One of my most recent experiments resulted in what is now my favorite coffee cake of all time. This coffee cake uses dried figs, dates, and nuts as part of the crumble topping.

This helps keep the cake moist while baking and gives a slight nod toward the fig newtons of my childhood.  I wasn’t a huge fan of fig newtons as a kid but when I got older I enjoyed them a great deal.

Having found dried figs at the store, I knew that I wanted to use them in something.  With seasonal beers out right now, the idea of making a coffee cake with one seemed like a natural fit.

I’ve made this cake several times since the first experiment and it always makes me squee with happiness when I get a chance to nibble on it.

Andrea’s Fig and Date Coffee Cake

For the Batter:

• 1 1/4C Dark Winter Ale
• 1C Oats
• 2C White Whole Wheat Flour
• 2tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1tsp Baking Soda
• 1TBSP Maple Syrup

For the Topping:

• 8 Dried and Pitted Dates
• 1C Dried Figs, stems removed
• 1C Pecans, Heaping
• 2TBSP Brown Sugar, Packed
• 2tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2tsp Cinnamon

In a medium sized mixing bowl, add in dates and figs and cover with very hot water.  Allow to steep for at least half an hour.  Drain water from dates and figs.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a square baking dish with nonstick spray or olive oil.  About a 9×8 dish is what I used.

In a food processor, combine all ingredients for the topping.  Pulse until everything is broken up and a crumble forms.  It will be sticky and will stick together.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients for the batter and whisk.  In a medium sized mixing bowl combine wet ingredients, beer, maple syrup, and vanilla and whisk.  Slowly add the liquid mix to the dry mix.  Gently stir until everything is combined.  Pour mixture into baking dish.  Top batter with fig and date crumble.  You’ll have to use your hands to crumble it and spread it around.  The crumble mixture should cover the entire top of the batter.

Bake in oven for about 10 minutes.  A toothpick inserted will come out clean.  Don’t over bake as that will result in a dry coffee cake.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Slice and serve!

I used Rivertown’s Winter Ale for this coffee cake.  It’s brewed with molasses and cinnamon.  The cinnamon is very prominent in this beer and I knew that it would work well in the coffee cake.  It’s also a dark colored beer which provides a nice caramel color to the coffee cake.

We had this coffee cake over the Thanksgiving holiday and I’m already dreaming about when I can have it again! That’s how much I love it!

The fig and date topping help keep the cake moist while also making it a very filling cake.  This isn’t your grandma’s coffee cake.  This baby is hearty!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 4

When Scott and I were dating, I would order this soup as a starter whenever I saw it on the menu.  It wasn’t the best “date” soup to be eating but Scott never minded me slurping away or when I had cheese dangling from my chin.

He’s a keeper!

Once I started making it at home, I stopped getting it out at restaurants.  For some reason I have not made this soup in ages and recently decided that I needed to change that.

My version is not traditional at all but it gets the job done.  When I’m craving French Onion soup, this is where I turn.

Andrea’s French Onion Soup For Two

• 1QT Beef Stock
• 1/3C Merlot (or another dry red wine)
• 2-3TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 1/2 Medium Onion, sliced thin
• 1 Large Shallot, sliced thin
• 2C Frozen, chopped greens
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Large Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
• Dash of Sage
• Sprinkle of Garlic Powder
• Olive Oil for sauteeing, about 1-1 1/2 TBSP
• 1/2 of a baguette
• Olive Oil for baguette, about 1TBSP
• Swiss Cheese Slices, about four thick slices
• Chopped Parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice baguette on an angle and place on a baking sheet either lined with parchment paper or silipat.  Brush slices with a bit of olive oil and place on baking sheet.  Slide baking sheet into oven and bake until the slices are toasty and golden in color.  May take between 7-10 minutes.  Keep an eye on them so they do not burn.

