Category: Breakfast

Spiced Zucchini and Apple Cake and an Anniversary

Published on by Alissa18 Comments

Seven years ago today, I walked down the isle to Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire and married a crazy man. I call him crazy only because he fell in love with me. What is even crazier is that he has continued to love me amazingly. He is my best friend. I’m one lucky gal. The luckiest in fact.

We make an odd pair. A great team, but an odd pair. He is total left brain and spontaneous and fun and boisterous and ADD and passionate and people oriented. Me? None of those things. Opposite. This man allows me to be crazy and anal retentive. He has taught me to go with the flow…well…to TRY to go with the flow. I’m a Type A engineer…I do as good as I can. I’ve come a long way.

Case in point – On our first anniversary, we took a road trip from Oklahoma to Nantucket. My cousin lived there and we decided to head up there to see her. We were broke (I was getting layed off from my job and going back to school to get my masters). We decided to camp the whole way and eat packed food. We had a tight budget. Well, correction…I had a tight budget.

We spent the first night at a friend’s place in Chicago. We ate turkey sandwiches that night at their house. Budget accomplished. Check. Next day, we headed to New York. Around 9 am it became apparent that we have left our turkey meat in Chicago. Kiley was hungry. I offered him the only option we had….mustard sandwich. He was not a fan. He pulled over to get a sausage biscuit. “But…that’s not a part of the budget,” I said. He asks if I want one. And of course I said no…because it was not in the budget…I mean, in my defense that dollar could make or break this thing, people!!!! SO there he is…eating his hot and steamy and fresh and awesome breakfast sausage biscuit…and there I am…eating my cold and floppy and soggy mustard sandwich. My mustard sandwich was awesome. He was totally jealous.

Do you now know why I think he is crazy….for putting up with me! Seriously.

But that was year 1…and now, 7 years later, he has totally relaxed. Ha…I mean, I have relaxed. A bit. We now own a 1974 VW camper van called Annabelle that we “drive” all over America. Well, sometimes we do not drive her back (she gets towed)…but it’s always a good time and always an adventure.

Right now we are on yet another adventure. This time Kiley surprised me with a train ride to Hermann, Missouri….Missouri’s very own wine country. It’s a quaint German town nestled on the banks of the Missouri River an hour or so west of St Louis. So cheers and I hope you are having a wonderful Monday, because I am.

Oh…this cake! I nearly forgot with all the gooshy anniversary talk. Typically on Mondays I present a Food Matter’s Project (FMP) recipe. Today’s recipe was Apricot Polenta Cake which appears to be rather easy and tasty. However, apricots are not around right now at the market and Kiley does not eat grains…so no polenta. Womp womp. But, in an attempt to stick with the “cake” theme of the FMP, I baked this lovely zucchini spice cake. It is adapted from one of my new favorite flood blogs, Against All Grains. She cooks great recipes for individuals that have sensitivities to grains and dairy. This cake is adapted from her zucchini bread recipe which is made with almond flour. My adaptation amps up with fall spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg) and tops it with local apples.

Enjoy this cake for breakfast, dessert, snack, or on a road trip (slices are coming with us on the train). Take it from me, these cake slices are SO much better than eating mustard sandwiches. 😛

Almond Flour Zucchini and Apple Cake (adapted from Against All Grains)

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups blanched almond flour
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 to 2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini
  • 2 apples (dice one apple and thinly slice the other to place on top)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients (almond flour through ginger) in a small bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, mix wet ingredients (eggs through oil) and beat for about 1 minute. Stir in zucchini and one of the diced apples.
  4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated.
  5. Pour into prepared pan. Place sliced apple on top in a circle pattern. Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes or until the middle is set. A toothpick comes out clean when the cake is done.

Pumpkin and Apple Almond Flour Muffins (Grain Free)

Published on by Alissa23 Comments

So I have a crush. And not a little one. A BIG one…a huge, gushy, get red, giggle, snort, blow chocolate milk out of my nose kind of crush. His name…. Pumpkin…that’s Mr. Pumpkin. Ya….you know him. You all love him.  He’s like the Matthew McConaughey of fall produce.  Whatever he is in, it’s golden, perfect, never disappoints and always shirtless.

