Cinnamon Roll Waffles

This was an idea I saw floating around Pintrest.
I tucked in the back of my mind, thinking it would be fun to make with my 2 year old. This isn't my normal style of cooking, but I do love anything remotely like a cinnamon roll. And really, if you can't make these for your two-year old, who can you make them for?

I was at the local health-food store and they had the fancy, canned cinnamon rolls on clearance. For $2 I felt like I was ready to take the risk on cinnamon roll waffles.

I heated up the waffle iron, dropped on 2 rolls and latched the lid. 4 or so minutes later they were ready. Levi tasted one right away. I topped ours with plain cream cheese instead of the icing packet. He approved. The waffles were interesting. Not too sweet with a dense texture. Not bad, but not great. But ideal for a 2 year old!

He rounded out breakfast with bananas, tea and his "blue-quet". I may tuck these away in my memory again as sleepover party food!

Roasted Stawberry Muffins (The Hoods are Here!!!) (Sorta)

This recipe is majorly inspired by from White On Rice's recipe for Roasted Strawberry Whole Wheat muffins. I just wanted to get that out of the way. Although I am a bit obsessive about roasting vegetables it had never occurred to me to roast strawberries.

Also, they have much prettier pictures on their blog! Stunning, actually. I tend to take pictures while balancing a toddler in one arm who is reaching for the Iphone yelling "BIG TRUCK MOVIE!!!" while I try to take a photo.  I feel this may affect the quality of my photos. :) Perhaps.

The Hood Strawberries are FINALLY ripening around here. The season for these sweet little gems is very short so you have to get while the getting is good. We were lucky enough to be gifted a large bowl this week! But sadly, they weren't as sweet and perfumey as we had anticipated. Then I remembered the roasted strawberry recipe (again here, I want anyone to think I am stealing recipes!). Twenty minutes in the oven and the house smelled like jam and the berries were browned and a bit sweeter. And the flavor was just more strawberri-er. (That is a word now.)

I tossed the berries with a bit of olive oil and then folded them into a vanilla muffin batter. They are not too sweet - I think next time I would double the sugar in the muffins. I also wish vanilla bean paste was in my budget, because I think that would have taken these to the next level.

Makes about 12 muffins
Roasted Strawberry Muffins
1 pint of not so fabulous strawberries
1-2 teaspoons oil
2 eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 cup yogurt ( I used nonfat Greek)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup flour ( I did half whole wheat flour, and half all purpose flour)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder

Heat oven to 400 degrees
1. Rinse and hull strawberries, cut in half if large. Lay in a single layer on a baking tray. Drizzle with oil and roll with your hands to coat the berries.
2. Roast for about 15-20 minutes or until the berries look a little browned and shriveled. Cool while making the muffin batter.
3. In a small bowl combine eggs, melted butter, yogurt and vanilla. Mix with a fork until smooth.
4. In a larger bowl add flour, sugar and baking soda. Stir to combine.
5. Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture. Combine using as few spoon strokes as you can.
6. Put paper liners in muffin tins. Spoon about a tablespoon of batter into a cup. Lay 3-4 berries on top of the batter. Cover with another tablespoon of batter. Top the muffin with 1-2 more roasted berries.
7. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Need a Project? Here Comes a Long Weekend!

Photo by Amy Wing

I am lucky enough to be scooting out to the coast this weekend for a little sand between my toes. I am hoping the weather cooperates and we can leave our raincoats at home.

Last time we were there my friends and I cooked up a simple bowl of mussels which we enjoyed with wine, asparagus, and a loaf of crusty bread. It was beachy perfection! (Aren't these photos fabulous? Amy Wing, of Amy Wing Designs took them.)

We aren't sure what we will be creating this weekend, but I have some ideas!
I can see these being nibbled on the deck before dinner with a glass of cold rose wine.
Or these mini german pancakes for breakfast!

I love long weekends for cooking projects. Here are a few ideas: 
1.) Homemade Cream Cheese and then whip up some Rhubarb Rugalach.
2.) I don't know about you, but I have still have some frozen berries left over from last spring. I am going to set up a bottle raspberry and strawberry Drinking Vinegar to infuse while away. They will be ready for cocktails when the sun come back out!
3.) I feel that you can never have enough wontons!

Enjoy! And if you haven't done so, please check out my give away here.

