Muesli

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For me breakfast food has to be quick and easy, something I can put together while the coffee is brewing and I am still half asleep, it takes me a little while to actually wake up.  Weekends are exceptions and I might be more inclined to spend time making a skillet pancake. But for everyday breakfast, a bowl of muesli and a cup of black coffee is just what I need.

Muesli (sometimes referred as mueslix) is a type of cold cereal, more like an uncooked oatmeal, if you will. There are many ways to make your own version of muesli at home. I like to keep it simple, using oats, wheat germ and yogurt. I make this mixture the night before and leave it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, all I have to do is add the nuts, fruits and thin the muesli with some sort of liquid, usually soy milk.

I normally put a lot of effort and thought on what foods I eat to make sure I am eating healthy, but the less decisions I  have to make before my cup of coffee in the morning, the better. This muesli ensures me a healthy breakfast every time and I can vary it by adding different nuts, fruits and dairy as I please.

Muesli Recipe:

makes 4 servings

This recipe is highly adaptable, use different nuts and fruits that fit your taste. I like to use pears when they are in season. Grapes are a wonderful addition too. The nuts I use are normally whatever I have on hand, usually Brazil nuts, almonds and walnuts. If you like almond milk, this is a perfect place to use it. You can make this recipe richer by using half and half or a mix of milk and cream. There is no added sugar on this recipe and I like it that way, but feel free to sweeten it up with sugar, honey or maple syrup.

makes 4 servings

You will need:

1 cup of plain yogurt

3/4 cup of oats (not quick cooking)

1/2 cup of wheat germ

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

a pinch of nutmeg

about 1/2 cup of soy, almond or regular milk, plus more for serving

a handful of  sliced almonds

6 Brazil nuts, chopped

a handful of raisins

1/2 an apple, chopped

red and green seedless grapes, sliced

 

Mix the yogurt with the oats and wheat germ, cover and refrigerate overnight.

On the next day, thin out the oat mixture using your choice of milk until you get the consistency of thick oatmeal. Add the spices and stir well. Mix in your choice of nuts and fruits (dried and fresh). You can do this on individual bowls adjusting to each person's taste. Serve extra milk on the side.

Enjoy it!

 

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust - Daring Bakers

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When I saw that the Daring Bakers challenge for this month was cheesecake, I knew Andrew would be so pleased, he likes cheesecake a lot, specially this one with a touch of raspberries. What I didn't expect was that even I would enjoy this pie (cheesecake is a pie, not a cake, right?) so much. I made cheesecakes before, but this one turned out extra creamy and tasty. 

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

At first I wanted to try something new and different like a savoury cheesecake or a tropical one with mango and papaya flavours. At the end, I decided to make what was Andrew's favourite: raspberry swirl cheesecake. Besides from the use of raspberries, the only other change I made from Jenny's recipe was to use chocolate gram crackers for the crust. There are two things that I believe is important for making a good, creamy cheesecake:

First is to start with all ingredients at room temperature. The second important thing to do is to scrape the bowl of the mixer many times, so there are no cream cheese lumps or eggs that aren't fully incorporated.

Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake with Raspberry Swirl Recipe:

Notes:

I didn't use a pan with removable bottom (springform pan), as my past experiences proved that they leak. I used an 8x3 inch cake pan. To get good results with a regular cake pan, butter it well and cover the bottom and the sides with parchment paper before pouring the batter. When it's time to release it, dip the bottom of the pan into hot water for about 30 seconds, remove the paper form the sides of the pan. Cover the cake with wax paper and invert it into a platter like a cake. This video helps a lot to visualize it.

For the raspberry swirl, I like to save some for serving along side the cheesecake.

 

You will need:

For the crust:
2 cups / 180 g chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1 stick / 4 oz butter, melted
2 tablespoons / 24 g sugar
1 teaspoon. vanilla extract

 

For the cheesecake:
3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

 

For the raspberry swirl:

8 oz of raspberries, fresh or defrosted if frozen

3 tablespoons of sugar

 

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice.  Set crust aside.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

 

To make it a raspberry swirl cheesecake:

Place raspberries in a food processor and blend it until all combined. Pass it through a fine mesh and discard the seeds. Add sugar and mix well to incorporate it. Use about 2/3 of the sauce on the batter and the rest as a sauce to be served on the side.

