A Break from the Bakes

Not for too long, though! My kitchen does, believe it or not, actually produce savoury food as well as sugar, chocolate or fruit laden goodies. The problem is that, like my baking, I tend to get into a "food rut" as I'm only cooking for one. I have been churning out some decent meals for myself lately though, and as a bonus even remembered to photograph them, so yay for blog fodder! With the warmer weather here now (and hopefully some garden goodies soon to follow!) I have added inspiration every time I go to the market.

Just like when I found gorgeous heads of broccoli last week - they were a rich emerald, not like the "sagey" green of the winter's offerings, and packed with tiny, sweet florets. I had to snap a head or two up on sight, knowing that somehow that veggie would be given a starring role in whatever that week's dinner menus had. I didn't want to overshadow the beauty of the fresh broccoli with a heavy, cheesy sauce or by cooking the heck out of it. I detest pasta salad as a rule, but somewhere along the line the idea of tossing pasta with blanched broccoli lodged itself in my head as a brand new craving. In my opinion, when you have broccoli, there's almost nothing better to jazz it up with a meal than the brightness of a lemon - zest and juice. The only other topping I adore as much is Louisiana hot sauce!

So a lemony, peppery pasta and broccoli dish it would be. As I thought about that night's meal more, and caught Rachael Ray on TV that afternoon, it occurred to me - cacio e pepe. Obviously it would be a heavily modified version of the classic Roman meal, but I had my springboard. No hot sauce, but two kinds of pepper, and for the "cheese" component I'd be able to break out my vegan Parmesan that I has searched for for weeks! The flavours were such a success to me that I had it several nights in a row... see what I mean about my "cooking ruts"?

Hopefully the other participants in Marye's Real Food... Real Quick challenge and Ruth's Presto Pasta Nights (via Helen's blog Fuss Free Flavours) find this dish a tasty twist to routine!

Low-Fat Lemony Cacio e Pepe
Serves 1
1/2 tbsp coarse ground pepper
1 tsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp rice Parmesan
2 oz (uncooked) OrgraN Essential Fibre Rice And Corn Spirals (or your favourite pasta)
Broccoli, to serve

1. In a small dish, combine pepper, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and rice Parmesan. Set aside.
2. Cook pasta in boiling, salted water 6-7 minutes, until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water and drain, then return to the pot.
3. Add pepper mixture and enough reserved pasta water to form a slight coating on the pasta. Serve immediately.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 219.0 
Total Fat: 2.5 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 230.0 mg
Total Carbs: 39.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 10.0 g
Protein: 10.0 g

Berry Brilliant

Banana bread has to be one of those recipes, like brownies and chocolate chip cookies, that has about a zillion and one variations, techniques and tricks. Pretty much, though, no matter what you do to it, it always comes out edible, if not supremely delicious (this sad one being the lonely exception in my experience)! Even if a loaf is a bit too dry after sitting a couple days (to which I ask who has banana breads around for a few days?), it's nothing that a smear of butter or a drizzle of honey can't easily rectify. But like those brownie and chocolate chip cookie recipes, banana bread is the type of food with an almost unachievable ideal that most people don't remember ever having but somehow have cemented in their mind's eye.

So I'm not going to try to create "everyone's favourite" or "the best in the world" when it comes to making banana breads. Gosh, I have too many incarnations of them as it is (and you haven't even seen all of them yet!), to even pick a favourite from my own stash, but my goal has stayed the same over the years - make something tasty and ever-changing! Most importantly, perhaps, my "ideal" banana bread has to be able to adapt to my needs and whims - and use up not necessarily just over-ripe bananas, but the plethora of other potential ingredients around here! These are chock-full of all kinds of good stuff - 11 of the ingredients are on the WHFoods list, and I wasn't even trying to be "good" this time! There are even antioxidants from the blueberries and chocolate chips I tossed in, so there's no excuse not to give this a go.

An added bonus of any quickbread is that they are their own built-in muffin recipes too. With a different pan and a shorter time span, pre-portioned goodies are at your fingertips without the need to look up a different mixture. For instance, if you opt for muffins with this recipe, they bake best at 375F for about 25 minutes, whereas the loaves prefer a more balmy temperature of 350F.

Wondering what Maca root powder is? Well, it's touted as a "superfood" for the hormonal system, helping regulate metabolism, energy levels, growth, sexual development and general sense of well being. It's on the rare and pricey side of things, hence the "optional" marker, but if you do a lot of physical work, exercise or suffer from debilitating issues like Chronic Fatigue syndrome or hypothyroidism it may be worth a look, especially if you tend to "drink" one or more of your meals a day.