Baby Waffles

One of the challenges of being a working mom is getting Levi out the door and fed in the morning. It finally came down to needing something not messy that he could eat while in his car seat. He already loves waffles so I decided to try packing them full of nutrients but still keep them tasty so he would actually eat them.

I came up with adding kefir, egg, and grated pear, apples and carrots to make a carrot cake like waffle. The kefir and eggs add protien and the veggies and fruit add a bit of fiber and lots of flavor.

As you can tell, these are a hit. We all think they are delicious.

I use Bob Red Mill's 10 grain pancake and waffle mix, but any mix would work! I make a huge batch and freeze them. The secret is to lay them all out flat to partially freeze, like you would berries. Then break up and keep in a plastic freezer bag. We double toast one each morning and hand it to Levi as soon as he is strapped into his car seat. These are also a great snack!

Baby Waffles (or Carrot Cake Waffles)
2 cups pancake or waffle mix
2 eggs
1-2 cups whole milk kefir, yogurt, or milk (added until a thinned consistancy)
2 cups total of shredded pear, carrot, and/or apples
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Heat waffle iron
2.  Mix all ingredients together.
3. Make waffles. :)

I really do have a giveaway coming soon. Life is just hectic. I promise!

Chilaquiles

It drives me crazy to have food go to waste. Whenever I had odds and ends in the kitchen I turn toward eggs to bring it all together into one meal. After a family dinner of tacos I had corn tortillas, sour cream and cilantro hanging out in the refrigerator.

Chilaquiles were on the menu!

Instead of frying the corn tortillas I baked them until crispy. I think this lowers the calories in the total dish, but honestly, it is just easier and less messy. This is a great recipe for a brunch crowd, but I have scaled it back for about 2.5 people.

Baked Corn Tortillas

I can't say these are authentic, but it is a yummy meal.
Chilaquiles
3 or 4 corn tortillas, cut into 1 inch strips
spray oil
1/2 cup salsa
3 eggs
1 avocado, diced 
sour cream
chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

1. Lay corn tortillas onto a cookie sheet. Lightly spray with oil. Bake in a heated oven for about 10 minutes. Toss and bake another few minutes until tortillas are crisp. (This can be done the day before. Just store in a tupperware.)
2. In a large frying pan over medium heat add salsa. When salsa is hot, add tortillas and toss until coated with sauce. Cook an additional 3-4 minutes until hot. Divide tortillas among 2 or 3 plates.
3. In the same pan scramble the eggs to taste. Divide eggs over tortillas.
4. Top eggs with sour cream, avocado and cilantro. Enjoy while hot!

Rice and an Egg: Perfection

Last time, I wrote up Levi's favorite breakfast, but today I am going to write up mine. Growing up I remember my mom loving to eat leftover rice with warm Cheesewiz poured over the top. It was delicious (no knocking Cheesewiz- fake cheese is awesome!). Now, whenever I make rice I cook a little extra so I can have it for breakfast.

The secret ingredient to my meal is a spicy chili flake, fermented black beans and sesame oil mixture. I thought it was called Pric Pow, but I can't find it anywhere on the internet. I find it at Fubon. See pic below. Here is also a recipe I found.

It is amazing and makes everything it touches deliciously spicy. But added to the creamy egg and fragrant rice it launches the day with perfection.

Rice and an Egg
1 bowl of rice in a microwavable bowl
1 egg
1 teaspoon or more of the spicy mixture
sprinkle of salt

1. Crack the egg over the rice and then microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds. I stop it after I have heard the first pop. That is usually when the white of the egg is cooked but the yolk is still a little runny.
2. Add spicy mixture and salt.
3. Stir and eat!

Baby Eats: Green Eggs

Levi loves anything with cheese, so in an attempt to let him have his cheese (chuzz) but also round out his diet I end up making green eggs a lot!

It is basically frozen spinach, cheddar cheese and an egg slow cooked into an almost omelet form. This makes it easier for newbie eaters to pick up with their tiny forks.

Coming up next is my favorite way to eat eggs.

