whole-grain blueberry coffee cake

Sunday morning breakfast perfection. This is a guiltless coffee cake that could be served for breakfast or dessert. It's layered with lightly sweetened cake, juicy blueberries (you know how I feel about those), cinnamon and walnuts. So good, no one will no that it's low-fat, high-fiber and, dare I say, healthy?

Whole-Grain Blueberry Coffee Cake
Courtesy Ellie Krieger

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or regular whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt (I used vanilla)
• 1 cup fresh blueberries, or frozen and thawed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, the baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, cinnamon and walnuts. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, butter and oil until fluffy. If necessary, use the back of a spoon to press out any lumps in the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating until fully combined. Beat in the vanilla and yogurt. 
3. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, stirring until just combined.
4. Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the nut mixture over the batter and top with the blueberries, gently pressing them into the batter. Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan (as shown above), smoothing the top. Sprinkle the remaining nut mixture over the cake, pressing gently.
5. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. Cut the cake into 2-inch squares. Note: I have made this several times and am always surprised that it needs longer to cook. It might be my oven, but keep cooking it until the middle, bottom layer comes out clean with a toothpick, otherwise it will be gooey when you serve it.

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tart cranberry-orange muffins

 

Yes, people. I am well aware that I have an obsession with muffins. I guess I could make more loaves or scones, but I just like the neatness of a muffin. It's like a snack-sized little treat that's ready when you are. Plus, they're kinda cute.

I've actually made these muffins before, but they were too sweet the first time around for me. A bag of fresh cranberries in my organic produce box led to another attempt, this time with less sugar. Bingo - we have a winner. These are tart and citrusy, rather than sugary and sticky. But the crunch of raw sugar on top makes it feel like a sweet treat, even though it's packed with whole-wheat flour, antioxidant-rich fruits and heart-healthy oil. Good stuff can come in pretty packages!

Tart Cranberry-Orange Muffins

• 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup sugar (I used unprocessed cane sugar)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
• 3/4 cup orange juice (about one large orange)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1 tbsp raw sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.Combine flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.
3. Combine rind, juice, oil, vanilla, and egg in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in cranberries and walnuts.
4. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with raw sugar. Bake at 400° for ~18 minutes or until the muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Run a knife or spatula around outer edge of each muffin cup. Carefully remove each muffin; place on a wire rack.

Wanna see my other muffin obsessions? Check them out here:

• Banana-crumb nut muffins
• Carrot cake muffins
• Banana-coconut muffins
• Apple-cinnamon muffins

banana-nut crumb muffins

A friend at work brought these babies in to share and I fell in love with them pretty much immediately (I actually ate it on the elevator between two floors ... yeah ... ). One morning this past weekend, two browning bananas were calling my name and I was kicking myself for not having asked her which recipe she used. A quick search gave me the one below, but I quickly modified it to make it heathier. Just as good, but with lots of extra goodies baked inside. Score!

Banana-Nut Crumb Muffins
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or half whole wheat, half all-purpose)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 c ground flax
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 bananas, mashed (supplement apple sauce if you're short)
• 3/4 cup white sugar or sucanat (dried cane sugar - a minimally processed, natural sweetener)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/8 c chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and canola. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon and canola. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. 

fresh tomato and oregano scramble with white cheddar

We've been out of town for a full week and had one glorious Sunday to ourselves at home before heading back to work on Monday. Times like these scream for brunch. My overflowing herb garden and a home-grown tomato were the inspiration for this simple and satisfying dish. A little wedge of leftover white cheddar proved to be the perfect last minute add in. So simple, it doesn't even need a recipe.

Fresh Tomato and Oregano Scramble with White Cheddar

In a small bowl, mix four to five eggs with a little splash of milk and salt and pepper. Stir in about a tablespoon of fresh herbs (like oregano). Add a dab of butter to a hot pan and pour the eggs when melted and sizzling. Stir the eggs constantly over medium heat to scramble them. When the eggs are almost cooked, add the tomato chunks and cheese. Stir to combine. Salt and pepper to taste.

Need more brunch ideas? Try these:

• Strawberry buttermilk pancakes
• Fried eggs & veggie fritters
• Oatmeal-cranberry griddle cakes
• Healthy, tasty banana bread
  
  
  

strawberry buttermilk pancakes

The minute I opened my eyes this morning, I knew what I wanted. I must have been dreaming about ways to use up the pint of strawberries and jug of buttermilk that have been taunting me all week long from the fridge. Bingo - it all came together in my dreams.

