Showing posts with label brown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brown. Show all posts
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Mexican TheSaladBar Featuring Chunky Mexican Brown Rice Salad with Cliantro Lime Dressing
Its time for another monthly #TheSaladBar feature! This months theme is Mexican salads, which is a very broad and versatile theme. I challenged members to come up with a main dish salad or a side salad the uses their favorite spicy Mexican flavors. As the weather turns cooler, salads may not be the first thing you think of...but salads are versatile enough that they can be made and enjoyed year-round by using seasonal ingredients and using your creativity. For this months theme, I wanted to make a healthy and creative side salad that can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature. Enter my Chunky Brown Rice Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing! It has all of my favorite Mexican food flavors and is combined with healthy brown rice. This dish is veg-friendly and can be made vegan-friendly by removing the cheese and subbing in roasted poblano pepper and/or some beans.
This recipe is ideal if you find yourself with leftover rice...or it can be a plan-ahead by cooking extra rice with dinner one evening. If youre in a pinch...like I was...simply pick up a 2-cup package of shelf-stable cooked brown rice and use that! I added avocado, tomato, green onion, roasted corn and cheese to my rice...then tossed with a super-simple homemade cilantro-lime vinaigrette. If you can get your hands on Mexican queso fresco, use that...but firm, mild feta works well too. Thats what I used since I had some in my fridge. By using pre-cooked rice, this dish was assembled and ready to chill in about 20 minutes!
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Chunky Mexican Rice Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing
a Weekend Gourmet Creation
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 avocado, peeled and chopped
- 3/4 cup diced queso fresco OR firm, mild feta [NOTE: I used Athenos block feta]
- 2-3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- 1 tbs. olive oil
- Dressing: juice of 2 small limes, 2 tbs. olive oil, 1 tsp. honey or agave, 1 tsp. dry OR 1 tbs. fresh cilantro, salt & pepper to taste.
Directions:
Step 1: Add 1 tbs. olive oil to a non-stick skillet over med-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the corn kernels in an even layer. Cook until they are golden brown and smell nutty...stirring every few minutes. This will take about 10 minutes. While the corn is roasting, make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a small measuring cup and whisking. Set the dressing aside while the corn roasts and you chop the veggies.
Step 2: Add the cooked brown rice to a mixing bowl. Add the cheese, green onion, tomato and avocado. When the corn has roasted, add it to the bowl as well.
Step 3: Whisk the reserved dressing and pour on top. Mix with a sturdy spoon until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and have been coated with the dressing. You can serve immediately, but I think it tastes better when its refrigerated for a few hours and sits at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
This healthy salad is filling, yet light...and the dressing ties all the flavors and textures together perfectly! Roasting the corn takes a few minutes, but the nutty flavor it provides works really nicely with the nutty brown rice. I served this salad as a side dish for grilled sausages, but it would also make a really nice light lunch. This ones a keeper, friends! I hope youll click in the links below and check out the Mexican-themed recipes the rest of #TheSaladBar participants are sharing today.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Driscolls 3pmSnack Movement Featuring Berry Parfait with Brown Sugar Cream
The survey also revealed that the time of day people reach for their snacks affects their snack choice. People who snack between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. are more likely to choose fresh fruit. “It’s great to see that people often make a fresh fruit choice as an afternoon snack,” says Frances Dillard, Director of Marketing, Driscoll’s. “We know that it’s not easy to always make a healthy choice. That’s why we are excited to launch a campaign that will introduce great tasting blueberry snacks to replace the unhealthy 3 p.m. snack, especially as people are trying to keep their New Year’s resolutions on track.” Driscoll’s is launching its #3pmSnack campaign to encourage people to snack on fresh fruit, including their healthy and delicious blueberries.Many people are looking for a sweet but nutritious way to crush their cravings and hunger. Blueberries offer the perfect healthy indulgence, and Driscoll’s is making it easier than ever to incorporate antioxidant-filled berries into your diet. At just 80 calories per cup and containing virtually no fat, fiber-rich blueberries keep you satisfied the entire afternoon. Blueberries are a super food that contain more antioxidants than many other foods; they also contain Vitamin C to keep health in peak condition while enabling you to meet your 2014 weight management goals. I’m taking part in this campaign by creating Berry Parfait with Brown Sugar Cream, a healthy and delicious afternoon treat that can be enjoyed at your desk…or in your kitchen. It’s a great after-school snack for kids too! Make the simple creamy sauce the night before and assemble the parfaits whenever your #3PMSnack cravings hit!