Such is my crush….mmmmm pumpkin. I’ve been collecting and dreaming about amazing recipes: pumpkin bourbon ice cream, pumpkin bars, pumpkin bread, pumpkin coconut soup, pumpkin latte, pumpkin butter, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin smoothie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin curry. The list goes on and on and on and on, people. It’s bad. I’ve got a pumpkin fever!

And then I stumbled upon this great pumpkin muffin recipe made with almond flour. As soon as the calendar hit September 1st, my oven went on and in went these delicious pumpkin muffins.  I had just picked up some local golden delicious apples at the market and decided to throw one into the mix. I’d been dreaming of these puppies and boy howdy they did not disappoint…much like Matthew McConaughey.  Pull the muffin liner off and they too will be shirtless. Whoah!

I honestly have to say these are hands down the best pumpkin muffins I have had…gluten free or not. It’s a double bonus that they are not only gluten free but grain free. So if you are on the fence about experimenting with almond flour, give these puppies a go. You will forever be in deep smit. You can even eat them shirtless. I won’t tell.

I should note that I made these with my newest purchase of Honeyville blanched almond flour.  I’m super impressed with the light texture.  Trader Joe’s offers almond meal and it is made from unblanched (skins still on) almonds. Bob’s Redmill also sells almond flour. Although Bob’s is blanched,  it has a more coarse texture but still tastes gooooooood. So if you are looking for a lighter texture to baked goods, I’d invest in a better almond flour such as Honeyville or go to Nuts.com.  Store your flour in the fridge or freezer. I also think Whole Foods offers bulk almond flour.   Another option is to regrind Bob’s almond flour in a coffee grinder. Just be careful to not let it process to long or you will end up with almond butter. DOH!

Pumpkin and Apple Almond Flour Muffins (Grain Free) (Slightly adapted from the Urban Poser)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup (or honey)
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 3 Tablespoons apple sauce
  • 1 diced apple, leave skin on if organic
  • 2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (I use Honeyville or go to Nuts.com)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 cup of walnuts or pecans
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 12 cup muffin tin or place muffin liners within tin. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients (eggs, pumpkin, maple syrup, coconut oil, and applesauce). Combine until well mixed. Add diced apple. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (almond flour, baking soda, salt, and spices). If you do not have blanched finely ground almond flour, you may need to regrind your almond flour in a blender.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until combined where there are no visible lumps. Add nuts and mix until combined. The batter will be rather thick.
  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin liners or muffin tin. Fill to about 2/3 full, smoothing the tops with the bottom of a spatula or spoon.
  6. Bake in 350F preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin. It will come out clean when done. Allow to cool on a rack, if you dare. Dive in. These freeze well.

Sweet Potato and Zucchini Breakfast Stacks

Published on by AlissaLeave a comment

I think I was five. Maybe six….no I was five. Six. Wait…four? No, five.  Hell, it doesn’t matter… I was finally old enough to learn to ride my bike without training wheels. It was a monumental day. My bike and me were about to embark on new territory, make history, be BIG!

She was a fabulous bike. The Seashell Princess bike. And after my dad removed her training wheels, she was legit! A machine of pink and silver shells and tassels. The only setback now would be me. She was ready. Was I? I waffled. I wasn’t sure. I thought I was. In his usual fashion, my dad cracked jokes and lightened the mood. He told me I could do it. So I did.

My dad’s strong arms held me tight as I started to peddle. You know the drill….one minute I’m confident with him by my side, cheering me on and holding me steady. The next minute my face is implanted into a stop sign and Seashell Princess is scratched and bruised.  He picked me up, made me feel better, and told me to keep trying. He wouldn’t let me give up. So I got back on her. She fought like a champ and I learned to ride without training wheels. Sort of.

I’d love to say that was the last time I fell off of a bike…but sadly I am still a TERRIBLE bike rider. I try but I look like a blind woman who just drank two bottles of Jack and went for a joy ride….in sand. Ya, that bad.  There are a lot of things that I am not great at (or even good), but I keep trying. Sort of.

There is one thing that I am good at….breakfast.

I love breakfast.

I love eggs.

