Best In Food - It's Delicious, Healthy, & All-Natural

It's been a while....

2007-03-02T14:16:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how long it's been since my last post - well, I have had my baby and I'm finally getting back to cooking - although I still can't seem to get caught up on sleep :) The other night I made an easy and tasty pasta side dish to go with our fish sticks for Ash Wednesday - here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves - minced
3 plum tomatoes - chopped
dried oregano
dried basil
salt
pepper
spaghetti
frozen corn
grated cheese
olive oil

Directions:
Sauté the garlic in a bit of olive oil. When the garlic is slightly brown, add in the plum tomatoes, a dash of salt and pepper, and the oregano and basil to taste. Meanwhile, cook your spaghetti. When the spaghetti is done, add into the tomato mixture and stir in your frozen corn (amount to your liking). I served this with grated cheese sprinkled over the top.

Baked Eggplant Sandwiches

2006-08-24T20:45:00.000-05:00

About a week ago I went to another local farmstand and in their surplus bin they had 6 sweet green peppers (made wonderful pepper and cheese sandwiches for 2 nights of dinners) and one good size eggplant for only $2. I decided to bread eggplant slices and bake them until crispy and serve them in a sandwich with slices of crusty italian bread, ranch dressing, tomato slices and lettuce. I actually ran out of room on my baking sheets so I had to freeze the remainder of the eggplant and hopefully one night soon I will be able to roast it with some other veggies and add it to couscous for a quick side dish. Here's my recipe for the baked eggplant:

Ingredients
1 egg
1 egg white
1 3/4-1 lb eggplant, cut into slices
1/2 cup finely crushed italian & whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Step 1 - Spray baking sheet(s) with cooking spray
Step 2 - Whisk together egg and egg white
Step 3 - Combine breadcrumbs with grated cheese
Step 4 - Dip each eggplant slice in egg and then breading mixture, place in single layer on baking sheets
Step 5 - Spray the tops of each eggplant with cooking spray
Step 6 - Bake eggplant for 15 minutes and then turn each slice over and bake an additional 5 minutes or until crispy and golden brown

Fresh from the Farmers Market

2006-08-07T21:03:00.000-05:00

I made this recipe about a week ago after stopping by my local farmers market - there's nothing like fresh veggies and fruit from area farmers. I altered the recipe slightly from the one provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Fresh Beans with Basil and Pasta

Ingredients
Serves 2-3

1/3 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
1 lb green or yellow beans, trimmed
1 small boiling onion, sliced
3 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
pasta of your choice

Step 1 - Heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add in beans and onions, cover. Cook for 5 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender.
Step 2 - While beans are cooking, begin cooking your pasta
Step 3 - When done, mix pasta with beans. Top with basil and cook for an additional minute, covered. Serve warm.

I'm Back in the Kitchen

2006-07-10T20:35:00.000-05:00

It's taken quite a long time, but I'm finally back to cooking and enjoying more than bland food for my meals. This past weekend I made Penne with Pine Nuts and Zucchini from a magazine called Healthy Cooking that I found at Borders and served it with my own Baked Chicken Tenders. The recipes for both follow:

Penne with Pine Nuts and Zucchini
Adapted from Healthy Cooking Magazine

Ingredients
Serves 4-6

1/2 lb penne pasta
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
1-2 garlic cloves, sliced into thin rounds, then in half
3-4 medium zucchini, but into bite size chunks
sea salt
black pepper
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Step 1 - Cook pasta according to package directions.
Step 2 - While penne is cooking, combine olive oil and pine nuts in a large skillet cooking on medium heat until nuts start to turn golden.
Step 3 - Add garlic, zucchini, and a dash of both salt and pepper. Cook, tossing gently until zucchini softens slightly.
Step 4 - Remove 1/3 of the nuts and zucchini - purée in a blender. Return purée to skillet.
Step 5 - When pasta is done, remove 1/2 cup of cooking water and set aside. Drain pasta and add to skillet with reserved water.
Step 6 - Cook on low heat until water evaporates, stirring mixture well to coat.
Step 7 - Stir in cheese and add in a bit more salt and pepper if desired for taste.
Ready to serve

Baked Chicken Tenders

Ingredients
Serves 3-5 (depending on number of tenders in package)

1 package of chicken tenders (mine was 1.25 lbs)
olive oil
plain panko breadcrumbs
fresh oregano

In a shallow dish I combined bread crumbs with finely chopped fresh oregano and enough olive oil to coat the bread crumbs. I coated each chicken tender on both sides and placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until cooked thru and bread crumbs have started to turn golden brown.

