Category Archives: Baked Goods
DIY Granola Bars
carrot-cake “muffins”
cranberry christmas bread
ginger molasses pumpkin bread
lasagna & cupcakes
Today I read a beautiful post, On Making and Effort to be Thankful for your Food, from one of my favorite websites The Kitchn. It reminded me that cooking and eating should not always be about satisfying your every craving, but rather about being thankful and nourishing your body. How often do we spend an extra five minutes on the internet in the morning instead of packing leftovers or making a quick lunch and later indulge in that gourmet sandwich from a nearby deli? See a recipe we are dying to try, run out to the store and buy thirty dollars worth of new ingredients, and ignore the over-stocked refrigerator with milk, eggs, cheese and vegetables (that would have made a perfectly delicious quiche). We live in a self-fulfilling, consumer driven society and it is often hard to break these habits. I want to start making a conscious effort to stop and remember how fortunate I am, try to find small ways to cut back on waste and excess spending, and give back to others.
Speaking of giving and thanks, my Locavore Lasagna dinner would not have been possible without the generosity of my friends and my wonderful share from Rosebank Farms. Kellen harvested a variety of beautiful lettuces from his garden ranging from bitter mustard greens and arugula to buttery, bibb lettuces, which I used to make the fall salad below. Milena provided me with fresh herbs from her new garden project: rosemary, basil, and thyme, which I used to flavor the lasagna (recipe below). Lastly, I used my weekly share of squash and eggplant for the grilled vegetables in the lasagna.
Recipes:
Homemade Vanilla Cupcakes
Breaking with bread
I feel like my life has been caught in a whirlwind these past few months. Between getting back from my five month stay in Thailand and Cambodia, readjusting to the American lifestyle while helping my parents move to a new city and new home, and now moving back to Charleston and diving into my senior year of college… I think it’s time I catch my breath. And that is just what I did these past few days. I allowed myself to slow everything down, worry about little, cook often, and just be. Though none grand, I have had a lot of realizations in my downtime and am feeling re-inspired and have faith in what’s to come…
One realization that has been overwhelmingly present is my feeling of gratitude.
I am grateful for my best friend Milena (you can find her beautiful blog here).
Grateful for my loving and always supportive family.
Grateful for my faith.
Grateful for my stability.
Grateful for my happiness.
Grateful for all my wonderful friends.
Grateful for random acts of kindness.
Grateful for countless blessings…
I realize these things in the silence of my kitchen; as I mindlessly chop vegetables, stir a pot of soup, and eat chocolate. I guess you could say I am a happy cook (at least as of lately).
Today I decided to make bread, for the first time! Since my return from Asia this summer, I have had to start eating strictly wheat and gluten-free foods. Although my body is thanking me, it has not been easy eliminating this allergen from my diet. Luckily, there are enough alternative flours and baked goods in the market to make being gluten-free bearable. One thing I have not been able to find (until now) is a hearty multi-seed and grain bread. Thanks to Bob’s Red Mill‘s dedication to making gluten-free flours and mixes, I was able to bake a delicious loaf of bread today that reminded me of some of my favorite German rye breads. The bread came out perfect! I was a very happy gluten-free girl today.
Oh, and my CSA vegetables from Rosebank Farms really do put a smile on my face. Nerdy? Maybe, but the photos in this post capture my use of these beautiful, locally harvested and in-season vegetables.
Roasted cherry tomatoes and roasted root vegetables with fresh herbs (carrots, turnips, sweet potato, onion, and garlic).
Shaved summer squash and zucchini salad with a lemon, olive oil, and fresh mint dressing topped with crisp bacon and goat cheese.
Harvest Tomato and Vegetable Soup (butter beans, green beans, zucchini, carrots, tomato, onion, garlic, celery, chili peppers, etc…)
Aside from our CSA vegetables, our good friend Kellen is a horticulturalist and generously shares his harvest with us from time to time. Like this colorful variety of peppers! I seriously put chili peppers in everything! I love added heat and spice. Thank you Kellen.