I also love things stacked on my plate so that my eggs can drizzle and dribble all over them. I totally love english muffins, but in my recent quest to remove gluten from my diet, the english muffin has been replaced by über delicious sweet potato and zucchini stacks.

Oh Honey…let me tell you how much I love these things. Flavor is A +. Texture is great….And I don’t feel bogged down after eating them. Mmmm. This is especially good with fresh torn basil scattered on top.  So. Good.

So try something new. Hopefully you won’t face plant into a stop sign. But in the event that you do….brush yourself off and try again.

Sweet Potato and Zucchini Breakfast Stacks

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1 sweet potato, sliced in 1/8-inch rounds
  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced in 1/4-inch rounds
  • olive oil
  • 2 to 4 eggs
  • cherry tomatoes
  • fresh basil
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray a roasting pan with nonstick spray or drizzle with olive oil. Layer sweet potato rounds and zucchini rounds in a single layer on the roasting pan. Roast sweet potato and zucchini at 425 for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from oven.
  2. Either fry or poach eggs as desired.
  3. Split the zucchini and sweet potato rounds between two plates. Place 1 or 2 cooked eggs on each stack. Top with diced cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper.

Make Ahead Mexican Breakfast Casserole (Gluten Free, Grain Free, and Dairy Free)

Published on by Alissa41 Comments

A typical weekday morning involves me making a mad dash to get ready and out the door in time. I typically try to squeeze in a morning run, pushing my timeframe and running out the door with barely my hair fixed and DEFINITELY nothing ironed and praying that I thought ahead the night before to pack something for breakfast to eat on the road or in the office.

Most people suffer from the dash and go morning routine. Whether it is because you try to cram a morning workout in or get your kids ready or are just hitting that snoozypooze buttom one too many times, a healthy breakfast is likely the last on your list. I find that if I don’t eat a good solid, protein rich breakfast, the rest of my day has me STARVING AND EATING MY ARMS. Try going the rest of your day with only bloody nubs….not good. Gross, I know. I used to toast whole grain bread and slather almond butter on it for a quick breakfast, but lately I’ve been trying to eliminate gluten and grains from my diet.  Finding quick make-ahead gluten and grain free breakfast alternatives has been the hardest challenge. Until now….

As a fabulous solution to the gluten and grain free breakfast conundrum (and to preserving my poor arms from being eaten), I present to you the great make ahead breakfast casserole! (Imagine glitter flying around right now and echoing god-like voices because this thing is awesome…like you just-won-a-trip-to-Bali awesome or you are-smaller-than-your-favorite-skinny-jeans awesome or you have-a-years-supply-of-ketchup awesome….or is that just me? fine…just me…well it would be friggin awesome.)

I call it “make ahead” for two reasons:

(1) All of the ingredients can be combined the evening or day before, refridgerated, and then baked the morning you plan to serve, and/or

(2) the casserole can be baked ahead of time and the leftovers taste just as delish as if it were fresh baked.

Whip one of these casseroles up on a Sunday evening…go ahead, eat B for D (breakfast for dinner)… and then eat the leftovers for breakfast throughout the week. Brilliant! This gluten-free casserole serves a crowd (10 at least) or it can feed 2 peeps for a full week. It is also a great way to use up excess ground beef!

This recipe is really just a building block. Any meat or veggies could be interchanged. I shredded a sweet potato as the starch.  But if you have picky eaters in your house and they are not down with the sweet potato, then go tell them to make their own breakfast…OR you could be nice and use a shredded potato instead. This casserole is not too spicy but could be amped up by adding an additional jalapeño and chili powder, or using chorizo sausage instead of the ground beef.

Make Ahead Mexican Breakfast Casserole (Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Paleo-Friendly)

Serves 8 to 10 

Ingredients

  • 12 eggs, whisked
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 sweet potato*, shredded with skin on
  • 1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes (or 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained)
  • 2 cups fresh spinach (or chard or any leafy green you choose)

