Category Archives: other goodies

January 23, 2011

Get Ready Granola Bars!

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        I’m in high gear preparation-mode these days. Lee and I are finally in our (probable) last U.S. port before we head east to the Bahamas! I say probable because we may decide to push south to Miami before crossing the gulf stream. For now, we’re anchored off of Riviera Beach, FL. I can’t get enough of the warm weather and sunshine but there is so much work to do!
        There are provisions to buy. I hear vegetables are scarce in the Bahamas so I have some serious stocking up to do. Various wedding related errands need running and our list of necessary boat supplies is long.
        I knew the next few days would be busy to say the least, so I made time for baking this afternoon. Not only did I get to check that activity off my list (for now), I also ended up with super snacks to fuel the craziness.
        I wanted to make granola bars that were on the crunchy side, naturally sweetened, and contained my favorite spice: cardamom. I think it was a crunchy granola bar recipe and my beloved Spicy Oatmeal Cookies from How It All Vegan that got me hooked on cardamom. It’s the perfect spice for not-so-sweet sweets. It catches you off guard on your first bite and keeps you coming back to figure out what’s going on in your mouth!
        These granola bars came together in my head this morning. I didn’t get a chance to make them until we got back from lugging 3 jugs each of anti-freeze and oil down the street. Ingredients flew into a pot, onto a baking sheet, and into the oven. The smell of coconut and cardamom made it difficult to resist pulling these out early and digging in.
        I think I succeeded with a certain amount of crunchiness and the perfect spice but my granola bars are probably not sweet enough for most people. Dried figs provide the only sweetness and I was happy with that. However, I would suggest adding some honey if you want more satisfaction in the sweet department. More dried fruit or a different kind (like dates) would also help. I think that’s what I’ll try next time.

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Granola Bars #1 (I anticipate making many more)

A handful of dried figs, chopped (about 3/4 cup when chopped)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon flax seed meal
2 cups oats
2 scoops (1/4 cup) vanilla soy protein powder (or your protein powder of choice; dried milk would work too)
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Dash of cinnamon
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine chopped figs and water in a medium saucepan over med-high heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, partially covered, until the water had reduced to a syrup and the fruit hunks are soft and breaking down. Remove from heat.
Add coconut oil to the saucepan and stir until it melts.
In a separate bowl, mix oats, spices, protein powder, and flax.
Add the oat mixture to the saucepan along with the beaten egg.
Mix ingredients with a fork until they are completely blended.
Pour the mixture into a square baking pan or a cookie sheet lined with parchment or foil. Press until flat and even. I made an irregular square-like shape on a baking sheet. Cut outlines of bars and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes (longer for more crunch).
After baking, remove bars from pan and cool on a wire rack.

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January 2, 2011

Chocolate Peanut Protein Cookies

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        2011, here I come! I’m back from my Christmas hiatus and blogging is a top priority for this year. There are so many recipes I can’t wait to share and so many dishes I want to try! The highlight, I think, will be taking my culinary and other adventures to the Caribbean. Warm water, tropical fruit, and new cultures are on the horizon and I’m anxious to experience everything!

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Double chocolate fig from Fran’s Chocolates in Seattle.

        On to the food. It’s not like I wasn’t cooking over the holidays. I took advantage of my mom’s kitchen in all it’s spacious glory. We baked Christmas cookies (decorated cut-outs like we always do), put together quite a spread for Christmas dinner, and enjoyed several family favorites.
        Eating Light and Crisp Waffles, one of my mom’s standard breakfast treats, for dinner on Christmas eve was perfect. I am very sentimental about those crispy, tangy waffles and they made a satisfying dinner on a winter evening.
        Our meals out were as memorable as the one’s we prepared at home. My mom’s new neighborhood boasts fabulous restaurants like the vegetarian delight, Cafe Flora.
        We even had a little dinner party with a few Seattle friends, an occasion when it helps to have two cooks in the kitchen!

        I was sad to leave Seattle on New Year’s eve, but Lee and I had to get back to the boat in Charleston and keep moving south. I managed to pull together black-eyed peas and slang jang on New Year’s day. My grandmother would be so proud. Yesterday I was back to my old baking tricks and I’m proud of my first treat for 2011!
        These cookies are appropriate for resolution season, although that was not my intention when I came up with them. Brainstorming recipes while I run frequently produces interesting results. This time it was super-sized cookies with bonus protein!
        I wanted to use up the last of some Trader Joe’s chocolate hemp protein powder. I put the last few scoops in these cookies and now I wish I had more! I think I like it much better with peanut flour and oats in a cookie than I do in a smoothie!
        These big, cake-like cookies are chocolate peanut butter heaven. I’ve been munching them happily with the knowledge that I’m fueling up with protein, fiber, and healthful fats.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Cookies
(Makes 7-8 large cookies)

1/2 cup peanut flour
1 cup regular oats
1/2 cup chocolate hemp protein powder (may substitute with another chocolate protein powder or 1/4 cup cocoa powder + 1/4 cup flax seed meal)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup prune puree (1 prune baby food container) or applesauce
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine flour, oats, protein powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat together egg, sugar, prune puree, and yogurt. Stir in vanilla.
Add wet mixture to dry ingredients, stirring till fully combined.
Spoon onto prepared baking sheet (lined with parchment, silicone mat, or cooking spray), leaving 2 inches between each cookie. I made mine quite large and ended up with 7 cookies.
Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. Try one while it’s warm and gooey!