Green Eggs
(for one small appetite)
1 handful frozen spinach or 2 handfuls of fresh, chopped spinach
2 tablespoons cheddar cheese, grated or chopped small
1 egg, beaten

1. In a small frying pan, over medium heat defrost or cook spinach. Add cheese and cook until it begins to melt.
2. Add beaten eggs and slowly swirl ingredients together. Turn down heat and let cook 2 minutes, then flip over and cook another 2 minutes or until egg is completely set.
3. Cool before giving to a small person. Practice saying "HOT!" and blowing on it together.

Polenta with Greens (and an Egg for Good Luck!)

Dinner Math
One recipe of polenta (fried up in olive oil with loads of black pepper)
+
One batch of garlicy kale
+
some leftover caramelized onions
+
1 egg over easy with a nice runny yolk
=
Dinner! (Or quite possibly Breakfast, Brunch or Lunch)

left over onions and greens ready to go

Cooled polenta, fried in a little olive oil

er medium high heat

Ultimate Granola

I was lucky enough to have a friend bring some homemade granola (and some awesome chili!) over after Levi was born. I don't think I have ever had homemade granola before, or if I had, it was forgettable. That is why I was completely blown away after one handful of my friend's recipe. Crunchy, not too sweet, complex flavors...I ate the whole bag in a few days, opting for yogurt and granola over anything else at meal time.

I asked her for her recipe, which she happily shared.

I have since 3 different batches. I have modified the recipe slightly, I lowered the fat content to make it a little healthier and have experimented with different seeds, nuts and fruits. So far my favorite combo has been pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, apricots, cranberries and raisins. All together. In one happy mix.

Buy the oats in the bulk section to save some money. You can use left overs for oatmeal cookies or oatmeal.

Ultimate Granola
 1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt (less if using table salt)
1/2 cup brown sugar OR 1/4 brown sugar and 1/4 cup honey
4 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups of seeds or nuts
1 cup dried fruit
1/4 cup orange juice

Preheat over to 275 degrees
1. In a medium sauce pan combine butter, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and sugars. Heat until sugar is melted.
2. In a large bowl combine oats, nuts and seeds. Pour the melted butter and sugar mix over the top and stir until the oats are covered.

3. Spread oat/nut/seed mix out over a cookie sheet. Bake 1 hour, stirring once during cooking time. 

4. Meanwhile. Pour juice over dried fruit. Let rest about an hour. 

5. After an hour add juice and fruit mix to granola. Return to oven for another 20 minutes. 

This is a great recipe to double, just use two cookie sheets.

PS. Know any Portland kids looking for a fun summer activity? Check out my kids cooking camp. I have a few spots still open. 

President's Day Weekend Glamping and Crockpot Oatmeal

Over the long weekend we took Levi on his first camping trip. Well, it was more like glamping (Glamourous Camping: or just not in a tent) because we stayed in a yurt. We stayed in the yurts at Nehalem State Park, which is on the Oregon coast. We went as part of a larger group of friends to celebrate a birthday. The yurts made it easier to camp in the winter, but also with a baby. We were treated to an ice cold but bright and sunny weekend. It was a great getaway.

Within the group we took turns cooking meals. I was assigned breakfast for about 20 people. With a new baby I knew there was no way I was gonna get up and cooking for everyone before 8am so I researched make ahead breakfasts.

 (The eyebrows come out whenever something new is being processed - the sound of the waves this time!)

I settled on crockpot oatmeal.

Here is the recipe I used, but I basically dumped 4 cups of dried oats into the crockpot and filled the rest with water. Set on low over night. (Yurts have plugs!) In the morning we were treated to the creamiest, most delicious oatmeal I have ever eaten! I am hooked. I served it with a buffet of dried fruit, cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, and candied nuts.

If you need a quick, cheap, healthy (depending on how much cream you add) breakfast, please consider crockpot oatmeal.

On a similar note, here is Mark Bittman's take on McDonald's oatmeal. Very interesting - how to pack tons of crap into healthy food all the while marketing it as healthy.
Also, our local FoodDay discussed grain breakfast cereals here.

Banana Strawberry Muffins

My little guy is almost 2 months old and I have been given the go ahead to begin exercising again! Today was a great day to get back into the healthy habit after almost a year of a sedentary life style. My pregnancy was very difficult due to a condition called Hypermesis Gravidarium. I spent most of it in bed and didn't enjoy being active the way I had in the past. So, anyway, today was a rare sunny January day and Levi and I took advantage of the weather. I pushed Levi around for over an hour, luxurating in the sunshine and freedom of movement without nausea, a huge belly, or aching cesarean scar.