*Note – if you have picky eaters in your house, you can substitute regular potatoes for the sweet potato. And if you are _really_ in a pinch, you can substitute frozen hashbrowns.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 9″X13″ baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
  2. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl and set aside.
  3. Shred sweet potato using a food processor with shredding attachment or by hand. Set aside.
  4. Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Break into crumbly pieces using a spatula. Drain off extra grease. Add onion, shredded sweet potato, garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, salt, and paprika into skillet. Cook until onions are translucent (about 5 to 7 minutes).  Add tomatoes and spinach into skillet and cook for about 2 minutes or until spinach begins to wilt.
  5. Pour beef and sweet potato mixture into the prepared 9″X13″ pan and spread evenly along the bottom. Pour whisked eggs over the top, making sure to mix the eggs into the sweet potato mixture with a spoon or spatula. (The casserole can be made ahead 1 day in advance up to this point and covered and refrigerated. Remove from fridge 15 minutes before cooking.)
  6. Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until middle of casserole is set (not jiggly) and edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Feeds a crowd of 8 to 10 or it feeds 2 people over the course of a week!!!!

Black Bean and Chard Breakfast Tacos

Published on by Alissa10 Comments

Greens are overflowing the farmer’s markets and my garden. Now is the time to load up on fresh leafy greens like chard, kale, mustard greens, and lettuce.

It was a shock to the system to arrive home from vacationing in cold South Dakota (highs in the 40s) and arrive in KC with heat indices topping at 100 degrees!!!! Today has been full of harvesting my spring plants and planting summer crops of basil, cilantro, beets, green beans, tomatoes, strawberries, and more chard. I can’t get enough! Plus, adding greens makes me feel not so guilty when I partake in one (or three) brews for Memorial Day celebrations and maybe an extra hunk of dark chocolate. Shhhh!

So back to those lovely greeeeeens. This is why today’s Food Matter’s recipe, Beens N’ Greens Burritos (chosen by Good Things Grow) is perfect for this time of year. I slightly adapted the recipe as a breakfast dish, adding a poached egg and serving it on corn tortillas instead of flour. I prefer corn tortillas to flour (even whole wheat flour tortillas), because they are less processed and typically have less than 5 ingredients. Corn tortillas also topically have more protein, fiber, and less carbs than their flour brethren.

This is basically the same as my Huevos Racheros recipe, but with the addition of swiss chard. Yum. Great start to the day!

Black Bean and Chard Breakfast Tacos

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons of olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 bunch (about one pound) of swiss chard (or kale or spinach), washed and cut into 1-inch strips (removing stems)
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 corn tortillas
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup cooked black beans
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta
  • cilantro
  • salsa or pico de gallo
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until translucent.
  2. Add chard and sauté for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until chard wilts. Add black beans and heat through. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Cook eggs to your liking. I prefer poached…mmmm.
  4. Heat tortillas by either throwing them in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds or over the stove in a pan with with a tad bit of olive oil.
  5. Place one tortilla on each plate. Divide chard/black bean mixture among each plate. Top with cooked egg, feta, and cilantro. Dive in!

Breakfast Bruschetta with Swiss Chard

Published on by Alissa18 Comments

The markets and my garden are overflowing with lush swiss chard. Chard is a great source of iron, folate, zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E…to name just a few. This powerhouse green should be on your plate as much as possible and it has been making an appearance in nearly all of my meals lately since I just harvested THREE huge bags of it. Want some?

This week for the Food Matter’s Project, Laura of Chef Laura at Home chose Mark Bittman’s Bruschetta recipe. Bruschetta consists of roasted bread topped with good olive oil, rubbed with crushed garlic, salt and pepper, and then topped with whatever your little hungry heart desires.  Typically, the toppings consist of either a tomato basil salad, or white beans, or cured meats, or cheese, or in my case…sautéed CHARD and an egg. My pictures show a fried egg, but I also tried this dish with a fabulous poached egg (my first attempt at poaching eggs and damn it was easier than I thought). The secret to poached eggs is buying good fresh eggs.

To make bruschetta, drizzle a slice of good rustic whole grain bread with good olive oil (because you deserve the best). Toast the bread under a broiler for a few minutes. When the bread is done, rub one or both sides with a clove of mashed garlic.  Now you are ready to top it to your liking.  To see what some of the other FMP bloggers chose to top their bruschetta with, go here.