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December 17, 2010

Figgy Whole Grain Gingerbread

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        This didn’t start out as gingerbread. The Buckwheat Apricot Cake I adapted slightly for this loaf is a favorite that I’ve been meaning to make. I just couldn’t stand the thought of missing gingerbread season. While it is unfair to relegate this spicy confection to winter holidays, it’s only natural to crave gingerbread this time of year.
        I hesitated to call my bread whole grain for fear of scaring off gingerbread purists. While I don’t think those purists would be disappointed in this recipe, they probably wouldn’t call it gingerbread. It’s no butter and sugar-laden loaf but the flavor is there and the texture is dreamy as far as I’m concerned. Sit down in front of your Christmas tree and try a hunk of this gingerbread with a cold glass of milk or a cup of tea.
        The bulgar provides chewy heft without sacrificing moistness. The sweet, crunchy figs and crystalized ginger go so well with the deep molasses flavor. I only substituted molasses for half the honey from the original recipe but feel free to play around with that proportion depending on how sweet you like things. Don’t be afraid of the prune baby food. I know it may seem weird at first but prune puree (aka. baby food!) is a great substitute for oil. That’s right, there’s no oil in this recipe and I dare anyone to notice!

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Even from this far away, you can see the chewy bulgar grains.

Figgy Whole Grain Gingerbread
Adapted from The Mayo Clinic Williams-Sonoma Cookbook: Simple Solutions for Eating Well

1/3 cup bulgar wheat
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
2 tablespoons agave syrup or honey
1 egg
1/4 cup prune baby food
1/2 cup (or more) dried figs, chopped
1/4 cup crystalized ginger, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Stir bulgar, water, and figs together in a large bowl and let stand for 15 minutes.
Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.
Add buttermilk, molasses, agave, egg, and crystalized ginger to the bulgar concoction.
Stir dry ingredients into wet.
Pour into lightly greased 8×4 inch loaf pan.
Bake for 35 minutes at 375 F.
Cool in the pan for a few minutes before serving, then turn out of pan and cool on wire rack.

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December 1, 2010

Fresh cranberry bread

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        Yes, I am still here. Lots of activity, visiting friends, and miles of Intracoastal Waterway without internet got in the way of posting for the past week. Oh, and I dropped my camera in the water, so that kind of put a damper on blogging. I’ve been itching to bake and dying to catch up on everyone’s Thanksgiving weekend posts. Really though, I can’t complain. Lee and I spent a couple of days playing in North Carolina with some friends who live here. We ate delicious, local food in Carrboro and saw the inland sights before heading south on the ICW again.
        It has been a damp couple of days and, as of Monday, we are unable to charge the boat’s batteries due to another engine problem. That means absolute minimal power usage – no lights last night, no heater, and no computers. However, the propane switch that allows me to use the stove and oven is worth the power. Yesterday I succumbed to my hankering for festive baking. It’s officially time for winter/Christmas foods!

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This is what North Carolina looks like from a boat.

        Hours of brainstorming as we motored down the canal led to a fuzzy idea for bread using the raw cranberries I bought last week. When I searched my cookbooks for a quick bread recipe to start with I was amazed to find almost the exact bread I wanted to make. The Horn of The Moon Cookbook recipe for Cranberry Bread pairs raw berries with orange juice for a sweet-tart loaf. The recipe sounded fabulous but I wanted something a little different.
        A little less honey, different flours, orange zest, and applesauce instead of orange juice produced a cranberry bread different from anything I’ve had before. It is very dense but not in a bad way. The loaf is still moist and it’s chewy in a way that reminds me of mochi cakes. I’m guessing the spelt flour is the main culprit for my bread’s unusual texture. As far as taste, look no farther for a harmony of sweet honey and tart cranberries. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the fresh berries but they delivered such a perfect punch that I will add more next time I make this. There will surely be a next time!
        As far as the drowned camera goes, I am now in the market for a DSLR. Our replacement camera is a waterproof camcorder, which isn’t so great for close-up food shots. At least there will be videos in my future! For now, I literally ended up with one slightly less blurry picture out of many, many blurry ones.

Fresh Cranberry Bread
Adapted from Horn of the Moon Cookbook by Ginny Callan

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all purpose. This is what I had)
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup milk
zest from one medium-sized orange
1 1/4 cup chopped raw cranberries
optional: 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix the flours, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then stir in the rest of the wet ingredients (honey through orange zest).
Add wet ingredients to flour mixture, stirring until just combined.
Fold in cranberries and nuts (if using).
Pour batter into lightly oiled 9X5 inch loaf pan or several smaller loaf pans (I used two mini-loaf pans, two mini-bundt pans, and a muffin cup for the extra batter).
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes in pans, then remove to cool on a wire rack.

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