Off to a Great Start! {Banana Cranberry Currant Granola}

It has been almost five months now, since Alex and I started writing the blog! When we began coming up with recipes and posting them, I was admittedly very self-conscious. How was my writing? Was I using proper grammar and pacing? Do people even care?

Since starting the blog, we have had 2500 blog views, we have188 followers on Twitter, 51 page 'Likes' on Facebook and tons of comments from friends, family, co-workers and even strangers complimenting us! When I see these stats, I can't help but smile!

Even more exciting are the things we have done in the name of our blog. For instance, participating in the  Ottawa Foodie Challenge 2013 and winning a couple prizes while we were at it! And taking a crack a writing a two restaurant and food cart reviews (which have garnered the highest views on the blog). As of this weekend, I am so proud to say we have joined the ranks of the many excellent food blogs in Canada by joining the Food Bloggers of Canada as a member! We've also linked our blog up to Canadian Dishes, a great recipe search engine.

There are many excellent food blogs out there already from Canada and around the world. Drool-worthy food photography, scintillating prose and descriptions of dishes, community notoriety. Are we there yet with our blog? Well, the short answer is: No! But, I think, we are off to a pretty great start.

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Speaking of great starts...I have been so busy with my day job lately that I have been realizing how important a bite to eat in the morning is for me making it through the day! I have been craving a good granola, so I thought I would try making some of my own!

Banana Cranberry Currant Granola

*This recipe and method was inspired from Green Kitchen Stories

3 cups of rolled oats

3/4 cup roughly chopped raw almonds

1/2 cups dried cranberries

1/2 cup dried currants

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons coconut milk

3 tablespoons honey, plus extra to drizzle on top

2 overripe bananas

Preheat your oven to 375°F (the original recipe called for 400°F, but I found it was a bit too hot in my oven). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. 

Combine the rolled oats, almonds, cranberries, currants, sea salt in a large bowl. Mix together well. In a separate large bowl mash the ripe banana, and mix in the coconut milk, honey and vanilla. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together. I found, although messy, it was easiest to do this with my hands.

Spread the granola evenly over the backing tray and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn and mix the granola up on the pan, so that it can brown evenly. Put the tray back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Once removed from the oven, place the tray on a wire rack and let it cool completely. You can store it in an air tight container for a couple weeks time. 

Enjoy this granola with your favorite in-season fruit and some yogurt or milk. I have been eating mine with black cherries and slightly sweetened yogurt! It'll surely be a good start to your day!

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)

The BEST Lemon Blueberry Muffins

The recipe I'm about to share with you is in the front running for one of the very best muffin recipes I've ever tried. I was looking for a way to use up some vanilla flavoured greek yogurt that was drawing close to it's best before date. I wanted to use as much of the yogurt as possible and I needed to restock on breakfast foods so I figured a batch of muffins would be the best way to remedy the situation.

After searching through a few recipes I found online, I settled for this Joy of Baking recipe. The only addition I ended up making was 1 tsp of lemon rind, and I used vanilla yogurt in place of plain. I had originally wanted to use the smaller wild blueberry in this recipe but as it turns out the cultivated frozen blueberries were on sale at the grocery store, so I decided to go with that. They turned out wonderfully! They are super moist (even more so the day (or two) after baking!), and the bursts of blueberry are paired well with a hint of lemony goodness.

Don't let the thickness of the batter worry you. This turns out much thicker than other muffin batters I have made in the past. It doesn't pour, so you have to make muffin balls and place them inside the muffin cups (or greased muffin pan). Please do yourself a favour and try these muffins at least once!

The BEST Lemon Blueberry Muffins (Adapted from Joy of Baking)

Ingredients

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup vanilla flavoured greek yogurt

1/3 cup vegetable (or other non-flavoured) oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon rind

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used frozen)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. If you are using paper muffin cups, place these inside the muffin tin. If not, lightly butter or use cooking spray on the muffin tin.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg, yogurt, oil, vanilla, and lemon rind. Set aside.

In a large sized bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add in the blueberries and stir gently (if you are using frozen blueberries, place in the batter while they are still frozen, otherwise you will end up with blue batter!). Fold the wet ingredients in the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Remember that the batter will be super thick!

Make the muffin dough into balls using an ice cream scoop, two spoons (or even your hands). The muffin ball should fill the wrapper/tin. I was able to make one muffin tin (12 muffins) with this amount of batter.