I am looking forward to blogging more regularly again, but need to take into account just how much time a baby takes. I am going to try to update with a new recipe weekly, rather then twice a week. At least until Levi starts to nap regularly!

Mornings are the hardest time with Levi, Justin is at work and I am still learning to balance the baby while making a cup of coffee. A hardy muffin I can eat with one hand was needed. I also wanted something a little healthy - I have baby weight I need to work off!

I checked the freezer and had some frozen bananas and strawberries that needed to be used up. I defrosted and drained those and mixed them up with yogurt, oatmeal and some flour and they came together well. If you want them a little sweeter add a teaspoon or so of brown sugar to the tops before baking.

Banana Strawberry Muffins
2 bananas, pureed or smooched with a fork
1 cup frozen strawberries, defrosted and drained, then smooched with a fork
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1 cup oatmeal
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons brown sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top of muffins, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 2 muffin trays (will make about 16 muffins)
2. Mix together fruit, eggs, vanilla and yogurt until combined.
3. In a larger bowl mix oatmeal, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and brown sugar until combined.
4. Using a large spatula combine fruit with flour mix - adding the fruit to the flour. Mix until just combined.
5. Divide among muffin tins, about 3 tablespoons per cup. If desired, sprinkle tops with brown sugar.
6. Bake 15-20 minutes

What I Wish I Was Eating Right Now!

Toasted poppy seed bagel
Pesto cream cheese
Crispy slices of bacon
Roasted kabocha squash

Justin and I ate this combo at the Portland Farmer's Market last fall and I am still dreaming of it. I may have to attempt my own version this weekend. I have pesto in the freezer, one last kabocha squash sitting in the basement, and this Chow bagel recipe burning a hole in my, um, web browser.

Have you tried making bagels? Any pointers?

5 Minute Breakfast, Including Clean-up

I don't know about you, but I am not a breakfast eater. Coffee? Yes! Food? Ehh. Unfortunately, my job doesn't have time flexibility that allows snacking, so if I don't eat something before my day begins I will be DYING by lunch. (Which by the way, is at 10:45am. We have early days around here!) I have found that a mix of protein and carbs keep me going far better then just yogurt or cereal.

I learned this egg sandwich trick from my college girlfriends, and I thought I would share it for those of us who need breakfast in 5 minutes. (See college IS educational!)

Presented with pictures and notes.

 First, put an english muffin into the toaster. Then take one small bowl or coffee mug. Spray with nonstick spray. 

Crack an egg into the bowl. Whisk if you want scrambled eggs, don't if you like a yolk. Add salt and pepper.

Add cheese if you want.

 

Microwave one minute. While it is microwaving put away the eggs, cheese and muffins. Pour a cup of coffee into your to-go mug. Now your English muffin should have just popped up. 

Slide egg onto muffin. Enjoy as you run out the door. 

Gives you more time to say goodbye to the pug. He is always sad when we leave.

A Year Ago: Sweet potatoes were the vegetable of the day!

Homemade English Muffins

I am going to preface this recipe by saying; yes, it is easier to buy a sleeve of english muffins from the grocery store. Homemade english muffins are a little different then the store's muffins and don't last as long. That said, they are fun to make, taste delicious hot off the griddle and would make a great addition to any morning routine.

I first made these on a Sunday night, when I realized I had nothing to eat for breakfast on Monday morning. The trouble with teaching and our early, early mornings, is breakfast must be fast and filling. I go from 7:30 - 11:00am without a break to snack (or take care of any other sort of business). An english muffin, peanut butter and an apple (and a mug of coffee) keeps me going until lunch.

This is a simple dough, which is easily whipped up in the stand mixer. It needs to sit for an hour or so to raise so plan a little bit ahead. I start the dough before dinner. By the time we have eaten and cleaned up the dough is ready to roll. Hot english muffins smeared with homemade caramel apple butter is a terrific dessert!

I cut these out with a large juice glass and cooked them on a cast iron griddle. You could use a large frying pan too, and or my favorite old standby the calphalon pan. Store any leftover muffins in the freezer, take one or two out the night before you want to eat it. Toast, top with something yummy, and enjoy!