Incorporate the sauce to the batter after pouring the batter into the pan. The best way of doing this is by the tablespoon full, going around the cake pan. After this is done, use a chopstick or a knife to swirl the sauce in the cheesecake until it creates a nice pattern. Proceed with the recipe.

Coconut and Lemongrass Mashed Potatoes

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I would like to start with two important notes:

1- mashed potatoes are an extremely difficult subject to photograph, so take note that the picture above does not make justice to the goodness of this recipe.

2- I don't actually like mashed potatoes that much.

With that said, I must beg everyone to try this version of mashed potatoes. It is simply delicious, even to someone like me who doesn't care so much for mashed potatoes.

I spotted this recipe a while ago on the web, but it was written in German and Italian. It sat on my favourite's list until last week when I was able to have it translated by a good friend of mine (thanks D!). The idea is pretty simple:  to infuse coconut milk with lemongrass and kafir lime leaves and use it instead of regular milk or cream to moisten and flavour the mashed potatoes. The result is a bowl of fragrant mashed potatoes with an Asian hint. I liked it so much that I am thinking about other ways to use the same idea, perhaps use the same technique to make a fragrant rice.

For the original recipe, in German or Italian, click here.

 

Coconut and Lemongrass Mashed Potatoes Recipe:

serves 4

 

You will need:

500 g/1lb of potatoes

200 ml of coconut milk

2 tablespoons of half and half

1 stalk of lemongrass (about 5 inches long)

4 kaffir-lime leaves

 

Peel and cut potatoes. Cook them in salted water until soft, drain and return to pot, and mash them to your desired consistency.

While potatoes cook, make the infused milk. Cut the lemongrass crosswise and bruise the kaffir lime leaves slightly with a fork to release their aroma. In a small pot add the coconut milk, half and half, faffir leaves and lemongrass. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until liquid is slightly thicker and reduced to half. Strain liquid and discard solids. Add the liquid to the potatoes and mix well, Stir inn two tablespoons of butter (optional), season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Enjoy it!

Fruit-on-the Bottom Yogurt

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I love yogurt. But what I don't like so much is how they are flavored. Most of the time I find flavored yogurts to be too sweet and they never really taste like the fruit pictured on the pretty package...So what I like to do is to buy plain yogurt and dress it up with whatever I feel like at home. Most times I just use honey or maple syrup. This one posted here is my take on the "fruit-on-the-bottom" type of yogurt. It is easy to do and it can be assembled in advance and kept in the fridge.

The recipe bellow is for the fruit mix. The only sweetener used here is the natural sugar from the fruits, so don't expect an overly sweet fruit compote. If you want something sweeter, try using maple flavored yogurt or stir in some honey. Feel free to substitute any kind of dried fruits you have in hand or your favorite ones. Topping the yogurt with some chopped nuts would make this snack or breakfast item even more wholesome.

 

Fruit-on-the-bottom Yogurt Recipe:

makes about 1 cup of fruit mix

4 tablespoons of mixed dried fruits, chopped *

2 tablespoons of prunes, pitted and chopped

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

 

Place all ingredients in a jar and top it with water by an inch. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to use, place fruit mix on the bottom of a cup and top it with plain yogurt.

Enjoy it!

 

* Use any dried fruits you like: raisins, apples, berries, mangoes, pineapple, persimmon.

Whole Wheat Penne with Broccoli and Roasted Pepper Sauce

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The main recipe from this post I wanted to share is the roasted red pepper sauce. It is a no-cook sauce, quick to make and super tasty. It combines ricotta cheese and roasted peppers with olive oil and seasonings. It makes an excellent pizza sauce as well. I can never finish a container of ricotta fast enough, so I am always looking for ways to use it up. You can use jarred roasted peppers or make them yourself. I like to buy red and orange peppers when they are on sale, roast them and keep refrigerated in a jar with some olive oil (sometimes I add a little bit of garlic too).

This dish is as easy and quick to make for one as it is to make it for a group of people. The recipe bellow is for a single serving, just multiply it by as many people you need to feed. If cooking for one, you will have some left over sauce, which keeps well in the fridge for several days.

Pair it with a green salad and a slice of country bread and you have a healthy, satisfying lunch or dinner.