Feeling Under the Weather...

2006-03-28T16:24:00.000-05:00

I haven't been doing much cooking lately that's worthy of being posted. I've been trying to eat blander foods these past weeks as I'm now pregnant. While I'm excited about this new chapter in life with my husband, my stomach is definitely saying "NO" to experimenting with new recipes. I'm at the stage where no food sounds good to me.

I have found that I can't drink a glass of milk anymore - so to make sure I'm getting my milk/dairy in me, I have to make a milkshake with my dinner each night (milk, Breyers Light Double Churned Vanilla Bean ice cream, and a dash of vanilla extract). Mid-morning, I eat crackers with slices of cheese on them. For fruit these past few days, it's been apple sauce or mandarin oranges in pear juice. I sure hope this part of the pregnancy ends soon - I don't like not being able to make fun and exciting dinners and desserts. I did read online that ginger can help - must be why I keep reaching for the gingerale :) I also read that anything with lemons can also help overcome the nausea (maybe that's why I can only drink water with a lemon slice added). This morning I remembered that I had a frozen lemonade concentrate in the freezer, so I made myself some pink lemonade. This actually helped quite a bit. For dessert tonight, I made a loaf of Lemon Poppy Seed Bread. If it comes out good, I'll post the recipe for you this week.

I'm just praying for a healthy pregnancy that one day soon will let me spend more time in the kitchen cooking...I did read that nausea is a sign that things are going well - not sure who came up with that finding, but I'll accept it.

Free Shipping at Kitchen Etc.

2006-03-14T20:52:00.000-05:00

Just found out about an exclusive offer that I can pass along to my readers from Kitchen Etc. From now until April 8, 2006, you can receive Free Shipping on Shipments Over $25. You will need to use coupon code C93925 at checkout. What a great way to treat yourself to some cookware or bakeware you've been wanting.

Be sure to come back as I'll be posting a recipe in the coming days for delicious oat bran cookies.

My Urge to Bake on Saturday

2006-02-25T17:06:00.000-05:00

Not sure what came over me last Saturday, but I wanted to do lots of baking for dinner (of course this meant lots of dishes as a result, but I didn't mind). I decided to try the all natural fish sticks I found when I went to the supermarket recently (sorry I can't remember the brand right now - but, I'll write about them again when I pick up another package on the next trip to the store). To go with the fish sticks (which were very good), I served honey glazed baby carrots, couscous and freshly baked corn bread muffins. I even made dessert, oatmeal raisin cookies - I tried a different recipe then I usually use, and they didn't quite hold together like I'm used to, but they still turned out delicious and were nice and crispy (even the next day).
If you have a favorite corn bread or oatmeal raisin recipe that you would like to share, please post it here

Here's the recipes:

Corn Bread Muffins
recipe is from the back of the Hodgson Mill Yellow Corn Meal bag

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups yellow corn meal
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt (recipe called for 1/2 tsp)
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Should Yield 12, I only got 11

Step 1 - Mix corn meal, unbleached flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
Step 2 - In another bowl, combine buttermilk, egg and vegetable oil. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Let the mixture sit in bowl for 5 minutes.
Step 3 - Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins (either lined with muffin cup liners or sprayed with no-stick cooking spray). Fill 3/4 full. Bake for 15 minutes or until tops of muffins are golden brown.
Step 4 - Remove muffins and serve immediately or cool on a wire rack.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
recipe is from the cookbook cook's library Baking

Ingredients
4 tbsp margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten lightly
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins

Yields between 12-15
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 1 - Cream the margarine and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Step 2 - Add the beaten egg and mix until thoroughly blended.
Step 3 - Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together into the creamed mixture. Mix well. Add the oats and raisins. Mix to form a dough.
Step 4 - Place spoonfuls of the mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon. (I had a problem as the dough became warmer, the mixture didn't want to stick together as easily - I'm also thinking that 2 cups of oats may be slightly too much - I'll have to play around with the ingredients the next time I make them, I might try adding in some cinnamon too)
Step 5 - Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Step 6 - Remove the cookies and let cool for a few minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack and cooling completely before serving.

Cranberry Walnut Scones

2006-02-15T21:33:00.000-05:00

I found a basic recipe for scones online the other day and tonight before dinner I had time to make a batch. I started with the basic recipe, but made some adjustments and added a few additional ingredients that I thought would make a perfect scone. They smelled terrific when I took them out of the oven. They taste amazing.

If you're able to make these scones, I'd love to know what you think. And, if you have a favorite scone recipe of your own, feel free to post it here.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
8 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
8 tbsp cold margarine
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Yields 8

Step 1 - In a bowl, combine the flours, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon with a whisk.
Step 2 - Using a pastry blender, cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly.
Step 3 - Mix in the cranberries and walnuts.
Step 4 - Add the buttermilk and blend with a spatula until the dough starts to form a ball and sticks together. (don't overmix)
Step 5 - On a lightly floured surface, push the dough into a flat circle that is about 1 inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 wedges. Transfer the wedges to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 6 - Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Pizza Stones - why all the raves?

2006-02-09T13:19:00.000-05:00

Last night was the first time I used a pizza stone - thought it was supposed to make the pizza nice and crispy with easy clean up. Boy, was I wrong! The pizza looked delicious and the crust did get crispy - but not much of it was able to be eaten, as the entire edge of the pizza stuck to the stone. The center was a bit firmer than when I would make a pizza on an air bake cookie sheet, but not like I expected. I even had cornmeal under the pizza like it instructed when pressing the dough into shape. (unfortunately, the instructions that came with the stone didn't tell me much) The clean up was horrible - it took forever to get the baked on crust off the stone. Has anybody else used a pizza stone? Do you have any suggestions on how to make it bake better and the clean up easier? In the meantime, I think I'll just stick to making mini pizzas on pita pockets... when baking on parchment paper, no clean up is involved. These pizzas can be enjoyed immediately after baking.

Healthy Comfort Food

2006-01-31T13:00:00.000-05:00

The weekend before last my husband and I went to Newport, Rhode Island for a little getaway and on our last day there, we found D Kelley Fine Used Books. (please see my first post for details on our used bookstore excursions) I found a great selection of books by my favorite romance authors and I picked up a great cookbook for my collection that is filled with slow cooker recipes (Best-Loved Slow Cooker Recipes) from soups to stews and side dishes to main dishes.

This past Saturday I felt like making a dinner that would be good comfort food so I thought I would try the slow cooker 'Turkey Mushroom Stew' (slightly adapted to make healthier - ex. substituting half and half for fat free milk). I served the mixture over biscuits (recipe follows) with a side of freshly cooked green beans and dill mashed potatoes.

Turkey Mushroom Stew Ingredients
Serves 4
1 lb Turkey Cutlets, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 boiling onion, chopped
2 tbsp green onions, minced
1 8 oz. package of sliced mushrooms
2-3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup organic fat-free milk
1 tsp dried tarragon leaves
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1 cup frozen petite peas

Step 1 - Layer turkey, onions and mushrooms in slow cooker (repeating the process once) Cover and cook on Low for 4 hours. When time is up, remove turkey mixture to a bowl and set aside.
Step 2 - Blend flour into milk until smooth, pour into slower cooker. Add tarragon, salt and pepper next. Return turkey, mushrooms and onions to slow cooker. Stir in peas. Cover and cook for 1 hour on High setting or until sauce has thickened and peas are heated through.
Step 3 - Serve mixture over the top of an open biscuit