I'd clipped this recipe a while back and pulled it from my recipe "Bible" (the fond name I gave to the bulging recipe binder where I store all my "to make" meals) and set out to make it. The hubs claimed that they tasted like a doughnut when he topped them with maple syrup. While I didn't taste that exactly, I did taste a light and fluffy, delicious pancake. I think it's safe to say these made Sunday proud.

Strawberry Buttermilk Pancakes
Modified from Cooking Light
Serves 4

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pint of strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white 
• Canola oil in a spritzer (or cooking spray)
• Maple syrup
• Butter, if you like it, but I didn't think these needed any!

1. In a large bowl, stir together the first six ingredients (flours through the salt). Add the strawberries and toss gently to coat with the flour mixture. In a smaller bowl, stir together the next four (buttermilk through the eggs). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently stir to combine.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat and spritz with canola oil. When the oil and pan are hot, drop 1/4 cup sized piles of batter into the pan. Flip when sufficiently browned and press down to flatten the pancake. Serve when both sides are toasty brown and top with syrup.

healthy, tasty banana bread

When I was a girl scout, my mom and I made banana bread for a baking contest. The recipe won the blue recipe for taste, but not necessarily for health. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, and is still a family favorite, but the loads of butter, sugar and white flour made it more of a dessert than a healthy bread loaf.

Since graduating college, I've been on the hunt for a better-for-you, yet still tasty, banana bread. Almost six years later, and somewhere between five to ten recipes discarded, I have found it. It goes easy on the butter and sugars, heavy on the whole wheat and spices, uses yogurt instead of oils and packs a health punch with the addition of flax.

Give it a try; you won't be disappointed. And your waistline will thank you, too.

Healthy, Tasty Banana Bread (very modified from Cooking Light)

• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (~2 large ripe bananas)
• 1/3 cup plain fat-free vanilla or plain yogurt
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted, or canola oil 
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar or honey (decrease the cooking time slightly if using honey)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars and vanilla; beat until combined.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through ground allspice). Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool completely.

hearty cinnamon-raisin bread

This recipe comes with a funny story - and a lesson. I skimmed the steps instead of reading them thoroughly, like usual. By doing so, I missed a crucial rising step that required an additional hour and a half of waiting ... after the first hour and a half rise time. So when I started this at 9:00 p.m., I didn't know what I was in for. It's now 2:00 a.m. and I just wolfed down two slices out of sheer hunger and exhaustion (and because it's homemade bread fresh from the oven!). Admittedly, it's delicious. But next time ... I'll start it in the morning. :)

Here's how it began: I love the way this special bread is warm and sweet and spicy all at the same time, but the grocery store versions are just too refined for me. I recently saw a how-to article in one of my food magazines about how to make whole-wheat cinnamon-raisin bread. Ellie Krieger (one of my favs) lead the way, which gave me a little more confidence since I typically enjoy her healthy recipes. It actually uses half whole-wheat and half bread flour, but the fiber and nutrition is upped tremendously over the grocery store kind because of the swap. The recipe also gave me the opportunity to use my bread hook, a device I've had for five years and never once used (sadly – I'm usually a fan of quick breads, like this zucchini-pineapple quick bread.)

It's a little time consuming, so save it for a rainy weekday inside and then treat yourself to a toasty slice with some coffee. Or, better yet, try making French toast with it. You won't be disappointed!

Hearty Cinnamon-Raisin Bread
Ingredients

• 2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk (reviews said that warm milk could be substituted here, just omit the water)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for brushing
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
• Cooking spray
• 2/3 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon plus 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

Directions

1. Make the dough: Measure out 1 1/4 cups very warm water and check the temperature; it should be 120 degrees F to 130 degrees F. Combine both flours, the dry milk, egg, canola oil, honey, salt, 2 tsp. cinnamon, yeast and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix three minutes on the lowest setting, then increase to the next highest setting and mix five more minutes. The dough should be soft and sticky (and warm!).

2. Let it rise: Transfer the dough to a large bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough has nearly doubled in size, about one hour, 30 minutes.
3. Soak the raisins: Dry raisins will rob moisture from the bread, so soak them first in boiling water until plump, about 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
4. Fold the dough: Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Picture it as a loose square. Lift up one side of the dough and fold about one-third of it across; press down on the dough with spread fingers to remove any air bubbles. Repeat with the remaining three sides of the dough.
5. Add the filling: Mist two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Divide the dough in half; roll out each half into an 8-inch square. Brush each square with canola oil, then sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon (it's high in antioxidants!), brown sugar and raisins.
6. Form the loaves: Roll up each square of dough into a tight cylinder; place seam-side down in the prepared pans. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough fills the pans and springs back when touched, about one hour, 30 minutes.

