocolate syrup

How to make it

1. Mix up your favorite pancake recipe or mix. I used a basic buttermilk recipe and threw in a handful (okay, fine. TWO handfuls.) of chocolate chips. Cook as directed, aiming for pancakes that are about 3"-4" in diameter.
   
   
2. You have two options for melting your jumbo marshmallow:
   1) Put the marshmallow on a skewer and toast it over a low gas burner on your stove until it is golden brown and melted all the way through.
   OR
   2) Place the marshmallow on top of one panckae and microwave for 20-30 seconds on High. Keep an eye on it, because it will expand quite a lot this way!
   
3. Sandwich the toasted/melted marshmallow between two pancakes and smoosh it down so all that gooey goodness comes squishing out of the sides just a bit. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and gobble it up!
   
4. Go clean your face. You've got chocolate and marshmallow all over your chin!

French Toast Cupcakes

Do you ever have bread that's more then a few days old - it's not moldy but it's kind of stale.  You don't want to trash it because you're frugal but no one in your family will eat it either because well - it tastes yuck. 

We have a solution.  French Toast Cupcakes.

 

 

Ingredients

• ½ loaf French bread, cubed (or any kind of stale or day-old bread)
• ½ C. sour cream
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1¼ C. half and half (use milk to make it even more frugal)
• 3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted and cooled
• ¼ C. maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• Cool Whip Frosting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread cubes in a mixing bowl. Combine other ingredients and pour over bread cubes, stirring to saturate completely.
2. Scoop batter into muffin cups. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and inside is baked through.
3. Allow to cool slightly and top with vanilla Cool Whip Frosting.

 

 

Whole Grain Waffles

So as a mom - it's a given that we end up cooking most of the meals in our house, but despite the fact that we've been a mom for almost 5 years, we still HATE the mornings.  I adopt a "don't talk to me", "don't touch me" motto every morning - and since our toddlers still doesn't understand the concept that weekends are meant to be sleeping in - we find ourselves still rising around 6:30/7am on a Saturday or Sunday morning.  We're up but it doesn't mean we like it - and it doesn't mean we want to be; so finding us in the kitchen may be a bit difficult; so this Christmas - we decided to invest in a cast iron waffle maker for our hubby with an attached note "Breakfast is all you from now on".  It's almost March, and I think he's used the waffle maker twice; and both times the waffles were so disgusting that our dog wouldn't even eat it.  So when we found this recipe for homemade waffle that is healthy we decided to share on behalf of my dear husband.  Let us know what you think?

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (not stone-ground)
• 2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
• 2 tablespoons cane sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
• Maple syrup, for drizzling

Directions

1. Preheat waffle iron. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk, oil, egg, and vanilla.
2. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture and mix until just combined.
3. Coat waffle iron with cooking spray. For deep, Belgian-style waffles, fill each cavity with 1/2 cup batter and cook until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes (or according to manufacturer's instructions).
4. Serve with strawberries, a dollop of yogurt, and a drizzle of syrup.

9 condiments instead of Sriracha

Let’s face the facts though; sriracha is now almost as mainstream as Tabasco sauce. Pretty soon McDonalds will be serving McSrirachas and you’ll be looking for the next cool condiment to slather on everything. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Harissa
Harissa is a red and spicy paste just like sriracha. It however, doesn’t come in a squeezy bottle. It is incredibly spicy thanks to the combination of hot peppers, red chili powder, and garlic that make up a majority of the sauce. The sauce has Tunisian origins and is used to flavor cous cous dishes as well as stews. We like to mix it with mayonnaise for a spicy sandwich spread.

Pomegranate Molasses
This Middle Eastern condiment is not actually molasses at all, but is instead is a thick syrup made from concentrated pomegranate juice and sugar. It is incredibly sweet and incredibly tart all in one. Plus it makes a bangin’ barbeque sauce or dressing when mixed with some vinegar and olive oil.

