Sauteed Apples with Crushed Pecans

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Andrea

Sometimes I want a topping for Sunday Morning Pancakes that brings a little more umph than syrup. I want something in addition to syrup.

Since we always have a fruit with breakfast (and lunch!), I decided to make that part of the dish instead of just a side.

Sauteed bites of apple with the sweetness of crushed pecans is a great topping for pancakes.

Andrea’s Sauteed Apples with Crushed Pecans

2 Small – Medium Red Apples, chopped

1/2C Crushed Pecans

2TBSP Butter

1tsp Olive Oil

1/2tsp Cinnamon

In a medium sized skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat. When the butter starts sizzling, add in the apples and cinnamon. Sautee for about 3 minutes and then add in the crushed pecans. Sautee for another 3 minutes, remove from heat and serve!

Makes enough topping for 3 servings.

Perfect for pancakes! The apples are warm but stil crisp since they are not cooked for very long. Plus you’re starting you day off with a serving of fruit!

Banana Nut Pancakes

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Andrea

Me: What kind of pancakes do you want this week?

Him: Something with nuts!

Me: What kind of nuts, pecans or walnuts?

Him: What did we just have with the coffee cake?

Me: Pecans.

Him: Then we should have walnuts.

Me: Done

And this is how Banana Nut or what I lovingly call, my favorite pancakes ever, were born.

Andrea’s Banana Nut Pancakes

1C Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1C Buckwheat Flour

1tsp Baking Soda

1tsp Cinnamon

2TBSP Sugar

1C Walnuts, crushed

1 Large banana

1C Unsweetened Coconut Milk (the kind in the dairy section, not from a can)

1C Water

2tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

Preheat grilled over medium heat. In a large mixing bowl combine the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, and walnuts and whisk together. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the water, coconut milk, vinegar, extract, and banana. Mash the banana in the liquids as much as possible.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and stir until everything is combined. Grease your griddle with a little oil and drop batter by spoonfuls. The size is up to you! Cook for about three minutes on the first side or until you start seeing several bubbles pop up in the center. Flip and cook for another minute to two minutes. Remove from heat and continue until all the batter has been used.

Italian Chocolate Meatball Cookies

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Andrea

For the Holiday Cookie Exchange, I was paired up with Jess! She sent along her recipe for Italian Chocolate Meatball Cookies.

I made a few changes to accomodate what I had on hand along with adjusting to suit our tastes.

Below is the original recipe from Jess:

Italian Chocolate Meatball Cookies

from Dianna Petrella’s recipe (a family friend)

Ingredients

1 cup shortening (yes, you have to use shortening or something like Earth Balance – unfortunately butter just doesn’t work right)

1.5 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 cup warm milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

5 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup cocoa powder (Hershey’s, Ghirardelli, or Scharffen Berger are good)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cloves

1 cup walnuts (finely chopped)

1 cup raisins

1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl (ideally you would do this in a stand mixer if you have one; I wouldn’t recommend a hand mixer unless you’ve got an industrial strength one). Roll into balls. Bake at 350º for 10-15 minutes. Cool and dip tops into confectionary sugar frosting and sprinkle tops with confetti. Freeze for up to three months. Yields 4-5 dozen.

For frosting, mix 3 cups confectionary sugar, 2 Tbsp milk, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

My adapations are as follows:

Fig and Date Coffee Cake

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Andrea

It’s no secret that I like cooking with beer but I also like baking with beer. And experimenting with different ways to use beer in the kitchen.

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.

Read more on Fig and Date Coffee Cake…

Buzzin Bars

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Andrea

Last week Scott left for a business trip that had him away from the house for about a week. He was flying off to San Francisco to geek out about code and be in his element.

Because I knew that eating times might be odd and because I know Scott, this meant he would need to take some food along with him.

He was taking a carry on which meant that the food had to be small, easy to carry, and not prone to spoilage. And since I knew that these could very well be a meal source, I knew that they had to be jam packed with good stuff. Stuff that could get you through a couple of hours.

I like using soaked dates in bars and coffee cakes because it adds a nice sweetness without being over powering. Plus they are a great source of fiber and potassium.

Plus I wanted to do something fun so I added an extra little kick to these bars.