Breakfast Bruschetta with Swiss Chard

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 2 slices of good rustic bread (I used whole wheat sour dough)
  • 3 teaspoons of olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic, mashed
  • 2 eggs (poached, fried, or soft scrambled)
  • A large handful of swiss chard (or any leafy green such as spinach or kale), chopped
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat broiler on high. Drizzle bread with olive oil (1 teaspoon per slice of bread). Place bread on cookie sheet on the top rack of the oven just beneath the broiler. Depending on the thickness and size of your bread, broil for 1 to 3 minutes per side. Keep an eye on them because the edges will brown quickly and you will be eating croutons for breakfast instead of toasted bread.  Remove from oven and rub a clove of garlic on one or both sides of the warm toasted bread.
  2. While toasting the bread, heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Place chard in pan and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until chard is wilted. Drizzle with lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Cook the eggs to your liking. Go here for a step by step tutorial on making the perfect poached eggs. So easy and good.
  4. Place toasted bread on plate. Top with sautéed chard and poached egg. Season with salt and pepper.  I topped mine with fresh slivered basil and goat cheese also. Mmmm.

Egg in a Basket

Published on by Alissa4 Comments

Unfortunately, I am traveling and living out of a hotel right now doing field work for my job. YAY…I actually feel like a wild lion that had been put in a zoo for years and is finally able to go home to the jungle. Except my “jungle” is a landfill construction site…oooooh! Hot, I know.

Anyways, because of my recent “being let back into the wilds of field work” and living out of a suitcase, I was not able to complete the Food Matters Project’s weekly challenge….Roasted Asparagus and White Bean Soup chosen by Adrienn Eats.  Sound delicious, so be sure to check out the recipes on the FMP site, here.

Instead…I present you with one of my all time favorite and easiest breakfasts…..egg in a basket.  Take a piece of GOOD bread, generally 1/2-inch to 1-inch thick. Cut out a circle. Heat some butter in a pan. Throw your bread in the pan. Break the egg into your “basket”. Cook. Flip. Eat. Well…put it on a plate, THEN eat it. Mmmmm.

Have I mentioned to you that I looooove breakfast. And I loooooove eggs. And since I love a good juicy runny egg….and toast, it seems only natural to cook the two together. At the same time. Using fun shapes.

Like Mrs Pac man…

This breakfast takes 5 minutes…..or less….literally.  So try it out, have some fun.

Sorry for the short post, but so is life from a hotel with a terrible internet connection.

Egg in a Basket

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • Nonstick spray or 1 tablespoon of butter
  • 2 slice of good whole grain bread (thicker slices serve as better “baskets”, but mine was 1/2-inch thick and worked fine)
  • 2 eggs
  • a pinch of fresh herbs (such as basil, parsley, tarragon, chives)
  • goat cheese or shredded parmesan cheese (optional)
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Cut out a small circle inside your toast using a biscuit cutter, fun cookie cutter shape, or simply the top of a jelly jar (should be about a 2-inch diameter circle).
  2. Spray a skillet with nonstick olive oil spray. Heat the skillet for a minute, but don’t let the spray start smoking. If you are using butter, heat 1 tbsp of butter over medium-high heat until the butter begins to foam and subside, but not smoking.
  3. Lower the heat to medium-low. Place the slices of bread in the skillet (may need to do this one at a time depending on the size of your skillet or griddle pan), quickly break the egg in the whole filling with egg white first then carefully add the yolk.
  4. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the bottoms of the egg-baskets are set and golden brown. Add the bread cut-outs to the pan and allow to toast on both sides.
  5. Flip carefully and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes for runny eggs or 3 minutes for firmer eggs. Make sure to flip your bread cut-outs too.
  6. Remove from skillet. Top with salt and pepper. If you are feeling fancy shmancy, add some fresh herbs and goat cheese crumbles.

Easy 100% Whole Wheat Seedtastic Bread

Published on by Alissa8 Comments

So, I have had quite a busy few weeks. I was supposed to have this bread ready to post yesterday for Food Matters Monday, but I failed and got behind. But I totally ate this bread for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert for the last several days.  So without much further ado……

I have always romanticized about owning a bakery….waking up early to bake fresh bread and pastries.  Locals coming to get their fresh baked breads every morning…but then there is the problem with me not being a baker of breads.  I had never quite gotten the knack until I learned the No-Knead meathod that Jim Lahey (of famed Sullivan Street Bakery) founded years ago. Since learning this method, I have never gone back. It’s genius. Throw all the flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl…add water…stir…let the shaggy mess rest for several hours (best if is allowed to rise for 12 to 24 hours)…then pull it out of the bowl, roughly shape into a ball or football, then bake. Bam. Delicous, house warming, belly craving bread. Slather butter on it or PB or eat it plain. Daaang.