(This looks like a lot of work, but I am just trying to articulate the steps clearly.)
Homemade English Muffins (adapted from the Joy of Cooking)

1 1/2 cup warm water
4 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast or 1 packet yeast
4 cups of flour, divided
3 tablespoons butter, cut into very small pieces.
2-3 tablespoons cornmeal (optional)
butter, oil, or cooking spray to grease the griddle

1. In a stand mixer combine warm water, sugar, salt and yeast. Let sit 5 minutes or until yeast begins to bubble.
2. Using the dough hook attachment for the mixer, add 2 cups of flour. Combine slowly.
3. Let dough sit in a warm location for an hour to hour and a half. I put it on the back of the stove while I am cooking dinner or warming the oven. The dough should double in size.
4. Return the mixer bowl to the mixer. Mix in 3 tablespoons of butter and then the additional 2 cups of flour.
5. Beat in the bowl until smooth and the dough begins to climb the dough hook.
6. Sprinkle flour onto a clean countertop. Turn the dough onto the counter. Lightly knead a few times. The dough should be silky and smooth and feel wonderful!
7. Pat the dough until it is about 1 inch thick. Using a large juice glass cut out as many muffins as you can.
8. Sprinkle a baking sheet with corn meal. Put the cut out muffins on the corn meal and let rest 20-30 minutes.
9. Heat a large griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Grease with butter or cooking spray. Cook muffins about 15 minutes. 7-8 minutes on each side or until the top and bottom are browned.

Enjoy!

Mushrooms From Heaven!

Last winter, we went on a chanterelle hunting expedition and we were wildly successful (and soggy). This year our hunting was snowed out by some early flakes. Nonetheless, these golden treasures are in the stores!

They are expensive, running $10-$16 a pound, so we savored every bite. Chanterelles are a great match with delicate eggs or fresh pasta.

Here are two non-recipes for chanterelles, if you are lucky enough to stumble upon some in the woods, or the grocery store. (And if you have extra, let me know!)

This our haul from last year!

1. Toast, topped with chanterelles which were sauteed in butter and garlic. Saute until the liquid evaporates. Divide mushrooms between the toast. Quickly scramble some eggs in the same pan and top the mushrooms. If you have it, sprinkle with a touch of truffle salt and fresh parsley.

2. Pour a glass of nice wine, this is a "fancy meal" and you deserve it! Get a pot of pasta water boiling. Meanwhile, in another pan, saute an onion in butter or olive oil. When the onion gets soft and is starting to turn golden brown, add chanterelles. Cook until mushrooms release their liquid. Add loads of black pepper and a few splashes of cream. Simmer on low while you cook the fresh pasta. Toss together and top with a shaving of parmesean cheese.


How do you like your chanterelles?

More Breakfast Food Discoveries - Chinese Crepe/ Omlette

On day 4 of our wanderings through Beijing we rounded a corner toward a lake when suddenly we were confronted with a long line of women. All jostling one another to get closer to the front, gripping their plastic bags and parasols. At the front of the line was a man, slowly, methodically, working a giant crepe pan. From what I could see (being slightly taller then the average Chinese) he was cracking eggs, smearing batter and wrapping something up into edible packages. I knew I needed one of those packages. If there is a line waiting to eat something, I always get into that line.

But, as fate would have it, as I wandered to the back of the line I encountered a pickle vendor. Anyone who knows me that I hold pickles above most other foods. He had a long counter filled with yellow, brown, orange, green, and black pickled things. Again the language barrier didn't work in my favor, but I was offered a few samples of the mystery pickles. They were all delicious! Deep, fermented flavors with a bright tang. Ahh to be a pickle master. I totally forgot about the mystery crepe.

Take a look - see anything YOU recognize?

As luck would have it, the next morning at 5am we were boarding a public bus to go to the Great Wall of China. At the front door of the bus was a food cart making those crepes! The line wasn't as long, so for a dollar, I soon had one in my hands.


First, the cook smoothed crepe batter over the hot plate, then cracked too eggs on it and spread them around. Added green onions and cilantro and flipped it over. On the other side she brushed soy and chili oil and then added what I think is pork crackling, but may have been crispy dough. Then folded and flipped it all up into a handheld sandwich. It was AMAZING! Steaming hot, spicy, crunchy and eggy. It started the day off well! If only we knew what it was called! Any readers know the name of this?