Berry Parfait with Brown Sugar Cream
a Weekend Gourmet Original
Ingredients for two parfaits:
- 1 cup Driscoll’s blueberries
- 1 cup Driscoll’s raspberries
- 1 cup lowfat sour cream
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tbs. honey
- ¼ tsp. lemon or orange extract
- Vanilla beans from one pod
- 1/3 cup granola
- 2 tsp. finely chopped pecans
Directions:
Step 1: Combine the sour cream, brown sugar, honey, extract and vanilla seeds. Stir well to combine and set aside in the fridge. If there are a few lumps of brown sugar, they will soften in the fridge. Just give the sauce another stir just before you assemble the parfaits.
Step 2: Assemble the parfaits. Combine the berries and divide equally between two stemmed glasses OR portable plastic containers. Top with 2-3 tbs. of the sauce, half of the granola and 1 tsp. of the chopped pecans.
That’s it…these parfaits are a healthy and flavorful afternoon snack that will keep you satisfied until dinner! Feel free to use a different berry for the raspberries if you like – chopped strawberries would also work nicely. The fresh berries work very nicely with the tangy-sweet brown sugar cream sauce…and the granola and pecans provide a nice bit of crunch. FYI...you’ll have plenty of the brown sugar cream left…which is a good thing! Spoon the remaining sauce into the sour cream container and store it in the fridge for up to a week. It’s great for dipping all kinds of fruit – especially apple slices and whole strawberries.
Disclosure: Driscolls provided me with berries to facilitate this feature. I received no further compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Brown Butter Banana Nut Muffins
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| Brown Butter Banana Nut Muffins |
Most everyone has a great muffin recipe. This is one Ive been working on and I think its pretty darn good. The basic muffin is based on a Claire Robinson recipe. Theyre sweetened with honey and Ive added a brown sugar and nut crumble on top.
This time I used a 12 -cup muffin stoneware pan made by Pampered Chef that I borrowed from my friend Lisa Loughran. I may never go back to a regular metal muffin pan. The muffins cooked evenly and didnt over brown. Love it!
These muffins are dense and moist. They freeze beautifully - I just wrap them individually in plastic wrap, pull one out for breakfast, pop it in the microwave for about 45 seconds and theyre heavenly...maybe even better than when they first came out of the oven. What could be easier when youre in a hurry but still want a homemade breakfast? Okay, enough chatter - heres how I made them:
Makes 12 large muffins
Oven 375 degrees F
Topping:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for brushing
Mix all ingredients together to form a course crumb mixture, then set aside.
Muffins:
8 ripe bananas, medium sized
2/3 cup honey
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 large eggs
3 1/2 cups self-rising flour (be sure to use self-rising)
In large bowl, mash bananas, add honey and walnuts, mix then set aside.
Melt butter in medium-sized saucepan (one that seems too large for melting 2 sticks of butter) over medium heat. Youll begin to see the milk solids separate and a white foam will appear on top. Cook until the milk solids have turned golden brown, stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on this as you do not want it to burn.
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| Browning the butter gives it a deep, nutty flavor. This is about the color you want (disregard the bits on the bottom, its because I didnt occasionally stir as I should have). |
Add about half the mashed banana mixture to the browned butter and continue cooking over medium heat for another minute or two. When you first add the banana mixture it will bubble up quite a bit but dont be alarmed, stir it and it will settle back down in a few seconds. This is why you need to use a larger saucepan than you might think, so it doesnt bubble over the sides.