Biscuit Ingredients
Yields 12-15
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 tsp baking powder
3 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco 0 Grams Trans Fat)
1 egg
2/3 cup organic fat free milk

Step 1 - In a bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt with a whisk. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Step 2 - In a small bowl, beat egg and milk. Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened.
Step 3 - Turn dough onto a sheet of parchment paper coated with flour, knead 16-20 times. Push dough to a 3/4 inch thickness and cut with a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 4 - Bake at 450 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Mashed Potatoes
When I don't feel like taking the time to peel potatoes but want mashed potatoes, I use the instant potatoes from Barbara's Bakery - they are made from whole, unpeeled Idaho® potatoes and only contain potato flakes and citric acid. I find them in the health food section of our local Hannaford. I like to add in dried dill weed and a bit of ground black pepper to taste.

Banana Walnut Muffins

2006-01-25T21:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had bananas that were a tad on the too ripe side for adding into my cereal in the morning....so I thought I would make some banana walnut muffins. I completely adjusted a recipe I found to make it healthier, but they definitely don't taste like anything is missing. I especially love eating them the day they are made because they keep the fresh baked crispiness on the outside and are moist and soft on the inside.

Ingredients
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 ground flax seed
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp margarine, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2-3 mashed ripe bananas
If bananas are large, 2 should be plenty, but adding more is ok

Yields 12 Muffins
I made 11, think I overfilled some

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Step 1 - Grease muffin tins or line with paper cups
Step 2 - Spread walnuts on a baking tray and toast in oven 8-10 minutes. Set aside when done.
Step 3 - In a bowl, mix together both flours, flax seed, baking powder, and salt. Side Note: when I don't want to sift, I just mix the dry ingredients with a whisk
Step 4 - In another bowl, blend together margarine, sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs. Add mashed bananas and beat until combined.
Step 5 - Stir dry ingredients into banana mixture just until flour disappears. (over mixing leads to tough muffins) Lightly stir in nuts.
Step 6 - Spoon batter into muffin cups and fill to the top. Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Baked Cod Filets

2006-01-19T22:01:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite ways to prepare fish. It's easy and quick for any night of the week. If there are leftovers, I like to reheat the fish in the microwave the next day for lunch and add some cocktail sauce on the side for dipping.

Ingredients
1 16oz package of frozen cod filets (thawed)
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1 tbsp. melted margarine
1 tsbp. lemon juice
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Serves 2-4 (based on size of filets)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Step 1 - Combine parsley, melted butter, lemon juice, and breadcrumbs in a bowl, mix to blend.
Step 2 - Lightly spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray before adding in fish. Top each fish filet with a layer of the parley mixture, lightly press down.
Step 3 - Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

The vegetables I served the fish with:
Baby carrots cooked in a skillet with water and sprinkled with dried oregano.

Baked Turkey Breast Cutlets

2006-01-15T15:48:00.000-05:00

This dish is not only healthy, but very tasty with hardly any clean-up when cooked on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The breading gets crispy and the turkey stays moist and tender.

Ingredients
4 Turkey Breast Cutlets (ex. Shady Brook Farms, MSG and gluten-free)
1 cup Breadcrumbs (Ian's Panko Whole Wheat variety)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 large egg white
3 tbsp. honey dijon mustard
flour for dredging

Serves 4
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Step 1 - In a shallow dish, mix together breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, and pepper. Set aside.
Step 2 - In another shallow dish, beat egg white with mustard.
Step 3 - In third dish, add flour. Dredge each turkey breast cutlet in flour ... then dip in egg ... then add to breadcrumb mixture, making sure to cover completely and pat so breadcrumbs adhere. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 4 - Place in oven and bake about 30 minutes or until turkey is cooked through, turning over once halfway through baking time.