Believably Brilliant Banana Bread (or Muffins)

Makes 30 muffins or 2 loaves

1 tbsp ground flaxseed

2 tbsp hot water
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup maca powder

2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt

2 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sunflower seed butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
4 large, over-ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups milk

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cups frozen (unthawed) or fresh blueberries

1/4 cup toffee bits

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1/4 cup toasted buckwheat kernels (kasha)

1. Preheat oven to 350F, grease 2 loaf pans.
2. In a small dish, combine flaxseed and hot water, set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, oats, wheat germ, maca powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, beat together cheese, sunflower seed butter and sugars. Add flaxseed mixture, vanilla and bananas, beating well.
5. Add half the flour mixture and blend in, then add milk and butter and beat well.
6. Add remaining dry ingredients, stirring just to combine, then fold in berries, toffee bits, chocolate chips and buckwheat.
7. Bake 55-60 minutes. Cool in the pans 20 minutes before unmoulding and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 162.0
Total Fat: 4.1 g 
Cholesterol: 4.7 mg
Sodium: 51.7 mg
Total Carbs: 28.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.5 g
Protein: 4.0 g

Use it Up...

"Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, Or Do Without"

For some odd reason, I've had that World War II phrase rolling around in my head for the past few days. And really, it's appropriate - most of my missions in the kitchen start out with the goal to try and empty out the wealth of impulse buys that pack into the pantry and freezer. When you have stuff shoved into the entire top of a fridge-freezer, the top of a large pantry and still have to stock ingredients on top of the cupboard, well, there's no wanting of ingredients! But how to use them in a cohesive, tasty way... now that's the fun part!

Luckily there are other bloggers out there with brilliant ideas and recipes, prime for me to snag and play around with based on what I've got on hand. I spend a lot of time surfing Flickr groups, TasteSpotting (and it's tongue-in-cheek alter ego, TasteStopping), and FoodGawker, opening window upon window of things that just look darn good. And it's a great way to discover new blogs, even if they've been technically blogging for months or years! One of the fabulous discoveries I've come across was the blog Form V Artisan, where Christina Marsigliese is essentially Toronto's answer to Alton Brown - a bona fide food scientist (I would so love that degree!) and caterer has everything from basic baking tips to an in-depth gluten free essay!

What drew me to her blog, though, was a recipe for Blueberry Ricotta Cake. Since I had just bought all those berries, and still had a glut of ricotta in my freezer from co-op, it was a perfect excuse to try something new and make something delicious in the process!

I slightly adapted her formula for this cheesy, dense berry cake, and baked it in a square pan rather than the pretty tins she used. Even then, it received rave reviews with my tasting squad and even got requests for a repeat performance! I'd love to try out the basic idea with cherries, peaches or even a cranberry-mango mixture, but I'll have to add those to my (ever-growing) list of "to-dos"!

Blueberry Ricotta Cake

With thanks to Christina Marsigliese of Form V Artisan

Serves 12

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, divided

1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp water
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
4 oz ricotta cheese
1/4 cup 1% milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350F, grease and line an 8" pan.
2. In a small pot, combine 2/3 cup blueberries, honey and water.
3. Bring to a simmer and cook until very thick and syrupy, stirring often, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat, mash with a potato masher or fork and set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, flaxseed, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar.
6. Add egg, vanilla and ricotta, beat well.
7. Add half the flour mixture to the creamed blend, then add milk and blueberry mash, beating in.
8. Add remaining flour and reserved 1/3 cup blueberries, folding in well.
9. Bake until a toothpick comes out with brownie-like moist crumbs, 28-30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 165.3
Total Fat: 7.9 g
Cholesterol: 36.8 mg
Sodium: 53.5 mg
Total Carbs: 20.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g
Protein: 3.9 g

Impulse Buys and Baking Ruts

I love the Summer. When the sun and heat finally make their appearance, both people and produce begin coming out en masse as well, bringing new vibrancy to the neighbourhoods around us. If you're me, this is never clearer than when the farmers markets open for business. That last week of May, everyone is out in full force even though there isn't much on offer but rhubarb and asparagus, but come berry season... oh berry season!!...those stalls are jam-packed with cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and if you catch them at the right time you'll even see the last of the strawberries mixed in too. Later in the season come the peaches and currants, and if you're lucky you might even see a few pints of gooseberries make their appearance.

So when I hit the farmers markets, especially when things are looking that good, I can't help but buy. And I buy lots. More than I can eat raw from the containers, as good as they are! So, into baked goodies a bunch of them go - muffins, pies, cakes, etc. - and the rest of them get the IQF treatment for those January cravings. The only problem with buying so much of everything that is so good is that as a baker it lands you into a bit of a rut with your creations. Not a bad thing, per se, but let's just say that yesterday's loaf is just one of the many berried things to come!

So with some more of my bounty this year, I dreamed up these oatmeal-crowned, blueberry-crammed squares. With an agave and brown sugar mix lightly sweetening the cooked blueberry filling, it's a fresh complement to the simple spelt and oatmeal base. They're good candidates for bake sales or picnics, and you can take a pan to a potluck and watch them disappear!

What do you do with your farmer's market bounty? Do you have the same lack of impulse control I do?

Blueberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars

Makes 9 squares

1 1/4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen and thawed)

1 tbsp water
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp agave nectar
2 tbsp tapioca flour
2 tbsp cold water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
2/3 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp maple extract (optional)
1/4 cup large-flake or rolled oats

1. In a saucepan, combine blueberries, water, sugar and agave and place over medium heat.
2. Cover and cook until berries pop and soften, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
3. In a small dish combine tapioca flour, cold water and lemon juice. Stir into the berries and cook until thick and clear, about 2 minutes.
4. Stir in lemon zest and cool completely.
5. Preheat oven to 350F, grease a 9" square pan.
6. In a bowl, combine spelt flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring well.
7. Add water, oil and maple extract (if using), stir to form a slightly sticky "pressable" mixture.
8. Press dough into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan.
9. Bake 20 minutes.
10. Add cooled blueberry mixture, spreading to the edges of the crust.
11. Top with remaining 1/4 cup large flake oats.
12. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely (ideally chill) before cutting.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 145.8
Total Fat: 3.8 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 51.9 mg
Total Carbs: 32.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.3 g
Protein: 2.2 g

Beyond Definition

The idea of what exactly defines "Canadian cuisine" is a bit of a mystery. I mean sure, you have the butter tarts, the Nanaimo bars, the Kraft Dinner and the dill pickle potato chips, but do you ever hear of a great restaurant to hit for "Canadian food"? I know there isn't a Canadian section in our Yellow Pages restaurant directory, and even places known for serving home-grown fare fall back on the stereotypical maple syrup, wild game, salmon and cranberries to flesh out their menus. And really, I can't blame them. Picking one or two iconic items out of a host of beautiful, fresh offerings and selling them as what that area "is" is easier than trying to explain the intricacies of the treasures that exist. The problem, then, is that those "hidden" gems get far too forgotten in the shuffle and are rarely seen even when they are at their peak. For instance, Georgia's peach and pecan harvest might as well be the only thing they do produce as far as the general public's knowledge goes - nevermind that they also produce fabulous turnip and parsnip crops and that they even have a fig season!

So today, in celebration of Canada Day (and my blog's 3rd birthday!), I wanted to take a coast to coast look at all that Canada has to offer the world of cuisine and combine it into a mosaic just as beautiful and intricate as the country itself. I already had a plethora of B.C. blueberries in my freezer that I really wanted to use as a yeast bread filling somehow, and I had been playing with the idea of using the last of a bag of Manitoban wild rice in bread too. I covered the tiny province of P.E.I. by adding potato flakes to the dough, which also tenderized the hearty, dense crumb created by Ontario-grown Red Fife flour and soy milk powder. Finally, I laced the bread with cranberry juice from the Ottawa valley, canola oil from Alberta and flax seed from the Maritimes. While I didn't get to cover the territories, and the Quebec maple syrup I would have used was no longer around, I think I did my country proud.

This bread is dense (as most whole wheat loaves are), but it's moist and tender at the same time. The filling is unsweetened, relying on the natural sugars in dried dates and the berries themselves to cook into a semi-caramelized mash that spreads easily. The dough is loaded with soft bites of rice and just enough ground cinnamon and nutmeg to play up the rest of the ingredients. I'm sending this along (with a happy Canada Day wish) to Susan's YeastSpotting this week.

Canadian Bounty Bread
Serves 16

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1 tbsp diced dates

1/4 cup water

1 cup flour

2 cups whole Red Fife wheat flour

1 tsp vital wheat gluten

1/4 cup potato flakes

1/4 cup soy milk powder (or skim milk powder)

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp grated orange zest

1 tbsp instant yeast

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup warm cranberry juice

2 tbsp canola oil

1 1/2 cups cooked and cooled wild and brown rice blend (I made my own)

1. Combine berries, dates and water in a small saucepan and place over medium heat.
2. Cook until berries are very soft, about 10 minutes, then roughly mash the mixture with a fork. Continue cooking until the berries have a jam-like consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely before using it (you can also make this 2-3 days in advance and store, covered, in the refrigerator).
3. In a large bowl (like these from Chef's Catalog - the Foodbuzz Daily Special), combine flours, gluten, potato flakes, soy milk powder, flaxseed, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest and yeast, whisking well.
4. In a bowl or measuring cup mix together sugar, water and cranberry juice.
5. Stir into the dry ingredients and mix for 5-7 minutes, then cover and allow to rest 5 minutes.
6. Beat in the oil and continue kneading 10 minutes. Re-cover and allow to rest 5-10 minutes.
7. Turn out onto a lightly greased countertop and knead in the rice mixture - it will all eventually fit, even though it doesn't appear that way!
8. Place into an oiled bowl, cover and rest 30 minutes.
9. Roll dough out into a rectangle with it's "short" side the length of the loaf pan.
10. Spread with an even layer of the blueberry mixture and roll up, jelly-roll style, continuously tucking the edges in to prevent leakage. Place into a greased loaf pan.
11. Cover and allow to rise until almost double, about 1 hour.
12. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
13. Bake loaf 35 minutes, then cover top with foil and bake a further 15 minutes.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 163.5
Total Fat: 3.5 g
Cholesterol: 0.1 mg
Sodium: 92.6 mg
Total Carbs: 31.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.7 g
Protein: 4.5 g