Place the muffins in the oven and bake for 15 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the centre comes out clean (mine ended up taking closer to 25, but my oven is quite old and I suspect the temperature is off).

Enjoy!

- Alex (Bean) 

Warm Brussels Sprout & Soft Boiled Egg Salad

Apartment cleaning was complete, errands were run, dog grooming was finished. Finally, a chance to sit and enjoy a gorgeous spring Saturday. There isn't much to this dish, but it is simple and satisfying and works great as a weekend brunch dish.

Warm Brussels Sprout & Soft Boiled Egg Salad

1 soft boiled egg*
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups of Brussels sprouts, cut into eighths
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
Salt & Pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)

First prepare your Brussels sprouts by cutting off the ends of them and remove the first few outer leaves. Wash the sprouts well in cold water. Cut the sprouts into eighths.

Heat a medium sized frying pan and add in the extra virgin olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add the Brussels sprouts. Add in a quarter cup of water and cover the pan. Let the Brussels sprouts cook until tend and slightly caramelized on the outside. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

While the Brussels sprouts are cooking, mix the dressing together: dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and the sugar. Add the dressing to the pan with the warm Brussel sprouts and toss together. Top with a sliced soft boiled egg, salt and pepper and if you are feeling a bit decadent, some parmesan cheese.

*To prepare a soft boiled egg, add your eggs into a medium sized sauce pan and fill with water until the eggs are just covered. Heat on the stove until the water boils. Once the water has boiled allow the eggs to cook for 3.5 minutes. Once the time is up, turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the water for another 1.5 minutes.  Then rinse the eggs under cold water until they are cool to touch. Peel the eggs and slice!

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)

Saturday Morning Simplicity - A Lesson in Scrambled Eggs

Good morning! Very good Saturday morning here in Ottawa. The forecast is calling for a partly cloudy day with a high of 8 degrees Celsius! Why, that's down-right sweltering for this time of year! To start the day off right, I wanted a nice, simple breakfast. One of my favorite dishes to make, is classic scrambled eggs. No toast, no hash browns, just a little plate of scrambled eggs on their own. I didn't always fancy scrambled eggs, but when done right, they are little yellow pillows of heaven - especially on a slow Saturday morning with some coffee.

So, how do you get perfect scrambled eggs? I have come up with a method, based on watching a whole host of cooking shows and learning from pros like the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten (who by the way looks exactly like my mother in law). Here is my adapted method for scrambled eggs for one.

Scrambled Eggs for One

3 large eggs (try to buy local or get free-range eggs)

1 tablespoon of 2% milk

pinch of salt

one turn of freshly cracked pepper

1 heat proof spatula

1 medium sized non-stick pan

Crack three eggs into a bowl. Add the tablespoon of milk, salt and pepper.

This is the first place where I think being gentle in this recipe fits in. You do not want to beat the eggs incorporating air or making bubbles. This consequently  does not make the scrambled eggs any fluffier. Gently break the yolks with a fork and beat very gently and lightly. Beat the eggs only until the yolk and egg whites are somewhat incorporated, and you can still see a slight variation in color between a dark yellow and lighter yellow. 

Over a medium-low heat, let the non-stick pan sit empty for about 15 seconds. The medium-low heat is crucial for this recipe, you do not want the eggs to cook too quickly. Pour in the egg mixture and let it sit for about 5 seconds. Then using the heat proof spatula, move the egg around in the pan. You will see the egg start to cook; keep slowly and gently mixing and scraping the egg in the pan into the centre. Once you have what looks like wet scrambled eggs in a pile in the pan, stop mixing and let it sit for about 10 seconds. Then move the egg around in the pan again, piling in the middle and let sit for another 10 seconds. Turn the heat off. The scrambled eggs are done cooking when the eggs have a glistening look to them but are not wet and not dry. Transfer to a plate and you are ready to eat! 

Personally, I like hot sauce on everything and eggs are no exception. Because Bon Appetit magazine dubbed this week Sriracha week, I thought I would add that for a spicy and garlicky kick.

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)

Garlic & Savoury Quickbread Focaccia

You know when you suddenly get the craving for a snack late a night? You run to the cupboard, open it up and...nothing. You clasp the refrigerator door handle, close your eyes and quickly throw open the door, peak open one eye and...nada! I thought, I could go out to the corner store, but that would have meant bundling up in warm clothes. To quote Liz Lemon, "Blerg!"