This dish was served with:
Steamed Broccoli and Rice

Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce

2006-01-10T22:41:00.000-05:00

This recipe makes a nice thick sauce that can easily be served over pasta with or without meatballs. I served our dinner with a mix of whole wheat and regular spiral pasta. For vegetables, I cooked a chopped red pepper and frozen green beans with some water in a skillet and added a dash of salt and pepper.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 8oz. can of no salt added tomato paste
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tbsp. sugar ...not necessary, but helps to balance out the flavors between the tomatoes & wine
2 boiling onions, chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup white wine ...I used Pinot Grigio
baking soda
Parmigiano Regiano ...if desired to sprinkle on pasta and sauce

Step 1 - In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the chopped onions in olive oil until tender and translucent.

Step 2 - Add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, garlic, oregano, basil, pepper, sugar, and wine. Add in just a dash of baking soda (I have found that this helps reduce the acidity of the tomatoes and you won't suffer from that little bit of heartburn that can sometimes occur after having a dinner with tomato sauce). Blend with whisk until the sauce is smooth. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Note: This sauce can easily be modified - you might consider adding in a chopped green pepper, some mushrooms, even substituting the dried oregano and basil for the fresh herbs.

Meatballs with Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce

2006-01-04T22:52:00.000-05:00

Some nights I like to take the time to make a dinner for my husband and myself that tastes like one you might eat in a restaurant (minus the butter and cream that's almost always guaranteed to be in your restaurant meal). When these whims hit, I turn to The Newlywed Cookbook by Robin Vitetta-Miller. Tonight I based our dinner on a combination of two of Robin's sauces and added my own spin to create a scrumptious dish.

Meatballs
1 pound mix of ground veal, pork and beef
1 boiling onion, chopped
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried basil
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 egg

Sauce
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 8 oz. package of sliced mushrooms
I buy Dole pre-cleaned ones, but I always re-rinse them under cold water
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 cup beef broth
I buy Health Valley, available in both fat free and no salt added fat free - contains no msg or artificial ingredients
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup red wine
I had Reserve Tapestry on hand

Preheat oven to 360 degrees F
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, coated with cooking spray (helps to prevent the meatballs from sticking)

Step 1 - In a large bowl, combine meat, onion, bread crumbs, spices, parsley, salt, pepper and egg. Mix well (I like to use a fork). Form mixture into sixteen 2 inch meatballs.

Step 2 - Place meatballs on lined baking sheet, evenly spaced and bake for 20-25 minutes until done.

When there is about 10 minutes left of cooking time for the meatballs, it's time to start preparing the sauce.

Step 3 - In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté for about 5-7 minutes or until tender and the juices start to be released.

Step 4 - Add the cooked meatballs to the mushrooms and add the thyme. Stir to coat the meatballs and mushrooms. Add the beef broth and simmer for 3-5 minutes.

Step 5 - Dissolve cornstarch in the red wine and add to skillet. Stir together and simmer until sauce thickens.

I like to serve the meatballs and sauce over pasta (whichever kind you like will work), and sprinkle on some grated parmigiano regiano cheese.

This dish is perfect to serve with Sautéed Brussel Sprouts. Simply heat a little olive oil in a small skillet, add in some frozen brussel sprouts, sprinkle with some ground pepper and sauté until tender. You may need to add in some water from time to time if there is too much sizzling happening and the brussel sprouts start to stick to the skillet. Sometimes, when time allows, I will toast some nuts in the skillet first, set them aside, and then sauté the brussel sprouts. When finished cooking, toss with the toasted nuts. Slivered almonds or pine nuts go well with this leafy vegetable.

Pork Burgers

2006-01-02T17:17:00.000-05:00

Here's a recipe that I created last week when I wanted to make burgers for dinner but realized I only had ground pork in the refrigerator. After gathering the ingredients I had on hand, these burgers turned out great. My husband and I couldn't wait to have them again the next night. Let me know what you think if you get a chance to make them (I apologize in advance if some of the measurements aren't exact, sometimes I tend to just throw things together and realize after that I should have made a note of the amounts used).