No kneading and no waiting to see if your bread has risen and fallen then risen and fallen again…none of it….none. It’ll change your life (and your waistband if you bake too many loaves like me..hehe) and save you a poop ton of money. That’s right…a poop ton. Make your own bread and impress friends and family.

Or impress yourself, because really that is all that matters.

Mark Bittman has also used this no-knead method in his Food Matters Cookbook. His recipe, Real Whole Wheat Bread, was chosen this week for the Food Matters Project by Melissa of the Faux Martha. What is great about this recipe, is that there is so many variations…herbs, seeds, fruit…you name it…you can make it. So stop doubting yourself and make some BREAD. Nothing smells better than fresh baked bread. Mmmm…

Now, although the primary recipe is Mark Bittman’s, my baking method is not technically Mark Bittman’s method. I prefer an artisinal appearance or free form with a crusty exterior. I also like smaller loaves, which is why I divided the recipe below into two beautiful football shaped loaves. You can definitely bake this in a loaf pan if you want. But a few years ago, I found a book at an estate sale called “Health Bread in Five Minutes a Day” by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois that takes the no-knead method to another level, cooking the bread on a baking stone in a super hot oven (450F) and trying to mimik hearth-style baking. You will get professional looking loaves every time and it is super easy.

Before you jump elbows first into bread baking, here are a few notes about bread and the primary ingredients….

1. Yeast hates hot water…it will kill those suckers. So use luke-warm water. This means that the water feels just a little warm to the touch (no hotter than 100 degrees F). Cold water from the tap will work also, but the initial rise time will take much longer. If your water at home has a funky flavor, I recommend buying distilled or filtered water, because your bread will then get the funk…and not a good funk. Otherwise, tap water will be fine.

2. Make sure your yeast is fresh. Store in the fridge to make it last longer. Initial rise times are slower if you use less yeast (1/2 teaspoon versus 2 teaspoons). If you want to speed up the rise time, increase the quantity of yeast up to a 2 teaspoons (one full packet) for the below recipe. If you double the below recipe, use 1 1/2 tablespoons of yeast. If you plan on making a lot of bread, buying yeast in bulk (a jar instead of those pesky packets) will save you money.

3. Boost nutritional value in your breads by using 100% whole wheat and adding healthy seeds within or on top of the bread. Seeds can include sesame, flaxseed, caraway, pumpkin, sunflower, poppy, and anise. To top the bread, paint the surface of the loaf with water before sprinkling the seeds on the loaf.

4. Baking stone – A baking stone will give you the best results for a professional-looking free form loaf. The stone absorbs excess moisture from the wet dough, allowing the crust to become crisp. Mmmm.  Also the weight of the stone helps with heat retention and provides even heating and heat transfer to the loaf.

Sorry for the excessively long post, but it is worth it!  This is why I’m late in posting it. Also, don’t forget to see what the other FMP foodies did with this recipe at the Food Matters Project home page.

Easy 100% Whole Wheat Seed Bread

Yield: Two 1-lb loaves (or one big mama jamma loaf)

Ingredients (this recipe can easily be doubled to make 4 1-lb loaves in order to feed an army)

  • 3 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons of kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds (optional to add additional seeds such as pumpkin, poppy, sesame)
  • 1/2 teaspoon active yeast
  • 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (must be less than 100 F)
  • Topping: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sunflower (or whatever you have on hand)

Instructions (seems like a lot of instructions but it is uber easy)