Remove pan from heat and whisk this mixture into the bowl of the remaining banana mixture, then whisk in the eggs. Fold in the flour in 2 batches and be careful not to over mix. Use an ice cream scoop and place one full scoop in each muffin cup.
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| Topping added and about to go in the oven. |
Add topping to each muffin, place in oven and bake for approximately 25-28 minutes. To check for doneness, insert toothpick in center of muffin - it should come out clean or with moist crumbs when done. Remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan, brush tops with *melted butter and cool on rack.
*You could skip this step of adding melted butter, but it adds a glistening moistness to the muffin top once youve frozen and reheated it. In my opinion, its worth the extra calories.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Hash Brown Potato Pancakes
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| Hash Brown Potato Pancakes |
We used to love to make potato pancakes with our leftover mashed potatoes as a kid and they were goooood. This new spin on them, though, I think is even better.
Idaho russet potatoes, Monterey Jack cheese, fresh green onions, bright red bell peppers AND a little crispy pancetta thrown in just for good measure (okay, for good taste).
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| This is the pre-packaged pancetta I often buy at Gelsons, or you can go to the deli counter and have them slice it for you |
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| cooked pancetta, red bell pepper, green onions, Idaho russet potato, eggs, garlic |
Serves 6 (serving size one 5-in pancake)
Ingredients:
2 medium to large size Idaho russet potatoes, peeled and shredded
10 pieces of thinly sliced pancetta, cooked (or cooked bacon or ham)
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
3 green onions, chopped (green and white parts)
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt
lots of fresh cracked pepper
2 Tablespoons canola oil, plus more if needed
creme fraiche or sour cream, for garnish
fresh chives, for garnish
In large bowl mix together potatoes, pancetta, cheese, garlic, bell pepper, onions, eggs, salt, and pepper using your hands.
Heat skillet over medium high heat and add oil. Form patties and place in hot skillet. Cook approximately 1-2 minutes per side or until browned. Do not overcrowd pan and work in batches until done.
As you remove patties place on paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil or moisture. Use paper towels in between layers as you stack them on the plate.
Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream, and chives if desired.
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| use your shredder/grater attachment for your food processor and it will grate the potatoes in a few seconds (if you dont have a food processor, grate by hand using a box grater) |
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| mixture ready to be formed into patties and fried |
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| frying patties |
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| cheesy and yummy! |
Friday, January 23, 2015
Dream Cake Recipe Danish Coconut Brown Sugar Cake Dr�mmekage Opskrift
When I was growing up in Denmark, I dont remember hearing about Dream Cake or in Danish Drømmekage. It has become popular in recent years. We received several requests for us to make this delicious Dream Cake. So here is my version.
First we are going to make the topping. Then, we will bake the cake. Finally we will assemble the topping and cake. Then eat!!
Topping Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
Kitchen Utensils
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C . Spray or grease the pan. Add 1 tablespoon flour to pan, shake flour around pan to coat bottom and sides, discard excess flour, set pan aside. If desired, line baking pan with parchment paper, then grease paper.
In a small saucepan add butter and milk, warm over low heat until butter is melted. Little finger hot. Set aside the mixture to cool a little.
In a large mixing bowl add eggs and sugar. Using your electric mixer beat on high. Add vanilla extract into the egg mixture. Continue to beat until mixture is yellow and thick (5 or more minutes). If you’re not sure whether it’s thick enough, give it another minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Pour the milk mixture from the sauce pan into the bowl of egg mixture. Stir gently the mixture until well incorporated with a wooden spoon.
Next in a separate bowl whisk or sift together flour and baking powder so it is distributed evenly.
Add sifted flour mixture into the egg milk mixture with a wooden spoon. Gently fold the flour into the eggs until smooth. trying to incorporate as much of the flour without knocking out the air from the eggs. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.