1 lb. Ground Pork
1 garlic clove chopped
1 tbsp. water
1/4 cup or less honey dijon mustard
2 tbsp. chili sauce
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
1-2 slices of swiss cheese cut into small squares
1-2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
2-3 tbsp. grated cheese (ex. I used parmigiano regiano)

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl (I use my Tupperware Thatsa Bowl), if the mixture is still a little dry to form into patties, you can add in more mustard or chile sauce to your liking. Press down mixture evenly in bottom of bowl and divide into 4 equal sections. Form each section into a firm ball and then flatten and shape into a patty. Place each burger onto a skillet coated with olive oil. Cook until no longer pink.

Tastes great when served on slices of organic artisan bread (I used a multi grain loaf). Much better than traditional burger buns since most of the ones I've seen tend to contain high fructose corn syrup, preservatives to retain spoilage, and worse.

Birthday Cake for Mom

2005-12-21T21:49:00.000-05:00

I just finished baking a cake for my mom's birthday tomorrow. It's called a Busy Day Cake with a broiled coconut topping from Better Homes and Gardens. You're probably wondering what is that purple thing, right? It's the best way to bake a cake - I also used it the other night for a Gingerbread Applesauce cake I made when we had another couple over for dinner. I ordered it from HSN.com when Suzanne Somers was selling her silicone bakeware line. HSN.com has many other silicone bakeware options to choose from as well. I like baking a cake in this particular style because it creates a flower shape, much more appealing to your guests than the traditional round cakes. And with the silicone bakeware, cleanup is a breeze. The cake just pops right out and washing the silicone is very easy. A trick that I found to make the washing even easier is to coat the silicone with a non-stick cooking spray (even though the silicone itself is non-stick, sometimes things still tend to stick to it). I insert the silicone cake pan into a non-stick pan for ease of handling since the silicone is very pliable. Hopefully the cake will taste yummy when we have it tomorrow night.

Blueberry Muffins

2005-12-13T16:59:00.000-05:00

Last week my mom came over and we made these delicious Blueberry Muffins. There are lots of healthy ingredients in them, plus they taste yummy - you will have to try these and let me know what you think. Here's the recipe:

Note on margarine: For all cooking I now use Earth Balance Natural Buttery Sticks (79% vegetable oil spread) - they contain no trans fatty acids and are non-hydrogenated. I find them at our local Price Chopper.

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
6 tablespoons margarine (see note below)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces

Preheat over to 400 degrees F.
Grease 12 3 x 1 1/4 inch muffin cup tin
Yields 12 muffins

Step 1 - combine dry ingredients into a large bowl
Flours, flax seed, sugar, baking powder, salt and toasted walnut pieces (once cooled)

Step 2 - combine wet ingredients in another bowl
Stir together milk, butter, egg, and vanilla until blended

Step 3 - Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add milk mixture. Stir just to combine. Stir in blueberries.

Step 4 - Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups and sprinkle each muffin top with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester/toothpick inserted in center of one muffin comes out clean.

Remove muffin tin. Cool for 5 minutes before removing the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling. Server warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature. (These muffins also freeze well).

It's all about the 'Best in Food'

2005-12-07T16:35:00.000-05:00

Well, it's time for my first blog entry of many. I've decided that the time has come to share my love of cooking with everyone. Before getting married, I never thought that I would enjoy cooking so much. But, in the now 3+ years of my happily married life, I have come to love the time spent cooking and baking in our kitchen. For me, it's an escape from all the work demands of the day. When I'm cooking I can pretty much only concentrate on that, just ask my husband :)

But, I guess I can't always escape from cooking either. My husband and I have grown to love going into used bookstores either in our area or when we are away on vacation. As soon as we enter the store my husband knows exactly where he can find me - I'll either be in the romantic novel section, or you guessed it... surrounded by a bunch of cookbooks. While I love looking through all cookbooks, I have become picky in the ones that I actually purchase. All of my recent cookbooks contain the nutritional information after the recipe, something that isn't always so easy to find. In particular, I like to know the calories, sodium level and fiber content.

Please come back to my blog often, as I will share with you some wonderful recipes that not only "taste divine", but are healthy for you. You might be skeptical, but follow along as I show you it is possible to have the best of both worlds :)