Brown Butter Banana Bread

Posted on by
2

DSC03818

My literary heart fills with glee at the title of this post. I love a good alliteration. Besides having an awesome title, this banana bread also tastes awesome. If you’re not on the brown butter train, get on it! It adds depth, and nuttiness to this bread that plain butter won’t. Oats add texture and cinnamon and nutmeg add warmth.

For months, I’ve been trying to perfect my banana bread recipe and you know what the secret is? Butter. Oil doesn’t give the bread the moistness it needs like butter does. Plus, butter tastes better, especially browned!

Slightly adapted from Joy the Baker’s Brown Butter Banana Strawberry Bread.

Ingredients:

6 ounces unsalted butter

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup oats

½ cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup buttermilk

1 ¼ cups mashed bananas, about 3-4 medium bananas

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and set aside

Melt butter in a small pan. It will start to crackle and foam as it gets hotter; once this stops the butter starts to brown. Swirl the butter in the pan to prevent it from burning and when the butter turns brown and starts to smell like nuts, remove from heat. Transfer to a small bowl to prevent butter from continuing to cook. You should end up with about half a cup.

Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In another bowl, combine eggs, vanilla extract, buttermilk, bananas, and cooled brown butter. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined.

Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake for 50 – 60 minutes, until the top in golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

DSC03838

Infused Water: Cucumber/Mint & Strawberry/Mint

Posted on by
Reply

DSC03833

The warm weather is finally here!  I think we can safely say that there will be no more snow this season.  If one of those freak June snow storms happen, I’m going to blow my lid though.  Give me flip flops, tank tops and happy hour on the patio.  The snow was really interfering with my gin and tonic drinking and pool side lounging.  When I’m not drinking G&Ts, I’m trying really hard to drink enough water.  I don’t know who said that eight cups of water a day was the magical number, but I find it nearly impossible to drink that much water in one day.  Also, the employee restrooms at work are all the way across the building from my office, and I’m not making 7 trips a day over there.

DSC03842

 

These delightful infused waters make it easier for me to drink more water though.  I’m not really down with the flavored waters filled with sugar, so I made my own this weekend.  The first one, picture above and below was strawberry mint.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup strawberries, small dice

10 ish mint leaves

3-4 cups water

Method: Combine all the ingredients in the vessel of your choice.  Refridgerate over night or for several hours.

 

DSC03845

 

The second infusion I made was cucumber mint.

Ingredients:

1/4 medium cucumber, thinly sliced.

10 ish mint leaves

3-4 cups water

Method:  Combine all ingredients in the vessel of your choice and refrigerate over night or for several hours.

 

DSC03837

 

I’d think of these as more of “guidelines” not real recipes.  Like more mint?  Add more!  Don’t like strawberries?  Use a different fruit!  The possibilities are endless.  I definitely drank more water the days I brought these waters with me to work.  The mint adds a super  refreshing taste to the water and the cucumber gives it just a hint cool, mellow flavor.  The strawberries give the water a slightly sweet taste, without all the weird additives in some waters.  Up your water game as the hot seasons approaches and make some fancy, infused water!

Happy Hydrating!  It’s almost Friday people!

Buttermilk Waffles with Macerated Strawberries

Posted on by
Reply

DSC03828

My husband-to-be’s favorite breakfast is waffles, hands down.  When I asked him on Sunday morning, which would he rather have, waffles or oatmeal pancakes, I knew the answer before I even asked it.  We usually have an arsenal of frozen waffles in the fridge, which he will eat at any point during the day.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, waffle time is any time.  His parents gave us a waffle maker for Christmas though, so it’s time to elevate our waffle.   It’s time to make waffles that are crisp and buttery on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.  Waffles that are worthy of Sunday breakfast, because if the weekend is only two days long, we better be living like we want waffles from scratch!

This recipe is my mom’s, the one that I’ve eaten countless times at home.  Try using the leftovers the next day to make yourself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch.  Everyone in high school was always jealous of my fancy peanut butter and jellys.  Happy Monday!

Buttermilk Waffles with Macerated Strawberries

Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups of strawberries
  • 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Method:

1. Plug in your waffle iron so it can start to heat up.

2. Dice strawberries into a small dice, about ¼ of an inch.  Combine strawberries with sugar and stir.  Set aside until after the waffles have finished cooking.

3. Place butter in a small dish.  Melt in microwave, but keep a careful eye on it.  Butter likes to explode in the microwave.

4. Combine the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.  Combine the wet ingredients, buttermilk, eggs and the melted butter.  Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until uniform.