Heat a soup pot over medium heat and add in the olive oil.  Once that is heated, add in the onion slices and the shallot.  Stir, add in salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Stir again and reduce heat to medium low.  Cook onions and shallot for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  They will soften and start to caramelize.  Once they have reached a nice light brown color, add in the sage, garlic powder and stir.  Add in worcestershire sauce, and stir. Cook for two minutes. Add in the merlot and stir.  Let cook for about three minutes.  Then add in the beef stock and bring up to a simmer.  Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, prep your soup crocks.  Brushing the tops of them with a bit of oil will help keep the cheese from sticking too much to the outside.

Once soup has simmered, ladle soup into the soup crocks.  Add in a few of the toasted baguette slices and top with slices of swiss cheese.

Place crocks on a baking sheet and very carefully place in the oven.  Let heat just until the cheese is melty and bubbling.  About 5-10 minutes.

Very carefully remove from oven and very carefully place soup crocks on a small serving plate.  Sprinkle tops with chopped parsley and add a few more baguette slices on the side.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

It was a cold Saturday afternoon and this soup made the perfect lunch.  It was warm and very filling!

Swiss cheese isn’t traditional but it was what I had on hand at the time.  I have made this with a lovely aged provolone as well, which gives the soup a nice little sharp bite to it.  The swiss was very creamy and melted perfectly over the crock.

The addition of the greens is because I wanted this soup to have a vegetable added to it, but not something that would over power or take away from the main flavor.  The greens gave it a little more umph and a little more balance.

Parsley on top just because it makes for a nice garnish!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 4

I went back and forth about stuffing it because I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to stuff it with, rice or…?

If I had had goat cheese on hand, I would have made a rice concoction.  Since I didn’t, I decided to go with stuffing to stuff the squash.

I used my apple stuffing recipe to keep things very fall-ish feeling.

I cut the squash in half and removed the seeds.  I saved those though because I can roast them!

I preheated the oven to 400.  I filled a baking dish with a little bit of water to create a steam.  I put butter on the exposed squash and sprinkled it with a little all purpose seasoning (similiar to poultry seasoning).

I roasted the squash for about 20 minutes and then flipped it over for another 15 or so.

While that roasted I made the stuffing.  When everything was done, I put the stuffing on top of the squash and called it dinner.

They are not kidding when they call this squash sweet.  Goodness!  It is crazy sweet, like I felt my teeth curl up, kind of sweet.

Scott loved it, I could only handle so much of the sweet before I tapped out.

The texture is amazingly buttery though and oh so creamy.  This would make an excellent casserole or pie.

Next time, I’m definitely going to try and make a rice mixture to go in it.  One that’s really savory and maybe a little spicy to combat all that sweetness.

Have you ever had a sweet dumpling squash before?  Do you eat much squash in the winter?

Comments: 4

Growing up, we didn’t have traditional biscuits.  My mom made drop biscuits.  Drop biscuits are made without having to knead the dough and adding in butter.

They’re really easy to make and are a nice addition to a meal.

My mom always made them with Bisquick and in the beginning I did as well.

As I started paying more attention to ingredients and eliminating processed food, Bisquick had to go.

Since drop biscuits are so simple to make, there’s no need to use a boxed mix.

Andrea’s Whole Wheat Drop Biscuits

• 1 1/2C White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2tsp Baking Powder

A Pinch Of:

• Salt
• Ground Black Pepper
• Ground Sage

Liquid:

• 1C Unsweetened Coconut Milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone liner.  In a medium sized mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients and whisk.  Slowly add in the coconut milk and stir.  This will be a thick batter, keep mixing until all the dry mixture is incorporated in with the coconut milk.

Drop mixture by the spoonful onto the lined baking sheet.  Size is up to you, smaller biscuits will have a faster cooking time.  Larger biscuits take about 5-7 minutes.

Remove when biscuits are browned on top and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

These don’t take long at all to cook, so keep an eye on them.

Remove from oven, allow to cool for about a minute and serve.

This is a basic biscuit, once you get the concept and technique down, feel free to play with the flavor!  I was pairing these biscuits with something that had a sage flavor to it, hence the sage in the mix.  However you are free to use what you like!

If you feel the dough is a bit dry, you can add in more coconut milk but not much, start with a tablespoon.

Naturally you can use milk (though they will not be vegan any longer) or your nondairy beverage of choice, I tend to have coconut milk on hand.