7. Bake the bread: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the loaves with canola oil and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the pans and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Next time I will roll mine a little thinner and tighter to help the cinnamon and raisin filling to more evenly distribute throughout each slice. Still delish, though.

whole-grain banana-coconut muffins that even coconut haters love

One recent holiday, my in-laws were in town for a few days. I always like to cook for family that stays with us, and this was no exception. On Saturday morning, I had three ripe bananas just dying to be baked into something. Remembering this recipe that I clipped from the newspaper (of all places!), I whipped them up in no time. Before even realizing that they had coconut in them, my father-in-law took down three of them.

My brother-in-law and said father-in-law share the coconut-hating gene (the BIL calls toasted coconut "bones," because their crunchiness catches in the back of his throat like it would if you swallowed a bone, haha). Despite that fact, they both like these muffins. And you will, too. They make a great breakfast, and they freeze well. No muss, no fuss (whatever that means) and no waste. And wholesome to boot. Enjoy.


Banana-Coconut Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c flour (I use 1/2 whole-wheat pastry flour)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 c coconut flakes
• 1 1/3 c mashed banana (~4 medium)
• 1/4 c buttermilk (or milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 c canola oil
• 3/4 c light brown sugar
• 1 egg

1. Heat oven to 350. Line the muffin tin with papers (or grease it).
2. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Mix in coconut.* In another bowl, mix mashed bananas with vanilla and buttermilk.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the oil and sugars for two minutes. Add the egg. When incorporated, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the banana mixture in two parts, until just combined.
4. Fill 12 muffin cups evenly. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

*Note: by mixing baking ingredients like coconut or fruit into the flour mixture you keep them from sinking to the bottom of the batter during the baking process.

fried eggs & veggie fritters

Yet another weekend for brunch, this time I was on a quest to once again use up a surplus of veggies from my organic produce box. The hubs was craving eggs, but I didn't want the standard fried-egg sandwich or eggs-grits combo. I wanted fresh. And I wanted veg.

Veggie fritters and eggs it was. Plus, it gave me the chance to use my food processor for the second time in one weekend (the other opportunity was for a ginger-honey-soy marinade for beef). These fritters are so flexible; just use whatever veggies you have hanging out in the fridge. Cook your eggs however you like, but I recommend over-easy style. The fritters sopped up the runny yolk, really upping the wow factor.

The next time we make these, I'll top them with fresh, crumbled goat cheese and maybe a drop of truffle oil or salt. My toes are curling just thinking about it.

Veggie Fritters with Fried Eggs (adapted from Mark Bittman)

• 1 egg, plus more for frying as an accompanyment
• 3 c grated veggies (carrot, zucchini, squash ... whatever)
• 1/2 an onion, grated
• 1-2 tbsp fresh herbs (I did home-grown rosemary)
• 1/4 c whole-wheat flour
• Salt, pepper
• Olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 200*. Mix the grated veg with the egg, flour, herbs and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Divide evenly into 8-10 balls and patty, making sure to smoosh them until they're very thin. (If they don't hold together well, add a little more flour.)
2. Heat a pan swirled with olive oil over medium heat. Drop the fritters into the pan, three or four at a time, and fry ~5 minutes on each side. Flip and smoosh them into the pan. When they are adequately browned on each side, move them to a plate and pop them in the oven to keep warm. Repeat.
3. Serve immediately with fresh fried eggs. Top with goat cheese and truffle oil or salt if you have it.

the best zucchini bread in the world (seriously ... )

I have made this zucchini-pineapple quick bread at least 20 times. It's hands down my favorite healthy yet tender, sweet but not too sweet, filling breakfast – especially with a cup of hot coffee – or midday snack. The best part about it is that it keeps well in the fridge for about a week, and the second loaf freezes perfectly ... not that it ever lasts long there. The other good part about it is that it's a quick bread, which means there's no kneading, rolling, or general waiting/patience involved. My kind of bread.

