Renovating Jesse's Kitchen

Of course! The week I promise to keep my blog updated....

We do this to the kitchen:

Jesse's Kitchen is being renovated - literally.

And it's waaaaayyyy more intense than I expected.

I have such a hard time making choices to being with and now I'm trying to choose between infinite paint colors, trillions of countertop options and flooring?!?... Please tell me this is all going to turn okay! One day (possibly this lifetime) I will have my kitchen back?

Here's a picture pre-ripping apart of the kitchen. This picture was taken in about the same spot as the above picture. We removed the wall and cabinets which really makes the kitchen look bigger.

So umm.... needless to say there's not a lot of cooking or baking going in there. Which is going to equal infrequent posts (again) for awhile. I'm sure once the improved kitchen is up and running I'll be so excited I'll bombard you with pictures and unwanted information about it so yeah.... be prepared!

Pumpkin Shortbread Bars

Ok, I'm going to do this.
I'm going to climb out of my rut and make this happen.

If you haven't noticed (*sniff), I've sorta lost my blog posting groove since last summer. I can't think of any particular reason except that life happens. And when life happens in a big way, you make take out your friend.
Take out and sweets.
Sugary, buttery, fattening sweets.

Oh, and coffee (but that's another subject for another day!)

Anyways, I'm going to try to at least do weekly postings again. 

My energetic 2 year old might be an obstacle to this goal, however I will prevail!

I think.

I hope.

Don't hate me if I don't.

These pumpkin bars are going to fuel me. They're sort of like a cross between pumpkin pie and a butter tart. Um... does that sound a-ma-zing or what?

If you're like me and you stock piled pumpkin puree at the end of the fall, make these.

Your cupboards and mouth will thank you.

Pumpkin Shortbread Bars

Makes: about 16

Source: Slightly adapted from Lauren's Latest

For the Crust:

1¼ cups all purpose flour

4 tbsps white sugar

½ softened butter

dash of salt

½ tsp vanilla extract

For the filling:

1¾ cups pumpkin puree

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ cup all purpose flour

For the topping:

¼ cup semi sweet chocolate chips

¼ cup toasted pecans

¼ prepared caramel sauce (I used Smucker's ice cream topping)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8 x 8 square dish with cooking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl combine all the crust ingredients until moist. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. 

2. In a different bowl, stir together filling ingredients until smooth. Pour over shortbread crust and smooth the top. 

3. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and nuts over the top. Press gently into the filling. Drizzle caramel sauce over top of the entire pan.

4. Bake 45 - 60 minutes or until pumpkin filling is firm. Cool completely. Cut into 16 equal squares. (Can be served warm or cold.)

Brazilian Cheesebread (GF)

Everyone is probably making new year's resolutions to cut down on carbs, eat healthier and exercise more. 

If that's you, good for you! I hope you win.

One word of advice though.... you might want to stay away from me for a bit. 

I'm nothing but trouble!

I've never really subscribed to the whole New Year's Resolution thing. 

One time of year we resolve to make major lifestyle changes? 

Seems overwhelming and destined for failure. 

(Why yes, I know I'm a ray of sunshine :p).

Don't get my wrong, I'm all about resolving to change oneself. Change is good. I just prefer to tackle it day by day, and moment by moment.

In that spirit, I'm always resolving to try out different ingredients in my cooking or baking.

This recipe interested me in particular because it's made mostly with tapioca flour (starch), something that I've only used maybe once before. (For anyone wondering, tapioca flour was $1.79/425g in the supermarket's oriental section.)

Plus I'm a sucker for anything carby and cheesy.

These were really easy to make, no kneading or rising. But there was one thing......

They had a very um..... unique texture. I'm not sure if it was unique good or unique bad.

They are extremely chewy like I-thought-I-under-baked-them chewy.

Almost..... dare I turn you off by saying......... gluey?

That really sounds gross but they weren't gross at all they were just different.

Your just going to have to try these out for your self.

Embrace them. Love them. Make them this 2012.