These are begging for some jam or gravy!

Do you make biscuits?

Comments: 2

The idea of a fried green tomato intrigued me. The closest thing to it I did have was fried zucchini.  There was good fried zucchini and then there was horrible fried zucchini. If you’ve ever had fried zucchini, you know exactly what I’m talking about. I looked into making fried green tomatoes and realized the technique between the two was very similar.

Plus what a great way to use up unripe tomatoes! They are always in abundance come the end of summer, right?  Breaded warm tomatoes are amazing, maybe with a little cheese on top and you’ve got a really great side dish.

However I wanted to lighten them up a bit because I don’t like a lot of fried things.  I can handle a little but not too much.  Since I didn’t want to fry up the tomatoes, how could I make fried green tomatoes unfried?

The solution is simple; a metal cooling rack and a really hot oven.

Andrea’s Unfried Green Tomatoes

• 2 Large Green Tomatoes, sliced thick
• 1/4C Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, plus another 1/4C
• 1/4C-1/2C Breadcrumbs (or cornmeal)
• 1 Large egg, beaten plus some water
• Hot sauce
• Garlic Powder
• Chili Powder
• Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and place a metal cooling rack on top of that.  Spray the cooling rack with oil or nonstick spray.

Get out 3 large bowls and set up a breading station.  In one bowl goes 1/4C AP Flour.  In another bowl goes the beaten egg with water.  To the egg add your hot sauce, and mix a little more.  As much hot sauce as you like, just not so much that it makes the egg too liquidy.  In the last bowl add in the 1/4C AP flour along with breadcrumbs.  Add in seasonings to this bowl, to taste.  I like a lot of garlic powder and a touch of chili powder.  Mix.

Dip the tomato in the AP flour, then the egg mixture, then the AP flour and breadcrumb mixture.  Place on cooling rack.  Repeat until all the tomato slices have been breaded. If you need more of any of the ingredients, add along as you go.

Once all the slices are breaded, spray or lightly brush the tops with olive oil.  Place in oven and allow to bake for about 10 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are nice and crispy.  Remove baking sheet from oven, plate the tomatoes and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

They come out crispy every time! They are slightly tangy from the green tomato but have a very savory note because of the seasoned egg mixture and seasoned breadcrumbs.  You can use this same method with zucchini as well.

The next time you find yourself with an abundance of green tomatoes give the unfried version a try, I think you’ll be pleased!

Comments: 6

Or several times.

I’m as guilty as the next person, I used to have them on hand all the time.  Then a light bulb went off and I realized I could make my own at home with the bread that I liked.

Making breadcrumbs couldn’t be easier, you only need two things:

• Bread
• Food Processor

That’s it!  I like to use the end pieces of bread to make bread crumbs but you can use whatever you like.  After I slice up bread that I brought home, I usually put the end pieces in their own bag.  Unless I eat one right away!  I take the bag of end pieces and tuck them in the freezer until I’m ready or until I gather enough to make bread crumbs.

When the time comes, I pull the bread out and let them sit out in the kitchen for about a day so they get nice and stale.  Then I plop them in the food processor and pulse until I get the desired consistency for my bread crumbs.  I like them small and fine, so I pulse quite a few times.

You have the option of seasoning the breadcrumbs at that point or waiting until you use them and season them to accent the dish you are using them for.  Dried herbs like oregano and basil with some garlic powder will get you the “Italian Style” breadcrumbs that you see at the market.

When you make breadcrumbs at home you are in the driver’s seat and have control of the situation.  You know what bread was used and what it was made of. If you bought local, you know where it was made as well! Plus you know when exactly those breadcrumbs were made and you know exactly what’s in them.

This can provide great peace of mind when you are trying hard to provide healthy meals to your family and friends.

Then you can use your breadcrumbs to make fabulous dishes like “unfried green tomatoes”.  Recipe for those tomorrow!

Comments: 3

I love stuffing and gravy, both of which are treats that we don’t have very often. I’ll be darned if I was going to let it go to waste!

But what to do with it?

That evening was a very cold and rainy night. Complete with freezing rain and then snow, all of which screamed for a big bowl of something warm and comforting.  Then the idea came to me, why not make a stuffing bowl?