This weekend my mom is coming in from out of town for a quick overnight trip and I wanted something yummy for breakfast while she's here. Zucchini bread to the rescue! I made it last weekend, and though it's only Tuesday, we've almost killed a whole loaf. We'll pull out the second loaf Friday night and have it ready for Saturday morning, lickity-split (just don't tell the hubs it's there ... ). Definitely mom-worthy. Here's how you make it:

Zucchini-pineapple Quick Bread (adapted from Cooking Light)

•  3 cups sifted all-purpose flour (I use 1 1/2c whole-wheat pastry flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4  large eggs
• 2  cups sugar
• 2  cups grated zucchini (about 1 1/2 medium zucchini - yay, food processor play time!)
• 2/3  cup canola oil (heart healthy!)
• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2  (8-ounce) cans crushed pineapple in 100% juice, drained

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, and next three ingredients (through ground cinnamon) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
3. Beat eggs with a mixer at medium speed until foamy. Add sugar, zucchini, oil and vanilla, beating until well blended. Add zucchini mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in pineapple. 
4. Spoon batter into two (9 x 5–inch) loaf pans coated with baking spray. Bake at 325° for one hour to one hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; turn out from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

One last thing: here's a photo of this week's organic produce box. :)

sunday brunchday

The weekends call for hot coffee and slow brunches that leave you too full to eat lunch or move off of the couch. The past two weekends have been filled with fun activities with friends and good exercise opportunities (as well as not-so-fun-yet-physcially-demanding-yardwork). So to honor the weekends, the last two have featured really yummy brunches. The first, Southwest egg burritos with black beans, salsa and sour cream, fueled a 3,000-yard swim. Cheeseandrice, it was good. The second, this past weekend, was oatmeal-cranberry pancakes – hearty, filling and tasty.

The best part was that these recipes were both made with healthy items we had on hand. And they each took less than 20 minutes, even with the flavor-oomph tortilla-charring and oatmeal cooking. Here are the secrets of the trade:

Oatmeal-Cranberry Griddle Cakes (adapted from Mark Bittman)

• 1/4 c whole wheat flour
• 1/4 c all-purpose flour
• 1/4 rolled oats, dry
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 c milk
• 2 cups left-over cooked and cooled* oatmeal
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or other fruit, fresh or dried (sliced bananas or blueberries would be really good)
• Syrup or apple butter

1. Preheat oven to 200. Combine flours, oats, baking powder, spices and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and milk until well blended; stir in cranberries and cooked oatmeal* until just incorporated. Add the oatmeal mixture to the flour mixture and stir gently, being sure not to overmix. It should look like thick pancake batter.
2. Heat a large griddle over medium heat with a swirl of oil in the pan. Spoon the batter into little patties in the pan and cook two to three minutes on each side, flipping when bubbles form and the bottoms are slightly browned. Note: these do take a little longer to cook than regular pancakes, I think because of the moistness of the cooked oatmeal.
3. Transfer them to the warm oven on a heat-safe plate, tented with foil. Serve with syrup or apple butter.

*If you don't have leftover oatmeal, then make 2 cups per the box instructions. When adding the hot oatmeal to the eggs, temper them by adding one small spoonful at a time and whisking until incorporated. Do this 3-4 times until the temperature of the eggs has risen slowly. This will prevent accidental scrambling your eggs from the heat (but on the upside, it's kind of a neat science experiment if it happens ... ).

Southwest Egg Burritos for Two (my own recipe)

•  Two whole-wheat tortillas
• 1/2 c cheese
• 1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 eggs
• ~2 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp each cumin and chile pepper
• Handful of green onions or chives
•  salt and pepper
• Salsa, sour cream, cilantro and any other Southwest-style toppings that you like

1. Heat a pan over medium heat and lightly coat it (use a oil spritzer if you can) with canola oil. Lay a tortilla in the pan and watch for it to bubble. Lift it ever so slightly. If there are darkish brown char marks, flip it and repeat on the other side. Repeat with one more tortilla. Put on plates and sprinkle with Mexican cheese (or colby-jack or cheddar).
2. While this is happening, heat your drained and rinsed beans in a pot or in the microwave. In the now-empty, warm tortilla pan, scramble four eggs with a little milk. Season them with salt, pepper, about a 1/2 tsp. cumin and chile powder, each, and some green onion or chives, if you have it. Top the cheesy tortillas with the southwestern-scrambled eggs. Next layer the tortillas with spoonful or two of the warmed beans each, and salsa, sour cream and cilantro, as desired.

And, if you like heat as much as my husband does, sprinkle generously with "spicy flakes," a.k.a.: crushed red pepper, or jalapenos. (We go through a bulk bottle of "spicy flakes" just about every six months thanks to him ... ) Note: I took photos only to realize that my SD card was in the computer, not the camera. *Sigh ... guess I'll have to make these again next weekend!

I recommend serving these meals with fruit and wearing expandable pants. Happy brunch day!