Blueberry Ebelskiver


2 large eggs, separated
2 tbsp sugar, divided
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup all purpose flour
approx 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and 1 tbsp sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add vegetable oil and buttermilk and mix well. Whisk in salt, baking powder and flour until batter is relatively smooth, with only a few lumps, and no streaks of flour remain.

In a medium bowl, beat egg whites with remaining tbsp of sugar until soft peaks form. Fold into flour mixture.

Once the batter is made, heat ebleskiver pan over medium heat until very hot. Brush each of the wells with a bit of vegetable oil, then fill each indentation almost to the top with batter. Place 3-4 blueberries (depending on size) into the center of the pancakes.

When the batter bubbles slightly around the edges and the bottom is golden, turn over by inserting a fork (or skewer) into the side and flipping quickly. Cook until second side is golden brown. If the ebleskiver are too dark, reduce heat down slightly.

Serve with maple syrup and extra blueberries.

Makes about 20 ebleskiver (serves 5-6)

35 Meals for the Single Person

I happened across this post in the credit forums and thout I would repost it here. I'm single for the entire second half of July and this has come in really handy since I'm economizing while my son is gone ahead of our move.

Well, here's what I do.

I buy a big box of sandwich baggies at Walmart.

Then, I head for the meat department. You can usually buy two small steaks, or four small chicken breasts, for around $5 each. These will make four meals each, for a total of 8 meals for $10.

Buy a big bag of basmati rice, and pasta when it's on sale a dollar a box. Measure out portions of the size you would usually make (I typically make 1 cup pasta, or 1/2 cup rice or couscous). This helps keep you from making more than you'll eat and throwing it out.

I also buy Annie's mac and cheese at BJs where it is less than $1 per box in bulk.

Buy canned soup on sale or store brand if you have it.

Buy larger loaves of white bread (or wheat, or whatever) and make toast for breakfast. You get more meals per loaf than you would get from a box of cereal.

Here is my shopping list for this week:

Boneless Chicken Breast 3lbs $3.34 (it was buy 2 get 1 free, so I got 3 1lb packages)
Navel oranges 12lbs $5.40 (I use one bag for fruit for my lunches, and make juice with the rest as a treat)
Lean cuisine entrees $10 (they do specials where they're 5 for $10, so I take some for lunch or I'm too tired to cook)
Sliced Turkey 1lb $2.64 (buy one get 1 free, I bought 1/2lb)
Chicken Nuggets $5.49 for 48oz (10 meals for me)
Salad dressing $2 for 2 bottles (buy 1 get 1)
White bread $1.69 for 2 loaves (buy 1 get 1)
Baguette $1.99 (makes 3 sandwiches)
Orange juice 2 for $3
Frozen ravioli $3 for 3lbs
Pretzels $1.77
Poptarts 99cents (we all run late sometimes!)
Pasta $3 for 3lbs
Fruit cocktail $1.89 for 30 oz
Macaroni and cheese $3 for 3 boxes
Salad 2 for $5 (enough for 8 salads)
yogurt $5 for 10

Total: $59.20 and enough food for one person for two weeks, given the supplies I already have like rice and peanut butter.

Meals look something like this:

Breakfast: Toast with peanut butter, orange slices, coffee at work (where it's free)
Lunch: Small salad with two chicken nuggets (made at home so they're crispy, then sliced) and dressing, yogurt, water
Dinner: Ravioli and meatballs (bought on sale, carefully portioned so I don't cook too much and not eat it)

Breakfast: poptart and coffee at work
Lunch: Peanut butter sandwich with fruit cocktail, yogurt, and water
Dinner: Grilled chicken breast with rice

I eat as a single person for under $100 a month, easily. I buy stuff when it's on sale, don't buy what's not, and I plan meals around being able to make small amounts of things. A loaf of bread can make at least 8 breakfasts (2 slices of toast) and another 6 lunches. When I buy meat, as soon as I get it home I cut each piece of meat in half and freeze them in separate baggies. A pound of meat makes 4 meals.

When I buy rice, I take the whole container and scoop out half cup servings. This also helps you see how MUCH you're buying when you buy a bag of rice. I know when I buy a 5lb bag of rice that I will get at least 12 half cup servings out of that, and each box of pasta has another six servings. A bag of rice is about $2, so for $4 I have rice and pasta to go with 24 meals a month.

The biggest thing that cut my expenses when i realized I was spending too much on food was that I was making more than I'd eat, filling the fridge with leftovers, and throwing them out. Now, I only cook exactly what I will eat. A small portion of meat, some rice, and if I'm still hungry later I'll grab a granola bar. This, combined with buying things on sale, stretched what I was buying a lot farther. If I make mac and cheese, I save what I don't eat and eat it at work the next day, but I don't plan on keeping leftovers longer than that because I won't eat them.

It requires organization, and work, but once you get the hang of it it's really easy. My list above has enough food for 35 meals if you plan them well.

Maple Oat Muffins with Bacon

Maple Oat Muffins with Bacon

1 1/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 cup milk
2 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
8 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
 
Directions:
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the center. Line a muffin tin with muffin cups and set it aside.


In a large bowl combine oats and milk then let it sit for 5 min. In a separate large bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk sugar, maple syrup, egg and butter into milk mixture. Lightly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients along with the bacon.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin until each are about 3/4 of the way filled. Bake them for 20 - 25 minutes until they're golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer them to a cooling rack and cool.

Iced Tea x 3

Iced-Tea is one of the simplest drinks you will make all summer. The two main ingredients are literally tea and water, any additional garnishing is up to you.