I had veggies and decided to combine that with the stuffing.

I didn’t measure anything, so the following are guesstimates.

Andrea’s Veggie Stuffing Bowls

• Leftover Stuffing
• Leftover Gravy
• 1 Small Head of Cauliflower, chopped up into bite size pieces
• 1 Yellow Squash, chopped into bite size pieces
• Leftover roast veggies if you have them
• 1/2 TBSP Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/2tsp All Purpose or Poultry Seasoning
• 1tsp Garlic Powder

In a sautee pan, add the olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Toss in the squash and cauliflower, season with seasonings and stir.  Sautee until the squash starts to soften. Add in the leftover stuffing and heat through. Spoon into bowls and serve! Top with heated up leftover gravy.

Super easy, right? Very comforting and yummy as well! The cauliflower stays crunchy which provides a nice texture since everything else is on the softer side.  This is really just a concept idea more than an exact recipe because you can use whatever veggies you have on hand in this dish. Even adding in some beans would be a great idea and give you a little protein boost.

This also might be great done casserole style. Combine everything in a casserole dish (except the gravy) and add in a little liquid of choice.  Bake for about 1/2 and hour to let the veggies soften up, then serve!

Perfect bowl of delicious on a cold wintery evening!

Do you like leftovers? I like being able to get creative with them!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Comments: 1

Beer and Bacon Mac ‘N Cheese will definitely be a crowd pleaser!

Spicy Chex Mix is easy to make and even quicker to replenish when the snack attack hits.

Pasta and Lentil salad to get some veggies in on Game Day!

Quick coleslaw, great as a side or as a topping to some pulled pork or a burger!

This Chipotle Glaze would go lovely on some wings!

Chipotle not your style? Try these Garlic Teriykai Wings instead.

Cheddar Beer Bread for carbs so you can party all day long, cheese for staying power!

Just for the Steeler fans, you better get some chipped ham right quick and get a crockpot of Ham BBQ going to make sandwiches.  Have some Iron City on ice too while you’re at it!

GO STEELERS!

Comments: 5

I still don’t want any apple pie though!  You all can have that.

I’ve also been toying around with new ideas for some holiday dishes and one I played with was stuffing.  Oh man both Scott and I love stuffing.  Mmmmm!  I love it super seasoned with crispy edges.  My mom made alright stuffing but you know, I used to really like the box mix stuff!  I used to make that for Scott and I all the time.  Then about nine years ago, I started researching how to make stuffing from scratch and I discovered that it’s not hard at all.

From that point on, I started making homemade stuffing.  This allows me to control the ingredients and how much seasoning I want, it’s a win-win for us all!  Plus you know homemade is better than any box of whatever.

Since I was playing around with stuffing ingredients I decided to add in some chopped apples.  I have a bunch in my fridge and I’ve been using them in lots of dishes lately.  I have seen a lot of talk about apples in stuffing before but never gave it a second thought until now.  In went some apples and out came a great stuffing!

Andrea’s Thanksgiving Apple Stuffing

• 1/2 Onion, chopped
• 2 Large Sweet Apples (I used a combo of honeycrisp and Macintosh)
• 2 Large Carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 Clove garlic, grated
• 1/2 Whole Grain Baguette, cubed
• 1tsp Garlic Powder
• Big pinch of Red Pepper flakes
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2tsp All-Purpose Seasoning (Or poultry seasoning)
• 1C Chicken Stock (May need additional)
• Olive Oil for sautéing
• Shredded Cheddar (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a large casserole dish.  In a medium high-sided skillet, drizzle in some olive oil, about 1 TBSP and heat over medium heat.  Add in onions, apple, and carrots.  Coat with oil and season with all of the above seasonings.  Sauté for about 3-4 minutes until all the veggies and apples start to soften.  Add in the bread cubes and combine.  Slowly add in the chicken stock, 1/2C at a time.  Allow the bread to absorb the stock and then add in some more.

