Spelt Pancakes

Spelt (even though it's an ancient grain and a species of wheat) it on the ok to eat list. So, craving something different for breaky, I decided to search the good old interwebs to find a spelt pancake recipe. I had a good one in some magazine but I was too hungry to look for it (yeah, I'm pretty useless when hungry). I adapted the recipe so that it's got more sustenance to it... and fruit!

Banana Pecan Spelt Pancakes

1 cup plus approximately 2-3 Tbsp spelt flour
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 beaten egg
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp vanilla

1 banana mushed

1 handful of pecans finely chopped

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & pecans. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside. Combine the egg, milk, honey, mushed bananas and oil (honey won't completely dissolve but it's ok). Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Add additional milk to thin batter if necessary.

2. For standard-size pancakes, pour or spread batter into a 3-inch circle on a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden brown, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Serve warm.

Bye Bye Gourmet :(

It's a sad sad day in the world of Gourmet. For the past 3 years, I've had the magazine Gourmet delivered to my home. Though the magazine is riddled with big juicy meat recipes, it also has some beautiful recipes that can either be adapted or are meatless to start with. They also have stunning pictures (some of which I am going to frame and put in my kitchen, when I have my own kitchen one day) and educational articles. Heck! I just love anything to do with food. So having a magazine show up at my door once a month makes me happy. I loved catching up on the newest kitchen gadgets. Some were so neat! Really high end stuff wouldn't be found in the average foodie's kitchen. But things like that make me dream... makes me dream of what my kitchen would look like if money wasn't an issue (or if I had a kitchen of my own to start with). Ah well, it was fun while it lasted :) Time to find myself a new magazine that will challenge the foodie in me.

*Photo of most of the 2008 and 2009 magazines, the 2007 magazines are in some box somewhere. I've kept all of them and one day will take the time to put my favorite recipes in my recipe book. The little square of paper is what I received in the mail saying that I will no longer be receiving the Gourmet Magazines, but will receive Bon Apetit instead.

Just say No! to wheat

Actually I can't have wheat until December 23rd. Doctors orders :) I don't mind it. I am taking it as a challenge. Challenge is the right word because after a long day at work, an appointment and then two hours at the gym, I didn't have the energy, nor the patience to make a meatless wheatless dinner. I ripped open a bag of kettle corn and was ready to chow down. But then I thought about it and... well kettle corn isn't an acceptable dinner. I ate enough to give me enough energy to look up a recipe and I decided that I'd make the first one I found. Craving some comfort food, I settled on a Baked Rice, Cheese and Vegetable Casserole. This may be a bit of a pain in the ass if you're hungry and don't want to chop all the veggies (ok, so you just have to chop tomatoes, bell peppers and onions) but I have a slap chopper and though the adverts are really stupid, it's a great tool in the kitchen for when you're feeling lazy! It also feels good to whack something. Actually it felt so good that I ended up pureeing my tomatoes instead of chopping them but ah well :) No, I am not angry or upset at the moment, just got carried away slapchoppin'.
The casserole was delicious! But I'll have to try it again when I am not starved! When I am hungry, anything tastes delicious. Mom, Dad, Steph and Dasha are having it as a side dish with chicken and they just yelled over that 'the rice casserole is very good'. So there, it got the family's stamp of approval. Here's the recipe:

Baked Rice, Cheese and Vegetable Casserole

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (I used red, we didn't have green, it was still yummy :))
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed (Not planning ahead, I used em frozen, worked just fine)
1 large tomato, the recipe says seeded, I threw em in, chopped
3 cups brown rice
2 cups grated Swiss cheese
3 tbsp cream
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup almond flour (optional)
pepper to taste

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add corn and tomato and sauté 3 minutes. Add rice, 1 cup cheese, cream, thyme and almond flour and stir until cheese melts and mixture is heated through. Transfer mixture to 8-cup soufflé dish.

Preheat broiler. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over rice mixture. Broil until cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Yuuummmmmm!!!!! :) For desert, I had my first cup of eggnog sprinkled with fresh ground nutmeg. Bliss!