5. Ladle spoonfuls of batter on waffle iron and cook until the waffles become a golden brown color.

6.  Serve waffles with macerated strawberries on top and a drizzle of real maple syrup.

DSC03829

Mom’s Special Day

Posted on by
4

One time, I decided to do something insane and run 26.2 miles with my mom.  You kind of have to be insane, or at least have something slightly wrong with you, to want to run a marathon. I don’t know how well anyone’s first marathon goes, but I wouldn’t say that mine was awesome, or that I felt spectacular at the end.  Quite the contrary.  It’s totally true that the race starts at mile 20, when you’ve gone further than you’ve ever gone.

When I had a complete mental breakdown at mile 25 and was sobbing uncontrollably about why some idiot put a hill in the last few miles of the race, she just nodded and we trudged on.  I said the F-bomb more times than I ever have in front of my mother and she didn’t even flinch.  The last few miles of a marathon are a completely acceptable place to curse like a sailor.  Than again, I think almost any time is perfectly acceptable to curse like a sailor.

CIMG3773

 

We finished that race, and then went on to do more together.  Almost every race I’ve run has been with my mom.  It feels weird when I run a race without her now.  The first race I ever did with her was the Bolder Boulder in 2007.  We all wore matching Spongebob Square Pants nighties and even made it onto the big television in the CU stadium.

CIMG0793

 

We ran the Horsetooth Half marathon and survived the hills together.  My feet were on fire during this race and were quite painful, but my mom once again stayed with me.  I have a bad habit of hurting myself during long distance race training…  There was New Belgium beer at the end, an excellent motivator when running long distances.

 

 

 

CIMG5091

 

 

Then there was that time where a freak shard of glass sliced my left Achille’s tendon.  My mom had a house rented and was driving out here before I knew it.  She waited through my surgery, took me home and fed me.  She woke up every four hours with me to feed me Vicoden and anti-nausea medicine.  It was a rough year last year for me, but I am lucky that my mom was there to take care of me.

IMG_0595

 

I am not with my mom on her special day, but if I was, I’d be whipping up a huge feast, complete with sangria and her signature pomegranate cocktail.  I am so very lucky to have a mom who sets an incredible example for me, my sister and brother, who can run circles around me and is a fabulous cook.  See you in a few weeks, Mom!  I love you!  Happy Mother’s Day!

Chai Spiced Cinnamon Rolls

Posted on by
5

DSC03809

We’ve made it, us 9 to 5-ers.  It’s Thursday and we’re on the home stretch, inching closer to Friday.  Here’s some weekend inspiration for you-chai spiced cinnamon rolls.  Treat yourself, since you made it through the work week and all, and take a little while in the kitchen to whip these up.  These rolls use a traditional cinnamon roll dough, but the filling is made with some non-traditional ingredients.  Cardamom, ginger, black pepper, a little sprinkle of nutmeg and of course cinnamon all make for a warm and slightly spicy roll.  Drizzle with a little lemon icing and you’re on your way to a perfect weekend breakfast.  I bought the leftovers to my coworkers on Tuesday and it made for a happy weekday breakfast too.  Here’s to the weekend and it’s leisurely breakfasts!

Adapted from the Joy of Cooking.

Ingredients:

Dough:

  • ¼ cup warm water.  (Slightly hotter than bath water.)
  • 1 package of active dry yeast ( 2 ¼ teaspoons)
  • ½ all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
  • 2 – 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

Filling:

  • 1-2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar

Glaze:

  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • zest of half a lemon
  • 1 – tablespoons milk

DSC03797

Method:

1. Combine the yeast and warm water in a mixing bowl.  Set aside and allow to stand until yeast has dissolved, about 5 minutes.

2. Add ½ cup flour, sugar, milk. eggs, butter and salt.  Using the paddle attachment, mix until throughly combined.  Exchange the paddle for the bread hook.  Put your mixer on low speed and half a cup at a time, add the remain flour.  (I used all 2 ¼ cups of flour, but it’s super dry where I live.) The dough is ready when it no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and forms a uniform ball.

3. Place dough in a greased bowl and allow to rise until double it’s size, about 1 ½ hours.  While the dough is rising, combine the filling ingredients, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper and brown sugar.  Reserve melted butter.

4.  Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface.  Using a rolling pin, roll it to a 16 x 12 inch rectangle, or something close to that.  (I just eyeballed my measurements.)  Brush with melted butter and then sprinkle filling on.  Roll up into a cylinder, starting from the longer end of the dough.