Brazilian Cheesebread

Makes: about 12

Source: The Pink Cowgirl via Tasty Kitchen

• ½ cups Whole Milk
• ½ cups Water
• ¼ cups Canola Oil
• ¼ teaspoons Salt (heaping)
• 2-½ cups Tapioca Flour, Or A Little More As Needed
• 1-½ whole Egg Beaten
• 4 ounces, weight Granulated Cojita Cheese, Plus Extra For Topping Cheese Breads
• Directions: Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease 2 baking sheets. In a saucepan bring the milk, water, oil, and salt to a boil. Remove the pan from heat and set aside. Add the flour in increments, stirring constantly until the dough becomes pliable and can be kneaded with hands. Be patient, the more you stir the more solid the dough will become. Only add enough flour until dough reaches desired consistency. Stir in the beaten eggs then the cojita cheese. Stir until dough becomes thick and can be molded. Add additional tapioca flour if needed. Roll dough into 1″ balls and dip the tops into the extra cheese. Place on the greased baking sheets and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese becomes golden brown.
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  Note: You can also use granulated parmesan cheese (Kraft) for this recipe.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Cranberry Seed Muffins

I made you some muffins.....

with my little elf. 

Beware that they may not have been made in the most sanitary way.

Elves like to lick their fingers when they bake.

They're still good though, no worries there.

Fresh, tart cranberries, with crunchy pumpkin seeds. 

A true seasonal delight.

Cranberry Seed Muffins

Makes: 12 large muffings

Source: Canadian Living 2011 Special Edition

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cups whole wheat flour

½ cup oat bran (or wheat bran)

1½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

⅓ cup unsalted sunflower seeds

⅓ cup unsalted pumpkin seeds

¾ cups white sugar

¼ cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp finely grated orange zest

2 eggs

1 ⅓ cups buttermilk

½ cup butter, melted and cooled

2 cups thawed cranberries

Topping:

3 tbsp each oat bran, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds

Directions:

1) In a large bowl, whisk together flours, bran, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk in sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

2)In a separate bowl, whisk together white sugar, brown sugar, orange zest, eggs and buttermilk. Whisk in butter until combined; stir in flour mixture in 2 additions just until combined. Stir in cranberries. Spoon into 12 greased muffin cups.

3) Mix together the bran, sunflower and pumpkin seeds for the topping. Sprinkle on the muffins. Bake at 375°F until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

Spicy Feta

My head is swimming, my nose is running, and there are nails in the back of my throat. 

Ick, ick and ick.

Consequently, I've been using 'The Backyardigans' as babysitters for the last few days.

So unfortunately, the only thing taking residence in my brain is '' We've got the whole wide world in our yard to explore. Now it's time for us to have a snack, meet you next time when your back with your friends the Backyardigans....''

That being said, I'm going to have a snack.

The jalapeños in this are going to burn out my cold and the garlic is going to boost my immunity.

And then I'm going to bed.

Spicy Feta

Slightly adapted from: How Sweet It Is

Makes: about 1½ cups

1 brick of feta cheese (8oz)

2 whole jalapenos

3 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp

1 small bulb garlic

juice of half a lemon

zest of half a lemon

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Chop the top off the garlic bulb and drizzle it with the teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap it in foil and roast for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden. At the same time, brush the jalapenos with olive oil  and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the in the oven until charred, about 15 - 20 minutes, rotating at least once. Remove both from the oven and let cool.

2. Once jalapenos are cooled, remove the skin, cut in half and discard the seeds and ribs. Finely chop. (Don't touch your eyes!)

3. In a medium bowl, crumble the feta. Add chopped jalapenos, lemon zest and juiced. Squeeze roasted garlic out of bulb and directly into the feta. Add the 3 tbsp of olive oil and mash with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. The feta will be a bit ''wet'', sort of cross between a dip and spread. Serve with pita chips, bread or spread on a sandwich. Keeps for about 1 week.

Vegan Banana Breakfast Bar

As my daughter gets a little bit older, she's becoming super eager to help me out in the kitchen.

Her 'help' seems to involve dumping flour on the floor, eating chocolate chips by the handful, making cakes that are 1 part wood blocks to 2 parts fridge magnets and of course sampling anything I'm making by the fistful. 

Don't be fooled by those little fists.

A one year old can get a lot of cookie batter in there.

This breakfast bar (anything with oatmeal can be eaten for breakfast, right?) was a good little baking project for her and I.

The batter has no eggs (hello, it's vegan!) so I really didn't mind if she sampled. 

And then sampled again. And again.

And then just took a spoon and shoveled it in, all the while screaming ''MINE!!! MINE!!! MINE!!!!!".

I'd like to say I'm kidding but that is pretty much how it played out.

This is super easy to make and a tasty grab and go.