1. Traditional Iced-Tea: My rule of thumb is 5-6 tea bags per 2 quarts of water when brewing any kind of tea. Of course, if you want stronger tea feel free to add in more bags! To make traditional iced-tea, first, choose five tea bags from your stash and clip their strings to the side of the pitcher so that the bags are dangling into the center of the pitcher. Bring 2 quarts of hot water to a boil on the stove and pour it into the pitcher, making sure the tea bags are fully covered. Allow the tea to steep for 5-10 minutes, or until the tea is a dark golden color. Remove tea bags, cover the pitcher and place it in a fridge to cool down before drinking.


2. Sun Tea: Since Sun Tea is brewed outside it is important that the container in which you are brewing it is completely sterilized before continuing. Clip five tea bags to your pitcher as directed above. Pour 2 quarts of cool water into the pitcher and place a light cover or a tea towel over the pitcher. Place pitcher in direct sunlight outdoors for one hour. Keep an eye on the tea, when it is dark golden remove it from the sun.
3. Cold-Brewed Tea: Follow the directions above for clipping tea bags to the side of your pitcher. Pour in 2 quarts of cold water, cover the pitcher with a lid and place it in the refrigerator. The tea will need to steep like this for at least 12 hours in the fridge, but will turn out beautifully.

http://healthmad.com/nutrition/top-10-reasons-to-drink-tea/

Cupcake Archive to Sample

This is inspiring for sure ;o)~

recipes foound here at Love and Olive Oil 

A Dog A Day...

... keeps lunch entertaining! I was inspired by the recent Food Network magazine article and also this post on the Food Network website.

There was a time in my life not too many years ago when my son, who was about 10 at the time, craved hot dogs for breakfast. You can imagine how I rolled my eyes the first time I heard that at 7 in the morning. I did eventually compromise with the little angel by making a versioon of a corn dog by dipping a sausage into my perfection pancake batter and serving them with a side maple syrup.

Building Soup

Soup Building

The Three Opportunities: You can dictate the character of your soup by how you decide to start cooking it.

1. Bold and sturdy flavors come from starting the soup by fast-browning the onions and some of the vegetables in good tasting fat over medium-high heat.

2. Mellow flavors are achieved with slow-stewing onions and key ingredients, like herbs, in a little fat in a covered pot over low heat.

3. Clear, true flavors come from simmering everything in liquid with no pre-sautés.

A Basic Formula:

•2 parts onion
•1/2 part garlic
•2 parts members of cabbage family (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.)
•1/2 part carrot
•1/4 part celery with leaves
•1/2 part root vegetables (celery root, rutabaga, turnips, etc.)
•1 part leafy vegetables (salad greens, chard, kale, turnip greens, mizuna, dandelion, escarole, endive, collards, etc.)
•1 part dry white or red wine
•Water as needed

Note: Wine is a powerful flavor booster because alcohol opens up flavors that neither fats nor water release. Also, red wine is high in umami, a chemical component of some foods which heightens flavors. So be generous with the wine. Use white wine in pale soups, red in dark ones, and anticipate 1/2 cup for every eight cups of liquid.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

■2 ¼ cups of unbleached flour
■1 teaspoon salt
■1 teaspoon baking soda
■1 cup butter
■1 cup sugar
■1 cup packed brown sugar
■1 Tablespoon Madagascar vanilla
■2 large eggs
■2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
■1 cup white chocolate chips
■2 cups walnuts

Mix the butter, both sugars, and the vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs, mix until blended. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder- add to the wet mixture just until blended. Add the dark, and white chocolate chips, then the walnuts, mix well. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges become slightly brown. Cool slightly and enjoy!

Thai Peanut Sauce & Chicken Satay

This is a great recipe for chicken, or any white fish. It also works on salads, veggies, and rice. If you want a thicker sauce, simply add more peanut butter.

 THAI PEANUT SAUCE

■1 cup creamy peanut butter
■½ cup sesame oil
■¼ cup vegetable oil
■½ cup honey
■½ cup pineapple juice
■¼ cup coconut milk
■1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
■1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
■1 teaspoon black and regular sesame seeds
■Salt and pepper to taste
■1 tablespoon chives

Place all the ingredients except the chives in a bowl, mix with a whisk. Top with chives or chopped peanuts.


THAI CHICKEN SATAY SKEWERS

Marinade:


1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
20 wooden skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes
Vegetable oil, for grilling
Butter lettuce leaves
Fresh cilantro leaves
Peanut sauce, recipe above

Directions

Combine the yogurt, ginger, garlic, and curry powder in a shallow mixing bowl, stir to combine. Place the chicken strips in the yogurt marinade and gently toss until well coated. Cover and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at up to 2 hours.

Thread the chicken pieces onto the soaked skewers working the skewer in and out of the meat, down the middle of the piece, so that it stays in place during grilling. Place a grill pan over medium heat and brush it with oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Grill the chicken satays for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until nicely seared and cooked through. Serve the satays on a platter lined with lettuce leaves and cilantro; accompanied by a small bowl of peanut sauce on the side.

Perfect Sandwich Bread

How many recipes do you know where you can cut the loaf into whisper-thin (1/8”) slices, without it crumbling? Not many, I’d wager.




Perfect Sandwich Bread
based on a recipe from King Arthur's


1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups water, depending on the time of year (more in the winter, less in the summer)
1 heaping tablespoon honey or sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk granules
2 tablespoons real butter
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt
4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Place the ingredients in your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer, and program the machine for white or basic bread, or for the dough cycle. Press Start.

If you're using the dough cycle, after the cycle is complete, allow the dough to continue to rise in the machine until it has really doubled in bulk. Remove the dough, shape it into a loaf, and place it in an 9" x 5" loaf pan. Let it rise until almost doubled. Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read 195°F to 200°F.

Happy 4th of July 2010