Pour dough into prepared pan. Scrape the batter from the mixing bowl into the pan.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 18-20 minutes. Insert with a toothpick or a long skewer into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out moist, then bake the cake a little longer. The cake should look light golden brown in color and is firm to the touch. You want to be sure it has baked thoroughly and will bear the weight of the topping to come.
Remove cake from oven Turn up the oven to 425 degrees F/225 degrees C.
Immediately spread the coconut topping over the top of the cake evenly. Add tablespoons of filling at a time and smooth it out.. Do not pour all of coconut filling onto cake all at one time.
When oven has reached the new temperature, place cake back into the oven on the upper-middle shelf. Bake the cake until the topping is a toasted deep golden in color for an additional 5-10 minutes
Cool cake in the pan completely on wire cooling rack before serving. The topping sets into a lovely chewy caramel. Cut cake into squares (or wedges, if baking cake in a round pan)
Serve with either coffee, tea, or milk. Enjoy!
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First we are going to make the topping. Then, we will bake the cake. Finally we will assemble the topping and cake. Then eat!!
Topping Ingredients
- 1/4 cup of whole milk
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup light brown soft sugar
- 1 1/4 cup of shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
- heavy medium sized saucepan
- measuring cup
- wooden spoon
- Set saucepan over medium heat. Add soft butter, brown sugar and milk into the saucepan. Melt the mixture in the sauce pan.
- Stir constantly to prevent the sugar from burning.
- Then add coconut and blend well.
- Cook for 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened and some of the liquid has evaporated.
- Remove pan from heat. Set the mixture aside in another bowl until ready to spread over cake.
Cake Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 cup of salted butter
- 3/4 cup of whole milk (yogurt or buttermilk is optional)
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Kitchen Utensils
- hand mixer or electric mixer
- large mixing bowl
- measuring cup
- wooden spoon
- small sauce pan
- 8 or 9-inch (20-22cm) square or round baking pan.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C . Spray or grease the pan. Add 1 tablespoon flour to pan, shake flour around pan to coat bottom and sides, discard excess flour, set pan aside. If desired, line baking pan with parchment paper, then grease paper.
In a small saucepan add butter and milk, warm over low heat until butter is melted. Little finger hot. Set aside the mixture to cool a little.
In a large mixing bowl add eggs and sugar. Using your electric mixer beat on high. Add vanilla extract into the egg mixture. Continue to beat until mixture is yellow and thick (5 or more minutes). If you’re not sure whether it’s thick enough, give it another minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Pour the milk mixture from the sauce pan into the bowl of egg mixture. Stir gently the mixture until well incorporated with a wooden spoon.
Next in a separate bowl whisk or sift together flour and baking powder so it is distributed evenly.
Add sifted flour mixture into the egg milk mixture with a wooden spoon. Gently fold the flour into the eggs until smooth. trying to incorporate as much of the flour without knocking out the air from the eggs. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.
Pour dough into prepared pan. Scrape the batter from the mixing bowl into the pan.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 18-20 minutes. Insert with a toothpick or a long skewer into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out moist, then bake the cake a little longer. The cake should look light golden brown in color and is firm to the touch. You want to be sure it has baked thoroughly and will bear the weight of the topping to come.
Remove cake from oven Turn up the oven to 425 degrees F/225 degrees C.
Immediately spread the coconut topping over the top of the cake evenly. Add tablespoons of filling at a time and smooth it out.. Do not pour all of coconut filling onto cake all at one time.
When oven has reached the new temperature, place cake back into the oven on the upper-middle shelf. Bake the cake until the topping is a toasted deep golden in color for an additional 5-10 minutes
Cool cake in the pan completely on wire cooling rack before serving. The topping sets into a lovely chewy caramel. Cut cake into squares (or wedges, if baking cake in a round pan)
Serve with either coffee, tea, or milk. Enjoy!
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