5.  Cut the log in half, then cut the halves in half.  You should have four pieces now.  Cut those four pieces into four pieces.  Arranged in a  greased cake pan, or in a rectangle pan,  so that the buns are touching.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size again.

6.  Uncover and bake rolls for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on the top.  Combine glaze ingredients, powdered sugar, and lemon zest.  Add milk slowly, until the glaze runs off a spoon.  Drizzle the glaze over the top of the rolls.

 

DSC03799

 

DSC03811

Parmesan & Hickory-Smoked Black Pepper Biscuits

Posted on by
4

DSC03788


We opted against going out to breakfast this weekend, mainly because sleeping in trumped eating.  We like to go nice and early to avoid the brunch crowds, but that usually means we’re dining with older folks and couples with small children.  Not a bad environment and it’s always funny to watch little kids eat.  I watched one little girl last weekend shovel handfuls of whipped cream off of her pancakes and directly into her mouth.  It was only when most of the whipped cream was gone that her mom noticed what she was doing.  Highly amusing.

Our favorite breakfast place has outrageous buttermilk biscuits and I was hankering for one Sunday morning.  These biscuit are savory like none other.  Sharp salty parmesan cheese meets smoked hickory pepper.  They’re tender, laced with butter and highly addictive.  They’re also delicious with a side of eggs or as a vehicle for fried egg sandwiches.

Inspired by Joy’s Cheddar and Black Pepper Biscuits and lightly adapted from The Joy of Cooking.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ - ¾ cup milk (Your choice on the percentage.)
  • 1 ½ cups parmesan cheese, grated on the large grate in your cheese grater
  • 1 tablespoon of hickory smoked black pepper (Mine’s from Sur La Table.)

DSC03786

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

3.  Cut the butter into small chunks with a sharp knife.  Add to flour mixture and either with a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut butter into small pieces, sightly larger than peas.

4. Add cheese and pepper to the mixture.  Slowly, ¼ of a cup of a time, add milk to mixture.  When the dough just comes together, you’ve added enough milk.

5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Roll out to ¼ to ½ an inch thick.  You can also pat the dough out with your hands-that’s what I did!  Get in there with your hands!

6.  Cut biscuits out with a biscuit cutter (or a cup if you’re cool like me) and arrange them on a baking sheet so that the biscuits are touching each other.

7.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.

DSC03793

Mayonnaise

Posted on by
3

IMG_1640

Tonight, I was making us artichokes and though how I’d like to dip my leaves in mayonnaise, one of the only ways I enjoy eating it.  Going to the store would have been pretty easy.  Grab a jar of Best Foods Mayo and be on my way, but I know how to make mayonnaise.  And I have all the ingredients.  It requires four ingredients: 1 egg yolk, 1 cup of oil, a pinch of salt and grind of pepper.  If you want to get fancy, you can start adding things like mustard, vinegars, herbs, hot sauce.  It’s not terribly difficult to make home made mayonnaise; it needs a bowl, a whisk and a strong arm.

I set my egg out to come up to room temperature, and starting cutting the ends off my artichokes, I felt a sense of peace wash over me like I haven’t felt in some time.  I dropped the artichokes into 2 inches of water to steam.  I set the shrimp out to defrost.  I measured out quinoa and water and put it on a low simmer to cook.  Our kitchen is tiny, has no counter space and is over all very inefficient, but it’s mine.  My kitchen.  Some find the kitchen to be a place of stress, a place of burdens.  I find a meditative quality cooking; a way for me to clear my thoughts and be creative.  And it’s been too long since I’ve spent some time in here.

IMG_1639

The egg has come up to room temperature and I turn my attention to mayonnaise.  Dijon mustard, a splash of apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper are my choices for this mayonnaise.  I plop in the egg yolk into the bowl and whisk.  Now, the magic comes.  I drizzle a thin ribbon of grapeseed oil into the egg yolk and whisk.  Another drizzle and whisk again.  Soon, the mixture starts to thicken and rise up the sides of the bowl.  Creamy, tangy and ever so fatty, finished with a sharp zip of lemon juice at the end.  It probably would have taken me longer to go to the store and get mayonnaise than it did to make it at home.

I stare into the bowl and immense satisfaction over comes me.  A year and half ago, making home made mayonnaise would have scared me and it probably would have taken twice as long for me to make it.  Maybe it would have broken, and I would have given up and gone to the store to buy a jar.  It’s just mayonnaise, I know.  I am certainly not the only person that makes it at home.  But, making it nudged that part of me that longs to be creative.  The side of me that is just so pleased that I just whipped up a batch of mayonnaise to eat with my artichokes.

Time to get back in the kitchen.

IMG_1642