 

Pasta with Broccoli and Roasted Pepper Sauce Recipe:

makes one serving

You will need:

1 cup of whole wheat penne

1 small bunch of broccoli, cut into bite-size florets

For the sauce:

1 roasted red pepper (or combine red and orange)

1/3 cup of ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon of salt

ground pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano, or Italian mixed herbs of your choice

 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, place all the sauce ingredients in a bender of food processor and mix until all combined. If sauce is too thick, it can be thinned out by adding one of the following: milk, water, liquid from the pepper's jar or some olive oil. Start with a tablespoon and see how it goes. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Place about 2 tablespoons of the sauce on the bottom of your serving  or eating bowl.

Add broccoli to the pasta water 2 minutes before it's ready. Drain pasta and broccoli and pour over the sauce in the bowl. Stir well to combine and serve immediately.

 

Enjoy it!

 

Quinoa and Vegetables Stuffed Mushroom

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I love to use large portobello mushrooms as vessels for various fillings like salads, mashed potatoes, eggs, risotto. They are great served as side dishes or paired with a green salad for a light lunch. Another nice thing about it is that you can customize each mushroom to different individual's needs and tastes. Use a veggie mix for the vegetarians, ground meat for carnivores, melt some cheese for the kids, whatever fits your family.

This one posted here is a super healthy version using quinoa, kale, vegetables and raisins. I like to chop the stalk of the mushroom and use it as well, so there is minimum waste.

If you start with cooked quinoa, this dish takes about 30 minutes to make. You can try adding a spoon full of ricotta to the quinoa mix to make a moister filling, or top it with some parmesan or mozzarella cheese.

Quinoa and Vegetables Stuffed Portobello Recipe:

The ingredients listed here are the ones pictured, but hey can be easily substituted. Use rice or barley instead of quinoa, different veggies, add nuts and other dried fruits that you like. Whatever type of grain you choose to use, be sure it is fully cooked (leftovers are great).

You will need:

portobello mushrooms

olive oil

chopped onions ( 2 tablespoons per mushroom)

chopped garlic (use 1 per mushroom)

chopped carrots (1/2 carrot per mushroom)

kale, stalk removed (1 leaf per mushroom)

cooked red quinoa

raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove mushroom stalks and chop it. Set aside. Remove gills from mushrooms and brush each mushroom with olive oil all around. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a skillet, heat some olive oil and cook onions until translucent adding the garlic on the last minute. Add the chopped mushroom stalks and chopped carrots, cook until mushrooms are browned, add kale and a tablespoon of water to help cook it. Add the quinoa and raisins and cook until warmed. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon quinoa mixture inside the mushrooms, pressing down to pack as much filling as possible. Transfer to a baking sheet and cook for about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Enjoy it!

Brazilian Peanut Candy Squares (Paçoca)

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This candy is as Brazilian as it gets. The original paçoca (Pa-SSO-ca) is made with peanuts, sugar and cassava flour and it is ground in a mortar. The name paçoca comes from a Brazilian Native Dialect (tupi-guarani) and it means "to crumble". That is because this candy crumbles down easily either in your hands or in your mouth.

This candy is found at just about any grocery store, street markets and school's cafeterias around Brazil. There are two types of paçoca. One that is drier and crumbles easily and normally comes in a cork shape. The other one is slightly denser, moister and it is normally shaped into squares. The last one was always my favourite and it's the one posted here.

There is an old tradition amongst Brazilian Christians of eating paçoca during lent or on Good Friday, since peanuts are naturally high in energy. My grandmother used to mashed them with bananas (for moisture) and eat it with a fork.

You can make this candy using salted peanuts too, it will lend a slightly salty bite to it, which is common in many Brazilian paçocas. If you just like it sweet, go ahead and make it just like I did, and you'll end up with a sweet, peanuty treat.

The best part: The whole thing comes together in minutes and there is no baking or cooking involved at all.

Brazilian Peanut Squares Recipe:

makes about 36 squares

You will need:

9 oz (250g) of roasted, skinless peanuts

1 1/2 packages of Maria Cookies **(see note bellow)

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons of sugar

In the food processor, combine peanuts, cookies and pulse until it's well combined and even. It should resemble a coarse flour. Add the sugar and pulse. Add the condensed milk and process until it forms a ball of dough. Transfer to a 9 inch square baking dish lined with wax or parchment paper. Using your hands, press it very well to form an even layer. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes up to overnight. Remove from the baking dish and cut into squares. Keep it in airtight containers.