And I am grateful for YOU. Thanks for reading!
xoxo, Nat
Pumpkin Chili and Jalapeño Cornbread
I’ve just returned from spending three days visiting my family in Houston. It was such a great visit, and I even managed to see my older sister in from Dallas and my dad before he jetted off to London for his monthly meetings, but its never easy leaving or saying goodbye. Three days with my family felt like such a tease and now I cannot stop thinking about the holidays. Back in my Charleston apartment now, I am trying to refocus my energy on classes (my finance exam tomorrow) and look forward to things in my immediate future. It was raining and chilly when I got back today, but I was excited to remember I had leftover pumpkin chili and jalapeno cornbread that I made Friday before leaving for Houston. It was comforting to sit down with a delicious bowl of chili and warmed over cornbread… and for a brief while, I forgot how much I was missing “home.”
Cooking with fall flavors is therapeutic. Whether it’s a dish that reminds you of sitting at your grandmother’s table with friends and family, or a simple bowl of chili that makes you smile even when you might feel down, I encourage you to take some time to this week and make your favorite heart-warming dish.
Recipe: Pumpkin Chili with Turkey
(Loosely adapted from Whole Foods Market – Turkey Pumpkin Chili recipe)
– 1 medium onion, chopped
– 1 green bell pepper, chopped
– 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
– 3 garlic cloves, minced
– 2 Tbsp. olive oil
– 2 cups chick broth, or water
– 1 lb. ground turkey
– 1 can diced tomatoes (no salt added)
– 1 can black beans (no salt added)
– 1 can kidney beans (no salt added)
– 1/2 can pumpkin puree
– 2 tsp. sugar
– 2 tsp. dried oregano
– 1 Tbsp. chili powder
– 2 tsp. cumin powder
– salt and pepper to taste
Toppings (optional):
– lime juice, crumbled goat cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions or chives, Tabasco sauce
Method:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeños and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add turkey and cook until browned. Add tomatoes, pumpkin, water, sugar, oregano, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and add beans. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about an hour (can simmer for up to 4 hours). Ladle chili into bowls and serve with toppings and cornbread.
Recipe: Jalapeño Cornbread
(adapted from Epicurious.com)
– 1 ½ cups yellow corn meal
– ½ cup all-purpose flour (or GF flour)
– 3-4 jalapeno chilies, seeded and chopped
– 2 Tbsp. sugar
– 2 tsp. baking powder
– 1 tsp. baking soda
– 1 tsp. salt
– 1 ½ cups buttermilk*
– 2 eggs, lightly beaten
– 3 Tbsp. butter, melted
– 1 Tbsp. honey
Method:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a 9-inch by 2-inch round cake pan or 8-inch square baking pan. Mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Mix buttermilk, eggs, butter and honey in small bowl. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until firm to touch, about 20 minutes.
*If you do not have buttermilk, you can mix 1 tbsp vinegar with enough milk to make 1 ½ cups. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. I used almond milk and it worked perfectly.
Fall Spiced Muffins
I woke up to the sound of a storm unleashing it’s rain and thunder outside of my warm and cozy room this morning… By the time I woke up and took my first sip of coffee the skies had cleared up a bit, but the day had been set. Today was a baking day. Although Charleston’s air remained thick and humid after the rain, I still wanted it to feel like Fall inside my house. I decided to bake with pumpkin puree and plenty of aromatic spices to make sure that my house smelled of Fall. After about an hour of prep and baking time, I sat down, apron still tied around my waist, and took my first bite into Fall – or rather a spiced pumpkin carrot muffin.
Spiced Pumpkin Carrot Muffins
makes 12 muffins
(recipe adapted from A Meandering Mango)
Muffins:
1/4 cup oil (any non-fragrant oil)
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp (30ml) milk
1/2 cup (200g) pumpkin puree
2 small carrots, grated (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup (30g) oats
1 cup (130g) plain flour
pinch sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg and ginger
1 tsp baking powder
Optional add-ins:
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
1/4 cup dried cranberries (or raisins)
Glaze:
Drizzle with honey warm out of the oven
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, place oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and milk, and mix well. Add carrots and pumpkin and mix further. Next, add all the dry ingredients – oats, flour, spices, baking powder, sea salt, nuts, and dried fruit. Place batter into muffin cases or greased muffin tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Take out and let cool.
Drizzle with honey… take a bite into Fall!
I love to bake with carrots, but every time I begin grating my first carrot I remember what a mess it makes. All I can do is laugh when carrot flakes start shooting out at me, around my work surface, and on the floor. If a recipe calls for a 1/2 cup grated carrot, I go ahead and do 3/4 cup since I can expect 1/4 cup of it to never make it near the bowl.
Nat's Knack 