You can switch up the cranberries for different dried fruits and the chocolate chips for nuts. 

If you're feeling brave and like you want to spend some extra time cleaning the kitchen.... let little hands get involved by squishing the banana, adding in the dry ingredients and mixing.

(But don't say I didn't warn you.)

Vegan Banana Breakfast Bars

Makes: about 9 bars

Adapted from: Eat, Live, Run

1 very ripe banana

1/3 cup canola oil

2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup dried cranberries

2/3 cup dark (pure) chocolate chips

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups quick cooking oats (or old fashioned oats pulsed in a food processor for a few moments)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork and then add the canola oil and brown sugar. Mix well until there are no sugar lumps left.

In another (smaller) bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and oats. Mix into wet ingredients and add cranberries and chocolate chips.

Pat batter down into a greased square 8-inch pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until edges are golden. Let cool before cutting into squares.

German Chocolate Cake Cookies

Do I really need to discuss the merit of joining german chocolate cake and cookies into one glorious baked treat?

Does not the name say it all?

German. Chocolate. Cake. Cookies.

Is this something you think you can handle?

I barely could.

Pecans, brown sugar and coconut on top of a chocolate cookie.

I'm not sure that it gets better than this.

Bake a batch of these and share them with a friend.... just don't skimp on the frosting or you might lose that friend.

German Chocolate Cake Cookies

Source: Peach Cobbler Murder by Joanne Fluke

Cookie Dough:

1 cup butter

1 cup milk chocolate chips

2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

Frosting:

½ cup packed brown sugar

¾ cup packed shredded coconut

½ cup chopped pecans

¼ cup chilled butter, cut into 4 pieces

2 egg yolks

Directions:

1. Use a doubler boiler or your microwave to melt together the chocolate chips and butter.

2. In a seperate bowl, beat together the white sugar and eggs until well mixed and smooth. Slowly add the cooled chocolate mixture and continue to beat. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla and flour. Mix well. Cover the dough and set aside.

3. In a food processor, chop up the brown sugar and coconut until the coconut is very fine. Add the pecans a butter. Process until the butter is in small bits. Add the egg yolks and continue to process until completely incorporated. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate the frosting.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Once the oven is heated, pat the cookie dough into 1'' balls. Place the balls on a greased cookie sheet (leave lots of room for spreading). Press down in the center of each ball to make a deep indentation.

5. Pat the chilled frosting into ½" balls and place in the indentations. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to completely cool before enjoying.

Sour Cream Twists

Where did summer go?

I feel like I went inside my house to escape the heat and when I left the next morning the leaves were changing colors and the temperature had dropped 10 degrees.

All of sudden I'm digging for down filled jackets and wholly boots.

I'm not complaining though.

Definitely not!

I love the fall. 

I love being able to cook roasts and bake breads and pies. 

To me, there's not much better than coming out of the cold and being hit with the smell of fresh baked bread laced with roasted meat and cinnamon sugar.

YUM and YUM.

That's why I made these sour cream twists.

Pretty much just for the smell.

If I could bake these and bottle the scent, I'd be a billionaire.

No joke. Probably even a gillionaire.

Not only do they smell a-mazing, they also taste dee-licious.

The dough is really tangy and soft while the cinnamon sugar filling is the perfect blend of crunch and sweetness.

I won't be waiting too long to make these again.

Bake these! Your house will smell fantastic.

Sour Cream Twists

Makes: 24 twists

Source: Della's Favorites

1 cup sour cream

2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast

¼ cup warm water

2 tbsp butter, softened

3 tbsp white sugar

1 tsp salt

1 egg

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tbsp butter, melted

⅓ cup brown sugar, packed

1 tsp cinnamon 

Directions:

1. Heat sour cream to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in sour cream, butter, sugar, salt, egg and one cup flour. Beat until smooth.

2. Mix in remaining flour until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Knead on a floured board until smooth. Let rise in a greased bowl until doubled in size.

3. Roll into a rectangle, 24'' x 6''. Brush with the remaining 2 tbsp of butter. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over a lengthwise half of the rectangle. Fold the other half over the sugar half. Cut into one inch strips, holding the strips at each end. Twist in opposite directions.

4. Place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet, pressing the ends on the sheet. Cover and let rise until double in size.

5. Heat oven to 375°F. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden. If you want, drizzle with a glaze.

Garlic Bread Sticks

Yes..... well..... ahem...... these look a bit rude, don't they?