** Maria cookies are round, flat cookies found at the Ethnic aisle of most grocery stores near the Latin foods, or at Latin and sometimes Mediterranean food stores.

Easter treat bags.

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Peanuts

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Stir-fries are easy to make, cook fast and are a great way to get lots of vegetables into your meals. I like to make my stir-fry as simple as possible when it comes to sauces. I normally just use soy sauce along with rice wine vinegar and sometimes I add a little broth like chicken or vegetable. I try to stay away from the bottled sauces as they tend to have too much sugar and artificial ingredients in it.  This is another one-pot meal, so use the largest skillet you have available if cooking for lots of people. I love to use peanuts here, they add crunchiness and go well with the Asian theme. I make this dish often when broccoli is on sale and it becomes a fairly inexpensive meal that is also healthy.

 

 

 

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry Recipe:

serves 2

 

You will need:

 

1 skinless, boneless chicken breast

1 tablespoon of canola oil

2 scallions, sliced and white and green parts separated

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 bunch of broccoli, cut into florets

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 teaspoon of rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

a handful of roasted peanuts

salt and pepper

 

Using a paper towel, dry the chicken breast and cut into bite size pieces, about 1 inch squares. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add scallion (white parts) and garlic and cook quickly for about 30 seconds, be careful not to bur the garlic, adjust heat if necessary. Add chicken pieces to the skillet and cook, turning often until all sides have browned, about 5 minutes. Add broccoli and carrots to skillet and stir. Add vinegar and soy sauce and scrape down the bottom of the pan to remove any brown bits. If you wish you can add a little amount of water or broth to create more sauce.Continue cooking the dish until vegetables are cook but still firm and chicken is cooked trough, about 5 minutes more. Top with peanuts and the green parts of the scallion.

Serve hot accompanied by your favourite kind of rice.

Minty Pineapple Fried Rice

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This is a tropical fried rice, not your usual Asian style fried rice. There is no soy sauce or any of the bottled Asian sauces usually used in fried rice recipes such as oyster and stir-fry sauces. Instead, this lighter, healthier version uses coconut oil, fresh ginger, garlic and mint to flavour the dish. The vegetables are whatever you want them to be, I used carrots as well as some baked tofu. Frozen peas would make a nice addition too and if you are not vegetarian I would add some crab meat, shrimps or pork, they all go nicely together with the pineapple. Added bonus for this recipe for being a one pot meal, on this case a wok. As with any fried rice recipe, this dish is a perfect opportunity to clean up your fridge and use up leftovers.

I didn't have any macadamia nuts on hand, but I bet it would taste great here, besides adding a crunch to the texture too. If you decide to use it, just add them at the end.

 

One note on coconut oil: extra-virgin coconut oil is a healthy alternative to hydrogenated oils. It contains healthy fats, no cholesterol and it tastes great.  Here in this dish, the use of coconut oil also contributes to it's tropical theme.

 

Minty Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe:

serves 1

This recipe is for one, using only half of a pineapple. Multiply all the ingredients accordingly to make more portions, or use the leftover pineapple and mint to make some delicious juice.

 

You will need:

 

1 whole pineapple or 1/2 cup of fresh pineapple chunks (see note bellow)

1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil (or, if not available, substitute canola oil)

1/2 teaspoon of fresh ginger, finely chopped (or more to taste)

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 piece of baked tofu, cubed (about 1 cup total)

1/2 cup of day old brown rice

1 tablespoon of fresh, chopped mint

 

Using a wok or a very large skillet, heat coconut oil over medium high heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add carrots and (any other vegetables you might use), tofu and rice and stir it around the hot wok until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add pineapple and stir for another 2 minutes. Add mint and sir well. Fill pineapple half with the fried rice, if using and serve immediately.

 

Note:

If using the pineapple as serving dish, cut the entire pineapple in the middle lenghwise, including the crown. Carefully cut off the inside of the fruit, leaving about a 1/2 inch border. Use a sharp knife to do that, a grapefruit spoon can be helpful as well. Chop the fruit removed from the pineapple and set aside.