The mixture should pull together and start to combine.  If not, add in a touch more stock.  Once everything is combined, remove from heat and place in the casserole dish.  Heat in oven for about 15 minutes until it starts to crisp up.  Then top with shredded cheddar and allow to melt, about another 5 minutes.  Remove and serve immediately!

If I would have had some celery I would have used that here also, but I didn’t have any one hand.  Aside from the missing veg, this stuffing turned out amazing.  It was full of flavor and had plenty of texture from the different ingredients.  The whole grain bread made it way more filling and satisfying.

Of course you can use white bread here if you can’t find whole grain baguette.  The cheddar is optional, I used it because we were having this as a standalone side dish and there was no gravy or sauce to accompany it.  When we have this with Thanksgiving, it should pair really well with the turkey gravy!

If you have turkey stock from your roasting turkey, feel free to use that instead of chicken.

I found a lovely seasoning, called All-Purpose seasoning and it is like a poultry seasoning just with a few extra things tossed in.  Poultry seasoning would be completely fine in this dish if that is what you have available to you.

I never thought I would be eating apples in a stuffing and yet here I am and I can’t get enough!  I’m now desperately excited for Thanksgiving so that I can make this again!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Comments: 4

I used to buy croutons all the time at the store.  I had my favorite brands and favorite flavors.  Garlic was a must and cheese was optional.

Croutons that came on salads from a restaurant seemed even more special.  No doubt they were the same croutons I was buying myself but when you’re out to dinner everything always seems a little more decadent and special.

I rarely meet a crouton that I don’t like.  Oh it happens, just not often.

For some reason it never occurred to me to make my own until I saw Ina do it several years ago.  Then the lightbulb went off, “I can do that too!”

The best part about making your own croutons is that you are in control of what goes on them and how much you use.  If you are using bread that you made yourself, bonus points because you have even more control of what goes into your food!

While I love all bread, I prefer a nice whole grain for eating.  Yet when it comes to making croutons, a good old French baggette does the job nicely.  I love the baguette because it’s got a nice texture to work with.  The day of purchase it’s crusty with a softer inside, perfect for dipping and making bruschetta.  The next day?  It’s hard enough to knock one out of the park or defend yourself against an intruder.  Perfect for making croutons.  You have to love versatility.

I’m also going to let you in on a little secret, you do not have to use day old or stale bread to make croutons.  You can use fresh bread.

Totally true!

All you need is some bread of your choice and then cut it up into bite sized pieces.

Here’s how to make croutons at home.  Keep in mind that I’m passing along a concept and not an exact recipe.  Amounts depend on your taste preferences and how much bread you have.

Andrea’s Homemade Restaurant Style Croutons

• 1 French Bagguette, cut into bite size pieces
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Garlic Powder
• Italian Seasoning ( I use Mrs. Dash)

Preheat oven to 350 and line a large baking sheet with foil.  Spray with olive oil or non-stick spray.  In a large mixing bowl add the bread cubes, drizzle olive oil and vinegar on top, toss using your hands or using a large spoon.  Add in garlic powder and Italian seasoning, again, toss using your hands or a large spoon.

Place bread pieces on the baking sheet and into the oven for about 10-15 minutes.  Keep an eye on the bread to make sure it doesn’t burn.  Stir it occasionally and test the bread to see if it is hard and crispy.  When it has reached that stage and it picked up some golden brown color, remove from oven and allow to cool.  Add to soups and salads!

I told you it was easy to do!  The trickiest part is to make sure the bread doesn’t burn which is really simple.  You just have check the bread every few minutes to make sure it isn’t toasting up too far.

This works for both fresh and stale bread.  Fresh bread will still toast up and get crispy in the oven.  Use what you have on hand, and if that means stale or day old bread, go for it!  You can even do this with cornbread!  Cornbread will require a gentler hand because it can be crumbly, but will make croutons for you.

The balsamic gives the croutons a little bit of a darker color and also adds some tang to the taste.  Totally optional though, if you would rather straight olive oil that’s okay too!

If you want to get even fancier, you can grate some parm on the croutons before baking to give them a little hint of cheesy goodness.

For me, it’s like having mini garlic bread bites in your salad!

Now who’s going to make some croutons this week?

Comments: 7