  1. Combine flour, salt, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, and yeast in a medium 5 qt bowl.
  2. Add water and stir with a wooden spoon till combined. The dough should be wet and shaggy and resemble biscuit dough or batter.  Cover (not airtight) with plastic wrap or damp towel. Allow it to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses (or flattens on top with bubbles) at least 2 hours, but it is best when left 12 to 24 hours. (If your house is cold, turn the oven on to 200 F then turn it off, placing the  dough on the oven to rise).
  3. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, or it can be refrigerated in a lidded (not airtight) container and used over the next week. You can lop off smaller pieces and bake smaller portions, storing the rest in the fridge until you are ready for fresh baked bread.
  4. When you are ready to bake the bread, dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and shape into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quater-turn as you go.  At this point you can either place in a loaf pan or bake on a pizza peel for an artisinal loaf. For the artisinal loaf, place the loaf to rest on a greased cookie sheet (can also dust the cookie sheet with cornmeal). Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 1/2 hours.
  5. At leasat 30 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 F with a baking stone placed on the middle rack of the oven. Place an empty metal broiler tray on the lowest rack, making sure that it won’t interfere with the rising bread.
  6. Just before baking, dust the top of the loaf with flour and then slash the loaf with a razor or serrated knife with 1/4-inch-deep parallel cuts.
  7. Slide the loaf directly onto the hot preheated pizza stone (or you can place the greased cookie sheet directly on the stone if you can’t slide the loaf off of it). Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the preheated broiler tray and quickly close the oven door.
  8. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the loaf is browned and firm. Note: If you used a cookie sheet, remove the bread from the cookie sheet at 20 minutes and bake the rest of the way on the pizza stone.
  9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing and eating.

Healthy Triple Coconut Muffins (Gluten Free)

Published on by Alissa6 Comments

Last week, I saw amazing whole wheat banana coconut muffins on one of my favorite blogs, Cookie and Kate. Ever since then, I couldn’t stop thinking about trying to make a gluten-free version. And voila…I DID IT. I used coconut flour instead of whole wheat flour based on a gluten-free banana muffin recipe from Elana’s Pantry. These babies are SUPER moist too.

But first, let’s have a chat about fat. Good fat that is…not just cute baby sausage leg fat. I’m talking about good fats in the foods that we eat. The fat free craze that took over the nation created a fear of fats that is unjustified. The food industry began taking out real ingredients and injecting fillers and sugars to replace the fats.  Buying no fat items does not mean that  it is healthy, this is a bit of a myth….go for whole foods and you’ll be good and much more satisfied! Look on the ingredient list. If it says it is no or low fat, and there are more than five ingredients and you can’t pronounce most these ingredients….it’s not a real food.

These muffins have triple coconut in them…coconut oil, coconut flour, and shredded coconut. If you look at the nutritional facts of this muffin, there are approximately 130 calories, 7 g of fat, 2 g protein, and 3 g of fiber!  Let’s get real about coconut and the good fat that it provides.

Coconut Oil – contains saturated fat, but in the form of medium-chain triglycerides (or MCTs) which are easily digested, absorbed, and utilized in the body. This is because these molecules are smaller than those from long-chain triglycerides (or LCTs), which are the type of fat normally consumed from plant and animal sources. Basically, MCTs require less energy and fewer enzymes to break down for digestion, making them an excellent choice of fat for active people and athletes as MCTs digest immediately to produce energy and stimulate metabolism (instead of carb loading!). They are also ideal for those who suffer from digestive disorders and are often given in hospitals to provide nourishment for critically ill people who have trouble digesting fat. SO eat up! And it’s tasty too.  Coconut oil is also stable at high temperatures and is the best oil to be used for high heat cooking.

Coconut Flour – High in fiber, high in protein, and a great gluten-free substitute for flour. You can easily find coconut flour at your local grocer in the health foods section or Whole Foods, of course. Bob’s Red Mill is the brand that I use.  Even if you are not gluten free, you can add coconut flour to regular whole wheat muffins or baked goods to add extra protein and fiber into your recipes.

But seriously folks. Despite these being really healthy and good for you, I really think these are my favorite muffins ever….hands down better than any other muffin (including the fresh blueberry muffins from Cook’s Illustrated). I’ve made two batches in one week.

Triple Coconut Muffins

Note: If you have a good food processor, use it when you prepare these muffins….cuts down on tons of prep work. Otherwise you can do this by hand (just takes a little more elbow grease) or with a  stand mixer.