If you are not making the pineapple dish, just use 1/2 cup of fresh pineapple, chopped.

 

 

To make this dish non-vegetarian:

Add shrimp, pork cubes or crab meat to the garlic and ginger and cook it through before proceeding with the recipe. Or add them already cooked along with the vegetables.

 

 

 

Skillet Pancake with Strawberry

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I simply cannot make  good pancakes on the griddle.  My past attempts on pancakes have been disastrous, I either burn them, or brake them, or both. And the house is covered with smoke and burnt  smell, not pretty... I personally don't care for pancakes very much, but Andrew does, and so I make this every once in a while, normally on the weekends. This is also known as Dutch Baby Pancake. The batter is blended, transferred to an oven-proof skillet and baked in the oven. Almost impossible to mess up, and certainly less messy than making regular pancakes on the stove. The batter puffs up a lot, but it falls down as soon as it's removed from the oven, so it is important to be ready to eat it when it's finished baking.

To make it more interesting, I like to add fruits to the pancake. Here I chose sliced strawberries which were added to the batter in the skillet. I also added a list of possible variations for this same recipe, so try out a few. For toppings, I normally just use good Canadian maple syrup, but powdered sugar and lemon juice are popular options as well.

 

Skillet Pancake with Strawberry Recipe:

makes one 8 inch skillet

 

You will need:

 

3 large eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup of flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/4 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 cup of strawberries, sliced

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix all ingredients except for butter and strawberries in a blender. Make sure the flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the blender if necessary.

Melt the butter in a oven-proof skillet (I like using cast iron). Add the batter and the sliced strawberries. Transfer skillet to hot oven and bake until puffed and golden, 20-25 minutes.

Serve immediately with maple syrup.

 

Variations:

Cinnamon: add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter. Skip strawberries.

Apple: slice 1/2 an apple and cook it on the melted butter until lightly golden. You may add a pinch of cinnamon to it. Skip strawberries.

Blueberry: use 1/2 cup of blueberries instead of strawberries.

Banana: add 1 sliced banana to the melted butter and cook it until golden, but still firm. You may add a pinch of cinnamon to it. Skip strawberries.

Chocolate chip: add 1/2 cup of your favourite chocolate chip to the batter in the skillet.  Skip strawberries.

Chocolate: add 1 tablespoon of cocoa to the batter.

Plain: skip strawberries and top baked pancake with a squeeze of lemon juice and powdered sugar.

 

 

Mexican Chocolate Cake

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Taking a look at the ingredient's list, one would quickly find out that this is not your usual chocolate cake. A Mexican chocolate cake incorporates the warmth of spices like cinnamon and chili and the punch of balsamic vinegar. The result is a cake with a spicy kick that is not too sweet, yet super flavorful. I love it, and I specially enjoy serving it to friends because no one ever expects it to be spicy. It's a pleasant surprise, but I am not sure kids would like it, or someone with a more pick palate (like Andrew). You can cut back on the amount of chili or cayenne used in the cake to fit your own taste. I've made this cake numerous times because it's so easy, fast and makes very little mess of bowls and dishes. In fact, this batter is made in one bowl, than poured into the cake pan, and that's it. I normally don't make the chocolate glaze, I prefer simple cakes, but this time I went all the way, so you can have an idea of how pretty this simple cake can be.

Note:

This is an egg-less cake, great news for all the batter eaters out there (you know who you are...)

 

 

Mexican Chocolate Cake Recipe:

makes one 8 inch round cake

 

You will need:

1 1/2 cup of flour

1 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or chili powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of cold water

1/4 cup of canola oil

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 inch cake pan, set aside.

In a large bowl,whisk all dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix well until batter is fully combined. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let cake cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan and finish cooling it in a wire  rack.

 

Chocolate Glaze Recipe (optional):

Confectioner's sugar

Unsweetened cocoa

Cinnamon (optional)

Water

For the glaze, combine confectioner's sugar and cocoa using a 2 for 1 ratio (2 parts sugar, 1 part cocoa). Use small amounts of water by the spoon full to moisten it and bring to the consistency you want. For this cake, I used less than 1 cup of sugar and half that amount of cocoa. I also added a pinch of cinnamon to it.

If you have extra glaze, keep it refrigerated and use it over fruits or mix it with plain yogurt.

Enjoy it!