They were really just supposed to look like a bread stick; the phallic resemblance was completely unintentional.

I'm even a bit embarrassed looking at that top photo. Let's just move on to photos of dough. 

Yes, innocent looking dough..... much better!

Anyways...... these breadsticks were inspired by a Glee eposide via the Food Network.

Apparently somewhere in the show the winners of a duet competition get a dinner at a fictional place called BreadstiX where, ironically (not), the breadsticks, much like these ones, are bottomless.

I can't say that I care very much about Glee, but I do care about bread.

I care deeply about bread.

Especially bread that is soft, chewy, garlicky and accidentally inappropriately shaped.

These were really great fresh out of the oven but didn't keep well. By the next day they were getting a bit dry. In the future, I might try freezing them in dough sticks then taking them out to rise just before I bake them.

Don't worry, if you don't know anything about Glee (like me) you can still enjoy these yummy breadsticks.

Garlic Bread Sticks

Source: Food Network

Makes: 12

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme and/or oregano), for sprinkling

Directions:

Put 3/4 cup warm water in a food processor. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until dissolved. Add the flour, olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter and pulse until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. Continue to process with the motor running until smooth, about 2 more minutes.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; brush with olive oil. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Divide into 12 pieces, then roll each piece into a 12-to-16-inch rope. Arrange the ropes 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets, rolling them to coat with the oil. Cover each baking sheet with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm place until the breadsticks double in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and the garlic in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, about 1 minute. Brush the breadsticks with the garlic butter; sprinkle with herbs and salt. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Kitchen Sink Cookies

These cookies have a little bit of everything in them.

Dried cranberries, toasted pecans, oats and chocolate chips.

Normally, I'm just a straight-up, no frills chocolate chip cookie kind of girl but occasionally, very occasionally, I get a hankering for something a little bit more interesting.

Given that yesterday the skies decided to open up and release an ocean of rain on Revelstoke, it seemed like a good day to turn on the oven to restock my cookie supply. 

Yes, I am amply supplied with cookies at all times. 

I had seen a recipe for John's Kitchen Sink Cookies from Martha Stewart that piqued my interest but when I checked it out it had corn syrup in it. I don't know why but it doesn't seem right to put corn syrup in cookies so instead, I settled on this recipe from the Food Network magazine and made a few changes (as always).

Make these with whatever's in your cupboard, raisins, toffee chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, you name it! Sandwich them between vanilla ice cream for a quick and delicious summer dessert.

Kitchen Sink Cookies

Makes about 20

Adapted from the Food Network

¾ cup flour

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar

½ tsp baking soda

pinch of salt 

½ cup butter

1 egg

1 ½ cup rolled oats

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup toasted, chopped pecans

½ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and light brown, dark brown and granulated sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix on low speed until incorporated. Slowly add the flour mixture, oats, dried cranberries, pecans and chocolate chips and mix until combined.

3. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. With wet hands, make 20 balls from the dough and put on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Press down on the dough balls with the palm of your hand to make flat circles.

4. Bake the cookies until golden and still a bit tender in the center, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit on the baking sheets for 1 minute, then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Summer Quinoa Salad

It seems that I have a crush on quinoa.

Breakfast Quinoa.
Crunchy Quinoa.
Mango Chicken Curry Quinoa Salad.

It's just fun to say: keen-wah, keen-wah, keen-wah, keen-wah, keen-wah...........keen-wah.

Actually, I like that it's so versatile.
You can eat it for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and even dessert.

Unlike a lot of other foods, I find the leftovers really easy to use up. You can throw leftover quinoa in soup, smoothies (yes, blended up!), chocolate cake (you heard me) and of course salad like, conveniently, the one I have right here.

This salad is a mixture of chicken, raw veggies, quinoa and feta in a lemony vinaigrette. The recipe for the dressing is a bit rough so if you make it you'll have to adjust the ingredients to your liking.

Try it out and bring it to your next picnic.
Hope you like it.

Summer Quinoa Salad

Jesse's Kitchen Creation

Makes about 4 cups

For the salad:

2 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded

½ head broccoli, diced

1 sweet red bell pepper, diced

¼ cup crumbled feta

For the dressing:

1 shallot, minced

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp maple syrup 

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced parsley.

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine together all the salad ingredients. In a small bowl whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Serve chilled. (Doesn't keep well).