Makes 9 muffins, Serving Size: 1 muffin (135 calories, 17 g carbs, 7 g fat, 2 g protein, 3 g fiber)

Cook/Prep Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 medium bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil, melted
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (plus more for sprinkling on top of muffins)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Set a rack in the middle of the oven. Spray 9 muffins tins with nonstick spray or apply coconut oil inside the tins or line with muffin liners. Set aside.
  2. Add bananas, eggs, applesauce and vanilla to the bowl of the food processor and blend until well mixed and a liquid consistency (about 1 minute).
  3. Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave for 30 second intervals until melted. Add the honey or agave nectar to the melted coconut oil. Mix until combined. With the mixer or food processor turned on and mixing, pour the coconut oil/honey mixture through the feed tube into the banana mixture. This helps keep the coconut oil from solidifying.
  4. Add coconut flour, baking powder, and salt to the mixer or food processor. Pulse or mix for about 1 minute until well combined and no lumps exist. Stir in 1/4 cup shredded coconut.
  5. Pour mixture into 9 greased tins, filling 3/4 full. Apply 1 teaspoon of shredded coconut on top of each muffin.
  6. Bake in middle of the oven in a preheated oven set at 350 for 23 to 28 minutes (takes me 26 minutes). Keep an eye on the coconut topping.  Allow to cool in the muffin tin for about 5 minutes. Then remove and cool on a wire rack (if you can keep from eating the whole pan).

Serving Size: 1 muffin (135 calories, 17 g carbs, 7 g fat, 2 g protein, 3 g fiber)

Healthy Banana and Chocolate Swirl Almond Flour Muffins (Gluten-Free)

Published on by Alissa9 Comments

Recently, my husband has gone not only gluten-free, but grain-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free. That’s a lot of ‘free’ in my house. But he has never felt better. The ‘diet’ (for lack of better terms) is called Paleo, referring to our paleolithic ancestors…also known as the Caveman Diet.  He eats anything his ancestors would have hunted or gathered, such as meat, vegetables, nuts, and fruit. It is based on the concept that our bodies have not evolved to digest the products that modern man and modern agriculture has developed (corn syrup, wheat, processed food, milk products, etc).

A good gluten-free substitute in baking is almond flour!  Even if you gluten and wheat lovers will dig this! Using almond flour instead of wheat flour will make your muffins lighter and give your muffins more protein, providing you sustained energy throughout the day. You can make your own almond flour by taking raw almonds and processing them in a food processor for a few minutes until a light and fluffy flour occurs. Be careful, if you process for too long, you will get almond butter…which is delicious, but will not help you when baking up these delicious muffins. I bought my almond flour in the bulk section of Whole Foods.

I slightly adapted these muffins from a recipe from Honest Fare, using honey instead of processed sugar.  They are AWESOME as a dessert, breakfast, or a snack. Love! They are light and fluffy too! I ate one this morning with a tablespoon of almond butter…mmmmmm.

When mixing up the batter, if you want to do the chocolate swirl, divide the batter into two bowls. Mix 2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder into one of the bowls. Layer the banana muffin mix and then dollop the chocolate muffin mix on top, alternating layers until the muffin mixtures are gone.

I topped my muffins with sliced bananas that caramelize when baked.

Healthy Banana and Chocolate Swirl Almond Flour Muffins (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free, Grain-Free) adapted from Honest Fare

Makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cup of almond flour (or about 9 oz of raw almonds processed into a flour)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon of ground flax meal
  • 3 bananas (save half of one to use as slices on top of the muffins)
  • 2 heaping teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 F. Grease 12 muffin tins or place muffin liners. Set aside.
  2. Mix almond flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a food processor or mixer, mix eggs, honey, 2 1/2 bananas, and flax meal on medium-high for 5 minutes, or until mixture is pale and very fluffily.
  4. Pour banana batter over almond flour and mix until just combined.
  5. Separate 1 cup of batter into a separate bowl. Add cocoa to the separated batter.
  6. Place a large spoonful of banana batter into muffin liners. Top with a spoonful of cocoa-banana muffin batter. Pour the remaining original banana batter on top of the cocoa batter. Top the muffins with thinly sliced bananas and slivered almonds, if you want.
  7. Bake muffins for 30 to 35 minutes (or until tops are browned and a skewer comes out clean when placed in the center of the muffin).
  8. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.