Spiced Cranberry Bundt Cake

Once a month, the Yoga Journal finds itself in my mail box. A while ago I subscribed to it because I enjoyed the articles in it. I don't actually practice yoga but I like the way of life and I try to incorporate it into mine. In the December issue there was an article about a woman who found peace in baking and spent her Saturday mornings making a bundt cake and giving it out to someone who would appreciate it (whether it would be a friend or stranger). This sparked something in me. It's been a while since I've baked something, never mind baked something for someone else. I've been enjoying all the cooking that I've been doing but my heart and soul belongs to baking.
After a short shift at work today, I walked to Granville island with my coworker and we enjoyed a beautiful afternoon in the sunshine. It's been beautiful and I decided to take advantage of the weather instead of going to the gym. As soon as I got home, I put on my pyjamas and apron* and started playing with sugars, butters and other ingredients that make baking so satisfying. While some people shy away from getting their hands covered in butter to cover the baking pan, I find pleasure in it. I like feeling the butter squish between my fingers as I smother it into the pan. I'm a very tactile baker and would rather use my hands to scoop up flour into measuring cups. There's something so satisfying about the feel of what you're putting into your dish.
Anyways, I ended up making two bundt cakes. One for work and one to be split between home and Heidi's. She'll be the first to receive a bundt cake baked with love :) Without further ado, here's the recipe for my spiced cranberry bundt cake

Spiced Cranberry Bundt Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup almond flour or almond meal (if you have a food processor, just grind almonds into a flour, otherwise you can get it at Capers)
2 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger (I used freshly grated ginger)
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar (the recipe calls for 1 cup, I halfed it)
1 cup brown sugar (they called for packed, I left it fluffy and it was well under 1 cup of brown sugar)
3 large eggs
1 cup plain Greek Style Yogurt (the recipe calls for reduced fat... I used the real deal)
1 cup toasted almonds, chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (I added this in because they're in season and they're so beautiful! I like, therefore I add)

Icing: 2/3 cup icing sugar & approx. 4 tsp orange juice

• Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a bundt pan.
• Whisk first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until smooth.
• Add both sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition.
• Beat in vanilla, then Greek style yogurt. Add dry ingredients; beat until just well blended.
• Fold in almonds and all cranberries. Transfer batter to prepared bundt pan.
• Cook until cake tester (aka toothpick) comes out clean, approximately 50 minutes to 70 minutes.
• Cool cake in pan about 10 minutes, then turn out on cooling rack to cool completely.
• For Icing: Sift icing sugar, then add 2 tsp orange juice. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Add more orange juice until mixture reaches consistency of heavy cream. Spoon icing over cake, allowing to drip down sides. Let stand until icing sets, approx 30 minutes.

Apparently the longer this cake stands, the better it'll taste. I haven't actually tried it yet but if it tastes anything like what the house smells like now, I am sure it will be amazing! I'll update this blog post once I've tried a piece (I'll wait until tomorrow because it's almost 11pm and I won't eat before bed).

Update: The bundt cake is really yummy! But next time, I would split (or do 1 1/2 cups to 1/2 cup) the flour half whole wheat and half white... I would even venture with spelt flour or an alternative. I would also be tempted to remove the sugars and add honey (1 cup). Nix the dried cranberries and the pomegranate (pom doesn't add or take anything away from the recipe) and replace it with 2 cups of frozen cranberries. But then again I enjoy the tartness of the cranberries as you bite into it.
Left alone, this cake is still delicious but I like to try a recipe and play with it to make it a little more unique.

*Jenny gave me this awesome apron for my birthday! I love it!!!

25 Days of Christmas Cookies

25 Days of Christmas Cookies. One year I am going to have enough time to do this but until then, I'll click through all the amazing recipes and make my favorite ones!

Now THIS is why I love December! I can bake to my hearts content and no one questions why I am showing up at their place with a batch of cookies, a bundt cake or other delicious goodies.