Akabanga
This hot sauce (and by hot we mean fiery hot) from Rwanda makes Sriracha look like a wimp. Workers have to wear facemasks when making the sauce, because it is that strong. Akabanga will add some serious firepower to anything you’re cooking up, just be sure to only use a drop or two at most if you ever want to feel your tongue again. Procuring a bottle might be a challenge for even the most determined spice addict as they are not sold in stores in the USA and difficult to purchase online.

Gochujang
If you like fermented foods then this Korean condiment is right up your alley. It’s made from fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, red chili, and salt and then is traditionally left to age for years in a clay pot. Its unique flavor profile makes it a great dressing for a bland salad.

Toum
Toum is that addictive garlicky white sauce served with chicken kebobs at Lebanese restaurants. It is basically an aioli on some serious garlic steroids. Recommended use: put it on everything, especially rice and French fries.

Ajvar
This is essentially the ketchup of the Balkans. It is made from red bell peppers, garlic, eggplant, and chili peppers. Many eat it as a stand-alone salad, or spread it on everything from sandwiches to pizza.

Banana Sauce
This condiment from the Philippine’s was invented when there was a ketchup shortage during WWII. It is actually made from mashed bananas combined with sugar, vinegar, and spices. Banana sauce is a crucial ingredient in Filipino style spaghetti and is basically used as ketchup would be on burgers, fries, etc.

Shichimi
Shichimi loosely translates to “seven flavor chili pepper” in Japanese, because there are literally seven flavors plus ground red chili pepper. Some of these additions include nori, roasted orange peel, and ground ginger. The Japanese add this to many dishes, especially those involving noodles.

Salsa Lizano
This Costa Rican condiment is a slightly sweet thin brown sauce (similar to the British HP sauce). It is a complex sauce including ingredients such as turmeric, mustard, carrots, and cumin. It’s supposedly great doused on eggs, cheeses, and curries.
Thanks Underground Eats

Baba Ganoush

I recently introduced BabaGanoush to my husband when we went to a Mediterranean restaurant and now the man is HOOKED.  Baba Ganoush is made up mostly of fire-charred eggplants.  Did you know that another word for eggplant is aubergine.  We didn't either - we learned that today.  But here's one of our more favorite recipes.  Can't wait to try it at home.

Thanks Your Middle East




Ingredients:
4 aubergines
6 garlic cloves
2 cups raw tahini - we found a great raw tahini recipe online for you guys to use which is simple
1/3 cup lemon juice
Salt, to taste
Olive oil
 A bunch of parsley or coriander leaves, thinly chopped.

1. Wash and char the aubergines one by one, on the stove’s open, high flames, till thoroughly tender on all sides. Some recipes call for frying or baking the aubergine in the oven, but this is heresy. Broiling the aubergine on an open fire gives it the special, smoky taste that makes the greatness of the Baba Ganoush. If you fear the mess to your stove, line it with aluminium foil. Otherwise, be ready to settle for compromise. And if you really want to get the most of the smokiness, char the aubergines for at least 10 to 15 minutes, and then set aside to cool.

2. After the aubergines have cooled, half them and scoop out the aubergine flesh (preferably with a wooden or a plastic utensil, as metal would blacken the aubergine flesh and alter its flavour). If some of the aubergines’ black skin sticks to the flesh don’t fret – it’s only for the best and your palate will thank you for it, but don’t get carried away and leave too much of it, or your whole dish will taste of burnt aubergine skin. Mash it and let it sit in a colander for a while, to drain the fluids.

3. Mix together in a serving bowl the aubergine flesh with the crashed garlic cloves, the raw Tahini, the lemon juice and the salt. Stir together, taste, and adjust seasoning.

4. Before serving, top with olive oil and the minced herbs.
Since the recipe varies from one region to another, feel free to do the same and experiment, replacing some of the Tahini with yogurt, adding spring onion, or toasted cumin seeds. Another tradition is to add pomegranate seeds or pomegranate molasses on top of the dish, for an added sweet-sour tang.