After about ten minutes of sulking, I mustered up enough energy to step back in the kitchen and look through the cupboards again. Chickpea flour. Hmm. Garlic and savoury. Hmm. It took me a few minutes but I came up with a super fast snack! This rustic treat is garlicky, salty and very satifying, especially when eaten warm, right out of the oven. And, let's face it, who would really wait for it to cool down?

Garlic & Savoury Quickbread Focaccia

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cups chickpea flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup olive oil

warm water

1/2 teaspoon dried savoury

1 clove garlic minced

sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a shallow, medium sized bowl or directly on your counter mix the all purpose flour, chickpea flour, baking powder and sea salt, creating a mound with a well in the centre. In the centre of the well pour the olive oil and slowly add the warm water into the centre, while incorporating the flour. Only add enough warm water until the dough is moist and not too wet. If you add too much water, simply add a bit more all purpose flour. Knead the dough for about a minute. Coat a pan with a small amount of olive oil and press the dough onto the pan in a circle shape making small indents into the top with the tips of your fingers. Spread the minced garlic, savoury and salt and pepper to taste on top of the dough. Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until just golden on top. 

This is a perfect late night snack, but will also go great on the side with a salad or soup - especially the Curried Sweet Pepper Soup that Alex made.

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)

This is BANANAS!

Each week when I go to the grocery store, I pick up a bunch of bananas. Truth be told, I am very picky about bananas. I really have to be in the mood to eat a banana and the level of ripeness has to be just right. Bananas, however, only stay in the perfect state of ripeness for about a day. Once that precise moment is gone, for me, it's too late. You can slow the ripening of a banana by separating them (see this article on LifeHacker: http://lifehacker.com/5891257/separate-bananas-to-slow-down-their-ripening), but like I said, I have to be in the mood for eating a banana. So, inevitably, I end up with a bunch of overripe bananas which I throw in my freezer.

This week, I opened the freezer door up and an avalanche of bananas fell out. Quietly admitting to myself that I have a problem, I decided I need to do something about it! Frozen bananas are great for smoothies, but I was in the mood to bake something. I realized I didn't have much breakfast food in the house, so I thought what better thing to make with those leftover bananas. After a quick scan in the cupboard and fridge, and a few moments of thought on how I could make something pretty healthy and tasty - I came up with it! Et voila - Banana Carrot Oat Breakfast Bites!

Banana Carrot Oat Breakfast Bites

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 3/4 cups quick oats

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon dried, ground ginger

1/4 cup shortening

1 egg

1 carrot, grated

3 medium bananas, mashed

1/4 teaspoon orange rind

1/8 cup squeezed orange juice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. In a separate bowl, cream the shortening and sugar together; whisk until fluffy. Add the egg, mashed banana, carrot, orange rind and orange juice and mix well. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet, only until the mixture comes together. Do not over mix.

On an ungreased, non-stick cookie sheet, make dollops of the batter spaced approximately one inch apart. Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, just until the bottoms of the bites are golden brown. Let the bites cool on the pans and remove. Store in an airtight container. I divided mine into ziplock bags to take to work each day this week. These are super healthy and rather addictive. They are really delicious with some strong dark coffee and asliced fresh orange in the morning. If you like something a little bit sweeter, you could also make a cream cheese icing to drizzle on top, making it a great item to bring to a brunch!

BONUS BANANA RECIPE! Guatemalan Banana Bread

Here is another fantastic recipe which can help you use up those leftover, overripe bananas. This banana bread is a staple in Guatemala and is absolutely delicious, fluffy and sweet. The lemon juice and cinnamon add a distinct and unusual taste to a classic quick bread recipe. 

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the mashed bananas, lemon juice and egg. Combine the rest of the dry ingredients together (salt, cinnamon, flour and baking powder). Combine the wet and dry ingredients together. Bake in a loaf or square greased baking pan. For ease of removal, you can also use parchment paper in the bottom of the pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until the bread is slightly golden and dry in the middle. You can use a toothpick to test this; stick the toothpick in the middle of the bread, if it pulls out clean without any excess batter, the bread is done. This method can be used for testing any quick breads or cakes you are baking. Let the bread cool in the pan, then remove and slice. Serve this for breakfast or for dessert. 

Enjoy!

-Tina (Turnip)