Pina Colda Pancakes

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Andrea

Earlier this week, I discussed how a recent kitchen flop then lead me to create one of the best pancake flavors to date. Happy day!

I had been toying around with making a summery-themed pancake one that tasted like the sun and reminds you of the beach and drinks with little umbrellas in them.

Or tasted like the sun and reminded you of being pool-side with drinks that had little umbrellas in them.

I’m flexible.

Once I trashed the failed pancakes, I got busy making some Pina Colada inspired pancakes. While I don’t like an actual pina colada, the flavors that make one up are fantastic and can be used in other applications (like smoothies!).

I knew that I could use those flavors in a pancake as well!

Andrea’s Pina Colada Pancakes

1C Spelt Flour

1C Buckwheat Flour

Pinch Ground Cinnamon

1/2C Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

2TBSP Cane Sugar

1/2tsp Baking Soda

1C Pineapple Juice

1/2C SO Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk

Homemade Granola

Posted on December 6, 2009 by Andrea

I love granola and am pretty sure that I have always loved it. I was never much into the chewy granola bars, I loved the crunchy more sturdy ones. I always felt oh so healthy when eating granola. It’s oats and nuts and sometimes fruit! How can that be bad?

I also always purchased granola because for some reason I had it in my head that it was hard to make. Eventually I started realizing how much money I was spending on granola because granola is flipping expensive! I also became aware of how much sugar was in the granola. I’m not a big sugar person anyway and when I realized just how much sugar is in manufactured granola, I sort of silently freaked out. I personally don’t want or need that much sugar in my life.

It was at this point that I started making my own granola. It was a rocky start that resulted in plenty of burnt batches. Lesson learned, granola is a project of love. Slow, easy, and steady will get you the results you want. Aggression and haste will just leave you frustrated and unsatisfied. None of us want that!

Roasted Green Beans with Almonds

Posted on July 5, 2009 by Andrea

We love veggies here at the HQ and because of that, I’m constantly exploring new ways to cook up some of our favorites. Both of us really love green beans. For me, it’s one of those comfort veggies that I have great memories of and that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy when I eat it.

Summer is when certain veggies shine and come into their own and green beans are one of those veggies. They are plentiful in the grocery stores and I tend to stock up when I shop.

The most recent time we had green beans, I wanted to try something a little different with them. I’ve roasted green beans before but this time I added a few other things and the results were exactly what I was looking for. Both of us enjoyed this dish and it made a great side for our grilled feast we had that night.

Andrea’s Roasted Green Beans with Almonds

Pear and Brie Crostini

Posted on December 7, 2008 by Andrea

Cranberry Sauce

I am a lover of cheese, but I’m not a lover of all cheese. Blue cheese or anything that has a mold as an ingredient is not something I really want to eat. Stinky cheeses and sheep’s milk cheese are also not cheeses I care for much.

This may surprise you, but brie is also not a cheese I care for too much. I know people love it but for me, brie basically tastes like what an old musty basement would taste like if you could spread it on a cracker and serve it during cocktail hour.

However I can appreciate the creamy perfection of this cheese and how when melted, it envelops everything it touches. I have discovered that I like and enjoy brie when something sweet is accompanying it.

Because brie is a cheese that almost everyone else on the planet loves and it shows up often during the holidays, I wanted to create a recipe that could be served as an appetizer. Something other than brie en croute because let’s face it, that is an old worn out technique. I also wanted something where the color would stand out and incorporated classic fall/winter flavors. Pear and Brie Crostini is the answer.

Cranberry and Pecan Stuffed Acorn Squash

Posted on November 16, 2008 by Andrea

Roasted Acorn Squash

I’ve been experimenting with winter squashes lately. These are a new item at OHC HQ and one that we are thoroughly enjoying. I didn’t grow up eating winter squash aside from pumpkin, and that was only in pie. Perhaps a cookie, but that’s as far as it went. All the other varieties of squash never crossed the threshold and I’m pretty sure it was the same way over at young Scott’s house as well.

During my experimentations, both of us have decided that we love the winter squashes and currently we have not met a squash we didn’t like. A familiar squash this time of year is the little acorn squash. Perfect as a meal on its own or playing costar as a side dish. And one thing that seems pretty typical is a stuffed acorn squash. Meat of some sort seems to be a common ingredient, sausage taking a top spot.